Waiting on Wednesday - The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine,  that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating or books that are in our TBR pile.  This week’s “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is

Summary (by Goodreads)

Children can have a cruel, absolute sense of justice. Children can kill a monster and feel quite proud of themselves. A girl can look at her brother and believe they’re destined to be a knight and a bard who battle evil. She can believe she’s found the thing she’s been made for.

Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries’ seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once.

At the center of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking.

Until one day, he does…

As the world turns upside down, Hazel tries to remember her years pretending to be a knight. But swept up in new love, shifting loyalties, and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough?

I love Holly Black. I need to read this.
- Christinabean

Polaris by Mindee Arnett

Published: January 20th, 2015

Publisher: Balzer and Bray

Pages: 432

Copy: Edelweiss

Summary: Goodreads

Jeth Seagrave and his crew of mercenaries are pulled into one last high-stakes mission in this breathtaking sequel to Mindee Arnett's Avalon, which SLJ called "an exciting piece of science fiction that keeps up its energy from beginning to end" in a starred review.

Jeth Seagrave and his crew are on the run. The ITA, still holding Jeth's mother in a remote research lab, is now intent on acquiring the metatech secrets Jeth's sister Cora carries inside her DNA, and Jeth is desperate to find the resources he needs to rescue his mother and start a new life outside the Confederation. But the ITA is just as desperate, and Jeth soon finds himself pursued by a mysterious figure hell-bent on capturing him and his crew—dead or alive.

With nowhere to run and only one play left, Jeth enters into a bargain with the last person he ever thought he'd see again: Daxton Price, the galaxy's newest and most fearsome crime lord. Dax promises to help Jeth, but his help will only come at a price—a price that could mean sacrificing everything Jeth has fought for until now. 

'Polaris' was a wonderful follow-up to 'Avalon' which I read last year, but for some reason don't appear to have reviewed, although I'm not sure why.  I absolutely loved 'Avalon' and am happy to report that 'Polaris did not disappoint.  In fact, it may even have been better.

 Ms Arnett manages to give her characters great depth and emotion and although there is romance in the book, it takes a back seat to the story, which is both complex and engrossing.  The various characters that make up the crew are a family, by circumstance if not by blood, and they display all the characteristics of a true family.  They care for each other even while they are arguing and despite everything that happens are there for each other when needed. The technology is new and frightening in its possibilities and never seems too far-fetched or unreal.

The story takes off almost immediately and continues at breakneck speed right to the very end. Just when the kids appear to get a break, something happens and they are knocked right back down again.  The reader is never quite sure what is going to happen next. This book is one of a rare kind in YA - a good science fiction book and is a completely thrilling read that sucks you in and spits you out at the end.  I highly recommend it - even if you think you don't like SF.  

Christmas Break - December 24 - January 2

Every year we try to do something special for our Christmas post.

Our letters to Santa

Twas the night before Christmas book blogger style

This year we will leave you with a special event that WestJet does every year.  Get your tissues ready...



Merry Christmas everyone and Happy New Year!

- Christinabean and Curlypow

Boxing Day savings at Book Outlet

 

 

I wanted to share this special savings with you...Book Outlet is having 50% off everything on December 26th.  Click on the link below and share it with friends to receive a special code for your savings!!

 

http://bit.ly/13W4A90

The Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay

Published: December 9th, 2014

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Pages: 400

Copy: Netgalley (and library)

Summary: Goodreads

Game of Thrones meets the Grimm's fairy tales in this twisted, fast-paced romantic fantasy-adventure about Sleeping Beauty's daughter, a warrior princess who must fight to reclaim her throne.

Though she looks like a mere mortal, Princess Aurora is a fairy blessed with enhanced strength, bravery, and mercy yet cursed to destroy the free will of any male who kisses her. Disguised as a boy, she enlists the help of the handsome but also cursed Prince Niklaas to fight legions of evil and free her brother from the ogre queen who stole Aurora's throne ten years ago.

Will Aurora triumph over evil and reach her brother before it's too late? Can Aurora and Niklaas break the curses that will otherwise forever keep them from finding their one true love?

One of the things that I loved most about Princess of Thorns was the continued references to many and varied popular fairy tales, there's  the Swan Princes of course and Sleeping Beauty, then we have Red Riding hood, Rapunzel and several others.  They just keep popping up and it's easy to miss them, but Ms Jay is obviously a huge fan.

Princess of Thorns is at heart a fantastic romance - one of the best I have read in a long time. It is also a wonderful adventure story, and the two are melded beautifully into one easy to read and engrossing tale.  Let's go back to the romance - future romance writers be aware.  This is how it should be done.  A slow simmer, where the characters get to know each other before the lust sets in.  Oh, it gives me shivers just thinking back on it.  The reader learns about the characters as the characters learn about each other and for the most part these are nice people.  I had such a clear picture in my mind of Niklaas and Ror.  I also loved the fact that Ror (Aurora's) fairy blessings have a major down side and all is not roses.

Princess of Thorns is a wonderful book to get lost in, but it is NOT a Game of Thrones if that's what you're expecting.  You'll be disappointed if you are.  But, if you're looking for fun, romantic adventure with a fairy tale twist or three, you'll love it.

Friday Follow

Friday Follow is a blog hop that was started by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  Each week a different question is posted by our hosts and we will answer!  This is a great opportunity for bloggers to network and interact. 

This week’s question –

Do you have a go to genre when you’re happy, sad, or angry? – via Take Me Away…

I do choose the genre of book I am going to read depending on how I am feeling.  I will go for Dystopian when I'm feeling a bit down or Fantasy when I'm looking for adventure or Contemporary when I am feeling more emotional.  When I'm feeling happy, I tend to do a mix of everything (usually I am reading a few different books at once).

- Christinabean

Welcome to the Paperback Princesses! Make yourself at home, take a look around our blog and let us know what you think in the comments section. We would love to hear what you have to say about our posts. We often try to comment on your comments as well so feel free to start a conversation! Since there are two of us running the show, we always have a variety of titles and event postings. Be sure to check out our own personal meme page. Check out Fantastic Fairytales, Let's Hear it for the Boys, In Case you Missed it and a few others. We try to not only focus on new YA books but also great titles from the past.

The Lost Sun by Tessa Gratton

Published: June 25th, 2013

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Pages: 369

Copy: Library

Summary: Goodreads

Fans of Neil Gaiman's "American Gods" and Holly Black's "The Curse Workers" will embrace this richly drawn, Norse-mythology-infused alternate world: the United States of Asgard. Seventeen-year-old Soren Bearskin is trying to escape the past. His father, a famed warrior, lost himself to the battle-frenzy and killed thirteen innocent people. Soren cannot deny that berserking is in his blood--the fevers, insomnia, and occasional feelings of uncontrollable rage haunt him. So he tries to remain calm and detached from everyone at Sanctus Sigurd's Academy. But that's hard to do when a popular, beautiful girl like Astrid Glyn tells Soren she dreams of him. That's not all Astrid dreams of--the daughter of a renowned prophetess, Astrid is coming into her own inherited abilities. 

When Baldur, son of Odin and one of the most popular gods in the country, goes missing, Astrid sees where he is and convinces Soren to join her on a road trip that will take them to find not only a lost god, but also who they are beyond the legacy of their parents and everything they've been told they have to be.

Review

Oh my goodness, how much I enjoyed this book.  It picked me up within a few pages and carried me through the story to the very end.  The United States of Azgard became real to me and I was travelling through the center of them along with Soren, Astrid and Baldur.  

A short while ago I reviewed a book (the name of which escapes me right now) where I commented that although an alternate version of our world, everything had the same names and the characters spoke the same and it was hard to tell the difference between universes. In The Lost Sun, Ms Gratton has created a world that has developed alongside ours at the same pace, but is in its own way totally different.  People use the interweave, not internet, have televisions, but watch the Gods live.  The states are just slightly different Mizizibi/Lafloride/Montania - they eat a ham LT or Arnold chips. This world is complete in every way and was so easy to believe.

As were the characters - Astrid and Soren were so real, with their wonderful personalities and so full of doubts and laughter.  True to themselves and each other and always growing in knowledge.  Soren's boon from Odin was so right it gave me shivers.  Theirs was a true love story -  I laughed and yes, I cried too.  A perfect mystery that needed to be solved.  The Lost Sun is a beautiful coming of age story that shows us the power of belief in ourselves and other.  If you're in the mood for a perfect love story with a difference, try The Lost Sun.  Maybe you'll enjoy it as much as I did.