Top Ten Books I Resolve to Read in 2018

top ten tuesday

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is Top Ten Books I’m Looking Forward to In 2018 (These could be new releases, or books you resolve to read, ten debuts we are looking forward to, etc.)

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Now that the end of the year is upon us, it’s time to start thinking about those New Year’s resolutions.  Normally I don’t make many because I almost always fail at them, but I’m thinking I might actually have a good chance of succeeding at a bookish-themed resolution.

In that spirit, I’ve come up with a list of Top 10 Books I Resolve to Read in 2018.  These are all books that I have heard nothing but wonderful things about but somehow still have not managed to make the time to read them.  It’s actually embarrassing how long some of them have been on my TBR and how long I’ve talked about how much I’m dying to read them but then never following through.  So now it’s time to make a real effort to do something about it.

 

TOP 10 BOOKS I RESOLVE TO READ IN 2018

 

1. SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo

(Find out what it’s about…)

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2. EVERYTHING I NEVER TOLD YOU by Celeste Ng

(Find out what it’s about…)

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3.  NEVERNIGHT by Jay Kristoff

(Find out what it’s about…)

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4. A FEAST FOR CROWS by George R.R. Martin

(Find out what it’s about…)

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5. REBEL OF THE SANDS by Alwyn Hamilton

(Find out what it’s about…)

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6. DARK MATTER by Blake Crouch

(Find out what it’s about…)

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7. INK AND BONE by Rachel Caine

(Find out what it’s about…)

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8. THE RAVEN BOYS by Maggie Stiefvater

(Find out what it’s about…)

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9. SALT TO THE SEA by Ruth Sepetys

(Find out what it’s about…)

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10. TO THE BRIGHT EDGE OF THE WORLD by Eowyn Ivey


(Find out what it’s about…)

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Question:  Do you have any books that you are determined to get off your TBR list in 2018?

Can’t Wait Wednesday – Spotlight on CATWOMAN: SOULSTEALER

 

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which encourages fellow bloggers to spotlight upcoming releases that we’re excited about.  It is a meme that I have  loved participating in for over a year now, but as Jill is no longer actively posting, from now on I’ll just be linking to Can’t Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa, which is a spinoff of the original WoW meme.

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My selection for this week is CATWOMAN: SOULSTEALER by Sarah J. Maas.  I don’t think I really need to say anything more here, do I?  As much as I adored the first book in the DC Icons series, I seriously cannot wait for the next two books in the series, especially this one because Catwoman has always fascinated me.  I just wish I didn’t have to wait until next August to get it!

 

CATWOMAN: SOULSTEALER by Sarah J. Maas

Publication Date:   August 7, 2018

 

From Goodreads:

Sizzling with action and suspense, #1 New York Times bestselling author SARAH J. MAAS delivers a coming-of-age Selina Kyle who will steal readers’ hearts in a new, highly anticipated YA blockbuster: CATWOMAN!

When the Bat’s away, the Cat will play. It’s time to see how many lives this cat really has. . . .

Two years after escaping Gotham City’s slums, Selina Kyle returns as the mysterious and wealthy Holly Vanderhees. She quickly discovers that with Batman off on a vital mission, Batwing is left to hold back the tide of notorious criminals. Gotham City is ripe for the taking.

Meanwhile, Luke Fox wants to prove he has what it takes to help people in his role as Batwing. He targets a new thief on the prowl who seems cleverer than most. She has teamed up with Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, and together they are wreaking havoc. This Catwoman may be Batwing’s undoing.

In this third DC Icons book–following Leigh Bardugo’s Wonder Woman: Warbringer and Marie Lu’s Batman: Nightwalker–Selina is playing a desperate game of cat and mouse, forming unexpected friendships and entangling herself with Batwing by night and her devilishly handsome neighbor Luke Fox by day. But with a dangerous threat from the past on her tail, will she be able to pull off the heist that’s closest to her heart?

 

 

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I’d love to hear what upcoming book releases you’re waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me your link in the comments below and I’ll stop by and check out your CWW selection for this week. 🙂

Can’t Wait Wednesday – Spotlight on I HAVE LOST MY WAY by Gayle Forman

 

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which encourages fellow bloggers to spotlight upcoming releases that we’re excited about.  It is a meme that I have  loved participating in for over a year now, but as Jill is no longer actively posting, from now on I’ll just be linking to Can’t Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa, which is a spinoff of the original WoW meme.

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My selection for this week is I HAVE LOST MY WAY by Gayle Forman.  A book about friendship that is also set in New York City?  That feels like it just has my name written all over it!  I am also quite curious about the fact that the book covers only a single day but from three different points of view.

 

I HAVE LOST MY WAY by Gayle Forman

Publication Date:   April 1, 2018

 

 

From Goodreads:

A powerful display of empathy and friendship from the #1 New York Times Bestselling author of If I Stay.

Around the time that Freya loses her voice while recording her debut album, Harun is making plans to run away from home to find the boy that he loves, and Nathaniel is arriving in New York City after a family tragedy leaves him isolated on the outskirts of Washington state. After the three of them collide in Central Park, they slowly reveal the parts of their past that they haven’t been able to confront, and together, they find their way back to who they’re supposed to be.

Told over the course of a single day from three different perspectives, Gayle Forman’s newest novel about the power of friendship and being true to who you are is filled with the elegant prose that her fans have come to know and love.

 

 

 

 

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I’d love to hear what upcoming book releases you’re waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me your link in the comments below and I’ll stop by and check out your CWW selection for this week. 🙂

Can’t Wait Wednesday – Spotlight on THE BEAUTY THAT REMAINS

 

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which encourages fellow bloggers to spotlight upcoming releases that we’re excited about.  It is a meme that I have  loved participating in for over a year now, but as Jill is no longer actively posting, from now on I’ll just be linking to Can’t Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa, which is a spinoff of the original WoW meme.

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My selection for this week is THE BEAUTY THAT REMAINS by Ashley Woodfolk.  I have to admit that I’m a sucker for a book that takes me on an emotional roller coaster ride, and based on all of the advance praise for this novel, I think that’s exactly what it’s going to do.

 

THE BEAUTY THAT REMAINS by Ashley Woodfolk

Publication Date:   March 6, 2018

 

From Goodreads:

Music brought Autumn, Shay, and Logan together. Death wants to tear them apart.

Autumn always knew exactly who she was—a talented artist and a loyal friend. Shay was defined by two things: her bond with her twin sister, Sasha, and her love of music. And Logan always turned to writing love songs when his love life was a little less than perfect.

But when tragedy strikes each of them, somehow music is no longer enough. Now Logan can’t stop watching vlogs of his dead ex-boyfriend. Shay is a music blogger struggling to keep it together. And Autumn sends messages that she knows can never be answered.

Each of them wonders: How different would my life be if this hadn’t happened? And now that it has . . . what’s next?

 

ADVANCE PRAISE FOR THE BEAUTY THAT REMAINS

 

“The Beauty that Remains is a stunning, heart-wrenching look at grief that will stay with you long after you put it down. Be prepared to be broken, be prepared to feel whole again.” —Angie Thomas, New York Times bestselling author of The Hate U Give

“This books hurts so good. With three distinct narrators and lyrical prose, Ashley Woodfolk stakes her claim as a fresh new voice to follow in the world of young adult literature.” —Julie Murphy, author of Ramona Blue and Dumplin’

“Woodfolk’s debut cuts deeply, and then wipes your tears away. Wrenching, heartfelt, and vividly human.” —Becky Albertalli, author of Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda

The Beauty That Remains is haunting, heart-wrenching, and powerful. A tale of grief that grapples with what’s next after you lose a loved one, this book will remind you to hold fast to those you love, share your heart while you have time, and find the music that makes this wild ride of life better. A tearjerker must-read for teens!” —Dhonielle Clayton, author of the Belles series and coauthor of the Tiny Pretty Things series

The Beauty That Remains burns warm and bright with the fires of loss, love, and longing, and hums with poetry and song. This is the sort of book that pieces a broken heart back together, stronger than before. —Jeff Zentner, Morris Award-winning author of The Serpent King

“The Beauty That Remains is an emotional, must-read story of the way music connects us, the way tragedy threatens to break us apart, and the way life can change, for better or worse, in an instant.” —Bustle.com

“Woodfolk has done an exemplary job of character creating and building. Her three co-protagonists are fully realized, empathetic individuals for whom readers will care. They grow and change believably as they begin to find ways to deal with their grief, and the resolutions of their emotional crises are lucid and deeply satisfying, as, ultimately, is this fine first novel.” —Booklist

“An ambitious debut from a writer to watch.”—Kirkus

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I’d love to hear what upcoming book releases you’re waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me your link in the comments below and I’ll stop by and check out your CWW selection for this week. 🙂

Top 10 Bookish Settings I’d Love to Visit

top ten tuesday

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is Top Ten Books On My Winter TBR List, which gives us all a chance to share what we’re planning to read for the next few months.   

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This week’s topic really gave me a major case of nostalgia because as soon as I started thinking about bookish settings I’d love to visit, mainly what came to mind were settings from my favorite childhood books.  There are a few more recent favorites on my list, but by and large, my inner child won out.

I’d love to visit and take classes at Hogwarts, and I’d love to walk through a wardrobe and find myself in the magical snowy world of Narnia.  Or maybe spend a day in the Hundred Acre Woods playing Pooh Sticks with Winnie the Pooh, flying around with Peter Pan in Neverland, or visiting Willie Wonka’s Chocolate Factory and sampling some of his delectable chocolaty treats?

And while I can’t say I’d ever want to live in Middle Earth, Red London, Themyscira, or the Courts of Prythian, how wonderful would it be to just visit them and see them up close and personal?

Finally, I’d love to visit one of those magical traveling carnivals like the ones featured in Caraval and The Night Circus.  I selected the one from The Night Circus because I loved that it was set in Victorian London, but either would be truly magical.

 

TOP 10 BOOKISH SETTINGS I’D LOVE TO VISIT

 

1. HOGWARTS from the Harry Potter Series

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2. NARNIA from The Chronicles of Narnia

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3.  WILLY WONKA’S CHOCOLATE FACTORY from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

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4. THE HUNDRED ACRE WOODS from Winnie the Pooh

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5. NEVERLAND from Peter Pan

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6. RED LONDON from A Darker Shade of Magic

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7. MIDDLE EARTH from the Lord of the Rings series

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8. THEMYSCIRA (Paradise Island) from Wonder Woman: Warbringer

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9. THE WANDERING MAGICAL CIRCUS from The Night Circus

Wallpaper created by thedreamerbelow from deviantart.com

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10. PRYTHIAN (ALL OF THE COURTS) from the A Court of Thorns and Roses series


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Question:  What bookish settings would you like to visit?  Would any of mine make your list?

Can’t Wait Wednesday – Spotlight on CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE

 

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which encourages fellow bloggers to spotlight upcoming releases that we’re excited about.  It is a meme that I have  loved participating in for over a year now, but as Jill is no longer actively posting, from now on I’ll just be linking to Can’t Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa, which is a spinoff of the original WoW meme.

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My selection for this week is CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE by Tomi Adeyemi.  I fell in love with the gorgeous cover for this book as soon as I saw it, but then I read the synopsis and became even more interested in reading it.  I’m intrigued by the idea of what happens to a magical land when the magic suddenly disappears and also by the idea that main character Zélie will work together with a rogue princess to get the magic back.  It just sounds so exciting and intense!

 

CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE by Tomi Adeyemi

Publication Date:   March 6, 2018

 

From Goodreads:

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zelie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were targeted and killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now, Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers—and her growing feelings for the enemy.

 

I’d love to hear what upcoming book releases you’re waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me your link in the comments below and I’ll stop by and check out your CWW selection for this week. 🙂

Can’t Wait Wednesday – MY PLAIN JANE by Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows, & Brodi Ashton

 

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which encourages fellow bloggers to spotlight upcoming releases that we’re excited about.  It is a meme that I have  loved participating in for over a year now, but as Jill is no longer actively posting, from now on I’ll just be linking to Can’t Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa, which is a spinoff of the original WoW meme.

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My selection for this week is MY PLAIN JANE by Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows, & Brodi AshtonAs if it wasn’t obvious enough last week, I have Jane Eyre retellings on the brain lately.  And as much as I loved the whimsical first installment of The Lady Janies series by these three amazing authors, I can only imagine how great this next book is going to be.  My only problem – June is just too far away! *cries*

 

MY PLAIN JANE by Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows, & Brodi Ashton

Publication Date:  June 26, 2018

 

From Goodreads:

You may think you know the story. After a miserable childhood, penniless orphan Jane Eyre embarks on a new life as a governess at Thornfield Hall. There, she meets one dark, brooding Mr. Rochester. Despite their significant age gap (!) and his uneven temper (!!), they fall in love—and, Reader, she marries him. (!!!)

Or does she?

Prepare for an adventure of Gothic proportions, in which all is not as it seems, a certain gentleman is hiding more than skeletons in his closets, and one orphan Jane Eyre, aspiring author Charlotte Bronte, and supernatural investigator Alexander Blackwood are about to be drawn together on the most epic ghost hunt this side of Wuthering Heights.

 

I’d love to hear what upcoming book releases you’re waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me your link in the comments below and I’ll stop by and check out your CWW selection for this week. 🙂

Can’t Wait Wednesday – BRIGHTLY BURNING by Alexa Donne

 

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which encourages fellow bloggers to spotlight upcoming releases that we’re excited about.  It is a meme that I have  loved participating in for over a year now, but as Jill is no longer actively posting, from now on I’ll just be linking to Can’t Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa, which is a spinoff of the original WoW meme.

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My selection for this week is BRIGHTLY BURNING by Alexa Donne.  Okay, this synopsis had me at “Jane Eyre in Space.”  I mean, seriously…Jane Eyre in space?! How amazing does that sound?  As if you couldn’t guess by this point, Jane Eyre is one of my all-time favorite books and since I also love sci-fi, this book practically sounds like it was written with me in mind.  I also love that it’s advertised for as being perfect for fans of Marissa Meyer and Kiera Cass.  So yeah, is it May 1st yet?

 

BRIGHTLY BURNING by Alexa Donne

Publication Date:  May 1, 2018

 

From Amazon:

A romantic, cinematic, richly-imagined retelling of the classic Jane Eyre set in space, about seventeen-year-old Stella Ainsley, a mechanic who takes a governess job on board the private ship, the Rochester and falls in love with the ship’s mysterious and troubled captain. For Marissa Meyer and Kiera Cass fans.  

Seventeen-year-old Stella Ainsley wants just one thing: to go somewhere–anywhere–else. Her home is a floundering spaceship that offers few prospects, having been orbiting an ice-encased Earth for two hundred years. When a private ship hires her as a governess, Stella jumps at the chance. The captain of the Rochester, nineteen-year-old Hugo Fairfax, is notorious throughout the fleet for being a moody recluse and a drunk. But with Stella he’s kind.

But the Rochester harbors secrets: Stella is certain someone is trying to kill Hugo, and the more she discovers, the more questions she has about his role in a conspiracy threatening the fleet.

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I’d love to hear what upcoming book releases you’re waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me your link in the comments below and I’ll stop by and check out your CWW selection for this week. 🙂

Top 10 Books (and Series) I Hope My Child Will Read Someday

Created at canva.com

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  This week’s topic is Top Ten Books I Want My Future Children to Read (Or nieces and nephews, Godchildren, etc.).  Since I already have a child and actively aspire to have him be as big of a bookworm as I am, I’ve had a wishlist of books and series for a while now that I’ve been hoping my son will eventually read.  What’s cool is that we’ve already made a little bit of progress on this list and so far he has loved everything we’ve read.  I’m hoping that as he grows older, he will continue to trust my taste in books and so will read the rest of these two.

 

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Top 10 Books (and Series) I Hope My Child Will Read Someday

 

  • HARRY POTTER SERIES by J.K. Rowling   I’m thrilled to say that my son and I have already read this entire series together.  He loved every minute of it, especially the Weasley twins.  I’m hoping this will be a favorite that he revisits from time to time.
  • CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY by Roald Dahl  Is there anything better to make a child fall in love with reading than the whimsical books of Roald Dahl?  My son and I have read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory together and he loved it so much that we moved on to Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, Matilda, and The B.F.G.
  • THE GIVING TREE by Shel Silverstein  I can’t take credit for getting my son to read this beautiful story since he read it at school, but I’ll give his teacher props for making one of my wishlist reads a reality.  My son loved this one too and has since started reading Where the Sidewalk Ends.
  • PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS by Rick Riordan  This is a series that we’ve started but haven’t gotten very far into yet.  You’ll find that many of the books and series on my wishlist are fantasy.  Since I was a child, fantasy books have always fascinated me so I’m hoping they’ll have the same effect on my child.  I also think they’re great for really making a child use their imagination to envision the world building that takes place.  And in the case of the Percy Jackson series, it also provides an entertaining introduction to Greek Mythology, which is a nice bonus.
  • THE LORD OF THE FLIES by William Golding   He’s nowhere near old enough for this book yet, but I remember being equal parts fascinated and horrified by this book when I read it in high school and it has still stuck with me after all these years.  It’s a book that makes you think and I definitely want my son reading books that will engage his mind and keep him thinking about life.
  • TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee This will be another book for when he is older, but I really hope I can get my son to read this one.  One because it’s my all-time favorite book, and two because it tackles important social issues that are still relevant today.  If I can only get him to read one classic, this is the one I’d choose.
  • 1984 by George Orwell If I could get my son to read 2 classics, this is the second one I’d choose.  It’s another one of those creepy reads that makes you think and it manages to still be relevant today.  I’d also want him to read it, if for no other reason, than so he understands what someone means if they say Big Brother is watching.
  • THE HOBBIT & THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY by J.R.R. Tolkien We’re still a few years away from this one too, I think, although my son has checked The Hobbit out of the library before.  It ended up being a little over his head, but he is definitely interested in revisiting it someday and I will most certainly encourage him to do so since it’s one of the greatest fantasy series of all time.
  • THE OUTSIDERS by S.E. Hinton  Again, for when my son is older, but this is a book from my childhood that has continued to captivate young readers to this day.  I’m hoping my child will not grow up to be a reluctant reader, but if he does, I still think this is a book that would appeal to him.

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Question:  What are some books or series you hope your child will read some day?

Can’t Wait Wednesday – THE DEFIANT HEIR by Melissa Caruso

 

 

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which encourages fellow bloggers to spotlight upcoming releases that we’re excited about.  It is a meme that I have  loved participating in for over a year now, but as Jill is no longer actively posting, from now on I’ll just be linking to Can’t Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa, which is a spinoff of the original WoW meme.

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My selection for this week is THE DEFIANT HEIR by Melissa Caruso.  I just finished the first book in this series recently and really loved it, especially main characters Lady Amalia and Zaira, who were just such a badass dynamic duo.  I can’t wait to get my hands on the second book and see what happens Lady Amalia and Zaira next, especially if they’re going behind enemy lines!

 

THE DEFIANT HEIR by Melissa Caruso

Publication Date:  April 19, 2018

 

 

From Goodreads:

Across the border, the Witch Lords of Vaskandar are preparing for war. But before an invasion can begin, they must call a rare gathering of all seventeen lords to decide a course of action. Lady Amalia Cornaro knows that this Conclave might be her only chance to stifle the growing flames of war, and she is ready to make any sacrifice if it means saving Raverra from destruction.

Amalia and Zaira must go behind enemy lines, using every ounce of wit and cunning they have, to sway Vaskandar from war. Or else it will all come down to swords and fire.

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I’d love to hear what upcoming book releases you’re waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me your link in the comments below and I’ll stop by and check out your CWW selection for this week. 🙂