Wishlist Wednesday #46

Wishlist Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Dani over @Pen to Paper and is a great way of showing off the books that we are dying to get our hands on :)

The Rithmatist - Brandon Sanderson

 More than anything, Joel wants to be a Rithmatist. Chosen by the Master in a mysterious inception ceremony, Rithmatists have the power to infuse life into two-dimensional figures known as Chalklings. Rithmatists are humanity’s only defense against the Wild Chalklings — merciless creatures that leave mangled corpses in their wake. Having nearly overrun the territory of Nebrask, the Wild Chalklings now threaten all of the American Isles.

As the son of a lowly chalkmaker at Armedius Academy, Joel can only watch as Rithmatist students study the magical art that he would do anything to practice. Then students start disappearing — kidnapped from their rooms at night, leaving trails of blood. Assigned to help the professor who is investigating the crimes, Joel and his friend Melody find themselves on the trail of an unexpected discovery — one that will change Rithmatics — and their world — forever.

Bestselling author Brandon Sanderson brings his unique brand of epic storytelling to the teen audience with an engrossing tale of danger and suspense—the first of a series. With his trademark skills in world-building, Sanderson has created a magic system that is so inventive and detailed that that readers who appreciate games of strategy and tactics just may want to bring Rithmatics to life in our world.

I just realised that this is my first Wishlist Wednesday post of 2014. I really need to get back into blogging! Anyway, BOOKS. Books that I really really want. The Rithmatist being one of many, many books on my wishlist. I've enjoyed both Brandon Sanderson books that I've read so far (Steelheart, The Final Empire) and I've heard amazing things about this one. Sanderson just seems to write some unique magic systems and epic fantasy stories that I think he's definitely going to be one of my new favourite authors. I think I'll be pre-ordering this book soon for when it's released in paperback in the UK.

Wishlist Wednesday #45

Wishlist Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Dani over @Pen to Paper and is a great way of showing off the books that we are dying to get our hands on :)

For Darkness Shows the Stars -

Diana Peterfreund

 It's been several generations since a genetic experiment gone wrong caused the Reduction, decimating humanity and giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.

Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family's estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliot's estate is foundering, forcing her to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth--an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliot wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she let him go.

But Elliot soon discovers her old friend carries a secret--one that could change their society . . . or bring it to its knees. And again, she's faced with a choice: cling to what she's been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she's ever loved, even if she's lost him forever.

Inspired by Jane Austen's Persuasion, For Darkness Shows the Stars is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.

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 This sounds amazing. A futuristic, dystopian re-telling of Jane Austen's Persuasion? Yes please! This book sounds so good that I have to have it now! After reading These Broken Stars this year I'm really looking for more YA science fiction to read and this seems perfect. I love the Austen-esque spin on it too. The second in the series, more of a companion is, Across a Star-Swept Sea which is a futuristic re-telling of The Scarlet Pimpernel. This series sounds like something I would love so it is definitely on my wishlist for my next possible buys!

Review: The Keeper - Natalie Star

 

I recieved this book as an ARC and can honestly say I was expecting to simply not like it. Talk about making your mind up before even beginning. Wrong I know but when you grow used to enjoying certain things new things can sometimes seems something that simply doesn't cross one's mind. But as my review will show, I was wrong. Completely wrong. 

The Keeper is the work of author Natalie Star, who has written two books (this being her first published novel) and with three more in the works. Book #2, the companion of The Keeper is currently being written, hopefully just as exciting a read as this one! Click here to learn more about Natalie, her work and her life or click here for her goodreads author page.

So here's the review for 'The Keeper':

Well not to sound too corny but The Keeper is definitely a keeper. I completely surprised myself by reading this book. I thought that I would give it a go but probably not like it seeing as I didn’t really read YA novels. But boy was I wrong. I spent a whole day reading the book as I could not put it down and wanted to know what fate had in store for the characters. Well fate as I put it adds up to supernatural powers interfering with the lives and minds of the protagonist and those close to her.

Billie is a seemingly normal, popular teenage girl dealing with all the angst that teenage angst and hormones bring. She unknowingly receives a mystical ‘gift’ during a field trip and she begins to embark on a dangerous, thrilling, exciting journey to fulfil her destiny. So not only does Billie have to worry over appearance, straight hair, good grades, boyfriends and best friends but has to also worry about prophetic nightmares, supernatural visions and evil beings tracking her. So yeah, she leads a very confusing life. Her sixteenth birthday completely changes her life; a strange old necklace is gifted to her and an old ‘acquaintance’ appears in her life and a strong, familiar bond is created.

‘The Keeper’ is full of twists and turns, surprises at every corner both heartbreaking and heart warming and the relationships between the characters are so real, so emotional that you are completely invested in their outcomes, in their lives.

This book will surely be a firm favourite with those who love similar YA novels. But I believe that I enjoyed it so much as the characters are so easy to empathise with (despite all the supernatural, mystical stuff). Billie (despite her destiny) is a normal, popular school girl who worries about her hair and make-up, fights with her brother for the bathroom, gets detention and falls in love. I’m sure every girl can empathise with that. No truly, this book has a little bit of everything; fun, romance, fantasy, supernatural elements and most of all it has a good story! So the moral of the story is don’t always judge a book by its cover (or blurb), take a chance and you might end up liking something that is completely different to what you usually enjoy.

An enjoyable, fun, thrilling book! 

 Here's the video trailer for the book. 

Enjoy!