Review: Mirage by Somaiya Daud

Mirage by Somaiya DaudMirage
Somaiya Daud
Flatiron Books
Publishes on August 28th, 2018

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About Mirage
In a star system dominated by the brutal Vathek empire, eighteen-year-old Amani is a dreamer. She dreams of what life was like before the occupation; she dreams of writing poetry like the old-world poems she adores; she dreams of receiving a sign from Dihya that one day, she, too, will have adventure, and travel beyond her isolated moon.

But when adventure comes for Amani, it is not what she expects: she is kidnapped by the regime and taken in secret to the royal palace, where she discovers that she is nearly identical to the cruel half-Vathek Princess Maram. The … Continue reading

Review: The Story Peddler by Lindsay A. Franklin

The Story Peddler by Lindsay FranklinThe Story Peddler
Lindsay A. Franklin
Enclave Publishing
Published on May 1st, 2018

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About The Story Peddler
Selling stories is a deadly business.

Tanwen doesn’t just tell stories—she weaves them into crystallized sculptures that sell for more than a few bits. But the only way to escape the control of her cruel mentor and claw her way from poverty is to set her sights on something grander: becoming Royal Storyteller to the king.

During her final story peddling tour, a tale of treason spills from her hands, threatening the king himself. Tanwen goes from peddler to prey as the king’s guard hunts her down . . . and they’re not known … Continue reading

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Summer Reads

Summer–the perfect time to hang on the beach, barbecue with friends…or take the time to enjoy a good book. Here’s several that Kasey and I enjoyed, and that we think you will too!

Breakout by Kate MessnerBreakout by Kate Messner– June 5th, 2018

“Nora Tucker is looking forward to summer vacation in Wolf Creek–two months of swimming, popsicles, and brushing up on her journalism skills for the school paper. But when two inmates break out of the town’s maximum security prison, everything changes. Doors are locked, helicopters fly over the woods, and police patrol the school … Continue reading

Review: Fawkes by Nadine Brandes

Fawkes by Nadine BrandesFawkes
Nadine Brandes
Thomas Nelson
Publishes on July 10th, 2018

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About Fawkes

Thomas Fawkes is turning to stone, and the only cure to the Stone Plague is to join his father’s plot to assassinate the king of England.

Silent wars leave the most carnage. The wars that are never declared, but are carried out in dark alleys with masks and hidden knives. Wars where color power alters the natural rhythm of 17th century London. And when the king calls for peace, no one listens until he finally calls for death.

But what if death finds him first?

Keepers think the Igniters caused the plague. Igniters think the Keepers did it. But all Thomas knows … Continue reading

Review: Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young

Sky in the Deep by Adrienne YoungSky in the Deep
Adrienne Young
Wednesday Books
Published on April 24th, 2018

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About Sky in the Deep
OND ELDR. BREATHE FIRE.

Raised to be a warrior, seventeen-year-old Eelyn fights alongside her Aska clansmen in an ancient rivalry against the Riki clan. Her life is brutal but simple: fight and survive. Until the day she sees the impossible on the battlefield — her brother, fighting with the enemy — the brother she watched die five years ago.

Faced with her brother’s betrayal, she must survive the winter in the mountains with the Riki, in a village where every neighbor is an enemy, every battle scar possibly one she delivered. But … Continue reading

Review: The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

The Belles by Dhonielle ClaytonThe Belles
Dhonielle Clayton
Disney-Hyperion
Published on February 6th, 2018

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About The Belles

Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orléans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orléans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be made beautiful.

But it’s not enough for Camellia to be just a Belle. She wants to be the favorite—the Belle chosen by the Queen of Orléans to live in the royal palace, to tend to the royal family and their court, to be recognized as … Continue reading