Waiting on Wednesday (24): Flamecaster by Cinda Williams Chima

 "Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine

This week's "waiting on" is...

Flamecaster

by Cinda Williams Chima!

Expected publication date: April 19th, 2016
Publisher: HarperCollins

SUMMARY (from Goodreads):

The first in a thrilling new four-book fantasy series from New York Times bestselling author Cinda Williams Chima, set in the same world as her beloved Seven Realms series, a generation later

Adrian sul’Han, known as Ash, is a trained healer with a powerful gift of magic—and a thirst for revenge. Ash is forced into hiding after a series of murders throws the queendom into chaos. Now Ash is closer than he’s ever been to killing the man responsible, the cruel king of Arden. As a healer, can Ash use his powers not to save a life but to take it?

Abandoned at birth, Jenna Bandelow was told that the mysterious magemark on the back of her neck would make her a target. But when the King’s Guard launches a relentless search for a girl with a mark like hers, Jenna assumes that it has more to do with her role as a saboteur than any birth-based curse. Though Jenna doesn’t know why she’s being hunted, she knows that she can’t get caught.

Eventually, Ash’s and Jenna’s paths will collide in Arden. Thrown together by chance and joined by their hatred of the king, they will come to rescue each other in ways they cannot yet imagine.

Set in the world of the acclaimed Seven Realms series a generation later, this is a thrilling story of dark magic, chilling threats, and two unforgettable characters walking a knife-sharp line between life and death. 

I am so pumped for this book. I was so sad when THE SEVEN REALMS series ended; I can't wait to dive back into that world!

What is your waiting on?

The Goblin's Puzzle: Being the Adventures of a Boy with No Name and Two Girls Called Alice by Andrew S. Chilton: Early Review

RATING: 5/5 stars!

Author: Andrew S. Chilton

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Source: Publisher sent in exchange for honest review

Release date: January 19th, 2016

Find it on Goodreads here!

SUMMARY (from Goodreads):

Brimming with dragons, goblins, and logic puzzles, this middle-grade fantasy adventure is perfect for readers who enjoyed The Princess Bride or Rump.

THE BOY is a nameless slave on a mission to uncover his true destiny.
THE GOBLIN holds all the answers, but he’s too tricky to be trusted.
PLAIN ALICE is a bookish peasant girl carried off by a confused dragon.
And PRINCESS ALICE is the lucky girl who wasn’t kidnapped.

All four are tangled up in a sinister plot to take over the kingdom, and together they must face kind monsters, a cruel magician, and dozens of deathly boring palace bureaucrats. They’re a ragtag bunch, but with strength, courage, and plenty of deductive reasoning, they just might outwit the villains and crack the goblin’s puzzle. 

REVIEW:

THE GOBLIN'S PUZZLE caught me totally by surprise. It is an absolute gem. 

I know that if I was a 10-12 year old I would have absolutely loved this book. Heck, I am a 19 year old and I absolutely loved this book. It brought me back to my grade school days, where I was reading Harry Potter and The Magic Treehouse. 

I always loved books with subtle humor in it, and THE GOBLIN’S PUZZLE was no exception. Some parts were SO FUNNY. The beginning when we are introduced to the boy with no name was so amusing, and when the dragon stole the wrong girl named Alice I about lost it. It was hilarious. 

The story was extremely clever. Not many middle grade books have a decent story line; the story was complex enough that it kept me interested, but yet simple enough that a 10 or 12 year old would understand some of the cleverness. It made the book something both parents and children will both enjoy. 

With subtle humor and an incredible clever story line, THE GOBLIN'S PUZZLE is not one to miss!

A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1) by Sarah J. Maas: Review

RATING: 3/5 stars

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's

Source: bought

Release date: May 5th, 2015

Find it on Goodreads here!

SUMMARY (from Goodreads):

A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Timesbestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beastwith faerie lore.

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it... or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down! 

REVIEW:

I have been struggling with reviewing a lot lately; I have been very busy with school, and all of the books that I have been able to read have not really captured my attention. I finished A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES back in October, and I sat on it for a while just to figure out exactly what I wanted to say. 

I liked this book a lot, but there were some things that didn't sit well with me. And in the two months since I have finished this book...I do not remember what they are. I hardly remember anything about this book. It was totally and completely unmemorable to me. So I apologize that I cannot give all of my readers (if any of you are still there!) a proper review. 

The only thing I do remember is the beginning of the book. Feyre kills a wolf (that was actually a faerie, unbeknownst to her) and is taken by Tamlin, who is also a faerie, to his home as punishment for killing his friend. It was absolutely riveting. But after that, everything just kind of blurs together. The story fell totally flat. 

Overall, A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES was great to start out, but very unmemorable. 

CONTENT: Some moderately explicit sex scenes. I skipped over them, so I don't know how much detail went into it. Moderate swearing, but very heavy on the violence and gore.