What-to-Read-Next #11 (April 2015)

It's hard to decide which one of these books I'm looking forward to the most. If I had to choose, it would most likely be a tie between THE QUEEN OF BRIGHT AND SHINY THINGS and ZERBOXER. Comment below with the books that you're looking forward to!

Title: The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things

Author: Ann Aguirre

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Date: April 7^th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:

Sage Czinski is trying really hard to be perfect. If she manages it, people won’t peer beyond the surface, or ask hard questions about her past. She’s learned to substitute causes for relationships, and it’s working just fine… until Shane Cavendish strolls into her math class. He’s a little antisocial, a lot beautiful, and everything she never knew she always wanted.

Shane Cavendish just wants to be left alone to play guitar and work on his music. He’s got heartbreak and loneliness in his rearview mirror, and this new school represents his last chance. He doesn’t expect to be happy; he only wants to graduate and move on. He never counted on a girl like Sage.

But love doesn’t mend all broken things, and sometimes life has to fall apart before it can be put back together again…

Title: Kissing Ted Callahan (And Other Guys)

Author: Amy Spalding

Publisher: Poppy

Date: April 7^th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:

After catching their bandmates in a compromising position, sixteen-year-old Los Angelenos Riley and Reid become painfully aware of the romance missing from their own lives. And so a pact is formed: they'll both try to make something happen with their respective crushes and document the experiences in a shared notebook.

While Reid struggles with the moral dilemma of adopting a dog to win over someone's heart, Riley tries to make progress with Ted Callahan, who she's been obsessed with forever-His floppy hair! His undeniable intelligence! But suddenly cute guys are popping up everywhere. How did she never notice them before?! With their love lives going from 0 to 60 in the blink of an eye, Riley and Reid realize the results of their pact may be more than they bargained for.

Title: Zeroboxer

Author: Fonda Lee

Publisher: Flux

Date: April 8^th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:

Carr “the Raptor” Luka is an athletic phenom, a rising star in the weightless combat sport of zeroboxing. Training and competing aboard the lunar orbiting city-station of Valtego (where It’s More Fun on the Dark Side TM), all he’s ever wanted is to win the championship title.

His talent and marketability don’t go unnoticed by the top brass of the Zero Gravity Fighting Association. They assign him a brandhelm; after all, anyone who wants to be anyone needs a dedicated personal marketing strategist. Beautiful and ambitious, Risha is one of the genetically engineered Martian colonists that Earth dwellers view with resentment and suspicion. It isn’t long before she’s made Carr into a popular celebrity, and stolen his heart along the way.

But success could be the worst thing that happens to them. As his fame grows, Carr must come to terms with the fact that he’s become an inspirational hero on Earth, a once-great planet now angry at falling into the shadow of its more prosperous colonies. When Carr learns of a far-reaching criminal scheme, he becomes the keeper of a devastating personal secret. Not only will his choices place into jeopardy everything he holds dear, they may spill the violence from the sports arena out into the solar system.

Book Review: Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton (2.5/5)

Title: Seeker

Author: Arwen Elys Dayton

Publisher: Random House

Pages: 448

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Rating: 2.5/5

Source: Netgalley

Goodreads Blurb:

Quin Kincaid has been put through years of brutal training for what she thinks is the noble purpose of becoming a revered ‘Seeker’.

Only when it’s too late does she discover she will be using her new-found knowledge and training to become an assassin. Quin’s new role will take her around the globe, from a remote estate in Scotland to a bustling, futuristic Hong Kong where the past she thought she had escaped will finally catch up with her.

This book was disappointing. After reading the Goodreads Blurb (posted above) I had really high hopes. Hopes, that sadly, this book didn’t meet. This book seemed dysfunctional. It had a somewhat strong start – it looked kind of promising. But then as it progressed everything got extremely confusing. There wasn’t any rhyme or reason to what was occurring – it was kind of like What in the world is going on ???

This Goodreads Blurb is absolutely and utterly hyped. ‘Seeker’ is focused and told from the points of view of the 4(main) characters Quin, Shinobu, John and Maud. Shinobu and Maud seemed saner than Quin and John, mainly because more insight is provided for these specific characters. Quin and John were just two completely confused entities. To begin with, let’s talk about Quin.  After figuring out what her father was shaping her to be and then escaping, Quin led a normal life. As a healer she helped others – an admirable trait. But as her past starts to catch up with her (in the shape of John) Quin is forced to remember what she wanted to forget – that she was a Seeker. But honestly, in this stage of the book Quin seemed exceedingly stupid. She didn’t remember a single thing about her past – she was absolutely clueless. This was extremely aggravating. Having to see the heroine in such a weak fashion and completely ignorant of her past was just a ridiculous thing to have to read about. Having to read about how utterly clueless Quin was made me feel like there was no point reading about such a lost character. I was really tempted to just DNF the book.

Then there was John. Before Quin escaped, she and John were in a relationship. They were “in love”. And through the a good first half of the book, John just preaches about how much he loves Quin. But wow, do his actions contradict him. After leaving Quin he set out on his goal, a goal he didn’t share with anybody else. John was exceedingly driven – he needed to reach his goal. But the actions he was willing to take made him the villain of this book. And sure, this might have been what Ms. Dayton was trying to get out but she could have done it in a more concise fashion. Throughout the beginning of the book I was just confused – What is John going to do? Is he the antagonist? What in the world is wrong with him? There was just too much about him that was confusing to actually enjoy this book.

On to the romance plot: it was really messed up. It was incredibly difficult to get a read on how Quin, John and Shinobu felt for each other. This was because it seemed as if they could never really make up their mind – one day they were in love, the next they weren’t. But beyond that, this love story was so ordinary. There was nothing special or unique about it.

The part that irked me the most about this book was the writing. It was just so simplistic. The author spelled everything out instead of letting me read between the lines. There were loads of mindless details that were absolutely pointless to the story. The whole book could be a lot shorter if she hadn’t included these unnecessary details.

Thankfully, the ending is much better than the beginning or middle. Things begin to pick up and the characters actually start to act sane.

This book is really not worth anyone’s time. I’ve read so many good things about this book, but after reading it I was incredibly disappointed. The only bright side would be the ending, and that would be just a few pages of good writing after reading a good 440 pages of bad.

4 Books Releasing Soon! (March 2015)

As the month of March comes to an end, here is my last list for this month. Out of these books I'd have to say that I'm most excited for TWIST because of how good the first book in the series, LOOP, was. 

Comment below on which books you're looking forward to! 
                                             

Title: Written in the Stars

Author: Aisha Saed
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books

Date: March 24^th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:

Naila’s conservative immigrant parents have always said the same thing: She may choose what to study, how to wear her hair, and what to be when she grows up—but they will choose her husband. Following their cultural tradition, they will plan an arranged marriage for her. And until then, dating—even friendship with a boy—is forbidden. When Naila breaks their rule by falling in love with Saif, her parents are livid. Convinced she has forgotten who she truly is, they travel to Pakistan to visit relatives and explore their roots. But Naila’s vacation turns into a nightmare when she learns that plans have changed—her parents have found her a husband and they want her to marry him, now! Despite her greatest efforts, Naila is aghast to find herself cut off from everything and everyone she once knew. Her only hope of escape is Saif . . . if he can find her before it’s too late.

Title: Etherworld (Elusion #2)

Author: Claudia Gabel, Cheryl Klam
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Date: March 31^st, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:

Elusion was hailed as an exciting leap in technology—until users began to disappear amid rumors of addiction. Regan’s search for the truth led her and her new love interest, Josh, to Etherworld. Etherworld is a dimension hidden deep beyond Elusion's firewall, where players can hide, and ultimately fight back. Regan's father and others are here working to destroy Etherworld, but the longer they stay the less likely they'll be able to return to the real world alive.

Escape means attacking Elusion from within the program. It's dangerous and it’s a puzzle. And even if they manage it, how will they be able to stop Orexis from distributing Elusion to the masses when the people who run it are corrupt?

Title: The Start of Me and You

Author: Emery Lord
Publisher: Bloomsbury

Date: March 31^st, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:

It’s been a year since it happened—when Paige Hancock’s first boyfriend died in an accident. After shutting out the world for a year, Paige is finally ready for a second chance at high school . . . and she has a plan. First: Get her old crush, Ryan Chase, to date her—the perfect way to convince everyone she’s back to normal. Next: Join a club—simple, it’s high school after all. But when Ryan’s sweet, nerdy cousin, Max, moves to town and recruits Paige for the Quiz Bowl team (of all things!) her perfect plan is thrown for a serious loop. Will Paige be able to face her fears and finally open herself up to the life she was meant to live?

Title: Twist (Loop #2)

Author: Karen Akins
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Date: March 31^st, 2015

Check out my review for the first book in this series, LOOP here.

Goodreads Blurb:

Bree Bennis finally has it all—a non-comatose mother, an uber-hot (albeit anachronistic) boyfriend named Finn, and a newfound mission to protect the timeline from those who would skew it for their own gain. But when she leans over one day to smooch said boyfriend, her lips meet those of her arch-nemesis Wyck instead. The timeline has been altered, and Bree is caught in the crosshairs. But when she goes back to repair the damage, she is stopped by none other than her Future Self, who delivers an urgent message: Someone is kidnapping Shifters from the distant past. It’s up to Bree to stop them. But first, she has to figure out who…and why.

To follow the trail of chronocrumbs, Bree reluctantly accepts her new undercover gig as Wyck’s girlfriend. Everything goes spiffy until Finn shows up in the 23rd century on the eager arm of a gorgeous fellow Shifter.Blark. Even as Bree struggles with jealousy, she battles the nagging dread that Finn might be better off with someone less chronologically complicated. Her worst fear is confirmed when Finn becomes the kidnapper’s next victim. As Bree zeroes in on the culprit, they unravel her life one timeline-change at a time. She realizes that she alone has the power to save herself and everyone she loves. But to do that, she may lose Finn forever.

A Few Books You Will Want to Read! (March 2015)

I have to say that this is the list that I'm most excited for in March. All of these books seems absolutely amazing. If I had to choose which book I was looking forward to the most, I would get stuck between EVERYTHING THAT MAKES YOU and LIARS, INC. 

Comment below on which books you're looking forward to in March!

Title: Vanishing Girls

Author: Lauren Oliver
Publisher: Harper Collins

Date: March 10^th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:

Dara and Nick used to be inseparable, but that was before the accident that left Dara's beautiful face scarred and the two sisters totally estranged. When Dara vanishes on her birthday, Nick thinks Dara is just playing around. But another girl, nine-year-old Madeline Snow, has vanished, too, and Nick becomes increasingly convinced that the two disappearances are linked. Now Nick has to find her sister, before it's too late.

In this edgy and compelling novel, Lauren Oliver creates a world of intrigue, loss, and suspicion as two sisters search to find themselves, and each other.

Title: Everything That Makes You

Author: Moriah McStay
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Date: March 17^th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:

One girl. Two stories. Meet Fiona Doyle. The thick ridges of scar tissue on her face are from an accident twelve years ago. Fiona has notebooks full of songs she’s written about her frustrations, her dreams, and about her massive crush on beautiful uber-jock Trent McKinnon. If she can’t even find the courage to look Trent straight in his beautiful blue eyes, she sure isn’t brave enough to play or sing any of her songs in public. But something’s changing in Fiona. She can’t be defined by her scars anymore. 

And what if there hadn’t been an accident? Meet Fi Doyle. Fi is the top-rated female high school lacrosse player in the state, heading straight to Northwestern on a full ride. She’s got more important things to deal with than her best friend Trent McKinnon, who’s been different ever since the kiss. When her luck goes south, even lacrosse can’t define her anymore. When you’ve always been the best at something, one dumb move can screw everything up. Can Fi fight back?

Hasn’t everyone wondered what if? In this daring debut novel, Moriah McStay gives us the rare opportunity to see what might have happened if things were different. Maybe luck determines our paths. But maybe it’s who we are that determines our luck.

Title: Catalyst (Control #2)

Author: Lydia Kang
Publisher: Kathy Dawson Books (Penguin)

Date: March 24^th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:

In the past year Zel lost her father, the boy she loves, her safety, and any future she might have imagined for herself. Now she, her sister, and the band of genetic outcasts they've come to call their family are forced on the run when their safe house is attacked by men with neural guns. But on the way to a rumored haven in Chicago, Zel hears something--a whisper from Cy, the boy who traded himself for her sister's safety. And when she veers off plan in order to search for him, what she finds is not what she expected. There's more to their genetic mutations than they ever imagined...aspects that make them wonder if they might be accepted by the outside world after all.

Title: Liars, Inc.

Author: Paula Stokes
Publisher: HarperTeen

Date: March 24^th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:

It all starts with one little lie…

Max Cantrell has never been a big fan of the truth, so when the opportunity arises to sell lies to his classmates, it sounds like a good way to make a little money and liven up a boring senior year. With the help of his friends Preston and Parvati, Max starts a business providing forged permission slips and cover stories for the students of Vista Palisades High. Liars, Inc. they call it. Suddenly everybody needs something and the cash starts pouring in. Who knew lying could be so lucrative?

When Preston wants his own cover story to go visit a girl he met online, Max doesn’t think twice about hooking him up. Until Preston never comes home. Then the evidence starts to pile up—terrifying clues that lead the cops to Preston’s body. Terrifying clues that point to Max as the murderer.

Can Max find the real killer before he goes to prison for a crime he didn’t commit? In a story that Kirkus Reviews called "Captivating to the very end," Paula Stokes starts with one single white lie and weaves a twisted tale that will have readers guessing until the explosive final chapters.

New, Intriguing Young Adult Books (March 2015)

I absolutely cannot wait for the books in this list to release. My favorite out of these? THE ORPHAN QUEEN. Who doesn't like a good story about a princess fighting back for her throne? 

Comment below on which books releasing in March you're looking forward to! 

Title: Confess

Author: Colleen Hoover

Publisher: Atria Books

Date: March 10^th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb: 

Auburn Reed has her entire life mapped out. Her goals are in sight and there’s no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to find a deep attraction to the enigmatic artist who works there, Owen Gentry.

For once, Auburn takes a risk and puts her heart in control, only to discover Owen is keeping major secrets from coming out. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything important to Auburn, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it.
The last thing Owen wants is to lose Auburn, but he can’t seem to convince her that truth is sometimes as subjective as art. All he would have to do to save their relationship is confess. But in this case, the confession could be much more destructive than the actual sin…

Title: The Orphan Queen (The Orphan Queen #1)

Author: Jodi Meadows

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Date: March 10^th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:

Wilhelmina has a hundred identities.

She is a princess. When the Indigo Kingdom conquered her homeland, Wilhelmina and other orphaned children of nobility were taken to Skyvale, the Indigo Kingdom’s capital. Ten years later, they are the Ospreys, experts at stealth and theft. With them, Wilhelmina means to take back her throne.

She is a spy. Wil and her best friend, Melanie, infiltrate Skyvale Palace to study their foes. They assume the identities of nobles from a wraith-fallen kingdom, but enemies fill the palace, and Melanie’s behavior grows suspicious. With Osprey missions becoming increasingly dangerous and their leader more unstable, Wil can’t trust anyone.

She is a threat. Wraith is the toxic by-product of magic, and for a century using magic has been forbidden. Still the wraith pours across the continent, reshaping the land and animals into fresh horrors. Soon it will reach the Indigo Kingdom. Wilhelmina’s magic might be the key to stopping the wraith, but if the vigilante Black Knife discovers Wil’s magic, she will vanish like all the others

Jodi Meadows introduces a vivid new fantasy full of intrigue, romance, dangerous magic, and one girl’s battle to reclaim her place in the world.

Title: Shadow Scale (Seraphina #2)

Author: Rachel Hartman
Publisher: Random House Children's Books

Date: March 10^th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:

The kingdom of Goredd: a world where humans and dragons share life with an uneasy balance, and those few who are both human and dragon must hide the truth. Seraphina is one of these, part girl, part dragon, who is reluctantly drawn into the politics of her world. When war breaks out between the dragons and humans, she must travel the lands to find those like herself—for she has an inexplicable connection to all of them, and together they will be able to fight the dragons in powerful, magical ways. 

As Seraphina gathers this motley crew, she is pursued by humans who want to stop her. But the most terrifying is another half dragon, who can creep into people’s minds and take them over. Until now, Seraphina has kept her mind safe from intruders, but that also means she’s held back her own gift. It is time to make a choice: Cling to the safety of her old life, or embrace a powerful new destiny?

Title: Tether (Many-Worlds Trilogy #2)

Author: Anna Jarzab
Publisher: Delacorte Press

Date: March 10^th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:

Tether, the sequel to Tandem, continues the captivating tale of rebellion and romance that spans parallel worlds.

Everything repeats.

Sasha expected things to go back to normal once she got back on Earth. But now that she knows parallel worlds are real, and that an alternate version of herself exists in a world called Aurora, her old life no longer seems to make sense . . . and her heart breaks daily for Thomas, the boy she left behind. Troubled by mysterious, often terrifying visions and the echoes of a self she was just beginning to discover, Sasha makes the difficult decision to journey once more through the tandem.

Thomas is waiting for her on the other side, and so is strange, otherworldly Selene, Sasha’s analog from a third universe. Sasha, Selene, and their other analog, Juliana, have a joint destiny, and a new remarkable power, one that could mean salvation for Selene’s dying planet. With Thomas’s help, Sasha and Selene search for the missing Juliana. But even if they can locate her, is Sasha willing to turn her back on love to pursue a fate she’s not sure she believes in?

Book Review: Save Me by Jenny Elliott

Title: Save Me

Author: Jenny Elliott

Publisher: Swoon Reads - Macmillan

Pages: 309

Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary

Rating: 3/5

Source: Review Copy from Publishers

Goodreads Blurb:

Debut-novelist Jenny Elliott’s thrilling romance, chosen by readers, writers, and publishers for the first list in the new Swoon Reads imprint, pours on the tension and danger in an addictive combination that will keep you turning pages!

Something strange is going on in the tiny coastal town of Liberty, Oregon. Cara has never seen a whale swim close enough for her to touch it—let alone knock her into the freezing water. Fortunately, cute newcomer David is there to save her, and the rescue leads to a bond deeper than Cara ever imagined.

But then she learns something about David that changes everything, and Cara is devastated. She turns to her best friend for support, but Rachel has changed. She’s suddenly into witchcraft, and is becoming dangerously obsessed with her new boyfriend….

Cara has lost her best friend, discovered that her soul mate is off limits, and has attracted the attention of a stalker. But she’s not completely alone. Her mysterious, gorgeous new friend Garren is there to support her. But is Garren possibly too perfect?

Hmmm. This book. To start off with, this book is a book for middle school student getting into young adult novels. And, don’t get me wrong, as a high school student I still liked this book and I could definitely see myself reading it in the future. But I’d have to say that I would have liked it more if I had read it a few years ago.

So, now onto the actual review.

‘Save Me’ is a light, interesting contemporary romance that takes place in the small town of Liberty, Oregon. This book isn’t so deep and intense that I had to actually focus, but it wasn’t light either, so I wasn’t instantly bored. It was more of a beach read - a book you would read if you were looking to fill your time pleasantly.  

This was, overall, an average book. There were good characters and a good plot, but there were quite a few things I didn’t like about this book. Let’s start off with the good things, such as the characters.  I’d have to say that these characters were incredibly cute. Cara was just another ordinary girl, definitely not looking for the love of her life. She was smart, nice, one of those girls who would make a good friend. And David was absolutely handsome. He was like a knight in shining armor, even after his true identity was discovered. But while the characters were adorable and all, I still had a few problems with Cara. For one, while she was book smart, she definitely didn’t seem all that street smart. The way she approached the problems she faced seemed a bit senseless, as if she hadn’t given it a single thought. On the other hand, there was David who was the epitome of rationality and thoughtfulness. The stark difference between the two of them made it extremely easy to see the areas where Cara was lacking that David excelled in.

Then there was the romance plot. There were a few good parts and a few bad parts about this section of the book. One good thing about this book would be how cute it was. The devotion that Cara and David had for each other was adorable to read about. Not only that, but reading about the struggles the two faced to deal with their feelings was incredibly sweet. It was one of those books where you have a good idea of how the book is going to end up but any expected change makes you gasp in shock. Basically, I was hooked. But then, I really didn’t like the fact that the obstacles in the way of Cara and David’s love were very ordinary. There was nothing extremely different about these challenges, which was most definitely a letdown.

I could say the same for the whole “witch” idea. Because there are so many of them, books that have witches have to meet a certain standard. A standard that if they fail to meet, aren’t a good book. And while this book had interesting paranormal creatures, that was the main focus. There wasn’t anything else besides them. And while the paranormal creatures were intriguing, they weren’t good enough to be truly riveting. Quite often I felt that the events occurring were was too popular. There were moments when I couldn’t help but think the events incredibly clichéd.

But, the book began to pick up again in the conclusion. It was towards this part of the book that, even with the over-the-top witch idea, the book began to get more interesting. Cara, Garren and David were finally taking a stand to protect each other and rid the evil spirits that were plaguing them. I’m happy that the book was able to conclude with a fast pace and good ending. And though it was a bit cheesy, it was still a sweet ending that I liked.

‘Save Me’ by Jenny Elliott was an average book that is a decent time-passer. It’s a book that I would reread if I was looking for a quick read. If you’re interested in books that include fantasy creatures this is the book for you.

Looking for other books to check out releasing in January 2015? Click here to check it out!

What You Need to Read Next! (March 2015)

Ooh more books are releasing soon! It's hard to say which book I'm looking forward to the most. They all seem really good! If I had to choose I would most likely have to say is MY BEST EVERYTHING. 

Comment below on which books from this list you're looking forward to! 

Title: My Best Everything

Author: Sarah Tomp
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Date: March 3^rd, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:

Luisa “Lulu” Mendez has just finished her final year of high school in a small Virginia town, determined to move on and leave her job at the local junkyard behind. So when her father loses her college tuition money, Lulu needs a new ticket out.

Desperate for funds, she cooks up the (definitely illegal) plan to make and sell moonshine with her friends, Roni and Bucky. Quickly realizing they’re out of their depth, Lulu turns to Mason: a local boy who’s always seemed like a dead end. As Mason guides Lulu through the secret world of moonshine, it looks like her plan might actually work. But can she leave town before she loses everything – including her heart?

The summer walks the line between toxic and intoxicating. My Best Everything is Lulu’s letter to Mason – though is it an apology, a good-bye, or a love letter?

Title: Sorceress (Spellcaster #3)

Author: Claudia Gray
Publisher: HarperTeen

Date: March 3^rd, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:

To save the lives of countless people in Captive’s Sound, Nadia has sworn herself to the One Beneath, to black magic. Her plan, and the town’s only hope, is for Nadia to learn enough sorcery to strike back against the forces of darkness. But now that she’s separated from her friends, her family, and her Steadfast, Mateo, Nadia is more vulnerable than ever to darkness. And as the sorceress Elizabeth summons torrential rains and brings the One Beneath closer to the mortal world, Nadia is running out of time to stop her. The final battle lines are drawn, surprising alliances are made, and true love is tested in the action-packed conclusion to the breathtaking Spellcaster series. 

Sorceress is richly woven with New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray’s signature dark magic, captivating mystery, and star-crossed romance.

Title: Vision in Silver (The Others #3)

Author: Anne Bishop
Publisher: Roc

Date: March 3^rd, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:

The Others freed the  cassandra sangue  to protect the blood prophets from exploitation, not realizing their actions would have dire consequences. Now the fragile seers are in greater danger than ever before—both from their own weaknesses and from those who seek to control their divinations for wicked purposes. In desperate need of answers, Simon Wolfgard, a shape-shifter leader among the Others, has no choice but to enlist blood prophet Meg Corbyn’s help, regardless of the risks she faces by aiding him.

Meg is still deep in the throes of her addiction to the euphoria she feels when she cuts and speaks prophecy. She knows each slice of her blade tempts death. But Others and humans alike need answers, and her visions may be Simon’s only hope of ending the conflict.

For the shadows of war are deepening across the Atlantik, and the prejudice of a fanatic faction is threatening to bring the battle right to Meg and Simon’s doorstep…

Title: The Winner’s Crime (The Winner’s Trilogy #2)

Author: Marie Rutkoski
Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux

Date: March 3^rd, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:

The engagement of Lady Kestrel to Valoria’s crown prince means one celebration after another. But to Kestrel it means living in a cage of her own making. As the wedding approaches, she aches to tell Arin the truth about her engagement…if she could only trust him. Yet can she even trust herself? For—unknown to Arin—Kestrel is becoming a skilled practitioner of deceit: an anonymous spy passing information to Herran, and close to uncovering a shocking secret.

As Arin enlists dangerous allies in the struggle to keep his country’s freedom, he can’t fight the suspicion that Kestrel knows more than she shows. In the end, it might not be a dagger in the dark that cuts him open, but the truth. And when that happens, Kestrel and Arin learn just how much their crimes will cost them.