Book Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Throne of Glass

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Series: Throne of Glass, #1

Genre: Fantasy YA

Amazon | Goodreads

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Release date: August 7, 2012

Challenge: DAC

Source: ARC from BEA

Summary: After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king’s council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilarating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her… but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best. Then one of the other contestants turns up dead… quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

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Book Review: Unbreak My Heart by Melissa C. Walker

Title: Unbreak My Heart

Author: Melissa C. Walker

Genre: Contemporary YA

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Release date: May 22, 2012

Amazon | Goodreads

Source: NetGalley

Summary: Sophomore year broke Clementine Williams’ heart. She fell for her best friend’s boyfriend and long story short: he’s excused, but Clem is vilified and she heads into summer with zero social life. 

Enter her parents’ plan to spend the summer on their sailboat. Normally the idea of being stuck on a tiny boat with her parents and little sister would make Clem break out in hives, but floating away sounds pretty good right now. 

Then she meets James at one of their first stops along the river. He and his dad are sailing for the summer and he’s just the distraction Clem needs. Can he break down Clem’s walls and heal her broken heart?

Book Review: Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

Title: Something Like Normal

Author: Trish Doller

Genre: Contemporary YA, military

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Release date: June 19, 2012

Challenge: Debut Author Challenge, Contemporary Challenge

Source: NetGalley

Summary: When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother’s stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he’s haunted by nightmares of his best friend’s death. It’s not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he’s had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again. Travis’s dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero.

Waiting on Wednesday (26): Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. I love it because it is basically a squee-fest where book lovers can choose one book that they are DYING to get their hands on. Check it out!

Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1)

by Sarah J. Maas

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men—thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the kings council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her… but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead… quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

YOOOOO!! Holy crap, guys, THRONE OF GLASS by Sarah J. Maas is one of my most anticipated books of the year! I’ve been waiting for the cover to come out to that I could fangirl it here with you guys. Because it’s based loosely on the Cinderella tale, but takes a sharp left into high-fantasy ASS-KICKER assassin girl-town. YES YES YES! I’ve been reading the novellas in this series (starting with THE ASSASSIN AND THE PIRATE LORD, then THE ASSASSIN AND THE DESERT, and then THE ASSASSIN AND THE UNDERWORLD, with THE ASSASSIN AND THE EMPIRE still to come) and they’ve all been awesome. I can’t wait to read THRONE OF GLASS and get to know Celaena better and meet this gruff captain! And also the prince. And also get the 411 on the “greater destiny” business. All of that, too. 

THRONE OF GLASS (THRONE OF GLASS #1) is coming out August 7, 2012 from Bloomsbury Children’s.

Book Review: Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

Title: Scarlet

Author: A.C. Gaughen

Genre: Historical Fiction YA, Fantasy YA

Publisher: Walker Children’s

Published on: February 14, 2012

Challenge: Debut Author Challenge

Source: Bought it

Summary: Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in.

It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.