Fawkes

by Nadine Brandes

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. But all Thomas knows is that the Stone Plague infecting his eye is spreading. And if he doesn’t do something soon, he’ll be a lifeless statue. So when his Keeper father, Guy Fawkes, invites him to join the Gunpowder Plot—claiming it will put an end to the plague—Thomas is in.

The plan: use 36 barrels of gunpowder to blow up the Igniter King.

The problem: Doing so will destroy the family of the girl Thomas loves. But backing out of the plot will send his father and the other plotters to the gallows. To save one, Thomas will lose the other.

No matter Thomas’s choice, one thing is clear: once the decision is made and the color masks have been put on, there’s no turning back.

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted at Breaking the Spine.

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Mirage

by Somaiya Daud

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 princess is so hated by her conquered people that she requires a body double, someone to appear in public as Maram, ready to die in her place.

As Amani is forced into her new role, she can’t help but enjoy the palace’s beauty—and her time with the princess’ fiancé, Idris. But the glitter of the royal court belies a world of violence and fear. If Amani ever wishes to see her family again, she must play the princess to perfec-tion...because one wrong move could lead to her death.

~ Paperback Princess Blurb ~ 

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kim @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. 

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted at Breaking the Spine.

Jinxed

by Amy McCulloch

A little bit Golden Compass, a little bit Hunger Games, and all adventure' - Amie Kaufman, NYT bestselling author of ILLUMINAE

The brand-new series from Amy Alward, author of the magical POTION DIARIES adventures!

Lacey Chu has big dreams of becoming a companioneer for MONCHA, the largest tech firm in North America and the company behind the "baku" - a customisable smart pet that functions as a phone but makes the perfect companion too. When Lacey finds out she hasn't been accepted into Profectus - the elite academy for cutting edge tech - it seems her dreams are over. Worst of all, rather than getting to choose one of the advanced bakus, she’s stuck with a rubbish insect one.

Then, one night, Lacey comes across the remains of an advanced baku. Once it might’ve been in the shape of a cat but it’s now mangled and broken, no sign of electronic life behind its eyes. Days of work later and the baku opens its eyes. Lacey calls him Jinx – and Jinx opens up a world for her that she never even knew existed, including entry to the hallowed halls of Profecus. Slowly but surely, Jinx becomes more than just a baku to Lacey – he becomes her perfect companion. But what is Jinx, really? His abilities far surpass anything written into his code or built into his motherboard. He seems to be more than just a robotic pet. He seems ... real.

~ Paperback Princess Blurb ~

Jinxed by Amy McCulloch is a wonderfully creative YA sci-fi focusing on technological advancement, that, truth be told, doesn't seem so far into the future. An innovative, fast-paced plot, with just enough mystery, will have you devouring this book, like your dog devours a bone. A great introduction to Amy's work, and I'm eagerly awaiting the sequel.

Jinxed by Amy McCulloch is a unique YA Sci-Fi. The concept and foundation of it's plot is as innovative as the characters within it's pages. It's an addictive read, and from the moment you open the book, you are hooked, glued to it till the very end. It's a fantastic and enjoyable introduction to Amy's work, I can't wait to read more of McCulloch's work AND of course the sequel to Jinxed.

Set in the near future where bakus are needed to live life conveniently, like our smart phones of today. Bakus is the lovechild of tamagotchis and smart phones. It's used as a higher-tech smart phone AND made in the image of insects/animals/birds that also serves as a companion for it's owner.

Accompanying you to your happiest life ever

When Lacey Chu finds and restores a high level baku she finds herself wrongly accepted to the prestigious school Profectus Academy, the next step to securing her dream job as companioneer at Moncha, the creators of bakus. However, she soon finds out that her new baku, Jinx is unlike other bakus, he thinks for himself. Will she get to keep her Profectus Academy placement if they knew that her baku is actually not the one issued to her AND that he has a mind of his own? 

A fairytale, but not of princes and frogs, ballgowns and pumpkins, but of makers and metal, of wire and ingenuity and inspiration and creativity and invention. 

The world is so realistic, and to be honest, it doesn't seem that much further into the future from where we are in technology. The world creation was fantastic, I loved the different elements and explanation of how they got to where they are; it speaks of our world today, which is definitely interesting.

The characters were well written. Lacey along with Zora, her long-time best friend were definitely my favourite characters. I also loved how Amy allowed females to be the tech geeks. In this novel, the women was at the forefront of technological advancement! 

I want a career that sets my soul on fire, that fans the flames of passion that smoulder deep in my belly - that I guard with my hardness and intellect.

Lacey Chu is a strong protagonist who's swimming against the tide of not being born "privileged", yet she's smarter than most at Profectus, and despite all the things she had to endure to keep her place in the Academy, she didn't give up! Zora was the perfect backup, they are Batman and Robyn in the "tech" world; Lacey built and Zora coded. A match made in Moncha heaven. 

The crew that Lacey befriends at Profectus was also a great bunch of kids, and I love how they still did the right thing at the end, although they were somewhat unhappy with Lacey. I especially liked Ashley and Tobias, and can't wait to see where Tobias and Lacey's relationship goes.

It's a fast-paced novel without compromising the story. It read like a standalone novel, characters and world building had great foundations. I did not feel like it was an introduction to a new series...which is a good thing! It takes a good Author to satisfy readers, and still have them eagerly anticipating it's sequel. 

Amy's innovative plot, fast-paced and exciting writing, strong, likeable characters, a creative world with an equally creative history make this book a must read for lovers of futuristic and realistic technological sci-fi; with a hint of conspiracy theory and mystery added in for good measure.

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kim @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. 

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted at Breaking the Spine.

Tour Schedule

About The Book

Echoes

by Alice Reeds

"Fast-paced and thrilling. ECHOES is a heart-pounding and addictive love story."—Mia Siegert, author of Jerkbait.

They wake on a deserted island. Fiona and Miles, high school enemies now stranded together. No memory of how they got there. No plan to follow, no hope to hold on to. Each step forward reveals the mystery behind the forces that brought them here. And soon, the most chilling discovery: something else is on the island with them. Something that won't let them leave alive.

Echoes is a thrilling adventure about confronting the impossible, discovering love in the most unexpected places, and, above all, finding hope in the face of the unknown.

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kim @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. 

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted at Breaking the Spine.