Countdown: March 2014 (3)

It's almost here...March is one of my favorite months in the whole year because of just one day! On this very special day (you know which one I'm referring to) everyone comes out and shows their Irish pride. Whether they're Irish or not, they are on this day, and somehow we all manage to have a great time. On top of all the fun and festivities that come with this month, there are also quite a few new releases that are scheduled to hit the shelves and I can't wait to check them out for myself. Here's a few I'm looking forward to reading, are there any you've come across that I missed on my list?

Countdown Pick #1:  Sing Sweet Nightingale (The Dream War Saga, #1) by Erica Cameron (03/04/2014)

 

Mariella Teagen hasn't spoken a word in four years.

She pledged her voice to Orane, the man she loves—someone she only sees in her dreams. Each night, she escapes to Paradise, the world Orane created for her, and she sings for him. Mariella never believed she could stay in Paradise longer than a night, but two weeks before her eighteenth birthday, Orane hints that she may be able to stay forever.

Hudson Vincent made a pledge to never fight again.

Celease, the creature who created his dream world, swore that giving up violence would protect Hudson. But when his vow caused the death of his little brother, Hudson turned his grief on Celease and destroyed the dream world. The battle left him with new abilities and disturbing visions of a silent girl in grave danger—Mariella.

Now, Hudson is fighting to save Mariella's life while she fights to give it away. And he must find a way to show her Orane’s true intentions before she is lost to Paradise forever.

 

I'm not sure how all these characters will tie in together, but this whole idea is so unique and original from what I'm been reading lately, that I'm eager to find out more.  I haven't read anything by Cameron in the past, but I think this will be a great first experience with her writing and hopefully only the beginning of a very exciting and interesting series.

 

Countdown Pick #2:  The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski (03/04/2014)

 

In the tradition of Kristin Cashore and Cassandra Clare comes this brilliant, unputdownable, star-crossed romance about the curse of winning.

Seventeen-year-old Kestrel is an aristocratic citizen of Valoria, a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers. Here, a girl like Kestrel has two choices: join the military or get married. Despite her skills in military strategy, Kestrel’s real passion is music.Which is why she feels compelled to buy Arin, a slave with a talent for singing, at auction. It’s not long before she finds herself falling in love with Arin, and he seems to feel the same for her. But Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for Arin is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a new world, The Winner’s Curse is a story of wicked rumors, dirty secrets, and games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

 

Based on the synopsis, as a fan of both Cashore's writing and Clare's previous works, if Rutkoski brings anything close to what those two have produced I will be one happy reader for sure.  I'm still waiting to see what the cover image will look like, but when I find out, I'll be sure to share.

 

Countdown Pick #3:  Promise of Shadows by Justina Ireland (03/11/2014)

 

Zephyr Mourning has never been very good at being a Harpy. She'd rather watch reality TV than learn forty-seven ways to kill a man, and she pretty much sucks at wielding magic. Zephyr was ready for a future pretending to be a normal human instead of a half-god assassin. But all that changes when her sister is murdered--and she uses a forbidden dark power to save herself from the same fate.

Zephyr is on the run from a punishment worse than death when an unexpected reunion with a childhood friend (a surprisingly HOT friend) changes everything. Because it seems like Zephyr might just be the Nyx, a dark goddess made flesh that is prophesied to change the power balance. For hundreds of years the half-gods have lived in fear, and Zephyr is supposed to change that.

But how is she supposed to save everyone when she can’t even save herself?

Put a mythological spin on a story and I'm pretty much guaranteed to want to read it eventually.  Ireland's previous work, Vengeance Bound, is also on my list to read, so I'm hoping that once I get one under my belt, I'll be able to dive right into the next.  I'm looking forward to watching Zephyr on the run and seeing what types of adventures she'll encounter along the way.

 

Countdown Pick #4:  Resistance (Replica Trilogy, #2) by Jenna Black (03/11/2014)

 

Nate Hayes is a Replica.

The real Nate was viciously murdered, but thanks to Paxco's groundbreaking human replication technology, a duplicate was created that holds all of the personality and the memories of the original. Or ...almost all. Nate's backup didn't extend to the days preceding his murder, leaving him searching for answers about who would kill him, and why. Now, after weeks spent attempting to solve his own murder with the help of his best friend and betrothed, Nadia Lake, Nate has found the answers he was seeking... and he doesn't like what he's discovered.

The original Nate was killed because he knew a secret that could change everything. Thanks to Nadia's quick thinking, the two of them hold the cards now — or think they do.

Unfortunately, neither of them fully understands just how deep the conspiracy runs.

I love Black's writing and her Faeriewalker series was one of my favorites and I was incredibly sad to see it come to an end.  Somehow I missed out on the series opener, but I plan to rectify that before this sequel hits the shelves.  I'm not a huge fan of this cover, especially compared to the beautiful images I came to expect from her Faeriewalker series, but I'll forget all about that if Black's writing pulls me in like before.