The Jewel by Amy Ewing

The Jewel by Amy Ewing

Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis: "Today is my last day as Violet Lasting. Tomorrow I become Lot 197."

Sold for six million diamantes, Violet is now Surrogate of the House of the Lake in the centre of the Lone City, the Jewel. Her sole purpose is to produce a healthy heir for the Duchess – a woman Violet fears and despises.

Violet is trapped in a living death, her name and body no longer her own. She fights to hold on to her own identity and sanity, uncertain of the fate of her friends, isolated and at the mercy of the Duchess.

Review: I really enjoyed this book. It was really fast paced which kept me engaged throughout; there was never a moment where the action or suspense really let up, there was always something happening which I thought was actually a nice change from most books and was something a little bit different. In most books, you have high and low or fast and slow paced moments, which can sometimes mean you becoming disengaged from the plot or the characters. In this book, you really don't have a chance to lose interest! I didn't feel like the plot was being rushed though - it just bumped along nicely, until the end. At the end of the book, it did start to feel a little bit rushed; like there was so much that needed to happen in such a short space of time, but overall I think the pacing of this book was amazingly well done.

I thought the characters in this book were really well developed and complex. Violet is a really strong protagonist and powered through all the obstacles and challenges thrown at her in the best way that she could. I actually really liked the Duchess. I thought she was such an interesting character because you're never sure whether you can trust her or not and, although what she's doing to Violet is horrible she does take care of her, a lot better than Raven's mistress looks after her, so you're left feeling a little bit confused about the Duchess and her true motives when it comes to Violet.
Lucien is essentially Cinna in The Jewel. He gets Violet ready for the auction and then helps her fight the system. I think Lucien is the one character that I just wasn't that interested in because of this similarity.

I loved the world building and specifically, the hierarchy of the houses. It was so interesting to see how the houses interacted with each other and the competitiveness of the lower ranked houses to get a good surrogate in order to move up in the social standing. Those scenes were some of my favourites in the whole book.

The romance was good, if a little rushed. It happened very quickly but, I did like the romance aspect of the book. I enjoyed finding out about Ash's past and how he ended up in the house under the Duchess' thumb like Violet. He was a really likable character and I loved the scenes with him and Violet, even if their romance was the definition of a whirlwind romance!

The only reason this book didn't get 5 stars is because the end was predictable. Not enough to stop me from reading till the end, or putting me off, it just was very predictable because most first books in a dystopian series end in the same way. All in all though, this was a really enjoyable book and, if you enjoy reading YA dystopia then I would really recommend it.

Image from Goodreads - no Copyright Intended

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

Rating: 4.5 stars

Synopsis: I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero. But when you're whole life gets swept up by a tornado - taking you with it - you have no choice but to go along, you know? Sure, I've read the books, I've seen the movies. But I never expected Oz to look like this. A place where Good Witches can't be trusted and Wicked Witches just might be the good guys. A place where even the yellow brick road is crumbling. What happened? Dorothy. My name is Amy Gumm - and I'm the other girl from Kansas. I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked, and I've been given a mission:

REMOVE THE TIN WOODMAN'S HEART.
STEAL THE SCARECROW'S BRAIN.

TAKE THE LION'S COURAGE.

And then: DOROTHY MUST DIE.

Review: So it's only taken me three months to get started on the pile of books I got for Christmas, but I've finally finished the first one and I really enjoyed it. Dorothy Must Die was probably the book I was most looking forward to reading and it didn't let me down! We follow Amy Gumm, the other girl from Kansas, who has no friends besides her mothers pet rat and even then it's a rocky friendship. Her mother is a drunk who would rather go out on the town with her friend than stay behind with her daughter when there's a tornado warning in force, leaving Amy to force the wonderful world of Oz alone. Great - what could go wrong in Oz I hear you ask. Try just about everything...

I really enjoyed this book. The way that Danielle twisted the world and characters that we (think) we know and love was so different and kept me hooked right till the very end. Everything you think you know about Oz is essentially flipped in this story but even then, nothing is as it seems. Just because the Wicked Witches are working together to stop Dorothy, it doesn't mean they can be trusted. They're called the Wicked Witches for a reason after all. Everyone in this story has an agenda and everyone has secrets and that impacts how the story unfolds because Amy, our heroine, is only told enough information to keep her alive, which means Amy (and therefore us as readers) are kind of on our own in this story because you can't trust anyone, which is different from a lot of books I've read before. There's usually one character, or a group of characters that the main character can trust, but not in this book.

I loved Amy as the main character. I thought she was strong and witty and clever. All too often in YA books, the main character has moments of what I like to call great stupidity - where they do the one thing they're not meant to do, purely for the sake of proving someone wrong. What was really refreshing in this book was that Amy was smart about pretty much everything. For me, there wasn't really a moment of great stupidity - everything she did made sense to me as a reader. Even deviating from what the Order of the Wicked told her to do (which wasn't much to be honest) still felt like a smart move, even if it did put the original plan in jeopardy. It gave both Amy and us as readers more information about Dorothy and her 'friends' and what they're reign is like. She doesn't pull her punches either. She knows that the witches aren't telling her everything, and that she's at a distinct disadvantage next to Dorothy, and she lets everyone know that she's not happy about it. It's refreshing to have such a perceptive main character who understands the position she's been forced into and immediately starts thinking about what happens next rather than someone who lets themselves be dictated to by those in a higher position of authority.

I really enjoyed the scenes with the Order of the Wicked. The idea that the Wicked Witches have banded together to help overthrow Dorothy was really interesting and I loved how each of their distinct personalities helped to prepare Amy for her time as a spy. I loved Glamora who is Glinda's sister and how she had tried to turn her room in the caves into a boudoir kind of place. Her talents seemed rather useless at the time but, once the story moves on, you realise that actually, what she taught Amy was as useful as the fight training she was given. It kind of reminded me of the phrase 'don't judge a book by it's cover' because Amy kind of dismissed Glamora when she met her but she actually taught her some valuable information. I also loved Gert. She seemd to be the most human of the witches and could empathise in some way with Amy's situation and really tried to help her. Her methods could be a bit shady at times (she is a Wicked Witch after all) but I really liked her character and the part she played in preparing Amy to take down Dorothy. Mombi however, is the wild card of the bunch. Even now, I'm not entirely sure what to make of her. She definitely has something up her sleeves and seems to be the most wicked out of all the witches. I think she's only with the Order to save herself and, once Dorothy is overthrown, Mombi will make a move to take over herself. That's what I think will happen anyway.

Oh Nox. Nox is a complete mystery to us, to Amy and even to himself. It's alluded that the witches have done something to him to make him into such a good fighter and you can definitely see them doing that. He's very focused on the aim of the mission. Everything he does is about killing Dorothy - that is the only thing that matters to him - but, you can see something changing in him, especially towards the end of the book. I'm really interested in seeing how he develops over the rest of the series and how he's going to grow as a person. Another prediction of mine (or wish, depending on how you look at it) is that Nox is going to realise that the witches have done something to him and will rebel against the order and go to find Amy to help her. That's what I want to happen.

The Tin Woodman, the Scarecrow and the Lion are terrifying characters. You wouldn't want to run into any of them in a light alley, let alone a dark one! The 'modifications' that the Wizard gave them have changed them in ways you can't even imagine. What I loved about these characters was that Danielle built them up to be these terrifying characters who will do anything for Dorothy but then, she also showed their weaknesses. Specifically, in this book, the Tin Man's weakness. As the story progressed, I found myself feeling sorry for him because he just wants Dorothy to notice him as something more than a guard. The Scarecrow and the Lion not so much - we saw more of them being cruel than not, but the Tin Man - yeah, I definitely ended up feeling sorry for him.

This book was so amazing. The only thing that let it down a little for me was the ending - it did seem a little abrupt BUT book 2 is already out and book 3 is coming out this year so it's not too much of a problem for me. Plus, there's a book of novella's as well set in this world that Danielle has created which I can't wait to get my hands on. The world, the characters and...just everything about this book was so interesting and engaging and it really lived up to my expectations. If you enjoy retelling's of stories then this is one to pick up!

Image from Goodreads - no Copyright Intended

On Writing: Creating Ideas

So, for part 2 of my On Writing Series, I thought I would share with you the things I do to try and generate ideas to write about. For me, I tend to use my Writers Notebook. If you look on writing websites, pretty much everyone is agreed that a writer should have a notebook to write down their ideas in. But, if you're anything like me, I have 50,000 gorgeous notebooks that I can write in - but they're so pretty that I don't want to ruin them with my scrawls! My solution? I made my own. My notebook is pretty messy. I've filled it with dialogue prompts, picture prompts, I have lists of possible title ideas that could spark a story idea, conversation that I've overheard, a list of my favourite books and movies, quotes on writing. I think there's a review that I got from a Fanfiction that I've written in there somewhere. Anything that will inspire an idea, or just get me writing is in the notebook.

I also have an envelope that contains a pile of one word writing prompts. With these, I like to play a game. I'll shake the envelope and then randomly pull four or five little slips of paper out. I then have to use these words somewhere in my piece. Doing this forces me to think outside of the box and be creative. Another thing that I use is paint cards. You know when you somewhere that sells paint, (supermarkets, home improvement warehouses) you have those racks of paint colour cards? If you're like me, you have an obsession with collecting these things. Why I do this, I have no idea, but I've been doing it since I was a kid. It wasn't until a writing activity that I did in college though, that I found a (kind of) useful thing to do with my collection. All of these paint cards have amazing, creative names and so I decided to use them to inspire a piece. If I'm stuck for something to write, or want to write something different, I simply close my eyes, and pick a paint card. Whatever that paint colour is called, inspires a piece in some way and it's amazing how many different ideas you can come up with, simply from a paint card.

My Writer's Notebook, Picture Prompts, Writing Prompt Envelope,
Paint Cards, My pile of one word prompts!

I have two plastic folders to keep all of these things in. One holds my notebook, the paint cards, the prompt envelope and some writing tips that I've found online and printed off for reference. The other, is substantially larger. This one holds a plastic wallet for my partial first draft (and by first draft I mean, less than a quarter of the book) as well as outlines, character arcs, world building - anything that I noted down on a scrap piece of paper when I was writing it, is in that wallet. In another, is some of my old college work and the subsequent marking that went with it. I love a lot of the ideas I came up with in those classes so most of the work is now in this folder and finally, there's another plastic wallet of newspaper clippings which could spark an idea. I have all sorts of articles in there - crimes committed in a way I've never heard of, new scientific discoveries, destination articles, funny articles (if you search hard enough, there are usually some in the paper!) all sorts.

My Writer's Notebook and my two folders - I think the pink
one is full to capacity right now!

Now, since this is a book review blog, I thought I would end with two of the writing books that I own and use a lot. The Writer's Digest: Guide to Good Writing, is full of articles from various authors with the earliest dating back to the 1920's! There are helpful hints and tips, and some ideas that you could use to generate your own writing ideas. It really is useful. The other book I use a lot is Writing Fiction for Dummies by Randy Ingermanson. I have also had the Writing YA Fiction for Dummies book from the library, but I own the Writing Fiction for Dummies book and, although you can't really tell from the picture, it has seen a lot of love! Now I know people have mixed thoughts on the Dummy books but I think this one is great and has been really helpful to me. It walks you through everything, from preparation to writing to editing and revising the first draft.

The Writer's Digest: Guide to Good Writing
Writing Fiction for Dummies by Randy Ingermanson

I hope you've enjoyed having a look into some of the ways I come up with and store ideas for my writing and let me know if you've enjoyed this post!

Fairy tale Book Tag

So I've just finished the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer (which was incredible and if you haven't read this series then you need to!), and rather than doing a review for them, I thought I'd try and find a book tag to do instead, just to keep things interesting. So, because this series is made up of fairy tale retellings, what better tag to do than a fairy tale book tag? I found this one from The Daily Prophecy and all credit goes to her for creating this tag ~ my brain is definitely not functioning well enough to create a wonderful tag like this - I'm simply borrowing it for a while!

PART 1 - CLASSIC PRINCESSES
Pinocchio - The boy whose nose grows when he lies
Is there a book you lie about because you feel ashamed for liking it?
Probably Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. I think this is the series that introduced me to YA and I fell in love with them. It wasn't until the films came out that I started hearing negative things about them and a few years after that when I think a lot of people maybe started to feel a little self-conscious about admitting they like the series.

Beauty and the Beast - The girl who fell in love with personality
Which book do you love that has a hideous cover?The Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead is a great spin off series from Richelle's Vampire Academy series but I hate the covers for them. They could be so much nicer and more representative of the series itself.

Snow White - Hunted down for her beauty
Do you ever buy a book based on the cover alone and if so, what is the last one?
I tend to order books from the library before I buy them, and even then I usually buy them on my Kindle because I don't have enough room! The last book I bought was Winter by Marissa Meyer although that was because it's the last book in the series but I love the covers for all of those books - they're so pretty!

Sleeping Beauty - Cursed to sleep, awakened by true loves kiss
What is your favourite book couple?
Daemon & Katy from the Lux series. Although, I have now developed a fondness for Cress and Thorne from the Lunar Chronicles series. I think I'm attracted to sarcasm and sass, which both couples have in abundance!

Little Mermaid - Gave up on her old life for love
Do you ever branch out into new genres or do you like to stick with the ones you know and love? If you try new things out, what is the latest book?
I do read Young Adult with a mix of genres under that umbrella. However I do sometimes read crime books, particularly Tess Gerritsen books and my favourite of hers is Gravity, which is set in space and had me hooked from beginning to end. I also love Cecelia Ahern books - Where Rainbows End and One Hundred Names are both amazing books. It's quite rare now that I do pick those kind of books up though - YA is more relatable to me I suppose.

Cinderella - Who lost her shoe after midnight
What is the last book that made you stay up all night?
Probably Winter again to be honest - I needed to know how that series ended!

Rapunzel - Locked in a tower
What is the worst book you read last month?
It's actually been a while since I read a book I really didn't like, but the most recent one that springs to mind is The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin. I so wanted to like this book and I just really didn't like it at all.

PART 2 - MIX AND MATCH

Aladdin - The poor boy who found a genie
What is the latest book treasure/gem that you've found?
For me this is probably the Infernal Devices series. I love the Shadowhunter world that Cassandra Clare created in the Mortal Instrument series and the characters in this prequel series are as equally amazing at the ones in TMI. Action packed, full of witty lines and sarcasm this series is brilliant in about a hundred different ways.

Alice in Wonderland - The girl who fell through a rabbit's hole
Which book made you feel like you'd landed in a different world?
The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa. The way that she incorporated well known characters such as Puck and Oberon and Mab and mixed them into both our modern world and a completely different one is amazing and it's a world I go back to again and again.

The Frog Prince - Where an enchanted prince becomes human again
What is a book you thought you would hate, but ended up loving?
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead. I thought I'd hate this series, it never really appealed to me, but I was in a reading rut and wanted to push myself and I ended up loving the series.

Hansel and Gretel - Left alone in the woods and captured by a witch
Which duo (brother/sister sister/sister) is your favourite and why?
It's got to be the same answer as my favourite couple, Dee and Daemon from the Lux series are so sweet. Daemon really loves his sister and will do anything to protect her. I've always kind of wanted a big brother like that.

Little Red Riding Hood - Almost eaten by a wolf dressed as her grandmother
What book disappointed you after falling in love with the cover and blurb?
Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce, which is an appropriate choice for this question. The cover was gorgeous and the blurb intrigued me and I finished the book a little disappointed.

Rumpelstilskin - Nobody knows his name
What book do you love that doesn't get enough attention?
Argh so many. Lux and Iron Fey obviously. But then The Glimpse & The Fall (duology) by Claire Merle, City of Halves by Lucy Inglis, Clarity and Perception by Kim Harrington (duology) - all of these are amazing books or series that need way more recognition!

I hope you enjoyed this tag - what books would you answer with?

The Books I Got for Christmas!

So this year I was incredibly lucky and got a whole lotta books from Santa. This is actually quite a rare thing for me because I use my Kindle quite a lot (as much as I love a physical book, I don't really have the room to store them), but this year, I got a shed load. Just a quick note, this is not me showing off or bragging - I love watching and reading videos and posts like these and I'm so excited about all the books I got this year and I wanted to share them with you.

All of these books came from a list I'd written down during the summer and forgotten about. Luckily, my parents found the list and decided to be amazing and buy me some of them!

So, first up, is the Infernal Devices trilogy box set. I have Book 1, Clockwork Angel on my Kindle (and was actually reading it over Christmas) and I'd bought Book 2 Clockwork Prince in a physical copy on my holiday in the summer. Despite this, I love having a series all in one form - either as e-books or physical copies and to get the box set made me so happy.

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige is probably the one I was most excited about getting. I've been eyeing up this series for a while now and with book 3 coming out this year, now is the perfect time to start this series.

All Fall Down by Ally Carter is a book that, when I looked at the cover in the shop I wasn't too sure about it but the premise of the book sounds so intriguing and, the one that I got also comes with a free mascara so I got a little bonus present!

The Rule of 3 by Eric Walters is another first book in a series and again, sounds really intriguing. An apocalyptic type story which seems to be popular right now with the new 5th Wave movie about to premiere so I'm excited to get to this.

Gone by Michael Grant is a series I've been dying to read for such a long time but, every time I've looked at the library (which is my main source of books that I want to try before buying) they haven't had it in stock. Now I've finally got my own copy so I can start reading this series. I love the green edged pages on this book - it really makes it stand out.

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson. I love a good angel book and this looks like it's going to be an amazing series that puts a slightly different spin on YA angel stories like Fallen by Lauren Kate and the Angel trilogy by L.A Weatherly.

Finally, we have Uglies and Pretties by Scott Westerfield and this is a book that comes in a close second to Dorothy Must Die I think. I've got the bind up edition of both Book 1 and Book 2 which means I can marathon them both at once without stopping.

I've already finished the Infernal Devices and I'm hoping to have a review up on the series soon and I can't wait to get started on the rest of the books. I'm so thankful that my family know exactly what makes me happy - a pile of books and I'm sorted! I hope you all had a great Christmas and got what you wanted and I'll have another post up soon!

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Rating: 4.5 stars

Synopsis: Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the centre of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Review: I finally got around to picking up this book and I'm so glad that I did. I've only heard good things about this series and they're all true! I loved this book and I can't wait to get my hands on the rest of the series - especially since the final book in the series Winter has just come out.

This is Cinderella as you've never seen her before. Cinder is a cyborg and, in order to pay her way, she must work at the market as a mechanic. What I loved about Cinder is that she's so strong and feisty. She's not a pushover or a half-soaked character, she sticks to her guns and doesn't back down from them. She gives as good as she gets, despite being looked down on in society because she's a cyborg. I love a confident heroine and Cinder definitely didn't disappoint.

In the same way, Kai was also a relatively strong and confident character, who didn't let his advisers or Queens from other planets tell him what to do. I was upset at the very end when he rejected Cinder because of who she was (why? Seriously - you were doing so well Kai, why did you have to ruin it at the end?) but I'm confident he'll rectify his mistake at the end of the series, (he better anyway)!

I loved Marissa's take on the classic Cinderella story. Setting it in a futuristic world gave her a lot of scope to tweak the story slightly. For example, the introduction of the plague that is killing citizens off left, right and centre was a really interesting addition to the tale. It gave all the characters something to fight for, Cinder was fighting to save her sister, Kai his father and the legacy he had left behind him...all the characters had someone to fight for and to motivate them in tough times because of the plague which made it really interesting. Talking of Cinder's sisters, I loved the idea that Cinder had one sister she could talk to. Yes the step mother was as awful as ever, as was the older sister but Peony captured my heart from the very beginning and I loved that Marissa gave Cinder one sister who loved her whole heartedly and would do anything for her.

The world was amazing. The futuristic setting of New Beijing intrigued me when I first heard about this book because I wasn't sure it would work. I love a good fairy tale retelling but this seemed a little bit out there. BUT, Marissa really made it work and the world complemented the story beautifully. The futuristic tech, the idea of cyborgs being a part of the world's population but that they were looked down on and were even being sacrificed in order to try and find a cure for the plague. The world was just beautiful and I can't wait to get back to it and find out more about it, now that we're moving away from New Beijing.

The only reason this book didn't get the whole five stars is because I guessed the major plot point fairly early on the novel, so it wasn't really a surprise when it was revealed. That really didn't spoil the book for me though. I loved this book and, now that Winter (the final book in the series) has been released I can now marathon the entire series and I can't wait. Exercise? Who needs to exercise when there are series like this that need reading??

Image from Goodreads - no Copyright Intended

Most Anticipated Books of 2016

So we're nearing the end of 2015 - where has the time gone? I hope you all had a good Christmas! As we get to the end of the year, what better time to look forward to some of the upcoming releases for 2016. And there are some good ones coming! All of the images, synopsis' and publication dates are from Goodreads, so I don't own them and they could change.

 LADY MIDNIGHT BY CASSANDRA CLARE (Dark Artifices #1) ~

Los Angeles. It’s been five years since the events of the Mortal Instruments when Nephilim stood poised on the brink of oblivion and Shadowhunter Emma Carstairs lost her parents. After the blood and violence she witnessed as a child, Emma has dedicated her life to to discovering exactly what it was that killed her parents and getting her revenge.

Raised in the Los Angeles Institute with the Blackthorn family, Emma is paired as a parabatai with her best friend, Julian Blackthorn. A series of murders in the city catch her attention — they seem to have the same characteristics as the deaths of her parents. Could the murderer be the same person? And her attention isn’t the only one caught: someone has been murdering Downworlders as well. The Fair Folk make a deal with the Institute: if the Blackthorns and Emma will investigate the killings, they’ll return Mark Blackthorn to his home. The catch: they have only two weeks to find the killers. Otherwise it’s open war between faeries and Nephilim.

The Shadowhunters of the Institute must race against time to catch the killers, even as they begin to suspect the involvement of those closest to them. At the same time, Emma is falling in love with the one person in the world she’s absolutely forbidden by Shadowhunter Law to love. Set against the glittering backdrop of present-day Los Angeles, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches from the warlock-run nightclubs of the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica.

We're heading back to the Shadow world and I'm so excited. I'm currently reading Clockwork Princess (yes, finally!) so I'm more than excited for this new series. I believe there's also going to be a follow-up to the Infernal Devices series which is coming in a couple of years so there's plenty of opportunity to delve back into Cassandra Clare's amazing world.
 According to Goodreads, the expected publication date is March 8th 2016.

A COURT OF MIST & FURY BY SARAH J. MAAS (ACOTAR #2) ~ Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court--but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms--and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future--and the future of a world cleaved in two.

If you've read my review of A Court of Thorns and Roses then you'll know I'm slightly hesitant to pick this sequel up (purely because I ship Feyre and Tamlin so hard) but it does sound amazing and I will likely pick it up when it comes out next year.
 According to Goodreads, the expected publication date is May 3rd 2016.

THE RAVEN KING BY MAGGIE STIEFVATER (RAVEN CYCLE #4) ~ All her life, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love's death. She doesn't believe in true love and never thought this would be a problem, but as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.

I am so excited for the conclusion to this series. It was supposed to come out this year but was pushed back to next year because Maggie wanted more time to make it right. This series is one of my favourites and if you've been put off reading Maggie's books because of the Shiver trilogy, pick this series up and give her another try. As seen by the synopsis on Goodreads (and therefore above), we don't really know much about what is going to happen in this final book but it promises to be epic!
 According to Goodreads, the expected publication date is April 26th 2016.

HEARTLESS BY MARISSA MEYER ~ Long before she was the terror of Wonderland — the infamous Queen of Hearts — she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favourite of the yet-unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend and supply the Kingdom of Hearts with delectable pastries and confections. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next Queen.

At a royal ball where Cath is expected to receive the king's marriage proposal, she meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the King and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into an intense, secret courtship.

Cath is determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her terms. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

I'm waiting for Scarlett and Cress to come to my local library (they're popular books!) so that I can finish reading that series but this is a brand new series(?) from Marissa Meyer and it sounds really interesting. Another take on a classic story and I'm really intrigued to see her take on this world.
 According to Goodreads, the expected publication date is November 8th 2016.




YELLOW BRICK WAR BY DANILLE PAIGE (DOROTHY MUST DIE #3) ~

Amy Gumm’s mission to take down Dorothy Gale is not going according to plan. Dorothy has found a way to bridge the worlds of Oz and Kansas, and if the power-hungry dictator of Oz has her way, Kansas will be destroyed forever. Now, Amy has to team up with the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked to save her home, restore the balance between the magic and non-magic worlds, maybe get the guy—and kill that not-so-sweet Kansas farm girl once and for all.

I was a very luck girl this Christmas and got a lot of books (and I'll post something about that soon) and one of the books I got was Dorothy Must Die which is a book I've been dying to read for such a long time. Now with the third book coming out in 2016, it feels like the perfect time to delve into this series.

 According to Goodreads, the expected publication date is March 15th 2016.

 

THE LAST STAR BY RICK YANCEY (THE 5TH WAVE #3) ~ We’re here, then we’re gone, and that was true before they came. That’s always been true. The Others didn’t invent death; they just perfected it. Gave death a face to put back in our face, because they knew that was the only way to crush us. It won’t end on any continent or ocean, no mountain or plain, jungle or desert. It will end where it began, where it had been from the beginning, on the battlefield of the last beating human heart.

The 5th Wave is a book that has been sitting on my TBR pile for a while now and with the movie AND this third instalment coming out in 2016, I can't wait to read this series.

 According to Goodreads, the expected publication is May 24th 2016.

 

These are just a few of my most anticipated books of 2016. I wish all of you a very happy new year and may 2016 bring you all the books (and things in general) that you want! HAPPY NEW YEAR!! :)

All Images, Synopsis' and Publication Dates come from the relevant Goodreads page ~ no Copyright Intended