~Waiting on Wednesday~ Obsidian and Stars (Ivory & Bone #2)

                “Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.  Basically books that are not yet out that we are dying to get our hands on.  This week’s pick is:

Obsidian and Stars (Ivory & Bone #2) by Julie Eshbaugh

Out:  6/13

From Goodreads:

                In the sequel to Ivory and Bone—the prehistoric fantasy novel that New York Times bestselling author Amie Kaufman described as a “richly crafted world of life-and-death stakes”—the story shifts to Mya’s viewpoint as vengeful adversaries force her to flee the life she once knew.

                After surviving the chaotic battle that erupted after Lo and the Bosha clan attacked, now Mya is looking ahead to her future with Kol.  All the things that once felt so uncertain are finally falling into place.  But the same night as Kol and Mya’s betrothal announcement, Mya’s brother Chev reveals his plan to marry his youngest sisters Lees to his friend Morsk.  The only way to avoid this terrible turn of events, Morsk informs Mya when he corners her later, is for Mya to take Lee’s place and marry him herself.

                Refusing to marry anyone other than he beloved, and in an effort to protect her sister, Mya runs away to a secret island with Lees.  And though it seems like the safest place to hide until things back home blow over, Mya soon realizes she’s been followed.  Lurking deep in the recesses of this dangerous place are rivals from Mya’s past whose thirst for revenge exceeds all reason.

                With the lives of her loved ones on the line, Mya must make a move before the enemies of her past become the undoing of her future.

Why I’m Waiting:

                 I enjoyed the first book Ivory & Bone (review) and I am looking forward to see what happens next.  Plus another beautiful cover! 

                What are you waiting on?  Tell me below what you think of this title and leave a link to your WoW as well so I can check it out.

Ivory & Bone (Ivory & Bone #1)

                Hello happy readers!  So first things first I have an open giveaway here for a SIGNED copy of The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski, the final book in the trilogy along with a Fierce Reads tote and a couple other little swag items they handed out at the signing.  Now onto the other goodies I reviewed Ivoryand Bone, a prehistoric fantasy that I reviewed over at No BS Book Reviews here.  Check it out as part of the blog tour with other goodies including a giveaway open for 4 more days!

Rating:  4.5 Stars

                So I went into this one very intrigued.  I can honestly say I don’t think I’ve ever read a prehistoric fantasy.  I was curious.

                Jumping ahead to having read it and I am so glad I picked this one up.  For me it did have it’s somewhat rough parts towards the start where it was a bit slower in pace, I understand hunting is a huge part of their life but the importance and spirit of felt a bit drawn out and over explained more so as it was addressed a few times throughout the story, but the concept kept me moving forward.  Also a huge chunk of the story is told in a story, like the MC Kol is telling someone a story and it reads like he is talking to you the reader which was different for me.  Lots of firsts for me with this book. 

                Way way back in a hunter/gatherer type of world where you lived in tribes and literally made your own everything, yes really prehistoric and a world my modern self would never survive in out MC Kol is the eldest son of the tribe elder and has several brothers and things for their tribe seem to be pretty good, minus the lack of females in their age groups.  At seventeen this is a bit of a serious thing to be thinking about.  I liked him from the start he’s the oldest but not the best at things one might assume he should be but he isn’t resentful.  He’s content with his life.  He’s also somewhat awkward, which is fun to see that as a trait of humans throughout the world. 

                Then one day they receive visitors from another tribe bringing girls and possibilities.  However, Mya isn’t one to trust easily and she has her own issues with his tribe which only add to her look of disdain and her harsh words/actions.  She was a bit rough around the edges but as the story progressed her actions and motives become clearer and we see more of who she is right along with Kol. 

                                Kol really cares for his family as evident with the way he talks about them, from his parents to his brothers whom also play a rather important part as slightly younger brother Pek has developed strong feelings for Mya's sister and is determined to fight for her which would link Kol and Mya's tribes together which given the shifting feelings with each interaction it could be good or bad.

                Along with Mya's clan making contact another clan comes near as well, also having girls in the tribe.  A tribe that has a difficult past with Mya's clan.  Tensions are high as Kol's people are placed in the middle of something they had no part in.  War is brewing and it's unclear who is the aggressor.  Violence ensues forcing sides to be drawn an bonds tested.

                People back then were much stronger than we seem to be today and that shows with how determined they are to fight and to live.  Injured and want to lay down and heal, nope suck it up you have to keep going and keep fighting you can rest when it's over or you're dead.  Minus a little bit of drag, it had it all.  It was new and different and introduced me to things I would never have thought about before.   Also this writing style made me feel like part of the book and had the added benefit of giving me an inside look at what Kol is thinking and by doing so giving Mya an insight into how he saw things up until this point.  I really enjoyed it and look forward to learning more about this world and seeing where the author goes from here.