~Can't Wait Wednesday: Catwoman: Soulstealer (DC Icons #3)~

                Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Wishful Endings.  Waiting on Wednesday has been don for some time so I am switching it up for now!  Basically books that are not yet out that we are dying to get our hands on.  This week’s pick is:

Catwoman:  Soulstealer (DC Icons #3) by Sarah J. Maas

Out:  8/7

From Goodreads:

                When the Bat's away, the Cat will play.  It's time to see how many lives this cat really has…

                Two years after escaping Gotham City's slums, Selina Kyle returns as the mysterious and wealthy Holly Vanderhees.  She quickly discovers that with Batman off on a vital mission, Batwing is left to hold back the tide of notorious criminals.  Gotham City is ripe for the taking.

                Meanwhile, Luke Fox wants to prove he has what it takes to help people in his role as Batwing.  He targets a new thief on the prowl who seems cleverer than most.  She has teamed up with Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, and together they are wreaking havoc.  This Catwoman may be Batwing's undoing.

Why I’m Waiting:

                Auto-buy author.  Duh.  Plus while I've never read the comics or watched the anime I do enjoy all the DC movies/shows as of late and I love the idea of a book dedicated to our Catwoman.  Plus seeing as it seems we will be getting a bad girl squad I'm down to see what happens.  Oh and I've enjoyed the other books in this DC Icons series thus far so lets go.           

                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.

Batman: Nightwalker (DC Icons #2)

                Hello happy readers!  I'm a bit behind today I had some serious sleep issues the last few days with appointments during the day (aka my normal sleep time on nights) and am just now finding a free moment for the day.  So today I have my thoughts on another Marie Lu title and the next DC Icons story, Batman:  Nightwalker (DC Icons #2) by Marie Lu.  Just a heads up my good friend is hosting a giveaway for a signed copy of this title on her blog, Bogdana the Booknerd open for a few more days!  I previously reviewed the first DC Icons book :  Wonder Woman:  Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo though they are both in the "series" they are not connected but by the DC universe.  

Rating: 4 Stars

                Bruce Wayne before he was Batman.  Coming into his trust fund and finding some trouble.  Being one of the city’s elites is dangerous with the Nightwalkers about.  Money also can’t get you out of everything and after a run-in with the police Bruce must do community service…at Arkham Asylum.  Inside he sees and hears police interrogate an inmate of his age who seems to be baffling them all.  More so when she chooses to speak to him.  Madeleine is a mystery and he is determined to unravel it.  She is brilliant and dangerous and while he is trying to figure her out, Bruce may be giving her everything she needs on him. 

                I really liked this story.  I enjoyed that it was different sort of origins story.  It’s teenage years / coming into adult hood.  It’s not him becoming Batman but more how he handles his life and what could easily be seen turned into that life.  He has friends and normal issues to deal with on top of the more serious issues that come with being rich and powerful and having so much expected of you.  I enjoyed getting to see this side of him.  His friends in particular.  I really liked the idea of him having friends because as much as I love Alfred, and I do, a teenage boy needs more friendship than in his guardian.  Bruce is struggling with some things and it had showed and had real consequences. 

                So he is put to work in Arkham enduring attitudes as well as real menial physical labor.  Bruce is smart.  He has the money and the company to have all the newest gadgets and such but he understands how they work with a sharp mind which is something I enjoyed.  I liked the back and forth, cat and mouse, with Madeline.  You can never be sure what is going on; who has the upper hand.  Madeline is a very different and complex type of criminal and I really love Lu’s take on her as the villain.  She isn’t easy to pin down and that really created a complex character image of this girl. 

                I really got caught up in the mind game and trying to figure things out just like Bruce.  The idea of the Nightwalkers and what they were doing.    The overall pacing and suspense of the book was on par.  It was a rather quick listen really and a pretty short book.  I enjoyed this look at Bruce Wayne.

                Until next time…

Wonder Woman: Warbringer (DC Icons #1)

                Hello happy readers!  I am super excited with the books I am currently reading and the movies coming out this month.  I look forward to sharing them with you as I review them.  Today I’d like to share my thoughts on the first DC Icons book featuring Wonder Woman written by a favorite author of mine, Leigh Bardugo.  I held off on reading this until after I saw the movie thinking it might be related but rest assured they are not related or in the same universe.  Anywho here are my thoughts on WonderWoman:  Warbringer (DC Icons #1) by Leigh Bardugo.

Rating:  4 Stars

                Everyone knows at least one version of Wonder Woman, though most pick up after she has become Wonder Woman.  This is the story of two girls, daughter of immortals Princess Diana and daughter of death Alia Keralis.  Diana is still training and trying to live up to her fellow Amazons.  She wants to prove herself to them and has the chance to win glory but passes it by and breaks Amazon law risking exile to save a mortal.  Diana didn’t save a normal mortal though, but the Warbringer, Alia.  Alia was just trying to get away from her overprotective brother and spend a semester at sea away from her normal world of worry.  Until a bomb sinks her ship and she is rescued by a strange girl with amazing strength and she is forced to learn a horrible truth about who and what she is:  the bringer of an age of bloodshed and misery.  Together they may be able to keep this from happening and destroy the Warbringer line…if they can face all the enemies along the way.

                This story was interesting and I was intrigued by the way she grew up.  She was different from everyone and had a need to prove herself.  Seeing that the super strong and confident hero we all know was a teen and felt left out and uncertain of herself is a great play on things.  I enjoyed the journey and how it was about both girls and not just Diana.  They both have to learn and grow along the way.  Diana was learning about the world in a real way rather than just in the books.  Alia is in shock given everything but she takes the crazy in a way I think most people could relate to.  I mean I would think I had a concussion if some strong beautiful woman was talking in riddles.  They were a great balance to one another in their views: raised on the stories known as myths to be true and raised on fairytales focusing on science.

"You can't live in fear.  You make things happen or they happen to you."

                This is a journey full of action for sure from chases, fights, and explosions but it is more a character story.  Getting to know the two girls and wanting to see them succeed despite the obstacles.  I enjoyed getting to know them on such a level.  I also enjoyed the inclusion on the whole gang from friends to family.  They made a merry little band of misfits.  The connections that shone between them really bonded the characters in reality amongst the craziness that is Warbringers, Gods, Oracle, and the like.  I also enjoyed the inclusion of mythology in the story.  It flowed simply and was easy to follow, as was the science. 

                Overall I enjoyed this story and kind of wish there was more to come in the world.  It left off in a way that ended this journey.  Still I could see many more adventures on the horizon for Diana.  I enjoyed the listening of it and was excited to dive into the next Icons book Batman:  Nightwalker directly after this.  They don't go together in any way I just wanted to read them this way because I'm a bit OCD and had to see for myself!  That's all for now I look forward to sharing more later! 

                Until next time…

~Waiting on Wednesday~ Batman: Nightwalker (DC Icons #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:

Batman: Nightwalker (DC Icons #2) by Marie Lu

Out:  1/2

From Goodreads:

                Before he was Batman, he was Bruce Wayne.  A reckless boy willing to break the rules for a girl who may be his worst enemy.

                The Nightwalkers are terrorizing Gotham City, and Bruce Wayne is next on their list.

                One by one, the city’s elites are being executed as their mansions’ security systems turn against them, trapping them like prey.  Meanwhile, Bruce is turning eighteen and about to inherit his family’s fortune, not to mention the keys to Wayne Enterprises and all the tech gadgetry his heart could ever desire.  But after a run-in with the police, he’s forced to do community service at Arkham Asylum, the infamous prison that holds the city’s most brutal criminals.

                Madeleine Wallace is a brilliant killer…and Bruce’s only hope.

                In Arkam, Bruce meets Madeleine, a brilliant girl with ties to the Nightwalkers.  What is she hiding?  And why will she speak only to Bruce?  Madeleine is the mystery Bruce must unravel.  But is he getting her to divulge her secrets, or is he feeding her the information she needs to bring Gotham City to its knees?  Bruce will walk the dark line between trust and betrayal as the Nightwalkers circle closer.

Why I’m Waiting:

                First it’s Marie Lu.  Second it’s Batman.  Enough said.

                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.  Also don't forget to check out my giveaway it's open until the 7th!

~Waiting on Wednesday~ Wonder Woman: Warbringer (DC Icons #1)

                “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:

Wonder Woman: Warbringer (DC Icons #1) by Leigh Bardugo

Out:  8/29

From Goodreads:

                She will become one of the world’s greatest heroes:  WONDER WOMAN.  But first she is Diana, Princess of the Amazons.  And her fight is just beginning…

                Diana longs to prove herself to her legendary warrior sisters.  But when the opportunity finally comes, she throws away her chance at glory and breaks Amazon law—risking exile—to save a mere mortal.  Even worse, Alia Keralis is no ordinary girl and with this single brave act, Diana may have doomed the world.

                Alia just wanted to escape her overprotective brother with a semester at sea.  She doesn’t know she is being hunted.  When a bomb detonates aboard her ship, Alia is rescued by a mysterious girl of extraordinary strength and forced to confront a horrible truth:  Alia is a Warbringer—a direct descendant of the infamous Helen of Troy, fated to bring about an age of bloodshed and misery.

                Together, Diana and Alia will face an army of enemies—mortal and divine—determined to either destroy or possess the Warbringer.  If they have any hope of saving both their worlds, they will have to stand side by side against the tide of war.

Why I’m Waiting:

                I love my superhero movies and I’m excited for the Wonder Woman movie.  Now I see a book coming out from and author I love…..count me in!

                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.  Also don't forget to check out my giveaway for a SIGNED copy of Blacksouls (Blackhearts #2) by Nicole Castroman open until Saturday evening!