~Stacking the Shelves #60~

                Welcome to Stacking the Shelves was created by Tynga and the full details can be found on her page.  Basically you showcase the books you bought or received each week.  Little, or not so little, weekly book hauls. 

Audiobooks:

Smoke in the Sun (Flame in the Mist #2) by Renee Ahdieh

                So technically I got this last week but forgot to post which as I didn’t get anything this week kind of works out! I still have some pre-orders I’m waiting on they could be a while.  Though my birthday is the 12^th of this month so maybe I’ll get lucky and get some books and/or Amazon gift cards!  Show me what you got!  Share a link below. 

Flame in the Mist (Flame in the Mist #1)

                Hello happy readers!  I hope you are excited for the weekend to start, I’m working this one so no big plans here just hope to get some reading in!  First a quick reminder there my giveaway for a SIGNED copy of Blacksouls (Blackhearts #2) by Nicole Castroman ends tomorrow night so don’t forget to enter while you can here.  Technical stuff aside I am excited to discuss my latest audiobook read, Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh, the first in a new series of the same name. 

Rating:  4.5 Stars

                I didn’t know a ton about this book going.  I had been anticipating it because I enjoyed the authors other works and was ready to read more.  I also LOVED the cover with the phoenix and flowers.  Yes I realized they are in fact throwing stars now but at first glance I thought they were flowers, totally made it even better when I realized the truth.  Anywho, we follow Mariko, daughter of a prominent samurai and raised for the purpose to marry despite her desire to be equal to her twin brother, Kenshin.  She is an accomplished alchemist and is even more cunning than her brother but she is a female and thus unable to be equal.  While en route to the imperial palace to meet her betrothed for the first time her convoy is attacked by the Black Clan, the dangerous bandits hired to kill her.  They fail and she escapes into the woods o plot her revenge.  To move around she disguises herself as a boy and works to infiltrate the Black Clan to find out who wanted her dead and why.  Though once inside she never planned on enjoying her time, let alone falling for any of these bandits.

                I really liked this story.  I fell into it easily and was caught up in the story.  I didn’t want to turn it off.  I listened to the audiobook format and it was amazing.  The narrator was very easy to listen to and made each of the characters sound different in both pitch and voice which is always a treat.  The writing was beautiful and vivid but it kept up a fast pace and alternated POV here and there which gave more depth to the overall story.

                Mariko is easy to love.  She is a girl after my own heart, who doesn’t believe she should be treated as anything less than her brother just because she is a female rather than a male.  Like what’s between your legs is really what makes one worthy.  She is cunning and smart and determined to have control of her own life.  While she is willing to bend to the wills of her family as is expected of her, she still makes her own choices alone the way.  I liked that.  Stubborn and hard headed for sure but I still loved it.  Her desire to know what and why driving her instead of self-preservation.

                We also see things from her brother, Kenshin’s, POV and see his search for his sister.  He knows how she thinks and he loves her “oddness” and all which I do appreciate.  But the other real stars are the Black Clan.  They as a group and the individuals themselves are pretty awesome each with their own personality and attributes.  Some see them as evil and others as saviors so unweaving story from fact and getting to know them as Mariko does was nice.  The primary story is on the cunning moves, the mystery and intrigue of figuring out what happened and keeping secrets but it finds a way to have a little romance in there that not only fit well within the story but also really rang true and had you rooting for it.  Mostly because even when she is hiding who she is, as a female and betrothed, she is more herself within the Black Clan than anywhere else.

               Flame in the Mist manages to weave reality with a touch of romance and also the supernatural/magical elements into one amazing story.  I loved the magical elements and I really hope we get to see more of them in the rest of the series and even mind out how they came to be.  There is still so much story left to be told and with how it left off I know I need more and I would rather have it now.  I highly recommend this book.

                 Until next time…

~Waiting on Wednesday~ Flame in the Mist (Flame in the Mist #1)

                Sorry for the last two days my area was hit with horrible storms and such so internet has been in and out :(  Thankfully not too much damage though.  

                 "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:

Flame in the Mist (Flame in the Mist #1) by Renee Ahdieh

Out: 5/2

From Goodreads:

                The daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko has long known her place—she may be an accomplished alchemist, whose cunning rivals that of her brother Kenshin, but because she is not a boy, her future has always been out of her hands.  At just seventeen years old, Mariko is promised to Minamoto Raiden, the son of the emperor’s favorite consort—a political marriage that will elevate her family’s standing.  But en route to the imperial city of Inako, Mariko narrowly escapes a bloody ambush by a dangerous gang of bandits known as the Black Clan, who she learns has been hired to kill her before she reaches the palace.

                Dressed as a peasant boy, Mariko sets out to infiltrate the ranks of the Black Clan, determined to track down the person responsible for the target on her back.  But she’s quickly captured and taken to the Black Clan’s secret hideout, where she meets their leader, the rebel Ronin Takeda Ranmaru, and his second-in-command, his best friend Okami.  Still believing her to be a boy, Ranmaru and Okami eventually warm to Mariko, impressed by her intellect and ingenuity.  As Mariko gets closer to the Black Clan, she uncovers a dark history of secrets, of betrayal and murder, which will force her to question everything she’s ever known.

               

Why I’m Waiting:

                 I loved The Wrath & the Dawn duology and I’m ready to see what new world she is able to bring to life for me.  Plus this plot reminds me a bit of Mulan and I so love that movie!  Oh and that is a 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.

The Rose & the Dagger (The Wrath & the Dawn #2)

                Hello everyone!  So first things my giveaway for a signed copy of the Last Star by Rick Yancey (here) closes later today and I look forward to announcing the winner tomorrow with my Top Ten Tuesday post!  So get your last minute entries in!  That said yesterday I finished a book I had been highly anticipating since January of this year when I finished the first book, The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh (review).  I was so enthralled when I finished that book that I was dying to get my hands on the sequel in the duology, The Rose and theDagger.  When it came out I was in a bit of a slump/behind on some reading and couldn't dive right in, that and I was planning to read it with a friend.  But now that I have finished it I can't wait to discuss it and share all my feels.  If you haven't yet read the first book I highly suggest you do before continuing reading this review or you will be spoiled.

Rating:  5 Stars

                All the feels!  OMG I am in love!  All the things I loved about the first book with the beautiful writing, complex characters, and enticing storyline all continued into the sequel but this time they were upped another notch even I didn't think was possible.  This book will rip out your heart and punch you in the feels hard several times.  I remember reading and feeling my heart literally pounding in my chest.  I also read most of this while at work so I would have to read something that made me want to cry and have to suck it up, no crying at work.  I had read the novellas released up to this point which only amped up my desire to read more. 

                Shazi and Khalid.  They are…epic.  I love them so much.  They went through so much to get where they were and now they are seperated and neither wants it but both are looking after the people of Khorasan and the curse set on them.  Khalid misses her terribly and he hates what has happened to his people.  Shazi is a captive almost in the camp of her first love, the man trying to bring down her husband and true love for the wrongs he has done that she can't explain.  She has her family, her father and sister back but still she wants to find a way to break the curse and save the people before more destruction happens, but most find a way back to the man she loves. 

                Shazi is pretty much a  badass because not only is she faced with so many obstacles she also has her internal ones as well, ie her temper.  But she doesn't let anything stop her.  Khalid you just fall more in love unsure how you could ever have thought anything less of him.  The love he has for her is so rare and true it's impossible to not see and feel.  Still as he loves Shazi he also loves his people and wishes to do anything he can to help them or let those he is close to think he is a monster, OMG his fight with one person in particular wrecked me.

The novellas

                The magic in the first book is small but builds along with the magical tales she weaves and with this one they grow.  Shazi understands she has power and looks to learn more to the purpose of breaking the curse.  We get more about Khalids old tutor and his magic carpet, I'm in the mood to put in my Aladdin DVD as I type this.  Yep solves it I' watching that tonight!  We make even more friends along the way and discover more about old ones as well. I really liked getting to know her sister some more in all of this.  Her first love, Tariq, literally built an army to save her but even he can see he wasn't saving her in the end but that she loved the monster boy-king and having to stay in the same camp, to interact knowing that was as tense and awkward as you would imagine.

                So much is happening in this book.  There is something for everyone and it will make your heart race, break, soar, and more.  It was a never ending thrill ride and I was sad to have reached the end because while I am beyond satisfied with the story it has played out in my heart and mind I don't want it to be over.  I want more of this beautiful world and writing. But this was a duology and it was perfect.  I couldn't ask for anything more.

                 That's it for this one.  PLEASE share your thoughts and feels in the comments below because I am dying to discuss this book.  What did you think of the ending?

                Until next time…

The Wrath and the Dawn

                So if you saw my Waiting on Wednesday post yesterday then you know what to expect today.  That's right, my thoughts and feels on The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh.  First just a note you can still check out my open giveaway here for a signed copy of The Rose Society by Marie Lu.  Now onto the review.

Rating: 5 Tales

                This is a re-telling inspired by A Thousand and One Nights.  I admit to never knowing the full original story but I am fascinated by it.  Basically the land is ruled by a boy-king who takes a new bride each day as she never survives the dawn.  After her best friend is killed Shahrzad volunteers to be his wife vowing revenge.  She is determined to stay alive and put an end to this pain and madness.  Shahrzad manages to stay alive each dawn weaving stories that enchant the king as she had planned.  However, that's the only thing that went according to plan.  Khalid is nothing like she expected and instead she finds herself having feelings both for him and of her own betrayal to her friend.  She is determined to uncover the secret that has claimed so many lives no matter the cost. 

                So I have to say I listened to the audiobook.  I won a CD copy in a giveaway and it seemed perfect to listen to when I went up to visit a friend at the start of the year.  I figured 7-8 hours in the car overall would put a huge dent in the story and it did.  I was so captivated by the story, though I will admit like with fantasy this is full of names I have no idea how to spell/pronounce normally but as I listened I can say them but when I looked up some of the names to write this I was like…."yep never would have got that" so that's fun. I highly recommend the audiobook though. 

                This story was intriguing to me from the start.  I loved the internal conflict within the characters of Shahrzad and Khalid.  This isn't a simple love story.  There is so much happening from the secrets kept guarded, the stories, the characters and everything as a whole.  I really enjoyed the tales and how they played a part in the story, I'd heard some of them before of course but seeing them and how parts could relate to this story just enhanced it.  Shahrzad has a hatred for this man who took her best friend and yet as she is near him he looks tormented.  He isn't the monster she envisioned, heartless and uncaring.  Her opinions of him waver through the story which I enjoyed she appreciated his attractiveness near the start but there was no insta-love.  Definitly not that.  Still as she learns more about him she begins to know there has to be more, a deeper meaning.  On her mission to find that she develops feelings for the man she should hate which causes some serious conflict within her.  Then with Khalid you know this is hard for him, he isn't sure of himself with her which despite everything else he rules is kind of cute.  I also love that he appreciates her honesty and her attitude that most would condemn her for. 

                Okay where getting the book for spelling came into play, I really enjoyed some of the other characters as well for both good and bad reasons.  Jalal and Despina both had me laughing my behind off at some of their lines, normally in reference to Shahrzad.  Despina isn't taking anything from her and is kind of like a snarky best girl friend.  I even had to love the Rajput and his stoic silence.  The Sultan of Parthia and his daughter Yasmine were both interesting and added depth to the story and wow did I love some of the verbal smack-downs that happen though out the book.  Seriously, Shahrzad is like a smack down champ!  We didn't just focus on Shahrzad and Khalid but we also got bit from her father Jahandar and her childhood and first love Tariq and his best friend Rahim, who is like a brother to Shahrzad.  I'm not sold on the motivations of all the characters yet, some are still questionable to me but each element built a larger story. 

                That's all I can really say on this accept enjoy the world and the journey.  How do I want it to be May so I can have the sequel in my hands.  Seriously I didn't think I would be this in need of it but here I am.  I'm also in the middle of an internal debate about the sequel and if I want to pre-order the hardcopy or since I loved the audiobook so much do I want to listen to The Rose and the Dagger as well.  Conflicted.  Apparently I have a few months ahead of me to make the decision.  I'd love to hear your thoughts down below on the book, characters, and well thoughts on my internal struggle as well.

                Until next time…

~Waiting on Wednesday~ The Rose and the Dagger

                “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:

The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh

Out:  5/3

From Goodreads:

I am surrounded on all sides by a desert.  A guest, in a prison of sand and sun.  My family is here.  And I do not know whom I can trust.

In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad has been torn from the love of her husband Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan.  She once believed him a monster, but his secrets revealed a man tormented by guilt and a powerful curse—one that might keep them apart forever.  Reunited with her family, who have taken refuge with enemies of Khalid, and Tariq, her childhood sweetheart, she should be happy.  But Tariq now commands forces set on destroying Khalid’s empire.  Shahrzad is almost a prisoner caught between loyalties to people she loves.  But she refuses to be a pawn and devises a plan.

While her father, Jahandar, continues to play with magical forces he doesn’t yet understand Shahrzad tried to uncover powers that may lie dormant within her.  With the help of a tattered old carpet and a tempestuous but sage young man, Shahrzad will attempt to break the curse and reunite with her one true love.

               

Why I’m Waiting:

                I just finished The Wrath and the Dawn and I was completely blown away.  So much so that as I didn’t finish it before the end of the trip I couldn’t wait to listen in the car for the one chapter a day I got, if that, seriously I like 2.5 miles from work.  I pulled the disk out at the start of a new track and put it in the computer, I needed to finish it!  I did that just this weekend and wow did it amaze me.  Now I find that the other half of the duology is out in May not March like I first thought!  SO LONG! I’ve been lucky enough to be able to chat with my good friend Bogdana The Booknerd since she read it a while back and now I understand her suffering.  Basically this one left you hanging at the end with so much that you need the other half.  I’m planning to finish my review today and post it tomorrow which I’ll link here once it’s up. 

  

                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!