Waiting on Wednesday: Blood Heir and Eight Will Fall

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Jenn's Pick: I Can't wait to have my hands on this!

Blood Heir by Amelie Wen Zhao
November 19th, 2019

This hot debut is the first book in an epic new series about a princess hiding a dark secret and the con man she must trust to clear her name for her father's murder.

In the Cyrilian Empire, Affinites are reviled. Their varied gifts to control the world around them are unnatural—dangerous. And Anastacya Mikhailov, the crown princess, has a terrifying secret. Her deadly Affinity to blood is her curse and the reason she has lived her life hidden behind palace walls.

When Ana’s father, the emperor, is murdered, her world is shattered. Framed as his killer, Ana must flee the palace to save her life. And to clear her name, she must find her father’s murderer on her own. But the Cyrilia beyond the palace walls is far different from the one she thought she knew. Corruption rules the land, and a greater conspiracy is at work—one that threatens the very balance of her world. And there is only one person corrupt enough to help Ana get to its core: Ramson Quicktongue.

A cunning crime lord of the Cyrilian underworld, Ramson has sinister plans—though he might have met his match in Ana. Because in this story, the princess might be the most dangerous player of all.

Ash's Pick: I need to read this NOW! 

Eight Will Fall by Sarah Harian
November 26th, 2019

In a land where magic is outlawed, eight criminals led by seventeen-year-old Larkin are sent on a mission to kill an ancient evil that plagues their kingdom. Descending into an underground realm full of unspeakable horrors, Larkin and her party must use their forbidden magic to survive what lies in wait, teeth sharp and jaws deadly.
As she fights for her life, Larkin finds a light in Amias, a fellow outlaw with a notorious past. Soon Larkin and Amias realize their fates are entwined. The eight of them were chosen for a reason.
But as the dangers multiply and her band of felons are picked off one by one, Larkin must confront a terrible truth: They were never meant to return.
Sarah Harian crafts a thrilling, high-octane fantasy adventure that explores the often-thin line between light and darkness, good and evil.

Cover Up: Pretty in Pink

This feature I will just gab, remark, feature book covers. 

I decided to do this one just a little different than I usually do. I had taken a couple of pictures of my pink books so I decided to post those and then feature a different set of pink books.

Some of my other favorite pink covers:

Review: The Body in the Woods by April Henry

Title: The Body in the Woods

Author: April Henry

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

Publishing Date: June 17th, 2014

Pages: 263
Audio Length: 6 Hours and 35 Minutes

Genre: YA Mystery Thriller
TW: N/A 

Series: A Point Last Seen book 1

Source: Audio
 

In this new series told from multiple perspectives, teen members of a search and rescue team discover a dead body in the woods.
Alexis, Nick, and Ruby have very different backgrounds: Alexis has spent her life covering for her mom’s mental illness, Nick’s bravado hides his fear of not being good enough, and Ruby just wants to pursue her eccentric interests in a world that doesn’t understand her. When the three teens join Portland County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue, they are teamed up to search for a autistic man lost in the woods. What they find instead is a dead body. In a friendship that will be forged in danger, fear, and courage, the three team up to find the girl’s killer—before he can strike one of their own.
This first book in April Henry’s Point Last Seen YA mystery series is full of riveting suspense, putting readers in the middle of harrowing rescues and crime scene investigations.

What made me pick this book up: 

I'm on a mission to read every April Henry book. I like audio because I can do other things while reading, and this is the last one on Audible that I hadn't read by her. Well, except the second one but obviously I had to read this one first.

What did I like about the cover: 

I love the colors of it. It all matches very well. In the book they talk about the dead girl having green eye shadow so that fits really well with the book. I do prefer this cover over the one on audible.

What made me read this book: 

Like I said, it was the last one on Audible by April Henry. Meaning I'll have to buy the other ones in physical version.

What did I like the most: 

First of all I want to say that April Henry is one of my favorite authors. She's an amazing writer who can really put you in the story. I feel when I'm reading her books that I can actually picture what she's writing and I can feel what the characters are feeling. 

With that being said, this is a typical story of kids finding a body in the woods. You can imagine how it will play out and the emotions involved. Even with that April Henry still made it her own. She added twists and turns and I really felt like I had no idea what was happening anymore.

The characters are likable and well written. They all have their own personality and are their own person. A lot of times with authors their characters are all written the same. Not with April. 

I like how they all come from very different backgrounds. A poor girl who's mom has a mental illness, a rich girl who is (probably) autistic, and a boy who has a lot to prove. 

Ruby was my favorite character by far. She was quirky and interesting and honest and I felt like I just wanted to protect her.

Another thing I really liked was the mental illness portrayal. Without going into too much detail I feel like it was very realistic as I do know someone with this mental illness. I also really did like how she made Ruby so "different". You can obviously tell she's autistic (maybe Alzheimers) and I like how she just made it such a normal thing. 

What didn't I like: 

One of the things is I wish we got to know Nick a little better. We don't get to see too much of him at home and it feels like it's the Ruby and Alexis show the whole time, like Nick got put on the backburner. I do know the sequel is from Nick's POV. 

I also figured out the who-dunnit pretty early in the book. Earlier than I was supposed to I think. Because otherwise it was very anticlimactic. It was still good, it still had great twists, and if I hadn't figured it out it would've been even better.

I think that's the reason I took away a star. Because I just feel like it was very predictable at times.

Would I read the rest of the series/more from this author?
READ ALL THE APRIL HENRY BOOKS.

These are the few I have left to read: (Not including adult books. I'll get there eventually)

Another great book by April Henry. I'm not disappointed. 

“Who (people from her other life) didn't know how much work it could be to make people think you you were normal.”
― April Henry, The Body in the Woods

I write mysteries and thrillers. I live in Portland, Oregon with my family.

If you've read one of my books, I would love to hear from you. Hearing from readers makes me eager to keep writing.

When I was 12, I sent a short story about a six-foot tall frog who loved peanut butter to Roald Dahl, the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He liked it so much he arranged to have it published in an international children's magazine.

My dream of writing went dormant until I was in my 30s, working at a corporate job, and started writing books on the side. Those first few years are now thankfully a blur. Now I'm very lucky to make a living doing what I love. I have written 20 novels for adults and teens, with more on the way. My books have gotten starred reviews, been picked for Booksense, translated into six languages, been named to state reading lists, and won the Oregon Book Award.