
It’s time for another ARCstravaganza here! I’ve moved through my previous approvals and gone on yet another requesting spree.
Approvals
To save her sisterās life, Faris must smuggle magic into a plague-ridden neighboring kingdom in this exciting and dangerous start to a brand-new fantasy duology.
Faris grew up fighting to survive in the slums of Brindaigel while caring for her sister, Cadence. But when Cadence is caught trying to flee the kingdom and is sold into slavery, Faris reluctantly agrees to a lucrative scheme to buy her back, inadvertently binding herself to the power-hungry Princess Bryn, who wants to steal her fatherās throne.
Now Faris must smuggle stolen magic into neighboring Avinea to incite its prince to allianceāmagic that addicts in the war-torn country can sense in her blood and can steal with a touch. She and Bryn turn to a handsome traveling magician, North, who offers protection from Avineaās many dangers, but he cannot save Faris from Brynās cruelty as she leverages Cadenceās freedom to force Faris to do anythingāor kill anyoneāshe asks. Yet Faris is as fierce as Bryn, and even as she finds herself falling for North, she develops schemes of her own.
With the fate of kingdoms at stake, Faris, Bryn, and North maneuver through a dangerous game of magical and political machinations, where lives can be destroyedāor savedāwith only a touch.
First, I totally love this cover. But I actually requested it because of smuggling stolen magic and the danger of the addicts. It sounds like I will either love it or hate it.
Shadow Weaver
MarcyKate Connolly
January 2, 2018
The shadows that surround us arenāt always as they seemā¦
Emmeline has grown up with a gift. Since the time she was a baby she has been able to control shadows. And her only friend and companion is her own shadow, Dar.
Disaster strikes when a noble family visits their home and offers to take Emmeline away and cure her of magic. Desperate not to lose her shadows, she turns to Dar who proposes a deal: Dar will change the nobleās mind, if Emmeline will help her become flesh as she once was. Emmeline agrees but the next morning the man in charge is in a coma and all that the witness saw was a long shadow with no one nearby to cast it. Scared to face punishment, Emmeline and Dar run away.
With the nobleās guards on her trail, Emmelineās only hope of clearing her name is to escape capture and perform the ritual that will set Dar free. But Emmelineās not sure she can trust Dar anymore, and itās hard to keep secrets from someone who can never leave your side.
The first in a dark middle-grade fantasy duology, MarcyKate Connolly weaves a tale filled with shadows, danger, and magic that has the feel of a new classic.
I’ve actually already started reading this and I’m loving it. It’s so dark and I love dark middle grade. Review and fangirling to come.
Sasha Stone knows her placeāfirst-chair clarinet, top of her class, and at the side of her oxford-wearing boyfriend. Sheās worked her entire life to ensure that her path to Oberlin Conservatory as a star musician is perfectly paved.
But suddenly thereās a fork in the road, in the shape of Isaac Harver. Her body shifts toward him when he walks by, her skin misses his touch even though sheās never known it, and she relishes the smell of himāsmoke, beer, and troubleāall the things sheās avoided to get where she is. Even worse, every time heās near Sasha, her heart stops, literally. Why does he know her so wellātoo wellāand she doesnāt know him at all?
Sasha discovers that her by-the-book life began by ending anotherās: the twin sister she absorbed in the womb. But that doesnāt explain the gaps of missing time in her practice schedule or the memories she has of things she certainly never did with Isaac. As Sasha loses her much-cherished control, her lifeāand heartābecome more entangled with Isaac. Armed with the knowledge that her heart might not be hers alone, Sasha must decide what sheās willing to doāand who sheās willing to hurtāto take it back.
Edgar Awardāwinning author Mindy McGinnis delivers a dark and gripping psychological thriller about a girl at war with herself, and what it really means to be good or bad.
I actually requested this because I wanted to see how the gaps in time were approached. My current MS has some gaps in time for my MC and so I’m using it both for review and for research.
Pending
In the walled city of Kos, corrupt mages can magically call forth sin from a sinner in the form of sin-beasts ā lethal creatures spawned from feelings of guilt.
Taj is the most talented of the aki, young sin-eaters indentured by the mages to slay the sin-beasts. But Tajās livelihood comes at a terrible cost. When he kills a sin-beast, a tattoo of the beast appears on his skin while the guilt of committing the sin appears on his mind. Most aki are driven mad by the process, but 17-year-old Taj is cocky and desperate to provide for his family.
When Taj is called to eat a sin of a royal, heās suddenly thrust into the center of a dark conspiracy to destroy Kos. Now Taj must fight to save the princess that he loves ā and his own life.
A gritty Nigerian-influenced fantasy.
Did you read that synopsis? Because that’s why I requested it.
ARCapalooza is a weekly booktag hosted by YAandWine.