Swoon Thursday (#282): Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken

- From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering

- Try to make the swoon excerpt 140 characters (or less), if you are going to tweet about it. Use the hashtag #YABOUND when tweeting

This week, my swoon is from Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken!

I stood on my toes again, bracing myself against his strong form, and pressed my lips against the smooth skin of his cheek.

"For luck," I explained.

"Thank you," he said.

I waited until he had disappeared completely from the tent before moving. I sat down heavily on the bench, my face in my hands, as anger, love, and fear all fought to rise up inside of me.

The tent flap banged open. I brought my head up, and there was Wayland North.

I was on my feet in an instant, but he had crossed the distance between us in two long strides.

"What-?"

He pulled me to him, grasping my face between his hands. And then he was kissing me, kissing me so deeply, so fiercely that I could feel my toes curling my shoes. The world spun away, and it was just the two of us.

- Kindle copy, page 328

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One of my favorite books of all time. I was rereading it this weekend and couldn't resist sharing this scene!

Waiting on Wednesday (#268): The Darkest Legacy by Alexandra Bracken

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

This week, I'm featuring:

The Darkest Legacy by Alexandra Bracken

Book Four of The Darkest Minds series
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Publication Date: August 7, 2018

Summary (from Goodreads):

Don't miss the hotly-anticipated new novel in the New York Times bestselling Darkest Minds series by Alexandra Bracken, just in time for the major motion picture adaptation of The Darkest Minds, starring Amandla Stenberg and Mandy Moore! Told through the eyes of beloved character Zu, now seventeen, this harrowing, standalone story of resilience, resistance, and reckoning will thrill loyal fans and new readers alike. 

Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Ivy Bookshop

Ahhh, now I need to reread books one and two, and actually read book three! This is a companion novel following Zu,  but I definitely want to get back into this series' world before reading this new book. I'm excited!

Review: Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken

Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken

Book Two of the Passenger series

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Publication Date: January 3, 2017

Rating: 4 stars

Source: Review copy sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

All Etta Spencer wanted was to make her violin debut when she was thrust into a treacherous world where the struggle for power could alter history. After losing the one thing that would have allowed her to protect the Timeline, and the one person worth fighting for, Etta awakens alone in an unknown place and time, exposed to the threat of the two groups who would rather see her dead than succeed. When help arrives, it comes from the last person Etta ever expected—Julian Ironwood, the Grand Master’s heir who has long been presumed dead, and whose dangerous alliance with a man from Etta’s past could put them both at risk. 

Meanwhile, Nicholas and Sophia are racing through time in order to locate Etta and the missing astrolabe with Ironwood travelers hot on their trail. They cross paths with a mercenary-for-hire, a cheeky girl named Li Min who quickly develops a flirtation with Sophia. But as the three of them attempt to evade their pursuers, Nicholas soon realizes that one of his companions may have ulterior motives. 

As Etta and Nicholas fight to make their way back to one another, from Imperial Russia to the Vatican catacombs, time is rapidly shifting and changing into something unrecognizable… and might just run out on both of them.

What I Liked:

SPOILER-FREE REVIEW. (Unless you haven't read Passenger.)

One-line summary: This book is every bit as fascinating, captivating, and thrilling as its predecessor, and a page-turning, satisfying conclusion to the series.

I was extremely excited when I received this book early for review, but also wary. It's a long book (500+ pages), and the story is at an intense point (from the end of Passenger). I was nervous to read Wayfarer, because there are so many ways that this book could end, and most of them are bittersweet (or just plain cruel). I'm so happy to say that Wayfarer was incredibly engrossing and it ended rather perfectly - Bracken found a way.

This book picks up a little after the end of Passenger. Nicholas and Etta have been separated in time and space. Etta wakes up as a captive of the Thorns, and she meets someone she never thought she'd know. She, Julian Ironwood, and the Thorns set out to secure the astrolabe from Cyrus Ironwood. Meanwhile, Nicholas and Sophia seek help from Rose Linden, only to be turned around several times. Looking for information, the pair accumulate a number of favors they must return. They meet Li Min, a mysterious and secretive traveler who helps them more than once. But Nicholas has one goal, and that is to find Etta. Sophia wants to find the astrolabe. And Li Min knows more than she is letting on. 

I'm still reeling a little, so bear with me as I go about this review. I've just finished the book and I'm in a pleasant state of shock, partial numbness, and total satisfaction. This book... I don't remember my exact expectations, before starting it. Hoping that Nicholas and Etta would survive and be together? In any case, I'm so pleased by what was written, and its delivery.

One thing I do recommend is a reread of Passenger, or checking out some sort of spoiler-filled review or post. Bracken has a spoiler-y graphic available on her website. I wish I had reread Passenger, because besides the ending, I didn't remember a ton of specifics. The good thing was, as I continued to read Wayfarer, I realized that I didn't need to remember too many specifics, because more and more came back to me. At first though, not the case.

One of the best parts of this book was the character development and introduction/development of new and smaller characters that had no or little role in Passenger. For example, I thought Sophia played a bigger role in this book - an enormous role. She is the most important "secondary" character (arguably a primary character? She doesn't have a narrative in the books though). I understood and liked Sophia so much more, in this book. She seems ruthless and blunt and sometimes harsh, but she is so determined and driven. She is someone you want on your side, because she is a dirty fighter.

Julian Ironwood, Nicholas's half-brother, is another secondary character who quickly becomes very important in Wayfarer. He betrayed his grandfather and sought refuge with the Thorns, which is how he and Etta meet. When she wakes up, she tries to escape, and she runs into Julian. Julian is a coward and a runner, but we get to understand him better in this book. He is an idiot and a poor brother, but he learns this and matures a lot, over the course of this book. 

I enjoyed the presence of Li Min and Henry Hemlock. I won't say much on either of them, but both are vastly important in this book, and play critical roles in pivotal points in the story. I didn't love or hate Li Min, but I adored Henry Hemlock. His interactions with Etta were wonderful.

Etta shows her fight and her tenacity in this book! She keeps moving, with grief, guilt, even pain weighing her down. She knows that Nicholas is out there, and she knows that the astrolabe must be found and taken out of the Ironwoods' grasp. Her goals are lofty but she never quits.

The same can be said about Nicholas. He wants to find Etta and never stops hunting for information and leads. He and Sophia travel to so many different places and times, and make various (terrible) deals for information, to find Etta. Finding the astrolabe is important but to Nicholas, finding Etta is everything. Nicholas has such a pure and good heart, such upstanding morals. He's a good guy who considers everything, weighs everything, and questions everything. I liked seeing how his mind worked, and I liked seeing him push through pain and doubt.

Etta and Nicholas are separated from much of the book, so I can't really say much about physical romance, but their relationship is strong through space and time. It's amazing how they never cease thinking about each other, hoping that the other is alright, and fighting for each other. They do interact at points toward the end of the book, I will say that. 

I died emotionally no fewer than seventeen times while reading this book. There were times when I actually teared up (my Goodreads statuses are proof). There were some painful parts in this book! Bracken took me on an emotional roller coaster. But for the better!

I love the varying settings that Bracken takes us through! Between Etta and Nicholas, we are introduced to so many different times and places. The most interesting, in this book, was probably Carthage, 148 B.C. How intriguing!

By the climax of the book, you'll be wondering how on earth Bracken can end this book with something happy or positive. There seems to be no way, with certain revelations about the astrolabe, and a darker force that is at play, and certain deals with devils that are very unfair. But Bracken made the ending worth all of the anguish and agony! I promise. 

What I Did Not Like:

I don't really have much to say here, other than I do wish there had been more Nicholas/Etta interaction! I don't want to spoil anything, but the romantic in me would have loved more interactions. Of any kind. 

Not really a dislike, but I do recommend a Passenger reread, if that one isn't fresh. For example, I read Passenger over a year ago. A reread might have helped, at least initially. After a certain point in Wayfarer though, some things started to come back.

Would I Recommend It:

I highly recommend this book, and series! Time-traveling novels can be tricky, and very messy. I haven't read a ton of them, but one of my favorite series of all time happens to be a time-travel series - the Ruby Red trilogy by Kerstin Gier. I can safely add this Passenger duology to those ranks. This is a wonderful, fascinating, and imaginative series! With a very satisfying ending.

Rating:

4.5 stars. I'm still trying to decide if to round up or down. But rest assured, I loved this book, all 532 pages of it. It is worth the full spectrum of emotions that I experienced! I look forward to reading more from Bracken in the future.

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Mini Reviews: Sampler Edition!

Hi friends! Today, I'm sharing mini reviews of three samplers of books I can't wait to read. Many of you know how I dislike samplers; in this case, I requested Long Way Home without realizing it was a sampler. I decided to include two other samplers in this review post. I have the full novel of Wayfarer, and I actually already read the full Windwitch. All three samplers were good. Enjoy!

Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken

Book Two of the Passenger series

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Publication Date: January 3, 2017

Rating: 4 stars

Source: eARC from NetGalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

All Etta Spencer wanted was to make her violin debut when she was thrust into a treacherous world where the struggle for power could alter history. After losing the one thing that would have allowed her to protect the Timeline, and the one person worth fighting for, Etta awakens alone in an unknown place and time, exposed to the threat of the two groups who would rather see her dead than succeed. When help arrives, it comes from the last person Etta ever expected—Julian Ironwood, the Grand Master’s heir who has long been presumed dead, and whose dangerous alliance with a man from Etta’s past could put them both at risk. 

Meanwhile, Nicholas and Sophia are racing through time in order to locate Etta and the missing astrolabe with Ironwood travelers hot on their trail. They cross paths with a mercenary-for-hire, a cheeky girl named Li Min who quickly develops a flirtation with Sophia. But as the three of them attempt to evade their pursuers, Nicholas soon realizes that one of his companions may have ulterior motives. 

As Etta and Nicholas fight to make their way back to one another, from Imperial Russia to the Vatican catacombs, time is rapidly shifting and changing into something unrecognizable… and might just run out on both of them.

Review:

Samplers really aren't my thing, especially samplers for novels that I am dying to read - like Wayfarer. I decided to go through with downloading and reading this sampler because I now have a copy of Wayfarer and will be reading it soon. This is a way for me to support the author, via NetGalley. I'm pleased to say that I liked this sampler a lot.

I recalled very little from Passenger, sadly! I read the book in November 2015, so it's been a while, plus that book was massive. I think Bracken did an excellent job of bringing the reader back into the world of Passenger, without confusing the reader. I had no issue slipping right back into the story.

So far, in this sampler (which is a little over one hundred pages long), we get Etta's POV and Nicholas's POV. If you remember the ending of Passenger, then you'll know why they are currently separated. These first few chapters take off pretty quickly, for both characters. Etta finds herself trapped among Ironwoods, and Nicholas is determined to find Etta and find the astrolabe, with a very prickly Sophia Ironwood. I love how Etta never stops fighting, Nicholas never stops being so determined to find Etta, and Sophia never stops being so brutally honest and a pain in the butt (in a good way. I like Sophia). 

The sampler ends on a point in the story that is rather cliffhanger-y! Very strategic place to end the sampler. If I didn't already have Wayfarer, I'd be screaming. As samplers go, this one is a good one, and it definitely made me want to read (the rest of) Wayfarer even more than I already wanted.

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Windwitch by Susan Dennard

Book Two of The Witchlands series

Publisher: Tor Teen

Publication Date: January 10, 2017

Rating: 4 stars

Source: eARC from NetGalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

Sometimes our enemies are also our only allies…

After an explosion destroys his ship, the world believes Prince Merik, Windwitch, is dead. Scarred yet alive, Merik is determined to prove his sister’s treachery. Upon reaching the royal capital, crowded with refugees, he haunts the streets, fighting for the weak—which leads to whispers of a disfigured demigod, the Fury, who brings justice to the oppressed.

When the Bloodwitch Aeduan discovers a bounty on Iseult, he makes sure to be the first to find her—yet in a surprise twist, Iseult offers him a deal. She will return money stolen from him, if he locates Safi. Now they must work together to cross the Witchlands, while constantly wondering, who will betray whom first?

After a surprise attack and shipwreck, Safi and the Empress of Marstok barely escape with their lives. Alone in a land of pirates, every moment balances on a knife’s edge—especially when the pirates’ next move could unleash war upon the Witchlands.

Review:

I'm cheating a little because I've already read the full-length novel, so I really didn't need to read/review the sampler. Like with Wayfarer, I downloaded the sampler of Windwitch to support the author via NetGalley. More sampler downloads means more interest expressed, which is good.

You can read my review of Windwitch (the full novel) on my blog. I enjoyed the book, though not as much as I'd enjoyed Truthwitch. This sequel was a lot more heartbreaking and gritty to read, with more despair and sadness than its predecessor. All of this "sad stuff" was very necessary to the series, and I trust that Dennard knows what she is doing. Windwitch picks up after some time has passed between Truthwitch and Windwitch, but it's not at all difficult to get back into the story and recall the key events that happened in Truthwitch. 

Merik's story hit me the hardest, because he suffers the most, even in just this short sampler. We also get Iseult's POV, Safiya's POV, Aeduan's POV - and, surprise! Vivia's POV. Vivia is definitely one of my new favorite characters of the series. In this sampler alone, we learn more about her. She's not nearly as crazy and as villainous as I thought she was. 

There is no romance in this sampler, nor is there any interaction among the four witches (Merik, Safiya, Iseult, Aeduan), with the exception of Aeduan and Iseult. That pair clash and begin to work together in an unexpected way. I can't wait to see more from them in future novels. 

This sampler ends on a cliffhanger-y note, as did the sampler of Wayfarer. Again, very strategic on Tor's part, in choosing to end the sampler at that point. I already read Windwitch in its entirety, otherwise I would be screaming and throwing things (Merik! Quit picking on Merik!). Thankfully, all the screaming and throwing things that I'll be doing is because I am desperate needs of Bloodwitch (book three)!

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Long Way Home by Katie McGarry

Book Three of the Thunder Road series

Publisher: Harlequin TEEN
Publication Date: January 31, 2017
Rating: 4 stars
Source: eARC from NetGalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

Seventeen-year-old Violet has always been expected to sit back and let the boys do all the saving.

It’s the code her father, a member of the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, raised her to live by. Yet when her dad is killed carrying out Terror business, Violet knows it’s up to her to do the saving. To protect herself, and her vulnerable younger brother, she needs to cut all ties with the club—including Chevy, the boy she’s known and loved her whole life.

But when a rival club comes after Violet, exposing old secrets and making new threats, she’s forced to question what she thought she knew about her father, the Reign of Terror, and what she thinks she wants. Which means re-evaluating everything: love, family, friends . . . and forgiveness.

Caught in the crosshairs between loyalty and freedom, Violet must decide whether old friends can be trusted—and if she’s strong enough to be the one person to save them all. 

Review:

I don't do samplers, but I didn't realize that the posting on NetGalley of this book was for a sampler, and not the full-length galley. Still, I am very excited to read this book, and I'll take the sampler. I thought Nowhere But Here was pretty good but I LOVED Walk the Edge. Long Way Home features Chevy and Violet, two characters that I adore and whose second-chance romance I could not wait to read and enjoy. 

This sampler is incredibly short! Of the three I'm reviewing today (Wayfarer, Windwitch, Long Way Home), it is the shortest, at approximately sixty pages. But I really enjoyed the preview. It was easy to get back into the story, and there was no introductory lag or boredom. The story starts with Chevy's POV and ends with Violet's POV, a symmetry that I appreciated.

I remember liking Chevy in previous books but not really focusing on him a lot. So far, I absolutely adore him, just from what I've gathered from this sampler. He is such a sweetheart and a gentleman, despite the "bad boy" aura surrounding him. He is so kind and patient to Violet's brother, and he's a good guy. There is too much weight on his shoulders.

Violet is a tough girl, though like Chevy, there is too much weight on her shoulders. She feels responsible for her brother, whose brain works a little differently. She broke up with Chevy because he wouldn't run away with her, and she hates the Club because they are always trying to interfere with her and her family's life. In this short sampler, readers clearly see how Violet feels about the Club, about her brother, and about Chevy.

I am SO excited to see how this romance progresses! It's so obvious that both of them are not over the other. Violet broke up with Chevy and it destroyed him, but Violet felt betrayed by Chevy, which is why she broke up with him. (Context: he wouldn't run away with her.) I don't usually like second-chance romances, but I have a feeling this one will be swoony and tender and steamy.

Like all samplers, this one ends at the most cliffhanger-y point possible (trust me - holy guacamole, that last chapter). I assume that's why the sampler is so short - it needed to end at a strategically hooking point, and it did just that. I have no idea when I'll get a chance to read Long Way Home, but reading this sampler ensured that I would definitely be reading it as soon as possible. 

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Waiting on Wednesday (#183): Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken

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

This week, I'm featuring:

Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken

Book Two of the Passenger series

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Publication Date: January 3, 2017

Summary (from Goodreads):

All Etta Spencer wanted was to make her violin debut when she was thrust into a treacherous world where the struggle for power could alter history. After losing the one thing that would have allowed her to protect the Timeline, and the one person worth fighting for, Etta awakens alone in an unknown place and time, exposed to the threat of the two groups who would rather see her dead than succeed. When help arrives, it comes from the last person Etta ever expected—Julian Ironwood, the Grand Master’s heir who has long been presumed dead, and whose dangerous alliance with a man from Etta’s past could put them both at risk. 

Meanwhile, Nicholas and Sophia are racing through time in order to locate Etta and the missing astrolabe with Ironwood travelers hot on their trail. They cross paths with a mercenary-for-hire, a cheeky girl named Li Min who quickly develops a flirtation with Sophia. But as the three of them attempt to evade their pursuers, Nicholas soon realizes that one of his companions may have ulterior motives. 

As Etta and Nicholas fight to make their way back to one another, from Imperial Russia to the Vatican catacombs, time is rapidly shifting and changing into something unrecognizable… and might just run out on both of them.

Author Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Passenger review | Passenger Swoon Thursday

So excited for this conclusion! Plus, the cover is PURPLE. :D

Swoon Thursday (#145): Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

Swoon Thursday is a hot meme hosted by the fabulous ladies at YA Bound!

- From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering

- Try to make the swoon excerpt 140 characters (or less), if you are going to tweet about it. Use the hashtag #YABOUND when tweeting

This week, my swoon is from Passenger by Alexandra Bracken!

He leaned forward and captured her lips, stealing the kiss himself until she had to come up and gasp for breath. Nicholas pulled her back under, and this time she did let go, only to take his beautiful face in her hands, to let his hands tangle in her hair around her shoulders. If the sky had opened again just then, Etta didn't think she'd feel the storm at all - not when she was caught so deeply in this. Time was tugging her back, insistent and demanding, passing faster and faster, but all she wanted was to stay there, to smell the sea on his skin and press her face to that part of his neck where it seemed to fit perfectly, as if it had been made to hold her and her alone. If there was a place to go where time might forget them, she wanted to find it.

- ARC, pages 333-334

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Read my review of Passenger!

Review: Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

Book One of the Passenger series

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Publication Date: January 5, 2016

Rating: 4 stars

Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

passage, n.

i. A brief section of music composed of a series of notes and flourishes.

ii. A journey by water; a voyage.

iii. The transition from one place to another, across space and time.

In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles but years from home. And she’s inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she’s never heard of. Until now.

Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwoods—a powerful family in the colonies—and the servitude he’s known at their hands. But with the arrival of an unusual passenger on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can’t escape and the family that won’t let him go so easily. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, Nicholas’ passenger, can find. In order to protect her, he must ensure she brings it back to them— whether she wants to or not.

Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods’ grasp. But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are play­ing, treacherous forces threaten to separate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home . . . forever

What I Liked:

This book has so much buzz surrounding it, which can be good and bad. I loved Bracken's Brightly Woven, and Darkest Minds series, and I had a good feeling that I would enjoy this one too. It's just scary when everyone is really excited about reading the book, very few people have actually read it, and you so want it to be amazing! Lucky for me (and others), it WAS amazing.

Etta's next concern is her violinist debut, which she'll perform in a month or so. She's performing in the Met, where her mother works, when she is suddenly whisked away in time, accompanied by a strange girl who was also at the met. Sophia Ironwood, the girl, is a traveler, and so is Etta. Sophia's grandfather, the Grand Master and head of the Ironwood family, has had Etta brought back in time because he wants her to find something that he says her mother stole from him. If she brings it back, he'll let her and her mother go. But Etta - and Nicholas Carter, who commandeered the ship that Etta had to be on to get to Grandfather Ironwood - won't let Ironwood win so easily. Nicholas and Etta will travel between continents and time to find the missing object before anyone else does.

I'm going to be honest - I'm struggling to write this review, because I know I won't do this book justice. I know I'm giving it four stars (4.5 stars, really), but gosh, this book was lovely. It's written in third-person (which I love), occasionally alternating POVs, between Etta and Nicholas. We start with Nicholas, in the beginning of the book, which I thought was interesting.

Nicholas dreams of owning his own ship (preferably SHIPS), and freeing himself from the Ironwood family. Once you get caught in their web, they never let you go - but Nicholas is hoping that this last trip will be his last for them. Carry two women to New York safely, and he's free. But Nicholas has good instincts, and knows something is not quite right, when Etta is confused and lost and has no idea what she is. Nicholas is such an eighteenth-century gentleman - protective, loyal, strong-willed, stubborn, well-mannered - but he is also so much more. His past and his connections with Ironwood haunt him in ways that I won't mention, but it's so sad to see how people treat him.

I really like Etta as well - her first appearance on the ship was PERFECT. We meet her in present-day America, when she is about to play in the Met. She's a violin prodigy, but she's about to discover that she is also a time-traveler, and that her mother kept a whole lot from her. On the ship in the eighteenth-century, Etta is confused and doesn't know what is happening, and immediately jumps to defend herself (something you wouldn't see from an eighteenth-century lady). Everyone on the ship falls for her - but especially Nicholas, who doesn't leave her side, when she meets Ironwood, when Ironwood tells her his terms and threats, when Etta leaves and tries to escape... Nicholas and Etta agree to journey together across time, and probably for the better, because Etta is not a good traveler.

This story was so interesting! Filled with different countries and times, we got to experience a whole range of settings. Bracken really did her research, and every scene felt fresh and unique and different. The jungle one was probably my favorite, as it was a lush setting, but also really defined Nicholas and Etta's relationship (they are so funny!). They have days to find the mysterious object and bring it back for Ironwood, and so they follow clues that Etta's mother left her over time. The clues take them to many places, and Nicholas and Etta get to know each other.

The romance... ahh, it was beautiful. Nicholas is different from Bracken's other male protagonists, like a combination of Liam and North. He's bossy and manly yet gentlemanly and chivalrous. And Etta is like a flame or a constant spark. I loved the relationship growth, how they grew with and into each other, how things developed. This book is nearly five hundred pages long, so you can bet that there is a lot of character development AND romance development. The romance is very slow-burn, although the interest in each other happens quickly.

The climax of this story was so enthralling, heart-pounding, and terrifying! This book ends on a cliffhanger, which made me very sad but also quite hopeful. The cliffhanger is kind of a devastating one, but you know it's going to be not as bad as you think because of a few lines in the very end. Suffice it to say, I NEED Wayfarer, immediately. This ending was cruel!

What I Did Not Like:

I think the ending is what is docking this book's star (or half-star, really). It's a cliffhanger, and a brutal one, at that. Prepare your hearts, readers! And I GUARANTEE you, it's not the ending you might be thinking of. I would never have come up with this ending - and I'm usually pretty good at predicting endings, before getting more than halfway into the book. This cliffhanger though!

Would I Recommend It:

I SO recommend this book! I'm not usually a fan of time-travel novels - I did LOVE the Ruby Red series by Kerstin Gier - but this book was excellent. The time-travel is a bit different, as is the aim of the story. I can't wait to see how everything ignites in Wayfarer - the ending of this book was cruel in several ways. You don't have to be a time-travel or historical fiction to love this book!

Rating:

4.5 stars -> rounded down to 4 stars. Such a gorgeous cover, AND a wonderful story - you must preorder this book! Definitely buy or borrow a copy, you do not want to miss this novel. The hype and buzz is totally justified! Now, someone bring me the sequel, please. PLEASE.

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Waiting on Wednesday (#139): Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

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

This week, I'm featuring:

Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

Book One of the Passenger series

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Publication Date: January 5, 2016

Summary (from Goodreads):

Violin prodigy Etta Spencer had big plans for her future, but a tragedy has put her once-bright career at risk. Closely tied to her musical skill, however, is a mysterious power she doesn't even know she has. When her two talents collide during a stressful performance, Etta is drawn back hundreds of years through time. 

Etta wakes, confused and terrified, in 1776, in the midst a fierce sea battle. Nicholas Carter, the handsome young prize master of a privateering ship, has been hired to retrieve Etta and deliver her unharmed to the Ironwoods, a powerful family in the Colonies--the very same one that orchestrated her jump back, and one Nicholas himself has ties to. But discovering she can time travel is nothing compared to the shock of discovering the true reason the Ironwoods have ensnared her in their web. 

Another traveler has stolen an object of untold value from them, and, if Etta can find it, they will return her to her own time. Out of options, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the mysterious traveler. But as they draw closer to each other and the end of their search, the true nature of the object, and the dangerous game the Ironwoods are playing, comes to light -- threatening to separate her not only from Nicholas, but her path home... forever.

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The Darkest Minds | Never Fade | In the Afterlight

I love Alex's books! My first of hers was Brightly Woven - one of my all-time favorites!

Trailer Reveal: In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken

Hey lovelies! I'm helping to share the trailer of In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken! Remember THIS promo post and giveaway that I hosted back in early September! Well, time for more promo, in the form of a trailer! Check it out below!

The official trailer reveal is HERE!

In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken

Book Three of The Darkest Minds series

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Publication Date: October 28, 2014

Official Summary: 

Ruby can't look back. Fractured by an unbearable loss, she and the kids who survived the government's attack on Los Angeles travel north to regroup. Only Ruby can keep their highly dangerous prisoner in check. But with Clancy Gray, there's no guarantee you're fully in control, and everything comes with a price. 

When the Children's League disbands, Ruby rises up as a leader and forms an unlikely allegiance with Liam's brother, Cole, who has a volatile secret of his own. There are still thousands of other Psi kids suffering in government "rehabilitation camps" all over the country. Freeing them--revealing the governments unspeakable abuses in the process--is the mission Ruby has claimed since her own escape from Thurmond, the worst camp in the country.

But not everyone is supportive of the plan Ruby and Cole craft to free the camps. As tensions rise, competing ideals threaten the mission to uncover the cause of IANN, the disease that killed most of America's children and left Ruby and others with powers the government will kill to keep contained. With the fate of a generation in their hands, there is no room for error. One wrong move could be the spark that sets the world on fire.

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The Trailer:

The other books in the series:

     

What do you all think of the trailer? :)

Book Promo and Giveaway: In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken

Welcome to the book promo and HUGE giveaway for In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken!!

I'm thrilled to be a part of this exciting awesome promotion for this series. Check it out!

Read my review of The Darkest Minds!

Read my review of Never Fade!

Check out In the Afterlight:

In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken

Book Three of The Darkest Minds series

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Publication Date: October 28, 2014

Official Summary: 

Ruby can't look back. Fractured by an unbearable loss, she and the kids who survived the government's attack on Los Angeles travel north to regroup. Only Ruby can keep their highly dangerous prisoner in check. But with Clancy Gray, there's no guarantee you're fully in control, and everything comes with a price. 

When the Children's League disbands, Ruby rises up as a leader and forms an unlikely allegiance with Liam's brother, Cole, who has a volatile secret of his own. There are still thousands of other Psi kids suffering in government "rehabilitation camps" all over the country. Freeing them--revealing the governments unspeakable abuses in the process--is the mission Ruby has claimed since her own escape from Thurmond, the worst camp in the country.

But not everyone is supportive of the plan Ruby and Cole craft to free the camps. As tensions rise, competing ideals threaten the mission to uncover the cause of IANN, the disease that killed most of America's children and left Ruby and others with powers the government will kill to keep contained. With the fate of a generation in their hands, there is no room for error. One wrong move could be the spark that sets the world on fire.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

Check out the novella, Sparks Rise:

Sparks Rise by Alexandra Bracken

Book 2.5 of The Darkest Minds series

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Publication Date: September 2, 2014

Official Summary:

Sam didn't think things could get worse at Thurmand rehabilitation camp. Then the Reds arrive. Everyone assumed the kids with firepower had been killed years ago. Instead they were taken away, brainwashed, and returned as terrifyingly effective guards. To her horror, Sam recognizes one of them: Lucas, the one spark of light in Sam's dark childhood. 

Lucas has a deadly secret--he beat the brutal training that turned his fellow Reds into mindless drones. When Sam defends herself against an attack by a vile PSF guard and faces a harrowing punishment, Lucas must risk his everything to save her.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Check out the other books in the series:

   

(Click on each picture for the Goodreads information.)

About the Author:

Alexandra Bracken was born and raised in Arizona, but moved east to study at the College of William & Mary in Virginia.  She recently relocated to New York City, where she worked in publishing and lives in a charming apartment overflowing with books. 

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Explore the five psi-groups!

The Giveaway:

Read on into the afterlight! Enter for your chance to win a book light for bedtime reading plus The Darkest Minds series & tote bag.

Prizing & samples courtesy of Disney-Hyperion.

Giveaway open to US addresses only.

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