Waiting on Wednesday (#226): Into the Bright Unknown by Rae Carson

"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:

Into the Bright Unknown by Rae Carson

Book Three of the Gold Seer trilogy

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Publication Date: October 10, 2017

Summary (from Goodreads):

Leah Westfall, her fiancé Jefferson, and her friends have become rich in the California Territory, thanks to Lee’s magical ability to sense precious gold. But their fortune has made them a target, and when a dangerous billionaire sets out to destroy them, Lee and her friends decide they’ve had enough—they will fight back with all their power and talents. Lee’s magic is continuing to strengthen and grow, but someone is on to her—someone who might have a bit of magic herself. The stakes are higher than ever as Lee and her friends hatch a daring scheme that could alter the California landscape forever. With a distinctive young heroine and a unique interpretation of American history, Into the Bright Unknown strikes a rich vein of romance, magic, and adventure, bringing the Gold Seer Trilogy to its epic conclusion. Includes a map and an author’s note.

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To be fair, I haven't read Like a River Glorious yet (though I do have it). I plan to binge-read that one and this conclusion novel! =)

Release Day Blitz and Giveaway: Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson

Welcome to the release day promo for Rae Carson's Walk on Earth a Stranger! YA has a distinct lack of Western historical fiction, but this book is definitely an interesting Western that I think people should give a try. Find out more about this book, and enter the fabulous giveaway!

About the Book:

Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson

Book One of The Gold Seer Trilogy

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Publication Date: September 22, 2015

Official Summary:

The first book in a new trilogy from acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Rae Carson. A young woman with the magical ability to sense the presence of gold must flee her home, taking her on a sweeping and dangerous journey across Gold Rush–era America.

Lee Westfall has a secret. She can sense the presence of gold in the world around her. Veins deep beneath the earth, pebbles in the river, nuggets dug up from the forest floor. The buzz of gold means warmth and life and home—until everything is ripped away by a man who wants to control her. Left with nothing, Lee disguises herself as a boy and takes to the trail across the country. Gold was discovered in California, and where else could such a magical girl find herself, find safety? Rae Carson, author of the acclaimed Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy, dazzles with this new fantasy that subverts both our own history and familiar fantasy tropes.

Walk on Earth a Stranger, the first book in this new trilogy, introduces—as only Rae Carson can—a strong heroine, a perilous road, a fantastical twist, and a slow-burning romance. Includes a map and author’s note on historical research. 

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

About the Author:

Rae Carson is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the acclaimed Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy. Her next book, Walk On Earth A Stranger, will be available September 22, 2015. She lives in Arizona with her husband.

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The Giveaway:

1 winner will receive a set of the 3 GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS series (in paperback format). US Only. Ends on September 30th at Midnight EST!

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Review: Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson

Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson

Book One of The Gold Seer Trilogy

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Publication Date: September 22, 2015

Rating: 3 stars

Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

The first book in a new trilogy from acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Rae Carson. A young woman with the magical ability to sense the presence of gold must flee her home, taking her on a sweeping and dangerous journey across Gold Rush–era America.

Lee Westfall has a secret. She can sense the presence of gold in the world around her. Veins deep beneath the earth, pebbles in the river, nuggets dug up from the forest floor. The buzz of gold means warmth and life and home—until everything is ripped away by a man who wants to control her. Left with nothing, Lee disguises herself as a boy and takes to the trail across the country. Gold was discovered in California, and where else could such a magical girl find herself, find safety? Rae Carson, author of the acclaimed Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy, dazzles with this new fantasy that subverts both our own history and familiar fantasy tropes.

Walk on Earth a Stranger, the first book in this new trilogy, introduces—as only Rae Carson can—a strong heroine, a perilous road, a fantastical twist, and a slow-burning romance. Includes a map and author’s note on historical research. 

What I Liked:

I absolutely ADORED Rae Carson's Fire & Thorns series. I'd read The Girl of Fire and Thorns before blogging (mid-2012), but read The Crown of Embers and The Bitter Kingdom as they were published. Such an agonizing wait for The Bitter Kingdom! I loved that the series got better with each book. I'm really hoping that the same will apply for this series.

Leah Westfall can sense gold, which is a handy ability during the Gold Rush. No one knows about her ability excerpt her parents - and her uncle who murders her parents and tells Lee they will be heading West, him and her. Lee runs away, journeying to the West on her own. On the way, she joins a family - the Joyners - and a friend who also ran away - Jefferson - and it's not long before Lee feels like she has a place in the group that she's traveling with. But Lee has more secrets than one - she can sense gold, but she's also masquerading as a boy.

Rae Carson has certainly created a unique and rich story, scene, and cast of characters. I haven't read many Westerns, or books set in nineteenth-century United States, in YA. I actually just read Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman, and it follows the EXACT PLOT (except Kate can't sense gold). Parents are killed (parent, in Kate's case), girl goes out on her own, gold is a huge factor in the story. I LOVED Vengeance Road, but I didn't quite love this one.

Still, I was very interested in this story, from start to finish. Despite this book being slightly longer than most YA books (which doesn't bother me!), the story moves at a decent pace. I have a dislike about the pacing actually, but it's a little different (see below). I wasn't bored, even though the plot wasn't terribly fast. 

I liked Lee from the start. She is an only child, with no brother, so she does all of the labor that a boy would normally do, including mucking the stables and whatnot. She also pans for gold, since she has the gold sense. Lee takes care of her family, so when her parents are murdered, Lee knows that she can't let her uncle treat her like property. Lee is strong (and not just physically) and brave, brave enough to start her journey to California (from Georgia) by herself.

Jefferson is her friend from Georgia, who leaves for the West before she does, just after her parents are murdered. The pair don't meet up until Lee reaches Independence (Missouri, I believe) with the Joyners. Jefferson is half-white, half-Native-American, and is used to people treating him terribly. He keeps Lee's secret about being a girl from everyone, but he doesn't know about her gold sense.

Overall, I thought the story was interesting, maybe not engaging though (see below). I expect a lot more from the next books, which should be the case, given what I know about the Fire & Thorns series.

What I Did Not Like:

My biggest issue with this book is that I felt it was going nowhere. Lee is on a journey to the West, okay. But is that it? It really seemed like that was it. We REALLY get to know the people in the group she's traveling with (the Joyners, but also a few other family, and Major Craven, some college boys, and more). But there is no additional layer to the book. You'd think Lee's gold sense would come back to haunt her at some point, or Uncle Hiram would find her and kidnap her and force her to find gold. I don't know what I was expecting, but I think I expected MORE. This book was so one-dimensional, one-layered.

Not to say that it was boring? But it moved in one direction, and that direction wasn't really anywhere. Going to the West. The end. Is the book about making friends along the way? Golly gee, I really don't think that's what I wanted to read, or expected to read. Given that her last series was a high fantasy one, I think I expected this book to have shenanigans going on.

So I'd say the pacing was slow. Interesting, not terribly boring, but slow. 

Also, let's talk about anachronisms. Some of the speech and dialogue in this book were definitely anachronistic. I wish I had bookmarked where I saw these lines, but I didn't want to dog-ear my book! But I distinctly remember thinking, that sentence is way too modern, at least a few times. Not a huge deal, but not a good thing, necessarily. 

The ending felt so anticlimactic. I think this goes along the lines of what I was saying earlier, about the story being flat, but the ending felt like nothing really changed? Sure, there were plenty of deaths along the way, but the actual climax and ending didn't seem riveting or anything. It was just there. Just another day in the West. La la la.

Also, isn't it strange that certain people caught up to the group in the West, while traveling? The West is a HUGE place... it seemed way too coincidental. Too convenient.

This last thing I'm going to mention isn't *really* a complaint, but more of a comment for those like me who enjoy a good romance alongside a story - the romance isn't really a thing in this book. Sure, there are seeds, but not happens, nothing is going on. Just seeds. Please water them in the next book, Rae Carson. Knowing what I know about the Fire & Thorns series, I'm sure that will be the case.

Would I Recommend It:

Despite not loving this one, I'd recommend it! It's fun to read different genres, and Western historical fiction is definitely one that I don't read nearly enough. Granted, there aren't that many published in YA lit. Me reading two Westerns in one year is impressive, let alone two in two months! Even if you don't like Westerns, give this book a shot! I think things will pick up in the next book.

Rating:

3 stars. I hope to see more related to Lee's gold sense. I hope to see more once Lee and the gang reach California and tuck in. There needs to be more to the plot, because right now, this story isn't meaning much to me! Still, I am interested in the next book, as I trust Rae Carson.

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Review: The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson

The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson

Book Three of the Fire and Thorns series

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Publication Date: August 27, 2013

Rating: 4 stars

Source: eARC from Edelweiss

Summary (from Goodreads):

Elisa is a fugitive in her own country. Her enemies have stolen the man she loves in order to lure her to the gate of darkness. As she and her daring companions take one last quest into unknown enemy territory to save Hector, Elisa will face hardships she's never imagined. And she will discover secrets about herself and her world that could change the course of history. She must rise up as champion-a champion to those who have hated her most. Riveting, surprising, and achingly romantic, Rae Carson has spun a bold and powerful conclusion to her extraordinary trilogy.

What I Liked:

SPOILER FREE REVIEW! I think. Well, read at your own risk. Definitely spoilers for Book One and Book Two. But I think I did a good job of keeping spoilers out of this review for Book Three.

Ahhhh, I loved this book so much! I can't believe this series is over! I read The Girl of Fire and Thorns two years ago, and I didn't absolutely love it. It was good, but I wasn't a huge fan, and I didn't really remember much of the book. Two years later, I attempted to read The Crown of Embers, and loved it! I read it because I knew I'd have to read this one - this one being a requested eARC.

Well, despite the fact that I didn't completely love the first book, didn't really remember it, but then really liked the second book, I was completely blown away by this conclusion! The second book ended in a cliffhanger, and I know a lot of people who read it but haven't had the chance to read The Bitter Kingdom were in agony. I was lucky in that right after I read book two, I jumped into book three. So, the cliffhanger didn't seem so bad.

Carson splits this book up into several sections. First, Elisa is on a mission to get Hector back. Then, she needs to go to the land of Inviernos to settle things. Then, she needs to go back to Cosme's land, to meet with Cosme and Alodia (the meeting of the queens that was mentioned at the end of book two).

With Elisa is Mara, her loyal handmaid, Belen, her loyal friend and guard (since Hector was captured), Storm, an Invierno-turned-loyal-subject, and a new addition - a small child named Mula. She's about Prince Rosario's age, give or take. While chasing Hector's captors, Elisa and her companions stay at an inn, where they see this young mixed-breed girl being treated badly. Elisa frees her of the inn, and Mula joins them in the search for Hector.

I feel like this isn't a spoiler, but they eventually find and rescue Hector. Actually, he was doing a pretty good job of rescuing himself. But anyway, that was nice. One of my favorite scenes is when Elisa tells him she has engaged the two of them to be married. Poor Hector!

So Hector comes with them to the Invierno capital. Things happen. Storm and his sister Waterfall get them an audience with their father (I believe it's their father). Things happen. Then Waterfall joins the group in heading back to meet Cosme. More things happen. Then, the final battle.

I loved the plot of this book. Not once was I bored, or about to throw my Kindle at the wall. And Carson has a way of throwing things into the plot that you don't see coming, but that are totally necessary to the story. I like what she did with Elisa and the oasis - that was unexpected.

The romance is so sweet. I am convinced that Hector is the best male heroine in Young Adult literature that I have encountered. When I say "best", I mean he is honorable, loyal, courageous, selfless, committed... I could go on. He is so sweet and powerful and protective and amazing. Margot from Epic Reads and I started a meme on Twitter - #GoodGuyHector. He's an all-around good guy! He's definitely one of my favorite heroes.

Did I mention that Hector's point-of-view is occasionally thrown around in this book? YES! It's not just Elisa! We get Hector's view on things every few scenes! It's awesome! 

I think this book - and series - ended extremely well!  You know that sad feeling you get when a series is over? I experienced no such thing. Carson ended this series so perfectly, and I loved it. I was so happy when this book ended - especially the way it did.

What I Did Not Like:

This is going to sound ridiculous, but I've had this problem since the beginning of the series. Usually, I'm really good with remembering names of people, places, things, etc., in fantasy novels and books in general. But I seriously could NOT keep up with the amount of names for all the places in this book. And some of the people's names slipped through the cracks as well. There are so many terms and people and places that aren't in English that I had a hard time remembering. For the life of me, I have no idea what any of the places are called - except Brisadulce, and Joya something.

I feel like this can't just be me. I had this problem in book one, book two, and book three. Usually, I do an excellent job of categorizing and remembering all of the weird terms and names. In this book (and series)? Not so much.

Would I Recommend It:

Yesssss! This is an awesome high fantasy series that I started out sort of shaky but ended up completely loving. The romance is amazing, but the politics and other plots of this story is what made it truly unique.

Rating:

4 stars. I hope any and/or all of you reading this review will check out this series! I'm so glad I stuck with it.

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Review: The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

Book Two of the Fire and Thorns series

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Publication Date: September 18, 2012

Rating: 4 stars

Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

In the sequel to the acclaimed The Girl of Fire and Thorns, a seventeen-year-old princess turned war queen faces sorcery, adventure, untold power, and romance as she fulfills her epic destiny.

Elisa is the hero of her country. She led her people to victory against a terrifying enemy, and now she is their queen. But she is only seventeen years old. Her rivals may have simply retreated, choosing stealth over battle. And no one within her court trusts her-except Hector, the commander of the royal guard, and her companions. As the country begins to crumble beneath her and her enemies emerge from the shadows, Elisa will take another journey. With a one-eyed warrior, a loyal friend, an enemy defector, and the man she is falling in love with, Elisa crosses the ocean in search of the perilous, uncharted, and mythical source of the Godstone's power. That is not all she finds. A breathtaking, romantic, and dangerous second volume in the Fire and Thorns trilogy.

What I Liked:

I am ACTUALLY kicking myself for not reading it sooner. I got an ARC last summer, thanks to Epic Reads, and I never took the opportunity to read this one. To be honest, I am definitely scared of sequels - more scared of sequels than I am scared of conclusion books. And the other deterrent? I read The Girl of Fire and Thorns years ago. I literally remember NOTHING from book one, except the deaths of Humberto and Elisa's husband. When I cracked book two, a few things started to come back... but I especially didn't remember Hector being so, um, prominent in book one.

Anyway. I really liked this book! I believe that when I read book one, I liked it, but I couldn't really see how the series would work out, and how the romance would work out. But this book is an EXCELLENT sequel, and in my opinion, takes the series in a much different path than I expected. In a good way!

To sum it all up in a really concise way, Elisa needs to find the all-encompassing source of power that will fuel her Godstone, making her and the Godstone crazy awesome and possibly invincible (or something). She and her suitor Tristan, and her not-so-much-appreciated "friend" Belen, and Hector, and other friends of Elisa help her travel to find this mythical source of power. But I'm getting ahead of myself. That's the second half of the book.

The first half of the book deals with Elisa and her new role as queen. Her husband is dead, and she is left with a riotous kingdom, a little crown prince, and a mess, really just one big mess. There is an assassination attempt on her life, which slows her, and there are times when she needs to show her power and stand as queen. Those scenes are heartbreaking - especially the poison/kitchen scene.

I think that Carson does a great job of showing growth in Elisa. I remember what Elisa was like in book one (and I didn't really like her, which is one of the reasons why I didn't care to remember the book), but I think from book one to book two, Elisa has developed substantially. I love the new Elisa - she is decisive even when she is unsure, she is willing and determined even when she has opposition. 

The plot of this book is, as I said before, divided into two sections: the kingdom, and the journey to the zafira (the source of power). There are new characters in this book - plenty - such as Mara (I don't remember her being in book one. She wasn't - right? I know she has her own novella), Storm (loveeee him), and Tristan (he's cool). And the Quorum members. I don't like the Quorum. But neither does Elisa.

The romance. Okay, to be completely honest, I found the "romance" in book one, with Alejandro, and Humberto, really, really unsatisfying and unbelievable and trivial. I expected better of Elisa, and of Carson, and that was one of the reasons why I was disappointed and nonchalant about book one - because the romance was blah. And both of those men die at the end of book one. 

So, the romance in this book? I didn't see it coming. If I hadn't read the end of this book (oops...) before reading the whole book, I would have been completely thrown. Heck, I WAS completely thrown, when I peeked at the ending! But I loved the romance! Hector is... dreamy. And seriously the BEST male protagonist and love interest that I have encountered in a really long time. He is seriously a good guy. Like, a good guy, with very little issues and crappy pasts and problems and everything. He's honorable and selfless and he genuinely cares about Elisa. And she cares about him!

The ending: I WILL NOT SPOIL IT, but, WHY DO AUTHORS ALWAYS DO THIS IN THE SEQUEL!? In trilogies, I've noticed that authors will have a great first book, and then a crazy, series-changing sequel with an insane, heartbreaking ending, and then a crazy conclusion that is full of bloodshed or the equivalent of a ton of wars and violence overcome.

WELL. I'm so glad that I didn't have to wait to read The Bitter Kingdom. I've had that one since early winter 2013 - I just needed to read this one to read book three. And I already have (tomorrow's review), so be ready for that!

What I Did Not Like:

There isn't much that I didn't like about this book. I wanted a tad bit more from the romance, but what Elisa decides in the end (the very end) is good enough for me. AND, I already read book three, so I can't complain. UGH, focusing on book two here. It's hard because I read this book a few weeks ago, and I'm typing my review way after reading the book.

Anyway. The ending is also extremely heartbreaking and unexpected and it totally crept up on me! Remember how I said I peeked at the end? Well, after reading the ENTIRE ending, I was like, what?! Stupid Ximena. I never really liked her. But she's a good person. Sort of.

I just did LOVE this book, like I LOVED book three. Funny, because they both got the same rating though.

Would I Recommend It:

YES! This book does not fall victim to the sequel slump or sophomore slump or whatever it's called. I had no reason to be afraid of reading this sequel. *kicks self*

Rating:

4 stars. If you haven't started this series, you should! And if you're like me, and couldn't remember book one, don't worry! You'll be fine! And if you didn't like book one... keep reading. I promise it gets better. And BETTER ;)

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