5 Series I Can't Wait to Start: January 2015 Edition

I like to plan my reading out whenever possible (as opposed to the rest of my life when absolutely nothing is planned out).

 Looking ahead, here are five series starters in  January that are on my radar!

1. Frostfire (Kanin Chronicles #1) by Amanda Hocking

Bryn Aven is an outcast among the Kanin, the most powerful of the troll tribes.

Set apart by her heritage and her past, Bryn is a tracker who's determined to become a respected part of her world. She has just one goal: become a member of the elite King’s Guard to protect the royal family. She's not going to let anything stand in her way, not even a forbidden romance with her boss Ridley Dresden.

But all her plans for the future are put on hold when Konstantin– a fallen hero she once loved – begins kidnapping changelings. Bryn is sent in to help stop him, but will she lose her heart in the process?

I've been a fan of Hocking's for a few books now and this looks like an amazing fantasy read. She knows her worldbuilding and I'm pretty much fidgety and anxious until I can get my hands on a copy. Seriously.

2. The Prey (The Hatchery #1) by Tom Isbell

A hot debut trilogy and a riveting story of survival, courage, and romance in a future where creating a master civilization is the only thing prized, no matter the method. After the Omega (the end of the end), 16 year old guys known as LTs discover their overseers are raising them not to be soldiers (lieutenants) as promised, but to be sold as bait because of their Less Than status and hunted for sport. They escape and join forces with a girls’ camp, the Sisters, who have been imprisoned and experimented on for the "good of the Republic," by a government eager to use twins in their dark research. In their plight for freedom, these heroes must find the best in themselves to fight against the worst in their enemies.

It's been a while since I got my hands on a good dystopian...that major glut of dystopians a few years ago all but killed the subgenre and I'm glad to see it back!

3. Shadow Study (Soulfinders #1) by Maria V. Snyder

Once, only her own life hung in the balance.

Oddly enough, when Yelena was a poison taster, her life was simpler. But she'd survived to become a vital part of the balance of power between rival countries Ixia and Sitia. Now she uses her magic to keep the peace in both lands and protect her relationship with Valek.

Suddenly, though, they are beset on all sides by those vying for power through politics and intrigue. Valek's job - and his life - are in danger. As Yelena tries to uncover the scope of these plots, she faces a new challenge: her magic is blocked. She must keep that a secret - or her enemies will discover just how vulnerable she really is - while searching for who or what is responsible for neutralizing her powers.

Yes, the days of tasting poisons were much simpler. And certainly not as dangerous.

Another fantasy I'm stoked for. Poison taster? Twisted plots? Magic? Yes, please.

4. Dream a Little Dream (Silber #1)  by Kirsten Gier


Mysterious doors with lizard-head knobs. Talking stone statues. A crazy girl with a hatchet. Yep, Liv’s dreams have been pretty weird lately. Especially this one where she’s in a graveyard at night, watching four boys perform dark magic rituals. 

The really weird thing is that Liv recognizes the boys in her dream. They’re classmates from her new school in London, the school where’s she’s starting over because her mom has moved them to a new country (again). But they seem to know things about her in real life that they couldn’t possibly know, which is mystifying. Then again, Liv could never resist a good mystery. . . .

I loved the Ruby Red timetravelling series and can't wait for his one. It looks dark and twisty and just...YES! Can't wait to get my paws on this one.

5. The Witches of Echo Park (Witches of Echo Park Book #1) by Amber Benson

Unbeknownst to most of humankind, a powerful network of witches thrives within the shadows of society, using their magic to keep the world in balance. But they are being eliminated—and we will all pay if their power falls…

When Elyse MacAllister’s great-aunt Eleanora, the woman who raised her, becomes deathly ill, Lyse puts her comfortable life in Georgia on hold to rush back to Los Angeles. And once she returns to Echo Park, Lyse discovers her great-aunt has been keeping secrets—extraordinary secrets—from her.

Not only is Lyse heir to Eleanora’s Victorian estate; she is also expected to take her great-aunt’s place in the Echo Park coven of witches. But to accept her destiny means to place herself in deadly peril—for the world of magic is under siege, and the battle the witches now fight may be their last…

Modern day teen witches who aren't cutesy and named Sabrina? I'll take it. Lots at stake. Lots of magic. I'm in!

Review: Enchantment Lake

"Drowning, Francie thought. That's what this was like. You plunged into the cool, quiet darkness of the theater from the hot, bright street and sank into the gloom of the back rows of the house. And waited. Waited for the air to be squeezed, slowly but surely, from your lungs. Waited while your nerves frayed. Waited for your turn to audition."   (Enchantment Lake, opening page)

Seventeen year-old Francie's been called to the Land of 10,000 Lakes when her aunts believe the old folks living along their lakefront community are being picked off one by one. She relents and it's nothing but tremendous fun and kooky neighbors when her shoes hit the shores.

One of my favorite things about Enchantment Lake is the neighborhood, which is being threatened by unwanted development (invasive roads, potato fields!), and the people who inhabit it. They're kooky, they're tight knit and they're mad for baking bars, breads, casseroles, and cookies...and forcing all of them down Francie's throat. They're unique and charming and they make me want to grab a boat and a fork and show up for the summer. I saw a lot of my goofy relatives in these retirees and they made great comedic foils for our girl, Francie.

My biggest takeaway from Enchantment Lake was that I've found a next-generation Nancy Drew for my daughters (and myself!). Francie is sharp on her feet, fearless and inquisitive, much like the teenaged sleuth I grew up reading  (The Secret of the Old Clock...who's with me?!)

This book was fun, it has a whip-smart heroine who's well tested and put in a position where the reader hopes (begs?) for more Northwoods mysteries!

Well done, Ms. Preus!

DETAILS

Title: Enchantment Lake

Series: Northwoods Mysteries

Author: Margi Preus

Publisher: Univ of Minnesota Press

Price: $15.99 (released in March 2015)

Author Website: MargiPreus.com

Author Twitter: @MargiPreus

(NetGalley provided the complimentary ebook, I provided my own opinion!)

Goodreads review available here.

Review: Love, Latte and Mutants

"'Miss Dunn, are we keeping you awake?' Mr. Grumble's sarcastic remark draws titters from the class. I jerk upright. 'No Mr. Grumble.' Heat floods my face..."

(Love, Latte and Mutants, opening page)

Blurb:

Finding love is hard, even when you aren’t a mutant.

Like most seventeen-year-olds, Piper Dunn wants to blend in with the crowd. Having a blowhole is a definite handicap. A product of a lab-engineered mother with dolphin DNA, Piper spends her school days hiding her brilliant ocean-colored eyes and sea siren voice behind baggy clothing and ugly glasses. When Tyler, the new boy in school, zeroes in on her, ignoring every other girl vying for his attention, no one, including Piper, understands why...

What I loved:

The idea of being a mutant in a very teenaged, very normal world. This was incredibly unique and I've never actually read a book where our heroine has a blowhole and can stay underwater saving animals for a half hour at a time.

Gramps. He was a great secondary character and added a lot of humanity to the book.

Tyler and Piper. I'll mention below what I struggled with, but for the most part, I felt that electricity the author wrote in their interactions. I loved it.

What I struggled with:
The book was really a lot shorter than it should have been to cover what was being covered. I felt like the crux of the obstacle (finding out Piper's beginnings and mutants like her) came way too late in the book and we really spent a lot of time stuck in that "do i like him? should i like him? okay, i might like him" awkward love drama phase. 

I understand that it plays an big role in teenage romance (especially in YA) but it ate up the focus of the first two-thirds of the book so much so that I felt like we were rushed into the ending without much time to catch up as a reader.

I also never really got why Tyler was so insistent on getting to know Piper (don't get me wrong, I'm glad he did...) Was it really just because she didn't fawn over him? Was there a deeper reason he was attracted to her that we'll discover later? Their romance (as sparkly and fun as it was) really felt a little rushed and crammed into a matter of a few days.

I give this book LOTS of points for trying a new route in YA and really did enjoy reading it for the most part...I just felt like we were ushered along to a very fast ending just to lead us to a cliffhanger to book 2.

DETAILS

Title: Love, Lattes and Mutants

Series: Mutants, Book One

Author: Sandra Cox

Publisher: Kensington (February 2015)

Price: $2.99

Author Website: sandracox1.com

Author Twitter: @sandra_cox

Goodreads review available here.

(Review copy provided by NetGalley. Opinions are my own!)