March is shaping up to be one biiiig month for great new books. And there are a few new series getting their start this week to kick the month off, most of them young adult. Anne Bishop‘s new Written in Red, the first book of her The Others series, has gotten great early buzz so far.
Synopsis…
As a cassandra sangue, or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut—a gift that feels more like a curse. Meg’s Controller keeps her enslaved so he can have full access to her visions. But when she escapes, the only safe place Meg can hide is at the Lakeside Courtyard—a business district operated by the Others.
Shape-shifter Simon Wolfgard is reluctant to hire the stranger who inquires about the Human Liaison job. First, he senses she’s keeping a secret, and second, she doesn’t smell like human prey. Yet a stronger instinct propels him to give Meg the job. And when he learns the truth about Meg and that she’s wanted by the government, he’ll have to decide if she’s worth the fight between humans and the Others that will surely follow.
–The Others reading list HERE
From the young adult side, this is the week the Legend Chronicles from Kristin Bailey starts up. Book one is called Legacy of the Clockwork Key.
Synopsis…
A teen girl unravels the mysteries of a secret society and their most dangerous invention in this adventure-swept romance set in Victorian London.When a fire consumes Meg’s home, killing her parents and destroying both her fortune and her future, all she has left is the tarnished pocket watch she rescued from the ashes. But this is no ordinary timepiece. The clock turns out to be a mechanical key—a key that only Meg can use—that unlocks a series of deadly secrets and intricate clues that Meg is compelled to follow.
Meg has uncovered evidence of an elite secret society and a dangerous invention that some will stop at nothing to protect—and that Meg alone can destroy. Together with the handsome stable hand she barely knows but hopes she can trust, Meg is swept into a hidden world of deception, betrayal, and revenge.
–The Legend Chronicles reading list HERE
Jessica Brody‘s first Unremembered book hits the shelves this week, also called Unremembered.
Synopsis…
When Freedom Airlines Flight 121 went down over the Pacific Ocean, no one ever expected to find survivors. Which is why the sixteen-year-old girl discovered floating among the wreckage—alive—is making headlines across the globe.
Although her body is miraculously unharmed, she has no memories of boarding the plane. She has no memories of her life before the crash. She has no memories…period.
No one knows how she survived. No one knows why she wasn’t on the passenger manifest. And no one can explain why her DNA and fingerprints can’t be found in a single database in the world.
Nicknamed “Violet” by the hospital staff because of the unusual color of her intoxicatingly beautiful eyes, the young girl has only two things that connect her to her past: a strange black tattoo on the inside of her left wrist, and an empty locket with a mysterious engraving on the back.
Crippled by a world she doesn’t know, plagued by abilities she doesn’t understand, and haunted by a looming threat she can’t remember, Violet struggles to piece together her forgotten past and discover who she really is. But with every clue only comes more questions. And she’s running out of time to answer them.
Her only hope is a strangely alluring boy who claims to know her from before the crash. Who claims they were in love. But can she really trust him? And will he be able to protect her from the people who have been making her forget?
–Unremembered reading list HERE
Still from the young adult releases, popular author Claudia Gray starts her new Spellcaster series tomorrow with the debut of the first book, also called Spellcaster.
Synopsis…
When Nadia’s family moves to Captive’s Sound, she instantly realizes there’s more to it than meets the eye. Descended from witches, Nadia senses a dark and powerful magic at work in the town. Mateo has lived in Captive’s Sound his entire life, trying to dodge the local legend that a curse has been placed on his family that will cause him to go insane. When the strange dreams Mateo has been having of rescuing a beautiful girl—Nadia—from a car accident come true, he knows he’s doomed.
Despite the forces pulling them apart, Nadia and Mateo must work together to break the chains of his family’s terrible curse, and to prevent a disaster that threatens the lives of everyone in the town.
–Spellcaster reading list HERE
Let the Sky Fall is the first book of the Let the Sky Fall series from Shannon Messenger.
Synopsis…
Vane Weston should have died in the category five tornado that killed his parents. Instead, he woke up in a pile of rubble with no memories of his past—except one: a beautiful, dark-haired girl standing in the winds. She’s swept through his dreams ever since, and he clings to the hope that she’s real.
Audra is real, but she isn’t human. She’s a sylph, an air elemental who can walk on the wind, translate its alluring songs, even twist it into a weapon. She’s also a guardian—Vane’s guardian—and has sworn an oath to protect him at all costs.
When a hasty mistake reveals their location to the enemy who murdered both of their families, Audra has just days to help Vane unlock his memories. And as the storm winds gather, they start to realize the greatest danger might not be the warriors coming to destroy them, but the forbidden romance growing between them.
–Let the Sky Fall reading list HERE
So, are any of these calling you? I am trying to be good and control my random adding of new series to Mount TBR, but I have to admit that both Anne Bishop’s Written in Red and Claudia Gray’s Spellcaster have caught my eye. Decisions, decisions.
I LOVE Anne Bishop’s writing, but my library hasn’t ordered “Written in Red” yet, and I hate paying that much for an e-book. Although, I might just break down and buy it if I hear it’s as good as the Black Jewels series.
This would actually be my first Anne Bishop book, but I have heard good things about her Black Jewels series, too.
On Tue, Mar 5, 2013 at 1:21 AM, Wicked Scribes
I purchased Written in Red today. I’ve read a bunch of Anne Bishops previous works. Some of her writing is too…intense for me. That is, her characters go through things and deal with problems that I’d rather not. However I’ve found that her writing style is first rate and I’m interested to see what this new world is like.
Charry, I agree. Bishop’s writing can be very “dark.” Could you report back when you finish and let us know what you think?
I finished Written in Red. I honestly couldn’t put it down. It was awesome! It was one of the best books I’ve read this year. And it is probably one of my new favorites from Anne Bishop.
The premise is that there is a young woman who can tell prophecies when her skin is cut. She escapes the people who want to use this gift/curse and ends up hiding among the “Others” who are the paranormal beings living in a specific part of town.
The book is really much more than that. I enjoyed it from cover to cover. The world building was amazing. There was action and humor and maybe a little romance. Mostly it was about the characters and relationships. This was the first book I have read in which the Others aren’t hiding out or afraid of humans or they are somehow apologetic of who they are. I would definitely recommend it and I’m on the look out now for Book 2.
Hope you get a good one, Charry. I just might have to break down myself and splurge.
Thanks for the info, Charry. Now you’ve made me really, really want to read “Written in Red.”
Me, too. I was just talking myself out of it, too.
On Wed, Mar 6, 2013 at 1:44 AM, Wicked Scribes
Oh. Well now I’m nervous. I really enjoyed the book. But, maybe you should read the except on her website before you invest.
Nah, I don’t need much of a shove to get me to buy a book. I am trying to wait until I hear good info about them, though.