I skipped a month. I know, I know, shame on Salve. Once in 30 days do I have to write a mandatory post on this blog, and I didn't do it. I did start writing it though, and maybe I'll still post my February releases after this, but look! I managed to scrounge up 10 releases in March that I'm really excited for! And it's all on time. Now, enough of my attempts to redeem myself. On with the list!
The Selection Stories: The Queen & The Favorite by Kiera Cass (March 3)
I'll be the first to admit that I'm not the biggest fan of novellas. Their usual form, e-books, is not exactly my favorite way of reading. Sometimes though, the bigshot YA authors (see Clare, Maas, and Cass), get all their novellas compiled and published in paper. When they're all tied up with a neat little bow, my feelings toward novellas generally soften. Kiera Cass' first set of novellas came out just before The One did, and it was enjoyable, if a little too short for my taste. Her second set, out this month, contains stories about Queen Amberly and Marlee, possibly my two favorite characters in the series. Nobody likes America. True story.
Kin: A Tale of Beauty and Madness by Lili St. Crow (March 3)
Quick confession: I haven't read any of Lili St. Crow's Tales of Beauty and Madness, which is surprising, because I live for fairytale retellings. She's done Snow White and Cinderella so far, and Kin looks as if it's Red Riding Hood's turn. Personally, Big Red's not my favorite fairytale to read about, because how far can you really get in the story? In retellings, the wolf is almost always that handsome-as-hell rebel that draws the good girl into a world of debauchery. Yawn. That being said, I did enjoy Marissa Meyer's Scarlet, and that leaves me with high hopes for this one.
Dead To Me by Mary McCoy (March 3)
Does anyone else think that the Golden Hollywood era is one that is totally underappreciated in the YA genre? I can probably count on my fingers the number of books I've come across that has 1930's Tinseltown as its setting. A few years back, I read Rachel Shukert's Starstruck and wondered why this amazing time in history isn't depicted more in novels. I finally get my wish with Dead To Me, which isn't just set in said time period, but is also a murder mystery. One ticket to Hollywood, please!
The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows (March 10)
This little book has been blowing up the YA blogverse for months now, and its release is finally here! The plot itself seems like one that has been done before: lost princess, forbidden magic, secret destiny...but the wonderful thing about high fantasy novels is that tropes are welcome, and even a comfort sometimes (another journey through the kingdom battling shadowlike demons? Sign me up!). It's the worldbuilding skills of each author that makes the clichéd plot brand-new everytime. So yes, I am more than ready to get to know the world of The Orphan Queen!
Breaking Sky by Cori McCarthy (March 10)
No matter how many dystopian novels the YA industry shells out, I will never get tired of the genre. This new entry by Cori McCarthy takes us to the United States of America in the year 2048 (like the game, hee). The youth is recruited by the military to pilot fighter jets, and really, that's all I needed to know before putting it on my list. FIGHTER JETS GUYS. AND ALL THE PILOTS ATTEND A SCHOOL CALLED STARFLEET UNITED STAR ACADEMY. I am sensing some Star Trek vibes here, and I am not complaining in the least.
Little Peach by Peggy Kern (March 10)
The Law & Order: SVU fanatic in me saw this book online and immediately began to jump up and down excitedly. It's about a teenage runaway who gets drawn into the world of prostitution by a guy she thought loved her, but turned out was only interested in pimping her out. It's definitely not a cheery world to read about, and I'm prepared to finish it with as heavy a heart as I had when I finished Trafficked. These books which take on shocking but all too real topics serve as eye-openers and I think that they help anyone (particularly sheltered little brats like me) view the world and the people in it in a different light, and see just how good we've got it. Wow, okay, this started off as SVU fanfic for me and somehow spiraled into a lecture on society. That's enough, Salve.
Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver (March 10)
This March, I get a double feature from my two favorite Laurens in YA: Oliver & DeStefano! First up is Lauren Oliver's Vanishing Girls, which is, unsurprisingly, about just that. What I love about Oliver's writing style is she sets her novels in contemporary, realistic settings, but still manages to infuse them with this mysterious, almost magical aura. If you'll look closely on the cover, E. Lockhart calls it "a rare psychological thriller" and warns you to "read it with all the lights on". Hey, if it's good enough for the author of the critically-acclaimed We Were Liars, it's good enough for me.
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| What is up with this cover though... |
Burning Kingdoms by Lauren DeStefano (March 10)
I will have to sit my butt down and reread the first book in this series, Perfect Ruin, because as much as I love Lauren DeStefano, I erm, completely forgot what happened in the first novel. All I remember is that I liked it, which gets me excited for Burning Kingdoms. The only thing that worries me is that DeStefano doesn't have the best track record with sequels (cough, Fever & Sever, cough). I hope that with this sequel, DS brings us more into the world she created, and pull it off excellently.
The Wrong Side of Right by Jenn Marie Thorne (March 17)
I am a sucker for rags-to-riches stories, which this novel is. Our heroine discovers that her long-lost father is an powerful politician and is suddenly whisked into his world. I'm hoping for some Chasing Liberty vibes from this book, maybe even with an equally charming love interest. That book cover worries me though. I know, I know, never judge a book, but it just seems too froufrou for me to take it seriously.
King by Ellen Oh (March 31)
The last, but most definitely not the least, is my most-awaited novel! I've been following the Prophecy series since its inception, and have actually traded a few words back and forth with Ellen Oh on Twitter (how's that for unnecessary name-dropping), and I could go on for hours talking about the books. This is the final novel in the series, which means a flood of bittersweet feels is about to come my way. The last time we heard from Kira, she was on her way to an island teeming with cannibals, so that should make for quite the opening chapter. Again, I have mixed feelings about the series ending, and an illogical part of me doesn't want King to come out yet, just to keep it unfinished, but the more rational side of Salve just wants to get her hands on it and return to the Seven Kingdoms.
xoxo,
Salve
credits to Google Images and Goodreads, as usual ;)
