The Uprising by Lisa M. Stasse
Release Date: August 6, 2013

Alenna escaped. It was expected that she would die on the wheel, the island where would-be criminals are sent as directed by the UNA—the totalitarian supercountry that was once the United States, Mexico, and Canada. But Alenna and her boyfriend, Liam, made it to safety. Except safety, they will soon learn, is relative.

In order to bring down the UNA, they must first gain control of the wheel. If the mission succeeds, the wheel will become a base of revolution. But between betrayals, a new Monk leading a more organized army of Drones, and the discovery of a previously unknown contingent, Alenna, Liam, and their allies might be in over their heads. One thing Alenna knows for sure: There will be a reckoning. And not everyone she loves will make it out alive. (summary from goodreads)

I am super curious to find out more about the world Lisa M. Stasse created in The Forsaken. Alenna and Liam’s escape from the wheel should allow for more worldbuilding about the dystopian society that was sort of mentioned in book one.

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– leeanna

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
Release Date: June 4, 2013

Darkness never dies.

Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land, all while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. But she can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her–or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm. (summary from goodreads)

I liked Shadow and Bone a lot. A lot lot. My wait for Siege and Storm has been waaaaay too long. Here’s hoping I’m lucky enough to get an ARC of this. That would be a nice birthday present!

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– leeanna

Chantress by Amy Butler Greenfield
Release Date: May 7, 2013

Lucy’s Chantress magic will make her the most powerful—and most hunted—girl in England.“Sing, and the darkness will find you.” This warning has haunted fifteen-year-old Lucy ever since she was eight and shipwrecked on a lonely island. Lucy’s guardian, Norrie, has lots of rules, but the most important is that Lucy must never sing. Not ever. Now it is 1667, Lucy is fifteen, and on All Hallows’ Eve, Lucy hears a tantalizing melody on the wind. She can’t help but sing—and she is swept into darkness.

When she awakes in England, Lucy hears powerful men discussing Chantresses—women who can sing magic into the world. They are hunting her, but she escapes and finds sanctuary with the Invisible College, an organization plotting to overthrow the nefarious Lord Protector. The only person powerful enough to bring about his downfall is a Chantress. And Lucy is the last one in England.

Lucy struggles to master the song-spells and harness her power, but the Lord Protector is moving quickly. And her feelings for Nat, an Invisible College apprentice and scientist who deeply distrusts her magic, only add to her confusion…

Time is running out, and the fate of England hangs in the balance in this entrancing novel that is atmospheric and lyrical, dangerous and romantic. (summary from goodreads)

Chantress sounds like a great combination of fantasy and historical fiction, with a cool magic system. Plus the cover is gorgeous.

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– leeanna

The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa
Release Date: April 23, 2013

Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning—New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally.

Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike. (summary from goodreads)

The Immortal Rules was one of the vampire books of 2012. It was gritty, dark, and different, and I’ve been dying to read the sequel ever since. Here’s hoping The Eternity Cure is more of the same. I like the redesigned covers, too — the publisher listened to the readers’ complaints of whitewashing, so kudos to them.

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– leeanna

Taken by Erin Bowman
Release Date: April 16, 2013

There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends…and he’s gone.

They call it the Heist.

Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive.

Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side? (summary from goodreads)

A YA book from a guy’s perspective? You don’t see many of those. Taken sounds like a dystopian or post-apocalyptic; I’m curious to see what kind of world/society the author has dreamed up.

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– leeanna

Furious by Jill Wolfson
Release Date: April 16, 2013

Three high school girls become the avenging Furies of Greek legend.

We were only three angry girls, to begin with. Alix, the hot-tempered surfer chick; Stephanie, the tree-hugging activist; and me, Meg, the quiet foster kid, the one who never quite fit in. We hardly knew each other, but each of us nurtured a burning anger: at the jerks in our class, at our disappointing parents, at the whole flawed, unjust world.

We were only three angry girls, simmering uselessly in our ocean-side California town, until one day a mysterious, beautiful classmate named Ambrosia taught us what else we could be: Powerful. Deadly. Furious. (summary from goodreads)

I’ve been waiting on a book re-imagining the Furies forever. That’s pretty much all I’ve got to say.

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– leeanna

Dark Triumph by R.L. LaFevers
Release Date: April 2, 2013

Sybella arrives at the convent’s doorstep half mad with grief and despair. Those that serve Death are only too happy to offer her refuge—but at a price. Naturally skilled in both the arts of death and seduction, the convent views Sybella as one of their most dangerous weapons.

But those assassin’s skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to a life that nearly drove her mad. Her father’s rage and brutality are terrifying, and her brother’s love is equally monstrous. And while Sybella is a weapon of justice wrought by the god of Death himself, He must give her a reason to live. When she discovers an unexpected ally imprisoned in the dungeons, will a daughter of Death find something other than vengeance to live for?

This heart-pounding sequel to Grave Mercy serves betrayal, treachery, and danger in equal measure, bringing readers back to fifteenth century Brittany and will keep them on the edge of their seats. (summary from goodreads)

Grave Mercy was one of my favorite books of 2012 (somehow I left it off my list, oops!), and I’ve been waiting for the next in the trilogy ever since I finished it. While I’m a little disappointed that Ismae’s story isn’t continuing, I am super curious to read about Sybella, and to find out about her.

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– leeanna

The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett
Release Date: March 5, 2013

Sixteen-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she’s a criminal. No, she’s a Nightmare.

Literally.

Being the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, and living in the shadow of her mother’s infamy, is hard enough. But when Dusty sneaks into Eli Booker’s house, things get a whole lot more complicated. He’s hot, which means sitting on his chest and invading his dreams couldn’t get much more embarrassing. But it does. Eli is dreaming of a murder.

Then Eli’s dream comes true.

Now Dusty has to follow the clues—both within Eli’s dreams and out of them—to stop the killer before more people turn up dead. And before the killer learns what she’s up to and marks her as the next target. (summary from goodreads)

The unusual cover for The Nightmare Affair caught my eye first. It reminds me of the cover for Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan. The idea of the Nightmare reminds me a bit of Piers Anthony’s Xanth books. Here’s hoping the romance doesn’t overpower what sounds like a good book.

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– leeanna

Prodigy by Marie Lu
Release Date: January 29, 2013

June and Day arrive in Vegas just as the unthinkable happens: the Elector Primo dies, and his son Anden takes his place. With the Republic edging closer to chaos, the two join a group of Patriot rebels eager to help Day rescue his brother and offer passage to the Colonies. They have only one request—June and Day must assassinate the new Elector.

It’s their chance to change the nation, to give voice to a people silenced for too long.

But as June realizes this Elector is nothing like his father, she’s haunted by the choice ahead. What if Anden is a new beginning? What if revolution must be more than loss and vengeance, anger and blood—what if the Patriots are wrong? (summary from goodreads)

I flew through Legend last year, and I’ve been eagerly awaiting Prodigy. I’m excited to get back to June and Day’s adventures, and I’ve got some cover lust going on, too. I prefer this cover over Legend’s. The blue/black is stronger to me than the silver/gold.

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– leeanna

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
Release Date: February 5, 2013

Book two, Scarlet, is based on Little Red Riding Hood. It continues Cinder’s story as she attempts to escape Queen Levana’s vengeance and learn more about her past. The story also introduces readers to Scarlet, a girl living in southern France whose grandmother has mysteriously disappeared. In order to find her, Scarlet seeks the help of Wolf, a street fighter with more than a few mysteries of his own. (summary from goodreads)

I loved Cinder. Loved, loved, LOVED it. There are not enough words to express my admiration and adoration of it. It is one of my top two favorite Cinderella retellings. I’ve been waiting on Scarlet for what feels like forever. I can’t wait to see what the author does with Little Red Riding Hood!

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– leeanna