Top Ten Tuesday: 2013's New-To-Me Authors

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the wonderful ladies over at

The Broke And The Bookish!

This Week's Topic:
Top Ten New-To-Me Authors I Read In 2013

Writing this list and going through the books I've read this year, I realized I really didn't read that many new authors.  I read a lot from authors I already enjoyed.  Hellooooo goal for 2014.  I love finding those new authours.  Last year, Jennifer L. Armentrout was my favourite new-to-me author.  This year, I have to say it was Rae Carson.  Guys, the Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy did terrible things to my heart.  I just loved it.  I cannot wait to read more from Rae, as well as these 9 other awesome authors!

Links to my reviews (if available):

The Girl of Fire and Thorns | The Crown of Embers | The Bitter Kingdom

Anna and the French Kiss | Partials | Fragments

The 5th Wave | Pivot Point | The Distance Between Us

Fangirl | The Summer I Turned Pretty | Burn for Burn

Fire With Fire | Golden

Reviews coming for Ann Aguirre's Razorland Trilogy

Who was your favourite new-to-you authour this year?  Who do I need to check out?

Review: The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson

Published August 27th, 2013
Greenwillow Books
448 pages (Hardcover)

---

The epic conclusion to Rae Carson's Fire and Thorns trilogy. The seventeen-year-old sorcerer-queen will travel into the unknown realm of the enemy to win back her true love, save her country, and uncover the final secrets of her destiny.

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.  (From Goodreads)

---

I AM NOT READY TO SAY GOODBYE TO THIS SERIES!  I had huge expectations for this book, The Bitter Kingdom did not disappoint.

The Bitter Kingdom was everything I wanted, plus some.  It's basically the badass save-Hector-and-the-world show.  A lot happens here, and it is all woven together beautifully.  It's intricate and crazy and infinitely fun.  Saving the world isn't simple, and Rae Carson pieced it together in a fantastic way.

We've watched Elisa develop from a insecure girl to a full-blown queen worthy of the title.  This is character development at it's finest folks.  Like, take notes.  She's negotiating and scheming and she never would have done that before!  Then there is Hector.  I LOVE HECTOR.  He's a certifiable badass and loyal and so madly in love with Elisa that I cried.  No joke, I cried.  As far as characters go, they felt so bloody real that I want them in my life.  This can be said about all of them too.  The relationship between Mara and Belen was fantastic.  Then there is Red, a new character to The Bitter Kingdom that made me so happy!  We can look at Storm, too, and see crazy development in him.

I'm attached to this world and don't want to let go.  I want more!  A seperate series about Belen and Mara?  Maybe Red when she grows up?  Some Rosario?  Enough questions are left open that *could* fuel more books.  I'm begging here.  Please give me more.  Please.

In summary, go check out The Girls of Fire and Thorns and The Crown of Embers, because The Bitter Kingdom was the best conclusion I could ask for. 

Single Shot: The King's Guard by Rae Carson

Published July 30th, 2013
Greenwillow Books
111 pages (eBook)

---

At fifteen years old, Hector is the youngest squire in the most elite military force in the country. And his first day is disastrous. Everyone assumes the only reason he was recruited is his close personal association with King Alejandro, not because he's really earned it.

But Alejandro needs Hector for a secret mission, one that gives him the chance to prove to everyone—including himself—that he is worthy to be a Royal Guard. Hector must break into the ancient Fortress of Wind to retrieve something so important that the kingdom's future depends on it. What Hector finds in the fortress will stretch his bond of friendship with his king near to breaking. And it will prepare him to become the fearsome warrior and lord commander Elisa will never let go.  (From Goodreads)

---

If you want to feel all the Hector feels, The King's Guard is for you. 

This novella follows Hector just proving how much of a badass he is, even at the age of 15.  It is an interesting addition the series, providing insight into Hector's past that isn't seen in the three main novels.  You can definitely get by not reading this,  but who wouldn't want more Hector?  Nothing here is crucial, but you do gain more insight into Hector, as well as Lucio and Fernando, two more minor characters in the series.

The story isn't bad either.  I wouldn't call it mind-blowing, but it was still good and worth the couple bucks.  If you love the series and the Hector feels, give The King's Guard a try!

"Waiting On" The Bitter Kingdom

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating!

This week I am excited for...

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. (From Goodreads)

I am still not over the ending of The Crown of Embers (review).  It was one of those endings that I will remember forever and never be okay with.  It's also making the wait for The Bitter Kingdom impossible.  Rae Carson, you are cruel and I adore you for it.

If you haven't read this series yet, you've got time before the August 27th, 2013 release.  But be warned of the torturous ending.  I'm now thinking waiting would have been a smarter move...

Much love, Samantha 

Book Review: The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

Published September 30th, 2012
Greenwillow Books
410 pages (Hardcover)

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. (From Goodreads)

Oh.  My.  God.  I'm dying.  DYING!  This book was pure amazing-ness!

My biggest complaint with The Girl of Fire and Thorns (review) was the slow pace for the first half of the book.  That was not the case with this book.  Right from the start, the pace is great and I had a nearly impossible time setting it down. 

Then there is the romance that develops here (AND I'M SO HAPPY ABOUT IT).  Poor Elisa, she just deserves some happiness and a man that isn't dead (yet...).  The characters in this series are just plain fantastic.  The growth that we see throughout features all the characters, not just our main cast.  

I love the complexity of the world-building.  I felt like I had been transported to an ancient land for the whole friggin' book.  I seriously didn't want to leave either.  It all culminates a cliffhanger ending that I'm still not over.  

I'm not a high fantasy fan most of the time, but asdfghjkl; !!!  READ THIS BOOK!  

Much love, Samantha

Book Review: The Girl Of Fire And Thorns by Rae Carson

Published September 1st, 2011
Greenwillow Books
448 pages (Paperback)

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.

Elisa has always felt powerless, useless. Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king--a king who needs her to be the chosen one, not a failure of a princess. And he's not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies, seething with dark magic, are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could save his people. And he looks at her in a way no man has ever looked at her before. Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn't die young.
Most of the chosen do. (From Goodreads)

Talk about a roller coaster of a book.  just when I thought I was going to DNF it, this book sent me reeling and didn't let up until the very end!

Fantasy generally isn't my genre.  I have a hard time getting into it, and this book is no exception.  It took a long time for me to understand the world.  The world develops slowly, and what we learn morphs throughout.  This is why I almost gave up on the book.  It was taking simply too long for the story to really get going.  If you can get through the first half of the book though, it does pick up the pace and become more enjoyable.  My paperback copy also included a map, which I love with these sort of novels.  It makes the story feel more grounded and real, in my opinion.

I'm not going to say much about the characters, because I really don't want to get too spoiler-y here.  Elisa is a nice change from your typical YA protagonist.  Her struggles with food become an interesting theme within the book, and she develops and grows so much.  It was nice to see her grow into her role.

Be warned, Rae Carson is not afraid to kill characters.  NO ONE IS FAIR GAME!  The second half of this book begins to become a bit of a bloodbath.  It's not gory, but no one is safe.  I was quite attached to one character in particular, who gets their throat slit.  Not cool.

I honestly have no idea where the next book, The Crown of Embers, will go, but I will be checking it out in the near future.  So, if you feel up for some fantasy and adventure, pick up The Girl of Fire and Thorns!

Much love, Samantha