Waiting On Wednesday: The Impostor Queen (Sarah Fine)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at 

Breaking the Spine

and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Hardcover, 336 pages
Expected publication: January 5th 2016 by Margaret K. McElderry Books

Sixteen-year-old Elli was a small child when the Elders of Kupari chose her to succeed the Valtia, the queen who wields infinitely powerful ice and fire magic. Since then, Elli has lived in the temple, surrounded by luxury and tutored by magical priests, as she prepares for the day when the Valtia perishes and the magic finds a new home in her. Elli is destined to be the most powerful Valtia to ever rule.
But when the queen dies defending the kingdom from invading warriors, the magic doesn’t enter Elli. It’s nowhere to be found.
Disgraced, Elli flees to the outlands, the home of banished criminals—some who would love to see the temple burn with all its priests inside. As she finds her footing in this new world, Elli uncovers devastating new information about the Kupari magic, those who wield it, and the prophecy that foretold her destiny. Torn between the love she has for her people and her growing loyalty to the banished, Elli struggles to understand the true role she was meant to play. But as war looms, she must align with the right side—before the kingdom and its magic are completely destroyed. 

What book are you most looking forward to in 2015?

5 Star ARC Review: Of Metal and Wishes (Sarah Fine)

Hardcover, First Edition, 321 pages
Published August 5th 2014 by Margaret K. McElderry Books

There are whispers of a ghost in the slaughterhouse where sixteen-year-old Wen assists her father in his medical clinic—a ghost who grants wishes to those who need them most. When one of the Noor, men hired as cheap factory labor, humiliates Wen, she makes an impulsive wish of her own, and the Ghost grants it. Brutally.
Guilt-ridden, Wen befriends the Noor, including their outspoken leader, a young man named Melik. At the same time, she is lured by the mystery of the Ghost and learns he has been watching her... for a very long time.
As deadly accidents fuel tensions within the factory, Wen must confront her growing feelings for Melik, who is enraged at the sadistic factory bosses and the prejudice faced by his people at the hand of Wen’s, and her need to appease the Ghost, who is determined to protect her against any threat—real or imagined. She must decide whom she can trust, because as her heart is torn, the factory is exploding around her... and she might go down with it.

Amazon * B & N * Kindle Copy 

I’m the author of several books for teens, including Of Metal and Wishes (McElderry/Simon & Schuster) and its sequel, Of Dreams and Rust (coming in August 2015), and the Guards of the Shadowlands YA urban fantasy series (Skyscape/Amazon Children’s Publishing). I’m also the co-author (with Walter Jury) of two YA sci-fi thrillers published by Putnam/Penguin: Scan and its sequel Burn (which will be published in 2015). My first adult urban fantasy romance novel, Marked, will be published in January 2015 by 47North/Amazon Publishing, with the sequel, Claimed, coming in March 2015. When I’m not writing, I’m psychologizing. Sometimes I do both at the same time. The results are unpredictable.

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So first of all...I have loved each and every book that Sarah Fine has co-authored or written. Every story she writes is so full of heart and suspense. I find myself completely intertwined in every story......SO....when I found out Sarah had written a new novel called Of Metal And Wishes that was supposed to be a re-telling of The Phantom of The Opera...then of course I had to get my hands on it!!!!! and I was not disappointed. Of Metal and Wishes is a phenomenally written YA Romance and Suspense with a touch of Horror added in. Keep in mind that this book is not for the faint of heart....it is close to being in the adult genre in my opinion and this only makes it better!

“So I take a few steps into the dark hallway, until the light around me turns from gray yellow to brown black, stopping before I sink into inky obsidian darkness. I’ve never been afraid of the dark, though now I wonder if I should be.”

Of Metal and Wishes is the story of Wen and her life at Gochan One, which is the slaughterhouse where her father works as the clinic doctor. Wen is her father's assistant and they moved to Gochan One after her mother passed away from cancer and her father could no longer afford the middle class life. Wen and her father are honorable, kind people who treat every person at the slaughterhouse regardless of class level. Her father, Guiren, is a kind man who is just trying to survive in the horrible world while trying his best to protect his daughter, Wen. 

One day a new set of workers arrives at Gochan One called The Noor. The Noor are poor citizens who have come to Gochan One in hopes of making enough money to help their families back home and rebuild their lands.... but little do they know....the plant manager, Mugo, has different plans for the Noor. Mugo is a horrific man who steals money from the workers and when they begin to lose their usefulness he sends them off to even worse labor camps. 

One of the Noor is a young man named Melik. Wen finds herself immediately attracted to Melik and the feeling is mutual...Melik and Wen's love story is beautiful and develops over time which is so much better than "insta-love." 

“Something inside me has shifted, and now part of me is not my own.”

After spending time with some of the Noor people...Wen begins to realize that the portrayal of the Noor has been completely incorrect....All the Noor want is to live in peace and be able to feed their families. 

Amongst the people of Gochan One there lives a legend....a legend who has been named "Ghost." Ghost is worshiped and the people build him an altar where they can leave "wishes" for the Ghost and he chooses which ones he wants to answers. Sometimes the wishes are good and noble and sometimes they are bad and can be hurtful to others. Wen has never believed in the Ghost before....until something happens to Wen that makes her want to get revenge on the ones who hurt her...so she makes a wish at the alter....and the Ghost grants it......

This begins the suspense-filled horror story Of Metal and Wishes....There is so much action and intensity through-out this entire book. I found myself flipping pages late into the night just to find out what happened next. Wen is beautiful and young....and in a factory full of men...well....this could be a bad thing..if you get my drift. BUT there are lots of people that take care of Wen and defend her when you least expect it. I absolutely loved this book and all the characters. Each character is special and unique and will do things that just grab at your heartstrings. There were some I absolutely loved and some I hated so much I wanted to scream.....

If you have never read a Sarah Fine book....this is a great one to start!!!! Get ready....Sarah Fine takes you on a intense, surprise-filled thrill ride with Of Metals and Wishes.....

**The quotes from this book have been taken from an Advanced Reading Copy and are subject to change when the final book is printed. Please refer to the final, finished copy for exact quotes!**

**I want to say Thank You to  Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon Teen for the opportunity to review this book!!**

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5+++ Star ARC Review: Marked (Sarah Fine)

Hardback, 332 pages
Expected publication: January 1st 2015
Publisher: 47North (Amazon)
Author: Sarah Fine

In a broken landscape carved by environmental collapse, Boston paramedic Cacia Ferry risks life and limb on the front lines of a fragile and dangerous city. What most don’t know—including her sexy new partner, Eli Margolis—is that while Cacy works to save lives, she has another job ferrying the dead to the Afterlife. Once humans are “Marked” by Fate, the powerful Ferrys are called to escort the vulnerable souls to either eternal bliss or unending fire and pain.
Unaware of Cacy’s other life, Eli finds himself as mesmerized by his fierce and beautiful partner as he is mistrustful of the influential Ferry clan led by the Charon—who happens to be Cacy’s father. Cacy, in turn, can no longer deny her intense attraction to the mysterious ex-Ranger with a haunted past. But just as their relationship heats up, an apparent hit takes the Charon before his time. Shaken to the core, Cacy pursues the rogue element who has seized the reins of Fate, only to discover that Eli has a devastating secret of his own. Not knowing whom to trust, what will Cacy have to sacrifice to protect Eli—and to make sure humanity’s future is secure?

Purchase from Amazon!!!!

Sarah Fine was born on the West Coast, raised in the Midwest, and is now firmly entrenched on the East Coast, where she lives with her husband and two children. When she's not writing, she's working as a child psychologist. No, she is not psychoanalyzing you right now.

Website: http://sarahfinebooks.com/For more information about the Guards of the Shadowlands series, and to read excerpts from Malachi's personal journals, visit www.GuardsOfTheShadowlands.tumblr.com

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"In post-apocalyptic Boston, 

supernatural factions battle for human souls."

Ah...I wasn't sure that I could love another book as much as I loved Sarah Fine's Guard of the Shadowlands series...BUT....I not only loved Marked...I am completely and utterly obsessed with it. I literally could not put this book down. I read the entire book in one day. 

Marked is an adult paranormal romance that is takes place in a post-apocalyptic Boston. There is desert land everywhere and water is a scarce commodity due to an environmental collapse. The main character, Cacia Ferry, (also known as Cacy) is a paramedic by day and by night she ferry's the dead to the Afterlife. Cacy's entire family are Ferry's who escort souls to either Heaven or Hell after they have passed from this world. The Ferry's are the only ones who can enter The Veil, which is the place between life and death. There are also supernatural entity's called Ker whom the Ferry's have to deal with. The Kere are the ones who "mark" the humans for death and basically choose how they die. Some of the Kere are kind and use their skill to end the suffering of people in pain but most of the Kere are cruel and mean and enjoy inflicting very painful deaths on their targets. 

I loved Cacy's character because she was a strong female heroine who knew when to express her emotions and when to contain them. She is dedicated to her job and to her family and would do anything to protect them. Her father, Patrick Ferry, is the head of the family and also known as the Charon. She has two brothers, Rylan and Declan and one sister, Aislan. 

"Eli stared at the woman, whose gaze remained on her father. It was such a protective expression, which was funny because she looked too soft and sweet to do much damage. Still, there was something ferocious in her eyes, a warning, a promise."

Cacy's new partner, Eli Margolis, has just moved to the city and lives with his sister, Galena. Eli is everything a woman would want in a man..... kind, strong , protective, and incredibly handsome. Eli is loyal and fiercely protective over the people he loves. Cacy and Eli have an instant connection the moment they meet. Their chemistry is obvious to everyone around them and causes a lot of tension within the workplace. Their relationship sets of a chain of events that affects everyone around them. 

"I don't believe in deserving. You haven't deserved most of what happened to you. But it happened anyway. So did we. We happened, Eli. I'm so thankful for that. I love you."

Sarah Fine has a remarkable skill with her writing in how she connects the reader to her characters. Her writing is so full of emotion and I literally feel like I am experiencing every wonderful moment and every heart-breaking moment with the characters. I began reading Marked without realized it was written as an adult paranormal romance and WOW did I learn quickly.....I am a huge YA fan but every now and then it is nice to venture over to the adult genre and Marked was an refreshing, phenomenal adult book. 

Marked is full of intense action scenes, gripping suspense, and a swoon-worthy romance. Each emotion is carefully entwined within the story to make this book absolutely incredible. Sarah Fine has broke the bar with Marked...I can't even begin to imagine how amazing the sequel will be. I can't wait to delve deeper into the characters and learn more about the rest of the Ferry family. There are some mind-blowing twists at the end of Marked that I never even fathomed could happen.....but they did....and it makes me want the next book SOOOO bad!!! 

.....oh and the cover of Marked....is seriously incredible....WOW!!!!!!

**The quotes from this book have been taken from an Advanced Reading Copy and are subject to change when the final book is printed. Please refer to the final, finished copy for exact quotes!**

**I want to say Thank You to 47North/Amazon for the opportunity to review this book!!**

5 Star ARC Review: Chaos (Sarah Fine)

I was so honored to be chosen as one of the few reviewers to be able to get an advanced review copy of Chaos by Sarah Fine. I also had the opportunity to get an advance copy of both Sanctum and Fractured and I absolutely loved both of them! They are both listed under my 5 Star Reviews. I have also listed a link to the reviews at the bottom of this post. Sarah Fine is a phenomenal writer and knows exactly how to capture the reader and pull you into the story. I am beyond excited to share my review of Chaos with all my followers. What an intense and absolute perfect conclusion to this phenomenal trilogy......

Kindle Edition
Expected publication: October 7th 2014 by Skyscape/Amazon

With Juri in control and everything in absolute chaos, Lela plunges into the depths of hell to free Malachi from creatures that have waited decades to exact their revenge. But the Judge has her own way of doing things, and Lela must work with Ana, the new Captain, who has a very personal mission of her own. Together, they infiltrate the most horrifying realm either has yet encountered in the Shadowlands—the bitter landscape ruled by the Mazikin.
The stakes could not be higher, and Lela must accept the help—and love—of people she barely knows or trusts. As alliances and loyalties shift and she realizes the soul she came to save isn’t the only one in need of rescue, can Lela summon the strength to see the fight through to the very end? 

Pre-Order Links:

Amazon * Barnes & Noble 

I’m the author of several books for teens, including Of Metal and Wishes (McElderry/Simon & Schuster) and its sequel, Of Dreams and Rust (coming in August 2015), and the Guards of the Shadowlands YA urban fantasy series (Skyscape/Amazon Children’s Publishing). I’m also the co-author (with Walter Jury) of two YA sci-fi thrillers published by Putnam/Penguin: Scanand its sequel Burn (which will be published in 2015). My first adult urban fantasy romance novel, Marked, will be published in January 2015 by 47North/Amazon Publishing, with the sequel, Claimed, coming in March 2015. When I’m not writing, I’m psychologizing. Sometimes I do both at the same time. The results are unpredictable.

Twitter * Website * Facebook

**The quotes from this book have been taken from an Advanced Reading Copy and are subject to change when the final book is printed. Please refer to the final, finished copy for exact quotes!**

**I want to say Thank You to Skyscape/Amazon for the opportunity to review this book!!**

5 Star Review of Sanctum                  5 Star Review of Fractured