What We’re Reading Wednesday- Rainy Days Edition

Hey everyone! We want to welcome you back to another WWW where we talk about the three Ws: What we’re read recently, what we’re currently reading, and what we’re planning on reading next. It is currently hosted by Taking on a World of Words.

Its pouring down rain here and while all I want to do is read I am here writing a paper and listening to audiobooks. I know quarantine has effected people differently where their reading is concerned and I think I’ve been doing okay. Its the last push to the end of the semester and so that has been taking up time, but other than that, things are going alright and I hope everyone else is staying safe and healthy

What We’ve Finished Recently

Night of the Dragon (Shadow of the Fox, #3) by Julie Kagawa
Published by Inkyard Press on March 31, 2020
Pages: 368
Goodreads

Kitsune shapeshifter Yumeko has given up the final piece of the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers in order to save everyone she loves from imminent death. Now she and her ragtag band of companions must journey to the wild sea cliffs of Iwagoto in a desperate last-chance effort to stop the Master of Demons from calling upon the Great Kami dragon and making the wish that will plunge the empire into destruction and darkness.
Shadow clan assassin Kage Tatsumi has regained control of his body and agreed to a true deal with the devil — the demon inside him, Hakaimono. They will share his body and work with Yumeko and their companions to stop a madman and separate Hakaimono from Tatsumi and the cursed sword that had trapped the demon for nearly a millennium.
But even with their combined skills and powers, this most unlikely team of heroes knows the forces of evil may be impossible to overcome. And there is another player in the battle for the scroll, a player who has been watching, waiting for the right moment to pull strings that no one even realized existed… until now.
Master storyteller Julie Kagawa concludes the enthralling journey into the heart of the fantastical Empire of Iwagoto in the third book of the Shadow of the Fox trilogy. As darkness rises and chaos reigns, a fierce kitsune and her shadowy protector will face down the greatest evil of all. A captivating fantasy for fans of Sabaa Tahir, Sarah J. Maas and Marie Lu.

I will be sharing a more full review of this book (and the other two books in the trilogy) later this week but I finished this one on audio recently and really enjoyed it. The book follows Yumeko and rag tag group of friends as they try to prevent the end of the world as they know it. Kagawa isn’t afraid to do things in the name of the plot and there were numerous times where I found myself getting chills because I was so moved. But that’s all for now, come back this weekend to read my thoughts on the full series.

Race the Sands by Sarah Beth Durst
on April 21, 2020
Goodreads

In this standalone fantasy, a pair of strong and determined women risk their lives battling injustice, corruption, and deadly enemies in their quest to become monster racing champions.
Life, death, and rebirth—in Becar, everyone knows that who you are in this life will determine what you are in your next life. The augurs can read your fate in your aura: hawk, heron, tortoise, jackal, human. Armed with that knowledge, you can change your destiny with the choices you make, both in this life and your next. But for the darkest individuals, there is no redemption: you come back as a kehok, a monster, and you will always be a kehok for the rest of time.
Unless you can win the Races.
As a professional trainer, Tamra was an elite kehok rider. Then a tragic accident on the track shattered her confidence, damaged her career, and left her nearly broke. Now Tamra needs the prize money to prevent the local temple from taking her daughter away from her, and that means she must once again find a winning kehok . . . and a rider willing to trust her.
Raia is desperate to get away from her domineering family and cruel fiancé. As a kehok rider, she could earn enough to buy her freedom. But she can’t become good enough to compete without a first-rate trainer.
Impressed by the inexperienced young woman’s determination, Tamra hires Raia and pairs her with a strange new kehok with the potential to win—if he can be tamed.
But in this sport, if you forget you’re riding on the back of a monster, you die. Tamra and Raia will work harder than they ever thought possible to win the deadly Becaran Races—and in the process, discover what makes this particular kehok so special.
　
　

This book is a doorstop but I loved every minute of it. Durst creates a rich, complex world and the monsters (kehoks) are fascinating. I am so excited to have Sarah Beth Durst join us in a few weeks to talk all about it. Anyone who loves books about racing competitions or political intrigue will definitely want to pick this one up!

What We’re Currently Reading

Crave (Crave, #1) by Tracy Wolff
Published by Entangled: Teen on April 7, 2020
Pages: 592
Goodreads

My whole world changed when I stepped inside the academy. Nothing is right about this place or the other students in it. Here I am, a mere mortal among gods…or monsters. I still can’t decide which of these warring factions I belong to, if I belong at all. I only know the one thing that unites them is their hatred of me.
Then there’s Jaxon Vega. A vampire with deadly secrets who hasn’t felt anything for a hundred years. But there’s something about him that calls to me, something broken in him that somehow fits with what’s broken in me.
Which could spell death for us all.
Because Jaxon walled himself off for a reason. And now someone wants to wake a sleeping monster, and I’m wondering if I was brought here intentionally—as the bait.

I am diving in everyone and I will be sure to let you know what I think when I’m done in the form of a spoiler-free review here on the blog. I still can’t believe that I preordered this book and I really want to like it because I just need some escapist fiction right now and what’s more escapist than a vampire romance right?

Elysium Girls by Kate Pentecost
on April 14, 2020
Goodreads

Pitched as Mad Max: Fury Road meets Caraval in an alternate history American Dust Bowl, the book features a girl gang of witches and a wildcard demon who are the most valuable players in a deadly game between the Goddesses of Life and Death, one with possibly apocalyptic consequences. Publication is slated for winter 2020.

Speaking of immersive reads, I am LOVING Elysium Girls even more than I thought I would and I had high expectations for it. I was so sure it would be great that I reached out to the author and invited her to participate in a Q&A this month. Elysium Girls comes out next week so be sure to pre-order your copy wherever fine books are sold.

What We’re Reading Next

Foul Is Fair (Foul Is Fair #1) by Hannah Capin
Published by Wednesday Books on February 18, 2020
Pages: 336
Goodreads

Elle and her friends Mads, Jenny, and Summer rule their glittering LA circle. Untouchable, they have the kind of power other girls only dream of. Every party is theirs and the world is at their feet. Until the night of Elle’s sweet sixteen, when they crash a St. Andrew’s Prep party. The night the golden boys choose Elle as their next target.
They picked the wrong girl.
Sworn to vengeance, Elle transfers to St. Andrew’s. She plots to destroy each boy, one by one. She’ll take their power, their lives, and their control of the prep school’s hierarchy. And she and her coven have the perfect way in: a boy named Mack, whose ambition could turn deadly.
Foul is Fair is a bloody, thrilling revenge fantasy for the girls who have had enough. Golden boys beware: something wicked this way comes.

I actually started this one on audio before deciding to pick up Crave so once I am done with it I will be returning to Foul Is Fair. This one is about a group of friends who decide to take revenge on boys who sexually assaulted our headstrong protagonist Jade. It sounds good, but heavy, so I am excited to read it and enjoyed the first 10% I listened to already.

Incendiary (Hollow Crown, #1) by Zoraida Córdova
Published by Hodder & Stoughton on April 28, 2020
Pages: 464
Goodreads

I am Renata Convida.I have lived a hundred stolen lives.Now I live my own.
Renata Convida was only a child when she was kidnapped by the King's Justice and brought to the luxurious palace of Andalucia. As a Robari, the rarest and most feared of the magical Moria, Renata's ability to steal memories from royal enemies enabled the King's Wrath, a siege that resulted in the deaths of thousands of her own people.
Now Renata is one of the Whispers, rebel spies working against the crown and helping the remaining Moria escape the kingdom bent on their destruction. The Whispers may have rescued Renata from the palace years ago, but she cannot escape their mistrust and hatred--or the overpowering memories of the hundreds of souls she turned "hollow" during her time in the palace.
When Dez, the commander of her unit, is taken captive by the notorious Sangrado Prince, Renata will do anything to save the boy whose love makes her place among the Whispers bearable. But a disastrous rescue attempt means Renata must return to the palace under cover and complete Dez's top secret mission. Can Renata convince her former captors that she remains loyal, even as she burns for vengeance against the brutal, enigmatic prince? Her life and the fate of the Moria depend on it.
But returning to the palace stirs childhood memories long locked away. As Renata grows more deeply embedded in the politics of the royal court, she uncovers a secret in her past that could change the entire fate of the kingdom--and end the war that has cost her everything.

Incendiary by Zoraida Cordova is our third feature of the month and I cannot wait to dive in! We really wanted to feature authors who were forced to cancel tours thanks to COVID-19 and while the circumstances are unfortunate we feel so privileged to welcome Zoraida to the blog at the end fo the month. Oh and preorder your copy because you do not want to miss this book!

What About You?

What have you read recently? Which books are sitting at the top of your TBR pile! Let us know in the comments!