Waiting on Riders

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Riders (Riders, # 1)

By: Veronica Rossi

Expected Publication: February 16th 2016 by Tor Teen

384 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--For eighteen-year-old Gideon Blake, nothing but death can keep him from achieving his goal of becoming a U.S. Army Ranger. As it turns out, it does.

Recovering from the accident that most definitely killed him, Gideon finds himself with strange new powers and a bizarre cuff he can’t remove. His death has brought to life his real destiny. He has become War, one of the legendary four horsemen of the apocalypse.

Over the coming weeks, he and the other horsemen—Conquest, Famine and Death—are brought together by a beautiful but frustratingly secretive girl to help save humanity from an ancient evil on the emergence.

They fail.

Now—bound, bloodied, and drugged—Gideon is interrogated by the authorities about his role in a battle that has become an international incident. If he stands any chance of saving his friends and the girl he’s fallen for—not to mention all of humankind—he needs to convince the skeptical government officials the world is in imminent danger.

But will anyone believe him?

I've been waiting for another publication by Veronica Rossi. What are you waiting on this week? Let me know!

Into the Still Blue - Review

Into the Still Blue (Under the Never Sky, # 3)

By: Veronica Rossi

Expected Publication: January 28th 2014 by HarperCollins

400 pages

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Dystopian

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository | Booksamillion.com )

*Note: The above links to Amazon, Book Depository, and Booksamillion.com are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--The earth-shattering conclusion to Veronica Rossi's "masterpiece" Under the Never Sky trilogy and sequel to the New York Times bestselling Through the Ever Night (Examiner.com).

Their love and their leadership have been tested. Now it's time for Perry and Aria to unite the Dwellers and the Outsiders in one last desperate attempt to bring balance to their world.

The race to the Still Blue has reached a stalemate. Aria and Perry are determined to find this last safe-haven from the Aether storms before Sable and Hess do-and they are just as determined to stay together.

Meanwhile, time is running out to rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique abilities. And when Roar returns to camp, he is so furious with Perry that he won't even look at him, and Perry begins to feel like they have already lost.

Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble a team to mount an impossible rescue mission-because Cinder isn't just the key to unlocking the Still Blue and their only hope for survival, he's also their friend. And in a dying world, the bonds between people are what matter most.

In this final book in her stunning Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi raises the stakes to their absolute limit and brings her epic love story to an unforgettable close

Oh *sigh*! The close of another series that I’ve really enjoyed. You guys I LOVED Under the Never Sky. Through the Ever Night was somewhat more of a struggle as book 2 in a series can be. But I would say that Through the Ever Night was better than many other book 2s that I’ve read. And lately I’ve been disappointed with several series enders so I was somewhat nervous about Into the Still Blue. But Veronica Rossi did me right.

Aria is one of my favorite female leads of recent books. She’s strong and opinionated. But she’s got a good head on her shoulders. She knows instinctively how to lead. And she learns from her mistakes. Yet she’s still vulnerable and just the right amount emotional. Perry has also learned from his mistakes. He’s a do-what-needs-to-be-done kind of guy. But Perry isn’t afraid of showing how much he cares—for Aria, for the Tides, for Roar. Whoever, whatever that has captured his heart is fair game. He does struggle with the line of trying to be in control of himself because of his emotions, but that just makes him all the more attractive to me.

As with the other books in this series, the secondary characters have such standout personalities and behaviors. I was attached to almost all of them. Soren and the other dwellers make progress in mixing with the Tides. Talon, Cinder, Willow, Flea…love those kids. Even Brooke. I loved the addition of Loran. He was one of my favorite characters in this book. Sable makes a perfect villain—someone you love to hate.

I really get wrapped up in Veronica Rossi’s writing. A few (HA!) of my favorite quotes:

Even the way he stood, weight to one side, like his entire life was out of balance.

He looked back, still walking, and pressed a hand to his heart.

In all her life, her heart had never hurt like this. Never

He'd said when. Even in his beaten condition, he believed in whens and not ifs. She never should have doubted his strength.

"Tell me," he said. "How is it that you've come to trust the Outsiders, and they you?" Aria shrugged. "I started with the right one."

They had practiced handing their worries back and forth.

"I could kill you silently if I wanted to."

The moment of absolute silence felt familiar, reminding Perry of when he'd slain Vale. Power felt tangible. Its shift unmistakeable. Something had just ended, and something had just begun, and every person there sense it: a change as startling and inevitable as the first drops of rain.

"You misunderstood. I'm not questioning him. I've always known who he is. What I'm questioning, thanks to a girl with a tooth-rattling kick, is who I am."

There were a few moments where the characters made some choices that had me frustrated. Roar, in particular, acting from a place of grief puts everyone around him in danger. But overall I was insanely proud of these characters ability to work with what they’re given. To make better choices when given a second opportunity. To continue to strive toward the goal of a new life away from the dangers of the aether. In the end, I think everything happened in Into the Still Blue exactly the way it needed to.

While I think Into the Still Blue was one of the better series enders I’ve read recently, I still have to say that I don’t know that it lived up to the essence of book 1. Under the Never Sky blew me away. I loved everything about it. And while I did enjoy Into the Still Blue, I do know that I enjoyed Under the Never Sky more. Into the Still Blue gets 4 stars from me still. Have you read Into the Still Blue?

Top Ten New-To-Me Authors I Read in 2013

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten New-To-Me Authors I Read in 2013.

You guys, I read SO MANY good books this year. And many of those books were by authors I haven't read before. It's no secret that I have a hard time keeping to ten choices on these posts, but this one might have been excessive. I just couldn't stop! I wanted to give credit to all of the new (to me) authors that have blown me away this year!

1) Rainbow Rowell (Eleanor & Park)

2) RL LaFevers (Grave Mercy)

3) Anne Eliot (Almost)

4) Jay Crownover (Rule, Jet, & Rome)

5) Brent Crawford (Carter Finally Gets It)

6) JA Redmerski (The Edge of Never, The Edge of Always)

7) KA Tucker (Ten Tiny Breaths, One Tiny Lie)

8) John & Stasi Eldredge (Captivating)

9) Kasie West (The Distance Between Us)

10) Gayle Forman (If I Stay, Where She Went)

11) Lauren Oliver (Delirium, Pandemonium)

12) Michelle Hodkin (The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer)

13) Courtney Summers (This is Not a Test)

14) Leigh Bardugo (Shadow & Bone, Siege & Storm)

15) Rick Yancey (The 5th Wave)

16) Veronica Rossi (Under the Never Sky, Through the Ever Night, & Into the Still Blue)

17) Marissa Meyer (Cinder, Scarlet)

18) John Green (The Fault in Our Stars)

What authors have blown you away this year? Let me know!

Waiting on Into the Still Blue

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Into the Still Blue (Under the Never Sky, # 3)

By: Veronica Rossi

Expected Publication: January 28th 2014 by HarperCollins

400 pages

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Dystopian

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository | Booksamillion.com )

*Note: The above links to Amazon, Book Depository, and Booksamillion.com are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--The earth-shattering conclusion to Veronica Rossi's "masterpiece" Under the Never Sky trilogy and sequel to the New York Times bestselling Through the Ever Night (Examiner.com).

Their love and their leadership have been tested. Now it's time for Perry and Aria to unite the Dwellers and the Outsiders in one last desperate attempt to bring balance to their world.

The race to the Still Blue has reached a stalemate. Aria and Perry are determined to find this last safe-haven from the Aether storms before Sable and Hess do-and they are just as determined to stay together.

Meanwhile, time is running out to rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique abilities. And when Roar returns to camp, he is so furious with Perry that he won't even look at him, and Perry begins to feel like they have already lost.

Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble a team to mount an impossible rescue mission-because Cinder isn't just the key to unlocking the Still Blue and their only hope for survival, he's also their friend. And in a dying world, the bonds between people are what matter most.

In this final book in her stunning Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi raises the stakes to their absolute limit and brings her epic love story to an unforgettable close

Oh yeah!!!! Can't wait for this one! What are you waiting on this week? Let me know!

Through the Ever Night - Review

Through the Ever Night (Under the Never Sky, # 2)

By: Veronica Rossi

Published: January 8th 2013 by HarperCollins

352 pages

Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Dystopian

Source: Borrowed from my SNL, Holly @ Words Fueled by Love

( Goodreads | Amazon | The Book Depository | Booksamillion.com )

*Note: The above links to Amazon, The Book Depository, and Booksamillion.com are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--It's been months since Aria last saw Perry. Months since Perry was named Blood Lord of the Tides, and Aria was charged with an impossible mission. Now, finally, they are about to be reunited. But their reunion is far from perfect. The Tides don't take kindly to Aria, a former Dweller. And with the worsening Aether storms threatening the tribe's precarious existence, Aria begins to fear that leaving Perry behind might be the only way to save them both. Threatened by false friends, hidden enemies, and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder,Can their love survive through the ever night? In this second book in her spellbinding Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi combines fantasy and dystopian elements to create a captivating love story as perilous as it is unforgettable.

I finished Under the Never Sky and needed to get my hands on Through the Ever Night as soon as possible. But responsibility came first. I needed to read a couple of review books first. So I finally got around to reading Through the Ever Night and now I can't get it out of my head. I immediately moved into another book after finishing Through the Ever Night, but I couldn't concentrate on it. When does Into the Still Blue come out? Friggin' next year! Argh! (January 28, 2014 is the estimated publication date for Into the Still Blue.)

When we left Under the Never Sky, Aria and Perry had been separated. Aria had just found out that her mother was dead and Perry was named Blood Lord of the Tides. I was totally prepared because of the Goodreads blurb for Aria and Perry to be separated for most of the beginning of the book. And was pleasantly surprised when they quickly had a reunion that I didn't have to stumble through 60% of the book to get to. However, there does come a time when separate paths must be taken for a bit so I wasn't too far off with my expectations.

Through the Ever Night really showed the struggles of being a leader. Perry tries to make the very best decisions he can for his tribe, but he's constantly being questioned and undermined. I'm sure every leader faces this, but it was hard to live this with Perry. I sympathized with him for the weight of everything he has to carry, but Perry presses on. He continues to make the hard decisions--even if they're not very popular. Sometimes I wanted to yell at his tribe to just sit down, shut up, and keep their opinions to themselves. Over time Perry earns his respect and his spot at Blood Lord and I think he needed to earn it just as much as his people needed to see him earn it.

Also when we left Under the Never Sky, Aria and Perry's relationship was unresolved. We know they were getting closer. Perry has rendered to her. But Perry's told Aria that he needs to marry someone who has the same Mark as he does. He's a Scire and a Seer, but Aria's an Aud. So they don't match. But we're not sure if that is going to stop them or not. Through the Ever Night doesn't really give them much opportunity to talk and flesh this stuff out so Aria and Perry as a couple feel unstable throughout the majority of the book.

The secondary characters get more of a chance to shine in Through the Ever Night than they did in Under the Never Sky. Roar and Aria are essentially best friends after spending the last few months together. We finally get to meet Liv that Roar has been pining over all of Under the Never Sky. Cinder gets fleshed out some more. And we extend the cast of secondary characters to more of the Tides and even introducing Sable and Kirra of the Horns--can I just say that I HATED Kirra. Not to mention that some of the Dwellers from Aria's past make a few more appearances.

Through the Ever Night has stuck with me even after finishing it. I read it in a hurried, almost frantic way. And I can't wait to get my hands on book 3, Into the Still Blue. Through the Ever Night gets 4 Stars from me. Have you read Through the Ever Night? What did you think? Let me know!

Under the Never Sky - Review

Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky, # 1)

By: Veronica Rossi

Published: January 3rd 2012 by HarperCollins

374 pages

Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Dystopian, Fantasy

Source: Borrowed from my SNL, Holly @ Words Fueled by Love

( Goodreads | Amazon | The Book Depository | Books-A-Million )

*Note: The above links to Amazon, The Book Depository, and Booksamillion.com are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--WORLDS KEPT THEM APART.

DESTINY BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER.

Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she's never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim.

Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He's searching for someone too. He's also wild - a savage - but might be her best hope at staying alive.

If they can survive, they are each other's best hope for finding answers.

I put off reading Under the Never Sky because my sister-in-law reviewed it and said she felt like it had a slow start, but she ended up loving it. (You can read her review here.) I really haven't been in the mood to get bogged down with anything that might be slow at all. So despite knowing that she ended up being really impressed with the book, I put off reading it for fear of getting stuck in a slow beginning.

I didn't have that problem. I read Under the Never Sky in around 24 hours. It's one of the better books I've read recently (and I've read some good ones), and I really got wrapped up in it. Sometimes when I'm reading a book that I'm only semi-interested in, I find myself getting sleepy while reading. But that wasn't a problem at all. I was totally absorbed in the world that Veronica Rossi created. Speaking of that, Under the Never Sky is definitely ones of the best worlds I've read recently as well.

Ok I'm trying to stop gushing and write something coherent, but I'm having a difficult time putting my thoughts into words.

Aria, as the description says, has lived in this protected and mostly virtual world her whole life. And she loves it there. Because her mother has gone radio-silent, Aria pretty much worries to the point of taking some risky chances with some friends in order to find out some information about what might have happened to her mother. She ends up thrown into the "outside" world where she expects to die pretty quickly because her people aren't known to be able to survive the outside. However, what she finds is a whole new world that she grows to adapt to and eventually find beautiful.

Perry has always been on the outside. Yet he has a deep struggle between his love for his family, specifically his nephew Talon, and his duty to help his people. Perry's brother, Vale, is Blood Lord over their tribe, and any move Perry makes against Vale's decisions results in this teetering, unstable balance of a fight to the death or Perry leaving the tribe. A crucial incident takes place that forces Perry's hand. He sets off on his mission and there runs into Aria.

I really connected to Aria. She's a quick learner, but I probably connected to Perry more. Aira and Perry come to an uneasy agreement, and then strike off on their journey together in hopes of solving both of their problems and returning to their homes. Aria and Perry are both quick to believe everything they've been taught about the other's culture and thus the tension between them. Aria thinks Perry is a savage and will just as quickly eat her as help her. Perry thinks Aria is a spoiled by her virtual worlds and will just as likely get herself killed as actually help him in their mission. But they suck it up and continue, all the while grieving in their own ways and for their own reasons. I also really enjoyed the alternating POVs, because I like to see how each character sees and preceives differently.

I loved the development between Aria and Perry. How they slowly begin to trust each other. How they both annoy each other to death at first, but then eventually small moments of kindness eek out and are seen. I loved how Aria begins to adapt to the outside. How I can see her change and grow. I'm intrigued by Perry's ability to scent tempers and the other Marks in this world. The Aether too. What a terrifying but beautiful picture. The beginning jumped into this world with terms that we're not accustom to, but it didn't take me long to figure them out and I actually enjoy being thrown into this world this way. I don't want every difference from the real world to the created world to be laid out for me like I'm not capable of figuring it out on my own.

I don't think there was too much of anything about Under the Never Sky that I didn't like. I've got Through the Ever Night in my possession, but I have to read some other review books before I can pick it up. I must say that I've got that feeling in my gut that I won't be satisfied until I get my hands and eyes on Through the Ever Night.

Under the Never Sky gets 4 stars from me. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys world building and dystopian novels. Have you read Under the Never Sky? What did you think? Let me know!