Waiting on Wednesday: Throne of Glass

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Release: August 7, 2012

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Back in 2007, I came across a story on Fiction Press. The premise of the story intrigued me. Cinderella as an assassin? The amount of reviews it had further piqued my curiosity and I began to read. Needless to say, I spent my senior year in High School reading this story. One chapter at a time. Words can't express how much I adored this story. 


That story was Queen of Glass. 


And a year later, in 2008, I was thrilled to find that Sarah J. Maas was pursing publication. It was bittersweet, though, because it meant her taking Queen of Glass off of Fiction. 


And now, 10 years after she first posted Queen of Glass on Fiction Press, it now has a new title and an official publication date. It's now Throne of Glass and it will be released August 7, 2012. Words cannot express how EXCITED I am to read this. 


Not to mention, LOOK AT THE GORGEOUS COVER! *fangirls* It was just revealed two days ago, and in light of the new cover, I decided to pick this as my WoW. And to promote her book, Sarah is planning to release four e-novellas before the official novel's release. The first three are already out: The Assassin and the Pirate Lord, The Assassin and the Desert, and The Assassin and the Underworld. The fourth, The Assassin and the Empire, does not have a release date yet. These all take place two years before the events in Throne of Glass.


So enough of my babbling. Here's the blurb (from Good Reads): 

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After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men—thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the kings council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined

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And don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY! 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly Meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine. Book bloggers present upcoming books they can’t wait to read and share their enthusiasm about new releases

Recommendation: Cinder

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Release: 1/3/2012

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . 

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future. 

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I admit it: I'm a sucker for fairytale retellings (in fact, my WIP is a semi-retelling/semi-original fantasy). So when I heard the premise of Cinder, I went--WHAT? A Cinderella Cyborg? How cool! And even after reading Cinder by Marrissa Meyer, I still think "how cool".

We all know the basic story of Cinderella, but you've never seen it like this. I found Cinder a refreshing and very relatable character, who is a far cry from the Disney film version. She's no pushover and she demands respect, despite society telling her that she's a ugly, unwanted cyborg. Cinder's hurt by the words, but more than that, she attempts to prove them wrong. She's smart, resourceful, and one heck of a mechanic. Yeah, Cinder is pretty awesome.

So what about the setting? It's futuristic and takes place in a country called New Bejing. I somehow picture a city that resembles the hovering cars and towering buildings in Star Wars. And yes, I said Star Wars. Don't judge me. New Bejing, though, is under quite an epidemic, and there is a frantic rush to find a cure. I won't spoil the who's and what's, but when you crack open the cover, you're in for one heck of a story. And the ending--MY what a cliffhanger. It made me hungry for the sequel, Scarlet.

I have only two issues that bring down my overall rating: I thought Kai was sweet, but not someone that stands out. He's average, I suppose, and this affects my impression of Cinder and Kai's relationship. Perhaps the second book will make him more appealing in my eyes? The second, and last issue, I have with the book is that the "big reveal"/plot twist was very predictable. I knew what it would be from page 55. Now, how it would be revealed and what would happen were all unknown, so being able to guess the plot twist didn't detract too much from the novel. It's still a point worth making.

Anyway, go out and get your copy today. I definitely recommend it!

RATING: 4 SLICES