Book Releases: April 2018

Book Releases April 2018

This year is flying by so fast! The first three months have gone and past, giving us great new books to read, just like this month. In the past three months I have already read over 50 books and am busy reading all those books from last year that I wanted to read.

Dread Nation (Dread Nation #1) by Justina Ireland
Ace of Shadow (The Shadow Game #1) by Amanda Foody
Beyond a Darkened Shore by Jessica Leake
The Fates Divide (Carve the Mark #2) by Veronica Roth
Son of the Dawn (Ghosts of the Shadow Market #1) by Cassandra Clare & Sarah Rees Brennan
Ash Princess (Ash Princess Trilogy #1) by Laura Sebastian
Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli
Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young

Dread Nation (Dread Nation #1) by Justina Ireland (April 3)

Synopsis

Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg and Chancellorsville—derailing the War Between the States and changing America forever. In this new nation, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Reeducation Act require certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead. But there are also opportunities—and Jane is studying to become an Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the well-to-do. It’s a chance for a better life for Negro girls like Jane. After all, not even being the daughter of a wealthy white Southern woman could save her from society’s expectations.

But that’s not a life Jane wants. Almost finished with her education at Miss Preston’s School of Combat in Baltimore, Jane is set on returning to her Kentucky home and doesn’t pay much mind to the politics of the eastern cities, with their talk of returning America to the glory of its days before the dead rose. But when families around Baltimore County begin to go missing, Jane is caught in the middle of a conspiracy, one that finds her in a desperate fight for her life against some powerful enemies. And the restless dead, it would seem, are the least of her problems.

Historic fantasy! Do I have to say more? I have been loving The Gentleman’s Bastard series and have been looking forward to this novel for ages. I am hoping Justina can write as prtty as Scott Lynch and has her facts straight, becaue then this novel will be great.


Ace of Shadow (The Shadow Game #1) by Amanda Foody (April 10)

Synopsis

Enne Salta was raised as a proper young lady, and no lady would willingly visit New Reynes, the so-called City of Sin. But when her mother goes missing, Enne must leave her finishing school—and her reputation—behind to follow her mother’s trail to the city where no one survives uncorrupted.

Frightened and alone, her only lead is a name: Levi Glaisyer. Unfortunately, Levi is not the gentleman she expected—he’s a street lord and a con man. Levi is also only one payment away from cleaning up a rapidly unraveling investment scam, so he doesn’t have time to investigate a woman leading a dangerous double life. Enne’s offer of compensation, however, could be the solution to all his problems. 

Their search for clues leads them through glamorous casinos, illicit cabarets and into the clutches of a ruthless mafia donna. As Enne unearths an impossible secret about her past, Levi’s enemies catch up to them, ensnaring him in a vicious execution game where the players always lose. To save him, Enne will need to surrender herself to the city…

And she’ll need to play.

I have been following Amanda Foody for awhile on Twitter and I like her writing. I am hoping her writing of Tweets translates well to her novel, because together with this synposis I am looking forward to it.


Beyond a Darkened Shore by Jessica Leake (April 10)

Synopsis

The ancient land of Éirinn is mired in war. Ciara, Princess of Mide, has never known a time when Éirinn’s kingdoms were not battling for power, or Northmen were not plundering their shores. 

The people of Mide have thankfully always been safe because of Ciara’s unearthly ability to control her enemies’ minds and actions. But lately, a mysterious crow has been appearing to Ciara, whispering warnings of an even darker threat. Although her clansmen dismiss her visions as pagan nonsense, Ciara fears this coming evil will destroy not just Éirinn, but the entire world. 

Then the crow leads Ciara to Leif, a young Northman leader. Leif should be Ciara’s enemy, but when Ciara discovers that he, too, shares her prophetic visions, she knows he’s something more. Leif is mounting an impressive army, and with Ciara’s strength in battle the two might have a chance to save their world. 

With evil rising around them, they’ll do what it takes to defend the land they love…even if it means making the greatest sacrifice of all.

This book is a fantasy that delves into mythology. I am curious how Jessica Leake did it and what her writing style is like, because I think it has a lot of potential.


The Fates Divide (Carve the Mark #2) by Veronica Roth (April 10)

Synopsis

Fate brought them together. Now it will divide them.

The lives of Cyra Noavek and Akos Kereseth are ruled by their fates, spoken by the oracles at their births. The fates, once determined, are inescapable.

Akos is in love with Cyra, in spite of his fate: He will die in service to Cyra’s family. And when Cyra’s father, Lazmet Noavek—a soulless tyrant, thought to be dead—reclaims the Shotet throne, Akos believes his end is closer than ever.

As Lazmet ignites a barbaric war, Cyra and Akos are desperate to stop him at any cost. For Cyra, that could mean taking the life of the man who may—or may not—be her father. For Akos, it could mean giving his own. In a stunning twist, the two will discover how fate defines their lives in ways most unexpected.

I still haven’t read Carve the Mark, but will do so soon (before the release of The Fates Divide). But I know that Veronica Roth has a nice writing style. As long as she stays away from the mistakes she made in Allegiant.


Son of the Dawn (Ghosts of the Shadow Market #1) by Cassandra Clare & Sarah Rees Brennan (April 10)

Synopsis

The Lightwoods, the Shadowhunters who run the New York Institute, are expecting a new addition to their family: the orphaned son of their father’s friend, Jace Wayland. Alec and Isabelle aren’t too sure they want a new brother, and their parents are not assuaging their fears, too occupied with the dark news that Raphael Santiago, second-in-command of the New York vampire clan, has brought from the Shadow Market.

I have been loving the short stories Cassandra Clare and friends have spit out so far. For the next few months she, Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson, Robin Wasserman and Kelly Link will publish these short stories as e-books. And in 2019 they will be published as a bind-up.


Ash Princess (Ash Princess Trilogy #1) by Laura Sebastian (April 24)

Synopsis

Theodosia was six when her country was invaded and her mother, the Queen of Flame and Fury, was murdered before her eyes. Ten years later, Theo has learned to survive under the relentless abuse of the Kaiser and his court as the ridiculed “Ash Princess.” Pretending to be empty-headed and naive when she’s not enduring brutal whippings, she pushes down all other thoughts but one: Keep the Kaiser happy and he will keep you safe.

When the Kaiser forces her to execute her last hope of rescue, Theo can’t keep her feelings and memories pushed down any longer. She vows revenge, throwing herself into a plot to seduce and murder the Kaiser’s warrior son with the help of a group of magically gifted and volatile rebels. But Theo doesn’t expect to develop feelings for the Prinz. Or for her rebel allies to challenge her friendship with the one person who’s been kind to her throughout the last hopeless decade: her heart’s sister, Cress.

Cornered into impossible choices and unable to trust even those who are on her side, Theo will have to decide how far she’s willing to go to save her people and how much of herself she’s willing to sacrifice to become queen.

I have heard a lot of people mentioning Ash Princess as something they thought would be a great novel, but not actually weither they have read it. But I think the synopsis sound great and to me it sounds like something I would like.


Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli (April 24)

Synopsis

Leah Burke—girl-band drummer, master of deadpan, and Simon Spier’s best friend from the award-winning Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda—takes center stage in this novel of first love and senior-year angst.

When it comes to drumming, Leah Burke is usually on beat—but real life isn’t always so rhythmic. An anomaly in her friend group, she’s the only child of a young, single mom, and her life is decidedly less privileged. She loves to draw but is too self-conscious to show it. And even though her mom knows she’s bisexual, she hasn’t mustered the courage to tell her friends—not even her openly gay BFF, Simon.

So Leah really doesn’t know what to do when her rock-solid friend group starts to fracture in unexpected ways. With prom and college on the horizon, tensions are running high. It’s hard for Leah to strike the right note while the people she loves are fighting—especially when she realizes she might love one of them more than she ever intended.

I loved Leah in Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda so I am hoping that this novel won’t focus too much on romance and is just a fun read.


Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young (April 24)

Synopsis

Raised to be a warrior, seventeen-year-old Eelyn fights alongside her Aska clansmen in an ancient rivalry against the Riki clan. Her life is brutal but simple: fight and survive. Until the day she sees the impossible on the battlefield—her brother, fighting with the enemy—the brother she watched die five years ago.

Faced with her brother’s betrayal, she must survive the winter in the mountains with the Riki, in a village where every neighbor is an enemy, every battle scar possibly one she delivered. But when the Riki village is raided by a ruthless clan thought to be a legend, Eelyn is even more desperate to get back to her beloved family.

She is given no choice but to trust Fiske, her brother’s friend, who sees her as a threat. They must do the impossible: unite the clans to fight together, or risk being slaughtered one by one. Driven by a love for her clan and her growing love for Fiske, Eelyn must confront her own definition of loyalty and family while daring to put her faith in the people she’s spent her life hating.

I have heard a lot of people saying this novel is such a great read. I think the synposis sounds great and am curious to read it myself.


Let me know what you thought of these books!
If you have any requests for which book I should talk about next, please let me know in the comments down below.

For now, let books enrich your life!

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