Last year, I wrote about how much I loved The Orphan Queen, the first book in Jodi Meadow’s duology. (Quick refresher: in a world in which magic is banned because it produces a poisonous side-effect called wraith, Princess Wilhelmina has a magical ability she’s hiding. She also has a secret identity, is fighting to get her throne back from the usurping Indigo Kingdom, and is falling in love with a vigilante–not the best love interest for a future queen.) The sequel, The Mirror King, didn’t disappoint. There were so many great, unexpected plot twists. Some truly swoon-worthy romantic moments. Tons of action. Truly, this is a fantastic duo.
Fans of Once Upon a Time should check out C.J. Redwine’s newest book. The Shadow Queen is a Snow White re-telling, but instead of beauty, Lorelai (the Snow White character) and her step-mother are battling for power over their kingdom. The book is atmospheric, intense, and so creepy in places. (Seriously, after reading it, you may never want to eat an apple ever again.) There are shape-shifting dragons, parkour, and a really interesting magic system. Best of all: although this is technically the first book in a series, each book is slated to be a stand alone set in the same world.
If you’re into history, Ruta Sepeyts’s newest book, Salt to the Sea is a great read. It follows four teenagers fleeing Germany during the end of World War II–a Lithuanian nurse, a German soldier, a German deserter, and a Polish refugee. Their stories intersect as they board the Wilhelm Gustloff–the greatest maritime disaster in history. I’d never heard about the sinking of this ship until I read this book, and after reading it, I have no idea why (over 9,000 people died!). Sepeyts’s writing is beautiful, her characters so intense, and the story haunting. But be warned: you need tissues handy if you pick this one up.
On the lighter side of history a historical re-imagining is My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows, and Brodi Ashton, which comes out on June 7. The story follows Lady Jane Grey, who was queen of England for nine days before Mary took the throne. But this was Jane’s story as the authors think it should have been–with a large dash of fantasy thrown in for good measure. It was hilariously funny (think: The Princess Bride type humor) and was everything I wanted in a light book. Instead of arguing about whether the English should be Protestant or Catholic, they are fighting over whether Eðians (people who can shape-shift into animals) should have rights in their kingdom. Within the first few chapters of the book, Jane finds herself married to a man she met hours before her wedding, and she doesn’t know he turns into a horse each morning until he does so in front of her. The story follows her as she navigates being married to a man who spends daylight hours as a horse, becomes queen, loses the throne, and–in the middle of all that–has to figure out how to keep her head attached to her shoulders.
Anything going straight on your TBR list? What have you been reading lately? Any other books you think everyone should know about?
Thank you to HarperCollins for providing review copies of The Mirror King, The Shadow Queen and My Lady Jane for TN to review!
