First Chapter First Paragraph: King's Cage

First Chapter, First Paragraph is a meme hosted by Bibliophile by the Sea, where we share the first paragraph of a book we're currently reading or want to read soon.  My selection this week comes from King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard.

"I rise to my feet when he lets me.

The chain jerks me up, pulling on the thorned collar at my throat.  Its points dig in, not enough to draw blood- not yet.  But I'm already bleeding from the wrists.  Slow wounds, worn from days of unconscious captivity in rough, ripping manacles.  The color stains my white sleeves dark crimson and bright scarlet, fading from old blood to new in a testament of my ordeal.  To show Maven's court how much I've suffered already."

Based on this intro, would you read this book?  Watch for my review of King's Cage on Saturday!

Happy Reading!

By Your Side by Kasie West

By Your Side by Kasie West
Published by Harper Teen in January 2017

"When Autumn Collins finds herself accidentally locked in the library for an entire weekend, she doesn’t think things could get any worse. But that’s before she realizes that Dax Miller is locked in with her. Autumn doesn’t know much about Dax except that he’s trouble. Between the rumors about the fight he was in (and that brief stint in juvie that followed it) and his reputation as a loner, he’s not exactly the ideal person to be stuck with. Still, she just keeps reminding herself that it is only a matter of time before Jeff, her almost-boyfriend, realizes he left her in the library and comes to rescue her.

Only he doesn’t come. No one does.

Instead it becomes clear that Autumn is going to have to spend the next couple of days living off vending-machine food and making conversation with a boy who clearly wants nothing to do with her. Except there is more to Dax than meets the eye. As he and Autumn first grudgingly, and then not so grudgingly, open up to each other, Autumn is struck by their surprising connection. But can their feelings for each other survive once the weekend is over and Autumn’s old life, and old love interest, threaten to pull her from Dax’s side?" -- From Goodreads

Will you like it?
This book was a little heavier than Kasie West's normal chipper rom-coms.  By Your Side deals with foster parents and anxiety.  I also really liked that the entire novel wasn't set in the library.  They leave halfway through and have to deal with their problems in the real world, not the isolated library.

I liked that the problems were real, not just ones that could be pushed under a rug and forgotten.  When Autumn finally has her first panic attack in front of her friends, the circumstances that brought it on also made my hands clammy.  Kasie West did a great job portraying anxiety and how crippling it could be.  I already have Kasie West books as must-reads, and this book solidified that for me.

Disclosure: I purchased my own copy of this book.

The Last of August by Brittany Cavallaro

The Last of August by Brittany Cavallaro
Published by Katherine Tegen Books in February 2017
Charlotte Holmes #2

"Jamie Watson and Charlotte Holmes are looking for a winter break reprieve in Sussex after a fall semester that almost got them killed. But nothing about their time off is proving simple, including Holmes and Watson’s growing feelings for each other. When Charlotte’s beloved uncle Leander goes missing from the Holmes estate—after being oddly private about his latest assignment in a German art forgery ring—the game is afoot once again, and Charlotte throws herself into a search for answers.

So begins a dangerous race through the gritty underground scene in Berlin and glittering art houses in Prague, where Holmes and Watson discover that this complicated case might change everything they know about their families, themselves, and each other." -- From Goodreads

Will you like it?
I was totally shocked by the ending of this book.  I don't want to spoil anything, but a match is finally thrown on the Moriarty/Holmes feud.

Otherwise, Charlotte and Jamie are now navigating their own relationship.  There is almost too much angst with their relationship, and I had to keep reminding myself that they are only 16 in the book.  In a lot of the book, Jamie mopes around because he feels like he is unwanted.

Overall, this book was darker than the first.  I can only assume that the conclusion to this trilogy will be darker yet, and I really hope everyone does not end up dead.

Disclosure: I received an electronic galley of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Windwitch by Susan Dennard

Windwitch  by Susan Dennard
Published by Tor Teen in January 2017
The Witchlands #2

"In this follow-up to New York Times bestselling Truthwitch, a shadow man haunts the Nubrevnan streets, leaving corpses in his wake—and then raising those corpses from the dead. Windwitch continues the tale of Merik—cunning privateer, prince, and windwitch."

Will you like it?
I think I enjoyed this book slightly more than the first one.  I tend to enjoy second books, but not fully fall in love because they're just prolonging the action until the end of the series.  I think Dennard made a wise decision by choosing to shift her focus to Merik as the main character.  Of course, we still get time with the other characters, but we spend a lot of time with Merik.

I loved getting to know the characters more, and I think it will be interesting what roles some characters will play in the third and fourth books.  I know it seems very random now, but the threads that bind these characters will become clearer later in the series.  I just love putting together the pieces of the puzzles.

Overall, I can't wait to read more of this series.  I have loved how unique this series has been in terms of magic.

Disclosure: I borrowed a copy of this book from my local library.

Waiting on Wednesday: Stranger Than Fanfiction

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which shines a light on eagerly anticipated upcoming releases.  This week, my pick is:

Stranger Than Fanfiction by Chris Colfer
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Date: March 7, 2017

"Cash Carter is the young, world famous lead actor of the hit television Wiz Kids. When four fans jokingly invite him on a cross-country road trip, they are shocked that he actually takes them up on it. Chased by paparazzi and hounded by reporters, this unlikely crew takes off on a journey of a lifetime--but along the way they discover that the star they love has deep secrets he's been keeping. What they come to learn about the life of the mysterious person they thought they knew will teach them about the power of empathy and the unbreakable bond of true friendship." - From Goodreads

I love Chris Colfer as an author, and I can't wait to read something besides his Land of Stories series.