WAITING ON WEDNESDAY: THE ASIAN AUTHORS ROCK EDITION.

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine that highlights our much anticipated books.

DESCENDANT OF THE CRANE BY JOAN HE
Expected Publication Date: April 2nd 2019 by Albert Whitman Company
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Tyrants cut out hearts. Rulers sacrifice their own

Princess Hesina of Yan has always been eager to shirk the responsibilities of the crown, but when her beloved father is murdered, she’s thrust into power, suddenly the queen of an unstable kingdom. Determined to find her father’s killer, Hesina does something desperate: she engages the aid of a soothsayer—a treasonous act, punishable by death... because in Yan, magic was outlawed centuries ago.

Using the information illicitly provided by the sooth, and uncertain if she can trust even her family, Hesina turns to Akira—a brilliant and alluring investigator who’s also a convicted criminal with secrets of his own. With the future of her kingdom at stake, can Hesina find justice for her father? Or will the cost be too high?

In this shimmering Chinese-inspired fantasy, debut author Joan He introduces a determined and vulnerable young heroine struggling to do right in a world brimming with deception.

SPIN THE DAWN BY ELIZABETH LIM
Expected Publication Date: July 30th 2019 by Knopf
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Project Runway meets Mulan in this sweeping YA fantasy about a young girl who poses as a boy to compete for the role of imperial tailor and embarks on an impossible journey to sew three magic dresses, from the sun, the moon, and the stars.

Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia poses as a boy and takes his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she'll take that risk to achieve her dream and save her family from ruin. There's just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors vying for the job.

Backstabbing and lies run rampant as the tailors compete in challenges to prove their artistry and skill. Maia's task is further complicated when she draws the attention of the court magician, Edan, whose piercing eyes seem to see straight through her disguise.

And nothing could have prepared her for the final challenge: to sew three magic gowns for the emperor's reluctant bride-to-be, from the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of stars. With this impossible task before her, she embarks on a journey to the far reaches of the kingdom, seeking the sun, the moon, and the stars, and finding more than she ever could have imagined.

Steeped in Chinese culture, sizzling with forbidden romance, and shimmering with magic, this young adult fantasy is pitch-perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas or Renée Ahdieh.

The illustrations in both covers are just stunning! As a newbie artist, I have a new eye in appreciating art like these two and I must say that they are --- WOWZAAAAAH! The palette, the intricate details and symbolism are just so well done I can imagine petting the cover in person with so much love for both of them.

I miss championing not only debut authors but Asian authors as well! I am just so damn proud that more and more Asian /and diverse/ books are being published and it is absolutely time to shine! I cannot ever word it correctly - the importance of representation - that seeing these books I know would matter to me /and a lot of people/ hit shelves soon just give me so much pride and joy!

And of course, the synopsis of both books! I can only ever hope that both books would deliver because THERE'S SO MUCH POTENTIAL IN THESE AND MY HEART WON'T BE ABLE TO HANDLE DISAPPOINTMENTS HUHUHU - but really, I am just excited to read them and drown in all the goodness of it all!

2019 is surely gonna rock YA!

What title/s did you pick this week?

REVIEW: THE WRATH AND THE DAWN BY RENEE AHDIEH.

Title: The Wrath and the Dawn
Author: Renee Ahdieh
Series: The Wrath and the Dawn #1
Edition: Hardbound
Publication: May 12th 2015 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Source: Bought
Pages: 404
Genre: Retelling, Fantasy, Romance

Synopsis:

One Life to One Dawn.

In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad's dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliph's reign of terror once and for all.

Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid, weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what she'd imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart. Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It's an unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it seems in this palace of marble and stone. She resolves to uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid's life as retribution for the many lives he's stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets?

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ISBN: 0399171614 (ISBN13: 9780399171611)

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My heart just cannot fucking handle all the emotions The Wrath and the Dawn gave me. It's astonishingly good that I cannot - for the love of me - wrap my mind around how fucking extraordinary this book is! I hate myself so much for waiting this long to get into it but also proud of that I picked it up at my own pacing. I am also trying my best not to capslock for intensity but damn, I'm gonna fail right about now BECAUSE TWATD WAS FREAKING SOLID PUNCH IN THE GUT!

Shahrzad plans to kill the monster that murdered her best friend. Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan, marries and kills his bride by hanging each dawn. In order to avenge her best friend's death and stop the killings, she volunteered to be his bride. She knew she only had a day to live but Shahrzad being the clever person she is, made way for her death to be postponed for a day. She tells the King a story and ended it in a cliffhanger so she could continue the story the next day. And the next. She has to kill the Caliph and she has to do it fast. But unbelievable turn of events occurred and she's now faced with dilemma: the monster isn't the monster she thought he was and very much conflicted with her feelings.

I felt strings of emotions I never knew I am capable of feeling. I don't even know how to summarize this without spoiling but guuuuuuuuuuys, TWATD is definitely one of the best YA Fantasies I have ever read in my life! HANDS DOWN THE MOST THRILLING EVER! I know I've used "left me on edge" before so let me rephrase this as "made me shut the book and take a breather" kinda book! Ahdieh surely knows how to build up scenes and is confident to know exactly where to drop the bombs! Her writing is music to me and gosh, I was shrieking and giggling and crying and it was all wonderful. The story was certainly bloody and dark and I want more.

I have nothing but praises for this story. It legit made me fall in love with it. The absolute perfection of each character (HI, KHALID MI BABY LOVES), how blood weaves its way to love and how love produces magic, how each chapter holds so much anticipation and action? OUT OF THIS WORLD KIND OF GOOD! Aware of all the feels even, I am at a loss for words, really.

I heard that it's inspired by Thousand and One Arabian Nights but I haven't read that one yet. So the best way I could describe this is Beauty and the Beast-ish x 1000000 of amazing feels. Khalid has a very dark past but he's not a jerk at all and didn't use it as an excuse to be a jerk. He's very much to swoon for. He's interesting to the core, charming, passionate and self-less. Most especially, he's a true leader.

Khalid took me by surprise a lot and Shahrzad was simply mesmerizing! A beautiful queen indeed. She knows how to come out of situations she hasn't anticipated and she's very clever! She's stubborn and doesn't let anyone own her plus, she carries herself pretty well. She's not afraid to admit if she's hurt or if she wronged people. She's brave to have accepted her vulnerability and wise enough to have used her weaknesses as her strengths. I loved how her character developed and the progress of her relationship with her husband was perfectly executed.

ALSO, I CRIED LIKE A BABY AT PAGE 350. MY GOSH.

The Wrath and the Dawn is currently sitting at Number 1 in my Best Books of 2018. Thrilling and intense, it isn't that so hard to fall in love with this book! Absolutely enchanting and perfectly intoxicating!

"Some things exist in our lives for but a brief moment. And we must let them go on to light another sky."

"You have a beautiful laugh. Like the promise of tomorrow."

"There is no one I would rather see the sunrise with than you."

"I know love is fragile. And loving someone like you is near impossible. Like holding something shattered through a raging sandstorm. If you want her to love you, shelter her from that storm…And make certain that storm isn’t you."

REVIEW: POISON'S CAGE BY BREEANA SHIELDS.

Title: Poison's Cage
Author: Breeana Shields
Series: Poison's Kiss #2
Edition: Paperback
Publication: January 16th 2018 by Random House Books for Young Readers
Source: ARC provided by the publisher
Pages: 336
Category: Mythology, Romance, Fantasy

Synopsis:

A single kiss could kill. A single secret could save the kingdom.

Iyla and Marinda have killed many men together: Iyla as the seductress, Marinda as the final, poisonous kiss. Now they understand who the real enemy is—the Snake King—and together they can take him down. Both girls have felt as though they were living a lie in the past, so moving into the King's palace and pretending to serve him isn't as difficult as it sounds. But when you're a spy, even secrets between friends are dangerous. And each girl has something—or someone—to lose. Does every secret, every lie, bring them closer to the truth or . . . to a trap?

PURCHASE THE BOOK HERE:
ISBN13: 9781101937860

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WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SLIGHT SPOILERS HEHE

I just finished reading the last page of Poison's Cage and woooooooowsa, I am blown away. This is waaaay better than the first book and absolutely the perfect ending for a duology! I was kinda hoping there's a third book but I am absolutely satisfied with how things wrapped up! It was truly an amazing read!

Poison's Cage let me walk along side Iyla and Marinda in their quest to destroy the Nagaraja. The story is told from their alternating perspectives and it is so fascinating to be able to see everything from both sides. Iyla is such a tough cookie but her longing for Marinda's affection, her resentments towards what she lost and the emptiness of being an just option have all dawned in her and it's relatable in ways I can't even pinpoint. Her struggles of choose between her own life or Marinda's gave me such conflict as well but her loyalty and love for her friend outweigh any doubts. Shields gave Iyla's story redemption and hope that I thought it would end there, but she gave her love, true love in fact, that made me so happy! Iyla deserves so much more and indeed, it was even beyond what I expected. And I think I might have fallen in love with Fazel's lightness and sincere character. They balance each other well. One rejects kindness like a reflex and one gives kindness without reservation.

Marinda grew up so much in this installment. Her doubts and assumptions are all obvious throughout the story but it made her so real, so raw, that her pain pinches my heart. However, the good in her triumphs in situations she can easily kill. Despite the agony she just went through (OMG, THIS PART FELT LIKE I'VE BROKEN A BONE OR SOMETHING BECAUSE UGH EXCRUCIATING PAIN), she remained hopeful and unafraid to love the people around her.

The twists and turns of the story just floored me. Some parts can be easily predicted but Shields have so many things up on her sleeve apparently. The mythology has been nothing but richer and she owned this story, backed up by her research and love for the Hindu, Buddhist and Indian mythologies. I've never used this phrase in a while but believe me when I say this is mind-blowing!

There's no perfect ending for Poison's Kiss than Poison's Cage. Fast-paced, mythology-rich and exquisite character arcs, this book lands a spot in my Best Books of 2018, no doubt! It was beautifully written and I want more books like this in my life and in yours, too!

Thank you, Penguin Random House International, for the galley!

"But I learned a long time ago that tears are thieves of power."

"I need him to fall for me-at least enough to loosen his lips and dislodge his secrets. And I can't do that if I let myself be charmed by his easy laugh. By the way his skin feels like velvet against mine."

BLOG TOUR REVIEW: BATMAN: NIGHTWALKER BY MARIE LU.

Happy New Year, everybody! Hope you had a blast lasy NY Day! I surely did! Today I will share my first review of the year! Thank you JM of The Bookfreak Revelations for hosting this tour and PRH International for sending in my review copy!

Title: Batman: Nightwalker
Author: Marie Lu
Series: DC Icons #2
Edition: Paperback
Publication: January 2nd 2018 by Random House Books for Young Readers
Source: ARC provided by the publisher
Pages: 272
Category: Fantasy, Romance, Heroes, Retelling

Synopsis:
Before he was Batman, he was Bruce Wayne. A reckless boy willing to break the rules for a girl who may be his worst enemy.

The Nightwalkers are terrorizing Gotham City, and Bruce Wayne is next on their list.

One by one, the city's elites are being executed as their mansions' security systems turn against them, trapping them like prey. Meanwhile, Bruce is turning eighteen and about to inherit his family's fortune, not to mention the keys to Wayne Enterprises and all the tech gadgetry his heart could ever desire. But after a run-in with the police, he's forced to do community service at Arkham Asylum, the infamous prison that holds the city's most brutal criminals.

Madeleine Wallace is a brilliant killer . . . and Bruce's only hope.

In Arkham, Bruce meets Madeleine, a brilliant girl with ties to the Nightwalkers. What is she hiding? And why will she speak only to Bruce? Madeleine is the mystery Bruce must unravel. But is he getting her to divulge her secrets, or is he feeding her the information she needs to bring Gotham City to its knees? Bruce will walk the dark line between trust and betrayal as the Nightwalkers circle closer.

PURCHASE THE BOOK HERE:
ISBN13: 9780399549786

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It is fitting that Batman: Nightwalker is my first read of 2018. New Year, new stuff.. right? It is also my first 2018 Blog Tour review and my first ever Marie Lu book so HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ME, INDEED!

I was so happy to have been given an ARC of Nightwalker because I was really looking forward to getting this one. The first book in this series was by Leigh Bardugo and I have absolutely fell in love with her take in Wonderwoman's story. It did set the bar quite high, if I am being honest. But the authors of this series are no doubt going to blow my mind to bits, and I have never been right in my life in this level. My first Marie Lu book was absolutely phenomenal.

To be honest, I am not THAT of a DC fan. I am a Marvel kinda person but I am familiar with Bruce Wayne. Lu gave me a different side of Bruce and I am so relieved that this book is finally out in the wild! Lu wrote it in a very uplifting way and it is such an eye-opener. The politics in the story is honestly? THE TRUTH! It is happening right now in our government and Lu remarkably took this chance to dissect it like no one has done before.

What truly made me fall in love with this book is Lu's inclusion of diverse characters. I was sooooo happy and fascinated to have met a Filipina character - yes, a side character that felt so Hermione-ish to me - a character that resonated with me as a Filipina. Aside from that, Lu was able to explore each of the characters in a way that reflected not only their physical attributes but their intentions and hearts. I saw how Lu gave these characters their own timeline to shine. IT WAS JUST BASICALLY AN AMAZING BOOK THAT I LOVED SO DEARLY YOU REALLY NEED TO GET THIS.

Younger Bruce is still the Bruce I know todat. He's still the loving person I adored. It melted my heart how much he is willing to sacrifice for those that matter to him. In this book, we can definitely see his vulnerability but despite the fear, he still trusted his heart. Everything in his story is well-balanced and I really, deeply wish Lu would write a sequel. BECAUSE AN ENDING LIKE THAT REQUIRES A SEQUEL.

Also, my love for Alfred with never ever dwindle. EVER.
AND I SCREAMED WHEN DETECTIVE GORDON WAS INTRODUCED! LIKE, IT WAS THE BEST THING TO HAVE GRACED THESE PAGES EVER HAHA!
Lastly, what could Madeleine and Kady (Illuminae) do if given a chance to work together?

Batman: Nightwalker is such action-packed novel that I could not literally put down! Marie Lu has proven how amazing she writes and her take on Batman is one version that will stick with me for a long time! Highly recommended for those people who love stories with hackers/underground notorious groups/droids and BATMAN! REWARD YOURSELF AND GO PICK THIS ONE UP NOW!

Thank you PRH International for the galley!

"Just because one can doesn't mean one should."