Gimme Gimme Gimme - House of Dragons

Ooh!!!

House of Dragons #1

by Jessica Cluess

What they say: Five royal houses will hear the call to compete in the Trial for the dragon throne. A liar, a soldier, a servant, a thief, and a murderer will answer it. Who will win?

When the Emperor dies, the five royal houses of Etrusia attend the Call, where one of their own will be selected to compete for the throne. It is always the oldest child, the one who has been preparing for years to compete in the Trial. But this year is different. This year, these five outcasts will answer the call....

THE LIAR: Emilia must hide her dark magic or be put to death.

THE SOLDIER: Lucian is a warrior who has sworn to never lift a sword again.

THE SERVANT: Vespir is a dragon trainer whose skills alone will keep her in the game.

THE THIEF: Ajax knows that nothing is free--he must take what he wants.

THE MURDERER: Hyperia was born to rule and will stop at nothing to take her throne. 

Due for release 12th May 2020 by Random House for Young Readers

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Waiting on Wednesday - Tess of the Road

My waiting on read this is...

Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman

What they say: In the medieval kingdom of Goredd, women are expected to be ladies, men are their protectors, and dragons get to be whomever they want. Tess, stubbornly, is a troublemaker. You can't make a scene at your sister's wedding and break a relative's nose with one punch (no matter how pompous he is) and not suffer the consequences. As her family plans to send her to a nunnery, Tess yanks on her boots and sets out on a journey across the Southlands, alone and pretending to be a boy.

Where Tess is headed is a mystery, even to her. So when she runs into an old friend, it's a stroke of luck. This friend is a quigutl--a subspecies of dragon--who gives her both a purpose and protection on the road. But Tess is guarding a troubling secret. Her tumultuous past is a heavy burden to carry, and the memories she's tried to forget threaten to expose her to the world in more ways than one.

Releases 27th Feb 
 
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Why I'm waiting...

I love the idea of this one!!

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One Of Us Is Lying - Review

One Of Us Is Lying by Karen McManus

What they say: One of Us Is Lying is the story of what happens when five strangers walk into detention and only four walk out alive. Everyone is a suspect, and everyone has something to hide.

Pay close attention and you might solve this.

On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.

Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.

Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.

Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.

Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.

And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip app.

Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention Simon's dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn’t an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he’d planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who’s still on the loose?

Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them. 

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US * UK

I received a copy from the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review!

What I say: Mix Prep School Confidential with The Liar Society and throw in a dash of Dangerous Girls and you're still not even close to the plot of One of Us in Lying but you're in the right ballpark in terms of a YA murder mystery.

One of Us in Lying is the ultimate high school whodunit. When a teen dies during detention the remaining four students find themselves under scrutiny and at the centre of a murder mystery.

All the students have secrets, which victim Simon seemed ready and willing to exploit. So it's not difficult to imagine any of them murdering him as they all had motives.

The story is told from multiple POVs which means the reader gets to experience the mystery unfold right along with Addy, Bronwyn, Cooper and Nate. 

The book is full of secrets and lies. Like literally all the secrets! No not really but you get the point. I had my suspicions about the culprit/culprits from the start, then promptly changed my mind and ended up being right on the money (don't worry no spoilers here). 

As much as the story is about finding Simon's killer, it's also about the pressure and stress placed on teenagers today. We uncover a lot about Addy, Bronwyn, Cooper and Nate throughout the book. We see them as they face their guilt, loss, anger and tackle their own more personal issues.

One of Us is Lying is an intriguing and dramatic coming of age story with a harsh lesson and good mystery.

4 Stars in my Sky!

Review - Street Soldier

Street Soldier by Andy McNab

What they say: Sean Harker is good at two things: stealing cars and fighting. One earns him money, the other earns him respect from the gang that he calls family.

A police chase through the city streets is just another rite of passage for Sean . . . as is getting nicked. But a brutal event behind bars convinces him to take charge, and turn his life around.

Now he must put his street skills to the ultimate test: as a soldier in the British Army. And the battlefield is London, where innocent people are being targeted by a new and terrifying enemy.

Undercover, under threat – only Sean Harker can save the streets from all-out war.

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US * UK

I received a copy from the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review!

What I say: *Full disclosure - I wrote this review a while ago and forgot to post it*

Due to the more adult themes and language used I'm going to label Street Soldier as mature YA.

Teenage gangs are a big problem in England. London definitely has a lot of gang related crime, so it wasn't difficult to imagine the scenarios Sean ends up in happening outside of the book. The story is about Sean's crimes and the long lasting consequences. 

We see his life in the gang, in a young offenders institution and as a solider in the army. London is the war zone he always knew but that we may not have expected.

I loved the raw honesty and heartbreaking authenticity Andy McNab works into Sean's story but it was his daily struggle to turn his life around, to right his wrongs, to be a better version of himself which really won me over. He charmed me.

The concept is clever and terrifying in parts, yet hopeful and inspirational in others. The plot is engaging and original. The pace is dramatic and action filled.

4 Stars in my Sky!

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