Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday: New Series I Want to Start


Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created and hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Series I Want to Start



1. Sparrow Hill Road (Ghost Stories #1) by Seanan McGuire
May 6, 2014

Rose Marshall died in 1952 in Buckley Township, Michigan, run off the road by a man named Bobby Cross—a man who had sold his soul to live forever, and intended to use her death to pay the price of his immortality. Trouble was, he didn’t ask Rose what she thought of the idea.

It’s been more than sixty years since that night, and she’s still sixteen, and she’s still running.

They have names for her all over the country: the Girl in the Diner. The Phantom Prom Date. The Girl in the Green Silk Gown. Mostly she just goes by “Rose,” a hitchhiking ghost girl with her thumb out and her eyes fixed on the horizon, trying to outrace a man who never sleeps, never stops, and never gives up on the idea of claiming what’s his. She’s the angel of the overpass, she’s the darling of the truck stops, and she’s going to figure out a way to win her freedom. After all, it’s not like it can kill her.

You can’t kill what’s already dead.


I'm reading and enjoying McGuire's October Daye series. I had previously tried her InCryptid series, and while I liked it, I haven't continued in the series. But, McGuire has a lot of talent in creating imaginative worlds and likable heroines. I'm interested in seeing what she does with a ghost story.



2. Dirty Magic (Prospero's War #1) by Jaye Wells
January 21, 2014

The last thing patrol cop Kate Prospero expected to find on her nightly rounds was a werewolf covered in the blood of his latest victim. But then, she also didn't expect that shooting him would land her in the crosshairs of a Magic Enforcement Agency task force, who wants to know why she killed their lead snitch.

The more Prospero learns about the dangerous new potion the MEA is investigating, the more she's convinced that earning a spot on their task force is the career break she's been wanting. But getting the assignment proves much easier than solving the case. Especially once the investigation reveals their lead suspect is the man she walked away from ten years earlier—on the same day she swore she'd never use dirty magic again.

Kate Prospero's about to learn the hard way that crossing a wizard will always get you burned, and that when it comes to magic, you should be never say never.


I've read and enjoyed most of Wells' Sabine Kane series. Since I enjoy witches/mages/wizards way more than I do vampires, I'm really excited about this new series. I just haven't made time yet to read it.



3. Trial by Fire (The Worldwalker Trilogy #1) by Josephine Angelini
September 2, 2014

This world is trying to kill Lily Proctor. Her life-threatening allergies keep her from enjoying experiences that others in her hometown of Salem take for granted, which is why she is determined to enjoy her first high school party with her best friend and longtime crush, Tristan. But after a humiliating incident in front of half her graduating class, Lily wishes she could just disappear.

Suddenly, Lily is in a different Salem—one overrun with horrifying creatures and ruled by powerful women called Crucibles. Strongest and cruelest of them all is Lillian . . . Lily's other self in this alternate universe.

What makes Lily weak at home is what makes her extraordinary in New Salem. In this confusing world, Lily is torn between responsibilities she can't hope to shoulder alone and a love she never expected.


I read the first two books in Angelini's Starcrossed series, which were pretty good. I'm interested in seeing how she handles witches. Plus, Kayla really liked it, so it automatically goes on the "must read" list. You can read her review HERE.



4. Lark Rising (Gaurdians of Tarnec #1) by Sandra Waugh
September 23, 2014

Lark has foreseen two things—she will fall for a young man with sage green eyes,and he will kill her.

Sixteen-year-old Lark Carew is happiest close to home, tending her garden and gathering herbs for medicines. But when her Sight warns her that monsters called Troths will soon invade her village, Lark is summoned on a journey to seek help from the legendary Riders of Tarnec. Little does she suspect that one of the Riders, Gharain, is the very man who has haunted her visions. Or that the people of Tarnec have called her there for another reason: Lark is the Guardian of Life, the first of four Guardians who must awaken their powers to recover four stolen amulets. Together, the amulets—Life, Death, Dark, and Light—keep the world in Balance. To take back the Life amulet, Lark will have to discover her true inner strength and give in to a love that she swears will be her downfall.


I just love a fantasy adventure, especially when the main characters must hunt down powerful amulets/swords/any magical artifacts. Blame it on my favorite game, Zelda. I'm not sure how I feel about the lyrical, poetic writing, though.



5. The Mirror Empire (Worldbreaker Saga #1) by Kameron Hurley
April 26, 2014

On the eve of a recurring catastrophic event known to extinguish nations and reshape continents, a troubled orphan evades death and slavery to uncover her own bloody past… while a world goes to war with itself.

In the frozen kingdom of Saiduan, invaders from another realm are decimating whole cities, leaving behind nothing but ash and ruin.

As the dark star of the cataclysm rises, an illegitimate ruler is tasked with holding together a country fractured by civil war, a precocious young fighter is asked to betray his family and a half-Dhai general must choose between the eradication of her father’s people or loyalty to her alien Empress.

Through tense alliances and devastating betrayal, the Dhai and their allies attempt to hold against a seemingly unstoppable force as enemy nations prepare for a coming together of worlds as old as the universe itself.

In the end, one world will rise – and many will perish.


Kameron Hurley is a pretty cool and very outspoken person. I've read a few of her articles and blog posts, and it's made me really interested in reading her novels. Plus, I'm always up for reading speculative fiction written by a woman.



6. Exquisite Captive (Dark Caravan Cycle #1) by Heather Demetrios
October 7, 2014

Forced to obey her master.
Compelled to help her enemy.
Determined to free herself.

Nalia is a jinni of tremendous ancient power, the only survivor of a coup that killed nearly everyone she loved. Stuffed into a bottle and sold by a slave trader, she’s now in hiding on the dark caravan, the lucrative jinni slave trade between Arjinna and Earth, where jinn are forced to grant wishes and obey their human masters’ every command. She’d give almost anything to be free of the golden shackles that bind her to Malek, her handsome, cruel master, and his lavish Hollywood lifestyle.

Enter Raif, the enigmatic leader of Arjinna’s revolution and Nalia’s sworn enemy. He promises to free Nalia from her master so that she can return to her ravaged homeland and free her imprisoned brother—all for an unbearably high price. Nalia’s not sure she can trust him, but Raif’s her only hope of escape. With her enemies on the hunt, Earth has become more perilous than ever for Nalia. There’s just one catch: for Raif’s unbinding magic to work, Nalia must gain possession of her bottle…and convince the dangerously persuasive Malek that she truly loves him. Battling a dark past and harboring a terrible secret, Nalia soon realizes her freedom may come at a price too terrible to pay: but how far is she willing to go for it?

Inspired by Arabian Nights, Exquisite Captive brings to life a deliciously seductive world where a wish can be a curse and shadows are sometimes safer than the light.


This is a mix of a whole lot of different things - sci-fi, genies, Middle-Eastern mythology. I'm interested in seeing if Demetrios pulls it off. Kayla liked it, and you can read her review HERE.



7. Of Metal and Wishes (Of Metal and Wishes #1) by Sarah Fine
August 5, 2014

There are whispers of a ghost in the slaughterhouse where sixteen-year-old Wen assists her father in his medical clinic—a ghost who grants wishes to those who need them most. When one of the Noor, men hired as cheap factory labor, humiliates Wen, she makes an impulsive wish of her own, and the Ghost grants it. Brutally.

Guilt-ridden, Wen befriends the Noor, including their outspoken leader, a young man named Melik. At the same time, she is lured by the mystery of the Ghost and learns he has been watching her … for a very long time.

As deadly accidents fuel tensions within the factory, Wen must confront her growing feelings for Melik, who is enraged at the sadistic factory bosses and the prejudice faced by his people at the hand of Wen’s, and her need to appease the Ghost, who is determined to protect her against any threat—real or imagined. She must decide whom she can trust, because as her heart is torn, the factory is exploding around her … and she might go down with it.


I've seen a lot of praise for Fine's work, and I have her the first in her Guards of the Shadowlands, Sanctum, on my Kindle now.



8. The Young Elites (The Young Elites #1) by Marie Lu
October 7, 2014

I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.


I loved Lu's Legend, so I'm interested in seeing what she does with her new series. You can read Kayla's review HERE.



9. Romancing the Duke (Castles Ever After #1) by Tessa Dare
January 28, 2014

As the daughter of a famed author, Isolde Ophelia Goodnight grew up on tales of brave knights and fair maidens. She never doubted romance would be in her future, too. The storybooks offered endless possibilities.

And as she grew older, Izzy crossed them off. One by one by one.

Ugly duckling turned swan?
Abducted by handsome highwayman?
Rescued from drudgery by charming prince?


No, no, and… Heh.

Now Izzy’s given up yearning for romance. She’ll settle for a roof over her head. What fairy tales are left over for an impoverished twenty-six year-old woman who’s never even been kissed?

This one.


I enjoyed Dare's Spindle Cove series, especially A Week to Be Wicked, so I'm looking forward to her new Historical Romance series. Kayla was awesome enough to score me a signed copy of this, but I don't want to mess it up by actually reading it. *First World Problems*



10. Ghost Seer (Ghost Seer #1) by Robin D. Owens
April 1, 2014

There’s just something about Clare. Apart from the ghosts…...

When her eccentric aunt passes away, no-nonsense accountant Clare Cermac inherits more than just a small fortune. She receives the gift of communicating with ghosts. While Clare may not believe in spirits, it’s hard to overlook the shadowy talking dog appearing on her bed or spectral cowboys tipping their hats to her in the streets of Denver. And when she locks eyes with sexy—and living—Zach Slade, there’s certainly no ignoring him either.

A former deputy sheriff, Zach is leaving a painful past behind in Montana for a new life in Denver as a private investigator, a job that has him crossing paths with beautiful Clare. Not that she minds. After the restless ghost of a Wild West gunman demands her assistance, Clare finds herself needing Zach more and more—and not just for help.


I'm not usually into ghosts or settings regarding the Wild West, but I'm still intrigued by this new Urban Fantasy series.

What New Series Do You Want to Start?

17 comments:

  1. The Mirror Empire also made my list this week, I can't wait to read it :) Great list!

    My TTT

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    1. I hope you caught it on sale last week on Kindle and enjoy it when you read it! Thanks for stopping by!

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  2. Did you buy The Mirror Empire last week when it was a Kindle Daily Deal?! I jumped on it! Also, if you don't have Of Metal and Wishes yet, let me know. I'll loan you my copy.

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    1. Yes! Is it bad that the first thing I do in the morning before I even get out of bed is check the Kindle Daily Deal?? It makes me soooo happy when I find a book I want on sale. I would love to read your copy of Of Metal and Wishes! Thanks!

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    2. Do you get alerts for the Audible Daily Deal, too? I'm sure you do, but you should if you don't!

      I'll try to send out the book on Friday or Monday. :-D

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    3. I do! I also check that. I was sad this morning when only the Audible one was in my email when I woke up (I am obviously not a morning person). Did you buy any of the $6 sale?

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  3. Sparrow Hill Road sounds amazing! I really don't read adult books, so it's always great when one catches my eye. Sounds like a great one for Halloween.
    I'm also looking forward to trying out Trial by Fire. I love the idea of an alternate world.

    My TTT

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    1. You should check out her October Daye series as well. It's about faeries, and it gets better as the series continues. Thanks for stopping by!

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  4. Why have I never heard of Sparrow Hill Road? Adding it to my TBR list. Thanks for the suggestions.
    http://videoclimbersvariations.blogspot.com/2014/10/top-ten-tuesday-ten-series-i-want-to.html

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    1. There's too many books releasing to keep up with them all! I have to keep a spreadsheet haha Thanks for stopping by!

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  5. I'm seeing a lot of The Young Elites today! I can't wait to read it.

    Great picks, happy reading!
    Kristen @ One Chapter Ahead

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    1. It's next on the list after I finish the book I'm reading now. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for stopping by!

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  6. I haven't even heard of most of these o.O Of Metal and Wishes sounds great though!

    My TTT

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  7. Nice picks. I recently read Trial by Fire and ended up really enjoying it, I am very excited for the sequel. I can't wait to read Of Metal and Wishes, a Phantom retelling just sounds amazing. I hope you can get to some of these soon :) TTT.

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  8. Lots of new to me books. I love McGuire also. Sparrow Hill didn't wow me but it was good. Wells' Dirty Magic series looks good too. I hope you get to read all your choices.

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  9. Exquisite Captive and The Young Elites both sound interesting, and I did like the Legend series.

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  10. I love series, but until I finish some I currently have going, I am just not allowed to start a new one.

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You are going to put words in my box?! *squeezes you* Now I shall stalk YOUR blog!