TBR #11: March 2014

March is one of my favorite months. And this year, it's the month of Divergent! Woohoo!!! Oh and books, of course.

1. The Winner's Curse (Winners Trilogy #1) by Marie Rutkoski

Synopsis:

Winning what you want may cost you everything you love

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions.

One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin.

But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

Expected Publication: March 4, 2014

2. Panic by Lauren Oliver

Synopsis:

Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.

Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.

Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.

For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.

Expected Publication: March 4, 2014

Check out my review for Panic here:

http://smoking-hot-books.blogspot.com/2014/02/panic-arc-review.html

3. The Assassin's Blade (Throne of Glass #0.1-0.5) by Sarah J. Maas

Synopsis:

Contains all five novellas.

Celaena Sardothien is Adarlan's most feared assassin. As part of the Assassin's Guild, her allegiance is to her master, Arobynn Hamel, yet Celaena listens to no one and trusts only her fellow killer-for-hire, Sam. In these action-packed novellas - together in one edition for the first time - Celaena embarks on five daring missions. They take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, where she fights to liberate slaves and seeks to avenge the tyrannous. But she is acting against Arobynn's orders and could suffer an unimaginable punishment for such treachery. Will Celaena ever be truly free? Explore the dark underworld of this kick-ass heroine to find out.

Expected Publication: March 4, 2014

Check out my review for the first four novellas:

The Assassin and The Pirate Lord (Throne of Glass #0.1): 

http://smoking-hot-books.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-assassin-and-pirate-lord-review.html

The Assassin and The Desert (Throne of Glass #0.2):

http://smoking-hot-books.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-assassin-and-desert-review.html

The Assassin and The Underworld (Throne of Glass #0.3):

http://smoking-hot-books.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-assassin-and-underworld-review.html

The Assassin and The Empire (Throne of Glass #0.4):

http://smoking-hot-books.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-assassin-and-empire-review.html

4. Ruins (Partials #3) by Dan Wells

Synopsis:

Kira, Samm, and Marcus fight to prevent a final war between Partials and humans in the gripping final installment in the Partials Sequence, a series that combines the thrilling action of The Hunger Games with the provocative themes of Blade Runner and The Stand.

There is no avoiding it—the war to decide the fate of both humans and Partials is at hand. Both sides hold in their possession a weapon that could destroy the other, and Kira Walker has precious little time to prevent that from happening. She has one chance to save both species and the world with them, but it will only come at great personal cost.

Expected Publication: March 11, 2014

5. The Course of True Love [And First Dates] (The Bane Chronicles Part 10) by Cassandra Clare

Synopsis:

Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood might fall in love—but first they have a first date.

When Magnus Bane, warlock, meets Alec Lightwood, Shadowhunter, sparks fly. And what happens on their first date lights a flame...

Expected Publication: March 18, 2014 (Somebody please tell me this is the official release date because I'm tired of it being moved back and back!!!)

6. Elusion by Claudia Gabel and Cheryl Klam

Synopsis:

Soon, Elusion® will change the world and life as we know it.

A new technology called Elusion is sweeping the country. An app, visor and wristband will virtually transport you to an exotic destination where adventure can be pursued without the complications—or consequences—of real life.

Regan is an Elusion insider. Or at least she used to be. Her father invented the program, and her best friend, Patrick, heir to the tech giant Orexis, is about to release it nationwide. But ever since her father’s unexpected death, Regan can’t bear to Escape, especially since waking up from the dream means crashing back to her grim reality.

Still, when there are rumors of trouble in Elusion—accusations that it’s addictive and dangerous— Regan is determined to defend it. But the critics of Elusion come from surprising sources, including Josh, the handsome skeptic with his own personal stakes. As Regan investigates the claims, she discovers a disturbing web of secrets. She will soon have to choose between love and loyalty…a decision that will affect the lives of millions.

Suspense, thrills, and romance fuel this near-future story about the seductive nature of a perfect virtual world, and how far one girl will go to uncover the truth behind the illusions.

Expected Publication: March 18, 2014

Panic (ARC): Review

Synopsis:

Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.

Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.

Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.

For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.

***

There are some good things and some bad things with this book as well. And there are slightly more good things than bad things so the rating is... I don't know, slightly higher than a 5? When I first read the synopsis I thought this would be a sort-of remake of The Hunger Games (because Panic IS a dangerous game), so I'm not sure if I should read it. But it's very different from THG, which is really good. Because I hate re-makes. 

Good things first. This is gonna sound a little weird, but that's how I feel. I think this can actually be a good movie. Because there are a lot of slow-mo moments. Imagine a moment filmed in slow-motion. These are probably really exciting if they're set in slow-mo. And there are a lot of them. But... slow-mos have their drawbacks because these exciting moments are usually really short. That's not a "bad thing", but I'm just a little sad the awesome moments are super short. I also like the fact that the two narrators are not/will not be lovers or something like that. That will be way too predictable. No, Heather and Dodge are not lovers if that's what you're asking. But their relationship is pretty darn good and mysterious. Well, it appeals to me, at least. 

But there are some bad things as well. Besides a few dramatic scenes and those "slow-mo" scenes, the rest of the book is, if I might say, kind of boring. Because for some reason there are some things that just doesn't make any sense to me. I understand them but I just can't link them. I guess after a long holiday (yeah, I just got back to school after a long school holiday), my brain is in a super-lazy state. There are also problems with the narrators. Just because their relationship is unique doesn't mean they're great narrators. I supposed they're alright, but they sound so flat to me. Heather's a little better, but Dodge? Hmm... not so much. That's part of the reason why this book is pretty boring at times.

If you are a Delirium fan like me, I'm sure you know about Panic. I'm not going to recommend you NOT to read it, because reading Panic is still enjoyable at some point. But I won't strongly recommend you to read it either, because I don't think this book is good enough to be recommended to just about everyone.

Rating: 6/10