Waiting on Wednesday (151): An Ember in the Ashes + A Wicked Thing

I know, I know... 2014 is not yet over, but I am so very excited because we have some amazing 2015 books! I for one can't wait to read them, so I am highlighting two 2015 books that I would love to read!

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine

Title: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
Release Date: April 28th 2015
Published by: Razorbill

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Summary (from Goodreads):

Set in a terrifyingly brutal Rome-like world, An Ember in the Ashes is an epic fantasy debut about an orphan fighting for her family and a soldier fighting for his freedom. It’s a story that’s literally burning to be told.

LAIA is a Scholar living under the iron-fisted rule of the Martial Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason, Laia goes undercover as a slave at the empire’s greatest military academy in exchange for assistance from rebel Scholars who claim that they will help to save her brother from execution.

ELIAS is the academy’s finest soldier— and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias is considering deserting the military, but before he can, he’s ordered to participate in a ruthless contest to choose the next Martial emperor.

When Laia and Elias’s paths cross at the academy, they find that their destinies are more intertwined than either could have imagined and that their choices will change the future of the empire itself.

Vow your blood and body to the empire.
Keep your heart for yourself.

Why I'm waiting for An Ember in the Ashes:

Can someone just give me a copy of this book, please? Kidding aside, I've been hearing a lot of buzz about this book, especially during SDCC, where it was highlighted as one of the must read novels next year. The author was a former Washington Post editor, and thought the book hasn't even been released, the film rights has already been acquired by Paramount in a SEVEN FIGURE DEAL. But again, aside from those pieces of news, I think the main premise of the novel is nothing short of interesting, and I for one cannot wait to read this. it's an "echo of Rome", and having recently read and finished Victoria Aveyard's Red Queen, which this book somewhat reminds me of, I am so very intrigued to know if this book delivers what the summary promises.

Title: A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas
Release Date: February 24th 2015
Published by: Harper Teen

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Summary (from Goodreads):

Rhiannon Thomas's dazzling debut novel is a spellbinding reimagining of what happens after happily ever after.

One hundred years after falling asleep, Princess Aurora wakes up to the kiss of a handsome prince and a broken kingdom that has been dreaming of her return. All the books say that she should be living happily ever after. But as Aurora understands all too well, the truth is nothing like the fairy tale.

Her family is long dead. Her "true love" is a kind stranger. And her whole life has been planned out by political foes while she slept.

As Aurora struggles to make sense of her new world, she begins to fear that the curse has left its mark on her, a fiery and dangerous thing that might be as wicked as the witch who once ensnared her. With her wedding day drawing near, Aurora must make the ultimate decision on how to save her kingdom: marry the prince or run.

Why I'm waiting for A Wicked Thing:

A retelling of Sleeping Beauty? Where have you been all my life? This is why I really love retellings, and it's not just because I get to read a re-imagining of a favorite, or a fairytale I've read growing up, but because of things like this: what happens after happily ever after? This book sounds like something that I will enjoy reading, and because hey! It's Sleeping Beauty! I like how nothing's like what it was in Aurora's world... very curious to know what will happen after she wakes up.

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So what are you waiting for this week? Share your picks!