[Top Ten Tuesday] Books I'd Slay a Lion to Get Early

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish but is currently being run by That Artsy Reader Girl. A prompt is given each week, and I hope to do it every week so I always have something going up on Tuesdays. This week I am talking about which books I would do anything for to get early copies of in my hands. Granted, for someone who doesn't even eat meat I doubt I'd slay a lion, but I'm still dying to get these books! Also: some of them aren't coming out for a long while, so we haven't been given covers or even titles yet. So I am using the covers from the first books if it is a series. Like always, I will add the synopsis with each book, however they will be from the first book because I do not want to spoil anyone.

Reign of the Fallen Book 2 by Sarah Glenn Marsh (Release Date: TBA)

Reign of the Fallen came out in January of this year, so we obviously have a long time before book two, but I am so hype for it. I just finished re-reading it and I plan another re-read in a couple months because I love this book so much. I cannot wait for book two. If you're interested in a dark story about characters that have abilities like necromancy, weather control, beast taming, healing, and more I highly recommend this book. Reign of the Fallen also has a bisexual main character and it is #ownvoices, which means the author is also bisexual.

Synopsis: 
Odessa is one of Karthia's master necromancers, catering to the kingdom's ruling Dead. Whenever a noble dies, it's Odessa's job to raise them by retrieving their souls from a dreamy and dangerous shadow world called the Deadlands. But there is a cost to being raised--the Dead must remain shrouded, or risk transforming into zombie-like monsters known as Shades. If even a hint of flesh is exposed, the grotesque transformation will begin.

A dramatic uptick in Shade attacks raises suspicions and fears among Odessa's necromancer community. Soon a crushing loss of one of their own reveals a disturbing conspiracy: someone is intentionally creating Shades by tearing shrouds from the Dead--and training them to attack. Odessa is faced with a terrifying question: What if her necromancer's magic is the weapon that brings Karthia to its knees?

What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli &Adam Silvera (Release Date: October 9th, 2018)

I have read all of both Alberalli and Silvera's books and I have loved them so much. I think both authors are fantastic writers and storytellers. So the thought of them collaborating to give us an amazing story? Yes. I cannot wait. I would do anything for an early copy.

Synopsis:
Arthur is only in New York for the summer, but if Broadway has taught him anything, it’s that the universe can deliver a showstopping romance when you least expect it.

Ben thinks the universe needs to mind its business. If the universe had his back, he wouldn’t be on his way to the post office carrying a box of his ex-boyfriend’s things.

But when Arthur and Ben meet-cute at the post office, what exactly does the universe have in store for them?

Maybe nothing. After all, they get separated.

Maybe everything. After all, they get reunited.

But what if they can’t quite nail a first date . . . or a second first date . . . or a third?

What if Arthur tries too hard to make it work . . . and Ben doesn’t try hard enough?

What if life really isn’t like a Broadway play?

But what if it is?

Vengeful by V.E. Schwab (Release Date: September 25th, 2018)

I read Vicious years ago and I loved it (but I really need to re-read it) so the thought that we are getting a sequel makes me so pumped Schwab is one of my favorite authors. Her writing is one of the most haunting and beautiful styles I've read and she is definitely an auto-read author for me.

Synopsis:
Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.

Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?

Children of Virtue and Vengence by Tomi Adeyemi (Release Date: March 5, 2019)

I absolutely loved Children of Blood and Bone. I was completely blown away and I need to get the second book ASAP (also I need to see the movie ASAP even if I don't think we have a lot of information on it just yet). This story is so action packed with amazing characters, a fantastic magic system, and a gorgeous world. I cannot recommend it enough.

Synopsis: 
Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zelie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were targeted and killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now, Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers—and her growing feelings for the enemy.

The Belles Book 2 by Dhonielle Clayton (Release Date: TBA)

I loved this book so much. The world is so unique and the magic system is one of my favorites I've read. This is another one I'd love to re-read because it's such a complex story and I know I'd find more in the story as I re-read it.

Synopsis:
Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orléans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orléans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be made beautiful.

But it’s not enough for Camellia to be just a Belle. She wants to be the favorite—the Belle chosen by the Queen of Orléans to live in the royal palace, to tend to the royal family and their court, to be recognized as the most talented Belle in the land. But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes clear that being the favorite is not everything she always dreamed it would be. Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that the very essence of her existence is a lie—that her powers are far greater, and could be more dangerous, than she ever imagined. And when the queen asks Camellia to risk her own life and help the ailing princess by using Belle powers in unintended ways, Camellia now faces an impossible decision.

With the future of Orléans and its people at stake, Camellia must decide—save herself and her sisters and the way of the Belles—or resuscitate the princess, risk her own life, and change the ways of her world forever.

Doors of Stone by Patrick Rothfuss (Release Date: TBA)

I  loved both The Name of the Wind and Wise Man's Fear and I am dying for book three. I am lucky enough that I only got into this series about four years ago, so I have not been waiting as long for book three, but it has been so long and I am dying for it! Honestly, I am just dying for a release date announcement.

Synopsis:
Told in Kvothe's own voice, this is the tale of the magically gifted young man who grows to be the most notorious wizard his world has ever seen.

The intimate narrative of his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, his years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-ridden city, his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a legendary school of magic, and his life as a fugitive after the murder of a king form a gripping coming-of-age story unrivaled in recent literature.

A high-action story written with a poet's hand, The Name of the Wind is a masterpiece that will transport readers into the body and mind of a wizard.

On The Come Up by Angie Thomas (Release Date: February 2019)

I loved Angie Thomas's stand alone book, The Hate U Give, so much when I read it. So I am easily so excited for her new book! I love her writing style and story telling. I'd love to get an early copy of this book!

Synopsis:
Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Or at least get some streams on her mixtape. As the daughter of an underground rap legend who died right before he hit big, Bri’s got massive shoes to fill. But when her mom unexpectedly loses her job, food banks and shut-off notices become as much a part of her life as beats and rhymes. With bills piling up and homelessness staring her family down, Bri no longer just wants to make it—she has to make it.

Found in Night by Ben Alderson (Release Date: June 12, 2018)

I know this is only a month of so away, but I am dying for book two!! I loved the first one, Cloaked in Shadow, so much. I still need to read the novella, which I plan on doing in May, but I'd love to get an early copy of Found in Night! It's an amazing fantasy story with a great magic system and a gay male main character.

Synopsis: 
Zacriah Trovirn is concerned with two things in life: hunting and dodging Petrer, the boy who broke his heart.

Heartbreak becomes a distant concern when Zacriah is taken to the Elven capital of Thessolina, where he is forced into King Dalior’s new legion of shapeshifters. But Zacriah isn’t a shapeshifter. In truth, he doesn't know what he is.

Zacriah joins forces with new friends and they soon find themselves embroiled in a clash between the three Elven continents. With war looming on the horizon, Zacriah must learn to use his latent power to fight and protect those he loves before they are destroyed.

Shatter Me Book #5 by Tahereh Mafi (Release Date: TBA)

I loved the Shatter Me trilogy, and although I had issues with book four, Restore Me, I am really excited for book five. I know it won't be for a while but I need to know what is going to happen next!! 

Synopsis:
I have a curse
I have a gift

I am a monster
I'm more than human

My touch is lethal
My touch is power

I am their weapon
I will fight back

Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war – and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

There Will Be Other Summers by Benjamin Alire Sáenz (Release Date: TBA)

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is one of my favorite books. It always makes me incredibly emotional. I assumed it was a stand alone so when I discovered there was going to be a sequel I was so excited. I am so excited for this book!

Synopsis:
Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.

 Thanks for reading!