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TRAITOR TO THE THRONE

Name: TRAITOR TO THE THRONE
Author: Alwyn Hamilton
ISBN: 978-0-451-47785-9

From the Rebel of the Sands series , Vol. 2

by Alwyn Hamilton ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 7, 2017

A story “about revenge and about love and about sacrifice and the great and terrible things…people do”—and, ultimately,...

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Palace intrigue, military stratagems, even cosmic powers can’t eclipse the complex tangle of love, loss, and loyalty in this Arabian Nights–inspired fantasy sequel.

The rebellion against the Sultan of Miraji is collapsing, but months after joining the fight, Amani is doing even worse. Her love life is faltering, her friends are on the run, and she has been captured and sold to the Sultan, who covets her half-Djinni powers. As his prisoner, she’s well-positioned to spy…if she can only conceal her identity, survive the jealousy of the harem, and stop doubting her mission. This follow-up to Rebel of the Sands (2016) retains the heroine’s snarky first-person voice and irresistible attitude while digging much deeper and darker. The appalling consequences and compromises of war are not sugarcoated, but the matter-of-fact evil within the palace may be even more horrific. Nearly every character hurts, betrays, or fails another; yet they remain sympathetic, with understandable justifications. While most (like Amani) are dark-skinned desert folk, others display ethnicities clearly analogous to various African, Asian, and European origins, a diversity fully reflected in their choices and actions. With an expanded geopolitical backdrop, intricate web of schemes, and heightened interpersonal drama, this hefty tome is almost overstuffed with plot, all building to a crescendo of heart-pounding—and heartbreaking—climaxes that will leave readers sobbing and desperate for the next volume.

A story “about revenge and about love and about sacrifice and the great and terrible things…people do”—and, ultimately, about the “truly invincible” power of stories themselves. Superlative. (Fantasy. 12 & up)

Pub Date: March 7, 2017

ISBN: 978-0-451-47785-9

Page Count: 528

Publisher: Viking

Review Posted Online: Dec. 25, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2017

Categories:

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT ROMANCE | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FICTION

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IF HE HAD BEEN WITH ME

by Laura Nowlin ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2013

There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.

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The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.

Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.

There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)

Pub Date: April 1, 2013

ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5

Page Count: 336

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013

Categories:

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT ROMANCE | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES

- SEEN & HEARD
Sales of Print Books Fall in First Three Quarters

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NOTHING LIKE THE MOVIES

From the Better Than the Movies series , Vol. 2

by Lynn Painter ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2024

A worthy second-chance romance.

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In this follow-up to 2021’s Better Than the Movies, a 20-year-old college freshman gets a second chance at his dreams.

After the death of his father and his mother’s subsequent physical and emotional disappearance, Wes Bennett left behind all of his plans and the girl he made them with to go home and take care of Sarah, his younger sister. But now, Sarah has graduated, his mom is back on her feet, and by some miracle, Wes has an offer to pitch for UCLA’s baseball team. Liz Buxbaum, the girl he’s always loved, works for the university’s athletic department, taking photos and video of the team for social media, which means that maybe he can have a second chance at love, too. But since Wes left, Liz has made every effort to protect herself from ever feeling that broken again; there’s no room for love, because she doesn’t believe in it anymore. Or she doesn’t want to. This second-chance sports romance includes fake dates, quippy and quirky best friends, real heartache, and the sweet ache of first love. The clever dialogue keeps readers from drowning in the main characters’ emotional push-and-pull. Reading the first novel isn’t necessary for appreciating this one, although knowing the full history between Wes and Liz will only add to the ache and longing readers feel from and for them. Main characters are cued white.

A worthy second-chance romance. (Romance. 14-18)