Hello, readergirlz, and welcome to our first official Featured Title of February! This month's theme is Loyalty, and our trusty postergirlz have done an amazing job, as always, of selecting books that perfectly embody that theme!
Today I'm so happy to shine our spotlight on A CONSPIRACY OF KINGS, by Megan Whalen Turner.
"Teenaged Sophos is his uncle's heir, but his love of poetry and lack of interest in ruling have caused his father to send him to a remote villa. When it is attacked by the king's enemies, Sophos is sold into slavery, where he begins to mature and develop both physically, from the hard manual labor, and emotionally. He makes the decision to escape slavery and try to resume his place as heir and eventually king of Sounis, traveling to Attolia to try to recruit support from its queen and king, Sophos's friend, Eugenides, the protagonist of The Thief and The King of Attolia. Layers of intrigue follow Sophos as he tries to protect Sounis from various groups of enemies, leading to a surprising twist at the conclusion."
--School Library Journal
Here's what Megan Whalen Turner has to say to us about Loyalty:
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By: Melissa Walker,
on 10/4/2010
Blog: readergirlz (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: maureen johnson, megan whalen turner, a conspiracy of kings, scarlett fever, Priya, rgz street team, Add a tag
The rgz Street Team is a group of teens who bring YA reviews to our blog, led by Postergirl Miss Erin. Find out more.
Today, Priya reviews two fantastic reads. Up first, one of last month's featured books, Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson:
"As Scarlett Martin's rigorous sophomore year begins in New York City, her life takes a turn for the extraordinary. Her eccentric boss' demands are getting weirder and weirder, her brother suddenly becomes a notorious and hated TV villain... and that's just the beginning.
"Scarlett Fever is the sequel to the hilarious novel Suite Scarlett, and it is every bit as witty and exciting as its predecessor, if not more..."
Read the rest of this review on Priya's blog.
"A Conspiracy of Kings is the fourth book in The Queen's Thief series, and in my opinion, it's the best one. This book focuses on Sophos (one of the minor characters in the previous books) and his dangerous adventures and epic rise to power as the king of Sounis."There were three main things that made me enjoy A Conspiracy of Kings: the characters, the writing, and the plot. I really liked Sophos' character in this book - he was easier to sympathize with than some of the other characters. I felt that he was more accessible to readers and more people would be able to connect with him and understand his actions.
"The writing was wonderful as usual - suspenseful and fast-paced. The plot was also fabulous, with several twists and turns. Megan Whalen Turner has this amazing ability to completely fool the reader and take them on this journey only to reveal some secret or something..."
By: Trisha, Gayle, and Jolene,
on 7/16/2009
Blog: The YA YA YAs (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Memes, carolyn mackler, Not Yet Published, megan whalen turner, waiting on wednesday, amy brecount white, a conspiracy of kings, a golden web, barbara quick, forget-her-nots, kimberly derting, tangled, the body finder, Add a tag
HarperCollins recently added their Winter 2010 books to their catalog site, so we have a a WoW extravaganza today.
Tangled by Carolyn Mackler (HarperTeen, 12/09)
Jena, Dakota, Skye, and Owen are all at Paradise—the resort in the Caribbean, that is—for different reasons, but in Paradise their lives become tangled together in ways none of them can predict. Over the course of four months, through four voices and four stories, what happened in Paradise will change them all.
In this extraordinary novel, the Printz Honor–winning author brings us her most accomplished work yet. Tangled is a story of the secrets we keep, the risks we take, and the things we do for love.
Because it’s Carolyn Mackler (moving from Candlewick!) and I like the cover. That blurb by Daniel Handler doesn’t hurt, either, and this is coming from someone who only made it through the first book in The Series of Unfortunate Events.
The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting (HarperTeen, 3/10)
Violet Ambrose can find dead bodies. Or at least she can sense those that have been murdered. She locates them by the echoes they leave behind…and the imprints they leave on their killers. As if that weren’t enough to deal with during her junior year, she also has a sudden, inexplicable, and consuming crush on her best friend since childhood, Jay Heaton.
And now a serial killer has begun terrorizing Violet’s small town…and she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.
Filled with suspense, a gripping romance, and deadly consequences, The Body Finder is an impressive debut novel that’s impossible to put down.
Let’s see, psychic powers + trying to stop a serial killer + romance = must read!
must read! + what?! this got postponed until next year? = is it March yet?
A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner (Greenwillow, 3/10)
Charlotte blogged about this last month, but it’s worth mentioning again because 1) it’s a new Eugenides book!, and 2) the HC site has a different description.
Sophos, heir to Sounis, doesn’t look like much of a prince. At least, according to those in power. At least, to those who do not know him or the size of his heart and the depth of his courage, loyalty, and love. But Helen, Queen of Eddis, knows him, and so does Gen, the queen’s Thief, who is now King of Attolia. Gen and the queen believe that Sophos is dead. But they also believe in hope, especially since a body was never found. So when Sophos is discovered in Attolia, climbing a lamppost, peashooter in hand, the obvious question becomes: where has Sophos been all this time?
Forget-Her-Nots by Amy Brecount White (Greenwillow, 3/10)
just sounds so quietly charming. Also, flowers.
Delicious and magical, here is a debut novel about a new (and slightly misunderstood) girl at an exclusive boarding school. Laurel has always loved flowers, but when a class project calls for research into the Victorian language of flowers, she makes a potent discovery. Her affinity for blooming things is actually age-old magic, passed from one generation to the next-a bittersweet gift from her beloved mother, who’s recently died-and it gives Laurel the power to make people fall in and out of love. Laurel’s introduction to the secret society of flowerspeakers is rife with complications and mishaps-especially when her classmates convince her to use her magic at the prom. This evocative coming-of-age story lingers in the air much like the fragrant blooms that determine Laurel’s fate so mysteriously.
A Golden Web by Barbara Quick (HarperTeen, 4/10)
Alessandra is desperate to escape—from her stepmother, who’s locked her away for a year; from the cloister that awaits her if she refuses the marriage plans that have been made for her; from the expectations that limit her and every other girl in fourteenth-century Italy. There’s no tolerance in her village for her keen intelligence and her unconventional ideas.
In defiant pursuit of her dreams, Alessandra undertakes an audacious quest, her bravery equaled only by the dangers she faces. Disguised and alone in a city of spies and scholars, Alessandra will find a love she could not foresee—and an enduring fame.
In this exquisite imagining of the centuries-old story of Alessandra Giliani, the world’s first female anatomist, distinguished novelist Barbara Quick gives readers the drama, romance, and rich historical detail for which she is known as she shines a light on an unforgotten—and unforgettable—heroine.
And from the adult side, woohoo! The Devil’s Star by Jo Nesbø (Harper, 3/10).
Waiting on Wednesday was created by Jill at Breaking the Spine.
Wow–thanks for the heads up on Conspiracy of Kings! I can’t wait.
Thanks for including my novel! Hope you love it. I’ m so excited to be able to share my cover, too.
-Amy
Wow, a new Carolyn Mackler. And what a great cover. Some really great covers overall, and I CANNOT WAIT for the next Attolia story. YAY.
my editor kept mentioning MWT
and i didn’t have a chance to read it
until i was done revising my debut.
am so excited for the fourth book for
sure. editor says we will not be disappointed–
as if we were worried. i’m a fangirl
of MWT!!
amy–i can’t wait for yours either!!
YAY!!
You’re welcome!
And, Cindy, are there any other hints your editor has dropped?
Totally can’t wait to read The Body Finder!