Wishlist Wednesday #69

*Wishlist Wednesday is where you show a book that has been on your wishlist/TBR list for a while, the meme is hosted by Pen to Paper*

Queen of Always by Sherry D. Ficklin

Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing 

Release Date: November 23, 2015
Pages: 280

The Story:

If her time at court has taught Catherine anything, it's that there is no room for weakness in Imperial Russia. With the Empress' health failing and rumors of a change in the line of succession, her place in the royal line is once more in jeopardy. Tormented by her sadistic husband and his venomous mistress, Catherine must once more walk the fine line between pleasure and politics―between scandal and survival.

When her young son becomes the target of those rebelling against Peter's reign, Catherine will have to rise up to protect herself, her child, and her nation from his unstable and potentially catastrophic rule. This means putting herself at odds with the most dangerous man she's ever known, trusting those who once proved to be her enemies, and turning a nation against its sovereign. In the ultimate battle for the crown, new alliances will be forged, loyalties will be tested, and blood will be shed.

Don't miss this breathtaking conclusion to the Stolen Empire series!

-via Amazon

Meet the Author

Sherry is a full time writer from Colorado and the author of over a dozen novels for teens and young adults including the best selling Stolen Empire series. She can often be found browsing her local bookstore with a large white hot chocolate in one hand and a towering stack of books in the other. That is, unless she's on deadline at which time she, like the Loch Ness monster, is only seen in blurry photographs.

Sherry also writes New Adult fiction under the pen name Ranae Glass and is a contributing writer for fangirlish.com. You can find her at her official website, www.sherryficklin.com, or stalk her on her Facebook page www.facebook.com/sherry.ficklin. 

Want to see my entire Wishlist? Check it out on Amazon: Books I Dream About

Happy Reading!

Review : Nil by Lynne Matson

*Warning: This review may contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.

Publisher: Macmillan
Release Date: March 4, 2014
Pages: 400
Source: Own

The Story:

On the mysterious island of Nil, the rules are set. You have exactly 365 days to escape―or you die.

Seventeen-year-old Charley doesn't know the rules. She doesn't even know where she is. The last thing she remembers is blacking out, and when she wakes up, she's naked in an empty rock field.

Lost and alone, Charley finds no sign of other people until she meets Thad, the gorgeous leader of a clan of teenage refugees. Soon Charley learns that leaving the island is harder than she thought . . . and so is falling in love. With Thad's time running out, Charley realizes that she has to find a way to beat the clock, and quickly, in this thrilling debut novel by Lynne Matson.

via Amazon

Rating: 

One-word Review: Sultry

Reading Tune: Everything is Lost by Maggie Eckford

My Review: 

When I stumbled across this gem on Amazon! Book Outlet was selling it for $4 and I could NOT pass it up!

Tag Line:

How do you escape from an island that doesn't exist?

Opening Line:

Heat.

Inexplicable, consuming heat -- choking like smoke, burning like fire.

Plot:

The premise of Nil was fantastic! Charley was in the parking lot of Target when a consuming heat wave swallows her and she wakes up stark naked on a mysterious island. Occupied by other teens, searching for a way off. Not to mention, you have 365 to escape from an island that doesn't exist ... or you die.

Nil was like Lost and The Maze Runner got married! 

The pacing of Nil was up to par with the basis of the plot. Teens from all over the world trapped on a deadly, "feeling" island while they fend off deadly animals and danergous missions to try and escape... Moreover, I really enjoyed Matson's style of writing. It was easy with a perfect balance of "show-and-tell." 

"She was looking away. I followed her eyes to where Heesham sat by himself, staring at the sea where he'd thrown the bracelet, a gift meant for a girl who taught him how to say love in French." - page 123

All in all, I zipped through Nil and recommend it to anyone who enjoys deadly tropical mysteries, with a hint of romance. Lynn Matson did a great job writing Nil! I quickly purchased Nil Unlocked as soon as it was released and, currently, anxiously awaiting Nil on Fire.

Character Breakdown:

The character dynamic in Nil was on point. The characters were fleshed out, and came to life on the page. One of my favorite aspects of was the range of characters! There were so many different characters, their backstories well written.

Charley - Charley was a good lead character. Both of us being taller than most girls and sharing a love of volleyball, I connected with her. She was a pretty neat character, clever and kind.

Thad - Mixture of a surfer dude and jock with a scooping of heart of gold. He was a good love interest. The relationship dynamic between Thad and Charley felt natural, and real.

"...Nil makes everything more clear. What's important, what matters. And for me, that's you. This might sound crazy, but I feel like I've been waiting for you. Not just here, but in my life." He smiled, his lazy smile that made my breath catch. "Told you it sounded crazy" - page 187

Here is one of my favorite quotes from Nil:

Charley: "Good guys are dangerous, because you can't tell when they're being bad." -page 132

Meet the Author:

Lynne Matson grew up in Georgia in a house full of books and with a backyard full of gnarly pines. A former attorney, Lynne now spends her days writing books about mysterious islands and other fantastical things. 

When she's not writing or reading, you'll find her hanging out with her husband and their four amazing boys, probably on the beach. Cookies are her kryptonite, especially thin mints. 

***Check out Lynne Matson's website for more information about her and Nil: HERE

Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday #12

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just flip through your current read to a random page -- or not -- and share two teaser quotes from somewhere on said page.

This week my Teaser Tuesday quotes will be taken from my current read, The Great Hunt by Wendy Higgins.

Teaser #1:

"The beast goes where there's warm blood to be easily had," Paxton answered for him. "It will find us." - page 123

Teaser #2:

"Aerity smiled a little, but it was fleeting. 'Tiern is kind and handsome.' She'd prefer to feel passionate about someone such as him, someone good for her, but apparently life did not work that way. At least not for her. And what did it matter who she fancied? She would not get to choose.
The great beast had stolen that privilege from her." - page 226-227

What teasers are you sharing this week?
Don't forget to tell me in the comments or on twitter; @TheTatteredPage. You can also use #TheGreatHunt on twitter if you're reading it! 

Happy Reading!