Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine! This week I'm eagerly awaiting the release of two books: Blood Passage by Heather Demetrios and Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs. Both of these books will be published next month so the wait isn't too terrible. 



Blood Passage by Heather Demetrios 
Publish date: March 1, 2016
Publisher: Balzer + Bray 


 Exquisite Captive was my favorite YA paranormal romance that I read in 2014. It has been a long time since I read a book that completely sucked me in right from the start. I hope to find out more about Nalia's world along with her dangerous quest along with Malek's past. I am, however, disappointed that the publisher changed the book cover. Maybe they wanted to get away from the exotic stigma?

A jinni who's lost everything.

A master with nothing to lose.

A revolutionary with everything to gain.

When Nalia arrives in Morocco to fulfill Malek's third and final wish she's not expecting it to be easy. Though Nalia is free from the shackles that once bound her to Malek as his slave, she's in more danger than ever before.

Meanwhile, Malek's past returns with a vengeance as he confronts the darkness within himself, and Raif must decide what's more important: his love for Nalia, or his devotion to the cause of Arjinnan freedom.

Set upon by powerful forces that threaten to break her, Nalia encounters unexpected allies and discovers that her survival depends on the very things she thought made her weak.




Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs 
Publish date: March 8, 2016
Publisher: Ace

 The Mercy Thompson series is an auto-read urban fantasy series for me. I loved watching Mercy grow as a character as well as immersing myself in the world that Patricia Briggs created. With the potential war with the fae seems to be just around the corner, I'm sure Fire Touched will be filled with non-stop action and political intrigue.

Tensions between the fae and humans are coming to a head. And when coyote shapeshifter Mercy and her Alpha werewolf mate, Adam, are called upon to stop a rampaging troll, they find themselves with something that could be used to make the fae back down and forestall out-and-out war: a human child stolen long ago by the fae.

Defying the most powerful werewolf in the country, the humans, and the fae, Mercy, Adam, and their pack choose to protect the boy no matter what the cost. But who will protect them from a boy who is fire touched?

 Exquisite Captive is my favorite YA paranormal romance thus far this year. It was very hard to put this book down once you get sucked into Nalia's world of magic, politics, and romance. Inspired by the Arabian folklore, Exquisite Captive is a wholly original and enthralling story.


Description: Nalia is a jinni of tremendous ancient power, the only survivor of a coup that killed nearly everyone she loved. Stuffed into a bottle and sold by a slave trader, she’s now in hiding on the dark caravan, the lucrative jinni slave trade between Arjinna and Earth, where jinn are forced to grant wishes and obey their human masters’ every command. She’d give almost anything to be free of the golden shackles that bind her to Malek, her handsome, cruel master, and his lavish Hollywood lifestyle.
   Enter Raif, the enigmatic leader of Arjinna’s revolution and Nalia’s sworn enemy. He promises to free Nalia from her master so that she can return to her ravaged homeland and free her imprisoned brother—all for an unbearably high price. Nalia’s not sure she can trust him, but Raif’s her only hope of escape. With her enemies on the hunt, Earth has become more perilous than ever for Nalia. There’s just one catch: for Raif’s unbinding magic to work, Nalia must gain possession of her bottle…and convince the dangerously persuasive Malek that she truly loves him. Battling a dark past and harboring a terrible secret, Nalia soon realizes her freedom may come at a price too terrible to pay: but how far is she willing to go for it?

Review: Nalia, a powerful jinni from the world of Arjinna, has been on the dark caravan of the jinni slave trade for three years. After a deadly coup almost wiped out her entire clan, Nalia was captured by a slave trader who sells jinn to humans. Now she is trapped in Hollywood and bound to a handsome master, Malek, who is as ruthless as he is powerful. Malek showers Nalia with gifts, but refuses to give her what she wants most: her freedom. Nalia is desperate for the chance to return to Arjinna and rescue her captive brother-something that seems impossible while bound to her master and the bottle that can hold her prisoner. When Nalia agrees to a dangerous bargain with the leader of Arjinna's revolution, she will have to decide if any price can be too high for her freedom.
  I absolutely loved Nalia. She is unlike many heroines that we encounter in ordinary paranormal romances in that she doesn't run headlong and make impulsive decisions. Her goals are simple and focused: free herself so she can save her brother. She is very aware of her surroundings and threats that revolve around her, knowing that just one wrong move can place her in bottle that will slowly suck the life out of her. She uses her strengths to her advantage and delicately walks the tightrope of interacting with her master Malek. I was constantly on pins and needles as Nalia tried to get her hands on her bottle and her freedom from Malek within her grasp.
  Malek is a fascinating character who at once repulses you but also draws you in. His moods are violent and unpredictable. While you can never forget that he owns Nalia like an object, there is a light flicker of what could be "love". There is no way that Nalia can see him as a viable love interest, you can't deny that there is a very strong sexual tension between them.
  In addition to Nalia and Malek, Raif, the leader of the revolution is also a very compelling character. He bears the burdens the responsibility of the revolution from a very young age. Like Nalia he doesn't waste time dithering about but is very focused on saving his people and the world of Arjinna. I had a great time watching his relationship with Nalia shift from prejudice and wariness to a slow burn romance. I only wished we got to see him and Nalia have more quiet moments.
  The world building in Exquisite Captive is done very well. With nods to the jinni folklore as well as the blend of modern urban fantasy works very well in the novel.  I loved learning about the various jinns as well as their realm of magic, politics, spirituality, and history. Needless to say that it didn't take very long for me to get sucked into this story and world that the author created. The story unfolds at a fast and even pace. I really wish I could already have the second book in the series especially with how the book ends.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Words of Caution:  There is some strong language, sensuality, disturbing images, and violence. Recommended for Grade 9 and up.


If you like this book try: Daughter of Smoke and Bone series by Laini Taylor, Everneath series by Brodi Ashton, The Fire Wish by Amber Lough