Amber Reads Her Shelves: March 2019

Amber Reads Her Shelves is my attempt to actually read the books I read. Every month I will choose 3 books that have been on my shelves for at least 6 months. Voting will be open until March 19.

Second books and behind-the-scenes advice: Epic Reads Fall Meet Up

I love a good author event, but last months' chat with Kristen Ciccarelli, Heidi Heilig, and Ibi Zoboi was one of my favorites. 

New Stories with Familiar Characters: In Conversation with Kristen Ciccarelli

Last year, I read a little book called The Last Namsara and quickly became obsessed. It was my favorite book of 2017 and I was counting down the days until The Caged Queen came out. Guess what! All of my patience has paid off because The Caged Queen comes out next week! To celebrate, Kristen Ciccarelli joined me for an interview and we have a little giveaway for you all too!

Waiting on Wednesday [#144]

 Title: The Caged Queen (Iskari #2)
Author: Kristen Ciccarelli
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: September 25, 2018

Once there were two sisters born with a bond so strong that it forged them together forever. When they were angry, mirrors shattered, and when they were happy, flowers bloomed. It was a magic they cherished—until the day a terrible accident took Essie’s life and trapped her soul in this world.
Dax—the heir to Firgaard’s throne—was responsible for the accident. Roa swore to hate him forever. But eight years later he returned, begging for her help. He was determined to dethrone his cruel father, under whose oppressive reign Roa’s people had suffered. Roa made him a deal: she’d give him the army he needed if he made her queen.
Together with Dax and his sister, Asha, Roa and her people waged war and deposed a tyrant. But now Asha is on the run, hiding from the price on her head. And Roa is an outlander queen, far from home and married to her enemy. Worst of all: Dax’s promises go unfulfilled. Roa’s people continue to suffer.
Then a chance to right every wrong arises—an opportunity for Roa to rid herself of this enemy king and rescue her beloved sister. During the Reliquishing, when the spirits of the dead are said to return, Roa can reclaim her sister for good.
All she has to do is kill the king (goodreads).

Book Review: The Last Namsara

Title: The Last Namsara (Iskari #1)
Author: Kristen Ciccarelli
Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy | Romance
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: October 3, 2017
Source: Publisher
Format: eARC

In the beginning, there was the Namsara: the child of sky and spirit, who carried love and laughter wherever he went. But where there is light, there must be dark—and so there was also the Iskari. The child of blood and moonlight. The destroyer. The death bringer. 
These are the legends that Asha, daughter of the king of Firgaard, has grown up hearing in hushed whispers, drawn to the forbidden figures of the past. But it isn’t until she becomes the fiercest, most feared dragon slayer in the land that she takes on the role of the next Iskari—a lonely destiny that leaves her feeling more like a weapon than a girl.
Asha conquers each dragon and brings its head to the king, but no kill can free her from the shackles that await at home: her betrothal to the cruel commandant, a man who holds the truth about her nature in his palm. When she’s offered the chance to gain her freedom in exchange for the life of the most powerful dragon in Firgaard, she finds that there may be more truth to the ancient stories than she ever could have expected. With the help of a secret friend—a slave boy from her betrothed’s household—Asha must shed the layers of her Iskari bondage and open her heart to love, light, and a truth that has been kept from her (goodreads). 

Wow. This book is something special.