Spotlight

Book Spotlight: The Secret of Vesalius by Jordi Llobregat (Upcoming release)

~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 3 Comments

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Title: The Secret of Vesalius by Jordi Llobregat

Expected publication: November 2017

Publisher: Riverrun

Page count: 582 (hardback)

Daniel Amat has left Spain and all that happened there behind him. Having just achieved a brilliant role in Ancient Languages at Oxford University and an even more advantageous engagement, the arrival of a letter – a demand – stamped Barcelona comes like a cold hand from behind.

He arrives back in that old, labyrinthine and near-mythic city a few days before the great 1888 World Fair, amid dread whispers of murders – the injuries reminiscent of an ancient curse, and bearing signs of the genius 16th century anatomist, Vesalius. Daniel is soon pulled into the depths of the crime, and eventually into the tunnels below Barcelona, where his own dark past and the future of science are joined in a terrible venture – to bring the secret of Vesalius to life.

Gothic and gripping, this historical thriller makes of Barcelona a diabolical character – emerging out of the dark into a new electrical age, aflame with spirit, superstition and science. Published in eighteen countries, Jordi Llobregat’s bestselling first novel mixes a passionate setting and cryptic mystery into a genre-crossing phenomenon.

First off, I would like to note that this book initially was released in 2015 but only in Spanish. This will be its first round in the English speaking market so I’m still going to count it as an upcoming release.

This book sounds like it has everything that appeals to me. Historical fiction? Check. World’s Fair? Always a fascination. Murder, mayhem, and mystery? Sign me up. If this title interests you as much as it does me, it can currently be found as an eARC on Netgalley. Sadly, it is not open to the American audience (only Australia, Europe, and the United Kingdom) so I’ll have to wait for official publication.

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Jordi has a passion for cities, and in particular their historical evolutions and transformations. His mother’s side of the family hails from Barcelona, and his great grandfather worked in the forge that produced Pere Falqués’ famous modernist lampposts found on the Paseo de Gracia. Jordi began writing at the age of twelve after watching the film The Man from Acapulco with Jean Paul Belmondo and Jacqueline Bisset.

He currently combines writing with his work as head of a company that works on community development in cities. His work has been included in several short story anthologies.

He is director of the noir fiction festival, Valencia Negra. (from Goodreads)

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Goodreads | Amazon UK | Book Depository | NetGalley

Book Spotlight – The Queen’s Rising (Untitled Trilogy #1) by Rebecca Ross

~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 1 Comment

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Title: The Queen’s Rising (Untitled Trilogy #1) by Rebecca Ross

Expected publication: February 6th, 2018

Publisher: Harper Teen

When her seventeenth summer solstice arrives, Brienna desires only two things: to master her passion and to be chosen by a patron.

Growing up in the southern Kingdom of Valenia at the renowned Magnalia House should have prepared her for such a life. While some are born with an innate talent for one of the five passions—art, music, dramatics, wit, and knowledge—Brienna struggled to find hers until she belatedly chose to study knowledge. However, despite all her preparations, Brienna’s greatest fear comes true—the solstice does not go according to plan and she is left without a patron.

Months later, her life takes an unexpected turn when a disgraced lord offers her patronage. Suspicious of his intent, and with no other choices, she accepts. But there is much more to his story, and Brienna soon discovers that he has sought her out for his own vengeful gain. For there is a dangerous plot being planned to overthrow the king of Maevana—the archrival kingdom of Valenia—and restore the rightful queen, and her magic, to the northern throne. And others are involved—some closer to Brienna than she realizes.

With war brewing between the two lands, Brienna must choose whose side she will remain loyal to—passion or blood. Because a queen is destined to rise and lead the battle to reclaim the crown. The ultimate decision Brienna must determine is: Who will be that queen?

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Rebecca Ross grew up in Georgia, where she continues to reside with her husband, lively dog and endless piles of books. She received her bachelor’s degree in English from UGA. In the past she has worked at a Colorado dude ranch, as a school librarian, and as a live-time captionist for a college.

Rebecca writes fantasy for young adult readers. Her debut novel, THE QUEEN’S RISING, will be out winter 2018 from HarperTeen.

THE QUEEN’S RISING is set to be translated into Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Hungarian, Turkish, Bulgarian, Dutch, German, Hebrew and will be available in the UK. (from Goodreads)

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Goodreads | Amazon US | Amazon UK | Book Depository

Book Spotlight – A Treacherous Curse by Deanna Raybourn (Upcoming Release)

~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 3 Comments

 

BOOKSPOTLIGHT

Each week in my Book Spotlight piece I will be bringing you an upcoming release. These books are ones I am excited about whether they be from a new or an established author. This week we have an upcoming release from one of my favorites!

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Title: A Treacherous Curse (Veronica Speedwell #3) by Deanna Raybourn

Expected publication: January 16th, 2018

Publisher: Berkley

London, 1888. As colorful and unfettered as the butterflies she collects, Victorian adventuress Veronica Speedwell can’t resist the allure of an exotic mystery—particularly one involving her enigmatic colleague, Stoker. His former expedition partner has vanished from an archaeological dig with a priceless diadem unearthed from the newly discovered tomb of an Egyptian princess. This disappearance is just the latest in a string of unfortunate events that have plagued the controversial expedition, and rumors abound that the curse of the vengeful princess has been unleashed as the shadowy figure of Anubis himself stalks the streets of London.
 
But the perils of an ancient curse are not the only challenges Veronica must face as sordid details and malevolent enemies emerge from Stoker’s past. Caught in a tangle of conspiracies and threats—and thrust into the public eye by an enterprising new foe—Veronica must separate facts from fantasy to unravel a web of duplicity that threatens to cost Stoker everything. 

COVER

I absolutely adore the cover for this book. It is a color we don’t see very often, first of all. Have you noticed that most covers seem to be black, white, or red? I love that this one took a jump off of that trend with this beautiful gold. There are also some hieroglyphics worked into the background which is a lovely touch.

CONCEPT

I have made it no secret that I am completely in love with Raybourn’s books. Just here on Literary Weaponry I have reviewed five of them! Now, one of my favorite authors is incorporating one of my favorite topics: Ancient Egypt. To say I am over the moon would be an understatement. In the previous two books in this series, A Curious Beginning and A Perilous Undertaking, we have been given hints and peaks at Stoker’s past but nothing in much detail. From the sounds of things Raybourn will be giving us a great deal more information about him. Hopefully it will also include more scenes with Stoker’s oldest brother who is easily one of my favorite secondary characters in any series. Period. I am absolutely itching to pre-order this one!

THE AUTHOR

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Deanna Raybourn. A sixth-generation native Texan, New York Times bestselling author Deanna Raybourn graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a double major in English and history and an emphasis on Shakespearean studies. She taught high school English for three years in San Antonio before leaving education to pursue a career as a novelist. Deanna makes her home in Virginia, where she lives with her husband and daughter. – from Goodreads

 

 

Before her Veronica Speedwell mysteries, Raybourn wrote the Lady Julia Grey series which I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys historical mysteries.

My reviews of Raybourn’s books:

A Curious Beginning
A Perilous Undertaking
Lady Julia Grey Series (1-3)

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Goodreads | Amazon US | Amazon UK | Penguin/Berkley | Book Depository

Book Spotlight – Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian (Upcoming Release)

~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 5 Comments

I’ve been kicking around post ideas in my head for a while now. For some time all I mostly did were weekly memes with a review thrown in every Friday. It felt stale, boring, and lacked originality. I began trying to come up with different post concepts and this one popped into my head late one evening as I watched Jon Snow do his brooding hero routine on my TV screen.

The idea is to spotlight a new or upcoming release every week. I hope to showcase mostly new/debut authors with this but there will certainly be some favorite or well-known authors thrown in as well. Lets give this a shot and see how it goes, shall we?

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