Waiting on Wednesday: White Space

 

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we cannot wait to get our hands on.

 I am waiting on:

Title: White Space

Author: Ilsa J. Bick

Series: Dark Passages #1

Publisher: Egmont USA

Publication Date: February 11, 2014

Ilsa Bick’s WHITE SPACE, pitched as The Matrix meets Inkheart, about a seventeen-year-old girl who jumps between the lines of books and into the white space where realities are created and destroyed – but who may herself be nothing more than a character written into being from an alternative universe, to Greg Ferguson at Egmont, in a two-book deal, by Jennifer Laughran at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (NA).

Why am I Waiting?

I loved the Ashes Series, and I can only imagine how Ilsa Bick will toy with my emotions in this new series. I really like the idea of being able to jump between the lines of books. Who wouldn't want that ability? I am very curious about this one. What would you do if you could jump into any book?

What are you waiting on?

Make sure to let me know in the comments.

Thank you for visiting Unabridged Bookshelf!

Book Review: Shadows by Ilsa J. Bick

Title: Shadows
Author: Ilsa J. Bick
Series: Ashes Trilogy#2
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Publication Date: September 25, 2012
Length: 528 Pages
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository

The Apocalypse does not end. The Changed will grow in numbers. The Spared may not survive.
Even before the EMPs brought down the world, Alex was on the run from the demons of her past and the monster living in her head. After the world was gone, she believed Rule could be a sanctuary for her and those she’d come to love.
But she was wrong.
Now Alex is in the fight of her life against the adults, who would use her, the survivors, who don’t trust her, and the Changed, who would eat her alive.
Welcome to Shadows, the second book in the haunting apocalyptic Ashes Trilogy: where no one is safe and humans may be the worst of the monsters.

MY REVIEW

**May Contain Spoilers From Ashes, the first book in the trilogy**

Shadows by Ilsa J. Bick does it again, leaving me a puddled mess on the floor while still craving more. Ashes had me wanting more and Shadows went above and beyond to deliver it. If there is every a trilogy that might be the death of me, it would be the Ashes Trilogy. In Shadows, we get multiple viewpoints to get a 360-degree view of all the characters. I do not want to give too much away, so I am not going to reveal who narrates the viewpoints. The story picks up right at the cliffhanger from Ashes, where Alex leaves Rule in the hopes of finding Ellie a trace of Tom. 

There is so much that goes on in this story, and some very big secrets are discovered in this book. I can only imagine what the fallout is going to be in the next book. Alex is much more unsure of herself, when she discovers she maybe more like the Changed/Chuckies than she realized. Chris makes his own discoveries about Rule. Rule may not be the safe haven that Chris thought, and the people running it may not be as forthright as they should be. All of these combined with the other secrets lead to some interesting revelations, and a number of cliffhangers.

Shadows brings some of the smaller characters from Ashes to the forefront of the story. Readers get to know more about Lena and Peter. I just have to say that one character from Ashes will not be seen or heard about in Shadows. I really hope that we find out what happened to them in the next installment. The fate of many characters is left up in the air at the end of Shadows, and I really hope to find out more in Monsters. There is just so much compiled in the book that I want to talk about, but I do not want to spoil this read for anyone. 

With all the information given in Shadows, I cannot wait for the release of Monsters. Monsters will be the final book in the Ashes Trilogy. I have a feeling things are going to get crazy in Monsters, and it is going to be an exciting and explosive finale. Thank you Ilsa Bick for yet again driving me nuts and making me like it at the same time. I have a feeling I will still be recovering from the emotional turmoil experienced during Shadows, when Monsters is released.

**Unabridged Bookshelf received this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review**

Thank you for stopping by Unabridged Bookshelf!

Cover Battle: New vs Old

It that time again, when we pit covers for the same book against themselves to see who comes out the reigning victor. 

This week we have two books that have had their covers re-designed.

For fun, there is a survey at the bottom to pick your choices, and next week I will reveal the winners of the Cover Battle!

First up we have Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama

OLD                     VS                    NEW

Next up is Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick

OLD                     VS                    NEW

Thank you for stopping by Unabridged Bookshelf!!

Waiting on Wednesday: Shadows

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we cannot wait to get our hands on.
I am waiting on:

Title: Shadows

Author: Ilsa J. Bick

Series: The Ashes Trilogy #2

Publisher: Egmont

Publication Date: September 25, 2012

The Apocalypse does not end.The Changed will grow in numbers.The Spared may not survive.
Even before the EMPs brought down the world, Alex was on the run from the demons of her past and the monster living in her head. After the world was gone, she thought Rule was a sanctuary for her and those she'd come to love.
But she was wrong.
Now she's in the fight of her life against the adults who would use her, the survivors who don't trust her, and the Changed who would eat her alive.
Welcome to Shadows, the second book in the haunting apocalyptic Ashes Trilogy: where no one is safe and humans may be the worst of the monsters.

I loved the first one in this series, Ashes. While the first cover turned some people away, the new design for the second cover is gorgeous. The cliffhanger that Ashes left off on has had me want a copy of Shadows since last October. 

Have you read Ashes? Are you dying to read Shadows?

What are you waiting on?

Leave a link below, because I always love finding new books!

Thanks for stopping by Unabridged Bookshelf. 

Review: Ashes (Ashes Trilogy #1) by Ilsa J. Bick

Title: Ashes
Author: Ilsa Black
Series: Ashes Trilogy #1
Reading level: Ages 14 and up
Hardcover: 480 pages
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Publication Date: September 6, 2011

It could happen tomorrow . . .
An electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying every electronic device, wiping out every computerized system, and killing billions.
Alex hiked into the woods to say good-bye to her dead parents and her personal demons. Now desperate to find out what happened after the pulse crushes her to the ground, Alex meets up with Tom—a young soldier—and Ellie, a girl whose grandfather was killed by the EMP.
For this improvised family and the others who are spared, it’s now a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human.
Author Ilsa J. Bick crafts a terrifying and thrilling novel about a world that could be ours at any moment, where those left standing must learn what it means not just to survive, but to live amidst the devastation.(copied from Goodreads) 

My Review

First off, I have to say, Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick is one of the most unique “zombie” novels I have read to date. Alex is a young girl who takes off into the woods to say goodbye to her parents, and most likely her life. She is dying from a brain tumor, and she wants to hike up the mountain to say goodbye. On the way up, she comes across a grandfather, and his granddaughter Ellie. As this happens, an electromagnetic pulse is set off, causing the grandfather’s pacemaker to stop working. The animals in the area also go a little crazy, with crows fighting each other, and deer jumping off cliffs. After a few minutes, everything seems to go back to normal. Alex and Ellie decide to hike to the nearest ranger station. On the way to the ranger station, they come across their first zombies.

While the zombies of Ashes eat humans like a typical zombie, they are far different from the traditional rotting corpses who hunger for brains. These zombies look normal, and can even operate weapons of sorts. They also have their primate instincts intact, so they are like a cross between a zombie and a cannibal. I actually find this type of zombie far more terrifying than the traditional type, especially if you meet more than one of them.

Along their journey, Tom, who has great survival training thanks to his military background, joins Alex and Ellie. They even become like a little pseudo family, and I love that dynamic. Well, as with anything, nothing says perfect, and they must venture out into the world to find out what happened, and what is going on. This is where trouble hits, but I will not go into details, because I do not want to spoil it for anyone. Ilsa J. Bick is a child psychiatrist, and knows how to play with her reader’s emotions throughout Ashes.

I have to say, I really loved the uniqueness that is Ashes. With all the zombie books out there, the key to being successful is doing something that readers have not seen. With Ashes, even with elements featured in other books, Ilsa J. Bick makes them complete unique, and all her own. I have to say I loved this book, and the way it ended had me wanting more. This is why I am glad it is just the beginning of a trilogy! If you like zombies, you have to read this book!

**Unabridged Bookshelf borrowed Ashes from the local public library**