"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.
It lets us all gush about what soon-to-be released books
we are jumping-up-and-down excited for. 
by Mary E. Pearson
hitting shelves July 7th, 2015 from Henry Hold & Co.
(Watch out for spoilers ahead! If you have read book 1, skip the description!)
Held captive in the barbarian kingdom of Venda, Lia and Rafe have little chance of escape. Desperate to save her life, Lia's erstwhile assassin, Kaden, has told the Vendan Komizar that she has the gift, and the Komizar's interest in Lia is greater than anyone could have foreseen.
Meanwhile, nothing is straightforward: there's Rafe, who lied to Lia, but has sacrificed his freedom to protect her; Kaden, who meant to assassinate her but has now saved her life; and the Vendans, whom Lia always believed to be barbarians. Now that she lives amongst them, however, she realizes that may be far from the truth. Wrestling with her upbringing, her gift, and her sense of self, Lia must make powerful choices that will affect her country... and her own destiny.
Meanwhile, nothing is straightforward: there's Rafe, who lied to Lia, but has sacrificed his freedom to protect her; Kaden, who meant to assassinate her but has now saved her life; and the Vendans, whom Lia always believed to be barbarians. Now that she lives amongst them, however, she realizes that may be far from the truth. Wrestling with her upbringing, her gift, and her sense of self, Lia must make powerful choices that will affect her country... and her own destiny.
My thoughts: AHHH so excited. I loved book one (check out my review here) and I can't wait to see what happens next with these characters. Also anxious to see how this one reads without that intriguing "not knowing who is who" factor we had in the first book. Kind of surprised at this cover! It is definitely breathtaking, but I actually think it's a better match as the sequel of Trial by Fire! Don't you think? We'll see how it fits the story!
What future books are you excited for this week?
