Cover Love: Sunset Rising

Sunset Rising
By S.M. McEachern

Series: Sunset Rising #1

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian

Goodreads Summary:

February 2024: Desperate to find refuge from the nuclear storm, a group of civilians discover a secret government bio-dome. Greeted by a hail of bullets and told to turn back, the frantic refugees stand their ground and are grudgingly permitted entry. But the price of admission is high.

283 years later…Sunny O’Donnell is a seventeen-year-old slave who has never seen the sun. She was born in the Pit, a subterranean extension of the bio-dome. Though life had never been easy, lately it had become a nightmare. Her mom was killed in the annual Cull, and her dad thought it was a good time to give up on life. Reyes Crowe, her long-time boyfriend, was pressuring her to get marries, even though it would mean abandoning her father.

She didn’t think things could get any worse until she was forced upstairs to the Dome to be a servant-girl at a bachelor party. That’s where she met Leisel Holt, the president’s daughter, and her fiancé, Jack Kenner.

Now Sunny is wanted for treason. If they catch her, she’ll be executed.

She thought Leisel’s betrayal was the end. But it was just the beginning.

Links:

Sunset Rising on Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble

I don’t know that there’s anything overly exceptional about this cover but I still really like it. I just want to wrap myself in the warm colors! I also really like her dress sleeves, lol.

Covers At Random

Hungry by H.A. Swain

In the future, food is no longer necessary – until Thalia begins to feel something unfamiliar and uncomfortable. She’s hungry.

In Thalia’s world, there is no need for food – everyone takes medication (or “inocs”) to ward off hunger. It should mean there is no more famine, no more obesity, no more food-related illness, and no more war. At least that’s what her parents, who work for the company that developed the inocs say. But when Thalia meets a boy who is part of an underground movement to bring food back, she realizes that most people live a life much different from hers. Worse, Thalia is starting to feel hunger, and so is he – the inocs aren’t working. Together they set out to find the only thing that will quell their hunger: real food.

H.A. Swain delivers an adventure that is both epic and fast-paced. Get ready to be Hungry.

 

Hungry on Goodreads

Free Chapter Sampler on Amazon

Come on, you can’t tell me those fork tines aren’t beckoning you closer like the fingers of a witch with a nice shiny apple.

 

 

 

The Infects by Sean Beaudoin

 

A feast for the brain, this gory and genuinely hilarious take on zombie culture simultaneously skewers, pays tribute to, and elevates the horror genre.

Seventeen-year old Nero is stuck in the wilderness with a bunch of juvenile delinquents on an “Inward Trek.” As if that weren’t bad enough, his counselors have turned into flesh-eating maniacs overnight and are now chowing down on his fellow miscreants. As in any classis monster flick worth its salted popcorn, plentiful carnage sends survivors rabbiting into the woods while the mindless horde of “infects” shambles, moans, and drools behind. Of course, these kids have seen zombie movies. They generate “Zombie Rules” almost as quickly as cheeky remarks, but attitude alone can’t keep the biters back.

Serving up a cast of irreverent, slightly twisted characters, an unexpected villiam, and an ending you won’t see coming, here is a savvy tale that’s a delight to read – whether you’re a rabid zombie fan or a freshly bitten – and an incisive commentary on the evil that lurks within each of us.

 

The Infects on Goodreads and Amazon

 

 

 

  

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

 

 

Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny.

 

 

Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since her birth, she has been in training to kill him.

 

 

With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she’s ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.

 

 

But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.

 

 

As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex’s secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.

 

 

Cruel Beauty on Goodreads and Amazon

 

 

 

 

Gilded Ashes by Rosamund Hodge

 

A romantic and fantastical reimagining of the classic Cinderella tale, Gilded Ashes is a novella by Rosamund Hodge set in the same world as the author’s debut novel, Cruel Beauty.

 

 

Orphan Maia doesn’t see the point of love when it only brings pain: Her dying mother made a bargain with the evil, all-powerful ruler of their world that anyone who hurt her beloved daughter would be punished; her new stepmother went mad with grief when Maia’s father died; and her stepsisters are desperate for their mother’s approval, yet she always spurns them. And though her family has turned her into a despised servant, Maia must always pretend to be happy, or else they’ll all be struck dead by the curse.

 

 

Anax, heir to the Duke of Sardis, doesn’t believe in love either – not since he discovered that his childhood sweetheart was only using him for his noble title. What’s the point of pretending to fall in love with a girl just so she’ll pretend to fall in love with him back? But when his father invites all the suitable girls in the kingdom to a masked ball, Anax must finally give in and select a wife.

 

 

As fate would have it, the preparations for the masquerade bring him Maia, who was asked by her eldest stepsister to deliver letters to Anax. Despite a prickly first encounter, he is charmed and intrigued by this mysterious girl who doesn’t believe in love. Anax can’t help falling in love with her. Against her will, Maia starts to fall in love with him too. But how can she be with him when every moment his life is in danger from her mother’s deadly bargain?

 

 

Gilded Ashes on Goodreads and Amazon

 

 

I love both of Rosamund Hodge's covers and the books sound fantastic!!

 

 

Covers At Random

I can’t seem to stick to specifically posting covers on Saturdays so I’m just going to throw a Covers At Random post together whenever the mood strikes me. Here are two covers that caught my eye recently.

WAHOO!!! There’s finally a cover and blurb for In a Handful of Dust, the companion novel to Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis. I read Not a Drop to Drink recently so I'm excited to have more information on this one.

 

In a Handful of Dust

By Mindy McGinnis

Companion to Not a Drop to Drink
Release Date: September 23, 2014
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins

Summary and cover from yabookcentral.com. They are also running a giveaway so go check it out.

Summary:

 

The only thing bigger than the world is fear.

Lucy’s life by the pond has always been full. She has water and friends, laughter and the love of her adoptive mother, Lynn, who has made sure that Lucy’s childhood was very different from her won. Yet it seems Lucy’s future is settled already – a house, a man, children, and a water source – and anything beyond their life by the pond is beyond reach.

When disease burns through their community, the once life-saving water of the pond might be the source of what’s killing them now. Rumors of desalinization plants in California have lingered in Lynn’s  mind, and the prospect of a “normal” life for Lucy sets the two of them on an epic journey west to face new dangers: hunger, mountains, deserts, betrayal, and the perils of a world so vast that Lucy fears she could be lost forever, only to disappear in a handful of dust.

In this companion to Not a Drop to Drink, Mindy McGinnis thrillingly combines the heart-swelling hope of a journey, the challenges of establishing your own place in the world, and the gripping physical danger of nature in a futuristic frontier.

Not a Drop to Drink on Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble

In a Handful of Dust on Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble
Mindy McGinnis’ website

 

 

The Dark World

by Cara Lynn Shultz

Series: Dark World #1

Release Date: May 27, 2014
Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Summary and cover from goodreads.com

 
Summary:

Paige Kelly is used to weird—in fact, she probably corners the market on weird, considering that her best friend, Dottie, has been dead since the 1950’s. But when a fire demon attacks Paige in detention, she has to admit that things have gotten out of her league. Luckily, the cute new boy in  school, Logan Bradley, is a practiced demon slayer-and he isn’t fazed by Paige’s propensity to chat with the dead. Suddenly, Paige is smack in the middle of a centuries-old battle between warlocks and demons, learning to fight with a magic sword so that she can defend herself. And if she makes one wrong move, she’ll be pulled into the Dark World, an alternate version of our world that’s overrun by demons-and she might never make it home.

The Dark World on Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble

Cara Lynn Shultz’s website

You know you’re a cover whore when…

I’m an admitted cover whore! Time and time again I fall under the spell of a gorgeous cover! I’ll start off with a few examples and then I’ll hand it over to a few blogger friends. After all, I shouldn’t be the only one confessing my cover whore ways should I?!

You know you’re a cover whore when…

…you order the same book 4 times because Book Depository keeps sending you the WRONG COVER!!! Yes, I did this! I’m looking at you Possessions!

…you believe in love at first sight because you’ve experienced it…with a book…many times...more times than what can be listed in one blog post :)

 

…you have a hard time parting with a book you know you’ll probably never read just because the cover is stunningly gorgeous.

…you have little to no interest in reading a book just because of the cover. Sorry Wendy, I know you loved this one but I just cannot get beyond the cover :(

…you’re bummed because you didn’t get your hands on a book in time before the awesome cover was changed.

Continuing the cover confessions is author and blogger, Julie Belfield

Hey there! My name’s Julie Belfield, and I’m a cover whore.

Oddly enough, I recently wrote a blog post about how I rarely read those things called blurbs. Most books I choose to read come as recommendations. The rest of ‘em? Yeah, those are all the ones whose cover I just couldn’t resist.  Like one of those birds that collect trinkets (magpies? Cuckoos?), I’m just attracted to the shiny. Like, for example, the time I saw one of the covers of Jaci Burton’s Play by Play series over at Burning Impossibly Bright, and decided right there and then that I freaking wanted them on my bookshelf. I didn’t care if the books were any good. I just wanted to stroke the covers. Guess what? I now own a copy of The Perfect Play. Which I stroke – a lot. And I didn’t stop there, because there are many others I’ve been desperate to own and read after seeing the shinies. Like The Selection (the entire series rocks!), Throne of Glass (Maaaaaa-an!), and Iced (dude! Just … dude!), amongst MANY. So, yeah, I’m a cover whore, but I say that with pride. ;)

Next up is Anna from Annaberry Reads

You know you’re a cover whore when…

“…you pay more for the book, versus buying the cheaper ebook, because the cover is so pretty. On the other hand, I’d likely get the ebook if I didn’t like the cover.”

 

And last but certainly not least...

Krista from Krista’s Dust Jacket says

You know you’re a cover whore when…

“…you completely reorganize your entire bookshelf on a monthly basis, just so all the pretty matching cover spines can stay side-by-side.”

“…you willingly buy a book you already own a second time just because the cover has been redesigned and you like the new one better.”

“…your selfies are always taken with your bookshelf in the background because all those pretty covers make a nice photo backdrop.”

Maria V. Snyder gets a facelift...

Well not Maria herself but some of her books. The books in her Glass series are getting new covers in the US/Canada. The new covers will be in mass market format. 

Check out these beauties! 

Storm Glass - July 30th
Sea Glass - August 27th
Spy Glass - September 24th

I preordered these new editions and so far I've received Storm Glass...and let me tell you that it's even more gorgeous in person!

AND...

Maria's Glass books in the UK are also getting new covers...

These will be released in September

Maria's blog post on the new covers

The Reading Frenzy interviewed Maria about the covers

Author Links:

Blog

Website

Facebook

Goodreads

Book Must Haves-Cover Love

Book Summary:

Caitlyn, a telepath, lives in a world where all paranormal talents are illegal. She is on the run from government ParaTroopers. When Caitlyn falls for Alex, a Normal, and discovers dangerous renegade Paranormals, she must choose between staying in hiding to protect herself or taking a stand to save the  world

I read Scars by Cheryl Rainfield (see my review here) and loved it so I can't wait to get my hands on Hunted! Based on the cover alone you know it will be a gripping tale!

Released yesterday

Book Summary:

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Territories, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her  life...

I am a big fan of Maria V. Snyder so I'm looking foward to this one!! I have it preordered and I'm hoping **fingers crossed** to get it soon!

Releases December 20, 2011...next week!!

Book Summary:

There's something strange and deadly loose in Philadelphia…

Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about. Her brother has gone missing, her family has fallen on hard times, and her mother is determined to marry her off to any rich young man who walks by. But this is nothing compared to what she’s just read in the newspaper—

The Dead are rising in Philadelphia.

And then, in a frightening attack, a zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor…from her brother.

Whoever is controlling the Dead army has taken her brother as well. If Eleanor is going to find him, she’ll have to venture into the lab of the notorious Spirit-Hunters, who protect the city from supernatural forces. But as Eleanor spends more time with the Spirit-Hunters, including their maddeningly stubborn yet handsome inventor, Daniel, the situation becomes dire. And now, not only is her reputation on the line, but her very life may hang in the  balance.

I saw this book on Buried in Books blog. I'm not usually into historical or steampunk books, but this book sounds interesting. It is also based in Philadelphia which is a bonus for me since I live in Pennsylvania! Is it July yet?!  

Releases in July 2012

Cover Love

Over the weekend I ventured to Borders to see what going out of business sales I could find. Let’s just say I should join a Book Buying Addicts Anonymous group, haha.

Anyhoodles, I wanted to share the covers of three books I bought. I love how incredibly creeptastic they are!!

Vampire Zero (Vampires #3)

23 Hours (Vampires #4)

Overwinter (Werewolves #2)

To finish off both of the series, I will (at some point) be buying:

13 Bullets (Vampires #1)

99 Coffins (Vampires #2)

Frostbite (Werewolves #1)