Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder

Release Date: December 20, 2011
Publisher: MIRA

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....

Unfortunately, this is the best quality image that's out in public yet, but I am so bursting with excitement for this book that I couldn't wait for a better one to share! Isn't the cover gorgeous? The Study trilogy was a staple of mine in high school, and when I found the Glass trilogy last fall, I gobbled them up eagerly. Her most recent books Inside Out and Outside In (incredible titles, by the way), were a little different in genre and I didn't like them as much, but Touch of Power seems to be a return to her original works.

This blog is evidence of my love of Contemporary YA, Paranormal Romance, Dystopian, and the other genres that have been flooding the YA market, but occasionally I like to return to the more classic YA Fantasies. When I ran out of Tamora Pierce titles, Maria V. Snyder is who I turned to, and--dare I say--I may have liked her works even better. For any of you who haven't read her work, please do!! They are so much fun to escape into; the heroines are kick-ass, and the plot lines are mercifully surprising and entertaining. She does a great job of mixing romance, action, moral struggle, hilarious secondary characters, and politics (this coming from a girl who would rather eat dirt than take a Poly Sci class). Besides, I can already tell from the cover copy that whatever happens between Avry and the prince is going to be totally "squee-worthy."

Anyone who subscribes to the author's newsletter will have already gotten the first chapter, but the rest of you can find it on her website starting September 15th. What are you excited for this week?