As we learned in Rule, Zofi, Akeylah, and Ren are sisters that have been summoned by the ailing king in order to vie for the throne. Unfortunately, each sister has a hidden secret that can rock the kingdom of Kolonya, and someone is using that information to blackmail them. Now in Rise, the blackmailer isn’t holding back any punches, and the king soon finds out of the girls’ betrayals. As the web of fear and lies begins to grow, the sisters will have to trust and rely on one another, if they’d like to protect the kingdom and those they hold dear.

That’s the shortest summary I’ve ever written I think, and it’s mostly because I really can’t say anymore without potentially spoiling something in the story. Like in Rule, the story still has this urgent feeling, like something sinister is afoot and there is nothing anyone can do to stop it. As the girls try to solve the mystery of who’s blackmailing them, it’s clear that it’s not as simple as following breadcrumbs. Everyone has something to gain…or lose, making everyone a suspect. Lots of characters are called into question, and I was definitely shocked to find out who the blackmailer was.

One of my favourite things about Zofi, Akeylah, and Ren is that they’re not damsels in distress. They aren’t waiting for some prince or perfect solution to come along and rescue them. They’ve been hardened by their stations in life, Zofi and Akeylah especially. These girls take matters into their own hands (sometimes at a detriment to their lives) in order to not only help each other, but to help the kingdom survive. There was something to be said about the theme of sisterhood in the story. Despite the fact that the girls were pitted as enemies in Rule, they grow and learn what sisterhood means to each one of them. They use their backgrounds and upbringing to their advantage, and we see three completely different personalities come into play. These girls were completely unforgettable.

There are definitely some darker elements of course, particularly in how magic is practised in the world of Kolonya. It deals with blood-letting, and so if you’ve read Rule and were averse to it then, there’s a little more of that happening in Rise, so I’d steer clear if it makes you uncomfortable. Otherwise, it made for an interesting magic system, and I felt like I definitely got to know more about it in this book. I had so many questions as to how the girls were perceiving certain things, and I felt like those got answered within the story.

I have to say that I loved the romances happening in this book. We had a tenuous relationship develop into a trusting bond, one developing out of mutual friendship despite it’s taboo origins, and another out of rebellion. If that sounds extra vague, it definitely is. I don’t want to give away a single thing from this book. Although I will say that I wished the forbidden romance in this book hadn’t formed in the way it did. It felt a little taboo, but you’ll have to read it to see what I mean.

When I was thinking about things that I didn’t like about this story, I came up empty. I started this late at night and finished the story within three hours. I couldn’t put it down, I was so engrossed in what was going to happen next. If I’m being honest, this would have been an amazing story to turn into a series. There were still some things about Kolonya that I would have loved to see developed. We get to see quite a bit more of the history of some of the people, but not of others. However, the ending of the book was very satisfying for me to read. It’s still an incredible journey that is memorable, and everyone will have some aspect of the story that they love. Whether it be the sisterhood, romances, magic system, or backstabbing kingdom politics, there will surely be something in there for you to love.

I’m rating this a 9/10. It’s a stunning read. You should pick this up and give it a go, because I have a feeling that it will pull others into the world as it did me. You’ll sit on the edge of your seat wondering who the culprit is, and their motivations behind their actions will make you gasp in shock. I cannot say it enough, go and pick this up!

Rise is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.

Have you read Rise? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

Sisters Akeylah, Ren, and Zofi are all a step closer to their dying father’s throne, a step closer to the crown that will allow one of them to rule over Kolonya. But the sisters’ pasts continue to haunt them. Each hides a secret marked with blood and betrayal, and now their blackmailer is holding nothing back. When King Andros discovers the sisters’ traitorous pasts, the consequences will shake the entire kingdom to its core.

As Kolonya’s greatest threat stalks closer and closer, weaving a web of fear and deceit around Ren, Zofi, and Akeylah, even the people they love are under suspicion. If the sisters are going to survive, they’ll have to learn to trust each other above all else and work together, not only to save themselves, but to protect everyone and everything they hold dear.

The post Review: Rise by Ellen Goodlett appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Hi Ellen! Tell us a little about yourself!

I’m an author, originally from Pittsburgh, and then I lived in New York for 7 years, before I left to go traveling full-time for the last 2 years. I’m still on the road now (in Europe at the moment). Rule was my debut novel, and Rise, the sequel, just came out this past June.

For those who don’t know about the series, can you tell us what readers might expect?

My elevator pitch is that it’s Pretty Little Liars meets Three Dark Crowns, with a touch of King Lear. If you like blackmail, intrigue, and juicy secrets set in a fantasy realm (with a hint of magic), then you’ll probably enjoy this series!

What research did you have to do when you started writing Rule and Rise?

Since it’s fantasy, I didn’t need to do a lot of the more intense research I might with contemporary or historical fiction. But in my worldbuilding, I did research settings and locations for visual inspiration behind the major locations in the book. I also used baby name databases to generate ideas for naming side characters and locations in the book. And of course, when it came to the physics of the occasional fight scene, or figuring out how long it might take someone to die when placed in a particularly compromising situation, I did do some basic medical research.

Can you tell us a bit about your writing process with Rise?

Rise was a lot more difficult for me than Rule. Before Rule, I’d written 7 (never published) novels. In doing that, I got a good idea of how to write a first book, as well as a standalone novel. But Rise was the first time I had to write a sequel. Tying up all the loose ends from Rule, not to mention making sure all the clues were in the right places, especially when I couldn’t go back into Rule and change anything… that was a huge challenge. I definitely had a couple of moments where I worried I wouldn’t be able to pull it off. Luckily, my editor very patiently talked me through some of the worst quagmires. When I was really stalled, I also found it helped to take long walks, just to clear my head and reset. That was often when I’d get an idea for how to fix the problem I’d been battling while parked in front of my screen for days.
In the end, I’m really happy with how Rise turned out, and excited to see readers’ reactions to it!

Could you tell us a tidbit about the girls that might not have made it into the book?

Akeylah is tougher than she gives herself credit for. Ren and Sarella’s fights have underlying sexual tension that neither of them will ever address. Zofi is less like her mother than she wishes she were, at least when it comes to forming attachments.

What was one of your favorite scenes to write in the books?

The ending. Without spoiling anything, I loved detailing where each girl winds up, and how their lives will continue from here.

What was your inspiration for the books?

I drew a lot of inspiration for the setting from traveling: visiting jungles, rocky beaches and deserts led to the settings behind Kolonya City, the Eastern Reach and the oasis where Zofi’s story picks up in Rule. For the plot itself, I really wanted to talk about the way women are forced into competition with one another, and what can happen when you push back against that expectation. Rule and Rise both also deal with family: the question of how you build them, where you draw the line between blood and found families, and how much you can necessarily trust someone just because you share a bloodline.

If you could pick real-life occupations for the girls based on the talents that they have in the books, what would they be?

Ren would be getting her law degree, with a 5-year plan to prosecute for the DA and then run for local office afterward. Zofi would be a programmer or web designer—something you can self-teach and do remotely, so she can travel while she does it. Akeylah would work with animals, maybe volunteering at an adoption center during the day, and painting the same animals at night (though she’d be way too shy to ever show anyone her art).

Was there anything about the books that was hard for you to write about, or made you pause?

King Andros’s story. I knew from the start what choices he’d made in the past and why, but when it came to writing Rise, it was challenging to portray the girls’ reactions to it all. Especially when part of me just wanted to let them live in happy ignorance, now that they’d found one another through him. But personally, I’d always rather know the full truth, and I think that as different as Akeylah, Ren and Zofi are in some regards, they’re alike when it comes to that. They’d rather know the truth and be disillusioned than to live in a fantasy world (no pun intended).

What is something that you absolutely must do or have when you sit down to write?

I try to give myself as few rules as possible, so that I have less excuses when it comes to being productive (for me, sometimes “I must have XYZ” can turn into “I don’t have XYZ, so I can’t write right now, back to Twitter instead”). But I do generally like to write in public spaces if I can, usually cafes or coworking spots, just to have the background noise of people coming and going. It’s also easier for me to convince my brain that it’s time to switch to work mode if I leave the place where I’ve been in sleep mode or hang-out-and-watch-TV mode.

Can you tell us about any projects that are coming up?

I’m working on something a little different next—it will be paranormal fantasy, with a contemporary setting. But you can still expect plenty of juicy drama, mostly female characters, gay girls kissing, and disastrous magic!

If you could give us one spoiler about Rise, what would it be?

Not sure if this really counts as a spoiler, but it’s something I want to make clear: I do put my queer characters through the wringer, but they survive in the end.

Will you be checking out Rule and Rise? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Interview: Ellen Goodlett, Author of ‘Rise’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Read on to discover our picks and tell us in the comments below if you will be checking any of them out!

Wildcard by Marie Lu
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

In the sequel to Warcross, Emika Chen barely made it out of the Warcross Championships alive. Now that she knows the truth behind Hideo’s new NeuroLink algorithm, she can no longer trust the one person she’s always looked up to, who she once thought was on her side. Caught in a web of betrayal, with the future of free will at risk, just how far will Emika go to take down the man she loves?

A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The first time the Nightmares came, it nearly cost Alice her life. Now she’s trained to battle monstrous creatures in the dark dream realm known as Wonderland with magic weapons and hardcore fighting skills. Life in real-world Atlanta isn’t always so simple, as Alice juggles an overprotective mom, a high-maintenance best friend, and a slipping GPA. Keeping the Nightmares at bay is turning into a full-time job. But when Alice’s handsome and mysterious mentor is poisoned, she has to find the antidote by venturing deeper into Wonderland than she’s ever gone before.

Sadie by Courtney Summers
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Sadie hasn’t had an easy life. Growing up on her own, she’s been raising her sister Mattie in an isolated small town. But when Mattie is found dead, Sadie’s entire world crumbles. After a somewhat botched police investigation, Sadie is determined to bring her sister’s killer to justice. When West McCray—a radio personality working on a segment about small, forgotten towns in America—overhears Sadie’s story at a local gas station, he becomes obsessed with finding the missing girl. He starts his own podcast as he tracks Sadie’s journey, trying to figure out what happened, hoping to find her before it’s too late.

The Deepest Roots by Miranda Asebedo
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Cottonwood Hollow, Kansas, is a strange place. For the past century, every girl has been born with a special talent, like the ability to Fix any object, Heal any wound, or Find what is missing. Best friends Rome, Lux, and Mercy all have similar talents, but to them, their abilities often feel like a curse. Lux has been hiding big and dangerous secrets. As Rome struggles to keep her friendships close, she discovers the truth about life in Cottonwood Hollow—that friends are stronger than curses, that trust is worth the risk, and sometimes, what you’ve been looking for has been under your feet the whole time.

Pride by Ibi Zoboi
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Zuri Benitez has pride. Brooklyn pride, family pride, and pride in her Afro-Latino roots. But pride might not be enough to save her rapidly gentrifying neighbourhood from becoming unrecognisable. When the wealthy Darcy family moves in across the street, Zuri wants nothing to do with their two teenage sons, even as her older sister, Janae, starts to fall for the charming Ainsley. She especially can’t stand the judgemental and arrogant Darius. Yet as Zuri and Darius are forced to find common ground, their initial dislike shifts into an unexpected understanding. But with four wild sisters pulling her in different directions, cute boy Warren vying for her attention, and college applications hovering on the horizon, Zuri fights to find her place in Bushwick’s changing landscape, or lose it all.

Not Even Bones by Rebecca Schaeffer
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Nita doesn’t murder supernatural beings and sell their body parts on the internet—her mother does that. Nita just dissects the bodies after they’ve been “acquired.” But when her mother brings home a live specimen, Nita decides she wants out — dissecting living people is a step too far. But when she tries to save her mother’s victim, she ends up sold on the black market in his place — because Nita herself is a supernatural being. Now Nita is on the other side of the bars, and there is no line she won’t cross to escape and make sure no one can ever capture her again. Nita did a good deed, and it cost her everything. Now she’s going to do a lot of bad deeds to get it all back.

People Kill People by Ellen Hopkins
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A gun is sold in the classifieds after killing a spouse, bought by a teenager for needed protection. But which was it? Each has the incentive to pick up a gun, to fire it. Was it Rand or Cami, married teenagers with a young son? Was it Silas or Ashlyn, members of a white supremacist youth organization? Daniel, who fears retaliation because of his race, who possessively clings to Grace, the love of his life? Or Noelle, who lost everything after a devastating accident, and has sunk quietly into depression? One tense week brings all six people into close contact in a town wrought with political and personal tensions. Someone will fire. And someone will die. But who?

Rule by Ellen Goodlett
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The king is dying, his heir has just been murdered, and rebellion brews in the east. But the kingdom of Kolonya and the outer Reaches has one last option before it descends into leaderless chaos. Or rather, three unexpected options. Zofi has spent her entire life trekking through the outer Reaches with her band of Travelers. Akeylah was raised in the Eastern Reach, surrounded by whispers of rebellion and abused by her father. Ren grew up in Kolonya, serving as a lady’s maid and scheming her way out of the servants’ chambers. When the king summons the girls, they arrive expecting arrest or even execution. Instead they learn the truth: they are his illegitimate daughters, and one must become his new heir. But someone in Kolonya knows their secrets, and that someone will stop at nothing to keep the sisters from their destiny… to rule.

The Lantern’s Ember by Colleen Houck
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Five hundred years ago, Jack made a deal with the devil. It’s difficult for him to remember much about his mortal days. So, he focuses on fulfilling his sentence as a Lantern—one of the watchmen who guard the portals to the Otherworld, a realm crawling with every nightmarish creature imaginable. That is, until he meets beautiful Ember O’Dare. Seventeen, stubborn, and a natural-born witch, Ember feels a strong pull to the Otherworld. Undeterred by Jack’s warnings, she crosses into the forbidden plane with the help of a mysterious and debonair vampire—and the chase through a dazzling, dangerous world is on. Jack must do everything in his power to get Ember back where she belongs before both the earthly and unearthly worlds descend into chaos.

The Caged Queen by Kristen Ciccarelli
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In the sequel to The Last Namsara, together with Dax and his sister, Asha, Roa and her people waged war and deposed a tyrant. But now Asha is on the run, hiding from the price on her head. And Roa is an outlander queen, far from home and married to her enemy. Worst of all: Dax’s promises go unfulfilled. Roa’s people continue to suffer. Then a chance to right every wrong arises—an opportunity for Roa to rid herself of this enemy king and rescue her beloved sister. During the Reliquishing, when the spirits of the dead are said to return, Roa can reclaim her sister for good. All she has to do is kill the king.

A Room Away From The Wolves by Nova Ren Suma
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Bina has never forgotten the time she and her mother ran away from home. Her mother promised they would hitchhike to the city to escape Bina’s cruel father and start over. Eight years later, Bina finds herself on the side of the road again. She has an old suitcase, a fresh black eye, and a room waiting for her at Catherine House, a young women’s residence in Greenwich Village with a tragic history, a vow of confidentiality, and dark, magical secrets. There, Bina is drawn to her enigmatic downstairs neighbor Monet, a girl who is equal parts intriguing and dangerous.

Keeper of The Bees by Meg Kassel
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Dresden is cursed. His chest houses a hive of bees that he can’t stop from stinging people with psychosis-inducing venom. His face is a shifting montage of all the people who have died because of those stings. And he has been this way for centuries—since he was eighteen and magic flowed through his homeland, corrupting its people. He follows harbingers of death, so at least his curse only affects those about to die anyway. But when he arrives in a Midwest town marked for death, he encounters Essie, a seventeen-year-old girl who suffers from debilitating delusions and hallucinations. His bees want to sting her on sight. But Essie doesn’t see a monster when she looks at Dresden.

Check out our other September book picks on our Goodreads list!

Any other releases you’re excited to read this month? Tell us in the comments below!

The post September Book Releases: YA appeared first on The Nerd Daily.