Sister assassin by Kiersten White

Would you do something you hated, something that made you feel like dying inside if it would save the life of your sister? Would you give up your own life, your own freedom, so she can spend the rest of her life in a gilded cage to keep her safe from you?  This is the choice Fia has made, as long as she does what Keane and his son James want, Annie will live a long life safe in the school, where they will provide everything she needs.  It seems like a simple trade, Annie is blind and will never live a truly normal life, and until recently she has been relatively happy at the school, but with each day it seems as though Fia is slipping further and further away from her.

When Fia is sent on a mission to assassinate Adam, things become incredibly complicated very quickly - because she can't kill him, even though she knows that failure means her death and Annie's.  Keeping the thoughts hidden inside her mind, Fia has to figure out how she is going to save them both when the Seers and Readers know how she is feeling and what she is going to do before she even knows it herself.  Her complicated relationship with James makes it even worse, she should hate him for what he has done, for the part he plays in her enforced servitude - but it is not that simple.

Time is running out for Fia and Annie, and as the net closes around them Fia may have to make the ultimate choice - her life, or Annie's.

If you like this book then you may also like Every other day by Jennifer Lynne Barnes, Revived by Cat Patrick, and Adaptation by Melinda Lo.

~ Reviewed by Elspeth Sweetman

The interrogation of Ashala Wolf by Ambelin Kwaymullina

Welcome to the future, a world devastated and reformed to be very different from the world we know now.  It is a world where the Balance is the most important thing, where laws have been created to protect the Earth and people from another disaster - one that could spell the end of man for all time.  In this world Ashala and the people of her Tribe live off the grid, hiding in the forest to avoid detection and Detention.  But now Ashala has been captured, and the whole Tribe could be at risk because Neville Rose from Detention Centre 3 is determined to learn the secrets Ashala holds - secrets that he can reach with the Machine.

The interrogation of Ashala Wolf is a gripping read with little twists and turns that keep you guessing about what is coming next, and the tension and pace keeps up through the entire novel.  If you can make the time this is definitely a book to read in one session, but if you don't have the time for that then snatch whatever you can whenever you can until you reach the amazing conclusion.  This is one of my favourite reads for 2012 and I am looking forward to the next book in the series to see if the story of Ashala and her Tribe remains so addictive and gripping.

If you enjoyed this book then you may also like Revived by Cat Patrick, Origin by Jessica Khoury, Arrival by Chris Morphew and Enclave by Ann Aguirre

~ Reviewed by Elspeth Sweetman

A witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton

The move from London to Winter is a culture shock for Anna in more ways than one - she has moved from a big bustling city to a small coastal town, and along the way she has discovered that she is a witch.  Not a fly on a broomstick, stir a big cauldron kind of witch, but rather a power from inside herself kind of witch.  It all come as something of a shock, especially when she finds out by casting a love spell with a group of friends that was a little too successful. 

Now Anna is caught between two factions of witches, and she has no idea which way to turn.  On one hand she has the people who have taken her in, tried to teach her about her powers and to be responsible and careful - and on the other hand there is the group that makes her feel as though there is something they want from her.  Anna will have to make a choice eventually, and there are some people who will do anything to make sure that she makes the "right" choice.

A witch in Winter is the first book in a trilogy, and if this first book is anything to go by it is going to be an explosive series with action, adventure, magic, and a thorough sprinkling of romance to top it off.  Warburton is a fantastic author who has taken a very ordinary little seaside village and turned it into the location of epic battles, ancient mythology, and secret societies bent on control.  A fantastic read that I wanted to finish in one sitting to see what happened next.

If you enjoyed A witch in Winter then you may also enjoy The pledge by Kimberly Derting, The selection by Kiera Cass, Pushing the limits by Katie McGarry, The treachery of beautiful things by Ruth Long, and Paranormalcy by Kiersten White.

~ Reviewed by Elspeth Sweetman