New Release Round-Up: April 2-8, 2012

Young Adult


Grave Mercy
by Robin LaFevers

Release date: April 3, 2012
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 549
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Suggested tags: young adult, historical fiction, paranormal



First in the His Fair Assassin series. From Goodreads:

"Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae's most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?"

Immortal City
by Scott Speer

Release date: April 3, 2012
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 336
Publisher: Razorbill
Suggested tags: young adult, paranormal, angels



From Goodreads:

"Jackson Godspeed is the hottest young Angel in a city filled with them. He's days away from becoming a full Guardian, and people around the world are already competing for the chance to be watched over by him. Everyone's obsessed with the Angels and the lucky people they protect--everyone except for Madison Montgomery.

Maddy's the one girl in Angel City who doesn't breathlessly follow the Angels on TV and gossip blogs. When she meets Jackson, she doesn't recognize him. But Jackson is instantly captivated by her, and against all odds the two fall in love.

Maddy is swiftly caught up in Jackson's scene, a world of glamour, paparazzi - and murder. A serial killer is on the loose, leaving dead Angels' wings for the police to find on the Walk of Fame. Even the Guardians are powerless to protect themselves in the face of this threat … and this time it's up to Maddy to save Jackson."

Other YA new releases for this week:

Middle Grade


Cordially Uninvited
by Jennifer Roy

Release date: April 3, 2012
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 256
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Suggested tags: middle grade, contemporary



From Goodreads:

"Every girl wishes she was a princess—and Claire’s cousin is living the dream! But will this royal romance end in disaster?

Eleven-year-old Claire Gross is fascinated by all things royal—especially because her very own cousin Belle is engaged to the Prince of England! Even though Claire is going to be a junior bridesmaid, she’s not as excited about the wedding as you might think. For one thing, she can’t tell anyone—not even her best friend. And for another, Claire’s parents are divorced, so she’s not so sure that “happily ever after” even exists.But when Claire gets to England and meets mean-girl Pandora—also a junior bridesmaid—she quickly realizes that whether or not she believes in true love, if she doesn’t take action, Pandora could break up Belle’s relationship! It may be the royal party of the century—but between the mishaps, the mayhem, and an awful social-climbing princess-wannabe, will there still be wedding bells for the happy couple?"

Storybound
by Marissa Burt

Release date: April 3, 2012
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 416
Publisher: Harper Collins Children's
Suggested tags: middle grade, fantasy



First in the Storybound series. From Goodreads:

"In the land of Story, children go to school to learn to be characters: a perfect Hero, a trusty Sidekick, even the most dastardly Villain. They take classes on Outdoor Experiential Questing and Backstory, while adults search for full-time character work in stories written just for them.

In our world, twelve-year-old Una Fairchild has always felt invisible. But all that changes when she stumbles upon a mysterious book buried deep in the basement of her school library, opens the cover, and suddenly finds herself transported to the magical land of Story.

But Story is not a perfect fairy tale. Una’s new friend Peter warns her about the grave danger she could face if anyone discovers her true identity. The devious Tale Keeper watches her every move. And there are whispers of a deadly secret that seems to revolve around Una herself....

With the timeless appeal of books like A Wrinkle in Time and the breathtaking action of Inkheart, Storybound has all the makings of a new classic. Brimming with fantastical creatures, magical adventure, and heart-stopping twists, Storybound will leave readers wishing they too could jump through the pages into this enchanting fairy-tale world."

Other Middle Grade new releases for this week: