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Fierce Pretties

With the fierce stance, the barbed lettering, and the gleaming sword, these three have been calling my name the past few days. It's all about the one-word titles these days and I'm continually amazed that they're able to keep coming up with them. I happen to like all three of these titles. Vesper has been a favorite ever since Lloyd Alexander's wonderful Vesper Holly series and these three look like they'll be a great way to break in 2011.

This cover is truly something special and it sounds like the insides are just as enticing. Subtitled "A Deviants Novel," Vesper follows an under-the-radar girl named Emily Webb whose sudden and out of character acting out coincides with the mysterious death of a fellow classmate also named Emily. The changes only intensify as Emily struggles to understand what is happening to her. Due out January 25th. 

I really enjoyed Flinn's Beastly a couple of years ago and I often think of those hilarious fairy tale character chat sessions and laugh to myself over poor BeastNYC, Froggie, SilentGirl, and GrizzlyGuy. So I was pretty excited to see Cloaked pop up and find it's a retelling of the Frog Prince fairy tale and perhaps it will feature the hapless Froggie! Love how this cover matches the one for Beastly. Due out February 8th. 

Get this. A competitive high school fencer who is magically transported back in time to an 18th century pirate ship. There really aren't enough YA books out there with competitive fencer protagonists, you know? Add in the time travel and you've got yourself a winner, folks. I have Ms. Vaughn's Kitty Norville series on my TBR, but I may just have to pick this one up as soon as it comes out as well. Due out March 15th. 

Comments

  1. Time travel? Fencing? Pirate ship? I am so there, Steel! Save me a place in line :)

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  2. I like the idea of the Steel cover, but that girl's face seems disproportionate. Perhaps it's been elongated? I don't know...it just doesn't seem right. But! The story does sound cool. Hope it delivers!

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  3. I've seen this cover for STEEL around and all I can say is that I WANT IT SO BAD. I love the entire concept. So much.

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  4. I have a policy to stay away from books with one-word titles ever since the slew of Twilight-wannabees started appearing. Those covers are very tempting, though.

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  5. Steel looks really good! I want to read that! Have you read Alex Flinn's A Kiss in Time? I've seen it around with the edition that matches Beastly.

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  6. I'd buy Steel for the cover alone (ya' gotta luv it), but the story sounds great as well. I've got a feeling this book is going to be big.

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  7. Steel is going straight to my wishlist immediately! :) Thanks for featuring these three books.

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  8. My favorite among those three novels is the Steel. I love the story so much. I really love the cover that they made. You will be so curious if you see that cover. Everyone should read this book.

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  9. Anonymous7:57 AM

    I've been holding out on Beastly because of the chat sessions you mention, but you make them sound fun. Maybe I need to read it before the movie comes out.

    The Steel cover is really nice. I wasn't a fan of the first book in the Kitty Norville series so I passed on Vaughn's first YA about dragons. I did buy her new standalone novel for adults (Discord's Apple) because it's about mythology and sounded great. This one also sounds great. I love fencing (took it in high school!).

    KarenS

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  10. hello friend...i'm passing on the versatile blogger to you. link here: http://moydrook.blogspot.com/2010/08/versatile-blogger-award.html

    happy weekend!

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  11. I just *so* love Alex Flynns covers, they're just so beautiful in a kind of whimsical way. I haven't yet read beastly, but i must admit, I want to based on the cover alone.

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  12. Anonymous6:53 PM

    I didn't know Alex Flinn has a new novel coming out -- and oh. That cover is gorgeous.

    And Steel sounds really awesome!

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  13. Hey, I need to get in touch with my parents and their phones are off. Can you call me asap. 720-280-5308. Thanks.

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  14. I have a policy to stay away from books with one-word titles ever since the slew of Twilight-wannabees started appearing. Those covers are very tempting, though.

    Except the one-word title trend in YA completely predates Twilight, which came out in 2005. NYT bestseller HollyBLack's TITHE was out in 2002, the sequel, Valiant (which inspired the titles for my series) came out in 2005. NYT bestseller Scott Westerfeld's UGLIES and PEEPS were both out in 2005...

    Had I known that one word titles were to become so prevalent, I would probably not have locked myself into a one-word-titled series back in 2007 -- but it has nothing to do with the Twilight series, which, after all, has only half of its titles as "one word" ones.

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  15. Lenore, *grin* we'll stand in line together then.

    celi.a, that may have been blogger smushing it. I see what you mean.

    Michelle, it really does sound great.

    heidenkind, I understand what kind of books you're talking about. But there really are some just excellent one-word title books out there. As Diana points out further down, it's not new and Holly Black's TITHE, VALIANT, and IRONSIDE are all great. As are Kristin Cashore's GRACELING and FIRE. None of them remotely Twilight-esque. Other even older one-word title books I love are SUNSHINE, DEERSKIN, and BEAUTY by Robin McKinley as well as SABRIEL by Garth Nix.

    Chachic, I haven't yet! Sleeping Beauty retelling, right? Must search it out.

    bish, I know, right?

    Violet, you're most welcome. It's interesting to see all the enthusiasm for STEEL.

    Karen, No. Way. You fenced? That is so great! How did you like it? And when you do read DISCORD'S APPLE, let me know what you think. I'm very curious.

    Jane, thank you so much!

    Carla, exactly. I love the whimsical yet dangerous quality they have.

    Sandy, I agree. I saw the cover for CLOAKED and got so excited. I'm a sucker for a matched set.

    Diana, great points. And I had no idea VALIANT inspired RAMPANT. How did that come about?

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  16. I love all of these covers, especially Vesper! The description is also equally as intriguing. Fantastic choices...now off to add them to my wish-lists!

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