Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Waiting On Wednesday


Nuala is part muse, part psychic vampire. While the freedom to sing or write or create is denied her, her mark across history is unmistakable: a trail of brilliant poets, musicians, and artists who have died tragically young. She has no sympathy for their abbreviated life spans; every thirteen Halloweens she burns in a bonfire and rises from her ashes with no memories of what has come before other than the knowledge of how her end will come.

James is the best bagpiper in the state of Virginia—maybe in the country—plus he's young and good-looking: just Nuala's thing. But James, supremely confident in his own abilities and in love with another girl, becomes the first to ever reject Nuala's offer. He's preoccupied with bigger things than Nuala: an enigmatic horned figure who appears at dusk and the downward spiral of Dee, his girlfriend-who-isn't.

It becomes obvious to James that Nuala's presence, the horned king of the dead, and Dee's slow self-destruction are all related, and that Dee is the center of a deadly faerie game. While James struggles to unwind the tangled threads of the story, Nuala shadows him, seeing her conflicted, dual nature reflected back at her in him. She finds herself lending him inspiration for nothing. Not quite for nothing—for the hope of requited affection. But even as James begins to realize his feelings for both Dee and Nuala have changed, the thirteenth Halloween descends, with its bonfires and rituals for the dead, one deadly to Nuala and the other to Dee. James can only save one.

Anyone else want this? I loved Lament, and can't wait for this! What are you waiting for?

7 comments:

Reverie said...

sigh... me want it! I havent read Lament yet but need to ASAP!

Mrs. Duncan said...

I loved Lament. I cannot wait to get my hands on this book. Have you written to Maggie? She's good at returning fan mail. Now I MUST go to B&N tomorrow for Ballad. My lunch hour is only 45 minutes, but I'd rather read than eat, so it's worth it.

I enjoy your reviews, and I love your passion for books. I am you in teacher form! I read TONS of books, and my students read ARCS and write reviews for Barnes and Noble. The next time I get a box of ARCS, I'll try to send you a few.

Take care,
Beth Duncan

Carrie said...

Lament is in my TBR pile along with about a million other books. I really need to read it though. These books sound sooo good. Great pick!!

Nancy said...

Lament was a wonderful book and I cannot wait for Ballad.

Amelia said...

I haven't read Lament yet, but both books look really good.

D Q said...

I haven't read Lament yet either but after reading about this book I want to read both.

Watching said...

:O this sounds kind of creepy *shivers in horror* but also like it would be interesting to read^^