Friday Finds #19

What great books did you hear about / discover this past week?

Share with us your Friday Finds!

Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve

London is hunting
The great Traction City lumbers after a small town, eager to strip its prey of all assets and move on. Resources on the Great Hunting Ground that once was Europe are so limited that mobile cities must consume one another to survive, a practice known as Municipal Darwinism.
Tom, an apprentice in the Guild of Historians, saves his hero, Head Historian Thaddeus Valentine, from a murder attempt by the mysterious Hester Shaw -- only to find himself thrown from the city and stranded with Hester in the Out Country. As they struggle to follow the tracks of the city, the sinister plans of London's leaders begin to unfold ...

The Devil's Cure by Kenneth Oppel

One man's blood could hold the key to curing cancer. That man is a death row killer. And he'll kill again rather than give it to you. How badly do you want it?

David Haines sits on death row, imprisoned for murdering leading research doctors in the name of God. Meanwhile, the brilliant oncologist Dr. Laura Donaldson battles a disease that kills just as ruthlessly, and in an ironic twist of fate, Laura discovers that the murderer may hold within him the cure for cancer. When she unwittingly helps Haines escape from prison, she and FBI agent Kevin Sheldrake -- a man with his own demons to overcome -- embark on a terrifying manhunt that takes them across the country and deep into their own troubled pasts. For both Laura and Kevin it is imperative that the killer be brought back alive -- but Haines would sooner kill himself and everyone else rather than offer his precious blood for medical science.

Kenneth Oppel brilliantly entwines three compelling characters in this masterfully paced thriller that moves seamlessly between the worlds of science and religion. The Devil's Cure will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Gone by Michael Grant

In the blink of an eye. Everyone disappears. GONE.
Except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not one single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened.
Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents - unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers - that grow stronger by the day.
It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else... 

Manifest by Artist Arthur

When fifteen-year-old Krystal Bentley moves to Lincoln, Connecticut, her mom's hometown, she assumes her biggest drama will be adjusting to the burbs after living in New York City.
But Lincoln is nothing like Krystal imagined. The weirdness begins when Ricky Watson starts confiding in her. He's cute, funny, a good listener - and everything she'd ever want - except that he was killed nearly a year ago. Krystal's ghost-whispering talents soon lead other "freaks" to her door - Sasha, a rich girl who can literally disappear, and Jake, who moves objects with his mind. All three share a distinctive birthmark in the shape of an M and, fittingly, call themselves the Mystyx. They set out to learn what really happened to Ricky, only to realize that they aren't the only ones with mysterious powers. But if Krystal succeeds in finding out the truth about Ricky's death, will she lose him for good?

Magic Below Stairs by Caroline Stevermer

Young Frederick is plucked from an orphanage to be a footboy for a wizard named Lord Schofield in Victorian England. Is his uncanny ability to tie perfect knots and render boots spotless a sign of his own magical talent, or the work of Billy Bly, the brownie who has been secretly watching over him since he was little? No matter, for the wizard has banished all magical creatures from his holdings. But Billy Bly isn't going anywhere, and when he discovers a curse upon the manor house, it's up to Frederick and Billy Bly to keep the lord's new baby safe and rid the Schofield family of the curse forever. 

13 to Life by Shannon Delany

Jessica's life was difficult enough since the sudden loss of her mother, but meeting Pietr Rusakova turns her world completely upside down. The newest member of Junction High, Pietr is a first generation Russian-American, a fact that by itself gets him lots of attention in the small town. But Pietr has far more going for him than good looks and an interesting accent. Pietr has secrets to hide - like the fact that he's a werewolf! These secrets lead Jessica into an exciting and dangerous world where her understanding of reality and what makes someone a man or a monster are challenged.  

Thirteenth Child by Patricia C. Wrede

Eff was born a thirteenth child. Her twin brother, Lan, is the seventh son of a seventh son. This means he's supposed to possess amazing talent -- and she's supposed to bring only bad things to her family and her town. Undeterred, her family moves to the frontier, where her father will be a professor of magic at a school perilously close to the magical divide that separates settlers from the beasts of the wild.
With wit and wonder, Patricia Wrede creates an alternate history of westward expansion that will delight fans of both J. K. Rowling and Laura Ingalls Wilder. 

The Fool's Girl by Celia Rees

Violetta and Feste have come to London to rescue the holy relics taken from the church in Illyria by the evil Malvolio. Their journey has been long and their adventures many, but it is not until they meet the playwright William Shakespeare that they get to tell the entire story from beginning to end! But where will this remarkable tale ultimately lead Violetta and her companion? And will they manage to save themselves, and the relics from the very evil intentions of Malvolio.

Serendipity Market by Penny Blubaugh

When Toby breathes on Mama Inez's bird-shaped invitations, giving them the power to fly, plans for the Serendipity Market begin. Soon, eleven honored guests travel from afar and make their way to the storytellers' tent to share their stories. Each tale proves what Mama Inez knows - that magic is everywhere. Sometimes it shows itself subtly - a ray of sun glinting on a gold coin, or a girl picking a rose without getting pricked by the thorn - and sometimes it makes itself known with trumpets and fireworks. But when real magic is combined with the magic of storytelling, it can change the world. 

The Prophecy by Hilari Bell

Perryn is a hopeless prince. His drunken father scorns his love of books, the master of arms ridicules his swordplay, and someone in the castle may be trying to kill him!
But Perryn's books are his best weapons to stop the dragon that is destroying his kingdom-and his one hope of earning his father's respect. When he unearths a prophecy on how to kill the dragon, Perryn sets out to find the three things needed to make it come true: a unicorn, a true bard, and a special sword. But in a world where magic is disappearing, the only thing more absurd than pursuing a prophecy is believing any of these legends might still be found.
With the king's men on his trail and time running out, Perryn learns that a scholar's job is not merely to seek the truth but to understand its worth-and that the power of the prophecy lies in his own hands.

A new fantasy from acclaimed author Hilari Bell, The Prophecy unfolds with wit, wisdom, danger, and discovery, as any unforgettable adventure should!

Nightkeepers by Jessica Andersen

The exciting debut of a new paranormal romance series
As a Miami narcotics detective, Leah Daniels never knows how her day will turn out. But she certainly never expected to be strapped to a stone altar, the human sacrifice in an ancient Mayan ritual meant to coax up a demon from the underworld. Or that she'd be saved by a handsome warrior-priest king who claims to recognize her from his visions...
Jaguar Strike wishes he hadn't made the mistake of reuniting his fellow warrior priests, or broken the law by saving their chosen human sacrifice. Now, he has no choice but to join forces with Leah and invoke dangerous magic in a death-defying race against the end of time.

The Lost Conspiracy by Frances Hardinge

On an island of sandy beaches, dense jungles, and slumbering volcanoes, colonists seek to apply archaic laws to a new land, bounty hunters stalk the living for the ashes of their funerary pyres, and a smiling tribe is despised by all as traitorous murderers. It is here, in the midst of ancient tensions and new calamity, that two sisters are caught in a deadly web of deceits.
Arilou is proclaimed a beautiful prophetess - one of the island's precious oracles: a Lost. Hathin, her junior, is her nearly invisible attendant. But neither Arilou nor Hathin is exactly what she seems, and they live a lie that is carefully constructed and jealously guarded.
When the sisters are unknowingly drawn into a sinister, island-wide conspiracy, quiet, unobtrusive Hathin must journey beyond all she has ever known of her world - and of herself - in a desperate attempt to save them both. As the stakes mount and falsehoods unravel, she discovers that the only thing more dangerous than the secret she hides is the truth she must uncover. 

A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce

As Charlotte struggles to manage the difficulties she inherits along with Stirwaters Woollen Mill, she discovers a shadow world at the fringes of the familiar: Dark magic, restless spirits, a mysterious Helper. A wicked uncle, an age-old curse.... How can Charlotte prevail with such forces allied against her? 

In this novel inspired by “Rumpelstiltskin”, the miller’s daughter of the fairy tale comes to life as a young woman determined to save her family and her mill - whatever the cost.

Echoes by Melinda Metz

Can't believe she did that . . .
. . . at four-thirty I have to . . .
. . . I hate this place . . .
Rae Voight is losing her mind. When she walks down the halls of Sanderson Prep, she hears voices . . . even when no one is talking. Other people's thoughts crowd her head, a confusing tangle of insecurities and dark secrets. Just when Rae reaches her breaking point, one voice comes screaming through the din, loud and clear:
. . . Rae must die . . .
If Rae doesn't figure out who the thought belongs to soon, she could lose more than just her sanity. 

The Alchemy of Stone by Ekaterina Sedia

Mattie, an intelligent automaton skilled in the use of alchemy, finds herself caught in the middle of a conflict between gargoyles, the Mechanics, and the Alchemists. With the old order quickly giving way to the new, Mattie discovers powerful and dangerous secrets - secrets that can completely alter the balance of power in the city of Ayona. However, this doesn't sit well with Loharri, the Mechanic who created Mattie and still has the key to her heart - literally! A steampunk novel of romance, political intrigue, and alchemy, The Alchemy of Stone represents a new and intriguing direction by the author of the critically-acclaimed The Secret History of Moscow.