Waiting on Wednesday (116)

Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Territories, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life.... [summary from Goodreads]

Maria Snyder is an incredible storyteller, and I LOVE the premise of Touch of Power! This is the kind of stuff that runs through my head all too often, haha. A new book by Maria is always welcome. I also know that you can check out the first chapter of Touch of Power floating somewhere around teh internetz, but, uh, I have zero brainpower right now and can't recall where.

Touch of Power will be published by MIRA on December 20, 2011.

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so. [summary from Goodreads]

What YA dystopian fan isn't dying for this book? I thought that Veronica's first book, and the first book in this series, Divergent, was one of the strongest dystopian books published this year, and I can't wait to get lost in Tris' absorbing narration again.

Insurgent will be published in hardcover by HarperCollins on May 28, 2012.