Waiting on Wednesday: Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund

October 24, 2012 / 7 Comments / Book Memes, Uncategorized, Waiting on Wednesday

“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that book bloggers are eagerly anticipating.

This week’s WoW pick doesn’t even have an official release date yet, much less a cover, but I was so excited about it that I couldn’t resist posting about it!

Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Expected publication date: Fall 2013
From the author’s website
Centuries after wars nearly destroyed civilization, the two islands of New Pacifica stand alone, a terraformed paradise where even the Reduction—the devastating brain disorder that sparked the wars—is a distant memory. Yet on the isle of Galatea, an uprising against the ruling aristocrats has turned deadly. The revolutionaries’ weapon is a drug that damages their enemies’ brains, and the only hope is rescue by a mysterious spy known as the Wild Poppy.

On the neighboring island of Albion, no one suspects that the Wild Poppy is actually famously frivolous aristocrat Persis Blake. The teenager uses her shallow, socialite trappings to hide her true purpose: her gossipy flutternotes are encrypted plans, her pampered sea mink is genetically engineered for spying, and her well-publicized new romance with handsome Galatean medic Justen Helo… is her most dangerous mission ever.

Though Persis is falling for Justen, she can’t risk showing him her true self, especially once she learns he’s hiding far more than simply his disenchantment with his country’s revolution and his undeniable attraction to the silly socialite he’s pretending to love. His darkest secret could plunge both islands into a new dark age, and Persis realizes that when it comes to Justen Helo, she’s not only risking her heart, she’s risking the world she’s sworn to protect.

In this thrilling adventure inspired by The Scarlet Pimpernel, Diana Peterfreund creates an exquisitely rendered world where nothing is as it seems and two teens with very different pasts fight for a future only they dare to imagine.

Guys, Diana Peterfreund is awesome. She has the most inventive concepts for her books, and she always follows through with an amazing, heart-wrenching story. I would venture to say that she’s one of the most creative and best writers in YA right now. Seriously, if you haven’t picked up one of her books, you have to do it right now. 

And if you’re not excited by this kick-arse summary, you need to check your pulse. 
I’ve been waiting a long time for a really good superhero/detective YA that isn’t about vampires, werewolves (Ally Carter is really the only one doing awesome spy/detective stuff right now, and while it’s awesome, I need MORE). Don’t get me wrong, those things are all awesome. But Across a Star-Swept Sea? It’s in a league of its own. This is not only an adaptation of a not-very-well-known classic (thus introducing a bunch of new readers to classic literature – and that includes me), it’s the precursor to modern superhero stories like Batman. It’s gender-bending, obviously feminist, has romance elements, AND…it has frocks. Lots of frocks. And it’s set in Diana’s beautiful, stark, vivid world that she introduced us to in her post-apocalyptic Persuasion adaptation, For Darkness Shows the Stars.
Basically, this book cannot possibly disappoint me. And it won’t disappoint you either. Go put it on your Goodreads right now. Find out more about Across a Star-Swept Sea on Diana’s blog. And if you haven’t read Diana’s wicked Killer Unicorn series, or Secret Society Girl, or For Darkness Shows the Stars – stay tuned until November. 
What are you waiting on this week? Leave me a comment and I’ll stop by!


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7 responses to “Waiting on Wednesday: Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund

  1. *hyperventilating* Oh. My. Gosh. I adored For Darkness Shows the Stars and I LOVE The Scarlet Pimpernel!!! I love Diana's Post-Reductionst world too, and was REALLY hoping we'd get to go back to it in another book. I am beyond happy right now!

    Our WoW

  2. I'll be honest, I've not read any of Diana Peterfreund's books, but I'm going to make it a point to pick them up now. This book sounds really amazing. Thanks for the great recommendation.

    Check out my WoW here.

    New follower! 🙂

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