Waiting on Wednesday + Giveaway: Relic

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine and is a fun way to see what books other bloggers just can't wait to get their hands on!

RELIC

Renee Collins

Paranormal Young Adult

Entangled Teen

September 3rd, 2013

THE STORY

After a raging fire consumes her town and kills her parents, Maggie Davis is on her own to protect her younger sister and survive best she can in the Colorado town of Burning Mesa. In Maggie’s world, the bones of long-extinct magical creatures such as dragons and sirens are mined and traded for their residual magical elements, and harnessing these relics’ powers allows the user to wield fire, turn invisible, or heal even the worst of injuries.

Working in a local saloon, Maggie befriends the spirited showgirl Adelaide and falls for the roguish cowboy Landon. But when she proves to have a particular skill at harnessing the relics’ powers, Maggie is whisked away to the glamorous hacienda of Álvar Castilla, the wealthy young relic baron who runs Burning Mesa. Though his intentions aren’t always clear, Álvar trains Maggie in the world of relic magic. But when the mysterious fires reappear in their neighboring towns, Maggie must discover who is channeling relic magic for evil before it’s too late. 

Relic is a thrilling adventure set in a wholly unique world, and a spell-binding story of love, trust, and the power of good.

This book sounds really different, and I think that's what I like most about it. A paranormal wild west of sorts. WIN. Also, when I first looked at the cover, I thought the markings around the title were simple tattoo-like scrollwork, but I love that they're actually line drawings of dragons and other creatures. I'm pretty sure I see a wolf in addition to the dragons, and I'm going to go out on a limb and say I see a mermaid (siren?) in the lower left corner. I really enjoy the fact that this cover is more than what it initially seems at first glance:)

More information on Relic and Renee Collins can be found here:

Website • Goodreads • Amazon

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Thanks to Entangled Teen, I have a couple very special treats to accompany this WoW post. Not only do I have an exclusive excerpt to share with you, but I also have both a print ARC and e-galley up for grabs as well. *happy dance* To enter, please just fill out the Rafflecopter form below!

EXCERPT

The evening started off so calm. Crickets were singing in the sagebrush, and the oppressive heat of daytime had been swept away by a velvety breeze, which drifted in through the open windows. Ella was playing with Sassy’s new litter of kittens up in the loft, and Jeb sat by the fire, polishing the brand new gun he’d gotten for his fourteenth birthday the week before. I was scraping a broom over the floor of our little one-room house, trying my best to banish the red-orange sand that seemed our constant companion. But my mind soon drifted from my chores.

I stood in the open doorway, in the warm twilight, gazing at the vast desert beyond. It stretched endlessly in either direction, with nothing but sage and rocks and the occasional scrub brush to break the monotony. The dark smudge of Haydenville sat on the horizon, a small spit of a town, not much more interesting than the cactus. It always made me feel lonesome to stare out at the stillness around us.

As I leaned my head against the doorframe and watched the first star pierce through the indigo sky, a reckless wish burned in my heart. I gazed up and let myself envision a sleek dragon diving out of the scrape of clouds. A creature long extinct, returned to breathe life back into this barren place. I pictured the ancient animal curling around the moon and soaring over the red-rock cliffs beyond our house. But as it swept downward, a strange glow on the horizon caught my attention.

I straightened, squinting in the direction of the wavering light. It was a wide line of orange spreading across the dark landscape in the distance, painting the night sky a deep amber. The breeze that drifted past my cheek carried the distinct scent of smoke. This was no figment of my imagination. This was fire.

And it was coming from Haydenville. 

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