The Essence (The Pledge #2) By: Kimberly Derting *Guest Post & Giveaway*

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Hello everyone! You will see an Author Guest Post by: Kimberly Derting and there is Giveaway, so be sure to check that too! Thanks for stopping by :)

Book Description

Release date: January 1, 2013

“Danger, dread, mystery, and romance” (Booklist) continue in the second book of The Pledge trilogy, as Charlie’s reign is under siege from the most unusual of enemies.

At the luminous conclusion of The Pledge, Charlaina defeated the tyrant Sabara and took her place as Queen of Ludania. But Charlie knows that Sabara has not disappeared: The evil queen’s Essence is fused to Charlie’s psyche, ready to arise at the first sign of weakness.

Charlie is not weak, but she’s being pushed to the brink. In addition to suppressing the ever-present influence of Sabara, she’ks busy being queen—and battling a growing resistance determined to return Ludania to its discriminatory caste system. Charlie wants to be the same girl Max loves, who Brook trusts, but she’s Your Majesty now, and she feels torn in two.

As Charlie journeys to an annual summit to meet with leaders of nearby Queendoms—an event where her ability to understand all languages will be the utmost asset—she is faced with the ultimate betrayal. And the only person she can turn to for help is the evil soul residing within.

Kimberly Derting's Guest Post

My love of dystopian novels is no secret, and there are so many great books to choose from that picking my favorites is almost painful. But these are my tried and true all-time favorite dystopic reads:

Divergent by Veronica Roth. This book lands on my all-time fave reads, not just my favorite dystopic reads. How can you not love Four???

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  One of the best lines in YA literature: “I volunteer as tribute!” I want a sister like Katniss. (Notice how I said I want a sister like Katniss as opposed to saying that I wanted to be Katniss!) 

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan. Two words: Fast zombie!

Matched by Ally Condie. She had me from the first page. Genius world-building and brilliant use of language.

The Passage by Justin Cronin. A year and a half later, and I’m still not sure whether these were vampires or zombies, or something in between, but be prepared for some effed-up dreams when you’re reading this one!

Across the Universe by Beth Revis. One of my favorite Sci-fi/dystopic reads. Ever. I’ve purchased at least four copies of this book!

Partials by Dan Wells. Robots that revolt against their creators...hell yeah!

Lord of the Flies by William Golding. I haven’t read Lord of the Flies in years, but I think it’s a great example of a dystopia on a small scale as the boys have to reimagine their own new society.

1984 by George Orwell. Another one I haven’t read since high school, but this is the ultimate dystopic book. The whole “Big Brother is watching you” feeds into our basest fears of privacy and individuality.

World War Z by Max Brooks. With each story vignette read by a different actor, I HIGHLY recommend the audio version of this book. This one is coming to the big screen in June 2013, starring Brad Pitt. (You can see why I’m excited for it:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcwTxRuq-uk) 

About The Author

Kimberly is the author of the BODY FINDER series (HarperCollins) and THE PLEDGE trilogy (Simon & Schuster). She lives in the Pacific Northwest, the ideal place to write anything dark or creepy...a gloomy day can set the perfect mood. She lives with her husband and their three beautiful (and often mouthy) children who provide an endless source of inspiration.

Official site: http://www.kimberlyderting.com/

twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kimberlyderting

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