Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine spotlighting upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

Release Date: January 2, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
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Summary (from Goodreads):

The greatest warrior in all of the Seven Kingdoms… is a girl with yellow eyes.

Kira’s the only female in the king’s army, and the prince’s bodyguard. She’s a demon slayer and an outcast, hated by nearly everyone in her home city of Hansong. And, she’s their only hope…

Murdered kings and discovered traitors point to a demon invasion, sending Kira on the run with the young prince. He may be the savior predicted in the Dragon King Prophecy, but the missing treasure of myth may be the true key. With only the guidance of the cryptic prophecy, Kira must battle demon soldiers, evil shaman, and the Demon Lord himself to find what was once lost and raise a prince into a king.

Intrigue and mystery, ancient lore and action-packed fantasy come together in this heart-stopping first book in a trilogy.

If I had to list which fantasy books I'm most excited to read in 2013, Ellen Oh's debut novel Prophecy would surely be right among my top picks! Kira sounds like one of those strong heroines I'll be rooting to succeed from the very beginning as she battles evil on her quest to help the prince fulfill the prophecy. I'm sure there will be plenty of danger and intrigue to keep us on our toes.

And another reason why I'm incredibly excited to read Ellen Oh's Prophecy? The fantasy land she's created called the Seven Kingdoms is inspired by ancient Korea! If you check out Ellen Oh's website, you can find a cool map of how she's envisioned the Seven Kingdoms to appear. There doesn't seem to be enough YA books which are Asian-influenced, so I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of Prophecy!