Thursday, December 28, 2017

[Blog Tour] Beneath the Haunting Sea by Joanna Ruth Meyer Excerpt


PUBLICATION: JANUARY 9, 2018 BY PAGE STREET!
PRE-ORDER|AMAZON|B&N|  
Can't you hear it, Tali?

Can't you hear the waves singing?


Sixteen-year-old Talia was born to a life of certainty and luxury, destined to become Empress of half the world. But when an ambitious rival seizes power, she and her mother are banished to a nowhere province on the far edge of the Northern Sea. It is here, in the drafty halls of the Ruen-Dahr, that Talia discovers family secrets, a melancholy boy with a troubling vision of her future, and a relic that holds the power of an ancient Star. On these shores, the eerie melody of the sea is stronger than ever, revealing long-forgotten tales of the Goddess Rahn. The more dark truths that Talia unravels about the gods' history--and her own--the more the waves call to her, and it may be her destiny to answer.

CHAPTER 7 EXCERPT


The fever latched tight onto her mother, and wouldn’t let go.

One week. Two. She slept poorly; she woke frantically. Captain Oblaine’s opium supply dwindled—it was the only thing that made her easy again.
At the beginning of the third week, Talia got his permission to bring her mother to his private quarters, a small chamber adjoining the great cabin.
There, at least, she could sit in bed and look out the windows to the sea. Oblaine’s willingness to do so would have surprised Talia,
 if not for the marked pity in his eyes when he looked at them.

He felt sorry for the woman driven mad by her banishment.

He felt sorry for the girl clinging desperately to the idea that her mother would soon be perfectly well again.
His pity made Talia angry, but she accepted it anyway.
Her mother was lucid, sometimes. She would wake in a quiet confusion,
scoot up against her pillows and take Talia’s hands in hers. 
She’d say she was sorry for bringing this upon them, but they would build a new life together in Ryn, take care of each other.
She would smile at Talia, and then her eyes would slide over to the windows, a wild panic seizing her.

“I need to watch the sea! I need to protect the ship! 
If I’m not watching she will come—she will break us—she will drag our souls into the depths and there will be no rest—”

“Hush, Mama,” Talia whispered into her ear, trying to soothe her even through her own fear. “All is well. There isn’t any danger. Don’t worry.”

But her mother wept and wouldn’t listen. Sometimes she wrested her way out of bed, stumbling through the Captain’s quarters and out onto the deck toward the rail, toward the sea. Once, she made it all the way, and Talia was terrified she meant to throw herself overboard. 

But she didn’t, just stared into the water and crumpled to her knees. “She’s so angry,” she sobbed. “So angry.”

Hanid and Captain Oblaine both appeared at Talia’s elbow, and helped half carry her mother back to bed.

Her mother’s wrist didn’t heal. She was forever knocking it on something in her ravings, and Oblaine could do nothing but continue to bandage it, continue to knot a sling around her neck.

It was easiest when her mother slept. Those were the only times Talia left her, to wander listlessly about the deck, or climb up into the riggings and tuck herself against the main mast. She clung to the ropes and cried, shuddering in the icy wind. She ached with homesickness, and worry for her mother ate her from the inside. She couldn’t fix her mother, couldn’t help her. She couldn’t do anything, and she hated it.

One night, when her mother had been ill an entire month, Talia left her sleeping quietly in the captain’s cabin and shimmied up the riggings to the crow’s nest, her favorite spot. She wrapped herself in the blanket she’d brought and stared out at the stars as they burned white and cold in the vast sky. They seemed close enough
to touch, as if she could step from the mast and pluck one like an orange from the heavens.

The moon rose, round and silver, from out of the sea, and her mind jumped back to the night of her arrest, where moonlight had flooded into the ballroom. For a moment, she let herself long for the life Eda had stolen from her.

Hanid was right: this was outside of her control. She could no more crown herself Empress of Enduena, or shake the shadows from her mother’s mind, 
than she could take a star from the sky. But that didn’t mean she was helpless, either.

Her mother would get better, when they landed in Ryn—Talia just needed to get her away from the sea. And they didn’t have to stay with Eda’s wretched baron, they could scrape out a living of their own. Talia would find work somewhere, make enough money to give her mother all the comforts she deserved. They didn’t need a grand life in Eddenahr to be happy.

The moon blurred a little before her eyes. My mother is still here, she told herself fiercely. That hasn’t changed.

She sensed movement below her and peered down to see a lantern bobbing on the deck. “Your mother is asking for you, Miss Dahl-Saida!” came Hanid’s voice.

She blinked the tears away and scrambled down in a hurry.







About the Author


Joanna Ruth Meyer is a writer of Young Adult fantasy. She lives with her dear husband and son in Arizona, where it never rains (or at least not often enough for her!). When she's not writing, she can be found teaching piano lessons, drinking copious amounts of tea, reading thick books, and dreaming of winter.



Connect with Joanna
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Visit the other stops on the Tour!




December 20: YA Books Central



December 21: Fantasy Book Critic 

December 22: Brittany’s Book Rambles 


December 27: SFFWorld

December 29: SciFiChick

January 2: The Cover Contessa



January 11: Fantasy Book Cafe
January 18: YA Interrobang 



Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Middle-Earth: From Script to Screen by Daniel Falconer

Title: Middle-Earth: From Script to Screen
Author: Daniel Falconer
Genre: Non-Fiction
Series: N/A

Hardcover, 512 Pages

Publication: November 21, 2017 by Harper Design

Source: I received a review copy in exchange for a honest review.


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Middle-Earth: From Script to Screen tells the complete story of how J. R. R. Tolkien's magic world was brought to vivid life on the big screen in the record-breaking film trilogies The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy and The Hobbit Motion Picture Trilogy. Drawing on resources, stories, and content from the archives of the companies and individuals behind the films, much of which have never appeared in print before, as well as interviews with director Peter Jackson and key members of the Art Department, Shooting Crews, Park Road Post, and Weta Digital teams who share their personal insights on the creative process, this astonishing resource reveals: How the worlds were built, brick by brick and pixel by pixel;How environments were extended digitally or imagined entirely as computer generated spaces;How the multiple shooting units functioned;How cast members and characters interacted with their environments.


I legitimately screamed when I received Middle-Earth: From Script to Screen in the mail. It was like, “how did they know I am a big fan of both film trilogies by Peter Jackson?!” This book is massive, the biggest compendium I’ve ever seen; It’s approximately 10x12 inches, over 500 pages and pretty heavy! I imagine it’d be over 10 pounds, if not more and it is beyond beautiful. The compendium cover consisted of a matte dark forest green with a scenic image of Rivendell as the background and a risen golden decorative border. At the center was the shiny, slightly raised image of the well-known, infamous ring that started it all. Like previous Harper Design compendium, I loved the additional reading ribbon, a golden ribbon that tied everything together. The entire cover design was very cohesive and appeasing to the eyes; another stellar book by Harper Design.

One of my favorite aspect of film is learning about what happened behind the scenes. How the films came to be and all the stages that came in between. Middle-Earth: From Script to Screen is a all-encompassing, in-depth look at the creation of Tolken’s most beloved novels brought to life. The book was full of stunning conceptual artwork, pictures from the films, blueprints, quotes from cast and crew and so much more. Each chapter was dedicated to a key location from the films; such as The Shire, Rivendell, The Misty Mountain, Mirkwood, Rohan, and Mordor to name a few.

Middle-Earth: From Script to Screen
is a must-have, must-read for all Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit Fans, or any movie aficionado. Everything that you’ve ever wanted to know about Middle-Earth lies with the pages of this stunning book. The labor of love that went into Middle-Earth is evident; I can’t imagine how long it took to compile everything needed for this compendium. Falconer and Harper Design has out did themselves. This book can only be appreciated in person, like art that is displayed in a museum. If you want to truly own a master piece in your own home, then you need this book as part of your personal library. I highly recommend this book to everyone, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed!



Thursday, December 21, 2017

[Blog Tour] Review: Prince in Disguise by Stephanie Kate Strohm

Title: Prince in Disguise
Author: Stephanie Kate Strohm
Genre: Fiction, Contemporary
Series: N/A

Hardcover, 320 Pages
Publication: December 19, 2017 by Disney-Hyperion  

Source: I received a review copy in exchange for a honest review/blog tour.

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Someday I want to live in a place where I never hear “You’re Dusty’s sister?” ever again.

Life is real enough for Dylan—especially as the ordinary younger sister of Dusty, former Miss Mississippi and the most perfect, popular girl in Tupelo. But when Dusty wins the hand of the handsome Scottish laird-to-be Ronan on the TRC television network’s crown jewel, Prince in Disguise, Dylan has to face a different kind of reality: reality TV.

As the camera crew whisks them off to Scotland to film the lead-up to the wedding, camera-shy Dylan is front and center as Dusty’s maid of honor. The producers are full of surprises—including old family secrets, long-lost relatives, and a hostile future mother-in-law who thinks Dusty and Dylan’s family isn’t good enough for her only son. At least there’s Jamie, an adorably bookish groomsman who might just be the perfect antidote to all Dylan’s stress . . . if she just can keep TRC from turning her into the next reality show sensation.
 
I don’t think I truly understood what everyone meant when they talked about seasonal reading. It’s an actual thing! And Prince of Disguise is not only the perfect seasonal reading for winter but we’re just around the corner from Christmas, which is about the same time-frame setting as our heroine Dylan joins her older sister Dusty, in the Highland for a Scottish-Christmas wedding.

This is my first book by Strohm and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Prince of Disguise had a fun plot involving a southern belle, her quirky younger sister and a reality TV show. It was all sorts of adorable and extreme cute cheese factor. I loved it! This book had me literally laughing out loud, which is pretty rare these days. I loved the chemistry between Jamie and Dylan, they were absolutely perfect for one another. The literature, play and movie references were everything! It made Jamie all the more charming and endearing…Especially after the fact that he learned everything from spending the majority of his time in a library. Can you say Mr. Perfect?!

While the book is mainly focused on Dylan and Jamie’s relationship, the other portion of the book is all about family; specifically Dylan, Dusty and their single mom. I’m a sucker for anything family related. As with all families, there’s always sibling rivalries and arguments and growing up with two sisters of my own, I can definitely relate to Dylan and Dusty…we may tend to argue and disagree, but at the end of the day there isn't anything we wouldn’t do for family. I loved seeing Dylan interacting with everyone around her and as the relationships changed and strengthen.

I don’t want to go too much into details, but I’ll say this; Prince in Disguise is without a doubt one of the best romantic comedy novel I’ve read in years. At one time, Heaven, Dylan’s best friend compared her situation to a Lifetime/Hallmark movie and I couldn’t agree more! Prince of Disguise read like a Holiday Hallmark movie, the cute, cheesy goodness kind of movies that everyone loves and watches over and over. If you’re looking for a happy, funny and all around feel good novel then I highly recommend picking up Strohm’s Prince in Disguise. It won’t disappoint!


Tuesday, November 28, 2017

The Faerie Handbook by Carolyn Turgeon, Grace Nuth & Editors of Faerie Magazine


Title: The Faerie Handbook
Author: Carolyn Turgeon, Grace Nuth & Editors of Faerie Magazine
Genre: Historical
Series: N/A

Hardcover, 240 pages
Publication: November 14, 2017 by Harper Design

Source: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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In this exquisite anthology, Editor in Chief Carolyn Turgeon and the editors of Faerie Magazine welcome you into an enchanted realm rich with myth, mystery, romance, and abundant natural beauty. Organized into four sections—Flora and Fauna, Fashion and Beauty,  Arts and Culture, and Home, Food, and Entertaining—this gorgeous volume offers an array of exquisite vintage4 and contemporary fine art and photography, literature, essays, do-it-yourself projects, and recipes that provide hours of reading, viewing, and dreaming pleasure, along with a multitude of ideas for modern-day living and entertaining with a distinctive fairy touch. 

Do you judge a book by it’s cover? I know we shouldn’t but I have to admit, I certainly do. A beautiful book is like sweet icing on a cake and when the content within the book matches the outside, it’s the perfect cherry on top. I’ve seen some genuinely beautiful books in my life but The Faerie Handbook blows them all out of the water. I was immediately enchanted upon receiving The Faerie Handbook. The book is a stunning mauve color with silver foil writing and border and silver gilded paper edges. The hardcover in and of itself is a true masterpiece and can only be appreciated in person (pictures don’t do justice). At the center of the cover is an equally impressive high quality image of a barebacked fairy. The book is divided into four sections; Flora & Fauna, Fashion & Beauty, Arts & Culture and Home, Food and Entertainment exploring the in and out of the magical realm of faeries.

If you follow my blog, you know how much I absolutely love, love faeries. They’re my favorite mythological (or real, depending on your belief) creature. And The Faerie Handbook is a must-have for any and all ardent faerie admirer. This book is the holy grail for all things faeries. Throughout the book, readers will find breathtaking rich and vivid artwork/photograph gathered over the centuries. Accompanying the art are poems, literature, history/lore, arts and DIY craft instructions and so much more. The Faerie Handbook is a meticulous detailed and well written book on everything you’d want to know about faeries. I love this book in it’s entirety but if I had to pick out what I enjoyed the most from this book it’s definitely the history of faeries/folklore and the gorgeous artwork. I thought it was really cool seeing artists’ interpretations of faeries from the 1800-1900’s to present day faeries in movies and television (mentions). Faeries are mentioned in most, if not all cultures in one form or another, so it was fascinating to read what people from all over the world thought of faeries. Some people found faeries to be ethereal and beautiful, innocent childlike beings, or glamoured monsters to be fear and as a type of omen.

I recall seeing and hearing about books similar to The Faerie Handbook; but instead of focusing on faeries, there were books on vampires, werewolves and zombies. However books similar to this (supernatural encyclopedia/handbooks) are nowhere near the same level as The Faerie Handbook. It is evident that a lot of time, care, research and love went into making the handbook. From the stunning cover, to the specific contents chosen to make this book to even the smallest detail such as a violet reading ribbon.

I really enjoyed The Faerie Handbook. It is nothing like your regular 411 book or coffee table book that is there for aesthetic reasons rather than substance. Not only is this book aesthetically pleasing but the information within the book is much more worthwhile. I highly recommend The Faerie Handbook to other faerie lovers like myself or those who dream of a magical world beyond ours…because this book is truly a piece of magic. The Faerie Handbook is a must-read and deserves a spot on your forever keeper shelf to be read over and over again.



 
Check out these beautiful picture excerpts below. They're all amazing but it's even more breathtaking in person!





Sunday, November 26, 2017

The Alchemy of Chaos by Marshall Ryan Maresca

Title: The Alchemy of Chaos
Author: Marshall Ryan Maresca
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Maradaine #2

Mass Market Paperback, 385 Pages
Publication: February 2, 2016 by Daw

Source: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review. 


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Veranix Calbert is The Thorn—the street vigilante who became a legend to the people of Maradaine, especially the gangs that run the neighborhood of Aventil. The Thorn continues to harass Willem Fenmere, the drug kingpin of the Dentonhill neighborhood. Veranix is still determined to stop Fenmere and the effitte drug trade, especially when he discovers that Fenmere is planning on using the Red Rabbits gang to bring the drug into Aventil.

But it’s also Exam Week at the University of Maradaine, where Veranix is a magic student. With his academic career—and future as a mage—riding on his performance, Veranix needs to devote himself entirely to studying and participating in a fellow student’s thesis experiments. There’s no time to go after Fenmere or the Red Rabbits.
Then a series of strange pranks begin to plague the campus, using a form of magic that Veranix doesn’t recognize.

As the pranks grow increasingly deadly, it becomes clear that there’s someone with a vendetta against the university, and The Thorn may be the only one capable of stopping them. Between the prankster, the war brewing between the Aventil gangs, and the flamboyant assassins Fenmere has hired to kill him, Veranix may end up dead before the week is out. Which just might be preferable to taking his exams…. 


The Alchemy of Chaos is the second novel in the Maradaine series following Veranix, a magic student at the University of Maradaine by day and a crime fighter by night known as The Thorn. There is certainly no rest for the wicked as Fenmere hires one of the gangs, The Red Rabbits, to distribute effite in Aventil and female assassins to take out The Thorn.With it being finals week, it’s almost impossible for Veranix to be everywhere at once. Things go from bad to worst when a string of deadly pranks occur all over campus making it that much harder to keep Veranix’s true identity a secret. With Fenmere, The Red Rabbits, assassins and the constable after The Thorn, it’d be a miracle if Veranix passes his exams all while keeping the city safe.

This is my fourth book by Maresca and I still can’t get enough of the world and characters. Maresca actually has three series set in the world of Maradaine. I’ve yet to read the latest series but what I have read (Maradaine and The Maradaine Constabulary) they’re excellent and expand greatly on the world. In the first book we were introduced to life on campus and the crime lord Fenmere. In this latest installment, Fenmere is still a problem but he takes a backseat this time around and has hired help going after The Thorn. I thought the additions of the lady birds were a nice touch and it definitely amped up the stakes because they were skilled at their job and on several occasions had Veranix running for life (literally)…plus they were total bad asses. There were also a lot of new characters introduced, from the other gangs beside the Rose Princes to Veranix’s classmates such as Phadre and Jiarna. But let’s not forget Delmin and Kaiana, their roles were crucial this time around as they helped Veranix stop the pranks on campus.

The Alchemy of Chaos was a great addition to The Thorn/Maradaine series and I already have the third book on my shelf ready to go. I just need to figure out the world/book order! And how cool is it that there’s going to be a crossover in The Maradaine Constabulary series! I never seen it done in books, so it should be interesting! All in all, this was another enjoyable, quick action packed read. If you’re looking for a fun, lighter side of fantasy story then I recommend checking out this series.



Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Gratitude Giveaway (International)



Welcome to my stop on the hop! I would like to thank the lovely hostess, Mary from BookHounds for putting this hop together. 

I can't believe it's been 6 years since I first launched this blog. I honestly didn't  think I'd last that long. As you know, life happens...people either start school or a new job. It's hard to carve out some time to read. And I know I haven't been posting as much as I used to, but I am not going anywhere. I love books and the book community too much to give up! Did I mention it's been 6 fabulous years? 


I just want to thank everyone that has followed this blog since I first started and to those who recently found their way here. You guys are the reason why I started this blog and the reason why I'm still here. And for that, I thank you. I would also like to thank the wonderful authors, publishers and publicists I had the opportunity to work with over the years. You guys are truly amazing, and I love how passionate you are about the books/authors you champion. I can't even count the many times in which I discovered new books/authors that I end up falling in love with. Thank you for providing me with endless hours of escapism and for renewing my love for books each and every time you send me a book to review. 

One (1) winner
Choice of $25 (USD) Amazon GC or $25 (USD) worth of books from the Book Depository.

The Gratitude Giveaway hop runs from November 15 - 30


To enter please fill out the Rafflecopter below.

Enter by following the blog your way (by either Facebook or Twitter) links can be found to the right)! 

Extra entry, Answer one of these questions by leaving a comment on this post.


What book are you most looking forward to in 2018?

If you celebrate, what's your plans for Thanksgiving?

INTERNATIONAL, open to anywhere The Book Depository ships.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE BLOGS THAT ARE PARTICIPATING!

Monday, October 16, 2017

Autonomous by Annalee Newitz

Title: Autonomous
Author: Annalee Newitz
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: N/A, Standalone

Hardcover, 300 Pages
Publication: September 19, 2017 by Tor Books

Source: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

Buy|Amazon|B&N|

Autonomous features a rakish female pharmaceutical pirate named Jack who traverses the world in her own submarine. A notorious anti-patent scientist who has styled herself as a Robin Hood heroine fighting to bring cheap drugs to the poor, Jack’s latest drug is leaving a trail of lethal overdoses across what used to be North America—a drug that compels people to become addicted to their work.

On Jack’s trail are an unlikely pair: an emotionally shut-down military agent and his partner, Paladin, a young military robot, who fall in love against all expectations. 
Autonomous alternates between the activities of Jack and her co-conspirators, and Joe and Paladin, as they all race to stop a bizarre drug epidemic that is tearing apart lives, causing trains to crash, and flooding New York City.

Like the title suggest, the main theme of the novel is autonomy. Autonomous features AIs, some born autonomous while other works towards that end goal. This idea doesn’t apply just to robots, as many humans find themselves indentured whether it is to people or corporations. Some humans find themselves unable to break free of the contract and live out their lives chained or worst (however you may look at it) death. Autonomous begs the questions, what is freedom and for those that have autonomy; are we truly free? Readers explore this question as we follow a pirate/smuggler named Jack who sells reverse-engineered pharmaceutical drugs on the black market for the low-income sector. And Paladin and Eliasz, IPC agents tracking Jack because they believe her black market drugs are the cause of hundreds of death across the U OF S.

The concept of the novel was interesting and I liked how Newitz incorporated so many themes within the story-line. And the pacing was great as there was never a dull moment. As far as world building goes, it wasn’t as developed as I liked. Newitz used a lot of fancy science terminology but never elaborated on the whole servitude issue with humans and AIs. I wished the author went more in-depth, on the world and its characters. One of the most important quality I look for in a book is whether or not it’s character driven. And sadly, Autonomous isn’t one of those novels. I never once connected or invested into the characters. The tag-line said Jack was a modern day Robin Hood, but I never got that impression. She didn’t steal from the rich to give to the poor. Yes, she did things that would benefit the poor but it definitely wasn’t a selfless act. And monetary gains was still one of the contributing factors if not notoriety.

Autonomous had some intriguing ideas and an array of important themes integrated into the plot such as equality, sexuality, ethics, 1st Amendment rights, cultural and societal issues but poor execution of world building and characters made for a problematic debut novel. I wished Autonomous lived up to the hype. I cannot recommend Autonomous, there are far better Sci-Fi novels that touches on the same themes, if not all.



Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Devils & Thieves by Jennifer Rush

Title: Devils & Thieves
Author: Jennifer Rush
Genre: Paranormal, New Adult
Series: Devils & Thieves # 1

Hardcover, 336 Pages
Publication: October 3, 2017 by Little Brown BFYR

Source: I received a review copy (arc) from the publisher in exchange for a honest review. 

Buy|Amazon|B&N|


Power corrupts. Magic kills.

Eighteen-year-old Jemmie Carmichael is surrounded by magic in the quiet town of Hawthorne, New York. In her world, magic users are called “kindled,” and Jemmie would count herself among them if only she could cast a simple spell without completely falling apart. It doesn't help that she was also recently snubbed by Crowe—the dangerous and enigmatic leader of Hawthorne’s kindled motorcycle gang, the Devils’ League.

When the entire kindled community rolls into Hawthorne for an annual festival, a rumor spreads that someone is practicing forbidden magic. Then people start to go missing. With threats closing in from every side, no one can be trusted. Jemmie and Crowe will have to put aside their tumultuous history to find their loved ones, and the only thing that might save them is the very flaw that keeps Jemmie from fully harnessing her magic. For all her years of feeling useless, Jemmie may just be the most powerful kindled of all.


Devils and Thieves is what you’d get if you mixed Sons of Anarchy and The Covenant. Has anyone seen the show or movie? It’s pretty good. I loved the SOA show and all things witches, so I was more than eager to read this new series. But to be honest, I had some trepidation before starting Devils and Thieves. There were more negative reviews than positive, and I had such high hopes for this new book…I mean, come on, magical biker gangs?! How awesome does that sound?

The world of Devils and Thieves is comprised of multiple motorcycle gangs, all with their own powers that’s past on from one generation to the next. The ability ranges from locating/hiding animate and inanimate objects, controlling peoples’ feelings and thoughts, talking to animals, visions and communicating with the dead, to changing peoples’ perception, etc. The world set-up was interesting but it was poorly developed and executed. There were twelve different types of magic and the author just rattled them off and went in to a very basic and brief explanation of each which left me lost and confused for half of the book. The author tried to distinguished each set of magic with smells and colors, which can only be seen by Jemmie…but all of it still got lost in the shuffle. Another issue I had was there were way too many characters. With the annual kindled festivities, all the MCs came into town and it was difficult to remember which person belonged to which charter. I think the information would’ve felt less chaotic if there were only 1-3 types of magic and charter, because sometimes less is more.

Jemmie took awhile to grow on me, it wasn’t until the end that I found her less annoying. She came off as whiny and clingy at the start of the book. And for the majority of the time she was constantly moping about Crowe; all because they shared one kissed and he dismissed her right after. It’s been a year…she should of moved on. But she didn't. Jemmie isn’t the greatest of female leads, but she definitely redeemed herself in the end. Many also complained about a love-triangle in the book…I’m not a fan of those either. However, it oddly didn’t bother me like it normally does. Probably because it wasn’t really a love-triangle. There was never a doubt who Jemmie loved and wanted to be with. Sad to say but other guy was just a rebound/distraction, she barely interacted with him beside face-timing  and seeing him at the festival for 3 days.

Devils and Thieves is a flawed New Adult (not sure why it’s labeled as YA since the characters are 18 and over) but it still provided a quick, engaging and good read. For the most part, I enjoyed it. Yes, the romance aspect was predictable, but the mystery surprised me. The kidnapper in the book was the last person I’d suspect! The ending was a game changer and has me curious to see what happens next with Jemmie and Co. With that said, it you like witches, or the show SOA; I suggest checking out Devils and Thieves…you might enjoy it!




Friday, October 06, 2017

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

Title: An Enchantment of Ravens
Author: Margaret Rogerson
Genre: Fantasy
Series: N/A

Hardcover, 300 Pages
Publication: September 26, 2017 by Margaret K. McElderry Books

Source: I received a review copy (Arc) in exchange for a honest review. 

Buy|Amazon|B&N

Isobel is a prodigy portrait artist with a dangerous set of clients: the sinister fair folk, immortal creatures who cannot bake bread, weave cloth, or put a pen to paper without crumbling to dust. They crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and Isobel’s paintings are highly prized among them. But when she receives her first royal patron—

Rook, the autumn prince—she makes a terrible mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes – a weakness that could cost him his life.
Furious and devastated, Rook spirits her away to the autumnlands to stand trial for her crime. Waylaid by the Wild Hunt’s ghostly hounds, the tainted influence of the Alder King, and hideous monsters risen from barrow mounds, Isobel and Rook depend on one another for survival. Their alliance blossoms into trust, then love, violating the fair folks’ ruthless Good Law. There's only one way to save both their lives, Isobel must drink from the Green Well, whose water will transform her into a fair one—at the cost of her Craft, for immortality is as stagnant as it is timeless.

Isobel has a choice: she can sacrifice her art for a future, or arm herself with paint and canvas against the ancient power of the fairy courts. Because secretly, her Craft represents a threat the fair folk have never faced in all the millennia of their unchanging lives: for the first time, her portraits have the power to make them feel.


An Enchantment of Ravens has probably one of the most stunning book cover I’ve ever seen. I was already intrigued by the beautiful cover but what sealed the deal was the synopsis; I’m a sucker for anything faerie related. The book is centered around 17-year-old Isobel, a renown portrait painter in Whimsy with clients to die for…The Fair Folks. Isobel paints portraits for faerie patrons in exchange for enchantments to protect her and her family, whether it be to protect their selves from harm from The Fair Ones or something useful such as a chicken, guarantee to lay 6 eggs per week, forever. However, things get dangerously complicated when she is whisked away by the Autumn Prince for painting him with human emotions, a treason in Faerie.

An Enchantment of Ravens
started off pretty good. Whimsy, the place in which Isobel and her family resides is neither here nor there…it was like limbo, a place like our own but not…Whimsy was trapped in eternal Summer, fitting as it is the Summer King that currently reigns. The initial encounter between Isobel and the Autumn Prince had me smiling, because within the first couple of chapters I already knew they adored one another, they had the whole star-crossed lover vibe going on. But once Rook kidnapped Isobel from her home, the story went in a direction that I didn’t see coming. Well, a direction I had hoped that I was wrong about. Turns out I wasn’t and the direction was not for the better.

I get that Isobel has been sheltered all her life, so when Rook, a boy and a prince nonetheless entered her life he was more than appealing. But as I’ve mentioned before, I’m not a fan of insta-love. And this was like Insta-love to the max. Yes, teenagers often fall in love hard and quickly but it wasn’t realistic in this case. Isobel has grown-up to be careful and mindful of everything around her, especially when it came to dealing with The Fair Folks. But being around Rook had her throwing caution to the wind. Years of acquiring enchantments and stepping on eggshells around The Fair Folks gone down the drain in a blink of an amethyst eye. It made me like Isobel less and less as the story went on. And even though in the end she out witted the Summer King, she changed and more or less stayed in the lovey-dovy doe eyed state.

The world-building was great. I loved seeing the Faerie world that Rogerson created. But the plot itself wasn’t as enjoyable as I hoped. At the core, this is a romance and journey story. More romance though. There wasn’t much substance. I often found myself bored as Rook and Isobel ran from The Wild Hunt and as they transversed the different courts. The reason behind Rook and Isobel running to Faerie and running away is because they were about to break The Good Law and then they actually broke the law…I just found the whole thing kind of silly. I was expecting more societal and political intrigue but instead I got two love sick teenagers running to and fro causing a mess wherever they went.

An Enchantment of Ravens had so much potential to be a great novel, and it saddens me to say this but it didn’t meet my expectations. The words written within the book didn’t live up to the beautiful cover, the promise of a captivating read. The writing was done well but the plot itself was poorly executed, lackluster and somewhat predictable. The characters were underdeveloped and I had a really hard time connecting with anyone. I never felt invested in the story or the characters, and felt myself being a bit relieved that I managed to finish the book (I don’t like DNF-ing a book). This book has gotten a lot of rave reviews, so while I didn't like it you still might! I can’t say I’d recommend this book but if you’re still interested, perhaps checking out a sample before purchasing?



Monday, October 02, 2017

Fireblood by Elly Blake


Title: Fireblood
Author: Elly Blake
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Series: Frostblood Saga # 2

Hardcover, 416 Pages
Publication: September 12, 2017 by Little Brown BFYR

Source: I received an review copy (arc) from the publisher in exchange for a honest opinion.

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All hail the Fire Queen.

Against all odds, Ruby has defeated the villainous Frost King and melted his throne of ice. But the bloodthirsty Minax that was trapped inside is now haunting her kingdom and everyone she loves. The answers to its demise may lie to the south in Sudesia, the land of the Firebloods, and a country that holds the secrets to Ruby’s powers and past…

Despite warnings from her beloved Arcus, Ruby accompanies a roguish Fireblood named Kai to Sudesia, where she must master her control of fire in a series of trials to gain the trust of the suspicious Fire Queen. Only then can she hope to access the knowledge that could defeat the rampaging Minax—which grows closer every moment. But as sparks fly in her moments alone with Kai, Ruby no longer knows whom to trust. The fates of two kingdoms are now in her hands.
I read and loved Frostblood when it came out earlier this year. I was even more excited when I found out Fireblood was coming out a few months later in the same year! In the first book, Frostblood, the majority of the novel took place in Tempesia, the land of the Frostblood; so naturally Fireblood, took place in Sudesia, Ruby’s homeland. After the events of the last book, the Minax is still on the loose and there is a lot of unrest upon King Ramus’s death. People are weary of their new king, especially because of his affection for Ruby. To help with the situation in Tempesia, Ruby travels with a mysterious Fireblood named Kai to Sudesia to broker a peace treaty with the Queen in hopes of uniting the two Kingdoms back to a time when they lived side by side.

I devoured Fireblood in a day! The Frostblood Saga is seriously like crack candy for the brain. I really enjoyed the latest installment in the trilogy, but it isn’t without flaws. So I’ll start with what I liked. I liked that we got to see where Ruby came from and the Fireblood Court. There isn’t much difference between the Fireblood and Frostblood Court though. The only difference I saw was that the Firebloods had a trials that anyone could take if they wanted to be a Fireblood Master. Which was an equivalent to being a solider/teacher because it showed how strong a Fireblood was and that they’d have to plead loyalty to the queen. I also liked how action-packed the novel was and how Blake kept me glued to the pages. I’ve gotten finicky when it comes to book. If a book doesn’t capture my attention within the first few chapters, I usually move on.But Blake certainly knows her ways with words.

While I found Fireblood engaging and enjoyable for the most part, it read like the first book and was way too predictable. For example, Ruby and Arcus training for the attack on the Frostblood King and Ruby and Kai training for the Fireblood Trials. Secondly, the closeness and attraction Ruby felt while training with both princes. Then the whole Minax trapped in the Fireblood Throne and it affecting the queen. Sound familiar? The big scene at the end felt like an identical representation from the last book with Arcus and Ruby using their ability to destroy the throne. I mean, yeah, Blake added another player into the mix, but again it bugged me how nothing truly changed from the first book. I never been so bored during one of the most (supposedly) important scene in the entire book. As predictability goes, I think the readers knew Ruby was going to crush on Kai. She kept saying over and over how she missed and longed for Arcus but that didn’t stop her from making out with Kai. Then of course, she had to be a long-lost princess and the cherry on top…she’s not only a Fireblood but something entirely special! I won’t spoil that for people that haven’t read it yet. I know the first book was full of the usual tropes, but this sequel just made everything more evident. Oh, and let’s not forget about the trials. The trials were made to sound dangerous and daunting but I gotta say, I thought they were plain ol' silly. I never felt like Ruby’s life was in danger, and the last trial test was the lamest of the three. Like really?

My review sounds like I disliked Fireblood more than I liked it, but that’s not the case at all. I enjoyed it and the point of reading any book is for a person to escape reality for a moment and be caught up in another world and experience another person’s life…and Fireblood did that for me. However, I wished I saw more character growth and plot development but Fireblood didn't deliver that. I will be reading the third and final book, Nightblood to see how everything ends…but I probably won’t run out and read it right away. I still recommend this series because like I said it candy for your brai
n!


Saturday, September 30, 2017

An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors by Curtis Craddock

Title: An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors
Author: Curtis Craddock 
Genre: Fantasy
Series: The Risen Kingdom # 1 

Hardcover, 416 Pages
Publication: August 29, 2017 by Tor Books

Source: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

Buy|Amazon|B&N|


A polymath princess and her faithful musketeer must unravel the plot of a thousand-year-old madman in order to save an a foreign kingdom from a disastrous civil war.

Caelum is an uninhabitable gas giant like Jupiter. High above it are the Risen Kingdoms, occupying flying continents called cratons. Remnants of a shattered world, these vast disks of soaring stone may be a thousand miles across. Suspended by magic, they float in the upper layers of Caelum's clouds.

Born with a deformed hand and utter lack of the family's blood magic, Isabelle is despised by her cruel father. She is happy to be neglected so she can secretly pursue her illicit passion for math and science. Then, a surprising offer of an arranged royal marriage blows her life wide open and launches her and Jeane-Claude on an adventure that will take them from the Isle des Zephyrs in l'Empire Céleste to the very different Kingdom of Aragoth, where magic deals not with blood, but with mirrors.

An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors is a book I didn’t know I was looking for and unquestionably a breakout hit (at least for me) and an underrated gem of 2017! Never have I read a book that perfectly blended multiple genres together and done so well. I thought the world building was fascinating as it was complex, the characters were well developed and fleshed out from the main protagonists to the tertiary characters, and every word written was eloquently prosed; captivating me from the first page till the very end.

The world that Craddock created is extremely unique, multifaceted and rich. Imagine a world of sky landmasses and flying airships thanks to the outset of science and alchemy. Craddock’s world is massive, comprising of different empires and families of blood-borne sorcery that dated back thousands of years. And in this first installment of The Risen Kingdom, readers barely touch upon the surface as Craddock introduced us to our main protagonist Princess Isabelle, who came from the Sanguinaire line, an ancient line that dealt in blood magic/shadows. Isabelle was the bane of her father existence. Born with a congenital anomaly of her right-hand, no blood magic ability and a woman nonetheless; Isabelle has always been looked down upon by her father,the court and The Kingdom of Zephyrs. But what Isabelle lacked (in the eyes of others) she made up for with a lot of heart, intelligence and bravery. I absolutely adored Isabelle from the moment I saw her as the precocious child that she was. Forward a decade and some years; readers see Isabelle blossomed into a woman that she never thought she’d be; risking everything for a kingdom and it’s people that despised her as much as they feared her..hoping to bring about peace, an idea many thought silly, dubious and unattainable. I found Isabelle admirable and I loved that Craddock showed us how capable and intelligent Isabelle was versus telling the reader she is so. From her Nom de Plume as Lord DuJournal a well-known and versed Mathematician with many publications to her outwitting would-be assassins, Kantelvar a member of the Seven Great Guide, and an evil Countess.

Another great standout character was Isabelle’s trusty and loyal musketeer, Jean-Claude who is more like her confidant and father. When Isabelle was born, they tried to snuff her out but thanks to Jean-Claude’s intervention her life was spared. And it was under the direct order of the King Le Roi that Jean-Claude keep Isabelle safe from harm and danger for as long as he deemed necessary. So what initially started as an obligation transformed into a father-daughter relationship over the course of Isabelle’s life. I loved Jean-Claude as much as Isabelle. Jean-Claude played a drunken-fool so that everyone around him underestimated him; little did they know he was sharp and clever as they come and was always two steps ahead of his enemies. I thought their bond and relationship was heartwarming. There wasn’t anything Jean-Claude wouldn’t do for Isabelle, he would’ve traveled through hell and take on Lucifer himself if he had to. Jean-Claude was pragmatic and serious when the time called for it but he definitely kept me laughing and smiling with his silver-tongue throughout the entire book. I thought Jean-Claude and Isabelle made the perfect duo and loved that Craddock showcased their ever evolving relatonship, and kept that as the main tone when so many underlying threads were going on simultaneously.

An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors is hands down the best Fantasy novel I’ve read in a long time and certainly the best book I’ve read so far this year. I loved, loved Craddock writing style. I thought everything flowed perfectly, every word he chose just fit and made sense. I also loved how he incorporated French and Spanish influences into his story; thought that was different. The plot at a glance looked fairly basic, a princess marrying a rival prince to escape her evil father…however, it was so much more complicated than anything I could of imagine. There were twist upon twist and I loved that I kept getting surprised…even when the clues were all right there! An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors has everything you’d want in a story. I LOVED this book (think I over killed it with using the word loved) and I can’t wait till the sequel comes out! Craddock is a writer to watch and has just landed on my auto-buy author list. Do yourself a favor and go to the store and get this book A.S.A.P., you won’t regret it! I see great things coming from Craddock and this new series opener. I'd rate it more than 5 stars if I could!