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!

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.

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

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