Tag: YA Fantasy

Book Review: The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

Book Review: The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi


Two words: Magical. Heist.

It’s 1889 in an alternate Paris, where those who have the ability to “forge” can manipulate matter or minds just like magic–except it’s really about science and art–with infinite possibilities. It’s almost like Alice in Wonderland–especially when you can pass through a mirror to another place. The secret society of the Order of Babel regulates forging, controlled by the high Houses. Plants can be forged for beauty and function, statues can be forged for security, clothes can be forged to give you as many tricks up your sleeve as you can imagine.

This lush backdrop is where Séverin lost his inheritance. Spurned by the Order, he teams up with Enrique, the historian looking for a voice and power with his own community; Laila, the dancer with a life altering secret; Zofia, the engineer who is excellent at math yet awful with anything social; Tristan, a brother to him; and finally Hypnos, the entitled yet clever patriarch of one of the Houses. I have to say, Hypnos was my favorite! He was funny without being too over the top. Enrique was also funny, especially when paired with Séverin:

“You’re doing it again,” said Enrique.
“What?”
“That whole nefarious-whilst-looking-into-the-distance-thing. What are you hiding, Séverin?”
“Nothing.”
“You and your secrets.”
“Secrets keep my hair lustrous,” said Séverin, running his hand through his curls. “Shall we?”

This big cast of characters wend their way through a fantastical mystery at the heart of the Order of Babel. I did wonder sometimes whether the big cast was a bit too much–their voices sometimes blended together, when you jumped from one to another in the chapters. Sometimes their personalities were a bit too similar, except Zofia who was quite unique. They each do have clear motives, but it was really their voices (internal & external) that were a little too similar.

A simple heist leads them deeper into the mysteries of the Order than any of them ever dreamed. They must use their wits and their tricks to not only prevent total chaos–but to survive.

All in all, I really enjoyed the fantastic magic, the storytelling, and the suspense. Oh, and there was just enough romance–I’m not a big fan of over the top romance (unless I’m reading Outlander, of course), and Chokshi did a great job with some light romantic touches: it all felt very real and unforced.

I’ll definitely be on the lookout for the rest of this series!

The book is available for pre-order, and releases January 15, 2019.

I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for this honest review.

Book Review: Coiled by H.L. Burke

Book Review: Coiled by H.L. Burke

What a magical book!  I was really excited to read this book, because it’s a retelling of a Greek myth–but it’s entirely unique, and very well-told.

I recently interviewed H.L. Burke on my blog as part of her Coiled release blog tour, and the book will be available on June 15, 2017.

A twist on Eros and Psyche, the story of Laidra and Calen is at times heartbreaking, heartwarming, and full of intrigue, adventure, and even an Olympian-style quest.

Laidra is cursed with hideousness that worsens whenever she heals someone, while Calen is cursed with the incredibly debilitating–and rather inconvenient to say the least–problem of turning into a giant snake when he is seen by another person.

There’s beautiful symmetry with the two curses, and ugly humanity rears its head in different ways when their respective families are confronted with just how to handle their cursed children.

I enjoyed this read from beginning to end, and though I thought I could see where it was going one moment, was pleasantly surprised by each turn of events. I thought the tale was expertly woven, and–importantly for me–no cringe-worthy romance: I loved watching Laidra and Calen’s relationship develop right from the start.

Burke’s characters always have real depth to them, especially in this book. Even the gods and demi-gods, though by definition are stuck within a certain role, each has quite a personality and lends their voice to the story.  I always love the humanization of mythological gods.  On the side of a vase the gods look all perfect and pristine, but when they get involved with mortals, they’re squabbling and plotting right down in there.

I would highly recommend for a pleasant YA read that will give you a good adventure, love, curses, intrigue, and even a magical beast or two!



Available on Amazon, Kobo, Nook and iBooks.


Also check out the Facebook Launch party happening June 23rd!

Book Review: The Waterfall Traveler by S.J. Lem

Book Review: The Waterfall Traveler by S.J. Lem

Go ahead, judge this book by its cover!

The world behind it is just as intriguing and mysterious as the cover will lead you to believe.  Ri just wants to cure her adoptive father Samuel, but two chance encounters in the woods lead her on a wild journey through worlds she never knew–and Samuel and his sickness are part of a much bigger tale.  And to top it off, a strange phenomenon called the Culling is wreaking fatal havoc wherever they go.

The characters immediately grow on you.  Ri herself had an element to her that I couldn’t quite place–but, no spoilers, you’ll actually find out why that is later in this book.   And, to leave us wanting more, that element is revealed in full in the epilogue, no doubt to be explored in the sequel.

Ri encounters and picks up a band of characters throughout her journey, and some very unlikely ones at that–which is probably why the journey is so “fun” as a reader.  The chemistry is really fun to explore, and most of them are driven by love, which generally redeems their sometimes darker sides.

I did have a bit of trouble with the pacing in the beginning, but it picks up speed as it goes along.  The places Ri and the team travel through, and what they find there will keep you itching to know more about the Culling, what it may or may not have to do with Ri, and what the gods have in store for them all.

Sylvia in the Wilds Short Story

Sylvia in the Wilds Short Story

In the Arcera Trilogy, Sylvia Thorne discovers just what happens when the first war in a thousand years breaks out.  But before that, she was just a Rider, spending her days traveling through the wilds between the Four Cities.

Right before the first book Meadowcity, she gets stuck in Lightcity, waiting for a package to deliver.  She isn’t stuck for long though, when a young girl decides to go on a haphazard mission into the wilds–and Sylvia feels compelled to follow.

Which brings us to Sylvia In The Wilds–the short story prequel, which will be available as a free ebook in April 2017!

The story is currently with my beta readers, and I can’t wait to share it with you!

A Prequel Adventure

A Prequel Adventure

Before the first war in a thousand years, Sylvia Thorne was just a normal sixteen-year old girl, who happened to have one of the most dangerous jobs in the Four Cities.

Now that I wrote that above line, I’m convinced I need to add it to the description below…  Anyway, you get the idea.  You’re about to find out what Sylvia’s life was like before Meadowcity, before the war, in this upcoming short story (title TBA).  Check out the description, which might change right after I publish this post:

For a thousand years, the Four Cities of Arcera lived in peace behind their protective walls, while the lands between them turned wild and full of danger.  Only the few people willing to brave the wilds will step foot there, and Sylvia Thorne is one of them.
Sylvia is used to delivering messages between the cities for a living–and she will soon deliver the message that breaks the peace between the cities, but before that, she gets stuck in Lightcity, waiting for a package to deliver.
Her wait for adventure isn’t long, when she discovers that a young girl named Maddy has left the city–untrained in the ways of the wilds.
One of the youngest Riders in Arcera, Sylvia feels she must go after the girl and bring her safely back to her sister.
When Maddy brings them into one danger after another, desperate to find her missing parents, Sylvia must draw upon her training to protect the both of them.
But a wolf pack lurking about is acting strangely, and something seems very wrong in the wilds of Arcera.
….
What do you think?  Look for this prequel short story sometime in April or March, depending on how ambitious I am.

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A Rift Between Cities, The Arcera Trilogy

A Rift Between Cities, The Arcera Trilogy

I can’t believe it’s finally here!

Available now on Amazon

From the first notes, sketches and doodles, to a complete trilogy in four years.  Has it really been that long?

A Rift Between Cities concludes what Governor Sorin Greyling started in Meadowcity…the first war in a thousand years.

Now, it sounds poetic, “the first war in a thousand years”, but when I began writing Meadowcity, I really tried to think of how it would be like for people who have never experienced war in any form.  The government would dither (as Gero’s council did), while the very few who are driven and courageous might actually try and stop it, knowing how precious their lives are.

But things go wrong, as they often do.  People make mistakes, even with the best intentions.  People are selfish, and refuse to aid those they can help.  But luckily, Sylvia Thorne isn’t people.  Sylvia won’t stop until she is stopped, until she can mend the rift between cities.

Then again, people aren’t all bad.  As the Arcera Trilogy comes to a close, you’ll see plenty of good to balance the bad, as we follow Sylvia, Atlan, Ven, Flint, Ember, Neve and Sorin on their final adventure!

Reader’s Favorite kindly gave A Rift Between Cities five stars! Here’s an excerpt of the review:

Given that the author allows readers to follow many different characters, including the villain, this is an exciting book. Even close to its conclusion, the author keeps readers guessing as to how all the pieces will come together.”

Read the full review here.

 

Until 12/9/16, you can enter to win a signed copy of A Rift Between Cities on Goodreads!

 

Goodreads Book Giveaway

A Rift Between Cities by Liz Delton

A Rift Between Cities

by Liz Delton

Giveaway ends December 15, 2016.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

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Book Review: Fallen to Grace, by A.J. Flowers

Book Review: Fallen to Grace, by A.J. Flowers

This book is fresh off the presses, and you won’t be disappointed with A.J. Flowers‘ first book in the Celestial Downfall series.  I received a free copy in exchange for my honest opinion.  I must say, I am looking forward to the rest of the series and finding out what becomes of Azrael!  And until 12/18/16 you can enter to win your own free copy on Goodreads!

Azrael is Windborn, and a hybrid, setting herself apart from all the other Windborn at Manor Saffron, where the not-quite-angels train for a life in the real world.  Her hybrid status makes her able to see not only light (like all other Windborn), but dark.  The unjust death of another hybrid in the Manor sparks Azrael into action–into making a deal with a demon.  Smartly, she only asks it to change her fate–anything more specific and she’d be dancing too near the possibility of the demon overtaking the deal.

Her fate changes immediately.  The Manor is in need of a new Queen, and Azrael has been chosen by divine power.  But Azrael quickly learns that being Queen is a life full of new secrets, new friends (real angels with agendas of their own) and new powers.  Flowers paints a realistic picture of a world where angels remain an open secret (special chairs for wings, anyone?), and I was impressed with the imaginative version of light and dark magic.

The juxtaposition of angels with normal flaws just makes sense, too.  Angels are always depicted as perfect beings, and as a human reader myself, the angel characters clicked perfectly.  Not to mention the swoon-worthy descriptions of wings and other celestial details.  I’m a sucker for description.

I did find myself craving an ordinary day in the life in the Manor, though–but Azrael has no trouble keeping up with one turn after another.  We end the book with a seriously motivated Azrael, and plenty of intrigue to have you looking for the release date of the next book.

 

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First Look at A Rift Between Cities

First Look at A Rift Between Cities

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I certainly did; it was the first time I’d hosted, and everything was splendid.  I even had someone else to eat pumpkin pie with me!

I was pretty sure I was the only one who was going to eat it, but I made it anyway.

A Rift Between Cities is only two weeks away!  I honestly don’t know where this entire year has gone, and next week it will be December.

Today I wanted to share the first look into A Rift Between Cities with you, while you are hopefully relaxing at home eating leftovers, as I plan on doing.

Here you are!–

If you’re in Connecticut, you can catch me at one of these events and get yourself a signed copy!

Book Launch & Meet the Author
Hall Memorial Library, Ellington, CTSaturday, Dec 10, 1-2

The Author’s Table Book Sale & Signing
Hartford Public Library, Hartford, CT
Saturday, Dec 17, 12-2

Book Review: Beggar Magic, by H.L. Burke

Book Review: Beggar Magic, by H.L. Burke


Over the past few days I have had the pleasure of listening to H.L. Burke’s Beggar Magic through Audible. I’ve listened to lots of audiobooks over the past few months (Lord of the Rings, Outlander, Dune, The Martian…) and this one didn’t disappoint.

Burke’s imaginative world of Gelia City is a city of magic–a magic that resides in the very air and fills the city with its ever-changing sounds: the Strains. But not everyone is fortunate to hear the Strains and use their magic as well as others. The Highmost are born with seemingly unlimited control over the Strains, but the Common are only able to weakly wield them, with beggar magic.

Leilani, a Common, no-nonsense girl, crosses paths with a high-strung Highmost called Zebedy, and her world takes an unusual turn as she is swept into the manic life of the Highmost.  One of the things I admired about Leilani’s character is that she never settled for anything she didn’t want, and never let anyone walk over her.  Gotta love a strong female lead!  The two friends are drawn into a serious mystery concerning the Strains, leading them through Highmost intrigue, breaking class barriers, and there’s even a bit of romance.

The writing (and narration) flow quite naturally, and I loved all of the tiny details placed throughout the book by Burke.  Even before the main conflict was presented, I was drawn in to the unique setting and the two girls’ strong characters.  Seriously, the Strains were a whole new type of magic, the idea of which kept me thinking about this book even when I wasn’t reading it.

This is an audiobook that you can gobble up really easily.  I would definitely recommend it for fantasy lovers of any age.

I received a complementary copy of the audiobook in exchange for this honest review.

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