The Thirteenth Gate by Kat Ross Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway!!!

Hi there guys!

Back again so soon? Apparently yes! But truly, I could not miss being part of this Blog Tour because I adore Kat Ross and her books, so I wanted to spread the word about her newest series!


The Thirteenth Gate by Kat Ross
(Dominion Mysteries #2)
Published by: Acorn Publishing
Publication date: June 26th 2017
Genres: Historical, Mystery, Young Adult

Winter 1888. At an asylum in the English countryside, a man suspected of being Jack the Ripper kills an orderly and flees into the rain-soaked night. His distraught keepers summon the Lady Vivienne Cumberland—who’s interviewed their patient and isn’t sure he’s a man at all. An enigmatic woman who guards her own secrets closely, Lady Vivienne knows a creature from the underworld when she sees one. And he’s the most dangerous she’s ever encountered.

As Jack rampages through London, Lady Vivienne begins to suspect what he’s searching for. And if he finds it, the doors to purgatory will be thrown wide open…

Across the Atlantic, an archaeologist is brutally murdered after a Christmas Eve gala at the American Museum of Natural History. Certain peculiar aspects of the crime attract the interest of the Society for Psychical Research and its newest investigator, Harrison Fearing Pell. Is Dr. Sabelline’s death related to his recent dig in Alexandria? Or is the motive something darker?

As Harry uncovers troubling connections to a serial murder case she’d believed was definitively solved, two mysteries converge amid the grit and glamor of Gilded Age New York. Harry and Lady Vivienne must join forces to stop an ancient evil. The key is something called the Thirteenth Gate. But where is it? And more importantly, who will find it first?

 Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo

REVIEW

The Thirteenth Gate is the first proper book of the Dominion Mysteries series, since The Daemoniac was more of a prequel, and in this one we get to meet so old friends from the Fourth Element series!

I was so very excited to read more on the adventures of Harry and John and since there was a bit of a chance of pace with the re-introduction of Alex and Vivienne and magic into the more detective story that the prequel was... I felt a bit disconnected from the story till I connected again with Alex and Vivienne, as they were in this time and place. I feel like I should have re-read Queen of Chaos right before reading this one, so I would have not had to stop and rack my brains to make sure I remembered correctly who everyone was with the names I knew them from before!

I was so very fascinated by the mystery and the murder and how everything started following little threads to tie it all up together and be solved. I loved that Harry and John were once again back in the thick of it and solving things together, and how Harry had her worldview complete challenged and put upside down, and by her own hero figure!

As always, Kat manages to paint such a vivid picture of the time and place, no matter if it's London or New York. You can almost feel the mist and fog or the torrential rain... And you can feel the oppresiveness of a tunnel that descends to who knows where.

The characters and their relationships are, as always, very well written and Kat manages to add a few hints to romance here and there and makes us really feel for the characters, but always keeping the romance as a side dish and not as one of the main courses, so to speak. It can be great for allowing the story to unfold and the mystery and the magic to take the main stage, but it can also be a little frustrating when you as the reader want something to happen! I have high hopes for my ship and I feel quite despondent for another couple, but I guess we'll see in the next book!

I cannot wait till we get the next story and have Harry & John and Vivienne & Alex back to working together and learning from one another! Well deserved 4 stars!



About the author:

Kat Ross worked as a journalist at the United Nations for ten years before happily falling back into what she likes best: making stuff up. She lives in Westchester with her kid and a few sleepy cats. Kat is also the author of the dystopian thriller Some Fine Day (Skyscape, 2014), about a world where the sea levels have risen sixty meters. She loves magic, monsters and doomsday scenarios. Preferably with mutants.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

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Duels & Deception by Cindy Anstey Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway!!

Hello there guys!

The blog has been rather dead still as of late, but I'm finding that little by little my motivation for blogging seems to be returning, so hopefully I'll return to more regular blogging, even if it's just once a week!

Today I've very glad to be part of the Blog Tour for Duels and Deception, organized by the fantastic Giselle from Xpresso Book Tours!


Duels and Deception by Cindy Anstey
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: April 11th 2017
Genres: Historical, Romance, Young Adult

Miss Lydia Whitfield, heiress to the family fortune, has her future entirely planned out. She will run the family estate until she marries the man of her late father’s choosing, and then she will spend the rest of her days as a devoted wife. Confident in those arrangements, Lydia has tasked her young law clerk, Mr. Robert Newton, to begin drawing up the marriage contracts. Everything is going according to plan.

Until Lydia—and Robert along with her—is kidnapped. Someone is after her fortune and won’t hesitate to destroy her reputation to get it. With Robert’s help, Lydia strives to keep her family’s good name intact and expose whoever is behind the devious plot. But as their investigation delves deeper and their affections for each other grow, Lydia starts to wonder whether her carefully planned future is in fact what she truly wants…

 Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo

About the author:

Whenever she is not sitting at the computer, throwing a ball in the backyard, gardening or reading, Cindy can be found–actually, not found–adventuring around the world with her hubby.

She has lived on three continents, had a monkey in her yard and a scorpion under her sink, dwelt among castles and canals, enjoyed the jazz of Beale St and attempted to speak French.

Cindy loves history, mystery and… a chocolate Labrador called Chester. Love, Lies and Spies is her debut novel.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

REVIEW

Delightful is the first word that came to mind while reading Duels & Deception, and it was the first word that came to mind while reading Cindy Anstey's debut (Love, Lies & Spies), and both books gave me the same feel of enjoyment and wittiness and effortless charm!

This is the story of Miss Lydia, a slightly unusual lady of gentle breeding, and how her carefully plotted plans get thrown a curve ball in more than one way, starting with a visit that she herself requested, from the law clerk that manages the family affairs.

Lydia is a lady with proper manners but also a very clear mind and strong character and she doesn't like being not in control of her affairs. I loved how she was not shown as too controlling without any warmth or feelings, just more focused on what she can control.

Robert Newton is a young man of good family, but given that he is the third son, he needs to find a way to make his future, and ends up as a law clerk, hopefully apprentice, in a law firm and one that manages Lydia's family affairs. He's focused on his career but also on doing his job well and once he meets Lydia, he finds himself with extra motivation to help the lady, even if he finds himself involved in very unexpected ways!

The story has quite a few secondary characters and storylines, Lydia's family and friends, Robert's friend (with his duel issues), Robert's boss and let's not forget Lydia's sort of future husband and none of them felt flat or lackluster. They added character and depth to the main story and a little extra oomph with more humour and/or risk, and they end up intertwining with the main story too!

I simply loved the interactions between Robert and Lydia and how they made the most out of even the oddest and less favorable situations, and they really had such a lovely & witty repertoire! Easy conversation and lovely banter!

I loved how the ending was resolved and how it went with both society standards (to a point) but also with the character's status and personalities, and it was an absolutely lovely HEA!

Charming, witty and above all, delightful! Highly recommended, best enjoyed on a lovely afternoon with a nice cup of tea! Very much deserved 4 stars!

GIVEAWAY

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Queen of Chaos by Kat Ross Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway!!

Hello there guys!

Today I'm super happy to take part of the blog tour for Queen of Chaos, the third and final book in the Fourth Element series by Kat Ross!

You'll be able to find all the details about the book as well as my review and a giveaway!


Queen of Chaos by Kat Ross
(The Fourth Element #3)
Publication date: January 18th 2017
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Persepolae has fallen.

Karnopolis has burned.

As the dark forces of the Undead sweep across what remains of the empire, Nazafareen must obey the summons of a demon queen to save Darius’s father, Victor. Burdened with a power she doesn’t understand and can barely control, Nazafareen embarks on a perilous journey through the shadowlands to the House-Behind-the-Veil. But what awaits her there is worse than she ever imagined…

A thousand leagues away, Tijah leads a group of children on a desperate mission to rescue the prisoners at Gorgon-e Gaz, the stronghold where the oldest daēvas are kept. To get there, they must cross the Great Salt Plain, a parched ruin occupied by the armies of the night. A chance encounter adds a ghost from the past to their number. But will they arrive in time to avert a massacre?

And in the House-Behind-the-Veil, Balthazar and the Prophet Zarathustra discover that they have more in common than meets the eye. But is it enough to redeem the necromancer’s bloodstained soul and thwart his mistress’s plans?

As a final showdown looms with Queen Neblis, the truth of the daēvas’ origins is revealed and three worlds collide in this thrilling conclusion to the Fourth Element series.

 Amazon

Previous books in the series:

REVIEW

Writing a review for the last book of a series, (and one that connects with another series even!) it's always a very daunting task for me... I'm always unsure about how to review the book, what to mention, what not to mention because I'm always scared that I might end up spoiling something without meaning to!

Let's begin with the beginning, shall we? I was a little surprised when the book started with a new POV, and at first Tijah's voice was so different from Nazafareen's that it was challenging, but given how our characters are separated and have two separate aims and are in very separate places, we needed Tijah's POV for their story to be told properly. I must confess soon enough I fell in love with Tijah's voice and her pain and bravery kept breaking my heart!

And not only that but we also got Lysandros' POV in this book and I simply loved his voice from the very first moment!

As always Kat Ross manages to juggle the balance between world building, character development & plot advancement beautifully! No flat characters, no cookie cutter ones even those that seem to be more in the periphery or not as "important", there's an attention to detail always. And the world building... the world building has to be my favourite part of this series because I adore the mix of fantasy & ancient history that Kat has created! Ancient Persia, Alexander the Great and then mythology made real! And oh my goodness... those revelations and twists and... *flails* I really cannot say any more because I'm sure I'll spoil something and nope, it needs to be experienced with as little knowledge as possible! But trust me, hold onto your socks!

Nazafareen & Darius have a wonderful relationship and I love how they've grown as a couple and as a team over the books, and how the slow burn has built into this amazing blaze! Great way to build up a romance for sure and one that had this romancephobic sighing happily, and that's saying something!

Balthazar was a character that I hated but felt bad about it but hated again on book two and it continued in this one! He's such an amazing grey character that you want to hate but want to shake at the same time... Kat has done such an amazing job with him!

After the ending I've even happier that Kat's other series will mix up with this one in the way it will, because not only I loved The Daemoniac but I need more from our daeva friends!

A fantastic ending to a very original series that got better with every page and every book! Kat Ross always knows how to make this bookworm happy and to get me through all the spectrum of feels! Very much deserved 4 stars!



About the author:

Kat Ross worked as a journalist at the United Nations for ten years before happily falling back into what she likes best: making stuff up. She lives in Westchester with her kid and a few sleepy cats. Kat is also the author of the dystopian thriller Some Fine Day (Skyscape, 2014), about a world where the sea levels have risen sixty meters. She loves magic, monsters and doomsday scenarios. Preferably with mutants.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

GIVEAWAY

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My Rogue, My Ruin by Amalie Howard and Angie Morgan Blog Tour!!!

Hello there guys!

Today I'm very excited to be part of the Blog Tour for My Rogue, My Ruin by Amalie Howard & Angie Morgan, organized by InkSlinger PR!

About MY ROGUE, MY RUIN

“Smart and fast-paced with plenty of steam! This writing duo is a powerhouse of talent!” – New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan

He stole their riches, she stole his heart

The Marquess of Hawksfield’s lineage is impeccable and his title coveted, but Archer Croft is as far from his indulgent peers as he can get. His loathing for the beau monde has driven him to don a secret identity and risk everything in order to steal their riches and distribute them to the less fortunate.

Lady Briannon Findlay embraces her encounter with the Masked Marauder, a gentleman thief waylaying carriages from London to Essex. The marauder has stirred Brynn’s craving for adventure, and she discovers an attraction deeper than the charming thief’s mask.

Brynn is a revelation, matching Archer in intelligence, wit, and passion. Stubborn and sensuous in equal measure, she astonishes him at every turn, but when someone sinister impersonates Archer’s secret personality, and a murder is committed, Archer begins to think he doesn’t stand a fighting chance without her. 

Get your hands on MY ROGUE, MY RUIN now:

Amazon | iBooks | B&N | Kobo

REVIEW

I love reading historical romance to break my usual YA marathons with something different, so when I heard that Amalie Howard & Angie Morgan (two YA writers that I love) were going to write historical romance together, I was so very excited and I'm happy to hear, the resulting product didn't disappoint!

I was quite intrigued from the very beginning, with the meet up of our characters in a rather unexpected way! I love how both Brynn and Archer are both rather unusual in their own ways, even if Briannon has to curb her self and her insticts because as a lady of the ton, she's not supposed to want anything different than snagging a duke. I love that she's got her rebellions and her strength despite having being a sickly child & still being smothered a bit by her mother and her protective brother.

Archer was unusual in his own way too, not only because he was raised with different values than the rest of the aristocracy and that shapes the way he acts, the alter ego he takes up at night, and the problem he find himself in with a blackmailer and an impostor, and if that was not enough, murder suspect!

The chemistry between Brynn and Archer was rather off the charts, but those two kept being on denial for such a long time and I really wanted to shake them and push them together!

I was completely surprised with the reveal of the bad guy and I really liked that there was more than just the romance in the book, with a murder mystery and the mystery of who is the impostor Masked Marauder that's making the stakes so much higher for Archer!

With a heroine that can shoot & ride and a hero that can sew and be rake at the same time, this was a fantastic fast read, even if it had a little bit more of emotional drama that I usually prefer!

Now I cannot wait till I get my hands on the next book in the series, since I got confirmation that will be about Gray and Lana!

Very much deserved 4 stars for My Rogue, My Ruin! I need all the Amalie & Angie historical romance, please and thank you!

GIVEAWAY

Amalie Howard and Angie Morgan have a couple of awesome items to giveaway! Check out the details on the rafflecopter below.

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About Amalie Howard

AMALIE HOWARD grew up on a small Caribbean island where she spent most of her childhood with her nose buried in a book or being a tomboy running around barefoot, shimmying up mango trees and dreaming of adventure. 25 countries, surfing with sharks and several tattoos later, she has traded in bungee jumping in China for writing the adventures she imagines instead. She isn’t entirely convinced which takes more guts.

She is the award-winning author of several young adult novels critically acclaimed by Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, VOYA, and Booklist, including Waterfell, The Almost Girl, and Alpha Goddess, a Spring 2014 Kid’s INDIE NEXT title. Her debut novel, Bloodspell, was a #1 Amazon bestseller, and the sequel, Bloodcraft, was a national silver IPPY medalist. She is also the co-author of the adult historical romance series, THE LORDS OF ESSEX. As an author of color and a proud supporter of diversity in fiction, her articles on multicultural fiction have appeared in The Portland Book Review and on the popular Diversity in YA blog. She currently resides in Colorado with her husband and three children.

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About Angie Morgan:

Angie is the author of several critically acclaimed young adult and middle grade books written under two other names (Page Morgan and Angie Frazier), and is now thrilled to be taking a much-anticipated leap into the world of adult romance. My Rogue, My Ruin is the first of three books in her new Lords of Essex series, co-written with good friend and fellow author, Amalie Howard. Angie lives in New Hampshire with her husband, their three daughters, and a menagerie of pets.

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Sunday Street Team: TimeKeeper by Tara Sim!!!

Sunday Street Team is organized by Nori @ ReadWriteLove28. SST is a cross between a blog tour and street team for a couple different titles each month. As the title suggests, the posts go up on Sundays!

Go here to learn more about SST.

2016 is full of amazing debuts and today I'm helping promote & shine a spotlight to a very intriguing beginning of a new series that mixes historical fiction and fantasy: TimeKeeper by Tara Sim!

I'm gonna give you some information about the book and author and will also be sharing my review!

 TimeKeeper by Tara Sim

 In an alternate Victorian world controlled by clock towers, a damaged clock can fracture time—and a destroyed one can stop it completely.

It’s a truth that seventeen-year-old clock mechanic Danny Hart knows all too well; his father has been trapped in a Stopped town east of London for three years. Though Danny is a prodigy who can repair not only clockwork, but the very fabric of time, his fixation with staging a rescue is quickly becoming a concern to his superiors.

And so they assign him to Enfield, a town where the tower seems to be forever plagued with problems. Danny’s new apprentice both annoys and intrigues him, and though the boy is eager to work, he maintains a secretive distance. Danny soon discovers why: he is the tower’s clock spirit, a mythical being that oversees Enfield’s time. Though the boys are drawn together by their loneliness, Danny knows falling in love with a clock spirit is forbidden, and means risking everything he’s fought to achieve.

But when a series of bombings at nearby towers threaten to Stop more cities, Danny must race to prevent Enfield from becoming the next target or he’ll not only lose his father, but the boy he loves, forever.

The stunning first novel in a new trilogy by debut author Tara Sim, Timekeeper is perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare and Victoria Schwab.

 About the Author:

Tara Sim can typically be found wandering the wilds of the Bay Area, California. When she’s not chasing cats or lurking in bookstores, she writes books about magic, clocks, and explosives. TIMEKEEPER is her debut novel. Follow her on Twitter at @EachStarAWorld, or check out her website tarasim.com for fun extras.

 REVIEW

 From the first time I heard about this book and read the first line "Two o'clock was missing" I was so very intrigued by its premise! A book that deals with time but not with time travelling!?

And I was not disappointed, no time travelling whatsoever, but instead we get a wonderful mix of historical fiction and fantasy, with alternate Victorian times where time is controlled by clocks towers built so long ago that the art of doing so is lost.

Though the first 30-40% of the book felt a lil slow paced, I was so very intrigued about the mythology and the world building of this story, that I was never at risk of giving up on the book. It was so well done and so captivating! We follow Danny's story and we also get a few flashes of the past before it became the mythology we learn about during Danny's times.

Danny is a prodigy Timekeeper that is recovering from an accident and still trying to live with the absence of his father, that has been trapped in a town that Stopped in a mysterious accident. His relationship with his mother is strained because neither of them has really open to the other and feel not only their grief and guilt but also the imagined or not weight of the blame of the other.

I felt like although the character development was good, it suffered a bit comparing it with the fantastic world building and mythology, but I still felt very invested in Danny and Colton's relationship and really enjoyed reading about Danny and Cassi's friendship! A book can have romance and not sacrifice friendship and other relationships, and here we have a good example!

I feel like I should have guessed the main mystery earlier than I did, but somehow like Danny himself, I never really connected the dots because it was just the most unexpected even if with enough hints it should also have been the most obvious? I don't know!

With its combination of mystery with high stakes, fantastic world building and strong character relationships, the author really delivers in giving us a story that lives up to its very unique premise! Add to that the fact that it doesn't end with a cliffhanger and I'm a very happy camper, really looking forward to what's to come next in the TimeKeeper trilogy!

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The Daemoniac by Kat Ross Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway!!!

The Daemoniac by Kat Ross
(A Dominion Mystery, #1)
Publication date: October 12th 2016
Genres: Historical, Mystery, Young Adult

It’s August of 1888, just three weeks before Jack the Ripper will begin his grisly spree in the London slum of Whitechapel, and another serial murderer is stalking the gas-lit streets of New York. With taunting messages in backwards Latin left at the crime scenes and even more inexplicable clues like the fingerprints that appear to have been burned into one victim’s throat, his handiwork bears all the hallmarks of a demonic possession.

But consulting detective Harrison Fearing Pell is convinced her quarry is a man of flesh and blood. Encouraged by her uncle, Arthur Conan Doyle, Harry hopes to make her reputation by solving the bizarre case before the man the press has dubbed Mr. Hyde strikes again.

From the squalor of the Five Points to the high-class gambling dens of the Tenderloin and the glittering mansions of Fifth Avenue, Harry and her best friend, John Weston, follow the trail of a remorseless killer, uncovering a few embarrassing secrets of New York’s richest High Society families along the way. Are the murders a case of black magic—or simple blackmail? And will the trail lead them closer to home than they ever imagined?

 Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo

About the author:

Kat Ross worked as a journalist at the United Nations for ten years before happily falling back into what she likes best: making stuff up. She lives in Westchester with her kid and a few sleepy cats. Kat is also the author of the dystopian thriller Some Fine Day (Skyscape, 2014), about a world where the sea levels have risen sixty meters. She loves magic, monsters and doomsday scenarios. Preferably with mutants.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

REVIEW

Well, Kat Ross has done it again! A switch of genres and she's won my undying love! I simply couldn't put this one down! I was supposed to read another of her books first (blog tour commitments) but the moment I started reading this one I was captivated & enthralled and I only stopped reading when I had to leave for work!

A wonderful mix of murder mystery with paranormal strikes and a very fresh retelling/reimagining of Sherlock & Watson!

I loved having a female reimagining of Sherlock, a male Watson and a female version of Mycroft too! It was quite intriguing to see our Sherlock trying to prove herself and her abilities away from the shadow of her older sister. I loved that the mystery was complex and had some clear paranormal & supernatural undertones, although for part of the book we aren't exactly sure if those paranormal bits are legit or just a sort of smoke curtain to hide the real line of investigation.

This is a real page turner, and not only because of the mystery of the murders to be solved but also because it is done in a bit of a time crunch, given how our Harry wants/needs to solve it before her sister returns to town! And of course, the murderer is on the loose and it's getting close to Harry the closer she gets to solve the case! So much tension!

I'm usually a bit of a romancephobe in books, I tend to cringe from romance that feels like it's added to the book for the sake of adding romance, but that is not an issue here! There are some hints of romance and of a shippity ship that I totally ship, but our Harry's brain is much better to discover clues for murder than to see what might be right in front of her! I must confess to be looking forward to see the development of said ship in upcoming books!

I simply cannot wait for more in this series, and the sequel won't arrive soon enough for me! Very much deserved 5 stars!

GIVEAWAY

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Fall of Thrones And Thorns by Jennifer Ellision Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway!!

Hello there guys!

Today I'm starting the last week of work before I finally get some vacation time being part of another Blog Tour for the new book in a series I love! I will be sharing my review and there's also a giveaway at the end of the post, so don't miss it!


Fall of Thrones and Thorns by Jennifer Ellision
(Threats of Sky and Sea #3)
Publication date: September 27th 2016
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

War hurtles in, a typhoon over the sea.

After Bree’s life was torn apart, Nereidium had represented a haven to her. A place that—if she could save it—was beyond the King’s reach.

And, at last, she’s arrived upon its shores. But things in Nereidium are not what they should be.

The land is plagued by a rash of mysterious earthquakes, the likes of which it’s never known. The governors are distracted by old traditions, while Bree and her friends grapple with changing identities and the sense that the longer they wait to take action… the greater the danger from Egria grows.

Bree is tired of living under the shadow of King Langdon’s power. And she’s tired of waiting for him to be the first to act.

In this final chapter of the Threats of Sky and Sea series, it all comes down to Nereidium or Egria. To Bree or the King. It’s kill… or be killed.

And not everyone will escape the battle unscathed.

 Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks | Smashwords

Previous books in the series:

 

Author Bio:

Jennifer Ellision was born and raised in South Florida and lives in perpetual fear of temperatures below 60F. She spent a great deal of her childhood staying up past her bedtime with a book and a flashlight. When she couldn’t find the stories she wanted to read, she started writing them. She has an OTP, loves character analysis, and is a master of the fangirl flail, with a particular soft spot for fanfiction. She frequently bursts into song (and they are often of a Disney persuasion). Sailor Moon is one of her favorite things on this planet.

Threats of Sky and Sea is her first novel.

She also blogs at The Bevy Bibliotheque, where she talks about books, TV, movies, and other things that she goes fangirl over. For review requests or blog inquiries, please visit http://www.thebevybibliotheque.net to contact the blogger who best suits your request.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

REVIEW

For some reason I had failed to realize that this was the last book in the trilogy till I was nearly halfway reading it and thought that it read like a final book! For some reason I expected 4 books instead of a trilogy! *shakes head at self*

Fall of Thrones and Thorns starts right where Riot of Storm & Smoke ended, with our characters in Nereidium and dealing with the shock and repercusions of the truth about Bree & Aleta being revealed to all.

The beginning seemed to be a bit anticlimatic after the shock, but the slower pace was quite necessary for the characters to deal with the revelations and the change on status and the new reality of the new place. There was character development that needed to happen and there were politics to deal with and that always slows down the pace and the action, both in books and (even more) in real life.

I was glad we got alternate POV for Caden, Bree and Aleta and we also got a few small peeks at what was going on at Egria which helped with not losing sight of where the real danger was coming from.

It's always hard to review a final book in a series because you try to avoid spoiling others that might have not yet started the series, so bear with me while I try to vaguely & spoiler-free continue to try to be articulate about the book!

Both Bree and Aleta do have tough paths to deal with on their own ways, and I was glad that their friendship became stronger for it, even if it was on shaky ground after the revelations. It was great to see how their friendship helped each other, even if it was just in a "WWAD" way for Bree many times!

There's so romance in the book but rather understated and pushed back to something secondary given the dire situations and the importance of the fight, but speaking as a romancephobe, there were times where I wished there was a bit more development to some of the pairings. And also, I wished that at the ending we had a wee bit more of a hint of what's to come? The big conflict is resolved and the future is full of hope, the rebuilding is in progress but I still don't know if those two will find a way to work out! But since that part of the ending is open, I can choose to think yes and be happy about it! ;)

A satisfying conclusion to the trilogy and well deserved 4 stars!

GIVEAWAY!

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The Blood of the Prophet by Kat Ross Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway!

Hello guys!

I'm quite pleased to take be taking part on the Blog Tour for Blood of the Prophet by Kat Ross, the second book on her The Fourth Element series!

I'll be giving you some information on the book & author below, as well as sharing my review and a tour wide giveaway!


Blood of the Prophet by Kat Ross
(The Fourth Element #2)
Publication date: September 12th 2016
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Visionary. Alchemist. Savior. Saint.

The Prophet Zarathustra has been called many things. Now he spends his time drawing pictures of weird-looking goats. That’s what happens when you’ve been stuck in a prison cell for two hundred years. But the man who might be mad, and is definitely supposed to be dead, has suddenly become very valuable again…

It’s only been a few weeks since Nazafareen escaped the King’s dungeons with her daēva, Darius. She hoped never to set foot in the empire again, but the search for the Prophet has led them to the ancient city of Karnopolis. They have to find him before Alexander of Macydon burns Persepolae, and Darius’s mother with it. But they’re not the only ones looking.

The necromancer Balthazar has his own plans for the Prophet, and so does the sinister spymaster of the Numerators. As Nazafareen is drawn in to a dangerous game of cat and mouse, her newfound powers take a decidedly dark turn. Only the Prophet understands the secret of her gift, but the price of that knowledge may turn out to be more than Nazafareen is willing to pay…

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Sequel to:

About the author:

Kat Ross worked as a journalist at the United Nations for ten years before happily falling back into what she likes best: making stuff up. She lives in Westchester with her kid and a few sleepy cats. Kat is also the author of the dystopian thriller Some Fine Day (Skyscape, 2014), about a world where the sea levels have risen sixty meters. She loves magic, monsters and doomsday scenarios. Preferably with mutants.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

REVIEW

Kat Ross has become an auto-buy author after managing to make me love her books no matter what she writes, be it dystopia, fantasy or mystery, and this one was one more reason to reaffirm my love!

Blood of the Prophet is the second book in her The Fourth Element series and although it starts a bit on the slow side of things, and with some choices on Nazafareen & Darius side that made me shake my head, but it never suffered from "second book syndrome" and before the first third of the book mark the action quickly started picking up pace, and started hinting at some rather juicy revelations to come and change the way we see the world, and what our characters knew or thought they knew!

I love how the world building is expanded, not only in terms of the Empire and cities visited but also in terms of what we get to know about the daevas, the magic system and the Druj and what they are and aren't. And I'm quite excited about getting to know more in the upcoming books!

I love that Nazafareen and Darius' characters continue to grow both separatedly and as a team, and that we finally get a lil bit of progress on the romance side of things, although it never takes over the plot or the story, and that's one thing I'm really thankful for! It's not the only important relationship though, because the friendships between Myrri and Tijah and the friendship between Tijah and Nazafareen, and how well the four of them worked together.

I was quite surprised when we started getting POV chapters for two of the main antagonists of the book, the Necromancer and the Numerator, but it served the purpose to giving us an insight on their heads (not very pretty places to be inside, though) and motivations and to give us more information about the past as well as the present of the whole story, and they were both quite complex characters and both made my skin crawl for different reasons!

The ending of the book really left me wishing for book 3 like RIGHT NOW, so I hope that Kat Ross is writing like the wind! Very much deserved 4 stars for this one!

GIVEAWAY!

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Vicarious by Paula Stokes Nerd Blast: Review & Giveaway!!!

Hello there guys!!

Today I'm taking part of the Nerd Blast organized by Jean Book Nerd for Vicarious by Paula Stokes!!

I will be sharing the book trailer, my review and also there will be a giveaway at the end of the post!

Vicarious by Paula Stokes

Winter Kim and her sister, Rose, have always been inseparable. Together, the two of them survived growing up in a Korean orphanage and being trafficked into the United States. But they’ve escaped the past and started over in a new place where no one knows who they used to be.

Now they work as digital stunt girls for Rose’s ex-boyfriend, Gideon, engaging in dangerous and enticing activities while recording their neural impulses for his Vicarious Sensory Experiences, or ViSEs. Whether it’s bungee jumping, shark diving, or grinding up against celebrities at the city’s hottest dance clubs, Gideon can make it happen for you—for a price.

When Rose disappears and a ViSE recording of her murder is delivered to Gideon, Winter is devastated. She won’t rest until she finds her sister’s killer. But when the clues she uncovers conflict with the digital recordings her sister made, Winter isn’t sure what to believe. To find out what happened to Rose, she’ll have to untangle what’s real from what only seems real, risking her life in the process.

  

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

About the author:

Paula Stokes writes stories about flawed characters with good hearts. She’s the author of several novels, most recently Vicarious and Girl Against the Universe. Her writing has been translated into eleven foreign languages. Paula loves kayaking, hiking, reading, and seeking out new adventures in faraway lands She also loves interacting with readers.

Find her online at authorpaulastokes.com or on twitter as @pstokesbooks.

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook 

REVIEW

 Hold on to your knickers tight guys! This one will leave your mind reeling, your heart pounding and you'll likely commit a felony to get your hands on the sequel!!

Vicarious is science fiction thriller, more mystery and thriller than science fiction, since the world is very similar to ours with advanced different technology but essentially something that feels like the world we know.

Winter and her sister Rose escaped a horrible situation and found a better life in St Louis, both of them working for their rescuer that is like family to them. It all changes when something happens to Rose and Winter decides that she needs to find out what really happened to her sister.

Vicarious is such a thrilling read! From the very action packed beginning with Winter & Jesse recording a ViSe to all the dangerous situations that Winter finds herself while looking for Rose, you can barely turn the pages fast enough! The mystery of what happened to Rose will keep you guessing and second guessing and third guessing and once again turning pages like there's no tomorrow!

Paula can write a mystery and keep you on your toes but where she really shines is in writing amazingly complex characters and their relationships. Winter and Rose, their relationship with Gideon, their rescuer and Winter's relationship with Jesse, her ViSe recording partner... They all are layered and carefully crafted, they make you feel like they're real people with complex feelings and maybe something hidden at times.

I could talk and talk at length about how fascinating I found the characters and how the book kept me guessing time and again (wrong every time) with the mystery or how I kept holding my breath in some of the action scenes, but it might lead to unwittingly reveal something that I don't want to, because Vicarious needs to be enjoyed with as little information as possible!

One last mention before I tell you to run grab it from your favourite retailer or library, it deals with some really tough subjects since Winter and Rose were sold into human trafficking as children and had to deal with very horrible situations. It's handled in an extremely respectful way and mostly just flashbacks into the sisters' relationship, but in case it's a trigger, be aware.

Very much recommended & very much deserved 5 stars!

GIVEAWAY

Giveaway is open to International. | Must be 13+ to Enter

- A signed copy of Vicarious or an ARC of the sequel, when available by Paula Stokes + Special Mystery Bookish Gifts

CLICK HERE FOR THE RAFFLECOPTER

Sunday Street Team: A Shadow Bright & Burning by Jessica Cluess!!!

Sunday Street Team is organized by Nori @ ReadWriteLove28. SST is a cross between a blog tour and street team for a couple different titles each month. As the title suggests, the posts go up on Sundays!

Go here to learn more about SST.

2016 is full of amazing debuts and today I'm helping promote & shine a spotlight to one of my most awaited and the beginning of a new YA fantasy trilogy: A Shadow Bright & Burning by Jessica Cluess!

I'm gonna give you some information about the book and authors and will also be sharing my review!

A Shadow Bright & Burning by Jessica Cluess

I am Henrietta Howel.
The first female sorcerer in hundreds of years.
The prophesied one.
Or am I?

Henrietta Howel can burst into flames.
Forced to reveal her power to save a friend, she's shocked when instead of being executed, she's invited to train as one of Her Majesty's royal sorcerers.

Thrust into the glamour of Victorian London, Henrietta is declared the chosen one, the girl who will defeat the Ancients, bloodthirsty demons terrorizing humanity. She also meets her fellow sorcerer trainees, handsome young men eager to test her power and her heart. One will challenge her. One will fight for her. One will betray her.

But Henrietta Howel is not the chosen one.
As she plays a dangerous game of deception, she discovers that the sorcerers have their own secrets to protect. With battle looming, what does it mean to not be the one? And how much will she risk to save the city—and the one she loves?

Exhilarating and gripping, Jessica Cluess's spellbinding fantasy introduces a powerful, unforgettably heroine, and a world filled with magic, romance, and betrayal. Hand to fans of Libba Bray, Sarah J. Maas, and Cassandra Clare.

 About the author:



JESSICA CLUESS is a writer, a graduate of Northwestern University, and an unapologetic nerd. After college, she moved to Los Angeles, where she served coffee to the rich and famous while working on her first novel. When she's not writing books, she's an instructor at Writopia Lab, helping kids and teens tell their own stories.

REVIEW

 An excellent debut and very promising first book in a new fantasy series!

Herrietta is our main character and she's always been a survivor in a world where women are second class citizens at best, and were women & magic equals witch and witch equals death. As someone with magic she's been scared & hiding her powers all her life and when she's discovered, her life is shaken upside down, but not by the threat she expected at all!

This book might seem to be going through often throd paths when it comes to setting, as it's Victorian London, with the constrictions and customs of the time, and when magic is added to the mix, we keep on thinking it'll be the magic we know well and true, and very early on we start to see that none of the tropes and cliches to be expected will remain so.

Jessica Cluess does an amazing job at building a different system of magic from the ones we've usually seen, nothing that we haven't seen before, not really, but mixed and done fresh and differently! Same with the world and mythology of it, and we keep discovering how different things are from the expected route along the way. I thoroughly enjoyed having my expectations turned upside down and being wrong about what might come next!

We get a heroine that is NOT the chosen one but will not back down from doing what she can in the fight and in challenging the prejudices of society. We get some light romance because it's very much on the side and even if it's not a linear romance, it's also not clearly stablished as any sort of geometrical shape either. There's a very close relationship with a childhood friend & ally that could be something more but undefined and unexplored, and there's a certain entanglement of attraction with another fellow magic user but that's cut short very wisely. And there's something that might be nothing that's the one I'm rooting for because apparently I like things complicated!

We get quite a few revelations that shake not only our preconceptions but also the characters' knowledge of their world and history or at least what they thought they know, and although that leaves us really looking forward to what's to come in the next book(s), it manages to avoid the utter pain of a cliffhanger, which I was extremely thankful for!

Fantasy can have many well known characteristics and tropes and they can still be used to construe a fresh and original story, and this book is proof of that! 4 to 4.5 stars to this one!

GIVEAWAY

 

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