Blog Tour Review with Giveaway: True Storm (True Born Trilogy #3) by L.E. Sterling

Book info:

Title:  True Storm
Author:  L.E. Sterling
Series:  True Born Trilogy #3
Genre:  YA Fantasy
Release Date:  May 1st, 2018
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Source:  E-galley from Publisher
My rating:  5 stars

Synopsis:

Lucy’s twin sister, Margot, may be safely back with her—but all is not well in Plague-ravaged Dominion City. The Watchers have come out of hiding, spreading chaos and death throughout the city, and suddenly Lucy finds herself under pressure to choose her future: does it lie with her handsome new friend, Alastair; her guardian, the enigmatic True Born leader Nolan Storm; or the man who makes her heart trip, her savage True Born bodyguard Jared Price? 

But while Lucy ponders her path, fate has other plans. Betrayal is a cruel lesson, and the Fox sisters can hardly believe who is behind the plot against them. To survive this deadly game of politics, Lucy is forced to agree to a marriage of convenience. But is the DNA of her will stronger than the forces opposing her? And can she turn the tide against the oncoming storm? 

As they say in Dominion, rogue genes can never have a happy ending...

Buylinks: https://entangledpublishing.com/true-storm.html

 

Excerpt:

Another laugh, this one not at all pleasant. “God, Lu, do you think I’m actually in control here? You,” he says, his lips coming so close to mine I can almost feel them on my flesh. He brushes them lightly, and the already swollen flesh lights up again. “You,” he says again, his voice dropping into a purr as with one hand, he strokes my hair, “you’re like a drug. I can’t get enough of you, can’t break away no matter how hard I try.”

I push at his chest and force him to let me down. “You make it sound terrible,” I grumble.

His voice and eyes are ragged, wild, as he tells me with conviction, “It is terrible.”

“Jared,” I warn.

Blond curls fall over his handsome face as he takes my cheeks lightly in his hands. I reach up and curl my own fingers over his, remembering what those hands can do. How could such brilliant, clever hands be capable of such violence? Like his hands, this man has the ability to make me feel as though I’m flying through the air one minute, bruised and sinking the next.

I try to look away, sick of the hurt, but he won’t let me. Staring intently into my eyes, he whispers my name like a prayer. “Don’t you get it? It’s ripping my guts out because I have never felt this way before. I need to be near you like I need oxygen. And I know full well I can’t have you.”

My Review:
Links to reviews of Book 1 - True Born, Book 2 - True North.

So this was one of the best conclusions to a trilogy that I've read in a while.  It was jam-packed full of suspense, action, twists, and turns.  It was hard to put down, making it easy to read quickly, but it wasn't one you could just jump in and out of.  There was so much going on and so many pieces of the puzzle being filled in, that you needed to be able to sit and read for more than a few minutes at a time.  I say all of that not in a bad way, but in a good way, because this was a 5 star read for me.

There were depths of betrayal that had been alluded to, and brought up as possibilities, but when they surfaced, they were major.  Of course there are always deaths in books like this, and there have to be some of the main characters/favorite characters that are lost.  The loss of two of them for sure had tears in my eyes.  Then there was the way that they figured out a possible end to the Plague. While I had some thoughts that there must be something like what they came up with, I would never have guessed what would happen that helped them to discover the reasons and ways of a possible cure.

As I finished reading, all the action that I mentioned before made me think that this would make such a great movie.  I could totally see the scenes on a big screen as they played in my head while I read the story.  If you haven't begun this series, you need to pick it up soon.  If you are just waiting on this book to finish up the series, I promise you won't be disappointed.

About True Born:

2017 Athena Award for Excellence in Young Adult and New Adult Fiction Winner

Your fate is in your blood…

Welcome to Dominion City.

After the great Plague descended, the world population was decimated…and their genetics damaged beyond repair.

The Lasters wait hopelessly for their genes to self-destruct. The Splicers pay for expensive treatments that might prolong their life. The plague-resistant True Borns are as mysterious as they are feared…

And then there’s Lucy Fox and her identical twin sister, Margot. After endless tests, no one wants to reveal what they are.

When Margot disappears, a desperate Lucy has no choice but to put her faith in the True Borns, led by the charismatic leader, Nolan Storm, and the beautiful but deadly Jared, who tempts her as much as he infuriates her. As Lucy and the True Borns set out to rescue her sister, they stumble upon a vast conspiracy stretching from Dominion’s street preachers to shady Russian tycoons. But why target the Fox sisters?

As they say in Dominion, it’s in the blood.

Buylinks: https://entangledpublishing.com/true-born.html

About True North:

Abandoned by her family in Plague-ridden Dominion City, eighteen-year-old Lucy Fox has no choice but to rely upon the kindness of the True Borns, a renegade group of genetically enhanced humans, to save her twin sister, Margot. But Nolan Storm, their mysterious leader, has his own agenda. When Storm backtracks on his promise to rescue Margot, Lucy takes her fate into her own hands and sets off for Russia with her True Born bodyguard and maybe-something-more, the lethal yet beautiful Jared Price. In Russia, there's been whispered rumors of Plague Cure.

While Lucy fights her magnetic attraction to Jared, anxious that his loyalty to Storm will hurt her chances of finding her sister, they quickly discover that not all is as it appears…and discovering the secrets contained in the Fox sisters' blood before they wind up dead is just the beginning.

As they say in Dominion, sometimes it’s not you…it’s your DNA.

Buylinks: https://entangledpublishing.com/true-north.html
 

About the Author:

L.E. Sterling had an early obsession with sci-fi, fantasy and romance, to which she remained faithful through an M.A. in creative writing and a PhD in English literature––where she completed a thesis on magical representation. She is the author of cult hit YA novel The Originals (under pen name L.E. Vollick) and the Urban Fantasy Pluto’s Gate. True Born, first in the True Born trilogy, won the Athena Award® from the RWA. Originally hailing from Parry Sound, Ontario, L.E. spent most of her summers roaming across Canada in a van––inspiring her writing career. She currently lives in Toronto, Canada. www.le-sterling.com. 

Author Links:

Website: www.le-sterling.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/le_sterling

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LESterling22/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lesterlingauthor/

Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/LESterling

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/LESterling


Giveaway :

• $10 Amazon Gift Card (US / Canada)

   a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Excerpt Reveal: True Storm (True Born Trilogy #3) by L.E. Sterling

Don’t Miss the Excerpt Reveal from True Storm by L.E. Sterling, which releases on May 1, 2018!

His hands still on my face. “I’m sorry,” I manage to say, trying to control a nervous need to giggle like a hyena. “Are we fighting? Maybe I didn’t notice because it’s all we ever seem to do.”

A wicked grin lights his features. “That’s not all we seem to do,” he whispers, seconds before he replaces his thumb with his lips.

It’s a soft kiss at first, tentative. Like someone asking your name. But it lights me up, sending fire shooting through my body, heat curling through my belly. I must sigh because Jared pulls back for just a moment, a question in his eyes and hunger written all over him. Then he claims my lips again, holding my face in his hands as the earth spins away from me.

Enter the Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

About True Storm:

Lucy’s twin sister, Margot, may be safely back with her—but all is not well in Plague-ravaged Dominion City. The Watchers have come out of hiding, spreading chaos and death throughout the city, and suddenly Lucy finds herself under pressure to choose her future: does it lie with her handsome new friend, Alastair; her guardian, the enigmatic True Born leader Nolan Storm; or the man who makes her heart trip, her savage True Born bodyguard Jared Price?

But while Lucy ponders her path, fate has other plans. Betrayal is a cruel lesson, and the Fox sisters can hardly believe who is behind the plot against them. To survive this deadly game of politics, Lucy is forced to agree to a marriage of convenience. But is the DNA of her will stronger than the forces opposing her? And can she turn the tide against the oncoming storm?

As they say in Dominion, rogue genes can never have a happy ending...

Want to read more? Pre-order your copy of True Storm (True Born Trilogy, #3) by L.E. Sterling today!

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Entangled Publishing

 About L.E. Sterling:

L.E. Sterling had an early obsession with sci-fi, fantasy and romance to which she remained faithful even through an M.A. in Creative Writing and a PhD in English Literature – where she completed a thesis on magical representation. She is the author of two previous novels, the cult hit Y/A novel The Originals (under pen name L.E. Vollick), dubbed “the Catcher in the Rye of a new generation” by one reviewer, and the urban fantasy Pluto’s Gate. Originally hailing from Parry Sound, Ontario, L.E. spent most of her summers roaming across Canada in a van with her father, a hippie musician, her brothers and an occasional stray mutt – inspiring her writing career. She currently lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Website |  Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | Entangle Publishing

Cover Reveal: True Storm (True Born Trilogy #3) by L.E. Sterling

Let us know what you think of the cover for True Storm (True Born Trilogy, #3) by L.E. Sterling, which releases May 1, 2018!

This cover reveal is brought to you by Entangled Teen.

About True Storm:

If you can't beat them, change them...

Want to read more? Pre-order your copy of True Storm (True Born Trilogy, #3) by L.E. Sterling today!

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Entangled Publishing

Earlier books in the True Born Trilogy:

Entangled Publishing                                             Entangled Publishing

About L.E. Sterling:

L.E. Sterling had an early obsession with sci-fi, fantasy and romance to which she remained faithful even through an M.A. in Creative Writing and a PhD in English Literature - where she completed a thesis on magical representation. She is the author of two previous novels, the cult hit Y/A novel The Originals (under pen name L.E. Vollick), dubbed “the Catcher in the Rye of a new generation” by one reviewer, and the urban fantasy Pluto’s Gate. Originally hailing from Parry Sound, Ontario, L.E. spent most of her summers roaming across Canada in a van with her father, a hippie musician, her brothers and an occasional stray mutt - inspiring her writing career. She currently lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Website |  Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

Review and Giveaway: True North (True Born Trilogy #2) by L.E. Sterling

Book info:

Title:  True North 
Author:    L.E. Sterling
Series:  True Born Trilogy #2  
Genre:  YA Fantasy/Science Fiction
Published:  April 4th, 2017
Source:  E-galley from publisher for honest review
My rating:  4 stars

If you haven't read the first book, you might want to go read my review of it, True Born, first, as there is no way I can keep from spoilers for it with my review of this second one in the series.   

Let me say that for some reason I had in my head that this was going to be the final book, even though everything obviously says "trilogy".  I am so glad it is not, though, because there are still so many unanswered questions, and I really need the romance between Lucy and Jared to finish the course that it is on, a bumpy, nail-biting slow course, but one I'm rooting for nonetheless.  

This book starts out with Lucy trying to help Nolan Storm, the leader of the True Borns, in exchange for his help in finding her twin sister Margot, who disappeared along with their parents, after they were attacked at a party at their house.  Still in the Dominion, Lucy is working with scientists to try to figure out what the huge tree that has shown up means.  Along with trying to stay safe from the preacher and other gangs on the street that will kill Lucy or even trade her into slavery if they get her hands on it.  She also has to go to parties with Storm and use her connection to the elite because of her family to help him get his agenda across.  She's lost her connection with Margot, and it seems that Storm keeps finding one reason after another for why he can't help her just yet.  

Finally Lucy decides to take matters into her own hands, and she sneaks out on her own to find Margot, to find her way to Russia with the help of a street vagrant named Alistair, who helped her out of a bind one day.    She has to slip past Jared, her personal bodyguard, and also who she can't seem to stop thinking about.  And while he seems to have the same feelings for her, he continues to push her away, insisting he can't, it's not right.  His continued refusal makes Lucy doubt how much of his behavior is real, and how much is a show to help Storm keep her in line and working for him.  

They will go on a trip, will run into so many other dangers, and learn that things are maybe worse than they'd thought, that the danger has spread further than anyone had guessed.  Now I am eager for book 3, to find out just how everything will wrap up, like I said, especially with Jared!

Synopsis:

Abandoned by her family in Plague-ridden Dominion City, eighteen-year-old Lucy Fox has no choice but to rely upon the kindness of the True Borns, a renegade group of genetically enhanced humans, to save her twin sister, Margot. But Nolan Storm, their mysterious leader, has his own agenda. When Storm backtracks on his promise to rescue Margot, Lucy takes her fate into her own hands and sets off for Russia with her True Born bodyguard and maybe-something-more, the lethal yet beautiful Jared Price. In Russia, there’s been whispered rumors of Plague Cure.

While Lucy fights her magnetic attraction to Jared, anxious that his loyalty to Storm will hurt her chances of finding her sister, they quickly discover that not all is as it appears…and discovering the secrets contained in the Fox sisters’ blood before they wind up dead is just the beginning.

As they say in Dominion, sometimes it’s not you…it’s your DNA.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29939097-true-north?ac=1&from_search=true

https://entangledpublishing.com/true-north.html

Read the first 6 chapters HERE: https://www.wattpad.com/389011096-true-north-chapter-one

About book #1:Title:  True Born 

Series:  True Born Trilogy #1

Author:  L.E. Sterling

Published: May 3rd, 2016

Published by: Entangled Teen

Genre: YA Fantasy/Science Fiction

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26114621-true-born

https://entangledpublishing.com/true-born.html

Welcome to Dominion City.

After the great Plague descended, the world population was decimated…and their genetics damaged beyond repair.

The Lasters wait hopelessly for their genes to self-destruct. The Splicers pay for expensive treatments that might prolong their life. The plague-resistant True Borns are as mysterious as they are feared…

And then there’s Lucy Fox and her identical twin sister, Margot. After endless tests, no one wants to reveal what they are.

When Margot disappears, a desperate Lucy has no choice but to put her faith in the True Borns, led by the charismatic Nolan Storm and the beautiful but deadly Jared Price. As Lucy and the True Borns set out to rescue her sister, they stumble upon a vast conspiracy stretching from Dominion’s street preachers to shady Russian tycoons. But why target the Fox sisters?

As they say in Dominion, it’s in the blood.

About the Author:

I was a voracious devotee of sci-fi and fantasy novels all through my childhood, so I suppose it doesn’t come as much of a shock that I’ve returned to the genre with a vengeance.

For a while I turned my back on the genre in favour of ‘high-brow’ literary texts. Ironically, it was my doctoral degree that saw me circling back. There’s something about the way postmodern literature plays with the arcane that had me utterly fascinated, and it wasn’t long until I fell headlong back into my old ways and haven’t looked back since.

My first novel, which isn’t in the Urban Fantasy or Fantasy genres, isn’t high literature, mind you, even if it tangles with some serious statements about politics and the way our western world runs. My editor described it as something between Charles Dickens and The Catcher in the Rye: Serious Fun, in other words.

My second novel, Pluto’s Gate, is where I’ve come home to myself: it’s a contemporary retelling of the Demeter-Persephone-Pluto story from Greek mythology. Folded into the mix is a Shaman-in-training, a magical book, Underworld Gods, a world covered in ice, a three-headed dog, and one lousy ex-boyfriend.

But I’ll tell you this much: I believe in the power of words and stories to transform our inner worlds. Whether the characters be vampires or vagabonds, a good narrative sucker punches so-called reality anyhow.

Website: http://www.le-sterling.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7121486.L_E_Sterling

Twitter: https://twitter.com/le_sterling

 

Giveaway:

• $20 Amazon Gift Card

Go HERE to enter.

Entangled Teen's Epic Fantasy Authors Explain Why They Love Epic Fantasy #giveaway

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Team Epic: Why I Love Epic Fantasy!

Erica Cameron - Island of Exiles (The Ryogan Chronicles, #1):

Why do I love epic fantasy? It's a blank slate. We can erase all of our preconceived notions of society and law and even science, throwing all of that over the side of a cliff. Epic fantasy lets us push humanity well past the breaking point with ever more impossible landscapes and situations. It lets us see what we could be if only we let ourselves get there. Plus, epic fantasy is, well, epic!

Book Description:

In Khya’s world, every breath is a battle. On the isolated desert island of Shiara, dying young is inevitable. The clan comes before self, and protecting her home means Khya is a warrior above all else.

But when following the clan and obeying their leaders could cost her brother his life, Khya’s home becomes a deadly trap. The only person who can help is Tessen, her lifelong rival and the boy who challenges her at every turn. The council she hoped to join has betrayed her, and their secrets, hundreds of years deep, reach around a world she’s never seen.

To save her brother’s life and her island home, her only choice is to trust Tessen, turn against her clan, and go on the run—a betrayal and a death sentence.

Buy Island of Exiles

 
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Amber Mitchell – Garden of Thorns:

When I read and write, it’s because I want to escape and nothing gets you farther from your troubles than the distant shores of entirely new worlds. Epic fantasy invites you onto its tropical beaches, into its lush jungles and through its exotic cityscapes, shaking out its uncharted map for you to explore. Every page brims with fantastic characters questing, battling men and extraordinary beasts alike with magic flowing from nimble fingertips and daring sword fights. The allure of entirely new cultures, the epic stakes, swoon-worthy romances, and the flowing dresses of epic fantasy will always have my heart.

Book Description:

After seven grueling years of captivity in the Garden—a burlesque troupe of slave girls—sixteen-year-old Rose finds an opportunity to escape during a performance for the emperor. But the hostage she randomly chose from the crowd to aid her isn't one of the emperor's men—not anymore. He's the former heir to the throne, who is now leading a rebellion against it.

Rayce is a wanted man and dangerously charismatic, the worst person for Rose to get involved with, no matter what his smile promises. But he assumes Rose's attempt to take him hostage is part of a plot to crush the rebellion, so he takes her as his hostage. Now Rose must prove where her loyalties lie, and she offers Rayce a deal—if he helps her rescue the other girls, she'll tell him all the Garden's secrets.

Except the one secret she's kept for seven years that she'll to take to her grave if she must.

Buy Garden of Thorns


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L.E. Sterling - True North (True Born, #2):

Don’t get me wrong -- #TeamUrban is great. I love time jumpers and magicians running around a book. They make you blink and question what you saw. But I prefer life in a funhouse mirror. Give me a goblin market. Give me a warrior queen with immortal blood. I want the snow queen’s glass shard to be embedded in my eye. I want to completely escape the bounds of reality -- not be shackled by them. I don't want to just question my perceptions -- I want to know I’m not in Kansas any longer.

Book Description:

Abandoned by her family in Plague-ridden Dominion City, eighteen-year-old Lucy Fox has no choice but to rely upon the kindness of the True Borns, a renegade group of genetically enhanced humans, to save her twin sister, Margot. But Nolan Storm, their mysterious leader, has his own agenda. When Storm backtracks on his promise to rescue Margot, Lucy takes her fate into her own hands and sets off for Russia with her True Born bodyguard and maybe-something-more, the lethal yet beautiful Jared Price. In Russia, there's been whispered rumors of Plague Cure.

While Lucy fights her magnetic attraction to Jared, anxious that his loyalty to Storm will hurt her chances of finding her sister, they quickly discover that not all is as it appears…and discovering the secrets contained in the Fox sisters' blood before they wind up dead is just the beginning.

As they say in Dominion, sometimes it’s not you…it’s your DNA.

My Review of book 1:  True Born

Buy True North       


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Nicole Luiken - In Truth & Ashes (Otherselves, #3):

First for the endlessly inventive magic. Second for the fascinating new worlds to explore. Third for the fantastic creatures that dwell there: dragons, gargoyles, demi-gods and phoenixes are just a few of the ones I've used.

Epic fantasy gives a writer a bigger canvas to paint. Instead of a city, a country or even worlds. Wars. Heroes. Villains. Destinies. Everything is bigger is epic fantasy. The stakes are higher, instead of a single group, the fate of a world can hang in the balance.

Book Description:

The Mirror Worlds are but dull reflections of the True World, where magic and technology blend together…

On the True World, Belinda Loring has known from childhood that she must Bond with the son of another noble First Family. Uniting the families ensures hers will hold onto its powerful position, and so she’s always pushed down the tender feelings she has for her best friend—gorgeous, steadfast Demian, who isn’t noble.

But when the ceremonial magic goes disastrously wrong, Belinda becomes a national disgrace. Scorned as Broken, she turns to Demian for help getting revenge on the man who ruined her: the radical Malachi.

But the seeds of Malachi’s murderous plans lie buried in Belinda’s past, in the dark days of her kidnapping—a period of which she has no memory. And Demian may hold the key to recovering all that she’s lost—and saving the worlds.

Buy In Truth & Ashes      


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Renee Collins - Relic:

Book Description:

After a raging fire consumes her town and kills her parents, Maggie Davis is on her own to protect her younger sister and survive best she can in the Colorado town of Burning Mesa. In Maggie’s world, the bones of long-extinct magical creatures such as dragons and sirens are mined and traded for their residual magical elements, and harnessing these relics’ powers allows the user to wield fire, turn invisible, or heal even the worst of injuries.

Working in a local saloon, Maggie befriends the spirited showgirl Adelaide and falls for the roguish cowboy Landon. But when she proves to have a particular skill at harnessing the relics’ powers, Maggie is whisked away to the glamorous hacienda of Álvar Castilla, the wealthy young relic baron who runs Burning Mesa. Though his intentions aren’t always clear, Álvar trains Maggie in the world of relic magic. But when the mysterious fires reappear in their neighboring towns, Maggie must discover who is channeling relic magic for evil before it’s too late.

Relic is a thrilling adventure set in a wholly unique world, and a spell-binding story of love, trust, and the power of good.

Buy Relic  



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Rebekah L. Purdy - The Summer Marked (The Winter People, #2):

Epic Fantasy is an escape from the “real world” and takes you to other lands, places you can only dream of, which is why I love it so much.  And there’s so much more opportunity to really explore new creatures and characters within these worlds. I mean, who doesn’t like the idea of stepping through a closet and finding a cool fantasy world? LOL.

I’m also a big fan of the epic battles (think Lord of the Rings or Throne of Glass). Girl with a sword=Awesome.

Book Description:

Fresh off a break-up with her boyfriend, Kadie’s glad to be home from college for Thanksgiving. All she needs is a rebound guy, a box of chocolates, and some girl time with her best friend, Salome. Problem is, Salome isn’t returning her calls, and her family won’t say where she is. Feeling sorry for herself, Kadie ends up at Club Blade, a place filled with pumping music, dangerous guys, and promises of a good time. However, when midnight strikes, Kadie’s fun turns into a nightmare as she’s ripped from the human world into Faerie by a vengeful Winter Prince named Etienne. For the first time in her life, she realizes the monsters Salome always spoke of are real, and they’ll stop at nothing to destroy her friend.

Salome thought the winter curse was behind her. But winter has left its mark. Not just on her, but on the whole summer court. The Kingdom of Summer is falling apart, and Nevin is hanging onto his throne by a thread. With war on his doorstep, he has no choice but to send Gareth into enemy territory, which means Salome will be left alone—vulnerable in a world she doesn’t understand. A place where beauty is deadly and humans are pawns in the macabre games the Fae play. Both Kadie and Salome will have to call on all their strength to survive in a world where humans aren’t meant to be. With death and enemies all around them, it’ll be a miracle if they can survive.

Buy The Summer Marked  



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Chloe Jacobs - Greta and the Goblin King (Mylena Chronicles, #1):

Book Description:

While trying to save her brother from a witch’s fire four years ago, Greta was thrown in herself, falling through a portal to Mylena, a dangerous world where humans are the enemy and every ogre, ghoul, and goblin has a dark side that comes out with the eclipse.

To survive, Greta has hidden her humanity and taken the job of bounty hunter—and she’s good at what she does. So good, she’s caught the attention of Mylena’s young goblin king, the darkly enticing Isaac, who invades her dreams and undermines her will to escape.

But Greta’s not the only one looking to get out of Mylena. An ancient evil knows she’s the key to opening the portal, and with the next eclipse mere days away, every bloodthirsty creature in the realm is after her—including Isaac. If Greta fails, she and the lost boys of Mylena will die. If she succeeds, no world will be safe from what follows her back…

Buy Greta and the Goblin King  

Giveaway:

The Grand Prize winner of the contest will receive the following:

• True Born (True Born Trilogy, #1) by L.E. Sterling

• Thief of Lies (Library Jumpers, #1) by Brenda Drake

• Spindle by Shonna Slayton

   a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have you read any of these?  Are any of them already on your TBR, or maybe you'll be adding them now?  Do you think you're on Team Urban or Team Epic?