Cover Reveal with Giveaway: Exordium by S.N. Jones

Today S. N. Jones, GenZ Publishing and Rockstar Book Tours are revealing the GORGEOUS cover for her YA Historical fantasy, EXORDIUM which will release in early 2020! Check out the awesome cover and enter the giveaway!

On to the reveal!

Book info:
Title: EXORDIUM (Tempus Book 1)

Author: S. N. Jones

Pub. Date: 2020

Publisher: GenZ Publishing

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 247

Find it: Goodreads, GenZ Publishing

Synopsis:
“Fall to rise higher.”

This is the motto of the clan Kongeorn. In their world of harsh battles and harsher winters our story begins.

Exordium is a historical fantasy novel that follows the story of Vita, who is thrust into a position of power and forced to deal with the aftermath of a family tragedy--and an act of war. Along the way, she must confront her own demons and learn that everyone is fighting their own war, their own obstacles. She must learn how to overcome them, to rise higher than ever before. Exordium and its author, S. N. Jones, were awarded with the 2018 National Civic Expression Award from the Scholastic Art and Writing Competition, funded by the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers.

One woman.

One name.

One forgotten legacy.

Excerpt:

"The forest seemed still, as if no creature dared to move or cry out in my presence. The trees remained static, their branches rigid and frozen in the cool night air. In the stillness, a burden began to weigh down upon me, cloaking me like the furs on my shoulders. It sobered me, taking my attention away from the visions and cynical thoughts, and plopped me right where I would stay. I could not hide from it, nor—I found—did I want to. My duty to my people, to my name, bore down on me, and I refused to shake it.”

About S.N.:

Proud author of Exordium, fantasy author, and lover of books!

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

• 1 winner will win a $10 Amazon GC, International.

• Giveaway ends December 27th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Romanov by Nadine Brandes

Book info:

Title:  Romanov
Author:  Nadine Brandes
Genre:  YA Historical Fantasy Retelling
Release Date:  May 7th, 2019
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Source:  ARC received from publisher for review which did not influence my opinion
My rating:  5 stars

Synopsis:
The history books say I died.

They don’t know the half of it.

Anastasia “Nastya” Romanov was given a single mission: to smuggle an ancient spell into her suitcase on her way to exile in Siberia. It might be her family’s only salvation. But the leader of the Bolshevik army is after them . . . and he’s hunted Romanov before.

Nastya’s only chances of survival are to either release the spell, and deal with the consequences, or enlist help from Zash, the handsome soldier who doesn’t act like the average Bolshevik. Nastya’s never dabbled in magic before, but it doesn’t frighten her as much as her growing attraction for Zash. She likes him. She thinks he might even like her . . .

That is, until she’s on one side of a firing squad . . . and he’s on the other.

My Review:
Anastasia's story is one I never knew a lot about, but had always heard little things here and there and always have been interested in reading or learning more about.  So when I heard about this book from the author of Fawkes, I was extremely interested in reading it.  Let me tell you what, it did not disappoint!  I was hooked from the moment I picked this one up, and like the other good historical retellings I've read in the past, it made me want to pick up nonfiction books and do research into the actual family and times that this involved.  It is nice that the author put even a little helpful extra in the back with what were the true known facts of this story, and how she added or changed to fit her own telling of the story.  There was a lot of emotion, seeing how the family was treated, yet how they seemed to treat those around them made a lot of what was done to them very uncalled for.  And then, just when things started to seem kind of like they had an ally or two, horrible things happened, things that I had tears myself!  Then there was Zash.  You wanted to love him, but had to be upset with him because of how he seemed to not ever get past his preconceived notions. But then he did, and in the end, well, I won't spoil anything.  But wow!  So much at the end of this when it really evolved into the fantastical bit of the story.  Of course there was magic interspersed throughout the story, but the final part was where it all really came into play.

I loved the way the Russian nesting doll, otherwise known as a matryoshka doll was used in the story.  It made me want to go open up the one my sister brought me back as a souvenir from her trip to Russia a few years ago just to check it out.  I look forward to putting this book in my library at school as well, and sharing it with students as they study Russia and its history.  

Blog Tour Review with Giveaway: Courting Darkness by Robin LaFevers

Book info:

Title:  Courting Darkness
Author:  Robin LaFevers
Series:  Courting Darkness duology #1 (sequel to His Fair Assassin trilogy)
Genre: YA historical fantasy
Release Date:  February 5th, 2019
Publisher:  HMH Books for Young Readers
Source:  ARC received from publisher which did not influence my opinion
My rating:  5 stars

Synopsis:
Death wasn’t the end, it was only the beginning…

Sybella has always been the darkest of Death’s daughters, trained at the convent of Saint Mortain to serve as his justice. But she has a new mission now. In a desperate bid to keep her two youngest sisters safe from the family that nearly destroyed them all, she agrees to accompany the duchess to France, where they quickly find themselves surrounded by enemies. Their one ray of hope is Sybella’s fellow novitiates, disguised and hidden deep in the French court years ago by the convent—provided Sybella can find them.

Genevieve has been undercover for so many years, she struggles to remember who she is or what she’s supposed to be fighting for. Her only solace is a hidden prisoner who appears all but forgotten by his guards. When tragedy strikes, she has no choice but to take matters into her own hands—even if it means ignoring the long awaited orders from the convent.

As Sybella and Gen’s paths draw ever closer, the fate of everything they hold sacred rests on a knife’s edge. Will they find each other in time, or will their worlds collide, destroying everything they care about?

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Audible, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, TBD

See where it all began! Grab the His Fair Assassin Trilogy now! You don’t need to read these to read Courting Darkness but they’re amazing!

Grave Mercy- Amazon, Audible, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, TBD,   My Review

Dark Triumph- Amazon, Audible, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, TBD,  My Review

Mortal Heart- Amazon, Audible, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, TBD,   My Review

My Review:
Delving back into the world of the assassins of Saint Mortain was something I'd been looking forward to ever since I heard about this book.  I was worried I'd be unsure of who was who, but it wasn't hard to join with the characters at the stage they were in.  Truly, Sybella had been my favorite, even if her book wasn't my favorite.  The other main character in this book, Genevieve, took me a little bit to come around to. But once I did, I was rooting for her, and hoping that she could have a romance herself, with Maraud, the prisoner she'd rescued from the dungeon, even if the rescue was only to serve her own purposes.  Now when something happened in the book, I kind of assumed it was going to be the prisoner, I won't say what happened, so maybe you won't expect what I did.  So when we did find out who he was, well, all the little puzzle pieces started to fall into place.

The author is great about keeping certain details from coming out until moments that will have the reader gasping in surprise!  The other thing I love is all the history that is interwoven throughout the plot.  The author has a note at the end that does clear up what is actually true and what she had to adjust and tweak to fit her story.  Not only is there an afterward talking about the history of the story, but there is a letter at the beginning to the readers, talking about what motivated her to write further in this world.  It was a touching note, with some deep topics and worth reading. 

The ending of the book left me on the edge of my seat, satisfied with this reunion of some of my favorite characters, but sad that I'll be waiting until 2020 to see what will happen with where we left off.



About the Author:

Robin LaFevers was raised on a steady diet of fairy tales, Bulfinch’s mythology, and 19th century poetry. It is not surprising she grew up to be a hopeless romantic.

Though she has never trained as an assassin or joined a convent, she did attend Catholic school for three years, which instilled in her a deep fascination with sacred rituals and the concept of the Divine. She has been on a search for answers to life’s mysteries ever since.

While many of those answers still elude her, she was lucky enough to find her one true love, and is living happily ever after with him in the foothills of southern California.

In addition to writing about teen assassin nuns in medieval Brittany, she writes books for middle grade readers, including the Theodosia books and the Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist series. You can learn more about those books at www.rllafevers.com.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Tumblr | Goodreads


Giveaway:

• 20 winners will receive His Fair Assassin character card sets, US Only.

   a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

1/21/2018- The Pages In-Between- Review

1/22/2018- Fiction Fare- Review

1/23/2018- YA Books Central- Excerpt

1/24/2018- Two Chicks on Books- Excerpt

1/25/2018- Tales of the Ravenous Reader- Review

Week Two:

1/28/2019- Colorimetry- Review

1/29/2019- Here's to Happy Endings- Review

1/30/2019- A Gingerly Review- Review

1/31/2019- Moonlight Rendezvous- Review

2/1/2019- Novel Novice- Excerpt

Week Three:

2/4/2019- Lisa Loves Literature- Review

2/5/2019- Flyleaf Chronicles- Review

2/6/2019- Smada's Book Smack- Review

2/7/2019- A Backwards Story- Review

2/8/2019- Jena Brown Writes- Review

Week Four:

2/11/2019- Nerdophiles- Review

2/12/2019- Book-Keeping- Review

2/13/2019- Eli to the nth- Review

2/14/2019- Do You Dog-ear?- Review

2/15/2019- Book Briefs- Review

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Blog Tour Review with Giveaway: Fawkes by Nadine Brandes

Book info:

Title:  Fawkes
Author:  Nadine Brandes
Genre:  YA historical fiction/fantasy
Publisher:  Thomas Nelson
Release Date:  July 10th, 2018
Source: Purchased physical copy of book
My rating:  4 stars

Synopsis:

Thomas Fawkes is turning to stone, and the only cure to the Stone Plague is to join his father’s plot to assassinate the king of England.

Silent wars leave the most carnage. The wars that are never declared, but are carried out in dark alleys with masks and hidden knives. Wars where color power alters the natural rhythm of 17th century London. And when the king calls for peace, no one listens until he finally calls for death.

But what if death finds him first?

Keepers think the Igniters caused the plague. Igniters think the Keepers did. But all Thomas knows is that the Stone Plague infecting his eye is spreading. And if he doesn’t do something soon, he’ll be a lifeless statue. So when his Keeper father, Guy Fawkes, invites him to join the Gunpowder Plot—claiming it will put an end to the plague—Thomas is in.

The plan: use 36 barrels of gunpowder to blow up the Igniter King.

The problem: Doing so will destroy the family of the girl Thomas loves. But backing out of the plot will send his father and the other plotters to the gallows. To save one, Thomas will lose the other.

No matter Thomas’s choice, one thing is clear: once the decision is made and the color masks have been put on, there’s no turning back.

BOOK LINKS

•      Goodreads
•      Amazon
•      Barnes & Noble
•      Book Depository
•      Kobo
•      IndieBound

• iBooks

My Review:
I had been hearing about this book around the blogosphere all summer, and noticed when it showed up on the shelves in the bookstore where I work. Then one night as I was working, the author showed up in my store to see her books on the shelves, as well as maybe autograph them for us.  It was so cool to meet her, and of course since she was there, I had to buy a book right away to get autographed.  It was a couple weeks after that before I was able to finally pick it up and read it, but it was definitely one that grabbed me from the get-go, and was a wonderfully unique and creative rewriting of a historical time and figure.  The author kept me on my toes throughout most of the book with not knowing if Thomas was on the right side in working with his father and the Keepers, or if the Igniters, the ones who wanted people to be able to open up to the White Light when it spoke to them, were the ones we should be rooting for.  With the fact that Martin Luther was mentioned in the story, and that I grew up in a Lutheran church school, when he was mentioned, I immediately was pretty sure which side I needed to be rooting for, no matter what that did to my views of the characters as they were and as they related to Thomas.  

This is the kind of story that always weaves just enough historical details within, without just being the actual history you might read in a textbook, and having obvious changes - magical light and masks, duh - that makes me want to learn more about the time period and people features in the story. Because while I'd heard of Guy Fawkes, I was immediately more interested in learning about his true contribution and involvement in that time period.  I loved that the author touched on the history and how she took her own liberties for her story with it in the end section of the book.  I can say that this is now an author I look forward to reading more from, and that she will be on my radar for future books.

About the Author:

Nadine Brandes once spent four days as a sea cook in the name of book research. She is the author of the award-winning Out of Time Series and her inner fangirl perks up at the mention of soul-talk, Quidditch, bookstagram, and Oreos. When she's not busy writing novels about bold living, she's adventuring through Middle Earth or taste-testing a new chai. She and her Auror husband plan to live in a Tiny House on wheels. Current mission: paint the world in shalom.

Website -  Goodreads - Twitter - Instagram - Facebook

Giveaway:

•      Prize: 1 copy of FAWKES by Nadine Brandes

•      INT!!!

•      Starts: 8/19

•      Ends:  9/6

   
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Check out the rest of the tour HERE. 

Three YA Mini-Reviews: Contemporary Romance, Science Fiction, and Historical Fantasy

You guys, I was ahead.  And now, I'm way behind!  So prepare for some catching up with mini-reviews.  Even after I post these three, I still have three more waiting on deck for a review post.  One of which I have been putting off for 3 months because I intended to read my ARC of the sequel before it came out last month and post a review of both of them at the same time.  Don't know if that's going to happen.  I enjoyed all three of these books.  One was an ARC I received without requesting, and almost passed it on through books for trade.  I'm glad I didn't, though, because I really ended up enjoying it.

After the Game (The Field Party #3) by Abbi Glines:

Genre:  YA contemporary romance
Published:  August 22nd, 2017
Source:  Purchased audiobook from Audible.com
My rating:  5 stars

I listened to this one on my road trip to meet my family for our annual trip to Branson on Memorial Day weekend.  While it does tie in to the other books in the series, all of these do really work well as standalones.  But because I had read/listened to the other two in the series, I knew Brady.  And I have to say that I was sad he was so mean to Riley. But, like the good guy that Brady is, he soon figured out that maybe what he thought he knew was wrong, and that maybe Riley had been given a raw deal by their small town, even including his own rudeness to her.  This story was a tear-jerker for reasons other than just Riley's dealing with what had happened to her that led to her being a single mom, as well as taking care of her grandmother with Alzheimer's.  Brady is at a point where he has always known or thought that he knew that football would be his life.  And sometimes things happen during your senior year that make you question what you thought you knew.  That happens to Brady.  Enough that I was crying for him.  I hated how hard it hit him, but for someone who had grown up with basically the perfect life and family, I guess it makes sense he'd have that hard of a time with it.  Then, after having listened to the 2nd book, I had a feeling that Gunner's thoughts on Riley might not be the same as everyone assumed they would be.  Brady's cousin Maggie, was the perfect friend for Riley, and I kept waiting for that to happen, and when it did, I was thrilled.  Another great book in this series, and I don't know if there will be more, but there were more guys on that football team I'd like to follow.  Maybe into a college age/new adult series?

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
Two years ago, Riley Young fled from Lawton, Alabama. After accusing the oldest Lawton son, Rhett, of rape, everyone called her a liar and she had no option but to leave. Now she’s back, but she’s not at Lawton High finishing up her senior year. She’s at home raising the little girl that no one believed was Rhett’s.

Rhett is off at college living the life he was afraid he’d lose with Riley’s accusation, so Riley agrees to move back to Lawton so she and her parents could take care of her grandmother, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s. But the town still hasn’t forgotten their hate for her, and she hasn’t forgotten the way they turned on her when she needed them most.

When town golden boy Brady Higgens finds Riley and her daughter, Bryony, stranded on the side of the road in a storm, he pulls over and gives them a ride. Not because he cares about Riley, of course, but because of the kid.

But after the simple car ride, he begins to question everything he thought he knew. Could Brady believe Riley and risk losing everything?

Whisper by Lynette Noni:

Genre:  YA science fiction
Publisher:  KCP Loft
Release Date: May 1st, 2018
Source:  ARC received from publisher which did not influence my opinion
My rating:  4.5 stars

The beginning of this book reminded me a bit of Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi.  In a good way.  You had this girl locked up alone, and she was being tested and treated as if she was really dangerous.  The book takes place in Australia, which was a nice change.  The characters were all pretty good.  And the author totally made some of them change into different ways of behaving once "Jane" starts to realize, sort of, what is going on.  It made for some tears from me anyway!  The end had an extremely exciting scene, lots of action and edge of your seat wondering  how and who would getaway.  I haven't read a ton of books like this lately, but for awhile it was what I loved, so I did enjoy getting another story like this.  I look forward to reading book two hopefully next year.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
“Lengard is a secret government facility for extraordinary people,” they told me. 

I believed them. That was my mistake.

There isn’t anyone else in the world like me.

I’m different. I’m an anomaly. I’m a monster. 

For two years, six months, fourteen days, eleven hours and sixteen minutes, Subject Six-Eight-Four — ‘Jane Doe’ — has been locked away and experimented on, without uttering a single word.

As Jane’s resolve begins to crack under the influence of her new — and unexpectedly kind — evaluator, she uncovers the truth about Lengard’s mysterious ‘program’, discovering that her own secret is at the heart of a sinister plot … and one wrong move, one wrong word, could change the world.

Reign of Serpents (Blood of Gods and Royals #3) by Eleanor Herman:

Genre:  YA historical fantasy
Published:  June 27th, 2017
Source:  Purchased physical copy
My rating:  5 stars

I love this series.  I was so disappointed that they didn't at least have any physical ARCs of this third book, especially when it turned out there is fourth book, that came out this year!  So I gave in finally, and purchased the paperback copy so that I could try to read it before the 4th book came out, and I could read that e-galley.  Well, paperback matches the first two ARCs.  However, since I finished this while I was in New Orleans for ALA, I put it in the extra duffel bag I bought to help transfer all my books home on the plane.  Unfortunately, that bag got caught out in the rain at the airport I guess, because when I got home and grabbed it from the luggage carousel, it was all wet, the whole bag.  And so my paperback is in pretty bad shape.  I'll probably buy another copy of it.  I want it in halfway decent shape on my shelf.  

Enough about that, more review of the actual book.  As I mentioned, I love this series.  You can read my reviews of the first two books here:  Legacy of Kings and Empire of Dust.  Now, it had been about 2 years since I'd read the 2nd one, but really, I got caught up pretty quickly with the way the author writes each chapter.  Each chapter is from a different character's viewpoint, and we do get several characters to follow. But by now, you can tell who is who pretty easily.  Once again the author so seamlessly wove history throughout this magical fantasy of a story that I was putting the book down every once in awhile as I was reading so that I could Google a specific historical name to find out just what they might really have been through or done.  At least as far as records show.  Even things that were changed were done in such a way that it didn't change the overall historical facts or knowledge in any major way.  In a way we got a couple new characters' viewpoints this time, but again, the author makes sure they are written in a way you know it is a different person.

This is another series I will always highly recommend.  Now to find time to fit the e-galley of book 4 in before it possibly expires!  If it does, I'll just buy it next year when it comes out in paperback I guess!

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

A PRINCE WILL RISE TO POWER OR MADNESS,

A PRINCESS WILL BECOME A QUEEN...

AND BLOOD MAGIC WILL RULE THEM ALL

Prince Alexander of Macedon’s mind has been touched by an incomprehensible evil, even as his betrothed travels from afar to unite their kingdoms against a terrible darkness that threatens both realms: the Spirit Eaters.

From the distant shores of Illyria to a small deserted island, the deadly consequences of Smoke Blood magic loom and lost civilizations emerge to reveal the existence of a weapon that may do the impossible—kill the last living god. As magic rises and warriors clash, the fate of all Macedon rests in the hands of the unstable prince and those whose loyalty can no longer be trusted.