[Review] Willa of the Wood by Robert Beatty

Series: Willa of the Wood #1

Release Date: 10 July, 2018

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Genre: Juvenile Fiction/Middle Grade (4-6)/Fantasy/Historical Fiction/Appalachia/Action & Adventure/Mysteries

ISBN: 9781368005845

Edition: Advanced Reader Copy Ebook, Hardback

Rating: ★★★★★

Review Written: 14 July, 2018

Summary:Escape into the story of a brave and unusual girl brimming with the ancient powers of the forest. From Robert Beatty, the author of the #1 New York Times best-selling Serafina books, comes a thrilling new series filled with the history, mystery, and magic of the Great Smoky Mountains. Kirkus Reviews described WILLA OF THE WOOD as "A moving, atmospheric journey of hope."

Move without a sound. Steal without a trace.

Willa, a young night-spirit, is her clan's best thief. She creeps into the cabins of the day-folk under cover of darkness and takes what they won't miss. It's dangerous work--the day-folk kill whatever they don't understand--but Willa will do anything to win the approval of the padaran, the charismatic leader of the Faeran people.

When Willa's curiosity leaves her hurt and stranded in the day-folk world, she calls upon the old powers of her beloved grandmother, and the unbreakable bonds of her forest allies, to escape. Only then does she begin to discover the shocking truth: that not all of her day-folk enemies are the same, and that the foundations of her own Faeran society are crumbling. What do you do when you realize that the society you were born and raised in is rife with evil? Do you raise your voice? Do you stand up against it?

As forces of unfathomable destruction encroach on her forest home, Willa must decide who she truly is, facing deadly force with warmest compassion, sinister corruption with trusted alliance, and finding a home for her longing heart.

See more by Robert Beatty at his Website.

[Review] The Tiger's Daughter by K. Arsenault Rivera

Series: Their Bright Ascendency #1

Release Date: 3 October, 2017

Publisher: Tor Books

Genre: Fantasy/LGBT/Asian Fantasy?

ISBN: 9780765392534

Edition: Advanced Reader Copy

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Review Written: 28 October, 2017

Summary: Even gods can be slain…. The Hokkaran empire has conquered every land within their bold reach―but failed to notice a lurking darkness festering within the people. Now, their border walls begin to crumble, and villages fall to demons swarming out of the forests. Away on the silver steppes, the remaining tribes of nomadic Qorin retreat and protect their own, having bartered a treaty with the empire, exchanging inheritance through the dynasties. It is up to two young warriors, raised together across borders since their prophesied birth, to save the world from the encroaching demons. This is the story of an infamous Qorin warrior, Barsalayaa Shefali, a spoiled divine warrior empress, O-Shizuka, and a power that can reach through time and space to save a land from a truly insidious evil.

See more at Ms. Rivera's Website.

[Review] The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding by Alexandra Bracken

Series: The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding #1

Release Date: 5 September, 2017

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion 

Genre: Middle Grade/Supernatural/Witches

ISBN: 9781484778173

Edition: ARC E-Book

Rating: ★★★★★

Review Written: 1 September, 2017
Summary:“I would say it’s a pleasure to meet thee, Prosperity Oceanus Redding, but truly, I only anticipate the delights of destroying thy happiness….”

Prosper is the only unexceptional Redding in his old and storied family history—that is, until he discovers the demon living inside him. Turns out Prosper’s great-great-great-great-great-something grandfather made—and then broke—a contract with a malefactor, a demon who exchanges fortune for eternal servitude. And, weirdly enough, eight-hundred-year-old Alastor isn’t exactly the forgiving type.

The fiend has reawakened with one purpose–to destroy the family whose success he ensured and who then betrayed him.  With only days to break the curse and banish Alastor back to the demon realm, Prosper is playing unwilling host to the fiend, who delights in tormenting him with nasty insults and constant attempts to trick him into a contract. Yeah, Prosper will take his afterlife without a side of eternal servitude, thanks. But with the help of his long-lost uncle, Barnabas, and his daughter, Nell, a witch-in-training, it seems like Prosper has at least a fighting chance of ridding himself of Alastor before the demon escapes and wreaks havoc on his family

Little does Prosper know, the malefactor’s control over his body grows stronger with each passing night and there’s a lot Alastor isn’t telling his dim-witted (but admittedly strong-willed) human host…

See more at Disney Press's website.

Book Tour Review: Sacrifice by Gwendolyn Beynon

READ AN EXCERPT.

528 A.D. Cymru (Wales)

Melangell is a ‘Lifebringer’, a dragon-maiden learning to protect one of the land’s most ancient mysteries, y Ddraig. She expects to pass her years as have a score of teachers before her—sequestered, safeguarding an egg that barely moves from year to year, never using the deadly and secret skills she has been taught. But the King’s relentless pursuit of this most holy relic throws her into the middle of war and though she is not yet adept Melangell must enter captivity with the egg to defend the sleeping dragonling within.

Her abductor is Cai ap Cynyr—fierce warrior, loyal brother and sword-arm to the high Chieftain, Artwr. He has been scouring the land for the relics Artwr demands to ensure triumph against the Angles invading from the east. Cai uses the Lifebringer’s mystique to master his armsmen, but when he spirits Melangell and the dragon egg further into seclusion, she grows intrigued by her captor. But she is a Lifebringer—sworn only to y Ddraig—and Cai must deliver the dragonling to Artwr to at last drag himself out of his legendary brother’s deep shadow.

And all the while, the egg readies itself to emerge…

*Sacrifice is the first in a series of three books based around y Ddraig (the Dragon) set in sixth-century Arthurian Wales, featuring characters based on Welsh myth, literature and/or history.

AMAZON PB | KINDLE | NOOK | CREATESPACE | ITUNES

Book Trailer Link: https://youtu.be/ZGzg8hebIZg

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Australian author, Gwendolyn Beynon, comes from a long line of storytellers of Welsh and Cornish stock. She grew up reading romance and fantasy novels but the y Ddraig series is her first foray into historical fantasy.

The idea for the y Ddraig series came while on a pilgrimage to Wales (the land of her fathers) where she was visiting holy wells and ancient yew trees. She grew captivated with the way that the ancient stories of Welsh literature, myth and history still co-existed comfortably in contemporary Cymru, and by the atmosphere of mystery that still exists around much of Wales’ natural spaces.

An Arts graduate from Curtin University (with double-majors in Film and Theatre), Gwen has worked in communications all her life. She sold her first book in 2008 and has been writing for a living with her hounds at her feet and Celtic music as a backdrop ever since.

For more information visit www.yDdraig.com.au. Follow Gwendolyn on Facebook and Goodreads.

Book Tour Review: Obsidian Eyes by A. W. Exley

GoodReads Summary:

1836, a world of light and dark, noble and guild. The two spheres intersect when seventeen-year-old Allie Donovan is placed at the aristocratic St Matthews Academy. More at ease with a blade than a needle, she finds herself ostracised by the girls and stalked by a Scottish lord intent on learning why she is among them.

She begins to suspect the underlying reasons when soldiers arrive to see her friend, Zeb, a mechanical genius. On the hunt for answers she breaks into his underground laboratory. There, Allie discovers he is not just constructing sentient mechanical creatures, he is building a devastating new weapon for the military.

The guilds want the weapon and Allie is trapped by ties of blood. She must obey the overlord of the guild and deliver up her friend, unless she can rely on bonds of friendship, to save both their lives.

About the Author:

Books and writing have always been an enormous part of Anita’s life. She survived school by hiding out in the library, with several thousand fictional characters for company. At university, she overcame the boredom of studying accountancy by squeezing in Egyptology papers and learning to read hieroglyphics.

Today, Anita writes steampunk novels with a sexy edge and an Egyptian twist. She lives in rural New Zealand surrounded by an assortment of weird and wonderful equines, felines, canine and homicidal chickens.


Author Links:
http://www.awexley.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6585392.A_W_Exley

https://www.facebook.com/AWExley

https://twitter.com/AWExley

Review:

Series: N/A

Release Date: 24 March, 2014

Publisher:  Curiosity Quills

Purchase: Amazon, B&N

ISBN: 9781620075036

Edition: Ebook

Rating: ★★★★☆

Review Written: 18 March, 2014

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Book Tour Review: Broken Skies (Broken Skies #1) by Theresa Kay

Goodreads Summary:

Thirty years ago, there was the Collapse. A massive war fought with biological weapons and followed by plague. Almost everyone died. 

Ten years ago, the aliens showed up. They made one of our cities their own and that's where they stay, for the most part anyway.

One year ago, I killed two men and went a little crazy.

Today, the aliens took my brother and I will do whatever it takes to get him back even if it means partnering up with the enemy, an alien boy who makes me think things I shouldn't and makes me feel things I don’t understand.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

The only person she knows who had a subscription to Writer's Digest at eleven and was always excited to write research papers, Theresa has been putting words to paper since a young age. She writes predominantly in the sci-fi and urban fantasy genres. Residing in central Virginia, she juggles two kids, a husband and a full-time job in addition to her writing and in her free time she reads almost anything she can get her hands on.

http://www.theresakay.com/ | facebook.com/TheresaKayAuthor 

Review:

Series: Broken Skies #1

Release Date: March 2014

Publisher: Self-Published

Purchase: N/A

Edition: ebook

Rating: ★★★★☆

Review Written: 6 February, 2014

Review: Countdown by Michelle Rowen

 

Goodreads Summary: 3 seconds left to live.

Once the countdown starts, it cannot be stopped.

2 pawns thrown into a brutal underground reality game.

Kira Jordan survived her family's murder and months on plague-devastated city streets with hard-won savvy and a low-level psi ability. She figures she can handle anything. Until she wakes up in a barren room, chained next to the notorious Rogan Ellis.

1 reason Kira will never, ever trust Rogan. Even though both their lives depend on it.

Their every move is controlled and televised for a vicious exclusive audience. And as Kira's psi skill unexpectedly grows and Rogan's secrets prove ever more deadly, Kira's only chance of survival is to risk trusting him as much as her instincts. Even if that means running head-on into the one trap she can't escape.

GAME 0VER

Review:
Received as an Advanced Reader Copy from Netgalley.com. 
Rating: ★★★☆☆

This was a book that intrigued me with just it's summary while I was browsing on Netgalley. It was a good story, the idea of it an interesting one. Underground digital feeds for the wealthy in a ruined world. Criminals battling it out to the death. A romance that blooms at the most inopportune time. All things that I think could potentially bring a good book, however there were details in the book that threw me off a bit.

Kira really annoyed me. If she wasn't completely reminiscing over her parents and sister's murder (I know it's a difficult thing to get over and one she'll live with the rest of her life, however I don't need to be reminded of it every single chapter of the book), she was fawning over Rogan and his devilishly good looks. A good twenty percent of this book could be cut out between those two things alone. That said, Kira does have her moments where she does add to the plot trying to get further through the games to survive. 

The book does have it's high moments, the chapters about the different levels of the game were definitely engaging and left me wanting to know more. But there are some things that aren't explained. Such as how they pick contestants now. Some of them are murderers or juvenile delinquents who are looking for a clean record. Rowen fails to explain how people like Kira, low level thieves and the like, are actually chosen. Kira receives the explanation that because she picked the wrong person's pocket, she found herself in the game. However, it's never explained if others like her have been in the game or how they were chosen. 

There were a few inconsistencies in the grammar and spelling of words. Sometimes Rogan's name was spelled with an 'a', but there were times when the name seemed to be spelled with an 'e'. Sometimes words would have strange spaces between letters such as 'f lowers' or 'd ance'. It was a bit disorienting, but nothing that should stop you from at least picking up the book and giving it a chance.