tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78266526280967407772024-02-05T05:27:20.800-05:00Morrighan's Book ReviewsSpoiler free book reviews of the latest in fantasy and science fiction. Morrighan Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193814798037790366noreply@blogger.comBlogger152125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826652628096740777.post-66614165963955319912018-09-06T09:00:00.000-04:002018-09-06T09:00:00.549-04:00ARC Review: Mirage by Somaiya Daud<img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1521643356l/32768520.jpg" alt="fantasy book review" class="alignnone" style="border-color:white;float:left;margin-bottom:0px;margin-right:5px;" alt="fantasy book review" width="200px"><b>Mirage</b><br>
By Somaiya Daud<br>
Mirage #1 <br>
ARC: 308 pages<br>
Flatiron Books<br>
August 28, 2018<br>
Categories: Science Fiction, Ya, Fantasy<br>
| <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32768520-mirage">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/3?book_id=32768520&source=dropdown">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/3?book_id=34221193&source=dropdown">Barnes & Noble</a> |<br>
| <a href="https://www.instagram.com/somaiiiya/">@Somaiiya 📷 </a> | <a href="http://somaiyabooks.com/"> Official Site</a> | <a href="http://www.twitter.com/somiayadaud">Twitter</a> |<p>
<strong>My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ |5/5|</strong><br>
<strong>Spoiler-free review below</strong><br>
<img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/line.png" width="350px"><br>
<blockquote>
In a star system dominated by the brutal Vathek empire, eighteen-year-old Amani is a dreamer. She dreams of what life was like before the occupation; she dreams of writing poetry like the old-world poems she adores; she dreams of receiving a sign from Dihya that one day, she, too, will have adventure, and travel beyond her isolated moon.
<p>
But when adventure comes for Amani, it is not what she expects: she is kidnapped by the regime and taken in secret to the royal palace, where she discovers that she is nearly identical to the cruel half-Vathek Princess Maram. The princess is so hated by her conquered people that she requires a body double, someone to appear in public as Maram, ready to die in her place.
<p>
As Amani is forced into her new role, she can’t help but enjoy the palace’s beauty—and her time with the princess’ fiancé, Idris. But the glitter of the royal court belies a world of violence and fear. If Amani ever wishes to see her family again, she must play the princess to perfection...because one wrong move could lead to her death.
</blockquote>
<img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/line.png" width="650px"><br>
<i>Mirage</i> was such a fun, fast-paced read for me; I finished it in less than 24 hours! It is a tale rich with Moroccan cultural influences, and the world building is fantastic. I loved the abundance of history and political conflict that was included throughout the story, not to mention the sci-fi vibes!
<img src="http://31.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mb9185FJF71r76lino1_250.gif" style="border-color:white;float:left;margin-bottom:0px;margin-right:5px;" alt="fantasy book review" width="300px">I find that most books full of world-building are short on action, yet that was not the case with <i>Mirage</i>. The pacing flowed perfectly, and I always found a reason to read <i>"one more chapter"</i>! As a book nerd, I'm sure you understand what I mean when I say this. You finally turn to the clock and it is somehow 3am and you have no idea how you manged to keep your eyes open for so long. The need to know what happened next was strong in this story!<p>
Amani is a strong female protagonist, my favorite kind. I have had an obsession with these fierce female leads as of late, and Amani did not disappoint. Her drive to protect her family and loved ones is stronger than her fear of her oppressors. She is born and raised a farm-girl on the moon of a distant planet, taken over by a violent race of peoples called the Vath. After the initial invasion and subsequent take-over, everything in her life changed. From surveillance to raids, these superior creatures controlled every aspect of lives in her small village. On the day of Amani's coming of age ceremony, the Vath kidnap her and take her to the capital city where the royals reside. Ziyaana is a city where you can trust no one, especially the royals. She is introduced to Princess Maram and finally realizes why she has been taken from her home. She looks exactly like the Princess. Amani is trained to become Maram's body double, as the Princess is always in danger of assassination. Amani is to replace her at gatherings that involve the public, basically risking her life for someone she despises. If that isn't bad enough, the Vath threaten the lives of her family if she doesn't comply with their demands.<P> <img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLB1fhxEsBTaz811-3UNB2a3M2fuCpEk7n1GqeEqjWxghURyDozxwWltKqiqmHyW-Me-djYffn5RQY1EnK_iFUeYILACNatHWP19-AMbn477GYMWZXh7t0ua3kdMWHOii_C7az1dfoSvA/s320/mirage.jpg" style="border-color:white;float:right;margin-bottom:0px;margin-right:5px;" alt="fantasy book review" width="300px">
Princess Maram is introduced as a vapid, hateful girl and the reader immediately despises her. I enjoyed her character growth throughout the story though, and found myself almost liking her by the end. <i>Almost.</i> I definitely enjoyed learning more of her back story and why she acts the way that she does. The hatred of her from both sides of her family is sad, and I felt pity for her more times than I care to admit. Maram is engaged to a young native prince named Idris, and his character is important to the story as well. I fell easily in love with him and his open-minded views on politics. Regardless of being forced into an engagement with the enemy, his hope for a better world outweighs his oppression. I enjoyed the inner conflicts of all of the main characters! <p>
All in all, there was nothing about this book that I didn't like. I despised the villains of the story as the reader should, I loved the heroes, and the world was so rich in culture and political intrigue that I couldn't help turning the page over and over again. I highly recommend adding this one to your tbr! <p>
Morrighan <3Morrighan Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193814798037790366noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826652628096740777.post-27869790681580617152018-09-03T11:09:00.002-04:002018-09-03T11:09:44.553-04:00ARC Review: The Darkest Star by Jennifer Armentrout<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhchAVsPuf6QkLJloDmUanZsuZo4ucMfGRHW-qczuTnw9hl9IKg1eZh54N0fwvAwYvndAyJ6STNxgn0DPAeoBWl4NeqehU9TG05YVLQ0e90i-ItkE2UDNuMD9lFwkglej7VGtpWjeLEpLs/s1600/tds.jpg" alt="fantasy book review" class="alignnone" style="border-color:white;float:left;margin-bottom:5px;margin-right:5px;" alt="fantasy book review" width="200px"><b>The The Darkest Star</b><br>
By Jennifer Armentrout<br>
Origin #1 <br>
ARC: 366 pages<br>
Tor Teen<br>
October 30, 2018<br>
Categories: Science Fiction, Romance, YA<br>
| <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34221193-the-darkest-star">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/3?book_id=34221193&source=dropdown">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/3?book_id=34221193&source=dropdown">Barnes & Noble</a> |<br>
| <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_l_armentrout/">@JLA 📷 </a> | <a href="hhttp://www.jenniferarmentrout.com/"> Official Site</a> | <a href="http://www.twitter.com/jlarmentrout">Twitter</a> |<p>
<strong>My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ |5/5|</strong><br>
<strong>Spoiler-free review below</strong><br>
<img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/line.png" width="350px"><br>
<blockquote>
When seventeen-year-old Evie Dasher is caught up in a raid at a notorious club known as one of the few places where humans and the surviving Luxen can mingle freely, she meets Luc, an unnaturally beautiful guy she initially assumes is a Luxen...but he is in fact something much more powerful. Her growing attraction for Luc will lead her deeper and deeper into a world she'd only heard about, a world where everything she thought she knew will be turned on its head...
<p>
#1 New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout returns to the universe of the Lux in this brand new series, featuring beloved characters both new and old.</blockquote>
<img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/line.png" width="650px"><br>
<strong>I received an ARC from the publisher for an honest review.</strong><p>
<i>Holy alien babies!</i><p>
Jennifer Armentrout is the jedi master of writing perfect male characters. I don't know how she does it, but her male leads never fail to make me swoon, and Luc is no exception. It could be the arrogance and sarcasm that she introduces them with, or the amazingly big hearts they always reveal-- but my lord. I officially have a new favorite male character in my life!<p>
The story begins 4 years after the Luxen invasion that threatened to destroy Earth. If you read <i>The Lux Series</i>, you have already met Luc. He is an Origin, a hybrid alien/human created by the government to be a super soldier. If you have not, first of all, what the hell are you doing with your life? Second-- please go pick up this series and read it. It is such an amazing adventure. I never knew I would fall in love with sexy aliens, but I absolutely did and my life is better for it. Third-- I will explain a bit of the back story that leads us to the beginning of this book. <p>
The Luxen are from another star system and fled to Earth when their planet was attacked and subsequently destroyed by the Arum, another race of extraterrestrial beings. They have lived among humans and assimilated our DNA to blend in and appear as one of us. The truth of the Luxens is known by only the government, and the <i>Daedulus Group</i>, responsible for creating Luxen/human hybrids known as Origins. Origins are crazy powerful, and since they have been raised in a lab, know nothing of morality. They are super soldiers in every sense of the word. Thankfully, when the enemy aliens invade Earth, hell-bent on exterminating human life and inhabiting our planet for themselves, most Luxen residing here as well as the Origins take up arms against the invaders. 4 years after the war that destroyed most US cities, Luxen are now known to humans. Regardless of the fact that they saved our species, they are under constant surveillance and required to register with the government. The remaining aliens on Earth are judged harshly for who they are and forced to wear bracelets that disable their abilities. It is the same sad story of racism that we see over and over again on this planet. <img src="https://i.gifer.com/g6O.gif" class="alignnone" style="border-color:white;float:left;margin-bottom:0px;margin-right:5px;" width="300" alt="fantasy book review">I'm praying Bernie will be in office if ever we discover extraterrestrial life does exist. But now I'm rambling. Anyways..<P>
Our main character is a 17 year old girl named Evie. She has little memory of the invasion and the subsequent war that follows. Her life has just begun to get back to normal. She is an only child; her father died in the war and her mom works long hours for the military. Evie is basically left to her own devices, which leads us to her decision to go to a club that is frequented by Luxen. Here, she meets Luc. He is cocky and annoying, basically telling that her she doesn't belong there. When the club gets invaded by military police looking for unregistered aliens, it is Luc that keeps her from danger. I enjoyed Evie's character; she is a strong female that makes the most ridiculous life decisions. I can totally relate! Her relationship with Luc is dangerous, frustrating, and at times, inconvenient. I. Loved. It. As their connection grows, so do the questions surrounding Evie's past. I don't want to give too much away, but the twists and turns throughout this story were wonderfully done. Yet again, Miss Armentrout's writing is superb. Her characters are among my favorites ever written! This heart-pounding, non stop adventure left me with tears on my cheeks and a smile on my face. I cannot wait to read more of Luc and Evie's escapades in the books to come. I highly, highly recommend putting this book, as well as the first series on your tbr. I don't think you will be disappointed!
<p>
MorrighanMorrighan Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193814798037790366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826652628096740777.post-56262959531439607402018-09-01T11:00:00.000-04:002018-09-01T11:00:00.571-04:00Book Review: A Discovery of Witches<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6jYNpbe-00sMLkcv_v9KzR-iWk5TJg1xpdqJhU1wCH7dfqufRa33XG4bD8t-XcHH09OaVXopA3KYIJYjqzEG2aqcLMmNkDKR8aysg4QMM9wOSsA8j2XdcLKfQ_EamByMW3NvbGIXcQ48/s320/adow.jpg" alt="fantasy book review" class="alignnone" style="border-color:white;float:left;margin-bottom:5px;margin-right:5px;" alt="fantasy book review" width="200px"><b>A Discovery of Witches</b><br>
By Deborah Harkness<br>
A Discovery of Witches #1 <br>
Hardcover: 579 pages<br>
Viking Penguin<br>
February 2011<br>
Categories: Fantasy, Witches, Historic<br>
| <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8667848-a-discovery-of-witches?from_search=true">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/buy_buttons/12/follow?book_id=8667848&ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/3?book_id=8667848&source=dropdown">Barnes & Noble</a> |<br>
| <a href="https://www.instagram.com/debharkness">@DebHarkness 📷 </a> | <a href="http://deborahharkness.com/"> Official Site</a> | <a href="http://www.twitter.com/DebHarkness">Twitter</a> |<p>
<strong>My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩ |3/5|</strong><br>
<img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/line.png" width="350px"><br>
<blockquote>
Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.</blockquote>
<img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/line.png" width="650px"><br>
This book started out with so much potential; Diana is a powerful witch that refuses to acknowledge her powers. She is a strong, take no nonsense female lead and I fell in love with her almost instantly. Let me tell you though-- my love sadly did not last long. As soon as Matthew comes into the picture, ugh. Let's back up a bit-- I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. <p>
Diana was born to a family of witches dating back to Salem in the 17th century. She is full of magic, but she has chosen to shun her own abilities. After the death of her parents as a child, Diana has been scared of being a witch. In turn, she has chosen a life of historical research, leading her to Oxford and the Bodleian Library that houses thousands of ancient manuscripts. In the process of doing research for her alchemy paper, she comes across a book that is full of magic. After opening the book, she returns it to its proper place in the library. Little does she realize, she has unleashed a shit-show of magical creatures upon her small England town. Not only witches felt the magic that she released, but daemons and vampires as well. As they all begin to show up at the Bodleian, so does a powerful vampire that immediately draws her attention. <p>
Matthew. Matthew is an ancient vampire, powerful and dangerous. At first, I liked his character; I honestly thought he was the typical cocky, sarcastic, lovable male. Well, let me tell you. I had SO many issues with his character, not to mention the ensuing relationship between him and Diana. He is pushy, bossy, and a complete asshole. When I say asshole guys-- I can take a lot when it comes to male characters. I thought Cardan from the Cruel Prince was kind of lovable next to Matthew. His complete dominance of Diana makes me want to vomit. The fact that she completely changes as soon as he comes into the picture left me baffled. One minute, she was all, "Vampires are dangerous. I hate magic. Leave me alone." The next moment, she was alone in a car with him, going to yoga. Her 180 left my head spinning. I really never understood their insta-love and where it came from. <br>
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The entire story was their relationship and the effects that it had on the supernatural population. That's it. Both of our main characters chose to be selfish and chaos ensues. Don't get me wrong here, I understand that people should be free to love whoever they want to love, no questions asked. That's really not the part I'm talking about when I make the statement, both characters chose to be selfish. There were multiple scenes, minus spoilers, that our leads chose themselves over family and friends. The safety of others involved never concerned them, and this pissed me off to no end. Not to mention the fact that Matthew made the decisions for a group of people that he obviously cared little for. If he was questioned about the choices he was making, he basically threw a toddler style temper tantrum and his show of dominance was nauseating. Ok, end rant. <p>
Honestly, I really did enjoy the world and the array of supernatural creatures that we get to meet throughout the story. The plot-line itself, outside of the relationship, was rather intriguing. I liked the mystery of this secret manuscript and the implications it had on the entire supernatural community. The ending was written well enough to make me want to read the rest of the series. Will I rush on finishing them? Absolutely not! Morrighan Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193814798037790366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826652628096740777.post-3290473502487862092018-08-24T09:00:00.000-04:002018-08-24T09:00:05.361-04:00Book Review: The Bone Witch<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBTN-ywkeanQWyHKL5P2laP8RubYx-ikOvKLIWdQWUJ5zB2h-FjKW7uV_JYKraXhLJp2BkZYQ142h3dytYxfWfRK-mXptqL76Bb_JKptCy15MREA5BhxC6JEpJgSjTKdG5KGZHtCPjrx4/s320/bone.jpg" alt="fantasy book review" class="alignnone" style="border-color:white;float:left;margin-bottom:5px;margin-right:5px;" alt="fantasy book review" width="200px"><b>The Bone Witch</b><br>
By Rin Chupeco<br>
The Bone Witch #1 <br>
Hardcover: 432 pages<br>
Sourcebooks Fire<br>
March 7th 2017<br>
Categories: Fantasy, Witches, Historic<br>
| <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30095464-the-bone-witch">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/buy_buttons/12/follow?book_id=30095464&ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/3?book_id=30095464&source=dropdown">Barnes & Noble</a> |<br>
| <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rinchupeco">@RinChupeco 📷 </a> | <a href="http://www.rinchupeco.com/"> Official Site</a> | <a href="http://www.twitter.com/rinchupeco">Twitter</a> |<p>
<strong>My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩ |4/5|</strong><br>
<img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/line.png" width="350px"><br>
<blockquote><i>
Let me be clear: I never intended to raise my brother from his grave, though he may claim otherwise. If there's anything I've learned from him in the years since, it's that the dead hide truths as well as the living.</i><p>
When Tea accidentally resurrects her brother from the dead, she learns she is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy means that she's a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community. But Tea finds solace and guidance with an older, wiser bone witch, who takes Tea and her brother to another land for training.
<p>
In her new home, Tea puts all her energy into becoming an asha-one who can wield elemental magic. But dark forces are approaching quickly, and in the face of danger, Tea will have to overcome her obstacles...and make a powerful choice.
</blockquote>
<img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/line.png" width="650px"><br>
I really enjoyed this story, but I understand why it is not for everyone. There is a huge divide when reading reviews for <i>The Bone Witch</i>; people either love it or hate it. I am of the former category, but I am also a huge fan of world-building. My inner history nerd was all aquiver with the cultural knowledge bomb that is life as an <i>asha</i>. Asha are the magical equivalent of Geisha girls, and this world is rife with Japanese culture. The Asha are adopted into a house at a young age, taken care of and trained, and when they are old enough to make their 'debut', their debts to their house are paid back through performance fees. It is a strange concept, and one that I am not overly familiar with. I enjoyed learning more about the culture and their way of life. <p>
Tea is our main character, and she is the youngest dark Asha in the kingdom. Dark Asha is the proper term for a bone witch, one dealing in death and darkness. A huge majority of the population is afraid of her abilities, but the other Asha revel in them. Her ability to call the Dark is the only way to defeat the daeva, a dragon-like creature that plagues the continent. There was once a great curse placed upon the land. Every ten years, seven daeva rise from the dead and wreak havoc across all eight kingdoms. They are powerful, destructive creatures and their rise can result in the ruination of the world. Tea is a flawed character; vulnerable to the darkness and the feeling of calling it into herself. The Asha have no choice but to begin her training; the only other bone witch in the land is dying.
<blockquote>"There is no greater strength than the ability to understand and accept your flaws."</blockquote>
I fell in love with the characters in this story; their flaws and weaknesses only making them more complex and developed. The twists and turns, especially that one at the end, had me questioning my own sanity! I enjoyed Tea's drive to want to change the world however she can. Her petition to allow male Asha, as well as her want to find a way for bone witches to call the Dark without destroying themselves in the process. The fact that she doesn't accept things that she thinks are wrong is one of my favorite traits of hers. She wants to find a way through problems, not just around them.
<blockquote>"Then perhaps we should carve a world one day where the strength lies in who you are rather than in what they expect you to be."</blockquote>
My greatest issue with this book was the way that women were treated as trained puppets. It made me nauseous at times, reading about the way women were treated by men. The Asha exist to entertain rich men; they are taught from a young age to sing and dance for them, and while they are paid well and taken care of to do so, ugh. It just frustrated me. I understand that was the author's point, but there were certain situations throughout the book that made me cringe.
<blockquote>"Our opinions do not matter, and if you have to swallow your pride to keep them happy, then so be it." </blockquote>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXqa0iuWcHGeCOvoCfFkKxlyJHTDo_bdHqGFDh2_zbTM-BeyhcPDV9CN5mzxCTLCskfTqX38BO5LXotcr2zCbtMeypVBNySbaYLH4swvhrM5nulb1xrXadvkvAZ1AxeOUquDXGWdLyTHU/s320/bone2.jpg" alt="fantasy book review" class="alignnone" style="border-color:white;float:left;margin-bottom:5px;margin-right:5px;" alt="fantasy book review" width="300px">
Whuuuut?! I feel like I absolutely would not have survived in this world! My filter-free mouth would have gotten myself into heaps of trouble, dealing with people that subscribed to these views. All in all, I really enjoyed this story. The world was fantastically written and described, the characters were beautiful and flawed, and the story line flowed smoothly. I'm happy I own the second book, <i>The Heart Forger</i> because that ending was INSANE though, Miss Chupeco! I wasn't ready!
<p>
<3 Morrighan
Morrighan Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193814798037790366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826652628096740777.post-86506851215611258592018-08-22T09:00:00.000-04:002018-08-22T09:00:02.095-04:00ARC Review: Warrior of the Wild by Tricia Levenseller<img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/warrior1.jpg" alt="warrior1" class="alignnone" style="border-color:white;float:left;margin-bottom:5px;margin-right:5px;" alt="fantasy book review" width="200px"><b>Warrior of the Wild</b><br>
By Tricia Levenseller<br>
Standalone <br>
ARC: 326 pages<br>
Feiwel Friends<br>
Feb 26, 2019<br>
<strong>My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ |5/5|</strong><br>
Categories: Fantasy, Mythology, Vikings<br>
| <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35701702-warrior-of-the-wild">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/buy_buttons/12/follow?book_id=35701702&ref=x_gr_w_bb&tag=x_gr_w_bb-20">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/3?book_id=35701702&source=dropdown">Barnes & Noble</a> |<br>
| <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tricialevenseller/">@TriciaLevenseller 📷 </a> | <a href="https://tricialevenseller.com"> Official Site</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/tricialevensell">Twitter</a> |<br>
<img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/line.png" width="350px"><br>
<blockquote><i>How do you kill a god?</i><p>
As her father's chosen heir, eighteen-year-old Rasmira has trained her whole life to become a warrior and lead her village. But when her coming-of-age trial is sabotaged and she fails the test, her father banishes her to the monster-filled wilderness with an impossible quest: to win back her honour, she must kill the oppressive god who claims tribute from the villages each year or die trying.</blockquote>
<img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/line.png" alt="line" width="800" height="25" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-115"/><br>
<strong>**This is a Spoiler Free Review**</strong><p>
Tricia Levenseller's <i>Warrior of the Wild</i> is a highly unputdownable adventure full of badass Vikings and mythological monsters! I fell so deeply into this world that the author creates, I finished the book in less than 24 hours. <p>
Rasmira is our main character, born and raised in a small Viking village. From the moment she declared herself a warrior at the age of 10, she faced nothing but ridicule and bullying from her peers. Her mentors provided her with conflicting behavior, giving her praise while ignoring others. Rasmira will be the ruler of her village, inheriting her father's legacy as leader. She just has to pass the warrior test. Every 18 year old in the village declares their profession and performs a test in front of everyone. She knows she is ready. She has trained for this moment for 8 years, and she couldn't be more prepared. Until the day for the trial comes and she is sabotaged. <p>
Suddenly, everything and everyone she has ever known and loved turn on her. In the blink of an eye, Rasmira is no longer a warrior. She is exiled from her home, her family, and the boy she thought she loved. Sent into the dangerous wild surrounding her village, she is given one task to complete before she is allowed to return. <i>One single task.</i> Kill the God that plagues the villages. Peruxolo is a powerful immortal, and each of the seven villages pay him tribute once a year. The God claims their meat, their gems, and their women; he possesses the power to strike down a man without touching him. How can she kill an immortal God?<p>
I fell completely in love with our main character. Rasmira is a strong-willed, powerful woman. <i>Warrior of the Wild</i> is the story of a lost girl trying to find herself in a world she no longer understands. I loved being able to witness her growth; the years of constant ridicule because she is different both hurting her and helping her to become the warrior she is meant to be. Destined to rule, her ability to change herself because she <i>wants</i> to, not because people tell her she should is admirable.<p>
I was pleasantly surprised that bullying was a huge theme in this story. The way that the author addresses it was wonderful. She is able to show the character grow from a damaged girl into a woman that believes in herself. I cannot say enough about the importance of this theme in YA. It is rarely acknowledged, yet is a huge issue in a lot of young lives. Thank you Miss Levenseller for creating a beautiful, strong female character that is flawed and damaged. She is the hero of this story in more ways than one. <p>
<img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/warrior2.jpg?w=450" class="alignnone" style="border-color:white;float:left;margin-bottom:5px;margin-right:5px;" alt="fantasy book review" width="300px">
All in all-- I LOVED this adventure! It was a heart-touching, epic ride into the wilds of Viking territory, rife with horrifying mythological monsters, as well as monsters that end up being human. I highly recommend preordering this one-- you will not want to miss it! <p>
*Thank you to the author, Tricia Levenseller and the publisher, MacMillan for sending me an ARC to review!Morrighan Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193814798037790366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826652628096740777.post-50867880928444075542018-08-20T09:00:00.000-04:002018-08-20T09:00:01.288-04:00Book Review: The Wicked Deep<img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/wicked.jpg" class="alignnone" style="border-color:white;float:left;margin-bottom:5px;margin-right:5px;" alt="fantasy book review" width="200px"><b>The Wicked Deep</b><br>
By Shea Ernshaw<br>
Standalone <br>
Hardcover: 308 pages<br>
SimonPulse<br>
March 6, 2018<br>
<strong>My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ✰ |4.5/5|</strong><br>
Categories: Fantasy, Urban Legend, Paranormal<br>
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| <a href="https://instagram.com/shaeernshaw">@SheaErnshaw 📷 </a> | <a href="https://www.sheaernshaw.com/"> Official Site</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/sheaernshaw">Twitter</a> |<br>
<img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/line.png" width="350px"><br>
<blockquote>
Welcome to the cursed town of Sparrow…
Where, two centuries ago, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town.
Now, for a brief time each summer, the sisters return, stealing the bodies of three weak-hearted girls so that they may seek their revenge, luring boys into the harbor and pulling them under.
Like many locals, seventeen-year-old Penny Talbot has accepted the fate of the town. But this year, on the eve of the sisters’ return, a boy named Bo Carter arrives; unaware of the danger he has just stumbled into.
Mistrust and lies spread quickly through the salty, rain-soaked streets. The townspeople turn against one another. Penny and Bo suspect each other of hiding secrets. And death comes swiftly to those who cannot resist the call of the sisters.
But only Penny sees what others cannot. And she will be forced to choose: save Bo, or save herself.</blockquote>
<img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/line.png" width="750px">
This story begins the telling of a legend of three sisters, accused of witchcraft and being drowned by an entire town in the 19th century. The urban legend feel to the tale drags the reader right into the town of Sparrow from page one and refuses to release its hold. <blockquote>
"The townspeople of Sparrow found the sisters to be much more; they believed them to be witches, casting spells on the men to make them unfaithful. And so at the end of June, when the moon was nothing but a thin shard in the overcast sky, stones were tied to the sisters' ankles, and they were dropped into the ocean just beyond the cape, where they sank to the bottom and drowned. Just like the ship they arrived on."</blockquote>
The town of Sparrow reminds me of these backwards towns that still exist throughout America-- small minded folk that think that anything different is dangerous. Every year, the three Swan sisters return from the depths of the ocean to exact their revenge. Their vengeance comes in the form of drowning young, teenage boys. It almost feels like the town of Sparrow celebrates them-- maybe that is their way of accepting the crimes of their ancestors? The 'Swan Season' seemed peculiar-- throwing parties and hosting parades during this three week long time of death.
<blockquote>"The knowing of what's coming, the death that creeps up over the town like fate clawing at the door of every shop and home. I can feel it in the air, in the spray of the sea, in the hollow spaces between raindrops. The sisters are coming.</blockquote>
Each sister takes over the body of a young girl, and no one but our main character seems to know who is possessed. Tourists pour into the town and watch morbidly as boys' bodies are pulled from the water, lifeless and bloated, yet with smiles on their faces. Thus begins yet another witch hunt for the possessed girls, because the first one obviously worked so well. <p>
This book was so strange, yet I found myself sucked into the world. The darkness rippling from the pages held my attention to the point that I finished it in one sitting. Penny is our main character-- she lives on an isolated island right off the coast of Sparrow, Oregon. Her family life is falling apart; her father disappeared during a Swan season three years prior, and her mother has gone mad in his absence. Penny knows that she will never have a future; how could she leave her mother alone on the island to seek out her own dreams of college? <p>
At the annual Swan party to kick off the season, Penny meets Bo. She is drawn to him and trusts him instantly. Bo is looking for work and Penny needs help on the island. She offers him somewhere to stay and food in exchange for his help manning the lighthouse. What she doesn't know is why this outsider is here in Sparrow at the time of the Swan season. It seems an odd coincidence. The story follows Penny and Bo, their strange relationship, and the insane killings that occur during the Swan season. I loved it. Every twist and turn, every morbid detail that surrounds this insane town and its even more insane reactions to this yearly season of murder. <blockquote>
Magic is a tricky thing. Not easily measured or metered or weighed.</blockquote>
<img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/wicked2-e1534713668464.jpg?w=1462" class="alignnone" style="border-color:white;float:left;margin-bottom:5px;margin-right:5px;" alt="fantasy book review" width="300px">
The only reason I cannot bring myself to give this book the full five stars it may deserve is the massive amount of prejudice throughout the story. It made me grind my teeth more times that I can count. I understand that was the point of the author but it got to be a bit much at times. Other than that, I HIGHLY recommend giving this book a read! It is a highly atmospheric tale of vengeance, love, and loss that will leave the reader questioning their sanity.
<p>
<3MorrighanMorrighan Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193814798037790366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826652628096740777.post-6924745588650839932018-08-17T12:00:00.000-04:002018-08-17T12:00:09.508-04:00ARC Review: Through the White Wood by Jessica Leake<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLRsuhpEbOVuhUnM-4_2YJ1xpnRHfKT3Xcq4ImiZf7DL8mj7EZia_rwK0S8T7gk_bKcxZ4nZ0lySZyVrYUGCayBDVSCdwOvwM7r5wtTIrbB9mUTxkX5XcAyACGwHx2ljXNxm9zdA3QE3I/s320/whitewood.jpg;" class="alignnone" style="border-color:white;float:left;margin-bottom:5px;margin-right:5px;" alt="fantasy book review" width="200px"><b>Through the White Wood</b><br>
By Jessica Leake<br>
Standalone <br>
ARC: 400 pages<br>
HarperTeen<br>
April 9, 2019<br>
<strong>My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ |5/5|</strong><br>
Categories: YA Fantasy, Mythology, Magic<br>
| <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39735900-through-the-white-wood">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/buy_buttons/12/follow?book_id=39735900&ref=x_gr_w_bb&tag=x_gr_w_bb-20">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/3?book_id=39735900&source=dropdown">Barnes & Noble</a> |<br>
| <a href="https://instagram.com/jessleake">@JessLeake 📷 </a> | <a href="http://jessicaleake.com/"> Official Site</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/jessleake">Twitter</a> |<br>
<img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/line.png" width="350px"><br>
<blockquote>
Katya’s power to freeze anything she touches has made her an outcast in her isolated village. And when she loses control of her ability, accidentally killing several villagers, she is banished to the palace of the terrifying Prince Sasha in Kiev.
<P>
At the castle, though, she is surprised to find that Sasha is just like her—with his own strange talent, the ability to summon fire. Instead of punishment, Sasha offers Katya friendship, and the chance to embrace her power rather than fear it.
<P>
But outside the walls of Kiev, Sasha’s enemies have organized their own army of people who can control the very earth. Bent on taking over the entire world, they won’t stop until they’ve destroyed everything.
<P>
Katya and Sasha are desperate to stop the encroaching army, and together their powers are a fearsome weapon. But as their enemies draw nearer, leaving destruction in their wake, will fire and frost be enough to save the world? Or will they lose everything they hold dear?
</blockquote>
<img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/line.png" width="600px"><br>
<b>**I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review</b><p>
Our story opens with our main character, Katya, being ripped away from the only home and family she has ever known. It is a heartbreaking first scene and pulled at my heartstrings immediately. I knew nothing about this girl, only that she was losing everything in the blink of an eye and there was not a soul there to defend her. The members of her small frozen village, a village she had grown up in, looked on with hatred in their eyes. They were terrified of her and only wanted to be rid of the girl with powers they could never understand. <p>
Katya is a damaged 17 year old girl from a small village on the outskirts of Kiev. Orphaned as a baby in the frozen forest, she is discovered by an older couple who take her in. She calls them Babushka and Dedushka, the Russian word for grandmother and grandfather, but they are no relation to her. She is a lost girl whose family gave her up and left her to die in the cold. Katya could never succumb to the cold though, for she has powers that would keep her alive in the harshest wintery terrains. She has the power of cold. Ice. The ability to freeze water in any temperature. There is also a power she possesses that is a bit more destructive-- something she has labeled 'cold fire'. A power that has gotten her exiled from her village and sent to the rumored 'evil prince' of Kievan Rus'. <blockquote>
"As long as I can see the stars, I told myself, I won't feel so far from home."</blockquote>
I was able to connect with Katya, and I fell in love with her. She is a lost girl, searching for a way to be strong in a world she doesn't understand. Her ability to trust is non-existent from years of ridicule, but her want to overcome that is one of my favorite aspects of this story. She wants to be better, and that drive in her is stronger than her past. I admired her ability to change when faced with new situations. She is an open-minded, multi-dimensional character, well-written and fierce! SO very fierce and protective of the ones that she cares about. <p>
Sasha is the young prince of a city on the brink of war. He has long since given up on using his own power to control fire, and is in search of other powerful element wielders to help defend his city. I fell in love with this young prince. His determination to protect his people, and his drive to do that at all costs is admirable. When faced with adversity, he doesn't get angry. He finds a way around or through it. <p>
I enjoyed the world building in this story. While this is not a sequel to <i>Beyond a Darkened Shore</i>, it is still set in the same world, close to the same time period. The Russian and Slavik folklore is very present, including tales of <i>Baba Yaga</i> and the Firebird! The mythology is woven so well throughout the adventure; I absolutely enjoyed learning more about this culture that is rarely found in YA literature. <p>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTO7TIpnBuYuwZMiHl3gPLR-0H45rSdG_d6L3mRU-OZIx3m_C_rBkGOxHhDskGM7aYnLei65YBx3GG_qAUpy2UPsIpirAhRw1jjCcNJTY7k3AH_fzY1ahJPMqUBL0CixwPlwa1pRQgceo/s320/through1.jpg;" class="alignnone" style="border-color:white;float:left;margin-bottom:5px;margin-right:5px;" alt="fantasy book review" width="300px">
Jessica Leake has quickly become one of my favorite story-tellers. I find myself falling in love with her characters and worlds, to the point that I dream about them. As a constant reader, that is my ultimate differential of a good book and an excellent book. Throughout the day, drifting off to a frozen world where princes are passionate about the people that they rule. Where young, damaged girls find the power within themselves to change their future. And ultimately, where a group of young people can band together to try to defeat an enemy that threatens their world. I LOVED every second of this book! <p>
Thank you so much to Jessica Leake and the publisher, Harper Collins for sending me an early copy!
Morrighan Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193814798037790366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826652628096740777.post-76037833961099932962018-08-16T11:11:00.000-04:002018-08-16T11:11:06.083-04:00Book Review: Nevernight by Jay Kristoff<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDgEuFzTRcJu8pp9C9eJ5al3vBKeuqo5NaPfZ28RTBy4FbJKQZ3QAzsjmEmtqwewW07jZ7LKrYGt8YKPW-W8XYN4IAS6pArjI-0yTWX1SHZFOU1JoWFpH9IdVzSrQiTXTp9gJbvz-mJ8c/s320/nevernight.jpg;" class="alignnone" style="border-color:white;float:left;margin-bottom:5px;margin-right:5px;" alt="fantasy book review" width="200px"><b>Nevernight</b><br>
By Jay Kristoff<br>
The Nevernight Chronicles #1<br>
Hardcover: 427 pages<br>
St. Martin's Press<br>
August 9, 2016<br>
<strong>My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ |5/5|</strong><br>
Categories: Adult, Dark Fantasy<br>
| <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26114463-nevernight">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/buy_buttons/12/follow?book_id=26114463&ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb_sout&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb_sout-20">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/3?book_id=26114463&source=dropdown">Barnes & Noble</a> |<br>
| <a href="https://instagram.com/misterkristoff">@MisterKristoff 📷 </a> | <a href="http://misterkristoff.wordpress.com/"> Official Site</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/misterkristoff">Twitter</a> |<br>
<img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/line.png" width="350px"><br>
<blockquote>
In a land where three suns almost never set, a fledgling killer joins a school of assassins, seeking vengeance against the powers who destroyed her family.
<P>
Daughter of an executed traitor, Mia Corvere is barely able to escape her father’s failed rebellion with her life. Alone and friendless, she hides in a city built from the bones of a dead god, hunted by the Senate and her father’s former comrades. But her gift for speaking with the shadows leads her to the door of a retired killer, and a future she never imagined.
<P>
Now, Mia is apprenticed to the deadliest flock of assassins in the entire Republic—the Red Church. If she bests her fellow students in contests of steel, poison and the subtle arts, she’ll be inducted among the Blades of the Lady of Blessed Murder, and one step closer to the vengeance she desires. But a killer is loose within the Church’s halls, the bloody secrets of Mia’s past return to haunt her, and a plot to bring down the entire congregation is unfolding in the shadows she so loves.
<P>
Will she even survive to initiation, let alone have her revenge?
</blockquote>
<img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/line.png" width="600px"><br>
The book begins in a strange way-- our main character, Mia is both losing her virginity and murdering a man. Now wait a moment here, it's not what you think! The scene is flashing back and forth between the two, making comparisons of both acts. It's brutal, gory, and beautiful all wrapped into one beginning chapter. I was hooked from the first paragraph. Mister Kristoff gives zero fucks about giving his reader the shock factor from the get. He lays out a damaged and possibly insane main character and asks you to accept her. The reader understands what they are getting from the beginning, and he absolutely gives you the opportunity to pass if you're not up for the challenge. <p>
<i>I was up for the challenge.</i> I fell in love with Mia-- her coldness and vulnerabilities and possible mental instability made me love her all the more. She is made to watch her father hang for treason and then ripped away from the cushy, upscale life of Godsgrave's elite. Her mother and baby brother are sent to prison, but Mia is able to escape the clutches of one of the most corrupt governments I've had the pleasure of reading about. In her escape, she discovers a power within her that she doesn't understand. A power that will both be a benefit as well as a curse in the adventures to follow.
<blockquote>
"...the brighter the light, the deeper the shadows..."</blockquote>
Mr. Kindly is Mia's shadow cat, and one of the best pet sidekicks EVER. His sarcasm makes my little black heart happy. This is one of the powers that Mia discovers while fighting for her life as a 10 year old exile. She thankfully stumbles upon a man who is willing to take her in. A man who begins training her to be an assassin for the Red Church, an elite assassin training program. Along her journey, she meets a young man named Tric who will play an integral role in the story. Tric is just as insane and damaged as Mia, and I love him for it. He is a fun, sarcastic character that, regardless of his damage, makes Mia more human. <p>
Our main character is the most badass, give no fucks female lead that I have had the pleasure of reading this year. I fell in love with her, coldness and vulnerability and damage aside. She knows what she wants and she is willing to fight, tooth and nail to get it. Her willpower is inspiring, and her need for vengeance is astounding. She is cold, calculating, and ruthless-- but the reader does get to see small parts of her that are human. Her love of reading and her attachment to Mr. Kindly create a human side of her that the reader can't help but be drawn to. <blockquote>
"You've got the look of a girl who's no stranger to the page. I can tell. You've got words in your soul.... The books we love, they love us back. And just as we mark our places in the pages, those pages leave their marks onus. I can see it in you, sure as I see it in me. You're a daughter of words. A girl with a story to tell."</blockquote>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtaYhbO3om5mzkHJPwfVenDpl6q6cUTBiPNcNcZR5eQD9II4sL3MpMp3hPYNl9Qu_5iFaO20cHXIpk_h9Vkud5yqymkDv3AdJIpDeG_ib7rtXEqqIbO-YStOM1G5GvZMCZPYyNMh3EmQI/s320/37986832_1794010164024156_8472034230736519168_n.jpg;" class="alignnone" style="border-color:white;float:left;margin-bottom:5px;margin-right:5px;" alt="fantasy book review">
The absolute BEST book quote ever. I will leave you gentlefriends now. Do yourselves a favor and read this book! It is amazing, beautiful, adventurous, and full of delicious dark vengeance!<p>
<3 Morrighan<br>
Morrighan Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193814798037790366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826652628096740777.post-76689034837868588412018-08-09T16:02:00.000-04:002018-08-14T22:27:33.853-04:00Emma Hamm<center><img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/emma1.jpg" alt="emma1" width="600" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-312"/>
<img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/line.png" alt="line" width="800" height="25" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-115"/></center><p>
A note from Emma!<br>
Heyooo!<p>
Every author's dream is to hit USAToday on their own. It's not easy, let me tell you that. Essentially the goal is to sell in a single week, 5,000 units on Amazon and 500 units on Nook/B&N. Sounds like something that's doable, but considering the numbers... Yikes haha. <p>
SO! If you want to help an author reach her goal, then you are reading the right email! Heart of the Fae is on sale for $0.99 for one week only! The dates that matter are the 9th-12th, and if you've been eyeing this sucker then now's your time to get it. <p>
<center><a href="https://shoutout.wix.com/so/6MKUyOma/click?w=LS0tDQpmZWFjNTBlMC1kMTVkLTRlMWItNTU2Yi1iNTQ5M2MwYTcxMDENCmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFtYXpvbi5jb20vZHAvQjA3NVdYTVlUUA0KLS0t">GET YOUR COPY!</A></center><p>
<a name='more'></a>
<img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/emma2.jpg" alt="emma2" width="600" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-313"/><p>
Once upon a time… <p>
A plague sweeps across the emerald hills of Uí Néill, leaving a young midwife’s father with months to live. To save her people, Sorcha makes a deal with a dangerous Fae. She must travel across the sea, through merrow and kelpie lands, to find a forgotten king on a crumbling throne. <p>
Born king of the Seelie Fae, Eamonn fought battles unnumbered to uphold honor, duty, and freedom… until his twin brother sank a blade between his shoulders. Crystals grew from the wound, splitting open skin and bone. His people banished him to a cursed isle for his disfigurement, now king of criminals and fools. <P>
With the help of brownies, pixies, and will-o’-the-wisps, Sorcha battles to break through his crystalline shell and persuade him to take back his stolen throne.<p>
This determined beauty could come dangerously close to stealing his beastly heart.<br>
<img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/line.png" alt="line" width="800" height="25" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-115"/><br>
|<a href="https://emmahamm.com">Emma Hamm Official Site</a> | <a href="https://instagram.com/emmahammauthor">Emma Hamm Instagram</a> | <a href="https://shoutout.wix.com/so/6MKUyOma/click?w=LS0tDQpmZWFjNTBlMC1kMTVkLTRlMWItNTU2Yi1iNTQ5M2MwYTcxMDENCmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFtYXpvbi5jb20vZHAvQjA3NVdYTVlUUA0KLS0t">GET YOUR COPY!</A> |
Morrighan Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193814798037790366noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826652628096740777.post-26755885500602578442018-07-21T11:11:00.000-04:002018-08-14T22:28:50.967-04:00Flickerwix July Candle Box Review<img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/hpbox.jpg" alt="hpbox" width="600" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-289" /><p><br><a name='more'></a>
This was Katie at <a href="https://instagram.com/flickerwix">@Flickerwix</a> very first candle box and I am obsessed!<p>
<strong>Theme:</strong> 9 and 3/4 Harry Potter<br>
<strong>Merch Included:</strong><br>
-House Socks from <a href="https://www.instagram.com/enchanted_fandoms_/">@Enchanted_Fandoms</a><br>
-House Mug from <a href="https://www.instagram.com/enchanted_fandoms_/">@Enchanted_Fandoms</a><br>
-Handmade wand from <A href="https://www.instagram.com/orchardworks/">@OrchardWorks</a><br>
-Wand display box from <a href="https://www.instagram.com/flickerwix">@Flickerwix</a><br>
-Double sided House/Hogwarts bookmark from <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bibliophileprints/">@BibliophilePrints</a><br>
-Double sided character bookmark from <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bibliophileprints/">@Bibliophleprints</a><br>
<strong>The Candles from <a href="https://www.instagram.com/flickerwix">@FlickerWix</a></strong><br>
<img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/hpcandleluna1.jpg" alt="hpcandleluna1" width="175"><img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/hpcandleluna2.jpg" alt="hpcandleluna2" width="175" /><img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/hpcandlebeer1.jpg" alt="hpcandlebeer1" width="175"><img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/hpcandlebeer2.jpg" alt="hpcandlebeer2" width="175"><img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/hpcandledark1.jpg" alt="hpcandledark1" width="175"><img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/hpcandledark2.jpg" alt="hpcandledark2" width="175"><img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/hpcandledobby1.jpg" alt="hpcandledobby1" width="175"><img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/hpcandledobby2.jpg" alt="hpcandledobby2" width="175"><img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/hpcandletrio1.jpg" alt="hpcandletrio1" width="175"><img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/hpcandletrio2.jpg" alt="hpcandletrio2" width="175"><img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/hpcandleraven1.jpg" alt="hpcandleraven1" width="175"><img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/hpcandleraven2.jpg" alt="hpcandleraven2" width="175"><br>
-2oz Luna Lovegood - Citrus and Sugar<br>
-2oz Butterbeer - Caramel and Butterscotch<br>
-2oz Dark Mark - Frankincense and Evil<br>
-2oz Dobby's Socks - Cotton and Freedom<br>
-4oz Golden Trio - Citrus and Cilantro<br>
-4oz Ravenclaw (House Candle) - Wit, Wisdom, Snickerdoodles<p>
This box gets the full 5 stars from me! It was PACKED full of amazing goodies. I will absolutely be purchasing the August box themed Court of Terrasen (Throne of Glass)!
Morrighan Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193814798037790366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826652628096740777.post-89273211089819181232018-07-06T14:52:00.000-04:002018-08-14T22:30:32.099-04:00Book Review: Deviation<img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/devi.jpg" class="alignnone" style="border-color:white;float:left;margin-bottom:5px;margin-right:5px;" alt="fantasy book review" width="200px"><b>Deviation</b><br>
By Christine Manzari<br>
The Sophisticates Series #1<br>
Paperback: 427 pages<br>
Self-Published<br>
August 9, 2013<br>
<strong>My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ |5/5|</strong><br>
Categories: Dystopian, YA, Superhero<br>
| <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34604601-deviation?ac=1&from_search=true">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/buy_buttons/12/follow?book_id=34604601&ref=x_gr_w_bb&tag=x_gr_w_bb-20">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/deviation-christine-manzari/1116503777?ean=9780998479354">Barnes & Noble</a> |<br>
| <a href="https://instagram.com/xenatine">@Xenatine 📷 </a> | <a href="https://christinemanzari.com"> Official Site</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/Xenatine">Twitter</a> |<br>
<blockquote><h4>Being a Sophisticate of the Program seems like it’d be a pretty sweet deal: a little genetic alteration and anyone can be smarter, faster, and stronger. It’s a dream come true. All you have to give up is your freedom. <p>
Cleo is a Sophisticate and she has a bright future in the Program. But she has a secret. When she gets upset, bad things happen. Explosive things. Things she can’t control. <p>
When her secret is discovered, she’s sent to the Academy to train in the military branch of the Program. She’s destined to be a human weapon in the war that’s been going on since Wormwood occurred nearly 30 years ago. She soon learns that although her ability is unique, there are others like her — other Sophisticates with lethal skills and odd code names like Archerfish and Mimic Octopus. <p>
Immersed in a dangerous game of supernatural powers and dubious motives, Cleo doesn’t know who to trust. Ozzy, the annoyingly attractive cadet who has perfect aim in weapons class and deviant lips behind closed doors, begs her not to use her powers. He’s the golden boy of the Program, but can she trust him? Or will she find herself a target, caught in his crosshairs?</blockquote></h4><img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/line.png" alt="line" width="800" height="25" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-115" />
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I fell in love with this wonderful adventure. The world is a dystopian style, post 911, terror-ravaged Baltimore, MD. Terrorists have attacked America and killed millions by poisoning water supplies in major cities across the country. The government has responded by genetically altering an army of teenagers to save the world from these enemies, called <I>Sophisticates</i>. There are universities and military academies catering specifically to this elite group whose lives are not their own. There are no choices when you are a <i>Sophisticate</i>. You are property of a government experiment, and the idea of that life is terrifying! <blockquote><h4>"You have no friends. You have no family. You have no choices. The sooner you accept that, the easier things will be for you. You exist because the Program says it is so."</h4></blockquote>
Our main character, Cleo quickly realizes what happens when you have no control over your own fate. Once a University student studying languages and computer programming, she is extracted from the only life she has ever known and thrown into a military academy. Her strange powers are growing but is she really meant to be a killer? I fell in love with our protagonist throughout the story. Her strength in the face of the horrors she faces is inspiring, not to mention snark is my favorite character trait. Ever.<blockquote><h4>“The girl may have been tiny, but everything about her said, I'm not scared of you, so piss off.” </h4></blockquote>
The secondary characters are all well-written and lovable in their own ways. Ozzy, our male protagonist is frustrating, arrogant and of course, sexy as hell. Arabella is fun, funky, and full of snark. Sterling is super nerdy and sarcastic. <blockquote><h4>“SQUATS, Clementine! And don't stop until class is over. Your legs look like they'd snap under the weight of a sack of flour. How do you walk around on those things?"
"I don't know, Professor. One foot in front of the other, I guess.” </h4></blockquote>
I enjoyed adventuring with this rag-tag group of super-powered teenagers! The 80's influence was an added bonus as well! This story is full of roller derby and bad 80's music-- and I couldn't be happier. I have already purchased the final two books in the trilogy, and I can't recommend checking this series out more! Give Christine Manzari a follow on <a href="https://instagram.com/xenatine">Instagram</a> and be sure to show her some love for this wonderfully written YA dystopian series!<p>
<3 Morrighan Morrighan Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193814798037790366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826652628096740777.post-47306338469861890012018-07-02T11:00:00.000-04:002018-08-14T22:31:01.393-04:00Book Review: The Secrets of Moldara<img style="border-color: white; float: left; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-right: 5px;" src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/moldaramain.jpg" alt="fantasy book review" width="200px" /><b>The Secrets of Moldara</b><br>
By Brianne Earhart<br>
Paperback: 346 pages<br>
Published by Myth Machine<br>
January 3, 2018<br>
Series: Secrets of Moldara #1<br>
My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ | 4.5 / 5 |<br>
| <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37829088-secrets-of-moldara">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://moldara.mythmachine.com/mythmachine-moldara-influencerobpa6ovo?affiliate_id=1180795">10% off purchase</a> |<br>
| <a href="https://www.instagram.com/brianne.earhart/">Brianne Earhart</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/myth_machine/">Myth Machine</a> |
<blockquote>
CIRCLE THE MOON AND CROSS THE TIDE<br>
BEYOND THE WATERFALLS, PROTECTORS HIDE<br>
LEAVE THE LAST SECRET AT THEIR DOOR<br>
AND THEY WILL DEFEND YOU EVERMORE<br>
<p>The woods around Lotty’s childhood home are filling up with dangerous people. Her grandmother’s death has brought the family back from Chicago and triggered a secret Lotty was never meant to face alone. Guided by a desire to finally solve her Grandpa’s disappearance, Lotty has enlisted the help of farm hands that are keeping their own deadly secrets. Together they will have to learn to trust again, relying on each other’s will to fight, if they are going to survive the truth that waits for them all in Moldara.</blockquote>
<img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/line.png" alt="line" width="800" height="25" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-115"/><br><a name='more'></a>
I ended up staying up all night to finish this book after I started it. I really enjoyed the story, I think I needed something quick and fast and fun to read after going through the whole Harry Potter series! And this book was a quick read; the plot kept me interested and I really enjoyed the characters. I liked the mystery of it all. It felt almost like a treasure hunt, sans Dan Brown or even The Raven Cycle.
The world building was done well— I loved the idea of a hidden realm beyond ours. One that is unknown to humans but quite similar to our own. The main location is a rural Virginia farm and I felt a connection to our main character having grown up on a farm myself!<p>
Lotty is a hard working, intelligent female lead, although some of her decisions were questionable. I guess that’s what it’s like to be a hormone-filled 17 year old girl; common sense goes out the window when dealing with the opposite sex. Especially ones as sexy and mysterious as Roah, our male lead. His mysterious nature only deepens throughout the story and I found myself falling for him as well! The romance was written well, although there were a few cheesy parts. Don’t judge — we all need a little cheese in our lives every now and again!<P>
All in all, I loved this story! It was fast-paced and kept my interest from the first page. The ending is awful though. The cliff hanger broke my heart a bit! No worries though— the second book JUST released on June 30th and I will be getting my hands on it ASAP!<br>
<img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/line.png" alt="line" width="800" height="25" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-115"/>
If you are interested in purchasing a copy, which I highly recommend, check the links below! Thank you to Myth Machine and Brianne Earhart for sending me a copy of Secrets of Moldara to review!<p>
| <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37829088-secrets-of-moldara">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://moldara.mythmachine.com/mythmachine-moldara-influencerobpa6ovo?affiliate_id=1180795">10% off purchase</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/brianne.earhart/">Brianne Earhart</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/myth_machine/">Myth Machine</a> |
Morrighan Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193814798037790366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826652628096740777.post-44655348752578156042018-06-13T21:22:00.000-04:002018-06-13T21:22:23.430-04:00Flickerwix Candles Inaugural Harry Potter Box<img src="https://morrighanrose.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/afli-e1528937629567.jpg?w=880&h=312&crop=1" width="600px">
<a href="http://flickerwix.com">Flickerwix Candle Company</a> is introducing its first ever box, based on none other than the Harry Potter fandom! Katie at Flickerwix is one of the sweetest ladies that I have met on #bookstagram and her candles are amazing! I am the proud owner of 6 of them and I cannot say enough wonderful things about the labels, the glitter, and the scents.
<span style="color:#6e0d0d;"><b>**SPOILER WARNINGS FOR FLICKERWIX CANDLE BOX BELOW**</b></span><p>
Flickerwix 9 and 3/4 Harry Potter July Box<br>
**What's Included**<p>
► 6 candles from <a href="http://instagram.com/flickerwix">@Flickerwix</a>- 2-4oz and 4-2oz, all exclusive to the box!<br>
► 2 items (one cozy, one for daily use) from <a href="https://www.instagram.com/enchanted_fandoms_/">@Enchanted_Fandoms_</a>!<br>
► 1 XXL item from the amazing crafters at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/OrchardWorks/">@OrchardWorks</a><br>
► 2 items from the amazing <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bibliophileprints/">@BibliophilePrints</a>!<br>
*You can check all of these shops out on Instagram-- I included their respective links! <P>
The box has $85 worth of merch for the low price of $45+ shipping. If you use my code, ROSE10, it saves you another $4! Sales end 6/15 at 11:59pm, quantities are limited so be sure to reserve yours soon!<p>
<b>****Flickerwix Candle Company Contact****</b><br>
| <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/606352484/platform-9-34-candle-box-july-pre-order?ref=listing-shop-header-0">Etsy Shop</a> | <a href="http://flickerwix.com">Flickerwix.com</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/flickerwix/">Instagram</a> |<br>
Photo owner: @FlickerwixMorrighan Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193814798037790366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826652628096740777.post-59758946529816262212018-06-01T20:03:00.001-04:002018-08-14T22:32:36.852-04:00Flickerwix Candles
<a href="https://ufbooks.blogspot.com/2018/06/flickerwix.html"><img alt="fantasy book review" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj_L42Pu1DQMJKbazRoAikTU8BV_NUqxClfJj3EfJqok61zf2PkEVxULBgoP-HbpWnrcodExcdayY5fufWLaZQGkdiwBd5GLa70xq0NvA2ASh8yyLhnb1gKfuUSdyqwZ3lOUSNH1yifI0/s320/flickerwix2.jpg" style="border-color: white; float: right; margin-bottom: 2px; margin-top: -35px; margin-right: -35px; margin-left: 0px; opacity: 1.0;" /></a>
<a href="http://flickerwix.com">Flickerwix Candles</a> is one of the best bookish candle companies that I have found anywhere. Katie is the owner and she is a total sweetheart, send her a message and say hi! <P>
I received my first package with 3-4oz candles and I was blown away with the quality. First off, the beautifully colored wax is FULL of glitter and you all know how much I am in love with glitter! The labels are bright, colorful, and extremely detailed. Especially the lettering, which is the main reason we all buy bookish candles! Now, for the scents. OMG I am obsessed with the scents! Of the 3 that I was able to get, they are strong and burn wonderfully, with a perfect balance of combinations I wouldn't even think of. I highly recommend her candles and her shop is well worth checking out.
<a href="https://ufbooks.blogspot.com/2018/06/flickerwix.html"><img alt="fantasy book review" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAkDoxvLTGgrRPmFtJ1NTXcVVdSL_ylI46JIL4xtB6xknHe_vz0V2XD9vCHby5pQ6X4q4m6DR8P_v33O3P7MCeQv9rxxX8m3AMBcTXb_kAeKMJhKloUoE0po0yRuY1M7zUlOJ8XsBW4pM/s320/flickerwix.jpg" style="border-color: white; float: left; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 3px; margin-right: 5px; margin-left: -40px; opacity: 1.0;" /></a>
<P><center>
<b>Monthly Boxes</b><p>
Platform 9 3/4 Candle Box - July<br>
((Pre-order available until 6/15))<P>
→ WHATS INCLUDED ←<br>
• Two 4 oz. Glass Jar Candles <br>
• Four 2 oz. Glass Jar Candles<br>
• 2 Large Merch Items - 1 I consider XXL for this month! <br>
• 2-3 Additional Smaller Merch items<br>
• Custom Box <p></center>
Certain items will be specific to your house, so be sure to let her know when ordering! <p>
Last, but certainly not least, you can save yourself 10% off any purchase with the code, ROSE10 at checkout! I HIGHLY recommend giving her candle shop your likes and follow!<p>
<center>
<b>Flickerwix Candles Contact Info</b><br>
| <a href="http://flickerwix.com">Flickerwix Candle Shop</a> | <a href="http://instagram.com/flickerwix">Instagram</a> | <p>
| Photo Credits: 1st - <a href="http://instagram.com/morrighanrose">@Morrighanrose</a> | 2nd - <a href="http://instagram.com/flickerwix">@Flickerwix</a> |</center></b></font>Morrighan Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193814798037790366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826652628096740777.post-70486678383112190142018-05-31T18:54:00.000-04:002018-08-14T22:33:38.795-04:00Harry Potter?!<a href="https://ufbooks.blogspot.com/2018/05/harrypotter.html"><img alt="fantasy book review" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyvq3q2OfgNUCiLIWh0jvFoYOJGbNhWj8zURH6aGGTYKqPrwhUhHX2HNkMp-P8JTZ3nKXdwNq1Cq4TA_ZfahbOisaJFqgTH9YwUaWsFGpbAlw4lZvl9IdiHPUYK5sfYoGJwXEE4tEcRM0/s320/hp4.jpg" style="border-color: white; float: left; margin-bottom: 45px; margin-top:-15px; margin-right: 5px;" /></a>
I have wonderful news book dragons! I FINALLY received my Hogwarts letter. After 20 years, I figured that my stubborn ass needs to enter the Wizarding World and read these damn books already! <p>
I just started the second book, and if I'm being completely honest with myself, I LOVE them. Sigh. This is what I was worried about. I really don't need another fandom to become obsessed with, especially this late in the game folks. My wallet is already judging me as I have been scouring Etsy for merch. A candle company that I rep for on #bookstagram called @flickerwix is releasing a 20th anniversary special house edition box, full of amazing candles and other items (more info coming about the box tomorrow!) and it's already mine. Not to mention the fact that now, I need a new bookshelf to feature this series! Oh, first-world problems. <P>
I am preparing myself physically and mentally for the sorting hat ceremony, which I plan to conduct this evening. I am leaning towards Hufflepuff because of my love for books and learning, but damn, do I dislike yellow. Not to mention the fact that a little ways into the 2nd book, I haven't met one cool Hufflepuff yet. Where you at Hufflepuffs?!
<a href="https://ufbooks.blogspot.com/2018/05/harrypotter.html"><img alt="fantasy book review" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqeqAGc9JHStBFWO4uMP-4-LhFDWqzpsvWknQRcpUYipRymvpiGpCRMlaWBWirlIroYGfeXeLZefpzBuOU-yXE2ZqOOWCc1SocJlBtAELjSOF-_D7mXQO4NWIF14jBgRV79AbRRKaiF44/s320/hp2.png" style="border-color: white; float: right; margin-bottom: 45px; margin-top:-15px; margin-right: -35px;" /></a>
<P>
In all seriousness, I am falling in love with the Wizarding World the more that I read, and I am planning to fully immerse myself over the weekend. I will keep everyone updated with my ramblings and whatnot as I delve deeper into this series. I have never watched the movies, and I have tried to avoid spoilers for 20 years, 20 YEARS. It. Is. Time. Wish me luck as I take this roller coaster ride that quite possibly could be the end of life as I know it. Let me know your houses and your favorite merch companies in the comments! <P>
<3 Morrighan </div></font></b>Morrighan Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193814798037790366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826652628096740777.post-62877310328929523832018-05-30T19:41:00.000-04:002018-05-30T19:41:49.423-04:00SpideyScents Candles<a href="https://ufbooks.blogspot.com/2018/05/spideyscents-candles.html"><img alt="fantasy book review" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMmeKQxJGhjbG76zucqo7tJIQmRzmsXeD0BVtsEjbJRWtjHF1dDfmlNUxs5IAvno02XR05StCEsphwcT8xQdJ1T22qjaw-ABPnxbeNtJYLnW4fe9Tf5Ckk9QYOdOJWhQYjI8dzJ11wnT0X/s320/30948614_416051858863515_388603366722240512_n.jpg" style="border-color: white; float: left; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-right: 5px;" /></a>
<div style="background-color: black; border-color: #f2e1ef; border-style: double; border-width: 5px; margin-left: 40px; margin-right: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 1px; width: 525px;"><center>
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Amy from @spideyscents is one of the best candle makers that I have found floating around on Instagram. Her labels are bright and photogenic; descriptions can be read well in photos. The wax colors are always a beautiful hue, and she coats the tops in different shades of glitter. The scents are magnificent; wonderful combinations of florals and fruits, herbs and spices, musks and outdoors! Combos that I would never think of, she comes up with and they. Are. Amazing. I highly recommend giving her shop a follow on Instagram, as well as browsing her large collection of candles on Etsy. She also offers monthly boxes, consisting of 4-2oz candles, 2-4oz candles, 2 prints, and 2 bookmarks. Each item is centered around the 'theme of the month' and can be purchased for $32. Items are exclusive to the boxes, which means you can only get them if you purchase the box; they will not be for sale in the shop for purchase after the box has released.
<a href="https://ufbooks.blogspot.com/2018/05/spideyscents-candles.html"><img alt="fantasy book review" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSWC-nCo6MM2h84mrZemMIZtcSfNLUPJ2CcfsMcX_U8bZALB-lZhM7Rk2BpyM8cqNeExIJaUt3_0ngGb-0K1MzS4GuxGt2y0foqCuxS10PAzYnmlacj6V11k4DJ27l2RF3q_GwqjJsFes_/s320/32365612_2164843453750077_4610385317646565376_n.jpg" style="border-color: white; float: right; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-right: -45px;" /></a>
June's monthly box theme is--<p> An Ember in the Ashes<p>
Reaper at the Gates, Sabaa Tahir's third book in her Ember Quartet drops June 12, and this box celebrates everything that is Laia of Serra and Elias Veturius. Masks versus Scholars. I am so ridiculously excited for the release of this box AND book! I've already purchased mine, have you?! <p>
New candles will be released Friday, June 1st and I will try to make a post when they are announced! I do know that a few of them may or may not be Percy Jackson related!<p>
Links to SpideyScents Candles<br>
| <a href="https://www.instagram.com/spideyscents/">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/SpideyScentsCandles">Etsy Shop</a>: ** Code: ROSE15 saves you 15% off at checkout**<p>
<3 Morrighan<br>
<a href="http://instagram.com/morrighanrose">@MorrighanRose</a></div>Morrighan Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11193814798037790366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826652628096740777.post-83230916174331902332018-03-26T18:14:00.000-04:002018-03-26T18:22:41.496-04:00Blog Updates & WhatnotI have finally, FINALLY updated this, and I hope to write more in the coming months. I have read a lot of books that I have failed to review (oops) and hopefully, I can manage to get them all up here. Thanks for sticking with me; I'm such a slacker! I have been busy on #bookstagram though, and you should come find me there!
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<3 Morrighan<p>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BguIFwgBKZD/" data-instgrm-version="8" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50.0% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BguIFwgBKZD/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Hey and happy Saturday! I loved The Hazel Wood by the amazingly talented @melissaalbertauthor and the cover is just so damn stunning. #authorappreciationmarch - fairytale #bookishrandomthings - stack Saturday #marchbookstagram18 - timeless tale I want to thank @xenatine for the gorgeous fan photos. This is totally inspired by you! I am hosting a Saturday story shoutout session; if you are interested in joining, check for info in my stories! What is your favorite fairytale, original or retelling?! #bookstagram #bookstagramfeature #bookish #bookishfeatures #bookstafeatures #booknerdigans #bookstack #stacksaturday #bookporn</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/morrighanrose/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Morrighan</a> (@morrighanrose) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2018-03-24T21:16:37+00:00">Mar 24, 2018 at 2:16pm PDT</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async defer src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<3 Morrighan
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02196945104592374912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826652628096740777.post-18000660629066750532017-11-25T21:04:00.000-05:002018-03-26T18:15:30.574-04:00Bookish Candles: Lunar Bazaar Candles<img alt="fantasy book review" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS-D1UjDGlfrCzS0jKeT39SbuIsSnLejAgYZgwQi2YzqoVJLVEcTzvJ3xI6x_YhBvk6xpWz2t_ROjleDVJpVgv-MSUCkNSXmIDDInGCD0V9IZeUMr35WnIKpBdo5Fs_XMElJBbHLI8oPP6/s400/IMG_20171109_142750_270.jpg" width="400" height="400" style="border-color: white; float: left; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-right: 5px;" /></a>
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<center>Lunar Bazaar Candles<br>
| <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/lunarbazaar">Etsy</a> | <a href="http://instagram.com/lunarbazaarcandles">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LunarBazaar/?ref=br_rs">Facebook</a> |<p></center>
Hey booknerds! I wanted to let you all know about this amazing Black Friday sale going on at <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/LunarBazaar">Lunar Bazaar's Etsy Shop</a>! There is a 20% off sale on everything including the holiday bundles. <p>First up is my absolute favorite; The Queen Maas Bundle! As you all know, I am obsessed with Sarah J Maas's writing and this box includes candles from both of her series. Throne of Glass and ACOTAR! The first tier of this box is called 'Fae Descendant' and includes 6 4oz candles that are exclusive to the bundle. This means they will not be available anywhere else! Squeeee! It also includes two bookmarks. <p>
<b>Fae Descendant Holiday Bundle: $35 on sale for $28</b>
<p>
The second tier is called 'Fae Immortal' and includes 2-8oz candles and 4-4oz candles. The 8oz candles have been unveiled and the first one is... dun dun dun.. Feysand! One of my favorite otp's has their very own candle and my heart is happy. The second one is Rowaelin. And there is my second favorite opt! Also included is a 5X7 print from one of the series and 3 bookmarks! <p>
<b>Fae Immortal Holiday Bundle: $45 on sale for $36</b>
<p>
Honeydukes Harry Potter Bundle<p>
Three candles exclusive to this box based on some of our favorite treats from Harry Potter's famous candy shop, Honeydukes!! This box is available in both 4oz and 8oz. All boxes will also receive a holiday bookmark and a Harry Potter quote bookmark!!<p>
4oz: $18 on sale for $14.40<br>
8oz: $30 on sale for $24<p>
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<a href=""><img alt="fantasy book review" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Rq3O7tLSVfcJDwC35VfJ_czaJhR5PQQB3BGFYveCMaMK_jnEXl50xkJyCxqNth6BaDdT8HxAi7gEdWdvQEvpdhUx1vMkL760GfopO6LZ_Z9A4Owz9T2buS1xC5v1s9bKJv9FiFQCMIAn/s400/IMG_20171120_152045_433.jpg" width="400" height="400" style="border-color: white; float: right; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-right: 5px;" /></a>
There is also a Game of Thrones bundle, Gilmore Girls Bundle, and a build your own custom bundle that includes your choice of an 8oz candle, 4oz candle, handmade soap and a lipbalm!<p>
I HIGHLY recommend <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/lunarbazaar">Lunar Bazaar Candles</a>! They look amazing, smell amazing, and they are even topped with dried herbs that add a lot to the smell. Check out this amazing Black Friday Sale, going on until Cyber Monday, the 27th at midnight CST. If you cannot purchase before the end of the sale, my rep code is LUNARROSE10 and gets you 10% off anytime! <p>
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Lunar Bazaar Candles<br>
| <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/lunarbazaar">Etsy</a> | <a href="http://instagram.com/lunarbazaarcandles">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LunarBazaar/?ref=br_rs">Facebook</a> |<p>
<br><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkn4LaSQInQZSc3JPU0jsZ4NfmZfXeu_NvAVVZ7CSe0QcV1TvxG-Yo0p0B1D29_tEJps9Wsq8zQ4oVqwWbg1RLRE2l1beEtGmTqRgItorBfIgvakuDFQLPYXOj11mHUd69sT3N8BhP32B/s1600/morrighansig.png" align="right"></a></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02196945104592374912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826652628096740777.post-22749178797473446242017-07-02T23:59:00.000-04:002017-07-02T23:59:02.486-04:00June Wrap-up & July TBR<img alt="fantasy book review" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBL73nORhK65UN5Sg9QUtUXaYSiXSgk6KLHHzJzaxy-w12V2wZnZD9CbJ62h9RcCcxvMrZlvr_AkecuJa-4UUBhKmI1vySxBxfInM8uJcXNKsmbhxLBIeVVlelZUtQVrdj8LIutiUHRHqB/s320/IMG_20170701_121957_872.jpg" style="border-color: white; float: left; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-right: 5px;" />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj8b0ThKDRKgNLQrK5Eat1bsfYOdf7a91G4-rnPGci3H_rNlK5thwp2wE6OPXHh0bdKueOGbAHc0CH6dZv1ZCXKtcKc5IB23IlOgj1f8DctCZtEiC992hlozPn7xGG4mHXA3EKEUhz_jyW/s400/dotdivider.png" width="245px"><br>
<h3>❋ July TBR Stack ❋</h3><br>
<b>❋ The Girl at Midnight</b> by Melissa Gray<br>
<b>❋ Reawakened</b> by Colleen Houck<br>
<b>❋ City of a Thousand Dolls</b> by Miriam Forster<br>
<b>❋ Cress</b> by Marissa Meyer<br>
<b>❋ Ruin & Rising</b> by Leigh Bardugo<br>
<b>❋ The Bone Season</b> by Samantha Shannon<br>
<b>❋ Zodiac</b> by Romina Russell<br>
<b><<-- Review Copies Not Pictured -->></b><br>
<b>❋ Gaia's Majesty</b> by Roger Burt<br>
<b>❋ The Reminisce</b> by H.L. Cherryholmes<br>
<b>❋ The Devil's Whisper</b> by T.H. Moore<br>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj8b0ThKDRKgNLQrK5Eat1bsfYOdf7a91G4-rnPGci3H_rNlK5thwp2wE6OPXHh0bdKueOGbAHc0CH6dZv1ZCXKtcKc5IB23IlOgj1f8DctCZtEiC992hlozPn7xGG4mHXA3EKEUhz_jyW/s400/dotdivider.png" width="245px"><br>
Due to the holiday weekend in good ole 'Murica, I am skipping this week's Mini-Review Monday. I have had family in and out all week long and honestly have had zero time to read anything! Not to mention, I am completely hooked on the whole #bookstagram community on Instagram. Oh my. So many beautiful pictures.. come find me! <3 <a href="https://instagram.com/morrighanrose">MorrighanRose</a><p>
This is my July TBR stack. Sure, it may look daunting with a five month old baby and the fact that I don't own stock in any coffee companies.. but what the hell?! I'm going to give it a shot and at least <i>attempt</i> to read all of these beauties! <p>
<img alt="fantasy book review" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibVFXW8S8_fx8FMVyFTV3zRe0Dd18A6LGmMtwmLAE7I1U4gLUtHVHbY5nojouBOnQE7HLdmkesqChyphenhyphenkvBxi70IYuYFVDQr4VetAINnzw0G4lLtah_eqDYqCwCleIEKveC9xrkUtB3Gf9Rm/s320/IMG_20170609_123711_773.jpg" style="border-color: white; float: right; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-right: 5px;" />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj8b0ThKDRKgNLQrK5Eat1bsfYOdf7a91G4-rnPGci3H_rNlK5thwp2wE6OPXHh0bdKueOGbAHc0CH6dZv1ZCXKtcKc5IB23IlOgj1f8DctCZtEiC992hlozPn7xGG4mHXA3EKEUhz_jyW/s400/dotdivider.png" width="245px"><br>
<h3> ❋ June Wrap-Up ❋ </h3> <br>
<b> ❋ The Rose & the Dagger</b> by Renee Ahdieh<br>
<b> ❋ The Wrath & the Dawn</b> by Renee Ahdieh<br>
<b> ❋ Seige and Storm</b> by Leigh Bardugo<br>
<b> ❋ Shadow and Bone</b> by Leigh Bardugo<br>
<b> ❋ The Mirror King</b> by Jodi Meadows<br>
<b> ❋ The Orphan Queen</b> by Jodi Meadows<br>
<b> <<-- Review Copies Read -->></b><br>
<b> ❋ Mark of Truth</b> by Graceley Knox<br>
<b> ❋ People of the Sun</b> by Jason Parent<br>
<b> ❋ Blood Mage</b> by Aimee Davis<br>
<b> ❋ Breaking Magic</b> by Alex Vick<br>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj8b0ThKDRKgNLQrK5Eat1bsfYOdf7a91G4-rnPGci3H_rNlK5thwp2wE6OPXHh0bdKueOGbAHc0CH6dZv1ZCXKtcKc5IB23IlOgj1f8DctCZtEiC992hlozPn7xGG4mHXA3EKEUhz_jyW/s400/dotdivider.png" width="245px"><br>
I will be back next Monday for a brand new Mini-Review Monday!<br>
Muah, book lovelies!<br>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02196945104592374912noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826652628096740777.post-78334162647351756732017-06-26T11:23:00.000-04:002018-03-26T22:19:29.616-04:00Mini-Review Monday: Mark of Truth
<a href="https://ufbooks.blogspot.com/2017/06/monday7.html"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi06dHio_WKyI8RZrEmbDfjF7SmoHQSSO4CIpHO83ffqcfgmLPIyDQSQTGVKu7pULzFsc_3ZD2jwkbaY4f1vs7j2yeZ_AlLsObJDAv1YGRbFjWRDlk7LBKU4q811Q6hcPy9NjwcKo2HiESg/s320/34878995.jpg" alt="fantasy book review" style="float: left; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; image-border: 1px; border-color:white;"></a>
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<h3>
<b>
Mark of Truth
</b><br>
By Graceley Knox<br>
Series: A Wicked Kingdoms Novel<br>
Paperback: 359 pages<br>
Publication Date: May 23, 2017<br>
Publisher: Chaotic Press<br>
My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ✬ | 4.5 / 5 |<p>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34878995-mark-of-truth" target="_blank">| Goodreads</a> |
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Graceley-Knox/e/B06Y4NDX3V/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/3?book_id=34878995&source=dropdown" target="_blank"> B&N</a> | <br>
| <a href="http://www.graceleyknox.com/" target="_blank">Official</a> | <a href="http://www.twitter.com/GraceleyKnox" target="_blank">@GracelyKnox</a> |
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/GracelyKnox" target="_blank">Facebook</a> |
<a href="http://instagram.com/authorgraceleyknox" target="_blank"> 📷 </a> | <br>
Categories: Faerie, Urban Fantasy, Adult</h3><a name='more'></a></div>
<blockquote>
Ever Leath, leader of the deadliest crew within the Magical Enforcement and Containment Agency’s ranks, has always known she’s a half-breed—until a visit from her estranged mother changes everything. She’s determined to marry Ever off for political gain, no matter the consequences—even if it means Ever’s life. <P>
Searching for the truth leads to disturbing doubts about Ever’s heritage, and just as answers appear, so does Dare Fitzpatrick. Captain of the Royal Goblin Guards and son to the current Goblin King, he claims he knows who Ever’s real father is and that she could be in danger. Ever doubts Dare, until he helps her escape the clutches of her would-be suitor and grants her shelter within the Goblin Kingdom. <P>
Staying in Goblin, which has previously been off-limits to half-breeds, is a risk Ever has to take to keep everyone she loves safe. Neither of them planned on the fiery heat between them, but Dare won’t take no for an answer. Ever knows she can’t risk losing her heart to the cocky goblin, despite her attraction to him. At least that’s the plan. <p>
Until it all falls apart. </blockquote><center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj8b0ThKDRKgNLQrK5Eat1bsfYOdf7a91G4-rnPGci3H_rNlK5thwp2wE6OPXHh0bdKueOGbAHc0CH6dZv1ZCXKtcKc5IB23IlOgj1f8DctCZtEiC992hlozPn7xGG4mHXA3EKEUhz_jyW/s400/dotdivider.png" alt="fantasy book reviews"></a></center><br>
<b>**I received this review copy in exchange for an honest review**</b><br>
This was such a lighthearted read with a fast paced plot line. It felt like it all ended too quickly. I was left with a mixture of satisfaction and the gripping desire to learn more about these characters. <p>
Ever is our main protagonist and damn.. she is cocky, feisty, and funny as hell. I truly enjoyed her antics as she reminded me a bit of myself after I've drank too much! She is a half elf, half human, or so she thinks. When rumors start to spread about her actually being full blooded fae with goblin heritage, she decides that it is time to find out the truth about her father. Her mother refuses to reveal who, or better yet, <i>what</i> he is. Ever is not full blooded Elf, so she must live with the humans. MECA, the Magical Enforcement and Containment Agency takes her in as an infant. They raise and train her to capture fae that have broken the rules in the human world. But if they found out that Ever is possibly fully fae, there would be a death sentence on her head. Long ago, the Elfen Kingdom declared that no child produced from an elf and goblin coupling would be allowed to live. In her search for the truth, she meets a sexy goblin prince named Dare. Immediately, sparks fly between the two, but Ever vows that nothing can happen between the two of them. <p>
Her mother begins pressuring her to come to the Elfen Kingdom, where she wants Ever to meet the man she wants her to marry. His name is Cashel and he is her cousin. <I>Gross</i>. Her and her MECA team decide to go stay with the goblin princes for protection from the craziness that is going on in the Elfen Kingdom. Staying with a man that you are extremely attracted to is never a good idea, though. Even if his father, the King of Goblin is always around. As are his two brothers, Dax and Dagan. Not to mention her crazy team. The whole setup kind of felt like a college party to me. Drinking, sex, lots of swearing; throw in some swords and weird mental powers and shake up the hormones. <p>
I can't wait to read more books about Ever and Dare. They are a sizzling hot couple, and I'm hoping they figure out a way to further their relationship in the future. All in all, I give it 4.5 stars. There are a lot of typos in this book, and it took away from the really smooth plot line and incredibly awesome characters. Thank you to the talented Graceley Knox for the opportunity to dive into her world and experience her characters for a time..! Muah! <3
<blockquote>
I follow Eryn and her weird sense of direction toward what I'm assuming is the library I was in earlier. We step towards the wide open doors. Our jaws drop. I hadn't had much time to focus on my surroundings when I was in here earlier, but now. Wow. It's like a book lover's wet dream. Both Eryn and I love to read. We're talking read like we breathe, share books with each other because we know that the other won't bend any pages or fuck up the cover of the book, squeal over our favorite parts, reading obsessed.</blockquote>
<img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DDQcFgPXcAA-TwQ.jpg:large" alt="fantasy book review" style="float: right; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; image-border: 1px; border-color:white; width:312px;"></a>
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<h3>Meet Graceley Knox</h3>
Graceley Knox is an up and coming paranormal and fantasy romance author with a serious caffeine and book addiction. She prefers to listen to music while she writes and is a former New Englander living on the Gulf Coast of Florida. By day she works in the publishing industry, and by night, she plots out the many ideas cluttering her mind. She has two Bengal kitties who can usually be found lounging within distance of her desk, adding their opinions on her current projects. When she’s not reading, writing, or hanging out with her large extended family you can find her on her various social media accounts.
<br>
| <a href="http://www.graceleyknox.com/" target="_blank">Official</a> | <a href="http://www.twitter.com/GraceleyKnox" target="_blank">@GracelyKnox</a> |
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/GracelyKnox" target="_blank">Facebook</a> |
<a href="http://instagram.com/authorgraceleyknox" target="_blank"> 📷 </a> | <br>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02196945104592374912noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826652628096740777.post-23511982667794937332017-06-23T13:11:00.000-04:002017-06-23T13:11:01.195-04:00Book Review: The Rose & the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh<a href="http://ufbooks.blogspot.com/2017/06/book-review-rose-dagger-by-renee-ahdieh.html"><img alt="fantasy book review" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTrbH3cALLpRDhFkI93GM8AdYAjUOO3WUtpJBca1PbgZ1jfmHF3_A_ZmF8qVtXjrR_HFeT7kI_gVGIllWGMOI8re7n1nV-fW7QdsEhkqQerYOYnRbXJnbh_R7Gk-i1WwMfuGj_sbYdK6MB/s320/rosedagger.jpg" style="border-color: white; float: left; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-right: 5px;" /></a><b>
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The Rose & the Dagger<br>
By Renee Ahdieh<br />
Series: The Wrath & the Dawn #2 <br />
<b>Paperback: 448 pages</b><br />
<b>Publication Date: April 26, 2016</b><br />
<b>Publisher: Speak</b><br />
<b>My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ | 5 / 5 |</b><br>
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31521391-the-rose-the-dagger" target="_blank">| Goodreads</a> |
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/buy_buttons/12/follow?book_id=32370233&ref=x_gr_w_bb&tag=x_gr_w_bb-20" target="_blank">Amazon</a> |
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/3?book_id=32370233&source=dropdown" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> |<br />
| <a href="http://www.reneeahdieh.com/" target="_blank">Official Site</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/rahdieh" target="_blank">@RAhdieh</a> |
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/ReneeAhdiehAuthor" target="_blank">Facebook |</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reneeahdieh/" target="_blank">📷</a> | <br />
Related: | <a href="http://ufbooks.blogspot.com/2017/06/reneeahdieh1.html"> The Wrath & the Dawn</a> | <a href="http://ufbooks.blogspot.com/2017/05/book-review-star-touched-queen-by.html"> Star-Touched Queen</a> |
<br />
Categories: Fantasy, Magic, Fairy Tale, Favorites</b></div></h3>
<a name='more'></a><blockquote>
In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad has been torn from the love of her husband Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once believed him a monster, but his secrets revealed a man tormented by guilt and a powerful curse one that might keep them apart forever. Reunited with her family, who have taken refuge with enemies of Khalid, and Tariq, her childhood sweetheart, she should be happy. But Tariq now commands forces set on destroying Khalid's empire. Shahrzad is almost a prisoner caught between loyalties to people she loves. But she refuses to be a pawn and devises a plan. While her father, Jahandar, continues to play with magical forces he doesn't yet understand, Shahrzad tries to uncover powers that may lie dormant within her. With the help of a tattered old carpet and a tempestuous but sage young man, Shahrzad will attempt to break the curse and reunite with her one true love. </blockquote>
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My heart broke multiple times, reading the final book in this beautifully haunting world. I didn't want it to end. I wanted so much more. <p>
Our story begins where <i>The Wrath & the Dawn</i> leaves us hanging by a thread. A magically powered storm levels the city of Khorasan. A storm brought about by her own father's blood magic. The city is in ruins, burned to the ground. Shahrzad has been taken to her enemies' camp by none other than Tariq, her first love. Khalid is alone in the city that he is responsible for, his heart torn to pieces. My heart was in the same condition after realizing that he thought Shazi <i>chose</i> to leave him. <p>
I enjoyed learning more about Khalid's character. The way that he helped citizens clean up after the storms, never once revealing his identity was inspiring and perfect. No one expected the Caliph to stoop to manual labor to fix his city, so it was easy for him to hide in plain sight, helping his citizens. I fell in love with him more if that is even possible. I admire his strength and resolve, regardless of how broken he is. His will to do what is right for his people, even though they think him a monster breaks my heart. And his need for Shazi, his vulnerability when it comes to her is beyond sexy. He is, by far, my favorite character in this story. I always fall for the broken ones.. (:<blockquote>'Stop being so stubborn!' Her bare feet fell to the onyx floor. 'Do not make me beg you. Because I won't. I'll merely lose my temper or cry. And I have always secretly despised those who cry to wheedle their objectives. But if you force me to do it, Khalid Ibn al-Rashid, I will. And I cry <i>beautifully</i>'. She crossed her arms and pursed her lips. A corner of his mouth twitched. 'You do not cry beautifully.'</blockquote>
The reader sees Shazi's character grow and mature as well. She is able to remain unselfish in the face of her family's precarious position. There is nothing more that she wants than to leave her enemies' camp and return to Khalid and the friends that she has made in the castle. Her father's health prevents her from doing so. In bringing about the storm that leveled her city, Jahandar's body is broken and he remains unconscious long after he should have woken. No one knows what the magic has done to his body and mind, so Shazi and her sister, Irsa remain in the camp to care for him. He holds that evil book hostage, even in his coma-like state. This unselfishness comes at a cost though, as time passes with no progress in breaking Khalid's curse or stopping a looming war. <blockquote>Shahrzad could not return until she'd found a way to protect her people. Her love. A way to end Khalid's terrible curse.</blockquote> She lies to everyone in the camp, refusing to admit her love for the monster king. This war these men are preparing for is to remove him from his throne, but she <i>must</i> do something. The moment her dead best friend, Shiva visits her in her dreams, she knows what she must do. She will seek out Musa effendi's help, the fire temple mage who gave her the magic carpet. <blockquote>'So tiresome.' Shiva nudged her in jest. 'This is <i>your</i> dream, you goose! If you cannot say what it is you desire in your own dream, then where can you dare to say it?'</blockquote>
So, I was kind of iffy about the magic carpet thing. Thankfully, the author writes it well enough that I didn't even think twice about it. Although I did have <i>A Whole New World</i> stuck in my head for quite a while. Regardless, Musa offers his assistance and introduces Shazi to someone who may be able to help her strengthen her own magic. This man's name is Artan, and I fell in love with him immediately. His arrogance rivaled Shazi's, and their constant bantering and sarcasm made me laugh out loud more than once. He is a powerful fire mage with a curse of his own, a family more powerful than thought possible. Are they powerful enough to break Khalid's curse? <p>
I still hate Tariq. His love for Shazi is irritating, and I hate the way that he keeps interfering in her relationship. I understand that he was her first love, but damn, <i>let it go bro</i>. A little dignity would be surprising from him, and eventually, the reader gets to see it. It takes a bit too long in my opinion, and he never really redeems himself in my eyes. <blockquote>'Make no mistake- the next time I see Khalid Ibn al-Rashid, one of us will die.'</blockquote> His hatred gets tiresome, and the things he does in the name of love are selfish. He obviously loves himself more than he could ever love Shazi. <p>
The reader gets to know Irsa, Shazi's sister throughout this story. Her love for Tariq's best friend, Rahim continues to grow. I mostly enjoyed her point of view. Although Irsa is in the dark about her sister's true feelings, she knows that something is not right. I liked her ability to be open minded when exposed to ideas she does not like. <p>
The villains in this story increase exponentially. Reza, Tariq's uncle teams up with a foreign king that wants to see Khalid dead. Omar, the shiehk of the Badawi camp, a group of outcast warriors, is an unknown. There are so many enemies lining up to kill the boy-king. I obviously hated them all, and wanted nothing more than to see them shamed and reduced to a pile of rubble. <i>Sigh.</i> <p>
To wrap up my rambling review, I truly fell in love with this world, these characters. My heart breaks that it is over, and I feel like it all ended too soon. The betrayals were shocking, and then they weren't. The story flowed perfectly, yet I hope that the author decides to write more of this world. I am not ready to say goodbye, just yet..<br>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02196945104592374912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826652628096740777.post-35854849283232898622017-06-19T13:11:00.000-04:002018-03-26T22:20:04.602-04:00Mini-Review Monday: People of the Sun
<a href="https://ufbooks.blogspot.com/2017/06/monday6.html"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzZqb3qxIE1Op861CLRwffNacsXzXaW4OIMO1mRsE8ldWxxMWTrRuTXOqTIP2b_tqls7evYwWlkVLjhEDoUI-Jkpw4WyP1diSrh1W5D7FD3RX8JvyuEyHxe4197IA1e7B-3mxKx1qBKFKQ/s320/34413261.jpg" alt="fantasy book review" style="float: left; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; image-border: 1px; border-color:white;"></a>
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<h3>
<b>
People of the Sun
</b><br>
By Jason Parent<br>
Series: Standalone<br>
Paperback: 303 pages<br>
Publication Date: March 15, 2017<br>
Publisher: Sinister Grin Press<br>
My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ✬ | 4.5 / 5 |<p>
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34413261-people-of-the-sun" target="_blank">| Goodreads</a> |
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=x_gr_w_bb_sout?keywords=B06WWLBJJG&index=books&linkCode=qs&-20" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <br>
| <a href="http://authorjasonparent.com" target="_blank">Official Site</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/AuthorJasParent" target="_blank">@AuthorJasParent</a> |
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Categories: Science Fiction, Aliens, Review Copy</h3><a name='more'></a><p></div>
<blockquote>All life comes from the sun. Sometimes, death comes with it.<p>
Filled with hope and driven by fear, four would-be heroes are driven from their home planet in a desperate bid to save their civilization from extinction. But survival takes on a whole new meaning when a malfunction sends their ship plummeting toward Earth.<P>
Surviving the crash is only the first obstacle on their path to salvation. The marooned aliens soon discover that Earth’s beautiful exterior masks an ugly foundation, a place inhabited by a warrior race that’s on a path toward self-destruction.</blockquote>
<center>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj8b0ThKDRKgNLQrK5Eat1bsfYOdf7a91G4-rnPGci3H_rNlK5thwp2wE6OPXHh0bdKueOGbAHc0CH6dZv1ZCXKtcKc5IB23IlOgj1f8DctCZtEiC992hlozPn7xGG4mHXA3EKEUhz_jyW/s400/dotdivider.png" alt="fantasy book reviews"></a><p><b><h3>**I received this review copy in exchange for an honest review**</b></h3></center>
I was thoroughly impressed with this story! I'm not a huge fan of the whole alien invasion idea, but <i>People of the Sun</i> was original and refreshing. It started off like a much weirder episode of <i>X-Files</i>, with a police officer and a geologist hiking to a recently dried out lake bed, searching for the 'meteorite' that caused the evaporation of water. They come upon a large, black rock, which obviously isn't a rock at all. As they are examining this anomaly, they notice footprints leading from it into the woods. So they follow them. This decision changes the world forever.<p>
Connor is our main protagonist. With a cushy job as a professor of geology, he is not ready for the strange events about to take place. He has no real friends, no family to take care of. So when he finds four aliens in the woods of New Hampshire, he offers to be an alien ambassador between them and his own government. <p>
The four aliens come from the sun, which they call Symoria. It is a barren land with little food, so their council sends them on a mission to find resources. Upon take-off of their craft, their whole world explodes, killing all of their remaining species, save for them.
<blockquote>'Look at that sky,' he said. 'Look at all this life around us. Listen, and you can hear creatures at work. It's so busy here, so alive. Our home is stagnant dirt and darkness, sullen and empty. Maybe Symoria died long ago, and we were just too stubborn to see it.'</blockquote>
Tryst is the only female Symorian left. She is optimistic and strong, a wonderfully written female character. Kazi, on the other hand, is a total asshole and I knew it from his introduction. I hated him. He had no morals and a need for power that made me nauseous at times. His character was written so well; he was the perfect villain for this story and I wanted to throat punch him more times than I can recall. <p>
Upon the alien's arrival on Earth, their ability to 'come in peace' is hampered by the fact that their touch incinerates humans. Water gives them incomprehensible powers, such as telepathy, telekinesis, and teleportation. There is no water on their home planet, so their evolution is almost instantaneous on Earth. Their skin is impenetrable, even in the face of machine guns and missiles. Their appearance poses another problem as they kind of look like very large bats. <blockquote> Tryst only smiled bigger, so big it covered half her face with four rows of double-pointed teeth, massive fangs retracted behind black gums. Her slim, sinewy lips, so colorless they were nearly transparent, curled beneath her bulbous pink globe eyes.</blockquote>I loved the descriptions of our government as well. It made me laugh with the sad reality that is our own ruling body. The fact that they would willingly start a war with a more powerful species because they are just that, a more powerful species spoke of the truth of humans. We are always scared of the unknown because we take little time to understand them and their ways of life. It is not <i>our</i> way, so it cannot be right. <blockquote>Allison ran for office with a sincere desire to improve the country, but quickly found out hers was a rare trait for a politician. She had no disillusions about the flawed American political animal, controlled by old, fat elephants and heehawing asses. But Allison had underestimated the selfishness of most of her affiliates, regardless of their party designation. </blockquote>
I fell in love with the aliens, against my better judgement as a human! I rooted for them, against my own fellow man, and hoped that they would be left alone on Earth to rebuild all that they had lost. All in all, I really loved this story. It was hopeful and heartbreaking at the same time. Full of politics and the art of war, aliens and militant forces attempting to regain control of their constituents. I recommend this book to everyone who enjoys a good tale of betrayal and death, a fresh and original alien invasion story with wonderfully written characters! Thank you so much, Jason Parent, for the opportunity to see inside your mind and experience your worlds with you for a time. <3<br>
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<h3>About the Author</h3>
In his head, Jason Parent lives in many places, but in the real world, he calls New England his home. The region offers an abundance of settings for his writing and many wonderful places in which to write them. He currently resides in Southeastern Massachusetts with his cuddly corgi named Calypso.
<p>
In a prior life, Jason spent most of his time in front of a judge . . . as a civil litigator. When he finally tired of Latin phrases no one knew how to pronounce and explaining to people that real lawsuits are not started, tried and finalized within the 60-minute timeframe they see on TV (it’s harassing the witness; no one throws vicious woodland creatures at them), he traded in his cheap suits for flip flops and designer stubble. The flops got repossessed the next day, and he’s back in the legal field . . . sorta. But that’s another story.<p>
When he’s not working, Jason likes to kayak, catch a movie, travel any place that will let him enter, and play just about any sport (except that ball tied to the pole thing where you basically just whack the ball until it twists in a knot or takes somebody’s head off – he misses the appeal). And read and write, of course. He does that too sometimes.<p>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02196945104592374912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826652628096740777.post-69997072841034875102017-06-15T11:11:00.000-04:002017-06-19T13:05:21.712-04:00Book Review: The Wrath & the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh<a href="http://ufbooks.blogspot.com/2017/06/reneeahdieh1.html"><img alt="fantasy book review" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg93PYIrBlCzKLmQavqQhmKI3ss5o0M5Jqqiz8v8568k_GLqs8eq0TBbXhiOZYkH-ywxNxkLgOzQ1RJWC0h4EQJvI-SneXE75tIVqOJuxABmo99fw1snF1TTUGOj356BaJreClD3hma2gZB/s320/wrath.jpg" style="border-color: white; float: left; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-right: 5px;" /></a><b>
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The Wrath & the Dawn<br>
By Renee Ahdieh<br />
Series: The Wrath & the Dawn #1 <br />
<b>Paperback: 432 pages</b><br />
<b>Publication Date: May 12, 2015</b><br />
<b>Publisher: Speak</b><br />
<b>My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ | 5 / 5 |</b><br>
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32370233-the-wrath-the-dawn" target="_blank">| Goodreads</a> |
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| <a href="http://www.reneeahdieh.com/" target="_blank">Official Site</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/rahdieh" target="_blank">@RAhdieh</a> |
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Related: | <a href="http://ufbooks.blogspot.com/2017/05/book-review-star-touched-queen-by.html"> Star-Touched Queen</a> |<a href="http://ufbooks.blogspot.com/2017/03/cinderreview.html"> Cinder</a> |
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Categories: Fantasy, Magic, Fairy Tale, Favorites</b></div></h3>
<a name='more'></a><blockquote>
<blockquote><b>One Life to One Dawn.</b><p>
In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad's dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliph's reign of terror once and for all.<p>
Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid, weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what she'd imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart. Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It's an unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it seems in this palace of marble and stone. She resolves to uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid's life as retribution for the many lives he's stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets?
</blockquote>
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<i>Oh my.</i> I absolutely fell in love with this book. I binge read the entire thing in one night, neglecting sleep in pursuit of finding out what in the hell was wrong with Khalid. There was no way I was putting this book down without finding some answers, and it just so happens those answers came at 5am, right before the baby woke up for the day. Was it worth the sleep deprivation that I am suffering today? <i>Absolutely!</i> In fact, I almost considered picking up the second book immediately. Almost. <p>
The caliph of Khorasan is a madman, a murderer. He marries a new wife every day, only to have her slaughtered at sunrise. No one knows why he chooses to commit these heinous crimes. No one understands the young man that became king in a flurry of violence and inexperience. He was never meant to be king, and thus was raised without instruction on how to do so. None of these things excuse his behavior, yet they are just the beginning of a story rife with tragedy and death. Khalid is the first 'villian' that I found myself rooting for. I fell in love with him; his strength and determination to save his country, his will to become nothing like his father. <i>I loved him.</i> As I learned more about him throughout the pages, my heart broke for him again and again. Is he a murderer? Most definitely. Would I make him my book boyfriend and swoon over him in my head? <i>Oh, yes</i>.<blockquote>'Tell me, why do you find it permissible to talk to me like this?' 'Because someone has to,' she replied without hesitation. 'And you think it should be you?' 'I think it should be someone who isn't afraid of you. And though I do feel...anxious in your presence, the more I see of everything around me, the less I have reason to fear you."</blockquote>
Shahrzad is our main protagonist and has chosen of her own free will to marry the murderous caliph. She seeks revenge for the death of her best friend, Shiva, who was killed at the hands of Khalid. She has a plan. An insane one, but a plan all the same. The night of her wedding, she begins to tell the boy-king a story and he is immediately entranced. So much so that he pardons her the next morning at sunrise. This cycle continues, and against both of their better judgement, they begin to fall in love with each other. Shazi hates herself for betraying her cause. She wants this boy dead for the horrible crimes he has committed, yet his personality does not match his actions. He is soft spoken and thoughtful, intelligent and brave. She cannot reconcile the King of Kings with the man that she married. <blockquote>
'What compelled you to do something so foolish?' 'Excuse me?' 'Perhaps it was the lure of marrying a king. Or the vain hope you might be the one to stay the course and win the heart of a monster.' He spoke without emotion, watching her intently. Shahrzad's pulse jumped to a martial beat. 'I don't suffer those delusions, sayyidi."</blockquote>
The secondary characters, especially Jalal and Destina are wonderfully written. They both add so much complexity to the story, and I loved their bantering back and forth with each other and the main characters. The humor was dry and sarcastic, just the way that I like it. I found myself laughing out loud more than once. The idea of the whole forbidden love thing is the only reason why I never picked this book up off of the massive heap that is my to be read pile. Imagine my surprise to find there was no insta-love like I originally assumed. These two did not immediately fall for each other, in fact, they both seemed appalled by the idea of loving the other. It was more of a build-up over time, and for that, I applaud Miss Ahdieh. The relationship was so well done; they balanced each other perfectly and the reader can see that connection in written words on a page..<blockquote>
'Love is a force unto itself, sayyidi. For love, people consider the unthinkable...and often achieve the impossible. I would not sneer at its power.' <p>
'What are you doing to me, you plague of a girl?' he whispered. 'If I'm a plague, then you should keep your distance, unless you plan on being destroyed.' The weapons still in her grasp, she shoved against his chest. 'No.' His hands dropped to her waist. 'Destroy me.'</blockquote>
The world building was fantastic. I fell in love with this beautiful desert world filled with magic and intrigue. The plot line twisted and turned throughout our story, and caught me off guard more than once. It flowed well, and I definitely never found myself bored with what was happening. The end left me drained and unsatisfied, but there is another book in this series so I'm not worried. Too much. All in all- I loved it! A beautifully haunting tale, with original characters and a refreshing story line full of unexpected twists. I recommend this to.. well, everyone really. Just read it. You will not be disappointed..(:<br>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkn4LaSQInQZSc3JPU0jsZ4NfmZfXeu_NvAVVZ7CSe0QcV1TvxG-Yo0p0B1D29_tEJps9Wsq8zQ4oVqwWbg1RLRE2l1beEtGmTqRgItorBfIgvakuDFQLPYXOj11mHUd69sT3N8BhP32B/s1600/morrighansig.png" align="right">
</3>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02196945104592374912noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826652628096740777.post-7536475247383745952017-06-12T12:12:00.000-04:002018-03-26T22:20:18.826-04:00Mini-Review Monday: Blood Mage
<a href="https://ufbooks.blogspot.com/2017/06/monday5.html"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtru1dJU65ePxiettaztJ4zMWfACay3eqtNGunUfGJHt5kErUeVTF5xReu70jBbrZGOV6qCSqw9ENsLYEeWs4HZhYvrROmKSR0jld41c_VLU7znwpvCxKwkDWiDnf8JVXchtSqDGKnlfiw/s320/bloodmage.jpg" alt="fantasy book review" style="float: left; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; image-border: 1px; border-color:white;"></a>
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<h3>
<b>
Blood Mage
</b><br>
By Aimee Davis<br>
Series: Changing Tides #2<br>
Ebook: 360 pages<br>
Publication Date: July 18, 2017<br>
Publisher: Createspace / Self-published<br>
My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ✰ ( 4 out of 5 Stars )<p>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35020388-the-blood-mage">| Goodreads</a> |
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| <a href="http://www.aimee-davis.com/">Official Site</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/writingwaimee">@WritingWAimee</a> |
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Related: |<a href="https://ufbooks.blogspot.com/2017/04/book-review-wheel-mages-by-aimee-davis.html"> Wheel Mages</a> | <a href="http://ufbooks.blogspot.com/2015/07/book-review-heart-of-betrayal-by-mary-e.html">Heart of Betrayal</a> |<br>
Categories: Fantasy, Magic, Review Copy </h3><a name='more'></a><p></div>
<p>Monster. Murderer. Oathbreaker. <p>
Three years after the events leading to the deaths of her friend and lover, twenty-one-year-old Alena Kozlov is still trying to outrun her past. But the darkness within her is not something she can simply leave behind. <P>
The nightmares plaguing her become reality when a familiar face seeks her out in her isolated desert home bearing news that awakens all she’s tried to keep locked inside. There’s a promise she made long ago she’s determined to keep, even if it means she will have to tear what remains of herself, and her world, apart. <P>
To save her friends, she may have to become the monster once more. But fear is not for the damned.
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj8b0ThKDRKgNLQrK5Eat1bsfYOdf7a91G4-rnPGci3H_rNlK5thwp2wE6OPXHh0bdKueOGbAHc0CH6dZv1ZCXKtcKc5IB23IlOgj1f8DctCZtEiC992hlozPn7xGG4mHXA3EKEUhz_jyW/s400/dotdivider.png" alt="fantasy book reviews"></a></center><p><b><h3>**I received this advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review**</b></h3>
This book picks up three years after <i>The Wheel Mages</i> ends, with our main character, Alena living in the midst of a barren desert. She has closed herself off from the world, the Sanctuary, and her own magic and memories. The first book ended with her performing blood magic, which is against the law, to free herself from the evil Allard, killing dozens of people in the process. Her master and love, Nikolai is dead. Philipe is a traitor. Everything is ruined. So she runs and avoids, living in guilt and self loathing.<blockquote>I hadn't touched my magic in the last three years and letting it loose so casually caused exhilaration to coarse through me. I'd forgotten what it felt like to embrace this part of myself, to let my magic sing to me.</blockquote>
Until Camille tracks her down in the middle of the desert, informing her the fire mage she rescued from the streets has now been kidnapped by Allard and is being used to lure Alena back to the Trade Nations. This story is about her journey home, but it is so much more than that. It describes her journey back to herself, as well. She must face the guilt she places on herself for the deaths of so many. She must also find a way to trust again, and with the addition of Lukas, a sexy air mage leading the expedition, trust doesn't come easy. The last air mage that she trusted, Philipe, betrayed her in the worst way possible. <blockquote>You're a water mage. You put on your emotion like you put on clothes. And if that weren't enough, the whole of the magical world knows your entire life story because of who you are and what you've done. Whatever secrets you think you have, they're not secrets. </blockquote>
It is a hard road back to salvation that she must walk, and my heart broke for her again and again. Watching her fury destroy when all she really wanted was forgiveness for the evils that she had done to escape. <blockquote>We were damned, all of us. I thought the reminded might ease the terror, but it wasn't to be convinced. It continued to claw at the parts of me struggling to surface through the darkness, the parts of me holding onto life with bloody fingers. </blockquote>
I loved this second book in the series! The characters were well developed, the world was beautifully written, the plot line was fast pace and flowed well. I really enjoyed this addition, and I cannot for Aimee Davis to write more in this heartbreaking adventure!<p>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6FVCgxUbTHVchNgVrh3pOzFqGD7XnPrGfPptKW6FmAShJbsKewEhQvYAxrzzRMrbcrLbRIKhtFKrYtkS9Da2G9jl9grdZEe4MC8FjTsPszwc9BP-E8VKRq8qx90T6r4MBNzinZNwv0SD5/s320/aimee_mar2_102r.jpg" style="float: left; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; image-border: 1px; border-color:white;">
<b>Meet the Author: Aimee Davis</b><br>
Hey everyone, I’m Aimee, author of the debut novel The Wheel Mages. If you’re here, you probably want to know a little about me, so I’m going to give you a quick run down. I was born on February 22, 1988 (Pisces) in a little town in west-central Pennsylvania called Dubois, which is just outside Punxsutawney (the place with the weather-forecasting groundhog). My family moved to the suburbs of Philadelphia when I was about 9 months old, and I still call the suburbs home.<p>
I grew up in a typical (read: dysfunctional) family. I loved school and reading and all things magic. My bedroom was always covered in posters of unicorns and dolphins, and I dreamed of being an author. To make that dream come alive, I went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to enter their creative writing undergraduate program and hone my craft. Fast forward a bunch of years, and here we are.<p>
Here’s the most important thing to know about me though: I want this journey to be as much about you as it is about me. Authors wouldn’t be much without their audience, after all. You matter to me. Say it aloud if you have to. You matter to me. Never forget that.<p>
So that’s why I’m encouraging everyone to tell me about him or herself. Drop me an email, comment on this post (or any other), hit me up on Facebook, tweet me. Tell me about you! Tell me about your dreams and hopes and fears. Tell me about where you’ve been and where you’re going. Tell me about what you had for breakfast, I don’t care. In return, I’ll tell you some fun things about me and try my very hardest to keep you involved in the creative process, warts and all, so you can see how writing goes from telling a story to taking a journey.<p></a>
| <a href="http://www.aimee-davis.com/">Official Site</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/writingwaimee">@WritingWAimee</a> |
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/aimeedavisauthor/">Facebook |</a><br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02196945104592374912noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826652628096740777.post-1742561827187476512017-06-10T15:33:00.000-04:002017-06-10T22:57:39.562-04:00Book Review: The Mirror King by Jodi Meadows<a href="https://ufbooks.blogspot.com/2017/06/book-review-mirror-king-by-jodi-meadows.html#more"><img alt="fantasy book review" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIdGYUjYql7CjU-Lpvif13Y4M7-u281sQ-t_7nJq_jhdHWeMaeGhhflUQuC8V0VgXk6m_KtbIBXrKaqtIXNmRH5npRz5w6lvSLkekGeIw4Z573lE6uqZvxVgN7yHVpnNoB9YmCRUj0sRxA/s320/mirrorqueen.jpg" style="border-color: white; float: left; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-right: 5px;" /></a><b>
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<b>The Mirror King</b>
<br />
By Jodi Meadows<br />
Series: The Orphan Queen #2<br />
<b>Paperback: 531 pages</b><br />
<b>Publication Date: April 5, 2016 </b><br />
<b>Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books</b><br />
<b>My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ✰ ( 4 out of 5 Stars )</b><p>
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22909838-the-mirror-king?from_search=true">| Goodreads</a> |
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| <a href="http://www.jodimeadows.com/">Official Site</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/jodimeadows">@JodiMeadows</a> |
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/jodimeadowsbooks">Facebook |</a> <a href="https://instagram.com/unicornwarlord">📷</a> | <br />
Related: | <a href="http://ufbooks.blogspot.com/2017/06/book-review-orphan-queen-by-jodi-meadows.html">The Orphan Queen</a> |<a href="http://ufbooks.blogspot.com/2015/07/book-review-falling-kingdoms-by-morgan.html"> Falling Kingdoms</a> |
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Categories: Magic, High Fantasy, Favorites</b></div></h3>
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<a name='more'></a><blockquote>
Wilhelmina has a hundred enemies.<p>
HER FRIENDS HAVE TURNED. After her identity is revealed during the Inundation, Princess Wilhelmina is kept prisoner by the Indigo Kingdom, with the Ospreys lost somewhere in the devastated city. When the Ospreys’ leader emerges at the worst possible moment, leaving Wil’s biggest ally on his deathbed, she must become Black Knife to set things right. <p>
HER MAGIC IS UNCONTROLLABLE. Wil’s power is to animate, not to give true life, but in the wraithland she commanded a cloud of wraith mist to save herself, and later ordered it solid. Now there is a living boy made of wraith—destructive and deadly, and willing to do anything for her.<p>
HER HEART IS TORN. Though she’s ready for her crown, declaring herself queen means war. Caught between what she wants and what is right, Wilhelmina realizes the throne might not even matter. Everyone thought the wraith was years off, but already it’s destroying Indigo Kingdom villages. If she can’t protect both kingdoms, soon there won’t be a land to rule.</blockquote>
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<img alt="fantasy book reviews" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj8b0ThKDRKgNLQrK5Eat1bsfYOdf7a91G4-rnPGci3H_rNlK5thwp2wE6OPXHh0bdKueOGbAHc0CH6dZv1ZCXKtcKc5IB23IlOgj1f8DctCZtEiC992hlozPn7xGG4mHXA3EKEUhz_jyW/s400/dotdivider.png" width="400px" /><br /><b>**Includes spoilers to <i>The Orphan Queen</i>**.</b></center>
I managed to finish this 500+ pages of book in a little over two days! Sleep deprivation is real, folks. The baby likes early mornings, and I just don't understand where that came from. <i>Sigh.</i> So here I am, fuzzy brain and all, trying to review this phenomenal conclusion to <i>The Orphan Queen</i> and I'm not quite sure how to do it without spoiling the entire series..Wil's character continues to grow and mature, accepting the fact that she just might not be ready to take the throne and become queen of a broken kingdom. She is being held prisoner by the man that she loves, and he has officially announced his wedding date to the beautiful Meredith. The wraith boy that she created while saving Skyvale isn't human, but he <i>is</i> sentient. The fact that he is made from destruction alone and is attuned to Wil's darkest desires poses a problem for everyone in the kingdom. <br />
I love the banter between Wil and Tobiah. The plot line is so fast paced that it provides a gentle reminder that these two are only human. It lightened the tension multiple times when I found myself clutching the book in dread of what could next go wrong. <br />
<blockquote>
<i>"My dear Wilhelmina, you're amazingly accomplished at stating the obvious." His voice was groggy, deep with the remnants of his long slumber. "And you're well enough for sarcasm. I think you'll live."</i><br />
<i>"Well," said Tobiah, "you're later than I expected." I leaned on the wall and let my head drop back. "Someone couldn't just get crowned king and be done with it. I had to stay for almost the whole party after."</i></blockquote>
I don't want to give away any spoilers, but that wedding scene. <i>Holy hell</i>. I wasn't ready. Everything changed in a heartbeat, the space of a few sentences. I had to put the book down and clear my head for a moment. Arg! It was perfect and terrible, all at the same time, and I didn't know how to feel about it. <br />
Tobiah is that perfect book boyfriend that I am always looking for. He is mysterious and aloof, bored and intense, sensitive and noble. All of those gushy feels were present for him. He managed to be a complete asshole at times, but it was always to protect those that he loved. He always knew the perfect thing to say, as book boys tend to do, but his actions were sometimes less than honorable. I forgive him those faults, as he was consistently losing the people that he loved. My heart broke for him, and the fact that along with these losses, he was responsible for an entire kingdom under attack. I loved him and hated him all at once, and I love characters that can make me feel so much! <br />
The wraith boy that Wil created to save Skyvale was terrifying and deadly. His goals consisted of only one thing; pleasing his queen, regardless of the injury of innocents that came along with accomplishing that. It was scary, what someone will do in your name, and I remember Wil thinking this countless times. Yet she pursued no avenues to get rid of him. It was like he was her pet, and she was keeping him in case she needed to use him. I understand, but at the same time, he ruined so many lives. I would have kicked his ass out of the kingdom long before she decided to do something about him. <br />
<blockquote>
<i> Wraith was terrible stuff, of that I had no doubt. But in the shape of a boy, with a voice and consciousness, was it any different?</i></blockquote>
James was one of my favorite characters, and <i>that</i> particular twist involving him caught me off guard. I had no idea, although it was hinted at throughout the entire second book. A lot of the intrigue in this book was predictable, but there were many times where I was shocked and couldn't believe what had transpired. I loved it. Everything about it! Melanie totally redeemed herself, Patrick was still a complete asshole, Prince Colin was as always a douch-canoe. It was a beautiful story of unexpected heroes, haunting consequences, and forbidden choices. I recommend this duology to anyone who is a fan of Falling Kingdoms, Snow Like Ashes, etc.. A typical high fantasy of royalty, broken worlds, and unexpected betrayals. <3 <br><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkn4LaSQInQZSc3JPU0jsZ4NfmZfXeu_NvAVVZ7CSe0QcV1TvxG-Yo0p0B1D29_tEJps9Wsq8zQ4oVqwWbg1RLRE2l1beEtGmTqRgItorBfIgvakuDFQLPYXOj11mHUd69sT3N8BhP32B/s1600/morrighansig.png" align="right">
</3>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02196945104592374912noreply@blogger.com2