The Final Paladin by T.J. Akers

About the book:

Life for Peg Bowman is rough in the infamous slums of Five Points, New York, but her brother’s murder changes everything.

Thrust into incredible worlds beyond any story she’s ever heard, Peg meets Sir Godfrey, an eleven-hundred-year-old knight from Charlemange’s court, trainer of Paladins. He reveals to Peg her family’s ancient obligation to protect the Key of Apollyon, a relic of immense power. She is the last descendant of the Paladins and his only hope for keeping it safe.

When Godfrey confides her brother was murdered because of the Key, Peg rejects her calling and demands revenge, a luxury she can ill afford as otherworldly creatures seek her death to claim the key’s power for themselves.

Can Godfrey and his faithful retinue–Chim the Hobgoblin, Rebecca the Jewish maven and healer, and Jack the sometimes human and sometimes seven-foot black dog–keep her safe and convince her that her calling is worth pursuing? Or will she succumb to the key’s lure and wield it for revenge?

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My review:

This was a fun read. I was fascinated with how the author managed to incorporate so many different characters from folklore (everything from kobolds to the Sandman to trolls and more) and have them all seem as if they perfectly belonged in the story.

And Peg is such a great character. Her emotions were so genuine: that deep-seated need to exact revenge, the desire to know more about those she’s lost, the cheekiness, and the strength, all made for a well-rounded personality that was easy to cheer for.

But my favorite parts of the story were the kind of alternate-history pieces the author wove (in interesting ways) into the narrative. Fascinating.

I enjoyed reading The Final Paladin and look forward to reading the next installment in the series. 🙂

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I want to thank the wonderful people at L2L2 Publishing. I actually won this book (along with several others!) at a book launch party for one of their most recent releases. I always enjoy the books that L2L2 publishes, so if you’re looking for a good read, check them out! 🙂

Emberhawk by Jamie Foley

About the book:

The elementals have decided they’re gods, and humans are nothing but fuel for their fire.

A starving trapper.

Merciless drought withers Kira’s ranch, leaving her family hungry—and desperate enough to cross the border into the forbidden forest to trap wild game.

But the forest is infested with tree-scorpions and giant cats that wield elemental invisibility, and they’re hungry, too. When Kira mistakes one elemental creature for another, she ends up with the last thing she wants in her trap: an enemy soldier.

An invisible spy.

Ryon can’t afford to be a prisoner of war. If the Malaano Empire extracts his secrets, the rumors of war will be confirmed—and the tribes stand little chance against the Empire unless they can put aside generations of bad blood for the sake of a Tribal Alliance.

When Ryon’s escape leaves Kira injured and her livelihood in flames, Ryon must choose between aiding her… or returning to his chieftess with vital information. But can he survive the trek when an elemental pursues him for his rejected heritage?

A sacrificial princess.

Imperial Princess Vylia is given a powerful ancient stone as her wavesinger trials approach. But is the stone’s whispering voice from the water goddess, or a masquerading elemental the creator god imprisoned millennia ago?

When Vylia’s diplomatic mission to the tribal lands erupts in fiery revenge, she, Kira, and Ryon must work together to survive—or become pawns in the battle of the gods.

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My review:

I had no idea what to expect when I began reading this book. A few authors I follow had recommended it, so I figured it had to be pretty good. Honestly, it was better than pretty good. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Emberhawk.

The author crafted a spectacular world, filled with remarkable characters caught up in a story of intrigue, survival, and heart. Her religious/magic system was so interesting and so intricate that I was almost immediately pulled into the world of the Katrosi Revolution. After diving in, this was a riptide of a story that I was happily swept away with. Of course, I wouldn’t want to find myself trapped in a tree-scorpion nest!

I would highly recommend you grab a copy of Emberhawk and get lost in Jamie Foley’s world. Just watch out for trace cats. 😉

Many thanks to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for the e-copy of this book for review purposes. I was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my very own! 🙂

Cover Reveal for Gretchen and the Bear

So, I am super excited to read this one! Carrie Anne Noble’s latest book will be out in the wild soon, but until then, here’s a description to pique your interest…

She’s only just moved to the regenerated Earth from an orbiting station, and now sixteen-year-old Gretchen must travel to dangerous, Faerie-ruled Britain to rescue her runaway stepsister. There, she meets the Bearfolk–people who sometimes take the form of bears. Kindhearted seventeen-year-old Arthur wants to help, but his scheming mother plans to use Gretchen to win an age-old Faerie war. When the mission proves costly, will Gretchen and Arthur find the courage to sacrifice what they love most to save the ones they hold most dear?

Sounds fascinating, doesn’t it??

And now, drum roll please………

You can preorder Gretchen and the Bear on Amazon, and get your own copy as soon as it releases in June!

Happy reading! 🙂

The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller

About the book:

Alessandra is tired of being overlooked, but she has a plan to gain power:

1) Woo the Shadow King.
2) Marry him.
3) Kill him and take his kingdom for herself.

No one knows the extent of the freshly crowned Shadow King’s power. Some say he can command the shadows that swirl around him to do his bidding. Others say they speak to him, whispering the thoughts of his enemies. Regardless, Alessandra knows what she deserves, and she’s going to do everything within her power to get it.

But Alessandra’s not the only one trying to kill the king. As attempts on his life are made, she finds herself trying to keep him alive long enough for him to make her his queen—all while struggling not to lose her heart. After all, who better for a Shadow King than a cunning, villainous queen?

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My review:

I honestly read this book in less than two days, because I just couldn’t put it down. I loved Levenseller’s Daughter of the Pirate King duology, so I had high expectations going into this. The Shadows Between Us most certainly lived up to those expectations.

“Cunning” and “villainous” perfectly sum up Alessandra…but I liked her for it. She was smart, sassy, knew exactly what she wanted, and was never discouraged by other people’s opinions of her. In fact, she used them to her advantage.

I would, however, recommend this book for the older end of the YA spectrum (I would not let my twelve-year-old goddaughter read this!). From the very first page, Alessandra uses her sexuality to get what she wants: whether it is power or money or simply something to relieve her boredom, she knows how to effectively use her feminine wiles. And use them she does!

The Shadows Between Us is a great fantasy read, and I highly recommend you get lost in this book when it is released in February! Until then, preorder so you can be sure to read it as soon as possible. 😉

Many thanks to MacMillan Children’s Publishing Group/Feiwel & Friends and NetGalley for this ebook for review purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my very own! 🙂

Fireborne by Rosaria Munda

About the book:

Game of Thrones meets Red Rising in a debut young adult fantasy that’s full of rivalry, romance . . . and dragons.

Annie and Lee were just children when a brutal revolution changed their world, giving everyone–even the lowborn–a chance to test into the governing class of dragonriders.

Now they are both rising stars in the new regime, despite backgrounds that couldn’t be more different. Annie’s lowborn family was executed by dragonfire, while Lee’s aristocratic family was murdered by revolutionaries. Growing up in the same orphanage forged their friendship, and seven years of training have made them rivals for the top position in the dragonriding fleet.

But everything changes when survivors from the old regime surface, bent on reclaiming the city.

With war on the horizon and his relationship with Annie changing fast, Lee must choose to kill the only family he has left or to betray everything he’s come to believe in. And Annie must decide whether to protect the boy she loves . . . or step up to be the champion her city needs.

From debut author Rosaria Munda comes a gripping adventure that calls into question which matters most: the family you were born into, or the one you’ve chosen.

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My review:

Fireborne is one of those books–you know the type I’m talking about, right? Those books that stick with you long after you’ve turned the last page. Those books that made you laugh or cry or grip the edge of your seat in the tension of the moment (or all three, in this case!). I loved reading Fireborne and am so impressed that this is Munda’s debut novel.

This reminded me in some ways of Naomi Novik’s Temeraire Series, but even better. Instead of adding dragons into history, Munda took the historical political upheaval of something like the French Revolution and reimagined it in a fantasy world. Think of some of the best parts of A Tale of Two Cities and The Scarlet Pimpernel: the intrigue, the betrayal, the love, the heartbreak, the politics, the danger…but with dragons. And I personally feel that every story can only be made better with dragons! 😉

Wonderfully written, beautifully paced, and perfectly cast, Fireborne is a promise that Rosaria Munda will be a favorite author. Here’s looking forward to many more books in the Aurelian Cycle!

Many thanks to Penguin Young Readers Group and NetGalley for the digital ARC of this novel for review purposes. I was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my very own! 🙂

Daughter of Sun, Bride of Ice by H.L. Burke

About the book:

To save a kingdom, she must lose her heart.

Born a princess in a land where the sun never sets, Arynne longs for the freedom to use her inborn magic. When an emissary from the dark side of the world requests an alliance sealed by marriage, Arynne jumps at a chance to escape the rules of her homeland, even if it means marrying a prince she’s never met and never seeing the sun again.

The starlit kingdom of Frorheim believes that only a marriage of a Solean Sun Princess to their Star Prince will thwart the return of a feared sorcerer. Arynne meets the qualifications, but the journey is perilous. Even more dangerous to Arynne, however, is her growing attraction to the roguish Frorian soldier, Kajik.

In the throes of true love, Arynne rues her betrothal to the unknown prince. Can she follow her heart knowing that if she forsakes her vow, Frorheim is doomed, and herself along with it?

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My review:

Oh my goodness, I enjoyed this book so much that I actually went to bed early, so I could read without distractions! I found myself so wrapped up in the story of Arynne and Kajik, cheering them on when things went right, cringing when things went awry, and hoping that all would work out in the end, that I read deep into the night just so I could finish.

Built on an intriguing premise, in which the planet sopped turning generations ago and some people have adapted to live in constant sun and some in constant dark, H.L. Burke’s divided world is both fascinating and frightening. But she managed to craft plausible fixes for all of the what-ifs in her world, while keeping the pace of the plot steady. And her characters are wonderfully drawn and still maintain that H.L. Burke snark that I so enjoy.

And book two, Prince of Stars, Son of Fate, is already out, so we don’t even have to wait to find out how the duology ends! Yay! I definitely recommend you grab a copy of Daughter of Sun, Bride of Ice and get swept away too. 🙂

Happy reading!

The Harp of Kings by Juliet Marillier

About the book:

A young woman is both a bard–and a warrior–in this thrilling historical fantasy from the author of the Sevenwaters novels.

Eighteen-year-old Liobhan is a powerful singer and an expert whistle player. Her brother has a voice to melt the hardest heart, and a rare talent on the harp. But Liobhan’s burning ambition is to join the elite warrior band on Swan Island. She and her brother train there to compete for places, and find themselves joining a mission while still candidates. Their unusual blend of skills makes them ideal for this particular job, which requires going undercover as traveling minstrels. For Swan Island trains both warriors and spies.

Their mission: to find and retrieve a precious harp, an ancient symbol of kingship, which has gone mysteriously missing. If the instrument is not played at the upcoming coronation, the candidate will not be accepted and the people could revolt. Faced with plotting courtiers and tight-lipped druids, an insightful storyteller, and a boorish Crown Prince, Liobhan soon realizes an Otherworld power may be meddling in the affairs of the kingdom. When ambition clashes with conscience, Liobhan must make a bold decision and is faced with a heartbreaking choice. . .

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My review:

This was a fabulous read. Told from three perspectives, we glimpse the trials and triumphs of Liobhan, Brocc, and Dau, three warrior/spies in training. Three voices, one story; three tunes, one song: for Brocc it is the deep, resonant notes that thrum along his harp/heartstrings, guiding him to the truth of who he is and what choices he must make. For Liobhan, it is the whistle of a pipe, leading the march for the warriors, but also trilling a playful tune to teach her that life is about more than just war, it is tied to the heart. For Dau, it is the rhythm tapped out on the bodhran, steady and sure to show him that his past does not define him, but does strengthen him.

I so enjoyed reading this story and getting caught up in Marillier’s lyrical storytelling. She crafted both a beautiful world and thoroughly-fleshed characters which brought this story depth and breadth. I look forward to getting lost in her worlds again.

Many thanks to Berkley Publishing Group/Ace and NetGalley for the digital ARC of this novel for review purposes. I was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my very own! 🙂

Vow of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson

About the book:

Kazi and Jase have survived, stronger and more in love than ever. Their new life now lies before them―the Ballengers will be outlaws no longer, Tor’s Watch will be a kingdom, and the two of them will meet all challenges side by side, together at last.

But an ominous warning mars their journey back, and in their rush to return to Tor’s Watch, just outside the fortress walls, they are violently attacked and torn apart―and each is thrust into their own new hell.

Unsure whether the other is alive or dead, Kazi and Jase must keep their wits among their greatest enemies and unlikeliest allies. And all the while, Death watches and waits.

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My review:

If you have not delved into the world of the Remnant Chronicles, you are so missing out! I truly love getting swept away into Mary E. Pearson’s world and highly recommend that you do too. This latest installment, Vow of Thieves, is one of the best of the saga.

Kazi and Jase’s story began in Dance of Thieves, and Pearson left us all desperate to know what would happen next. Kazi is an awesome heroine: a skilled fighter, with a heart of gold, who puts everyone else first; and Jase is her perfect complement. Which, of course, means that they end up making things more complicated by trying to solve the kingdom’s problems by themselves, creating a wonderfully complicated plot, full of ups and downs. The story sank its talons into me immediately and carried me on a grueling, twisting, action-packed ride, one in which I didn’t want to land. It was definitely the type of book that I wanted to read more and more, but never wanted to finish! 🙂

I love how the world of the Remnant Chronicles grows more detailed as the series evolves, how Pearson has taken us into an entirely new area of this world, along with an alternate history, opening up unlimited possibilities for tales of the Remnant. So much promise for the future of the Chronicles!

Trust me, however, you want to read the other books (at the very least, start with Dance of Thieves) so you can truly understand what is happening. Though she does refer to activity from the first trilogy (The Beauty of Darkness, The Heart of Betrayal, and The Kiss of Deception), you could still definitely get lost in this book without knowing all of the details. But they are so good, you’ll want to read them anyway. 🙂

So many thanks to Macmillan Children’s Publishing/Henry Holt and Co. and NetGalley for the digital ARC of this novel for review purposes. I was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my very own! 🙂

To Best the Boys by Mary Weber

About the book:

The task is simple:

Don a disguise. Survive the labyrinth. Best the boys.

Every year for the past fifty-four years, the residents of Pinsbury Port receive a mysterious letter inviting all eligible-aged boys to compete for an esteemed scholarship to the all-male Stemwick University. Every year, the poorer residents look to see that their names are on the list. The wealthier look to see how likely their sons are to survive. And Rhen Tellur opens it to see if she can derive which substances the ink and parchment are created from, using her father’s microscope.

In the province of Caldon, where women are trained in wifely duties and men are encouraged into collegiate education, sixteen-year-old Rhen Tellur wants nothing more than to become a scientist. As the poor of her seaside town fall prey to a deadly disease, she and her father work desperately to find a cure. But when her Mum succumbs to it as well? Rhen decides to take the future into her own hands—through the annual all-male scholarship competition.

With her cousin, Seleni, by her side, the girls don disguises and enter Mr. Holm’s labyrinth, to best the boys and claim the scholarship prize. Except not everyone’s ready for a girl who doesn’t know her place. And not everyone survives the maze.

Welcome to the labyrinth.

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My review:

What a ride! I both giggled and gasped my way through To Best the Boys. It was loads of fun accompanied by moments of deep truth. Weber built a fascinating, yet familiar world and populated it with smart, snarky characters. And over all of it, she sent the message that girls can be strong, loving, intelligent, and beautiful all at the same time.

Mary Weber is a master a creating strong, yet vulnerable, female protagonists: Nym, Sofi, and now Rhen, are characters girls of all ages can look up to. Rhen shows us that constraints of society can never hold you back when determination and love are allowed to reign in your heart, a lesson that we all need to be reminded of occasionally.

For me, this is Mary Weber’s best since her Storm Siren Trilogy. It’s a book that I want to read again and again to really pick up on all the nuances of language and truth that are packed onto each page. I highly recommend you pick up your own copy, and one for each of the young women you know who could use some positive inspiration.

Many thanks to Thomas Nelson publishers for the copy of this novel for review purposes. I was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my very own!

A Dream Within A Dream Blog Tour

Let’s kick this off by marveling at this gorgeous cover…

About the book:

Invisible to the man she loves, Reeve Lennox fights to reclaim him from a dark world.

As her wedding day nears in Acarsaid, her betrothed Arden offers only his wayward soul and saucy tongue. At night she desperately tries to reach Bran, the young soldier of nightmarish Tenebris who holds her heart. However, her king insists that the realms of Tenebris and Acarsaid must remain separate, lest the evil wizard Rancore brutally conquer all.

But the dark magic of Tenebris defies mere distance. A war is coming, one only Reeve may be able to prevent, if she can reunite her family on opposing sides.

With two kingdoms at stake, Reeve must discover her strength and her family’s legacy before all is lost. Yet righting the wrongs of the past may require the sacrifice of her truest love.

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My review:

How do I put into words just how much I loved this book (and the first book in the duology, All That We See Or Seem), without sounding like a complete dork? I have no idea. But I do know that I absolutely devoured this book, and I had no desire to ever leave the co-worlds of Acarsaid and Tenebris — giant, flesh-eating falcons notwithstanding.

I don’t know how she did it, but Kristina Mahr made me a fan from the first page. Maybe it was her lyrical prose which leant a beautiful rhythm to her words, or the deftly created co-worlds of Acarsaid and Tenebris, or the tension she packed on the pages. Or maybe, just maybe, it was because I wanted Reeve to have the best of both worlds — to have the quiet strength and deep love of Bran, as well as the sultry flattery and broken heart of Arden. Both sides of the love triangle brought out the best in Reeve’s character, and I found myself torn for her sake.

A Dream Within a Dream is a beautiful, fantastic read that I cannot recommend highly enough. If you want to get lost in a magical world, pick this one!

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Keep reading for some Bonus Content (that’s right…bonus!):

First, a brief interview with author Kristina Mahr about her writing process and inspirations. Kristina devotes her days to numbers and her nights to words. She works full-time as an accountant in the suburbs of Chicago, where she lives with her two dogs and two cats, but her true passion is writing. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, reading, and waking up at the crack of dawn every weekend to watch the Premier League.

How did you come up with the idea for A Dream Within A Dream?

My sister had a dream way back in February 2014 about a girl who falls in love with a boy she meets in her dreams, which has always been the core of the Dreamworld Duology. The plot of A Dream Within a Dream specifically came about very naturally, building upon the conflicts and storylines that were set up in All That We See or Seem. I had spent the years since writing the first book pondering what might’ve happened next, so I had many ideas already in mind when I actually sat down to outline and write the sequel.

Which books or authors have influenced you the most?

Maggie Stiefvater and Tahereh Mafi have been my biggest influences in terms of writing. I love their lyrical prose, the way it’s almost poetry. I can flip to almost any page of their books and find a line that is drop-dead gorgeous.

What is your writing process like?

It took me a lot of trial and error to find a process that works for me, but I feel like I’ve got it down now! I like to plan for two-three evenings a week of writing, plus at least part of the weekend. When I sit down to write, I set a minimum word count goal, and then a stretch-goal. (I almost always end up going for the stretch-goal!) Then, I reread what I wrote in the prior writing session, tidy it up a bit, and get back into the story.

I have a beautiful loft upstairs with a desk and a comfy chair and a giant bookcase, but I almost always write while lounging on my couch with a cat wedged between me and my laptop.

What gave you the most difficulty when writing A Dream Within A Dream?

Keeping track of characters! I have so many secondary characters in this book, and I kept losing them as the plot heated up and storylines started colliding. I ended up having to write down where everyone was, even the people who weren’t in a given scene, just to make sure everyone was accounted for.

What is your favorite writing fuel?

I am an iced tea junkie, specifically Diet Raspberry Snapple and Peach Crystal Light.

What made you decide to create a love triangle?

You know, one of my favorite things about the love triangle trope is how it forces the main character to really do a deep-dive into herself, into what she wants/needs, who she truly is. One of the biggest tensions in the story is Reeve feeling as though she’s being torn in two, leading two lives, as she falls further and further into the nightmare world of Tenebris and gets to know its residents. So it made sense to me to have her heart feel torn in two, as well, especially as one of the things she wants most is to fall in love and be loved. Careful what you wish for, Reeve!

What’s your next project?

I am currently ankle-deep in drafting a contemporary young adult novel, which is my first foray away from fantasy! I’m really enjoying it so far, even though I’d never say never to returning to fantasy at some point.

Find out more about Kristina by visiting her on social media:

• Website: https://kristinamahr.com/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kristina_Mahr
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinamahr

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And now, if you have yet to read All That We See Or Seem, the first book in the Dreamworld Duology, trust me, you need to. Not only because they really should be read in the right order to help with understanding what’s going on, but also because IT IS AWESOME! So, here’s the cover and blurb to tempt you…

Every night, seventeen-year-old Reeve Lennox finds herself under a noose.

By day she is a lady of Acarsaid’s royal house, daydreaming of adventure and love. But every night in sleep she wanders through a nightmarish city, an invisible witness to the screeches of monsters and the screams of their victims. Her only consolation is Bran, a battle-torn young man with a selfless heart and eyes that reflect the stars.

Yet while Reeve falls deeper into her dreams, in truth she is engaged to Arden, a mercurial nobleman who has long been cured of his belief in love and breathes fire and flattery like other people breathe air.

Torn between two lives, Reeve struggles to remember what’s real. Until night a day collide, with a revelation that threatens all of Acarsaid.

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Seriously, I want to read these books again and again, I so thoroughly enjoyed them. I’d so very highly recommend you grab them for yourself. You can purchase both books through Uncommon Universes Press (including autographed copies!!).

Many, many thanks to Uncommon Universes Press for allowing me to be part of this blog tour and for the copy of the book for review purposes. I was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my very own! 🙂