Saturday, July 21, 2018

#BookReview: Bright We Burn (The Conqueror's Saga #3) by @kierstenwhite

Reviewed By: Jessica P. 
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Recommended Age: Young Adult 
Genre: Fantasy (Gender Swap, Vlad the Impaler)
About the Book:

Haunted by the sacrifices he made in Constantinople, Radu is called back to the new capital. Mehmed is building an empire, becoming the sultan his people need. But Mehmed has a secret: as emperor, he is more powerful than ever . . . and desperately lonely. Does this mean Radu can finally have more with Mehmed . . . and would he even want it? 

Lada's rule of absolute justice has created a Wallachia free of crime. But Lada won't rest until everyone knows that her country's borders are inviolable. Determined to send a message of defiance, she has the bodies of Mehmed's peace envoy delivered to him, leaving Radu and Mehmed with no choice. If Lada is allowed to continue, only death will prosper. They must go to war against the girl prince. 

But Mehmed knows that he loves her. He understands her. She must lose to him so he can keep her safe. Radu alone fears that they are underestimating his sister's indomitable will. Only by destroying everything that came before--including her relationships--can Lada truly build the country she wants. 

Claim the throne. Demand the crown. Rule the world.





#BookBlitz: The Gathering by @bg_writes_stuff #Giveaway @XpressoTours


The Gathering
Bernadette Giacomazzo
(The Uprising, #1)
Publication date: March 31st 2018
Genres: Adult, Dystopian
The Uprising Series tells the story of three freedom fighters and their friends in high — and low — places that come together to overthrow a vainglorious Emperor and his militaristic Cabal to restore the city, and the way of life, they once knew and loved.
In The Gathering, Jamie Ryan has defected from the Cabal and has joined his former brothers-in-arms — Basile Perrinault and Kanoa Shinomura — to form a collective known as The Uprising. When an explosion leads to him crossing paths with Evanora Cunningham — a product of Jamie’s past — he discovers that The Uprising is bigger, and more important, than he thought.









Friday, July 20, 2018

#BookReview of Falling into Place by @amyzwrites

Falling into Place
Reviewed By: Rachael
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Recommended Age: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary, Fiction
About the Book: Inertia, force, mass, gravity, velocity, acceleration... cause and effect.

Liz Emerson doesn't understand any of it.

But I do.

I understand how we fall. Where we fall. Why we fall.

I understand her sadness and loneliness and silence, her shattered heart.

It doesn't have to be this way, does it?

It wasn't always this way, was it?

Stay alive, Liz Emerson, stay alive.

On the day Liz Emerson tries to die, they had reviewed Newton's laws of motion in physics class. Then, after school, she put them into practice by running her Mercedes off the road. Why did Liz Emerson decide that the world would be better off without her? Why did she give up? The nonlinear novel pieces together the short and devastating life of Meridian High's most popular junior girl. Mass, acceleration, momentum, force—Liz didn't understand it in physics, and even as her Mercedes hurtles toward the tree, she doesn't understand it now. How do we impact one another? How do our actions reverberate? What does it mean to be a friend? To love someone? To be a daughter? Or a mother? Is life truly more than cause and effect? Amy Zhang's haunting and universal story will appeal to fans of Lauren Oliver, Gayle Forman, and Jay Asher.





#CoverReveal: Sugar Spells (The Spellwork Syndicate #2) by @Lola_Dodge @XpressoTours


Sugar Spells
Lola Dodge
(The Spellwork Syndicate #2)
Published by: Ink Monster LLC
Publication date: October 30th 2018
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult
After her run-in with a jealous warlock, apprentice baker Anise Wise can’t wait to get back into the kitchen where she belongs. But thanks to her brush with death, the land of the living isn’t all cupcakes and marshmallows.
Anise’s magical mojo is way out of whack and her changed powers are stirring up trouble. The town’s abuzz with news that Anise can bake deathly spells, and unsavory characters start lining up for a taste. They’ll stop at nothing to use Anise and her witchcraft to further their own plots.
She plans to hole up researching solutions until the attention dies down, but then she discovers the horrifying terms of her bodyguard’s contract. Wynn has saved her life so many times, she can’t leave him trapped. Doing the right thing will mean risking death or worse—losing her dream job.
For this witch, justice might not be as sweet as advertised.


#BookReview: Now I Rise (The Conqueror's Saga #2) by @kierstenwhite

Reviewed By: Jessica P. 
Publisher:  Delacorte Press
Recommended Age: Young Adult 
Genre: Fantasy (Gender Swap, Vlad the Impaler) 
About the Book:

Lada Dracul has no allies. No throne. All she has is what she’s always had: herself. After failing to secure the Wallachian throne, Lada is out to punish anyone who dares to cross her blood-strewn path. Filled with a white-hot rage, she storms the countryside with her men, accompanied by her childhood friend Bogdan, terrorizing the land. But brute force isn’t getting Lada what she wants. And thinking of Mehmed brings little comfort to her thorny heart. There’s no time to wonder whether he still thinks about her, even loves her. She left him before he could leave her.

What Lada needs is her younger brother Radu’s subtlety and skill. But Mehmed has sent him to Constantinople—and it’s no diplomatic mission. Mehmed wants control of the city, and Radu has earned an unwanted place as a double-crossing spy behind enemy lines. Radu longs for his sister’s fierce confidence—but for the first time in his life, he rejects her unexpected plea for help. Torn between loyalties to faith, to the Ottomans, and to Mehmed, he knows he owes Lada nothing. If she dies, he could never forgive himself—but if he fails in Constantinople, will Mehmed ever forgive him?

As nations fall around them, the Dracul siblings must decide: what will they sacrifice to fulfill their destinies? Empires will topple, thrones will be won . . . and souls will be lost.





#BookBlitz: Reign to Ruin by @authorzoeyellis #Giveaway @XpressoTours


Reign to Ruin
Zoey Ellis
(Myth of Omega #4)
Publication date: July 19th 2018
Genres: Adult, Dark Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
He will ruin her – until she knows nothing but him
The Alpha King
Corruption and sadism plague every corner of his kingdom. He remains in the center of it all; a handsome, charming, master manipulator.
Furious at the knowledge that rare Omegas hide in his castle, King Malloron uses magic and deception to draw one out.
Striking a deal with her that he knows he will not honor, they begin an exchange of wits that intrigues him much more than it should. 
He forces her into the depravities of his dark world, determined to destroy her and use her for his own ends, only to find that he may not be the only one with the power to ruin.
The Omega Diplomat
Trained to deal with the devious and treacherous people of the kingdom, Amara never anticipated tackling the biggest deceiver of them all.
Desperate for his secrets, she has to be willing to be corrupted, dominated and shattered to get to the truth, but is soon horrified to learn that King Malloron’s reign goes deeper than just his kingdom; he rules her instincts too.
Reign to Ruin is the first book in this couple’s story, but the fourth installment of the Myth of Omega series. This is a dark, erotic, Omegaverse romance. Cliff-hanger included. For fans of charmingly cruel Alpha anti-heroes, sassy Omega heroines, epic fantasy worlds and captive romances. Discover a magical kind of dark…
Reign To Ruin is an explicit reading experience from sexual scenes to violence and language. Includes disturbing situations and romance of a dark nature. For readers aged 18 and over.



EXCERPT:
As she hovered in the center of the room, next to a solid wooden table, she heard the doors shut and lock behind her, and her heart began to pound. A room like this was not where she expected the king to take her.
The swish of his cloak came close behind her and she was rotated in the air until she faced him.
Amara had only ever seen the king from a distance. And even then, she tried not to let her eyes wander to him whenever he was nearby. None of the other real servants looked at him directly, and she had always copied their behavior and posture as much as possible to try to blend in. But now that she had the chance to scrutinize him up-close, it was like finally putting a face to the horrible mental depiction she had of the king for so long.
Unfortunately, he was extremely good-looking. It was said that most of the Visant family were, but she’d never seen him close enough to realize just how good-looking he was. His chiseled features and refined appearance suited the room they were in, yet didn’t seem to match his threatening appearance in the corridor, but she knew better than to take anything at face value with him.
His eyes were a deep brown, as was his hair, and both complemented his tan brown skin, but the other defining thing about him was his size. The man was enormous, even in the spacious room they were in. Perhaps because he was always well-dressed and surround by men of a similar size, he had never seemed quite so big from a distance.
While she examined him, the Alpha stared at her with interest, his eyes taking in everything about her. He then stepped back and began his assessment over her body, rotating her with the magic that held her to look over all areas of her, front and back. Anger trickled into Amara as he surveyed her. It was obvious he was sizing her up for his slave service, which infuriated her. If he thought she was going to allow herself to be the first Omega in over a century to be prostituted out to his dukes, lords, and noblemen, he had no idea who he was dealing with. There was plenty she had already seen in this room that could be used to enact the suicide protocol, and as soon as she had the change she would be following procedure. He was welcome to give her corpse to those depraved bastards—they would probably still use it anyway.
When he turned her back to face him, he observed for a long moment, an amusement growing among the curiosity in his eyes.
“Your anger is intriguing,” he murmured, lifting a hand to her face. A rough finger trailed from the corner of her eye down her cheek. “I have to wonder what you could possibly be angry about since you are the one conducting illegal activities in my castle.”
Amara held her eyes on him, even more annoyed she could not escape his touch. It sent a shiver down her, sparking a fear of strange men touching her while she was incapable of escaping.
“Admit it,” he said, tilting his head to watch her. “Admit your true purpose here. There is no point in continuing with this denial when I have you so tightly in my grasp.” His hand lowered down her neck to her chest. “I will not allow you any freedoms or any pleasures unless you are completely honest with me.”

Author Bio:
Zoey Ellis writes dark-edged, speculative romances bursting with passionate, carnal steam. She loves tortured, possessive, alpha heroes and is obsessed with exploring love in its raw form and how that can manifest in different circumstances and settings.
Her goal is to build a catalogue of thrilling, sexy, fantastical romances that come complete with roller-coaster experiences, unique worlds, and happy endings. Currently she writing M/F Omegaverse series Myth of Omega.
Zoey is a Londoner, a bookaholic and a proud collector of OTT possessive book boyfriends she won't share.
Snoop around her online home: www.zoeyellis.com

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#NerdBlast: Heart of Mist (The Oremere Chronicles #1) by @helenscheuerer @JeanBookNerd #Giveaway


Publisher: Talem Press
Recommended Age: Young Adult 
Genre: Fantasy
About the Book:

In a realm where toxic mist sweeps the lands and magic is forbidden, all Bleak wants is a cure for her power.

Still grieving the death of her guardian and dangerously self-medicating with alcohol, Bleak is snatched from her home by the Commander of the King’s Army, and summoned to the capital.

But the king isn’t the only one interested in Bleak’s powers.

The leader of an infamous society of warriors, the Valia Kindred, lays claim to her as well, and Bleak finds herself in the middle of a much bigger battle than she anticipated.

Heart of Mist is the gripping first book in The Oremere Chronicles, a fantasy series of epic proportions.