Category: Fantasy

A Chorus Rises Tour – Review & Giveaway

yaitslitinstaLeave a comment
Click the image to see my booksta post!

About the Book


Publisher : Tor Teen (June 1, 2021)
Language : English
Hardcover : 272 pages
ISBN-10 : 1250316030
ISBN-13 : 978-1250316035

The Hate U Give meets Shadowshaper in Bethany C. Morrow’s A Chorus Rises, a brilliant contemporary fantasy set in the world of A Song Below Water.

Teen influencer Naema Bradshaw has it all: she’s famous, privileged, has “the good hair”— and she’s an Eloko, a person who’s gifted with a song that woos anyone who hears it. Everyone loves her — well, until she’s cast as the awful person who exposed Tavia’s secret siren powers.

Now, she’s being dragged by the media. No one understands her side: not her boyfriend, not her friends, nor her Eloko community. But Naema knows the truth and is determined to build herself back up — no matter what.

When a new, flourishing segment of Naema’s online supporters start targeting black girls, however, Naema must discover the true purpose of her magical voice.

You can purchase A Chorus Rises at the following Retailers:
        

Praise for A Chorus Rises

“Morrow expertly and smartly explores race, bigotry, oppression, and injustice against a backdrop of ordinary life with a dose of the supernatural added to the mix. A Song Below Water is a must-read for lovers of fantasy and contemporary stories alike. ” ―Booklist, starred review

“Morrow has deftly woven a contemporary tale with mythical elements to take on the invisibility and marginalization of Black women, touching on issues such as misogynoir, body image, social justice, and generational trauma. Empowering and innovative. Morrow elevates mermaids and sirens to ­legitimate and compelling vanguards for social change.” ―School Library Journal

“A watery and melodic crossroads of the real and the mythic, A Song Below Water lures readers with its seductive and beautifully black siren song. An enthralling tale of black girl magic and searing social commentary ready to rattle the bones.” ―Dhonielle Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of The Belles series

“I love this book so, so much! Bethany C. Morrow delivers a blistering modern classic with this gorgeous tale of friendship and power. A Song Below Water somehow manages to be intensely happy and sad at the same time and all in the balance of great, riveting storytelling. The best YA novel I’ve read all year.” ―Daniel José Older, New York Times bestselling author of Shadowshaper

“Morrow masterfully blends the real lives of Black girls in contemporary Portland with a mythic world of sirens, gargoyles and other supernatural creatures to create a compelling coming-of-age story in which two sisters, bound by love and fate, find their voices and their power.” ―Rebecca Roanhorse, Hugo, Nebula and John W. Campbell Award Winner, author of Trail of Lightning and Star Wars: Resistance Reborn

“Empowering and full of surprises, A Song Below Water reminds us how important it is to use our voices, even when we’re afraid. Morrow has created a world that’s both familiar and brimming with fantastical creatures, and the result is timely, necessary, and utterly captivating.” ―Akemi Dawn Bowman, award-winning author of Starfish

“A rich, intricate dive into mythology, misogynoir, and the way the world makes black girls out to be monsters. Like the siren’s song, A Song Below Water is irresistibly compelling.” ―Heidi Heilig, award-winning author of The Girl from Everywhere

“The world is lush and intense, the voice intoxicating, and the message eternal. Morrow will have you under her spell from page one.” ―L.L. McKinney, author of the Nightmare-Verse series

“A compelling tale packed with endlessly inventive magical concepts, blazingly current social commentary, and heroines you’ll fall hopelessly in love with. I’m obsessed.” ―Sarah Kuhn, author of Heroine Complex series

“A Song Below Water is a lush, colorful, and deeply moving masterpiece about mythology, the sometimes masked evils of racism, and all the ways the world hurts black girls. An irresistible and perfectly bewitching read that I couldn’t put down!” ―Jay Coles, composer and author of Tyler Johnson Was Here

“A Song Below Water is a captivating tale about the magic of sisterhood and the importance of being seen for who you truly are.” ―Parker Peevyhouse, author of The Echo Room

“An exciting new contemporary fantasy. In this parallel world, black female empowerment is standing up for yourself and others while simultaneously navigating love, physical and emotional violence, and the responsibility of immense supernatural power.” ―Kirkus Reviews

Review

I was SO HAPPY to see this book! I read A Song Below Water last year and instantly fell in love with the unique world, so I am so happy to be revisiting this author and story. I also love love love the switch in perspective for this book! You know I’m a sucker for a good morally grey character.

I think what I like most about these books is that they’re so well blended. We’ve got an amazing story, a unique world, and some current issues addressed that we see in todays world. Plus the characters are written so well for the intended audience. We see teenagers acting like teenagers instead of the almost “too” mature ones you sometimes see in YA.

These books just hit that right spot that makes me happy while reading and I, as last year, look forward to seeing what Morrow puts out next! There’s a lot to love in this story and I actually might have liked it a little more than the first!

About the Author

Photo Content from Bethany C. Morrow 

Bethany C Morrow is an Indie Bestselling author who writes for adult and young adult audiences, in genres ranging from speculative literary to contemporary fantasy to historical. She is author of the novels MEM and A SONG BELOW WATER, which is an Audie, Ignyte and Locus finalist. She is editor/contributor to the young adult anthology TAKE THE MIC, the 2020 ILA Social Justice in Literature award winner. Her work has been chosen as Indies Introduce and Indie Next picks, and featured in The LA Times, Forbes, Bustle, Buzzfeed, and more. She is included on USA TODAY‘s list of 100 Black novelists and fiction writers you should read.

Goodreads
Website
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram

Tour Schedule

WEEK ONE
JUNE 21st MONDAY Kate Plus Books EXCERPT
JUNE 21st MONDAY My Fictional Oasis REVIEW
JUNE 22nd TUESDAY Insane About Books REVIEW
JUNE 23rd WEDNESDAY Emelie’s Books REVIEW
JUNE 24th THURSDAY Laura’s Bookish Corner REVIEW
JUNE 25th FRIDAY Casia’s Corner REVIEW

WEEK TWO
JUNE 28th MONDAY Ya It’s Lit REVIEW
JUNE 29th TUESDAY The Momma Spot REVIEW
JUNE 30th WEDNESDAY Ruei’s Reading Corner REVIEW
JULY 1st THURSDAY Gwendalyn’s Books REVIEW
JULY 2nd FRIDAY Kalisbookishrambles REVIEW
JULY 2nd FRIDAY Stacia Loves to Read REVIEW

Giveaway

3 Winners will receive a Copy of A CHORUS RISES by Bethany C. Morrow
Giveaway is open to International. | Must be 13+ to Enter

*JBN is not responsible for Lost or Damaged Books in your Nerdy Mail Box*

a Rafflecopter giveaway https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js
Rafflecopter

*I received a copy in exchange for an honest review*

The House of Always Tour – Review & Giveaway

yaitslitinstaLeave a comment
Click the image to see my booksta post!

About the Book


Publisher : Tor Books (May 11, 2021)
Language : English
Hardcover : 544 pages
ISBN-10 : 1250175674
ISBN-13 : 978-1250175670

For fans of Brandon Sanderson and Patrick Rothfuss, The House of Always is the fourth epic fantasy in Jenn Lyons’ Chorus of Dragons series that began with The Ruin of Kings.

What if you were imprisoned for all eternity?

In the aftermath of the Ritual of Night, everything has changed.

The Eight Immortals have catastrophically failed to stop Kihrin’s enemies, who are moving forward with their plans to free Vol Karoth, the King of Demons. Kihrin has his own ideas about how to fight back, but even if he’s willing to sacrifice everything for victory, the cost may prove too high for his allies.

Now they face a choice: can they save the world while saving Kihrin, too? Or will they be forced to watch as he becomes the very evil they have all sworn to destroy.

You can purchase The House of Always at the following Retailers:
        

Praise for The House of Always

“Lyons has cleverly taken the epic fantasy tropes of prophecy and lineage and stood them on their heads, all while delving deep into her multidimensional characters and spinning great battles with high body counts.” ―Booklist, starred review

Praise for THE RUIN OF KINGS

“[A] jaw-dropping, action-packed story of betrayal, greed, and grand-scale conspiracy . . . Lyons ties it all together seamlessly to create literary magic. Epic fantasy fans looking for a virtually un-put-down-able read should look no further.” ―Kirkus, starred review

“Rich, cruel, gorgeous, brilliant, enthralling and deeply, deeply satisfying. I loved it.” ―Lev Grossman, author of The Magicians

“It was one hell of a ride. I gobbled it up and was hungry for more.” ―Glen Cook, author of The Black Company

“The Ruin of Kings is a fascinating story about a compellingly conflicted young hero in an intriguingly complex world.” ―L. E. Modesitt, Jr., author of the Recluse series

“A thriller plot of revenge and loyalty with a get-under-your-skin and keep-you-reading-all-night mystery at its heart. I loved it.”―John Gwynne, author of Malice

“The Ruin of Kings revs up with the glitz of a high-speed, multi-level video game, with extreme magic and a teen hero with angst.” ―Janny Wurts, author of The Curse of the Mistwraith

Review

This book!!!! I waited so long!!! It was well worth the wait!!! Ok, so for fans of the A Chorus of Dragons you are absolutely going to love this one! And for newbies to the series, what are you waiting for? Go back to book one, grab a copy, and start this series! It’s well worth it for all my epic fantasy lovers and casual fantasy lovers alike.

I don’t want to give anything away plot wise, but you’re going to want to read this book ASAP! It, as to be expected, starts off strong and just keeps building as you become more and more invested in the story. So it’s safe to say it’s just as addicting as all the other books in the series, which means you’re going to want to put aside a good chunk of time to binge this (although I feel as if it’s not AS long as the others? But maybe my brain is playing tricks on me).

But yeah, this book was all I could ask for and then some. I don’t often read lengthy fantasy books (I’d all too easily fall down a rabbit hole since they’re my favorite), but when I do I’m never disappointed. However, this series is one of the extra amazing ones in the bunch!

About the Author

Photo Credit: Matthew & Nicole Nicholson, Dim Horizon Studio

Jenn Lyons’s childhood was spent in the safe havens of local libraries and bookstores, where even as her artistic talents began to develop she continued to nurture her love of science-fiction, fantasy, and noir detective stories. Being pale, not a friend of sunlight, and not much of a morning person, she set her sights on a career that would allow her to stay indoors or work at night (her favorite career pick was ‘cat burglar’) but she was devastated when she discovered that she would not, in fact, ever be able to marry Batman. Older but wiser, she turned from the life of a jewel thief to tackle a career as a graphic artist and illustrator, spending the next 20 years working in print media and advertising. A woman with too many hobbies (a list that included video games, fountain pens, table-top RPGs, LARPing, comic books, and costume design), Lyons was irresistibly drawn to making things up storytelling.

After making a dramatic shift in careers from graphic artist to video game producer, Jenn Lyons dedicated herself to writing. The Ruin of Kings and the Name of All Things, the first two books in Lyons’s five-book debut epic fantasy series from Tor Books, A Chorus of Dragons, are available now. The third book in the series, the Memory of Souls, arrives August 2020.

Jenn Lyons lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband, Michael Lyons (who is also a writer — and may or may not be Batman), a bunch of cats, and a whole lot of tea.
Goodreads
Website
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram

Tour Schedule

WEEK ONE
MAY 10th MONDAY JeanBookNerd INTERVIEW
MAY 11th TUESDAY Kait Plus Books EXCERPT
MAY 12th WEDNESDAY Movies, Shows, & Books EXCERPT
MAY 12th WEDNESDAY TTC Books and More GUEST POST
MAY 13th THURSDAY BookHounds INTERVIEW
MAY 13th THURSDAY Insane About Books REVIEW
May 14th FRIDAY Casia’s Corner EXCERPT
MAY 14th FRIDAY The Momma Spot REVIEW

WEEK TWO
MAY 17th MONDAY The Bookwyrm’s Den REVIEW
MAY 17th MONDAY I’m All About Books EXCERPT
MAY 18th TUESDAY Book Briefs REVIEW
MAY 19th WEDNESDAY Rajiv’s Reviews REVIEW
MAY 19th WEDNESDAY Books and Zebras REVIEW
MAY 20th Nay’s Pink Bookshelf REVIEW
MAY 20th THURSDAY Sarai’s Hidden Treasures REVIEW
MAY 21st FRIDAY Ya It’s Lit REVIEW

Giveaway

–  3 Winners will receive a Copy of THE HOUSE OF ALWAYS by Jenn Lyons.
– 1 Winner will receive THE HOUSE OF ALWAYS Storytellers BOX.
Giveaway is open to International. | Must be 13+ to Enter


*JBN is not responsible for Lost or Damaged Books in your Nerdy Mail Box*