In a society where self-preservation is as much an art as a science, Norah and Arthur are learning how to co-exist in their new little world. Though they hardly know each other, everything seems to be going perfectly—from the home they’re building together to the ring on Norah’s finger.
But survival in this world is a tricky thing, the air is thicker every day and illness creeps fast through the body. And the earth is becoming increasingly hostile to live in. Fortunately, Easton Grove is here for that in the form of a perfect little bundle to take home and harvest. You can live for as long as you keep it—or her—close.
This book is just so interesting and wild and such a good read! Plus that cover should be enough to intrigue you. I really am a sucker for a good cover and will willingly admit that that is what first drew me to this one. And I’m glad I listened to that because it’s also a really great story.
So, surprise surprise, this is another book that I don’t really want to get much into. It’s just something that you have to let unfold around you as you read it. But just be prepared for an extremely ephemeral and haunting read. It’s one of those books that is just so well written that you could see the events actually unfolding.
This book is both an excellent read as well as one that will make you take a moment to think once you’re done. And that moment might turn into something longer because it’s really one of those stories that will stick with you long after. So this is definitely one that I recommend you pick up!
Caroline Hardaker lives in the north east of England and writes quite a lot of things. She earned her BA (English Literature) and MA (Cultural and Heritage Studies) from Newcastle University, and her main problem is limiting herself to one idea at once, or maybe two ideas, or three…
Caroline’s debut poetry collection, Bone Ovation, was published by Valley Press in 2017, and her first full length collection, Little Quakes Every Day, was published by Valley Press in November 2020.
Caroline’s debut novel, Composite Creatures, will be published by Angry Robot in April 2021. It’s available to pre-order now (please do take a look!)
Caroline’s poetry has been published worldwide, most recently in Magma, The Interpreter’s House, The Emma Press, Neon Magazine, Shoreline of Infinity, Eyewear Publishing’s Best New British and Irish Poets, and Contemporary British Poetry from Platypus Press. This blog was set up in late 2015 and you can see some of her publication credits since then via the Poems and Stories section.
ASIN : B0879J44XZ Publisher : Tor Books; 1st edition (April 13, 2021) Publication date : April 13, 2021 Language : English
A legendary serial killer stalks the streets of a fantastical city in The Helm of Midnight, the stunning first novel in a new trilogy from acclaimed author Marina Lostetter.
In a daring and deadly heist, thieves have made away with an artifact of terrible power–the death mask of Louis Charbon. Made by a master craftsman, it is imbued with the spirit of a monster from history, a serial murderer who terrorized the city with a series of gruesome murders.
Now Charbon is loose once more, killing from beyond the grave. But these murders are different from before, not simply random but the work of a deliberate mind probing for answers to a sinister question.
It is up to Krona Hirvath and her fellow Regulators to enter the mind of madness to stop this insatiable killer while facing the terrible truths left in his wake.
You can purchaseThe Helm of Midnight at the following Retailers:
Praise for The Helm of Midnight
“The Helm of Midnight transports readers to an intensely unique and creative world, with interwoven secrets and heart-pounding action. Bloody, ambitious, and absolutely riveting.” ―Andrea Stewart, author of The Bone Shard Daughter
“A mysterious and mind-ripping journey through the mystic depths of time and the darkness of the human psyche.” ―Matt Wallace, author of the Sin du Jour and Savage Rebellion series
“Beautiful and vicious, The Helm of Midnight will snare you with its intriguing mystery and then enthrall you with its rich characters and inventive world.” ―Megan E. O’Keefe, author of Velocity Weapon
Review
This. Book. Is. So. Good. And it’s honestly what I’ve needed. I don’t know about you, but reading for me this year has been weird so far. I’ve just found myself so stressed and all over the place and honestly my reading has done the same thing. And this book just reeled me right back in with a style that just really takes it back to what I love to read most. I mean I loveeee fantasy, as you can probably tell, but I also love a really intricately woven story and world as well as some dark murderous aspects. And this book delivered.
Ok, now this book is fantasy but it’s not TOO fantasy. So fantasy wary readers I urge you to give this one a try. And fantasy lovers, like myself, I also urge you to read this because you’ll still love it. Especially if you’re into a sort of steam punk, serial killer, almost want to say anime (you know that niche) vibe. Plus I really loved the characters. So there’s just a really excellent combination of character development, plot (which sometimes gets lost in fantasy I will admit), and world building (yay!).
Now, I just have to say I need more now. I mean, I know we’re getting more to this series but I’m an impatient person at heart. Especially when I really find something I like. But alas, I shall wait. And I hope to convince you to wait along with me.
About the Author
Photo Credit: Jeff Nelson
The open skies and dense forests of the Pacific Northwest are ideal for growing speculative fiction authors–or, at least, Marina Lostetter would like to think so. Originally from Oregon, she now resides in Arkansas with her spouse, Alex. In her spare time she enjoys globetrotting, board games, and all things art-related. Her original short fiction has appeared in venues such as Lightspeed, Uncanny, and Shimmer Magazine. Her debut novel, NOUMENON, and its sequels, NOUMENON INFINITY and NOUMENON ULTRA, are available from Harper Voyager. Her first fantasy novel, THE HELM OF MIDNIGHT, is forthcoming from Tor. In addition, she has written tie-in materials for Star Citizen and the Aliens franchise. She is represented by DongWon Song of the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency, and she tweets as @MarinaLostetter.
Lilac Girls introduced readers to Caroline Ferriday, an American philanthropist who helped young girls released from Ravensbruck concentration camp. Now, in Sunflower Sisters, Kelly tells the story of her ancestor Georgeanna Woolsey, a Union nurse who joins the war effort during the Civil War, and how her calling leads her to cross paths with Jemma, a young enslaved girl who is sold off and conscripted into the army, and Ann-May Wilson, a southern plantation mistress whose husband enlists.
Georgeanne “Georgey” Woolsey isn’t meant for the world of lavish parties and demure attitudes of women of her stature. So when the war ignites the nation, Georgey follows her passion for nursing during a time when doctors considered women a bother on the battlefront. In proving them wrong, she and her sister Eliza venture from New York to Washington, D.C., to Gettysburg and witness the unparalleled horrors of slavery as they become involved in the war effort.
In the South, Jemma is enslaved on the Peeler Plantation in Maryland, where she lives with her mother and father. Her sister, Patience, is enslaved on the plantation next door and both live in fear of LeBaron, an abusive overseer who tracks their every move. When Jemma is sold by the cruel plantation mistress Anne-May at the same time the Union army comes through, she sees a chance to finally escape–but only by abandoning the family she loves.
Anne-May is left behind to run Peeler Planation when her husband joins the Union Army and her cherished brother enlists with the Confederates. In charge of the household, she uses the opportunity to follow her own ambitions and is drawn into a secret Southern network of spies, finally exposing herself to the fate she deserves.
Inspired by true accounts, Sunflower Sisters provides a vivid, detailed look at the Civil War experience, from the barbaric and inhumane plantations, to a war-torn New York City to the horrors of the battlefield. It’s a sweeping story of women caught in a country on the brink of collapse, in a society grappling with nationalism and unthinkable racial cruelty, a story still so relevant today.
From Southern spies to nurses on the northern battlefields, Sunflower Sisters weaves an exquisite tapestry of women determined to defy the molds the world has for them. The journeys of Jemma and the Woolsey sisters will have readers celebrating those who came before us, who fought for what they knew was right, and became timeless women ahead of their times.”—Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours and The Book of Lost Friends
“Sunflower Sisters marks the third installment of Martha Hall Kelly’s tales of the formidable Woolsey Women, with this chapter unfolding across the plantations, battlefields, and parlor rooms of one of history’s most dramatic moments. The Civil War roils as a sweeping backdrop and an era of both heartbreaking and inspiring humanity. Kelly’s vivid prose, stunning historical research, and heartfelt, compelling characters make this a gripping, page-turning read.”—Allison Pataki, New York Times bestselling author of The Queen’s Fortune
Review
To say I was excited for this book was a little bit of an understatement. I mean, I literally started reading it as soon as it came in the mail. There’s just something about this story that pulls you right in and forces you to become invested in the characters and their lives.
This book is just so beautifully written and I really love how all of the stories come together. And it’s such a timely story that is done artfully. There wasn’t a single main character that I wasn’t invested in and I really just enjoyed the setting. I don’t want to get into too much of the plot though because I want you to be able to just fall into it and let the story unfold around you.
Also, although this is technically the third book in this series feel free to read them out of order! While the books follow the same family they are set in separate time frames so you can run out to the bookstore and get Sunflower Sisters right now!
About the Author
Martha is a native New Englander who lives in Litchfield County Connecticut. She worked as an advertising copywriter for many years, and raised three wonderful children who are now mostly out of the nest. Her debut novel Lilac Girls, about Connecticut socialite Caroline Ferriday who championed a group of Ravensbruck Concentration Camp survivors known as The Rabbits who survived WWII Nazi experiments, was her first novel and an instant New York Times bestseller. The prequel to Lilac Girls, Lost Roses, was also an instant NYTimes bestseller. It features Caroline’s mother Eliza Ferriday and her fight to save a group of Russian women, former aristocrats who lost everything in the Russian Revolution. The Lost Roses paperback published March 3rd, 2020 and the third book in the series, a Civil War novel about Caroline’s great grandmother’s family, arrives spring 2021.
ASIN : B08DWHHBBW Publisher : She Writes Press (April 6, 2021) Publication date : April 6, 2021 Language : English
The highly anticipated new novel from the multiple award-winning author of Queen of the Owls . . .
What if you had a second chance at the very thing you thought you’d renounced forever? How steep a price would you be willing to pay?
Susannah’s career as a pianist has been on hold for nearly sixteen years, ever since her son was born. An adoptee who’s never forgiven her birth mother for not putting her first, Susannah vowed to put her own child first, no matter what. And she did.
But now, suddenly, she has a chance to vault into that elite tier of “chosen” musicians. There’s just one problem: somewhere along the way, she lost the power and the magic that used to be hers at the keyboard. She needs to get them back. Now.
Her quest―what her husband calls her obsession―turns out to have a cost Susannah couldn’t have anticipated. Even her hand betrays her, as Susannah learns that she has a progressive hereditary disease that’s making her fingers cramp and curl―a curse waiting in her genes, legacy of a birth family that gave her little else. As her now-or-never concert draws near, Susannah is catapulted back to memories she’s never been able to purge―and forward, to choices she never thought she would have to make.
Told through the unique perspective of a musician, The Sound Between the Notes draws the reader deeper and deeper into the question Susannah can no longer silence: Who am I, and where do I belong?
You can purchaseThe Sound Between the Notes at the following Retailers:
Praise for The Sound Between the Notes
“The climax, on the night of her performance, is a tour de force steeped in suspense, and Susannah’s subsequent revelations are satisfying and authentic. A sensitive, astute exploration of artistic passion, family, and perseverance.” —Kirkus Reviews
“The Sound Between the Notes is so beautiful, so lyrical, so musical that it was hard to put down. . . . This is a wonderful story from a skillful writer, one that appeals strongly to the heart. It features awesome characters, a twisty plot, and gorgeous writing.” —Readers’ Favorite 5-star review
“In her second novel, Barbara Linn Probst delivers yet another powerful story, balancing lyrical language with a skillfully paced plot to build a sensory-rich world that will delight those who loved Queen of the Owls and win countless new readers. Offering a deep exploration of the search for identity and connection, The Sound Between Notes reminds us to embrace everything we are—and everything that’s made us who we are.” —Julie Cantrell, New York Times and USA TODAY best-selling author of Perennials
“Family ties can bind or blind us—even with relatives we’ve never met. In The Sound Between the Notes, trails of music connect generations separated by adoption—while the same notes threaten a family believed sewn with steel threads.In this spellbinding novel, Barbara Linn Probst examines how the truth of love transcends genetics, even as strands of biology grip us. Once you begin this story, suffused with the majesty of music and the reveries of creation, the ‘gotta know’ will carry you all the way to the final note.” —Randy Susan Meyers, international best-selling author of Waisted and The Comfort of Lies
“Beautifully told, The Sound Between the Notes, is the story of tragedy and triumph, of the push and pull of family, of the responsibility we feel to ourselves and those we love. Once I started the book, I couldn’t put it down until I reached the last, gorgeously written note.” —Loretta Nyhan, author of The Other Family and Amazon best-seller Digging In
“As soaring as the music it so lovingly describes, poignantly human, and relatable to anyone who’s ever wondered if it’s too late for their dream, The Sound Between the Notes is an exploration of our vulnerability to life’s timing and chance occurrences that influence our decisions, for better or worse. Probst creates her trademark intelligent suspense as Susannah, an adoptee trying for a mid-life resurrection of an abandoned music career, confronts lifelong questions of who she is. A story that speaks to our universal need to have someone who believes in us unequivocally, and how that person had better be ourselves.” —Ellen Notbohm, award-winning author of The River by Starlight
Review
Wow, it’s been a hot minute since I’ve posted a review. Or really anything. Basically, if I were to sum it up, this semester has been… rough… But I’m back and I’m sharing this beautifully written book. In case you didn’t notice from the title this book has a theme of music spun throughout, and as you’re reading the book it really feels as if you’re reading a piece of music specifically woven in the form of a story.
This book was heavy and emotional. And you know, sometimes when I’m feeling beaten (*cough, this semester in summary*) I want to relax with nonsensical things and other times I want to read something deep that will further rip apart my feelings. And this book was one of them. And yes, I know I’m being melodramatic right now please allow it. But this book also hit home in a weird way as I was deeply involved in anything and everything related to music growing up, but when I got to my senior year and started listening to people tell me I had to do something “serious” with my life and so I literally just stopped it all. So I think that is part of the reason why this story resonated so much with me. I was able to connect to those feelings of regret and what-if.
This book has so much going for it and as a little cherry on top it revolves around just how empowering women can be. And I’m here for that. And I think many of you are as well. So don’t skip over this one and feel some feels.
About the Author
Photo Content from Barbara Linn Probst
Barbara Linn Probst is a writer of both fiction and non-fiction, living on an historic dirt road in New York’s Hudson Valley. Her debut novel Queen of the Owls (April 2020) is the powerful story of a woman’s search for wholeness, framed around the art and life of iconic American painter Georgia O’Keeffe. Endorsed by best-selling authors such as Christina Baker Kline and Caroline Leavitt, Queen of the Owls was selected as one of the 20 most anticipated books of 2020 by Working Mother and one of the best Spring fiction books by Parade Magazine, and a debut novel “too good to ignore” by Bustle. It was also featured in lists compiled by Pop Sugar and Entertainment Weekly, among others. It won the bronze medal for popular fiction from the Independent Publishers Association, placed first runner-up in general fiction for the Eric Hoffer Award, and was short-listed for both the First Horizon and the $2500 Grand Prize.
Barbara’s second novel, The Sound Between the Notes, is slated for publication in April 2021. Like Queen of The Owls, it shows how art can help us to be more fully human. Barbara has also published numerous blogs on the craft of writing on award-winning sites such as Jane Friedman and Writer Unboxed. To learn more about Barbara and her work, please see http://www.barbaralinnprobst.com/. She resides in New York.
Queenie’s Place by Toni Morgan Publication Date: December 6, 2018 Adelaide Books Publishers Paperback & eBook; 302 pages Genre: Historical Fiction
Queenie’s Place, set in rural North Carolina in the early seventies, is the story of an unusual sisterhood between a thirty-something white woman from California and a fifty-something black woman from the south. From the moment Doreen Donavan sees the ìWelcome to Klan Countryî sign outside Goldsboro, North Carolina is one culture shock after another. She thinks the women she meets on the military base, where she and her family now live, are the dullest, stuffiest, most stuck-up women sheís ever run across, and frankly, they donít think much of her either. Sheís hot, miserable, and bored. Then one day, BAM, her car tire goes flat, right in front of a roadhouse outside the town of Richland, near where MCB Camp Puller is located. Inside, Queenie is holding forth at the piano. The place is jumping. Besides the music, thereís dancing and the best barbecue in North Carolina. Doreenís husband, Tom arrives and must practically peel her out of the place. Queenie doesnít expect to see Doreen again, but Doreen comes back and their unlikely friendship begins. Without warning, Queenieís place is closed, the women accused of prostitution and bootlegging. A born crusader (she cut her teeth demonstrating against the Vietnam Waróyes, even with her husband over there), Doreen quickly dons her armor and saddles up. Things donít go quite as planned.
This book features such a beautiful combination of powerful women and friendship. You know, sometimes you’ve just got to read a book that makes you feel empowered and this was the perfect book for that. And given the times it just has such an important message to spread. Plus the writing just draws you in anyways.
I feel like the content in this book is, sadly, still so prevalent today. The book has a heavy focus on racism and segregation and I just find it such an important topic to discuss and have open conversations about. Plus the story just draws you in and makes you become so invested in the characters. It’s not often that I find myself so invested in the main characters, but I couldn’t help but get drawn into the two mcs lives and friendship.
This book just has so much going for it that all successfully comes together into one amazing story. There is a complexity to the story as the characters evolve through not only their interactions with one another but also the decisions they make. There is a strength in this book that really just hooks you.
About the Author
A longtime military spouse, TONI MORGAN has lived in many parts of the US and also for nearly four years in rural Japan. There she had the good fortune to work part-time in a Japanese pottery factory. That rich experience led to the first in her WWII trilogy ECHOES FROM A FALLING BRIDGE, which gives a unique view of life in rural Japan during the war. Second in the trilogy is HARVEST THE WIND, partially set in a Japanese internment camp in Idaho’s Magic Valley. The third in the series is LOTUS BLOSSOM UNFURLING, which continues the saga after the war ends. She also wrote PATRIMONY, and TWO-HEARTED CROSSING, companion books set in Montreal Quebec Canada during the Quebec Separatist Movement and 20 years later, in northern Idaho. Her novel QUEENIE’S PLACE is a 2019 National Book Award in Literature nominee. Her short stories have appeared in various literary magazines and journals, and her short story “Tin Soldier” was included in MOORING AGAINST THE TIDE, a creative fiction and poetry textbook published by Prentice Hall. Her most recent release is BETWEEN LOVE AND HATE, a collection of short stories, including Pushcart Prize nominee “The House on East Orange Street” and the aforementioned “Tin Soldier.”
To the world you are an abomination; a monster with unholy abilities. You’re shunned and left to fend for yourself. Your only chance of survival is to tap into that dark potential – would you do it?
In an isolated mountain community, sometimes a child is born with two hearts. Such a child – a striga – is considered a dangerous demon, which must be abandoned on the edge of the forest to protect the community. The only choice the child’s mother can make is whether to leave her home with her infant, or stay behind and try to forget.
Miriat made her choice. She and her nineteen-year-old striga daughter, Salka, now live a life of deprivation and hardship in a remote village, where to follow the impulses of the other heart is forbidden.
But Salka is headstrong and young, and when threatened with losing everything, she is forced to explore the depths of her true nature, testing the bonds between mother and child.
File Under: Fantasy [ Breaking Taboos | Hidden Shadows | Hungry Like the Wolf | Slavic Story ]
Gabriela was born and raised in Poland, brought up on a diet of mythologies and fairy tales. She spent her summers exploring the woods, foraging and animal tracking with her family. At 19, Gabriela moved to London to study English Literature and obtained an MA in Literature and Modernity. She has worked as an assistant editor and as a freelance writer. Gabriela’s short stories have been selected for the Editor’s Choice Review by Bewildering Stories and have been featured on the Ladies of Horror Fiction podcast. She lives in London with her husband and two children.
The Earl’s Lady Geologist by Alissa Baxter Publication Date: February 28, 2021 Vinspire Publishing Series: Linfield Ladies Series, Book One Genre: Regency Romance
Cassandra Linfield is a lady fossil collector who declares she will never marry as no man will ever take her studies seriously. When circumstances force her to travel to Town for the Season, Cassy infiltrates the hallowed portals of the Geological Society from which she has been banned. She is horrified when she comes face to face with her nemesis, the infuriating Earl of Rothbury.
Lord Rothbury is a gentleman-geologist with a turbulent romantic past. After a youthful disappointment he vows never to fall in love again, and makes the decision, instead, to seek out a convenient wife when he returns to England from his geological travels abroad.
Brought together by their close family ties, Cassy and Rothbury collaborate on a geological paper and discover a powerful attraction. Marriage, however, is the one subject they cannot agree upon. But when Cassyís life is threatened, the two realise that love matters more than their objections.
ìA gentle Regency romance, full of sweetness and intelligence. Alissa Baxterís writing is period perfect.î -Mimi Matthews, USA Today bestselling author of The Matrimonial Advertisement
ìThe Earlís Lady Geologist by Alissa Baxter deftly weaves together the charm of a traditional Regency romance, fascinating information on scientific society of the time, with a quiet subtext about the challenges faced by women interested in pursuing science. This first book in a new series is wonderfully satisfying on many levels!î -Mary Jo Putney, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author
ìWhile immersing the reader in the mores and life of the Regency era, Alissa Baxter manages to write strong, independent heroines whom modern-day women will cheer and root for. Plus the addition of little details that wrap around the plot and the characters make reading her books all the more special because you never know when you might land on a little Easter egg morsel in the beautiful and engaging prose. Historicals with heart and engaging characters that read realóthatís what you get in Ms. Baxter’s books.î -Zee Monodee, USA Today bestselling author
ìA truly traditional Regency romance, with lots of witty banter, very reminiscent of Georgette Heyer. Recommended for anyone who likes a completely clean traditional Regency, with strongly authentic writing, historical accuracy and a satisfying romance. Baxterís writing is excellent, and her dialogue, manners and settings are true to the era. A spirited heroine, a brooding hero, lots of sparkling banter and an authentic Regency settingówith added fossils! Great fun. From Lyme Regis to the drawing rooms of London, Alissa Baxter takes the reader back to the time of Jane Austen.î Mary Kingswood, author of traditional Regency romances
Review
There were so many things about this book that made me go: Yes, this is a me book. And I have to say that it lived up to my own internal hype! I really loved this book and it was honestly the best thing for me with how stressed I have been lately. You know, it’s just one of those books you can curl up with and enjoy all of the regency drama and romance.
You know, I’m already a sucker for a good regency romance but I’m even more of a sucker for a regency romance with a stubborn and willful woman and a stiff and curt man. And boy oh boy did I hit the jackpot with these two MCs. And phew, when the sparks started going off they flew. Plus it was just such a fun journey to take with these two and see as their characters grew and progressed.
So yeah, this was a really amazing read and one that I really hope a lot of people pick up. it has so much to offer, has those endearing regency qualities, and is overall an amazing read. Plus it’s not terribly long so it’s a pretty quick read!
About the Author
Alissa Baxter was born in a small town in South Africa, and grew up with her nose in a book on a poultry and cattle farm. At the age of eleven she discovered her motherís collection of Georgette Heyer novels. The first Heyer novel she ever read was Sylvester and she was hooked on Georgette Heyer after that. She read and reread her novels, and fell totally in love with the Regency period and Heyerís grey-eyed heroes! After school and university, where she majored in Political Science and French, she published her first Regency novel, The Dashing Debutante.
Alissa travelled overseas and worked as a flight attendant in Dubai before she moved to England, where she did an odd assortment of jobs while researching her second novel, Lord Fenmoreís Wager, which she wrote when she moved back to South Africa. Alissaís third Regency novel, A Marchioness Below Stairs, is the sequel to Lord Fenmoreís Wager.
Alissa has lived in Durban and Cape Town but she eventually settled in Johannesburg where she lives with her husband and two sons. Alissa is also the author of two chick-lit novels, Send and Receive and The Blog Affair, which have been re-released as The Truth About Series: The Truth about Clicking Send and Receive and The Truth About Cats and Bees.
Book Title: Covet Author: Tracy Wolff Publisher: Entangled Teen Release Date: March 2, 2021 Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy
“I choose you.”
— Tracy Wolff
I may have reached my breaking point. As if trying to graduate from a school for supernaturals isn’t stressful enough, my relationship status has gone from complicated to a straight-up dumpster fire.
Oh, and the Bloodletter has decided to drop a bomb of epic proportions on us all…
Then again, when has anything at Katmere Academy not been intense?
And the hits just keep coming. Jaxon’s turned colder than an Alaskan winter. The Circle is splintered over my upcoming coronation. As if things couldn’t get worse, now there’s an arrest warrant for Hudson’s and my supposed crimes—which apparently means a lifetime prison sentence with a deadly unbreakable curse.
Choices will have to be made…and I fear not everyone will survive.
“Everything’s a secret, Grace, whether we know it or not.”
— Tracy Wolff
The Crave series is best enjoyed in order.
Reading Order: Book #1 Crave Book #2 Crush Book #3 Covet Book #4 Court
You know, when Crave first came out my middle school Twilight obsessed self squealed in anticipation. And I had still been squealing in anticipation for Covet as well. This series just never disappoints and I can legitimately blame it on many sleepless nights. Plus there’s just so many twists and turns that continue to make the series interesting instead of one of those series where you know what’s going to happen throughout the entire series just after the first book.
“There’s just him and me and everything remembered and forgotten that stretches between us.”
— Tracy Wolff
You know what I think sets this series apart from other YA series? It’s the fact that everything is just so well set up and then all your hopes and dreams are Crushed (heh heh, see what I did there? Yes, I know I need sleep). And it’s not even that you wind up hating the characters like in some other 180-degree ya/fantasy books (you know which ones), which makes this even more wild because it’s reflective of life in a way. And I guess what I’m trying to say is that I really appreciate that. Things change. People change. And our relationships change. Which is something you don’t often see portrayed after our character finds their *true one.* But yeah, this review got off the rails but I also don’t want to spoil anything. But just expect the same top tier storytelling, lots of Drama WITH a capital D, and So. Much. Happening.
“Because of who you really are.”
— Tracy Wolff
So you know how we’ve all been *im*patiently waiting for Covet? Well, I still want more. And I would still do some . . . unseemly . . . things to get my hand on Court. It’s just I kind of need to know what’s going to happen and how this will all turn out. But it’s ok. We don’t have THAT long to wait. Right? Yep. Just gotta keep telling myself that. And in the meantime I hope you all read this and join me in feeling this way.
About the Author
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Tracy Wolff is a lover of vampires, dragons, and all things that go bump in the night. A onetime English professor, she now devotes all her time to writing dark and romantic stories with tortured heroes and kick-butt heroines. She has written all her sixty-plus novels from her home in Austin, Texas, which she shares with her family. tracywolffbooks.com.
TITLE: The Thirteenth Fairy (Never After, #1) AUTHOR: Melissa de la Cruz PUBLISHER: Roaring Book Press RELEASE DATE: December 1st, 2020 GENRE(S): Middle Grade Fiction–Fantasy
Real life and fairy tales collide in Never After: The Thirteenth Fairy, book one in the new middle-grade Never After series from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Descendants series, Melissa de la Cruz.
Nothing ever happens in Filomena Jefferson-Cho’s sleepy little suburban town of North Pasadena. The sun shines every day, the grass is always a perfect green, and while her progressive school swears there’s no such thing as bullying, she still feels bummed out. But one day, when Filomena is walking home on her own, something strange happens.
Filomena is being followed by Jack Stalker, one of the heroes in the Thirteenth Fairy, a series of books she loves about a brave girl and her ragtag group of friends who save their world from an evil enchantress. She must be dreaming, or still reading a book. But Jack is insistent–he’s real, the stories are real, and Filomena must come with him at once!
Soon, Filomena is thrust into the world of evil fairies and beautiful princesses, sorcerers and slayers, where an evil queen drives her ruthless armies to destroy what is left of the Fairy tribes. To save herself and the kingdom of Westphalia, Filomena must find the truth behind the fairytales and set the world back to rights before the cycle of sleep and destruction begins once more.
I have been a huge fan of Melissa de la Cruz for an incredibly long time, but when I picked this book up I realized that I have never actually read any of her middle grade books. And I’m glad it was this one that I picked up first because, well, fairies, but also it was incredibly funny and still felt like de la Cruz to me. Plus it has so many odes to classic fairy tales and nursery rhymes that I couldn’t help but fall in love with what I was reading.
There’s just so much to love with this one. We’ve got some diversity with our main characters, you’ll find yourself chuckling throughout, and there are classic story elements you know and love made fresh. Plus the overarching fairy tale this one is based off of is Sleeping Beauty. And if you know me you know that’s my favorite (naps, all I have to say). So I always get excited when I see a reworking of this story because it’s not the same “tale as old as time” as we much more frequently see in books.
But I am digressing with this review, so to wrap it up: there is plenty of adventure and fantasy throughout this one that you won’t be able to much else other than furiously flip through the pages. And it’s just a really well written and well done middle grade book that will have appeal for middle schoolers and adults alike.
About the Author
Melissa de la Cruz is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for teens including The Au Pairs series, the Blue Bloods series, the Ashleys series, the Angels on Sunset Boulevard series and the semi-autobiographical novel Fresh off the Boat.
Her books for adults include the novel Cat’s Meow, the anthology Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys and the tongue-in-chic handbooks How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less and The Fashionista Files: Adventures in Four-inch heels and Faux-Pas.
She has worked as a fashion and beauty editor and has written for many publications including The New York Times, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, The San Francisco Chronicle, McSweeney’s, Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl! and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends and fame for CNN, E! and FoxNews.
Melissa grew up in Manila and moved to San Francisco with her family, where she graduated high school salutatorian from The Convent of the Sacred Heart. She majored in art history and English at Columbia University (and minored in nightclubs and shopping!).
She now divides her time between New York and Los Angeles, where she lives in the Hollywood Hills with her husband and daughter.
Up for grabs, we have ONE (1) physical copy of The Thirteenth Fairy (Never After, #1) by Melissa de la Cruz. This giveaway will run from March 1st to March 8th at 11:59 PM CST and is open to US residents only.
Publisher : 47North (January 26, 2021) Language : English Paperback : 431 pages ISBN-10 : 154202529X ISBN-13 : 978-1542025294
From Jeff Wheeler, the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Kingfountain novels, comes an epic new series of warring kingdoms, deadly family rivalries, and fearless loyalty.
Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown. A brutal war of succession has plunged the court of Kingfountain into a power struggle between a charitable king who took the crown unlawfully and his ambitious rival, Devon Argentine. The balance of power between the two men hinges on the fate of a young boy ensnared in this courtly intrigue. A boy befittingly nicknamed Ransom.
When the Argentine family finally rules, Ransom must make his own way in the world. Opportunities open and shut before him as he journeys along the path to knighthood, blind to a shadowy conspiracy of jealousy and revenge. Securing his place will not be easy, nor will winning the affection of Lady Claire de Murrow, a fiery young heiress from an unpredictably mad kingdom.
Ransom interrupts an abduction plot targeting the Queen of Ceredigion and earns a position in service to her son, the firstborn of the new Argentine dynasty. But conflict and treachery threaten the family, and Ransom must also come to understand and hone his burgeoning powers—abilities that involve more than his mastery with a blade and that make him as much a target as his lord.
You can purchaseKnight’s Ransom at the following Retailers:
Praise for Knight’s Ransom
“Jeff Wheeler has always been one of our more dependable storytellers. Knight’s Ransom adds to his reputation. A fine page-turner.” —Terry Brooks, New York Times bestselling author.
“With this superlative epic fantasy…Wheeler does an expert job of reintroducing his fantasy world through the eyes of sympathetic characters that fans and new readers alike will root for. This is sure to be a hit.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“[Wheeler] adds elements of Arthurian legend to the start of the First Argentines series…along with splendid palace intrigues and battles.” —Booklist (starred review)
Review
This is my second book by Wheeler and I was so excited to dive back into his writing. Especially with an epic fantasy like this book. And ooo boy was it beyond amazing. And now I know that I need to go back and read all of the other books from this world. Which, I’m not mad about because I’ll take fantasy gladly any day.
But where do I begin. I think with the characters. I adored the characters in this book and how they grew and developed throughout it. And there is a lot of time spent developing the characters, which I really love when a fantasy book does that. I feel like sometimes fantasies get so focused on the plot that the characters fall to the wayside, or vice versa really, and this one felt like a nice sorta in-between with a little more focus on the characters but still a solid plot. And you know a solid plot is a must after reading a synopsis like this. Which I guess leads me to the pacing of this book. A lot happens in this one within a short span of time and I couldn’t get enough of it!
So this is one that you should definitely check out. Nudge nudge, wink wink. But seriously, there’s a lot to offer in this book and it really delivers exceptionally well throughout. And I truly look forward to seeing what Wheeler comes up with next as well as exploring some of his older works that are already waiting for me to binge.
About the Author
Photo Content from Jeff Wheeler
Jeff Wheeler took an early retirement from his career at Intel in 2014 to write full-time. He is a husband, father of five, and a devout member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Jeff lives in the Rocky Mountains. His books have been on the Wall Street Journal Bestseller list 5 times (for The Thief’s Daughter, The King’s Traitor, The Hollow Crown, The Silent Shield, and Prism Cloud) and have sold more than 4 million copies. His novels have also been published or will be published in many languages: Italian, Chinese, Hungarian, Turkish, Polish, Spanish, Russian, and German.
He is also the founder of Deep Magic: the E-zine of Clean Fantasy and Science Fiction (www.deepmagic.co), a quarterly e-zine featuring amazing short stories, novellas, and sample chapters.
You can usually find Jeff at Emerald City Comic Con, New York Comic Con or at writers conferences.
He welcomes hearing from readers: jgwheels /at/ gmail dot com
If you are interested in purchasing signed copies of his books for friends, family, or your own collection, please e-mail: WOJWbooks /at/ gmail dot com
