Blog Tour - The Fire's Princess

The Fire's Princess
by Ley Hayley
The Elemental Royals, book two

Publication date: June 4, 2014

Rose has lost everything she's ever known.

Her father has been murdered. She has fled her home in the Forested Land to take refuge with King Andrew Rivers in a foreign kingdom.

Her home is under the control of a tyrant king, one who will stop at nothing to see Rose and all of her family dead. She has to fight to stay hidden, stay alive, and find a way back home.

Now Rose must find a way to organize a rebellion to get back to her homeland, as well as win the hearts of a kingdom that doesn't know her. With lords scheming with hidden agendas and her own secrets threatening to be exposed, Rose must face enemies she never expected and find a destiny she never planned for. (description from goodreads.com) 

Today, I'm happy to be part of Ley Hayley's blog tour for her second book in the Elemental Royals trilogy, THE FIRE'S PRINCESS. I had read and thoroughly enjoyed the first book, The Forest's Heir, back in March and was happy to read the sequel.  

Again, I really loved the setting and historical details.  I'm always fascinated by period dress and I loved reading about how naked Rose felt training in men's breeches, and the trouble she has getting dressed on her own when she injures her arm and it's in a sling.  I really feel as if I'm in the middle ages when reading about the ladies mending and sewing in front of fires...it's fun to sort of fall back in time.  

I also couldn't help but admire Rose's character even more in this book.  She takes all of her responsibilities on without question.  When her mother and sister had been brutalized and traumatized, she works to make them feel safe and whole once again.  When she decides to pursue her life in the River Kingdom, she researches their history and strives to become as knowledgeable as she was about her own Kingdom.  When she knows that Andrew will go to war for her, she convinces him to let her learn to fight on her own so that she can accompany him and convince her people that the River Kingdom is there to help them.  

Though Rose is torn in this book between the love she once had and the new love she feels now, watching the romance unfold was delicious.  I have to admit that I truly like King Andrew and I will root for them thoroughout the end of the tale ... though Andrew's brother, Phillip, is also quite swoonworthy... *sigh* 

I can't wait to see how things finally work out in the end! 

Full disclosure: eARC provided by author for tour 

River Secrets and Forest Born

Okay, so I just realized that I have apparently been on quite the Shannon Hale reading kick lately! She just put out so many great books that I hadn't yet had a chance to read and they were just what I was in the mood for...

River Secrets
by Shannon Hale
Books of Bayern, book three

Razo has never been anything but ordinary. He’s not very fast, or tall, or strong, so when he’s invited to join an elite mission escorting the ambassador into Tira, Bayern’s great enemy, he’s sure it’s only out of pity. But when they arrive in the strange southern country, it is Razo who finds the first dead body. As they try to learn more from the Tirans about the ever increasing murders, Razo is the only Bayern soldier able to befriend both the high and low born, including the beautiful Lady Dasha. And as Razo finds allies among the Tirans, he realizes that it may be up to him to get the Bayern army safely home again. (description from Amazon.com)

Can I just start out saying that I love Razo? I know each book in the series technically has its own main characters and that Razo just plays a minor (though usually somewhat essential) part in the other books, but he's such a strong, unique, and well, FUN, character that he seemed to sort of hijack the whole series.  I was SO glad when I realized that he had his own book!  

I love that Razo's so sort of unaware of how truly awesome he is until the right person comes along to point it out to him.  He needed Dasha to help him gain self confidence and through his faith in himself, he found love, happiness, and helped to save his kingdom...once again! 

I also loved that Isi and Enna's relationship continued to grow and evolve, and expanded when they finally came to accept someone else who had a similar, yet different gift that they needed assistance controlling.  Each of the girls became even more confident in her abilities and place in the world.  These characters make great, realistic (yes, even with Enna's temper!) role models for young readers.

Forest Born 
by Shannon Hale
Books of Bayern, book four

Rin has always been a quiet, helpful girl, but a secret has been eating away at her, and the solace Rin once could find among the tall trees surrounding her forest home has vanished. When she leaves home to join her older brother in the city, she finds intriguing answers to her questions, an adventure she doesn't expect, and a sense of self she never thought she would find. (description from Amazon.com)

Happily, I discovered that the final book in the series featured Razo's younger sister, Rin.  Rin was a fabulous character...especially in the way that she grew through the book.  Rin goes on quite the journey, both physically and emotionally.  She sees new aspects of the world that she never knew existed and she begins to truly find her own place within the great wide world.  

While this book didn't have the romance that the previous novels did, I really loved the fact that Hale chose to have Rin stay true to only herself at the book's conclusion. Rin had too much still to learn about herself before she'd be really ready to find and embrace love.  This book felt the most "real" out of all of them, and while I ADORED the folk tale-y feel of the others, this one really hit my heart hard. I wished I could reach right into the book and give Rin a hug...to help her heal and feel less alone... 

What a stellar ending to the series.  These four are books I will definitely reread someday. 
(Books one and two are The Goose Girl and Enna Burning, respectively)

Full disclosure: Audio books borrowed from my Library, Books purchased for my Nook

Drink Deep

Drink Deep
by Chloe Neill
Chicagoland Vampires, book five

Clouds are brewing over Cadogan House, and Merit the vampire can't tell if this is the darkness before the dawn, or the calm before the storm. With the city itself in turmoil over paranormals and the state threatening to pass a paranormal registration act, times have never been more precarious for the vampires. If only they could lay low for a bit...

Then magic rears its ugly head when Lake Michigan turns black. The mayor insists it's nothing to worry about, but Merit knows a panic is coming. She'll have to turn to friends old and new to find out who's behind this, and stop them before it's too late for both the vampires and humans. (description from Amazon.com)

Chloe Neill is a master of the urban fantasy genre. Her books just keep getting better and better! After the end of Hard Bitten I think that we all were slightly panicked about how the series would continue without one of its main characters. Chloe managed to banish all doubts!

This book not only answered that lingering question about how Merit would go on...and in several interesting ways... but also introduced a huge new intriguing twist! The elemental magic and new supernatural beings introduced kept the storyline fresh and compelling and I can't wait now for book six!

One of my all time favorite series - with a kick @ss heroine.

Tortall and Other Lands: A Collection of Tales

Tortall and Other Lands: A Collection of Tales
by Tamora Pierce

Collected here for the first time are all of the tales from the land of Tortall, featuring both previously unknown characters as well as old friends. Filling some gaps of time and interest, these stories, some of which have been published before, will lead Tammy's fans, and new readers into one of the most intricately constructed worlds of modern fantasy. (description from Amazon.com)

Tamora Pierce is my favorite author. I love almost everything she's ever put out. She is an incredible world-builder and her characters have phenomenal depth. If you've never read anything by Ms. Pierce, this would be an excellent place to start...you could read one story, or them all!

I loved that while some of the stories relate to Tamora Pierce's larger series books, each could be read individually, and some were completely new. One of my favorites was called "Huntress," and took place in modern day New York City, seemingly realistic fiction until Artemis, the Moon Goddess makes an appearance.

Fans of Daine from the Wild Magic series will rejoice to read a story about Kitten, her little dragon friend. Aly's fans (Trickster series) will love to read the story about birthing her triplets. Several others are set in the Tortallan kingdom and surrounding lands, but feature new and interesting characters.

The best thing about these stories, though, is that they can tackle tough topics without losing the reader's interest in the fantastic. Morality, murder, discrimination, sexism, abuse...it's all there with tough, interesting characters in fascinating situations to take it on. I ended just about each story with a smile on my face (sometimes a tear in my eye...) and a warm feeling in my heart.

Well worth checking out!

The Iron Witch

The Iron Witch
by Karen Mahoney
The Iron Witch, book one

When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed Donna Underwood’s father and drove her mother mad. Her own nearly fatal injuries were fixed by alchemy—the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. Now seventeen, Donna feels like a freak, doomed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. Only her relationship with her best friend, Navin, is keeping her sane.

But when vicious wood elves abduct Navin, Donna is forced to accept her role in the centuries-old war between human alchemists and these darkest outcasts of Faerie. Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous guy with faery blood running through his veins and secrets of his own, Donna races to save Navin—even if it means betraying everything her parents fought to the death to protect. (description taken from Amazon.com)

I think when I read this book I may have been in a funky mood. There were parts I really loved, but I just couldn't get into it. I've heard such great things...every review I've read has been good, so I think I may just have been overloaded on this type of book...

Anyway, what I liked:
*The awesome way that the alchemists repaired Donna's arms by infusing them with iron. Everytime I pictured the silver swirls on her arms, all I could think was AWESOME!
*The boys. Both of them. I liked Xan and his revealed secret about having fairy blood and I liked Navin, Donna's "normal" friend. PS - Did I mention that he's Indian...very cool!
*Alchemy. I've always been fascinated with it...and I love how it was mixed with magic in this story.

*Sigh* I really did like a lot of the elements of this story! I'll have to make sure to read the second book in the series, The Wood Queen, to see if it really just was that I was in a funky mood when I read this one...

Shadow Grail:Legacies

Legacies
by MercedesLackey and Rosemary Edghill
Shadow Grail, book one

Who—or what—is stalking the students at Oakhurst Academy?

In the wake of the accident that killed her family, Spirit White is spirited away to Oakhurst Academy, a combination school and orphanage in the middle of Montana. There she learns she is a legacy—not only to the school, which her parents also attended, but to magic.

All the students at Oakhurst have magical powers, and although Spirit’s hasn’t manifested itself yet, the administrators insist she has one. Spirit isn’t sure she cares. Devastated by the loss of her family, she finds comfort with a group of friends: Burke Hallows, Lachlann Spears, Muirin Shae, and Adelaide Lake.

But something strange is going on at Oakhurst. Students start disappearing under mysterious circumstances, and the school seems to be trying to cover it up. Spirit and her friends must find out what’s happening—before one of them becomes the next victim… (description taken from Amazon.com)

I think this is a good start to an interesting new series. I really loved the first half of the book. The setup, describing Oakhurst Academy, introducing the magic and the teens, was really well done and intriguing. Spirit is a good character...spunky, yet unsure of herself in the new situation and without visible magic like the others. I loved her relationships with the other teens in her group.

My only complaint about this book was that when the revelation comes about what is happening to the disappearing students, the problem is addressed and "solved" almost too quickly. I felt like that part of the book could have been slightly more fleshed out.

I am definitely looking forward to reading the second book in the series, Conspiracies, though, and trying to figure out what type of magic Spirit has...

Glimmerglass

Glimmerglass

by Jenna Black

Faeriewalker, book one

Dana Hathaway doesn’t know it yet, but she’s in big trouble. When her alcoholic mom shows up at her voice recital drunk, again, Dana decides she’s had enough and runs away to find her mysterious father in Avalon: the only place on Earth where the regular, everyday world and the captivating, magical world of Faerie intersect. But from the moment Dana sets foot in Avalon, everything goes wrong, for it turns out she isn't just an ordinary teenage girl—she's a Faeriewalker, a rare individual who can travel between both worlds, and the only person who can bring magic into the human world and technology into Faerie.

Soon, Dana finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat game of Fae politics. Someone's trying to kill her, and everyone seems to want something from her, from her newfound friends and family to Ethan, the hot Fae guy Dana figures she’ll never have a chance with… until she does. Caught between two worlds, Dana isn’t sure where she’ll ever fit in and who can be trusted, not to mention if her world will ever be normal again… (description taken from Amazon.com)

Though this concept of a girl who can walk between Faerie and the mortal world is not really new (Frewin Jones' Faerie Path series is very similar in this sense), Black creates an awesomely new world where the Fae and humans know about each other and share a "country" that both can reside in that is neither in Faerie nor fully part of the mortal world. This was what totally fascinated me about this series.

I really like the main character, Dana, and the problems she has to face...dealing with an alcoholic mother, a father whose politics are threatening her life, and a whole new world of threats. I wasn't as fond, though, of the potential love interest, Ethan. I much preferred Dana's bodyguard, Finn, and kind of hoped that something may develop there...until I realized he was some centuries old!! Whoops. I guess I will have to wait and see if something develops with Finn's son, Keane, instead!
:P J/K

I definitely want to see what's going to happen in book two, Shadowspell, as Dana explores the fact that she can feel magic...and what that might mean about her heritage.

HEXBOUND Blog Tour - Review

Welcome to the January 10, 2011 stop on the Hexbound Blog Tour 2010 (2011)!!!

Thank you so much for visiting, I Read to Relax. First, I have a Hexbound review for you and then if you check back in a few days, I'm actually going to have an interview with Lily's new BFF, Scout, posted. I hope you'll check it out!!

Hexbound
by Chloe Neill
The Dark Elite, book two

Lily Parker is new to St. Sophia's School for Girls, but she's already learned that magic can be your best friend-or your worst enemy. That's why Lily has to learn how to control her newly discovered paranormal abilities while fighting the good fight with her best friend Scout as they take on Chicago's nastiest nightlife-including the tainted magic users known as Reapers... (description taken from Amazon.com)

I love the fact that the books in this series are, well, fun reads! They are quick, easy, adventurous, and well...all around...fun! Lily and her friends are all easily relatable characters and the plot consistently draws me in quickly.

I found it so intriguing to delve deeper into Chicago's underworld and get to meet some monsters, both human and not, that inhabit the dank tunnels. (It's really funny when you compare the vampires in this book to the vampires in Chloe Neill's other series, The Chicagoland Vampires!! They are so radically opposite in temprament and circumstance! :P) The "rat creatures" were just gross enough without being so repulsive I didn't want to read about them...and the humans that Lily, Scout, Jason, and Michael must battle were definitely just the right type of evil.

Speaking of...I really loved how Neill delved into good, evil, and the shades between in this book. So many questions were brought up about what Lily's parents might be hiding, if Jason might be considered a monster, and if well, the Reapers might not be...in the long run. It definitely gave Lily some things to think about!

I can tell you - without spoilers - that I cannot wait for book three. I need to see what's really going on with the Reapers...and of course, Lily's love life, too!!

An excellent (really fun) book. I recommend you read Firespell first of course, and then check out Chloe's other series, The Chicagoland Vampires, which I also adore, but you MUST read this book.

Don't forget to check out the other stops on the HEXBOUND Blog Tour .

The Fledgling Handbook 101

The Fledgling Handbook
by P.C. Cast
House of Night series, companion book

Merry meet, fledgling. Welcome to a new life, a new world, and a new you. Welcome to the House of Night!

This might seem like a scary time, Fledgling, but never fear! As you start your journey through the ancient halls of the House of Night, this indispensable handbook will aid you in your transition from human to fledgling. Within these pages you will find invaluable information about the history of vampyres. You will also come to a better understanding of your body’s transformation, as well as read words of hope from great vampyres of the past and learn essential foundations of rituals and lore. Now, Fledgling, read on. A new life awaits you; your path to that magickal future begins here!
(description taken from Amazon.com)

As an avid House of Night reader, I was excited to know that a companion book was coming out to tide readers over until the next regular novel (Awakened, Jan 2011) in the series comes out. When it came into the Library, I snatched it right up and took it immediately home.

It was interesting. P.C. Cast obviously delved really deep into her worldbuilding to create the series. The "Handbook" gives a brief history of the vampyres, including stories about Cleopatra, Circe, a set of twins in Pompeii, and even William Shakespeare. Then there were also sections explaining the process of being "Marked," what happens during the change, imprinting and breaking imprints, fledglings with elemental influences, and different rituals.

It was interesting to flip through, but I'm really glad that I did not buy this book. It was not quite thrilling enough to make the cost worth it to me. I don't think I'd ever reread it. Very good for a Library to have, though, to satisfy all those rabid House of Night fans.