Today, I'm happy to be part of Ley Hayley's blog tour for her debut book, THE FOREST'S HEIR. It's the first book in the newElemental Royalstrilogy.
Seventeen year old Rosalind Rowan was born a princess, the apple of her father's eye. She loves the thick forests and lush meadows of the Forested Land. She is sometimes selfish and reckless, but she is also kind and loves fearlessly. Rosalind--who is known to everyone but the Queen as Rose--is desperately in love with Gavin Ashford, the dashing and intriguing son of an important lord.
She wants nothing more than to marry Gavin and live in a country manor, far away from court. Because once her older sister marries, Rosalind must take up the position of Regent of the Forested Land. But things aren't always simple. When Rosalind uncovers abilities she should never have and sickness tears through the kingdom, the ordered world Rosalind thought she knew threatens to crash around her.
Rosalind must choose between love and duty. But what happens when the two become intertwined?
Are you a historical fiction fan? A romance fan? Do you love TV shows like Reign or The Borgias, set in a feudal kingdom? Then this is a brand-new series for you to check out. The Elemental Royals series is set in a world where there are several kingdoms that neighbor each other, sort of reminiscent of the United Kingdom. Each is tied to a different Elemental power, like water, earth, or fire...
Rosalind is a strong character who takes her training to become Regent of her Kingdom very seriously. She knows what is expected of her and she is beloved for putting the needs of others in her Kingdom above her own. Sadly, when circumstances abruptly change, she must truly put her duty ahead of her desire and perhaps love the man she loves forever.
Full of description about daily court life, fabulous costumes, court intrigue and heady romance, tinged with just a bit of magic, this is the start to a promising new series.
Full disclosure: Review copy received from author for blog tour
The Voyage of Lucy P. Simmons by Barbara Mariconda
Ever since her parents died, Lucy's house has magically awakened. An enchanted flute plays when danger is near. A sparkling mist unlocks drawers of family secrets. A mysterious woman named Marni arrives.
The magic helps Lucy keep her house out of the hands of her greedy Uncle Victor. As Lucy and Marni fight to stop Victor, Lucy makes unexpected friends and discovers the power of courage. But will it be enough to prevail in the face of her evil uncle? (description from Amazon.com)
I liked this one a lot. It has a great atmosphere to it. You could feel the magic in the air as the house responds to Lucy's wishes. I felt really bad for Lucy as she lost her parents and had to deal with her greedy uncle. I was extremely happy when she found Marni and her new friends. Watching Lucy transform into a stronger, more confident girl was great and I can't wait to see where her adventures take her in following books.
Sixteen-year-old Canny Mochrie's parents go away on a vacation, so they send her off on a trip of her own with her step-brother Sholto and his opinionated girlfriend Susan, who are interviewing the survivors of a strange coal mine disaster and researching local folklore in 1959 Southland, New Zealand. Canny is left to herself to wander in a mysterious and enchanting nearby valley, occupied almost entirely by children who all have the last name Zarene and can perform a special type of magic that tells things how to be stronger and better than they already are. With the help of a seventeen-year-old boy who is held hostage in a hidden away house by a spell that is now more powerful than the people who first placed it, Canny figures out why she, too, can use this special magic that only Zarenes should know, and where she really came from. (Description from Amazon.com)
I read Knox's Dreamhunter duet a few years ago and fell absolutely in love with her worldbuilding and storytelling. Knox once again brilliantly blends historical fiction and magical realism, creating a world where a reader feels they could step right in and feel the magic in the air.
Canny is a fascinating main character surrounded by mysterious secondary characters whose secrets are slowly revealed as Knox layers each person’s story into others to create a complex world. If you also read Knox’s previous novels you'll catch small references to the Hame Dreamhunters, but this book brings readers into a fresh new aspect of that world with its own circuitous storyline.
A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs.
It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive. (Description from Amazon.com)
While I first read this book in February 2012, I was lucky enough to be contacted by Quirk Books with the offer to review a paperback copy of the book. Not only was it really cool to revisit the story which is built around these great creepy historical photographs (see below), but the paperback copy now has some new great things included!
The new paperback copy of the book has even more creepy photographs included, plus an author interview with Ransom Riggs... AND the first chapter of the upcoming sequel, Hollow City (expected publication date is Jan 14, 2014). I loved getting an inside peek at how Riggs developed the story and a little hint at where it will be going. After reading the first chapter of the new book, I can't wait to read it!
Trust me, if you haven't checked out this book yet, you should. This is the perfect semi-creepy, slightly magical, but still historically set realistic story for readers aged tween and up. I guarantee you will be as sucked into the story as I was, eagerly turning the pages to find the next intriguing photographs and trying to place them into Jacob's mysterious tale.
Full disclosure: Paperback copy received for review from publisher
Library Loot is a weekly event
co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures
of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books
they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write
up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any
time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are
getting from their libraries!
Victoria hates nonsense. There is no need for it when your
life is perfect. The only smudge on her pristine life is her best friend
Lawrence. He is a disaster—lazy and dreamy, shirt always untucked, obsessed with
his silly piano. Victoria often wonders why she ever bothered being his friend.
(Lawrence does too.)
But then Lawrence goes missing. And he’s not the
only one. Victoria soon discovers that The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls is
not what it appears to be. Kids go in but come out…different. Or they don’t come
out at all.
If anyone can sort this out, it’s Victoria—even if it means
getting a little messy. (description from Amazon.com)
Did you love Coraline? Are you a Lemony Snicket
fan? If so, this is a GREAT book for you...
Everything in
Victoria's town has gone just a little bit twisty. Kids are disappearing, adults
are ignoring things, and no one is willing to talk to Victoria about it. She,
however, is the last person to give up when she knows she is right...and she
knows that something is wrong and the Cavendish Home has something to do with
it.
Once Victoria starts asking questions, though, she
attracts the wrong kind of attention, and once she's been taken to the Cavendish
Home, there may be no escaping.
When Harvard University English professor and dyed-in-the-wool romantic Gilbert
Reedy is mysteriously murdered and thrown off his fourth-floor balcony, Lizzy
and Diesel take up his twenty-year quest for the Luxuria Stone, an ancient relic
believed by some to be infused with the power of lust. Following clues contained
in a cryptic nineteenth-century book of sonnets, Lizzy and Diesel tear through
Boston catacombs, government buildings, and multimillion-dollar residences,
leaving a trail of robbed graves, public disturbances, and spontaneous
seduction. (description from Amazon.com)
Hilariousity ensues once again! I love Janet Evanovich's humor. She is definitely one writer that can make me snort while reading her books at least once, every time! This spin-off from the Stephanie Plum series is definitely a winner.
I love Lizzy and Diesel both...and I LURVE their chemistry. Very oh-la-la, must fan one's self at times while reading... :)
I find this series to be so much fun, both in terms of the characters and the concept. I love watching the effects of each of the Luxuria Stones on people in the story...seeing how the different "evils" affect their actions and even their personalities.
If you're looking for an easy and wildly fun reading experience, give this series a shot. The first book is Wicked Appetite.
Full disclosure: Borrowed through interlibrary loan
One of the most beautiful
things about working in a Library is that I have the ability to put lots of
things on hold and read them *before* I buy!! These are some of the books that
I'm currently waiting for, though I may buy one or two of them after reading, as
well.
Being a hefty, deaf newcomer almost makes Will Halpin the least popular guy at
Coaler High. But when he befriends the only guy less popular than him, the
dork-namic duo has the smarts and guts to figure out who knocked off the star
quarterback. Will can’t hear what’s going on, but he’s a great observer. So, who
did it? And why does that guy talk to his fingers? And will the beautiful girl
ever notice him? (Okay, so Will’s interested in more than just murder . . .) (description from Amazon.com)
I was really surprised how funny this book was...even though it's a great mystery and there's some great suspense, I ended up laughing out loud through most of my reading. Will and his new friend, Devon, build a great rapport and they deal with Will's deafness is a really cool way. I would love to read a follow up mystery starring these two self-proclaimed "Hardy Boys."
Dead is a Battlefield
by Marlene Perez
Dead Is series, book six
Jessica Walsh is starting her freshman year at Nightshade High and trying to
forget about the tragic events surrounding her brother’s graduation. She
wants to have a normal high school experience. But that’s easier said than
done in Nightshade. There’s a new guy at school who seems to be turning the
girls into lovesick zombies. And Jessica has other worries—like her crush on
a cute but moody lead singer, and the mysterious tattoo that appeared on her
arm one day that lets her know whenever there is trouble brewing. Jessica
learns she’s a Virago, a woman warrior chosen to fight evil whenever it
threatens her hometown. But does a lowly freshman really have what it takes
to keep Nightshade safe? (description from Amazon.com)
I LOVE this series. They are fun to read, quick enough to sneak in between other books I have to review and each turns out to be a pure guilty pleasure. Technically this is book six in the Dead Is series, but it feels totally fresh because there is a new main character. Jessica is just as sassy and smart as Daisy was...I couldn't be happier with where these books are going. :)
The Aviary
by Kathleen O'Dell
Twelve-year-old Clara Dooley has spent her whole life in the Glendoveer mansion,
where her mother is a servant to the kind and elderly matron of the house. Clara
has never known another home. In fact, she's confined to the grand estate due to
a mysterious heart condition. But it's a comfortable life, and if it weren't for
the creepy squawking birds in the aviary out back, a completely peaceful one
too.
But once old Mrs. Glendoveer passes away, Clara comes to learn many
dark secrets about the family. The Glendoveers suffered a horrific tragedy:
their children were kidnapped, then drowned. And their father George Glendoveer,
a famous magician and illusionist, stood accused until his death. As Clara digs
deeper and deeper into the terrifying events, the five birds in the aviary seem
to be trying to tell her something. And Clara comes to wonder: what is their
true identity? Clara sets out to solve a decades-old murder mystery—and in doing
so, unlocks a secret in her own life, too. (description from Amazon.com)
I really loved this book. I thought the characters were charming, and just a tad creepy. I was sucked right into poor Clara's story and could not wait to find out why she had to live the sheltered life that she did. I thought the mystery of the birds was fascinating. This read like a "classic," and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Uido is ecstatic about becoming her tribe's spiritual leader, but her new
position brings her older brother's jealousy and her best friend's mistrust. And
looming above these troubles are the recent visits of strangers from the
mainland who have little regard for nature or the spirits, and tempt the tribe
members with gifts, making them curious about modern life. When Uido's little
brother falls deathly ill, she must cross the ocean and seek their help. Having
now seen so many new things, will Uido have the strength to believe in herself
and the old ways? And will her people trust her to lead them to safety when a
catastrophic tsunami threatens? Uido must overcome everyone's doubts, including
her own, if she is to keep her people safe and preserve the spirituality that
has defined them. (description from Amazon.com)
I thought that this was a really interesting, slightly magical easy read. I liked how it is based on real natives from real islands off the coast of India. I had no idea they were even there! I thought the culture clash was well depicted and that the spiritual journey Uido faced was intriguing.
My Name is Not Easy
by Debby Dahl Edwardson
My name is not easy. My name is hard like ocean ice grinding the shore . . .
Luke knows his Iñupiaq name is full of sounds white people can’t say. So he
leaves it behind when he and his brothers are sent to boarding school hundreds
of miles away from their Arctic village. At Sacred Heart School,
students—Eskimo, Indian, White—line up on different sides of the cafeteria like
there’s some kind of war going on. Here, speaking Iñupiaq—or any native
language—is forbidden. And Father Mullen, whose fury is like a force of nature,
is ready to slap down those who disobey. Luke struggles to survive at Sacred
Heart. But he’s not the only one. There’s smart-aleck Amiq, a daring leader— if
he doesn’t self-destruct; Chickie, blond and freckled, a different kind of
outsider; and small, quiet Junior, noticing everything and writing it all down.
They each have their own story to tell. But once their separate stories come
together, things at Sacred Heart School—and the wider world—will never be the
same.
(description from Amazon.com)
There were parts of this book I really enjoyed. I thought the characters were well drawn and I learned a lot about Alaskan culture during the Cold War. I had no idea that Eskimos and other native tribes were all thrown together in schools far from their own homes. I did feel, though, like this book was disjointed - I had trouble tracking the time passing, etc.
Promise the Night
by Michaela MacColl
Beryl moved with her family to the highlands of Kenya as a toddler. Not long after, her mother and brother returned to England, abandoning her with her rough though loving father. MacColl's account begins when a leopard steals into Beryl's hut and attacks her dog—the child leaping from her bed to give chase. Though she loses the leopard in the night, the next morning, she and her new friend, a Nandi boy, Kibii, find the dog still alive and save it. Later she insists on being part of the hunt for the leopard. Young Beryl wants nothing more than to be a warrior, a murani, and to be able to leap higher than her own head. Her jumping skills progress apace, but young white girls, no matter how determined, cannot become part of the Nandi tribe. Her relationship with Kibii's father, the wise Arap Maina, along with a growing awareness of the consequences of her actions, help lead her into a more mature—though still wildly impulsive and daring—life. (description from author's website)
I *really* liked this one. It is the story of Beryl Markham's wild childhood in Africa, with the chapters interspersed with actual journal entries and interviews that Beryl did as a grown woman when she became a famous pilot. Beryl's interaction with the local Nandi tribe were also interesting and funny. Well written and very engaging!
If You Like… is a feature highlighting blogger recommendations for books, authors, TV shows, movies, and music based on the things you already know and love. This week’s post includes recommendations for stories featuring magical realism.
Magical Realism is what stories are referred to as when they take place in our world but contain elements of magic or the fantastic in them. Not truly fantasy, but close... if you like this type of story, check out our recommendations here!
