THE KNIGHTS OF CRYSTALLIA

Posted on July 12, 2016 by Bookwraiths

the knights of crystallia

The Knights of Crystallia by Brandon Sanderson

Genre: Fantasy — Middle Grades/Young Adult

Series: Alcatraz #3

Publisher: Starscape (April 19, 2016)

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Length: 320 pages

My Rating: 4 stars

The Knights of Crystallia is the third installment of the Alcatraz series by Brandon Sanderson. For those who don’t understand what a series actually means and where you should start reading it, Alcatraz Smedry is nice enough to help explain all this as this book begins.

I know that some of you Hushlanders have trouble counting to three. (The Librarian-controlled schools don’t want you to be able to manage complex mathematics.) So I’ve prepared this helpful guide.

Definition of “book one”: The best place to start a series. You can identify “book one” by the fact that it says BOOK ONE on the back cover. Smedrys do a happy dance when you read book one first. Entropy shakes its angry fist at you for being clever enough to organize the world.

Definition of “book two”: The book you should read after book one. If you start with book two, I will make fun of you. (Okay, so I’ll make fun of you either way. But honestly, do you want to give me more ammunition?)

Definition of “book three”: The worst place, currently, to start a series. If you start here, I will throw things at you.

Defintion of “book four”: And . . . how’d you manage to start with that one? I haven’t even written it yet. (You sneaky time travelers.)

And that, my friends, is a sample of the trademark tongue-in-cheek silliness of this addictive middle-grade series. A tale which has followed young Alcatraz from unhappy foster child to son of the famous Smedry family of the Free Kingdoms. His Grandpa Smedry having whisked our young hero away from the boring Hushlands (the real world you and I live in) to enter the adventure filled world where the Free Kingdoms wage a constant struggle to keep the Earth free from Evil Librarian control. Magic, oculatory lenses, knights, and even more wondrous (and awful) things revealing themselves to our young hero.

But Alcatraz isn’t really a hero. At least, he doesn’t believe it. Instead, he describes himself as “a liar, a sadist, and a terrible person.” But since his fans (because Alcatraz has A LOT of them both in the Hushlands and the Free Kingdoms) believe he is, he has “come to the conclusion that the only way to convince you readers that I’m a terrible person is to show you how arrogant and self-centered I am. I’ll do this by talking about my virtues. Incessantly. All the time. Until you’re completely sick of hearing about my superiority.”

Not that Alcatraz really does that. Instead, The Knights of Crystallia shows our young Smedry getting his first taste of the Free Kingdoms, discovering what it really means to be a “Smedry”, learning he is as famous as Elvis ever dreamed of being, dealing with his friend Bastille’s trial, and attempting to stop a peace proposal by the Evil Librarians, which would hand over the Kingdom of Mokia to them!

There really is a lot of cool stuff to love in this book, but it all depends on whether you dig Brandon Sanderson’s humor. I mean, Alcatraz’s self-depreciating silliness and quirky observations aren’t for everyone, and I’ve encountered people who are turned off by it as well as the middle-grade story style. Myself and my son really dig it however. And since I have a college degree and am a recognized expert in book reviewing, you should just except my opinion already and go buy the book. (Read the novel, and you will get the joke I’m telling in that last sentence.)

But, anyway, The Knights of Crystallia delivers everything a great MG (Is that even the correct acronym for middle-grade? Shrug.) story needs. Adventure. Laughs. Magic. Cool, awkward teenagers. And even some words of wisdom here or there. (“Fame is like a cheeseburger. It might not be the best or most healthy thing to have, but it will still fill you up . . . It isn’t until years later you realize what it has done to your heart.“) So give this series a try (Alcatraz prefers you begin with book one remember?) or give it as a gift to a cool MG-er who likes awesome, magical adventures.

I received this novel from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank them for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.

Purchase the book at Amazon.

Posted in 4 Stars, Fantasy, Middle Grades | Tagged Alcatraz, Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians, Brandon Sanderson, Middle Grade Fantasy, oculatory, Smedry, Starscape, The Evil Librarians, The Knights of Crystallia | 8 Comments

TEASER TUESDAY

Posted on July 12, 2016 by Bookwraiths

teasertuesday1

Teaser Tuesday is a meme held over at Books and a Beat.

To participate, all you have to do is:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The Amazing Adventures of Dashing Prince Dietrich by Igor Ljubuncic

Genre: Fantasy -Grimdark

Series: Woes & Hose #1

Publisher: Self Published (May 20, 2016)

Author Information: Website

Length: 376 pages

Lord First Citizen Vincenzo winced. His fist hurt. That damn maid had such a strong jaw.

Teresa was sitting on the tiles, bleeding on them, holding her mouth and crying. But just before he had shattered her teeth, she had told him what he needed to know.

The Swan!

“My Lord the First, what do you want to do with those two?” Senes, his Belgorian sheriff, asked, pointing at the trussed figures just outside the door to his office. One was an adjoint in his service, and the other some stupid boy from Borano. If his bullies had done their job in ferreting out the truth, these two had helped his daughter sneak out from the estate.

Vincenzo lifted his chin. “I do not rid them anymore. Get rid of them.”

The muffled cries in their mouth rags annoyed him for a moment before Senes drew his shivon and pierced them through the chest, one two — more blood on the tiles.

Vincenzo flicked his fingers. A very quiet servant knelt on the marble and began mopping the floor.

Purchase the book at Amazon.

Posted in Teaser Tuesday | Tagged Fantasy, fantasy series, gridmark, Igor Ljubuncic, self-published fantasy, self-published fantasy books, self-published fantasy series, Teaser Tuesday, The Amazing Adventures of Dashing Prince Dietrich, Woes & Hose | 1 Comment

WOLF’S EMPIRE: GLADIATOR

Posted on July 9, 2016 by Bookwraiths

wolf's empire Wolf’s Empire: Gladiator by Claudia Christian & Morgan Grant Buchanan

Genre: Science Fiction

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Tor (June 28, 2016)

Author Information: Claudia’s Website | Claudia’s Twitter | Morgan’s Website

Length: 496 pages

My Rating: 3 stars

Wolf’s Empire: Gladiator is a sweeping space opera in the tradition of Frank Herbert’s Dune. Set in a galaxy where the Roman Empire not only survived barbarian invasions but went on to conquer the world then the universe, the story faithfully portrays an evolved Roman civilization yet mixes in enough futuristic science fiction elements to create a perfect blend of history and high-tech; all of it setting the stage beautifully for the tale of one woman’s quest for vengeance.

Readers follow along behind a young noblewoman named Accala Viridius, who sets out on a path of revenge after the murder of her mother and brother. Their deaths just more sacrifices in the scheming and deadly rivalries between the Roman royal houses. Once a galactic conflict sweeps aside any chance Accala has to obtain justice, she resorts to a life of the gladiator, where she dreams of exacting bloody retribution in the imperial games.

Being a sucker for historical space operas like Dune, Wolf’s Empire was an enjoyable read for me, quick paced, horrific in parts, and nearly always exciting. The bickering royals, callous murder, and galactic war recalling all the good elements of Herbert’s classic sci-fi masterpiece without any of the tedious political monologues. Christian and Buchanan even avoiding the far too frequent “Chosen One” trope, instead opting for a more realistic, more modern heroine.

Here Accala is a decidedly “normal” (for her society) person. She is flawed. Addiction issues plague her. She loves but can’t maintain relationships. Her loyalties are divided, pulling her in different directions. Her desire for revenge at any cost actually costing her. And she makes poor decision more than a few times. These lapses in judgment reinforcing that she is no divine prodigy, but a young woman doing her best in an ever-changing, nebulous situation filled with dire consequences at every turn.

Surrounding our heroine, the authors have palced other complex characters. These men and women growing and evolving as circumstances dictate. Bad guys begin as horrible, vicious monsters only to be revealed as real people, who are more gray than they are black. Good guys might start off as shining beacons of light, but soon their own failings and suspect motives or desires drag them back down to the muck of the ordinary. All of this character development done organically, gifting Accala’ tale with a deep sense of realism not always encountered in space operas.

All of these people play out their tragedies upon a stellar stage. The futuristic, high-tech Roman Empire a galactic edifice serving as an amazing backdrop to this tale. Especially impressive is the authenticity of Roman society, which still retains so many vestiges of its ancient self with a patriarchal slant, bisexual leanings and strict class stratification. The attention to detail clearly showing that Christian and Buchanan definitely did their research, determining to capture the essence of Rome before placing their own unique spin upon it.

But I haven’t even mentioned the combat yet. Naturally, it is intertwined in everything going on here. Brutal and bloody, horrific and cringe worth at times. Just as it should be. I mean, any book touching upon Roman gladiators (even high-tech ones) has to get down into the gory muck of the arena, and Wolf’s Empire does so willingly and well.

The only negative I had with the novel was my lack of deep attachment to Accala Viridius. For whatever reason, she and I never bonded. Yes, I understood her motives, felt her anger and pain, and even rooted for her triumph more than a few times. However, my empathy never turned into a true love like I have for other characters like Jon Snow of A Song of Ice and Fire or even Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars space trilogy.

Overall, I felt Wolf’s Empire: Gladiator was a creative, exciting and bloody addition to the science fiction space opera genre, more than worthy for lover of that area to give a try. Hell, even lovers of alternate history works based on the Roman Empire might find this one interesting, because the authors did such a great job of capturing the feel of ancient Rome. As for me, I’m definitely glad I gave this a try and did enjoy my time with it, even if I wished the heroine and I had hit it off more.

Purchase the book at Amazon.

Posted in Science Fiction, Space Opera | Tagged Claudia Christian, gladiators, high-tech gladiators, Morgan Grant Buchanan, new science fiction, Roman Empire, Roman Empire sci-fi, Science fiction, Space Opera, space opera like Dune, Tor, Tor science fiction, Wolf's Empire: Gladiator | 3 Comments

STACKING THE SHELVES, VOL. 31

Posted on July 9, 2016 by Bookwraiths

Stacking the Shelves over at Tynga’s Reviews is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, whether it be physically or virtually. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Arabella of Mars by David D. Levine

Genre: Science Fiction

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Tor (July 12, 2016)

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Length: 320 pages

Ever since Newton witnessed a bubble rising from his bathtub, mankind has sought the stars. When William III of England commissioned Capt. William Kidd to command the first expedition to Mars in the late 1600s, they proved that space travel was both possible and profitable.

Now, one century later, a plantation in the flourishing British colony on Mars is home to Arabella Ashby. A tomboy who shares her father’s deft hand with complex automatons. Being raised on the Martian frontier by her Martian nanny, Arabella is more a wild child than a proper young lady. Something her mother plans to remedy with a move to an exotic world Arabella has never seen: London, England.

Arabella soon finds herself trying to navigate an alien world until a dramatic change in her family’s circumstances forces her to defy all conventions in order to return to Mars in order to save both her brother and the plantation. To do this, Arabella must pass as a boy on the Diana, a ship serving the Mars Trading Company with a mysterious Indian captain who is intrigued by her knack with automatons. Arabella must weather the naval war between Britain and France, learning how to sail, and a mutinous crew if she hopes to save her brother from certain death.

Purchase the book at Amazon.

The Shattered Lense by Brandon Sanderson

Genre: Fantasy — Middle Grades/Young Adult

Series: Alcatraz #4

Publisher: Starscape (July 19, 2016)

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Length: 336 pages

Alcatraz Smedry is up against a whole army of Evil Librarians with only his friend Bastille, a few pairs of glasses, and an unlimited supply of exploding teddy bears to help him. This time, even Alcatraz’s extraordinary talent for breaking things may not be enough to defeat the army of Evil Librarians and their giant librarian robots.

Purchase the book at Amazon.

Posted in Stacking the Shelves | Tagged Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians, Arabella of Mars, Brandon Sanderson, David D. Levine, Middle Grade Fantasy, new science fiction, Stacking the Shelves, Starscape, The Shattered Lens, Tor Books | 1 Comment

IN THE SHADOW OF THE GODS

Posted on July 8, 2016 by Bookwraiths

In the Shadow of the Gods by Rachel Dunne

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Bound Gods #1

Publisher: Harper Voyager (June 21, 2016)

Author Information: Twitter | Website

Length: 400 pages

My Rating: 3.5 stars

In the Shadow of the Gods announces a new voice in the fantasy field. Rachel Dunne setting off on an epic journey with this opening salvo in her Bound Gods series; the story promising divine beings, conflict and betrayal, personal angst, and more than enough combat and magic to satisfy.

The world setting for Shadow is an interesting one, dominated by a perpetual state of religious strife. Two faiths vying for control over the masses. The dominant force is that of the Parents; the creator gods who brought the universe and all its inhabitants into being. The rogue faith is for the Twins, or the Fallen; these divine children of the Parents having rebelled against their progenitors; their punishment to be cast down upon the world, where their bodies shattered into pieces – but they did not die.

The eternal bone of contention between these two faiths are the Twins, specifically their rebirth. For, you see, the faithful of the Fallen are eternally working to either recovery and reassemble the bodies of their gods or use newborn twin babies for their gods’ spirits to inhabit. Something the followers of the Parents oppose, going so far as to kill all twin babies at birth and stone to death any missionaries of the Twins.

Into this quagmire of strife, Ms. Dunne weaves her tale through the viewpoints of five distinct characters. Each of these individuals living in the same general area of the world but as different from one another as people continents apart.

Readers first encounter Seeker Joros. This missionary of the Twins returning to his faith’s secret sanctuary in Mount Raturo, which lies at the very edge of civilization. His purpose is to return several new converts to his outlawed religion; one pregnant female, in particular, is vitally important as she might be carry unborn twins. Joros’ hope that the delivery of this pregnant woman will prove his worth beyond question and open the way to him becoming a member of the ruling elite of the Twins.

Meanwhile, in the snowy wastes of the Northlands, a young Northman is taken in by Parrokerrus, priest of the Parents. While the wild lad is silent and appears a brute savage, Parro is determined to raise him, teach him the truth of the Parents, and help him find a place in the harsh prison colony of Aardanel.

Seemingly a world away, siblings Aro and Rora eke out a minimal existence in the “Canals” of the city of Mercetta. Thieving and begging, hiding and killing as necessary to survive the inhuman slums ruled by rival gangs, but as long as the pair remains together they are willing to brave any hardship.

Lastly, there is pure hearted, devoted Keiro. Where Seeker Joros sees his faith in the Twins as a path to power, Keiro views his life as one of pure devotion to a true and noble cause. His desire to convert the misguided lost to the side of the Twins. His spirit constantly seeking divine guidance. His every action tailored to reviving his gods and initiate the creation of a new paradise upon the world.

Once all these individuals are introduced and fleshed out, Shadow actually skips forward in time. Each character having their lives shattered by some unexpected event; a new path forced upon them. The fallout of the destruction placing all but one on an seemingly inevitable collision course, while that one brave soul finds himself on a solitary quest of discovery.

Like most opening volumes in a series, In the Shadow of the Gods puts its best foot forward, wooing a reader with its new ideas, cast of characters, well-thought out world, and promises amazing things to come. And there are a lot of things to like here.

The foremost of them being the world itself with its very believable and combative religions. The faith of the Parents and the Twins are different, interesting, and nebulous enough that the author can go any number of places with the ongoing tale without breaking any established lore. Where it all ends up, whether the Parents or the Twins are evil, whether they rise again, and whether Joros or Keiro’s vision about their true nature is correct is definitely compelling enough to encourage picking up volume two of the series.

The other element I enjoyed was the character Scal. This Northman really resonated for me. His unknown past, his deep respect for his foster father, and his life journey once tragedy strikes making him a conflicted character whose every choice felt important and worth following closely.

To be fair though, just as Shadow had many positive elements, there were a few stumbles, and I feel I should at least mention them for those who are attempting to obtain a clear picture of this novel.

First, the time shifts. There are two of them. Not a few days or weeks or months, but five years the first time and eight years the second time. Lots of life events skipped. I’m sure this was done because nothing important was happening, but if that is the case then it is odd that the characters reappear as changed people whom a reader has to get to know all over again. And, unfortunately, I don’t enjoy having to reconnect with characters over and over again in a story. It could be a personally foible of mine, but I prefer linear stories where I get to follow along and experience my characters growing and evolving, not turn a page and be told they are now different in this way or that way. So, time shifts were a big turnoff for me here.

Second, the book felt too long. Many times it drags badly. Certain scenes and sub-plots seemingly irrelevant (though they could become important in future books) to the main story, serving as mere filler material. These lulls in the momentum of the tale bothering me immensely from time to time, and I felt that many of these section could have been left on the cutting room floor without having impacted the story at all.

But should you givethis book a try?

Absolutely. There are a lot of very cool ideas and themes explored here. Definitely enough fresh and clever twists on epic fantasy to differentiate In the Shadow of the Gods from other fantasy offerings and help me recommend it to other readers. Plus, this is the first installment of the Bound Gods series, so I’m sure Rachel Dunne will gradually tweak this narrative, finding the perfect course to carry the tale to an epic conclusion that none of us will forget.

Purchase the book at Amazon.

Posted in Epic, Fantasy | Tagged Bound Gods, Fantasy, fantasy series, gods, In the Shadow of the Gods, magic, new epic fantasy, northmen, Rachel Dunne | 4 Comments

INDIE WEDNESDAY: VISIONS OF ZARUA

Posted on June 29, 2016 by Bookwraiths

Along my reading journey, I’ve made a conscious decision to not only read the books on the shelves at my local Barnes & Nobles store, or online at Amazon, but to also try self-published, or indie, works as often as I can.

Now, I know several of you are snickering in the background or rolling your eyes at my idiot crusade to bring a few good indie works to light. And, believe me, I understand why you’d do that. Several years into this, I have to admit that I’ve probably stopped reading more indie stories than I’ve finished, but if I don’t share those triumphs and failure, then no one else will know whether these self-published stories are worth investing their time into or not.

This week I’m happy to introduce everyone to Suzanne Rogerson, who has been gracious enough to do a guest post introducing us all to her fantasy novel entitled Visions of Zarua.

THE EVOLUTION OF VISIONS OF ZARUA

I can pinpoint the very first idea I ever had for Visions of Zarua. It started with a young woman hunting something in the woods with her two hounds. Her prey had disappeared and she was nervous about something. As I worked backwards to discover what Varnia was hunting and why, her friend, Paddren, showed up and soon stolen the show in terms of plot. Out of these two characters, a novel was born.

visions of zarua I knew Paddren had been tormented with visions since his childhood, and these visions were responsible for setting him apart from his family. He was left in the care of the Royal Wizards, but he soon went to live with a wizard named Kalesh who bid him keep the visions a secret.

The meaning behind the visions would form the backdrop of the novel but it took a long time and a lot of redrafting for everything to finally fall into place.

Originally every chapter for the first half of the book started with a diary entry from an ancient journal written by Jago, a junior wizard who lived 350 years ago. These entries hinted at events from the past that had dire consequences for life in present day Paltria.

Around this point I fell in love with Jago’s story and knew I had to write a prequel to Visions.

But this left me with a dilemma – once people knew what happened in Visions, would they want to read the prequel? And if they read the prequel first, they would understand too much of what was going on in Visions.

It was a critique tutor that pointed out the diary entries made it hard to engage with Jago and suggested I merge the two books. The word count would increase what was already a long book, but I decided to try it anyway.

Expanding the small snippets of Jago’s life into fully formed scenes was so rewarding and I had moments where the story ran away with me. It felt natural to use first person viewpoint for Jago and live the past so vividly through his eyes.

Slotting Jago’s story into Paddren’s was a bit like putting together a puzzle. Towards the end all the pieces were in place and the full picture became clear.

I’m proud of the interlinking stories and hope they have given Visions of Zarua something a little different to other fantasy books out there.

About the Author:

Suzanne lives in Middlesex with her hugely encouraging husband and two children.

She wrote her first novel at the age of twelve. She discovered the fantasy genre in her late teens and has never looked back. Giving up work to raise a family gave her the impetus to take her attempts at novel writing beyond the first draft, and she is lucky enough to have a husband who supports her dream – even if he does occasionally hint that she might think about getting a proper job one day.

Suzanne loves gardening and has a Hebe (shrub) fetish. She enjoys cooking with ingredients from the garden, and regularly feeds unsuspecting guests vegetable-based cakes.

She collects books, loves going for walks and picnics with the children and sharing with them her love of nature and photography.

Suzanne is interested in history and enjoys wandering around castles. But most of she likes to escape with a great film, or soak in a hot bubble bath with an ice cream and a book.

Connect with Suzanne: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

visions of zarua blog tour

Mon 27th June betweenthelinesbookblog Promo Post
Tues 28th June rosieamber Review
Wed 29th June bookwraiths Indie Wednesday feature, Guest Post & Giveaway
Thurs 30th June aliasfaithrivens Review & Interview
Fri 1st July TheTattooedBookGeek Novel extract & Promo Post
Sat 2nd July teripolen Promo Post
Sun 3rd July alinefromabook Review & Promo Post
Mon 4th July barbedwords Review & Post about Varina and her favourite recipe
Tues 5th July barbtaub Review, Interview and Giveaway
Wed 6th July shelleywilsonauthor Promo post
Thurs 7th July jenanita01 Review
Fri 8th July spookymrsgreen Promo Post
Sat 9th July happymeerkatreviews Review & Promo Post
Sun 10th July color me in cyanide and cherry Review
Sun 10th July Lucciagray Q&A

PURCHASE THE BOOK AT ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:

Amazon UK
Amazon US
Smashwords
Kobo

Posted in Author Spotlights, Guest Post, Indie Wednesday | Tagged e-book, Fantasy, Indie authors, indie fantasy, indie fantasy book, indie fantasy series, indie wednesday, magic, self-published fantasy, self-published fantasy books, Suzanne Rogerson, suzanne rogerson guest post, Visions of Zarua, wizards | 6 Comments

FUN DAY MONDAY, OR THE BOOKS THAT WILL HELP ME SURVIVE THE WEEK AHEAD (JUNE 27, 2016)

Posted on June 27, 2016 by Bookwraiths

funday-monday

The work week begins. I quickly slip into my business suit and head back into the office to save a few innocent people. But while I try to fool myself into being excited about the grind, deep down, I’m not, so I’m going to escape dreary reality by reading some great books.

Real life commitments (work specifically) has really put a major brake on my reading in the month of June, so I’m way behind and playing catch-up. Unfortunately, this week will be no exception to that trend, so while I’m optimistic I’ll finished a book or two, all I can promise is that I will be trying my best.

Children of Fire by Drew Karpyshyn

Series: The Chaos Born #1

Publisher: Del Rey (August 27, 2013)

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Length: 488 pages

Long ago the gods chose a great hero to act as their agent in the mortal world and to stand against the demonic spawn of Chaos. The gods gifted their champion, Daemron, with three magical Talismans: a sword, a ring, and a crown. But the awesome power at his command corrupted Daemron, turning him from savior to destroyer. Filled with pride, he dared to challenge the gods themselves. Siding with the Chaos spawn, Daemron waged a titanic battle against the Immortals. In the end, Daemron was defeated, the Talismans were lost, and Chaos was sealed off behind the Legacy—a magical barrier the gods sacrificed themselves to create.

Now the Legacy is fading. On the other side, the banished Daemron stirs. And across the scattered corners of the land, four children are born of suffering and strife, each touched by one aspect of Daemron himself—wizard, warrior, prophet, king.

Bound by a connection deeper than blood, the Children of Fire will either restore the Legacy or bring it crashing down, freeing Daemron to wreak his vengeance upon the mortal world.

Purchase the book at Amazon.

Nightshades by Melissa F. Olson

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Tor (July 19, 2016)

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Length: 176 pages

Alex McKenna is the new Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago office of the Bureau of Paranormal Investigations—the division tasked with investigating crimes involving shades.

Or vampires, as they’re more widely known.

Children have been going missing, and agents are routinely being slaughtered. It’s up to McKenna, and some unlikely allies, to get to the bottom of the problem, and find the kids before it’s too late.

Purchase the book at Amazon.

Posted in Funday Monday | Tagged chaos, Children of Fire, Drew Karpyshyn, epic fantasy, Funday Monday, magic, melissa f olson, nightshades, The Chaos Born, Tor, Tor Books, Tor novellas, Urban Fantasy, vampires | 3 Comments

BOOK SPOTLIGHT & GIVEAWAY: VISIONS OF ZARUA

Posted on June 26, 2016 by Bookwraiths

Visions of Zarua by Suzanne Rogerson

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Stand alone

Publisher: Self Published (November 16, 2015)

Author Information: Website | Twitter | Facebook

Length: 472 pages

Two wizards, 350 years apart. Together they must save the realm of Paltria from Zarua’s dark past, as an ancient darkness haunts the realm.

Apprentice wizard Paddren is plagued by visions of a city on the brink of annihilation. When his master Kalesh dies in mysterious circumstances, the Royal Order of Wizards refuses to investigate.

Helped by his childhood friend, the skilled tracker Varnia, and her lover Leyoch, Paddren vows to find the killer.

The investigation leads Paddren down a sinister path of assassins, secret sects and creatures conjured by blood magic. But he is guided by a connection with a wizard from centuries ago – a wizard whose history holds the key to the horror at the heart of the abandoned city of Zarua. Can Paddren decipher his visions in time to save the Paltrian people from the dark menace of Zarua’s past?

About the Author:

Suzanne lives in Middlesex with her hugely encouraging husband and two children.

Suzanne loves gardening and has a Hebe (shrub) fetish. She enjoys cooking with ingredients from the garden, and regularly feeds unsuspecting guests vegetable-based cakes.

She collects books, loves going for walks and picnics with the children and sharing with them her love of nature and photography.

Suzanne is interested in history and enjoys wandering around castles. But most of she likes to escape with a great film, or soak in a hot bubble bath with an ice cream and a book.

VISIONS OF ZARUA BLOG TOUR 2016 SCHEDULE

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

Suzanne Rogerson has been nice enough to provide one e-book of Visions of Zarua for this giveaway. To enter, visit the Rafflecopter giveaway!

PURCHASE THE BOOK AT ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:

Amazon UK
Amazon US
Smashwords
Kobo

Posted in Uncategorized | 7 Comments

STACKING THE SHELVES, VOL. 30

Posted on June 25, 2016 by Bookwraiths

The Bound Folio by Rob J Hayes

Genre: Fantasy

Series: The Ties That Bind #3.5

Publisher: Ragnarok Publications (June 1, 2016)

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Length: 226 pages

The world is full of heroes, villains, and all the shades in between. The Bound Folio tells their stories from the tortured childhood of the legendary Blademaster the Sword of the North, to the humble origins of the Queen of the Five Kingdoms, to the death of one of the world’s greatest assassins.

This anthology collects together eight dark stories of swords, sorcery, and seduction from First Earth, the setting of Rob J. Hayes’ The Ties That Bind trilogy.

CONTENTS
“The Sword of the North” – Northborn lordling Derran Fowl has a natural affinity for swordplay. Even so, such a talent cannot contend with an alcoholic father who invites an Arbiter to their estate in order to investigate his own sickly daughter and Derran’s beloved little sister, Leesa. Learn the origins of what drives young Derran to begin a journey that ends with the Sword of the North.

“The Night Blade” – A tale in which two fabled assassins, one a veteran of the trade, the other a promising upstart, are hired by the same man to kill one another, with the prize being a major contract for a hefty sum.

“The Kid” introduces an undersized street rat at the bottom of the pecking order in his small group of famished and thieving orphans. A victim of frequent beatings and constant bullying, learn how he overcomes his enemies in the unfeeling gutters and alleyways of Korral.

“The Battle of Underbridge” – Tristan Southerland and his fellow squires intend to get riproaring drunk on a night out. Instead, they find themselves fighting for their lives — and dying — against a pestilent tide of ceaseless foes.

“The Merchant of Truridge” – Sirion Tell is married to the perfect woman, and although his father has recently passed, he has inherited a considerable sum and the future looks bright for the enterprising newlyweds…until he crosses paths with the pirate known as Drake Morass.

“The Twins” – Irris the Drurr is charged with the protection of royal half-breed twins as they flee to the surface world. In the coming weeks, beneath the open skies, will she be able to lead both small girls to a safe haven? Or will they be caught by human hunters; or worse, their own merciless people, intent on slaughtering the twins merely for being born?

“The Mistress of the West” – In the western deserts of the Five Kingdoms, the school of mistresses instructs young girls like Shián how to capture rich and powerful husbands to increase their family’s status; however, will the mistresses be able to teach Shián what cost the price of vengeance?

“Beck” – An Arbiter of the Inquisition finds herself at the mercy of pirates, taken captive for her magical abilities and used to locate a mysterious treasure. When the treasure itself turns out to potentially be heretical, the Arbiter finds she must make a choice between her duty or freedom.

Purchase the book at Amazon.

Posted in Stacking the Shelves | Tagged Fantasy, grimdark, magic, Ragnarok, Rob J. Hayes, Stacking the Shelves, The Bound Folio, The Ties That Bind | 2 Comments

FRIDAY FACE-OFF: ARMED TO THE TEETH

Posted on June 24, 2016 by Bookwraiths

friday-face-off

Welcome to The Friday Face-Off, a new weekly meme hosted by Books by Proxy. Join us every Friday as we pit cover against cover, and publisher against publisher, to find the best artwork in our literary universe.

This week our theme is Armed to the Teeth. Or to put it another way, covers which features weapons. Lots of weapons. Or just one truly awesome weapon like the one pictured in the two covers below.

vs.

English (1986) Spanish (2010)

The old school cover from the left is by Robert Gould, who created many dazzling Elric covers for Michael Moorcock’s classic sword and sorcery tale.

On the left is the Spanish cover from 2010, which also gives us a similar type image of Elric and his accursed sword. The artist for this cover has (so far) escaped all my Google searches to uncover his/her identity.

AND MY CHOICE FOR WINNER THIS WEEK IS . . .

elric english

A classic cover if there ever was one. Everything about this version of Stormbringer mesmerizes me, demanding that I buy this book immediately to discover the significance of the badass sword, the horn, and the pale-haired person at the top. But then again, I’m probably biased for these series of Elric covers, because they really convinced me to get into the series decades ago.