Showing posts with label fantasy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fantasy. Show all posts

Monday, October 12, 2020

Blog Tour: Come Marching Home


Welcome to the Come Marching Home blog tour! Be sure to check out the giveaway goodies, the live release stream, and all the other blog tour stops! Find the full official post here.

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Cover


 

Review

 Slight spoilers ahead

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As always, Hazel has given us epic, gut-wrenchingly difficult brotherly bonds, and an intriguing pseudo-historical fantasy world. This very much has WWII vibes, and does a great job of capturing the disjointedness of returning to the home front after being at the front lines.

One thing that contributed to my enjoyment was the cinematic pacing. All of the beats were in the right place, I had music going on in the back of my head the entire time, and the ending tied everything together. Books that follow this pacing normally annoy me, since I can see where everything is going. In this, however, I spent a majority of my time hurriedly swiping right and biting my nails (I'm surprised I have any left). There were a couple scenes that were reminiscent of the a Hallmark film, but they were well-done rather than...overabundant and...saccharine.

The triggering content, in my opinion, was balanced; enough detail to get a sense of the horrors of war, but not enough to be considered gory or over-descriptive for the average reader. It is likely stressful/detailed enough to turn off sensitive readers, however. So a forewarning there. There are flashbacks to battles, mentions of blood and dead bodies, and broken bones/other wounds are mentioned.

Hazel has a knack for writing stubborn characters. Very very stubborn characters. It made for a delightful clash of interests throughout. Also: no angst in regards to the love life of one of the main characters. Just. I was so happy. Sure there were problems, but they tackled them together and they didn't waste what time they had. Also, only one of the main characters had a love life to deal with, and it was a nice side-arc that didn't overshadow the entire story.

I feel like I have so much more to say...but this review is late in being posted and I WILL keep major spoilers out of my reviews! Though I may stop doing that soon, because everyone views different aspects of the story as spoilers and it is exhausting trying to write about a book without mentioning character-specific things...

Author Bio

Hazel B. West is the author of several novels including historical titles like On a Foreign Field, By Blood or By Bond; Wolfsblood, a book about werewolves in Roman Britain and the Modern Tales of Na Fianna series, which feature modern Irish warriors with swords and fast sports cars and lots of faeries.
Hailing from Purgatory (aka, Florida) Hazel is an indie author, book wyrm, and coffee connoisseur. She typically enjoys writing books with an unconventional flair, probably with a bit of folklore and mythology, most definitely with a lot of siblings or brothers-in-arms. When she’s not writing, she manages an Etsy shop, drinks a lot of coffee, listens to music, haunts conventions, or just holes up like an eldritch horror and binges her favorite shows—for inspiration. If you meet this rare creature on the street, she has been known to respond to the offer of coffee and old bookstores. But it’s probably best you try to contact her online first.

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Come back on Thursday for a character interview! Also, don't forget to check out the pre-order swag pack!

Friday, October 2, 2020

Cover Reveal: Come Marching Home

 I could have sworn I had this on auto-post, but nope...I did not even have it drafted...

One would think that quitting retail would help me not be so scatterbrained, but nope. Nope nope nope. I shall be coming back to fix the formatting and such, make it look more streamlined. Later. Even though the synopsis photo is making me chew at my hair and scream internally (IT NEEDS TO BE INSIDE THE MARGINS. But if it's smaller it's harder to read. 😫). (Plus reading the blurb is giving me a resurgence of feels from the book. 😭)

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Release Date: October 13th

Pre-Order Info

If you pre-order Come Marching Home or just order a copy of it by the end of October (extending because the paperback won’t be available for preorder), you can email the receipt of your purchase to sirwilliamssquire@gmail.com with your address and Hazel will send you a goodie pack!




Goodies: 

-A bookmark
-A sticker with art by H.S.J. Williams @h.s.j._williams
-A playlist curated by Hazel
-And if you order the paperback, you will get a signed bookplate

Synopsis



Cover




Author Bio

Hazel B. West is the author of several novels including historical titles like On a Foreign FieldBy Blood or By BondWolfsblood, a book about werewolves in Roman Britain and the Modern Tales of Na Fianna series, which feature modern Irish warriors with swords and fast sports cars and lots of faeries.

Hailing from Purgatory (aka, Florida) Hazel is an indie author, book wyrm, and coffee connoisseur. She typically enjoys writing books with an unconventional flair, probably with a bit of folklore and mythology, most definitely with a lot of siblings or brothers-in-arms. When she’s not writing, she manages an Etsy shop, drinks a lot of coffee, listens to music, haunts conventions, or just holes up like an eldritch horror and binges her favorite shows—for inspiration. If you meet this rare creature on the street, she has been known to respond to the offer of coffee and old bookstores. But it’s probably best you try to contact her online first.

Blog: http://hazelwest.blogspot.com 
Goodreads Author page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5289626.Hazel_B_West
Twitter: https://twitter.com/artfulscribbler
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modern_bard67/
Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/hazelwest



Saturday, August 8, 2020

Fairest Son: Cover Reveal

Yes, this book is released already, but the ebook is getting a new cover! And a hardcover!! Aaaaaaahhh look at it!

If you're a lover of fantasy, retellings, and heart-wrenching character development, give this book a read! Since I no longer know how to link to images or add text beneath an image with this new setup, here is the link.

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Blog Tour: Moonscript!!!!!


 

For a guaranteed spoiler-free review, see my Goodreads review.

Ah, a content warning: Errance is tortured for around...70 years, and so he's pretty messed up. In later chapters, there is a paragraph per chapter that sums up where he's at mentally/spiritually (man did those paragraphs add to the atmosphere of the chapter.) Nothing is ever shown in too much detail since the POV charrie can't stand looking at them for too long, but there are points where some wounds and/or the smell of blood are mentioned, psychological tension is very much present, and he lashes out violently a few times.

Also, I am composing a majority of this post last-minute, and am on a device that doesn’t allow for linking. The links/images shall be updated/added/gifs properly formatted at most a few hours from this being posted (hopefully).

Summary

"It is said that Darkness is empty and whatever vanishes into its depths is lost forever. I know this better than anyone. For I have suffered here in the shadows, and there are none who might find me."

Seventy years. Seventy years the elven prince has been lost to the darkness, assumed dead by his people and endlessly broken for a book that connects to the hidden realm of his ancestors, a land untouched by evil.

And now a light in the shadows. A chance for freedom. But those willing to help him come from the unlikeliest of worlds.

The orphan girl, yearning for a loving family, and the boy who won't leave her side. A healer maiden given an unexpected chance for a life beyond narrowed expectations. A grieving creature flown far from home.

They all search for something and now their fates are tied to his. If their quest for life can pull him from the dark mire in which his soul drowns, then perhaps he can be saved.

Or else he will drag them all down to a fate worse than death.
The beginning of an epic saga, MOONSCRIPT is a journey of innocence, despair, and redemption.

Seven illustrations by the author exclusively included in the paperback edition! 

Purchase links:

Cover

Moonscript Front Cover.jpg
Aaaaaa I can't wait for my physical copy!

Review

SPOILERS AHEAD!


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5 out of 5 stars!

Let’s stick with the characters for this particular review, shall we? I hate to skim over the wonderful description, tidbits that added to the atmosphere, the inclusion of very relatable emotions/feelings that are often neglected in fantasy adventures, and how organically we’re introduced to the world of Orim (THERE WEREN’T A TON OF NAME DROPS RIGHT OFF THE BAT AND I WAS NEVER CONFUSED ABOUT WHAT WHY WHEN OR WHERE.), but I’m writing this on around 5 hours of sleep, a full day, and a very short while until my assigned day of the blog tour (technically just a few hours away), SO let’s get to it.
(Idk if this actually contains spoilers or not, since I didn’t have time to share all the snippets that made me cry/lol. I’ll have to look it over when I’m rested and see what on earth I wrote. :P)

Characters

Rendar, the wonderfully quiet, regal, mysterious, and Earth-shattering character. I loved him right off the bat, such a graceful paradigm of power and meekness...with a glimmer of bad-*$$ attitude (oh my gosh I can feel him half-smiling at me, wondering what he ever did to deserve such an odd description well here you are sir you can’t tell me that you’re not deserving of it because speaking the truth in the darkness is definitely bad-*$$).

“... There are no coincidences in the craft of this world.”

Calmly ignoring the fact that he’d shocked his entire retinue [several times, might I add], the king held out the necklace.
Tellie stared. She couldn’t speak. Finally, she squeaked, “You can’t be serious!”

“Do not doubt, child.” ... “There is much you will not understand. But you’ve been called to this for a reason.” ... “Even when your path seems to lose all light, know that darkness cannot endure forever.”

Also, since I don’t have time to cover a couple wonderful side characters (in this specific case I’m thinking about Leoren, but there are many others I wish to mention—maybe I’ll update this later to include them), I shall instead share a quote of Rendar’s that I was echoing almost the entire time:

“Poor Leoren,” Rendar said, patting his arm. “Always troubled about so many things.”

Errance. *sobs*
I can’t call him a cinnamon roll; I feel like that would be too demeaning/familiar. (Am I the only one who sometimes feels like I’m intruding on a character’s life like a creeper?). I can, I think, call him a diamond.

The prince stared, the sight of death beginning to stain his heart just as the blood stained the elvish livery.

“Listen, human, I might be a plaything for demons, but I will not be toyed with by mere mortal scraps.”

For being so wounded, he was remarkably insolent.

And then he laughed.

The snippets don’t make much sense out of context, but...Idk, they make me happy seeing them in that order.
It’s also weird how much I related to him...I mean, I haven’t been tormented by demons for 70 years, but his brokenness...it’s something that, I think, we’ve all felt at one point or another, in differing amounts of severity.
I CRIED A LOT. There are many many blue highlights regarding his state of mind and the tension of his decisions.

Tellie, the wonderful heroine. Sweet, wounded, and determined to help heal the brokenness in the world around her—starting with Errance. She’s not ready to take on the world by any means, but she—well, she grows. She also doesn’t have to take on anything on her own. (I’m sorry I wanted to say more but I’m tired and my words are beginning to fail.)
I cried with her, I laughed with her, I laughed at her a couple of times (I’m horrid I know), and there were many times her thoughts echoed my own.

She never dreamed anything like this would happen to her—did such things really happen outside of stories?

She wouldn’t cry, she told herself. Crying never helped anything, it just gave headaches.

She’d always imagined having a dramatic speech in a storm, but it really wasn’t so wonderful after all. It was in fact, wet.

Kelm. Is. Adorable. Adventurous. And despite being flustered at a few things, he takes things very much in stride, is inventive, loves stories (I think I got most of the references the author slipped in there XD), and has a realistic/long-term view of things.

“Well, this is all splendid,” Kelm said. “But I have a question of my own now. Is this the privy bucket?”

“Is there a way to retract my wonderful idea?” Kelm asked in a squeak.

He also has a side-goal, which added to his adorableness determination and courage.

“Golly no!” ... “I don’t want Tellie to think of me as a brother!”




(See? I’m a creeper.)

The Daisha (prepositions are important: “Make sure the ‘The’ is attached, I won’t respond otherwise.”). Majestic, furry, and fierce, and, uh, very, very hungry (“That’s a surprise,” Kelm muttered. ... “He means you’ve gotten fat,” Errance said.)
She’s Protective of Errance, to the point that she seems to be the embodiment of Errance’s fanbase. As a reader, who had already cried over the characters several times, I was exceedingly glad and for once didn’t feel like I wanted/had to crawl into the book in a futile effort to protect my darlings, because someone much more capable than myself was already there expressing all of my protectiveness.
She’s amazing.

“If any danger comes near my elf, why I’ll...curses! Curses! The most abysmal of curses on all who have hurt him! May their teeth fall out and may their wings wither! I shall tear them all to shreds!”

“Try to talk some sense into this obstinate creature! If he doesn’t get reasonable soon, I’m picking him up and carrying him back to camp—upside-down! See if I don’t!”

She doles out wisdom with as much force as her blunt advice/observations and blistering threats. This is the main bit of one such nugget of wisdom, because otherwise I’d be posting an entire scene that made me tear up:

“Freedom is terrifying.”

In conclusion:
Realistic characters, wonderful world, plot that has plenty of grip and foreshadowing (and oh my goodness I didn’t even get to the villainous characters, but I have quotes and thoughts on them as well)...
So prepare to have your heart stomped on (in a good way of course).
Also, I couldn’t help but imagine that the author might have hummed this to herself while her characters were being emotionally tried (because it sure felt like it :P):


Author Bio

From the beginning, H. S. J. Williams has loved stories and all the forms they take. Whether with word, art, or costume, she has always been fascinated with the magic of imagination. She lives in a real fantastical kingdom, the beautiful Pacific Northwest, with her very own array of animal friends and royally loving family. Williams taught Fantasy Illustration at MSOA. She may also be a part-time elf. 
You can check out and follow William's art page over here: https://hsjwilliams.wordpress.com/


BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE

May 7th
H.S.J. Williams—Tour Launch

May 8th
Light and Shadow—Book Spotlight
E. E. Rawls—Book Spotlight

May 9th
Elizabeth’s Universe—Book Review
Grace M. Morris—Book Spotlight

May 10th
Allison’s Well—Book Spotlight
Amelia Nicole—Book Spotlight

May 11th
Ester S. (Instagram)—Book Spotlight
Imperial Scribis—Book Review

May 12th
The Labyrinth—Book Review

May 13th
Dreams & Dragons—Book Spotlight
Bookish Musings—Book Review

May 14th 
Unicorn Quester—Author Interview
Embers Reviews—Book Review

May 15th
Unicorn Quester— “3 Reasons Why” Video Review
Writing in Rivendell—Book Spotlight
Sarah, Plain & Average—Book Review

May 16th
Jane Maree—Book Review

May 17th
The Bookish Raven—Book Review

May 18th
Words of Hannah Kay—Book Review

May 19th
Functionally Fictional—Book Spotlight
Jenelle Schmidt—Book Spotlight

May 20th 
Beka Gremikova—Book Spotlight
Seven Billion Smiles—Book Review

May 21st
Today by Bryn—Tour Conclusion & Art Gallery

Friday, April 24, 2020

Author Interview: Claire Banschbach





Today, as part of the blog tour, we have an interview with Claire Banschbach!
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Have you read anything that made you think differently about fiction?

I feel like it happens rarely that I’ll find a book that just completely captures me and hits that bittersweet spot where you’re just so immersed in the story and simultaneously wishing it was all real but knowing it’s not. Scorpio Races by Maggie Steifvater was that for me the first time I read it.

What is your favorite childhood book/fairy tale?

We had a St George and the Dragon book (by Margaret Hodges) with the story adapted from Edmund Spencer’s The Faerie Queene. It was my favorite book because A) dragons, B) knights on epic quests, and C) amazing illustrations. It’s still a favorite to this day!

What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

I feel like I’m a fairly boring writer! :D I will say that I’ve never cried while writing an emotional scene or character death. I usually like trying to wring emotion from words, so I’m always oddly eager to get those scenes to see if I can get them out on paper like they’re playing in my head. (I’m a monster, it’s fine.)

What was/is your favorite part, and your least favorite part, of the publishing journey? 

My favorite part is usually the drafting process, where I’m discovering the story and the characters and being surprised by the twists and turns the story takes! Least favorite part is all the prep work to get everything set up and ready to go and then be brave enough to let your book baby out into the world. It’s one thing to just talk about it, but having people actually read it is something else! 😉

What do you hope your readers take away from this book?  

That it’s okay to be scared, but to try your best anyway. Change is scary, but you come out better for it. That everyone has something amazing about them. You just need to find your own magic.

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There's also a rafflecopter giveaway for an ebook and swag pack! Also, see here for the rest of the tour schedule.

Author Bio

Claire M. Banschbach is a native Texan and would make an excellent hobbit if she wasn’t so tall. She’s an overall dork, pizza addict, and fangirl. When not writing fantasy stories packed full of adventure and snark, she works as a pediatric Physical Therapist where she happily embraces the fact that she never actually has to grow up.
She writes New Adult/Adult fantasy as C.M. Banschbach.

Find her online at:

Thursday, April 23, 2020

Book Spotlight: Winter Spell

Claire Banschbach. That name--while very cool--is way easier to say in my head than aloud. XD
She's coming out with the third book in her series, The Faeries of Myrnius! I'm here today with a book spotlight. Read to the end for links to some giveaways, and be sure to check out the live Q&A with Claire and Hazel West.




Summary

A half-breed faery. A war-weary princess. A quest to free three kingdoms from the deadly winter spell. 
Constantly doubted by her ocean faery kindred, Tonya Freyr-dottir only wants to untangle the dormant ice and water magic within her. Then a strange attack makes her unleash a fierce winter on the land and sea. And she has no idea how to stop it.
Princess Diane serves faithfully at her brother’s side, trying to restore their kingdom of Myrnius after the devastating Dark War. Now with brutal winter wreaking havoc, everything they have worked for might be lost to famine and destruction.
Desperate to help, Tonya travels to the far north to unlock her magic, aided by Diane, as well as two land faeries: Dorian, a reckless healer and August, a mischievous warrior. But the north brings fresh dangers, unearths old wounds, and offers more questions than answers.

With doom threatening human and faery alike, Tonya must find a way to trust her new friends and release her magic before all fall to the fury of winter’s spell.

Cover




Author Bio

Claire M. Banschbach is a native Texan and would make an excellent hobbit if she wasn’t so tall. She’s an overall dork, pizza addict, and fangirl. When not writing fantasy stories packed full of adventure and snark, she works as a pediatric Physical Therapist where she happily embraces the fact that she never actually has to grow up.
She writes New Adult/Adult fantasy as C.M. Banschbach.

Find her online at:
Website






Tour Schedule

Monday 4/20: 
        Abigail Leskey – book spotlight
Rachael Ritchey – book review
MH Elrich – author interview

Tuesday 4/21:
Rachael Ritchey – author interview
E Paige Burkes – book spotlight
Kelsey Bryant – book spotlight
Claire B – Winter Spell as gifs

Wednesday 4/22: 
E Rawls – book spotlight
Hazel West – character interview/book spotlight
MH Elrich – character interview, Diane
        Claire B – meet the characters!

Thursday 4/23 – RELEASE DAY!
CB Cook – book spotlight
Marlene Simonette – book spotlight
Claire B – Release Day!
INSTAGRAM LIVE Q&A WITH HAZEL WEST – 7:30 PM CST on @cmbanschbach

Friday 4/24
        Marlene Simonette – author interview
Deborah O’Carroll – book review
Claire B – tour wrap-up

Thursday, April 2, 2020

Book Spotlight: Rose's Wrath


As is evidenced by the title (I just can't seem to get creative with blog post titles), I'm here today with a book spotlight! If you'd like to see my review, check it out here.
This fairy tale retelling has plenty of twists, interesting characters, and dark backstory, so let's get right into it.

Summary

"Have you ever heard Red Riding Hood howl at the moon?"

When Cerise, Verre, Blanca, and Aura are forced to complete a near-impossible task, it seems as if their loved ones’ lives are as good as over.

"Or seen Cinderella kill a man with just a shard of glass?"

And despite meeting a dragon, internal disputes, and the fact that they’re all most likely going to die, the young women grow close. Too close.

"Snow White has vanquished more with her poisoned breath than her beauty."

For secrets will come to light that have the power to change everything. There is a traitor in their midst, one who could potentially save or destroy them.

"And Sleeping Beauty? She will bring slumber with but a touch of her hand." 

Cover


Buy it. Buy it now.

Author Bio



Oceane McAllister is a fangirl-supreme, tea-drinking, novel-writing, thunder storm-obsessed indie author from New England. First and foremost a Christian, she tries to glorify her Lord and Savior in all that she does. Oceane also has a passion for writing YA fiction and believes it possible for them to be both quality and clean at the same time. With a tendency to wear only black, she is a staunch defender of the Oxford comma, abhors love triangles, and may or may not be obsessed with black olives.

Most days you can find her curled up on the couch typing away furiously on her computer. She is most definitely a Slytherin, Enneagram 3w4, and has convinced herself that she could win the Hunger Games. Some of her biggest inspirations are C. S. Lewis, Brandon Sanderson, Marissa Meyer, Jennifer A. Nielsen, and Suzanne Collins.

Find her online at:
Blog
Goodreads
Instagram

Tour Schedule:


March 27th: Blog tour intro
March 28th: Abigail Harder--book review
March 29th: Shine--character interview
March 30th: Kate Willis--book spotlight
March 31st: Merie Shen--author interview
April 1st: Juliette Dunn--book review
April 2nd: Marlene Simonette--book spotlight; you're already here!
April 3rd: Ian Wilson--author interview
April 4th: Grace Morris--book spotlight, review, and author interview

Sunday, February 16, 2020

Review: Fierce Heart

Since this is February is Fantasy month, and Valentine’s Day happened recently, I’m going to review Fierce Heart by Tara Grayce!
The focus of this FiF is worldbuilding, so those aspects will be mentioned first. :D


I wish this came in paperback...
Check it out!


SPOILER FREE!

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5 out of 5 stars!

Worldbuilding

So much of the fun in this book came from the culture differences between elves and humans. It wasn't just "oh humans are emotional and exciting; elves are disdainful models."
Through Essie's eyes, we discover, among other things: the ties between the ruling class of elves and their people, the divisions among the people themselves, and nitty-gritty elements like food, gestures, and technology.
The elves have treehouses, comfy clothes, running water, and refrigeration. Tarenhiel (yes I had to refer back to the book to make sure I got the spelling right :P) sounds amazing, even if they have to deal with trolls.
I can't wait to learn more about Essie's homeland in the next book! Assuming that human culture gets the same treatment as the elf, and Essie gets a chance to explain everything to Farrendel.
A few things like weaponry and the state of the nation are referenced, but since Essie spends most of the book in Tarenhiel, we don't get much detail.

My absolute favorite nitty-gritty detail: conditioner. Essie, the determined and clever heroine, uses elven conditioner as a tool to help seal the peace between human and elves. Sure, her marriage was supposed to do that, but people are silly and need something more tangible than their princess’ willingness for such an odd arranged marriage.

One thing I appreciated was the fact that this world's equivalent of modern conveniences/beverages weren't horridly renamed (eg, "hot brown morning potion" instead of "coffee." Lookin' at you, Dragon Prince. :/). They were just there, and their functions accepted as a part of everyday life. Running water, refrigeration, more modern/steampunk weaponry, etc.

The politics, thankfully, were minimal--enough to understand the situation and get an idea of how slow and tedious the processes were, and how they helped/hindered, but not so long that they took up pages of explanation and backstory.



Romance

THIS IS A CLEAN ROMANCE. THE ADULTS KNOW HOW TO COMMUNICATE.
Also:

Quote: Ugh. She gave herself another mental shake, harder this time. She was not going to turn into one of those princesses. The ones in books where they went on and on describing the absolute perfection of their handsome lover’s face, chest, muscles, and so on.

Do I need to say more? XD

The sensuality part of this romance lies in the realization that friendship is growing into something more. 
The couple shares two kisses--semi-detailed, near the end of the story--and they mean so much. 😭

I have a few quote blocks to share, but it may take a little while. Adobe Spark and my computer are being weird...
This review has been sitting in drafts for over a month, and I want to hurry up and get it posted.

Characters


I'm going to stick to gushing about the two MCs, and summarize everyone else. Otherwise I'll be here all day.



Essie (full name Elspeth) asks questions, is aware of herself, and mischievous while also having a good amount of sensibility. I'm tearing up right now, I'm so happy she wasn't a ditz. 💗
She's not the standard "strong female character" that everyone loves to hate. (I know you can't technically define something by what it isn't, but gosh it was refreshing that not even a whiff of that trope existed within her character.)
She's curious, determined, tender, and ready to face the world's challenges--whether she's prepared or not. Are you getting what I'm putting down? I've re-written that line no less than ten times trying to make it clear... XD

While Essie was a...uh, chatterbox (quote: “You’re lucky I only say a fraction of the questions I have in my head.”), and it got on my nerves sometimes, her willingness to face her fears and conquer them more than made up for that light annoyance.

Farrendel is a quiet and wounded warrior, not a broody jerk. He treats his subjects with patience, even if they scorn his scars. He's also kind, inventive, and willing to risk/suffer insanity to protect his family and homeland. His slow but steady opening up to Essie was gush-worthy. But, I don't want to copy/paste the whole book here, so I'll stick with this brief paragraph. ;)

The family dynamics are amazing. Essie's brothers cornering Farrendel after the human wedding ceremony, Farrendel's sisters confronting Essie about not hurting Farrendel, Essie's letters to her mother...
I'm tearing up again; it's not often I hear of, let alone find, a romance story with strong family dynamics.

Tuesday, January 7, 2020

Review: Circus Phantasm

Not a pro photo by any means, but I want to start showcasing my lovelies.

SPOILERS AHEAD!


Not too much plot-wise, but a few cautions about violence and whatnot that edge this book over the thin defining line between adult and young adult fiction.


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4.5 stars, rounded up to 5

Confession: I didn't think I would enjoy this very much. Not after the first couple of pages (the things that put on edge are listed in the cautions below.) I expected to be confronted with love hexagons, standard superhero scuffles where half the city is crushed beneath their powers, and flashy shows of magic.
What did I get? Most definitely not what I expected.

All the Things I Loved

-There were quite a few ships in the habor, but they weren't overly complicated ones. A couple were well-established, others were developing, and the rest were "this is going to happen eventually."
WITH NO LOVE TRIANGLES IN SIGHT.

-Loyalty and friendship were also key motivators in action and relationship alike. I'm sorry I can't go into more detail, but if I do, I'm going to end up spoiling the whole book. Suffice it to say that my favorite BROTPs are Tristan and Celeste, and Timaus and Lucien.

-The fighting wasn't as...hmm, epic as I thought it would be? No, that makes it sound bland. The build-up, tension and everything were wonderful, had me turning pages as quickly as I could. The fights, however, didn't wipe out whole city blocks. They revealed skeletons in the closet, and occasionally put them to rest. That being said, I would love it if future stories showcased a prolonged battle between two Keepers.

-The magic, which in this world is called the Blessing. The origin of Blessings is something I haven't come across before, not quite in this way. I would love to recap in detail, but part of the fun of this was figuring it out along with the MCs. Here's an overview: The Blessings are kind of like superpowers, in that they grant things like pyrokinesis, super strength, phasing, etc. They were originally a gift bestowed upon humanity by the elves, who wanted to help pull humanity out of some of their troubles. So far as I recall, the source of magic for the elves is never specified.
A few spells are cast in the story, but it's never detailed: "whispered a spell" is the most common descriptor. The effects are described, and when it does something against a person's will, it's never painted as "the end justifies the means". Characters get upset, they argue, they fight back, and the occasional apology is issued.

-DRAGONS. As the blurb mentioned nothing about dragons, I hadn't been expecting them. Though I began to suspect not far into the book, I was still pleasantly surprised when the resident dragon showed up. Oh, and griffins. Well, one griffin. One very imperious griffin. T'was very interesting to see these two strong-willed magical creatures together.


Light caution
-Some cursing in the beginning (it's quickly put to a stop, as Emma hates hearing curses in thoughts, and doesn't want to hear it come out of her brother's mouth)

-High drama (things like torture are hinted at; 
a character is nearly drowned in an attempt to get her past a block in using her abilities )

-A bit of innuendo/implications/romance (things like "turning red at the implication" are mentioned; a female is found sleeping in a male character's room and while nothing happened, no one believes it/says they disapprove; light kisses and things like back rubs)

-A character purposely dresses as if he's gay so that he can annoy his dad (this is in the beginning, but it's never mentioned/done again)

Why take off a half star? 

There were enough small errors in the kindle version (missing paragraph indents for different speakers, a repeated sentence or two, etc.) that they pulled me out of the story a bit. Some of the description was odd as well. The two main things that come to mind are:

a) a mermaid character's clothing is only ever described in one or two of her appearances, leading me to believe that she's not dressed half the time (especially since this character loves designing clothes), 

b) Emma's complexion/hair color aren't mentioned until the very end (if they were mentioned before, then I must've missed it). It just kind of annoys me a bit when you imagine a character one way, then come across a line of description later on that contradicts that.

However, the circus acts, the magic, the hints at relationships and past wrongs...all beautifully done. Though it was somewhat frustrating at times, in the way that only deep, anticipated backstory can be. 

I feel the need to mention that my enjoyment of the book increased tenfold once I finished. Because, from all appearances, this is a standalone fantasy book. When was the last time a standalone fantasy book came out? I can't remember the last time I read one of those!

Definitely check this book out if you love circuses, engaging characters, dragons, and don't want to be overwhelmed by the number of books in a series. 
I've read this twice and I'm still pleased beyond belief that this is a standalone.

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Seriously, can you recall any? Standalone fantasy books, that is. They don't have to be recent.
Comment below with recommendations!

I had some fanart commissioned for this story! Check them out in the Gallery.