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!
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!
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!”
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.
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
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. ðŸ˜
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.
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.
Her destiny is decided — but betrayal breaks even the best-laid plans. Baili, the princess of the Kingdom of Seven Rivers, has always known what her future holds. Declared the fairest of all by the fabled Dragonglass, she is destined to fulfill an ancient prophecy and unite her homeland with its long-time enemy, the Kingdom of Three Peaks. And in doing so, she may save her country from death and ruin. In order to fulfill her destiny, Baili must travel to the Kingdom of Three Peaks and marry its prince, Liu Xiang. But all Baili's plans and expectations are turned upside-down when her servants and soldiers, acting on her stepmother's orders, turn against her on the road. Baili narrowly escapes with her life, but she's left alone and adrift among strangers. Fortunately, Baili finds refuge in the home of seven animal keepers: servants and slaves to the emperor of Three Peaks. Yet time is running out. Her servants' rebellion was only a small part of a much larger plot. Within weeks, her stepmother plans to unite the two kingdoms, not by contract, but by conquest. Baili must reclaim her rightful place and unite not just two kingdoms but many peoples in order to stop the plan. And if she fails, two kingdoms will be plunged into ruin. Sure to delight lovers of fantasy and fairy tales, this rich and magical Asian-inspired adventure combines Snow White and The Goose Girl in a way you've never seen before.
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Author Bio:
Sarah Pennington has been writing stories since before she actually knew how to write, and she has no intention of stopping anytime soon. She is perpetually in the middle of writing at least one or two novels, most of which are in the fantasy and fairy tale retelling genres. Sarah's first published work, Blood in the Snow, received a perfect score and Special Unicorn status in Rooglewood Press's Five Poisoned Apples contest. When she isn't writing, she enjoys knitting, photography, and trying to conquer her massive to-be-read list.
This was beautiful, and everything I didn't know I needed out of a Snow White retelling. 💗
Unfortunately, I couldn't think of a way to review this without spoilers. So, fair warning: spoilers ahead!
Can there really be such a thing as a spoiler for retellings, though? Since the plots are kind of similar? I digress...
Baili's fortitude is shown early on, and a little piece of it reflects in all of her actions. She faces traitors. She faces liars. She faces an entire castle set against her. With the help of the friends she makes along the way, she topples these obstacles. Note the word choice: she makes friends, she doesn't find them. Most of her companions begin as reluctant acquaintances, and even outright hostile. She finds ways to make friends out of all of them.
Chouko is a nice blend of spicy determination, biting criticism, a steady heart...basically everything one could want out of a mentor character. There is also Ganbaatar; the loud, brawny, quietly mysterious, and utterly lovable (from the reader's perspective, at least) one of the group. The others don't play nearly so large a part as these two, though they each add their own flavors. Ailin, an insightful female servant. Azuma, the quiet loner. The enthusiastic siblings, Renshu and Jialin.
The romance was slow and sweet. Oddly enough, Chouko is the one to initiate things. In her style, she "nearly kills" Baili by tripping her and sending her headlong into the water--right as Prince Xiang passes by. 😆
The prince is strong, and cares for his people. He's also quiet, willing to listen...essentially an excellent leader and perfect companion to Baili.
The names and use of protocol helped give the world its Asiatic flavor. The magic--oh, the magic. "Three drops of blood in the sky or river could summon breeze or current enough to propel a ship; three drops in the snow could wish a child into existence." The system is balanced, and wonderfully executed.
Highly recommended for lovers of fairy tale retellings!
I'm excited to take part in C.B. Cook's tour for her newest book, Lightporter! :D First, here's C.B. Cook on this newest installment to the IDIA series. -----
Hullo, friends! I’m C.B. Cook, and I’m so excited for the release of my new superhero novel, Lightporter! It’s the second book in my IDIA series, with Twinepathy being the first, and I’m so thrilled to be sharing it with everyone. Here’s a little bit about the book.
(Light-por-ter)
n. someone who has the ability to manipulate light and can use that ability to teleport
Albany and her twin sister, Brooklyn, have gotten more comfortable in the superhero world. But when Blaze starts acting secretive and weird monsters attack, the girls realize there is more going on that they still don’t know about. Before long, they discover that Blaze is hiding something—or someone. With FOE still hiding in the shadows, the girls must decide who they can trust… before it’s too late.
This book took me so long to write, and I’m so excited that I’m finally able to release it. The book is releasing June 16th, but it’s currently up for preorder for just $0.99 on Amazon. Along with that, the first book, Twinepathy, is now permanently $0.99! So if you haven’t gotten a chance to read it, you definitely should.
About the Author
C.B. Cook is just a girl trying to find out where her King is guiding her, while writing the stories of the people she creates, the worlds she wants to live in, and the adventures she dreams about. Also known as a mysterious creature called an “author.” She's a Christian and a home school graduate dedicated to changing others' lives through the power of the written word.
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My Review:
A fast-paced superhero adventure with a few twists and new faces!
Albany has learned to control herself a bit, and so doesn't completely botch her new mission: find out what's eating at fellow IDIA member Blaze. Questions are raised, a few answers given, secrets revealed, alliances tested, friendships solidified (rather than broken up, per soap opera/dark drama trend)!
Like Twinepathy, Lightporter showcases a unique use of superpowers; even "lame" ones are used to great effect. There are also quite a few powers that are flat-out awesome (I want the powers of a particular new character so badly!).
This story takes a few tropes as well--monster attacks, rogue agents and the like--and adds some fun twists.
I stayed up late to finish this, it was so exciting.
In addition to this amazing batch of superpowers, light mystery, and growing characters, the author somehow bribed Anvil to release a cookie recipe. Can't wait to try it. :D
Tour Schedule
Monday, June 11th
Writefury – Character Interview and Lightporter Review
