Review: The Storm Crow by Kalyn Josephson

Eragon meets And I Darken in this thrilling new fantasy debut that follows a fallen princess as she ignites a rebellion to bring back the magical elemental crows that were taken from her people.

THE STORM CROW by KALYN JOSEPHSON

Series: The Storm Crow #1

Publication date: July 9, 2019

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Genre: YA fantasy

 

SYNOPSIS

In the tropical kingdom of Rhodaire, magical, elemental Crows are part of every aspect of life...until the Illucian empire invades, destroying everything.

That terrible night has thrown Princess Anthia into a deep depression. Her sister Caliza is busy running the kingdom after their mother's death, but all Thia can do is think of all she has lost.

But when Caliza is forced to agree to a marriage between Thia and the crown prince of Illucia, Thia is finally spurred into action. And after stumbling upon a hidden Crow egg in the rubble of a rookery, she and her sister devise a dangerous plan to hatch the egg in secret and get back what was taken from them. 

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Praise for The Storm Crow:

“The Storm Crow is everything we love about YA fantasy, with an enchanting world and original magic that keeps the story fresh. Clashing kingdoms, thrilling action, and an imperfect heroine make this book a must-read. This soaring debut was a delight.” –Adrienne Young, New York Times bestselling author of Sky in the Deep

“THE STORM CROW is a fantastic debut. Written with both power and charm, it showcases some of my favorite world building ever in a YA fantasy, and has nuanced, wonderful characters and relationships. Dragon fans should get ready for their next favorite creature. I loved this.” –Jessica Cluess, author of A Shadow Bright and Burning

“Ambitious worldbuilding and an engaging premise…first half of a planned duology should excite readers looking for strong characters and romance-laced adventure.” -Publisher’s Weekly

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kalyn Josephson is a Technical Writer in Silicon Valley, which leaves room for too many bad puns about technically being a writer. She grew up in San Luis Obispo, CA, but now lives in the Bay Area with four awesome friends (because it’s the Bay and she’d like to be able to retire one day) and two black cats (who are more like a tiny dragon and an even tinier owl). When not writing YA Fantasy, she loves baking, reading, playing sports, and watching too many movies.

You can find her on:

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REVIEW

The Storm Crow by Kalyn Josephson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"Crow or no crow, one way or another, you will fly. You were always meant to rule the sky.”

Rhodaire is a magical kingdom filled with elemental crows that keep the city thriving. There are ten different types and each have a Saint attached to them as well as a specific purpose in society. A select few are worthy enough to ride these giant birds, and Princess Anthia is one of them. The crows' magic system was nicely developed and the animals themselves kind of reminded me of the bird-like creatures they rode in Avatar. Once you make the connection with one, you're bonded for life. You can sense their emotions, as they can yours, and you can bring out their elemental magic through this connection.

Anthia has been training with her mother's best friend, Estrel, one of the nine crow masters of the Corvé. On the night of Ronoch, she was to have tethered herself to her own crow. Her city was attacked by the Illucians, their enemies to the north. The crows and their rookeries were completely eradicated, leaving their city in a very grim and weakened state. This is where chapter one begins, in the aftermath of the night of horror when the Princess' home, security, and entire culture was ripped out from underneath her. She witnessed the death of loved ones, changing the dynamic of her and her sister Caliza's roles in the royal family. The enormity of their loss and overwhelming problems pressing down on them has sent her into a serious depression.

I thought Anthia's condition was represented with delicacy and accuracy. Not only that, but it was a different kind of conflict for the heroine to have to overcome that I don't think I've ever seen before in YA fantasy so that was really refreshing. We saw the judgement from those around her, her feelings of helplessness and shame because she felt like a coward for not being able to pull herself out of the dark.

    I knew what I needed to do, but working up the will to do it felt like trying to fight my way above water in a depthless ocean. It was so hard not to drown.

Illucia and Rhodaire have a bitter feud that dates back many years. Unfortunately, the Illucian Queen isn't going to let bygones be bygones. She a vicious ruler who has no compunction about her need for revenge and power. She was a really creepy antagonist who will easily send shivers down your spine. The fact that Princess Anthia is betrothed to her son in an attempt to bring peace between them is naturally upsetting to her. Marrying into a family that's responsible for destroying her home and loved ones would terrify anyone, but Anthia finds the spark within herself to start helping her people. Slowly but surely, she discovers ways to manage her depression and return to the fiery, strong-willed young woman she once was.

Prince Ericen is a love interest that's an unpredictable revolving door of personalities. Often cruel, sometimes kind, sometimes flippant. He's the type of character that needs redeeming, and we did see hints of him wanting to break free from his mother's grasp but her hold had been absolute for so long that he isn't sure he can escape. There were times I disliked him, but then when that other side of him peeked out, you have hope again that he could rise above his circumstances.

    Could I really trust this boy, who was at once everything I had learned to hate and yet none of it at all?

What I didn't like so much, and had to lower my rating for was the fact that there turned out to be a love triangle forming. Most of the time I really can't handle this trope, and unfortunately this was one of those times. This romance kind of came out of nowhere for me and never felt entirely believable. Despite Ericen's occasional cruelty, it came from a plausible place so he always had my empathy. So it was a bit jarring to have an unexpected romance crop up and I never connected to it at all. I felt that the story would have been much better without the triangle which seemed unnecessary in my opinion. However, I know some readers go for this type of conflict so it may not be an issue at all for others.

I'm extremely excited to read the conclusion to the duet next year after reading this impressive debut. I instantly connected to the author's style of beautiful prose-like writing which made the story utterly consuming. The world was very detailed and sharply drawn, but not excessively so or boring. I highly recommend this one!! The book ends in an unresolved place of course, but it's not your typical suspenseful cliffhanger so the wait won't be unbearable. This is a talented new author to watch, don't miss it!

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Review: The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman

The author of Other People’s Houses and The Garden of Small Beginnings delivers a quirky and charming novel chronicling the life of confirmed introvert Nina Hill as she does her best to fly under everyone's radar.

THE BOOKISH LIFE OF NINA HILL by ABBI WAXMAN

Series: Standalone

Publication date: July 9, 2019

Published by: Berkley

Genre: women's fiction

 

SYNOPSIS

The only child of a single mother, Nina has her life just as she wants it: a job in a bookstore, a kick-butt trivia team, a world-class planner and a cat named Phil. If she sometimes suspects there might be more to life than reading, she just shrugs and picks up a new book. 

When the father Nina never knew existed suddenly dies, leaving behind innumerable sisters, brothers, nieces, and nephews, Nina is horrified. They all live close by! They're all—or mostly all—excited to meet her! She'll have to Speak. To. Strangers. It's a disaster! And as if that wasn't enough, Tom, her trivia nemesis, has turned out to be cute, funny, and deeply interested in getting to know her. Doesn't he realize what a terrible idea that is?

Nina considers her options.

1. Completely change her name and appearance. (Too drastic, plus she likes her hair.) 

2. Flee to a deserted island. (Hard pass, see: coffee.) 

3. Hide in a corner of her apartment and rock back and forth. (Already doing it.)

It's time for Nina to come out of her comfortable shell, but she isn't convinced real life could ever live up to fiction. It's going to take a brand-new family, a persistent suitor, and the combined effects of ice cream and trivia to make her turn her own fresh page.

Purchase your copy now!

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Praise for The Bookish Life of Nina Hill:

“Move over on the settee, Jane Austen. You’ve met your modern-day match in Abbi Waxman. Bitingly funny, relatable and intelligent, The Bookish Life of Nina Hill is a must for anyone who loves to read.”—Kristan Higgins, New York Times bestselling author of Good Luck With That 

“In this love letter to book nerds, Waxman introduces the extraordinary introvert Nina Hill…. With witty dialogue and a running sarcastic inner monologue, Waxman brings Nina to vibrant life as she upends her introverted routine and becomes part of the family. Fans of Jojo Moyes will love this.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Waxman has created a thoroughly engaging character in this bookish, contemplative, set-in-her ways woman. Be prepared to chuckle.”—Kirkus Review starred review

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hi there. I'm a chocolate loving, dog loving writer living in Los Angeles. I sit down if I can, and lie down whenever possible. If you enjoy my book and would like a personalized, signed bookplate to go in it, email me your name and address and I'll send you one! abbi@amplecat.com

You can find her on:

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REVIEW

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars







I was giddy when I saw the synopsis for this book. There were so many things that appealed to me that I absolutely HAD to read it.

She's an introvert.
She's a book lover. (Particularly Pride and Prejudice which is my favorite classic novel.)
She works in a bookstore.
Did I say she's an introvert?
She sounded delightfully brainy/nerdy.
The cover is so cute I can't take it.

With so many things that I love, I figured this character is going to be unbelievably relatable. When it comes to Nina, any book nerd will find plenty of things to fall in love with. I can promise you that. What I wasn't expecting was the author's level of humor that charmed me at first glance. That was an added bonus that brought the story up to a whole new level. Nina's brain is a highly entertaining thing to explore. A little neurotic and a whole lot lovable. Her dry sarcasm paired with a blunt tongue were unexpected when you first meet her. Because of her unassuming appearance, people would often underestimate her only to find out she's as sharp as a tack and quite formidable.

Nina is on the verge of moving into her 30s and though there's nothing wrong with feeling a need for solitude, her head is a bit of a mess. Okay, more than a bit. She has anxiety, her mind races all of the time, and she uses a rigid schedule and activities to keep herself feeling in control of everything. For me, I didn't feel that her feelings and actions always matched up. Her constant, daily social groups contradicted what an introvert would genuinely want to do. On top of that, we were told that she could only take social interaction in small doses. Yet we never really see her have any anxiety in any of her clubs/groups and I felt we should have seen some signs in order to be consistent.

    People were… exhausting. They made her anxious. Leaving her apartment every morning was the turning over of a giant hourglass, the mental energy she’d stored up overnight eroding grain by grain. She refueled during the day by grabbing moments of solitude and sometimes felt her life was a long-distance swim between islands of silence.

Finding out that the father she never knew has passed away came as a huge shock. But what turned her world entirely upside down was learning that she has a long list of blood relatives who are alive and well. Even worse? Now she's going to have to meet them all. Family is a tough area for Nina because she grew up with an absent mother and no father. She had a wonderful nanny who raised her, but her mother's selfishness and disinterest took its toll on her. Nina isn't feeling sure about letting new people in her life who could shatter the security she's built around herself. I really enjoyed seeing her relationship grow with Peter and seeing her grow more confident with her new family. I was so disgusted by her mother for taking away Nina's choice to know her father. Yes, he was far from perfect, but that doesn't excuse what she did.

    She’d never experienced a relative before, apart from her mom, and Candice had never really warmed to the role. Presumably, if she and Peter had hated each other on sight it would have sucked, but she knew already that they were going to be connected forever.

Now to the romance. Tom was a wonderful guy and I loved him right from the first scene. I thought it was adorable how they met through opposing trivia quiz teams. He was impressed and maybe even a little intimidated by her vast knowledge and it was cute to see them get nudged together by their friends. However, their relationship isn't a strong part of the story. It's quite slow burn between them but I didn't feel as if I was missing anything because the heart of he story is really about Nina finding herself. Her internal dialogue and self-exploration was so intelligently done that the romance doesn't even feel necessary. Not to say that I didn't care about them together, but it wasn't the main focus. What I enjoyed most about Tom as her love interest was his acceptance of her as she was learning and growing. The only thing he demanded was that she made him a priority, which is as it should be.

    He tugged her closer and kissed her. “I want to be with you the way you are, the way you’re going to be, and the way you end up. Every way you are is beautiful to me.”

I really loved this author's writing, and without a doubt will be reading more from her in the future. I recommend this to any bookworm looking for a character that they can identify with. It's the kind of light read filled with laugh-out-loud moments to put a huge smile on your face.

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Review: Protect the Prince by Jennifer Estep

Magic, murder, adventure, and romance combine in this second novel in the exciting Crown of Shards saga from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Estep.

PROTECT THE PRINCE by JENNIFER ESTEP

Series: Crown of Shards #2

Publication date: July 2, 2019

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Genre: adult fantasy

 

SYNOPSIS

Everleigh Blair might be the new gladiator queen of Bellona, but her problems are far from over.

First, Evie has to deal with a court full of arrogant, demanding nobles, all of whom want to get their greedy hands on her crown. As if that wasn’t bad enough, an assassin tries to kill Evie in her own throne room.

Despite the dangers, Evie goes ahead with a scheduled trip to the neighboring kingdom of Andvari in order to secure a desperately needed alliance. But complicating matters is the stubborn Andvarian king, who wants to punish Evie for the deaths of his countrymen during the Seven Spire massacre.

But dark forces are at work inside the Andvarian palace, and Evie soon realizes that no one is safe. Worse, Evie’s immunity to magic starts acting in strange, unexpected ways, which makes her wonder whether she is truly strong enough to be a Winter Queen.

But Evie’s magic, life, and crown aren’t the only things in danger—so is her heart, thanks to Lucas Sullivan, the Andvarian king’s bastard son and Evie’s . . . well, Evie isn’t quite sure what Sullivan is to her.

Only one thing is certain—protecting a prince might be even harder than killing a queen… 

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Praise for Protect the Prince:

“KILL THE QUEEN is the definition of epic fantasy:  exciting, original, and filled with characters who jump off the page. Jennifer Estep enters the arena and takes no prisoners. Long live the Winter Queen.”

- Ilona Andrews, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Jennifer Estep takes the world of high fantasy by storm with a book so perfectly plotted and executed that I gasped out loud at each new reveal and unexpected turn. Evie is the heroine we all want to read about: as compassionate as she is ruthless, as cunning as she is kind, and as fierce and focused as anyone must be in order to KILL THE QUEEN.”

- Amanda Bouchet, USA Today bestselling author of The Kingmaker Chronicles

“Kill the Queen rocked my world! With court intrigue, a cast of fantastic characters, epic political sweep, and a slow-burn romance to die for, this book had me rapt. I only regret I devoured it so fast. And that I didn’t write it. More please!”

- Jeffe Kennedy, RITA® Award winning author of The Pages of the Mind

“An exciting new fantasy series full of magic, fierce women, and revenge.”

- Booklist

“a tale as action- and character-driven as its predecessor, proving that strong female protagonists are still in fine form.”

- Library Journal

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jennifer writes the Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series. The books focus on Gin Blanco, an assassin codenamed the Spider who can control the elements of Ice and Stone. When she’s not busy killing people and righting wrongs, Gin runs a barbecue restaurant called the Pork Pit in the fictional Southern metropolis of Ashland. The city is also home to giants, dwarves, vampires, and elementals – Air, Fire, Ice, and Stone.

You can find her on:

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REVIEW

Protect the Prince by Jennifer Estep
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


In this second installment of the Crown of Shards series, we take off three months after Evie has defeated her murderess cousin Vasilia. As the only Winter Blair left, she's taken her place on the throne and adjusting to her new life. In the previous book we saw her go through a transformation, becoming more confident in her strength and abilities. Training with the Black Swan gladiators helped her to physically and mentally prepare for the confrontation of her lifetime. But now that she's suddenly thrust into leading the entire kingdom, she feels inadequate and unprepared for everyone's expectations.

How could she ever be what her people needed when they've only ever held her in disregard or disgust? She was nothing to them then, and things haven't changed much now either. No one expects her to last very long, and self-doubt consumes her. This was something that got repeated a bit much for me in the beginning, if I'm being honest. It felt excessive how many times this came up in her internal dialogue and wasn't necessary. There are also a lot of characters in this series, so keeping everyone straight after the gap between books took a bit of time. But once I refreshed my memory, things were moving along faster.

Everleigh is surrounded by a great group of friends who have become her advisors and protectors. Most notably, Lucas Sullivan, bastard Prince of Andvari whom she met during her time with the Black Swans. His brother was murdered during the assassination of her family, and the treaty with his people is in tatters. Not only does she need to repair relations between the two kingdoms, she must prove her worth in court, and stave off the Mortans who are still out for blood. The book is divided up into three parts, each with an assassination attempt on her life. There is a long standing vendetta between Andavarians and Mortans, but they are on a mission now more than ever to finish wiping out the Winter Blair line. Evie won't learn until much later why she poses such a threat, but all will be revealed.

    Heinrich had said that his nobles wanted blood. Well, they weren’t getting mine—or my throne. But I would be more than happy to give them a traitor’s blood.

Evie and her entourage make their way to Castle Glitnir, where she will meet with King Heinrich and try to salvage relations that have been so damaged. From the moment she enters the city she's met with distrust and animosity. Even though she was an innocent party to the assassination, emotions are running high. I wasn't entirely sold on the level of hate sent her way, but the more I thought about it I could understand prejudice for her family taking hold at a time like that. There's also a lot of two-faced backstabbers in their circles so it makes sense for people to be on their guard with her. I did think that they would have eased up on her completely after she showed everyone a recording of the assassination, but it still took a little more time to ease off afterwards. Especially since they know she played a part in saving Princess Gemma.

Young Princess Gemma was introduced in the previous book, but now we really got to meet her in depth. She ended up being a new favorite character for me! Her escape and dangerous journey from Andvari was alluded to, and it only made me want to know more. She stole every scene she was in, and I'm really looking forward to seeing her mature into an adult. There is most definitely a fascinating story waiting to be told with her rare abilities and connection to the Morton boy she communicates with. I really hope she gets a full length book of her own. I also think that Xenia and Paloma have more of a story to tell, which I think we will see in the following book. The implications I saw were certainly intriguing.

While Evie is proving herself at Glitnir, she discovers that there is another traitor walking among them. A good portion of the book is meeting the royals and trying to ferret out information that could lead her to who is behind the rage discovered by her "mutt sense."

    I wondered who would win in the end—or if the currents, people, and agendas that went along with them would suck me under and drown me for good.

Her ability to smell deception and other emotions was invaluable to her, as was her secret ability to deflect magic used against her. This is another thing that she isn't fully knowledgable about, and we finally see her learn just how this ties into her being a Winter queen. This has been kept secret and teased from the beginning, so it was great to see her start to understand her identity and importance.

I was hoping to see more romance bloom between Sullivan and Evie, and we did see a change in their relationship, but I wish we could have seen more interaction between them. The story was plot driven rather than character driven, so he didn't get a lot of page time in conversation with her. She was forced to drive a wedge between them a couple of times, so that hindered their relationship as well. I couldn't help but feel horrible for poor Sullivan because she pretty brutally used his weakness against him and he was hurt pretty badly in the process. The ending was delightfully, if predictably sweet however. I was really satisfied with how the book leaves off between the two of them.

Overall, there was some repetitious internal dialogue and scene setting, but for a second in series, there was a fitting amount of plot progression. Secrets were revealed, and motivations were unearthed, with plenty of magical fights to satisfy the action hungry reader. Evie really stepped up to the plate and proved that she has the wit, strength, and determination to overcome any obstacle put in her path. And believe me, there is a never-ending line of them. Many wish to see her fail, but she is the type of underdog heroine you love to root for. If you loved Kill the Queen, there is just as much to enjoy here, and it's definitely worth the read. I'll most definitely be seeing how this all comes together in Crush the King next year.

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Cover Reveal: Drummer Girl by Ginger Scott

Check out this amazing cover of DRUMMER GIRL by Ginger Scott! Don't forget to add it to your TBR!

Drummer Girl by Ginger Scott

Mature YA/New Adult Contemporary Romance
Release day: July 30, 2019

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2KBZLLn

Synopsis

Arizona Wakefield was a beat without a melody. Living a half-breathing life in a half-finished neighborhood with parents who always wore half-hearted smiles, the high school senior only had one thing that let her color outside her family’s perfectly drawn lines—her drums.

Jesse Barringer was a song without a chorus. The son of a washed-up rock star who’s also one hell of a deadbeat dad, he was given two things from his father—musical genius and a genetic link to the bipolar disorder that drives him mad.

One night in a garage at the end of a cul-de-sac in the middle of a bankrupt California neighborhood, Jesse’s melody found Arizona’s rhythm. An angry boy with storm-colored eyes found a blonde angel in Doc Martens with missing lines in her own story. Where her rhythm stopped, his words took over, and together, they wrote one hell of a story.

** Drummer Girl is a mature YA/New Adult romance that touches on mental health, drug abuse and includes mature sexual situations.

About the Author:

Ginger Scott is an Amazon-bestselling and Goodreads Choice Award-nominated author of several young and new adult romances, including Waiting on the Sidelines, Going Long, Blindness, How We Deal With Gravity, This Is Falling, You and Everything After, The Girl I Was Before, Wild Reckless, Wicked Restless, In Your Dreams, The Hard Count, Hold My Breath, and A Boy Like You.

A sucker for a good romance, Ginger’s other passion is sports, and she often blends the two in her stories. (She’s also a sucker for a hot quarterback, catcher, pitcher, point guard…the list goes on.) Ginger has been writing and editing for newspapers, magazines and blogs for more than 15 years. She has told the stories of Olympians, politicians, actors, scientists, cowboys, criminals and towns. For more on her and her work, visit her website at http://www.littlemisswrite.com.

When she's not writing, the odds are high that she's somewhere near a baseball diamond, either watching her son field pop flies like Bryce Harper or cheering on her favorite baseball team, the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ginger lives in Arizona and is married to her college sweetheart whom she met at ASU (fork 'em, Devils).

Social Media Links:
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Twitter: @TheGingerScott
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Google: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+GingerScottAuthor/posts
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/GingerScott
Website: http://www.littlemisswrite.com

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Cover Reveal: The Guy on the Right by Kate Stewart

Check out this amazing cover for The Guy on the Right by Kate Stewart! Don't forget to add it to your TBR!

Contemporary Romance/Romantic Dramedy

Standalone
Designer: Q Design
Goodreads

Blurb:
Strike One-My mother named me Theodore after her favorite chipmunk.

Not cool, Mom.

I‘ve spent most of my life answering to Teddy, because I couldn’t make Theo work.

Except for here. College. The place where all bets are off, and I’ve managed to redeem myself.
There’s only one problem, my new roommate, Troy, is football royalty and looks like he stepped off the set of an Abercrombie shoot.

Doesn’t matter, I cook a mean breakfast for his panty parade, and we get along well.
And anyway, this year I got the girl. And she’s perfect.

That’s right. Theodore Houseman, former band geek, now marching band rock star has finally landed the girl of his dreams.

Everything is perfect.

That is, until Troy takes a good look at her.

I’m not going down without a fight. As a matter of fact, I’m not going down at all. As glorious as these days may be for my all-star roommate, Laney is my end game.

I may not know much about play strategy, but I’ve been the good guy my whole life. I’ve been listening and I know exactly what women want. Framed in a picture standing next to me, Troy may seem like Mr. Perfect, but he’s underestimating the guy on the right.

Spoiler alert: In this story, the underdog is going to win.

About the Author:

A Texas native, Kate Stewart lives in North Carolina with her husband, Nick, and her naughty beagle, Sadie. She pens messy, sexy, angst-filled contemporary romance as well as romantic comedy and erotic suspense because it's what she loves as a reader. Kate is a lover of all things '80s and '90s, especially John Hughes films and rap. She dabbles a little in photography, can knit a simple stitch scarf for necessity, and on occasion, does very well at whiskey.

Contact Kate- Email-authorkatestewart@gmail.com

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Review: The Beckoning Shadow by Katharyn Blair

From debut author Katharyn Blair comes a heart-stopping fantasy novel, perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare and The Young Elites, about a teenage runaway who enters a dangerous tournament with an impossible prize. 

THE BECKONING SHADOW by KATHARYN BLAIR

Series: The Beckoning Shadow #1

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books 

Publication date: July 2, 2019

Genre: YA, fantasy

 

SYNOPSIS

Vesper Montgomery can summon your worst fear and turn it into a reality—but she’s learned the hard way that it’s an addicting and dangerous power. One wrong move and you could hurt someone you love.

But when she earns a spot in the Tournament of the Unraveling, where competitors battle it out for a chance to rewrite the past, Vesper finally has a shot to reverse the mistakes that have changed her forever. She turns to Sam Hardy, a former MMA fighter who’s also carrying a tragedy he desperately wants to undo. However, helping heal Sam’s heart will mean breaking her own, and the competition forces her to master her powers—powers she has been terrified of since they destroyed her life.

Purchase your copy now: 
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Praise for The Beckoning:

“An extraordinary debut packed with richly drawn characters in a sure-to-entertain storyline.”

- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Interweaving excellent worldbuilding with the uncertainties of discipline, friendship, and taking ownership of one’s decisions, Blair’s debut will entrance and delight in equal measure.”

- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“This story of magic, hope, death, friendship, and family...offer[s] a taste of the mystical, a great voice and dialogue, and well-written questions that address teen angst.”

- School Library Journal

“Part fantasy, part battle royale, this gripping novel builds on the well-loved trope of mutant outcasts with unexplained powers but adds a worthy gladiatorial spin.”

- Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“The Beckoning Shadow is a fast-paced, exciting debut with an awesome girl protagonist! I rooted for Vesper as she smashed her way through this vividly imagined story, and was left hoping for more!”

- S.J. Kincaid, New York Times bestselling author of The Diabolic

“An absolutely riveting, supercharged story set against a world of secretive and thoroughly badass magic-wielders. I adored Vesper for her toughness and vulnerable heart—I dare you not to fall for her, too.”

- Lana Popoviç, author of Fierce like a Firestorm

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I live in LA, drink way too much coffee, and write all day long -- because I'm crazy blessed to do what I've been doing for fun since I was a kid hiding in my garage loft writing terrible, terrible vampire stories. Glitter enthusiast. Bethyl shipper. Pluviophile. Ask me about my Dean Winchester obsession.

I'm wife to Ross and mom to Aryn, Liam, and River Grace. Also, mom to Cricket (a dog, not an insect), and Maggie Rhee (cat, not the bad ass from The Walking Dead).

You can find her on:

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REVIEW

The Beckoning Shadow by Katharyn Blair
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

    After all the warnings, all the lessons, all the looks over their shoulders—and the thing they should have feared the most was next to them, the whole time. Me. I was the scariest thing.

I had no idea what to expect going into this book, but it ended up being more than I could have hoped for. It was such a fresh and exciting offering to the genre that was unlike anything I've read. I literally could not get enough. All it did was leave me hungry for more. I don't think the synopsis does it justice, it only gives you a small taste of what's inside. If I could draw a comparison, the first thing that comes to mind is a teen X-men story with an underground supernatural, gladiator-style tournament thrown in.

Vesper is the main protagonist, a runaway teen trying to escape the mistakes she's made, but some things you just can't outrun. She doesn't like to stay in one place for too long, form any friendships, or draw any attention to herself. All she wants is to be left alone in the hope that she can prevent the events from her past from repeating themselves. It's a mistake that haunts her every day, when the idyllic life she once had was stolen from her. Vesper is a Harbinger, an Oddity that can tether herself to people's fears and make them a reality. The only problem is that she has no idea how to control the power that's inside her, and no longer has anyone who can teach her the things she needs to know.

Growing up she lived in complete ignorance of the supernatural world filled with Rippers, Ledgers, Dusters, Shaders, and many more uniquely gifted people. She was unaware of the threat of Wardens who police Oddities, and the absolute power that they use that's not necessarily in the best interest of those they govern. We get little flashbacks of what happened after her power manifested, and how that led her to where she is now. I couldn't help but see the irony that her power was drawing out other people's fear, when her own greatest fear was using her power. It's not until the Tournament of the Unraveling that she may have to face her fear in order to win what she most desires.

Vesper and Sam meet fairly early on in a nail biting, action packed scene. This is where we first get a sense of what she's capable of, and I...was...riveted. The power she wields is immense, with limitless possibilities, making her one of the most impressive of the Oddities. While she is near the top of the tier, she doesn't fall into the YA cliche of the chosen one, THE most powerful or rare. I found that refreshing for a change. There were a lot of kickass Oddities who presented a formidable challenge for Vesper to go up against. Not only because of their mastery over their powers but also her unwillingness to fight dirty with their darkest fears.

She has a tough as nails exterior on the outside, someone who doesn't need help or sympathy, but she's more than the hardened girl she portrays. She can be a softie on the inside, and it puts her somewhat at a disadvantage with the cutthroat competition she enters. She wages a battle with herself over how far she's willing to go, what lines she's willing to cross.

    I’ve been so afraid of the monster inside I didn’t see the monster I was becoming.

Sam becomes her financial backer for the tournament of the Unraveling. Entry for the wildcard is steep at 10K, but their partnership could be mutually beneficial. He gets to rewind his past, she gets to keep the large cash prize. But as she trains with Sam, their bargain is surrounded with deception and betrayal. Because they're both equally desperate to correct things from their past and this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. The end goal becomes murky the more they get to know one another. Vesper has a huge decision to make and a lot of soul searching to do in order to reach it.

One of the best things about the book is Vesper's new group of friends from the Oddities world. They all welcomed her into their ranks with open arms, something she hadn't had in a long time.Slowly she lets them in, and eventually gifts them with her trust. But something even more compelling about their relationship was the fact that they become her opponents in the tournament which makes their friendship a whole lot more complicated.

    I think I forgot, even in that short amount of time, what it feels like to be with people. Sapphira reminded me, and now Sam feels like he’s snagged on me or something. I’m caught, a little. Stuck here, drawn by the way he looks as broken as I feel.

So used to being alone and on defense, she really blossomed and found her strength with them at her back. There are some among the group that have their own secrets, and there are small hints that are dropped throughout, but I was pleasantly taken by surprise when they were revealed. I love when a plot can take me off guard with its twists and The Beckoning Shadow most definitely achieved that. Not only do the Oddities have their secrets, but there is a mystery in Sam's past that Vesper vows to help him solve. In turmoil over her growing feelings for the man who has been nothing but supportive to her, she makes it her mission to bring him the closure and answers he seeks. Not everyone is who or what they seem, and Vesper soon learns that the Wardens are the least of her fears.

    The devil you know is just as bad as the one you don't.

The romance between Vesper and Sam was on the back burner through the story, delightfully slow burn. I absolutely loved Sam's character and his conflicted feelings for her added another layer of depth into the plot. Their romance was complex and progressed naturally in the story, rather than feeling rushed and unrealistic. A lot of fantasies fail to balance the romance and main conflicts appropriately, but I think Katharyn Blair did a fabulous job. I never felt as if any angle of the story was lacking.

For a debut book, this was such an impressive offering. We get some amazingly choreographed supernatural action scenes, unpredictable plot twists, and a compulsively readable fantasy story that I raced through despite the considerable page length. It was a huge win for me, and bonus, there is no suspenseful cliffy at the end. I can't recommend this book more for those looking for a new series to get hooked on. You will not be disappointed!!

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