Kingdom from Ashes and Fallen From Ashes by Megan Linski!

Princess Bennua is to be married. The daughter of a sultan, her duty is to marry a powerful yet cruel warlord to be her husband, sealing an alliance that will scare the desert of Sahrahn into submission. But the wedding is halted in place when the infamous Raider Prince, king of thieves and leader of the dark city Ashana, threatens to take her city by force. 

Sacrificing her freedom for her country, Bennua agrees to accompany the Raider Prince on his travels if he leaves her homeland alone. Stolen from her charmed life Bennua begins to learn the truth of what lies beyond the palace walls and the suffering that plagues Sahrahn’s people. Bennua begins to plan her escape, but the more she learns from the thieves the more she finds herself becoming one of the them...all while falling hard for their leader, the Raider Prince himself.

IMAGE AND SYNOPSIS FOUND ON GOODREADS

REVIEW:

The society in which this book was centered on was easily explained and the reader didn't feel lost at any point. There culture was explained as necessary and it actually had some very interesting elements that differ from typical Western Culture today. It was interesting to see the world come to live before your eyes.

The writing in Kingdom From Ashes drew the reader in, made them fall in love with the characters and created not so perfect characters, even if they may seem so at the beginning. It was certainly intriguing to watch the characters grow and develop.

The plot line was also kept moving and did not slow for a moment, giving readers tons of things to keep them interested. It was a beautiful and touching story, one that allowed me to fall in Love with Bennua and the Raider Prince.

Queen Bennua has grown into a powerful ruler. With her new laws encouraging rights for both men and women, Haya-Maa has grown from a small city into a prosperous nation. Engaged to Zahid, the handsome Raider Prince, it would seem the young Queen is ready to lead the desert of Sahrahn into paradise. 

But not all are so eager to follow the new Queen. A short time into her rule Haya-Maa erupts into civil war, rebels opposing the idea of a woman in power. Bennua must embark on a quest to find her missing friend, Toshana, who could hold the key to ending the bloodshed. Yet as her journey wears on Bennua discovers her title as Queen powerless against the wrath of gods and the wars of men. At her breaking point, Bennua finds the only way to save her country and defend her people...is to offer a devastating sacrifice.

IMAGE AND SYNOPSIS FOUND ON GOODREADS

REVIEW

It was different to have Toshana's point of view but it certainly allowed the reader to understand her character a bit more.

It was also amazing to see more of Bennua and Zahid, and to see that they were happy. Although that happiness comes into doubt many times, and there might have been some tears shed(once or twice), it was great that the author could draw such emotion from me! 

There were some elements of Fallen From Ashes that frustrated me but it was more so characters that frustrated me, more so than anything the writer wrote. 

I just don't have many more words to say besides the fact that while this book is a bit more painful then the first in the series it also brings some joy.

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The Labyrinth Wall by Emilyann Girdner

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Araina's been isolated for her entire life, struggling to survive. But when a man comes from through a wall in her labyrinth home she finds herself curious and hopeful...hoping for a better existence. She must find allies that she never thought she could or would make in order to get by. Find the official description by Goodreads.

The thing that I enjoyed most about this book is the quick, but informative introduction to the world of the Labyrinth. It's quick but it doesn't skimp on the information so that you can better imagine the world that Araina has been dealing with for her entire life. The descriptions and information don't drag on but at the same time they don't skimp. They allow you to understand the world better and perhaps find some way to understand it and the people within. 

The plot was interesting and trying. As well as the characters. You were never certain that allies would remain allies or those who were allies would be on the right side. It was difficult but interesting. The difficulties you experience in determining things makes things much more intriguing, never certain where you stand. 

Although it's a very unpleasant world. But you see Araina's experiences and her growth, allowing them to see where she comes from and maybe how she changes or is different from others. 

Overall The Labyrinth Wall is a good fantasy novel. If you don't enjoy a lot of romance then this is also the book for you. It's a bit out of my comfort zone but I'm glad I took that chance. And I'm sure you would be as well. 

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The Reluctant Prince Blog Tour!

Reluctant Prince

Kingdom of Cymmera 

Book One

By Dani-Lyn Alexander

Genre: YA Fantasy

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Betrayal lies cloaked in shadow.

Seventeen year old Ryleigh Donnovan is certain her life is cursed. Nothing ever goes smoothly, and her first job interview is no exception. An earthquake rocks the building, sending Ryleigh on a frantic search for her younger sister, a search which lands her in the hospital. Terrified they’ll push her for answers she can’t afford to give, Ryleigh flees with a mysterious stranger.

Jackson Maynard is about to be ordained as a Death Dealer, a warrior for the Kingdom of Cymmera, but first he must pass one more test. When he fails to acquire the human girl the prophet has chosen, he’s forced to stand trial for treason. Banished from his realm, he seeks out the girl from the vision, Ryleigh Donnovan, and together they embark on a journey to save his dying kingdom.

Review:

I'm not usually a huge Fantasy fan, but this book kind of made me curious. And when I read it, wow, as I got deeper into the book I started to wish for more and more. When it ended, I'm just like no, I need more!

At first it took me a while to connect with the characters. I empathized with them and whatnot but I didn't actually feel that connection that sometimes you just get with certain characters. But as I got deeper and deeper into the book I would fall in love with both Ryleigh and Jackson. 

There's very few moments that are quiet or peaceful in The Reluctant Prince but when those moments came you cherished them as everything goes further and further, adding a bit of intrigue to keep you motivated as well.

Watching the relationship of Jackson and Ryleigh grow was interesting, frustrating and yet oh so sweet. 

It was certainly a hard thing to learn some of the ways of Cymmera, but at the same time it added more depth to the book. Dani-Lyn Alexander hasn't created a world that is perfect and you wish you could visit. You certainly wish you could see Cymmera but perhaps not visit at least not how it is right at the moment of this book.

And that ending! It's got me begging for more!

Dani-Lyn Alexander lives on Long Island with her husband, three kids and three dogs. She loves spending time with her family, at the beach, the playground, or just about anywhere. In her spare time, which is rare, she enjoys reading and shopping—especially in book stores. Some of her favorite things include; Bernese Mountain Dogs, musicals, bubble baths and soft blankets. She’s an incurable insomniac and has an addiction to chocolate.

Social Media:

Website:  http://www.danilynalexander.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/danilynalexander

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/DaniLynAlexande

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Crimson Son by Russ Linton Spotlight

Crimson Son

By Russ Linton

Genre: Superhero Fiction/ Fantasy/ SciFi

His mother kidnapped, his superhero father absent, powerless Spencer Harrington faces a world of weaponized humans to prove himself and find the truth.

Nineteen-year-old Spencer is the son of the Crimson Mask, the world's most powerful Augment. Since witnessing his mother's abduction by a psychotic super villain two years ago, he's been confined to his father's arctic bunker. When the "Icehole" comes under attack from a rampaging robot, Spencer launches into his father's dangerous world of weaponized human beings known as Augments.

With no superpowers of his own save a multi-tool, a quick wit and a boatload of emotional trauma, Spencer seeks to uncover his mother's fate and confront his absentee superhero father. As he stumbles through a web of conspiracies and top secret facilities, he rallies a team of everyday people and cast-off Augments. But Spencer soon discovers that the Black Beetle isn't his only enemy, nor his worst.

Author Bio

In the fourth grade, Russ Linton wrote down the vague goal of becoming a “writer and an artist” when he grew up. After a journey that led him from philosopher to graphic designer to stay at home parent and even a stint as an Investigative Specialist with the FBI, he finally got around to that “writing” part which he now pursues full time.

Russ creates character-driven speculative fiction. His stories drip with blood, magic, and radioactive bugs. He writes for adults who are young at heart and youngsters who are old souls.

a brief excerpt from your book

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Purchase Links:

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An Excerpt

This part always comes so fast.

I hand the phone back to Mom. “You’ll need to send later, I guess. The signal dropped. Should be in your outbox ready to go.”

As she takes the phone, the wall of the room explodes.

Here. Dream becomes nightmare. For a moment, I feel I can make it stand still, but why would I? Events unfold with the emptiness of the bunker gnawing at my insides. I can identify every stray chunk of plaster and splinter of wood in this time-robbed moment.

Fragments of home spray like a swarm of locusts. Mom screams and the world spins under her protective dive. I struggle to see through a haze of dust. Glimpses of the valley filter past a humanoid silhouette. A long, pincered arm lashes out. The arm clamps tightly around Mom’s waist and retracts, drawing us closer.

“Release the boy and he will live,” the Black Beetle speaks with an unnatural vibration. “He can relay a message for your husband.”

Mom squeezes tighter but her screaming stops.

I search her face, knowing what I’ll find, all the while scrambling to find an anchor as we slide across the room. She’s bleeding from a gash on her forehead and the pincer cinches tighter. Her eyes are full of fear, but focused. She’s calculating, deliberating. A hundred times? A thousand? It always hurts.

“No, Mom, please!” I throw my hands around the leg of a toppled chair which drags uselessly behind us. Countless trips through this nightmare, I know I can’t keep us here, but I reach out anyway. And always, she lets go.

I grab her arm, trying to pull her back, cursing my stunted size, my weak limbs, my feeble grip. Sweaty hands slip as the pincer continues to retract. Her trembling lips form a final smile and she watches me with a sad but determined expression.

She mouths the words, “I love you.”

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Max Blizzard and The Gem of Camelot Spotlight!

Max Blizzard and The Gem of Camelot

By Patrick Hatt

Book Genre - Fantasy

Page Count - 278

Release Date - November 3rd, 2014

Synopsis:

Max Blizzard was like any other drone living in Earth's realm until the arrival of his eighth birthday. On that day his imagination awoke and Max started thinking for himself. He was an outcast the moment he let people know about his imagination. That moment also unknowingly set forth a chain of events years in the making. By having imagination, Max had given Sir Dreadvent exactly what he wanted, a way into Camelot's realm.

Now Max and his friends, Trudesile and Lester, must complete the quest that Max's father, Merlin, set out for him years ago. They must find the Gem of Camelot to defend the realm from Sir Dreadvent's and his sevesties. Their perilous journey will take them from the shores of Merlinia and the ship of Davy Jones to the fields of Avalon, in the hope that they can save Camelot, save Earth and save all the lost realms that have been consumed by Sir Dreadvent and his sevesties on their quest to remake the universe.

A tale about where your imagination can lead if you choose to follow it, with creatures large and small joining Max Blizzard on his journey. King Arthur, Oberon, Hercules, Apollo and other heroes of imagination believed to be myth will become truth as Max and his friends face the trials ahead. Let your imagination lead the way to Max Blizzard and The Gem of Camelot.

Author Bio:

Patrick Hatt can be found in the East Coast of Canada. He hates writing these things but doesn't mind talking in the third person. He dabbles in a little of this and a little of that, not afraid to attempt something new.

He is owned by two cats, one of whom has his own blog, It's Rhyme Time. Yeah a rhyming cat, who knew? He would be considered a both person when it comes to cats and dogs.

He is also quite the movie and TV buff. As you can probably tell does not take himself seriously and has more stuff in his head than is needed. Thus the novels as just one more form of release. Thanks for the visit and enjoy!

Links:

http://rhymetime24.blogspot.com

https://twitter.com/PatHatt24

http://www.pathattbooks.com

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NF3DKPG

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The Dybbuk's Mirror by Alisse Lee Goldenberg

(Found on Alisse's Webpage)

"The silence from her friends was getting unnerving." -Alisse Lee Goldenberg, The Dybbuk's Mirror

Carrie and her friends have adjusted to living far apart from one another. But when Lindsay and Rebecca stop answering Carrie's texts and emails, she becomes concerned. When her fears are confirmed, she finds herself reentering Hadariah in order to save her friends. But the land is different from how it had been when she was first there and she meets new friends as well as old. Will Carrie be able to save her friends? Find the official description on Goodreads.

I found that in The Dybbuk's Mirror I could relate to Carrie a little better.  I did connect with her a bit before but I did so much more in this book as I could understand her feelings a little better. Especially about her friends. That definitely made me think about the past three years. It was great to be able to make that connection stronger with Carrie. It made the book even more enjoyable.

At first the disappearance of Rebecca and Lindsay wasn't made obvious. Just a few little things that you don't think about until it becomes clear that something is going on. 

Again Alisse Lee Goldenberg intrigues the reader, giving them questions that they sometimes are given answers to right away while others they have to wait for. It keeps the reader interested and reading. 

I found  that the description of food/drinks and the taste of those foods and/or drinks was really well done. I could almost taste the things that Carrie was describing and I really enjoyed that. It was really well done.

At times I've found Emilia almost too composed, but seeing her freak out at one point makes me feel like she's a little more easy to relate to.  This made me feel a little less like she was perfect all the time and thus cold or not really feeling anything towards her to melting a little towards her as a character.

The decisions that have to be made are terrible and I'm glad that Alisse Lee Goldenberg made it seem as if the characters were really struggling with these decisions. It made them seem like real people and less untouchable or at a distance from a reader. As well as being more realistic. 

The Dybbuk's Mirror lived up to the first book in the series and if you read and loved The Strings of the Violin than you won't be disappointed by the sequel. 

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The Strings of the Violin by Alisse Lee Goldenburg

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"A degree of boldness is required when one considers the gravity of the situation." -Alisse Lee Goldenberg, The Strings of the Violin

Carrie is trying to put off thinking about the future. At least for a few more minutes as she soaks in some sunshine. But when she saves a fox from her dog, Finnegan, she doesn't think it will change her world. But this fox can talk and he needs her help. His home world is cloaked in darkness and only the return of the magical strings of a violin will save it. But when Carrie and her friends enter the world, they'll find they should have listened to their grandmothers stories more. Will they be able to remember enough to save Adom's world? Find the official description on Goodreads. 

The main plot comes out pretty quickly. Or at least the beginning of the main plot. And in a shocking form. A talking fox. It is definitely different than what I'd been reading lately. The writing was well done, and easy to read. It was somewhat easy to get into although it wasn't one of those books you can just jump right into and immediately be completely immersed. It slowly builds up until you find yourself entering the world of Adom as the girls do.

The easy banter between the friends took away much of the danger of their situation until something happened to clearly bring that danger to the forefront. It made things relaxing and a bit like you were replaying conversations you had with your best friends before. It was great, and kept your attention.

Then there was learning about this world other than Earth. It was great to see a new setting and learn more about it. I had lots of questions and got answers as well.

It was very interesting to see how folklore and their grandmothers stories were actually incorporated into the story. The folklore of the situation just made things that much more interesting because you're learning about these stories in bits and pieces, as they're remembering them and it was fun to learn some about their pasts.

I was also happy that Alisse Lee Goldenberg didn't take advangtage of the fact that she is writing fantasy and thus uses it as a free pass to manipulate lief and death. I'm not saying that I don't cheer when that happens but still sometimes it seems that it's used too often or it's used as a way to please your readers. That didn't happen here and I was glad to see it. Even if I was crying and wishing it could happen.

The Strings of the Violin was a good read, and different than the books I've read recently. If you like fantasy and young adult novels than you should add this to your TBR list.

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Dragon Dreams by Dusty Lynn Holloway

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“He had been taught to be strong, but she had learned to be stronger.” -Dusty Lynn Holloway, Dragon Dreams

First in the series, Dragon Dreams follows Auri, an elf, and a human raised by a dragon named Nachel. Every night Nachel has the same nightmare. Auri, laying dead on a battlefield, killed by the Rebel Dragon Leader, Obsidian. Sent by his foster-father to find her and save her, he searches desperately, hoping to find a land that has long been hidden and do so without dying. But will he be able to save Auri? Or are the dreams set in stone. Find the official description at Goodreads!

This book was amazing! It grabs reader’s attention from the very beginning and also draws the readers into the story. Not only that, but it’s emotionally charged from the very beginning. I kept being drawn deeper and deeper into the story because of the level of emotion that was displayed and the insights that we are given into characters through their thoughts and actions. It wasn’t hard to find myself taking their place and feeling their pain as well as their joy, although that was few and far between.

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Birthright by Vivian Eve

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“...in order to move forward, we cannot allow ourselves to forever dwell in the past.” - Vivian Eve, Birthright

A tyrant rules Arenhed. This doesn't seem to have any effect on the life of Hedy until one day the unexpected and terrible happens. Hedy loses everything. The village she calls home, her best friend, her mother, the last of her family. And now she finds herself in a world of dangerous politics where one mistake could cost her her life and the lives of those around her. Find the description on Goodreads.

Birthright was an interesting read. Right from the very beginning, the action draws you in, and keeping things hopping. The plot is full of twists and turns, some of which you think you understand fully, but of which it is actually impossible to fully guess. The ending was certainly a shock. I had some thoughts but I certainly couldn't have guessed the true ending. Vivian Eve has created a book that is engaging, and keeps the reader guessing. She drops clues and sometimes you might be in the right direction but then you might not.

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