Tuesday, 19 July 2022

2022 New Releases Weekly - July 19th

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 Hello everyone!!

Well, it's time for this week's new releases post. This time we look at books published in the week of July 19th. There are a lot of books that are in my most anticipated list, but as I said before this list is of course incomplete as it includes only books that I am interested in and the majority of them are in the Fantasy genre.


Let's start...

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Sylvia Moreno - Garcia

From the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic and Velvet Was the Night comes a dreamy reimagining of The Island of Doctor Moreau set against the backdrop of nineteenth-century Mexico.

Carlota Moreau: a young woman, growing up in a distant and luxuriant estate, safe from the conflict and strife of the Yucatán peninsula. The only daughter of either a genius, or a madman.

Montgomery Laughton: a melancholic overseer with a tragic past and a propensity for alcohol. An outcast who assists Dr. Moreau with his scientific experiments, which are financed by the Lizaldes, owners of magnificent haciendas and plentiful coffers.

The hybrids: the fruits of the Doctor’s labor, destined to blindly obey their creator and remain in the shadows. A motley group of part human, part animal monstrosities.

All of them living in a perfectly balanced and static world, which is jolted by the abrupt arrival of Eduardo Lizalde, the charming and careless son of Doctor Moreau’s patron, who will unwittingly begin a dangerous chain reaction.

For Moreau keeps secrets, Carlota has questions, and in the sweltering heat of the jungle, passions may ignite.

THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU is both a dazzling historical novel and a daring science fiction journey.

Genre: Historical fiction /  Science fiction
Publisher: Del Rey

These Twisted Bonds (These Hollow Vows #2) by Lexi Ryan

Brie finds herself caught between two princes and two destinies while the future of the fae realm hangs in the balance.

After Abriella's sister was sold to the fae, she thought life couldn't get any worse. But when she suddenly finds herself caught in a web of lies of her own making ­- loving two princes and trusting neither - things are not quite as clear as she once thought.

As civil war wages in the Court of Darkness, Brie finds herself unable to choose a side. How can she know where she stands when she doesn't even know herself anymore? In this darkly romantic thrill ride, the more Faerie is torn apart from the inside, the clearer it becomes that prophecies don't lie and Brie has a role to play in the fate of this magical realm - whether she likes it or not.


Genre: YA Fantasy Romance
Sequel to : These Hollow Vows
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Heat Wave (The Extraordinaries #3) by TJ Klune

Heat Wave is the explosive finale to the thrilling Extraordinaries trilogy by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author TJ Klune!

Nick, Seth, Gibby, and Jazz are back in action bringing justice, protection, and disaster energy to the people of Nova City.

An unexpected hero returns to Nova City and crash lands into Nick's home, upturning his life, his family, and his understanding of what it means to be a hero in the explosive finale of the thrilling and hilarious Extraordinaries trilogy by New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune.


Genre: YA Fantasy
Sequel to: The Extraordinaries
                  Flash Fire
Publisher: Tor Teen


These are some of the new releases of this week.
Are you excited about them?
Do you have other ones on your radar that I should know of?

See you in the next post and don't forget to keep reading!!!
Athina

Saturday, 16 July 2022

A Perfect Mistake by Melanie Conklin - Book Tour

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A Perfect Mistake by Melanie Conklin is a middle grade mystery that was published on July 12th , 2022. It is a moving, voice-driven novel about friendship, responsibility, and fighting against unfair expectations, for fans of Rebecca Stead and Erin Entrada Kelly.

Add A Perfect Mistake to your Goodreads TBR here
Purchase A Perfect Mistake:


About the book:

Max wishes he could go back in time to before he was diagnosed with ADHD, before he grew to be the tallest kid in his class, and before he and his best friends went into the woods in the middle of the night. Max doesn’t remember what happened after he left his friends Will and Joey and the older kids who took them there. He’s not sure if he wants to remember. Knowing isn’t going to make Joey talk to him again, or bring Will out of his coma.
When the local authorities run out of leads, Max realizes that without his help, they may never know what really happened to Will. Charged by the idea that he may be the key to uncovering the truth, Max pairs up with classmate and aspiring journalist Sam to investigate what really happened that night. But not everyone in the community wants that night to be remembered.

About the author:

Melanie Conklin grew up in North Carolina and worked as a product designer before she began her writing career. Her debut middle grade novel, Counting Thyme, is a Nerdy Book Award winner, a Bank Street Best Children’s Book, winner of the International Literacy Association Teacher’s Choice Award, and a finalist for the Missouri Mark Twain Book Award, the Iowa Children’s Choice Award, the Illinois Bluestem Award, and the Arkansas Charlie May Simon Award. She is also the author of Every Missing Piece, A Perfect Mistake (2022), and her picture book debut, When You Have to Wait (2023). When she’s not writing, Melanie spends her time doodling and dreaming up new ways to be creative. She lives in New Jersey with her family.

Author Links:

Check out the rest of the tour schedule here

See you in the next post and don't forget to keep reading!!!
Athina

Thursday, 14 July 2022

When Stars Become Shadows by Emmie Hamilton - Book Tour

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 When Stars Become Shadows by Emmie Hamilton is an adult dark fantasy standalone. The book has already been released. 

Add When Stars Become Shadows to your Goodreads TBR here
Purchase When Stars Become Shadows here


Title: When Stars Become Shadows
Author: Emmie Hamilton
Publisher: Innulum Press
Release Date: July 12, 2022
Genre: Adult Dark Fantasy
Page Count: 320
Age Requirement: 18+
Format: Paperback | Ebook

About the book: 

For the past seven years, Emersyn Jane Merona had been owned by a deadly mob boss and forced to service any lonely soul who found their way to Skarsrowe, a shady port town on the edge of the Baronian Sea. When Syn commits a murder and initiates a daring escape, she finds herself in the arms of her boss’ archrival, the legendary Captain Killian O’Donnell.
After seeking refuge on his mysterious ship, Syn soon realizes that she may have traded one form of danger for another. Desperate to regain her freedom, she falls back on all the old tricks she used to survive her indentured servitude. Just when she
is ready to give up, a murdered siren changes her fate and the Lord of Lost Souls, Malakai Barron, drags her down into the underworld.
Through a deal brokered by someone from her past, Syn now has to try to earn her freedom from not one, but two key players in the dark underworld. Though it seems impossible, opportunity strikes when Malakai’s missing sirens reappear and Syn is given the chance to investigate. Who is taking the sirens? And why does their song haunt her dreams?
As Emersyn uncovers the demons of her past, will the monsters of her future be kept at bay, or will she become another lost soul anchored to the bottom of the sea?


About the author:

Emmie Hamilton is forever inspired by the "in-between" moments. You know the ones - the empty spaces between the chaos of life. The conversations that are never said, the days filled with waiting, the silence after the emotion calms down; those are what Emmie's stories are built off of.
In her free time, Emmie likes to fulfill her passion for "life" whether that's writing emotional connections, reading addictive novels, travelling the world or trying new food.
Emmie received her MFA in Creative Writing in 2019 and has since had poems and essays published with Scary Mommy and Pure Slush Press. Her debut novel, Chosen to Fall, was released in May 2021. Its sequel, Fated to Burn, was released in November of that same year.

SOCIAL LINKS:

Check out the rest of the tour schedule here

See you in the next post and don't forget to keep reading!!!
Athina

Tuesday, 12 July 2022

2022 New Releases Weekly - July 12th

By    15:00 // No comments
 Hello everyone!!

Well, it's time for this week's new releases post. This time we look at books published in the week of July 12th. There are a lot of books that are in my most anticipated list, but as I said before this list is of course incomplete as it includes only books that I am interested in and the majority of them are in the Fantasy genre.


Let's start...

The Wizard of Eventide (The Goddess War #3) by Jon Skovron

In the thrilling conclusion to Jon Skovron's epic fantasy trilogy that began with The Ranger of Marzanna, allies and enemies alike must band together to defeat an evil on a scale never before seen—and this time, the Gods are on the battlefield.
 
As Vittorio’s empire enacts its bloody reign, the Uaine now behind him after a stunning betrayal, a reunited Sonya and Sebastian must embark on a journey to distant lands to amend past wrongs—and find unlikely allies along the way.
 
In far Raiz, Jorge has his hands full enough with the devastation the Empire left behind. But the battle isn’t over, and the sovereignty of his nation will depend on his ability to band together the ancient houses—and recruiting a figure straight out of legend.
 
Galina, now Queen of Izmoroz, rules her land with an iron fist in a velvet glove. But heavy is the crown, and enemies lie in wait both within and without her dominion. To realize her vision for a free Izmoroz at last, she’ll have to fight with much more than politics.

Genre: Fantasy
Sequel to: The Ranger of Marzanna
                  The Queen of Izmoroz
Publisher: Orbit

Upgrade by Blake Crouch

The mind-blowing new thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Dark Matter and Recursion

“You are the next step in human evolution.”

At first, Logan Ramsay isn’t sure if anything’s different. He just feels a little . . . sharper. Better able to concentrate. Better at multitasking. Reading a bit faster, memorizing better, needing less sleep.
But before long, he can’t deny it: Something’s happening to his brain. To his body. He’s starting to see the world, and those around him—even those he loves most—in whole new ways.
The truth is, Logan’s genome has been hacked. And there’s a reason he’s been targeted for this upgrade. A reason that goes back decades to the darkest part of his past, and a horrific family legacy.
Worse still, what’s happening to him is just the first step in a much larger plan, one that will inflict the same changes on humanity at large—at a terrifying cost.
Because of his new abilities, Logan’s the one person in the world capable of stopping what’s been set in motion. But to have a chance at winning this war, he’ll have to become something other than himself. Maybe even something other than human.
And even as he’s fighting, he can’t help wondering: what if humanity’s only hope for a future really does lie in engineering our own evolution?
Intimate in scale yet epic in scope, Upgrade is an intricately plotted, lightning-fast tale that charts one man’s thrilling transformation, even as it asks us to ponder the limits of our humanity—and our boundless potential.

Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Ballantine Books

The Collected Enchantments by Theodora Goss 

A wicked stepsister frets over all the ways in which she failed to receive her mother’s love. A lost woman travels through an enchanted forest looking for someone who can remind her of her name. A girl must wear down seven pairs of shoes to gain help from a witch. A fox makes a life with a human, but neither can deny their true natures. A young woman returns to her childhood home and the fantastic stories she left there. A man lets himself be taken prisoner by the Snow Queen to prove that the woman who loves him would walk barefoot through the ice to save him. Medusa cuts her hair for love.

The Collected Enchantments gathers retellings of folk and fairy tales in prose and verse from World Fantasy and Locus award-winning author Theodora Goss, creator of The Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club series. Drawing from her Mythopoeic Award-nominated collections In the Forest of Forgetting and Songs for Ophelia and her Mythopoeic Award-winning tome Snow White Learns Witchcraft, and adding new and uncollected stories and poems, The Collected Enchantments provides a resounding demonstration of how, as Jo Walton writes, Goss provides “a vivid, authentic and important voice” that, in the words of Jane Yolen, “transposes, transforms, and transcends times, eras, and old tales with ease.”

Genre: Short Stories Fantasy
Publisher: Mythic Delirium

Into the Narrowdark (The Last King of Osten Ard #3,1) by Tad Williams

The New York Times bestselling world of Osten Ard returns in the third Last King of Osten Ard novel, as threats to the kingdom loom...

The High Throne of Erkynland is tottering, its royal family divided and diminished. Queen Miriamele has been caught up in a brutal rebellion in the south and thought to have died in a fiery attack. Her grandson Morgan, heir to the throne, has been captured by one of Utuk’ku’s soldiers in the ruins of an abandoned city. Miriamele’s husband, King Simon, is overwhelmed by grief and hopelessness, unaware that many of these terrible things have been caused by Pasevalles, a murderous traitor inside Simon’s own court at the Hayholt.

Meanwhile, a deadly army of Norns led by the ageless, vengeful Queen Utuk’ku, has swept into Erkynland and thrown down the fortress of Naglimund, slaughtering the inhabitants and digging up the ancient grave of Ruyan the Navigator. Utuk’ku plans to use the Navigator’s fabled armor to call up the spirit of Hakatri, the evil Storm King’s brother.

Even the Sithi, fairy-kin to the Norns, are helpless to stop Utuk’ku’s triumph as her armies simultaneously march on the Hayholt and force their way into the forbidden, ogre-guarded valley of Tanakirú—the Narrowdark—where a secret waits that might bring Simon’s people and their Sithi allies salvation—or doom.

Genre: Fantasy
Sequel to: The Witchwood Crown
                 Empire of Grass
Publisher: DAW

A Prayer For the Crown-Shy (Monk and Robot #2) by Becky Chambers

After touring the rural areas of Panga, Sibling Dex (a Tea Monk of some renown) and Mosscap (a robot sent on a quest to determine what humanity really needs) turn their attention to the villages and cities of the little moon they call home.

They hope to find the answers they seek, while making new friends, learning new concepts, and experiencing the entropic nature of the universe.

Becky Chambers's new series continues to ask: in a world where people have what they want, does having more even matter?




Genre: Science Fiction
Sequel to: A Psalm for the Wild_built
Publisher: Tordotcom


These are some of the new releases of this week.
Are you excited about them?
Do you have other ones on your radar that I should know of?

See you in the next post and don't forget to keep reading!!!
Athina

Saturday, 9 July 2022

Queer Retellings of 2022

By    15:00 // No comments
 Hello everyone!!

Who doesn't love a good retelling? I certainly do love them and especially if they are also queer. In 2022 we are seeing many queer retellings that are been published, so today we are going to highlight some of them. Some are already out and others are releasing later in the year.


Let's start...

The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder

Retelling: Sleeping Beauty

Sleeping Beauty meets Indiana Jones in this thrilling fairytale retelling for fans of Sorcery of Thorns and All the Stars and Teeth.

Published in January 2022 by Razorbill
Read the synopsis here










One for All  by Lillie Lainoff

Retelling: The Three Musketeers

An OwnVoices, gender-bent retelling of The Three Musketeers, in which a girl with a chronic illness trains as a Musketeer and uncovers secrets, sisterhood, and self-love.

Published in March 2022 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Read the synopsis here








Kaikeyi by Vainshnavi  Patel

Retelling: Ramayana

A stunning debut from a powerful new voice, Kaikeyi is a tale of fate, family, courage, and heartbreak—of an extraordinary woman determined to leave her mark in a world where gods and men dictate the shape of things to come.

Published in April 2022 by Redhook
Read the synopsis here







Spear by Nicola Griffith

Retelling: King Arthur

The girl knows she has a destiny before she even knows her name. She grows up in the wild, in a cave with her mother, but visions of a faraway lake come to her on the spring breeze, and when she hears a traveler speak of Artos, king of Caer Leon, she knows that her future lies at his court.

And so, brimming with magic and eager to test her strength, she breaks her covenant with her mother and, with a broken hunting spear and mended armour, rides on a bony gelding to Caer Leon. On her adventures she will meet great knights and steal the hearts of beautiful women. She will fight warriors and sorcerers. And she will find her love, and the lake, and her fate.

Published in April 2022 by Tordotcom

Not Good For Maidens by Tori Bovalino

Retelling: The Goblin Market

Salem’s Lot meets The Darkest Part of the Forest in this horror-fantasy retelling of Christina Rossetti’s “Goblin Market.”

Published in June 2022 by Page Street Kids
Read the synopsis here









Wrath Goddess Sing by Maya Deane

Retelling: The Illiad

Drawing on ancient texts and modern archeology to reveal the trans woman's story hidden underneath the well-known myths of The Iliad, Maya Deane's Wrath Goddess Sing weaves a compelling, pitilessly beautiful vision of Achilles' vanished world, perfect for fans of Song of Achilles and the Inheritance trilogy.

Published in June 2022 by William Morrow and Company
Read the synopsis here






Self-Made Boys by Anna-Marie McLemore

Retelling: The Great Gatsby

Stonewall Honor recipient and two-time National Book Award Longlist selectee Anna-Marie McLemore weaves an intoxicating tale of glamor and heartbreak in Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix, part of the Remixed Classics series.

Expected Publication on September 6th, 2022 by Feiwel Friends
Read the synopsis here







And one that releases in 2023...

In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune

Retelling: The Adventures of Pinocchio

New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune invites you deep into the heart of a peculiar forest and on the extraordinary journey of a family assembled from spare parts.

Expected Publication in March 28th , 2023 by Tor Books
Read the synopsis here





See you in the next post and don't forget to keep reading!!!
Athina

Thursday, 7 July 2022

Book Recommendations - Military Fantasy

By    15:00 // No comments
 Hello everyone!!

I thought it would be interesting if I started a series of posts with book recommendations. The majority of these recommendations will be in the fantasy genre. 

So, let's start with some recommendations on Military Fantasy novels.




First of all, what is Military Fantasy?

"Military fantasy books are a sub-genre that examines the lifecycle of war in fantasy settings. The lifecycle of war is made up of the brewing conflict before war, the violence during war, and the destructive aftermath of war. Often military fantasy interacts with other sub-genres such as epic fantasy, high fantasy, and gritty fantasy. " - R. Nassor on BookRiot

In no particular order, here we have some book recommendations for you...

The Poppy War series by R.F. Kuang

A brilliantly imaginative talent makes her exciting debut with this epic historical military fantasy, inspired by the bloody history of China’s twentieth century and filled with treachery and magic, in the tradition of Ken Liu’s Grace of Kings and N.K. Jemisin’s Inheritance Trilogy.

Published in May 2018 by HarperVoyager
Read the synopsis here








The Grace of Kings (The Dandelion Dynasty #1) by Ken Liu

Emperor Mapidéré was the first to unite the island kingdoms of Dara under a single banner. But now the emperor is on his deathbed, his people are exhausted by his vast, conscriptive engineering projects and his counsellors conspire only for their own gain.

Even the gods themselves are restless.

A wily, charismatic bandit and the vengeance-sworn son of a deposed duke cross paths as they each lead their own rebellion against the emperor's brutal regime. Together, they will journey to the heart of the empire; witnessing the clash of armies, fleets of silk-draped airships, magical books and shapeshifting gods. Their unlikely friendship will drastically change the balance of power in Dara... but at what price?

The Grace of Kings is the first novel by Hugo-, Nebula- and World Fantasy Award-winner Ken Liu and the first in a monumental epic fantasy series.

Published in April 2015 by Saga Press

The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive #1) by Brandon Sanderson

The Stormlight Archive is a standout military fantasy series that highlights the effects of war on every level of society.

Published in August 2010 by Tor Books

Read the synopsis here









The Rage of Dragons (The Burning #1) by Evan Winter

The Omehi people have been fighting an unwinnable fight for almost two hundred years. Their society has been built around war and only war. The lucky ones are born gifted. One in every two thousand women has the power to call down dragons. One in every hundred men is able to magically transform himself into a bigger, stronger, faster killing machine.

Everyone else is fodder, destined to fight and die in the endless war. Young, gift-less Tau knows all this, but he has a plan of escape. He's going to get himself injured, get out early, and settle down to marriage, children, and land. Only, he doesn't get the chance. Those closest to him are brutally murdered, and his grief swiftly turns to anger. Fixated on revenge, Tau dedicates himself to an unthinkable path. He'll become the greatest swordsman to ever live, a man willing to die a hundred thousand times for the chance to kill the three who betrayed him.

Published in September 2017by Orbit

Phoenix Extravagant by Yoon Ha Lee

Dragons. Art. Revolution.

Gyen Jebi isn’t a fighter or a subversive. They just want to paint. 
One day they’re jobless and desperate; the next, Jebi finds themself recruited by the Ministry of Armor to paint the mystical sigils that animate the occupying government’s automaton soldiers. 
But when Jebi discovers the depths of the Razanei government’s horrifying crimes—and the awful source of the magical pigments they use—they find they can no longer stay out of politics. 
What they can do is steal Arazi, the ministry’s mighty dragon automaton, and find a way to fight…

Published in October 2020 by Solaris




The Unbroken (Magic of the Lost #1) by C. L. Clark

Touraine is a soldier. Stolen as a child and raised to kill and die for the empire, her only loyalty is to her fellow conscripts. But now, her company has been sent back to her homeland to stop a rebellion, and the ties of blood may be stronger than she thought.

Luca needs a turncoat. Someone desperate enough to tiptoe the bayonet's edge between treason and orders. Someone who can sway the rebels toward peace, while Luca focuses on what really matters: getting her uncle off her throne.

Through assassinations and massacres, in bedrooms and war rooms, Touraine and Luca will haggle over the price of a nation. But some things aren't for sale.

Published in March 2021 by Orbit

The Thousand Names (The Shadow Campaigns #1) by Django Wexler

Enter an epic fantasy world that echoes with the thunder of muskets and the clang of steel—but where the real battle is against a subtle and sinister magic....

Published in July 2013 by Del Rey
Read the synopsis here









The Black Company (The Chronicles of the Black Company #1) by Glen Cook

Some feel the Lady, newly risen from centuries in thrall, stands between humankind and evil. Some feel she is evil itself. The hard-bitten men of the Black Company take their pay and do what they must, burying their doubts with their dead.

Until the prophecy: The White Rose has been reborn, somewhere, to embody good once more. There must be a way for the Black Company to find her...

So begins one of the greatest fantasy epics of our age—Glen Cook's Chronicles of the Black Company.

Published in May 1984 by Tor Books


Incendiary (hollow Crown #1) by Zoraida Cordova

Renata Convida was only a child when she was kidnapped by the King's Justice and brought to the luxurious palace of Andalucia. As a Robari, the rarest and most feared of the magical Moria, Renata's ability to steal memories from royal enemies enabled the King's Wrath, a siege that resulted in the deaths of thousands of her own people.

Now Renata is one of the Whispers, rebel spies working against the crown and helping the remaining Moria escape the kingdom bent on their destruction. The Whispers may have rescued Renata from the palace years ago, but she cannot escape their mistrust and hatred--or the overpowering memories of the hundreds of souls she turned "hollow" during her time in the palace.

When Dez, the commander of her unit, is taken captive by the notorious Sangrado Prince, Renata will do anything to save the boy whose love makes her place among the Whispers bearable. But a disastrous rescue attempt means Renata must return to the palace under cover and complete Dez's top secret mission. Can Renata convince her former captors that she remains loyal, even as she burns for vengeance against the brutal, enigmatic prince? Her life and the fate of the Moria depend on it.

But returning to the palace stirs childhood memories long locked away. As Renata grows more deeply embedded in the politics of the royal court, she uncovers a secret in her past that could change the entire fate of the kingdom--and end the war that has cost her everything.

Published in April 2020 by Hodder & Stoughton

Temeraire (Temeraire #1) by Naomi Novik

Captain Will Laurence has been at sea since he was just twelve years old; finding a warmer berth in Nelson's navy than any he enjoyed as the youngest, least important son of Lord Allendale. Rising on merit to captain his own vessel, Laurence has earned himself a beautiful fiancee, society's esteem and a golden future. But the war is not going well. It seems Britain can only wait as Napoleon plans to overrun her shores.

After a skirmish with a French ship, Laurence finds himself in charge of a rare cargo: a dragon egg bound for the Emperor himself. Dragons are much prized: properly trained, they can mount a fearsome attack from the skies.

One of Laurence's men must take the beast in hand and join the aviators' cause, thus relinquishing all hope of a normal life. But when the newly-hatched dragon ignores the young midshipman Laurence chose as its keeper and decides to imprint itself on the horrified captain instead, Laurence's world falls apart. Gone is his golden future: gone his social standing, and soon his beautiful fiancee, as he is consigned to be the constant companion and trainer of the fighting dragon Temeraire

Published in January 2006 by Harper Collins

See you in the next post and don't forget to keep reading!!!
Athina

Tuesday, 5 July 2022

2022 New Releases Weekly - July 5th

By    15:00 // No comments
 Hello everyone!!

Well, it's time for this week's new releases post. This time we look at books published in the week of July 5th. There are a lot of books that are in my most anticipated list, but as I said before this list is of course incomplete as it includes only books that I am interested in and the majority of them are in the Fantasy genre.


Let's start...

The Darkening (The Darkening #1) by Sunya Mara

In this thrilling and epic YA fantasy debut the only hope for a city trapped in the eye of a cursed storm lies with the daughter of failed revolutionaries and a prince terrified of his throne.

Vesper Vale is the daughter of revolutionaries. Failed revolutionaries. When her mother was caught by the queen's soldiers, they gave her a choice: death by the hangman's axe, or death by the Storm that surrounds the city and curses anyone it touches. She chose the Storm. And when the queen's soldiers--led by a paranoid prince--catch up to Vesper's father after twelve years on the run, Vesper will do whatever it takes to save him from sharing that fate.

Even arm herself with her father's book of dangerous experimental magic.

Even infiltrate the prince's elite squad of soldier-sorcerers.

Even cheat her way into his cold heart.

But when Vesper learns that there's more to the story of her mother's death, she'll have to make a choice if she wants to save her city: trust the devious prince with her family's secrets, or follow her mother's footsteps into the Storm.

Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Lore Olympus Vol. 2 by Rachel Smythe

Witness what the gods do after dark in the second volume of a stylish and contemporary reimagining of one of the best-known stories in Greek mythology from creator Rachel Smythe.

Persephone was ready to start a new life when she left the mortal realm for Olympus. However, she quickly discovered the dark side of her glamorous new home—from the relatively minor gossip threatening her reputation to a realm-shattering violation of her safety by the conceited Apollo—and she’s struggling to find her footing in the fast-moving realm of the gods. Hades is also off-balance, fighting against his burgeoning feelings for the young goddess of spring while maintaining his lonely rule of the Underworld. As the pair are drawn ever closer, they must untangle the twisted webs of their past and present to build toward a new future.

This full-color edition of Smythe’s original Eisner-nominated webcomic Lore Olympus features a brand-new, exclusive short story, and brings Greek mythology into the modern age in a sharply perceptive and romantic graphic novel.

This volume collects episodes 26–49 of the #1 WEBTOON comic Lore Olympus.

 Genre: Fantasy Graphic Novel
Sequel to: Lore Olympus vol 1
Publisher: Random House Worlds

Master of Furies (The Firemane Saga #3) by Raymond E.  Feist

From King of Ashes to Queen of Storms, it's all built up to this--the thrilling conclusion to legendary New York Times bestselling author Raymond E. Feist's epic Firemane saga.

War has swept across Marquensas. Ruthless raiders have massacred the inhabitants of Beran's Hill, including Gwen, the beloved wife of Declan Smith. Hollow of heart, his hopes burned to ashes, Declan swears to track down and destroy the raiders, an ambition shared by Baron Daylon Dumarch, whose family was massacred as they fled the capital.

Meanwhile Hava, whose gift for piracy has seen her acquire the treasure ship Borzon's Black Wake and the swift Azhante sailing vessel, Queen of Storms, and won her the name of "the Sea Demon," is closing in on the whereabouts of those who unleashed the murderous hordes.

Her husband, Hatushaly, the last remaining member of the ruling family of Ithrace, the legendary Firemanes, seeks to control the magical powers he has inherited. He is able now to visualize and even travel among the filaments of energies that power all existence: the furies. But will he be able to channel his magic in time to combat the deepest, darkest threat the world of Garn has ever faced?

Genre: Fantasy
Sequel to: King of Ashes
                 Queen of Storms
Publisher: Harper Voyager

And on July 7th...

The Hedge Witch : A Threadneedle Novella by Cari Thomas

An enchanting new novella set in the magical world of Sunday Times bestseller Threadneedle.
Rowan is visiting her aunt – Winne the hedge witch – in the Welsh countryside, to get back to nature and hone her skills, as well as taking a break from her annoying sisters and enjoying some peace and quiet. However, Rowan soon comes to realise that hedges are a serious business and this isn’t quite the opportunity to rest and escape she thought it might be.


Not only that, but mysterious events around the town are causing panic in the secret magical community and cowans – non-magical folk – are starting to take notice.


Can Rowan hone her hedge craft, try to make some friends and solve the riddle of the mysterious goings-on, or is magic about to be revealed to the world … or at least Wales?

Genre: YA Fantasy
Sequel to: Threadneedle
Publisher: Harper Voyager

These are some of the new releases of this week.
Are you excited about them?
Do you have other ones on your radar that I should know of?

See you in the next post and don't forget to keep reading!!!
Athina

Monday, 4 July 2022

A Crown of the Gods by S. M. Gaither - Book Tour

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"The old gods are growing restless. An ancient evil is stirring. Can they stop the coming storm?"

A Crown of the Gods by S. M. Gaither is a NA Romantic epic fantasy and it is the fourth book in the Shadows and Crown series. The book is already out.

Purchase the book here
Add the series to your Goodreads TBR :


TITLE: A Crown of the Gods
SERIES TITLE: Shadows and Crowns Series, Book 4
GENRE: NA Romantic Epic Fantasy
STEAM LEVEL: Medium
RELEASE DATE: 06.28.22
TRIGGER WARNING: violence, death, main character struggles with anxiety/ptsd

About the book:
(From Book 1)
Mercenary Casia Greythorne cares about two things: Completing whatever her latest job is, and earning enough coin to buy the expensive medicine that’s keeping her mentor alive.
So when the king himself offers her a job, she can’t resist the massive reward he offers—even if it means working with Captain Elander, the arrogant, mysterious right-hand to that king.
Her partner may be infuriating, but at least their mission seems simple and quick enough: Investigate the origins of the strange plague that’s been ravaging their empire, help find a cure, and then call it a day.
But in a land brimming with old magic and meddling gods, nothing is ever that simple, and nothing is everwhat it seems.
As the bodies pile up and strange monsters begin to wreak havoc throughout the realms, Cas and Elander will have to work together to protect their world whether they like it or not. Because one thing is clear: Something ancient and evil is stirring in the shadows of that world.
And their empire will not survive its full unleashing.

If you like Throne of Glass - Sarah J. Maas and  From Blood and Ash - Jennifer L. Armentrout, you will like this one too.

There is a giveaway running until July 7th and you can learn more about it and also enter on my Instagram post @booknotes_athina .

See you in the next post and don't forget to keep reading!!!
Athina

Obsidian by Courtney Beals - Book Tour

By    15:00 // No comments

 


Obsidian by Courtney Beals is a YA Fantasy and it is the second book in The Amorian Chronicles. The book is already out. 

Purchase Obsidian here
Add Obsidian on your Goodreads TBR here



Obsidian by Courtney Beals
Series: The Armorian Chronicles #2
Published by Page Publishing on June 6, 2022
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Pages: 508
Format: eBook, Paperback

About the book:
Lyla and Lilly take on the role as the new leaders of Armoria while also trying to find the time to train as well as practice their ever-growing magic and abilities to ensure the defeat of their enemy in Dresden.
As Damien continues to plot to rule the world, it drives unforeseen visitors to their doorstep and makes them realize the Armorian realm is larger than they were led to believe.
When Lyla and Anita venture to Starlight City, Lilly must take on the leadership role alone. It seems like an easy task, until Damien finally shows his hand, leaving her with one difficult decision after another. As unexpected events take place, and a traitor is found within the Armorian ranks, Lyla and Lilly find a wedge forced between them, creating a divide that may be impossible to mend.

There is a giveaway running until July 13th and you can learn more about it and also enter on my Instagram post @booknotes_athina .

See you in the next post and don't forget to keep reading!!!
Athina

Saturday, 2 July 2022

Then Came the Thunder (Three Willows #1) by Rachel Huszar - A Review

By    15:00 // No comments

Then Came the Thunder by Rachel Huszar is a  NA Old West Historical Fantasy & Romance book and the first book in the Three Willows series. The book was published in July 2021. 

The sequel Then Came the Fire is also already out.

Add Then Came the Thunder to your Goodreads TBR here

I didn't know what to expect from it but it sounded interesting and I enjoyed reading it. It is mainly a historical fiction but the author blends a little fantasy element in it. 
We have a strong female protagonist who has faced many struggles with the biggest one being her husband's death during the war. 
The story has mystery, drama and some action.
I really liked the relationship dynamics between our characters and especially between Jessalyn and Sam. 
One thing that I didn't like was that the revealing of what happened with the livestock was a little rushed in my opinion. It could have been a little longer and more explained. 

Rating: 3,5 Stars

About the book:

Jessalyn Joy loves her husband, but she can’t help the feelings that arose when he volunteered for the Union army. When he comes back to her in a box instead of on his feet, those feelings complicate even more.
Jessalyn’s mourning period is cut short when something begins to attack the livestock in their small town, and greater dangers begin to threaten their provincial life. Thrown together with the new reverend, one of her own students, and a strange man somehow related to her husband’s passing, Jessalyn must find a way to stop the evils that threaten her husband’s first and ultimately last home.

Set in the Southwestern home front, Huszar blends a taste of fantasy into a startling down-to-earth world, creating a high stakes adventure for this strong female protagonist and her band of amateur sleuths.

See you in the next post and don't forget to keep reading!!!
Athina

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