Review: Wings of Fury (Wings of Fury #1) by Emily R. King

Book Blurb:

My mother told me that men would speak about the Golden Age as a time of peace and happiness for all… However, the women of our age would tell a very different story…

Cronus, God of Gods, whose inheritance is the world. Among his possessions: women, imprisoned and fated to serve. The strong-minded Althea Lambros controls her own fate and lives to honor her dying mother’s plea to protect her two sisters at all costs. Althea’s journey toward crushing the tyranny has begun. It is a destiny foretold by the Fates. And she is following their visions.

On the southern isle of Crete, hidden among mortal women who have fled the Titans, is the Boy God, son of Cronus and believed dead. He shares Althea’s destiny to vanquish the Almighty—fate willing. Because Cronus has caught wind of the plot. He’s amassing his own forces against Althea’s righteous rebellion and all those who will no longer surrender or run. There will be war. If she’s to survive to write their history, the indomitable Althea must soar higher than any god.

Goodreads | Amazon

My Review:

4 Out Of 5 Stars

Genre: Another-World, Retelling, Romance, Royal-Court, Supernatural, Suspense--

Wings of Fury was a super interesting take on the origins of the Greek Gods, told from the unsuspecting eyes of a girl who just wanted her freedom. I have come to expect strong female characters and lots of action from this author and this was another great example of that. I enjoyed how this took the traditionally excepted Greek mythology and ran with it to create something new and fresh from the typical with some surprising twists I could not have predicted.

While the ending was for the most part (or at least at a temporary truce) resolved, this is the first book in a series and there is so much more to come with what I expect to be a crazy epic battle with the Titans. Side note for those familiar with the author's other books, this is not a YA novel, more a New Adult series due to sexual content.

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Keep an eye out for the next book in the Wings of Fury Series:

Book Blurb:

Crown of Cinder (Wings of Fury #2) by Emily R. King

Release Date: 05 October 2021

Althea’s head is still spinning from her discovery that she’s Hera, daughter of Cronus, the terrible Titan king. After Althea failed to cast Cronus down into the deepest pit of Tartarus, the king calls upon his powerful allies, the elder Titans who reign supreme over the heavens, earth, and seas. To force Althea to surrender, the elder Titans rain down wrath upon the mortal world with earthquakes, famine, pestilence, hurricanes, and all manner of destruction. Lukas, Althea’s friend and confidant, hides her and her godly siblings, but they can’t run forever. She must recruit allies from the younger Titans before the afflicted mortals turn them into Cronus in exchange for peace.

Poseidon and Hades are also in hiding. Althea sets out to find her brothers, but hunting them down without getting caught and persuading them to stand against their all-powerful father will be next to impossible. Althea has a lot to learn about her newly restored crown and Titaness powers. She must divide heaven and earth to protect her mortal home and friends and unite her brothers and sisters in the war to end all wars.

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Audiobook Tour: Stolen Enchantress (Forbidden Forest, #1) by Amber Argyle

Author: Amber Argyle

Narrator: Lynn Bradford

Length: 14 hour 5 minutes

Series: Forbidden Forest, Book 1

Publisher: Starling Publishing

Released: Nov. 11, 2020

Genre: Romantic Fantasy; YA

A beast. An enchantress. An unbreakable curse....

Deep within the sentient woods, Larkin uncovers a secret that puts her in dreadful danger. Worse, now that the beast has had his taste, he’ll never stop hunting her. But the forest has woken something inside Larkin; something that gives her the power to fight back.

Magic.

Using forbidden magic will get Larkin hanged. Not using it will leave her at the mercy of the beast's enchantment. But there’s a third option; one that scares her more than anything.

She could fall in love with the beast.

Fans of A Curse so Dark and Lonely and A Court of Thorns and Roses will be spellbound by the fairytale re-telling of Beauty and the Beast and The Pied Piper in Stolen Enchantress. Buy now to find out why listeners around the world are getting lost in the Forbidden Forest!

“Moody, whimsical, and enchanting.” (Emily R. King, author of The Hundredth Queen Series)

 

My Review:

4.5 Out Of 5 Stars

Genre: Audiobook, Fairytale, Heart-Wrenching, Retelling, Romance, Royal-Court, Supoernatural, Suspense--

Larkin was supposed to be watching her little sister when she realizes that her sister wandered into the Forbidden Forest, the place nobody ever returns from. Understanding that she will not get help from the superstitious town, she plunges into the forest to try and find her sister, irrevocably changing her life in ways nobody could have predicted.

We start the book with Larkin secretly in love with her friend Bane, who seems like an ok guy (I guessed a secret about him from the start but overall he was not a bad guy per se) but once we meet Denan, the guy who basically kidnapped her, I was in love. No, Larkin was not a victim of Stockholm syndrome, she wanted nothing to do with Denan and still loved her friend (much to my chagrin, I seriously wanted to shake this girl at some points- her bad choices moved the book from 5 stars to 4.5 since I was so mad at her). But I still loved Denan. He gave Larkin a choice and options, respected her views and wants regardless of them being conflicting with his own and was overall a really decent person. Keep in mind that this is not a romance story (there is a teeny tiny smidge but not a ton), but I adored watching the two of them develop a relationship through many adversities.

I purchased this forever ago as an ebook when it first came out (I mean seriously, Beauty and the Beast meets The Pied Piper? Yes please!) because I was super excited to read it but never got a chance. When I saw it was an audio, I jumped at the chance to listen to the story. The narrator was perfect at bringing Larkin to life, giving her personality and spunk and having a clear precise diction, as well as doing a great job creating distinct voices for the other characters. I would love for the rest of the series to be on audio and be narrated by this same voice. Keep in mind I listened at 1.75x speed which was just about perfect.

I really enjoyed this read and can't wait to continue the series. While this did not end on a cliffhanger, I have so many questions and concerns about what will happen and the overall fate of Larkin and Denan. I highly recommend this for anyone who loves fairytales and retellings full of action, magic and surprises.

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Lynn Bradford. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

Amber Argyle is the bestselling author of numerous fantasy and romance novels. Her award-winning books have been translated into several languages and praised by such authors as NYT bestsellers David Farland and Jennifer A. Nielsen.

Amber grew up on a cattle ranch and spent her formative years in the rodeo circuit and on the basketball court. She graduated cum laude from Utah State University with a degree in English and physical education, a husband, and a two-year-old. Since then, she and her husband have added two more children, which they are actively trying to transform from crazy small people into less-crazy larger people. She's fluent in all forms of sarcasm, loves hiking and traveling, and believes spiders should be relegated to horror novels where they belong.

To receive Amber Argyle’s starter library of four free books, simply tell her where to send it: www.amberargyle.com

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Lynn Bradford is a graduate of Michigan State University’s theatre program. She has always loved YA and Beauty and the Beast retellings, like this one, are her absolute favorite books to narrate.

In addition to her numerous stage credits, Lynn brings her experience from multiple diverse industries to her non-fiction narration with her background in computer programming, legal, medical, psychology, anthropology, and many others.

When not in the booth, Lynn prefers the great outdoors and loves running, traveling, and backpacking.

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Audiobook Tour: The Shrike & the Shadows by Chantal Gadoury & A.M. Wright

Author: Chantal Gadoury

Narrator: Ryan Haugen

Length: 9 hours 37 minutes

Publisher: The Parliament House

Released: Mar. 3, 2020

Genre: New Adult Fantasy

 

The village of Krume is plagued by a haunted wood and a hungry witch. It’s been that way for as long as Hans and Greta can remember, though they have never seen the witch themselves; no one has.

When men start to disappear once again in the cover of night - their bloody hearts turning up on doorsteps - the village falls into frenzied madness.

Hans and Greta, two outcast orphans, find themselves facing accusations of witchcraft and are met with an ultimatum: burn at the stake, or leave the village forever.

With nowhere else to go, they abandon their only home.

As they venture into the strange forest, their path is fraught with horrific creatures, wild and vivid hallucinations, and a mysterious man tied to the witch's past.

The Shrike is watching, just beyond the deep darkness of the woods.

My Review:

3.5 Out Of 5 Stars

Genre: Fairytale, Heart-Wrenching, Retelling, Scary, Supernatural, Werewolves, Witches--

The story is dual narrated by twins Hans and Greta (with a random chapter here and there other views), both struggling with the lives they have been dealt in very different ways. Keep in mind, this is not the version of Hansel and Gretel you think you know.

I really liked Greta, she was a little ball of sunshine. She was interesting and sweet, always thinking of others and full of optimism. She faced being lonely, see as an outcast by her own people since her parent's deaths, a so called holy man attempted to rape her and her brother is a total tool, but still she tries so hard to keep life going. I will admit I wanted her to strangle Hans and insist Greta leave him to his doom (and maybe run away with a certain brooding wolf man, just saying). She is for sure the good twin in this story.

Hans is literally the worst. I could not stand him even a little, his entire personality is motivated by his carnal desires and his jealousy over Greta liking anyone/having friends. So basically, he was a selfish manwhore who wanted his sister to be alone and codependent on him alone, while he slept with anything female and spread negative rumors about his sister as it suited his needs. In my totally judgy opinion, the Shrike can have him.

I liked the world (the plot and the world building were very unique and different from any other story I read before), making this a very dark fairytale retelling, with tons of danger and horror as well as LOTS of sex and desire (sometimes detailed and other times creepy)- with lots of imagery of both the sex and gruesome horror. The narrator did a great job of getting into both the main character's heads, making it seem like it was really them thinking, talking, responding. Overall I found this to be an interesting premise with a shocking ending leaving me questioning what will happen next.

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Chantal Gadoury. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

Amazon Best Selling Author, Chantal Gadoury, is a 2011 graduate from Susquehanna University with a Bachelor's Degree in Creative Writing. Since graduation, she has published "The Songs in Our Hearts" with 48Fourteen Publishing, and "Allerleirauh" with Parliament House Press, with future titles to follow. Chantal first started writing stories at the age of seven and continues with that love of writing today. Writing novels for Chantal has become a life-long dream come true! When she's not writing, she enjoys painting, drinking lots of DD Iced Coffee, and watching Disney classics. Chantal lives in Muncy, Pennsylvania with her Mom, Sister and furry-'brother' (aka, puppy) Taran.

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A.M. Wright is an Ohio native, perched on the shores of Lake Erie for as long as she can remember. She is a graduate of Walsh University and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Corporate Communications, with two minors in Marketing and Writing. She has a passion for reading, writing, and drawing; and has a particularly strong love for shojo-manga and all genres of anime. When A.M. Wright isn't focused on her day job, she is sorting through submissions, writing too many stories to keep track of, and playing video games with her fiance in a townhouse that's just a fifteen minute drive from "The Roller Coaster Capital of the World."

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Ryan Haugen tried to write for a long time. He has nothing to show for it - in fact this is the first time he’s sat down to write since college.

Actually, he isn’t even sitting right now. He’s standing, and coming to grips with how writing has always caused him to deceive himself. So, that honest work tied to fiction would ever materialize shocks even him.

As a narrator, Ryan has no formal qualifications or training.

As a producer, he has an above-average grasp of Windows 10 and Audacity.

As a purveyor of twist endings, he would have you know he quit his day job to pursue narration full time in his home studio after 7 months of part-time narration, and 15 books narrated.

Ever engaged, passionate, and consumptive of all forms of media, Ryan floats in bewildered contentment at the notion anyone would want to listen to him speak for dozens of hours, but hopes you enjoy his youthful performances in the tales he tells, and that by now, you truly believe he is a better storyteller than he is writer."

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Review: Dragon Rising by M. Lynn

Book Blurb:

Sometimes a battle isn't waged on a bloody field.

Sometimes it's won within the heart of one girl.

Hua Minglan wants revenge for the death of her sister, and she'll do anything to get it.

A war is brewing between Piao and the Kou warriors to the north, a war that has called every able-bodied man in Piao from their fields.

When Hua's father is summoned to fight, she knows he won't return, most of them don't.

With a decision that could cost her everything, she leaves her home behind in an attempt to take her father's place training under Commander Jian Li, brother to the emperor.

The commander is a harsh man, a demanding man, and one with his own desire for vengeance.

Hua can't get too close. She can't befriend the man who is able to bring her deceptions tumbling to the ground. If he learns the truth about who she is, it won't only see her shunned from the army for disguising herself as a man.

It will end in her execution.

Hua never imagines that by joining the army, she brings a greater foe into the heart of Piao.

What if the Kou are only a distraction?

What if the real enemy is her?

Find out more about Dragon Rising on Goodreads

My Review:

5 Out Of 5 Stars

Genre: Heart-Wrenching, Historical, Retelling, Romance, Royal-Court, Supernatural, Suspense--

I started this book with very high expectations for two reasons- 1)I love all things Mulan and this is listed as a retelling of one of my favorite Disney movies, 2)I heard this author is fantastic. Based on both those items, I was super excited but also moderately concerned the story would not live up to my expectations. I am ever so happy to report Dragon Rising was absolutely fantastic, better than I even hoped. Somehow, maybe with magic, the book was able to mix heart-break, action, character development, culture, complicated relationship dynamics, romance and dragon into a cohesive story I could not put down.

This followed a very similar plot backbone to the Disney cartoon Mulan, with a girl who goes to war in her father's place and a stoic general tasked with training soldiers, but from there Dragon Rising was something entirely it's own- and I mean that in the best of ways. I will admit that this was darker than I anticipated, which is purely my own fault since the conflict in the story is a bloody war, I guess I just did not think that far ahead. If you are looking for light-hearted or comic relief, this is not the right story to pick up. If you want a strong, competent heroine who is capable of saving the day on her own, then this is the story for you.

Oh what a tangled web we weave in this tale. We have Hua who is pretending to be a man-boy to fight in the war for a twofold purpose- to avenge her sister and to save her ailing father from fighting a battle he won't survive. I love how many people knew who Hua really was but decided to hold their tongue, seeing her need and purpose clearly and supporting her fully. For the second main character, we have General Li (Jian), bastard brother to the emperor, tasked with training new recruits and hoarding a boatload of personal baggage against their enemy. And then there is Luca, a side character, who charming and easy going, the man her father arranged for her to marry- even while he holds feelings for another, who he never be able to have. Side note, NaiNai, the all knowing grandmother was fantastic- everything I wanted her to be and more, just saying.

Overall, this was a fantastic engaging book and I would not change a single thing! This my current favorite read and I can't wait for the next book to see what will happen to Hua and Jian next.

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Sting by Cindy R. Wilson

Sting
Cindy R. Wilson
Published by: Entangled: Teen
Publication date: March 3rd 2020
Genres: Dystopian, Romance, Young Adult

They call me the Scorpion because they don’t know who I really am. All they know is that someone is stealing from people with excess to help people with nothing survive another day.

But then a trusted friend reveals who I am—“just” Tessa, “just” a girl—and sends me straight into the arms of the law. All those people I helped…couldn’t help me when I needed it.

In prison, I find an unlikely ally in Pike, who would have been my enemy on the outside. He represents everything I’m against. Luxury. Excess. The world immediately falling for his gorgeous smile. How he ended up in the dirty cell next to mine is a mystery, but he wants out as much as I do. Together, we have a real chance at escape.

With the sting of betrayal still fresh, Pike and I will seek revenge on those who wronged us. But uncovering all their secrets might turn deadly…

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

My Review:

4 Out Of 5 Stars

Genre: Dystopian, Retelling, Romance, Suspense, Teen--

To be completely honest, I did not the read the synopsis for this book at all. Basically, I saw the author listen (who I have enjoyed reading books from in the past) and that this is listed as a dystopian YA version of the classic The Count of Monte Cristo and I was sold- no more words were needed to get me on board for this read. I really enjoy retellings of all kinds and I am so here for all the Count of Monte Cristo retellings! This is actually the second YA one I have read this month and I would gobble as many more as people want to write because it is such a good plot full of betrayal, revenge and justice.

The author is fantastic at character development and relationship dynamics, her characters all feel so real with depth and personality and by the end of the book I feel like I know them. The main character, Tessa, is motivated by her need to help people and to keep her small group alive by any means. She never meant to be a leader or a figurehead for a revolution, but by her good deeds and determination she has become the light that keeps her people motivated. But not only do we get to know the main character, but the side characters are so detailed and interesting as well- and even the villains had many facets.

Sting was also very much a romance, actually a love triangle that kind of hurt my heart. I almost always have a favorite love interest in love triangles, but I can honestly say that there was not really a clear, correct choice in this hard scenario. One one hand there is River, the life long friend who always had her back and Tessa was only just realizing how much he meant to her when her life was ripped apart. And then there is calm, mysterious Pike who helped Tessa through some dark times, giving her hope and encouragement to face her fears. Both guys were great choices but I will say that I am not even a little disappointed with who Tessa chose to give her heart to.

Overall this was a great read, able to be something entirely its own while at the same time paying tribute to one of my favorite classic stories. I recommend this to anyone who likes great characters and YA dystopian worlds.

Author Bio:

Cindy began creating worlds as a kid, entertaining her siblings with spontaneous ghost stories before bed. She filled notebooks with novels and ideas and realized quickly she wanted to be a writer as an adult.

Now Cindy lives in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and loves using Colorado towns and cities as inspiration for settings in her stories. She's the mother of three girls who provide plenty of fodder for her YA novels. Visit her website to learn more about her books or subscribe to her newsletter: https://www.cindyrwilsonauthor.com

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Blog Tour & Giveaway: Scavenge the Stars (Scavenge the Stars #1) by Tara Sim

Book Blurb:

SCAVENGE THE STARS (Scavenge the Stars #1) by Tara Sim

Pub. Date: January 7, 2020

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Pages: 336

When Amaya rescues a mysterious stranger from drowning, she fears her rash actions have earned her a longer sentence on the debtor ship where she’s been held captive for years. Instead, the man she saved offers her unimaginable riches and a new identity, setting Amaya on a perilous course through the coastal city-state of Moray, where old-world opulence and desperate gamblers collide.

Amaya wants one thing: revenge against the man who ruined her family and stole the life she once had. But the more entangled she becomes in this game of deception—and as her path intertwines with the son of the man she’s plotting to bring down—the more she uncovers about the truth of her past. And the more she realizes she must trust no one…

Packed with high-stakes adventure, romance, and dueling identities, this gender-swapped retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo is the first novel in an epic YA fantasy duology, perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Sabaa Tahir, and Leigh Bardugo.

Goodreads | Amazon | Kindle | Audible | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | TBD

My Review:

4 Out Of 5 Stars

Genre: Another-World, Heart-Wrenching, Mystery, Retellings, Suspense, Teen--

This very much so had the feel of the Count of Monte Cristo story that it was compared to, and I absolutely loved that aspect! While this played a great homage to the classic, it at the same time was something very uniquely it's own. This was gritty and violent, full of death, torture heartbreak and all kinds of sins, but yet was so realistic and I felt like I could see and understand the whys and hows.

The story is told through alternating chapters from Silverfish and Cayo, two very different characters with completely different motivations. Silverfish, or Amaya, was the poor indentured servant girl trying to pay off her family's debt so she can go back to her life- but along the way she discovered that revenge makes a much better motivator. And then we have Cayo, the spoiled playboy son of a shady merchant who is struggling to walk the straight and narrow. The two end up meeting, both pretending to some degree, and it was a complicated mess that I am so glad I had a front seat to witness everything unfold. I loved Amaya from the beginning, rooting for the underdog and even understanding the need for revenge that pushed her every action as well as the internal conflict she battled with every day. Cayo was more complicated. He was a playboy who happened to have a current rough time so I as all set to dislike him...but I am not sure I do dislike him, he ended up being more of the honorable hero than I would have ever expected.

Yes, this is a series. The ending of this book is just the unfolding of the overall conflict in the series. While some issues were resolved, some others were just made known so I am super interested to get the next book and see what Amaya and Cayo have in store for them next. I recommend this for anyone who likes retellings, historical-ish fiction, and gritty dangerous plots full of revenge.

Author Bio:

Tara Sim is the author of SCAVENGE THE STARS (Disney-Hyperion) and the TIMEKEEPER trilogy (Sky Pony Press) and writer of all things magic. She can often be found in the wilds of the Bay Area, California.

When she’s not writing about mischievous boys in clock towers, Tara spends her time drinking tea, wrangling cats, and occasionally singing opera. Despite her bio-luminescent skin, she is half-Indian and eats way too many samosas.

Tara is represented by Victoria Marini at Irene Goodman Literary Agency.

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Week One:

1/13/2020- Books,Dreams,Life- Excerpt

1/14/2020- Kait Plus Books- Review

1/15/2020- Starlight Reads- Review

1/16/2020- Here's to Happy Endings- Review

1/17/2020- BookHounds YA- Excerpt

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Week Two:

1/20/2020 Do You Dog-ear?- Review

1/21/2020- fictitious.fox- Review

1/22/2020- The Pages In-Between- Review

1/23/2020- Wonder Struck- Review

1/24/2020- A Gingerly Review- Review

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Week Three:

1/27/2020- Jrsbookreviews- Review

1/28/2020- Two Chicks on Books- Excerpt

1/29/2020- Nay's Pink Bookshelf- Review

1/30/2020- onemused- Review

1/31/2020- Fire and Ice- Review

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Week Four:

2/3/2020- Ficticiouswonderland- Review

2/4/2020- Jena Brown Writes- Review

2/5/2020- She Just Loves Books- Review

2/6/2020- Books and Zebras- Review

2/7/2020- Mycornerforbooksand- Review

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Week Five:

2/10/2020- Smada's Book Smack- Review

2/11/2020- Cover to Cover Reviews- Review

2/12/2020- History from a Woman’s Perspective- Review

2/13/2020- Two Points of Interest- Review

2/14/2020- A Bookish Dream- Review

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Review tour provided by Rockstar Book Tours