Blog Tour Author Q&A & Giveaway: Reign of the Fallen Series by Sarah Glenn Marsh

Book Blurb:

Reign of the Fallen (Reign of the Fallen #1)

Without the dead, she'd be no one.

Odessa is one of Karthia's master necromancers, catering to the kingdom's ruling Dead. Whenever a noble dies, it's Odessa's job to raise them by retrieving their soul from a dreamy and dangerous shadow world called the Deadlands. But there is a cost to being raised: the Dead must remain shrouded. If even a hint of flesh is exposed, a grotesque transformation begins, turning the Dead into terrifying, bloodthirsty Shades.

A dramatic uptick in Shade attacks raises suspicions and fears around the kingdom. Soon, a crushing loss of one of her closest companions leaves Odessa shattered, and reveals a disturbing conspiracy in Karthia: Someone is intentionally creating Shades by tearing shrouds from the Dead--and training them to attack. Odessa is forced to contemplate a terrifying question: What if her magic is the weapon that brings the kingdom to its knees?

Fighting alongside her fellow mages--and a powerful girl as enthralling as she is infuriating--Odessa must untangle the gruesome plot to destroy Karthia before the Shades take everything she loves.

Perfect for fans of Three Dark Crowns and Red Queen, Reign of the Fallen is a gutsy, unpredictable read with a surprising and breathtaking LGBT romance at its core.

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My Review:

4.5 Out Of 5 Stars

Genre: Another-World, Ghosts, Heart-Wrenching, Historical, Mystery, Romance, Royal-Court, Scary, Supernatural, Suspense, Teen, Witches, Zombies--

If I could only use one word to describe this book it would be Heartbreak. Gawd, it was so sad, let and right, I just wanted to wrap Sparrow in a fuzzy blanket and whisk her out of the story. Sarah did a great job of having Sparrow's sorrow bleed through the pages at me, almost overwhelming at times- I could not help but to connect to Sparrow and her pain. I actually read Reign of the Fallen as a buddy read with my friend who knew absolutely nothing about the plot and prefers light fluffy/happy reads, so color her surprised by the content of this story- she ended up being totally immersed by the mystery that unfolded on the pages while at the same time depressed overall (and no, I do not even feel a little bad for encouraging/forcing her read the book!). I found this book to be more than what I was hoping for and I am so glad I picked it up to read.

My favorite part of Reign of the Fallen was the detailed, dark and super creepy world/society that Sarah was able to bring to life (or undeath if you prefer!). I was so hooked on every little tidbit I was given, eating it up and wanting more. I have not read anything like this world or this plot making it stand out even more to me. The whole concept of the the world was amazing! In a city (region?) where change is forbidden, the old rulers are resurrected time after time to keep everything consistent, necromancers are sent into a dangerous death world to bring back the dead's soul, AND the dead have to always be covered up otherwise they will turn into an evil wraith and destroy everyone. And let's not even mention the mystery and court intrigue surrounding Sparrow. How terrifying would it be to walk in this world surrounded by the dead, one wrong move could reveal them causing them to go crazy and kill you in return? Well, Sarah crafted some incredibly wonderful creepy imagery and dangerous battles, no character was safe from harm, even death, and destruction reigned supreme!

And what book would be complete (in my world at least) without romance? Yep, in the midst of all the death, betrayal, danger, and lies, there was some pretty dang intense sexual tension! Whoo, you could cut the tension with a knife. I liked that the romances in this world were based on people as opposed to gender, gender did not really matter, it was how the person made you feel.

I will say that character Sparrow grew to have feelings for gave me a little bit of doubt (can you say transference?). Out of all the people in the world, why this one? But as per long debates with my previously mentioned friend, the resemblance to another person was exactly why the romance came so easy and was so hard at the same time. I guess you could say it was inevitable. I experienced the push and pull right along with Sparrow and can honestly say this book will put you through the emotional ringer.

So moral of the story is- I want to be a beast master and have a giant grizzly bear minion.

Ok really, I always thought being a necromancer was basically the coolest thing ever but now I am rethinking my life choices and I want to join team beast master. I would love to learn more about all the magic user in the next book, which I am not so excited to jump into!

And no peacocks were harmed in the making of this review.

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Continue the series!

Book Blurb:

Song of the Dead (Reign of the Fallen #2)

Releasing January 22, 2019

The Dead must stay buried.

Karthia is nothing like it used to be. The kingdom's borders are open for the first time in nearly three hundred years, and raising the dead has been outlawed. Odessa is determined to explore the world beyond Karthia's waters, hoping to heal a heart broken in more ways than she can count. But with Meredy joining the ocean voyage, vanquishing her sorrow will be a difficult task.

Despite the daily reminder of the history they share, Odessa and Meredy are fascinated when their journey takes them to a land where the Dead rule the night and dragons roam the streets. Odessa can't help being mesmerized by the new magic--and by the girl at her side. But just as she and Meredy are beginning to explore the new world, a terrifying development in Karthia summons them home at once.

Growing political unrest on top of threats from foreign invaders means Odessa and Meredy are thrust back into the lives they tried to leave behind while specters from their past haunt their tenuous relationship. Gathering a force big enough to ward off enemies seems impossible, until one of Queen Valoria's mages creates a weapon that could make them invincible. As danger continues to mount inside the palace, Odessa fears that without the Dead, even the greatest invention won't be enough to save their fates.

In this enthralling, heartrending sequel to Reign of the Fallen, Odessa faces the fight of her life as the boundaries between the Dead and the living are challenged in a way more gruesome than ever before.

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I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to pick Sarah's brain and ask her a few questions.

Read her answers below!

1. How did you come up with the idea for this magical world?

The idea for Reign of the Fallen was inspired by my grandmother’s stay in the hospital; thankfully, she’s fine now, but the situation got me thinking: how far would someone be willing to go to bring a loved one back from the dead? What sort of sacrifices would someone make in order to bring an important person back into their lives, and what consequences might that decision have? Those questions led me to the Greek mythological hero Orpheus, who attempts to rescue his wife from the underworld and is told by Hades that he can take her back to the living world as long as he doesn’t look at her until they’re both out of his realm. Spoiler alert: he takes a peek and loses her forever.Drawing from that mythology, as well as researching rituals surrounding death from around the world, helped me to start building the world of Reign of the Fallen, where the Dead must wear shrouds in the living world or else become monsters; where change of even the smallest sort is outlawed because the Dead fear it; where entering the spirit world demands a painful sacrifice of any living person who dares to go there.As for the Deadlands, the spirit world in the book, it was inspired by the Greek underworld! I took some of the themes from that world and put my own spin on it by having my spirit world be a landscape that’s ever-shifting, ever-changing, unlike the spirits themselves. It seemed fitting, somehow. Same with my spirit world being full of flowers and beauty, things that grow the way the spirits long to still.

2. How did writing a sequel compare to writing the first novel?

I felt like there was a lot more pressure with a sequel—I wanted to write something that would do my characters justice, as well as make fans of the first book happy! I had to keep a copy of Reign next to me every time I worked on drafting Song, too, so I could make sure the details were consistent between the two books.

3. Who are some of your go to authors?

Becky Chambers, Ruth Ware, Simone St. James, Patricia McKillip, Garth Nix, and Neil Gaiman, to name just a few!

4. What are you reading now- or what would you like to pick up to read?

I just finished a fascinating book called The Reign of the Greyhound, all about my favorite breed. I learned so many facts about their history; it was great! I also recently finished an early copy of Gravemaidens by Kelly Coon, and let me tell you, if you’re into dark fantasy, you’re going to want to check it out!

5. Did you always want to be a writer?

If not, what was your first choice?I’ve been writing little stories and books for almost as long as I could talk! It’s always been my dream job. But before I started trying to make that dream a reality, I earned my master’s degree in elementary education with the plan of being a teacher. Being an author is the best of both worlds for me, as I get to write the stories I love and share them with students on school visits!

6. Are you a pantser or plotter when you start a book?

I’m a plotter all the way. I want to be a pantser, but my books are much stronger when I take the time to plan heavily in advance!

7. What was the first thing you bought yourself after having your first book purchased/published?

I bought myself a copper handmade serpent pendant, because the monster in my first book is a giant sea serpent. I still wear it.

8. What is your favorite under-appreciated novel?

That’s a tough one! But let’s see…I don’t think Erin Cashman’s beautiful contemporary Irish fantasy Uncharted is getting enough love yet! Everyone should go check it out! It’s got cool creatures, swoony boys, and dangerous cults.

9. Are your characters based on real people? And if yes, do they know?

Nope! My characters come entirely from my imagination. Sometimes, I’ll throw in a funny detail about a character that comes from a personal story someone tells me (for instance, a character in Reign gets an injury that my husband once had), but that’s the extent of any real-world influence in my work.

10. What are you working on next?

I just finished my first middle grade novel, and I absolutely love it. It’s a queer fantasy full of songs, danger, and a biting water pixie!

Sarah Glenn Marsh has been an avid fantasy reader from the day her dad handed her a copy of The Hobbit and promised it would change her life; she's been making up words and worlds ever since. When she's not writing, Sarah enjoys painting, ghost hunting, traveling, and all things nerdy. She lives in Richmond, Virginia, with her husband and their menagerie: four rescued sighthounds, a bird, and many fish. She is the author of Fear the Drowning Deep and Reign of the Fallen

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