Blog Tour: The King(A Wicked Novella), written by Jennifer L. Armentrout | Review & Book Trailer

From #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout comes the next installment in her Wicked series.

Goodreads | Amazon US |  Amazon UK |  Amazon CA |  Amazon AU

As Caden and Brighton’s attraction grows despite the odds stacked against a happily ever after, they must work together to stop an Ancient fae from releasing the Queen, who wants nothing more than to see Caden become the evil Prince once feared by fae and mortals alike.

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

– My Thoughts –

The King picks up after the events of The Prince and is even more intense, sexier than the latter. Brighton is still adamant on taking revenge and Caden, who is the King now, is determined to protect her at all costs.

I loved watching Brighton grow from the original trilogy to this novella and she -kind of- reminded me of Katy from the lux series with her quite badassery. Brighton and Caden’s chemistry is somehow too hot to handle in this novella and you’ll see why when you read it. Though, I must say that this novella was darker than the first and I was so frustrated with Caden in the beginning; That man seriously needs to share his thoughts instead of bottling them up.

I seriously thought the ending would be an H-E-A but it ended in a cliffhanger again! and now, I have to wait another year for The Queen..

Overall, I would recommend this book if you loved the Wicked trilogy because Brighton(and Caden)’s story is a wonderful addition to the world that I’ll never get tired of reading.

About the Author:

Connect: Website |  Facebook |  Instagram |  Goodreads |  Twitter |  Bookbub

# 1 New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.   

– BOOK TRAILER –

    

The King by @JLArmentrout is here this Tuesday!

Coming 7.23.19: https://t.co/6a5woyxM7o#comingsoon #JLA #TheKing #1001darknights #novella #HEA #booklover #romancereads pic.twitter.com/TP5OshXw1N

— 1,001DarkNights/BlueBoxPress (@1001DarkNights) July 17, 2019

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Mini Reviews: Something like Gravity by Amber Smith, Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay

Hi everyone! Today, I thought to do a Mini-Review post of two diverse books which are completely different to each other in so many ways. I’ve participated in two readathons back-to-back and because of that, my TBR is 15/16 books lighter and my review pile that much heavier. With that said, let’s begin my mini-review of Something like Gravity by Amber Smith and Patrons Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay. Both are gifted by the author and the publisher(UK) respectively.

For fans of Love, Simon and Eleanor and Park, a romantic and sweet novel about a transgender boy who falls in love for the first time—and how first love changes us all—from New York Times bestselling author Amber Smith.
Goodreads | Book Depository | Wordery

Chris and Maia aren’t off to a great start.
A near-fatal car accident first brings them together, and their next encounters don’t fare much better. Chris’s good intentions backfire. Maia’s temper gets the best of her.

But they’re neighbors, at least for the summer, and despite their best efforts, they just can’t seem to stay away from each other.

The path forward isn’t easy. Chris has come out as transgender, but he’s still processing a frightening assault he survived the year before. Maia is grieving the loss of her older sister and trying to find her place in the world without her. Falling in love was the last thing on either of their minds.
But would it be so bad if it happened anyway?

–My Thoughts–

Something like Gravity can be described as a beautifully written YA contemporary. It’s about a transgender boy Chris who’s spending his summer months at his aunt’s place where he meets a girl named Maia. Both of them are haunted by their pasts and these summer months will change them forever. Chris’ backstory is one I found to be too traumatic and there’s no real closure to be soon which I really wanted to see. Maia’s character, however, had major development from living in her dead sister’s shadow with her divorced parents ignoring her to gaining closure and perhaps a semblance of her own identity. The author has such a way with words that I never felt bored throughout the book. The characters go from friends to lovers but their ending is left open-ended. I’d definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a light read but as I mentioned before, Chris’ backstory is triggering and I would advise that you proceed with caution.

Publication date: June 18, 2019

A powerful coming-of-age story about grief, guilt, and the risks a Filipino-American teenager takes to uncover the truth about his cousin’s murder.

Goodreads | Book Depository | Wordery

Jay Reguero plans to spend the last semester of his senior year playing video games before heading to the University of Michigan in the fall. But when he discovers that his Filipino cousin Jun was murdered as part of President Duterte’s war on drugs, and no one in the family wants to talk about what happened, Jay travels to the Philippines to find out the real story.

Hoping to uncover more about Jun and the events that led to his death, Jay is forced to reckon with the many sides of his cousin before he can face the whole horrible truth — and the part he played in it.

As gripping as it is lyrical, Patron Saints of Nothing is a page-turning portrayal of the struggle to reconcile faith, family, and immigrant identity.

–My Thoughts–

Patron of Saints is an own voices novel that I was very excited about and it delivered on its promise. Jay, a Filipino American high school senior, on hearing the news of his cousin’s death travels to Philippines alone. The author masterfully displays the contrast between a High School senior’s life in America and Philippines; for example, in one page we see Jay’s friend smoking weed without any fear but on the other hand, Jay finds that the situation is reversed in the Phillippines..he sees that if he’s seen smoking weed, he could be killed on site. After arriving in the Phillippines, he finds that almost no one in his family is willing to talk about his cousin, it’s as if he never existed. At every moment, he views himself as an outsider despite being born in the Phillippines; at every turn, as he uncovers more secret, Jay realizes how naive and sheltered he has been all these years.

This is not a “happy” book, but rather an important one which I’ll highly recommend. Most of the news about this drug war is written by journalists who probably are not native and thus, we do not get a “clear” view of the situation. Randy Ribay, the author, through Jay’s perspective gives us a view of the situation as a foreigner and through him, we also learn of others’ thoughts who have been affected directly or indirectly.

In his author’s note, Ribay mentions a rough estimate of people who have killed because of the President declaring war on drugs. Imagine 20,000 people (could be more) who were someone’s son, or father or brother, who could have been rehabilitated, were not given a chance to exercise their choice between life and death. Although Jay got more than what he bargained for, he grew as a character and closer to his family which was beautiful to watch.

Publication date: June 27, 2019

Have you read either of these two books? If not, then will you be adding any of them to your TBR? I would love to know your thoughts in the comments below!

Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag | 2019 edition

We bookworms( like every other people) are always freaking out: about books we haven’t read, about books we read.. I can’t believe that half of 2019 has gone by..How? Anyhow, here I am with my first Mid Year Freak Out Tag, thanks to Nandini @ Unputdownable Books !!!

Click here to find the original Tag questions

1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2019
2. Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2019
3. New release you haven’t read yet, but want to
4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year
5. Biggest disappointment
6. Biggest surprise
7. Favorite new author (debut or new to you)
8. Newest fictional crush
9. Newest favorite character
10. Book that made you cry
11. Book that made you happy
12. Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)
13.What books do you need to read by the end of the year?
14. Favorite book community member

1. How many books have you read so far in 2019?

I’ve managed to read about 72 books according to Goodreads, which also tells me I’m 17 books ahead of schedule! I’ve set my goal to 100 books but I think I’ll pass that goal soon enough. I don’t always update my reading progress on Goodreads so I’ve already missed adding a couple of books. I’ve participated in two readathons so far and that’s exactly why I managed to read more than I usually would’ve.

2. Which is the best book you’ve read so far in 2019?

              

This is a difficult question as I’ve got many books in mind: Where The Crawdads Sing, A Curse so Dark and Lonely, Serpent & Dove and The Kingdom, The Merciful Crow and The Storm Crow

3. Which is the best sequel you’ve read so far in 2019?

Soul of the Sword is the best sequel I’ve read so far this year. Also, I want to mention The Winter of the Witch -which is a sequel of sorts(I guess- which I LOVED so much and bawled because I realized that the Winternight trilogy is over.

4. Which new release you haven’t read yet, but want to?

As a newly minted Brigid Kemmerer fan, I want to read more of her books and this newly released YA contemporary sounds like something I’d tremendously enjoy 😀

5. Which is your most anticipated release for the second half of the year?

    

I’ve written a separate post about some of my most anticipated books of the second half of 2019 and they’re listed here

6. Which book has been the biggest disappointment so far in 2019?

*Sighs* I’ve dnf’d many books, gave some one stars, but what hurts is giving one star to a book I genuinely thought I’d love because it was by one of my favourite authors. Also, included in this list would be The Beholder.

7. Which book has been the biggest surprise so far in 2019?

Emily Eternal by M.G. Wheaton is one of the best books I’ve read this year. It surprised me because I don’t usually find sci-fi books enjoyable but I HIGHLY recommend you read this one! It’s about Emily who’s an Artifical Consciousness( not an A.I.), designed to save humanity from extinction.

8. Who is your new favourite author (debut or new to you)?

Beth O’Leary, author of The Flatshare, is my new favourite author. There’s also Danielle Jensen, who wrote Dark Shores, Delia Owen of Where the Crawdads Sing, Brigid Kemmerer and Joan He (Descendant of the Crane)

9. Who is your newest favorite character(and literary crush)?

Harper and Mia from A Curse so Dark and Lonely and Where the Crawdads Sing respectively! One of my favourite literary crushes is Reid Diggory from Serpent and Dove 😍😍

10. Which book made you cry so far in 2019?

Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

11. Which book made you happy so far in 2019?

There are many books that made me laugh- sometimes so violently that everyone would stare at me- but I can only remember Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett which brought a smile to my face at almost every chapter.

12. Which is the most beautiful book you’ve bought so far in 2019 (or received)?

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson is one of the beautiful books I’ve received this year. Enchantment of Ravens by the author had a gorgeous cover too! I also received The Storm Crow, Beasts of the Frozen Sun and The Girl the Sea Gave back, all of which had gorgeous covers.

14. What books you you need to read by the end of the year?

                                           

Along with some other books in my ever-increasing TBR pile, I need to finish reading these two which I’ve been putting off for two long.

I tag:

Anyone who’s reading this and hasn’t done this tag yet!

How many of the books in this post have you read or want to read? Any other books I should add to my TBR pile of 2019? If you’ve wrote a Mid-year Freak Out post, then feel free to drop your links in the comments below!!

Blog Tour: Sea Witch Rising( Sea Witch #2), written by Sarah Henning

Sea Witch Rising(Sea Witch #2) by Sarah Henning

Publication date: August 6, 2019  Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 416
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Buy:
Book Depository | Wordery | Amazon

Synopsis:

“The Little Mermaid” takes a twisted turn in this thrilling sequel to villainess origin story Sea Witch, as the forces of land and sea clash in an epic battle for freedom, redemption, and true love.
Runa will not let her twin sister die. Alia traded her voice to the Sea Witch for a shot at happiness with a prince who doesn’t love her. And his rejection will literally kill her—unless Runa intervenes.

Under the sea, Evie craves her own freedom—but liberation from her role as Sea Witch will require an exchange she may not be willing to make. With their hearts’ desires at odds, what will Runa and Evie be willing to sacrifice to save their worlds?

Told from alternating perspectives, this epic fairy tale retelling is a romantic and heart-wrenching story about the complications of sisterhood, the uncompromising nature of magic, and the cost of redemption.

Should You read Sea Witch Rising?

Sea Witch Rising is the sequel to Sea Witch by Sarah Henning, which tells the story of Ursula or the sea witch(from Little Mermaid). I loved Evie, the protagonist of Sea Witch and when her story came to an end, I was heartbroken but satisfied with the story. When the sequel to Sea Witch was announced, I was curious and this is what I thought.

In this sequel, we look beyond the story of the Sea Witch; we are introduced to a new protagonist, a mermaid named Runa and her father, the Sea King and other characters from the sea and the land. There is more action in this book than its predecessor and we get a better glimpse of Evie life after being bound to her lair as a sea witch. Set against the backdrop of the second world war(I assume), there are higher stakes at play as both Runa and Evie try to save people both above and below land.

Overall, I would recommend this book to you if you read and liked Sea Witch.

About the Author:

Sarah Henning is a recovering journalist who has worked for the Palm Beach Post, Kansas City Star and Associated Press, among others. While in South Florida, Sarah lived and worked through five hurricanes, which gave her an extreme respect for the ocean. When not writing, she runs ultramarathons, hits the playground with her two kids and hangs out with her husband Justin, who doubles as her longsuffering IT department. Sarah lives in Lawrence, Kansas, which, despite being extremely far from the beach, happens to be pretty cool.

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram

Tour-wide Giveaway:

Click the button below to win two books! Open until 30th July 2019.

Win a SEA WITCH set: 1 copy of Sea Witch + 1 copy of Sea Witch Rising by Sarah Henning (US Only)

Tour Schedule:

July 16th

The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club – Welcome Post

July 17th

NovelKnight – Interview
The Reading Corner for All – Review + Favourite Quotes + Dream Cast
Jrsbookreviews – Review
Adventures Thru Wonderland – Review

July 18th

Luchia Houghton Blog – Review + Favourite Quotes
The Reading Chemist – Review + Favourite Quotes
A Dream Within A Dream – Review
L.M. Durand – Review + Favourite Quotes

July 19th

Moonlight Rendezvous – Review + Favourite Quotes
Library of a Book Witch – Review
Utopia State of Mind – Review + Favourite Quotes
Dazzled by Books – Review + Playlist

July 20th

Confessions of a YA Reader – Guest Post
Here’s to Happy Endings – Review
The Book Nut – Review + Playlist
Morgan Vega – Review + Favourite Quotes + Playlist

July 21st

Kait Plus Books – Interview
Frayed Books – Review
Bookish_Kali – Review + Favourite Quotes
Bookishly Nerdy – Review + Favourite Quotes

July 22nd

The Reading Life – Guest Post
Amy’s Booket List – Review
The Desert Bibliophile – Review
Book Rambler – Review

Bookstagram & Creative Blog Tour: Spin the Dawn, written by Elizabeth Lim

Hi everyone! Today I’m excited to participate in the bookstagram & creative blog tour for SPIN THE DAWN by Elizabeth Lim hosted by MTMC Tours & PRH International!

Project Runway meets Mulan, this Silk Road-inspired fantasy is about a tailor who must sew 3 dresses of the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars to save her kingdom! This is the first installment in The Blood of Stars duology released on July 9th, 2019 from Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers. Check below my tour stop and make sure to visit all the bookstagram & creative stops for a chance to win an international edition of this book + swag!

About the book:

• Title: Spin the Dawn
• Series: The Blood of Stars #1
• Author: Elizabeth Lim
• Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
• Publishing Date: July 9th, 2019
• ISBN: 9780593118443
• Genres: YA Fantasy

Buy: PRH International | Amazon | Book Depository | Wordery

Synopsis:

Project Runway meets Mulan in this sweeping YA fantasy about a young girl who poses as a boy to compete for the role of imperial tailor and embarks on an impossible journey to sew three magic dresses, from the sun, the moon, and the stars.

Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia poses as a boy and takes his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she’ll take that risk to achieve her dream and save her family from ruin. There’s just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors vying for the job.

Backstabbing and lies run rampant as the tailors compete in challenges to prove their artistry and skill. Maia’s task is further complicated when she draws the attention of the court magician, Edan, whose piercing eyes seem to see straight through her disguise.

And nothing could have prepared her for the final challenge: to sew three magic gowns for the emperor’s reluctant bride-to-be, from the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of stars. With this impossible task before her, she embarks on a journey to the far reaches of the kingdom, seeking the sun, the moon, and the stars, and finding more than she ever could have imagined.

Steeped in Chinese culture, sizzling with forbidden romance, and shimmering with magic, this young adult fantasy is pitch-perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas or Renée Ahdieh.

Should You read Spin the Dawn?

Spin the Dawn is about a girl Maia who dreams of becoming an Imperial tailor but cannot because of her gender. Eventually, she has no choice but to take her father’s place when a royal messenger summons her father for the position of the imperial tailor. Maia hatches a plan to go in the disguise of her brother. Reaching the palace, Maia finds out that she wasn’t told the entire story, that she had to complete with other tailors for the coveted position and that the emperor’s bride-to-be will choose the winner. Day after day, Maia has to maintain her disguise; evade backstabbing tailors, dangerous court games and the attention of the Lord Enchanter Edan.

As the competition reaches its end, Maia wins but it comes at too much of a high price. As the Imperial Tailor, Maia’s first task is to make three gowns for emperor’s reluctant bride-to-be and they must be made from the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of stars. Will Maia succeed in this impossible task or will she die like all others before her?

This was really a mashup of Project Runway and Mulan; well, if Project Runway included contestants physically harming each other and Mulan was a tailor and…nope, not saying anything else. A very familiar fantasy trope was at play in this book : If you’re female, you’re doomed and you’ve got to “prove” yourself. Maia grew up with a thread in one hand and a needle in other; it would be sacrilege if she couldn’t become a master tailor. However, circumstances were pointing towards Maia to either marry or spend her life alone. The rules in A’landi are particularly harsh if someone finds out a woman is masquerading as a man.

“My whole life, I’d been told what I couldn’t do because I was a girl. Well, this was my chance to find out. The only thing I could do was take it.”

There is also a mention of a war at the beginning between the Emperor of A’landi and his Shansen(warlord) but not much is clear as to why it happened but magic was involved, that much is clear. Magic plays an important role throughout the story and although I can’t tell you why but it is pretty cool. The world-building is beautiful but not complete( I guess it’s because this is book one) and the journey to gather the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon and the blood of the stars was the most enjoyable portion of the story for me!

I also want to talk about Edan who I immediately likened with the Darkling in the beginning but he was anything but. Edan or the Lord Enchanter(as everyone calls him) was the living-breathing example of everything Maia shouldn’t trust but boy, she was so wrong. Edan is smart, funny and loyal. He doesn’t everything in his power to help Maia even though it comes at a price.

Overall, I recommend it to you if you love fantasy, retellings with a twist, adventure, a fierce and loyal heroine who’d do anything to protect her loved ones, unlikely romance, and magic.

Thanks to the MTMC Tours and PRH for including me on the blog tour!

About the Author:

Elizabeth Lim grew up on a hearty staple of fairy tales, myths, and songs. Her passion for storytelling began around age 10, when she started writing fanfics for Sailor Moon, Sweet Valley, and Star Wars, and posted them online to discover, “Wow, people actually read my stuff. And that’s kinda cool!” But after one of her teachers told her she had “too much voice” in her essays, Elizabeth took a break from creative writing to focus on not flunking English.

Over the years, Elizabeth became a film and video game composer, and even went so far as to get a doctorate in music composition. But she always missed writing, and turned to penning stories when she needed a breather from grad school. One day, she decided to write and finish a novel — for kicks, at first, then things became serious — and she hasn’t looked back since.

Elizabeth loves classic film scores, books with a good romance, food (she currently has a soft spot for arepas and Ethiopian food), the color turquoise, overcast skies, English muffins, cycling, and baking. She lives in New York City with her husband.

Website | Goodreads | Instagram | Twitter

International Tour-wide Giveaway:

Head over to my Instagram account for a chance to win an international edition of Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim + swag! And don’t forget to check all the accounts/blogs participating for extra entries!!!

Enter to win the International edition of Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim + awesome swag!! (Ends July 30th at 11:59pm EST)

Tour Schedule:

July 15
@thereaderandthechef – Bookstagram + Blog

July 16
@Bookslovereaders – Bookstagram

July 17
@paperfury – Bookstagram + Blog

July 18
@erhibiscus – Bookstagram

July 19
@book_rambler – Bookstagram + Blog

July 20
@annreads – Bookstagram

July 21
@linathebookaddict – Bookstagram + Blog

July 22
@womanon – Bookstagram

July 23
@paperbacksandpen – Bookstagram + Blog

July 24
@giota_the_reader – Bookstagram

July 25
@Shaked_reads – Bookstagram + Blog

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