Blog Tour: The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden

The Girl in the Tower
Author: Katherine Arden
Series: The Bear in the Nightingale #2
Genre: Fantasy, Historical, Fairytales
Release Date: January 25th 2018
Book Length: 384

Publisher: Ebury

For a young woman in medieval Russia, the choices are stark: marriage or a life in a convent. Vasya will choose a third way: magic...

The court of the Grand Prince of Moscow is plagued by power struggles and rumours of unrest. Meanwhile bandits roam the countryside, burning the villages and kidnapping its daughters. Setting out to defeat the raiders, the Prince and his trusted companion come across a young man riding a magnificent horse.

Only Sasha, a priest with a warrior's training, recognises this 'boy' as his younger sister, thought to be dead or a witch by her village. But when Vasya proves herself in battle, riding with remarkable skill and inexplicable power, Sasha realises he must keep her secret as she may be the only way to save the city from threats both human and fantastical...

Goodreads / Amazon UK / Amazon US / YA Books Central

Blog Tour: The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli

The Last Namsara
Author: Kristen Ciccarelli
Series: Iskari #1
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Release Date: October 12th 2017
Book Length: 304

Publisher: Gollancz

In the beginning, there was the Namsara: the child of sky and spirit, who carried love and laughter wherever he went. But where there is light, there must be dark—and so there was also the Iskari. The child of blood and moonlight. The destroyer. The death bringer.

These are the legends that Asha, daughter of the king of Firgaard, has grown up hearing in hushed whispers, drawn to the forbidden figures of the past. But it isn’t until she becomes the fiercest, most feared dragon slayer in the land that she takes on the role of the next Iskari—a lonely destiny that leaves her feeling more like a weapon than a girl.

Asha conquers each dragon and brings its head to the king, but no kill can free her from the shackles that await at home: her betrothal to the cruel commandant, a man who holds the truth about her nature in his palm. When she’s offered the chance to gain her freedom in exchange for the life of the most powerful dragon in Firgaard, she finds that there may be more truth to the ancient stories than she ever could have expected. With the help of a secret friend—a slave boy from her betrothed’s household—Asha must shed the layers of her Iskari bondage and open her heart to love, light, and a truth that has been kept from her.

Goodreads / Amazon UK / Amazon US / YA Books Central

Waiting on Wednesday: Immortal Reign by Morgan Rhodes

Immortal Reign
Author: Morgan Rhodes
Series: Falling Kingdoms #6
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Release Date: February 6th 2018
Book Length: 400

Publisher: Razorbill

As two lethal elemental gods set out to destroy Mytica, sworn enemies must become allies in the final fight to save the kingdoms.

Jonas continues to willfully defy his destiny, but the consequences of plotting his own course are drastic. As the fight for Mytica rages on, he must decide just how much more he's willing to sacrifice.

Lucia knows there's something special about her daughter and she'll do anything to protect her, even if that means facing Kyan alone.

Amara is called back home to Kraeshia. Grandma Cortas has her own plans for Mytica's future. She promises Amara power, revenge, and dominance if she agrees to be part of her scheme.

Magnus and Cleo's love will be put to the ultimate test. Dark magic is causing widespread destruction throughout the kingdom. Enemies across the sea are advancing. And unrest is stirring throughout the land. Is their love strong enough to withstand the outside forces tearing them apart?

Goodreads / Amazon UK / Amazon US  

Top Ten Tuesday: Autumn Covers

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Review: Reap the Shadows by Annette Marie

Reap the Shadows
Author: Annette Marie
Series: Steel & Stones #4
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Romance
Release Date: October 16th 2015
Book Length: 304

Publisher: Dark Owl Fantasy Inc.

Piper is feeling a bit overwhelmed. With Seiya and Lyre missing, Ash recovering from near fatal injuries, and the Gaians picking fights with daemons all over the city, a girl can’t help but think she might be in over her head. And this time, she’s on her own.

Before she even has a chance to investigate the Gaians’ new stockpile of mysterious, high-tech weaponry, an old enemy ambushes her: Samael’s henchman Raum. He wants Ash’s help and won’t take “get lost” for an answer. She doesn’t know if she can trust Raum, but even more than that, she can’t trust herself with Ash. Sooner or later he’ll catch up to her, and she fears she won’t be able to walk away from him a second time.

Despite her feelings, it will take their combined strength to face a frightening discovery about the Gaians. She and Ash begin to realize that the daemon war is coming to Earth, and they might be the only ones who can stop it — if it’s not already too late.

Goodreads / Amazon UK / Amazon US / YA Books Central

Waiting on Wednesday: Renegades by Marissa Meyer

Renegades
Author: Marissa Meyer
Series: Renegades #1
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Release Date: November 7th 2017
Book Length: 576

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

From #1 New York Times-bestselling author Marissa Meyer, comes a high-stakes world of adventure, passion, danger, and betrayal.

Secret Identities. Extraordinary Powers. She wants vengeance. He wants justice.

The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies—humans with extraordinary abilities—who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone...except the villains they once overthrew.

Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice—and in Nova. But Nova's allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both.

Goodreads / Amazon UK / Amazon US  

ARC Review: The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden

The Girl in the Tower
Author: Katherine Arden
Series: The Bear in the Nightingale #2
Genre: Fantasy, Historical, Fairytales
Release Date: January 25th 2018
Book Length: 384

Publisher: Ebury

For a young woman in medieval Russia, the choices are stark: marriage or a life in a convent. Vasya will choose a third way: magic...

The court of the Grand Prince of Moscow is plagued by power struggles and rumours of unrest. Meanwhile bandits roam the countryside, burning the villages and kidnapping its daughters. Setting out to defeat the raiders, the Prince and his trusted companion come across a young man riding a magnificent horse.

Only Sasha, a priest with a warrior's training, recognises this 'boy' as his younger sister, thought to be dead or a witch by her village. But when Vasya proves herself in battle, riding with remarkable skill and inexplicable power, Sasha realises he must keep her secret as she may be the only way to save the city from threats both human and fantastical...

Goodreads / Amazon UK / Amazon US / YA Books Central

Waiting on Wednesday: The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden

The Girl in the Tower

Author: Katherine Arden
Series: The Bear and the Nightingale #2
Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Fairytales
Release Date: January 25th 2018
Book Length: 384

Publisher: Del Rey

The magical adventure begun in The Bear and the Nightingale continues as brave Vasya, now a young woman, is forced to choose between marriage or life in a convent and instead flees her home—but soon finds herself called upon to help defend the city of Moscow when it comes under siege.

Orphaned and cast out as a witch by her village, Vasya’s options are few: resign herself to life in a convent, or allow her older sister to make her a match with a Moscovite prince. Both doom her to life in a tower, cut off from the vast world she longs to explore. So instead she chooses adventure, disguising herself as a boy and riding her horse into the woods. When a battle with some bandits who have been terrorizing the countryside earns her the admiration of the Grand Prince of Moscow, she must carefully guard the secret of her gender to remain in his good graces—even as she realizes his kingdom is under threat from mysterious forces only she will be able to stop.

Goodreads / Amazon UK / Amazon US  

Top Ten Tuesday: Not So Hidden Gems

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's Top Ten Tuesday was 'Hidden Gems' but I recently wrote a post on Underrated YA Book/Series so I didn't want to repeat or have a pretty similar post. So I decided to write mine on Not So Hidden Gems, which is basically me just writing about the books I've read recently!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I read in School

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's Top Ten Tuesday was a 'Back to School Freebie' so I decided to post the books/series that I was reading at school. This was such a fun post to write, I got all nostalgic remembering how fun it was reading them for the first time!

Cover Reveal: The Night Realm by Annette Marie

  

The Night Realm
Author: Annette Maire
Series: Spell Weaver #1
Genre: Adult, Urban Fantasy
Release Date: October 20th 2017

Publisher: Dark Owl Fantasy Inc

Clio would love nothing more than to go home. But as the illegitimate daughter of the nymph king, she's stuck in the human world, exiled until she can earn a place in the royal family. Then her half-bother offers her a chance to prove herself. All she has to do is acquire some magic … by stealing it from the most dangerous spell weavers in the Underworld.

Lyre prefers to go unnoticed, which is a tricky objective for an incubus. He can’t hide his looks or his coveted spell weaving skills, but he's learned to mask his true intentions. As an unwilling pawn of the tyrannical Hades family, he stays alive by keeping one step ahead of his masters.

Now he's been assigned to watch over a visitor from the Overworld—one who's definitely hiding something. And with her unholy talent for triggering chaos and catastrophe, his job just keeps getting more perilous. Clearly, she'll never survive this world.

The thing is, he's no longer sure he can survive it either.

Spell Weaver is a standalone trilogy that takes place a few years before the start of the Steel & Stone series.

Goodreads 

Author Bio:
Annette Marie is the author of the Amazon best-selling Steel & Stone series, which includes Goodreads Choice Award nominee Yield the Night, and fantasy trilogy Red Winter. Her first love is fantasy, but fast- paced urban fantasy and tantalizing forbidden romances are her guilty pleasures. She lives in the frozen winter wasteland of Alberta, Canada (okay, it's not quite that bad) with her comparatively sensible husband and their furry minion of darkness—sorry, cat—Caesar. When not writing, she can be found elbow-deep in one art project or another while blissfully ignoring all adult responsibilities.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Amazon

I am soo excited for this book it's unreal. I'm already a huge Annette Marie fan and I'm so excited Lyre is finally getting his own book. Bring on October 20th!

ARC Review: The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty

The City of Brass
Author: S. A. Chakraborty
Series: The Daevabad Trilogy #1
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Historical
Release Date: March 8th 2018
Book Length: 525

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Step into The City of Brass, the spellbinding debut from S. A. Chakraborty—an imaginative alchemy of The Golem and the Jinni, The Grace of Kings, and One Thousand and One Nights, in which the future of a magical Middle Eastern kingdom rests in the hands of a clever and defiant young con artist with miraculous healing gifts

Nahri has never believed in magic. Certainly, she has power; on the streets of 18th century Cairo, she’s a con woman of unsurpassed talent. But she knows better than anyone that the trade she uses to get by—palm readings, zars, healings—are all tricks, sleights of hand, learned skills; a means to the delightful end of swindling Ottoman nobles.

But when Nahri accidentally summons an equally sly, darkly mysterious djinn warrior to her side during one of her cons, she’s forced to accept that the magical world she thought only existed in childhood stories is real. For the warrior tells her a new tale: across hot, windswept sands teeming with creatures of fire, and rivers where the mythical marid sleep; past ruins of once-magnificent human metropolises, and mountains where the circling hawks are not what they seem, lies Daevabad, the legendary city of brass? A city to which Nahri is irrevocably bound.

In that city, behind gilded brass walls laced with enchantments, behind the six gates of the six djinn tribes, old resentments are simmering. And when Nahri decides to enter this world, she learns that true power is fierce and brutal. That magic cannot shield her from the dangerous web of court politics. That even the cleverest of schemes can have deadly consequences.

After all, there is a reason they say be careful what you wish for . . .

Goodreads / Amazon UK / Amazon US / YA Books Central

Waiting on Wednesday: A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir

A Reaper at the Gates
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Series: An Ember in the Ashes #3
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Release Date: April 10th 2018
Book Length: 464

Publisher: Razorbill

Beyond the Empire and within it, the threat of war looms ever larger. The Blood Shrike, Helene Aquilla, is assailed on all sides. Emperor Marcus, haunted by his past, grows increasingly unstable, while the Commandant capitalizes on his madness to bolster her own power. As Helene searches for a way to hold back the approaching darkness, her sister’s life and the lives of all those in the Empire hang in the balance.

Far to the east, Laia of Serra knows the fate of the world lies not in the machinations of the Martial court, but in stopping the Nightbringer. But while hunting for a way to bring him down, Laia faces unexpected threats from those she hoped would aid her, and is drawn into a battle she never thought she’d have to fight.

And in the land between the living and the dead, Elias Veturius has given up his freedom to serve as Soul Catcher. But in doing so, he has vowed himself to an ancient power that will stop at nothing to ensure Elias’s devotion—even at the cost of his humanity.

Goodreads 

Top Ten Tuesday ~ Top Ten Underrated YA Books/Series

Top Ten Tuesday ~ Underrated YA Books/Series

Hello!

So I've never taken part in Top Ten Tuesday before but I thought why not? I'm trying to get back into blogging and one of my main reasons for taking breaks is the pressure of posts and content/per week. 

It's impossible to have reviews posted every couple of days if I'm not actually reading anything, so I'm going to take part of Top Ten Tuesday and Waiting on Wednesday, plus what better week to start than by choosing my own subject!! *prepares for fangirling*

Review: A Promise of Fire by Amanda Bouchet

A Promise of Fire
Author: Amanda Bouchet
Series: The Kingmaker Chronicles #1
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Mythology, Romance
Release Date: August 2016
Book Length: 441

Publisher: Piaktus

Catalia "Cat" Fisa is a powerful clairvoyant known as the Kingmaker. This smart-mouthed soothsayer has no interest in her powers and would much rather fly under the radar, far from the clutches of her homicidal mother. But when an ambitious warlord captures her, she may not have a choice…

Griffin is intent on bringing peace to his newly conquered realm in the magic-deprived south. When he discovers Cat is the Kingmaker, he abducts her. But Cat will do everything in her power to avoid her dangerous destiny and battle her captor at every turn. Although up for the battle, Griffin would prefer for Cat to help his people willingly, and he's ready to do whatever it takes to coax her…even if that means falling in love with her.

Goodreads / Amazon UK / Amazon US

ARC Review: Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Strange the Dreamer
Author: Laini Taylor
Series: Strange the Dreamer #1
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Release Date: March 28th 2017
Book Length: 432

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around— and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he's been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance to lose his dream forever.

What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?

The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries—including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo's dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? and if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?

In this sweeping and breathtaking new novel by National Book Award finalist Laini Taylor, author of the New York Times bestselling Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy, the shadow of the past is as real as the ghosts who haunt the citadel of murdered gods. Fall into a mythical world of dread and wonder, moths and nightmares, love and carnage.

Welcome to Weep.

Goodreads / Amazon UK / Amazon US / YA Books Central

Blog Tour: The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye

The Crown's Game Blog Tour

Hey guys!

Welcome to the my stop on the The Crown's Game blog tour.

I'm so excited to be apart of the tour as I fell in love with this book so much and I can't wait for everyone to read it. So I'll be doing a quick 10 reasons why and a big gushy review filled with all the reasons you should read this book!

The Crown's Game

Author: Evelyn Skye

Series: The Crown's Game #1

Genre: YA, Fantasy

Release Date: June 30th 2016

Book Length: 399

Publisher: HarperCollins

Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the Tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.

And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the Tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.

Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter—even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has?

For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown’s Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with—beautiful, whip smart, imaginative—and he can’t stop thinking about her.

And when Pasha, Nikolai’s best friend and heir to the throne, also starts to fall for the mysterious enchantress, Nikolai must defeat the girl they both love... or be killed himself.

As long-buried secrets emerge, threatening the future of the empire, it becomes dangerously clear... the Crown’s Game is not one to lose.

Goodreads / Amazon UK / Amazon US / Barnes & Noble

Cover Reveal: EMPIRE OF STORMS by Sarah J. Maas

EMPIRE OF STORMS

This is literally THE book I am waiting for.
More Sarah J. Maas?
More badass women?
More Aelin?
More The Thirteen?
More Sassy Aedion?
and let's not forget my boyfriend ROWAN WHITETHORN?
Yes please!!

The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those don't.

As the kingdoms of Erilea fracture around her, enemies must become allies if Aelin is to keep those she loves from falling to the dark forces poised to claim her world. With war looming on all horizons, the only chance for salvation lies in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.

Aelin's journey from assassin to queen has entranced millions across the globe, and this fifth installment will leave fans breathless. Will Aelin succeed in keeping her world from splintering, or will it all come crashing down?

Oh did I mention that EoS is going to be 704 pages?
AHHHHHHHH! *fangirls*

I don't have the words to express how much I want and need this book. I am so ridiculously excited but I am sure it will be worth the wait! And after ACOMAF I am so ready because my god, Sarah's books just keep getting better and better. I'll have my review of ACOMAF up soon.... well as soon as I can come up with something to write than isn't read it read it read it!

So, what do you guys think of the cover?

It's released September 6th 2016, so get this on your TBR shelves now..
Empire of Storms - Goodreads

Blog Tour: Soldier by Julie Kagawa (Q&A with Julie and Review; Spoiler - You need this book!)

Soldier Blog Tour

Hey guys!

Welcome to the last stop and I might add the best stop of the Soldier blog tour ;)

Not only do I have a pretty gushy review about all the reasons Soldier is the best book of the series and why you guys NEED to read it, but I also have an interview with the wonderful Julie Kagawa!! I don't quite believe it myself, Julie has been a favourite author of mine since forever so this is a pretty big deal for me, my inner fangirl has been banshee screaming and it's all thanks to the incredible Lorraine, thank you thank you thank you <3.

Soldier
Author: Julie Kagawa
Series: Talon #3
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Release Date: April 26th 2016
Book Length: 416

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

A fighter dedicated to saving humankind from dragons in strictest secrecy.

That was what Garret Xavier Sebastian thought he was part of as a soldier of the Order of St. George. What he learned from a fiery dragon hatchling twisted all he believed in and set him on a collision course with certain death-but not without a chance to put things right.

Betrayed and on the run again, Ember and rogue dragon Riley discover an unthinkable truth about Talon and St. George. They'll need Garret's skills and insider knowledge of the Order to negotiate an impossible deal-and if they fail, there will be no way to stop all-out war.

Goodreads / Amazon UK / Amazon US / Barnes & Noble

Review: The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski

The Winner's Kiss
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Series: The Winner's Trilogy #3
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance
Release Date: March 24th 2016
Book Length: 484

Publisher: Bloomsbury, thank you so much for my copy <3

War has begun. Arin is in the thick of it with untrustworthy new allies and the empire as his enemy. Though he has convinced himself that he no longer loves Kestrel, Arin hasn’t forgotten her, or how she became exactly the kind of person he has always despised. She cared more for the empire than she did for the lives of innocent people—and certainly more than she did for him.

At least, that’s what he thinks.

In the frozen north, Kestrel is a prisoner in a brutal work camp. As she searches desperately for a way to escape, she wishes Arin could know what she sacrificed for him. She wishes she could make the empire pay for what they’ve done to her.

But no one gets what they want just by wishing.

As the war intensifies, both Kestrel and Arin discover that the world is changing. The East is pitted against the West, and they are caught in between. With so much to lose, can anybody really win?

Goodreads / Amazon UK / Amazon US / Barnes & Noble