The Midnight Garden - YA for Adults

A Darker Shade of Magic: Tour Stop + Giveaway (international)

We have two fun things for you today–A Darker Shade of Magic prize pack and a quick visit from V.E. Schwab as part of the official blog tour! The book was just released this week and reviewed by Kim–I’m in the middle of the book myself and I can see why she lavished it with such glowing praise. In the book, which takes place in multiple parallel universe Londons, one character observes, “No London is truly without magic.” Kim’s question for our stop on the official blog tour: What are the most magical parts of London to you? V.E. Schwab: I grew up wanting the world to be stranger than it was, and because of that, I’m inclined to look for—and see—the potential for the magical, the fantastical, the extraordinary everywhere I look. In alleys and doorways and in the seams between places—and in the case of ADSOM, between worlds—anywhere… Read more »

Invaded: review

Welcome, fellow l’annabes. My name is Layla, and I will be your guide to the planet L’eihr (and the innermost workings of Cara Sweeney’s mind). To prepare for this journey, I want you to remember the following: Cara, our heroine, is fiery and passionate. You know this because she has red hair. Also, she is a woman. Aelyx, our hero, is logical and doesn’t totally get human emotions 100%. You know this because he is a man. (And an alien from a planet where they like … bred out human emotion because it is a weakness, do you hear me? A weakness! Don’t worry, they’re trying to fix it.) The L’eihr don’t believe in: feelings, compassion, humans not sucking. In this universe, it is totally realistic for one teenager to give up her life on Earth and decide to “build a life together” with her alien boyfriend on his alien… Read more »

Crimson Bound: Blog Tour Sign-Up

If you’re a lover of fairy tale retellings and gorgeus, atmospheric writing, the next tour we’re hosting may be right up your alley! We host a handful of tours each year for authors or books we love, and the first one for 2015 will be Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge. When the author asked if I’d consider doing this, I didn’t hesitate for a second, since I enjoyed the dark romance of Cruel Beauty so much. Tour Details Rosamund is putting together some terrific guest posts (including some flash fiction pieces!) that I’m pretty excited about. Our goal with these tours is always to help bring new audiences to an author’s work, but also to enhance the experience for existing fans, so you can be sure that these pieces are going to be memorable and special. We’re working on the specifics of the tour, but the basic details are as… Read more »

A Darker Shade of Magic: Review

Hello! Do you like humorously told fantasies, unique magic, complex heroes, heroic villains, parallel worlds, and London(s)? Of course you do. You are a person of quality and good taste. So, great news! This book has all of those things. I mean, honestly, it had me at “parallel Londons!” Each London is distinct and wondrous in its own way. I loved being able to follow the characters through to the different worlds. Even our own dreary, magic-less* Grey London is a joy to visit. Red London is vibrant, opulent, and full of life. White London is gorgeously dark, creepy, and dangerous. Atmospheric, beautifully detailed, and rich in the character of its worlds; Schwab writes in such a way that I felt like I could step off from the main story and wander around in her various Londons exploring for days. This is world building done right. And give me a… Read more »

Classic Readalong Discussion: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

Today’s readalong discussion is Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH! Are you ready to have your heart warmed by a valiant young mouse? To swoon over a dashing rat captain of the guard? (Yes, you read that correctly.) We all loved this month’s book, so let’s dive right in. As always, while we’re always hoping that our discussions will encourage new readers to pick up these books, we do discuss specific spoilers in each story. Wendy: I’m very fond of extraordinarily handsome rats. :D Layla: I first read this in junior high school (and still have my copy today, boo-yeah!). I remember avoiding Frisby for awhile because I was really into fantasy novels and thought the cover / title were unappealing. Boy howdy was I wrong. I loved this book as a kid and I still love it now; it has officially withstood the test of time for… Read more »

Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula: blog tour

If you’re a reader of this blog or follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you’re probably aware that I am pretty serious about my food. If I’m not chattering on about books, I’m bombarding you with cake photos, right? So I was delighted to be asked to participate in the blog tour for Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula, a new graphic novel about a princess of the underworld who gets more than she bargained for when she hires a new cook–who happens to be a vampire–for her father’s castle. I quite enjoyed the humorous tone of the story, which is aptly described as “gothy-cute sensibility” and a “very sweet and mildly spooky tale.” It’s a fun one to read with kids, who will enjoy the Princess’ dilemmas and the appealing artwork. This blog tour is especially fun because the author is sharing unique illustrations and recipes with each stop! Ours… Read more »

Red Queen: Review

I am sad to say that Red Queen is yet another bland and wholly unexceptional entry in YA fantasy. What starts out with potential is ultimately unable to fulfill the promise of its premise. Here you have the story of a common girl, Mare, a Red, who finds herself in a position to make an actual impact against the brutal oppression of the supernaturally powered Silvers, and yet the story is one long slog fest of tired trope after another. The writing is competent, yet far from stunning. But it was the convenience of the plot that first got my hackles raised. In the space of a single day Mare: is selected from obscurity to get a job serving in the castle after a chance run in with one of the princes (he is obviously instantly enamored of her) is sent out to serve the most important families in the… Read more »