Crooked Kingdom: Blog Tour Stop + Giveaway

Crooked Kingdom: Blog Tour Stop + Giveaway

Today, I’m delighted to be hosting the final blog tour stop for Crooked Kingdom, the feverishly anticipated sequel to last year’s stunning Six of Crows. Leigh Bardugo is here to tell us how Kaz Brekker came to be, and then I’ll be telling you why I think he’s fantastic. We’re also giving away an amazing prize pack at the end, so stick around! Leigh Bardugo on Kaz Brekker’s Origin “When I first conceived of a character known as Dirtyhands, I thought I might put him in a folktale—this guy who would travel from town to town, doing terrible deeds and messing with dark magic for a price. He’d be a legend, but also reviled for what he was willing to do. I never wrote that story, but the character stuck with me, and eventually he became Kaz Brekker, the Bastard of the Barrel, the boy you never want to owe… Read more »

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Disruption: Review

Disruption: Review

  Finding gems in YA dystopian fiction is something that has sadly proven to be few and far between for me in discovery. But I am very happy to say that with Disruption I found the action-packed, tightly plotted, and well characterized sci-fi escape I’ve been yearning for. Add in a very swoon-worthy romance and the package is sealed. Disruption immediately envelops the reader in the near-future world of our main character, and anti-heroine, Maggie. Near-future DC is much like the present, and then much is not. Most notably, all citizens are fitted with a mandatory M-Band which is like a super advanced version of an Apple Watch. M-Bands have the capability to detect any person’s (in)compatibility  with any other via their pheromones. You may turn off your pheromone matching system if you prefer. However, it is also required that everyone over the age of 18 must rate with at… Read more »

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Miss Peregrine Movie Screening + Tim Burton Handprint Ceremony Recap

Miss Peregrine Movie Screening + Tim Burton Handprint Ceremony Recap

Last week, I was invited to a really fun event: a screening of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children + Tim Burton’s Handprint Ceremony! I was really excited to see the film after seeing the fantastic trailer, especially since I am excessively fond of Eva Green. I haven’t read the books yet, but I can’t imagine anyone more perfect to play Miss Peregrine. Even though I worked in movie publicity for a long time, I’d never been to a handprint ceremony before, so I was also interested to see what that would be like. (I always think of that old I Love Lucy episode with John Wayne, heh.) Mr. Darling and I got there early and were put into a press pen while we waited for everything to begin. There were a ton of journalists there, as well as a pretty big crowd of tourists. That’s typical for Hollywood and… Read more »

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Dreaming Death: Review

Dreaming Death: Review

Dreaming Death is the first in a new adult fantasy series full of murder, mystery, and magic. The story is told through several POV characters, but the narrative mostly revolves around Mikael, a broadcaster, and Shironne, a touch-sensitive. The story-world is rich, and this is definitely the sort of fantasy novel in which a large portion of the novel (especially at the beginning) is spent on explaining the world, its rules, its magic, and how it all works together. I was immediately hooked by the creepy and heartbreaking first chapter in which we witness a murder through the terrified victim’s eyes. This is what Mikael sees when he dreams a death. These dreams come unbidden to him, and are obviously deeply unsettling as he perceives everything as though he himself is the victim. As a broadcaster, the dreams are then sent out to all nearby sensitives. When Mikael dreams, many suffer. Shironne is the… Read more »

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Three Dark Crowns: Review

Three Dark Crowns: Review

This is the dark, twisted tale of three sisters fair destined to destroy each other. Or rather, only two need die. One will emerge victorious. On the island of Fennbirn, when the queen gives birth it is always to triplet girls. Each new queen is either a poisoner, a naturalist, or an elementalist. The queen identifies which queen is which and then abdicates. The new queens are raised together until the age of 6, when they are claimed by their different factions and trained in their powers. In the year of their 16th birthday, the Ascension year, the queens will each put their powers on public display and then proceed to attempt to murder each other. They have one year to accomplish their tasks. The last queen standing wins. Of the three sisters, we spend the most time with Arsinoe, the naturalist. The naturalists live in a seaside town that evokes a humble,… Read more »

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A Promise of Fire: Review

A Promise of Fire: Review

This is such a frustrating review to write. The story doesn’t have bad bones. The writing and plot are fine, and might well have been very enjoyable. There’s considerable action and adventure. But there were two major obstacles that prevented me from enjoying this (and they’re big ones). I couldn’t stand the main character, and I I did not at all care for the romance. Not liking the romance is going to be an instant downer in a book that is explicitly a fantasy romance. Cat is a young circus performer on the run from her abusive past. Cat makes her way in the world as a soothsayer, but her real “gift” is the ability to tell truth from lies. Anytime someone tells a lie in her presence Cat feels a searing pain. Considering the prevalence of lies in daily human interactions she spends the book in much less pain… Read more »

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Mini Reviews: Fantasy and Sci-Fi Round Up

Mini Reviews: Fantasy and Sci-Fi Round Up

Here we have three entries that show just how varied fantasy novels can be. There’s a historical, paranormal fantasy, a fantasy romantic comedy, and a graphic novel that is part steampunk, part epic fantasy. Let’s take a look!              Title: These Vicious Masks Author: Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars Release Date: February 9, 2016 Publisher: Swoon Reads Age Group: YA Source: Borrowed I’m so glad I read this absorbing paranormal historical story set in Victorian London. If you typically enjoy books placed in this setting, These Vicious Masks will not disappoint. There are all the usual trappings: young heroine who defies Society and its restrictive gender roles, a dashing gentleman (or two), and a paranormal mystery/quest driving its heart. Evelyn is our sassy, independent MC on a quest to save her gentle, kind-hearted sister from the hands of a devious mad scientist bent… Read more »

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