A Book Addict's Bookshelves (Old)

Thursday, 5 February 2015

Book Blitz + Giveaway - Courtlight and Crown Service Series by Terah Edun

Courtlight and Crown Service by Terah Edun
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Descriptions:

The Courtlight Series

When peasant girl Ciardis is chosen for a position at court, she travels across the empire to begin a new life. To survive, she’ll need to master intrigue, befriend a crown prince, and learn to control magical abilities she never knew existed.

The Crown Service Series

As an unstoppable war breaks out between the mages of the Algardis Empire, young Sara Fairchild enlists in the empress’s army to find out exactly what everyone’s trying to hide. But there are secrets on both sides of the battle that will make her question everything…

Goodreads:

The Courtlight Series

The Crown Service Series

Purchase:

Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo

Excerpt from the Crown Service Series:

Might as well come out,” she said. “I know you’re here.”
Then the cloak fell. A man stood in front of her. Ezekiel stood in front of him with a sharp knife held at his throat. The man was gripping him tightly. Sara quickly spotted one other man with his back turned to the three of them about six rows back.
“Nice trick,” she said. She carefully took in the situation. She wondered if she was dealing with a mage, but she didn’t think so. Her battle instincts told her she was dealing with a normal man. Those instincts were almost never wrong. However, there was something magical about him. Narrowing her eyes, she realized it was the pendant around his neck. It was giving off an aura of old magic. She was impressed.
Haven’t seen one of those before, she thought.

AUTHOR BIO

Terah Edun's next YA Fantasy novel, BLADES OF MAGIC - Crown Service Book #1 (set in the Algardis Universe), will release on March 31, 2014. Book Five of Courtlight, SWORN TO DEFIANCE, will release in April 2014.

Her favorite writers include Mercedes Lackey, Tamora Pierce, Kristin Cashore, Robin Hobb and Maria Snyder.

Check out Terah's author website for more information about her books, find her online @TEdunWrites and subscribe to her newsletter to be notified of upcoming releases.

Author links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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Wednesday, 4 February 2015

Review - Under Different Stars by Amy A. Bartol

Title: Under Different Stars (Kricket, #1)

Author: Amy A. Bartol

Pages: 296

Publisher: 47North

Release date: 9th December 2014

Blurb from Goodreads:

Kricket Hollowell never wished upon stars. She was too busy hiding in plain sight, eluding Chicago’s foster care system. As her eighteenth birthday approaches, she now eagerly anticipates the day she’ll stop running and finally find her place in the world.

That day comes when she meets a young Etharian soldier named Trey Allairis, who has been charged with coming to Earth to find Kricket and transport her to her true home. As danger draws close, he must protect her until she can wield the powers she cannot use on Earth…and he soon realizes that counting a galaxy of stars would be easier than losing this extraordinary girl.

Kyon Ensin knows the powerful depths of Kricket’s gifts—gifts he’ll control when he takes her for his tribe and leads the forces that will claim Ethar and destroy his enemies, starting with Trey Allairis. Now, Kricket faces the most difficult choice of her life: whether to wage a battle for survival, or a fight for love.

Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US

My Review:

*I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to 47North and NetGalley*

2/5 stars

Kricket Hollowell is counting down the days until her eighteenth birthday when she won't have to hide from the foster care system anymore.

Everything changes when Kricket meets a man named Trey who claims to be from another world, Kricket's home, and that he's on a mission to take her back.

Kricket learns that she has a power that makes her very special and a tool that others want to wield.

Can Kricket trust Trey?

Will she be able to cope in this new world?

First of all, I love the cover. It's so beautiful.

Under Different Stars was an okay read.

I did like Kricket - she was smart, funny and likeable - but none of the secondary characters really stood out for me.

The plot was okay but I lost interest several times and I found some of the scenes too cheesy.

There were times when I thought Etharian slang words were used too much, especially at the beginning.

I would have liked to have seen more comparisons between Ethar and Earth.

Overall this was an okay read but I lost interest.

Blog Tour + Giveaway - The Last Order by Angela Marie Caldwell

Find the tour schedule here.

The Last Order by Angela MarieCaldwell

Release Date: 02/03/15

Rocket Circus Press

Summary from Goodreads:

Lana forms a secret order of women knights to fulfill her father’s final request: find the queen who was thought to be dead and return her to the throne.

Lana Crewe is a strong, fiercely driven seventeen year old living in a village ruled by fear. With their king and queen both dead, strife and division have taken hold. Ruthlessly attacked by an Order called Talons, Lana’s father is fatally stabbed. Before he dies, he imparts upon Lana a directive to save the statue of Saint Peter, and tells her that the queen yet lives. Now it is up to Lana to unravel the mystery of Saint Peter and bring an end to all of the war by finding the queen.

A medieval tale of hope and mystery, The Last Order is an action-packed story with one of the strongest female leads since Disney’s “Brave.” Not your average YA novel; The Last Order takes upper teenage angst and spins it on its head. You’ll be gripping this book as hard as it will be gripping you.

Add to Goodreads

Buy Links:

Amazon

Excerpt:

CHAPTER ONE

LANA RUBBED HER ARMS, still shivering under layers of clothing.

You should have worn your cloak, her father’s voice warned, mixing within her thoughts. After years of his lectures and training, he had become a part of her—one that she assumed would eventually go away, or at least quiet down a bit.

Under the short skirt layered over her leather pants, Lana retrieved her dagger from its custom pocket. Leaves rustled behind her and she spun around, ready for her opponent.

"One day, I will catch you off guard," Bowen said, twisting his

lips.

"You’re late," she teased.

"What’s the wager, Lana?" he asked, holding up his sparring

sword, ready to fight.

"You’ll mend my sword without payment."

"And if I win, you’ll run double errands," he answered. She swung her sword and lunged at him. "Deal."

Their swords sliced back and forth, making for an almost equal bout. Bowen stood taller than her by a few inches and weighed double. She glided around him with ease. He turned, whipping his blade around expertly. Sweat already beaded on his face. Lana’s heart pumped and her blood warmed. She jabbed her blade. Bowen swerved unsteadily, almost escaping her weapon, but her final swing landed perfectly along his ribcage. Bowen stumbled sideways and fell to the ground, his playful expression turning bitter.

Lana bowed her head. A smile began to creep along her face as she raised her eyes back up to meet his.

"Next time, I will finish you more quickly," she tried to joke, attempting to ease her conscience.

Bowen held his side and cringed. "You’ll do anything to win," he said.

Lana offered her hand, but he refused. "I’m done," Bowen said

as he stood up and walked away from her.

"Done? What?" Lana balked. "Bowen, wait." Lana dashed around in front of him and pushed her hand out against his chest. He stopped, seeming unsettled by her touch. His eyes turned sour and far from amused. "We’ve always been a team," she pressed him.

"I don’t have time to play knight with you anymore," he argued, but didn’t try to push past her.

"Oh, too good are you?" she teased again. Seeing no change, she got serious. "I suppose it’s your mother?"

"Who else is going to mend your sword and everyone else’s? Father’s ill. You know that."

She stared into his eyes, begging. "You’re the only one left who can still keep up. Who will train with me?"

"There’s more to life than fighting, Lana. You need a skill," he

said.

"I have a skill." Defending herself was an invaluable skill that few women possessed.

"One that matters, like… I don’t know." Bowen seemed to blush a bit.

She cut him off. "Cooking? Sewing? A skill more fit for a woman, so that your mother would approve of me?" His eyes agreed with her words and the realization sliced at Lana’s heart. She thought Bowen would stand by her, but he had stopped dreaming. She stepped out of his way.

What do you say now, Father? she thought. You won, but not over your anger. She kicked the ground and gritted her teeth. Walking away, she struggled to listen over her footsteps, wishing that Bowen would chase after her and beg her to forgive him for his lapse in judgment. Instead, stillness affirmed her fear. He had deserted her.

About the Author

Angela M Caldwell is an author, photographer, and digital filmmaker. She studied video production and photography at Radford Univeristy then relocated to Los Angeles for an adventure. After seven years of city life, she moved back to Virgina.

Angela loves a good story and she has a broad range of likes when it comes to reading. Give her characters that she can root for and take her on an adventure. Angela’s journey back to the written word is a story of its own with dyslexia keeping her from writing for years.

But, she is a storyteller at heart. Through the years, she enjoyed expressing her stories through a variety of forms: photography, painting, music, film-making, and writing.

She lives with her husband and 4 kids, who are her biggest fans. They have one dog, and two cats. Perhaps one day they will have a farm. And her dream of having a horse will be realized.

Author Links:

Website │ Goodreads│ Twitter │Facebook │ Tumblr

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Release Day Blitz - City in Embers by Stacey Marie Brown

Purchase on Amazon

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Zoey Daniels has been tossed from foster home to foster home, where she grows up fast and tough. When she is placed in her “last-chance” home, she finds a reason to stay and turn her life around: her foster sister, Lexie, who is paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair. Zoey will do anything to keep her safe.

After high school, Zoey is hired by a special government agency, the Department of Molecular Genetics (DMG), where she meets the other reason to remain: Daniel, her co-worker. The man she loves.

But there is something unique about Zoey. She can see fae. Because of this, the DMG hires her to work as a Collector: catching, researching, testing, and using the fae to save human lives. The work never registers on her sympathy radar. She was raised to think of fae as beasts that feed on humans and want to destroy them.

When devastation hits Seattle, Zoey's whole world is turned upside down. The electric storm connects her to a ruthless fae, a Wanderer named Ryker, whose dealings expose them to even more trouble and danger. They embark on a journey, running and hiding from both the government and fae, both of which threaten their lives and those they love.

About Stacey Marie Brown

Stacey Marie Brown is a lover of hot fictional bad boys and sarcastic heroines who kick butt. She also enjoys books, travel, TV shows, hiking, writing, design, and archery. Stacey swears she is part gypsy, being lucky enough to live and travel all over the world.
She grew up in Northern California, where she ran around on her family's farm, raising animals, riding horses, playing flashlight tag, and turning hay bales into cool forts. She volunteers helping animals and is eco-friendly. She feels all animals, people, and environment should be treated kindly.

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