Witness: my summer acquires!
Monday, August 31, 2015
Summer Wrap Up Book Haul
I've bought books one at a time throughout this summer, and I didn't feel like they were individually important or exciting enough to tell you guys. But August is over, and I have enough books to make a book haul-ish post, so here we go!
Witness: my summer acquires!
Witness: my summer acquires!
Tiger Lily Review
Author: Jodi Lynn Anderson
Series: Standalone
POV: 1st person by Tinker Bell, past tense
Genre: YA fantasy, fairy tale
Source: Physical Copy
Pages: 292
Release: July 3rd, 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Favourite Line: "They were sure--even before they saw her, standing in the square, her hair cut as short as Tik Tok's had been--what it meant. Their gods were back. Tiger Lily had called them."
Rating: 4 Stars
Blurb (Goodreads)
Before Peter Pan belonged to Wendy, he belonged to the girl with the crow feather in her hair...
Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the alluring teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland and immediately falls under his spell.
Peter is unlike anyone she's ever known. Impetuous and brave, he both scares and enthralls her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland's inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything—her family, her future—to be with him. When she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she's always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter.
With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lovers seem doomed. But it's the arrival of Wendy Darling, an English girl who's everything Tiger Lily is not, that leads Tiger Lily to discover that the most dangerous enemies can live inside even the most loyal and loving heart.
From the New York Times bestselling author of Peaches comes a magical and bewitching story of the romance between a fearless heroine and the boy who wouldn't grow up.
Saturday, August 29, 2015
The Evolution of Mara Dyer Review: Mara
Author: Michelle Hodkin
Series: Mara Dyer
Standing: Book 2
POV: 1st person by Mara, present tense
Genre: YA paranormal, thriller
Source: Physical Copy
Pages: 528
Release: October 23rd, 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books
Favourite Line: "This was the boy I loved. A little bit messy. A little bit ruined. A beautiful disaster. Just like me."
Rating: 5 Stars
Blurb (Goodreads)
The truth about Mara Dyer's dangerous and mysterious abilities continues to unravel in the New York Times bestselling sequel to the thrilling The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past.She can't. She used to think her problems were all in her head. They aren't. She couldn't imagine that after everything she's been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets. She's wrong. In this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves and choices prove deadly. What will become of Mara Dyer next?
Friday, August 28, 2015
Sunshine Blogger Award!
"The whole idea of the Sunshine Award is that you nominate bloggers who put a little sunshine in your day, who are positive, creative, and inspiring."
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Siege and Storm Review: Alina
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: The Grisha
Standing: Book 2
POV: 1st person by Alina, past tense
Genre: YA fantasy
Source: Physical Copy
Pages: 435
Release: June 4th 2013
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Favourite Line: "Of course I'm jealous. I thought I was going to get to punch him."
Rating: 4 Stars
Blurb (Goodreads)
Darkness never dies.
Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land. She finds starting new is not easy while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. She can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.
The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her--or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Magonia Review: Aza
Author: Maria Dahvana Headley
Series: Magonia
Standing: Book 1
POV: 1st person by Aza, present tense
Genre: YA fantasy, paranormal
Source: Physical copy
Pages: 320
Release: April 28th, 2015
Publisher: HarperCollins
Favourite Line: "Our song is strong enough that Caru and I can fly if we need to. I don't have to try it. I know it's true."
Rating: 5 Stars
Blurb (Goodreads)
Aza Ray is drowning in thin air.
Since she was a baby, Aza has suffered from a mysterious lung disease that makes it ever harder for her to breathe, to speak—to live.
So when Aza catches a glimpse of a ship in the sky, her family chalks it up to a cruel side effect of her medication. But Aza doesn't think this is a hallucination. She can hear someone on the ship calling her name.
Only her best friend, Jason, listens. Jason, who’s always been there. Jason, for whom she might have more-than-friendly feelings. But before Aza can consider that thrilling idea, something goes terribly wrong. Aza is lost to our world—and found, by another. Magonia.
Above the clouds, in a land of trading ships, Aza is not the weak and dying thing she was. In Magonia, she can breathe for the first time. Better, she has immense power—and as she navigates her new life, she discovers that war is coming. Magonia and Earth are on the cusp of a reckoning. And in Aza’s hands lies the fate of the whole of humanity—including the boy who loves her. Where do her loyalties lie?
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
The Stars Never Rise Review: Nina
Author: Rachel Vincent
Series: The Stars Never Rise
Standing: Book 1
POV: 1st person by Nina, past tense
Genre: YA paranormal, dystopian
Source: Physical copy
Pages: 368
Release: June 9th 2015
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Rating: 3 Stars
Blurb (Goodreads)
Sixteen-year-old Nina Kane should be worrying about her immortal soul, but she's too busy trying to actually survive. Her town's population has been decimated by soul-consuming demons, and souls are in short supply. Watching over her younger sister, Mellie, and scraping together food and money are all that matters. The two of them are a family. They gave up on their deadbeat mom a long time ago.
When Nina discovers that Mellie is keeping a secret that threatens their very existence, she'll do anything to protect her. Because in New Temperance, sins are prosecuted as crimes by the brutal Church and its army of black-robed exorcists. And Mellie's sin has put her in serious trouble.
To keep them both alive, Nina will need to trust Finn, a fugitive with deep green eyes who has already saved her life once and who might just be an exorcist. But what kind of exorcist wears a hoodie?
Wanted by the Church and hunted by dark forces, Nina knows she can't survive on her own. She needs Finn and his group of rogue friends just as much as they need her.
Sunday, August 23, 2015
The Orphan Queen Review: Wilhelmina
Author: Jodi Meadows
Series: The Orphan Queen
Standing: Book 1
POV: 1st person by Wilhelmina, past tense
Genre: YA fantasy
Source: Physical copy
Pages: 391
Release: March 10th, 2015
Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books
Favourite line: "I've never tried the fiddle, but I think I'd be good at it." I smacked the bow across the man's neck. Wood stung skin with a loud clap. "That was a nice sound. Let me try again."
Rating: 5 Stars
Blurb: (Goodreads)
Wilhelmina has a hundred identities.
She is a princess. When the Indigo Kingdom conquered her homeland, Wilhelmina and other orphaned children of nobility were taken to Skyvale, the Indigo Kingdom’s capital. Ten years later, they are the Ospreys, experts at stealth and theft. With them, Wilhelmina means to take back her throne.
She is a spy. Wil and her best friend, Melanie, infiltrate Skyvale Palace to study their foes. They assume the identities of nobles from a wraith-fallen kingdom, but enemies fill the palace, and Melanie’s behavior grows suspicious. With Osprey missions becoming increasingly dangerous and their leader more unstable, Wil can’t trust anyone.
She is a threat. Wraith is the toxic by-product of magic, and for a century using magic has been forbidden. Still the wraith pours across the continent, reshaping the land and animals into fresh horrors. Soon it will reach the Indigo Kingdom. Wilhelmina’s magic might be the key to stopping the wraith, but if the vigilante Black Knife discovers Wil’s magic, she will vanish like all the others.
Jodi Meadows introduces a vivid new fantasy full of intrigue, romance, dangerous magic, and one girl’s battle to reclaim her place in the world.
Saturday, August 22, 2015
Azurite Review: Zora
Author: Megan Dent Nagle
Series:
Standing: Book 1
POV: 3rd person, multiple perspectives, past tense
Genre: YA high fantasy
Source: ebook (thank you, Megan!)
Pages: 455
Release: February 26th 2015
Rating: 4 Stars
Blurb (Goodreads)
Zora Winnser is the last princess of Samaria, but even though she is the only heir to the Winnser bloodline, she will never rule the Samarian throne. Zora is a baseborn, a child born out of wedlock to Queen Evangeline whose disdain for her illegitimate daughter festers with every passing day.
Zora’s unfortunate birth status is not the only thing that makes her different. She is also a Chimera, a human whose blood is mixed with a sorcerer's-only the Samarian princess doesn’t know it.
When Zora is sixteen, Queen Evangeline decides to marry her off to the Prince of a foreign land infested by dark swamplands. Unbeknownst to Zora, Samaria faces threats from both inside and outside its borders. There is something in Samaria that the race of sorcerers want: azurite crystal mined from underneath Samaria’s mountains. Queen Evangeline is more than willing to give it to them, but at what cost? As Samaria enters into a war they cannot win, loyalties will be tested and all faith in Queen Evangeline will be lost. The only hope in combating Samaria’s bleak future rests in the hands of a traitorous group of Evangeline’s advisors. With the help of other allies in the Realm, those loyal to Zora set out retrieve her from exile so she can take her rightful place as Queen and save the future of Samaria.
Friday, August 21, 2015
New Cover Reveal: THE SIREN
We all remember Kiera Cass, the fantastic author of The Selection series, right? Well, her very first book, The Siren, originally self-published, is now being re-published by HarperTeen! With that said, it means that the entire book has gotten a new and fresh look, perks of a publishing company! :)
Here's the new cover!
That is a very pretty dress, if I do say so myself. I feel like Kiera Cass' books all must contain gorgeous dresses as part of her signature!
1. THAT OCEAN. I would love to spend every day living beside an ocean as big and as blue as that.
2. Like I mentioned before, the dress! I love the sandy colour, how it represents both land and water (sand banks are both part of land and water). And the trail of balls down the spine of dress...it's so pretty! I wish I could waltz down a beach wearing a dress like that.
3. The fact that the girl is holding her dress up...is she merely holding it against the wind, or is she preparing herself to go into the ocean?
4. Let's add her head. She's facing away from us, but from the position, it seems like she's gazing out into the ocean. Again, is she just admiring the view, or is she preparing to jump in? And with the wind... Basically, I really love her pose, and this cover is absolutely stunning :)
Now, I'm going to be a little honest here, but as gorgeous as this cover is, my first thought when I saw this cover was this book:
(This is The White Rose by Amy Ewing by the way.)
Here's the new cover!
1. THAT OCEAN. I would love to spend every day living beside an ocean as big and as blue as that.
2. Like I mentioned before, the dress! I love the sandy colour, how it represents both land and water (sand banks are both part of land and water). And the trail of balls down the spine of dress...it's so pretty! I wish I could waltz down a beach wearing a dress like that.
3. The fact that the girl is holding her dress up...is she merely holding it against the wind, or is she preparing herself to go into the ocean?
4. Let's add her head. She's facing away from us, but from the position, it seems like she's gazing out into the ocean. Again, is she just admiring the view, or is she preparing to jump in? And with the wind... Basically, I really love her pose, and this cover is absolutely stunning :)
Now, I'm going to be a little honest here, but as gorgeous as this cover is, my first thought when I saw this cover was this book:
Does anyone other than me see the similarity? Just a bit? Girl in a beige dress, with a green-blue regal title on the bottom dress? Don't get me wrong, these covers are very different, but they're also quite similar.
However, I'm going to admit I love The Siren cover a lot more than The White Rose. Just...ocean! Scenery! Wind! Loose dress! It simply doesn't compare!
This book will bit hitting bookstores January 26th, 2016. If you can't wait that long, I'm pretty sure you can already get the ebook version of it now, as it's been out for a while (like before The Selection ever became popular).
What do you guys think of this book being re-released? And what do you think of the cover?
Goodreads blurb:
From Kiera Cass, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Selection series, comes a sweeping stand-alone fantasy romance.
A girl with a secret.
The boy of her dreams.
An Ocean between them.
Years ago, Kahlen was rescued from drowning by the Ocean. To repay her debt, she has served as a Siren ever since, using her voice to lure countless strangers to their deaths. Though a single word from Kahlen can kill, she can’t resist spending her days on land, watching ordinary people and longing for the day when she will be able to speak and laugh and live freely among them again.
Kahlen is resigned to finishing her sentence in solitude...until she meets Akinli. Handsome, caring, and kind, Akinli is everything Kahlen ever dreamed of.
Falling in love with a human breaks the Ocean’s rules. But for the first time in a lifetime of following the rules, Kahlen is determined to follow her heart.
A girl with a secret.
The boy of her dreams.
An Ocean between them.
Years ago, Kahlen was rescued from drowning by the Ocean. To repay her debt, she has served as a Siren ever since, using her voice to lure countless strangers to their deaths. Though a single word from Kahlen can kill, she can’t resist spending her days on land, watching ordinary people and longing for the day when she will be able to speak and laugh and live freely among them again.
Kahlen is resigned to finishing her sentence in solitude...until she meets Akinli. Handsome, caring, and kind, Akinli is everything Kahlen ever dreamed of.
Falling in love with a human breaks the Ocean’s rules. But for the first time in a lifetime of following the rules, Kahlen is determined to follow her heart.
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award!
Rules:
1. Thank the blogger who nominated you and link their website
2. Use the award logo in your post.
3. Answer the 10 questions provided by the blogger who tagged you
4. Nominate 10 bloggers
5. Ask them 10 questions
Alright! Let's go! :)
1. What's your favourite reading spot?
In my room, on my bed. It's quiet, and there's a bed for me to flop on when I get overcome with feels (it happens a lot).
2. Do you eat snacks while reading?
Nope. I tried before, but I didn't like how I kept losing my spot whenever I reached to grab something to eat. I'd rather sit there and read without distractions! That way, I'm completely immersed in the book's world :)
3. How many book have you read in 2015 so far?
I have read 96 new books as of today. But if I include books that I've re-read, then it's probably a LOT higher.
4. What book would you turn into a movie if you could?
I think it would be neat if by Splintered by A. G. Howard became a movie! Just think: a twisted Wonderland on the big screen, bigger and badder than Tim Burton's version...
5. Who are your top three auto buy authors?
Julie Kagawa, Jennifer L. Armentrout, and Cassandra Clare. But seeing as Cassandra Clare hasn't come out with any new books lately, I'm going to throw in Rick Riordan, because he's awesome.
6. If you could only read 5 books for the rest of your life, what would they be?
1. The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa
2. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
3. Push by Eve Silver
4. Origin by Jennifer L. Armentrout
5. I CAN'T CHOOSE THERE ARE TOO MANY AWESOME BOOKS.
Basically, I would be very miserable if I only had 5 books to read for the rest of my life.
7. What book(s) got you into reading?
I was a strange child: I went through multiple obsessive phases of reading. First phase started with the Magic Tree House series by Mary Osborne. Then Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan. And finally, the book that started my continuous (and current) reading obsession, was Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. And this so call "reading phrase" I'm in right now isn't a phrase anymore; its permanent. It's my life!
8. Who is your favourite male character?
HA. I have too many, so I'm not going to pick because I honestly love them all and I can't even imagine life without any of them in my life ;)
9. Do you read more in the morning or night?
Night. I'm not a morning person.
10. Which is your least favourite read of 2015?
Probably Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey. I just didn't connect to the plot and characters. I apologize to anyone who loved that book.
My questions for my nominees:
1. What book have you re-read the most?
2. Most anticipated read(s) coming out this year?
3. What's your favourite genre?
4. Paperback, hardcover, ebook, or audiobook?
5. Do you read before you sleep?
6. Top three favourite book couples?
7. Do you listen to music while reading?
8. Prettiest book you have/have seen?
9. Do you like reading buddies? If so, what book have you read with a buddy/want to read with a buddy?
10. Three under-hyped authors you love?
And my nominees are:
1. Chioma from Blue Book and Butterflies
2. Janna from Blow Out Books
3. Nicolette from A Read-aholic
4. Lucy from Things Lucy Reads
5. Megan and Cat from Books of Fascination
6. Kayleigh from A Book Lover's Playlist
7. Caroline fromJust Another Bookish Blog
8. Cloe from Mornings and Epilogues
9. Tasya from The Literary Huntress
10. Fiona from A Girl Between the Pages
I apologize if you've already been nominated. If you haven't, consider yourself nominated by me! :)
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Entwined Review: Azalea
Author: Heather Dixon
Series: Standalone
POV: 3rd person by Azalea, past tense
Genre: YA fantasy, fairytale retelling
Source: Physical Copy
Pages: 472
Release: March 29th, 2011
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Rating: 4 Stars
Blurb (Goodreads)
Just when Azalea should feel that everything is before her—beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing—it's taken away. All of it. And Azalea is trapped. The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. So he extends an invitation.
Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest, but there is a cost. The Keeper likes to keep things. Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.
✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
This book had some new elements I've never read about!
Entwined is a retelling of the fairytale of The Twelve Dancing Princesses. As a child, I really liked that fairytale, so I was intrigued. This story features Azalea, the eldest of the twelve princesses, and future queen. All the sisters love dancing, but suddenly, everything is taken away with the death of their mother. As dictated by the laws, the sisters are confined to the palace for a year of mourning, not allowed to dance or go outside for fun. That is, until they meet the mysterious Keeper, who lets them dance their sorrows away every night in his secret pavilion...
I really liked how well thought out this book was. The basis of the fairytale is that twelve sisters dance the night away in secret, wearing their slippers to shreds. The author is able to cleverly set up the stage for these events, formulating the circumstances that allow the sisters to find the secret passage and the reasons they have for wanting to dance every night. We also are introduced to the Keeper, who brings a new set of conflicts to the original tale, ultimately driving the plot of this book forward. Very clever, indeed, and very well thought out!
Azalea was easy enough to like. As the future queen, she has a lot of things on her mind. The aspect of an arranged marriage isn't something she takes lightly, but she also must handle her sisters. She bears a lot of responsibility, trying to do the right thing and be a good role model for her sisters. She also becomes the prime target for the Keeper, as she has the power to convince everyone to either go dance or not dance. And when danger does come, and her family is threatened, Azalea does not hesitate to jump into action.
One of the themes I enjoyed was the theme of family. Azalea is the eldest of the twelve sisters, which all their ages varying to being one year old. It's not easy to keep track of all the sisters, but Azalea does her best, and she looks out for them like their mother used to. She loves her sisters very much and does what she can for them, including finding their dancing slippers and mending them for everyone to wear. Another aspect was the sisters' relationship with their father, the King. At the beginning, everyone calls him "Sir" rather than "Papa," and he retreats from his twelve daughters when the queen passes away. He doesn't help the situation when he leaves for war immediately after; rather than being their for his family, he gives the impression that he willingly leaves everyone for Azalea to deal with, which causes all the sisters to hate him. The story develops their relationship with the sisters (particularly Azalea) and the King, how the go from distant to close. A good family story!
This was a neat book, filled with such details of the various kinds of dances that exist out there. Waltzes, jigs, polkas, reels, there were so many! It was definitely neat to read about these different kinds of dances, and for Azalea to knew every single one of them. I would have preferred to see a little more magic and bravery in the book, along with a slightly faster pacing, but it still was a good read! Pick it up if you're looking for something a little different, and for a story about magic, family, oaths, and of course, dancing!
I also want to thank Cindy from The Chronicles of A Book Maniac for recommending this to me! Thank you! :)
Book Cover Guessing Challenge!
Basically, I'm going to choose a few books I've heard little about or don't know and try to guess the synopsis of the book based off the cover. These books can be well-known books or books you've just seen in passing. Once you're done guessing, compare your guess to the synopsis on Goodreads, and see how you've done.
Here we go! First up:
Goodreads: Sixteen-year-old Janelle Tenner is used to having a lot of responsibility. She balances working as a lifeguard in San Diego with an intense academic schedule. Janelle's mother is bipolar, and her dad is a workaholic FBI agent, which means Janelle also has to look out for her younger brother, Jared.
And that was before she died... and is brought back to life by Ben Michaels, a mysterious, alluring loner from her high school. When she discovers a strange clock that seems to be counting down to the earth's destruction, Janelle learns she has twenty-four days to figure out how to stop the clock and save the planet.
Verdict: I was sort of on the right track! I guessed the part about time being part of the book. And doomsday. Then again, the tag lines on the book sort of scream time and doomsday.
Next!
Goodreads: Philadelphia 1876. The Dead are rising. A zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor Fitt. Whoever controls the Dead Army has her brother. She avoids her mother's choice of husband for the lab of Spirit Hunters, including the maddeningly stubborn yet handsome Daniel. The situation threatens her reputation, and the lives of everyone in the city.
Verdict: I'm way off. The only thing I got right was the part about it being set in the past, and it being paranormal...
Number 3:
Goodreads: Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them.
Handpicked to host the first-ever L’eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she’ll have inside information about the mysterious L’eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara’s blog following is about to skyrocket.
Still, Cara isn’t sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L’eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn’t seem more alien. She’s certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking.
But when Cara's classmates get swept up by anti-L'eihr paranoia, Midtown High School suddenly isn't safe anymore. Threatening notes appear in Cara's locker, and a police officer has to escort her and Aelyx to class.
Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn’t just her only friend; she's fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life—not just for herself and the boy she loves, but for the future of her planet.
Verdict: Wow, I must be thinking of a different book... I got the alien part right, and the falling-in-love part too. But as for the rest...nope.
Number 4!
Goodreads: What if you aren’t the Chosen One?
The one who’s supposed to fight the zombies, or the soul-eating ghosts, or whatever the heck this new thing is, with the blue lights and the death?
What if you’re like Mikey? Who just wants to graduate and go to prom and maybe finally work up the courage to ask Henna out before someone goes and blows up the high school. Again.
Because sometimes there are problems bigger than this week’s end of the world, and sometimes you just have to find the extraordinary in your ordinary life.
Even if your best friend is worshipped by mountain lions.
Award-winning writer Patrick Ness’s bold and irreverent novel powerfully reminds us that there are many different types of remarkable.
Verdict: Yes! This is the closest I've gotten to being right! The "I'm-not-part-of-this-but-somehow-I-am!" vibe! Score one for me!
And finally, the last one:
Goodreads: Luxury spaceliner Icarus suddenly plummets from hyperspace into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive -- alone. Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a cynical war hero. Both journey across the eerie deserted terrain for help. Everything changes when they uncover the truth.
The Starbound Trilogy: Three worlds. Three love stories. One enemy.
Verdict: ... I'm clearly terrible at this. This has nothing to do with different species falling in love with each other... *hangs head*
Okay. I tried my best. And though I didn't really get most of them right, this was still super fun to do! I'm going to tag these lovely people to have some fun:
Carrie at The Book Goddess
Lucy at Things Lucy Reads
Mimi at Book Fanatics
And anyone else who wants to do it! It's super fun, so do it!!!
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
BLOG TOUR: The Last of the Firedrakes Interview and Giveaway!
Welcome, guys!
Today I have the absolute pleasure of having Farah Oomerbhoy, author of The Last of the Firedrakes, on my blog! I'm so excited! She's here to answer a few questions for us :) Don't forget to check out the awesome giveaway at the bottom, too! and if you haven't read her book yet, do it! (You can check out my review of her book here.)
Alright, let's get started! Welcome, Farah Oomerbhoy!
1. To get the ball rolling, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I am a happily married mother of three wonderful kids and live in Mumbai in India. But I think I would rather live in Narnia. :)
2. When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
I think that started a very long time ago when I started writing four line poems and sticking them all over my mother’s walls. I think I was seven. Since then I would write a few pages of different stories and then start a new one. When I became a teenager I continued writing my poems. I think my grandmother had a box somewhere where she would store them, since she was the only one who was interested in reading them. After that I went on to study English literature in university. After that there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to be an author, I wanted to write stories and share them with the world.
1. To get the ball rolling, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I am a happily married mother of three wonderful kids and live in Mumbai in India. But I think I would rather live in Narnia. :)
2. When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
I think that started a very long time ago when I started writing four line poems and sticking them all over my mother’s walls. I think I was seven. Since then I would write a few pages of different stories and then start a new one. When I became a teenager I continued writing my poems. I think my grandmother had a box somewhere where she would store them, since she was the only one who was interested in reading them. After that I went on to study English literature in university. After that there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to be an author, I wanted to write stories and share them with the world.
3. What first attracted you to write in the
fantasy genre?
Every reader at some point in
their lives comes across a book that inspires them to think beyond the
boundaries. For me that story was Harry Potter. The wonderful world of Hogwarts
and the magical beings that lived within it made me look at the world of magic
in a completely different way. I had always loved reading fantasy stories, and
Tolkien’s Lord of The Rings, along
with C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, and Enid Blyton’s Magic Faraway Tree
series were already my favorites. But somehow reading Harry Potter was like a
switch that suddenly turned on and fired my imagination. I wanted to write
about magical worlds with wondrous creatures and life threatening quests. And
so The Last of the Firedrakes started
to take shape.
4. What was the most challenging thing you
had to face when publishing your book?
I would have to say the most
challenging thing was finding the right people to work with to get the book
ready and into the market. I had an agent at first and sent my manuscript out
on submission but the book was not ready and was still unedited. So after being
rejected by a few publishers, I decided that I needed an editor and that I
would go ahead and self publish my first book.
At that time I was completely
new to publishing and I had no idea how to go forward. I realized that I needed
help and I started looking for someone to assist me. That was when I found my
wonderful virtual assistant Kate Tilton who was like a fairy godmother when it
came to getting things done. Somehow she always manages to have an answer to
everything. She put me in touch with Laura Zats and the amazing women at Wise Ink
Creative Publishing, and everything fell into place. They set me to work with
the best editors, a great cover designer and interior designer, and have done
such a wonderful job in taking my very rough manuscript under their wing and
transforming it into a lovely book that I can be proud of.
5. Can you tell us what your novel is about
and where the idea comes from?
I started thinking about this
book nearly ten years ago. Building the world of Avalonia whenever I got time.
The actual world creation started with a tapestry in my grandmother’s house.
One day I stood before it and
wondered, what if I could step into the tapestry, where would I end up? From
then on, the person who stepped into the tapestry was a young sixteen-year-old
girl who didn’t know who she really was, her name is Aurora, and this is her
story.
6. If you could be any supernatural creature
what would it be and why?
I think I would like to be
Fae. Faeries and the magic they posses have always fascinated me.
7. If you can write any book outside your
genre, what would it be and why?
I think I would love to try
and write historical romance. It has always been a favorite genre of mine to
read, and I love history, so exploring different historical settings and
periods would be quite interesting.
8. What is one of your favorite hobbies?
Reading is pretty much my
only hobby!
9. Last but not least, are there any other
projects you are working on? Any sequels or new novels to be looking forward
to?
Yes! I am working on books
two and three of the Avalonia Chronicles at present. Hopefully book two should
be ready by the end of next year.
Thank you so much for answering these questions, Farah! Best of luck for your next books! And if you guys haven't read her book yet, do it! (You can check out my review of her book here.)
The Last of the Firedrakes By: Farah Oomerbhoy Publisher: Wise Ink Creative Publishing Pub Date: August 15, 2015 Pages: 488 Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy
A fantastic adventure story that will transport you to a dazzling world of myth and magic. 16-year-old Aurora Darlington is an orphan. Mistreated by her adopted family and bullied at school, she dreams of running away and being free. But when she is kidnapped and dragged through a portal into a magical world, suddenly her old life doesn’t seem so bad. Avalonia is a dangerous land ruled by powerful mages and a cruel, selfish queen who will do anything to control all seven kingdoms—including killing anyone who stands in her way. Thrust headlong into this new, magical world, Aurora’s arrival sets plans in motion that threaten to destroy all she holds dear. With the help of a young fae, a magical pegasus, and a handsome mage, Aurora journeys across Avalonia to learn the truth about her past and unleash the power within herself. Kingdoms collide as a complicated web of political intrigue and ancient magic lead Aurora to unravel a shocking secret that will change her life forever.
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About The Author:
For Farah Oomerbhoy, writing is a passion and reading her solace. She is a firm believer in the fantastic and magical, and often dreams of living in Narnia, Neverland, or the Enchanted Forest. Farah lives with her husband and three children in their family home in Mumbai, India. She has a Master’s degree in English Literature from the University of Mumbai. Farah's first novel, The Last of the Firedrakes, Book 1 of the Avalonia Chronicles will be published worldwide August 15th, 2015.
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