Blog Tour + Excerpt: Children of the Bloodlands by S.M. Beiko

Hi everyone!

Welcome to my blog spot for Children of the Bloodlands by S.M. Beiko! I'm so thrilled to be hosting this. I have an excerpt that you definitely don't want to miss!

The dazzling second book in S.M. Beiko’s Realms of Ancient series

Three months after the battle of Zabor, the five friends that came together to defeat her have been separated. Burdened with the Calamity Stone she acquired in Scion of the Fox, Roan has gone to Scotland to retrace her grandmother’s steps in an attempt to stop further evil from entering the world.

Meanwhile, a wicked monster called Seela has risen from the ashy Bloodlands and is wreaking havoc on the world while children in Edinburgh are afflicted by a strange plague; Eli travels to Seoul to face judgment and is nearly murdered; Natti endures a taxing journey with two polar bears; Phae tries desperately to obtain the key to the Underworld; and Barton joins a Family-wide coalition as the last defense against an enemy that will stop at nothing to undo Ancient’s influence on Earth — before there is no longer an Earth to fight for.

Darkness, death, and the ancient powers that shape the world will collide as our heroes discover that some children collapse under their dark inheritance, and those who don’t are haunted by blood.

This book just came out a few days ago, which means you can now get it! Check these places out:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

IndieBound

Any now, the excerpt I know you've all been waiting for:

Review: Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Book: Obsidio
Authors: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Series: The Illumine Files #3 (final)
Publisher: Knopt Books
Pages: 615
Release: March 13, 2018

Kady, Ezra, Hanna, and Nik narrowly escaped with their lives from the attacks on Heimdall station and now find themselves crammed with 2,000 refugees on the container ship, Mao. With the jump station destroyed and their resources scarce, the only option is to return to Kerenza—but who knows what they'll find seven months after the invasion? 

Meanwhile, Kady's cousin, Asha, survived the initial BeiTech assault and has joined Kerenza's ragtag underground resistance. When Rhys—an old flame from Asha's past—reappears on Kerenza, the two find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict. 

With time running out, a final battle will be waged on land and in space, heroes will fall, and hearts will be broken.

Review: The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker

Book: The Witch Hunter
Author: Virginia Boecker
Series: The Witch Hunter #1
Publisher: Little, Brown Books
Pages: 362
Release: June 2, 2015

The magic and suspense of Graceling meet the political intrigue and unrest of Game of Thrones in this riveting fantasy debut.

Your greatest enemy isn't what you fight, but what you fear.

Elizabeth Grey is one of the king's best witch hunters, devoted to rooting out witchcraft and doling out justice. But when she's accused of being a witch herself, Elizabeth is arrested and sentenced to burn at the stake.

Salvation comes from a man she thought was her enemy. Nicholas Perevil, the most powerful and dangerous wizard in the kingdom, offers her a deal: he will save her from execution if she can break the deadly curse that's been laid upon him.

But Nicholas and his followers know nothing of Elizabeth's witch hunting past--if they find out, the stake will be the least of her worries. And as she's thrust into the magical world of witches, ghosts, pirates, and one all-too-handsome healer, Elizabeth is forced to redefine her ideas of right and wrong, of friends and enemies, and of love and hate.

Virginia Boecker weaves a riveting tale of magic, betrayal, and sacrifice in this unforgettable fantasy debut.

Review: Fate of Flames by Sarah Raughley

Book: Fate of Flames
Author: Sarah Raughley
Series: Effigies #1
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 368
Release: November 22, 2016

Years ago, everything changed. Phantoms, massive beasts of nightmare, began terrorizing the world. At the same time four girls, the Effigies, appeared, each with the unique power to control a classical element. Since then, they have protected the world from the Phantoms. At the death of one Effigy, another is chosen, pulled from her normal life into the never-ending battle.

When Maia unexpectedly becomes the next Fire Effigy, she resists her new calling. A quiet girl with few friends and almost no family, she was much happier to admire the Effigies from afar. Never did she imagine having to master her ability to control fire, to protect innocent citizens from the Phantoms, or to try bringing together the other three Effigies.

But with the arrival of the mysterious Saul—a man who seems to be able to control the Phantoms using the same cosmic power previously only granted to four girls at a time—Maia and the other Effigies must learn to work together in a world where their celebrity is more important than their heroism.

But the secrets Saul has, and the power he possesses, might be more than even they can handle…

Review: A Million Worlds With You by Claudia Grey

Book: A Million Worlds With You
Author: Claudia Grey
Series: Firebird #3 (final)
Publisher: Harper Teen
Pages: 419
Release: November 1, 2016

The fate of the multiverse rests in Marguerite Caine’s hands. Marguerite has been at the center of a cross-dimensional feud since she first traveled to another universe using her parents’ invention, the Firebird. Only now has she learned the true plans of the evil Triad Corporation—and that those plans could spell doom for dozens or hundreds of universes, each facing total annihilation.

Paul Markov has always been at Marguerite’s side, but Triad’s last attack has left him a changed man—angry and shadowed by tragedy. He struggles to overcome the damage done to him, but despite Marguerite’s efforts to help, Paul may never be the same again.

So it’s up to Marguerite alone to stop the destruction of the multiverse. Billions of lives are at stake. The risks have never been higher. And Triad has unleashed its ultimate weapon: another dimension’s Marguerite—wicked, psychologically twisted, and always one step ahead.

In the conclusion to Claudia Gray’s Firebird trilogy, fate and family will be questioned, loves will be won and lost, and the multiverse will be forever changed. It’s a battle of the Marguerites…and only one can win.

Review: A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas

Book: A Court of Frost and Starlight
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #3.5
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 229
Release: May 1st, 2018

Hope warms the coldest night.

Feyre, Rhys, and their close-knit circle of friends are still busy rebuilding the Night Court and the vastly-changed world beyond. But Winter Solstice is finally near, and with it, a hard-earned reprieve. 

Yet even the festive atmosphere can't keep the shadows of the past from looming. As Feyre navigates her first Winter Solstice as High Lady, she finds that those dearest to her have more wounds than she anticipated--scars that will have far-reaching impact on the future of their Court.

Review: The Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson

Book: Bands of Mourning
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Series: Mistborn #6
Publisher: Tor Fantasty
Pages: 536
Release: January 26, 2016

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, the Mistborn series is a heist story of political intrigue and magical, martial-arts action. 

Three hundred years after the events of the Mistborn trilogy, Scadrial is now on the verge of modernity, with railroads to supplement the canals, electric lighting in the streets and the homes of the wealthy, and the first steel-framed skyscrapers racing for the clouds.

The Bands of Mourning are the mythical metal minds owned by the Lord Ruler, said to grant anyone who wears them the powers that the Lord Ruler had at his command. Hardly anyone thinks they really exist. A kandra researcher has returned to Elendel with images that seem to depict the Bands, as well as writings in a language that no one can read. Waxillium Ladrian is recruited to travel south to the city of New Seran to investigate. Along the way he discovers hints that point to the true goals of his uncle Edwarn and the shadowy organization known as The Set.

Review: Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertali

Book: Leah on the Offbeat
Author: Becky Albertali
Series: Creekwood #2
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 343

Leah Burke—girl-band drummer, master of deadpan, and Simon Spier’s best friend from the award-winning Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda—takes center stage in this novel of first love and senior-year angst.

When it comes to drumming, Leah Burke is usually on beat—but real life isn’t always so rhythmic. An anomaly in her friend group, she’s the only child of a young, single mom, and her life is decidedly less privileged. She loves to draw but is too self-conscious to show it. And even though her mom knows she’s bisexual, she hasn’t mustered the courage to tell her friends—not even her openly gay BFF, Simon.

So Leah really doesn’t know what to do when her rock-solid friend group starts to fracture in unexpected ways. With prom and college on the horizon, tensions are running high. It’s hard for Leah to strike the right note while the people she loves are fighting—especially when she realizes she might love one of them more than she ever intended.

Cover Reveal Discussion: Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas

THE COVER IS OUT THE COVER IS OUT THE COVER IS OUT!!!

Oh be still my heart, for the cover of Kingdom of Ash is finally out and it. Is. UTTERLY. STUNNING. Sound the trumpets! Cue the fanfare! THE COVER IS OUT!!! And the SYNOPSIS!!!

No time to dally, so here it is:

Review: Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas

Book: Tower of Dawn
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass #5.5
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release: September 5, 2017
Pages: 667

In the next installment of the New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series, follow Chaol on his sweeping journey to a distant empire.

Chaol Westfall has always defined himself by his unwavering loyalty, his strength, and his position as the Captain of the Guard. But all of that has changed since the glass castle shattered, since his men were slaughtered, since the King of Adarlan spared him from a killing blow, but left his body broken.

His only shot at recovery lies with the legendary healers of the Torre Cesme in Antica—the stronghold of the southern continent's mighty empire. And with war looming over Dorian and Aelin back home, their survival might lie with Chaol and Nesryn convincing its rulers to ally with them.

But what they discover in Antica will change them both—and be more vital to saving Erilea than they could have imagined.

Goodreads

Review: Warcross by Marie Lu

Book: Warcross
Author: Marie Lu
Series: Warcross #1
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd.
Release: September 17th, 2017
Pages: 353

When a game called Warcross takes the world by storm, one girl hacks her way into its dangerous depths. For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn't just a game—it's a way of life. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. When Emika hacks into the game illegally, she's convinced she'll be arrested, and is shocked when she gets a call from the game's creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year's tournament in order to uncover a security problem ... and he wants Emika for the job. In this sci-fi thriller, #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu conjures an immersive, exhilarating world where choosing who to trust may be the biggest gamble of all.

Goodreads

A Quasi Return (But Still in Hiatus Mode)

Hi all!

I know it wasn't too long ago that I said I was going on temporary hiatus. I still kind of am...except I recently read a bunch of great books and needed to write reviews, not just my scraps of emotions and feelings on Goodreads. It's kind of lonely and sad not having anyone to fangirl to afterwards...

And...that led me to write a few reviews. Mind you, I don't have a ton, nor are they very long. But they're written all the same, and I feel like it's only fair to get them out to you guys, rather than letting them collect dust on my computer. 

So of the few that I have so far, I've decided to post one a week. At least until I run out (which is probably going to be sooner than you think), until I find the ability to return to blogging proper.

But due to my inability to make any promises on reading and reviewing consistently, I'm still considering myself in quasi-hiatus mode. Not taking any review requests, just taking time to read when I can and write reviews when time enables me to.

The first few reviews on my list you can look forward to? Warcross (Marie Lu), Tower of Dawn (Sarah J. Maas), A Court of Frost and Starlight (Sarah J. Maas---MORE RHYSAND FOR ME TO FANGIRL OVER!!!), Leah on the Offbeat (Becky Albertali), and a few more. Yay, so excited to be able to express my thoughts properly again!!!

The first of these reviews will be next week...stay tuned for the upcoming slow return of my reviews, hooray! And until then, happy reading :)

Temporary Hiatus

Hi guys,

So as you know, I haven't been really active here. It's been a running problem since last fall, and it doesn't look like it's going to be resolved anytime soon. I moved to a new city last fall and the life thing is kind of settling over me. That leaves me little time to read (that's NOT stopping though!!! NEVER NEVER NEVER) and even less time to blog with you guys.

So it pains me to say that I'm going on a temporary blogging hiatus. BUT I'm not disappearing completely! I'll still be around now and then, though I won't have as big of a presence (not that I've had much of one recently). I'm will still review books, but they will be short and on Goodreads (you can find my Goodreads profile here--friend me!!!). If you want to chat, I'm just one Goodreads message away, since Goodreads is kind of my version of Facebook :)

I'm thinking this hiatus will last until the end of the summer, but I'm holding off on making any promises. Regardless, I will do another post in the summer as followup and update as to what's going on!

That's it from me for now. Hope you're all doing well! Message me if you want to chat! And, most importantly: happy reading!

Blog Tour: The Call of the Rift: Flight by Jae Waller

Hi everyone! I'm super excited to be kicking this month off with a blog tour stop! I'll be doing a cover art discussion of this beauty :)

Book: Flight
Author: Jae Waller
Series: The Call of the Rift #1
Publisher: ECW Press
Pages: 440
Release: April 3rd, 2018

A rebellious heroine faces a colonial world coming unstitched in Jae Waller's stunning debut fantasy

Seventeen-year-old Kateiko doesn’t want to be Rin anymore — not if it means sacrificing lives to protect the dead. Her only way out is to join another tribe, a one-way trek through the coastal rainforest. Killing a colonial soldier in the woods isn’t part of the plan. Neither is spending the winter with Tiernan, an immigrant who keeps a sword with his carpentry tools. His log cabin leaks and his stories about other worlds raise more questions than they answer.

Then the air spirit Suriel, long thought dormant, resurrects a war. For Kateiko, protecting other tribes in her confederacy is atonement. For Tiernan, war is a return to the military life he’s desperate to forget.

Leaving Tiernan means losing the one man Kateiko trusts. Staying with him means abandoning colonists to a death sentence. In a region tainted by prejudice and on the brink of civil war, she has to decide what’s worth dying — or killing — for.

Review: Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

Book: Three Dark Crowns
Author: Kendare Blake
Series: Three Dark Crowns #1
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release: September 20th, 2016
Pages: 396

When kingdom come, there will be one.

In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born—three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.

But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins.

The last queen standing gets the crown.

Review: Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

Book: Empire of Storms
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass #5
Genre: YA fantasy
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release: September 6th, 2016
Pages: 693

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

With her heart sworn to the warrior-prince by her side, and her fealty pledged to the people she is determined to save, Aelin will delve into the depths of her power to protect those she loves. But as monsters emerge from the horrors of the past, and dark forces become poised to claim her world, the only chance for salvation will lie in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.

In this breathtaking fifth installment of the New York Timesbestselling Throne of Glass series, Aelin will have to choose what—and who—to sacrifice if she's to keep the world of Erilea from breaking apart. 

Review: The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

Book: The Way of the Kings
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Series: The Starlight Archive #1
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Tor Fantasy
Pages: 1007
Release: August 31, 2010

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, The Way of Kings, Book One of the Stormlight Archive begins an incredible new saga of epic proportion.

Roshar is a world of stone and storms. Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep across the rocky terrain so frequently that they have shaped ecology and civilization alike. Animals hide in shells, trees pull in branches, and grass retracts into the soilless ground. Cities are built only where the topography offers shelter.

It has been centuries since the fall of the ten consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain: mystical swords and suits of armor that transform ordinary men into near-invincible warriors. Men trade kingdoms for Shardblades. Wars were fought for them, and won by them.

One such war rages on a ruined landscape called the Shattered Plains. There, Kaladin, who traded his medical apprenticeship for a spear to protect his little brother, has been reduced to slavery. In a war that makes no sense, where ten armies fight separately against a single foe, he struggles to save his men and to fathom the leaders who consider them expendable.

Brightlord Dalinar Kholin commands one of those other armies. Like his brother, the late king, he is fascinated by an ancient text called The Way of Kings. Troubled by over-powering visions of ancient times and the Knights Radiant, he has begun to doubt his own sanity.

Across the ocean, an untried young woman named Shallan seeks to train under an eminent scholar and notorious heretic, Dalinar's niece, Jasnah. Though she genuinely loves learning, Shallan's motives are less than pure. As she plans a daring theft, her research for Jasnah hints at secrets of the Knights Radiant and the true cause of the war.

The result of over ten years of planning, writing, and world-building, The Way of Kings is but the opening movement of the Stormlight Archive, a bold masterpiece in the making.

Speak again the ancient oaths:

Life before death.
Strength before weakness.
Journey before Destination. 
And return to men the Shards they once bore. 
The Knights Radiant must stand again.

Cover Talk: A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas

Okay, I have NO idea how I missed this, but the cover for A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas came out!!!

*begin panicking and fangirling and everything else*

THIS BOOK. THIS COVER. AHHHH.

Review: Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

Book: Queen of Shadows
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass #4
Genre: YA fantasy
Pages: 648
Release: September 1st, 2015

The queen has returned.

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she’s at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past…

She has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight.

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen’s triumphant return.

The fourth volume in the New York Times bestselling series continues Celaena’s epic journey and builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

Series Review: The Paper Gods Series by Amanda Sun

Yet another series review! I actually read this series in November, reviewed the first two, but never made it to reviewing the third one. Well, better late than never is my opinion!

The series I'm reviewing today is Amanda Sun's Paper Gods series! 

Review: Shadows of Self by Brandon Sanderson

Book: Shadows of Self
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Series: Wax and Wayne #2 (Mistborn #5)
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Tor Fantasy
Pages: 383
Published: October 6th, 2015

Shadows of Self shows Mistborn’s society evolving as technology and magic mix, the economy grows, democracy contends with corruption, and religion becomes a growing cultural force, with four faiths competing for converts.

This bustling, optimistic, but still shaky society now faces its first instance of terrorism, crimes intended to stir up labor strife and religious conflict. Wax and Wayne, assisted by the lovely, brilliant Marasi, must unravel the conspiracy before civil strife stops Scadrial’s progress in its tracks.

Shadows of Self will give fans of The Alloy of Law everything they’ve been hoping for and, this being a Brandon Sanderson book, more, much more.

Goodreads / Amazon / iBooks / Audible

Fall/Winter Book News Recap!

Hey everyone! So, as promised, here is a list of book news that I missed during my absence. Meaning I need somewhere to freak out and fangirl over. Feel free to join me as I look at everything!

First up: 

Happy 2018 + Updates!

Happy (belated) New Year, everyone!!!

Okay, okay, I know what you're all wondering: what hole did I just crawl out of / where the heck have I been / just how many more vanishing acts am I going to be pulling / why have most of my posts lately been mostly apologizing for my disappearances?