Tween 2 Teen Book Reviews: Tor Teen

Showing posts with label Tor Teen. Show all posts

Thursday, July 8, 2021

Witchshadow by Susan Dennard

Title: Witchshadow

Author: Susan Dennard

Publisher: Tor Teen

Release: June 22, 2021

Series: The Witchlands

Pages: 464

Review: 5 Stars

Synopsis:

Susan Dennard's New York Times bestselling, young adult epic fantasy Witchlands series continues with Witchshadow, the story of the Threadwitch Iseult.

War has come to the Witchlands . . . and nothing will be the same again.

Iseult has found her heartsister Safi at last, but their reunion is brief. For Iseult to stay alive, she must flee Cartorra while Safi remains. And though Iseult has plans to save her friend, they will require her to summon magic more dangerous than anything she has ever faced before.

Meanwhile, the Bloodwitch Aeduan is beset by forces he cannot understand. And Vivia—rightful queen of Nubrevna—finds herself without a crown or home.

As villains from legend reawaken across the Witchlands, only the mythical Cahr Awen can stop the gathering war. Iseult could embrace this power and heal the land, but first she must choose on which side of the shadows her destiny will lie.

You Can Find it At:

Review:

First Impressions

My preorder came a couple days early, and I was ridiculously excited to dive in to Witchshadow! Getting a preorder a little early sorta feels like a small reward for all the patience required to wait for a great book. My brain has had a bit of trouble remembering the details of the previous books and who all the characters are (aside from Iseult, Safi, Merik, and Aeduan) but I mostly just rolled with it anytime I was confused and it worked out fine. This world is so big and there are so many characters that it's hard to hold onto it all at once. I definitely envy the readers who will be able to binge read the whole thing once the whole series is out.

Characters

Each book has had a main character it focuses on (Truthwitch - Safi, Windwitch - Merik, Bloodwitch - Aeduan). Witchshadow focuses on Iseult. She has to go through a lot of growth and change in order to become who she needs to be to take on the world and the problems they are facing. That's not to say she's the only character we follow. We also get Safi, Vivia, Stix, and Aeuduan's POVs. There are also flashback scenes with Safi and Iseult.

World Building

Dennard is very clearly building something epic. I don't fully know what it will be, but I can't wait to find out. There are some pieces that readers can put together but the main characters can't, because we sometimes get access to more info than the characters have. This is both fun and frustrating. On the one hand, I want to know as much as possible, but I also feel like I am yelling at characters not to trust certain people or do certain things, but they don't listen because they don't know what I know.

The physical world of this series is large, featuring a continent with multiple countries and a fallen empire. Oftentimes the characters feel like they are far apart, but when I'd glance back at the map (which I am very grateful to have in the book) I'd realize they were geographically around the corner from each other. It would leave me waiting and hoping that the characters would move just a *little* bit closer. The geography of the world is more than just a setting. Magic is intertwined with the land such that some actions will actually destroy the land around it. I imagine that the Origin Wells aren't just placed at random, but connected to the surrounding world and how magic interacts with it.

Final Thoughts

One thing I really hope the next books (I think there are two more) will bring is all the characters together. Each book has brought together and separated different characters, but I want it all. All the Paladins, all the Exalted Ones, all the Well Chosen, and in general anyone we care about. Some romances have had some solid time to build, but others have been majorly put on hold. I feel like there are so many things that can and will happen as soon as everyone has been brought together and I am practically shaking waiting.

I can't express enough how hyped I am to keep reading this epic fantasy series! I *need* to know what happens next and I can't believe I'll have to wait at least a year to get my hands on the next book!

Author Bio:

Susan Dennard has come a long way from small-town Georgia. Working in marine biology, she got to travel the world—six out of seven continents, to be exact (she’ll get to you yet, Asia!)—before she settled down as a full-time novelist and writing instructor.

She is the author of the Something Strange and Deadly series, as well as the New York Times bestselling Witchlands series, and she also hosts the popular newsletter for writers, the Misfits & Daydreamers. When not writing, she is slaying darkspawn (on her PS4) or earning bruises at the dojo.

She lives in the Midwestern US with her French husband, two spoiled dogs, and two grouchy cats. Learn more about her on her twitter, instagram, or newsletter.

You Can Find Her At:

Website

Twitter

Instagram

Saturday, October 24, 2020

Blog Tour: The Brightest Night by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I am so excited to be part of The Brightest Night blog tour! I am a huge fan of Jennifer L. Armentrout and am always happy to scream about her books!

Title: The Brightest Night

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Tor Teen

Release: October 20, 2020

Series: Origin

Pages: 512

Review: 4.5 Stars

First Impressions

This review will definitely contain spoilers for the previous books!

Fun fact! This is the 100th book I've read this year!

I've been incredibly excited to read The Brightest Night ever since I finished The Burning Shadow last year. In general, Jennifer L. Armentrout is an auto-buy author for me, and this series is no exception! The book did start a little slow, but once I got into it, I devoured it in an afternoon!

Characters

The main POV character is Evie, or as we know from previous books, Nadia. She has discovered that she was experimented on by the evil government group The Daedalus, which featured heavily in the original Lux series. The various experiments gave her major alien powers, and as of the start of the book, she has no idea how to control them. They only time they've manifested, she almost killed people she cares about (like Luc). A lot of this book is about character development for Evie. She really comes into her powers while also connecting with who she was before her memories were taken from her. I liked to see her growth and how her relationship with Luc developed.

Speaking of Luc and Evie's relationship... Things get hot and heavy for these two lovebirds! Jennifer's books fall into the category of upper YA, and that's definitely the case for The Brightest Night. While not as graphic as say a romance novel, it's pretty clear what's going on when Luc and Evie get romantic. I really liked how the characters grew together besides just romantically. They really trusted each other more and more, and I got the sense that there were finally no secrets between them.

World Building

At the end of The Burning Shadow Evie and Luc arrive at the secret hideout of humans, Luxen, and others in Houston. A lot of the book is spent exploring this community and how it works. It was really fun to reconnect with characters from the previous series who were also living there. That said, we only really met a couple of the many people living in the community.

Despite the limited travel of the book, there are hints given about the hell that the rest of the world is going to. Like what's happening in real life, there is a pandemic happening in the book. Unlike ours, it is one that has been engineered by The Daedalus to have alien DNA and either kill or mutate the humans it infects. It was kinda weird to read about a pandemic happening given what's happening in our world. I get expecting the characters to put on a mask and keep six feet apart. We'll almost definitely see the effects of this in the next book, and I look forward to discovering what happens, even if I dread all the crap the characters will probably go through.

Final Thoughts

This is a solid edition to the Jennifer L. Armentrout library! It's very similar in style to her other books, but that can be a nice relief to fall back into an old favorite. If you've read the previous books you should definitely pick this one up! And if aliens falling in love sounds up your alley, then there are plenty of books to catch up on!

Synopsis:

The thrills, drama, and intrigue continue in the third installment of the Origin series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout.

He is the darkest star.
You are the burning shadow.
And together, you will bring about the brightest night.

Less than a year ago, Evelyn Dasher was a normal girl, living an unremarkable life.

Now, she's on the run, under the protection of the beautiful, deadly inhuman Luc. She's been betrayed by those who were closest to her. And she's learned truths about herself that she never saw coming--things she once knew, and was made to forget. Truths with devastating consequences. She's caught in the eye of the storm.

She is the eye of the storm

You Can Find it At:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Book Depository

Praise:

"Highly Anticipated" —Entertainment Weekly
"Thrilling" —Hypable
“A Must" —Booklist
"Enthralling" —SLJ
"Engaging" —VOYA

Author Bio:

Photo Credit: Franggy Yanes

JENNIFER L. ARMENTROUT is a #1 New York Times, USA Today, Amazon, iBooks, and international bestselling author of the Lux series and other books for teens and adults. She is a #1 bestseller in Germany and Italy, and a top seller in markets around the world. Her young adult novels have sold over a million copies since 2011 in the US alone, and have been finalists for the Goodreads Choice Awards and many others. Jennifer lives in West Virginia with her husband and dogs.

Tour Schedule:

Part One - Reviews & Excerpts
October 19th Monday BookHounds YA Excerpt
October 20th Tuesday Movies, Shows, & Books Excerpt
October 20th Tuesday Emelie's Books Review
October 21st Wednesday A Court of Coffee and Books Review
October 21st Wednesday K-Books Review
October 22nd Thursday Ya It's Lit Review

Part Two - Reviews
October 22nd Thursday A Dream Within A Dream Review
October 23rd Friday Rajiv's Reviews Review
October 24th Saturday Tween 2 Teen Book Reviews Review
October 24th Saturday Lisa Loves Literature Review
October 25th Sunday Nay's Pink Bookshelf Review
October 25th Sunday Book Briefs Review

Giveaway:

*JBN is not responsible for Lost or Damaged Books in your Nerdy Mail Box*
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, January 13, 2020

Blog Tour: Echoes Between Us by Katie McGarry

I'm super excited to be part of the blog tour for Echoes Between Us by Katie McGarry! I am a huge fan of her books, and this was no exception! And if you're new to this series, check out my review of book one, Only a Breath Apart!

Title: Echoes Between Us

Author: Katie McGarry

Publisher: Tor Teen

Release: January 14, 2020

Pages: 384 pages

Review: 4.5 Stars

Synopsis:

Echoes Between Us is bestselling author Katie McGarry’s breakout teen contemporary novel about a girl with everything to lose and the boy who will do anything to save her.

Veronica sees ghosts. More specifically, her mother's ghost. The afterimages of blinding migraines caused by the brain tumor that keeps her on the fringes and consumes her whole life haunt her, even as she wonders if it's something more...

Golden boy Sawyer is handsome and popular, a state champion swimmer, but his adrenaline addiction draws him to Veronica.

A girl with nothing to live for and a boy with everything to lose--can they conquer their demons together?

You Can Find it At:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Book Depository

Review:

Before I get into the review, I want to give readers two disclaimers. First, and most importantly, the book depicts a character struggling with cancer, as well as dealing trauma from a parent dying of cancer. Second, the book has heavier Christian/religious themes than some of her previous works, and I figured some readers would want to know.

First Impressions

I have enjoyed all of Katie McGarry's books that I've read (which is basically all of them). I was a little hesitant going into this one, as the synopsis wasn't drawing me in as much, but I stilled signed up for the blog tour since I'm a big fan and figured I'd end up enjoying it. And enjoy it I did! The synopsis doesn't do this book justice. It's so much more than what the couple paragraphs show. There was a great cast of characters, along with serious moments mixed in with moments of levity. As mentioned in my disclaimer above, the book leans into heaven/god/religion a bit more than previous works. That's not too much of a surprise, given how the novel is tied with the idea of death. That said, that sort of religious stuff isn't as much my jam, which is my only substantial complaint about the book.

Characters

Along with the two great main characters of Veronica and Sawyer, Echoes Between Us had some solid side characters. Truth be told, my favorite character was Lucy, Sawyer's six-year-old younger sister. Like Veronica, Lucy seems to see ghosts. She is also just a sweet little girl who I want to wrap in hugs.

Of the two leads, Veronica was my favorite. She was absurd at times, but in amazing ways. I loved how she celebrated holidays whenever she felt like it, even if the root of that was a little dark. She's an oddball that I like to think I would have been friends with in high school. She's had a rough go of it, first watching her mother die of a brain tumor and then dealing with one herself. Despite what must have been a crushing weight on her shoulders, Veronica remained upbeat and defiantly herself at almost all times.

Even if I didn't love him as much as Veronica, Sawyer was still a great character. He's the popular, golden boy with hidden secrets. Along with his adrenaline addiction, Sawyer often finds himself torn between divorced parents and covering up for his mother's messes. I would have liked to dig into Sawyer's home life a little more, as there were a few reveals at the end that I felt could have been expanded on. That said, I liked how his character grew, and I loved watching him fall in love with Veronica.

World Building

Like with any other contemporary, the world of the book is our world. Echoes Between Us, like the first book Only a Breath Apart, takes place in a small town in Kentucky. As with the previous book, it is unclear if Echoes Between Us takes place in Katie McGarry's shared contemporary universe, but I like to think it does.

One cool thing is how this book digs into the idea of ghosts. It remains vague enough that by the end of the book, you could make a convincing argument either way about whether they exist in this world or not. Veronica certainly thinks they do, but Sawyer is less certain. It's vague enough that it is able to remain in the world of contemporary without drifting into paranormal, but one could definitely read it with a paranormal lens

Final Thoughts

I definitely enjoyed this book. It had great characters with a strong plot and setting. I enjoyed watching Veronica and Sawyer grow and change over the course of the book. While the religious element wasn't my thing, it wasn't blatant enough to keep me from enjoying a great story!

Praise for Echoes Between Us:

"One of my favorites she’s ever written. SO INCREDIBLE.” ―Kristen Simmons, critically acclaimed author of the Article 5 series

Praise for Only a Breath Apart:

“Katie McGarry knows what YA is, how it works, and what it can do better than anyone, but she always takes it one step further.” ―Hypable

"Fair warning: Picture-perfect Scarlett and misunderstood Jesse will have you in your feels." ―Girls' Life Magazine

“Beyond a haunted teen romance is a beautiful, moving exploration of domestic violence, forgiveness, and self-love. ...Simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming.” ―Kirkus, starred review

“McGarry ably captures the feeling of desperately wanting to come home to a friendship that has radically changed. The novel manages to tackle domestic violence in a way that never feels clichéd, and the romance is sure to win over even the most cynical reader. This is a story you’ll want to read slowly, just to be able to stay with the characters for a moment longer.” ―Booklist

“A gorgeous, heartfelt journey of redemption and love.” ―Wendy Higgins, New York Times bestselling author

“Powerful, emotional, and ultimately hopeful. An unforgettable story that will leave its mark on your heart.” ―C. J. Redwine, New York Times bestselling author

“Gritty and real, Only a Breath Apart is a story of hope conjured from pain, strength drawn from innocence, and love earned from self-respect. Beautiful, poignant, and fierce.” ―Kristen Simmons, critically acclaimed author of the Article 5 series

“Meticulously weaves a fragile love story through a minefield of loss, broken trust, and familial curses both real and imagined. Haunting, authentic, and ultimately hopeful.” ―Tammara Webber, New York Times bestselling author

“A painful, beautiful, and utterly magical story about the family you’re born into versus the family you choose.” ―Trish Doller, author of In a Perfect World

“A touching tale of love and fate straight from the heartland.” ―Mindy McGinnis, author of The Female of the Species

“Scarlett and Jesse’s story will stay in your heart long after you finish the book.” ―Simone Elkeles, New York Times bestselling author

“Southern Gothic at its finest, this is Katie McGarry’s best book to date!” ―Miranda Kenneally, author of Catching Jordan and Breathe, Annie, Breathe

Author Bio:

Photo Content from Katie McGarry

Katie McGarry was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan. She is the author of the Pushing the Limits and Thunder Road series.

You Can Find Her At:
Website
Twitter
Goodreads
Facebook
Instagram

Tour Schedule:

Week One
January 13th Monday Tween to Teen Book Reviews Review
January 14th Tuesday Nay's Pink Bookshelf Review
January 15th Wednesday Twirling Book Princess Excerpt
January 15th Wednesday Ya It's Lit Review
January 16th Thursday Wishful Endings Review
January 17th Friday A Bookish Dream Review

Week Two
January 20th Monday A Court of Coffee and Books Review
January 21st Tuesday A Dream Within A Dream Review
January 22nd Wednesday BookHounds YA Review
January 23rd Thursday Book Briefs Review
January 24th Friday Kait Plus Books Excerpt
January 24th Friday We Live and Breathe Books Review

Giveaway:

Giveaway is open to International

Must be 13+ to Enter

4 Winners will receive a Copy of ECHOES BETWEEN US by Katie McGarry.

1 Winner will receive ECHOES BETWEEN US Storytellers BOX.

*JBN is not responsible for Lost or Damaged Books in your Nerdy Mail Box*

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Saturday, June 15, 2019

Blog Tour: Only a Breath Apart by Katie McGarry

I'm super excited to be participating in the Blog Tour for Only a Breath Apart! I actually participated in the Blog Tour back in January when it released, and I'll be sharing my review again now! And make sure to enter the giveaway at the bottom of the post!

Title: Only a Breath Apart

Author: Katie McGarry
Publisher: Tor Teen

Release: January 22, 2019
Pages: 368

Review: 4.5 Stars

Synopsis:

Bestselling author Katie McGarry’s trademark wrong-side-of-the-tracks romance is given a new twist in the gritty YA contemporary novel, Only a Breath Apart.

Jesse Lachlin is cursed.

So the town folklore says, but while Jesse’s had his fair share of tragedy, the only curse he believes is in his grandmother’s will: in order to inherit his family farm he must win the approval of his childhood best friend, the girl he froze out his freshman year, Scarlett Copeland.

Scarlett Copeland is psychic.

Glory Gardner tells Scarlett she has hidden psychic abilities, but Scarlett thinks Glory is delusional. What is real is Scarlett’s father’s irrational fears, controlling attitude, and the dark secrets at home. Scarlett may have a way to escape, but there’s a hitch: she’ll have to rely on the one person she used to trust, the same boy who broke her heart, Jesse Lachlin.

Each midnight meeting pushes Jesse and Scarlett to confront their secrets and their feelings for each other. But as love blooms, the curse rears its ugly head…

You Can Find it At:

Goodreads

Amazon

Kobo

Google Play
Books A Million

Barnes & Noble

Apple Books

Review:

First Impressions

First off, I will read anything that Katie McGarry writes. No matter the premise, I will read it. There are a couple novellas I haven't read yet, but otherwise I've read all of her stuff. I was excited about Only a Breath Apart as soon as I discovered it. A new Katie McGarry release is always a gift. I was super excited when I got approved for the blog tour and got an advanced copy to read. As soon as I had some time, I dug in!

Characters

As far as characters go, Jesse and Scarlet weren't my favorite Katie McGarry creations, but I still liked them. Just so you know, my favorite couples are Echo & Noah and Rachel & Isaiah. Relationship goals right there. But I digress.

I really liked Scarlett. I sympathized with her, and just wanted her to get the best the world had to offer. I also felt that she and Echo would get along well. Scarlett has created the persona of 'Ice Queen' in order to handle life with a controlling/abusive father. She never knows when he might go off, so she and her family cater to his every need and whim. This makes real relationships hard. Scarlett acknowledges that, and that she is often the backup friend. She states that she's okay with that, but the reader can tell that it weighs on her. For a lot of the book, I just wanted to give Scarlett a hug. No one knew what she was going through, and so she often had to deal with issues on her own.

I wasn't a big fan of Jesse for a good bit of the book. While he was raised poor compared to Scarlett, he had a loving family behind him. That's not to say his life was easy, but by the time we meet him and Scarlett in present day, he's had a support system for a while. The only reason he doesn't have a stronger one is because he pushes people away. Jesse also has some friends, and while I find them interesting, I also found the quite rude. They routinely make fun of other kids at school, including Scarlett.

The romance between Jesse and Scarlett took some time to grow on me. I told a friend while reading that I was ready to ship it, but Jesse needed to make up a heck of a lot of stuff to Scarlett. Personally, I don't think I would have been able to forgive Jesse for everything, but Scarlett's a better person than I am. That said, the characters did grow over the course of the book, and by the end I was 100% behind their relationship.

World Building

One thing that was a big part of the world was religion/faith. It was vague, but present. I'm not a big fan of religion in books, but it stayed mostly on the supportive side and I know some teens really value that in books. So while it didn't land well with me, it wasn't necessarily a detracting factor.

Only a Breath Apart is a standalone novel. Some of Katie McGarry's books feature characters from previous ones. While there aren't any characters we already know, it seems to take place in the same general world. It would be fun to see Scarlett and Jesse run into some of our previous main characters in a side novella/extra.

Praise:

“Katie McGarry knows what YA is, how it works, and what it can do better than anyone, but she always takes it one step further.” ―Hypable

"Fair warning: Picture-perfect Scarlett and misunderstood Jesse will have you in your feels." ―Girls' Life Magazine

“Beyond a haunted teen romance is a beautiful, moving exploration of domestic violence, forgiveness, and self-love. ...Simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming.” ―Kirkus, starred review

“McGarry ably captures the feeling of desperately wanting to come home to a friendship that has radically changed. The novel manages to tackle domestic violence in a way that never feels clichéd, and the romance is sure to win over even the most cynical reader. This is a story you’ll want to read slowly, just to be able to stay with the characters for a moment longer.” ―Booklist

“A gorgeous, heartfelt journey of redemption and love.” ―Wendy Higgins, New York Times bestselling author

“Powerful, emotional, and ultimately hopeful. An unforgettable story that will leave its mark on your heart.” ―C.J. Redwine, New York Times bestselling author

“Gritty and real, Only a Breath Apart is a story of hope conjured from pain, strength drawn from innocence, and love earned from self-respect. Beautiful, poignant, and fierce.” ―Kristen Simmons, critically acclaimed author of the Article 5 series

“Meticulously weaves a fragile love story through a minefield of loss, broken trust, and familial curses both real and imagined. Haunting, authentic, and ultimately hopeful.” ―Tammara Webber, New York Times bestselling author

“A painful, beautiful, and utterly magical story about the family you’re born into versus the family you choose.” ―Trish Doller, author of In a Perfect World

“A touching tale of love and fate straight from the heartland.” ―Mindy McGinnis, author of The Female of the Species

“Scarlett and Jesse’s story will stay in your heart long after you finish the book.” ―Simone Elkeles, New York Times bestselling author

“Southern Gothic at its finest, this is Katie McGarry’s best book to date!” ―Miranda Kenneally, author of Catching Jordan and Breathe, Annie, Breathe

Author Bio:

Katie is the author of the PUSHING THE LIMITS series, THUNDER ROAD series, SAY YOU’LL REMEMBER ME, and the upcoming YA novel, ONLY A BREATH APART. Her novels have received starred reviews, critical acclaim and have won multiple awards including being a multiple Goodreads Choice Award Finalist for YA Fiction, multiple RT Magazine's Reviewer's Choice Award Finalist for Best YA Fiction, including a win in the category, and she was a 2013 YALSA Top Ten Teen Pick.

You Can Find Her At:
Website

Instagram

Giveaway:

*JBN is not responsible for Lost or Damaged Books in your Nerdy Mail Box*

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour:

Week One

June 13th Thursday JeanBookNerd Interview
June 14th Friday A Court of Coffee and Books Review
June 14th Friday A Bella Fairy Tale Review
June 15th Saturday Movies, Shows, & Books Excerpt
June 15th Saturday Tween 2 Teen Book Reviews Review
June 16th Sunday Lauren's Bookshelf Review
June 16th Sunday TTC Books and More Excerpt
June 17th Monday Bookish Kali Review
June 17th Monday Postcards for Ariel Excerpt

Week Two
JUNE 20th Thursday BookHounds YA Review and Excerpt
JUNE 20th Thursday Booklovers For Life Review
JUNE 21st Friday Wishful Endings Interview
JUNE 22nd Saturday A Dream Within A Dream Review
JUNE 22nd Saturday Sabrina's Paranormal Palace Review
JUNE 23rd Sunday A Bookish Dream Review
JUNE 23rd Sunday Crossroad Reviews Review
JUNE 24th Monday Nay's Pink Bookshelf Review
JUNE 24th Monday Sophie Reads YA Review

Friday, May 31, 2019

Blog Tour: Dark Shores by Danielle L. Jensen

I am super excited to be part of the Dark Shores blog tour! Read on for my review and a guest post by the author! And check out the end of the post for a special giveaway!

Title: Dark Shores

Author: Danielle L. Jensen
Publisher: Tor Teen
Release: May 7, 2019

Pages: 364 pages
Review: 4 Stars

Synopsis:

High seas adventure, blackmail, and meddling gods meet in Dark Shores, the first novel in a new YA fantasy series.

In a world divided by meddlesome gods and treacherous oceans, only the Maarin possess the knowledge to cross the Endless Seas. But they have one mandate: East must never meet West.

A PIRATE WITH A WILL OF IRON

Teriana is the second mate of the Quincense and heir to the Maarin Triumvirate. Her people are born of the seas and the keepers of its secrets, but when her closest friend is forced into an unwanted betrothal, Teriana breaks her people’s mandate so her friend might escape—a choice with devastating consequences.

A SOLDIER WITH A SECRET

Marcus is the commander of the Thirty-Seventh, the notorious legion that has led the Celendor Empire to conquer the entire East. The legion is his family, but even they don’t know the truth he’s been hiding since childhood. It’s a secret he’ll do anything to protect, no matter how much it costs him – and the world.

A DANGEROUS QUEST

When an Empire senator discovers the existence of the Dark Shores, he captures Teriana’s crew and threatens to reveal Marcus’s secret unless they sail in pursuit of conquest, forcing the two into an unlikely—and unwilling—alliance. They unite for the sake of their families, but both must decide how far they are willing to go, and how much they are willing to sacrifice.

You Can Find it At:
Goodreads
AMAZON

Barnes & Noble

Book Depository

Review:

First Impressions

I've been interested in Dark Shores since I saw the cover reveal. It grabbed my attention and hasn't let go. When I had to opportunity to be on the blog tour I jumped at the chance. The book starts out a little slow going, but it picks up after a time jump. And it's a fast enough read that I read it in less than a day. Overall the book was really good, I just had a couple complaints that brought the rating down a star.

Characters

I absolutely loved Teriana. She's tough and had to make some hard choices. I love her commitment to her family and her crew. She also looks out for her best friend Lydia, when many in her position wouldn't have befriended her in the first place. On the topic of Lydia, I have some theories, but I'm not sure if they count as spoilers. What I will say is this: she isn't around after the time jump, but I don't think we've seen the last of her.

While I really like Teriana, I'm not a big fan of Marcus. He states in the story that he doesn't think he's worthy of her, and personally I agree with him. While he, like Teriana, had to make some tough choices in life, he still lives in a place of relative privilege. Especially considering she's basically his captive the entire book. I also feel like he doesn't fully see just how bad the Empire's conquering is. He sees the cost on battlefield, but he doesn't understand the personal and spiritual costs to what he's doing. And even when he does see that what he's doing is wrong, he only makes minimal sacrifices. I almost wanted Teriana to be like "I like you, but not enough to be with you right now. But call me up if you ever want to start a rebellion." Because there's definitely a rebellion against the Empire coming.

World Building

I loved the world I got to see in Dark Shores. I'm unsure if the final copy has a map or not, but I know my digital ARC didn't. I'd love to see one if one exists, because I think it would help me visualize the story better. While we get a lot of characters talking about the world, we don't see a whole lot of it. Most of the book takes place at sea and in two countries. I want to better understand the differences of the East vs the West and just why the must never meet. Hopefully we'll get more answers in book two. This world is really interesting, and I hope to learn more about the gods, the different people, and how everything ties together.

Guest Post:

Check out Danielle L. Jensen's top ten dream vacation spots!

Ten Dream Vacation Stops:
1. Cape of Good Hope, South Africa
2. Mykonos, Greece
3. Rome, Italy
4. Angkor Wat, Cambodia
5. Dubrovnik, Croatia
6. Iguazu Falls, Brazil
7. Kusatsu Onsen, Japan
8. Petra, Jordan
9. The Dead Sea
10. Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Praise:

“Richly-woven, evocative, and absolutely impossible to put down―I was hooked from the first lines! Dark Shores has everything I look for in a fantasy novel: fresh, unique settings, a cast of complex and diverse characters, and an unflinching boldness with the nuanced world-building. I loved every word.” ―Sarah J. Maas, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"The book grabs readers from the beginning with its stellar worldbuilding and multidimensional characters, and the mythical elements are truly believable within the constructs of the story. The perspective shifts between the viewpoints of Teriana and Marcus from chapter to chapter, offering readers greater insights into each. ...A gripping introduction to a new series." ―Kirkus Reviews (starred)

"This is a lush, imaginative world, and as the focus shifts between Teriana and Marcus, it becomes clear that the readers are only getting a glimpse of its complicated history and mythology. ...Their secrets don’t, of course, stop Teriana and Marcus from embarking on a steamy romance, and fans of Rutkoski’s sighworthy The Winner’s Kiss and the high-stakes sea adventure of Levenseller’s Daughter of the Pirate King will want to know where Marcus and Teriana journey to next." ―Bulletin of the Center for Children's Book

Author Bio:

Danielle L. Jensen is the USA Today bestselling author of The Malediction Novels: Stolen Songbird, Hidden Huntress, Warrior Witch, and The Broken Ones, as well as The Bridge Kingdom (Audible Originals). Her latest novel, Dark Shores, will be released by Tor Teen in May of 2019. She lives with her family in Calgary, Alberta.

Photo Credit: Katherine Calnan Photography

You Can Find Her At:

Website

Twitter

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Facebook
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Tour Schedule:

WEEK ONE
May 27th Monday JeanBookNerd INTERVIEW
May 28th Tuesday Bibliobibuli YA INTERVIEW
May 29th Wednesday A Court of Coffee and Books REVIEW
May 29th Wednesday TTC Books and More EXCERPT
May 30th Thursday Movies, Shows, & Books EXCERPT
May 30th Thursday Casia's Corner REVIEW
May 31st Friday A Bookish Dream REVIEW
May 31st Friday Tween 2 Teen Book Reviews REVIEW & GUEST POST

WEEK TWO
June 3rd Monday BookHounds YA REVIEW & INTERVIEW
June 3rd Monday Cover2CoverBlog REVIEW
June 4th Tuesday Nay's Pink Bookshelf REVIEW
June 4th Tuesday Random Bookish Banter REVIEW
June 5th Wednesday A Dream Within A Dream REVIEW
June 6th Thursday Wishful Endings REVIEW
June 7th Friday My Bookish Escapades REVIEW & EXCERPT
June 7th Friday Lauren's Bookshelf REVIEW

Giveaway:

*JBN is not responsible for Lost or Damaged Books in your Nerdy Mail Box*

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Monday, January 28, 2019

Blog Tour: Only a Breath Apart by Katie McGarry

Would you dare to defy destiny? Are our destinies written in stone? Do we become nothing more than the self-fulfilling prophesies of other people's opinions? Or can we dare to become who we believe we were born to be?

“A gorgeous, heartfelt journey of redemption and love” (Wendy Higgins), ONLY A BREATH APART is a young adult contemporary novel from critically acclaimed Katie McGarry. “Haunting, authentic, and ultimately hopeful” (Tammara Webber), order your copy of ONLY A BREATH APART now!

Title: Only a Breath Apart

Author: Katie McGarry

Publisher: Tor Teen

Release: January 22, 2019

Pages: 368

Review: 4.5 Stars

Synopsis:

They say your destiny is carved in stone. But some destinies are meant to be broken.

The only curse Jesse Lachlin believes in is his grandmother’s will: in order to inherit his family farm he must win the approval of his childhood best friend, the girl he froze out his freshman year.

A fortuneteller tells Scarlett she's psychic, but what is real is Scarlett’s father’s controlling attitude and the dark secrets at home. She may be able to escape, but only if she can rely on the one boy who broke her heart.

Each midnight meeting pushes Jesse and Scarlett to confront their secrets and their feelings, but as love blooms, the curse rears its ugly head…

You Can Find it At:
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Excerpt:

~SCARLETT~

Evangeline fans herself. “That boy is hot.”

Hot isn’t exactly the word I would use for him. Hot somehow feels…lacking. Hot is for some boy in our gym class who has recently grown facial hair. Jess Lachlin is no boy. He has fire-red hair, a sun kissed tan from all the hours working on his land, deep green eyes and a body made to handle rough, rugged days.

I might have been ignoring Jesse for years, but I’ve seen him. Every girl in this school has gone out of her way to drive or walk along one of the country roads to watch Jesse as he works his land. Living across the street, I’ve had a front-row view. His shirt off, drenched in sweat, muscles rippling as he moves, the way he sometimes pauses in his front yard and looks across the road as if he knows I’m watching. A fluttering in my chest and then—

“Would you date him?” Evangeline asks.

“No.” Camila’s answer is swift. “And it’s not like he dates anyone. Except for his friends, the boy is a recluse.”

“Why wouldn’t you?” The kneejerk question surprises even me when it pops out of my mouth. Camila and Evangeline look at me as if those were the first words I’d ever spoken. If I could hide under the circulation desk without making this moment worse, I would.

“Besides the fact he’s cursed and anyone a Lachlin falls in love with drops dead?” Camila walks toward me and Evangeline follows. Camila watches me with more curiosity than I care for, but it’s nice that she’s moving the conversation in my direction. “Jesse’s a train wreck, and he taints anyone in his vicinity. Dating him would be a social, emotional and literal death sentence.”

I’m familiar with the curse, and it’s no truer than Glory and her prophesies. “That sounds melodramatic.”

“It’s not.” Camila has a swear-to-God seriousness to her. “Mom and Dad had Bible study at our house last night, and Pastor Hughes came. Everyone thought I was in the basement, but I went to the kitchen for something to drink, and I heard Pastor Hughes ask everyone what they knew about Jesse.”

Eavesdropping. How Camila.

“Did you know that before Veronica started hanging with Jesse that she was on track to be a concert pianist?” Camila says.

“Seriously?” Evangeline tilts her head in disbelief, and I’ll admit to putting down my cell.

“Seriously. And Leo Wheeling was a star soccer player, predicted to be the first freshman to play varsity for our high school, and then he started hanging out with Jesse.”

Faint middle school memories of hearing Leo’s name over the announcements regarding soccer emerge in my mind.

“Then someone said that before Nazareth Kravitz moved here, he had taken the ACT in the seventh grade and received a perfect score. He moved here, met Jesse and the rest is history.”

Nazareth sleeps through most of our classes, that is, when he bothers showing for school.

I nibble on my bottom lip as I’m not sure how much I like the Jesse-is-the-devil enthusiasm. I may share the opinion, but that doesn’t mean anyone else should.

“Of course, then there’s Jesse himself. Drinking, drugs.”

“The fights,” Evangeline pipes in.

“Don’t forget the suspensions—”

“And he’s been arrested!” Evangeline finishes Camila’s statement like the two share a brain. Her eyes sparkle like that precious piece of scandalous gossip was just too good not to spread.

“The boy is a walking disaster,” Camila continues. “Anyone who hangs out with him wants to become a loser. It doesn’t matter he’s going to be a millionaire once he sells his grandmother’s land. Anyone who spends time with Jesse is asking for hurt.”

“And death.”

“Gritty and real, Only a Breath Apart is a story of hope conjured from pain, strength drawn from innocence, and love earned from self-respect. Beautiful, poignant, and fierce.” ―Kristen Simmons, critically acclaimed author of the Article 5 series

Author Bio:

You Can Find Her At:
Website

Friday, September 7, 2012

Dark Companion by Marta Acosta

Dark Companion is a decent novel. The plot was pretty predictable though. And the characters were see-through. I have definitely read better books.

The main character is a girl named Jane Williams. At first, I liked her. Yeah, she was falling for a guy I didn't like, but that was okay. I knew she wouldn't end up with him. She was more than a bit predictable. At the beginning, I thought she was a strong heroine. But by the middle, she was being an idiot and was very weak and not well done. Her character was falling apart. Towards the end, I started to like her again. After she comes to her senses, of course. One last problem I had with her was that she bounced from one guy to the next. One minute she's like 'I can't live without *spoiler*. I love him so much.' The next, she's all 'I don't like him anymore. But ooh, he's hot and nice. Now I love him.' I get that there is supposed to be some indecision, etc. but really? It was a little much.

The plot was mighty predictable. I was able to able to say 'And then that will happen. Then that. Oh, and she'll end up with him.' The beginning and end of the book were good, but the middle doesn't have much going for it. Most of it drove me nuts. I wanted to throw the book at the wall many times. The only reason I didn't was because it was a library book and I didn't want to pay the fine if I damaged it. So, in summary, the beginning and end were good and interesting. The character was okay at times but wasn't well constructed. And the middle was just plain boring. I was very much looking forward to this book, so I give it a three.