Fantasy

  • New books for the TBR pile …

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    So what books did Santa bring everyone for Christmas? And is it sad that I still get excited about getting books as presents? 🙂

    Here are some of the books that I received over the holidays. Note that the descriptions are from Goodreads.

    The Demon KingThe Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima

    Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iTunes

    My thoughts: I’ve been wanting to try Chima’s books for a while now, and this seemed like a good series to start with. Has anyone read it?

    Times are hard in the mountain city of Fellsmarch. Reformed thief Han Alister will do almost anything to eke out a living for his family. The only thing of value he has is something he can’t sell—the thick silver cuffs he’s worn since birth. They’re clearly magicked—as he grows, they grow, and he’s never been able to get them off.

    One day, Han and his clan friend, Dancer, confront three young wizards setting fire to the sacred mountain of Hanalea. Han takes an amulet from Micah Bayar, son of the High Wizard, to keep him from using it against them. Soon Han learns that the amulet has an evil history—it once belonged to the Demon King, the wizard who nearly destroyed the world a millennium ago. With a magical piece that powerful at stake, Han knows that the Bayars will stop at nothing to get it back.

    Meanwhile, Raisa ana’Marianna, princess heir of the Fells, has her own battles to fight. She’s just returned to court after three years of freedom in the mountains—riding, hunting, and working the famous clan markets. Raisa wants to be more than an ornament in a glittering cage. She aspires to be like Hanalea—the legendary warrior queen who killed the Demon King and saved the world. But her mother has other plans for her—including marriage to a suitor who goes against everything the queendom stands for.

    The Seven Realms tremble when the lives of Hans and Raisa collide, fanning the flames of the smoldering war between clans and wizards.

    Make It CountMake It Count by Megan Erickson

    Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iTunes

    My thoughts: I’ve seen this book reviewed on several blogs, and it looks like a fun, new adult read. Why aren’t there more light-hearted new adult books out there?

    Kat Caruso wishes her brain had a return policy, or at least a complaint hot-line. The defective organ is constantly distracted, terrible at statistics, and absolutely flooded with inappropriate thoughts about her boyfriend’s gorgeous best friend, Alec…who just so happens to be her brand new math tutor. Who knew nerd was so hot?

    Kat usually goes through tutors like she does boyfriends—both always seem to bail when they realize how hopeless she is. It’s safer for her heart to keep everyone at arm’s reach. But Alec is always stepping just a little too close.

    Alec Stone should not be fantasizing about Kat. She’s adorable, unbelievably witty, and completely off limits. He’d never stab his best friend in the back…

    But when secrets are revealed, the lines of loyalty are blurred. To make it count, Alec must learn messy human emotions can’t be solved like a trigonometry function. And Kat has to trust Alec may be the first guy to want her for who she is, and not in spite of it.

    Little ElvisesLittle Elvises by Timothy Hallinan

    Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iTunes

    My thoughts: I love books about thieves, and a thief-turned-investigator-for-other-thieves sounded like a cool idea. So I picked up Crashed, the first book in this series, and enjoyed it. Little Elvises is the second book in the series.

    Junior Bender untangles one of the weirdest mysteries in Tinseltown.

    LA burglar Junior Bender has (unfortunately) developed a reputation as a competent private investigator for crooks. The unfortunate part about this is that regardless of whether he solves the crime or not, someone dangerous is going to be unhappy with him, either his suspect or his employer.
     
    Now Junior is being bullied into proving aging music industry mogul Vinnie DiGaudio is innocent of the murder of a nasty tabloid journalist he’d threatened to kill a couple times. It doesn’t help that the dead journalist’s widow is one pretty lady, and she’s trying to get Junior to mix pleasure with business. Just as the investigation is spiraling out of control, Junior’s hard-drinking landlady begs him to solve the disappearance of her daughter, who got involved with a very questionable character. And, worst news of all, both Junior’s ex-wife and his thirteen-year-old daughter, Rina, seem to have new boyfriends. What a mess.

    So these are some of the books I’ll be reading over the next few weeks. What are you guys reading right now?

  • Checking out the fall TBR pile …

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    Today, I’m sharing some books that are waiting in my TBR pile and another one that I am looking forward to that is being released this fall.

    Note: The descriptions are from Goodreads.

    In Your DreamsIn Your Dreams by Kristan Higgins — out now

    Amazon / iTunes

    Emmaline Neal needs a date. Just a date—someone to help her get through her ex-fiancé’s wedding without losing her mind. But pickings are slim in Manningsport, New York, population 715. In fact, there’s really only one option: local heartthrob Jack Holland. Everyone loves Jack, and he won’t get the wrong idea…. After all, Jack Holland would never actually be interested in a woman like Em. Especially not with his beautiful ex-wife creeping around, angling to reunite ever since he rescued a group of teens and became a local hero.

    But when the wedding festivities take an unexpectedly passionate turn, Em figures it was just one crazy night. Jack is too gorgeous, too popular, to ever end up with her. So why is she the one he can talk to about his deep, dark feelings? If Em is going to get her dream man, she’ll have to start by believing in him…

    Prince's FirePrince’s Fire by Amy Raby — out now

    Amazon / iTunes

    As the sister of the Kjallan emperor, Celeste cannot choose where to bestow her heart….

    The imperial princess has been offered in marriage to the Prince of Inya as part of an alliance needed to ensure Kjall’s military prowess. And despite having been hurt in the past by men using her to gain power, Celeste finds herself falling for the passionate fire mage.

    Prince Rayn has no intention of allying his country with the militaristic Kjallans. But his political enemies at home may be the greater threat. The princess’s beauty and intelligence catch him off guard, throwing an unexpected and dangerous hurdle in the way of his plans.

    As a deadly political plot threatens Rayn’s life, the attraction between Celeste and Rayn ignites into a sizzling affair. But to save her people and herself, Celeste will have to discover if Rayn’s intentions are true or risk having her love burn her yet again….

    Snow Like AshesSnow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch — Oct. 14

    Amazon / iTunes

    A heartbroken girl. A fierce warrior. A hero in the making.

    Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.

    Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again.

    So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, and serving her kingdom just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own.

    What’s in your TBR pile right now? What books are you guys looking forward to this fall?

  • · ·

    Guest blog: Danielle L. Jensen on Stolen Songbird …

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    Danielle JensenToday, I’m pleased to welcome Danielle L. Jensen to my blog. Danielle is the author of Stolen Songbird, book 1 of the Malediction trilogy.

    Q&A WITH DANIELLE

    Jennifer: Welcome, Danielle! Please tell readers about your new book, Stolen Songbird.

    Danielle: Thanks so much for having me on your blog, Jennifer!

    It’s starting to not feel very new anymore! Now that Stolen Songbird has been on the shelves for five months, my focus has almost completely shifted to the sequel, Hidden Huntress. But I digress J

    Stolen Songbird is about an aspiring opera diva who is kidnapped by trolls and married to their prince in order to break the curse binding them to their underground kingdom. Except that it doesn’t work, and she’s forced to find a way to make a life for herself amongst the trolls. At first all she cares about is escape, but as she becomes involved in the complex politics of the trolls, her sympathies grow towards the oppressed underclass of half-bloods, and she joins the revolutionaries who are fighting to help them. Revolutionaries that just happen to be led by the troll prince she’s married to.

    Jennifer: This is the first book in your Malediction trilogy. Can you tell us a little about the series?

    Danielle: That’s actually a really tough question, because it’s hard for me to talk about the series as a whole without spoilers. Instead, I’m going to give you the first page of Hidden Huntress, which I recently posted on my Goodreads Ask thread. (Note: Hidden Huntress is in the editorial stage, so this excerpt is still subject to the red pen of my editor!)

    Chapter 1

    Cécile

    My voice faded into silence, though the memory of it seemed to haunt the theatre as I slumped gracefully, trusting that Julian would catch me, however much he might not want to. The stage was smooth and cool against my cheek, a blessed relief against the heat of hundreds of bodies packed into one place. I tried to breathe shallowly, ignoring the stench of too much perfume and far too few baths as I feigned death. Julian’s voice replaced mine, and his lament echoed across my ears and through the theatre, but I only half-listened, my attention drifting away to fix on the all too real sorrow of another. One far out of reach.

    The audience erupted into cheers. “Bravo!” someone shouted, and I almost smiled when a falling flower brushed against my cheek. The curtain hit the stage floor, and I reluctantly opened my eyes, the red velvet of the curtains pulling me back into an unwelcome reality.

    “You seem distracted tonight,” Julian said, hauling me unceremoniously to my feet. “And about as emotive as my left boot. She won’t be best pleased, you know.”

    “I know,” I muttered, smoothing my costume into place. “I had a late night.”

    “Shocking.” Julian rolled his eyes. “It’s tiring work ingratiating yourself with every rich man in the city.” He took my hand again, nodded at the crew, and we both plastered smiles on our faces as the curtain rose again. “Cécile! Cécile!” the audience shouted. Waving blindly, I blew a kiss to the sea of uniform faces before dropping into a deep curtsey. We stepped back to let the rest of the cast take their bows before coming forward again. Julian dropped to one knee and kissed my gloved fingers to the roaring approval of the crowd, and then the curtain dropped for the final time.

    Stolen SongbirdJennifer: What appeals to you about the young adult and epic fantasy genres?

    Danielle: Epic fantasy has always been my favourite genre, primarily because I enjoy the escapism. I really like the fast-paced and character focused nature of YA.

    Jennifer: What inspired you to write the Malediction series?

    Danielle: I had a dream about a beautiful city that was buried and partially destroyed by rubble. It stuck with me, and I started building a story to fit the setting, which is a very unusual way for me to start a novel. My ideas tend to spring from situations and characters.

    Jennifer: What are some of your favorite young adult and epic fantasy books/authors and why?

    Danielle: I’m so unfaithful when it comes to favourites – I’m always changing my answer. My love for epic fantasy began as a child with Tolkien and Eddings, and it moved on to Anne McCaffrey, the Dragonlance universe, Barbara Hambly, Robert Jordan, Jacqueline Carey, and GRRM, etc. etc. For YA epic fantasy, I’m a big fan of Garth Nix. The most important thing for me is that the characters be memorable, but I also really enjoy long series with big sweeping worlds that you get to see a lot of. I think YA is starting to push into that territory, which makes me happy, because my side project fits right into that niche.

    Jennifer: Have you always wanted to be a writer? What got you started on your writing journey?

    Danielle: Nope. My first university degree is in finance, and I worked in that industry for quite a few years. It wasn’t actually a job that I was well suited to, because I’m a chronic daydreamer and I get bored really easily. The idea to try writing a novel came from a coworker, and I started trying to put those daydreams onto the page in 2006. Given my first book was published this year, I think it’s fair to say it took me a few years to get the hang of it.

    Jennifer: What’s next for you? What are you working on?

    Danielle: I’m working on the edits for Hidden Huntress, but I’m going to spend the bulk of the next few months finishing my new epic fantasy project. I’m in love with the characters, but only my parents have read it, so it’s too soon to say if it will ever hit the shelves. Cross your fingers for me!

    MORE ABOUT DANIELLE

    Danielle was born and raised in Calgary, Canada. At the insistence of the left side of her brain, she graduated in 2003 from the University of Calgary with a bachelor’s degree in finance. But the right side of her brain has ever been mutinous; and in 2010, it sent her back to school to complete an entirely impractical English literature degree at Mount Royal University and to pursue publication. Much to her satisfaction, the right side shows no sign of relinquishing its domination.

    You can learn more about Danielle and her books on the following sites:
     
    GIVEAWAY TIME
     
    Danielle is offering a copy of Stolen Songbird, along with some signed swag. The contest is open to those 13 and older worldwide. To enter, use the giveaway form below.
  • · ·

    Michelle Diener on fantasy romance …

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    Michelle DienerToday, I’m pleased to welcome my author friend and fellow Magical Musings blogger Michelle Diener to my blog. Michelle is the author of The Golden Apple and several other historical fiction and fantasy books.

    Jennifer: Welcome, Michelle!

    Michelle: Thank you so much for having me, Jennifer!

    Jennifer: Please tell readers about your new release, The Golden Apple. This is the first book in your Dark Forest series. Can you tell us a little about the series too?

    Michelle: There are only two books in the series, The Golden Apple, and coming this fall, The Silver Pear. The books are very loosely based on a Norwegian fairy tale, although the story starts almost where the original tale ends. It takes the reader into a world where sorcerers are sizing each other up for a battle for power. Kayla, a princess, and Rane, a woodcutter with a few secrets, who has won her hand in marriage in a bizarre tournament, have to journey into the mysterious dark forest to fulfill the terms of an enchantment, and in doing so, find a way to save themselves and uncover their strengths.

    The Golden AppleThe Golden Apple:

    Kayla’s world has been turned upside-down …

    Her father has made her the prize in a deadly, impossible tournament, and Kayla has retaliated in the only way she knows how; by choosing her champion beforehand. But taking control of the outcome changes the game completely, and when the real reason behind the strange test becomes apparent, Kayla realizes not just her life, but her entire kingdom is at stake.

    Rane’s honor is torn in two …

    In order to save his brother, Rane will do whatever he has to–including deceive and betray a princess. He knew nothing about this tournament would be easy, but when it turns into a deeper, far more sinister game, Rane is forced to see it through to the end, or leave his brother at the mercy of their enemy.

    Now their fates are entwined, and they must venture into the deep, dark forest together …

    Kayla and Rane are bound to one another by an enchantment and Kayla’s actions. But the sorcerer forcing them to do his will may have miscalculated, because no one comes out of the Great Forest unchanged. No one.

    Jennifer: What appeals to you about the fantasy and romance genres?

    Michelle: I think fantasy and romance are both genres were you can lose yourself in another world, and if you put them together, it’s almost twice the fun 🙂

    Jennifer: What inspired you to write The Golden Apple?

    Michelle: The books are loosely based on the Norwegian fairy tale, The Princess on the Glass Hill, inspired by just a few short lines in the original tale, where the princess helps the hero to win the contest her father has arranged for her hand. I was intrigued enough to wonder what the consequences of her interfering in the outcome of the tournament might be, and The Golden Apple and The Silver Pear are the result.

    Jennifer: What are some of your favorite fantasy and romance books/authors and why?

    Michelle: I love the novels of Ilona Andrews, because her characters are so real, and her world-building feels very organic and solid. I love the fantasy novels of Patricia Briggs as well. Both Andrews and Briggs write in a deep 3rd POV style I enjoy as a reader. Some fantasy just doesn’t have a deep enough POV for me, and I feel like there is a layer between me and the characters, and I like to connect strongly to the characters I’m reading about.

    Jennifer: Have you always wanted to be a writer? What got you started on your writing journey?

    Michelle: Yes, I always wanted to be a writer, since I was very young. I really started to work seriously towards publication when I realized my dream would slip away unless I buckled down and go to it. When I’d made that decision, I found a wonderful critique group and began focusing on my craft.

    Jennifer: What’s next for you? What are you working on?

    The Emperor's ConspiracyMichelle: I’m looking over the final proofs right now of A Dangerous Madness, a historical novel that’s due out in May. It is historical romantic suspense, and is connected to The Emperor’s Conspiracy and Banquet of Lies, in that some of the characters from the earlier two books make an appearance, though the books don’t need to be read in any order. It is set in London during the Regency period, and centers around a race to find out who assassinated the British prime minister, Spencer Perceval. If you like your historical fiction with a good dose of romance and based around a real historical event, this might be a book you’d enjoy. Here is the blurb:

    The Duke of Wittaker has been living a lie …

    He’s been spying on the dissolute, discontented noblemen of the ton, pretending to share their views. Now he’s ready to step out of the shadows and start living a real life … but when the prime minister of England is assassinated, he’s asked to go back to being the rake-hell duke everyone believes he still is to find out more.

    Miss Phoebe Hillier has been living a lie, too …

    All her life she’s played by society’s rules, hiding her fierce intelligence and love of life behind a docile and decorous mask. All it’s gotten her is jilted by her betrothed, a man she thought a fool, though a harmless one. But when she discovers her former fiancé was involved in the plot against the prime minister, and that he’s been murdered, she realizes he wasn’t so harmless after all.

    And now the killers have set their sights on her …

    The only man who can help her is the Duke of Wittaker–a man she knows she shouldn’t trust. And she soon realizes he’s hiding behind a mask as careful as her own. As the deranged assassin who pulled the trigger steadfastly vows he acted alone, and as the clock ticks down to his trial, the pair scramble to uncover the real conspiracy. And as the pressure and the danger mounts, Phoebe and Wittaker shed their disguises, layer by layer, to discover something more precious than either imagined–something that could last forever. Unless the conspirators desperate to hide their tracks get to them first.

    Thank you for having me!

    MORE ABOUT MICHELLE

    Michelle Diener writes historical fiction and fantasy. Her Susanna Horenbout & John Parker series, set in the court of Henry VIII, includes In a Treacherous Court, Keeper of the King’s Secrets and In Defense of the Queen.

    Michelle’s other historical novels include Daughter of the Sky, The Emperor’s Conspiracy and Banquet of Lies (loosely connected to The Emperor’s Conspiracy).

    Michelle’s first fantasy novel, Mistress of the Wind, was published on Dec. 19, 2013 and her second fantasy, The Golden Apple, was published on March 24, 2014.

    Michelle was born in London, grew up in South Africa and currently lives in Australia with her husband and two children.

    When she’s not writing, or driving her kids from activity to activity, you can find her blogging at Magical Musings, or online at Twitter, at Google+ and Facebook.

    GIVEAWAY TIME

    Michelle is giving away two copies of The Golden Apple, Kindle or print version, winner’s choice, open to international entries. To enter the giveaway, use the form below.

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

  • Changing seasons, changing reads …

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    I talked about this over at Magical Musings last week, but I thought I would share it here on my blog too.

    It Happened One WeddingSpring officially begins on Thursday, March 20, and I know a lot of folks are ready to put the winter weather behind them. Far, far behind them.

    The cold temperatures have kept a lot of folks indoors over the past few months, including yours truly, and have certainly made curling up with a good book more appealing than ever before. But I’ve been thinking a lot about what I’ve been reading over the past few months and how my tastes and temperament often change with the seasons.

    In the fall and winter months, I find myself turning to fantasy reads, whether it’s epic fantasy, young adult fantasy, or paranormal romance. Some of my reads this winter have included The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson and the Healer series by Maria V. Snyder, to name a few. Books with worlds and magic and characters and adventures that offer an escape from the unrelenting cold temperatures. And we’ve all had our fair share of those this winter. Thank you, polar vortex.

    But as spring (and then summer) rolls around, I find that I’m in the mood for lighter, more contemporary reads, especially contemporary romances. One of my many anticipated reads for the spring is It Happened One Wedding by Julie James. Books where the heroine and hero meet cute and have their ups and downs before realizing that they’re crazy about each other. Stories that are as charming and hopeful as the unfurling of the spring leaves (but without all the woes of allergy season).

    So I’m looking forward to the changing seasons and the changes in my TBR pile too.

    What about you guys? Do you find that your reading preferences change with the seasons? Why or why not? What are some of the books that you are looking forward to this spring?