Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Can't-Wait Wednesday - Empire of Sand



Can't-Wait Wednesday is a feature hosted by Wishful Endings where people spotlight a book they're anticipating.



My pick this week is . . .
Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri





Title: Empire of Sand
Author: Tasha Suri
Pages: 496
Publisher: Orbit
Release Date: 13th November 2018


Blurb from Goodreads:


A nobleman’s daughter with magic in her blood. An empire built on the dreams of enslaved gods. Empire of Sand is Tasha Suri’s captivating, Mughal India-inspired debut fantasy.

The Amrithi are outcasts; nomads descended of desert spirits, they are coveted and persecuted throughout the Empire for the power in their blood. Mehr is the illegitimate daughter of an imperial governor and an exiled Amrithi mother she can barely remember, but whose face and magic she has inherited.

When Mehr’s power comes to the attention of the Emperor’s most feared mystics, she must use every ounce of will, subtlety, and power she possesses to resist their cruel agenda.

Should she fail, the gods themselves may awaken seeking vengeance…

Empire of Sand is a lush, dazzling fantasy novel perfect for readers of City of Brass and The Wrath & the Dawn.
 










Why I'm Anticipating This Book:

MMMMAAAAGGGGIIIICCCCCC!!!!!!!!!



 

 

Monday, October 29, 2018

Wildest Dreams Unboxing - We Are Monsters



Wildest Dreams is a YA subscription book box run by the lovely Zoe who blogs at No Safer Place.

Each box included a YA book, a tea, a bath product, and usually a bookmark and something extra.



This month the theme was 
We Are Monsters



Here's what was inside . . .



The tea this month was inspired by This Savage Song by V.E. Schwab. It is a black tea blend that is toffee, pumpkin and liquorice flavoured.




The bath product this month was a bath bomb inspired by The Vampire Diaries. 
It's pink and grey and is infused with patchouli and vanilla, and blended with hints of rose absolute, orange and jasmine.

The needle-pen is super creepy with the 'blood' inside.




 I was very surprised to find two eyes peering up at me when I opened up the bag!

The bookmark features the books of The Extinction Trials series.




This month's book was The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke.
The book came with a Wildest Dreams mini book review card and a signed bookplate.
I love the cover and I was very excited when I unwrapped the book. I nearly bought it the other week so it's a good job I didn't!




Here's everything all together...








Do you subscribe to Wildest Dreams?
What is your favourite item in this month's box?




Friday, October 26, 2018

Review - Grace and Fury (Grace and Fury, #1) by Tracy Banghart





 
Title: Grace and Fury (Grace and Fury, #1)
Author: Tracy Banghart
Pages: 320
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
Release Date: 26th July 2018


Blurb from Goodreads: 


In a world where women have no rights, sisters Serina and Nomi face 
two very different fates: one in the palace, the other on an island prison 
where women must fight to survive. 

Serina has spent her whole life preparing to become a Grace - selected 
to stand by the heir to the throne as a shining example of the perfect 
woman. 

But her headstrong and rebellious younger sister has a dangerous 
secret, and one wrong move could cost both sisters everything. 

Can Serina fight? And will Nomi win?














My Review:
 
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. 
Thanks to Hachette Children's Group and NetGalley*




Sisters Serina and Nomi live in a land where women have no rights.
The two of them are very different - composed and graceful, Serina 
has spent her life training to become a Grace, hoping to be chosen by 
the Heir for a life in the palace where she might become the mother 
of the next Heir. Stubborn and headstrong, Nomi will be Serina's 
handmaiden.
But Nomi has a secret. One that might change the sisters' lives 
forever if it is discovered.


My favourite part of Grace and Fury was definitely the two protagonists, 
Serina and Nomi. They were very different but they loved each other a lot. 
It was interesting to read as they were put in situations that were outside 
their comfort zones and to see how they reacted.
The plot was pretty predictable but the setting was interesting. It was scary 
to imagine a world where women had no power and weren't even allowed 
to read.
The writing style was easy to follow.
At the moment I'm not sure if I'll read the sequel but I am interested to see 
what happens in the sequel.
I am disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more as the blurb really intrigued 
me.


Overall this was an enjoyable, but predictable read.




Thursday, October 25, 2018

Blog Tour + Excerpt + Giveaway - The High Court (The Sky Throne #2) by Chris Ledbetter


Find the tour schedule here.










The High Court (The Sky Throne #2) by Chris Ledbetter
Release Date: October 16, 2018
Publisher: Month9Books


High atop Mount Olympus, dawn breaks on a new academic term. 
Normalcy has returned to campus following a harrowing expedition 
into The Underworld to rescue kidnapped students by Zeus and his 
fellow Olympians. Now, as they prepare to testify in The High Court, 
Hyperion will be tried for the attack on Crete and death of Anytos. 
Kronos will stand trial for the murder of Mount Olympus Prep’s 
Headmaster Ouranos.

As the trials draw near, Mount Olympus Prep students and faculty are
besieged repeatedly by a race of gargantuan stone and earth giants. 
Under heavy assault, the Olympians are forced to flee to the volcanic 
island of Limnos to regroup.
Meanwhile, a toxic poison Zeus has carried with him since a prior 
fight with a dragoness, creeps toward his brain.

In a race against time and beasts, Zeus and his friends must find a way
to survive not only the toxin ravaging Zeus’ body, but also the giants 
who grow stronger after every attack, and somehow make it to the 
The High Court alive.







OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES

 




 







Excerpt:



Tethys paused for a moment. Her gaze drifted to the fierce girl still 
holding my hand. “Wait ... Metis? Our daughter, Metis?” 
“Yes, Mother.” Her curt tone could’ve sliced through a mountainside. 
“You look so different.” Tethys covered her mouth. “Whatever have 
you done with your hair? It used to flow unrestrained like the 
turquoise waters of the Aegean. Now it’s a tangled thicket of 
bleached straw.” 
Metis stepped forward out of my grasp. “Don’t like it, Mother? Tough. 
This is what happens when a person is abandoned by her parents and 
tossed to the waves by them.” 









About the Author





Chris Ledbetter grew up in Durham, NC before moving to 
Charlottesville, VA in 11th grade. After high school, he attended 
Hampton University where he promptly “walked-on” to the 
best drum line in the conference without any prior percussion 
experience. He carried the bass drum for four years, something his 
back is not very happy about now.

After a change of heart and major, he enrolled in Old Dominion 
University and earned his degree in Business Administration. He’s 
worked in various managerial and marketing capacities throughout 
his life. He taught high school for six years in Culpeper, VA, and also
coached football.

He has walked the streets of Los Angeles and New York City, waded
in the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and climbed 
Diamond Head crater on Hawaii and rang in the New Year in Tokyo,
Japan. But he dreams of one day visiting Greece and Italy.














Tour-wide giveaway





http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/blog-tours/