Spring Fling Giveaway

From March 20th to April 3rd, more than 70 authors come together to give away hundreds of books.

The YA Spring Fling is an opportunity for readers to find new books, new authors and take part in something very special. Here is a sneak peek of some of the books involved in the giveaway.

All are featured in the YA Spring Fling giveaway. Click here to win free books!

What's included

The Scourge by A.G. Henley

Seventeen-year-old Groundling, Fennel, is Sightless. She's never been able to see her lush forest home, but she knows its secrets. She knows how devious and arrogant the Groundlings' tree-dwelling neighbors, the Lofties, can be. And she's always known this day would come--the day she faces the Scourge alone.

The Universe Unbound Trilogy by Augusta Blythe

In WINTERBORNE, best friends Loie and Mia discover a world they never knew existed. In RAVENSTOKE, they learn to navigate their new paths. In THE YAWNING VOID, the stakes are raised even higher with innocent lives hanging in the balance and the girls in danger of losing everyone and everything they hold dear.

Dragon Blood 1: Pliethin by Avril Sabine

Amber's life is dramatically changed when she's forced to move to a small Queensland town. Dragons are no longer myths.  She's caught up in their world of clans, ancient traditions and dangerous enemies.

The Witching Elm by CN Crawford

A young sorcerer named Toby escapes from a civil war in Maremount, an alternate version of Boston created after the Salem Witch Trials. In the form of a crow, he flies to a creaky old school in the center of downtown Boston. Along with his new friend Fiona, they discover magical secrets about the school as the civil war creeps from Maremount into Boston.

Bone Dry by Cady Vance

Sixteen-year-old Holly Bennett is a comic book nerd, a con artist...and a shaman. But when her cons lead to the death and disappearance of those around her, Holly races against the clock to save her mother's life, her town, and everything she's ever known.

Rosamund’s Heart by Cate Dean

When Rosamond convinces her friend Dan to explore a haunted castle, she expects them to find only a ghost or two. Instead they discover the missing prince, and stumble into the middle of a violent, desperate bid for the throne.

In order to save the injured Prince Jaren, and the boy she has loved since they first met, Rosamond must reach beyond her own violent past to find her courage.

And by choosing the path of courage, she may end up losing her heart.

The Edge of the Woods by Ceinwen Langley

A village surrounded by dangerous woods filled with fireflies and, so it's said, creatures. A girl trying to fight unfair laws to win a decent life for herself and her mother. A boy watching her from behind the trees.

Hegira by Ela Lond

Amanda believed she was alone in the world and afraid of never being able to escape her uncle's greedy clutches.. But then three men burst into the house, interrupting the wedding, and take her away. The intruders call themselves Elementals.

Sacrificed: The Last Oracle by Emily Wibberley

Fifteen-year-old Clio should have never been the Oracle. That power is passed from mother to eldest daughter, and Clio is the youngest of four sisters. But when her entire family is murdered by the king's adviser, Clio is left all alone and heir to a power she never wanted and doesn't understand...

Gifted by H.S. Stone

In a kingdom where the Gifteds are forced to fight to the death, Voima is fortunate that she is just a Regular. However, her brother, Vendd, isn’t so lucky. After he is captured, Voima, an
outmatched Regular girl, must defeat the kingdom’s most dangerous Gifteds in order to save her brother from certain death.

Bound in Blue: Book One of the Sword Elements by Heather Hamilton-Senter

Rhi's ability to see magic as color places her at the center of a conflict between the ancient gods of Avalon. She must master this strange power and remake Excalibur - the Sword of Elements—but if she succeeds, Rhi will become more dangerous than any god. And gods don't like being challenged.

Fairy, Texas by Margo Bond Collins

Laney Harris thinks there might be monsters in Fairy, Texas. She's right.

Hell is Coming (Watcher’s Series Book One) by NP Martin
A dark urban fantasy novel for lovers of strong female protagonists, loads of action and just a pinch of romance.

Of Introductions and Abductions: Monkey Queen Book One by Robert Dahlen

When Beth McGill, college student and geek girl, discovers that all around her is not what it seems, her life will be changed forever. She'll meet and team up with Michiko, the wisecracking teen hero known as the Monkey Queen, to rescue a mutual friend. It'll be a weekend they'll never forget...if they survive to see Monday morning.

White Hart by Sarah Dalton

Mae never asked to be craft-born. She never wanted that burden. The realm needs magic again, and the the King of Aegunlund has been waiting for the first craft-born girl to marry his son, Prince Casimir.

In Mae's town of Halts-Walden, the ambitious miller claims his daughter Ellen is craft-born. Mae knows this is a load of hogwash, but she's glad Ellen will have the unfortunate pleasure of becoming queen instead of her. All she has to do is sit back and wait until Casimir and Ellen are married, then she will finally be free of the threat of her fate. But on that day an event so
shocking and terrible occurs that Mae finds herself entering the neighbouring cursed forest on a quest she never thought she'd have to follow.

Join Mae as she rides her white stag through the Waerg Woods with a pampered prince at her heels. She's out for revenge and nothing, no one, will get in her way.
 
Arcane by Sever Bronny

An Amazon bestseller in coming of age fantasy, Arcane is about three friends who endure a harrowing ordeal while apprenticing under a legendary warlock.

Pegasi and Prefects (Scholars and Sorcery #1) by Eleanor Beresford

Charley's final year at boarding school is complicated by an unwanted Games Captainship, a
runaway pegasus, and falling in love with another girl. What is a reluctant Senior Prefect to do?

Waterborn and Waterdreamer by Kimberley James

Charms fade… "You don’t have to choose. You can be both. The girl with the charm, the girl without. They both suit you."

Caris Harper lives a charmed life. Literally.

Somewhere Only We Know by Cheyanne Young

Sadie Bradford’s life is one anxiety attack after another. All she wants is to escape life's realities for the summer and hang out with her best friend Aaron. But her grandmother has other plans: Sadie will get a job. Sadie will do volunteer work. Sadie will make new friends - friends without brain injuries that make them forget everything...friends that aren’t Aaron.

Memory’s Wake by Selina Fenech

I don't know who I am. I don't know what I am. All I know is that I'm being hunted, and this world is not my own.

Visions by Kimberley Readnour

Heather Reiner isn't your typical teenager. With abilities reaching far beyond the norm, she's just beginning to discover her possibilities. Join Heather and discover her mystical encounters.

The In-Betweener and Forever Between by Ann Christy 
YA Post-apocalyptic science fiction

Two years have passed since humanity was suddenly divided into three types: humans, deaders and the frightening in-betweeners. Emily's world has grown quiet and ordered, her day bounded by a morning killing deaders at her fence and nights alone in a warehouse office. She's begun to believe it will always be so. That all changes when one of the deaders at the gate isn't a deader at all...and he has a message.

The Death Chronicles by J.E. Taylor

Nick Ramsay's future dreams crumble when he starts seeing Reapers and his dead father shows up at his doorstep. Nick's true lineage comes to light. Every choice he makes away from his true path has dire consequences. Death, Fate, Reapers, and Leviathan all play a part in this epic horror series.

Ghost Camera by Dacey Coates

A small number of cameras have the ability to capture ghosts on film. This gift comes at a steep price; the ghosts are resentful and hungry, and the cameras offer them a rare chance to reach their favourite prey… humans.

Jenine doesn’t know any of this when she finds an abandoned Polaroid camera in a lighthouse. At first she assumes the ghostly shapes in the photos are a glitch or a prank – but then the spirits begin to hunt her down, and she’s forced into a deadly race to free herself from the camera’s curse.

Mary Hades: Beginnings Box Set (Books One, Two, Plus Novellas) by Sarah Dalton

From My Daylight Monsters, to Possess. This box set features two full-length novels, one novella and two short stories, all arranged conveniently for maximum enjoyment. Immerse
yourself in the macabre world of Mary Hades, a YA horror series with a difference.

How it works

Q & A with the organiser – Sarah Dalton

How can readers enter the YA Spring Fling giveaway?

Head over to my website Sarahdaltonbooks.com and find the page for the YA Spring Fling (handy hint, it’s here). Once you’re there you can browse through the books on offer, or check out more information about the participating authors.

You should see plenty of links prompting you to enter the giveaway. Simply fill out the Google document telling us which books you’d like to win, the format you prefer, and whether you would also like to win paperbacks and swag. It’s that simple. Pick the books you want and sign off.

How will I know I’ve won?

There are so many books on offer that I’d be surprised if you didn’t win something! So you will be hearing from us.

After April 3rd, I will collate all the entries and pass them on to the participating authors. They will then choose the winners at random and Email the winners to let them know the good news.

Will my Email or personal details be used outside the giveaway?

Absolutely not. We’re all against spam and promise not to use your Email for anything other than contacting you as a winner. If you joined up to the YA Spring Fling mailing list you will receive one Email telling you the giveaway is open, and another warning you it is about to close.

That’s it!

Is the giveaway open internationally?

Yes! But there are some paperbacks on offer that are region specific. Not all of our authors are sending paperbacks and swag internationally, purely because it costs us so much money and we ain’t made of it. ;)

We will ask for your country of residence in the Google document. That’s so we can work out the winners for region specific paperbacks more easily. Everything else is open internationally.

I have a question, who can I contact?

Me! Send me a message on Facebook. My email might be clogged by answering author queries, so Facebook might be the easiest method.

Who can I tell about the giveaway? And what can I do to help spread the word?

You can tell everyone and anyone who might like YA books. If you’d like to spread the word it would be awesome if you could follow or like some of the authors and share their posts about the giveaway. You can find a full list of the participating authors and their social media links here.

Good luck everyone! May you win many books!

https://www.facebook.com/sarahdaltonbooks
http://www.sarahdaltonbooks.com/
https://twitter.com/sarahdalton

Fantasy Favorites Read-A-Thon: Day 1

Just getting started

 
So it's day 1 of the Fantasy Favorites Read-A-Thon. Things are just getting started and I can't wait for all that is to come.
 
Read-A-Thon progress: 20 of 889 pages. I decided to start with Green Rider by Kristen Britain. So far, it's been more challenging than I thought it would be. First, because the book is very descriptive; I have to slow down my reading pace so I can take everything in. Secondly, today I work about 12 hours between my two job. That makes it tough to get a ton of readying done. But fear not! The rest of the week will be blue skies from here on out. Meaning that I will shut myself in my room and get lost in a world of fantasy.

Today, we're taking some photographic evidence of what goes on behind the screen. 

1. Your Bookshelf.

Please excuse how messy my bookshelf is. I live with two roommates in a small house, so I try to keep my books on a leash in the limited space. I switched to reading mostly ebooks a few years ago to save on space. Most of what you see on these shelves predate that switch. 

2. Your TBR pile.

I went out and bought physical copies last night just so I could take a picture of them. I also managed to make a new bookstore record for myself. I managed to spend less than 30 minutes and $30 at Barnes and Noble. That has never happened before. 

3. Where you will be reading this week.

This picture qualifies for both number 3 and 4. It's my reading corner, complete with my thrift shop chair that I only got to my house by tying it to the trunk of my car with jumper cables. It's also never that clean, I did that just for you guys.


 

4. Your blogging space.

Since my blogging space is the same as my reading space, I decided to include a picture of my reading/blogging companions. Those two are my 4-year-old fur babies. (I'm a cat lady. #sorrynotsorry). I've usually got one curled in my lap or sitting on the back of that chair. But of course, they refused to pose for a picture. Aptly, they are name Artemis and Athena from Greek mythology.

 

5. Your favourite fantasy book.

Why does everyone want me to chose these things? Don't you know it is statistically impossible! OK fine, here are a few of my recent favorites. 

 

6. A book in your bookshelf that includes: aliens, magic, dragons, mythology or is steampunk.

I didn't have pictures for this one so I just went with its cover art.  My Boyfriend Merlin has got Arthurian mythology, magic AND dragons.

  

7. Your fantasy books sorted by colour.

This one I actually couldn't do, due to my lack of physical copies. But I love dark covers so there would be a lot of that.

Fantasy Favorites Read-A-Thon: The Intro

What it's about

The Fantasy Favourites Read-A-Thon is hosted by Olivia's Catastrophe and Bookshelf Reflections. The goal set read as much fantasy as you can and have a little fun while you do it. Its a week long event that starts tomorrow. So make sure to check back for the daily updates. 

1. Introduce yourself! The name's Ashley. I work full-time as an editor and designer for a newspaper. In my spare time I like to read and then write about it. I also design printable bookmarks whenever the mood strikes me. You can check those out at my Etsy shop. I also play league volleyball and softball. I love coffee, tea and my two 4-year-old cats, Artemis and Athena. 

2. Why did you choose to join the read-a-thon? I'm a fantasy fanatic, so when I saw the sign-ups I got so very excited. I have a lot of trouble finding other people who read fantasy and so I'm hoping to find some other great new blogs to follow.

3. What books do you intend to read? What’s your reading goal and how many pages do you actually think you can manage? I've had Daughter of Smoke and Bone and Green Rider on my TBR list for a very long time. Combined they are 889 pages. I think I will finish both and actually need a third book to read. If I do, it will be a mystery title. But rest assured, it will be a fantasy. 

4. What is your current favourite fantasy read? I've been really obsessed with The Steel & Stone series by indie author Annette Marie. Her third book in the series is coming out during this fantasy read-a-thon, on March 27.

5. What is your least favourite fantasy read of all time? I don't know about all time, but recently I was very disappointed with The Sin Eater's Daughter. I feel like I'm one of the very few who didn't like it, but in my opinion, nothing happened. There was just a lot of sitting and talking and sitting and talking.

6. Which fantasy book are you dying to read? A Court of Thorn and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. Her Throne of Glass series was so amazing, I just can't wait to see what she's done with this new one.

7. What fantasy book would you like to star in? Hmmmm... this one is hard to answer. There are so many good books out there. 

8. Suggest three books for other read-a-thon participants that you think are worth powering through during the read-a-thon. The Iron Butterfly by Chanda Hahn, The Storyspinner by Becky Wallace and The Shadows by Megan Chance. All top my list of recent fantasies.

9. If you could choose any fantasy book character to be chained to you during the read-a-thon, whom would you pick and why? I have to pick Crash from the Cat's Eye Series. He's freaking as badass as they come, morally ambiguous but with a heart buried deep down there. 

10. Tag at least one friend and pester them into participating in this link up! Sadly, I have no friends to tag. 

[Review] The Ragnarok Chronicles

 

The Ragnarok Chronicles

by Nicki Markus

Title: The Ragnarok Chronicles
Author: Nicki J. Markus
Length: 678 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Mythology, Romance, Young Adult
Suitable: 16 years and above
Rating: 3.5/5

Book summary

For Ragnarok will be completed....

Nothing marks Cassandra out —except her visions. She’s only ever seen small, insignificant things. That is until the strange frost arrives.

With her normal life turned upside down, Cassandra is plunged into an extraordinary and terrifying world of Norse gods and rampaging giants, ancient feuds and broken prophecies.

A handsome stranger offers aid. But can Cassandra really trust him? More importantly, can she trust her own judgment when his slightest touch sets her heart and her body aflame?

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon AU | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

My thoughts

How I love all things mythology. In reality Greek mythology is my forte (haven't missed a question about it yet on Trivia Crack) but I've recently found Norse mythology to be an interesting topic. That's why I chose to participate in this blog tour for The Ragnarok Chronicles. 

We have our heroine, Cassandra, who has the odd ability to predict the weather and other ordinary, day-to-day things through her visions. I thought the name Cassandra was an interesting choice, since Cassandra is a prominent figure in Greek mythology and she also has the gift of prophecy. But I digress. 

We open this story getting to know a little bit about Cassandra and her best friend, Sarah, as they go about their usual routine. In comes Tom Lockyer, who you can easily guess is not who he says he is. Tom ends up trying to kill Cassandra, not once, but twice, when a vision overtakes her and he stays his hand. Pretty soon we're thrust into the world of Norse gods and what happened after Ragnarok. It's pretty obvious that Tom is one of these gods, but I won't tell you which one because half the fun is guessing. 

What I liked: I loved the Norse mythology here. I thought it was a very accurate representation and Markus went so far as to include the original spelling of each figure. I definitely learned a lot more than I thought I would. 

As far as characters go, I like the balance Markus created between Cassandra and Sarah. They each have their faults, but the other manages to make up for it. Sarah is ruled by science, whereas Cassandra knows from personal experience that not everything can be explained. They work very well together. 

There's also plenty of action to go around once to book gets going. I always love when a book doesn't keep me waiting for things to happen. 

What could use some improvement: The actual writing is a bit stilted and over flowery. I like that kind of writing when it comes to Tom's speech. He's an ancient god, not from this world. So I think his way of talking should be a bit more stilted. 

However, some of the dialogue between Cassandra and Sarah reads like a instruction manual on proper grammar. For me, it makes the characters a little less relatable. 

Lastly some of the descriptions are a bit too informative. As a reader, I like to infer some things in my mind. While the author's job is to paint a picture for me to be able to imagine the scene in my mind, there is such a thing as too much. I don't need every single detail laid out for me. One example off the top of my head was something like, "He bent over, with his hands on his knees and his chest tight, as he gasped for air." (Paraphrasing here). For me I would rather have it simply say "He bent over, gasping for air." I can infer the rest because almost everyone put their hands on their knees and their chest is tight when they are gasping for air. I don't need to be told every little detail, because when you do that for an entire book, skimming starts to happen. 

Overall: 3.5 out of 5 stars. It's a good read for fantasy fans and anyone who liked Norse mythology. Even the small things I didn't like about the book are easily overlooked in favor of a good story with good characters. 

Excerpt

 

In the shadow world the winds were howling now. The place that had once been still and silent, the land where no breath had stirred, had come to life. And as the land awakened, so too did those who had long slept in its quiet embrace. One in particular had opened his eyes. And he did not like what he is seeing. The figure watched, shutting his ears to the rush of air speeding past him, and a frown clouded his brow, as stormy as the skies rolling overhead. Events were unfolding in the nine realms that were out of his control. Things were moving too quickly, hurtling in the wrong direction, and he was not yet in a position to intervene, to put a stop to them.

The deaths of the last of the jötnar had helped. With each frost giant that expired, the shadow world had weakened. The walls that bound it, keeping its occupants from the nine realms and the World Tree, had thinned. They were not yet ready to break, but soon they would be malleable, bendable... and that might be enough for him to slip through, at least temporarily. The sly one had unwittingly helped him by dispatching the jötnar, but only one death would free him completely and forever and he would receive no assistance from the son of Fárbauti in that regard.

And now the little mortal was in danger once again. He had never dreamt she would have any involvement in what would come to pass, but then the trickster had stumbled upon her and suddenly she was trapped right in the middle of it all. If not for the mischief-
maker, she would be safe in Miðgarðr, oblivious to the drama unfolding outside her realm, living a normal life; instead, she could well be the catalyst that would determine the future of all nine worlds. Which way she would tip the balance remained uncertain. That was why he needed to reach her as soon as possible — he needed to influence her to take the right path. If not, all would be lost.

About Nicki J. Markus

Nicki J. Markus was born in England in 1982, but now lives in Adelaide, South Australia with her husband. She has loved both reading and writing from a young age and is also a keen linguist.

Nicki launched her writing career in 2011. She published works through Wicked Nights Publishing and Silver Publishing before both companies closed their doors. She is now self-publishing some of her works.

Nicki also writes M/M fiction under the alternate pen name of Asta Idonea and has had several short stories published by Wayward Ink Publishing.

Nicki works as a freelance editor and proofreader and in her spare time enjoys: music, theatre, cinema, photography, sketching, history, folklore and mythology, pen-palling, and travel.

Author Links
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Linkedin | Goodreads

Giveaway

Prizes: 3 x eCopy of The Ragnarok Chronicles and Swag signed by Nicki J. Markus

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Top Ten Books On My Spring TBR List

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Ten books on my spring TBR list

In my mind there are always too many book and too little time to read them all. I never seem to make and headway on my ever-expanding TBR list. But here are 10 books I've got on my list for the next few months along with their Goodreads summaries. They are in order of release date.

1. Shadow Study by Maria V. Snyder

Once, only her own life hung in the balance…

When Yelena was a poison taster, her life was simpler. She survived to become a vital part of the balance of power between rival countries Ixia and Sitia.

Now she uses her magic to keep the peace in both lands—and protect her relationship with Valek.
Suddenly, though, dissent is rising. And Valek’s job—and his life—are in danger.
As Yelena tries to uncover her enemies, she faces a new challenge: her magic is blocked.And now she must find a way to keep not only herself but all that she holds dear alive.
 



2. The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski

Book two of the dazzling Winner's Trilogy is a fight to the death as Kestrel risks betrayal of country for love.

The engagement of Lady Kestrel to Valoria’s crown prince means one celebration after another. But to Kestrel it means living in a cage of her own making. As the wedding approaches, she aches to tell Arin the truth about her engagement…if she could only trust him. Yet can she even trust herself? For—unknown to Arin—Kestrel is becoming a skilled practitioner of deceit: an anonymous spy passing information to Herran, and close to uncovering a shocking secret.

As Arin enlists dangerous allies in the struggle to keep his country’s freedom, he can’t fight the suspicion that Kestrel knows more than she shows. In the end, it might not be a dagger in the dark that cuts him open, but the truth. And when that happens, Kestrel and Arin learn just how much their crimes will cost them.
 


3. Breaking Sky by Cori McCarthy

In this high-flying, adrenaline-fueled debut thriller, America's best hope is the elite teen fighter pilots of the United Star Academy

Chase Harcourt, call sign "Nyx," is one of only two pilots chosen to fly the experimental "Streaker" jets at the junior Air Force Academy in the year 2048. She's tough and impulsive with lightning-fast reactions, but few know the pain and loneliness of her past or the dark secret about her father. All anyone cares about is that Chase aces the upcoming Streaker trials, proving the prototype jet can knock the enemy out of the sky.

But as the world tilts toward war, Chase cracks open a military secret. There's a third Streaker jet, whose young hotshot pilot, Tristan, can match her on the ground and in the clouds. Chase doesn't play well with others, but to save her country she may just have to put her life in the hands of the competition.
 


4. The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows

Wilhelmina has a hundred identities.

She is a princess. When the Indigo Kingdom conquered her homeland, Wilhelmina and other orphaned children of nobility were taken to Skyvale, the Indigo Kingdom’s capital. Ten years later, they are the Ospreys, experts at stealth and theft. With them, Wilhelmina means to take back her throne.

She is a spy. Wil and her best friend, Melanie, infiltrate Skyvale Palace to study their foes. They assume the identities of nobles from a wraith-fallen kingdom, but enemies fill the palace, and Melanie’s behavior grows suspicious. With Osprey missions becoming increasingly dangerous and their leader more unstable, Wil can’t trust anyone.

She is a threat. Wraith is the toxic by-product of magic, and for a century using magic has been forbidden. Still the wraith pours across the continent, reshaping the land and animals into fresh horrors. Soon it will reach the Indigo Kingdom. Wilhelmina’s magic might be the key to stopping the wraith, but if the vigilante Black Knife discovers Wil’s magic, she will vanish like all the others.
 
5. Pendragon's Heir by Suzannah Rowntree

Blanche Pendragon enjoys her undemanding life as the ward of an eccentric nobleman in 1900 England. It's been years since she wondered what happened to her long lost parents, but then a gift on the night of her eighteenth birthday reveals a heritage more dangerous and awe-inspiring than she ever dreamed of—or wanted. Soon Blanche is flung into a world of wayfaring immortals, daring knights, and deadly combats, with a murderous witch-queen on her trail and the future of a kingdom at stake. As the legendary King Arthur Pendragon and his warriors face enemies without and treachery within, Blanche discovers a secret that could destroy the whole realm of Logres. Even if the kingdom could be saved, is she the one to do it? Or is someone else the Pendragon's Heir?
 




6. Yield the Night by Annette Marie

After surviving a round-trip to hell, Piper figures she can survive anything. After all, she just lived through the devastating loss of her Consul apprenticeship and a torturous stint at boarding school. How much worse could it get?

Well, she wasn’t expecting a group of crazy radicals to burn her home to the ground and take her prisoner.

The Gaians, a.k.a. the crazy radicals, plan to rid Earth of daemons and they need Piper’s help. In exchange for her cooperation, they promise her the answer to all her problems: magic. With her own magic, she could reclaim her apprenticeship, the only future she’s ever wanted. But her magic comes at price — it could kill her.

With the life she’s always known crumbling around her and her future slipping from her grasp, she needs Ash’s help one more time. But the greatest danger of all lies within her, and no matter what she does, she may lose everything — including him.
 
7. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

LAIA is a Scholar living under the iron-fisted rule of the Martial Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason, Laia goes undercover as a slave at the empire’s greatest military academy in exchange for assistance from rebel Scholars who claim that they will help to save her brother from execution.

ELIAS is the academy’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias is considering deserting the military, but before he can, he’s ordered to participate in a ruthless contest to choose the next Martial emperor.

When Laia and Elias’s paths cross at the academy, they find that their destinies are more intertwined than either could have imagined and that their choices will change the future of the empire itself.
 


8. From the Ashes by Shelby K. Morrison

For eighteen years Aia Wynnald has lived a lie. Raised as a highborn in the Kingdom of Tharien, she’s filled her days with tutors and archery lessons. But simmering beneath her polite surface is a dangerous gift, one which she must keep a secret. Aia is a Bender. And in Tharien, Benders are feared and hunted.

When her unruly power breaks free with dire repercussions, Aia’s lifelong goal of independence shatters. As she scrambles to piece her life back together while evading capture, she disturbs a vengeful force intent on destroying the kingdom.

Now, with the help of an unlikely ally, Aia will decide the fate of Tharien. To rescue those she cares about will require accepting what she is. But can she risk becoming the monster she’s dreaded to save the very citizens baying for her blood?
 


9. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.





10. Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge

When Rachelle was fifteen, she was good—apprenticed to her aunt and in training to protect her village from dark magic. But she was also reckless— straying from the forest path in search of a way to free her world from the threat of eternal darkness. After an illicit meeting goes dreadfully wrong, Rachelle is forced to make a terrible choice that binds her to the very evil she had hoped to defeat.

Three years later, Rachelle has given her life to serving the realm, fighting deadly creatures in an effort to atone. When the king orders her to guard his son Armand—the man she hates most—Rachelle forces Armand to help her find the legendary sword that might save their world. As the two become unexpected allies, they uncover far-reaching conspiracies, hidden magic, and a love that may be their undoing. In a palace built on unbelievable wealth and dangerous secrets, can Rachelle discover the truth and stop the fall of endless night?

[Blast] In The time of the Dragon Moon

In the Time of the Dragon Moon

by Janet Lee Carey

Synopsis

An epic fantasy about dragons, dark secrets, Pendragons, and magic

On the southernmost tip of Wilde Island--far from the Dragonswood sanctuary and the Pendragon Castle--live the native Euit people. Uma, who is half Euit and half English, and not fully accepted by her tribe, wants to become a healer like her Euit father. But the mad English queen in the north, desperate for another child, kidnaps Uma and her father and demands that he cure her barrenness. After her father dies, Uma must ensure that the queen is with child by the time of the Dragon Moon, or be burned at the stake.
Terrified and alone, Uma reaches out to her only possible ally: the king's nephew Jackrun, a fiery dragonrider with dragon, fairy, and human blood. Together, they must navigate through a sea of untold secrets, unveil a dark plot spawned long ago in Dragonswood, and find a way to accept all the elements--Euit, English, dragon, and fairy--that make them who they are.

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY

About Janet Lee Carey

Janet Lee Carey is the award-winning author of nine Young Adult novels including her newest release, In the Time of Dragon Moon, book three of the Wilde Island Chronicles, ALA Best Books for Young Adults. Winner of the Mark Twain Award and finalist for the Washington State Book Award, her books highlight the courage of children and teens, and explore the challenges of staying true to your values while following your dreams. School Library Journal starred review calls her work, “fantasy at its best-original, beautiful, amazing, and deeply moving.” Statistics have shown that children who read are more compassionate. Janet links each new book with a charitable organization empowering youth to read and reach out. She tours the U.S. and abroad presenting at schools, book festivals and conferences for writers, teachers, and librarians. Janet and her family live near Seattle by a lake where rising morning mist forms into the shape of dragons.

WEBSITE | TWITTER | GOODREADS |FACEBOOK

Giveaway

Credit: Heidi Pettit

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[Release Day Blitz] The Ragnarok Chronicles

Title: The Ragnarok Chronicles
Author: Nicki J. Markus
Length (print): 678
Genre: Fantasy Adventure/Mythology/Romance
Suitable: 16 years and above

Synopsis

For Ragnarok will be completed?.
Nothing marks Cassandra out?except her visions. She?s only ever seen small, insignificant things. That is until the strange frost arrives.
With her normal life turned upside down, Cassandra is plunged into an extraordinary and terrifying world of Norse gods and rampaging giants, ancient feuds and broken prophecies.
A handsome stranger offers aid. But can Cassandra really trust him? More importantly, can she trust her own judgment when his slightest touch sets her heart and her body aflame?

Book trailer

Buy Links:

Amazon US (Kindle): http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SW0TV46/
Amazon UK (Kindle): www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00SW0TV46/
Amazon AU (Kindle): http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00SW0TV46/
Barnes & Noble (NOOK): http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-ragnar-k-chronicles-nicki-j-markus/1121134764?ean=9780994234612
Kobo (EPUB): http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-ragnarok-chronicles
Amazon US (Paperback): http://www.amazon.com/Ragnar?k-Chronicles-Nicki-J-Markus/dp/0994234600
Amazon UK (Paperback): http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ragnar?k-Chronicles-Nicki-J-Markus/dp/0994234600
The Book Depository (Paperback): http://www.bookdepository.com/Ragnar?k-Chronicles-Nicki-Markus/9780994234605

About the author

Nicki J Markus was born in England in 1982, but now lives in Adelaide, South Australia with her husband. She has loved both reading and writing from a young age and is also a keen linguist.
Nicki launched her writing career in 2011. She published works through Wicked Nights Publishing and Silver Publishing before both companies closed their doors. She is now self-publishing some of her works.
Nicki also writes M/M fiction under the alternate pen name of Asta Idonea and has had several short stories published by Wayward Ink Publishing.
Nicki works as a freelance editor and proofreader and in her spare time enjoys: music, theatre, cinema, photography, sketching, history, folklore and mythology, pen-palling, and travel.

Social media links
Blog: http://www.nickijmarkus.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NickiJMarkus
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NickiJMarkus
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolamarkus
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4567057.Nicki_J_Markus

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 books for readers who like fantasy

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Ten books for readers who like fantasy

If you've read anything on this blog, you probably realize that I'm a big fantasy fan. So here are 10 of my favorites throughout the years. Some are whole series and others are the first book in a series. I've included the name, Goodreads summary, Amazon link and a review link if I've done one. Happy reading!

1. Iron Butterfly Series | Amazon Link

Imprisoned, starved and left with no memories, Thalia awakens to find herself at the mercy of an evil cult known as the Septori. Their leader has chosen Thalia as the test subject for a torture device of untold power, designed to change and twist her into something that is neither human nor Denai.

Escaping, Thalia finds an unwilling warrior to protect her and an unlikely Denai to befriend her. After finding a home at the Citadel as a servant, Thalia’s worst nightmare comes to life and she begins to show signs of power. Scared and unable to control her gifts, she tries to hide her past to fit in among the Denai. But the Septori want their latest test subject back and will stop at nothing to retrieve her, dead or alive. 

2. Cat's Eye Series | Amazon Link | Review

Sora Fallcrest always dreamed of adventure, but as a member of the nobility, she learned the ways of a Lady instead. Now seventeen, she is expected to choose a husband and marry. She plots to run away, but just as she is stepping out the door, she runs into a mysterious man--and is kidnapped.

Abducted from her manor, Sora is plunged into a world of magical races, arcane jewelry and forgotten lore. She finds herself at the mercy of a dangerous assassin, haunted by an even darker past. She yearns for freedom, but he won't let her go--not when her Cat's Eye necklace is the only thing that can save his life.

But the necklace itself presents a problem. It is an ancient device from the long forgotten War of the Races, and its magic has the ability to steal souls. Can Sora learn to wield its power -- or will the power wield her? 



3. Mind Games by Kiersten White | Amazon Link

Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future.

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways…or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

In a stunning departure from her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, Kiersten White delivers a slick, edgy, heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller about two sisters determined to protect each other—no matter the cost.
 


4. Masque of Red Death by Bethany Griffin | Amazon Link

Everything is in ruins.

A devastating plague has decimated the population, and those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles around them.

So what does Araby Worth have to live for?

Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery makeup . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all.

But in the depths of the club—in the depths of her own despair—Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club, and Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does.

And Araby may find not just something to live for, but something to fight for—no matter what it costs her.
 
5. Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken | Amazon Link

The day the rains came was like any other, blistering air coating the canyon in a heavy stillness....

Just as the rains come after ten long, dry years, a young wizard, Wayland North, appears, to whisk Sydelle Mirabil away from her desert village. North needs an assistant, and Sydelle is eager to see the country - and to join him on his quest to stop the war that surely will destroy her home. But North has secrets - about himself, about why he chose Sydelle, about his real reasons for the journey. What does he want from her? And why does North's sworn enemy seem fascinated by Sydelle himself? 







6. Midnight's Daughter by Karen Chance | Amazon Link 

Dorina Basarab is a dhampir-half human, half vampire. Subject to uncontrollable rages, most dhampirs live very short, very violent lives. So far Dory has managed to maintain her sanity by unleashing her anger on those demons and vampires who deserve killing.

Now Dory's vampire father has come back into her life. Her Uncle Dracula (yes, the Dracula), infamous even among vampires for his cruelty and murderous ways, has escaped his prison. And her father wants Dory to work with gorgeous master vampire Louis-Cesare to put him back there.

Vampires and dhampirs are mortal enemies, and Dory prefers to work alone. But Dracula is the only thing on Earth that truly scares her, so when Dory has to go up against him, she'll take all the help she can get…



7. Steel & Stone by Annette Marie | Amazon Link 

Piper Griffiths wants one thing in life: To become a Consul, a keeper of the peace between humans and daemons. There are precisely three obstacles in her way.

The first is Lyre. Incubus. Hotter than hell and with a wicked streak to match. His greatest mission in life is to get Piper into bed and otherwise annoy the crap out of her. The second is Ash. Draconian. Powerful. Dangerous. He knows too much and reveals nothing. Also, disturbingly attractive — and scary. Did she mention scary?

The third is the Sahar Stone. Top secret magical weapon of mass destruction. Previously hidden in her Consulate until thieves broke in, went on a murder spree, and disappeared with the weapon.

And they left Piper to take the fall for their crimes.

Now she’s on the run, her dreams of becoming a Consul shattered and every daemon in the city gunning to kill her. She’s dead on her own, but there’s no one she can trust — no one except two entirely untrustworthy daemons... See problems one and two.

8. Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder | Amazon Link 

Choose: A quick death…Or slow poison...

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace—and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust—and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.

As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear...

9. Chronicles of Nick by Sherrilyn Kenyon | Amazon Link
 

At fourteen, Nick Gautier thinks he knows everything about the world around him. Streetwise, tough and savvy, his quick sarcasm is the stuff of legends... until the night when his best friends try to kill him. Saved by a mysterious warrior who has more fighting skills than Chuck Norris, Nick is sucked into the realm of the Dark-Hunters: immortal vampire slayers who risk everything to save humanity.

Nick quickly learns that the human world is only a veil for a much larger and more dangerous one: a world where the captain of the football team is a werewolf and the girl he has a crush on goes out at night to stake the undead.

But before he can even learn the rules of this new world, his fellow students are turning into flesh eating zombies. And he's next on the menu.

As if starting high school isn't hard enough. . .now Nick has to hide his new friends from his mom, his chainsaw from the principal, and keep the zombies and the demon Simi from eating his brains, all without getting grounded or suspended. How in the world is he supposed to do that?

10. The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima | Amazon Link

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.