Leah@WSP, Author at White Sky Project

Blog Tour: Bolder Guilt-Edged by Janice Tremayne (plus an ebook giveaway)

July 27, 2021May 26, 2021 by Leah@WSP

Today we have Bolder Guilt-Edged, the third instalment in the Zack Bolder supernatural suspense series by author Janice Tremayne. I reviewed book one, Bolder Blindsided, back in January and it was not a bad read.

Read on to know more about the book, check out my short review and read an excerpt. Enter the blog tour giveaway for a chance to win an ebook copy!

Bolder Guilt-Edged (Zack Bolder #3)
A demon hell-bent on playing psychological games to torment its victims. A guilt-edged past comes to the fore to be relived again. Can Bolder overcome his mental suffering and destroy the voracious demon?  
In the Australian ghost town of Ravenswood in North Queensland, a gruesome suicide occurs after the famous annual Halloween ball. Bolder is called in by Detective Wellock to help track the evil incarnate responsible.  
However, has Zack Bolder met his match? Can a trained parapsychologist by the Church withstand the guilt-edged torments of the demon? This poltergeist dangles psychology as its weapon by tempering that frail part of the mind to those that get in its way. Bolder is taken back to relive dark secrets—ridden and guilt-edged.
  Can Bolder overcome this tempest of the mind and save the town before more people take their lives?
Add this book on Goodreads. Get this book on Amazon.

About the Author

Janice Tremayne is an Amazon bestselling and award-winning ghost and supernatural writer. Janice is a finalist in the Readers’ Favorite 2020 International Book Awards in fiction-supernatural and was awarded the distinguished favorite prize for paranormal horror at the New York City Big Book Awards 2020.

She is an emerging Australian author who lives with her family in Melbourne. Her recent publications, Haunting in Hartley and Bolder Blindsided, reached number one in the Amazon kindle ranking for Occult Supernatural, Ghosts and Haunted Houses categories hot new releases and bestseller. Janice is well-versed in her cultural superstitions and how they influence daily life and customs. She has developed a passion and style for writing ghost and supernatural novels for new adult readers.

Connect with the author on her website, via email or on Facebook.

Review: a fast-paced and easy read

Bolder Guilt-Edged is another interesting supernatural mystery. It feels very similar to the first book – same type of setting, a few scenes that felt the same, similar plot – and maybe that’s just because the books are part of a series that basically tackles the same thing: eerie and supernatural mysteries in small towns known for ghost stories.

One thing different from the first book though is that we get to find out more about Bolder’s back story and the reason why he does what he does. Actually, the book kicks off with that so that was really interesting to read and elements of it are interspersed in the whole book.

We also get to read more of Bolder and Wellock’s dynamic, which is quite fun and amusing though I wish Wellock did more “sleuthing.” Sometimes he just felt like Bolder’s bodyguard or assistant with a gun. I’d like to read more about him uncovering clues and what not instead of just going with what Bolder says. Although I can’t blame him about that since Bolder’s the one who’s tuned in on the paranormal. I don’t know how Wellock can do more when it comes to their cases, but I’d love to see more of him being a detective. (Sidebar: I love procedural TV shows, so maybe that’s why I want to see Wellock shine. LOL.)

Anyway, this wasn’t a bad read. The ghost encounters are gripping and there was a scene (or two) that’s the stuff of nightmares. It has quite a closing scene, too. I mean, yikes!

If you like supernatural mysteries, you might like this one!

Note: I received an ebook copy of this book as part of my participation in this blog tour. All opinions expressed are my own.

Read an Excerpt

Bolder handed him the book of prayers and marked out the section containing the love of worship. “We plan to compel the negative energy to leave her body and direct it to another place—to cross over to the other side. We are lightworkers, remember? Not exorcists.”
“I can at least bless her with holy ointment … can’t I?”
Bolder nodded and said, “Well, why don’t you start with that first?”
Father Brennan walked toward Kelly as the old rustic timber floors creaked underneath. He opened his small container with holy ointment and brushed his index finger across it. Then he gently marked her forehead with the sign of the cross.
“In the name of the father, and the son, and the holy spirit … amen.”
Kelly jolted as though something had bitten her and her body trembled for a few seconds. She was still sleeping but aware of what was going on around her.
“What was that?” said Bolder.
“What was what?”
“You mean you didn’t see it? The dark shadow that was standing beside her.”
“I didn’t see it … but I felt something gripping my hand.” Father Brennan was perplexed.
An ominous image of a woman in a faint white dress glided across the bed—motionless and stoic but holding her stomach with both hands in hurtful prose. Within seconds it was gone with barely enough time for Bolder to capture a glimpse of it.
“I sense something else in the room,” Bolder said.
A pulsating wave of energy screeched from within, penetrating the bodies of Father Brennan and Bolder. They shook from the sensation—there was no movement or breeze, and the windows to Kelly’s room shut. But it still required they hold their balance as the snappy spiritedness vibrated their eardrums with a ringing noise.
“Whatever is in here is not going to give up with prayers of love,” said Father Brennan. He was ready to launch into a full-blown exorcism.

Giveaway

Janice Tremayne will be awarding 5 digital copies of the book during the tour! Enter via the rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Visit the other tour stops for more chances of winning! Find the tour schedule here:
https://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2021/03/vbt-bolder-guilt-edged-by-janice.html

Blog Tour [Review]: In The Jaded Grove by Anela Deen

February 3, 2022April 28, 2021 by Leah@WSP

Today we have In The Jaded Grove by author Anela Deen! This is a good one, folks! Not gonna lie, it was the cover that first caught my attention, then I read the synopsis and was even more intrigued. Anyway, I’m really glad to be in this tour and I can’t wait for you all to read this book!

Read more about In The Jaded Grove and check out my review below! :)

In The Jaded Grove (by Anela Deen)
Author: Anela Deen
Genre: new adult, portal fantasy
Diversity tags: author of color (biracial); poc representation (filipino main character); lgbtqiap+ representation (queer secondary characters)
Publication date: 15 April 2021
Publisher: Fine Fables Press
Cover artist: Jenny Zemanek
Synopsis:
Simith of Drifthorn is tired of war. After years of conflict between the Thistle court and the troll kingdom, even a pixie knight known for his bloodlust longs for peace. Hoping to secure a ceasefire, Simith arranges a meeting with the troll king—and is ambushed instead. Escape lies in the Jaded Grove, but the trees of the ancient Fae woodland aren’t what they seem, and in place of sanctuary, Simith tumbles through a doorway to another world.
Cutting through her neighbor’s sunflower farm in Skylark, Michigan, Jessa runs into a battle between creatures straight out of a fantasy novel. Only the blood is very real. When a lone fighter falls to his attackers, Jessa intervenes. She’s known too much death to stand idly by, but an act of kindness leads to consequences even a poet like her couldn’t imagine.
With their fates bound by magic, Simith and Jessa must keep the strife of his world from spilling into hers—except the war isn’t what it appears and neither are their enemies. Countless lives depend on whether they can face the truths of their pasts and untangle the web of lies around them. But grief casts long shadows, and even their deepening bond may not be enough to save them from its reach.
On-page Representation: Filipino (main character), secondary sapphic characters
Trigger and Content Warnings: Violence, trauma, grief, death of a loved one (in the past – not on page)
Add this on Goodreads.

About the Author

A child of two cultures, this hapa haole Hawaiian girl is currently landlocked in the Midwest. After exploring the world for a chunk of years, she hunkered down in Minnesota and now fills her days with family, fiction, and the occasional snowstorm. With a house full of lovable toddlers, a three-legged cat, and one handsome Dutchman, she prowls the keyboard late at night while the minions sleep. Coffee? Nah, she prefers tea with a generous spoonful of sarcasm.

Connect with the author on Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads and on her Website.

Incredibly fast-paced, exciting and well-written fantasy

I don’t read a lot of fantasies with pixies, fairies and fae, so I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book, but I’m glad now that I decided to give this book a go. I really enjoyed it!

In The Jaded Grove is incredibly fast-paced, which I really liked. There’s always something interesting on every page. The writing flows well, so I found it pretty easy to read.

I like the characters – complex enough, likeable and even relatable. Jessa and Simith both carry a lot of pain in their hearts and it was beautiful to read about them working with it and through it. The secondary characters, Jessa’s friends, are also great and I would actually love to read more about them. Also, I love that the main character Jessa is Filipino. I enjoyed the bits about the culture thrown in.

The book has amazing world building (another thing I absolutely love in fantasies). I like the author’s take on fairies, pixies, fae and trolls. It’s something I didn’t really expect so that was interesting to read.

There are very real and serious themes running through this book – grief and trauma, war and oppression – and they’re handled well and not overwhelming, for me at least.

I’m not entirely sold on the ending, but the whole book was so engrossing that I didn’t mind so much. If you like portal fantasies with complex characters and lots of action (lots of fighting scenes in this one), you might enjoy this one!

Note: I received an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book from the publisher and Caffeine Book Tours as part of my participation in their tour. All opinions and views expressed here are my own.

Also, please bear with how this review is written – present and past tenses all jumbled in! I can’t get it right at the moment, but I hope you get what I’m saying. LOL. Read this book! Thats all. :P

Favorite Quotes

Okay, these aren’t exactly actual quotes but the lines that struck me most in the book were the snippets from existing poems by well-known authors.

And into the forest I go,
to lose my mind and find my soul.
- John Muir

Beautiful words.

Yet if hope has flown away,
 In a night, or in a day,
 In a vision, or in non,
 Is it therefore the less gone?
 All that we see or seem
 Is but a dream within a dream. 
 - Edgar Allan Poe

I commend the author for choosing these because they were just so apt and beautiful. I also appreciated the reading recommendations the author gave at the end of the book.

Follow the Kindred Realms Tour! Check out Caffeine Book Tours on IG for more tour stops and reviews of the book.

Book Blast [Review]: Realm Of Dragons, Fight For The Crown by L.C. Conn

February 3, 2022April 23, 2021 by Leah@WSP

Today we have Realm of Dragons: Fight For The Crown by author L.C. Conn! I like fantasy and I like dragons, and I just felt like joining this blog tour.

Read on to know more about the book and read an excerpt! Then enter the blog tour giveaway for a chance to win a $25 gift card. Woot!

About this book
The Realm of Dragons is in peril from hidden plots and conspirators, which threaten not only the crown, but the dragons that are at the very heart of it.
Teagan Loinsigh, long ago banished from her magical home of dragons now lives on Earth. Her dreams and memories of the great creatures are put down to fantasies and an overactive imagination, until one day she comes across a creature so unlike any other in the land she lives in. A baby dragon.
Muniath Magaoidh, a Dragon Warden fallen so low by a failed mission, must be brought back from his despair to retrieve what is lost.
Scetis Mordha, alone in the world since he was a child. Finds himself in the middle of intrigue and conspiracy against The Realm of Dragons.
Tying them all together is a dragon. Not just a dragon but The King of Dragons.
Can these four save The Realm of Dragons?
Add this book on Goodreads.

About the Author

L.C. Conn grew up on the outskirts of Upper Hutt, New Zealand. Her backyard encompassed the surrounding farmland, river, hills and mountains which she wandered with her brothers and fed her imagination. After discovering a love for writing in English class at the age of eight, she continued to write in secret. It was not until much later in life that L.C. turned what she thought was a hobby and something fun to do, into her first completed novel. Now married, L.C. moved from New Zealand to Perth, Western Australia, and became a stay at home mum. While caring for her family and after battling breast cancer, a story was born from the kernel of a dream. The first book of The One True Child Series was begun, and just kept blooming into seven completed stories, which have garnered great reviews. She continues her career with more stories waiting in the wings to be released.

Connect with the author via email, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads or on her website.

Interesting fantasy about dragons!

This was a good read. I don’t know what I was expecting or if I was just in the right mood for this story, but I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. It turned out to be quite interesting and when I had to take breaks from reading (because, you know, life) I found myself thinking about it and getting impatient to get back to the story.

I thought the writing flowed well and the pace was steady. I like that it was basically three stories (Teagan’s, Muniath’s and Scetis’s) that eventually came together. I like the characters, the main ones and most of the supporting ones. I thought they were hashed out well enough, though sometimes maybe a bit too good to be true, but I didn’t care. I liked the whole story and the dragon lore. There were some pretty good twists in there, too! If you like fantasies and dragons (like I do), you might enjoy this one.

Note: I received a copy of this book as part of my participation in this book blast. All opinions expressed are my own.

Read an Excerpt

“I don’t understand, what do you want to do?” she asked, collapsing to the hot rock.
“Stand before the fiery pit. Face your fear and grow into who you were meant to be.” His voice boomed not only in her mind but echoed off the circular cavern.
“I’ll die,” she whimpered.
“No, you will not. Now stand,” he commanded.
Slowly she got to her feet. Sweat dripped from her body in rivulets, stinging her eyes as she wiped her face on her sleeve to clear it. As she did, Gremlin moved and the full heat from the lava hit her. She stumbled back, but he supported her with his neck, holding her up. The fiery liquid turned her skin first red, then it started to blister. Teagan screamed at the pain and with fumbling fingers began to tear at the remaining clothes she had on. Now standing nude, her body shook as the outer skin burned away. It melted from her body, slipping, and exposing raw flesh underneath. A scream she so desperately wanted to release caught in her throat.
“Into the lake.” Gremlin commanded.
Each step she took was laboured. She tried to stop herself but found her body would not respond. Her mind screamed at the thought of the agony and death that she was sure awaited if she obeyed the Dragon King. But she went. Standing on the precipice, in a gap of the wall, the scream at last escaped her lips as she stepped down into the rock from the centre of the world.

Giveaway

L.C. Conn will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Get your entries in via the rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Visit the other tour stops for more chances of winning! You can find the schedule here: https://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2021/03/book-blast-realm-of-dragons-fight-for.html

Review: World Serpent Arcanist (Frith Chronicles #5) by Shami Stovall

July 27, 2021March 31, 2021 by Leah@WSP

Today I’m reposting my review of World Serpent Arcanist, the fifth book in the Frith Chronicles by author Shami Stovall. Yayyy.

Okay, I read this book in December last year but I realized a few days ago that I don’t have the review on this blog. It’s on Goodreads, but since I have my reviews of the first four books here, I thought I should also have it here, too.

Anyway, read on for more about this fantastic continuation to the series!

World Serpent Arcanist (Frith Chronicles #5)
Death. Destiny. The rise of god-arcanists.
Volke Savan has reunited with the Frith Guild just in time to help fight the Second Ascension, a group of power-hungry dastards bent on controlling the newly created god creatures. The world serpent is the first on their list, and if the Second Ascension manages to harness its power, the world will forever be changed for the worse.
But the Frith Guild has another plan. They intend to beat the Second Ascension to the world serpent and have it bond with someone trustworthy—a mysterious man who Guildmaster Eventide believes will usher the world into an era of peace.
As Volke struggles to improve his magic, and also become a mentor for a new knightmare arcanist, he realizes that this may be one adventure the guild never makes it back from…
Continue the Frith Chronicles with the fifth book, World Serpent Arcanist!
Add this book on Goodreads. Buy on Amazon.

About the Author

Shami Stovall is a multi-award-winning author of fantasy and science fiction, with several best-selling novels under her belt. Before that, she taught history and criminal law at the college level, and loved every second. When she’s not reading fascinating articles and books about ancient China or the Byzantine Empire, Stovall can be found playing way too many video games, especially RPGs and tactics simulators.

If you would like to find a full list of her novels and audiobooks, you can do so on here.

Connect with the author: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Email

Does not disappoint. Another fantastic ride!

Great continuation to the series!

Volke is great as always, growing nicely into a skilled arcanist and into an even more genuinely good guy. I’m not a big fan of his, er, romantic links, but I do like the potential of one possible pairing.

The book is mostly about Volke since he’s the main character after all, but I would have liked to read more about the other characters, his pals from book 4 mostly – Fain and Adelgis. I mean, all Volke’s friends are in this, I just wanted to see more of them also growing into their magic.

Speaking of magic, this book is full of it and more. We get the usual stuff I’ve come to expect from this series – interesting magic concepts, fascinating creatures and lands, exciting fights, awesome twists. The twists at the end are pretty cool. I mean, I’m sure everyone who has read the series was probably thinking about this thing in some way or other, but what actually happens is just wild. It was nicely done, methinks. I can’t wait to find out what happens next!

If you’ve been enjoying the other books, you’ll definitely enjoy this one.

If you like fantasy and are looking for a new series to binge, I say pick up this one!

Note: I purchased my own copy of this book. All opinions and views expressed here are my own.

Read my reviews of the previous books:

Review: The Theft of Sunlight (Dauntless Path #1) by Intisar Khanani

April 22, 2022March 23, 2021 by Leah@WSP

It’s finally here! The Theft of Sunlight by author Intisar Khanani releases today and I’m here with a review of this amazing book.

Theft of Sunlight is the first book in a companion duology to Thorn. Some characters from Thorn appear in Theft, but the main character is Amraeya or Rae, who first appears in The Bone Knife, a short story included at the end of Thorn. I loved The Bone Knife so I was excited to read Theft.

Read on for more on the book and my short review! :)

Title: The Theft of Sunlight
Series: Book 1 in a duology in the “Dauntless Path” world
Author: Intisar Khanani
Cover Artist: Jenny Zemanek
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Release Date: March 23, 2021
Publisher: HarperTeen (US/CA), Hot Key (UK)
Price: TBD
I did not choose this fate. But I will not walk away if I can make a difference.
Children have been disappearing from Menaiya for longer than Amraeya ni Ansarim can remember. When her best friend’s sister disappears, Rae knows she can’t stay silent any longer. She finds the chance to make a difference in an invitation to the palace.
But Rae struggles to fit in with the lords and ladies of the court. Instead, she finds unexpected help in a rough-around-the-edges thief named Bren who always seems to have her best interests at heart. Soon even Bren can’t help her, and Rae must risk her life and well-being to face an evil that lurks in the shadows of the darkest hearts.
Add this book on Goodreads.
Purchase The Theft of Sunlight: IndieBound | Bookshop | Other Online Retailers

About the Author: Intisar Khanani

Intisar Khanani grew up a nomad and world traveler. She has lived in five different states as well as in Jeddah on the coast of the Red Sea. Until recently, Intisar wrote grants and developed projects to address community health with the Cincinnati Health Department, which was as close as she could get to saving the world. Now she focuses her time on her two passions: raising her family and writing fantasy. She is the author of The Sunbolt Chronicles and Thorn (HarperTeen 2020).

Connect with the author: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Purchase The Theft of Sunlight: IndieBound | Bookshop | Other Online Retailers

Awesome characters, creative and compelling story

Intisar Khanani is one of my favorite authors of all time because her writing is beautiful and she creates such interesting stories with incredible world building, complex and engaging protagonists, equally complex and intriguing supporting characters, and very real themes. The Theft of Sunlight has all of these, that’s why it was such a blast to read.

At the center of Theft is, of course, our main character Rae who has navigated through her entire life as a woman with a physical handicap, but she doesn’t let her own personal challenges get the better of her. We see her step out of her comfort zone, realize how much more capable she really is and come into her own. I love her interaction and dynamics with the other characters, especially the thief Bren. She gets into so many interesting and, more often than not, dangerous situations in her determination to find the truth, but she doesn’t let setbacks or fear stop her from doing what she believes is right. She’s pretty cool is what I’m saying.

And as if having a strong, admirable and relatable woman for a main character isn’t enough, Theft also has a story that’s compelling. Children are disappearing and there’s something dark and twisted behind it. There’s also some cool magic stuff, but it’s not overwhelming (though I’m hoping there will be more in the next book!). This book is a bit long, but it has some exciting bits that make you want to keep reading until you get to the *brutal* ending. LOL.

So there. I highly recommend checking out The Theft of Sunlight (and Thorn, if you haven’t read it yet). I enjoyed this book and I can’t wait for the next one!

In the meantime, I am patiently waiting for my pre-ordered physical copy to arrive. Woot.

Note: I received an e-ARC of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Blog Tour [Review]: Bolder Blindsided (Zack Bolder #1) by Janice Tremayne + paperback giveaway (US/UK only)

February 3, 2022January 1, 2021 by Leah@WSP

So we’re kicking off the new year with Bolder Blindsided (Zack Bolder #1) by author Janice Tremayne!

Is it weird to start the year with a random book spotlight? Nah, right? I thought this book was intriguing that’s why I joined this blog tour and the post schedule that I happened to snag was this day, the first day of the year. I’d like to think that’s a good thing. Maybe it’ll mean I’ll be reading and reviewing books a lot this year. Hah! We shall see. ;)

Anyway, read on to know more about the book. Check out the blurb and my short review. Then if you’re in the US or UK, enter the blog tour giveaway for a chance to win a copy of the book! Enjoy!

Bolder Blindsided: A Zack Bolder Supernatural Suspense Thriller (Book 1)
An Australian alpine ghost town. A priest turned supernatural detective. A missing persons cold case. Will bolder track down the voracious demon?
When Detective Wellock hushers in Zack Bolder to investigate a missing person case in the Australian ghost town of Walhalla, they form the most formidable tag team of supernatural investigators, working for the police branch for unexplained crimes. Perched amongst the alpine area, this tourist backed ghost town is renowned for its gold mining past and stories of hardship, deprivation, and death. It becomes a perfect setting for an unexplained missing person’s cold case.
When Bolder realizes every demon has a weakness—it’s blindside, he confronts the demonic presence, head on for an ultimate encounter to save the town. As this evil entity is sly as a fox with more turns that a two-mile car racetrack, Bolder must be at his best to overcome the devil that has cursed the town since 1876.
Can Bolder uncover the curse that strangleholds the town and thrust out the evil entity before more innocent people go missing and suffer an imminent fate?
Bolder Blindsided is the first book of the Zack Bolder Supernatural Suspense Thriller Series. If you like a fast-moving, energetic, and nail-biting supernatural suspense thriller guaranteed to raise your heartbeat, then you will love this story by 2020 USA Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards Finalist in Supernatural Fiction, Janice Tremayne.
Pick up your copy today and meet Zack Bolder!
Add this book on Goodreads. Get this book on Amazon US or Amazon CA.

About the Author

Janice Tremayne is an Amazon bestselling and award-winning ghost and supernatural writer. Janice is a finalist in the Readers’ Favorite 2020 International Book Awards in Fiction-Supernatural.

She is an emerging Australian author who lives with her family in Melbourne. Her recent publication, Haunting in Hartley, reached number one on the Amazon kindle ranking for Occult, Supernatural, and Ghosts and Haunted Houses categories, for hot new releases and bestsellers.

Janice is well-versed in her cultural superstitions and how they influence daily life and customs. She has developed a passion and style for writing ghost and supernatural novels for new adult readers.

The concept of writing the Haunting Clarisse series was spawned over a cup of coffee many years ago, and she has not looked back since. Her books contain heart-thumping, bone-chilling, and thought-provoking ghost and paranormal experiences that deliver a new twist to every tale.

Connect with the author on her website, via email or on Facebook.

Super fast-paced, interesting supernatural detective story

This is a quick read with pretty straightforward writing. The text sometimes feels weird and not quite smooth in some places, but it doesn’t take away from the story. The whole thing is fast-paced and kind of reads like a sprint because there’s always something happening on every page.

Bolder and Wellock are a fun and interesting duo but I feel like more could be done with their character development. There seems to be so much more behind their individual back stories and how they started working together and it would’ve been nice to read more about them. I mean, we are given quick explanations, but a deeper dive would be nice. Maybe we’ll get more of that in the next books.

Anyway, the story is cool and exciting and, though I wasn’t terribly blown away, I enjoyed reading it. I’d read more of Bolder’s adventures.

If you like mystery and detective stories that involve hauntings and demonic possessions, you might enjoy this one, too!

Note: I received a copy of this book as part of my participation in this blog tour. All opinions expressed are my own.

Read an excerpt from Bolder Blindsided

The ghost wore a red-and-blue-checked shirt with suspended loose-fitted corduroy trousers, covered by an oversized sack coat and wavers for shoes—a type of waterproof gumboot. It had a white handkerchief tied around the neck and a broad felt hat. It peered with a skinny, sunken face, white and devoid of any existence. With an elongated nose and red bloodshot eyes—Gazza knew it was not from this world.
Gazza was a panderer, a good-looking guy that liked to mix with beautiful girls—he was not a fighter. And yet, he realized he was going to confront the most significant battle for his life. He stood firm, upright and arms folded—a natural reaction as his defence mechanism kicked into overdrive. But that could not hide his vulnerability as he trembled inside in fear for his life.
He continued flashing his torchlight at the phantasm circling him with prancing eyes, ready for its next move. Whatever happened to Jamie, I’m next, he thought.
The icy cold wind blew a gust across the mining shafts, and the moonlight made way for darkness as the clouds rolled in suffocating any virtue of hope. It was pitch black, and his torchlight was starting to fade slowly as the battery life dwindled. He tapped on his torch to get back the light he so desperately needed, but it was only temporary. The phantom continued circling and stomping on the hallowed turf, peering at him with penetrating eyes—ready to make its move. His phone torchlight was his next best thing, but that power source was also dwindling.
The phantom lifted a gold miner’s pickaxe and raised it into the air as a glitter of light reflected off the tips of the sharp end. Gazza instinctively covered his face by raising his right arm. The phantom came for him, and with an almighty swoop, the pickaxe fell on Gazza. He screamed for help, just like Jamie did—but no one was there to hear his final plight to the world. Had the demon murdered Gazza or taken him, prisoner?

Giveaway

Janice Tremayne will be awarding a paperback copy of the book (USA & UK) to two randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out the other tour stops and comment for more chances of winning! Find the tour schedule here: https://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2020/10/book-blast-bolder-blindsided-by-janice.html

Release Day + Review: Brambles by Intisar Khanani

July 27, 2021December 7, 2020 by Leah@WSP

Brambles by Intisar Khanani is out today! Brambles is a prequel novella to Thorn and gives Alyrra’s account of what happened years ago before the events in Thorn.

Read more about this story and check out my short review. Enjoy!

Brambles (Intisar Khanani)
In the kingdom of Adania, everyone knows what Princess Alyrra did to earn the court’s contempt, her mother’s disdain, and her brother’s hatred.
She betrayed her own.
Yet, the truth hides another story, one of honor and honesty, of a princess gambling her own life for another’s. It’s a tale of courage and consequences, and a choice that can never be undone.
A short story prequel to her multi-starred fantasy, Thorn, Intisar Khanani’s “Brambles” gives Alyrra’s account of what really happened all those years ago, and how a few critical days turned her life into a daily fight for survival.
Add this book on Goodreads. Get this book here.

About the Author

Intisar Khanani grew up a nomad and world traveler. She has lived in five different states as well as in Jeddah on the coast of the Red Sea. Until recently, Intisar wrote grants and developed projects to address community health with the Cincinnati Health Department, which was as close as she could get to saving the world. Now she focuses her time on her two passions: raising her family and writing fantasy. She is the author of The Sunbolt Chronicles and Thorn (HarperTeen 2020).

Connect with the author: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

My quick review

Brambles is a very quick read. I finished it in just a few minutes because it’s really short. Also, I’m already familiar with the characters and the author’s words flow so smoothly and easily (as always).

This is such a short story but it makes you feel so many things. It shows how strong, honorable and kindhearted Alyrra has always been even from a young age. You’ll find yourself rooting for her and absolutely hating everyone who makes her life so difficult.

Brambles is a good set up for Thorn (if you haven’t read Thorn). It makes you want to read more about Alyrra and her adventures. If you’ve read Thorn, Brambles provides a nice background to some things about Alyrra’s life.

Note: I received an advanced review copy of this book from the author. All opinions expressed are my own.

Get Brambles for 99cents here.

Review: The Wolf Of Oren-Yaro by K.S. Villoso

July 27, 2021November 28, 2020 by Leah@WSP

Hello, friends! Today I have The Wolf of Oren-Yaro by author K.S. Villoso. Earlier this year I kept seeing this book on Instagram and on must-read lists, so naturally I was intrigued (especially since the author is Filipino!). Everyone only had good things to say about it so I decided to get a copy when the Kindle version went on sale back in April. But because I’m a terrible reader I only got to it in August.

I’m going to be honest. I wasn’t sure I wanted to post my review, even when I joined a blog tour for the sequel, because the book wasn’t what I expected. Not that it was terrible, it just wasn’t.. er, what I expected. Hah. Anyway, let’s just get on with it.

Read on for more about the book and my rambling thoughts about it.

The Wolf of Oren-Yaro
A queen of a divided land must unite her people, even if they hate her, even if it means stopping a ruin that she helped create. A debut epic fantasy from an exciting new voice.
“I murdered a man and made my husband leave the night before they crowned me.”
Born under the crumbling towers of Oren-yaro, Queen Talyien was the shining jewel and legacy of the bloody War of the Wolves that nearly tore her nation apart. Her upcoming marriage to the son of her father’s rival heralds peaceful days to come.
But his sudden departure before their reign begins fractures the kingdom beyond repair.
Years later, Talyien receives a message, urging her to attend a meeting across the sea. It’s meant to be an effort at reconciliation, but an assassination attempt leaves the queen stranded and desperate to survive in a dangerous land. With no idea who she can trust, she’s on her own as she struggles to fight her way home.
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A mix of exciting elements; there’s something worth reading there, but kinda left me wanting.

I had such high expectations for this book because of all the praise and that kickass cover and the promise of a badass bitch queen. But, alas, it seems I am part of a very small, teeny tiny group that didn’t get blown away by this book. Boo.

I just didn’t love it as much as everyone did. I don’t think it’s a terrible book. It just didn’t grip me like I thought (hoped) it would. Chalk it up to ill timing or my overall state when I was reading. I don’t know.

The story is intriguing enough and all the other elements are pretty exciting stuff. You have a seemingly ruthless queen, interesting supporting characters, a divided kingdom with warlords and clans, an intriguing history of war and bloodshed, dazzling foreign empires, political intrigue, assassination attempts, betrayals and conspiracies. There’s even mention of wild dragons and hints of magic. These are all awesome stuff — stuff I’d normally be into — but I just didn’t get that whoa feeling.

Was into it at first.

I didn’t mind the first person narrative and I thought the pacing was good. The writing style was good and the author did a good job describing settings, places and things.

I can’t comment much on the world building though and that’s weird cos it’s one of the top 3 things I love about fantasies and sci-fi (the other two are the magic systems and the main characters). For some reason, nothing really stood out to me. Maybe I wasn’t really paying attention?

Several chapters in, I started getting annoyed with the baybayin texts in the chapter headings. I was excited when I first saw baybayin (an old Philippine writing system) under the first chapter heading. I noted them all down for each chapter. Then I realized they were the same words repeating in the same order. At first they made sense because they were words like lobo (wolf), lawin (hawk or falcon) and lakan (chieftain or lord), but after a while I couldn’t relate the word to the corresponding chapter anymore. And there was one word I couldn’t figure out. It frustrated me. It’s not really a big deal maybe, but I just wish there was more to it or some kind of explanation.

**Wanted a more stabby-stab-stab kind of queen**

Strong female protagonists are my fave. I adore honorable, stable, morally upright female protagonists, but I also luuurve badass, trigger happy, stab-first-talk-later, warrior, fighter, maybe morally grey female protagonists. When I read that this was the “bitch queen chronicles,” I was kinda hoping Queen Talyien would be the latter (the stabby one). And although she was in a way, she was not really as vicious and ruthless as I hoped her to be. (Am I evil??)

She wasn’t soft but I guess I expected more from someone who was raised by a vicious warlord father and taught and trained to be some kind of a warrior queen since infancy. I read in some reviews of the book that it simply shows that as much as she’s a queen she’s also just a woman trying to deal with a lot of things, and I get it, I really do, but I really just wanted a more stabby-stab-stab kind of heroine, you know what I mean? Am I weird? (Yes, I definitely am.)

Also, the word bitch. The people called her that because of her supposed reputation and because she wasn’t living up to whatever impossible “queenly” or “womanly” ideal they wanted her to be. She’s not perfect, so she’s a bitch? This kind of thing is all too real for all women right now in the real world, so I wanted Talyien to at least really own that word. (More in the next books maybe?)

Didn’t really care for that ending.

The crazy twists were interesting, but that ending was just unsatisfying. After all the things, that was it?? I really wanted Talyien to go in harder and be harder on everyone, everything, all of it. I don’t know what I was expecting, but that ending did not make me happy at all. (In my head I was like, “Kick him! Kick him!!” That’s all I’m going to say. LOL.)

So there. I haven’t been the best reader for a long time and maybe I just was not in the right mood when I read this. Or maybe I just didn’t get it. I really wanted to LOVE this book because this is the kind of book that we need to see more of — written by a woman, written by a Filipino, Filipino-inspired fantasy, POC characters, diverse, all that. So really, I’m chalking this one up to my mood when I read this. And I haven’t given up on this series and my review of book two may even be in the horizon (that is, if I can get my sh*t together haha).

Anyway, if you’re into fantasy, you might like this one, so check this book out for yourself!

As of the date of this post, The Wolf of Oren-Yaro is on sale on Amazon Kindle. Check it out now!

Note: I purchased my own copy of this book. All opinions and views expressed are my own.

About the author K.S. Villoso

The-Ikessar-Falcon_Author-photo-K.S.-Villoso

K.S. Villoso was born in a dank hospital on an afternoon in Albay, Philippines, and things have generally been okay since then. After spending most of her childhood in a slum area in Taguig (where she dodged death-defying traffic, ate questionable food, and fell into open-pit sewers more often than one ought to), she and her family immigrated to Vancouver, Canada, where they spent the better part of two decades trying to chase the North American Dream. She is now living amidst the forest and mountains with her family, children, and dogs in Anmore, BC.

Connect with the author on her Website, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads and Facebook.

Find purchase links for The Wolf of Oren-Yaro here.

Blog Tour [Review]: Sentient by Michael Leon (plus a $20 GC giveaway)

February 3, 2022November 24, 2020 by Leah@WSP

Today we have sci fi novel Sentient by Michael Leon! I wasn’t so sure I’d be up for this blog tour but I wanted to give this book a try. I’m glad I did because it turned out to be an exciting read!

Read more about the book below and check out my review. Also, read an excerpt and join the giveaway for a chance to win a $20 Amazon/B&N GC!

About the Book
A century has passed and yes, the human race stumbled into evolutionary compromise. But it’s not the androids who are the victors. Post-humans have exploded into preeminence, gaining tech superiority and a tech immunity against the global environmental degradation. Humans are trivialised, a minority species, their one last significant task, restore the environmental damage they inflicted on Earth and terraform off-planets. One human and his ‘biot’ android embark on such a journey to Mars, opening the possibility for an evolutionary path back to greatness, but hostile post-human agents have infiltrated their mission.
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An intriguing and exciting sci fi thriller

It’s 2120 and of course the world has changed. Everything’s advanced, the environment on earth isn’t great, and there are less humans than post-humans or people with tech implants and biots or human-like robots. AI governs the world and the tension and politics between humans and post-humans are intense. While humans are determined to restore Earth and terraform other planets like Mars, post-humans are focused on speeding up technological change. Human scientist Dane Walker and his biot Hali leave Earth for Mars on a secret mission to bring a piece of technology vital to the terraforming project on Mars. Unfortunately, the post-humans are on to them and are hell-bent on stopping them and acquiring the technology for themselves.

This was an easy read for me because it turned out to be quite exciting. The story is fast-paced, intriguing and thought-provoking. It has all the elements of a gripping thriller – you know, secret missions, secret agents, counterintelligence, espionage, military action. Mix that with a very cool setting like space and a red dusty planet, fascinating human and non-human characters (the non-humans were my favorites, btw) and some convincing science and you’ve got a very cool and compelling story that makes you think about things like consequences, being human, how far we’d go to advance or “better” ourselves, what does “better” even mean, what we’re willing to do to change our situation and our future, and what’s out there for us as a people.

I enjoyed reading this and if you’re into sci fi and/or thrillers, you might enjoy this one, too!

Note: I received a review copy of this book as part of my participation in the tour. All opinions and views expressed here are my own.

About the Author

Michael Leon is an explorer, writer and author of the new novel, Sentient. Professionally trained in international trade, Michael has spent the last decade reading and writing SFF novels about new worlds to be explored in the future. His latest work, Sentient, imagines Earth in the year 2120. Michael has traveled extensively around Europe, walking the paths of his characters, from the famous European opera houses in Phantoms to the mountain tops of Switzerland in Emissary.

Connect with the author on his website, Twitter, Blogger, Goodreads and Amazon.

Read an excerpt from Sentient by Michael Leon

The thought of engine failure enveloped my core as we approached the fateful deceleration phase. Rationally, I knew there hadn’t been a malfunction in many years, but statistics always had outliers. I was a Martian, but this was my first Mars landing. A feeling of dread overwhelmed me as the ship accelerated toward the planet. I tried to focus on Step, who methodically adjusted the navigation system, unaffected by the looming peril. It was ironic. I was part of a resistance, demanding more humanness and less technology, but I wouldn’t have anyone else but this talented biot navigate me back to my home. Step assuredly fired the thrusters, abruptly shifting our ship from its vertical fall.
“Brace people,” he warned, as the force of the thrusters turned my world upside down. The roar screamed like a tornado, capturing me and twisting the ship as if it were lighter than a feather. Extreme G-forces turned my body inside out in one violent action. For the briefest of moments, I wished we had crashed, but the roar of the thrusters subsided as did my discomfort. I barely heard Step’s next command as the ringing in my ears slowly abated. “Welcome to Mars, Dane.”

Giveaway

Michael Leon will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out the other tour stops for more chances of winning! You can find the blog tour schedule here.