TOUR: The Midnight Sea

The Midnight Sea by Kat Ross

ISBN: 0997236213
Pages: 326
Source: Xpresso Book Tours
Publication Date: March 26, 2016
Initial Reaction:


They are the light against the darkness.
The steel against the necromancy of the Druj.
And they use demons to hunt demons….
Nazafareen lives for revenge. A girl of the isolated Four-Legs Clan, all she knows about the King's elite Water Dogs is that they leash wicked creatures called daevas to protect the empire from the Undead. But when scouts arrive to recruit young people with the gift, she leaps at the chance to join their ranks. To hunt the monsters that killed her sister.

Scarred by grief, she's willing to pay any price, even if it requires linking with a daeva named Darius. Human in body, he's possessed of a terrifying power, one that Nazafareen controls. But the golden cuffs that join them have an unwanted side effect. Each experiences the other's emotions, and human and daeva start to grow dangerously close.
As they pursue a deadly foe across the arid waste of the Great Salt Plain to the glittering capital of Persepolae, unearthing the secrets of Darius's past along the way, Nazafareen is forced to question his slavery—and her own loyalty to the empire. But with an ancient evil stirring in the north, and a young conqueror sweeping in from the west, the fate of an entire civilization may be at stake…

 I don't know what I was expecting when I picked up this book but words cannot describe how incredible this book was. We follow Nazafareen who wants nothing more than revenge against the demonic Drujs who killed her sister when she was younger. She decides to enlist to become a Water Dog, the Empire's elite group of fighters who travel around destroying the demons with their kin.The only downside of becoming a Water Dog is that she has to become bonded with a daeva, but it is a price she is willing to take if she can avenge her sister. Once her training has been completed and she begins to go out on missions, she discovers that the Empire and religion she has sworn to obey might not be as virtuous as they seem. 

It took me the longest time to piece together that this was based and loosely inspired by Alexander the Great and his conquests. I honestly completely skipped over the Greek and Persian references and the fact that it was inspired by history and the culture of that time period just amazes me so much. When I read the Author's Note at the back, it was like this lightbulb just clicked and this story became 10x as awesome. 

Before I pieced everything together, this story contained so many surprises that even if I never figured it out, I still would be amazed. Kat Ross has created this rich culture that just comes to life before your eyes. That coupled with the amazing characters is enough to make any story stand out. Nazafareen is such a complex character who joined with a single motive but grows to question what she has been taught and develops her own ideas and loyalties throughout the story. While she can be a bit stubborn at times, she learns and grows from her mistakes. I can't mention Nazafareen without mentioning her daeva Darius. I wish we could have gotten more from him but the brief moments we did get revealed his complex nature and shows that different dimensions that Nazafareen didn't think daevas had. I don't really know how to describe daevas but they are relatives of the Druj that the Water Dogs hunt but they are essentially bred in the "way of the Fire" and taught to suppress their "demonic" nature.

There are so many characters that I don't know how to get to them all but I must mention Ilyas if for nothing than the fact that I am so torn between feeling so sorry for him and absolutely hating him. He's honestly a blind follower and I can't quite place what wrong with him but after some events, he becomes a shell of himself and just creates so much devastation. Then we have Tijah, a girl who escaped an arranged marriage to become a Water Dog. Her relationship with her daeva Myrri is the first example Nazafareen sees of a daeva being more than a demon. 

I don't know what else I can say without giving away the overall story and I definitely feel like this is one that you have to go into it not knowing too much because the discovery adds so much to the experience. Needless to say, I was very pleasantly surprised with this and I cannot wait for the release of the second book because I need to know what happens next!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kat Ross worked as a journalist at the United Nations for ten years before happily falling back into what she likes best: making stuff up. She lives in Westchester with her kid and a few sleepy cats. Kat is also the author of the dystopian thriller Some Fine Day (Skyscape, 2014), about a world where the sea levels have risen sixty meters. She loves magic, monsters and doomsday scenarios. Preferably with mutants.
Twitter | Website | Facebook | Goodreads

4 out of 5 stars

TOUR: Moorigad Trilogy

Moorigad: Age of the Hybrid by Debra Kristi

ISBN: 1942191138

Pages: 492
Source: YA Bound Book Tours

Publication Date: January 26, 2016

Initial Reaction:

When Kyra, the Moorigad dragon-shifter, unwittingly finds herself at Mystic’s Carnival, a supernatural world between realms, she believes her runaway days are finished. Amidst the carnies and never-ending magic, she finds a home of the heart – friends and belonging among a gathering of paranormal beings. However, living an uncomplicated life was never one of Kyra’s strengths. She’s falling for her all-too-secretive best friend, Sebastian. And as she delves deeper into his mysteries, her goodwill sabotages their future and her very existence.

Note: This is an omnibus edition of the entire trilogy - individual Goodreads links:

The Moorigad Dragon | Reap Not The Dragon | Plight of the Dragon

I mentioned that I was in the mood for a good dragon story and completely forgot that I had signed up for this blog tour. I didn't know what I was expecting when I picked up this trilogy but I got completely swept up in the world of the Mystic Carnival with its paranormal creatures and alluring story line. Kyra is Moorigad dragon, the daughter of a powerful Fire Dragon and Ice Dragon. She finds herself at the Mystic Carnival when she runs away from her parents and their demands for her to choose a side. While she's there, she unravels the mysteries surround the Carnival and those who call it home.

It's kind of hard trying to tell you my thoughts on this trilogy as a whole without spoiling specific parts to each individual story. I'm actually really glad I got to read the entire trilogy in one go as if it was one story because there were just some crazy cliffhangers that literally made me want to cry out in frustration before I realized if I just swiped to the next page I could keep on reading. The first story sets up the overall idea of the entire trilogy and honestly I got a bit confused at the end because so many things were happening and I couldn't set things straight. About a quarter through the second book, everything clicked and it was this huge "OMG" moment which, looking back on it, was kind of funny. 

Kyra literally went to hell and back over the course of the story and she had to fight to regain her identity. I honestly don't even know why I ever thought a love triangle was possible because you find out very clearly that one potential suitor is a complete nut job and needs to be isolated before he takes over the world. Sebastian and Marcus are the two guys in question and I don't really want to talk about my reactions to them because I don't want to give anything away but like I said, you learn pretty fast which guy is a psycho.

The story line was a bit difficult to follow at times, I'm just not cut out for dragon politics and all this fighting to become the ruling clan and whatnot just made my head spin. I did like the line that Kyra said at the end about the Age of Moorigad and that it was time for those uptight dragons to accept change and those who might be different or in her case, have two types of dragons. 

I wanted a dragon story and I definitely got one. This trilogy is action packed and fun which I definitely enjoyed. Other than my head spinning a couple of times, the plot was well developed and I promise you'll be intrigued from start to finish. 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Live in reality. Play on the other side. 
Debra Kristi is a paranormal and fantasy writer. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two children and and three schizophrenic cats. She’s a full-time kid chaser, video game maker's wife, and muse prompted writer. Unlike the characters she often writes, she is not immortal and her only super power is letting the dishes and laundry pile up. When not writing, Debra is hanging out creating priceless memories with her family, geeking out to science fiction and fantasy television, and tossing around movie quotes. 
“She writes because the dead girl told her to.” 

Author Links:

   

3.5 out of 5 stars

9 Books I Picked Up on a Whim

Hello everyone! It's been a while since I've posted a Top Ten Tuesday so I decided to get back into it with this week's topic. I had to do some scrolling through Goodreads but I have a list!

Eleanor by Jason Gurley - Is anyone surprised that this is on my list? I took one look at the cover, read the synopsis and just decided to pick it up and read it without looking at any reviews and I'm so glad I did. (Review)

The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough - I heard some things about this book before picking it up but I didn't really pay much attention to what people were saying. My main motivation for picking this one up was the comparison to The Night Circus which I really enjoyed. (Review)

The Weight of Feathers by Anna Marie McLemore - This is another book that gave me some Night Circus vibes with a touch of Romeo and Juliet mixed in. Also, that cover is so gorgeous I needed to pick it up and the writing!! (Review)

Jane's Melody by Ryan Winfield - This is one of those novels that I didn't hear anything about but I saw it at my library and it looked so pretty so I picked it up. Looking at the synopsis, it's definitely not something I would read but it ended up being a really touching story. (Review)

Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen - I read the synopsis of this book at the library and the words Robin Hood grabbed my attention so I decided to give it a shot. Three books later, this is definitely ranked high on my list of favorite trilogies. (Review)

Incarnation by Emma Cornwall - To be completely honest, I read one word in the summary and picked it up: Mordred. I can't remember when I read this book but I have a feeling it was post BBC Merlin finale. (Review)

City of a Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster - I remember picking this book up from the library and reading the class systems on the first couple of pages and being super intrigued but it took me a while to actually pick it up to read. While reading, I wasn't super blown away but the minute I put the book down, I could not get it out of my mind. (Review)

Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge - I read Cruel Beauty and while I enjoyed it, I was way to confused. Crimson Bound came out in 2015 and I just ignored all the talk surrounding the novel because I wasn't interested. For some strange reason, I decided to pick it up and holy smokes my mind was blown. (Review)

Born at Midnight by CC Hunter - I have no idea why I picked this book or this series up. I'm not a huge fan of paranormal and from what I remember, the library had all the books and I felt like marathoning something. This series was a complete pleasant surprise and I still have to read the spin-off series. (Review)

So that's my list! Let me know what books made it on your list and which ones I should check out!

Review: Death in Neverland

Death in Neverland by Heather C. Myers

ASIN: B00PKGUZYU

Pages: 269
Source: Xpresso Book Tours

Publication Date: November 12, 2014

Initial Reaction: 

In the Neverland, people don't grow up. Because they're dead. 

Remy Cutler dies, and somehow escapes certain death. She returns to the land of the living with nothing but a ripped gown and a fear of heights. 

Two years later, she plans to escape her arranged marriage by stowing away onto a ship in hopes to leave her home with no one none knowing. However, she is found out, and the sailors aren't happy. Before any damage can be done, she is yanked from her predicament back to The Neverland, a place where death resides - the very place she escaped from years ago. Souls are ferried by her savior. To her, he's known as Nick, but to The Neverland, he's the slippery Nicholas Grey. 

The more time Remy spends with Nick and his crew, however, the more she realizes he's shockingly misunderstood. Pirates aren't all bad the way gentleman aren't all good. One such gentleman goes by the name of Peter, and he has nothing but power on his mind and revenge against Grey in his heart. And then there are those that are completely indiscernible, like James Hook, a Viking and ruler of The Other World, whose sole ambition is attaining more souls to rule over, no matter what the cost. 

This dark retelling of Peter Pan infuses familiar characters created by J. M. Barrie with new characters and Greek mythology. It is the first in a trilogy. 

Have I ever mentioned that I loved Peter Pan retellings? For some strange reason, they're always my favorite retellings to read about and this one is no exception. This is definitely one of the strangest retellings I've ever read and it really gives the original story more of a nod than serve as an actual retelling. 

Remy Cutler died when she decides to climb down her window but she was able to escape death while she was being ferried over to Neverland. Since then, she's had a fear of heights, but decides to climb out once again to escape an arranged marriage. When she is discovered as a stowaway on a ship, the sailors aren't happy and she is saved by Captain Nicholas Grey, the Transporter of souls whose ship she escaped from when she first died. Her appearance back in Neverland raises some questions but reveals things about pirates and gentlemen that tear apart everything she's every believed in.

Like a mentioned before, this pays more of an homage to the original story because other than the mention of Hook, Pan, and Nick calling Remy "darling," this book is pretty different. I really enjoyed the aspect of Neverland as the place where the dead go and the whole set up was really interesting. Basically, you can choose to pass on to the Otherworld or Paradise, depending on how you lived your life, or you can choose to live in Neverland to rebuild your "morals" in hopes of passing into Paradise. The one catch is, if you die in Neverland, your soul will be lost forever. Talk about taking a risk...

Remy started off as your typical snobby society girl, granted she makes a huge effort to point out that since she grew up a bit rebellious, she's not as snobby as the other girls in her social circle, but she definitely sticks out like a sore thumb among the other pirates. I didn't find her unbearable and actually enjoyed seeing her develop and become more conscious that society's lines weren't as crisp as she thought but there were a couple times where I just wanted to tape her mouth shut because she wouldn't stop asking questions. She continues to do rash things even when Nick warns her against it but overall she did grow a lot in this first book.

I absolutely adore the pirate crew! Everyone from Captain Nick to sweet Giselle. While we definitely get more from the female pirates POV and not so much from the men, each character has their unique talents and contributes to the success of the ship. While Captain Peter Pan isn't exactly a pirate, he definitely embodies the title as being a terror of the seas and rather than being a charming boy who didn't want to grow up, he's a snobby gentleman with a lust for power and completely domination. James Hook also isn't exactly what I pictured but I can't decide if he's completely evil...he's just messed up right now.

This book sets the stage for what I think is going to be a very interesting trilogy and I'm definitely intrigued to pick up the rest of the books in the series. I like how it takes some components of the original story but doesn't lean too heavily against it. 

3.5 out of 5 stars

Review: Asleep

Asleep by Krystal Wade

ISBN: 9780997010411

Pages: 338

Source: Xpresso Book Tours

Publication Date: February 16, 2016

Initial Reaction: 

"To cure fear, you must use fear." 

Rose Briar claims no responsibility for the act that led to her imprisonment in an asylum. She wants to escape, until terrifying nightmares make her question her sanity and reach out to her doctor. He’s understanding and caring in ways her parents never have been, but as her walls tumble down and Rose admits fault, a fellow patient warns her to stop the medications. Phillip believes the doctor is evil and they’ll never make it out of the facility alive. Trusting him might be just the thing to save her. Or it might prove the asylum is exactly where she needs to be.

I should have known this book was going to give me nightmares. That cover itself is enough to give me paranoia but the summary just sounds so interesting I couldn't resist. The story follows Rose Briar whose parents decide to lock her in an asylum in hopes to cure her of her insanity. She finds refuge from her nightmares in her doctor who shows her the care her parents never bothered to give her, but a fellow patient tells her to stop taking the medications believing that the doctor is evil. The revelation leaves Rose with the question of if she's sane enough to trust the right person and get out alive.

So I might have missed the memo that this novel was categorized as horror and I decided to read this in school in one of my classes. There are some brutal scenes where Rose gets beaten and tortured and the scary thing is that it's all in her head. Among the horror elements, the story also focuses on Rose and her experience with mental illness which I found really interesting. The set up of that against the backdrop of a Sleeping Beauty retelling just gave the book a lot more depth.

Rose was such an interesting character and there were so many moments where I didn't know if I could actually believe what was going on. This book gives you a major head trip (I learned this word from another review) and I swear it twists your brain into so many knots that you won't know what to even believe at the end of it. The Shepperd Institute  setting is something straight out of the 1800s when asylums were popular and horrific forms of treating mental illnesses were the rage and just seeing Rose adapt to that surrounding and try to overcome her mental fears was really an amazing experience.

Her relationship with Phillip started off platonic and I really liked how he slowly opened her eyes to what the Institute really represented. I was so scared that things might border insta-love but thankfully their relationship was one with development. He plays an important role in Rose's character growth and really gives her strength when she feels like there is no hope left. Now I can't mention her relationship with Phillip without mentioning Dr. Underwood. I have no words to describe him, he's creepy on so many levels but what really got to me was when I started doubting if he was even the bad guy because everything just got so twisted.

This story is guaranteed to mess with your brain in a good way and will leave your mouth hanging open as secrets are revealed. It's taken loosely from Sleeping Beauty as far as I can tell but it really puts a horror twist in the classic story.

3.5 out of 5 stars

BLITZ: The Neverland Wars

The Neverland Wars
by Audrey Greathouse
Genre: YA Fantasy/ Fairytale Retelling
Release Date: May 9th 2016
Clean Teen Publishing

Summary from Goodreads:

Magic can do a lot—give you flight, show you mermaids, help you taste the stars, and… solve the budget crisis? That's what the grown-ups will do with it if they ever make it to Neverland to steal its magic and bring their children home.
However, Gwen doesn't know this. She's just a sixteen-year-old girl with a place on the debate team and a powerful crush on Jay, the soon-to-be homecoming king. She doesn't know her little sister could actually run away with Peter Pan, or that she might have to chase after her to bring her home safe. Gwen will find out though—and when she does, she'll discover she's in the middle of a looming war between Neverland and reality.
She'll be out of place as a teenager in Neverland, but she won't be the only one. Peter Pan's constant treks back to the mainland have slowly aged him into adolescence as well. Soon, Gwen will have to decide whether she's going to join impish, playful Peter in his fight for eternal youth… or if she's going to scramble back to reality in time for the homecoming dance. 

  

Buy Links:

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EXCERPT

They landed and moved slowly through the jungle for the last few hundred feet, giving Peter time to explain to Gwen as she walked at his side.

“If you’ve never met a mermaid before, there are a few things you should know about them.”

“Like what?”

“Like they are the most cunning and conniving creatures you will ever cross paths with.”

“Really?” Gwen asked, astounded. “I would have thought mermaids would be… I don’t know, beautiful and sweet.”

“Sirens, all of them. They’ll do anything to get what they want. Mermaids have no qualms about the means to the end, so long as it’s their end they get to.”

“Well, what do they want?”

“It’s always some kind of trouble… not that they’ll ever tell you what they want.”

Peter barreled through a clump of vines, hanging low in his way. Gwen followed after him, her curiosity compounding with every moment. “Are they dangerous then?”

“Terribly,” Peter responded. “So there are three rules for whenever you confront mermaids. First, don’t get too near to them; second, don’t get too close to them; and third, don’t ever get in the water with them.”

“Alright. Easy enough,” Gwen said, wondering if there was a working difference between the first and second rule.

“The best thing to remember,” Peter continued, “is that mermaids will never tell you what they’re after, and it’s best to assume it’s something dastardly. Whatever they want from you, whatever they want you to do, just don’t.”

“Well, if they’re so terrible, why are we going to meet with them?” Gwen asked, not seeing what good could come of the encounter.

“Because mermaids know things, and they can learn things you and I couldn’t ever possibly learn, even if someone spent a hundred years trying to teach us… and they have information right now that I need.”

Peter caught sight of a papaya tree and reached up to pick its fruit. It seemed impossible  for Peter to pass up ripe fruit, so he beckoned to Gwen and filled her satchel with a few. He found a mango tree, and tossed Gwen a few of those fruits as well.

“Will the mermaids tell you?” Gwen asked. “If you’re so bent on thwarting them, what’s to stop them from giving you misinformation to spite you?”

“They’re very easy to coerce,” Peter said, his mouth full of mango, “and the one good thing about mermaids is they can’t lie.”

“They can’t?”

“Nope. Not even a tiny white lie. Mermaids don’t go against their word, and they stick to the bargains they strike. But that makes them even more dangerous, obviously.”

Gwen didn’t see how that was obvious at all. If anything, it seemed like that would make them less of a threat, but there wasn’t time to press the conversation further. They broke the tree line and found themselves on the edge of a small cliff. Crude steps carved into the cliff's face led down to a rocky lagoon. Below, the beautiful bay of blue-green water was so clear and still that it was easy to make out the silhouettes of the slender, aquatic nymphs swimming beneath the surface.

A to Z of Peter Pan 

A is for ALWAYS a child and on adventures.

B is for BEDTIME stories from Wendy at night.

C is for CANNIBAL'S Cove and it's buried treasures.

D is for DODGING the dastardly pirates we fight.

E is for ETERNALLY young and forever free.

F is for FAIRIES that twinkle and sparkle in flight.

G is for GAMES and all their ensuing gaiety.

H is for HOOK himself, horrible pirate captain,

(I shake in my boots just to think of him!)

J is for the JOLLY RODGER, when he sails again.

K is for KIDS who run amok and fight on a whim.

L is for LAGOON depths that house the most beautiful

M is for MERMAIDS and their miracles in the mire.

N is for the NEVERBIRD nesting, happy and droll.

O is for OLD TALES told once more around the camp fire.

P is for PETER PAN, of course, friend to the pixies—

Q is for QUITE a bit of nonsense surrounding him.

R is for REDSKINS, a brave tribe living among trees.

S is for SWORDFIGHTING and stabbing old peg-leg Jim.

T is for TINKERBELL and Tiger Lily's sly tricks.

U is for UNDERGROUND home, always safe and sound.

V is for VICIOUS enemies getting their licks!

W is for a WOUNDED Wendy-bird falling to the ground.

X marks the spot for the greatest treasures.

Why is for questions that need no answers;

Zzzzzz's come after a long day's adventures.

Advance Praise:

"Gwen's description of growing up and high school life is one of the most accurate that I've ever read." (Across the Bookiverse)

"The author creates such a peaceful and serene place that it felt likeescape just reading about it...Through this world, the author explores the themes of what it means to grow up." (K.E. Carson, The Underground)

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About the Author

Audrey Greathouse is a Seattle-based author of science-fiction and fantasy. Raised in the suburbs, she became a writer after being introduced to NaNoWriMo during her sophmore year of high school. Since then, she has drafted more than a dozen books, 100 sonnets, and 800 other poems, and a handful of short stories and one-act plays.

After dropping out of her university and beginning training as a circus performer on the aerial silks, she returned to school to study at Southern New Hampshire University College of Online and Continuing Education to earn her B.A. in English Language and Literature, with a minor in Computer Information Technologies.

Audrey Greathouse is a die-hard punk cabaret fan, and pianist of fourteen years. She's usually somewhere along the west coast, and she is always writing.

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