Book Review: Rhodi Rising by Megan Linski

Rhodi Rising – Megan Linski

*Warning – may contain spoilers*

Author: Megan Linski

Publisher: Gryfyn Publishing

First published: 2016

Edition: eBook

Pages: 203

Blurb:    (Taken from Goodreads)

Forced into hiding.

               Desperate to find their masters.

In the past few months since the attack on their home, twin assassins Dylan and Devin have grown restless. With the Rhodi facing extinction, they search for their masters Talidin and Tavana, only to discover they’ve gone missing. With nowhere to turn, the twins seek help from a pair of mysterious spies, only to find the trail gone cold, marked by hints of torture and destruction.

Dylan and Devin piece together the eventers that led to the disappearance of their fellow Rhodi. As their enemies close in for the kill, Dylan discovers that some things are impossible for a Rhodi… but not for a tigress.

History of my copy: I received a free copy of Rhodi Rising from the author in exchange for an honest review.

After reading Rhodi’s Light, I was looking forward to reading the sequel. Although the story still feels a little disjointed, the plot certainly developed, thus resulting in a book on par with its predecessor.

Plot: In the second instalment of the Rhodi Saga, we follow the twins and their cousin as they leave their hiding place and return to find their Rhodi masters. On the way, they befriend two Searchers who help them too. Once they return to Aeros, they find the house in pieces and discover that their masters are gone.

         Together, the children work to find their masters and to return them home. Amongst this, they find the secret Rhodi weapons with the help of Dylan’s arch-enemy Saffron.

         One bit that I found was downplayed was the death of two of the masters (not naming anyone). It was sort of ‘oh yeah they’re dead’ and that was it, which was a shame.

Setting: Setting was one of the areas that Rhodi Rising advanced in. There were a lot more places that the story takes place in. Particularly strong settings were the destruction that the Hunter’s Guild caused at the Rhodi house and the lavish luxury of Desmiondre’s palace.

Characters: Unfortunately, Dylan becomes rather annoying and whining in Rhodi Rising and, on top of her becoming a tigress, I find I quite dislike her as a protagonist. As for her and Talidin, the whole ‘daddy’ thing is getting a little weird.

               However, Tito improved! Plus, the Searchers were really interesting characters and I look forward to hearing more about them in the future.

               Again, Rachel seemed underdeveloped, as well as Saffron. Can I hope for some depth to them in the final instalment? Let’s hope so! Plus, the whole Tavana/Desmiondre needs some fixing up.

To read or not to read: Read. Besides the many negative points in this review, Rhodi Rising was still a pleasurable book. Perhaps not quite as good as the previous Rhodi’s Light, it keeps the series at a steady rating of being good, but not a ‘must read’ series. If anything, the first 2 books could be merged into one.

Find the review for Rhodi's Light here

Guest Post: My Writing Routine by Carys Jones

My Writing Routine

By Carys Jones

I’m lucky enough to have commandeered an entire room in my house for the sole purpose of writing! When I moved in the walls were already pink which felt like fate guiding me to where I should set up my trusty pink laptop (which is missing a few keys but I can’t bear to part with it) and forge my writing base.

I pretty much write every day. There are of course exceptions but generally I try and stick to my daily routine. I write first thing in the morning as my mind is sharper then. I have daily word targets that I stick to. The targets are scrawled down along with my all my jumbled notes in my assortment of notebooks which are stacked beside my laptop. 

The desk where I write is my self-created little corner of heaven. I’ve covered it with all my favourite things; like my Disney ornaments and pictures of my friends. On the walls are more pictures and also all the programs from the ballets I’ve been to with my Mum. I like to surround myself with things that make me happy, so that when I’m writing a particularly intense scene I can always look up and see something that makes me smile : ) 

I’m very disciplined with my writing as I’ve found that works for me. I set myself deadlines and do my best to stick to them. And I’m never alone when I’m writing. My beloved dog, Rollo, always comes and sits in his little bed of cushions on the other side of my desk. Sometimes he snores so loud that I lose my train of thought but I love having him with me! 

Find out about Carys Jones' book, In Another Life, here.

In Another Life by Carys Jones

In Another Life
Carys Jones

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Self Published

Date of Publication: 13th May 2016

ASIN: B01BZ7S9L8

Number of pages: 316
Word Count: 72120

Cover Artist: Carys Jones

Book Description:

Pans Labyrinth meets Once Upon A Time in this fantasy thriller from Carys Jones 

Returning home one weekend Marie Schneider’s life changes forever when her car collides with a lorry on the motorway and she is left fighting for her life. Whilst in a coma, Marie awakens in the fantastical world of Azriel which appears to be right out of the pages of a Fairy Tale book. Here, Marie learns that she is their long lost Princess North, and that Azriel is where she truly belongs. 

When Marie eventually wakes from her coma her thoughts of Azriel are still very present in her mind and she struggles to adjust to her 'normal' life. Everyone around her insists that Azriel is just a figment of her imagination but as she tries to recover from her wounds people start approaching her on the street, insisting that Azriel needs her and that she must return there at once. 

Confused, Marie tries to discover which reality is the right one. Could she truly be a long lost princess from another world or is she just losing her mind? As the world of Azriel starts to creep in to her current life it gets harder for her to ignore that perhaps she really is Azriel's Princess after all...

Amazon

Find an exclusive guest post here.

Excerpt: 

Beginnings

The unusually bitter October wind pulled at loose strands of Marie’s hair as she walked briskly along the busy pavement. Checking her watch she noticed with a plunging sensation in her stomach that she was already running five minutes late.

“Damn it,” she cursed aloud as she tried to increase her walk from brisk to fast. Her high heeled shoes clipped manically against the floor creating a sharp staccato soundtrack to her commute.

With as much speed as the six inches of her stilettos would afford her, Marie descended down from the pavement and the ominous grey clouds overhead into the underbelly of the city and the tube railway system.

Despite having lived in London for almost eighteen months Marie still struggled to accept the infiltration of her personal space each time she rode the tube to work. People would push up against her as though she were completely invisible. She’d learnt to use her bony elbows as a weapon against the more persistent of intruders. Clutching her handbag tightly to her chest she boarded her train, moving with the same militant precision as the commuters around her. Everyone seemed to move with such urgency, as though their very being depended on boarding the waiting train before them.

As the train surged in to motion and swept the passengers deeper into the city, Marie dared to remove one hand from her hand bag to wipe wearily at her eyes, careful not to smudge the mascara she’d barely had time to apply.

Marie was tired. The previous night, like all the nights before, the twenty seven year old had struggled to sleep. She lay awake, anxious, as though she were waiting for something though she had no idea what.

It took twenty minutes for Marie’s train to arrive in central London. Not quite long enough to remove her Kindle and delve in to the latest fantasy novel she was reading. She thought about the story as she looked forlornly out of the train windows. Endless miles of nothingness sped by. She missed travelling through the countryside and looking out and seeing endless fields of luscious, green grass. Marie Schneider was a city girl by necessity, not choice. She’d grown up amongst trees and fields not sky scrapers and stop signs.

Every morning as she stood on the tube she wished the same thing; that she didn’t have to go to work that day that instead she could stay home and read and get lost in another world.

“You spend far too much time with your head in books,” her mother would note with disapproval.

“Reading stories won’t get you anywhere,” she’d add callously. Marie would just roll her eyes. Her mother didn’t understand the magic which existed within a great story. She was too pragmatic, existing only in the moment. But Marie dared to dream bigger. She always secretly harboured the belief that she was meant for great things, that her destiny would somehow be wondrous.

Yet as she stepped off the tube and an overweight man in a suit already covered in sweat pushed a little too close up against her Marie realised she was hanging on to her romantic notions of a better life with a very thin thread.

“Excuse you!” Marie exclaimed as the man peeled himself off her and headed towards the escalators. He didn’t so much as turn back and offer an apologetic glance.

“Chivalry is so dead,” Marie muttered to herself as she straightened her blue dress which was adorned with patterns of white tipped daisies. Checking her watch she realised she was still running late, so taking the briefest moment to tuck back any loose strands of hair which had wrangled themselves free of the bun at the nape of her neck Marie headed out of the tube station, back up to the surface.

Emerging in to the dim light of an autumn morning Marie squinted slightly, feeling momentarily as blind as a mole squinting up from the ground. She could scarcely afford even a second to get her bearings. Her boss, Amanda Pickens loathed tardiness almost as much as she loathed those who opposed her right to wear real fur.

When Marie finally pushed her way through the glass doors of the office building where she worked her cheeks were flushed and a slight spattering of perspiration had formed upon her forehead.


About the Author:

Carys Jones loves nothing more than to write and create stories which ignite the reader's imagination. Based in Shropshire, England, Carys lives with her husband, two guinea pigs and her adored canine companion Rollo. 

When she's not writing, Carys likes to indulge her inner geek by watching science- fiction films or playing video games. 

She lists John Green, Jodi Picoult and Virginia Andrews as her favorite authors and draws inspiration for her own work from anything and everything. 

To Carys, there is no greater feeling then when you lose yourself in a great story and it is that feeling of ultimate escapism which she tries to bring to her books.

For more information about Carys please visit www.carys-jones.com

https://www.facebook.com/CarysJonesWriter/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7314534.Carys_Jones

https://twitter.com/tiny_dancer85

http://carysjonesauthor.blogspot.co.uk/

Promo Post: The Embodied Trilogy by J. B. Dutton

The Embodied Trilogy
by J.B. Dutton
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy/sci-fi
Page count: Approx. 560 pages
Release date:  July 11th 2016

Summary:

The Embodied trilogy is an unusual web of adventure, romance, fantasy, and science fiction.

Book one, Silent Symmetry, introduces smart, plucky Manhattan prep school student Kari Marriner, who becomes aware that mysterious aliens called the Embodied and their pseudo-religion, the Temple of Truth, have been influencing her family’s life for decades. As she falls for Cruz, a boy at school, and meets warring Embodied siblings Noon and Aranara, Kari starts to question her emotions and finds herself ensnared in a mystery that reaches further than she could possibly have imagined.

In book two, Starley’s Rust, a charismatic young English artist named Starley, who is plagued by race memories of the Embodied, convinces Kari that he can find her missing mother if she flies to Paris with him to draw out her kidnappers. But the Embodied seemed to have vanished, and now there’s a new, more terrifying visitor from the Dark Universe – a Thoth high priest in the form of a dragon. Kari soon discovers the mind-blowing extent of the Embodied beings’ involvement in human history and her own family’s tragic past.

In the trilogy’s thrilling conclusion, Diamond Splinters, Kari has a heart-wrenching choice to make: rescue her mother or save the Earth. And her only hope to figure out a solution is to team up with the one person she can never trust. When a submarine trip to the bottom of the Hudson River ends in death and disaster, Kari is scarred, both emotionally and physically. She wants to run and hide, but digs deep to find new sources of inner strength. As the storm of the century hits New York, a child’s life hangs in the balance and Kari gambles everything in a final confrontation with the genocidal Thoth.

Add to Goodreads

Excerpt:
When I got in, the apartment was empty. I dumped my stuff and had a shower. I only realized as I was drying my hair that the apartment was really empty. Flash wasn’t there. The hairdryer was his nemesis, and the feud had being going on since he was traumatized by it as a kitten. But he couldn’t resist confronting it. Whenever I blow-dried my hair he would freak, hissing and arching his back, fur standing on end. But not this time.
I turned off the hairdryer and called his name. Nothing. I made little squeaking noises with my lips, walking from room to room. Okay, this was bizarre. Where the eff could he be? There was only one sure-fire way of making him come running. I went into the kitchen and opened the cupboard where the cat food was stored. I shook the bag loudly. Silence.
Wait, there wasn’t silence.
There was a muffled voice coming from... coming from? I bent down to follow the sound. It was coming from the cupboard.
The cupboard was a medium-sized space, maybe three feet high and 18 inches wide, and as I stuck my head inside to listen I felt like I was somehow entering another world. It was a gut feeling. You know, the kind you can’t explain but know you should trust. Some people call it instinct, but Mom explained to me once that the gut and the ancient lizard brain are linked. This is the “fight or flight” response that you feel when you’re threatened. It’s helped us survive over millions of years of evolution. And it’s rarely wrong.
So what was different in there? What was my subconscious reacting to? The smell. Yes, that was it – something smelled different in there, and it wasn’t cat food. Now the muffled voice was louder, more distinctive. And I could tell that there were actually two voices, a man’s and a woman’s.
I put my head in further and another part of my gut sent me a second message. The dimensions were wrong. The cupboard stretched back much further than it should have, back beyond the kitchen wall.
I withdrew and stood up. I opened the cupboard above it and moved the cereal boxes to one side. This one was only a couple of feet deep. Looking back into the cat food cupboard, it was obvious that it went back at least a foot more.
I stood with my hands on my hips for a moment, trying to process. And where on earth was Flash? I called his name again and listened. Suddenly the voices stopped. I bent down and put my head back in the cupboard. There was a stale smell, and... was that a draft? I reached inside and felt around. The cupboard was so deep it was hard to see the back clearly. I shuffled inside, resting on my forearms and prodding the back wall with my fingers. It moved slightly. I pushed harder, and with a groan it swung open at the bottom. It was hinged somehow at the top, like a large flap. I opened the flap wider and felt a distinct whoosh of cooler, damper air hit my face. I peered through the opening but it was pitch black inside. Then the voices started again, this time much clearer. I still couldn’t make out what they were saying, but it was definitely a man and a younger woman talking.
Pushing the flap open even wider I realized that I could fit through the opening. The other side of the flap felt like a tunnel or duct the same width and height as the cupboard. The trouble was, it was too dark in there to explore it. I needed a flashlight.
Mom is nothing if not resourceful. There were always spare batteries in the house when I was a kid. A first aid kit that nurse-Mom whipped out at the first sign of fever. And a well-stocked emergency box in an easy-to-reach location.
Five minutes later I was back in the cupboard, flashlight in hand.
I wriggled inside on my hands and knees, then pushed the flap open again. I crawled through it, testing the strength of the surface beneath me as I went. The tunnel creaked a bit – I guess it was made of wood – but it seemed pretty firm. I advanced, the tunnel’s blackness stretching out in front of me. The flap swung shut and the dank air enveloped me.
I stopped and listened, probing the tunnel with the flashlight. It seemed to go on forever. “Flash?” I whispered loudly. But all I could hear were the echoey voices. I carried on crawling forward. They seemed to be getting louder. The young woman’s higher-pitched voice was easier to make out than the man’s gravelly rumble.
I thought I heard her say, “...control of it...here, I can get...here...make it...” Just snatches of sentences. The man said something in reply. When I was crawling, the noise my jeans made on the wood made it impossible to distinguish individual words in what the woman was saying. I shone the flashlight ahead of me. Was that a turn in the tunnel? As I got nearer, I could tell that there was a junction to the left in the tunnel up ahead.
I reached the bend and looked around it, the flashlight beam sweeping the tunnel walls. There was another long stretch that ended in...? A bend or a drop? “Flash?” I whispered again and listened. Now both voices were more distinct. They were definitely coming from further along the tunnel.
“...can’t stop them,” said the man.
“That’s just it,” answered the woman. Then silence.
I crawled onward, accompanied only by the swoosh and scrape of my jeans and shoes. Half a minute later I reached the end of this stretch of tunnel. Now there was a turn to the right, and a section that went upward. I raised my head to look up this chute. For a second my brain made a connection. That was it – garbage chutes! These big old buildings were usually equipped with them. Maybe that was what this was. But why did the tunnels go sideways? No, it made no sense.
I knelt at the junction, searching for an explanation. Then, before I knew what was happening, I screamed. Something had dropped from the chute and landed in front of me. Something alive. I scrambled backward, heart in mouth, the flashlight making crazy-ass shadows on the tunnel walls.
In seconds I was back at the first turn, but as I tried to crawl around it, one of the belt loops on my jeans snagged on a nail. I tried to pull it off, frantic. I glanced back down the tunnel and saw a movement. It was coming toward me. It was... Flash.
My limbs sagged, I stopped struggling, and the loop unhooked from the nail. The cat meowed and trotted up to me. Laughing in relief, I petted him. “You... you... I love you!” I said, happy to have found him. And happy that he wasn’t a giant rat. Or something worse that the depths of my imagination had conjured up in my state of panic. He purred and snuggled against my nose. 
“Kari.”
I froze.
It was the young woman’s voice. Distant, but distinct. I strained my ears to hear more but I was already far from the source of the sound, and Flash’s purring obscured the rest of the words. But I know I heard it. I know I heard my name.
“Kari.”

Buy Links:
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About the Author:
After graduating from film school in London, England, JB Dutton emigrated to Montreal in 1987, where he still lives with his two young children and their even younger goldfish. He spent over a decade as a music TV director before moving into the advertising industry as an award-winning copywriter for clients such as Cirque du Soleil. JB Dutton has written novels, short stories, blogs, screenplays and a stage play. He also writes adult fiction under the name John B. Dutton.



Author Links:

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Promo Post: The Fourth Piece by E. Ardell

The Fourth Piece (Order's Last Play #1)
by E. Ardell
Genre: YA Sci-fi/Fantasy
Release Date: July 8th 2016
48fourteen

Summary from Goodreads:

Admitting what you are will end everything you know. Embracing who you are will start a war...

Life is great when you’re good-looking and popular…so long as no one knows you’re a vulatto. Being half-alien gets you labeled “loser” quicker than being a full vader. So it’s a good thing Devon, Lyle, and Lawrence can easily pass for human—until the night of the party. Nothing kills a good time faster than three brothers sharing a psychic vision of a fourth brother who’s off-world and going to die unless they do something. But when your brother’s emergency happens off-planet, calling 9-1-1 really isn’t an option. 

In their attempt to save a brother they barely remember, Devon, Lyle and Lawrence expose themselves to mortal danger and inherit a destiny that killed the last four guys cursed with it. In 2022, there are humans and aliens, heroes and monsters, choices and prophecies—and four brothers with the power to choose what’s left when the gods decide they’re through playing games.

Book I in the Order's Last Play series 

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Book Trailer:

Teaser Trailer 1.5:



Teaser Trailer 2: 



Teaser Trailer 3:


Teaser Trailer 4: 


Teaser Trailer 5:

About the Author:

E. Ardell spent her childhood in Houston, Texas, obsessed with anything science fiction, fantastic, paranormal or just plain weird. She loves to write stories that feature young people with extraordinary talents thrown into strange and dangerous situations. She took her obsession to the next level, earning a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Southern Maine where she specialized in young adult genre fiction. She’s a big kid at heart and loves her job as a teen librarian at Monterey Public Library in Monterey, California, where she voluntarily shuts herself in rooms with hungry hordes of teenagers and runs crazy after-school programs for them. When she’s not working, she’s reading, writing, running writers critique groups, trying to keep up with a blog, and even writing fan fiction as her guilty pleasure.

Author Links:

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Cover Reveal: Distant Horizon by Stephanie and Isaac Flint

Distant Horizon (Distant Horizon #1)
By Stephanie and Isaac Flint
Genre: Dystopia with superhero elements
Age category: Young Adult
Release Date: October 27, 2016

Blurb:
The Community is safe.
Unless you have superpowers.

Sixty years ago, a hallucinogenic plague annihilated half the world’s population, leading to the formation of the Community—an international government that promises its citizens safety, security, and efficiency. Every day, Community citizens swallow a mandatory pill to ensure their immunity to the plague. A year after graduating high school, they take the Health Scan.

Most pass, and continue with their lives. Others disappear.

Eighteen-year-old Jenna Nickleson hasn’t taken the pill since her senior year in high school. She feels more alive without it, and she hasn’t shown any signs of infection—at least, not until two days after a surprise Health Scan is announced and Special Forces arrive at her university campus.

Spurred by the recent string of hallucinations, Jenna searches for any inkling of what happens to those who fail the scan. Rumor has it that they’re sent away for treatment and, once cured, receive a menial job. But when she uncovers the cruel truth behind the plague, her ideal world is shattered.

Underneath the illusion of safety, Special Forces agents harbor a dark secret.

The plague is a lie.

You can find Distant Horizon on Goodreads

You can pre-order Distant Horizon here:
- Amazon
- Amazon UK
- B&N
- Kobo
- iTunes
- Smashwords

Excerpt:
There was a fifteen minute break between classes. Since the two buildings were right next to each other, that was plenty of time for me to browse EYEnet. My primary question regarded the old man’s warning that I’d fail the scan. I focused on the blog from my friend in high school—the one whose sister failed.
According to Galina’s posts, she’d been afraid of failure early on, and on the day of the Health Scan, she’d made another post reiterating the same fear. She’d been having hallucinations that liquids would shape themselves from images in her thoughts, and she was sure she had theophrenia.
It’d been almost a year since Galina left, but I wasn’t sure how long the recovery effort lasted. I checked the last active day she was on her account. There was nothing since the day of her scan.
I checked other blogs, searching for any references to fear of failure. One girl thought she could fly. Another guy swore he could read his professor’s mind. All signs of advanced delusions, and in each case, they didn’t return.
Three years passed. Five. Nothing.
A chill ran through me. The old man said to try controlling vines and grass. That was crazy. Impossible. And yet… I’d felt that stem move. I’d seen it move.
My phone chimed a one-minute warning before class. Students stirred and finished their conversations, and I stared at the small screen of my phone. Only one person, out of the entirety of blogs I’d found, had ever come back.

About the Author:
Stephanie and Isaac Flint met at the University of Central Missouri, where they discovered a common interest in world-building and tabletop role-play games. Distant Horizon is their first joint world, the result of a role-play game Isaac ran in the summer of 2010. After graduating with Bachelors of Science (Photography for Stephanie, Psychology for Isaac), they were married in 2012. Together, they plot stories, torment each other’s characters, and enjoy the occasional cosplay.

You can find and contact Stephanie and Isaac here:
- Author Blog
- Publisher Website
- Facebook
- Twitter Stephanie
- Twitter Publisher
- Author Goodreads
- Stephanie Goodreads
- Newsletter

Book Review: The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins

The Girl On The Train

*Warning – may contain spoilers*

Author: Paula Hawkins

Publisher: Doubleday, imprint of Transworld Publishers

First published: 2015

Edition: Hardback. A totally gorgeous one with foil and red-edged pages

Pages: 318

Blurb:     Every day the same.

Rachel catches the same commuter train every morning. She knows it will wait at the same signal each time, overlooking a row of back gardens.

She’s even started to feel like she knows the people who live in one of the houses. ‘Jess and Jason’, she calls them. Their life – as she sees it – is perfect. If only Rachel could be that happy.

               Until today.

And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough.

Now everything’s changed. Now Rachel has a chance to become a part of the lives she’s only watched from afar.

               Now they’ll see: she’s much more than just the girl on the train…

History of my copy: I was lucky to pick up this edition of the book for only £2 at a car boot sale in fantastic condition. It had been on my TBR for a while so I was only too happy to discover the bargain!

The Girl On The Train is a very popular book and thus had been on my TBR list since it was released. I’m so glad to have finally read it!

Plot: We follow Rachel, an unemployed alcoholic who catches the train to work and back every day to imitate that she is still going to work. From the train, she watches Jess, who we later discover is actually called Megan. When Megan goes missing, Rachel feels obliged to inform the police about Megan’s lover. As the mystery unfolds, so does Rachel’s major issues, along with her coming to terms with her ex leaving her for Anna, the other lead female in the story.

         It’s a cleverly woven together plot, with an ending that I really didn’t see coming!

Setting: The one thing this book lacks is descriptive setting however, due to the type of book it is, it doesn’t matter. It is certainly sufficient to convey what is happening where, and develops the mystery of the story. However, as someone who hasn’t really visited London, I do think I may have benefited from a little more to picture.

Characters: The main character in The Girl On The Train is Rachel, a character who I believe is fantastically well written. As I’ve never known anyone like her, I don’t know if her portrayal is accurate for someone in her position, but it certainly felt entirely realistic. I loved her as a character. Alcoholism is an illness that, in my experience of reading, is rarely acknowledged, but Hawkins has done so in a way that still portrays Rachel as relatable, even though she has nothing in common with me.

               On the flip side of that, I hated Anna. As a character, she was well-rounded and developed, but gosh as a person she is the worst. Not only does she date someone’s husband and not even feel bad about it (in fact, she frequently goes on about how she is better than Rachel), but she defends her complete a**hole of a husband and jut refuses to acknowledge Rachel’s true claims, or at least be supportive of what she was going through! So many times I just wanted to tell Anna to get a grip and sort her priorities out.

               Megan was another great character, and I really loved the way in which Hawkins identified her and Scott as this idyllic relationship, when really there was so much more to it, showing that even things that look perfect often aren’t.

               Without ruining the story, I’m just going to mention that the whole conclusion to the mystery, and who the killer actually was, was done fantastically and totally surprised me. In fact, I initially loved who it was, right up until we found out! Fantastic character building again.

To read or not to read: Read. The Girl On The Train may not be my usual kind of book, but it certainly does live up to the hype. The format takes a little to get used to, and the whole premise may sound a little odd at first, but I really recommend this book.

Promo Post: Throne of Lies by Sara Secora

Throne of Lies (Amethysta Trilogy #1)
by Sara Secora
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: August 2016

Summary from Goodreads:

As a seventeen-year-old ruler chafing under the obligations of her bloodline, Princess Amethysta Serelle finds the royal life anything but enchanting. 

Betrothed to a nefarious highborn, Amethysta's heart mourns her lost chance at love—that is, until she becomes mesmerized by someone other than her suitor, and her heart begins to beat anew.

Desperate to keep her daughter on the path toward duty and the throne, the queen keeps a deadly secret. But as Amethysta balances the burden of expectations and freedom, the glowing, blue truth will not stay hidden for much longer.

Desire and duty battle on, further complicated by strange occurrences happening to Amethysta’s body. She struggles for control as her once unquestioned reality is obliterated.

Will she discover the truth, in her heart and hands, before it’s too late? 

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Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book Trailer:


Excerpt:
Placing an elbow on my knee, I hunched over and rested my chin on my open palm. Gehlin had taught me that acting a part was critical for a ruler. “You mustn’t show weakness, even when at your weakest,” he had said. I struggled greatly with pretending to feel things I didn’t and with becoming the person I was expected to be.

A butterfly flitted by and landed on the top tier of the fountain, only inches away from the trickling water. I recognized the butterfly from one I’d seen in a book; it was known as a Glasswing. Having never laid eyes upon a Glasswing in person, I wanted a closer look. 

Standing, I gripped the edge of my gown, holding it just above the shallow water. I tiptoed forward, careful not to step on any fish. Gingerly, I coaxed the creature onto my index finger. The butterfly’s transparent wings slowly rose and fell as it stayed perched on my finger. Bringing the butterfly closer to my face, I studied its tiny features. I understood why they called this butterfly a Glasswing. The entirety of its wings and even its body was nearly transparent. The only opaque portion was a slight outline on its outer edges, almost as if the butterfly had fluttered off a canvas before the painter could apply color. 


I was bringing the creature even closer to my face as a strong wind blew and the butterfly flew away, taking off toward the lilies that lined the pathway of the garden. Settling back down on the edge of the fountain, I admired the Glasswing butterfly from afar as I returned to my thoughts.

About the Author:
Sara Secora has a passion for all things gamer and nerdy, as evidenced on her YouTube channel, AviGaming. She is also a well-branded voice over artist.

Secora has always been in love with writing, and nearly a decade ago, she finally turned her talents to the arduous endeavor of authoring an exciting fantasy trilogy. Her whimsical stories are full of enchantment, mystique, and insight—destined to intrigue readers of any age. 

Secora lives in Detroit, Michigan, where she continues to explore old and new avenues for her talent and hard work.

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Youtube│Instagram

GIVEAWAY:
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Throne of Lies

by Sara Secora

Giveaway ends September 25, 2016.
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Ship It Or Rip It Part 2

Welcome to the second installment of Ship It Or Rip It! Who shall get paired up today?

Grover (Percy Jackson) and Tessa (The Infernal Devices)

Wow what a pair! Whilst Tessa would totally accept Grover once she is introduced to the Shadow world, I just can't see the pair getting on. At all. Whilst admiring of each others braveness, I just don't think they could get together.

Verdict: Rip it.

Jessamine (The Infernal Devices) and Bronwyn (Raised By Wolves)

Another interesting pair, and one I think might just work. The only downside would be Jessamine's hatred of wolves due to their connection with the Shadow world. Bronwyn is brave, strong and a natural leader, whereas Jessamine prefers to be the lady of the house, but I somehow think that they might just pull it off.

Verdict: Ship it.

Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles) and Alec (The Mortal Instruments)

Scarlet could definitely make it as a shadowhunter. She is bold, brave, confident and daring, willing to sacrifice anything for good. Alec would be a great partner to her and I reckon they would definitely work together. Whilst Alec is a little shy, he would compliment Scarlet really well and vice versa. Definitely shipping this pair!

Verdict: Ship it.

Will (The Infernal Devices) and Astrid (Gone)

Never in a million years. Whilst it's clear that Will is intelligent and likes women with brains too, I feel Astrid is just a bit too nerdy smart. Then there's the fact that she's not exactly brilliant at looking after her brother, which would certainly put Will off. I could see Astrid liking Will as he is a hero, but she's quite needy and Will's coldness (at first) would drive her away.

Verdict: Rip it.

Ginny (Harry Potter) and Celeste (The Selection)

I can see Celeste having no time for Ginny, especially as she is from a poor family whereas Celeste is very wealthy and I can also see Ginny hating Celeste for being so horrible. However, despite that, I can't help but think that they would make a pretty badass couple! 

Verdict: Ship it.

Read part 1 here!

Don't forget to comment your views on these ships, and list any characters you would like to see included below!