Today we are celebrating the paperback release of four novels (& novellas) from author Chirstina Bauer! She is releasing books from a few of her different series in Paperback this month, so it is the perfect time to check them out! If you are new to Christina Bauer, here is some more information on the books she is releasing. Check out more info on the books below, and then I have a mini review and excerpt from Duty Bound as well as a great giveaway!
Amber & Dusk is a young adult fantasy romance by author Lyra Selene. Amber & Dusk is a novel that features awesome secrets and intrigue, a really cool world setup, and characters that pull you in. Honestly, I loved pretty much everything about this novel. I really hope there is going to be a sequel. I wasn’t sure by the ending of Amber & Dusk if there would be one or not. I think there is certainly room for one. We had a few things that can be expanded on, and that were not completely wrapped up, so I am holding out for for another book. I need more! Lyra Selene did such a fantastic job with her characters and world building. This was a book that I just kept getting more and more excited about, the more I read it. It is a fantasy that I will be recommending to everyone as soon as it is released at the end of this month! You need to read Amber &… Read more »
The Dragon Tamer is the first book in the Alveria Dragon Academy series by Ava Richardson. The Dragon Tamer is a young adult fantasy, and was a great start to what seems to be a very promising series. I have really been into dragons lately, so I was really excited to find a new young adult series centered around them. The Dragon Tamer is set in the world of Alveria, where in the past Humans and Dragons coexisted, but in present day Alveria, the dragon population has dwindled significantly. Because of this, tensions between the remaining dragons and humans are very frayed, and the climate between the two species is pretty hostile. This is the world that our main character has be brought up in. I always find it fascinating when we get to learn the history of a new world because it really helps to set the stage for what kind of series this is going to be. In the Dragon Tamer, we meet Kaelan, who becomes an outsider because of… Read more »
Carols and Chaos is a standalone young adult historical fiction by Cindy Anstey. Even though Carols and Chaos can be read as a standalone, it is set in the same time period and world as Cindy’s previous novel, Suitors and Sabotage. This is the fourth book I have read by Ms. Anstey and I just adore them all! I know they are all going to be fabulous written and pure fun from start to finish. And Carols and Chaos was no exception. I will be honest, this was not my favorite of Cindy’s books. That honor still goes to Love, Lies and Spies. It was my absolute favorite by Cindy but Carols and Chaos was a great read. I love all of Cindy’s books so much. In Carols and Chaos we meet Kate and Matt. This is not the first time we have met Kate or Matt. We met both of them as background characters in Suitors and Sabotage. It was really nice to see them get their own story. I… Read more »
An Assassin’s Guide to Love and Treason is a young adult historical fiction by Virginia Boecker. I loved this book. Honestly, it reminded me of all the reasons why I love a well crafted young adult historical fiction. This book was giving me major Cindy Antsy vibes, which is a huge compliment in my opinion, but with more adventure dashed in. I also really loved that this book is a standalone novel. An Assassin’s Guide to Love and Treason is a fun read full of shakespearean drama, spies, secrets and great characters. An Assassin’s Guide to Love and Treason is told in multiple perspectives, which was a bit hard to follow at first, because there are so many characters, but once I met allt eh players so to speak, it was easier for me to keep track of everyone and of their points of view. I am not going to lie, one of the big immediate selling points for me is the fact that it takes place in Shakespeare’s London, which is… Read more »
The Last Dragon Princess is a young adult standalone fantasy romance by Cynthia Payne. I really loved so many things about The Last Dragon Princess. I love dragon shifters, I loved the detailed world that Cynthia Payne created, I loved the large cast of characters (some more than others) and I really loved that this was a completely standalone novel. Don’t get me wrong, I love series, but every once in a while it is really nice to be able to start and finish a story within one novel. Fans of fantasy novels that feature rich world, and lots of secrets and court politics will really enjoy The Last Dragon Princess. I loved all of the layers to this story. In The Last Dragon Princess we meet Danu, who is one of the few remaining breeders- or a woman who can birth a dragon shifter, left in the kingdom. There are plenty of secrets that surround Danu and some of the other characters in the book, but I will let you discover them… Read more »
*Note: this is the second book in a series that should be read in order. If you are new to this series, check out my review on the first novel- The Last Magician HERE The Devil’s Thief is the second novel in the Last Magician series by Lisa Maxwell. I loved the first book in this series so much. I thought the Last Magician was utterly fantastic! And I have to say that the sequel, The Devil’s Thief completely lived up to my expectations after the first. I might have even liked more than the first book! In case you are new to the series, The Last Magician is a young adult fantasy novel by author Lisa Maxwell. It is the story of Esta, who is a Mageus with the ability to time travel. Esta uses this time traveling ability to steal magical artifacts. The Devil’s Thief gave me all of the characters that I loved from the first novel, and we get to meet some more as well. I really… Read more »
The Lantern’s Ember is a standalone young adult novel by Colleen Houck. I don’t normally mention a book’s cover, but I have to talk for a moment about just how stunning the cover of The Lantern’s Ember is. I think it is the perfect cover for this story, and it helped to set the mood of the story for me. I really, really love it. And speaking of love, I thought this novel was the perfect read to get you into the Halloween spirit. I think this is a great read for young adult readers (even some on the younger end that are ok with a romance) . The characters are age appropriate and the novel has a wonderful magical atmosphere that will draw you in. The Lantern’s Ember gave me HalloweenTown vibes. In a strange way, because the setting is not really like Halloween Town but the concept of journeying into another magical world with a guide of sorts. Plus, while the atmosphere was totally spooky and had a… Read more »
To celebrate the release of Part of Your World by Liz Braswell, I have created a pinterest board of some of my favorite mermaid inspired makeup ideas and fun mermaid makeup brushes and mermaid nails! I have partnered with Disney Books to bring you an awesome giveaway for this series as well! So check out my pinterest board below and be sure to enter to win the Twisted Tale Giveaway! If you are new to the twisted tale series, you need to check them out! Each book follows a beloved disney tale, but with a dark twist on it. For example, Part of Your World asks the question, What would happen if the little mermaid never defeated Ursula? Cool idea, right? ———————————— View this post on Instagram A post shared by BookBriefs (@bookbriefs) on Sep 25, 2018 at 12:32pm PDT To enter, fill out the rafflecopter below to win A Twisted Tail! One (1) winner receives: a copy of Part of Your World, a mermaid tail blanket, and a… Read more »
Other Books in the Black Witch Chronicles Series: (Click on the book cover for more information) Praise for THE BLACK WITCH Chronicles “Elloren learns to question authority and Gardnerian history, while developing real empathy for different races and species. Forest uses a richly imagined magical world to offer an uncompromising condemnation of prejudice and injustice.” —Booklist, starred review “Exquisite character work, an elaborate mythology, and a spectacularly rendered universe make this a noteworthy debut, which argues passionately against fascism and xenophobia.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review “This briskly paced, tightly plotted novel enacts the transformative power of education, creating engaging characters set in a rich alternative universe with a complicated history that can help us better understand our own.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review To enter, fill out the rafflecopter below to win 1 of 5 copies of The Iron Flower (Open INT) Note: Book Briefs Contest Policy applies. All of the prizes, terms and conditions of the giveaway should be contained in the rafflecopter below. No Purchase necessary to enter. Void where… Read more »
