Wow! We are already in November Where has 2019 gone. Need to get my Christmas shopping done! For November, I am going to participate in TBR and Beyond Book Club Bad Boys, Bad Boys – Who You Gonna Choose reading challenge.
I am going do Cardan rope and if I get it completed I will move onto another rope.
Crown – The Wicked King by Holly Black
Dark Fantasy – The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh
Betrayal – Tiger Queen by Annie Sullivan (re-read and TBR and Beyond Group Read)
Female Villain – The Evil Queen by Gena Showalter
Also going to read these especially my most anticipated release coming in the beginning of November.
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (TBR and Beyond Group Read)
Girls of Storm and Shadow by Natasha Ngan (releases on November 5th)
What is on your TBR this month? Are you doing any reading challenges?
Hello! Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Forgotten (House of Night Other World #3) by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast. The tour is being hosted by Fantastic Flying Book Club.
I am excited to share my review and favorite quotes. I love the House of Night series and I was very excited to be able to review and be part of the blog tour for Forgotten.
Before he was freed by Neferet, Kalona
was imprisoned within the earth for centuries because of the Darkness in his
heart. But what happened to the Other World’s Kalona? It’s as though he’s been
forgotten, or maybe he never existed at all …
In the present, Other Neferet may have
left her House of Night, but she has far from given up her goal of immortality
and world domination. As she operates in secret to gain access to Old Magick,
the new High Priestess, Anastasia Langford, works toward peace and acceptance
for the vampyres of the Other World. But just as Other Kevin’s broken heart
will take time to heal, peace in that world will also take time and work—and
not all of the Other World vampyres want peace. After all, why should they return
to being shunned by humans, especially when they’ve had a taste of how it feels
to be in power?
Meanwhile, Zoey is desperate to help rid the Other World of Neferet once and for all, and not knowing what’s going on over there is eating away at her. But, as the Nerd Herd warns, it’s far too dangerous to call on Old Magick time and again. As a distraction, she throws herself into her work and attempts to bring the humans and vampyres of Tulsa closer together with the first human-vampyre swim meet in history! It’s too bad that something always seems to go wrong whenever the stakes are high.
What happens when worlds clash and powers that should be left alone are awakened? Can Other Kevin and his world heal from the wounds Neferet continues to inflict? Can Old Magick ever truly be harnessed and used for good? Or will Darkness extinguish Light and leave our heroes broken, hopeless, and as forgotten as Kalona of the Silver Wings? Don’t miss this second to last volume in the House of Night Other World saga!
First I would like to thank The Fantastic Flying Book Club and Blackstone Publishing for selecting me to be part of this blog tour. I have been a fan of House of Night series since I discover them in 2011 and I was happy that P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast decided to do another set of books in HoN world with the Otherworld series.
The book begins with the story of the Other Erebus and Kalona, it shows how Kalona changes and makes a big sacrifice in the end in of his story. In the Otherworld, Other Kevin and Other Zoey with the Nerd Herd have defeated Other Neferet from her evil plans. Of course, they thought they defeated her but she does survive and comes up with another plan to become powerful. She aligns herself with the White Bull to achieve her plan of destruction and immortality. On the way, she enlist Other Lynette who is a human and becomes her handmaiden.
The book has a lot of plot twists and go into different directions which I thought was really good and kept me turning the pages. The book mainly focuses on Neferet and her handmaiden Lynette. It goes into how Neferet is trying to achieve her quest to become a real Goddess while keeping the Other Kevin and Stark off her tracks. We also see Zoey and the Nerd Herd back in the House of Night world setting and how they are dealing with trying to work with humans to allows fledglings to participate in other things outside of the school.
The book deals with grief and how it effects the persons afterward. It was nice to see Other Grandma Redbird and reading how she help Other Kevin and Stark on trying to move on from their lost and not be afraid to grieve and show it. I thought it was nice touch in the book because you really don’t see address often in books.
I really enjoy this book and I would recommend the Otherworld series to anyone who has read the HoN series. Definitely have to read those first before going into this series. It was so nice to see Zoey and Nerd Herd back again. I can’t wait for the fourth book to see what happens next.
Also I love this cover!!! It is gorgeous!
Favorite Quotes
“Joy isn’t easy or inherent. It is a choice, and not always an easy one – not at first.”
“No, my sweet boy. Do not hide your grief. There is no shame in showing your tears. Kevin, being a man means claiming all your power.”
“Well, yeah, but I was talking about hormones. There must be thousands of kids in there.”
“Okay, novices. Watch how it’s done. She stood, cupped her hands around her mouth and expertly cheered, GO IN HARD! COME OUT WET! R-A-V-E-N-S! RAVENS! RAVENS! RAVENS!”
“Another win for me, she thought. And I will keep winning, especially now that I am allied with someone who understands what is most important in life – power – and the safety it affords. Choosing to follow this vampyre who will soon be immortal and rule the world was the smartest decision I ever made.”
About the Authors
PC was born in the Midwest, and grew up being shuttled back-and-forth between Illinois and Oklahoma, which is where she fell in love with Quarter Horses and mythology (at about the same time). After high school, she joined the United States Air Force and began public speaking and writing. After her tour in the USAF, she taught high school for 15 years before retiring to write full time. PC is a #1 New York Times and #1 USA Today Best-Selling author and a member of the Oklahoma Writers Hall of Fame. Her novels have been awarded the prestigious: Oklahoma Book Award, YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, the Prism, Holt Medallion, Daphne du Maurier, Booksellers’ Best, and the Laurel Wreath. PC is an experienced teacher and talented speaker. Ms. Cast lives in Oregon near her fabulous daughter, her adorable pack of dogs, her crazy Maine Coon, and a bunch of horses. House of Night Other World, book 1, LOVED, releases July 11th. SUN WARRIOR, book 2 in the Tales of a New World series releases October 17th.
Kristin Cast is a #1 NY Times and #1 USA Today bestselling author who teamed with her mother to write the wildly successful HOUSE OF NIGHT series. She has editorial credits, a thriving t-shirt line, and a passion for all things paranormal.
When away from her writing desk, Kristin loves going on adventures with her friends, family, and significant other, playing with her French Bulldogs (Grace Kelly and Sir Laurence Olivier), and discovering new hobbies. This year she’ll work on handstands, gardening, and taking her new puppy (Baloo) to puppy classes. #HoNLoved releases July 11th.
Don’t forget to hit the giveaway button above for chance to win a great prize and also check out my Instagram post for a chance to win an prizes there. Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to check out the other bloggers tour post!
I can’t believe that October is almost over and Christmas is only 2 months away. 2019 has gone by fast! Below are my most anticipated new releases for November.
Release Date: November 5, 2019
Synopsis:
In this mesmerizing sequel to the New York Times bestselling Girls of Paper and Fire, Lei and Wren have escaped their oppressive lives in the Hidden Palace, but soon learn that freedom comes with a terrible cost.
Lei, the naive country girl who became a royal courtesan, is now known as the Moonchosen, the commoner who managed to do what no one else could. But slaying the cruel Demon King wasn’t the end of the plan – it’s just the beginning. Now Lei and her warrior love Wren must travel the kingdom to gain support from the far-flung rebel clans. The journey is made even more treacherous thanks to a heavy bounty on Lei’s head, as well as insidious doubts that threaten to tear Lei and Wren apart from within.
Meanwhile, an evil plot to eliminate the rebel uprising is taking shape, fueled by dark magic and vengeance. Will Lei succeed in her quest to overthrow the monarchy and protect her love for Wren, or will she fall victim to the sinister magic that seeks to destroy her?
I am really looking forward Girls of Storm and Shadow because I really love the first one. Can’t wait to see what happens with Lei and Wren.
Synopsis:
The dreamers walk among us…and so do the dreamed. Those who dream cannot stop dreaming – they can only try to control it. Those who are dreamed cannot have their own lives – they will sleep forever if their dreamers die.
And then there are those who are drawn to the dreamers. To use them. To trap them. To kill them before their dreams destroy us all.
Ronan Lynch is a dreamer. He can pull both curiosities and catastrophes out of his dream and into his compromised reality.
Jordan Hennessy is a thief. The closer she comes to the dream object she is after, the more inextricably she becomes tied to it.
Carmen Farooq-Lane is a hunter. Her brother was a dreamer…and a killer. She has seen what dreaming can do to a person. And she has seen the damage that dreamers can do. But that is nothing compared to the destruction that is about to be unleashed…
I haven’t finished all of The Raven Cycle series but I really enjoy Maggie Stiefvater writing. I am getting this book in the special Owlcrate box.
Synopsis:
There was nothing in the world as magical and terrifying as a girl.
Princess Guinevere has come to Camelot to wed a stranger: the charismatic King Arthur. With magic clawing at the kingdom’s borders, the great wizard Merlin conjured a solution – send in Guinevere to be Arthur’s wife…and his protector from those who want to see the young king’s idyllic city fail. The catch? Guinevere’s real name – and her true identity – is a secret. She is a changeling, a girl who has given up everything to protect Camelot.
To keep Arthur safe, Guinevere must navigate a court in which the old–including Arthur’s own family – demand things continue as they have been, and the new– those drawn by the dream of Camelot– fight for a better way to live. And always, in the green hearts of forests and the black depths of lakes, magic lies in wait to reclaim the land. Arthur’s knights believe the are strong enough to face any threat, but Guinevere knows it will take more than swords to keep Camelot free.
Deadly jousts, duplicitous knights, and forbidden romances are nothing compared to the greatest threat of all: the girl with the long black hair, riding on horseback through the dark woods toward Arthur. Because when your whole existence is a lie, how can you trust even yourself?
I enjoy any books about Camelot and the story about King Arthur. I am looking forward to reading this one.
Release Date: November 19, 2019
Synopsis:
He will be destruction of the crown and the ruination of the throne.
Power is much easier to acquire than it is to hold onto. Jude learned this lesson when she released her control over the wicked king, Cardan, in exchanged for immeasurable power.
Now as the exiled mortal Queen of Faerie, Jude is powerless and left reeling from Cardan’s betrayal. She bides her time determined to reclaim everything he took from her. Opportunity arrives in the form of her deceptive twin sister, Taryn, whose mortal life is in peril.
Jude must risk venturing back into the treacherous Faerie Court, and confront her lingering feelings for Cardan, if she wishes to save her sister. But Elfhame is not as she left it. War is brewing. As Jude slips deep within enemy lines she becomes ensnared in the conflict’s bloody politics.
And, when a dormant yet powerful curse is unleashed, panic spreads throughout the land, forcing her to choose between her ambition and her humanity…
I need to finished the second book in the trilogy but I am looking to forward to how Holly Black ends the series.
Synopsis:
This hot debut is the first book in an epic new series about a princess hiding a dark secret and the con man she must trust to clear her name for her father’s murder.
In the Cyrillan Empire, Affinites are reviled. Their varied gifts to control the world around them are unnatural – dangerous. and Anastacya Mikhailov, the crown princess, has a terrifying secret. Her deadly Affinity to blood is her curse and the reason she has lived her life hidden behind palace walls.
When Ana’s father, the emperor is murdered, her world is shattered. Framed as his killer, Ana must flee the palace to save her life. And to clear her name, she must find her father’s murderer on her own. But the Cyrilia beyond the palace walls is far different from the one she thought she knew. Corruption rules the land, and a greater conspiracy is at work – one that threatens the very balance of her world. And there is only one person corrupt enough to help Ana get to its core: Ramson Quicktongue.
A cunning crime lord of the Cyrilian underworld, Ramson has sinister plans – though he might have met his match in Ana. Because in this story, the princess might be the most dangerous player of all.
I am glad that the author decide to release the book after there was some backlash about the writing. She has corrected those items and has decided to release her debut book.
Do you have any anticipated November releases that you are looking forward too?
Welcome to my blog spot for The Night Weaver by Monique Snyman hosted by Good Choice Reading.
By Monique Snyman
Genre: Young Adult, Horror
Publisher: Vesuvian Books
Release Date: October 15, 2019
SHADOW GROVE IS A PERFECTLY PLEASANT TOWN…
Shadow Grove isn’t a typical town. Bad things happen here. Children disappear, one after the other, and nobody is doing anything about it. Parents don’t grieve, missing posters don’t line the streets, and the sheriff seems unconcerned.
Seventeen-year-old Rachel Cleary lives on the outskirts of Shadow Grove, next to the creepy forest everyone pretends doesn’t exist. Usually the forest is filled with an eerie calm, an unmistakable graveyard solemnity. But the trees have started whispering, forgotten creatures are stirring, and the nights feel darker than ever.
Something is stalking the residents of Shadow Grove, changing them into brain-dead caricatures of themselves. It’s up to Rachel to stop the devouring of her hometown before all is destroyed and everyone she loves is forever lost.
Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The story begins with an the mystery behind the abduction of children in a small town called Shadow Grove. Not only are children are missing, certain mothers start acting weird and something evil is plaguing the small town. The teens in the story are the only ones who are concern about the missing children especially the main character Rachel Cleary who wants to help get the children back.
This book is a mixture of dark fantasy, horror, mystery and faeries in it. It introduces two realms – where there is a creature that was let into the human realm called The Night Weaver which is really scary and she causing a lot of havoc on the small town.
I really enjoy this book…it started out with a mystery and scary parts to the stories and then it went into the fae realm which brought together on solving the mystery of how, why and what was taking the children. The plot is intriguing and the writing flows nicely. The characters were well developed and are easily connected to.
About the Author
Monique Snyman’s mind is a confusing bedlam of glitter and death, where candy-coated gore is found in abundance and homicidal unicorns thrive. Sorting out the mess in her head is particularly irksome before she’s ingested a specific amount of coffee, which is equal to half the the recommended intake of water for humans per day. When she’s not playing referee to her imaginary friends or trying to to overdose on caffeine, she’s doing something with words – be it writing, reading, or fixing all the words
Monique Snyman lives in Pretoria, South Africa, with her husband and an adorable Chihuahua. She’s the author of MUTI NATION, a horror novel set in South Africa, and the Bram Stoker Award nominated novel, THE NIGHT WEAVER, which is the first installment in dark fantasy series for young adults.
Shadow Grove isn’t a typical town. Bad things happen here. Children disappear, one after the other, and nobody is doing anything about it. Parents don’t grieve, missing posters don’t line the streets, and the sheriff seems unconcerned.
Seventeen-year-old Rachel Cleary lives on the outskirts of Shadow Grove, next to the creepy forest everyone pretends doesn’t exist. Usually the forest is filled with an eerie calm, an unmistakable graveyard solemnity. But the trees have started whispering, forgotten creatures are stirring, and the nights feel darker than ever.
Something is stalking the residents of Shadow Grove, changing them into brain-dead caricatures of themselves. It’s up to Rachel to stop the devouring of her hometown before all is destroyed and everyone she loves is forever lost.
“Stephen King’s It meets Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight in Snyman’s frightening story of horror and fantasy woven together to create a delectable tale of the macabre … romance and action. Snyman’s storytelling will have people lining up for the next book.” ~ School Library Journal
Whispers
ride on the wind. Distant childlike voices, gleeful, as if they’re on a
playground, swirl around the crone. The soft voices become louder until it
sounds like the children are playing right beneath Rachel’s bedroom window. The
Black Annis’ cloak suddenly shoots open and spreads out farther. Impossibly, it
somehow fills Rachel’s entire line of vision, revealing a collection of
ghostlike faces stacked one upon the other and side by side. Chubby-cheeked
cherubs avert their hollow gazes to stare at the Black Annis, forced smiles
twisting their features horrendously. The cloak continues unfurling to the
sides and the tally keeps climbing as new faces appear. Even if Rachel wanted
to study each collected child, in search of the missing children of Shadow
Grove, there are simply too many to count.
Monique Snyman’s mind is a confusing bedlam of glitter and death, where candy-coated gore is found in abundance and homicidal unicorns thrive. Sorting out the mess in her head is particularly irksome before she’s ingested a specific amount of coffee, which is equal to half the recommended intake of water for humans per day. When she’s not playing referee to her imaginary friends or trying to overdose on caffeine, she’s doing something with words—be it writing, reading, or fixing all the words.
Monique Snyman lives in Pretoria, South Africa, with her husband and an adorable Chihuahua. She’s the author of MUTI NATION, a horror novel set in South Africa, and the Bram Stoker Award® nominated novel, THE NIGHT WEAVER, which is the first installment in a dark fantasy series for young adults.
1) This elephant hair bracelet is made of natural materials. Believed to bring good luck in Africa where they originated. Always popular and comfortable. Incredibly symbolic. The knots can symbolize strength, honor, stability, and patience. They can also symbolize original elements of earth, wind, fire, and water. Adjustable size. Made in Kenya
2) This keychain is a famous symbol in Africa for good luck and prosperity. 2.5-3″ long. Made in Kenya
Unfortunately, I didn’t post my spotlight yesterday for my blog tour spot due to an emergency with a family member. Today I am promoting Crier’s War by Nina Varela. I have heard great things about this book and I hoping that once my life settles down I will be able to read it. The blog tour was hosted by Fantastic Flying Book Club.
Crier’s War (Crier’s War #1)
by Nina Varela Publisher: HarperTeen Release Date: October 1st 2019
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, LGBT
Synopsis:
After the War of Kinds ravaged the kingdom of Rabu, the Automae, designed to be the playthings of royals, usurped their owners’ estates and bent the human race to their will.
Now Ayla, a human servant rising in the ranks at the House of the Sovereign, dreams of avenging her family’s death…by killing the sovereign’s daughter, Lady Crier.
Crier was Made to be beautiful, flawless, and to carry on her father’s legacy. But that was before her betrothal to the enigmatic Scyre Kinok, before she discovered her father isn’t the benevolent king she once admired, and most importantly, before she met Ayla.
Now, with growing human unrest across the land, pressures from a foreign queen, and an evil new leader on the rise, Crier and Ayla find there may be only one path to love: war.
Nina Varela is a nationally awarded writer of screenplays and short fiction. She was born in New Orleans and raised on a hippie commune in Durham, North Carolina, where she spent most of her childhood playing in the Eno River, building faerie houses from moss and bark, and running barefoot through the woods. These days, Nina lives in Los Angeles with her writing partner and their tiny, ill-behaved dog. She tends to write stories about hard-won love and young people toppling the monarchy/patriarchy/whatever-archy. On a related note, she’s queer. On a less related note, she has strong feelings about hushpuppies and loves a good jambalaya. CRIER’S WAR is her first novel.
You can find Nina at any given coffee shop in the greater Los Angeles area, or at www.ninavarela.com.
