Showing posts with label Magic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Magic. Show all posts

Thursday, January 19, 2017

Frostblood by Elly Blake

My Bookish Itinerary: E-galley Book Review


Title: Frostblood 

(Frostblood Saga #1)
Author: Elly Blake
Length: 376 pages
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Classification: Young Adult, Fantasy, Magic
Release Date: January 10, 2017
Source: e-galley via NetGalley (Thank you, Little Brown Books!)
Seventeen-year-old Ruby is a fireblood who must hide her powers of heat and flame from the cruel frostblood ruling class that wants to destroy all that are left of her kind. So when her mother is killed for protecting her and rebel frostbloods demand her help to kill their rampaging king, she agrees. But Ruby's powers are unpredictable, and she's not sure she's willing to let the rebels and an infuriating (yet irresistible) young man called Arcus use her as their weapon.
All she wants is revenge, but before they can take action, Ruby is captured and forced to take part in the king's tournaments that pit fireblood prisoners against frostblood champions. Now she has only one chance to destroy the maniacal ruler who has taken everything from her and from the icy young man she has come to love.
Fast-paced and compelling, Frostblood is the first in a page-turning new young adult three-book series about a world where flame and ice are mortal enemies—but together create a power that could change everything.
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***I received an e-galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

Friday, October 14, 2016

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

My Bookish Itinerary: E-Galley Book Review



Title: Three Dark Crowns

(Three Dark Crowns #1)
Author: Kendare Blake
Length: 416 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen
Classification: Young Adult, Fantasy, Magic
Release Date: September 20, 2016
Source: e-galley via Edelweiss (Thank you, Harper Teen!)
When kingdom come, there will be one.
In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born—three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.
But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins.
The last queen standing gets the crown.

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***I received an e-galley of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review***

Monday, August 8, 2016

The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye

My Bookish Itinerary E-Galley Book Review


Title: The Crown's Game

(The Crown's Game #1)
Author: Evelyn Skye
Length: 399 pages
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Classification: Young Adult, Fantasy, Magic, Historical Fiction
Release Date: May 17, 2016
Source: e-galley via Edelweiss (Thank you, Balzer + Bray!)
Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.
And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.
Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter—even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has?
For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown’s Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with—beautiful, whip-smart, imaginative—and he can’t stop thinking about her.
And when Pasha, Nikolai’s best friend and heir to the throne, also starts to fall for the mysterious enchantress, Nikolai must defeat the girl they both love…or be killed himself.
As long-buried secrets emerge, threatening the future of the empire, it becomes dangerously clear—the Crown’s Game is not one to lose. 
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***I received an e-galley of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review***

Thursday, June 16, 2016

The King Slayer by Virginia Boecker

Title: The King Slayer
(The Witch Hunter #2) 
Author: Virginia Boecker
Length: 368 pages
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Classification: Young Adult, Fantasy
Release Date: June 14, 2016
Source: e-galley via NetGalley (Thank you, Little Brown!)
An action-packed and suspenseful sequel to The Witch Hunter, perfect for fans of Graceling and the Grisha Trilogy.
"I think, in time, you'll either be my greatest mistake or my greatest victory."
Former witch hunter Elizabeth Grey is hiding within the magically protected village of Harrow, evading the price put on her head by Lord Blackwell, the usurper king of Anglia. Their last encounter left Blackwell ruined, but his thirst for power grows stronger every day. He's readying for a war against those who would resist his rule--namely Elizabeth and the witches and wizards she now calls her allies.
Having lost her stigma, a magical source of protection and healing, Elizabeth's strength is tested both physically and emotionally. War always means sacrifice, and as the lines between good and evil blur once more, Elizabeth must decide just how far she'll go to save those she loves.

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***I received an e-galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

Monday, November 2, 2015

Persuasion by Martina Boone

Title: Persuasion
(The Heirs of Watson Island #2)
Author: Martina Boone
Length: 464 pages
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Classification: Young Adult, Fantasy, Magic, Paranormal
Release Date: October 27, 2015
Source: e-galley via Edelweiss (Thank you, Simon Pulse!)
Read: October 2015
Beautiful Creatures meets The Raven Boys in the spellbinding second novel in the Heirs of Watson Island trilogy that “skillfully blends rich magic and folklore with adventure, sweeping romance, and hidden treasure” (Publishers Weekly, on Compulsion).
Grieving the death of her godfather and haunted by her cousin Cassie’s betrayal, Barrie returns from a trip to San Francisco to find the Watson plantation under siege. Ghost-hunters hope to glimpse the ancient spirit who sets the river on fire each night, and reporters chase rumors of a stolen shipment of Civil War gold that may be hidden at Colesworth Place. The chaos turns dangerous as Cassie hires a team of archeologists to excavate beneath the mansion ruins. Because more is buried there than treasure.
A stranger filled with magic arrives at Watson’s Landing claiming that the key to the Watson and Beaufort gifts—and the Colesworth curse—also lies beneath the mansion. With a mix of threats and promises, the man convinces Barrie and Cassie to cast a spell there at midnight. But what he conjures may have deadly consequences.
While Barrie struggles to make sense of the escalating peril and her growing and forbidden feelings for Eight Beaufort, it’s impossible to know whom to trust and what to fight for—Eight or herself. Millions of dollars and the fate of the founding families is at stake. Now Barrie must choose between what she feels deep in her heart and what will keep Watson’s Landing safe in this stunning addition to a series filled with “decadent settings, mysterious magic, and family histories rife with debauchery” (Kirkus Reviews, on Compulsion).

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***I received an e-galley of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review***

Friday, September 11, 2015

Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell

Title: Mechanica
Author: Betsy Cornwell
Length: 304 pages
Publisher: Clarion Books
Classification: Young Adult, Fairy Tale Retelling, Science Fiction, Steampunk, Fantasy
Release Date: August 25, 2015
Source: e-galley via NetGalley (Thank you HMH Books!)
Read: August 2015
Nicolette’s awful stepsisters call her “Mechanica” to demean her, but the nickname fits: she learned to be an inventor at her mother’s knee. Her mom is gone now, though, and the Steps have turned her into a servant in her own home. 
But on her sixteenth birthday, Nicolette discovers a secret workshop in the cellar and begins to dare to imagine a new life for herself. Could the mysterious books and tools hidden there—and the mechanical menagerie, led by a tiny metal horse named Jules—be the key to escaping her dreary existence? With a technological exposition and royal ball on the horizon, the timing might just be perfect for Nicolette to earn her freedom at last.
Gorgeous prose and themes of social justice and family shine in this richly imagined Cinderella retelling about an indomitable inventor who finds her prince . . . but realizes she doesn't want a fairy tale happy ending after all.
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***I received an e-galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker

Title: The Witch Hunter
(The Witch Hunter #1)
Author: Virginia Boecker
Length: 368 pages
Publisher: Little Brown Book for Young Readers
Classification: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Witches, Magic
Release Date: June 2, 2015
Source: e-galley via NetGalley (Thank you, Little Brown!)
Read: May 2015
The magic and suspense of Graceling meet the political intrigue and unrest of Game of Thrones in this riveting fantasy debut.
Your greatest enemy isn't what you fight, but what you fear.
Elizabeth Grey is one of the king's best witch hunters, devoted to rooting out witchcraft and doling out justice. But when she's accused of being a witch herself, Elizabeth is arrested and sentenced to burn at the stake.
Salvation comes from a man she thought was her enemy. Nicholas Perevil, the most powerful and dangerous wizard in the kingdom, offers her a deal: he will save her from execution if she can break the deadly curse that's been laid upon him.
But Nicholas and his followers know nothing of Elizabeth's witch hunting past--if they find out, the stake will be the least of her worries. And as she's thrust into the magical world of witches, ghosts, pirates, and one all-too-handsome healer, Elizabeth is forced to redefine her ideas of right and wrong, of friends and enemies, and of love and hate.
Virginia Boecker weaves a riveting tale of magic, betrayal, and sacrifice in this unforgettable fantasy debut.
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***I received an e-galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

Monday, May 4, 2015

Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge

Title: Crimson Bound 
Author: Rosamund Hodge
Length: 448 pages
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Classification: Young Adult, Retellings, Fantasy, Magic
Release Date: May 5, 2015
Source: e-galley via Edelweiss (Thank you, HarperTeen!)
Read: April 2015
When Rachelle was fifteen she was good—apprenticed to her aunt and in training to protect her village from dark magic. But she was also reckless— straying from the forest path in search of a way to free her world from the threat of eternal darkness. After an illicit meeting goes dreadfully wrong, Rachelle is forced to make a terrible choice that binds her to the very evil she had hoped to defeat.
Three years later, Rachelle has given her life to serving the realm, fighting deadly creatures in an effort to atone. When the king orders her to guard his son Armand—the man she hates most—Rachelle forces Armand to help her find the legendary sword that might save their world. As the two become unexpected allies, they uncover far-reaching conspiracies, hidden magic, and a love that may be their undoing. In a palace built on unbelievable wealth and dangerous secrets, can Rachelle discover the truth and stop the fall of endless night?
Inspired by the classic fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood, Crimson Bound is an exhilarating tale of darkness, love, and redemption.

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***I received an e-galley of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review***

Friday, February 27, 2015

When My Heart Was Wicked by Tricia Stirling

Title: When My Heart Was Wicked
Author: Tricia Stirling
Length: 192 pages
Publisher: Scholastic
Classification: Young Adult, Magic, Witches
Release Date: February 24, 2015
Source: e-galley via Edelweiss (Thank you Scholastic!)
Read: February 2015
"I used to be one of those girls. The kind who loved to deliver bad news. When I colored my hair, I imagined it seeping into my scalp, black dye pooling into my veins.
But that was the old Lacy. Now, when I cast spells, they are always for good."
16-year-old Lacy believes that magic and science can work side by side. She's a botanist who knows how to harness the healing power of plants. So when her father dies, Lacy tries to stay with her step-mother in Chico, where her magic is good and healing. She fears the darkness that her real mother, Cheyenne, brings out, stripping away everything that is light and kind.
Yet Cheyenne never stays away for long. Beautiful, bewitching, unstable Cheyenne who will stop at nothing, not even black magic, to keep control of her daughter's heart. She forces Lacy to accompany her to Sacramento, and before long, the "old" Lacy starts to resurface.
But when Lacy survives a traumatic encounter, she finds herself faced with a choice. Will she use her powers to exact revenge and spiral into the darkness forever? Or will she find the strength to embrace the light?

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***I received an e-galley of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review***

Thursday, January 8, 2015

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

Title: The Darkest Part of the Forest
Author: Holly Black
Length: 336 pages
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Classification: Young Adult, Fantasy, Magic
Release Date: January 13, 2015
Source: ARC (Thank you so much to the NOVL newsletter!)
Read: November 2014
Children can have a cruel, absolute sense of justice. Children can kill a monster and feel quite proud of themselves. A girl can look at her brother and believe they’re destined to be a knight and a bard who battle evil. She can believe she’s found the thing she’s been made for.
Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries’ seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once.
At the center of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking.
Until one day, he does…
As the world turns upside down, Hazel tries to remember her years pretending to be a knight. But swept up in new love, shifting loyalties, and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough?

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***I received an ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of this book from the NOVL Newsletter in exchange for an honest review***

Monday, September 15, 2014

Salt & Storm by Kendall Kulper

Title: Salt & Storm
Author: Kendall Kulper
Length: 416 pages
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Classification: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Witches, Magic, Historical
Release Date: September 23, 2014
Source: e-galley (I was approved for this ARC via NetGalley. Thank you Little Brown!)
Read: July 2014
A sweeping historical romance about a witch who foresees her own murder--and the one boy who can help change her future.
Sixteen-year-old Avery Roe wants only to take her rightful place as the witch of Prince Island, making the charms that keep the island's whalers safe at sea, but her mother has forced her into a magic-free world of proper manners and respectability. When Avery dreams she's to be murdered, she knows time is running out to unlock her magic and save herself.
Avery finds an unexpected ally in a tattooed harpoon boy named Tane--a sailor with magic of his own, who moves Avery in ways she never expected. Becoming a witch might stop her murder and save her island from ruin, but Avery discovers her magic requires a sacrifice she never prepared for. 



***I received an e-galley of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

Friday, July 18, 2014

Half Bad by Sally Green

Title: Half Bad (Half Life #1)
Author: Sally Green
Length: 394 pages
Publisher: Viking (Penguin Group)
Classification: Young Adult, Paranormal, Witches, Magic
Release Date: March 2014
Source: ARC (ARC tour hosted by On The Same Page)
Read: May to June 2014
Half Bad by Sally Green is a breathtaking debut novel about one boy's struggle for survival in a hidden society of witches. You can't read, can't write, but you heal fast, even for a witch. You get sick if you stay indoors after dark. You hate White Witches but love Annalise, who is one. You've been kept in a cage since you were fourteen. All you've got to do is escape and find Mercury, the Black Witch who eats boys. And do that before your seventeenth birthday. 

*I borrowed an ARC of this book as part of an On The Same Page ARC Tour in exchange for my honest review*

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Wind and Shadow by Tori L. Ridgewood

Title: Wind and Shadow (The Talbot Trilogy #1)
Author: Tori L. Ridgewood
Length: 230 pages
Publisher: Melange Books
Classification: Adult, Paranormal
Release Date: June 13, 2013
Source: e-book (provided by author and publicist for a review. Thank you!)
Read: April 2014
After a series of misadventures including being accused of attempted murder in high school, Rayvin Woods, a photographer and natural witch, left her hometown of Talbot in Northeastern Ontario, hoping to start her life over and never return. Ten years later, circumstances force her back to face her past and her former crush Grant Michaels.  Malcolm de Sade, a cunning vampire, escapes from an underground prison looking for vengeance. His accidental release unleashes his hunger and ambition on a small, sleepy town. Rayvin’s power is all that stands between de Sade and his domination of Talbot, and beyond.   Grant Michaels, a police officer, thought Rayvin was a murderer. He will do whatever it takes to protect the community he loves from danger... but will he learn to trust his heart, and the word of a witch, before it's too late?Rayvin didn't count on rekindling a lost love or battling a malevolent vampire and his coven for her life when she came home to Talbot. Facing the past can be a nightmare… It’s worse when a vampire is stalking you.

**This e-book was provided for me by the author and/or publicist in exchange for a honest review.**