Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell review- ish (The Book Spooktacular)

This is my last post for the blog tour. I hope you guys enjoyed it and make sure to go over to Ashley's blog to read the last part of her story.

It's been a blast!

I love this book and the mini-series, it's rare that I love both a book and it's tv adaptation. It's the kind of book I'm always on the hunt for, the timeless kind of story. It's huge, so I understand if it's daunting to pick up. It's over 800 pages.
I for one was excited about its size. I like longer books, I grew up reading LoTR so that's probably why. It's an incredibly crafted story with an expansive world and intricate magic system. It's one of those books that sets the stage for you, and goes slowly into the telling of it and then completely knocks the wind out of you when all the pieces start to click into place.

Susanna Clarke is a wordsmith. She's the type of writer who you can tell puts thought and care into every aspect of the story, and it shows.

It's about a prophecy, magic, and the two magicians who unwittingly fulfill that prophecy.

It's very gothic in style, one of my favorite things about it. That and the magical realism paired with the historical setting. It's the fine details in a story that win me over ultimately and this one is full of them.

It's rich and layered... like a cake.

It also has one of my favorite villains, The Gentleman with the Thistledown Hair. He's also a fairy, but not the fairy archetype you're used to seeing in most media. But the rather the darker, more dangerous type that is rooted in Celtic folklore. Basically the type of faeries that I prefer.

He such a creepy presence in this book and show. He's a little bit like an aged Peter Pan, in the way that he is incredibly temperamental and prone to impulsive acts. The best example of what a faerie should be, in my opinion of course.

All of the other characters are amazing too. Strange is my other favorite along with Childermass and Arabella. The storyline is spellbinding and the setting is appropriately moody and magical.

I can't stress enough how fantastic both the book and show really are. They did an amazing job bringing the book to life, which was quite a feat in itself.

It's a stunning work of art, and if you love England, mythology, faeries, magic and any type of historical fiction.  I highly recommend it!!!

A bit of caution though the book and the show are quite dark, and deal with some occult things like tarot cards and scrying. Also has the dead being raised, and the show has a brief scene with some nudity ( Not sexually, just a giving birth scene on a slave ship.) 


I'm going on a hiatus for November. Going to try to focus on writing. Best of luck with all your Nano novels!!!

Seven Magic Mirrors Blog Tour- But One Life

This is my last part of the tour. It's been a blast getting to read all of these retelling. Each one was so unique and fun. I hope to see more by each of the authors, their a talented bunch.

You can find the rest of the tour and a giveaway here

I'm reviewing Wyn's story, But One Life. If that cover doesn't draw you in the story definitely will.

1776. Tory vs. Patriot. British vs. American. 

The Revolutionary War divides each of the thirteen colonies, but worse, it divides individual families. As the crucible of war burns red-hot all around them, 16-year-old Ginny Phillips and her wealthy stepmother find themselves on opposite sides of an inexorably growing rift. Her father’s death in battle for the American cause only pulls them farther apart. When a young, handsome American soldier enlists Ginny's help as a spy, will she have the courage to honor her late father's Patriot convictions . . . even if it means risking her stepmother's wrath? Even if it means risking her own life? And what about endangering the gang of lonely orphaned boys hiding in the woods who’ve opened their hearts to her? 

Does the shadow of the hangman’s noose dangle over them all?

Goodreads

Purchase Link

Review


As soon as I heard this retelling somehow incorporated the Revolution and spies into Snow White. I knew I had to read it. Historical fiction isn't my preferred genre, but I really enjoyed this story despite any misgivings about the genre. The way Wyn spun this tale to coincide with the trappings of Snow White impressed me. Ginny is a spunky character and I loved the banter between her and Ethan who fit into the role of the Prince quite well. I loved Ginny's willingness to become a spy, despite the risks. The way the apple came into play was especially clever and I loved all the little historical details and people that appeared in the story. The romance was also really sweet. It's everything you could want in a Snow White retelling and then some.

Wyn Estelle Owens is the penname of a young woman who’s still figuring out what this whole ‘adult’ thing is all about. She lives in a big, old house in Maryland by a Hundred Acre Wood (dubbed Neldoreth) with her parents, three occasionally obnoxious brothers, her dog Jackie, and her rabbit Joker. She is fond of reading, writing, drawing, speaking in dead or imaginary languages, playing videogames, quoting classic or obscure literature, being randomly dramatic, and generally making things out of yarn. Her dream is to write stories that inspire people to chase after the wonderful world of storytelling. Her favorite all-time authors are Anne Elisabeth Stengl, Christa Kinde, and above all, J.R.R. Tolkien, who first inspired her to pursuing novel writing when she read the Hobbit at the age of seven. Find her online at: Goodreads || Facebook

Seven Magic Mirrors Blog Tour- Blood in the Snow

On this day of the tour, I get the privilege of introducing you guys to Sarah Pennington's retelling 'Blood in the Snow' I feel in love with this cover during the 'Five Poisoned Apples Contest' and I was extremely curious about the story that inspired it. 

You can find the rest of the tour here

Her destiny is decided — but betrayal breaks even the best-laid plans. Baili, the princess of the Kingdom of Seven Rivers, has always known what her future holds. Declared the fairest of all by the fabled Dragonglass, she is destined to fulfill an ancient prophecy and unite her homeland with its long-time enemy, the Kingdom of Three Peaks. And in doing so, she may save her country from death and ruin. In order to fulfill her destiny, Baili must travel to the Kingdom of Three Peaks and marry its prince, Liu Xiang. But all Baili's plans and expectations are turned upside-down when her servants and soldiers, acting on her stepmother's orders, turn against her on the road. Baili narrowly escapes with her life, but she's left alone and adrift among strangers. Fortunately, Baili finds refuge in the home of seven animal keepers: servants and slaves to the emperor of Three Peaks. Yet time is running out. Her servants' rebellion was only a small part of a much larger plot. Within weeks, her stepmother plans to unite the two kingdoms, not by contract, but by conquest. Baili must reclaim her rightful place and unite not just two kingdoms but many peoples in order to stop the plan. And if she fails, two kingdoms will be plunged into ruin. Sure to delight lovers of fantasy and fairy tales, this rich and magical Asian-inspired adventure combines Snow White and The Goose Girl in a way you've never seen before.

Purchase Link

Opening Chapter

Goodreads



Review

This story is a brilliant mash up of two beloved tales. Snow White with touches of the Goose Girl. I don't know how Sarah thought of combing the two. They work so well together, and add different aspects and layers to a well know story. Bali is a likable protagonist who has all the odds against her from the first page. She starts the story as a rather naive princess but through some unexpected trials she shows her grit and determination. The setting was unique and fresh, and the characters were a diverse and interesting bunch. I really enjoyed pretty much everything about this retelling. It was a delight!

Sarah Pennington has been writing stories since before she actually knew how to write, and she has no intention of stopping anytime soon. She is perpetually in the middle of writing at least one or two novels, most of which are in the fantasy and fairy tale retelling genres. Sarah's first published work, Blood in the Snow, received a perfect score and Special Unicorn status in Rooglewood Press's Five Poisoned Apples contest. When she isn't writing, she enjoys knitting, photography, and trying to conquer her massive to-be-read list.
Find her online at: Website || Blog || Second Blog || Goodreads || Facebook || Amazon

Seven Magic Mirrors Blog Tour- The Princess and the Invisible Apple Tree

Once again I just want to say that I'm thrilled to be apart of this blog tour. All of these authors are talented and have their own unique take on a tale so dark and lovely.

The rest of the tour is here

Today I will be reviewing The Princess and the Invisible Apple Tree, written by the lovely Meredith Leigh Burton. I've chatted with her a bit during some launch parties and she was an absolute sweetheart. I jumped at the chance to read her story. The title itself intrigued me.

Princess Snowdrop didn’t mean to kill her mother. And now, no one will believe her story about the mysterious peddler who gave her the poisoned pastry. She’s desperate to uncover the man’s identity, but no one else remembers seeing a stranger at the palace on that fateful day or hearing his melodic voice. When Snowdrop’s father goes on a journey in pursuit of answers, he returns newly married. Now Snowdrop must contend with her new stepmother and a stepsister. Rachel is a lonely, soft spoken girl who harbors a harrowing secret. She also carries a mysterious object close to her heart; a mirror that helps her to survive. Could the mirror have come from the same peddler who ruined Snowdrop’s life? Both Snowdrop and Rachel’s stories converge as dark memories are unearthed. A malevolent pursuer lurks in the shadows, and he will stop at nothing to gain the thing he seeks. Disguises are unmasked, and things are not what they seem. Whom can both girls trust? With the help of two extraordinary artists, a hart and five swans, Snowdrop will discover that courage and sacrifice will be needed if she is to save her stepsister and herself. The Princess and the Invisible Apple Tree is a story where secrets abound, and the path to freedom is not easily obtained.

Purchase Link

Goodreads



Review

The first thing that enchanted me about this story was the lush and colorful descriptions. Meredith has a way with words that makes you envision everything so clearly like it's being painted in your mind. Her writing style is beautiful, as is the story she chose to tell with this tale. The themes in this book are probably the strongest part, themes like inner beauty and overcoming hardships. That's not to say the setting, characters, and story aren't equally as good. The characters are well drawn and have strong personalities. Snowdrop and Rachel are both dealing with their own issues, but I love how Meredith brings them together to confront them. There was a darker twist with the magic that I really liked. There was also hints of another fairy tale but I won't spoil which one. It's an amazing story! Have something to nibble while reading it because the pastry descriptions are too good.



Author Bio

Meredith Leigh Burton is a voracious devourer of fairy tales. She is a motivational speaker, teacher and writer. She attended the Tennessee School for the Blind and Middle Tennessee State University, where she received a degree in English and theater. Meredith hopes to convey through her writing that people with differences can contribute much to the world. "Snow White" has always been her favorite fairy tale. Meredith has written another fairy tale based on "Snow White" entitled Hart Spring, which can be found in her anthology, Blind Beauty and Other Tales of Redemption. She resides in Lynchburg, Tennessee. Find her online at: Goodreads || Amazon

Book Haul

Fall is upon us, or has happened,or something.

I am loving it, the bite in the air. The orange and red colors, drinking lots of coffee and tea. Wearing fuzzy socks and oversized sweaters its bliss. Autumn is my aesthetic.

Starting to read more spooky books and watch some creepy shows. Waiting anxiously for the next season of Stranger Things.

 So I had gotten a lot of books for my birthday. I might have given them a short list.

I am so excited  for these! The only one I have read is Eliza And Her Monsters. I started Stalking Jack the Ripper, and besides it shoveling all the feminism stuff down your throat, I am intrigued.

As for Eliza And Her Monsters , I loved it! 

Eliza was a very relatable character, Who is the anonymous creator of a extremely popular web comic. She is incredibly introverted and most of her life is online, she is basically me. It got deep in parts and I actually cried at one part. The art was gorgeous and I enjoyed the bits of her comic throughout.

All in all, a great read. It has language and kissing and deals with things like suicide.

I also have a few e-reads waiting for my attention.

 I can't wait to read all them!

 How about you guys? Any good books or shows I should know about.

Wendy Darling: Seas

I need to start doing reviews, I am notorious for reading a book, then picking up another one with out missing a beat. Which would be fine, but when it is time to review them, I forget things, names, important plot points, and titles. I also lose a lot of the emotions good or bad, that I had towards each book.

Anyway onto the review. I read these out of order, which was not intentional. I had requested a whole bunch of books off of  Netgalley, I have learned since doing this. I am alot more selective now considering I had to read quite a few horrible books, and because I am a perfectionist I couldn't just leave them unfinished.

I found 'Wendy Darling- Seas' after reading a string of really awful, not even worth 2 stars books. I had no expectations, I was just trying to get through my ebooks.

I loved it! I have read an alarming amount of Peter Pan retellings this year, that and Beauty & the Beast were my obsession. Most of them were disappointing for one reason or another. A lot of them had a darker version of Pan and since OUAT's take on him. I was really loving it.

So I read 'Seas' not knowing it was a squeal to 'Stars'.

'Seas' starts with Wendy waking up on Hook's ship the Sudden Night. It's quite a ride from there. I finished 'Seas' in a day. I was completely entranced, I loved the slightly more mature take on it. Might have something to do with the fact that I'm supposed to be an adult. This wasn't the Disney version of Pan, there is violence, innuendo, attempted sexual assault and language. It wasn't graphic, at least to me. It was there, but it wasn't trying to be shocking or overdone. Colleen handled all of these topics really well.

Wendy is young lady, aboard a pirate ship of murderous cutthroats and the book was very plain about how this was not a very good idea. I think Hook sold this book for me, he was not at all what I was expecting. I have read books like this where Hook is the love interest, and to be honest I don't like it. Since Pan was maniacal and  evil, I thought that was the turn this book was taking.

I was relieved to find that Hook was not the least bit interested in Wendy. Right off, he tells her to give him a reason to keep her and her brother Micheal alive. She tells him that Peter Pan is in love with her, from there the two of them form a unlikely partnership to take down Pan.

I loved this. I like when two unlikely people join up, out of sheer need. It worked great, Wendy and Hook's scenes are the strongest in the book. I loved the character development, we through Wendy's eyes go from hating and despising this band of rogues, to them all becoming a strange family dynamic. (with the exception of Barnabas) who I hope the fish eat his flesh and his eyes.

The visuals were really good, the writing was crisp and clean. I really liked how Colleen developed the world. It came to life, the characters were all very unique and well developed.

In other words I would give this book five stars.

Oddly enough, my thoughts on the first and third book are completely different. That will be another post.