What a year it’s been for my publisher, Month9Books!

It’s time to celebrate the amazing 2017 titles from Month9Books!

Today we are showcasing just a few of the books that you need to get and enjoy while relaxing during the holiday season.

While your here, be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Be on the lookout for Part 2 of the Year in Review with Month9books!

WHAT YOU MAY HAVE MISSED IN 2017:

Darkness can only be controlled by those with the darkest of hearts.

Ellison lost her mother at an early age. Now, sixteen, her father has found love again. He’s happy and doesn’t quite notice that Ellison does not get along with his new wife or her vicious daughters.

When Ellison discovers a necromantic tome while traveling the secret passages of her father’s mansion, she wonders if it could be the key to her eventual freedom.

Until then, she must master her dark new power, even as her stepmother makes her a servant in her own home. And when her younger brother falls incurably ill, Ellison will do anything to ease his pain, including falling prey to her stepmother’s and stepsisters’ every whim and fancy.

Stumbling into a chance meeting with Prince William during a secret visit to her mother’s grave feels like a trick of fate when her stepmother refuses to allow Ellison to attend a palace festival where she might see him once more.

But what if Ellison could see the kind and handsome prince again? What if she could attend the festival? What if she could have everything she’s ever wanted and deserved by conjuring spirits to take revenge on her cruel stepmother? And what if she actually liked watching her stepmother suffer?

As Ellison’s power grows, she loses control over the evil spirits meant to do her bidding. And as they begin to exert their own power over Ellison, it becomes harder to tell whether it is she or her stepmother who is the true monster.

CINDERELLA NECROMANCER is CINDER meets ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD and was inspired by a real medieval grimoire of necromancy from 15th-century Germany

Cinderella, Necromancer by F.M. Boughan
Publication Date: September 5, 2017
Publisher: Month9Books

 

Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Indies | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks

 

F.M. Boughan is a bibliophile, a writer, and an unabashed parrot enthusiast. She can often be found writing in local coffee shops, namely because it’s hard to concentrate with a cat lying on the keyboard and a small, colorful parrot screaming into her ear. Her work is somewhat dark, somewhat violent, somewhat hopeful, and always contains a hint of magic.

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads

 

Now that Lia and Clay’s love has broken the Little Mermaid’s curse, everything has changed. Will Lia’s family remain on land, leading the only life she and her sisters have ever known, or will they move below the waves, to the sparkling new capital city? Lia is adamant about staying on land with Clay for her senior year. But at Melusine and her father’s trial, new revelations threaten what Lia holds most dear.

The verdict will shake Lia’s whole world, calling into question her future with Clay, her feelings for Caspian, and the fate of all Merkind. As she wonders who to trust, Lia sets out on a treacherous path that will lead her away from her sheltered Malibu home to a remote and mysterious school for Mermaids—Mermaids who may hold the secret to ancient magic Lia can use to either get back all she’s lost or to embark on a thrilling and dangerous journey.

Submerge (Mer Chronicles #2)
by Tobie Easton
Publication Date: September 12, 2017
Publisher: Month9Books

Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Indies | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks

 

Tobie Easton was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, where she’s grown from a little girl who dreamed about magic to a twenty-something who writes about it. A summa cum laude graduate of the University of Southern California, Tobie hosts book clubs for tweens and teens. She and her very kissable husband enjoy traveling the globe and fostering packs of rescue puppies. Learn more about Tobie and her upcoming books on www.TobieEaston.com.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

 

It is 1890, and London has secrets. For sixteen-year-old Will Winchester, born Willow Winchester and raised as a young man, the safety of his own secrets rests one atop the other. Hiding his gender queerness is important. But so is hiding the ghostly voices of the Missing, which Will hears when no one else can … until the Spiritualist Black Cross Order of Occult Occurrences wants him in their service to keep peace between London’s living and dead.

The freedom to be himself may come with a price. Working alongside a patchwork team of misfits and unlikely allies, Will finds he isn’t the only one keeping secrets. Someone does not want him to uncover the truth about the ghosts who aren’t just missing from the world of the living, but missing from history itself. Can he find the Missing before he ends up becoming one of them?

The Missing by Jerico Lenk
Publication Date: October 10, 2017
Publisher: Month9Books

BAM | Chapters | Indies | Amazon | B&N

 

Undergraduate studying Creative Writing, Classics, Russian and Western European History. Unabashed weeb probably burning incense and drinking too much coffee at this very moment. Out for queer representation and great sex hair. Beyond ready for the upcoming Vampire Chronicles TV series.

Lenk writes Young Adult/New Adult, spec fiction, poetry, and screenplays. He is currently unagented.

His poems have appeared at/in USF Tampa’s Thread Literary Inquiry, biannual 6×6 creative writing showcase, and placed second in National Poetry Month 2015; Tethered By Letters’ F(r)iction Spring 2016 poetry contest finalist; winner of the 2017 Bettye Newman Poetry award.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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J. Keller Ford talks about dragons, and her novel, IN THE SHADOW OF THE DRAGON KING in her interview on The Authors Show

Recently, I had the pleasure of recording a radio interview with Linda Thompson on The Authors Show about my novel, IN THE SHADOW OF THE DRAGON KING. I had a lot of fun, and surprisingly, I really didn’t mess up that much. The folks at the Authors Show were wonderful and Linda Thompson was a delight to work with and very positive.

The interview will be live until midnight on December 6, 2017. Please have a listen, and if you have any questions, please feel free to ask away either here, on FB, Goodreads, Twitter or any of other social media sites where I hang out. The link to the interview is here, and I hope you enjoy.

https://wnbnetworkwest.com/WnbAuthorsShow2.html

For additional information as well as purchase links, please visit http://www.j-keller-ford.com/

 

 

Author’s Choice: CURSE BREAKER Series by Melinda Kucsera

I’m starting a new feature on my blog today. It’s called Author’s Choice where I will let you know what books are on my radar and what books I recommend for your TBR.

Today I’m featuring author Melinda Kucsera, author of amazing epic fantasy adventures. Today, I’m featuring her Curse Breaker series

Evil rises in the enchanted forest. One untrained mage and his son must stop it, if they can.

Start No Fires. Carry No Weapons. Do No Harm.

Those three rules safeguarded countless travelers through the enchanted forest—until they didn’t. One boy’s murder ripped open a gateway allowing evil to enter. Now no one is safe from corruption.

Enchanted trees take Sarn to where the forest failed to uphold its rules. Seeing a dead child gifted with the same magic as his son unhinges Sarn. He vows to find out the truth no matter what the cost. But his gift is untrained and finding answers won’t be easy. Sarn must balance nights serving the Rangers with days dedicated to hiding his son from the dark forces stalking them both.

When Sarn’s masters demand he abandon the quest, he faces an impossible choice—doom the ghost whose murder endangers them all or die from the backlash of breaking his word. With the odds stacked against him, can Sarn fix anything or will all be lost?

Sarn’s story unfolds over three action-packed days in his double life leading to a breathtaking finale. I completely enjoyed this book to fans of Anthony Ryan and Margaret Weis. CURSE BREAKER: ENCHANTED is currently available for free. You can find all the links here.

The newest book in the series is CURSE BREAKER: DARKENS.

I have not read this book, but it’s definitely on my TBR as I am a HUGE fan of C.S. Lewis and this storyline is one that has sparked my interest.

Here’s what it’s about.

***

God’s never had a warrior quite like Jerlo on his side.

That’s probably a good thing since a body and a book are unaccounted for. Both formerly belonged to a vanquished demon, but neither were found when the dust cleared. The question of what happened to them prods Jerlo to seek out the one person he swore he’d never speak to—a man everyone thinks is long dead. Jerlo’s relentless quest leads to the oubliette and a psycho’s cell where shadows of his past take him captive. Jerlo must outwit the dark force rising in his home without magic before he falls under its sway. The life of his ward hangs in the balance. One wrong move and the young man God asked him to protect will end up a mindless automaton, or worse, dead.

In a land where magic is their only hope, can a man of faith triumph?

Find out in Curse Breaker: Darkens the action-packed sequel to Curse Breaker: Enchanted. Christian Fantasy meets Dark Fantasy in this fast-paced narrative pitting Jerlo against monsters both inside his mind and outside it. God has never had such a flawed champion on his team. Fans of C.S. Lewis will enjoy Jerlo’s quest to safeguard the young man he wronged. Get Curse Breaker: Darkens today!

Curse Breaker: Darkens is on sale today for .99!  For more information and links to where you can purchase both books, visit Melinda’s website .

 

Like more information like this? Sign up for my newsletter to get ‘only available to subscriber‘ content such as behind the scenes content, contests, giveaways, author exclusives, etc.

Hope you enjoy the books featured. Until next Saturday, and remember,

 

SAVAGE by Nicole Conway – a must have for any Fantasy library

Publisher:  Month9Books

Publication Date: September 26, 2017

AISN #:  B071ZFXQ4R

Synopsis

Savage begins the Dragonrider Legacy series, a thrilling companion to the international bestselling Dragonrider Chronicles.

Never send a hero to do a monster’s job.

Forty years have passed since Jaevid Broadfeather brought peace to Maldobar and Luntharda. But that fragile truce will be tested as darkness gathers on the horizon. The vicious armies of the Tibran Empire have crossed the far seas and are threatening to destroy Maldobar completely. Not even the dragonriders can match the Tibran war machines. And after an attempt to awaken Jaevid from his divine sleep fails, the fate of Maldobar is looking grim.

Reigh has never known what it means to be a normal human. Raised amongst the gray elves in the wild jungle of Luntharda, he’s tried everything to fit in. But the dark power within him is bursting at the seams—refusing to be silenced. And while his adoptive father, Kiran, insists this power must be kept secret, Reigh knows he’s running out of time.

As Maldobar burns, the world is desperate for a new hero. Destiny has called, and one boy will rise to answer.

My Review

Where do I start with how much I loved this book?

I didn’t think Nicole Conway’s writing could get any better. I was in love with the Dragonrider Chronicles and didn’t believe there was any way she could top those tales.  Boy, was I wrong.

From page 1, SAVAGE captured my interest and held it to the very end. The world-building, the characters…a-maaaazing!!! And I loved the adventure! Conway managed to weave a convincing tale of elves and dragons, humans and magic.

My heart went out to Reigh and all that he has to overcome. I will admit, in the beginning I thought he was a spoiled brat, but then I learned about him and the terribly frightening demon inside of him and I got why he behaved the way he did. I wanted to jump in the book and help him, hug him. But all I could do was watch everything unfold before me. I honestly couldn’t put this book down.

I want book 2. NOW!!

If you love YA fantasy, action, adventure, elves and especially dragons, you’re going to fall in love with this book. Get it today. Don’t pass Go. Don’t collect $200. This is a winner that you must have for your library. And get a copy for someone you love. They’ll thank you a million times over.

Time to go read it again.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Here are some links you might be interested in:

Link to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35300138-savage

Purchase Links:

Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Indies | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks

Link to Tour Schedule:

http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/tour-schedule-savage-by-nicole-conway-presented-by-month9books/  

 Giveaway Details:

• CLICK HERE to win a Kindle Fire +

  Drawing Dragons book +

  signed art from the author CLICK HERE

My name is Ashley “Nicole” Conway. I’m originally from North Alabama and attended Auburn University where I earned a BA in English with a concentration in Classics & Mythology. I’m happily married and have one son, Ethan.

Writing has been a passion of mine since childhood, and to be able to do it as a full-time career is something I take as a great blessing and honor. My heart is in children’s literature, specifically middle-grade and young adult fantasy. Best known is my MG/YA fantasy series titled THE DRAGONRIDER CHRONICLES, which is published by Month9Books. I’m currently working on a follow-on series, THE DRAGONRIDER LEGACY

Other books by Nicole Conway:

THE DRAGONRIDER CHRONICLES

  

For the romantic side of you:

  

 

Get Ready for the FAll YA Scavenger Hunt!

It’s that time of year again when readers and authors team up together to create one of the best giveaways EVER!

This year, 100 authors have joined together to give away amazing books, and readers get a chance to win any or all of the gifts up for grabs.  What do you have to do?

First, visit the YASH website to learn all about it and how it works.  You can get there by clicking here.

Then, check out the YASH Giveaway list on Goodreads to see what all is up for grabs.  You can find that here.

This year, I’m on Team Purple!

Yay Purple Team!!!  Look at those way-too-awesome books and authors!!!!

Want to see who is on the other teams? Just check out the YASH website.

Next, get out your pens and paper, get your gear on, and be prepared to win!!

See you around on Oct. 3.  Oh, I’m also running another giveaway in addition to the one found on the scavenger hunt so make sure you look for it on my Oct. 3 post found right here.

 

It’s Finally Here! The Cover Reveal for RAGE OF THE DRAGON KING!

Oh my gosh!! The day is finally here!!! I can’t believe it. I’ve been sitting on this for what feels like forever, wanting to share it with you, but I couldn’t. But now I can, so here it is, the beautiful new cover to the second novel in The Chronicles of Fallhollow trilogy, RAGE OF THE DRAGON KING!

Isn’t it gorgeous!!!

Want to know what it’s about? Keep reading.

Synopsis

David and Charlotte paid their dues. They traveled to another realm, battled the Dragon King, recovered the all-important magic key to the mage tunnels, and found the heir to the throne of Hirth, as promised. Now it’s time to go home. There’s just one problem: the powerful crystals needed to activate the tunnels have been stolen…and David’s parents have mysteriously disappeared along with them.

Guess who’s not going home to Havendale anytime soon.

Eric Hamden, squire extraordinaire, survived the poisonous knick of a shadowmorth’s blade, rescued the king of Hirth from the bowels of the dragon’s lair, and confronted a heartbreaking betrayal that nearly got him killed. Still reeling from the news, Eric sets his sights on a daring rescue only to wind up in a prison of his own with David and Charlotte at his side. But rescues come in strange ways, and before they know it, the three end up in David’s hometown of Havendale…and Eric gets a quick schooling in Modern Life 101.

He’d rather fight a dragon.

With secrets, lies, and betrayals meeting them at every turn, David, Charlotte, and Eric soon discover that Havendale isn’t the sanctuary they’d hoped for. Even their best-laid plans can’t prepare them for the danger that stalks them. This time, no amount of magic or prayers can save them. War has been declared, and in the final battle, someone must make the ultimate sacrifice.

And now … A behind the Scenes look at

RAGE OF THE DRAGON KING

and

The Chronicles of Fallhollow Trilogy

The Chronicles of Fallhollow series has been in the making for years, and I do mean years.

Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of telling this story. It was loosely based on my awesome hero Army dad and the castles I visited while in Germany. I read a lot of fantasy/princess stories when I was little, and whenever I played dress up, I imagined myself trapped in a tower like Rapunzel, and some gorgeous prince would ride up on his white steed and save me from my prison.

As I grew older, my innocence faded and I became the ugly duckling that the kids picked on. I was called names and ridiculed, and many times, I came home from school in tears. I always tried to put on this brave front, but in the quiet of my room, I withdrew further into myself, and the story I wanted to tell.

And this time, there were dragons. And the main one was going to destroy all the bullies, a handsome prince would still save me, and the world was going to live happily ever after.

Flash forward.  My dad died when I was almost 12. He was Active duty. One day he was training troops in Clemson, SC. The next day he was gone. It seemed unfair somehow, to have fought in three wars for his country to die of a heart attack. Why? What was it all for, the wars, the fighting, the getting wounded (he had a bullet hole scar in his shoulder that always fascinated me as a kid), to die alone? And then I remembered something he said to me once, and those words are forever printed in the opening of book one in the Chronicle of Fallhollow series, IN THE SHADOW OF THE DRAGON KING. He did it because he believed in his country, the protection of his family, and freedom.

And so, I knew I had to write the series that had been swarming in my head ever since I was a kid. War, bullies, dragons, knights, heroes, and freedom. Throw in a few fairies, a meadow gnome, a snarky boy and girl, and hey … story born.

But the early writings were so different than they are today. In the beginning, there were three small fairies:  Poochkie, Marasha and Fisco, early-teen human, David, hero knight, Trog, and bad dragon Einar. But, after many, many reviews, the fairies went away, David got older and the story evolved. It was still a tale about bullies and heroes, but it also became a story about love and honor and sacrifice. It’s also about the world I grew up in – the military life. It’s about seeing firsthand what war does to people, including my dad. Back then, the docs didn’t have terms like PTSD. The warriors merely suffered with what they saw, what they went through. I imagine it was the same in medieval/Renaissance times.

RAGE OF THE DRAGON KING picks up two weeks after book one ends. There’s been a huge battle, people died that shouldn’t have, but that’s what happens when a bully attacks and starts a war. Many people have commented that the two main teen characters in the book complain and whine a lot. They do. I know how I would have felt being in David and/or Eric’s shoes. They’d been sheltered, coddled, kept in the dark about reality. All of a sudden there’s this massive bully that is threatening everything and everyone, they are still being kept in the dark about certain things and yet they’re being forced into defending themselves and the world based on a simple “Do it because I told you to” mentality. I’d complain, too.

In the second book, RAGE OF THE DRAGON KING, our main characters begin to realize that complaining doesn’t get them very far, and sometimes, you have to join forces with people you may not like, but then you find out they’re your BFFs, and no one else has your back like your BFF. But then stuff happens and more stuff happens and you’re standing in the midst of chaos thinking, “Holy shiznit! What the heck am I going to do now?” And then more stuff happens and your breath is stolen from your body, but then you learn quickly how to breathe again only to be like, “Whoa!”

RAGE OF THE DRAGON KING is fierce, it’s chaotic, it’s heartbreaking, and a beta reader called it ‘spellbinding’ (that made me tingle inside). I hope you find it equally enjoyable. There will be one more book after RAGE OF THE DRAGON KING, and it will bring the story full circle. I hope to see you around for the grand finale. It will be explosive.

RAGE OF THE DRAGON KING will be available October 24 from fine retailers everywhere.

Also available – Book 1 in the Chronicles of Fallhollow:  IN THE SHADOW OF THE DRAGON KING

SUBMERGE by Toby Easton – a review

I have to say, I’m more googly-eyed over this book than I was book 1.

Tobie Easton is a gifted storyteller. As with book one, EMERGE, I was drawn into the mermaid world from page one.  I was afraid I might forget some important details about the first book, but my fears were for nothing. I fell right into the story as if I’d finished the first one yesterday.

I can say I wasn’t disappointed.

SUBMERGE picks up where EMERGE left off. The spells have been broken and immortality has been restored to the Mer. Now the trials are about to begin and everyone is hoping that order will be restored. Lia wants so much right now, especially for those responsible for the wrongs to be punished, but will they be? And how can she do what needs to be done when what she wants more than anything is to be with Clay.

There is so much unrest, and this story is filled with so many twists and turns. It’s a rollercoaster of a ride and in many ways, I think SUBMERGE is better than EMERGE. Yes. A sequel that is better than the first book. I love Lia’s growth in the novel and that last line of the book?… Holy cow, when can I get my hands on book 3?

This book gets 5 stars from me. I couldn’t love it more. This is one of the best mermaid series out there.  I suggest starting off with book 1 before reading book 2. You’re going to love the world-building, and the characters will stay with you for a long time.

Well done, Ms. Easton!!

I received a copy of SUBMERGE from Chapter by Chapter in exchange for an honest review.

 

 

BRAVING THE ELEMENTS – A Fantasy Anthology

This is not YA but it’s fantasy, so it got my attention.  I am very familiar with all of these authors and I know their work and I’ve read this book and OMG!!!  Fan-tab-ulous!!!  My review will post soon, but for now, join me in wishing BRAVING THE ELEMENTS a happy book birthday!!

Braving the Elements

A Fantasy Anthology

By Various Authors

Publisher: Roane Publishing

Release Date: September 4, 2017

 

Claire Davon – The Dragon, the Witch, and the Swordswoman

Michael Siciliano – Forging Mettle

Kelly Said – The Myth of Mount Agony

Terri Rochenski – Mist Weaver

Rebecca Hart – Alice and the Egg

 

The Dragon, The Witch, and the Swordswoman

By Claire Davon

As the person responsible for calling the bronze dragon that destroyed her village, Losha is tasked with killing it. Failure to do so means she will be outcast from everything she has ever known. Yet one she is on the road, two local women in tow, she finds that she is strangely reluctant to harm the beast that lurks in her mind.

After an encounter with an oddly familiar old woman and a knight in a small hamlet Losha is more confused than ever. On one hand, failure to slay the dragon means she cannot return to the promise of marriage from a local boy yet the more she learns about the dragon the less she wants to harm it.  It, like the bronze sword that is her only defense, speaks to her in a way nothing else has.

The stage is set for a final showdown between knight and beast when the knight’s true quest is revealed and Losha must choose between all she has ever known, or the companionship of an old woman…and a dragon.

Forging Mettle

By Michael Siciliano

Xander, a teenaged street thief in the grimy slums of Low Town, discovers he has an innate magical talent on the same night his father is killed. Intent on getting revenge, he attempts a risky robbery which goes bad. Rather than face the hangman’s noose, Xander agrees to accompany a group of soldiers intent on finding a powerful magical artifact. But the Beggar’s Hand isn’t what the King’s sorcerer thinks. Deep in the mountains, Xander must make life and death decisions, not just for himself, but the Kingdom he calls home.

The Myth of Mt Agony

By Kelly Said

Meadow’s mere presence ensures the Morningstar farm produces with preternatural abundance. A dirt-dusted foster-child, she hungers for harmony with Auric’s lands.

Valcone is the reclusive prince of Auric. Confined to his room—for the safety of his subjects—he craves control over his persuasive powers.

The prince and the farmgirl’s powerful personalities will collide with epic force when a war erupts between Auric and a neighboring kingdom. With Auric’s fate on the line, Valcone tests the limits of his ability. He amplifies his steady push into a forceful shove against Meadow’s gentle Nature. The Earth-shaper finds herself between a rock and a hard place, literally, where the only choice to save her family may lie in surrendering to the destructive force of her ground-breaking ability.

Mist Weaver

By Terri Rochenski

Dolan wants nothing more than to escape his village for the big city where his small stature and unpleasant features won’t make him the recipient of constant ridicule by the lord of the manor and his heir, Gilroy. The mist that dances to the sweet notes of Dolan’s flute is his only camaraderie and the only beauty in his life—except for Keavy.

When the kind milkmaid is faced with unwanted attentions, Dolan must defend her honor with a choice that will ultimately change his life.

Alice and the Egg

By Rebecca Hart

Alice would do anything for her father, the only parent she’s ever known since her mother’s death in childbirth. When he falls ill, Alice doesn’t hesitate when the opportunity to barter her life for his is presented by Jayden, the prince and only heir to the Dragorean throne.

It doesn’t take long for Alice to realize the palace has secrets. Ones that relate to her own past more than she could ever have imagined. If she can find a way to play the game of secrets well enough, not only could she save her father, she just may manage to save herself as well. 

~~~oOo~~~

 PURCHASE LINKS

Blog Tour Schedule

September 4^th

Release Day Blitz

Scribbler’s Sojourn – Top Two List

Jennifer M. Eaton – Favorite Five List

September 5^th

Mythical Books – Ebook giveaway 

September 6^th

Reviews by Crystal – Author Interview 

September 7^th

Liz’s Reading Life – Author Interview

Sharon Hughson, Author – Author Interview 

September 8^th

Lynn’s Romance Enthusiasm
– Review

~~~oOo~~~

GIVEAWAY!!

Enter here for a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card!

Cover Reveal: Savage (Dragonrider Legacy #1) by Nicole Conway

I love dragons. I can’t get enough of them. I also love Nicole Conway’s YA books on dragons. They are wonderful, flying high adventures, and I have been waiting on pins and needles for her new series, The Dragonrider Legacy, to arrive. Finally, I get a glimpse of the cover, and I’m filled with anticipation because I know the book comes out September 26 and I want it soooo much faster than that!! Oh well. Such is life. Until I can read the new book, I’ll just stare at the cover for a while. Isn’t it gorgeous?  Keep reading to find out more.

HERE WE GO!
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE COVER?

 

 

Savage begins the Dragonrider Legacy series, a thrilling companion to the international bestselling Dragonrider Chronicles.

Never send a hero to do a monster’s job.

Forty years have passed since Jaevid Broadfeather brought peace to Maldobar and Luntharda. But that fragile truce will be tested as darkness gathers on the horizon. The vicious armies of the Tibran Empire have crossed the far seas and are threatening to destroy Maldobar completely. Not even the dragonriders can match the Tibran war machines. And after an attempt to awaken Jaevid from his divine sleep fails, the fate of Maldobar is looking grim.

Reigh has never known what it means to be a normal human. Raised amongst the gray elves in the wild jungle of Luntharda, he’s tried everything to fit in. But the dark power within him is bursting at the seams—refusing to be silenced. And while his adoptive father, Kiran, insists this power must be kept secret, Reigh knows he’s running out of time.

As Maldobar burns, the world is desperate for a new hero. Destiny has called, and one boy will rise to answer.

Savage (Dragonrider Legacy #1)
by Nicole Conway
Publication Date: September 26, 2017
Publisher: Month9Books

Available for Pre-order:
Amazon

 

 

Nicole is the author of the children’s fantasy series, THE DRAGONRIDER CHRONICLES, about a young boy’s journey into manhood as he trains to become a dragonrider. She has completed the first two books in the series, and is now working on the third and final book.
Originally from a small town in North Alabama, Nicole moves frequently due to her husband’s career as a pilot for the United States Air Force. She received a B.A. in English with a concentration in Classics from Auburn University, and will soon attend graduate school.
She has previously worked as a freelance and graphic artist for promotional companies, but has now embraced writing as a full-time occupation.
Nicole enjoys hiking, camping, shopping, cooking, and spending time with her family and friends. She also loves watching children’s movies and collecting books. She lives at home with her husband, two cats, and dog.

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads

 

 

Feyre, Rhysand, Lucien, oh my! – my thoughts on A COURT OF WINGS AND RUIN

****Spoiler Alert! ****

There may be some spoilers in this review. Please read at your own discretion

I have really mixed feelings on this book, especially since I’ve been waiting on pins and needles since I finished A COURT OF MIST AND FURY. Now THAT book I loved (minus the gratuitous sex scenes).

Don’t get me wrong. I liked this book, but I felt the pacing was off and it was too long. There were some exciting scenes that got me turning the pages, but seeing as it took me about 4 days to read this…

It should have never taken me that long to read this book. ACOMAF was completed in a day and I was left with my mouth open and my heart aching and “No. no no!!” spewing from my lips. I HAD to have the next book. It just couldn’t end that way.

And now that I’ve read ACOWAR…yeah, I could have waited.

I think the book could have used a bit more editing. I felt that some scenes went on far too long and others fizzled before they ever started. I got really annoyed with Rhysand and Feyre. I mean, no one has that perfect of a relationship. There were moments when there should have been angry emotions, where they really should have been totally pissed off with each other, and then it just went poof as if showing true emotion as a couple is a no-no. And let’s not get me into talking about the side characters: Elain, Nesta, Mor. I think Maas underused them. I really wanted to learn more about what happened to Nesta and Elain in the Cauldron, but it was glossed over, with minor mentions here and there. It was so ‘telling’, not ‘showing’, which really irked me. Here was this huge opportunity to share the horrors of what happened to Feyre’s sisters, and it was barely mentioned. And then we learn that Elain and Lucien are connected as mates. (actually, we learn that at the end of ACOMAF, but it’s accented more here.) But Maas never does anything with that. It felt so ho-hum. And then Lucien takes off and he’s gone 1/2 of the way through the book and when we do see him towards the end, it’s brief, glossed over and there is no closure or anything with Elain and him. Does she take off Greyson’s ring? Does she fall for Lucien? Is Lucien really going back to the Spring Court with Tamlin? After everything, he’s just going to leave Elain? He’s mated to her. Up until this part, the ‘mated’ stuff in this series is serious. You can’t just turn it off, and yet, with these two? There is no heat. There’s no trying. This “mated” thing between them is unresolved and bland and monotone. There’s not heat. There’s no try on Lucien’s part. It really irked me. I’d rather have seen Lucien try and Elain shove off his advances. Maybe even use that underdeveloped magic she gained while in the Cauldron to push him away – or bring him closer.

And what’s with Nesta and Cassian? We all know she’s hot for him, but again, it seemed like Maas was too focused on Feyre and Rhysand that she forgot to go all ninja on Nesta and Cassian. Again, an underdeveloped relationship that should have been a case of fireworks going off, but instead, it ended in a dud.

We never do really find out what the creature was under the library. Well, we kind of do, but it’s not scary, at least not what we were lead to believe.

And how does Feyre just become ‘friends’ with all these bad guys. It’s like she just walks in a room and they all will do anything for her. The Attor, the creature in the library, the Bonecarver, they’re just so willing to help her. There is no intensity, no danger. Nothing she has to really work for. I really wanted to see and feel Hybern’s goons coming into the library.  I wanted to see Feyre battle them on her own, but noooo, she was rescued once more, proving she’s not the badass she wants people to think she is.

Even though I was disappointed in this ‘final’ book in the series, it was still a decent read. I also found out at the end that there will be another book coming. I’m not waiting on the edge of my seat.  I hope this new book goes into Lucien’s relationship with Elain, Tamlin and his mother.  I want there to be explorations and resolutions with Nesta, Elain, Cassian and the whole Court of Dreams. I want Tamlin to heal and find peace. I want there to be some sort of ‘forgiveness’ between him and Lucien. I want Lucien and Elain to find their paths to one another. And I want Mor to reveal more of her secret. Yeah, that was another unexplored part that left me hanging.

I give it 4 stars – barely – mainly for the intense scenes that had me turning pages like my fingers were on fire.

This book was bought and given to me as a gift by a friend.  Thank you, TR!!  You’re the best!!