Showing posts with label #TheAffiliate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #TheAffiliate. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 24, 2018

The Society by K.A. Linde - Review and Excerpt

         

GoodReads ~ Amazon ~

 iBooks ~ Barnes&Noble ~ Kobo ~ GooglePlay


Author: K.A. Linde
Publication Date:  23 October, 2018
Publisher: K.A. Linde, Inc
Series:  Ascension, book 4
Genre:  YA Fantasy
Age Recommendation: 14 and Up
Rating: 5 Stars

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


Book Description:

The fourth book in the fantasy Ascension series that NYT bestselling author Susan Dennard called "perfect for fans of Sarah J Maas." 

 War is on the horizon. All while a new power grows strong, threatening the very balance of good and evil. Desperate to save her homeland, Cyrene goes in search of the dragons that may be the key to ending this battle—and heal her dying friend. Can Cyrene master her magic to save the world? 

AVAILABLE NOW




My Review:

My review feels like it should just go something like this

1. I like big books and I can not lie!
2. Cover Love!
3. This series grows you.
4. Action!
5. Adventure!
6. Twists and Turns!
7. Kick Butt (Thanks to Amazon I can't say what I really want to, ha) Heroine!
8. Amazing Secondary Characters.
9. Swoon-worthy romance.
10. Dragons!
11. This is a must read!
12. Did I mention, DRAGONS!!!!

When I began this series back at The Affiliate I liked it, but it wasn't a total favorite of mine.  Wow, how times change and a series grows over 4 books. I am a total convert to the love for this series.  K.A. Linde has found her voice when it comes to YA and it is gorgeous.  

The Society is a huge book, 600 pages huge, but you would never know it because it reads so easily.  This story is encompassing, it is going to grab you and hold you to it until you come to that final page, leaving you breathless and unable to believe that you went through 600 pages that fast.  

One thing about this series, you do not want pick up any book and just start in a random place.  Make sure that you read this series from book 1, The Affiliate forward, they all interconnect and if you try and pop in a random book you will be lost.   Book 4, The Society starts right in where The Consort left off.  Cyrena is off on an epic journey to save a friend and bring back dragons to save...well everyone.  She is an awesome heroine who just becomes even more kick butt through this book. Cyrena's character development through this entire series has been wonderful to 'watch' and wow, with this book she really comes into her own.  

K.A. Linde really gives us everything in this book and just when you think everything is coming together she shocks us with unexpected twists and turns that will leave you gasping and begging for the next book...which sadly won't come out for another year *cue the tears*.  I love the connection of all the characters in this book, Cyrena's 'gang of friends' is amazing and all back together and I just can't get enough of them.  I am going to need stories for everyone, EVERY ONE.  Hahaha.  

If you are looking for a new series to start that is full of action and adventure look no further than this series.  K.A. Linde has created a world that you won't want to leave.  


~ HAPPY READING ~ 

         

Excerpt:

There is a power brewing in Emporia, Cyrene. And I can’t shake the feeling, and I cannot pinpoint it. But it is there, and it is growing.”
Cyrene felt the same words that Serafina had echoed in one of her spirit dreams. A dark power had threatened to take Cyrene out of the dream. She had even succeeded in pulling Cyrene to her where she was cloaked in shadow. She’d told Cyrene to come to her and given her a portaling coin to do so. Cyrene still kept the coin with her at all times…even though she’d sworn to Vera and Matilde and Serafina that she would never use it.
“Like what Serafina said.”
“She was what made me test that energy. Her warning prompted me to check into the matter.”
“And?”
Vera shook her head. “It is worrisome, but it is not here. Not yet.” Her face was still pale though, and she looked nervous.
“What does it mean?”
“You know the story of the Creator, yes?”
“Of course,” Cyrene said. “She created all life and brought about the first people. She was the one who blessed the very first Doma with her powers.”
Vera nodded. “That is only half of the story.”
“As with all light, there is always darkness. A push and a pull. A yin and a yang,” Vera explained. She looked sideways, as if expecting Matilde to be there to finish her sentences. “As the story goes, the Creator had a sibling—the Destroyer. Two goddesses who brought life and death, good and evil, creation and destruction.”
“Okay. But it’s just a story.”
“Is it?” Vera whispered. “Aren’t all of your stories true? You believed them all to be myths. Dragons, Braj, Leifs. Just myths. How is this any different?”
“And you believe the energy you are feeling, that Serafina fears, and that found me in my dream was the goddess of destruction?” Cyrene’s eyes widened in abject horror. “Are you saying a god walked into my dream?”
Vera shook her head. “I don’t know. Yes. Maybe.”
“Well, that seems reasonable.”
Vera laughed unabashedly. “Oh, Cyrene, you always surprise me.”
“I mean, I tend to believe that the thing I least expect is probably most likely.”
“There’s no guarantee that this is the case,” Vera said. “I could be imagining it.”
“But you don’t think so.”
“No, I should have seen the signs long ago. Who else could be controlling the Braj, the Indres, and the Nokkin? They are her children after all. Created out of darkness and used as weapons. The Nokkin were the first descendants of the Doma. A family that magic corrupted and turned into horrible creatures that could suck the magic out of people, bent on destruction. There were signs. Just like there were signs the last time. And we did not see them.”
“The last time?” Cyrene asked. “Do you mean…these same things were happening during the War of the Light when Viktor killed Serafina?”
Vera nodded once.
“And did you see this goddess then?”
“No. Just her influence.”
“So, I might be about to fly into a panic for no reason.”
Vera smiled. “Perhaps. We have the gift of foresight, as we know both the prophecy and how this ended in the past. We can stop this, Cyrene. You can stop this. I believe in you. The past does not dictate the future, and you choose your destiny. Nothing is set in stone until it happens.”
“And here I thought, the worst part of my night was letting the man with the red feather slip through my fingers.”
“Let me worry for you. Creator knows I already do it enough,” Vera said. “Focus on the task at hand. We cannot fight an enemy we cannot see…and if we are unprepared, we will lose.”
Cyrene sighed heavily and flopped back on her bed. No pressure.
   

   ta-amazon

The Affiliate: Book 1 
"With rich romance and twisty political intrigue, THE AFFILIATE is a breakneck fantasy ride that's perfect for fans of THE SELECTION or THRONE OF GLASS." --Susan Dennard, NYT bestselling author of TRUTHWITCH 

On the day of her Presenting, in front of the entire Byern Court, seventeen-year-old Cyrene Strohm's lifelong plans come to fruition when she's chosen for one of the most prestigious positions in her homeland--an Affiliate to the Queen. Or so she thinks. When Cyrene receives a mysterious letter and an unreadable book, she finds nothing is as it seems. Thrust into a world of dangerous political intrigue and deadly magic, Cyrene's position only grows more treacherous when she finds herself drawn to the one man she can never have... King Edric himself. Cyrene must decide if love is truly worth the price of freedom. 

Find out in this first book in USA Today bestselling author K.A. Linde's new Ascension series. Great for fans of Game of Thrones, Tudors, and Sarah J. Maas's Throne of Glass series. 

   tb-amazon
 Amazon ~ iBooks ~ Kobo ~ Goodreads    

Cyrene Strohm is a Queen’s Affiliate, a high-ranking official of the court of Byern, with power and privilege to spare. But she’s also a keeper of dangerous secrets: like the fact that she holds the heart of the King, and that she possesses magic in a world where magic no longer exists. Determined to discover what this means and how to use her newfound abilities, Cyrene sets off for the distant land of Eleysia. An island nation where Affiliates are strictly forbidden from entering. But the journey is perilous, and the destination may mean utter ruin, as Cyrene comes to learn that everything she’s been told her whole life – about her court, her homeland, and even herself—are bound in a beautiful lie.       

   AmazonUS ~ AmazonUK ~ iBooks ~

 Barnes&Noble ~ Kobo ~ GooglePlay  

After the loss of a friend and false imprisonment in an Eleysian dungeon, Cyrene has no interest in destiny. Her heart was shattered, friends scattered, and her home is nothing but a pretty illusion. Even her magic won’t cooperate. When all seems lost, she turns to the one person she never thought that she would trust:

Prince Kael.

His darkness mirrors a growing force lurking within her. A struggle she never imagined threatens to consume her. And as friends and foes begin to show their true colors, she starts questioning whether anyone is who they seem. Even herself.

      



K.A. Linde grew up as a military brat and created fantastical stories based off of her love for Disney movies, fairy tales, and Star Wars. In her spare time, she is an avid traveler, loves reading young adult novels, and dancing. Additionally, K.A. has written more than a dozen adult novels and is a USA Today bestselling author. She lives in Lubbock, TX with her husband and two super adorable puppies. K.A. Linde loves to hear from her readers! You can contact her at kalinde45@gmail.com or visit her online at one of the following sites:

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

The Affiliate by K.A. Line - Review and Giveaway



TA Amazon



Author: K.A. Linde 
Publication Date:  15 Septmeber, 2015
Publisher: Self-Published
Series:  The Ascension Series
Genre:  Young Adult Fantasy
Age Recommendation: 15 and up
Rating: 3 Stars

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


Book Description:

 On the day of her Presenting, in front of the entire Byern Court, seventeen-year-old Cyrene Strohm's lifelong plans come to fruition when she's chosen as an Affiliate to the Queen. Or so she thinks. When Cyrene receives a mysterious letter and an unreadable book, she finds nothing is as it seems. Thrust into a world of dangerous political intrigue and deadly magic, Cyrene's position only grows more treacherous when she finds herself drawn to the one man she can never have... King Edric himself. Cyrene must decide if love is truly worth the price of freedom. 

The Affiliate Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0fKN8Wnpe4

My Review:

I found myself struggling with this review because I SERIOUSLY wanted to LOVE this book.  I wanted to find myself completely lost in the world that K.A. Linde created.  I wanted to be drawn to the characters and feel for them.  I wanted the rush that comes with the suspense, the awe of the world building, the sadness of lost friends and loves, and the heart ache and swoon worthy moments of a building love.  Instead I found myself confused a good portion of the time and not connecting with any of the characters, except perhaps the one character that I shouldn't connect with in the end, Prince Kael.  

I think the major challenge for me with this book was that nothing felt like it had been fully fleshed out.  The characters didn't have the dimension I needed, the world social dynamics weren't ever fully explained, and the dynamics between characters didn't make sense to me.  How exactly do things work between the King/Queen/Consort/Affiliate/Mistress/Prince work?  I get that in this world it is not uncommon for the King and/or Queen to have 'open' affairs, it is fairly obvious that this occurs with both the King and the Queen (although it is never simply stated that it is happening), I understand what a Consort is meant to be and I get the idea that at some point perhaps the King and the Consort had some kind of physical relationship although again it is never just said and I am also confused as to the Age of the Consort because I am almost certain that this is the same Consort that King Edric's father had (seems a bit creepy to me if that is the case).  It seems with the story that this person although continually referred to as the Kings Consort is actually the Kings Advisor and through out the book I kept saying to myself, " I don't think this word means what you think it means."  

I never felt like I got to know exactly who these characters are.  Cyrene felt overly manipulative to me even though it seems she was the one we were meant to feel was fighting against manipulation.  She also comes across as extraordinarily arrogant and she is rather thoughtless when it comes to those she professes to love.   There is supposed to be a relationship building between Cyrene and King Edric yet we rarely ever see them together and when we do it nothing ever comes of it.  Prince Kael is meant to be this plotting, conniving, manipulative Prince....and I definitely think he has issues, he is obviously not a good guy, but I don't find him to be as awful as Cyrene is making him out to be.  She even though professes her anger over other peoples judgement is an extremely judgmental person herself.  The Queen is clearly a real piece of work, she is not a nice woman and there is no love lost between herself and the King Edric, but I we also have to look at her situation.  They were betrothed to one another as teens, she is meant to produce an heir yet, she has very little true power, and is constantly undermined by the King himself and the Consort.  Now I am not trying to give her a pass, I don't like her there is not doubt about that, but I don't think she's given quite enough sympathy in regards to her situation.  

The fact of this book is that I loved the idea of the story, I perhaps went into it with my expectations too high.  I think that there is great promise here, this is a book that could give me all those feels I said I wanted in the start of this review, but it needs more depth.  I need to understand who these characters truly are.  I need less court intrigue and more development.  The world comes together nicely toward the end, the story finally develops in the final chapters, now we just need to see that same thing happen with the characters and with the romance aspect of this story.  

I am not giving up on The Ascension Series, I still believe in it and have high hopes for it, and I hope that you won't either.  There is something amazing in there, it just has to be drawn out.  

~ Happy Reading ~ 






       
kalinde copyUSA Today bestselling author K.A. Linde is the author of The Affiliate, the first book in the Ascension Series. As a military brat, she traveled the world with her family, imaginary friends, and ever-increasing supply of books. She has spent much of her life dreaming up new worlds and characters and forcing them into uncomfortable, usually life-threatening scenarios. After graduating from the University of Georgia with a masters degree in political science, she began spending every waking hour putting those characters onto paper. When not writing, she spends her time dancing, collecting paperbacks in the hopes of filling a Beauty and the Beast style library one day, traveling to visit her friends who live all over the country, and still reading anything she can get her hands on. She currently resides in North Carolina with her husband and two puppies, Lucy and Riker, where she is hard at work on her next novel.


  Enter K.A. Linde’s fantastic giveaway!


Tuesday, September 15, 2015

The Affiliate by K.A. Line - Release Day Excerpt and Giveaway

Today is release day for K.A. Linde’s The Affiliate! 
I am so excited about this new young adult fantasy! 
Grab your copy and check out the excerpt and giveaway K.A. is sharing with us!!

The Affiliate RDL banner


Blogs Taking Part in the Release Day Launch
Stuck in YA Books
Zach's YA Reviews
Avid Reader Musings
Four Brits and a Book
The Perks of Being a Book Girl
Ogitchida Kwe's Book Blog
Cocktails and Books
Addicted Readers
Book Bite Reviews
Jackie's Book World
Aira Reads
Gemma Reads Too Much
Romance Schmomance
New Chicks On The Blog
Our kindle konfessions
A Girl and Her Books Blog
Written to our hearts
Got Books?
All Booked Out
British Book Binge
Read more sleep less
Books Chatter
Books and the big screen
Indy Book Fairy
Three Little Birds Book Blog
I Read Indie
Renee Entress's Blog
Pretty Little Book Blog
The Travelogue of a book addict - The Book Drealms
Connected by Books
Textteaser
Jacqueline's reads
Sherna's Bookworm Diary
midnightangel book heaven
A Sky Full of Stars Blog
Beneath The Covers Blog
Book Babes Unite
I Heart YA Books
Kindle and Me
The book disciple
The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club
Dark Faerie Tales
The Whispering Pages Book Blog
ZombieePee's Blog
Movies, Shows & Books
Nette's Novel Notes
Roxy's Reviews
The Review Loft
Can't Stop Won't Stop Books
BCS Tours
Smut Book Junkie Reviews
Teatime and Books
The Book Trollop
Book Reader Chronicles
Reads All the Books
bookcrack
Typical Distractions
The Phantom Paragrapher
Verna Loves Books
JordansBookReviews
Adventures in Writing
Holly's Red Hot Reviews
Coffee Books & Art
My Golden Reads
MrsLeifs Two Fangs About It Book Reviews
The Breakfast Blog
Corrie the Book Crazed Girl
Pages Abound
The BookWhisperer
Dirty Laundry Review
Bbokaholics Reading Haven
Southern Vixens Book Obsessions
New Adult Addiction
BookCrushin
Collector of book boyfriends
Romance Obsessed Book Blog
My Midnight Fantasies
Nerdy Soul
Read Love Blog
Globug Needs a Book
We're Jumpin' books
Cosying Up With Books
Reading is Sexy
Alpha Book Club
Reviews from the Heart
Books Need TLC
One Book Boyfriend At A Time
Book Starlets
Book Lovers Obsession
Oh The Book Feels
EscapeNBooks
Prisoners of Print
Jael's Review
Just Me & My Kindle
Zili in the Sky
Witchy Richey's Booktastic Reviews
Sassy Book Lovers
Musings of the Book-a-holic Fairies, inc.

TA Amazon

Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ iTunes   

Book Description: 

On the day of her Presenting, in front of the entire Byern Court, seventeen-year-old Cyrene Strohm's lifelong plans come to fruition when she's chosen as an Affiliate to the Queen. Or so she thinks. When Cyrene receives a mysterious letter and an unreadable book, she finds nothing is as it seems. Thrust into a world of dangerous political intrigue and deadly magic, Cyrene's position only grows more treacherous when she finds herself drawn to the one man she can never have... King Edric himself. Cyrene must decide if love is truly worth the price of freedom. 

Find out in this first book in USA Today bestselling author K.A. Linde’s new Ascension series.


 Exclusive Excerpt: 

“I see the way you look at her, Edric. Your eyes follow her, you dance the longest dances with her, and now, you’re sending her presents. I’ve known you too long not to know that this is unlike you. You’re not Kael. You don’t fraternize with the Affiliates who parade themselves in front of you, hoping for a scrap of your time. Yet here you are with this Cyrene. What is she to you?” Daufina asked. At her question, Edric paced the long room. She watched him through the silence and wondered what he was thinking. “You told me once that you would inform me if you wanted to take a mistress—” “I do not want to take a mistress,” Edric snapped. Daufina straightened in surprise. He never raised his voice with her. “I apologize,” he said with a sigh. “I didn’t mean to startle you.” “Just talk to me.” “Would you believe me if I said that I didn’t want anything to do with her?” His eyes were pleading. “No,” Daufina admitted. “No,” he agreed. “No, I wouldn’t either. I keep telling myself that I’m acting like a fool, Daufina, but then I see her again.” He stroked his chin as he tried to find the words. “She has this pull. When I’m with her, the throne slips away, and I’m just a man with a beautiful woman. It both intrigues and terrifies me.” He splayed his hands before him. “I can never be anything but the king…but when I’m with her, I want to be.”


(Tell Me More!)

 Enter K.A. Linde’s fantastic giveaway! 


kalinde copy  USA Today bestselling author K.A. Linde is the author of The Affiliate, the first book in the Ascension Series. As a military brat, she traveled the world with her family, imaginary friends, and ever-increasing supply of books. She has spent much of her life dreaming up new worlds and characters and forcing them into uncomfortable, usually life-threatening scenarios. After graduating from the University of Georgia with a masters degree in political science, she began spending every waking hour putting those characters onto paper. When not writing, she spends her time dancing, collecting paperbacks in the hopes of filling a Beauty and the Beast style library one day, traveling to visit her friends who live all over the country, and still reading anything she can get her hands on. She currently resides in North Carolina with her husband and two puppies, Lucy and Riker, where she is hard at work on her next novel.
Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter