Showing posts with label #YaFantasy #YoungAdult. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #YaFantasy #YoungAdult. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 24, 2018

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

         

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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.       

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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:

Friday, April 1, 2016

The Queen's Poisoner by Jeff Wheeler - Release Day, Excerpt, Giveaway


So excited to introduce you all to this new YA Fantasy that is releasing today 1 April, 2016.

This is one of those books that you would pick up because of cover love but then when you read the description and you are totally hooked.  So first let's all fawn over this cover...it's gorgeous!  





Now if that cover doesn't hook you, check out the description

Book Description:

Beware the king who rules with a bloodstained hand.


King Severn Argentine’s fearsome reputation precedes him: usurper of the throne, killer of rightful heirs, ruthless punisher of traitors. Attempting to depose him, the Duke of Kiskaddon gambles…and loses. Now the duke must atone by handing over his young son, Owen, as the king’s hostage. And should his loyalty falter again, the boy will pay with his life.

Seeking allies and eluding Severn’s spies, Owen learns to survive in the court of Kingfountain. But when new evidence of his father’s betrayal threatens to seal his fate, Owen must win the vengeful king’s favor by proving his worth—through extraordinary means. And only one person can aid his desperate cause: a mysterious woman, dwelling in secrecy, who truly wields power over life, death, and destiny.





Need another reason to pick this one up? 
 Check out this excerpt:


“But the king’s army prevailed after all,” Eleanor said weakly. “And now he thinks you a traitor.” 

“From where I sat, it looked like Horwath would be destroyed. The men were fighting slothfully. No one’s heart was in it to defend Ceredigion from the invader. But then the king summoned his knights and rode into battle himself. The conflict was raging below them when they made their charge. I watched it, Eleanor. There were only twenty . . . maybe thirty knights in all, but they came like a flood. As if the very Fountain were driving them. They clashed with lances and swords. The king himself unhorsed his enemy and then jumped from his injured horse and killed the man with his own sword. The invaders swarmed him, but he fought as if he had the strength of a dozen men. They fell away from him, and when they saw his triumph, Horwath’s men became demons!” His eyes were wide with shock and amazement. “Severn defeated them by himself. Even with his twisted leg and his hunchback, he was unstoppable. I rode hard to join the fray and helped capture the fallen army. The king’s crown had fallen from his head during the fighting and I found it in a hawthorn bush. I told him . . . I told him that I was loyal.” His face went white. 

Eleanor felt her knees losing strength. She clutched to her husband, as if they were alone on an island and the waves of the sea were crashing around them, trying to drag them into the surf. Her ears were ringing with the words. 

“The king ordered Jorganon’s death. He mocked me, saying perhaps I still had sons to spare. And so he sent Horwath with me to bid you the tidings. Thus sayeth King Severn Argentine to the Lady Eleanor Kiskaddon: Choose you another son to be hostage, to live in the palace of Kingfountain under His Majesty’s wardship. Prove your good faith and obedience. Pick the son who will stand as surety for your house.” 

Lady Eleanor would have fainted, but she somehow managed to keep her feet. She looked up at her husband. “I must trust that man with another of my children?” Her heart hammered violently in her chest and she quailed under the weight of her grief. “That . . . that . . . butcher?” 

“Stiev Horwath has come to bring the child to Kingfountain,” her husband said, his look full of misery. “If we do not choose, he will execute our entire family for treason now.” 

Lady Eleanor sobbed against her husband’s chest. It was a choice no mother should be forced to make. Should she sacrifice one child so that all the others might live? But King Severn was ruthless and cunning. Would the child she selected be the only of her children to survive? 

She wept bitterly, swallowed by grief and unable to think. Who could she part with? Why had the choice even been given to her if not to make her suffering more acute? She hated the king. She hated him with all her passion, all her grief. How could she decide such a thing? How would she hand one of her boys over to a man who had murdered his own brother’s sons? The king’s hands were so wet with blood a trail probably dribbled wherever he went. 

In her grief, she did not hear the door open or the soft padding of feet. She did not notice until Owen’s arms wrapped around their legs. 

He squeezed them both so hard, and though she could not hear any words, she could imagine his thoughts, his childlike attempt to comfort them. There, there, Maman, Papan. There, there! It will be all right, Maman, Papan. There, there! 

She stared down at her son, her innocent son. And then a memory stirred. 

A memory of the royal midwife who had saved his life.




Jeff Wheeler took an early retirement from his career at Intel in 2014 to become a full-time author. He is, most importantly, a husband and father, and a devout member of his church. He is occasionally spotted roaming among the oak trees and granite boulders in the hills of California or in any number of the state’s majestic redwood groves. He is the author of The Covenant of Muirwood Trilogy, The Legends of Muirwood Trilogy, the Whispers from Mirrowen Trilogy, and the Landmoor Series.