Archive for the ‘YA Fantasy’ Category

The Last Beekeeper by Rebecca L. Fearnley ~ Excerpt and Giveaway

Posted: April 21, 2022 in Dystopian, giveaways, YA Fantasy
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The Last Beekeeper
Rebecca L. Fearnley
Publication date: April 20th 2022
Genres: Adult, Dystopian, Fantasy, Young Adult

Solma is a fighter. Trained by her village Steward to protect their community from the predators of their harsh world, she is fierce and loyal. But how can she protect her friends and family from crop failure and starvation? With flying insects extinct for over a century, nowhere on the forsaken continent of Alphor is safe and Solma is terrified her little brother, Warren, will be one of the next to die. The villagers cling to life, waiting for the Earth Whisperers—mysterious nomads with a strange magic that helps plants grow—to arrive.

But then Warren finds something. Something impossible. When the first bee in a hundred years crawls out of the earth, Warren forms a strange bond with the creature and Solma fears he might have a new power. One that leaders of Alphor would kill for. As she and Warren fight to keep the bee secret and safe, word of this miracle sweeps the continent. Allies and enemies alike descend on the village. Some demand the bees for themselves, others want to destroy the colony to level the odds. When words become threats and then violence, Solma and Warren are caught in the conflict, and now it isn’t just the bees in danger.

When whoever controls the bees controls the world, how will Solma and Warren know who to trust?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

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Enjoy this peek inside:

The insect—for it can only be an insect—wanders groggily over the mound, seems to contemplate her fingertips for a moment and then clambers aboard.

Its feet are so light, she can barely feel them. She holds the creature up to her face, frowning as it waggles its antennae. Its gold-and-black striped body gleams in the sun, fuzzy to the point of ridiculous, with delicate gossamer wings and antennae that twitch curiously. Solma stares.

“What is it, d’you think?”

It isn’t a beetle. Solma knows that much. Warren’s pulling at her fingertips, straining to see. Solma suppresses a smile and holds the creature out so he can get a better look. Warren’s eyes widen.

“That’s a bee!” he whispers. Solma scoffs.

“No it isn’t,” she laughs, ruffling his hair. “It can’t be, can it? There ain’t no more bees.”

No one has seen one in over a century. This can’t possibly be a bee.

Still. What’s the harm in letting her brother hope?

She watches it wriggling on her finger. She can feel it now if she concentrates. The lightest brush of life against her skin. It buzzes its wings half-heartedly and Warren grins with delight. Solma can’t help grinning, too. It’s been such a long time since she’s seen him smile.

“Why don’t it fly away?” Warren asks. “You think it’s sick?”

Solma gently cups her other hand over the insect and draws it close to her chest. Could it be sick? The thought makes her sick, too. The summer skies have been empty of flying things for such a long time that suddenly she can’t bear the thought of this one falling ill. It buzzes against her again, shuffling down her finger and into her palm, as if accepting the safety she’s offering. Its little body thrums, begging protection.

“Maybe it is sick,” Solma concedes, then balks at the stricken look on Warren’s face. “We’ll save it,” she says without thinking.

It’s a daft thought. She doubts they can save it. If it really is a bee, it’s the only one she’s ever seen. Where can it possibly have come from?

Author Rebecca L. Fearnley:

Rebecca has been obsessed with two things since she learned to walk and talk: stories and animals. Luckily, the two seem to be very compatible. Rebecca writes stories set in strange worlds filled with bizarre creatures, strong female characters and magical powers. She started her writing career as a poet, performing all over the country and publishing her first collection, Octopus Medicine, with Two Rivers Press in 2017.

In addition to writing, Rebecca is also a teacher and, in 2018, decided that she wanted to write quality books for the young people she works with. Her books tend towards themes of respect for the environment, protecting the planet and the new generations challenging the old to face up to their mistakes.

She lives in Reading, UK, with her unusual family, which includes herself and her partner, a friendly little mini-lop rabbit (called Cleo) and a gregarious and feisty quaker parrot (called Maya).

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Pinterest

 

GIVEAWAY!

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Cover Reveal and Giveaway ~ The Pen Thief And The Chamber Of Power

Posted: April 21, 2022 in giveaways, YA Fantasy
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Today Tasha Madison and Rockstar Book Tours are revealing the cover for THE PEN THIEF AND THE CHAMBER OF POWER, the second book in her YA Fantasy series which releases June 7, 2022! Check out the awesome cover and enter the giveaway!

 

On to the reveal! 

 

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About the Book:

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Title: THE PEN THIEF AND THE CHAMBER OF POWER (The Pen Thief Series #2)

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Author: Tasha Madison

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Pub. Date: June 7, 2022

Publisher: Author Academy Elite

Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook

Pages: 232

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD

 

Chosen to Protect. Destined to Defend.

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Arnie Schmidt has survived high school bullying and crushing
heartbreak. Now, he must confront his deepest fear … the truth about his
mysterious powers that may change his life and future forever.

Meanwhile, brutal forces are gathering on the horizon, intent
on destroying him. To defeat them, Arnie must find the strength to trust
himself and those closest to him while undertaking a desperate quest to
distinguish fact from fiction.

Deep in the archives of the Fellowship of Guardians-where
long-awaited answers slumber-Arnie gains the insight he needs to navigate the
unknown. But, the improbable thrusts him into a labyrinth of secrets,
unexpected adventures, and a fight to escape an imminent danger. As his world
shatters, he must delve into the depths of his power and encourage the
abilities of others if he is going to conquer old wounds long enough to
survive.

Can Arnie embrace his destiny before ancient shadows ruin the
promise of a hidden prophecy?

 

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Haven’t started the PEN THIEF Series yet? Grab Book 1, The Pen Thief and the Orbit of Uncertainty
now!

 

Excerpt:

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About Tasha Madison:

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TASHA MADISON is an award-winning author,
speaker, and coach who helps those overwhelmed by life’s challenges,
disappointments, and traumas to harness their strengths so they can gain
clarity on how to conquer their fears, achieve their goals, and live their best
life. In the past twenty years, she has helped countless people to become the
hero of their own lives with customized programming tailored to maximize
transformational results.

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Some Professional Accomplishments:​

  • CEO of Hero Academy, LLC
  • Creator of the Hero Blueprint©
  • Earned a Juris Doctor in Business Law, an MBA,
    and a BA in Communication
  • Earned a Certificate in International
    Commercial Arbitration
  • Ronald E. McNair Scholar
  • Published Global Award-winning Author
  • Editing Ninja
  • International Speaker on Leadership, Mindset,
    Personal Growth, and Authorship
  • Selected by Yahoo! Finance as one of the Top 5
    Female Mindset Coaches Transforming Lives in 2021

 

Website | Twitter | Facebook |
Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

Giveaway

1 winner will win a $10 Amazon GC courtesy of Rockstar Book Tours, International.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

The Woods Are Forbidden….. The Grove by Karri Thompson

Posted: September 25, 2021 in giveaways, YA Fantasy
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The Grove
Karri Thompson
Publication date: September 21st 2021
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Entering the woods is forbidden. To go in can mean a fate worse than death. At least that’s what seventeen-year-old Laura has been told. But living in a new town with nothing to do, she ignores her mother’s dire warnings and explores the forest near her home.

The trees entice Laura deeper into the woods. A mysterious, soothing voice calls her name, and she becomes lost. When a young man finds her, she thinks she’s saved. But he insists their meeting is more than a coincidence. For centuries, his colony has been waiting for a savior. With his alluring eyes and gentle smile, Laura almost believes his crazy story.

Caught between worlds, and with her life at stake, she doesn’t know who to believe or trust. Her heart tells her one thing and her head another.

Is it her destiny, or will her fate only postpone the inevitable?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

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Enjoy this peek inside:

The hair on my arms rose. My heart thumped hard, the blood pulsing through my chest into my throat. Looking left and right, my muscles tensed to run or fight.

“Who’s there? What do you want?” I said at the same low whisper, my voice shaking.

A shimmering blur disappeared behind a tree—a featureless something, flashing in indistinguishable color as quickly as a silent whip.

“Laura,” someone said again, gentle and feather-light, drifting between the largest trees in front of me.

I held my breath.

“Laura.” My name resonated through the humid night air, echoing through the sugar maples before it thinned and died.

It was a male voice, full- bodied, but lacking malevolence and hostility. Strangely, it put me at ease. There must be a boy somewhere out here in the woods. I was sure of it. The voice sounded young, maybe my age of seventeen.

Or maybe it was a ghost. My Uncle Dean had told me the locals believed these woods were haunted. But ghosts couldn’t kill. At least that’s what I believed.

“Who are you?” I asked, relaxing my stiff muscles just enough to take a step forward. My shoulders dropped as I exhaled a pent-up breath. Broadening my stance, I leaned forward, raising the branch, and squeezed my eyes shut, hoping to hear it again.

“Laura,” it repeated. The word lingered through the dead of night, ringing softly in my ears. I opened my eyes.

“How do you know my name?” I asked, moving toward the direction of the voice. As a cool breeze rustled my pajama shorts, I wrapped one arm around myself.

A bird chirp rode the wind, followed by several more, weaving into a rhythm of tweets and trills. I looked up. Within the tousle of leaves and sway of thin limbs, perched a gathering of birds, flexing their wings for flight.

I took a step backwards, my eyes fixed on the canopy of leaves.

The bird calls increased, one squawk overlapping the other until their unique melody collapsed, twisting into an eerie song and wing beats.

“A–are you still there?” I breathed, eyeing the woods ahead of me and taking another step back.

A smear of color flashed to my left, and a cloud of leaves rose from the forest floor.

“Don’t go,” I said, breaking from a whisper.

The woods resonated with angry bird speak, their unnatural song thumping in my ears.

“I want to see you,” I shouted above the rising mad twitter.

A shadow skated across the ground at my feet. Wings flapped overhead, and a bird beak met my scalp with a hard peck.

Author Karri Thompson:

Karri Thompson, a native of San Diego, attended San Diego State University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in English and master’s degree in education. When she’s not writing novels and teaching high school English, she can be found nerding out at San Diego Comic-Con and cooking delicious meals for her family. Karri is the recipient of the San Diego Book Awards Best Published Young Adult Novel for 2014.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

 

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Hosted by:
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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

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Hybrid Magic by Cristy L. Bowlin

Posted: June 30, 2021 in giveaways, Interview, YA Fantasy
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Hybrid Magic
by Cristy L. Bowlin
Genre: YA Fantasy
Two nations joined peacefully as one, but a band of assassins lurks in the shadows.
Magic isn’t uncommon in the Deravine Commonwealth, where people can be gifted with the faculties of combat, healing, transformation, or sight. Yet as a hybrid mage, Aaron Ztrong’s abilities aren’t so easily categorized. He managed to save his parents during a dangerous confrontation when he was only a young boy, and now a decade later most people in his life expect him to do remarkable things with his powers. Then there are those who fear what Aaron and others like him can do. When Aaron’s life is threatened by a group calling themselves the Defenders, he takes refuge with two other hybrid mages and the teacher who is training them to enhance their abilities. As the Defenders continue to hunt down hybrid mages, Aaron and his new companions must find a way to survive.
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What can we expect from you in the future?

Hybrid Magic is the start of a trilogy, so you can expect to see the rest of the books coming out over the next couple years! After that, I might venture into a different genre. Fantasy is my favorite, but I would love to try writing some sci-fi or dystopian stories too.

Do you have any “side stories” about the characters?

Hybrid Magic is a spinoff that takes place ten years after the storyline of my first standalone novel, The Temple Dancer’s Diary. Some characters with smaller roles in The Temple Dancer’s Diary are now getting their chance in the spotlight with a story of their own.

Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Hybrid Magic?

This book is told from three different character perspectives, so I’ll share a bit about each of them.

First, Aaron Ztrong is a fourteen-year-old hybrid mage who became famous when he was younger for defeating another powerful mage. His magic abilities include healing, transforming objects, and making things levitate and fly through the air. His parents see so much potential in him, but he would rather spend his time with his friends and enjoy relaxing hobbies like fishing. He is a prankster who will do anything to get out of his lessons until his life is threatened by a group known as the Defenders who hunt down hybrid mages.

Second, Elara Pratt is a sixteen-year-old hybrid mage who grew up in a small farming village with her three younger siblings. Her magic involves helping plants flourish and grow in any environment. She can even transform into a dryad-like creature herself. After leaving her family behind to learn more about her abilities, she moves to a forest haven that was established to train and protect hybrid mages from the ruthless Defenders. Elara is optimistic, caring, and always eager to make a new friend. But no one is allowed to mess with her garden or any of her plant babies!

Finally, Theo Darien is a seventeen-year-old hybrid mage who grew up idolizing his father, a celebrated constable. Theo dreamed of having combat magic like his dad so that he too could take down criminals. He was initially excited upon discovering his unique abilities to transform any object into a weapon. Then his older half brother joined the Defenders and attempted to kill him because of those abilities. After running away from home, Theo was taken in by a teacher who promised to train and protect him. Theo is quiet and studious, yet also racked with guilt over his final confrontation with his brother. Now he is determined not to hurt anyone with his magic and will only use his powers for good.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

After writing my first book from a single perspective in first-person diary entries, I enjoyed writing this book in third-person point of view with multiple different character perspectives.

Who designed your book covers?

My best friend Naomi Henry designed both of my book covers. She is an amazing artist, and I was overjoyed that she wanted to work with me.

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?

There are some personality traits each of my characters have that I based off of real people, but for the most part they came from my imagination.

Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story?

My characters do hijack the story from time to time! I always create an outline before I start writing with major plot points that I want to include in each chapter, so I try to stick to that outline pretty closely for the plot and pacing. The characters develop more organically though. I start out with a few key personality traits in mind for each character, and then I see how they interact with one another. Sometimes their interactions and dialogue will surprise me by taking my story in cool new directions.

If your book had a candle, what scent would it be?

My book would have an autumn candle to match the cover art. It would be a burnt orange color with a woodsy scent containing a mixture of apple, pumpkin spice, and cloves.

Is there an writer which brain you would love to pick for advice? Who would that be and why?

I would love to get writing advice from Tamora Pierce. Her young adult fantasy books set in the Tortall Universe were my favorites growing up. The characters were nuanced, and the stories were so empowering for teenaged girls.

I wrote the whole first draft of Hybrid Magic while I was pregnant with my daughter. I like to think that she was my muse, sparking inspiration whenever I experienced writer’s block.

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Cristy L. Bowlin grew up in Ventura County, CA where she spent most of her free time ballet dancing and reading fantasy books. She got her BA in English with an emphasis in creative writing and a minor in dance from the California Polytechnic State University. She then received her MA in English with a minor in gender and women’s studies from the University of Kentucky. She currently lives with her husband, daughter, and cat in Southern California where she is a college English professor. Her debut YA fantasy novel The Temple Dancer’s Diary was published in July 2019, and her next book Hybrid Magic was just published in the summer of 2021.
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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Books From The Back Log #68 ~ Cress

Posted: June 25, 2021 in YA Fantasy
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If you’re like me, you have a pile of books beckoning to you from your lists. Carole hosts this fun feature where you can share some of those older books and perhaps nudge you to finally read them. If you want to join in on the fun, head over to Carole’s Random Life In Books and leave a link to your post.
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Cress

The Lunar Chronicles #3

by Marissa Meyer

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18716399

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Genre: YA Fantasy

Synopsis

In this third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who’s only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a higher price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

Amazon

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I added this back in December 2017.

I just realized I hadn’t read this one. I would love to see this series as movies!

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The above cover is the one I own.

Here’s an alternate cover.

Cress (The Lunar Chronicles Book 3) by [Marissa Meyer]

Which one do you like more?

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

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I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

The Friday 56 #243 ~ Unwritten

Posted: June 11, 2021 in The Friday 56, YA Fantasy
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Welcome to The Friday 56 hosted by Freda’s Voice.

 

This is a really fun meme!

The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader and find a sentence or a few (no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.

Then go over to Freda’s Voice and leave your link so we can visit your 56!

My 56 for this week is from:

Unwritten

The Zweeshen Chronicles #1

  by Alicia J. Novo

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58007585. sy475

 

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Genre:  YA Fantasy

From page 56 in the paperback.

“Tell me everything about the Zweeshen. How big is it?  Is every single character from every single story alive?

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Synopsis

Books whisper to Beatrix Alba. But they aren’t the reason she has never fit in. Bullied at home and school, she keeps a secret—a power of violence and darkness.

When the spell that keeps her hidden fails, she’s catapulted into the Zweeshen, a realm where all tales live, and her dream of meeting her favorite characters comes true. But wishes are tricky, and behind its wonder and whimsy, the Zweeshen is under attack. A character is burning bookworlds in pursuit of a weapon to rule both stories and storytellers. To succeed, he needs a riddle in Beatrix’s keeping.

Now he’s hunting her down.

Joining forces with William, a cursed conjurer, Beatrix must face an enemy who knows her every weakness in a realm where witches play with time, Egyptian gods roam, and Regency heroines lead covert operations. And with her darkness as the only weapon, she may have to sacrifice everything to save a world that rejects her.

Amazon

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You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Curses Of Scale by S.D. Reeves

Posted: April 16, 2021 in giveaways, Guest Post, YA Fantasy
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I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the CURSES OF SCALE by S.D. Reeves Blog
Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the
giveaway!

 

CURSES OF SCALE

Author: S.D. Reeves

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Pub. Date: November 15, 2017

Publisher: Riversong Books

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 297

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Find it:  Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

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Synopsis

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Sixteen-year-old Niena wants nothing more than
to attend an elite bardic college, but when the dragon that shattered the
empire awakens again she finds herself on the run, through the fey realm of
Fairhome, to the city where she was born. On her trail are her army veteran
grandfather, thrown into a commander’s role he doesn’t want, the lord of the
fairies, trying to steer her to his own ends, and the husband she won’t meet
for fifteen years. If she kills the dragon, she’ll save everyone she holds
dear. But if she kills the dragon, she’s cursed instead to become it.

 

Curses of Scale is the 2018 First Place Winner of Red City Review’s Young Adult
Category, and an Official Selection of the 2018 New Apple
Literary Awards. It also has the distinction of being a finalist in the
following awards:

  • Chanticleer’s Ozma Fantasy Award
  • Readers’ Favorite General Fantasy
  • Wishing Shelf Young Adult

“★★★★ Curses of Scale is a coming of age tale with a lot to say about life and taking charge of
one’s destiny in the search for independence. ” -Reader’s Favorite

 

“★★★★★ Curses of Scale is a Pandora’s box of world-building elements, and Reeves shows great
skill at parceling out the pieces of lore and mystery that today’s fantasy
readers crave. Readers will be sure to enjoy this crafty, utterly transportive
novel.”

– Red City Review

 

 

A deleted scene.

This is a deleted scene, actually, more along the lines of a deleted opening of a entire rewrite. Long ago, the whole premise of the story was quite different, and the main character was a boy named Christian (I did reuse this name, of sorts, for Christaan De Rein, in the follow up series). This book was originally set in modern times.

 

It was a jolly night for a stroll thought the wisp of wind. The air was clean, the night sky somber, and magic touched the surrounding countryside. Farm houses, their occupants frozen in toil, grew and shrank in size as it whirled past. To the west a wooden fort arose, and the wind swirled and danced around the little men. None seemed to notice. They did not wave as the wind spirited by, chase angrily after their hats, or do anything that little wisps find funny. By now the wisp, being only as bright as one can expect from a puff of wind was becoming irritated. Why were they being so rude? Racing around the strange furry sea it fell upon a little sailboat. Men and women in white caps clung fast to railings as the gale shook the tiny ship. The little boat was tipped, dashing many into the sea below. Yet still, still none cried out.  Disappointed and tired the wisp swooshed down onto a little boys head.

 

He was young, possessing fewer years than toes. Curly brown hair framed his head, making a nice swirly resting spot for any tired puff; if he were to stay still. The night was unfriendly to him, stealing the warmth from his lips in frosty huffs. Even now he tried to shake off his dreams, succeeding in only throwing more covers on the floor.

 

Across the room, beyond velvet hills and defended by wooden posts was a wardrobe. Here stood a proud mountain, shadowing farms, forts, and daring brave sailors to risk its port. Years before it had been brought from Germany by his grandparents, but the craftsman that made it knew it was meant for a boy to be.  Soft fields, muddy pools, and waiting ponds were sprinkled merrily across its wooden facade, framed against dragons, elves, and unicorns. Yet there was something else as well. And it was not to be seen by boy or wisp of air. It was to be felt. Somewhere deep within that hollow wooden mountain lurked a nightmare.

 

An unseen shadow arose. It came from within and fell over the land. Long fingers inked around dusty corners, over toy and tower, through cover and hill. There was something here, cold and hard. This was hate, smoke arisen from the dieing embers of unloved dreams. Tendrils crept through the remaining covers and curled around the boys feet. Even through his socks he could feel the bitterness, and his body subconsciously shrank from it. But the shadow grew, and at last when the boy was cowered near to the headrest, cold hate touched warm flesh.

 

    Dark shades of furniture swung into dizzying clarity, rising, and shuddering, as the boy coughed and rubbed his neck. There was the little fort, the soldiers there poised. Nearby sprawled the play farm, ready for the coming morning. And far, far across the room the great wardrobe hulked. Clutching at his neck he hesitantly ran his fingers down a shoe string he had made into a rope. With one tug it came free of his shirt. Into his hand fell a key.

Small fingers traced the outline, running from point to loop, and over time the memory of the nightmare began to dull and blend into darkness of the room. Then the key became a toy, to be poked into, chewed on, or looked through like a …something flashed from across the room. The air thickened to become a lump in his throat, whistling out in short hisses. Slowly he pulled the little key from his face and inched towards the edge of his bed. Clinging to a wooden post he looked down and to his left. There his topmost blanket lay a top a small wooden boat.

But ahead the wardrobe loomed, and when feet sank into the shaggy carpet he realized just how small he really was. The formerly hazy etchings stood now in sharp focus on the towering behemoth, which commanded the room at twice his own height. Unicorns, dragons, elves; he could remember when these things filled his dreams. That time seemed so long ago, lost in between the pages of a fairy tale.

    His timid breath came before him in the chill. He grasped at the two handles, dwarfing his own hands and leaned into the wood as if deciding whether he should open it and run out the door, or just jump back. Gravity chose for him, and when he yanked back the doors there was a loud pop as the wood sprang free and he stumbled into the bed.  Before him and in the darkness the wardrobe was open wide.

    Clothes, shoes, his school book bag with it’s cheery yellow colors were all there just as he left them. But the boys eyes looked elsewhere to a cubbyhole on the second shelf. There lay a queer chest. It was carved out of ebony wood, fashioned into the shape of a deer in flight. Moonlight mirrored weakly off of the silver cloven hooves and two eyes set in jade cast a pall upon the rest of the dark body. The light and the fixtures gave the chest a strange green, yet sickly glow, something that the boy knew daylight could not endure to change. With eyes locked on the carving he crept closer. The blankets that remained began to bunch up around his legs like a makeshift wall. These he took, pulling them around himself and hiding the key under.

    And the world was dark deep beneath the sheltering blankets. Wrapped up like a cocoon, not even the floor below was allowed to touch him. For somewhere in this house a monster lurked. He could imagine a voice groaning and crying out in a cold tongue.  Schlept, schelp, shring, creeeeak! The moan of a door being cautiously open filled the little room. Schlept, shring, schelpt shring.

    “Christian?”

    At the frame of the door stood a lady, young, though older than the count of her fingers and toes. The room and the boy sat still, devoid of the magic and dreams that existed in the lone twilight hours.

    She sighed heavily, “What are you doing? Look, you’ve gotta get up early tomorrow. Try to get some sleep, alright?”

    The blankets wrapped around him shrank and fell around the fold as he breathed, but he made no other sound. The slow creak of his door being closed echoed in the lonely room.

    Christian huddled before the great wardrobe, and curled up beneath the blankets, to lay there until morning.

 

About S.D. Reeves:

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Stephen Reeves was born in 1980 in Huntsville,
Alabama. He currently resides in Switzerland with an undetermined number of
cats greater than zero, and a propensity for nonsense. On those cold nights
where the wind steams off snowbanks, he is known to write award-winning fantasy
novels. And curse his wife’s cold feet.

 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon

 

 

 

 

GIVEAWAY

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1 winner will win a $25 Amazon Gift Card and an eBook of CURSES OF SCALE,
International.

2 winners will win an eBook of CURSES OF SCALE, International.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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The Virus Of Beauty by C. B. Lyall ~ Excerpt and Giveaway

Posted: April 13, 2021 in giveaways, YA Fantasy
Tags: ,
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The Virus of Beauty

by C.B. Lyall

 

GENRE: YA Fantasy

Synopsis

Ugliness is power, and the Virus of Beauty is spreading causing panic throughout the witch population.

 

Wilf Gilvary is a teenage wizard who is terrified of using magic. When his father dies under mysterious circumstances, Wilf is plunged into the middle of a political struggle between the witches and wizards in the Magical Realm. He’d rather play soccer than practice magic, but he’s forced to make a choice between the life of a normal Hong Kong teen and one of wizardry after a powerful virus begins to decimate the witch community. The cure is spellbound in a journal Wilf inherited from his father and when his friend Katryna contracts the virus, Wilf understands that he must overcome his fear of magic to unlock the journal’s secrets – but will it be too late to save her?

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Check out this peek inside:

Katryna hurried along the dimly lit corridor. Its dark, stained carpet and peeling paint reflected the building’s location. This wasn’t a part of town she usually visited. The balconies and entrance might have a view of the market square, but at the back of the building pulsed the Veil. The swirling gray mist had separated and protected the witches of Mathowytch from the citizens of Kureyamage for over fourteen years.

 

She unlocked the door of a studio apartment crowded with chintzy, overstuffed furniture. A cat lay sprawled along the back of the sofa in the sunlight, licking his paws. Katryna wrinkled her nose at the smell of cat and decay. Flies buzzed around the cat’s dirty food bowl, and she zapped them, hoping the frail old witch wouldn’t be upset with her use of magic.

 

Griselda lay on the bed in a fetal position, whimpering. Katryna sat down next to her in a wooden, high-backed chair. She reached to rub Griselda’s back, but then pulled back. It might not be safe to touch the old witch.

 

“Can I get you something to eat?”

 

Griselda shook her head and remained facing the wall.

 

There seemed to be very little Katryna could do. Perhaps that was why Ermentrude had forgotten to add Griselda’s name to the list of new cases to visit. However, her mother had been distracted before she left. Ermentrude might be among the city’s most powerful witches, but she made time to visit the sick whenever she could. Her mother’s hard outer shell hid a soft center of community spirit. The problem was, Ermentrude expected her daughter to pick up the slack whenever she disappeared on a new, urgent assignment for the Witch Council.

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About Author Carolyn Lyall

Carolyn Lyall was born in Stockton-On-Tees, United Kingdom. As a child Carolyn growing up in Northern England in the sixties Carolyn loved sports, reading and amateur dramatics. She joined a renaissance group, practiced the broadsword and dreamed of visiting other worlds. Her passion for what could be drove her forward when faced with everyday struggles. Her first memorable skirmish with gender inequality came at nine-years old when she was told that only boys were allowed to play soccer. In response, she simply refused to do any classwork until they changed their old-fashioned policies. She won that battle.

 

At the age of 18, she took a role as typist for a nursing school in Middlesbrough. She then moved to London and enrolled in night school. She was quickly recognized for her ability to fit in anywhere and for not being afraid to push back on the predominantly male leadership. She eventually became a project manager in software development and micro-computers, bridging the gap between computer programmers and management.

 

Her dream to travel was finally realized in 1990 when she moved to New York City, USA with her husband and the first of three sons. This was the steppingstone to a lifelong adventure that has taken her and her family to India, Belgium and Hong Kong.

 

Raising her family in multiple countries around the world, she saw that each move, while a shock, was an opportunity for her sons to redefine themselves against new challenges and different cultural norms. Now, that her sons have left home, Carolyn has used her passion for the fantastic to create a world where every day gender inequalities are at the forefront of a world ending conflict. She shares this story through the eyes of a young man who is suddenly thrust into this new world along with all of his own woes and prejudices. The introduction to this world is in Carolyn’s debut YA fantasy novel, “The Virus of Beauty,” due to be released July 31, 2019 under C B Lyall.

 

Carolyn has published two short stories in an annual anthology by 25 Servings of Soop. She wrote a number of articles for the American Women’s Associates Magazine.  Fueled by her love of the works of Terry Pratchett, Sarah J Maas, Cassandra Clare, Brandon Sanderson and others, Carolyn has completed a number of writing courses, which included a Master Fantasy/Science Fiction writers course with Gotham Writers’ Workshop, a YA Voice class and Advance Novel Writing course at Sarah Lawrence College’s Writing Institute.

 

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

 

Amazon buy link:

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GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

The Place Beyond Her Dreams by Oby Aligwekwe

Posted: March 17, 2021 in giveaways, YA Fantasy
Tags: ,
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The Place Beyond Her Dreams

by Oby Aligwekwe

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GENRE: YA, Fantasy (Black & African American Fantasy Fiction)

Synopsis

 

“We are most courageous at our weakest; when we believe we have faced what we fear the most and have nothing more to lose.”

At the sudden death of her grandfather, Ona’s pain transports her to mystical Luenah—a place of infinite possibilities, free of turf wars and other ills that plague the earthly dimension she lives in. In Luenah, where her grandfather awaits her, Ona learns she is an Eri, one bestowed with unique intuitive and spiritual gifts passed down from generation-to-generation.

On her eighteenth birthday, she returns to Luenah and is handed a box to deposit her ‘exchange’ for love and happiness—her great desires.

Burdened by her quest, Ona crosses paths with danger and heartbreak as the two men that love her dearly are viciously pitted against each other. As evil looms, she learns that dreams carry a hefty price, and no one is who they seem. Now, she must unmask the villain and save the one she loves, even at the risk of losing everything she holds dear.

Set against the backdrop of two warring towns, Oby Aligwekwe’s Young Adult debut—told from the viewpoint of her main character—is inspired by her West African heritage, fables, and spiritual beliefs. Ona’s journey reveals the power of choice, the true source of happiness, and, most importantly, the transformation one must go through to realize and eventually occupy their purpose.

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Check out the peek inside:

Death was nothing new to me as living with my grandparents gave me the experience of witnessing village elders passing away. My grandfather was always in attendance to support families who had lost loved ones, and I sometimes accompanied him. Unlike the others, his death was more than a passing experience. This was no ordinary man. This was my Papa—a six-foot-six gentle giant, the head of our family. Since my grandfather was a chief, layers of rites were performed in keeping with the tradition of Ntebe. All the other chiefs in the town, twenty in total, lined up in their full chiefly regalia to pay homage to their fallen comrade. For a full twenty minutes, they danced and made ritualistic sounds around the casket that bore the body of my grandfather. I remember being in complete awe of their attires and flamboyant displays.

 

They placed the casket in the ground at midday. I stood next to my grandmother and my parents at the graveside. My parents had been in Ntebe since the day before. For the first time that day, I saw a physical reaction from my grandmother. Wailing from deep within her lungs, she threatened to throw herself into the six-foot grave if my grandfather didn’t return to her. As the gravediggers worked desperately to cover the hole with a mound of red dirt, a group of men tried to prevent her from jumping in.

 

“Stop her!” I heard several people screaming.

 

Since I had always known her to be dramatic, I doubted she was going to carry out her threat. And I was right. As gunshots to commemorate the occasion tore through the air, my grandmother abandoned her display and ran for cover.

 

About Author Oby Aligwekwe

Oby Aligwekwe is the author of Nfudu and Hazel House. The Place Beyond Her Dreams is her Young Adult debut.

Oby’s first novel, Nfudu, a romance set in 1960’s Paris, received critical acclaim and was featured in publications such as Excellence Magazine and Mosaic Editions. Her second novel, Hazel House, paints a vivid portrait of how the needs of humans collide amidst intense desire and the quest for power. In her Young Adult debut, The Place Beyond Her Dreams, the protagonist Ona goes on a transformative journey to discover her purpose.

A talented writer, Oby is also an inspirational speaker and a chartered accountant. She lives in Oakville, Ontario, with her family and supports her community through her charity Éclat Beginnings.

When Oby is not working on her day job or whipping up stories, she enjoys traveling to exotic locations and bringing pieces of her travel with her. She lives in Oakville, Ontario, with her family and supports her community through her charity Éclat Beginnings.

Author links: Amazon / B&N

Buy Links: Amazon / B&N

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GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

The Twelve Tasks ~ The Djed Chronicles by Katherine E. Wibell

Posted: January 20, 2021 in giveaways, YA Fantasy
Tags: , ,
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The Twelve Tasks banner
Welcome to my stop during the blog tour for The Twelve Tasks by Katharine E. Wibell. The Twelve Tasks is the first book in a new epic fantasy series called The Djed Chronicles where the future of the twelve magicked worlds rests upon the shoulders of a girl from earth.

This blog tour is organized by Lola’s Blog Tours. The blog tour runs from 18 till 31 January. See the tour schedule here. You can enter the tour wide giveaway at the bottom of this post!

The Twelve Tasks (The Djed Chronicles #1)
By Katharine E. Wibell
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Age category: Young Adult
Release Date: 13 November, 2020

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Synopsis

The precarious balance between two opposing forces has begun to shift and threatens the very existence of life throughout the universe. Only the Djed—the prophesied savior—has a chance of thwarting a catastrophe that could destroy the cosmos. And the next Djed is predicted to be a child of Earth.

Katie awakens on a world far from her own, a world bound in magic, one of twelve that hosts entities of vast power and might. She is suspected to be that savior. However, to be acclaimed Djed, difficult and dangerous tasks, one on each of the magicked worlds, must be completed. Katie and a menagerie of misfit companions—a precocious witch, a half-blood elf, and a humanoid pup—work together to discover her fate. If proven true, a terrible burden will be placed upon her, one that will link her destiny with war, a war led by a thirteen-year-old girl.
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The Djed Chronicles follows Katie over her teenage years as she confronts dark forces and discovers that the right choices are not always apparent and wrong choices can have deadly consequences.

Links:
– Goodreads
– Amazon

Katharine E WibellAbout the Author:
Katharine Wibell’s lifelong interest in mythology includes epic poetry like the Odyssey, Ramayana, Beowulf, and the Nibelungenlied. In addition, she is interested in all things animal whether training dogs, apprenticing at a children’s zoo, or caring for injured animals as a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. After receiving degrees from Mercer University in both art and psychology with an emphasis in animal behavior, Wibell moved to New Orleans with her dog, Alli, to kick start her career as an artist and a writer. Her literary works blend her knowledge of the animal world with the world of high fantasy.

Wibell grew up in a rural town in Georgia, and this series was inspired by her childhood play with her sister. Together, they set up the groundwork for the twelve magicked worlds, the Djed, and the plethora of characters that come to life in these books.

You can find and contact Katharine here:
– Website
– Website blog
– Facebook
– Twitter
– Pinterest
– Goodreads
– Instagram
– Medium

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Giveaway

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For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

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