BBNYA 2024 Finalist Tour: Curse of Souls by Niranjan
blog tour · book reviews

BBNYA 2024 Finalist Tour: Curse of Souls by Niranjan

kerrimcbooknerdLeave a comment

Hello, reader!

Our finalists for 2024’s Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award are on tour and I’m joining in! Today, I’ll be bringing you my thoughts on our 15th place finalist, a true sci-fi/fantasy blend with a good dash of romance called Curse of Souls by Niranjan!

But, before I go on, let me tell you more about this award. BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with, typically, 15 finalists (though we had 16 in 2024) and one overall winner.  If you are an author and wish to learn more about the BBNYA competition, you can visit the official website http://www.bbnya.com or Twitter @bbnya_official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

And, now, let’s talk about Curse of Souls!

  • Title: Curse of Souls
  • Author: Niranjan
  • Publisher: Self-published
  • Publication date: January 19th, 2024
  • Length: 158 pages
  • Genre: Fantasy/Romance
  • Age group: Adult
  • Content/Trigger Warnings: Death, violence, war, blood

Book Links

Bookshop::B&N::Amazon::StoryGraph::
Goodreads

The fates of two nations hang on the balance on a man’s choice between love and an arcane bond. 

Philip has been spearheading a rebellion in his country, with Casey, his lover and partner, at his side. The rebellion has snowballed into a civil war and casualties on both sides are mounting. In a desperate attempt for peace, Philip decides to approach Raylan, the second in command of the other side. He has learned that Raylan is not as stubborn as his mentor and that he may be open to negotiations.

The last thing Philip expects is for a soul mate bond to spring to life between him and Raylan, activating an ancient curse that will kill them both if the bond isn’t consummated. Philip has never loved anyone but Casey, and Raylan is a total stranger who he has no feelings for. Yet, the delicate negotiations between the two nations will fail without him and Raylan. Philip’s life is not his own, after all; it belongs to the people he has pledged his service to. 

With more than his life at stake, will Philip be able to let go of the love of his life to bring peace to his people? 

Curse of Souls is dystopian futuristic fantasy. If you love fantasy tales with high personal and world changing stakes, and protagonists who struggle to make hard choices, you will enjoy Niranjan’s Curse of Souls about people pushed to the limits of their endurance. 

Buy Curse of Souls today for a tale of love, sacrifice and redemption that will leave you breathless.

Continue reading “BBNYA 2024 Finalist Tour: Curse of Souls by Niranjan” →
WWW Wednesday: February 19th, 2025
www wednesday

WWW Wednesday: February 19th, 2025

kerrimcbooknerd7 Comments

It’s time for another WWW Wednesday! This is a bookish meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words where bloggers answer the 3 Ws:

  1. What are you currently reading?
  2. What did you recently finish reading?
  3. What do you think you’ll read next?

If you’d like to learn more about any of these books, click on the cover to be taken to the Goodreads page.

Current Reads

  • The Bones Beneath My Skin by T.J. Klune: Y’all, I went into this book already being a pretty big lover of T.J. Klune’s novels. I mean, that was the entire reason I picked this book as my February Book of the Month pick! I didn’t even know what the book was about before I cracked it open, haha. Well, I picked this up on Monday and I almost finished that day. I probably would have if I didn’t have errands I needed to run and those would have been abandoned if I could have! That’s how much I am loving this book! It’s getting finished today, I can promise you that, and I already know it’s going to be 5 stars. It’s follows a man who goes to a cabin in the woods to pick up the pieces of his recently shattered life and encounters a couple of squatters instead. It doesn’t sound like something that would be both heartwarming and heartbreaking, and yet here we are 😭
  • Buddy the Knight and the Queen of Sorrow by Peter David: I’m reading this book for a tour hosted by The Write Reads. It’s a cute middle grade tale that I’ve just started, so I can’t really give you my feelings on it just yet. I am having a good time! I do love a story about toys that are alive because that was a particularly favorite fantasy when I was a kid. I’m hoping I end up loving this one!
Continue reading “WWW Wednesday: February 19th, 2025” →
First Lines Friday: February 14th, 2025
first lines friday

First Lines Friday: February 14th, 2025

kerrimcbooknerd2 Comments

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?  If you want to make your own post, feel free to use or edit the banner above, and follow the rules below:

  • Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
  • Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
  • Finally… reveal the book!

If you’re using Twitter, don’t forget to use #FirstLinesFridays!

Hello, reader!

Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope all of you are having a wonderful Friday. I’ve had the day off and have spent it getting breakfast with my husband and reading in bed. Kind of a perfect Valentine’s Day, if you ask me! Today’s featured book for this First Lines Friday has a bit of a romance sprinkled in, so I think it’s a perfect pick for the day. Also I’m loving my reading experience with it, so far, so I would have picked it either way 😂

I’ve already been sucked into the story, but let’s see if the first few lines can capture your imagination.

The Line(s):

“The modern world is severely lacking in magic, and those who crave it are at a constant disadvantage because they are desperate and it’s in short supply. Some places – amusement parks, country fairs, museums, old bookstores – can temporarily fill the void, but there will always be people who check every armoire for a door to Narnia, every rabbit hole for a road to Wonderland.“

The Build Up:

The Reveal:

Continue reading “First Lines Friday: February 14th, 2025” →
WWW Wednesday: February 12th, 2025
www wednesday

WWW Wednesday: February 12th, 2025

kerrimcbooknerdLeave a comment

It’s time for another WWW Wednesday! This is a bookish meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words where bloggers answer the 3 Ws:

  1. What are you currently reading?
  2. What did you recently finish reading?
  3. What do you think you’ll read next?

If you’d like to learn more about any of these books, click on the cover to be taken to the Goodreads page.

Current Reads

  • Reforged by Seth Haddon: I’ve been eyeing this book for awhile. Honestly, ever since I saw the cover, I knew I wanted to read it (total cover read, lol). It’s a royalty/bodyguard romance which is a trope I’m learning I quite enjoy. But this goes beyond just the romance. There’s quite a bit of political intrigue going on in the background, as well. I’m loving it so far! I’m listening to the audiobook and the narrator, Gary Furlong, is knocking it out of the park. This may not been on my mental TBR for the month, but I’m so glad I picked it up!
  • Bloom by Delilah S. Dawson: I’m reading this for the Weirdo Book Club as this is the pick for February. I’ve heard so many great things about this novel and, so far, it has not disappointed! The writing is engaging and quite evocative, painting a vivid picture in my mind of this story. I’m also enjoying the quiet dread that has been peppered throughout the early chapters. This is a short one and sounds like it’s gonna get wild, so it’s interesting to see the foreshadowing slipping in between the main character’s bi-awakening.
Continue reading “WWW Wednesday: February 12th, 2025” →
Book Review: Child of the Dream by Sharon Robinson
book reviews

Book Review: Child of the Dream by Sharon Robinson

kerrimcbooknerd1 Comment

Title: Child of the Dream: A Memoir of 1963
Author: Sharon Robinson
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Genre: Non-fiction/Memoir
Age Group: Middle Grade
Content/Trigger Warnings: Violence, racism, segregation, police brutality
Book Links: Bookshop::B&N::Amazon::Goodreads

An incredible memoir from Sharon Robinson about one of the most important years of the civil rights movement. In January 1963, Sharon Robinson turns 13 the night before George Wallace declares on national television “segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever” in his inauguration speech as governor of Alabama. It is the beginning of a year that will change the course of American history. As the daughter of baseball legend Jackie Robinson, Sharon has opportunities that most people would never dream of experiencing. Her family hosts multiple fundraisers at their home in Connecticut for the work that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is doing. Sharon sees her first concert after going backstage at the Apollo Theater. And her whole family attends the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. But things don’t always feel easy for Sharon. She is one of the only Black children in her wealthy Connecticut neighborhood. Her older brother, Jackie Robinson Jr., is having a hard time trying to live up to his father’s famous name, causing some rifts in the family. And Sharon feels isolated — struggling to find her role in the civil rights movement that is taking place across the country. This is the story of how one girl finds her voice in the fight for justice and equality.

Continue reading “Book Review: Child of the Dream by Sharon Robinson” →
Let’s Talk Bookish: Reading Challenges
lets talk bookish

Let’s Talk Bookish: Reading Challenges

kerrimcbooknerd6 Comments

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly bookish meme created by Rukky @Eternity Books and co-hosted by Aria @Book Nook Bits and Dini @dinipandareads! This meme has a discussion format, where participants get to talk about certain topics, share opinions, and spread the blogging love by visiting other posts. You can learn more about this meme here!

LTB Topic of the Week
Reading Challenges: Do We Love Them or Hate Them

Prompts: What do you think of reading challenges—do they motivate you or do they feel restrictive and end up making reading feel like a chore? Are there any challenges you participate in yearly? What reading challenges are you joining in 2025?

Hello, reader!

It’s a new year and, today, a new bookish meme on the blog! I’ve seen so many Let’s Talk Bookish posts on various blogs and always enjoy reading the discussions, yet I’ve never jumped in on the fun. Why? …Honestly, I have no idea 😂 But now, I want in on the action! Now I’m here to talk all about reading challenges and my feelings about them. Come join me for my first foray into this gabby meme.

What do you think of reading challenges—do they motivate you or do they feel restrictive and end up making reading feel like a chore?

You know, that answer changes as the year goes on, haha. At the beginning of the year, I find reading challenges to be super motivating! They make me excited for the new year because I love going through the prompts of the challenge once I’ve finished a book and seeing where I can squeeze it in. I love watching the prompts slowly get checked off. It gives me a sense of accomplishment.

…For about three months. Then, after I’ve knocked out a lot of the easier prompts and my random reads start to not check off anymore boxes, I realize that I might have to find specific books for said prompts and my reader soul REVOLTS. I’m a mood reader at heart. I always have been and, anytime I try to pretend I’m not, it never ends well. Actually, it usually ends in a reading slump 😅 So when I start having to pick books that I might not be in the mood to read, my urge to finish my reading challenges quickly wanes. Anytime reading starts to feel like a chore, my brain wants out.

That being said, it doesn’t stop me from trying every year, haha!

Continue reading “Let’s Talk Bookish: Reading Challenges” →
WWW Wednesday: February 5th, 2025
www wednesday

WWW Wednesday: February 5th, 2025

kerrimcbooknerd5 Comments

It’s time for another WWW Wednesday! This is a bookish meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words where bloggers answer the 3 Ws:

  1. What are you currently reading?
  2. What did you recently finish reading?
  3. What do you think you’ll read next?

If you’d like to learn more about any of these books, click on the cover to be taken to the Goodreads page.

Current Reads

Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig

Unlike my last update involving this book, I’m not longer barely into it and I have thoughts! I think I may be enjoying the second installment in The Shepard King duology and I think I may love it more than I did One Dark Window. I’m only 50 or so pages away from the end and, as long as the conclusion isn’t complete trash, this is going to be a 4.5 star read at the very least. I was almost late coming back from lunch today because I did not want to stop reading!

Continue reading “WWW Wednesday: February 5th, 2025” →
Book Review: Court of Wanderers by Rin Chupeco
book reviews

Book Review: Court of Wanderers by Rin Chupeco

kerrimcbooknerdLeave a comment

Title: Court of Wanderers
Author: Rin Chupeco
Publisher: Saga Press
Genre: Fantasy
Age Group: Adult
Content/Trigger Warnings: Violence, body horror, blood, xenophobia, grief, self-harm
Book Links: Bookshop::B&N::Amazon::Goodreads

Remy Pendergast and his royal vampire companions return to face an enemy that is terrifyingly close to home in Rin Chupeco’s queer, bloody Gothic epic fantasy series for fans of Samantha Shannon’s The Priory of the Orange Tree and the adult animated series Castlevania.

Remy Pendergast, the vampire hunter, and his unexpected companions, Lord Zidan Malekh and Lady Xiaodan Song, are on the road through the kingdom of Aluria again after a hard-won first battle against the formidable Night Empress, who threatens to undo a fragile peace between humans and vampires. Xiaodan, severely injured, has lost her powers to vanquish the enemy’s new super breed of vampire, but if the trio can make it to Fata Morgana, the seat of Malehk’s court—dubbed “the Court of Wanderers”—there is hope of nursing her and bringing them back.

En-route to the Third Court, Remy crosses paths with his father, the arrogant, oftentimes cruel Lord of Valenbonne. He also begins to suffer strange dreams of the Night Empress, whom he has long suspected to be Ligaya Pendergast, his own mother. As his family history unfolds during these episodes, which are too realistic to be coincidence, he realizes that she is no ordinary vampire—and that he may end up having to choose between the respective legacies of his parents.

Posing as Malek and Xiaodan’s human familiar, Remy contends with Aluria’s intimidating vampire courts and a series of gruesome murders with their help—and more, as the three navigate their relationship. But those feelings and even their extraordinary collective strength will be put to the test as each of them unleashes new powers in combat at what may be proven to be the ultimate cost.

Continue reading “Book Review: Court of Wanderers by Rin Chupeco” →
First Lines Friday: January 31st, 2025
first lines friday

First Lines Friday: January 31st, 2025

kerrimcbooknerdLeave a comment

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?  If you want to make your own post, feel free to use or edit the banner above, and follow the rules below:

  • Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
  • Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
  • Finally… reveal the book!

If you’re using Twitter, don’t forget to use #FirstLinesFridays!

Hello, reader!

Welcome to another First Lines Friday! I’m happy to gotten through another work week and not have to worry about working the weekend. Two whole days off of work? Whatever shall I do with myself? (Spoiler alert: I’ll be reading 😂) For this week, I’m featuring a sequel that I just picked up and am already loving. If you’ve been paying attention around here, you’ll probably be able to guess what it is without even the first line, haha.

That being said, let’s see if the first lines can pull you into the story.

The Line(s):

“The darkness bled into itself – no beginning, no end. I floated, buoyant on a tide of salt water. Above me, the night sky had blackened – moon and stars masked by heavy, water-laden clouds that never receded.”

The Build Up:

The Reveal:

Continue reading “First Lines Friday: January 31st, 2025” →
WWW Wednesday: January 29th, 2025
www wednesday

WWW Wednesday: January 29th, 2025

kerrimcbooknerd1 Comment

It’s time for another WWW Wednesday! This is a bookish meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words where bloggers answer the 3 Ws:

  1. What are you currently reading?
  2. What did you recently finish reading?
  3. What do you think you’ll read next?

If you’d like to learn more about any of these books, click on the cover to be taken to the Goodreads page.

Current Reads

Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig

I quite literally just picked up this book because I just finished my last physical read! That means I don’t have much to share about my feelings for the sequel to One Dark Window other than I’m happy to be back in this world. There’s something about the winter time that lends itself to a nice, gothic atmosphere and this book certainly has that in spades. I’m hoping to love it as much as I did the first book. Fingers crossed for me!

Continue reading “WWW Wednesday: January 29th, 2025” →