Tag: fantasy

Blog Tour: Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen
blog tour · book reviews

Blog Tour: Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen

kerrimcbooknerd7 Comments

Hello, reader!

Today is my stop on yet another book tour hosted by the wonderful people at TBR & Beyond Tours! Today’s featured book is Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen and it caught my interest as soon as I saw the cover. It’s a YA fantasy inspired by West African mythology and, y’all, there are Black mermaids. How could I not want to read it?

Before we get to my post, I want to thank the wonderful team at TBR & Beyond Tours for allowing me a spot on this tour. Don’t forget that there are other incredible bloggers and bookstagrammers participating along the way! You can check out the full schedule HERE. I also want to thank the publisher, Random House Books, and Netgalley for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for my participation with this tour and an honest review. It is, as always, much appreciated!

Alright, now let’s get into the post!

Book Details

  • Title: Skin of the Sea
  • Author: Natasha Bowen
  • Publication date: November 2nd, 2021
  • Genre: Fantasy
  • Age group: Young Adult
  • Content/Trigger Warnings: Violence, enslavement, death, suicide, blood

Book Links

Bookshop::TBD::Indigo::B&N::Amazon::
Goodreads

Synopsis

“An unforgettable fantasy debut inspired by West African mythology, this is Children of Blood and Bone meets The Little Mermaid, in which a mermaid takes on the gods themselves.

A way to survive.
A way to serve.
A way to save.

Simi prayed to the gods, once. Now she serves them as Mami Wata–a mermaid–collecting the souls of those who die at sea and blessing their journeys back home.

But when a living boy is thrown overboard, Simi does the unthinkable–she saves his life, going against an ancient decree. And punishment awaits those who dare to defy it.

To protect the other Mami Wata, Simi must journey to the Supreme Creator to make amends. But all is not as it seems. There’s the boy she rescued, who knows more than he should. And something is shadowing Simi, something that would rather see her fail. . . . Danger lurks at every turn, and as Simi draws closer, she must brave vengeful gods, treacherous lands, and legendary creatures. Because if she doesn’t, then she risks not only the fate of all Mami Wata, but also the world as she knows it.”

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WWW Wednesday: Nov 3, 2021
www wednesday

WWW Wednesday: Nov 3, 2021

kerrimcbooknerd4 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

  • Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen: Every time I see the cover of this book, I fall in love all over again. It’s so gorgeous! I’m reading this Black mermaid tale for a book tour and, I have to say, I’m having a great time. It’s steeped in West African mythology and I love the lush, vibrant world that the author has created. You can expect to see my full review soon.
  • Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark: I’ve only just started this book, but I am loving it so far! I think the concept is fascinating and I’m hoping there will be a lot of demon-slaying and a lot of white supremacist ass-kicking. I am curious to see how much can be packed into this short novella, as well. Hopefully, this small book will pack a large punch!
Continue reading “WWW Wednesday: Nov 3, 2021” →
The Fantasy Tropes Book Tag
book tag

The Fantasy Tropes Book Tag

kerrimcbooknerd5 Comments

Hello, reader!

It’s Tuesday, which is the perfect day for a tag, yeah? This one is right up my alley because it’s the Fantasy Tropes Book Tag! Fantasy is my favorite genre, it’s what I gravitate towards the most, so you know I’m excited to do a tag focused around the inherent tropes.

We all know how long it takes me to do tags. This time, it took so long I got tagged twice 😅😂 So I want to thank two of my favorite bloggers, Danni @ _ForBooksSake and Erika @ And On She Reads, for tagging me! They both have incredible blogs that cover books of all genres and you should definitely check them out 💖

Alright, let’s jump in!

The Rules:

  • Mention the creator ( one’s peculiar )
  • Answer the questions
  • Tag as many people as you like
  • HAVE FUN!

The Prompts:

1 – The Lost Princess – A book/series you lost interest in halfway through.

When I first started the Anita Blake series, I was into them. Like, really into them. I tore through the first few books and was hungry for more. And then they just kept coming. And the actually story line started getting a little… dull. Which is hard to do when your main character is a vampire hunter and there’s lots of paranormal sexy times going on! I think I stopped at book 10 and I have no interest in going back.

2 – The Knight in Shining Armor – A hyped book/series you were swept up by.

The hype around The House in the Cerulean Sea was real! I had been hearing about it everywhere and it certainly piqued my interest. But, as happens sometimes with hyped books, I kept putting off reading it because I was nervous the hype built my expectations way too high. Funnily enough, not only did this book meet my expectations, it blew them out of the water!

3 – The Wise Old Wizard – An author who amazes you with his/her writing.

Erin Morgenstern. Hands down. When I read The Night Circus, I knew I would read absolutely anything she wrote. That’s usually a decision I reserve until I’ve read at least two things by an author! My faith was solidified when I read The Starless Sea which I loved as much if not more than her first book. Her writing is just top tier.

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#5OnMyTBR – R.I.P.
5 on my tbr

#5OnMyTBR – R.I.P.

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#5OnMyTBR is a bookish meme hosted by E. @ Local Bee Hunter’s Nook where you chose five books from your to-be-read pile that fit that week’s theme. If you’d like more info, head over to the announcement post!

Hello, reader!

Happy November! We made it through another month of 2021 and we’re in the home-stretch. Which is honestly mind-boggling to me. How are we this close to 2022 already?! I feel like 2021 has zoomed by to make up for the slog that was 2020. But I’m getting off topic, aren’t I? We’re here for another 5 On My TBR post! The theme this week had me kind of mystified, I must say. It’s simply R.I.P.

There are a lot of ways I could interpret this, but I decided to be on the nose. I’m going to choose five books by authors who have passed away for this week’s post! Morbid? Yes. But there are a lot of books I really want to read that fit the category. So, without further ado, let’s jump in!

#1. The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

Okay, this one is kind of cheating as I have already read this book. That being said, I want to re-read it and all the other ones I read before I kind of fell out of love with the Wheel of Time series. I’ve always regretted not sticking with it until the end of the series and, now that the Prime series will be out soon, I’m kicking myself even more! So I want to get back into these books and hopefully finish this time.

#2. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

I’m a little embarrassed that I still haven’t read anything written by Octavia Butler. Black sci-fi written by a Black woman? Say less! She has always been on my radar (how could she not be?) but I’ve just never got around to picking up on of her books. This is definitely the one that captures my interest the most. Seems like a good place to start when it comes to her work, as well! I’m hoping to get to this sooner rather than later.

Continue reading “#5OnMyTBR – R.I.P.” →
Down the TBR Hole #15
down the tbr hole

Down the TBR Hole #15

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It’s time for a new round of Down the TBR Hole! This is where I go through my Goodreads ‘Want to Read’ shelf and do a bit of cleaning up. If you want to see the full description of what this post is all about, check out my first round HERE.

Hello, reader!

Happy Halloween! I’ve spent the day preparing for trick-or-treaters, but now it’s time to sit and do another Down the TBR Hole post. In the last round, I ended up with 651 books on my Goodreads Want to Read shelf. And, as the shock of the century, I’m actually still sitting at the same number! That never happens 😂 Let’s see if I can trim the list a bit more before I start looking ahead to 2022 books.

That being said, time to get into round fifteen!

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

Well, I know this one is definitely staying. A book that brings together two mythical creatures from Yiddish and Middle Eastern folklore? I would like to consume that, please! This poor book has been on my TBR so long because I keep forgetting about it’s existence. One of the many benefits of doing these posts, right? I rediscover these incredible sounding books!

Verdict: Keep

The Summer Dragon by Todd Lockwood

I mean… it’s called The Summer *Dragon*! How could I not want to read it? Though the premise doesn’t exactly sound terribly unique, I am still willing to give it go simply because dragons. Yes, I am that easily swayed. No, I will not be taking questions at this time.

Verdict: Keep

11/22/63 by Stephen King

Well, I own this one, so that’s already a point towards keeping it. I’ve also always been intrigued by the premise. Time travel and politics from an author who’s forte is horror? I’m interested! Of course, like quite a few of King’s books, this is a thick one. Probably explains why it’s still on the TBR, if I’m honest. But one day I will get to it!

Verdict: Keep

Continue reading “Down the TBR Hole #15” →
WWW Wednesday: Oct 27, 2021
www wednesday

WWW Wednesday: Oct 27, 2021

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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

  • Journey to the Heart of the Abyss by London Shah: I’m reading this one for a book tour hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours and I’m currently loving it! I recently finished the first book in this duology, The Light at the Bottom of the World, and was blown away by how much I loved it. It’s a fast-paced and intriguing book and the sequel is certainly living up to that. Also, the way this author describes the underwater world in which this book takes place is just *chef’s kiss*
  • The October Man by Ben Aaronovitch: This is another novella in the Rivers of London series and, so far, I’m having a great time! I wasn’t sure how I would feel reading a book that doesn’t focus on Peter and the Folly. I have to say, though, it’s exciting to see how their German equivalents work. And I really like Tobias. Not as much as Peter, but it’s close!
Continue reading “WWW Wednesday: Oct 27, 2021” →
Down the TBR Hole #14
down the tbr hole

Down the TBR Hole #14

kerrimcbooknerd2 Comments

It’s time for a new round of Down the TBR Hole! This is where I go through my Goodreads ‘Want to Read’ shelf and do a bit of cleaning up. If you want to see the full description of what this post is all about, check out my first round HERE.

Hello, reader!

I’m on round fourteen of Down the TBR Hole and there’s not much of a dent to the Want to Read shelf, if I’m being honest. There’s just so many books out there to tempt a person, ya know? I ended the last round with 653 books on the shelf. Where am I at now? 655 books… which, honestly, is not too bad! I just know it’s about to blow up as we get closer and closer to 2022, so only two books added, for now, is not terrible 😂

Now, let’s see if I can trim that down even more.

The Winds of Winter by George R.R. Martin

Hahahaha… oh. This book. I mean, if it every actually comes out, I will be the first to pounce on it. Of course it gets to stay. But, at the same time, I’m beginning to lose hope that this will ever see the light of day. Fingers crossed, though! I loved all the other books in the series (some more than others) and I really would like to see the end. Probably because I’m hoping and praying it’s different from how the HBO series ended…

Verdict: Keep

End of Watch by Stephen King

I own this book, so it automatically gets to stick around. But, more than that, I’ve already read the first two books in this series and I am invested. Don’t ask my why it’s taken me so long to get to this one… I really enjoyed the other two and this one is promising to be a tad creepier. I’ll get to it eventually, though!

Verdict: Keep

The Fireman by Joe Hill

This is one of a few books by this author on my Want to Read shelf. I will fully admit that I originally added them based solely on the fact that Joe Hill is one of Stephen King’s sons. But there’s another Joe Hill book I want to read more. Until I’ve read his writing and decided whether he’s for me or not, I think I’ll whittle it down to just that one. And this ain’t it.

Verdict: Remove

Continue reading “Down the TBR Hole #14” →
Blog Tour: Little Thieves by Margaret Owen
blog tour · book reviews

Blog Tour: Little Thieves by Margaret Owen

kerrimcbooknerd3 Comments

Hello, reader!

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Little Thieves by Margaret Owen hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours! This is one of my most anticipated releases of 2021 and, spoiler alert, it did not disappoint! A loose retelling of The Goose Girl, this is a young adult fantasy that blends the magic of a dark fairytale with the excitement of a heist novel. It’s atmospheric, it’s engaging, and it left me feeling like I immediately wanted to re-read it!

Before we get more into this post, though, we must do our thank-yous! Thank you so much to the team at TBR & Beyond Tours for giving me a spot on this one. Thank you to the publisher, Henry Holt & Company, and Netgalley for providing me a free e-ARC in exchange for my participation and an honest review. It is always appreciated and even more so when I ended up loving the book as much as I did! Also, seeming as this is a tour, there are of course quite a few incredible blogger/bookstgrammers that are involved. If you would like to see the schedule so see their awesome content, just click HERE.

Alright, now let’s kick off this tour post!

Top Five Reasons To Read Little Thieves

  • Vanja is both a gremlin and an absolute treasure! Do you like your main characters to be smart, cunning, and with a flair for the sarcastic? You’re gonna love Vanja. She makes terrible choices and you find yourself caring about her so much that you just go along for the ride.
  • This nails dark, wintery vibes. This is the perfect book to get you in the mood for the later part of the year. The atmosphere is top-notch! NO THOUGHTS, JUST VIBES! (But actually quite a lot of thoughts… we’ll get to that later)
  • A dark fairytale at it’s finest. If you like dark fairytales, this is kind of a must-read. It hits that perfect feel of being told a bedtime story but one with a lot more blood and danger. If you’ve ever read German children’s fairytales from back in the day… you know what I mean.
  • The LGBTQIA+ representation! This book is filled with it, in both subtle and not-so-subtle ways. I do love a story that casually weaves in LGBT characters because the fact that a woman has a wife should just be normal. Not some big to-do. But I also appreciate the more in-depth look at different communities that fall under the LGBTQIA+ banner.
  • The mental health representation! I did not expect this book to make me sob BUT HERE WE ARE. More on that later, but this book does an incredible job of showing how past trauma can affect someone.

Book Details

  • Title: Little Thieves
  • Author: Margaret Owen
  • Publication date: October 19th, 2021
  • Genre: Fantasy
  • Age group: Young Adult
  • Content/Trigger Warnings: Discussions of child abuse and neglect, abusive environments, trauma, sexual assault (past), blood, violence

Book Links

Bookshop::TBD::B&N::Indigo::Amazon::
Goodreads

Synopsis

“Once upon a time, there was a horrible girl…

Vanja Schmidt knows that no gift is freely given, not even a mother’s love–and she’s on the hook for one hell of a debt. Vanja, the adopted goddaughter of Death and Fortune, was Princess Gisele’s dutiful servant up until a year ago. That was when Vanja’s otherworldly mothers demanded a terrible price for their care, and Vanja decided to steal her future back… by stealing Gisele’s life for herself.

The real Gisele is left a penniless nobody while Vanja uses an enchanted string of pearls to take her place. Now, Vanja leads a lonely but lucrative double life as princess and jewel thief, charming nobility while emptying their coffers to fund her great escape. Then, one heist away from freedom, Vanja crosses the wrong god and is cursed to an untimely end: turning into jewels, stone by stone, for her greed.

Vanja has just two weeks to figure out how to break her curse and make her getaway. And with a feral guardian half-god, Gisele’s sinister fiancé, and an overeager junior detective on Vanja’s tail, she’ll have to pull the biggest grift yet to save her own life.

Margaret Owen, author of The Merciful Crow series, crafts a delightfully irreverent retelling of “The Goose Girl” about stolen lives, thorny truths, and the wicked girls at the heart of both.“

Continue reading “Blog Tour: Little Thieves by Margaret Owen” →
Can’t Wait Wednesday: Oct 20, 2021
cant wait wednesday

Can’t Wait Wednesday: Oct 20, 2021

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Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a meme where you get to flail about whatever upcoming book you’re excited to read. Though it is generally a new release, it certainly can be any book that’s on your TBR! This meme is currently hosted by Wishful Endings and it’s based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Hello, reader!

It’s been awhile since I’ve done a Can’t Wait Wednesday post, hasn’t it? I’d thought I’d switch it up this week! And then, as soon as I had this thought, I realized there really aren’t a lot of my most anticipated 2021 releases that aren’t already out. It seems like not a lot of books get published in the tail-end of the year. Well… at least not a lot of books that have ended up on my Want to Read shelf.

But then I remembered that one of my most anticipated sequels has yet to be released! I loved the first book when I read it in 2020, so much so that as soon as it was available, I pre-ordered the second one. Which is saying something because I don’t pre-order a lot of books. I really should, though… it’s like a little present to future-Kerri 😂 This particular present features:

  • World-changing magic ✨
  • Complicated relationships 💔
  • A beautiful, African-inspired setting 🌍

The book I’m talking about is…

Goodreads Synopsis

🚨 WARNING!! 🚨 If you have not read the first book in this series, A Song of Wraiths and Ruin, this synopsis WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS! So you might wanna skip it.

Continue reading “Can’t Wait Wednesday: Oct 20, 2021” →
#5OnMyTBR – Monsters Living Among Us
5 on my tbr

#5OnMyTBR – Monsters Living Among Us

kerrimcbooknerd3 Comments

#5OnMyTBR is a bookish meme hosted by E. @ Local Bee Hunter’s Nook where you chose five books from your to-be-read pile that fit that week’s theme. If you’d like more info, head over to the announcement post!

Hello, reader!

Welcome to another lovely Monday! Or, if it’s not so lovely, welcome to end of another Monday! I’ve just had a long day at work and now I’m ready to unwind with a book. Before I get to that, though, it’s time for another 5 On My TBR. I’m actually pretty excited about this week’s theme. It’s monsters living among us, which has been left open to interpretation. Which means I’m gonna play fast and loose with it 😂

That being said, let’s see which five books from my TBR I can pick out!

#1. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

I suppose this is more so a person living among monsters… but I told ya I was playing fast and loose! I love Neil Gaiman’s writing and I seem to be a particular fan of his middle grade. That’s why I’ve been dying (see what I did there?) to read this creepy tale about a boy who is raised by ghosts. There’s something about a dark and spooky middle grade that I just love. I’m sure this book with be no exception!

#2. Red Dragon by Thomas Harris

We’re going with a more human monster with this one. This is the first book in the Hannibal Lecter series and Hannibal, if you didn’t know, is a cannibal. He’s also a respected forensic psychiatrist before people realize that he’s also a serial killer with a taste for his fellow humans. So I think that qualifies as “living among us”. Either way, I’m intrigued to see how his story, and this series, begins.

Continue reading “#5OnMyTBR – Monsters Living Among Us” →