Tag: fantasy

Blog Tour: Kings and Daemons by Marcus Lee
blog tour · book reviews

Blog Tour: Kings and Daemons by Marcus Lee

kerrimcbooknerd3 Comments

Hello, reader!

I feel like it’s been a minute since I’ve done a blog tour post. After having multiple tours every month since the beginning of 2021, it’s weird to have a month where I only have one, lol. My one tour for the month of July is being hosted by the ever wonderful The Write Reads and I’m happy to report that it turned out to be a great time, too! Kings and Daemons by Marcus Lee is a dark fantasy novel that features magic, action, and, as promised in the title, daemons.

Before I get into the post and my review, though, I want to thank Dave @ The Write Reads and the author for providing me with a free e-book in exchange for my participation with this tour. As always, it is very much appreciated!

That being said, let’s get to it!

Synopsis

“If you like fantasy tales of conquest, dark kings, daemonic heroes, and magic, you’ll love ‘Kings and Daemons’ by Epic Fantasy author, Marcus Lee. This is a spellbinding Dark Fantasy novel which will enchant you with its plot of ambition, revenge, love, and tragedy. What the gods give with one hand, they take away with the other, for if you are gifted, you shall also be cursed.

—–

Over fifty years have passed since Daleth the seemingly immortal Witch-King, and his army conquered the Ember Kingdom.

Now, with the once fertile lands and its enslaved people dying around him, the Witch-King, driven by his insatiable thirst for eternal youth, prepares his forces to march on the prosperous neighbouring Freestates. It will be the beginnings of a conquest that could destroy nations, bringing death and destruction on an unimaginable scale. Then, when a peasant huntress whose rare gift was concealed from birth is exposed, it sets in motion a chain of events that could alter the destiny of generations to come.”

Book Details

  • Title: Kings and Daemons
  • Series: The Gifted and the Cursed #1
  • Author: Marcus Lee
  • Publication date: May 25th, 2020
  • Genre: Dark Fantasy
  • Age group: Adult
  • Content/Trigger Warnings: For a full list of potential content and trigger warnings, check out this book’s page on BookTriggerWarnings.com

Book Links

Amazon::Goodreads

Continue reading “Blog Tour: Kings and Daemons by Marcus Lee” →
First Lines Friday #16
first lines friday

First Lines Friday #16

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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!

It’s time once again for First Lines Friday! I’m especially excited it’s Friday because I’m off this weekend, woo! It’s been a busy week and I’m looking forward to some down time. But, first, let’s get to my favorite bookish meme! This week, I’ve chosen a book that I’m really excited to get into. I’m buddy reading it with a group of my bookish friends and it’s also on my Trope-ical Readathon TBR (look for that post coming soon!).

Let’s get to those first few lines, though, before I completely give away what it is, lol.

The Line(s):

“The golden bell above my doorframe bobs twice. I roll my shoulders against the needling ache that settles at the base of my neck whenever that damn thing sounds. After nearly a decade of hearing it, I’ve come to despise the bell’s shrill, tinny clang almost as much as the message it carries: A patron is coming.”

The Hints:

This is a dark retelling of Sleeping Beauty…

… from the perspective of the evil sorceress…

… and it’s sapphic!!

The Reveal:

Click the cover to be taken to the Goodreads page

Goodreads Synopsis

“A princess isn’t supposed to fall for an evil sorceress. But in this darkly magical retelling of “Sleeping Beauty,” true love is more than a simple fairy tale.

Once upon a time, there was a wicked fairy who, in an act of vengeance, cursed a line of princesses to die. A curse that could only be broken by true love’s kiss.

You’ve heard this before, haven’t you? The handsome prince. The happily-ever-after.

Utter nonsense.

Let me tell you, no one in Briar actually cares about what happens to its princesses. Not the way they care about their jewels and elaborate parties and charm-granting elixirs. I thought I didn’t care, either.

Until I met her.

Princess Aurora. The last heir to Briar’s throne. Kind. Gracious. The future queen her realm needs. One who isn’t bothered that I am Alyce, the Dark Grace, abhorred and feared for the mysterious dark magic that runs in my veins. Humiliated and shamed by the same nobles who pay me to bottle hexes and then brand me a monster. Aurora says I should be proud of my gifts. That she . . . cares for me. Even though it was a power like mine that was responsible for her curse.

But with less than a year until that curse will kill her, any future I might see with Aurora is swiftly disintegrating—and she can’t stand to kiss yet another insipid prince. I want to help her. If my power began her curse, perhaps it’s what can lift it. Perhaps, together, we could forge a new world.

Nonsense again.

Because we all know how this story ends, don’t we? Aurora is the beautiful princess. And I—

I am the villain.”

Did those first few lines capture your attention? Did they make you want to read the rest of the story? Let me know in the comments!

And, as always, happy reading!

The Last Ten Books Book Tag
book tag

The Last Ten Books Book Tag

kerrimcbooknerd13 Comments

Hello, reader!

It’s time for another book tag and this one looks like a lot of fun! I’ll be doing the Last Ten Books book tag, which just asks ten questions about some of the last books you picked up. I was tagged by the awesome Danni @ _ForBooksSake what feels like ages ago and I’m just now getting around to it 😅 Danni runs a fabulous bookish blog (where she just surpassed posting every day for the last year!) and she’s also an incredible artist. You should definitely check out her blog when you get the chance. I’m not 100% sure who originated this tag. If you know, please let me know so I can properly credit them.

And now, the questions!

The Questions:

The Last Book I Gave Up On

Heh… please don’t come at me for this one. But it’s definitely Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Smart.

Look, I haven’t given up on this book, necessarily. But of the books I’m currently reading, this is the one I would reach for last. I don’t think it’s the book’s fault, though. It has a bit of a slow start and I started it during my weird June reading mood, so I just couldn’t get into it. I’ve heard it gets more exciting as you go, so I do plan on finishing eventually. It’s just not on the top of my priority list right now.

So I guess I kind of cheated, but that’s all I got!

The Last Book I Reread

Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko! I recently re-read this for two reasons:

  1. I have the audiobook and hadn’t listened to it yet.
  2. I wanted to re-read it before I start the e-ARC for the sequel!

I loved it just as much as I did the other two times I read it. Also, the audiobook was incredible! Makes me want to pre-order the audiobook for Redemptor…. like I need another copy of that book, lol. I really don’t.

…Or do I?

The Last Book I Bought

I just bought a bunch of books because my work gave me an $100 Amazon gift card and I went wild, lol. One of the many books I got was The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass! I’m so excited to read this creepy sounding YA horror! Which may or may not have influenced my team choice for the Trope-ical Readathon, even though you can read any of the team books 😅 I’m just loathe to move away from Team Mystery/Horror/Thriller!

Anyways, this book sounds incredible and I’m excited to read it next month!

Continue reading “The Last Ten Books Book Tag” →
First Lines Friday #15
first lines friday

First Lines Friday #15

kerrimcbooknerd1 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!

It’s time once again for another First Lines Friday! But this Friday is a little different as I’m also participating in Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week. The idea for this came from an incredible blogger, Jodie @ Witty and Sarcastic Book Club and it’s been a blast seeing all the posts celebrating authors who sometimes don’t get the recognition they deserve. In the spirit of the week, I’ve decided to feature a self-published author this First Lines Friday. This is a book that is part of a blog tour I’ll be participating in, as well, so keep an eye out for that post later on this month!

But for now, let’s check out the first few lines!

The Line(s):

“The moon shone fiercely, brushing aside any attempt by the clouds to diminish its radiance. Usually, the glow would have brought comfort, a respite from the night’s black embrace, but not this night.
Instead, it brought everything into stark contrast, creating shadows in which evil spirits might lurk waiting to snatch the unwary who were foolish enough to walk the streets at this hour.
Except, there was nobody left to walk these particular streets.”

The Hints:

This is the first book in an epic fantasy trilogy.

It features a huntress who could change the fate of the world.

There’s magic and daemons, so you know I’m sold!

The Reveal:

Click the cover to be taken to the Goodreads page

Goodreads Synopsis

“If you like fantasy tales of conquest, dark kings, daemonic heroes, and magic, you’ll love ‘Kings and Daemons’ by Epic Fantasy author, Marcus Lee. This is a spellbinding Dark Fantasy novel which will enchant you with its plot of ambition, revenge, love, and tragedy. What the gods give with one hand, they take away with the other, for if you are gifted, you shall also be cursed.

—–

Over fifty years have passed since Daleth the seemingly immortal Witch-King, and his army conquered the Ember Kingdom.
Now, with the once fertile lands and its enslaved people dying around him, the Witch-King, driven by his insatiable thirst for eternal youth, prepares his forces to march on the prosperous neighbouring Freestates. It will be the beginnings of a conquest that could destroy nations, bringing death and destruction on an unimaginable scale.
Then, when a peasant huntress whose rare gift was concealed from birth is exposed, it sets in motion a chain of events that could alter the destiny of generations to come.”

Did those first few lines capture your attention? Did they make you want to read the rest of the story? Let me know in the comments!

And, as always, happy reading!

Book Review: Red Blood by Kaitlyn Legaspi
book reviews

Book Review: Red Blood by Kaitlyn Legaspi

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Title: Red Blood

Series: Card Holders #1

Author: Kaitlyn Legaspi

Genre: Fantasy

Source: Gifted (author)

Content/Trigger Warnings: Violence, death, blood

Rating: ★★★

Book Links:
Bookshop::TBD::B&N::Amazon::Goodreads

One Sentence Synopsis

After years of surviving as a vigilante with superpowers, Neela is forced into a competition to determine who the next ruler of the domain she lives in will be.

Favorite Quote

“Let’s see, to me I guess [the stars] represent the souls of those we’ve lost. Well, the souls of the good people, at least.”
“What happens to the souls of the bad people then?”
“They become part of the darkness the stars shine so brightly against, their punishment being hidden from the eyes of the living humans below.”

Continue reading “Book Review: Red Blood by Kaitlyn Legaspi” →
Book Review: Stones of Light by Zack Argyle
book reviews

Book Review: Stones of Light by Zack Argyle

kerrimcbooknerd3 Comments

Title: Stones of Light

Series: Threadlight #2

Author: Zack Argyle

Genre: Fantasy

Source: Gifted (author)

Content/Trigger Warnings: Violence, death, blood consumption, war

Rating: ★★★★★

Book Links:
Bookshop::TBD::B&N::Amazon::Goodreads

One Sentence Synopsis

After the events of Voice of War, a new threat has been unleashed on Arasin and it’s up to our mixed bag of heroes to help stop it.

Favorite Quote

“But this was different. This was a child embracing a wolf, expecting it to protect him from the night. Hope standing on a tightrope while the winds surge all around. The people needed hope, and so they grasped hold of the anomaly, and eased their fear with lies.
But what is truth if not a lie that has yet to be revealed?”

Continue reading “Book Review: Stones of Light by Zack Argyle” →
First Lines Friday #13
first lines friday

First Lines Friday #13

kerrimcbooknerd1 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!

We’ve made it to another Friday and that means it’s time to do one of my favorite bookish memes: First Lines Friday! Today, I’m featuring a book that I just started yesterday and I’m already completely hooked. It’s a middle grade fantasy that is the July pick for Middle Grade Marvels and I think it’s gonna be a wild ride! But before I give everything away, let’s see if you can guess what the book is from the first few lines and a couple of hints.

The Line(s):

“I remember the bear who raised me. Nuzzling my face into her warm belly. Huge furry limbs shielding me from the biting snow. I remember the deep rumbles of her snores through the silent winter, and clouds of steamy breath smelling of berries and pine nuts.”

The Hints:

This book is based on Slavic folklore.

It’s a great book to read if you’re looking for winter vibes.

There’s an animal companion!

The Reveal:

Click the cover to be taken to the Goodreads page

Goodreads Synopsis

“The newest heart-expanding, magical adventure from Sophie Anderson, author of the critically acclaimed House with Chicken Legs.
“They call me Yanka the Bear. Not because of where I was found. Only a few people know about that. They call me Yanka the Bear because I am so big and strong.”


Discovered in a bear cave as a baby, 12-year-old Yanka dreams of knowing who she really is. Although Yanka is happy at home with her loving foster mother, she feels out of place in the village where the other children mock her for her unusual size and strength.

So when Yanka wakes up one morning to find her legs have become bear legs, she knows she has no choice but to leave her village. She has to find somewhere she truly belongs, so she ventures into the Snow Forest with her pet weasel, Mousetrap, in search of the truth about her past.

But deep in the forest there are many dangers and Yanka discovers that even the most fantastic stories she grew up hearing are true. And just as she draws close to discovering who she really is, something terrifying happens that could trap her in the forest . . . forever.”

Did those first few lines capture your attention? Did they make you want to read the rest of the story? Let me know in the comments!

And, as always, happy reading!

WWW Wednesday: Jun 30, 2021
www wednesday

WWW Wednesday: Jun 30, 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

  • Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Smart: I’m reading this with a few of the folks from the Write Reads gang and, so far, I’m enjoying my time with it! Am I kind of confused? Yes. But I’m still completely sucked in by the imagery and the plot, so I’m having a good time, lol. I’ve also only completed part one as our vacation last week put me behind. You would think I would read more on vacay, but that was not the case! Either way, this is the story of two Jamaican witches who should hate each other having to work together to overthrow a common foe. I’m intrigued and excited to continue!
  • Foxglove Summer by Ben Aaronovitch: This is the fifth book in the Rivers of London series, which I have been buddy reading since the beginning of the year and loving! I think Moon Over Soho continues to be my fave, but I’m liking this one so far. Our main character, Peter, is on the case of two missing girls which, at first, doesn’t appear to be magic-related. But, of course, it wouldn’t be a Rivers of London novel without some magical funny business. I’m behind on this buddy read, as well, but what I’ve read so far, I’ve enjoyed.
Continue reading “WWW Wednesday: Jun 30, 2021” →
Book Review: The Unwanted by Z.T. Soyoye
book reviews

Book Review: The Unwanted by Z.T. Soyoye

kerrimcbooknerd6 Comments

Title: The Unwanted

Author: Z.T. Soyoye

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Source: Gifted (author)

Content/Trigger Warnings: For a full list of potential content and trigger warnings, check out this book’s page on BookTriggerWarnings.com

Rating: ★★★

Book Links:
B&N::Amazon::Goodreads

One Sentence Synopsis

Young Alex is trying to find his place at his new school, but when he learns about a kidnapping plot and the fact he has superpowers on the same day, his world gets turned upside down.

Favorite Quote

“So, don’t ever think that because you mess up, you’re worthless. Everyone has a purpose.”

Continue reading “Book Review: The Unwanted by Z.T. Soyoye” →
May 2021 Wrap Up
wrap up

May 2021 Wrap Up

kerrimcbooknerd4 Comments

Hello, reader!

Somehow, we have already made it through May and my mind is legitimately boggled. Like, how is it already June?! Of course, I’m a happy girl because summer is when I ✨thrive✨! I’m a creature of sun and warmth, so summer is my favorite. But, before we go full force into the summer vibes, I still need to wrap up our last full month of spring.

May was a month where I read quite a bit, but wasn’t as into the books I managed to read. It wasn’t like anything was particularly bad, but I could feel a reading slump gnawing at the edges of my consciousness and I think that affected my reading enjoyment. Still, I managed to read 11 books last month and I’m astonished about that! That’s impressive when I was starting to feel slumpy.

But enough rambling for now. Let’s see what I managed to read in the month of May!

Books Read

Click on the covers to be taken to the book’s Goodreads page

Book: The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien

Rating: ★★★

Thoughts: I finally made it all the way through the second book in the Lord of the Rings trilogy! This was the book that stopped me from completing it years ago because I could not get over the long, drawn out descriptions. Something about listening to it on audio, though, made it vastly more enjoyable. I will say, I didn’t enjoy it as much as Fellowship of the Ring but it was still a good time.

Book: The Gallery of Wonders by Marc Remus

Rating: ★★

Thoughts: Sigh… this book had so much potential. It’s a story that follows a young girl and her friends who get sucked into a magical painting. They get to attend a school that teaches you how to wield magic paintbrushes and it’s all super fantastical. Unfortunately, it’s also basically Harry Potter, but make it about painting. Seriously, the comparisons where vast and, after awhile, it took me right out of the story. The writing was also stilted and just… not it. I’m sad cause it sounded so good!

Book: Things to Do Before the End of the World by Emily Barr

Rating: ★★★

Thoughts: I read this book for a blog tour hosted by The Write Reads and, quite honestly, I had no idea what I was going into when I picked it up 😂 It was categorized as a thriller, though lots of people where calling it a contemporary, so I went in with an open mind. I found myself really enjoying following our main characters journey as she came into her own while the world was literally dying around her. You can read my full review here!

Continue reading “May 2021 Wrap Up” →