Category: books

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Afua – Karl Drinkwater & Christoffer Petersen

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Afua is a promising acolyte of the Shanta Order, on the densely forested planet of Nuafri.

She volunteers to educate orphans – her lively ophanti – every ninth day. When one of her wards goes missing in a dangerous area full of sinkholes and deadly fauna, Afua knows the authorities won’t do anything about a single lost child.
Luckily for the orphan, Afua will.

She is armed only with her knowledge of wildlife, and implanted augmentations that can sometimes deter attacks. But she is not alone. The sentient, insect-like Dooga she has bonded with, named Akalie, will follow her anywhere, despite being heavily pregnant.

An unforgettable Amazofuturist adventure about compassion, courage, and finding your way in life.

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Top: Karl, Bottom: Christoffer

About Karl Drinkwater

Karl Drinkwater writes dystopian space opera, dark suspense and diverse social fiction. If you want compelling stories and characters worth caring about, then you’re in the right place.
Karl lives in Scotland and owns two kilts. He has degrees in librarianship, literature and classics, but also studied astronomy and philosophy. Dolly the cat helps him finish books by sleeping on his lap so
he can’t leave the desk. When he isn’t writing he loves music, nature, games and vegan cake.

Website / Newsletter / BlueSky

About Christoffer Petersen

Christoffer Petersen lives in a small forest in Jutland, in southern Denmark. He hasn’t always been Danish; in fact, he borrowed his pseudonym surname from his Danish wife, Jane. Chris writes all kinds of stories in different genres, but is best known for his crime books and thrillers set in Greenland.
While living in Greenland, Chris studied for a Master of Arts in Professional Writing from Falmouth University. Chris graduated with a distinction in 2015. He has been writing full-time since January
2018.

Website / Newsletter

My thoughts: Set in the same universe as Karl’s Lost Solace books (which I’m a big fan of) Afua is responsible for a group of young orphans. When one goes missing, despite the dangers of the forest, she sets off with only her insect-like Dooga, Akalie, to help.

Chased by a monstrous creature, the duo follow the scent of the missing child into a hole in the ground, finding a mysterious object buried and forgotten. Could it be one of the strange Lost Ships Afua has heard of? What she’s discovered will change her entire life.

While this fits into the Lost Solace stories very nicely, with references to some of the other stories (indeed Afua is mentioned in at least one!) I think it can easily be read as a standalone novella about living on a future world and the way humans have adapted to survive. Although I also recommend diving into the Lost Solace series.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

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Cover Reveal: A Secret Shared With Sirens – Ariella Isabella

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We’re so happy to present the beautiful cover for A Secret Shared with Sirens by Ariella Isabella!

A Secret Shared with Sirens

Expected Publication Date: January 16, 2025

Genre: Dark Fantasy Romance

– Dual POV
– Gods & Monsters
– Shadow Magic
– Underworld
– Political Intrigue
– Magical War
– Man-eating sirens

“She was the endless darkness between life and death. Bitter, and consuming. A poison I couldn’t stop drinking, and a cold lake I wanted to drown in. Their souls were one, but Isolde had taken everything Evlyn’s life had to give and sharpened it into power.”

Isolde:

Being pulled from the wreckage of an elven ship by bloodthirsty sirens, I was now surrounded by an entirely different set of creatures with claws and teeth. Achelous, the Father of Sirens and son to the blood mage Medea shines a light on Caspian’s hunt for the mythical blade, the God Killer. His finned daughters are nothing like how I had imagined them, they’re worse, and they are weary of my foul magic. Achelous is reluctant to join the war on the continent, but when the siren’s home is attacked by the Elf King, he’s Helbent on revenge.

Everyday the darkness grows louder and more corporal, and I swear that I can feel its frigid breath on my neck when it whispers its sweet promises of power and revenge. After traveling with Cadmael, the messenger god who followed me overboard and onto the Elven ship, and the siren Thelxi to the City of Souls, we find out that Silas’ depravity knows no bounds.

If we usurp the treacherous Queen Athalia, who will sit on the Arramorian throne? Who will be the voice of humans, in a war wielded by villainous gods and wicked creatures?

Death:

Watching Isolde die the first time was painful, and every other time was like ripping my heart in two. She now knew that I had taken her first life in a twisted deal with the darkness, but what she didn’t know was the depth of her attachment’s powers. This ancient, unfathomable being is manipulating her in front of my eyes and all I can do is plead with her to push it away. To not take the deal I did.

The greatest fear of a creature who’s claimed power is that someone more cunning and vicious will steal it from him, and Isolde just might be that creature, but she still doesn’t know the whole truth. Her world with Caspian is a lie, and the truth might not set her free.

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Blog Tour: Dohva – Sophie Haeder

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Embark on a journey to the enigmatic realm of Dohva, where elemental magic reigns supreme and ancient secrets lie buried beneath the mountains. 

In the isolated land of Dohva, where souls are trapped in an endless cycle of rebirth by an ancient elemental sphere, a malevolent force wields the forbidden dark magic of the demon prince Agthod. 

Avala, a rebellious air sorceress haunted by the loss of her closest friend, is driven to unravel the mysteries that have long plagued her world. She finds unlikely allies with three anti-heroes, a colourful and diverse cast who each struggle with their own demons and desires for redemption.  

But as the shadows deepen and the threat grows, Avala and her newfound companions must set aside their differences and forge an uneasy bond. But can they confront this powerful enemy force that threatens to consume their world and change their destiny forever?

Dohva: The Land Within by Sophie Haeder is available from all good bookstores

Giveaway – Head over to Instagram to enter a giveaway. Like my post and follow author Sophie Haeder to enter. You could win a paperback copy of the book. Two winners. Open to Instagram accounts (no giveaway accounts) in the UK, US and Canada. Winners will be selected by the publisher who will also send out the books. I am not responsible for the prizes. Ends 30th November.

My thoughts: Meet a disparate group of protagonists, who must come together to end the darkness and save their world.

For thousands of years ago a powerful wizard sacrificed his life to protect the land of Dohva by creating a great bubble around it, leaving the countries floating as islands in the sky. Every decade lives are given to maintain this protection, but should that come to an end? People live new lives beyond death, reincarnated, struggling with their memories.

When darkness descends and the monsters arise to take over, our heroes must do all they can. Handily they have a dragon.

Adventurous, intelligent, and gripping fantasy writing, packing an awful lot into one slim book. I loved the characters who often felt conflicted and, therefore, more real, the complex nature of the world they live in, and the two very different magic systems. I’d really like a sequel looking at the impact of their actions and the changes it brings when they rejoin the world beyond Dohva.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: Smoke Screen – Susan Handley

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Abbie Thorpe, a confident and ambitious young woman, had dreams of making it big one day; dreams that died with her in a tragic house fire.

Fire investigator Freya Redfern is given the task of determining the cause of the fire. Troubled by aspects of the scene, Freya can’t help but feel there’s more to it than a terrible accident. Detective Sargeant Harry Gardman isn’t so sure. Determined that the case be properly investigated, Freya sets about finding enough evidence to convince him of the fire’s deliberate origins.

Forming an unlikely partnership, the pair work together to uncover a truth which nobody could have foreseen.

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Susan Handley grew up in England, in the Midlands and despite a love of literature, and crime fiction in particular, she never dreamt of being able to carve out a career as a published writer. But the desire to write never left her and after years of writing by night she has at last been able to share the results of her efforts.

Susan now lives in a small village in rural Kent with her husband and two cats. When she’s not indulging in her love of writing crime fiction she loves walking (the hillier the better), bike riding (the flatter the better) and tending her veggie patch.

Susan is the author of two crime series: the DC Cat McKenzie series, which include: A Confusion of Crows, Feather and Claw, The Body Politic, and Close to Death; and the DI Matt Fisher series, of which the first Paid in Blood is currently available. 

Susan has also produced two short story collections: Crime Bites Volume 1 and Volume 2. Full of bite-size crime stories there’s bound to be something to suit all tastes.

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My thoughts: I really liked this book, Freya was a great protagonist with an instinct for the truth, even when she’s the only one who believes it’s murder.

The police are happy to say that Abbie Thorpe’s death was a tragic accident, that drunk and dosed up on tranquilisers, she fell asleep with a lit cigarette and started the fire that killed her. But Freya, a fire investigator, thinks something is not quite right about it. 

She eventually gets the detective on the case, DS Harry Gardman on board with her theory, and the pair start looking into Abbie’s death more closely. Especially when another apparent accidental death takes place in the same house.

Freya is in mourning for her partner Nikki, and during the investigation she finds new friendships with Harry and with Joe, a neighbour of the deceased who agrees it’s not quite right. They help bring her out of her shell, and when someone starts following her and leaving her creepy notes (and dick pics, seriously guys, no one, especially a lesbian, wants those) Harry takes an interest in that for her too.

What they uncover is a pretty ingenious crime but one that had to backfire eventually. And only Freya’s excellent memory and eye for detail can put it all together and catch the perpetrator.

Really enjoyable crime writing with excellent characters and a twisted killer.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own

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Blog Tour: Lake Child – Isabel Ashdown

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When a young Norwegian woman wakes from an accident robbed of her most recent memories, she trusts her parents’ advice that she must stay confined to her attic bedroom while she recuperates. But when Eva decides the time has come to break free of their caring incarceration, she discovers a world of secrets and lies, and a journey to discover her true identity begins.

Could she really be the missing baby Lorna of British newspaper headlines? Are the people she calls Mum and Dad actually her abductors? And why did they choose to conceal the arrival of her new baby brother, born while Eva was locked away?

While the present day story unfolds, clear slices of Eva’s idyllic childhood are revealed as she tries to piece together the mysteries of her past – and those of her increasingly untrustworthy parents.

My thoughts: as this story slowly unfolds and Eva starts to work out what’s happened to her and piece her past together, it gets more gripping and more shocking with each revelation.

Her parents have locked her in the attic, supposedly for her own good, after an accident and a period in hospital she can’t remember. They don’t seen inclined to help her remember and they won’t allow her any visitors (like her best friends) apart from the cops.

But she’s determined to get answers, especially after she hears a baby crying, and her doctor mother keeps giving her pills that knock her out, which seems suspicious too.

The fragments of her memories are confusing and without anyone to help her put them together, she’s really scared. Then a stranger approaches her with some answers and she finds herself in the middle of a huge cold case. Is she missing baby Lorna, abducted from the hospital just before her mother’s death? Or is it a bit more complicated than that?

Clever, intense and woven with a complicated plot and a strong protagonist in Eva, who despite all the strange things happening to her is always determined to get to the truth about herself.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: Yule Island – Johana Gusťawsson, translated by David Warriner

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To celebrate the paperback release of Yule Island (just in time for Christmas!) I’m sharing my review from the hardback tour. Get your copy here or in all the usual places!

Art expert Emma Lindahl is anxious when she’s asked to appraise the antiques and artefacts in the infamous manor house of one of Sweden’s wealthiest families, on the island of Storholmen, where a young woman was murdered nine years earlier, her killer never found. Emma must work alone, and with the Gussman family apparently avoiding her, she sees virtually no one in the house. Do they have something to hide? As she goes about her painstaking work and one shocking discovery yields clues that lead to another, Emma becomes determined to uncover the secrets of the house and its occupants. When the lifeless body of another young woman is found in the icy waters surrounding the island, Detective Karl Rosén arrives to investigate, and memories of his failure to solve the first case come rushing back. Could this young woman’s tragic death somehow hold the key? Battling her own demons, Emma joins forces with Karl to embark upon a chilling investigation, plunging them into horrifying secrets from the past – Viking rites and tainted love – and Scandinavia’s deepest, darkest winter…

Born in Marseille, France, and with a degree in Political Science, Johana Gustawsson has worked as a journalist for the French and Spanish press, and television. Her critically acclaimed Roy & Castells series, including Block 46, Keeper and Blood Song, won the Plume d’Argent, Balai de la découverte, Balai d’Or and Prix Marseillais du Polar awards, and is now published in 23 countries. A TV adaptation is currently under way in a French, Swedish and UK co-production. The Bleeding was a number-one bestseller in France, receiving critical acclaim across the globe, and Yule Island has won multiple awards, including Book of the Year with France’s biggest retailer, Cultura, and has been optioned for the screen. Johana lives in Sweden with her Swedish husband and their three sons.

My thoughts: this is not a Christmas book, despite the title, it’s a creepy, dark read about obsession, murder, and how twisted some minds can get.

And it is also so, so good. Totally compelling, very enjoyable as I like dark, weird stuff, and peopled with very normal individuals, and some very disturbed ones passing as normal. Which of course makes it worse.

There are several narratives that once you realise what’s happening and how they interconnect, build to reveal the total horror that has taken place in the Gussman family’s manor house.

This is the second book I’ve read from this author, and it is deeply chilling but incredibly interesting and her writing (and the excellent work of the translator) just sucks you into the world Johana has created on this island. It’s that good. If you prefer your winter reading to be dark and full of horrors, monsters hidden in plain sight, then this is absolutely for you.

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Blog Tour: The Lavender Fields – Derek Mola

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Welcome to the tour for The Lavender Fields, a collection of eerie tales by Derek Mola!



The Lavender Fields


Publication Date: October 19, 2024


Genre: Horror Anthology/ Short Stories


In the heart of the cosmos lies a dimension unlike any other—a realm of shimmering lavender fields where every possible universe is visible in the tapestry of existence. When an astronaut accidentally teleports to this mysterious plane, he finds himself in a front-row seat to the bizarre and terrifying narratives of alternate realities.

The Lavender Fields invites readers to journey as the astronaut recounts six chilling and fantastical stories from the multiverse. From eldritch cults that worship ancient deities to a drug that can freeze time itself, each tale plunges into the cosmic and supernatural horrors lurking at the edges of reality. Witness a meteor that incites unbridled rage, a shapeshifting prostitute who blurs the line between pleasure and peril, possessed pigs with unfinished business, and a witch mother whose dark magic has evil plans for her daughter.

Prepare for a mind-bending adventure through worlds where the unimaginable becomes real, and the only certainty is that fear transcends dimensions.

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Blog Tour: The Viscount and the Thief – Emma Orchard

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Spring, 1811…

A stranger arrives at Wyverne Hall

Sophie Delavallois is the new companion to the ageing Dowager Marchioness, but she also has another reason for coming to the infamous Wyverne mansion, one that will shake the family to their core.
Lord Drake left his childhood home many years ago, and only returns now to see his beloved grandmother. He takes little interest in the goings on of the house until the arrival of Mademoiselle Delavallois. There’s something about her that he can’t put his finger on; it’s as if he’s seen her
before, but surely, that is not possible…

Sophie is also drawn to Drake, but he is a Wyverne, and she cannot allow herself to fall for him, because her intentions towards the family are resolute – revenge. But inside the walls of Wyverne
Hall, she discovers the rumours about the family barely scratch the surface, and she can’t escape the dangerous allure of the Viscount.
Once her plans are set in motion, will he be her saviour or her ruin?

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Emma Orchard grew up in Salford and was given tickets to the grown-up library at the age of 11 because she’d read all the children’s books and the librarians were sick of the sight of her. She became obsessed with Georgette Heyer and hasn’t stopped reading her novels since. She studied English Literature at university and went on to work at Mills & Boon and behind the scenes in television and in publishing.

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My thoughts: Continuing her run of feisty, smart and capable Regency heroines, Emma Orchard has written another cracker.

Sophie is out for revenge on the man that destroyed her family. Marquis Wyverne, a man who trails scandal everywhere he goes, is responsible for the deaths of her parents and beloved brother. Eight years have passed and she’s ready to enact her plan to bring down the Marquis and humiliate him. With the help of her criminal employer, Nate Smith, who has his own reasons for wanting to get one over on Wyverne.

Going undercover as the companion to the Dowager Marchioness, an elderly French woman who has no love left for her eldest son, kept hostage on his estate, will get her close to the family and able to access everything, no one really pays servants attention after all.

No one that is except the Viscount, Lord Drake, Wyverne’s eldest son, who also despises his father and stepmother. He visits only to see his grandmother, and is fascinated by her new companion. She seems incredibly familiar to him, but he can’t quite place her.

Drake’s attention could be a real problem for Sophie, he might even try to stop her…or will he?

As the two grow closer, their secrets are revealed and they join forces, even as they fall in love. But can a Viscount really love a thief?

Glorious, fun, funny and saucy. I really enjoyed this romance of revenge and finding where you belong. A delight.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: In the Wake of the Wicked – V.B. Lacey

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We’re celebrating the release of In the Wake of the Wicked by V.B. Lacey. This gorgeous dark fantasy is the first book in a series of interconnected fantasy standalones, and perfect for fans of Wicked, The Serpent and the Wings of Night, and The Hunger Games

In the Wake of the Wicked (A Veridian Empire Novel)

Publication Date: November 14, 2024

Genre: Dark Fantasy/ No Spice Romance

  • Wicked meets the Hunger Games
  • Dark fantasy standalone
  • Deadly trials
  • Found family
  • Reluctant allies to lovers
  • No spice romance
  • Masquerade ball
  • Witty banter
  • Unique magic system
  • Political intrigue
  • Shifters
  • One horse trope
  • Morally grey FMC
  • Dark-haired, broody MMC
  • Curses
  • Wound tending
  • Cave scene
  • He has a tail

Wherever she goes, darkness follows.

An orphan with a tragic past and a penchant for wicked deeds, Rose Wolff has never been accepted by her people. She’s learned to live in the darkness, content with her Alchemy magic and her quiet apothecary.

When a terrible curse sweeping the land forces her to enter the Decemvirate, a magical tournament among the strongest of the empire, Rose is pulled from the shadows and thrown into a world of power games, deadly trials, and entanglements with a handsome, mysterious rebel.

With divisions in the empire worsening, there may be more at stake than becoming the champion. Secrets about her magic and encounters with the all-powerful emperor make Rose question everything, leading her down a path she may never come back from.

All magic has a price, and Rose must choose: truth, love, or power?

In the Wake of the Wicked is the first book in a series of interconnected fantasy standalones. This story follows a young woman who finds herself caught up in the glory of magic and unexpected love during a time of hardship and divisions among her empire. Perfect for lovers of Wicked, The Serpent and the Wings of Night, and The Hunger Games, this book is full of deadly trials, morally grey characters, mythical creatures and shifters, unique magic, witty banter, and no spice romance that will have you swooning.

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Book Blitz: Braving Storms – Angela van Liempt

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Braving Storms is now available and that completes Angela van Liempt’s supernatural fantasy series, The Atlas Cliffs Series! All three books are available on Kindle Unlimited too, so it’s time to binge!

Braving Storms (The Atlas Cliffs Series, Book 3)

Publication Date: September 12, 2024

Genre: YA/NA Supernatural Fantasy

TROPES:

Found family, second chance love, friends to lovers, slow-burn romance, sidekick friendships both alive and dead with witty banter, ghosts with unfinished business, green-flag MMC, strong FMC, hidden witchy magic, self-discovery, murder mystery, paranormal romance

A hurricane, visions, and vengeance. When she receives an eerie message from beyond the grave, can this new witch survive the coming tempest?

Atlas Cliffs, Maine. Drew Harlow’s soul vibrates with creativity. Home from college and ready for surfing, bonfires, and romance with her love, the talented mystic’s magic flows through her paintbrush, unexpectedly bringing the Neptune Point lighthouse into vivid life. But after her struggles leave the art unfinished, she’s startled by the appearance of a ghost whose cryptic warning leaves her canvas dripping red.

Unsettled by her inability to decipher the unnerving symbol, Drew focuses her attention on helping the spirit of a feisty young woman who has no idea she’s dead. Though when she uses her gifts to show the ghost the truth, she’s horrified to discover the unfortunate deceased was a victim of an all-too-familiar killer behind bars.

As ominous clouds and a foreboding raven loom, can she unravel the puzzle before she’s the next to cross over?

Braving Storms is the intense third book in the Atlas Cliffs new adult supernatural mystery series. If you like relatable characters, slow-burn love interests, and dark intrigue, you’ll adore Angela van Liempt’s haunting page-turner.

GET IT HERE

THE ATLAS CLIFFS SERIES

ABOUT THE SERIES:

The Atlas Cliffs series is a completed upper young adult to new adult, supernatural fantasy trilogy. These books are for readers who loved the soul mate vibes of shows like Vampire Diaries, but with witchy magic and ghosts, found family, and a strong FMC who must learn to trust after betrayal. If you adore the trope where the love interest calms her inner storm, you will discover a second chance, friends-to-lovers slow-burn romance woven within the pages, starting with Wandering Souls, gaining momentum in Seeking Haven, and ending with an emotional conclusion in Braving Storms.

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