5 May 2018

Weekend Wrap-up #7

The Sunday post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. It's a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things you have received.


I didn't sleep much last night because my friend's plane was late and so we all went to bed around 4 am. She had to leave very early in the morning too, I hope we'll have more time to spend together on Monday.

I was very lazy this week, it must have been because of the hot weather but it's no good anyway. I need my energy back!!

I'm currently reading Nothing But Sky by Amy Trueblood, which is very charming so far, I like spending time with it.

Recent posts on the blog:

Monday: Goodreads Monday #12 - Last Letter Home by Rachel Hore

Tuesday: April Wrap-Up, May TBR

Thursday: Review - The Last Sun (The Tarot Sequence #1) by K.D. Edwards

Friday: Book Beginnings and the Friday 56 # 13 - Nothing But Sky  by Amy Trueblood


Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews that makes it possible to share with other bookworms what books you added to your shelves physical or virtual during the week.

I received one eARC via NetGalley this week:


Title: Claire's Last Secret

Author: Marty Ambrose

Publication Date: September 1st, 2018

Source: NetGalley

Goodreads

I really shouldn't browse NetGalley after promising myself I wouldn't request more titles... But there is always that one book that finds you there...  I don't even like Claire Clairmont that much but any story that involves Lord Byron, the Shelleys and that famous night at Villa Diodati is a must read for me. Sorry not sorry.



Don't forget to leave a link to your weekend posts! Have a nice one!

4 May 2018

Book Beginnings and the Friday 56 #13

TGIF! My best friend is coming home today from London and I can't wait for her to arrive! Her plane lands at night but she'll sleep at my place today, which means we'll have some time to catch up. On Monday she's travelling back to the UK but in two weeks she's moving home for good and we can meet more at last! YAAAY!


That's all about me for today, let's get down to Friday business!


Book Beginnings on Friday and The Friday 56 are weekly memes hosted by Rose City Reader and Freda's Voice.

Rules: 

Book Beginnings: Share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. 

The Friday 56: Grab a book, turn to page 56 or 56% in you eReader. Find any sentence (not spoilery) and reflect on it if you want.


The book on display today is:

by Amy Trueblood


Synopsis:

Grace Lafferty only feels alive when she's dangling 500 feet above ground. As a post-World War I wing walker, Grace is determined to get to the World Aviation Expo, proving her team’s worth against flashier competitors and earning a coveted Hollywood contract.

No one’s ever questioned Grace’s ambition until Henry Patton, a mechanic with plenty of scars from the battlefield, joins her barnstorming team. With each new death-defying trick, Henry pushes Grace to consider her reasons for being a daredevil. Annoyed with Henry’s constant interference, and her growing attraction to him, Grace continues to test the powers of the sky.

After one of her risky maneuvers saves a pilot’s life, a Hollywood studio offers Grace a chance to perform at the Expo. She jumps at the opportunity to secure her future. But when a stunt goes wrong, Grace must decide whether Henry, and her life, are worth risking for one final trick.



Book Beginning:

 "Blue sky, perfect day to fly. Uncle Warren's favourite phrase ran through my head as I trudged behind Daniel across the field."

I love when the sky is clear blue, it is indeed beautiful.


The Friday 56:

"I didn't know anything about this man other than he was rich and powerful. Trusting him felt like trusting Rowland in many ways, but I had to get this team to Chicago. If that meant agreeing to Mr. Knickerbocker's offer, it was a risk I had to take."

Hm... Who is this mysterious fellow, I wonder?


What are you reading these days? Share your Friday post with me in a comment below! :)

3 May 2018

Review - The Last Sun by K.D. Edwards

Title: The Last Sun (The Tarot Sequence #1)

Author: K.D. Edwards

Publication Date: June 12th, 2018

Synopsis:

Rune Saint John, last child of the fallen Sun Court, is hired to search for Lady Judgment's missing son, Addam, on New Atlantis, the island city where the Atlanteans moved after ordinary humans destroyed their original home.

With his companion and bodyguard, Brand, he questions Addam's relatives and business contacts through the highest ranks of the nobles of New Atlantis. But as they investigate, they uncover more than a missing man: a legendary creature connected to the secret of the massacre of Rune's Court. In looking for Addam, can Rune find the truth behind his family's death and the torments of his past?

My Thoughts: 

I received a free eARC of this book via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.


The Last Sun was the first novel I got approved for on Edelweiss, which means it's somehow special to me. The facts that it is an lgbtq urban fantasy, a debut novel and the author based its whole world on the Tarot deck made me want to pick it up as fast as I could. The reading experience was pleasant on the whole, however the book would have required a bit more polishing here and there in my opinion.

The plot was pretty well thought out, it started with an abduction and widened into a power game that sucked in a few scions of important New Atlantean families. I appreciated the mystery that surrounded the enemy because that meant Rune and Brand, our main duo, had to do some detective work to get to the bottom of things, not to mention they had to battle a creature that was part zombie part wizard (I'm gonna call it a zombizard, haha) without having any idea what it was capable of...

The book was very action-packed, and when I say very, I mean extremely, very, very, exceptionally, incredibly... TOO action-packed. I've never thought I'd consider it a disadvantage in a book but it is here. There are so many detailed fighting scenes in The Last Sun, I lost count by the end of the novel and the action seems to have taken the space and time away from the character and world building.

Interestingly enough, the side-characters are way better shaped than the main character. Brand Rune's bodyguard got the most attention, other than him, Quinn the seer and Max, the orphaned teenager they have to keep safe, are the ones that got some depth by the end. We see them through Rune's eyes, we receive information about them and see how much Rune cares for them, but Rune himself is somehow forgotten or so shrouded in mystery (perhaps intentionally?) that not even the reader can figure him out. I also kinda felt he was described and defined mostly by what happened to him when his father's court was destroyed and I felt it was a disservice to the character.

The humour in the book is excellent, it really is! I laughed out loud so much. It was something purely good and admirable about The Last Sun. Whenever there was a funny line I forgot about all the minor flaws and let me tell you, it happened often. All the bickering between Rune and Brand is priceless.

Even though the world building could have been a bit more organized, I liked how colourful the world itself was. There were a myriad of different creatures, like zombies, fairies, gargoyles, ghouls and so on. The places the characters visited were interesting and everything was filled with magic.

The magic system was very straightforward; the characters used sigils objects filled with magic to fight and defend themselves. I was glad this aspect was very easy to follow and there was logic to it (let's just say there are fantasy novels where the way magic works is not explained well enough).

As you can see I had some pros and some cons as well concerning this book but I'd say if you are a person who enjoys long fighting scenes and humorous pieces, give it a try! 


1 May 2018

April Wrap-Up, May TBR

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Hello Lovelies! 

Another hard month is behind us in this surreal world we're currently living in. I hope you're all holding up okay and staying safe.

I don't have work at the moment, since air traffic is basically non-existent during the virus and thus I was put on standby for a month. To be honest I'm not sure if the situation will be better in May, but I'm hoping for a miracle.

I'm trying to do my best with the big amount of spare time I suddenly have on my hands. Of course I'm reading a lot, doing a puzzle and working on my diamond painting I started months ago but never had time to finish. From time to time I go out to play frisbee with my younger brothers or we just have a walk.

Bad news that I still didn't manage to conceive (we've been trying for 10 months now and it's worse and worse to face the failure at the end of each month). But May is a blank page and therefore a new possibility. Fingers crossed.

Good news that we'll be cat parents soon!!! My colleague's cat has had kittens recently and we'll adopt one in the beginning of June. I'm very excited for the new member of the family. I've never had a kitty, according to my mum she'll be spoiled. Tell me if you have any good name ideas for a girl cat!

And now onto what happened on the blog last month...

Here's a summary of April on Paradise Found:

I've finished 5 books:

Screamcatcher: Web World by Christy J. Breedlove My Review

A Rudnay Gyilkosságok by Gyula Böszörményi

White Lotus by Libbie Hawker My Review

My Family and Other Animals by Gerard Durrell 

The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker 


Other posts on the blog in the month of April:

Books for Characters on TV - La Casa de Papel Edition


Happy Easter! - Easter Readathon Update

Excerpt - Dreams of Thunder by Christian Cura


 Weekly Memes:

Book Beginnings and the Friday 56 (Apr 10, Apr 24)

Down the TBR Whole (Apr 20)

WWW Wednesday (Apr 29)

Plans for May:


I'd like to read the following books in November (in no particular order):

 Green Rider (Green Rider #1) by Kristen Britain 


Ice by Sarah Beth Durst

What are you planning to read in May?

April Wrap-Up, May TBR

We made it to May, Lovelies! Well done us! I'm satisfied with April as a reading month, I hope I can keep the good work up in May too (however I seriously need to catch up with review writing!!)

I enjoyed my first read-along with Brittani from Hope, Faith & Books (thank you for hosting it!) and I managed to finish the first Percy Jackson book with my lil' brother by the end of the months (three cheers for us!).

I'm glad to announce that my Red Tent Giveaway has ended and the winner is... Kimberly from Caffeinated Book Reviewer!!! Congratulations! Today I'll get in touch with her via email and will make sure she gets her prize soon.

Here's a summary of April on Paradise Found:

I've finished five books:

The Shipbuilder by Salina B. Baker Review

How to Hang a Witch (How to Hang a Witch #1) by Adriana Mather Review

The Last Sun (The Tarot Sequence #1) by K. D. Edwards – Review is coming soon

Red Queen (Red Queen #1) by Victoria Aveyard – Review is coming soon

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1) by Rick Riordan


Other posts on the blog in the month of April: 

Blog Tour + Review + Giveaway - Hiding by Jenny Morton Potts 

Book Tour + Review + Q&A - Song of Blood & Stone by L. Penelope

Book Tour + Review - The Shipbuilder by Salina B. Baker

Review + Giveaway - The Red Tent by Anita Diamant 


Book Blitz - Death Island by Kelsey Ketch

Book Blitz - Wings of Flesh and Bones by Cathrina Constantine





Weekly Memes:

Goodreads Monday (Apr 16, Apr 30)

WWW Wednesday (Apr 11, Apr 18, Apr 25

Book Beginnings on Friday and the Friday 56 (Apr 6, Apr 13)

Weekend Wrap-up (Apr 7, Apr 14, Apr 21)



Plans for May
I'd like to read the following books in May (in no particular order):

The Stolen Girl (The Veil and the Crown #1) by Zia Wesley

Clowders by Vanessa Morgan 

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

Winter Eternal (The River That Flows Two Ways #1) by E. Thomas Joseph

Was April a good month for you? I'd love to read your monthly wrap-up posts, so leave links for me please!!

30 Apr 2018

Goodreads Monday #12

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren @ Lauren’s Page Turners. To participate, choose a random book from your TBR and show it off! Don’t forget to link back to Lauren’s Page Turners and link up to the inlinkz so others can see what you picked!

 I'm a sucker for dual timeline stories, let me show you one set in two time periods that I especially can't wait to read:

by Rachel Hore


Synopsis:

On holiday with friends, young historian Briony Andrews becomes fascinated with a wartime story of a ruined villa in the hills behind Naples. There is a family connection: her grandfather had been a British soldier during the Italian campaign of 1943 in that very area. Handed a bundle of letters that were found after the war, Briony sets off to trace the fate of their sender, Sarah Bailey.

In 1939, Sarah returns with her mother and sister from India, in mourning, to take up residence in the Norfolk village of Westbury. There she forms a firm friendship with Paul Hartmann, a young German who has found sanctuary in the local manor house, Westbury Hall. With the outbreak of war, conflicts of loyalty in Westbury deepen.

When, 70 years later, Briony begins to uncover Sarah and Paul’s story, she encounters resentments and secrets still tightly guarded. What happened long ago in the villa in the shadow of Vesuvius, she suspects, still has the power to give terrible pain …

Don't forget to leave your Goodreads Monday link for me in a comment below! Happy reading!

27 Apr 2018

Book Tour + Review + Q&A - Song of Blood & Stone by L. Penelope

Title: Song of Blood & Stone (Earthsinger Chronicles #1)

Author: L. Penelope

Release Date: May 1st, 3018

Synopsis:

Orphaned and alone, Jasminda lives in a land where cold whispers of invasion and war linger on the wind. Jasminda herself is an outcast in her homeland of Elsira, where her gift of Earthsong is feared. When ruthless soldiers seek refuge in her isolated cabin, they bring with them a captive--an injured spy who threatens to steal her heart.

Jack's mission behind enemy lines to prove that the Mantle between Elsira and Lagrimar is about to fall nearly cost him his life, but he is saved by the healing Song of a mysterious young woman. Now he must do whatever it takes to save Elsira and its people from the True Father and he needs Jasminda's Earthsong to do it. They escape their vicious captors and together embark on a perilous journey to save Elsira and to uncover the secrets of The Queen Who Sleeps.

Thrust into a hostile society, Jasminda and Jack must rely on one another even as secrets jeopardize their bond. As an ancient evil gains power, Jasminda races to unlock a mystery that promises salvation.

The fates of two nations hang in thebalance as Jasminda and Jack must choose between love and duty to fulfill their destinies and end the war.


My Thoughts:

If you love the idea of fantasy and romance combined, you'll probably have a hard time putting down Song of Blood & Stone.

Jasminda has humble ambitions: after losing her whole family, she'd only like to keep her ownership of the family home and live there in peace. She knows that the Elsiran community shuns her for her Lagrimari looks – not that she can change the colour of her skin, can she? – and so she visits the nearby village only when she really needs something. Like this she doesn't have to bear the locals' frowning looks very often. 

But when a dangerous storm starts to brew and her little cottage the place she deems the safest in whole Elsira is invaded by soldiers, she gets pulled into a chain of events that threatens to tear her whole world apart. The spy – a boy named Jack who the soldiers brought with them is trying to convince her she is an important piece on a chessboard where the fate of both Elsira and Lagrimar will be soon decided. She finds it hard not to believe him because he looks and sounds like destiny. 

Jasminda and Jack manage to escape and they start to work together to ensure peace and prosperity in the two countries that have always been in war with each other.

Jasminda was born in Elsira but she is part Lagrimari, because her father came from the other side of the border. Since her skin is darker and that marks her as a Lagrimari, Elsiran people don't particularly like her. She is also a Singer like all of the Lagrimari. Her Song can create and heal, however, people are terrified of her power. Jack is the first Elsiran who sees potential in her and Jasminda is grateful for that.

I absolutely adored the world building in this book. The two countries share a history. Their two mysterious leaders from the past, whose identities are revealed through flashbacks, were once very close to each other. The reason why their relationship changed is very logical and believable, yet their tale is rather tragic. 

Jack, the male protagonist, isn't who he seems to be either and because of his true status him and Jasminda have to suffer quite a lot.

The Song as a power has interesting qualities; it makes a Singer capable of healing, growing crop or seeing into the distance, among other things. It is fascinating, though a bit all over the place and not much explanation is given how it works, unfortunately. Jasminda's Song, despite her being the MC is very weak, which I was happy to learn because I'm a bit fed up with super-strong protagonists, be they male or female. Her own Song doesn't develop, not even later in the story and yet she is the one who fights the good fight for the right of the Lagrimari (with a little help of course, but still... you see my point). It was a nice touch.

The romance between Jack and Jasminda is as tender as it comes. They care deeply for each other and stand up for one another when they need to. Their stolen moments are beautiful.

If you don't read this book for anything else, read it for the writing. It is phenomenal, it will blow you away. Oh, how I wish I could write like Ms. Penelope...

I'm sure I'll devour the second book just like I did the this one...

Goodreads | Amazon


Q&A with L. Penelope
 
What inspired you to write this series? What came first: The characters or the world? What was your inspiration for the magic of Earthsong? Were you inspired by other books? Movies? 

When I first wrote this book, up until the time I gave it to my first editor, I thought it was going to be a novella. It was always meant to be a fairytale-esque story of a girl’s journey from the margins of society straight to its upper echelons. The characters Jack and Jasminda were there before the world was ever clear in my mind. The first scene I wrote was the one where they meet in front of her cabin. I knew they were from different, warring countries and they came from very different sorts of lives, but that was all. Through the magic of revision (lots and lots of revision) I discovered the journey that the characters would go on and all the conflicts they would face. 

I love fantasy and there were so many inspiring series that I soaked in prior to writing the book, from Graceling by Kristin Cashore to Seraphina by Rachel Hartman. But I think this book owes its biggest inspiration to the Lumatere Chronicles by Melina Marchetta. Her fantasy world felt well realized and complex, filled with incredibly detailed characters, groups, nations, and settings. But I also wanted to write a kinder, gentler fantasy novel that wouldn’t double as a doorstopper. And mix in a really strong romance like some of my favorites Nalini Singh or Kresley Cole. 

What were your favorite scenes to write for SONG OF BLOOD AND STONE? What was the hardest scene to write? Is there a scene or moment that really sticks with you? 

Though Usher, Jack’s valet, spends relatively little time on the page, I loved writing the scenes with him and Jack. When two characters have known each other for a long time, it can be really fun to play with how to show their relationship. Usher has known Jack his entire life and so the way they interact is unique. I also loved writing the visions that Jasminda gets from the stone. They were in a different voice, from a totally different perspective and the peeked in on a vibrant, fully formed world that’s different to the one of the main story. Hardest to write were the ones where Jasminda is confronted with the racism and bias of Elsirans. 

The scene that sticks with me is when Jack and Jasminda are in the army base and he sleeps on the ground beside her, holding her hand. I find it really sweet and romantic. 

What advice would you give aspiring authors, especially authors or color, striving to have their stories and truths shared? 

I would tell aspiring authors to really investigate your goals and be frank with yourself about why you want to do this. It’s a difficult path emotionally, creatively, and professionally and what will get you through the low points is being very clear about your “why”. It can also be incredibly rewarding, but knowing what you’re getting yourself into is key. 

Writing and publishing are two different disciplines. Your “why” will inform whether you pursue traditional publishing or seek to self-publish. It will keep you going through rejections, delays, bad reviews, disappointment, and the imposter syndrome that we all go through. 

The other very important thing is to have a community to fall back on. Whether that’s a chapter of a professional organization like RWA, SFWA, SCWBI, and others, or a Facebook group, critique group, or writer’s circle, having others to commiserate and celebrate with you makes the journey much easier. 

Is there a character in SONG OF BLOOD & STONE that you most relate to? How do you select names of your characters? 

I think Jasminda represents various aspects of myself both as I am and as I’d like to be. She’s definitely bolder than I am, but her struggle to feel a part of things is one that I understand. 

As for naming my characters, for each nation, I asked questions about how the names should generally work. Things like: which prefixes and suffixes are common? Which letters and sounds are prevalent? Which letters or sounds either don’t exist or are more rare? So the Elsirans have a lot of double vowels in their names. Qs, Vs, and Zs are prominent, but there are no hard Cs. 

Lagrimari names generally don’t use Js. I set up which suffixes were for men and women and the types of sounds the names would have. There are only 9 last names in Lagrimar, corresponding with the Houses. Jasminda as a name is an exception. Her parents didn’t follow the naming conventions of either country for her or her brothers. Because their interracial relationship was unique, they wanted their children’s names to be distinctive as well. 

If you had to choose a song that, according to you, describes Jasminda and Jack's relationship perfectly, which song would you pick? 

There is this unreleased song by Alice Smith called “Forever Yours.” Alice Smith is one of my favorite singers and it’s a shame she’s not super famous. There’s a version on YouTube that’s really haunting and beautiful. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0fP_7HRQzs) I think the song sort of works from both Jack and Jasminda’s perspectives. There’s a heartfelt desperation to it that kicks me in the gut when I listen to it and dovetails with their relationship.

What do you most hope that readers take away from SONG OF BLOOD AND STONE?

I really just hope readers enjoy the story and the characters. Jasminda is a heroine that I had been longing to see, so I hope people get as much joy and heartache from her story as I did when I wrote it. 

Can you tell us more about the next books in the series? What are you working on now? 

Book 2, WHISPERS OF SHADOW & FLAME, follows a parallel timeline to SONG. It’s about Darvyn, a character we hear about in SONG who was the Earthsinger responsible for disguising Jack. The disguise’s failure gets Jack captured and he wonders what happened to Darvyn. So in WHISPERS, we find out. But it also pushes the story forward, showing what’s going on in Lagrimar in the days before the Mantle comes down and setting up the next challenge that Jack, Jasminda, and Darvyn will face. 

Book 3, CRY OF METAL & BONE picks up the story of how Elsira and Lagrimar deal with the fall of the Mantle and the new threat facing the nations. 

I’m also working on a brand-new series with dragons ☺ 

What are your favorite books you would recommend to readers? 

Among my favorites of all time are Wild Seed by Octavia Butler, The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay, Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta, Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover, Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor and Sheltered by Charlotte Stein. I could go on and on, but I’ll leave it there. 

About the author:


Leslye Penelope has been writing since she could hold a pen and loves getting lost in the worlds in her head. She is an award-winning author of new adult, fantasy, and paranormal romance. She lives in Maryland with her husband and their furry dependents: an eighty-pound lap dog and an aspiring feral cat.


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