Mist and Whispers by C.M. Lucas - Blog Tour

Mist and Whispers - Blog Tour

By C.M. Lucas

Synopsis: Imagine a world in eternal darkness. A world where skeletal beasts lurk in the forest. Where the women are missing, and the men are in need of salvation...

            In the West-English town of Little Wolf Green, Scott's bookshop is about to close down. Convinced the bookshop holds the key to her mother's identity, sixteen year old Anya Piddling vows to save Scott's, whatever the cost.
            When four books of magic and myth take the world by storm, Anya begins a journey to discover the truth about the author, known only as the Weaver. Followed closely by her friends, and one surly, bitter ex-boyfriend, Anya soon realises a whole new world awaits: a world gone very wrong, with maddening whispers in the forest, magical winged Kings and a dragon-boy that understands her, inside and out. But this world needs a saviour... and everyone is looking at her.

ERIMUS HALL

HIS HEART THRASHED against his chest, a prisoner desperate to be freed from this burden. There was no way out. He had a job to do, and if it wasn’t done at that moment, his entire plan would be over before it even began.
    The earth was but sludge, encasing his feet as he struggled up the bank. Bullets of rain struck his face as the winds lashed around him, obscuring his view and leaving him helpless in the dark.
   Then, as if a divine hand was guiding the way, a flash of lightning revealed his final destination; Erimus Hall. The Hall was only another hundred meters away, run down and deserted, but his sanctuary nonetheless.
    Resisting the temptation to rest against the stone wall at the top of the bank, he pushed on, clambering across it with the rain-soaked trunk in his hands. Once over and sure of his feet, he took a moment to look around. Any sign of someone following and he’d have to revert to his back up location, as even with his goal in sight, he wouldn’t allow himself the risk of assuming he was home safe.
    A clap of thunder quickened his pace and a minute later he’d reached the doorway, where a century’s worth of ivy had claimed the oak as its own. He set on it straight away, teasing back the creeper with a gentle hand, the whole time fighting against the instincts that were screaming inside his head.
    Just tear it down – you’re going too slow – someone’s going to see you!
    No. He couldn’t leave a sign that he’d been there. It had to look natural.
    Two more bursts of lightning gave him a glimpse of what he needed to allow his unmarked entry into the building. With the trunk safely inside he took one more look around, and with another strike of lightning, he was gone.

My Review: When I received the email from Jen of Happy Little Book Nook about this blog tour, I was overjoyed. I'm such of fan of BenjaminOfTomes' youtube channel, and I can't remember which video it was, but he discussed this book and said it was somewhat like Outlander, and filled with magic. Of course anything describe as Outlanderish and filled with magic will catch my attention.

            I feel that the author tried very hard to incorporate everything, love, romance, magic, dragons, and more, and it was a little overwhelming at times. One other main comment I had was that I found Anya quite annoying at times. Overall, I quite enjoyed Mist and Whispers, and I'm very glad that I was asked to join this tour. I give Mist and Whispers four out of five stars for the interesting plot, and the feeling of too many things being crammed into one story at times.

            

Goodreads 

To purchase Mist and Whispers:

Amazon: https://goo.gl/lDPWVe

Book Depository: http://goo.gl/SdMsiJ

There's a special sale going on on Amazon where you can purchase the kindle copy of Mist and Whispers by C.M. Lewis for only $0.99 on the 20th and 21st.

There's a giveaway going on for this book!!

If you purchase a copy of Mist & Whispers you will be entered to win 1 of 10 special edition proof copies of the sequel. 

Rules to Enter: Send proof of purchase to: oftomes@oftomes.com
            *Oftomes Publishing will be selecting the winners

Claire Marie Lucas lives in South-East England with her husband and three children. She began writing stories from inside her wardrobe at the tender age of six and hasn't stopped writing in obscure places since; her current favourite being the cupboard beneath her stairs.

Mist & Whispers is her debut novel.
 
Official Website : www.cmlucas.com

 

General Information:

Name: Mist & Whispers 

Author: C.M. Lucas
Series: The Weaver's Riddle 
Published: April 5th 2016 by Oftomes Publishing
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Pages: 521
Format: Kindle Edition
Source: Publisher

Check out the rest of the blogs on the tour! 

Monday 20th: CG (http://vibrantreads.blogspot.com)
Tangled N’ Books (http://tanglednbooks.blogspot.com)
Karol: (http://readwithkarol.wordpress.com)

Tuesday 21st: Laura (http://www.lifeisabookblog.com)

                              Tiffany (http://www.instagram.com/biblionatic)

Wednesday 22nd: Jordan (http://readbyroe.wordpress.com)
Helen (http://bibliophileinwonderland.wordpress.com)

Thursday 23rd: Jen  (http://paperandpageblog.wordpress.com)

                                  Nadine (http://www.instagram.com/my_nerdy_wonderland)

Friday 24th: Hannah (http://www.instagram.com/toallthebooks1)

                           Charlotte (http://writingsofa21yearold.wordpress.com)
Jo (http://www.writersandauthors.info)

Saturday 25th: Yahaira (http://www.instagram.com/thejubliantreader)

                                Sarah (http://transientdrifter.blogspot.com)

Sunday 26th: Tegan (http://twrshelton.wix.com/betweenthelines)

                              Kathleen (http://bookshaul.wordpress.com)

A Court of Mist and Fury - Book Review

A Court of Mist and Fury

by Sarah J. Mass

DISCLAIMER: There will be some spoilers for both ACOTAR and ACOMAF in this review. You have been warned!!

Synopsis: Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court--but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can’t forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin’s people.

            Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms--and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future--and the future of a world cleaved in two. (Goodreads summary)

My Review: My initial reactions to finishing this book were HOLY SHIT, and when will the next book be out. Sarah J. Mass has once again brought me into this wonderful world full of characters I love, and ripped me right out of it with my heart shattered into a thousand pieces. 
            What really made this book for me has to be the characters and the character development. We already know Feyre from the previous book, but everything changes in this one. Feyre has something along the lines of PTSD which is completely understandable after what she went through Under the Mountain. She is being coddled by Tamlin, who I grew to hate in ACOTAR which is surprising due to how much I loved him in ACOTAR, until Rhysand comes to cash in on their bargain they made Under the Mountain....in the middle of Feyra and Tamlin's wedding. We learn that Rhys isn't just the cool, cocky prick we met in ACOTAR, but is actually a caring, somewhat broken man who only did what he did to protect those he loves. I also personally loved the entire Night Court gang, Mor, Amren, Cassian, and Azriel, and thought that Mass did a fantastic job in showing each person's character and personality as well as giving us a good description of their backgrounds and how deep their relationships runs. Ever since I finished ACOMAF I've been scouring the internet for Fanfics that include all of my favorite characters just to get me through until the third book, and I'm hoping that Mass will do some novellas on the Night Court gang and their pasts (especially Amren since much is unknown about her).
            In my opinion, I think that the plot of ACOMAF blows the plot of ACOTAR out of the water. There is no second book slump in the ACOTAR series, and I think that the sequel has actually overcome the first in the series. I love how Mass was able to put a lot of stuff into the 626 pages of ACOMAF, and keep the readers attention every step of the way till the end. Everything from Feyre self destructing in the beginning, to Rhys and Feyre's relationship developing in Velaris, to the beginning of the war with the King of Hybern, to the EPIC THING THAT HAPPENED AT THE END (not putting it in due to spoilers, but if you've read it, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!!!) kept readers hooked. It also seems like this book was setting up for the epic war in the upcoming third (and final) book which I can not wait for!
           Last, but certainly not least, we NEED to discuss the relationship between Rhysand and Feyre....MATES!!!! THEY'RE MATES! AHHHhHHHhhHHhhh my little fangirl heart can't handle this. I really liked Rhys in ACOTAR because I kind of have a thing for bad boys, and hello!!! Rhys is the baddest bad boy of them all (just kidding, he's actually the cutest little cinnamon bun, but I thought he was a bad boy in ACOTAR), so when Mass paired them together over instead of Feyre Tamlin (whom I REALLLY hate after the ending of ACOMAF), I just about died. Mass does a fantastic job in building their relationship, and sharing every little detail with us. Their are also some VERY steamy sexy, sexy fun time bits in here that I was not expecting, but thoroughly enjoyed.

All in all, I give A Court of Mist and Fury five out of five stars for its enthralling plot, loveable (and hatable) characters, and the overall amazing writing of the queen, Sarah J. Mass. If you have not already, I truly recommend that you pick up the A Court of Thorns and Roses series, or any other book by Sarah J. Mass, because it will truly change (and take over) your life.

If you would like to purchase A Court of Mist and Fury

Book Depository

Barnes and Nobles

Amazon

-CG

Exciting News!

Hey guys, I have some exciting news! SCHOOL IS FINALLY OVER, and that means MORE TIME FOR READING AND REVIEWING!! These last two month of school have been horrible with practically every teacher trying to shove in two or three more tests each along with several research papers, quizzes, and homework galore. I finally picked up A Court of Mist and Fury last night, so expect a review for that up in a few days. Happy summer!
CG

Milton and Jerry's Perfect Printer Ink - A Short Story by CG Marinelli

Milton and Jerry’s Perfect Printer Ink

After about thirteen years of pencil pushing whilst sat in a small cubicle surrounded by young, hopeful nobodies, Stanley Vincent Carmichael decided he was done. He’s wasted god knows how many years of his life working towards bigger and better things, but has barely moved an inch since college.

He used to be considered the lucky one in his family, can you believe that? The first one to finish college since his grandpa, a handsome, young ball of charisma, and he was practically given his job as printer ink salesman straight out of university! For the first year or two, almost everybody he called purchased at least a hundred dollars worth of ink, whether or not they even needed it, solely based on how enthusiastic and exciting he sounded when describing all the wonderful details of “Milton and Jerry’s Perfect Printer Ink!” But, like most things, he wore down overtime. No longer did he sound like the young, cheerful kangaroo Roo from Winnie the Pooh, but rather like dull, depressing Eeyore. It was around year five that he started losing his hair.

Things were starting to look up for Stan around year seven. They were giving him a ‘promotion’ as they called it, but it was just a way to get rid of the gloomy man to boost sales. They moved him to a new department where he went over the numbers, analyzed the sales, and wrote up reports to hand in to his boss, Mr Abraham, at the end of every week. He was happy for a little while. His paycheck had an extra figure, his department had some older people in it, his cubicle was larger, but all good things must come to an end.

Around 2013, the company decided to merge with their largest competitor to create a “printer ink empire,” and that just brought a wave crashing down over him. The ‘new’ company decided to move to a larger building to compensate for the now large mass of people, but it seemed to only make things more congested. They shoved Stan into a small, four by four cubicle that made Harry Potter’s cupboard under the stairs seem like a mansion, his workload was tripled, and it seemed like they purposely placed him next to the loudest, most obnoxious twenty-something-year-olds he had ever met. He hoped he wasn’t like that when he was young.

He thought about quitting several times over the years. In fact, he went to countless interviews, but a degree in business from North Texas University and resume with only one thing to fill up the experience box can only get you so far. He would’ve been gone years ago if he had landed one, any one, but he needed the paycheck to keep dinner on the table for him and his dog, Sandy, the only thing he thinks will ever love him. Sometimes he would actually fantasize about being fired when the company was ‘being downgraded,’ but he was never picked. It was always the newest to arrive that were the first to leave. Those bastards didn’t know how lucky they were to get out early.

It was upon entering the workplace on January 3rd, the first working day of the year, he flat out decided he was done. He went to his sad excuse for a desk, scribbled down a quick note, not that anyone would bother to find it, and marched straight into his boss’ office without bothering to knock on the door. He was in the middle of a meeting with someone.

“I quit,” he said. Quick, laconic, and to the point, just like Stanley wanted.

“I’m sorry Mr….” Mr. Abraham’s words died out.

“Jesus Christ, after thirteen years! Thirteen years of my life spent at this God-forsaken place, and you still don’t know my name!” Stanley picked up a statue that was sitting on one of the shelves to his left and threw it straight at Mr. Abraham’s head. It shattered against the wall behind him.

In the midst of a storm of rage and fury, he stomped out of the office and towards the emergency stairwell. He raced up the stairs, head racing, heart pounding, lost in a whirlwind of thought. He swung the door open only to be faced with the blinding sunlight. He walked straight to the edge and looked down.  Twenty seven floors up, looking at the people below him, skittering around like ants, Stanley still felt small.

He contemplated silently for a little bit, wondering how long it would be before his landlady noticed he was gone, or who would feed his dog, Sandy? He sure as hell knew that his mother wouldn’t take the dog in with her being allergic and all. Doesn’t matter, he thought to himself. He was pretty sure that she got into the pantry every day while he was at work anyway. Come on Stan, Stan the Man, you can do this. Just jump. No one’ll miss you. You’re just a waste of space, sucking up everyone's air. He looked down again, sucked in one last breath, looked up at the pale, blue sky, and leapt.

His ever-thinning hair danced in the wind as it whistled past his ears. For a second, it felt like he was flying, but then reality set in and panic struck. He started flapping around like some sad baby bird attempting to fly for the first time, but unlike the baby bird, there was no mamma bird to catch him in case he fell. Instead, he hit the ground with a sickening crunch.

He never lost consciousness, no, not even when his spinal cord snapped. A crowd surrounded him, only backing up when his blood started to pool around him like a protective barrier. Eventually the EMTs were called and as he was being lifted into the copter, preparing to be heli-carried to the nearest hospital, he thought to himself Well shit Stanley. You can’t even kill yourself correctly. What the hell are you still doing here?

Hey guys, here's just a quick little piece I wrote for my creative writing class. The prompt was depression, and it had to include the loss of a job at some point or another. Hope you enjoy it!
                                                                                                                       -CG

School of Deaths Book Review

School of Deaths

Book one in The Scythe Wielder's Secret Series

By Christopher Mannino

Synopsis: Thrust into a world of men, can a timid girl find bravery as the first female Death?

            Thirteen-year-old Suzie Sarnio always believed the Grim Reaper was a fairy tale image of a skeleton with a scythe. Now, forced to enter the College of Deaths, she finds herself training to bring souls from the Living World to the Hereafter. The task is demanding enough, but as the only female in the all-male College, she quickly becomes a target. Attacked by both classmates and strangers, Suzie is alone in a world where even her teachers want her to fail. 
            Scythes hungry for souls, Deaths who subjugate a race of mysterious magicians, and echoes of an ancient war with Dragons.
           As her year progresses, Suzie suspects her presence isn't an accident. She uncovers a plot to overthrow the World of Deaths. Now she must also discover the reason she's been brought there: the first female Death in a million years.

My Review: I was overjoyed when I got the email from NetGalley saying that my request for this book had been approved. I've seen Ben of BenjaminofTomes raving about this book on youtube, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. Going into School of Deaths, I didn't know much about the boos aside from Ben saying it was like Hogwarts for grim reapers, and that exited me.

            Ben's description of the college being like Hogwarts for grim reapers is right of the dot except for one detail, you can't ever leave the college if you don't your final test but the witches and wizards of hogwarts are allowed to leave whenever they want. I thought that this detail added a nice touch to the story, and extra thing going on that you believe will be the main plot of the story, but truly isn't. The entire wold that the story takes place in is filled with magic, dragons, and elementals who have the power to manipulate the world around them. I thought the world building was good, especially the detail about everything smelling like strawberries, and how that comes to help the main group later on.

            I thought that Mannino did a spectacular job with the character. I loved them all, Susan, Billie, Frank, Jason, Sindrill, Hann, Athanasis, even Frenchie and Luc. It's obvious that he worked hard on giving each and everyone of the characters, bad or good, important or in the background, their very own personality. One thing I especially loved was the development of the relationships between Susan, Billy, Frank, and Jason from how they start and how they end up. Mannino made sure each of the characters had a depth to them, and they weren't just words written on a flat page.

            The plot of School of Deaths was confusing to me at first, I didn't quite know what was going on. The reader is given a couple clues here and there to try and put it together, but I don't know if anyone could be able to figure it out without the big explanation from the 'mentals. That's probably my one main issue with this book: that the purpose/plot of the story isn't entirely clear to the reader from the get-go. I mean, we have an idea of what's going on, but no idea of what's going to happen next, which could be both a good and bad thing.

I give School of Deaths 4 stars because it is a wonderfully written book with full of action, romance, excitement, and characters that you will fall in love with, but because of my issues with the plot I cannot give it a five star rating. I plan to read the rest of the books in the series, and I also suggest that you pick up this book if you see it in the store or download it on your e-reader.

If you would like to Of Pens and Swords

Book Depository

Amazon

Author and Publisher Links

Publisher

Author

-CG  

Of Pens and Swords Book Review

Of Pens and Swords

By Rena Rocford

 

Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Cyra Berque wants two things in life: a date with Rochan and a chance to fence at the Olympics. But people with one hand don’t normally fence, and girls with big thighs don’t get the boy. Knowing that she wants to make the Olympics, Cyra’s coach sets her up with another coach, one who could take her all the way to the top, but the new coach costs more. Feeling her dreams slipping out of reach, Cyra agrees to tutor a ballerina with a rich father and a D minus in English. It’s triple the pay and triple the pain. The ballerina isn’t interested in passing classes―she wants Rochan, and she’s promised she’ll turn her D minus into a full-fledged F if Cyra doesn’t help her win the heart of Rochan. (Goodreads Summary)

My Review: I went into this book not knowing anything beyond the brief synopsis, and I came out of it in a combined mess of tears of joy and sadness. I didn't believe prior to reading this that any other author besides John Green could make me feel these things. Rena Rocford is a true genius, and I thank her for writing this book which I am now going to annoy all of my friends with by telling them to read every second of ever day.
            One thing Rocford does extraordinarily well in her writing is character development. She gives each character their own individual voice and personality, and allows the reader to truly feel like they are connecting with them. A character I surprisingly found that I was able to connect with was Crya. After reading the synopsis I didn't think that I could find a way to connect with a one-handed fencer, but Cyra is much more than that. She is a smart girl, a feminist (there's this amazing scene where they are discussing sexism in Hamlet in english class), a bookworm (she makes several references to Harry Potter), Captain Hook obsessed, and she puts all her effort towards achieving her dreams. I started out hating Christina in the beginning; I thought that she was going to be the cliche bratty girl turned nice, and that it was going to be something I'd already read a thousand times before. I can tell you, it was not. Now, Rochan is the only character I have slight issues with. I can't say much about my issues with him without spoiling the ending, but I can say that I believe he comes to terms with something a little quicker than I would've expected. All in all, 
            The overall plot of the story was ingenious to me; a new take on an old story. For some reason it reminded me of the movie John Tucker Must Die. Not in the whole revenge way, but the whole girls banding together to get a guy to like a girl way. Sounds confusing when I write it out, but it make perfect sense in my head. I promise. I can't say much else without spilling the beans, but there is one thing that happens towards then end of the book that caught me completely off guard. I was completely unprepared, my walls were down, and Rena Rocford made me sob like a four year old who lost their favorite toy. Right before I read this part I decided that I was to go to bed at the end of the chapter, but that never happened. It made me want to stay through till the bitter end, and I ended up finishing it in one session.
              Also, do you see how beautiful this cover is??? I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover but, the cover was honestly what made me click on the book on Netgalley in the first place. I love the use of bright colors, the ballet costume that is merged with the feather quill, and the letter in the background. All these things corresponding to stuff in the story which made it fun and interesting to look back on once I'd finished. I read this book on my kindle, and I need to get my hands on a physical copy to add to my collection IMMEDIATELY.

I give Of Pens and Swords 5 stars because is a beautifully written book filled with wonderfully written, loveable characters and an enticing story filled with many twists and turns. I am so glad to have recieved a copy from the publisher, Curiosity Quills Press, off of Netgalley to review, because I don't know if I would've picked it up if I hadn't, and I am incredibly happy that I read it. I suggest you pick it up if you're looking for a nice, realistic fiction read that'll make you laugh and cry both happy and sad tears.

If you would like to purchase Of Pens and Swords

Book Depository

Amazon

Author and Publisher Links

Publisher

Author's Blog

-CG

My Other Social Media

Hey guys! Even though I love Blogger, it's not my only form of social media.
Instagram (Personal): https://www.instagram.com/cg_marinelli/
Instagram (Bookish): https://www.instagram.com/vibrantreads/
Tumblr: http://the-girl-who-read-too-much.tumblr.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VibrantReads
I just think it would be cool to connect on other platforms, and I follow back on all of the. I can't wait to get to know y'all better!
CG