#BlogTour Cloth of Grace by Rachel J. Bonner

Today it’s my turn on the BlogTour Cloth of Grace by Rachel J. Bonner. It’s the fourth and final book in the Choices and Consequences series.

Giveaway to Win a complete, signed Choices and Consequences series and matching bookmarks (Open INT) – Prize includes signed copies of Strand of Faith, Thread of Hope, Weave of Love and Cloth of Grace.

About the Author

Rachel J Bonner is the author of the compelling and enthralling four book Choices and Consequences series.  The first book in the series, Strand of Faith, was published in November 2018. Book 2, Thread of Hope, released on 2nd May 2019, followed by Weave of Love on 24th October. The story concludes with Cloth of Grace, released on 29th February 2020.

Rachel has a degree in engineering, which she followed with a career in accountancy which is probably not a conventional path to becoming an author, particularly in fantasy or romance.  Rachel says that, although accountancy isn’t anything like as boring as everyone thinks, writing is a lot more fun.  When not writing, she can be found walking in the beautiful countryside near where she lives, which has influenced much of the scenery in her books, or shooting things with her local archery club.  Shooting targets only, honest.  Nothing to worry about. (Okay, sometimes we shoot Polo mints. Or cabbages. Still nothing to worry about.)

She also enjoys swimming, eating chocolate chip cookies and growing aromatic herbs, especially thyme and rosemary.  It’s no coincidence that her heroine likes the same things.You can find out more about her books and sign up for Rachel’s newsletters at www.racheljbonner.co.uk. Newsletter subscription link  https://www.subscribepage.com/webpage

Follow @racheljbonner1 on Twitter, on Facebook, Amazon, Goodreads, Buy Cloth of Grace

About the book – Choices and Consequences Book 4

When the fate of the world rests on your shoulders, how do you choose between what you ought to do and the only thing you really want?

Leonie finally knows who she is. But now she needs to decide who she is going to be. Her choice will affect not just her family, not just those she knows, but tens, hundreds of thousands, millions of people that she doesn’t. And every path that’s open to her will put Perry under the pressures that caused his breakdown before. How can she do what she must and still protect Perry?

Perry desperately wants to make things easier for Leonie. Somehow he has to find the strength to face the things that all but destroyed him in the past. But every way he turns, some aspect of his past lies waiting to pounce – even during his happiest moments. And he can never forget that Leonie’s life is in danger from someone, somewhere.

Gabriel has managed to negotiate peace, at least in theory. Now he must put that into practice and reunite Leonie with the family she never knew she had. Then disaster strikes right in the middle of his own sanctuary. Can he still protect those he loves, or has he been harbouring a villain the whole time?

Review

This is the fourth book in the Choices and Consequences series, personally I think you need to read the other books to get the full gist of the series. Some of them can be read as standalone, but I think this one needs a little prior knowledge.

The author herself describes this as having elements of paranormal and mystery, fantasy, faith and romance. It certainly is a combo of genres. This fourth part of the series is lot calmer and the characters spend a lot of time reflecting on the past.

That’s not to say that there isn’t any action, because there is always plenty of action and trouble when it comes to Leonie.

If you have read the previous books then you will recognise the moments Leonie and Perry ponder on, as they realise where their paths have crossed and decisions have influenced the both of them. As many are wont to do, the ‘what if and if only I had known’ scenarios are thrown out into the universe, but the truth is we can’t predict the future and sometimes things happen for a reason.

It’s paranormal fantasy with romance and faith at the core. In fact the spiritual aspect of the book becomes stronger as the story proceeds, especially the last few chapters. I think bringing it all back to the good Lord kind of contradicts the paranormal aspect of it and when it comes to the moral of the story faith isn’t a necessity, but that is just a personal preference.

Buy Cloth of Grace at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Isbin Books; pub date 29 Feb. 2020. Buy at Amazon com. Buy at Books2read.

Read my review of Thread of Hope by Rachel J Bonner

Giveaway to Win a complete, signed Choices and Consequences series and matching bookmarks (Open INT) – Prize includes signed copies of Strand of Faith, Thread of Hope, Weave of Love and Cloth of Grace.

Click here to Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

#BlogTour Soul of the Sword by Julie Kagawa

Today it’s my turn on the BlogTour Soul of the Sword by Julie Kagawa. It’s YA fantasy embedded with a deep sense of culture, identity and mythology.

About the Author

Julie Kagawa, the New York Times bestselling author of the Iron Fey, Blood of Eden, Talon, and Shadow of the Fox series was born in Sacramento, California. But nothing exciting really happened to her there. So, at the age of nine she and her family moved to Hawaii, which she soon discovered was inhabited by large carnivorous insects, colonies of house geckos, and frequent hurricanes. She spent much of her time in the ocean, when she wasn’t getting chased out of it by reef sharks, jellyfish, and the odd eel.

When not swimming for her life, Julie immersed herself in books, often to the chagrin of her schoolteachers, who would find she hid novels behind her Math textbooks during class. Her love of reading led her to pen some very dark and gruesome stories, complete with colored illustrations, to shock her hapless teachers. The gory tales faded with time, but the passion for writing remained, long after she graduated and was supposed to get a real job.

To pay the rent, Julie worked in different bookstores over the years, but discovered the managers frowned upon her reading the books she was supposed to be shelving. So she turned to her other passion: training animals. She worked as a professional dogtrainer for several years, dodging Chihuahua bites and overly enthusiastic Labradors, until her first book sold and she stopped training to write full time.

Julie now lives in North Carolina with her husband, two obnoxious cats, and a pair of Australian Shepherds that have more Instagram followers than she does.

Follow @Jkagawa on Twitter, on Goodreads, on Amazon, Visit juliekagawa.com

Buy Soul of the Sword

About the book

One thousand years ago, a wish was made to the Harbinger of Change and a sword of rage and lightning was forged. Kamigoroshi. The Godslayer. It had one task: to seal away the powerful demon Hakaimono.

Now he has broken free.

Kitsune shapeshifter Yumeko has one task: to take her piece of the ancient and powerful scroll to the Steel Feather temple in order to prevent the summoning of the Harbinger of Change, the great Kami Dragon who will grant one wish to whomever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers. But she has a new enemy now. The demon Hakaimono, who for centuries was trapped in a cursed sword, has escaped and possessed the boy she thought would protect her, Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan.

Hakaimono has done the unthinkable and joined forces with the Master of Demons in order to break the curse of the sword and set himself free. To overthrow the empire and cover the land in darkness, they need one thing: the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers. As the paths of Yumeko and the possessed Tatsumi cross once again, the entire empire will be thrown into chaos.

Review

What the Talon series lacks in complexity and world-building the Shadow of the Fox series makes up for it tenfold. It’s quite interesting how Kagawa manages to divide the YA category into sub-categories. She can write books that appeal the readers looking for a less mind-boggling and intricate fantasy read, and then turn around and create the kind of read that appeals for those who like their fantasy hardcore complex.

Kitsune shapeshifter Yumeko more or less the holds the key to peace or war and destruction. Her small piece of the powerful and very dangerous scroll has to be transported to the Steel Feather temple in order to avoid the worst possible scenario. Obviously there are other forces also seeking the ability to summon the Kami Dragon, so it isn’t just plain sailing for her.

For one, the demon Hakaimono has possessed Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan, someone Yumeko thought would always be there to protect and support her. Now he has inadvertently become her biggest enemy or rather the one to be the most wary of.

The author uses strong emotional ties and relationships to help drive the plot. This is especially the case with Reika, Okame and Daisuke when it comes to supporting the quest and Yumeko. The flip side of that plays out between Yumeko and Tatsumi. The struggle to reconcile with the fact her friend is in there somewhere, but powerless and at the mercy of Hakaimono. The belief she can save Tatsumi may put her in a precarious situation.

This is without a doubt the kind of series I am wont to follow. It’s YA fantasy embedded with a deep sense of culture, identity and mythology. Kagawa creates her own mythology to weave throughout and strengthen the story, albeit one that is based on the sinuous and intriguing mythology of Japan. It’s an incredibly intense read.

Buy Soul of the Sword (Shadow of the Fox #2) at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: HQ Young Adult; pub date 27 Jun. 2019. Buy at Amazon com.

Read my reviews of Soldier, The Iron Warrior and The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa.

Ride the Storm by Karen Chance

My head is spinning and the little grey cells are hurting after all the time-hops, battles and intrigues. At times I felt it was a bit much, and then the author would bring it all back to the Cassie we know and love.

There are perhaps one too many action scenes, too many moments that are almost repetitive, which then takes the pleasure out of the story, because you know what is coming.

One of the aspects I particularly enjoyed was the way Chance brought in facts and story-lines from older books and even from the Basarab series. It is no secret that I think the Dorina Basarab series is superior to the Cassie Palmer one, so I was really excited to see her appear in this book. It was more of a secondary and explanatory role, but it was still a nice touch. I would love to see a Basarab and Palmer novel with both receiving the same amount of attention.

Mircea spent a certain amount of time clearing up certain things about Dory, and in doing so also reveals a secret that connects all of the Pythias throughout the centuries. It is also a betrayal on a certain level, as far as I am concerned, because he admits to planning ahead and wanting to use the Pythia, ergo Cassie, to achieve his greatest desire.

Now she is armed with this information will Cassie finally stand by her attraction to Pritkin and accept that perhaps she was nothing more than a means to an end for Mircea.

I find that Karen Chance manages to create more complex plot-lines and scenarios as the series goes on, as opposed to less interesting as the ideas dwindle. The trick is keeping the element alive that keeps the readers coming back for more. Chance is one of the more underrated stars of the urban fantasy genre, especially when it comes to the Basarab series, and definitely an author whose books I look forward to.

Buy Ride the Storm at AmazonUk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

Read Reap the Wind by Karen Chance

Starting today! Blog-Tour for Winter Halo by Keri Arthur

I am super excited to be part of the Blog-Tour for Winter Halo by Keri Arthur. It is the second book in the Outcast series. On the 30th I will be featuring a fantastic Q&A by Keri Arthur and my review of Winter Halo.

Hope to see you here on the 30th of November for my review of Winter Halo!

Buy Winter Halo at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

Shiver of Light by Laurell K. Hamilton

At long last the Merry Gentry book with the big baby reveal is here. I will try to avoid any major spoilers, which will be terribly difficult. What I will say is they are

There is a strong layer of maternal emotion throughout the story. Yes, I know Merry has given birth, ergo it is only natural for that aspect to be part of the story. I am talking about the way Hamilton has managed to instill that particular emotion with a strength and abandonment I found quite impressive. Exactly the right amount to extract a coo, a sigh and perhaps even an imaginary whiff of baby.

Regardless whether it was by intention or due to the medical necessity of the storyline, I was relieved by the lack of or minimum use of sexual activity.

Hamilton’s books are often drenched or rather soaked with so much sexual interaction that it bogs down the story, and is often to the detriment of said story.

Hamilton is a talented scribe with the ability to weave the fantastical with a taste of modern to captivate her audience. Unfortunately that talent is often kicked to the side by the stronger tendency to have her characters romp, ravish and fornicate.

Luckily this time it wasn’t the case, well at least not as much as usual.

Merry transfers or awakens powers with skin to skin touch, sexual intimacy and sex in general. She also makes those she interacts with on those levels much stronger. That per se, aside from how often, isn’t a problem. What I found questionable is Merry doing it with individuals she doesn’t like, doesn’t trust and only doing it to awaken their power. Indeed there seems to a waiting list to ‘visit’ with Merry for a special awakening.

Although this part of the popular series is filled with joy there is also a shock and heartbreak in store for Merry and her small bus load of men.

I think Hamilton could use this deep breath and break she has taken from Gentry to take the series in an entirely new direction. The children offer the opportunity of a fresh start. There could be a spin-off featuring the Gentry offspring, whether as a YA or a new urban fantasy series.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley.