#Blogtour First Degree Murder by M.J. Weatherall

It’s my turn on the Blogtour First Degree Murder by M. J. Weatherall.

About the Author 

M. J. Weatherall is one of those people who loves writing but always struggles to write about herself. She always feel like she’s bragging (which in and of itself sounds like a brag according to her). 

She is a young author from Sheffield who moved to the Lake District to get her BSc (Hons) degree in Outdoor Adventure and Environment. More recently she has qualified as a primary school teacher and is now fulfilling her calling as an educator. 

M. J. loves climbing, kayaking and spending all her spare time in nature. A lifelong bookworm, she takes pride in growing her book knowledge (an asset to any pub quiz team to be sure!). She likes to think that she’s a fun person to be around…at the very least, her cat seems to think so. Follow @mj_weatherall on Twitter or @mj.weatherall/ on Instagram

About the book

From the author of Silent Is The Crown! 

Matty Darcy is a Criminology and Psychology student in the quaint university village of Ambleside. She has survived the normal dramas of student life such as shared living, assignments, heartbreak and friendships. But this year takes the drama to a whole new level when her fellow students start mysteriously dying.

Matty takes it upon herself to catch the killer with the help of local Police Officer, and heartthrob, P.C Nicholas Wilde and her ex-boyfriend Dean. It is a race against the clock to work out who’s killing students, and why.

Matty soon finds out more than she has bargained for… enough to make her the next target!

Review

The future is ambitious and bright, even if life as a student can be both frustrating and fun all at the same time. What Matty doesn’t expect is for her slightly chaotic life, which is also pulsing with opportunity and potential, to be turned upside down when students start dropping like flies.

It’s a novella length read. It felt a little like a YA meets non-slaughter and more sleuthing Scream scenario. The main character evolves as the story progresses – in both deduction skills and her ability to deduce human actions and traits.

Come on Matty, yes it’s a release and it certainly helps to move the story along, but my goodness leaving handwritten accounts for just anyone to find – that’s a bit of a liability isn’t it? Just saying. If this is going to be a regular occurrence then perhaps work on keeping things in the mind databank.

It’s a story that has the potential to be a series, with a a focus on the young adult market or with a set of characters that grows with the mysteries. 

Buy First Degree Murder at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Blossom Spring Publishing, pub date 23 Nov. 2022. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour Strays by Janeen Leese-Taylor

 It’s my turn on the Blogtour Strays by Janeen Leese-Taylor.

About the Author

Janeen is an Irish author born and raised on the scenic Causeway Coast. Curious, and with a great love for adventure, Jan spent her childhood climbing trees and talking to her imaginary friends, many of whom have now found a home in her writing.

She has a bachelor’s degree in advertising and works for gaming companies around the world. She is a lover of all things fantasy and aims to bring some magic to the places that she visits in her writing. Portstewart, Dublin and Chester City each feature prominently in both her travels and her writing, and her stories often draw from real life places that have captured her heart.

As an ultramarathon runner, Jan often writes on the go, using her trusty phone and stylus to craft scenes that come to her after hours on her feet. 

She lives with her husband, Liam, their Border Collie-Cross, Zarya, and their Guinea Pig, (Peek-A) Boo, who they all fear will one day take over the world! Follow @InkAndSmudge on Twitter. @inkandsmudgebooks/ on Instagram or JLeeseTaylorAuthor on Facebook

About the book

A murder without evidence, a secret that could topple society and a cop with a bit of a coffee habit!

Three things were certain in the mind of Officer Theodore Night: One: There’s a serial killer loose in Portstewart. Two: His new friend is a werewolf. Three: He’s in way over his head

When bloody paw prints at a crime scene leads Officer Night to consider the impossible, he must rely not only on his years of investigative experience, but on the local werewolf pack, for help. An unlikely friendship gives Night the edge he needs to prevent an all-out war. Has Blair, the mysterious barista from Bean and Gone, caused him to bite off more than he can chew?

Review

Officer Theo Night – always willing to lend a helping hand even if it means putting himself in danger. He also has the habit of collecting strays, both the four-legged and the two-legged kind, sometimes a combination of both.

Hot on the heels of a vicious killer, someone or something that likes to annihilate entire families, is out there causing mayhem and Theo is determined to find them. It seems like the wrong time to be picking up young men in distress, especially when his home is filled with a pack of protective family members led by a small alpha with a mega attitude.

Side note – sometimes less is more when it comes to describing a person, perhaps to differentiate one speaker from the other and to ensure the reader knows who is speaking. The flow of dialogue and the story becomes stunted by the repeated use of – the smaller man, the dark-haired man for example.

Urban-fantasy with a mystery/crime vibe, and to top it off it’s also LGBTQ – It ticks plenty of boxes, that’s for sure. It has the potential to be an interesting series, as the author hones her skills and delves deeper into that vein of creativity.

Buy Strays at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher : ‎Blossom Spring Publishing; pub date 17 Nov. 2022. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour The Children of Pisces: The Two Pendants by R.E. Lewin

It’s a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour The Children of Pisces: The Two Pendants by R.E. Lewin.

About the Author

Rachael has loved writing since she finished her first book at thirteen. Since then she has broadened her experiences by becoming a project manager, energy healer and helping animals with applied zoopharmacognosy, as well as helping to nurture creativity in others, including her twins, who are the primary age group for this, her debut.

About the book

It’s 2070 and our post-apocalyptic world is different. Aliens secretly invaded with a lethal biological weapon: a terrifying virus that annihilated almost every living creature in its path. People still believe it was a natural virus, oblivious to aliens and the truth. Humanity’s survival is in the hands of the alliance, a team of humans and aliens who stand against the evil arch-enemy alien leader. Orphaned children are raised in army-style schools. But from this barren wasteland, a few shall rise…

Tammy and Mikie are half-human and half-alien siblings, with immense metaphysical powers and a crystal weapon. Their powers are extraordinary alone, but together they are unstoppable. Their father promises to return for them when they reach thirteen – combat age. But at twelve, these two are already too powerful to ignore.

Tammy has been raised in an orphan camp, under the thumb of a bitter woman who rules with an iron fist. Now she has been adopted and taken to a new kind of safari park. Here, the scales shift and the animals help her to unlock her gifts with animals and nature. Can Tammy rise above her animal instincts and maintain her humanity?

Mikie, a strong telepath, can control people’s minds and is a martial arts expert like his uncle. Forced to live a lonely, home-schooled life to avoid detection, he often gets into trouble and battles with the responsibility of his powers. Can Mikie overcome his inner conflict? Will his compulsion to protect put those closest to him in even more danger?

This adventure will take them across the world and maybe into the stars beyond. They must reunite their family and decide where their loyalties lie. The seekers are coming…

Review

Going into the story the readers is given part of an origin story, which becomes important over a decade later. The characters move parallel in time, but at all times on a path towards each other.

Tammy, who has caught the interest of a couple after many years of waiting to be adopted, has an affinity for animals. It is more than just liking them – they see her and she sees them. A collective communication appears to take place, one that others aren’t privy to.

Then there is Mikie, a young boy who can read minds and control them. The two of them have something in common, something elemental that is full of possibilities. They are an enhanced version of those around them, which means they are valuable asset or are they a dangerous weapon, depending on the path they choose?

It’s an ambitious series with plenty of potential – a crossover and melding of genres. A futuristic, speculative tale, a dystopian world with elements of sci-fi. The author has drawn a tentative thread of humanity throughout, and only time will tell if they will be able to sustain it in themselves, each other – or whether it will be submerged by natural instincts.

I like the fact it is story that is suitable for younger readers too. What a way to experience creativity and expand horizons, and a multi-genre world. It will be interesting to see where the next part in the series takes the Children of Pisces.

Buy The Children of Pisces: The Two Pendants at Amazon Uk. Publisher ‏: ‎Matador pub date 28 Mar. 2022. Buy at Amazon com. Buy at Troubador.

#LaunchDay #BlogTour Finding Fires and Other Stories by Rachel Churcher

 It’s a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour Finding Fire and Other Stories by Rachel Churcher. It’s the seventh book in the Battle Ground series. 

To celebrate the launch of Finding Fires the author is offering the prequel, Making Trouble, for free – get it here https://tallerbooks.com/freebook/  – Buy Finding Fires here

About the Author

Rachel Churcher was born between the last manned moon landing, and the first orbital Space Shuttle mission. She remembers watching the launch of STS-1, and falling in love with space flight, at the age of five. She fell in love with science fiction shortly after that, and in her teens she discovered dystopian fiction. In an effort to find out what she wanted to do with her life, she collected degrees and other qualifications in Geography, Science Fiction Studies, Architectural Technology, Childminding, and Writing for Radio.

She has worked as an editor on national and in-house magazines; as an IT trainer; and as a freelance writer and artist. She has renovated several properties, and has plenty of horror stories to tell about dangerous electrics and nightmare plumbers. She enjoys reading, travelling, stargazing, and eating good food with good friends – but nothing makes her as happy as writing fiction.

Her first published short story appeared in an anthology in 2014, and the Battle Ground series is her first long-form work. Rachel lives in East Anglia, in a house with a large library and a conservatory full of house plants. She would love to live on Mars, but only if she’s allowed to bring her books.

Follow @Rachel_Churcher on Twitter, on Goodreads, on Facebook, on Instagram,

About the book

What happened between Margie and Dan at Makepeace Farm? How did Jackson really feel about Ketty? What happens next to the survivors of the Battle Ground Series?

Step behind the scenes of the series with six new short stories and five new narrators – Margie, Jackson, Maz, Dan, and Charlie – plus bonus blogs and insights from the author.

The Battle Ground Series is set in a dystopian near-future UK, after Brexit and Scottish independence. Spoiler warning: Finding Fire and Other Stories contains tie-in short fiction from across the Battle Ground series. There are spoilers for all the previous books in the series, including the free prequel, Making Trouble.

Review

I have to give the author her dues when it comes to Author’s note at the beginning of this book. There is a clear structure to this dystopian and speculative YA series, and the order in which a person reads the books can influence the reading experience.

Reading this one first – book 7 – for instance is a bit like collecting everyone’s diaries and personal notes after being involved in many months of life changing events, and reading them out loud in front the class without having the right context to evaluate said information. The previous books give book seven all the right situational, emotional backstory.

Having read along on this experimental journey I think this adds to the speculative nature of the premise. I think the only downsides are the fact the series has to be read as a whole – as an experience – to get the full gist of it. The earlier books may seem to lack depth or perhaps context in some areas for instance, but as it evolves those areas are catered for retrospectively.

The author also uses Book Seven to evaluate some of her own characters and their actions. In fact it’s almost like a special episode with special unseen footage and the author’s comments. It’s a nice closure, from an aesthetic point of view, not necessarily needed from a story point of view. 

Buy Finding Fires at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher : ‎Taller Books pub date 15 July 2021. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour Toxic by Lucy V. Hay

 It’s my turn to take part in the BlogTour Toxic by Lucy V. Hay.

About the Author

Lucy V. Hay is a novelist, script editor and blogger who helps writers via her Bang2write consultancy. Lucy is the producer of two Brit Thrillers, Deviation (2012) and Assassin (2015), as well as the script editor and advisor on numerous other features and shorts. 

Lucy’s the author of Writing and Selling Thriller Screenplays for Kamera Books’ “Creative Essentials” range, as well as its follow ups on Drama Screenplays and Diverse Characters for fiction as well as screenwriting. Her debut crime novel, The Other Twin, is now out with Orenda Books and has been featured in The Sun and Sunday Express Newspapers, plus Heatworld and Closer Magazine. 

Follow @LucyVHayAuthor On Twitter, on Facebook, on Instagram, on Goodreads, Visit lucyvhayauthor.com 

About the book

It was supposed to be a summer of fun. What came next was anything but … Jasmine is 17, a fitness freak and neurotic. Her best friend Olivia is Jasmine’s polar opposite: overweight and unfit, Olivia is happy in her own skin, despite trouble at home. Best friends since nursery school, Jasmine and Olivia have each other’s backs until the glamorous Ellie arrives in town. Rich and popular, Ellie is everything Jasmine is not … but has always wanted to be. 

Jasmine is soon caught in the middle between her childhood friend and the new Queen Bee. Hurt by her oldest friend’s lack of loyalty, Olivia starts keeping her secrets of her own. As the rivalry between Ellie and Olivia heats up, Jasmine will make a single, devastating choice that changes everything. Book #2 in the ‘Intersection Series’, Toxic explores the lethal nature of fake friendship and is perfect for fans of Lauren Oliver’s ‘Before I Fall’ or Laurie Halse Anderson’s ‘Wintergirls’.

Review

Jasmine is seventeen and her biggest problem is having to deal with two friends who can’t stand the sight of each other. Being between them and having to choose either Olivia or Ellie makes life incredibly difficult for Jasmine, and it also means having to hurt people she is supposed to be ride or die with. 

What the alternate timelines and Groundhog Day scenario shine a light on is the often vacuous impulsivity and shallow reasoning behind the choices made by teenagers. One of those choices can mean the difference between life or death, pain or happiness. Such is the world of not yet adult humans.

This didn’t hit the spot for me. If I hadn’t read prior work by this author, which is far superior from a plot, storytelling and world-building perspective, it would perhaps be a different story. The premise of parallel timelines with the same characters experiencing the same day and similar circumstances with alternative endings, is actually an interesting one.

With a bit more finesse it could be so much better, and the same premise applied to a non YA crime scenario for instance, could potentially be a great read.

It’s a Young Adult read with an element of speculative sci-fi, the second book in the Intersection series.

Buy Toxic at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Littwitz Press; Illustrated edition pub date 10 Jan. 2019. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour Innocently Guilty by Ashling Bourke

It’s my turn on the BlogTour Innocently Guilty Ashling Bourke.

About the Author

Ashling Bourke spent most of her childhood growing up in Malawi which is a central source of inspiration for her debut novel ‘Innocently Guilty’. She now lives in Scotland and is studying at university whilst developing her debut novel into a series. Follow ashlingbourkebooks.com at Twitter or abourkebooks on Instagram

About the book

‘Innocently Guilty’ is a highly engaging and extremely entertaining first novel full of intriguing characters, international adventure, love and passion, secrets and a chilling mystery at its core. Lottie and Emily are best friends, who want more than anything to have the perfect boyfriend but when a boy is found dead and all eyes are on Lottie, an African adventure awaits that unexpectedly reveals the answers she seeks. This was so not part of the plan.

Review

It’s party time for three best friends, but for one of them the opposite gender is more important than the friendship, which is the beginning of a nightmare for one of them.

Lottie has a crush on Robbie and is looking forward to spending time with him, unbeknownst to her someone has plans to make her evening one to remember. Meanwhile her friends feel a little forgotten, even to the point of wanting to make sure Lottie remembers who they are.

First person narrative generally works a little better when the ‘I’ remains the same person consistently, as opposed to changing who the I is referring to every chapter. At the very least a chapter heading alluding to who I is referring to would be easier. As it stands the reader needs to read at least a paragraph each chapter to figure which one of the three girls the I is referring to each time. It’s confusing and disrupts the flow.

It’s a YA story, a tale of petty jealousy and irresponsible actions, of the shallowness of teenage friendship. How one decision made in the heat of the moment can change lives forever, but it’s also about a young girl reflecting on her actions. Being forced to confront her own privilege, stereotyping and bad attitude.

It needs more depth and more attention to detail when it comes to style and voice.

Buy Innocently Guilty at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher : The Conrad Press pub date 15 Feb. 2021. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour The Love Curse of Melody Mcintyre by Robin Talley

Today it’s a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour The Love Curse of Melody Mcintyre by Robin Talley.

About the Author

Robin Talley (she/her) is a queer author who grew up in southwest Virginia and now lives in Washington, D.C., with her wife and their kids. She did digital communications work for LGBTQ rights, women’s rights, educational equity, and other progressive causes for fifteen years before she turned to writing full-time, and is now the New York Times-bestselling author of six novels for teen readers: Music From Another World, Pulp, Our Own Private Universe, As I Descended, What We Left Behind, and Lies We Tell Ourselves.

Her books have won accolades including the Amnesty CILIP Honour and the Concorde Book Award, have been short-listed for the Lambda Literary Award and the CILIP Carnegie Medal, and have appeared on the Junior Library Guild, Amelia Bloomer Project, Kids’ Indie Next, and ALA Rainbow lists. They’ve also been covered in media outlets including Entertainment Weekly, The Guardian, The Chicago Tribune, Teen Vogue, NPR, Buzzfeed, Vulture, Huffington Post, Vice, and Bustle.

Her short stories have appeared in the young adult collections Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women & Witchcraft, All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens throughout the Ages, A Tyranny of Petticoats: 15 Stories of Belles, Bank Robbers and Other Badass Girls, and Feral Youth.

Follow @robin_talley on Twitter, on Amazon, on Goodreads, Visit robintalley.com, Buy The Love Curse of Melody Mcintyre

About the book

Melody McIntyre, stage manager extraordinaire, has a plan for everything.

What she doesn’t have? Success with love. Every time she falls for someone during a school performance, both the romance and the show end in catastrophe. So, Mel swears off any entanglements until their upcoming production of Les Mis is over.

Of course, Mel didn’t count on Odile Rose, rising star in the acting world, auditioning for the spring performance. And she definitely didn’t expect Odile to be sweet and funny, and care as much about the play’s success as Mel.

Which means that Melody McIntyre’s only plan now is trying desperately not to fall in love.

Review

First thoughts – goodness how extremely serious do they take their plays, musicals and world of theatre in general. Then multiply that by drama and teenage angst tenfold, add on years of superstition and the result is a bubbling mess of a stage manager called Melody.

Melody believes that curses determine the success or failure of the production she is in charge of. Some of the curses seem to be made up as they go along, such as deciding that Melody’s love life has a negative impact on their show, hence her being forbidden from falling in love henceforth. Sounds a lot easier than it actually is, especially when love is closer to her than she thinks.

I took a step back from this after reading it and thought about the story in relation to other work by Talley, who has without a doubt been able to bring social commentary, racism, identity politics, civil rights, sexual identity and discrimination to the table for YA genre – in a way that is both hard-hitting, relatable and empowering. Her thought process is always to ensure something remains long after the read. I will never forget reading Lies We Tell Ourselves. There is a reason she is a critically acclaimed author.

With that in mind I wondered at the seeming simplicity and what appears to be a lot of teenage angst, drama and common YA unicorn fluff. What is it that lurks beneath the surface of the water as the reader bobs for the apple?  

Buy The Love Curse of Melody Mcintyre at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: HQ Young Adult; pub date 12 Nov. 2020. Buy at Amazon com. At Hive.co.uk. At Bookshop.org

#BlogTour The Illustrated Child by Polly Crosby

Today it’s an absolute pleasure to take part in the Blog Tour The Illustrated Child by Polly Crosby.
About the Author

Polly Crosby lives in Norfolk with her husband and son, and her very loud and much-loved Oriental rescue cat, Dali. To Find more about Polly’s writing, visit pollycrosby.com. Sign up to Polly’s newsletter here.

Follow @WriterPolly on Twitter, on Goodreads, on Amazon, Buy The Illustrated Child

About the book

Romilly lives in a ramshackle house with her eccentric artist father and her cat, Monty. She knows little about her past – but she knows that she is loved.

When her father finds fame with a series of children’s books starring her as the main character, everything changes: exotic foods appear on the table, her father appears on TV, and strangers appear at their door, convinced the books contain a treasure hunt leading to a glittering prize.

But as time passes, Romilly’s father becomes increasingly suspicious of everything around him, until, before her eyes, he begins to disappear altogether.

In her increasingly isolated world, Romilly turns to the secrets her father has hidden in his illustrated books, realising that there is something far darker and more devastating locked within the pages…The truth.

Review

Romilly lives her life through the eyes of her adoring father. The single father raising a daughter, a man who puts pen to paper and creates stories for everyone to enjoy. This exposure of her life comes with a lack of privacy and at times even danger and transgressions. The stories carry the suggestion of a hidden treasure, which tends to generate the interest of many – not enough interest to care how Romilly is dealing with being the main character in a series of books though.

The only thing keeping her halfway sane is her strange, domineering and unkempt friend, who comes and goes as they both go through the different stages of growing-up. They agree, they fight and ultimately the best friend can also be very manipulative at times.

Romilly also has to cope with a disinterested mother, and a parent who is so involved with himself he neglects her emotionally, psychologically and physically. There is still some semblance of love at times, but is it love or just a means to an end?

Although this falls under the YA category for me personally even though it is certainly a coming-of-age story for the majority of the story, it wanders far beyond those boundaries. It’s a complex combination of mystery, discovery of self and sexuality, the almost incestuous leanings of a confused and distraught parent at times, the guilt and the neglect.

There are just so many aspects of this story I would love to go into each fascinating element in depth, but would absolutely give the plot away by doing so. (Arrgh) It’s such a multi-layered piece of work. I loved the way Crosby went from literary to contemporary to mystery and speculative. All within a blink of an eye. The reader is never quite sure which thread to grasp onto at any given time.

It’s a brilliant story with an ending which suits the beginning and a middle that pays homage to the past. A wonderful story. One that speaks of a culmination of imagination and coping techniques, after many years of solitude and mind games.

Buy The Illustrated Child at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: HQ; pub date 29 Oct. 2020. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour Not Myself Today by Muriel Ellis Pritchett

Today it’s my turn on the BlogTour Not Myself Today by Muriel Ellis Pritchett.

About the Author

Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, Muriel Ellis Pritchett graduated from the University of Georgia and began her journalism career while living in Japan and Germany. Her journalism career included playwriting, editing and writing for magazines and newspapers, and working in public relations, university relations, and media relations.

After retiring, Muriel’s family doctor recommended she get a hobby.  So, she began writing fun fiction about feisty older women who had been wronged and had to pull themselves up out of the muck. But her award-winning fourth book, Not Myself Today, is a change in genres—a YA paranormal thriller. It is scheduled for release September 24, 2020. Her first three “fruity” books, fun romance for older women, are Making Lemonade, Like Peaches and Pickles, and Rotten Bananas and the Emerald Dream. She is currently working on another “fruity” book, titled Sour Grapes and Balmy Knight.

When not writing, Muriel loves cruising all over the world, eating good Belgian chocolate, and spending time in any Disney park. Her favorite Disney attractions are SOARING at Disney World’s EPCOT in Florida, Alice’s Curious Labyrinth at Disneyland Paris, Journey to the Center of the Earth at DisneySeas in Tokyo, and Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland in California.

Follow @PritchettMuriel on Twitter,  on Amazon, on Goodreads, Visit murielpritchett.com, Buy Not Myself Today

About the book

High school soccer star Lindsey Anderson was at the top of her game with graduation approaching and a full-ride soccer scholarship offer in her hand. Then she dropped dead on the soccer field, only to wake up in the body of a teenage sex-trafficking victim. No one believes who she really is. Not even her dad. Chased by her new body’s drug-dealing pimp and rabid parapsychologists out to dissect her, Lindsey searches to get her body and her life back before graduation day. Can her BFF and the high school nerdy boy she detests help save her life?

Review

Lindsey is on top of the world. Everything is going her way. She is a top athlete with a full scholarship looming – just one more game to go. The next thing she knows she wakes up in hospital, but everything seems to be a little bit off.

For some strange reason everyone thinks she is some dirty teen with addiction problems and a myriad of criminals and troublemakers following her around. What the heck is going on? Why won’t anyone believe her when she tells them who she really is.

It’s a YA paranormal read with a crime element.

The question is what do you take from the read? The Freaky Friday aspect of it, the parapsychologists need to discover more frontiers or the sex-trafficking? It’s interesting how Pritchett keeps the story entertaining with a lot of discord, but weaves some serious issues into the fabric of it.

The majority of people seem to have set ideas about what sex or human trafficking entails. Foreign countries and kidnapped women and children come to mind, but nobody thinks of all the national in-country children, who fall prey to the predators. The vulnerable, the runaways, the homeless and the missing.

Saying that, Pritchett keeps the YA vibe flowing, which means there are sweet moments and eye-openers, and also the kind of moments you only get when you happen to die and end up in the wrong body. I can imagine this plot being ramped up and venturing into the NA genre. 

Buy Not Myself Today at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher : Black Rose Writing; pub date 24 Sept. 2020. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour Night of the Dragon by Julie Kagawa

It’s an absolute pleasure to take part in the BlogTour for the last part of the Shadow of the Fox series, Night of the Dragon by Julie Kagawa.

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 Night of the Dragon

About the book

All is lost – In a desperate last-chance attempt to stop the Master of Demons from calling upon the Great Kami dragon and making the wish that will plunge the empire into darkness and destruction – Yumeko and her ragtag band of companions must journey to the wild cliffs of Iwagoto.

But even with their combined skills and powers, this most unlikely team of heroes knows the forces of evil may be impossible to overcome.

And now there is another layer in the battle, a player who has been watching and waiting for the right moment, that no one even realised existed…until now.

As darkness rises and chaos reigns, a fierce kitsune and her shadowy protector must face down the greatest evil of all in the epic conclusion to the Shadow of the Fox trilogy.

Review

This is by far the best series of books Kagawa has ever written. The last few chapters are simply superb and bring this absolutely riveting story to a stunning conclusion.

Although this is YA fantasy it is as intricate and as complex as the majority of high fantasy I have read. When it comes to fantasy I think there should be an extra sub-genre for the more complex body of work that comes under the young adult category.

This book begins where Soul of the Sword left off, the dragon scrolls in the hands of the Master of Demons, who is on his way to set everything in motion to receive the Wish, with destruction and death left in his wake.

Yumeko, the kitsune, has helped Kage Tatsumi regain a decent level of control of his body, despite the demon Hakaimono living inside him. It’s almost as if the demon lets Tatsumi use his power where needed, which is completely unlike the true nature of the powerful demon.

The merry band of fighters, the ragtag group of unlikely friends – and they have become friends after everything they have been through – are determined to stop the opening of the floodgates. Power corrupts and corrodes the soul.

It’s young adult fantasy – a complex myth and culture driven story with extraordinary world-building.

Kagawa is a spectacular writer. This is hardcore evidence of how talented and creative she is, and although plenty of her readers will know how good some of her previous books/series are, with the Shadow of the Fox series she steps it up a notch.

Without going into too much detail, the last few chapters are powerful, heartbreaking, vicious and ultimately they also heal. It’s a read I highly recommend.

Buy Night of the Dragon at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: HQ Young Adult; pub date 2 April 2020. Buy at Amazon com.

Read my review of Soul of the Sword (Shadow of the Fox #2) by Julie Kagawa.