ARC Review: Mercy (The Ferryman + The Flame, #4) by Rhiannon Paille @RhiPaille

Tags

fantasy, indie author, mythology, new adult, paranormal romance, rhiannon paille, the ferryman and the flame

Sometimes it hurts instead . . .
For fans of John Green, Assassin’s Creed and Sailor Moon

Krishani thought Kaliel was lost forever. Slave to the hunger, and the cold, and the enemies who took everything, he longs for death. Taking shelter in a human body, Krishani finds the one thing he gave up on centuries ago — Kaliel.

Maeva doesn’t know who she is — what she is, but she knows she doesn’t belong. Hunted by her past, stalked by a boy intent on killing her, she longs to remember. Confused and alone, Maeva learns why memories are the most painful things of all.

Sorrow, Hunger, Passion and Danger collide in the fourth installment of The Ferryman & The Flame.

Blurb and cover from BN.com

5 out of 5 stars

Best in the series yet, but man oh man do I need extra therapy now.

I came into this book with a mixture of excitement because I loved the earlier books as well as dread because, as implied, I have read the earlier books. When I heard there was a ten thousand year gap between this and the previous installment, Vulture, taking us into modern times, I was a bit hesitant, but I thought it was pulled off very well. The author eases us into the 21^st century without losing the flavor of the other books or letting us forget that in ten thousand years, even immortals change.

The plot:

I had no idea what was going to happen and pretty much every time I made a prediction, I guessed wrong. The story took its own path and I thought it turned out better than my original expectation. As with the earlier books, I loved the blending of mythologies and the references to different cultures and the author’s explanation for how they were all interconnected.

There was less reference to the Land of the Beasts and the Land of Immortals than in the previous novels and I’m not sure how I felt about that. I suppose it was understandable since the story was taking place in the Lands of Men, but I’m hoping for more of the other Lands in Asylum.

The characters:

Kaliel is on her fourth body to date (I’m not counting all Tor’s failed attempts) and as far as she knows, her name is Maeva and she is nothing but a normal teenager in an obscure Canadian town. She seemed more mature to me, there was less naïveté to her personality and greater wisdom, not sure exactly how to put it.

As for Krishani—oh my poor sweet baby. After ten thousand years as a Vulture, he’s managed to cling to his identity and the past nine years in the body of a cancer patient. I felt for him more in this book than I did in Justice when he was slowly turning into a soul-eating demon. I just…loved everything about his character in this book and want, want, want them to have a stupid HEA at the end of this series so fricking bad.

On a brief note, I adore Pux as much as ever (another of my sweet babies), hate Shimma (that blonde succubus can jump headfirst down a well), am reevaluating my initial appraisal of Elwen (he’s on probation), and am waiting for someone to upside Tor in the head with a brick (he has it coming).

I am as much a fan of this series as ever and I certainly recommend it. The descriptions are beautiful, the love story is gorgeous, the world building is epic, and it just keeps getting better.

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Review: The White (The Dragon Pearl, #1) by T.L. Shreffler @catseyeauthor

Tags

dragons, fantasy, indie author, review, the white, tl shreffler, ya

Ever since The White appeared in our valley of Windridge, my people have lived in fear. But today that fear ends. Finally, the King has sent his most elite dragon hunters to kill The White, the last of the imperial dragons.

Since the death of her father, Sienna Foxburn hasn’t felt safe. The White, a fire-breathing imperial dragon, terrorizes the Valley of Windridge with no end in sight. But Sienna isn’t satisfied hiding behind the walls of her keep. She is tired of fearing the dragon, but she can’t fight it alone.

Then a mysterious sorceress and two elite dragon hunters arrive, claiming to be sent by the King. Thus begins the great hunt for The White. Sienna embarks on a dragon-hunting adventure through the exotic Valley of Windridge, all while uncovering secrets and conspiracies that could endanger the entire Kingdom….

Blurb and cover from Goodreads

5 out of 5 stars
In case the five or so glowy reviews before this had escaped your notice, I am a huge fan of Shreffler’s work. Her other series, The Cat’s Eye Chronicles, has a coveted seat upon my Shelf of Awesome and when I heard she was working on a book with DRAGONS I went a little spastic. This story manages a huge amount of world building, character building, and emotion in a very short space, something that impressed me greatly even with having read her other pieces. It is a fantastic story, even if it did end in a cliffhanger, and I am very much looking forward to watching the series unfold.

The plot:
Everything happens pretty quickly here, which was a nice change for me after a steady diet of epics lately. The plot progresses with only enough world building and description that is necessary (huge plus). My only question issue with this story was Sienna’s empathy toward the dragons. It’s explained, but I wanted to see just a little more expansion of the thought and feeling processes she went through before getting to that point. However, that was my one and only—I wouldn’t even call it a complaint. More like a side note.

It is mentioned somewhere that this has romantic elements, but I would say the focus here was definitely more on the dragons. (And if you have a problem with that, go away.) The general feelings of the populace toward dragons were displayed and justified well in the beginning, but I still found myself sympathizing with the dragons more than the people (which was probably Shreffler’s scheme).

The characters:
This doesn’t happen especially often, but the heroine was my favorite character. In the beginning, Sienna is going through that whole awkward “on the threshold of adulthood but has no focus” stage that I think most of us go through. That won her huge doses of empathy and she was relatable and human to me, unlike a lot of fantasy heroines that have been cropping up.

Darius, the dragon hunter, has that whole aura of mystery and awesome about him and I have lots of questions about his character. What did he do that got him made a dragon hunter? Who was he before? Like I said, lots of questions for sequels!

Mistress Ash is probably the other main character and also the villain. Everything about her creeped me out from the moment she turned up and it became clear pretty quickly that I was right about here. She was an excellent villain to this story, written to make you hate her and as far as I was concerned, she could join the chopping block queue with Cerastes and Volcrian (references to The Cat’s Eye Chronicles).

The other characters, mainly those from Sienna’s home castle, reacted in understandable ways, but…no, I’m not going to be rooting for them any time soon. On the other hand, I thought they were remarkably developed for such a short span of page time and even Sienna’s mother was portrayed as having sympathetic qualities.

All in all, this was a well-written YA fantasy I would shove in the faces of anyone who likes dragon literature. I enjoyed it greatly, it has been a delight to read, and I am anxiously anticipating the next installment in the series!

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The Priestess Trilogy Giveaway! @MelissaSasina

Tags

adult, celtic mythology, fantasy, Giveaway, melissa sasina, new adult, the priestess trilogy

Today, I have the honor of announcing that the awesome Melissa Sasina is hosting a grand giveaway for copies of her complete The Priestess Trilogy! Check out the cover candy, the giveaway link at the end of the post, and my review of book one!

Defiance (Priestess Trilogy #1):

Shiovra has been named High Priestess of the village Tara, but she quickly finds herself hunted by the Milidh, a clan born of war and vengeance. With the safety of Tara at stake, it is decided that she is to seek aid from her betrothed, one she considers the enemy.

At her side is Odhrán, a Milidh warrior sworn to protect her and determined to gain her trust. But their journey is fraught with peril and Shiovra learns that darkness lurks in the hearts of her own kin.

Steeped in ancient Irish myth, this tale is spun of love, war, and defiance.

Amazon

Betrayal (Priestess Trilogy #2):

Shiovra, High Priestess of the village Tara, is set to wed one considered the enemy for the sake of her clan. Torn between her heart and her people, between love and duty, Shiovra decides her fate and faces the truth about Odhrán.

Still hunted by both the Milidh clan and her own kin, she learns that not all enemies are quite what they seem.

Loyalty is brought into question and power lost within enemy ranks in what shall ultimately lead to one thing: BETRAYAL.

Amazon

Eclipse (Priestess Trilogy #3):

Tensions escalate between two clans, threatening their fragile peace. On one side stand the Túath, on the other the Milidh. The prize: control of the land of Éire. Yet amidst this brewing conflict, another more dangerous threat looms. The village of Tara is ripped apart, not by war, but by the seed of betrayal as the priestess’ own kinswoman, Gráinne, conspires to seize control. Enemies shall become allies and Shiovra is faced with a difficult choice, one that will ultimately engulf her world in an irreversible eclipse.

Coming Soon!

 

 

Author Bio:

Born in 1982 in Cleveland, Ohio, Melissa has always been an avid lover of fantasy. In her youth she would write short stories and add artwork to them. Inspired by the encouraging words of her high school English teacher, she decided to change her career path from graphic art to writing. When not writing, Melissa enjoys doing freelance art and is an avid gamer. She still lives in Ohio with her husband, son, cat Trinity, and ferret Rope.

 Social Media links:

Website ~ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads ~ Pinterest ~ Tumblr

Click here for the Rafflecopter!

 

Fabulous armor that would get you killed

Tags

armor, epic fantasy, fantasy, humor and practicality

Having a shiny suit was indicative of prestige and prowess as far back as the Bronze Age, but there was still a certain amount of practicality required lest the wearer wind up a very stylish corpse. It has been a little over three hundred years since traditional “battle armor” went out of vogue. Since then, literary and artistic portrayals of armor in all its forms have grown more elaborate and ever less practical.

Let’s start with those head handlebars.

Anyone who grew up with goats or sheep understands this pitfall. In a tussle, those horns make excellent handholds—after all, if you control the head, you control the rest of the goat.

Yes, I know the Samurais and some of the Germanic tribes had them, but ask yourself this: Where are they now?

Not to mention if they were fighting in a forest or anywhere with low hanging objects, one might very well break his neck before ever reaching the enemy. Then there is all that extra weight and limited motion of the head, which is problematic if you want to be able to see what’s coming at you from different angles.

I’m sorry, but you’re not a porcupine.

I do not know what this is, but it illustrates my point.

Some artists have drawn armor with these freaky spikes all over the place. That looks really cool and scary, but what happens if you fall or have to bring your arm close to your face? And heaven forbid somebody is able to sneak up on the blind spot created by aforementioned spikes, rips them off, and stabs you with them. That’s going to make for one embarrassing eulogy. Not that you’ll be around to suffer through it.

Apparently, the enemy knowing that you’re a woman is more important than continued breathing.

I could go on for hours about female armor in fantasy. Whatever the case, artists and designers and writers have found a deeply rooted need to point out a character’s feminine attributes.

Now, I concede that there are better examples of objectifying armor out there, but I want to keep this blog PG. All the same, note that Marvel still had to make a point of highlighting her assets.

They don’t stop to think that the dreaded “boob plate,” proudly displaying both bosoms, places a ridge of metal over the woman’s sternum. That’s all well and good until she gets hit in the chest and that metal ridge shatters the bone, sending it straight into her heart and lungs.

And then there’s the problem of no armor at all.

Here we have the most recent incarnation of Conan, armoring pretty much everything except his vital organs. He must think those abs will stop any sharp objects that go for his torso.

I thought about making this specifically about female characters in nothing but metal lingerie, but I’ve also seen male characters in nothing but metal loincloths. They have so little shielding, they might as well be running out there naked. Anyone who’s walked a hyper dog in shorts understands why combat nudity is a bad idea. If a puppy can scratch you up like that by just being playful, how much worse do you think a sword is going to be?

Maybe I’m a snob about these things. It is fantasy and that means a certain degree of artistic license. However, I often find it hard not to laugh/sneer. Especially women’s armor, just…ick.

Blog Tour Review: Ferran’s Map (The Cat’s Eye Chronicles, #4) by T.L. Shreffler @catseyeauthor

Tags

blog tour, fantasy, Giveaway, the cats eye chronicles, tl shreffler, young adult

The bloodmage Volcrian is dead, but a new enemy lurks in the shadows. The Shade, a fanatical cult of demonic assassins, is trying to resurrect the Dark God and unleash His power back into the world. In their wake, a deadly plague is spreading across the land.

Only Sora and her companions know the plague’s true source. As the disease spreads, she must journey to the City of Crowns to retrieve The Book of the Named, her only hope of stopping the Shade. She and her companions arrive just in time for the winter solstice festival, a notorious two weeks of fine wines, grand parties and legendary debauchery. She must don the guise of a noblewoman and infiltrate the First Tier nobility to stop the Shade before it’s too late.

Meanwhile, the assassin Crash is confronted by a ghost from his past. As he uncovers more of the Shade’s plot, he finds himself face-to-face with his old Grandmaster. Can Crash lay to rest his past, or will he succumb to his inner demon and rejoin the man who once made him a killer?

5 out of 5 stars

So. Many. Feelings. I’m reminded why I said this is my favorite ongoing series, just—WOW. I have been waiting for this book since January 2014, annoying the author at every possible opportunity and throwing the series in the face of anyone who asks for a Young Adult Epic Fantasy recommendation (and sometimes even when they don’t).

The plot:

I was told that this was something like 150K words, but once again, it seems hard to believe because the story moves so quickly. I got caught up in it and after three hours of reading, I started to panic because I realized I was coming to the end. It really wasn’t clear how the author was going to end the book, but I was so emotionally invested I prayed. (It’s not weird to pray over fictional characters, is it?)

The characters:

Sora’s character has matured so very much since we first met her at her Blooming in book 1, yet she still has a kind of sweetness and guilelessness that just melts my heart. I do like reading about a heroine who isn’t another smoldering virago, but still manages to pull off daring adventures. She’s much easier to relate to than most of the Epic Fantasy heroines coming out these days and I love her to bits.

Another character I love to bits and who I consider one of my “babies,” is Crash. Read any of my other reviews and you will see plenty on Crash. His struggles and growth have been equal to Sora’s and it was fascinating to look more into the depths of his psyche and what’s going through his head. His relationship with Sora is sweet, complex, beautiful, and irresistible. I’ll be the first to admit that their story is one of my favorite things about this series and I’m in knots over what’s going to happen in Krait’s Redemption.

One thing that surprised me was the part of the book where we see more of what Crash’s demon actually thinks of Sora. That was one of the most interesting sections and again, leaves me wanting Krait’s Redemption.

Now that I have bombarded you with those paragraphs of Crash+Sora fangirling, I should point out this series does have other characters—not that you would know that by reading my previous reviews.

I kind of missed Burn and wished we’d gotten to see just a little more of him, but I was very happy about how much “screen time” Caprion had. There was the subplot of him and his past experiences with the Sixth Race and thanks to reading the prequel novella, I was almost as invested in that vein as I was the one about Crash+Sora. Even if Caprion was always the first to think the worst of my darling little Crash, I could forgive him because it made sense from his perspective.

We learn a great deal about the namesake of this book, Ferran, and his past as well as a surprising twist I did not see coming. Him and Lori are so perfect together and yes, I’ve been at my fictional matchmaking again. There were a great deal of questions raised regarding his family’s dealings and just who they’ve gotten mixed up with—yet more things making me salivate over Krait’s Redemption.

I never thought I would say this, but Cerastes has made me miss Volcrian. At least then, it was just one psychotic serial killer and a few wraiths we had to worry about, now we have a sociopathic, mostly-demon cult leader with his little minions and a mission to destroy all life. Cerastes scares me and I can’t wait for someone—preferably Crash—to kill him. (Just as soon as Cerastes finishes off that Daniellan fellow in some imaginative and nasty fashion.)

Then there’s Krait. When she was first introduced, I did not like her at all and now…let’s just say that the next book’s title has me very excited.

There was one character introduced at the beginning of this book, Cobra, another assassin, who freaked me out at first, but I ended up softening toward him at the end. I mean the very, very end. I can’t say much else because of spoilers, but I felt I should at least mention him.

This review has gone on way too long and turned into more of a fangirling session, so I’ll wrap it up by saying the story just keeps getting better and you all won’t be getting away from my passionate fanaticism any time soon.

T. L. Shreffler lives in Los Angeles, CA. She loves diversity, fantasy, romance, iced tea, long walks, philosophy, and thrift store shopping. She recently graduated with a BA in Badass (Creative Writing) and her poetry has been published consecutively in Eclipse: A Literary Journal and The Northridge Review. She is author of The Cat’s Eye Chronicles (YA/Epic Fantasy) and The Wolves of Black River (PN Romance.)

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Facebook: www.facebook.com/tlshreffler

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Series website: www.catseyechronicles.com

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 Grab your copies of the other books in this fantastical series… 

Sora’s Quest, Cat’s Eye Chronicles book 1 {FREE everyday!}

Viper’s Creed, Cat’s Eye Chronicles book 2

Volcrian’s Hunt, Cat’s Eye Chronicles book 3

Caprion’s Wings, Cat’s Eye Chronicles book 3.5

Ferran’s Map, Cat’s Eye Chronicles book 4

This giveaway is International…

1 winner ~ Paperback copy of Ferran’s Map

1 winner ~ Cat’s Eye necklace

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Friday Freebie #41 Dark Ranger (Many Kingdoms #1) by Dawn Napier

Tags

adult, dawn napier, epic fantasy, fantasy, friday freebie, many kingdoms

Dark Ranger is the first book in the Many Kingdoms trilogy, a familiar fairytale world of monsters and wizards, evil and magic. Garrett is a Ranger of the Light, a sworn guardian of the natural world and its inhabitants. His duty is to root out evil and destroy it before it can destroy the land he cherishes, but he finds it difficult to identify that evil in himself. His heart is broken by the brutal murder of his beloved, and his thirst for revenge leaves him vulnerable to the manipulation of the blood-wizard, Scythe. Fellow rangers Wren and Nolan are determined to reclaim their friend’s soul and bring him back to the Light. They are aided by a wandering dwarf and a wild fairy who longs for humanity. But as the companions discover, even magic can’t save someone who doesn’t want to be saved.

Blurb and cover from Goodreads

Download Dark Ranger for free! (perma-free)

Friday Freebie #40 The Key (True Reign, #1) by Jennifer Anne Davis

Tags

a dance of dragons, epic fantasy, fantasy, kaitlyn davis, novella, ya, young adult

I know I’ve featured this before, but the publisher just switched distributors, so we’re trying to get the rankings back up. Read my interview with the author here. (This series is on my Shelf of Awesome. Do read it!)

Within these pages lie kingdoms with castles and princes who fall in love with fair maidens, but make no mistake−this is no fairytale.

His father’s kingdom is on the brink of upheaval and at the center of it all is an ordinary girl who could be the key to its undoing. When faced with the ultimate choice, will he choose the girl he’s falling in love with or the kingdom he has sworn to protect?

An ordinary girl with an extraordinary past. All she wants is to be free. What she doesn’t realize is that freedom comes with a price she can’t afford to pay. She’s forced to accept the proposal of a prince she despises, even though her heart belongs to someone else . . . his brother.

Seventeen-year-old Rema lives in a brutal kingdom where travel between regions is forbidden, people are starving, and looking at someone the wrong way can mean death. Nineteen-year-old Darmik is the king’s son and Commander of the King’s Army. He spends his days roving the island, doing his father’s bidding and trying to maintain control over the people.

When a chance encounter throws Rema and Darmik together, they share an instantaneous connection, but any sort of relationship between them is strictly forbidden. Darmik’s brother, the Crown Prince, notices Darmik’s interest in Rema and, in a calculated, political move, blackmails her. Faced with an impossible choice, Rema is forced to sacrifice her heart in order to save her family.

As Rema is taken to the palace with the Crown Prince, Darmik confronts the growing rumor that a legitimate blood heir to the throne exists and is trying to overthrow Darmik’s family. In Darmik’s quest to hunt down and kill the threat, he discovers that nothing is as it seems. Locked in the king’s castle, Rema finds herself a key player in a massive power struggle. When Darmik shows up, she’s not sure if she can trust him. The line between friends, enemies, and loyalty becomes blurred. As truths are unlocked, Rema understands that she just might be the key to finding the rightful heir and restoring peace to the kingdom… if she can manage to stay alive long enough.

Blurb and cover from Goodreads

Read my glowy review of The Key

Download The Key for free! (perma-free)

{Interview} Jennifer Anne Davis, author of THE KEY @AuthorJennifer

Tags

clean teen publishing, epic fantasy, fantasy, interview, jennifer anne davis, romance, young adult

Today I have the awesome, amazing author of the True Reign series as well as The Power to See and The Voice. The Key, the first in her young adult light fantasy series, is currently free on all channels, so grab it while you can!

You are the author of the light Young Adult fantasy True Reign series as well as paranormal suspense and contemporary. Do you think there is a consistent theme or element in all your stories? What has led you to write such diverse genres?

There most definitely is a consistent element in all my stories, regardless of genre. I always write about a strong female character that is up against seemingly impossible odds. However, she is able to overcome adversity by believing in herself, never giving up, and learning to trust her family and/or friends. However, I will say that after writing such varying genres, I’ve discovered that my strength is in fantasy, and I plan to stick with these types of books in the future.

What has been the biggest highlight of your career as an author?

Having my first book, The Voice, win some awards! I’m honored that it received an award from The Romance Writers of America a few years back, it’s a finalist in the 2014 Next Generation Indie Book Awards (YA category), and the winner of the San Diego Book Awards: Best YA Novel. When I first started querying this book, I didn’t have much success. Many agents told me that no one would read a book about a broken girl who learns to overcome her past to be a role model for others. I finally found a publisher who believed in the story and I’m thrilled by the reception the book has received. It’s immensely gratifying.

Has there ever been a time when a reader drew a conclusion from one of your books that was completely different from what you intended? What was it?

Yes. For The Power to See, I’ve had some readers upset that it’s an actual book with a plot and not about sex. Since the main character is in her early twenties, the book falls into the illustrious New Adult category. Many people automatically assume the books is a romance novel, and that’s far from the case. The Power to See is a crime drama. While there is a romantic element in the novel, it is not the driving force of the book.

Complete this sentence: Before I start writing a new novel, I must…

Think about the story and characters for a solid month before I can even think of writing. I have to get to know my characters, understand who they are, what their personality traits are, what they look like, etc. I think about them in different situation and settings until I get a good feel for the book and the plot starts to unfold in my mind.

Oddest thing to have inspired you:

That’s a tough one. I’m not sure. I know watching my kids at MMA makes me want to write a lot of kick-butt fight scenes.

Will Scarlett or Robin Hood?

Will Scarlett

What’s a question you’ve always wanted to be asked in an interview? What’s your answer?

Honestly, I don’t know. I am a very private, quiet, boring person. Interviews typically frighten me because they take me out of my comfort zone.

Bonus question: Can you tell us anything about what to expect in the True Reign spinoff series?

I’ve just started to write the synopsis for that one! I don’t want to give too much away, but the story will be told from Allyssa’s point of view (first person). Allyssa is Rema and Darmik’s daughter. She will be the strongest female character I’ve ever written and I can’t wait for you to meet her! She is going to be loads of fun to write.

Also, Nathenek will play a major role in the book as well. He acquires a unique apprentice who causes all sorts of mischief in the book. The evil villain will be someone you don’t expect! The spinoff will be filled with action, adventure, and some sweet romance.

Jennifer graduated from the University of San Diego with a degree in English and a teaching credential. Afterwards, she finally married her high school sweetheart. She is currently a full-time writer and mother of three highly energetic children. Her days are spent living in imaginary worlds and fueling her own kids’ creativity.

Stalk Jennifer

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Read my review of The Key

Read my review of Яed

Read my review of War

Review: Evanescent by Gabriella Lepore

Tags

crushing hearts and black butterfly, evanescent, fantasy, gabriella lepore, indie, indie published, paranormal romance, ya

“Then it is settled,” Felix declared. “Come hell or high water, when this is all over, at least one of us here will not make it out alive.”

When Bronwen Snow is pulled from her cottage in the middle of the night, she finds herself seeking the help of three mysterious boys who reside in an abandoned castle deep in the hillside. With only a hasty handwritten note and a vague sense of dread to guide her, Bronwen is forced to put her trust in the eccentric and willful Felix Cavara and his eternal curse – immortality.

Blurb and cover from Goodreads

5 out of 5 stars

If anyone wants to see a perfect example of snark and sass with sweet romance, I’m shoving this in your face. This book was wonderful, even if the ending did leave me pouting a bit. A loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast, it’s one of those I’ve wanted to read for awhile, so when the freebie promotion came around, I couldn’t resist.

The plot:

This book is a pretty quick read, about two and a half hours-ish. I kind of wanted more expansion on the nature of the magical, who had made the magical weapons, who had sent the Severan (can’t remember if this was explained or not), etc. On the other hand, this story really didn’t need to be bogged down with details, it flew just fine on its own.

The characters:

Like I said, great sass. Bronwen and the boys were utterly adorable and the immortality jokes were especially funny. I kind of wish this was a series, just because I enjoyed it so much.

This story is one of immortality about the downsides. The boys have lived for around two hundred years and have wanted to die for about a hundred and eighty. (On a side note, I think it’s interesting that people keep writing these stories about the drawbacks of immortality when it has been the dearest wish of people generations and ages over. Anyway.)

A fun read and I am now very curious about the author’s other works. If I ever get my demented Amazon account sorted, I’ll have to visit her author page.

Find Evanescent on Goodreads

Find Evanescent on Amazon

 

Friday Freebie #39 Before Midnight (Blood Prince #1) by Jennifer Blackstream

Tags

fairytale retelling, fantasy, friday freebie, jennifer blackstream, mg, new adult, paranormal romance, werewolf, ya, young adult

This week I have for you a werewolf/Cinderella retelling that is glaring incriminatingly unread from the depths of my Kindle.

Loupe always dreamed of getting married. She yearned for a caring husband who would take her away from her servant-like existence at home with her stepmother and two stepsisters, a man who would love her forever. Those dreams ended the day she was bitten by a werewolf. Now she’s a mindless beast on the night of the full moon—a condition that forever prevents her from sharing a marriage bed. Not even the attentions of a handsome and endearingly strong prince can convince her that the life she wants is still possible.

Etienne is a prince in need of a werewolf. A werewolf himself from birth, Etienne and his family have protected their kingdom with tooth and claw—literally—for thousands of years. Unfortunately, the spell of a well-meaning witch is slowly turning him human. Only the bite of a cursed werewolf, one who was not born with the beast inside, can save him from becoming human. He has no time for anything that will not lead him to a cure for the curse. Not even the beautiful maiden whose gentle nature soothes his soul can take his mind from his goal.

Love cares little for the best laid plans or the impossible. A grand ball. The stroke of twelve. A magic “slipper.” All kinds of things can happen when you don’t leave the ball…Before Midnight.

Blurb and cover from Goodreads

Download Before Midnight for free! (perma-free)