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)

Friday Freebie #36 The Island (The Island #1) by Jen Minkman

Tags

dystopia, friday freebie, jen minkman, mg, middle grade, novella, the island, ya, young adult

I walk toward the sea. The endless surface of the water extends to the horizon, whichever way I look.

Our world is small. We are on our own, and we only have ourselves to depend on. We rely on the Force deep within us, as taught to us by our forefathers.

If I were to walk westward from here, I would come across a barrier – the Wall. Behind it, there are Fools. At least, that’s what everyone says.

I have never seen one.

Leia lives on the Island, a world in which children leave their parents to take care of themselves when they are ten years old. Across this Island runs a wall that no one has ever crossed. The Fools living behind it are not amenable to reason – they believe in illusions. That’s what The Book says, the only thing left to the Eastern Islanders by their ancestors.

But when a strange man washes ashore and Leia meets a Fool face to face, her life will never be the same. Is what she and her friends believe about the Island really true?

Or is everyone in their world, in fact, a Fool?

Also available in German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Afrikaans!

 

Blurb and cover from Goodreads

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I have a riddle for you!

Tags

amazon, barnes and noble, fanged princess, freebie, ibooks, kindle, kindle freebie, my books, nook, novella, smashwords, Vampire

Hello, world, I have a riddle for you.

What’s permanently free on all venues and in Amazon’s Top Ten? FANGED PRINCESS, of course! Thanks to all you phenomenal folk who made it possible!

I will not let my brother suffer the same loss…

Hadassah’s father, the Vampire King, punished her harshly for her choice to love a human. Now her brother, the only person in the world who still matters to her, has fallen for a human girl. Determined to keep the girl safe, the three of them flee from their home in New England and find themselves cornered with their father’s minions closing in. If they want to escape, their only hope may be to join forces with the mortal enemies of their kind…

Be ensnared in this dark tale of enduring love, revenge, and suspense from teenage author, Elisabeth Wheatley.

Find FREE for:

Kindle

Nook

Smashwords

iBooks

Review: The Shadow Prince (Mortal Enchantment, #0.5) by Stacey O’Neale @StaceyONeale

Tags

indie, mortal enchantment, novella, paranormal, self-published, shadow prince, stacey oneale

This prequel novella is FREE and available on Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble!

Every sacrifice has consequences.

Sixteen-year-old Rowan has spent most of his life living among the mortals—learning to control the element of fire, impatiently awaiting the day his vengeful mother, Queen Prisma, will abdicate her throne. When he finally returns to Avalon for his coronation, his mother insists he must first prove his loyalty to the court by completing a secret mission:

Kill Kalin, the half-human, half-elemental daughter of the air court king.

Willing to do anything to remove his mother from power, he agrees to sacrifice the halfling. He returns to the mortal world with his best friend, Marcus, determined to kill the princess. But as he devises a plan, he starts to question whether or not he’s capable of completing such a heinous task. And what price he will pay if he refuses?

Blurb and cover from Goodreads

5 out of 5 stars
I read the first 30% of this book and then Life (that annoying thing that’s always meddling in Living) happened. It was a few days before I could get my hands on a few minutes to read it, but I made time, meaning to just get to the halfway point. That endeavor ended at 1:04 in the morning when I finished.

I greatly enjoyed this novella, in case there was any doubt. The mythology and the world building were new and fresh and it didn’t take long for me to develop a deep fondness for Rowan and Marcus. (Poor Marcus! Author, please let him come back!) I thought of Rowan as a bit of an annoying teenage boy at the beginning, but by the 35% mark, I was pulling for him.

The relationship with his mother is about as twisted as a pretzel, but at the same time I related to it. It really does suck to love untrustworthy people, but there’s no much to be done for it.

This was a very enticing taste of the series and the author’s writing and I am very, very excited for Mortal Enchantment. I definitely recommend this novella and if you get the chance to read the novel, I’d certainly jump at that, too!

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Review: The Golden Cage (A Dance of Dragons, #0.5) by Kaitlyn Davis @DavisKaitlyn

Tags

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

5 out of 5 stars

The next person who says books can’t hurt you emotionally will be slapped with this novella. There was one point where I had to put down my Kindle because I was getting so tense and anxious that I couldn’t take it anymore. Then when I started reading again, my heart was literally racing with terror.

This novella must be good and I have decided to bestow it with five stars because it got me all tangled up and worried and nervous and angry and generally neurotic. Within the first few pages I was invested in the story.

The story itself was rather short, but still managed to break me and I find myself maliciously wishing for some diabolical and distinctly unpleasant fate to befall all but three of the characters. I am looking forward to the novel, but hope those characters’ tales take a happier twist than what happened here.

My only complaint would probably be that there was a supporting character who plays a significant role and I wish he had been introduced or at least hinted at sooner. His emergence just felt kind of sudden and I think that could have been handled more smoothly.

All in all, another book to add to my list of novellas that broke my heart in under 100 pages. I recommend it to fans of YA fantasy who don’t mind a sad, open ended read.

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Friday Freebie #23 The Key (True Reign, #1) by Jennifer Anne Davis

Tags

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

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)

Friday Freebie #22 The Golden Cage (A Dance of Dragons, # 0.5) by Kaitlyn Davis

Tags

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

I’m working on my 5-star review for this one. Very engaging, utterly heartbreaking.

From bestselling author Kaitlyn Davis comes a fantasy adventure perfect for fans of Throne of Glass, Graceling, and Game of Thrones.

In the land of Ourthuro, cruelty is a way of life. The king rules with an iron fist and no one dare defy him–no one except his daughter. Princess Leena is keeping a dangerous secret, she has fallen in love with a soldier and it would mean both of their lives if her father ever discovered their affair.

But Leena will risk it all to be with the man she loves–her heart, her life, her freedom. And when her brother’s birthday celebration takes a dangerous turn, Leena is forced to make a decision that will change the fate of her nation and eventually the world.

The Golden Cage is a prequel novella to The Shadow Soul (A Dance of Dragons #1)–available now!

Blurb and cover from Goodreads

Download The Golden Cage for free! (perma-free)

Friday Freebie #20 The Shadow Prince (Mortal Enchantment #0.5) by Stacey O’Neal

Tags

fae, fey, friday freebie, novella, paranormal, stacey o'neal, the shadow prince

If you know of any Kindle freebies today or on other Fridays, I’d love to hear about them!

This prequel novella is FREE and available on Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble!

Every sacrifice has consequences.

Sixteen-year-old Rowan has spent most of his life living among the mortals—learning to control the element of fire, impatiently awaiting the day his vengeful mother, Queen Prisma, will abdicate her throne. When he finally returns to Avalon for his coronation, his mother insists he must first prove his loyalty to the court by completing a secret mission:

Kill Kalin, the half-human, half-elemental daughter of the air court king.

Willing to do anything to remove his mother from power, he agrees to sacrifice the halfling. He returns to the mortal world with his best friend, Marcus, determined to kill the princess. But as he devises a plan, he starts to question whether or not he’s capable of completing such a heinous task. And what price he will pay if he refuses?

Blurb and cover from Goodreads

I’m reading this right now and thoroughly enjoying it so far! Review in the works.

Download The Shadow Prince for free! (perma-free)

Review: Poison Dance: A Novella by Livia Blackburne @lkblackburne

Tags

epic fantasy, livia blackburne, midnight thief, novella, poison dance, romance, young adult

James is skilled, efficient, and deadly, a hired blade navigating the shifting alliances of a deteriorating Assassin’s Guild. Then he meets Thalia, an alluring but troubled dancing girl who offers him a way out—if he’ll help her kill a powerful nobleman. With the Guild falling apart, it just might be worth the risk. But when you live, breathe, and love in a world that’s forever flirting with death, the slightest misstep can be poison. Poison Dance is approximately 14,000 words, or 54 printed pages.

Blurb and cover from Goodreads

5 out of 5 stars

As soon as I read the premise of this book, I knew I had to have it. I have a certain fondness of novellas, a soft spot for assassins, and an infatuation with high fantasy. I downloaded this and read it within a few days. When I got to the end, I probably should have cried or been upset or something, but I couldn’t because it left me…stunned and just a little bit numb.

The plot:

There wasn’t a whole lot of world building, just enough so we understand what’s happening and the implications of certain people doing certain things, etc. The story moves along quickly, without any “drag weight” and it ended far sooner than I would have liked. I do hope the author doesn’t villainize James too much in her first full-length novel coming out later this year just because I’ve started to think of James as one of “my babies” (a hypothetical collective of fictional characters who I take a special interest in and wish I could protect).

The characters:

The whole book with the exception of a single chapter and the epilogue is told from James’ perspective. The author did a splendid job of making him…I want to say “adorable,” but that’s not the right word. Perhaps “lovable” is, though she still did not let us forget that he is a killer for hire who is very good at his job and has a plan to off just about everyone. Thalia was definitely a match for James and they were beautiful together in a broken, damaged way.

Normally, I would go into a little more detail on the rest of the character cast, but since this is a novella, I’ll just skim over it. The bad people are definitely bad and it is just a little shameful for me to admit how triumphant I felt when I read the epilogue.

This story broke my heart, but did so wonderfully. If anyone loves a good fantasy and a tale about love, intrigue, and revenge, they should definitely give this a shot.

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Review: Ashes, Ashes (Tales of the Enchanted Forest, #0.5) by M.A. Bronson @enchantedmab

Tags

ma bronson, novella, paranormal romance, Vampire, ya, young adult

Ten years ago Jay Jay Grayson’s life changed forever. Too bad she can’t remember anything that happened that night. She later learned that both her father and sister had died. Ever since then, as soon as it gets dark she is visited by her strange friend William.

William is a vampyre with a dark past, a large ego and secrets that could destroy them both. As her relationship with Will deepens a hidden enemy draws closer.

Sixteen-year-old Jay Jay must uncover her true power and discover the truth of her past if she is to have an hope of a future….

Blurb and cover from Goodreads

5 out of 5 stars

At the beginning and about up to the halfway point of this story, I was thinking it would be a four star book or thereabouts. But the last fifty percent got me so involved and so fixated on the characters and the outcome and the world…when I dropped by Goodreads to give it a rating, it just felt right to go with the whole five. There were a few typographical errors, little things. The language was a little more consistent with High or Epic Fantasy in the beginning—not really sure if that’s a bad or good thing—but that gets smoothed out by the second chapter. The author was sixteen when she wrote this and I think it was her first title, but I’m not sure. I do know is it’s much better than my debut novel and so hats off!

The plot:

This is a novella and a lot happens in a short space of time. We get a glimpse into Ms. Bronson’s reality that tells us just enough for it all to make sense and a little extra as a tease. There is this one part where we get a brief snapshot of what I believe will be MC’s of the other books—a werewolf’s mate, a half-elf girl, and a dragon (oh, yes, yes, yes, bring on the dragons please!). The ending was left a bit open, which is better than the conclusion I was dreading, but there is still a huge question as to whether or not things will turn out the way I want them to for the MC’s of this book.

The characters:

It’s been awhile since I’ve read about a punk-rocker type MC. Despite Jay Jay’s lime green highlights, brow and lip rings, she wasn’t the unbearably haughty rebel I’ve come to expect. I liked her a lot and I do hope we get to see her in the later books (we probably will, but authors have been on a role breaking my heart since the start of this year).

I didn’t really feel like there was a necessity for her clique of friends that appear in one scene at the beginning. Yes, it was important to establish the dynamics of Drew and Jay Jay’s cool romance, but I think it might have been possible to do that without the friends.

Will, the vampyre, is a big part of the story from the prologue. I was rooting for him and I’m really, really worried what’s going to happen now that things are the way they are. (When a questionably sane vampyre seeress offers information in exchange for somebody’s death, you know you’ve got to tread carefully.)

I enjoyed this short book very much and I can’t wait for the release of the rest of the series!

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