The Severed Thread by Leslie Vedder

Thank you so much to TBR and Beyond Tours for having me on this tour and sending me a copy of The Severed Thread by Leslie Vedder! If you love fairytale retellings this series is for you!

Synopsis:

Which threads of fate will hold—and which will break? Clever, bookish Fi and her brash, ax-wielding partner Shane are back in this action packed sequel to the bestsellingThe Bone Spindle, the gender-flipped Sleeping Beauty retelling, perfect for fans of Sorcery of Thorns and The Cruel Prince.

Fi has awakened the sleeping prince, but the battle for Andar is far from over. The Spindle Witch, the Witch Hunters, and Fi’s own Butterfly Curse all stand between them and happily ever after.

Shane has her partner’s back. But she’s in for the fight of her life against Red, the right hand of the Spindle Witch who she’s also, foolishly, hellbent on saving.

Briar Rose would do anything to restore his kingdom. But there’s a darkness creeping inside him—asinister bond to the Spindle Witch he can’t escape.

All hopes of restoring Andar rest on deciphering a mysterious book code, finding the hidden city ofthe last Witches, and uncovering a secret lost for centuries—one that just might hold the key to theSpindle Witch’s defeat. If they can all survive that long…

Set in a world of twisted fairytales, The Severed Thread combines lost ruins, ride-or-die friendships, and heart-pounding romance.

Content Warning: past abusive/manipulative relationship, abusive parent figure.

The Severed Thread comes out February 7th, make sure to add to your goodreads!

Links

Goodreads | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indigo | IndieBound | Amazon

About the Author:

Leslie Vedder (she/her) is a queer ace author who loves fairytale retellings with girl adventurers and heroes! She grew up on fantasy books, anime, fan fiction and the Lord of the Rings movies, and met her true love in high school choir. She graduated from San Francisco State University with a B.A. in creative writing and currently lives in Colorado with her wife and two spoiled house cats.

When she’s not reading or writing, you can find her watching anime and sci-fi shows, walking in the woods and pretending they’re enchanted forests, or playing old video games. She always collects all the Skulltulas in Zelda and all the Dalmation puppies in Kingdom Hearts.

Her debut YA novel THE BONE SPINDLE (Penguin/Razorbill) was an indie bestseller. The sequel THE SEVERED THREAD comes out Feb 7, 2023. Find her online at leslievedder.com

The Stolen Heir by Holly Black

Thank you so much to TBR and Beyond Tours for having me on the tour for The Stolen Heir by Holly Black- Out today January 3rd!

Return to the opulent world of Elfhame, filled with intrigue, betrayal, and dangerous desires, with this first book of a captivating new duology from the #1New York Timesbestselling author HollyBlack.

A runaway queen. A reluctant prince. And a quest that may destroy them both.

Eight years have passed since the Battle of the Serpent. But in the icy north, Lady Nore of the Court of Teeth has reclaimed the Ice Needle Citadel. There, she is using an ancient relic to create monsters of stick and snow who will do her bidding and exact her revenge.

Suren, child queen of the Court of Teeth, and the one person with power over her mother, fled to the human world. There, she lives feral in the woods. Lonely, and still haunted by the merciless torments she endured in the Court of Teeth, she bides her time by releasing mortals from foolish bargains. She believes herself forgotten until the storm hag, Bogdana chases her through the night streets. Suren is saved by none other than Prince Oak, heir to Elfhame, to whom she was once promised in marriage and who she has resented for years.

Now seventeen, Oak is charming, beautiful, and manipulative.He’s on a mission that will lead him into the north, and he wants Suren’s help. But if she agrees, it will mean guarding her heart against the boy she once knew and a prince she cannot trust, as well as confronting all the horrors she thought she left behind.

The Stolen Heir is out today January 3rd! Goodreads | IndieBound | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indigo

About the Author:

HollyBlack is the #1New York Times bestselling author of fantasy novels, including the Novels of Elfhame, THE COLDEST GIRL IN COLDTOWN, the Spiderwick Chronicles, and her adult debut, BOOKOF NIGHT. She has been a finalist for an Eisner Award and the Lodestar Award, and the recipient of the Mythopoeic Award, a Nebula, and a Newbery Honor. Her books have been translated into 32 languages worldwide and adapted for film. She currently lives in New England with her husband and son in a house with a secret library.

Author Links:

Author Site | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Facebook | Pinterest

The House With The Golden Door by Elodie Harper

For Lovers of all things Greek Mythology

The House with the Golden Door is the second book in the Wolf Den trilogy. Thank you so much to Turn The Pages tours for having me on the tour for this book! In this historic greek mythology story we continue along with Amara’s story as she leaves behind her life at the brothel and continues as a freed woman but the question remains, is she truly free?

The House with the golden door is sure to keep you reading page after page intertwined with forbidden love, new challenges for Amara as she learns how to maneuver through society with her newly elevated position and make difficult decisions that could lead to her destruction all to protect those she loves.

The House with The Golden Door by Elodie Harper is available now at: Amazon | Book Depository | Barnes & Noble

SYNOPSIS: 

The life of a courtesan in Pompeii is glamorous yet perilous . . .  

Amara has escaped her life as a slave in the Wolf Den, the city’s most notorious brothel, but now her survival depends on the affections of her patron: a man she might not know as well as she once thought. At night, in the home he bought for her, the house with the golden door, Amara’s dreams are haunted by her past. She longs for her sisterhood of friends—the women at the brothel she was forced to leave behind—and worse, finds herself pursued by the cruel and vindictive man who once owned her. To be truly free, she will need to be as ruthless as he is. Amara knows her existence in Pompeii is subject to Venus, the goddess of love. Yet finding love may prove to be the most dangerous act of all.

About The Author:

Elodie Harper is a journalist and prize-winning writer. She is currently a reporter and presenter at ITV News, and before that worked as a producer for Channel 4 News. Elodie studied Latin poetry both in the original and in translation as part of her English Literature degree at Oxford, instilling a lifelong interest in the ancient world. The Wolf Den, the first in a trilogy of novels about the lives of women in ancient Pompeii, was a number one London Times bestseller. Elodie lives in the UK. You can visit her at elodieharper.com and find her @ElodieLHarper.

Ravenfall by Kalyn Josephson

Thanks to TBR and beyond for having me on the tour for Ravenfall!

Ravenfall by Kalyn Josephson comes out on September 13th so make sure to preorder and add it to your GoodReads! Preorder Links: Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Book Depository | Indigo | IndieBound

Synopsis:

One magical inn, two kids with supernatural powers, and an ancient Celtic creature trying to destroy their world by Halloween night…

Halloweentown meets Supernatural in this spooky middle-grade series from the acclaimed author of the Storm Crow duology!

Thirteen-year-old Annabella Ballinkay has never been normal, even by her psychic family’s standards. Every generation uses their abilities to help run the Ravenfall Inn, a sprawling, magical B&B at the crossroads of the human world and the Otherworld. But it’s hard to contribute when your only power is foreseeing death.So when fourteen-year-old Colin Pierce arrives at Ravenfall searching for his missing older brother and the supernatural creature who killed their parents, Anna jumps at the chance to help. But the mysteries tied to Colin go much deeper than either of them expects. . . .As the two team up to find answers, they unearth Colin’s family’s secret past and discover that Colin has powers beyond his imagination. And now the supernatural creature, one with eerie origins inCeltic mythology, is coming after him. If Anna and Colin can’t stop the creature by Halloween night, the veil to the Otherworld could be ripped open—which would spell destruction for their world as they know it.

About the author:

Kalyn Josephson currently works as a Technical Writer in the tech industry, which leaves room for too many bad puns about technically being a writer. Though she grew up in San Luis Obispo, California, she graduated from Santa Clara University with degrees in Biology and English (Creative Writing). Currently, she lives in the Bay Area with two black cats (who are more like a tiny dragon and an ever tinier owl). THE STORM CROW duology is out now.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Instagram | GoodReads

The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones

The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones is perfect for fans of old school fantasy, bad ass female main characters and an intricate elemental magical system. Thank you to TBR and beyond tours for having me on this tour and make sure to check all the other fantastic stops on the way! The main character Mer is a water diviner and the last of her kind and in a world where magic is rare of course the wrong people want to control her powers. but she’s willing to sacrifice it all to make sure that doesn’t happen. Mer as an MC is courageous, she is a lovable character and no spoilers but – she has a dog. The world building in this was done really well and at no point does it feel like information is just being dumped on the reader.

A person with a knife was one thing. A person with a knife and a cause could topple kingdoms.

If you’re like me and get the craving for a really good Stand alone fantasy make sure to get yourself a copy of The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones!

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indigo | IndieBound

Synopsis:

A magical, ethereal fantasy from Indie Bound bestselling author Emily Lloyd-Jones. Once upon a time, the kingdoms of Wales were rife with magic and conflict, and eighteen-year-old Mererid “Mer” is well-acquainted with both. She is the last living water diviner and has spent years running from the prince who bound her into his service. Under the prince’s orders, she located the wells of his enemies, and he poisoned them without her knowledge, causing hundreds of deaths. After discovering what he had done, Mer went to great lengths to disappear from his reach. Then Mer’s old handler returns with a proposition: use her powers to bring down the very prince that abused them both. The best way to do that is to destroy the magical well that keeps the prince’s lands safe. With a motley crew of allies, including a fae-cursed young man, the lady of thieves, and a corgi that may or may not be a spy, Mer may finally be able to steal precious freedom and peace for herself. After all, a person with a knife is one thing…but a person with a cause can topple kingdoms. The Drowned Woods—set in the same world as The Bone Houses but with a whole new, unforgettable cast of characters—is part heist novel, part dark fairy tale.

About The Author:

Emily Lloyd-Jones grew up on a vineyard in rural Oregon, where she played in evergreen forests and learned to fear sheep. She has a BA in English from Western Oregon University and a MA in publishing from Rosemont College. She currently resides in Northern California, where she enjoys wandering in redwood forests. Her young adult novels include Illusive, Deceptive, The Hearts We Sold, The Bone Houses, and the forth coming The Drowned Woods. Her debut middle grade, Unseen Magic, will release in 2022.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

These Fleeting Shadows by Kate Alice Marshall

Another super fun read for TBR and Beyond Tours! If you’re looking for creepy gothic haunted house vibe during the summer – look no farther! These Fleeting Shadows just released today! so make sure to add it to your tbr – but don’t just leave it on your never ending tbr stack this is one you want to read asap.

These Fleeting Shadows starts with Helen Vaughn who has no idea why her and her mother up and left their ancestral home Harrowstone Hall, called Harrow, or why they haven’t kept in contact with any extended family since. I’ll make sure to add the full synopsis below but mysterious past, spooky gothic setting and a bunch of unanswered questions?? Whats not to love.

As the story plays out the atmosphere is sure to pull you in but its all the twists and turns you’ll stay for. I don’t want to give too much away because I feel like part of the allure of this book is going in expecting while knowing nothing but these fleeting shadows gives you a good mix of gothic spookygore and romance – which is a very interesting combo. Over all this book gets a 4 stars from me and I recommend it to all my spooky lovers.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indigo | IndieBound

Content Warning: Harm to children/death of children–non-graphic and not on the page, but prevalent in backstory & plot, Death & dying, Body horror (surreal, not gory), Violence (against MC &others), Alcoholism (not a main character), Discussion of a lobotomy performed in the 1800s

About the Author:

Kate Alice Marshall is the author of young adult and middle grade novels, including I AM STILL ALIVE,RULES FOR VANISHING, and THIRTEENS.She lives outside of Seattle with her husband, two dogs named Vonnegut and Octavia, and two kids.They all conspire to keep her on her toes.

Author Website | Twitter | Instagram | Author GoodReads

The Valkyrie’s Daughter by Tiana Warner

Thanks so much to MTMC Tours for sending me a copy of The Valkyrie’s Daughter by Tiana Warner! For fans of Percy Jackson & Sky in the Deep this is an epic story about two outcast who will go from enemies to lovers along the way. The Valkyrie’s Daughter is now available so make sure to check out Entangled Teen’s website!

There is a super fun giveaway going on with this tour and it can be found on my instagram – Make sure to follow for all bookish content and check out MTMC’s Instagram & website for more tours just like this one.

Synopsis:

From the time she was born, Sigrid has only ever been ordinary. Being paired at birth with a plain horse―instead of the powerful winged mare of a valkyrie―meant there would be no warrior path for her. No riding the skies, no glory among the nine worlds. Just the simple, unremarkable life of a stable hand.

Everything changes when a terrible enemy ambushes Vanaheim and Sigrid sees a vision of herself atop a mythical stallion, leading the valkyries into a harrowing battle. Finally, she can grab her future with her own two hands and become the hero of her own story…if she dares.

But her destiny is tied up with Mariam, a fallen valkyrie who’s allied herself with the very enemy Sigrid is trying to stop.

Now Sigrid has left ordinary behind as she begins a journey with the beautiful―if treacherous―valkyrie, each step bringing her closer to answers…and to awakened feelings for Mariam.

Only, the life Sigrid has escaped may have been paradise compared to the one she’s racing toward. Because her destination is the realm of the dead: the gates of Hel.

Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen

| unapologetically vicious & delightfully dark |

That’s pretty much how I would describe Violet made of Thorns and its main character. Thanks so much to TBR and Beyond for having me on todays tour stop for this book, make sure to check out the rest of the tour! If you’re a fan of dark but subtle fairytale retellings with a sprinkle of spice this book is for you. The push and pull between our MC and love interest definitely makes this book all the more fun without even having to mention the magic, the court machinations and the secrets each character holds.

I rarely ask for dual POV but in this books case I wish I would have been able to get a glimpse into every characters head, I was so curious the entire time! This story is a very fast paced ‘give me the next chapter’ type of story and every chapter delivered someone even better than the last. I do feel like having a morally gray main character really added to this story I can’t imagine our MC Violet being motivated by doing good and this story gripping me as much as it did.

First the Briars and then come the beasts & blood. The magic in this world really caught my attention it felt like the author put together all the twisted parts of Cinderella, sleeping beauty and beauty and the beast all in one.

Overall I give Violet Made of Thorns 4 stars and I can’t wait to see what’s next for this world. I was surprised to find out it wasn’t a standalone because the ending did feel tied together for Violet but regardless if the next MC is her or someone else within this story (maybe some Dante snippets??) I will definitely be reading the next one.

Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen is out now so make sure to add it to your Goodreads and you can get your own copy at any of these stores: Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indigo | Indie Bound | Amazon

Synopsis:

A darkly enchanting fantasy debut about a morally gray witch, a cursed prince, and a prophecy that ignites their fate-twisted destinies—perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and Serpent & Dove.

Violet is a prophet and a liar, influencing the royal court with her cleverly phrased—and not always true—divinations. Honesty is for suckers, like the oh-so-not charming Prince Cyrus, who plans to strip Violet of her official role once he’s crowned at the end of the summer—unless Violet does something about it.

But when the king asks her to falsely prophesy Cyrus’s love story for an upcoming ball, Violet awakens a dreaded curse, one that will end in either damnation or salvation for the kingdom—all depending on the prince’s choice of future bride. Violet faces her own choice: Seize an opportunity to gain control of her own destiny, no matter the cost, or give in to the ill-fated attraction that’s growing between her and Cyrus.

Violet’s wits may protect her in the cutthroat court, but they can’t change her fate. And as the boundary between hatred and love grows ever thinner with the prince, Violet must untangle a wicked web of deceit in order to save herself and the kingdom—or doom them all

About The Author:

Gina Chen tells stories about fantastic worlds featuring heroines, antiheroines, and the kind of cleverness that brings trouble in its wake. A self-taught artist with a degree in computer science, she generates creative nonsense in all forms of media and always has a project stewing. Violet Made of Thorns is her debut fantasy novel. For more info, visit actualgina.com and follow @actualgina on Twitter and Instagram. Goodreads | Tumblr

Blood and Moonlight by Erin Beaty

Thank you so much to TBR and Beyond tours for having me on this tour for Blood and Moonlight by Erin Beaty. Below you can find the synopsis, content warnings & links to purchase the book and of course more about the authr!

Synopsis:

In this medieval YA fantasy thriller, an orphan with a secret, magical sight gets caught between a mysterious genius and the serial killer he’s hunting. Rising above the city of Collis is the holy Sanctum. And watching over its spires is Catrin, an orphan girl with unique skills—for she alone can spot the building’s flaws in construction before they turn deadly. But when Catrin witnesses a murderer escaping the scene of his crime, she’s pulled into the web of a dangerous man who will definitely strike again. Assigned to capture the culprit is the mysterious, brilliant, and enigmatic Simon, whose insights into the mind of a killer are frighteningly accurate. As the grisly crimes continue, Catrin finds herself caught between murderer and detective while hiding her own secret—a supernatural sight granted by the moon, destined to make her an outcast, and the only thing that might save her and those she loves from becoming the next victims…

Content Warning: graphic death, violence, incest, talk of mental illness.

Make sure to add the books on GoodReads , and the book is now available at the following retailers: Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indigo | IndieBound | & Amazon.

About the author :

Erin Beaty was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana, which means she can’t drive a tractor but won’t eat veggies that come from a can. She graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2000 with a BS in Aerospace Engineering(Astronautics) and German, then served in the fleet as a weapons officer on a combat destroyer and later as an instructor the Center for Naval Leadership.

After a few years as a stay-at-home mother and navy wife with a casual family blog, Erin upped her game and started writing her first novel in the spring of 2014. She is now the author of the Traitor’s Circle Trilogy published by Imprint, Macmillan and in several foreign languages. She and her husband have five children, two cats, and a vegetable garden and live wherever the navy tells them to go.

Erin has taught classes at The Muse Writers Center in Norfolk and has also served on the advisory board of Hampton Roads Writers. Author Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Facebook

Summers Edge by Dana Mele

Summers Edge was made for lovers of I know what you did last summer, Haunting of hill house and dare I say it felt like there was a sprinkle of American Horror Story. The book follows a group of friends a year after the tragic events of a summer gone wrong. I’ll make sure to include the synopsis below but after one of their friends -Emily- dies in a fire within the cabin the friends were staying in nothing is the same again.

The Story follows Chelsea who is haunted by ghostly visions and seems to be the only one filled with guilt over the loss of their friend. The question is – was what happened to Emily an accident or murder? This book has the perfect blend of creepy and atmospheric you would want in a spooky summer read. When I say I want to read a thriller I want the elements within Summers Edge.

Reading this will feel like a blur in the best way since you won’t be able to put this book down until you know just what happened last summer at the cabin. I’m giving Summers Edge 4 stars and I’m so glad Turn the Pages Tours included me on the tour for Summers Edge by Dana Mele!

Synopsis:

I Know What You Did Last Summer meets  The Haunting of Hill House  in this atmospheric, eerie teen thriller following an estranged group of friends being haunted by their friend who died last summer.

Emily Joiner was once part of an inseparable group—she was a sister, a best friend, a lover, and a rival. Summers without Emily were unthinkable. Until the fire burned the lake house to ashes with her inside.

A year later, it’s in Emily’s honor that Chelsea and her four friends decide to return. The house awaits them, meticulously rebuilt. Only, Chelsea is haunted by ghostly visions. Loner Ryan stirs up old hurts and forces golden boy Chase to play peacemaker. Which has perfect hostess Kennedy on edge as eerie events culminate in a stunning accusation: Emily’s death wasn’t an accident. And all the clues needed to find the person responsible are right here.

As old betrayals rise to the surface, Chelsea and her friends have one night to unravel a mystery spanning three summers before a killer among them exacts their revenge.

About the author:

Dana Mele is a Pushcart-nominated writer based in the Catskills. A graduate of Wellesley College, Dana holds degrees in theatre, education, and law. Dana’s debut, PEOPLE LIKE US, was published in 2018 and shortlisted for the 2019 ITW Thriller Award for Best Young Adult Novel. A second YA thriller, SUMMER’S EDGE, is forthcoming from Simon & Schuster in Spring 2022, followed by TRAGIC, a graphic novel retelling of Hamlet from Legendary Comics. Author Website – IG