Bookishfairytail

Fall of the Argosi

Title: Fall of the Argosi
Series: (Spellslinger #0.6)
Author: Sebastien de Castell
Publishing Date: 14.10.2021

New to the ways of the Argosi, the tribe of wandering philosophers who seek to defeat evil by wit and guile, Ferius Parfax encounters a hideous plague – the Red Scream. Highly contagious, caught by the hearing of a deadly verse, it turns its victims into mindless monsters that destroy all human life they come into contact with. With the help of a deaf boy whom she has saved from two horrifying victims of the plague, she sets out to find the source of the Red Scream and overcome it’s terrifying power. Along the way she is joined by another Argosi, Rosie, who purports to be so much wiser and more adept than Ferius, but who turns out to have her own dark secrets.
Peopled with extraordinary characters and gut-wrenching drama, Ferius’s story teaches her hard lessons about the limits of the Argosi’s ways. Readers will delight not just in this amazing masterclass in plot pacing and narrative drive, but in the seemingly bottomless well of wit, thought and wisdom that the story brings up and that has changed lives down the ages. It takes the reader on a journey like no other.

First of all, I wanna say I haven’t read the Spellslinger’s series. I just knew that these are amazing books with beautiful covers. But after reading Way of the Argosi and Fall of the Argosi, all I wanna do it’s to read the next books. So it is alright to read these two books first and then the others (if you haven’t start reading this series yet).

Oh boy, I have no idea how to start my review. Because I loved everything in these books! In the first book we follow the life of the main character, Ferius Parfax (very interesting name) who will become an Argosi. In the second, Fall of the Argosi, the plot becomes more captivating because Ferius faces a dangerous plague: the Red Scream that can turn you into a monster by only hearing a vers. That’s madness, isn’t it? I devoured the Fall of the Argosi in just 3 days and that says a lot!

If you haven’t read any of Sebastien de Castell’s books, then what are you waiting for? Especially if you are a fan of fantasy as me. Now shhh because I am going to read the next book while my baby is still sleeping!

Thank you KaleidoscopicTours and Sebastien de Castell for the opportunity to read these books.

The Younglings: Shadow & Magic

Title: The Younglings: Shadow & Magic
Author: Helena M. Craggs
Publishing Date: 13.09.2021

Humans have no idea what lurks in the shadows.

Mortals don’t expect to see supernaturals. Their minds rarely consider the possibility, even when it’s staring them right in the face. I was one such person … until I met my estranged father.

Let me introduce myself. The name is Carter. Quinn Carter. A witty, laid-back, regular guy, who just happens to be half-demon.

Finding out Dad is a demon king was like a sucker punch to the gut. Seriously, I’m a total biological freak. Meeting him was the catalyst for my life tail-spinning into a new world—a world where things of legend are real.

The one positive about this whole situation is the friends I have made. Good friends. But they too have secrets … big secrets. They’re not exactly your average individuals. Turns out demons aren’t the only paranormal creatures out there.

I also need to mention a Vampire Ministry, evil stab-worthy demons, and troubled spirits stranded on the spectral plane. As a consequence, life for my friends and me became a tad problematic.

Being heroes in the mortal realm hadn’t been on anybody’s to-do list, but we had no choice in the matter, and things were about to get very interesting.

First of all, I wanna thank the author for the amazing package, for the beautiful pen (stolen by my baby), for the chocolate (stolen by my husband) and the signed copy of The Younglings. You can find the unboxing on my TikTok!

I chose to read this book because I knew my inner teenage would love it. And I was right! I love the cover and the idea of the story. And I am so happy that the author chose to include more than one type of supernatural creature. Here you can find demons, angels, vampires, witches, even ghosts. It’s an all-exclusive book.

If you are a YA fantasy fan or your inner teen wants to remember the time when you had a crush on a demon, then you should read this book. Thank you Lovebookstours and Helena M. Craggs for my copy of The Younglings: Shadow & Magic in exchange for an honest review.

I live with my husband, son, two cats, chickens and three dogs in the beautiful hills of Yorkshire. I love crystals, Reiki and angels. I’m a little bit obsessed with witchcraft too, but please don’t tell anybody.

I’ve always been an avid reader. There’s nothing better than snuggling down with a good book and visiting faraway lands. Of everything I read, and I read a lot, I have a weakness for the freedom that fantasy offers.

The Younglings—Shadows & Magic is my first published book, and it is the result of a promise I made to my sister before she passed: to publish one of my manuscripts. And here we are. I hope you love Quinn and the team as much as I have loved writing about them.

Buy Links

Amazon – https://amzn.to/3hg0q3O

Lakesedge

Title: Lakesedge
Author: Lyndall Clipstone
Publishing Date: 28.09.2021

If you step too close to the darkness, then he can touch you. Touch you, and send you back into the world, corrupted.

Content Warnings: Emotional and physical abuse by a parent, Body horror, Gore and blood (including description of wounds), Emesis, Discussions of death and grief (no on-page deaths), Descriptions of drowning and deep water, Drowning-related imagery Self-injury (in the context of a curse that requires regular physical sacrifices), suicidal ideation.

A lush, gothic fantasy from debut author Lyndall Clipstone about monsters and magic, set on the banks of a cursed lake. Perfect for fans of Naomi Novik and Brigid Kemmerer.

There are monsters in the world.

When Violeta Graceling and her younger brother Arien arrive at the haunted Lakesedge estate, they expect to find a monster. Leta knows the terrifying rumors about Rowan Sylvanan, who drowned his entire family when he was a boy. But neither the estate nor the monster are what they seem.

There are monsters in the woods.

As Leta falls for Rowan, she discovers he is bound to the Lord Under, the sinister death god lurking in the black waters of the lake. A creature to whom Leta is inexplicably drawn…

There’s a monster in the shadow, and now it knows my name.

Now, to save Rowan–and herself–Leta must confront the darkness in her past, including unraveling the mystery of her connection to the Lord Under.

“It’s a dream, Arien.”
“you can’t make it stop, Leta. You can’t -”

I need to stop falling in love with beautiful covers. I mean look at this one! It promised me an amazing story that it will take your breath away. A story about monsters, gods, darkness. But unfortunately it wasn’t what I hoped for.

To be fair, I don’t think I read any gothic books because I wasn’t ready for so many details. I am an action girl, so I need some facts not just description. The author described the characters very well, but it didn’t prove me that they were what they were (if it makes sense).

The idea of the book was pretty interesting and I think it could be a better story because the second part captivated me. So I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen in the next book. Thank you TBR and Beyond for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

But all I can think is there might be nowhere in this world, now, where I can keep my brother safe.

Lyndall Clipstone writes about monsters and the girls who like to kiss them. A former youth librarian who grew up running wild in the Barossa Ranges of South Australia, she currently lives in Adelaide,where she tends her own indoor secret garden. She has a Bachelors in Creative Writing and aGraduate Diploma in Library and Information Management.

Her debut novel,LAKESEDGE, will be published by Henry Holt, Titan UK and Pan Macmillan Australiain Fall 2021 with a sequel,FORESTFALL, to publish in Fall 2022.

You can find more about the author on: Website|Twitter|Instagram|Goodreads|Spotify.

Strange to think that with magic, both the earth and my skin can be put back together like a torn sheet.

Her Wolves

Title: Her Wolves
Series: Fall Mountain Shifters #1
Author: G. Bailey
Publishing Date: 05.02.2021

I knew nothing about mates until the alpha rejected me…

Growing up in one of the biggest packs in the world, my life is planned out from the second I turn eighteen and find my true mate in the moon ceremony.

Finding your true mate gives you the power to share the shifter energy they have, given to the males of the pack by the moon goddess herself. The power to shift into a wolf.

But for the first time in the history of our pack, the new alpha is mated with a nobody. A foster kid living in the packs orphanage with no ancestors or power to claim.

Me.

After being brutally rejected by my alpha mate, publicly humiliated and thrown away into the sea, the dark wolves of the Fall Mountain Pack find me.

They save me. The four alphas. The ones the world fears because of the darkness they live in.

In their world? Being rejected is the only way to join their pack. The only way their lost and forbidden god gives them the power to shift without a mate.

I spent my life worshipping the moon goddess when it turns out my life always belonged to another…

This is a full-length reverse harem romance novel full of sexy alpha males, steamy scenes, a strong heroine and a lot of sarcasm. Intended for 17+ readers. This is a trilogy.

I chose to read this book because of the stunning cover! (also for the synopsis 🤫). I didn’t expect it to like it because it was my first book about rejected mates. Well, to be fair I think I haven’t read a book about wolves for a very long time. So I took my chances with Her wolves.

For the first book in the series, Her wolves is not bad at all. Can’t wait to see what’s in the next book because this one ends with a cliffhanger and I hate when I don’t have the second one! The only thing that I wasn’t a fan of was that the romance between the main characters was really slowly for my taste. I like a bit of ✨spicy✨.

All in all, if you are a fan of wolves and slow-burn romance, then you should try this book. Thank you Lovebookstours and G. Bailey for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

G. Bailey is a USA Today and International Bestselling Author of fantasy and paranormal romance.
She lives in England with her cheeky children, her gorgeous (and slightly mad) golden retrievers and her teenage sweetheart turned husband.

The Everlasting Gift

Title: The Everlasting Gift
Author: David Matthew Barnes
Publishing Date: 30.11.2021

When struggling college student and aspiring music teacher Sharleen Vega lands a seasonal position with a local Parks and Recreation Department, she’s not expecting to find her destiny and true love. Assigned to direct a holiday variety show at an elementary school the city has given up on (the same school she once attended as a child), Sharleen must come to terms with the grief of her past while bringing hope to a community she feels compelled to fight for.

David-Matthew Barnes is the bestselling author of fifteen novels, three collections of poetry, seven short stories, and more than sixty stage plays that have been performed in three languages in twelve countries. He writes in multiple genres, primarily young adult, romance, thriller, and horror. His literary work has appeared in over one hundred publications including The Best Stage Scenes, The Best Women’s Stage Monologues, The Best Men’s Stage Monologues, The Best 10-Minute Plays, 105 Five-Minute Plays for Study and Performance, and several collections in the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series. He graduated with honors from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and English. He earned a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at Queens University of Charlotte in North Carolina. He is a graduate of the Professional Program in Screenwriting at UCLA. To date, he has written five produced screenplays, including the award-winning Dutch film Wagon.

The Younglings

Title: The Younglings
Author: Helena M. Craggs
Publishing Date: 13.09.2021

Humans have no idea what lurks in the shadows.

Mortals don’t expect to see supernaturals. Their minds rarely consider the possibility, even when it’s staring them right in the face. I was one such person … until I met my estranged father.

Let me introduce myself. The name is Carter. Quinn Carter. A witty, laid-back, regular guy, who just happens to be half-demon.

Finding out Dad is a demon king was like a sucker punch to the gut. Seriously, I’m a total biological freak. Meeting him was the catalyst for my life tail-spinning into a new world—a world where things of legend are real.

The one positive about this whole situation is the friends I have made. Good friends. But they too have secrets … big secrets. They’re not exactly your average individuals. Turns out demons aren’t the only paranormal creatures out there.

I also need to mention a Vampire Ministry, evil stab-worthy demons, and troubled spirits stranded on the spectral plane. As a consequence, life for my friends and me became a tad problematic.

Being heroes in the mortal realm hadn’t been on anybody’s to-do list, but we had no choice in the matter, and things were about to get very interesting.

You can purchase the book from here.

In Between

Title: In Between
Author: D. M. Siciliano
Publishing Date: 21.10.2021

“There are things you know, things you think you remember, and things you try to forget. And of course, there is all that lies In Between.”
Since she was young, Amy has suffered from Alice in Wonderland Syndrome—it warps her perception of reality and time, causing her to see things that aren’t really there. For Amy, however, AIWS also lets her peer into the world between the living and the dead—the In Between. And the In Between has plagued her with horrifying visions for decades, especially the vision of a lost little girl—and the nebulous, shadowy Dark Man.

Amy, now an adult and ready to start her own family, returns to her childhood home to confront her widowed father and finally get some answers—what really happened here, and why can’t she shake these visions?

But her father refuses to give her answers, and Amy finds herself continually shifting to the In Between, where time has no meaning, reality constantly twists—and the Dark Man grows stronger.

To save herself, escape the Dark Man, and rescue a child who may not even exist, Amy must fight against the In Between to finally learn the truth—no matter the cost.

Tsalix Silverthorn and the Maelstrom of Tears

Title: Tsalix Silverthorn and the Maelstrom of Tears
Author: Richard Siddoway
Publishing Date: 07.12.2021

With two of the talismans recovered and returned to the King, Tsalix and his friends face a challenge that will take them to the brink of death. Mount Litso is completely surrounded by the Sea of Tabass, which has a whirlpool that travels across its surface. Not only is the water formidable, but the mountain itself is guarded by giants who have pledged themselves to Abadon.The successful completion of this task will bring them closer to the completion of the mission they were sent on by the King. They will have delivered to him the three talismans that lead the way to the Scepter of Destiny.

Having retrieved the first talisman from the top of Mount Jinee, Tsalix and his friends are faced with another daunting task.They must cross Shayeksten, the Desert of Desolation to reach Mount Tsood and find the second talisman. Shayeksten is formidable, dry, hot, and covered with drifting sand. Compounding their problem is their nemesis, Captain Nash Doitsoh and his band of soldiers, who are patrolling the desert and are determined to capture Tsalix and bring him to Prince Abadon. If they are successful in crossing Shayeksten and reaching Mount Tsood they must find where the talisman is hidden and then return to Mount Deschee to deliver it to the King.

Here is the link for purchasing it.

Mark of the wicked

Title: Mark of the Wicked
Author: Georgia Bowers
Publishing Date: 10.08.2021

Real witches don’t believe in the devil, Oliver.

Content Warnings: minor body horror, threat of harm to animals and animal death. Some animal death is real and some is imagined.

A young witch tries to unravel the mystery of who is framing her for dark magic in Georgia Bowers’ creepy YA debut fantasy, Mark of the Wicked.

Magic always leaves its mark.

All her life, Matilda has been told one thing about her magic: You use only when necessary. But Matilda isn’t interested in being a good witch. She wants revenge and popularity, and to live her life free of consequences, free of the scars that dark magic leaves on her face as a reminder of her misdeeds.

When a spell goes awry and the new boy at school catches her in the act, Matilda thinks her secret might be out. But far from being afraid, Oliver already knows about her magic – and he wants to learn more. As Oliver and Matilda grow closer, bizarre things begin to happen: Animals show up with their throats slashed and odd markings carved into their bodies, a young girl dies mysteriously, and everyone blames Matilda. But she isn’t responsible — at least, not that she can remember. As her magic begins to spin out of control, Matilda must decide for herself what makes a good witch, and discover the truth…before anyone else turns up dead.

Use magic to help others, to further your understanding of the craft, to keep maintaining the balance, and, no harm will come to you.

Oh wow. I didn’t expect it to enjoy it like I did. To my shame I really liked the cover so this was the first reason for wanting to read it. And I am glad I had the chance. After a few chapters I was into the story so bad that I couldn’t stop reading.

First of all I love the name Matilda. It sounds so magical and I am glad that the main character has this name. Well, all her family has magical names. About her personality, the author shaped a 16 girl, who can do spells, pretty accurate. She tries to solve everything with magic, her insecurity blocks her to do anything non-witchy so she relies on her magic too often.

But what I really liked it’s that the author did her homeworks. I am a fan of witchcraft so most of the things Matilda did and said were true and this made the story real.

All in all, Mark of the Wicked was an interesting read and I am glad I had the opportunity to read it. Thank you TBR and Beyond and Georgia Bowers for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

If he doesn’t stop smiling at me, I think my heart is going to explode out of my throat, which will not be good because he doesn’t like blood.

Georgia Bowers lives in Bedford, a small market town in England. When it was time to decide what to do with her life, she was obsessed with two things: books and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It seemed sensible to follow in the brogued footsteps of Rupert Giles, so she became a librarian, though sadly not the demon fighting kind. But there’s still time.

Ever since her mum told her that witches used to meet in the woods near their village, she’s been obsessed with witchcraft and the paranormal. When she was a teenager, a weekly habit of Point Horrors satisfied her thirst for chilling tales before she moved on to reading Stephen King. These days she likes to give her nerves a break every now and then with a good YA romance.

After completing a course in writing YA fiction she was a winner in the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Undiscovered Voices. Since then she has dabbled with stories of chosen ones and ghostly best friends until she conjured up the magical ingredients for her debut novel, Mark Of The Wicked.

Hey, it was exactly what I needed at the time. I needed a focus and to feel in control of something.

You can find more about the author on: Webside|Twitter|Instagram|Goodreads|Facebook.

The Echoed Realm

Title: The Echoed Realm
Series: The Chaos Cycle Duology #2
Author: A.J. Vrana
Publishing Date: 10.08.2021

An epic, macabre folktale for a new generation.

Miya’s world ended in Black Hollow.

It’s been three years since the Dreamwalker upended her life and left her with a heavy burden. A fledgling to the ethereal realm, Miya stumbles into the nightmares of those haunted by spectres. Little does she know, one of them is coming for her, clutching a dark secret abreast.

Kai has found a new purpose with his companion, but the price is his freedom. Bound and beholden to Miya, he struggles to adjust to his new role as her vanguard.

Meanwhile, Mason discovers he may be a pawn trapped in a web of schemes. Was his time in Black Hollow an accident, or was it only the beginning of some greater machination?

As Black Hollow’s bloody stain spreads beyond its wooded borders, Miya fights to evade a past she barely understands. The Dreamwalker’s legacy is a vise grip, and it isn’t letting go. Primordial horrors draw near, fables come alive, and long-buried histories rise from the grave, ready to hunt.

Sharpen your claws and bloody your teeth. There’s fear to be sown.

OMG! What a book! I loved The Hollow Gods, but The Echoed Realm was better than I expected! And my expectations were really high. So of course the author didn’t disappoint me. Again she did an amazing job with this captivating story. Amazing characters, interesting places, actions, twists, dark secrets, demons! What do you need more? Dark humour? It got it already! Seriously, this book has everything.

I was waiting for this book so bad and after finishing it I want to share my thoughts with you but I had to wait. So now I am free to tell you that you need to get this duology ASAP! Especially with the new gorgeous cover.

I love the author’s writing style and how she created such amazing characters. Kai is my favourite (of course!) because I love when someone can say whatever they are thinking. I wish I could be like this. But all the characters are loveable.

I received an e-copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read your phenomenal books!

You can purchase the book from:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/386Vafc

· Signed Paperbacks: https://bit.ly/2Gn6KY7

· Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55059396-the-echoed-realm