The Speed of Falling Objects by Nancy Richardson Fischer

The Speed of Falling Objects
Author: Nancy Richardson Fischer
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Release Date: October 1st 2019
Genre: Young Adult

From the author of When Elephants Fly comes an exceptional new novel about falling down, risking everything and embracing what makes us unique. Don't miss this compulsively readable novel about the most unlikely of heroes.

Danger "Danny" Danielle Warren is no stranger to falling. After losing an eye in a childhood accident, she had to relearn her perception of movement and space. Now Danny keeps her head down, studies hard, and works to fulfill everyone else's needs. She's certain that her mom's bitterness and her TV star father's absence are her fault. If only she were more-more athletic, charismatic, attractive-life would be perfect.

When her dad calls with an offer to join him to film the next episode of his popular survivalist show, Danny jumps at the chance to prove she's not the disappointment he left behind. Being on set with the hottest teen movie idol of the moment, Gus Price, should be the cherry on top. But when their small plane crashes in the Amazon, and a terrible secret is revealed, Danny must face the truth about the parent she worships and falling for Gus, and find her own inner strength and worth to light the way home.

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The Speed of Falling Objects is a fast paced story that takes an honest look at relationships. Ones with parents, others and ourselves.

I really liked how honest this story is. Danny has had to learn how to navigate the world and deal with a disability of being blind in one eye. Which I found interesting it is to hear her talk about learning how she had to relearn simple actions.

Another big part of the story is Danny’s relationship with her parents. What I really thought was honest was how sometimes a child can be used against another parent. Which happens, especially in divorce. It’s sad but reality. Also Danny’s parents had her very young, which does have that residue of resentment. They had to make adjustments to their life for her. Doesn’t mean they don’t love her but I’m glad it was something that was addressed.

The plot itself is also intriguing. They are on their way to film Danny’s dad show, which deals with being out in the wild and then their plane crashes. They are trapped in the Amazon and have to find a way to get rescued. This isn't everyone makes it out alive situation either.

I don’t want to give too much away about Danny’s personality because it’s a big part of the story and how she grows through the experience. How things that she once saw one way, now have a different light to them.

It’s a very quick read and great if you are in the mood for something a little different. There is romance in the story but it’s really not the main part.

I'm a published author with children's, teen and adult titles including: The Golden Globe, Lyric's World and Promises (Junior Jedi Knights Trilogy) for LucasFilm (Berkeley Press), Feel No Fear, The Power, Passion and Politics of a Life in Gymnastics (Hyperion), Monica: From Fear to Victory (HarperCollins), A Journey: The Autobiography of Apolo Anton Ohno (Simon & Schuster), Nadia Comaneci: Letters to a Young Gymnast (Basic Books), and Winning Every Day with Shannon Miller (Bantam Books).

I've written for a circus, a graduate school, tried my hand at waitressing (I was terrible!), baking carrot cakes (I was messy but good!), and been lucky enough to ultimately do what I love - write.

I live in the Pacific Northwest with my husband and our mostly wonderful (but sometimes vorpal) Vizsla. When I'm not conjuring a story, I love to kite-board, bike, ski or plan adventures with my two guys, who both make me laugh for different reasons and are the best partners in fun a gal could ever imagine.

If you want to learn more about my latest novel, When Elephants Fly (publication date September 04, HarperCollins/Harlequin Teen), please visit my website: www.nancyrichardsonfischer.com

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Ends: 9th October 2019

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Shadow Frost by Coco Ma

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Title: Shadow Frost
Author: Coco Ma
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Release Date: October 1st 2019
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

IN THE KINGDOM OF AXARIA, a darkness rises.

Some call it a monster, laying waste to the villagers and their homes.
Some say it is an invulnerable demon summoned from the deepest abysses of the Immortal Realm.
Many soldiers from the royal guard are sent out to hunt it down.

Not one has ever returned.

When Asterin Faelenhart, Princess of Axaria and heir to the throne, discovers that she may hold the key to defeating the mysterious demon terrorizing her kingdom, she vows not to rest until the beast is slain. With the help of her friends and the powers she wields — though has yet to fully understand — Asterin sets out to complete a single task. The task that countless, trained soldiers have failed.

To kill it.

But as they hunt for the demon, they unearth a plot to assassinate the Princess herself instead. Asterin and her companions begin to wonder how much of their lives have been lies, especially when they realize that the center of the web of deceit might very well be themselves. With no one else to turn to, they are forced to decide just how much they are willing to sacrifice to protect the only world they have ever known.

That is, of course… if the demon doesn’t get to them first.

From young author Coco Ma comes a dazzling new tale of adventure, power, and betrayal, weaving together a stunning world of magic with a killer cast in an explosive, unforgettable debut.

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I absolutely loved Shadow Frost. It was the pick me up book that I needed. The characters and the magic system were really enjoyable.

I really liked how the magic system works and how different powers are broken up. With the immortals (their Gods) representing different houses. You fall into a main house but you can have powers from multiple house depending on the branches. I think I might have liked and understood it so much because it reminded me of how a videogame mana system generally works. Well at least how it works in Final Fantasy. You unlock one type of magic then other magics can branch from that and you develop the one that allows you to develop the others. It is a system that is easy for me to understand.

I liked the plot as well. What has really been happening in the kingdom and who do you trust. There were a couple things I suspected, some things I didn’t expect. I really liked some of the messages in the book. Like seeing the truth for what it is at times, not what your anger wants to see. Plus I felt like the book was fast paced. Although I was interested in the characters training there wasn’t too much of it where you are like okay, can we move on now.

I loved the characters and the way they all intertwine with one another. Each character has their own personality and they are not limited to interactions with the main MC. They are buidling relationships with one another and that’s what I really liked. It filled in the dynamic more.

Asterin and Quinlan are probably one of my favorite couples now. What I loved most about their romance was how it was equal footing. It wasn’t one chasing the other, it was mutual attraction that leads to both acting dumb at times. It made me really happy to read about them but it also wasn’t overpowering to the story. The plot was still strong even with the romance involved.

The ending does you leave you hanging a bit but also wraps up things well too. So you are not angry but want the next book for sure. What I really liked is that there is a decision has to be made by one of the characters and normally I feel like they would get out of it. This person does not get out of it, nor do they get out of the consequences which I thought was so very real. It’s one of the things I liked the most and hated the most about the ending.

I loved Shadow Frost. I’m so anxious for the next book now.

Coco Ma is a Canadian-Chinese author and pianist. She wrote her first novel, Shadow Frost, at the age of 15. Since she began playing the piano at the age of five and a half, she has also performed on some of the world's greatest concert stages and graduated with a pre-college diploma in piano performance from The Juilliard School in New York City. Currently, she studies at Yale University. When she isn't practicing piano, writing, or studying, you might find her bingeing Netflix or eating cake. Lots of cake.
Follow Coco on Twitter @shadowfrost2019 and Instagram @CakeForCoco or visit her website at Coco-Ma.com!

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Blackstone Publishing is giving away (1) signed bookplate, (1) Shadow Frost bookmark, (1) Shadow Frost button, and (1) Blackstone Publishing tote bag to the first 150 people pre-ordering SHADOW FROST (Before October 1st).
More information about the campaign here: : https://www.blackstonepublishing.com/shadowfrost.

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Win (1) of (2) Shadow Frost bundles:
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Giveaway Starts on: October 1st 2019
Giveaway Ends on: October 15th 2019

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Glow of the Fireflies by Lindsey Duga

Title: Glow of the Fireflies
Author: Lindsey Duga
Publisher: Entangled: Teen
Release Date: October 1st 2019
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Briony never planned to go back to the place she lost everything.

Firefly Valley, nestled deep within the Smoky Mountains, is better kept in her past. After an unexplained fire gave Briony amnesia, her mother disappeared and her dad moved them to Knoxville.

But now her grandmother needs a caretaker and Briony's dad volunteers her to help. The moment she returns, her whole world shifts. She feels a magical connection to this valley, as if it's literally part of her somehow.

And when she meets a hot guy who claims he was her childhood friend but now mysteriously keeps his distance, Briony starts piecing together her missing past...and discovers her mother didn't leave to start a new life somewhere. She's trapped in the hidden world within the valley.

Now, Briony will do whatever it takes to rescue her, even if it means standing up against dangerously powerful nature spirits. Even if it means giving up her first love.

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Glow of the Fireflies is a fun standalone that captures a fun fantasy world connected to the modern world.

It’s always interesting to me when a world superimposed over the modern world. In this case we have the different planes of the spirit world. Kind of like alternate dimensions they exist where we exist but in a different layer. I thought the imagery of the world was very well done. I could definitely visualize the plants. Which really stuck out to me.

I like books that remind me of video games. Especially when there are tasks that you must complete. For this story it’s gates, with different elements associated with them, which reminded me of playing Zelda. I liked the way they were set up with different guardians and Byre and Alder having to find ways to obtain the keys.

I wish Briony’s relationship with her grandmother was explored a little more. I felt like they need some more moments.

I liked the writing and enjoyed the romance. It was light and cute. Which is sometimes all you need, based off a past relationship. Even if Briony doesn’t remember it.

The book was fast paced. I did figure out some of things in the plot before they happened but I didn’t feel like it ruined anything.

I really enjoyed the story and as a standalone it was perfect.

Lindsey Duga is a middle grade and young adult writer with a passion for fantasy, science fiction, and basically any genre that takes you away from the real world. She wrote her first novel in college while she was getting her bachelor’s in Mass Communication from Louisiana State University.

Other than writing and cuddling with her morkie puppy, Delphi, Lindsey loves catching up on the latest superhero TV show and practicing yoga.

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Two Silver Prizes (Runner-Up Prizes-US only)
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Six Goodbyes We Never Said by Candace Ganger

Title: Six Goodbyes We Never Said
Published: September 24, 2019

Two teens meet after tragedy and learn about love, loss, and letting go

Naima Rodriguez doesn’t want your patronizing sympathy as she grieves her father, her hero—a fallen Marine. She’ll hate you forever if you ask her to open up and remember him “as he was,” though that’s all her loving family wants her to do in order to manage her complex OCD and GAD. She’d rather everyone back the-eff off while she separates her Lucky Charms marshmallows into six, always six, Ziploc bags, while she avoids friends and people and living the life her father so desperately wanted for her.

Dew respectfully requests a little more time to process the sudden loss of his parents. It's causing an avalanche of secret anxieties, so he counts on his trusty voice recorder to convey the things he can’t otherwise say aloud. He could really use a friend to navigate a life swimming with pain and loss and all the lovely moments in between. And then he meets Naima and everything’s changed—just not in the way he, or she, expects.

Candace Ganger's Six Goodbyes We Never Said is no love story. If you ask Naima, it’s not even a like story. But it is a story about love and fear and how sometimes you need a little help to be brave enough to say goodbye.

I started reading this book before anything happened with my dad. He's been battling cancer for maybe 7 years but recently the last few weeks we've been in and out of the hospital and now we are looking at a timeline. Ever changing but possibly soon. So this book changed for me and the way I connect with these characters changed.

Naima and Dew are both finding ways to grieve after the loss of parents as well as dealing with their own mental illnesses. I thought the book was really good in the way that it is leading you through the characters lives after this loss. As far as plot goes, it's finding a way to live with the tragedy that happened to them and find their own happiness somehow.

As much as I struggled to connect with Naima. I hated the way she treats people but grief comes in all forms so I tried to understand that.

It's hard not to love Dew because he has such a big heart. I hate he has struggle with his social anxiety but he works so hard at getting it under control. You want him to find a place of balance.

I really liked Six Goodbyes We Never Said. It's well written and touching. A book you can feel the heart and soul in.

Candace Ganger is the author of Six Goodbyes We Never Said and The Inevitable Collision of Birdie & Bash as well as a contributing writer for HelloGiggles and obsessive marathoner. Aside from having past lives as a singer, nanotechnology website editor, and world’s worst vacuum sales rep, she’s also ghostwritten hundreds of projects for companies, best-selling fiction and award-winning nonfiction authors alike. She lives in Ohio with her family.

Twitter: @candylandgang + @WednesdayBooks

A Treason of Thorns by Laura E. Weymouth

Title: A Treason of Thorns
Author: Laura E. Weymouth
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: September 10th 2019
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Violet Sterling has spent the last seven years in exile, longing to return to Burleigh House. One of the six great houses of England, Burleigh’s magic always kept the countryside well. And as a child, this magic kept Violet happy, draping her in flowers while she slept, fashioning secret hiding places for her, and lighting fires on the coldest nights to keep her warm.

Everything shattered, though, when her father committed high treason trying to free Burleigh from the king’s oppressive control. He was killed, and Vi was forced into hiding.

When she’s given a chance to go back, she discovers Burleigh has run wild with grief. Vines and briars are crumbling the walls. Magic that once enriched the surrounding countryside has turned dark and deadly, twisting lush blooms into thorns, poisoning livestock and destroying crops. Burleigh’s very soul is crying out in pain.

Vi would do anything to help, and soon she finds herself walking the same deadly path as her father all those years before. Vi must decide how far she’s willing to go to save her house—before her house destroys everything she’s ever known.

Content warnings are available via the author's website.

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A Treason of Thorns is a very interesting dark tale about magic and houses that can love you too much.

When I started reading A Treason of Thorns at first I was like oh wow this is strange, I’m not so sure about this. Violet was a little off putting in the beginning as well. As I kept with and continued to read, I really enjoyed the story. I thought the concept is super interesting, house that are alive and their magic is channeled into the land around them due to a binding.

I think the story really picks up for me when Violet returns to Burleigh in order to set things in order for a new caretaker. She has held steadfast and true to this idea that she is meant to be the caretaker of the house and that she alone must bear Burleigh’s pain and bring the house to greatness again. She actually gets kind of annoying at points with how often she feels the need to remind everyone else of that. I’m like listen here Violet you are more than this house.

I loved the descriptions of the house itself and the magic it contains. I could picture this living breathing thing that is normally inanimate. When Violet feels the houses pain and suffering you really can envision it. As well as just thinking of the house as almost like a person. Now do I think the house and Violet have an unhealthy relationship, yes.

I like where the story takes us with the plot. The idea that the houses can be unbound and their magic set free so they no longer can be controlled by a caretaker or royalty. I also think it’s interesting to see how Violet changes and how what she thought were the most important things to her in the world are not exactly what she thinks they are. I think we really see her understanding grow throughout the book and by the end, we see a very different Violet.

Wyn is also an interesting and complicated character. You know there is something off about why he is at the house. You know that there is more to his story but it has to be pieced together as we go along.

The romance is there but light and slow burn.

I did enjoy the writing but there is some repetitiveness. Although I think it might be in a way to show how Violet in particular, has had this thought drilled into her. Besides that though I really liked the plot and thought it was creepy and interesting. I also really liked the side characters.

I enjoyed A Treason of Thorns and for a standalone I really the concept of the story and magic system.

Laura Weymouth is a Canadian living in exile in America, and the sixth consecutive generation of her family to immigrate from one country to another. Born and raised in the Niagara region of Ontario, she now lives at the edge of the woods in western New York, along with her husband, two wild-hearted daughters, a spoiled cat, an old soul of a dog, and an indeterminate number of chickens. She is represented by the inimitable Lauren Spieller of TriadaUS.

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Ends: 24th September 2019
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Stormrise by Jillian Boehme

Title: Stormrise
Author: Jillian Boehme
Publisher: Tor Teen
Release Date: September 10th 2019
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Dragons

Synopsis:

A combat warrior will risk everything to awaken the dragons and save her kingdom in Jillian Boehme's epic YA Fantasy debut, Stormrise, inspired by Twelfth Night and perfect for fans of Tamora Pierce.

If Rain weren’t a girl, she would be respected as a Neshu combat master. Instead, her gender dooms her to a colorless future. When an army of nomads invades her kingdom, and a draft forces every household to send one man to fight, Rain takes her chance to seize the life she wants.

Knowing she’ll be killed if she’s discovered, Rain purchases powder made from dragon magic that enables her to disguise herself as a boy. Then she hurries to the war camps, where she excels in her training—and wrestles with the voice that has taken shape inside her head. The voice of a dragon she never truly believed existed.

As war looms and Rain is enlisted into an elite, secret unit tasked with rescuing the High King, she begins to realize this dragon tincture may hold the key to her kingdom’s victory. For the dragons that once guarded her land have slumbered for centuries . . . and someone must awaken them to fight once more.

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Stormrise is a quick paced Mulan-esque fantasy that of course has Dragons!

Rain lives in a world where women are expected to marry and be homemakers. Not soldiers or fighters but she does not want to fall into this mold of what is expected of her gender. Rain trains with her father as a Neshu fighter. A specialized type of fighting that she wishes to become a grandmaster of one day but can’t. When the Nomads begin to invade and each household is expected to send someone to serve. Rain chooses to take the place of her father and her twin brother Storm in order to protect them by pretending to be Storm. The thing I love about Rain is how selfless and disciplined she is. Not on a surface level either, she truly is willing to sacrifice herself for the greater good without question. She is also a strong and fierce fighter and a true Neshu grandmaster in her heart.

The worldbuilding is mostly battlefields but it’s the history that is rich in the story. Ylanda is a nation that was once protected by fierce Dragons. Due to human greed, however, the Dragons went into slumber until their time to be called again. As time passes the Dragons slip into being nothing more than myths, with the exception of some villages who still hold fast in the belief of them. As Rain uncovers the true history, I really enjoyed learning about them and the part they play as part of Ylanda. From the way their existence changed and the use of their magic.

The action is very fast paced and keeps on moving. I thought all the fighting and battle scenes were well plotted in order to keep your interest without being too much.

I loved seeing Rain and her comrades at arms learn and grow from the recruits they start out as. The romance is there but light and does not draw too much from the story. I also really enjoyed the writing.

The dragons!! Again I loved the history of the dragons and Rain’s special bond with them.

Stormrise is a great standalone that is a fast paced read. Enjoyable for fantasy lovers!

JILLIAN BOEHME is known to the online writing community as Authoress, hostess of Miss Snark's First Victim, a blog for aspiring authors. In real life, she holds a degree in Music Education, sings with the Nashville Symphony Chorus, and homeschools her remaining youngster-at-home. She's still crazy in love with her husband of more than thirty years and is happy to be surrounded by family and friends amid the rolling knolls of Middle Tennessee.

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Starts: 10th September 2019
Finishes: 24th September 2019
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Kindom of Souls by Rena Barron

Title: Kingdom of Souls
Author: Rena Barron
Publicist: HarperTeen
Release Date: September 3rd 2019
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

THERE’S MAGIC IN HER BLOOD.

Explosive fantasy set in a world of magic and legend, where one girl must sacrifice her life, year by year, to gain the power necessary to fight the mother she has never been good enough for.

Perfect for fans of Sarah J Maas, Tomi Adeyemi and Black Panther

THERE’S MAGIC IN HER BLOOD.

Arrah is a young woman from a long line of the most powerful witch doctors in the land. But she fails at magic, fails to call upon the ancestors and can't even cast the simplest curse.

Shame and disappointment dog her.

When strange premonitions befall her family and children in the kingdom begin to disappear, Arrah undergoes the dangerous and scorned process of selling years of her life for magic. This borrowed power reveals a nightmarish betrayal and a danger beyond what she could have imagined. Now Arrah must find a way to master magic, or at least buy it, in order to save herself and everything she holds dear.

An explosive fantasy set in a world of magic and legend with a twist you will never see coming.

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With it’s dark plot and lush world building, Kingdom of Souls is a book that had me completely enthralled with it’s story.

Right off the bat I was impressed with the writing in Kingdom of Souls. It has a very rich and beautifully tone to it. I kept thinking I really like these words, I don’t even know what that means myself. Also there is a lot of world building that is based around a magic system and mythology of different Orisha.

Oh Arrah. I liked her as the main character but she also frustrated me at times. Why can’t she see how magic doesn’t make her. She’s pretty awesome if she has it or doesn’t have it. She’s not afraid of doing the right thing or fighting for it. It doesn’t matter to her what she has to go up against and values others lives over her own. I love the rich culture that is her background and how she honors it. I also loved seeing how much her character changes throughout the story but really does keep her core values. Whatever happens and what she must do, Arrah is still Arrah in her heart and I really like that about her.

I love Rudjek. He isn’t the guy coming in and feeling like he needs to save or protect Arrah. Of course he wants to do that because he deeply cares about her but he sees her for how strong she is. He trusts her and he is also so so supportive of her. Even at times when she leaves things out and realizes that he would support her no matter what she does. They don’t get caught up in petty arguments. Why didn’t you tell me this, because I thought you’d hate me. Oh ya I can see that you had good intentions here. I love that!! There is plenty of other drama in the book besides all that silliness. Plus they have a long established relationship so nothing is coming out of nowhere. Everything about their friendship is genuine.

There is a part with him that bothered me. Not because of him because he is a victim in it too, I just wasn’t sure why it needed to be in the story.

So the plot is a lot. It kind of amazed me when I finished reading that this is only the first book because so much happens. Also it is a lot darker than I was expecting. In a good way, I found the whole story intriguing and it’s divided into parts so you are not overwhelmed with how big of a book this is. I loved all the mythology and stories weaved throughout and I thought having some of the Orisha’s perspectives at times was helpful to keep me from being confused about who they are. Lots of times when it’s mythology I don’t know as well, I get names and purposes mixed up. I think giving the Orisha’s that more sense of a rounded character helped out. I think it also helped me to understand the magic system better. Each tribe has their own unique footprint.

There are times where I thought the story had some slow points. I understood that things needed to be done, in order to get them where they are going next. I also though felt like okay I’m ready for the next action. Again, so much stuff pack into one book. I can’t believe that it was all in there and executed so well.

Also a great crew of side characters! I love a story that has strong supporting characters that have purpose. I’m not going to get into all of them but just everyone with their roles to play. Some I don’t think had as much limelight as they could but I’m sure they will shine some more in the future books.

I can’t wait to see what happens in the next Kingdom of Souls book because I’m still reeling from the first book.

Rena Barron grew up in small-town Alabama where stories of magic and adventure sparked her imagination. After penning her first awful poem in middle school, she graduated to writing short stories and novels by high school. Rena loves all things science fiction, ghosts, and superheroes. She’s a self-proclaimed space nerd. When she’s not writing, she can be found reading or brushing up on her French. Follow her at @renathedreamer and renabarron.com.

Rena prefers not to be tagged in reviews to save her sanity.

She is represented by Suzie Townsend at New Leaf Literary & Media, Inc.

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Starts: 4th September 2019
Ends: 18th September 2019
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Tiger Queen by Annie Sullivan

Title: Tiger Queen
Author: Annie Sullivan
Publisher: BLINK
Release date: September 10, 2019
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retelling, Romance

From Annie Sullivan, author of A Touch of Gold, comes Tiger Queen, a sweeping YA fantasy adventure that tells the story of a fierce desert princess battling to save her kingdom. Fans of Rebel of the Sands and Meagan Spooner will devour this retelling of Frank Stockton’s famous short story, “The Lady, or the Tiger?”

In the mythical desert kingdom of Achra, an ancient law forces sixteen-year-old Princess Kateri to fight in the arena to prove her right to rule. For Kateri, winning also means fulfilling a promise to her late mother that she would protect her people, who are struggling through windstorms and drought. The situation is worsened by the gang of Desert Boys that frequently raids the city wells, forcing the king to ration what little water is left. The punishment for stealing water is a choice between two doors: behind one lies freedom, and behind the other is a tiger.

But when Kateri’s final opponent is announced, she knows she cannot win. In desperation, she turns to the desert and the one person she never thought she’d side with. What Kateri discovers twists her world—and her heart—upside down. Her future is now behind two doors—only she’s not sure which holds the key to keeping her kingdom and which releases the tiger.

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I actually just recently became an Annie Sullivan fan after reading A Touch of Gold. A book that I can’t believe I didn’t read sooner. So when I saw The Tiger Queen, I was like yes! Sign me up!

I loved Kateri. I love her because you see so much growth in her character as the story progresses. We start with her living a typical royal life. She has no real idea of what the people’s suffering is like and just blindly follows what her father tells her. He’s her father and the King. Why would he lie to her. When she finally ventures out and sees more of the world outside of herself, she really starts to realize that she can’t rely on others to see her. She has to understand what is going on if she truly wants to fulfill her promise to her mother. She tries so hard in the beginning not to be weak by her father’s standards and then by the end see that she can find her own strength and that she doesn’t need to measure up to anyone but herself. Well being that she’s trying to be Queen, her people too. I really enjoyed seeing her grow.

I loved the setting. It’s such an interesting world. This is a city surrounded by desert and suffering from drought. The only reason they haven’t made the trek to leave the territory is there is not enough water to make the journey. They strongly believe in the spirit of the desert and that the changing sands will show them the way to live. In a way it’s their religion. There are also sandstorms and vicious poisonous creatures that if you are not experienced in walking around the desert you might end up dead. I really shouldn’t call them vicious, it’s a if you irritate them they will attack you kind of thing.

The romance is very subtle and does not distract from the plot at all. I actually kind of wish there was a little more because it was so cute. I also really like that kind of relationship. It always reminds me of Final Fantasy VI (yes I’m really off the range here) and the cute general/thief kind of thing. Or even Robin Hood. Who is actually good and who is actually bad.

All these pieces make up the plot. Kateri is battling for the throne. Having to defeat each suitor in order to avoid marriage and take her rightful place as Queen. During this, due to the drought, the water rations keep getting lowered. Which is causing mini revolts and uprising. When Kateri’s final contender is not only someone terrible but someone she can’t beat. She needs to find a new way to win. Which sets the wheels in motion for the rest of the events of the story.

I loved The Tiger Queen. It’s a great standalone and a really enjoyable read.

Annie Sullivan is a Young Adult author from Indianapolis, Indiana. Her work has been featured in Curly Red Stories and Punchnels. She loves fairytales, everything Jane Austen, and traveling and exploring new cultures. When she’s not off on her own adventures, she’s teaching classes at the Indiana Writers Center and working as the Copy Specialist at John Wiley and Sons, Inc. publishing company, having also worked there in Editorial and Publicity roles. You can follow her adventures on Twitter and Instagram (@annsulliva).

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