Tag: retelling

Coral – Blog Tour

TheCaffeinatedReader3 Comments

 

 

Bringing you the spotlight on ‘Coral’ today! Thanks TFFBC for a chance to take part in promoting this book!

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Synopsis:
Multiple award-winning young adult author Sara Ella reimagines The Little Mermaid in a powerful and unexpected way.Sixteen-year-old mermaid Coral has always been different, standing out from her stoic sisters in a society where blending in is key. Worse yet, she fears she has been afflicted with the dreaded Disease. Said to be carried by humans, the Disease imposes emotions on its victims, causing them to commit unspeakable acts. The growing illness inside her, while terrifying, fascinates her very core. Where others see danger, Coral sees life. Could it be the colorless merfolk who are truly ill?
Above the sea, seventeen-year-old Brooke Jordan has nothing left to give. A homeless girl abandoned and forgotten, the only thing Brooke can rely on is the ocean. Her aching feet find refuge within the cool and comforting waves, while her broken heart grows harder with each passing day. When Brooke’s and Coral’s worlds collide, everything alters in an instant. From learning to stand alone, to discovering the strength it takes to rely on another, the girls find that living requires taking that first painful breath. Each must make sacrifices, and when it comes to finding true love? Let’s just say the boys in their lives must learn to swim if they’re ever going to survive the storms.
Battling the odds against them, the girls will do whatever it takes to survive. But what must end for love and life to finally begin?Taking a new twist on Hans Christian Andersen’s beloved fairy tale, this modern-day story explores mental health from several perspectives, questioning what it means to be human in a world where humanity often seems lost.
Book Information:
Title: Coral
By: Sara Ella
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: November 12th 2019
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retellings, Mermaids, Fairy Tales

Purchase Links

GoodReads | Amazon | BookDepo | Barnes&Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Google Books

My Review

Hey all, let me start off by giving you all the trigger warning that Ella was amazing enough to include herself in her book.

Trigger Warning & A Note to My Readers:

(*You will find this note at the beginning of this book as well.*)

For my friends who have experienced trauma, a warning—this story may be triggering. I have done my best to approach the mental health topics addressed in this book in the most sensitive and caring way possible. But even all the research and sensitivity readers in the world would never make it so I could approach every aspect of mental health from every perspective. Your experience is unique to you.

Potential triggers include suicide, self-harm, emotional abuse, anxiety, depression, PTSD, eating disorders, and unwanted/non-consensual advances.

With that said, while some of what I have written comes from research and some from the caring eyes of sensitivity readers who have lived through many of these experiences, other pieces come from my own personal experience with emotional trauma. If you have lost a loved one, I’m with you. If you face depression or anxiety, my heart aches with you in a truly personal way. If you have ever felt misunderstood for these things or simply wanted to escape altogether—I understand.

For the girl who is not okay. For the boy who wonders if it will ever get better. This story is for you.

My hope is that Coral’s tale may be a small pinprick of light in your darkness—a reminder that you are seen. You are loved. You are not alone. You are not nothing, my friend. And neither am I.

Sincerely,

Sara Ella 

This is a really beautiful novel about mental health and it uses one of my favorite fairy tales. ‘The Little Mermaid.’

The original tale is so heart wrenching and tragic and beautiful, and, well, I’m so pleased to say that Ella captured that say tragic heartbreak in her own retelling as well. More than that though, she kept the spirit of ‘The Little Mermaid’ while making it this tale of mental health for YA readers that could use it now more than ever.

There are technically three characters that you switch around POVs for in the chapters, but there are some wonderful secondary characters as well, and they’re all fleshed out nicely. No one feels shallow or as if you didn’t get to properly know them if they were central to the story.

Ella’s prose is lovely and whimsical but with a haunting darkness that would have made Anderson proud.

The twist to this was so clever and I was thoroughly impressed by it, and while there are somethings that could have been done better, as with all things, I felt this was such a great attempt and I want to just buy this for schools everywhere. [Sadly I do not have that sort of cash flow lol]

Coral and Brooke were the most intriguing characters but I do really appreciate that Ella had Merrick and included him with having his own mental health issues/insecurities. It’s not too often you get a book with a boy who is vulnerable in his mental health and it’s not used as a ‘weakness.’ [And let me say it’s not often I’ve read a male protagonist with health/mental health issues in general so I’m not calling out any particular authors here]

My only complaint was definitely the timeline. The pacing seemed fine until you realized you were having to actively consider where/when things were happening as you read in order to keep everything straight. Because that was such an issue, that is my reasoning on the 3.5 rating, but I’ve rounded it up to four because it’s too lovely not to.

Thank you to TFFBC, publisher, and NetGalley for a copy of this in exchange for my honest opinion.

My Playlist

About the Author

AUTHOR

Once upon a time, Sara Ella dreamed she would marry a prince and live in a Disney castle. Today, she spends her days throwing living room dance parties for her two princesses, raising her little prince to be a king, and conquering realms of her own imaginings. Oh, and her husband is definitely more swoon-worthy than any Prince Charming.

Sara’s UNBLEMISHED trilogy has received high praise and multiple awards, but none as rewarding as the love and support she receives from her readers every day. Her new story CORAL, a reimagining of THE LITTLE MERMAID, releases in the fall of 2019.When she’s not on deadline, Sara Ella can most often be found fangirling on Twitter, Instagram, or her YouTube channel. She may or may not be obsessed with #Bookstagram, and she has a serious condition known as “Coffee Snob-itis.” She believes “Happily Ever After is Never Far Away.

Author Links

Website | GoodReads | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube | Pinterest

 

The Rest of the Tour

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November 12th

November 13th

A Court of Coffee and Books – Review + Favourite Quotes
YA/NA Book Divas – Review
The Reading Life – Promotional Post

November 14th

Bookish Looks – Guest Post
Wishful Endings – Review
Adventurous Bookworm– Review + Favourite Quotes
The Caffeinated Reader – Review + Playlist
TheBookNerdDiaries – Promotional Post

November 15th

L.M. Durand – Guest Post
Hauntedbybooks – Review + Favourite Quotes
Synopses by Sarge – Review
The Boozy Reader – Review

November 16th

Kait Plus Books – Interview
Morgan Vega – Review + Favourite Quotes
Dazzled by Books – Review
Amy’s Booket List – Review
Sometimes Leelynn Reads – Review + Playlist + Dream Cast

November 17th

Moonlight Rendezvous – Review  + Favourite Quotes
Bookishly Nerdy – Review + Favourite Quotes
Confessions of a YA Reader – Promotional Post

November 18th

That Georgia Gypsy – Interview
The Reading Corner for All – Review + Dream Cast
Biblioxytocin – Review + Favourite Quotes
Lori’s Bookshelf Reads – Review + Favourite Quotes
To All The Books I’ve Read Before – Promotional Post

The Necromancer’s Bride – Blog Tour

TheCaffeinatedReader4 Comments

 

 

TNB

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Synopsis:
Forgiveness is not Gabriel D’Ange’s strong suit.
A self-appointed soldier of God with a penchant for ruthlessly punishing his enemies, he vanished after Anne Lawrence stabbed him with his own dagger.
The smart thing would be to let him go.
Unfortunately, Anne’s life isn’t just lonely without Gabriel. It’s insufferably boring.
Determined to heal the rift between them, she goes in search of her tempestuous former lover, black parasol in hand and daeva magic crackling at her fingertips. But Gabriel has his own plans afoot and Anne finds herself drawn into one of his tangled webs, much against her better judgment.
Gabriel’s nemesis has reappeared in Brussels, a vile slaver who’s plundering the Congo Free State with the blessing of King Leopold. Gabriel might be willing to give Anne a second chance, but not until Jorin Bekker’s head is lying at his feet.
Back in London, the quasi-reformed necromancer Balthazar sets his sights on the same quarry. He holds a very personal grudge against Bekker — and killing him might be the only way to keep Gabriel D’Ange from Balthazar’s own throat.
When the hunters collide at a lavish gala thrown by the king, Anne learns just how far she’ll go to save the man she loves.
[Note: The Necromancer’s Bride is the sequel to A Bad Breed, which should be read first.]
Book Information:
The Necromancer’s Bride
by Kat Ross
(Gaslamp Gothic, #4)
Published by: Acorn Publishing
Publication date: May 31st 2019
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Retelling
GoodReads

Where to Buy

Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play

 

My Review

This is just yet another example of Kat Ross’s perfection.

I’m obviously not biased in anyway, amiright?

But honestly I fell in love with her Gaslamp Gothic series when I had the privilege to read and review Bad Breed with Xpresso Tours earlier this year. This is everything I like in a romance book, where the romance is blended in flawlessly with awesome action scenes, supernatural, and Victorian-era awesomeness.

Not only did I get more of my favorite pair, Anne and Gabriel, I also got to see more of Balthazar who I find myself having a huge soft spot for. Now this is the fourth book in this series but it’s only necessary to read Bad Breed before it, the other two do not have to be read in order/with it. But. I mean, if you want more gothic awesomeness, I say, go ahead and read those first two as well.

The satisfaction I got from Anne and Gabriel’s storyline in this made me ecstatic! I was like jumping for joy while reading this. [Not really, I’m old and can’t jump anymore, but, I do a bit of a happy wriggle of sorts]

I did miss seeing Vivienne but I do understand why there was not a focus or entrance of her in this book other than in reference. It was necessary in a lot of ways and it worked out so well.

Also this may have one of the best epilogues ever, I’m just ‘forewarning’ you.

Anne is on a mission, she wants Gabriel to know her reasons for the choices she made the last time they saw each other. She knows he doesn’t forgive easily but her heart won’t forget easily either and he left his mark on it. She also acknowledges that there is something more of a ‘beast’ in her than she’d like to admit, and Gabriel is the only one she can share this information with.

While though she pursues Gabriel, he has a score to settle and not even love can deter him. This also leads to an unlikely if not temporary alliance.

What does this mean for our lovers? What becomes of them? Could it perhaps be hinted out in the title? Who knows! Find out next week on-

Okay just kidding on the find out next week, but honestly there’s so much in this novel, it’s packed with so much to enjoy.

Five huge cups of coffee from me, I think I will just go read this again now.

 

 

About the Author

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Kat Ross worked as a journalist at the United Nations for ten years before happily falling back into what she likes best: making stuff up. She’s the author of the Fourth Element and Fourth Talisman fantasy series, the Gaslamp Gothic paranormal mysteries, and the dystopian thriller Some Fine Day. She loves myths, monsters and doomsday scenarios. Check out Kat’s Pinterest page for the people, places and things that inspire her books.

Author Links

Website | Twitter | Facebook | GoodReads

 

GIVEAWAY

Click on the picture below to be taken to the Rafflecopter link. This giveaway is INTL and you have a chance to win a signed copy of Bad Breed or one of 10 ecopies of it.

BadBreed

 

The Rest of the Tour

Click on the picture below to be taken to the rest of the tour’s schedule!

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Tour Host:

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Thanks to Xpresso Book tours and the pub/author for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

 

Tiger Queen – Blog Tour

TheCaffeinatedReader4 Comments

 

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Synopsis:
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.

Book Information:
By: Annie Sullivan
Publisher: BLINK
Release date: September 10, 2019
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retelling, Romance

Book Links

GoodReads | Amazon US | Barnes&Noble | Book Depository

 

My Review

Reading the synopsis, I was like ‘all the yes’ a princess who battles her suitors in the arena? I mean it sounds pretty cool on that alone, but this book turned out to be so much more than just battling against suitors.

First of all battling the suitors showed that she was strong enough to lead on her own, to pick her own suitor, if she could beat them all for one year until her birthday is super cool.

Secondly, it wasn’t just about the fights.

This is a desert kingdom that has been through a drought and has strict water restrictions in place. What doesn’t help is the fact that so called Desert Boys are stealing the water from the citizens.

Kateri is determined to stop them, she promised her mother that she would take care of their people, but finding the leader of the Desert Boys is harder than anyone anticipated. In order to prove herself, she’s going to need help in battling her last opponent, but in order to defeat him, she may have to ally against another enemy.

Again, loved the premise of this! This is a awesome twist to ‘The Lady or the Tiger’ in my opinion.

Not only that but as tough as Kateri thinks she is, she has so much to learn and she is humble about it and I love that about her. I also love her misplaced love of her kingdom and people.

There’s a nice rich world built by Sullivan and the creatures in this desert kingdom were so much fun to read about. I would have to say as far as characters go, though I loved Kateri, I think I had the biggest soft spot for some of the Desert Boys.

The ending was supremely satisfying for me and though I wish I would have seen more of the king, to know more about his ambitions and workings, I was happy enough with the way this was. A nice full story, no loose ends and did I mention a warrior princess who is a sheltered cinnamon roll outside the arena?

Anyway, this is definitely four cups of coffee from me and I CANNOT wait to get my hands on my hardcopy preorder.

[Speaking of, if you look on my bookstagram later, you’ll see my awesome preorder swag from Sullivan]

Thank you to the publishers  and The Fantastic Flying Book Club for a chance to read and honestly review this, and not to mention joining in on the tour!

 

Favorite Quotes

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_I would deal with him personally. I would be the desert's Justice Mighter than Any Tiger_ (1).png

[Reminder: These quotes were taken from my eARC copy and so may not be the same in the final copy!]

 

About the Author

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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).

Author Links

Website | Twitter | Instagram

Giveaway

Prize: Tiger Queen poster and signed bookplate (USA only)
Starts: 9/4/19 | Ends:  9/13/19
Click Here for Giveaway Link

 

The Rest of the Tour

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[Click on picture to be taken to the tour’s schedule]

 

A Bad Breed- Blog Tour

TheCaffeinatedReader14 Comments

BadBreed

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Synopsis:

Pricolici.
A creature out of folklore. And nightmare.
January 1889. When a Romanian village suffers a series of brutal attacks, occult investigator Anne Lawrence is dispatched to the forests of the Old Country to hunt the killer – only to vanish without a trace.
The trail leads her mentor Vivienne Cumberland deep into the Carpathians to a remote monastery. As a blizzard rages outside, trapping them all with the pricolici, Vivienne risks sharing the fate of the woman she came to find. But is the culprit truly a werewolf … or something even more dangerous?
A man bent on revenge. And a love that was never meant to be.
Imprisoned in a decaying castle, Anne finds herself ensnared in a web of dark enchantment, at the mercy of a mysterious captor with a beast inside – and a memory as old as the ancient legends.
As the weeks pass, Anne learns his real identity, and slowly uncovers a complex and deeply passionate man. But is she willing to pay the price for falling under his spell?
Note: This darkly magical reimagining of Beauty and the Beast is the third book in the Gaslamp Gothic series, but can be read as a standalone with no need to start with Book #1, The Daemoniac.

Book Information:
A Bad Breed (Gaslamp Gothic, #3) by Kat Ross
Published by: Acorn Publishing
Publication date: May 31st 2019
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Retelling
GoodReads Link

Where To Buy

Amazon B&N iBooks Kobo Google Play

 

My Review

Let’s see if I can articulate words for how much I loved this. I’ll be honest I thought I was looking at a 3, maybe 4, cups of coffee read, it sounded entertaining and I knew I would like it, but it definitely exceeded my expectations. I love Victorian era books, whether they’re written in modern times or in Victorian times, they’re some of my favorite books but this also means I can be picky about them as I want something that really feels Victorian if they’re modern books.

This nailed it. Or rather, Ross nailed it. This instantly transported you to a feel of Victorian that felt as if you had leapt back in time. Her writing style though isn’t dry as some people might find Victorian books, she keeps you completely engaged from page one. This doesn’t just stay in London either, we get to travel around, and there’s so much beauty and darkness. ‘Gaslamp Gothic’ stays true, think of Penny Dreadfuls and all the dark things we love about Victorian era gothic and Ross obliges by giving us those things. There’s the occult, secret societies, necromancer, ancient magic, and the hint of supernatural in a small Romanian village. Not to mention she makes everything she writes her own, this is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast without making you feel that its sole purpose is just to retell a beloved tale.

Anne has vanished and Vivienne goes after her ward and friend, she needs to know what has happened. This is its own part of the book and it is the first we encounter when picking up A Bad Breed. I found myself so engrossed in Vivienne’s part in the book I forgot that we had yet to skim the surface of Anne and her own going-ons in the book. This is the third book in the series but it can absolutely be read as a stand alone. [Though, I’m ready to read the other two this month in preparation of book four coming out this summer.]

We switch from Vivienne to Anne and occasionally to Anne’s brother, who is also Vivienne’s bonded partner. This has to do with what and who they are which is fabulous and magical and if you want to know then go read it yourself. 😉

Mostly though once we hit its stride, we’re reading this tale of Anne and her monster…or is she the beast in comparison? There’s such a complex twist to how these two feed off each other, that while you know who the beast is, it’s not always clear that, that should mean that the other is completely human/civil in tandem to the beast. [I mean this is one suave beast if I do say so myself, and I ship them, and love their chemistry]

This however does not have the same ending as your typical Beauty and the Beast tale and I LOVE that. I actually thought the ending was brilliant, I’d say more, but I don’t want to give it away.

Beautiful landscapes, beasts with more to them than meets the eye, women who fight the darkness, and men seeking redemption. This book was amazing, and I’m gushing, I know, but I really hope to share just how much I loved this with you all. Please check it out if you are intrigued and get the chance.

A 5 cups of coffee read for me and a definite favorite.

 

About the Author

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Kat Ross worked as a journalist at the United Nations for ten years before happily falling back into what she likes best: making stuff up. She’s the author of the Fourth Element and Fourth Talisman fantasy series, the Gaslamp Gothic paranormal mysteries, and the dystopian thriller Some Fine Day. She loves myths, monsters and doomsday scenarios. Check out Kat’s Pinterestpage for the people, places and things that inspire her books.

Author Links

Website Twitter Facebook GoodReads

 

Thanks to Xpresso Book Tours for letting me take part in this blog tour!

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Dream Angus

TheCaffeinatedReader2 Comments


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GoodReads:

Part of a series of books containing myths as retold by first-rank contemporary authors, this is Alexander McCall Smith’s telling of the Celtic myth of Dream Angus, a god of love, youth, beauty, and also the bringer of dreams. He is cherished by all, but fated to love only Caér, the swan maiden from his own dreams. Smith spins five charming stories of Dream Angus with five tales of his modern alter egos.

“…what is life but the pursuit of dreams?”

Thank you to Canongate Books for sending me a copy of this, I was so excited as I love takes on mythology.

[So excited in fact that my email said Revew Request in my haste to type. Let that sink in. Revew. I’m still mortified.]

Admittedly I’ve never read any of Alexander McCall Smith’s works before, I’d heard of him and had been interested but just hadn’t gotten around to it until now.

Dream Angus gives us an interwoven work of short stories that spans the ages to give us a more modern day retelling of the Celtic God of Dreams, Angus.

One thing that impressed me from the start is rarely do a read an introduction unless it’s an academic work, if it catches my eye I will and McCall Smith’s intro was actually very enjoyable to read. It’s hard to know how to introduce your own work when you’re tackling legends and myths and we all know many authors do it well, but it’s still always nice to know that even the prolific authors understand the delicate work they’re doing.

Onto the real meat of the book however I have to say this is just one of those books you read in an almost dreamy manner -no pun intended- it is something to be read as an experience rather than trying to just gobble it up, devour it, and analyze it. That comes later. Half jk.

Rather than trying to give an epic tale, threaded through various times and places are the stories of the small and wondrous gifts bestowed on people by the dreams and powers of Angus, there is love, there is peace, and of course most importantly there are the dreams.

My favorite parts were actually the tale of how Angus came to be, and how he confronted his Father eventually. [Would say more, but, spoilers!] There’s just always something about a good origins story to me.

This is a rather languid and flowery work, it’s not meant for those looking for a clear cut collection of short stories and/or a Michael Bay version of mythology.

Anyway, if you’re into a rather thought provoking novel that’s a leisurely [and rather short] read, I highly recommend Dream Angus to you. Don’t forget The Canons has a whole series of books done by well known authors, ‘The Myths’ and it includes works by Margaret Atwood, A.S. Byatt, and Philip Pullman as well!

“But Angus does more than that: he represents youth and the intense, passionate love that we might experience when we are young but which we might still try to remember as age creeps up. Age and experience might make us sombre and cautious, but there is always an Angus within us- Angus the dreamer.”

-Alexander McCall Smith, 2006