book review

mtmc blog tour – moonlight & fire by ashlyn lance with special author q&a

29th Mar 2023 by C.G. @ Paper Fury 1 Comment

I’m excited to be taking part in the MTMC Bookstagram & Creative Tour for Moonlight & Fire by Ashlyn Lance. 🗡️✨👑 A captivating first book in The Fallen Princess series, Moonlight & Fire—a coming of age tale set in a medieval world where magic still reigns. With epic romance, mythical creatures and page-turning battles, this is a book you cannot put down!

I’m very lucky to be able to interview the author today, so read on for a behind-the-scenes glimpse on the origin of Moonlight & Fire!

Dive into this book if you love things like… fairy tale vibes, princesses on dangerous quests, an action-packed plot that will keep you flipping pages, and a captivating romance!! (Also can we take a moment for the cover?! OBSESSED.)

Hi Ashlyn, I’m so thrilled to have the chance to chat with you about your beautiful debut, Moonlight & Fire! Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey, from first seed of an idea to finished novel on our shelves?

Thanks for having me! My publishing journey began in 2019 when my two ex-favorite series, Game of Thrones and Star Wars gutted me! (The Rise of Skywalker, particularly) I started writing fix-it scenes to correct the plot holes that drove me mad, but my stories kept growing more and more complex, moving beyond the constraints of their established lore. Eventually, I decided to separate from their characters entirely and craft my own.

My writing process was initially slow. My two young daughters came first, which left me with only late nights to write. It took three sleepless years to complete my manuscript! There was definitely a learning curve in the beginning, but now, as I write my next project, I find myself working incredibly fast and expect another book to be released within four months!

Looking back, getting my beautiful illustrations just catapulted me down the finish line, and once I held my own book, it all became real for me. That was when I decided to make my mark in the scary world of publishing, and I’m glad I did! I’m proud to announce I’ll be writing full-time from now on and am very happy to join the bookish community!

Congrats on writing full-time! Such a fantastic start to your journey. 🥰 What drew you to writing fantasy romance and what was your favourite part of creating your world?

I am a hopeless romantic! The angst, the drama, the moments of happiness in-between, secret trysts—I love it all! I see book one of Moonlight & Fire as more of the “setup” for the story I’ve been absolutely DYING to tell. My favorite part of creating the world was slipping certain scenes that I know will pay off in future books! I meticulously ran through my notes and laid the groundwork for everything I possibly could!

Oooh, already making us keen for the sequels. What kind of themes/tropes do you love exploring in your writing?

I am a huge fan of DRAMATIC character growth, like on an epic scale. I have big, big, big plans for my MC’s (and the villain! 😜) I also really enjoy subverting tropes in a subtle way. For example, it’s Princess Lunielle who spies on the unsuspecting hero in a forest when usually the opposite is true.

Do you plot your novels or just write and see what happens? Do you already know how your series will end?

I plot out the bones of the story, and as I write, I end up sprinkling new ideas here and there that eventually outgrow what I originally came out with! It’s an inefficient process with lots and lots of revision, but it’s how I can ensure I write the best story possible! So to answer the second question, the endgame is already set! I could never start a series without knowing the final outcome!

Thank you so much for these amazing answers!! Wishing you and your beautiful book all the best!

There is salvation beyond the darkness. If only you’ll reach out and take it…
With Evenar on the edge of starvation, prophecies are the last hope for a kingdom in ruin. Their unwilling princess, Lunielle, is forced to uphold their demands, sending her on a journey that reveals the darkness that dwells beyond her world.
With the weight of her people’s survival on her shoulders, the princess encounters Aurion, a man with his own secrets to unravel. Working together to save their homes, they soon discover an inexplicable romantic pull that changes destiny and their lives forever.
But when a powerful lord of a mysterious realms falls for the ethereal princess and demands her hand be bound to his, she must decide—her people’s future or her own?

Tour Schedule

March 27
@thereaderandthechef – Bookstagram & Book Blog
March 28
@amordeluna0 – Bookstagram & BookTok
March 29
@paperfury – Bookstagram & Book Blog
March 30
@dreaminginpages – Bookstagram
March 31
@madies.library – Bookstagram & BookTok
April 1
@bookishqueenreads – Bookstagram & Book Blog
April 2
@thebibliolife – Bookstagram
April 3
@itbeganwiththestars – Bookstagram & BookTok
April 4
@shanayahreads – Bookstagram & Book Blog
April 5
@bookishaurora – Bookstagram & BookTok

the resting place by camilla sten – dysfunctional family meet creepy old house.

28th Mar 2023 by C.G. @ Paper Fury Leave a Comment

I’ve been intending to do reading updates and bite-sized reviews for years (similar to what I do on bookstagram), and you know what? I finally will. 😤 I love having a record of what I read and sharing random books with you that I just really love.

The Resting Place is one I kept seeing float around when I was looking up haunted house books, though I have to say, while the cover does give big horror vibes, this is solidly a thriller/suspense novel. It was a totally captivating and twisty read and like by the end I just felt satisfied. You know when you half guess the twists and don’t quite get it but then the reveals fit SO well? That was this. So well set out. The characters also totally grew on me. It’s the kind of book that presents you with people who seem pretty easy to judge at first glance–and then it peels back their layer and makes you rethink everything.

Our main character, Eleanor, has face-blindness (technical term is prosop

And the setting? Loved it. Not the creepiest house ever — it’s more like this immaculate but forgotten Swedish mansion by a lake — but unsettling vibes everywhere. And the history of the place is gnarly once it starts getting unwrapped. Also it’s a wintery/snowy setting and that plays into the remoteness of the house. It definitely kept up the suspense perfectly (though overall it’s not as dark as I thought it would be).

I bought an audiobook of this and so glad I did. Well worth the read and I’m still thinking about it.

A spine-chilling, propulsive psychological suspense from international sensation Camilla Sten.
The medical term is prosopagnosia. The average person calls it face blindness—the inability to recognize a familiar person’s face, even the faces of those closest to you.
When Eleanor walked in on the scene of her capriciously cruel grandmother, Vivianne’s, murder, she came face to face with the killer—a maddening expression that means nothing to someone like her. With each passing day, her anxiety mounts. The dark feelings of having brushed by a killer, yet not know who could do this—or if they’d be back—overtakes both her dreams and her waking moments, thwarting her perception of reality.
Then a lawyer calls. Vivianne has left her a house—a looming estate tucked away in the Swedish woods. The place her grandfather died, suddenly. A place that has housed a dark past for over fifty years.
Eleanor. Her steadfast boyfriend, Sebastian. Her reckless aunt, Veronika. The lawyer. All will go to this house of secrets, looking for answers. But as they get closer to bringing the truth to light, they’ll wish they had never come to disturb what rests there.
A heart-thumping, relentless thriller that will shake you to your core, The Resting Place is an unforgettable novel of horror and suspense.

goodreads | book depository

MTMC Blog Tour – Blood Mercy by Vela Roth (Lush Epic Fantasy With Vampires)

27th Mar 2023 by C.G. @ Paper Fury Leave a Comment

Welcome to my MTMC Tours stop for Blood Mercy by Vela Roth!

Helloooo fantasy fans, it is time to add a new (and gorgeous!) book to your TBR piles. Blood Mercy is not only a thick and meaty tome, it’s the start of a stunning, sprawling fantasy series, so if you love really getting lost in a world: this is the perfect series to get invested into. I also will absolutely confess to a bit of cover judging going on here. 😭 It’s prettyyyyy.

Diving into this book is falling headfirst into a rich and layered fantasy world that goes all out for the world-building. I couldn’t help but appreciate the depth here — from the court politics and magic system, to this brand new fresh take on vampires with their own lore and histories. I also have a soft spot for tales when the “monsters” (aka vampires) are actually kinder and more gracious than the humans. (Like wait till you meet Cassia’s father, talk about a foul king.) There’s also a handy glossary in the back which I found myself flipping to a few times, which was so helpful. I am in awe of authors who crafts detailed and meticulous worlds because — let’s be real here — it’s no easy feat!!

Along with the politics and court intrigue, this book of course features a slowburn romance between Cassia (the king’s bastards daughter) and Lio (vampire diplomat). Their relationship is definitely forbidden love with high stakes. Even from the first chapters they can’t even risk being seen talking to each other. I also do love a slowburn, I must admit, I love seeing a relationship develop and reading two people find a light in the other that draws them irrevocably in. Cassia is very calculating and quiet and careful, result of her vicious and neglected upbringing in the king’s court, and any chance to see her let her guard down around Lio was indeed beautiful. Lio is super sweet!! He’s so worshipful and considerate to Cassia, but also just to nature and animals. Get you a guy who needs blood to survive but is so polite about it. 😩🙌🏻

It is a story packed with detailed narration and lush world-building, plenty of plot focus and also it takes time for character development and plenty of romance.

Read This Series If You Like…

vampires but with new lore and magic
complex, layered world building that feels lush and interesting
forbidden love and complicated romance
entwined fates
looming wars on the horizon
heart stopping twists
beautiful and detailed writing

Vast world-building with plenty of action and characters to root for, perfect for fans of YA fantasy.

Thanks to MTMC Tours & visit my instagram for the INTL Giveaway!

Title: Blood Mercy (Blood Grace #1)
Author: Vela Roth
Publication Date: January 26th, 2022
Genres: Fantasy Romance
Purchase a copy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Blackwell’s
Add on Goodreads!
One human. One immortal. Will their alliance save the kingdom, or will their forbidden love be a death sentence?
When Cassia seeks out a Hesperine, he could end her mortal life in a heartbeat. But she has no fear of his magic or his fangs. She knows the real monster is the human king, her father. If he finds out she’s bargaining with his enemy, he’ll send her to the executioner.
As a Hesperine diplomat, Lio must negotiate with mortals who hate him. Cassia is different, but politics aren’t why she captivates the gentle immortal. He wants more than her blood, and if he can’t resist the temptation, he’ll provoke the war he’s trying to prevent.
Blood and Ash fans will love this slow-burn, steamy romance with classic fantasy worldbuilding. Follow fated mates Cassia and Lio through their epic love story for a guaranteed series HEA.
New edition featuring a fantasy world map, glossary of lore and characters, enhanced opening chapter, and all-new cover artwork

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vela Roth manifested unstable writing powers at a young age, and many of her early experiments had unintended results. As she grew, a curriculum of fantasy novels with kickass heroines helped her learn to control and wield her abilities. Eventually she dared pursue the knowledge inside the most forbidden tomes: romance novels. She’s been practicing the dark arts of fantasy romance ever since, but she strives to use her novels only for good. She lives in a solar-powered writer’s garret at the foot of the mountains. Her familiar is a rescue cat with a missing fang and a huge heart. When not typing furiously at her manuscript, she can usually be found gaming on her home-built PC or trying to grow roses in the desert. Vela loves hearing from readers and hopes you’ll get in touch. Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

MTMC TOURS Schedule

March 27
@paperfury – Bookstagram & BookTok
@bookbondage – Bookstagram

March 28
@madies.library – Bookstagram & BookTok
@bookish_harpist – Bookstagram & BookReel

March 29
@thereaderandthechef – Bookstagram & BookTok
@bookishqueenreads – Bookstagram & Book Blog

March 30
@rozanne_visagie – Bookstagram & BookTok
@everything.erynreads – Bookstagram & BookTok

March 31
@itbeganwiththestars – Bookstagram & BookTok
@wickedbeebooks – Bookstagram & BookReel

April 1
@charliesbookrecs – Bookstagram & BookTok
@ania_gemma_reads – Bookstagram & BookReel

April 2
@tinabyer – Bookstagram & BookTok
@sunreads1 – Bookstagram

April 3
@linathebookaddict – Bookstagram & BookTok
@evisbookishcorner – Bookstagram

April 4
@fannislibrary – Bookstagram & BookTok
@calmdust – Bookstagram & BookReel

April 5
@sophiesreadingcorner – Bookstagram & BookTok
@jlreadstoperpetuity – Bookstagram

Nightbirds by Kate J. Armstrong (plus a special Q&A with the author!)

20th Mar 2023 by C.G. @ Paper Fury Leave a Comment

If you’re looking for a decadent YA fantasy, this one is calling to you.

I’m super lucky to be able to interview Kate J. Armstrong, so read on for the Q&A too!

Nightbirds delivers this lush and detailed world that is so easy to get lost in. It has a unique forbidden-style magic system where a kiss can gift power and the set up reminded me of the Grisha dynamics with magic being praised and worshipped by some, but persecuted and controlled viciously by others. Add that into this Caraval meets Gatsby glittering and luxurious style world, and you have Nightbirds. The parties and balls and gowns were all beautifully described–and loved the contrast of that with rebellion and flames later on.

She grew up being told it couldn’t be, and she believed.

The story follows three main characters, our magical Nightbird girls: Matilde, Sayer and Æsa. Matilde definitely felt like a main character, confident and glamorous and privileged, who doesn’t notice she is a bird in a cage. Sayer has the bitter, stabby personality so immediate fave for me. Æsa is an absolute sweetheart and so caring and lovely. Like protect Æsa at all costs please and thank you. While there is also romance for each of the girls, the focus is on sisterhood and friendship. There are some side-character POVs and tbh quite a huge cast, so there’s a lot to keep track of making it perfect for readers who like fantasy that goes deeper.

Your magic is something rave and no doubt powerful. But it isn’t a poison… I know because it comes from you

The story also feels like a love letter to women empowerment, drawing off age-old imagery of girls as caged birds, girls being used by powerful men, girls as witches when they cannot be controlled. The Nightbird girls can gift magic with a kiss, but what if everything they’ve been told all their lives about their powers is a lie? It’s a story about girls uniting, raising each other up, and refusing to be held down by an oppressive society.

Would recommend if you like…

lush and pretty world building with Caraval x Gatsby vibes
girl friendships and empowerment
magic, all the magic
evil churches trying to control magic
betrayals and twists
romance! kisses! love!
rebellions

Hi Kate, I’m so thrilled to have the chance to chat with you about your gorgeous debut, Nightbirds! Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey, from first seed of an idea to publication?

KATE J ARMSTRONG: It’s lovely to be here! I was hiking up a mountain in Montana when I had this very clear image bloom in my mind of an opulent room and a girl in a feathered mask kissing a boy who had paid for the favor. She was giving him something besides the kiss, too: magic. I wanted to know what sort of magic it was and why she would give such a potent power away. A few months later, I was sipping a champagne cocktail in a 1920s-themed speakeasy in New York City. The place was clearly meant to transport you back in time to the 1920s, that time of sparkling flappers, sultry music, and shadowy, illicit-feeling thrills. It had me thinking about that era’s Prohibition: the way the ban on booze made drinking dangerous, and thus accidentally made it glamorous, turning what had been a commonplace substance into a symbol of rebellion, decadence, and status. I thought about how, in chasing alcohol into the shadows, Prohibition also created a dangerous underworld that made its own rules. And then I thought: what if, in that masked girl’s world, there was a Prohibition around magic? What if the rarest and most powerful kind was intrinsic to women? What would happen if a coveted, illegal, morally controversial power was something only girls could claim?

I started writing Nightbirds in 2018, but I didn’t send it out to publishers until 2021. While this book might be my first published novel, I’d already written four before it. Number Four got me my agent, but it didn’t end up selling. That was a big blow to my confidence, but I felt sure that Nightbirds was something special. Lucky for me, my publishers agreed.

Nightbirds definitely is something special!! And the journey to publication is no easy feat for sure. What drew you to writing fantasy and what was your favourite part of creating the world of Nightbirds?

KATE J ARMSTRONG: Like most kids, I was always checking the crawl spaces under stairs and the backs of walk-in closets, secretly hoping to find a door to another world there. I love fantasy as a reader because it gives me a chance to walk through that door, to escape into another world altogether. I found myself drawn to fantasy because it gave me the chance to craft a world that enchanted me—one where I made the rules, but where I could also explore very real-world issues. As for creating the world, I loved every minute of it, but particularly building the magical system. There are two types of magic in NIGHTBIRDS: alchemical and intrinsic. The first is conjured by alchemists, and it can be used as medicine, but also as recreation, distilled into cocktails that will let you speak another language for a handful of minutes or make someone’s dress seem to spark and smoke. It is expensive, it effects fleeting, and can be deadly if brewed badly. But the most valuable magic is intrinsic, passed through bloodlines and only found in young women. Enter the Nightbirds, a secret group of girls who can gift their magic with just a kiss. I loved coming up with their powers and thinking about all the ways they could be used.

Matilde, Sayer and Æsa are all such complex and captivating characters–who came into your imagination first? And who was the easiest/hardest to write?

KATE J ARMSTRONG: Matilde arrived first, and pretty much fully formed! She’s the veteran Nightbird of the trio: spoiled, privileged, confident and sassy, she doesn’t see anything wrong with the Nightbirds system. When I thought about creating my other characters, I knew I wanted them to be very different from Matilde – I love a cast of very distinct characters who have to work to understand each other. I also wanted those girls to challenge and push her, and to let readers see the Nightbirds system through a totally different lens. Enter Sayer, the daughter of a Nightbird who fell from grace, who has some scores to settle. She’s a fan favorite already, and I can see why: her anger at the unjustness of the world, and her take-no-prisoners attitude, is something I think we all can cheer for! She has nothing but contempt for the system, and she forces Matilde to question who its rules were really built to benefit. After that came Æsa, who is the sweetness to Sayer’s sharp edges and the timid blush to Matilde’s saucy smile. An outsider from the wind-swept Illish Isles who has become a Nightbird to keep her family from starving, and raised by a pious father in the shadow of a church that preaches it’s a sin to use magic, I think she might be the most relatable of all the girls.

Matilde and Æsa were the easiest to write, perhaps because they were clear opposites: from the beginning, I understood who they were and what mattered to them. Prickly, guarded Sayer was a little more difficult to pin down. She’s the kind of person that isn’t easy to get to know, but once you’re under her guard she’s as loyal and steadfast as they come. I found that was true in writing her, too!

I loved how different they were and how that turned out to be an incredible asset to them working together as the ultimate team. When do you usually write and what is your writing space like?

KATE J ARMSTRONG: I like to write in the morning, when the world is quiet and the world hasn’t had a chance to intrude on my daydreams. And I like to write in lots of places: cafes, parks, the beach. All I need is my headphones and my writing playlist! Although when I first start a book, I tend to write things by hand, and I do a lot of that in nature. I do a lot of plotting while I’m out on walks. But the place I spend most of my time writing, these days, is in my garden shed. My husband took what was once a spider-filled tool shed and turned it into this amazing little studio, which I’m slowly filling with my favorite books and pieces of art (and, of course, a bed for my greyhound). I love having a small space that’s dedicated to writing. When I go in there, everything else fades away.

Can we beg for a hint about what you’re working on next?

KATE J ARMSTRONG: I’m working on Nightbirds’ sequel! I can’t wait for readers to find out what’s in store for the girls in this one. I can’t say much about it, other than there will be more of many things I love: intrigue, betrayal, big magic…and, of course, kissing.

And lastly! What have been some of your favourite author moments so far?

KATE J ARMSTRONG: There have been SO many. Holding my bound book in my hands for the first time. Seeing my beautiful maps in their final form. Meeting teen readers (and their moms!) on the road. Nothing fuels me quite like meeting readers in the wild.

Thank you so much for all these incredible answers, and congratulations on your beautiful debut!!

thanks to Allen & Unwin for the review copy

Date Published: 28 Feb, 2023
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Purchase: Book Depository, Dymocks
Add it on Goodreads
In a dazzling new fantasy world full of whispered secrets and political intrigue, the magic of women is outlawed but three girls with unusual gifts have the chance to change it all.
Magic may be illegal in Simta, but you can find it if you know which whispers to heed. None as tantalising as the ones about the Nightbirds, Simta’s best kept secret. These privileged girls have the ability to gift their magic to others with a kiss – something the church would have them killed for. But protected by the Great Houses, their identities safe behind masks, the Nightbirds are well-guarded treasures.
Matilde, Æsa, and Sayer spend their nights bestowing their unique brands of magic to well-paying clients. But this Season’s Nightbirds find themselves at the heart of a political scheme that threatens their secrets and their safety. When they discover that their magic is far more than they were ever told, they see the carefully crafted Nightbird system for what it is: a gilded cage.
Now they must make a choice – to remain kept birds or take control, remaking the city that dared to clip their wings.
Filled with sumptuous, cinematic writing and dazzling details, Nightbirds is a fiercely feminist fantasy debut where the most potent magic lies not in a kiss, but in the truth.

Rebel Skies (#1) by Ann Sei Lin – Skyships, Flying Cities & Origami Magic.

19th Mar 2023 by C.G. @ Paper Fury 1 Comment

Origami magic system? Say no more, I am reading!

Rebel Skies was such an action-packed adventure. It feels like one of those perfect middle-grade to young-adult crossovers with a focus on adventure and friendship and a younger teen main character, plus all the face-paced scenes you could ask for.

The story follows Kurara who works as a drudge maid in a spectacular flying city, only to receive a visit from a gruff and mysterious young man who knows she has powers. She’s a Crafter and can use magic to wield paper and create sentient paper creatures. Kurara ends up swept up into an adventure aboard a flying skyship with a goal to save best friend’s life.

I’ve heard it pitched as having Ghibli vibes, but it also was a throwback to Disney’s Treasure Planet for me too. Those epic flying ships and the gruff mentor to young whipsmart determined protagonist with Himura and Kurara. I also loved the friendship bond between Kurara and Haru, they were definitely easy to root for. The magic system and the world-building do take the forefront in the book overall, but it does have a big fast and a motley crew onboard the ship. It also has a lot of themes about autonomy and respect of non-human creatures, which I quite enjoyed the exploration there.

It’s also a great time to pick this up as the sequel, Rebel Fire, comes out later this year!

Would recommend if you like…

East-Asian inspired fantasy, with plenty of Japaense folklore
Action and face-paced plot centric stories
Sentient paper creatures who hearts of gold
Twists and some betrayals as well as surprising new friends
skyships! cumulous whales! flying cities!
sweet MG-to-YA crossover vibes

Thanks to Walker Books for the ARC!

Date Published: 4.5.2022
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Walker Books
Purchase: Book Depository, Dymocks
Add it on Goodreads
A beautifully written and pacy teen fantasy adventure, set in a world of flying ships, sky cities and powerful paper spirits. Inspired by Asian cultures and exploring themes of empire, slavery and freedom.
Kurara has never known any other life than being a servant on board the Midori, but when her party trick of making paper come to life turns out to be a power treasured across the empire, she joins a skyship and its motley crew to become a Crafter. Taught by the gruff but wise Himura, Kurara learns to hunt shikigami – wild paper spirits who are sought after by the Princess.
But are these creatures just powerful slaves, or are they beings with their own souls? And can a teenage girl be the one to help them find their voice – and change the course of an empire?

MTMC Tours – Heroes of The Empire: The Cavalier by Israh Azizi (Interview With The Author!)

16th Mar 2023 by C.G. @ Paper Fury Leave a Comment

Welcome to my MTMC Tours stop for Heroes of the Empire: The Cavalier by Israh Azizi!

Two searching hearts. Two perilous paths. Heroes of the Empire: The Cavalier is book one in a YA Fantasy Adventure series from PageTurnerPress LLC.

Time to get lost in a fantasy of raging powers and complex characters, with a rich yet ferocious world that leaps off the page. This one gave me all the Ember In The Ashes vibes and it’s dark with those touches of light as our two characters fight to stay afloat. Lots of intrigue too and splashes of shadowy power. I loved getting to meet Natassa and Velamir (and Jax!! love Jax) and being swept into their world. Their lives are anything but easy. Right up front Velamir is delivering dark-yet-dangerous-boy-with-a-tragic-past while Natassa is captivating us with her indomitable courage. It’s definitely setting up for the sequels too, so if you’re after a new fantasy series to follow, this is it.

They were happy as they were. Rich and without fear. They didn’t want to change.