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A Thousand Salt Kisses
The complete series: -- EXCERPT: Mine @2 I double checked the message again. I was restless, I wanted to see Rosie now. What is this big secret? What does it have to do with Llyr? I would now have to wait until two o’clock to find out. I have a vivid imagination and it was rattling around in my skull like a hurricane right now. Is Llyr some kind of criminal on the run? Does he have to hide in the sea or something? Maybe he was a Starfish native and that was why only islanders knew of his hiding place… Where does he sleep?! He must get really cold out there all the time… Surely, he would drown at some point or catch pneumonia. What had he done anyway, and should I turn him in? Surely I couldn’t let my insane crush on him get in the way of justice. I did a Google search on my phone, typing in ‘Most Wanted’ and ‘Coney Bay’. A jokey news article came up about a kid who had released their goldfish into the sea and now wanted it back. I screamed with frustration and threw my phone on the sofa, storming out into the back garden and down the ocean stairway. It was a blazing hot June Sunday, but I didn’t care. I would search for answers. When I got to the jetty, I marched to the end of it, and I stood there gazing out to sea. I must have looked a little strange to the neighbours standing so determined on the edge of the jetty, fists clenched at my sides, my hair yellow in the sun. I was a woman on a mission, but with nowhere to mission to. My eyes scanned the sea, begging for something, but asides from a fishing boat and a couple of gulls, the surface was barren. “Darling!” It was Mum. She was making her way down the stairs. I sighed. “Hi Mum” “Are you alright, standing around in the boiling heat like this?” she shouted. “Yeah, I’m fine Mum,” I said distractedly. She made her way down the jetty. She wore a big floppy black sun hat and a black fitted strappy dress. “Are you off to a funeral?” I joked as she neared. It was surely not normal to wear such dark colours in the summer. “I suppose I’m mourning London, Crystal,” she said putting her arm around my shoulders. God, she’s so melodramatic. She’s probably trying to give Dad a guilt trip. “It’s nice here,” I said reassuringly, as we looked out to sea. “I missed London to start with, but I’ve not thought about it one bit in the past few weeks.” I was still scouring the waters. “That’s great,” she said watching my face carefully. “But you don’t really seem yourself.” “Oh… well, I’m fine,” I pretended. My mum was silent, and I knew she was waiting for me to explain myself. “Oh, it’s just this guy.” “Oh, well, say no more,” she said, looking relieved. “Now, my motherly advice is keep cool, kid.” I laughed, “Okay Mum.” “Let them do the chasing.” No danger of me chasing Llyr, I thought. I wasn’t even totally sure if he existed. 
GIVEAWAY! Hosted by: #Fantasy Friday #An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes Book 1) by Sabaa Tahir #YA Fantasy25/6/2021
Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free. Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear. It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do. But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy. There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself. ( From the book blurb) Publisher: Razorbill Publication Date:February 9th, 2016 Other Titles in the Series (tetralogy): Book 2 A Torch Against the Night Book3 A Reaper at the gates Book 4 A Sky Beond the Storm  My thoughts: As usual, I completely missed out on the hype and just got to reading this series. To be honest, I didn't have any expectations and was pleasantly surprised by how easy to read and how engaging the book is. Earlier this year I reviewed another YA release compared to An Ember in the Ashes, which I did struggle with, but this one kept my attention all way through, despite being on the lengthy side (446pages!). The best things about the book: - the world-building -the characters -the adventure -the pace ...and some things I wasn't particularly sure about... -first person present tense narrative - it does create a sense of immediacy of the events and action, but not everbody is a fan of this type of narrative. - a bit of deja vu - Hunger Games? Laia and Darin's family are Scholars, an oppressed group of people conquered by the Martial Empire (inspired by Ancient Rome). Scholars are free, but there are countless restrictions on what they can and cannot do, one of them being forbidden learning to read. A slightest misdimeanor or disobedience leads to death,enslavement or being sent to the worst prison imaginable, called Kaur, where the inmates are subjected to all kinds of horrible torture. Laia's parents, members of the Resistance movement, were captured and killed together with Laia's older sister. Laia and Darin live with grandfather-Healer and grandmother. One look at Darin's sketchbook filled with all sorts of secret drawings and Laia knows they are in trouble. The Martial Patrol kills their grandparents and takes away Darin who is to be interrogated, tortured and executed. Laia manages to escape, but her only hope is to find the Resistance and beg for their help. In exchange for this, she agrees to infiltrate Blackcliff, the military school where the Empire's elite soldiers -Masks- are trained. Laia is asked to pretend to be a slave and spy on the the School Commandant in order to glean any information she can about the upcoming Trials for the future Emperor, who is to be chosen among the most recent graduates. The narrative switches between Laia and Elias, one of the Mask cadets who abhors the brutality and violence of the Martial army. All he seeks is to be free from this horrendous lifestyle, but the Augurs prophesize his way to real freedom of body and soul lies through participating in the Trials. The plot is action-packed and there's never a dull moment in this steady-paced story. Once you realise the creatures Laia sees in her moments of despair aren't hallucinations, you understand that there's a lot more to this world and this story. Both of our protagonists are extemely compelling. Laia keeps seeing herself as somebody weak, not deserving the legacy of her fearless parents. She is smart and determined to do anything to save her brother, despite her fear and 'lack of strength'. Elias ...is loyal, kind, honest with himself and the others, he is a kind of person who isn't afraid to stand up for those who are weaker or less privileged. His family background adds to the complexity of his feelings and his desires. There's a large cast of well-written and well-defined secondary characters, including Helene Aquilla, Elias's best friend and the only female Mask cadet in Blackcliff. Overall, I hope the rest of the series is going to be as enjoyable as this first book which was both original and gripping. 
Other People's Butterflies
-- EXCERPT: Two hours later, I have a new favorite movie. I also have a new favorite character and her name is Lana Barrington. She’s a badass double agent (or possibly a triple agent or a double reverse quadruple agent – the plot of Dead Tulips is pretty confusing) who’s so devious that her own dad nicknames her “Poison Candy”. She’s very femme fatale-ish, with black hair and blood-red lips. She wears this pearl necklace, and one of the pearls is full of cyanide in case she ever finds herself in a jam. In the movie she gets into, like, seventeen jams, but she never bites down on the cyanide pearl because she always finds a way to wiggle out of it. She also has a little black book, which looks empty because she writes in invisible ink, and she keeps information about everyone she meets in it. I didn’t get the point of the little black book at first, because she wasn’t writing down state secrets or anything – it was all stuff like which cocktail waitress a married man flirts with at a bar, or who’s been pawning their grandmother’s jewelry. Gossipy stuff. But then there’s a scene where a guy asks her about it and she says “Information is currency. And I mean to be very rich.” By the time I leave the cinema, it’s dark and the air is biting cold. My breath swirls around my face like smoke. On my way to the bus stop I nip into Superdrug and buy a packet of black hair dye and a deep red lipstick called “Kiss of Death”. On Monday morning, I color my lips with the Kiss of Death lipstick and examine my reflection in my bedroom mirror. I think I look pretty good with black hair, though Mum says it washes me out. I’m hoping the red lipstick doesn’t get any stink eye from teachers like Mrs. Clearwater, who are overzealous when it comes to enforcing the school’s dress code. Sixth form girls are allowed to wear make-up, but it has to be “workplace appropriate” make-up. No glitter, no goth stuff, no crazy color combinations. It doesn’t make sense to me. Supposedly they’re getting us used to workplace dress codes, but what if we end up working as children’s entertainers or bar staff in a goth nightclub? I feel different. I feel like a snake that’s shed its skin – all new and shiny and venomous.
GIVEAWAY! Hosted by:
Neptune’s Window, Deep Stare
-- EXCERPT: Setting her laptop on the kitchen table, she turned it on. “Don’t do it,” a spirit said. Halfway through a bag of chips, she opened a can of soda. If everybody else knows, shouldn’t I? “Ignorance is bliss. You already know that you’re not going to like what you find.” I hate that expression. Ignorance is a nicer way of saying I’m stupid. Which is what everyone must think. It’s time I know the truth about Cory. “Suit yourself. But it’s not wise to participate in their drama.” You have a point. But I can’t control myself any longer. I have to know. With curiosity getting the best of her, she didn’t care who the spirit was, and ignored the warning. Clicking onto the site, she typed in her password while sipping some soda. “It’s only going to cause you more problems.” I appreciate the warning, but here I go. She scrolled back to the night of the homecoming dance. “Oh my God.” 
GIVEAWAY! Hosted by: Happy Publication Day to Rising Like a Storm, a spellbinding conclusion to the Wrath of Ambar fantasy duology by Tanaz Bhatena!  Description: In the concluding installment to the Wrath of Ambar YA duology from masterful author Tanaz Bhathena, Gul and Cavas must unite their magical forces—and hold onto their growing romance—to save their kingdom from tyranny. A girl with a mark, a boy with her soul. Their fates intertwined, two halves of a whole. With King Lohar dead and the usurper queen Shayla in power, Gul and Cavas face a new tyrannical government—a government that is bent on killing them both. Their roles in King Lohar's death have not gone unnoticed, and Queen Shayla is out for blood. What she doesn't know is that Gul and Cavas have a connection that runs deeper than romance, and together, they just might have the strength and magic to end Shayla's reign for good. Then a grave mistake ends with Cavas taken prisoner by the government. Gul must train an army of warriors alone. With alliances shifting and the thirst for vengeance growing, the fate of Ambar seems ever more uncertain. It will take every ounce of strength, love, and sacrifice for Gul and Cavas to reach their final goal—and build a more just world than they've ever known. Rising like a Storm is the dramatic conclusion to the Wrath of Ambar duology, written by the talented Tanaz Bhathena. About the author: Tanaz Bhathena is the author of Hunted by the Sky, the first book in the Wrath of Ambar duology. She is also the author of The Beauty of the Moment, as well as the critically acclaimed A Girl Like That, which received two starred reviews and was shortlisted for the Ontario Library Association White Pine Award, a Globe and Mail Top 100 Book, a Quill & Quire Book of the Year, a Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book for Teens, and a New York Public Library Notable Best Book for Teens. Tanaz lives in Mississauga, Ontario, with her family. tanazbhathena.com  About Book 1 Hunted by the Sky: Gul has spent her life running. She has a star-shaped birthmark on her arm, and in the kingdom of Ambar, girls with such birthmarks have been disappearing for years. Gul's mark is what caused her parents' murder at the hand of King Lohar's ruthless soldiers and forced her into hiding to protect her own life. So when a group of rebel women called the Sisters of the Golden Lotus rescue her, take her in, and train her in warrior magic, Gul wants only one thing: revenge. Cavas lives in the tenements, and he's just about ready to sign his life over to the king's army. His father is terminally ill, and Cavas will do anything to save him. But sparks fly when he meets a mysterious girl--Gul--in the capital's bazaar, and as the chemistry between them undeniably grows, he becomes entangled in a mission of vengeance--and discovers a magic he never expected to find. Dangerous circumstances have brought Gul and Cavas together at the king's domain in Ambar Fort . . . a world with secrets deadlier than their own. Exploring identity, class struggles, and high-stakes romance, Hunted by the Sky is a gripping adventure set in a world inspired by medieval India
#Book Blitz #Mimic ( The Prodigy Chronicles 2) by C.L. Denault#Dystopian #Sci-Fi @Xpresso Book Tours22/6/2021
Mimic
-- EXCERPT: “Gem.” I put my hand on her arm. “What did you see on that screen?” She raised her eyes to meet mine. “A prediction.” “Prediction?” I immediately thought of the gypsy seers that traveled between villages. They tagged alongside the musicians, setting up tables with rich fabrics and candles, coaxing a jingle out of anyone drunk enough to fall for their silky promises. “About my future?” “About your skill level.” Ignoring the food, Gem rested her arms on her folded legs and clasped her hands. “After the machine stopped, did you see the way that commander worked with the data?” “You mean, when he was spinning it around?” I made circles in the air with my fingers. She nodded. “Something about your frequency shut down the program, but he forced it into making a guess about your skill level. The prediction popped up on the screen.” “That’s the message you saw?” Again, she nodded. “What did it say?” She pressed her lips together, thinking. “Do you know anything about Callayo Roanoke?” I blinked. “A little. He was my great-great-something or other, I think, but—” I shook my head, confused. “What does that have to do with anything?” “He was like you, Will. He had telekinesis. Really strong telekinesis. He used it to keep London from being totally wiped out during the prodigy wars.” “Okay, but how does—” Waving her hands, she stopped me. “He was a Level Three prodigy. That’s the highest level on record. Anywhere.” Slowly, the tiger uncoiled in my belly. “Go on.” “His DNA frequency sets the standard for all programs—here, and across the sea. The parameters don’t go any higher, because no one thought . . . well, it’s just a guess, but . . .” I reached out and grabbed her shoulders. “What are you saying?” She took a deep breath. “The program thinks you’re a Level Four.” Thunder rumbled outside the window, but it was nothing compared to the sound of the tiger laughing in my ears. Her delight swept through me, followed by a strange sense of awakening. Something potent and powerful unfurled in my belly as she rose to all fours. Then her laughter faded, and Gem’s voice broke though. “—change the software and run the test again. If it’s true, Will, then everything has to be reconsidered.” Blood pounded in my ears. “Everything?” “Security, location, testing, even your betrothal contract.” Nausea set in. “What do you mean?” Peeling my hands off her shoulders, she held them tightly between us. “I mean that no one knows what you can do, and that could scare a lot of people. If Callayo Roanoke was able to save this city, you could easily be capable of . . .” She trailed off, the tiger finishing for her. Destroying it. 
GIVEAWAY! Hosted by:
Wraith
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo -- EXCERPT: “Hey, Cal,” Dylan says from inside the car. open slit or the tinted window frame. I wonder if he’s still jet lagged from his arrival, or if he’s too lazy to get out of his seat. Kornelía motions for me to follow her to the trunk so I can store my bag and backpack. I keep hold of my violin case as I move to the vehicle’s far side. “Speaking of different,” she whispers, nodding towards the car. I quirk a brow, but she only shrugs one shoulder before opening the front door and sliding into her seat. I pause, taking another deep breath and pushing down the slight queasiness born from knowing this is the last stretch before camp is officially upon me. Then I open the car door and duck inside. The hired driver I’m guessing is a local starts the vehicle and heads away from the Ilulissat Airport. I settle into my seat before turning to Dylan—and promptly doing a double- take. Dylan Benowitz has always had a sickly, sallow complexion. But his skin looks nearly gray in the car’s interior light. The bags under his eyes have darkened, and there is a definite yellow tint to the whites. Combined with the disheveled, shaggy state of his dark hair, the discoloration makes him look like he’s contracted a fake illness only ever seen in the movies. “Hey,” he says again. His eyes are wary and expectant, like he knows what I’m about to say. “Are you… okay?” I ask, unable to refrain from posing the question I’m positive he’s heard many times since his arrival. “I’m not dying,” he mutters with a sigh. He scrapes his hair back, scratching his scalp. “Trust me. Between my mother and my stepmom, I’ve been to at least a dozen doctors over the last six months. Not to mention consultations with the rabbi. I’ve taken enough tests, I’m shocked I haven’t earned some kind of degree. My blood work checks out, my oxygen levels are ideal, and my liver function is fine.” He rolls his eyes. “There’s nothing wrong with me.” “Well that’s good, I guess,” I mumble. Dylan smiles, dropping his hands to his lap as Kornelía turns in her seat to face us. “I can still function, at least,” he says. “Unlike poor Korni.” I shift my gaze forward. “They still haven’t figured out what’s going on with your eyesight, then?” “Nope,” she says with another shrug. “According to tests, I’m fine too. Except my eyes keep getting worse. I never thought I’d miss my old glasses.” The slight release of tension offered by the open air dissolves as worry coils back around my chest. I didn’t expect to see my friends in such a bad state. I’ve talked to both Dylan and Kornelía over the last ten months, but our conversations didn’t prepare me for how they now appear. From the looks of it, our third summer with the Oracle of Senders isn’t off to a smashing start. “We’re all falling apart, aren’t we?” I muse. 
GIVEAWAY! Hosted by:
A Night Twice as Long
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play 
My thoughts: Andrew Simonet's story of a teenage girl who goes on a journey in the middle of a blackout has incredibly well-written characters and touches upon some very difficult issues such as living with and raising a disabled child, divorce, ableism and racism. We find ourselves in the middle of a long blackout. I's been twenty two days since the lights went out and there is a lot of uncertainty as to what caused it and more importantly how long it will last. Alex's best (the only one who keptcomingtoherhouse and worrying about her after what happened with her brother) friend Anthony suggests walking ten miles to the nearest town to try to contact Anthony's mother who is in the navy. After Child Protection Services removed Alex's younger brother Georgie from their mother's care and placed him with another family, Alex has been spending most of her time at home. Their little family seems to have fallen apart, permanently stuck in their own blackout, grieving the loss of their life with Georgie. Now Alex finally is ready to leave the house and face the journey which is going to bring many changes. I loved the metaphor of the blackout and the surreal, dystopian feel it gave to the story-the darkness, the uncertainty, the way we people adapt and continue living. Alex's brother Georgie is on the autism spectrum, so most of the book is about the effect of living with, taking care of, loving and cherishing a disabled child has on their family. Their love of each other is undeniable, even though the world doesn't always get it. Alex is such a powerful character. She is honest, considerate, caring, and, no, she hasn't got it it all figured out. After all, she is just a teenager and there's still a lot to learn about the world and people in it and this includes her complex feelings towards Anthony. There are also some honest observations about racial discrimination and animosity. The plot is centered around Alex's journey, but, of course, it isn't just the day orthe ten miles that we are talking about. It's the moment of reflection and profound realization, of feeling what you are feeling and accepting it. I thought the pace was excellent, as it allowed the reader not only to follow what was happening, but also feel the changes in the characters' perception of their life and their relationships. A Night Twice as Long is a multi-layered, emotional, real book which kept my interest all way through. Highly recommended. Thankyou toGiselle from XpressoBook Tours, NetGalley, the publisher and theauthor forthe reviewcopy.providedin exchangeforan honest opinion. 
Giveaway:
Tour-wide giveaway (INT)
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Photos from Simon_sees, Dmitry Karyshev
