Blog Tour, Review, & Giveaway: The Last of the Firedrakes

The Last of the Firedrakes
By: Farah Oomerbhoy
Publisher: Wise Ink Creative Publishing
Pub Date: August 15, 2015
Pages: 488
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy
Copy received for a blog tour for an honest review.

A fantastic adventure story that will transport you to a dazzling world of myth and magic.

16-year-old Aurora Darlington is an orphan. Mistreated by her adopted family and bullied at school, she dreams of running away and being free. But when she is kidnapped and dragged through a portal into a magical world, suddenly her old life doesn’t seem so bad.

Avalonia is a dangerous land ruled by powerful mages and a cruel, selfish queen who will do anything to control all seven kingdoms—including killing anyone who stands in her way. Thrust headlong into this new, magical world, Aurora’s arrival sets plans in motion that threaten to destroy all she holds dear.

With the help of a young fae, a magical pegasus, and a handsome mage, Aurora journeys across Avalonia to learn the truth about her past and unleash the power within herself. Kingdoms collide as a complicated web of political intrigue and ancient magic lead Aurora to unravel a shocking secret that will change her life forever.

Purchase Links:

Amazon | B&N | Apple | Kobo | Smashwords | Itasca Books | Goodreads

I honestly enjoyed how this book started out. I kind of got a Harry Potter-ish kind of vibe with Aurora being an orphan and left to people who didn't care for her. All of the quick beginning chapters, we lose those people quickly (thank goodness!) and move on to Avalonia...through a magical tapestry!

Once through the portal, we learn that there are different lands. Not just where we live. There are other beings, too. Magical beings! This story mostly discusses mages and the fae. We quickly find out that Aurora is the lost princess to this land, Avalonia. Unfortunately, her method of getting through the tapestry to the land landed her in a prison. In that prison, she met 2 fae. Thankfully, they were a couple of important fae and someone came to their rescue. Aurora was rescued along with the fae, and free for the time, away from the person who wanted her dead.

Once the story really got started, the names of the lands were confusing me. Once I kept seeing them mentioned and "meeting" people from those lands, I began to enjoy the story much more. I think with a physical copy of this book, a reader can flip and look at the beautiful map much easier than I was trying to do on my ereader.

With a medallion around Aurora's neck, we find the history of it and how it got there. It was the only thing she had from her childhood and she never took it off. Which, was a great thing! If she had, she would have discovered her magical abilities. In our human world, that would have been a disaster!

It is decided that she will go to a school for mages to learn how to use her magic. While there, we have some other Harry Potter-ish moments with a kind headmaster, a friend, and then the evil family who are out to aid their uncle in helping Aurora's evil aunt rule all of the lands. However, no one at the school, other than the headmaster and a professor know Aurora's true identity. It's for her safety that no one knows. Also, it's for her safety that no one knows that she possesses two types of magic: mage and fae. It's a combination she inherited from her parents, the kind and queen of Avalonia, who were murdered many years ago.

I loved the friends that Aurora made along the way. Her roommate at school, who helped her and truly liked her. Kalen, one of the fae who enjoyed his adventures and telling stories to Aurora. Then, there's the Black Wolf, AKA Rafe. Boy, oh, boy! Did I love Rafe! I was feeling the frustration right along with Aurora through the story. Haha! Rafe is a wanted man, who helps save fae. He has some interesting secrets that are revealed later in this book. It makes so much sense!

I truly did enjoy reading Farah's debut story and fell in love with her story-telling. I will have a copy of this book on my shelf and I look forward to the next installment. Very much!

I enjoyed Book 1 of the Avalonia Chronicles immensely! I can't wait for Book 2 and more adventures for Aurora and the crew!

For Farah Oomerbhoy, writing is a passion and reading her solace. She is a firm believer in the fantastic and magical, and often dreams of living in Narnia, Neverland, or the Enchanted Forest.

Farah lives with her husband and three children in their family home in Mumbai, India. She has a Master’s degree in English Literature from the University of Mumbai.

Farah's first novel, The Last of the Firedrakes, Book 1 of the Avalonia Chronicles will be published worldwide August 15th, 2015.

Website |Twitter |Instagram |Pinterest |Goodreads |Wattpad |Facebook

Follow The Tour:
August 14th – Reads All The Books – Review
August 15th – Dizneeee's World of Books – Review / Guest Post
August 15th – Melissa Martin's Reading List – Review / Top 5/10 Post
August 17th – Ya Fiction Queen – Guest Post
August 17th – Christine Abee – Review
August 18th – Books, Stars, Writing. And Everything In Between – Interview
August 18th – EndlessReading – Review
August 19th – Motif by Tanya – Author Interview
August 19th – Ramblings of a Perpetual New Girl – Review / Guest Post
August 20th – Ramblings of a Perpetual New Girl – Review / Guest Post
August 21st – Book Addict – Guest Post / Author Interview
August 21st – Author of The Not So Public Library – Review / Interview
August 24th – Miranda's Book Blog – Review / Guest Post
August 25th – BookishFever – Review
August 26th – The Reader and the Chef – Review / Top 5 or 10
August 27th – The Power of Three Readers – Promo
August 27th – Ashley Martinez – Review
August 28th – Bookish – Review
August 31st – The Renegade Zombie Reviews – Review / Author Interview
September 1st – Beauty's Library – Review / Guest Post
September 2nd – Pixie Vixen Reviews – Character Interview
September 3rd – Creatyvebooks – Review / Author Interview
September 4th –
September 7th – serenastone – Author Interview
September 8th –
September 9th – Read with Royella – Review
September 10th – Reading with AngelaRenea – Review / Author Interview
September 11th – Atomic Pirate Girl's Book Worm Booty – Review
September 11th – Triple T Tots tweens and teens – Review / Teasers
September 14th – Anything but Vanilla Book Blog – Playlist
September 14th – Rockin' Book Reviews – Review

**Giveaway consists of a Kindle Fire HD 7 and a Firedrake Prize Pack.

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Firedrake Facebook Party:

Don't miss the 2-day Facebook Party to celebrate the release of THE LAST OF THE FIREDRAKES, featuring several guest authors, lots of prizes and even a few secrets.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1005203076178206/

August 14th and August 15th 10am - 8pm Eastern Time.

Event Hosted by:

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Last of the Firedrakes

by Farah Oomerbhoy

Giveaway ends August 15, 2015.




See the giveaway details

at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Of Stardust: Blog Tour & Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the Of Stardust book tour.

Catch up and follow the remainder of the tour here!

About the Book

Title: Of Stardust

Author: February Grace

Release Date: 10/28/13

200 pages

Summary from Goodreads

“Dreams are sacred…”

At the age of twenty-six single, geeky bookseller Till Nesbitt inherits the shock of a lifetime: a huge Victorian farmhouse filled with unique tenants, and the knowledge that there is a reason she’s always been different. She’s destined to become a Fairy Godmother, because the skills are written into her DNA.

Till embarks on her fairy education at Dreams Come True University with much trepidation, guided on her journey by a unique mentor: a Celtic hybrid with a secret by the name of Gus.

When Till falls head over heels for Gus, will she break the most serious law in the Fairy Code, or will the truth of what really happened to Gus’s parents keep them from repeating history?

Purchase OF STARDUST

     

About the Author

February Grace is a writer, artist and poet who lives somewhere that is much colder than she would like most of the time.

She sings on key, plays by ear, and is more than mildly obsessed with music, clocks, colors, and meteor showers.

Her poetry, prose, and/or flash fiction have appeared in The Rusty Nail Literary Magazine, Vine Leaves Literary Journal, and Rose and Thorn Journal. Her work can also be found in the following anthologies: Poetry Pact Volume One, Anything Prose...And Poetry, Too! and Orange Karen, Tribute To A Warrior.

GODSPEED, her debut novel, is a labor of love she refers to as "Literary romance with steampunk embellishments." 

Her second novel, OF STARDUST, is a modern, romantic fantasy tale.

Giveaway

2 print books of Of Stardust (US)

7 ebooks of Of Stardust (INT)

 *RULES AND RESTRICTIONS*

Contest is void where prohibited. Entrants must be 13 or else have parent or guardian’s permission to enter. Winners will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond or another winner's name will be selected. Winning entries will be verified for authenticity.

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Blog Tour Hosted by:

YA Bound Book Tours

The Skinwalker's Apprentice: Review (w/ Giveaway)

Follow the tour here!

The Skinwalker's Apprentice
by Claribel Ortega
Release Date: 02/24/14

Summary from Goodreads

New York City 1984: It’s Emerald Kipp’s sixteenth birthday, and nothing has changed. She’s still the biggest loser in school, she’s still trying to find a place for herself and yeah, she’s still a witch. Her last year of high school is turning out to be the worst yet, and Emerald thinks it can’t possibly get any worse. Unfortunately for her, she’s dead wrong.

East Hampton, NY 1658: The Pennyfeathers are the black sheep of their small English settlement. As hard as they try to keep the family secrets just that, the magical bunch just can’t seem to fit in. But when a High Priestess witch chooses 16-year-old Margo Pennyfeather as an apprentice, Margo’s luck finally begins to change. What she doesn’t know, is there’s a lot more to her apprenticeship, and to being a witch, than she could ever imagine.

Discover the mysterious beginnings of The Empire Witch Series in "The Skinwalker's Apprentice: An Emerald Kipp Novella."

Purchase The Skinwalker's Apprentice

About the Author

Claribel Ortega is a graduate of the SUNY Purchase journalism program, and got her start writing for the school’s Independent Newspaper. There, she quickly rose the ranks from editing the student’s often times hilarious ads and ramblings on the back page of the paper to staff and feature writer.

After graduation, Claribel worked as a reporter for The Rivertowns Enterprise, a local paper in lower Westchester County, New York. As a reporter, she enjoyed going to board of education meetings and texting the town mayors about the line at Starbucks.

Today, Claribel works for The Combined Book Exhibit, a book marketing company in Westchester NY.

She lives in New York with her really awesome boyfriend, her suspiciously intelligent yorkie Pancho Villa and is surrounded by an impenetrable fort of books she gets from her job.

“The Skinwalker’s Apprentice” is her first book, and cheese is her favorite food.

   

GIVEAWAY

A signed paperback copy of The Skinwalker's Apprentice
Plus, a Forever 21 Prize Pack including:
Posh Stackable Rings
Cameo Bow Necklace
Shopper Tote (design may vary)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

If I Speak True: Tour & Review (Kind of...)

Dahlia Kennedy's sixteenth birthday marks a decade of mysterious dahlias arriving and strange, lonely dreams of being in a forest. The only difference this birthday, however, is that for the first time, someone is there with her. And he's practically from a whole other era.

The more often Dahlia visits Rowan in his land of Ambrosia, the stronger their connection grows. But... is Ambrosia real? Is he real? What is going on between the two of them, exactly, and why does he insist that she keep it to herself?

As secrets usually go, however, it's only a matter of time before everything comes out. And when Dahlia finds out the truth of who Rowan is, who she is, and how he really feels -- it’s beyond anything she could have ever imagined.

Purchase If I Speak True

Thoughts

I am sad to say that I have not finished reading If I Speak True. As I'm typing this, I am itching to pick up my Kindle again so I can continue reading!

A whopping 500+ pages, If I Speak True is packed full of words I can't skim over. 47% into this book and I am enthralled! Brooks has definitely hooked me and I'm not wanting to let go.

I have a feeling I'm going to be very grateful that this is going to be part of a series. I'm not sure how many books she's planning to have in the Flora set, but I will be reading any, and all, that she publishes!

I will have a full review when I finish reading the remainder of the book! 

PS...Hafsah (Iceybooks/Iceydesigns) designed the cover!

About the Author
Jessica L. Brooks resides with her husband of over sixteen years, three awesome daughters, and a plethora of pets in Central California, where fog, frost, triple-digit heat and various items of produce arrive bountifully, depending on the season. She has an affinity for both coffee and owls, and loves to connect with fellow readers and writers on most social networks like Goodreads, Twitter and Pinterest. You can also connect with her on her blog, Let Me Tell You A Story.

Jessica shares reviews for her favorite books on Afterglow Book Reviews, spreads writing and author love for independently-published authors at Indie Ignites, and salutes all writers (no matter what stage in their writerly journey) at Operation Awesome.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | Goodreads | Pinterest | Tumblr | Newsletter

Blog Tour Schedule

January 27^th – Kristalyn Thornock at The Sarcastic Palmtree (Release Day/DVD giveaway)

January 27^th – Cassandra at Cassandra Lost in Books (Release Day)

January 27^th – Meg at Book Groupies (Release Day)

January 28^th – Kaitlin at Reading is My Treasure (Review)

January 28^th – Lisa at Dizneeee's World of Books

January 29^th – Kathy at I Am A Reader, Not A Writer (Author Interview)

January 29^th – Cheyanne at Cheyanne Young (Author interview)

January 30^th – Eugenia at Chasm of Books (Author Interview and Review)

January 30^th – A. Kerr at Kerrific (Review)

January 31^st – Jenna (JL) at Avid Reader Musings (Writing Playlist)

January 31^st – Ella Johnson at Mymcbooks Blog (Spotlight/giveaway)

February 1^rd -Eugenia at Chasm of Books (Shaver dream cast)

February 3^rd – Heather Rosdol at Buried in Books (Review)

February 3^rd – Rachel at The NerdHerd Reads (Dreamcast)

February 4^th – Penny at One Writer's Journey (Author Interview)

February 4^th – Dana at Dana Square (character interview)

February 5^th – Beverly at The Wormhole (Author interview and book promo spot)

February 5^th – Kaycee at My Crafty Zoo (Deleted scene and recipe)

February 6^th – Kimberly Lim at Kim's Reading Lounge (Review)

February 6^th – Dianne at Oops! I Read A Book Again (Review)

February 7^th – Janie Junebug at Women: We Shall Overcome (Guest Post)

February 7^th – Jodie at Books for Company (Lyrics written for If I Speak True)

February 7^th - Colleen at Cici's Theories (Plant meanings and their correlations to the characters)