Genre: Fantasy Age Range: YA/NA Series: Yes - book 2
*SPOILER ALERT: contain SPOILERS for HEIR OF LIES*
Synopsis:
“You lived your entire life feeling like half of you was missing. Fight for the missing part. Fight for this.”
Emory Fae has abandoned everything she thought she knew about her previous life on Earth. Stepping up to her role as Queen of Kiero she makes a startling sacrifice- feigning her allegiances to Adair Stratton, the man who murdered her parents and casted Kiero into ruin. Emory’s memories slowly piece together, and she soon realizes the Mad King may not be all he seems— and the man who was once best friend, may be fighting beneath the surface.
With the King’s attention on her, can she buy Black Dawn Rebellion enough time to recuperate their forces? And when the times comes, will she be able to kill Adair, ending his tyranny and rising herself as the rightful Queen? Fighting to hide her secret, Emory navigates the brutal trials of the Mad King, trying not to lose herself in the process.
Synopsis taken from Goodreads. Add to your shelves here, or find it on Amazon, B&N, the Book Despository, or Bookshop.org. Alternatively, Kindle Unlimited readers can read it for free.
QUEEN TO ASHES is a book told from several points of views, each fighting their own demons and on their own journeys. So I’ve made a tag based on them. Please feel free to join in and tag me to let me know which characters you chose!
It’s a trope as old as time, and for a reason. When a character is forced to leave their normal life behind in order to fight a war they didn’t even know what happening, the reader gets to see their true colours. Bonus points when they change worlds and have the power to save it.
Like Emory, both Grey and Rune are taken from our world to a parallel one full of magic and danger. Once there, they’re told they have power to help save the world from the dangerous monsters and evil powers disrupting daily life. Quite an ask, right?
Well, luckily for them and the world, these heroes from Devri Walls’ MAGIC UNLEASHED are more than up for the task. First things first, learn how to use their magic and get their heads around the whole other world thing. Only problem is, they need to deal with a corrupt council trying to use their powers for their own ends. Besides, are they sure they can completely trust those around them?
Everyone loves a good villain, and every good villain is the hero of their own stories. But what about the villains who were only a few choices from being the hero?
Eli and Victor were once friends when they were brilliant, promising college students investigating ExtraOrdinary powers. Now Victor has escaped from prison and is hunting his former friend down – who is using the powers he gained to kill those with ExtraOrdinary powers in a twisted act of penance.
But there’s a reason VICIOUS, by V. E. Schwab, is the first in a series called Villains – it’s never easy to work out which one of them is the true villain of the story.
A mysterious past, or one filled with lies, a character is not always who they think they are or pretend to be. But finding out who they really are will shake their whole world, and might just make them doubt the path they’re on…
Bleak from HEART OF MIST, by Helen Scheuerer, doesn’t know too much about her past. And, frankly, she’d rather be left alone and not bother with the world out there that’s never cared a fig for her.
Unfortunately, no one is going to be granting that particularly wish any time soon as the whole world seems intent on finding Bleak and using her for their own ends. But sometimes it takes a shove to confront the past for a character to become the person they were meant to be – or at least take the first few steps towards it…
Like the villain who could have been the hero, this character could have gone the other way – and maybe they have? Questionable choices motivated by love, loss, or rage – we’re only the heroes of our own tales…
Fetch Phillips is the reason magic died. Now he tries to make amends by helping the once-magical creatures of the world when they need a private investigator – when he can dig himself out from the bottom of a barrel, that is.
THE LAST SMILE IN SUNDER CITY, by Luke Arnold, follows Fetch as he tries to find a missing vampire in a world still adapting to his crime. But as the city fights to keep its secrets buried, Fetch starts hearing of people trying to bring back magic, whatever the cost.
Just because a character can fight really doesn’t mean they pick the right battles – or make the best decisions. In fact, often their hotheaded nature takes over and disaster ensues. Doesn’t matter, we love them all the same.
Palon from WINDWARD, by S. Kaeth, falls slap back into the hot-head category. Sure, she might try to blame her poor judgement on the fact that she’s bonded to a dragon, and that the merging of minds has left her with a dragon’s possessive, territorial nature, but that’s not the whole picture.
Unfortunately for her and her community, her possessiveness and hot-headedness sparks discord among the dragons when she finds her treasured belongs are missing – but then she’s blamed for other thefts. Maybe it is her long-time adversary behind it all, but peehaps a calmer approach would have helped, Palon?
Isn’t it great when you’re abandoned by your siblings while they go off and save the day? Except they don’t, and you’re left to pick up the slack – while your entire world is falling apart.
Errin knows all about being left to fend for herself – it’s been her daily life since her older brother left to seek a better life for their family. Except she’s not seeing any part of this “better life”.
Ever since he left, life has gotten progressively worse and now their mother is sick and attacking Errin when the maddness takes her. To make matter’s worse, the country he headed too has been overrun, so it’s up to Errin to find a cure for their mother in Melinda Salisbury’s THE SLEEPING PRINCE.
About the Author:
Mallory McCartney currently lives in Sarnia, Ontario with her husband and their three dachshunds Link, Lola and Leonard. When she isn’t working on her next novel or reading, she can be found day dreaming about fantasy worlds and hiking. Other favorite pastimes involve reorganizing perpetually overflowing bookshelves and seeking out new coffee and dessert shops.
Find her on her website, Twitter, Goodreads, Instagram, and Facebook.
Giveaway:
There is a giveaway running for three finished copies of the book, though it’s US only, I’m afraid. To enter the Rafflecopter, please click here.
Schedule:
Those hosting stops this week are Dorky Girl and Skeletor (Monday), Me (Tuesday), Locks, Hooks and Books (Wednesday), TMBA Corbett Tries to Write (Thursday), and The Book Junkie Reads . . . (Friday). The others all have excerpts, so check them out!
For more information on RockStar Book Tours, please click here. For more information on the tour and the full schedule, please click here.
Sifa Elizabeth Reads 