Month: September 2018

Item: Lies Beneath
Rating: 4.5
Author: Jana

The Dragons of the Fallen Isles by Jodi Meadows | Author Guest Post

Posted September 20, 2018 by Jana in Guest Post / 1 Comment

Magic, Myth, & Mischief, hosted by me and Bonnie, is a month-long event that celebrates fairy tales and mythological retellings, as well as retellings of favorite classic novels and books featuring mythical beasts such as mermaids, dragons, and fae! Find the schedule of events and other information here.

I’m so excited to Jodi Meadows, author of the the Fallen Isles trilogy (Before She Ignites and As She Ascends), to the blog today to talk about the magical and wonderful dragons that live in the Fallen Isles! As She Ascends just entered the world on September 11, 2018, and it’s filled with action and excitement and so many dragons!

The Dragons of the Fallen Isles

by Jodi Meadows

For the Fallen Isles series, I wanted to share a world filled with lots of different kinds of dragons, because I — like lots of other kids — had a fascination with dinosaurs. It faded over time, but I remember being completely awed by them, and storing a ton of random facts about them in my head, and as the little kids in my life get to the age where they first learn about dinosaurs, I see it in them too. I wanted to capture that feeling for my main character, Mira, but I wanted it to be about dragons, and I wanted it to be something that never left her, even as she got older.

So when building the Fallen Isles, I thought about what kind of dragons might be interesting to learn about as a reader, and what someone like Mira would know about each of them.

I came up with several different species, but a few of the ones that make it into the story:

Drakontos raptus: A small ferret-sized dragon that can be trained to hunt, like a bird of prey. They come in many different colors, but the two who show up on the page often are gold and silver — LaLa and her wingsister Crystal.

Drakontos ignitus: These are medium-sized dragons that are dull brown as juveniles, but turn fire-colored with age. They can ignite the air around them, as well as breathe fire.

Drakontos mimikus: Dragons that can change the color of their scales and the timbre of their voices as protection.

Drakontos rex: Impressively large dragons, often jewel-tone colors. In the past, warriors rode them into battle, as they had long jets of fire and could destroy cities from far above.

Drakontos titanus: The largest species of dragon, with a roar like thunder and wings that can black out the sun.

There are several other species of dragons in the world, many who pop up throughout the series, and it’s always fun to describe them through Mira’s filter of love and wonder.

Before She Ignites had mostly Mira’s memories of dragons, plus a few real-time interactions with them, but As She Ascends is all dragons all the time. It was a little complicated to figure out how characters would go about their plot with an armful of dragons, but in the end it was worth it. Because dragons.

As She Ascends by Jodi Meadows
Series: Fallen Isles #2
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on September 11, 2018
Add to Goodreads
Amazon • B&N • Book Depository

MIRA, THE HOPEBEARER
Mira Minkoba is on the run with her friends after a fiery escape from the Pit, where she’d been imprisoned for defending the dragons she loves. And she wants answers. Where have all the dragons been taken? Why are powerful noorestones being shipped to the mainland? And did the treaty she’s been defending her whole life truly sell out the Fallen Isles to their enemies?

MIRA, THE DRAGONHEARTED
As her connection to the dragons—and their power—grows stronger, so does Mira’s fear that she might lose control and hurt someone she loves. But the only way to find the truth is to go home again, to Damina, to face the people who betrayed her and the parents she’s not sure she can trust.

Home, where she must rise above her fears. Or be consumed.

The second page-turning novel in Jodi Meadows’ Fallen Isles trilogy scorches with mysterious magic and riveting romance as one girl kindles a spark into a flame.

About Jodi Meadows

Jodi Meadows wants to be a ferret when she grows up and she has no self-control when it comes to yarn, ink, or outer space. Still, she manages to write books. She is the author of the INCARNATE Trilogy, the ORPHAN QUEEN Duology, and the FALLEN ISLES Trilogy (HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen), and a coauthor of MY LADY JANE (HarperTeen). Visit her at Website: www.jodimeadows.com

Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram

Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown | Book Review

Posted September 19, 2018 by Jana in Book Review, Young Adult Fiction / 9 Comments

Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown
Series: Lies Beneath #1
Published by Delacorte Books for Young Readers on June 12, 2012
Genres: Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Romance
Pages: 303
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher (Netgalley)
Add to Goodreads
Buy on Amazon

Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans and absorb their positive energy. Usually, they select their victims at random, but this time around, the underwater clan chooses its target for a reason: revenge. They want to kill Jason Hancock, the man they blame for their mother's death.

It's going to take a concerted effort to lure the aquaphobic Hancock onto the water. Calder's job is to gain Hancock's trust by getting close to his family. Relying on his irresistible good looks and charm, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock's daughter Lily. Easy enough, but Calder screws everything up by falling in love--just as Lily starts to suspect there's more to the monster-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined, and just as the mermaids threaten to take matters into their own hands, forcing Calder to choose between them and the girl he loves.

One thing's for sure: whatever Calder decides, the outcome won't be pretty.

I’d been really worried about Lies Beneath, as a lot of the reviews have been mixed, but I really, really enjoyed this book. I loved so much about it. As always, my main points are bolded. :)

1. We have a male narrator! YES! This was so refreshing. Calder is a merman from a family of human-killing mermaids. He was not born this way, but was changed to a merman after falling off a boat and drowning as a young child. Maybe that’s why he’s a bit reformed, and hopes to escape the “school of fish” loyalty and just be his own person. I loved reading his thoughts as he struggled between being who he wanted to be and being who he was created to be. I think Brown did an amazing job writing a male’s thoughts. I’ve always thought that would be a tricky thing to do.

2. This story takes place in an awesome location: Lake Superior. That lake is so mysterious and deep and freezing, and I LOVE that the story took place here rather than in the cliche tropical location. Rather than hearing about rainbow fish and sea turtles, you get to read about sunken ships and the unexplored depths of the lake. We even get a mention of an ancient road down there.

3. I really liked the evil mermaid spin. I was getting tired of the “I wish I were human, but I have this tail, so I’m going to swim around and hope I can fake being human well enough to make you love me” storyline. These mermaids love being who they are. Even Calder does not want to quit being a merman, he just does not want to suck the life out of humans. They all have their own personalities, and don’t sit around suppressing what they are. And the evil thing? It was awesome! Mermaids are made out to be monsters and not humans. It created some suspense and intrigue. I dunno, I guess I’ve always been a bit rebellious myself, so I enjoyed the more gritty and dangerous spin.

4. I really enjoyed the need for revenge that the mermaids had. It consumed their thoughts as they tried to seek revenge on the man they blamed their mother’s death on. Even though these mermaids are considered evil, you have to give them credit for never breaking a promise, and for being extremely loyal to each other. I mean, even though Calder began to change his mind regarding this revenge, his mind was so linked with his sisters’ that he really struggled with an inner turmoil that pulled him in two very different directions.

5. I appreciated Lily’s common sense and vivaciousness. I can’t stand a dumb, quivering-in-her-boots kind of heroine. Lily has a sharp mind and she knows things without having someone beat it into her head with a hammer. And I loved her little sister, Sophie. She is adorable.

6. The Hancock family’s past is vast and dynamic. I loved getting more insight into what happened to make these mermaids so mad, and what mysteries are hidden beneath the surface.

7. The romance was sweet. It was not obsessive or silly. It seemed legit to me. Calder and Lily look out for one another, and have a healthy give and take relationship. Calder is not controlling or stalkery. I mean yes, he lurks in the water outside her home to protect her, but he’s not sneaking in her room to watch her sleep. Lily is not helpless and naive. She can hold her own, and does not frighten easily. I believed this one.

8. I wish the book had spent a little more time on Calder’s sisters. Those girls were so much fun to read about, and they were really what made the book so unique. Hopefully the rest of the trilogy will give us more information on them. They could have their own spin-off series.

All in all, this book is now one of my new favorite mermaid romances. I loved the unique spin, the believable romance, and the interesting characters. I would definitely recommend this for lovers of mermaid books, and it’s also a great one to start on if you’re just dipping your toe into the genre.

Top Ten Books On My Fall 2018 To-Read List

Posted September 18, 2018 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 37 Comments

Fall officially begins on Friday, and I am so happy! I love fall. It’s probably my favorite season of the year (although I do love winter, too). During the fall season I love reading atmospheric, creepy, gothic kinds of stories. I also love mysteries and romantic suspense. This fall I’ve got a few of these kinds of books that I’d really love to get to, plus a few rich fantasies that sound amazing as well!

Girl At the Grave by Teri Bailey Black
Gothic YA! I am here for it!

Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye
Gothic retelling of Jane Eyre. YES.

Maulever Hall by Jane Aiken Hodge
A creepy, gothic romantic suspense novel that’s been republished recently from its original 1960’s version. There’s amnesia and paranoia and a large country home. Sounds very intriguing!

Tailspin by Sandra Brown
A romantic suspense novel about a pilot and a mysterious delivery.

The Last Woman in the Forest by Diane Les Becquets
Researching a serial killer in the Rocky Mountain wilderness.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
I’ll devour any Beauty and the Beast retelling, and this one sounds perfect!

A Study In Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas
I’ve been really excited to read the Lady Sherlock historical mystery books, and this would be the perfect time to do it!

The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
This kind of sounds like the book version of that movie Disturbia with Shia LaBeouf. I love that movie!

Beware the Wild by Natalie C. Parker
Another gothic YA romance/mystery/horror that I’ve heard great things about! It takes place in the swamps on Louisiana, and having lived there, I can see how creepy and horrifying this book has the potential to be.

The House at Midnight by Lucie Whitehouse
This one sounds so creepy! I love creepy English manors that seem to have their own personalities.

Which books are you hoping to read this fall?
Are you a mood reader who is inspired by the seasons?
What kinds of books do you like to read this time of year?
Have you read any of my picks?

Interview With Seventh Born Author Monica Sanz

Posted September 18, 2018 by Jana in Author Interview / 1 Comment

Today I’m welcoming Monica Sanz, author of Seventh Born, the the first book in the The Witchling Academy series, to the blog to participate in our fun interview series!

Interview with Monica Sanz

1. What makes your book(s) magical, mythical, or mischievous?
What makes my books magical, mythical, and mischievous is that they feature, well, magic, myth, and mischief! Seventh Born is about an outcast witch learning to control her powers while solving murders with her professor. Not only is her working relationship (and any relationship at all!) with the brooding and handsome professor considered taboo, but Sera has a quick temper and sets things in fire when enraged. If that’s not mischief, then I don’t know what is!

Finvarra’s Circus is based on the Irish folktales of King Finvarra Ethna the Bride, and the Leanan Sidhe. It’s about a girl who sneaks into a magical circus and finds out it’s cursed and she’s the only one who can save them. This leads to a whole lot of trouble for everyone.

2. Which mythical character do you see yourself in the most, or do you relate to most and why?
I have to say faeries, though I don’t think I’m wicked enough to be one. I love nature and magic and feel this oneness with the universe, so I think a faerie is quite fitting.

3. Dragons or unicorns?
Unicorns! Dragons are cool with the fire breathing and all, but unicorns have this untamed beauty and silent strength I’m drawn to. Plus, they have countless magical abilities.

4. Would you rather be a hero or a villain?
I would rather be a hero. I’m a generally happy person and it takes so much energy to remain angry and bitter and filled with the need for revenge all the time. I’d rather go about my life and help people when I can than focus on how I can bring death and devastation. It’s too much work.

5. Would you rather be locked up in a tower or a dungeon?
A tower, for sure! At least in a tower I can see the sun and feel the breeze or enjoy the sound of rain and birds and nature. When I think of a dungeon, I imagine rats and dark and damp cells. It’s all so dreary. Plus, whenever towers are used in stories, it’s one person in a tower versus a dungeon with other prisoners bemoaning their imprisonment. Yes, I think I’d be much happier in a tower.

6. What elements of the tale did you use when incorporating the tale into your own novel?
With Finvarra’s Circus, I incorporated the original tale of King Finvarra and Ethna the Bride quite extensively. I don’t want to say how, but it’s the foundation of the circus and Finvarra’s character. The same goes for the Leanan Sidhe. She’s a beautiful fairy who takes on a human lover and becomes their muse. Lovers of the Leanan Sidhe, however, are said to live brief but highly inspired lives. These two folktales are woven together to create the backstory to Finvarra’s Circus, and the story takes off from there.

7. Which magical/mythical creatures exist in your books?
My newest release, Seventh Born features witches and wizards and a Barghest, which is a mythical dog with enormous teeth and claws. It’s such a fitting creature to include, especially with someone like Sera as a main character. I’m working on book two now, and that will feature a mythological creature, I just can’t say what yet or it’ll spoil the surprise. Finvarra’s Circus is a troupe of mythological creatures so there are faeries, sprites, merrows, centaurs, a unicorn, a fire dragon, and so much more. I loved using their magical identities in their performances, it made everything so much more magical.

8. What made you want to incorporate a myth or folk tale into something brand-new?
It’s fun to take known myths and breathe new life into them, as well as see how our characters interact with whatever tale we choose. With Seventh Born I ended up making up my own lore, but book two is heavily based on a few myths and it’s made for a very atmospheric and creepy story which I’m super excited about. With Finvarra’s Circus, it just happened that the book was based on these folktales so I had no say in the matter. If the mythology wasn’t included, the book wouldn’t exist.

9. Have you seen any recent fairy tale/myth movie/television adaptations? If yes, which ones and what do you like most about it/them?
One of my favorites is not recent but I have to gush about it because it’s so romantic. Ever After: A Cinderella Story is such a gorgeous and heart-warming movie. I remember watching it when I was younger and falling in love with the fairy tale all over again. Drew Barrymore is fantastic as Cinderella and I felt her frustration at how she was treated but at the same time she had this desire to belong and be loved and to have a family with these people that hated her. Dougray Scott was such a handsome and believable prince and loved how his character grew humble throughout the movie. I would totally recommend watching it. I think I may watch it again soon.

Seventh Born by Monica Sanz
Published by Entangled TEEN on September 4, 2018
Genres: Young Adult — Paranormal, Romance
Add to Goodreads • Amazon

Abomination. Curse. Murderer. All names hurled at eighteen-year-old Seraphina Dovetail. As the seventh-born daughter to a witch, she’s the cause of her mother losing her powers and, in turn, her life.

Abandoned as a child, Sera dreams of becoming an inspector and finding her family. To do that, she must be referred into the Advanced Studies Program at the Aetherium’s Witchling Academy. Her birth order, quick temper, and tendency to set things on fire, however, have left her an outcast with failing marks…and just what Professor Nikolai Barrington is looking for.

The tall, brooding, yet exceedingly handsome young professor makes her a proposition: become his assistant and he’ll give her the referral she needs. Sera is quickly thrust into a world where witches are being kidnapped, bodies are raised from the dead, and someone is burning seventhborns alive. As Sera and Barrington grow ever closer, she’ll discover that some secrets are best left buried…and fire isn’t the only thing that makes a witch burn.

About Monica Sanz

Monica Sanz has been writing from the moment she could string together a sentence. Her stories have come a long way from mysterious portals opening in the school cafeteria, transporting classmates to distant worlds. A classic by the name Wuthering Heights is responsible for that. She’s been lost to dark romances and brooding fictional men ever since. Now she writes about grumpy professors, cursed ringmaster, tortured soul collectors, and the girls they fall in love with.

Monica’s books have received many accolades on the social writing website Wattpad. She’s accumulated over six million reads, eighty thousand votes, and fifteen thousand comments since posting her books on the website. She is also a member of the Wattpad4, a group of writers who host weekly Twitter chats on the subjects of writing and publishing.

When not lost in one of her made-up worlds, she can be found on the sunny beaches of South Florida where she resides with her husband and their three children or scouring YouTube for new bands to feed her music addiction.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

An Entreaty for Under-Represented Mythological Creatures In Recent Fantasy | Blogger Guest Post

Posted September 17, 2018 by Jana in Guest Post / 2 Comments

I’m so excited to welcome Amber of The Literary Phoenix to the blog today to share with us her strong feelings on the subject of lesser-used mythological creatures in recent fantasy novels!

An Entreaty for Under-Represented Mythological
Creatures In Recent Fantasy

If you would humor me, I would like to open this post with a bit of a game. I will list a series of names, and Dear Reader, I challenge you to find what they have in common.

Edward Cullen
Barnabas Collins
Jean-Claude
Eric Northman
Dracula
Spike
Lestat de Lioncourt
Adrian Ivashkov
Kurt Barlow
Marceline

If you are thinking, “They’re all vampires!” then you would be correct! The ten names listed above are a mere handful of famous vampires, one of the most popular creatures to grace fantasy novels since their invention in 1887 with Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

There was a time when it was almost impossible to pick up a new YA fantasy and not find a vampire lurking inside. There is a list on Goodreads with 385 teen vampire books and 1594 adult vampire books. I could start reading right now and it would take me about 20 years to read all the books on these lists.

While vampires are fun, there are a lot of other mythological beasts out there begging for some attention in fiction. Today, I’m going to introduce you to three underused magical creatures with a lot of potential.

The Phoenix

The phoenix is grossly underused in fantasy. As a creature, it is a symbol of renewal and rebirth. In Egypt, it was called “Bennu” and sacred to Heliopolis (god of the sun). In Greek myth, the phoenix lived several centuries before burning up in a nest of myrrh and other finery, and being reborn from the ashes. Chinese legend recognizes it as “Feng Huang” – it was part of the union of yin and yang, representing the Empress.

Despite its majesty and the respect it held in ancient culture, the firebird is oft forgotten in fantasy novels. You can find the phoenix in a variety of supernatural romance novels, but I believe the most famous example is Fawkes, Dumbledore’s pet and companion in the Harry Potter series.

Goodreads has a list of 43 books tagged “phoenix”.

The Gorgon

Gorgons are a bit less common than phoenixes, as they are exclusively found in Greek Mythology. The most famous gorgon is Medusa, who was slain by Hercules, but she also had two sisters just as vain as herself who were transformed into hideous monsters by the gods. As far as the mythos goes, there’s no in-depth mention of them… what are their stories?

Goodreads has a list of 23 books tagged “medusa”.

The Selkie

Finally, the selkie is a form of shapeshifter. I first learned about selkies a couple years ago when I was listening to S.J. Tucker’s “For the Girl in the Garden“, a companion album to In the Night Garden by Catherynne M. Valente. The selkie comes from Scottish legend, and is a creature capable of shedding its seal skin and becoming human. Unlike your traditional shapeshifter, selkies require their seal skin in order to return to their original form.

This is asking for an epic quest of a selkie girl trying to retrieve her stolen skin from a hunter! It would fit really well into YA fantasy, so someone please get on top of this.

Goodreads has a list of 153 books tagged “selkie”.

These three are but the tip of the iceberg as to the opportunities available to in the world of underused fantasy creatures. Many of the creatures J.K. Rowling features in her Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them have a mythological background, and that book is a good starting point if you’re interested in learning a little more about magical creatures.

I would like to beseech you, dear readers and writers: before picking up a pen or your next great read and seeking out a vampire, witch, or werewolf… try something a little different! Take a chance on a minotaur. Try your luck with a banshee. You never know what stories these other creatures have to tell.

About Amber

Author of half a dozen unpublished fantasy tales, book blogger, Ravenclaw, cat lover, and dreamer. Historian. Seeking first class tickets to Oz or Neverland.

Blog • Twitter • Instagram • Tumblr • Bloglovin • Goodreads