{Blog Tour} A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC + GIVEAWAY

Hey guys! Today I am SO excited to be on the blog tour for A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab. If you've been around here at all, you know how much I love this book. I haven't been this excited for a book in a really long time, actually. You can read my gushing review of the book here. Today, we're in Red London. I got to ask Victoria a question, but before we get there, let's check out the (amazing) book and author.

Title: A Darker Shade of Magic
Author: V.E Schwab
Series: A Darker Shade of Magic #1
Publisher: Tor
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Kell is one of the last Travelers—rare magicians who choose a parallel universe to visit.
Grey London is dirty, boring, lacks magic, ruled by mad King George. Red London is where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. White London is ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne. People fight to control magic, and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. Once there was Black London - but no one speaks of that now.
Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell smuggles for those willing to pay for even a glimpse of a world they’ll never see. This dangerous hobby sets him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She robs him, saves him from a dangerous enemy, then forces him to another world for her 'proper adventure'.
But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive — trickier than they hoped.

V.E. Schwab

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V. E. SCHWAB's first adult novel, Vicious, debuted to critical praise and reader accolades. Schwab is the author of YA novels The Near Witch, The Archived, and The Unbound, and the Everyday Angel series for middle grade readers.

Sounds amazing, right. Well, IT IS. Anyway, let's get to the question, shall we?

Q. What would you consider your world-hopping essentials?
A. Well, ideally, a coat with many sides (and thus many pockets ;) ) but the essentials would be a bar of dark chocolate, some breakfast tea, a pen and a blank journal. Everything else I could do without, but I’m quite particular about my tea and chocolate, and I ALWAYS take something to write on, no matter where I go.

Still can't get enough of ADSOM? Check out the official site. Or take this quiz to see which London you would be in (I got Black London... still not sure how to feel about that). And check out this awesome book trailer for the book!

 

Tor has been awesome enough to provide a giveaway! One winner will win a copy of A Darker Shade of Magic as well as a signed double-sided poster! (If you haven't seen these posters, look here.) And this giveaway in INTL! Enter below and Good luck!

Rules: Must be 13+ or have parent permission. Winner will be notified by email and have 48 hours to respond before a new winner will be chosen. Entries will be checked, and cheaters disqualified. The winner's name and address will be forwarded to the publisher, who will send out the prize. We are not responsible for lost packages.



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A Darker Shade of Magic {by V.E. Schwab}

Title: A Darker Shade of Magic

Author: V.E. Schwab

Series: A Darker Shade of Magic, #1

Genre: Adult Fantasy

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Source: finished copy from publisher

 

Kell is one of the last Travelers—rare magicians who choose a parallel universe to visit.
Grey London is dirty, boring, lacks magic, ruled by mad King George. Red London is where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. White London is ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne. People fight to control magic, and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. Once there was Black London - but no one speaks of that now.
Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell smuggles for those willing to pay for even a glimpse of a world they’ll never see. This dangerous hobby sets him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She robs him, saves him from a dangerous enemy, then forces him to another world for her 'proper adventure'.
But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive — trickier than they hoped.

 

There are no words. You know those books that you love so much, that there really aren't words to describe how much you love it? You just want to throw it at everyone you know. It's been a long time since I've read a book like that, but this was one of them. I was only halfway through when I ordered Vicious, as well as the UK edition of ADSOM. And I have never ordered the UK edition for a book before, much less for one I already owned. So that is seriously the highest praise. This was the first book I've read by Schwab (I can feel the glares) but it definitely won't be the last.

Kell is a Traveler, one of only two existing. He can travel between the parallel universes, between the Londons--Gray, Red, White. He legally is only allowed to bring letters from the monarchs between worlds, but illegally he smuggles items for people who want a taste of magic. Lila lives in Grey London, the one that is boring, plain, and magic-less. She is an aspiring pirate, although at the moment, she is just a, well, criminal. The two cross paths when Lila steals something quite dangerous from Kell, and their paths are tied from then on.

The world-building in this one was phenomenal. To create, in a sense, not only one London, but THREE. Each was done so well, in such detail, that distinguished each one from the other. The settings were described so detailed that I could see the palaces in my mind, the streets, the taverns. Each was unique, and I could tell how each one was different from the other, what made them stand out.

Some might say the story starts out slow, but Schwab needs time to build the world. Between the world-building, and the magic-building, you will be entranced by this crazy awesome world that Schwab has created. My biggest issue with fantasy novels is that I usually get confused, on what's going on, or how things work. But Schwab takes time to set up the magic and the systems of this world, and I wasn't confused at all.

Of course, we also have our characters. Kell is one of my favorite characters of all time now. He was a complex character. He's a prince, sort of, yet still has this urge to smuggle artifacts, even though he knows it's illegal and could get into serious trouble. I loved the interactions between him and Rhys, and the different sides of him that were shown. And I loved Lila. Strong, sassy, independent. Both of these characters fall into some gray areas, but I love how that was explored, and how that made way for some serious character development. I also loved how well-written the side characters were, especially Rhy. But even the side characters were written with such depth and precision, that you could really understand where they were coming from, or their purpose in the story.

Above all, this was just a really well-written book. I usually don't tab quotes in books, but there were so many I had to mark in this one, and more I'm sure I'll mark every time I reread it. If you haven't seen the hype for this one, or have seen it and it makes you wary, I'll just let you know that this book is worth every bit of it. I already want to reread it (and probably will when my UK copy gets here) and cannot wait for the sequel.

This review can also be found on   

V.E. Schwab

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{Blog Tour} Review: Just Pru by Anne Pfeffer

 

 

Title: Just Pru

Author: Anne Pfeffer

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Purchase: Amazon

 

"My mother once joked that my dad had wanted to name me Obedience. As if Prudence wasn't bad enough. I was not a Prudence and I never would be."
When twenty-five-year-old Pru Anderson—braless, pajama-clad, and clutching her cat, Chuck—is rescued from her burning Los Angeles apartment, the thing that scares her most is meeting the neighbors. New people make her hide in the bathroom, counting by sevens, but when her home is destroyed, she must turn strangers into friends … or crawl back to the controlling parents she only recently escaped.
What would her idol, Pepper Hathaway, do? That’s a no brainer: the detective-slash-supermodel heroine from Pru's favorite TV series would take no prisoners while looking fierce in a tankini and stilettos. So when the chance comes to live with her upstairs neighbor, Ellen, a playwright, Pru goes for it.
Thus begin the adventures of Pru, who's never had a job, a friend, or a first kiss. Swept into Ellen's whirlwind life, Pru begins to build her own, as director's assistant for a new play, muse to brooding actor Blake, and possible love interest to adorably neurotic neighbor, Adam.
Only one thing can derail Pru's exhilarating ride. Well, actually, it's two things—and they're in a car headed straight for LA to torpedo her life. When the past that nearly destroyed her comes calling, who will she be: a Prudence or a Pepper?

 

This book was so cute. It was hilarious, fun, charming, and sweet. This is an adult book, so it's not necessarily coming of age, per se, but it was about finding yourself, and living your own life, and I just all-around loved it.

Pru has just moved to LA, when her apartment complex catches fire. Now she has no place to stay, no money, and not even any clothes. However, Pru has just escaped her controlling, restrictive parents, and isn't about to give up and go back. Pru also has anxiety, keeping her shut up and closed off, and has never even met her neighbors. But when Ellen takes her in, Pru has to learn to come out of her shell. 

Pru was hilarious. She was sweet and funny. She struggles throughout the story, a lot. With her weight, with her anxiety, with her parents, with having feelings for a guy for the first time ever. She was so naive about things, and it was heartbreaking yet adorable at the same time. 

I also loved the side characters from Adam, with all his quirks and adorableness, to Ellen and her crew of actors. Blake and Becca and their drama. Well, except for Pru's parents. They were beyond ridiculous. The way they were so controlling and oppressive, made my skin crawl. All of Pru's life, they tell her she isn't like normal kids, can't do things like normal kids, and basically keep her locked up. But they played their part in the story, and the fact that I dislike them show much shows how well they were written. The secondary characters brought life to the story, and added depth. 

But I loved this message, and what this story has to offer its readers. Empowerment, independence. Pru has to learn to stand on her own two feet. She has to decide to live life the way she wants to, and not the way her parents have been telling her. She has to be comfortable in her body, doing what she loves to do. And hey, a cute guy doesn't hurt either ;)

I loved this story from start to finish. It was hilarious, but relatable. We may not all struggle with the level of anxiety and other mental issues that Pru does, but I think we all still, on some level, understand. This was a great and powerful story, and one I definitely recommend. 

Anne Pfeffer:

Website | Twitter | Goodreads

Two (2) winners get a paperback set of Anne Pfeffer's books, Any Other Night, Girls Love Travis Walker, The Wedding Cake Girl and Just Pru. Open to US only. Ends March 4, 2015

 

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Valentine's Day #booklove!

Happy Valentine's Day, booknerds! I think I speak for most of us when I say that books are, and always will be, our first love. I personally don't usually do much to celebrate Vday (except use it as an excuse to bake treats).

However, I saw that Jessica Brooks was doing a #booklove giveaway to spread love. Click the image below to be taken to her post, which has a GIVEAWAY, but basically she is asking to spread the book love by crossposting reviews to Amazon/BN/other purchase sites. This is an easy and simple way to spread the love for your favorite authors and books, especially if you have some favorite Indie/self pub books.

I thought I would also take a moment to spread the booklove by showcasing some of my recent favorites as well. As much as I would like to, I can't review every book I read, and some slip through the cracks. So these are just a few of my recent favorites, as well as some of my indie favs.

Jackaby by William Ritter
This is my most recent favorite. I loved this book so much. I mean, it's pitched as Doctor Who meets Sherlock, so how could I not? Not to mention a stunning cover. But I loved, loved this book.

Just Pru by Anne Pfeffer
I actually just finished this self-pub, but it surprised me in the best way. It was hilarious and fun, but still dealt with serious topics. Pru is one of my new favorite MC's.

Solving for Ex and First World Problems by Leigh Ann Kopans

LeighAnn Kopans is one of my favorite indie authors, so of course I had to mention her again, even though she's technically not a "new" fav. SfE is YA, and FWP is NA, but they are both amazing and I love them both so much.

Fish Out of Water by Natalie Whipple
I know I already reviewed this one, but it was so cute that I had to mention again. Also self-pub, I loved how cute and fun this was and how awesome Mika is.

anything by Rachael Anderson

If you're into (clean) adult romance, then Rachael Anderson is your girl. Her books are super cute, sweet, and fun to read.

The Superlatives Series by Jennifer Echols I loved this series, but Most Likely to Succeed was my favorite, hands down. It was cute, and fun, and hilarious, and I loved the characters (but especially Sawyer). They're the kind of cute, sweet reads that would be perfect for Valentine's Day, actually.

I could go one forever about books I love, but I figured I should just stick with books I've read recently so we aren't here forever. In fact, I might start doing this every once in a while to highlight books. So, tell me, who are you spreading the #booklove to today?