Retrieve Blog Tour {+ book review!}

Hi there, friends!  It's been awhile.  I got extremely busy around the holidays, and then I got my wisdom teeth taken out, so this week has been spent recovering and preparing to greet the new year with open arms.  And reading.  I've done a lot of reading.  Which leads me to today's post.

Because one of my favorite authors, Sarah Addison-Fox, has released a new book!

And I apologize in advance for any typos in this post, I'm kinda fangirling really hard right now, lol. 

Because Sarah is awesome, I get to give y'all my review of this awesome book, so let's get started!


Retrieve



Author: Sarah Addison-Fox
Genre: Fantasy adventure romance
Content: Violence, a few bad words sprinkled throughout, concern of what unsavory men will do to Hadley if she's found out.

Synopsis:
What if the job you took to stay alive might be what kills you?
Kade knows what it is to suffer. He knows what it's like to lose everything and everyone around him.
His job in a Stormer Unit guarantees not just his survival in the decimated country of Azetaria, but his sister Meg's. Even if it means facing the Numachi warriors baying for his blood, he'll do what it takes to keep her safe.
Hadley is alone and surviving the only way she knows how. By hiding where predators won't find her and scavenging enough just to keep her alive.
When desperation drives Hadley to search for her missing brother, she mistakenly accepts the offer of recruitment into the Stormer's camp, only to be partnered with Kade and sent as a scout into Numachi territory.
The intimidating young Stormer may just know where her brother has gone. But can they stay alive long enough to find him?

What I Thought:


This was AWESOME.  It was reminiscent of Blades of Acktar, in the best ways.  Hadley and Kade were amazing protagonists (both of whom I want to snuggle in a blanket and put them in the "safe character space" corner because please let them rest they're tired).  Knowing this was going to be a romance just meant that I shipped it immediately and while nothing really happens with it in this book (I'm sure it's going to get serious in the next ones), there were some really cute moments.  My shipper heart is happy.
But really it was also an awesome adventure that I could see as a movie, 100%.  Kade is a kick-butt boy who's secretly soft and sad and I love him.  Hadley is a scared girl who can climb really well and is generally distrustful but when she trusts she trusts completely and I love her.  I just love them both and love them together a lot okay there were a lot of cool fight scenes but also some good Soft scenes that I highly appreciated.  Gosh, I'm easy to please.  Give me a scene where one love interest falls asleep on the other's shoulder and I'm set. xD
Also THAT ENDING.  *screams for next book*
So yeah.  Highly recommend.

Overall rating: 4.5 awesome fight scenes out of 5

About the Author:
Sarah Addison-Fox is a New Zealand-born misfit who writes action-packed fantasy with a smattering of punch ups, mega amounts of romance and a dash of family values.

Follow Sarah!

Facebook: Instagram: Website: Twitter: @saddisonfox Facebook Fanpage:  Blog:

 You can add Retrieve to your Goodreads shelf here and pick up a copy on Amazon here!

And that's all for today's post!  Go check out "Retrieve" and all of Sarah's books! 

~ Abby

Dagger's Sleep and Dissociate Blog Tour {+ book reviews!}

It... is... time...

(that intro probably won't make sense to anyone who hasn't seen the Lion King show at WDW but anyway...)

Today is the day!  Dagger's Sleep and Dissociate are going on tour!  And because their lovely authors were kind enough to include me, I'm here with not one, but TWO book reviews for you!

The first, of Dagger's Sleep, which is available for pre-order on Amazon here!



Author: Tricia Mingerink
Genre: High fantasy/fairytale retelling
Content: A good bit of violence, but I think that's it.

Synopsis:
A prince cursed to sleep.
A princess destined to wake him.
A kingdom determined to stop them.
High Prince Alexander has been cursed to a sleep like unto death, a curse that will end the line of the high kings and send the Seven Kingdoms of Tallahatchia into chaos. With his manservant to carry his luggage and his own superior intelligence to aid him, Alex sets off to find one of the Fae and end his curse one way or another.
A hundred years later, Princess Rosanna learns she is the princess destined by the Highest King to wake the legendary sleeping prince. With the help of the mysterious Daemyn Rand, can she find the courage to finish the quest as Tallahatchia wavers on the edge of war?
One curse connects them. A hundred years separate them. From the rushing rivers of Tallahatchia’s mountains to the hall of the Highest King himself, their quests will demand sacrifices neither of them could imagine.

Placement in Series: 1 of I don't know how many.

What I Thought:

^ that's a happy dance.

To be honest, I had no intention of reading this book when I went to sign up for the tour but then I found out it was a fairytale retelling and I had to.  Fairytale retellings are my weakness, y'all know this about me.  And man, am I glad I ended up reading it.  This was one of the most original takes on the tale of Sleeping Beauty I've ever read.  Not only is it genderbent, but it's set in an absolutely fascinating story world, and has such a strong message about God's love and power.  Rosanna and Alex are perfect protagonists; their character arcs are so good. 
The only issue I had is that it took me about 100 pages to get into it.  The world was a smidge overwhelming for me, but I think that's just because it's been literally years since I've read a true high fantasy.  But once I got to where the world wasn't distracting and I could fully immerse myself in the plot, oh my word, did it get amazing. 
I know most people don't like being able to anticipate plot points before they happen, but I love when that happens.  And it happened a few times in this book and BOY was it great.  The story kept me up late reading several nights, and I don't really regret it.  I can't wait to dig into more of Tricia's writing, and I am highly anticipating further exploration into the other fairytales I saw mention of.  Idk if that's actually going to happen.  But I will devour it if it does.

Favorite quote:
She would be fine.  She would be strong, and she would face tomorrow without complaint.  But, for tonight, she let her hands shake.

Will I Keep Reading? YES.  More. Now. Please.

Overall Rating: 4.5 cursed daggers out of 5

About the Author:

TRICIA MINGERINK is a twenty-something, book-loving, horse-riding country girl. She lives in Michigan with her family and their pack of pets. When she isn't writing, she can be found pursuing backwoods adventures across the country.
You can connect with her on Facebook, Pinterest, Goodreads, Twitter, Instagram, and her blog.



And now on to my review for Dissociate which you can buy on Amazon here!



Author: Sarah Addison-Fox
Genre: Dystopian fantasy
Content: A few bad words, a good bit of violence, and it's got a strong romance plotline, so.
Main Characters: Mick Haynes, Celeste, Torrance Kyle, and Amaya Mason

Synopsis:
Freedom begins with finding the truth.
Amidst the turmoil caused by Smyth’s arrest, Celeste is stuck in limbo, stripped of her citizenship, with no choice but to flee to a peaceful Kyraenean hideaway with the tumultuous Amaya Mason.
When bounty hunters threaten the local orphanage, Celeste and Amaya must work together and fight. Even if it means risking what they cherish the most.
His plans in tatters, his career in jeopardy, Mick Haynes is forced to leave Kyraenea with the enigmatic Torrance Kyle, the agent he still can’t trust.
Torrance is good at lying, and even better at hiding his pain, but is he strong enough to deal with the consequences of betraying his own father?
Can Celeste accept the truth, accept her place in the Haynes family or will lies chain her to the past and destroy her chance at a new life?

Placement in Series: 3 of 4 (? I think?)

What I Thought:

I'M SO EMOTIONAL.  I know this story isn't over (because there are definitely adventures to be had!) but I also feel like an arc has come to a wonderful close, and I'm feeling a weird mix of really happy and sad.  I'm not going to spoil anything for those of you who haven't read it, but if you've read books 1 and 2 and aren't sure about book 3 READ BOOK 3. 
I love all of the characters.  (well, except for Smyth, but you know...)  Celeste and Mick are my current OTP, y'all.  Close second goes to the main couple of Dagger's Sleep which I will not spoil.  Close third comes to Torrance and Amaya because oh my word, y'all, I love them so much.  The relationships, the development, the amazing friendships, I loved it all.

Series Playlist:

I've been working on this playlist since I started reading... book 2, I think?  Anyway, I like it a lot.  Hopefully y'all do too.

Will I Keep Reading?  again, YES.  MORE. NOW. PLEASE.

Overall Rating: 4.5 sweet romances out of 5

About the Author:

Sarah Addison-Fox is a New Zealand-born home-schooling mother of two who loves action-packed, clean, fantasy with strong heroines. She has an astonishing amount of nail polish, has all her creative writing credentials shoved in a drawer somewhere, and has a husband who, after 27 years, can still make her blush. When she’s not working on both her YA fantasy series' she can be found fangirling on Goodreads or sending GIFs on Twitter.
You can connect with Sarah at:
Her website ~ Instagram ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Twitter


Also, guess what, as if this could get any better, THERE ARE GIVEAWAYS!!!


Tricia Mingerink is giving away a paperback of Dagger's Sleep.  The giveaway is open internationally where such giveaways are permitted and where CreateSpace or the Book Depository ships.  The book may or may not be signed depending on where the winner lives.
To enter, click on the picture!


Sarah Addison-Fox is giving away a paperback set of the first three books in the Allegiance Series.  The giveaway is open internationally where such giveaways are permitted and where CreateSpace ships.  The books may or may not be signed depending on where the winner lives.
Again, to enter the giveaway, just click the pic!

I'm so, so excited for both of these ladies!  Huge shout-out to them for letting me do my part and read your fabulous books! 
~ Abby

The Allegiance Blog Tour {+ book review}

THIS IS A VERY EXCITING DAY!



Because today is the day that I get to participate in the Allegiance Blog Tour!!

And because I was sent a copy in exchange for a review, that's also what you'll be getting today.

So let's talk about

Disowned



Author: Sarah Addison-Fox
Genre: Dystopian fantasy
Content: Mentions of some rather unsavory things, but nothing is actively shown.
Main Characters: Mick Haynes and Celeste

Synopsis:
Two countries, two choices, one life
When Kyraenean slave Celeste risks her life to reach the free nation of Etraea, a country filled with technology and wealth, she unknowingly sets off a chain of events that will change her life forever.
After escaping her new owner, Celeste awakens in the home of an Etraean soldier, sworn to protect the fragile peace.
For Corporal Mick Haynes, life is simple. Follow the rules, do your job and work your way up the ranks. Getting shot and finding a wanted slave at his family's farm wasn't part of the plan.
When a Kyraenean bounty hunter locates Celeste, Mick's loyalty will be stretched to the limit.
With war on the horizon, Celeste faces two impossible choices. Both securing her freedom, but both at a cost she could never have imagined.
Will Etraea provide the freedom she's longed for or shackle her to an entirely new master?

Placement in Series: 1 of 2 (I think...)

What I Thought:

I absolutely adored the world of this book.  100%, my favorite part.  I'm a sucker for fantasy stories with guns, idk man. Is it a fantasy?  I don't know.  But it takes place in another world so I think that counts?
Anyway, from the first few pages of this book, I knew it was going to be something special.  The way the world was put together instantly hooked me (I'm a sucker for a good story world, you know) but so did the characters and trying to figure out what the heck was going on.  It was fascinating and I read the entirety of it in one day.  Yes, a 332 page book.  In one day.  Yeah.  So if that doesn't tell you something about it, I don't know what will.


The Characters:
Celeste - I really like Celeste, but at times she kind of drove me crazy?  Like girlfriend, stop running away.  You're safe here, so please just chill?  But really, she's super cool and super strong and yeah I think she's a pretty neat lead character.  I look forward to seeing her develop more in the sequel.

Mick - Good grief, this guy drove me crazy for the first couple chapters he was in.  He grew on me, but he just annoyed me at first?  Like Celeste, I eagerly anticipate his character growth (which, he did go through a lot of in this book, but I want more. *rubs hands together in anticipation*)

The Haynes Family - Okay can I be part of this clan please?  Because I adore them with every fiber of my being.  The parents aren't idiots!  They are actually really cool!  And their kids respect and love them!  YES FINALLY!


Will I Keep Reading?
Yes.  Book 2.  Now, please.



Overall Rating:
4.5 not-actually-mermaids out of 5

I loved this book and I highly recommend it. You can pick up a copy on Amazon here! 

About the Author:

Sarah Addison-Fox is a New Zealand-born home-schooling mother of two who loves action-packed, clean, fantasy with strong heroines. She has an astonishing amount of nail polish, has all her creative writing credentials shoved in a drawer somewhere, and has a husband who, after 27 years, can still make her blush. When she’s not working on both her YA fantasy series' she can be found fangirling on Goodreads or sending GIFs on Twitter.

You can connect with Sarah at:
Her website ~ Instagram ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Twitter




Thanks so much to Sarah and to Livy for giving me the opportunity to read and review this awesome book!  Y'all should definitely go check it out!

~ Abby