The Midnight Show Review {Tattered Slippers Blog Tour}

Hello again, my friends! Welcome back to the Tattered Slippers Blog Tour! Today I've got a review for you, and I'm pretty jazzed about it.  (sorry... I couldn't resist)

As always, make sure you check out all the other amazing posts from the tour so far, and the new ones from today by clicking this link right here!  There's also information there to do with the giveaway where you can win 3 of the releases in paperback!  How cool is that?? 

Okay, let's jump on in to the review! 


The Midnight Show



Author: Sarah Pennington
Genre: Urban fantasy mystery
Content: Alcohol consumption
Main Characters: Dayo Temitrope and Bastian Dennell

Synopsis:
This mystery is the case of his dreams - and her nightmares.
By day, Dayo Temitrope is a swinging singer, an up-and-coming star with a shining career ahead of her. By night, she’s . . . well, she’s not sure, but whatever she does leaves her every morning with sore feet and worn-out shoes. And after six months, she’s had enough.
Enter Bastian Dennell, a private investigator just trying to get by. When Dayo hires him to find out where she goes at night, he’s sure it’s his big break: his chance to establish himself and get the funds to pay off his family’s debt. Plus, he gets to work with his favorite singer, even if she isn’t exactly what he expected. What could be better?
But first he has to solve the case — which means navigating a tangled web of strange dreams, fair folk schemes, and show business. It will take all Bastian’s wits, along with the shining talents of Dayo herself, to figure out the truth before the curtains close for good on Dayo’s career.
A jazz-age-inspired twist on the Twelve Dancing Princesses from the author of "Blood in the Snow".

Add on Goodreads ~ Purchase on Amazon

What I Thought: 

This was so much fun!  It felt very much like an old black-and-white detective movie, complete with trench coats, jazz music, and shadowy figures.  But at the same time, it was full-on fantasy novel, which made it even more intriguing. 

The world was so rich, and I just wish I'd gotten more of a chance to explore it.  Obviously, Dayo and Bastian's plot was the focus, so there wasn't much that we get to see outside of their sphere, but I would definitely be interested in seeing more stories set in this city at least, if not outside of it.  There seems to be so much depth there that I just wanted to dig into, you know?

The characters were great, honestly.  I loved Bastian from the first moment he stepped onto the page (what can I say, I'm a sucker for a man in a fedora), and Dayo fascinated me.  There basically isn't any romantic subplot between them, which I thought was neat. There's a bit of attraction, and I would absolutely read a sequel to see if it goes anywhere, because I'd be here for this relationship, lol! 

The actual mystery was SO intriguing, and kept me glued to the page the whole time.  Maybe my favorite thing about this whole Tattered Slippers blog tour has been seeing how each author weaves different elements of the fairytale into their stories, and the choices made for this book were so unique and perfect!   

Basically, this was just delightful, and I'm so glad I picked it up.

Overall Rating: 4.5 swinging jazz tunes out of 5

About the Author: 
Sarah Pennington has been writing stories since before she actually knew how to write, and she has no intention of stopping anytime soon. She is perpetually in the middle of writing at least one or two novels, most of which are in the fantasy and fairy tale retelling genres. Sarah’s first published work, Blood in the Snow, received a perfect score and Special Unicorn status in Rooglewood Press’s Five Poisoned Apples contest. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys knitting, photography, and trying to conquer her massive to-be-read list.

Connect with Sarah: Her website ~ Her blog ~ Her second blog ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads

Make sure you check out all the other posts from the blog tour - there have been some really fun ones! Oh, and make sure you enter the giveaway! Click this link for more info!  

And there you have it! What fairytale would you set in the jazz age? 

~ Abby

The Dark King's Curse Review {Tattered Slippers Blog Tour}

Welcome to my second stop for the Tattered Slippers blog tour!  Today takes us deep into the Dreammidst, following a lady-in-waiting determined to stop a curse.

Since this is a blog tour, make sure you check out all the other amazing posts so far from my fellow hosts by clicking this link right here!  There's also information there to do with the giveaway where you can win 3 of the releases in paperback!  How cool is that?? 

And with that, let's get into the review.


The Dark King's Curse



Author: Wyn Estelle Owens
Genre: Fantasy fairytale retelling
Content: None
Main Character: Ailsa

Synopsis:
A darkness seems to hang over the lands of Conall, slowly but surely growing in strength with each passing year.
It all comes to a head when the twelve daughters of King Muir begin to disappear each night. None will admit where they go, and the only clue is their shoes; new in the evening, tattered and torn by morning.
When no one can stop the disappearances, Ailsa--lady-in-waiting to the youngest princess--volunteers to try and solve the mystery, or she and her peers will pay the consequences for failing to watch over their charges.
Armed with nothing but her gift of Fae-sight, Ailsa ventures forth on a quest to free her lady and the other princesses. With the help of an grumpy, glamoured gardener, a cursed faerie cat, and the mysterious Lord of Autumn, she may discover both the secrets and the truth behind the Dark King that lies at the root of the curse.

Add on Goodreads ~ Purchase on Amazon 

What I Thought:

*happy sigh* So I binged this book in less than 24 hours, partially because I needed to get this review up today, and partially because I was so engrossed in the story.  It's been a long time since I've read a fae-centered book, but this one was something special.

First thing, I need to talk about the characters because I am obsessed with them!  Ailsa and Fionn's friendship is everything to meee (oh and Siobhra, obviously), Ailsa's friendship with the princess is so cute, the ships are so soft and wholesome, and just like... all the relationships are perfect.  I am soft.  I just appreciate so much how most of the time, 12DP retellings follow a solo hero, who's doing it on his (or her) own, but in this book it's a whole questing squad, and I'm here for it.

There are a looot of dream sequences in this book, which normally I'm not a fan of, but I didn't mind too much here.  There were still bits that confused me, but overall were still intriguing enough to keep me going.  I loved the whole concept of the seasonal courts, and the King of Autumn was one of my favorite characters, tbh.  The magic system was epic, the mystery was intriguing, the banter was everything.  I was unsure how I would feel about this book, but I'm happy to report that I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

Recommended for fans of fae magic, talking cats, friendly banter, and gentle romance.

Overall Rating: 4 silver tree branches out of 5

About the Author:
Wyn Estelle Owens is the penname of a young woman who’s still figuring out what this whole ‘adult’ thing is all about. She lives in a big, old house in Maryland by a Hundred Acre Wood (dubbed Neldoreth) with her parents, three occasionally obnoxious brothers, her dog Jackie, and her personal plot bunny, Joker.
She is fond of reading, writing, drawing, speaking in dead or imaginary languages, playing videogames, quoting classic or obscure literature, being randomly dramatic, and generally making things out of yarn. Her dream is to write stories that inspire people to chase after the wonderful world of storytelling.
Her favorite all-time authors are Anne Elisabeth Stengl, Christa Kinde, and above all, J.R.R. Tolkien, who first inspired her to pursuing novel writing when she read the Hobbit at the age of seven.

Connect with Wyn Estelle Owens: Goodreads ~ Facebook ~ Amazon 

Don't forget to check out all the other amazing Tattered Slippers blog posts at this link right here, and stay tuned for more reviews from me this week!

~ Abby

Poison's Dance Review {Tattered Slippers Blog Tour}

 Hello my name is Abby and I've been emotionally compromised by Tricia Mingerink yet again.

In other words, welcome to the Tattered Slippers blog tour!  Get ready for not one, not two, but SIX amazing Twelve Dancing Princesses retellings that are releasing this week!  The tour is already in full swing, so make sure you check out the full schedule to join in on all the fun! 

There are a ton of amazing bloggers involved in this tour, and I'm so excited and honored to be one of them!  So for four of those six days, you can stick right here for reviews of these new releases! (Who's hyped? I'm hyped!)

We begin with one of my most anticipated reads of the year, the third book in Tricia Mingerink's Beyond the Tales series, which continues to solidify itself as one of my all-time faves.

** I'm gonna stick a spoiler warning right here because there are spoilers for at least the first book in the series (Dagger's Sleep) from this point forward. 
So... you've been warned. **

Poison's Dance



Author: Tricia Mingerink 
Genre: Fantasy fairytale retelling
Content: Some violence
Main Characters: King Alexander, Princess Tamya, Daemyn Rand

Synopsis:
If he falls to the lure of the curse, the dance might trap him forever.
Alex has survived his first year as high king. The new counsel has improved cooperation between the kingdoms, and peace seems achievable. When the Tuckawassee queen sends him an invitation he can’t refuse, Alex must once again face his greatest threat for the sake of peace.
Princess Tamya of Tuckawassee, along with her eleven sisters, has danced from sunset until sunrise every night of her life. It is her gift and her curse. When Queen Valinda wishes to use the power their cursed dance gives them to rule all of Tallahatchia, Tamya must decide if she will do what is right even if it betrays her own sister.
Daemyn Rand has survived a hundred years' worth of battles. All he wants to do now is safely marry his princess. Will he be forced to choose between the love of his life and the high king he has loyally served for years?
They have faced certain death before. This time, they might not make it out alive.
Don’t miss this re-envisioning of the Twelve Dancing Princesses fairy tale.   

Add on Goodreads ~ Purchase on Amazon ~ My review of book 1 ~ My review of book 2

What I Thought:

This book broke me.  In the best way.  I finished it at 3:30 AM because there was no way I was putting it down.  I was a sobbing, snotty mess.  It was basically everything and I don't know how I'm supposed to just go on with my life now? 

Being back in Tallahatchia was so good for my soul.  Like, I started reading and seeing familiar names and it just gave me so much joy.  I didn't realize how much I missed it.  The world itself is so cool, and seeing it unfold throughout the series has been everything.  Each book we get to explore a different kingdom, and if this means that we'll eventually potentially get 7 books for the 7 kingdoms... you would not hear me complaining, that's all I'm saying.

Speaking of things unfolding throughout the series, can we talk about Alex for a minute?  Because I'm so proud of him??  Watching his journey from the first book to now - he was a big part of why I cried from about the 75% mark onward because I'm just so proud of who he's becoming with the Highest King's help.  I'm not okay.  *melts into a puddle of feels*  He's never been my favorite character of the series but that might change now, honestly, idk.  Also his relationship with Daemyn is everything to me and I'm quickly becoming a sucker for the king/lord/important person + his guard/servant friendship dynamic, it's one of my faves. Also Daemyn and Rosanna continue to be wonderful together. 

The character of Tamya was amazing.  We've had three very different female leads in the series so far, and I'm here for it.  Her relationship with her sisters was so well done - the princesses is always something I judge 12DP retellings on, and they were great here.  There were a couple who faded to the background, but for the most part, each one was unique and distinct enough that I didn't have trouble remembering who was who.  

The fairytale elements were woven in so perfectly, as they always are in these books.  The worn dancing shoes, the underground world, the silver and gold trees, the sinister eldest sister, it's all here and it's all just as iconic as it should be. 

All in all, I'm never going to stop talking about this series.  I know this book just came out today but I wish I had book 4.  The ending made me squeal with happiness on several occasions, and I'm just really happy, okay? 

Overall rating: 5 goblets of maybe-poisoned wine 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.

Connect with Tricia: Her blog ~ Facebook ~ Instagram ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads ~ Pinterest

As I mentioned at the top of this post, the Tattered Slippers blog tour will be going on all week!  So keep your eyes peeled for more reviews coming your way from me, and click this link right here to see all the amazing posts! 

Have you read the Beyond the Tales books?  Are you excited for this one?  Let me know in a comment below! 

~ Abby