The Banished Craft by E.D.E. Bell REVIEW and GIVEAWAY!

Hello, dear readers, and welcome to my tour stop for The Banished Craft by E.D.E. Bell!  The tour runs August 18 - September 1 with reviews, interviews, guest posts, excerpts and giveaways.  The Banished Craft is a fantasy novel and is written for adults but is appropriate for mature young adult readers.   This is the first book of the Shkode series and releases on September 1, 2015.

 About the Book:

The Banished Craft is a genre-bending fantasy saga that follows the adventures of Cor, a woman caught in a dying world that does not accept her, and Atesh, a dragon scientist who's been asked to violate his own ethics or put the lives of his family at risk. Follow their trials as they deal with a shattered world, mired in political upheaval, while they try to rediscover a lost magic. The Banished Craft begins the Shkode trilogy: a quirky and modern take on dragons and wizards, exploring themes of identity, prejudice, violence, compassion, and the ways we are all connected.

Goodreads | Amazon

Book Trailer

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"A wonderfully delightful and deeply imaginative tale of struggle and the quest for knowledge, set in a well-developed and complex high fantasy setting."

--G. S. Jennsen, author of Science-Fiction saga Aurora Rhapsody


"I love Bell's sensitive and insightful exploration of compassion, connection, and relationships. The Banished Craft provides layers of thought-provoking ideas as well as good old-fashioned escapism."

--Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, bestselling author of The 30-Day Vegan Challenge

Website | Facebook | Twitter @edebellauthor | Pinterest | Instagram |  Wattpad

Bell will be releasing her first Wattpad story on 1 Sept to coincide with the release of The Banished Craft.

Giveaway:
$25 Amazon Gift Card (INT)
Ends Sept. 9th
Prizing is provided by the publisher and hosts are not responsible in any way.

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My Review:

4 out of 5 stars

This was a really fun and interesting book. I'm very glad I got a chance to read it. It's a story that's split between two worlds: one where there are humans and one where there are dragons. Even though it goes back and forth, it doesn't feel disjointed. There is great character development and it is a very well-written book. The only downside for me is that it started off a little slow. If I had been reading it for pleasure, I don't know that I would have kept with it. But since I was reading it to review, I did keep with it and I'm glad. (I've had a couple books like that and on the one hand, it almost makes me rethink my "the book has to immediately hook me or I move on" policy, but on the other hand -- there are just so many books I want to read that if I'm not hooked, it's hard to keep with it!) If it weren't for taking a while to get into the story, it'd probably be a 4.5. I definitely look forward to reading the next book in the series!

This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.

Nightscape Press

As an avid reader, running a publishing company is a dream come true -- mostly!  There are downsides in having to send out rejections and trying to make sure the amazing books you are publishing get attention with the plethora of other amazing books being released, but I wouldn't change it for the world. I have met so many amazing people since we started this company and I am truly proud of every book we have put out -- and really excited about the ones that are on the horizon!  I would love it if you'd check out our current titles and let me know what you think of them!

Network Series by Katie Cross Review & Giveaway!

Hello, dear readers, and welcome to my tour stop for The Network Series by Katie Cross!  The Network Series is a young adult fantasy and the tour runs July 27 – August 7 with reviews only. Check out the tour page for more information.

About Miss Mabel's School for Girls:

Never Underestimate the Power of a Determined Witch. Letum Wood is a forest of fog and deadfall, home to the quietly famous Miss Mabel’s School for Girls, a place where young witches learn the art of magic.Sixteen-year-old Bianca Monroe has inherited a deadly curse. Determined to break free before it kills her, she enrolls in the respected school to confront the cunning witch who cast the curse: Miss Mabel.Bianca finds herself faced with dark magic she didn’t expect, with lessons more dangerous than she could have ever imagined. Will Bianca have the courage to save herself from the curse, or will Miss Mabel’s sinister plan be too powerful?Miss Mabel’s School for Girls is the first novel in The Network Series, an exciting new fantasy collection. A gripping tale about the struggle to survive, it will take you to a new place and time, one you’ll never want to leave.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Audible | Smashwords

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About Antebellum Awakening:

Never underestimate the power of a volatile witch.Still reeling in the wake of her mother’s death, sixteen-year-old Bianca Monroe is forced to move to Chatham Castle. Not even the sudden appearance of ancient dragons in haunted Letum Wood nor her two best friends can distract her from the strength of her deep, dark rage.Her grief puts her magical powers into chaos, endangering any witch around her. She has six months left to destroy the curse that will kill her and fulfill her contract with the most cunning enemy of all: her former teacher Miss Mabel.Bianca must make a choice: learn to control her restless powers, or let the powers control her.Antebellum Awakening is the second book in the thrilling new fantasy collection The Network Series. It’s a haunting tale about tragedy, loss, and the power of moving on.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes

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The Isadora Interviews blurb:

Isadora is a quiet, old witch living alone in the fog-strewn forest of Letum Wood. Her magical power is great, but her foresight is even greater.As a Watcher, Isadora has the ability to see into the heart of every witch she meets, a talent that makes her the perfect guardian of the prestigious Miss Mabel’s School for Girls.Any witch that wants to enter the school must first pass an interview with Isadora. No secret insecurity or sinister motivation can be hidden from a Watcher, as four teenage girls will soon find out.Join Leda, Camille, Michelle, and Priscilla, as they each encounter Isadora in their quest to join Miss Mabel’s School for Girls. It’s a collection of short stories that fans of Miss Mabel’s School for Girls can’t afford to miss.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Smashwords | iTunes

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About the Author: 

Katie Cross grew up in the mountains of Idaho, where she still loves to play when she gets the chance.If she’s not writing, you can find her traveling, working as a pediatric nurse, trail running with her husband and two dogs, or curled up with a book and a cup of chai.

 

Author links: 

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter @kcrosswriting


Review:

For this blog tour, I read Miss Mabel's School for Girls and Antebellum Awakening, books one and two in the Network Series.

Miss Mabel's School for Girls: 3.75 out of 5 stars (I love that this is my blog and I can go with partial stars -- some books just don't fit into 3 or 4 or 5 stars, and I really feel this is one of them). There were some really, really good aspects to this book, and a couple things that left a bit to be desired, in my opinion. Overall, I really like the plot and overall world building. It's all a very interesting concept, but that leads us to the downsides: execution -- I felt it was a great concept, but the writing was a little heavy handed for my tastes. A lot of adjectives thrown in that muddied up the story a little bit, when it could have had a simple elegance. The main character, Bianca, was well-developed, but I feel she was a bit too haughty for my liking. She on an admirable journey, but certain ways she behaves are just a little far-fetched.  Some of the supporting characters, if given just a little more depth, would have really added to the story as well. But overall, I'm glad I stuck this one out because it was a fun read, just had a few flaws.

Antebellum Awakening: 3.5 out of 5 stars. After the tragedy that befalls Bianca in the first book, this book does a good job of showing what it's like to deal with loss and still have to carry on. However, had I not been reading these books for review on my blog, I wouldn't have finished them -- that said, I am glad that I was reviewing them, because they were a fun read. While there were some downsides, the overall plot of this one, like the first, was really interesting.  Still had some issues with feeling like the books were "overwritten," and that the prose was a bit heavy handed, but definitely interesting concepts nonetheless. If you're a fan of YA fantasy books with magical elements, I think you'll enjoy this series. I have grown a liking to many of the characters and I definitely will check out some of the other stories. But I do wish there had been a bit of refinement on these to let the really interesting plots shine through.

Giveaway:

$30 Visa Gift Card
INT

Ends Aug. 12th

Prizing provided by the author, hosts are in no way responsible

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.