Review: Songkeeper by Gillian Bronte Adams

I reviewed SONGKEEPER by Gillian Bronte Adams (sequel to ORPHAN’S SONG) on my other blog, The Road of a Writer. Check it out if you haven’t! 🙂

Deborah O'Carroll (Road of a Writer)

Today’s the day! Gillian Bronte Adams is an INCREDIBLE author, whose books I devour and leave me hungering for more, so it’s with great excitement that I can happily say: The long-awaited sequel to Orphan’s Song has finally released!

*cue trumpet blast and ecstatic flailing around with confetti fireworks in the background*

As you may remember, I ADORED Orphan’s Song (in fact, it was one of the top-two-favorite books I read in 2014) and I have been anxiously awaiting the continuance of the story after that cliffhanger… The wait is finally over!

Read on for my review, and be sure to drop by the author’s blog throughout the week to see what celebrations/giveaways/fun things are going on!

---

Songkeeper (The Songkeeper Chronicles, #2)

by Gillian Bronte Adams

Sequel to Orphan’s Song (read my review)

YA Christian Fantasy

Released April 15, 2016

I received an advance reader copy of this book…

View original post 1,495 more words

Advertisement

A Spy’s Devotion by Melanie Dickerson

Title: A Spy’s Devotion (The Regency Spies of London, #1)

Author: Melanie Dickerson

Sometimes you just want an enjoyable read, you know? This was that for me. 🙂

I don’t read a lot of Regency romance type things, but I so wanted to try this one because I’ve loved Melanie Dickerson’s medieval fairytale romances. I was not disappointed — Melanie does an AMAZING job with the Regency time period! I just felt there; completely drawn in. It was really awesome to be in the time period, somehow. Simply fabulous. 😀

The heroine, Julia, was quite a good heroine — I really liked her, she was so nice but not stupid. The hero, Nicholas, was of course awesome; an honorable gentleman-spy-by-necessity. 😉 I really liked the alternating viewpoints between the two of them — that was such fun to read. The romance was really sweet and I so enjoyed reading their story. I JUST LOVED THEM! ^_^

The slight dash of espionage/suspense added a lot of interest to the plot. Regency spies in London — what a fun idea! I also loved that it had a bit of action and danger, which added to the heroism of the hero (and heroine)! I don’t tend to think of “action” when I think of Regency tales, but the time-period is perfect for it, so I LOVED seeing that in this!

I love Melanie’s fairytale retellings, but this was her first published “original” tale, and it was actually fun to not know anything about the plot and be kept guessing! So… I really love both this and her retellings, in different ways. I’m very much looking forward to book 2 of The Regency Spies of London, whenever it may release! (I hear it’s going to be about Nicholas’ sister Leorah, who I really liked, so that excites me!) I can’t wait!

This book is technically for adults as opposed to YA, but in this case I didn’t mind. It was quite an enjoyable Historical Fiction / Christian / Regency Romance novel, which I’d recommend to anyone who likes the genre, or even to try if you haven’t yet. I just really enjoyed it. 🙂

Overall? It’s not my usual genre or type of book to read, but it was a fabulous read despite that! I enjoyed it a good deal and I’d say I rather love it. ^_^

(Plus, that cover has got to be one of THE most gorgeous ones ever! It still makes me ever so happy every time I walk by my shelf and see it nestled in amongst my growing collection of Dickerson books. <3)

From Goodreads:

In England’s Regency era, manners and elegance reign in public life—but behind closed doors treason and tawdriness thrive. Nicholas Langdon is no stranger to reserved civility or bloody barbarity. After suffering a battlefield injury, the wealthy, well-connected British officer returns home to heal—and to fulfill a dying soldier’s last wish by delivering his coded diary.

At the home of the Wilherns, one of England’s most powerful families, Langdon attends a lavish ball where he meets their beautiful and intelligent ward, Julia Grey. Determined to maintain propriety, he keeps his distance—until the diary is stolen and all clues lead to Julia’s guardian. As Langdon traces an evil plot that could be the nation’s undoing, he grows ever more intrigued by the lovely young woman. And when Julia realizes that England—and the man she is falling in love with—need her help, she finds herself caught in the fray. Will the two succumb to their attraction while fighting to save their country?

Genre/Category: Christian / Historical Fiction / Regency / Romance / with a touch of suspense

Age Group: Adult (probably could be read by young adults as well)

Published: 2016

Pages: 312 (paperback)

Series?: Book 1 in “The Regency Spies of London”

When Read: March 10-11, 2016

Favorite Character: Nicholas Langdon

Source: Got for my birthday

{Goodreads} • {Amazon} • {Barnes & Noble} • {Libraries} • {Author’s Website}

---

Thanks for reading!

Dream away in those pages . . .

~ The Page Dreamer

 

Design Update!

Just a quick note: I redesigned a few things around here!

(Maybe all those pretty covers inspired me? . . . Or more likely I was procrastinating over something I should have been doing. *cough*)

What do you think? 🙂

On another note, I hope to get some more reviews up sometime, including some Reading Roundup posts for my last couple months of reading (hint: there’s a lot).

In the meantime, I’m busy reading, so… yeah.

Anyways I’m kind of excited about the new look of things! Feel free to snag my handy new button if you like. 😉

Cover Love: Some 2016 Releases

From time to time, either here or on my other blog, I’ve mentioned books I’m excited about that are coming out this year, but some I’ve discovered recenter so I haven’t listed them, and some didn’t have covers yet at the time I mentioned them. (Or at least I don’t think so.)

So here are half-a-dozen books coming out later this year that I’m looking forward to! Because I feel like it! ^_^ (Simply as an excuse to share their gorgeous covers, you understand. ;)) All titles link to Goodreads so that you can add these beauties to your own TBR if you you so desire and haven’t yet…

Without further ado, covers! (And lots of equations-of-awesome, shrieking, and of course parenthesis because why wouldn’t I.)

A Branch of Silver, A Branch of Gold – Anne Elisabeth Stengl
May 16, 2016

Because a Twelve Dancing Princesses ish tale + Anne Elisabeth Stengl + that cover = I NEED THIS.

---

The Crown’s Game – Evelyn Skye
May 17, 2016

Russian-esque fantasy + a magician duel + that gorgeous golden crown/castle thing cover = yes please and thank you.

(Also Cait says read it. So that makes this another yes.)

---

The Invisible Library – Genevieve Cogman
June 14, 2016

BLUE + GOLD + KEY + MAGICAL LIBRARY = THIS COVER IS AMAZING.

(I had thought this one came out like a couple years ago? But apparently (?) it had only released like… in the UK or somewheres and not here yet. So.)

---

Ghostly Echoes (Jackaby, #3) – William Ritter
August 23, 2016

Jackaby and his scarf on that cover ( ❤ ❤ ❤ ) + all the awesome dialog/bickering + magical mysteries = give it to meee! (HIM AND HIS SCARF THOUGH ON THAT COVERRRR!)

(I hear tell on Twitter* that in this one we will learn Jackaby’s age!)

*Read the whole conversation on Twitter; it is gold. (Just don’t trust Jackaby… he seems very indecisive about his own age…)

---

Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows, #2) – Leigh Bardugo
September 27, 2016

That cliffhanger + Kaz + heists = I need to know what happens! (Is that the sound of my heart shattering?)

(Yes I did in fact use a gif from one heisty thing for another heisty thing. I will not apologize. Such awesomeness needs to stick together.)

---

King’s Blood (Kinsman Chronicles, #2) – Jill Williamson
December 6, 2016

AAAHH THIS COVER!!!! (Sorry, no neat and tidy equation on this one; I’m much too incoherent about its amazingness to do that.) I know I haven’t read the first one yet but I need this one already anyway. BUT BUT COVER. (I have a thing for blue and silver and gold, apparently.) I about died of shrieking the first time I saw it a few days ago. THE COVER-LOVE IS REAL, PEOPLE.

What do you think? Do you have any cover-love for these? Looking forward to any? What other awesome (or gorgeous-looking) books are coming out this year that you’re excited about? Share all in the comments! 🙂

Dream away in those pages . . .

~ The Page Dreamer

Stands of Night {April 2016}

First Wednesday of the month means it’s time for Nightstand Books, a monthly meme of what-we’re-reading, hosted by Jenelle Schmidt and D.J. Edwardson. (Jenelle called her post today “Stands of Night,” which I honestly didn’t understand for a second, and then I decided to steal it because I LOVE that. XD)

So without further ado, my nightstand this month…

• Tales from Moominvalley by Tove Jansson – I actually just finished this one, the last of the Moomin books I currently own. This one was a collection of short stories (read aloud, of course!) and oh! Such a delight! ^_^ My favorite was called The Last Dragon in the World and featured one of my favorite friendships i.e. Snufkin and Moomintroll. THEY ARE SO AWESOME AND ADORBZ. Snufkin is like my favorite character ever and he was MAGNIFICENT in this one! ❤ I love him so much. LINK: {on Goodreads}
• Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett – Leftover from March Magics, I’m determined to get this read before it returns to the library! I started it last night, made the belated discovery that there are no chapters, and promptly stayed up till 2 a.m. before I had the willpower to put it down… (Which is bad, given that I have a cold and should have been asleep! Ahem.) But so far it’s HILARIOUS and doesn’t take itself seriously and has FOOTNOTES (and one of the footnotes had footnotes! *flails*) and it subverts so many fantasy tropes… Anyways I’m having fun with it. 🙂 LINK: {on Goodreads}
• King’s Folly by Jill Williamson – I’m going to start this monster of a book shortly… I’m very excited! ISN’T IT PRETTY?? I got this for review from Bethany House so I was SO ecstatic when it showed up in the mail a few days ago! Also, the book actually released yesterday! Check out Jill’s post on it and enter the giveaway for a signed copy! ^_^ I’m slightly nervous to read it because it’s technically for adults and people say it’s dark, but I’m also extremely excited because Jill is an incredible writer and I’ve missed her writing fantasy so it’s awesome that this one’s out now! Anyways I’ll hopefully have it read and reviewed within the month. *fingers crossed because I actually have a review deadline and this book is so enormous and I may die. Ahem* (BUT IT’S SO PRETTYYYYY!) LINKS: {on Goodreads} {Amazon} {Barnes & Noble}

And then my “virtual” nightstand because sadly ebooks do not pile prettily…

• Songkeeper by Gillian Bronte Adams – Currently reading this sequel to Orphan’s Song! *squeals* I just started it so I’m not too far in, but it’s already quite enjoyable and exciting and I love the writing, especially the humorous tilt to it when we’re in Amos’ point of view! XD This book is releasing on April 15th, and I’ll have a review for it up by that date! (Fingers crossed that I get it read and reviewed on time…) LINKS: {on Goodreads} {Amazon pre-order}
• Defying Shadows by Ashley Townsend – I’m excited to beta-read this third installment of the Rising Shadows Trilogy! It’s going to be LONG but it’s going to be worth it. XD That will be releasing sometime soonish. And I’m excited about it because timey-wimey/Robin-Hood-ish/and I need to know what happens with Will and co! LINK: {on Goodreads}

So that’s what I’m going to be (very) busy reading this month! I just hope I will manage to get them all read (on time)! Funny how that likes to happen where you sign up for things and then suddenly they pile up and happen at the same time! 😉 But I can’t really complain because these are all going to be awesome. I just know it! 😀

Do any of these look intriguing or have you read them? What’s on your stand of the night? 😉

Dream away in those pages . . .

~ The Page Dreamer