Songflight by Michelle M. Bruhn (Review)

Another review today, this one for a fascinating Celtic-esque dragon-y fantasy novel!

Title: Songflight

Author: Michelle M. Bruhn

Series: The Dragon Singer Chronicles, #1

Fantasy • YA • 2020 • 444 pages (Kindle)

Read October 28, 2021 • 4 stars • Favorite character: Falier

I started this as an ebook and finished it as an audiobook on the audiobook subscription site, Scribd. (If you’re new to Scribd and would like to try two free months, you can use my link — I’d get a free month too. ^_^)

I received a free e-ARC of this book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Goodreads • Amazon • Author’s Website

Songflight has a wonderful Celtic fantasy feel in a very cool world that I enjoyed getting pulled into. Filled with chiefs and dragons, mountains and forests, a chieftain’s daughter and several scheming plots, it was an epic read! It’s kind of like Brave meets How to Train Your Dragon and I’m here for it. grinning

Alisa’s song magic was sooo cool! I loved it, and I loved that the songs were IN the book. They were delightful. The worldbuilding was neat, too, and I loved the sense of past and history that the book was steeped in, while still feeling present. It almost had a historical fantasy feel despite being in a fantasy world!

Dragonssss! Okay, obviously the best part of this book is that there are dragons in it. Sooo many dragons, and I loved how there were lots of different kinds of characters among them. And there were also . . . TINY DRAGONS! Called Dreki, the tiny dragons were the absolute greatest, and I loved that they existed as well as the big, ridable kind. The Dreki make me so happy!

Alisa’s a relatable heroine and following her on her journey was so cool, especially continuing against all odds, and as she meets others on her quest. There’s a great cast of characters, like the different dragons, such as Graydonn who is epic and loyal and I would like to ride him, yes please; and Sesina, young and playful and energetic; and Chri, one of the precious but wise Dreki! And, yes, even humans, like Falier—he’s the best! I wanted more of Falier. XD They and others are all such loyal friends for Alisa and—I’m having a feeling. Loved these characters!

This book lost a star from me because of a character death which was Not Okay. AHEM. That may be just me, though. (But it’s like killing the dog, okay! T_T Ahem. XD) But otherwise, this was an immersive Celtic fantasy with DRAGONS and song magic, and I really enjoyed it! I’d recommend it and I’m looking forward to reading more in this world!

Special audiobook note: I had started this in ebook form, but later switched to the audiobook version, and it’s delightful! It’s read by the author, and she SINGS the song parts! I always listen to audiobooks around 2x speed, but I slowed it down every time singing came up. Loved it! Just saying it’s worth checking out the audio (if you’re an audiobook person). I also enjoyed the short story prequel which is also on audio.

Leave a comment and make my day! I love chatting books with y’all!

Looking for more of my book reviews? Check them out here!

Advertisement

World Diver by Haylie Hanson (Review)

A review today for a fun urban fantasy with a dash of sci-fi!

Title: World Diver

Author: Haylie Hanson

Series: The Luminaut Trilogy, #1

Urban Fantasy • YA • 2021 • 352 pages (paperback)

Read May 8, 2022 • 4 stars • Favorite character: Nemo! • I received a free ARC copy from the publisher as part of an Instagram book tour. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions are my own.

Goodreads • Barnes & Noble • Amazon • Publisher • Author Website

This was a gripping YA Urban Fantasy novel! It’s well-written and I loved the humor—that and the voice/style was a blast! I just really enjoyed that aspect of it. The robots, the kinda-magic, the modern setting, and a hint at multiple worlds, all made this book super unique and fun, and was a winning combination!

The characters were all interesting, even the ones I didn’t click with, and it was an enjoyable story with a vivid setting, like getting sucked right into a movie. (Anyone who’s into surfing or robotics will enjoy this one, even if those parts went over my head. XD) The plot and growing mysteries, the emerging Luminaut backstory, the engaging writing style, and the wide range of challenges Callie faces on all sides kept me flipping pages. I HAD to know what happened next!

Then we have NEMOOOOO! I adored Nemo the tiny robot! He is SUPER CUTE and has such a great personality and is so fun. He’s the absolute best and I adore him! Nemo made the book so incredibly fun in every scene he was in. 😀 The way Callie was trying to train him to pretend to be a “real” robot instead of the sentient one he is was hilarious and I loved it so much! XD (Nemo forever, okay!)

And Diver! I loved Diver too. Super cool, and such a neat concept! Almost like a giant Baymax but with telepathy and you can, like, drive him, and I DON’T KNOW IT WAS REALLY COOL.

Basically, I’m absolutely here for the robot characters and they make me happy! XD Especially Nemo. 😉 hugs him forever

Any less-favorite things were personal preference things. Like I don’t tend to generally enjoy modern drama (like family/school issues), and some types of YA drama (like love triangles…but also not!), or the MC being (I thought) slightly unfair to another character or deceiving others (with a purpose, but still), or the fact I was right about a spoilery character—but I didn’t want to be! (Feels. XD) So a few things frustrated me slightly or at least weren’t my favorite, but that was certainly a me-thing of not clicking with contemporary high-school type stories, not anything “wrong” with the book itself, which was extremely well done!

I’m very excited to read the next book because THAT CLIFFHANGER, THOUGH! :O I’m so glad the next book is on my shelf and I will definitely continue this series because I must know what happens next! Plus, you know, that fun writing. And Nemo… 😀

Overall, a compelling, unique book that pulled me in and kept me reading late into the night. If you love modern YA fantasy you should enjoy this one!

Leave a comment and make my day! I love chatting books with y’all!

Looking for more of my book reviews? Check them out here!

Wraithwood by Alyssa Roat (Review)

A review today for a very fun book that I enjoyed so much!

Title: Wraithwood

Author: Alyssa Roat

Series: The Wraithwood Trilogy, #1

Modern Fantasy • YA • 2021 • 340 pages (Kindle)

Read April 27, 2022 • 5 stars • Favorite character: Merlin • I received a free e-ARC of this book from the author and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own. (And I also ended up mostly listening to the audiobook which I picked up on Audible anyway. XD)

Goodreads • Barnes & Noble • Amazon • Publisher • Author Website

This was such a delight! I wasn’t sure what to expect but I had a blast experiencing this modern fantasy adventure mostly set at a mysterious mansion, the Wraithwood Estate. It gave me such a nostalgic summer-holidays-book vibe like some books I loved reading when I was younger (like The Dark Hills Divide meets Over Sea, Under Stone), but it was unique too! I loved disappearing into this lovely setting.

It was fun following Brinnie around and seeing her discover this greater fantastical world around her. I’m curious to see what she’ll do with some of it in the future! Her uncle Merlin was fabulous too and I wish he’d have been in it even more, but I loved him and his mysteriousness. The other characters made for an excellent cast, particularly Ms. Tynsdale and Quentin, who were great! Loved these characters!

The plot was exciting and kept me invested and curious at turns, guessing and second-guessing. And the setting was so cool! I especially loved the maze! No spoilers but there were so many great moments involving the maze and just—yesss. So cool. More books should have magical mazes, TBH. It made me so happy. *grinning* Definitely my favorite part of the book! Oh, and the flying chairs were cool . . . 😉

A note, too, that listening to the audiobook was a blast and I highly recommend it! The narrator did an amazing job of bringing each character to life and making a thoroughly enjoyable book all the more delightful. I highly recommend both the book and the audiobook!

It was simply a blast and I ended it going WAIT! COME BACK! Especially with that not-quite-a-cliffhanger-buuuut . . . So I’m super looking forward to checking out the sequel, Mordizan, soon. I need more! I can’t wait to go back to this series!

Definitely recommended if you enjoy light YA modern fantasy, a dash of peril and suspense, and Arthurian vibes. It was a blast!

Leave a comment and make my day! I love chatting books with y’all!

Looking for more of my book reviews? Check them out here!

Review: Truesilver by DJ Edwardson

I have returned from a too-long blogging hiatus with a bit of an updated look to my review posts (shiny new things!) and a review for a delightful YA fantasy novel, Truesilver!

(And don’t forget to enter my giveaway for a hardcover copy of this book!)

Title: Truesilver

Author: DJ Edwardson

Series: Swordspeaker Saga, #1 (Book 2, Rimewinter, coming spring 2022!)

Epic Fantasy • YA (enjoyable by anyone) • 2021 • 318 pages

Read August 2020 • 5 stars • Fave character: Kithian • I copyedited this but loved it enough to buy the hardcover

Goodreads • Barnes & Noble • Amazon • Author Website

Ranger’s Apprentice meets the Wingfeather Saga, with a dash of Prydain, in this delightful saga of a one-time shepherd boy who becomes bearer of a sentient sword.

In this masterfully woven tale, the bright threads of a lush and original world and generous doses of both whimsy and peril twine together to tell the story of a cast of colorful characters who stole my heart.

Seventeen-year-old Kion came from the lowliest roots and was pulled into a journey of action-y adventure, deadly danger, and a high calling awaiting him. With his trusty friend the smith Zinder — a loyal sidekick if ever there was one, who makes up with wit and quickness (and fabulous hats and lock-picking skills) what he lacks in size — at his side, Kion is a hero I’d follow through perils thick and thin.

And this book and its soon-to-release sequel, Rimewinter, abounds with just the sort of adventure that keeps you flipping pages, all while soaking in the rich tapestried detail of the writing and world.

Hint: the sword is my favorite! It’s worth reading the book just to meet the sword! Not even kidding. But I don’t want to give any more away. You’ll just have to discover it for yourself!

(Some action/violence/war. Otherwise clean. Teens of any age would love the book, methinks!) If you’re tired of endless romance in the YA section, this is a fun one to pick up. 😉

Truesilver is the first book in a Noblebright fantasy adventure series. I recommend this one to any reader looking for a rousing good tale full of heart!

---

Giveaway

If you missed it, check out my giveaway for a hardcover copy of Truesilver! (Giveaway open through February 28, 2022.) And said post also features the cover reveal for the sequel, Rimewinter!

Also! Let me know what you think of the new look for my review posts!

Looking for more of my book reviews? Check them out here!

Traitor by Laurie Lucking (Book Review)

I was honored to be on the Bookstagram tour for this lovely book today, and I thought I’d share my review here too!

Title: Traitor

Author: Laurie Lucking

• Date read: April 25, 2021
• Rating: 5 stars
• Genre: Fantasy / Christian fantasy
• Age: YA
• Year pub: 2021
• Pages: 278 (paperback)
• Series: Tales of the Mystics, book 2 (Book 1 is Common)
• Fave character: Prince Vander
  
• Source: The publisher, L2L2 Publishing
• Notes: I received a free ARC of this book from the publisher and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are entirely my own.
• Book links

I so enjoyed this book! What a delight! It swept me away to a richly detailed new land of differing cultures, filled with relatable characters and a sweet tale of marriage alliance and searching for redemption.

It was an intriguing twist to follow Princess Penelope, an antagonist from the previous book, Common. (Note: you’ll appreciate parts of Traitor more if you’ve read Common, but it’s not necessary. Despite being hazy on the details of Common since it was awhile since I read it, I still enjoyed this one immensely.) I wasn’t sure about her at first but I loved getting her perspective on things and I quickly grew to feel for her, traveling far away to a new country to marry the son of an emperor.

Prince Vander is the NICEST HUMAN. I kept wanting to shake Penelope and tell her to appreciate this good soul! XD I loved how appreciative he was and how anxious to make her at home in his country, despite her tendency to build walls around her heart. He truly cared and was SO SWEET but also human and I loved that.

Side characters were fun too, from cameos of characters from the first book (eep!) to spirited Princess Dionne, guards, loyal lady’s maid Victoria…

I adored Delunia! Experiencing Penelope’s head-first immersion in this colorful new culture and new language was neat. The setting was so gorgeous!

Penelope’s past mistakes haunted her in a very real way and led to said wall-building around her heart, pushing away those who cared about her from fear of being hurt again by opening herself to love. It could be frustrating at times to see her make those choices, but eye-opening as well, and the journey she took was ultimately so satisfying.

Loved it!

---

You may also like . . .

 

---

Thanks for reading! 🙂

Truesilver Cover Reveal + Giveaway!

Guyssss! I’m so excited to be taking part in the cover reveal for Truesilver by DJ Edwardson! You may know DJ as the co-founder for the Silmaril Awards blog event and as the author of The Last Motley. I’m thrilled about his new fantasy novel and its stunning cover!

Read on for all the details on the cover reveal, giveaway, and ARC opportunity for upcoming YA fantasy book TRUESILVER by DJ Edwardson!

I was honored to be a copyeditor for this amazing book and I absolutely adore it! It’s just the sort of fantasy adventure I grew up loving and it even reminds me of Lloyd Alexander books, with a dash of Tolkien and humor. It’s so, so good and I can’t wait to get it onto my shelf and for others to get to read it!

Releasing June 1! Kindle preorders will be up May 18.

• Paperback
• Hardcover
• Goodreads

PAPERBACK GIVEAWAY (limited to continental U.S.)

DJ Edwardson is giving away a paperback copy of Truesilver to one person (limited to continental U.S.) who comments on the cover reveal posts from across all the places where the cover is posted (websites, Instagram, Facebook). The winner will receive a signed paperback copy of Truesilver.

Each site commented on counts as one entry, so commenting on multiple posts will increase your chances of winning!

Follow the hashtag #TruesilverCover on Instagram or Facebook, or check out the author’s official cover reveal blog post to check out the various posts!

(And, yes, commenting on this post here counts too. ;))

Ditigial ARCs

Are you a reviewer who likes the sound of the book and can review it by June 1st? The author is offering digital ARC Advance Reviewer Copies HERE.

About Truesilver

A young man stained by his father’s failure. A sword of ancient power. A legend rises.

Kion Bray can’t accept that his father was a coward. Bullied for his dad’s actions in the last war, the seventeen-year-old shepherd is determined to restore his family honor. And the only way to do it is to win the village’s annual sword-fighting contest.

Lacking experience, Kion fears he might only bring more embarrassment upon those he loves. And with his biggest tormentor awaiting him in the competition and a dark army mobilizing to the north, his quest for redemption may come to a swift and painful end.

Can a simple shepherd learn to master his blade before his hopes and his people are crushed?

Read the first book in the epic Swordspeaker Saga fantasy series. If you like gargantuan quests, towering bravery, and coming-of-age tales, then you’ll love DJ Edwardson’s razor-sharp story.

About the author

DJ Edwardson is the Grace Award nominated author of several books and shorter works. He traveled a lot when he was younger. Now he’s busy crafting exotic destinations of his own. Although he has written both Science Fiction and Fantasy novels, he likes to say he writes in the “genre of imagination”.

He has a degree in English from Cornell College where his emphasis was on the works of Shakespeare. He’s tried his hand at both acting and directing in the theater, but these days is happiest with a pen in hand. He lives in Tennessee with his wife and three children amidst an ever-growing library of wonderful books.

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Newsletter

And there you are! Isn’t it a stunning cover? I can’t stop staring at it! Does the story sound intriguing? Don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win. 🙂 Thanks for reading!