“But what if we fail? What if I can’t undo the magic?” Tonya whispered, her fear leaking out onto her face. “Then you try again. That’s all failing is. Something not done right the first time.” (Loved this quote SO MUCH I had to make calligraphy of it. ❤ )
It’s heeeere! This magnificent book released yesterday and I’m thrilled to be a part of the blog tour today and share 12 Things I Love About Winter Spell!
But first, tour and book info, including a giveaway! (Tour links are at the end of the post.)
About Winter Spell
A half-breed faery. A war-weary princess. A quest to free three kingdoms from the deadly winter spell.
Constantly doubted by her ocean faery kindred, Tonya Freyr-dottir only wants to untangle the dormant ice and water magic within her. Then a strange attack makes her unleash a fierce winter on the land and sea. And she has no idea how to stop it.
Princess Diane serves faithfully at her brother’s side, trying to restore their kingdom of Myrnius after the devastating Dark War. Now with brutal winter wreaking havoc, everything they have worked for might be lost to famine and destruction.
Desperate to help, Tonya travels to the far north to unlock her magic, aided by Diane, as well as two land faeries: Dorian, a reckless healer and August, a mischievous warrior. But the north brings fresh dangers, unearths old wounds, and offers more questions than answers.
With doom threatening human and faery alike, Tonya must find a way to trust her new friends and release her magic before all fall to the fury of winter’s spell.
Now available!
Preorder Info
Adorable art (!!), bookmark, and northern lights sticker (not pictured)
Pre-order goodies include a character art postcard of four characters from Winter Spell done by @h.s.j._williams, a series bookmark, and northern lights sticker! Submit receipt to campitorpress@gmail.com
Pre-order packets will also be available to those who buy the book in ebook or paperback up to 5/7 and submit receipt to campitorpress@gmail.com
Note: Winter Spell is book 3 in the Faeries of Myrnius series, but can be read as a standalone. However, series is best enjoyed in chronological order.
- Adela’s Curse #1 (TODAY — Friday, April 24 — is the last day to get Adela’s Curse free on Kindle to celebrate the release of book 3!)
- The Wolf Prince #2
- Winter Spell #3
Tour Giveaway
Follow the Rafflecopter link HERE to enter a giveaway including Ebooks and swag pack!
Author Bio
Claire M. Banschbach is a native Texan and would make an excellent hobbit if she wasn’t so tall. She’s an overall dork, pizza addict, and fangirl. When not writing fantasy stories packed full of adventure and snark, she works as a pediatric Physical Therapist where she happily embraces the fact that she never actually has to grow up.
She writes New Adult/Adult fantasy as C.M. Banschbach.
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Title: Winter Spell
Author: Claire M. Banschbach
- Date read: January 11, 2020
- Rating: 5 stars — ALL the stars! 6 stars if I could!
- Genre: Fantasy
- Age: YA
- Year pub: 2020
- Pages: 309 (ebook)
- Series: The Faeries of Myrnius, #3 (but can stand alone)
- Fave character: DORIAN! Also August. And all of them.
- Source: The author (and also Amazon)
12 Things I Love About Winter Spell
1. Just imagine the most epic, fun, adventuresome wintry story, full of magic and faery awesomeness and FABULOUS characters. Then throw in a dash of a buddy story, an adorable romance, some humor and twists and feels (of course!). Then imagine that it’s super well-written and absolutely captivating and fun too. THAT is what this book is!
2. THIS BOOK, GUYS! IT’S SO GOOD, HALP. One of my favorites I’ve read this year — one of my favorites, period! I’ve read it three times and loved it more each time. (Disclaimer: I copyedited it, but my unbiased opinion simply as a reader is that I love it and I just ordered a paperback so I can read it againnn.) I had the most incredible time living in this book and this world with these characters! *hugs Winter Spell forever* I don’t even know how to explain how good it is in a review but let me give it a shot. *deep breath*
3. The characters are MY FAVORITE and one of the best things about this book. They’re all so broken but help each other and I just — ! *squishes them all in a huge hug* Tonya is a pretty epic main character, a faery warring with her ocean and ice natures. It’s mostly her journey and I love it! Princess Diane is the other point of view, who is also fabulous! (Her journaling and no-nonsense self!) They were both so relatable and also epic, in their own ways, and I loved their stories. I found a lot of me in them. Then we have August and Dorian! August is a fun-loving warrior faery related to CERTAIN PEOPLE from a previous Myrnius book, which was SO cool. 😀 August is one of my favorites! And every side character was well-written and unique and I loved so many of them! Edmund, though! And Ralf! And Lilja and spoiler people and just ALL OF THEM. They are all SO EPIC.
4. DORIAN. Dorian gets his own point in this list because he’s THE ABSOLUTE BEST AND I LOVE HIM SO MUCH. I CAN’T. The strong, quiet faery healer who’s actually unexpectedly stabby and doesn’t put up with August’s shenanigans. XD He’s just — I can’t describe how cool he is. 😀 MY FAVORITE. Dorian is just absolutely amazing. And so is August! They are both precious and epic and fabulous, especially when they are antagonizing each other but having to work together. THE BEST.
5. Relationships. Okay, but for real, I love how this book has nearly every awesome relationship that I love reading about! A buddy story (you know those are my favorite!), but also other characters with an ADORABLE romance (I ship them so hard!). Two of my favorites right there, but ALSO siblings, besties, families, found-family, platonic relationships . . . and all written in a fresh, relatable way. I love all of iiiit! I remember thinking while I read that it was all of my favorite things/relationships and that they worked together SO WELL and made it so balanced and layered!
6. The banter and the humor just make my day. You’ve got to have snarky dialog on a quest adventure, especially with a buddy story on the side. 😉 I want to quote all of it! These characters! *hugs them all again*
Princess Diane and her brother, King Edmund, are so fun. XD
7. The winter and the north, though! Guys! It just felt so deliciously cold and atmospheric. I absolutely loved all the details, especially in the North in the third part of the book or so, with the caribou and the pines and polar bear (!), and even more ice and snow, and the fantasy-world version of the Northern Lights! *screaming* I. LOVED. IT. SO. MUCH. It was just so cool! (No pun intended. Okay. Pun totally intended but no less true. XD)
8. Speaking of the north, can we talk about the worldbuilding/cultures and how detailed and awesome they were? Aahh! I loved being back in Myrnius, and the nods to the previous books made me happy (though you can read this one even if you haven’t read Adela’s Curse or The Wolf Prince). I LOVED seeing the different faery cultures, especially. The ice faeries and ocean faeries and plains faeries. All the details that were such a part of the story and totally pulled me into the world. SO DELICIOUS. The faery magic was also SO COOL. I loved how it actually served a purpose and MADE SENSE. So, so good. Also! I need to go live in Csorna Hold or Konungburg or even Chelm. RIGHT NOW. Like. Take me theeeere. (And let me eat some of the delicious food that kept making me hungry while I read the book. XD)
9. TWISTS, Y’ALL. I can’t share them, clearly, because spoilers. But aaahh, there were delightful plot twists, both vaguely expected and totally WHOA WHAT that kept me on the edge of my seat. It’s a wild ride and a thrilling adventure!
10. MY FEEEELSSS. Yes, this gets a whole point too. XD Again, spoilers, so I won’t go into it, but I have SO MANY FEELINGS about my precious character friends and their stories. *muffled screaming* I got so emotional and worried and aaahh! I love them so much and got so invested! And I love that while it’s a fun story, it also showed me things about life and enriched me just by following along in these characters’ boots. The best books do that. ❤
11. The writing is also — gaahh, I love it! It’s just right for the story. Also, Tonya’s ocean-based descriptions of everything when we’re in her POV is absolutely BRILLIANT. I love it so much. I also love how the world and its history and the characters’ backstories all have this DEPTH that made me feel like we were just barely scratching the surface of the ice and that there’s so much more lurking just out of view.
12. In conclusion: I loved everything about this booook! It is entirely made of fabulousness. There’s not a single thing I disliked. I ADORE IT. JUST READ WINTER SPELL RIGHT NOW. You need Dorian and Tonya and Diane and August and this fun, wintry, faery, magical epicness in your life! YOU JUST DO.
You may also enjoy . . . (by this author or wintry books)
Tour Schedule
Monday 4/20:
- Abigail Leskey – book spotlight – makerofrunevests.tumblr.com
- Rachael Ritchey – book review – rachaelritchey.com
- MH Elrich – author interview – http://www.mhelrich.com
Tuesday 4/21:
- Rachael Ritchey – author interview – rachaelritchey.com
- E Paige Burkes – book spotlight – http://www.epaigeburks.com
- Kelsey Bryant – book spotlight – https://kelseysnotebookblog.blogspot.com/
- Claire B – Winter Spell as gifs – http://www.clairembanschbach.com
Wednesday 4/22:
- E Rawls – book spotlight – https://rawlse.wordpress.com/
- Hazel West – character interview/book spotlight – hazelwest.blogspot.com
- MH Elrich – character interview – Diane – http://www.mhelrich.com
- Claire B – meet the characters! – http://www.clairembanschbach.com
Thursday 4/23 – RELEASE DAY!
- CB Cook – book spotlight – theworldofthewriter.wordpress.com
- Marlene Simonette – book spotlight – https://marlenesimonetteauthor.blogspot.com
- Claire B – Release Day! – http://www.clairembanschbach.com
Friday 4/24
- Marlene Simonette – author interview – https://marlenesimonetteauthor.blogspot.com
- Deborah O’Carroll – book review – https://thepagedreamer.wordpress.com/
- Claire B – tour wrapup – http://www.clairembanschbach.com
A half-breed faery. A war-weary princess. A quest to free three kingdoms from the deadly winter spell.
The Page Dreamer (Deborah O'Carroll) 