COVER REVEAL AND GIVEAWAY! Forsworn: The Last Oracle by Emily Wibberley

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Forsworn: The Last Oracle Book II

Author: Emily Wibberley

Release Date:  July 21st, 2015

SYNOPSIS:

Clio can see the future, but what she doesn’t know about her past could destroy her.

It’s been a year since Clio made her sacrifice to the Deities and embraced her destiny as the Oracle to save her people.

The only family she has left is a brother who wants her dead.

The prince, her oldest friend, is a king with his own agenda.

And the man who once loved her, now hates her.

All she can do is try to forget about Riece, the enemy commander whose heart she broke to save his life, as she serves the Deities. Her days are filled with Visions and bloodshed in a never-ending war against the Untouched. To add to her problems, she must pose as King Derik’s mistress to conceal her forbidden powers from the Emperor’s spies.

When Riece unexpectedly returns to Sheehan with a new and beautiful ally, Clio knows she must put him out of her mind once and for all, but first, they are thrust together into battle against a mysterious Untouched warrior with otherworldly power. To reclaim her city, she must team up with the man she hurt, the man she still loves but can never be with, and finally confront the questions about her origin—questions with answers that Clio may not be prepared to face.

The highly anticipated sequel to the award-winning novel Sacrificed (The Last Oracle, Book 1) heralded as a “Must-Read Romantic Fantasy” by USAToday.com

My Five-Star Review of the first book: Sacrificed: The Last Oracle.

BUY LINKS:

Goodreads1

Goodreads2

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

The Book Depository

Excerpt:

The hallways had never felt so small before, never so stifling. Clio could hardly catch her breath as she sped down the corridors toward Riece’s old chambers. 

She needed to find out what the symbol meant. She had no choice but to go to Riece. She would just have to keep her feelings out of it.

Before she could argue herself out of her thin conclusions, she found herself standing at Riece’s door. She knocked once, quietly, almost hoping Riece wouldn’t hear, wouldn’t invite her in. 

“Come in,” he said almost distractedly from within.She stepped inside and found him seated on a small bench, sharpening the edge of a small dagger. His cloak lay folded at his side, and his chest was left bare except for the smudged lines of his warrior ink. Happily, there was no sign that the princess was around. Perhaps Clio had imagined everything between them. 

“Of course. It’s you,” Riece said without glancing at her. 

“You changed your hair.” He put aside his dagger and looked up at her. “Black. It seems like every time I see you, it’s a different color. Fitting, I suppose. Goes with your capricious nature.” 

“Capricious? That’s a pretty big word for you, Commander. You sure you know what it means?” 

He laughed bitterly, and for some reason Clio felt the familiar itch in her skin that could only ever be soothed with a fight. 

He was suddenly serious. “It means ever-changing. Isn’t that why you haven’t wed the king? Has he, too, grown tired of your fickle heart?” His eyes mirrored the hate in his tone. 

He had never looked at her with such antipathy before, and Clio’s blood flooded her cheeks. “Of course not,” she snapped. 

“No?” He rose and advanced toward her. “Then you’ve some other reason?” 

He was far too close, and Clio was having trouble thinking straight. 

“We’ve been at war, hardly the time for nuptials. And—” she stammered. This close, she could tell that Riece was much larger than he had been a year ago. The muscles in his shoulders shifted and bulged with the slightest movement of his neck. 

“And?” he prompted. 

“And someone had to defend this city after you took your army, to what? Rescue some princess?” She spat the words at him. 

Riece’s eyes sparkled with silent laughter. “So that’s the reason for this delightful visit. You’re jealous. Well, you have no right to be.” 

“I’m not jealous,” Clio protested. 

“No? Because my remembering of this,” he gestured to the two of them, “was that you used me so you could get back to your beloved king. You made your true feelings perfectly clear.” His look had darkened, and his jaw tightened with restrained fury. 

She would have preferred a slap to the way he was looking at her. “You’re right,” she admitted. 

Riece’s gaze bored into her, but what he looked to find, she couldn’t say. 

“Why are you really here, Clio?” he finally sighed, exasperated. 

To tell you that I’ve dreamt about you every night for a year, she wanted to scream. “I need you to look at something.” 

“Ordering me around so soon?” His lips quirked up in a grin that didn’t travel to his eyes.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Emily Wibberley grew up in the South Bay where she spent her formative years battling zombies on her Xbox, watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and voraciously reading everything from The Hunger Games to Jane Austen, where her love for feisty young heroines was born.

After graduating from Princeton University Magna Cum Laude in 2014, she began writing. Her debut novel, Sacrificed, was named a finalist in the Young Adult category of the 2015 Beverly Hills Book Awards, in the Young Author category of the 2015 Next Generation Indie Book Awards and in the 2015 International Book Awards. Since its release, Sacrificed has spent more than four months as a Kindle Top Ten Teen and Young Adult Bestseller.

When she isn't reading the latest YA book, she enjoys watching kick-butt action movies with her two rescue German Shepherds, Hudson and Bishop, named after characters from James Cameron's Aliens.

| Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram |

GIVEAWAY

1 winner will get a signed paperback copy of Sacrificed – Open INT – Giveaway is scheduled for June 22nd.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Title: The Song of Achilles
Author: Madeline Miller
Published: April 12, 2012
Publisher: Bloomsbury
ISBN: 978-1408821985
Genre: Historical Fiction

Greece in the age of Heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the kingdom of Phthia. Here he is nobody, just another unwanted boy living in the shadow of King Peleus and his golden son, Achilles.

Achilles, ‘best of all the Greeks', is everything Patroclus is not — strong, beautiful, the child of a goddess — and by all rights their paths should never cross. Yet one day, Achilles takes the shamed prince under his wing and soon their tentative companionship gives way to a steadfast friendship. As they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine, their bond blossoms into something far deeper — despite the displeasure of Achilles's mother Thetis, a cruel and deathly pale sea goddess with a hatred of mortals.

Fate is never far from the heels of Achilles. When word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, the men of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows Achilles into war, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they have learned, everything they hold dear. And that, before he is ready, he will be forced to surrender his friend to the hands of Fate.

Profoundly moving and breathtakingly original, this rendering of the epic Trojan War is a dazzling feat of the imagination, a devastating love story, and an almighty battle between gods and kings, peace and glory, immortal fame and the human heart. 

Rating: ★★★★★


I would like to say in all seriousness: This is now my favourite book.

I've been trying to figure out what to say in this review for a few days now, and I just can't? This book destroyed me.

This book was meant for me.

I remember the first time I ever saw this book was in an airport. It can't have been very long after it was published because this was only about 3-4 years ago, and I was on my way to visit my Father in the UK. I hadn't even read the blurb, but I had decided I wanted this book. I knew I was going to love it. I wanted to buy it! But, as my Mother pointed out, I already had enough books to read whilst I was away - I could get the book when we got back.

I didn't get the book when I got back. I ended up getting it on Kindle years later, and then put off reading it for months.

Why? I don't know. I love all things Ancient History - more than anything, the Ancient Greeks. This is exactly my kind of thing. I remember having this same love affair with Mary Renault's The Alexander Trilogy. So I honestly don't know why I waited until now to read this book.

Do I regret that I waited this long? Absolutely not. It might only be a matter of 3-4 years, but I would never have appreciated this book then, the way I do now.

The Song of Achilles is the story of the illustrious Achilles Peleides, Aristos Achaion. More than that, it's the story of what made him human in spite of being half-god. The book is told from the narrative of Patroclus Menotiades, an exiled prince, who comes to the court of King Peleus, and there meets the second half of his soul.

Miller has obviously followed Plato's interpretation of their relationship here. Contrary to major movies starring Brad Pitt, Achilles and Patroclus were not cousins. They were not remotely related. There is no definitive answer to the question of 'were they lovers?' but I like to think they were. There's enough evidence out there for me, and certainly Homer doesn't make it explicit, but you cannot deny the way, aside from it's depth, in which Achilles grieves - refusing to burn Patroclus' body, keeping it in his tent and weeping over it - provides pretty compelling evidence.

Anyway ...

What I really love about this book? The fact that it's told from Patroclus' narrative. This was a genius stroke by Miller. It certainly wouldn't have been anywhere near as good if it had been told from an impersonal third person, or even from Achilles point of view. How could you possibly relate to someone who was half-god? But to the poor mortal who loved him? That you can relate to. Almost everyone will have had that experience of thinking someone divine through the force of your feelings for them. The only difference here, is Achilles really is of the divine.

Patroclus is the relateable outcast. He's not a loser by any means, but he's just not a warrior in a culture where the true measure of a man is in his ability to be one, surrounded as they are by stories of heroes and gods. So far in that the divinities are real characters in this book: Thetis, Achilles' mother; Chiron, Centaur and teacher; and cameos by Apollo and minor Gods. The addition of these characters adds a sense of magic, whilst maintaining a sense of realism. You feel that it is quite feasible that they existed once, and that they did play a part in this story.

The Story of Achilles is one that is recognised the world over, and the name of Achilles is synonymous with the name Troy. But that's not what this book is about. This book is a love story. It's the story of two best friends growing up, learning to love each other, discovering their world together and their willingness to sacrifice for the sake of their love.The depth of the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus is what really sets this book apart from all the other re-tellings of the Illiad.

If you only read one book this year, make it this one. 

End of Days by Susan Ee

Title: End of Days (Penryn & The End of Days #3)
Author: Susan Ee
Published: May 12, 2015
Publisher: Skyscape
ISBN: 978-1477829707
Genre: Sci-Fi and Fantasy

End of Days is the explosive conclusion to Susan Ee’s bestselling Penryn & the End of Days trilogy.

After a daring escape from the angels, Penryn and Raffe are on the run. They’re both desperate to find a doctor who can reverse the twisted changes inflicted by the angels on Raffe and Penryn’s sister. As they set off in search of answers, a startling revelation about Raffe’s past unleashes dark forces that threaten them all.

When the angels release an apocalyptic nightmare onto humans, both sides are set on a path toward war. As unlikely alliances form and strategies shift, who will emerge victorious? Forced to pick sides in the fight for control of the earthly realm, Raffe and Penryn must choose: Their own kind, or each other?

Rating: ★★★★★

In my honest opinion, this was the perfect conclusion to an incredible series.

Considering that I came out of the first book feeling pretty 'meh' about Penryn, it has come as a massive surprise to suddenly find myself completely fangirling over her. Her character development throughout the three books was superb and at the end of this book she really, truly deserved her title of 'Kick-ass female'.

Raffe? Do I really need to say anything about him? What a fucking dream-boat. And at the end? Jesus!



The development of their relationship was lovely. I've seen a lot of reviews that said they felt like the chemistry had failed and that their romance felt 'flat'. I wholeheartedly disagree. I think, given their respective situations, it was realistic, hopeful and, well, hot!(view spoiler)



This book definitely makes up for the lack of Raffe in the second book- and, in fact, we don't see much of anyone else. Paige and the Mother seem to take a step back, but I can't honestly say the book is any worse off for that fact because Penryn and Raffe just have such an amazing dynamic.

I think, perhaps, the stories for the supporting cast could have been wrapped up a bit better. We're left with no idea of what happens to anyone barring Raffe, Penryn, Paige and the Mother. I think it would have been nice to know what happened to Dee and Dum and the Watchers.

Especially Dee and Dum. But I think my attachment to these two has a lot to do with their similarity to these two:



The Watchers - NEW FAVOURITE CHARACTERS!! They were awesome, and I love that Beliel wasn't just an a-typical bad-guy. I like that Ee gave him a tragic backstory that helped us to understand his character outside of being the big bad. He has reasons - he wasn't just a two dimensional disney villain and that was a refreshing change. I like my villains complex and tragic.



There was a fair amount of questions left unanswered, but nothing important and nothing relative to the plot. And, lets be honest, sometimes we don't want all the questions answered - sometimes we like to use our own imagination. Or, well, I know I do.

Overall, one of the better conclusions to a series that I've read. I absolutely loved these books and would encourage everyone to read them.

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Title: An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes #1)
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Published: April 28, 2015
Publisher: Razorbill
ISBN: 978-1595148032
Genre: Sci-fi and Fantasy

Set in a terrifyingly brutal Rome-like world, AN EMBER IN THE ASHES is an epic fantasy debut about an orphan fighting for her family and a soldier fighting for his freedom. It’s a story that’s literally burning to be told.

What if you were the spark that could ignite a revolution?For years Laia has lived in fear. Fear of the Empire, fear of the Martials, fear of truly living at all. Born as a Scholar, she’s never had much of a choice.

For Elias it’s the opposite. He has seen too much on his path to becoming a Mask, one of the Empire’s elite soldiers. With the Masks’ help the Empire has conquered a continent and enslaved thousands, all in the name of power.

When Laia’s brother is taken she must force herself to help the Resistance, the only people who have a chance of saving him. She must spy on the Commandant, ruthless overseer of Blackcliff Academy.

Blackcliff is the training ground for Masks and the very place that Elias is planning to escape. If he succeeds, he will be named deserter. If found, the punishment will be death.

But once Laia and Elias meet, they will find that their destinies are intertwined and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

In the ashes of a broken world one person can make a difference. One voice in the dark can be heard. The price of freedom is always high and this time that price might demand everything, even life itself.

Rating: ★★★★☆

“You are an ember in the ashes, Elias Veturius. You will spark and burn, ravage and destroy. You cannot change it. You cannot stop it.”

This book had some serious hype to live up to. Thankfully, it was up to the challenge.

Anyone who knows me knows that I have an unbridled passion for anything remotely related to ancient Greece and Rome. So when the blurb for this book was released it automatically went to the top of my 'Most Anticipated' list. It was, perhaps, less Rome-like than I was hoping for, but there is absolutely no doubt that it draws heavily upon Roman culture from the naming conventions to slave brutality.

This book definitely has a lot going on. We follow two main characters - Elias and Laia - in alternating chapters in which we come to learn their stories and meet the supporting casts of both their lives. The alternating narratives gives us a wonderful insight into the polarity of their lives, and yet how they still manage to maintain the same core ideals. It actually takes a while before the two meet, but once they do the story kicks into overdrive and all the things start to happen. But between the two character's stories and arcs there is a lot going on. However, instead of being overwhelming or confusing, Tahir manages to keep the plot tight and neat and through her wonderful writing has it running effortlessly. The writing is gorgeous and makes reading this book a dream.

“The voice is deep and soft, not a sound so much as a feeling. It is storm and wind and leaves twisting in the night. It is roots sucking deep at the earth, and the pale, sightless creatures that live below the ground. But there’s something wrong with this voice, something diseased at its core.”

That doesn't, however, take away from the gravity of the novel. This book is dark and gritty. Tahir does not shy away from the gruesome topics we are confronted with; topics such as rape and torture and child abuse which Tahir explores with unapologetic realism. This book is evocative. It makes you feel so completely for the characters and the things they are forced to endure in their attempts to do what they believe is right in a world which will see them dead for trying.

Laia as a female MC was surprising to me. Mostly for the fact that I quite like her. Her journey from start to finish is wonderfully done. She begins as a timid, scared young girl who has lost her family and who lives in constant shame that she will never have the courage that her Mother had. When we leave her at the end of the book Laia is strong and capable and has found the courage that she needs to move forward and save her brother. It's satisfying watching her grow as a person through everything that happens to her. 

“My brother is still fighting, and his screams slice right through me. I know then that I will hear them over and over again, echoing in every hour of every day until I am dead or I make it right. I know it.”

Elias when we meet him is a dispirited soldier who is on the verge of fleeing a life, and Empire, he has come to hate. His character arc is more complicated than Laia's and I did find it slightly more compelling. Elias, first and foremost is a soldier - a Mask, elite. Taken at the age of six and then raised to manhood within the walls of Blackcliff. And yet, he has the strength of character to maintain his own ideals about what he believes is good and right. We watch a young man on the verge of desertion grow into something so infinitely more. I can't really say much without heading into spoiler territory - but trust me, there is a reason this guy is a love interest to two women!

The supporting cast of Resistance and Mask characters are diverse and irresistible. The Commandant is one of the most chilling villains that I have come across in a long time. My level of hatred for her is right up there with Dolores Umbridge. Helene is one of the characters that is hard for me to come to terms with; we see her through Elias' eyes and so through his narrative she is cast into a favourable light, and yet we are given enough information about her to know that she is, inherently, not a nice person - anyone who can agree with the enslaving of an entire nation and the annexation of their lands purely because she believes that "might makes right" does not strike me as a good person and yet it her Loyalty to Elias and her willingness to do anything for him that stops her from becoming one of the bad guys. The augurs are a great plot device and are very, very cleverly done. If this does have a second book, I can certainly see that there is a lot more to them and their story than we have been led to believe. And Izzi. Poor Izzi. She is the Neville Longbottom of our story: scared, timid, but someone who wants to fight and has a heart made of fire and hope.

And this is just a small sample of the wonderful secondary characters that we come across.

The love quadrangle - or whatever it was - is what lost this book a star for me. Mostly, the instalust! between Elias and Laia is what I found it hard to cope with. Tahir does a good job of making the feelings between Helene and Elias feel real, but then the rest all feel very forced. I think it's because it's more a case of Tahir has told us instead of shown us and I couldn't connect with their feelings. Still, it is definitely better done than a lot of romances that I've come across.

The book has an exciting start, slows down briefly and then is explosive for the last 50%. I think one of the things I like best about this book is that it constantly kept me guessing but never gave enough away that I knew what was coming. The plot twists were big surprises and it made for a much more exciting read.

A phenomenal book that is worth the hype and is more than worth the read!

If you liked this, you'll definitely like Sacrificed by Emily Wibberley.

“You are full, Laia. Full of life and dark and strength and spirit. You are in our dreams. You will burn, for you are an ember in the ashes.”

Waiting for the Flood by Alexis Hall

Title: Waiting for the Flood
Author: Alexis Hall
Published: February 21, 2015
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
ASIN: B00TWI05QA
Genre: Contemporary Romance

People come as well as go.

Twelve years ago, Edwin Tully came to Oxford and fell in love with a boy named Marius. He was brilliant. An artist. It was going to be forever. 

Two years ago, it ended. 

Now Edwin lives alone in the house they used to share. He tends to damaged books and faded memories, trying to a build a future from the fragments of the past. 

Then the weather turns, and the river spills into Edwin’s quiet world, bringing with it Adam Dacre from the Environment Agency. An unlikely knight, this stranger with roughened hands and worn wellingtons, but he offers Edwin the hope of something he thought he would never have again. 

As the two men grow closer in their struggle against the rising waters, Edwin learns he can’t protect himself from everything—and sometimes he doesn't need to try.

Rating: ★★★★★

This is a story about imperfections and ephemery and fasciculing and floods and rivers and houses that should be homes and men who think they're broken and stuttering and environmental agencies and self-consciousness and loss and orange waders and wellies and overcoming and dimpled smiles. It's a story about love.

This is one of those rare occasions when a book was nothing like I expected it to be and still completely surpassed my expectations. And then some I didn't have.

Waiting for the Flood did in 106 pages what many books cannot manage to do in several hundred; it made me feel. I literally smiled the whole way through this book, even when I was crying.

Our Hero is a thirty one year old gay man living on his own in the house purchased by him and his ex boyfriend, trying to come to terms with being alone. Edwin has some pretty serious self-confidence issues which mostly center around his stutter and his feelings of unworthiness brought about by his break up with ex boyfiend Marius. Edwin is a flawed human being; he has cut himself off from the world because he truly believes no one will accept him, that no one truly wants to know him and so keeps to himself and his elderly, octogenarian neighbour. Edwin also has serious trouble coping with social situations or situations which make him feel uncomfortable and often finds himself resorting to sarcasm. He's not perfect, and that's what makes it so much easier to love him.

Our love interest in this novella is Adam Dacre who is working for Oxford council's Environmental Agency and is charged to help flood-proof Edwin's street. Adam is sweet and charming and so ready to see the good and beauty in everyone and everything and, also, the complete opposite of Edwin in every way; he's outgoing and flirtatious and cannily sure of himself in ways that intimidate Edwin and it's so easy to see just what it is that has Edwin so enchanted.

The story is told from Edwin's point of view, so we're given full access to Edwin's inner turmoil and his thought process whilst dealing with Adam and his feelings for the red-headed engineer. Most of all, the thing I love is that we get to see Adam's beauty through Edwin's eyes. Edwin tells us:

"No one could have called him handsome, and the orange waders probably didn't help - but when he smiled? Suddenly handsome didn't seem important anymore - only the things happiness could do to a man's face."

It's wonderful to come across a romance in which a person is beautiful because of who they are - because of the type of person they are and this is exactly what we get with this story: two flawed, imperfect people who meet and see something wonderful in each other and it's beyond beautiful.

Alexis Hall's writing is wonderfully simplistic and exquisite. This being my first Hall book, I cannot comment on whether this is a consistent theme in all of his books but I do know I will definitely be reading more of his works to find out.

This is short and so, so sweet. It is a simple story that is beautifully written and a definite must-read for all romance fans. You would be doing yourself a disservice if you don't.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.