Saturday, May 3, 2014

BLOG TOUR: Fledgling by Nicole Conway



Dragonriders! Welcome to stop 7 on the Blog Tour for Fledgling by Nicole Conway! This post IS part of the scavenger hunt, so don't forget to keep an eye out for the magic word!


 

About the Book!


Publication date: April 29, 2014
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Nicole Conway

     Can one boy stand between two kingdoms at war?

     Jaevid Broadfeather has grown up as a wartime refugee, hiding from the world because of his mixed racial heritage. He feels his future is hopeless, until a chance encounter with a wild dragon lands him in Blybrig Academy—a place usually forbidden to anyone but the rich and royal. But Jaevid’s case is special; no dragon has voluntarily chosen a rider in decades, so the proud riders of Blybrig must begrudgingly let him join their brotherhood despite his bloodline. Lieutenant Sile Derrick, a sternly tempered man with a mysterious past, becomes his instructor and immediately takes a peculiar interest in Jaevid’s future.

     While struggling through the rigorous physical demands of training, things begin to go awry. Jaevid witnesses the king’s private guards kidnapping Sile in the dead of night. When none of the elder riders are willing to help him, Jaevid begins a dangerous adventure to save his instructor.

     Everything Jaevid learned at the academy will now be put to the ultimate test.


Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Chapters Indigo!



About The Author!


     
     Nicole is the author of the children’s fantasy series, THE DRAGONRIDER CHRONICLES, about a young boy’s journey into manhood as he trains to become a dragonrider. She has completed the first two books in the series, and is now working on the third and final book.

     Originally from a small town in North Alabama, Nicole moves frequently due to her husband’s career as a pilot for the United States Air Force. She received a B.A. in English with a concentration in Classics from Auburn University, and will soon attend graduate school.
     She has previously worked as a freelance and graphic artist for promotional companies, but has now embraced writing as a full-time occupation.

  Nicole enjoys hiking, camping, shopping, cooking, and spending time with her family and friends. She also loves watching children’s movies and collecting books. She lives at home with her husband, two cats, and dog.

Author Links:  Website | Twitter | Facebook




Review of Fledgling by Nicole Conway!


     
     Sixteen year old Jaevid Broadfeather is used to being beaten down, pushed around, and used as a doormat. He's a halfbreed- Half gray elf and half human- and no one wants him around; Least of all his tackmaster father, who would rather ignore Jae than take him in after the death of his mother. Jae is treated like nothing, and if it weren't for his neighbor and best friend, Katty he'd probably feel like nothing too.
     That is, until his father brings him along on a trip to Blybrig Academy, school of the Dragonriders. What starts out as a working stay in Blybrig to help his father quickly turns into something more, when a dragon chooses Jae to be his rider, and the boy is enrolled into Blybrig as a student. It's hard enough being smaller than everyone else- in age and stature- but Jae is the first and only halfbreed to ever ride a dragon, and for that reason alone, he has everyone hating him. Except for Felix, his volunteer roommate who seems to always be on his side.
     Jae finally seems to have a place where he can live in happiness, even if he isn't everyone's most favorite friend, when Leutennant Sile Derrick, his friend and mentor, gets kidnapped right before Jae's eyes. On a quest to save his mentor's life, Jaevid will put everything he learned at the Academy into use, whether he comes out on top of the dragon, or between it's jaws.
     Fledgling is a GREAT start to the series! From chapter one I was hooked, and I was impressed at the outcome. Super plot, just the right amount of humor, and written extremely well. I would give this one 4/5 Stars, and the only reason I'm not giving it the full five is because I am expecting great things from the Dragonrider Chronicles, and I'm holding out until I have a favorite book of the series. More of Jaevid and Mavrik soon, Mrs. Conway? I sure hope so- I don't know how long I can wait! *Rubs hands together in anticipation* If you love Dragons, this is a book for you! If you also like books about being yourself, and finding who you are, then this is the PERFECT book for you! Read it, love it, cry because you can't have dragon for yourself. Or at least... That's how the process worked for me....





Scavenger Hunt Post!
Here's an exerpt from Fledgling, including the word you'll need to enter the giveaway! 


     The knights who rode on dragons just about never came to pick up their saddles personally. Most of them came from rich, powerful noble families, and had plenty of servants to do those kinds of errands for them. So when I saw Ulric standing outside talking to a man in formal battle armor with a sweeping cape of royal blue brushing at his heels, I stopped dead in my tracks. The saddle weighed more than I did, and I almost dropped it in surprise.
     It was a muggy, overcast day. The clouds were so low and thick you couldn’t see the mountains that hunched over our small city. Even so, the knight’s armor still managed to gleam like liquid silver. He had his helmet under one arm, the white-feathered crest on it tipped in black, and the king’s eagle engraved upon his breastplate.
     They both turned to look at me as I stood there, my arms shaking under the weight of the saddle, staring at the dragonrider. Ulric scowled darkly, and stomped over to take it from me. He slung it over his shoulder like it weighed nothing at all, growling curses under his breath at me as he went to tie it down to the knight’s horse.








About the Giveaway!

Winner Will Be Drawn May 31
·         Four (4) winners will receive an ebook copy of Fledgling by Nicole Conway (INT)
·         Five (5) winners will receive a paperback copy of Fledgling by Nicole Conway (US/Canada)
·         One (1) winner will receive an ebook copy of Fledgling by Nicole Conway AND a $10 Amazon Gift Card or B&N Gift Card – Winner’s Choice (INT)


Thanks for visiting! I hope you all go out and pick up a copy of FLEDGLING and enjoy it as much as I did!

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Book Review: Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

     I received an ARC of Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige, and started in on it with fervance. It's one of the most highly anticipated YA books of the year, so I knew it would be good. But to my surprise, I wasn't a big fan. 
     Dorothy Must Die is a retelling based in the land of Oz, but it's not all happiness and ruby red slippers. When a tornado rips Amy Gumm from her trailer park home, she doesn't quite know what's going on. Just like Dorothy, Amy chooses to "Follow the Yellow Brick Road" And when she does, she finds out that Oz has changed. A lot. The towns are all destroyed and the land is dying, and as Amy becomes friends with two odd characters, she learns that Dorothy never left Oz, and, even worse she's the one killing the place. It's been decided- Dorothy must die- and someone has to do it, so why not Amy?
     Giving you a whole new outlook on the original Wizard of Oz story we all love and know, Paige paints this world perfectly.
     I think that the reason I didn't love this book was just that it's a retelling. It changed my previous thoughts and feelings about Oz, and made them darker. That being said, I gave the book a two of five star rating, but hey, this just wasn't the book for me! It may be JUST the book for you!

Book Review: The Taking by Kimberly Derting

     This book. Absolutely loved it. I was hooked from the very beginning, and there wasn't a single moment that I wanted to put it down, or even pause to get up for food. If you can get your hands on this book, I strongly recommend it.
     Kyra Agnew  is just a normal girl- the star of the softball team, who has an amazing best friend and the perfect guy- but that changes one night when she gets into an argument with her dad and makes him stop the car. Angry, Kyra gets out, and trips, falling down an embankment. She sees a flash of white light, and then...

     She wakes up five years later.

     Her boyfriend is off to college with her best friend leading the life that was supposed to be Kyra's. Everything has changed, and she doesn't like it, and worse than that, she just might be falling for her boyfriend's kid brother, who isn't such a kid anymore. But maybe, just maybe, Kyra isn't the only one who's seen the flash... And just maybe, she isn't the only one who woke up in another time.
     I can honestly say, without a shadow of doubt, that this is one of my favorite books of the year so far. I can't wait for it to come out and be enjoyed by all of you, because I know it'll go great places. Hats off to Kimberly Derting *Removes hat*. I'm ready and waiting for book two.