Tag: fantasy

This Chicks Sunday Commentary: A Positive Spin on a Negative book Tag… #giveaway

I am normally a very positive person!  Really, I am! (She says very confidently.). But, I’ll admit, there is something I need to get off my chest. I have seen a Tag which puts a negative spin on reading and/or picking out a book and this really bothers me. After seeing this tag a couple times I wrote the questions down, not sure if I ever wanted to put my answers in writing for the world to see. I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings by saying I’m just never going to read their book. Not that I think a ton of authors are reading my posts, but you never know! Wouldn’t you hate to have, oh, I don’t know, J.K. Rowling know that you hated Harry Potter? Or never intended to even pick it up? Why, yes, you would! As if! Anyways, I took a glance at those questions today and thought I am not going down that road of negativity!  So, I am choosing to do the Books I Probably Won’t Read Tag, but am re-naming it…

I Have One Month to Live and Can’t Die without Reading These Books… Tag!. Ok this title may be a little over the top but you get my drift. Right? Except for the dying in the next thirty days, this is positive!

1. A really hyped up book you’re dying to read in the next 30 days?

This is a tough one! My backlog of hyped up books is actually quite large because I always get sidetracked by something new, or a review I’ve read of a book I’ve never heard of that I have to get, and the list goes on. YOU of all people know this frustration. Back to the question. Hmmm, hyped up book implies YOU all have talked this one up. Ok, I’m picking an older book that I have on my kindle and have heard a TON of good things. PUCKED, by Helena Hunting. I’m not really sure why I haven’t picked it up? It’s certainly not because the book cover sucks. Umm, ok, stop staring. LOL But now that I have said I would, I will. In the next 30 days, I promise!


If you’re like me and haven’t read this one yet, check out Pucked HERE!

2. A series you absolutely have to start and will promise to finish?

I am a sucker for books about books or libraries. Especially if they are an action adventure mystery and this series sounds like it’s right up my alley.  The first novel in the Great Library series by Rachel Caine is called Ink and Bone and it looks fantastic. I’ve picked it up and thought about reading it several times. But, you know, I got distracted by a different book, and now there are three! I need to get started. Check out Ink and Bone HERE!


3. A classic that you’ve always wanted to read but have never gotten around to?

Ok, I’m going to be honest here. I don’t really want to read any classics. I LOVE the idea of reading a classic, and I was an English major with an American Lit minor so I’ve read my fair share a long time ago. I will say that even though I get caught up in contemporary novels if I were to pick one up I think I’d like to read The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle. I did love that classic movie and have often thought a modern day retelling of that story would be awesome. So maybe this will give me a few writing ideas. 


4. What genres are you likely to read?

If one of my favorite urban fantasy authors has a new book out it will jump to the front of my TBR. Ilona Andrews, Charlaine Harris, Patricia Briggs, and the more recently discovered Anne Bishop. Kelley Armstrong is also one of my favorites, which is why I was so ashamed that I hadn’t read her Cainsville series because I thought it was a horror story!  I’m hanging my head in shame again. Sigh.

Other favorite genres are romance (all types though I lean toward sweet unless it’s Kristen Ashley), ya ( I lean more towards fantasy but have read romance. It brings back such sweet memories of those long long long ago days. Lol.)  and mystery (not gory, but has a good hook.) Defintely NO HORROR! Nightmares for days if I read horror.

5. A book on your shelf you haven’t read but will in the next 30 days?

Well, I already said Pucked, which is on my virtual shelf, but what the hell, I’m a fast reader and can get through two in the next thirty days… and start Ink and Bone. Oh Gosh. I will read The Hating Game by Sally Thorne. Here’s the synopsis:

Nemesis 1) An opponent or rival whom a person cannot best or overcome.  2) A person’s undoing.   3) Joshua Templeman – Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman hate each other. Not dislike. Not begrudgingly tolerate. Hate. And they have no problem displaying their feelings through a series of ritualistic passive aggressive maneuvers as they sit across from each other, executive assistants to co-CEOs of a publishing company. Lucy can’t understand Joshua’s joyless, uptight, meticulous approach to his job. Joshua is clearly baffled by Lucy’s overly bright clothes, quirkiness, and Pollyanna attitude.

Now up for the same promotion, their battle of wills has come to a head and Lucy refuses to back down when their latest game could cost her her dream job…But the tension between Lucy and Joshua has also reached its boiling point, and Lucy is discovering that maybe she doesn’t hate Joshua. And maybe, he doesn’t hate her either. Or maybe this is just another game.


Looks cute right?
Just to put more pressure on me to read this novel in the next thirty days, I will give it away to one of my followers. Yes, we will share the same book! It will be gently read but it’s FREE.  Of course, you’ll have to wait a month!  Unless I read it this week which isn’t likely because of ARC commitments, sorry! But if you can wait a little bit, I will send it to you. Please enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below. (US only, sorry!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wasn’t this tag so much more fun putting a positive spin on the Books I Probably Won’t Read Tag? Let’s be honest, there are thousands of books I will never get to, but my intentions are always good. We all have our favorite genres and one books come first, which leaves little free time to try others. 

Did you like my tag? Want to join in with your own answers? Great! Consider yourself tagged! Link to my blog so I can see how you would respond.

Until next Sunday,

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads9 Comments

This Chick Read: Frostblood (Frostblood Saga #1) by Elly Blake #giveaway

Ruby and her mom have kept a secret from her village for years…they thought. When Frostblood soldiers show up in town, the villagers hand her over to save themselves. Ruby embraces her heritage to escape and ends up watching her mother die and her village burn down. She is a Fireblood, and her king has persecuted them so that there are very few left. Rescued from prison, Ruby lands in the midst of Fireblood rebel monks who wish to train her to use her flames……and kill the king.

Interesting concept, but somewhat familiar to the Red Queen. In Red Queen the color of your blood determines your societal rank, with silvers having powers. In Frostblood, what you are is determined by your power. Ruby has the gift of fire and heat, hence the Fireblood moniker. Those who have the power over ice and cold are Frostbloods. In both series our heroines are “captured” and trained to use their powers. In Frostblood I did enjoy her Yoda/Luke Skywalker type relationship with Brother Thistle who has determined that she is the “child of light” that is prophesied to save them from their ruthless king. Ruby is skeptical, but not stupid, and takes what training she can get. Smart girl, since she has been only successful at accidentally setting things on fire when she’s angry up to this point!

There is some historical references to Fire and Frost working together in the past, so when Ruby has a love hate relationship with Arcus, a young mysterious Frostblood, it’s no surprise when those feelings turn more to the love side of that equation (Also a similar plotline to Red Queen). Before they can explore those feelings too far, she is captured and comes to the attention of the King. This is when the story really starts moving.

This was a well written ya fantasy tale, but those similarities were a little distracting at first. There were enough differences, especially once she is in the Kings castle and forced to compete in the King’s tournament for her life, that I was able to lose myself in the storyline and enjoy the book. The second book, Fireblood, is out in September so you won’t have long to wait before the next installment. ❤️❤️❤️❣️

Would you like your own copy? Enter the Giveaway below for a signed hardback!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


or click the link to purchase! Frostblood (The Frostblood Saga)

Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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This Chick Read: A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab

A Darker Shade of Magic has a really interesting concept. There are four London’s in alternate universes. The darkest, black London was given up as lost long ago because magic took it over. The danger was so great that the next London, Grey, (I hope I get these in the right order!) shuts itself off and loses all of its magic. The third London, white, has strong magic, and its citizens view that the more you have the higher in hierarchy you are in society. The strongest citizens rule. Last is red London. Red also has magic, but is ruled by peaceful people, and its citizens are happy and pretty normal.  Kell, an Antari, can travel between all of the London’s, and he does, delivering messages to all of its rulers (except black as it is shut off.) Until one day, the rulers of white London try to rule them all. Continue reading “This Chick Read: A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab” →

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This Chick Read: A Court of Wings and Ruin (Court of Thorns and Roses #3) by Sarah J. Maas

Slight spoilers ahead!

It was hard to not read all of the reviews of this book before actually reading it myself. They were everywhere! All of my fellow bloggers gushed and sighed, exclaiming over Feyre and Rhys’s love story. Oh those Tamlin fans quickly became Tamlin haters, much preferring Feyre and Rhys. I don’t disagree, Tamlin has some serious control and anger issues, but I was happy to see that in A Court of Wings and Ruin, he was able to redeem himself, if only slightly. Rhys as Prince Charming is almost too good to be true, but the fairy tale prince continues his reign and can do no wrong in this book.

This book was a little more political in nature with all of the High Lords coming together to save humankind from King Hyberns reign of terror. I found the interactions between all of the High Lords, their relationships to each other and to Rhys to be infinitely fascinating. This book was so much more than the love story we read in the second book. Sure, there was a ton of passion between Feyre and Rhys, and it was a great love story, but the real story was about love   within a family, both new and old. Their fight against evil and how that love for family and each other is all that matters.

I thought this was the third and last book in the series but apparently Maas is not done with this storyline. I’m really looking forward to the next installment but I wonder how she is going to outdo this outstanding piece of fiction. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ (no gushing, sighing or crying involved in this review!)


Click the link to purchase! A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses)

Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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This Chick Read: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir 

When a book gets so many great reviews I’m always somewhat hesitant to read it right away, afraid the story will not be able to live up to the hype. I’ve had it on my list to read for quite awhile and in fact the second book in the series is now out. Was it worth all of the great reviews? Absolutely!  Continue reading “This Chick Read: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir “ →

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This Chick Read: Shadow Reaper (Shadow #2) by Christine Sheehan

Warning-explicit photos below. Continue at your own risk.

Shadow Reaper continues the story of the Ferraro family, and in this case playboy race car driver Ricco Ferraro. Ricco, recovering from a horrible racing accident has realized that he has nothing to live for. His reputation as a playboy is a sham, and he can’t seem to care for anyone or anything anymore. When looking for a model to practice the art of Shibari (more on this later), he meets Mariko and his shadow immediately connects with hers and he knows he finally has finally found someone worth living for. He also knows that she has come to kill him and his past has caught up with him and his family and the women he now cares deeply for may be in danger.

As with the first book, Shadow Rider, Christine Feehan creates a really interesting dark and dangerous world. One I can’t help but feel fascinated by. The Ferraro family, although mafia like as a comparison, may be more super hero. They fight for the unprotected and underprivileged, and kill to make their people safe. The Ferraro’s  use a particular skill, shadow riding, that enables them to use shadow’s as a means of traveling quickly from one place to another. Also using those same shadows to hide in and step out to fight or kill when necessary. It’s really a neat creation and I wish the author had not gotten sidetracked into the art of Shibari because to me that was a distraction from an otherwise good storyline. Part of the distraction was in trying to figure out the descriptions I was reading. I’ll admit to stopping while reading and googling Shibari, looking at photographs, reading about it and internally going “huh”. Then skipping those pages which were supposed to be a dramatic romantic hook to the storyline just to get to the good parts where the Ferraro’s were fighting for their brothers honor, Mariko’s life and their own lives.

Now, on to Shibari. In layman terms  and skipping the history lesson, Shibari uses rope to create erotic imagery and is considered an art form. In some cases, I’ll agree, it can be quite lovely, but also kind of scary. Because I found the visuals helpful, here are a couple of pictures on either end of the spectrum.


You can tell by these photos that I was a little confused by what I was supposed to be visualizing when Ricco was tying up Mariko. Although she did seem to like it, it just wasn’t my thing. However, I am positive that there will be huge fans of what Ms. Feehan was trying to achieve in this book. In fact I bet there are a few of you who will google Shibari right after your done reading this blog. You’re welcome! However, it just kind of got lost in the translation for me. I did enjoy the other portions of this book. The storyline was great and I love the imagery of shadow riding. As I stated in my review of Shadow Rider, I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this book. It was a tough one for me to review!

I received an ARC of this book for my honest review, and it was honest!

❤️❤️❤️❣️

Read my review of Shadow Rider- click HERE


Click the link to purchase! Shadow Reaper (Shadow Riders Novel, A)

Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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This Chick Read: Etched in Bone (Others #5) by Anne Bishop

This series has quickly become one of my favorites. I was eager to read Etched in Bone, while at the same time dreading it. Do you ever love something so much that you want to eat it up and put it off at the same time? This was one of those novels for me! Continue reading “This Chick Read: Etched in Bone (Others #5) by Anne Bishop” →

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This Chick Read: The Hunt (The Cage #2) by Megan Shepherd

After their escape failed in The Cage. Cora who had started to have feelings for their Kindred keeper Cassian, found out he was the one that betrayed she Lucky and Mali. A betrayal that was supposed to help enhance the psychic abilities that he thought she had. I’m not sure how that was supposed to enhance abilities, but it certainly pissed Cora off! As a punishment for their escape, she, Lucky, and Mali are put in some sort of Safari themed enclosure where Kindred go to relax and fake kill things. One scene between Lucky and one of the animals particularly struck me (and Lucky!) as sad and awful. Cora, still determined to escape, takes Cassian up on his offer to train her to use her psychic abilities but this time she will use him. She trains and is able to telepathically build her strength and plan an escape for she and her friends. Continue reading “This Chick Read: The Hunt (The Cage #2) by Megan Shepherd” →

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This Chick Read: Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Strange the Dreamer is about a Lost City named Weep, a young Librarian named Lazlo Strange, and a journey of self discovery. Lazlo Strange is the first hero that Is normal. He doesn’t have any super powers, he just has big dreams. Dreams that he wants to make a reality. He has that chance when citizens of a lost city, now named Weep, search for people who can help them, and they arrive in the city where Lazlo resides. Lazlo almost doesn’t go on this journey, as he is not seen as important enough by his own people, to have anything to offer. However, Lazlo has been dreaming of, and researching this city for years, and he speaks up offering his services as an apprentice or secretary and they accept.

Lazlo’s journey begins when he arrives in the land of Weep. The story of each character unfolds and through Lazlo, we find understanding of what has come to pass. Through Lazlo, we dream, we love, and we find heartbreak. Las LI finds within himself the strength to dream a little bigger. 

This book took a little while to get into. Lazlo was just so ordinary. I am so used to reading magical realism fantasy novels where the hero or heroine has a power of some sort that I kind of set myself up to expect the same from this book. Strange the Dreamer is not a fantasy novel, it is a fairy tale of the Grimm variety. The monsters revealed in this book are Gods, and these Gods did horrible things to this city and its inhabitants. As the story unfolds more conflict is revealed and my expectations of Lazlo became so great, I impatiently turned the pages hoping for a solution to be revealed, for him to become my hero with a capital H.

This was such a good story, but so hard to read! Laini Taylor did an amazing job of creating a world that was alien to the reader and also the characters in this book. I think at times I was confused at what I was reading. It’s a good thing Lazlo was there to provide a solidity and strength to carry me through to its conclusion. ❤️❤️❤️❤️


Buy it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo!

Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe A Chick Who Reads All Rights Reserved

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This Chick Read : Burn for Me (Hidden Legacy #1) by Ilona Andrews

I recently re-read this book because the second book in the series, White Hot, will be released in the next couple months and I loved loved loved this book, but read it a long time ago. Burn for Me is set in our contemporary world, but there are some slight differences. Hierarchy is created by how much psychic and magical power you hold. The levels of power are ranked, the highest being a Prime.  These Prime families have bred to increase their Continue reading “This Chick Read : Burn for Me (Hidden Legacy #1) by Ilona Andrews” →

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