Saturday, July 31, 2021

JASMINE's THOUGHTS on Rotting Reign by Stacey Rourke, E. Rourke, and M. Rourke

Genre:
New Adult
Paranormal/Epic Fantasy
Series:
Death Diggers Handbook, #2
Publish Date:
August 17, 2021
Publisher:
Anchor Group Publishing

Cover Designed by:
Melissa Stevens

Synopsis:
The queen on her throne, the veil sealed tight.
For a moment, all in Carnage Crossing seemed right.

Magnificent galas. The waltzing dead.
A town of corpses happy in their homestead.

But darkness crept in, drawn by venom and spite,
Corrupting the island for its twisted delight.

A plague of decay sweeps over the land,
Reducing its victims to grains of sand.

To protect her people, the Corpse Queen must rise,
And gather what’s left of her crumbling allies.

Can the queen save them all from their grisly plight?
Or will she be hunted when her past comes to light?


      
*FREE on Kindle Unlimited*

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Death Diggers Handbook series:
 
(covers link to Goodreads)

      
*FREE on Kindle Unlimited*


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**About the Author**
Stacey Rourke is the award winning author of works that span genres, but possess the same flare for action and snarky humor. She lives in Florida with her husband, two beautiful daughters, and two giant dogs. Stacey loves to travel, has an unhealthy shoe addiction, and considers herself blessed to make a career out of talking to the imaginary people that live in her head.

Stay connected with Stacey Rourke
      
  
 

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*My Thoughts*

Note: This review contains NO spoilers

Why.... Oh why!!!! To end on a cliffhanger! To leave readers with more questions. Wow! What storytelling.... Stacey Rourke just grabs readers from beginning to end. She builds that excitement and trepidation to what lies ahead in the story. All the secrets that were revealed... Really?!?! Whoa!! Rotting Reign kept me absolutely at the "edge of my seat" with apprehension at what lies ahead for the queen and the people of Carnage Crossing.

Rotting Reign begins where Corpse Queen left off. From there, the Corpse Queen again is faced with another dire predicament as she continues to settle in as queen of Carnage Crossing. The macabre and uncanny lives in Carnage Crossing must again be saved. As chaos ensues, the Corpse Queen's past is revealed in which it is the key to helping her people.

My heart was definitely racing with foreboding with each turn of the page. I was so engrossed into the story; I just had to get to the end to know what becomes of the queen and the citizens of Carnage Crossing. When I did get to the gripping end, so much of Corpse Queen's past was revealed that it felt like my heart was "ripped out of my chest." Whoa! 🤣 Since we are talking about revelations... That revelation at the end made for a dramatic cliffhanger. OMG! 😱

I so NEED the next book now! Must know what happens next.

My rating:

Friday, July 30, 2021

BLOG TOUR: Song of the Forever Rains by E.J. Mellow

 

Welcome to the Official Blog Tour for Award-winning Author E.J. Mellow's Song of the Forever Rains, the first book in the The Mousai series. Today, on our tour stop, we have my thoughts to share on this dark fantasy. We even have a tour-wide giveaway to share, too! So... Be sure to check out my review and grab your copy now! Follow the tour, HERE.

Genre:
New Adult
Dark Fantasy Romance
Series:
The Mousai, #1
Publish Date:
July 1, 2021
Publisher:
Montlake Romance

Synopsis:
From the award-winning author of the Dreamland series comes a new dark romantic fantasy about a young woman finding hope in her powers of destruction.

The Thief Kingdom is a place hidden within the world of Aadlior. Many whisper of its existence, but few have found this place, where magic and pleasure abound. There, the mysterious Thief King reigns supreme with the help of the Mousai, a trio of revered and feared sorceresses.

Larkyra Bassette may be the youngest of the Mousai, but when she sings her voice has the power to slay monsters. When it’s discovered the Duke of Lachlan is siphoning a poisonous drug from the Thief Kingdom and using it to abuse his tenants, Larkyra is offered her first solo mission to stop the duke. Eager to prove herself, Larkyra accepts by posing as the duke’s potential bride. But her plans grow complicated when she finds herself drawn to Lord Darius Mekenna, Lachlan’s rightful heir. Soon she suspects Darius has his own motivations for ridding Lachlan of the corrupt duke. Larkyra and Darius must learn to trust each other if there is to be any hope of saving the people of Lachlan—and themselves.

Welcome to the world of Aadilor, where lords and ladies can be murderers and thieves, and the most alluring notes are often the deadliest. Dare to listen?


      
*FREE on Kindle Unlimited*

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Praise for Song of the Forever Rains

“A spellbinding read…A dark, lyrical fantasy that merges vast worldbuilding with the best of romance tropes.” —Kirkus Reviews

“It’s so easy to lose yourself in Mellow’s evocative and engaging prose. Song of the Forever Rains blends excellent world building, wonderful character dynamics, and slow burn romance. I’m already looking forward to the sequel.” —Charlie N. Holmberg, Wall Street Journal bestselling author

“A story so immersive, it will haunt you long after the last page.” —Staci Hart, bestselling author

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Mousai series:
  
(cover link to Goodreads)

      
*FREE on Kindle Unlimited*
***Pre-order book 2, Dance of a Burning Sea, today!***

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**About the Author**
Photo Content from E.J. Mellow
E.J. Mellow is an award-winning and best selling author of five novels. She grew up in a household of artists, surrounded by three sisters who were often found traipsing through the small grove of trees near their home. There they morphed into wolves and wild horses, escaping capture from many foe. Today, E.J. has taken her imagination to the page where readers have said her "lyrical, vibrant, and imaginative" writing sweeps them into "stunning worlds". She is also the co-founder of She Is Booked, a literary themed fundraising organization that supports women’s charities.

Residing in Colorado, E.J. released her newest dark fantasy novel, Song of the Forever Rains, out from Montlake Romance July 1st, 2021

Stay connected with E.J. Mellow
      

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*My Thoughts*

Note: This review contains NO spoilers

Well. Hmmm.... This was an fascinating read. With such vivid imagery and description on the world building and character development, I was completely immersed into this fantasy/magical world... dark as it is. I would say that the target readers/audience would be upper Young Adult/New Adult due to some of the situations in the book. The romance is subtle like a slow-burn. The story, as well as the characters, was filled with surprises with its twists and turns. I enjoyed the complicated, yet quirky, character interactions and relationships. It definitely made for some interesting and deep thoughts... A definite "things that make you go, hmmm..." 🤔 Lots of secrets abound throughout this book which urged me to continue reading. However, I felt that midway into the book, it fell flat or dull to me. It was a bit of a struggle to continue reading. But... I did not let that stop me from turning the pages. Because I was already captivated with the story, I did endure and continued reading to the end.

With such immense world building, this book is full of potential for more stories to tell. It is so apparent that this is just the beginning of other stories to tell, not just with Larkyra and her family (and other characters), but also the Thief Kingdom... a world within a world, so to speak. Ha! That's magic to weave... Haha!

This is such an intricately laid out story with many subplots and more with such detail that readers will be engrossed into this world. I would have to say that I don't think this is a read for all fantasy lovers. It will come down to either loving it or hating it. I, on the other hand, did enjoy this read. I am looking forward to the next standalone book in this Mousai series.

My rating:

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***The Giveaway***


Giveaway Open Internationally | Must be 13+ to Enter
- ends August 9, 2021
Note: Not Responsible for Lost & Damaged Prizes in Your Mail Box

Blog Tour Organized by