Monday, June 6, 2016

Monday Madness: The Rose & the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh

Monday Madness is a bookish meme hosted by Bookfever & Booklover's Teaparty

You know that feeling when you feel like you are gonna go mad if you do not get a certain book right away, when you are obsessed and all you want is that one book and you will be happy? That is what Monday Madness is about. All those books you that drive you mad.

Pick a book. Talk about it- why do you want it? What has drawn you to it? Why is it making you mad with want for it?




The Rose & the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh
The Wrath and the Dawn #2
Published April 26th 2016

The darker the sky, the brighter the stars.

In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad is forced from the arms of her beloved husband, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once thought Khalid a monster—a merciless killer of wives, responsible for immeasurable heartache and pain—but as she unraveled his secrets, she found instead an extraordinary man and a love she could not deny. Still, a curse threatens to keep Shazi and Khalid apart forever.

Now she’s reunited with her family, who have found refuge in the desert, where a deadly force is gathering against Khalid—a force set on destroying his empire and commanded by Shazi’s spurned childhood sweetheart. Trapped between loyalties to those she loves, the only thing Shazi can do is act. Using the burgeoning magic within her as a guide, she strikes out on her own to end both this terrible curse and the brewing war once and for all. But to do it, she must evade enemies of her own to stay alive.

The saga that began with The Wrath and the Dawn takes its final turn as Shahrzad risks everything to find her way back to her one true love again.



The Wrath & the Dawn was one of my top favorite books last year so it kinda kills me I haven't been able to get my hands on The Rose and the Dagger yet. I hope I can get it soon, though. Or maybe find it in a bookstore this summer. I want to read is so badly but on the other hand I'll be sad when I have read it because it's only a duology so this is the last book. Very sad.




And don't forget to check out Christina's post! ♥




 

Sunday, June 5, 2016

Review: Embarkations by Liz Duffy Adams & Delia Sherman

Title: Embarkations
Author: Liz Duffy Adams & Delia Sherman
Series: Whitehall #1

Publication: May 18th 2016 by Serial Box Publishing
Genre: Historical Fiction
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Google Play | iBooks | Kobo

Rating: 4/5

Review copy received in exchange for an honest review.

England gets a new queen in the first episode of Whitehall, an episodic royal tale full of true history and sensual intrigue, new from Serial Box Publishing.

Winds of change carry a young Portuguese princess towards her destiny as the sun rises on Whitehall. Sheltered but curious, Catherine of Braganza arrives in her new English home full of eager excitement, but what this pious foreigner’s arrival will mean for the Merry Monarch she is to wed – and the mistress who holds his heart – is what everyone is talking about.

This episode is brought to you by Liz Duffy Adams and Delia Sherman, who know every embarkation is an adventure about to happen.

"Embarkations" begins the 13-part serial, Whitehall, presented by Serial Box. Intrigue, romance, and scandal fill the palace halls in this historical tale, collaboratively written by Liz Duffy Adams, Delia Sherman, Barbara Samuel, Madeleine Robins, Sarah Smith, and Mary Robinette Kowal.


I'm so very excited about this new serial written by various authors! It's the first serial I've come across that is historical fiction and I'm, as some people might know, a bit of a history nerd... okay, a HUGE history nerd... so I couldn't help but like this first part of Whitehall so, so much.

Whitehall, season 1, episode 1: Embarkations is set in 1662 and is about Catherine of Braganza and her marriage to King Charles II of England and is written by Liz Duffy Adams and Delia Sherman. Both are new-to-me authors but I really liked their writing because it really felt like it took me to the era in which this story takes place. 

As this story takes place in 17th century England there is of course a lot of political intrigue, scandal and there is never a boring moment. The character all are intriguing in their own way from Catherine herself to King Charles II to his mistress Barbara Palmer to the ambitious Jenny. 

I, for one, am very excited to read all the other parts in this 13-part serial. If they're all as good as Embarkations was, then I'm sure I've found my new favorite story.




About Liz Duffy Adams

Liz Duffy Adams is a playwright whose play neo-Restoration comedy Or, premiered Off Broadway at Women's Project Theater and has been produced 40 times since, including at Magic Theater and Seattle Rep. She's a New Dramatists alumna and has received a Women of Achievement Award, Lillian Hellman Award, New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship, Weston Playhouse Music Theater Award, and Will Glickman Award. Her plays include Dog Act; A Discourse on the Wonders of the Invisible World; Buccaneers; Wet or, Isabella the Pirate Queen Enters the Horse Latitude; The Listener, The Reckless RUthless Brutal Charge of It or, The Train Play; and One Big Lie.

About Delia Sherman

Delia Sherman is the author of numerous short stories, as well as the novels Through a Brazen Mirror and The Porcelain Dove. She has judged the Crawford Award for Best First Fantasy Novel, The Jame Tiptree, Jr. Award, and the World Fantasy Award. She has taught SF and Fantasy writing at Odyssey: the Fantasy Writing Workshop, the Clarion Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers' Workshop, The Hollins University Graduate Program in Children's Literature, the Alpha Workshop for Young Writers, and workshops at colleges and science fiction conventions all over America.


Saturday, June 4, 2016

Stacking The Shelves: June 4, 2016

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted @ Tynga's Reviews.




For Review:
Coloring Notebook
I got this awesome coloring notebook for review. I love it so much! Will review it soon.



I was so excited to find the first three books of this new serial on NG. I read the first one yesterday and it was great! I love historical fiction. ♥


For Review:
As I Descended by Rovin Talley
Found this one on Edelweiss and it sounds pretty good!

Freebie:
Blocked by Jennifer Lane
I grabbed this back when it was free. Unfortunately it's not free anymore.

Freebie:
Ancient Egypt Secrets Explained by Jeffrey Houston
Again a free book I got. It also isn't free anymore right now.


Freebie:
Duchess of Cornwall by Morris Fenris
Another freebie and this one is still free here.




What books did you add to your shelves?
Leave me links to your hauls so I can stop by! :)