I fear I might’ve been in a bit of a reading slump when I started Dyrwolf, but I did like all the elements. Strong female MC, sweet love interest, great writing, lots of action, interesting world dynamic between the Dyr and humans, and interesting political intrigue—but I think there was just something about the pacing and possibly the chemistry between Lea and Henrik that threw me off just a smidge. Even so, I definitely enjoyed this action-filled fantastical adventure, and would recommend to anyone looking for a fun YA fantasy with a wolfy twist.
I think this book has convinced me that I’m *really* not a paperback person. I’m always losing them, and after spending hours editing, revising, and beta-reading, I really just want to have someone read to me on an audiobook. While I’m not saying I’m moving exclusively to audiobooks… I think the paperback life might be behind me. Which feels weirdly bittersweet for some reason.
I loved Katherine Macdonald’s Thief of Spring duology, so I was absolutely ready to pick up another book for hers. A Curse of Hope and Shadows kind of reminds me of a cross between Beauty and the Beast and Downton Abbey. The romance is sweet and slowburn, and the plot closely shadows the source fairy tale, but (and this is a personal preference) there wasn’t quite enough tension for me. Adeline and Dimitri fall pretty steadily for each other throughout, although at times, I feel like Adeline was a bit motherly toward Dimitri. But as per usual, Macdonald’s writing is gorgeous and her characters are both likable and showcase a lot of depth. I would totally recommend it to anyone looking for a sweet, character-driven Beauty and the Beast retelling.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Give me the frightening, monstery beasts that are something to fear.
Okay, Followed by Fire was so fun. I loved McKenzie Austin’s Panagea Tales, but I think this one tops it for me. McKenzie has such a gift for vibrant characters that jump off the page, and I especially loved these. I loved Esven, Balvo, and Elias so much it was honestly hard for me to pick a favorite. In a world of demons and magic, the strings that tied these characters together were tense, the banter was perfection, and Maritimus the cat was the cherry on top. Highly recommend for all fans of YA Fantasy.
What the Knocker-Upper Woke Up combines the darkness of both the modern era and times past into an atmospheric paranormal. The story starts in Victorian-era London as it follows a few characters who stumble upon the darkness awaiting in a derelict mental asylum. Fast forward to present day, and the evil of the place continues to cause trouble for the characters of the present.
The writing style here is both rich and evocative in describing the creepiness of the Sideways and its inhabitants. Tess and the other characters are likable and easy to root for, but I did feel like this one was a bit slower to develop. (However, as I usually prefer breakneck pace, I think this is definitely a personal preference. 😂) The ending was unexpected though, and I thought it perfectly wrapped up this spooky paranormal. Recommended for fans of unique, well-written YA paranormal.
⭐⭐⭐⭐½
As a fellow not-morning person, being woken up at an ungodly hour is probably my villain origin story too. Just sayin.
I absolutely love when a book delivers on its premise, and this one is right on the money! We Could be Villains follows Rosemary, a huge Vigil & Ante (read: Marvel-esque) fangirl as she stumbles into the high-stakes reality behind her favorite movies. With her difficult home-life, cinematic passion, and quirky tagalong co-worker, Rosemary is definitely a character that you can connect with almost immediately, and it’s so fun to follow both her excitement and fear as she navigates the new and dangerous world of undercover superheroes. It was really interesting to see the Vigil & Ante world unfold before her, along with some twists that definitely caught me by surprise.
Interspliced with her narrative is an interrogation of Ironfall, the smooth villain of Vigil & Ante and Rosemary’s blackmailer. I absolutely loved seeing the contrast between his take on events and Rosemary, and the chemistry between them is intense! Let’s just say I’m a big Ironfall fan. The promise of a enemies-to-lovers romance is THICK and definitely has me checking for the release date of the sequel!
Definitely recommend for any superhero fans looking for a fast-paced romp through a world that you’ll definitely will want to jump into for yourself!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Throwback to that one time I was a superhero! It’s always a good time.🦸♀️
This book had so many elements that I enjoyed. The Italian vibes, the creepy darkness of the prose, and a plot of murder, princes of hell, and witches. I was totally on board. But, the MC, Emilia, kind of ruined it for me. Oh boy. Seriously, I could not Even with her. Though the audiobook was beautifully narrated, there were a couple times I had to pause it because Emilia was killing me. Again. The mental gymnastics she goes through to repeatedly end up at the wrong conclusion was exhausting, and her treatment of Wrath (who saved her life way too many times to count) was not cool. Seriously, run, Wrath. I’m sure there have to be other witch fish in the sea. So, great premise, great writing, but a nonsensical MC I really couldn’t find redeemable. But! That’s just my opinion, so if you’re into dark fantasy with strong Italian flavor, maybe give it a look!
Me & my Into the Churn copy! Are those hearts in my eyes?!?!
AHHHHHH! FINALLY! You all. I have been living with this secret since I first saw the cover in September, and it has been KILLING me. And then the ARC came last week, and I seriously wasn’t sure I was going to make it! Sorry, you’re going to have to forgive me for the caps everywhere but I’m so excited for this book release I can’t take it! 🤩
One thing I absolutely adore about Whimsical Publishing is how each one of their covers is a work of art. Non-figuratively. Micheline is an incredible artist, and I’m blown away with her ability to capture the feel of my romantic sci-fi in her artwork. Micheline’s passion for these characters and this story honestly makes me want to cry happy tears. This book incorporated so many of my experiences and feelings as an international/collegiate fencer and ultramarathoner, so it truly is a book of my heart, and I’m so excited to share with everyone!
Naturally, I have to tease with the blurb first though:
Earth was tame. Belethea is not.
Seventeen-year-old Ezren Hart interns in her mother’s terraforming lab, studying Belethea’s deadly storms with the dream of giving her backwater planet open teal skies. But when budget cuts threaten to shut down her mother’s lab, Ezren enters Belethea’s Race Royale, the system’s deadliest and most lucrative race. To win, she’ll have to run, drive, and fight her way across Belethea’s barren landscape while navigating its savage and volatile storms. With her planet’s future, and her family’s, on the line, she can’t afford to lose. But first, she’ll have to convince her handsome royale partner that their planet is worth saving.
Foster Sterling is a jaded ex-prodigy royaler still reeling from his partner’s death in a training accident. When Ezren Hart comes charging into his life, her passion reminds him of what he once loved about racing and his dream of returning pride to their planet. Still, no matter how fast they go, they can’t outrun the mysterious string of deadly accidents following them like a curse. As Foster falls harder for Ezren, he races to piece the clues together. But with time running out and their survival on the line, he’ll have to decide if their dreams are worth their lives.
Perfect for fans of underdog heroes, slow-burn romance, and high-stakes sci-fi, INTO THE CHURN races across a new planet of savage storms and dazzling tech. Fall in love with Ezren and Foster as they battle side-by-side to save their scrappy world on a ruthless interplanetary stage where appearances are everything, speed means survival, and the only thing deadlier than the storms are the other racers.
Two royalers, besieged by tornadic storms, running across a mauve, rocky terrain under a teal sky peppered with foreign planets
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! Isn’t it beautiful!?!? 😍😍😍 And to make launch even BETTER, Whimsical Publishing is giving away some incredible preorder incentives – including artwork of scenes from the book!
Preorder incentives include character art of emotional scene in their royaler suits, awkward scene with a shirtless Foster, bookmarks of cover art, map art, and signed bookplate! Preorder incentives only available with orders through whimsicalpublishing.ca
Okay, is this even real life? Someone pinch me. I’m legit still in shock. To get in on all the amazing preorder goodies, you can preorder INTO THE CHURN from Whimsical Publishing’s site here.
You can also add Into the Churn on Goodreads here! Stay tuned to both my Instagram @hayleyreesechow and @whimsicalillustration for more character art and sneak peeks in the coming weeks!
All right. I have more secrets, but I thinks that’s all I can give away for now. Please excuse me while I go happy screech around the office for the rest of the day.
Totally not considering walking around like this for the rest of my life or anything… 😂
This was a charming fantasy about a girl who makes a deal with a fate following a broken heart. For me, the highlight of this story really came in the world itself. Roughly split between Magic and non magic, there’s tons of interesting lore and eccentricities that really made me want to soak this world up. The mystery of the fates, prophecy, and stories without endings also definitely kept me turning pages. But though I liked Jax and Evangeline well enough, I didn’t totally fall for them, and I was definitely wishing the connection between them was a little stronger. Really, Evangeline’s goals in general didn’t feel super compelling, and the ending felt a little forced. The narration was great though, and I’d still totally recommend this to YA fantasy readers. Although this doesn’t work well as a stand-alone in any way, I’d definitely give the sequel a look to see what happens next!
⭐⭐⭐⭐½
(Update: Tried to listen to the sequel, The Ballad of Never After, and got a third of the way through before I had to DNF. Evangeline’s poor decisions were killing me, but lots of people love that series, so it could just be me!)
This week Whimsical Publishing officially revealed the title and blurb for my upcoming Young Adult Science Fiction, INTO THE CHURN, launching April 4th 2023! 🥳 So now, I’m thrilled to announce some other exciting news!
First, the Into the Churn Street Team is officially open for sign-ups here! If you’re willing to help with the December cover reveal & spreading the word, we’d love your help & can offer some fun perks—including the chance to win a *very* rare physical advance reader copy (ARC) in return! And if you’ve never seen Whimsical Publishing’s books, they’re absolutely gorgeous. 😍
Second, if you’re interested in an electronic advance reader copy (eARC) you can request one on Whimsical Publishing’s website here!
And lastly, if you’d like to check out a sneak peek of a scene from the book, you can find it on Whimsical’s back-up Instagram account here!
As a author publishing with a small press, we depend on readers to help spread the word, so any social media shares, retweets, posts are so greatly appreciated!
Thanks so much for reading, and the text-version of the blurb is included below!
Seventeen-year-old Ezren Hart interns in her mother’s terraforming lab, studying Belethea’s deadly storms with the dream of giving her backwater planet open teal skies. But when budget cuts threaten to shut down her mother’s lab, Ezren enters Belethea’s Race Royale, the system’s deadliest and most lucrative race. To win, she’ll have to run, drive, and fight her way across Belethea’s barren landscape while navigating its savage and volatile storms. With her planet’s future, and her family’s, on the line, she can’t afford to lose. But first, she’ll have to convince her handsome royale partner that their planet is worth saving.
Foster Sterling is a jaded ex-prodigy royaler still reeling from the death of his partner in a training accident. When Ezren Hart comes charging into his life, her passion reminds him of what he once loved about racing and his dream of returning pride to their planet. Still, no matter how fast they go, they can’t outrun the mysterious string of deadly accidents following them like a curse. As Foster falls harder for Ezren, he races to piece the clues together. But with time running out and their survival on the line, he’ll have to decide if their dreams are worth their lives.
Perfect for fans of underdog heroes, slow burn romance, and high stakes sci fi, INTO THE CHURN races across a new planet of savage storms and dazzling tech. Fall in love with Ezren and Foster as they battle side-by-side to save their scrappy world on a ruthless interplanetary stage where appearances are everything, speed means survival, and the only thing deadlier than the storms are the other racers.
This is the Canva cover I put together when drafting. I can’t WAIT to share the real thing Whimsical Publishing created. It’s absolutely GORGEOUS!
I’m so excited to announce I’m going to start posting fun little author interviews as part of this bookish blog as well! And for our first author interview, it’s my pleasure to introduce Shelby Elizabeth, a fellow indie author of young adult novels!
Shelby Elizabeth is an English teacher in Upstate New York. She’s also a major geek. When she isn’t writing about fantasy worlds or romance, she can be found reading, playing with her nephews and spending time with family, or watching just a bit too much television. She is the author of the Celestials trilogy and a standalone contemporary romance novel, Don’t Hate the Player.
Hayley: Hey Shelby! Thanks so much for letting me ask you a few questions! Reading your Goodreads bio, I see you’re a big fanfiction writer! What are some of your favorite fanction works and how do you think that’s influenced or inspired your novels?
Shelby: I started out writing fanfiction, and wrote one as recently as early 2022! I can’t advocate it enough. It really helps you find your voice and hone your craft–and it’s a lot of fun! My favorite fanfics to write let me explore big moments in my favorite characters’ stories. Introspective pieces that really dig into the characters’ thoughts and feelings. I’ve actually reworked pieces of fanfics into my books!
Hayley: Very cool! Hearing you talk about it definitely makes me want to give it a go. I also see that you’re a teacher! How awesome! How does your role as a teacher influence or inspire what you write in your novels?
Shelby: Thanks! Classroom conversations generate a lot of ideas, haha! Whether it’s random side conversations (with colleagues or students) or interpretations of a class text, the environment inspires creativity for me.
Hayley: So, though I have Stars Begin to Burn downloaded on Kindle and Don’t Hate the Player is definitely on my TBR, I haven’t gotten a chance to read either of them yet! What are some common themes or elements we can expect from your books?
Shelby: That’s awesome! I always have found family in my books. It’s one of my favorite tropes, and I love exploring different types of found family dynamics. And at least one character will be a geek in some way. Riley (Stars Begin to Burn) loves Harry Potter. Eli (Don’t Hate the Player) loves music. As for common themes in my books, some favorites are exploring shades of gray and recognizing the power of love (platonic, familial, and romantic).
Hayley: That sounds absolutely lovely. So I see you’ve both finished a series (Celestials) and written a standalone (Don’t Hate the Player), but do you prefer writing one over the other? When you write your series, do you plot the whole thing out from the beginning or do you just see where the story takes you?
Shelby: I love the challenge of writing a series, but I also love the succinctness of having one book tell a whole story. I plan to do more of both–and series of connected, standalone books, as a happy medium. For my Celestials trilogy, I knew how books one and two would end when I started it, and had a rough idea for the end of book three. I knew all of the big events, and filled in smaller arcs as I went. Some projects I outline a lot. Others I outline the big things and fill in.
Hayley: I love the flexibility there! But what’s next? I know from Twitter you’re working on a Pegasi novel for Nanowrimo, and I think I saw a teaser that you might also be thinking about a volleyball inspired romance? When do you think we can expect to see your next work? Do you think you’ll stick to YA or do you have plans for other genres and age groups?
Shelby: I have an idea for an MG fantasy series using Greek myth at some point, but for now I’m sticking to YA. My current focus is a series of interconnected standalone fantasy romance novels called All the World’s a Story. Shakespearean inspired, with magical creatures. The first one, Lady of Dragons, is in the editing phase and should release next year! The second, Lord of Pegasi, is my work-in-progress. I might write the volleyball romance next, and set it in the same school as Don’t Hate the Player. I found I like alternating between contemporary and fantasy, though fantasy remains my focus.
Hayley: Thank you so much for your thoughtful answers! Now it’s time for a Lightning Round!
o Favorite book you’ve read lately?
A Curse of Hope and Shadows Parts Two and Three by Katherine Macdonald
o Favorite quote?
“Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it.” – J. K. Rowling
o Favorite trope?
Friends to lovers! And found family.
o Favorite season?
Spring or fall.
o Advice for aspiring indie authors?
Write what you want, when you need to. Just keep writing as long as it makes you happy. Oh, and before you publish, build up hype for your book by sharing snippets and info about the characters. It makes a huge difference to have people excited to read your book on release day, instead of telling them about it after you’ve published (trust me on that).
Yay! Thanks so much to Shelby for coming on as our first author interview! I really enjoyed your passion, and I can’t wait to read your books! To hear more from Shelby, you can check out her Twitter here for updates. I hope you all enjoyed this interview, and if you’re an author interested in an interview please feel free to drop me a line! As always, thanks for reading!
Hayley Reese Chow 