THE FALSE PRINCE is the thrilling first book in a brand-new trilogy filled with danger and deceit and hidden identities that will have readers rushing breathlessly to the end.
In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king’s long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner’s motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword’s point — he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage’s rivals have their own agendas as well.
As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner’s sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.
An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats.
“You are the biggest fool of a boy I’ve ever known,” Mott said. Then his tone softened. “But you will serve Carthya well.”
“I wish I felt ready to do this,” I said. “The closer we come to the moment, the more I see every defect in my character that caused my parents to send me away in the first place.”
“From all I’m told, the prince they sent away was selfish, mischievous, and destructive. The king who returns is courageous, noble, and strong.”
“And a fool,” I added
Mott chuckled. “You are that too.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, The False Prince
Everything hangs in the balance, and nothing is certain: Rachel has been kidnapped by enemy forces and is being taken to Rowansmark while Logan, imprisoned and awaiting trial, is unable to leave Lankenshire. Separated from each other and their Baalboden comrades, each must find a way to achieve what they desperately want: to rid their world once and for all of the Commander and the tech that controls the deadly Cursed One.
Fighting through her pain and embracing the warrior she’s become, Rachel will do whatever it takes to escape her enemies’ clutches and join Logan in his fight. But when she learns a secret that changes everything, she realizes that escaping Ian and his tracker friends is no longer an option if she wants to save the people she loves. Instead, she’ll have to destroy Rowansmark from the inside out—if she can survive the journey through the Wasteland.
Logan needs allies if he wants to thwart Rowansmark’s power grab and rescue Rachel. But securing allies will mean betraying his beliefs and enlisting the help of the man he hates more than anyone: Commander Jason Chase. Driven by his fierce love for Rachel and his determination to make their world safe, Logan may be just the weapon the city-states need to defeat the Cursed One.
But as Rowansmark bears down and uneasy alliances are tested, will Rachel and Logan’s love for each other be enough to surmount the unbelievable odds against them?
My Review:
I loved this book! It was a great end to a wonderful series. The story is well developed and beautifully written. I was on the edge of my seat through most of the book. I love the characters, especially Rachel and Logan. They had to endure many hardships in this book and at times, I was very worried, but that is what makes great storytelling. Rachel and Logan have a wonderful love story.
Rachel lives in a society where woman have very few rights. They must have a male protector and they are not allowed to go out in society by themselves. Rachel was raised by her father to be self reliant and to think for herself. She is smart, confident, cares deeply for her family and friends. and is a natural leader. She is also very much in love with Logan. She would do anything to keep him save, including sacrificing herself.
Logan was trained to be a courier by Rachel’s father. When Jared goes missing, Logan becomes her new protector. Logan is an orphan, an outcast, and an inventor. He will do anything to protect Rachel and soon realizes the true depth of his feelings for her. He becomes a great leader through the series and many people rely on his ability to make plans.
At the beginning of this book, Rachel and Logan are separated. Rachel has been kidnapped by Ian, while Logan is surrounded by Rowansmark trackers and the Commander and his army. Will Logan be able to come up with a plan to escape and rescue Rachel in time? You will have to read the book to find out.
If you haven’t read this series, you definitely should. The series contains the books Defiance, Deception, and Deliverance. I would recommend them to anyone who likes books about dystopian societies or post apocalyptic literature. I give this book 5 stars.
“I fell for her in summer, my lovely summer girl,
From summer she is made, my lovely summer girl,
I’d love to spend a winter with my lovely summer girl,
But I’m never warm enough for my lovely summer girl,
It’s summer when she smiles, I’m laughing like a child,
It’s the summer of our lives; we’ll contain it for a while
She holds the heat, the breeze of summer in the circle of her hand
I’d be happy with this summer if it’s all we ever had.”
― Maggie Stiefvater, Shiver
Grace Brisbane is a character from The Shiver Trilogy by Maggie Stievfater. The books include Shiver, Linger, and Forever. These are great books for anyone who loves a good werewolf story. Grace is a wonderful character. She is described as having long dark blonde hair, brown eyes, and fair skin. She is slender and very pretty with fading scars on her shoulders from a wolf attack.
Grace is very independent due to the neglect of her parents. She is a mathematical genius and likes her things to be neat and orderly. She is the kind of girl that prefers solitude and writes down her New Years resolutions. It is hard for her to let people in, but once she does, she is very loyal to them. She would do anything to help her friends.
Grace was attacked by wolves when she was eleven years old. She was saved by a wolf named Sam and now she feels a deep connection to him. The connection goes both ways, because Sam comes to the woods beyond her house and watches for her. Grace watches for him also, and thinks of him as her wolf. Sam is waiting for her to change, but she doesn’t, because she was left in a car on a very hot day. The resulting fever kept her from changing.
Some hunters in the area lead an illegal hunt after the death of a local teen. They are killing any wolf that they can find. Sam is shot and ends up on Grace’s back porch. She knows it is him and now it is her turn to pay him back for saving her.
Now we ask the question: Friend or Foe?
Does the character perform acts for personal gain or to help others?
Grace is very selfless. She only tries to help people and she doesn’t care about personal gain.
Is the character dishonest?
She is a very honest person, but she would lie to protect those that she loves.
Does the character kill without thought or reason?
The answer is no. She has a great respect for life. I’m not sure if she could even kill a fly.
Does the Character permit selfless acts?
Yes, Grace would gladly give up her life to save those that she loves.
Does the Character do things out of revenge?
No, she would never even consider it.
Does the character do things that have bad or good consequences?
Grace would try to make sure that the consequences turn out good. She would weigh her options very carefully. If she did something that ended up with bad consequences, it wasn’t by intent.
Are the characters personality traits noble and with good intent?
Yes, she is very noble and tries to do the right things.
Does the character strive to get what they want through any means necessary?
No, she would never do anything that would cause injury to another. Not even when that person has caused them great harm.
Does the character stand by while others perform horrendous acts?
No, she would try and stop it. She is determined to find a way to save the wolves from the illegal hunters, without hurting the hunters.
Are actions or intentions more important?
I believe that actions are more important and I think that Grace would agree with that. Without actions, good intentions are worthless.
My thoughts:
Grace is a great protagonist. You might even consider her actions to be heroic. In my opinion, she is definitely a friend. If you haven’t read The Shiver Trilogy, you really should. It is a great series and Maggie Stievfater is a master story teller.
This world is trying to kill Lily Proctor. Her life-threatening allergies keep her from enjoying experiences that others in her hometown of Salem take for granted, which is why she is determined to enjoy her first high school party with her best friend and longtime crush, Tristan. But after a humiliating incident in front of half her graduating class, Lily wishes she could just disappear.
Suddenly, Lily is in a different Salem—one overrun with horrifying creatures and ruled by powerful women called Crucibles. Strongest and cruelest of them all is Lillian . . . Lily’s other self in this alternate universe.
What makes Lily weak at home is what makes her extraordinary in New Salem. In this confusing world, Lily is torn between responsibilities she can’t hope to shoulder alone and a love she never expected.
Quote 1:
“Sorry about today,” he said sincerely. “I didn’t mean to drag you into it.”
“That was some slap. How’s your face?”
He sighed dramatically. “Unfortunately, the nurse said that slap was loaded with cooties.”
Lily sucked in a pained breath. “Cooties. You know what that means?”
“They’ll have to amputate.”
“Girls across the tri-state area will be inconsolable. A national day of mourning is sure to follow.”
He smiled at her lazily, his mouth inches away, eyes locked with hers. Lily desperately wanted to forget the whole thing and kiss his cootie-infested face, but something held her back.
—Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini
Quote 2:
She was on the floor, her fever eating her up inside, and then it all shifted.
She saw herself lying there, teeth clacking together, spine bowing and arching as her muscles pulled her bones and joints to their limits. She hovered there, above herself, watching her body tear itself apart. Then–she didn’t hear a girl’s voice, not exactly. It was fainter than that, like it was coming from far away, and the words were being placed inside her head.
You are sick in this world.
Lily wondered if she was talking to herself.
Come to me and be the most powerful person in the world.
But … I don’t want to go, Lily thought. The faint voice went away,
Today is release day for THE WINTER PEOPLE by Rebekah Purdy we’re here to celebrate with a giveaway and an excerpt! Help us celebrate the release of this amazing book and enter to win a Winter Emergency Kit!
THE WINTER PEOPLE
Author: Rebekah Purdy
Release Date: September 2, 2014
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Pages: 320
ISBN: 978-1622663682
An engrossing, complex, romantic fantasy perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore or Maggie Stiefvater, set in a wholly unique world. Salome Montgomery fears winter—the cold, the snow, the ice, but most of all, the frozen pond she fell through as a child. Haunted by the voices and images of the strange beings that pulled her to safety, she hasn’t forgotten their warning to “stay away.” For eleven years, she has avoided the winter woods, the pond, and the darkness that lurks nearby. But when failing health takes her grandparents to Arizona, she is left in charge of maintaining their estate. This includes the “special gifts” that must be left at the back of the property. Salome discovers she’s a key player in a world she’s tried for years to avoid. At the center of this world is the strange and beautiful Nevin, who she finds trespassing on her family’s property. Cursed with dark secrets and knowledge of the creatures in the woods, his interactions with Salome take her life in a new direction. A direction where she’ll have to decide between her longtime crush Colton, who could cure her fear of winter. Or Nevin who, along with an appointed bodyguard, Gareth, protects her from the darkness that swirls in the snowy backdrop. An evil that, given the chance, will kill her.
Exclusive Excerpt!
The pond water rippled while the trees bent beneath the strong gusts. Soon, everything became so white I couldn’t see the house. In the distance a strange tinkling sounded, like dozens of wind chimes. Not the chimes. Not the chimes. Not the chimes, I repeated over and over in my mind.
What had the shrink told me to do?
Ten, nine, eight. Breathe. Seven, six, five. Shit! I held my head in my hands for a long moment. Get it together.
Panic stole my thoughts and I raised my head, backing away from the pond as the flurries swirled toward me. Chasing me.
I bumped into something—something that felt quite human. A firm chest, arms, hands. Not something, someone. A shriek tumbled from my lips and I spun around to face my captor.
“It’s okay. I won’t hurt you,” a soft masculine voice said, pale hands clinging to my arms as he kept me from falling.
My gaze followed those long fingers, then up black leather sleeves, to the most gorgeous face I’d ever seen. My breath caught in my throat. I was gawking. But I couldn’t help it. His raven hair was shot with strands of blue, his face was pale and perfect, like an ice sculptor had chiseled it into existence. His eyes—oh God, his eyes. They were the palest blue I’d ever seen. Glacial. He had to be over six feet tall, muscles evident through the tight shirt he wore beneath his unzipped leather jacket.
His mouth turned up at the corners as if enjoying my scrutiny. A cocky grin that made my cheeks warm and my whole body buzz. “You’re trespassing.” I tried to keep the tremble from my voice. “This is private property, or can’t you read the signs?” Bravo. I’d scare him off with my bitchiness.
He chuckled. And it sounded like the low song of chimes. “Doris doesn’t mind me coming around. In fact, I’ve met you before, Salome.”
My name on his lips made my knees go buttery. I groaned inwardly.
About Rebekah:
Rebekah was born and raised in Michigan (just look for the mitten-shaped state on the map). She’s lived there most of her life other than the few years she spent in the U.S. Army. At which time she got a chance to experience MO, KS, SC, and CA.
She works full time for the court system and in her free time she writes YA stories. Pretty much any genre within the YA realm is game for her, but her favorites are fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal romance, thrillers, light sci-fi, and some time travel.
She also has a big family–she like to considers them the modern day Brady Bunch. When her hubby and her met and got married, he had 3 children from a previous marriage, she had 2 and have 1 together. It’s a lot of fun though.
And she can’t forget her other family members–yep, they’ve got some pets: 4 dogs, 3 cats, and 1 turtle. Everyone in the family has one…she won’t bore you all with their names (unless you really want to know). Okay, you talked her into it! Jack, Pearl, Grr…(yes that’s her dog’s name), Callie, Shadow, Mooshoo, Grouchy, and Sorbert. Other than writing some of her other hobbies include: reading (mostly YA of course), singing, swimming, football, soccer, running, camping, sledding, church, hanging with her kids, and traveling.She belong to a fabulous writing group called YA Fiction Fantatics (YAFF) and you guessed it they all write YA!
REPPED by Jennifer Mishler and Frances Black of Literary Counsel. And that’s her in a big ‘ol nutshell.
Giveaway Details: 1 Winter Emergency Kit. It will have a $10.00 Amazon gift card, coffee mug, hot cocoa, chapstick, flashlight, gloves and some signed bookmarks.US Only.
Jake Summers is an ordinary boy with an ordinary family- so he thinks. He has just spent another summer holidays building dens in the woods with his best friend Paul. But when someone special unexpectedly dies, Jake is determined to find out the truth, unaware that it will change his life forever.
He discovers a key to Grandpa’s forbidden room, and is plunged into a long-forgotten magical world, together with class mate Arianna Brown and a strange creature called Noggin. Stormy seas, underground carts pulled by Golden Eagles and a dragon all stand in his way. He must race against time to fulfil an ancient magical prophecy and save the world.
Quote From Book:
“The storm disappeared as quickly as it had started. All that was left was the rhythmic dripping of water from the leaves no longer able to hold their weight, and the distant but constant trickle of the river that ran through the woods.
A kingfisher sat on a branch high above, looking down at Evander. The man’s body was hidden by night’s cloak, but his face glowed in the moonlight. In fact, it seemed as though all the light that lit the woods — the shimmering reflections, the glowing fireflies — was now focused on his face, and was getting brighter. It held at its brightest for just a second, then faded and spread out amongst the trees.
A second kingfisher appeared on Evander’s chest. It flew up to join the other and they peppered each other with kisses before flying side by side into the heart of the woods.”
My Review:
This book has a lot of good things going for it. It was a little slow at first, but soon picks up speed. Then it is a roller coaster ride to the end. The story is well written and very imaginative. The main characters, Jake and Arianna, are very likable and easy to relate to. The villain is truly despicable.
There were some things that I didn’t like about the book. Sometimes there wasn’t enough description to understand what was going on. I would be reading and then I would think what? and then I would have to go back and read it again to get things a little clearer in my head. Also, the author created a good villain and then didn’t use him to his full potential. There should have been an epic showdown between him and the main protagonists.
Overall, it was a good read and I would recommend it to middle school age children. I would also recommend it to any one who likes the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson series. I give this book four stars.
Rachel Tetley lives with her five children on the top of a wooded Devon hill overlooking the sea. When she is not writing, she is riding her horse Smudge, playing her piano or experimenting to invent the worlds best recipe for Chocolate Brownies. She loves to do anything as long as it’s exciting and has to be doing something all of the time. In fact the idea for her first book Guardian of the Underworld, was created whilst she was sleeping!
This week’s Friend or Foe Friday is a little different from previous posts. Some of you may know that I’ve been writing a book that will be part of a series. I don’t want to spoil anything with the book, but there is one particular villain I would love to share with all of you, and it’s very obvious he’s a villain right from the beginning.
Lian Arleigh
Lian is the King of a very sheltered, yet technologically advanced society. He governs over his people with very strict rules. He has salt and pepper, short cropped hair, blue-gray eyes, and is six foot tall. He’s stubborn, and has a strong dislike for change. He’s forty-six years old and has four children. He’s harsh, quick to judge, and has no problem inflicting pain on others. He’s very selfish, and not opened to new ideas whatsoever. He fears the unexplained. He fears change. He fears power that can conquer him. The citizens are taught to obey him. They live such hard, structured lives, and their opinions don’t necessarily matter. A world divided between the privileged and unprivileged. Where music is only heard by the rare few. Lian, along with his council, also chooses what each and every citizen will do with the rest of their lives. One form of punishment inflicted on the people is called public humiliation in which a council member, normally the Gerent, announces their crimes before the offender is publicly whipped and the entire formality is broadcast. He’s very hard on his children and rarely shows them any sign of affection. He is cold, cunning, and without mercy. Lian Arleigh, my friends, is pure villain.
Excerpt on Lian Arleigh:
My scientists still search for a way to end the Hetnac disease. So far there is no cure. My niece was euthanized as the more she cried the more her symptoms progressed. Nurses and doctors that came within feet of her were choked to death. I can’t risk lives for one, I can’t. Moriena begged me not to, but I couldn’t continue risking the lives of others just so that my niece can be normal again. The scientists who observed my nieces behavior have made a miraculous discovery. Strong emotions are what triggered her symptoms. There may be a way to place strong emotions on others in order to force their symptoms to be prominent.
Then I can hunt down the diseased…
…and kill each and every one of them.
~The Diary of Lian Arleigh
Lian Arleigh: is DEFINITELY a Foe
Instead of asking questions to determine why he’s a villain or what makes him a villain, today I would rather simply tell you about him and why he’s one of my favorites I’ve ever created. Lian Arleigh kills without a thought. He has no mercy. He doesn’t feel guilty about his poor actions. He’s dishonest and does not have good intent. Lian Arleigh will do whatever it takes to get what he wants. The end justifies the means. But…. Lian Arleigh is very regal. And he’s a man that truly believes that what he’s doing is the right thing. That he’s protecting his citizens. For every horrible action he commits, he justifies it by believing he’s helping, not making things worse. There are villains that walk that fine line, teetering on the edges of good, knowing that what they are doing is wrong. Then there’s the villains that act out for revenge. Someone or something has hurt them in the past, and they want to in return do anything necessary to hurt and destroy the person or thing that inflicted the turmoil in the first place. Then you have villains like Lian Arleigh, that truly believe that what they are doing is right. There is no changing a character like that. There are things that happen to Lian in the story that may have caused an extreme reaction in him, to force his hand to do some of the evil he does. But he was always on that path for darkness, these events that happened to him just sped up the process, added fuel to his dark flames.
I’ve written quite a few villains for my story, but to me, he’s one of my favorites. Lian Arleigh sort of wrote himself the more I wrote the story. He became this unchangeable character. He became so set in his ways, so stubborn, so angry… and yet, every action he made he believed it was for the better. He BELIEVES in what he does…. and that makes him a very terrible, very horrifying adversary.
Everything hangs in the balance, and nothing is certain: Rachel has been kidnapped by enemy forces and is being taken to Rowansmark while Logan, imprisoned and awaiting trial, is unable to leave Lankenshire. Separated from each other and their Baalboden comrades, each must find a way to achieve what they desperately want: to rid their world once and for all of the Commander and the tech that controls the deadly Cursed One.
Fighting through her pain and embracing the warrior she’s become, Rachel will do whatever it takes to escape her enemies’ clutches and join Logan in his fight. But when she learns a secret that changes everything, she realizes that escaping Ian and his tracker friends is no longer an option if she wants to save the people she loves. Instead, she’ll have to destroy Rowansmark from the inside out—if she can survive the journey through the Wasteland.
Logan needs allies if he wants to thwart Rowansmark’s power grab and rescue Rachel. But securing allies will mean betraying his beliefs and enlisting the help of the man he hates more than anyone: Commander Jason Chase. Driven by his fierce love for Rachel and his determination to make their world safe, Logan may be just the weapon the city-states need to defeat the Cursed One.
But as Rowansmark bears down and uneasy alliances are tested, will Rachel and Logan’s love for each other be enough to surmount the unbelievable odds against them?
“We walked through the streets with our protectors. We wore our dresses. We gave up our education because that was the price of safety. That was the bargain we made with the devil we knew to escape the devil we didn’t.”
― C.J. Redwine, Deliverance
After her father’s untimely demise in a mining accident and her mother’s abandonment, Lauren Lindsay is no stranger to loss. She’s used to living life for one person: herself. That is, until another family tragedy thrusts three children into her care and uproots her life in ways she could never imagine.
Lauren’s first instinct is to run, until she meets their striking, mysterious neighbor Dean Powell. Their immediate chemistry and his connection with her late father just might be enough to keep her in town long enough to uncover pieces of her past that she never had answers to. Dean’s shady past and her reluctance to trust him could cost her the life she’s always been searching for, but will she run back to her old life?
Or will she choose to stay and live the life her father always imagined for her?
Excerpt:
“I don’t want there to be a pause button,” I said.
“Me neither.”
He leaned in and I thought it was going to happen. I thought he was going to
finally kiss me for real, instead of what I think happened last night but was
possibly imagined in my delirious, scared brain.
I even shut my eyes in anticipation, but it never happened. I opened them to find
him staring out the window behind me. It was finally snowing.
Seriously?
This was not how I pictured this moment in my head.
“Earth to Dean,” I said, slightly annoyed as I waved my hand.
He snapped out of his reverie and smiled bigger than I’d ever seen him smile.
“What’s going on?” I asked warily.
He looked like a kid in a candy shop. He stood and pulled me to my feet, and then
knelt down before me all in one fluid motion. Whenever this guy proposed to
someone, it was going to be smooth as hell. I knew he wasn’t proposing, but I was
curious about what he was doing beaming at me from the floor as he clutched my
hands dramatically.
“Lauren Annabelle Lindsay.”
He paused for effect.
“Would you do me the honor of accompanying me to the Snow Ball?”
The Page Unbound 