As you know Amber R. Duell and my short story Faeries of Oz prequel, Lion, just released! We’re so incredibly excited about this series and for you to read it! So if you want to help us, just click the pic below to sign up for the release day blitz for Tin, the cover reveal for Crow, or both!
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Cast out by his own kind, and raised by creatures who wish only to use him, Rumpel longs for the one thing that has always been denied him—love. Spurned by the magical society for his imperfections, Rumpel searches the world over for someone who will accept him, only to be turned away time, and time again.
Eventually, Rumpel travels to the capital city of Germain, where he becomes enamoured with a beautiful young woman named Katrin. Rumpel can’t deny Katrin aid after her father weaves tales of her ability to spin straw into gold and garners the attention of the king himself.
Drawn into Katrin’s trials with the king, Rumpel realizes all he’s ever wanted is one deal away. If Katrin fails, his wish will come true, but should she succeed, he fears he will never have acceptance or love.
Are you a Rumpelstiltskin fan?
Hey hey! I have a new cover for Quinsey Wolfe’s Glass Vault and I’m so excited about it!
Some see it… Some don’t…
Perrie Madeline is a normal girl living in a normal world. Her only concern is deciding whether or not to let herself fully fall for August Hartley after her past relationship failed miserably. That is, until a strange museum, known as Quinsey Wolfe’s Glass Vault, appears overnight and people around her begin to go missing.
To uncover what hidden secrets the Glass Vault may behold, Perrie then embarks on a pursuit with August. They soon realize, not everything is as it seems. While stumbling through the museum’s obscure collection, Perrie and August must find their way out before discovering what may truly not be for the faint of heart.
Quinsey Wolfe’s Glass Vault is the start of a thrilling duology full of magic, danger, and romance.
What’s your favorite portal fantasy?
Since her parents were killed, Vivienne has always felt ungrounded, shuffled through the foster care system. Just when liberation finally seems possible—days before her eighteenth birthday—Vivienne is hospitalized with symptoms no one can explain. The doctors may be puzzled, but Deacon, her mysterious new friend, claims she has an active Nevergene. His far-fetched diagnosis comes with a warning: she is about to become an involuntary test subject for Humanitarian Organization for Order and Knowledge—or H.O.O.K. Vivienne can either escape to Neverland’s Kensington Academy and learn to fly (Did he really just say fly?) or risk sticking around to become a human lab rat. But accepting a place among The P.A.N. means Vivienne must abandon her life and foster family to safeguard their secrets and hide in Neverland’s shadows… forever.
Are you a Peter Pan fan?
A tale of espionage, lavender hair, and pineapples.
Welcome to Daiwynn where magic is dangerous, but hope is more dangerous still.
For Persinette—a lavender-haired, 24-year-old seer dreaming of adventure and freedom—the steam-powered kingdom of Daiwynn is home. As an Enchanted asset for MOTHER, she aids in Collecting Enchanted and sending them to MOTHER’s labor camps.
But when her handler, Gothel, informs Persi that she will be going out into the field for a Collection, she decides it’s time to take a stand. Now she must fight her fears and find a way to hide her attempts to aid the Enchanted or risk being sent to the camps herself.
Manu Kelii, Captain of the airship The Defiant Duchess, is 26-years-old and hasn’t seen enough excitement—thank you very much. His charismatic smile and flamboyant sense of style earned him a place amongst the Uprising, but his fickle and irresponsible nature has seen to it that their leader doesn’t trust him.
Desperate to prove himself, Manu will stop at nothing to aid their mission to overthrow MOTHER and the queen of Daiwynn. So, when the Uprising Leader deposits a small unit of agents on his ship, and tasks him with working side by side with MOTHER asset Persinette to hinder the Collection effort, he finds himself in over his head.
The stakes are high for this unlikely duo. They have only two options; stop MOTHER or thousands more will die—including themselves.
Do you like Rapunzel?
Goodreads Summary:
Since her parents were killed, Vivienne has always felt ungrounded, shuffled through the foster care system. Just when liberation finally seems possible—days before her eighteenth birthday—Vivienne is hospitalized with symptoms no one can explain.
The doctors may be puzzled, but Deacon, her mysterious new friend, claims she has an active Nevergene. His far-fetched diagnosis comes with a warning: she is about to become an involuntary test subject for Humanitarian Organization for Order and Knowledge—or H.O.O.K.
Vivienne can either escape to Neverland’s Kensington Academy and learn to fly (Did he really just say fly?) or risk sticking around to become a human lab rat.
But accepting a place among The P.A.N. means Vivienne must abandon her life and foster family to safeguard their secrets and hide in Neverland’s shadows… forever.
My Review:
I loved this retelling on Peter Pan! Vivienne! Deacon! Deacon is totally mine! Right off the bat, I was sucked into this world. The scifi aspect was really cool on this too!
Character driven stories are my favorite and this was one of those. I liked that I had a chance to be inside both Vivienne’s and Deacon’s heads! There was mystery, swoon, page-turning awesomeness, and flying! Lots and lots of flying! Now, if only I could fly!
Who is your favorite Peter Pan character?
Goodreads Summary:
Sixteen-year-old Ariadne’s whole life is curated and shared with the world. Her royal family’s entertainment empire is beloved by the tabloids, all over social media, and the hottest thing on television. The biggest moneymaker? The Labyrinth Contest, a TV extravaganza in which Ariadne leads fourteen teens into a maze to kill a monster. To win means endless glory; to lose means death. In ten seasons, no one has ever won.
When the gorgeous, mysterious Theseus arrives at the competition and asks Ariadne to help him to victory, she doesn’t expect to fall for him. He might be acting interested in her just to boost ratings. Their chemistry is undeniable, though, and she can help him survive. If he wins, the contest would end for good. But if she helps him, she doesn’t just endanger her family’s empire―the monster would have to die. And for Ariadne, his life might be the only one worth saving.
Ariadne’s every move is watched by the public and predestined by the gods, so how can she find a way to forge her own destiny and save the people she loves?
My Review:
This was a pretty awesome story! And I actually didn’t know this particular Greek mythology tale so it was nice to be able to read something new on that!
The whole social media thing, along with the Greek stuff, was pretty interesting! It just goes to show how bad social media can be. I do use social media a lot, but I actually prefer the world without it.
I absolutely loved Theseus and Ariadne! They had wonderful chemistry and worked great together as a team. My one con is that in the beginning it was super insta-love. I just wish there would have been a little build to that.
Overall, this was a fun book with cool world building, and I would actually love to see a sequel on this because I want more!
Who is your favorite Greek god or goddess?
Goodreads Summary:
Scarlett March lives to hunt the Fenris — the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister Rosie from a brutal attack. Armed with a razor-sharp hatchet and blood-red cloak, Scarlett is an expert at luring and slaying the wolves. She’s determined to protect other young girls from a grisly death, and her raging heart will not rest until every single wolf is dead.
Rosie March once felt her bond with her sister was unbreakable. Owing Scarlett her life, Rosie hunts ferociously alongside her. But even as more girls’ bodies pile up in the city and the Fenris seem to be gaining power, Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves. She finds herself drawn to Silas, a young woodsman who is deadly with an ax and Scarlett’s only friend — but does loving him mean betraying her sister and all that they’ve worked for?
My Review:
Oh boy! So Little Red Riding Hood is one of my favorite fairy tales ever, so I was pretty excited for this one. And I will say this retelling was a lot of fun!
But here’s my issue. First, I think Scarlett should have been the love interest of Silas! But if it couldn’t have been Scarlett, I would have been fine with Rosie. But what I’m not fine with is that Silas is 21 and Rosie is 16. Would it have been that hard to have bumped Rosie’s age up or Silas’s age down? And then there were several situations where there were old Fenris (wolves) that lusted for Rosie as well so that made me feel weird too!
Other than that, the retelling aspect felt original with good dialogue and a super interesting concept! Plus anything with werewolves can draw me in!
What’s your favorite fairy tale?
Goodreads Summary:
For Lina Holt, a Dutch seventeen-year-old with a flair for singing, 1930 is going to be her year. Her long-time boyfriend is about to propose and her mother will finally realize their relationship isn’t a passing phase. But when a stranger snatches her from her backyard, everything changes.
Lina is thrust into the spotlight of a New York vaudeville show where she’s paired with Nik, a mysterious pianist. The two bond during rehearsals and it doesn’t take long before Nik puts himself at risk to confess a hidden truth. Without Lina, the show is in its last season and there’s no way she’ll be allowed to slip through the owner’s fingers. Not when she carries fairy magic in her blood—an gift that turns her song into a dangerously addictive drug.
If Lina ever wants to return home, she must learn who to trust before she’s forced to remain a prisoner on stage forever.
WHEN STARS ARE BRIGHT is a historical Thumbelina retelling with a touch of magic.
My Review:
I’ve read all of Duell’s books and this one has to be my favorite! When I read retellings, I like for them to have an original spin on it! And this had that! Also, it’s based on Thumbelina which I haven’t read any other retellings on!
What I liked best about this story was that it’s set in the 1930s! It’s very character driven with a touch of wonderful and hypnotic magic! Lina was easy to relate to and you could see her really grow as a character because of the predicament she was in!
I’ve read all of Duell’s books and this one has to be my favorite! When I read retellings, I like for them to have an original spin on it! And this had that! Also, it’s based on Thumbelina which I haven’t read any other retellings on!
What I liked best about this story was that it’s set in the 1930s! It’s very character driven with a touch of wonderful and hypnotic magic! Lina was easy to relate to and you could see her really grow as a character because of the predicament she was in!
I also seriously loved Nik and Christian and following this wonderful journey of these characters! Also, I’ll just say that the ending gave me a bucket full of emotion!
What’s your favorite retelling?
Goodreads Summary:
In a warren of crumbling buildings and desperate people called the Old City, there stands a hospital with cinderblock walls which echo the screams of the poor souls inside.
In the hospital, there is a woman. Her hair, once blond, hangs in tangles down her back. She doesn’t remember why she’s in such a terrible place. Just a tea party long ago, and long ears, and blood…
Then, one night, a fire at the hospital gives the woman a chance to escape, tumbling out of the hole that imprisoned her, leaving her free to uncover the truth about what happened to her all those years ago.
Only something else has escaped with her. Something dark. Something powerful.
And to find the truth, she will have to track this beast to the very heart of the Old City, where the rabbit waits for his Alice.
My Review:
Right off the bat, this was my perfect bloody fairy tale! I wasn’t sure what to expect from this, and honestly, I’ve seen the cover for years and didn’t know what the heck was going on there! But man, oh man, I should have read this sooner!
This was pretty cool because it felt dystopianish but with magic and horror and a smidge of romance. I loved Alice so much—she was easy to connect with, and she was such a good MC. She helped, she killed, she protected, and she had a good heart. Hatch, my little murderious fiend, oh how my heart beats just for you. He was fierce and he was good, even though he wielded that axe like there was no tomorrow!
Overall, this is the type of horror book that I need more of. The writing and world were so well thought out, and I’m very much intrigued to see what will happen in book 2!
What’s your favorite Alice in Wonderland retelling?
