Book Review & Giveaway | The Assassin's Daughter

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the THE ASSASSIN'S DAUGHTER by Shana Vernon Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

About the Book:

Title: THE ASSASSIN'S DAUGHTER (The Hybrid Chronicles Book 1)

Authors: Shana Vernon

Pub. Date: July 15, 2020

Publisher: Shana Vernon

Formats:  Paperback, eBook

Pages: 195

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle

I've been hiding from the Guild since I was born.

If they knew about my magic, they would kill me in a heartbeat.

I should be avoiding them, but instead, I enter the Guild as a regular human recruit.

Why?

Papa went missing after a mission, and I need answers.

I realize I might have bitten off more than I can chew when my new instructor is the guy

I kissed a few months before.

It doesn't seem like Cade recognizes me without my disguise, but if he does and blows the whistle, I'm as good as dead and so is Papa.

Pre-order a copy of THE ASSASSIN'S DAUGHTERR GET ONE FREE FOR A FRIEND! Email shana@shanavernon.com with your receipt and your friend’s email and she will gift them a copy of the eBook!

My Review

The Assassin's Daughter, is the very first installment in the The Hybrid Chronicles by Shana Vernon.

Exceptionally written and riveting, it sets the stage for a highly promising brand new series.

The Plot

Lenna is the secret child of a Guild assassin who has gone missing. While she has managed to keep her identity a secret for so long, she must now enter the ranks of the Guild and train as an assassin, undercover and withholding her powerful abilities.

However, along the way she discovers much more than she ever imagined, gaining friendships and unexpected allies, as well as dangerous enemies...

The Characters

Our main character, Lenna, is a great heroine, with so many amazing powers. She is fierce, she is loyal and ready to go to great lengths for her father and loved ones.

Moreover, there is an abundance of great characters in this book, about whom we discover more and more along with Lenna, an element that satisfies the reader and makes us feel like we are the ones living this adventure.

The World Building

The world building is really good, with a great magic system and so many paranormal creatures and entities intertwining. Basically, there are humans, assassins with special abilities and vampires, but we soon discover that there is much more to that...

Plot twists

One more thing I deeply enjoyed in this book was the fact that there were so many plot twists.

Just when I thought I knew what to expect of the plot, a new revelation would come to light and shock me to my core.

Overall Thoughts & Rating

This novel is an amazing experience and I can't wait to see how the series progress!

4 solid stars for a great heroine, an extremely well-thought plot, romantic interests that made me swoon and friends who made me get emotional!

About Shana:

Shana Vernon is a full-time writer and mother of triplet boys.

When she isn't writing or taking care of her kiddos, she is reading, exercising, experimenting with cooking, or traveling around the world.

Sign up for Shana’s Newsletter!

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a $10 Amazon GC, International. Courtesy of Rockstar Book Tours.

1 winner will receive an eBook of THE ASSASSIN'S DAUGHTER, International. Courtesy of Shana.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

6/29/2020	Two Chicks on Books	Excerpt
6/29/2020	Jaime's World	Excerpt
6/30/2020	BookHounds YA	Excerpt
6/30/2020	Lisa Loves Literature	Excerpt
7/1/2020	Rajiv's Reviews	Review
7/1/2020	A Dream Within A Dream	Excerpt
7/2/2020	Book-o-Craze	Review
7/2/2020	that_little_bookowl	Review
7/3/2020	Miss Elizabeth	Review
7/3/2020	Hurn Publications	Review

Book Tour | "The Phantom of New York, volume 1 - Peter and the Crown" by A.L. Janney

The Phantom of New York, volume 1 - Peter and the Crown
by A.L. Janney
Genre: MG/YA Adventure
Release Date: December 2017

Summary:

'This is a story about vigilantes and magic.

About prophecy and hope.

About a boy and his hotel.

When twelve-year-old Peter Constantine wakes up in the Crown Hotel with a new identity, life is over as he knows it. But perhaps that’s not such a bad thing… 

A dangerous man Peter only knows as “The Client” is after his family, so they’ve relocated to New York City. With help from unlikely friends living at the glamorous hotel, including the ghost on the tenth floor, Peter's new life begins. Soon, however, he learns of a plot to destroy his new home, a plot only the Phantom can foil.

Peter and the Crown is the first book in the Phantom of New York series, an adventure for readers aged ten and up. If you like smart, funny characters and “can’t put it down” escapades, then you’ll love Alan Janney’s Phantom of New York series.'

Add to Goodreads 

On sale for only $0.99 this week!

Buy Links: Amazon | Audible | Amazon UK


My review:

This was a delightful, interesting, funny and mysterious novel, full of unique characters and a protagonist you could only love and appreciate.
There was everything included in this book. A luxurious hotel with snobbish rich boys, adorable little girls, royalty, demanding (and some times a little bit crazy) customers and a few ghosts.

Peter is a 12-year-old boy, who gets into funny, if not a little bit daring, adventures and slowly matures in front of the reader's eyes. He and his family were forced to move into The Crown when his father was threatened by a shady client. And, that's when little Peter's life literally changed overnight. He made new friends (alive or not so much), he fell in love, he learned how to box and even how to behave properly wearing a tuxedo. From that moment on, the book starts being impossible to put down, as a bigger mystery starts unveiling itself, at the same time when a vicious gang commits robberies all over New York City.

The author managed to deliver Peter's story in an amazing way, suitable for readers of all ages, and also make us really feel we are on board with all of our lovable characters' adventures.

There was also so much diversity in this book, starting from our hero who was of Greek and Italian descent, his Indian friend and his best friend who was biracial! I loved this book for that reason even more!

There is nothing better than promoting to children equality and making their role models such amazing, kind and thoughtful characters.

All in all, 5 stars for an amazing, relaxing and 

at the same time mysterious and adventurous story, and a perfect read for all, 

that made me wistful of New York and its amazing, full of secrets, hotel!

About the Author

Winner of the 2016 National Indie Excellence Award!

You work hard.
I write adventures.
Let me entertain you.

My favorite adventurers: Ender, Frodo and Sam, Rand, Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin, Katniss, Spenser, Peter and Alicia and Amy (from The Passage), Jack Ryan, Dirk Pitt, and many others, including my two sons and my super hot wife.

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

GIVEAWAY: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour Organized by:

YA Bound Book Tours

NEW RELEASE & REVIEW | Trapped In Silver by Emily Sowden

 Title: Trapped In Silver

Series:  Eldryn Chronicles (#1)

Author: Sowden, Emily

Format: e-book ARC provided by Oftomes Publishing

Edition: English

Publisher: Oftomes Publishing

Publication: February 7th, 2017

Goodreads Blurb: 

" Courage comes from a shadowed place in our hearts; a blurred line that straddles love and sheer stupidity.
To seventeen-year-old Ava, wild woodcats, hungry stragglers, and simple-minded townsfolk are the evils she’s grown accustomed to. But when Ethan, an unusual man with eyes of smoke and fire opal, enters her world she quickly understands that there are worse things out there than drunken men and carnivorous forest creatures. She’s a specialised liar and a hell of a fighter, but against a group of animalistic men called Berserkers she struggles to survive the encounter as the desperate swing of a dagger is all it takes to change her life for good.
Half-dead and hunted by the Berserker’s leader when he forms a monstrous obsession with her, Ava escapes his pursuit in an unfamiliar land full of impossible creatures, unlikely allies, and the man she doesn’t know whether to kiss or kill. 
But after dreadful news of her missing brother surfaces, Ava becomes more involved in the centuries-long war and begins to unravel the reasons behind her relentless nightmares, discovering truths long-buried in a violent history of love, loss and betrayal. "

My Rating: ✿✿✿✿✿

My Review:

Trapped in Silver is a brand new release, the first book in a very promising new series and the debut novel of the author!

It is so beautifully written, capturing our attention right from the beginning and making us anxious to reveal all the secrets and mysteries revolving around Ava, Ethan, and everyone involved with them! And, believe me, the story is rich with them, that you constantly feel like you just have to keep reading, to find out about everything!

That's what happened to me.

Ava's story captured my full attention, right from the start, with her personality and strength and bravery, playing a huge role in my respect of it.

I love reading about fierce protagonists, that can embrace their weaknesses and make them their strengths. And, Ava, was just that.

There is the mystery of her visions, her locket, her family history, her foster brother!

And, then, there's Ethan, who is a moving mystery himself!

Not to mention, so many other interesting characters, that I deeply liked and constantly wanted to see more about! Like Ric and Lavender!

All of them, amazing characters, with carefully thought and described personalities.

And, don't even get me started on Ava and Ethan's interactions!

I actually wanted to shudder myself at certain points!

Another aspect of this book and the way its story unfolded, that I loved, was the fact that the mysteries surrounding the characters were revealed in such a way that it felt completely natural. The way it's supposed to be, when the heroes get more used to each other, and start confessing their secrets.

For something less that half of the book, I wasn't even sure what kind of creatures most of them were!

Although, I had my suspicions, only because I am a part of the original review team, so I had a rough idea of two of the main species of importance!

The adventures of Ava were numerous, and the dangers she was called to face, were to certainly give me nightmares, too, if I were her, even if I didn't have such occurrences before!

And, the moment you thought that her life would get a little less dangerous, suddenly all hell would break loose again, and new challenges would arise!

This fact made me be constantly alert and I just loved it!

All in all, 4.5 stars for a wonderful debut novel, 

the start of a promising new series,

filled with so much adventure and action, 

that made me completely anxious and unable to put this book down!

~~~

I was part of the #TeamBerserker 

and loved it through and through!

Find out more on Twitter about both #TeamBerserker and #TeamDemon,

and take the quiz to see which creature YOU are!

REVIEW | Musical Mayhem by Aleesah Darlison

 Title: Musical Mayhem

Series:  Totally Twins (#1)

Author: Darlison, Aleesah

Format: e-book ARC provided by NetGalley

Edition: English

Publisher: Sweet Cherry Publishing

Publication: January 21st, 2016

Goodreads Blurb: 

" Persephone begins writing her own personal SECRET diary.She is horrified when she has to audition for the school musical and takes comfort in writing down her most SECRET thoughts.The Heartfield Heights Musical Extravaganza soon launches into full swing, much to Persephone's dismay and her sister Portia's jubilation.  "


My Rating: ✿✿✿✿


My Review:

This was a fun book, that I read in less than one sitting!
By which I mean that the pages flew by, only leaving me wanting book 2 as soon as possible!!

Totally Twins, as can be assumed by its title, is about one of my favorite subjects in the whole world, twins!!!

Persephone, our main heroine, starts a new diary, to share her exasperation for the upcoming musical their class is called to perform, and the fact that her twin sister's view about it, is somewhat more than different!

Perse and Portia share everything, their birthdays, their friends, and a face!
But, due to the performance, it's the first time Perse feels like she can't connect with her twin sister, anymore. Our heroine can't sing, and her sister seems to only make her feel bad about it.

This kind of book is exactly what I would LOVE reading when I was about the same age as the heroine!
It reminded me of my own obsession with diaries (I found it hard not to keep one, even at a quite older age) and books that were written in that form!

It was fun remembering all these facts about myself, while at the same time laughing with Perse's views of the world, and finding out so many interesting things about twins (I won't pretend I am not amazed by identical ones, to the point where I'd love my future daughters to be like Perse and Portia)!

All in all, 4 stars for a fantastic, fun and quick novel, 

that will certainly make me sought out the second novel, 

as I want to know more about my favorite twins and their amazing family!

REVIEW: Grand Opening by T.F. Pruden

Title: Grand Opening

Author: Pruden, T. F.

Format: eBook copy

Edition: English

Publisher: Amazon

Publication: 2016

Pages: 136

Goodreads Blurb: 

"Set in western Canada during the roaring nineteen eighties, "Grand Opening" is the tragi-comic tale of three men pursuing the dream of owning a restaurant. 

Wayne Stevens is a near bankrupt entrepreneur looking for a second chance. Rene Lemieux is a hardened businessman seeking another conquest and more profits. Maurice Deshampes is a recovering alcoholic and chef, desperate to be a restaurateur. Together, they form a partnership that will change their lives in ways they did not imagine. 

The launch of a new restaurant and an impetuous attempt to live out their dreams provides the backdrop for Grand Opening. An intricate cascade of fantasies, falsehoods, fabrications, lust, substance abuse, and cock-eyed optimism is served by the terse plot. A race for glory, seasoned with humor and drama inevitably unfolds. 

It's a wild ride to the Grand Opening."

My Rating: ✿✿✿✿

My Review:

This book provided a quite interesting read, revolving around the lives of three men, that weren't as successful in life, trying to start a new business from scratch, and all the struggles and doubts they underwent!

First introduced is Wayne. Wayne knows how it's like to run your own business, having already co-owned a club, which after two years close down due to the partners' debts.

He is now forced to do a manual job, in order to make a living, having lost everything.

Rene is a businessman with quite a lot of wealth. The thing that really disappoints him in his life is the fact that he is divorced, something that his religion doesn't approve. He also doesn't have the chance to see his kids often, but he still wants them to be proud of him.

Maurice is a recovering alcoholic who works at a restaurant, but can't really have a say at the menu or even contribute to the main dishes, a fact that deeply disappoints him.

These three men, each driven by their own desires and ambitions, decide to unite in order to open their own restaurant, with Maurice as a chef. 

Apart from the struggles that come with opening a new business, though, they soon need to face their own insecurities and self-doubts, too!

I immediately liked the writing style of the author, and I particularly enjoyed the fact that the main characters were described in detail, while at the same time quite a lot of information was withheld to be revealed gradually.
This way, while we thought we had completely figured a character out, we would see a new aspect of personality and consider things from a new perspective.
I really loved that fact, and it made me want to keep reading about these three hard-working and ambitious men!

The blurb of this book promises a wild ride until the Grand Opening, and it really is just that!

All in all, 4 stars for a great read that gives us 

a pretty good idea of exactly how difficult it is to open and run your own business, 

while at the same time reflecting upon yourself and your capacities 

and succeeding in overcoming your doubts and insecurities.

REVIEW: Wynonna Earp Volume 1: Homecoming by Beau Smith

Title: Wynonna Earp Volume 1: Homecoming

Series: Wynonna Earp (#1-6)

Author: Smith, Beau

Format: eBook ARC (Advance Readers Copy) by NetGalley

Edition: English

Publisher: IDW Publishing

Publication: October 25th, 2016

Pages: 136

Goodreads Blurb: 

" The US Marshals Black Badge division has been fighting back against supernatural threats for decades. But even the toughest werewolf, most bloodthirsty vampire, or grisliest zombie knows there s one agent to avoid at all cost: Wynonna Earp. Descended from the legendary Wyatt Earp, Wynonna is dead set on bringing the unnatural to justice! Collects issues #1 6." "

My Rating: ✿✿✿✿

My Review:

This was a really interesting read, with a very original and unique plot.

I liked most of the characters, and the strength and independence of the main heroine!

I loved her interactions with the rest of the characters, as well as, how things ended up between her and someone specific *wink wink*

I would have liked a little less blood, and that's the only thing I would change in this big volume, that consists of 6 short issues!

The illustration was amazing and very life-like!

All in all, 4 stars for the beginning of 

a very promising series of graphic novels!

The 6 issues included in this first volume are the following:

REVIEW: Girl Online by Zoe Sugg

 Title: Girl Online

Series: Girl Online (#1) 

Author: Sugg, Zoe

Format: eBook ARC (Advance Readers Copy) by NetGalley

Edition: English

Publisher: Atria / Keywords Press

Publication: November 25th, 2014

Pages: 352

Goodreads Blurb: 

"I had no idea GirlOnline would take off the way it has - I can't believe I now have 5432 followers, thanks so much! - and the thought of opening up to you all about this is terrifying, but here goes...

Penny has a secret.

Under the alias GirlOnline, she blogs about school dramas, boys, her mad, whirlwind family - and the panic attacks she's suffered from lately. When things go from bad to worse, her family whisks her away to New York, where she meets the gorgeous, guitar-strumming Noah. Suddenly Penny is falling in love - and capturing every moment of it on her blog.

But Noah has a secret too. One that threatens to ruin Penny's cover - and her closest friendship - forever."

My Rating: ✿✿✿✿✿

My Review:

I rarely read contemporary YA novels.

And, that's mostly because I remember my experiences when I was of that age, and, let's say it simply, they don't make feel all that nostalgic! I do feel nostalgic about the books I was reading back in that time, though, which were all of this genre!

But, this book...

This book was so nicely written, so romantic, so hilarious, so heart-breaking, all at the same time, it surpassed my expectations!

And, I will explain every detail shortly!

The author is obviously very talented, and very aware of blogging (as is stated on her bio, too). The book was flowing so easily, I practically devoured it! If I didn't have studying to do, I am positive I would end it in just one sitting!

The relationship between Penny and Noah made me feel so happy for them! And, the way everyone around them handle it, just impossible! I want my parents to be as cool about such things as Penny's! (And, to think that I'm quite older than Penny, too!)

I can't even get into much detail about all the times I ACTUALLY laughed out loud while reading this book! It has been so long that a book has made me all giggly, that I practically loved it for it!

But, that doesn't mean there weren't any heart-breaking moments throughout the book!

There were some embarrassing ones that made me feel really bad about Penny, but there were some others that just grabbed my heart, threw it on the floor and started jumping on top of it! (Yes, so vividly I experienced them)! And, the weird thing is that I actually loved those moments, too! Because, just like in life, you can't have happiness without a little bit (or quite more) of sadness, in books, it can get really boring and unreal if everything is just perfect and dreamy all the time!

Plus, you can't really appreciate the good times if you don't experience the bad ones, too.

And, believe me, there are plenty of good times I would have needed to appreciate if things were different!

But, there is one more thing about this book that actually stole my heart!

I completely loved how beautifully the author handled Elliott's sexuality, letting us know in such a nice way that he is gay, without over the top comments and what-not!

Despite the fact that I do not approve of parents behaving badly to their children because of their sexuality, or even simply denying it, I also loved the fact that it depicted the truth! Such a sad truth, really, but if you've read the novel you know what I'm talking about, and why I loved it!

And if you haven't read the novel, go go go, pick it up! Even if you aren't in that kind of stuff, like me! I'm so sure you are going to love it!

All in all, 5 stars for a beautiful book 

that had perfect proportions of all of the fine 

(and of the not-so-fine, too) elements in life, 

I would recommend to absolutely everyone!