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jasminewalkerauthor · 6 months

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ekbelsher · 6 months

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Here's the endpaper art I did for the Illumicrate edition of Ava Reid's A STUDY IN DROWNING :)

#book characters #fantasy illustration #illumicrate #book art #ya fantasy books #ya fantasy

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to-the-moon-and-backxxx · 1 year

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Genuinely happy that Lockwood and co is trending! The show deserves all the love it gets and even more!!

If you haven't already watched it I really hope you do, it deserves to be known like those incredible YA books and shows/films with huge fandoms like Percy Jackson, Shadow and Bone, Harry Potter etc.

Among other things it figures: an adorable sassy trio, the cutest slow burn, badass sword fighting and ghosts and a freaking cool world building!! ⚔️👻

#lockwood and co #harry potter #shadow and bone #ya fantasy books #percy jackson #im so happy #im a bit mental about these books

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elliepassmore · 2 months

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The Prisoner's Throne review

5/5 stars Recommended if you like: scheming, court intrigue, faeries, morally gray characters

Stolen Heir review

First, I want to say I called it regarding Oak being exactly the kind of person you would think he would be after being raised by Madoc, Oriana, Jude, Cardan, and Taryn (and the Court of Shadows). How any of his family members were surprised by that I have no idea. I'm also happy to say that Taryn actually does seem to have gotten herself together and is much more tolerable in this book than in TFOTA (of course, that was also 8 years ago and Oak's POV is not Jude's, but still).

I enjoyed Stolen Heir but I think I like this one better. I did miss Wren's POV, though like with Oak's in book 1 having her narrate would obviously give some things away. The first book was quest-based and so we got to see a lot of new people and places, and much of the plot centered around the details of the quest. This one, on the other hand, is more along the lines of what we saw in TFOTA, where it is court against court and scheming abounds among those who want power. Questing plots are fun, but I do think I prefer this kind of intrigue.

I was so excited to see Jude and Cardan! I found it interesting to see them through someone else's eyes, since in previous books we've only ever seen them through their own, but Oak is Jude's younger beloved younger brother and Cardan's nephew and BIL, so he has a very different view of them than they do of themselves. That being said, they are more or less exactly as we remember and I enjoyed getting to see their interactions and reading their sass.

Oak is a trickster and a liar. He is, as mentioned, exactly the kind of person you would expect considering his family and the people he grew up around. He's good at scheming and seeing what people want, but he's also incredibly loyal and would do anything for his family. Unlike his father and sister, Oak still doesn't have ambitions for the throne. But that doesn't mean he isn't still involved in court intrigue, and this book shows us just how involved he is and the manipulations he's willing to use to protect the throne. It was interesting to get inside Oak's head since he's a child in TFOTA and Wren is technically a newcomer. Oak does feel like he needs to live up to what his family needs and the sacrifices they've made for him (though let's be honest, Jude's queenly ambitions only started with Oak, she sustained them on her own), and that creates an interesting dynamic. Related to this and to his scheming, Oak has so many layers and masks to portray the things he wants people to see that he also feels like people don't really know him, and it was interesting to see how that plays out.

Oak and Wren spend a lot of time separated in this book, but it's clear Wren is trying to get a grasp on what's going on and what exactly she wants. There are enemies closing in on all sides, and she struggles to find a workaround for all the people demanding things from her, and who have the power to make those things happen. While I know it would probably spoil some of what she's planning, I would've liked to have Wren's POV in this book alongside Oak's. I feel like we are missing part of the story by not having it, and I'd like to know more of her thought processes and how she decided what was a strategic decision vs not. That being said, we do get to see how Wren behaves when she feels she's been betrayed, and we also get to see how far she'll go for those she's loyal to. She and Oak have that in common, and the two are seemingly willing to rend anything, including themselves, apart in order to save those they love.

I enjoyed following the schemes of this book and learning who the new enemies were. Bogdana is obviously a major player, but there are people in the background that get revealed as the book progresses. In TFOTA, the game is putting someone on the throne and keeping them there. In this book, it's about determining who is out for the throne and what (and who) they have on their side, all while trying to balance competing priorities.

I'm particularly interested in the setup at the end of the book that seems to promise at least one more book set in Elfhame/involving the Greenbriar-Duarte clan. Holly Black had an interview that basically said as much, so I'm super interested to see where that goes (here's hoping it's Jude and Cardan again!).

Overall I enjoyed this book and seeing how Wren and Oak's story ended. It was interesting being inside Oak's head, though I did miss Wren's POV as well. I'm looking forward to future books set in this world!

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beanbowlbaggins · 11 months

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Instagram Book Review:

I was home sick over the long weekend, and while I mostly played The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, I did finish one book. I read Graceling by Kristin Cashore since I received her Graceling book series for the holidays. I just sat in the couch with my favorite blanket and read between naps.

First impressions:

- There could have been more boats and Lienid pirates. I loved them.

- The romantic interest is interesting, but theres no commonplace tropes if that's what you're expecting (and I'm a sucker for happy marriage honestly)

- The horses have no names or personalities, which is too bad because they do an awful lot of demanding work with no complaint.

- and names of certain characters are wonderfully absurd

It's overall a great start to a series, and I took the second book, Fire, to work with me. I'm excited to see what develops in this world.

(a more in depth review is on my Goodreads)

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bekah-reading · 4 months

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Okay so first- I have to explain something. This is the first book- but I started it before I threw new year started even though I said I wouldn’t. This book was for Christmas but came late. It would have been in the poll or I wouldn’t have made the poll if I knew this book was coming. I’m starting The Eye of the World in the morning.

1/50

5/5

AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

I am so glad that this was a Xmas gift. Like YAY~! I have been raving about this since it came out. I needed this so bad.

Right when I opened this, it felt so good. Like coming home. I missed Eragon and The Inheritance Cycle. This book focuses on Murtagh and Thorn, my favourite characters from the main series.

The writing is easy and very immersive. I flew through this book. I absolutely loved it. I loved getting into Murtagh’s and Thorn’s heads. I loved their dynamic and I’m glad we got to see way more of it.

I really hope this continues, like I don’t ever want The Inheritance Cycle to end.

#booklr #booktok #reading #reading challenge #2024 goodreads #2024 reading challenge #2024 reading #fantasy books #ya fantasy books #murtagh #christopher paolini

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thegremlingirl · 2 years

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EMERIC CONRAD // Little Thieves Characters #4

He looks very much the same: black hair neatly combed, not so much as a wrinkle on his linen shirt, tidy krebatte, and charcoal waistcoat.

But he's rolled up his sleeves, businesslike, and now that he's no longer drowning in that enormous coat, he looks less like a gawky academic and more like a...well, still a gawky academic, but with better posture and at least five knives on him that I can see.

-Little Thieves by Margaret Owen

#little thieves #margaret owen #ya fantasy books #emeric conrad #best boy #favorite boy #i love this bitchy dork sm #whenever he lets out a 'string of curses' this is what I imagine

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yafantasywifetournament · 1 year

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Welcome to the YA fantasy book wife tournament 2023 edition!

We are here to elect the Best YA Fantasy Book Wife.

This tournament was inspired by a lot of previous tournaments: @foundfamilyarena @marysuecompetion @redandbluebracket @aroaceswagtournament @siblingtournament @blueandyellowbracket @tragicsibsshowdown @2023vampiretournament @certified-dumbass-competition and of course, the og @sexymanotd

Nomination rules:

If you've ever read about a character and thought "THAT'S MY WIFE!", this is your moment

All kinds of wives are allowed here. Knife wife, malewife, theywife, you name it!

I decided to make the definition of "YA fantasy" a bit flexible, so if there's a character you really like, but you don't know if you can nominate them because of the source material, just send me an ask (if I like the books, I'll say yes and if I don't, I'll say no. This is not a democracy /j)

Please do not submit the same character several times, and keep it to only one character per form

You can submit as many character as you like, as long as you use one form per character!

Propaganda is highly encouraged, but keep it respectful

Submissions are now closed, thanks for suggesting wives! The bracket will be up soon

And let the best YA fantasy wife win!

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world-of-fire-and-flight · 7 months

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✨️NOW SEEKING ARC READERS✨️

Looking for a book full of magic, adventure, and heart? Sign up to be an ARC reader for the final book in the Heirs of Tenebris trilogy, Winds of War at brswrites.com/launch-team!

More details (blurb and content warnings below the cut😁

Full book blurb:

To free the spirits of the Shadow Forest, the evil sorceress must fall.

The past of 647 years ago collides with the present as the fate of Tenebris and all of magic stands on the precipice of great devastation. As Astrid’s heir, Nyla must defeat Dinora, and the humans and pumpkies must forge a path for her to reach the evil sorceress. But is Nyla willing to risk the life she's only just begun to guarantee the safety of those she cares about and strangers alike?

While the coalition of soldiers, Casters, and Royal Guards scramble to mount a defense against Dinora's army, Shamira finds herself the leader of the three pumpkie clans in a clash against formidable beasts of stone. Can she put aside her own heart and convictions to become a leader?

Closer to home, Xander struggles to balance the desperation of his heart and the duties thrust upon him in the midst of the chaos. But when a crucial decision is made on the battlefield, he, Nyla, and Shamira are forced to confront their deepest truths. Will they conquer the challenges they face in the fight for Tenebris's future, or will survival cost too much for them to bear?

The thrilling conclusion to Brianna R. Shaffery's epic young adult fantasy trilogy the Heirs of Tenebris, Winds of War delivers the truth behind the legends and puts the past to rest at last.

Some potential triggers/general content warnings:

Depictions of violence/war/battle

Attempted murder

Murder

Death (on-page)

Grief (more so than F&F and EoE)

Self-doubt

Anxiety, references to panic attacks

Emotional trauma (and unrealistic coping)

....I think that's it, but if more comes to me, I'll be sure to update this list😊

#writeblr #my writing #bookblr #books and reading #fantasy novel #fantasy #bookworms #ya fantasy books #ya fantasy #Heirs of Tenebris trilogy #Winds of War

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yafantasywriter · 6 months

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26,551 / 50,000 words

Officially over 50% Done with Affinity!

Its going to require a lot of editing but, that's what December is for.

#fantasy #writers #writers on tumblr #booklr #creative writing #writeblr #writer #writers block #writing advice #writing community #nanowrimo #ya fantasy books #ya fantasy #ya books #Spotify

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jasminewalkerauthor · 6 months

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deardragonbook · 2 years

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I’ve been an author for one full year now

As of today, 31st of July. It’s been one full year since my debut novel Dear Dragon came out.

The thing people don’t tell you about going from writing a story behind closed doors to publishing it is sitting at the computer with the mouse hovering over the send button questioning every word you put down on paper up until that moment.

People tell you about how there is always more to be done, you can always do just one more draft, but eventually, you have to say “enough”, and move onto the next step. Deciding its time to put that story into the world is far more difficult than just editing one more draft.

I don’t know how many times you expect to read that story before publishing. I read mine well over twenty times. The amount of scenes that got lost or changed along the way.

Characters got left behind.

Whole plotlines got cut out.

The world grew ever bigger.

What once was going to be a standalone became a series and with the second book release just around the corner and third book already in its second draft, I struggle to remember how I got here.

Things get easier. That I can say. My first book took four years of polishing, my second book took a year and a half, perhaps one? I forgot to write down the starting date... and I prefer my second book to my first. I think it’s different, less actions, more characters moment, but I think it’s better. I think I’m a better writer. I think I’m more confident in my ability and I have better access to the tools I need.

I also haven’t seen anybody talk about all the things you’re going to need to learn to be an author, other than writing! And no, I don’t mean researching random topics. I mean, marketing, you need to market your book and that means understanding social media, that means being confident in front of a camera a lot of the time, it means speaking clearly; it means writing posts like these; it means being okay with rejection from people making fun of your appearance on YouTube to working for hours on a video that gets seven views... you also might want to learn how to manage your author website, how to make promotional material, how to take appealing photos of your book...

Or you might be able to afford to pay other people for all of that, in which case, good on you for creating work for others!

That’s a lot of things I’ve had to learn this past year and I like to think each book I publish is going to be better than the last and I’m going to be better and more prepared to deal with publishing and marketing.

Every year I learn more.

Being an author has been really difficult at times: when nobody bought a book or downloaded any of my freely available stories in like three months, it was demotivating and it felt like nobody was giving me a chance.

But I also had so many small moments that felt like I was on top of the world:

First books I sold.

First reviews.

My first five star review on Amazon which to this day I go back and read because it makes me feel more confident in my writing than anything else. Strangers pointing out everything I did right is just amazing.

The first time somebody commenting on one of my social media posts, had clearly read the book, and they reminded me, there are people in the world who have read this. This isn’t just my story anymore, other people get to experience it.

Looking for ARC readers for my second book and people actually signing up!

Someone messaging me to say they read and enjoyed my book.

Finding time to write between school and work and keeping my home clean and taking care of my health, it’s hard work.

Saving up every day of the year so I can afford the cover and the proof copies I need to be able to publish and market the next book in the series is exhausting.

But I don’t think there’s anything in my day to day life that make’s me happier than these stories, than the knowledge that they’re out there for others to read and all of those small moments I’ve listed above.

I’ve come to accept the industry is not lucrative for most indie-authors. It’s trend based and if what you write isn’t what the market is looking for at any given time, you’re writing mostly for yourself. It’s a difficult pill to swallow, but I love my stories enough to deal with that.

I’m not going to stop writing even if nobody is reading it. I think that’s what being passionate about something is about.

Anyway, to celebrate one full year since Dear Dragon’s release, you can actually get the ebook for free today (July 31st) or tomorrow (August 1st).

Get your free copy here.

I wanted to do more than talk about my feelings and give people the chance to read the book for free, but I couldn’t actually think of anything cool to do.

Especially with this summer, the heat is unbearable here in Spain and a lot of days I’m just fighting for breath.

Hopefully next year or sometime soon I’ll be able to find cool ways to celebrate this book and my passion for writing.

For now though, I have a lot of content on a lot of different sites. I have free stories to read and everything can be found here.

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itsbooktimepeople · 1 year

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Daughter of the Pirate King

★☆☆☆☆

Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller follows the seventeen-year-old pirate princess Alosa as she intentionally gets kidnapped by enemy pirates in order to hunt down a map for her father. However, she runs into complications when finding the map is more difficult than she originally planned.

I would not recommend Daughter of the Pirate King at all. Its premise is spellbinding—Pirates? Sword fights? Secret plans? Sirens?—but it falls completely short of expectations, because this, dear reader, is not a pirate story. It's a badly written romance that takes place on a ship. Even those who enjoy love stories will find nothing of value here, as the characters are generic, without chemistry, and speak only in so-called witty banter that has the magic ability to increase your longing for the sweet release of death as you read it. But, as awful as it was, the suckiness of the romance pales in comparison to the worst aspect of the book: the protagonist.

Alosa is not like other girls, who according to her cannot always handle a life at sea. She can swordfight. She can kill in a single move. She can sing beautifully. And, despite being described as petite and small, she can chuck people across the deck of a ship, because that is totally possible. But the fact that she can do all these things isn't enough—she has to spend the entire book bragging to the reader about how strong and smart and special she is, while exhibiting exactly none of these traits through action. It's like Levenseller heard the phrase "strong female protagonist" and decided to make her character physically strong enough to defy the laws of physics rather than putting a shred of thought into emotional depth or character development. Unfortunately Alosa is also our narrator, so you get to enjoy being stuck in her head for 311 pages, which does not seem like a lot, but it would be less painful to be trapped in an active volcano for the duration of time it takes to read.

There are other things that suck about this book, including poor diversity, an uninspired plot, and flat writing, but I will leave it at this for now. One star. Would not recommend.

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elliepassmore · 8 months

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Never A Hero review

5/5 stars Recommended if you like: time travel, morally gray characters, magic

Only A Monster review

Have you ever had a series where you liked the first book but didn't love it, but then read the second book and it completely elevated your opinion? That's what this book did for me. I liked Only A Monster but wasn't in love with it (even though I rated it 5 stars, don't @ me I have rating problems). But this book definitely hooked me. I liked where and who the characters were when this book opened, I enjoyed the adventure they went on, and overall I was more interested in seeing how it ended and was more desperate for the next book when I finished.

Joan was less naïve coming into this book and was still grappling with the implications of everything that happened over summer. She's obviously struggling with her heritage and has vowed not to time travel ever again, but is also still having fade outs where her mind dangerously tries to make her travel without time. As the action picks up, we see that Joan is still hugely protective and loyal toward the Hunts, despite the mixed emotions she feels toward them. She's determined to ensure that they're taken care of while at the same time she's trying to survive herself. We get to see even more of her complicated emotions regarding her monster heritage and her feelings of loyalty toward humans, which I liked. I wasn't so much a fan of how she decided to take such a morally high road that she didn't even use the trinkets that hold time. Like, girl, it's already been stolen, it's not going to become any less stolen if you don't use it and hurting yourself to avoid using it doesn't do anyone any good.

I loved Aaron from the get-go in book 1, but he does fall downhill here a little bit. It's not...entirely his fault, but I did hope he'd snap out of things faster. That being said, Aaron does make the right decision and returns to being his hilariously privileged but lovable self. His and Joan's friendship continues to be one of my favorite parts of this series and I'm very excited that he'll be in book 3 from the beginning.

Nick comes back in and I liked him again! I felt, in general, like he was much better this time around than he was in the other timeline. We get to see a different side to him this time around. He's gentler and more caring, and his protectiveness over humanity now gets extended to Joan and some of the other people they meet along the way. I think Nick is a more complex, nuanced character in this book than he was in book 1, and part of that is that he is able to make his own decision and come to his own conclusions in this one vs. in the first book when he was manipulated behind the scenes every step of the way (or almost every step).

I'm going to be honest and say I kind of had mixed feelings about the plot for a large portion of the book. Don't get me wrong, I really liked that Joan was forced on the run and there seemed to be this big mystery about the timeline. I also really liked how we got more insight into the true timeline as well as some of the other families we briefly came into contact with in book 1. That being said, I felt a little weird about Eleanor (new character), though I came around to her role in things toward the end. It's just, she felt cartoonish at first, but as more was revealed, more of both her complexity and her monstrosity became apparent. I like a good villain, even if I don't root for them, and Eleanor shaped up to be a good villain. I'm very interested to see where she goes and what she does in book 3 (also kind of scared at some of the implications for how the team is going to fix this).

Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot more than the first one and it really elevated my opinion of the series as a whole. The villain in this one is more nuanced, and we get more nuance for our other characters and their past actions as well, which I particularly liked. The ending is definitely a banger and I'm looking forward to seeing how our protagonists get out of this one.

#book #book review #books #book recommendations #fantasy #bookstagram #booklr #bookblr #bookaholic #bookish #book addict #never a hero #only a monster #aaron oliver #vanessa len #ya fantasy books #fantasy book #time travel

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beanbowlbaggins · 1 year

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Cultural Maritime and Shadow and Bone

Having finished the second season of Shadow and Bones, I finally put together some notes on the fantasy maritime in the Netflix adaptation of the Grishaverse. Noting that I haven't myself read the book series yet; having seen the use of land, air, and sea vessels, I'm excited to read!

Check out the book series by @/lbardugo (on instagram) if you're interested as well. I hope to do a book review for both the trilogy and the duology soon.

Also, check out this text if you can:

The Culture of Ships and Maritime Narratives (British School at Athens - Modern Greek and Byzantine Studies)

~ Author: Papadopoulou, Chryssanthi

#shadow and bone #leigh bargudo #ya fantasy books #ya fantasy romance #ya fantasy #cultural maritime #fantasy maritime #pirate fantasy #fantasy pirates #fantasy piracy #historical fantasy #fantasy privateers #film review #film analysis #book analysis

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bekah-reading · 9 months

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98/120

This is in preparation for Murtagh coming out in November.

5/5

I loved this series when I was younger, I’ve read all the way til Inheritance. So the first 3 books will be a re-read.

The writing definitely gives me a huge nostalgic feeling. I really did miss this series.

The writing flows well, the world-building is amazing. It certainly allows for Paolini to expand further if he wished to. The characters are fleshed out and planned really well. You really feel for each of their situations.

This was more for the new book coming out in November as well as re-reading a childhood favourite.

#booklr #booktok #reading #reading challenge #2023 reading #2023 reading challenge #ya fantasy books #fantasy books #eragon #the inheritance cycle #christopher paolini

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