Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia and is now hosted on its own blog.
Here’s what I got in the last two weeks:
Born Survivors by Wendy Holden (bought)
Blood of the Demon by Diana Rowland (bookmooch)
First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones (bought)
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (purchased)
Anarchy by Stewart Binns (bookmooch)
Kings or Pawns: The Kings (Book I) by J.J. SherwoodJ.J. Sherwood’s debut novel KINGS OR PAWNS: THE KINGS, BOOK 1 is the first in a high fantasy epic series sure to please fans of both the science fiction and fantasy genres.
The year is 8994 P.E., and the city of Elvorium is corrupted—rotted to the core by the machinations of depraved politicians. With his father dead and the country facing a rebellion, Price Hairem becomes the king of the elven world of Sevrigel in one of its most turbulent points in history.
Young and daring, Hairem is determined to eradicate the corruption festering in Elvorium’s self-serving and all-powerful council, which thwarts his best intentions at every turn. But Hairem’s problems are far more sinister¬—and deadly—than merely political. The loyal members of the council are being savagely murdered by an assassin loosed within the city—an assassin whose brutality knows no bounds. Outside of the city, the Lord Saebellus wages a vicious rebellion against the capital. He has been thwarted thus far by the brilliant General Jikun, and Hairem is certain that the general can crush Saebellus.
But instead of continuing the campaign against the warlord, the council orders Jikun’s army to be split, sending him on a mission that furthers only their own wealth and power. Jikun knows that the council’s demands will leave Elvorium vulnerable to an attack from the formidable warlord. Although Saebellus has been recently defeated, he is far from vanquished. As corruption and death threaten to tear the city apart from within, the rebel Saebellus seizes the opportunity to lay siege to Sevrigel’s eastern capital and unleash his most powerful weapon yet: a demonic beast that neither weapon nor magic can kill. With the elven world crumbling around him, Hairem is grasping for his own power to fight against the forces that threaten Sevrigel.
Will Hairem overcome the council’s scheming and duplicity? Can General Jikun defeat the warlord Saebellus? Will this be the war that finally brings Sevrigel to its knees? KINGS OR PAWNS offers action, intrigue, mystery, and suspense—a thrilling story that will leave readers hungry for the sequel, Heroes or Thieves, to be published in February 2016.
At first, I was little confused with this world, who is who and what’s going on but after I got those cleared, I really enjoyed the story.
This focuses on elven world, which was a nice change for me because usually elves team up to fight the bad guys or whatever but here we see elves fight against other elves.
There’s lot of court politics and back stabbings going on and I felt bad for the new king Hairem. He is little too naïve and idealistic for this world and doesn’t have much experience about dealing with the elven council. He’s nice and fair to the servants and I loved the great relationship with his servant Alvena, who is also mute. Hopefully we will see more of her in the next book.
This was a great debut and I’m looking forward to the next book.
4/5
Published: Silver Helm Publishing (October 2015)
Format: ebook
Pages: 373
Source: iRead Book Tours
J.J. Sherwood lives in Ohio with her husband and four near-identical cats. KINGS OR PAWNS is J.J.’s widely anticipated debut novel, and is the first book of The Kings quartet. The series is set in the high fantasy world of Aersadore, home to hundreds of characters who all clamor for J.J.’s attention. To learn more about the trials and tribulations of General Jikun and King Hairem, visit StepsofPower.com. J.J. Sherwood will be at the tenth Fandom Fest Comic Con in Louisville, Kentucky this coming August 7th-9th.
Connect with the author: Website Twitter Facebook
Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia and is now hosted on its own blog.
The Love Knot by Vanessa Alexander (bought)
Vicious by V.E. Schwab (bookmooch)
Sons of the Wolf by Paula Lofting (bought)
Anne Boleyn: Henry VIII’s Obsession by Elizabeth Norton (bought)
Hosted by The Perpetual Page-Turner
Number Of Books You Read: 82 (DNF: 6)
Number of Re-Reads: Didn’t do any re-reads this year
Genre You Read The Most From: Historical fiction
1. Best Book You Read In 2015?
I really couldn’t choose, so I divided them into fiction and non-fiction:
The Conqueror’s Wife: A Novel of Alexander the Great by Stephanie Thornton
Magic Breaks by Ilona Andrews
The Reckoning by Sharon Kay Penman
The Lake House by Kate Morton
A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson
2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman. I loved the first books and what a disappointed the sequal was!
3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?
A Year of Ravens. I didn’t think that an anthology with so many authors would be this good.
4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?
I didn’t push any books.
5. Best series you started in 2015? Best Series Ender of 2015?
Series I started would be In the Shadow of the Storm by Anna Belfrage. Best series ender was A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan
6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2015?
Stephanie Thornton
7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?
I didn’t read anything out of my comfort zone…
8. Most unputdownable book of the year?
The Lake House by Kate Morton
9. Book You Read In 2015 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
I don’t think I’ll do much re-reading…
10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2015?
The Witch of Painted Sorrows by M.J. Rose
11. Most memorable character of 2015?
Curran :)
12. Most beautifully written book read in 2015?
I don’t know…
13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2015?
Eyewitness Auschwitz: Three Years in the Gas Chambers by Filip Müller
14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2015 to finally read?
The Reckoning by Sharon Kay Penman
15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2015?
I don’t remember any right now.
16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2015?
Shortest: Amelie’s story by Rachel Caine (The Morganville Vampires extra)
Longest: Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan
17. Book That Shocked You The Most
(Because of a plot twist, character death, left you hanging with your mouth wide open, etc.)
hmm, I don’t think I was really shocked by any book. I’ll say Eyewitness Auschwitz: Three Years in the Gas Chambers by Filip Müller because the whole topic is shocking.
18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)
(OTP = one true pairing if you aren’t familiar)
I’m still confused with this question…
19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year
oh dear, I don’t know. I’ll go with Kate and Andrea (Magic Breaks)
20. Favorite Book You Read in 2015 From An Author You’ve Read Previously
Since I already listed them on best books of the year list I’ll have to say Magic Breaks by Ilona Andrews, The Reckoning by Sharon Kay Penman and A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan
21. Best Book You Read In 2015That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:
I don’t think I read any
22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2015?
Maybe Hephaestion? From The Conqueror’s Wife by Stephanie Thornton.
23. Best 2015 debut you read?
The Sisters of Versailles by Sally Christie. At least I think it’s her debut.
24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?
Marras by Sami Lopakka. It’s written by a former Sentenced guitarist who wrote a book about a fictional band on a tour.
26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2015?
The Reckoning by Sharon Kay Penman. You just wish you could change history…
27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?
I’ll go with Marras again.
28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?
Can’t say that any book did that.
29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2015?
I don’t know. Maybe The Sleeping King by Cindy Dees for the world building because it’s based on an RPG game.
30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?
Allegiant by Veronica Roth. It was the worst book in a series and Four kina had a whole personality change. So disappointed.
1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2015 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2016?
Médicis Daughter by Sophie Perinot
2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2016 (non-debut)?
I’m not sure what’s coming out yet…
3. 2016 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?
same here
4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2016?
I don’t think any of my series is ending this year? Anticipating next Kate Daniels book.
Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia and is now hosted on its own blog.
I hope everyone had a great Christmas and good time with your families. Here’s what I got for Christmas; I’m really excited to read the Unknown Soldiers. It’s a Finnish classic that has been translated into English. I’m curious to see how well it translates since accents are huge part of the book.
A Train in Winter: A Story of Resistance, Friendship and Survival in Auschwitz by Caroline Moorehead
Edward Vi: The Lost King Of England by Chris Skidmore
Elizabeth Woodville: A Life by David MacGibbon
Jasper Tudor: Dynasty Maker by Terry Breverton
Eleanor of Aquitaine: The Mother Queen of the Middle Ages by Desmond Seward
Unknown Soldiers by Väinö Linna