Category: Uncategorized

The Rarkyn’s Familiar (The Rarkyn Trilogy Book 1) (Blog Tour)

by Mada, posted in Uncategorized

Synopsis:


An orphan bent on revenge. A monster searching for freedom. A forbidden pact that binds their fates. Lyss had heard her father’s screams, smelled the iron-tang of his blood. She witnessed his execution. And plotted her revenge. Then, a violent encounter traps Lyss in a blood-pact with a rarkyn from the otherworld, imbuing her with the monster’s forbidden magic—a magic that will erode her sanity. To break the pact, she and the rarkyn must journey to the heart of the Empire. All that stands in their way are the mountains, the Empire’s soldiers, and Lyss’ uneasy alliance with the rarkyn. But horrors await them on the road—horrors even rarkyns fear. The most terrifying monster isn’t the one Lyss travels with. It’s the one that’s awoken inside her.
Monsters of a feather flock together.

Rating: 10/10

Review:

Rarkyn’s Familiar is a good novel, with great worldbuilding and excellent immersion into the world. I am impressed with the strength that this novel brings into the world. It felt like I was in a new universe of Elden Ring and Dark Souls. This is a grim-dark fantasy for me, and I like it. There are a lot of impressive characters in this novel, and each character feels alive. I really feel there’s lots of great stuff in this novel.

This is a world where magic is feared, powerful and dangerous at the same time. An Empire that wishes to eradicate such magic vs those who wish to preserve it. Institutions of holy power and mancers fight for the very power that is magic, while dealing with creatures and monsters for their own profit. There is a very good backstory dealing with Lyss’s Rarkyn that’s essential to the core of their relationship throughout the story.

And the story does have your typical political manovuering, high stakes and incredible tension. I can’t help but feel that this is a great book for adapation and they need to make a TV show already of this book. I loved it! I only wanted a glossary at the end!

Dates: May 19th – May 25th

Notes:

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Book Information:

The Rarkyn’s Familiar by Nikky Lee
Series: The Rarkyn Trilogy
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Intended Age Group: 16+
Pages: 452
Published: April 19, 2022
Publisher: Parliament House Press

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Book Blurb:

An orphan bent on revenge. A monster searching for freedom. A forbidden pact that binds their fates together.

Lyss has heard her father’s screams; smelled the iron-tang of his blood. She’s witnessed his execution.

And plotted her revenge.

Then a violent encounter traps Lyss in a blood-pact with a rarkyn from the otherworld and imbues her with the monster’s forbidden magic. A magic that will erode her sanity. To break the pact, she and the rarkyn must journey to the heart of the Empire. All that stands in their way are the mountains and the Empire’s soldiers—and each other.

But horrors await them on the road, horrors even rarkyns fear. The most terrifying monster isn’t the one Lyss travels with…

It’s the one that’s awoken inside her.


See Also:

(This is our attempt at a bit of fun. We ask our authors to come up with a few short, clever, possibly pop culture laden, descriptions of their books just to give a little taste of what’s to come for readers.)


Winter is Coming • Always on the Run (Lenny Kravitz) • You Shall Not Pass




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Book Links:


Escapist Book Tours
escapistbooktours@gmail.com


Main links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Rarkyns-Familiar-Rarkyn-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B08L6YK3NP

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54704737-the-rarkyn-s-familiar

Other:

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-rarkyn-s-familiar-the-rarkyn-trilogy-book-1-by-nikky-lee

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-rarkyns-familiar/id1574743724

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-rarkyn-s-familiar

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-rarkyns-familiar-nikky-lee/1138770192

Angus & Robertson: https://www.angusrobertson.com.au/ebooks/the-rarkyns-familiar-nikky-lee/p/9781953539946






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Author Bio & Information:

Nikky Lee is an award-winning author who grew up as a barefoot 90s kid in Perth, Western Australia on Whadjuk Noongar Country. She now lives in Aotearoa New Zealand with a husband, a dog and a couch potato cat. In her free time she writes speculative fiction, often burning the candle at both ends to explore fantastic worlds, mine asteroids and meet wizards. She’s had over two dozen stories published in magazines, anthologies and on radio. Her debut novel, The Rarkyn’s Familiar—an epic tale of a girl bonded to a monster—was published with Parliament House Press in April 2022.


Website: https://www.nikkythewriter.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nikkythewriter/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NikkyMLee
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkymlee/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nikkymlee



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Escapist Book Tours
escapistbooktours@gmail.com



Additional Information:

The author wanted to share this quiz with everyone, so feel free to add it to your posts if you want.

Which Rarkyn are you? Quiz: https://www.parliamenthousepress.com/post/the-rarkyn-s-familiar-by-nikky-lee

Hag of the Hills: Blog Tour Post!

by Mada, posted in Uncategorized

Hag of the Hills is a great book, and I’ll be publishing my full review soon! Really great cover, and great writing. Already, it’s a fantastic novel that you need to get!

Book Information:

Hag of the Hills by J.T.T. Ryder
Series: The Bronze Sword Cycles duology
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Intended Age Group: Adult
Pages: 288
Published: March 1, 2022
Publisher: Old World Heroism ENK (Self Published)

Book Blurb:

“Nothing is unconquerable; even our gods can die.”

All his life, Brennus has been destined for warriorhood. However, a farmer’s life doesn’t provide many opportunities for swordplay and glory, despite the Goddess of Winter’s gift of the Sight—the ability to see the sidhe of the Otherworld. But when the Hillmen kill his family and annihilate his clan, he knows the truth—no one can avenge his homeland but himself.

As he prepares to set out against the Hillmen and their Queen, the clan’s chief druid entrusts his daughter, Myrnna, to his protection, to which Brennus swears a solemn oath. As they fight toward the sanctuary of Dun Torrin, he must survive the endless hordes of Hillman and the monstrous sidhe while shielding Myrnna from harm, aided only by the Sight, a band of shifty mercenaries, and an ancient bronze sword.

As Brennus struggles through this new world of blood and magic, the tension between protecting Myrnna and avenging his homeland threatens to tear him apart. Failure means the curse of dishonour. Victory would bring glory to himself and his ancestors. But what if keeping both of his promises proves impossible?

In the words of his father…

“Nothing is unconquerable; even our gods can die.”

Hag of the Hills is the first book in The Bronze Sword Cycles duology, a heroic fantasy set in 200 B.C. on the Isle of Skye, steeped in Celtic mythology and culture.

See Also: 

(This is our attempt at a bit of fun. We ask our authors to come up with a few short, clever, possibly pop culture laden, descriptions of their books just to give a little taste of what’s to come for readers.)

Welcome to the Island • We Have War and Flames • We Have Everything You Want if You Like Blood and Death

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Book Links:

Amazon: https://t.co/CH2TdSPvEZ

Barnes and Nobles: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hag-of-the-hills-the-bronze-sword-cycles-1-jt-t-ryder/1141059703

Black Dragon Books (UK): https://www.blackdragonbooks.co.uk/shop/genre/fantasy/hag-of-the-hills-the-bronze-sword-cycles-book-1/

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Author Bio & Information:

J.T.T Ryder is an archaeologist and author of the heroic fantasy novel HAG OF THE HILLS, book 1 of THE BRONZE SWORD CYCLES duology. He is a published author of Viking archaeology, and a doctoral candidate specializing in the Viking Age and Celtic Iron Age. He resides in Norway where he conducts archaeological research and writes heroic fantasy set in historical periods. 

Social media links:

https://linktr.ee/jttryder

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Giveaway Information:

The author has decided to set Hag of the Hills eBook for free on Amazon for the majority of the tour, May 2 – May 6. This is a fantastic opportunity for readers to start this series,

Review: Six Gun Shuffle (Black Sun #2) by David Dixon

by Mada, posted in Uncategorized

Synopsis

Snake and the boss have made a lot of enemies, but up until their trip to Yaeger, they’ve never had any beef with Michael Ver, the galaxy’s most bankable popstar-mainly because they hadn’t met him before. After the boss teaches Ver a lesson about the difference between looking tough and being tough, he finds himself a minor viral video star and catches the eye of a gorgeous redhead named Kell.

Things are looking up.

That is, until Kell goes missing and the boss goes after her. After a shootout with Ver’s crew, things go from bad to worse-nobody can find Ver, and Snake and the boss are the prime suspects in his disappearance.

The next thing they know they’ve got a bounty on their heads and hardly a friend in sight. Carla and Kell are the only people they can count on, but has Kell been playing a different game all along? It’s a mixed-up tale of bounty hunters, crooked cops, popstars and… insurance agents?… in Six-Gun Shuffle.

Review:

Six-Gun Shuffle is all about this: Two worthless scallywags end up in a conspiracy that will have them rampaging through stealing hulking pieces of metal, money and gun chases. Oh, and there are plenty of gun-chase sequences and stupid cops that our two intrepid heroes, Snake and the Boss. This novel is really all about Snake’s poor attitude and his idea that the world revolves around him. Also, let’s add to the fact that while he’s a delightful companion to his boss, he always ends up sleeping with the Boss’s girls.

This is a sleek, cyberpunk style adventure set in space, add a dash of Star Wars, a dash of the Orville and elements of Farscape and you’ve got a rip-roaring adventure across the galaxy. You’ll go to bars, meeting plenty of bounty hunters who you don’t want to mess with. You’ll come across Snake’s wonderful and snaring narration while dealing with the Boss, who really from Book 1, has had a lot of improvement. His character shines through personally, with a ton of flair being added. You’ll end up like the Boss. But then again, you’ll end up disliking and liking Snake at the same time. Because he’s a dislikable asshole. He’s like Jack Sparrow in Space.

And this novel has strong female characters: Carla, the fierce bounty hunter that lives by her own rules, and Kell, who is not all who she seems to be. I don’t wish to spoil, but there are badass heroines in this novel too. They add so much freshness to the novel because they give an alternate perspective of how Snake and the Boss’s adventures through space cause so much trouble that they have the authorities, corporations, evil corporations, evil wealthy millionaires all hunting them down..

So why not pick up this book? You won’t regret it! It’s a 10/10 from me.