Book Review: A Cast of Stones (+Giveaway)

An Epic Medieval Saga Fantasy Readers
Will Love
In the backwater village of Callowford, Errol Stone's search for a drink is interrupted by a church messenger who arrives with urgent missives for the hermit priest in the hills. Desperate for coin, Errol volunteers to deliver them but soon finds himself hunted by deadly assassins. Forced to flee with the priest and a small band of travelers, Errol soon learns he's joined a quest that could change the fate of his kingdom.
Protected for millennia by the heirs of the first king, the kingdom's dynasty is near an end and a new king must be selected. As tension and danger mount, Errol must leave behind his drunkenness and grief, learn to fight, and come to know his God in order to survive a journey to discover his destiny.

A Cast of Stones
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 432 (ebook)
Part of Series: The Staff and the Sword #1
Purchased: Review for tour
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

REVIEW:
I'm all in for epic fantasy so i really couldn't say no to this one.

I'll admit that when i started reading A Cast of Stones, it tired me. For some reason i felt it was going really slow and i was craving to be at the center of the story. At the same time though, the story and Error are so compelling that i couldn't stop reading. I'm pretty sure i would have stop if it was another book, but this one..it was just too interesting and clever to stop. The slow introduction of the slow, even though it was not my favorite part of the book, it definitely helped to remember and get accustomed to the author's world. 

There is a scene at the first chapter where we see Errol read the stones for a first time. That scene reminded me so much of how Pug reads Kulgan's ball for first time at The Magician from Raymond Feist that actually made me happy?  I think from that moment on, i knew somewhere inside me i will enjoy the book and of course i did.

As for Error, at the first scene i thought i will probably hate him but as the story grows you see not only how he changes and how he tries but also what an honest man he is. Even as the drunk town of a small town, he is a man who cares and has it inside him to help. 

Another great book i started the year with. If you are into epic fantasy and you want something that starts now and not one of those huge epic series, A Cast of Stones is a good option.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cleopatra's daughter Book Blast! (+Giveaway)

It's the two-year anniversary of the publication of Lily of the Nile by Stephanie Dray, the first in her Cleopatra's Daughter series! It is time to celebrate ALL of Steph's wonderful novels about strong ancient-Egyption women.  

Two years ago, Stephanie Dray introduced the world to Cleopatra's daughter in the critically acclaimed historical fantasy novel, LILY OF THE NILE. In the award-winning sequel, SONG OF THE NILE, her dynamic and messianic young queen grew in power as she attempted to wrest back her mother's throne and return to Egypt. This year, Dray will complete the trilogy with DAUGHTERS OF THE NILE, which follows Selene on her journey as a fiercely protective mother, a powerful priestess and a queen with a unique historical legacy to bequeath to her heirs.

To commemorate and celebrate the book birthday of LILY OF THE NILE, she is giving away a free Young Adult novelette to her readers this January. THE PRINCESS OF EGYPT MUST DIE tells the beginnings of the reign of Arsinoe II, one of Cleopatra Selene's ancestral heroines and it is not to be missed. Join in the celebration of these ancient queens by grabbing your free copy now!

To be alerted when DAUGHTERS OF THE NILE releases, please sign up here.

And if you're a fan and would like to be a member of Ms. Dray's street team, with chances to win special prizes in exchange for your help promoting her work, please sign up here.

LILY OF THE NILE: With her parents dead, the daughter of Cleopatra and Mark Antony is left at the mercy of her Roman captors. Heir to one empire and prisoner of another, it falls to Princess Selene to save her brothers and reclaim what is rightfully hers…

In the aftermath of Alexandria’s tragic fall, Princess Selene is taken from Egypt, the only home she’s ever known. Along with her two surviving brothers, she’s put on display as a war trophy in Rome. Selene’s captors mock her royalty and drag her through the streets in chains, but on the brink of death, the children are spared as a favor to the emperor’s sister, who takes them to live as hostages in the so-called lamentable embassy of royal orphans…Now trapped in a Roman court of intrigue that reviles her heritage and suspects her faith, Selene can’t hide the hieroglyphics that carve themselves into her flesh. Nor can she stop the emperor from using her for his own political ends. But faced with a new and ruthless Caesar who is obsessed with having a Cleopatra of his very own, Selene is determined honor her mother’s lost legacy. The magic of Egypt and Isis remain within her. But can she succeed where her mother failed? And what will it cost her in a political game where the only rule is win or die?Berkley Trade January 2011 (Trade Paperback, 430 pages)# ISBN-10: 0425238555# ISBN-13: 978-0425238554

SONG OF THE NILE: Sorceress. Seductress. Schemer. Cleopatra’s daughter has become the emperor’s most unlikely apprentice and the one woman who can destroy his empire…

Having survived her perilous childhood as a royal captive of Rome, Selene pledged her loyalty to Augustus and swore she would become his very own Cleopatra. Now the young queen faces an uncertain destiny in a foreign land.Forced to marry a man of the emperor’s choosing, Selene will not allow her new husband to rule in her name. She quickly establishes herself as a capable leader in her own right and as a religious icon. Beginning the hard work of building a new nation, she wins the love of her new subjects and makes herself vital to Rome by bringing forth bountiful harvests.But it’s the magic of Isis flowing through her veins that makes her indispensable to the emperor. Against a backdrop of imperial politics and religious persecution, Cleopatra’s daughter beguiles her way to the very precipice of power. She has never forgotten her birthright, but will the price of her mother’s throne be more than she’s willing to pay?Berkley Trade October 2011 (Trade Paperback)# ISBN-10: 0425243044# ISBN-13: 9780425243046

THE PRINCESS OF EGYPT MUST DIE: Before she became one of Egypt's greatest queens, she was a lonely princess who ached to belong...

Princess Arsinoe came of age in the glittering court of Ptolemaic Egypt. Abused by her ruthless sister, a pawn in the dynastic ambitions of her father, and dismissed by the king who claimed her for a bride, young Arsinoe finds herself falling in love with a young man forbidden to her. She dreams of a great destiny, but if she is ever to rule Egypt, she must first survive the nest of vipers otherwise known as her family.

December 2012 (Digital Only)

ASIN: B00AE01M5S

Giveaway:

Steph is graciously giving away a digital copy of The Princess of Egypt Must Die to anyone who wants to download it, along with a bottle of Egyptian perfume for one lucky winner! 

Enter to win below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guespost: "Young Adult is Back With a Vengeance!" (+Giveaway)

This post is special! Really special! For starters, it's about the 2nd book of a really good series i read and reviewed last year (Until Next Time), the readers actually voted for the book title and lastly and more importantly there is a free read along for everyone(except the guestpost obviously)! At the end of the post, you will find a part of the read along. Then you will hop to another blog and read another one! And another one! How cool is that? But okay..let's get to it!

Young Adult is Back With a Vengeance!

There are many adults who are drawn to the young adult genre. But the most amazing thing to me, and the one I’m most thankful for, is the fact that young adults are reading even more than adults! You have to give the accolades to Rowling who, with her Potter masterpiece, brought children and young adults away from their computers and had their noses once again buried in a book.

Then, we must offer thanks to the ‘vampire’ woman who, with Bella and Edward, had young adults AND their moms rushing to the bookstore and leaving behind the iPods, computers, cell phones, Blackberries - and any other source of technology you could think of - in order to sit down with a book and get lost in the small town of Forks.

When those doors opened, authors that’d been overlooked by an industry who truly believed that YA was not a genre that would bring about big sales - got a thrilling chance to bring their characters to life and offer them to the world.

As a devout reader, myself, I have to say that I was always into historical novels and suspense. But as a reviewer now for many, I have to say I am absolutely thrilled when I receive all the boxes from Random House filled with their YA titles to be released in the following month. I have found some absolute treasures in these boxes. Mystery, suspense, romance, Potter-‘esque’ fun and entertainment - the YA books are covering almost all subjects and are really hitting the nail on the proverbial head. Lately, with each shipment comes a bestselling adult author that is trying their ‘hand’ at YA fiction, and succeeding brilliantly, right alongside the debut authors who had their YA manuscript in their desk drawer for quite a while and were finally able to shine the light on their words.

Young adults are seen in television and movies as being so into technology that they simply have no time to read. But that is completely untrue. Especially since the Kindles and Nooks of the world were invented so that they can combine books with their love for technology. Two birds - one stone.

When I was a kid, we were ALWAYS at the library shoving our faces into Judy Blume and her peers. We loved books, and loved getting taken away into another time and another world where we could discover and learn and play…books were it! I am so happy that young adults and kids are getting back into the book realm. I know…technology is awesome and there is something new to learn about every day - but the good, old book is still the most amazing escape from high school, bad boyfriends, rotten best friends, parents who ‘just don’t understand,’ etcetera. It is a real thrill to see that books have become as treasured as they were…once upon a time.

Until Next Time, Everybody,

Amy

READ ALONG EXCERPT

check the linky at the end to find the rest of the scene!

“We’ll see,” Max replied, turning to Anya. “It was an extreme pleasure to meet you. I’m sure Myles will be well-served by your capable hands. Do yourself a favor, though; stay far away from my undesirable mate.” The handsome face once again filled with mischief, as he punched Drew in the shoulder. “You’re much too fine a lady for this dirty cur.”

“Thanks, pal,” Drew said, offering his friend a dirty look.

“A good Saturday to you all.”

“Are you at least coming home for dinner?” his father asked, as Max marched past Hope without a word.

“I have a lot to do,” he replied. “However, if Miss Anya and young Greg would like to accompany us tomorrow, I’m taking Myles to the Garden. Perhaps they would like to see the city?”

“That’s a wonderful idea,” Mr. Carrow stated. “Anya?”

Drew looked over at Anya and their eyes locked. “Well,” she began, looking across the room into his emerald eyes, “Drew was going to play escort today.”

“Now Drew,” Hope spoke up. “I’ll be takin’ Anya shopping with me today. She needs a wardrobe for her job.”

“Well.” Mr. Carrow laughed, “It looks like you’re going to be everyone’s friend and angel around here, Miss Anya.”

The heat returned to her cheeks at the strangely uncomfortable scene.

“Easily solved. I’ll go with the two of you,” Drew said with a smile. “I could use some new clothes, myself.”

Max rolled his eyes and walked out the front door. Anya was completely surprised that, even with the two wonderful escorts vying for her company, she was a bit saddened by his exit.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Movie Review: Anna Karenina

The third collaboration of Academy Award nominee Keira Knightley with acclaimed director Joe Wright, following the award-winning boxoffice successes “Pride & Prejudice” and “Atonement,” is a bold, theatrical new vision of the epic story of love, adapted from Leo Tolstoy’s timeless novel by Academy Award winner Tom Stoppard (“Shakespeare in Love”). The story powerfully explores the capacity for love that surges through the human heart. As Anna (Ms. Knightley) questions her happiness and marriage, change comes to all around her.

Anna Karenina
Released: 2012
Runtime: 129 mins
Rating: 2/5 stars

REVIEW:
I'm in the Oscars mood lately, so i'm trying to watch some of the nominated for Oscars movies (not all of them for best motion picture). Argo was out of the question because i really don't want to see it so i thought about starting with Anna Karenina.

When i saw a movie from Joe Wright with Keira Knightley i was immediately obsessed. I mean i loved both Atonement and P&P. Unfortunately, Anna Karenina didn't work for me. I have not read the book to compare, so i'm discussing it simple as a movie.

I think the main problem was the setting/directing for the movie. It's not the usual style, instead it uses a theatric version were the walls changing in front of you while the scene is on move, you see the changing of the outfits, in a dancy classy way yes, but still like a theater and stuff like that. The scenes are so small and the whole theatric style didn't really help with the story or the acting. I couldn't get used to it and all i was paying attention was the music, the background and the costumes. As for the actors, i don't really think they had to put so much effort into acting or giving the characters some depth. It was like they were just reading lines.

So yes as you see, it did not work out for me at all. Next we have Les Miserables ;)

Cast: Keira Knightley(Atonement, Pride & Prejudice), Jude Law(Sherlock Holmes), Kelly McDonald (Brave), Matthew McFayden (Pride & Prejudice), Aaron Johnson (Kick Ass), Olivia Williams (The Sixth Sense), Susanne Lother, Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey), Eros Vlahos (Nanny McPhee 2), Henry Hughes (Harry Potter)