Book Review - Matriarch by Adam Wing + Giveaway

 

 

About The Book:

Title: MATRIARCH

Author: Adam Wing

Pub. Date: December 1, 2019

Publisher: Adam Wing

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 124

Find it:  Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, TBD, Bookshop.org

Read For FREE With A Kindle Unlimited Membership!

The story is over. It’s already too late.

At the end of the Turkish War of Independence, a British soldier disobeys orders to return home. Setting out to explore a country he had only known as trespasser, he uncovers danger, mysteries, and magic—adventure, obsession, and true love.

One hundred years later, the soldier’s great-granddaughter sits at her great-grandmother’s deathbed while the old woman recounts this very tale; it is the last she will ever tell.

Secrets are revealed as past and present collide, and as one woman’s future draws toward its inevitable close, another finds hers thrown into uncertainty.

MY REVIEW:

During the end of the Turkish War of Independence, a British solider decides to disobey his orders to return home. He wants to stay in Turkey longer because he feels that his soul is searching for something.  He decides to explore the country as as visitor instead of an invader. As he begins his journey, he discovers secrets about magic and mysterious adventures. 

One hundred years later, the soldier's wife is lying in a hospital bed. She is dying and she decides that she will share the tale of how they met. This was the first time she ever spoke about their meeting and it might be the last time she could share it. However, as the she begins her story, secrets of the past start to collide with the future. As one woman's life is at the end, another finds herself in peril.

The author weaved an intricate and interesting story of two people meeting. I thought the story could use a bit of editing but, it was an entertaining read. I felt like the novella had a lot of promise to become something more. I wasn't fond of the ending as I don't like stories where the reader has to guess what will happen next. Overall, this was a good read and I look forward to reading other stories by the author.

About Adam: 

Man of many hats: teacher, engineer, editor, scholar, mountain climber, bar tender, student, world traveller, and through and above it all, writer, Wing has dedicated most his life to the craft of writing fiction.

Wing's published works include the novel, Icarus, and a book of short stories, Apoca Lypse Sink Ships, and he has fantasy work on the way.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon

 

Giveaway Details:

2 winners will win a finished copy of MATRIARCH, US/Canada Only.

2 winners will win an eBook of MATRIARCH, International.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

1/4/2021	Two Chicks on Books	Guest Post
1/4/2021	Rockstar Book Tours	Excerpt
1/5/2021	Jaime's World	Excerpt
1/5/2021	JaimeRockstarBookTours	Instagram Post
1/6/2021	BookHounds	Excerpt
1/6/2021	BookHounds	Instagram Post
1/7/2021	Books A-Brewin'	Excerpt
1/7/2021	Books A-Brewin'	Instagram Post
1/8/2021	Fire and Ice	Review
1/8/2021	Fire and Ice	Instagram Post

 

Week Two:

1/11/2021	I'm Shelf-ish	Excerpt
1/11/2021	Three gals and plenty of books	Excerpt
1/12/2021	@minnesota_mailer	Review
1/12/2021	100 Pages A Day	Review
1/13/2021	Westveil Publishing / @thewestveilarchives	Guest Post
1/13/2021	Westveil Publishing / @thewestveilarchives	Instagram Post
1/14/2021	Adrienne Woods Books and Reviews	Excerpt
1/14/2021	Books and Zebras @jypsylynn	Review
1/15/2021	She Just Loves Books	Review
1/15/2021	Two Points of Interest	Review

Book Review - Driftwood Bay (Hope Harbor, #5) by Irene Hannon

Photo Credit - Amazon

Jeanette Mason moves to a small seaside town named Hope Harbor in hopes to live an isolated life. Jeanette is afraid of letting people in after a tragedy causes her to lose people she loved. She decides to avoid emotional attachments and focus on her lavender farm and tea room. However, Jeanette's life gets upends again when her new neighbor moves in. Dr. Logan West becomes an unexpected guardian of his niece after his mother's death. Logan gets a dog in hopes to help bond with Molly but, the dog is intent on damaging Jeanette's lavender beds. Jeanette and Logan find themselves gravitating towards each other when a refugee family from Syria moves to their town. Will Logan and Jeanette be able to open their heart to each other?

I thought the novel was an enjoyable read but, I had a hard time connecting with Jeanette. She closes herself off and didn't want to make the effort of connecting but, was annoyed that other people didn't make the effort. She felt that her neighbor should have connected with her first and made the effort. She wanted and made Logan make the first move and didn't respond well to his suggestive behaviors but, she would get sad when he didn't invite her to the beach. I found this incredibly annoying. At times, I felt like the Molly character talked to Jeanette as if she was an adult and not a five-year-old. Her conversations with Jeanette towards the end of the book didn't feel like something a child would say to an adult. Perhaps, this is how a child speaks once they go through grief but, it felt weird to me. I enjoyed reading about the Shabos' family, Logan trying to bond with Molly, Jeanette trying to find her way, and Molly and Elisa's budding friendship. I look forward to reading the other books in the series.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

Book Review - City of Beasts by Corrie Wang + Giveaway

Photo Credit - Amazon

Seventeen years ago, the fees separated themselves from the beasts. The divisions of the genders have allowed them to keep the world peaceful.  Glori Rhodes is like most fees her age. She likes her neighborhood, can bench press her body weight and knows twenty-seven beast counterattack moves. Like many other fees, she never questioned why the genders are separated or the laws that govern them. However, when her mother secretly gives birth to a baby beast, Glori can't help but grow attached to the child.

When her brother, Twofer was snatched during a raid with the beast, Glori is willing to stop at nothing to save him. Glori and her best friend, Su, decide to infiltrate the City of Beasts to get her brother back. Glori thought it would be a simple grab and go mission but, quickly discovers that she is in for an adventure of a lifetime. Will Glori and Su be able to save her brother?

At first, I wasn't sure what to expect from the novel but, it turned out to be an interesting read. I like how it showed how things could have turned out if genders lived segregated lives. My favorite character was Twofer and how the bonds of love and family can change what society dictates to us. Overall, I thought the novel was enjoyable to read but, was predictable.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

About the Book:

Title: CITY OF BEASTS 

Author: Corrie Wang

Pub. Date: September 17, 2018

Publisher: Freeform

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 384

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle,  B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD

"If you see a beast, and you have the shot, don't hesitate. Kill it."

For seventeen years, fees have lived separate from beasts. The division of the sexes has kept their world peaceful. Glori Rhodes is like most other fees her age. She adores her neighborhood's abandoned Costco, can bench her body weight, and she knew twenty-seven beast counter attack moves by the time she was seven. She has never questioned the separation of the sexes or the rules that keep her post-nuclear hometown safe. But when her mother secretly gives birth to a baby beast, Glori grows to love the child and can't help wondering: What really is the difference between us and them?

When her brother, at the age of five, is snatched in a vicious raid, Glori and her best friend, Su, do the unthinkable - covertly infiltrate the City of Beasts to get him back. What's meant to be a smash-and-grab job quickly becomes the adventure of a lifetime as the fees team up with a fast-talking, T-shirt cannon wielding beast named Sway, and Glori starts to see that there's more to males, and her own history, than she's been taught. Glori, Sway, and a motley cohort of friends will go to the ends of the earth to find her little brother. And maybe save their divided world while they're at it.

About Corrie: 

Corrie Wang is passionate about libraries, recycling, and eating all the food, everywhere. Corrie grew up in Buffalo but spent her formative years in Brooklyn, where one of her last paying gigs was managing a three-story nightclub on the Lower East Side. 

Writing to fix things that make her angry and explore things that frighten her, Corrie’s novels are about girls unapologetically conquering scenarios they should have little control over. Tired of seeing women and girls lose in this culture - spoiler - they never do in her stories.

Her debut novel, The Takedown was chosen as one of the best books of 2017 by the New York Public Library and a 2018 YALSA selection for Best Fiction for Young Adults. City of Beasts is her second novel.

Seeing, as Corrie wrote an entire novel about the freakiness and perils of socializing too much on the internets her existence there is haphazard at best. Now, more than ever, she feels it is time for everyone to look up. (Also stand up, step up, and eat up.

Woot!) That being said, you may follow her poor photography skillz on INSTAGRAM. 

AND P.S. Wang rhymes with 'song' y'all.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

BLOGGERS WHO HAVE POSTS BEFORE SEPTEMBER 16^TH, PLEASE POST THIS PRE-ORDER CAMPAIGN INFO!

CITY OF BEASTS PRE-ORDER CAMPAIGN

Please submit proof of purchase to CORRIEWANGBOOKS [at] GMAIL [dot] COM. All formats apply (physical & e-book). Open to the United States only. Last day to submit is MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 at 11:59 PM.

PRE-ORDERS FROM BLUE BICYCLE BOOKS

http://bluebicyclebooks.bigcartel.com/product/corrie-wang-city-of-beasts

Each signed pre-order copy of City of Beats will come with:

• 1 set of 5 Battle Cards featuring different mercenaries
• A special paperclip necklace made by Mouse which makes you a part of the City of Beast family
• Entry to win 1 of 3 raffle prizes
• 1^st prize is a Jackrabbit Filly t-shirt/patch/ $10 gift card
• 2^nd prize $10 gift card to Jackrabbit Filly and t-shirt
• 3^rd prize $10 gift card to Jackrabbit Filly

ANY PREORDERS FROM AN INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE

Pre-order City of Beasts at your local indie and you will receive:

• A signed bookplate
• A set of 5 Battle Cards featuring different mercenaries
• A special paperclip necklace made by Mouse, making you part of the City of Beast family

PRE-ORDERS FROM ANYWHERE BOOKS ARE SOLD!

ANY PREORDERS FROM AN INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE

Pre-order City of Beasts anywhere else books are sold you will receive:

• A signed bookplate
• 1 of 5 Battle Cards at random

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive finished copies of CITY OF BEASTS, US Only.

Rafflecopter link:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e2389ba2975/?

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

9/2/2019- Country Road Reviews- Excerpt

9/3/2019- Two Chicks on Books- Excerpt

9/4/2019- Character Madness and Musings- Excerpt

9/5/2019- Shelf-Rated- Review

9/6/2019- BookHounds YA- Review

Week Two:

9/9/2019- Lifestyle of Me- Review

9/10/2019- Daily Waffle - Excerpt

9/11/2019- A Dream Within A Dream- Review

9/12/2019- Life of a Simple Reader- Excerpt

9/13/2019- Here's to Happy Endings- Review

Week Three:

9/16/2019- Jena Brown Writes- Review

9/17/2019- Kati's Bookaholic Rambling Reviews- Excerpt

9/18/2019- Wishful Endings- Excerpt

9/19/2019- Book-Keeping- Review

9/20/2019- Jade Writes Books- Review

Week Four:

9/23/2019- Eli to the nth- Review

9/24/2019- two points of interest- Review

9/25/2019- The Layaway Dragon- Review

9/26/2019- Smada's Book Smack- Review

9/27/2019- PopTheButterfly Reads- Review

Week Five:

9/30/2019- lori's house of reviews- Review