Book Review - The Killing Fog (The Grave Kingdom, #1) by Jeff Wheeler + Giveaway

Photo Credit - Amazon

Bingmei becomes an orphan after she watched her family being murdered in front of her. She becomes the sole member of a once-thriving combat school. Bingmei joins a band of mercenaries that work for a local king to search for magical relics. Their recent assignment for Bingmei and her team is to travel to the wilderness to retrieve treasures from an ancient palace that is buried under a glacier valley. As the adventurers dwell deeper into the palace, they realize that trespassing the vault might come with deadly consequences.

The emperor of the Grave Kingdom and ruler of darkness has been lying in slumber waiting for the phoenix. Now that Bingmei and her friends awakened him, they are afraid of the legendary prophecy that is about to unfold.  Bingmei is thrust into the role of being a savior and it's a role that she isn't prepared for or wants. But as the fate of her friends and the world lies in her hands, will she be able to stop the prophecy?

The novel had generous world-building details that informed but, didn't overwhelmed the reader. I did wish that them unleashing the curse happened sooner and the novel didn't leave off in a cliffhanger. As this is the first novel in the series, I hope we don't find out until the last book whether or not the main character succeeds in defeating the emperor.  I did like the bond between one of the characters but, I am torn on the main character. She is portrayed as a strong fearless leader but, when we learn about her true feelings, I feel conflicted. Overall, the book is an interesting read and I look forward to seeing how the series ends.

**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.**

Print Length: 404 pages
Publisher: 47North (March 1, 2020)
Publication Date: March 1, 2020
Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B07RJQPB63

Praise for THE KILLING FOG

“Wheeler (Broken Veil) opens the Grave Kingdom series with this winding tale of valor and sacrifice, set in a realm where using magic summons a heavy fog that kills every living thing it touches. [T]he threat of the fog looming in the background adds atmosphere and tension…This excellent introduction to the prolific Wheeler’s work will appeal to fans of Asian-influenced fantasy.” —Publishers Weekly

The Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Kingfountain series conjures an epic, adventurous world of ancient myth and magic as a young woman’s battle with infinite evil begins.

Survivor of a combat school, the orphaned Bingmei belongs to a band of mercenaries employed by a local ruler. Now the nobleman, and collector of rare artifacts, has entrusted Bingmei and the skilled team with a treacherous assignment: brave the wilderness’s dangers to retrieve the treasures of a lost palace buried in a glacier valley. But upsetting its tombs has a price.

Echion, emperor of the Grave Kingdom, ruler of darkness, Dragon of Night, has long been entombed. Now Bingmei has unwittingly awakened him and is answerable to a legendary prophecy. Destroying the dark lord before he reclaims the kingdoms of the living is her inherited mission. Killing Bingmei before she fulfills it is Echion’s.

Thrust unprepared into the role of savior, urged on by a renegade prince, and possessing a magic that is her destiny, Bingmei knows what she must do. But what must she risk to honor her ancestors? Bingmei’s fateful choice is one that neither her friends nor her enemies can foretell, as Echion’s dark war for control unfolds.

You can purchase The Killing Fog at the following Retailers:

        

Photo Content from Jeff Wheeler

Jeff Wheeler took an early retirement from his career at Intel in 2014 to write full-time. He is a husband, father of five, and a devout member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Jeff lives in the Rocky Mountains. His books have been on the Wall Street Journal Bestseller list 5 times (for The Thief’s Daughter, The King’s Traitor, The Hollow Crown, The Silent Shield, and Prism Cloud) and have sold more than 4 million copies. His novels have also been published or will be published in many languages: Italian, Chinese, Hungarian, Turkish, Polish, Spanish, Russian, and German.

He is also the founder of Deep Magic: the E-zine of Clean Fantasy and Science Fiction (www.deepmagic.co), a quarterly e-zine featuring amazing short stories, novellas, and sample chapters.

You can usually find Jeff at Emerald City Comic Con, New York Comic Con or at writers conferences.

He welcomes hearing from readers: jgwheels /at/ gmail dot com

If you are interested in purchasing signed copies of his books for friends, family, or your own collection, please e-mail: WOJWbooks /at/ gmail dot com

      

WEEK ONE

FEBRUARY 24th MONDAY JeanBookNerd INTERVIEW

FEBRUARY 24th MONDAY Nay's Pink Bookshelf REVIEW

FEBRUARY 25th TUESDAY Ya It's Lit REVIEW

FEBRUARY 26th WEDNESDAY A Dream Within A Dream EXCERPT

FEBRUARY 26th WEDNESDAY TMBA Corbett INTERVIEW 

FEBRUARY 27th THURSDAY Life Within The Pages REVIEW

FEBRUARY 27th THURSDAY Insane About Books REVIEW

FEBRUARY 28th FRIDAY Wishful Endings INTERVIEW

FEBRUARY 28th FRIDAY Movies, Shows, & Books EXCERPT

WEEK TWO

MARCH 2nd MONDAY BookHounds INTERVIEW 

MARCH 3rd TUESDAY Book Queen Reviews REVIEW

MARCH 3rd TUESDAY Fundinmental EXCERPT

MARCH 4th WEDNESDAY Have Coffee Need Books REVIEW

MARCH 4th WEDNESDAY Port Jericho REVIEW

MARCH 5th THURSDAY Book Briefs REVIEW

MARCH 5th THURSDAY Gwendalyn's Books REVIEW

MARCH 6th FRIDAY Casia's Corner REVIEW 

MARCH 6th FRIDAY Two Points of Interest REVIEW

*JBN is not responsible for Lost or Damaged Books in your Nerdy Mail Box*

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Book Review - The Vine Witch by Luanne G. Smith + Giveaway

Photo Credit - Amazon

Elena Boureanu is a young vine witch who wakes up from a curse after being dormant for seven years. As she regains her senses, she realizes everything she knew has changed. The vineyards at Château Renard has long relied on the talents of vine witches, whose spells help create world-renowned wine. However, her beloved vineyard fell to ruin when Elena becomes cursed.

After breaking free from the curse that confined her, Elena is hellbent on avenging herself. However, Elena must find a way to return to her former life to regain her power. The vineyard that she was destined to inherit is now in possession of a stranger who doesn't believe in magic.

Vigneron Jean-Paul Marte believes the following of science will help him craft the best wine. He doesn't believe in the locals' beliefs of witches. But Elena knows a hex when she sees one, and Marte's vineyard is covered in them. She convinces Marte to let her stay on to help the vines heal but, she has to hide her true identity. While Elena is helping the vineyard recover, will she be able to find the one who hexed her?

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I was actually both disappointed and happy there was going to be a second book to the series!  Some parts of the novel were predictable but, there were a few surprises. I like that even though the two main characters were stubborn, there weren't many petty fights over a lack of communication. They both knew what they wanted and worked together to get what they wanted. Overall, it was a decent debut and I look forward to the second book!

**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.**

Print Length: 263 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1542008387
Publisher: 47North (October 1, 2019)
Publication Date: October 1, 2019
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English 

FROM THE EDITOR
It starts with a toad. A slimy one, too, warts and all. But as you may have guessed, with witches involved, this toad just happens to be enchanted. This toad, in fact, is the witch—and now that she’s free, she’s out for revenge against whoever has cursed her.

Elena Boureanu, former toad, is a vine witch. Her magic is responsible for creating some of the best wine of the age, and her legacy is all but ruined when she finally returns home. The vineyard’s new owner may be handsome, but he’s a city man of science who knows nothing about the valley’s vine witch tradition. And on top of that, Elena can clearly detect dark magic surrounding the estate. She knows her own curse must be connected to the hex on the fields, and she vows to put her world back into balance.

Elena’s story of redemption may be fantasy, but it feels real enough to touch. Reading this novel is like falling into an Instagram picture—atmospheric, and surrounded by the smells and tastes of the natural world. I hope you’ll fall with me. ―Adrienne Procaccini, Editor

A young witch emerges from a curse to find her world upended in this gripping fantasy of betrayal, vengeance, and self-discovery set in turn-of-the-century France.

For centuries, the vineyards at Château Renard have depended on the talent of their vine witches, whose spells help create the world-renowned wine of the Chanceaux Valley. Then the skill of divining harvests fell into ruin when sorcière Elena Boureanu was blindsided by a curse. Now, after breaking the spell that confined her to the shallows of a marshland and weakened her magic, Elena is struggling to return to her former life. And the vineyard she was destined to inherit is now in the possession of a handsome stranger.

Vigneron Jean-Paul Martel naively favors science over superstition, and he certainly doesn’t endorse the locals’ belief in witches. But Elena knows a hex when she sees one, and the vineyard is covered in them. To stay on and help the vines recover, she’ll have to hide her true identity, along with her plans for revenge against whoever stole seven winters of her life. And she won’t rest until she can defy the evil powers that are still a threat to herself, Jean-Paul, and the ancient vine-witch legacy in the rolling hills of the Chanceaux Valley.

You can purchase The Vine Witch at the following Retailers:

        

Photo Content from Luanne G. Smith 

Luanne G. Smith is the author of THE VINE WITCH, a historical fantasy novel about witches, wine, and revenge set in early 20th century France, and the forthcoming second book in The Vine Witch series, THE GLAMOURIST. She’s lucky enough to live in Colorado at the base of the beautiful Rocky Mountains, where she enjoys reading, gardening, hiking, a glass of wine at the end of the day, and finding the magic in everyday life.

        

PART ONE

OCTOBER 14th MONDAY JeanBookNerd INTERVIEW

OCTOBER 15th TUESDAY Insane About Books REVIEW

OCTOBER 15th TUESDAY Clarissa Reads It All REVIEW

OCTOBER 16th WEDNESDAY Movies, Shows, & Books GUEST POST

OCTOBER 17th THURSDAY Crossroad Reviews REVIEW

OCTOBER 17th THURSDAY Book Briefs REVIEW

OCTOBER 18th FRIDAY Gwendalyn's Books REVIEW & INTERVIEW

PART TWO

OCTOBER 19th SATURDAY Random Bookish Banter REVIEW

OCTOBER 20th SUNDAY TTC Books and More INTERVIEW

OCTOBER 21st MONDAY BookHounds YA INTERVIEW

OCTOBER 21st MONDAY A Bookish Dream REVIEW

OCTOBER 22nd TUESDAY Starlight Reads REVIEW & GUEST POST
OCTOBER 22nd TUESDAY Wonder Struck REVIEW

OCTOBER 23rd WEDNESDAY Kait Plus Books EXCERPT

OCTOBER 23rd WEDNESDAY Two Points of Interest REVIEW

*JBN is not responsible for Lost or Damaged Books in your Nerdy Mail Box*

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