Discerning Grace by Emma Lombard – Review | Blog Tour

An enjoyable read.

WHAT’S THE BOOK ABOUT

As the first full-length novel in The White Sails Series, Discerning Grace captures the spirit of an independent woman whose feminine lens blows the ordered patriarchal decks of a 19th century tall ship to smithereens.

Wilful Grace Baxter, will not marry old Lord Silverton with his salivary incontinence and dead-mouse stink. Discovering she is a pawn in an arrangement between slobbery Silverton and her calculating father, Grace is devastated when Silverton reveals his true callous nature.

Refusing this fate, Grace resolves to stow away. Heading to the docks, disguised as a lad to ease her escape, she encounters smooth-talking naval recruiter, Gilly, who lures her aboard HMS Discerning with promises of freedom and exploration in South America.

When Grace’s big mouth lands her bare-bottomed over a cannon for insubordination, her identity is exposed. The captain wants her back in London but his orders, to chart the icy archipelago of Tierra del Fuego, forbid it. Lieutenant Seamus Fitzwilliam gallantly offers to take Grace off the fretting captain’s hands by placing her under his protection.

Grace must now win over the crew she betrayed with her secret, while managing her feelings towards her taciturn protector, whose obstinate chivalry stifles her new-found independence. But when Grace disregards Lieutenant Fitzwilliam’s warnings about the dangers of the unexplored archipelago, it costs a friend his life and she realises she is not as free as she believes.

Discerning Grace by Emma Lombard – Review | Blog Tour

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

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A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark – Review | Blog Tour

A great read.

WHAT’S THE BOOK ABOUT

Cairo, 1912: Though Fatma el-Sha’arawi is the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, she’s certainly not a rookie, especially after preventing the destruction of the universe last summer.

So when someone murders a secret brotherhood dedicated to one of the most famous men in history, Al-Jahiz, Agent Fatma is called onto the case. Al-Jahiz transformed the world fifty years ago when he opened up the veil between the magical and mundane realms, before vanishing into the unknown. This murderer claims to be Al-Jahiz, returned to condemn the modern age for its social oppressions. His dangerous magical abilities instigate unrest in the streets of Cairo that threaten to spill over onto the global stage.

Alongside her Ministry colleagues and a familiar person from her past, Agent Fatma must unravel the mystery behind this imposter to restore peace to the city – or face the possibility he could be exactly who he seems . . .

A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark – Review | Blog Tour

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Thirteen Incredible Books with Tigers on Their Covers

I have always been fascinated by tigers. When these regal beasts roaming our jungles are captured in stories, I feel they elevate the stories to a new level.

I scoured through Goodreads to list some books featuring the majestic tigers and came up with some gems. I am excited to add these books to my To-Be-Read pile. I hope some of them also make their way to yours.

Do not be surprised if some of the books are set in my country, India. It is after all the home to the Royal Bengal Tiger.

Happy browsing through the list.

Thirteen Incredible Books with Tigers on Their Covers

A Conventicle of Magpies by LMR Clarke – Excerpt | Blog Tour

I am thrilled to share this amazing new book! A Conventicle of Magpies is the first book in the Bloodskills duology, and today I have an exclusive excerpt for you, and a chance to win a signed copy of the book!

WHAT’S THE BOOK ABOUT

Rook is a thief, and entirely unapologetic about it as she’s determined to do anything to ensure her mother and siblings survive the squalid and dangerous streets of Stamchester.

Rook slips in and out of the homes of the ruling elite of Stamchester, the Avenish, like a shadow taking what she needs without regret.

Why should she? Had the Avenish not stolen her own people, the Saouiasei, from their own homes years before and transported them across the ocean to Stamchester to work as virtual slaves?

And, now the Avenish had no more use for Rook and her people, where they not determined to dispose of them?

The Avenish had already laid waste to a swathe of Saouiasei homes, a region which had become known as ‘The Scar’, in an attempt to drive them out?

However, Rook was not the only person hiding in the shadows. A  far more dangerous figure was haunting the filthy streets of Stamchester striking fear into Avenish and Saouiasei alike; Billy Drainer, a serial killer who not only murdered his victims but drained them of every ounce of their precious, life giving blood.

For within blood was a highly sought after commodity, the ability to enhance a persons natural abilities through the art of Bloodskill. To be faster and stronger than a normal person was something those with money were willing to pay handsomely for.

‘A Conventicle of Magpies’ is a fast-paced Gaslamp fantasy adventure set in a Victorian-inspired world. Perfect for fans of Charlie N. Holmberg’s Spellbreaker and Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell.

A Conventicle of Magpies by LMR Clarke – Excerpt | Blog Tour

Little Wade and the Watchtower: Abigail and the Great Gang Trap by Sean March – Review

An excellent middle-grade fiction.

WHAT’S THE BOOK ABOUT

“There’s a legend for children who are sad and who cry,
About a little boy ghost, dressed in black, who can fly
About a big, metal giant who stands sky high.
They’ll always help you and they’ll never lie.
They’ll show you that even in your darkest hour
Deep inside you lies incredible power.
They are Little Wade and Watchtower!”

New York City. 1899.

Abigail Reid just wants to go to school and get an education.
A poor farm girl who only recently moved to New York from the country, she quickly learns that New York City can be a very dangerous place. The Longshadows, the ruthless gangsters that control her neighborhood, have her surrounded, but just when Abigail thinks she is all alone, she meets the legendary Little Wade and the Watchtower!

With their help, Abigail will discover that she is far braver and more capable than she ever imagined and that New York City can be a wonderful place. Together, they plan to set The Great Gang Trap and rid her neighborhood of the Longshadows once and for all! Unfortunately, the Longshadows are not the only threat in New York.

Little Wade and the Watchtower: Abigail and the Great Gang Trap by Sean March – Review

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

The Tigers in the Tower by Julia Golding – Review | Blog Tour

An enchanting tale full of action and adventure.

WHAT’S THE BOOK ABOUT

“A Little Princess – with tigers! Orphan and outcast Sahira Clive is a brave and plucky heroine with a brightly burning heart. I was rooting for her all the way to the end of this thrilling – and thought-provoking – adventure.” Ally Sherrick, award-winning author of Black Powder.

Sahira’s family are travelling to England to deliver two majestic Indian tigers to the menagerie in the tower of London.

But tragedy strikes and sickness steals Sahira’s parents from her on the journey. Left alone in London, Sarhira finds herself confined to a miserable and dangerous orphanage. Despite her heartache and the threats she faces, Sahira is determined to carry out her father’s last request – to protect God’s beautiful creatures: her tigers. To do so, Sahira must set out on an adventure and use all her powers of persuasion to engage the help of some new friends along the way.

Can the quest to find her tigers a safe home, lead Sahira to find her own place of hope and belonging in this strange and foreign land?

The Tigers in the Tower by Julia Golding – Review | Blog Tour

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.