Synopsis (from goodreads.com): Something is very wrong with the sky...
Emmeline and Lucas are safe from Lady Aisling and her soldiers for the time being. The only thing that mars their peaceful life is Emmeline's former shadow, Dar. Still shut in her cage, she constantly tries to manipulate Emmeline to set her free.
Then one night the Cerelia Comet, the reason for their magical abilities, returns... Twelve years too early. The return of the comet can only mean one thing, Lady Aisling has a sky shaker under her control and is hoping for a new batch of talented children to add to her collection.
Emmeline and Lucas journey to find other talented children who can help in the fight against Lady Aisling. But when Dar escapes, and the two friends realize many of the children they seek have already been taken, it's clear the sky shaker might be the least of their worries.
The thrilling conclusion to MarcyKate Connolly's Shadow Weaver duology follows Emmeline and Lucas as they face the darkness that has shadowed their lives.
M Y T H O U G H T S "Alone we are powerful, but together, we can do real magic."
Comet Rising is the sequel to Shadow Weaver. About two months after the incidents in Shadow Weaver, Emmeline's shadow, Dar, is locked away in the attic. Emmeline and Lucas are gifted with shadow weaving and light singing due to being blessed by the Cerelia Comet at birth. Lady Aisling, a magic eater, is hunting down blessed magical children for her their talents. The Cerelia Comet only comes every 25 years but Dar tells Emmeline the comet is coming back again and it's because of Lady Aisling's doing.
In Abbacho, Emmeline pretends to be Lucas's sister while she lives with Lucas parents. The family poses as farmers and fishers. After some time, Lady Aisling's guards find the children. Lucas's parents, Alfred and Miranda, create a distraction in order for Emmeline, Lucas and Dar to flee. When Emmeline and Lucas goes into hiding at Alsa's, they learn of other magical abilities that children are blessed with. There are sky shakers, youth keepers, talent takers, memory stealers, life bringers, spot hoppers and other gifted children. Eventually, Emmeline and Lucas befriends other children such as Noah and Pearl who are blessed by the Cerelia Comet. The children battle against the Lady Aisling for their freedom.
MarcyKate Connolly creates a world that draws you in from the first page. Comet Rising's pace is much quicker than of Shadow Weaver's. Comet Rising is a fast paced middle grade read full of adventure, magic and darkness. It's dazzling story line will reel readers in. The characters are delightful and their development as characters is strong.
Emmeline and Lucas have a healthy friendship which they stay loyal to each other; they can trust one another fully. It sends a positive message for children who read this duology. Dar, however, is someone who is complex. She is hard to trust since she can betray you but at the same time, she helps you when you need help the most. This contrast of friends shows how different people act and view friendship. Connolly shows how some friendships are parasitic while others are symbiotic.
Comet Rising is an atmospheric, eerie and dark fairytale with hollow shells and a villain who will do anything to get her way. Be careful when you approach someone. Who knows if they are working for the Lady Aisling. Or you might encounter Lady Aisling in the flesh.
The shadows that surround us aren’t always as they seem…
Emmeline has grown up with a gift. Since the time she was a baby she has been able to control shadows. And her only friend and companion is her own shadow, Dar.
Disaster strikes when a noble family visits their home and offers to take Emmeline away and cure her of magic. Desperate not to lose her shadows, she turns to Dar who proposes a deal: Dar will change the noble’s mind, if Emmeline will help her become flesh as she once was. Emmeline agrees but the next morning the man in charge is in a coma and all that the witness saw was a long shadow with no one nearby to cast it. Scared to face punishment, Emmeline and Dar run away.
With the noble’s guards on her trail, Emmeline’s only hope of clearing her name is to escape capture and perform the ritual that will set Dar free. But Emmeline’s not sure she can trust Dar anymore, and it’s hard to keep secrets from someone who can never leave your side.
The first in a dark middle-grade fantasy duology, MarcyKate Connolly weaves a tale filled with shadows, danger, and magic that has the feel of a new classic.
M Y T H O U G H T S
Emmeline has a gift to control shadows around her ever since she was a baby. Her only friend is her shadow named Dar. The Cerelia Comet passes through the lands every twenty five years and blesses those who are born during that time with a magical gift. All was well until a noble family comes to offer to take away Emmeline and to cure her of her gift. Dar offers to help but at what cost?
MarcyKate Connolly creates a whole new fairytale that entices your curiosity. She threads together a wonderful story about Emmeline and Dar who are on two different sides of the spectrum personality wise. The symbiotic relationship morphs into more of a parasitic relationship. Old world charm shines through the book with a a dash of magic.
When Emmeline befriends Lucas, she is not afraid of magic he wields since she also wields magic. Lucas is the Yang to Emmelin's Yin. He is light as day and she is dark as night. Together their friendship becomes strong. Lucas's parents are very accepting of him while Emmeline's parents are not. The two parenting styles contrast each other within the novel.
Emmeline shows character development throughout the entire book. She has always confided with Dar but finally takes a stand and lets Dar know who's in control. Emmeline always thought she needed Dar but in fact she was using Dar like a security blanket. Dar, on the other hand, would persuade Emmeline that she is her friend but little does Emmeline know that Dar had her own agenda. Oh, that twist at the end of the book! I didn't see it coming but it works seamlessly with the plot.
I highly recommend Shadow Weaver to those who love a dark and twisted middle grade fantasy. The novel teaches children to stand up for themselves but to also embrace the gifts they are born with. It sheds light on those who are willing to help others even if they are not blood related. The meaning of friendship and trust are important themes that readers will appreciate.
Thank you Sourcebooks for this wonderful opportunity to
showcase Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova. Not only is Labyrinth Lost a
magical novel about family and coming-of-age but it’s a book like no other. You
can check out my review here. Don’t forget to check out the rafflecopter
giveaway at the bottom of the post.
Synopsis: Nothing says Happy Birthday like summoning the spirits of your dead relatives.
Alex is a bruja, the most powerful witch in a generation…and she hates magic. At her Deathday celebration, Alex performs a spell to rid herself of her power. But it backfires. Her whole family vanishes into thin air, leaving her alone with Nova, a brujo boy she can’t trust. A boy whose intentions are as dark as the strange marks on his skin.
The only way to get her family back is to travel with Nova to Los Lagos, a land in-between, as dark as Limbo and as strange as Wonderland…
PRAISE FOR LABYRINTH LOST
“This work is a magical journey from start to finish... A compelling must-have for teens”
–School Library Journal, STARRED review
“Córdova’s (the Vicious Deep series) magic-infused, delightfully dark story introduces readers to an engrossing, Latin American–inspired fantasy setting and an irresistible heroine”
–Publishers Weekly
“A brilliant brown-girl-in-Brooklyn update on Alice in Wonderland and Dante’s Inferno. Very creepy, very magical, very necessary.”
—Daniel José Older, New York Times bestselling author of Shadowshaper
“Labyrinth Lost is morelike reading Paradise Found. Zoraida Córdova brings us a new generation of witches, enchanting and complex. And every page is filled with magic.”
—Danielle Page, New York Times bestselling author of Dorothy Must Die
Córdova’s world will leave you breathless, and her magic will ignite an envy so green you’ll wish you were born a bruja. Delightfully dark and enchanting. An un-putdownable book.”
-Dhonielle Clayton, author of The Belles and Shiny Broken Pieces
“Córdova’s rich exploration of Latin American culture, her healthy portrayal of bisexuality and her unique voice allow this novel to stand out among its many peers.”
–RT Book Reviews
“Cordova draws inspiration from Ecuadorian, Spanish, African, Mexican, and Caribbean folklore and mythology to craft a page-turning tale about a young bruja unsure of her place in the world.”
“Córdova pulls elements from Greek mythology and Spanish and Latin American legends to craft a memorable world in Los Lagos, a supernatural realm that is as fascinating as it is threatening. The history and customs of Alex’s family’s type of witchery are also carefully constructed, giving readers a complete world to sink into with satisfaction and wonder.”
-Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“This succeeds with its lush use of Latin American mythologies, an unexpected love story, and, above all, in Alex’s complicated relationship with her family. Alex is a necessary heroine, and this dark fantasy nicely”
-Booklist
LABYRINTH LOST BOOK TRAILER
LABYRINTH LOST EXCERPT
1
Follow our voices, sister.
Tell us the secret of your death.
—-Resurrection Canto, Book of Cantos
T
he second time I saw my dead aunt Rosaria, she was dancing.
Earlier that day, my mom had warned me, pressing a long, red fingernail on the tip of my nose, “Alejandra, don’t go downstairs when the Circle arrives.”
But I was seven and asked too many questions. Every Sunday, cars piled up in our driveway, down the street, and around the corner of our old, narrow house in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Mom’s Circle usually brought cellophane--wrapped dishes and jars of dirt and tubs of brackish water that made the Hudson River look clean. This time, they carried something more.
When my sisters started snoring, I threw off my covers and crept down the stairs. The floorboards were uneven and creaky, but I was good at not being seen. Fuzzy, yellow streetlight shone through our attic window and followed me down every flight until I reached the basement.
A soft hum made its way through the thin walls. I remember thinking I should listen to my mom’s warning and go back upstairs. But our house had been restless all week, and Lula, Rose, and I were shoved into the attic, out of the way while the grown--ups prepared the funeral. I wanted out. I wanted to see.
The night was moonless and cold one week after the Witch’s New Year, when Aunt Rosaria died of a sickness that made her skin yellow like hundred--year--old paper and her nails turn black as coal. We tried to make her beautiful again. My sisters and I spent all day weaving good luck charms from peonies, corn husks, and string—-one loop over, under, two loops over, under. Not even the morticians, the Magos de Muerte, could fix her once--lovely face.
Aunt Rosaria was dead. I was there when we mourned her. I was there when we buried her. Then, I watched my father and two others shoulder a dirty cloth bundle into the house, and I knew I couldn’t stay in bed, no matter what my mother said.
So I opened the basement door.
Red light bathed the steep stairs. I leaned my head toward the light, toward the beating sound of drums and sharp plucks of fat, nylon guitar strings.
A soft mew followed by whiskers against my arm made my heart jump to the back of my rib cage. I bit my tongue to stop the scream. It was just my cat, Miluna. She stared at me with her white, glowing eyes and hissed a warning, as if telling me to turn back. But Aunt Rosaria was my godmother, my family, my friend. And I wanted to see her again.
“Sh!” I brushed the cat’s head back.
Miluna nudged my leg, then ran away as the singing started.
I took my first step down, into the warm, red light. Raspy voices called out to our gods, the Deos, asking for blessings beyond the veil of our worlds. Their melody pulled me step by step until I was crouched at the bottom of the landing.
They were dancing.
Brujas and brujos were dressed in mourning white, their faces painted in the aspects of the dead, white clay and black coal to trace the bones. They danced in two circles—-the outer ring going clockwise, the inner counterclockwise—hands clasped tight, voices vibrating to the pulsing drums.
And in the middle was Aunt Rosaria.
Her body jerked upward. Her black hair pooled in the air like she was suspended in water. There was still dirt on her skin. The white skirt we buried her in billowed around her slender legs. Black smoke slithered out of her open mouth. It weaved in and out of the circle—-one loop over, under, two loops over, under. It tugged Aunt Rosaria higher and higher, matching the rhythm of the canto.
Then, the black smoke perked up and changed its target. It could smell me. I tried to backpedal, but the tiles were slick, and I slid toward the circle. My head smacked the tiles. Pain splintered my skull, and a broken scream lodged in my throat.
The music stopped. Heavy, tired breaths filled the silence of the pulsing red dark. The enchantment was broken. Aunt Rosaria’s reanimated corpse turned to me. Her body purged black smoke, lowering her back to the ground. Her ankles cracked where the bone was brittle, but still she took a step. Her dead eyes gaped at me. Her wrinkled mouth growled my name: Alejandra.
She took another step. Her ankle turned and broke at the joint, sending her flying forward. She landed on top of me. The rot of her skin filled my nose, and grave dirt fell into my eyes.
Tongues clucked against crooked teeth. The voices of the circle hissed, “What’s the girl doing out of bed?”
There was the scent of extinguished candles and melting wax. Decay and perfume oil smothered me until they pulled the body away.
My mother jerked me up by the ear, pulling me up two flights of stairs until I was back in my bed, the scream stuck in my throat like a stone.
“Never,” she said. “You hear me, Alejandra? Never break a Circle.”
I lay still. So still that after a while, she brushed my hair, thinking I had fallen asleep.
I wasn’t. How could I ever sleep again? Blood and rot and smoke and whispers filled my head.
“One day you’ll learn,” she whispered.
Then she went back down the street--lit stairs, down into the warm red light and to Aunt Rosaria’s body. My mother clapped her hands, drums beat, strings plucked, and she said, “Again.”
About Zoraida Córdova
Zoraida Córdova was born in Ecuador and raised in Queens, New York. She is the author of the Vicious Deep trilogy, the On the Verge series, and the Brooklyn Brujas series. She loves black coffee, snark, and still believes in magic. Send her a tweet @Zlikeinzorro or visit her at zoraidacordova.com.
For more information about Zoraida Córdova, check out her social media platforms.
Giveaway for 2 Copies of Labyrinth Lost with signed Labyrinth Lost Bookmarks. Giveaway runs September 6th - September 19th (US & Canada only). Giveaway provided by Sourcebooks.
I am so happy to be participating in The Storybook Knight Blog Tour! Thank you to Sourcebooks for this amazing opportunity to showcase a wonderful book. The Storybook Knight is full of adventure, magical creatures and gorgeous illustrations.
Allows
you and your readers to join Leo’s Storybook Knights, pledge your
allegiance and receive a certificate of membership, and download and
share Twitter, Facebook and blog images.
Title:The Storybook Knight Author: Helen Docherty and Thomas Docherty Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky Publication date: September 6, 2016 Pages: 32 Source/format: Finished copy from Publisher
Even
though Leo would rather sit at home and read, his parents send him out
into the world in the hopes that Leo will become a famous knight. But
when Leo comes up against the land’s most fearsome beasts, he soon
discovers that scary monsters enjoy a good book as much as anyone…
M Y T H O U G H T S
The Storybook Knight is about a mouse named Leo whose family wants him to be a famous knight. However, Leo loved reading books. Instead of violence he likes to solve things without confrontation. Throughout the story book, Leo goes on a journey to find a dragon to tame it. On the way he meets up with a griffin and a troll. The monsters try to attack him but he gives them books. Books with pictures of the griffin. Books with pictures of the troll. Both monsters accepts the book graciously. At last Leo encounters the mighty dragon but instead of fighting it, he is able to get the dragon help clean up the town and they both share books.
This children's picture book is a wonderful way to teach children that violence shouldn't be used. Being able to work things out with words is a much better way to deal with tough situations. Helen The Storybook Knight teaches children that reading is okay and it's a good thing. Books aren't bad. You can be brave and smart at the same time. You can be active and you can be a bookworm. Helen Docherty also teaches children that if they make a mess, they need to clean up after themselves. It was nice to show Leo sharing books with others. Sharing is caring after all.
This entertaining book has a wonderful rhyming scheme which makes this a quick picture book read. Thomas Docherty did an amazing job with the illustrations. I enjoyed the vivid watercolor characters and landscapes. Some of the pages also have an artistic theme of using circles and ovals which I thought was great in order to create a focal point. The cover art is matte except for the spot glossing for the title, the dragon and Leo the mouse. The gold foiling accents create a nice touch.
The Storybook Knight is a charming book for readers who are looking for adventure, creatures and those who just love books.
ABOUT HELEN DOCHERTY AND THOMAS DOCHERTY
Helen Docherty was born and grew up in a small town called Weymouth, on the south coast of England. Her family was from Wales, and she inherited from them a love of stories. As a child, she spent most of her time either reading or writing. From an early age she started making books with her own stories and pictures in them. Helen took this very seriously, and was quite determined that she would be a writer when she grew up (She knew she was never going to make it as a ballet dancer, athlete or pop star).
Thomas Docherty was born in New Zealand but has spent most of his life in England. He studied metalwork and sculpture and now has a collection of acclaimed picture books. Thomas has been short-listed for a variety of awards, including the Kate Greenaway Medal in 2009 for Little Boat.
Thank you Sourcebooks for this fantastic opportunity to showcase Max at Night via the Max at Night Blog Tour. I have had the pleasure to read Max the Brave in the past and I was ecstatic when I was asked to review Max at Night. Max is such an adorable cat and I know he will make many children and adults very happy with his curiosity and innocence.
MAX AT NIGHT (#maxatnight)
Title:Max at Night Author: Ed Vere Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky Publication date: September 1, 2016 Pages: 32 Source/format: Finished copy from Publisher
This is Max. Max is
very sleepy. It's way past Max's bedtime. Max has drunk his milk. Max
has brushed his teeth. Max has cleaned behind his ears. Now Max just
needs to say goodnight... Max is tired and all ready for bed,
but when he can't find the moon to say goodnight to, he sets out to find
it. But that's not as easy as Max had hoped... Witty and heart-warming,
this stylish and beautifully illustrated book is the perfect bedtime
read.
M Y T H O U G H T S Max at Night is an adorable book about a cat named Max. This little black kitten is very sleepy and likes to say goodnight to everyone before he goes to bed. However, he cannot find the moon. Max searches high and low for the moon and can't find it. He needs to say goodnight to the moon before he goes to sleep.
This is a good bedtime book for young children who are getting into the bedtime routine. Not only does it teach children things like brushing their teeth and saying goodnight before they go to bed, it also shows them that if they want to achieve something, they will find it if they work hard. Max the wide-eyed cat is very curious and determined. He didn't give up when he wanted to find the moon.
With Max at Night, the illustrations are simple and easy to distinguish. The colors are vivid. Max's yellow eyes contrast well with his black body. Clever usage of white space is present in the picture book and I like the text placement. The matte book with the spot glossing for the title and Max is a nice touch.
Max at Night is a hybrid of Goodnight Moon and Max the Brave. If you're looking for a charming book about a cat saying goodnight or if you're just looking for a good bedtime picture book, definitely check out Max at Night! However, Max the Brave is still my favorite out of the two in the companion series.
ABOUT ED VERE
Ed Vere has been writing and illustrating children’s books since 1999. He is also a fine art painter and is represented by galleries in London and Los Angeles. He lives in London.
For more information about Ed Vere, check out his social media platforms.
Title:Labyrinth Lost Author: Zoraida Córdova Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire Publication date: September 6, 2016 Pages: 336 Source/format: e-ARC from publisher
Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Synopsis (from goodreads.com): "Enchanting and complex. Every page is filled with magic."-Danielle Paige, New York Times best-selling author of Dorothy Must Die
Nothing says Happy Birthday like summoning the spirits of your dead relatives.
Alex is a bruja, the most powerful witch in a generation...and she hates magic. At her Deathday celebration, Alex performs a spell to rid herself of her power. But it backfires. Her whole family vanishes into thin air, leaving her alone with Nova, a brujo boy she can't trust. A boy whose intentions are as dark as the strange marks on his skin.
The only way to get her family back is to travel with Nova to Los Lagos, a land in-between, as dark as Limbo and as strange as Wonderland...
Praise for Labyrinth Lost:
"Zoraida Cordova's prose enchants from start to finish. Labyrinth Lost is pure magic." -Melissa Grey, author of The Girl at Midnight
"Magical and empowering, Labyrinth Lost is an incredible heroine's journey filled with mythos come to life; but at its heart, honors the importance of love and family." -Cindy Pon, author of Serpentine and Silver Phoenix
"A brilliant brown-girl-in-Brooklyn update on Alice in Wonderland and Dante's Inferno. Very creepy, very magical, very necessary." -Daniel Jose Older, author of Shadowshaper
"Labyrinth Lost is a magical story of love, family, and finding yourself. Enchanting from start to finish." -Amy Tintera, author of Ruined.
M Y T H O U G H T S
Alejandra Mortiz (Alex) lives with her mother and her sisters Lula and Rose in Brooklyn, New York. Alex always wanted to have a normal life without magic. Alex is approaching her Deathday and her powers have not waken yet. Deathday, a bruja's coming-of-age ceremony, is similar to a quinceañera.
After wakening her powers, Alex unfortunately find out that she is one of the most powerful brujas of her generation, an Encantrix. When she casts a canto to rid of her magic, something goes wrong. Instead of her magic gone, her family ends up being trapped in another dimension. With the help of Nova, a brujo, Alex enters Los Lagos to save her loved ones.
The family dynamics are strong between the females in the family. I also like the connection between living and the dead. The first person perspective works well in Labyrinth Lost. Zoraida Córdova creates a world with magic and diversity. Córdova enlightens her readers with Latin American culture and folklore. There aren't many paranormal books rich with culture and diversity in terms of ethnicity and bisexuality.
Labyrinth Lost is an bewitching coming-of-age journey exploding with magic, love and family values. Labyrinth Lost sets a new bar for paranormal fantasy!
Title:The Heartbreakers Author: Ali Novak Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire Publication date: August 4, 2015 Pages: 336 Source/format: e-ARC from Netgalley
Rating: ☆☆☆
Synopsis (from Goodreads.com):
"When I met Oliver Perry, I had no clue he was the lead singer for The Heartbreakers. Unbeknownst to him, I was the only girl in the world who hated his music."
Stella will do anything for her sister—even stand in line for an autographed Heartbreakers CD... for three hours. At least she met a cute boy at the Starbucks beforehand. A blue-eyed boy who looks an awful lot like...
Oliver Perry. Of course Starbucks guy is the lead singer for her least favorite band. Thanks, universe. But there may be more to Oliver than his world-famous charm, because even after she insults his music—to his face—he still gives her his number. Seriously, what is her life?
But how can Stella even think about being with Oliver—dating and laughing and pulling pranks with the band—when her sister could be dying of cancer?
My Thoughts
Cara, Drew and Stella are triplets. Cara's health has been declining and the triplets' birthday is approaching on July Fourth. Every year the triplets have a competition to see can get the best birthday present and usually Cara wins. With Cara being sick, Stella and Drew decided to team up and to go on a road trip to Chicago to get an autographed CD of the Heartbreakers, Cara's favorite band.
The beginning of the novel started out great but when Stella accidentally befriends Oliver and Oliver invites her and Drew to hang out with the band, it seems unrealistic. The lack of security is a bit weird for big stars like the Heartbreakers. The fact that Stella was asked to be an on tour photographer is improbable as well. I wish some of the events and actions that take place in the book are more practical. The chemistry between Stella and Oliver didn't do it for me.
The book is more of a fun read. I enjoyed reading about the different personalities of the triplets. Each one of the triplets is unique and Ali Novak makes readers second guess themselves about judging a book by its cover. Stella thought she never liked the Heartbreakers before she met them. However, once she gets to know them, she feels comfortable hanging out with them and even starts to fall for the lead singer. Although the book focuses more on Stella and Oliver, I would love to read more about Stella's siblings and the other band members of the Heartbreakers.
If you are looking for a fun, cute and quick read, The Heartbreakers might be a book for you.
