Tag: blackthorn book tours

Book Tour & Review: Of Myth and Shadow by Matthew S. Cox

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Before I begin, I just want to thank Blackthorn Book Tours and Matthew S. Cox for giving me a copy of this book to give an honest review for.

If you like this review, please follow me on social media for more. I post bookish content and I will be coming out with some marketing focused material starting this week.
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Title: Of Myth and Shadow
Author: Matthew S. Cox
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Page Count: 1,482
Rating: ★★★★☆

Aegaan is a vast and righteous kingdom, yet darkness gathers in the distant corners of the realm. Elven raids on small towns have inflamed racial tensions with humans, pushing distrust to hatred and the brink of war.

Anrael wanders the woods alone until a chance meeting tempts him to set aside his contempt for those who scorn his half-elven blood.

When Kylie, a naive elf terrified of humans, is thrust among them against her will, she begins to question her mother’s tales of dread.

Having lost everything dear to him, the bandit king Jhelan lives only to seek challenge in battle… until he finds himself willing to die protecting that which he hates the most.

The diabolical mystique of the dark elves cloaks L’an Thal’Sara in protection, but the cruelest lie she tells is to herself.

Thaelwyn, a virtuous knight, sets out to discover the source of the Elves’ aggression, but faces a much greater test within his mind.

Beneath the chaos, minions of the Destroyer search for their promised leader, a child possessing power beyond their years. If the innocent falls to darkness, a kingdom rife with hatred will surely crumble.

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World Building to the Extreme

In my opinion, creating a world so well-written that even just scratching the surface of it can help you explore every inch of it is one of the tests of a great author.

It would be easy for a lot of authors to create a contained world and have the characters’ interactions as the main story driven device.

There’s nothing wrong with that, and there’s nothing wrong with authors who pursue that route. They are still brilliant and I love their works, but my favorite thing about books is the world I can immerse myself in.

Cox creates a beautiful world full of magical creatures. I wouldn’t say it is as well defined as Game of Thrones or similar works, but it doesn’t need to be. In Of Myth and Shadow we only scrape the surface of the realm. We know there are peoples, creatures, and places we have yet to explore, but their effects change the course of the story even when they aren’t present.

Cox has a great ability to write fantastical worlds within the first few pages of his stories, and his characters feel natural. They’re not forced or overly dramatic for the sake of the story.

A Story of Current Events

Telling a fantasy story that touches on current political and social events isn’t easy. The difference in worlds can make it difficult to properly portray the issues we see in our world.

Though it isn’t perfect, I think Cox does a good job about touching on racial issues we are seeing in our world today.

Again it’s not perfect, and you have to make some assumptions to translate it into more “modern” terms, but the fantasy world’s version can teach you some lessons if you are willing to educate yourself.

A Good End

It’s not often that I enjoy the ending of a book. I am too often disappointed or unfulfilled, that I think I have become calloused to the idea of a good ending.

Though it’s not perfect, I think Cox’s ending was just about where I wanted it to be. It wasn’t perfect, but it felt natural. None of the character storylines felt forced, out of place, or unrealistic.

Each ending felt like it was something that would have happened to them, and that is too often missed.

I am glad Cox took the time to know where his character’s stories were going, and giving them the endings that they deserved.

Final Thoughts

I’ve only recently discovered Cox, from a previous review of his book; The Girl Who Found the Sun. I’ve come to like his style of writing and his quick paced storytelling.

Of Myth and Shadow is a great Epic Fantasy novel with a lot of fun characters.

Cox does a great job of writing smart, funny characters, and I really like the young children he writes because they are often too smart for their own good, but at the same time very believable.

If you enjoyed Of Myth and Shadow, or any of my other content, make sure to follow me on social media!
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Book Tour and Review: Come Join the Murder by Holly Rae Garcia

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Hello dear readers, it feels like it has been a while since we have been in a book tour with Blackthorn Book Tours. I want to thank them for giving me a copy of Come Join the Murder in return for an honest review.

I had to refresh my memory of this book a bit because it has been quite a while since I read it; over two months I think, but once I read a few pages it all came back to me.

Fair warning, if this book does sound like something you are interested in, just be aware that there is an excessive amount of violence and possibly sexual assault, but I can’t remember a specific instance of that. Either way, it is a bit gratuitous.

If you like this review, please follow me on social media for more!
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Title: Come Join the Murder
Author: Holly Rae Garcia
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Buy it here

Rebecca Crow’s four-year-old son is dead and her husband is missing.

Divers find her husband’s car at the bottom of a canal with their son’s small, lifeless body, inside. The police have no suspects and nothing to go on but a passing mention of a man driving a van. Guilt and grief cloud Rebecca’s thoughts as she stumbles toward her only mission: Revenge.

James Porter knows exactly what happened to them, but he’ll do anything to keep it a secret.

James didn’t plan to kill Rebecca’s son, but he’s not too broken up about it, either. There are more important things for him to worry about. He needs money, and his increasing appetite for murder is catching the attention of a nosy detective.

Repetitive Cycle

This book involves murder, obviously. It is in the title after all. Its the murder that we aren’t expecting that ends up being the best part of this book.

We get to see a murder repeated over and over throughout the book, with different variations each time. We don’t know which one is quite the truth, but they all are to some degree.

I think Garcia does a great job of using the cyclical style storytelling to create a great character development and show their slow descent into madness.

Vigilante Justice

Though Vigilantes are often seen as the bad guy, many people see their actions as a good thing. I am not sure if the protagonist in this book is technically a vigilante, I enjoyed that she wasn’t predictable. She could have fallen into one of many stereotypical female character tropes, but Garcia went with a different route and gave us a strong female character that took actions into her own hands.

The short, quick read is a nice touch to this character development because it makes it seem like we are in the protagonist’s mind. Her life is flashing before her eyes, likely happening so fast she can’t sit and think things through.

She quickly devolves and she becomes an entire new person, and the fast-paced story really accentuates that storytelling.

Surface Level Characters

Other than the protagonist, the characters really didn’t have much depth to them.

There are a few small characters we get for a few scenes, and they are more than forgettable. They add so little to the story that I honestly can’t remember anything about them.

The side characters that we get a bit more of are also forgettable. They are fairly bland, stereotypical, and seemed unnatural. It’s hard to call them that because they likely were suffering from some mental health issues, so they wouldn’t be acting normally, but the characters didn’t feel real to me.

Final Thoughts

Come Join the Murder isn’t a bad book. It’s rather interesting because we get nice character development from the protagonist as they fall from grace into an evil person. It is a trope I don’t come across often enough but it is enjoyable.

The book was just a bit bland, which is why I have it three stars. It’s worth the read, but it’s nothing overly special.

What’s your favourite book that has a protagonist go from good to bad? I like the trope and I am looking for more, so share them in the comments!
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Book Tour Review: Slow Down by Lee Matthew Goldberg

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Hello dear readers, I want to let you know that this week’s book was given to me as part of a book tour with Blackthorn Book Tours in return for an honest review.

If you enjoyed Slow Down, or like my reviews, make sure to follow me here, or on social media.
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Title: Slow Down
Author: Lee Matthew Goldberg
Rating: ★★★.5☆☆

How far would you go to make your dreams come true? For budding writer and filmmaker Noah Spaeth, being a Production Assistant in director Dominick’s Bambach’s new avant-garde film isn’t enough. Neither is watching Dominick have an affair with the lead actress, the gorgeous but troubled Nevie Wyeth.

For Noah’s dream is to get both the film and Nevie in the end, whatever the cost. And this obsession may soon become a reality once Dominick’s spurned wife Isadora reveals her femme fatale nature with a seductive plot to get rid of her husband for good. Slow Down, a cross between the noir styling of James M. Cain and the dark satire of Bret Easton Ellis, is a thrilling page-turner that holds a mirror up to a media-saturated society that is constantly searching for the fastest way to get ahead, regardless of consequences.

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A Drug Induced Story

I had an idea of what I was getting in to when I started Slow Down, but I don’t think it’s possible to entirely understand a book until you start reading it.

Slow Down reminded me of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas; both drug filled adventures that keep you on the edge of your seat.

I’m not always the biggest fan of these stories. Often the characters are out of their minds the entire time and they try to sound like the smartest man in the world; having reasoned out why humans suck, and it gets annoying.

Slow Down had this aspect to it, and at times it was too much, but it wasn’t intolerable.

For the most part, the characters are just high on drugs and partying, which I would usually find annoying, but Goldberg is able to tame it down and give us more of a mystery in the background of it all.

Blunt and Vulgar

With an entire story focused on being high on drugs, you can expect some vulgarness. Swearing, disrespecting women, death and more are all commonplace in Slow Down.

It makes sense in some parts of the story, but others it just felt like the character choice, and that made the story contradictory in a sense.

They were supposed to be enlightened and brilliant, yet they are disrespectful towards women and were prone to violence.

It’s a subtle touch by Goldberg, to show readers that the character’s are just as ignorant as they claim they aren’t, and that was a part of why I gave it a slightly higher rating than I normally would have.

Fast-Paced Read

Another aspect of this story that made me appreciate it more than I normally would for this type of story, is that the story was written around the drugs involved in the story.

If your story is just one drug-induced trip pretty much, then let the story be written that way. Don’t give me some slow burning story about drugs and their effects on people and the protagonist’s slow demise down the drug-filled rabbit hole.

I want something fast-paced, non stop, keeping me excited and waiting to see what happens next.

Goldberg does that well with Slow Down. Thing start a bit slow, but they ramp up at a nice pace and eventually things are happening left and right, you can’t help but keep reading.


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Final Thoughts

Slow Down isn’t my go-to choice of book to read. I usually prefer something with a bit more subtlety to it and not as in your face as drug focused stories often are, but Slow Down had a lot going on in the background which I appreciated.

I enjoyed reading it, and it is a short read, so you can definitely get through it quickly.

What did you think about Slow Down? Let’s talk about it in the comments.

Book Tour: The Girl Who Found The Sun by Matthew S. Cox

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Before we begin, dear readers, I want to let you know that I received this book as part of a Book Tour with Blackthorn Book Tours in exchange for an honest review, which I am happy to give.

I had a lot of fun reading this book, and I want to thank Blackthorn Book Tours for the opportunity!

If you’ve read this book, or are interested in it, let’s talk about it in the comments, or send me a message on social media!
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Make sure to check out the other Blackthorn Book Tours Reviews for The Girl Who Found the Sun

Title: The Girl Who Found the Sun
Author: Matthew S. Cox
Rating: ★★★★☆

It started with the insects. 

The mass die-offs had been a warning unheeded. Before society realized the danger, the Earth had inexorably begun a transformation into a place where life could not survive. A small group found shelter in the Arc, an underground refuge safe from the toxins ravaging the surface. 

After centuries of darkness, humanity’s second chance is running out—and Raven Wilder knows it. 

Her job fixing the machinery in the Arc makes her aware of how close everything is to breaking down. When the systems fail, the last survivors of the human race will suffocate in the tunnels meant to protect them from the deadly air outside—starting with the most vulnerable. Unfortunately, in an example of history repeating itself, those in charge dismiss her concerns. 

When her six-year-old begins showing signs of oxygen deprivation, Raven refuses to go quietly into oblivion. 

She will break every rule to keep her daughter alive.

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I Like When the World Ends

No, I am not actively trying to pursue the end of the world, but I don’t mind when others do it. I am a sucker for an apocalyptic or dystopian novel because authors are so creative when it comes to telling those stories.

There’s always new takes on the same stories, and I like exploring the author’s mind with the decisions they make.

In this case, I think Cox had a very real idea of underground government bunkers and used it as the main storytelling piece.

Doomsday Preppers during the doomsday is what this book is. We see the results of earth’s decision to hide from their own mistakes and a very real reality that could come of it.

I think Cox’s take on the apocalypse is a lot more real than other authors. He doesn’t take some idea of zombies being real, meteors hitting earth, or some AI robot rising up. Instead it’s something simple and very possible, but it’s also a book that makes you look at some of your own life choices.

Is Too Fast A Bad Thing in Books?

I’ve come to realize that I have a bit of a problem when it comes to reading books. I always want more.

When it comes to a short story, I realize that the point is to give you just enough to get you hooked and you fill in the rest.

But when it comes to a full book, there should be more than just the story.

Or at least that’s how I feel.

I’m always wanting the characters to be explored more in-depth. Always wanting more reactions, more supporting information, more slow burning enjoyment.

I found that The Girl Who Found the Sun was missing in this department, and that is its one flaw to me. It seemed like everything was in the book entirely to be a part of the story. There were basically no moments of supporting information to help immerse you in the world more.

I still think Cox did a great job of giving us the information on his world, telling us the history and the mystery. I only think that there could have been more to make the story more immersive.

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The Mind of a Child

There is a lot that I could say about Cox’s skills. He is a great writer, and he got me hooked on this story in the first few chapters.

One thing I think he did that was exceptionally beautifully though, is give us the mind of a child.

The protagonist’s daughter is one of the characters we get to see the most, and though she is a bit too smart for a regular 6 year-old, she is one of the best parts of the entire book.

She adds a sense of fear, wonder, and she slows down the main protagonist. Without her, Raven’s story would be a lot more fast-paced. She would have no sense of fear to hold her back. She wouldn’t have to worry about abandoning her kid if she didn’t have one.

Exploring a six-year-olds mind watching her shape the story was something I haven’t really enjoyed in movies or books, but in this case I think it was a brilliant way to keep the story in line and not have it go off the rails.

Final Thoughts

The Girl Who Found the Sun was a lot of fun to read. There was never a time where I was bored or uninterested, and there were plenty of moments where I had to keep reading to know what was going to happen next.

It’s a fast-paced adventure that has mystery an drama, and you’ll be happy you decided to read it!

If you’ve read or want to read The Girl Who Found the Sun, let me know in the comments, or send me a message on social media!
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Blackthorn Book Tours: The Unholy, by Paul DeBlaisse III

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Title: The Unholy
Author: Paul DeBlaisse III
Rating: 3 / 5

“A young curandera, a medicine woman, intent on uncovering the secrets of her past is forced into a life-and-death battle against an evil archbishop. Set in the mystic land of Aztlan, “The Unholy” is a novel of destiny as healer and slayer. Native lore of dreams and visions, shape changing, and natural magic work to spin a neo-gothic web in which sadness and mystery lure the unsuspecting into a twilight realm of discovery and decision.”

Before I begin, I want to say that I received this book from Blachthorn Book Tours in return for an honest review! I’m happy to be a part of the Blackthorn Book Tours team, and look forward for more tours in the future.

If this book was about only one thing, it would be about struggle. Whether internal or external, this book captures struggle in a brilliant way. 

I haven’t read too many books that delve too deep into the idea of religion, and even fewer that show religion as a bad thing, but I think The Unholy was a nice touch to both. 

The main character Claire is having a sort of internal struggle about whether she can and should embrace her culture, that she was raised with, or fall to Christianity, which rules with an iron fist in her town.

Just because one person feels relief and freedom in religion, but to others it can be the cause for abuse, suffering, and long-lasting pain. 

Personally, I’m not big on religion, but I enjoyed seeing two sides of the conflict, which were both different perspectives than my own. 

Common stereotypes about religion are broken, and the battle between good and evil isn’t as clear cut as people might assume.

I enjoyed the struggle in the book, and though this book wasn’t my favourite, I did appreciate it for what it was. It was a thought provoking piece and had very few things wrong about it. 

Other than a few parts of the story being harder to follow, some grammatical and structural issues, and a few loose ends being left at the end of the story, I don’t have much to complain about.

It wasn’t a bad story per se, it just wasn’t completely for me.

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Have you read The Unholy, or other books by Paul DeBlaisse III? Let’s talk about it in the comments, or follow me on social media.
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