Lydia Redwine's Blog: Lemma Beans Books
September 27, 2017
Second Excerpt of Keepers of the Crown
Note/explanation: Before now, I have not so much as mentioned that this series even had a narrator. But I as I was toying with the antagonist of the story, with the greater conflict brewing, I found the narrator, the teller of this story in a way I could have never expected. And let me tell you, its a narrator you never want to meet. A narrator who will only mention itself as "I" but once or twice in this book. This first section will lie before chapter one, before the rest of Camaria, Fiera, Peter, and Caleb's story is told.
Before, Now, and After
“I had a brother once,” I say.
My voice is an echo of the ancients. A mourn. A scoff.
“But...I betrayed him.”
I shift, my blue eyes glowing in the darkness folding itself around me. The darkness I’ve summoned.
“That brother, his wings were more...magnificent. They were fashioned of gold, but its weight was nothing to hinder him. They...rippled in the city. Like a banner proclaiming the way of Elyon. And he was the only one with golden wings. And I...the only one with wings fabricated of ash and smoke.”
I pause, allowing my cold breath to kiss the darkness around me. Darkness...my friend and my foe.
“I betrayed my brother for beauty and for my own ambition.” The thought sinks into me, shifts my wings.
“Tales of war and bloodshed come from the Between Realm, that which lies between Caelae and the Realm of Shadows. But what most do not know…is that Caelae was not always peaceful.”
Yes, I can see it again now.
“Broken, crimson dripping wings scattered about broken cities of starlight. Bones like diamonds the foundations of a ruinous place. Caelae was once beautiful…but also…brutal. Brutal because the two princes of Caelae fought for its throne. One to defend it in light and honor with wings burnished of gold. And the other…to capture it with beauty and cruelty. With wings of smoke and ash. And when princes battle, they wear their crowns. They become instruments. And in the end…one must lose.
“I lost, but, human, I am still fighting. The wars you see in your own world, in the Between Realm are birthed of what I have already seen. The wars you encounter are but shards of the ones I have fought. And even while the battles in Caelae were far more brutal than you shall ever witness, the battle over your souls is somehow even more valuable. To everyone. To my Enemy and to myself.”
I pause to stare at you. “Yes, you. I am speaking to you. You see, in this world, it is Elyon that writes your story, but I am the one to tell it.”
Yours truly,
Lucius, Prince of the Between Realm and Traitor of Caelae
Before, Now, and After
“I had a brother once,” I say.
My voice is an echo of the ancients. A mourn. A scoff.
“But...I betrayed him.”
I shift, my blue eyes glowing in the darkness folding itself around me. The darkness I’ve summoned.
“That brother, his wings were more...magnificent. They were fashioned of gold, but its weight was nothing to hinder him. They...rippled in the city. Like a banner proclaiming the way of Elyon. And he was the only one with golden wings. And I...the only one with wings fabricated of ash and smoke.”
I pause, allowing my cold breath to kiss the darkness around me. Darkness...my friend and my foe.
“I betrayed my brother for beauty and for my own ambition.” The thought sinks into me, shifts my wings.
“Tales of war and bloodshed come from the Between Realm, that which lies between Caelae and the Realm of Shadows. But what most do not know…is that Caelae was not always peaceful.”
Yes, I can see it again now.
“Broken, crimson dripping wings scattered about broken cities of starlight. Bones like diamonds the foundations of a ruinous place. Caelae was once beautiful…but also…brutal. Brutal because the two princes of Caelae fought for its throne. One to defend it in light and honor with wings burnished of gold. And the other…to capture it with beauty and cruelty. With wings of smoke and ash. And when princes battle, they wear their crowns. They become instruments. And in the end…one must lose.
“I lost, but, human, I am still fighting. The wars you see in your own world, in the Between Realm are birthed of what I have already seen. The wars you encounter are but shards of the ones I have fought. And even while the battles in Caelae were far more brutal than you shall ever witness, the battle over your souls is somehow even more valuable. To everyone. To my Enemy and to myself.”
I pause to stare at you. “Yes, you. I am speaking to you. You see, in this world, it is Elyon that writes your story, but I am the one to tell it.”
Yours truly,
Lucius, Prince of the Between Realm and Traitor of Caelae
September 10, 2017
First Excerpt from Keepers of the Crown
The tall grass withered in the wind before him. His eyes slipped shut as he felt the breeze brush his face. His bare feet curled into the soft mud. Something light touched his face. His fingers traced the side of his cheek, drawing the ash over his skin.
Riah’s eyes opened.
The plain before him was stiff in its silence. Waiting. Watching.
He turned. And saw the tree. A single tree upon which blackness was creeping. Riah walked, his steps light and thudding on the soft ground. Golden globes of fruit began to appear, scattered on the terrain. He peered up at the tree. No fruit could be found weighing its boughs.
But a rope was extended from one of its branches.
He stood, his bones and muscles numbing. She swayed gently in the wind, her own bare feet ash colored like her face. She was low enough to the ground that when Riah reached to brush the tangled mass of hair from her face, he knew the eyes.
Arria.
Her name was a hiss on the wind.
A scream curdled the air.
And Riah did not know if he had screamed or if it was the wind or sky or the ground splitting apart.
A cracking sound followed.
And the tree split in two.
The following darkness was blinding.
Riah stumbled, his back hitting something hard. Bracing his hand against the object, he felt something rough. Bark. The outlines of trees were growing more distinct in his vision.
The forest was dripping purple tears.
And Riah knew exactly what he would see. She appeared as she always did, her eyes hollow and once silken hair a tangled mess over her pallor skin. She was staggering as she always had, her bony hands reaching, reaching…
Riah turned and ran, his heart slamming against his chest. Beads of perspiration slipping down his neck and back. The forest ground was hard beneath his feet with stones and sticks and vines broken and scattered. He did not stumble. He had fled the confines of this place too many times to falter.
But leaving the forest, finding what was beyond…
That had never happened before.
Riah halted, his burning lungs easing into their normal feeling. His heart beat thunderously in his ears. A lake of silver stretched before him. And there was something large and rectangular floating in its center.
He did not even think before he thrashed into the murky, warm water. The mud at the lake’s bottom squeezed between his toes as the water rose to his ankles and then to his knees and then to his waist. He was floundering towards the object when he was only feet away.
With a mighty heave, he grasped the edge of what he now knew to be an iron structure and pulled himself to peer over its edge.
The face of the corpse was ash white, the eyes closed. The skin wrinkled and patched with spots of black. The long, wrinkled fingers upon which scales marked, grasped a single, red rose. The robes were tattered and black.
The scream sounded again. The same terrifying scream that had echoed across the plain. And Riah did not know if the sound had burst from his chest at the sight of his father or if the lake itself had curdled with the sound.
But when he lifted his eyes, through the veil of mist, he saw a single light.
She held a lantern in one hand and a dove in the other. Even from across the expanse of water, Riah could see her shining doe eyes beneath the rippling of her light brown hair across her face.
“Saffira!”
This time, he knew he had called the name.
She remained still on the other side of the lake where she stood ankle deep in the water.
He swam. Then he floundered, Then he ran. “One, two, three…” Steps. He reached the surface, extended his hand to grasp her and…
She vanished, wisps of light where she stood. And the dove…
It remained. For a moment, anyway, before it snapped its wings together and flew into the forest beyond.
Riah fell to the ground, his knees sinking into the soft mud. He threw his fist into the earth as a wild cry escaped the cage of his ribs. He squeezed his eyes shut against the burning tears.
And then he felt cold drops falling on his skin. The pattering of the rain followed. And then a crash and thunder. The lake split in two.
He opened his eyes, and found the cliff edge around him to be jagged rock, the sky a boiling storm, and the sea a swirling bowl of fury hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of feet below.
“Who will I see here?” But he knew. Riah knew deep down inside of him that there was only one person he would find on this cliff edge.
The figure staggered towards him, long fingers grasping at its cloak to keep it fastened to him to act as some sort of shield against the sky’s tears. Riah rose on legs he found surprisingly steady.
The creature raised its head, and even with two gaping holes where eyes should have been, Riah could hear its name screamed in the wind, an echo from the storm.
Ather.
The Shadow Bearer rose its head, twisting its neck and hissed in a rasping, broken voice. “Elyon has come. The Savior is here.”
Riah’s eyes opened.
The plain before him was stiff in its silence. Waiting. Watching.
He turned. And saw the tree. A single tree upon which blackness was creeping. Riah walked, his steps light and thudding on the soft ground. Golden globes of fruit began to appear, scattered on the terrain. He peered up at the tree. No fruit could be found weighing its boughs.
But a rope was extended from one of its branches.
He stood, his bones and muscles numbing. She swayed gently in the wind, her own bare feet ash colored like her face. She was low enough to the ground that when Riah reached to brush the tangled mass of hair from her face, he knew the eyes.
Arria.
Her name was a hiss on the wind.
A scream curdled the air.
And Riah did not know if he had screamed or if it was the wind or sky or the ground splitting apart.
A cracking sound followed.
And the tree split in two.
The following darkness was blinding.
Riah stumbled, his back hitting something hard. Bracing his hand against the object, he felt something rough. Bark. The outlines of trees were growing more distinct in his vision.
The forest was dripping purple tears.
And Riah knew exactly what he would see. She appeared as she always did, her eyes hollow and once silken hair a tangled mess over her pallor skin. She was staggering as she always had, her bony hands reaching, reaching…
Riah turned and ran, his heart slamming against his chest. Beads of perspiration slipping down his neck and back. The forest ground was hard beneath his feet with stones and sticks and vines broken and scattered. He did not stumble. He had fled the confines of this place too many times to falter.
But leaving the forest, finding what was beyond…
That had never happened before.
Riah halted, his burning lungs easing into their normal feeling. His heart beat thunderously in his ears. A lake of silver stretched before him. And there was something large and rectangular floating in its center.
He did not even think before he thrashed into the murky, warm water. The mud at the lake’s bottom squeezed between his toes as the water rose to his ankles and then to his knees and then to his waist. He was floundering towards the object when he was only feet away.
With a mighty heave, he grasped the edge of what he now knew to be an iron structure and pulled himself to peer over its edge.
The face of the corpse was ash white, the eyes closed. The skin wrinkled and patched with spots of black. The long, wrinkled fingers upon which scales marked, grasped a single, red rose. The robes were tattered and black.
The scream sounded again. The same terrifying scream that had echoed across the plain. And Riah did not know if the sound had burst from his chest at the sight of his father or if the lake itself had curdled with the sound.
But when he lifted his eyes, through the veil of mist, he saw a single light.
She held a lantern in one hand and a dove in the other. Even from across the expanse of water, Riah could see her shining doe eyes beneath the rippling of her light brown hair across her face.
“Saffira!”
This time, he knew he had called the name.
She remained still on the other side of the lake where she stood ankle deep in the water.
He swam. Then he floundered, Then he ran. “One, two, three…” Steps. He reached the surface, extended his hand to grasp her and…
She vanished, wisps of light where she stood. And the dove…
It remained. For a moment, anyway, before it snapped its wings together and flew into the forest beyond.
Riah fell to the ground, his knees sinking into the soft mud. He threw his fist into the earth as a wild cry escaped the cage of his ribs. He squeezed his eyes shut against the burning tears.
And then he felt cold drops falling on his skin. The pattering of the rain followed. And then a crash and thunder. The lake split in two.
He opened his eyes, and found the cliff edge around him to be jagged rock, the sky a boiling storm, and the sea a swirling bowl of fury hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of feet below.
“Who will I see here?” But he knew. Riah knew deep down inside of him that there was only one person he would find on this cliff edge.
The figure staggered towards him, long fingers grasping at its cloak to keep it fastened to him to act as some sort of shield against the sky’s tears. Riah rose on legs he found surprisingly steady.
The creature raised its head, and even with two gaping holes where eyes should have been, Riah could hear its name screamed in the wind, an echo from the storm.
Ather.
The Shadow Bearer rose its head, twisting its neck and hissed in a rasping, broken voice. “Elyon has come. The Savior is here.”
September 3, 2017
My New WIP That I Actually Have Zero Time To Write
So...hi guys!
It's been a hot minute since I've written on this blog. Ahem, since like January...
But I have something I want to scream at you about through the interwebs via lots of html and CAPS. And that, my fellow reader friends, is a new book that I am devising that I actually have no time to write between working full time and you know, FINISHING HIGH SCHOOL, annnnd finish edits on book 2, Keepers of the Crown, of my six book long epic fantasy series. (Check out Spirit Followers if you haven't already!)
But this work in progress is something I am insanely excited about. So here we are. And I am 100% open to any suggestions/brainstorming tidbits that anyone might have for this story because what I am about to share with you is basically (almost everything) I have planned so far.
Please, PLEASE COMMENT THOUGHTS.
Here goes nothing.
So its called The Irony Rules and in short, it's about two young men who are twins and whose names I NEED NOW IN ORDER TO FEEL LIKE I HAVE SOME SORT OF FOOTHOLD HERE who decide to steal certain things from everyone’s house who live in the town.
The town is smol and quaint but also shadowy and atmospherically creepy!
The town thinks that a) its one boy and b) that he’s stealing because he’s young and rebellious and wants to BUT THEY’RE ONLY PARTIALLY RIGHT. (I mean, they are stealing because they are young and rebellious BUT THERE ARE ALSO OTHER REASONS.)
Liiiiike that there is an antagonist (who I have not decided if he’s just extremely morally gray or purely evil...probably the former) who threatens some sort of harm over the town if the two boys don’t bring him certain objects from each of the houses that they’re stealing from. The objects may or may not hold magical qualities.
But, you may be asking, why in the heck deck darn does this oh-so-mysterious villain want these objects of which I myself have not yet identified for myself?
Because he’s a hoarder.
And because he likes nice things and wants to make a bunch of people mad. Kidding. Well, he is a hoarder, of sorts. But turns out, these people have actually all been trapped in this town for a REASON. Errr a reason I don’t know of yet because #complications.
So anyway, this super antagonistic dude gets these two twin boys to steal from houses and they do it for reasons but what the town doesn’t know is that there are two boys. You see, the town thinks it's one boy doing all the stealing when in reality its TWO. So the story also follows these boys trying to figure out why their parents told the whole town that there was only one of them.
Story features a bakery and both boys being obsessed with baking and baked goods because why not make your mouth water while you read? #amiright #yesiam #thankmelater (Also, if I ever have a launch party for this book baked goods will be in order.)
Some other little wonderful things this book will feature:
1) So far, one of the main characters looks like Cole Sprouse in my mind. (AHHHHH) But with a name that isn’t Cole he’ll probably end up looking different.
2) BAKED GOODS. I already mentioned it, but I really really need you to know that there will be much baking going on. And coffee. Lots of coffee too. One character who loves coffee and another who despises it. And since those are the only types of people in the world, everyone will relate!
3)One of the twins will be constantly quoting Shakespeare. Like. All. The. Time.
4)Speaking of Shakespeare, there may or may not be a Tempest retelling in the works involving a magician and a ballerina.
5)Much sassery.
6)Annnnd blood because the two go hand in hand in my worlds.
7)Twilight Zone vibes meet Jane Eyre vibes meets The Night Circus??? Because I’m cool???
8)Lots of sweaters and used bookstores with secrets and vintage guns (is that a thing?) point is, there is an aesthetic going for it.
9)Also, pain and suffering. I am an author after all.
10) But the sassery and donuts will make up for it.
11) Maybe.
12) Also, sibling goals meets what you never want to have as a relationship with your sibling ever kinda thing. (hahahaha help me I have no idea what I am doing.)
13) A ballerina named Selle (from the name Giselle) because ballet in general is AESTHETIC
14) An unlikely female friendship
15) A character called The Timekeeper whose real name is not yet identified and history of time and clocks that you may find completely unnecessary
16)And the villain will be called the Magician
17)So...magic, obviously
18)There will be a little crew of people who work together under mysterious circumstances. Picture heist stories or the Midnight Dinners in The Night Circus.
So what else must you know???
That I’m insanely excited to write this even though I’m in the middle of writing both a poetry collection AND a six book high fantasy series in which only the first book has been published. But WHO CARES THAT I HAVE NO TIME TO WRITE ANY OF THIS.
But here’s an excerpt of what I have so far!
The Rules of Irony are simple. You just have to know where Burton’s Bakery is first.
That is where you could always find at least one of the twins if everything was going to absolute shit everywhere else.
You see, nothing could go to shit in Burton’s Bakery. That place was sacred. It was a taste of heaven. How could it not with the aromas of freshly baked goods drifting into the cobblestone streets at every hour. (Yes, even in the dead of night.) How could one not resist when pastries lined shelves after shelves and Burton himself slipped a dark liquid into small bottles and left them idly on the back counter for one to grab if the need arise?
The answer is that even if you could resist, the Winchester brothers would not. No, they were hardly the type to resist anything involving baked goods and battles of sassery in other people’s houses.
Oh, and thievery.
Thievery wasn’t merely a pastime. It was a way of life.
In a tiny town where everyone knew everyone, no one knew that the Winchester twins existed. Well, they knew, but they did not know that they knew. To them, there was one child of Charles and Caroline Winchester. One boy. Not a second. The second had died.
Or so they thought.
But they had been told a lie.
It's been a hot minute since I've written on this blog. Ahem, since like January...
But I have something I want to scream at you about through the interwebs via lots of html and CAPS. And that, my fellow reader friends, is a new book that I am devising that I actually have no time to write between working full time and you know, FINISHING HIGH SCHOOL, annnnd finish edits on book 2, Keepers of the Crown, of my six book long epic fantasy series. (Check out Spirit Followers if you haven't already!)
But this work in progress is something I am insanely excited about. So here we are. And I am 100% open to any suggestions/brainstorming tidbits that anyone might have for this story because what I am about to share with you is basically (almost everything) I have planned so far.
Please, PLEASE COMMENT THOUGHTS.
Here goes nothing.
So its called The Irony Rules and in short, it's about two young men who are twins and whose names I NEED NOW IN ORDER TO FEEL LIKE I HAVE SOME SORT OF FOOTHOLD HERE who decide to steal certain things from everyone’s house who live in the town.
The town is smol and quaint but also shadowy and atmospherically creepy!
The town thinks that a) its one boy and b) that he’s stealing because he’s young and rebellious and wants to BUT THEY’RE ONLY PARTIALLY RIGHT. (I mean, they are stealing because they are young and rebellious BUT THERE ARE ALSO OTHER REASONS.)
Liiiiike that there is an antagonist (who I have not decided if he’s just extremely morally gray or purely evil...probably the former) who threatens some sort of harm over the town if the two boys don’t bring him certain objects from each of the houses that they’re stealing from. The objects may or may not hold magical qualities.
But, you may be asking, why in the heck deck darn does this oh-so-mysterious villain want these objects of which I myself have not yet identified for myself?
Because he’s a hoarder.
And because he likes nice things and wants to make a bunch of people mad. Kidding. Well, he is a hoarder, of sorts. But turns out, these people have actually all been trapped in this town for a REASON. Errr a reason I don’t know of yet because #complications.
So anyway, this super antagonistic dude gets these two twin boys to steal from houses and they do it for reasons but what the town doesn’t know is that there are two boys. You see, the town thinks it's one boy doing all the stealing when in reality its TWO. So the story also follows these boys trying to figure out why their parents told the whole town that there was only one of them.
Story features a bakery and both boys being obsessed with baking and baked goods because why not make your mouth water while you read? #amiright #yesiam #thankmelater (Also, if I ever have a launch party for this book baked goods will be in order.)
Some other little wonderful things this book will feature:
1) So far, one of the main characters looks like Cole Sprouse in my mind. (AHHHHH) But with a name that isn’t Cole he’ll probably end up looking different.
2) BAKED GOODS. I already mentioned it, but I really really need you to know that there will be much baking going on. And coffee. Lots of coffee too. One character who loves coffee and another who despises it. And since those are the only types of people in the world, everyone will relate!
3)One of the twins will be constantly quoting Shakespeare. Like. All. The. Time.
4)Speaking of Shakespeare, there may or may not be a Tempest retelling in the works involving a magician and a ballerina.
5)Much sassery.
6)Annnnd blood because the two go hand in hand in my worlds.
7)Twilight Zone vibes meet Jane Eyre vibes meets The Night Circus??? Because I’m cool???
8)Lots of sweaters and used bookstores with secrets and vintage guns (is that a thing?) point is, there is an aesthetic going for it.
9)Also, pain and suffering. I am an author after all.
10) But the sassery and donuts will make up for it.
11) Maybe.
12) Also, sibling goals meets what you never want to have as a relationship with your sibling ever kinda thing. (hahahaha help me I have no idea what I am doing.)
13) A ballerina named Selle (from the name Giselle) because ballet in general is AESTHETIC
14) An unlikely female friendship
15) A character called The Timekeeper whose real name is not yet identified and history of time and clocks that you may find completely unnecessary
16)And the villain will be called the Magician
17)So...magic, obviously
18)There will be a little crew of people who work together under mysterious circumstances. Picture heist stories or the Midnight Dinners in The Night Circus.
So what else must you know???
That I’m insanely excited to write this even though I’m in the middle of writing both a poetry collection AND a six book high fantasy series in which only the first book has been published. But WHO CARES THAT I HAVE NO TIME TO WRITE ANY OF THIS.
But here’s an excerpt of what I have so far!
The Rules of Irony are simple. You just have to know where Burton’s Bakery is first.
That is where you could always find at least one of the twins if everything was going to absolute shit everywhere else.
You see, nothing could go to shit in Burton’s Bakery. That place was sacred. It was a taste of heaven. How could it not with the aromas of freshly baked goods drifting into the cobblestone streets at every hour. (Yes, even in the dead of night.) How could one not resist when pastries lined shelves after shelves and Burton himself slipped a dark liquid into small bottles and left them idly on the back counter for one to grab if the need arise?
The answer is that even if you could resist, the Winchester brothers would not. No, they were hardly the type to resist anything involving baked goods and battles of sassery in other people’s houses.
Oh, and thievery.
Thievery wasn’t merely a pastime. It was a way of life.
In a tiny town where everyone knew everyone, no one knew that the Winchester twins existed. Well, they knew, but they did not know that they knew. To them, there was one child of Charles and Caroline Winchester. One boy. Not a second. The second had died.
Or so they thought.
But they had been told a lie.
January 5, 2017
2017 Bookish Goals
I debated posting this for awhile but finally decided to do so in order to actually accomplish these goals this year. It helps to have to it published publicly in order to hold myself accountable.
My goals this year are very different than normal. Last year was a pretty decent reading year. I read some new favorites which you can read all about in my last blog post!
Something simultaneously disappointing and wonderful happened. I read 99 books. 99??? So the fact that I read 99 (even while my challenge won't show it because they don't show rereads. #rereadtotallycount. I mean, I reread ACOMAF a lot last year) when I only meant to read 75 is great! But 99 people! And I couldn't make it to 100. So here I am sitting rather perturbed at that number that couldn't reach a perfect, solid 100. #ohwell
But this year...
So for starters I've scaled back my reading challenge to 50 books because I'm anticipating a much busier year. I will be a senior in high school in the fall, am now working a full time job, and have book 2 of Instruments of Sacrifice that I'd like to get published this year. SO all in all I don't expect to have as much time to read.
But I will read. I have to. I mean, I have to stay sane.
For the most part, last year I read some books that I had been meaning to reading forever. (like years and years and years.) And I finally did. I read LOTR people, most of the Jane Austen books, and all but the last two books in the Anne of Green Gables Series. But LOTR alone has brought immense satisfaction to my little reader soul.
Here are some books I want to have read by the end of this year that have been on my TBR for awhile:
The Oath by Frank Peretti
The Visitation by Frank Peretti
Rainbow Valley by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery
Emily Climbs by L.M. Montgomery
Emily's Quest by L.M. Montgomery
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
And some anticipated releases: (Note: I've barely done any research on new releases so this list will most likely expand as the year goes on.)
Wires and Nerve by Marissa Meyer
All the books by Sarah J. Maas that are coming out this year.
King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard
And...
The End of Oz by Danielle Paige
I'm freakishly excited for all of these. (And scared for them too because WHO KNOWS WHAT KINDA CRAP WILL GO DOWN.) Ahh yes, the life of a book lover. Tis wonderful and absolutely terrifying at the same time.
Other bookish goals:
-I want to read more ancient history both historic fiction and text books. This will be both for my own writing purposes and because I'm a history nut but no little to nothing about the ancient world.
-I want to read more scifi but preferably scifi with decent world building and characters. But if I don't get any scifi books to fulfill my needs I'll have Star Wars VIII in May sooooo I'll survive. I mean, I have too.
-I would like to have a more consistent and themed bookstagram which I share with my best friend Emma. If you're interested in giving us a follow the username is @lemmabeansbooks. Follow backs will happen if I recognize you as a goodreads friend!
-Lastly, I would like to write a review for every single book I read this year. (Yikes, what have I gotten myself into?!) But I will try. I really will.
Those are all the goals I have for now, but I do have 2 questions for you.
1) Do you have any scifi and/or ancient history book recommendations? If so, please tell me what they are!
and 2) What are some of your 2017 reading goals? I'd love to know in the comments.
Thanks for reading!
God Bless,
Lydia
My goals this year are very different than normal. Last year was a pretty decent reading year. I read some new favorites which you can read all about in my last blog post!
Something simultaneously disappointing and wonderful happened. I read 99 books. 99??? So the fact that I read 99 (even while my challenge won't show it because they don't show rereads. #rereadtotallycount. I mean, I reread ACOMAF a lot last year) when I only meant to read 75 is great! But 99 people! And I couldn't make it to 100. So here I am sitting rather perturbed at that number that couldn't reach a perfect, solid 100. #ohwell
But this year...
So for starters I've scaled back my reading challenge to 50 books because I'm anticipating a much busier year. I will be a senior in high school in the fall, am now working a full time job, and have book 2 of Instruments of Sacrifice that I'd like to get published this year. SO all in all I don't expect to have as much time to read.
But I will read. I have to. I mean, I have to stay sane.
For the most part, last year I read some books that I had been meaning to reading forever. (like years and years and years.) And I finally did. I read LOTR people, most of the Jane Austen books, and all but the last two books in the Anne of Green Gables Series. But LOTR alone has brought immense satisfaction to my little reader soul.
Here are some books I want to have read by the end of this year that have been on my TBR for awhile:
The Oath by Frank Peretti
The Visitation by Frank Peretti
Rainbow Valley by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery
Emily Climbs by L.M. Montgomery
Emily's Quest by L.M. Montgomery
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
And some anticipated releases: (Note: I've barely done any research on new releases so this list will most likely expand as the year goes on.)
Wires and Nerve by Marissa Meyer
All the books by Sarah J. Maas that are coming out this year.
King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard
And...
The End of Oz by Danielle Paige
I'm freakishly excited for all of these. (And scared for them too because WHO KNOWS WHAT KINDA CRAP WILL GO DOWN.) Ahh yes, the life of a book lover. Tis wonderful and absolutely terrifying at the same time.
Other bookish goals:
-I want to read more ancient history both historic fiction and text books. This will be both for my own writing purposes and because I'm a history nut but no little to nothing about the ancient world.
-I want to read more scifi but preferably scifi with decent world building and characters. But if I don't get any scifi books to fulfill my needs I'll have Star Wars VIII in May sooooo I'll survive. I mean, I have too.
-I would like to have a more consistent and themed bookstagram which I share with my best friend Emma. If you're interested in giving us a follow the username is @lemmabeansbooks. Follow backs will happen if I recognize you as a goodreads friend!
-Lastly, I would like to write a review for every single book I read this year. (Yikes, what have I gotten myself into?!) But I will try. I really will.
Those are all the goals I have for now, but I do have 2 questions for you.
1) Do you have any scifi and/or ancient history book recommendations? If so, please tell me what they are!
and 2) What are some of your 2017 reading goals? I'd love to know in the comments.
Thanks for reading!
God Bless,
Lydia
December 24, 2016
Favorite Books: 2016
It's that time of year again folks! So Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays/have a good time doing whatever the heck you're doing. I have assembled for you a list of my top ten (in order from least favorite to most favorite) books of 2016! All but one of these books was rated 5 stars. These books were not all necessarily books that came out this year but ones I read this year.
Also...all opinions of my own and I did not include reread books like Narnia, Harry Potter, The Book Thief etc. because obvi they're favs.
10) The Return of the King (LOTR, #3) by J.R.R. Tolkien...
This is the only book I rated 4 stars instead of 5 and to know why you can read my monstrously long review of the book. Basically, its been a long time coming since I was to read this trilogy and I finally got around to it this year! *cheers* I had seen the movies 1000000000 times before hand but felt it was high time to just try and read the books. Glad I did.
9) The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
I read this book for school back in January (or February) and actually enjoyed it quite a lot. It is about a demon named Screwtape and all the letters he sends to his nephew demon on how to be a decent demon and ultimately, how to destroy a human's life. The book is hilarious but also rings very true. I learned more about humanity than I ever thought I would from this book. It is a short, fun read and remains my most highlighted owned book.
8) Yellow Brick War (Dorothy Must Die, #3) by Danielle Paige
I read all three books in this series that are out so far for the first time this spring and adored it! Yellow Brick War, however, was the only book I gave 5 stars to, hence why its made the list. I love how this series presents a darker, twisted, creepy version of Oz and its original characters.
7) Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
A new favorite classic! I expected to enjoy this book but not to love it as much as I did. It is by far my favorite Austen book (err okay...tied with Pride and Prejudice.) I have a full review up to explain why.
6) Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass, #4) by Sarah J. Maas
I finally got around to reading what is published of the Throne of Glass series this year after reading ACOTAR last fall (and not being the biggest fan of it.) I will admit that while this series is problematic in many fashions, its entertainment level is 5 stars, and
Queen of Shadows is my favorite in the series.
5) The Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson
So...this is somewhat cheating because its 3 books instead of 1 BUT WHO CARES. This trilogy is one of the best. All 3 books are 5 stars due to the excellent world building, well maneuvered plot, interesting characters, and one of the COOLEST magic systems I've ever seen. I will certainly be reading more of Mr. Sanderson's work this coming year!
4) The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
I had been planning on reading this for a while and am IMMENSELY glad that I did so. This book is everything magic about a historic fantasy one would want. The characters are emotionally relate able and Morgenstern has presented a unique magic concept to the world of YA literature. I don't even know who to review this book, man. So good!
3) Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
I read Six of Crows in January, reread it in September and read Crooked Kingdom in October. Because I rated Crooked Kingdom 4 stars, I put Six of Crows on the list instead. (Full review for CK is up.) I feel like this doesn't even need an explanation. If you read it then you understand. If you haven't, then go read it. You're welcome.
This next one is going to be both a surprise and no surprise at all. It won't surprise you that's its only the list, but it might surprise you that this book is #2 instead of #1...especially since I rarely even speak of #1. But yeah...
2) A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #2) by Sarah J. Maas.
Again...I have a few minor issues with this work but all in all I LOVED IT. And I don't really see a need to explain further.
Before I hit on #1, here are a few honorable mentions:
-Stars Above (A Lunar Chronicles Collection) By Marissa Meyer--4 stars
-Heartless by Marissa Meyer--4 stars
-Glass Sword (Red Queen, #2) by Victoria Aveyard--4 stars
-Illusionarium by Heather Dixon--4.5 stars
-A Time to Rise>/i> (Out of Time, #3) by Nadine Brandes--4 stars
-Beauty of Darkness (Remnant Chronicles, #3) by Mary E. Pearson--4 stars
AND FINALLY
1) A Draw of Kings (The Staff and Sword, #3) by Patrick W. Carr
About 90% of you probably have never heard of this book due to its highly underrated status. BUT I LOVE IT. So much so that the main character is my favorite male character of all time, this is my third favorite series of all time, my favorite trilogy, AND A Draw of Kings is my favorite ending to a series EVER. Full reviews of this series and why its so good will be posted as I reread the books in January.
That's all folks. I'd like to know what you're favorite books were! Let me know in the comments! Have a blessed Christmas,
Lydia
Also...all opinions of my own and I did not include reread books like Narnia, Harry Potter, The Book Thief etc. because obvi they're favs.
10) The Return of the King (LOTR, #3) by J.R.R. Tolkien...
This is the only book I rated 4 stars instead of 5 and to know why you can read my monstrously long review of the book. Basically, its been a long time coming since I was to read this trilogy and I finally got around to it this year! *cheers* I had seen the movies 1000000000 times before hand but felt it was high time to just try and read the books. Glad I did.
9) The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
I read this book for school back in January (or February) and actually enjoyed it quite a lot. It is about a demon named Screwtape and all the letters he sends to his nephew demon on how to be a decent demon and ultimately, how to destroy a human's life. The book is hilarious but also rings very true. I learned more about humanity than I ever thought I would from this book. It is a short, fun read and remains my most highlighted owned book.
8) Yellow Brick War (Dorothy Must Die, #3) by Danielle Paige
I read all three books in this series that are out so far for the first time this spring and adored it! Yellow Brick War, however, was the only book I gave 5 stars to, hence why its made the list. I love how this series presents a darker, twisted, creepy version of Oz and its original characters.
7) Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
A new favorite classic! I expected to enjoy this book but not to love it as much as I did. It is by far my favorite Austen book (err okay...tied with Pride and Prejudice.) I have a full review up to explain why.
6) Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass, #4) by Sarah J. Maas
I finally got around to reading what is published of the Throne of Glass series this year after reading ACOTAR last fall (and not being the biggest fan of it.) I will admit that while this series is problematic in many fashions, its entertainment level is 5 stars, and
Queen of Shadows is my favorite in the series.
5) The Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson
So...this is somewhat cheating because its 3 books instead of 1 BUT WHO CARES. This trilogy is one of the best. All 3 books are 5 stars due to the excellent world building, well maneuvered plot, interesting characters, and one of the COOLEST magic systems I've ever seen. I will certainly be reading more of Mr. Sanderson's work this coming year!
4) The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
I had been planning on reading this for a while and am IMMENSELY glad that I did so. This book is everything magic about a historic fantasy one would want. The characters are emotionally relate able and Morgenstern has presented a unique magic concept to the world of YA literature. I don't even know who to review this book, man. So good!
3) Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
I read Six of Crows in January, reread it in September and read Crooked Kingdom in October. Because I rated Crooked Kingdom 4 stars, I put Six of Crows on the list instead. (Full review for CK is up.) I feel like this doesn't even need an explanation. If you read it then you understand. If you haven't, then go read it. You're welcome.
This next one is going to be both a surprise and no surprise at all. It won't surprise you that's its only the list, but it might surprise you that this book is #2 instead of #1...especially since I rarely even speak of #1. But yeah...
2) A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #2) by Sarah J. Maas.
Again...I have a few minor issues with this work but all in all I LOVED IT. And I don't really see a need to explain further.
Before I hit on #1, here are a few honorable mentions:
-Stars Above (A Lunar Chronicles Collection) By Marissa Meyer--4 stars
-Heartless by Marissa Meyer--4 stars
-Glass Sword (Red Queen, #2) by Victoria Aveyard--4 stars
-Illusionarium by Heather Dixon--4.5 stars
-A Time to Rise>/i> (Out of Time, #3) by Nadine Brandes--4 stars
-Beauty of Darkness (Remnant Chronicles, #3) by Mary E. Pearson--4 stars
AND FINALLY
1) A Draw of Kings (The Staff and Sword, #3) by Patrick W. Carr
About 90% of you probably have never heard of this book due to its highly underrated status. BUT I LOVE IT. So much so that the main character is my favorite male character of all time, this is my third favorite series of all time, my favorite trilogy, AND A Draw of Kings is my favorite ending to a series EVER. Full reviews of this series and why its so good will be posted as I reread the books in January.
That's all folks. I'd like to know what you're favorite books were! Let me know in the comments! Have a blessed Christmas,
Lydia
November 6, 2016
NaNoWriMo?
Hello all!
I was almost going to say..."many people have been asking me if I'm doing NaNoWriMo this year..." but NO ONE HAS. But I am going to answer the question anyway because I like updating people on things. (Even thought no one really pays much attention to this blog.)
I've only done NaNoWriMo once and by accident. This was last November when I was drafting book two of my fantasy series Instruments of Sacrifice which is now in the hands of my copy editor. I wrote over 70,000 words that month without planning too.
And now its November again! I could be working on book three of Instruments of Sacrifice but I'm editing. AGAIN. And its hard people. I am re-editing Spirit Followers (book one) before its released as a paperback and not just kindle. (Finally because I don't really even like eBooks.)
SO THERE'S THAT.
And I am almost finished so I MIGHT just hit the drafting session of IoS book three hard this month. #we'llsee
But what I really want to know is if any of you are participating in NaNoWriMo and what you're writing!
-Lydia (1/2 of Lemmabeans)
I was almost going to say..."many people have been asking me if I'm doing NaNoWriMo this year..." but NO ONE HAS. But I am going to answer the question anyway because I like updating people on things. (Even thought no one really pays much attention to this blog.)
I've only done NaNoWriMo once and by accident. This was last November when I was drafting book two of my fantasy series Instruments of Sacrifice which is now in the hands of my copy editor. I wrote over 70,000 words that month without planning too.
And now its November again! I could be working on book three of Instruments of Sacrifice but I'm editing. AGAIN. And its hard people. I am re-editing Spirit Followers (book one) before its released as a paperback and not just kindle. (Finally because I don't really even like eBooks.)
SO THERE'S THAT.
And I am almost finished so I MIGHT just hit the drafting session of IoS book three hard this month. #we'llsee
But what I really want to know is if any of you are participating in NaNoWriMo and what you're writing!
-Lydia (1/2 of Lemmabeans)
October 23, 2016
What Spirit Followers WAS Going To Be
This post is also on our wordpress blog.
So I wrote a book. SURPRISE. Just in case you happened to not know that. But if you did know that (and were so kind as to add it to your tbr list etc. etc.) I thought I’d share some interesting stories about the writing process for this book. And by that I mean I’ll share with you the moments where Emma and I were on sugar highs and made up these idiot (but hilarious) ideas that never made the book.
Let me preference this by saying this idea originally came from Emma and I wanting to write a four book series called The Lost Princess where basically there was this girl, Mary (now Camaria) who lived with her four sisters and grandfather and was (wait for it…) A LOST PRINCESS TO A KINGDOM annnnd there was this DARK LORD WHO WANTED HER POWERS. She had all four powers. And yes, the magic was elemental. So original right? In the end this idea was scraped (obviously), and Emma dropped off the project, but there are some stories about the outlining process I’d like to tell. Plus, some of the stuff in The Lost Princess made it into Spirit Followers (which is a post for another time.)
Okay first off everyone in this book was GOING TO DIE at the end after everything seemed happy. Because, you see, this was originally going to be a standalone/four book series (???) I know, confusing. But when Emma and I were outlining this story and had finally gotten to the end, we couldn’t decide how exactly it would end. My mom overheard our dilemma and suggested that the main character just suddenly murder everyone. WHICH I LOVE. But it didn’t happen. (Or maybe it did? You won’t know unless you read the book!)
If you’ve read the acknowledgements in Spirit Followers you might have noticed something about Apollyon taking tango lessons (???) Well, there was more, my friend. Long story short, I had this idea (a very not smart idea I might add) where Emma and I would have a sleepover, get high on tons of sugar, and then outline. #notsmart…but it was hilarious because we ended up creating these stories where Caleb makes cars out of legos? And Terra gets stabbed by Mista with a lego. Also, there was a scene where Caleb built Terra a porta-potty of legos. (We were really talking about legos a lot.) etc. etc. etc. And then there was the scene when Mary (Camaria) who was 12 in the first outline kills…well, everyone basically.
The final outlining incident worth noting is when my dad thought his ideas for the book(s) were better. And maybe they were…But basically his version consisted of our five main ladies using chainsaws to kill everyone in the woods and an assortment of characters in a war including: Pinocchio, Goldilocks, Dora the Explorer, and Darth Vader.
I can promise you that I actually wrote Spirit Followers while not on a sugar high so its tango-lessons and legos free (although Darth Vader MIGHT just make an appearance if you want him to) but still worth checking out. So please do!
https://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Followe...
Happy Sunday and happy reading,
Lydia (1/2 of Lemmabeans)
So I wrote a book. SURPRISE. Just in case you happened to not know that. But if you did know that (and were so kind as to add it to your tbr list etc. etc.) I thought I’d share some interesting stories about the writing process for this book. And by that I mean I’ll share with you the moments where Emma and I were on sugar highs and made up these idiot (but hilarious) ideas that never made the book.
Let me preference this by saying this idea originally came from Emma and I wanting to write a four book series called The Lost Princess where basically there was this girl, Mary (now Camaria) who lived with her four sisters and grandfather and was (wait for it…) A LOST PRINCESS TO A KINGDOM annnnd there was this DARK LORD WHO WANTED HER POWERS. She had all four powers. And yes, the magic was elemental. So original right? In the end this idea was scraped (obviously), and Emma dropped off the project, but there are some stories about the outlining process I’d like to tell. Plus, some of the stuff in The Lost Princess made it into Spirit Followers (which is a post for another time.)
Okay first off everyone in this book was GOING TO DIE at the end after everything seemed happy. Because, you see, this was originally going to be a standalone/four book series (???) I know, confusing. But when Emma and I were outlining this story and had finally gotten to the end, we couldn’t decide how exactly it would end. My mom overheard our dilemma and suggested that the main character just suddenly murder everyone. WHICH I LOVE. But it didn’t happen. (Or maybe it did? You won’t know unless you read the book!)
If you’ve read the acknowledgements in Spirit Followers you might have noticed something about Apollyon taking tango lessons (???) Well, there was more, my friend. Long story short, I had this idea (a very not smart idea I might add) where Emma and I would have a sleepover, get high on tons of sugar, and then outline. #notsmart…but it was hilarious because we ended up creating these stories where Caleb makes cars out of legos? And Terra gets stabbed by Mista with a lego. Also, there was a scene where Caleb built Terra a porta-potty of legos. (We were really talking about legos a lot.) etc. etc. etc. And then there was the scene when Mary (Camaria) who was 12 in the first outline kills…well, everyone basically.
The final outlining incident worth noting is when my dad thought his ideas for the book(s) were better. And maybe they were…But basically his version consisted of our five main ladies using chainsaws to kill everyone in the woods and an assortment of characters in a war including: Pinocchio, Goldilocks, Dora the Explorer, and Darth Vader.
I can promise you that I actually wrote Spirit Followers while not on a sugar high so its tango-lessons and legos free (although Darth Vader MIGHT just make an appearance if you want him to) but still worth checking out. So please do!
https://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Followe...
Happy Sunday and happy reading,
Lydia (1/2 of Lemmabeans)
What Spirit Followers WAS Going To Be
So I wrote a book. SURPRISE. Just in case you happened to not know that. But if you did know that (and were so kind as to add it to your tbr list etc. etc.) I thought I’d share some interesting stories about the writing process for this book. And by that I mean I’ll share with you the moments where Emma and I were on sugar highs and made up these idiot (but hilarious) ideas that never made the book.
Let me preference this by saying this idea originally came from Emma and I wanting to write a four book series called The Lost Princess where basically there was this girl, Mary (now Camaria) who lived with her four sisters and grandfather and was (wait for it…) A LOST PRINCESS TO A KINGDOM annnnd there was this DARK LORD WHO WANTED HER POWERS. She had all four powers. And yes, the magic was elemental. So original right? In the end this idea was scraped (obviously), and Emma dropped off the project, but there are some stories about the outlining process I’d like to tell. Plus, some of the stuff in The Lost Princess made it into Spirit Followers (which is a post for another time.)
Okay first off everyone in this book was GOING TO DIE at the end after everything seemed happy. Because, you see, this was originally going to be a standalone/four book series (???) I know, confusing. But when Emma and I were outlining this story and had finally gotten to the end, we couldn’t decide how exactly it would end. My mom overheard our dilemma and suggested that the main character just suddenly murder everyone. WHICH I LOVE. But it didn’t happen. (Or maybe it did? You won’t know unless you read the book!)
If you’ve read the acknowledgements in Spirit Followers you might have noticed something about Apollyon taking tango lessons (???) Well, there was more, my friend. Long story short, I had this idea (a very not smart idea I might add) where Emma and I would have a sleepover, get high on tons of sugar, and then outline. #notsmart…but it was hilarious because we ended up creating these stories where Caleb makes cars out of legos? And Terra gets stabbed by Mista with a lego. Also, there was a scene where Caleb built Terra a porta-potty of legos. (We were really talking about legos alot.) etc. etc. etc. And then there was the scene when Mary (Camaria) who was 12 in the first outline kills…well, everyone basically.
The final outlining incident worth noting is when my dad thought his ideas for the book(s) were better. And maybe they were…But basically his version consisted of our five main ladies using chainsaws to kill everyone in the woods and an assortment of characters in a war including: Pinocchio, Goldilocks, Dora the Explorer, and Darth Vader.
I can promise you that I actually wrote Spirit Followers while not on a sugar high so its tango-lessons and legos free (although Darth Vader MIGHT just make an appearance if you want him to) but still worth checking out. So please do!
Happy Sunday and happy reading,
Lydia (1/2 of Lemmabeans)
September 27, 2016
Why You Should Read Spirit Followers
Spirit Followers, if you do not already know, is a book that I began writing at age thirteen. This book was the most cliche fantasy story you would have ever read. It would have been a female version of Lord of the Rings meets The Last Airbenber (which sounds awesome) except it was nothing really original. Since then, I have developed the story of Camaria Brair and others in a world where two crowns (The Instruments of Sacrifice) are the major magical artifacts.
Tolkien and Lewis once said that they wrote the books that they wanted to read. I did not realize until I was 11 years old that they stories in my head were only real in my head. The only way they could exist outside my head was if I wrote it. That is how Eva Goes Swimming for Hope was born.
And now Spirit Followers, the first in a fantasy series, is to be released quite soon! Below is a summery and 10 reasons why this should be your next read.
Spirit Followers summery:
When a Royal dies, the realms elect the one to take their place. By reasons Camaria does not know, her realm elects her as the next Royal. Now that she is the new-found sixteenth Royal of the nation of Mirabelle, Cam embarks on a journey with her sisters and a young huntsman to the four realms of the nation to complete training in the four kinds of magic. Once she has completed this training, she will then be permitted to consume her annual amount of magic and possess manifested powers. Her ventures are unexpectedly steeped in precarious events when Cam discovers a secret plan of revolt, a past she never knew, and an ancient people group thought dead who call themselves the Spirit Followers.
Reasons you should read Spirit Followers: (Not to brag or anything…I mean this might just be a total piece of crap…but I wouldn’t write anything I didn’t love myself)
1. Instruments of Sacrifice is a high fantasy series with not one, not two, but THREE magic systems that all intertwine, correlate, are not ubber complicated, and are well explained throughout the series. Plus, these magic systems have rules, regulations, and limits which, personally, is a favorite. Originally, this series was going to hold your typical four elements magic kind of deal…I assure you that now, this series holds unique magic systems. I spent hours on end creating their rules and histories.
2. This series holds a plethora of biblical mythology. Whether you believe in what the Bible has to say or not, there is no denying that the mythology is interesting. The entire concept of the Instruments of Sacrifice was first based off an idea of: What if the crown of thorns we read about in the bible was actually a magical artifact and far more valuable to the death of Christ than we are told? Throw this concept into a fantasy world and you’ve got yourself a well-worth-your-time read. Among other things this series holds mythology on: Leviathan, the Nephilim, Shedim, and great events such as the flood, the exodus from Egypt, the entire book of Daniel, etc. This series holds dark, twisted, bible story retelling. What more could you want?
3. The series isn’t preachy. Why would I want to preach when I can tell a story of action, adventure, mystery, murder, and sprinkles of romance instead?
4. The main relationship in the series is between two sisters. How often do we get this in YA? Um…never…? Never have I ever read a series where this was the main relationship. Yes, romantic relationships exists as do those between parents and children, enemies, frenemies, friends (female and male alike), siblings, and even human and dog.
5. The story comes chock full of plot twists and turns, big reveals, and ventures to far off lands.
6. Book comes with a hand drawn map. Who doesn’t love maps for fantasy worlds?
7. I turn your typical groan-inducing tropes upside down after making it appear as though it were leading in a direction that would have readers pulling their hair out.
8. Diversity is apparent and relevant in this series. The majority of characters are not white (though white characters still exists), and these people come from homes and places of diverging world views and beliefs.
9. The line, “she/he released a breath they didn’t know they were holding,” exists nowhere in any of my writing other than just now.
10. The world created in this book sprang from my mind rather than a combination of other worlds I’ve read about. (Not that Narnia and Hogwarts are not wonderful) Which makes for a new and interesting world for you to explore.
Several of the chapters in Spirit Followers is available on wattpad under the username @lemmabeansbooks for you to read for free! For more updates on my writing and the publication of this book visit our bookstagram @lemmabeansbooks
Thank you for reading!
-Lydia (1/2 of Lemma beans)
Tolkien and Lewis once said that they wrote the books that they wanted to read. I did not realize until I was 11 years old that they stories in my head were only real in my head. The only way they could exist outside my head was if I wrote it. That is how Eva Goes Swimming for Hope was born.
And now Spirit Followers, the first in a fantasy series, is to be released quite soon! Below is a summery and 10 reasons why this should be your next read.
Spirit Followers summery:
When a Royal dies, the realms elect the one to take their place. By reasons Camaria does not know, her realm elects her as the next Royal. Now that she is the new-found sixteenth Royal of the nation of Mirabelle, Cam embarks on a journey with her sisters and a young huntsman to the four realms of the nation to complete training in the four kinds of magic. Once she has completed this training, she will then be permitted to consume her annual amount of magic and possess manifested powers. Her ventures are unexpectedly steeped in precarious events when Cam discovers a secret plan of revolt, a past she never knew, and an ancient people group thought dead who call themselves the Spirit Followers.
Reasons you should read Spirit Followers: (Not to brag or anything…I mean this might just be a total piece of crap…but I wouldn’t write anything I didn’t love myself)
1. Instruments of Sacrifice is a high fantasy series with not one, not two, but THREE magic systems that all intertwine, correlate, are not ubber complicated, and are well explained throughout the series. Plus, these magic systems have rules, regulations, and limits which, personally, is a favorite. Originally, this series was going to hold your typical four elements magic kind of deal…I assure you that now, this series holds unique magic systems. I spent hours on end creating their rules and histories.
2. This series holds a plethora of biblical mythology. Whether you believe in what the Bible has to say or not, there is no denying that the mythology is interesting. The entire concept of the Instruments of Sacrifice was first based off an idea of: What if the crown of thorns we read about in the bible was actually a magical artifact and far more valuable to the death of Christ than we are told? Throw this concept into a fantasy world and you’ve got yourself a well-worth-your-time read. Among other things this series holds mythology on: Leviathan, the Nephilim, Shedim, and great events such as the flood, the exodus from Egypt, the entire book of Daniel, etc. This series holds dark, twisted, bible story retelling. What more could you want?
3. The series isn’t preachy. Why would I want to preach when I can tell a story of action, adventure, mystery, murder, and sprinkles of romance instead?
4. The main relationship in the series is between two sisters. How often do we get this in YA? Um…never…? Never have I ever read a series where this was the main relationship. Yes, romantic relationships exists as do those between parents and children, enemies, frenemies, friends (female and male alike), siblings, and even human and dog.
5. The story comes chock full of plot twists and turns, big reveals, and ventures to far off lands.
6. Book comes with a hand drawn map. Who doesn’t love maps for fantasy worlds?
7. I turn your typical groan-inducing tropes upside down after making it appear as though it were leading in a direction that would have readers pulling their hair out.
8. Diversity is apparent and relevant in this series. The majority of characters are not white (though white characters still exists), and these people come from homes and places of diverging world views and beliefs.
9. The line, “she/he released a breath they didn’t know they were holding,” exists nowhere in any of my writing other than just now.
10. The world created in this book sprang from my mind rather than a combination of other worlds I’ve read about. (Not that Narnia and Hogwarts are not wonderful) Which makes for a new and interesting world for you to explore.
Several of the chapters in Spirit Followers is available on wattpad under the username @lemmabeansbooks for you to read for free! For more updates on my writing and the publication of this book visit our bookstagram @lemmabeansbooks
Thank you for reading!
-Lydia (1/2 of Lemma beans)
September 26, 2016
Meet LemmaBeans!
We are Lydia and Emma (Lemma beans.) We are among many things, best friends, book lovers, and Hufflepuffs here to share with you our own reading, writing, and all things book related!
Here are some things you should know:
Lydia has written a book called Spirit Followers and you can purchase it on amazon kindle on October 1st! To read the first half of the novel for free, search @lemmabeansbooks on wattpad to read.
We have random writing on wattpad:https://www.wattpad.com/user/lemmabeansbooks
Lydia’s goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Our bookstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lemmabeansb...
Connect with us at the sites listed above!
Thank you for reading!
-Lydia and Emma
