Victoria Moschou's Blog, page 108

THE AURAS’ CHEST SERIES: What to expect in 2019

Hello awesome nerds and happy Monday everyone!

It is the last day of 2018, a year that was really hard, in so many different ways, yet at the same time it was very, very rewarding! For not only I managed to complete the editing and revising of the first instalment of TAC, but I also started working on three more writing projects: TAC‘s sequel, a New Adult sort-of-dystopian novel, and a YA Urban Fantasy novel.

That’s not all though… After receiving countless rejection emails from potential agents and receiving four requests to send the full manuscript, still knowing that it may take up to TWO YEARS to hear back from them, I decided that, in the meantime, it wouldn’t be bad to self-publish my book via Amazon KDP.

So (drum-roll please)…

THE FIRST INSTALMENT OF  THE AURAS’ CHEST  SERIES,  GUARDIAN OF THE AURAS , IS GOING TO BE RELEASED ON FEBRUARY 21ST, 2019!

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Not only it will be available on Paperback, but it will also be available on Kindle, which I know is super handy for some bookworms out there. There are so many books, so little time to read them all and so little space to carry them around all day long.

Though I have already sent some proof copies and ARCs to some friends, fellow bloggers and authors, I will make sure to host another GIVEAWAY closer to the release date of the book! But for now, you can all follow that link and add my “baby” to your Goodreads shelves!

As for the official blurb…

“Everyone is the villain in someone else’s story.

In a realm where hearts have been frozen for centuries, feelings are nonexistent and logic dominates. The unleashing of ancient emotions can either save or doom the entire realm.

Aurora, the youngest Priestess of Rondure, finds out the Creators of her homeland, the divine Valiant Four, have weaved a different destiny for her from what she had in mind. For even though elemental magic is what her kin has been controlling for centuries now, there’s also a different, far more dangerous kind of magic, almost forgotten from the world. And she could be its master; if she manages to survive, of course!

After a long and arduous journey, Aurora finds herself deep inside the forests of her realm, ready to enter a cave everyone seems to have forgotten. Inside that cave lies a box, a little chest, that when she opens it, all the Auras and feelings of the word are set free; and Aurora realises this wasn’t what she was meant to do. Because feelings can be catastrophic to those who never learned to listen to their hearts…”

I know that I’ve shared the early, rough chapters of this story in 2017, but believe me, the final story has turned out way, way better! Or at least I hope it has, judging from the reviews I’ve received so far.

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Did you think that that was all? There’s more…

I’m currently halfway through working on the first draft of TAC‘s sequel, the CREATOR OF DIVINE MYSTERIES, and so I decided to start working on potential book covers. That is if I don’t get the chance to work with a professional illustrator for the series’ sequel. So, the first book cover I have to share with you is this one…

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Do you like it? Do you think it’s too “busy”?

Please let me know in the comment section below, as your feedback meant, means and will always mean the world to me.

I don’t want to bore you, so I’m ending this post here.

Don’t forget to add the GUARDIAN OF THE AURAS on Goodreads and to keep an eye for future giveaways and the official link to Amazon. It will mean a lot to me if you decide to follow me on this crazy journey and support my debut novel!

December Wrap Up

Hello, hello awesome nerds and welcome to the final post of 2018.

It was a bittersweet year, with a lot of grief, depression and anxiety, but it also had some amazing, truly memorable moments, like my cousins’ weddings, my trip to France, our Christmas road trip with Apo and the whole preparation for the release day of THE AURAS’ CHEST first instalment, the GUARDIAN OF THE AURAS.

That’s how I’m wrapping up this year: with valuable lessons, hard days and a little voice chirping in my head that I should never let the hard days win!  Because there’s hope and courage and kindness in the world. The last month of the year reminded me that, thanks to the books I read.

*FAIR WARNING! I HAD A LOT OF WORK AND LITTLE SPARE TIME, SO I ONLY MANAGED TO FINISH TWO BOOKS, BUT I’M CURRENTLY READING THREE MORE WITH THE HOPE THAT I’LL MANAGE TO FINISH AT LEAST TWO OF THEM BY THE END OF THE YEAR.*

Without any further ado, let’s get to the books that I read this month!

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1. BLANCA & ROJA, BY ANNA-MARIE MCLEMORE

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To be honest, I didn’t know what to expect considering the fact that I hadn’t read a magical realism novel before, or at least non that I remember of. I also didn’t expect to like it as much as I did because of the multiple POVs. But, at the end of the day, I’m glad that I read this darker retelling of Snow White and Rose Red, combined with the one-of-a-kind Swan Lake.

I liked the representation and the narration, the valuable lessons this book had to teach and those unbreakable bonds that exist and will always exist between the members of a family.

If you guys haven’t read this book and you’re fans of magical realism, I highly recommend you pick BLANCA & ROJA up. Anna-Marie McLemore did wonders in this one!

2. THE CRUEL PRINCE (THE FOLK OF THE AIR, #1), BY HOLLY BLACK

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I was dying to read this book since the day it was released and I finally managed to do so this December, by listening to the audiobook of this PHENOMENAL new series by Holly Black.

I loved how it gets straight into the plot, how eerie and whimsical the Face Court is, how much passion and tension there is between the characters, as well as how well the political schemes and plots intertwine with the romantic interests and the vengeance.

10 MOST ANTICIPATED RELEASES OF 2019

Hello, hello awesome people and welcome to one of my favourite posts!

Every single time that a year comes to pass, I feel such utter bliss when I get to share my most anticipated YA releases for the upcoming year with all of you guys. It brings me joy to share new books with you. Still, this year, I feel extra happy and excited because… my book is one of those upcoming releases of 2019!

FAIR WARNING! THESE WILL BE JUST A FEW OF MY MOST ANTICIPATED RELEASES OF 2019. I CAN HARDLY WAIT FOR THE UPCOMING ACOTAR BOOKS, THE NEW BOOK SERIES, BY SARAH J. MAAS, THE SEQUELS OF HEART OF THORNS & GIRLS OF PAPER AND FIRE, BUT I FEEL LIKE I NEED TO SHARE SOME MORE BOOKS WITH YOU FIRST.

So, without any further ado, sit back comfortably, get your pens and notebooks, and get ready to discover 10 amazing upcoming titles!

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1. KING OF SCARS, BY LEIGH BARDUGO

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“Nikolai Lantsov has always had a gift for the impossible. No one knows what he endured in his country’s bloody civil war—and he intends to keep it that way. Now, as enemies gather at his weakened borders, the young king must find a way to refill Ravka’s coffers, forge new alliances, and stop a rising threat to the once-great Grisha Army.

Yet with every day a dark magic within him grows stronger, threatening to destroy all he has built. With the help of a young monk and a legendary Grisha Squaller, Nikolai will journey to the places in Ravka where the deepest magic survives to vanquish the terrible legacy inside him. He will risk everything to save his country and himself. But some secrets aren’t meant to stay buried—and some wounds aren’t meant to heal.”

I believe I need to read the Six of Crows duopoly first and this book will motivate me even further to do so.

2. CIRCLE OF SHADOWS (CIRCLE OF SHADOWS, #1), BY EVELYN SKYE

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“Sora can move as silently as a ghost and hurl throwing stars with lethal accuracy. Her gemina, Daemon, can win any physical fight blindfolded and with an arm tied behind his back. They are apprentice warriors of the Society of Taigas—marked by the gods to be trained in magic and the fighting arts to protect the kingdom of Kichona.

As their graduation approaches, Sora and Daemon look forward to proving themselves worthy of belonging to the elite group—but in a kingdom free of violence since the Blood Rift Rebellion many years ago, it’s been difficult to make their mark. So when Sora and Daemon encounter a strange camp of mysterious soldiers while on a standard scouting mission, they decide the only thing to do to help their kingdom is to infiltrate the group.Taking this risk will change Sora’s life forever—and lead her on a mission of deception that may fool everyone she’s ever loved. “

This book makes me think of shaolin, ninja and all that jazz, and since it has magic as well, I believe this is going to be a PHENOMENAL novel!

3. ENCHANTÉE, BY GITA TRELEASE

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“Paris in 1789 is a labyrinth of twisted streets, filled with beggars, thieves, revolutionaries—and magicians…

When smallpox kills her parents, Camille Durbonne must find a way to provide for her frail, naive sister while managing her volatile brother. Relying on petty magic—la magie ordinaire—Camille painstakingly transforms scraps of metal into money to buy the food and medicine they need. But when the coins won’t hold their shape and her brother disappears with the family’s savings, Camille must pursue a richer, more dangerous mark: the glittering court of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.

With dark magic forbidden by her mother, Camille transforms herself into the ‘Baroness de la Fontaine’ and is swept up into life at the Palace of Versailles, where aristocrats both fear and hunger for la magie. There, she gambles at cards, desperate to have enough to keep herself and her sister safe. Yet the longer she stays at court, the more difficult it becomes to reconcile her resentment of the nobles with the enchantments of Versailles. And when she returns to Paris, Camille meets a handsome young balloonist—who dares her to hope that love and liberty may both be possible.

But la magie has its costs. And when Camille loses control of her secrets, the game she’s playing turns deadly. Then revolution erupts, and she must choose—love or loyalty, democracy or aristocracy, freedom or magic—before Paris burns…”

I love France, I love Paris, I’m watching Reign for the gazillionth time on Netflix, and Enchantée talks about the glittering court of Marie Antoinette. Fun fact: Marie Antoinette and I share the same birthday!

Nothing, I repeat, nothing can go wrong with that book! Super excited about this one and I’m not ashamed to admit it!

BOOK HAUL: DECEMBER 2018

Hey awesome nerds and welcome to my first ever BOOK HAUL!

Though I’ve been talking about the books I purchased in the past, I had never written a post fully dedicated to this. So, I thought the time has finally come for me to share with you the books I got in the month of December.

*FAIR WARNING! ALL OF THEM WERE PURCHASED IN THE MONTH OF DECEMBER, YET NOT ALL OF THEM HAVE BEEN RECEIVED YET. YES, I REFER TO MY COPY OF QUEEN OF AIR AND DARKNESS, LOVELY PEOPLE OF LOCAL BOOKSTORE!*

With that being said, let’s get to the books now, shall we?

1. SAWKILL GIRLS, BY CLAIRE LEGRAND

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“ Beware of the woods and the dark, dank deep.

He’ll follow you home, and he won’t let you sleep.

Who are the Sawkill Girls?

Marion: the new girl. Awkward and plain, steady and dependable. Weighed down by tragedy and hungry for love she’s sure she’ll never find.

Zoey: the pariah. Luckless and lonely, hurting but hiding it. Aching with grief and dreaming of vanished girls. Maybe she’s broken—or maybe everyone else is.

Val: the queen bee. Gorgeous and privileged, ruthless and regal. Words like silk and eyes like knives, a heart made of secrets and a mouth full of lies.

Their stories come together on the island of Sawkill Rock, where gleaming horses graze in rolling pastures and cold waves crash against black cliffs. Where kids whisper the legend of an insidious monster at parties and around campfires.

Where girls have been disappearing for decades, stolen away by a ravenous evil no one has dared to fight… until now.”

What can I say about this amazing, talented woman called Claire Legrand? I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Kingsbane and now she gave me this!

It seems like a standalone to me, a Dark Fantasy tale, and I honestly can’t wait to start reading it! Soon!

2. CARAVAL (CARAVAL, #1), BY STEPHANIE GARBER

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“Remember, it’s only a game…

Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval—the faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show—are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic. And whether Caraval is real or not, Scarlett must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over or a dangerous domino effect of consequences will be set off, and her beloved sister will disappear forever.

Welcome, welcome to Caraval… Beware of getting swept too far away.”

I have to admit… I was in denial! I didn’t want to read that book because far too many people had compared it to The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern, which I didn’t like at all. Also, I’ve been reading reviews were people said that the language was super confusing and the story made no sense, and those were people that I trust their opinions on what comes to books and I follow them on Twitter and Goodreads and Instagram. I even read their blogs, for the love of God!

But then I remembered… NOT EVERYONE LIKES THE SAME BOOKS AND IT IS OK!

Caraval bewitched me. I’m glad it did! This book was so eerie, so beautifully written, fast-paced, with amazing characters, unexpected plot twists and a whimsical sort of essence. Though I read the translated edition (in Greek) I do have to admit that now I can’t wait to get Legendary and see what’s going to come next for Scarlet and Julian!

3. QUEEN OF AIR AND DARKNESS (THE DARK ARTIFICES, #3), BY CASSANDRA CLARE

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“Dark secrets and forbidden love threaten the very survival of the Shadowhunters in Cassandra Clare’s Queen of Air and Darkness, the final novel in the #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling The Dark Artifices trilogy.

What if damnation is the price of true love?

Innocent blood has been spilled on the steps of the Council Hall, the sacred stronghold of the Shadowhunters. In the wake of the tragic death of Livia Blackthorn, the Clave teeters on the brink of civil war. One fragment of the Blackthorn family flees to Los Angeles, seeking to discover the source of the blight that is destroying the race of warlocks.

Meanwhile, Julian and Emma take desperate measures to put their forbidden love aside and undertake a perilous mission to Faerie to retrieve the Black Volume of the Dead. What they find in the Courts is a secret that may tear the Shadow World asunder and open a dark path into a future they could never have imagined. Caught in a race against time, Emma and Julian must save the world of Shadowhunters before the deadly power of the parabatai curse destroys them and everyone they love.”

By the time you guys read this EVERYONE BUT ME have read Queen of Air and Darkness!

It was the night before Christmas…

MERRY CHRISTMAS, AWESOME NERDS!

My NetGalley Shelf

Hello awesome people and happy Monday!

It’s one of those days that I truly want to embrace the day, since tomorrow it’s Christmas and for some reason I feel like this year’s holiday season is going to be extra special. Not only because I’ll have more spare time to spend with my loved ones, but also because I am very optimistic about 2019, if that’s even possible.

My book will be published in two months, I’m halfway through drafting the sequel, some really amazing books are coming out AND some great books had been sent to me a few months ago, and I believe the time has come for me to share them with you.

So, without further ado, let’s get to my NetGalley Shelf tour!

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1. A PIXIE’S PROMISE, BY DIANNA SANCHEZ

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“Petunia’s tired of being overlooked just because she’s six inches tall. But when the Enchanted Forest is threatened, can she measure up to the task?

She gets lost at home among her bazillion brothers, sisters, and cousins. Even her own parents don’t remember her name! And no one ever takes a pixie seriously.

When Petunia’s best friend, Millie, offers a vacation at her house, Petunia jumps at the chance. Cooking for Millie’s witch of a mother and babysitting a tree should be easy, right? But when an epidemic of spickle pox hits the Enchanted Forest, and Millie’s mother comes down with a mysterious illness, Petunia must pitch in to brew cures as quickly as she can, even if that means using up all her pixie dust.

And when the cure doesn’t work as well as it should, it’s up to Petunia to figure out how to change the formula to save the Enchanted Forest, while living up to all the promises she’s made.”

Though I thought this was going to be a standalone novel, I discovered, quite late I have to admit, that this was indeed a sequel. So, if you guys want to catch up with this series, first you need to read A Witch’s Kitchen.

But because I’ve decided to only read books that I feel really passionate about from now on, I believe I’m going to pass.

2. THE DARKEST STAR, BY JENNIFER L. ARMENTROUT

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“When seventeen-year-old Evie Dasher is caught up in a raid at a notorious club known as one of the few places where humans and the surviving Luxen can mingle freely, she meets Luc, an unnaturally beautiful guy she initially assumes is a Luxen…but he is in fact something much more powerful. Her growing attraction for Luc will lead her deeper and deeper into a world she’d only heard about, a world where everything she thought she knew will be turned on its head…

#1 New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout returns to the universe of the Lux in this brand new series, featuring beloved characters both new and old.”

You guys know that I’m not a huge fan of sci-fi and this look like a sci-fi novel, but because I absolutely loved Mirage, by Somaiya Daud, I decided to give this one a go.

3. A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY, BY BRIGID KEMMERER

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“In a lush, contemporary fantasy retelling of Beauty and the Beast, Brigid Kemmerer gives readers another compulsively readable romance perfect for fans of Marissa Meyer.



Fall in love, break the curse.

It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper Lacy. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s instead somehow sucked into Rhen’s cursed world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom.

A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.”

Give me every Beauty and the Beast retelling there is and I’ll be eternally grateful! I’ve already started reading this book and, let me tell you, it is AMAZING! And it’s a good thing it’s coming out on January 29th, 2019!

4. PERFECT HARMONY, BY EMILY ALBRIGHT

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“Pippa Wyndham is a top cellist―she’d never settle for anything less. Determined to get into the nation’s most prestigious music college, nothing’s going to stand in her way . . . Until her senior year of high school when a new guy from a fancy New York conservatory transfers to her school.

Declan Brogan’s cocky, and he knows how amazing he is at the cello. He has every intention of knocking Pippa out of first chair and showing her who really belongs on top. Forced together when assigned a duet, their personal competition and mutual dislike transform into a teasing friendship.

Torn between her childhood crush and the boy who threatens her dreams, Pippa finds herself at risk of losing her best friend, her future, and the boy who makes her heart melt. Struggling to make things right, Pippa discovers that sometimes the thing you want the most doesn’t always end up being the thing you need.”

Not something I read every day but it seems refreshing and cute and I think I’ll start reading this one as well, today!

5. IN PARIS WITH YOU, BY CLÉMENTINE BEAUVAIS

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“A runaway bestseller in France, Clémentine Beauvais’s In Paris With You is a love story you won’t soon forget.

Eugene and Tatiana had fallen in love that summer ten years ago. But certain events stopped them from getting to truly know each other and they separated never knowing what could have been.

But one busy morning on the Paris metro, Eugene and Tatiana meet again, no longer the same teenagers they once were.

What happened during that summer? Does meeting again now change everything? With their lives ahead of them, can Eugene and Tatiana find a way to be together after everything?

Written in gorgeous verse, In Paris With You celebrates the importance of first love. Funny and sometimes bittersweet this book has universal appeal for anyone who has been in love.”

Again not something I’d read every day, but books written in verse have stared growing on me.

I’m not going to request any more ARCs for the time being, mostly because my TBR is already crazy enough as it is and I do want to read all of these books before requesting any more.

How many books do you guys need to read before requesting more from NetGalley? Are there any books mentioned here  that you’re dying to read?

Let me know all your thoughts and feelings regarding that in the comment section down below.

Thank you all for stepping by once again, have a lovely Christmas Eve and…

Till next time… Toodles!

My Top 5 Favourite Books of 2018

Hello lovely people!

It has already begun to smell A LOT like Christmas and I’m so very excited about it!

Excerpt from Lunar Pride – Fiction by Victoria Moschou

Hey awesome nerds and welcome to a flashback kind of post!

When I first started this blog, I shared some rough drafts of my first (complete) fantasy novel, Lunar Pride; a story where people can turn into werewolves whenever they choose to do so, where Romani tribes are respected by some and feared by others, and where assassins’ families live by one simple rule: kill to survive, even if this means you have to kill your own people.

The amazing team of Kingston University did me the incredible honour to feature part of my work, yet again, on their official blog, Writing in Athens, and for that I am so very grateful!

Lunar Pride will always have a very special place in my heart because it was the first story I actually managed to complete! Like truly, fully complete! It motivated me to pursue my dream of becoming a published author even further, it showed me that I should just keep writing stories that I feel passionate about, regardless of what other people may think, and it inspired me to start a completely new chapter in my life; one that involves both my full-time job as an economist, as well as my job as an author. Because, as of 2019, I am going to be a published author and this will also be my job, aside from my passion, my lifelong dream, the music I always listen inside my ears.

I could rant even further but I don’t want to bore you, dearies. So, simply follow the link below to read the first chapter of Lunar Pride once again. And for those of you who are new to the blog to get to know Andrew and his full of surprises and plot twists life!

Thank you all for being here once again! It means the world to me and I want you to know that I most certainly don’t take your presence here for granted! It is because of you that I keep coming back and that I keep writing new posts and stories.

I look forward to reading your thoughts and feeling about this first chapter in the comment section down below, as well as about how you feel now that things will get more serious. Will you follow me in this grand adventure?

Love you all to Pluto and back!

Till next time… Toodles!

A Very Merry Christmas Giveaway!

Hello awesome nerds and welcome to a very, very special post! A merry post…

THE VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY!

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It’s been a while since I last hosted a giveaway on the blog but since we’re only a week away from Christmas, I decided to host another one. This time of the year is about sharing and giving, understanding and loving. And you can find all that inside the pages of a book. Or two… Or three… Which is why this time the prize is…

A 25€ BOOK DEPOSITORY VOUCHER!

Yeah, yeah… You heard that right!

A Very Merry Christmas Giveaway!

Hello awesome nerds and welcome to a very, very special post! A merry post…

THE VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY!

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It’s been a while since I last hosted a giveaway on the blog but since we’re only a week away from Christmas, I decided to host another one. This time of the year is about sharing and giving, understanding and loving. And you can find all that inside the pages of a book. Or two… Or three… Which is why this time the prize is…

A 25€ BOOK DEPOSITORY VOUCHER!

Yeah, yeah… You heard that right!