Cassandra Page's Blog, page 5
October 1, 2018
Book launch: ‘A Hand of Knaves’ (in which our hero goes to a party)
Yours truly (in the glasses), along with Leife Shallcross, Grace Maslin, Simon Petrie (also in glasses, but not me), and a bunch of other lovely folks whose names I didn’t catch because I am a terrible human
Last night I went to the book launch party for A Hand of Knaves, the short story anthology that features a story of mine called “The Best Heist Yet”. I confess I was feeling a little nervous — my imposter syndrome was registering off the charts, and I didn’t know anyone there (except my bestie, who came along for moral support and took some pics for me — thanks, mate!).
I felt better when we first arrived and found the dealers room, where people were selling books they had written. I picked up the third book in the Antipodean Queen series (I reviewed the first one here if you want to check it out) and another that the author described as a sci-fi murder mystery. Whee!
I didn’t have to worry about the launch either — it was a lot of fun and everyone was lovely. There were three readings (which were amazing and didn’t help with the imposter syndrome any), plus champagne (which offset the effect of the readings). And I got to sign ALL THE BOOKS.
It was a ton of fun, and made me wonder why I haven’t done this sooner — all of my book launches for my own books have been strictly online affairs. It also drove home that I really should join the local author community and, you know, get out of the house more. I’ll definitely look into that.
After I finish this next book I’m reading. 
September 29, 2018
Shadows and Spellcraft feature: ‘Expelled Reaper’ by Sadie Moss
Amazon / iBook / Kobo / Nook
The only thing that talks louder than magic is money… Too bad I have neither.My name is Lana Crow, and I’m one of the Blighted—a non-magical person in a world ruled by magic.
There aren’t many chances to get ahead when the people in power think you’re trash. So my boyfriend Corin and I steal for a living, hoping to one day buy our way out of this dusty Blighted settlement in Wyoming and into a better future.
And then it falls in our lap. The perfect score. A ruby the size of my fist.
Sure, stealing from the magically Gifted is always a risk. But some risks are worth taking, right?
Right?
About the Author
Sadie Moss is obsessed with books, craft beer, and the supernatural. She has often been accused of living in a world of her own imagination, so she decided to put those worlds into books.
When Sadie isn’t working on her next novel, she loves spending time with her adorable puppy, binge-watching comedies on Hulu, and hanging out with her family.
She loves to hear from her readers, so if you’d like to say hi, feel free to email her at sadiemoss.author[at]gmail[dot]com.
Shadows And Spellcraft
The Ultimate Urban Fantasy Binge Collection
A boxed set with over a dozen amazing reads, that will take you to lost worlds, fall in love with unlikely heroes, and kick some butt with no-nonsense chicks. With a collection that includes New Adult romance, urban fantasy, and Young Adult, there’s something for everyone.
Each story is exclusive to this collection, and includes some shiny new stories from USA Today and New York Times bestselling authors.
If you love to binge on stories that take you away from the ordinary, this boxed set of fifteen books will keep you reading for days. It’s stuffed with vampires, shifters, mages, fae, ghosts and more in everything from modern day Earth to Apocalyptic settings. Bury your nose in this box set now. Order your copy of SHADOWS AND SPELLCRAFT NOW
Amazon / iBook / Kobo / Nook
September 27, 2018
Review: ‘Among Others’ by Jo Walton
Winner of the 2012 Hugo Award for Best Novel. Winner of the 2011 Nebula Award for Best Novel. Startling, unusual, and yet irresistably readable, Among Others is at once the compelling story of a young woman struggling to escape a troubled childhood, a brilliant diary of first encounters with the great novels of modern fantasy and SF, and a spellbinding tale of escape from ancient enchantment.
‘It doesn’t matter. I have books, new books, and I can bear anything as long as there are books.’
Fifteen-year-old Morwenna lives in Wales with her twin sister and a mother who spins dark magic for ill. One day, Mori and her mother fight a powerful, magical battle that kills her sister and leaves Mori crippled. Devastated, Mori flees to her long-lost father in England. Adrift, outcast at boarding school, Mori retreats into the worlds she knows best: her magic and her books. She works a spell to meet kindred souls and continues to devour every fantasy and science fiction novel she can lay her hands on. But danger lurks… She knows her mother is looking for her and that when she finds her, there will be no escape.
I should note at the outset that I listened to this on audiobook; the main character is Welsh, and I have no doubt that having someone else pronounce all the Welsh place names etc made things a little easier for me. The accent was utterly delightful — and I had even more respect for the voice actor, Katherine Kellgren, when she slowly transformed Mori’s accent from pure Welsh to something with a hint of posh English (Received Pronunciation?) the longer Mori spent in an English boarding school. I can barely do my own accent, let alone manage a feat like that!
Set in 1979 and 1980 and told in diary form, this book straddles a few genres: young adult, certainly; historical fantasy; magical realism; possibly urban fantasy if you stretch the definition of urban (which I like to do!).
The main character is disabled and suffers chronic pain. She walks with a cane after she got injured in the same magical attack that killed her sister — an attack orchestrated by her mother. Mori likens her story to the Frodo’s after he returns home to the shire: the big battle is done; the losses have happened; the scars have healed, at least superficially; and now she has to learn how to live with what is left.
This story is, as much as anything, about coping and moving forward after loss.
The magic in this book is mostly very understated and almost always plausably deniable. Because I’m an old roleplaying geek, what it reminded me of most is the way magic works in the World of Darkness roleplaying game Mage: the Ascension — specifically coincidental magic, which doesn’t violate the “consensus” (or non-mages’ common understanding of how the world works).
But in some ways, magic in this book is also more powerful than consensus magic, because it can rewrite the past to ensure that a present event comes to pass in a way that the magic user wants it to. Mori spends a lot of time wondering about the ethics of using magic — more time than she does actually doing it. Because she has seen the effect on the world that a power-hungry magic user can have on others, she usually decides not to do anything at all.
As well as the supernatural side of things, Among Others also touches on other issues, such as puberty, sex and LGBT couples. (One of her relatives lives with another woman; Mori is refreshingly matter-of-fact about it, the same way she is about her cane use and chronic pain.)
The other delightful thing about this book is that Mori spends just as much time enthusing about books as she does talking about magic and faeries and her new crush. She’s a science-fiction and fantasy fan, and is buying books at a time when a lot of big names in those genres are producing their most famous works. Sometimes her review of a book might be “I liked it, though it’s a bit weird”, and other times she goes deep into the text and compares it to books by other writers in a way that would do an English teacher proud.
Unfortunately for me, my speculative fiction reading growing up was almost exclusively fantasy, so there are only maybe three or four writers that she mentions that I have actually read myself. I think if you’re a sci-fi fan, Among Others will be a much richer read for you.
But, despite that, this was still a five-star read for me. Thanks to my friend Barbara for recommending it!
September 26, 2018
Review: ‘Something’, ‘Nothing’ and ‘Everything’ (the ‘All the Things’ trilogy) by K. A. Last
Blurb for Something:
Katie has loved Levi, the boy next door, for as long as she can remember. He used to be her best friend, but now her heart breaks a little more every time he pretends she doesn’t exist.
He’s the popular, wealthy school captain, while she’s the poor scholarship kid. They’ve barely spoken in two years, so Katie doesn’t understand why Levi has started climbing through her bedroom window. Or why he’s telling her secrets he’s hiding from everyone else.
When the mean girls include Katie in their malicious game of truth or dare, she has a chance to get answers. To find out the real reason Levi is talking to her again. Will everything be as perfect as Katie imagined, or will the truth destroy her?
I’ve read this trilogy of novellas over the last month, and decided to post a combined review because I read them back-to-back, and because the story really is a novel in three parts, with cliff-hanger endings for the first two books. (Now, you know how I feel about that, but since I didn’t have to wait very long at all, I was all good … and now all three are out, you don’t have to wait at all!)
This trilogy is one of those stories that reminded me of how awful it is to be an introverted teenager at the bottom of the social pecking order, and I really felt for Katie on those grounds. Katie is an art nerd, the smartest kid in the class, and — worst of all, socially — attending wealthy private school on a scholarship. Her parents don’t come across as truly poor, but they are maybe lower middle class and Katie’s in a school full of rich brats.
That’s not to say Katie doesn’t have any friends at all, because she does; her bestie, Karen, is wonderful: tough, a straight talker, and willing to leap in front of a bullet (or a bully) to protect her friends. Katie’s other friends, Jessica and Stacey, spend less time on screen (and for the longest time I actually thought they were secretly dating … alas, no). Still, they are a solid posse.
On the face of it, Levi is my least favourite kind of love interest: hot but with a troubled past, secrets, and a tendancy to be rude to the leading lady. But his rudeness mostly runs to ignoring Katie, rather than being outright cruel or monstering the main character (I’m looking at you, Daemon from Obsidian), and you can see he doesn’t really mean it. It’s more that he made a bad decision when he was younger — that Katie wasn’t cool enough for him — and now isn’t quite sure how to walk it back even though he clearly wants to. And it turns out he’s actually kind of a sweetie. So I forgave him.
As well as struggling with whether to trust Levi again, Katie is also wrestling with study and that most teenage of issues: what to do after she finishes school. Her parents want her not to “waste” her scholarship and expect her to study law or medicine, but Katie is less than keen. This was one issue that I thought deserved a bit more airtime in the third book — her mother does something that I considered a truly low act (no details, because spoilers), and Katie was far more forgiving than I thought she should be.
But maybe that’s because I’m a mean old lady.
September 25, 2018
Shadows and Spellcraft feature: ‘Taken’ by Victoria DeLuis
Amazon / iBook / Kobo / Nook
There’s always a price to pay with magic. The question is, who pays?
I’m Summer Daniels. Friend. Foe. Witch.
It was never going to be a simple day: visiting my childhood home and finding the murderer of a house fairy. Whose master happens to be a heartless goblin… Yet, as it turns out, the goblin is the least of my problems.
A lover endangered. A friend betrayed. A memory taken.
The cards are stacked against me but hell hath no fury like an angry Witch.
I’m Summer Daniels and my life is about to change.
Author Bio
Victoria DeLuis is an avid fantasy reader, who enjoys writing Urban Fantasy and paranormal/cosy mysteries.
She lives in Wales with her husband, daughter, three cats and one dog.
Amongst other writings, Victoria is currently working on The Rune Witch Mysteries and The Independent Necromancer’s Bureau Series.
Shadows And Spellcraft
The Ultimate Urban Fantasy Binge Collection
A boxed set with over a dozen amazing reads, that will take you to lost worlds, fall in love with unlikely heroes, and kick some butt with no-nonsense chicks. With a collection that includes New Adult romance, urban fantasy, and Young Adult, there’s something for everyone.
Each story is exclusive to this collection, and includes some shiny new stories from USA Today and New York Times bestselling authors.
If you love to binge on stories that take you away from the ordinary, this boxed set of fifteen books will keep you reading for days. It’s stuffed with vampires, shifters, mages, fae, ghosts and more in everything from modern day Earth to Apocalyptic settings. Bury your nose in this box set now. Order your copy of SHADOWS AND SPELLCRAFT NOW
Amazon / iBook / Kobo / Nook
September 24, 2018
Review: ‘Heir of Glass’ by Sarah J. Maas
Celaena has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak―but at an unspeakable cost. Now, she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth . . . a truth about her heritage that could change her life―and her future―forever. Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. Will Celaena find the strength to not only fight her inner demons, but to take on the evil that is about to be unleashed?
The bestselling series that has captured readers all over the world reaches new heights in this sequel to the New York Times best-selling Crown of Midnight. Packed with heart-pounding action, fierce new characters, and swoon-worthy romance, this third book will enthrall readers from start to finish.
There comes a point in a series — especially a popular series like this one — where I start to wonder whether writing reviews is actually worth it. Either you’ve read the books already, or you’re interested and don’t want to see the spoilers that can creep in with reviews of later books in the series. (I’ll try to keep it spoiler-light, but sorry in advance!)
For those that aren’t regular readers of my blog, I read the first book, Throne of Glass, here, and the second, Crown of Midnight, here. As you’ll see by my rating, this series keeps getting better. I hope that trend doesn’t keep going too much further, because I’m gonna run out of additional stars to add!
I love Celaena more in this book than in the previous two. Her bad-ass truly starts to show, and her instruction at the hands of hot elf prince Rowan leads to some interesting developments in that regard.
On the romance front, I confess I’m growing increasingly disenchanted with Chaol, the love interest from the previous book, and I have developed rather the soft spot for Dorian, who was the love interest from book one. I also wouldn’t object to Celaena and Rowan, although — like the other two fellows — he is a bit too jealous and overprotective for my tastes. I guess I’m ship-agnostic on this one. (I wonder if Celaena will have a different partner, or person she’s attracted to, in each book? How very Rachel Morgan of her!)
Story-wise, we get to see more of the evil king’s plans, which is great … and also broke my heart a little at one point (sob), even as I had to admire what a cold-hearted monster he is. There are a few new points of view as well. I was largely indifferent to Aedion, liked Sorsha, and loved Manon. Yes, her story is largely unconnected to the rest of the plot, but she’s training herself a flying mount. I am so there for that.
The only thing that stops me giving this book the full five-star treatment is that I got a little bit tired of Celaena’s, well, self-loathing (what the blurb refers to as her “inner demons”). On the one hand, I can totally see where she was coming from. But the introspection and moping did slow the pace down a little at times, especially in the early portion of the book. (I suspect that makes me a bad person in the same way that loving her chopping people up in Crown of Midnight does.) Happily, once she gripped it up, things got much, much more interesting.
Anyway, I’ll just be over here, waiting for my next Audible credit.
September 23, 2018
A couple of book-release-related announcements: ‘Shadows and Spellcraft’ and ‘Rheia’
As you’ll have no doubt have guessed by now, given all the posts on my blog lately, the Shadows and Spellcraft book bundle (which contains, among other things, Isla’s Inheritance), comes out on 30 October. Pre-orders are only $0.99 (US), which is such an awesome bargain that I’ve already pre-ordered my own copy for the books in there that I haven’t read — there are fifteen books total.
One of the authors in the bundle, Laura Greenwood, is giving away a Kindle Fire stuffed with ebooks (including another of mine, because yay!) to celebrate the release of the bundle. You can find the giveaway here. Check it out!
Rheia Pinterest page
As I do with all my books, as I was drafting Rheia I kept a Pinterest page for the book. Now that we’re getting closer to the release day, I’ve made the page public so that those of you who want to get a taste for the aesthetic of the book can do so. The link to the page is here. It’s no Kindle Fire, but I hope you enjoy anyway!
(Note that the usual caveats apply: I don’t own any of the art in the lefthand screenshot above.)
September 22, 2018
Shadows and Spellcraft feature: ‘Magic Runes’ by Devyn Jayse
Amazon / iBook / Kobo / Nook
When Carmen successfully removes a spell from a bewitched human, she never thought she would get ensnared in an ongoing Supernatural Bureau of Investigation case. Her life is already complicated by trying to stay hidden from her powerful family members, Carmen can’t afford the attention of joining the investigation but the SBI insist on her involvement. Add an annoying (but hot) SBI agent and her life is getting more difficult by the day. Can she help the SBI without exposing her identity?
Author Bio
Devyn Jayse is an author of fantasy and magic novels. When Devyn is not scribbling ideas in her journal for her next project, you’ll find her planning her next travel destination.
Shadows And Spellcraft
The Ultimate Urban Fantasy Binge Collection
A boxed set with over a dozen amazing reads, that will take you to lost worlds, fall in love with unlikely heroes, and kick some butt with no-nonsense chicks. With a collection that includes New Adult romance, urban fantasy, and Young Adult, there’s something for everyone.
Each story is exclusive to this collection, and includes some shiny new stories from USA Today and New York Times bestselling authors.
If you love to binge on stories that take you away from the ordinary, this boxed set of fifteen books will keep you reading for days. It’s stuffed with vampires, shifters, mages, fae, ghosts and more in everything from modern day Earth to Apocalyptic settings. Bury your nose in this box set now. Order your copy of SHADOWS AND SPELLCRAFT NOW
Amazon / iBook / Kobo / Nook
September 18, 2018
Shadows and Spellcraft feature: ‘Dark Hunt’ by Kim Richardson
Amazon / iBook / Kobo / Nook
Once she was the hunter, but now she is the hunted…
Demons and half-breeds rule the darkness in a mortal world rampant with dangers beyond imagining. It’s where they hide, prowl, party… and feed. Rowyn Sinclair’s job is to track and hunt them. Rowyn is a Hunter and angel-born—a mortal with angelic essence flowing in her veins—and she’s going after demons with a vengeance. When the Council offers her a job to hunt a human-killing demon, Rowyn must work with Jax, the sexy and dangerous warrior who has a vendetta of his own. But Rowyn is hiding a dark secret… something that’s always been there… a secret that could change everything…
Author Bio
Kim Richardson is the award-winning author of the bestselling SOUL GUARDIANS series. She lives in the eastern part of Canada with her husband, two dogs and a very old cat. She is the author of the SOUL GUARDIANS series, the MYSTICS series, and the DIVIDED REALMS series. Kim’s books are available in print editions, and translations are available in over 7 languages.
Shadows And Spellcraft
The Ultimate Urban Fantasy Binge Collection
A boxed set with over a dozen amazing reads, that will take you to lost worlds, fall in love with unlikely heroes, and kick some butt with no-nonsense chicks. With a collection that includes New Adult romance, urban fantasy, and Young Adult, there’s something for everyone.
Each story is exclusive to this collection, and includes some shiny new stories from USA Today and New York Times bestselling authors.
If you love to binge on stories that take you away from the ordinary, this boxed set of fifteen books will keep you reading for days. It’s stuffed with vampires, shifters, mages, fae, ghosts and more in everything from modern day Earth to Apocalyptic settings. Bury your nose in this box set now. Order your copy of SHADOWS AND SPELLCRAFT NOW
Amazon / iBook / Kobo / Nook
September 13, 2018
‘Rheia’ excerpt and pre-order links
Rheia preorders are now live. To whet your appetite, I’ve included a second excerpt from the book. Like all excerpts, it’s a teeny bit spoiler-y — but I chose this one because, if you’ve read the blurb, the events revealed below won’t be a surprise. For those that prefer to stay spoiler-free, I’ve put the preorder links first.
