Tag: #Karen Tomlinson

Cover Reveal: A Bond of Swords and Sacrifice by Karen Tomlinson

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Hey guys! I hope you are all well. I come to you, after a pretty long time, with a cover reveal! Anyone who has followed my blog for a while knows just how much I love this series and I have actually already beta read it! This book is the final in the series and I am sad that it is coming to an end.

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A Bond of Swords and Sacrifice by Karen Tomlinson

Amazon Pre-Order

Expected Publication: December 15th 2018 – Self Published

Sometimes winning means losing EVERYTHING.

Reeling from their encounter with the God of Chaos, Diamond and Eryanth Arjuno, the true heirs of the Avalonian crown, strive to rekindle their broken bonds and heal their shattered hearts.

But the machinations of war are never simple. Challenges must be faced and threat hovers ever closer as painful truths are revealed and blood ties are uncovered.

No longer an innocent village girl but a fierce and powerful queen, Diamond will fight for those she loves. She will wage war for her people and battle for the survival of every soul in the Eight Kingdoms. But she soon discovers destiny will exact a high price. If she cannot accept the cost to her heart and soul, the Eight Kingdoms—and those dearest to her, will be doomed for eternity.

Prepare yourself for magical lands, heart pounding battle, sailing through vast oceans and flying with fierce dragons. You’ll be pushed to your limits and sucked back in for this final, breathtaking adventure in The Goddess and the Guardians series. It’s the epic conclusion you never knew you were waiting for.

Isn’t that cover just so pretty??? I am in love with the blue that is going on and I really feel that it fits perfectly with the story that is inside. It’s an amazing finale and I cannot wait for you guys to read it as well!

Author Profile:

karen

Karen Tomlinson is the USA Today Bestselling author of The Goddess and the Guardians YA fantasy books.

Karen adores books and will read any genre that catches her eye. She was whisked away by fairies as a child, has been a dragon rider and grew up learning to fight. (This bit’s true!) She likes nothing better than an epic fantasy full of hot warriors and romance especially when it is set in a magical and dangerous world.

Karen lives in Derbyshire, England, (think Mr Darcy territory) with her husband, twin girls and her dalmatian, Poppy. When she is not busy writing, reading (or eating cake and drinking coffee) Karen likes to keep active. She has been practicing Shotokan karate since being thirteen, loves running, mountain biking and walking in the hills with her family.

She loves to connect with her readers and you can find her on:
http://www.karentomlinson.com, follow her on: Facebook-@ktomlinson.author. Chat on her Facebook group-Karen Tomlinson’s Silver Guardians, or follow her on Twitter-@kytomlinson and Instagram @karentomlinsonauthor or Book Bub

Cover Reveal: A Bond of Sovereigns and Souls by Karen Tomlinson

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Hey guys! I hope you are all having a good weekend. I have a cover reveal for you guys today for the third book in one of my favourite series! I saw this cover a while back and I have just been WAITING to host it on this blog because I am so in love with it!

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A Bond of Sovereigns and Souls by Karen Tomlinson

Expected Publication: June 16th 2018 – Self Published

Pre order on Amazon

A shattered bond. A world at war.

Diamond has learned to beat the odds but soon discovers triumph in one battle does not win a war.

The fae kingdom is in turmoil. The lord of Chaos is coming.

Ripped apart from Hugo, the fae warrior who holds her heart, Diamond embarks upon a perilous journey. Determined to save the souls of the mortal world, she risks everything to forge vital new alliances. But her only bargaining chip is the blood in her veins. Somehow, she must use it to persuade the sovereigns of the Eight Kingdoms to unite in war.

Utterly alone, Hugo endures unspeakable horrors. Fighting demons of his own, he must confront a painful sacrifice. His only hope? That the mighty dragons heed his plea for help. His world and heart will be doomed if he cannot save Diamond before the darkness can end her.

A Bond of Sovereigns and Souls is an action packed, high fantasy tale that will astound lovers of Sarah J Maas and Sabaa Tahir, transporting them into a world of magic, wizards and war.

*Readers will delight in this third instalment of The Goddess and the Guardians, a young adult fantasy series by USA Today bestselling author Karen Tomlinson.

I beta read this back in February and I absolutely loved it – so many things changed within this book that affected the way the whole series is going and I am so excited for the final book!

November Wrap Up

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Hey guys! I hope you all had a great November. I decided to fill this post out as the month went on rather than all at once at the end of the month and it has definitely helped! This post hasn’t taken nearly as long as it wold have done if I had done it all at once and I think I am definitely going to keep filling out my Wrap Up posts throughout the month. Looking back over the month, I definitely need to go onto a book buying ban until at least the new year! I feel like I had a great reading month and I am well on my way to completing this year’s Goodreads Reading Challenge with 87/90 books read so far.

Read:

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Physical Books read this month! Missing is The Crown’s Fate by Evelyn Skye because I traded it for another book with someone 

Bought:

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Physical books bought this month! I found a website that is similar to Book Outlet but for Germany and I may have gone a little wild!

ARCs Acquired:

Goodreads Monday:

Special Posts:

Book of the Month

I’ve decided to add a new feature to my monthly wrap ups and that is the Book of the Month. This will be my favourite book read during the month! So, this months book of the month is a from an author I wasn’t expecting to love because I disliked all of her previous works!

WC

Warcross by Marie Lu

Published: September 12th 2017 by G. P. Putnam’s son book for Young Readers

My Review

Amazon: Warcross

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. Needing to make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

This has been a fantastic month for me and I cannot even believe that it is nearly the end of the year already! In other news, I have already put the Christmas decorations up (bar the tree) and the house is looking pretty festive!

How has your month been? Feel free to let me know in the comments and feel free to add your links to monthly wrap ups so I can see what you guys have been up to!

Find me Here:

Instagram/Twitter/Goodreads/Litsy @ Lauren’s Page Turners

 

A Bond of Blood and Fire by Karen Tomlinson

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A Bond of Blood and Fire by Karen Tomlinson

Expected Publication: June 11th 2017 – Self Published

A love bathed in fire. A destiny sealed with blood.

In a world ravaged by war, half blood fae Diamond Gillon must fight to survive.
Becoming a magical weapon for the fae queen is the only way to save her friends from execution, and the people of Valentia from the Wraith Lord and his army of the dead.

Commander Hugo Casimir has been ordered to train her, but Diamond struggles to trust him, and master the force of her own powerful magic. To complicate matters, the two share a rare, magical connection, a bond that will shape their fates and their hearts.

Love and loyalty will be tested as Diamond battles giants, shifters and an army of monsters in her quest to save Valentia. But will she defeat the Wraith Lord to avenge those she has lost, and triumph to save those she loves? Or will the Eight Kingdoms descend into chaos?

Note: I received an ARC of this from the author in return for an honest review. This in no way influences my opinion.

… How am I even expected to open up this review?!? I absolutely LOVED this book! It had me even more hooked than the first book, and that is saying something because ABOVAM was a complete page turner!

I think my favourite aspect of this book was Diamonds character development. In the first book, she is extremely mild and naive because she was extremely sheltered from the world through her upbringing. I loved the change that training brought about in her and her resolve to remain strong, despite everything that happens to her. She has a certain stubbornness about her and, when she sets her mind to something, she doesn’t give up. I enjoyed watching her open up more and more to the people around her and becoming stronger, both physically and mentally. She is still naive in some areas, but that is another aspect of growing up that I am looking forward to reading more of later in the series!

I also loved the fact that we got to see Hugo’s POV. I loved getting into the mind behind the mask he was showing the rest of the characters because it made him and his reasons for what he was doing more realistic. I felt extremely sorry for him most of the time because he was constantly being put into these horrible situations and there was nothing he could do about it. There were times when I wanted to slap him, but thats because he’s a man and they do stupid and unnecessary things sometimes! Like not share his feelings…

Hugo and Diamond. I loved them, they bugged me, but all together I was completely rooting for them to get there stuff together. They bugged me in the sense that there was a lot of roll your eyes kinda moments, but I feel like they needed to be there because that is what love is all about right at the beginning with the uncertainty of the other person or whether they like you and what is going to happen next! I cannot wait to follow this ship even further… I do want Jack to find someone, though. Feeling kind of sorry for him at this point – but he was a great friend to both of them… even if he was in the middle a bit!

The plot had me all :-O … I feel like there was even more going on in this book compared to ABOVAM and it kept me completely hooked! I loved the fact that Tomlinson did not sugar coat Diamonds training and we as readers saw everything that happened to her and the bruises etc. This made it all the more realistic and I felt sorry for Diamond throughout that! Also… THE QUEEN!!! She needs to be killed dead in the most horrific way possible because she is just an awful (fictional) being and I just… ugh. Death. DEATH!!!

Also, can we mention that ending!! Now, I obviously don’t want to go into too much detail because spoilers … but WHAT THE ACTUAL HECK!!! :-O I was left completely on the edge of my seat, heart in my throat and I just HAD to know what was going to happen next… even though I already knew because I beta read the book before Christmas. I was left in tears all over again and I cannot even believe that I had to suffer that cliff hanger ending all over again because I just need the next book already. Can I have it now?? Pretty please…

All in all, I absolutely ADORED this book and I cannot even wait for the next instalment! I need more from all of these characters and I just NEED the next book right about now. I gave this book 5/5 stars

A Bond of Blood and Fire Cover Reveal

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Hey guys!! Today I have a cover reveal for you guys! Now, if you follow my blog relatively regularly, you know just how much I loved A Bond of Venom and Magic by Karen Tomlinson!! I have the cover reveal for the sequel, A Bond of Blood and Fire, and I am absolutely in LOVE with it!

A Bond of Blood and Fire by Karen Tomlinson

Expected publication: June 11th 2017 – Self published

A love bathed in fire. A destiny sealed with blood.

In a world ravaged by war, half blood fae Diamond Gillon must fight to survive.
Becoming a magical weapon for the fae queen is the only way to save her friends from execution, and the people of Valentia from the Wraith Lord and his army of the dead.

Commander Hugo Casimir has been ordered to train her, but Diamond struggles to trust him, and master the force of her own powerful magic. To complicate matters, the two share a rare, magical connection, a bond that will shape their fates and their hearts.

Love and loyalty will be tested as Diamond battles giants, shifters and an army of monsters in her quest to save Valentia. But will she defeat the Wraith Lord to avenge those she has lost, and triumph to save those she loves? Or will the Eight Kingdoms descend into chaos?

Isn’t it so pretty!!! ABOBAF is on a pre order sale at $0.99 until its release! You can find it HERE. After that it will be put into KU 🙂

Book 1, A Bond of Venom and Magic, is also on sale for $0.99 until the release of book 2! You can find that HERE

I am really really excited to get my hands on a copy of this book! I did beta read it and you guys are in for a ride! If you haven’t read book 1 yet… go read it. Now!! 😀

Cover Reveal – A Bond of Venom and Magic by Karen Tomlinson

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Hey guys! I am coming to you today with a revamped cover of A Bond of Venom and Magic by Karen Tomlinson! Whilst I adore the previous cover, I do feel like this one fits better with the book itself and it is SO EPIC!! So, without further ado:

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A Bond of Venom and Magic by Karen Tomlinson

Published: October 16th 2016 – self published

Buy Links:  Amazon      Kobo      ibooks        Nook

Smashwords

A breathtaking fantasy romance, the first in a sensational new series by British author Karen Tomlinson.

Magic awakens. Darkness stirs. The Wraith Lord is hunting.

The war raging in the South seems a remote danger for seventeen-year-old Diamond Gillon until her home is brutally attacked by the Wraith Lord’s monstrous hunters. Catapulted into a terrifying new world where legendary beasts arise, magic is condemned, and half-blood fae like her have no rights, Diamond is inexplicably drawn to her saviour. But Commander Hugo Casimir is a ruthless elite guard owned by a cruel, immortal fae queen who will murder her own people for magic.

As she sinks deeper into Hugo’s world, Diamond’s circumstances become ever more perilous, for the Queen desires her magic and covets the very same prize as the Wraith Lord. To discover who she truly is, Diamond must escape the Queen’s clutches—before her fate, and that of The Eight Kingdoms, is sealed in shadow and chaos.

Will Hugo prove to be her friend, her protector, or an enemy not worthy of her trust?

A Bond of Venom and Magic is an epic fantasy tale, ideal for mature Young Adult readers. Fans of Sarah J Maas and Leigh Bardugo will love to discover this spectacular new world steeped in dragons, monsters, and armoured winged warriors.

I absolutely love this new cover and, as I mentioned earlier, I feel like it definitely represents the content of the book better than the original cover! My review of A Bond of Venom and Magic. This book is actually on offer at 0,99$ from today (April 8th) until June 11th – which is the release date of book 2 (A Bond of Blood and Fire). You can pre order book 2 Here.

Top Ten Tuesday

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toptentuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the Broke and Bookish

Hey guys! It is time for another TTT and this week is it top ten books I read in one sitting! I’m going to show off the books that I read relatively quickly – because reading in one sitting is almost impossible with a 1 year old! 😛

10. this is where it ends This is Where is Ends by Marieke Nijkamp – This I actually did read in one sitting and it was AWESOME!!

9. follow-me-back Follow me Back by A. V. Geiger – I actually read an ARC of this because it doesn’t release until June and it was just so addictive! I just HAD to find out what happened… and the very last page was worth everything!!

8. abovam A Bond of Venom and Magic by Karen Tomlinson – This book… Just… THIS BOOK!!!

7. One_final The One by Kiera Cass – I actually read this in one sitting on the day that it released! I waited a really long time for this book and it was just everything I wanted!

6. Dangerous Girls Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas – I was actually in hospital when I read this and I basically didn’t move until I had finished… It was AMAZING!

5. spelled Spelled by Betsy Schow – This was a major laugh out loud for me and one that I am constantly recommending!

4. only ever yours Only Ever Yours by Louise O’Neill – I think for anyone who has read this book, it’s an obvious choice. If you haven’t … WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN HIDING!!

3. forbidden Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma – I was so worried going into this because of the taboo subject matter… but I read it extremely quickly and it was done so well!

2. rites of passage Rites of Passage by Joy. N. Hensley – I normally would never have picked this up based on the cover! I absolutely hate most things to do with the army/war when it comes to books and film… however,I am so thankful to the blog (I can’t remember who it was anymore it was so long ago) who wrote a glowing review of this because I ADORED IT!!

1. Asking for it Asking For It by Louise O’Neill – This author again! This book was also absolutely amazing and thought provoking and I just want more from this author!

That’s it! These are the books that I read in one sitting or relatively quickly! Have you read any of these?

Top Ten Tuesday

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toptentuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the Broke and Bookish

Hey guys! It is time for another TTT. This week is freebie week because they have been unable to refresh the list due to personal reasons (let’s be honest, a break after 6,5 years is deserved!). So, I thought I would go through the previous topics and chose top ten authors who deserve more recognition! There are so many amazing authors out there who I feel definitely need to be seen and heard more purely because their writing and their books are just AMAZING!! So, without further ado, and in no particular order:

10. kate Katelyn Anderson – Kate is the author of the Tainted Souls trilogy which starts with Everlasting Flame! I absolutely love the first book in the series (she is currently wrapping up book 2!) and I definitely feel like this book needs more love! It is absolutely amazing and the MC is so sassy!

9. karen Karen Tomlinson – Karen is the author of A Bond of Venom and Magic (which Debuted last year), which belongs to the Goddess and the Guardians series! Book 2 is currently in the works (but I have already Beta read and it was FANTABULOUS!!) and I think any fantasy lover really needs to be reading this book!

8. candy-atkins Candy Atkins – Candy is the author of The Lost Knight series, which I fell in love with from the very first book! The first two books have been published and, lets just say, I read book 2 in one sitting it was THAT GOOD!!! Her work is definitely underrated and, can we just mention that the covers are so PRETTY!

7. kelly-charron Kelly Charron – Kelly is the author of Pretty Wicked which takes a unique view of serial killings! I say unique because, instead of being written from the view of the victim, it is written from the view of the Killer!!! It was definitely interesting to see the psychology behind the killer…

6. luke Luke Taylor – Luke is the author of quite a few different things, but I have personally only read Vault of Dreams which I adored! He has a very lyrical style of writing and I am so looking forward to some of the other works he is currently working on!

5. martina Martina McAtee – Soooo, I literally only finished Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things on Sunday, but it was SOOOO GOOOOOD and I feel like everyone should be reading this book!

4. melissa Melissa A. Craven – The Emerge series (whilst still being released etc.) is one of my favourites out there! I absolutely loved the first two books and I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am for book 3!

3. andrew-toy Andrew Toy – I have only read These Great Affects but it was just such an emotional ride!!

2. dyllin D. T. Dyllin – I read Somniare a while back and I still need to read the second book! However, it is a book set in a dreamworld state and it was so well executed and so unique!!

1. maria-padian Maria Padian – I read Wrecked quite a while back now which is about  college rape! It is so true to todays society and it definitely needs to be read by everyone!

That’s it! I love all of these authors and I definitely feel like their books need some more love going around!

Top Ten Tuesday

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toptentuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the Broke and Bookish

Hey guys!! It is time for another TTT!! This week is freebie week, so I thought I would share with you guys the top ten books I am most looking forward to this year! I didn’t do this at the beginning of the year because I was so ill, so I just thought I would skip out on it, but now I have the chance to show you guys what I am excited to get my hands on! In no particular order, here they are:

10. ACOWAR.jpg A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas – There is obviously a mixed bowl of people who adore Maas and people who despise her… I adore her and, to be honest… I have been hibernating since last may just because I NEED THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!! I cannot wait to see what the cover is going to look like!

9. Throne of Glass #6 by Sarah J. Maas – Again, Maas… but IT’s THE CONCLUSION AND I NEEDED IT LAST SEPTEMBER *Ahem*

8. carve-the-mark Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth – Unpopular opinion alert! Ive seen the controversy surrounding this book, however, I would like to read it for myself and decide myself whether or not it is really racist or not. I have seen people who have torn this book apart because they believe it is racist and I have seen people stand up for this book because they do not view it as racist. Everyone interprets books differently, so, before anyone decides to hate on me here, I want to have the chance to interpret and decide for myself. Besides, I loved the Divergent series and I can’t wait to read more from this author 🙂

7. abobaf A Bond of Blood and Fire by Karen Tomlinson – So, I absolutely LOVE A Bond of Venom and Magic (YOU SHOULD ALL BE READING THIS BOOK BECAUSE IT IS ALL AMOUNTS OF AWESOME!!!!!!!!) and I literally cannot wait for this book! I have already beta read this book and it was everything I wanted and more! So, I just want a signed copy of this to be sat next to the signed copy of ABOVAM on my shelf where they belong…

6. Dividing Eden .jpg Dividing Eden by Joelle Charbonneau – I recently added this to my TBR and I have already seen some really amazing things about this book from the reviews trickling in! I definitely can’t wait to get my hands on a copy!

5. Eternity Fades by Katelyn Anderson – This book doesn’t have a Goodreads page yet, BUT, the author is nearing the end of the writing process!! I absolutely LOVED Everlasting Flame and I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am to be getting my mits on this book…

4. first-we-were-iv First We Were IV by Alexandra Sirowy – This sounds really really interesting!!! I want to know EVERYTHING!!

3. now-i-rise Now I Rise by Kierstin White – I really enjoyed the first book in this series and I cannot wait to see where Lada goes next!

2. the last magician The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell – Ummmmm… Can we just have a look at how awesome this cover is?!? Couple that with the blurb and then try and convince me you guys don’t want this book in your lives!!

1. we-now-return-to-regular-life We Now Return to Regular Life by Martin Wilson – This book sounds like it could be a really powerful read if done right and I am really looking forward to it!!

So that’s it!! These are just some of the books that I am really excited about getting this year and they all look really awesome!!

Are you guys looking forward to any of these books?? What topic did you guys pick this week? Feel free to drop links and comments and I will check them all out!

Top Ten Tuesday

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toptentuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the Broke and Bookish

Hey guys! It has been a while since I did one of these, but I am definitely excited to be joining in again – especially because this week is all about hidden gems! This weeks topic is top ten hidden gems (I’m going to go for hidden gems that I have read in general, rather than in the past year). Without further ado, and in no particular order:

10. these-great-affects-cover-2 These Great Affects by Andrew Toy – I read this a few months back after receiving an ARC from the author, and I absolutely loved it! It was extremely emotional and it is a book that will always stay with me!

9. everlasting-flame Everlasting Flame by Katelyn Anderson – There are literally no words to describe just how much I love this book!! The MC is witty and hilarious – and it will rip you apart at the same time… I need the next book like now!

8. spelled Spelled by Betsy Schow – Anyone who knows me, knows my love for this book. It is absolutely hilarious and is definitely a unique twist on all of the fairytales you know! In short… go read it!

7. emerge- The awakening The Awakening by Melissa A. Craven – This is a series that hooked me last year! The second book came out recently and I loved that one even more than the first! It is definitely book that more people need to be checking out!

6. abovam A Bond of Venom and Magic by Karen Tomlinson – This book. I just… This was my favourite book of 2016. Let’s put that one out there. This book needs more love and attention because it is AMAZING!!!!

5. pretty-wicked Pretty Wicked by Kelly Charron – This was a complete unique take on a murder book… told from the perspective of our murderer, instead of someone trying to figure out who the murderer is!!

4. forbidden Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma – Ok, I read this book way back in 2014. A lot of people have read, there is a lot of ratings on Goodreads, but I still feel like this is, in a way, a hidden gem. The subject matter is so taboo, that I can imagine a lot of people won’t read it based purely on the subject matter. This book should be read, though, by absolutely everyone. This book broke me in all the best and worst ways possible and, despite the fact it has now been three years, I could bawl my eyes out just thinking about this book. Therefore… I am going to move on…

3. somniare Somniare by D. T. Dyllin – I went into this book pretty cautiously, but I absolutely loved it! There was always something happening which kept me on the edge of my seat!

2. dear Charlie Dear Charlie by N. D. Gomes – I am always on the lookout for unique books on school shootings, and this one was one of those! It was interesting to read from the perspective of the family of the shooter and what they deal with after such a horrific incident takes place!

1. vault of dreams Vault of Dreams by Luke Taylor – This is another book that I read last year and I absolutely adored it!! I cannot wait to read more from this author!

That is it from me! Have you read any of these? Did you enjoy them? Feel free to leave links and comments and I will check them all out!