Review: Illusionarium by Heather Dixon (ARC)

Title: Illusionarium
Author: Heather Dixon
Publisher: Greenwillow Books (HarperCollins)
Release Date: May 19, 2015
Acquired Via: Around the World ARC Tours
Far, far north, in the cold aerial city of Fata Morgana, apprentice scientist Jonathan is preparing to leave for university.

He doesn't know about fantillium, the newly discovered chemical that allows people to share hallucinations—sometimes wondrous ones, sometimes appalling.

He doesn't know he holds the rare skill to control the hallucinations—to become an illusionist.

He doesn't know that fantillium can also open gateways to parallel worlds. Or that he will soon begin an epic journey, crossing cities and worlds, to save his family, his friends, and his very reality.

He doesn't know any of that... yet.

And when he does, will his compass continue to point true north? Or will it break apart?

My Review

Illusionarium is a tricky book for me to review. While it is fast-paced and stands apart from the typical YA novel (hello there, non-badass male protagonist!), I had a hard time getting into the book. Why, you ask? Was it quirky? Yes. Was the science steampunkery making sense? To me, sure! Did you connect with Jonathan or detest the evil Queen Honoria? Well, not really.

Waiting on Wednesday (85): Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.



Title: Ink and Bone (The Great Library #1)
Author: Rachel Caine
Publisher: NAL (Penguin)
Release Date: July 7, 2015
In an exhilarating new series, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine rewrites history, creating a dangerous world where the Great Library of Alexandria has survived the test of time...

Ruthless and supremely powerful, the Great Library is now a presence in every major city, governing the flow of knowledge to the masses. Alchemy allows the Library to deliver the content of the greatest works of history instantly—but the personal ownership of books is expressly forbidden.

Jess Brightwell believes in the value of the Library, but the majority of his knowledge comes from illegal books obtained by his family, who are involved in the thriving black market. Jess has been sent to be his family’s spy, but his loyalties are tested in the final months of his training to enter the Library’s service.

When he inadvertently commits heresy by creating a device that could change the world, Jess discovers that those who control the Great Library believe that knowledge is more valuable than any human life—and soon both heretics and books will burn...


I would have been interested in anything that Rachel Caine writes, but this book just makes me bubble with excitement. The Great Library of Alexandria! Book burning! Oppression of books! Plus, the cover is just gorgeous

What are you waiting on this week?

Review: The Boleyn King by Laura Andersen

Title: The Boleyn King (The Boleyn Trilogy #1)
Author: Laura Andersen
Publisher: Ballantine Books (Random House)
Release Date: May 14, 2013
Acquired Via:Goodreads First Reads
Perfect for fans of Philippa Gregory, Alison Weir, and Showtime’s The Tudors, The Boleyn King is the first book in an enthralling trilogy that dares to imagine: What if Anne Boleyn had actually given Henry VIII a son who grew up to be king?

Just seventeen years old, Henry IX, known as William, is a king bound by the restraints of the regency yet anxious to prove himself. With the French threatening battle and the Catholics sowing the seeds of rebellion at home, William trusts only three people: his older sister Elizabeth; his best friend and loyal counselor, Dominic; and Minuette, a young orphan raised as a royal ward by William’s mother, Anne Boleyn.

Against a tide of secrets, betrayal, and murder, William finds himself fighting for the very soul of his kingdom. Then, when he and Dominic both fall in love with Minuette, romantic obsession looms over a new generation of Tudors. One among them will pay the price for a king’s desire, as a shocking twist of fate changes England’s fortunes forever.

My Review

I love alternate history stories and anything dealing with the Tudors, but I had a copy of The Boleyn King languishing at my house for a year and a half before ever reading it. I knew that it would probably be the perfect combination for a really great read, so I have no idea why I never got around to picking it up. However, I got into a really bad reading slump after my house flooded, and this book really brought me out of it.

Review: Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini #Giveaway @FierceReads

Title: Trial by Fire (The Worldwalker Trilogy #1)
Author: Josephine Angelini
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (Macmillan)
Release Date: September 2, 2014
Acquired Via: Publisher
This world is trying to kill Lily Proctor. Her life-threatening allergies keep her from enjoying many of the experiences that other teenagers take for granted...which is why she is determined to enjoy her first (and perhaps only) high-school party. But Lily's life never goes according to plan, and after a humiliating incident in front of half her graduating class Lily wishes she could just disappear.

Suddenly Lily is in a different Salem - one overrun with horrifying creatures and ruled by powerful women called Crucibles. Strongest and cruellest of all the Crucibles is Lillian . . . Lily's identical other self in this alternate universe. This new version of her world is terrifyingly sensual, and Lily is soon overwhelmed by new experiences.

Lily realizes that what makes her weak at home is exactly what makes her extraordinary in New Salem. It also puts her life in danger. Thrown into a world she doesn't understand, Lily is torn between responsibilities she can't hope to shoulder alone, and a love she never expected.

But how can Lily be the saviour of this world when she is literally her own worst enemy?

Book Trailer


Audio Clip


My Review

Paranormal romances generally aren't my thing, and I tend to group anything with witches as that or urban fantasy. Josephine Angelini's Trial by Fire really isn't either of those, but I can assure you that it is all good. There is magic, alternate realities, hot guys, and powerful girls - the perfect combination to keep you burning through the pages. There are also moral dilemmas within that really makes you think about what is right, and what kind of sacrifice is too much.

Review: Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White

Title: Illusions of Fate
Author: Kiersten White
Publisher: HarperTeen
Acquired Via: Around the World ARC Tours
Release Date: September 9, 2014
"I did my best to keep you from crossing paths with this world. And I shall do my best to protect you now that you have."

The people of Albion are different from anyone Jessamin has ever known: harsh, uptight, and obsessed with wealth and rank. Jessamin knew as much when she left her sun-drenched island home to attend school in their gray, dreary country. But she had no idea how different they truly were.

She never thought she would discover a house with doors that open onto a hundred corners of the city or a book that spends its days as a bird. She certainly never expected to become a pawn in a political and magical power struggle between the sinister Lord Downpike and the handsome, charming Finn Ackerly. And she never so much as imagined she'd win Finn's affections—or that one day his shadow would follow her every step.

Fortunately for Jessamin, fate has other ideas. . . .

My Review

Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White was the perfect book for me to read when I read it. I had been mired down when some really deep adult fiction and some mysteries, so there is nothing to lighten up my reading mood like a good ol' comedic fantasy. The book has fantastic characters: a spunky heroine, a pet bird, a persistent love interest, a best friend I want to steal, and a pretty villainous villain. It also reminded me very much of a certain fantasy favorite from my younger years.

Blog Tour (Giveaway): Storms of Lazarus by Karen Kincy

Storms of Lazarus Tour Schedule
Welcome to my spot on the Storms of Lazarus blog tour! I really enjoyed the first book in the series, Shadows of Asphodel, so I'm excited to share the sequel with you today. Be sure to enter the giveaway at the end of my post! And don't forget to go check out the other stops on the tour!



Title: Storms of Lazarus (Shadows of Asphodel #2)
Author: Karen Kincy
Publisher: Self
Tour Organizer: CBB Book Promotions
Release Date: July 13, 2014
Sometimes escape is impossible. Sometimes love isn’t enough.

1913. Christmas Eve. Ardis hardly expects a quiet holiday with Wendel, between fleeing Constantinople and hiding from an ancient society of assassins. And they owe a debt to a certain archmage.

In Königsberg, Prussia, they work with Konstantin on the next evolution of Project Lazarus. Wendel once called Königsberg home, the city now besieged by the Russians and their clockwork engines of war. This may be Wendel’s last chance to save his family and find redemption, but he’s tormented by nightmares and tempted by laudanum. Ardis fears her love isn’t enough to save Wendel. Her hands are full piloting the automatons, and she’s terrified to tell him a secret of her own. Will they—and their love—survive the storms of war?

Buy Links
Amazon | Barnes & Noble


Other Books in the Series

Waiting on Wednesday (54): Sisters' Fate by Jessica Spotswood

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.



Title: Sister's Fate (The Cahill Witch Chronicles #3)
Author: Jessica Spotswood
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (Penguin)
Release Date: August 14, 2014
THE SYNOPSIS CONTAINS SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN'T READ BOOKS 1 AND 2!

A fever ravages New London, but with the Brotherhood sending suspected witches straight to the gallows, the Sisters are powerless against the disease. They can’t help without revealing their powers—as Cate learns when a potent display of magic turns her into the most wanted witch in all of New England.

To make matters worse, Cate has been erased from the memory of her beloved Finn. While she’s torn between protecting him from further attacks and encouraging him to fall for her all over again, she’s certain she can never forgive Maura’s betrayal. And now that Tess’s visions have taken a deadly turn, the prophecy that one Cahill sister will murder another looms ever closer to its fulfillment.


I have been wanting to read this since I finished the second book with its cliffhanger ending. It feels as if I've been waiting for years, but apparently, the second book came out last year. I love these books with their mix of paranormal and alternate history. Hopefully the ending to the trilogy is just as great as its predecessors.

What are you waiting on this week?

Review: A Girl Called Fearless by Catherine Linka

Title: A Girl Called Fearless
Author: Catherine Linka
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (Macmillan)
Acquired Via: NetGalley
Release Date: May 6, 2014
Set in an altered—yet terrifyingly familiar—present-day USA, a riveting debut about a teen girl who must decide whether to submit to a forced marriage... or run for freedom.

Avie Reveare has the normal life of a privileged teen growing up in L.A., at least as normal as any girl’s life is these days. After a synthetic hormone in beef killed fifty million American women ten years ago, only young girls, old women, men, and boys are left to pick up the pieces. The death threat is past, but fathers still fear for their daughters’ safety, and the Paternalist Movement, begun to "protect" young women, is taking over the choices they make.

Like all her friends, Avie still mourns the loss of her mother, but she’s also dreaming about college and love and what she’ll make of her life. When her dad "contracts" her to marry a rich, older man to raise money to save his struggling company, her life suddenly narrows to two choices: Be trapped in a marriage with a controlling politician, or run. Her lifelong friend, student revolutionary Yates, urges her to run to freedom across the border to Canada. As their friendship turns to passion, the decision to leave becomes harder and harder. Running away is incredibly dangerous, and it’s possible Avie will never see Yates again. But staying could mean death.

Romantic, thought-provoking, and frighteningly real, A Girl Called Fearless is a story about fighting for the most important things in life—freedom and love.

My Review

My first thoughts when I picked up A Girl Called Fearless were that this sounded a lot like The Registry by Shannon Stoker. Also, I wondered why the men didn’t just go outside the U.S. to find women to marry? Were the borders of the U.S. closed so that the disease did not spread across the world?

Blog Tour (Interview): PERFIDITAS by Alison Morton

Please join Alison Morton as she tours virtually for PERFIDITAS (Book II, Roma Nova Series) from April 14-May 16 with Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours!

PERFIDITAS
Publication Date: October 17, 2014
SilverWood Books
Paperback; 288p, ISBN-10: 1781321248
eBook; ASIN: B00FXY4GEE

Captain Carina Mitela of the Praetorian Guard Special Forces is in trouble – one colleague has tried to kill her and another has set a trap to incriminate her in a conspiracy to topple the government of Roma Nova.

Founded sixteen hundred years ago by Roman dissidents and ruled by women, Roma Nova barely survived a devastating coup d’état thirty years ago. Carina swears to prevent a repeat and not merely for love of country.

Seeking help from a not quite legal old friend could wreck her marriage to the enigmatic Conrad. Once proscribed and operating illegally, she risks being terminated by both security services and conspirators. As she struggles to overcome the desperate odds and save her beloved Roma Nova and her own life, she faces the ultimate betrayal…

Interview

Hi, Mrs. Morton! Thank you so much for stopping by Bibliophilia, Please to answer some questions. Please tell us a little bit about PERFIDITAS in your own words but with a Twitter twist – 140 characters or less.

A girl’s own adventure with 21st century Romans, love, conspiracy and betrayal, but who can she trust? #BRAGMedallionwinner‬

What inspired you to write a Roman-based alternate history series?

Three things: firstly, a deep fascination with Rome, a life of clambering over Roman walls, cricking my neck looking up at aqueducts, walking on mosaics and handling Roman coins, glass and jewellery. Next, a little worm planted in my head at an early age wondering what a modern Roman society would be like if run by women. And lastly, the dreadful dialogue and storyline in beautifully shot film. I knew I could do better than that…

What kind of research have you done for the Roma Nova series?

Blog Tour (Review & Giveaway): Dominion by C.J. Sansom

Dominion Tour Schedule



Title: The Frost of Springtime
Author: C.J. Sansom
Publisher: Mulholland Books (Hachette)
Acquired Via: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours
Release Date: January 28, 2014
To rescue her was to rescue his own soul.

On a cold Parisian night, Vicomte Aleksender de Lefèvre forges an everlasting bond with a broken girl during her darkest hour, rescuing her from a life of abuse and misery. Tormented by his own demons, he finds his first bit of solace in sheltering little Sofia Rose.

But when Aleksender is drawn away by the Franco-Prussian war, the seasons pass. And in that long year, Sofia matures into a stunning young woman—a dancer with an understanding of devotion and redemption far surpassing her age.

Alongside his closest friend, Aleksender returns home to find that “home” is gone, replaced by revolution, bloodshed, betrayal—and a love always out of reach. Scarred inside and out, he’s thrust into a world of sensuality and violence—a world in which all his hours have now grown dark, and where only Sofia might bring an end to the winter in his heart.

Inspired by the 1871 Paris Commune, The Frost of Springtime is a poignant tale of revolution, redemption, and the healing power of love.

Book Trailer


My Review

Dominion by C.J. Sansom is one monster of book (over 600 pages), yet its promise of an alternate history following World War II drew me in regardless. (I used to love large books before I had a child and blog.) Stephen King also says to "check it out", so how could I not read it? Despite Dominion seeming to be a book that has "Kayla" written all over it, I didn't love it.

Review: The Ring and the Crown by Melissa de la Cruz

Title: The Ring and the Crown
Author: Melissa de la Cruz
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Acquired Via: Around the World ARC Tours
Release Date: April 1, 2014
Princess Marie-Victoria, heir to the Lily Throne, and Aelwyn Myrddn, bastard daughter of the Mage of England, grew up together. But who will rule, and who will serve?

Quiet and gentle, Marie has never lived up to the ambitions of her mother, Queen Eleanor the Second, Supreme Ruler of the Franco-British Empire. With the help of her Head Merlin, Emrys, Eleanor has maintained her stranglehold on the world's only source of magic. She rules the most powerful empire the world has ever seen.

But even with the aid of Emrys' magic, Eleanor's extended lifespan is nearing its end. The princess must marry and produce an heir or the Empire will be vulnerable to its greatest enemy, Prussia. The two kingdoms must unite to end the war, and the only solution is a match between Marie and Prince Leopold VII, heir to the Prussian throne. But Marie has always loved Gill, her childhood friend and soldier of the Queen's Guard.

Together, Marie and Aelwyn, a powerful magician in her own right, come up with a plan. Aelwyn will take on Marie's face, allowing the princess to escape with Gill and live the quiet life she's always wanted. And Aelwyn will get what she's always dreamed of--the chance to rule. But the court intrigue and hunger for power in Lenoran England run deeper than anyone could imagine. In the end, there is only rule that matters in Eleanor's court: trust no one.

My Review

The Ring and the Crown is a YA fantasy novel by Melissa de la Cruz that I would love to see more books like. It is a well-constructed blend of historical fiction, alternate history, fantasy, and romance. The characters are all fascinating and demand your interest, keeping you glued to the pages. By the way, did I mention that there was royalty, scandal, and swooning? No?! Well, there is, and it is glorious!

Blog Tour (Review & Giveaway): Shadows of Asphodel by Karen Kincy

Shadows of Asphodel Tour Schedule



Title: Shadows of Asphodel
Author: Karen Kincy
Publisher: Createspace
Acquired Via: CBB Book Promotions
Release Date: September 13, 2013
When Ardis discovers a man bleeding to death on the battlefield, she knows she has to walk away.

1913. In her work as a mercenary for Austria-Hungary, Ardis has killed many men without hesitation. One more man shouldn’t matter, even if he manages to be a charming bastard while he stands dying in the snow.

But when he raises the dead to fight for him, she realizes she must save his life.

If a necromancer like Wendel dies, he will return as a monster—or so the rumors say. Ardis decides to play it safe and rescues him. What she doesn’t expect is Wendel falling to one knee and swearing fealty. Ardis never asked for the undying loyalty of a necromancer, but it’s too late now.

Ardis and Wendel forge an uneasy alliance underscored with sexual tension. Together, they confront rebels, assassins, and a conspiracy involving a military secret: robotically-enhanced soldiers for a world on the brink of war. But as Ardis starts to fall for Wendel, she realizes the scars from his past run more deeply than she ever imagined. Can Ardis stop Wendel before his thirst for revenge destroys him and everyone else around him?

My Review

Shadows of Asphodel by Karen Kincy came as a bit of a surprise to me. Self-published punk novels (dieselpunk in this instance) have not had much luck with me as their reader. However, it did not take me long to realize that the world-building and imagination in Shadows of Asphodel is just as good as anything that I have ever read in a traditionally published novel. While the worldbuilding was amazing, I did have a little bit of issue with the relationship between Ardis and Wendel, but I promise you, there was good in that as well.

Review: The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

Title: The Bone Season
Author: Samantha Shannon
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Acquired Via: Personal Collection
Release Date: August 6, 2013
It is the year 2059. Several major world cities are under the control of a security force called Scion. Paige Mahoney works in the criminal underworld of Scion London, part of a secret cell known as the Seven Seals. The work she does is unusual: scouting for information by breaking into others’ minds. Paige is a Dreamwalker, a rare kind of clairvoyant, and in this world, the voyants commit treason simply by breathing.

But when Paige is captured and arrested, she encounters a power more sinister even than Scion. The Voyant prison is a separate city—Oxford, erased from the map two centuries ago and now controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. These creatures, the Rephaim, value the voyants highly—as soldiers in their army.

Paige is assigned to a Rephaite keeper, Warden, who will be in charge of her care and training. He is her master. Her natural enemy. But if she wants to regain her freedom, Paige will have to learn something of his mind and his own mysterious motives.

The Bone Season introduces a compelling heroine—a young woman learning to harness her powers in a world where everything has been taken from her. It also introduces an extraordinary young writer, with huge ambition and a teeming imagination. Samantha Shannon has created a bold new reality in this riveting debut.

My Review

I have no idea why, but one day I decided that I absolutely must read The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon. I don’t exactly recall reading the synopsis or paying much attention to the hype, but one day I couldn’t stand it anymore and preordered the audiobook. I downloaded it the morning it was available, but since I was listening to an audiobook for review, I had to wait to read it. It was brutal because all I could think about was the book that I had found myself obsessing over.

Review: Conrad Stargard #1-4 by Leo A. Frankowski

This review covers the first four books in the series, as they’re kind of fast moving and these cover the first arc.



The Cross-Time Engineer (Conrad Stargard, #1)
The High-Tech Knight (Conrad Stargard, #2)
The Radiant Warrior (Conrad Stargard, #3)
The Flying Warlord (Conrad Stargard #4)


Move over Marty McFly! Here comes Conrad Stargard, and he will make out with your mother.

It’s semi-modern day Poland, and Conrad got massively drunk, stumbled into a storeroom in an inn and passed out. He woke up in 1231 A.D., lost, penniless and without even knowing he was stranded in time. And then things got bad. He had a massive hangover.

Book Blast (Giveaway): The Ixeos Trilogy by Jennings Wright

The McClellands are enjoying a lazy summer vacation at the beach when they are lured from our world into Ixeos, an alternate Earth. Finding themselves lost in a maze of tunnels under Paris and surrounded by strangers, they discover that they have been brought to Ixeos for one purpose: to take the planet back from humanoid aliens who have claimed it. With the aid of the tunnels and a mysterious man named Landon, the teens travel the world seeking the key that will allow them to free Darian, the long-imprisoned rebel leader. But the aliens aren't the only problem on Ixeos -- the McClellands have to deal with brutal gangs, desperate junkies, and a world without power, where all the technology is owned by the aliens, and where most of the population has been killed or enslaved. The worst part? There's no way home.

Buy Links
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

With rebel leader Darian free at last, the humans and outsiders on Ixeos must find a way to join forces and defeat the Firsts. The problem? All slaves are tracked with GPS, the Firsts are the only ones with power, and roving gangs hate the rebels just as much as they hate the aliens. As Darian and the outsiders from Earth travel the globe through the mysterious tunnels in Paris, they learn that the Firsts are preparing to launch another wave of biological warfare. With a transporter that will allow the aliens to target any city, anywhere on the planet, the rebels know they must stop them at all costs. As things get more dangerous on Ixeos, the outsiders find that they're pushed to their limit. Will they fight for freedom, no matter the price?


Buy Links

Author Interview: Harvey Simon (The Madman Theory)

Harvey Simon is a freelance writer living in Washington, DC. His articles have appeared in The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe Sunday Magazine and elsewhere. Before moving to Washington he was a national security analyst at Harvard University, where he also wrote about other public policy issues. He received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University and an M.A. in philosophy from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.




Mr. Simon, thank you so much for doing an interview for the readers of Bibliophilia, Please. Would you mind telling us a little about The Madman Theory in your own words?

The Madman Theory is a political/historical thriller about the Cuban Missile Crisis, which occurred 50 years ago this October, when the U.S. discovered a secret nuclear missile base under construction in Cuba. The Madman Theory imagines what would have happened during the Missile Crisis if John F. Kennedy had not been elected president. In my what-if novel, Kennedy’s Republican opponent – Richard Nixon – wins the 1960 election, as he was expect to do and very nearly did.

Your book is based on your imagining of real people’s potential behavior in a particular time-period – what kind of research did you do bring The Madman Theory to life?