We're really excited today to be a part of the blog tour for Ennara and the Book of Shadows by Angela Myron! We have an excerpt for you, as well as Ashley's review. Also be sure to check out the reviews at the other fantastic blogs - you can find the tour schedule by clicking on the banner above.
Angela will be awarding a the winners choice of one of the following prizes (international giveaway -- All photos used from Etsy shops that she plans to purchase the gifts from. Actual gift will be sourced from winner's country and will likely look different for international winners):
1. Dragon earcuff. A tiny dragon that wraps around your ear just like Ennara's wraps around her wrist! Ennara would not approve.
2. Potions master decal kit: Trick out your Kitchenaid with this decal kit! Ennara approved.
3. Emergency Potion Necklace: Potion/necklace dependent on winner's location. Ennara approved.
Title: Ennara and the Book of Shadows (Ennara #2)Author: Angela Myron
Publication Date: October 31, 2014
Synopsis: When strange accidents start happening around thirteen year-old necromancer Ennara and her friends, she must search for the mysterious stolen artifacts causing the attacks while learning the highest form of magic--the spells that could prevent the fruition of a terrible prophecy.
Now enjoy an excerpt!
Ennara looked at the pansy. Still dead. Then at her teacher, who was staring at her, waiting. The class remained silent. Didn’t he see the plant wasn’t alive at all? His expression remained questioning. Did she want to admit she couldn’t do this, and be separated from the rest to re-learn how to do a blessing?
She took a deep breath. A sideways glance at Kithe showed him smiling at the end of the desk. He shot her a secret thumbs-up under the table. Failure was not an option. Healing spells were a major part of light magic and she had to master the path of light. Fulfilling the good part of the prophecy demanded it.
“No, I can do this.”
The greenish glow filtering through the classroom’s life tree, an ancient, knotted maple, darkened as a cloud passed over the room’s large sun-dome. Outside, the wind picked up. The life tree’s broad leaves shivered. A breeze whistled through the castle corridor on the other side of the heavy wood door.
Ennara focused on the delicate head of purple petals and yellow stamen. She lifted a delicate indigo-stained pine wand lying next to her scribbled notes on healing incantations.
“Mag koil.” Make unharmed.
Nothing happened.
Darsys and her friends at the front of the room giggled. Inunsolus folded his arms, his white beard pulling the creases in his face into several versions of a scowl.
Ennara bit her lip. How was she supposed to rely on holy magic if it didn’t work?
“Mag koil.” She glared at the plant, imagining its stiff little cells burning with potent life force. A brief indigo shimmer fell onto a limp purple petal.
Her teacher inhaled sharply and took a step away from the bench. The pansy, lifeless only moments earlier, slowly curled and relaxed a leaf. Ennara had seen that shimmer once before. Last summer, when she and Kithe traveled aboard the Cissonius to the sunken city of Ililsa. And just before a cabinet of curios, including a severed hand, came to life.
The bloom slowly straightened, its violet color deepening to black. A faint hissing sound tickled Ennara’s ear. She bent toward the little plant, squinting. Suddenly the pansy lunged, revealing a row of crystalline teeth under its bed of stamens.
“Eeep!” Ennara bashed the little flower with the thick end of her wand. Green slime sizzled the end of the stick.
Ashley's Review
I was really excited about diving back into Ennara's world after reading Ennara and the Fallen Druid not too long ago. I had so many questions, even though the book wrapped up pretty nicely, and Ennara and the Book of Shadows did not disappoint with answers, adventure, and even a cute little romance.
Most of this book is spent with Ennara and her friends trying to figure out why everyone at their school has lost their minds and gone evil. There's a little bit of a fight scene involving a dragon turtle, although I wish we knew more about dragon turtles and some of the other creatures. Because seriously, how cool does a dragon turtle sound! I was also glad that Gevin showed back up, as I was a little concerned that he was missing at the very beginning. Especially because Smoos is back too! I want a marine cat.
Ennara is struggling with her powers, and trying to stick with the light side of magic so that she doesn't bring about darkness for the world. I can totally understand her struggle - darkness comes easy to her, and the light magic is really hard - so I'm glad she has a professor who can kind of push her in the right direction. I did think that choosing a path was a little bit too easy, especially after all of the warnings about how hard it would be, so I kind of wish there was more conflict there.
The Book of Shadows isn't really well explained, and I'm still a little confused about some of it, but that could also be because I missed something while I was reading. I get the gist of it and know it's bad and it needs to be destroyed, but I felt like it was just too easy for Ennara to get rid of it. I mean, I know there's all these fight scenes leading up to and the the dude guarding it is one scary guy, but still.
Don't get me wrong - I am thoroughly enjoying these books! Ennara is a really interesting main character and I'm enjoying watching her grow into her caul powers (although I still have questions about that!), and I love her friendship with Kithe and her budding romance with Gevin and even her new friendship with Cinne. I love that her family is close. I love that everyone trusts her with these grand adventures and rare creatures and that the creatures, who should be scary, help take care of her and her friends. This is a really fun series with lots of great fantasy elements, and I would definitely recommend it to the younger fantasy crowd. Any kid who loves magic and adventure and fantastical creatures will fall in love with Ennara! I'd give this book a 3/5 for me, but will be looking forward to the third book and recommending this to all the MG fantasy readers I can find!
About the Author
Angela studied biology and professional writing at university, starting her degree at the University of Victoria in Canada and finishing it at San Francisco State University. She wrote grant proposals for nonprofits, technical manuals for software, and freelance journalism before writing fiction.
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