BLOG TOUR: The Princess & The Page by Christina Farley - Ashley's Review + GIVEAWAY!

Welcome to a world where magic spills from the tip of a pen. THE PRINCESS AND THE PAGE is Christina Farley's first middle grade, releasing from Scholastic Press. Make sure you enter the $25 gift card giveaway at the end of this post!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CHRISTINA FARLEY is the author of the bestselling Gilded series. Prior to that, she worked as an international teacher and at a top secret job for Disney where she was known to scatter pixie dust before the sun rose. When not traveling the world or creating imaginary ones, she spends time with her family in Clermont, Florida with her husband and two sons where they are busy preparing for the next World Cup, baking cheesecakes, and raising a pet dragon that's in disguise as a cockatiel. You can visit her online at ChristinaFarley.com.

MY REVIEW

I love a good fairy tale as much as the next princess and I was so excited to hear that Christina was writing one about a princess and a magical pen! It sounded like exactly the type of book my younger self would have loved, and I have been anxious to read it! A princess, an evil step-sister, a dragon, a magical castle (based on a real castle!), and a whole slew of other fairy tale characters? Definitely count me in!

From the very beginning, I felt like Keira was living in her own twisted version of a fairy tale. Her mother doesn't allow any pens in the house - only pencils - and she is not allowed to read or write any fiction. It's kind of crazy, and I can't really blame her for having a secret stash of writing supplies. There's a secret, magical pen though, and I actually kind of enjoyed how the explanation was spread throughout the book. It made for a great mystery and as the story progressed, made it easier to understand Keira's mom's crazy rules. 

Most of the characters are very likeable - at least the ones who aren't villains! I really enjoyed watching Keira's friendship with Chet develop and grow. They make a great team and it was fun to see them sleuthing together. It was also nice that there was no hints of romance or anything underneath their friendship. It seems like every fairy tale princess ends up with a prince at the end, but anything more than friendship would have felt forced, I think. Bella, on the other hand, kind of annoyed me, but I can definitely understand why she and Keira are such good friends. They seem to balance each other out and have each other's backs even when they disagree. I'd love to see more of Keira, Bella, and Chet! 

I think my favorite part of The Princess & The Page was the mystery surrounding the pen and the fairy tale. From the blue light emanating from the pen, to the WW symbol on the case and everywhere in Keira's story, to the ghosts in the castle and the people who are in both the story and real life, there was never a dull moment. Even when Keira is  going about her planned activities for the day, there's always something strange afoot and a mystery to be solved. If she doesn't continue writing stories, I think she'd make a great detective. 

Overall, this was a really fun story that kept me hooked and left me wanting more. I could definitely see this book being a standalone - the story wraps up nicely at the end and doesn't leave too many loose ends. I still have plenty of questions that I hope might be answered in a sequel - or a prequel about Keira's grandmother! - but at least there isn't a cliffhanger or anything that would make for a very agonizing wait. I would definitely recommend this to a younger crowd of readers, especially anyone who loves princesses, castles, magic, and even a good villain or two. It would be a really great book for a parent or older sibling or even babysitter to read with a younger child. I can't wait to see what Christina has up her sleeves next! A strong 4/5 from me.

CONTINUE THE BOOK TOUR

Mar. 23th - Ana Loves Books

Mar. 24^th - YA Book Madness

March 25^th - Literary Rambles

March 27^th - Twinning for Books

March 28^th - Mundie Kids

Mar. 29^th - All Things Christine

Mar. 30^th - YA Book Divas

Mar. 31^st- Miranda's Book Reviews

Mar. 31^st - Word Spelunking

Apr. 3^rd- Mine of Books

Apr. 4^th – The AP Book Club

Apr. 5^th – Middle Grade Ninja

ENTER TO WIN

One (1) lucky winner will receive:

$25 gift card to their favorite book vendor. Giveaway open internationally. Enter below or HERE.

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BLOG TOUR: Brazen (Gilded #3) by Christina Farley - Ashley's Review + GIVEAWAY!

Today we’re super excited to be celebrating the release of BRAZEN by Christina Farley! BRAZEN is the third and final book in the Gilded series about a sixteen-year old girl who must use her martial art skills and wits to save her family, friends, and country from an evil Korean god.

To learn more about this series, visit the Gilded Series website. Watch GILDED's book trailer here!

Be sure to pick up the letter for this stop at the end of this post to earn extra points in the Kindle Fire or $50 Amazon gift card giveaway! Collect all the letters during the blog tour to spell out the secret message to earn more points.

About the Book

Find it: Amazon | B&N | Goodreads | Indie

Ashley's Review

You guys. This series. I've been anxiously awaiting this conclusion to the Gilded series since I finished reading Silvern, and it did not disappoint. I mean, I loved the first two books - they're full of action, romance, mystery, mythology, friendship, and incredible world-building. But this book. This book is probably my favorite in this series! 

First of all, the ending of Silvern almost killed me. I needed this book immediately, and I was so sad that I had to wait a year to read it. I mean, it was SO worth the wait, but the choice Jae had to make was horrible and definitely a no-win situation. Most of this book deals with the consequences of her choice, and follows her as she tries to make amends and right things that are even necessarily her fault. She's separated from her friends, family, and Mark, and most of them believe she's dead. It's terrible, and I don't envy her at all. 

One of my favorite things about this series is the incredible world building. I thought that this book would have less, since it is the third book, but I was so wrong. Jae travels to new places in both the real world and the spirit world, and I really enjoyed seeing them through her eyes. There's a lot more showing than telling, which is how I prefer my world building, and the descriptions are beautifully written. I felt like I was in China, and in the temple, and on the docks with Jae. I've never even been to any part of Asia, but I felt like I was seeing all of these incredible places with my own eyes. 

I also thoroughly enjoyed seeing all of the mythological creatures and gods. Some are familiar from previous books, some are brand new, and most of them I'd never even heard of before reading this series. I love learning about other religions and myths, even if it's from a fantasy book. I'll probably spend an afternoon researching Korean and Chinese deities now, just so I can reread and get even more from these books. And speaking of deities, Kud is awful. I mean, there are times when he doesn't seem so bad, but then he reverts back to his normal self and it's horrible. I felt so terrible that Jae was in such a bad position. 

Without giving too much away, this is a book you NEED in your hands ASAP. Especially if you've read Gilded and Silvern. It ties up pretty much all of the loose ends and is just a really excellent conclusion. I'm so glad this series turned into a trilogy, and I can't wait to read more from Christina! Also, can we just take a moment to admire that cover? GORGEOUS. Absolute favorite in the series. 5/5!!

About the Author

CHRISTINA FARLEY is the author of the Gilded series, a YA contemporary fantasy series set in Korea. GILDED was nominated for Korea's 2014 Morning Calm, Ohio's 2015 Buckeye award, and the Tome’s It List. As a child, she loved to explore, which later inspired her to jump on a plane and travel the world. Christina's adventures sparked her to write stories, infusing the real world with fantasy. Currently she writes from home in Clermont, FL with her husband and two sons—that is until the travel itch whisks her off to a new unknown.

Find Christina Here: Website • Twitter • YouTube • Facebook • Tumblr • Goodreads • Instagram

The Giveaway

To celebrate the release of BRAZEN, Christina is giving away a Kindle Fire (US only) and a $50 Amazon gift card (international). The letter for this stop is  N. Collect all the
letters from the blog tour to earn more points!

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BLOG TOUR: Silvern (Gilded #2) by Christina Farley - Ashley's Review + GIVEAWAY!

Hello! Today, we're happy to be a part of the blog tour for Christina Farley's second novel, Silvern! This is the sequel to Gilded, and is definitely one that you'll want to pick up as soon as you finish reading Gilded.

As part of the blog tour, we have Ashley's review for you, as well as a giveaway. So make sure to enter via the Rafflecopter form at the end of this post!

About the Book

Title: Silvern (Gilded #2)
Author: Christina Farley
Genre: YA Fantasy

Release date: September 23, 2014

Synopsis: Jae Hwa Lee has destroyed Haemosu, the dangerous demi-god that held her ancestors captive, and now she’s ready to forget about immortals and move on with her life. Then the god of darkness, Kud, sends an assassin to kill her. Jae escapes with the knowledge that Kud is seeking the lost White Tiger Orb, and joins the Guardians of Shinshi to seek out the orb before Kud can find it.


But Kud is stronger and more devious than Haemosu ever was. Jae is soon painfully reminded that by making an enemy of Kud, she has placed her closest friends in danger, and must decide how much she can bear to sacrifice to defeat one of the most powerful immortals in all of Korea.

Available at Amazon, BAM, IndieBound, and Barnes & Noble

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Praise for GILDED, the first book in the series:

“An amazing contemporary fantasy that explores the vast legends of Korea, this richly detailed novel kept me turning the pages well into the night. Jae Hwa starts off as a strong character and ends as a noble one, using both her brains and her brawn to win the day–she’s exactly the kind of girl YA literature needs.”

~from Beth Revis, NY Times Bestselling author of Across the Universe series

"Farley brings South Korea's fascinating culture and mythology into vivid detail in this shining debut, and Jae is a compelling heroine. An exotic, thrilling read, GILDED had me utterly entranced!"

~from Jessica Khoury, author of ORIGIN and VITRO

About the Author

CHRISTINA FARLEY, author of Gilded, was born and raised in upstate New York. As a child, she loved to explore, which later inspired her to jump on a plane and travel the world. She taught at international schools in Asia for ten years, eight of which were in the mysterious and beautiful city of Seoul, Korea that became the setting of Gilded. Currently she lives in Clermont, FL with her husband and two sons—that is until the travel itch whisks her off to a new unknown. Gilded is her first novel. For more details, check out her website at www.christinafarley.com. Christina holds a master’s degree in education and has taught for eighteen years. She is represented by Jeff Ourvan of Jennifer Lyons Literary.

Social Media Links:

Website | Twitter | YouTube | Facebook | Tumblr | Pinterest | Goodreads

Ashley's Review

You can also find my review for Gilded here!

Ok, so I really enjoyed Gilded. I love the fantasy elements, I loved the mythological elements, and pretty much just everything about the book. I was SO excited to find out about Silvern, which delves deeper into the Spirit World and Jae Hwa's life and puts her up against the Korean god of darkness. Because Kud was terrifying in Gilded and he was only there briefly. And Silvern really lived up to all of my expectations and I think I loved it every bit as much as Gilded!

Knowing a little bit of Korean mythology (all of which I learned from Gilded), made this book a little easier to read and a little more enjoyable. There are still creatures and gods/goddesses that I wasn't familiar with, but knowing the main ones (like Kud, Palk, Hachi, and some of the other creatures) meant that I spent less time trying to figure out who was who and who did what and more time reading the story. The new creatures that are introduced are absolutely awful, and I'm so glad that they don't actually exist (at least I hope...). Like I do NOT ever want to come across a blood weasel. That just sounds like the worst thing ever. They still give me nightmares.

Most of the characters from the first book are back, in at least some capacity. Jae is still with Marc, Michelle is still her best friend who knows nothing about what happened, her dad and her grandfather are still there and her dad wants her to be done with the Spirit World while her grandfather just hopes that she's done, and Komo is still in a coma and in the hospital. But there are new characters, which I really enjoyed getting to know. I was so undecided about Kang-dae for most of the book, and I just wanted someone to tell me what his deal was. When I finally found out, it was one of those I KNEW IT moment that I really hoped wouldn't happen.

Silvern is a little slower paced than Gilded, I think, but it didn't take away from the story and I actually enjoyed reading about how Jae and Marc and the Council were trying to figure things out instead of rushing headfirst into a battle with Kud. Jae is less annoying too, although she still doesn't listen when someone tells her "DON'T TOUCH THAT." Like I'm pretty sure she's got some complex about touching things. 

And then there was the ending. I hate when I'm reading on my Kindle and I see there's like 5% of the book left and there's still no resolution and then ALL OF A SUDDEN the book is over. I understand why Jae made the decisions she did and I understand why things happened the way they did, but I'm going to be so mad if this is the end of Jae's story. I am desperately awaiting a sequel, because I want things to work out better for Jae and her family and friends. I mean, things can't just end like that!

If you read and enjoyed Gilded, you'll definitely want to pick up Silvern. If you're looking for a YA fantasy with contemporary and mythological elements, you don't want to miss this series. And even though the end made me all rage-y, Christina's writing is still gorgeous and had me hooked and now I can't wait to see what's next. A 4/5! And a huge hope that the sequel comes out sooner rather than later!!!

The Giveaway!

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BOOK BLAST: Silvern (Gilded #2) by Christina Farley + GIVEAWAY!

Hello! We're really excited to be featuring Christina Farley's newest book, Silvern, today! Silvern is the sequel to Gilded, and is out now from Skyscape. 

There's also a giveaway for a $50 Amazon giftcard, so be sure to enter via the Rafflecopter form at the end of this post.

About the Book

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Goodreads

Title: Silvern (Gilded #2)

Author: Christina Farley

Publication Date: September 23, 2014

Synopsis: Jae Hwa Lee has destroyed Haemosu, the dangerous demi-god that held her ancestors captive, and now she’s ready to forget about immortals and move on with her life. Then the god of darkness, Kud, sends an assassin to kill her. Jae escapes with the knowledge that Kud is seeking the lost White Tiger Orb, and joins the Guardians of Shinshi to seek out the orb before Kud can find it.

But Kud is stronger and more devious than Haemosu ever was. Jae is soon painfully reminded that by making an enemy of Kud, she has placed her closest friends in danger, and must decide how much she can bear to sacrifice to defeat one of the most powerful immortals in all of Korea.

About the Author

After teaching and traveling internationally for ten years, Christina started writing about her adventures, tossing in a little fiction for fun. This inspired her to write the GILDED series, a YA series based on Korean mythology about a Korean-American girl who takes her destiny into her own hands.

Besides writing, Christina loves traveling, running, driving too fast, and eating dark chocolate.

Christina writes fantasy for teens. She is represented by Jeff Ourvan of the Jennifer Lyons Literary, LLC.
Learn more about Christina by visiting her at www.christinafarley.com or by chatting with her on Twitter @christinafarley.


WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

The Giveaway! 

--Giveaway is open to International. | Must be 13+ to Enter

Winner will receive a $50.00 Amazon Gift Card.

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Silvern (Gilded #2) by Christina Farley - Ashley's Pre-Reading

*I received this book as an eARC from Amazon Children's Publishing/SkyScape  on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: Silvern (Gilded #2)
Author: Christina Farley
Publication Date: September 23, 2014

My Gilded Review
My Gilded Pre-Reading

Synopsis: Jae Hwa Lee has destroyed Haemosu, the dangerous demi-god that held her ancestors captive, and now she’s ready to forget about immortals and move on with her life. Then the god of darkness, Kud, sends an assassin to kill her. Jae escapes with the knowledge that Kud is seeking the lost White Tiger Orb, and joins the Guardians of Shinshi to seek out the orb before Kud can find it.

But Kud is stronger and more devious than Haemosu ever was. Jae is soon painfully reminded that by making an enemy of Kud, she has placed her closest friends in danger, and must decide how much she can bear to sacrifice to defeat one of the most powerful immortals in all of Korea.

Why?: I read and really enjoyed Gilded, so I'm excited to what's going to happen next to Jae and her friends. And also, Kud was kind of terrifying in Gilded even though he's barely in it, so I'm looking forward to this book keeping me even more on the edge of my seat than Gilded did!

Expectations: Since I enjoyed Gilded so much, I have pretty high expectations for Silvern. Definitely a lot more of the Korean mythology. I also expect the stakes to be higher and the situations more dangerous, especially because Kud is way worse than Haemosu ever was. And I also hope that Jae learns her lesson quickly in this book and doesn't make as many ridiculous mistake as she did with Haemosu.

Judging a book by its cover: I absolutely love everything about this cover. I love how the tiger looks ethereal and shiny and like it's coming out of another world. I love the colors and how the title looks. I like that the title and the borders are silver to match Silvern. I cannot wait to have a copy of this book on my shelves, and I would totally pick it up based on the cover alone!


--Ashley

Gilded (Gilded #1) by Christina Farley - Ashley's Review

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Title: Gilded (Gilded #1)
Author: Christina L. Farley
Publication Date: March 1, 2014

My Pre-Reading

Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Jae Hwa Lee is a Korean-American girl with a black belt, a deadly proclivity with steel-tipped arrows, and a chip on her shoulder the size of Korea itself. When her widowed dad uproots her to Seoul from her home in L.A., Jae thinks her biggest challenges will be fitting in to a new school and dealing with her dismissive Korean grandfather. Then she discovers that a Korean demi-god, Haemosu, has been stealing the soul of the oldest daughter of each generation in her family for centuries. And she's next.

But that’s not Jae’s only problem.

There's also Marc. Irresistible and charming, Marc threatens to break the barriers around Jae's heart. As the two grow closer, Jae must decide if she can trust him. But Marc has a secret of his own—one that could help Jae overturn the curse on her family for good. It turns out that Jae's been wrong about a lot of things: her grandfather is her greatest ally, even the tough girl can fall in love, and Korea might just be the home she's always been looking for.

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Review: I love a good fantasy novel. Especially contemporary fantasy. Through some magic and supernatural beings and a decent back story in, and you'll have me hooked. Gilded has all of that and more, and is probably one of my favorite contemporary fantasy books that I've read. At least in the past several years.

Going in to this book, I was not even close to being familiar with Korean mythology. I have no idea who the gods are or what they do or what other supernatural beings there are, so I was hoping I might learn a little bit and dove in head first. Luckily, Christina included enough information about the important deities that I wasn't completely lost every time Haemosu was mentioned or Jae was whisked away into the realm of the gods. I still wouldn't say I was familiar with Korean mythology, but I do know more than I did before and I also felt compelled to look up more. 

Jae was one of those characters that I couldn't decide if I loved or wanted to smack though. Most of the time, she's alright. She's dealing with the loss of a parent, being uprooted to a completely new country (even though she's half Korean, she was raised in the States and is definitely more American than Korean as far as culture goes), and a grandfather who keeps pushing her away and telling her to leave Korea. I'd be pretty upset about all of that if I was her too, so I can't really blame her. 

But then there are other times when she does completely stupid things. Her aunt specifically tells her not to let Haemosu touch her... and then she goes and lets him do it anyway. She is perfectly capable of saving herself, but it seems like every time she gets into a pickle, she needs someone else to rescue her. It's frustrating and I would be so annoyed if I was her grandfather or her aunt or her friend. 

There is a little bit of romance, and I think it's written very well. Jae and Marc have a sort of chemistry from the very beginning, and I enjoyed watching them become closer and watching Jae decide that it's ok to trust someone else enough to maybe have a real relationship with them. Their romance is important to the story, but it's never the MOST important thing. It comes up, but the other problems always push it to the back when necessary. It isn't overwhelming or creepy or weird, and I really enjoyed how it fit into the story. 

Overall, Gilded is a really excellent contemporary fantasy. I'm really excited to read Silvern and find out what happens next. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys contemporary YA fantasy books focused around mythology. 4/5 for this one!


--Ashley

Gilded (Gilded #1) by Christina L. Farley - Ashley's Pre-Reading

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: Gilded (Gilded #1)
Author: Christina L. Farley
Publication Date: March 1, 2014

Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Jae Hwa Lee is a Korean-American girl with a black belt, a deadly proclivity with steel-tipped arrows, and a chip on her shoulder the size of Korea itself. When her widowed dad uproots her to Seoul from her home in L.A., Jae thinks her biggest challenges will be fitting in to a new school and dealing with her dismissive Korean grandfather. Then she discovers that a Korean demi-god, Haemosu, has been stealing the soul of the oldest daughter of each generation in her family for centuries. And she's next.

But that’s not Jae’s only problem.

There's also Marc. Irresistible and charming, Marc threatens to break the barriers around Jae's heart. As the two grow closer, Jae must decide if she can trust him. But Marc has a secret of his own—one that could help Jae overturn the curse on her family for good. It turns out that Jae's been wrong about a lot of things: her grandfather is her greatest ally, even the tough girl can fall in love, and Korea might just be the home she's always been looking for.

Why?: I'm always up for a good fantasy, and I'm really excited that this one seems to deal heavily with Korean mythology. I'm not familiar with Korean mythology...at all... so I think it will be really interesting. Throw in a heroine who sounds like she's pretty kick-ass and a little romance and I'm hooked already!

Expectations: I'm expecting a pretty epic fantasy with a girl who can take control of the situation and fight her way out if she has to. I'm also really looking forward to learning a little bit about some popular Korean myths/tales/creatures. I've heard some pretty great things about this book, so my expectations are probably higher than they would normally be considering this is Christina's debut novel! 

Judging a book by its cover: I adore this cover. I love the way it is literally gilded around the edges, and how the title is also gilded. The blue of the ocean and the bird creature really makes the gold pop, and I really like how dark and mysterious and ghostly everything looks. I would definitely pick this book up off the shelf - it's part of what initially drew me to the book! 


--Ashley