BLOG TOUR: Traitor (Dragonrider Chronicles #3) by Nicole Conway - Guest Post + GIVEAWAY!

Good morning! We're really excited today to be hosting Nicole Conway as part of the blog tour for the final book in her Dragonrider Chronicles series, Traitor! Nicole took time to give us her favorite dragons, and we also have a giveaway for you so be sure to enter via the Rafflecopter form at the end of this post!

There are a bunch of other great posts - reviews, guest posts, and interviews - on the rest of this tour, and you can find the complete tour schedule by clicking the banner above.

Before we get to the playlist and the giveaway, here's a little bit more about the books and Nicole!

About the Book

Title: Traitor (Dragonrider Chronicles #3) 

Author: Nicole Conway

Release Date: May 10, 2016

Publisher: Month9Books

Synopsis: Can anyone survive being lost in Luntharda?

No amount of training has prepared Jaevid Broadfeather for the frontlines of battle. Now facing the true horrors of war, with Luntharda looming on the horizon, Jaevid has begun to question everything he thought about his heritage. The only thing keeping him going is his oath to protect his dragonrider brothers. But in an instant, even that slips through Jaevid’s fingers as he steps from the safety of his dragon’s saddle into the depths of his mother’s wild homeland—the kingdom of the gray elves.

Stranded in Luntharda with his partner, Lieutenant Jace Rordin, Jaevid must finally confront the demons of his own past as he uncovers the truth about a war that began before he was ever born. Armed with a new appreciation for destiny, and flanked by his trusted friends, Jaevid moves to make the final strike against an enemy that has hidden in plain sight for far too long.

One kingdom’s traitor will become the world’s last hope.

Purchase Links: Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Indies | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks

About the Author

Nicole is the author of the children’s fantasy series, THE DRAGONRIDER CHRONICLES, about a young boy’s journey into manhood as he trains to become a dragonrider. She has completed the first two books in the series, and is now working on the third and final book.

Originally from a small town in North Alabama, Nicole moves frequently due to her husband’s career as a pilot for the United States Air Force. She received a B.A. in English with a concentration in Classics from Auburn University, and will soon attend graduate school.

 She has previously worked as a freelance and graphic artist for promotional companies, but has now embraced writing as a full-time occupation.

Nicole enjoys hiking, camping, shopping, cooking, and spending time with her family and friends. She also loves watching children’s movies and collecting books. She lives at home with her husband, two cats, and dog.

Find Nicole Online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

Nicole's Top Dragons

Mavrik – The Dragonrider Chronicles

Okay, so of course he’s my favourite. I created him! Besides that, I modeled his personality after my cat, Mr. Darcy. He’s loyal, affectionate, a little sassy, and definitely has an opinion of his own about things. But when the chips are down and you just need someone to be there for you, he’s there and ready to snuggle – or fight!

Festus – The Lost Hero 

Leo Valdez’s mechanical dragon from the Percy Jackson series will always have a soft spot in my heart. I thoroughly enjoyed their quirky relationship, right to the end. Festus was truly unique.

Tiamat – Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher

This was, by far, my favourite book as a child. Other girls wanted to be princesses. I wanted a pet dragon like Tiamat. She was Jeremy’s best friend and partner in crime – not to mention the coolest way to get to school!

The Giveaway!

Five (5) winners will receive a digital copy of Traitor by Nicole Conway (INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

SPOTLIGHT TOUR: Smoked (Scorched #3) by Mari Mancusi - Excerpt + GIVEAWAY!

Hello! We're super excited to be a part of the spotlight tour for the newest book in Mari Mancusi's Scorched series, Smoked! It will be out on September 1st, 2015 from Sourcebooks Fire, and we can't wait. We have an excerpt and a giveaway for you, so be sure to enter to win the entire trilogy via the Rafflecopter form at the end of this post!

About the Book

Title: Smoked
Author: Mari Mancusi
Series: Scorched, #3
Publication date: September 1st, 2015
ISBN: 9781402284649

Synopsis: Once upon a time the world burned.
Until a girl and her dragon smothered the flame.
But the spark that ignited the apocalypse never went out.
And the scorch is about to begin…

When Team Dragon rescues Emmy from the government lab, they think the future is finally safe. But they soon discover that Emmy has a secret—a secret so dangerous it could trigger the very apocalypse Connor and Caleb were sent back in time to prevent.

As a dragon hunter, Connor has committed his life to saving the world. There’s nothing he wouldn’t do to complete his mission…even if it meant betraying his brother and losing Trinity’s heart. Even if it meant doing the unthinkable.

But a desperate choice meant to prevent The Scorch, may be the spark that sets the world aflame once more.

The epic conclusion to the genre-bending Scorched series, which Melissa de la Cruz, New York Times bestselling author of the Blue Bloods series, called  "A heart-pounding, twisty, time-travel fantasy.”

Buy Links: 

Amazon • Apple • BAM • B&N • Chapters • Indiebound

About the Author

Mari Mancusi is a two-time Emmy award-winning television producer and author of novels for adults and teens. A graduate of Boston University, she now lives in Austin, Texas with her husband and young daughter. When not writing or producing she enjoys traveling, snowboarding, reading fantasy novels, and her favorite guilty pleasure: video games.

Read an Excerpt

“Okay, Fire Kissed,” he said. “It’s showtime.”

Together they jumped out of the truck, slamming the doors behind them. Connor ran around the back, rolling up the door and pulling out a huge box. Trinity helped him heave it onto the loading dock.

“Are you okay in there?” she whispered to the box. “Perfect,” Nate assured her from inside. “You guys go on ahead. I should be close enough now to hack into their security cameras and get them offline.” He paused then added, “Good luck. Just don’t forget about me once you have your dragon.”

“Never,” Trinity assured him, patting the box. Then she rose to her feet and approached Connor. “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

With confident, casual steps, they strode up to the guard, who was propped in a chair by the elevator, his feet up, nose in a book, completely ignoring the chaos around him. Guess deliveries weren’t in his job description. Connor gave him a small smile. “We need the elevator,” he informed him.

“Yeah, well, I need my ex-wife to get off my back,” the guard said lazily, snapping his gum. “We’ve all got problems.” Connor’s eyes zeroed in on him. “I don’t think you under- stand,” he said. “We need the elevator. We need to get upstairs. You need to let us in.”

Trinity drew in a breath, watching him work. She had to admit, Connor looked particularly hot when he was working to manipulate people’s minds. It was like he got this look in his eyes—those blue, glowing eyes of his—like he was some kind of Jedi Master or something. Truth be told, it kind of made her want to jump his bones. Not that this was the time or the place.

Pushing the inappropriate thought down, she turned back to his victim. Sure enough, the man’s face had gone slack, and he was staring up at Connor with vacant eyes. “You need the elevator,” he droned. “You need to get upstairs. You need me to let you in.”

Then, to Trinity’s excitement, he slowly rose to his feet, walked over to the elevator in question, and inserted his key. Just like that. A moment later, the doors yawned open. The guard looked at them expectantly.

Trin flashed Connor an approving look. You didn’t even need my help for that one, she teased.

Yeah, well, it’s all you from here on out, he shot back, but he looked pleased by the compliment all the same.

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Seraphina (Seraphina #1) by Rachel Hartman - Ashley's Review

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: Seraphina (Seraphina #1)

Author: Rachel Hartman

Year Published: 2012

My Pre-Reading

Synopsis: In her New York Times bestselling and Morris Award-winning debut, Rachel Hartman introduces mathematical dragons in an alternative-medieval world to fantasy and science-fiction readers of all ages. Eragon-author Christopher Paolini calls them, "Some of the most interesting dragons I've read in fantasy."

Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

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Review: It has been way too long since I've read a high fantasy book. I love all of the other genres, but I think fantasy is my favorite. Especially when dragons are involved! And Seraphina did not disappoint in any way! I loved every part of this book, and I am a little upset with myself for not reading it sooner.

Although this book spent quite a bit of time setting up the story, I didn't struggle to get through it because the world building was just so wonderful. Everything is important to understanding why certain events happen, and by the time the plot started to move quickly I was glad that I was relatively familiar with this world. Hartman's dragons are so unique, and I think that knowing how they react to things and how they typically act is really necessary.

One of the things that I found most interesting was the inclusion of music. Since dragons are very mathematical and logic-oriented, they make incredibly skilled musicians - when it comes to hitting all the right notes and being technically correct. However, since they refuse to allow themselves to feel human emotions in their human forms, their music lacks the emotional aspect that allows people to relate to it. Seraphina's music has the best of both worlds, which makes her an incredibly talented musician. I really enjoyed reading about how Seraphina plays and how she teaches Princess Glisselda, and I can't wait to see how her musical abilities will play in to the rest of the series.

There's a little bit of romance in this book, but it's not front and center and I think that it was very well done. Seraphina's love interest is engaged to another girl, and there's nothing they can do about it...yet. Apart from romantic relationships, this book puts a pretty big emphasis on familial relationships. Seraphina is often disappointed by the lack of emotions that her family displays, especially her uncle (on her mother's side). Watching her relationships with her uncle and her father change over the course of the book was really neat, and I loved how they were just as well developed as Seraphina and Kiggs. Hartman builds her characters as elegantly as she does her world, and I'm really looking forward to seeing them grow and change even more as the series progresses.

If you're a fan of books like Graceling, Incarnate, and other high fantasy YA books, I would definitely recommend Seraphina to you. It's a beautiful book full of incredible imagery, characters, and world building and contains some of the best dragons I've ever read about. It starts out a little slow, but just give it a chance. I don't think you'll be disappointed! A 5/5!


--Ashley