Olympian Challenger by Astrid Arditi

A hero’s tournament. A defiant contender. Does one girl have the courage to take on Mount Olympus? Hope’s world doesn’t have room for heroes. She barely has time for schoolwork, swim team, and taking care of her ailing mother. But when she’s invited to a mysterious tournament, the all-powerful hosts won’t take no for an answer. Transported to Mount Olympus, Hope comes face to face with her new trainers—the pantheon of Greek gods. While other contenders train hard to gain a fighting edge, Hope searches for a way out. Instead, she finds a gorgeous shadow god who may just convince her to stay… As each round unfolds, the ultimate prize draws closer—the granting of her heart’s deepest desire. If she survives the final challenge, her mother’s cure would be within reach… but only if Hope can ignore the tournament’s dark purpose. Olympian Challenger is the first book in a bold YA urban fantasy trilogy that fans of Rick Riordan and Cassandra Clare are sure to devour. If you like Greek mythology, forbidden romance, and feats of courage, then you’ll love Astrid Arditi’s heroic coming-of-age tale.

 

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Astrid Arditi has studied at Hogwarts, ridden a dragon, swam with mermaids and flown to the moon. Recently, she traveled to Mount Olympus… She leads a double life: one of words and whimsy; the other one chasing her two young kids around the playground and kissing away booboos. She’s a spy, a princess, a unicorn, a wife, a mother and an author. Life is never dull in her messy home in Brooklyn, or in her dreams where she escapes as often as she can. She writes from experience, of course. You may not believe it, but everything in her books has actually happened to her…even if only in her imagination.

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GIVEAWAY!!!!!!

I have a Rafflecopter giveaway going on right now on my Facebook page for this blog!  What are the prizes??  A paperback of Deceived (Soul Keeper Book 1) by L.A. Starkey and 2 ebook box sets of the whole Soul Keeper Series by L.A. Starkey!! Sorry but the paperback giveaway is only open to the U.S.  However, the ebook boxed sets are open INTERNATIONALLY!  Please be sure to read all of the terms and conditions and please share this giveaway!

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Blood Debt (Touched Series Book 1) by Nancy Straight

I thought I knew who I was a week ago.  After contacting my long lost dad that my mom never talked about, now I have no idea who I am.  I do know this though:

-I am Camille, the daughter of Angela Benning and William Strayer
-I have five half-brothers, all older than me

-All of my family are Centaurs

-There is a blood debt on my head thanks to my mom

-I am supposed to have some magical powers

-Zandra Chiron is my grandmother and there's a reason my mom hid from her: she's ruthless and crazy.

-I have feelings for my best friend's fiance'
-I am not supposed to exist

What I realize more than anything is that I cannot communicate with my mom, even though I should have the ability to, and because of that I feel alone in all of these strange and scary changes going on in my life.  

Once in a great while I like to start a review from the character's point of view should that character be talking or thinking.  Camille's mother passed away and right before she did, she finally told her daughter who her father was.  It was a few weeks later that Camille sought out her father, only to find out he has 5 sons and a wife.  They all take her in just like she is one of the family.  William Strayer has a lot of money and it shows.  But they don't act like the normal rich people.  In fact, they act like a normal loving family.  All 5 sons still live at home although the oldest is closer to 30 than 20.  Camille soon finds out that the world they were brought up in was far different than her own.  In her world she was able to date whoever and whenever and be human.  In this world, she wasn't allowed to even go out somewhere alone.  Dates were frowned upon and you had to have a chaperon on dates or while you were with your chosen fiance'.  That's another thing.  In the world of the Centaurs, the women picked their husbands.  All of the men went for great jobs and tried their best to impress because to not be chosen by the time they were 30 would mean they would have to settle for a half-breed Centaur or a human.  This diluted the power in the blood lines so it was best to stay with their own kind.  However, Camille has her own ideas on the subject and won't be swayed.  Then she happens to meet Drake, Bianca's new fiance'.  He catches her before she can fall and saves her from a man's wrath at her brother's wedding.  They both have feelings for each other that neither of them understand or want because of circumstances.  The blood debt on Camille's head has put her in a dangerous situation with the man she owes it to.  And then there is her crazy grandmother that pops up.  Camille has no idea how much danger she is really in until reality hits her in the face.

Another fantastic read!  I highly recommend this one if you are looking for something fresh and different to read!

Ever Shade (A Dark Faerie Tale, Book 1) by Alexia Purdy

   If people only knew her secret, they would think she was insane.  Crazy.  Why?  Because Shade hears voices in her head.  Sometimes they are so loud and insistent that she must obey whatever it is they are wanting or it just might really drive her crazy.  Because of these voices she ends up running into some interesting characters.  Jack is  a Teleen, a part of the Faerie community that Shade never knew anything about until now.  And then there is Vange (Evangeline), a witch.  Shade stumbles upon their fight and ends up following Jack back into the land of the fey to see Ilarial, an oracle.  Ilarial tells Shade that the voices inside her head are her ancestors, which are her spirit guides.  She also helps Shade to control them.  And Shade also receives unwanted news about her heritage.  The man she called dad was not her biological father.  Her father was a powerful faery.  The most shocking part about everything is that she is the only one to be able to retrieve Santiran Water and bring it back to this city, Guildrin, to help keep the faeries safe from the evil Unseelie queen and her army.  It is quite a lot for Shade to take in, but she has no real time to dwell on it since she must start out on her journey almost immediately.  But she won't be alone.  Jack and some other faeries will be with her to help protect her.  And protection she will need because the journey is perilous and nothing is as it seems in the land of the fey.  Enemies pop up in places where she is supposed to be safe, putting another kink in things. Shade ends up being blood bonded to a very reluctant former captain of the guard of the Teleen fey.  He took punishment for his brother's crimes towards Shade and now they are stuck with each other.  Between dealing with her reluctant Teleen protector, Dylan, a dangerous quest, and her powers just showing themselves, it is going to be a long journey indeed.


   This series is super addicting!  Once you start reading the first book, you just have to see it through until the very end of everything!  And the following books are awesome!  Welcome to Alexia Purdy's secret land of the fey!  It's a beautiful place, but also filled with hidden danger!  It's a must read for anyone that is a fan of faeries or fantasy books.  Watch Shade begin the journey to finding out where she really belongs and what power she really holds.  Not to mention the men who are vying for her attention.  And make sure you check out the next book in the series: Ever Fire!