Blog Tour: The Key of Alanar

Title: The Key of Alanar

Author: Rory B Mackay

Genre: YA Fantasy

Book Blurb:

Lasandria: an ancient, advanced civilization, consigned to oblivion by the greed and power-lust of its own people. The coming apocalypse heralds the arrival of a new evil that will ravage the world of Alanar for an entire age. Yet on the eve of Lasandria’s destruction, the ethereal overseers of the mortal realm grant a dispensation—a promise of hope for the future.

That hope lies with an orphaned teenager named David, born some ten millennia later; a boy whose isolated and uncertain existence leads him on a journey upon which hinges the fate of not just his world, but countless others.

On the run from a brutal military force, David’s quest is one born of shattered dreams and tainted by the thirst for revenge. As an inter-dimensional war that has been waged since the beginning of time threatens to consume his world, the dark force that destroyed Lasandria lurks in the shadows, ready to take possession of the one thing that will either save Alanar or destroy it: David.

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Guest Post from the Author: Top 10 Favorite Book to Movie Conversions

With so many films to chose from, I’ve decide to stick to my genre with this list, and select some of my favourite fantasy/sci-fi movie adaptations! 

Blade Runner One of my favourite films of all time, and such an incredibly immersive experience. Based upon Philip K Dick’s novel ’Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?’, this movie is beautifully realised on just about every level. Every time I watch it, I feel myself being completely pulled into the world Ridley Scott created. I also love the soundtrack by Vangelis.

Lord of the Rings Peter Jackson’s stunning adaptation of the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy wildly surpassed my expectations. It’s a remarkable cinematic achievement and so vividly brought Tolkien’s work to life for the big screen. I’m a little less impressed by the unevenness and padding of his subsequent ‘Hobbit’ movies, but they are still enjoyable.

2001: A Space Odyssey Simply stunning cinema, and based upon a short story by Arthur C Clarke, which was then developed into a book of the same title, written concurrently with the movie. Watching this film is a meditative experience and the ending still fascinates me.

The Wizard of Oz One of my earliest movie memories! I will always love this film, and its magic seems utterly timeless. It's different in tone to the books, but no less remarkable. When I was a little child watching this at Christmas, I was really spellbound by it. I think it may have given me the inspiration to create my own magical fantasy worlds.

Harry Potter These films did a good job bringing JK Rowling’s books to vivid life. I enjoyed some more than others, but the magic is definitely there.

Charlie and Chocolate Factory I’ve always liked Tim Burton, who seemed the perfect match for Roald Dahl’s deliriously dark and fairytale-like stories. I also have a soft spot for the 1971 adaptation starring Gene Wilder. It genuinely scared and yet captivated me as a kid!

A Christmas Carol There have been so many adaptations of this timeless story. This might sound crazy, but one of my very favourites is the Muppet version.

The Jungle Book A wonderful Disney adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s classic book. I loved this when I was a child, and the songs are a real highlight.

James and the Giant Peach I loved Roald Dahl’s quirky and subtly macabre books. This was always one of my favourites, and I loved the animated movie version.

The Princess Bride A funny, charming, deliciously deranged film version of the 1970’s novel of the same name, with so many memorable lines. Inconceivable!

About the Author

A natural born writer, thinker and dreamer, Rory Mackay was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1979. As an ardent student of Vedanta, Zen and Taoism, one of Rory’s true passions is exploring the potential of fiction and art to elevate mood and expand consciousness.

Rory is the author of the visionary fantasy/sci-fi novels “Eladria” (2013) and “The Key of Alanar” (2015), as well as a translation and commentary of the Tao Te Ching (2014) and several short stories. He is in the process of writing a self help book and writes a regular blog at http://beyondthedream.co.uk. His website is http://www.dreamlight-fugitive.co.uk.

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Book Tour + Guest Post + Giveaway: Soul Warrior

About the Book

Twisted myths. Discretion advised. 

Fight fate, or succumb to destiny?

In the dark Age of Kali, the Soul Warrior alone stands guard over the Human Realm, protecting its denizens from evil-willed asuras or demons. When a trick of fate appoints him guru to a motley crew of godlings, he agrees to train them as demon hunters against his better judgment. Suddenly, Lord Karna is not only battling the usual asuras with sinister agendas, but also rebellious students and a fault-ridden past.

Spanning the cosmic realms of mythic India, here is a tale of a band of supernatural warriors who come together over a singular purpose: the salvation of Karna’s secret child.

Book Links

Kobo * iBooks * Amazon US * Amazon UK * Amazon Canada

Recommended Reads by Falguni Kothari

Isaac Asimov, when asked to explain the difference between science fiction and fantasy, replied that science fiction, given its grounding in science, is possible; fantasy, which has no grounding in reality, is not.

While most fiction is a fantasy of sorts, let’s stick to my favorite SFF reads. As you will see, I tend to read series. There’s something about a series—its limitless length, the intricate casting of details, the slow pace, the worldbuilding—that impresses me, that begs me to wallow between its pages and make the characters a part of my daily routine. That’s not to say that I don’t love and appreciate a well-written stand alone novel, but let’s start with one of my favorite paranormal romances.

1)    Bec McMaster’s London Steampunk series:

If you love regency romance, sci-fi, some paranormal and lots of action, then you must check out this series. Of Silk and Steam was the first steampunk romance I’d ever read. It wasn’t the first book in the series, and though there were spoilers in it for the three or four previous books, I loved the book enough to go back and read the whole series.

2)    JD Robb’s In Death series:

You’d think reading all forty plus books that already make up this series of futuristic crime novels—some of them multiple times—I’d grow tired of the characters, the formulaic setups of the books, the sheer number of times Eve Dallas, the heroine and homicide cop extraordinaire, looses her freaking gloves. But no. I haven’t. Eve and Roarke are a book couple to stalk for all time.

3)    George R R Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series:

Raw, gruesome and shocking. I love the multiple POVs that a reader gets to see through. It’s fantastic that Martin is unafraid to kill off beloved characters to advance plot. Or maybe he simply wants his readers to lose all sense of peace and run screaming into the night. That aside, the sheer scope of the novels reminds me of the Indian epic, the Mahabharata, which happens to be the jumping off point for my newly released the Age of Kali series.

4)    Robin Hobb’s The Farseer Trilogy:

I fell in love with the protagonist, FitzChivalry Farseer, from the first page of the first book in this series when, at the tender age of five, he’s abandoned by the only family he’s known at the gates of his unknown father’s keep. Hobb’s turn of phrase and her effortless worldbuilding only enhance the truly sympathetic characters she’s brought to life in these fantasy books.

5)    Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series:

Five words: James Alexander Malcolm McKenzie Fraser. An epic hero is a must for an epic series. He is why I read this series. He is why I’d leave my husband. Luckily, He isn’t real. And since He was created by Ms. Gabaldon, she will forever hold a special place in my reader heart. All her books hold prime spots on my bookshelf. And that’s the story.

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER ZERO

DWANDA-YUDDHA: THE DUEL

The Himalayan Mountains.

Five thousand years ago.

Absolute darkness shrouded the Human Realm, and had for three days and three nights. Some believed the occurrence was prophetic, like the prolonged amavasya or new moon night that had heralded the Great Kuru War two thousand years ago. The war had given birth to the dark Age of Kali, the age of asura. In contrast, hope was ripe that this event would trigger the Age of Light. But the Bard wasn’t here to succumb to superstition. 

The first day without the sun’s light had spread confusion and chaos across the realm. The second day had brought desperation in the breasts of humans and fear in the belly of Celestials. The third day—today—was a feast for the asuras. Death lay everywhere. 

The human world burned without its sun. How soon before the Heavens went up in flames?

The Bard’s troubled eyes reread the last line. Then he deliberately scratched it off, lifting his long, pointed talon from the parchment made of dry palm leaf. With a sigh, he rested his aching hand on his trembling thigh. He would spare a moment to ease his body, and his mind from the strain of observation and due recordkeeping. If he didn’t, he’d forget his duty as Witness of the Cosmos, and begin to question fate. 

Despite the fire that crackled close to his right knee, and the feathered form of his upper body, he was cold. An icy wind had settled around the Pinnacle of Pinnacles, where he sat cross-legged on a seat made of rock and snow. He’d chosen this perch because it gave him an impartial view of the events happening in the world. He was the Bard, entrusted with keeping the Canons of the Age of Kali, just as the Soul Warrior was entrusted with keeping the Human Realm safe from asuras. Would they both fail in their duty today?

The Bard shook off the heavy despair the darkness had brought into the world. He mustn’t judge. He shouldn’t question. He would sharpen the talon on his forefinger, dip it into the vessel of ink kept warm by the fire, and write this tale. That was all he could do. Be the witness to history.

So he raised his feathered hand and began to write again while his eyes, sparked with power, knowledge and magic, saw clearly events unfolding from great distances. A thousand kilometers to his right, Indra, the God of War and Thunder, fought the Dragon. Indra did not fare well. But that didn’t concern the Bard as much as the clash between the Soul Warrior and the Stone Demon. Over and over, his eagle eyes were drawn to the duel taking place in the heart of the world, not only because it was a magnificent battle to behold, for it was, but because its outcome would decide mankind’s destiny.

The Soul Warrior was more than a great warrior. Karna was a great soul. Fair, honorable, brave and resilient, he was the perfect protector of the Human Realm. Of course, there were other reasons he’d been chosen to fill the office of Soul Warrior—there always were when Gods and demons were involved. But Karna’s existence was a testament to righteous action and if anyone could bring back the day, it would be him. 

But how did one vanquish stone, the Bard wondered?

Avarice and cruelty, two nefarious desires, had made Vrtra and Vala attack the Human Realm. Three days ago the Dragon had swallowed the Seven Rivers in the north, and the Stone Demon had imprisoned the Sun God, his daughter, and all the cattle of the region in his cave.

The Bard paused his writing as a thin vein of lightning winked across the skies, but without the accompanying roar. Indra’s strength waned. His thunderbolt hadn’t left Vrtra screaming in pain this time. The Bard spared a moment’s attention on the duel, just enough to note that the Maruts, the Celestial Storm-gods, waited in the clouds to rescue their god-king in case of a calamity. Indra would survive even in defeat. Of that, the Bard was sure.

But Karna had no one at his back. His might and god-powers had depleted without the sun’s healing warmth and light. His divine astras, weapons, had not slowed the Stone Demon down, at all. Only the conviction that he could not fail his godsire, his sister, and the innocents under his protection drove him now. His birth family had once abandoned him to his fate, but he would not abandon them to theirs—such was the greatness of Karna.

The Bard crossed out the last observation. No questions. No judgment. No praise, either. The canons would be free of all emotion. He wasn’t here to embellish history or glorify the history-makers, as some bards were wont to do. 

It wasn’t embellishment to write that the foothills of Cedi were drenched in the Soul Warrior’s blood. Or observe the gushing wounds on his body, despite his armor, that would make the hardiest of warriors bellow in agony, but not him. It wasn’t embellishment to write that the Heavens were empty for the Celestials had come to Earth to watch the battle, firelight cupped in their palms to light the warrior’s way. 

The Naga, the Serpent People, also looked on, hissing from the mouth of the portal that led to their underground realm beneath the hills. The Serpent King will not choose a side. Vrtra and Vala were half Naga, after all. All across the Human Realm, demons roamed free, taking advantage of the darkness and preying on human flesh and human souls. It was a terrible moment in history. The asuras had the upper hand in the eponymous age of Demon Kali.

Vala did not have arms and half a leg, but still he came at Karna. He had an ace up his sleeve. There were plenty of creatures about, an entire mountain close at hand. He began to chant the spell of soul transference. It was the darkest of all magic, the possession of another’s soul. Soon, he would be whole again and stronger than before.

Battered and bleeding, the Soul Warrior veered away from the Stone Demon. He leapt over boulders and charred vegetation. The onlookers called him a coward. Had he forfeit the duel? Has he forsaken mankind? 

Karna dove for Manav-astra, the spear of mankind, he’d thrown aside yesterday after his bow, Vijaya, had shattered under repeated use. In one smooth motion, he rolled, picked up the astra, coming up in the spear-thrower’s stretch. His tattered lower garment billowed about him as a gust of wind shot through the air. His muscled torso glistened with blood and sweat, tightened as he pulled the arm holding the spear back. 

He meant to throw Manav-astra at Vala. A futile attempt, to be sure? As long as Vala was made of stone, broken or not, his body was impregnable. Karna should have waited for Vala to transfer his soul to an onlooker. Then Karna should have vanquished the possessed creature. 

Taunting laughter reverberated through the foothills of Cedi. Vala had reached the same conclusion. The Celestials looked at each other in angry silence, unable to interfere. A dwanda-yuddha duel was fought between two opponents of equal size and strength alone. The humans hadn’t stopped screaming in three days, the din simply background noise now. 

The Bard scribbled the observations onto the parchment in no particular order. He wished he was a painter, for surely this was a picture worth a thousand words.

The demon hobbled toward the warrior, who stood still as stone with his arm drawn taught behind him. Then finally, with a roaring chant the Soul Warrior shifted his weight from his back leg to his front and let fly Manav-astra at the Stone Demon with all his remaining might. 

Karna didn’t wait to see the ramifications of his action. And there were plenty to come. He ran into the mountain cave to free Vala’s hostages. Within moments the rock face rent in half, and bright streams of light speared through the terrible darkness. A new day had dawned on the Human Realm after three days of perpetual night.

The sun’s power was too bright, too full of hope. Yet, the Bard looked on pensively, wondering if the Soul Warrior knew this wasn’t a victory. It was merely a reprieve.

About the Author

Falguni Kothari is a New York-based South Asian author and an amateur Latin and Ballroom dance silver medalist with a semi-professional background in Indian Classical dance. She’s published in India in contemporary romance with global e-book availability; Bootie and the Beast (Harlequin Mills and Boon) and It’s Your Move, Wordfreak! (Rupa & Co.), and launches a mythic fantasy series with Soul Warrior (The Age of Kali, #1)

I’m embarrassed to admit how many social media accounts I own :

Website * Blog * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads * Pinterest

Giveaway

One $10 Amazon gift card and 5 Sun Pendants. Open Internationally!

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Book Review+Giveaway: Love, Lucas

BOOK DETAILS

Love, Lucas

by Chantele Sedgwick

Publisher: Sky Pony Press

Release Date: May 5th 2015

Synopsis:

When Oakley Nelson loses her brother, Lucas, to cancer, she thinks she’ll never recover. Between her parents’ arguing and the battle she’s fighting with depression, she feels nothing inside but a hollow emptiness. When Mom suggests they spend the summer in California with Aunt Jo, Oakley isn’t sure that a change of scenery will alter anything, but she’s willing to give it a try.

In California, Oakley discovers a sort of safety and freedom in Aunt Jo’s beach house. Once they’re settled, Mom hands her a notebook full of letters addressed to her—from Lucas. As Oakley reads one each day, she realizes how much he loved her, and each letter challenges her to be better and to continue to enjoy her life. He wants her to move on.

If only it were that easy.

But then a surfer named Carson comes into her life, and Oakley is blindsided. He makes her feel again. As she lets him in, she is surprised by how much she cares for him, and things get complicated. How can she fall in love and be happy when Lucas never got the chance to do those very same things?

With her brother’s dying words as guidance, Oakley must learn to listen to and trust herself again. She soon realizes that second chances are ways to learn from the past, and you don’t always have to leave the past behind to find happiness in the future.

Reviewer: Aly

Review:

I knew right away that Love, Lucas would be a really emotional book and a tough book to read. But I honestly did not expect for it to be that hard. It seemed my mood was constantly in flux, most times being towards the lower end of the happiness scale. And yet I enjoyed this book. Sometimes you just need a book that brings tears to your eyes and Love, Lucas does not disappoint.

It also helped that Oakley was an easily relatable character. You easily felt as if you were Oakley and feeling all of her emotions, she was that well created and her emotions so well described. Of course the story there were other characters that I enjoyed but Oakley was the character that I enjoyed the most and connected the most with

The writing of Love, Lucas was easy to read, with no mistakes(that I noticed and I don’t always notice everything). But I just really enjoyed the writing style that was used. It dealt with the letters of Lucas and just Oakley’s story in a touching manner that conveyed the words into emotions.

While Love, Lucas is primarily a sad book, it is also the story of Oakley moving on and working through Lucas’ death. At times I would be laughing, at times sighing even when I had tears pouring out of my eyes. And that was good. My emotions didn’t feel all over the place in a crazy way but in a way that just made me feel better afterwards.

Love, Lucas was a beautiful, touching story about one person’s grief and her journey through it. I admit that while you should have kleenex handy you also should give this book a read. It’s beautiful and just I can’t tell you how good this book was!

Rating:

BOOK LINKS:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18750183-love-lucas?ac=1

Amazon paperback: http://tinyurl.com/m2y2f93

Barnes & Noble (B&N):  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-lucas-chantele-sedgwick/1120316250?ean=9781632204172

Bookdepository: http://www.bookdepository.com/Love-Lucas-Chantele-Sedgwick/9781632204172

PRAISE FOR LOVE, LUCAS:

 “A deeply moving tale of unimaginable loss and the redemptive power of love. Sedgwick masterfully delves into the painful details of losing a loved one, breaking your heart even as her beautiful words stitch you back together. Romance and friendship, true growth and authentic healing, this story blew me away. It takes a special book to bring tears to my eyesand make me swoon... Love, Lucas? Yeah, this book is special.” —Rachel Harris, New York Times bestselling author

 "Chantele Sedgwick's Love, Lucas, is a beautiful story about finding hope, first loves, and learning to live again after the loss of a sibling. With a fantastic cast, and the gorgeous setting of the California coast, this book is one fabulous read." —Jolene Perry author of The Summer I Found You

 "A beautiful, moving novel of loss and love. Sedgwick’s elegant prose weave a heart-breaking tale that stays with you long after you have finished the last page." —G. R. Mannering, author of Roses

 “An emotional summer of love, hope, and healing! Love, Lucas is easy to adore with Sedgwick’s real relationships, sweet romance, and tale of renewal.” —Lizzy Charles, author of Effortless With You

 "Chantele Sedgwick navigates the dark waters of grief with a deft hand and plenty of heart.Love, Lucas will drag readers under before bringing them back to the surface for a life-saving breath of hope." —Amy Finnegan, author of Not In the Script

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Chantele Sedgwick is a YA author, harpist, wife to one and stay-at-home mom to four. She loves happy endings, Kit Kats and judging by her book shelves, buys way too many books.

AUTHOR LINKS:

Website:  http://www.chantelesedgwick.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5772887.Chantele_Sedgwick

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChanteleSedgwick

Twitter: https://twitter.com/chantelesedg

Blog: http://chantelesedgwick.blogspot.com

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/channywax/

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Book Review+Giveaway: Remote

Title: Remote

Author: Lisa Acerbo

Genre: YA Dystopian/Romance/Sci-Fi

Book Blurb:

When technology fulfills every dream, reality becomes a nightmare.

Below the streets of New State, the undergrounders fight to remain free of the technological control of the world above. Every night, Yara risks her life fighting New State’s deadliest weapons, the drones. Half human and half machine, their living half tortured until everything human is gone, the drones have only one objective. Kill. And they do it with exacting precision.

Yara is good at her job and committed to her raids on New State. Until one of those raids brings her face-to-face with Joshua, a New State citizen who doesn’t quite fit her preconceived expectations. After a couple of awkward encounters, he shows her the meaning of hooking up—a computer simulation that allows people to live out their fantasies—without the complication of emotional entanglements or physical reality. But what Yara feels for Joshua is very real. And it’s punishable by law.

As she and Joshua grow closer, she convinces him to leave New State for her underground cause. But as the unrest between New State and the underground escalates, and the drones move in to destroy her world, nothing goes as planned. Families are arrested, loyalties are strained, and Yara’s forced to choose between her people and her feelings. The wrong choice could mean the end of her people, and reality could slip away—forever...

Review:
I love the world Lisa Acerbo has created in Remote. Two characters live two very different lives. Josh is used to living a virtual reality, heeding the New State's laws; Yara spends her life underground or raiding the New State city during night. The author really draws some interesting perspectives into the novel, such as how taking technology too far can inhibit social skills--something that seems terrifyingly possible in the near future. 

The pacing of the novel was very fast, and yes, this does include the relationship between Josh and Yara.  Normally I don't like insta-love situations, but it worked in this case.  None of their relationship felt forced.

Yara is quite the character...I seem to have mixed feelings about her.  Although she wants to be treated like an adult, I can't help but feel some of her choices were rather immature.  Also, it seems as if she couldn't keep a single secret...On one hand, I admire her courage and her loyalty to the Underground (the name of the rebel group in which she grew up in.)  However, on the other I felt like she didn't appreciate the sacrifices her parents have made for her.

Josh was a unique character, breaking many male character stereotypes in the YA sci-fi/romance genre. First of all, he's a "tech head." Much of his life depended on the CHIP embedded within his head.  He's not fit, he's not strong (physically) and he has an open innocence that Yara had lost a long time ago.

Overall, I thought the plot and premise of Remote was excellent.  The only quips I had with the book was that I couldn't really seem to connect with Yara. Also, I felt like at times the story moved along so fast that much of the plot development was glazed over.  It would've been nice if there had been more showing rather than telling. Nevertheless, Remote is worth a read if you're looking for a quick sci-fi/romance.

Rating:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23635808-remote?ac=1

Purchase:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Remote-Lisa-Acerbo-ebook/dp/B00PYY9R92/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1416761017&sr=8-2&keywords=lisa+acerbo

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/remote-lisa-acerbo/1120806658?ean=2940150587540

AUTHOR BIO:

Lisa Acerbo is a high school teacher and holds an EdD in Educational Leadership. She lives in Connecticut with her husband, daughters, three cats, and horse. She is the author of Apocalipstick and has contributed to local newspapers, news and travel blogs including The Patch and Hollywood Scriptwriter.

Author links:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6191261.Lisa_Acerbo

https://www.facebook.com/lisa.acerbo.5

https://twitter.com/Apocalipstick_

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