Mundie Moms

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Book Review: Witchlanders by Lena Coakley



Published by: Antheneum
Released on: August 30th, TODAY
Source: ARC from author/publisher for blog tour
4 stars: A Fantastic Debut!
Purchase from: Amazon| Barnes & Noble

High in their mountain covens, red witches pray to the Goddess, protecting the Witchlands by throwing the bones and foretelling the future.

It’s all a fake.

At least, that’s what Ryder thinks. He doubts the witches really deserve their tithes—one quarter of all the crops his village can produce. And even if they can predict the future, what danger is there to foretell, now that his people’s old enemy, the Baen, has been defeated?

But when a terrifying new magic threatens both his village and the coven, Ryder must confront the beautiful and silent witch who holds all the secrets. Everything he’s ever believed about witches, the Baen, magic and about himself will change, when he discovers that the prophecies he’s always scorned—

Are about him.

Witchlanders is an intriguing, unique fantasy with a richly detailed world that gives the story a early century feel to it. Leno Coakley's creates a strong, believable world that centers on magic, various religious beliefs and fascinating creatures that all tie back into the story's in-depth history with the Ryder's family, the Witchlanders. Mixed into this is an on going war between them and the Baen people, is an incredible journey for two unlikely characters who's paths are brought together through destiny. These two hold the answers that will hopefully end an on going feud between their people. I really liked the way Lena alternates the two different points of view between Ryder and Falpian. I felt I got to understand both guys better, and I liked the way their stories were told.

Ryder is on a journey he never wanted to take, but his quest to have his questions answered leads him to some surprising, shocking answers. Unknowingly, he's the one will be able to save his people, too bad he's spent most of his life not believing in the Witchlanders or his mother's prophecies. He's had to grow up fast and has been responsible for being the man of the house, harvesting the food for his family before the chill comes, taking care of his two younger sisters and dealing with his mother who's erratic behavior and addiction to a power flower has her gift for seeing the future falling onto deaf ears. It's not hard to sympathize with Ryder, his doubts and his unbelief.

Falpian the Baen plays an interesting role in Witchlanders. This spoiled boy has had a life of luxury and while mourning the death of his brother, he's sent to live on his people's border in a quant little mountain cottage. On top of that he has a father who despises him and he's grown up feeling completely inadequate, because he lacks the magic that runs in his family. It's a fascinating twist when Ryder and Falpian are unexpected drawn together with a bond that's held sacred with Falpian's people. Falpian and Ryder are complete opposites in every sense of the word, and even their upbringings have taught them to despise each other, so it's really surprising when they form an unique bond.

There's a lot of great elements that Lena touches on in her debut such as prejudices, acceptance, the aftermath of war, addiction, magic, deception, family dynamics, love, sacrifice and brotherly love. You know the type that you'd do anything for the person you're fighting beside in battle, because you've created an undeniable bond and trust with this person. That's what Lena creates between Ryder and Falpian. With each element that is entriwinted within the pages of Witchlanders, it helps create more twists, reveals unexpected answers and gives way to more surprises.

Witchlanders is unlike any book I've read before and I commend Lena on the way she incorporates so many different elements and themes into her story. This is a book that fans of fantasy, witches and adventure will enjoy. There's magic, battles, character journey's and much more found within the pages of WITCHLANDERS. I'm curious to see what Lena will do with this book, if she'll leave it as a stand alone or create a series around her unique mythology. This is a book I'd recommend to teens and older YA readers.

The Happy-Birthday-WITCHLANDERS Give-Away!

Win a prize-pack with five of Lena’s all-time favorite fantasies, plus an autographed copy of WITCHLANDERS! If you’ve been following the tour, you know that these are some of the books that inspired Lena to write. Enter to win:

  1. AIRBORN by Kenneth Oppel
  2. SABRIEL by Garth Nix
  3. ELLA ENCHANTED by Gail Carson Levine
  4. ACROSS THE NIGHTENGALE FLOOR by Lian Hearn
  5. NEVERWHERE by Neil Gaiman
  6. And WITCHLANDERS by Lena Coakley


*Mandatory to enter: (Don’t forget to include your email address and don’t forget to tell us about your extra entries.) **If you already answered via the blog tour post , you don't need to answer again here, your comment will be counted**

*Extra entries:

+5 Follow Lena’s blog at www.lenacoakley.com on GFC.

+ 5 Follow Lena and Mundi Moms @lenacoakley and @MundieMoms on Twitter.

+ 1 for every tweet about the contest using the #Witchlanders hashtag

Don’t worry! Your comments are also considered entries to the big Kindle give-away. (No extra entries for that one.) Open to US and Canada. See more about this giveaway here.


**Read our Blog Stop with Lena here and follow the rest of Kismet's Witchlanders Blog Tour.

Blog Tour/ Book Review- The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

Released on: August 30th, 2011 TODAY!
Source: ARC from TLA/publisher, Book from publisher for blog tour/review
5 stars: A Fantastic Read

Every year in Quill, thirteen-year-olds are sorted into categories: the strong, intelligent Wanteds go to university, and the artistic Unwanteds are sent to their deaths.


Thirteen-year-old Alex tries his hardest to be stoic when his fate is announced as Unwanted, even while leaving behind his twin, Aaron, a Wanted. Upon arrival at the destination where he expected to be eliminated, however, Alex discovers a stunning secret—behind the mirage of the “death farm” there is instead a place called Artime.


In Artime, each child is taught to cultivate their creative abilities and learn how to use them magically, weaving spells through paintbrushes and musical instruments. Everything Alex has ever known changes before his eyes, and it’s a wondrous transformation.


But it’s a rare, unique occurrence for twins to be separated between Wanted and Unwanted, and as Alex and Aaron’s bond stretches across their separation, a threat arises for the survival of Artime that will pit brother against brother in an ultimate, magical battle.


There's just something about a middle grade book that I love. These books allow my imagination to sore, they take me on incredible adventures, and they make the unbelievable believable. There's something about them that appeals to my inner child or maybe it just reminds me of how magical and exciting it is to open a book and immediately get whisked away to do a whole new world that I never knew existed. Middle grade books are truly appealing and magically to readers of all ages. The Unwanteds is one of those books readers of all ages will fall in love with.

The Unwanteds is a story where the impossible becomes possible. In a world where those who have artist talents are considered Unwanteds, twin brother Alex is an Unwanted, and sentenced to death, while his Wanted brother Aaron is taking off to be trained with the few other intellectual geniuses from their town of Quill. Alex's is in for a huge surprise when he arrives to the Death Farm expecting to meet his doom and instead finds a whole new unimaginable world awaits him.

I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the unique cast of characters that awaits Alex in Artime. One of my favorites is Mr Today, the magician who created Artime. He's purpose is to teach the children who arrive in his world, to protect themselves and the new world they're now apart of. He's full of wisdom and a few secrets. He sees the potential in each of the kids and excepts nothing but the best from them. I also loved Simber, the talking winged cheetah statue, the talking wolf Gunnar, Octavia, Clive Alex's talking board, Megan, Claire, Lani, Samheed and my list could go on and on. There's such a creative mix of magicians, humans, talking animals and creatures that exist within the pages of The Unwanteds. The characters are so well written and believable, even the bad characters, who's motives I was able to understand.

Alex of course steals the spotlight. He goes on such an incredible journey from feeling second best to believing in himself and his determination is something that I admired about him. His character arc in the story is wonderful and he's someone that a lot of MG readers will really enjoy getting to know. There are so many things I want to gush about with The Unwanteds. The incredible writing, the believable characters, the fantastic world building. One of the things I love about Lisa's writing and The Unwanteds is how everything within the story ties together and the unexpected twists that happen through out the story, and especially towards the end. What an engaging read! From the beautiful, hidden world of Artime to the cast of unforgettable characters, this is a story I want to sit and read again.

Lisa McMann has created an amazing world full of magic with talking animals, talking statues, flying paper dragons, and gave us a thrilling adventure while introducing us to some characters that we'll want to go back and visit again and again. The Unwanteds is a whole new classic fantasy adventure I highly recommend picking up. It's a story that middle grade readers, and readers of all ages will enjoy. I can not wait to read more of this unforgettable series!

Follow Kismet's The Unwanteds blog tour & don't miss our blog stop from earlier this morning here.

Tonight Lisa will be at CHANGING HANDS! Go HERE to get the information about tonight's signing.

Witchlanders Blog Tour: The Journey of Witchlanders


I'm so excited to be the next stop in Kismet's Witchlanders blog tour. Before we get to the heart of the stop, here's a little bit about this must have book!

High in their mountain covens, red witches pray to the Goddess, protecting the Witchlands by throwing the bones and foretelling the future.

It’s all a fake.

At least, that’s what Ryder thinks. He doubts the witches really deserve their tithes—one quarter of all the crops his village can produce. And even if they can predict the future, what danger is there to foretell, now that his people’s old enemy, the Baen, has been defeated?

But when a terrifying new magic threatens both his village and the coven, Ryder must confront the beautiful and silent witch who holds all the secrets. Everything he’s ever believed about witches, the Baen, magic and about himself will change, when he discovers that the prophecies he’s always scorned—

Are about him.


We're thrilled to have a guest post from Witchlanders author, Lena Coakley:

My Imaginary Novel: The Journey of Witchlanders
M
I was sitting at my desk one day many years ago when an idea hit me for a YA fantasy novel. One minute the idea wasn’t there and the next minute it was: a fully formed novel synopsis with a beginning, middle and end. I was so thrilled that I had to call my co-worker, Hadley Dyer, down to my office and tell her all about it. Hadley and I worked for a woefully understaffed non-profit at the time, so the fact that she didn’t say, “Lena, I’m doing the work of ten—who cares about your imaginary novel?!” is a real testament to her good nature.

I proceeded to tell Hadley a story that bears almost no relation to Witchlanders. I don’t remember much about the plot except that the climax involved someone riding a reanimated dead horse. (Anyone who reads Witchlanders will note that zombie horses do not play a role.) Hadley, though, picked up on what was essential in what I’d told her. For many weeks, months and years after, she would say: “Are you writing that book about the farm boy? Are you writing that book about Ryder?” And it was the character of Ryder, and soon after, the character of Falpian, that haunted me.For eight long years I slogged away on the book about Ryder, and in those eight long years I learned to write. I learned about the techniques of writing and I learned about the discipline of writing. I learned with amazement that I am persistent, as persistent, it turns out, as a terrier with a pant leg. I locked my jaws around the idea of finishing a novel and I did not let go. I started working for another non-profit, CANSCAIP, the Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators and Performers, where I eventually became the Administrative Director. At our meetings, I saw many new authors holding up their first novels with trembling hands, and I longed to be one of them.When I thought Witchlanders was finally finished, I sent it around to a few agents and, miracle of miracles!, Steven Malk of Writers House, called me to say he’d like to work with me on it. The first thing I learned from Steven: Witchlanders wasn’t finished. Not by a long shot. I wrote in detail over on the Adventures in Children’s Publishing blog about the process of working through his critique letters, but suffice to say, they were the making of my book. The revision process with him stretched out for two more years, but when we were finally done, the book sold very quickly to the Atheneum imprint of S&S.My Witchlanders journey is far from over. After all, it’s just coming out…today! But I’m so grateful to the all the people who cared about Ryder before he was even born, especially my agent, Steven Malk, my editor, Caitlyn Dlouhy, and my wonderful writing group, which includes the good-natured Hadley Dyer, who was there from the very beginning. Today my imaginary novel is finally real.
__________________________________

Want to win a Kindle3 Wifi, complete with a copy of Witchlanders and a personal letter from Lena?


Answer this question from the video in the comments below to be entered to win! If you follow the entire blog tour, you'll have 15 chances to win! This is open to residents of the US/Canada only.


Be sure to leave a comment with your answer, along with your name (first name only) along with your email address to be entered in the giveaway.

Be sure to follow the rest of the tour here:

Monday August 22nd -The Page Turners – Character Interview between Ryder and Falpain
Tuesday, August 23rd - The Unread Reader - When I’m not writing
Bonus Stop and Giveaway of a Witchlanders Copy - The Zealous Reader
Wednesday, August 24th - Books Complete Me – The World of Witchlanders
Bonus Stop and Giveaway of a Witchlanders Copy – Rayment’s Readings, Rants and Ramblings
Thursday, August 25th - We Fancy Books - Character Interview with Falpian
Friday, August 26th - Read Breath Relax -This & That post with Lena

Monday, August 29th - Emilie’s Book World
Tuesday, August 30th - The Mundie Mom’s
Wednesday, August 31st - The Enchanted Inkpot
Thursday, September 1st- Well Read Wife
Friday, September 2nd - A Journey of Books

Monday, September 5th - The Story Siren
Tuesday, September 6th - One A Day Y.A.
Wednesday, September 7th - Reading Angel
Thursday, September 8th - Soul Unsung
Friday, September 9th - Alice Marvel’s

Tuesday, September 13th: Announcement of the big prize winner on Lena’s Site!


Follow author Lena Coakley here website, facebook, twitter
You can purchase Witchlanders here goodreads, amazon, B&N, Indie Bound

I'll be posting my review along with a RELEASE DAY prize pack from Lena herself shortly!! You don't want to miss this.

Blog Tour: The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann


HAPPY RELEASE DAY to Lisa McMann's The Unwanteds! We're so thrilled to be the next stop on Kismet's The Unwanteds blog tour. I love this book. I adore MG books as much as YA books, and this is one book that isn't just appealing to MG readers, but it's one fans of Lisa McMann will really enjoy. Kirkus reviews summed it up perfectly with their quote saying The Unwanteds is "The Hunger Games meets Harry Potter". I'm a huge fan of Lisa's and I love it when YA authors become MG authors, because that allows me to share their writing with my kids.

Every year in Quill, thirteen-year-olds are sorted into categories: the strong, intelligent Wanteds go to university, and the artistic Unwanteds are sent to their deaths.


Thirteen-year-old Alex tries his hardest to be stoic when his fate is announced as Unwanted, even while leaving behind his twin, Aaron, a Wanted. Upon arrival at the destination where he expected to be eliminated, however, Alex discovers a stunning secret—behind the mirage of the “death farm” there is instead a place called Artime.


In Artime, each child is taught to cultivate their creative abilities and learn how to use them magically, weaving spells through paintbrushes and musical instruments. Everything Alex has ever known changes before his eyes, and it’s a wondrous transformation.


But it’s a rare, unique occurrence for twins to be separated between Wanted and Unwanted, and as Alex and Aaron’s bond stretches across their separation, a threat arises for the survival of Artime that will pit brother against brother in an ultimate, magical battle.


I'm so excited to have Lisa on our site today celebrating her release. I've been a big fan of Lisa's and I've eagerly awaited the release of The Unwanteds, the first book in her MG series. Lisa's here to tell us a little bit about her characters-



Contest Info: Are you Unwanted? Provide the link to a picture or video of you explaining which camp you’d be in, Wanted or Unwanted, and be entered to win the grand prize book club class pack. Link can be provided in the comments of this post, on the Kismet Book Touring Facebook page or on Lisa's Facebook page. Open US/Canada. Contestants under 18 years of age must have parental consent to enter.

Don't miss the rest of the blog tour!

Don't miss Lisa's Grand Prize giveaway on September 20th!

Visit Lisa via her Website, Blog, Facebook, Twitter
Be sure to visit The Unwanteds Website (where you can check out the first 4 chapters!!)

I'll be posting my 5 star review shortly!

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