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Flesh and Bone Book One: Awakening By Vincent Burke

Rating: 4.5/5 There are times when you read a book and it genuinely touches your heart. The characters are raw with realism, the plot claws its way into your bloodstream, and, word by word, you find the story consuming your soul.  Awakening  is one of those books. It feels so deeply intimate that you think you’ve discovered something special, something you want to desperately share with the world but can’t help but want to selfishly keep guarded as well. Exceptional in its exploration of grief, self-acceptance, and love, this epic series starter is one you won’t want to miss.  When you’re eager to sing a book’s praises, it’s hard to know where to begin, so I’ll start with what impressed me the most: character depth. When a novel’s characters leave an impression that is so real -- one where your heart beats in rhythm to their own fictional palpitations, ebbing and flowing based on a spectrum ranging from blissful happiness to oppressive despair -- magic happens. Burke crafted such vulne
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Peter Green and the Unliving Academy: This Book is Full of Dead People by Angelina Allsop

  Reviewer:  The Banned Bibliophile Received:  Physical Copy from Publisher Release Date:  November  2018 Moons:  4/5 Goodreads Summary: Fourteen-year-old Peter Green can't remember how he died. All he has are his pajamas, a silk tie, and a one-way bus ticket to Mrs. Battisworth's Academy and Haven for Unliving Boys and Girls, a strange and spooky school for dead orphans like himself. But that's all he needs: the Unliving Academy has everything, from vampires in the hallways, to monsters in the cafeteria, to ghosts in the basement. And that's just the teachers; the students are  far stranger. As Pete learns to fit in with his new supernatural schoolmates, he starts to discover his own uniquely undead abilities, and even begins enjoying his life after death...but he just can't shake the feeling that he's forgotten something (or somebody!) important. Somebody he left behind in the land of the living. Somebody he loved very much. Somebody who's in terrible dang

The Rules of Enchantment by Wendy Tardieu

Reviewer: The Banned Bibliophile Received: Physical Copy from Publisher Release Date: August 2020 Moons: 4/5 Goodreads Summary: When a sorcerer and a scribe team up to fulfill an ancient prophecy, the fate of the world is in their hands. In the mythical kingdom of Salyndria, an exiled sorcerer named Leith plots to overthrow the restrictions placed on the use of magic by the Academy. Suspecting the worst, the Academy sends a beautiful young scribe, Kyler, to be his apprentice and act as an unwitting spy. Leith tries to drive her away by proving his reputation as a vicious and unforgiving master, but he soon discovers his new pupil is far more useful than she appears. As her charms and magical abilities become all too tempting for him to resist, the two join forces to fulfill a hidden prophecy that will grant them incredible power.  Together, the sorcerer and the scribe will change Salandria's history forever. Their story is equally sinister and sensual, a romantic dark fantasy adven

Release Day: Benched by Sara Elizabeth Santana

Hello everyone! Today marks the official release of the first book in Sara Elizabeth Santana's Benched trilogy!!!!! We absolutely loved The Awakened duology and can't wait to dive into her latest creation. Here's a bit more information on the new book: Baseball broke Evie Cordova's heart.  Living in Santa Isabella, home of the five-time College World Series champs, The Quakes, Evie has grown up loving baseball. Her dad has been the head coach for as long as she can remember and her happiest memories were on the baseball diamond. But baseball broke her heart, in more ways than one, and she'll do anything to avoid it.  Now Evie is in college and she can't avoid baseball anymore. Working for her dad brings her face-to-face with Austin Young, the new shortstop who has transferred in from Texas. Austin throws her off her game with his dedication to baseball and his irresistible Southern charm. The chemistry between them is undeniable and Evie finds herself falling fo

The Awakened Duology ReRelease Launch Day Blitz

Today we are celebrating the re-release of The Awakened Duology by Sara Elizabeth Santana with brand new covers, available in both ebook and paperback. There is a pre-order bonus still available and a giveaway!   About the Series:   Title:  The Awakened - Book One, The Sanctuary - Book Two Author:  Sara Elizabeth Santana Pub. Date:  June 16th 2020 Publisher: Sara Elizabeth Santana Formats:  Paperback, eBook   The Awakened Links -   Goodreads ,  Amazon , Nook , Apple Books , Kobo The Sanctuary Links - Goodreads , Amazon , Nook, Apple Books , Kobo   The Awakened Synopsis:   For Zoey Valentine, the roughest parts of her life are having to go to one of the many self defense classes her dad makes her take and dealing with Ash Matthews.   That is, until the Z virus hits.   It wipes out a third of the population in a matter of weeks. If that weren’t frightening enough, the bodies of the victims disappear and suddenly reappear, awakened from their dead state. They're faster, smarter, and t

Bruja Born (Brooklyn Brujas #2) by Zoraida Córdova

Reviewer: The Curious Quill Received: Library Release Date: June 2018 Quills: 4/5 Goodreads Summary: Three sisters. One spell. Countless dead. Lula Mortiz feels like an outsider. Her sister's newfound Encantrix powers have wounded her in ways that Lula's bruja healing powers can't fix, and she longs for the comfort her family once brought her. Thank the Deos for Maks, her sweet, steady boyfriend who sees the beauty within her and brings light to her life. Then a bus crash turns Lula's world upside down. Her classmates are all dead, including Maks. But Lula was born to heal, to fix. She can bring Maks back, even if it means seeking help from her sisters and defying Death herself. But magic that defies the laws of the deos is dangerous. Unpredictable. And when the dust settles, Maks isn't the only one who's been brought back... My Thoughts: Zoraida Córdova has truly been an author whose work I have fallen in love with and cherish. I first stu

Bloodspell by Lily Luchesi

Reviewer: The Banned Bibliophile Received: Author Release Date: August 2018 Moons: 4.5/5 Goodreads Summary: Bound by an ancient prophecy, freed by love. Mages have lived by a prophecy that states that once there are two mage houses left, one must kill the other to maintain a magical balance.  But the prophecy is disrupted when a new mage is revealed and begins killing everyone in his path.  Simon Moonspell and Tobias Bloodworth, the last two mages of the ancient houses, must put their animosity aside in order to stop this new mage and fulfill the prophecy.  However, when their hatred slowly turns to love, can they remain impartial or will they be forced to battle to the death? My Thoughts: "...if he knew anything, it’s that peace was an illusion and happiness was a fleeting bird you had to catch with your bare hands. It would cut and scratch and claw, not wanting to be captured, but well worth it when it had been grasped." ~Bloodspell This is exact