Blog Tour + Giveaway Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibañez

January 24, 2020ACourtofCoffeeandBooks 1 Comment

book cover

Title: Woven in Moonlight

Author: Isabel Ibañez

Publisher: Page Street Books

Release Date: January 7th 2020

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Synopsis:

A lush tapestry of magic, romance, and revolución, drawing inspiration from Bolivian politics and history.

Ximena is the decoy Condesa, a stand-in for the last remaining Illustrian royal. Her people lost everything when the usurper, Atoc, used an ancient relic to summon ghosts and drive the Illustrians from La Ciudad. Now Ximena’s motivated by her insatiable thirst for revenge, and her rare ability to spin thread from moonlight.

When Atoc demands the real Condesa’s hand in marriage, it’s Ximena’s duty to go in her stead. She relishes the chance, as Illustrian spies have reported that Atoc’s no longer carrying his deadly relic. If Ximena can find it, she can return the true aristócrata to their rightful place.

She hunts for the relic, using her weaving ability to hide messages in tapestries for the resistance. But when a masked vigilante, a warm-hearted princess, and a thoughtful healer challenge Ximena, her mission becomes more complicated. There could be a way to overthrow the usurper without starting another war, but only if Ximena turns her back on revenge—and her Condesa.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Google Books

Kobo

Author Information

author

Isabel Ibañez was born in Boca Raton, Florida, and is the proud daughter of two Bolivian immigrants. A true word nerd, she received her degree in creative writing and has been a Pitch Wars mentor for three years. Isabel is an avid movie goer and loves hosting family and friends around the dinner table. She currently lives in Winter Park, Florida, with her husband, their adorable dog, and a serious collection of books. Say hi on social media at @IsabelWriter09.

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram

My Review

Woven in Moonlight is one of the books I could easily fall in love with: enjoyable characters with strong development, incredible world building, and lush prose. It had all the elements I love in a fantasy novel. This book is truly a strong and masterful debut in the Young Adult fantasy genre.

“Words empowered by justice can never be silenced.”

Ximena is the decoy for the Queen, someone she easily sees as her sister. She understands how important her role is and what it means to protect the condesa from those that would wish to harm her. And when a Llacsan king demands the condesa’s hand in marriage, Ximena goes in her place, doing what she can to protect the condesa. But Ximena has plans of her own: plans that involve breaking this forced marriage and finding a path of her own, one that might possibly separate her from the condesa’s standin. Her courage and love for her people is inspiring, and it makes it difficult for any ready to not like her as a character. Yes, she has flaws (what character doesn’t?), but those flaws never overpower her true mission or her heart.

The world building in Woven in Moonlight is by far phenomenal and beautiful; the lush descriptions really make it easy to picture the world and the hardships many people face, including Ximena. This story is filled to the brim with storytelling and that dash of magic, I thought, really brought this story together nicely. I was, overall, very impressed with the layout and pace of this story – it’s not too slow, not too fast, and it builds tension (and a slow burn romance, might I add) really well, well enough to keep the reader on the edge of their seat.

“Rising tides can’t be held back, but they can be ridden.”

Ibañez has a way with her words. Her writing is powerful and lavish; she could turn even a truly dark scene into a scene that captures the beauty of the light. Her writing brought this world to life and gave the characters a strong and heartfelt voice, especially Ximena. It’s what made the story authentic and feel so real. Ibañez did an amazing job giving this novel (and the characters) a voice.

Woven in Moonlight is inspired by Bolivian culture and history and the current political situation; with all that said, this book beautifully captures that culture and historical background. I was really moved by this book and became deeply attached to some of the characters. I’m looking forward to reading Ibañez’s next work, as she has easily become an instant-buy author for me.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Tour Schedule

Check out the amazing bloggers that are part of this tour!

Giveaway

PRIZE: Win a copy of WOVEN IN MOONLIGHT by Isabel Ibañez (US/CAN Only)

STARTS: 20^th January 2020

ENDS: 3^rd February 2020

Thank you, Fantastic Flying Book Club, for having us on this wonderful blog tour!

ARC Review The Iron Will of Genie Lo by F.C. Yee

January 17, 2020ACourtofCoffeeandBooks Leave a comment

Title: The Iron Will of Genie Lo

Author: F.C. Yee

Publisher: Amulet Books

Release Date: January 14, 2020

Page Count: 304 pages

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Mythology

Summary:

The fate of the heavens is at stake in this hilarious and highly-anticipated sequel to the The Epic Crush of Genie Lo, from the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Rise of Kyoshi

Genie Lo thought she was busy last year, juggling her academic career with protecting the Bay Area from demons. But now, as the Heaven-appointed Guardian of California, she’s responsible for the well-being of all yaoguai and spirits on Earth. Even the ones who interrupt her long-weekend visit to a prestigious college, bearing terrible news about a cosmos-threatening force of destruction in a nearby alternate dimension.

The goddess Guanyin and Genie’s boyfriend, Quentin Sun Wukong, do their best to help, but it’s really the Jade Emperor who’s supposed to handle crises of this magnitude. Unfortunately for Genie and the rest of existence, he’s gone AWOL. Fed up with the Jade Emperor’s negligence, Genie spots an opportunity to change the system for the better by undertaking a quest that spans multiple planes of reality along with an adventuring party of quarrelsome Chinese gods. But when faced with true danger, Genie and her friends realize that what will save the universe this time isn’t strength, but sacrifice.

Purchase Links

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

INDIE BOUND

My Review

Hold it! This is a review of the sequel to the very amazing and kick-butt book, The Epic Crush of Genie Lo. This review may contain spoilers from the first book, so you have been warned if you choose to read on. You can check out my review of the first book here.

Thank you to Amulet Books and NetGalley for the e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In 2017, The Epic Crush of Genie Lo was one of my favorite reads. I remember being so excited when I found out there would be a sequel. And let me tell you, the sequel did not disappoint. It was honestly one of the best sequels I have read. There’s action, back-and-forth character banter, and so much character growth; the characters (and the story) stay true to what the first book brought to the table.

In the sequel, Genie is not just dealing with the demons – protecting them and finding them a home. She’s also struggling with the idea of her senior year and what comes after: college. Genie knows her parents can’t afford the college she wants to go to, and that insight causes another strain with her parents, especially after the health scare with her mom. And then there’s the part where Genie and Quentin are at a stale part of their relationship and neither really knows how to move forward. All in all, Genie doesn’t really have it easy this year.

One of the reasons I loved this book and its predecessor is the witty and sarcastic banter between the characters, especially Genie and Quentin. It makes the story humorous and makes the characters feel real. Genie and Quentin have such a genuine and loving relationship and, ultimately, have each other’s backs through everything. In this book, they’re now dating, which easily becomes another struggle for Genie. She’s figuring out how to navigate their relationship and how exactly it will fit in her life; she wants Quentin in her life, but with almost every conversation between them ending in an argument, she doesn’t know how to get through the rough patches.

So, needless to say, Genie has a lot on her plate. And her plate starts to overflow when she tries to change the system the gods and goddesses have been following for centuries. Which pegs the ultimate question: will Genie be able to handle everything she’s gotten herself into? What I loved about this is that it really did make Genie feel like a real character. This book showcases her strengths and weaknesses and doesn’t hesitate to illustrate when Genie reaches her breaking point. She dealt with stress and defeat and her anxiety of the future, and I could relate to that on a high level because that’s exactly what it felt like for me when I was finishing high school. It was great to see that portrayal and it was executed in such a phenomenal way.

The writing and flow of this story is wonderful and just as captivating as the first book. There was never too much action, nor was there information overload, which I really appreciated. F.C. Yee has a way of bringing a story together with characters that fit so well and feel so real. He will continue to be an instant-buy author for me, and I cannot wait to see what his next work brings.

Overall, The Iron Will of Genie Lo is a wonderful sequel to the first book, one that is equally as good as its predecessor. Those who loved the first book will not be disappointed, and may, like me, end up liking the sequel more.

My rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 stars

Blog Tour + Review Oasis by Katya de Becerra

January 4, 2020ACourtofCoffeeandBooks Leave a comment

Title: Oasis

Author: Katya de Becerra

Publisher: Imprint Macmillan

Release Date: January 7th 2020

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction

Synopsis:

The oasis saved them. But who will save them from the oasis?

Alif had exciting summer plans: working on her father’s archaeological dig site in the desert with four close friends . . . and a very cute research assistant. Then the sandstorm hit.

With their camp wiped away, Alif and the others find themselves lost on the sands, seemingly doomed . . . until they find the oasis. It has everything they need: food, water, shade—and mysterious ruins that hide a deadly secret. As reality begins to shift around them, they question what’s real and what’s a mirage.

The answers turn Alif and her friends against one another, and they begin to wonder if they’ve truly been saved. And while it was easy to walk into the oasis, it may be impossible to leave . . .

Katya de Becerra’s new supernatural thriller hides a mystery in plain sight, and will keep you guessing right up to its terrifying conclusion.