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Book Review : Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
“Why be the sheep when you can be the wolf ?”
Synopsis : Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.
In the late 15th century the nation of Brittany is entrenched in mysticism, war, and treason. Ismae, a simple pig farmer’s daughter, is plucked from a life of hardship to serve Death as an assassin. In the midst of her training, she becomes involved in a clandestine plot and must serve the royal family and her country.
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Book Review : Born Wicked By Jessica Spotswood
Synopsis: Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave. . . Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance.
Born Wicked is a debut historical fiction that features an alternate history with a magical twist. In this revision of 1890’s New England, the Brotherhood–a sect of a priest–rule with an iron fist over the lives of women who fear they may be witches.
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Shelf Candy Saturday : Born Wicked
Shelf Candy Saturday is a weekly meme hosted by Five Alarm Book Reviews. Shelf Candy Saturday showcases book covers, old or new, and gives some much-deserved recognition to the designers who are responsible.
The mischievous and whimsical photograph on the Born Wicked book jacket was taken by 19-year old French photographer Alexandra Sophie.
Sophie says; One day, I realized that it didn’t match with that world that I was imagining and dreaming about. I gave myself the mission to prove to the world that softness, love, innocence and dreams . . .A world that is not always easy to see, but that I try to show with my camera.”
Rumor has it that Sophie may be doing a photoshoot for the cover of Star Dust. (The Cahill Witch Chronicles #2)
Sophie’s photography has also been featured on other book covers , including Through To You by Emily Hainsworth.
Learn more about Alexandra Sophie and check out her photography at http://www.alexandra-sophie.com/
Jess Joins Bloggiesta Ole !
March 30 – April 1
“Do you have things you’d like to do on your blog that you haven’t managed to get to in forever? Do you want to do those things with lots of other bloggers from all over? Talk things over with them? Bounce ideas off them? Learn from them? Teach them too? If so, you will not want to miss the latest installment of Bloggiesta! A blogathon created nearly three years ago by Natasha of Maw Books so we could do those very things listed above!”
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Authors Talk to Teens @ Hooray For Books : Jessica Shea, Tifffany Trent and Caitlin Kitteridge
Hooray For Books, a children’s book store in Alexandria, VA, hosted a teen author panel with Jessica Spotswood (Born Wicked), Tiffany Trent (The Unnaturalists, Corsets and Clockwork) and Caitlin Kitteridge (The Iron Codex, Corsets and Clockwork). Here are some highlights from the event :
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