Blog Blitz: Treat Yo Shelf – Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson

Title: Vespertine
Author:  Margaret Rogerson
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Release Date: October 5, 2021
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes and Noble / IndieBound

Synopsis:

The dead of Loraille do not rest.

Artemisia is training to be a Gray Sister, a nun who cleanses the bodies of the deceased so that their souls can pass on; otherwise, they will rise as spirits with a ravenous hunger for the living. She would rather deal with the dead than the living, who trade whispers about her scarred hands and troubled past.

When her convent is attacked by possessed soldiers, Artemisia defends it by awakening an ancient spirit bound to a saint’s relic. It is a revenant, a malevolent being that threatens to possess her the moment she drops her guard. Wielding its extraordinary power almost consumes her—but death has come to Loraille, and only a vespertine, a priestess trained to wield a high relic, has any chance of stopping it. With all knowledge of vespertines lost to time, Artemisia turns to the last remaining expert for help: the revenant itself.

As she unravels a sinister mystery of saints, secrets, and dark magic, her bond with the revenant grows. And when a hidden evil begins to surface, she discovers that facing this enemy might require her to betray everything she has been taught to believe—if the revenant doesn’t betray her first.

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TREAT YO SHELF ON OCTOBER 5, 2021

About the Author:

Margaret Rogerson is the author of the New York Times best sellers’ An Enchantment of Ravens and Sorcery of Thorns. She has a bachelor’s degree in cultural anthropology from Miami University. When not reading or writing she enjoys sketching, gaming, making pudding, and watching more documentaries than is socially acceptable (according to some). She lives near Cincinnati, Ohio, beside a garden full of hummingbirds and roses. Visit her at MargaretRogerson.com, on Twitter @MarRogerson, and on Instagram @margaret_rogerson.

Note: A huge thank to Simon Teen for providing me a free physical copy of Vespertine to read and review.  

Blog Tour: Songs from the Deep by Kelly Powell

Title: Songs from the Deep
Author:  Kelly Powell
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Release Date: November 5, 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical, Mystery
Rating: ★★★★

Synopsis:

A girl searches for a killer on an island where deadly sirens lurk just beneath the waves in this gripping, atmospheric debut novel.

The sea holds many secrets.

Moira Alexander has always been fascinated by the deadly sirens who lurk along the shores of her island town. Even though their haunting songs can lure anyone to a swift and watery grave, she gets as close to them as she can, playing her violin on the edge of the enchanted sea. When a young boy is found dead on the beach, the islanders assume that he’s one of the sirens’ victims. Moira isn’t so sure.

Certain that someone has framed the boy’s death as a siren attack, Moira convinces her childhood friend, the lighthouse keeper Jude Osric, to help her find the real killer, rekindling their friendship in the process. With townspeople itching to hunt the sirens down, and their own secrets threatening to unravel their fragile new alliance, Moira and Jude must race against time to stop the killer before it’s too late—for humans and sirens alike.

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Songs from the Deep reads like the steady lyrics of a richly melodic song. Set on an island dependent on tourism and the sea, this novel delves into the a story of murder, mystery, friendship, and deadly sirens.

I found Songs from the Deep to be a constant page-turner. Kelly Powell’s lyrical writing and vivid scenic descriptions, create a very atmospheric setting that makes you want to curl up on the couch and drink warm tea as you read the story’s mysteries unfold. 

I enjoyed reading the reconnection of an old friendship and the subtle love story that unfolds throughout the pages, along with the thrill of the two main characters, Moira and Jude, solving the murders of local islanders. Moira and Jude are the perfect sleuthing pair; they balance out each other’s flaws and secrets, while also using their own ingrained abilities to help save the sirens from being wrongfully accused and then hunted.

As an entrancing novel of unsolved mysteries, dangerous sirens, and unraveled secrets, Songs from the Deep is must read. Along with the small-town lives of the islanders, the steady swooshing of the waves, the enticing song of the sirens, and the scent of the sea, you will easily be bewitched in the dark ambiance of this novel.

Moira’s mom is a baker, and throughout small parts of the story, I kept craving yummy pastries. So as a great pairing with Songs from the Deep, I bought some scone mix, and decided to make some “Save the Sirens Scones.”

Because I did not bake these scones from scratch, I made sure to follow the directions on the scone mix bag. Along with the scone mix, I only needed butter and milk. After smashing the butter into the mix and stirring in the milk to make a clumpy dough, I formed the dough into a ball and then spread it out on a greased baking pan. I used a spatula to deeply score the dough into wedges. After baking for 17 minutes at 350 degrees F, I let the scones cool. 

If you decide to bake your own scones, be sure to you make yourself a cup of your favorite tea to pair with the pastry. With a scone and tea at hand, you will create the perfect reading setting to enjoy the mysterious and very atmospheric novel, Songs from the Deep.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

About the author:

Kelly Powell has a bachelor’s degree in history and book and media studies from the University of Toronto. She currently lives in Ontario. Songs from the Deep is her debut novel.

 

 

 

 

 

Blogger Note: Thank you so much to Simon Teen/ Simon & Schuster for inviting me to host a “Raves & Craves” post on this blog tour and sending me a free copy of Songs from the Sea to read and review. 

Waiting on Wednesday: Songs from the Deep by Kelly Powell

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme that highlights pre-publication/upcoming releases that readers cannot wait to get their hands on. It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Title: Songs from the Deep
Author: Kelly Powell
Publication date: November 5, 2019
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Mystery, Historical

Synopsis

A girl searches for a killer on an island where deadly sirens lurk just beneath the waves in this gripping, atmospheric debut novel.

The sea holds many secrets.

Moira Alexander has always been fascinated by the deadly sirens who lurk along the shores of her island town. Even though their haunting songs can lure anyone to a swift and watery grave, she gets as close to them as she can, playing her violin on the edge of the enchanted sea. When a young boy is found dead on the beach, the islanders assume that he’s one of the sirens’ victims. Moira isn’t so sure.

Certain that someone has framed the boy’s death as a siren attack, Moira convinces her childhood friend, the lighthouse keeper Jude Osric, to help her find the real killer, rekindling their friendship in the process. With townspeople itching to hunt the sirens down, and their own secrets threatening to unravel their fragile new alliance, Moira and Jude must race against time to stop the killer before it’s too late—for humans and sirens alike.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

If It’s Not a Rant, It’s a Rave: Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

Title: Sorcery of Thorns
Author:  Margaret Rogerson
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Release Date: June 4, 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Source: Purchased signed copy at Joseph Beth Booksellers
Rating: ★★★★

Synopsis:

All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery—magical grimoires that whisper on shelves and rattle beneath iron chains. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather. She hopes to become a warden, charged with protecting the kingdom from their power.

Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire. Elisabeth’s desperate intervention implicates her in the crime, and she is torn from her home to face justice in the capital. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy. Not only could the Great Libraries go up in flames, but the world along with them.

As her alliance with Nathaniel grows stronger, Elisabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught—about sorcerers, about the libraries she loves, even about herself. For Elisabeth has a power she has never guessed, and a future she could never have imagined.

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Well, well, well, it looks like Margaret Rogerson has done it again. GAHHHH! And this time, Rogerson created a world that every Ravenclaw dreams of—a world filled with enchanted books. The whole book is dedicated to loving books, protecting books, and enjoying books. As a novel filled with my favorite Bs: books, banter, and a brooding boy, Sorcery of Thorns had me grasping to every page . . . tightly holding on to the magic of the words and the unforgettable characters. 

Filled with grimoires, demon-infused magic, and a dash of enchanting scenes of frost and snow (I love winter, so these wintry scenes stuck to me like binding glue), Rogerson writes the most beautiful story about love, friendships, and sacrifice. I adored the chemistry and relationships Rogerson scribbles into the pages between her main characters, Elisabeth, Nathaniel, and Silas. As a devoted book-lover, Elisabeth has a special connection with books. Like any bibliophile, Elisabeth enjoys the musty, sweet custardy scent of books, and she communicates with them on a level of respect and enjoyment. Oh, and the brooding sorcerer, Nathaniel, definitely had my “Byronic” meter ticking–I fell in love with his stubbornness and moodiness so much. And, last, Silas: Nathaniel’s demon, provided great comic relief and witticisms throughout the pages; I adored him so much.

Along with the well-developed characters, the world-building and magic system were also wonderfully written and descriptively in-depth. It was not hard to fall deeply entranced by Sorcery of Thorns, because it reads and unfolds vividly like a live-action movie. If there is one fantasy book that you should get to this year, I highly recommend picking up Sorcery of Thorns as soon as possible.

Note: I bought this book with my own funds. I was not provided a copy of this book by the author or the publisher in an exchange for a review; I reviewed it at my own discretion.  All statements and opinions in this review are mine.

Waiting on Wednesday: An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme that highlights pre-publication/upcoming releases that readers cannot wait to get their hands on. It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Title: An Enchantment of Ravens
Author: Margaret Rogerson
Publication date: September 26, 2017
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy

Synopsis

Isobel is a prodigy portrait artist with a dangerous set of clients: the sinister fair folk, immortal creatures who cannot bake bread, weave cloth, or put a pen to paper without crumbling to dust. They crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and Isobel’s paintings are highly prized among them. But when she receives her first royal patron—Rook, the autumn prince—she makes a terrible mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes – a weakness that could cost him his life.

Furious and devastated, Rook spirits her away to the autumnlands to stand trial for her crime. Waylaid by the Wild Hunt’s ghostly hounds, the tainted influence of the Alder King, and hideous monsters risen from barrow mounds, Isobel and Rook depend on one another for survival. Their alliance blossoms into trust, then love, violating the fair folks’ ruthless Good Law. There’s only one way to save both their lives, Isobel must drink from the Green Well, whose water will transform her into a fair one—at the cost of her Craft, for immortality is as stagnant as it is timeless.

Isobel has a choice: she can sacrifice her art for a future, or arm herself with paint and canvas against the ancient power of the fairy courts. Because secretly, her Craft represents a threat the fair folk have never faced in all the millennia of their unchanging lives: for the first time, her portraits have the power to make them feel. 

Goodreads | Amazon |Barnes & Noble

1. I am in love with this cover. I love the colors. I love the raven. I love everything about it.

2. THERE ARE FAIRIES!!! I have not read an amazing fae story in a long time…and you guys, I NEED THIS BOOK AND STORY AND CHARACTERS IN MY LIFE. 

3. The synopsis sounds intriguing, dangerous, magical, and nail-biting. I have a feeling that this book is going to be words woven into the most beautiful fabric that I cannot wait to wrap myself in. PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF THE FAIR FOLK, I NEED THIS BOOK ASAP.

   Is it September, yet?!