Book Review: The Hatmakers by Tamzin Merchant

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Title:  The Hatmakers

Author: Tamzin Merchant

Illustrator: Paola Escobar

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Buy links: Book Depository - Waterstones - Amazon.co.uk - Amazon.com

Review:

In The Hatmakers we are introduced to a unique and creative magical world set in England in the past but with a difference: there are families who make magical clothes and accessories that impact the wearer. Items that can make you feel brave or calm or sleep and so many other things. Cordelia is the youngest hatmaker. Her father has gone missing and strange things start happening. With a war looming, can Cordelia find her father and work out what is going on? 

A Look At... Witchlings by Claribel A. Ortega

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Title: Witchlings
Author: Claribel A. Ortega
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Buy links: Book Depository - Waterstones - Amazon.co.uk - Amazon.com

Synopsis:

A middle grade Latine witch story with action-packed adventure, a coven of quirky Witchlings, humour and girl-power vibes.

Every year, in the magical town of Ravenskill, Witchlings who participate in the Black Moon Ceremony are placed into covens and come into their powers as full-fledged witches.

And twelve-year-old Seven Salazar can't wait to be placed in the most powerful coven with her best friend! But on the night of the ceremony, in front of the entire town, Seven isn't placed in one of the five covens. She's a Spare!

Guest Post: An Iota of Visibility

Most people don't know that I have seizure disorder. I can walk in a (quote-unquote) "normal" way and talk in a "normal" way. I can respond to social cues. When I inform people that I have a disability, they say things like "You're not in a wheelchair; you can't be disabled," or "My cousin is blind. Whatever you have isn't so bad."

I'm not wheelchair-bound and I'm not blind, thank goodness. But I do deal with seizures every single day of my life.

I get small "absence" seizures that last 1-3 seconds long. If I'm standing under bright light (like a florescent lightbulb or the sunlight), the seizures will repeat over and over. Trying to focus when this happens feels chaotic and disorienting, like trying to read while being in a wavepool. I'll slur my speech and blink my eyes rapidly. I cannot get tasks done. I'll lose my place in a conversation, forgetting what I had just said, or what has just been said to me.

Indie Showcase #3 A New Way of Story-Telling: Serialised Stories on Kindle Vella

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I recently learned about this new platform for writers. Kindle Vella, currently only US-based. Writers can publish a story in 'episodes' or chapters at a time. The first few episodes are free to read and then you can purchase Kindle tokens to read more. The writers release a new episode every week so you can essentially read a whole book on a chapter by chapter basis, much like how webcomics are released. Writers earn through reads and they also get bonuses which really help them. 

Here are a few writers who use Kindle Vella:

A Look At... The Mapmakers by Tamzin Merchant

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Title: The Mapmakers (The Hatmakers, book 2)
Author: Tamzin Merchant
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Buy links: Book Depository - Waterstones - Amazon.co.uk - Amazon.com

Synopsis:

Return to the spellbinding world of Cordelia Hatmaker in this soaring magical sequel to The Hatmakers. Perfect for fans of Nevermoor and A Pinch of Magic.

Ever since Cordelia discovered the hidden map in her father's precious telescope, she's been searching the streets of London by starlight and trying to uncover its secrets. She's sure that her missing father is out there somewhere, and that if she follows his map, she'll finally discover the truth about his disappearance.

Christmas Gift Guide: Gifts for Everyone from Waterstones

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With Christmas fast approaching and supplies running low, you may be at a loss as to what to get people for Christmas. Well, here are some really fun and cute Christmas gift ideas!

A bookish plush

I love plushies and Waterstones have a ton of plushies based on book characters, the perfect gift for any age!

Super cute Octopus plush!

A jigsaw puzzle

Waterstones have lots of different jigsaw puzzles, some based on books and others just for fun, such as this cat puzzle.

Indie Showcase #2 Books for Free or 99p/99 cents

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Authors work really hard, pouring all of themselves into creating their passion projects and achieving their dreams. One thing that I want to do is to help authors to reach a wider audience and make more sales. Something very important for all authors, is receiving reviews. Reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, Waterstones and other shop websites help authors to find even more readers. Sometimes authors will run deals such as offering their book for free or for a cheaper price so that readers can access their books and review them for others to find. In these indie showcase posts I am going to share some of these books. Please check out any books that you are interested in and leave reviews online! See other indie showcase posts on my book lists page.

A lot of indie books are free to read on Kindle Unlimited, which you can get a free trial of and then it is 9.99 a month with access to a ton of e-books so I'd definitely recommend checking that out.

If you are an author and you would like a dedicated post for your book, please check out my contact page for information on my paid spotlight posts. 

Introductions: Volume One

Free to Newsletter subscribers or 99p on Kindle.

A Look At... The Flames of Albiyon by Jean Menzies

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Title: The Flames of Albiyon
Author: Jean Menzies
Genre: Adult Fantasy Romance
Buy links: Book Depository - Waterstones - Amazon.co.uk - Amazon.com

Synopsis:

A century since the monarchy was overthrown the country of Albiyon has become a haven for its citizens, the young scholar Adairia included. Raised within the Albiyan university’s walls she has dedicated her life to the pursuit of knowledge. Preferring to hole up in the library than seek adventure elsewhere, she has grown accustomed to her comfortable routine… until the day everything changes. When she unwittingly awakens a sleeping dragon’s egg, Adairia is thrust into unfamiliar territory.

Book Review: Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch by Julie Abe

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Title: Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch
Author: Julie Abe
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Buy links: Book Depository - Waterstones - Amazon.co.uk - Amazon.com

Review:

Eva Evergreen is the daughter of an extraordinary witch but Eva herself only has a pinch of magic. Whenever she uses her magic, she loses energy and can even pass out. To become a novice witch, Eva has to travel to a city and 'do good' within a month. 

Author Shout-out: Lali A. Love

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Welcome to an author shout-out post! For more information see this thread. Check out my book spotlights index and my shout-outs page for more indie authors to read from!

Lali A. Love is an avid supporter of other writers. Lali is an award-winning author and Amazon bestseller. She has written science fiction, dark fantasy, a paranormal thriller and poetry. Lali's books are available on Indigo, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Apple Books. Let's take a look at the books!

To view all of Lali's books, check out her Amazon page or website.

Fiction

The De-Coding of Jo: Hall of Ignorance (Ascending Angel Academy Book 1)

What would you do if you accidentally discovered a holographic portal into the cosmos, in the basement of your high school's library? Would you take the leap of faith?

Ever since the fatal night her mother was taken hostage by a homicidal maniac, sixteen-year-old Jo has been plagued by debilitating nightmares. As she tries to unravel her bleak reality while attending Forest Hill Academy, a preppy co-ed private school, Jo and her friends discover a mysterious gateway into a Black Hole. Accidentally, evil is released from the portal as demonic parasites spread throughout the school. One by one they turn her classmates into an army of sleepwalkers, serving the Lord of Darkness in a sinister plot for universal domination.

When Jo is activated by the Council of Light, she discovers her mission and confronts her celestial identity, revealing the mystery of existence. With the help of her best friends and a Galactic Compass, Jo unleashes the cosmic powers of creation to prevent the Darkness from enslaving all of humanity into obscurity. Will she be able to decode the artificial system in time to save her friends and the sacred Light?

As the first book in the Ascending Angel Academy series, The De-Coding of Jo is a beautiful melding of fantasy, paranormal and science fiction with a diverse, gender inclusive cast that young adult readers can fully immerse themselves in.