Blog Tour: Walls by L.M. Elliott

Walls by L.M. Elliott

Publisher/ Year: Algonquin Younger Readers - July 27, 2021

Genre: Young Adult Historical Fiction

Source: Review copy from the publisher

 

Publisher Summary:

 

Drew is an army brat, a hotshot athlete poised to be his high school’s star pitcher, when he has to move for the sixth time in fifteen years—this time to West Berlin, where American soldiers like his dad hold an outpost of democracy against communist Russia in Hitler’s former capital. Meanwhile, in East Berlin, his cousin Matthias has grown up in the wreckage left by Allied bombing during World War II, on streets ruled by the Communist Party’s secret police.

From the opposing sides of the Cold War, Drew and Matthias begin to overcome the many ideological walls between them to become wary friends. They argue over the space race, capitalism, socialism, and even the American civil rights movement, and bond over rock ’n’ roll—music outlawed in Matthias’s part of the city. If Matthias is caught by the Stasi’s neighborhood spies with the records or books Drew has given him, he will be sent to a work camp for “re-education.” At the same time, Drew’s friendship with the East Berlin Jugend—who ardently spout communist dogma—raises suspicions about his family’s loyalty to America. As the political situation around them gets all the more dire, Drew and Matthias’s loyalty—to their sector, their countries, their families, and each other—will be tested in ways that will change their lives forever.

Set in the tumultuous year leading up to the surprise overnight raising of the Berlin Wall in August 1961, and punctuated with real-life photographs, headlines, and personalities of the time, Walls brings to vivid life the heroic and tragic choices of the Cold War.

 

My Thoughts: 

 

L.M. Elliott is a master of Young Adult Historical Fiction, and I absolutely loved this book. Drew comes across as a completely believable 1960s American teenager. 

I really enjoyed how Drew's relationship with Matthias progressed over the course of the novel. Matthias, Drew's East German cousin, gives readers a glimpse into the indoctrination East German teens received during the Soviet Era. Matthias is slow to trust and difficult to get to know for good reason.

This book takes place through one calendar year, from August 1960, when Drew and his family, newly stationed in Berlin arrive at their post until August 1961 when the Berlin Wall was erected. Although the reader knows the wall is going to be raised, it still comes across as shocking and harrowing for both the characters and the reader. Each chapter is set during one month of the year, and L.M Elliott sets the stage with historical photographs and news headlines from that month. This technique sets the stage for the story and firmly plants the reader in 1960-1961. 

 

I would recommend Walls to anyone who loves historical fiction. I also think it would be a great book for teens, especially younger teen boys, who want to learn more about the Cold War. 

 

 

Goodreads | Amazon | Audible | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

To celebrate the publication of Walls, I've brought back older blog post featuring a "Reading on a Theme" all about the Berlin Wall. Read Walls, and then if you are hungry for more historical fiction set in Cold War Germany, check out these books: 

 

I've found myself drawn to novels about The Cold War recently. This Reading on a Theme brings together five Young Adult and Middle Grade novels set during the Cold War Era. All of these books focus on the Berlin Wall from the point of view of East Germany, but they do so in a variety of ways, from the Russian who is helping to construct it, to the American child whose parents might be spies stationed behind it, to the Berliners who seek to escape it.

The Time Traveler:
On a trip to Berlin, Ellie Baum suddenly finds herself in 1988 East Berlin. Trapped in the past and behind the Berlin Wall, Ellie falls in with a resistance group that helps people escape via magical balloons. Ellie and her new friends must unravel the mystery behind her time travel, which proves to be more and more sinister with every discovery. The Girl with the Red Balloon is a fascinating combination of magic, historical fiction, and mystery. I love how Katherine Locke moves between Ellie's story and her grandfather's during WWII. The family ties made the tale so much richer for me. I want to know where else these balloonists have been secretly working. Out September 1, 2017. Review copy from NetGalley.

The KGB Agent:
In 1958 Russia, Svetlana is a resident of an orphanage for children of Enemies of the People. Sveta is also an incredibly passionate and talented ballet dancer, and she's determined to be a star of the Bolshoi Ballet, if only her family's past was not such a black mark. Seeking political redemption, Svetlana begins working with the KGB (not that she really has a choice). She has talents they find useful; talents that will help with the plan to build a wall in Berlin and stop a showdown in Cuba. Orphan, Agent, Prima, Pawn is part of Elizabeth Kiem's series following three generations of dancers in the Dukovskaya family. Svetlana's story is really where it all begins in the heart of Cold War Russia. Orphan, Agent, Prima, Pawn is out August 22, 2017. Review copy from NetGalley.


The Resistance Fighter:
Troubled teens, Molly Mavity and Pepper Yusuf, are brought together under the most unusual of circumstances. They've been told that they must solve the mystery of who killed Ava Dreyman, a teenager whose published diary is said to have brought down the Berlin Wall. Oh my, The Arsonist is such a strange and wonderful book. Told in a series of letters and journal entries written by the three main characters, the story that unfolds reveal secrets, lies, and family tragedies. Stephanie Oakes' book is masterfully constructed. I'm so impressed by the way she weaves the mystery between characters and timelines. I also love the layers of symbolism in this book. The Arsonist is out August 22, 2017.

The American Child:
Noah Keller's parents are acting really weird. When they picked him up from school they told him they were leaving for East Berlin right away so that his mother could do research for her dissertation. Then they explained the long list of rules he must follow, including going by a different name, while in Germany. Noah is pretty sure his parents aren't what they seem. This middle-grade story by Anne Nesbet of a boy behind the Iron Curtain was not exactly what I expected, but I liked it all the same. I could especially appreciate the book because in 1989, I was the same age as Noah. It was interesting to imagine myself in his shoes. Cloud and Wallfish was out September 2016.

The Deserter:
The night the Berlin Wall went up, Gerta's father and brother were in the west. With her family divided by the wall, Gerta can't seem to settle into life in East Germany. She can't help but watch the wall, despite the danger, and one day she sees her father and brother standing on a tall platform in West Berlin. They seem to have a message for her. With her brother Fritz due to report to the army in a matter of weeks, Gerta and Fritz undergo a desperate plan to escape. A Night Divided is so good. It's emotional and gripping, and I wanted so badly for it to end well, but I was so afraid that it wouldn't. Jennifer A. Nielsen did a spectacular job conveying the tense atmosphere of the German Democratic Republic. 

Blog Tour: Tweet Cute by Emma Lord

I'm so thrilled to be part of the Tweet Cute blog tour. This adorable book is out today! It's a fantastic debut from Emma Lord that is basically guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord

Publisher/ Year: Wednesday Books - January 21, 2020

Genre: YA Contemporary

Source: Review copy from the publisher

Meet Pepper, swim team captain, chronic overachiever, and all-around perfectionist. Her family may be falling apart, but their massive fast-food chain is booming — mainly thanks to Pepper, who is barely managing to juggle real life while secretly running Big League Burger’s massive Twitter account.

Enter Jack, class clown and constant thorn in Pepper’s side. When he isn’t trying to duck out of his obscenely popular twin’s shadow, he’s busy working in his family’s deli. His relationship with the business that holds his future might be love/hate, but when Big League Burger steals his grandma’s iconic grilled cheese recipe, he’ll do whatever it takes to take them down, one tweet at a time.

All’s fair in love and cheese — that is, until Pepper and Jack’s spat turns into a viral Twitter war. Little do they know, while they’re publicly duking it out with snarky memes and retweet battles, they’re also falling for each other in real life — on an anonymous chat app Jack built.

As their relationship deepens and their online shenanigans escalate — people on the internet are shipping them?? — their battle gets more and more personal, until even these two rivals can’t
ignore they were destined for the most unexpected, awkward, all-the-feels romance that neither of
them expected.

Add to Goodreads | Purchase Links

I knew I had to get my hands on Emma Lord's debut from the moment I first heard about it. Not only did it sound adorable, but it also has a bunch of elements that I'm unashamedly a complete sucker for. We've got teens with jobs, teens on the internet, and letters from strangers. I just had to see how all of these elements would come together in one book.

I have to say, Tweet Cute completely met my expectations and lives up to its title. This book is so sticking cute. First of all, I absolutely loved the relationship between Pepper and Jack. I'm all in for fictional relationships with a fair amount of snark, and these two can really deliver. I really enjoyed how this book had Jack and Pepper interacting on multiple platforms. It was fun to see how their relationship developed when they both knew with whom they were interacting and when they didn't.

But Tweet Cute isn't all fun and games, Jack and Pepper have some family issues that make this book both a little more serious and a little more meaty. Both teens are part of families with big expectations. They are trying to navigate the tricky road of being true to themselves and wanting to please the people they love. I knew that, before the end of the book, the characters would not only have to face the feelings they had for one another, but would also have to have a serious heart to heart with their respective families.

All of this takes place in the fast-paced, private school, New York setting, where the big franchise is pitted against the downtown deli. I love a good New York setting, and, as an overachiever and former high school athlete, I found Pepper's character to be very relatable.

If you like baking (or eating) desserts, if you love New York, if you are a swimmer or a diver, if you can't resist a good grilled cheese, or, if you just enjoy a cute teen romance, might I suggest Tweet Cute?

About the Author:

Emma Lord is a digital media editor and writer living in New York City, where she spends whatever time she isn’t writing either running or belting show tunes in community theater. She graduated from the University of Virginia with a major in psychology and a minor in how to tilt your computer screen so
nobody will notice you updating your fan fiction from the back row. She was raised on glitter, grilled cheese, and a whole lot of love. Her sun sign is Hufflepuff, but she is a Gryffindor rising. TWEET CUTE is her debut novel. You can find her geeking out online at @dilemmalord on Twitter.

Visit her online: Twitter | Instagram

Blog Tour: The Oddmire, Book 1: The Changling by Will Ritter

I am a big, big fan of William Ritter's Jackaby Series, and when I was asked if I would like to be part of the blog tour for the first book in his new middle-grade series set in the same world as Jackaby, I said, "Absolutely!" And let me tell you, this book is a real treat.

The Oddmire, Book One: The Changling by William Ritter

Publisher/ Year: Algonquin Young Reader - July 16, 2019

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Source: Review copy from the publisher

ABOUT THE BOOK

The first book in an action-packed fantasy adventure series featuring witches, shape-shifters, and other creatures of fairytale and folklore, including two brothers—one human and one a goblin changeling—on a life-changing quest into the Oddmire.

“Funny, exciting, and ultimately epic. Wow. I can’t wait for the next one.” —Adam Gidwitz, author of the New York Times bestseller A Tale Dark and Grimm

Magic is fading from the Wild Wood. To renew it, goblins must perform an ancient ritual involving the rarest of their kind—a newborn changeling. But when the fateful night arrives to trade a human baby for a goblin one, something goes terribly wrong. After laying the changeling in a human infant’s crib, the goblin Kull is briefly distracted from his task. By the time he turns back, the changeling has already perfectly mimicked the human child. Too perfectly: Kull cannot tell them apart. Not knowing which to bring back, he leaves both babies behind.

Tinn and Cole are raised as human twins, neither knowing what secrets may be buried deep inside one of them. Then when they are twelve years old, a mysterious message arrives, calling the brothers to be heroes and protectors of magic. The boys must leave behind their sleepy town of Endsborough and risk their lives in the Wild Wood, crossing the perilous Oddmire swamp and journeying through the Deep Dark to reach the goblin horde and discover who they truly are.

In The Oddmire 1: Changeling, the New York Times bestselling author of the Jackaby series brings to life a bold new adventure, the first in a series about monsters, magic, and mayhem.

 Goodreads | Amazon | Audible | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | The Book Depository

MY THOUGHTS

The Oddmire, Book 1: The Changling is absolutely enchanting. The best part, for me, was the relationship between Tinn and Cole. The two brothers are in it together for the long haul. They both wish for the best case scenario, not for themselves, but for their brother. I just loved reading about these twins. They are clever and kind and mischievous. It's really the best combination.

Another bright point in the novel is Tinn and Cole's mother, Annie Burton. Annie might just be my favorite character in the whole book. You know how parents tend to be absent and/or non-existent in middle-grade fantasy novels? Well, that is not the case in this book, and it is so refreshing. William Ritter demonstrates that you can send kids on adventures and have a present, fiercely devoted, and protective parent, even in a fantasy book. Annie is such a spitfire.

The magic of the Oddmire is very fun. This book feels like a traditional fairy tale where, once you go into the wood, magic is everywhere. I really liked the characters we met in the Wild Wood. Some were funny. Some were mysterious. Some were frightening. Some were all three.

Also, the book is also illustrated by the author, and I the silhouette drawings at the beginning of each chapter make the book a little extra special.

I read this book aloud to my fourth-grader, and we had such a fun time reading it together. I highly recommend sharing this book with the younger readers in your life.

BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE MY WORD FOR IT

Here's what an actually middle-grader (my fourth-grader) had to say about the book:

I think this book is kind of mysterious. I really liked the mystery in the book. I kept reading because I wanted know which brother was the goblin. I also liked the other characters, especially the ones the boys met in the Wild Woods. Those characters are both very mysterious and funny. I won't tell you much about them because I think you should meet them yourselves and be surprised. I couldn't wait to keep reading this book so that I could find out what happens next. 

And there you have it, folks. It's always fun to find books that he enjoys. We're already looking forward to reading the next book in the series together.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

William Ritter is an Oregon author and educator. He is the proud father of the two bravest boys in the Wild Wood, and husband to the indomitable Queen of the Deep Dark. The Oddmire, Book 1: Changeling is his first book for middle-grade readers. 

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

Blog Tour: The Dire King by William Ritter

I'm so thrilled to be a part of The Dire King Blog Tour, hosted by The Fantastic Flying Book Club. I jumped right on William Ritter's Jackaby Series when the first book came out four years ago, and I'm so glad. The series has brought me nothing but joy, and every year I've eagerly anticipated the next book's publication date. This week the final book in the Jackaby Series came out, and I am both thrilled to read it and a little sad that the series has come to an end. (Other books in the series featured here, here, here, and here)

Have you read the Jackaby Series? If not now's your chance to win a copy of the first book in the series and get started. Enter the Rafflecopter below for a chance.

The Dire King (Jackaby #4)

by William Ritter

Release Date: August 22nd 2017

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Historical Fiction

Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers

Synopsis: The thrilling conclusion to the New York Times best-selling series the Chicago Tribune called “Sherlock Holmes crossed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer” sends the eccentric detective and his indispensible assistant into the heart of a war between magical worlds. 

 The fate of the world is in the hands of detective of the supernatural R. F. Jackaby and his intrepid assistant, Abigail Rook. An evil king is turning ancient tensions into modern strife, using a blend of magic and technology to push Earth and the Otherworld into a mortal competition. Jackaby and Abigail are caught in the middle as they continue to solve the daily mysteries of New Fiddleham, New England — like who’s created the rend between the worlds, how to close it, and why zombies are appearing around. At the same time, the romance between Abigail and the shape-shifting police detective Charlie Cane deepens, and Jackaby’s resistance to his feelings for 926 Augur Lane’s ghostly lady, Jenny, begins to give way. Before the four can think about their own futures, they will have to defeat an evil that wants to destroy the future altogether.

The epic conclusion to the New York Times best-selling Jackaby series features sly humor and a quirky cast of unforgettable characters as they face off against their most dangerous, bone-chilling foe ever. 

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Book Depository | Kobo

The Dire King is such a fantastic conclusion to this clever series. It's always a lot of fun to be back at 926 Augur Lane with these beloved characters. The stakes are appropriately high (as in end-of-the-world high) for the grand finale, and yet, the book still feels personal, maintains its humor. But, believe me it will break your heart a little too. Oh, I'm sad to let this series go. Here's why.

Why I Love Them

1. R.F. Jackaby

R.F. Jackaby is a detective of sorts who specializes in weird and unexplained occurrences. Most of New Fiddleham thinks that Jackaby is pretty weird and barely tolerable, but its his quirk that makes him such a fun character. Jackaby is smart and clever and incredibly funny in a Sherlock Holmsian kind of way. In other words, he is 100% serious about all the weird things he says and does.

2. Abigail Rook

I seriously adore Abigail. She is a fantastic narrator, and I just love her adventurous spirit. I mean, the series starts off with Abigail running away from home because she wanted to be a paleontologist. Always plucky and resourceful, Abigail will befriend ghosts and shapeshifters and journey to Hell and the Fairy Realm. She's not your average gal.

3. Jackaby and Abigail 

Okay, as much as I love Jackaby and Abigail in their own right, what I really, really love is the two together. You don't see duos like this very often in YA literature. When I first started the series I thought that there was going to be some kind of romance between the two, but I quickly realized that Jackaby is substantially older than Abigail and this a mentorship. And I love that! Abigail and Jackaby's professional relationship is quite endearing. Also, because Abigail is scientifically minded, especially at the beginning of the series, the exchanges between these two can be rather hilarious.

4. 926 Augur Lane  

Jackaby's house is just the best! It's messy and cluttered and full of weird objects. It's home to a duck who has his own pond on the third floor and who was formerly Jackaby's assistant. Plus the house is haunted. New surprises arise at 926 in every book. It was a joy to spend so much time there in the final book.

5. Jenny Cavanaugh

Jackaby's house is really Jenny's house. She is the resident ghost, and she allows, or should I say tolerates, Jackaby's presence. The mystery behind Jenny's death ten years prior was one thing that really kept me reading because it's impossible not to like Jenny. Jenny's growth over the series is definitely one of the highlights for me.

6. New Fiddleham

The Jackaby Series is a historical urban fantasy set in the fictitious New England town of New Fiddleham (I love that name). I really like the historical aspect of the story and the way the language helps set the stage, time-frame wise.


7. The Magical Creatures
No one does mythical creatures quite like William Ritter. I love the variety of creatures and the mixture of sources from dragons, to fae, to Greek mythology. Some creatures are scary, some are clever, some are kind. And a bunch are really funny. In the last book, especially, the conflict between the magical and the humans calls attention to issues of hypocrisy, tolerance, and prejudice.


8. The Mysteries
Each book in the series has its own mystery, as well as thread of a larger story. Which, in my mind, is the ideal way to frame a series. I started to get a sense of this larger picture in book 2 and with the subsequent books we got deeper and deeper into the big problem.


9. The Humor
I have mentioned one or five times that I think these books are funny? This isn't hit-you-over-the-head funny. It's a subtle humor that has quite a bit of wit. Just my thing.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ABOUT THE JACKABY SERIES

"A little Dr. Who, a little Harry Potter, and a lot of Sherlock, New York Times bestselling author Will Ritter’s Jackaby series has thrilled YA readers with magic, mystery and adventure since the first book introduced us to a supernatural sleuth and his trusty assistant. In The Dire King: A Jackaby Novel (on sale August 22), Ritter sends the series out with a bang, with even more mystery, romance, and the most epic battle yet. We hope you’ll strongly consider prominent coverage for The Dire King--and all the Jackaby books—as we say goodbye to our crime-solving friends in New Fiddleham.

“A humorous, energetic, action-packed, and magical conclusion.”
 —Kirkus Reviews, starred review Ritter’s debut novel

Jackaby (a New York Times bestseller and 2015 Pacific Northwest Book Award winner) introduced readers to R.F. Jackaby, a quirky detective with a knack for the supernatural; Abigail Rook, his skeptical and observant assistant; Jenny Cavanaugh, the ghostly landlady of 926 Augur Lane; and Charlie Cane, a shape-shifting police officer. Beastly Bones and Ghostly Echoes followed the crime-solving team from their home in New Fiddleham to the depths of the underworld as they uncovered more clues about the evil forces behind Jenny’s murder.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

WILLIAM RITTER is an Oregon educator and author of the New York Times bestselling Jackaby series. He is the proud father of the two bravest boys in the Wild Wood, and husband to the indomitable Queen of the Deep Dark.

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

FOLLOW THE TOUR

 

Blog Tour: The Delphi Effect by Rysa Walker

Welcome to my stop on The Delphi Effect Blog Tour!

I am a crazy, huge fan of Rysa Walker's Chronos Files.The trilogy is one of my very favorite time travel stories ever, and I feel like I might have gone a little nutty over my love and subsequent endorsement of that series. In fact, when I was reading the Acknowledgments section of The Delphi Effect (what doesn't everyone read the Acknowledgments?), and Rysa thanked the bloggers who supported The Chronos Files I totally felt like she was thanking me.

Anyway, after all that love, I absolutely could not turn down the chance to promote Rysa Walker's new book. I just knew it would be great.

The Delphi Effect by Rysa Walker

Publisher / Year: Skyscape - October 11th, 2016

Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction

Source: Review copy from the publisher 

 

It’s never wise to talk to strangers…and that goes double when they’re dead. Unfortunately, seventeen-year-old Anna Morgan has no choice. Resting on a park bench, touching the turnstile at the Metro station—she never knows where she’ll encounter a ghost. These mental hitchhikers are the reason Anna has been tossed from one foster home and psychiatric institution to the next for most of her life.

When a chance touch leads her to pick up the insistent spirit of a girl who was brutally murdered, Anna is pulled headlong into a deadly conspiracy that extends to the highest levels of government. Facing the forces behind her new hitcher’s death will challenge the barriers, both good and bad, that Anna has erected over the years and shed light on her power’s origins. And when the covert organization seeking to recruit her crosses the line by kidnapping her friend, it will discover just how far Anna is willing to go to bring it down.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible | Indiebound | The Book Depository

 

Seventeen-year old Anna Morgan has more than her fair share of problems. A foster kid for as long as she can remember, all she wants is to bide her time until she's released from the system and make sure her foster brother, Deo, stays out of trouble too. If only life could be that simple.

You see, Anna has this other little problem: she picks up ghosts. When Anna touches something that a ghost loved, she opens herself up to sharing her mind with an incorporeal visitor.

Her current hitchhiker, Molly, is a particularly insistent companion. She wants Anna to contact her grandfather, a former policeman, and give him the information he needs to find her killer.

Convincing someone that you are carrying a ghost around inside your head is no easy task, and it lands Anna in quite a bit of trouble. The silver lining to all of this is that she meets some other kids who have some pretty fascinating talents themselves. Aaron and Taylor were definitely bright spots in this spooky tale.

Rysa Walker tells a good story. This one is action packed from the very beginning, and I really liked the whole conspiracy angle. Anna is a fantastic narrator. She's has a maturity that I think fits nicely with all that she's been through. I loved her relationship with Deo, and I think the developing friendships with Aaron and Taylor are also handled well.

Every October I like to find myself some spooky books for the Halloween season, and The Delphi Effect would be a perfect addition to a Halloween reading list. As if picking up ghosts wasn't creepy enough, things get even weirder as Anna discovers more about her abilities and the covert organization that seeks to exploit people like her.

Another thing that was an added bonus for me as I was reading this book is that it is set in Maryland, and I live in Maryland. I love it when I get to read a book that is set close to home. In The Delphi Effect, the characters spend a good amount of time driving around Maryland, and it just made my nerdy little heart so happy because I knew where they were.

I'm definitely going to continue on with this series. That ending is not one that you are going to want to leave sitting. In fact, I already have plans to audiobook the next in the series because the narrator is Kate Rudd (you might know her voice from a little audiobook called The Fault in Our Stars), and she did such a fantastic job with The Chronos Files.

The Delphi Trilogy has so much potential, and I'm thrilled (but not at all surprised) that Rysa Walker has delivered another fantastic book.




a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author: 

Rysa Walker is the author of the bestselling CHRONOS Files series. Timebound, the first book in the series, was the Young Adult and Grand Prize winner of the 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. Rysa grew up on a cattle ranch in the South, where she was a voracious reader. On the rare occasions when she gained control of the television, she watched Star Trek and imagined living in the future, on distant planets, or at least in a town big enough to have a stoplight. She currently lives in North Carolina, where she is working on the next installment in The Delphi Trilogy. If you see her on social media, please tell her to get back to her Writing Cave.

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

 

 

 

Follow The Delphi Effect Blog Tour 

 

 

 

Blog Tour: The Swan Riders by Erin Bow | Review + Giveaway

I'm excited to be today's stop on The Swan Riders Blog Tour. Last fall I read The Scorpion Rules, the first book in Erin Bow's post-apocalyptic series. I loved The Swan Riders even more than the first book. I'm kind of still reeling from its beauty even now. 

We are giving away 3 finished copies of The Swan Riders. Enter the giveaway below, follow the tour, and read why I loved this book so much. However, be aware that there are spoilers for the first book in my review. Believe me, they could not be avoided.

The Swan Riders by Erin Bow

Series: The Prisoners of Peace

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books 

Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction 

Source: Review copy from the publisher

Out:  September 20th, 2016

Greta Stuart had always known her future: die young. She was her country's crown princess, and also its hostage, destined to be the first casualty in an inevitable war. But when the war came it broke all the rules, and Greta forged a different path.

She is no longer princess. No longer hostage. No longer human. Greta Stuart has become an AI.

If she can survive the transition, Greta will earn a place alongside Talis, the AI who rules the world. Talis is a big believer in peace through superior firepower. But some problems are too personal to obliterate from orbit, and for those there are the Swan Riders: a small band of humans who serve the AIs as part army, part cult.

Now two of the Swan Riders are escorting Talis and Greta across post-apocalyptic Saskatchewan. But Greta’s fate has stirred her nation into open rebellion, and the dry grassland may hide insurgents who want to rescue her – or see her killed. Including Elian, the boy she saved—the boy who wants to change the world, with a knife if necessary. Even the infinitely loyal Swan Riders may not be everything they seem.

Greta’s fate—and the fate of her world—are balanced on the edge of a knife in this smart, sly, electrifying adventure.

Goodreads | Amazon | Audible | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | The Book Depository 

Last year I fell in love with two sentient Artificial Intelligences. The first was Talis, the AI who rules the world in Erin Bow's post-apocalyptic Prisoners of Peaces series. Talis and the other AIs were my absolute favorite part of the first book in the series, The Scorpion Rules. Talis is enigmatic, scary, and weirdly fascinating. In many ways he is a complete contradiction. He's a robot but he has a bit of humanity. He's a machine but also nearly a god. He's all powerful but not invincible. He has his own set of (questionable) morals. (The other AI I fell for last year, by the way, was AIDAN from Illuminae.)

At the end of The Scorpion Rules Greta casts her lot with the AI which means additional challenges and danger for her, but it also meant that in the sequel I would be able to spend all my time with the AI. Sorry Greta, but I couldn't be happier.

The Swan Riders begins just after The Scorpion Rules left off. Greta is now an AI, and she must travel with Talis and two of his Swan Riders back to Talis's headquarters in the Red Mountains. It is a very dangerous journey, both because of Greta's precarious state as a new AI and because the events of The Scorpion Rules have inspired outright rebellion. 

I was completely floored by The Swan Riders. I liked it so much. Basically, The Swan Riders built upon all the things that I loved most about the first book in the series. (Namely the AI and all their complexities.) Although, let me issue a warning: If Greta's relationship with Xie was your favorite thing about The Scorpion Rules you should go in knowing there's not going to be much progress there. Personally, every once in a while I find it really refreshing to read a book where romance is not a major player, and, in The Swan Riders it's much more realistic to set that relationship on the back burner now that Greta is an AI. 

The Swan Riders, from which this book takes its name, are the young people who serve Talis. They are part army and part cult. I found them to be quite fascinating, and the Swan Riders we got to know well over the course of the novel burrowed their way into my heart.

I have always loved Erin Bow's writing style. She writes with a lovely smooth cadence that I find so soothing. This is not a fast-paced story, but a slower pace has never put me off a book, and believe me there are many surprises.

Finally, The Swan Riders is glorious complicated. The enigma of the AI is only intensified in this second installment. The line between human and machine becomes even fuzzier. All the relationships in this novel are extremely complex. There are so many levels of love and devotion and what exactly that means when one is dedicated to a godlike AI. Honestly, some of it was so heartbreaking. I was quietly wiping away tears at the end of this book.



a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

Tour Schedule:

Week 1:

9/12: Fangs and Fur Fantasy Book Review - Review

9/13: The Cover Contessa - Guest Post

9/14: Live to Read - Review

9/15: Such A Novel Idea - Q&A

9/16: Intellectual Recreation - Review

Week 2:

9/19: Novel Ink - Q&A

9/20: The Story Sanctuary - Review

9/21: Book Stacks Amber - Playlist

9/22: Lisa Loves Literature - Review

9/23: A Backwards Story - Q&A

 

ABOUT ERIN BOW:
 

Hi! My name is Erin Bow -- physicist turned poet turned author of young adult novels that will make you cry on the bus. I'm a white girl, forty-something, feminist, geeky enough to do the Vulcan salute with both hands -- in public. I live in Canada. I love to cook, hate to clean, and yes, I do own a cat.

In the beginning, I was a city girl from farm country -- born in Des Moines and raised in Omaha -- where I was fond of tromping through wood lots and reading books by flashlight. In high school I captained the debate team, founded the math club, and didn't date much.

In university I studied particle physics and worked briefly at the European Centre for Nuclear Research (CERN) near Geneva, Switerland. Physics was awesome, but graduate school kind of sucked, and, at some point, I remembered that I wanted to write books. 

Books: I have six of them -- three novels, two volumes of poetry, and a memoir (the poetry under my maiden name, Erin Noteboom). My poetry has won the CBC Canadian Literary Award and several other awards. My two novels, Plain Kate and Sorrow's Knot, also have a fistful of awards, including Canada's top award for children's literature: the TD. The third novel, The Scorpion Rules, still faces its award season. No one read the memoir.

Right now I'm looking forward to the publication of my fourth novel, a companion piece to The Scorpion Rules called The Swan Riders, which will be out September 20th from Simon & Schuster. I'm at work on an entirely different novel and a book of poetry about science. 

Did you notice I got to Canada in there somewhere? Yeah, that was true love. I'm married to a Canadian boy, James Bow, who also writes young adult novels. We have two small daughters, both of whom want to be scientists.   

Visit Erin Bow Online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Goodreads