Guest Blog & Giveaway: Sunroper by Natalie J. Damschroder

UFI welcomes Natalie J. Damschroder Author of The Goddess Rising series. Thanks for Joining us!!

Heroic Traits in Goddesses

 

A while ago, I joined author MJ Fredrick in an event called The Month of the Hero. We took turns exploring heroic traits in some of our favorite heroes on TV, in the movies, and in books. Of course, most of these traits are what make our female main characters heroic, too, so I thought it would be a good way to close out my blog tour for Sunroper (book 3 in the Goddesses Rising trilogy) with a similar exploration. So here are five heroic traits, as embodied both in the goddesses of my fictional world and in five of my favorite TV and movie heroines.

1. Belief

A heroic journey usually has to start with belief. The heroine must believe in what’s happening, or believe in herself, or believe in the cause. 

Belief plays a huge role in the TV show Sleepy Hollow. When Abbie was a kid, she saw a demon and denied it, tried not to believe in it. That damaged her relationship with her sister and ruined a lot of her life. So when she saw a headless horseman kill her boss and father figure she was a little more inclined to go with things. That belief—especially in herself—grows stronger every episode. 

In Heavy Metal, the second book in the Goddesses Rising trilogy, belief is difficult for Riley. Her whole life, she thought goddesses weren’t real. That they were shysters or worse. Even when her powers grow strong enough that she can no longer deny them, she has trouble believing she belongs in the Society.

2. Courage

Of course, at whatever level a heroine’s journey exists—save the world or save her heart—she has to have courage. Courage to trust, to accept help, to be independent, or to face demons and dangers. 

One of my favorite examples of courage is Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) in the movie Aliens. The very best line in any movie, IMO, is when Ripley gets into the robotic forklift, steps out of the bay, and says to the mama alien menacing Newt, “Get away from her, you bitch!” 

All of my goddess heroines have to have courage, but Marley has a really hard time finding it. She puts on a brave face after she screws up, but things just keep getting worse, helplessness and self-blame crushing her self-esteem. It takes a new purpose to turn that around, but still, in Sunroper she has more courage when her life is on the line than when her heart is.

3. Protectiveness

This trait can often be the one that prods a reluctant heroine on the path to the battle. Saving the world is sometimes too abstract. When a heroine’s loved ones are in danger, well, that’s when the ferocity takes over. 

Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor in Terminator 2 takes this trait to extremes. She wants to change the future destined for her son, but everything she does makes things in the present worse. She pushes her son away with her rules and her hovering and her paranoia, and even winds up in an institution. How can she protect him from there? 

Protectiveness is what drives Quinn, the heroine of Under the Moon, to go after the leech in the first place. Some might think being a target herself is the driving force, but it’s really her need to make sure no more of her fellow goddesses is harmed.

4. Compassion

A softer trait, compassion is vital for keeping a tough, courageous, protective, ferocious heroine from being too hard and unlikeable. She has to care about the people around her—what they’re feeling, what they need. 

This is the trait that makes Audrey in the TV show Haven so fantastic. She really wants to help the people who are Troubled, even when their weird issues hurt or kill others. This core trait is also what makes the recent season finale so painful for us who watch the show. (I won’t spoil it, but she’s become the opposite of what we know her to be.) 

Compassion is the reason Quinn works for three years to return the stolen power to the leeched goddesses, the reason she’s willing to suffer as Marley’s leeched energy turns poisonous inside her. Compassion is also why Marley secretly tries to take down a rogue goddess by herself.

5. Loyalty

This is the ultimate heroic trait, in some ways. It keeps heroes and heroines going when things seem hopeless. It keeps teams together when that means sacrifice and pain. 

Nikita is all about loyalty. When she turned around and began taking Division down, one of her goals was to rescue those inside who had been made, like her. Over the course of the show, she has others who are loyal to her in return, and that web of loyalty is why they achieve success. 

Loyalty is what brings together Quinn and Riley and Marley for the final battle in Sunroper, too. It’s what ties their heroes to them, and it’s also why their job is so hard. Because loyalty isn’t just a heroic trait—the bad guys have it, too. 

Your turn! Tell me your favorite heroines and what their defining heroic traits are. And if the Goddesses Rising sound like your kind of books, here’s where you can get them:

* Under the Moon by Natalie J. Damschroder , the first book in the Goddesses Rising trilogy, is on sale for just 99 cents from 12/26 to 1/8.*

This is a great opportunity to start the trilogy (book three, Sunroper release Dec 31)

http://www.amazon.com/Under-Goddesses-Rising-Natalie-Damschroder-ebook/dp/B009G1X1Z0/

 
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 Natalie J. Damschroder writes high-stakes romantic adventure, sometimes with a paranormal bent. She's published ten novels, seven novellas, and fourteen short stories, many of them exploring magical abilities, but all with a romantic core.

She currently lives in Pennsylvania with her perfect partner of a husband and two amazing daughters. Learn more about her at her website.

Find Natalie and her books

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

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Sunroper
Goddess Rising #3
Amazon Barnes and Noble

 Marley Canton is done being a victim. A year and a half has passed since she discovered her ability to nullify power in those who aren’t supposed to have it. She’s now on a quest not only to stop the brats who’ve become addicted to goddess power, but also to find the source of their addiction.

Like Marley, Gage Samargo is tracking down the goddess who went rogue decades ago. Insane with too much power from the sun, she’s selling that energy to Gage’s younger brother and his friends, who are no longer content to come into power naturally. While they work to find a way to neutralize the goddess, Marley discovers that every time she nullifies someone, she takes on some of the goddess’s insanity.

Gage falls for Marley’s sharp wit and intense desire to right wrongs. But once he discovers she’s turning into her enemy, is it too late to back away?

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Week in Review: 1/5-1/11

Books Ive Bought/received

* Fury of the Demon by Diana Rowland- Purchased at BN

* Night Broken by Patricia Brigs- eARC- Publisher

* Killer Frost by Jennifer Estep- eARC- Netgalley

* Wild Things by Chloe Neill- ARC- Publisher

* Archetype by MD Waters- eARC- Edelweiss

* Love at Stake by Victoria Davies- eARC- Publisher

* Haunt Me by Heather Long- eARC- Publisher

Books I Read

Repossessed by Shawntelle Madison
Fury of the Demon by Diana Rowland
Night Broken by Patricia Briggs
Wild Things by Chloe Neill

Reviews Posted

Black Arts by Faith Hunter
Beg Me to Slay by Lisa Kessler
The Offering by Kimberly Derting

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* New Releases for the week. Was there anything you were looking forward to reading?

* Monday- Interview and Giveaway for Black Arts by Faith Hunter

* Wednesday- Interview and Giveaway for The Grendel Affair by Lisa Shearin

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* Did you know you can follow UFI on these other sites?

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You can also add me (as in Stacy) to your friends on these sites if you're on them.

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 * I love comments so if you see something you like (or not) please comment away and let me know.

Guest Blog: Witch's Bounty by Ann Gimpel

UFI welcomes Ann Gimpel Author of Witch's Bounty. Thanks for Joining us!!

Musings on the Paranormal Genre
 
I believe in paranormal phenomena. I actually believe it’s a prerequisite for anyone writing fiction with paranormal elements.

Let me kick this off by sharing one of my experiences. About twenty years ago, I was living in Shingletown, California, a small community a few miles east of Redding.  I took a shortcut one morning on back mountain roads to drive to Burney where I was scheduled to do a radio broadcast. Coming down Highway 44, the steering wheel of my Volkswagen Rabbit ripped its way to the stops. My car spun a few times and slammed into a snow bank leaving me shaken. I looked at the clock: 7:58 A.M. I hadn’t been speeding. The pavement was bare and dry. I was worried I’d developed a mechanical problem in the steering mechanism, but when I fired up the car and drove the rest of the way to my destination, it didn’t misbehave. I found out later that day a very, very close friend of mine—basically the brother I never had—died at exactly 7:56 that morning. I figured Don was trying to take me with him.

I’ve had other experiences over the years that defy rational explanations. I’ve also had many, many patients over my long years as a therapist relate fantastic events. One of the reasons I was drawn to Jungian dream work is its emphasis on the paranormal. It’s not widely known, but Jung was a mystic. Before he’d accept a patient, he insisted they have their astrological chart done. He’d look at his chart next to theirs (synastry) and decide whether he could work with them.

Dreams speak to us in symbols. But it goes far deeper than that. Symbols have archetypal value; they’re also unique to the dreamer. So, for example, snakes in my dreams might mean something entirely different than snakes in yours. This is why “kitchen table” dream books that list symbols and their meanings are less than useless.

I had a bad climbing fall once. Fortunately, I wasn’t injured beyond contusions that started with my forehead, extended to a very black eye, and covered one arm and both legs. It took a couple of months for the bruising to totally resolve. At one point, I dreamed I was standing by myself in the middle of an empty plain. It was twilight. A phalanx of snakes slithered toward me from every direction. They crawled up my body and wound around me. In the morning, I felt like I’d turned a corner and was well on the way to having my body mend.  In my dream, snakes were a positive factor. In many of my clients’ dreams, they’ve been portents of disaster. That’s what I mean by symbolism in dreams being unique to the dreamer. Interestingly, when I told my own analyst the dream, he clucked at me, went to a closet, and drew out a painting. It was an almost exact depiction of my dream, except instead of snakes, it was sea serpents swimming toward the central figure. One of his other patients had painted it years before. That would be a good launching point for a discussion of the Collective Unconscious, but this blog post isn’t the place for that.

If you pay attention to your dreams, over time you learn the language unique to your psyche. Years ago, Marie Louise Von Franz and Fraser Boa made a movie called the Way of the Dream. It’s available on You Tube. If you’re truly interested in Jungian dream work, this is a must see. It’s clearly dated since it was made in 1995, but Von Franz was Jung’s primary disciple. She joined Jung an analysand when she was 18 and never left. Oh, she attended college and graduate school, but she lived all her life at Bollingen, Jung’s retreat in Switzerland.

This blog post is long enough. I usually like to cap them at 500 words. If you have any questions about Jung or dream analysis, I’d be glad to try to answer them. I’d also love to hear about your paranormal experiences. Really, I would.

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Ann Gimpel is a mountaineer at heart. Recently retired from a long career as a psychologist, she remembers many hours at her desk where her body may have been stuck inside four walls, but her soul was planning yet one more trip to the backcountry. Around the turn of the last century (that would be 2000, not 1900!), she managed to finagle moving to the Eastern Sierra, a mecca for those in love with the mountains. It was during long backcountry treks that Ann’s writing evolved. Unlike some who see the backcountry as an excuse to drag friends and relatives along, Ann prefers solitude. Stories always ran around in her head on those journeys, sometimes as a hedge against abject terror when challenging conditions made her fear for her life, sometimes for company. Eventually, she returned from a trip and sat down at the computer. Three months later, a five hundred page novel emerged. Oh, it wasn’t very good, but it was a beginning. And, she learned a lot between writing that novel and its sequel.

Around that time, a friend of hers suggested she try her hand at short stories. It didn’t take long before that first story found its way into print and they’ve been accepted pretty regularly since then. One of Ann’s passions has always been ecology, so her tales often have a green twist.

In addition to writing, Ann enjoys wilderness photography. She lugs pounds of camera equipment in her backpack to distant locales every year. A standing joke is that over ten percent of her pack weight is camera gear which means someone else has to carry the food! That someone is her husband. They’ve shared a life together for a very long time. Children, grandchildren and three wolf hybrids round out their family.

Find Ann and her books

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

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Witch's Bounty
The Witch Chronicles #1

A demon-stalking witch teams up with a Sidhe, but their combined power, never mind their love, may be too late to make a difference.

One of only three remaining demon-stalking witches, Colleen is almost the last of her kind. Along with her familiar, a changeling spirit, she was hoping for a few months of quiet, running a small magicians’ supply store in Fairbanks, Alaska. Peace isn’t in the cards, though. Demons are raising hell in Seattle. She’s on her way out the door to help, when a Sidhe shows up and demands she accompany him to northern England to quell a demon uprising there.

Duncan swallowed uneasy feelings when the Sidhe foisted demon containment off onto the witches two hundred years before. He’s annoyed when the Sidhe leader sends him to haul a witch across the Atlantic to bail them out. Until he sees the witch in question. Colleen is unquestionably the most beautiful woman he’s ever laid eyes on. Strong and gutsy, too. When she refuses to come with him, because she’s needed in Seattle, he immediately offers his assistance. Anything to remain in her presence.

Colleen can’t believe how gorgeous the Sidhe is, but she doesn’t have time for such nonsense. She, Jenna, and Roz are the only hedge Earth has against being overrun by Hell’s minions. Even with help from a powerful magic wielder like Duncan, the odds aren’t good and the demons know it. Sensing victory is within their grasp, they close in for the kill.

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Review & Giveaway: Black Arts by Faith Hunter

Black Arts

Author: Faith Hunter

Release Date: January 7, 2014

Publisher: Roc

Jane Yellowrock Book #7

ISBN:   0451465245

ISBN13: 9780451465245

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Review Copy Source: Publisher 

Jane Yellowrock is a shape-shifting skinwalker who always takes care of her own—no matter the cost...

When Evan Trueblood blows into town looking for his wife, Molly, he’s convinced that she came to see her best friend, Jane. But it seems like the witch made it to New Orleans and then disappeared without a trace.

Jane is ready to do whatever it takes to find her friend. Her desperate search leads her deep into a web of black magic and betrayal and into the dark history between vampires and witches. But the closer she draws to Molly, the closer she draws to a new enemy—one who is stranger and more powerful than any she has ever faced.

When you see a new Jane Yellowrock book you know that you will get a lot of action, plenty of drama, hot and difficult men and lots of fun along the way. BLACK ARTS brings us some of our favorite characters all in one book. When Evan Trueblood shows up looking for his wife, Jane immediately goes on the hunt. Little does she know that more will go missing, there will be an attempt on her life and change will happen along the way.

I think BLACK ARTS is one of my favorite installments in the series so far. There's no doubt that a lot has happened since book 1, new friends have come in and out of the picture, Jane has learned more about her self and the people around her and the power structure in New Orléans seems to be constantly in flux. Jane always manages to intrigue and entertain me. Beast is a constant companion that I couldn't imagine not being there. The relationship drama is KILLING me. I so just want her to have a GOOD man and I know she doesn't need one but she has so many yummy choices I just can't help it. There is a hard part for Jane in this book regarding Rick and I cant help but be thankful he might be out of the picture for good now. I know she loves him but I was getting a little sick of his in her life/ out of her life storyline.

I really enjoyed having Evan and the kids in the picture. I know Jane missed them like crazy and I love their soft to her hard. I know Jane and Evan have had a really rocky relationship but I cant help but think that will be forever changed after BLACK ARTS.

Faith Hunter has no problems with world building and keeping a story flowing. Each book seems to get better and better and having each book have its own main conflict really helps you feel satisfied bu the end. With Jane Yellowrock you can never know what you might get and I look forward to book 8. There should be some nice changes in store for us.

I gave it 5/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

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Review: Beg Me to Slay by Lisa Kessler

Beg Me To Slay

Author: Lisa Kessler

Release Date: December 30, 2013

Publisher: Entangled Covet

ASIN:  B00H0UT5UO

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Review Copy Source: Publisher

He’ll slay her demons, but it may cost her heart…

Four years ago Tegan Ashton was attacked. Determined never to be a victim again, she devotes her life to martial arts and self-defense. When her assailant returns to finish what he started, only one person can help her.

Gabe is a private investigator by day and demon slayer by night. After losing loved ones, he vows to defend people from a threat they don’t realize exists.

The relationship is supposed to be strictly business, but fighting demons together stirs up emotions they never expected. Turns out demon slaying is a breeze compared to facing their scarred pasts and even worse - hearts.

I recently discovered Lisa Kessler's books and have enjoyed everything that I have read so far. When I got the notification for BEG ME TO SLAY I had no doubt I would enjoy it and I wasn't disappointed.

When Tegan sees her attacker on video killing another woman she calls the police. They didn't believe her so she took things into her own hands and found a private investigator. Gabe is nothing like she thought he would be and neither of them know that their fates were tied together many years ago. 

After Tegan survived her attack she pretty much vowed she would never be a victim again. After 4 years she is now a black belt and runs her own dojo. She knows how to protect herself and when Gabe insists on acting as her bodyguard she makes it clear to him that she can protect herself. Gabe isn't your normal PI, he also slays demons, and it doesn't hurt that he is super easy on the eyes. Both characters were pretty interesting on their own but together they really bring the story together. We find out that Tegan's family history might be the reason for her attack and her surviving all those years ago and we also watch as Gabe lets his walls downs and learns to care about someone again. The relationship is anything but smooth but watching them find themselves in each other was great. 

BEG ME TO SLAY was suitably fast paced and filled with action like Kessler's other books. The world has plenty of unique points and there are even some great lessons stuck between the pages. My favorite character besides the couple? Tegan's Dad! I'm glad I read this and I'm positive you will be too. 

I gave it 4/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Interview & Giveaway: The Grendel Affair by Lisa Shearin

UFI welcomes Author Lisa Shearin. Thanks for Joining us!!

What can you tell my readers about yourself that they might not know from looking on your bio or reading in another interview?
 
I adore funky, non-precious gemstone, or ethnic jewelry. My husband probably believes I need to be on a 12-step program. I also have an addiction to purses and briefcases. I really shouldn’t be turned loose in the purse section at TJ Maxx without a chaperone—who should also have my charge card—and the ability to keep me from taking it from them by force.

What do you enjoy doing on your downtime?
 
Downtime? What’s downtime? Well, I do have this thing called “forced downtime,” in which I make time for those pesky life things that get in the way of writing: husband, family, friends, dogs, reading, and sleep. Eating isn’t included since I can do that while writing. In fact, I’m doing it right now.

What is your Favorite part of writing? 
 
Unlike many writers, I prefer the rewriting/editing part of writing a book. For me, the first draft is the necessary evil that I have to get through to reach the part I really enjoy. Once I have the entire story down in rough draft form, that’s when I can start to play and have fun; because at that point, I’ve got something to work with.


Do you have any certain routines you must follow as you write?
 
I write all of my first drafts in longhand, with a fountain pen (bottle fed, not ink cartridges), in journals. My routine is to write at least 1500 words a day, which will give me the rough draft equivalent of two chapters a week. On the weekends is when I type what I’ve written into my computer, making edits as I go. I’ve found that I can’t compose on a computer. My creative brain responds better to the feel of a pen on paper. I’m also a rabid fountain pen collector, both modern and vintage. Needless to say, I love me some eBay, flea markets, and antique shops—which is also another favorite downtime activity.

What are some of your Favorite books or Authors in the Urban Fantasy/ Paranormal Genres?
 
I cut my novel-writing teeth in the 80s on the books of David Eddings, Raymond Feist, and Terry Brooks. My favorite UF authors now are Jim Butcher, Rob Thurman, and Ilona Andrews. I love reading thrillers that have a hint of the paranormal: The Agent Pendergast series by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child, the Event Group books by David Golemon, and everything by James Rollins or Jeremy Robinson. My TBR stack is insanely big. Actually, it’s a TBR bookcase.

How would you pitch The Grendel Affair to someone who has not heard of it before?
 
What would happen if Stephanie Plum went to work for the Men in Black?

Can you tell us a little bit about the world that The SPI Files Series is set in? 
 
Since SPI is a worldwide organization, it seemed natural for me to put their global headquarters in New York. And if supernatural creatures wanted to be among humans, but concealed in the crowds, New York seemed to me to be the perfect choice. But why did supernatural beings come to our world/dimension in the first place? They want the same things as the rest of us: a good job, nice house, 2.5 kids/spawn, and a dog. The others? Well, their powers are stronger here, their greed is bigger, and any treaties or bindings that might have made them behave back home don’t mean squat here. They don’t just want their slice of the American Dream; they want the whole freaking pie, and they don’t care what they have to do, who they have to kill, or how many city blocks they have to level to get what they want.

That’s why we’re here.

Someone has to even the odds.

We’re Supernatural Protection & Investigations.

Do you have a favorite scene in The Grendel Affair?
 
There’s a scene set in Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery where Mac is on a tractor/snowplow pursuing an elderly hired assassin who looks like the queen of England and is driving a Buick.

Which character was your favorite to write about? What about the hardest to write about?
 
As with my Raine Benares books, some of my favorite characters have been members of the “supporting cast.” Two of my favs from The Grendel Affair are Yasha Kazakov and Kenji Hayashi. Here’s the intro copy for them from the book from Mac’s POV:

Yasha was one of SPI’s drivers and trackers. In a city where at any given time there were more upernatural baddies than available parking spaces, having a reliable drop-off and pick-up guy was a necessity. Even better was one who had no problem with turning a rampaging monster into a hood ornament. And should a simple collar turn into a cluster, Yasha was always more than happy to take the fight beyond the driver’s seat— especially during the full moon.

Yasha Kazakov was a werewolf.

Kenji Hayashi was SPI’s resident tech geek. He was also an elf. I didn’t know if he was half elf/ half Japanese human or all Japanese elf. Heck, I didn’t even know Japan had elves, and I didn’t know Kenji well enough yet to ask. Some supernaturals could be even more sensitive and PC about those things than humans. Multi-cultural was one thing. But multi-​species? Not sticking my foot in my mouth would be next to impossible, so I had kept it shut on that topic.

What I knew for sure was that if information was buried deeper than a politician’s past or encrypted six ways from Sunday, Kenji was the go-to guy to dig it out and make it sing. During his in-office hours, he was surrounded by computer screens directing teams of monster-hunting agents. He did exactly the same thing in his off-duty time, only then it was called gaming. Not being a gaming, anime, or comic aficionado, I didn’t recognize most of the figures and toys on every exposed surface in Kenji’s workspace, but there were two that I did—a foot-tall Godzilla complete with glowing red eyes, gripping a headless Jar Jar Binks action figure. The head was in Godzilla’s mouth. It was my favorite.

I really enjoyed the Raine Benares Series. How was writing about Makenna different than writing about Raine?
 
Growing up in a family of pirates, Raine was a trained fighter both hand-to-hand and with various weapons. Makenna Fraser is a small-town girl from the North Carolina mountains who is now living and working in New York. While one of her 16^th birthday presents was a shotgun (the other was a muscle car), she’s used to hunting things that she intends to eat—not defending herself against things that intend to eat her.

What Other Projects can we look forward to reading from you?
 
A lot of my readers have told me that they miss Tam from my Raine Benares books. I miss Tam, too. Once I put the second SPI Files book to bed (The Dragon Conspiracy, which I’m writing now), I intend to write an e-novella of events that were hinted at in Magic Lost, Trouble Found, but never explored—how exactly did Raine and Tam meet, and what happened when they did? And bear in mind that this story happens pre-Mychael—so anything goes. ; )

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Contrary to popular belief, most authors do have day jobs just like everyone else. Lisa’s happily freelancing for an advertising agency as an editor and proofreader. In her previous corporate life, she’s been a magazine editor, advertising copywriter, and writer of corporate marketing materials of every description.

Lisa is the national bestselling author of The Raine Benares novels, a series of six comedic fantasy adventures. Her next series—The SPI Files—is an urban fantasy that’s been described as Stephanie Plum meets Men in Black. It will debut on December 31, 2013.

Lisa is a voracious collector of fountain pens both vintage and modern. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, two spoiled-rotten retired racing greyhounds, and a Jack Russell Terrier who rules them all.

Find Lisa and her books

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

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The Grendel Affair
SPI Files #1

We’re Supernatural Protection & Investigations, known as SPI. Things that go bump in the night, the monsters you thought didn’t exist? We battle them and keep you safe. But some supernatural baddies are just too big to contain, even for us…

When I moved to New York to become a world famous journalist, I never imagined that snagging a job at a seedy tabloid would change my career path from trashy reporter to undercover agent. I’m Makenna Fraser, a Seer for SPI. I can see through any disguise, shield, or spell that a paranormal pest can come up with. I track down creatures and my partner, Ian Byrne, takes them out—usually saving my skin in the process.

Our cases are generally pretty routine, but a sickle-wielding serial killer has been prowling the city’s subway tunnels. And the murderer’s not human. The fiend in question, a descendant of Grendel—yes, that Grendel—shares his ancestor’s hatred of parties, revelry, and drunkards. And with New Year’s Eve in Times Square only two days away, we need to bag him quickly. Because if we don’t find him—and the organization behind him—by midnight, our secret’s out and everyone’s time is up.

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Review: The Offering by Kimberly Dering

The Offering

Author: Kimberly Derting

Release Date: December 31, 2013

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

The Pledge Book #3

ISBN:   1442445629

ISBN13: 9781442445628

Genre: YA/Dystopian

Review Copy Source: Edelweiss

True love—and world war—is at stake in the conclusion to The Pledge trilogy, a dark and romantic blend of dystopia and fantasy.
Charlie, otherwise known as Queen Charlaina of Ludania, has become comfortable as a leader and a ruler. She’s done admirable work to restore Ludania’s broken communications systems with other Queendoms, and she’s mastered the art of ignoring Sabara, the evil former queen whose Essence is alive within Charlie. Or so she thinks.

When the negotiation of a peace agreement with the Queendom of Astonia goes awry, Charlie receives a brutal message that threatens Ludania, and it seems her only option is to sacrifice herself in exchange for Ludanian freedom.

But things aren’t always as they seem. Charlie is walking into a trap—one set by Sabara, who is determined to reclaim the Queendoms at any cost.

This series has beautiful covers! THE OFFERING is the third and last installment of The Pledge series. We have watched Charlie go from a resident of the vendor sector to Queen. We have watched her fall in love. We have watched her struggle and try to find her way with Sabara hitching a ride in her body. We have witnessed the loyalty of her family, friends and allies as well as their struggles alongside their Queen. THE OFFERING brings everything to a close and gave me an ending that left me satisfied and excited about the future of Ludania.

There's no doubt that Charlie has been through a lot. Watching her grow and evolve into the Queen she is in THE OFFERING was equally hard and joyous. The care that she has for Ludania and the Ludanian people is first in her mind and the willingness to do anything to free them shows a lot about the person she has become. The only book in the series that we get a lot of Charlie/Max time was THE PLEDGE but you can see how much they have grown as a couple and the love they share along the way. I would have liked to see more of them together in THE OFFERING but there were bigger issues to deal with. There has been a rift in some of Charlies relationships and it was nice to see those play out. The supporting characters of the series were as much of a part of my enjoyment from the beginning as the story itself. 

There were a few parts in the series that I could have done without, a few parts in THE OFFERING that were a bit slow but overall I really enjoyed it. I am looking forward to seeing what Kimberly Derting will do next!

I gave it 4/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.