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Check out my review of THE ORPHAN QUEEN by Jodi Meadows, the first part of the duology that concludes with THE MIRROR KING!
Haven't heard of Jodi Meadows before?
I've previously reviewed all the books in her NewSoul trilogy, INCARNATE and ASUNDER, the novella PHOENIX OVERTURE, and co-reviewed INFINITE with Kat.
(And, slightly off-topic, but you can also see some of Jodi Meadows' fairy tale recommendations in an awesome guest post here!)
An Interview With
Jodi Meadows
AUTHOR BIO:
Jodi Meadows lives and writes in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, with her husband, a Kippy*, and an alarming number of ferrets. She is a confessed book addict, and has wanted to be a writer ever since she decided against becoming an astronaut. She is the author of the INCARNATE Trilogy and the forthcoming ORPHAN QUEEN Duology (HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen).
*A Kippy is a cat.
FIND JODI AT:
WEBSITE || TWITTER || GOODREADS || TUMBLR || FACEBOOK
I loved THE ORPHAN QUEEN so much and have been highly anticipating THE MIRROR KING. What inspired you to create a world where mirrors play such a heavy role in how magic functions?
There's a lot of great mythology about mirrors -- about them being portals to other worlds, hiding monsters, people getting trapped in them. I'd have loved to have touched on all that, but I really needed to focus it down to one important aspect -- at least when it came to mirrors and wraith.
But I also love mirrors in stories. Wil and BK are mirrors of each other. (As are other characters!) My endings are mirrors to my beginnings. And I like for fiction to be another way to see reality.
You learned calligraphy in order to better understand Wilhelmina. Can you tell us some of your adventures along the way?
At some point, I tipped the ink and spilled it all over my pants.
We kept filming, because no one was filming my pants. And when we were finished, I was very glad that I had my luggage in my editor's office, because I had to change and hide out in the bathroom for a while to try to keep the ink from staining the fabric.
So there I was, trying desperately to wash my pants in the office bathroom while all these sleek publishing professionals came through and just . . . You could see in their eyes they knew I was an author, and authors don't get out much.
(The ink did come out.)
How did you decide what sort of magical abilities would be present amongst your characters, such as Wilhelmina's ability to animate?
What was your favorite scene to write in the duology?
You have a fantastic ability to take secondary characters and build a huge fan-base for them. What tips do you have for writers struggling to breathe life into everyone the way you do?
That's so nice of you to say!
Um. Advice. I think the key is remembering that all the characters in the story think of the story as their story. They're all doing their own things, trying to accomplish their own goals. They don't know that the story belongs to the main character, because they think they are the main character.
If YOU had magical superpowers and went around saving the world from mayhem, what ability would you claim?
Your covers for THE ORPHAN QUEEN and THE MIRROR KING are so, SO pretty!! Do you have any stories about what went into their creation?
I agree, they are gorgeous covers! I didn't really have much to do with them. Initially, I said I wanted a girl in a fantasy setting with a weapon. I provided examples. And ta-da! I had a few drafts and then the real thing. Authors generally don't have a lot of say in what goes into their covers, though my designers have always been gracious when I ask for small changes, like "put a knife in that girl's hand" or "can you change her eye color?"
Can you whisper some secrets about your next big trilogy? Inquiring minds already want more from you!!! ^.~
Dragons. Secret languages. Sloooow burn romance. Lots of magic.
(Mark the series TBR on Goodreads now! It's still untitled, but coming next year in 2017!)
~*~
Title: THE ORPHAN QUEEN
Author: Jodi Meadows
Release Date: March 10, 2015
Publisher: Katherine Tegen // HarperTeen
Received: For Review But Also Purchased!
Received: For Review But Also Purchased!
SUMMARY:
Wilhelmina has a hundred identities.
She is a princess.
When the Indigo Kingdom conquered her homeland, Wilhelmina and other orphaned children of nobility were taken to Skyvale, the Indigo Kingdom’s capital. Ten years later, they are the Ospreys, experts at stealth and theft. With them, Wilhelmina means to take back her throne.
She is a spy.
Wil and her best friend, Melanie, infiltrate Skyvale Palace to study their foes. They assume the identities of nobles from a wraith-fallen kingdom, but enemies fill the palace, and Melanie’s behavior grows suspicious. With Osprey missions becoming increasingly dangerous and their leader more unstable, Wil can’t trust anyone.
She is a threat.
Wraith is the toxic by-product of magic, and for a century using magic has been forbidden. Still the wraith pours across the continent, reshaping the land and animals into fresh horrors. Soon it will reach the Indigo Kingdom. Wilhelmina’s magic might be the key to stopping the wraith, but if the vigilante Black Knife discovers Wil’s magic, she will vanish like all the others.
Jodi Meadows introduces a vivid new fantasy full of intrigue, romance, dangerous magic, and one girl’s battle to reclaim her place in the world.
She is a princess.
When the Indigo Kingdom conquered her homeland, Wilhelmina and other orphaned children of nobility were taken to Skyvale, the Indigo Kingdom’s capital. Ten years later, they are the Ospreys, experts at stealth and theft. With them, Wilhelmina means to take back her throne.
She is a spy.
Wil and her best friend, Melanie, infiltrate Skyvale Palace to study their foes. They assume the identities of nobles from a wraith-fallen kingdom, but enemies fill the palace, and Melanie’s behavior grows suspicious. With Osprey missions becoming increasingly dangerous and their leader more unstable, Wil can’t trust anyone.
She is a threat.
Wraith is the toxic by-product of magic, and for a century using magic has been forbidden. Still the wraith pours across the continent, reshaping the land and animals into fresh horrors. Soon it will reach the Indigo Kingdom. Wilhelmina’s magic might be the key to stopping the wraith, but if the vigilante Black Knife discovers Wil’s magic, she will vanish like all the others.
Jodi Meadows introduces a vivid new fantasy full of intrigue, romance, dangerous magic, and one girl’s battle to reclaim her place in the world.
Title: THE MIRROR KING
Author: Jodi Meadows
Release Date: April 5, 2016
Publisher: Katherine Tegen // HarperTeen
Received: For Review But Also Purchased!
Received: For Review But Also Purchased!
SUMMARY:
Wilhelmina has a hundred enemies.
Her friends have turned.
After her identity is revealed during the Inundation, Princess Wilhelmina is kept prisoner by the Indigo Kingdom, with the Ospreys lost somewhere in the devastated city. When the Ospreys’ leader emerges at the worst possible moment, leaving Wil’s biggest ally on his deathbed, she must become Black Knife to set things right.
Her magic is uncontrollable.
Wil’s power is to animate, not to give true life, but in the wraithland she commanded a cloud of wraith mist to save herself, and later ordered it solid. Now there is a living boy made of wraith—destructive and deadly, and willing to do anything for her.
Her heart is torn.
Though she’s ready for her crown, declaring herself queen means war. Caught between what she wants and what is right, Wilhelmina realizes the throne might not even matter. Everyone thought the wraith was years off, but already it’s destroying Indigo Kingdom villages. If she can’t protect both kingdoms, soon there won’t be a land to rule.
In this stunning conclusion to THE ORPHAN QUEEN, Jodi Meadows follows Wilhelmina’s breathtaking and brave journey from orphaned criminal on the streets to magic-wielding queen.When the Indigo Kingdom conquered her homeland, Wilhelmina and other orphaned children of nobility were taken to Skyvale, the Indigo Kingdom’s capital. Ten years later, they are the Ospreys, experts at stealth and theft. With them, Wilhelmina means to take back her throne.
Her friends have turned.
After her identity is revealed during the Inundation, Princess Wilhelmina is kept prisoner by the Indigo Kingdom, with the Ospreys lost somewhere in the devastated city. When the Ospreys’ leader emerges at the worst possible moment, leaving Wil’s biggest ally on his deathbed, she must become Black Knife to set things right.
Her magic is uncontrollable.
Wil’s power is to animate, not to give true life, but in the wraithland she commanded a cloud of wraith mist to save herself, and later ordered it solid. Now there is a living boy made of wraith—destructive and deadly, and willing to do anything for her.
Her heart is torn.
Though she’s ready for her crown, declaring herself queen means war. Caught between what she wants and what is right, Wilhelmina realizes the throne might not even matter. Everyone thought the wraith was years off, but already it’s destroying Indigo Kingdom villages. If she can’t protect both kingdoms, soon there won’t be a land to rule.
In this stunning conclusion to THE ORPHAN QUEEN, Jodi Meadows follows Wilhelmina’s breathtaking and brave journey from orphaned criminal on the streets to magic-wielding queen.When the Indigo Kingdom conquered her homeland, Wilhelmina and other orphaned children of nobility were taken to Skyvale, the Indigo Kingdom’s capital. Ten years later, they are the Ospreys, experts at stealth and theft. With them, Wilhelmina means to take back her throne.
You could win...
There will be a tour-wide giveaway for one (1) copy of THE ORPHAN QUEEN
+ one (1) copy of THE MIRROR KING for one lucky winner!
The giveaway will be open internationally, as long as Book Depository ships to them.
There will be a tour-wide giveaway for one (1) copy of THE ORPHAN QUEEN
+ one (1) copy of THE MIRROR KING for one lucky winner!
The giveaway will be open internationally, as long as Book Depository ships to them.
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