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Tour Schedule:
Week One:
2/6/2017- Zach's YA Reviews- Guest Post
2/7/2017- Fiktshun- Review
2/8/2017- Novel Novice- Guest Post
2/9/2017- BookCrushin- Review
2/10/2017- Ya and Wine- Guest Post
Week Two:
2/13/2017- A Backwards Story- Review
2/14/2017- YA Books Central- Guest Post
2/15/2017- Mundie Moms- Review
2/16/2017- Two Chicks on Books- Guest Post
2/17/2017- The Best Books Ever - Review
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O P E N I N G L I N E:
He despised them.
(pg. 10, US e-ARC edition)
“It was the defiance that sparked his interest.
And his fear.
The defiant ones didn't break when you threatened them. They didn't cave to bribes or bargain for their own safety.
But every human had a breaking point. He just had to find hers.”
~Alistair Teague, THE WISH GRANTER
I always love when a "lesser known" retelling gets its day in the spotlight. While Rumpelstiltskin isn't as unknown as other tales (especially thanks to the popularity of ABC's Once Upon a Time), I'm still amazed by the amount of people who've never heard the tale, because I feel like I've known it all my life. But if you don't like retellings, have no fear! This actually ISN'T a retelling. It's just influenced by the tale. CJ Redwine is great at taking traditional lore and turning it into something new. Last year, she debuted the first book in her retelling line, THE SHADOW QUEEN, which is basically a retelling of Snow White where she falls in love with the Hunter--who, oh, yeah, is a dragon. There are a lot of other twisted tales mixed into traditional fantasy on the way, too!
You definitely DON'T have to read THE SHADOW QUEEN in order to read THE WISH GRANTER. There's one small cameo with the couple from the first book, but it's very blink-and-you-miss-it, and won't detract from the plot at all. There's also a really cool cameo with Hansel and Gretel, and I can't wait to see them again in future books in the series and dive into their eventual story!
I've wanted to read THE WISH GRANTER since Fall 2015 when I was lucky enough to attend a writer's retreat/workshop hosted by C.J. Redwine. She whispered secrets about this book, and talked about this book's structure A LOT during various workshops. We all wanted it so desperately, and I felt so incredibly lucky to receive an ARC last year and read it early to quench my thirst!
THE WISH GRANTER centers around Princess Arianna and her twin brother Thaddeus--who is now King, even though the two are illegitimate. After tragedy takes the royal family, only Thad is left to rule. What the kingdom doesn't know is that he struck a deal with a Wish Granter in order to claim the throne, and he's playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a creature far more twisted and cunning than he could have ever imagined...
When Ari finds out what her brother has done, she sets about finding a way to break the curse. She doesn't expect to fall in love in the process, or to trade her soul to protect all she loves. The stakes have never been higher, and if Ari can't figure out Alistair Teague's past, none of them will have a future to return to.
One thing I really love about THE WISH GRANTER is how non-traditional it is. The stakes are dark and very, very high. One thing that stuck with me from C.J.'s workshop was some advice to take everything away from your characters. Once you've done that, take even more. What are they desperate to keep? What happens if that is taken from them? So much is taken from these characters, yet they are still determined to finish what they started. I like that the journey isn't easy or without loss, that things aren't perfect and neat. It's more realistic this way!
Speaking of realistic, I also love the slow-burning nature of Princess Ari's relationship with Sebastian, the new Royal Weapons Master. The two don't start off attracted to one another. Neither has the goal of romance in mind--especially not with one another. They both know what they want in life, yet somehow, they slowly fall for one another and find themselves with new goals and new priorities--which makes their mission to break the curse even more perilous as they become one another's weakness. Redwine has a very natural way of writing romance, and I always love the way she describes how her characters feel about one another and interact and eventually come together. Her kissing scene in DEFIANCE remains one of my favorite YA kissing scenes, and the first kiss in THE WISH GRANTER--well, let's just say it's a little unlike anything we see in literature and is definitely memorable!
Princess Ari is an especially fun character. She's not a frivolous frou-frou princess. She has fire and spunk; she beats to her own drum. She doesn't pander to nobility or care if she hurts their feelings--or even care what they think about her. She loves to eat and doesn't care that she's a little bigger than most of the other girls around her or that they frown down upon her for it. She loves baking--and eating, and won't change that to garner anyone's good opinion. She's smart, too, and able to create elaborate plans and do research that may potentially help her brother out of his situation, even if it puts her in danger. She has a huge heart and will do anything for those she loves, and I really liked her character!
If you love original fantasy, you'll love THE WISH GRANTER. If you love novels that are influenced by other works, however slightly, you'll love THE WISH GRANTER. If you love books with princesses and curses and slow-urning romances, you'll love THE WISH GRANTER. The novel releases tomorrow just in time for Valentine's Day, so treat yourself to a great gift that you'll enjoy reading again and again!
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C O N T E N T R A T I N G S
Content Ratings: highlight between ( ) for details
Romance: PG ( Kissing )
Language: G ( One use of bastard; made-up curse word "daka" )
Violence: PG13 ( Some disturbing character deaths; some street brawls/fist fights; a whipping; a building burned to send a message; characters being attacked by blood-thirsty creatures; souls stolen from bodies. )
Violence: PG13 ( Some disturbing character deaths; some street brawls/fist fights; a whipping; a building burned to send a message; characters being attacked by blood-thirsty creatures; souls stolen from bodies. )
Other: PG ( Mention of a mother's drug addiction; mention of a father's abusive nature. )
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C O V E R D E S I G N:
I love the way both of the covers in this series so far have been really unique. The first cover uses real apples to create the texture of the title. This cover uses embroidery. I can't wait to see what comes next!
I also love the way the interior map looks--and this time, the endpapers are the map--and they're BLUE. And SO pretty.
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| ©C.J. Redwine |
I also like the hint of danger on the cover--that's blood falling from that needle, and it has more than one meaning. PLUS, I like how it mirrors the drip from THE SHADOW QUEEN cover....
Such a great design to this series!
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O F F I C I A L I N F O:
Title: THE WISH GRANTER
Author: C.J. Redwine
Release Date: Out February 14, 2017
Publisher: Balzer + Bray // Harper Teen
Received: ARC for Review
SUMMARY:
An epic, romantic, and action-packed fantasy inspired by the tale of Rumpelstiltskin, about a bastard princess who must take on an evil fae to save her brother’s soul, from C. J. Redwine, the New York Times bestselling author of THE SHADOW QUEEN. Perfect for fans of GRAVELING and The Lunar Chronicles.
The world has turned upside down for Thad and Ari Glavan, the bastard twins of Súndraille’s king. Their mother was murdered. The royal family died mysteriously. And now Thad sits on the throne of a kingdom whose streets are suddenly overrun with violence he can’t stop.
Growing up ignored by the nobility, Ari never wanted to be a proper princess. And when Thad suddenly starts training Ari to take his place, she realizes that her brother’s ascension to the throne wasn’t fate. It was the work of a Wish Granter named Alistair Teague who tricked Thad into wishing away both the safety of his people and his soul in exchange for the crown.
So Ari recruits the help of Thad’s enigmatic new weapons master, Sebastian Vaughn, to teach her how to fight Teague. With secret ties to Teague’s criminal empire, Sebastian might just hold the key to discovering Alistair’s weaknesses, saving Ari’s brother—and herself.
But Teague is ruthless and more than ready to destroy anyone who dares stand in his way—and now he has his sights set on the princess. And if Ari can’t outwit him, she’ll lose Sebastian, her brother…and her soul.
Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Audible, Goodreads
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C.J. Redwine loves fairy tales, Harry Potter, and Sherlock. She is the author of the Defiance trilogy, a post-apocalyptic fantasy from Balzer + Bray. C.J. lives in Nashville with her husband and children. If the novel writing gig ever falls through, she’ll join the Avengers and wear a cape to work every day.
To learn more about C.J., visit her website at www.cjredwine.com
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GIVEAWAY
You Could Win...
1 winner will receive...
a a signed paperback copy of THE SHADOW QUEEN
and a signed hardcover of THE WISH GRANTER!!!
US Only.
ABOUT...C.J. REDWINE!
To learn more about C.J., visit her website at www.cjredwine.com
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GIVEAWAY
You Could Win...
1 winner will receive...
a a signed paperback copy of THE SHADOW QUEEN
and a signed hardcover of THE WISH GRANTER!!!
US Only.
Enter now!
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