Epic Fantasy VS. Urban Fantasy (A Very Entangled Battle Of The Books)

Team Urban Fantasy:

• Guardian of Secrets (Library Jumpers, #2) by Brenda Drake
• Fanning the Flames (Going Down in Flames, #4) by Chris Cannon  
• Spindle by Shonna Slayton
• Inbetween by Tara Fuller  
• Salt by Danielle Ellison
• My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century by Rachel Harris
• Atlantis Rising by Gloria Craw

• Team Epic Fantasy:
• 
  Island of Exiles (The Ryogan Chronicles, #1) by Erica Cameron
• Garden of Thorns by Amber Mitchell
• True North (True Born, #2) by L.E. Sterling
• In Truth & Ashes (Otherselves, #3) by Nicole Luiken
• Relic by Renee Collins
• The Summer Marked (The Winter People, #2)
• Greta and the Goblin King (Mylena Chronicles, #1) by Chloe Jacobs

 

 

 

The Schedule:

 

 

Tuesday, February 28th: Share the schedule for the entire week + participate in the Team Urban vs. Team Epic Fantasy Twitter Chat @ 9-10 pm EST

Wednesday Mar. 1st: Post the 100 words from each Urban Fantasy author on “Why They Love Urban Fantasy”  + their book descriptions

Thursday, Mar. 2nd: Post the 100 words from each Epic Fantasy author on “Why They Love Epic Fantasy” + their descriptions

Friday, Mar. 3rd: Bloggers can write / share a post on their site explaining why they’re Team Urban or Team Epic / post on their Top 5/10 Fave Urban or Epic Fantasy Reads / Top 5 Reasons They Loved _____ (Ie. Any of the Featured Books / Series in the Promotion)

 

http://www.entangledteen.com/the-urban-vs-epic-fantasy-week-begins/

 

 

I've Pledged Myself With Team.... (DRUM ROLL PLEASE LOL)...

 

 

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

The Grand Prize winner of the contest will receive the following:

• True Born (True Born Trilogy, #1) by L.E. Sterling
• Thief of Lies (Library Jumpers, #1) by Brenda Drake
• Spindle by Shonna Slayton

 

Waiting on Wednesday #97!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme created by Breaking the Spine

Royal Bastards 
Andrew Shvarts
Young Adult Fantasy
June 6th 2017
Goodreads Link

Synopsis:

Being a bastard blows. Tilla would know. Her father, Lord Kent of the Western Province, loved her as a child, but cast her aside as soon as he had trueborn children.

At sixteen, Tilla spends her days exploring long-forgotten tunnels beneath the castle with her stablehand half brother, Jax, and her nights drinking with the servants, passing out on Jax’s floor while her castle bedroom collects dust. Tilla secretly longs to sit by her father’s side, resplendent in a sparkling gown, enjoying feasts with the rest of the family. Instead, she sits with the other bastards, like Miles of House Hampstedt, an awkward scholar who’s been in love with Tilla since they were children.

Then, at a feast honoring the visiting princess Lyriana, the royal shocks everyone by choosing to sit at the Bastards’ Table. Before she knows it, Tilla is leading the sheltered princess on a late-night escapade. Along with Jax, Miles, and fellow bastard Zell, a Zitochi warrior from the north, they stumble upon a crime they were never meant to witness.

Rebellion is brewing in the west, and a brutal coup leaves Lyriana’s uncle, the Royal Archmagus, dead—with Lyriana next on the list. The group flees for their lives, relentlessly pursued by murderous mercenaries; their own parents have put a price on their heads to prevent the king and his powerful Royal Mages from discovering their treachery.

The bastards band together, realizing they alone have the power to prevent a civil war that will tear their kingdom apart—if they can warn the king in time. And if they can survive the journey . . .



What's your Waiting on Wednesday pick for this week? Are you anticipating this release as well?

My Most Anticipated March 2017 Releases!

Etched in Bone (The Others, #5)

Anne Bishop

Adult Fantasy

March 7th 2017

Goodreads Link

Silence Fallen (Mercy Thompson, #10)

Patricia Briggs

Adult Fantasy

March 7th 2017

Goodreads Link

The Song Rising (The Bone Season, #3)

Samantha Shannon

Adult Fantasy

March 7th 2017

Goodreads Link

Hunted

Meagan Spooner

Young Adult Fantasy

March 14th 2017

Goodreads Link

Synopsis:

Beauty knows the Beast’s forest in her bones—and in her blood. Though she grew up with the city’s highest aristocrats, far from her father’s old lodge, she knows that the forest holds secrets and that her father is the only hunter who’s ever come close to discovering them. 

So when her father loses his fortune and moves Yeva and her sisters back to the outskirts of town, Yeva is secretly relieved. Out in the wilderness, there’s no pressure to make idle chatter with vapid baronessas…or to submit to marrying a wealthy gentleman. But Yeva’s father’s misfortune may have cost him his mind, and when he goes missing in the woods, Yeva sets her sights on one prey: the creature he’d been obsessively tracking just before his disappearance. 

Deaf to her sisters’ protests, Yeva hunts this strange Beast back into his own territory—a cursed valley, a ruined castle, and a world of creatures that Yeva’s only heard about in fairy tales. A world that can bring her ruin or salvation. Who will survive: the Beauty, or the Beast?

Shadow Run (Kaitan Chronicles, #1)

Adrianne Strickland & Michael Miller

Young Adult Science Fiction

March 21st 2017

Goodreads Link

Synopsis:

"Firefly" meets DUNE in this action-packed sci-fi adventure about a close-knit, found family of a crew navigating a galaxy of political intrigue and resource-driven power games.

Nev has just joined the crew of the starship Kaitan Heritage as the cargo loader. His captain, Qole, is the youngest-ever person to command her own ship, but she brooks no argument from her crew of orphans, fugitives, and con men. Nev can’t resist her, even if her ship is an antique. 

As for Nev, he’s a prince, in hiding on the ship. He believes Qole holds the key to changing galactic civilization, and when her cooperation proves difficult to obtain, Nev resolves to get her to his home planet by any means necessary. 

But before they know it, a rival royal family is after Qole too, and they’re more interested in stealing her abilities than in keeping her alive. 

Nev’s mission to manipulate Qole becomes one to save her, and to survive, she’ll have to trust her would-be kidnapper. He may be royalty, but Qole is discovering a deep reservoir of power—and stars have mercy on whoever tries to hurt her ship or her crew.

A Crown of Wishes (The Star-Touched Queen, #2)

Roshani Chokshi

Young Adult Fantasy

March 28th 2017

Goodreads Link

Blood Rose Rebellion (Blood Rose Rebellion, #1)

Rosalyn Eves

Young Adult Fantasy

March 28th 2017

Goodreads Link

Synopsis:

The thrilling first book in a YA fantasy trilogy for fans of Red Queen. In a world where social prestige derives from a trifecta of blood, money, and magic, one girl has the ability to break the spell that holds the social order in place.

Sixteen-year-old Anna Arden is barred from society by a defect of blood. Though her family is part of the Luminate, powerful users of magic, she is Barren, unable to perform the simplest spells. Anna would do anything to belong. But her fate takes another course when, after inadvertently breaking her sister’s debutante spell—an important chance for a highborn young woman to show her prowess with magic—Anna finds herself exiled to her family’s once powerful but now crumbling native Hungary.

Her life might well be over.

In Hungary, Anna discovers that nothing is quite as it seems. Not the people around her, from her aloof cousin Noémi to the fierce and handsome Romani Gábor. Not the society she’s known all her life, for discontent with the Luminate is sweeping the land. And not her lack of magic. Isolated from the only world she cares about, Anna still can’t seem to stop herself from breaking spells.

As rebellion spreads across the region, Anna’s unique ability becomes the catalyst everyone is seeking. In the company of nobles, revolutionaries, and Romanies, Anna must choose: deny her unique power and cling to the life she’s always wanted, or embrace her ability and change that world forever.

Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer, #1)

Laini Taylor

Young Adult Fantasy

March 28th 2017

Goodreads Link

Synopsis:

A new epic fantasy by National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author Laini Taylor of the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy.

The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around— and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he's been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance to lose his dream forever.

What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?

The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries—including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo's dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? and if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?

In this sweeping and breathtaking new novel by National Book Award finalist Laini Taylor, author of the New York Times bestselling Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy, the shadow of the past is as real as the ghosts who haunt the citadel of murdered gods. Fall into a mythical world of dread and wonder, moths and nightmares, love and carnage.

Welcome to Weep.

Saga, Volume 7

Brian K Vaughan & Fiona Staples

Adult Fantasy Graphic Novel

March 28th 2017

Goodreads Link

Waiting on Wednesday #96!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme created by Breaking the Spine

The Crown's Fate (The Crown's Game, #2)
Evelyn Skye
Young Adult Fantasy
May 16th 2017
Goodreads Link

Synopsis:

*No synopsis due to spoilers





What's your Waiting on Wednesday pick for this week? Are you anticipating this release as well?

Cover Reveal: Moribund (Circuit Fae, #1) by Genevieve Iseult Eldredge

Moribund
Genevieve Iseult Eldredge
(Circuit Fae, #1)
Published by: Monster House Books
Publication date: September 12th 2017
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

High school sophomore Syl Skye is an ordinary girl. At least, she’s trying to be. School photographer and all-around geek, she introverts hard and keeps her crush on sexy-hot glam-Goth star Euphoria on the down-low. But when a freak accident Awakens her slumbering power, Syl is forced to accept a destiny she never wanted—as the last sleeper-princess of the fair Fae.
Suddenly hunted by the dark Fae, Syl’s pretty sure things can’t get any worse. Until she discovers her secret crush, Euphoria, is really a dark Circuit Fae able to harness the killing magic in technology. Even worse, she’s been sent to destroy Syl. With mean girls and magic and dark Fae trying to kill her, it’ll take more than just “clap if you believe in fairies” to save Syl’s bacon—not to mention, her heart.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

Author Bio:
Genevieve Iseult Eldredge writes LGBTQ YA because as a young adult, she never had any lesbian heroes like her.
Now she brings together her love of LGBTQ literature, urban fantasy, young adult fiction, and the secret world of the Fae in her lesbian YA series, Circuit Fae--so that young adults of the LGBTQ community can have heroes that understand, that think and act, live and love like them.
GIE is also an MFA grad, a martial artist, a self-rescuing princess, and all-around strong female character. She’s multi-published, and in her role as an editor has helped hundreds of authors make their dream of being published a reality.
GIE believes in fairies (in fact, she’s clapping right now), true love (not “to blave”), and championing the often-unheard female voice. She might be using D&D figures to plot out an epic fight scene right now.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Waiting on Wednesday #95!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme created by Breaking the Spine

Flame in the Mist (Flame in the Mist, #1)
Renee Ahdieh
Young Adult Fantasy
May 16th 2017
Goodreads Link

Synopsis:

The daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko has long known her place—she may be an accomplished alchemist, whose cunning rivals that of her brother Kenshin, but because she is not a boy, her future has always been out of her hands. At just seventeen years old, Mariko is promised to Minamoto Raiden, the son of the emperor's favorite consort—a political marriage that will elevate her family's standing. But en route to the imperial city of Inako, Mariko narrowly escapes a bloody ambush by a dangerous gang of bandits known as the Black Clan, who she learns has been hired to kill her before she reaches the palace.

Dressed as a peasant boy, Mariko sets out to infiltrate the ranks of the Black Clan, determined to track down the person responsible for the target on her back. But she's quickly captured and taken to the Black Clan’s secret hideout, where she meets their leader, the rebel ronin Takeda Ranmaru, and his second-in-command, his best friend Okami. Still believing her to be a boy, Ranmaru and Okami eventually warm to Mariko, impressed by her intellect and ingenuity. As Mariko gets closer to the Black Clan, she uncovers a dark history of secrets, of betrayal and murder, which will force her to question everything she's ever known.

What's your Waiting on Wednesday pick for this week? Are you anticipating this release as well?

Netflix Mini Reviews #1 (Santa Clarita Diet, Travelers, The OA, & 3%)

3% Season 1: 5 out of 5 stars! For fans of The Hunger Games & The 100

(Post-Apocalyptic/Dystopia)

Although this show is in a foreign language and I had to watch this series reading subtitles, it ended up being well worth the effort. The actors and actresses were on point throughout the entirety of this first season. There were tons of twists and turns and I was always on my toes. In just 8 episodes there was a lot of character development, and it was done very well. Contains quite a bit of diversity!

I hope we get a little more in depth with the world building next season.. Especially the Offshore! Don't get me wrong, the world building in this 1st season was great especially with 8 episodes, I just really want to know more. The last episode of this season was definitely the best (in my opinion), mostly because of the rawness of the characters and their situations. Remind me again who the bad guys are? Can't wait for Season 2!

Travelers Season 1: 5 out of 5 stars!

(Time Travel, Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction)

People from a Post-Apocalyptic future, travel to the past into soon-to-be dead bodies to try to stop their future from becoming true. 
This show is definitely more character driven than anything else, but I did love the plot overall. Although we didn't get much in character development, mostly because these characters have already been established. The characters do grow into their new lives and learn to deal with their feelings. I think Netflix loves to throw viewers through a loop on who the "bad" guy(s) really is. I loved how real the characters felt, dealing with real problems and real emotions. 

Santa Clarita Diet Season 1: 5 out of 5 stars

(Contemporary Zombie issues LOL)

A Californian wife, mother, and realtor turns into an undead canibal who's full of fun and trying new things. 

Drew Barrymore did a great job pulling off a crazy chick and a newly turned Zombie with attitude. The actors and actresses all pulled off a great job with their characters. There was a lot of jokes and a lot of serious topics all blended together to make sure nothing was too overwhelming. Wouldn't recommend this show to anyone who is squeamish to blood/ gore.

The OA Season 1: 5 out of 5 stars

(Paranormal, Science Fiction)

The actors and actresses were definitely on point. I loved the diversity in this series, we got a little bit of all different types of real people. All throughout this season I was on the edge of my seat. There were so many twists and turns, loves and hates. The season finale had me shaking, I was so nervous and excited and well... I was full of all the emotions. 


Have you watched any of these shows? Have you watched other shows you think is worth mentioning/ reviewing?

Waiting on Wednesday #94!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme created by Breaking the Spine

A Court of Wings & Ruin (A Court of Thorns & Roses, #3)

Sarah J Maas

Young Adult/New Adult Fantasy

May 2nd 2017

Goodreads Link

Synopsis:

*No synopsis due to spoilers

What's your Waiting on Wednesday pick for this week? Are you anticipating this release as well?

Book Blast: Returned by Kimberley Griffiths Little (Giveaway!)

Returned by Kimberley Griffiths Little After tragedy strikes on the day they were to wed, Jayden must support Kadesh as he ascends the throne and becomes king of Sariba. But with the dark priestess Aliyah conspiring to control the crown, and the arrival of Horeb, Jayden’s former betrothed, Kadesh’s kingdom, as well as his status as king, is at stake. Jayden knows that the time to be merciful has come and gone, and that some enemies can only be halted by death. Now she and Kadesh must prepare to fight not only for their love, but also for their kingdom. This is the final book in the epic trilogy that began with Forbidden and Banished. Jayden and Kadesh’s love will be put to the ultimate test as they fight a war to save their kingdom.     Praise for the Book   Booklist (starred review) “At its core, this is a romance, with all the push and pull that goes along with impossible love, and Little elevates the story by creating a perilous landscape, both outward and inward, as Jayden must deal with the hardship of desert life as well as her own desires. . . descriptions of the landscape are evocative in both desolation and in beauty. Just as good is the pacing, which gets the blood pumping for both characters and readers. This will heighten anticipation for a no-doubt exciting conclusion.”   Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books “Rich historical details are deftly woven into Jayden’s narration, and the dynamics of Jayden’s tribe are vividly drawn. Jayden’s story becomes as much about finding herself as it is about finding love.”   Reader: “This book took my breath away. I loved the immersive story and the rich setting of ancient Mesopotamia. The customs, traditions, and beliefs of the desert people were captivating and every time I set the book down I couldn't wait to pick it up again. I've never read anything like this before.”   Reader: “Forbidden was so captivating that I awoke early in the morning, while my family was still sleeping, so I could finish the last pages of this beautifully haunting tale.”




Excerpt: 

A private garden had been created on top of the temple’s roof. Palm trees swayed along the perimeter. Life-size statues of the Goddess stood at each corner. A fountain sprayed, and the air was perfumed by beds of azaleas and exotic orchids along the brick pathways. Cozy furniture sat in groupings under pergolas for shade.

“It’s beautiful,” my handmaiden whispered, transfixed.

Racing to the railing, I reeled at the magnificent view. The rooftop garden sat on the southeast corner of the temple. I gazed at the ocean cliffs and the expanse of the city down below the sloping hills.

Running to the northwest corner next, I spotted the groves of frankincense orchards, banked against the valley of the Qara Mountains. I shaded my eyes, reeling at the sight of so many newly erected black-and-white tents in the foothills of those mountains.

My heart was in my throat. Too many tents to count. At least a thousand camels.

Hundreds of horses.

Horeb’s armies camped and preparing for battle.

    Author Kimberley Griffiths Little Kimberley Griffiths Little is the author of ten award-winning Middle-Grade and Young Adult novels with Knopf, Scholastic and Harpercollins, including the Whitney Award, the Arizona/New Mexico Book Award, the SCBWI Crystal Kite, the Southwest Book Award, and others. ALA BOOKLIST named FORBIDDEN, the first book in her Ancient Mesopotamian historical fantasy a Young Adult Top 10 novel for the Historical category, Romance category, and Religious/Inspirational. Kimberley adores anything old and musty with a secret story to tell. She once stayed in the haunted tower room at Borthwick Castle in Scotland and didn’t sleep a wink; sailed the Seine in Paris; ridden a camel in Petra, Jordan; shopped the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul; and spent the night in an old Communist hotel in Bulgaria. She was born in San Francisco but now lives on the banks of the Rio Grande with her husband and three sons.  

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Blast Giveaway $50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 2/27/17 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Most Anticipated February 2017 Releases!

Empress of a Thousand Skies

Rhoda Belleza

Young Adult Science Fiction

February 7th 2017

Goodreads Link

Synopsis:

Empress
Rhee, also known as Crown Princess Rhiannon Ta’an, is the sole surviving heir to a powerful dynasty. She’ll stop at nothing to avenge her family and claim her throne.

Fugitive
Aly has risen above his war refugee origins to find fame as the dashing star of a DroneVision show. But when he’s falsely accused of killing Rhee, he's forced to prove his innocence to save his reputation – and his life.

Madman
With planets on the brink of war, Rhee and Aly are thrown together to confront a ruthless evil that threatens the fate of the entire galaxy.

A saga of vengeance, warfare, and the true meaning of legacy.

King's Cage (Red Queen, #3)

Victoria Aveyard

Young Adult Fantasy

February 7th 2017

Goodreads Link

Starfall (Starflight, #2)

Melissa Landers

Young Adult Science Fiction

February 7th 2017

Goodreads Link

Long May She Reign

Rhiannon Thomas

Young Adult Fantasy

February 21st 2017

Goodreads Link

Synopsis:

The Girl of Fire and Thorns meets The Queen of the Tearling in this thrilling fantasy standalone about one girl’s unexpected rise to power.

Freya was never meant be queen. Twenty third in line to the throne, she never dreamed of a life in the palace, and would much rather research in her laboratory than participate in the intrigues of court. However, when an extravagant banquet turns deadly and the king and those closest to him are poisoned, Freya suddenly finds herself on the throne.

Freya may have escaped the massacre, but she is far from safe. The nobles don’t respect her, her councillors want to control her, and with the mystery of who killed the king still unsolved, Freya knows that a single mistake could cost her the kingdom – and her life.

Freya is determined to survive, and that means uncovering the murderers herself. Until then, she can’t trust anyone. Not her advisors. Not the king’s dashing and enigmatic illegitimate son. Not even her own father, who always wanted the best for her, but also wanted more power for himself.

As Freya’s enemies close in and her loyalties are tested, she must decide if she is ready to rule and, if so, how far she is willing to go to keep the crown.

Reignited (Reawakened, #0.5)

Colleen Houck

Young Adult Fantasy

February 21st 2017

Goodreads Link

Synopsis:

A sibling rivalry.
A forbidden romance.
A spell that changes everything.

In Heliopolis secrets abound and passions ignite as chaos rises.

From the  New York Times  bestselling author of the Tiger’s Curse series and Reawakened comes a novella full of celestial marvel, passion, betrayal, and evil that will grow to reign over humanity forever.

Before Lily and Amon met, before the cosmos was in chaos and needed three brave brothers to fight off evil, there were four siblings who helped rule the earth.
 
Each sibling had a special gift. Osiris, the god of agriculture, helped mortals to grow and thrive in their natural environment. Isis, the goddess of creation, fostered health and wellness. Nephthys, the seer, was able to keep the balance between all living beings and the universe. But Seth, the youngest sibling, was left without any special powers. The Waters of Chaos, which granted each god’s talent, were running dry, and Seth was paying the price. 
 
As time passed, however, Seth’s determination and willfulness resulted in a very special gift, one that should have granted him the ability to enact wondrous change. But Seth’s competitive childhood gave him a heart so cold and vacant that instead, his gift brought about great evil. 
 
Seth was now the god of unmaking, the creator of disorder and destruction. And he was ready to seek his revenge, dominating all who got in his way.

Into the Fire (Night Prince, #4)

Jeaniene Frost

Adult Fantasy

February 28th 2017

Goodreads Link