Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen! Read on for more info on the book and a fantastic guest post by the author! Don't forget to come back soon to read my review of the book!
Stolen Songbird (The Malediction Trilogy #1)
Author: Danielle L. Jensen
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: April 1, 2014
Publisher: Strange Chemistry
Description:
For those who have loved Seraphina and Graceling comes another truly fabulous fantasy...
For
five centuries, a witch’s curse has bound the trolls to their city
beneath the ruins of Forsaken Mountain. Time enough for their dark and
nefarious magic to fade from human memory and into myth. But a prophesy
has been spoken of a union with the power to set the trolls free, and
when Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and taken beneath the mountain, she
learns there is far more to the myth of the trolls than she could have
imagined.
Cécile has only one thing on her mind after she is
brought to Trollus: escape. Only the trolls are clever, fast, and
inhumanly strong. She will have to bide her time, wait for the perfect
opportunity.
But something unexpected happens while she’s waiting
– she begins to fall for the enigmatic troll prince to whom she has
been bonded and married. She begins to make friends. And she begins to
see that she may be the only hope for the half-bloods – part troll, part
human creatures who are slaves to the full-blooded trolls. There is a
rebellion brewing. And her prince, Tristan, the future king, is its
secret leader.
As Cécile becomes involved in the intricate
political games of Trollus, she becomes more than a farmer’s daughter.
She becomes a princess, the hope of a people, and a witch with magic
powerful enough to change Trollus forever.
Praise for Stolen Songbird:
"If you’re looking for a YA fantasy full of magic and mystery and
intrigue and romance and wonderful, heartfelt characters that you could
easily accept to be trapped under a mountain with, then don’t just read Stolen Songbird—inhale
it. Deliciously written in two POVs that are deep and personal and
completely intertwined with one another, this book is at once like hot
chocolate on a rainy day with a cat on your lap, and a shot of something
wicked when you’re feeling wired. There’s nothing I even remotely
disliked, and a list as long as most Welsh train station names of things
I loved. Stolen Songbird was a dream to read, a dream to adventure through, and a nightmare to leave. I didn’t want to wake up—and neither will you." Jet Black Ink
"Stolen Songbird is a must-read. It doesn’t come out
until April 1, but you had better pre-order a copy right now if you find
this book even remotely interesting. Just like me you’ll also want the
rest of The Malediction Trilogy to come out this instant as well. I
can’t wait for book two! I give this book 5/5 stars." The Mad Reviewer
"If you love fantasies, romance, and political intrigue, then you
really need to add this book to your wishlist and tell all your friends
you want it for your birthday, because Oh my gosh, it is my new favorite
book of this year." Book Marks the Spot
"There are too many good things about Stolen Songbird for me to list
them all. Suffice it to say that I didn’t want this book to end, I
didn’t want to have to leave the cast and Trollus behind. Tristan and
Cécile will certainly be a pair that I look forward to returning to, and
book two of the Malediction trilogy is already on my list of
anticipated reads for next year whilst Stolen Songbird has already set a very high bar for any book to top it as my favourite book of the year." The Serpent's Quill
Top Ten Favourite YA Novels
My
favourite books are not necessarily those I found most exciting or those that
kept me up into the wee hours of the morning. For me, a book becomes a
favourite when its characters and story stick in my head long after I’ve put
the book down and I find myself thinking about them months and even years
later. In no particular order, here are my top ten favourite YA novels.
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
It’s
no secret that I adore Maggie Stiefvater, and this novel is my favourite of all
her works. Her writing is beautiful, but what captivates me most about this book
is the boys and their friendship. They are unique and interesting, and I found
their personalities so vividly characterized that they all but walked off the
page.
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
The
romance between Will and Tessa is my favourite out of all the YA books I’ve
ever read. I was incredibly emotionally invested in the plot arc of that
relationship, and I may have shed a tear or two at the end of Clockwork
Princess.
Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
The
thing I loved the best about this novel was the world building, which is a bit
strange to say given that it technically takes place in our world. I was captivated
by how the addition of one fantastical element – the water horses – made it
feel like the story took place in an alternate world.
Divergent by Veronica Roth
I
read this book while lounging in the sun on a cruise ship and I could not pry
myself away from it. I found it exciting and dynamic, and while I didn’t always
like Tris, I always respected her.
And Four is definitely in the top 5 on my book boyfriend list.
Sabriel by Garth Nix
Sabriel
is one of my favourite heroines. She’s clever, gutsy, and pragmatic, and I was
actually quite disappointed that the subsequent books didn’t star her.
Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
Dragons!
Do I need another reason to love it? OK, I also loved the complex political
intrigue. This book is definitely one of the most intelligent I’ve read in a long time.
The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae
Carson
I
really liked how religion was a central focus of this novel, and how its Middle
Eastern feel made it different from most other fantasies.
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
I
love this book for two reasons. The first is that it has one of the most
powerful and compelling female friendships I’ve ever read. The second is that
it ripped my heart into little bits and made me cry. This book is a work of
art.
Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
I love
long historical novels so much, and this one is just perfect. Political
intrigue, assassin nuns, romance, and action – this book has it all.
The Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan
I
love zombies, so naturally I adored this trilogy, but I liked this volume the
best. The scene where Gabry crosses the bridge over the sea of zombies is permanently
lodged in my brain. There were a lot of unknowns at the end of this trilogy,
which would normally annoy me, but for some reason really worked for these
books. I still wonder how things turned out.
Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your favorite YA books with us Danielle!
Danielle was born and raised in Calgary, Canada. At the insistence of the left side of her brain, she graduated in 2003 from the University of Calgary with a bachelor’s degree in finance. But the right side of her brain has ever been mutinous; and in 2010, it sent her back to school to complete an entirely impractical English literature degree at Mount Royal University and to pursue publication. Much to her satisfaction, the right side shows no sign of relinquishing its domination. (Taken from Goodreads)
Is Stolen Songbird on your TBR? Are you as excited to read it as I am?! Leave a comment and some love for Danielle!!