A Dream Within A Dream: Kinslayer Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the official blog tour for KINSLAYER! Today I have my review of the book and don't forget to scroll to the bottom of the post to enter the tour wide giveaway!

Kinslayer (The Lotus War #2)

Author: Jay Kristoff

Genre: Fantasy/Dystopia/Steampunk

Release Date: September 17, 2013

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books

Description:

A SHATTERED EMPIRE
The mad Shōgun Yoritomo has been assassinated by the Stormdancer Yukiko, and the threat of civil war looms over the Shima Imperium. The Lotus Guild conspires to renew the nation’s broken dynasty and crush the growing rebellion simultaneously – by endorsing a new Shōgun who desires nothing more than to see Yukiko dead.

A DARK LEGACY
Yukiko and the mighty thunder tiger Buruu have been cast in the role of heroes by the Kagé rebellion. But Yukiko herself is blinded by rage over her father’s death, and her ability to hear the thoughts of beasts is swelling beyond her power to control. Along with Buruu, Yukiko’s anchor is Kin, the rebel Guildsman who helped her escape from Yoritomo’s clutches. But Kin has his own secrets, and is haunted by visions of a future he’d rather die than see realized.

A GATHERING STORM
Kagé assassins lurk within the Shōgun’s palace, plotting to end the new dynasty before it begins. A waif from Kigen’s gutters begins a friendship that could undo the entire empire. A new enemy gathers its strength, readying to push the fracturing Shima imperium into a war it cannot hope to survive. And across raging oceans, amongst islands of black glass, Yukiko and Buruu will face foes no katana or talon can defeat.

The ghosts of a blood-stained past.

Kinslayer is the second book in the Lotus War trilogy - a dystopian fantasy with steampunk aspects that continues to follow our heroine Yukiko as she struggles to keep her ability in check, stay out of the clutches of the Lotus Guild and the new Shogun, and trying to keep her country from an all out civil war. Along with Buruu, Yukiko's thunder tiger, she must keep the country's delicate peace intact while trying to avenge her father's death, and figure out the secrets that Kin is hiding from her. Will Yukiko and Buruu be able to stop the country from falling apart in front of them or will the Lotus Guild get its way and find a way to stop her?

I have to admit that when I read the description on the first book in the trilogy, I was a bit skeptical and unsure of what to expect. I'm not a huge fantasy fan and the idea of a story about a female warrior in a dystopian empire didn't seem quite up my alley. I decided to give it a shot anyways and I'm so glad that I did. This series is amazing. It's really hard to come up with words that are able to explain all the great aspects of this book, and my review will certainly not do it justice. The second book picks up where the first left off - and once it starts going, it doesn't let up until the final page (and then it leaves you begging for more). The character of Yukiko is a fantastic lead. She's brave, smart, strong, a devoted warrior who stands up for what she believes in and for what's right. And she totally kicks ass. Literally. If that wasn't enough, she has the ability to hear the thoughts of animals AND she has a thunder tiger named Buruu. It doesn't get much better than that.

The plot sucked me in from the first paragraph and I was once again immersed in the world of the Shima Imperium alongside Yukiko. The author uses such vivid imagery and detailed descriptions of everything - from the characters to the setting and all the happenings throughout the book - that I was completely enchanted once again. There's so much happening in this book - I can't even begin to describe it all. The plot was full of action and adventure along with some romance. The setting is incredible - a dystopian empire that uses the lotus plant for just about everything, including steam-powered contraptions and air ships. The mixture of fantasy, steampunk, dystopian, and mythology makes this series truly unique and wholly original. I loved learning all that I could about the mythology in the series and I hope that there will be more of it in the next book as well. The writing was phenomenal and shows the incredible talent that the author has. The book flowed so easily and had such a quick pace that I literally could not stop reading once I started. The writing grips you from the very beginning and leaves you begging for more. Again, I can't find the right words to convey how epic this book, and this series, is and my review honestly doesn't do it the justice it deserves. I'm already eagerly awaiting the final book in the trilogy to see what will happen next, but I'll be very sorry once it's over. Very highly recommended for fans of all genres, especially dystopias, fantasy, mythology, and action/adventure.

Amazingly Epic!

Jay Kristoff is a Perth-born, Melbourne-based author. His first trilogy, THE LOTUS WAR, was purchased in the three-way auction by US publishing houses in 2011. He is as surprised about it as you are. The first installment, STORMDANCER, is set to be published in September 2012 in the US, UK and Australia.

Jay is 6’7, has approximately 13870 days to live and does not believe in happy endings.

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