Book Blast + Giveaway: The Shadow Wand by Laurie Forest

The Shadow Wand (The Black Witch Chronicles #3)
Author: Laurie Forest
Release Date: June 9, 2020
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Hardcover: 640 pages
 
Description:
 
Elloren Gardner hides the most powerful secret in all of Erthia - she is the Black Witch of Prophecy, and destined to triumph...or be used as the ultimate weapon of destruction.

Separated from everyone she loves, isolated and hunted, Elloren must turn to the last person she can trust, her fastmate, Commander Lukas Grey. With the Mage forces of Gardneria poised to conquer all of Erthia, Elloren has no choice but to ally with Lukas and combine their power to keep herself out of the hands of the Gardnerian leader Marcus Vogel...the holder of the all-consuming Shadow Wand.

With just weeks to train to become a warrior, and no control over her magic, Elloren finds unexpected allies among those under orders to kill her. It's time to step up. To fight back. And to forge onward through the most devastating loss yet.

Praise for THE BLACK WITCH Chronicles:

"I absolutely loved The Black Witch and will have a very hard time waiting for the second book! Maximum suspense, unusual magic--a whole new, thrilling approach to fantasy!" ―Tamora Pierce, #1 New York Times bestselling author on The Black Witch

"This briskly paced, tightly plotted novel enacts the transformative power of education, creating engaging characters set in a rich alternative universe with a complicated history that can help us better understand our own. A massive page-turner that leaves readers longing for more." ―Kirkus Reviews, starred review on The Black Witch


"Fans of Harry Potter and Tamora Pierce will gobble down the 600-plus pages and demand the sequel." ―Booklist, starred review on The Black Witch


"...fans will be delighted and begging for the next title-and the cliff-hanger ending promises us there will be one." ―Booklist on The Iron Flower

You can purchase The Shadow Wand at the following Retailers:

 

Photo Content from Laurie Forest

Laurie Forest lives deep in the backwoods of Vermont where she sits in front of a wood stove drinking strong tea and dreaming up tales full of dryads, dragons and wands. The Black Witch (Book 1.0, The Black Witch Chronicles – OUT NOW) & Wandfasted (Book 0.5, The Black Witch Chronicles Prequel) are her first published novels. Coming in 2018 are Light Mage (Book 1.5, The Black Witch Chronicles) & The Iron Flower(Book 2.0, The Black Witch Chronicles). She is currently ensconced in the woods, hard at work on The Shadow Dryad (Book 3.0, The Black Witch Chronicles).

Author Links:
WEBSITE: http://laurieannforest.com/
TWITTER: @laurieannforest
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14107386.Laurie_Forest
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009503414837
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/laurieannforest/

*JBN is not responsible for Lost or Damaged Books in your Nerdy Mail Box*

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Book Blast + Giveaway: The Rebel Mages by Laurie Forest

The Rebel Mages (The Black Witch Chronicles)

Author: Laurie Forest
Release Date: March 26, 2019
Publisher: Inkyard Press; Original edition
Paperback: 608 pages
Language: English
ISBN-10: 133555677X
ISBN-13: 978-1335556776

Description:

Journey to the magical world of Erthia in these two exciting prequels to The Black Witch by critically acclaimed author Laurie Forest.

Wandfasted
Twenty years before Elloren Gardner enrolled at the illustrious Verpax University, Erthia was rent asunder during the devastating Realm War. When Tessla Harrow is driven from her home by the fighting, she discovers a depth of power she never knew she had...and an irresistible draw toward Vale Gardner, the son of the most powerful mage her people have ever known-the Black Witch.

Light Mage
Before Elloren Gardner came to possess the White Wand of myth, the Wand was drawn to another bearer: Sagellyn Gaffney. Sage's affinity for light magery, a rare skill among Gardnerians, makes her the perfect protector for the one tool that can combat the shadows spreading across Erthia. But in order to keep the Wand safe from the dark forces hunting for it, Sage must abandon everything she once knew and forge a new path for herself...a dangerous course that could lead to either triumph or utter ruin.
 
Praise for THE BLACK WITCH Chronicles:

"I absolutely loved The Black Witch and will have a very hard time waiting for the second book! Maximum suspense, unusual magic--a whole new, thrilling approach to fantasy!" ―Tamora Pierce, #1 New York Times bestselling author on The Black Witch

"This briskly paced, tightly plotted novel enacts the transformative power of education, creating engaging characters set in a rich alternative universe with a complicated history that can help us better understand our own. A massive page-turner that leaves readers longing for more." ―Kirkus Reviews, starred review on The Black Witch


"Fans of Harry Potter and Tamora Pierce will gobble down the 600-plus pages and demand the sequel." ―Booklist, starred review on The Black Witch


"...fans will be delighted and begging for the next title-and the cliff-hanger ending promises us there will be one." ―Booklist on The Iron Flower

You can purchase The Rebel Mages at the following Retailers:

 

Photo Content from Laurie Forest

Laurie Forest lives deep in the backwoods of Vermont where she sits in front of a wood stove drinking strong tea and dreaming up tales full of dryads, dragons and wands. The Black Witch (Book 1.0, The Black Witch Chronicles – OUT NOW) & Wandfasted (Book 0.5, The Black Witch Chronicles Prequel) are her first published novels. Coming in 2018 are Light Mage (Book 1.5, The Black Witch Chronicles) & The Iron Flower (Book 2.0, The Black Witch Chronicles). She is currently ensconced in the woods, hard at work on The Shadow Dryad (Book 3.0, The Black Witch Chronicles).

*JBN is not responsible for Lost or Damaged Books in your Nerdy Mail Box*

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Book Blast + Giveaway: The Iron Flower by Laurie Forest

The Iron Flower (Black Witch Chronicles #2)
Author: Laurie Forest
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: September 18, 2018
Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Description:

Elloren Gardner and her friends were only seeking to right a few wrongs, but their actions have propelled them straight into the ranks of the realm-wide Resistance against Gardnerian encroachment. As the Resistance struggles against the harsh rulings of High Priest Marcus Vogel and the Mage Council, Elloren begins to realize that none of the people she cares about will be safe if Gardneria seizes control of the Western Realm.

With tensions heating up in Verpacia, more and more Gardnerian soldiers continue to descend upon the university…led by none other than Lukas Grey, now commander of the newly rebuilt Fourth Division base. Though Elloren tries to keep him at arm’s length, Lukas is determined to wandfast to her, convinced that she has inherited her grandmother’s magic—the prophesied power of the Black Witch. As his very nearness seems to awaken a darkness inside her, Elloren finds it more and more difficult to believe that she’s truly powerless, as her uncle always claimed.

Caught between her growing feelings for the rebellious Yvan Guriel and the seductive power offered by Lukas Grey, Elloren must find a way to stay true to what she knows is right and protect everyone she loves…even if that means protecting them from herself.  

Praise for THE BLACK WITCH Chronicles:

“Elloren learns to question authority and Gardnerian history, while developing real empathy for different races and species. Forest uses a richly imagined magical world to offer an uncompromising condemnation of prejudice and injustice.” —Booklist, starred review

“Exquisite character work, an elaborate mythology, and a spectacularly rendered universe make this a noteworthy debut, which argues passionately against fascism and xenophobia.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“This briskly paced, tightly plotted novel enacts the transformative power of education, creating engaging characters set in a rich alternative universe with a complicated history that can help us better understand our own.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review 

You can purchase The Iron Flower at the following Retailers:

 

Laurie Forest lives deep in the backwoods of Vermont where she sits in front of a wood stove drinking strong tea and dreaming up tales full of dryads, dragons and wands. The Black Witch (Book 1.0, The Black Witch Chronicles – OUT NOW) & Wandfasted (Book 0.5, The Black Witch Chronicles Prequel) are her first published novels. Coming in 2018 are Light Mage (Book 1.5, The Black Witch Chronicles) & The Iron Flower(Book 2.0, The Black Witch Chronicles). She is currently ensconced in the woods, hard at work on The Shadow Dryad (Book 3.0, The Black Witch Chronicles).

Author Links:
WEBSITE: http://laurieannforest.com/
TWITTER: @laurieannforest
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14107386.Laurie_Forest
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009503414837
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/laurieannforest/ 

(5) Winners will receive a Copy of THE IRON FLOWER by Laurie Forest.

Giveaway is open to International. | Must be 13+ to Enter

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The Black Witch Blog Tour: Excerpt

Follow along our excerpt tour for

THE BLACK WITCH

leading up to the release of the next book in the series,

The Iron Flower!

The Black Witch (The Black Witch Chronicles #1)

Praise:

“Potter-worthy.” —Justine magazine

“A whole new, thrilling approach to fantasy!”–#1 New York Times bestselling author Tamora Pierce

“Powerful” —New York Times bestselling author Robin Hobb

“Exquisite.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

Description:

A new Black Witch will rise…her powers vast beyond imagining.

A Great Winged One will soon arise and cast his fearsome shadow upon the land. And just as Night slays Day, and Day slays Night, so also shall another Black Witch rise to meet him, her powers vast beyond imagining.

So foretells the greatest prophecy of the Gardnerian mages. Carnissa Gardner, the last prophesied Black Witch, drove back the enemy forces and saved her people during the Realm War. Now a new evil is on the horizon, and her granddaughter, Elloren, is believed to be Carnissa’s heir—but while she is the absolute image of her famous grandmother, Elloren is utterly devoid of power in a society that prizes magical ability above nearly all else.

When she is granted the opportunity to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming an apothecary, Elloren is eager to join her brothers at the prestigious Verpax University and finally embrace a destiny of her own, free from the shadow of her grandmother’s legacy. But she soon realizes that the university, which admits all manner of people—including the fire-wielding, winged Icarals, the sworn enemies of all Gardnerians—is an even more treacherous place for the granddaughter of the Black Witch.

Purchase Links:

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

CHAPTER SEVEN

Fallon Bane

“Have you kissed him?”

“Excuse me?”

“Gareth Keeler. Have you kissed him?”

I’m facing an audience of three young women—the University scholars Aunt Vyvian has chosen to be my companions for the day. They sit staring at me with rapt attention, waiting for my answer.

To the most embarrassing question I’ve ever been asked.

Inappropriate, personal questions like this were not acceptable in Halfix, and I inwardly draw back from them in discomfort.

It’s early on my first morning in Valgard, and we are in Aunt Vyvian’s carriage, headed toward the shop of the premier dressmaker in Gardneria. The ride is smooth, the carriage surrounded by twelve armed, high-level Mage soldiers.

Twelve.

Charged with protecting Fallon Bane—our next Black Witch. Aunt Vyvian might not want to believe that she’s the one, but it’s clear from our armed escort that most other Gardnerians don’t agree with this view.

Fallon is, by far, the most intimidating young woman I’ve ever met. She’s beautiful, with full lips, curly black hair down to her waist and large eyes that shine with the whole spectrum of green. But everything else about her flies in the face of convention. For one thing, she’s dressed in a military apprentice uniform modified for a female—the traditional slate-gray silk tunic over a long, gray skirt instead of pants, and marked with a silver Erthia sphere embroidered over her heart. And the arms of her uniform are marked with a Level Five Mage’s five silver bands. Fallon watches me, her legs splayed open, aggressively taking up as much room in the carriage as possible.

She’s the one asking the questions, a slightly contemptuous smirk on her face. My obvious discomfort, given away by the blush I feel forming on my face, seems to greatly amuse her.

“Why are you asking me about Gareth Keeler?” I ask Fallon defensively.

“Your aunt says you know him.”

“I do,” I tell her. “He’s my friend.”

Fallon shoots sly, sidelong glances at both Echo and Paige before setting bright eyes back on me. “Have you looked closely at his hair?”

I bristle, my view of Fallon quickly coalescing into a hard ball of dislike. “His hair is black.”

Fallon smirks wider. “So…if you haven’t kissed Gareth, have you ever kissed anyone?”

I struggle to keep my expression neutral, greatly put off by her intrusive behavior. “Of course not. I’m unfasted.” And not in the habit of throwing myself at young men, unlike you.

Fallon flashes a devious look at Echo, which sends my dislike of Fallon flaring higher. Then she turns her mischievous gaze back on me, her tone thick with condescension. “You’re not in the backwoods anymore, Elloren. It’s okay to kiss a boy.”

Echo purses her lips at Fallon. “Some of us have morals,” she chastises. “Even in Valgard.”

Fallon spits out a disdainful laugh and rolls her eyes at me, like I’m an old chum.

Echo’s regarding me now, with serious, owl-like eyes, as if measuring my worth. She’s garbed in the manner of the most religious Gardnerians, her black tunic double-layered and very high in the collar, a small Erthia sphere hanging from a silver chain around her neck, her hair unadorned and parted straight as a pin.

Noticing Fallon’s and Echo’s unfriendly expressions, Paige smiles at me encouragingly. She’s the only truly pleasant person in the group, her curly black hair escaping from jeweled barrettes, spilling out over round, rosy cheeks.

Fallon takes note of Paige’s happy expression. “Paige has been kissed,” Fallon teases, her tone unkind.

That wipes the smile clear off Paige’s face. “Well…umm…” Paige stammers as she looks down at the marked hands that fidget in her lap. “I’m fasted.”

“She’s been fasted since she was thirteen,” Fallon leans in and whispers to me, as if this is a delicious secret.

“You have?” I’m surprised. Thirteen seems awfully young. But then I think of Sage—she was fasted at thirteen.

“I’m… I’m fasted to Fallon’s brother, Sylus,” Paige mumbles, seeming less than overjoyed by this.

Fallon throws an arm around Paige and hugs her tight with mock affection. “We’re going to be actual sisters!”

Paige glances meekly at Fallon and forces a small, quavering smile.

I motion toward Echo’s marked hands. “Have you been fasted a long time?”

Echo’s solemn stare doesn’t waver. “To Basyl Dorne. Five years ago.”

I study her, trying to catch a glimpse of how she feels about this, but Echo’s as private and unreadable as a statue.

My eyes wander to Fallon’s unmarked hands. “So… I see you’re not fasted.”

Fallon’s expression turns cold, and she fixes me with a belligerent stare. “Not yet.” She says it like a challenge.

“Fallon likes Lukas Grey.” Paige giggles nervously. Fallon swivels her head smoothly toward Paige and stares her down. Paige’s smile vanishes. “Well…you do…like Lukas, I mean.”

I remember my aunt’s gushing praise of Lukas Grey, the prospective fasting partner she seems to want most for me. I’m amused that Aunt Vyvian actually thinks I could compete with Fallon Bane for anything—and win.

“He’s really handsome,” gushes Paige, “and his father is the High Commander of the entire Mage Guard. He comes from a very important family, and he’s a Level Five Mage.”

Fallon is watching me closely, a gloating look on her face, like she’s won some prize.

“When are you getting fasted to Lukas?” I ask.

Fallon’s smile freezes, and she narrows her eyes at me. “Soon. Very soon.” There’s warning in her inflection. Stay away from Lukas. He’s mine.

I wonder why she’s so insecure about him, and whether or not she knows Aunt Vyvian ludicrously wants him for me. I find myself even more curious about my aunt’s party, if only for the chance to meet the mysterious Lukas Grey. My eyes are drawn to the wand that sticks out from Fallon’s belt like some great thorn.

“So—” I gesture toward the wand “—you’ve quite a bit of power, I’ve heard.”

She bares her teeth. “A little.”

I can tell by the incredulous looks Echo and Paige throw her that she’s being wildly sarcastic.

“I’ve never seen magic used,” I tell her.

Her feral smile inches wider. “You’ve no magic, then?”

I shake my head, bothered by the gloating look on her face.

In one smooth, deft movement, Fallon pulls out her wand, holds it straight up and murmurs a spell.

A loud crack sends Echo, Paige and me recoiling back against our seats as a flash of blue light bursts from Fallon’s wand. The sound jars me to the bone, and I gasp as the light quickly coalesces into a whirling, glowing sphere that floats just above the wand’s tip, its rhythmic, deep whoosh a jagged scrape to my ears, the carriage rapidly cooling, frost forming on the windows.

“Stop it, Fallon,” Echo snaps as she glares at Fallon with annoyance, all of us cast in sapphire light. “You’ll freeze us to death.”

Fallon lets out a contemptuous laugh but relents. She murmurs more strange words and the iceball instantly morphs into a roiling, white vapor that quickly explodes into a frigid, odorless mist and disappears.

Fallon sits back and grins, a triumphant gleam in her eyes.

“That’s amazing,” I breathe, swallowing hard, fighting back a shiver.
******

Like what you read so far? Buy the book here, and don’t forget to pre-order book two in The Black Witch Chronicles, The Iron Flower, on sale next month!

Excerpted from The Black Witch by Laurie Forest, copyright 2017 by Laurie Forest. Reprinted with permission by HarperCollins Publishers.

Laurie Forest lives deep in the backwoods of Vermont where she sits in front of a wood stove drinking strong tea and dreaming up tales full of dryads, dragons and wands. THE BLACK WITCH (Out Now – Harlequin TEEN, Book One of The Black Witch Chronicles) is her first novel, and WANDFASTED (THE BLACK WITCH prequel, Out Now – Harlequin TEEN) is her first e-book novella. Coming in 2018 are THE IRON FLOWER (Sept. 2018 – Harlequin TEEN, Book Two of The Black Witch Chronicles) and LIGHT MAGE (Spring 2018 – Harlequin TEEN, e-book novella).

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