Interview and Review: Stolen Songbird (The Malediction Trilogy #1) by Danielle L. Jensen

  Young Adult, High Fantasy, Magic, Romance, Witches_

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

When Cécile is suddenly snatched from the road and taken deep beneath a mountain. She is introduced to the Trolls of Trollus. Cécile has not only been taken prisoner, but soon learns she is to be wed to the prince. The longer she stays in Trollus, the more she gets to know the people, politics, magic and even finds friends.

Cécile grows to become a very strong willed character throughout the book. As she begins to feel torn between the people of Trollus and her family above. With the signs of rebellion, Cécile and Tristan soon find they are on the same side and become closer.

My favorite part of the book was the world building. I loved traveling even further beneath the mountain into the mines and the labyrinth. The descriptions of the gardens, waters and palace are those of a fairytale and that is what really made the story for me.

After five centuries the trolls are about to have their whole world change before their eyes. Cécile and Tristan have people to fight for, and are willing to give up everything for. So the big question is...what will happen next!?

I had a great time reading this book, it was a fun, imaginative and like losing yourself in a whole new world. Great characters, writing and a magical world that shows both the beautiful and the ugly. I recommend it!



April 1st 2014 by Strange Chemistry  
http://danielleljensen.com/
https://twitter.com/dljensen_ 
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.

An Interview with Author Danielle L Jensen

1.  If you could spend one day in Trollus, where would you spend the majority of it, and why? (the garden, labyrinth, palace, etc.)

The glass gardens when they are all lit up, because I think they are the most romantic and magical place in Trollus.

2. Which of the following people would you choose to direct/produce the movie of Stolen Songbird: Jim Henson, Chris Columbus, or Peter Jackson?

Peter Jackson, because I love how he treats fantasy worlds.

3. The world of Trollus is very detailed and complex. At any time during the writing period did you have to draw a map of the city to help visualize the setting? If so will you be making the map available online?
I have zero artistic skills, so making a map myself has never been in the cards. I think some people find maps really helpful for understanding fantasy worlds, while others just flip by them. Unfortunately for those who are the former, I am the latter. I can close my eyes and visualize Trollus quite easily, and I’ve hopefully done a reasonable job describing that vision within the story. As to whether something would be designed and made available online or in subsequent volumes, that remains to be seen. It would be cool, but such things cost money.

Krista, I know you were particularly interested in what the palace looked like. I envisioned it as a smaller, two story version of Versailles, complete with all the gardens. Trollus is located in what was once a valley, so everything would be terraced rather than flat.

4. Best break from writing: Food Binge, Television Binge, or Music Binge?

Don’t even tease me! I haven’t had a break in so long.... But if I had a choice, it would be a combination food/television binge.

5. Best idea for comicon costume: Sluag, Pure Blood Troll, Magical Princess Cecile

It would be hot and cumbersome, but I’d go as one of the sluag. I like costumes where your identity is concealed. But it might be fun to go as the Queen/Duchesse. Or Anaïs, because she has the best dresses.

6. I heard you like Dragons and would like one of your own in the land of Pern. Have you considered writing a story with Dragons? If no, tell us a little about what your working on next?

I love dragons so much, especially the ones from Pern! I haven’t considered writing a story purely about dragons mostly because I’ve never had a story idea that does them justice. That said, you observant types might have noticed there is a statue of a dragon in Trollus... Just saying.

As to what I’m working on right now, my time is utterly consumed with writing book 2 in The Malediction Trilogy.

Danielle L. Jensen

STOLEN SONGBIRD, April 1, 2014

danielleljensen@outlook.com

www.danielleljensen.com

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Re-Vamp!

Hello Readers! I have decided I am revamping this site to include more books, interviews and posts regarding books for all ages. From Picture books to adult. I am not sure how much time this will take, but thanks for sticking with me this far!

Hope to talk to you again soon
Krista

Out of My Comfort Zone Reads

When looking back over the books I read, there are some that stand out for different reasons than just being a highly enjoyable read. Those books are the ones that took me out of my comfort zone. They did not make any of my top 10 lists. But they would have perhaps made my list of most though provoking-out of comfort zone books I read.

To say that I didn't like them would be wrong. To say that I loved them would not fit either. These are books that challenged my thinking, they made me upset. Mostly because they made me think about topics that I wasn't ready to take on. To tell you the truth they are topics that I never wanted to think about.

I would have lived a long happy life without having to know or think about the things in these books. But the fact that ideas and acts like these are out there does not mean that turning a blind eye to the topics is the correct thing to do.

When it comes to reading. This is a solo act. You can choose what you want to read and how to interpret it. If you pick up a novel and don't feel comfortable about talking about it, at least you got to know more about yourself and learned from it. If you read books like the following often to learn, grow and discuss openly. I applaud you.

 Forbidden  by Tabitha Suzuma 
She is pretty and talented - sweet sixteen and never been kissed. He is seventeen; gorgeous and on the brink of a bright future. And now they have fallen in love. But... they are brother and sister.

Seventeen-year-old Lochan and sixteen-year-old Maya have always felt more like friends than siblings. Together they have stepped in for their alcoholic, wayward mother to take care of their three younger siblings. As defacto parents to the little ones, Lochan and Maya have had to grow up fast. And the stress of their lives—and the way they understand each other so completely—has also also brought them closer than two siblings would ordinarily be. So close, in fact, that they have fallen in love. Their clandestine romance quickly blooms into deep, desperate love. They know their relationship is wrong and cannot possibly continue. And yet, they cannot stop what feels so incredibly right. As the novel careens toward an explosive and shocking finale, only one thing is certain: a love this devastating has no happy ending

Shine by Lauren Myracle

When her best guy friend falls victim to a vicious hate crime, sixteen-year-old Cat sets out to discover who in her small town did it. Richly atmospheric, this daring mystery mines the secrets of a tightly knit Southern community and examines the strength of will it takes to go against everyone you know in the name of justice.

Against a backdrop of poverty, clannishness, drugs, and intolerance, Myracle has crafted a harrowing coming-of-age tale couched in a deeply intelligent mystery. Smart, fearless, and compassionate, this is an unforgettable work from a beloved author

Bumped (Bumped #1)by Megan McCafferty

When a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, would-be parents pay teen girls to conceive and give birth to their children, making teens the most prized members of society. Girls sport fake baby bumps and the school cafeteria stocks folic-acid-infused food.

Sixteen-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony were separated at birth and have never met until the day Harmony shows up on Melody's doorstep. Up to now, the twins have followed completely opposite paths. Melody has scored an enviable conception contract with a couple called the Jaydens. While they are searching for the perfect partner for Melody to bump with, she is fighting her attraction to her best friend, Zen, who is way too short for the job.

Harmony has spent her whole life in Goodside, a religious community, preparing to be a wife and mother. She believes her calling is to convince Melody that pregging for profit is a sin. But Harmony has secrets of her own that she is running from.

When Melody is finally matched with the world-famous, genetically flawless Jondoe, both girls' lives are changed forever. A case of mistaken identity takes them on a journey neither could have ever imagined, one that makes Melody and Harmony realize they have so much more than just DNA in common.

From New York Times bestselling author Megan McCafferty comes a strikingly original look at friendship, love, and sisterhood--in a future that is eerily believable

The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks

Frank - no ordinary sixteen-year-old - lives with his father outside a remote Scottish village. Their life is, to say the least, unconventional. Frank's mother abandoned them years ago: his elder brother Eric is confined to a psychiatric hospital; and his father measures out his eccentricities on an imperial scale. Frank has turned to strange acts of violence to vent his frustrations. In the bizarre daily rituals there is some solace. But when news comes of Eric's escape from the hospital Frank has to prepare the ground for his brother's inevitable return - an event that explodes the mysteries of the past and changes Frank utterly.

To Watch Out For

Perusing upcoming releases I came across this title! Added to my To-Read List!

Don't Read This Book: 13 Forbidden Tales from the Mad City

Monica Valentinelli and George Cotronis

Diamond Book Distributors

Evil Hat Productions, LLC

Pub Date   Mar 19 2013

More Title Details

• ISBN9781613170120
• Price15.00
• CurrencyUSD
• EditionPaperback

Description

Down a lonely alleyway, under a starless sky, lies a city that never was, yet is: the Mad City, where nightmares walk the streets, and a good night’s sleep can get  you killed. Here, then, is a book from that place.

Within these recovered pages are the tales of the Awake, insomniacs who’ve walked those perilous streets, bringing a bit of  the power of dream with them to fight back the night — always at a terrible cost.

For many, it will not end well. For a few, they might just become heroes — or at least find their way back home.

For you, a choice. Turn away. Don’t read this book. And maybe you’ll continue to rest easy. Or open the cover and enter a world unlike any you’ve ever dared to imagine!

Don't Read This Book introduces 13 forbidden tales from the Mad City and the world of the Don't Rest Your Head RPG.

JACK BE NIMBLE: THE CRYSTAL FALCON JACK BE NIMBLE: THE CRYSTAL FALCON by Ben English

    Circling ever closer to a truth concealed behind layers of conspiracy, assassination, and horrific acts of global terrorism, Jack Flynn and his team of clandestine covert operatives are on the run, barely ahead of the forces of a vast global enterprise engineered to bring about anarchy and the destruction of the free west.

   In Cuba, fueled by an ancient vengeance, a ruthless crime lord sets in motion a plan to assassinate the leader of the worlds newest democracy. Jack strikes at the heart of this plot only to find himself face-to-face with the woman he thought lost to him forever. Together, Jack and Mercedes are on a collision course with a terrifying criminal mastermind whose strategies are already in motion and far, far ahead of schedule.

   The Crystal Falcon is the third book in the Jack Be Nimble thriller series.

The Jack Be Nimble series follow the story of celebrity actor Jack, who just so happens to also help solve international crimes. Along with the Lois Lane-like Mercedes, who is not only pretty, but insanely intuitive. The reader does not only get personal relationships between the characters. But world wide travels, detailed and researched plot lines and a rather ingenious villains.

The third book in the series spends a lot of time in Cuba. It was gripping from the very first page in which we are exploring a vacated island in which the tenants moved out very recently, and very fast. Food still rotting in the fridge and possessions strewn around in each of the houses. But what about the insanely detailed clean up job of removing all technology, wiring and electronics. But with there is still one paper, jammed in the back of one of the desks that has some clues. Fingerprints.

It's really hard to put down these books, they are action packed with just a great amount of research and detail put into them that it's bound to keep your eyes glued to the pages.

While the previous books took us from Paris, London, San Francisco, this book does a lot of focusing on Cuba. It is somewhere I haven't read much about and I enjoyed the writing that makes you feel like you are actually there. There is so much detail and visuals in the writing it's really hard not to lose yourself.

If you enjoy international thrill writers like Dan Brown, I recommend you give this series a try. You'll pretty much be hooked after book one. You Welcome.




This post will appear on my other blog as well cubicleblindness.com September 15 2012.

Fun news from my favorite Author!

Press Release – June 2012
Award-winning Aussie Creators Go Psychic
Hoodlum Entertainment and author, Marianne Delacourt, team up to bring sass and murder our TV screens.
Step aside The Mentalist and Lie to Me, there’s a new psychic in town and she’s home-grown. Meet Tara Sharp, an unemployed, twenty-something with a gift for reading auras and body language. Add a dose of dangerous clients and a bunch of oddball friends and you have the ingredients for a first rate comic mystery television series.
Bestselling, award-winning author Marianne Delacourt and award-winning multiplatform production company Hoodlum, today announced the option of Delacourt’s Tara Sharp series published by Allen and Unwin.
The books follow the exploits of Tara Sharp as she negotiates the seedier side of Australian suburbia in her role as a maverick psychic.
“Hoodlum is producing some of the world’s best multiplatform entertainment. They’ve well and truly stamped their presence on the international scene and it’s brilliant to see an Australian company leading the way,” says Delacourt.
Hoodlum is an Emmy® Award-winning multiplatform production company that specialises in producing high quality entertainment content engaging fans in television, film, online, mobile and emerging media platforms for worldwide distribution. In 2009 Hoodlum won a Primetime Emmy® for their work on LOST and an International Emmy® for their work on Primeval in 2010. The company has won two BATFA Awards, a Global Media Award and the Broadcast Digital Channel Award.
Marianne Delacourt won the Davitt award in 2010 for the first Tara Sharp novel entitled Sharp Shooter. Delacourt is well known to readers as her alter ego, science fiction writer, Marianne de Pierres. As Marianne de Pierres she’s been published internationally, translated into a dozen languages and won an Aurealis Award for Best Science Fiction novel.

Jack Be Nimble: Tyro (Book 2) By Ben English

The adventure that began in fire and terror in the night sky over London has brought Jack Flynn and his friends together again, to strike a blow against the forces of a brilliant, sadistic technologist bent on unspeakable destruction. Yet a single blow by itself has not turned the tide of this secret war, and Jack must divide his team to realize any chance of defeating the hidden army arrayed against them.

Mercedes Adams evades the assassins sent against her only to be visited by a more dangerous, intimate threat from her past. As her path brings her closer and closer to Jack—on a mad dash from Paris to San Francisco to Los Angeles to Havana, Cuba—Mercedes discovers the hope of survival and salvation in the lessons learned years ago in the freshness of youth, lessons learned by an eager boy, a maverick, an earnest novice…a Tyro.
What I love about this series and why I will continue to keep reading them, is the characters. I enjoy the interaction between all of the characters, if they are the bad guys or the good guys. They all are incredibly well-rounded in which I mean the reader gets to know and learn about each of the characters as if they were carrying the story alone. But they don't, these books are told from different perspectives.
Also we get to travel around the world, from Paris to San Francisco and Cuba. I enjoy that we get a little bit of historical background into the cities , it's as if the settings are a character of their own.
You'll get a little bit of everything that the first book introduced as well, some international political conflicts, spys with fast and fancy toys, advanced technology and the heart of the story, great characters.
This author will appeal to fans of James Patterson and Dan Brown.