Audiobook Review: An Unexpected Adventure.

Today’s audiobook is one that I have reviewed on this blog before. You can read the original review here: https://cobonham.com/2018/09/19/an-unexpected-adventure-a-dive-in-review/

The Myth Coast Adventure’s series by Kandi J. Wyatt

An Unexpected Adventure is the first book in a middle grade fantasy trilogy by author, Kandi J. Wyatt, called the Myth Coast Adventures. It recently released in an audio format, and the author was kind enough to ask if I would like to review the Audiobook edition.

Before I get to my review here’s a refresher of what the book is about:

Harley will do anything to keep his new pal safe. But a hungry dragon needs to eat. And the government is hot on their tail.

Harley Maegher’s seen E.T. and knows what the government will do to mythical creatures. There’s no way he’s about to let his new-found friend fall into the hands of an NSA agent. When the dragon starts setting fires and eating livestock, the choice may be taken from him.

Steria is only interested in filling her tummy and spending time with Harley and his friends. After all, they’re the ones who woke her and called her from her egg. When the agent tries to capture her, she’s confined to the farm where she’s safe but without sufficient food. She’ll do anything to protect herself and Harley, even if it means she’ll go hungry.

An Unexpected Adventure is the fun first book in the middle grade fantasy Myth Coast Adventures trilogy. If you like clean entertainment full of adventure and mischief, then you’ll love Kandi J Wyatt’s unique trilogy.

Explore An Unexpected Adventure to embark on a family-friendly adventure today!

You can buy it from amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Unexpected-Adventure-Myth-Coast-Adventures-ebook/dp/B07H6RXLTS/

It’s available in Ebook, Paperback and Audio.

Image by Lilawind on Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/users/lilawind-6389091/

Dive in Audio Review:

Some kids aren’t the chosen one, they don’t find lands inside wardrobes, or get called to rule kingdoms. Sometimes they just have to go to school, or get summer jobs. They must do these normal activities no matter what weird fantasy creature falls into their life.

That is the magic of An Unexpected Adventure. The boys; Harley, Will and Chase, are just regular kids. They do regular things, while also hiding a dragon from a scientist who seems determined to capture it. They could someone you know, they could even be you.

The Narrator Dave Cruse does a great job of reading this book. He uses voice differentiation. So each character sounds a little different, but it’s not too out there where the voices start to sound cartoonish. His Narration is smooth and soothing, never monotone nor does he get too loud, even when characters are yelling.

Hearing this book was an entertaining experience, even having read it before I enjoyed going back and getting to know these characters all over again.

Author Bio:

Even as a young girl, Kandi J Wyatt, had a knack for words. She loved to read them, even if it was on a shampoo bottle! By high school Kandi had learned to put words together on paper to create stories for those she loved. Nowadays, she writes for her kids, whether that’s her own five or the hundreds of students she’s been lucky to teach. When Kandi’s not spinning words to create stories, she’s using them to teach students about Spanish, life, and leadership.

Where to find her:

Website: http://kandijwyatt.com/

Facebook: http://facebook.com/kandijwyatt/

Google: http://plus.google.com/u/0/+KandiWyatt/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/kandijwyatt

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/kandijwyatt

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13817774.Kandi_J_Wyatt

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Kandi-J-Wyatt/e/B00ZTC4T10/

Dive in Review: One Flew through the Dragon Heart

Hello readers, Today is January sixteenth and it is Appreciate a Dragon day. So today I am giving you a book review of a book that has a Dragon in it. If the title sounds familiar to you it’s because I hosted a cover reveal for this book back in October. Please note the awesome dragon silhouette behind title in cover image.

About the book:

A Chinese Legend. A British Secret. Star-Crossed Lovers with Incompatible Magic.

51whzhtwuul._sy346_Flew works as a professor of wielder instruction at Rembrandt Academy, hoping to erase the regrets of his youth along with the resulting debt. But when he comes face to face with his biggest regret—the woman who broke his heart, Adelaide Favan—Brixton soon realizes his troubles have only begun.

Unable to control her magic, Adelaide knew leaving Brixton was the only way to protect him when they were younger. Now she discovers he is the key to recovering the Dragon Eyes, a legendary treasure connected to her magic and her family’s disgraced legacy—and she knows the risk is great, to both his life and her heart.

With others seeking the power of the Dragon Eyes, Brixton and Adelaide must outwit their foes and face down their families to save London from an ancient legend that sleeps beneath the magic portal in their city.

But the renewed passion growing between them may prove to be the greater peril …

One Flew Through the Dragon Heart is the first book in a new steampunk series by C.S. Johnson, blending together history, romance, mecha-dragons and magic against the glittering backdrop of 1880’s Victorian London.

CS JohnsonC. S. Johnson is the author of several young adult novels, including sci-fi and fantasy adventures such as the Starlight Chronicles series, the Once Upon a Princess saga, and the Divine Space Pirates trilogy. With a gift for sarcasm and an apologetic heart, she currently lives in Atlanta with her family. Find out more at http://www.csjohnson.me.

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Purchase your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HRW64SM

Dive in Review:

One Flew Through the Dragon Heart by C.S. Johnson is a steampunk fantasy.

The setting is an alternate London where a gaping magical portal hovers over parliament. This portal not only gives the citizens of this world magic abilities but it also holds a secret. A secret that someone is trying to let out.

This novel also features a great addition to Dragon lore. It totally explains why dragons hoard treasure. It also explains why someone would name a huge gemstone “the dragon’s eye.” It’s Awesome and trust me you really want to know what this is. I also loved that there was an actual Dragon in the book and it wasn’t just a tease. Perfect book for appreciate a dragon day.

I loved the magic system created for this story world. White magic and black magic are taken literally in this color based magic system. White creates and Black destroys. Guess what happens when two people with opposite magic fall in love. Suspense, tension, and adventure.

The main POV characters, Brixton and Ada were great. With personality and chemistry they make a couple worthy of shipping. It was a great twist on the star-crossed lovers troupe.

Without spilling spoilers all I can say is that I loved this book and eagerly await the next Installment. Also if you love steampunk, magic, romance , Dragons or all of the above. you will totally want to read this book.

*I was given a free ecopy of this book for promotional purposes. All opinions expressed are my own and are my honest opinion.*

 

An Unexpected Adventure: A Dive in Review

Hello, today’s post is a review of a cool book I just finished reading. It’s called, An Unexpected Adventure by Kandi J. Wyatt. And the cover is just stunning. 

 

1 An Unexpected adventure.jpgProtect their community or protect their discovery?

 For eighth graders Chace, Harley, Will, and Cherise, that’s a life-changing question after they find a dragon’s egg while hunting for thundereggs on the beach. Toss in summer jobs, family struggles, and a National Security Agent, and their summer vacation just became complicated.

 Can they find a solution that won’t leave their hearts broken or their community in flames?

It’s available for pre-order here:

 https://www.books2read.com/u/3yDLX6

It’s only 99 cents to pre-order it and the release date is September, 25 2018.

Author Bio:

Even as a young girl, Kandi J Wyatt, had a knack for words. She loved to read them, even if it was on a shampoo bottle! By high school Kandi had learned to put words together on paper to create stories for those she loved. Nowadays, she writes for her kids, whether that’s her own five or the hundreds of students she’s been lucky to teach. When Kandi’s not spinning words to create stories, she’s using them to teach students about Spanish, life, and leadership.

Where to find her:

Website: http://kandijwyatt.com/

Facebook: http://facebook.com/kandijwyatt/

Google: http://plus.google.com/u/0/+KandiWyatt/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/kandijwyatt

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/kandijwyatt

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13817774.Kandi_J_Wyatt

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Kandi-J-Wyatt/e/B00ZTC4T10/

My Dive in Review:

Because this book is for younger readers I am conflicted on how to review it. I usually write directly to my reader but I’m pretty sure that middle grade boys and girls do not read my blog. So I must write to you the reader of my blog, who may know a young reader in need of an adventure.

 An Unexpected Adventure by Kandi J. Wyatt, is the first book in her new Middle grade series, The Myth Coast adventures.

 The first thing I need to say about this book is that I loved the concept. Three boys discover a giant egg while searching for rocks. They take it home and it hatches into a Dragon. The scenes with the dragon are super cute and fun to read.

 The setting was also fun. It takes place in California, near San Francisco. I loved how the coastal culture was integrated into the story. It gave it a very realistic feeling despite the fantasy nature of the story.

 Two tropes involved really bothered me though. These are common middle grade tropes, they are both genre specific (meaning middle grade, not fantasy) and could be called expected even. But I question them anyway.

 Of course the government is looking for the Dragon too. Why are government agents always the bad guys?

  I will say though that Kandi does seem to twist the trope in this story. The government just wants to protect people, but the boys believe they are bad because they are bombarded by movies that tell them the government is always up to no good. It’s all a matter of perception really.

 The second trope, that I can’t really say was fixed, is the hide everything from your parents trope. Why? Do public schooled kids really not tell their parents anything?

 I admit I was home schooled so it’s really hard for me to understand why a school teacher would be more trustworthy than your own parents. But in the end I guess all that matters is that there is adult supervision. They are hiding a dragon from the government after all.

 In the end I give it four stars. It was engaging, had fun characters, and I would be willing to give this book to anyone without any reservations about content. Though when I have kids of my own. We are definitely having a talk about not hiding mythical creatures from mommy. I totally want in on any baby dragons hatching.

 *I was given a free copy of the book to read for review. All opinions are my own and were reached honestly.*

And if you still aren’t interested Kandi said I could share an excerpt with all of you

Excerpt from An Unexpected Adventure, by Kandi J. Wyatt:

After a few more minutes of digging, the stone came free. Will wriggled it until we could get a grip underneath and lift it out. I really had my doubts we could pick it up; I was sure it’d weigh close to a hundred pounds or more. However, to my surprise, it came free and up without a hitch, absurdly light for its size.

“Should it be this light?” I squinted at the rock in our hands.

“I don’t know.” Will shrugged his shoulder.

Chace shifted his grip. “I’ve never seen a single rock this big before. But it should weigh more than this. I still say it’s an egg.”

I was beginning to believe him, but there were some good reasons to doubt it, too. “What bird’s this big, and how did it get here? We’re a long way from the game park.”

The game park was the closest thing to a zoo we had. They had wild animals and some pet deer, sheep, donkeys, geese, goats, and peacocks to feed. They even had an emu and an ostrich, but I still couldn’t imagine either one having an egg quite this size.

Chace shook his head. “I don’t know, but listen.” He took a free hand and tapped ever so gently on the surface.

It echoed hollowly. Before anyone could say anything, a second fainter tap came as if in reply.

“What in the world?” I exclaimed, jumping and almost dropping the thing.

“It’s an egg,” Chace said with firm conviction. “I don’t know what kind yet, but it’s an egg.”

“Wh-what do we do with it?” Will looked like he wanted to toss it in the ocean.

“We keep it.”

Both Will and Chace looked at me as if I had just turned down a shot at a five-point deer during hunting season. I don’t know what I was thinking, but suddenly a fierce desire to protect the creature inside came over me

 

Amber Eyes Blog Tour: A guest post

Hello, you may have noticed that this blog was dormant for a while. The reason was because I work retail so I pretty much died after Christmas. But I’m better now and ready to share more awesome books with you. The first of which is S.D. Grimm’s newest fantasy novel, Amber Eyes. And it’s on tour.

 

About the Book

Destiny can be cruel

Darkness retreated from the light of the scarlet moon, but has since grown even stronger. The Mistress of Shadows has found a new pawn—one that may be the key to unlocking the door to her underground prison. Now evil threatens to escape its shackles and destroy the land.

In the aftermath of loss and betrayal, Jayden’s fight with the enemy still isn’t over. But while she isn’t sure she can stop the Mistress alone, leaving her friends might be the only way to keep them from being consumed by the darkness.

With lives hanging in the balance—and no time for error—can Jayden make the right choice?

AmazonBarnes & Noble Christianbook.com

About the Author

S.D. Grimm’s first love in writing is young adult fantasy and science fiction. She is represented by Julie Gwinn of the Seymour Agency and author of SCARLET MOON. She currently has four books under contract, including the remainder of her YA fantasy series Children of the Blood Moon. When she’s not writing or editing, Sarah enjoys reading (of course!), practicing kickboxing and Brazilian jiu jitsu, training dogs, and binge-watching shows with great characters. Her office is anywhere she can curl up with her laptop and at least one large-sized dog. You can learn more about her upcoming novels at www.sdgrimm.com.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Goodreads | Newsletter | Spotify

Instead of an interview or a review I was evil and told S.D. that she could steal my blog to talk about what ever she wanted. A segment that I am unashamedly calling: Be Our Guest Post.

Be Our Guest Post: S.D. Grimm

 Thank you so much for having me as a guest on your blog today! I am so excited to be here.

 So I’ve been thinking about some things that I could share about Amber Eyes that are basically non-spoilery but also touch on the heart of the story. One thing that came to mind is the phrase I put on my special Amber Eyes bookmarks: the dragon will rise.

 Dragons! The good ones are amazing. The bad ones are terrifying. They’re a fascinating embodiment of the fantasy genre. And yet that dragon on the cover of Amber Eyes is clearly creeeeeepyyyy.

 And so perfect for the story. When I saw the cover the first time, that dragon made me quiver inside. Because it’s so … perfect and scary!

 I think a lot of Scarlet Moon is about overcoming fears. And that plays a part in Amber Eyes, too. But more than that, Scarlet Moon is about overcoming fears that the characters will face—outer dragons—while Amber Eyes is about characters facing the fears of what they might become, aka inner dragons.

 In Amber Eyes, they’re battling their inner dragons while also facing the very real monsters in front of them.

 I think it’s evident in that I chose the title “Amber Eyes” for a few reasons. You can see from the very awesome dragon on the cover (thank you, Kirk DouPonce for the AmAzInG cover) that it has eyes of amber. And it’s ferocious and scary and dangerous. There are other characters in the novel who are also those things, and while they may be pulled toward darkness, not all of them will accept that call.

 So they’re like two sides of the same coin. Two paths in the same wood. Two ways a character could go. That’s what it’s like for us when we make choices that we have to wrestle with at a soul level, though, right? We have to decide which path to take. Which choice to make.

 Sometimes it’s the right one. Sometimes it’s not. And that’s at the heart of this book. Struggling with choices. Living with consequences. And choosing the right path. Just. Like. Life. Dragons are dangerous either way, but there are good ones and bad ones.

 I think that’s why Amber Eyes was so fun and yet hard to write at times. Because it’s hard to watch the characters you love make choices you know in your gut are wrong. But watching them become stronger, wiser people because of the lessons they learned through those mistakes is so satisfying. So I hope you enjoy going through those moments with my characters. Following them on their journey toward hope. Growing with them. Cheering for them. Watching them face their dragons. And everything in between. I am so excited to share this with you.

***

Thank you S.D. Grimm for the amazing guest post. I admit when I gave you free rein, I was really hoping for dragons. You did not disappoint. In case you didn’t know S.D. also makes really cute dragon figures that she calls Grimmlies. Check out this picture she included.

Fun Author Pics

Rumor is that she’s giving some away at her Facebook Party. Keep scrolling for a Giveaway link for a chance to win not only a Grimmlie but paperback copies of both Scarlet moon and Amber Eyes.

Facebook Launch Party

Calling all book readers! Join author S.D. Grimm as we chat about her fantasy novel Amber Eyes on January 30th from 8 PM to 11 PM EST (6 PM CDT and 5 PM PST).

Grab your favorite drink and snack and be prepared for a fun time of chatting with SD, games, and giveaways.

Special guests Nadine Brandes, Lindsay A. Franklin, and Sara Baysinger will also be sharing their books and joining in the fun.

RSVP Today

 

Giveaway

Want to dive into a new world? Enter to win a signed copy of both Amber Eyes and Scarlet Moon, a grimmlie dragon of the dragon on the cover (made by the author), a charm bracelet (made by her Captain America), and a $10 amazon gift card. (US only. Sorry!)

>>> Entry-Form <<<

 

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, January 22nd

Tuesday, January 23rd

Wednesday, January 24th

Thursday, January 25th

Friday, January 26th

Saturday, January 27th

Monday, January 29th

Tuesday, January 30th

Wednesday, January 31st

Thursday, February 1st

Friday, February 2nd

Saturday, February 3rd

Monday, February 5th

 

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