TRUTHWITCH TUESDAY: It's coloring time!

TRUTHWITCH TUESDAY

Welcome to yet another #TruthwitchTuesday! Hard to believe that it's only 77 days until release day, isn't it? Holy sea foxes, time just keeps flying by! And talking of sea foxes... we have a special and really rather fun #TruthwitchTuesday for you this week. How are your coloring skills? Because it's competition time! 

In Truthwitch, a sea fox is a mythological creature. Now you can color your own in a bid to win the awesome grand prize of a signed TRUTHWITCH ARC. Even better, you get to choose which version of the ARC you'd like if you win! And yes, the competition is INTERNATIONAL, so everyone and anyone can join in on the fun!

How about a little snippet of the not-so-mythological sea fox first?

"When Ryber had described a sea fox, this was not what Safi had imagined.

     And she definitely didn't imagine that it would scream like the souls of the damned. A thousand layers screeched from the monster's mouth -- and then screeched from a second monster now towering over the Jana nearby."

Yikes. Sounds scary, right? Now, scroll down to see the special piece of art I've drawn especially for this week's #TruthwitchTuesday! (Ahh!!)

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Behold! The mighty sea fox. All ready for you to print out and color.

Prize

• One signed ARC of TRUTHWITCH. You can choose which version of the ARC you would like -- UK or US.

Rules

• Contest is open internationally!
• You can either color the picture in digitally or traditionally. Any media is completely fine. (I left the circle blank so you can put the Waterwitch symbol in yourselves! ;) )
• To enter, you must post a link to where you have shared the colored picture in the comments section of this post along with your name and Twitter username. 
• When uploading the image or photo, please use the tag #MySeaFox. And if possible, a link back to this post. (So others can join in on the fun as well!)
• Give your sea fox a name! And if you want to, tell us all about him/her. Go nuts!
• Entrants must be in by MONDAY NOVEMBER 2ND at 12PM EST. You have two weeks! Ready, set, color!

Fun fact: I originally drew the fox back in early May, just before I read Truthwitch. Here's a few snaps of the drawing before I tweaked it for digitalization . Is this the true color of a sea fox? That would be telling. ;)

Meet Bubblenugget, my sea fox. Name affectionately given by my four year-old cousin. Bubblenugget apparently lives on a diet of blue LEGO and bullies. (Cousin, what a dark mind you have already. I mean... LEGO?! What a monstrous creature!) 

Have fun, guys! We're INCREDIBLY excited to see the finished entries!!! 

Shady Characters Need Love Too

Shady Characters Need Love Too

WARNING: This post contains information about character deaths and spoilers.

The villain, the shady character, the one who seems ominous and creepy... they're in every single book in some shape or form. Some of these characters are grey, neither good nor bad. Where some... well, yeah, they'll gut you in a heartbeat. Or chop you in half. So this week I shall share with you five of my favorite shady characters in books. They are in no particular order because some of these are still fighting viciously for the top spot.

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JONATHAN CHRISTOPHER MORGENSTERN AKA SEBASTIAN ~ THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS by CASSANDRA CLARE.

Of course dear Jonathan is on this list. How could he not be? He is shady on level 1000. One of the most tragic figures in YA literature that I have ever read, and certainly one of my most memorable. His story really made my heart ache and throb. While his character is an absolute piece of incest-y sh*t, he's been crafted with such great care, his story flawless and agonizing. Following his tale broke me apart. There will always be questions about him, always. What would have he been like if his father hadn't decided to destroy him so utterly? Could he feel anything? Alas, we will never find out.

"I've never felt so... Light."

Fun fact: I have a tattoo relating to him! Where? Never ask.

THE DARKLING ~ THE GRISHA TRILOGY by LEIGH BARDUGO

No shady characters list is complete without Leigh Bardugo's Darkling. He positively exudes shadow and darkness... no joke. Take the Shadow Fold for example. He's one scary yet sexy dude. The Darkling makes you walk that fine line between love and hate. It's impossible to full-on love him, yet... it's impossible to wholly hate him! (What have you done to us all, Leigh?!) And of course, he's yet another tragic and damaged figure. A man that is not eligible for redemption, that's for sure. The ending of Ruin and Rising was painful, but very necessary. I will miss the Darkling and his sexy shadiness, that's for sure.

"Fine, make me your villain."

RHYSAND ~ A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES by SARAH J. MAAS

A new Shady McShadester that I discovered at the start of this year! I'm still not sure how I feel about him. His character is elegant yet sinister in a way only Sarah could achieve. His actions are both malicious at times, and helpful at others. But at the end of the day, he's certainly just looking out for himself and the Night Court. He's complicated, strangely hot and I very much look forward to reading more about him. I know I'll end up loving him eventually - this is Sarah J. Maas we're talking about here! ACOTAR 2 is certainly going to be interesting.

"Be glad of your human heart, Feyre. Pity those who don't feel anything at all.”

KAZ BREKKER ~ SIX OF CROWS by LEIGH BARDUGO

Oh yes, another shady shady shady boy from the majesty that is Leigh Bardugo. Now sadly, I can't tell you TOO much about this Bastard of the Barrel because the book hasn't hit the shelves just yet. But rest assured, he will give the Darkling a run for his money when it comes to creepiness. And sexiness. He's a character, like the Darkling, that you know you should dislike, but simply can't. Plus he's the first fictional guy in a book that actually caused me to gag and very nearly throw up. And I have a strong stomach. Good luck with this guy (and book!), ladies. You'll need it.

"When everyone knows you're a monster, you needn't waste your time doing every monstrous thing."







DRACO MALFOY ~ HARRY POTTER SERIES by J.K.ROWLING

Of course Draco is here on the list. He was the first shady character I ever read. Or at least, can remember. He, his father and Lord Shady. Who doesn't know who Draco Malfoy is?! If you have never heard of his name before, his father will hear about this, make no mistake.

(Insert your fave Draco quote here)

Okay, so there's also a number six on this list. I could not help myself. And that spot goes to...

AEDUAN ~ TRUTHWITCH by SUSAN DENNARD

Aeduan is another character that only a small number of people have met, so I can't tell you much about him. But I will say that he has abs hard enough that you can bounce pennies off it. He's also a monk. NOT the kind that you're thinking about! Aeduan is a Carawen monk and he's a Bloodwitch, a type of Voidwitch. Sounds scary, right? Well... He's also called BAEDUAN by his online fans. 

Fun fact: There's a scene in TRUTHWITCH where he's wearing nothing but his tattered and ruined shirt. He's also soaking wet. Ice may be required during this part of the book.

"Claim my Aether, guide my blade."

So that is my top 5 (well, six!) shady characters and villains. Who are your top 5?

Truthwitch characters reimagined as kitties

Truthkitties!

The title says it all, doesn't it? In this post you'll find the main characters of Truthwitch in kitty form. Why? Well... why NOT?!

MERIK. Our grumpy but really rather adorable royal kitty. He has a literal hissy fit if he doesn't get his catnip on time. He is also good friends with Grumpy Cat, of course. Also, the prince of Purr-brevna

ISEULT. Always content to play with a ball of thread. Although, her specialty is unraveling them rather than making them. She is the Meowsister of Safiya.

Legend has it that one Christmas, little Iseult was forced into wearing a festive outfit. She was not amused. 

Aww.

Safiya. Meowsister of Iseult and general badass. Headstrong and impulsive at times, she's the kind of kitty to try and catch a fish that's much more than twice her size. Silly kitty Safi. 

Unfortunately, duties are really not fun for kitty Safiya.

 Yikes.

Oh look! A picture of little Safi and Iseult!

BONUS! A very unhappy looking Kullen all dressed up for duty upon the Jana.

Haven't discovered Truthwitch by Susan Dennard yet? You can HERE!

Truthwitch Tuesday - Truthwitch Playlist

So today is TRUTHWITCH TUESDAY! 

For those who do not know, Truthwitch Tuesday is a day where you meet a new character from Susan Dennard's upcoming novel Truthwitch, or something else happens. (Such as a giveaway, a snippet or more!)

Last week I posted my Truthwitch playlist in parts. Well, here is the entire thing!

Meeting Sarah J. Maas - 21/5/14

Meeting Sarah J. Maas, author of the Throne of Glass series and A Court of Thorns and Roses is easily one of the highlights of my life so far. Prepare yourself for GUSHING. And a few tears on my behalf.

I live a good few hours away from Derby (where the signing was,) so my day started pretty early at 7am. It was the first time I'd ever traveled alone on a train, so nerves were sky-high.

I really shouldn't have worried though. Everything went without a hitch. Heck, I even grew to LOVE traveling around on my lonesome on trains! Already cannot wait for another signing so I can hop back onto one.

So at 11am, I finally made it into Derby. It was HOT. Like, really hot for England. How lucky was that!

I was not the first person at the shop despite being more than 2 hours early. A girl name Grace sat before me, and she was wearing THE most epic ACOTAR shirt you can imagine.

ISN'T THAT FABULOUS?! Apparently it's from Redbubble if you guys want your own!

So we started chatting, and it was epic. Turned out we live only 30 minutes from each other! How freaking cool is that!?

And then, slowly but surely, more people started to join us. But still not many. In fact, I don't think the signing was much more than 20 people! VERY small.

In the end we all turned into one gigantic friendship group. We've named ourselves the Maas Squad. And ACOTAR Crew. We have many names, much like Celaena/Aelin. 

And so we waited, chatting about books, blogging and how much we loved Sarah. 

Sarah's throne ;)

The staff at the Derby Waterstones were beyond lovely. They even came around every ten minutes or so with gummy bears and wine gums for us! 

I had the biggest pile of books, hands down. People would walk in and GAPE at my pile. Do I have any regrets? Hell no. Never, ever.

Months back on my Twitter that is dedicated to Sarah's books (@HeirOfFire) I created a little project that I called Throne of Postcards. Basically, people would write what Throne of Glass meant to them onto a postcard, which I finally gave to Sarah. 

To all those that sent cards, thank you so much! Sarah was BEYOND overwhelmed. She wanted to read them all at the table, but there were sooo many! Safe to say, you guys almost made her cry and ruin that lovely make-up.

And then Sarah arrived 45 minutes before the signing. At the mere sight of her we all melted into the floor and silently freaked out so that we didn't come off as utterly INSANE fangirls. Which we are, duh. She vanished into the back and we all prepared ourselves. With more gummy bears and wine gums, of course.

Annnnnnnnnnnnd then it was time. Sarah took her throne like the queen she is and we all lined up, her loyal subjects. The horror in the eyes of the staff member who saw my colossal pile of books was real. I would say I'm sorry, but I'm totally not!

I wish I could write down our entire conversation, but it was just THAT long and THAT exuberant and gushy and almost tearful on both our parts for me to remember any specific lines. Sarah practically hugged me to death the moment she saw me. And there was me worrying all morning that she wouldn't be allowed to hug me! She's a great hugged btw. Queen of Hugs. 

And so I met one of my idols. And it was bloody amazing. 

You can find me kneeling next to Sarah looking high on happiness

All those books on the table are mine. WHOOPS!

Also, a month back or so, I won a 

competition from Sarah and Susan Dennard (Sarusan forever!!) The prize was a bound manuscript of TRUTHWITCH, Susan Dennard's (freaking AMAZING) new book, and Sarah's last ACOTAR ARC. The ever awesome and amazing Sooz also sent along a copy of her other book Something Strange and Deadly for me too! Promoting her and Truthwitch on my Twitter account (@Truthwitch) is an honor, seriously. You all NEED to go and read her books and talk to her, because she's freaking amazing. (Read my review of TRUTHWITCH HERE!)

 

After the signing, me and the crew went to a cafe named Bookcafe. We exchanged information, gushed even more, read our dedications in our books and drank milkshakes. Or, in Ray's case, necked back tea.

We did head back to the shop to say goodbye to Sarah, but she was long gone since the signing was so tiny. 

And then it was over. The heartbreaking journey home began. But until next year when we meet again, Sarah! 

Ray and her true love

I will cherish these forever.

I'm pretty sure there's more to write about, but I'm still emotional! And yep, the signing was 2 days ago now.

Giveaway coming very soon!!

ARC REVIEW: TRUTHWITCH by Susan Dennard

On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a “witchery”, a magical skill that sets them apart from others.

In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble—as two desperate young women know all too well.

Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.

Iseult, a Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her—but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart. Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness.

Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

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I’ll get straight to the point, shall I? That’s why you’re here.

I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK.

TRUTHWITCH is a thing of beauty. Easily one of the most compelling high-fantasy books I have ever read. If this book does not become a well-known addition to bookcases and blogs, it will be nothing short of a crime of the most heinous sort.

Set against a rich and vibrant backdrop of myths, legends and stunning locations, this book is a fantasy lover’s wildest dream.

The story revolves around two girls: Safiya fon Hasstrel, a Truthwitch (who has the ability to discern between truth and lie), and Iseult det Midenzi who is a Threadwitch (the ability to see other people’s Threads. Such as ties of love between people.) These girls are the kickass duo you’ve been waiting your whole life for. As different as day and night, yet essentially the same, Safi and Iz will linger in your mind long after you’ve turned the final page.

The Witchlands range from colossal mountains to (sometimes) perilous seas. There’s SO many types of Witcheries. There are six elements: Earth, Air, Water, Fire, Aether and the ever mysterious Void. If you can think of an ability relating to one of those elements, it’s probably real. How cool is that?! I’m still debating what kind of witchery I’d like to have. Also, if you’re looking for a book that contains mythical beasts, you want this one desperately. You want to meet the sea foxes. Like, ASAP.

Of course, this book has its hot guys! First up you have Merik Nihar. PRINCE MERIK NIHAR. Also known as my brand-new book-boyfriend. Or husband. That works too. He’s a (very hot) Windwitch with one stormy temper. But he’s also fiercely loyal and protective of what he cares about. It’s really quite beautiful to see how strong a character he is even when faced with all these hardships. I cannot WAIT to read more about him. (Did I mention HOT?!)

We also have Aeduan, who is a Bloodwitch. I won’t tell you TOO much about Aeduan, but this picture is needed when describing him. DESPERATELY NEEDED.







Love Aeduan or hate him, either way you’re not gonna forget about him any time soon.

There is also ANOTHER hot guy that I love and adore, but I won’t give you any details about him. I’ll just call him K for now. Precious baby K.




I wish I could tell you all about the other characters that inhabit this book. Every single one of them has a purpose and different agendas. There’s ones that you will love at first, then go ‘OH HELL NO,’ and ones that you hate, then grow to love and cherish. Oh, and there are so many shipping options. Ship it all, people. SHIP. IT. ALL. Book two is going to blow everyone’s socks off (including my own) on the romance front for sure.

A compelling and well-written storyline, twists and turns at every turn, I devoured this book. I finished the book and promptly began to writhe around on the floor of my living room while cursing Susan for the pain she’d inflicted on me. May those thrice-damned seagulls crap on you for that ending! <3


Sizzling romance, killer heroines and heart-in-your-mouth moments, this book is set to become a big hit.

5 FAT AND SHINING HEARTS.

January 5th 2016. Mark this date and tell others. Tattoo it on your forehead and shout it from your windows. Heck, send carrier pigeons to all your friends to spread the news. Either way, do not forget this date, for sheer brilliance hits your shelves on that day.

Pre-order in the UK at:

Book Depository

Amazon UK

Waterstones (not available for pre-order there yet)

Pre-order in the US at:

Barnes & Noble

Amazon US