Hello bookdragons!
Raven's Bookish Network proudly presents Heir of Lies by Mallory McCartney, a young adult fantasy story with a touch of romance! Book was re-published on April 21st, 2020 by MM Book.
About the book:
"Hope was a dangerous thing. It could consume every dream and make them take flight, becoming wild daydreams in one's heart and mind. Or hope could incinerate everything you thought you knew, burning you down to your core, leaving you raw and exposed for the world."
Emory Fae has only known one thing--life at The Academy, a school for those who have special abilities. Following in her parents' footsteps, the pressure to uphold their dream falls on her and one of her best friends--Adair Stratton. An outcast and feared by most, Adair longs to break away from the expectations dictating his future. With whispers of dark magic spreading across Kiero, Adair starts to doubt The Academy is all it seems.
An unexpected visit ignites new tensions as the roguish king from across the Black Sea, Tadeas Maher of the Shattered Isles, and his heir, Marquis Maher, sail to Kiero. Notorious for their pirating and wrath, for the first time in years, they demand the Faes listen to their proposition for a new treaty. Caught in the middle of politics, Adair and Emory, with the help of their best friends Brokk and Memphis, search for the one thing that matters the most--the truth.
Their world is tipped upside down as unlikely alliances are made, and war ravages Kiero. Through the throes of betrayal, lies, hidden magic, and love, Adair is faced with a life-changing decision. Will he fight or bow to the darkness within?
But, Adair's decision will change the course of Kiero forever, setting in motion irreversible destinies for everyone at The Academy as Emory Fae rises as heir.
Heir of Lies is the first book in the bestselling Black Dawn series.
Here's everything from the Instagram Tour!
Day 1
Excerpt:
He glanced over his shoulder. The Academy, and the courtyard nestled amongst the rolling hills and the ancient forest behind them. He said a mental goodbye to his friends who lingered behind its walls and snapped forward when Tadeas’s voice roared over them: “Let’s visit this city under the stars, shall we?” Cheers and catcalls sounded, and lurching forward, the horse’s hooves pounded against the ground, the group moving forward in a gallop. Brokk leaned
forward, gripping with his legs, causing his stallion to shoot forward, his powerful hooves pushing them faster. Brokk’s heart was in his throat as he settled into the speed, leaving everything behind. Memphis’s stallion pulled close to him, the two galloping together, spirits unleashed.
Excerpt:
"For the dreamers who see endless possibilities and the magic in every day life. And foreveryone who has dared to fight for love, in all its forms."
Day 2
Review:
'A beautiful tale of romance, dark secret and painful betrayals. You will enjoy every minute.😉'
Day 3
Excerpt:
“I remember the sea,” Memphis whispered suddenly. Brokk stumbled but didn’t say anything. They didn’t talk about their past much. “I remember the smell and the salt crusting on my skin. How the waves looked during a storm. How they looked when the sea was still, like glass. My dad and mom ran a small bakery on the outskirts of our town. I remember walking along the shoreline and thinking that there was nowhere else that I ever wanted to be. Even though I was young, I understood that
much.” Memphis paused before continuing, “I feel like every word they threw at me that day is true." @wings_and_ruin
Review:
OH lord, this book was so awesome. I mean, I can't even find my favorite character because all of them, good or bad, were so interesting and had a role in the whole story. I don't really like fantasy but this one was full of stuff and the plot had many interesting parts. The author was on point on many parts of the book and I loved every line of it. I don't wanna spoil it for you. Just go read it 😍
Day 4
A playlist made by @anabellasbooks :
I Walk Alone - Tarja
Never Enough - Epica
Ever Dream - Nightwish
Heir To The Throne - Ramin Djawadi
I Feel Immortal - Tarja
Listen here!
Excerpt:
“It was as if her body had been ripped into a thousand different pieces. Her lungs burned, begging for relief. Emory heard the soft crackle of fire. Her head was a spinning mass; it was its own continent. Squinting, she tried to focus. Blinking slowly, her surroundings came into view. Her pulse picked up. She wasn’t in her room. She wasn’t in her home. The metal world around her seemed to have one purpose. To keep people in. To keep her in. The last twenty-four hours rushed over her in a flurry of confusing memories. Him… Memphis. The name rolled around
in her mind, familiar yet unfamiliar all at once. Her eyes flashed open, her heart thrumming with adrenaline. Heavily, Emory sat up, trying to pull her thoughts together. For now, the room was empty, her captors gone. Now. This is your chance to escape. The thought clambered through her wildly, and she acted. Standing from the bed, Emory stumbled, her legs weak, her clothes dirtied. Breathing heavily, Emory ran to the door, pushing the handle down as it opened. Containing her surprise, she slipped into the hallway. What kind of criminals would keep their prisoner in an unlocked room?"
Day 5
Review:
𝕋ℍ𝕀𝕊 𝔹𝕆𝕆𝕂 𝕎𝕀𝕃𝕃 ℕ𝔼𝕍𝔼ℝ 𝔻𝕀𝕊𝔸ℙℙ𝕆𝕀ℕ𝕋. I love everything written in this book. Similar in the process of cooking where chefs carefully choose and measure the ingredients to produce a meal that has a delectable taste, the author of this novel meticulously thought her concepts making every part of the book and the flow of story very interesting. I adore her writing style and selection of words making the book not difficult to read for me, as a non-native English speaker.
ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕣𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕒𝕓𝕝𝕖, 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕒𝕣𝕖𝕟'𝕥 𝕖𝕒𝕤𝕚𝕝𝕪 𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕘𝕠𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕟. Last thing why I love the book is that it was written in multiple POV's. If you love books that has magic, romance, pirating, wars, fae (hell yeah!!!) and a brave main protagonist. 𝙔𝙊𝙐 𝙃𝘼𝙑𝙀 𝙏𝙊 𝙍𝙀𝘼𝘿 𝙏𝙃𝙄𝙎 𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙆.
Review:
What I liked about this book was the way everything comes together in the end. McCartney has used a good narrative technique. It’s complex in the sense that there are multiple POVs but at the same time the simplistic language nullifies the confusing nature of the plot. I am a sucker for strong female leads and grey characters and Mallory served us right with Emory Fae's and Adair's characters!
Q&A with author Mallory McCartney
Q: How did you come up with the idea of a setting like Keiro? What was your inspiration behind the setting?
A: Thanks for having me! Kiero really came into shape when I traveled in my early twenties. I spent months in Australia and New Zealand and then coming home to Canada, seeing and experiencing such diverse terrains, the world of Keiro really started to bloom in my mind.
Q: Adair is a complex character. I personally love grey characters and reading about Adair was a treat. What prompted you to write his character and what’s one thing that you would like to tell the readers before they encounter his character?
A: Thank you! Honestly, Adair is my favorite character. When I started my career as a writer I knew going in I wanted my characters to be flawed, to feel human. It was really important to me to have Adair’s origin story in a sense to how he became the villain, and I would like to tell my readers to keep an open mind when it comes to Adair.
Q: I am sure you enjoyed writing about Emory. She had to brave all the odds and as the story progresses, Emory’s character develops as well. What message did you want to deliver through her character?
A: Absolutely! When it comes to Emory, I wanted to deliver on her heart and spirit. She will do anything, risk everything, to give her friends a fighting chance. Writing her as the series progresses was really fun because of how fiercely she protects those she loves and putting her in impossible situations seeing how she decides to navigate them.
Q: Fantasy as a genre is itself very challenging to write. What was your biggest challenge that you had to face while crafting the plot of Heir of Lies? A: Absolutely! My biggest challenge at first was deciding how I wanted the magic system to work, and how that originated. After I built on that a lot of the past history came into place and piece by piece the plot wove itself together, and the full story that I wanted to tell came to life in my mind.
Q: Lastly, what’s your key takeaway from the experience of writing the Black Dawn Series? A: My key takeaway is I feel extremely lucky to be able to do something that is not only my passion, but I get to connect with readers and see and hear how they connected to my books as well! Even though writing is a lot of work and is challenging, I look forward to many more years and stories in my career!
About the Author:
Mallory McCartney currently lives in Sarnia, Ontario with her husband and their three dachshunds Link, Lola, and Leonard. When she isn’t working on her next novel or reading, she can be found daydreaming about fantasy worlds and hiking. Other favorite pastimes involve reorganizing perpetually overflowing bookshelves and seeking out new coffee and dessert shops.
Purchase the book on: Indigo Amazon Barnes&Noble
