Blog Archives
Against All Odds
![Against All Odds by [Luis Ammerman]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51oZzU6p7iS.jpg)
Luis Ammerman’s Against All Odds is an interesting remake of the Cinderella fairy tale. It follows the life of Hazel, an orphan who is continuously mistreated by her stepmother and two stepsisters. Set in England in the regency era, it is full of colorful language, characters, and events.
Hazel seems to be primarily concerned about getting a well-off husband to whisk her away from her troubles. Even her stepsisters Anna and Mary seem to be obsessed with attending soirees and getting betrothed. And like in every regency romantic piece, the honorable knight, Stephen, does eventually come for the helpless princess.
Stephen is described as tall, dark, handsome, reputable, and wealthy -exactly what you expect from the male romantic interest. Once he enters the plot the story follows their love and all its dramatic ups and downs. The plot will appeal to anyone looking for romantic regency era melodrama in the same vein as the show Bridgerton.
While the plot line is well know, it is still filled with interesting moments that test our main characters in different ways and places them in intriguing situations, but I would have appreciated some unexpected twists.
This book is written for ardent fans of the historical romance genre. It is very easy to read and is quite emotionally charged. It draws you into Hazel’s circumstances and makes it easy to relate with her. It is hard not to root for her, especially after all she has gone through.
Apart from love, the book clearly depicts the themes of family, belonging, friendship, loyalty, and resilience. At the heart of it, it is a story of a girl who refuses to give up on life, love, and hope amid painful circumstances.
If there is one thing the author does a good job of though, it is highlighting the cruelty of Hazel’s stepmother and stepsisters – they are literally the worst people in the book. And while that does paint them in a unidimensional way, it stays true to the Cinderella narrative.
Against All Odds is a well-written Victorian era love story that sets riveting characters against an exquisite backdrop where the drama is high and so is the entertainment value.
Pages: 359 | ASIN: B094RK1DKT
Voyage of Pearl of the Seas
![Voyage of Pearl of the Seas by [Ruth Finnegan]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51VoESZS1VL.jpg)
Ruth Finnegan’s Voyage of Pearl of The Seas is more than meets the eye. It is the story of two kids and a beloved dog – Chris, Kate, and Holly. They build a boat from a log they find in the sand of a beach and embark on what they hope will be a thrilling adventure.
They face unprecedented challenges, ultimately finding themselves in a fantastical land with a King much reminiscent of God. He has many names and speaks of creation and wisdom. He particularly tells stories that seem to be related to those included in Biblical text. But what is even more intriguing about him is that he gives gifts that come in handy in some of the most unlikely of situations.
While this story is full of much of the awe and wonder that you expect from a fairytale, there are some unexpected concepts here. For instance, one of the main characters, Chris is hailed as a hero yet many of his mannerisms don’t portray him as such. He seems to be inconsiderate, entitled, and even condescending, particularly to women. Several times in the story, he has disparaging thoughts about Kate. At some point, he even forgets about her and abandons her in a “wilderness”. Yet through it all, she seems to be very concerned about his needs, putting them first in many situations. And while he did eventually sacrifice his dream to save Holly, it is not much of a voluntary grand gesture but rather a last-minute decision made in a crisis. However, it must be said that the author does a great job at weaving together the different facets of this story – the physical, emotional, and the fantastical.
That aside, the language used is poetic, adding a creative lyrical aspect to this story. There are songs, poems, and unexpected dialogue embedded within the flowery prose.
There is one thing that’s clear though- Kate’s timidity seems to increase across the narrative, most times directly proportional to Chris’ arrogance. To some extent, it feels that they are symbols. Voyage of Pearl of The Seas is an emotive and intellectually-invigorating fairy tale that is creative and deeply thought-provoking.
Pages: 134 | ASIN: B079GPQMG1
A Unicorn Named Rin
A Unicorn Named Rin is an adventurous children’s story that follows a qilin, a Chinese unicorn, that must help Princess Pingyang find Fan, the royal Phoenix, before the Friendship Concert begins. Rin sets off on a wonderous journey that takes him to many real life locations where he meets many mythical creatures from real Chinese legends.
This is a beautifully illustrated children’s picture book. Every page is covered in bright colors that will surely keep young readers attention. I loved all the creatures that Rin encounters as they were intricately drawn and each helps Rin when he needs it, and lift his spirits when he is down. In the end they all work as a team to find Fan in a clever twist that requires teamwork, a fantastic message for children. This is the most unique children’s book that I’ve read as it combines Chinese culture in every aspect, from myths, to poetry, festivals, and real geographic locations.
This fairy tale is easy to read, with a couple of larger words that will challenge young readers, but with repetition they are sure to pick it up. The message this story delivers is an important one for children to learn, don’t despair, ask for help, and work as a team. I appreciate how all of this is never stated outright, but learned through the story.
A Unicorn Named Rin is a fun and educational picture book that teaches children about Chinese culture as well as building literacy skills. Highly recommended to parents and teachers who are looking to diversity their children’s bookshelf.
Pages: 32 | ISBN: 1913891127
Voyage of Pearl of the Seas – Book Trailer
An award-winning unput-downable tale of two children building a boat from a log they find buried in the sand and sailing off to far-off fantastic lands in a stormy sea-driven adventure with their faithful – but accident-prone – dog Holly. There they learn much wisdom from a king who, like God, has many names’. After an incredible sacrifice of his dearest dream by the boy (now growing up) they return – another dream – to a family tea with their loved ones. The tale is a prequel and companion to Ruth Finnegan’s award-winning epic romance ‘Black inked pearl’, here adapted for preteens but characterised by (in a simpler form) the same unique dream-like and enchanted style as in the original novel.
The Lady and the Dragon – Book Trailer
A boy and a girl, “helped” by their dog, build a magical boat from a log buried in the sand, They sail to far-off fantastic lands in a stormy sea-driven adventure with their faithful, and accident-prone dog. Into the sea, again! In the enchanted, heaven like island where their boat is wrecked, they learn much wisdom from a king who, like God, has many names. The boy sacrifices his dream of sailing around the world and they return, in another dream, to a family tea with their loved ones. An unput-downable volume in the growing Kate-Pearl Series.
A tale of depression and rediscovery.
The Fae Princess
![The Fae Princess (The Pacific Princesses Book 2) by [Ektaa Bali]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51E3mhgogIL.jpg)
Prepare for magical delights and dark creatures in The Fae Princess by Ektaa Bali! The second book of The Pacific Princesses series follows 10-year-old faery princess Vidya. She resides deep within the Bushlands of Australia in a hidden faery realm that oversees and communicates with plants. Everything is fine until the first day of Spring. Their annual feast is put to a sudden halt when a mysterious darkness begins to overtake the land and puts the adult faeries to sleep. The fate of the kingdom is on Vidya’s shoulders. Can she save her kingdom?
Author Ektaa Bali has created a fun and imaginative children’s fantasy story. Her ability to craft a story that both meaningful and easy to read is something I greatly appreciated. From the imaginative world-building to the intriguing characters, Bali has set a high bar for indie middle-grade authors.
Bali introduces us to a majority of the ideas and concepts of the fae kingdom within the first three chapters. We see her describe who the fae are, where they are from, and what they do within the confines of only 43 pages.
I also enjoyed her magical descriptions of both real and mythical plants. She did not go into overt detail but gave you just enough to be satisfied and understand what you were reading – which is a great writing style for younger readers.
Watching Vidya come into her own as she has to save her kingdom added a beautiful message to an already magical story! We see her become braver, use her intelligence, and rise to the occasion. Young girls everywhere will find a wonderful role model within Vidya. Although I thought Vidya is a rousing character that I loved following, I felt that she sometimes sounded mature for her age.
The Fae Princess by Ektaa Bali is a story infused with adventure and creativity. This is an exceptional book for young girls everywhere, but any young reader will surely get swept away in the story. This is a fantasy story that is empowering as well as entertaining.
Pages: 236 | ASIN: B08X3YPZL4
A Land the Dragons Would Inhabit
Queen of Dragons finds an uneasy peace shattered when Elky and Ustice are taken and the Spires are spurred into action. What were some new ideas you wanted to introduce in this book that were different from book one?
Thank you, Thomas. In this book I wanted to show how even one life is missed from a community. The beginning of the story expresses, I think, the feeling of loss each individual of a community feels and the joy at the recovery of that person. This part of the story leads to the ‘why’ behind the crime which is the focus of the book.
I really enjoyed the world your building in this series. What were some sources that informed this world’s development?
I lived in California for many years, close to the mountains. Hiking trails along those mountains gave me a keen sense of a land the dragons would inhabit–the outcropping of mountains close to the ocean with the scent of sea spray that hangs in the air is much like The Spires of Dasny.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I don’t prethink themes, they occur naturally through the writing process. The sense of loss was one theme, a joyful return another, redemption yet another. Mainly in this book I wanted to show the growth of the characters and the challenges each of them face with that growth. It’s not necessarily a ‘coming of age’ book, but it does touch on some of those emotions and the growth each character experiences.
This is book two in The Spires of Dasny series. What can readers expect in book three?
In book three of The Spires of Dasny, the readers will be propelled into a much larger world. They begin to learn of other kingdoms and how they can benefit them or destroy them. Along with this discovery is an ancient lore that plays out with the main characters of Seyra, Grifton and Elky. What is the meaning behind it and will it help them or come at a cost? It is my hope to expand this series by focusing on these different kingdoms and the impact each plays with The Spires of Dasny.
I am aiming for the release of book three, The Kingdom of the Spires, by fall 2021, and with any luck, much sooner!
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook
An uneasy feeling of peace fills the kingdom of the Spires that splinters when it’s discovered Elky, the shining light of the people and dragons alike, vanishes along with her fated dragon, Ustice.
Why would these mysterious people take Elky and her dragon? What do they want? The answers to those questions spurs the Spires into fast-paced action as they battle to save their kingdom and world from complete annihilation.
Literary Titan Book Awards March 2021
The Literary Titan Book Awards are awarded to books that have astounded and amazed us with unique writing styles, vivid worlds, complex characters, and original ideas. These books deserve extraordinary praise and we are proud to acknowledge the hard work, dedication, and imagination of these talented authors.
Gold Award Winners
Silver Award Winners
Trust vs Lust… a biography by Ian D. Niall
Intrepid Spirit by David Tunno
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
LITERARY TITAN 