Sharing the Sin Eater's Daughter Love: Q&A with Melinda Salisbury

You're not the only one wondering how Melinda Salisbury is my Valentine this year. In fact, I feel like I should be baking a batch of heart-shaped biscuits in the kitchen or re-writing lines of prose in a homemade card at the moment. Instead, I'm hosting the blog tour for Mel's debut, The Sin Eater's Daughter (better than cramming a box of chocolates on my own!) which was released last week. Even before publication, comparisons were made between Salisbury's new series and the likes of Throne of Glass and Shadow and Bone, and it's not disappointed! After meeting Mel at the Scholastic Bloggers' Brunch a few weeks ago, having just sent the questions, I loved that her personality shone through in the answers I received!

 

Goodreads | Twitter | Website

Q) What was it that made you want to write Fantasy novels in particular?

A) They're my favourite kinds of stories, so it was a natural fit for me. I'm an escapist reader - books, to me, are a passport to another place, and I want to visit places unlike anything I've ever known. Plus, a lot of my other interests fit into that fantasy box - I love medieval history, and magic, and fairytales, all things that also mesh well with fantasy worlds. I think I'd struggle to write a contemporary novel, because I'm not a very grounded person.

Q) What was the writing process like for The Sin Eater's Daughter? Did you have a certain writing spot or snack that helped you through?

A) It was strange, because I wasn't writing it really with the intention of getting it published. Whilst I was writing it I actually had another story on submission with agents, and I started writing The Sin Eater's Daughter a chapter or two a day, just to keep myself occupied. I was sending it to my friend Liv every time I finished a chapter, and she kept asking what happened next, so I'd write another. It was only really at the end I realised I had a book, and it was way better than the one I was submitting. Luckily, the woman who became my agent agreed. I like to drink tea while I'm writing. I switch to coffee when I'm editing. I also have a thing about Cadbury Twirls. No idea why.

Q) Despite being set in a fictional world, are there any aspects of your debut that were inspired by your own experiences?

A) Yes  - many. Twylla's struggles with the life she has have been mine, in the past. I've been in that place where you're going through the motions of doing what you're told you should do, ticking boxes and not really living. Obviously, our actual experiences are very different, but her sleepwalking through her life, shying away from confronting the problems with it have been my struggles too. I suspect there are a lot of people living the lives they think they ought to, instead of the ones they want to. I had everything you're supposed to want and it wasn't enough and it made me hate myself, just as she does. And like her, I was shaken out of it.

I also travel a lot, and that's really influenced the novel. The mirror maze in the book is based on a real one I visited in Prague, the food and geography and climate is stolen from places I've visited. The world of The Sin Eater's Daughter was basically mined from my life, and honed, and made into a thing entirely of its own.

Q) For The Sin Eater's Daughter, you had to imagine the entire Kingdom of Lorene. If you could explore another alternate Fantasy world for a day, which would it be?

A) The wizarding world of Harry Potter. Hands down. I'd want to go to The Three Broomsticks and The Leaky Cauldron and eat Pumpkin Pasties and bow to Hippogriff and see it if bowed back. I'd like to be flummoxed by a moving staircase at Hogwarts, and watch a Quidditch match. But I wouldn't leave at the end of the day. I'd see if I could get a job as Hagrid's assistant, or a Muggle Liaison officer.

Doesn't this dress - worn at the recent
 Vanity Fair Oscar Party match The Sin Eater's
Daughter perfectly?

Q) Multiple Young Adult novels have received a movie adaptation recently. Who would you dream cast if a film of The Sin Eater's Daughter was going to be made?

A) I really don't know! Friends have asked me this, and it's really hard for me to cast people, because obviously in my head I can see exactly what all of the characters look like and they just look like themselves. I can think of some actors that resemble the images in my head, for example Aneurin Barnard in The White Queen was very close to my Merek, and Saoirse Ronan has the wistful sadness of Twylla in her looks, but I think it's something I'd rather leave to readers, or casting agents to decide on.

Q) Was there a playlist that you wrote your novel to? If not, what songs would be a part of it?

A) I don't write to music at all. I need silence when I'm writing, and it's not something I draw inspiration from. I get all of my outside input from travelling and nature. Having said that, I was listening to the radio in the kitchen one night on a break from editing and I heard Broken Crown by Mumford and Sons and thought, "Oh my God, that's the theme song of the book." The same thing happened when I was writing the second one, I heard London Grammar's Sights and it was the song. I'm so excited to see what song encapsulates book three.

Q) So far, what has been the highlight of your publication journey?

A) I know it might sound a little trite, but it's been all of the people I've met. The people I've worked with at Scholastic, my agent, other authors, bloggers, fans, booksellers. The YA scene in the UK is just so incredibly supportive and friendly and I've made so many friends along the way. Seeing a copy of the book for the first time was incredible but seeing my ne friends being just as excited, and proud, as I am is beyond amazing. That so many people are embracing my dream, and talking about it, is humbling and incredible.

As a thank you, I wish I could send some Red Velvet Valentine's Day cupcakes your way!

Have you picked up a copy of The Sin Eater's Daughter yet?
Anticipating the rest of the series?
 

Tell me in the comments!

Thank you to Rachel from Scholastic for asking me to host and Mel for answering my questions!

 

Sophie

x

Book Review: 'Half Bad' by Sally Green

I originally posted this review on The Guardian.

When I saw this in WHSmith, I knew I had to pick this up, placing it at the top of my TBR pile before reads that have been on my shelf for months.

'There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.'


You can't read, can't write, but you heal fast, even for a witch.

You get sick if you stay indoors after dark.

You hate White Witches but you love Annalise, who is one.

You've been kept in a cage since you were fourteen.

All you've got to do is escape and find Mercury, the Black Witch that eats boys.

And do that before your seventeenth birthday.

Easy.

Goodreads | Twitter | Website | Publisher

Sally Green's debut, the first in her Half Life trilogy, is promising; setting out possible plot lines for the sequel, Half Wild, with almost a year until its release. With a unique take on the world of witches - where no broomsticks or cauldrons are included - we experience Assessments, Giving Ceremonies and are introduced to the idea of a council for White Witches in England and Wales. Told using different narrative styles, switching from second person to first, Half Bad is an enjoyable and exciting novel that overcomes the stereotypes that we have come to accept surrounding the supernatural.

 

Beginning with mixed feelings on this novel, finding the narrative confusing, I contemplated returning to it later rather than continuing this debut. The opening pages are crammed with tension, hints about what could happen in the novel filling the pages, but this is soon lost, Green taking a few chapters to pick up this prose again. The author does execute the second person narrative with ease; a refreshing voice in YA fiction, and I can understand why she has been applauded for this in other raving-reviews. Although, the transitions from the different narrative styles could have been smoother, the plot a struggle to follow for the first part, the timeline becoming slightly blurred as new characters crept into the novel.

Our protagonist - Nathan - is a Half Code, half Black and half White witch. His father is the most powerful Black witch; his mother has committed suicide; his every move is watched by the Council. Half Bad documents his life, as he waits for his Father, and travels with him as he tries to discover what - and who - he is. The novel is, in truth, an in-depth study of his character, depicting his thoughts and feelings, showing the brutality he faces at the hands of Hunters. Nathan is a relatable character, falling in love and struggling to 'fit in' at school, and Green writes him with no restrictions. I loved the cast of characters in Half Bad: the combination of villains and heroes, the inclusion of a damsel-in-distress and a sidekick, along with a homosexual character. They were a distinct set, each described in such detail, the history of Nathan's character in particular thought through by the author.

Once the problems with the narrative were overcome, this soon became an action-packed novel, with some adventure aspects tainting the chapters. The slow and steady novel I became used to picked up its pace, with the suspense building as the ending approached;  particular subplots tied-up in preparation for the sequel, others left after a cliff hanger ending. As a huge fan of fantasy novels, this one was worth continuing!

A rocky-start but a worthwhile read all the same.

Recommend for: Ages 13+


4 Stars

Have you read 'Half Bad'?
What did you think?
If not, will you be picking it up?

Tell me in the comments!

EXTRACT: 'Broken' by Marianne Curley

There are so many sequels that I am highly anticipating being released over the next few weeks. One of those is 'Broken' - the sequel to 'Hidden' - the second in the 'Avena' series. 'Hidden' was one of the biggest surprises when I read it last year; I fell in love with the switching POVs, the story, and even the cliff-hanger ending(which I am still infuriated with Curley for doing to me). Although, the release of 'Broken' is just a few weeks away, and I've got an exclusive extract to show you today. You can check out the first two at Dark Readers and Bookhi!

By the way, if you haven't read the first book in the series, I suggest looking away now - and going to pick up a copy! If you want to know more about 'Hidden' you can find my review here.

Ebony has always known she's different. But when she discovers her true nature, she doesn't want to believe it.

She is unique. Snatched at birth from her home and hidden on Earth, she knows nothing of the place she cam form. But, her past is coming to claim her and Ebony finds herself increasingly torn between those she loves and her true destiny, as forces pulling her in different directions start to spiral out of control.

Ebony 

 

I hear his footsteps bounding down the corridor before Amber puts her phone away. Running straight over without breaking his stride, he gets down on his haunches in front of me. ‘What happened?’ 

 

Amber fills him in. ‘We had a substitute teacher in Physics. Ebony recognised him and she didn’t feel like going in.’ 

 

He swings his eyes back to me with a furrowed brow. ‘Who is this dude?’ 

 

I take a deep breath. ‘He says he’s my uncle. As in my real, flesh-and-blood uncle.’ 

 

‘You’re adopted. How’s that possible? How much does he know about your origins? Does he know you’re an angel?’ 

 

Amber shrugs. ‘That depends on whether he’s been lying to Ebony, or not.’ 

 

‘Lying about what?’ 

 

‘My birth,’ I tell Jordan. ‘Amber and I checked his house out during our last semester break for proof that I was born there – like he’d told me.’ 

 

‘So you’ve met him before?’ Jordan asks, looking confused. 

 

‘He came to my house after the fire,’ I explain. ‘It was the first time I could walk through the remains.’ 

 

‘I didn’t see him there,’ Amber says. 

 

‘He didn’t stay long. By the time you came back from checking the barn, he was gone.’ I pluck at an invisible thread on Amber’s blazer sleeve as memories of the day of the fire fill my head, how I went searching room by blazing room for Mum and Dad without finding a sign of them. 

 

‘You OK?’ Amber asks, noticing my sudden withdrawal, and my watery eyes. 

 

I nod and remember what I was about to say: ‘I think Mr Zavier might work for Prince Luca.’ 

 

Jordan’s eyes open wide. ‘Then he would know your origins. He would know whether you’re human or angel.’  

 

Amber scolds him, ‘But we already know Ebony is an angel. Why would you doubt that?’ 

 

'I only meant for certain - that's all.' He looks at me and shrugs his shoulders with a sheepish grin. ‘I’m just saying, you know?’ 

 

‘Well, I suppose you’re right, if anyone knows the truth, it would be Mr Zavier,’ I tell him. 

 

‘How sure are you that he’s working for Prince Luca?’ 

 

‘I have no tangible evidence, but when we met at my house he said some weird things.’ 

 

‘Like what?’ Jordan frowns. 

 

‘He wanted to know which one of my parents “cracked” first. He said it was important that he know whether it was Mum or Dad who admitted they had lied about my birth.’ 

 

‘Oh my God,’ Amber exclaims.  

 

‘And he wouldn’t give me a straight answer to any of my questions. But there is something that proves . . .’ I glance at Amber. ‘Well, that I lived in his house when I was little.’ 

 

Jordan looks from me to her. ‘What?’ 

 

She says, ‘Ever since Ebony was a kid she dreamed of a big white house with shiny floors, fancy paintings, a polished timber staircase, a beautiful piano, that sort of thing. And when she saw Mr Zavier’s mansion, she recognised it as the house from her dreams.’ 

 

‘What?’ 

 

‘There was one room in particular I remembered more than the others,’ I explain. ‘It had a distinctive mural handpainted across the ceiling. It was always so vivid in my dreams.’ 

 

Amber says, ‘I saw the mural too. It was exactly like Ebony described to me loads of times since we were kids.’  

 

Jordan frowns. ‘It looks like you did live in his house once, but that doesn’t prove he works for Prince Luca.’ 

 

‘On the night before the fire, my parents told me that sixteen years ago a man named Zavier offered them a baby to raise. He told them his young sister was my biological mother and had died in childbirth two days earlier.’ 

 

Jordan gasps, ‘Shit.’ 

 

‘Mr Zavier told me he would willingly submit to a blood test to prove he’s telling the truth, and that he would answer my questions when I was ready to know who I am.’ 

 

Jordan leans forward and says gently, ‘Ebony, if he’s willing to give DNA, it’s unlikely he’s an angel or working for Prince Luca. In fact, he could be the real thing.’ 

 

I nod. ‘I know. If this man is telling the truth, and he is my biological uncle, he’s living proof that I’m not an angel. It would mean Nathaneal has made a mistake. But if Zavier works for Prince Luca he could be lying about everything. Now he’s my teacher and I don’t know what to believe. I can’t go into his class with my head full of so many conflicting images and ideas.’ 

 

‘Fair enough,’ Jordan says, then peers at me with an intuitive look. ‘You don’t want him to be your real uncle, do you?’ 

 

Once I would have been thrilled to be able to prove that I’m not an angel, but now?

 

'No. I wouldn't like that at all.'

 

***

 

Thank you to the wonderful Sonia at Bloomsbury Australia for providing me with this extract!

 

What did you think?

Tell me in the comments!

Cover Reveal: 'The Illusionists' by Laure Eve

Last year, I read 'Fearsome Dreamer' by Laure Eve and it soon became one of my favourite Fantasy/Dystopia novels of 2013. The world was hugely ambitious and imaginative, and the characters were interesting and intriguing; it wasn't short of excitement, and the concept of Life was something I could completely relate to our world - and what it could be like in the future with our addiction to social-media. You can find my review of the book, on the Guardian, here.

As a huge fan of Laure Eve's writing, I'm really excited to reveal the gorgeous cover for 'The Illusionists' the second book in the series!

A shocking new world.

A dangerous choice.

Two futures preparing to collide...

Having left White behind her in Angle Tar, Rue is trying to make sense of her new and unfamiliar life in World. Its culture is as baffling as is it thrilling to her, and Rue quickly realises World's fascination with technology can have intoxicating and deadly consequences.

She is also desperately lonely. And so is White. Somehow, their longing for each other is crossing into their dreams, dreams that begin to take increasingly strange turns as they appear to give Rue echoes of the future. Then the dreams reveal the advent of something truly monstrous, and with it the realisation that Rue and White will be instrumental in bringing about the most incredible and devastating change in both World and Angle Tar.

But in a world where Life is a virtual reality, where friends can become enemies overnight and where dreams, the future, and the past are somehow merging together, their greatest challenge of all may be to survive.

 

Synopsis from Goodreads

 

I absolutely adored exploring Angle Tar in the first novel, but, just from the synopsis you can see we are going to be seeing more of World in the sequel; something I am immensely looking forward too. The cover depicts the brighter, more colourful place that World is - well, when jacked into Life, the 'virtual reality' that the people live in; as it's better for the environment. The pink colour is eye-catching and I already want to see more of the setting behind the girl on the cover - Vela Rue, who is one of our main protagonists throughout the series. She, though, seems to be opening a door - to get out of the world, or to invite people in? Why? These are all things I'm quite excited to find out about when the book's released in the summer.

 

While in the first cover Vela-Rue is clutching the Angle-Tar flag around her, and she looks really unsure of herself, with bare-feet and a dark-background, in this she is ready and taking control. This difference means more confidence, maybe that she is becoming even more fierce than she was in book one. Wait - is that even possible? Laure Eve, we need answers! Rue is also wearing high-heels, a more demanding, grown-up choice of footwear, and much more stylish clothing. I think this change shows, simply, a lot of character-growth, especially from the Hedgewitch we were first introduced to and  the person who wanted to know more about her talents.

 

A pet-peeve for all booklovers is when the covers don't match or cease to have a similar design from one book to another. We've all seen what happens when the cover suddenly changes half-way through a series, and how unorganised it looks on a book shelf. So, I really do feel like applauding the cover-designers right now for keeping the same theme when planning this cover, as 'The Illusionists' can now sit happily beside 'Fearsome Dreamer.' The moon in the background is also still present; which I think is a really nice touch!

 

You can find out more about all things Laure Eve over at: Twitter | Facebook | Her Website

 

What do you think of this cover?

 

You can pick up 'The Illusionists' when it's out on July 3rd 2014.

I think I should thank Hot Key Books for releasing it once my exams are over!

Also, thank you to Laure Eve for letting me reveal the cover on my blog!

Book Review: 'Matched' by Ally Condie

Matched is a book that has been on my shelf for over a year; and I can't believe I have only just read it! I fell in love with the characters: Cassia, Ky and Xander, and was completely engrossed in the Society that they live in.

On her seventeenth birthday, Cassia meets her Match. Society dictates he is her perfect partner for life.

 

Except he's not.

 

In Cassia's society, Officials decide who people love.

How many children they have.

Where they work.

When they die.

 

But, as Cassia finds herself falling in love with another boy, she is determined to make some choices of her own.

 

And that's when her whole world begins to unravel.

 

Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook | Author Website

 

Matched has everything a perfect dystopia novel needs: a main character, Cassia, that you will be rooting for within every chapter, if not for her determination, but for the way everything comes back to the effect it will have on those she cares about, a love triangle that will have you changing your mind almost as many times as you turn the page of the book, a beautifully-written romance that will have you overcome with emotions and a Society that isn't as perfect as it would like you to think. As my first read of 2014, it set the standards high!

 

Ally Condie creates a world where you have no choices, where every decision is made for you by an over-controlling Society. The novel begins on the night of Cassia's Matching Ceremony, where she will see the boy that she will one day get married to and have children with - all when the Society says she can ,of course. Admittedly, Condie builds this world effortlessly, and you become completely immersed in it within pages. You can clearly see the character growth and how Cassia's mind changes about the world she lives in, going from the night she has been waiting for, to realising that she no longer wants that.  I adored the simplicity yet, beauty of the writing and the way poetry and stories were interwoven in the plot. You always had questions about the Society, wondering what they will do or if they would ever notice Cassia's Infractions, all of which allow you to see the cracks forming in the 'perfect' Society - yes, they may have a longer life-expectancy, yes, they may have banished Cancer, but who can make the decision of when you die? Who can just accept that?

 

Matched is a heart-racing and gripping read that I couldn't put down. It has various sub-plots , but you're never confused or thinking about something going on elsewhere. Cassia's personality captures your attention while her questions about who she loves keeps it there - there is a simplicity to the friendship that Cassia and Xander have always have, and how suddenly things change because of one decision, while there is a complexity to Ky that Cassia notices, and that intrigues the reader. The two love-interests are not just that, they have interesting personalities, and different feelings. As you may know, I'm not normally a fan of love-triangles, but I applaud the author for executing this with the right balance of romance and love, with a gritty, captivating plot to co-exist with that!

 

Cassia is one of my new favourite fictional females because of the way you see her, through the course of the novel, not instantly rebelling because she 'just wants to be with another boy.' Instead, she realises she should be able to make her own choices, and she slowly moves against the Society as she unravels the truth about the world she's trapped in but, has tried to fit into to. You are angry at the way someone has already predicted what Cassia will achieve, the way she has a certain amount of time in which she can socialise and the way there is always someone watching. Our protagonist doesn't start rebelling or becoming reckless, instead, it always comes back to protecting others.

 

The detail and thought that has gone into writing this novel is clear as it comes to it's climax, and that's both shocking and surreal. The only reason this is not a five-star is because of one slightly confusing plot-line that saw me have to flick back to re-read a few pages.  This novel is a must-read - and almost an insight to our future where we will have no choices of our own. I finished this book at 1am, and if that is not incentive to go and get yourself a copy, I don't know what is!

 

 

Ages 12+

I'm currently reading 'Crossed' and I think I can honestly say, this is one of my favourite series' out there!
By the way, I just noticed I have reached 40,000 PAGEVIEWS! This is such a surreal achievement for me, and I can't think you enough for reading my blog! :D

Book Review: My Brilliant Life & Other Disasters by Catherine Wilkins

Life is sweet!

 

Jessica's got her best friend back(mostly), her comic is about to be launched(in the playground) an her nutty Aunt Joan has come to stay. The only ink blot on the landscape is Scarlett, Amelia's super-cool, super-annoying cousin, who just so happens to draw cartoons too. What?!

 

Soon Jessica is fighting for her cartoonist life. It's a good job she has enormous badger on her side.

 

Goodreads | Twitter | Publisher

One of my ARCs when I began blogging was 'My Best Friend & Other Enemies', the first book in the series which I rated really-highly. So, I was looking forward to a light-hearted, laugh-out-loud, packed full of wit, type-book in it's sequel. Despite all of that being there, I found that I didn't enjoy it as much as the first novel; whether I felt this because some of the pacing was quite slow, not all - there were points where I was pretty amused by the jokes thrown in, or because I've grown-up slightly and I know that this would make the perfect read for any 9-12 year-old who is just beginning to get into reading. Although, this novel definitely had some great messages to learn inside it, from the world of our main-character Jessica; it was packed with life-lessons on arrogance, confidence, jealousy and friendship, all of which are really important.

Catherine Wilkins' writing really does reflect the life of an eleven year-old, and it's definitely a honest reflection of what Primary School is like - as I was there only a few years ago! Of course, it wouldn't be the series I initially loved if not for the over-exaggerated, and hilarious, competition between neighbours over who's child is doing better in school, and the representation of love/hate relationships in your family when they won't buy you Kit Kats and your Dad always has to offer your Mum a cup of tea to calm her down. These smaller-aspects of the novel were my favourite parts of this book - as you could see the author wasn't forcing all the humour at you, and trying to continuously leave you laughing, but instead family-life is just a funny thing - and rightly so. You can relate to the family in this book, and the neighbours you may know, to the characters in this book, and it makes it easier to picture.

The storyline itself was great - it begins where the first book left off - Jessica and her friends are publishing(Printing) out a comic that will be spread around the school, and despite it only being popular in the playground, you get a sense that it is something bigger, and it really brings you back to how school is really the only thing you know when you're young(not that I'm old, or anything!). I was glad to see the continuation of a storyline that saw Jessica being left-out by who she thought was her best friend, because a new-girl, Amelia, joined her class, was still there. Jessica overcoming how she felt towards Amelia was definitely a hard-task for her, but also not just 'running back' to the friend who left her alone was something I wanted to see, and did see. This novel was about friendships and honesty, and shows how people may not believe you. Jessica's arrogance, as I mentioned above, became annoying, for lack of a better word, something I think was purposefully done to give a clear-message that you should always be modest and stay grounded, or you will loose those around you.

Admittedly, I did have a few problems with this book; and I was a little disappointed by the fact it didn't have the same originality as the refreshing first book. Some times, despite being able to relate to Jessica's family-life, I noticed the same situation had happened only a few chapters ago, or that the same joke was being recycled, and I wanted something new! There were parts in the book when I wanted something to happen, where Jessica would realise how arrogant she had become and start to resolve things, or for more excitement, as there wasn't much of that until the final chapter, where I liked what happened and wished I had seen more of that wit in the previous one hundred and fifty pages. I'm not, by any means, saying this is a bad book. As it's not. There's no doubt you will find yourself laughing throughout, or that it will teach you a few life-lessons no matter how old you are.

 

3 Stars

 

Thank you to Dom at Nosy Crow for providing me with a free-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!