The Northern Witch's Book Blog

Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon 3 out of 5 Synopsis All Talasyn has ever known is the Hurricane Wars. Growing up an orphan in a nation under siege by the ruthless Night Emperor, Talasyn has found her family among the soldiers who fight for freedom. But she is hiding a deadly secret: light magic courses through her veins, a blazing power believed to have been wiped out years ago that can cut through the Night Empire's shadows. Prince Alaric, the emperor's only son and heir, has been forged into a weapon by his father. Tasked with obliterating any threats to the Night Empire's rule with the strength of his armies and mighty Shadow magic, Alaric has never been bested. That is until he sees Talasyn burning brightly on the battlefield with the magic that killed his grandfather, turned his father into a monster, and ignited the Hurricane Wars. In a clash of light and dark, their powers merge and create a force the likes of which has never been seen. Talasyn and Alaric both know th...

Where it Rains in Color by Denise Crittendon 1 out of 5 Synopsis Swazembi is a blazing, color-rich utopia and the vacation center of the galaxy. This idyllic, peace-loving world is home to waterless seas, filled with cascading neon vapors, where tourists and residents alike soar from place to place in a swift wind force called The Sweep. No one is used to serious trouble here, especially Lileala. Lileala is a pampered, young 50-year-old whose radiance has just earned her the revered title of Rare Indigo, the highest and most sacred of honours. But, her perfect lifestyle is shattered when a band of drug-addicts from a dying planet come up with a way to infect her with a fatal skin disease. They succeed and the unthinkable happens – Lileala Walata Sundiata loses her ability to shimmer. Where her skin should glisten like diamonds mixed with coal, instead it dulls and forms scar tissue. And she starts to hear voices in her head. Distraught over her condition, she flees to the village where...

Narco Hotel by Wilmar Luna 5 out of 5 Synopsis Cindy Ames thought her days of assassination and crime fighting were over. Then the DeMarcos Cartel invaded New York City. Day by day they spread their corruption throughout the five boroughs, leading to a rise in beheadings, shootouts, drug overdoses, and police murdering innocent citizens. Even with the city decaying all around her, Cindy was terrified of transforming into the Silver Ninja. It would mean returning to a life of barely controlled rage and endless violence. Unfortunately for her, Commissioner Gates knows who the Silver Ninja is and her dark secret. If she doesn’t suit up and help him stop the DeMarcos, her secret will be exposed, and her family will suffer the consequences. The price for peace is blood. Review Cindy is back, and despite trying to avoid trouble and putting the Silver Ninja behind her, she is coerced into facing the gangs in her home city. I was a beta reader for this book, and my review is for the beta versi...

 How to... survive the Big Day This summer I am sharing some of my tips for attending book events, to hopefully aid new authors, and those stepping out to events for the first time. Blog Posts: How to pick your events Getting ready - what you need to take The big day Today I am going to be sharing my insight into what to expect from attending an event as an author. 1. ARRIVAL & SET-UP 2. THE SELLING BIT 3. WHAT ELSE TO DO 1. ARRIVAL Getting There You need to read the emails that the organisers have sent to you. It will give you details on how to get there and, as a trader, where you have to bring your vehicle; as this can sometimes be different to the main entrance attendees will be using. They will often give you advice on where to park your car - even if you've been to this event before, it's good to check that nothing has changed. They will give you times for unpacking all your gear. If you are going to a comic con, the organisers may mention unloading gear the day befor...

How to... get ready for a Book Event This summer I am sharing some of my tips for attending book events, to hopefully aid new authors, and those stepping out to events for the first time. Blog Posts: How to pick your events Getting ready - what you need to take The big day Today I am going to be sharing my insight into what I take as standard to all of my book events, and where I get everything from. Please keep in mind that I am a Fantasy author, based in the UK; and that I buy from UK suppliers. 1. WHAT BOOKS TO TAKE 2. HOW TO MAKE YOUR TABLE LOOK PRETTY 3. OTHER IMPORTANT BITS 1. WHAT BOOKS TO TAKE The Books The big question for authors - what books to take with you? Once you've been to a few events, you'll get to know how many sales you can expect. Keeping in mind, I've only gone to mid-size one-day events so far. I generally take about 10 copies of each of my books, and sometimes take 12 of my series starters, because they tend to sell a little more. (When I go to the ...

 How to... pick your Book Event This summer I am sharing some of my tips for attending book events, to hopefully aid new authors, and those stepping out to events for the first time. Blog Posts: How to pick your events Getting ready - what you need to take   The big day Today I am going to be sharing my insight into the events that I have attended, and what has worked for me. Please keep in mind that I am a Fantasy author, so other genres might have a different result. 1. TYPE OF EVENTS & RESULTS 2. HOW TO FIND & BOOK EVENTS 3. WHAT TO DO NEXT 1. TYPE OF EVENTS & RESULTS Book/Literary Events                     Let's start with the most obvious one. Clearly, Book and Literary Events are going to be solely focussed on books. I think they're a great place to start, and excellent for meeting and networking with other authors. I always try to go to at least one Lit Event a year, as they are a lot of fun, and...

Aurora's End by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff 4 out of 5 Synopsis The squad you love is out of time. Prepare for the thrilling finale in the epic, best-selling Aurora Cycle series about a band of unlikely heroes who just might be the galaxy's last hope for survival. Is this the end? What happens when you ask a bunch of losers, discipline cases, and misfits to save the galaxy from an ancient evil? The ancient evil wins, of course. Wait. . . . Not. So. Fast. When we last saw Squad 312, they were working together seamlessly (aka, freaking out) as an intergalactic battle raged and an ancient superweapon threatened to obliterate Earth. Everything went horribly wrong, naturally. But as it turns out, not all endings are endings, and the team has one last chance to rewrite theirs. Maybe two. It's complicated. Cue Zila, Fin, and Scarlett (and MAGELLAN!): making friends, making enemies, and making history? Sure, no problem. Cue Tyler, Kal, and Auri: uniting with two of the galaxy’s...

Mickey7 by Edward Ashton 3 out of 5 Synopsis A sci fi adventure tackling questions of who we are, what is human, and how far would we go to stay alive? Mickey7 is an Expendable: a disposable employee on a human expedition sent to colonize the ice world Niflheim. Whenever there’s a mission that’s too dangerous—even suicidal— the crew turns to Mickey. After one iteration dies, a new body is regenerated with most of his memories intact. Mickey signed on to escape from both bad debts and boredom on Midgard. After six deaths, Mickey7 understands the terms of his deal… and why it was the only colonial position unfilled when he took it. On a fairly routine scouting mission, Mickey7 goes missing and is presumed dead. By the time he returns to the colony base, surprisingly helped back by native life, Mickey7’s fate has been sealed. There’s a new clone, Mickey8, reporting for Expendable duties. While Expendables make most of the crew nervous, the idea of duplicates is universally loathed. If cau...

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao 5 out of 5 Synopsis The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall. It doesn't matter that the girls often die from the mental strain. When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it's to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister's death. But she gets her vengeance in a way nobody expected—she kills him through the psychic link between pilots and emerges from the cockpit unscathed. She is labeled an Iron Widow, a much-feared and much-silenced kind of female pilot who can sacrifice boys to power up Chrysalises instead.​ To tame her unnerving yet invaluable mental strength, she is paired up with Li Shimin, the strongest and most controversial male pilot in Huaxia​. But now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she will not cower so easily. She will miss no opportunity to leverage their combined migh...