Sneak Peek: Stunning Illustrations for Enchanted Forests

Hi friends! There’s just two weeks until my next charity anthology, Enchanted Forests, is released, and today I want to give you a sneak peek at the absolutely beautiful artwork Elena Shelest has created for our stories. Plus, a little summary of each tale to give you a flavour of the anthology.

Ready to take a look?

Gems of Fae and Foolery by Alice Ivinya

In this fresh take on the Frog Prince fairytale, two female dwarves on the run from an indentured labour camp at the mines become entangled with an arrogant fae lord.


The Lucky Tortoise by Ben Lang

A fugitive child and his tortoise friend seek refuge in the mangroves.

A prince’s duty is to bring his people luck. Pity this one is more occupied by his giant tortoise.


Feather Green by Jennifer Kropf

When Estheryn overhears the royal family’s secrets, it’s her father who pays the price, resulting in a careless murder that propels her to do the unthinkable: disobey the direct order of the Prince of Persianna and enter the forest.


Apple and the Dead Forest by Xander Cross

In a desolate post-apocalyptic world riven by famine, three children make a journey for seeds defended by a dragon.


To Snare a Prince by Sky Sommers

What do you do when a six-headed dragon complains of indigestion after it’s just gobbled up a dark elf? Easy, you tell him to wait in line and go consult your Granny’s magical books.


Blood of the Unicorn by N.D.T. Casale

A wicked queen’s desire for blood from the hearts of unicorns, sends a princess through a divided forest into the shadows of death.


Dimension of the Sasquatch by Donna White

A lot has happened to the curator of a supernatural treasure trove since she discovered that she can walk through different dimensions, now she’s traveling with Bigfoot.


The Fern Flower by Elena Shelest

On the night when the legendary fern flower appears in the forest, will Miray and Savko find their true path?


Willow Daughter by Astrid V.J.

In this retelling of Erutan’s Celtic song, The Willow Maid, a woodcutter follows a song into the forbidden depths of the forest and finds himself tangled in a deadly conflict between the Willow Daughter and the Forest Father.


One Fair Eve by Lyndsey Hall (that’s me!)

Pip’s desire to escape his impoverished mining town and play piano in the world’s most prestigious concert halls leads to a bargain that could spell his doom. Are three years of fame and fortune worth the price he’ll pay – an eternity as the Goblin King?


And there you have it! If those brief blurbs and the stunning artwork haven’t sold you on Enchanted Forests, then nothing will! Except, maybe, the fact that we’re donating all profits to the Rainforest Foundation to support their work preventing deforestation and working with indigenous communities who rely on the forests for income and resources.

We’ve smashed our preorder goal (and honestly any expectation we ever had is on the floor in tatters, and we couldn’t be prouder!) but we’d still love to raise even more money for this incredible organisation. So if you can spare $2.99 and you love folklore and fairytale inspired fantasy stories, then you can still preorder Enchanted Forests here: https://mybook.to/Enchanted-Forests

Or, you can wait until release day, 1 July, and buy the beautiful paperback!

And get ready for an exciting announcement next week about our next project…

Lyndsey

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Review: Feathers of Snow by Alice Ivinya

Welcome back friends! I’ve got another book review for you today, this time it’s a fantasy fairytale retelling that’s perfect for these frosty, winter days. It’s Feathers of Snow by Alice Ivinya, book one in the Kingdom of Birds and Beasts series.

I bought the ebook of this story as soon as I saw the cover (I mean, just look at it!), but I was actually given a signed copy by Alice when we met in person last July, so of course I read that! And I was so honoured and emotional to see my name in the acknowledgements when I finished.

This was a gorgeously gripping read, keep scrolling to see what I thought of it…

Blurb

In Brianna’s new world of ice and snow, the coldest things by far are the eyes of her betrothed…

Brianna bears a deadly secret: she’s not the princess she is pretending to be. If the prince finds out, her life will be forfeit and her country plunged into war. But there is more to the icy prince than meets the eye, and Brianna slowly unravels the secrets of his dark past while surviving in a strange culture.

However her goodness and wit will only get her so far. Terrifying beasts stalk the border and a murderer is at work in the town. They know the truth of Brianna’s identity and will stop at nothing to destroy all she has fought for.


Review

Title: Feathers of Snow: A Goose Girl Retelling (Kingdom of Birds and Beasts #1)

Author: Alice Ivinya

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Feathers-Snow-retelling-Kingdom-Beasts-ebook/dp/B08MZ69K29/

Rating: 5 fairytale stars!



This book swept me away to a snow-covered castle and made me fall in love with a frosty prince. I loved the unique world Ivinya created, especially the snippets of history, myth and folklore we were treated to.

It’s a truly original adaptation of The Goose Girl fairy tale, with a strong, steady heroine who faces danger and heartbreak head on, and a stoic, brooding prince who’ll do whatever it takes to protect his people from the threats over the wall.

If you love clean but still swoon worthy romantic fantasy, fairytale retellings and lush, richly detailed world building, you’ll love Feathers of Snow. 

I adored Brianna from the beginning, Ivinya has such skill with character creation, she really makes you identify with her protagonists, hate her villains (ooh I really wanted bad things to happen to the baddie in this book!) and fall for her love interests. Plus, her side characters are fully-formed and have their own back stories and motivations that inform the plot and make the whole story feel very well-rounded – I have such a soft spot for Jeremiah and may have messaged Alice at the halfway mark threatening our friendship if anything bad happened to my sweet cinnamon roll of a guard.

In a nutshell, Feathers of Snow is the book for you this Christmas if you love:
  • Sweet, clean but swoon worthy romance
  • Fairytale retellings
  • Rich world building with unique magic
  • Quietly strong, independent heroines (badass but in a subtle way)
  • Brooding, reluctant heroes who don’t soften easily
  • A villain you will LOVE to hate
  • Mind-talking animal familiars
  • Tense whodunnit murder mysteries
  • Fantasy series you can really get sucked into and fall in love with

Find it on Amazon and read the sample:

Add it to your Goodreads shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55858962-feathers-of-snow


Ready for book two? Check out my blog on Feathers of Blood‘s release here.

Happy reading!

Lyndsey x

Feathers of Blood release giveaway! Win SEVEN fantasy paperbacks

It’s the day you’ve all been waiting for! (OK, I’VE been waiting for, but hopefully you’re excited too.) It’s Feathers of Blood release day!

To celebrate, the absolutely fabulous author, Alice Ivinya, has joined together with some other incredible fantasy authors to host a huge giveaway.

Click here or on the image to enter this fabulous giveaway and be in with a chance of winning these SEVEN paperbacks, worth over $75! (UK, US and Canada only.)

Prizes include:

The giveaway will close on 22 October, so get your entries in quick. All you have to do is enter your email address, but you can get extra entries by following the authors on social media, checking out Alice’s books on Amazon or sharing the giveaway with your fantasy-loving friends by email.

And don’t forget to buy your copy of Feathers of Blood, Kingdom of Birds and Beasts #2!

How gorgeous is that cover??

Need a refresher of book one, Feathers of Snow, before you dive into the new book? You’re in luck! Click here to read Alice’s recap and find out more about books two and three.

I’ll be sharing my reviews of Feather of Snow and Feathers of Blood soon, so keep an eye out!

Lyndsey

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