video – Lyndsey Hall

Book trailers: love or loathe?

If there’s one thing that divides the bookish community more than any other, it’s book trailers.

OK, and love triangles, but book trailers are pretty controversial.

Personally, I love them. Nothing gets me more excited for a new book than a trailer with epic music, flashes of the characters in exciting scenarios, and gripping titles that give me just enough of the plot to really grab my attention.

One of my closest friends is brilliantly talented at creating and editing videos (she edits all my [frankly terrible] video snippets for my day job) and she made these absolutely gorgeous trailers for my debut novel, The Fair Queen, and my short story anthology, Enchanted Waters.

Sound on for an epic cinematic experience!

The Fair Queen book trailer

Enchanted Waters book trailer

I honestly fangirl over my own stories watching these.

The first book trailer I think I ever saw was for Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, which is still one of my favourite series. It was captivating and lured me in, and sadly I thought it meant there was a movie in the works because I had never come across the concept of a book trailer before. Now I’m addicted to watching them – although they still make me wish every book would be turned into a film.

Have you read Nevernight by Jay Kristoff? It’s a really dark and bloody adult fantasy series inspired by Roman culture, with some of the most incredible world-building I’ve ever experienced. There are three suns so it is almost literally “nevernight”. Genius.

Anyway, I digress.

So, an actress named Piera Forde decided to film a series of shorts adapted from Nevernight and share them on her YouTube channel, and it is one of my favourite things. To have an actor love your book so much that they decide to fund their own serial adaptation of the story? Absolute author bucket list item right there.

(Piera actually has a short film of The Assassin’s Blade by S. J. Maas on her channel too – definitely worth a watch to see her play Celaena!)

If anyone feels like doing the same thing for The Fair Queen, let me know! I’m all for it.

Lyndsey

Illumicrate Unboxing May 2017

Hi guys! I thought you all might be missing my face since my last video in March, so here is my May Illumicrate unboxing! I had to cut it loads because I kept fumbling my words, I left some in (explusive, anyone?) for your entertainment, so please enjoy my ramblings and the contents of this quarter’s bookish subscription box.

If you like, you can pop over to YouTube and subscribe to my channel, it’d be lovely to have you!

Here is a list of links to the products mentioned in this video:

Illumicrate – http://www.illumicrate.com/

Truth or Dare by Non Pratt – http://buff.ly/2svbcdl

The Waking Land by Callie Bates – http://buff.ly/2tTtNO4

Feyre mug by Merwild (Coralie Jubenot) – http://buff.ly/2tTS4Ua

Mermaid Lagoon candle by Flickerink – http://buff.ly/2tTGqsM

Map bookmark by Penguin Co

Enchanted door hanger and print by TJ Lubrano – http://buff.ly/2tTGjxj

Swish & Flick keyring by Nutmeg & Arlo – http://buff.ly/2t0MYbZ

Poster from Windfall by Jennifer E. Smith – http://buff.ly/2tTQn9r

Pin from The Gender Games by Juno Dawson – http://buff.ly/2sVUZPb

Prints from The Taste of Blue Light by Lydia Ruffles – http://buff.ly/2sW2Ex4

I bought Illumicrate with my own money and didn’t receive anything in exchange for this review! All my own opinions.

What I read on holiday

Earlier this month, we spent a fabulous week in Turkey, at the Sensatori hotel in Fethiye. Yes, in April. Right in the middle of Camp Nano. No, I didn’t write a single word while we were away, I relaxed and recharged my batteries after a crazy few months.

I did, however, read a few books.

First up was The Song Rising by Samantha Shannon. You might remember I attended an event at Waterstones in Orchard Square, Sheffield, where I met Samantha and got a signed copy of the book.

I haven’t done a review of this one yet, as it’s part of a longer series and I haven’t reviewed the first two I’m going to wait and review the whole series at the end. If you haven’t read The Bone Season though, I highly recommend it! It’s billed as adult fantasy, but Paige, the MC, is nineteen so it’s sort of on the cusp of YA, NA and adult, and if you like any kind of fantasy you’ll probably love this.

It’s set in a future version of London with an alternative history since the 1800s, resulting in a neo-Victorian, steampunk kind of world where clairvoyance is real, and illegal. An oppressive, anti-clairvoyance regime has taken power in London and several other cities across the world, and as a result a vast underworld of clairvoyants now exists in the shadows.

If that sounds like your cup of tea then pop down to your local independent bookstore or library and grab a copy, you won’t regret it.

Next, I read Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence, and you can check out my book review here. This one was a recommendation from Cait @ Paper Fury, whose taste in books is exemplary. I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait to read the rest of the Broken Empires trilogy, I’ve already put them on hold at the library.

It’s set in a medieval sort of fantasy world, where a teenage prince is on a mission to take revenge on the man who murdered his mother and younger brother years earlier. It’s really dark and stabtastic, so if that’s your bag you’ll definitely love this series.

Also, Mark Lawrence retweeted me and replied, so my life has been made.

@lyndleloo Very many thanks! He’s actually 14 for 95% of the book, but yeah, pretty young.

Red Sister is entirely unconnected, so also a good start.

— Mark Lawrence (@Mark__Lawrence) April 26, 2017

Finally, I also listened to the audio book of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, my review of which you can read here.

It’s an absolutely enchanting, beautifully written book about a circus that is only open at night, real magic posing as illusions, and two star-crossed lovers locked in a lifelong competition with the circus as their stage.

So those are the books I managed to finish this month, what with work and Camp NaNoWriMo. Today’s the last day of Camp and I’m still 6k words away from winning, so it’s looking unlikely, but tomorrow is a Bank Holiday, so if I stay up late and write until midnight I might just make it. It would be the most I’ve written in a day – if we’re not counting last minute essays for Uni! I am the queen of cutting it fine on deadline day.

I’m now listening to the audio book of The Dream Thieves, book two in The Raven Cycle series by Maggie Stiefvater. I’m really enjoying this series so far, it’s got a great ensemble cast of characters and a really intriguing sense of suspense throughout.

In a nutshell, Gansey is on the hunt for a dead Welsh king whose body is rumoured to be buried in Henrietta on a ley line, and if you wake him he will grant you one wish. The rest of the gang all have their own motivations for helping Gansey in his search, and they’re not the only ones looking. It’s a very moody, intense read, with lots of humour thrown in, and some pretty strange goings-on.

I’m also reading Black Ice by Becka Fitzpatrick, a YA thriller, which is something I don’t have much experience in. I’ve only read a few pages so far, but I’m hoping it’ll be a fun read.

So, that’s everything I read in April on my holiday in Turkey, and what I’m currently reading! What have you guys been reading this month? Let me know in the comments.

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Lyndsey