Archives par étiquette : JABberwocky

GAME OF VEILS d’Eva Chase

The Selection meets Catherine the Great in this why choose? romantasy about an ambitious princess, betrothed to a ruthless emperor, who plots to overthrow him with help from sexy courtiers.

GAME OF VEILS
(The Royal Spares Series, Book 1)
by Eva Chase
Ink Spark Press, September 2024
(via JABberwocky)

As the secondborn princess in a kingdom under the thumb of a brutal empire, Aurelia never had high hopes for her marriage prospects. But she is delighted when she is bethrothed to the son of the emperor himself.

Determined to earn better treatment for her country, she sets out to play her part as a loving wife. To her horror, she arrives at the emperor’s decadent palace only to discover the proposal was conditional. The emperor and his heir expect her to compete with several local noblewomen in a series of humiliating trials to prove their devotion. The winner will receive the heir’s hand in marriage; those who fail will be executed.

If facing marriage with a man she reviles and fending off sabotage from her scheming competitors wasn’t enough, her presence has caught the attention of the emperor’s princely wards who are forced to live in the palace as punishment. As far as they’re concerned, Aurelia is a traitor for trying to win the prince’s devotion. And she’s the perfect target for their bottled rage. They’ll do whatever they can to distract her, unsettle her, ruin her…and if they get to cuckold her future husband at the same time, even better.

For all their sharp words and heated glowers, they might be just the allies Aurelia needs. She isn’t merely going to land an emperor-to-be and wheedle minor concessions out of him once he ascends the throne—she’s going to win the entire empire. Over his dead body, if need be.

Eva Chase is an Amazon top 100 bestselling author of urban fantasy and paranormal romance. She grew up on a steady diet of magic, mayhem, and romantic angst, and brings plenty of all three to her stories. But no need to fear the dreaded love triangle—Eva’s heroines never have to choose. You can visit her online at www.evachase.com.

ELLA PORTER, TELEPORTER de Dori Hillestad Butler

Bestselling author Dori Hillestad Butler brings teleportation to life in her new middle-grade series.

ELLA PORTER, TELEPORTER
by Dori Butler
Aladdin/Simon & Schuster, TBD 2025
(via JABberwocky)

Meet spunky nine-year-old named Ella, who lives with her mother after her father died when she was young. Ella never met a rule she didn’t want to break. Her favorite thing is to do secret acts of random kindness with her best friend, Manny.

One day Ella meets her dad’s uncle Geoff and learns a family secret. Some people on her dad’s side of the family can teleport. Ella has part of the family mark—a dot on one of her pinkie toes. Ella can’t teleport at first, but if she develops the ability, she and her mother are to alert Great Uncle Geoff immediately and he will train her properly at his home.

Great Uncle Geoff lives alone at a lighthouse on a rock in the middle of the ocean. Ella is intrigued by the idea of teleportation, but the last thing she wants to do is go live with a stranger in the middle of nowhere. So when Ella discovers she can indeed teleport, she doesn’t tell anyone other than Manny. She decides she doesn’t need to be trained. She’s doing just fine figuring things out on her own. And by being able to teleport, she and Manny can now do even bigger secret acts of random kindness than they were ever able to before.

But teleportation doesn’t always work the way Ella wants or expects it to. She doesn’t always feel so good after teleporting. She doesn’t always end up exactly where she thinks she will. And sometimes it doesn’t even work. She’s also been almost caught teleporting. More than once.

When Ella is finally caught teleporting by her mother, she must admit the truth about her powers and learn how to use them properly.

Dori Hillestad Butler has published magazine stories, educational materials, plays, book reviews, characters for a board game, and over sixty children’s books. A two-time Geisel Honor Book winner for King & Kayla and the Case of the Missing Dog Treats and King & Kayla and the Case of the Lost Tooth, she has also been nominated for children’s choice awards in nineteen different states and won the 2011 Edgar Award for the best juvenile mystery for Buddy Files: Case of the Lost Boy. She lives in Washington.

WHERE SHADOWS BLOOM de Catherine Bakewell

Fans of Allison Saft and Margaret Rogerson will be swept away into this lush and beguiling sapphic romantasy from the bestselling author of Flowerheart.

WHERE SHADOWS BLOOM
by Catherine Bakewell
HarperTeen, February 2025
(via JABberwocky)

Ofelia has lived her life dreaming of entering Le Château Enchanté—the mysterious court of the gods-blessed King Léo, where the shadow monsters that roam Ofelia’s home never trespass.

Lope has lived her life as a knight, defending Ofelia and her home from Shadows even as she dreams of escaping with Ofelia by her side.

When the Shadows venture too close, Lope and Ofelia are thrust into a journey that will lead them to the heart of the darkness haunting their home: the dazzling and deceptive Château Enchanté itself.

A mesmerizing daydream with a subtle edge of darkness that will leave you utterly unable to put it down, WHERE SHADOWS BLOOM pits terrifying monsters, chilling secrets, capricious gods, immortal kings, and death itself against the unstoppable love between two girls.

“A magical blend of romance and whimsy, equal parts devastating and hopeful. With a touching, tender slow-burn romance at its core, Where Shadows Bloom is a lovely and rich confection of a book.”  — Ava Reid, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Study in Drowning

« An uplifting and meaningful tale bursting with floral imagery and cottagecore aesthetics. » — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Catherine Bakewell is a writer, artist, and opera enthusiast. She has lived in Spain and in France, where she romped through gardens, ate pastries, and worked on her novels. She is also the author of We Are the Song and the bestselling Flowerheart, and you can find her at catherinebakewell.com.

JUST SHY OF ORDINARY d’A. J. Sass

In this heartfelt novel about family, friendship, and identity perfect for fans of The List of Things That Will Not Change and Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World, a thirteen-year-old nonbinary kid discovers that life doesn’t always go according to plan—especially when they start public school for the first time.

JUST SHY OF ORDINARY
by A. J. Sass
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, January 2024
(via JABberwocky Literary Agency)

Thirteen-year-old Shai is an expert problem-solver. There’s never been something they couldn’t research and figure out on their own. But there’s one thing Shai hasn’t been able to logic their way through: picking at the hair on their arms.

Ever since their mom lost her job, the two had to move in with family friends, and the world went into pandemic lockdown, Shai’s been unable to control their picking. Now, as the difficult times recede and everyone begins to discover their “new normal,” Shai’s hoping the stress that caused their picking will end, too.

After reading that a routine can reduce anxiety, Shai makes a plan to create a brand new normal for themself that includes going to public school. But when their academic evaluation places them into 9th grade instead of 8th, it sets off a chain of events that veer off the path Shai had prepared for, encouraging Shai to learn how to accept life’s twists and turns, especially when you can’t plan for them.

“Via sensitive depictions of Shai’s skin picking, as well as sincere prose that yields richly developed characters, relationships, and interactions, Sass captures the tension and dread of grappling with a hidden illness during a tumultuous transition. » —Publishers Weekly, STARRED Review

“Shai’s struggles with identity, anxiety, first love, and faith will resonate with middle grade and young adult readers. » —School Library Journal

“Sass writes about intersectionality with plainspoken authenticity and normalizes asking for (and accepting) help from loved ones… An empathetic portrayal of multifaceted identities and the challenges of facing change. » —Booklist

“Shai’s tenderhearted first-person voice will keep readers rooting for them until the book’s final pages. Moving and memorable.” —Kirkus Reviews

“While Sass tackles several heavy subjects in this affecting novel, readers remain hopeful as Shai comes out of each trial a stronger person. » —Horn Book Review

“This is a nuanced, empathetic novel packed with the ups and downs of school and home life.” —Jewish Book Council

A. J. Sass (he/they) is the author of the ALA Rainbow Book List Top 10 titles Ellen Outside the Lines, which was also a Sydney Taylor Honor Book, and Ana on the Edge, as well as Camp QUILTBAG (co-written with Nicole Melleby). He grew up in the Midwest and South, spending many of his summers with his family enjoying the beautiful Northwoods lakes and scenery in Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. He now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his husband and two cats who act like dogs.

RITES OF POSSESSION SERIES d’Eva Chase

A romantasy series full of forbidden magic, impossible love, hot damaged men, and a sorceress in disguise who must expose a dangerous conspiracy brewing at the royal college.

RITES OF POSSESSION SERIES
by Eva Chase
Ink Spark Press, 2023 – 2024
(via JABberwocky Literary Agency)

THIEF OF SILVER AND SOULS (Book 1 – September 2023)

What if it takes a monster to save a kingdom?

I’ll never forget the sight of my little sister’s lifeless body—or that my rogue magic killed her.

Sorcery like mine is punishable by death. So I live in the shadows, stealing from the corrupt to give to the needy. Maybe a little good can wash the blood from my hands.

It seems like a decent plan… until I try to help a dying noblewoman and somehow steal her soul instead.

Now her ghost is demanding I take up the quest that got her killed: exposing a conspiracy at the royal college to unleash a deadly power on the entire kingdom.

Do I want to infiltrate the cutthroat world of haughty elites? Gods, no. But if I can save the kingdom, I could save my own soul too.

So I’ll pose as a refined lady, attending their classes and fancy balls, sneaking and spying like I learned on the streets. But I can’t tackle this threat alone. I’ll need to win the trust of the dead woman’s allies: four arrogant noblemen.

Four damaged yet dangerously enticing men. No matter what they stir in my heart, I can’t afford to let them get too close.

Because if they discover the monstrous things I’m capable of, saving my soul will be the least of my worries…

GAME OF DEATH AND DESIRE (Book 2 – December 2023)

To prove I’m not a monster, I have to play a monstrous game.

The men I’m falling for have discovered my horrific secret. Only the intervention of a god has saved me and my forbidden magic from the gallows… for now.

We’ve barely scraped the surface of the brutal conspiracy lurking at the royal college, and the threat looms ever larger. To get to the root of the evil and destroy it, we’ll have to infiltrate it at its source.

And I’m the only viable new recruit.

So I’ll play a dangerous game, courting the favor of cold-blooded murderers while dallying with noblemen who don’t know whether to revile or desire me.

But the deeper I’m drawn into the darkness, the more I wonder if there’s any way for me to truly win…

SECRETS OF GRAVES AND GOLD (Book 3 – March 2024)

Will my magic save the realm… or drive me into madness?

In the wake of an uprising of illicit sorcery, my men and I find ourselves on the run—determined to clear our names by protecting the kingdom.

But to face off against the psychopaths who want to remake our country into a realm of chaos and brutality, I’ll need to tap into my wild magic. And the god who’s watched over me expects me to stand on my own now.

If I can’t overcome the odds against us, the lives of the men I love are forfeit. But how far can I go without becoming what I’ve feared most?

LADY OF DOOM AND DEVOTION (Book 4 – Fall 2024)

We can’t let the wild win.

Despite everything I’ve done, my kingdom is falling apart. To overturn the murderous sorcerers determined to remake the realm into something wild and cruel, we must rely an unexpected heir to the throne.

But the first fault lines started dividing our country centuries ago. We can’t reach toward the past for absolution.

The men I love and the allies we’ve gathered will have to build a new future. And I’d sacrifice anything to know I’ve finally set things right… even my hard-won happiness.

It’s time to find out whether I’m worthy of staying in this world I’ve fought so desperately to save.

Eva Chase is an Amazon top 100 bestselling author of urban fantasy and paranormal romance. She grew up on a steady diet of magic, mayhem, and romantic angst, and brings plenty of all three to her stories. But no need to fear the dreaded love triangle—Eva’s heroines never have to choose.