24th
Aug
Aug
Today I’m excited to participate in the Blog Tour of ‘The
Banished Craft’ by E.D.E. Bell. This is a fantasy novel and is written for
adults but is also appropriate for mature young adult readers. This is the
first book of the Shkode series and will be released on September 1,
2015.
Banished Craft’ by E.D.E. Bell. This is a fantasy novel and is written for
adults but is also appropriate for mature young adult readers. This is the
first book of the Shkode series and will be released on September 1,
2015.
For more tour stops please visit the tour page.
About the Book:
The Banished Craft is a genre-bending fantasy saga that
follows the adventures of Cor, a woman caught in a dying world that does not
accept her, and Atesh, a dragon scientist who’s been asked to violate his own
ethics or put the lives of his family at risk. Follow their trials as they deal
with a shattered world, mired in political upheaval, while they try to
rediscover a lost magic. The Banished Craft begins the Shkode trilogy: a quirky
and modern take on dragons and wizards, exploring themes of identity,
prejudice, violence, compassion, and the ways we are all connected.
follows the adventures of Cor, a woman caught in a dying world that does not
accept her, and Atesh, a dragon scientist who’s been asked to violate his own
ethics or put the lives of his family at risk. Follow their trials as they deal
with a shattered world, mired in political upheaval, while they try to
rediscover a lost magic. The Banished Craft begins the Shkode trilogy: a quirky
and modern take on dragons and wizards, exploring themes of identity,
prejudice, violence, compassion, and the ways we are all connected.
For more information about this book please visit Amazon.
My Review:
From the moment I first saw the sign up for ‘The Banished
Craft’ I was very interested in reading this book. That cover and the book
description really spoke to me and I really couldn’t wait to start reading this
book.
Craft’ I was very interested in reading this book. That cover and the book
description really spoke to me and I really couldn’t wait to start reading this
book.
‘The Banished Craft’ is from the beginning a very interesting and
wonderfully put together read. When I started reading I was a little afraid
this book would be difficult to understand, but it wasn’t difficult at all. The writing immediately pulled me into it and its very original. Its written through different
point of views which gave us inside to all the different characters and their
worlds. It’s a book that could have failed just as easily, but due to E.D.E.
Bell’s excellent writing this book was really awesome and really deserves to receive
more notice.
wonderfully put together read. When I started reading I was a little afraid
this book would be difficult to understand, but it wasn’t difficult at all. The writing immediately pulled me into it and its very original. Its written through different
point of views which gave us inside to all the different characters and their
worlds. It’s a book that could have failed just as easily, but due to E.D.E.
Bell’s excellent writing this book was really awesome and really deserves to receive
more notice.
A character I really liked was Cor. I loved how she kept
fighting in a world where she wasn’t really appreciated, to find out the truth about
her parents death. But most of all I loved the dragons. I really love dragons,
and reading about them was so much fun.
fighting in a world where she wasn’t really appreciated, to find out the truth about
her parents death. But most of all I loved the dragons. I really love dragons,
and reading about them was so much fun.
Although this book moves between the different characters
and their worlds a lot, I never lost interest or got confused. At times I did
wish I could fast forward to another chapter because I just wanted to know more
about another character, but that’s part of the charm of this book.
and their worlds a lot, I never lost interest or got confused. At times I did
wish I could fast forward to another chapter because I just wanted to know more
about another character, but that’s part of the charm of this book.
This is definitely a book you need to read for yourself
to fully get the ‘magic’ of it. And I would really recommend this book to other
fantasy lovers. It’s fun, different and exciting. Definitely a book worth
reading.
to fully get the ‘magic’ of it. And I would really recommend this book to other
fantasy lovers. It’s fun, different and exciting. Definitely a book worth
reading.
My Rating:
Excerpt:
[Jwala at home]
Jwala, a female dragon who is a Sergeant in the Imperial
Forces, is enjoying a rare afternoon at home, waiting for her mate to return.
Forces, is enjoying a rare afternoon at home, waiting for her mate to return.
Jwala had not been enjoying work of late.
She had not grown up imagining herself working for the Imperial
Forces. Initially it had been a temporary job while she explored training in
other fields, but the job was secure and the benefits excellent. She had
stayed, giving up on several other life ambitions that seemed irrelevant now.
Forces. Initially it had been a temporary job while she explored training in
other fields, but the job was secure and the benefits excellent. She had
stayed, giving up on several other life ambitions that seemed irrelevant now.
It was a reasonable, steady job, and she couldn’t
complain. Over the past several years, though, she felt that Imperial security
practices had taken a turn for the worse. There were more arrests, and more
enforcement of obscure policies that Jwala had not remembered existing. It felt
less like protecting dragonkind these days and more like monitoring their every
move.
complain. Over the past several years, though, she felt that Imperial security
practices had taken a turn for the worse. There were more arrests, and more
enforcement of obscure policies that Jwala had not remembered existing. It felt
less like protecting dragonkind these days and more like monitoring their every
move.
Her commanding Colonel said the policies had always
existed, but Jwala doubted this was the case. Every additional raid they
conducted made Jwala less and less comfortable with the Empire’s role in gons’
lives. But now, nearly thirteen months into her gestation, didn’t seem like a
time to introduce instability into her life. So each day she went to work, each
day obeying her orders without complaint.
existed, but Jwala doubted this was the case. Every additional raid they
conducted made Jwala less and less comfortable with the Empire’s role in gons’
lives. But now, nearly thirteen months into her gestation, didn’t seem like a
time to introduce instability into her life. So each day she went to work, each
day obeying her orders without complaint.
But they had never watched her like they did now. Having
worked many years in security, she knew she was being tracked from within her
own ranks. There was no reason for it. She had done nothing to draw attention.
She was a loyal guard, who did her duty and—as she saw it—did it well.
worked many years in security, she knew she was being tracked from within her
own ranks. There was no reason for it. She had done nothing to draw attention.
She was a loyal guard, who did her duty and—as she saw it—did it well.
Jwala let a small cough, enough to warm the cloth in her
claw without singeing it. She ran it across the surfaces in the kitchen,
scrubbing at an unidentifiable dry clump, one that she was certain was not the
result of her own sloppiness. “Oh, Atesh,” she muttered. “Why do we need whelps
in our home when I have you to keep me busy?”
claw without singeing it. She ran it across the surfaces in the kitchen,
scrubbing at an unidentifiable dry clump, one that she was certain was not the
result of her own sloppiness. “Oh, Atesh,” she muttered. “Why do we need whelps
in our home when I have you to keep me busy?”
Being past eighty now, Jwala was at the age most
dragonessi were ready to move past whelp-bearing and on to the next phase in
their lives. It had come as a most wonderful surprise when she first felt the
life growing inside of her. Instinctively, she ran the inside of her forearm
across her lower body, smiling and imagining the tiny gon growing under her
white-blue scales.
dragonessi were ready to move past whelp-bearing and on to the next phase in
their lives. It had come as a most wonderful surprise when she first felt the
life growing inside of her. Instinctively, she ran the inside of her forearm
across her lower body, smiling and imagining the tiny gon growing under her
white-blue scales.
She paused, her expression thoughtful. The movements
within weren’t as she expected, but it was her first gestation and having
nothing to compare it to, she didn’t want to panic. Everything was probably
just fine.
within weren’t as she expected, but it was her first gestation and having
nothing to compare it to, she didn’t want to panic. Everything was probably
just fine.
Needing a distraction, Jwala set the cloth across the
drying rack and stepped into the front yard. A creek ran down the middle of the
double-slope, separating her yard from the other. Many gons found the lack of
privacy a double-slope offered upsetting, but Jwala and Atesh had spent many
years fixing it up with their older slopemates, Frospa and Londew. Between the
cozy slope, the lovely view, and slopemates who had grown into treasured
friends, she couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.
drying rack and stepped into the front yard. A creek ran down the middle of the
double-slope, separating her yard from the other. Many gons found the lack of
privacy a double-slope offered upsetting, but Jwala and Atesh had spent many
years fixing it up with their older slopemates, Frospa and Londew. Between the
cozy slope, the lovely view, and slopemates who had grown into treasured
friends, she couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.
The Book Trailer:
About the Author:
Author E.D.E. Bell is a graduate of the University ofMichigan with an MSE in Electrical Engineering, and works as an advisor in
technical intelligence. A vegan and enthusiastic ignorer of gender rules, she
feels strongly about issues related to human equality and animal compassion.
Married with three children, she decided to pursue her dream of writing and is
excited to share that vision with fans of epic fantasy.
Giveaway:
You might also like:
Review 'For The Love of Whiskey' by Melissa Foster
Review 'Best Kind of Broken' by Chelsea Fine
Review 'Resisting The Grump' by Ashley Munoz
Blog Tour 'The Liar' by Nora Roberts
Review 'Be With Me' by J. Lynn
Review 'If This Is Love' by Jewel E. Ann
Release Blitz 'Let Me Burn' by Carrie Elks
Sunday's Author Spotlight: Linda Covella
Maureen is a mom, wife, nurse, and Ravenclaw living in the Netherlands. She spends her days juggling mom-life, reading, blogging, planning date nights with her husband and working as a nurse. Maureen also is a big Anglophile, loves cooking, Gilmore Girls, Bridgerton and Harry Potter.. Always! Facebook | Instagram
Awesome review! I felt the same way, it wasn't really hard to follow. I thought it might at the beginning but it didn't take long to settle into the writing style and switching POV's. It really is very creative! Thanks so much for hosting a tour stop and sharing your thoughts!
Thank you. It was an awesome read, so I loved writing about this one. Thanks for letting me be a part of the tour 😉