Top 3 Demon Slayers (Laurie)

In looking over the books / series I've been reading over the past few years, I realized that without specifically seeking them out, I ended up reading quite a few about characters who fight demons. I suppose it's a natural theme for Christian fantasy writers to gravitate toward, and many of the books have been fabulous! So today I wanted to give a shout-out to my top 3 demon slayers :)


3. Liz from The Reluctant Warrior Chronicles by Amy Brock McNew

Wow. Liz comes from a tough background, and her life only gets harder in every book in this series. But this girl is TOUGH. She has crazy skills and always shows resilience at the end of every new struggle. Her fiery personality is so different from mine that I don't always find her easy to relate to, but I have so much respect for how she bounces back and fights harder every time the enemy deals a new blow. Plus the books in this series are fast-paced and intense with strong character development, powerful romance, and just the right about of humor. (Find out more about this series in Top 3 Favorite Characters from the Reluctant Warrior Chronicles, this interview with the author, and this series spotlight.)



2. Zoe from The Chronicle of the Three by Tabitha Caplinger

I finally had an opportunity to read this series over the winter and absolutely devoured it. Each book is filled with action, beautiful spiritual truths, characters who care deeply about one another, and tons of snarky dialogue. It took me a while to get a sense for Zoe's personality, but by the end of the first book I was completely rooting for her. She's quiet and understated with a heart of gold, and bravely takes on her role of demon slayer despite the fact that she's not a natural fighter. I loved watching her grow as a character and become firm in her faith, and I appreciated her determination to live with purpose even after the conclusion of the final battle. (Find out more about The Chronicle of the Three in this series spotlight.)




1. Audrey from the Life After series by Julie Hall

If I could choose a literary character to hang out with for a day, Audrey would be right at the top of my list. She has the best sense of humor and is just SO easy to relate to as she makes her way through struggles in friendship, romance, and her new assignment as a demon hunter. Audrey would much rather paint her nails than spend hours training in the gym, but she gives an impressive (though at times clumsy) effort and becomes a force to be reckoned with. Her honesty, self-deprecating humor, and love for family and friends shows through in everything she does. In addition, this series has incredible world-building, swoon-worthy romance, and beautiful themes that made me teary-eyed on multiple occasions. (Find out more about this series in my review of Huntress and the author's Top 3 Places to Travel.)



Have you read any of these series? Do you enjoy books that involve supernatural battles? Who are your favorite demon slayers?


Thanks for reading!
Laurie

Top 3 Series Conclusions Coming in 2018 (Laurie)

Happy 2018 everyone!! The New Year is always a great time to both reflect back and look ahead. And for me, of course, those reflections tend to include books :) But I was having a lot of trouble narrowing down three favorite books of 2017 or three books I'm looking forward to in 2018, because I just know so many amazing authors! But I noticed that some of my favorite series are coming to an end in 2018. So here are the three series finales I'm most looking forward to in 2018:


3) Sage by Jamie Foley

This series is just so amazing! Adventure, tension, characters that jump off the page, and just enough romance to keep my inner romantic satisfied :) There are many central characters in Foley's series, but each book focuses a bit more on a certain one, which connects to the titles and covers. Tara, who as a sage is able to foresee possible futures, played a complicated role in the first book of the series and then was in a coma during the second, so I can't wait to get more of her perspective in book 3! Also, the second book, Arbiter, ended with several characters setting out to make what appears to be a very poor and dangerous decision. What's going to happen?? I get to find out on March 10th, which happens to be my birthday :)

Want to know more about this series? We've got you covered! I reviewed Sentinel (book 1) and Viper (a prequel which is now titled Vanguard) in this post. Plus, the author, Jamie Foley, has visited Lands Uncharted in the past for an interview and to share about her favorite aether gifts (the spiritual gifts different characters have in her series).



2) Unbreakable by Sara Ella

Sara Ella's books produce All. The. Feels. The love triangle is just heart-wrenching, and Eliyana's personal growth is beautifully moving. The ending of Unraveling, the second book in the series, left me reeling and kind of in shock. I have a feeling the characters have some difficult times to get through before everything will resolve, but I can't wait to see what kind of happily-ever-after Ella cooks up, because I'm trusting her to give her readers a satisfying ending. (Right, Sara Ella, right??) I'm also looking forward to revisiting these complex characters, continuing to learn more about the Reflections, and smiling at the humor and fun cultural references incorporated into every page of this awesome series.

Unbreakable releases on May 1st, so you have plenty of time to catch up on Unblemished and Unraveling if you haven't read them yet!



1) Dominion by Julie Hall

Talk about stress-inducing cliffhangers! Gah!! I absolutely adore this series, but in the second book, Warfare, the main two characters were finally making significant progress in their relationship, and then... I can't really say much to avoid spoilers, but let's just say something really bad happened. Something that put one of them in grave danger and is about to endanger many others as they embark on a rescue mission. These books have fantastic world-building, romance, and action, so I just know the conclusion is going to be epic! And will hopefully answer so many questions! Like why a certain character gets to use a special weapon and is targeted by the worst bad guy, why a different character became a traitor, and whether another character will come back from the dark side. Ha, sorry for being so vague - when I first started this post I didn't think about how hard it would be to write about these books without spoilers! Dominion doesn't have a cover or release date yet, but it's coming out sometime this year!

If the name Julie Hall sounds familiar, it may be because she's visited Lands Uncharted before! (Or because she's a USA Today bestselling author!) I reviewed the first book in her Life After series, Huntress, here. And she did a guest post for us last spring sharing her Top 3 Places to Travel.




How about you? What books are you looking forward to this year? Are any of your favorite series coming to an end?




Thanks for reading!
Laurie

Life After: Huntress by Julie Hall (Laurie)

Me again :) Sorry for the lack of variety in bloggers this week - I'm helping out Erin, who has hit a very busy stretch at work. Make sure to stop by on Saturday, when we'll have another guest Top 3s post!

Speaking of guest Top 3s posts, a few weeks ago Julie Hall stopped by as part of her blog tour celebrating the re-release of Life After: Huntress to share her Top 3 Places to Travel. Today, I want to talk about her amazing book!


In Life After: Huntress, Audrey wakes up in the afterlife without any memories from her time on earth. Heaven is beautiful, but also mysterious, changeable, and filled with new roles and expectations. As if her lack of memories wasn't confusing enough, when she gets assigned the position she's to fulfill for all eternity, Audrey's certain there's been a huge mistake. She couldn't possibly be cut out to be a huntress, required to battle demons alongside a crew of bulky guys.

Then Audrey meets her trainer. Logan is unnervingly attractive, but also harsh and distant. Their clashes make for long, painful days in the gym, until their first run-in with a demon brings them closer than they could've anticipated. Filled with doubts, Audrey must sort out her true purpose in the afterlife, and whether she can trust the God who brought her there.


I think Audrey was my favorite part of this book. She had a fun voice and great sense of humor, but I also felt very drawn into her confusion and emotional turmoil. She was easy to relate to in her frustration with her new assignment and jealousy of a fellow huntress who seemed a little too perfect. Her chemistry with Logan was palpable and I enjoyed seeing their relationship develop, but I also wanted to yell at them a few times. Just TALK to each other!!! *Ahem* Moving on... :)

The author's depiction of heaven was nothing like I would've ever imagined, but I loved the creativity and vivid descriptions. And I found the idea that God intends for us to continue to grow and have purpose in the afterlife both thought-provoking and appealing. The spiritual theme was subtle for most of the book, but when it came together towards the end it was so powerful I was brought to tears.


Fans of young adult fantasy with humor, action, and romance will definitely want to check out Life After: Huntress! I'm eagerly anticipating the next book in the series, which is coming out later this year! Also, make sure to follow Julie Hall's updates, because she will soon be revealing a gorgeous new cover! I know because I got a sneak peek :)


How about you? Have you read any books that take place in the afterlife? Can you think of any literary couples that made you especially frustrated?


Thanks for reading!
Laurie

*UPDATE* The new cover has officially been revealed, so now I get to share it with you!! Did I mention it's gorgeous?!

Top 3 Places to Travel (by special guest Julie Hall!)

We are SO excited to welcome Julie Hall to Lands Uncharted today as part of the blog tour for the re-release of her YA fantasy novel, Life After: Huntress! You can find out more about Julie and her book below, but first she's going to share her top 3 places to travel.

So without further ado, here's Julie:


Hi and thank you for having me as your guest today! I thought long and hard about which top 3 I was going to pick. There are so many possibilities out there, narrowing it down was a bit of a challenge, but today I’m going to give you my top 3 places to travel.

Traveling is one of my life passions and the places I visit often become some of my biggest writing inspirations. This world of ours is amazing and I can see our Creator’s fingerprints all over it. From the white tipped mountains, to the blue depths of the sea! So, along with giving you my top 3 favorite places to travel I’ll also let you know how they also inspired my writing!


3. Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica

My husband and I visited the Arenal region of Costa Rica for our one-year anniversary. I’d always wanted to go to the rain forests of Costa Rica, and in the Arenal region you not only get rain forest, but a huge active volcano as well. Like for reals active! At night you can see the red magma dripping from the top. Which incidentally leads to some of the most amazing natural hot springs in the world! But it wasn’t only amazing scenery we got to experience. When we visited Costa Rica we rappelled down waterfalls, zip-lined over 300 foot ravines, hiked through rainforests, white water rafted, and stayed in a hotel with its own zoo. We were allowed to play with animals that you usually can only interact with through bars or glass plates, such as sloths, toucans, and pumas.

My trip to Costa Rica sparked my sense of adventure and wonderment of the world around me, which is sprinkled into all my books. My characters live their lives in exciting ways and experience what some us only dream of doing someday. The more amazing and exciting things I experience, the more my imagination runs wild! My characters live in a fictitious world where there are no boundaries on what I create for them. My memories of visiting Costa Rica definitely helped invent some of the wilder parts of the Life After world.


2. Vail, Colorado

I learned to ski while growing up in the mid-west . . . which basically meant I spent a lot of time “ice skiing” rather than actually powder skiing. I’d always heard how amazing the Rocky Mountains were to ski/ride, but it wasn’t until I was in my 20s that I got to experience it for myself. I’ll admit, I’ve turned into a ski snob (actually, boarding snob if you want to get technical) and rarely go anywhere else. Our family now takes yearly trips to Colorado to go skiing and boarding. But besides having amazing snow, the majestic mountain ranges simply take my breath away.

I believe that most of us fall into two categories: mountain people, or ocean people. Not to say that we can’t love both, but one of them moves us in a way that the other does not. Although I do love the translucent blue waters of the ocean, I’m firmly in the “mountain people” category—and also oceans have sharks . . . so there’s that. My obsession with the mountains can be seen throughout the Life After series. It is also a trait that my main character, Audrey, picked up from me. In each book of the series mountains are featured in some form. I even slipped in a snowboarding scene in book 2, Warfare, which is releasing this Spring, 2017. So if you’re a mountain person like me, I think you’re going to really enjoy my books—and if you’re an ocean-lover, I’ve got some of that in there as well . . . minus the sharks!


1. Capri, Italy

“Hey, we should have a destination wedding!” To this day I’m not sure if it was my husband or I who first uttered those words, but for now, I’ll take the credit. Once my husband—then fiancée—and I got it into our heads to get married somewhere other than the fifty mile radius around our home, we couldn’t shake it. It took three flights, one very sketchy bus ride, an hour ferry trip and slow moving funicular ride to arrive at our destination. Surrounded by thirty of our closest friends and family, we were married on the island of Capri, off the Almalfi Coast in Italy.

Capri is—in my opinion—one of the most beautiful places on Earth. With its adorable topsy-turvy European homes and its winding streets. Its lemon groves and jutting cliffs. I haven’t found a place that compares to it. But despite the irrefutable enchantment of Capri, my favorite part of our wedding was not the destination itself, but the time spent with our friends and family. We ate meals together, took a boat trip around the island and swam in the deep blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea. We laughed together, rejoiced together, and celebrated together. In short, for a few short days we all did life together and built lasting memories.

And that’s what I set out to do for my readers. Create memories and experiences—although fictitious—for them to enjoy. For many different and valid reasons most of us can’t pick up and travel somewhere exciting on a moments notice. But I believe picking up a book can do that do you. One of my favorite book quotes is, “Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are” (American aphorist, Mason Cooley). Want to take an adventure through the jungle without getting bit by hordes of bugs, pick up a book! Want to travel to a location with purple skies and blue sidewalks? There’s probably a book out there that can take you there. For me Capri is a reminder and an inspiration to take my readers to amazing and exciting places and give them an experience that will last them a lifetime.


These places sound amazing! And such a perfect topic for our blog :) Here's a little more about Julie:

Julie Hall was a late blooming reader, but once captivated, writing became her dream.

Going the practical route in college she earned a business degree from the University of Michigan. After school, she worked in marketing and publicity for both television and film, until she'd had enough of selling other people's creative expressions.

She miraculously convinced her dashingly handsome husband that having ten years of experience mentoring youth, the idea of quitting her job to write a young-adult novel was the sensible thing to do.

Since then she's become a puppy mama to a goldendoodle named Bear, and an actual mother to her adopted daughter.




And here is more about Julie's awesome book, Life After: Huntress:

No one’s afterlife is as dispiriting as Audrey’s―at least that’s what she believes after waking up dead without her memories and being promptly assigned to hunt demons for the rest of eternity. She’s convinced God’s made a cosmic mistake; after all, she’d rather discuss the color of her nails than break them on angelic weapons.

It doesn’t help that her trainer, Logan, is as infuriating as he is attractive. And just when Audrey and Logan appear close to developing an amicable relationship, a decision made under duress pushes their hearts in a direction neither of them saw coming.

Despite her sub-par fighting abilities, an ancient weapon of unparalleled power chooses Audrey as its wielder, attracting the cautious gazes of her fellow hunters and the attention of Satan himself. With Satan’s eyes now fixed on Audrey, a battle for the safety of the living looms in the shadows.



Doesn't this sound fabulous? And believe me, it is! The characters, descriptions, and world-building are phenomenal, with one of the most intriguing / frustrating romances I've read in quite a while :) I'm very eagerly looking forward to the release of the next book in the series! You can preorder the new edition of Life After: Huntress here.

Thank you so much for joining us today, Julie!


Want to enter for a chance to win a copy of Huntress or other prizes? Fill out the entry form below!

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Attributions:
Arenal Volcano: http://arenalnatura.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/arenal-1000x452.jpg 
Vail: http://static.panoramio.com/photos/large/3743809.jpg
Capri: CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=118324