Weekend Reads: Shadow Light by Sarah Delena White (Laurie)

Welcome to this week's edition of Weekend Reads! And to the blog tour for Shadow Light by Sarah Delena White! I'm excited to share about this brand new fairy tale, which just released on March 31st!

In Shadow Light, the world is under attack by shadow creatures seeking to rid the world of light. Aeric, who wields the sun and brings day each morning, fights the creatures relentlessly but can't win the battle alone. He seeks out Layla, who has charge of the moon and stars but hides in a remote tower after the people rejected her. Aeric slowly draws Layla from her seclusion, but even when they fight together, the loyalties of the people they desire to save are fickle and the darkness is more powerful than they could've imagined. Can Day and Night overcome their doubts and insecurities to bring light and hope back into the world?


Shadow Light is described as a short fairy tale, and it really is! I finished it in a little over an hour. Its feel is much more like a fable or a fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm or Hans Christian Andersen than a modern fairy tale retelling. The narrative was told in an allegorical way from an omniscient point of view, which gives it the sense of being told a story rather than experiencing one. I'll admit that I wouldn't typically consider most of these items selling points, but in this case the writing is beautiful and the storytelling is really well executed, which makes all the difference! The personifications of day and night are creatively handled, the descriptions are lush and vivid, and the message of light and love conquering darkness is a reminder we could all use right now. Plus, did you check out that amazing cover?!


I'd recommend Shadow Light for fans of lyrical prose and classic fairy tales looking for a quick read! You can find it on Goodreads and Amazon.


And here's a little more about the lovely author (you may remember her from past visits to Lands Uncharted, in which she shared this post about her Top 3 Faeries to Meet in Halayda and this behind-the-scenes post about unconventional families in her books)!

Sarah Delena White was raised by wolves in an alternate dimension. She writes eclectic speculative fiction that reworks mythology with a fine balance of poetry and snark. She's an experienced world traveler who loves to weave world folklore and ancient concepts into vibrant, original story worlds. She is the administrative manager for Uncommon Universes Press. When she's not writing, she can be found making elegant designer bead jewelry, traveling to festivals as a professional ballad singer, drinking tea, and seeking to create the perfect latte. She can be bribed with dark chocolate.

Find out more about Sarah (and follow the rest of the Shadow Light blog tour!) by connecting with her on her Website, Facebook, Reader Group, or Instagram.

Congratulations on your new release, Sarah, and have a great weekend everyone!!

Top 3 New-to-Me Authors I Read in 2018 (Laurie)

I must admit, I have a total love/hate relationship with Top 3s posts (which is ironic, since I'm the one who came up with the idea in the first place!). I always have fun coming up with ideas for them and I love reading the Top 3s of the other bloggers at Lands Uncharted, but every time I sit down to write one of these posts I find it SO HARD to narrow my choices down to just three! And today is no exception. I've seen so many bloggers talking about their top books from 2018, but I knew there was no way I'd manage to choose only three. So instead, I thought I'd stick to authors whose books I'd never read prior to last year. It turns out, there were ten of them! And I liked them all! *Sigh* But after much painful deliberation, I finally managed to produce my Top 3 New-to-Me Authors I read in 2018 (plus an honorable mention). Enjoy!



3. Lindsay A. Franklin

I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to participate in the blog tour for The Story Peddler earlier this year, and I was totally blown away by Lindsay A. Franklin's debut novel! (You can find my review here.) Fabulous world-building, fascinating characters, and such a powerful message about the importance of stories and art. I believe the second book in the series will be coming out sometime this year (it has another gorgeous cover!), and I'm looking forward to seeing what's coming next in Tanwen's adventures.

2. Sarah Delena White

I'd heard good things about Halayda by Sarah Delena White ever since it released, but for some reason it took me a while to finally get around to reading it. I was so glad when I did! Her vivid, complex characters totally captured my heart, her depiction of Faerie was such fun to explore, and her writing style was lovely. Plus, it had that perfect blend of fantasy and romance that I just adore! The sequel, Rothana, released late last year and is coming up soon in my to-read pile, I can't wait!



1. Morgan L. Busse

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Morgan L. Busse is one of those authors I've been hearing about for years, but despite my best intentions I still hadn't read any of her previous books each time she published a new release. In 2018 I made a conscious effort to change that by signing up for her advance reader team for Mark of the Raven. And what an excellent decision that was! Her world and characters drew me in right from the start, as did her lyrical prose. By the end of the book I absolutely loved the direction the story was taking, and I'm so excited to read Flight of the Raven in a few months!



And because I'm not quite decisive enough to select just three favorite new-to-me authors from 2018, I also have to give a shout-out to Pam Halter, whose debut YA fantasy novel Fairyeater was absolutely wonderful. Deep characters, an inspiring message, and such cool world-building!


Have you read any of these books? Did you find any new favorite authors in 2018? Let us know in the comments!


Thanks for reading!
Laurie

Behind the Scenes of Rothana by Special Guest Sarah Delena White (Rothana Blog Tour)

In place of my usual Writer's Life post today, we're excited to welcome Sarah Delena White back to Lands Uncharted to celebrate her latest release, Rothana, Book Two in her Star-Fae Trilogy! Sarah stopped by to give her Top 3 Faeries to Meet in Halayda when her debut novel came out, now she's sharing some thoughts on unconventional families and the importance family plays in her series. Enjoy!


What makes someone family? This is a recurring theme in the Star-Fae Trilogy. Family is very important to all of the major characters in some way or other, but it doesn’t always look conventional. None of them have living parents or siblings (at least none that figure into the story). So, what does family look like for them?

When we first met Sylvie in Halayda, she was living in a house full of fae and half-fae orphans she has taken in. Sylvie’s parents died when she was only twelve, and she never had siblings or knew any of her extended family. She knows what it’s like to be alone and vulnerable, and she doesn’t want anyone else to have to experience that. This carries over into the way she relates to Faerie as a whole. Everyone is potential family to her, because deep down everyone is a lost child in need of love (and maybe a time-out). She creates her own family everywhere she goes, and blood relation has nothing to do with it. In fact, if she ever DID find a long-lost blood relative, it would completely throw her for a loop.

Taylan, on the other hand, struggles with the concept of family because of past experiences. He barely knew his parents; they were corrupted by their own magic and then killed by the Star-Fae, leaving Taylan an orphan and a slave at age four. Centuries later, Taylan’s own son, Nikyr, was killed in an assassination attempt meant to take Taylan’s life. Since then, Taylan has kept everyone at a distance so he doesn’t endanger anyone. Now he has a wife and an auxor (cousin/comrade-in-arms relationship), and he cares deeply about them. He still has trouble involving them in the darker parts of his life, though, because he’s afraid he will corrupt them or get them killed. Writing Taylan’s gradual acceptance of love and family has been both one of the best parts of the Star-Fae Trilogy, and also one of the most infuriating (let’s just say he’s a slow learner). Fortunately, both his wife and his auxor are stubborn!

And then there are Diza and Zad. In some ways they’ve had opposite experiences with family. Diza’s parents abandoned her to die in the mortal world after her recessive shadow magic traits manifested, but she found a strange sort of family in the Lyrium. Zad, on the other hand, grew up in a close-knit pooka herd and is still good friends with many members of his extended family (some of whom we meet in Rothana), but his role as a Lyrium Pathminder has broadened his horizons far beyond his upbringing and made him feel somewhat out of place among his old herd. For Diza and Zad, their closest family is each other, but they’re also passionate about connecting with others. They both know what it’s like to feel out of place, and they love to foster friendship and community with those around them. They help bring the rest of the major characters together.

Biological family is a wonderful thing, but I’ve always been drawn to the idea of creating your own family as well. Part of it comes from experience. My extended family is small and scattered. I had no siblings for the first decade of my life, until we adopted my younger brother. I’m now in my early thirties, and marriage and kids are still nowhere in sight. But over the years, I’ve found family in unexpected places: friends, housemates, co-workers, and elsewhere. It’s unconventional, but it’s no less real, and I love showing this sort of family in my books.

I love how the unconventional ideas of family in the Star-Fae Trilogy spring from your own experiences, and I'm looking forward to seeing how these relationships develop as the series progresses! To give a little more context to Sarah's latest book, here is the back cover blurb for Rothana:

A new queen falls. A death lord rises. An ancient foe looms in the shadows.

Sylvie Imanthiya is desperate to lead Faerie well and deepen the bond with her husband, former king Taylan Ashkalabek. But all hope of that vanishes when the winter solstice ceremony ends in disaster, stranding her and Taylan in the Deathrealm, and stripping the kingdom from her.

With Faerie in chaos, Zad and Diza are separated once again: Zad to reconcile with an old mentor to stabilize the kingdom, and Diza to confront the nefarious Casimir in the mortal realm. But Casimir claims that a greater evil seeks to destroy both realms, an evil that Diza’s unique death magic can hold at bay—if she could only remember how.

In the Deathrealm, Taylan is succumbing to the lure of specters from his past, and pushing away Sylvie’s love. Overwhelmed by decay and darkness, Sylvie must summon unexpected magic from the soul of Kyure to fight for her convictions and her husband’s heart.

Shadows divide them. Their friends are in peril. If Sylvie fails, her marriage and her world will fall.


Eeeep, I'm so excited / nervous to read this one! You can purchase Rothana on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or as a signed paperback. Here is a little more about the author:

Sarah Delena White was raised by wolves in an alternate dimension. She writes eclectic speculative fiction that reworks mythology with a fine balance of poetry and snark. She’s an experienced world traveler who loves to weave world folklore and ancient concepts into vibrant, original story worlds. She is the administrative manager for Uncommon Universes Press. When she’s not writing, she can be found making elegant designer bead jewelry, traveling to festivals as a professional ballad singer, drinking tea, and seeking to create the perfect latte. She can be bribed with dark chocolate.








You can connect with Sarah on her website, newsletter, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Make sure to stop by the Facebook party celebrating the release of Rothana on Saturday, December 8th. Here's your official invitation from Uncommon Universes Press:

Join Uncommon Universes Press and Laura A. Grace of Unicorn Quester to celebrate the launch of Rothana by Sarah Delena White! Includes games, giveaways, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and more. Also features guest authors Bethany A. Jennings and Morgan L. Busse. Save the date to hang out with these fabulous authors!

And don't miss the rest of the stops on the blog tour, which we've included below. Thank you so much for visiting, Sarah, and congratulations on your new release!


Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, November 26th
- Author Interview – New Authors Fellowship
- Realm Explorers Author Interview – Letters from Annie (Douglass) Lima

Tuesday, November 27th
- Guest Post on Mythology – Fairies, Fantasy, Faith
- Book Review – Becky Gaines

Wednesday, November 28th
- Book Excerpt – Reading on the Edge

Thursday, November 29th
- Character Interview with Sidikas – Becky Gaines

Friday, November 30th
- Character Interview with Casimir – LivForHim
- Behind-the-Scenes Feature – J.M. Hackman
- Author Interview – Dreams and Dragons

Saturday, December 1st
- Book Review – Pages to Explore

Monday, December 3rd
- Author Interview – C. O. Bonham
- Book Review & Excerpt – Coming Up Roses

Tuesday, December 4th
- Behind-the-Scenes Feature – Lands Uncharted

Wednesday, December 5th
- Guest Post on Zad and Pookas – H.L. Burke
- Book Excerpt – Becky Gaines

Thursday, December 6th
- Author Interview & Review – MissBriony.com
- Character Interview with Taylan – Unicorn Quester

Friday, December 7th
- Book Review – Jessica Rachow
- Guest Post on Faerie vs. Sabeylln – Katherine Massengill
- Book Review – Writing with Wolves

Saturday, December 8th
Rothana Facebook Launch Party

Top 3 Faeries to Meet in Halayda (by special guest Sarah Delena White!)

We are thrilled to welcome Sarah Delena White to Lands Uncharted today as part of the blog tour for her debut release, Halayda! More information about Sarah and her book are included below, but first, here's Sarah sharing her Top 3 Faeries to Meet in Halayda!


Faeries: cute little people with wings who fly around granting wishes, typically while wearing flower hats and sprinkling pixie dust.

Right?

Not according to the legends of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. When creating Kyure (the world of the Star-Fae Trilogy), I delved into Celtic mythology and discovered some very different faeries - the sort you definitely don’t want to encounter on a dark night or a lonely moor! Here are three of my favorites, each of which inspired races and characters in Halayda.


3) Banshees

If you hear a piercing wail on the night wind, it means a banshee is nearby. It also means that someone’s days are numbered. These ghostly fairies come out to mourn the dead… before they die. Some legends say banshees only sing when members of the great Irish and Scottish houses pass away, while others say each family has their own banshee. Either way, the eerie mourners are always right!

My banshee character, Sidika, was a surprise—she silently crept into the story and became a major player before I even realized it. In Kyure, banshees’ powers go far beyond foretelling death. Sidika is also an empath and has wind-related powers… and is a legendary assassin in the fae Court. (How does an empath become an assassin? That question will be answered in book two of the Star-Fae trilogy!)




2) Faerie Hounds

These hounds will run their quarry into the ground, and if you hear one howl, you’re as good as dead. They’re often part of the Wild Hunt, an otherworldly band of fae folk associated with the underworld. But faerie hounds aren’t always what they seem! They will occasionally help people who are in trouble, and if you do one a favor they will return it in kind.

I’ve been intrigued by faerie hounds for years, so I really wanted them to make an appearance in Halayda, but I couldn’t have predicted the role they’d come to fill. It turned out that Sylvie, my protagonist, had a serious soft spot for them. No spoilers, though! ;-)





1) Pookas

These mischievous fairies are known for their pranks and tricks. They are shapeshifters who can take on a number of forms, but typically appear as a glowing-eyed horse, goat, or rabbit. They’re not necessarily evil, but they like their fun, sometimes to the point of being cruel. Pookas can range from blood-thirsty monsters to kindly creatures who perform random acts of help.

Mischief and benevolence make for an interesting combination, and I wanted a character who embodied both. Enter Zad, a clever, snarky, flamboyant pooka with a secret heart of gold. He’s also the “chief leader and most magnificent lord of all merchants on the black market,” but that’s another story.



So, why tell stories about faeries who are more likely to give you nightmares than grant you wishes? Perhaps because, in a sense, they are real. The myths of the Celtic world were born out of centuries of oppression and hard times—a dangerous world in which death was an ever-present reality. I wanted to honor those stories, while also putting a new spin on them by exploring what really makes something—or someone—a monster. Kyure is a world of danger, but it’s also a place of unexpected hope, and things are rarely what they seem at first glance.


Are you as fascinated by these characters as I am?? Halayda just released on March 23rd, and the Facebook Launch Party is TONIGHT at 8:00 PM EST! Hang out and chat with Sarah and other fans of her book here: https://www.facebook.com/events/132719553915217/


Here's the back-cover blurb for Halayda (which can be purchased on Amazon):

A mortal alchemist. A faerie king. A bond that transcends death.

Betrayed by a trusted mentor, Sylvie Imanthiya hides on the fringes of society, caring for half-fae orphans and trading her alchemical creations on the black market. She lives for the one night each season when she can see her dearest friend—a man whose destiny is far above hers.

King Taylan Ashkalabek knows better than to exchange halayda vows with a mortal. Even their friendship is a risk; love is an impossible dream. Then a brutal alchemical attack poisons his realm, unearthing a dark power within him—and leaving Sylvie with the ancient mark of Faerie’s savior.

Manifesting unpredictable abilities and aided by allies with their own secrets, Sylvie and Taylan journey into the wilds of Faerie to heal the damage and confront Casimir, an invincible star-fae determined to claim the realm as his own. But only their enemy knows Sylvie’s true capabilities—and Taylan’s weaknesses—and how to use them in his vicious schemes.


Her fate is life. His fate is death. With Faerie in the balance, Sylvie and Taylan must stand together before reality as they know it is destroyed.


And here's a little bit about the author:

Sarah Delena White was raised by wolves in an alternate dimension. She writes eclectic speculative fiction that reworks mythology with a fine balance of poetry and snark. She’s an experienced world traveler who loves to weave world folklore and ancient concepts into vibrant, original story worlds. She is also the Benevolent Firebird (acquisitions editor) for Uncommon Universes Press. When she’s not writing or editing, she can be found making jewelry, singing Irish ballads, drinking tea, and working a variety of odd jobs. She can be bribed with dark chocolate.

You can connect with Sarah on her Website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram.





Thank you so much for joining us today, Sarah! Halayda is next on my to-read list, and I can't wait!! Congratulations on your new release!