Tuesday, May 24, 2022

Kingdomless by Michelle Garyfalakis - Book Tour & Review + Giveaway



Join Us for this Tour:  May 16 to June 3, 2022
 
Book Details:

Book TitleKingdomless (The Evamore Series Book 1) by Michelle Garyfalakis
CategoryYA Fiction (Ages 13-17), 422 pages
Genre:  YA Fantasy Romance
Publisher:  Self-Published
Release date:   January 2022
Content Rating:  PG-13 +M: There is a scene where our main character is held at knife point and her attacker grabs her breasts without consent. The word 'nipple' is used in this situation. This is the reason for the added "M" in the rating.
 
 

 

 Book Description:

The remnants of the United Kingdom of Garth, once ruled by the legendary Dynasty of Evamores are in the throes of conflict. Ten years ago, King Wren of the West discovered Raelle washed up on the shores of the Balour Sea, with no memory of the first nine years of her life. She was brought back to the castle and dutifully cared for and cherished by the king and his three older sons. On her nineteenth birthday, the Western Kingdom's adoptive princess is secretly sent away by her stepmother to marry King Veras as a token of peace between the kingdoms. But, the Northern King has other plans.

As Raelle's amnesia melts away with the help of a northern storyteller, she discovers more about the Kingdom of Garth, magic, the lovetie connection of the Evamores, and her role in the grand scheme of things. She is confused, angry, and curiously comfortable in the North.

A dark shadow overcasts all of the kingdoms, and the threatening influence of the fallen god Kellar seems to spread among the people, inciting disorder and violence. While the fate of the kingdoms may rest on Raelle's shoulders, she can't help but feel kingdomless. Betrayal is everywhere, from her own adoptive family to her newfound friends. Fearless, observant, witty, and determined, she is torn between her attraction to King Veras' good nature and the unexplained pull to the Tracker Calak. The challenge that she faces is not simple. As the old gods, laws and magic awaken, so does her own sense of self. There is a choice to be made, step into the role expected of her, or dive into the unknown and make her own destiny.

This YA fantasy novel asks the readers important coming of age questions, captures the attention with witty dialogue, relatable characters, and a world that is reawakening its forgotten magic. The readers will be entranced and hungry for more (and perhaps a piece of chocolate cake).

 

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 Guest Post
Why I Had To Ruin My Book…

 When I sat down to write Kingdomless I didn’t have any experience with crafting fantasy novels. So I started with a basic outline of where I wanted the story to go, but as I got further into the characters and plot it became obvious that I was following a “map”, if you will. So the best advice I got was from a dear friend who told me to abandon the ship. She suggested that some of her favorite authors don’t always follow a plan and allow the book to take on its own journey. Also, if everything works out “perfectly” then there’s not always a reason to turn the next page.

 I went home after that dinner with my friend and frowned as I explained to my husband that I had to sit down and “wreck my book”. Of course it didn’t wreck my book, it made it more dynamic and opened up the plot for things I hadn’t even considered, but for that one hour that I digested my friend’s advice I had to mourn the storyline that I had crafted that would never see the light of day. Now, I’m incredibly grateful to her.

 Kingdomless will definitely take you on an emotional journey, but the plot twists are sandwiched with witty banter and swoon worthy moments. Readers often comment on how quickly they read the book because each chapter ends with you wanting to keep reading. So to any budding authors out there, go ahead and wreck your book. It may just pay off in the end.

 My debut novel Kingdomless is out now and the second book in the series will be released on July 21, 2022.

 MY REVIEW
Kingdomless is a young adult fantasy novel set in the United Kingdom of Garth. A young woman named Raelle was found washed up on shore and has no memory of anything prior to her being rescued by the king. She's brought in and made a part of the family, and her three brothers adore her. But her stepmother does not like her. At all. And on her 19th birthday, her stepmother sends her away. This event sets off the rest of the story, which follows Raelle as she slowly starts to get her memory back and learns more about herself and the kingdom. And not all of it is good.
I really enjoyed this book. It's engaging and easy to get lost in. There are some twists and turns along the way, which keep it exciting and fun. The world-building is wonderful and really shines through. The imagery it evokes is easy to picture, and it makes you feel as though you're in Garth right along with Raelle.
There's action, romance, and at the heart of things, a coming of age story that will make you smile. The dialogue is entertaining at times. The plot flows nicely. And the characters are mostly likeable. 
While I did think the book was a little long for what it was, and it was a little slow in a few spots, I found myself immersed within the pages and delighted with how it all played out. The ending isn't a cliffhanger, but it does leave some unanswered questions that will hopefully be tackled in the next book. I know I'm looking forward to it.
4 stars!

Meet the Author:

MICHELLE GARYFALAKIS was born and raised throughout Ontario, Canada. She currently lives just outside of Hamilton, Ontario with her husband, four kids and Snowy (their friendly Samoyed-Border Collie). When she isn't obsessively typing out new stories on her computer, you can find her drinking coffee with a friend, snacking on some guacamole or binge watching Outlander (again). Michelle loves finding creative ways to communicate with people, and her passion for storytelling is the newest addition to that list. 

connect with the author: website  ~  facebook  ~  instagramtwitter ~ bookbub ~ tiktokgoodreads
 
 
 
Tour Schedule:

May 16 – Cover Lover Book Review – book spotlight / giveaway
May 16 - Rockin' Book Reviews – audiobook review / guest post / giveaway
May 17 - Character Madness and Musings – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
May 17 - Leels Loves Books – book review / giveaway
May 18 – Kam's Place – book spotlight
May 18 - My Reading Getaway – book review / author interview / giveaway
May 19 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review / giveaway
May 20 – Wottaread – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
May 23 – Literary Flits – book spotlight / giveaway
May 24 – Freda's Voice – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
May 24 - Jazzy Book Reviews – book review / guest post / giveaway
May 25 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – book spotlight / giveaway
May 25 - Cheryl's Book Nook – book review / giveaway
May 25 - Living in a Bookworld - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
May 26 - Writer with Wanderlust – audiobook review / guest post / giveaway
May 26 - Westveil Publishing – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
May 27 – From the TBR Pile – book review / giveaway
May 31 – Gina Rae Mitchell – book review / guest post / giveaway
May 31 - Book Corner News and Reviews – book review / giveaway
June 1 – The Page Ladies – book review
June 1 - Sadie's Spotlight – book spotlight / author interview
June 2 – She Just Loves Books – audiobook review / giveaway
June 2 - Books for Books – book spotlight
June 3 – fundinmental – book spotlight / giveaway

Enter the Giveaway:
 

KINGDOMLESS by Michelle Garyfalakis Book Tour Giveaway


 

2 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing your wonderful review of Kingdomless, this sounds like an exciting read for my teen-aged grandchildren and I

    ReplyDelete

Please try not to spam posts with the same comments over and over again. Authors like seeing thoughtful comments about their books, not the same old, "I like the cover" or "sounds good" comments. While that is nice, putting some real thought and effort in is appreciated. Thank you.