Thursday, October 27, 2016

Blog Tour: Spells & Sorcery by S. Usher Evans...Review and Giveaways!



I am absolutely thrilled to tell you about Spells & Sorcery today!
The first in a new series by author, S. Usher Evans, I loved this book so much!
Keep reading for more info, my review, along with a couple of giveaways!


About the Book



Spells and Sorcery
S. Usher Evans
(Lexie Carrigan Chronicles, #1)
Publication date: October 4th 2016
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
You have magic.
One sentence, three words, four syllables. Enough to change my life forever. And I’m not talking about the whole spells and sorcery thing.
Lexie Carrigan thought the weirdest thing about her was she preferred watching documentaries and reading the newspaper to reality TV and Twitter. But on the eve of her fifteenth birthday, her aunt and sisters drop a bomb–she’s magical.
Now the girl who never made waves is blowing up her nightstand and trying to keep from wreaking havoc on her school. When a kind stranger shows up with all the answers, Lexie hopes he’ll be able to help her control her newfound powers. But Gavon may not be as kind as he seems, and soon Lexie finds out that being magical is the least weird thing about her.
Spells and Sorcery is the first YA fantasy from S. Usher Evans, author of the Razia series, the Madion War Trilogy and Empath.

About the Author



Author Bio:
S. Usher Evans is an author, blogger, and witty banter aficionado. Born in Pensacola, Florida, she left the sleepy town behind for the fast-paced world of Washington, D.C.. There, she somehow landed jobs with BBC, Discovery Channel, and National Geographic Television before finally settling into a “real job” as an IT consultant. After a quarter life crisis at age 27, she decided consulting was for the birds and rekindled a childhood passion for writing novels. She sold everything she owned and moved back to Pensacola, where she currently resides with her two dogs, Zoe and Mr. Biscuit.
Evans is the author of the Razia series, Madion War Trilogy, and Empath, published by Sun’s Golden Ray Publishing.

My Review


Title:  Spells & Sorcery
Author: S. Usher Evans
Format: Digital ARC
Source: Author

Spells & Sorcery is just pure magic!  Not since Harry Potter have I enjoyed a book on teens with magical abilities more and I could definitely see the influence that Rowling’s work had on the author in this book.

In this fabulous book, we meet Lexie, a teen who has just learned that she is a magical with special abilities that will kick in on her 15th birthday…oh, which just happens to be tomorrow.  Lexie struggles with her new abilities leading to some humorous moments for the reader.  But she also struggles with the secrets her sisters and aunt have kept from her and begins to feel a bit ignored by them when it comes to assisting her in learning more about being a magical.

This leads her to the park where she meets a mysterious stranger named, Gavon, who provides her with books on magic and magical history and seems to know a lot about the magical world and Lexie’s family.  He gains her trust, but should she really trust him…well, let’s just say, you’ll have to read to see what happens.  But it is definitely worth-reading.

S. Usher Evans has created such entertaining characters and a wonderful world that I wish I could leap in the book and be a part of the story.  I loved the interactions between Lexie and her sisters and aunt.  They felt like a real family and I could definitely relate to being the younger sister who feels a bit out of the loop.

As for Lexie, our main character, she was so real with all the imperfections, snark, and uncertainty that you’d expect a scared 15-year-old to have upon learning they have magical abilities.  As the story progresses and things get more complicated for Lexie, she also shows growth as a character and matures as one would hope to see.  She learns a lot more about the magical world, its history, as well as her family, as secrets get revealed and things get dangerous.  That’s a lot for an adult to handle, yet alone a teenager, but she manages to do it with a few expected hiccups along the way.

Spells & Sorcery definitely took me on a rollercoaster of emotions as I felt things I wasn’t expecting based on the blurb and cover.  Not going to spoil anything, but there were times I was laughing, crying, angry, and…you name it.  The author did such a fabulous job of making me feel connected to the story and its characters.  I became invested in what was going to happen to them and couldn’t wait to see where the story would take us.  And the final scenes with the main antagonist of the story were just so well done!

I not only want more books featuring Lexie and her magical world, I need more books!  I cannot wait for the next installment in this fantastic new series!

My Rating: 5 Stars

*I received a free digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.*



GIVEAWAYS!

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2 comments:

  1. This sounds like such a magical and fun book! And very well written, too! Def need to give it a try myself it sounds right up my alley. Great review, Jennifer! :)

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  2. I would start by finding out what I was capable of and then use it to make my life and other's easier.

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