Mist and Whispers by C.M. Lucas - 5/5 *BLOG TOUR*
The Weaver's Riddle (Mist & Whispers)
By: C.M. Lucas
Summary from Goodreads:
Imagine a world in eternal darkness. A world where skeletal beasts lurk in the forest. Where the women are missing, and the men are in need of salvation...
In the West-English town of Little Wolf Green, Scott's bookshop is about to close down. Convinced the bookshop holds the key to her mother's identity, sixteen year old Anya Piddling vows to save Scott's, whatever the cost.
When four books of magic and myth take the world by storm, Anya begins a journey to discover the truth about the author, known only as the Weaver. Followed closely by her friends, and one surly, bitter ex-boyfriend, Anya soon realises a whole new world awaits: a world gone very wrong, with maddening whispers in the forest, magical winged Kings and a dragon-boy that understands her, inside and out. But this world needs a saviour... and every one is looking at her.
Erimus Hall
HIS HEART THRASHED against his chest, a prisoner desperate to be freed from this burden. There was no way out. He had a job to do, and if it wasn't done at that moment, his entire plan would be over before it even began.
The earth was but sludge, encasing his feet as he struggled up the bank. Bullets of rain struck his face as the winds lashed around him, obscuring his view and leaving him helpless in the dark.
Then, as if a divine hand was guiding the way, a flash of lightening revealed his final destination; Primus Hall. The Hall was only another hundred meters away, run down and deserted, his sanctuary nonetheless.
Resisting the temptation to rest against the stone wall at the top of the bank, he pushed on, clambering across it with the rain-soaked trunk in his hands. Once over and sure of his feet, he took a moment to look around. Any sign of someone following and he'd have to revert to his back up location, as even with his goal in sight, he wouldn't allow himself the risk of assuming he was home safe.
A clap of thunder quickened his pace and a minute later he'd reached the doorway, where a century's worth of ivy had claimed the oak as its own. He set on it straight away, teasing back the creeper with a gentle hand, the whole time fighting against the instincts that were screaming inside his head.
Just tear it down -- you're going too slow -- someone's going to see you!
No. He couldn't leave a sign that he'd been there. It had to look natural.
Two more bursts of lightning gave him a glimpse of what he needed to allow his unmarked entry into the building. With the trunk safely inside he took one more look around, and with another strike of lightning, he was gone.
Claire Marie Lucas lives South-East England with her husband and three children. She began writing stories from inside her wardrobe at the tender age of six and hasn't stopped writing in obscure places since; her current favourite being the cupboard beneath her stairs.
The Weaver's Riddle - Mist & Whispers is her debut novel.
AUTHOR LINKS:
Website: http://www.cmlucas.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26098510-mist-whispers
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mist-Whispers-Weavers-Riddle-
Book-ebook/dp/B01DPPQHZ8/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1466396354&sr=1-1
If you purchase a copy of Mist & Whispers you will be entered to win 1 of 10 Proof copies of the sequel. These will be special edition.
Rules to Enter:
1. Send proof of purchase to: oftomes@oftomes.com
*Oftomes Publishing will be selecting the winners.
REVIEW:
~*~ “A moment is coming soon where you need to go against your instincts. I need you to remember that sometimes you must leave things behind to move forward. - C. M. Lucas ~*~
WOW. This book has everything. Fantasy, book lovers, magic, mythical creatures, danger, distress, loss, friendship, bravery… the list is endless.
Plot: 5/5
As I said before, this book has everything. It IS everything. Anya and her friends embark on an accidental quest to save her favorite bookstore (which is really more like her home) and stumble upon more magic than they know what to do with. There are multiple worlds and tons of mythical creatures (vampire leeches? ew!) and magical elements and even though there was SO MUCH GOING ON, it never became overwhelming or too much to handle. This book was a badass beginning to what I believe is a trilogy. It does an amazing job of introducing characters and pushing them through the first part of their quest.
Characters: 5/5
There is a wide cast of characters in this book. Anya is a great lead. I think she’s spunky and I love that she adores reading. She’s understandably angsty at times but brave and compassionate and everything that a heroine needs to be. Her ex-boyfriend (the breakup story was kind of weird, to be honest), Michael, was a different story. He was over-the top. Needy, whiny, and grumpy for the majority of the novel. I don’t know if he was supposed to annoy me as much as he did, but I know Anya could do better. There was a point at which I think he was supposed to be redeemed, but he ruined it rather quickly and I’m just kind of over him. STEPHANIE! Oh my goodness! I thought she was going to annoy me to no end, but I quickly fell in love with her manic personality. She’s sweet and tries hard to do her best, and I’m so glad she’s part of Anya’s squad. Finally, we have Lorcan. I’m obsessed with dragons (who isn’t?), so the idea of a human/dragon hybrid was pretty badass. Lorcan’s story was terribly sad and his friendship with Anya was an important piece of the story. I’m looking forward to seeing where their relationship goes in the next installment of this series.
Writing Style: 5/5
Lucas’ writing style was wonderful in that it was quirky and and full of character and so easy to read. I really enjoyed the riddles included and thought they brought a lot to the quest.
Pacing: 5/5
Holy cow, the action literally never ever stops! This thing was action packed from beginning to end and it made it very difficult to put down.
Cover: 5/5
Call me shallow, but the cover art is what originally hooked my attention. Anya is featured on the front cover, holding one of the Weaver’s books in her hands, and she’s wearing her trusty red converse. Her brilliant orange hair is blowing in the wind majestically and it’s just gorgeous. It portrays the fantasy element and the space between worlds she travels through and honestly I just amor everything about it.
Final Score: 5/5
Overall Impression: There isn’t much more for me to say. I loved it! Can’t wait to read the next installment. Congratulations to C.M. Lucas for putting out an amazing debut novel!
