Alyxandra
Harvey, popular young adult author of the
Drake Chronicles, Haunting Violet, and Stolen Away, is back with a bewitching
new young adult fantasy series that will take readers through the streets of
magical 19th century London. A BREATH OF FROST, the first installment in The
Lovegrove Legacy (published by Bloomsbury Childrens) goes on sale January 7,
2014. It’s full of witches, magic, family secrets, goblin markets, deer-people,
and boys in cravats!
BOOK PROMOTION
About A BREATH OF FROST:
In 1814, three cousins—Gretchen, Emma, and Penelope—discover their unknown family lineage of witchcraft when their individual magical powers unexpectedly begin to manifest. Now, beyond the familiar manicured gardens and ballrooms of Regency London, a dangerous, alluring underworld available only to those with power is now open to the
cousins.
But by claiming their power, the three cousins have accidentally opened the gates to the Underworld. Now ghouls, hellhounds—and most terrifying of all, the spirits of dark witches known as the Greymalkin Sisters—are hunting and killing young witches for their powers. And, somehow, Emma is connected to the murders … because she keeps finding the bodies. Can the cousins seal the gates before another witch is killed …or even worse, before their gifts are stripped away?
In 1814, three cousins—Gretchen, Emma, and Penelope—discover their unknown family lineage of witchcraft when their individual magical powers unexpectedly begin to manifest. Now, beyond the familiar manicured gardens and ballrooms of Regency London, a dangerous, alluring underworld available only to those with power is now open to the
cousins.
But by claiming their power, the three cousins have accidentally opened the gates to the Underworld. Now ghouls, hellhounds—and most terrifying of all, the spirits of dark witches known as the Greymalkin Sisters—are hunting and killing young witches for their powers. And, somehow, Emma is connected to the murders … because she keeps finding the bodies. Can the cousins seal the gates before another witch is killed …or even worse, before their gifts are stripped away?
Praise For The Book
“Harvey balances a
large cast with an intricate plot with flair….A successful blend of Regency and
paranormal romance.” ~ Kirkus Reviews
“Filling
her latest with a large cast of characters— from the society elite to the
magical world’s dark underbelly—Harvey keeps up the action and clever dialogue
as the protagonist, Emma, deals with high-class mean girls, familial secrets,
and a confusing crush. A smashing blend of adventure, fantasy, humor, romance,
and historical fiction.” ~ Booklist
Pre-order A BREATH OF FROST at
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alyxandra Harvey lives in a stone
Victorian house in Ontario, Canada with a few resident ghosts who are allowed
to stay as long as they keep company manners. She loves medieval dresses, used
to be able to recite all of The Lady of Shalott by Tennyson, and has been
accused, more than once, of being born in the wrong century. She believes this
to be mostly true except for the fact that she really likes running water,
women’s rights, and ice cream.
Among her favourite books are ‘The Wood Wife’ by Terri Windling, ‘Jane Eyre’ by Charlotte Bronte, and of course, ‘Pride and Prejudice’ by Jane Austen. Elizabeth Bennet is her hero because she’s smart and sassy, and Mr. Darcy is, well, yum.
Among her favourite books are ‘The Wood Wife’ by Terri Windling, ‘Jane Eyre’ by Charlotte Bronte, and of course, ‘Pride and Prejudice’ by Jane Austen. Elizabeth Bennet is her hero because she’s smart and sassy, and Mr. Darcy is, well, yum.
Aside from the ghosts, she also lives with husband and their dogs. She likes
cinnamon lattes, tattoos and books.
Connect with Alyx at her
CHARACTER INTRODUCTION
An
Introduction to Penelope from A BREATH OF FROST
Name: Penelope
Chadwick
Age:
18
Hair:
black
Eyes:
dark brown
Familiar:
Spider
Magic:
Pscychometry: sensing the history of an
object and the people who have touched it.
Description
Penelope is romantic and spoiled and kind and very
talented at the pianoforte. She's mad
for anything Shakespearean and likes to use odd random bits of Shakespearean
insults. She also has a rather prickly temper when her loved ones are insulted.
Her mother is the daughter of and earl and is
unconventional and artistic. She eloped with a wealthy merchant when she was
young and they have bothencouraged Penelope not to be a slave to society’s
strictures. They even allowed Penelope to let the stableboy take lessons with
her when she was little, and she and Cedric have been fast friends ever since.
Cedric is also a witch and has always known about
Penelope’s secretly bound powers. The entire household has been on guard to
protect her. Penelope’s mother snuck spells into her daughter’s lullabies in
order to train her to use magic before she even knew it existed.
But now that Penelope knows who she is, she will not
be coddled or locked away for her own safety.
Not when her cousin Emma is in danger.
She’d take on Shakespeare himself to save her
family.
EXCERPT
Enjoy this exclusive excerpt
that introduces Penelope
Penelope’s
mother was currently drinking from a pot of chocolate and reading a salacious
novel full of doomed maidens and ruined castles. Or was it doomed castles and
ruined maidens? Penelope was desperate to find out. She leaned against her
mother with a small sigh.
“Was
it dreadful, my darling?” Bethany asked, slipping a ribbon into her book to
mark the page. “Dancing debutantes and fortune hunters?”
“Worse.”
She
raised a dark eyebrow. “Worse? Goodness, how did you manage that? I remember
those horrid balls.”
“Mr.
Cohen called me fat,” she replied, wrinkling her nose. “I didn’t even know I
was fat until this wretched Season.”
“Mr.
Cohen is a sad young man who does not deserve you.”
“That’s
what Emma and Gretchen said.”
Bethany
smiled her serene smile. “I assume they used rather more lurid language. But I
did warn you, kitten. I don’t see why you insist on having a Season. You don’t
need to marry, your father has set you up with an inheritance to rival what mine
would have been.”
“If
you hadn’t married Papa.”
“Yes.”
“Do
you regret it?”
“Not
for a moment,” she replied. “Friends who blow with the wind are not friends at
all. I found a good man with a good heart. And he fills out his jacket rather
nicely, if I do say so myself.” She reached for her cup. “I love your father
and I’d be happy to be Mrs. Chadwick instead of Lady Bethany, if your
Grandmaman wasn’t so....”
“Invested?”
“I
was going to say violent,” she returned drily. “You know she loves my title,
and your own, more than we ever shall. More than my own mother did.”
“I
know. That’s part of the reason I agreed to this Season. It makes her so
happy.”
“She
wouldn’t want you to trade your happiness for hers, whatever she might have to
say on earls’ sons and vouchers to Almack’s Assembly Rooms. She never had a
Season. She can’t understand.”
Penelope
stole a sip of rich melted chocolate from her mother’s teacup. “I know. But I
want what you and Papa have. I want love.” She gave a dreamy sigh, perfectly
able to picture it: a man with wide shoulders and tousled hair, reciting
Shakespeare’s sonnets as they rode through a summer storm.
Checkout the Book Trailer
Want
to learn more about A BREATH OF FROST? Be sure to check out this "First Look" interview
with Alyxandra Harvey!
REVIEW
Title: A Breath Of Frost
Author: Alyxandra Harvey
ISBN: 978-0802734433 /978-1408836354
ASIN: B00H7XTQZ8
Series: The Lovegrove Legacy
Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens
Pages/File Size: 496pages, 636KB
Formats Available: Hardcover, Papaerback, E-Book
Release Date: 7th January 2014
INITIAL THOUGHTS
As soon as I saw this one on Netgalley I was seriously considering requesting it. I have read some of The Drake Chronicles and I also read and really enjoyed Haunting Violet, all by Alyxandra Harvey. Then I was contacted and asked if I would like to be part of the Blog Tour, so immediately said Yes! and that I would review the book too. I had also signed up to a challenge in 2013 to read more "Witchy" books, so this fit that perfectly too. I admit to having pretty high expectations from this book from my experience reading Haunting Violet.
REVIEW
So you already know how I came to be reading and reviewing the book, so I'll go onto the cover. I love the cover, it's attractive and certainly piques your interest int wanting to now more abut the girl with the red hair on the book cover. The title, series and author names are in pleasant fonts. The title being the largest with the series and Author name being a little smaller. the colours on the cover appeal to my as I love all shades of lilac,purple etc. I also really like the O with the snowflake in it. We later learn within the book that one of the three main characters/witches is actually a Weather Witch.
So would the cover alone make me pick up the book from a book shelf? Definitely Yes! Then the blurb would totally sell the book to me too.
Now to the actual book itself. The book centre's on three main female characters of Gretchen, Penelope and Emma. The girls are cousins but you discover throughout the book that they are so close, as close as perhaps sisters would be. Though they don't initially know they are eventually revealed as Witches, descendants of a powerful witch family. The three girls are to be debutante's and are ready to be presented to society as the tradition was in 1814. But murders are occuring within the debutante scene . . . .and every time a body is found Emma seems to be there so many begin to believe that she is the murderer. As it was Emma that broke her mother spelled bottle. The bottle breaking opened up the gates to the Underworld and has released many things that shouldn't have escaped along with the somewhat infamous Greymalkin Sisters. It is thouht hat there are no descendants of the Greymalkin left alive . . . . but records are wrong . . . there was a Greymalkin male descendant hidden away from society who goes on to fathers a child . . . . and that child has the power that the Greymalkin sisters need to come back.
The girls are sent to Rowanstone Academy and the boys go to Ironstone Academy. These academies are disguised as regular schools and/or finishing schools but they are really schools teaching the magic community how to use their powers correctly. There is also a type of magical police force, they are called The Keepers. It is their job to keep everyone magical in line. There's one particular Keeper that all the female debutantes swoon over called Cormac, he hasn't been blessed with magic but his sisters have.
There's witch's, shape-shifters, ghosts, a market that sells magical supplies and the madcaps that steal items for it as well as mysteries to unlock and much more to discover.
I did enjoy the book. It's fairly medium paced to begin with learning who everyone is and how they are related in the story. Though I did feel it lost a bit of momentum about half way through, then picked up the pace again. I loved how unlocking some of the mysteries involved going back into the girls parents histories too. When the murderer is revealed to the reader it is quite a shock, which I loved as I hadn't guessed the murderer. The story does become quite involved and intricate in parts but Alyxandra guides you through what is happening brilliantly. The book builds up to a great fight scene, who wins? You'll have to read the book as I don't want to say anymore. The book does end in a way that I would say it could be the beginning of another brilliant series by Alyxandra Harvey. It has a feel of "setting the scene" and introducing the characters to us the readers.
So did I enjoy the book? Yes, I did enjoy the book a lot. Would I recommend the book? Yes, this book would appeal to a wide range of age groups, from young teen upwards. I personally think it would appeal to those who love series that are set in schools/academies. Would I read another book in this series? Yes, I'd like to know what happens back at the Academies and if there's any repercussions to the descendant of the Greymalkin who is revealed in this book. I also want to know more about the Lovegrove Legacy and all those connected with it. I'd definitely say I want more! Would I read another book by Alyxandra Harvey? I already have read other titles by Alyxandra Harvey.
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