Disney Villains Book Series ~ Feature & Giveaway

Thanks to @DisneyBooks, Val has an awesome #DisneyVillainsBooks giveaway!

Disney Villains

Series by Serena Valentino

Recommended for ages 9+

DISNEY, BUT DARK

THE VILLAINS SERIES by Serena Valentino

Where most Disney Classic titles appeal to younger readers, Serena Valentino’s darkly twisted Villains series is perfect for upper middle-grade, YA, and even adult audiences. Readers who crave twisted origins will love these wickedly dark tales about classic Disney villains.

 

Series Order:

1. Fairest of All: A Tale of the Wicked Queen
2. The Beast Within: A Tale of Beauty’s Prince
3. Poor Unfortunate Soul: A Tale of the Sea Witch
4. Mistress of all Evil: A Tale of the Dark Fairy
5. Mother Knows Best: A Tale of the Old Witch
6. The Odd Sisters: A Tale of the Three Witches
7. Evil Thing: newest release coming July 7, 2020!

 

Coming July 7th

The darkly captivating seventh novel in the popular Villains series follows the rise and fall of the deranged and glamorous fan favorite, Cruella De Vil. If it doesn't scare you, no evil thing will...

 

Never before have we gotten Cruella’s perspective on the story of 101 Dalmatians. Evil Thing reframes the classic tale from her point of view, as a darkly funny, maniacally mean memoir. Readers who crave twisted origins will love this wickedly dark tale, and new readers will find this novel an enticing entry point to the rest of the series.

Cruella De Vil is the perfect villain: stylish, witty, relentless...and possibly cursed.

From her lonely childhood, to her iconic fashion choices, to that fateful car crash (you know the one), Cruella tells all in this marvelous memoir of a woman doomed. Even the cruelest villains have best friends, true loves, and daring dreams. Now it's Cruella's turn to share hers.

This latest novel by the author of the wildly popular and darkly fascinating Villains series brings readers a tale told by the Evil Thing herself-a tale of the complicated bonds of female friendship, of mothers and daughters, and of burning, destructive desire.

After all, nothing is as simple as black and white. 

Goodreads

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Serena Valentino has been weaving tales that combine mythos and guile for the past decade. She has earned critical acclaim in both the comic and horror domains, where she is known for her unique style of storytelling, bringing her readers into exquisitely frightening worlds filled with terror, beauty, and extraordinary protagonists. The books in her best-selling Villains series are best enjoyed when read in the following order: Fairest of All, The Beast Within, Poor Unfortunate Soul, Mistress of All Evil, Mother Knows Best, Odd Sisters, and Evil Thing.

A CRUEL SUMMER

This summer, find out Cruella’s backstory in the bestselling Disney VILLAINS series! Can’t wait? Enter NOW for a chance to win a NARS “Cruella” lipstick plus the two most recent VILLAINS releases: The Odd Sisters and Mother Knows Best.

 

Giveaway open to US addresses only.

Prizing and samples provided by Disney Book Group.

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The Adventurers Guild book 1 & 2 by Zack Loran Clark and Nick Eliopulos ~ Review & Giveaway

Few ever asked to join the Adventurers Guild. . . . Their members often died young.

In one of the last cities standing after the world fell to monsters, best friends Zed Kagari and Brock Dunderfel have high hopes for the future. Zed desperately wishes to join the ranks of the Mages Guild, where his status as Freestone's only half elf might finally be an asset. Brock, the roguishly handsome son of merchants, is confident he'll be welcomed into the ranks of the Merchants Guild.

But just as it seems the boys' dreams have come true, their lives take a startling turn . . . and they find themselves members of the perilous Adventurers Guild.

Led by the fearsome Alabasel Frond, the guild acts as the last line of defense against the Dangers-hungry, unnatural beasts from otherworldly planes. And when the boys uncover a conspiracy that threatens all of Freestone, Zed, Brock, and their new allies-Liza, a fierce noble, and Jett, a brave dwarf-must prove their worth once and for all.

This start of a thrilling new series is sure to be a hit with readers who like their fantasies clever and action-packed, with tons of humor and heart.

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I should probably start at the beginning, Zed wrote, when things first went wrong?.

Zed, Brock, and their friends may have saved Freestone from destruction, but the fight against the Dangers is far from over. No one knows what to expect next from the dark power that forced the elves to abandon their city. And the influx of elf refugees in Freestone strains resources and brews resentment among the townspeople. Things have shifted between best friends Zed and Brock, as well, with their friendship crumbling under the weight

of the secrets they're keeping from each other.

When tensions reach an all-time high, Queen Me'Shala, leader of the elves, approaches the Adventurers Guild with a mission. She wants a small group of adventurers to go behind the king's back on a covert mission to save her city, and Zed, Brock, Liza, Jett, Micah, and their elven friend Fel join the quest. To face a powerful form of magic thought to be extinct, the adventurers will have to learn how to rely on each other and fight harder than ever before.

Don't miss this second installment of Zack Loran Clark and Nicholas Eliopulos's Adventurers Guild trilogy, where the stakes are raised, the action is breathless, and the dangers will stop even the bravest of hearts.

Amazon | B&N

Disney was kind enough to send me both of these books for review.  

I love this series.  It's a great middle grade read.  You have a world that's been overtaken by monsters.  Only a few cities have survived.  Freestone is one of them.  Their wall and The Adventurers Guild keep them safe.  As for Freestone itself, it's isolated to the walls of it's city.  It's become a city with guilds.  Those who belong to a noble guild are almost always assured to continue in that guild when the choosing day rolls around.  Those is lower guilds or no guild don't have a lot of options.

This story is about two friends who have developed a friendship despite the differing guilds.  Zed is half elf (and that's not a good thing).  His mother belongs to the servants guild.  She hopes her son will have more.  He wants to be in the magic guild (he has a little after all).  Brock's family belongs to the merchants guild.  He's worked hard to gain a place in it too.  Their friendship is genuine.  And when the choosing doesn't really go as planned, they are thrown in with two new friends trying to survive in a guild where most people die young.

I love how this story takes someone considered "lower" and someone considered "higher" and has them the best of friends.  I love how they team-up with others that they may never have had any contact with to survive an adventure they never would have chosen themselves.  But they band together and become strong friends.  

As with the first book, the second book in this series is a great middle grade read.  It combines normal things that kids will relate to like brushing their teeth with fighting monsters and magic.   It creates a place where kids can see how hard making choices are.  NOT whether or not to brush your teeth but things like how discrimination and race make people funny.  And whether or not you just do what everyone wants you to or do what's right in your heart.  

The relationships between the four main characters and the added new one is this book will keep kids interested, I know it did me.  The characters are complex and interesting.  They aren't perfect but they are easy to like.  These guys do have you thinking and that's an important quality for a middle grade book.  It's not predictable and it holds the reader in this world that has lots of issues.  I loved that even kids could make an impact on this world.

The story moves quickly, again holding you in the story.    There is a lot of fighting with monsters, action that will draw in the boys and strong girls that will draw in the girls. 

Certainly can't wait for book three!

                                        

Val is giving away her review copies of these two books.

Hardback of book 1

Paperback ARC of book 2

US addresses only

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Stuck In Books Featured Releases & Giveaway

From Disney-Hyperion Books...

I should probably start at the beginning, Zed wrote, when things first went wrong?.

Zed, Brock, and their friends may have saved Freestone from destruction, but the fight against the Dangers is far from over. No one knows what to expect next from the dark power that forced the elves to abandon their city. And the influx of elf refugees in Freestone strains resources and brews resentment among the townspeople. Things have shifted between best friends Zed and Brock, as well, with their friendship crumbling under the weight

of the secrets they're keeping from each other.

When tensions reach an all-time high, Queen Me'Shala, leader of the elves, approaches the Adventurers Guild with a mission. She wants a small group of adventurers to go behind the king's back on a covert mission to save her city, and Zed, Brock, Liza, Jett, Micah, and their elven friend Fel join the quest. To face a powerful form of magic thought to be extinct, the adventurers will have to learn how to rely on each other and fight harder than ever before.

Don't miss this second installment of Zack Loran Clark and Nicholas Eliopulos's Adventurers Guild trilogy, where the stakes are raised, the action is breathless, and the dangers will stop even the bravest of hearts.

Amazon | B&N

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The Amateurs Series ~ New Book Coming & Giveaway

Coming November 6, 2018 for Freeform Disney Books

The stakes are higher than ever in this third installment of The Amatuers, as Aerin finds herself kidnapped by the killer she knows all too well, and her friends must work to solve a puzzle laid out by the villain in order to save her.

At first, the mystery they're tasked with seems to have nothing to do with Aerin or her kidnapper. But as Seneca, Maddox, and Madison hit the Jersey Shore to gather clues, they begin to uncover the true background of the killer and the horrors that shaped him into who he is. The scavenger hunt leads them to the family of a recently kidnapped boy, a serial child-snatcher, and dark secrets they could never have seen coming. As Aerin struggles to play nice with the person who killed her sister in order to buy herself time, her friends work feverishly against the ticking clock that could mean her life, and every clue they uncover leads Seneca to suspect she's more connected to the killer's history than she ever realized.
With nail-biting suspense, twisted secrets, and non-stop action, this final installment in #1 New York Times best-selling author Sara Shepard's The Amateurs series will shock even the savviest of readers with its big reveal.

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The series

 Click image to find more on Goodreads

Stuck In Books is pleased to host a giveaway from the publisher for the first book in this series!

US addresses only

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Part of Your World (A Twisted Tale, #5) by Liz Braswell ~ Giveaway

Disney Book Group is partnering with me for a giveaway!

Part of Your World (A Twisted Tale #5)

By Liz Braswell

In Stores September 4th, 2018

Published by Disney Book Group

Young Adult Fantasy

About Part of Your World

What if Ariel had never defeated Ursula?

It's been five years since the infamous sea witch defeated the little mermaid... and took King Triton's life in the process. Ariel is now the voiceless queen of Atlantica, while Ursula runs Prince Eric's kingdom on land. But when Ariel discovers that her father might still be alive, she finds herself returning to a world—and a prince—she never imagined she would see again.

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A big thanks to Disney Books for sponsoring this giveaway!

Visit Books.Disney.com/book/part-of-your-world

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Read Every Twisted Tale! One (1) winner receives:

Full set of all five A Twisted Tale books, including the newest release, Part of Your World.

Giveaway open to US addresses only.

Prizing and samples provided by Disney Book Group.

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