Crooked Kingdom Blog Tour: Matthias

Hello everyone, today I am breaking my hiatus to bring to you a special Crooked Kingdom blog tour post! I am a HUGE fan of all of Leigh Bardugo's books, but Six of Crows has to be my favourite and I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel on the 27th September. If like me you are counting down the days, hours, and minutes until Crooked Kingdom is released then I have just the thing to whet your appetite, especially for all you Matthias fans out there!

Artwork by Kevin Wada

Leigh Bardugo on Matthias 
If anyone out there is an Avatar: The Last Airbender fan, I like to think of Matthias as my giant Scandinavian Zuko. He has such clear ideas about honor and duty and what makes a soldier, and Nina turns all of those notions on their heads. In Crooked Kingdom, it's time for Matthias to figure out who he is now that he isn't a witchhunter anymore and I did love watching him struggle.




 Six Reasons to Love Matthias
1.) He puts on a tough exterior but underneath it all he is really a precious cinnamon roll

“Kaz leaned back. "What's the easiest way to steal a man's wallet?" 
"Knife to the throat?" asked Inej. 
"Gun to the back?" said Jesper. 
"Poison in his cup?" suggested Nina. 
"You're all horrible," said Matthias." 

2.) Seriously

“Jesper knocking his head against the hull and cast his eyes heavenward. "Fine. But if Pekka Rollins kills us all, I'm going to get Wylan's ghost to teach my ghost how to play the flute just so that I can annoy the hell out of your ghost." 

Brekker's lips quirked. "I'll just hire Matthias' ghost to kick your ghost's ass." 

"My ghost won't associate with your ghost," Matthias said primly, and then wondered if the sea air was rotting his brain.” 

3.)  He goes on a real journey throughout Six of Crows

“Nina, you taught me to be something better. They could be taught, too.”

“They fear you as I once feared you,” he said. “As you once feared me. We are all someone’s monster, Nina.” 

4.) And falls hard for Nina

“Stay,” she panted. Tears leaked from her eyes. “Stay till the end.” 

“And after,” he said. “And always.” 

“I want to feel safe again. I want to go home to Ravka.” 

“Then I’ll take you there. We’ll set fire to raisins or whatever you heathens do for fun.” 

“Zealot,” she said weakly. 

“Witch.” 

“Barbarian."

“Nina,” he whispered, “little red bird. Don’t go.”

5.) He is also the cause of some incredibly steamy moments

"She knew she shouldn’t speak, but she couldn’t help herself. “And what did you do, Matthias? What did you do to me in your dreams?” 

The ship listed gently. The lanterns swayed. His eyes were blue fire. “Everything,” he said, as he turned to go. “Everything."

6.) I just ship them so hard okay!?

“Jer molle pe oonet. Enel mörd je nej afva trohem verretn.” 

Nina swallowed hard. She remembered those words and what they truly meant. I have been made to protect you. Only in death will I be kept from this oath. It was the vow of the drüskelle to Fjerda. And now it was Matthias’ promise to her. 


*Sighs* isn't Matthias just the best?

Before you go make sure that you're in with the chance to win a special Crooked Kingdom prize pack full of US AND UK swag (including the coveted Crooked Kingdom socks) by commenting on all 12 blog posts by 11:59pm EST Monday, 3 October 2016.

Six of Crows Blog Tour: Six signs you have what it takes to join Kaz's crew!

Today I am so excited to be hosting "Six signs you have what it takes to join Kaz's crew" as part of the Six of Crows blog tour. I'm sure a lot of you know that I am a massive fan of the Grisha trilogy and Six of Crows and it is always a pleasure to have Leigh on the blog! This is a joint tour so make sure you check out Reading Teen as well for the sister part to this post!

Here is a special message from Six of Crows author Leigh Bardugo herself about today's post...

"Hey, Jess! Thank you so much for being a part of the Six of Crows blog tour. I've been living with the members of Kaz's crew for so long that it's hard to remember exactly how they all came into being and developed their particular skills, but I can at least tell you who arrived first: Matthias, Nina, and Kaz. 

A few years back, my agent Jo and I were on a bus in Ireland (long story), discussing possible bonus content we could offer fans of the Grisha trilogy. I realised that I really wanted to write something from the point of view of a Fjerdan drüskelle, one of the deadly witchhunters who pursue Grisha. Because as frightening and brutal as they are, I could still understand the fear that would drive them. I wanted to put a Grisha soldier and drüskelle into a survival situation and see what might happen. But was it a short story? A novella? I wasn't sure. Then I got the idea for Six of Crows and I had my answer: Nina and Matthias, two people with some serious history and plenty of prejudice between them, would be part of the team forced to band together to pull off an impossible heist. 

As for Kaz, the leader of the crew, his story began with an idea for a character known as Dirtyhands, a boy for whom no deed was too low, no job too dangerous. He's the criminal you go to when you're out of other options, the person you don't want to be indebted to, the guy you never want to hear knocking on your door. As soon as I knew who would be leading the team, the rest of the characters began to take shape."

Six Signs You Have What It Takes To Join Kaz's Crew 

To join Kaz's Crew you need to be...Resilient 

A big theme throughout Six of Crows is resilience and to be part of Kaz's crew you need to have it in buckets. The crew is made up of characters with horrific pasts but what's important is that you bounce back from the horrors of the world time and time again and be stronger for it.
Most Resilient Crow: Kaz 

To join Kaz's Crew you need to be...Cunning

This crew has an impossible heist to pull off so you need to be ruthless and willing to do anything to see the mission through. Each crew member needs to be cunning enough to make sure that nothing stands in their way.
Most Cunning Crow: Jesper 

To join Kaz's Crew you need to be...Calm 

With all the craziness that comes with being a crow crew member you need to be able to keep your cool in situations where chaos is going on around you. You need to be able to stay calm and focused to complete what needs to be done.
Most Calm Crow: Nina 

To join Kaz's Crew you need to be...Intelligent

To be part of Kaz's crew you need to think outside of the box. Heist's take a lot of planning beforehand but you also need to be somebody who thinks on their feet to save yourself and your crew from tricky and unexpected situations.
Most Intelligent Crow: Wylan 

To join Kaz's Crew you need to be...Courageous 

Being a crow means willingly putting yourself in dangerous situations as part of the job but as well as risking your life daily you're also going to have to face and overcome some of your most personal demons.
Most Courageous Crow: Inej

To join Kaz's Crew you need to be...Strong 

Whilst it's good to have physical strength, as a crew member it's more important that you're mentally strong. To live life as a crow you need to have incredible inner strength in order to face a life of trickery, deceit and risk.
Most Strong Crow: Matthias 

Giveaway 
From 24/9 - 29/9, bloggers in the US and UK will be paired up to share their own Six of Crows-inspired lists, such as six tips for surviving the Grishaverse, six signs you do/don't have what it takes to join Kaz's crew, and more.

But wait. There's more! Enter to win a Six of Crows prize pack full of US AND UK swag by commenting on all 12 blog posts by 11:59pm EST Friday, October 2.

See Leigh on Tour!

For more of my thoughts on Six of Crows check out my review here.

Review for Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Publisher: Indigo
Release: 29th September 2015
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Copy received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis:

"Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

A convict with a thirst for revenge.
A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.
A runaway with a privileged past.
A spy known as the Wraith.
A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.
A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz's crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first."

Review 
Six of Crows is like the hotter, maturer, dangerous older brother of the Grisha trilogy and boy did I love the Grisha trilogy! In Six of Crows Leigh Bardugo takes everything that I love about her first series and expands upon it making this her best book yet. This is the Grishaverse as you’ve never seen it before.

The book is told between five of the main characters as they try to pull off an impossible heist. I love books that are told from more than one point of view but I was a little worried going into this that I’d find five perspectives confusing. That may have been the case if told by a less accomplished writer but Leigh has created a group of distinct characters who are both sexually and ethnically diverse who are their own unique blend of good and bad and come with their own set of motives and desires. The different perspectives kept this book constantly moving and allowed us to view the heist from all angles. It allowed us to get to know these characters more complexly and also explore the backstories that made them who they are which was one of my favourite aspects of this book.

The way that this book is crafted is nothing short of extraordinary. It only gives you information about the world and characters as and when you need it which not only felt really natural but also provided a lot of surprises. Despite Six of Crows being a big book it’s fast paced and impossible to put down with heart stopping, jaw dropping moments laced throughout.

In short every aspect of Six of Crows was epic and faultless. Not only is this a strong addition to YA Fantasy but also to high Fantasy. It can certainly hold its own next to the likes of Game of Thrones and The Final Empire. This is easily a firm favourite of mine for 2015 – don’t miss it!

Event Diary: Leigh Bardugo and Moira Young's Writing Workshop and Signing

Last week saw me catching the train to Birmingham again with Ray, this time to attend the writing workshop with Leigh Bardugo and Moira Young hosted by the lovely team at Waterstones high street. This particular event took place at noon instead of the usual evening time which was nice because this time we got to hang out with some blog friends before and after the event instead of rushing off to get the train home. Before Leigh and Moira came out we got to catch up with Jasprit from The Readers Den and Lily from The Whispering of the Pages in which we admired Jas’s signed proof of Talon by Julie Kagawa and some girls behind me got pretty excited when I pulled out my then read Heir of Fire which lead on to me explaining about book blogging which is always fun!

Rachel, Me and Jasprit

Before long Leigh and Moira took to the front and were asked all sorts of questions about writing from early drafts to finding an agent. I have no real aspirations to become an author but even from a fans perspective the interview was very interesting especially as Leigh and Moira had very different approaches to the writing process. Rach on the other hand has been writing a YA Fantasy book this year and so I was really proud when she plucked up the courage to ask her question about world building. As her Alpha reader I surprisingly also picked up some good tips on how to help her as best I can.

Moira and Leigh

After the interview there was a signing and it was so lovely to meet both Leigh and Moira. I’m part of Leigh’s Grisha Army and have supported this series since I read the first book as a proof copy. I was thrilled that Leigh knew my blog and she gave me a hug and thanked me for supporting her books which is always so nice to hear! Moira’s books I only started reading a few months ago in preparation for this event but I completely fell in love with Blood Red Road and am still kicking myself for not reading it sooner! Both ladies were lovely and I’d recommend going to meet them if you ever get the chance. I also got to see Leigh’s UK publicist the lovely Nina again and have a chat with her and I was given a signed postcard, a bookmark and badges.

Me, Leigh and Jas

Moira, Me and Jasprit

Ray and Lily having their books signed

After the event Ray, Jas, Lily and I went to get a late lunch where I tried sushi for the very first time and really loved it. We then went book shopping because that’s what we book bloggers do and when we get together we can be terrible influences on each other! Jas couldn’t decide on a book to make up her buy one get one half price offer so instead of choosing just one book I helpfully convinced her to buy another two in their own offer. Ooops! We also got chatting to two girls Kate and Marriam who’d also been to the event about books and writing. I love meeting new bookish people and events like this one are great for bringing people together.

Super proud at learning how to use chopsticks

My book loot!

Before long it was time to say our goodbyes and get the train home. After a day of helpful advice and inspirational chat Rach and I had an intense plotting session on the train home discussing the what ifs? and plot twists to her story. The creative light bulb was well and truly on for both of us after such a fantastic day.

Sadly this was the last book event planned for the summer but I’m hoping there will be more awesome bookish things to go to and meet ups before the year is over.

In case after reading this any of you are interested in checking out Ray’s story that I’ve been Alpha reading the prologue and first chapter can be found on Wattpad here.

Ruin and Rising Blog Tour: Special Grisha Artwork and Giveaway!

Welcome to my stop on the International Ruin and Rising blog tour! Today I'm sharing with you a beautiful piece of Grisha art and a special giveaway to celebrate the upcoming publication of Ruin and Rising.

 The Summoner by Irene Koh

Okay, can we just stop for a moment and observe the gorgeousness of the kefta and clothing Irene Koh created for Alina in this panel of the triptych? The braiding, the fur cuffs, the allusion to Morozova's collar at her throat—it's ceremonial but also very much a uniform for a girl going to war. When I described what I wanted to see in Alina as the Sun Summoner, I used the words "battle ready" and that's exactly what Irene delivered. You also see suggestions of the sea whip's scales at her cuffs and the repetition of the sea motif in the background and even in the waves of her hair. – Leigh Bardugo 

 Giveaway 

I'm giving one UK based Grisha fan the chance to win this exclusive poster of The Summoner along with a copy of Ruin and Rising. Read the rules and fill in the Rafflecopter to enter. Good luck!

Giveaway Rules 

 To enter please fill in the Rafflecopter 

 Open to UK residents only 

 End date: 20th June 2014 

 One winner will be drawn and will be contacted by email with 1 week to reply else another winner will be selected

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ruin and Rising goes on sale Tuesday 17th June officially and internationally! Make sure you stop by Mundie Moms tomorrow for the next stop on the blog tour.

Grisha Honour Guard: Corporalki and a Very Special Grisha Giveaway!

I'm very excited to be taking part in the Grisha Honour Guard to celebrate the publication of Siege and Storm and the re-release of Shadow and Bone with the US title and gorgeous cover! Today I'll be sharing with you a bit about the highest ranking soldiers in the Grisha Honour Guard the Corporalki and I have a very exciting giveaway for my UK/ Ireland readers! (Sorry international Grisha fans! This was at the publishers request as they are very kindly providing this giveaway for my readers.) Day by day we will be celebrating the unique and incredible skills of The Grisha, the magical elite of Ravka so make sure you check out the blog tour banner on my sidebar so you don't miss any of the stops!

If you've yet to read the amazing Shadow and Bone, the first book in this series, you might be wondering what exactly are The Grisha and Corporalki? So here is a little introduction...

The Grisha Orders 
The Grisha are the magical elite of Ravka, also known as the soldiers of the Second Army. They practice the Small Science: they manipulate matter at its most fundamental levels. I like to think of it as a magical version of molecular chemistry. Status is everything to the Grisha, and the three main orders are: Corporalki (The Order of the Living and the Dead: Heartrenders and Healers), Etherealki (The Order of Summoners: Squallers, Inferni and Tidemakers) and Materialki (The Order of Fabrikators: Durasts and Alkemi).

Corporalki The Order of the Living and the Dead 
 * Heartrenders (Red and Black)
 * Healers (Red and Gray)
Ravka is surrounded by enemies and basically operates as a garrison state. The Corporalki are considered the most valuable soldiers, and consequently, they are the highest ranking Grisha. A Corporalki Heartrender can snatch the air from your lungs, slow your pulse until you drop into a coma, or literally crush your heart in your chest—all without ever laying a finger on you. Healers put you right again.

From the author Leigh Bardugo 

I've always imagined that the Corporalki motto would be "The Cause and the Cure." They tend to be the most arrogant Order, not just because they're the most valued soldiers in the Second Army, but because they go through the most rigorous and secretive training.

My Thoughts on the Corporalki 

I can still remember quite clearly my first time reading Shadow and Bone and how mesmerised I was by the second army and their unique powers but none more so than the Corporalki. The Corporalki are the highest ranking soldiers and I find them equally fascinating and terrifying. The Corporalki is split into two groups the Heartrenders and Healers – two sides of the same coin. They are life and death.

Heartrenders control the heart and with a flick of the wrist can stop it in your chest. I’d be terrified to discover I had this power knowing I would be used to kill in the army. There is something very scary about a Grisha that can kill so quickly, so cleanly, and with so little effort.

When I first thought about what it would be like to be a Healer I figured it would be a pretty amazing gift! Think of all the good you could do and lives you could save! But then I got to thinking about the times when for whatever reason you couldn’t save someone. It hurts to watch someone you love in pain knowing there’s nothing you can do about it but imagine if there was something you could do but failed and the guilt you would feel because of that. I think Healers have a tougher time than we’d first imagine!

Both of the Corporalki have the power to save and destroy and I for one wouldn’t like that responsibility hanging over my head. Separately they are strong but together they are lethal as they can bring a pain worse than death. They can torture and heal you over and over and over again. With the Corporalki your life is literally in their hands.

Giveaway 

I'm insanely jealous of the prize I'm giving away to one of you guys today! As a Grisha fan I think it's pretty awesome! So here's what you could win...

* An exclusive signed copy of The Gathering Dark (now known as Shadow and Bone) with the covers being changed these copies are not being made any more so a signed edition is a rare and special thing indeed!
* A copy of Shadow and Bone AND Siege and Storm with the gorgeous new covers!
* A Grisha keyring from Hebel Design in either a Healer (left image) or Heartrender (right image) design, your choice!

One UK/ Ireland winner will win this entire Grisha goodie pack!

Rules 

To enter please fill in the Rafflecopter

Open to UK/ Ireland residents only

End date: Wednesday 19th June

Winner will be contacted by email and will have 1 week to reply else another winner will be selected.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck to everyone entering! Stop by Serendipity Reviews tomorrow for more Grisha goodness this time all about the Materialki!

Follow The Grisha Honour Guard on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/fiercefiction/grisha-honour-guard/
Follow Leigh Bardugo on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/lbardugo/

Thank you to the lovely Nina at Indigo for putting this tour together!