Review of Cobweb Bride (Book #1 of Cobweb Bride Trilogy) by Vera Nazarian

Aug 29, 2013

COBWEB BRIDE

(Cobweb Bride Trilogy, Book One)

 

by Vera Nazarian

 

                       

 

Release Date: July 15, 2013

 

Publisher: Norilana Books

 

Imprint: Leda

Trade Hardcover
(First Edition)
ISBN-13: 978-1-60762-112-6
ISBN-10: 1-60762-112-6

$24.95 US / 20.00 UK

Trade Paperback
ISBN-13: 978-1-60762-113-3
ISBN-10: 1-60762-113-4

$14.95 US / 12.00 UK

Ebook (multi-format)
ISBN-13: 978-1-60762-114-0
ISBN-10: 1-60762-114-2

$5.99

Many are called… She alone can save the world and become Death’s bride.

COBWEB BRIDE (Cobweb Bride Trilogy, Book One) is a history-flavored fantasy novel with romantic elements of the Persephone myth, about Death’s ultimatum to the world.

 

What if you killed someone and then fell in love with them?

In an alternate Renaissance world, somewhere in an imaginary “pocket” of Europe called the Kingdom of Lethe, Death comes, in the form of a grim Spaniard, to claim his Bride. Until she is found, in a single time-stopping moment all dying stops. There is no relief for the mortally wounded and the terminally ill….

 

Covered in white cobwebs of a thousand snow spiders she lies in the darkness… Her skin is cold as snow… Her eyes frozen… Her gaze, fiercely alive…

While kings and emperors send expeditions to search for a suitable Bride for Death, armies of the undead wage an endless war… A black knight roams the forest at the command of his undead father… Spies and political treacheries abound at the imperial Silver Court…. Murdered lovers find themselves locked in the realm of the living…

 

Look closer — through the cobweb filaments of her hair and along each strand shine stars…

And one small village girl, Percy—an unwanted, ungainly middle daughter—is faced with the responsibility of granting her dying grandmother the desperate release she needs.

As a result, Percy joins the crowds of other young women of the land in a desperate quest to Death’s own mysterious holding in the deepest forests of the North…

And everyone is trying to stop her.

Review:

I have to admit that this book was a bit weird for Pink.  I didn’t get in to it at first and since I don’t read fantasy, I was a little lost in the world building, too.  I know what you are thinking? Did you even read the book?  Yes, I did and once I finally wrapped my head around the fantasy element and remembered that this story is based on Hades (Death) and Perisphone from mythology, I really got into it.

Imagine a world where no one and everything around you can’t die?  All because Death needs his bride and until he gets her, death stops.  Again, weird but this is where the book gets really interesting for me.  Why?  Because it gets scary.  Yes, scary, frightening, haunting, beautiful and mysterious all at the same time.  With legions of girls on the quest to become Death’s bride, Percy stands out from all others.  Mocked by her mother, she is her father’s right hand and has an older and younger sister that are more beautiful than she.  What different about Percy is that even though she is young (16), she is a very strong female character.  Compassionate but no pushover, smart, brave and above all genuine.  I fell in love with her instantly.

There are plenty of twists and turns in the book and the opening sequence is gory and bloody, so be warned.  This isn’t your childhood fairytale and its told in a beautifully, lyrical style that flowed.  Ms. Nazarian can write a book that no matter what you think at first, she just grabs a hold of you and doesn’t let go of you until the last page.  Only then, can you breath.  I’m still trying to process it and form an intelligent review for you.  Again, the book was a completely different book than I’ve ever read but in the end, I rather enjoyed.  The characterizations alone will have you begging for more and while the setting is fantasy, it is richly described.

A couple of other things that I though of:

1.  The violence is rated PG13 but its still there.  Someone IS trying to stop Percy from meeting Hades.

2.  There is very little romance in the book but the element is woven in.  I heard that the romance is heavier in the next two books.

3.  The villain is OMG…and that’s all I’m going to say…  🙂

4.  Even if you don’t like fantasy, take a day or two and read Ms. Nazarian.  With her lyrical writing style, you will get lost in the fantasy.

5.  Also, Ms. Nazarian talks about death, life and the beyond so watch for it.  It will make you think about it.  🙂

I truly hope that you pick up this book and read it.  It can be read by anyone over the age of 13 and be enjoyed.  I look forward to the next book and seeing how it all plays out.  😉

 

About the Author:

Vera Nazarian is a two-time Nebula Award® Finalist and a member of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. She immigrated to the USA from the former USSR as a kid, sold her first story at 17, and has been published in numerous anthologies and magazines, honorably mentioned in Year’s Best volumes, and translated into eight languages.

Vera made her novelist debut with the critically acclaimed Dreams of the Compass Rose, followed by Lords of Rainbow. Her novella The Clock King and the Queen of the Hourglass with an introduction by Charles de Lint made the 2005 Locus Recommended Reading List. Her debut collection Salt of the Air with an introduction by Gene Wolfe contains the 2007 Nebula Award-nominated “The Story of Love.”

Other work includes the 2008 Nebula Finalist novella The Duke in His Castle, science fiction collection After the Sundial (2010), The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration (2010), and four Jane Austen parodies, Mansfield Park and Mummies (2009), Northanger Abbey and Angels and Dragons (2010), Pride and Platypus: Mr. Darcy’s Dreadful Secret (2012), and Pagan Persuasion: All Olympus Descends on Regency (forthcoming), all part of her Supernatural Jane Austen Series.

After many years in Los Angeles, Vera now lives in a small town in Vermont. She uses her Armenian sense of humor and her Russian sense of suffering to bake conflicted pirozhki and make art. In addition to being a writer, philosopher, and award-winning artist, she is also the publisher of Norilana Books.

Vera’s links:

Official website:

http://www.veranazarian.com/

Norilana Books:

http://www.norilana.com/

Cobweb Bride Mailing List:

http://eepurl.com/vodcT

Twitter:

http://twitter.com/Norilana

Facebook (author page):

http://www.facebook.com/VeraNazarian

Facebook (personal)

http://www.facebook.com/Nazarian

Pinterest

http://pinterest.com/veranazarian/

Blogs:

http://www.inspiredus.com/

http://urbangirlvermont.blogspot.com/

http://norilana.livejournal.com/

Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/186145.Vera_Nazarian

LibraryThing:

http://www.librarything.com/author/nazarianvera

Shelfari:

http://www.shelfari.com/authors/a1628414/Vera-Nazarian/

Red Room:

http://www.redroom.com/author/vera-nazarian

SFF Net Newsgroup:

http://webnews.sff.net/read?cmd=xover&group=sff.people.vera-nazarian

Austen Authors:

http://austenauthors.net/

Vera Nazarian’s Amazon Author Central page

http://www.amazon.com/author/nazarian

The Official Book Website:

http://www.norilana.com/cobweb.htm

Kickstarter page:

 

Praise for Other Vera Nazarian Books:

 

Trade References:

“…a clever concoction of vignettes and short stories knitted into a morality tale about the temptation of illusion and the price of truth…. an exotic setting reminiscent of Tanith Lee’s Flat Earth series…. The author’s sumptuous language will resonate with Lord Dunsany and Clark Ashton Smith fans…. Nazarian’s vital themes and engaging characters are sure to entertain.”

— Publishers Weekly on Dreams of the Compass Rose

“Nazarian’s story cycle treads the borderline between the episodic novel and the short-story collection, recalling the work of contemporary fantasist Charles de Lint, early-twentieth-century fantasist Lord Dunsany, and even, reaching way back, The Thousand and One Nights….her imagery is rich, vivid, and memorable, not to mention being remarkable because she realizes it not in her native language, Russian, but in English…. Indeed, this is a singularly appealing book by a new voice in fantasy.”

— Roland Green, ALA Booklist on Dreams of the Compass Rose

“In a world devoid of color, the woman warrior Rahne swears herself to a mysterious nobleman traveling to the exotic city of Tronaelend-Lis, the City of Dreams, where a decadent brother and sister rule as co-regents in the absence of the land’s true ruler. When an evil being representing true Darkness threatens the safety of the colorless world, Rahne is drawn into a spiritual journey in search of a legendary phenomenon known as Rainbow in an attempt to find a way to defeat the dark. The author of Dreams of the Compass Rose brings to life a unique fantasy world in which lost colors hold the key to salvation. Nazarian’s fluid storytelling and vividly drawn characters make this unusual fantasy a good choice for most libraries.”

— Library Journal on Lords of Rainbow

“Nazarian creates a unique civilization and populates it with heroic archetypes who stand on their own. Extravagant language reminiscent of Dunsany and even Tolkien adds to the legendary feel…. an innovative premise, consistent world-building, and appealing heroes mark this as the work of an emerging talent… readers may find themselves heralding a new star of fantasy fiction.”

— Romantic Times Book Club on Lords of Rainbow

“Sixteen cautionary, sensual stories of love, reversal and revenge upend fairy tale conventions in Nazarian’s lush collection (after 2003’s Lords of Rainbow). Some pieces retell classic stories: “Absolute Receptiveness, the Princess, and the Pea” compellingly subverts the cliché of the tender princess into a disturbing rape fantasy. “Beauty and His Beast” recasts the beast as an ugly but perceptive princess. Other stories approach myth. In “Sun, in Its Copper Season,” the avatar of the sun falls in love with the man who brings the four seasons, and in “Lore of Rainbow,” a wife seeks her missing husband, only to discover that he is the personification of a color. Adventure stories skirt the edges of the expected: in “The Slaying of Winter,” a woman seeks revenge on a god for her family’s destruction, only to find forgiveness; and in the near-future “Rossia Moya,” a woman and Russia itself both rediscover their heritage. Sumptuous detail, twisty plots and surprising endings lift these extravagant tales.”

— Publishers Weekly on Salt of the Air

Dark Musicals Trilogy by Laura DeLuca featuring Phantom #1 and Demon #2 – Excerpt/Book Blast/Giveaway

Jun 6, 2013

Laura will be awarding to a US Only Winner: a signed copy of Phantom with original cover, crystal geode, rough crystal point, stone pendant, sterling silver pentacle pendant, mini Buddha figurine, smudge stick with abalone shell, 2 Gothic style key chains, incense set with leaf holder and lavender purification bath salts to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.  Rafflecopter link is at the bottom of the post and good luck!

Phantom, Dark Musicals Trilogy Book #1 and Demon-Dark Musicals Trilogy Book #2

by Laura DeLuca

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB: Demon, Book Two

 

 

When Justyn and Rebecca set off for the New York School of Performing Arts, they think their dreams are about to come true. To their dismay, they aren’t in high school anymore, and the competition is steep. Rebecca must compete against accomplished singers for a role in the production of Demon Barber, including a stunning Gothic diva with her sights set on Justyn

It doesn’t help that things keep disappearing from their apartment or that Rebecca’s father refuses to accept that Justyn is an essential part of her life. Yet, all this seems minimal in comparison to the serial rapist terrorizing the campus.

Consumed by fear and obsessed with revenge, Rebecca and Justyn start living the story of Sweeney Todd—both on and off the stage.

Blurb: Phantom, Dark Musicals Book #1:

The “Phantom” was a musical phenomenon that Rebecca had always found enchanting. She had no idea that her life was about to mirror the play that was her obsession. When her high school drama club chooses “Phantom” as their annual production, Rebecca finds herself in the middle of an unlikely love triangle and the target of a sadistic stalker who uses the lines from the play as their calling card.

Rebecca lands the lead role of Christine, the opera diva, and like her character, she is torn between her two co-stars—Tom the surfer and basketball star who plays the lovable hero, and Justyn, the strangely appealing Goth who is more than realistic in the role of the tortured artist.

Almost immediately after casting, strange things start to happen both on and off the stage. Curtains fall. Mirrors are shattered. People are hurt in true phantom style. They all seem like accidents until Rebecca receives notes and phone calls that hint at something more sinister. Is Justyn bringing to life the twisted character of the phantom? Or in real life are the roles of the hero and the villain reversed? Rebecca doesn’t know who to trust, but she knows she’s running out of time as she gets closer and closer to opening night. Only when the mask is stripped away, will the twenty first century phantom finally be revealed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt One: Demon

Rebecca unwound the silver ribbon. When she lifted the lid, she found two matching pendants, each laced to a long hemp chain. They were shaped sort of like seashells, with an endless spiral pattern that looped out from the center as the chambers grew larger. They were dark brown in color with a few hints of tan along the edges. The stones had been polished and smoothed on both sides, but when she lifted them, she could see that the two pieces fit together perfectly. She swore the halves fought to snap together, like magnets in her hand. There was an energy pulsing and vibrating within the stones that even a novice witch like Rebecca could feel.

“They’re beautiful,” Rebecca whispered as she ran her hand along the intricate grooves.

“It’s an ammonite.” Justyn lifted one of the pendants, brushed her hair to the side, and hooked the clasp around her neck. His breath tickled her skin as his hands moved with graceful dexterity, giving her goose bumps despite the humid August night. “They’re actually fossils that are millions of years old, named after Ammon, an ancient Egyptian deity. When they’re divided in half, they’re perfect mirrors of one another. Some cultures believe that if the two halves are given to lovers, it will bind them together forever. When made into necklaces, they’re often called soul mate pendants.”

“Wo-wow,” Rebecca stuttered. As usual, the sentiment behind Justyn’s gift was even more beautiful than the gift itself. It left her a little flustered. “That’s amazing. How do you know all this stuff?”

“You don’t spend eighteen years living with Darlene without learning a thing or two.”

Rebecca laughed. Justyn’s mother Darlene was definitely something special. EMT, exotic belly dancer, and Wiccan High Priestess were only a few of the titles she claimed. Rebecca knew she was a fountain of earth-based knowledge after years of studying the Craft. As Darlene’s new apprentice, Rebecca greedily dipped into that knowledge herself as often as possible.

“It’s beautiful,” Rebecca repeated, too overcome with emotion to think of anything more eloquent to say. “You certainly know how to make things interesting.”

“Like I told you on our first date, I try not to be boring.” He winked at her. “So … are you going to put mine on for me?”

“Oh yeah … sorry.”

Rebecca giggled as she lifted the hemp chain. She wasn’t nearly as graceful as Justyn. She almost dropped the necklace in the sand three times before she managed to get the clasp locked. When she finally had it secured, he placed his hand over her heart, where the ammonite lay. He did the same with her hands, lifting them to his chest. His dark eyes had lost all glimmer of humor. He met her gaze with a stare filled with genuine emotion. Beneath her fingers, she could feel the gentle, steady rhythm of his heart beating in perfect tune with her own.

“Our love will span both space and time. In this life and the next, you shall be mine. All eternity I will be by your side. For a love so strong cannot be denied. Spirit and flesh merged into one. So mote it be, for all days to come.”

When he was done with the recitation, he kissed her. Not just a gentle brush, but a deep, passionate embrace that left her throat tight and her heart pounding with a familiar  yearning.

“I’ve never heard that poem before,” she said once she’d caught her breath. “Who are you quoting?”

Even in the moonlight, she could see him blush. “I guess I was quoting myself. It was really more of an incantation than a poem though. These necklaces are meant to be a symbol of our love, and it seemed a little spell work could only add to the power of the stones. There is power in words, Becca. Just like there is power in nature.”

“You mean, you wrote that?”

He nodded, but his eyes twinkled, and the playfulness was back in his voice. “Well, actually, I just made it up as I went along.”

“Wow. Actor, singer, and now an improv poet slash chant writer. Is there anything you can’t do, Lord Justyn?”

He smiled and tilted her chin so he could look into her eyes. “I can’t stop loving you.”

.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Laura “Luna” DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her husband and four children. She loves writing in the young adult genre because it keeps her young at heart.  In addition to writing fiction, Laura is also the editor of a popular review blog called New Age Mama. She is an active member of her local pagan community, and has been studying Wicca for close to eight years.  Her current works include Destiny, Destiny Unveiled, Phantom, Morrigan, Player, and Demon.

Social Media Links:

http://authorlauradeluca.blogspot.com

http://www.twitter.com/authorldeluca

http://www.facebook.com/authorlauradeluca

http://www.goodreads.com/authorlauradeluca

If you haven’t read the first book in the series, now is a great time to get your copy. To celebrate the release of Demon, Phantom is now on sale for only $1.99 exclusively on Amazon!

http://www.amazon.com/Phantom-ebook/dp/B007Q3W7XC/

Smashwords:

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/146617

Barnes & Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/phantom-laura-deluca/1109825093?ean=9780984680092

Buy Links for Demon:

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Demon-Dark-Musicals-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00C32YAKY/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1364527596&sr=1-1&keywords=demon+laura+deluca

Smashwords:

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/299593

Barnes & Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/demon-laura-deluca/1114955103?ean=2940016600147

a Rafflecopter giveaway” title=”Rafflecopter Link” target=”_blank”>Rafflecopter Link

Jessica by Laura DeLuca – Promo/Free Book

Mar 29, 2013

Jessica by Laura DeLuca

FREE on Amazon March 25th – 29th

Wilbur was used to going to his college formals alone. He thought the Halloween Ball would be no different. He’s amazed when a beautiful girl in a Victorian costume displays an interest in him and even more amazed to find himself alone with her on one of the campus nature trails.

What Wilbur doesn’t realize is that another woman has her eye on him too. The White Lady returns every Halloween to take revenge on the men of the campus for her brutal murder. She has chosen Wilbur as her next victim.