Tag: Silver Wing Press
ARC Review: Crystal Crowned (Air Awakens #5) by Elise Kova
June 2016 Book Haul + Wrap-up!
Blog Tour + Book Review: Water’s Wrath by Elise Kova
COVER REVEAL – EARTH’S END BY ELISE KOVA
One of the most exciting news I’ve been wanting to share to all of you since forever and I can finally do it! *throws confetti*
If you must know, I am a huge fan of the Air Awakens series and I was so honored to be part of the blog tours for the first two books, Air Awakens and Fire Falling. And now, I can finally share to you the cover of the 3rd book in the series! I’ll leave the BUY LINKS of the first two books below so you can buy / pre-order them. Guys, you won’t regret buying these books. I promise you.
AIR AWAKENS BUY LINKS:
FIRE FALLING BUY LINKS:
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
Also, this cover reveal won’t be complete without a giveaway. Elise Kova is SO generous, to be honest with you, guys. She’s always trying to make all her giveaways open internationally. ALWAYS. Please click the giveaway image to enter the said giveaway.
You might win the following:
- Air Awakens “Shatter the Sky” Canvas Bag
- Silver Wing Earrings
- Signed Paperback of Air Awakens OR Fire Falling
- Signed Air Awakens Postcard
- Signed Air Awakens, Fire Falling, and Earth’s End Bookmark Set
and finally, the most awaited part of this post….. the cover of earth’s end!!!
HOLY CHEEEEEEESE. IT LOOKS AWESOME. I only have one feeling for this cover.
A woman awoken in air, a soldier forged by fire, a weapon risen from blood.
Vhalla Yarl has made it to the warfront in the North. Forged by blood and fire, she has steeled her heart for the final battle of the Solaris Empire’s conquest. The choices before Vhalla are no longer servitude or freedom, they are servitude or death. The stakes have never been higher as the Emperor maintains his iron grip on her fate, holding everything Vhalla still has left to lose in the balance.
How did you come to work with zwxArt (Meril Chan)?
Well, when I decided to self-publish I knew the cover art would be one of the most important things about my book, and I also knew I wanted drawn artwork over photography. I, personally, feel like it’s “iconic high-fantasy” to have a painted cover and so that’s what I began searching for. Also, as an indie author, I wanted to work with someone else who wasn’t a big cover art company and perhaps was just getting their start also. So I was thumbing through DeviantArt for illustrators I liked and I found Meril.
It was the image below that made me know I needed to work with her. It was like she’d already created something that I thought captured the essence of Air Awakens, even if the visuals I wanted were completely different.
Can you explain the process from the author’s perspective? How are covers made?
Well, I can only explain in my limited experience. It’s my understanding that traditional authors get little to no control over what their covers look like. For me, I started by sending Meril what had been my query letter and a handful of scenes I pulled out from the story. I also sent her the draft manuscript in case she wanted to find how a particular scene I’d chosen to pull out fit in. I’d been told that cover artists are too busy to read their client’s work in its entirety, so I wasn’t offended by the notion of just handing her some scenes.
To my surprise, Meril read it all. Talk about knowing you made the right choice as an author! I seriously count my blessings every day for this.
So, Meril reads my draft manuscripts (she’s usually among the very first to read them before my editor) and then she begins drafting thumbnails. These are very rough, quick sketches to give me an idea of the layout. She explains a bit of each, what she sees as the inspiration and story for each cover. From there we tweak them.
Tweaking can be everything from, “What if she’s holding…” to “I like the third and fifth sketch, can you try to merge them?”
This process can take anywhere from two days to a week, depending on how long I need to stare at them and how many changes are being made.
Following that, Meril moves onto the final sketch with a bit more detail. Once we’re certain we’re on the same page with the final direction she starts rendering. As an author this stage of the process is basically magic to me. Because she transforms (granted, an already amazing rough) into an even more amazing final illustration.
When she’s close to the final she sends it to me (by this point I’ve already poked her for updates because I’m way too excited not to) and we do any last-minute editing like color changes, softening lines, or adding small details.
Once all that is done she sends me the final illustration and I do the text layout on it. And, that’s how the Air Awakens covers come to life!
What’s your favorite cover so far?
I like them all… They each have something that I think is perfect for the book they’re representing about them… I suppose, it’s a toss-up between Earth’s End and Fire Falling. Earth’s End just wows me with the background Meril created, it’s going to be a gorgeous hardcover book. There’s also a lot of teasers in there. But, Fire Falling has Aldrik on the cover, and that’s never a bad thing!
If you’re interested to know more about Meril Chan’s artworks / designs, I’ll leave her sketch for Earth’s End and you can check her blog, too! Plus, she’s also a FILIPINA! I’m so happy for her. ❤
Okay, guys. I’m still fangirling…… That cover is stunning. Pure perfection.
BOOK REVIEW – FIRE FALLING BY ELISE KOVA (+GIVEAWAY)
Book: Fire Falling (Air Awakens #2)
Author: Elise Kova
Publication Date: November 19, 2015SYNOPSIS:
Soldier… Sorcerer… Savior… Who is Vhalla Yarl?
Vhalla Yarl marches to war as property of the Solaris Empire. The Emperor counts on her to bring victory, the Senate counts on her death, and the only thing Vhalla can count on is the fight of her life. As she grapples with the ghosts of her past, new challenges in the present threaten to shatter the remnants of her fragile sanity. Will she maintain her humanity? Or will she truly become the Empire’s monster?
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*I would like to thank ELISE KOVA for sending me an ARC of this book. This doesn’t affect nor influence my review.*
Let me cut this short (just kidding!). This sequel SLAYED it. You’re about to read how Jasmine loves fantasy (and the Air Awakens series) now!
Okay, if you don’t know yet, I’m not used to reading fantasy books. Also, I’m not used to reading 3rd POV. This book got me out of my comfort zone, to be honest with you. I learned to love fantasy novels when I started reading Air Awakens. A few months ago, I was part of the blog tour for Air Awakens and I didn’t expect that I would really love the book. I didn’t expect that that moment would have a huge impact in my reading life. Everything turned different. I now have a huge amazement for fantasy books. I can now say, “I want to read more FANTASY novels!”.
Most favorite characters? VHALLA and LAREL. Their friendship is friendship goals. Their friendship is a must-have. I adore these characters SO much. They’ve shown the real meaning of true friendship from the first book throughout the second book. Fact: It doesn’t mean that if you have a lot of friends, all of them are your true friends. It also doesn’t mean that if you only have one friend, you’re a loser. That one friend might be your only true friend. It’s way better than having a lot of fake friends, just saying! Another favorite character of mine was PRINCE ALDRIK. Okay, guys. I was squealing for half an hour because of him. He’s so sweet and charming and OHMYGOSH *I can’t breathe* AAHHHH. Swoon-worthy. *winks*
Uhm… Obviously, Fire Falling was more heart-stopping (?). This book was impeccable and exemplary. Vhalla Yarl was simply a library apprentice during the first book. If you’ve read Fire Falling, you know how different she became and how inspiring she was. This book was full of action-packed scenes that will leave you hanging (and not breathing). While I was reading this, I had a bottle of water ready by my side in case I can’t stand to get some water in the refrigerator, and I’m glad I had it beside me. There’s no way this book will let you take a break. Every chapter will leave you, “What the fuck did just happen? I NEED TO READ THE NEXT CHAPTER NOW”. The twists became more intense and mind-blowing that you can forget about the real world. Dead serious, guys. It was a fucking rollercoaster ride full of feelings and unanswered questions. Also, the ending blew me away. Oh gosh. I NEED THE 3RD BOOK NOW. I NEED EARTH’S END NOW!!! I won’t be surprised if Elise Kova will become my author of the year. (I think she is right now!)
Also, I would be very happy if this series will become a TV series or a film. It was such an incredible read!
THIS BOOK DESERVES 5 FIRE FALLING STARS!
{ Click the giveaway image to join the rafflecopter giveaway. You might win a SIGNED HARDCOVER of Fire Falling! This giveaway is open internationally. }BOOK REVIEW – AIR AWAKENS BY ELISE KOVA
BOOK: AIR AWAKENS
AUTHOR: ELISE KOVA
FORMAT / PUBLISHER: ARC / SILVER WING PRESS
A library apprentice, a sorcerer prince, and an unbreakable magic bond…
The Solaris Empire is one conquest away from uniting the continent, and the rare elemental magic sleeping in seventeen-year-old library apprentice Vhalla Yarl could shift the tides of war.Vhalla has always been taught to fear the Tower of Sorcerers, a mysterious magic society, and has been happy in her quiet world of books. But after she unknowingly saves the life of one of the most powerful sorcerers of them all—the Crown Prince Aldrik—she finds herself enticed into his world. Now she must decide her future: Embrace her sorcery and leave the life she’s known, or eradicate her magic and remain as she’s always been. And with powerful forces lurking in the shadows, Vhalla’s indecision could cost her more than she ever imagined.
*I would like to thank ELISE KOVA for gracing me an ARC of this book. THIS DOESN’T AFFECT NOR INFLUENCE MY REVIEW*
Air Awakens is one of my most favorite fantasy reads EVER. Seriously.
A book may be underrated but who cares? This is going to be a debut novel. You, guys, should buy and read this book now. It’s simply fantastic and amazing. This book might be the ONE for you.
I barely read fantasy books because it’s unrealistic and I can’t find the time to connect to the characters, place, plot and many more. I barely read books in 3rd POV because I’m also having a hard time relating myself to the characters. When I actually saw this book in the internet, I was like, “Why not give this a try? It sounds SO good.” Oh, I’m definitely right. It really was good GREAT! I don’t care if it’s in 3rd POV.
The characters were very unique. Let’s start with Vhalla Yarl. She’s a library apprentice and she LOVES to read books. I know right. She’s such a great character from the beginning of the story until the end. I loved the way she developed as the protagonist in the story. A bad-ass reader/ protagonist, huh? Thanks for creating Vhalla, Elise!
Another one was Prince Aldrik. Oh yeah, a prince. He’s SO hot and strong. Don’t get mad at him in the first few pages, okay? There’s another prince in this book. Prince Baldair is most probably one of my favorite characters ever. I want my own Baldair.
This book keeps getting better and better and better and better. I loved it, okay? Do you have any questions? Read the book now.
This book deserves to be at the top of your TBR pile, guys!!! ❤
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Jasmine Pearl Reads 