BLOG TOUR - WITCHBLOOD BY MATTTHEW ERMAN AND LISA STERLE - COMIC BOOK [REVIEW + GIVEAWAY]

Check out my review below for Witchblood by Matthew Erman & Lisa Sterle, a crazy, bloody, fantastical ride filled with witches, vampires, and danger!  There's also a giveaway to enter, so keep scrolling!

Book Information

Title: Witchblood

Authors(s): Matthew Erman (Writer), Lisa Sterle (Artist), AndWorld Design (Letters), and Gab Contreras (Colors)

Publication Date: April 26, 2022
Edition: Paperback, eBook; 128 pgs
Publisher: Vault Comics
Source: Rockstar Book Tours
Purchase: Amazon - Kindle - B&N - BAM! - iBooks - Kobo - TBD - Bookshop.org

Disclaimer: I received a copy from the publisher as part of a blog tour in exchange for an honest review.  My thoughts and opinions are my own.  Please note the purchase links above are affiliate links.

Tour Schedule

Week One

4/11/2022 - Writer of Wrongs - Excerpt or Guest Post

4/12/2022 - Wottaread Blog - Excerpt or Guest Post

4/13/2022 - BookHounds YA - Excerpt or Guest Post/IG Post

4/14/2022 - Sadie's Spotlight - Excerpt or Guest Post/IG Post

4/15/2022 - #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog - Excerpt or Guest Post

4/16/2022 - See Sadie Read - Review

Week Two

4/17/2022 - A Court of Coffee and Books - Review

4/18/2022 - @thebookishfoxwitch - Review

4/19/2022 - The Momma Spot - Review

4/20/2022 - Celia's Reads - Review

4/21/2022 - Bri's Bookish - Review

4/22/2022 - A Bookish Dream - Review

4/23/2022 - Lifestyle of Me - Review

Week Three

4/24/2022 - Fyrekatz Blog - Review

4/25/2022 - Eli to the nth - Review/IG Post

4/26/2022 - Nerdophiles - Review

4/27/2022 - The Clever Reader - Review/IG Post

4/28/2022 - Nonbinary Knight Reads - Review

4/29/2022 - Two Points of Interest - Review

4/30/2022 - Vamplit - Review

Week Four

5/1/2022 - My Fictional Oasis - Review

5/2/2022 - Pages_and_Procrastinaton - Review/IG Post

5/3/2022 - Bookish Rantings - Excerpt or Guest Post/IG Post

5/4/2022 - Emmiepooh2 - Review

5/5/2022 - Two Chicks on Books - Excerpt or Guest Post

5/6/2022 - @jaimerockstarbooktours - IG Post

5/7/2022 - @lexijava - Review/IG Post

The Summary

A non-stop supernatural action adventure bathed in magic, blood, motorcycles, mayhem, vampires, and an unconventional. 1,000 year-old witch named Yonna.

MAGIC IS IN THE BLOOD

A modern, Wild West road trip about a witch named Yonna cruising the Southwest as a band of bloodthirsty biker vampires, The Hounds of Love, hunt her scattered coven for the source of all magic: witch blood. From the critically acclaimed creators of The Modern Witch Tarot Deck and Long Lost comes Witchblood, a blend of action, lore, and Americana—perfect for fans of Buffy and American Gods.

Reviews

"Loud and brash and high-energy, the kind of thing that makes readers yearn to see what will come next...[packed with] gripping, stylish thrills." ― Women Write About Comics

"A mixtape in comic form, that blends familiar lore, with the roughness of the Wild West...the creative team has successfully given us a character who although vulnerable, packs some serious attitude, you can’t help but root for her, and with the dangers she has stumbled upon and the revelation of her Witchblood, we are on our way to be treated to some action-packed, magic in the making." ― Geek Network

"Witchblood #1 is a fun, splashy start to a stylish series." ― AV Club

"Want a chaotic, fun time? Witchblood is just the levels of chaos you need in your life." ― Wandering Nerd Girl

"Witchblood is the most beautiful form of a passion project...This comic really is something special, not just for fans of witchcraft and vampires, but for anyone who loves colour, representation, and the craft done right." ― The Valkyries

Named one of "the comics and graphic novels worth mentioning from 2021" ― THRILLIST

(Goodreads)

My Review

Witchblood by Matthew Erman and Lisa Sterle was one crazy ride!  I adore comics/graphic novels, so when I got a chance to review this one, I jumped at it.  Witchblood tells the story of Yonna, a 1,000 year old witch who is traveling alone across the Southwest with only her bird familiar Bhu and her motorcycle, Ramblin' Rose.  She ends up rolling into Carlos, Texas, where some trouble finds her.

I like Yonna as a character; she is fierce, funny, and fearless.  She's going it alone, but isn't afraid of what be waiting for her.  And in this instance, she should be a little worried.   The Hounds of Love, a vampiric motorcycle gang has also landed in Carlos, and they've been on the hunt for blod: witch's blood.

Obviously, Yonna doesn't want to get sucked dry, so she hightails it outta town.  But that isn't the last she'll see of the Hounds of Love.  This altercation builds into a bigger problem, one that finds Yonna making needed allies and reaching back out to the coven she once left.  The storytelling is sharp and makes for an interesting premise.  Combining that with the fantastic art and layout, the reader gets dragged immediately into the story.  Dripping with style, this book was a feast for the eyes in all aspects.

Full of action, gorgeous art, snappy dialogue, and captivating colors, Witchblood is a very fun romp.  Once you dive in, you won't stop until it's finished.  It makes me eager to see what the next installment brings.  This trade paperback combines Issue #1-#10 of the comic.

Final Rating

Excerpt

About the Creators

About Matthew Erman:

Matthew Erman is a comics writer from Columbus, Ohio. Alongside Lisa Sterle, he co-created the critically acclaimed comic horror series, Long Lost, which was optioned for Film/TV by Producer Jenny Klein (The Witcher, Daisy Jones and The Six). Erman has since worked on the comic book series Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance and graphic novel Power Rangers: Sins of the Future with BOOM! Studios, series Care Bears: Unlock the Magic with IDW, the upcoming science fiction/ horror / humorous romance original graphic novel BONDING, with artist and co-creator Emily Pearson for Vault Comics, and the smash supernatural action adventure comics series (with artist/co-creator Lisa Sterle) from Vault Comics, WITCHBLOOD. His short work can be found in anthologies such as Corpus (2018), Dead Beats (2019) and Everything is Going Wrong (2019).

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon 

About Lisa Sterle:

Lisa Sterle is a Columbus artist with work spanning from comic books to concept design to pop-culture-fueled illustration. Her work is often bright, expressive, and occasionally tinged with horror— marrying her two favorite themes: the beautiful and the grotesque. She has worked with HarperCollins, IDW, Image, Archie Comics, Vault Comics, BOOM! Studios, and many others. She is the co-creator of monthly comics Long Lost and Submerged (Vault Comics), and Witchblood (Vault comics), as well as creator of The Modern Witch Tarot Deck, a modern and diverse interpretation of the classic Rider-Waite tarot deck. Currently she is working on the graphic novel Squad with writer Maggie Tokuda-Hall for Greenwillow Books.

WITCHBLOOD is the first time Lisa Sterle’s wider (witchy/tarot/occult) audience has access to her all-new  book (to be found in book stores in which they frequent), and it is her first creator-owned project since The Modern Witch Tarot.

As the creator of the smash, best-selling, The Modern Witch Tarot, Lisa has a super rabid fan base, and with over 16K Twitter followers, she is known as one of the most “influential witches in the world!”  Further, Lisa was voted by Watkins Body Mind Spirit Magazine as one of the Top 100 Most Spiritually Influential  Living People  (Pope Francis is #1, Dalai Lama is #2; Lisa is #92 – Neil de Grasse Tyson is #93!)

Here’s more about Lisa Sterle’s  diverse, all-female, Modern Witch Tarot:

• The Modern Witch Tarot has sold over TWO MILLION UNITS since its release on October 1, 2019
• The Modern Witch Tarot is the #1 Bestselling Tarot in the world – ever!
• It is the #1 BESTSELLER in Amazon’s Tarot category
• It is the #2 BESTSELLER in Amazon’s Fortune Telling category
• It is the #4 BESTSELLER in Amazon’s Witchcraft Religion & Spirituality category
• The Modern Witch Tarot has over 13,000 reviews
• The Modern Witch Tarot is rated 5 stars on Amazon
• The Modern Witch Tarot has been in the TOP 500 Books on Amazon since release
• The Modern Witch Tarot reinvented the Rider-Waite deck for modern use

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr | Goodreads  

Giveaway

2 winners will receive a finished copy of WITCHBLOOD, US Only.

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BLOG TOUR - A MOST UNUSUAL DUKE BY SUSANNA ALLEN - ADULT FICTION [REVIEW + GIVEAWAY]

Check out my review below for A Most Unusual Duke by Susanna Allen, a Regency romance with a fantasy-edge, sure to delight romance and fantasy readers alike!  There's also a giveaway to enter, so keep scrolling!

Book Information

Title: A Most Unusal Duke

Authors(s): susanna Allen
Publication Date: December 28, 2021
Edition: Paperback, eBook, audiobook; 288 pgs
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Source: Rockstar Book Tours
Purchase: Amazon - Kindle - Audible - B&N - BAM! - iBooks - Kobo - TBD - 

Bookshop.org
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the publisher as part of a blog tour in exchange for an honest review.  My thoughts and opinions are my own.  Please note the purchase links above are affiliate links.

Tour Schedule

Week One

4/4/2022 - Books a Plenty Book Reviews - Review

4/4/2022 - Fyrekatz Blog - Review

4/5/2022 - The Reading Devil - Guest Post/IG Post

4/5/2022 - More Books Please blog - Review/IG Post

4/6/2022 - @theheavycrownreads - Review

4/6/2022 - BookHounds - Guest Post/IG Post

4/7/2022 - A Court of Coffee and Books - Review/IG Post

4/7/2022 - Sadie's Spotlight - Excerpt/IG Post

4/8/2022 - Owl Abridged - Review/IG Post

4/8/2022 - Angel's Guilty Pleasures - Excerpt/IG Post

Week Two

4/11/2022 - Quill Tree Fox - Review/IG Post

4/11/2022 - #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog - Excerpt/IG Post

4/12/2022 - Nagma | TakeALookAtMyBookshelf - Review

4/12/2022 - Fire and Ice - Review

4/13/2022 - Eli to the nth - Review/IG Post

4/13/2022 - Two Points of Interest - Review

4/14/2022 - The Momma Spot - Review/IG Post

4/14/2022 - @jypsylynn - Review

4/15/2022 - onemused - Review/IG Post

4/15/2022 - Rajiv's Reviews - Review

The Summary

Bridgerton meets Werewolves Within in this sparkling shapeshifter Regency romance mixed with humor, steamy chemistry, and fantasy.

The Duke said he'd never get married...

The Prince Regent insists his cousin and fellow bear shifter, Arthur Humphries, the Duke of Osborn, take a mate to ensure the continuation of their species. After all, Arthur is an Alpha, so he must set a good example. The duke would very much prefer to continue his comfortable bachelor lifestyle, but the Prince Regent is not a bear to be poked.

Beatrice, the widowed Marchioness of Castleton, is in possession of a powerful secret. She knows all about Shifters, her horrible late husband being one of them. At any moment, Beatrice could reveal the secrets of the Prince and those like him—unless the Prince can make sure she marries another Shifter.

A marriage between the Duke of Osborn and Beatrice is far from ideal for either one, but at least they won't fall in love...right?

Witty, fantastical, and entirely unique, A Most Unusual Duke is perfect for readers looking for:

• A delicious Regency romp with a paranormal twist

• A devilishly handsome Alpha hero

• A marriage of convenience

• A magical world to sink your teeth into

Reviews:

"Allen continues to make this unusual genre mash-up sing." ― Publishers Weekly

"Susanna Allen Writer's writing is SO GOOD. It sucked me right in. I think you'll love it, too."- Julia Quinn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Bridgerton series.

(Goodreads)

You can grab all three books in the Shapeshifters of the Beau Monde series!

My Review

I definitely grew up reading Regency romances that I squirreled away in the corner of the library.  Of course when I grew up, I no longer had to hide them, but they still held a fond place in my heart.  I also am a big fan of fantasy/supernatural stories, so having the two mixed, as in A Most Unusual Duke by Susanna Allen, had me hooked into the story.

If you're looking for some classic romance tropes, then look no further.  We got arranged marriage, marriage of convenience, fated mates, and slow burn all in one book.  But we also have really strong female characters, especially in the form of Beatrice of main love interest.  While many a Regency romance I've read has a stronger than usual female lead, Beatrice really stood out to me in terms of her competency.  Then our leading man, Arthur, is the best mix of "alpha male" (both literally and figuratively) and gentle, caring husband.  They butt heads and their romance is a very slow burn, but that makes the ending that much sweeter.

The supernatural elements are mixed well within the Regency-era.  Of course most of the upper crust are all shifters of some sort, which made it a little unrealistic that it was an actual secret, rather than an open-secret, but not uncommon in books like this.  I liked the different glimpses in the shifter cultures, and this is the first bear shifter romance I've read, so that was a fresh take.

I think overall this was an enjoyable read; it gives fantasy lovers a good romance to sink into and romance lovers a good fantasy to sink into.  Also, there are two other books in the series (see above) that connect slightly, but also stand alone. So if you enjoy A Most Unusual Duke, be sure to check out Susanna Allen's other books, A Wolf in Duke's Clothing and A Duke at the Door. 

Final Rating

About the Author

Susanna Allen...

... moved to Ireland for twelve months — in 1998. Having gained a Master of Philosophy in Irish Theatre Studies from the Samuel Beckett Centre, Trinity College, she embarked on a career in theatre criticism, eventually moving into feature writing on all things cultural, as well as lifestyle-oriented subjects for major Irish titles across newsprint and magazines. 

Writing as Susan Conley, she is the author of Drama Queen and The Fidelity Project, both published by Headline UK, and the soon-to-be republished That

Magic Mischief. Her memoir, Many Brave Fools: A Story of Addiction, Dysfunction, Codependency… and Horses is published by Trafalgar Square Books and recounts the growth and insights she acquired after having taken up horse riding as an adult, post-divorce.

Susan is living her life by the three Rs: reading, writing and horseback riding, and can generally be found on her sofa with her e-reader; gazing out a window and thinking about made-up people; or cantering around in circles. She loves every minute of it!

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

Giveaway

2 winners will receive a finished copy of A MOST UNUSUAL DUKE, US Only.

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BOOK REVIEW - SHE GETS THE GIRL BY RACHAEL LIPPINCOTT & ALYSON DERRICK (YOUNG ADULT)

Title: She Gets the Girl

Authors(s): Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick
Publication Date: April 5, 2022
Edition: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook; 384 pgs
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Source: Publisher
Purchase: Amazon - B&N - BAM! - TBD - Bookshop.org
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  My thoughts and opinions are my own.  Please note the purchase links above are affiliate links.

The Summary

She’s All That meets What If It’s Us in this swoon-worthy hate-to-love YA romantic comedy from #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor of Five Feet Apart Rachael Lippincott and debut writer Alyson Derrick.

Alex Blackwood is a little bit headstrong, with a dash of chaos and a whole lot of flirt. She knows how to get the girl. Keeping her on the other hand…not so much. Molly Parker has everything in her life totally in control, except for her complete awkwardness with just about anyone besides her mom. She knows she’s in love with the impossibly cool Cora Myers. She just…hasn’t actually talked to her yet.

Alex and Molly don’t belong on the same planet, let alone the same college campus. But when Alex, fresh off a bad (but hopefully not permanent) breakup, discovers Molly’s hidden crush as their paths cross the night before classes start, they realize they might have a common interest after all. Because maybe if Alex volunteers to help Molly learn how to get her dream girl to fall for her, she can prove to her ex that she’s not a selfish flirt. That she’s ready for an actual commitment. And while Alex is the last person Molly would ever think she could trust, she can’t deny Alex knows what she’s doing with girls, unlike her.

As the two embark on their five-step plans to get their girls to fall for them, though, they both begin to wonder if maybe they’re the ones falling…for each other.

(Goodreads)

My Review

I was very excited to get the chance to read a new book from Rachael Lippincott.  I love her books, and this one, which she co-authored with her wife, Alyson Derrick, sounded right up my alley.  Hitting some of my favorite romance tropes, She Gets the Girl is an adorable sapphic romance, set at the beginning of college: a place where people can find their true selves, and perhaps their true loves.

Molly and Alex were great characters, and really complimented each other.  They both have girl problems: Molly has a hopeless crush on a former classmate and Alex was hit with a rough break-up.  Alex, finding out about Molly's crush, devises a plan to help her win the girl and to prove to Alex's ex that Alex can be genuine friends with someone.  And this is the start of it all.  Like I said, Molly and Alex compliment each other, but that's not obvious at first because there is major friction between the two.  Hot-headed Alex and painfully-shy Molly clash, but through Alex's plan, they learn more and more about each other.  As the girls learn about each other, they also learn about themselves.

While this is sapphic romance, it is not a coming out story.  That was a big draw while I was reading.  Both Molly and Alex are out to friends and family alike, so the reader really gets to dive into the development of the relationships, both romantic and friendly.  The setting of freshman year of college is also a great time because it is an often pivotal moment in transition from a teenager to adult.  This aspect of the book was so impactful, as the reader got to experience both Molly and Alex develop into different, and in some ways better, versions of their old selves.  Then the relationship development was sweet to read as well.  So the more intense personal growth and more light-hearted (but just as important) romantic growth created a nice harmony.

The writing was funny with poignant aspects.  Each character's voice was distinct, and I enjoyed the changing point of view.  I don't think that the story would be as round as it is if the reader only heard from one of the characters.  This book moved fast, even if the romance was a slow burn (I do love a good slow burn).  I was engaged throughout, and felt the ending was perfect, even though I could've always had more.  My only note with the writing was the pop culture references used could date the book in the future and not make as much of an impact.  But that really doesn't detract from the story for me personally. 

She Gets the Girl by Rachael Lippincott & Alyson Derrick is a must-add to your YA contemporary romance pile.  Sweet, funny, and emotional, this romcom will hit all the best parts of a feel-good story.  I would 100% read anything these two come up with next! 

CW: alcoholism, parental neglect and abandonment, internalized racism, toxic relationship

Final Rating

About the Authors

Rachael Lippincott is the coauthor of All This Time, #1 New York Times bestseller Five Feet Apart, and She Gets the Girl and the author of The Lucky List. She holds a BA in English writing from the University of Pittsburgh. Originally from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, she currently resides in Pennsylvania with her wife and their dog, Hank.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok | Goodreads

Alyson Derrick was born and raised in Greenville, Pennsylvania, a town where burn barrels take the place of recycling bins. After making her great escape to Pittsburgh, where she earned her bachelor’s in English writing, Alyson started her own food truck, but soon realized she much prefers telling stories over slinging cheesesteaks. Alyson currently resides in Pennsylvania with her wife and their dog, Hank.

Instagram | Goodreads

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