Hey'a, everyone! So, remember how I mentioned on
Tuesday that Kendra E. Ardnek is overhauling her six major novels to add new covers and improved content? And remember how I said I was participating in the cover reveal? Well- today's the day! Along with the new covers, I'm sharing Kendra's notes on what we can expect from the new version, my own thoughts on the new cover, and a mini-review of each book. That's a lot of ground to cover, so let's get started, shall we?
We'll start with the
Bookania Quests, all of which have covers designed by the author. First up, we have Kendra's debut novel,
Sew, It's a Quest:
Two
twins in a fairy tale world must find their Fairy Godmother before their
eighteenth birthday, lest they forever be stuck with the other’s gift.
Kendra's Revision Notes:
I sent this book to my kindle, tore it to shreds, then retyped the whole thing, making every word fight to stay in the book. I completely rewrote one chapter, and added/expanded several scenes, focusing on character development and pacing, in particular Robin’s character.
Cover Thoughts:Woah. People in the Hangout chat were saying that they weren't expecting Sew to be pink, so I was kind of prepared, but- woah. Yeah. That's pink. I like it, though, more than I expected to. Maybe it's pink, but it's also very dramatic. Also, I like how the sword is intertwined with the words and the little needle and thread. My only complaint is that Kendra's name doesn't really stand out.
Mini-Review: So, this used to be my second-to-least favorite of Kendra's full-length books, mostly because, as Kendra herself has said, she released it into the wild before it was really ready. However, the re-released version is much better. There are still some rough spots and awkward sections of dialogue, and Doranna's speech still drives me a little nuts (even though I understand the reason behind it). However, it's still a fabulous fairy/folk tale retelling that combines Robin Hood, Sleeping Beauty, and an obscure little fairy tale called the Mountain Princess into a lighthearted, clever, and unique story. There are some pretty cool plot twists- some which I saw coming even the first time around, some which I didn't- and also some rather amusing twists on common expressions. In short, while Sew still isn't a perfect book, I do recommend it. (Also, it's permafree on Smashwords, so you have absolutely no reason not to at least get it.)
We continue through the Bookania Quests with Do You Take this Quest?
A
prince’s quest for allies against his misery uncle and a madcap race to get
home for a wedding
Kendra's Revision Notes:
This book has one added chapter, a few (potentially) added scenes, and a severe edit. Again, focus is going to Robin’s character development. I hadn’t the maturity to completely handle her emotional situation when I wrote this book, and now I intend to fix that.
Cover Thoughts:It's so pretty! And purple! Also, there's the cake from the original cover in the picture, and it makes me immensely happy. I honestly think that this is my favorite of the new covers. I just love so much about it- the style, and the color, and the texture, and everything.
Mini-Review:
So, Take is currently my least favorite of Kendra's novels- though that may change once Kendra re-releases it. As it stands, there is a fair bit I enjoy about this book: a unique retelling of the King Arthur legend, plenty of other fairy tale references, a whole host of colorful characters, and more of the same style of humor found in Sew. However, it shares a few issues with the original version of book 1- namely, rough writing and a Robin with whom I don't really get along. In addition, the flood of new characters can be confusing, and there seemed to be very little tension at all in the main storyline. The rewrite should fix most of those issues, though, so if you're interested but concerned, maybe just wait a little while (and go bug Kendra and read her other books in the meantime).
Finally, to finish up the Bookania Quests, we have My Kingdom for a Quest!
Prince
Arthur’s quest to take back his kingdom, and Casperl’s quest to find out how,
exactly, he’s a prince.
Kendra's Revision Notes:
This book was mostly clean … but it’s getting a part two. AKA, book 3.5, The Quest for a Quince, AKA, Casperl’s story. There will be a edit to part one, though.
Cover Thoughts:
Like I said,
Take is my favorite of the new covers- but
Kingdom is definitely my second favorite. It's a little darker than the other
Bookania covers, with that castle looming in the background, but that's a good thing. We've got the sword front-and-center, stuck in a pillar like in the original- which I like, though the pillar looks off. And once again, I really like the texture, this time in the grass. Random little things are what make or break a cover, y'know?
Mini-Review:
This was my favorite of the Bookania Quests, though I think it's been replaced by the new version of
Sew. It focuses on one of my favorite Bookania characters, Arthur, and is primarily a King Arthur retelling, though other stories are woven in as well. As usual, I love the twists Kendra puts on the classic stories, especially the Lady of the Lake bit. I also like that the characters who get the most screentime are mostly the ones who I like better, though the sheer number of characters is still a little hard to keep track of.
Next up, Kendra's single standalone,
The Ankulen. The new cover for this was designed by the lovely and talented
Alea Harper, another fantasy and speculative fiction author, though she's currently unpublished.
Jen
knows she had an imagination once – how far will she go to get it back?
Kendra's Revision Notes:
Mostly just a thorough edit. I don’t foresee any great changes.
Cover Thoughts:
Honest opinion: I'm not a fan. The new cover really doesn't seem to convey what the book is about, and it has an odd grungy vibe that doesn't go with what I remember of the book. Also, while I like that Alea included the titular Ankulen at the bottom, something seems off about its presence, almost like it doesn't blend or mesh properly with the rest of the cover. For a different book, it could be good. But for this book- well, like I said up front: not a fan
.
Mini-Review:
I have never read a story like this one, but I absolutely love it. The idea of a writer losing her imagination is, quite frankly, terrifying to me, and so the idea of a quest to get one's imagination
back is naturally captivating. I expected Jen to be a bit more enthusiastic about the matter from the start, but I liked her character development through the story. I also enjoyed the storyworld; Kendra captures the nature of a child's imaginary world well, such that it feels natural, but I can still take it seriously. A few things about this book bothered me- namely the very blatant allegory at the end- but it's still an excellent book.
And we end with Kendra's second series, the
Rizkaland Legends. This contains both the cover I'm least sad to see go (
Water Princess, Fire Prince) and the cover I'm most sad to lose (
Lady Dragon, Tela Du). These covers, like that of
The Ankulen, were designed by Alea Harper, though they have a distinctly different style.
When
two teens are pulled into another world, fire and water must work together to
defeat a dragon.
Kendra's Revision Notes:
Again, mostly a thorough edit, but there will be a few continuity fixes, and I’ll be adding a bonus scene to the extra stuff at the end.
Cover Thoughts:
As far as quality goes, the new cover is
much better than the old one. The color scheme is gorgeous, the design behind the title is pretty, and the fonts work really well together. But once again, I almost feel like this doesn't quite fit the book? Yes, there's a mountain. Yes, about half the book is spent trying to get to and through a mountain. Yes, the color scheme works with the water and fire thing. But honestly, the vibe I'm getting off it is "Inspirational quote picture on a hipster Tumblr," not "Awesome and unique portal fantasy." I don't know. Maybe that's just me.
Mini-Review:
So, I wasn't thrilled with this book for most of the first part- the world was unique, the storyline was fun, but Clara kind of drove me crazy. Then we met Andrew (who is, by the way, wonderful), and then after that,
Clara met Andrew, and suddenly the book was much better because we had someone to moderate Clara's intensity. While the book isn't perfect, there is a lot to love: Laura, Andrew, Clarand, the worldbuilding, Amber, the plot, the themes . . .there's a reason that the
Rizkaland Legends are my favorite of Kendra's books, and that reason starts here.
And we end with Kendra's second-to-most-recent release and my absolute favorite of any of her books, Lady Dragon, Tela Du. As I said already, I'm most sad to see this cover go. I loved the original: the colors, the silhouettes, everything. That said, the new version is pretty nice.
Only
the Tela Du stands in Amber’s way for
ruling Rizkaland forever. Petra would much rather find her long-lost sisters
than fight a Lady Dragon.
Kendra's Revision Notes:
Edits mostly.
Cover Thoughts:
Like I said- pretty nice! I don't know if I like it more than the original, but I think I like it just as much. It keeps the silhouettes and actually has essentially the same color scheme, but with more red and purple and less gold. And this cover suits the book better than Water Princess, Fire Prince's did, even though it's a similar style. I think the silhouettes help a lot with that, since they keep the focus on the characters and story.
Mini-Review:I love basically everything about this book. The characters. The ships. The emphasis on family. The fact that there are no unrealistic weapons prodigies. The plot. The plot twists. The world. The magic. Everything. Ok, maybe not quite everything- I didn't quite connect with a few of the characters, and that made the first part a bit difficult to get through. Also, there's Karyn. I can understand her motivation, but I don't like her. But both of those things are mostly personal opinion, and my overall personal opinion is that Lady Dragon, Tela Du is awesome.
About Kendra E. Ardnek:
Kendra E.
Ardnek loves fairytales and twisting them in new and exciting ways. She's been
or acting them on her dozen plus cousins and siblings for years. "Finish
your story, Kendra," is frequently heard at family gatherings. Her sole
life goal has always been to grow up and be an author of fantasy and children's
tales that glorify God and His Word.
For those who are interested, Kendra is running a giveaway of a full signed collection of all her books. Sounds pretty awesome, no? Full details are
on her blog, but I will say that comments on the cover reveal blog posts give you a better chance of winning. I'll post a full list of participating blogs below.
Thanks, everyone, for stopping by, and Kendra for letting me participate in the cover reveal! For you, readers- have you read anything by Kendra? Also, which of these covers is your favorite? Please tell me in the comments!
Thanks again for reading, and don't forget to check out the rest of the cover reveal posts!
-Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)
Other Cover Reveal Stops:
