Dreams and Dragons

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Water Princess, Fire Prince Blog Tour: Book Review

Hello, everyone! I'm back, this time with my promised review of Water Princess, Fire Prince. Enjoy!

***

There are many ways to write portal fantasy. Quite a few, sadly, are distinctly non-awesome. In Water Princess, Fire Prince, however, Kendra E. Ardnek found one of the awesome ways.

There are four main things that I love about this book. The first two are characters. First is Laura, who although a secondary character, is one of the most intriguing people in the story. She's fun and absolutely fascinating, though I can't tell you why- spoilers! Second is Andrew, one of the two main characters. I loved Andrew from his very first line; his steady, quiet personality, his protectiveness, and his sense of responsibility all make him awesome, while his reluctance to accept his place in Klarand and struggle to figure out the path ahead of him make him real (and relatable). His relationship with Clara- the third thing I love- is also funny and rather sweet and adorable once it really gets going, and filled with quotes and references from the start. (Fact: if a couple, any couple, can carry on a conversation in book quotes and references, they get awesomeness points.) The fourth main thing I love in this book is the worldbuilding. From the first few Klarand chapters, I could tell that, when it came to creating her world, Kendra let her imagination run free, making Klarand unique and (literally) colorful.

However, the book does have one or two faults. One of the biggest can, unsurprisingly, be found with a certain character: Clara. For most of the book's first part, I struggled to connect with Clara. Her stubbornness and certain of her choices annoyed me, and her skills threatened my suspension of disbelief and occasionally made her seem a bit (dare I say it?) Mary-Sue-ish. Thankfully, once Andrew came into the picture to balance her out, she improved quite a bit. Otherwise, there were no major issues.

Overall, Water Princess, Fire Prince is a fun and exciting addition to the portal fantasy genre. Fans of The Chronicles of Narnia and The Door Within trilogy will definitely enjoy this unique adventure through a fascinating world.

I received a free copy of Water Princess, Fire Prince from the author in exchange for an honest review.

***

About Water Princess, Fire Prince:
When the Lady Dragon does come,

Hold fast, do not fear, do not run.
Your Water Princess will fight,
Fire Prince will set all to right.
Each shall come from a Fall,
Their union will save you all.

Despite the fact that she's on track for competing in the Olympics, and he's practically raised his younger brothers since they lost their mom in a car accident, Clara Mandras and Andrew Stevenson are pretty much normal teens. They have normal hopes, normal dreams, and they live in a normal world.

All this is torn away from them when they are thrust into another world and declared Water Princess and Fire Prince. With no experience ruling a country, meeting each other for the first time, and being expected to fight the Lady Dragon – an evil sorceress plaguing the world of Rizkaland – Clara and Andrew are underprepared and inexperienced. Unless they learn to work together despite their standing opposition, Rizkaland's hope will be lost.

What is to come will change their lives forever.

Available on Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Water-Princess-Prince-Rizkaland-Legends-ebook/dp/B00YTQBTDI/

Add it on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24022364-water-princess-fire-prince

Part 1’s first chapter: http://knittedbygodsplan.blogspot.com/2014/12/water-princess-chapter-1.html

Part 2’s first chapter: http://knittedbygodsplan.blogspot.com/2014/12/fire-prince-chapter-1.html

***

About the Author:

Kendra E. Ardnek loves fairy tales and twisting them in new and exciting ways. She's been practicing her skills 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 also glorify God and his Word. You can read more about her on her blog,knittedbygodsplan.blogspot.com.

Tour Schedule:

August 31st
Here: Introductory Post
Interviews:
Overactive Imagination - Jakob
Flights from the Aerie - Me
Elvish Pens, Fantastical Writings - Me
Reviews:
Shire Reviews
Scattered Journal Pages
A Heart Redeemed

September 1st
Here: Book 2 Title Reveal
Blogs Also Revealing:
Flights from Aerie
Morgan Elizabeth Huneke
Lianne Taimenlore
Dolls, Books, and Things that Matter
Writing in the Light
Jaye L. Knight
writinganyone
Written Rest
Read, Write, Laugh, DANCE
Interviews:
Dreams and Dragons - Laura
The Rambling Rose - Jasmine
Other:
Book Crazy Lady - review and interview

September 2nd
Here: Books and Such that have Influenced WPFP
Interviews:
Scattered Journal Pages - Clara
Read, Write, Laugh, DANCE - Me
Writing in the Light - Me
Reviews:
Anything, Everything
writinganyone
Written Rest

September 3rd
My Blog: Ships I Ship Because of this Book
Interviews:
Flights from the Aerie - Andrew
Written Rest - Kiona
Lianne Taimenlore - me
Reviews:
A Writer's Heart
Dreams and Dragons
Other:
Kedurah's Korner - Review and Interview
Facebook Party!!! (RSPV Now!)

September 4th
Here: The Initiation
Interviews:
Morgan Elizabeth Huneke - Amber
The Splendor Falls on Castle Walls - Jill Anna
A Heart Redeemed - Me
Jaye L. Knight - Me
Reviews:
Dolls, Books, and Things That Matter
Sutori no Hana
Overactive Imagination - Group review with the Blogger's Younger sisters!

September 5th
Here: Looking Back - A Writing Journey
Interviews:
Dolls, Books, and Things that Matter - Abraham
Dreams and Dragons - Me
writinganyone - Me
Reviews:
Lianne Taimenlore
Flights from Aerie - Dual Review with the Blogger's Younger Brother!
Elvish Pens, Fantastical Writings.

September 7th
Tour Wrap-Up at My Blog!

Free Books!

31^st-4^th:

Sew, It’s a Quest: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005G3ZFKG

Do You Take This Quest? http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CFDHFT4/

31^st ONLY:

My Kingdom for a Quest: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RN7T004

1^st – 5^th:

The Ankulen: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EZAXWYM/

CinderEddy: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KZNW2TO

Saffron’s Big Plan: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008HYS9W2/

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Changes

Well, here I am.

I've been in New York for two and a half weeks now. It feels like longer- much longer. Unpacking, organizing, school, and just life in general all have made those last two and a half weeks a bit crazy. But we're settling in and getting used to our new home. And trust me, there's a lot to get used to. Some of it's good. For example, we didn't have a view like this from our back deck in Virginia:

It's even prettier when the sky is properly blue, rather than the pale blue-white that just washes out and makes everything look cloudy. (I swear, the only clouds in the picture are at the far left- just by the only visible patch of blue.) Granted, more trees would be nice- but I'm definitely not complaining. We also have a lot more yard, which means more space for me to practice archery- if I get around to it before the weather turns cold. I'm not quite sure when that'll happen (October maybe? Hopefully not this month!), but I'm not looking forward to all the snow. White Christmases are lovely. I can even do with a snowfall or two in January and February, just to make things a bit prettier. But what I've heard about snow up here . . . nope. Not my thing at all. (Unless I take up snowshoeing/cross-country skiing/some other winter sport . . . but who knows if that'll happen?)

Another (mostly) good thing about New York: the library. There's two within a three-mile radius of us- but both are tiny. (One of them is actually kind of cute; it looks a bit like a fairy-tale house on the outside.) However, they're connected to a very, very large library system . . . which means that my first stack of library books (all of which I requested online) looks like this:


Forgive the lousy phone camera photo, please!

In case you can't see the titles, that's House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo, Relic by Heather Terrell, Swipe, Sneak, and Spark by Evan Angler (I'm still waiting for Storm, the third book, to come in), Cybele's Secret by Juliet Marillier, and Lion Heart by A.C. Gaughen. Five of these books I hadn't read before coming here; three or four of them I couldn't get at my old library. And I'm still waiting on more- the River of Time series by Lisa T. Bergen, for instance, The Princess Spy and The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest by Melanie Dickerson, and Legion: Skin Deep by Brandon Sanderson. And I'm certain I'll find yet others; I just haven't looked for them yet. The one downside I've found is that they don't have Andrew Peterson cds . . . or many cds at all, really. (That and they don't seem to have the entire Dreamhouse Kings series.) But I can live with that.

Then there's school. For the most part, it hasn't changed much, except that we do it in a different location and I'm down two subjects. All I have at the moment is English (same old, same old), Literature (I get to read Beowulf! and Macbeth! And some of the Canterbury Tales! and a lot of other British literature!), Calculus (the first chapter is all review, thank goodness), and Principles of Biology. The last is an online dual-enrollment course I'm taking through Cedarville University. So far, I'm enjoying it more than I expected- much more than I liked 9th grade biology! It's possible that I'll post some of the essays I have to write for it, if I'm particularly pleased with them- or I might not. We'll see.

Some of the changes, though, aren't so good. I miss my youth group and my Bible study friends even more than I thought I would. Part of that's because I can't help wondering, even though we haven't really been here that long, if I'll actually find a group of friends like that here. I've met one a few people who I think I could be friends with- homeschooled girls like me, both of whom love some of the same books and movies I love and talk about things like fandoms and shipping and series speculations and all that sort of thing. But there's no guarantee I'll see them on a regular basis, and not all the churches around here have youth groups- or even youth, period. I know God wouldn't bring me here and leave me stranded with no offline friends, no one who I can see on a regular basis, no one with whom I can talk and play games and watch movies. But waiting for Him to guide me to those people is hard.

And, in the same vein, it's hard to be the new girl after so long. It's one thing at something like Cedarville Summer Studies or WSS Support Staff- everyone's new, and just that is enough to break down some of the barriers between people. But here, it's just me (well, and my sister, who's old enough now to be counted in my age group), and everyone else knows each other already. I don't remember how to slip into conversations and find my way into established groups- if I ever knew; maybe I never did. Last time I moved, I was young enough that anyone who played nicely with me could be considered a friend.

But I'm not alone, and I keep reminding myself of that. My family's in the same situation, for one, and I have my online communities- Whitehall Forums, The Potter School, blogs, and Goodreads- standing behind me. And most importantly, I have the Great Author writing the story of my life. So, one way or another, it'll all work out. I just hope that happens soon.

What's been going on in your life lately? Please tell me in the comments! Thanks for reading!
-Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Water Princess, Fire Prince Blog Tour: Interview With Laura!

Hello, everyone! I'm super excited to join in the blog tour for Kendra E. Ardnek's new novel, Water Princess, Fire Prince. I got to beta-read this book, and I can definitely say that it's a really fun read- though you'll have to wait a day or two to read my full review. Today, I have an interview with one of the characters from Water Princess, Fire Prince: Laura, one of the most intriguing people in the book. But first, a little about the story and the author:

About Water Princess, Fire Prince:
When the Lady Dragon does come,

Available on Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Water-Princess-Prince-Rizkaland-Legends-ebook/dp/B00YTQBTDI/

Add it on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24022364-water-princess-fire-prince

Part 1’s first chapter: http://knittedbygodsplan.blogspot.com/2014/12/water-princess-chapter-1.html

Part 2’s first chapter: http://knittedbygodsplan.blogspot.com/2014/12/fire-prince-chapter-1.html

***

About the Author:

***

And now for the interview!

First off, can you introduce yourself to our readers? Tell us a little about yourself, who you are, what you do, and such?

Hello, I am Laura, officially known as the Doorkeeper, though I go by plenty of other names from time to time. I have the ability to open doors between worlds, and, consequently, to travel between worlds at will, as well as travel through time itself. Also, my age fluctuates strangely because of this, so sometimes I look young, and sometimes I look old. It just depends on the door and … a few other weird factors that I don’t properly understand myself.

Ok, so where in your timeline are you now in relation to Clara and Andrew and their adventures in Klarand?

Somewhere between the beginning and the end. Actually, you see me from six or seven points in my timeline, and they don’t even appear in the right order.

Does all the hopping between worlds and timelines and such get confusing? How do you deal with it?

Well, I suppose it did at first, but I’ve learned to just roll with it. Also, I have a diary of sorts that I carry with me to keep things straight.

What world do you come from originally? I don’t think you’re limited to Klarand/Rizkaland, are you?

No, I’m not limited by any means. I travel between several hundred worlds, some of which earning more time than others. But my original world? I think Kendra wanted to save this as a big announcement of sorts later in the series, but … we’ve discussed it and she’s agreed that you may as well know. I was born on Earth, the result of a long and complicated series of experiments that I played a large hand in myself.

Oh, wow. I never would've guessed! Have you spent much time on Earth? What do you think of it?

Yes, I have. It is a special world to me, being the world of my origin. There is a reason why humans have been allowed to so populate so many worlds. I’ve explored much of its history, having been there for many great events and discoveries.

Cool! Kind of on that topic, certain people have compared you to a character from an Earth TV show, River Song. What do you think of that?

I’m not quite sure I approve of River herself, as she seems a bit trigger-happy and is rather a flirt, but to be told, I don’t mind the comparison, because it is to her that I owe my existence. Kendra had cut my character, then named Sandra, from the story because she was getting too complicated, but after studying River Song, Kendra wanted her back, so she created me.

Because of your time-traveling abilities, can you go back and change the past? Could you, for example, have stopped Amber from doing what she did?

No, on my own, my powers are not that strong. I cannot change time of my own initiation. However, when you see things as I do, when you know the whole story, sometimes you don’t actually want to change the bits in between. Yes, it hurts to see Amber playing the villain, but I know how the story ends, I have seen the greater good that shall come from her fall. Perhaps I would like to change things, but when it comes down to it, I don’t want to.

I can't say I understand how you could want that . . . but I'll trust you on that. Can you give us any hints of what’s going to happen in the future, after Andrew and Clara’s time in Klarand?

Are you speaking of Andrew and Clara’s future or Rizkaland’s future? I suppose I can give you a hint for each.

Clara and Andrew shall return to Rizkaland, more than once, but they shall suffer great pain because of it.

Rizkaland’s Tela Du is another girl who is very dear to me. She used to babysit me, though she had no idea who I was. Ah, Petra, hers is a dark road she must travel.

Woah, two hints instead of just one. Thanks, Laura, and thanks for the interview!

I hope you enjoyed that interview, everyone! Don't forget to stop by the rest of the blogs on the tour to see what's going on there! Also, Kendra will have some of her books for free on Kindle throughout the tour, so I'd strongly suggest checking those out as well!

Thanks for reading!

-Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)

Tour Schedule: