Summer 2018 Reads

Hey'a, everyone! This post is going up a bit later than it normally would, due to the Song of Leira and Lightporter blog tours. But that's ok, since those served the same purpose this post would've: to let you know about all the awesome books I'm excited for in this season of reading!

Summer 2018 Reads!

1. Song of Leira by Gillian Bronte Adams (June 5). I've already talked about this one, obviously, and I've also already read it . . . but I'm still super excited that it's out! It's definitely the high point of the trilogy, and I'm impressed by Gillian's ability to convey powerful themes without being preachy. If you haven't read it yet, go do so.

2. Bring Me Their Hearts by Sara Wolf (June 5). Maybe a little darker than I normally read, but it sounds like it could be fun. We all know how it's going to end (you'd think that people would stop sending female assassins after handsome, single male princes; they always end up falling in love instead) but finding out how it ends up there will hopefully be enjoyable.

3. The Bird and the Blade by Megan Bannen (June 5). Mongolian historical fantasy— yes, please! And I think it might be a retelling of a myth as well, but I'm not 100% certain. I need to brush up on my Asian mythology. Either way, it sounds magnificent.

4. A Thousand Perfect Notes by C.G. Drews (June 7). I don't usually read contemporary, but I'll make an exception for this book! It's by Cait Grace of Paper Fury, and she's awesome, so I expect A Thousand Perfect Notes will be as well. Unfortunately, it sounds like it's only releasing in the UK and Australia, but I still intend to get my hands on it somehow.

5. Lightporter by C.B. Cook (June 16). Again, I've already talked about this one a fair bit, so I don't have a lot more to say. Basically, there's more Blaze and Anvil (my faves!), Albany has grown up a little (yay!), and the plot's exciting and fun. Out of everything on this list, I think this is the most summer-y, so that's another reason to read it sooner rather than later.

6. The Janus Elixir by Kyle Robert Shultz (July 1). Assuming you read my Mid-Year Book Freakout, you know how much I love the Beaumont and Beasley books. The Janus Elixir, unfortunately, doesn't sound like it'll involve Nick, Cordelia, and Crispin much . . . but I'm not complaining, because Malcolm Blackfire is storming awesome. Also, Kyle currently has this free for newsletter subscribers, so go sign up for that. His newsletters are funny and infrequent, so you're not going to be instantly spammed.

7. Fawkes by Nadine Brandes (July 10). This one sounds like so much fun! It's historical fantasy about the son of Guy Fawkes (aka the guy who tried to blow up Parliament and got a holiday named after him for it), and I imagine it'll be delightfully exciting. Also, just saying, the cover is pretty awesome.

8. Kill the Farm Boy by Delilah S. Dawson (July 24). This is either going to succeed spectactularly or fail miserably. No in-between. I hope that it will be the former, because it has the potential to be a hilarious adventure in the same vein as Discworld and the Hero's Guide series . . . as long as it doesn't make the fatal mistake of only making fun of fantasy instead of celebrating the good in it as well.

9. Fairest Son by H.S.J. Williams (August ??). I've been following Hannah for ages and waiting for her to be ready to publish something. Fairest Son isn't what I was waiting for exactly (that would be Moonscript), but I am definitely not going to complain about a gender-swapped Snow White retelling, especially not one involving a fae Snow White. (My life has been growing steadily more and more full of fae-related books— and, more to the point, good fae-related books— and I love it SO MUCH.)

10. These Rebel Waves by Sara Raasch (August 7). This is either going to be piratey, political, mysterious magnificence or it's going to make me sad about the fact that the author wasted such an excellent premise on a subpar book. Either way, it should be interesting.

11. Worth of a King by Kendra E. Ardnek (August 27). I alpha-read Worth and ahhhhhhhh!!!!!! I love it almost as much as I love Lady Dragon, Tela Du. It's got pre-scale Amberite (they're adorable) and lots of Laura (one of my favorite of Kendra's characters) and Deladia (which joins Amberite and Reutra as one of my top three favorite ships in Kendra's books) and dragons and secret plots and counterplots and assassins and just a lot of awesome. Y'all should go preorder it, if you like ebooks, or else keep an eye on the Amazon page if you're more of a paper-and-ink person.

What books are you excited for this summer? Please tell me in the comments!
Thanks for reading!
-Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)

Lightporter Release Tour & Hero's Perspective: Blaze!

Hello, and welcome back to the Lightporter release tour and to the second episode of Hero's Perspective, a relatively new feature in which I interview the heroes and heroines of various speculative fiction. (See? I told Jarek that this wouldn't be a one-off thing.) For this episode, we have a very special guest: Blaze, one of the heroes of Lightporter! 

Now, usually, I would be the one interviewing our hero. However, when one of my own characters, Rebecca from the Teenaged Superhero Society, found out who our guest was, she begged to take my place. I may or may not have let her read the IDIA books, and she may or may not have become a bit of a Blaze fangirl as a result. Anyway, she made a very convincing argument, so . . . take it away, Rebecca.

Rebecca: Thanks, Sarah! I guess now we just have to wait for Blaze to arrive . . .

Blaze: *teleports in* 

Rebecca: Oh! Hi! You must be Blaze! It's so cool to meet you; I'm a really big fan of yours. Oh, I'm Rebecca, by the way; I'm going to be interviewing you for Dreams and Dragons. Thanks so much for agreeing to this!

Blaze: *shakes hand with Rebecca* It's very nice to meet you, Rebecca! It's my pleasure to do this. As my friends usually point out, I enjoy talking about myself. *sits and makes himself comfortable* 

Rebecca: *giggles and sits down in the other chair* Ok, so you should enjoy this first question. I know about you, but not everyone who reads the blog does. Can you share a little about who you are and what you do and a random fact or two, just to kind of introduce yourself?

Blaze: *grins* Of course. Blaze isn't my real name, obviously. It's my superhero code name. I work for a superhero agency called IDIA, and I like to call myself a lightporter. Basically I can manipulate light, and that allows me to teleport. For a random fact... well, I do like to travel, which makes teleportation helpful. I also really like donuts.

Rebecca: Oooh, teleporting! I have a friend who c— who knows someone who says she can teleport and does the same thing, using it to travel. That's really cool! What do you think is your favorite place that you've visited in your travels?

Blaze: *quirks an eyebrow* Interesting. *leans back* Well, I really like most of the places I've visited, although I prefer the ones that aren't infested with tourists. But I'd have to say that one of my favorites is Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia. It's very beautiful.

Rebecca: I've actually never heard of that. It sounds nice, though. *glances down at notebook* So, I'm supposed to ask you now about your adventure that C.B. wrote about in Lightporter, how you feel about it and what you wish you could change and that sort of thing. So . . . how do you feel about all that? Was there anything you enjoyed, or anything that was especially hard?

Blaze: Hmm. Well, it's hard to say a lot about it without spoiling it, or what happened afterwards, but... well, most of it was unpleasant, but kind of necessary. I will say that meeting a certain person caught me off guard, a lot. Overall, I feel like the experience taught me a lot.

Rebecca: Ok. *nods slowly* That makes sense. Buuuut since you're an IDIA agent and an actual superhero, I bet you've had a lot of adventures besides the ones actually in the books, right? Can you tell me about one of those? Or are they all classified?

Blaze: Oh, definitely. I've been an IDIA agent for quite a while now. Most of the really exciting missions are classified, but one time I was on a mission with Push and Finch--Finch can morph into birds--and Finch transformed into an ostrich, and Push and I got to ride him. That was a lot of fun. Not very incognito, but fun. That's still the only nice ostrich I've ever met. 

Rebecca: *laughs* Ok, I wasn't really sure what you'd say, but I wasn't expecting that. I guess the why of that situation probably falls in the classified category?

Blaze: Yeah, it does. It was a fun mission, though! Maybe someday.

Rebecca: Aw, ok. So, you don't have to answer this if you don't want to, but can you tell me how you ended up with IDIA? You said you've been with them a long time.

Blaze: I actually can answer this one. I was lucky enough to have parents who have powers, and Data approached the three of us about joining IDIA once she found out about our powers. My parents didn't want to be active, but I went ahead and joined. My family was actually one of the first that Data and her mentor asked to join when they started IDIA.     
   
Rebecca: Oh wow, I didn't think I'd get an answer on that one! You're lucky to have parents who have powers too, even if they're not active superheroes. A lot of supers don't, after all. 

Blaze: I know, it's definitely been a blessing. Less lying, for one thing. I don't have to keep my powers a secret, and I didn't go through the initial confusion many supers do when they first get powers. Although as a teleporter, I was definitely a problem child. 

Rebecca: *laughs* Oh, I bet. I can just see you teleporting into the weirdest places and using your powers to sneak cookies. But, moving on . . . *mischievous look* I said earlier that I'm a big fan of yours, but I'm not the only one. How do you feel about having so many fangirls?

Blaze: *grins and his face reddens slightly* It's definitely flattering. It would be pretty cool to meet everyone, of course, but I might also regret that. But in all honesty, it's cool, but also really weird, if that makes any sense.

Rebecca: Mmm, yeah, I think so. 'Cause we all know stuff about you even though most of us have never met you; I can see how that would be weird. *glances at notepad again* Ok, last question. Do you have any advice you could give to other young supers trying to find their place, especially those who might not have something like IDIA to lean on?

Blaze: Good question! I would definitely suggest that any supers, especially younger ones, should have at least one person that knows about their powers who can help them, and that they know they can trust. Whether it's a parent or a sibling, a friend, an older mentor, a super or someone without powers, we all need someone else to help us out and sometimes give us advice. So find that person (or people) you can lean on. It will make everything so much easier. And don't be afraid to test the limits of your powers or try to find new uses for them  It can really help you out if you go into crime fighting. 

Rebecca: *nods* That's good advice. I'll remember that. Quick side question, if you don't mind— do you think all supers should go into crime fighting? Or not necessarily?

Blaze: I think it's a personal choice. I don't think that crimefighting is for everyone. Pop, for example, tends to stay at headquarters, and I know Data has several agents that work clean up after missions, who aren't exactly fighting crime. So I really think it's up to the person with the powers.

Rebecca: Ok, that makes sense. Well, thanks again for letting me interview you; I really enjoyed our conversation! Good luck with your future IDIA adventures!

Blaze: Thanks for having me! It's always fun to spend time with fans. Hopefully I'll get to come back to visit. See ya around! *teleports*

Rebecca: And that's it! I hope you all enjoyed meeting Blaze as much as I did! Don't forget, if you want to read more about his adventures, Twinepathy and Lightporter are both $0.99 on Amazon this week!

Thanks, Rebecca. I'll take it from here.

Rebecca: Ok. Bye, everyone! 

Thanks for reading, everyone. As Rebecca said, you can still get the IDIA books for only a dollar on Amazon. And don't forget to check out the rest of today's tour stops! (List below.) 
Have an awesome day!
 -Sarah (Leilani Sunblade) 

Tour Stops for Saturday, June 16^th (Release day!)

Marlene Simonette – Lightporter Review and Book Spotlight

Dreams and Dragons – Character Interview

Elven Padawan – Lightporter Review

 

Lightporter Release Tour: Twinepathy & Lightporter Reviews!

Hey'a, everyone! We're taking a little bit of a break from the Song of Leira blog tour to recognize another awesome book releasing this month: Lightporter, the second book in C.B. Cook's IDIA series! I really enjoy this fun superhero series, and I'll be reviewing both books in this post. But first, let's hear a little bit about the book and author.

About the Book

(Light-por-ter)

n. someone who has the ability to manipulate light and can use that ability to teleport

Albany and her twin sister, Brooklyn, have gotten more comfortable in the superhero world. But when Blaze starts acting secretive and weird monsters attack, the girls realize there is more going on that they still don’t know about. Before long, they discover that Blaze is hiding something—or someone. With FOE still hiding in the shadows, the girls must decide who they can trust… before it’s too late.

Find it on: Amazon || Goodreads

About the Author

C.B. Cook is just a girl trying to find out where her King is guiding her, while writing the stories of the people she creates, the worlds she wants to live in, and the adventures she dreams about. Also known as a mysterious creature called an “author.” She's a Christian and a home school graduate dedicated to changing others' lives through the power of the written word.

Find her on: Amazon || Goodreads || Wordpress || Pinterest

My Reviews:

Twinepathy:

"There was an idea . . . to bring together a group of remarkable people, to see if they could become something more."

Well, actually, there was an IDIA, and from that came an awesome novel about a pair of telepathic twins, a girl who lost her memories, a woman as full of mysteries as she is determination, and a serial memory murderer. And yes, you did read that last bit right.

Twinepathy is an exciting adventure that blends twists of mystery with superhero action. Yet it balances that action with a look at the normal— or semi-normal— life of a superhero and the decisions they have to make.

Probably my favorite thing about Twinepathy, though, is C.B.'s creativity in creating superpowers and superheroes. Some of the powers she comes up with are fairly unique in and of themselves— Data's, for instance, and the aforementioned serial memory murderer's. Others seem standard on the surface— telepathy, light powers— but are made unique by the way she thinks through unexpected applications of those powers. It makes for a real treat.

The characters are another thing I enjoy . . . but not entirely. To be honest, Albany annoys me, and I think she gets away with way too much. However, she has her moments, and the many side characters, major and minor, are awesome. Blaze is the best: a great guy who can be both snarky and sensitive as the situation demands. (I'd say that I'd date him if he were real, but he doesn't date.) Anvil is my second favorite, a scary guy with a bit of a soft side who's absolutely loyal to his friends. Data is intriguing and surprisingly likable for someone who keeps so many secrets. And Keller is someone to whom I can relate to in her desire for independence and care for her sister.

In conclusion: Twinepathy may not be the most amazing book in the world, but it's a fun, exciting read for superhero fans of all ages. Whether you love Marvel, DC, or just adventure and awesome powers in general, you'll enjoy this.

Lightporter: 

A good superhero novel is hard to find. Thankfully, the search ends here.

Though the second in C.B. Cook's IDIA series, Lightporter brilliantly avoids the dreaded Second Book Syndrome. This is partially due to an increase in writing quality and partially due to Albany's character development. While she still makes mistakes, she behaves with much greater maturity and much less stubbornness, which means I liked her better.

Though still told from Albany's perspective, a fair portion of the book centers around Blaze- which is just fine with me! He remains one of my favorite characters, even if he's a bit out of sorts for a while. We also learn a little more about Anvil, one of my other favorite characters, and he plays a pretty big role here. (On a side note: can I have a cookie-baking party with him and Blaze and the twins and Maddie and Jen? Because that sounds super fun, and I want to try his cinnamon chip cookies.) In addition, we encounter a few other new faces, both friendly and unfriendly, which I very much enjoyed. (One character in particular got me very excited, even if I was wrong in the end about his true identity.) Everyone, new and old, gets their moment of glory one way or another.

Plotwise, the book is pretty solid. It's not non-stop action, but things never stop happening long enough for me to get bored. FOE continues to make trouble, though it's definitely our friends the IDIA crew driving the plot. We learn more about FOE and their plans, just enough to raise the stakes and make us worried. And the ending is highly satisfying.

Lightporter is not perfect. Action scenes and transitions sometimes feel less smooth than they could. Dialogue occasionally seems a bit off. But overall, it's a fun, clean superhero adventure and a fabulous continuation of the series.


What do you think? Are you excited to try out this great IDIA? (Sorry, sorry, I'll stop . . .) If you are, now's a great time; both books are currently $0.99 on Amazon! If you're not yet convinced, well, just check out the rest of the day's stops (list below) . . . and especially make sure to stop back here on Saturday for an awesome interview with one of my favorite characters!
Thanks for stopping by!
 -Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)


Tour Stops for Monday, June 11th
Writefury – Character Interview and Lightporter Review
Dreams and Dragons – TwinepathyandLightporter Reviews
Light and Shadows – Book Spotlight and Author Interview

Blog Tour! Wanted: A Superhero to Save the World! (Featuring Author Interview, Giveaway, and Superhero Awards!)

Hello, everyone! Guess who gets to participate in a blog tour for the newest release of one of her favorite authors? Yep, this girl! I'm super excited to help spread the word about Wanted: A Superhero to Save the World- and not just because Bryan Davis is awesome, but also because Wanted is pretty great in its own right. First up on this post, I have a pretty fun interview with Mr. Davis, followed by my own thoughts on superheroes. However, since I've already posted about the qualities that make a hero and I'm not sure I can pick my top five favorite superheroes, I instead decided to hold the Superhero Awards, featuring categories suggested by my friends around the internet. But before we get to any of that, a little about the book and author:

About the Book

Eddie Hertz is smart, real smart. He has to be. What other twelve-year-old patrols the streets of Nirvana alone, hoping to foil the schemes of the evil Mephisto? Since Eddie is small for his age, he trusts in his Batman-style gadgets belt and acrobatic skills as well as lots of experience, like knowing how to swing across dark alleys without being seen.

Eddie has a dream, to become like Damocles, Nirvana’s great superhero. To make that dream come true, Eddie invented a device that is supposed to give him superpowers, but using it on himself is dangerous, maybe even fatal. He doesn’t have the nerve to try it.

When Mephisto unleashes an earthquake machine on the city, Eddie gets a surprising teammate — his quirky eight-year-old sister, Samantha, who comes up with an unexpected way to help Eddie in the frantic battle to prevent the biggest earthquake of all.
Since Damocles has lost his ability to help in physical form, Eddie and Samantha are the only hope for Nirvana and the world.

Find the book on: Amazon || Author Store || Goodreads

About the Author

Bryan Davis is the author of several bestselling series, including Dragons in Our Midst and the Reapers Trilogy, speculative fiction for youth and adults. Bryan and his wife, Susie, work together as an author/editor team to create his imaginative tales.

Connect with Bryan Davis on: Website || Store || Blog || Facebook || Twitter || Goodreads || Instagram 

Author Interview
Hello, Mr. Davis! Welcome to the blog! To start off, can you tell us a little about yourself? Who you are, hobbies, favorite books (other than your own), anything else you'd like to share?

I am the author of several speculative fiction series, the best known of which is Dragons in our Midst. I have been a fulltime author for fifteen years.

I enjoy hiking, especially in national parks, My three favorite novels are To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Joan of Arc by Mark Twain, and Till We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis.

I am a big fan of broccoli. I am probably in the top one percent for total annual broccoli consumption.

I definitely did not know that last fact. Moving on, Wanted: A Superhero to Save the World is pretty unique from your other books in a lot of ways. What inspired you to write a middle grade superhero novel (and this particular superhero novel in particular)?

My main reason for writing for this age group was simple. I heard from many teachers and parents who said their readers were too young for my books. I needed to fill that age gap with something that younger readers would love. I hope that many will be inspired by this story and then move on to my other novels as they get older.

I'm sure they will! What is your favorite part of the writing process? Your least favorite?

I enjoy writing the first draft and editing it to create the second draft. During these phases, everything seems new and exciting.

The most difficult is the last stage of editing. I usually go through a novel manuscript about eight times, often ten times. Those last couple of edits can quite tedious, but I know they are necessary.

They definitely are, and that's something I think a lot of writers need to be reminded of. Since you just gave us that good advice: what’s your favorite piece of writing advice you’ve ever received, whether that’s the most useful, the most unusual, or something else?

I learned about motivation/reaction units from a book called Techniques of the Selling Author by Dwight Swain. This advice revolutionized my writing for the better.

It would take too long to explain this concept in an interview format, so I will direct you to a couple of posts on my blog:
Motivation Reaction Units Part One
Motivation Reaction Units Part Two

Interesting. One thing that I almost always find in your novels is some pretty cool technology, and Wanted is no exception. How do you come up with all that tech for this and other stories?

I have always been interested in technology. I was an engineering major in college and a computer professional for twenty years before I became an author. The blend of knowledge of tech with the creativity necessary for writing speculative stories creates a need for fun and imaginative technology. So, the bottom line answer is that I do a lot of imagining.

I can tell! On a related note: along with that technology come some genius characters. Eddie's one of them, obviously, but there’s plenty more, notably Ashley and Daryl (though I can think of more as well). What do you think would happen if all these characters somehow met and ended up working on the same project?

That would be a fantastically fun encounter. First, they would have to decide who was in charge. I think Ashley would be the best leader. Second, they would have to decide on a project to do. One might want to invent a time machine. Another might decide an anti-gravity belt would be more useful. And a third might think a teleportation device would be the best of all.

Then, after arguing (in a friendly manner, of course) for a few hours, they might end up making a pizza and calling it a day.

Why am I not surprised? Shifting gears now, what are some of the books, movies, or other stories that influenced Wanted?

The recent superhero movies, both Marvel and DC, influenced me in a negative way. A lot of “heroes” in modern culture are lacking in morality and selflessness, Captain America being a notable exception. I hoped to write a story that focuses on sacrificial heroism and inner virtue.

As a casual Marvel fan, I've definitely noticed that. Speaking of other stories: outside of your own books, who's your favorite superhero?

I like Captain America. I always enjoy a hero who is virtuous and sacrificial while still being caring and kind. I also like Batman because he has no real superpowers and has to rely on normal human strength, intelligence, and experience.

Captain America is absolutely the best. Finally: can we expect to see more adventures of Eddie, Sam, and the rest? And if so, can you give us a hint of what to expect?

If you have read the end of the story, you know that this book can easily be made into a series. I hope to do that if this book sells well. That would tell me that readers enjoyed the characters and probably want to hear from them again.

I hope so too! I'd love to read more about these characters! Thanks so much for the interview, Mr. Davis!

And with that, it's time for the second half of this blog post: the superhero awards! Essentially, this is a series of 7 categories chosen by myself and my friends. (Originally, there were going to be 9, but then writer's block happened and I couldn't figure out who to put in some of the categories.) In each category, I'll choose a superhero who best exemplifies those qualities, for good or ill. Ready? Let's get started.

As a note, the following awards may contain minor spoilers for the Marvel movies up through Civil War and C.B. Cook's Twinepathy. Characters from the Reckoners trilogy have been excluded, for the most part, even though they could totally win some of these categories, because I can't say anything about them without major spoilers. So, yeah. Read on with caution, if you care about that sort of thing. 

1. Best Character Development: Thor

 You thought I was going to say Tony Stark, didn't you? And, yeah, Tony does have great development, enough to make him the runner-up in this category- but here's the thing. They've both developed a lot, but Thor has matured more. When we first meet him, he's arrogant, reckless, impulsive, eager to be king, and eager for glory. He's a good guy, but immature in many, many ways. Yet by the end of The Dark World, we see significant change. He's humbler, wiser, more interested in protecting others than simply receiving glory or enacting some kind of revenge or justice. And rather than being eager to rule, he's willing to lay aside his claim to the throne if becoming a great king means going against what he believes is right.

2. Superhero with the Best Superpower: Doctor Strange.

Not just because he has time powers- ok, yes, mostly because he has time powers. But seriously, time manipulation is (or was) an incredibly underused ability in fiction, and I love that he's got it and uses it to such great effect. And, y'know, the rest of his powers are pretty awesome too.

As a runner-up, we have Data from Twinepathy. While her power- the ability to basically "download" information from anyone or anything she touches- isn't as spectacular as Doctor Strange's, it's much more useful and practical, and pretty unusual too!

3. Superhero with the Least Collateral Damage: Ant-Man

Ok, yes, he does sort of implode a building at one point but that's one building and a pretty big difference from other superheroes I can think of whose battles result in much more damage. I mean, it's not entirely their fault; most of them do their best to make sure the people in the area stay whole and unharmed even if the buildings sometimes don't. But Ant-Man still has the best track record . . . which could have something to do with the fact that he spends a lot of time really tiny, but you take what you can get.

Runner-up goes to the IDIA crew as a whole, because I'm pretty sure that's the only superhero series  can think of in which nothing blows up. Good job, guys. Keep it up.

4. Most Realistic/Relatable Superhero: Hawkeye.

So I almost gave this one to Spiderman, since his reactions to life in general in Civil War seemed pretty relatable (and realistic, even if his powers aren't) to me. I mean, if I got the chance to meet Captain America, Iron Man, and company, even if I was fighting half of them, I'd probably be pretty excited and make a little bit of a fool of myself because of it. However, Hawkeye wins this category for a few reasons.

For one thing, he doesn't have powers. No one can claim that he's only special because of science or magic. What Hawkeye has are skills he's worked hard to perfect and choices that he makes in the face of danger.

Hawkeye doesn't always know what's going on. He sometimes struggles to keep up with the others. He gets frustrated by all the craziness that goes on. He has a family and a normal life. But despite that, he goes out and does what he needs to in order to save the world and keep his friends grounded. So, in short, he's the most human of the MCU and therefore wins the award for most realistic and relatable superhero.

5. Most Tech-Genius Superhero:  Tie Between Tony Stark and Eddie Hertz

 So, my first impulse here is to say Tony Stark, for pretty obvious reasons. I mean, there's the Iron Man suits, of course, and it's implied that a considerable amount of other tech in the MCU is connected to Stark Industries. And if you look at the MCU Wiki, you'll see that Tony has a pretty impressive track record for technical genius even before the whole Iron Man business. So he's definitely a winner here . . .

But he does have to share the prize with Eddie, the hero of this whole blog tour. 'Cause, let's be honest: a kid who's smart enough to build a computer, a working virtual reality system, a hologram projector, and a storming superhero generator all by the age of 12 has to have tech-smarts at least as high as Tony's, if not higher. There's no doubt: Eddie's going places.

6. Superhero Most in Need of a Hug: The Winter Soldier

Bucky Barnes doesn't just need a hug. He needs to be wrapped in a blanket with a cup of hot chocolate and someone to protect and defend him and let him know that he's loved and things can be ok again. And maybe that's an overly simplistic take, but at least it's a start.

As a runner-up, we have Anvil from Twinepathy. It's been a while since I read the book so I don't know how much y'all have found out, but I know a bit about his backstory from beta reading Lightporter, plus I have more info from a roleplay that C.B. ran a couple years back, so . . . yeah. While his story isn't Winter Soldier-level, it's not a happy tale, and he definitely needs a hug and a(nother) friend.

7. Super-est Superhero: Captain America 

I don't think this choice will come as a surprise to anyone. Steve Rodgers might not be the Perfect Paragon of Purity that some people make him out to be, but he's still one of the best superheroes the MCU (or a lot of other superhero universes) have to offer. Yes, he's only human- enhanced human, but still human. Yes, he struggles, yes, he makes mistakes, and yes, he has a darker side. But he's one of the MCU heroes with the clearest values, who spends the least time in shades of grey, who's the least likely to accept wrong just because everyone else is ok with it. And so, while Captain America might not be perfect, I'd still say he's the most super of superheroes.

I'm not picking a runner-up for this category, because honestly, there's too many good options. Some of them have already received awards here; some of them haven't even been mentioned. But despite the amount of darkness that creeps into superhero universes these days, there's a lot of great heroes still out there.

Thanks, everyone, for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed the blog tour and that you'll pick up a copy of Wanted: A Superhero to Save the World for yourself! As a note, Bryan Davis is is running two giveaways. One is a fairly standard Rafflecopter giveaway in which you can win a copy of any of his books, along with a t-shirt and bookmark. The other is the grand prize giveaway, which requires a little bit more effort, but will get you everything from the first giveaway plus a $50 Amazon gift card. So definitely check those out, and if you want to win the grand prize, don't forget to visit the rest of the tour stops (list below).

Thanks again for reading! Please tell me in the comments: are you excited for Wanted? And who would you have picked for the superhero awards?
Have a great day!
-Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)

Tour Schedule

Wednesday, September 20th
Tour Kickoff @ The Author’s Chair
Book Spotlight @ Backing Books
Book review and YOU WRITE: About Bryan Davis @ Zerina Blossom’s Books
Book Spotlight and Review @ The Spooky Bookshelf
Book Spotlight and Author Interview @ Scattered Scribblings
Book Review and Character Interview @ Light and Shadows

Thursday, September 21st
Book Spotlight and YOU WRITE: About Bryan Davis @ Red Lettering
Spotlight and Author Interview @ The Reader Addict
Spotlight and YOU WRITE: About Bryan Davis @ target verified
Book Review and Character Interview @ Hidden Doorways
Book Review @ Ashley Bogner
Book Review @ The Page Dreamer


Friday, September 22nd
Book Spotlight and Character Interview @ Story of Fire
Book Review @ Inkwell
Book Spotlight and Character Interview @ Liv K. Fisher
Book Review @ writinganyone
Spotlight and YOU WRITE: About Superheroes @ Dreams and Dragons – you are here
Author Interview and YOU WRITE: About Bryan Davis @ March to a Different Drum
Book Spotlight @ Author Jaye L. Knight

Saturday, September 23rd
Author Interview @ Jessi L. Roberts, author
Book Spotlight and Character Interview @ Book Lovers Life
Book Review and Character Interview @ Verbosity Reviews
Book Spotlight, Author Interview and YOU WRITE: Superheroes @ Creature of Graphite
Character Interview @ Wanderer’s Pen
Book Spotlight and Author Interview @ Adventure Awaits