Book Tour: Guild of Tokens (Guild of Tokens #1) by Jon Auerbach Review + Giveaway

Guild of Tokens by Jon Auerbach

Published: June 25, 2019

Genre: (Unconventional) Urban Fantasy

Age Group: Adult

Pages: 410

Blurb:

SHE WANTS TO LEVEL UP HER HUMDRUM EXISTENCE. BUT HER NEXT QUEST COULD SPELL LIFE OR DEATH.

Jen Jacobs’s nights are spent traversing a strange city finding hidden objects, slaying dragons, and tangling with a host of fellow adventurers. And her days are spent counting down the seconds until she can return to the grind and continue racking up tokens and leveling up.

Except Jen isn’t playing a video game.

It’s all real and happening right in New York City.

After a particularly harrowing quest pairs her up with Beatrice Taylor, a no-nonsense and ambitious mentor, Jen hopes she’s on the path to becoming a big-time player. But as she dives deeper into the game’s hidden agenda, she realizes Beatrice has her sights set on the Guild, the centuries-old organization that runs the Questing game. And the quests Jen loves are about to put both of them in grave danger.

Will Jen survive the game before powerful forces cut her real life short?

Guild of Tokens is a thrilling new twist on conventional urban fantasy. If you like determined heroines, gritty cityscapes, and vampire-free adventures, then you’ll love Jon Auerbach’s rollercoaster tale.

Check it out on Goodreads

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Review:

So wow, what a ride.

Meet Jen, a 28 year old New Yorker who has a coding job at a start up, a boyfriend she never sees because he works in Hong Kong; and friends who are shelf adsorbed, shallow and catty but are her longest friends and all she has. Her life is normal albeit lackluster. Until the emails come with 

"Epic Questers wanted!"  

Little did Jen realize what she was getting herself into when she clicked the link and was sent to the Quest Board. Lists of quests to retrieve items, drop offs with rewards, wooden tokens. A video game come to life. But what Jen doesn't know is that this click was going to send her spiraling down the rabbit hole and everything she thought was real is much more then it seems. 

There is SO much going on this this novel.from the action and adventure of the quests to the real world/life toll it takes on the actual lives of our MC. Her normal life before the quests wasn't the best but little did she realize just how much her reality was going to be shaken to it's core. 

I absolutely thought that this book was fantastic. We are tossed in from the start and wow. Like I stated earlier there is more going in this book then I could have even imagined. A mixing of the past and present, so many geeky references that my little heart was a giddy for. My geek flag happily flying.  This definitely is NOT your typical urban fantasy and I am here for it, sign me up and take my money. Sinister at times, we have some darker moments, while Jen leads her two lives. Twists up on twists and turns up on turns....and that ending....

Fans of well written science fiction and fantasy will be in for a roller-coaster ride when they crack open the Guild of Tokens. 

Now Jon Auerbach I would really love book 2!

Book Links

•    Goodreads

Print Book:

•    Amazon

•    Barnes& Noble

•    Book Depository

•    IndieBound

Audiobook:

•    Audible

•    Apple Books

•    Google Play

•    Nook

•    Kobo

Meet the Author:

Jon Auerbach’s love of fantasy began at the tender age of six, when his parents bought him the classic 1977 animated version of The Hobbit (the less said about the recent trilogy, the better). His passion for sci-fi developed from nights watching Star Trek: The Next Generation and from his dad’s old paperback copies of Foundation and I, Robot.

Jon writes in both genres and hopes to pass on his stories to the next generation, including his kids, who have their own copy of The Hobbit that they lovingly call “the Bilbo book.”

Author Links

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

Goodreads

                                                          Giveaway

We’ll be running a tour-wide giveaway during this tour, and invite you to participate by adding the widget or direct URL to your posts.

Prizes: Two winners – One (1) physical copy (International), One (1) audiobook code (US/CA/AU)

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Guild of Tokens Giveaway

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Book Tour: A King's Bargain by J.D.L. Rosell Review + Giveaway

A KING’S BARGAIN BY J.D.L. ROSELL

GENRE: Epic Fantasy / Heroic Fantasy / Coming of Age / Sword & Sorcery

AGE GROUP: Adult

RELEASE: June 1, 2020

   Blurb:

The legend of Tal Harrenfel is sung across the Westreach — and with each telling, the tales grow taller. But though he’s declared a hero by his King, Tal has never claimed to be more than a man…

After three decades of fighting warlocks, killing mythical beasts, and hunting enchanted treasure, Tal has had enough. Running from the deeds of his past, he retreats to his home village under a different name and meets an unlikely companion: Garin, a village boy who dreams of making a name for himself and seeing the world beyond their sleepy town.

When Tal receives a mysterious visitor, both he and Garin find themselves thrown into a sojourn across the kingdom. Soon, they become embroiled in the plots of monarchs, on the frontlines of an ancient war, and at the mercy of a fabled sorcerer.

Now Tal must live up to his legend, and Garin discover his own power, to survive the forces pitted against them…

Name of the Wind meets Witcher in A King’s Bargain, an intertwining sword and sorcery adventure and coming of age tale. If you like The Wheel of Time, The Dragonbone Chair, or The Stormlight Archive, you’ll love the captivating world of Legend of Tal

Check it out on Goodreads

 

               

                                    Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐                        

Review:

You know when you start reading a new to you author, that feeling as your eyes traverse the pages soaking up the words, the forming of the world and characters, that this author will quickly become a new favorite. Then with time hopefully a beloved one.

Well this was the case with A King's Bargain book 1 of Legend of Tal by J.D.L Rosell. This is a story that will suck you in, leaving the real world behind, making you forget all as you lose yourself in the tale.When having to set this story down, I could not stay away for long as I needed to get back with Tal, Garin and Aelyn to continue our adventures. 

Come join Tal and his companions as they embark on their quest to find the kings traitor, for it will be a tricky one at. How does one find a traitor that can change face? 

Come grab a glass of marsh whiskey or Jakadi wine if you prefer the finer stuff

Come  hear tales of the Legend that is Tal

A coming of age tale, filled with adventure, magic, quests, elves, warlocks, mages, a bard and a war. Good vs Evil. 

But most of all heart.

Excerpt

Bran settled in a chair across from his guest and smiled like they were old friends.

The house was nothing to look at, he well knew: two rooms large, with a ragged curtain separating them; a small wood stove settled behind him, and a well-used pot and pan, travel-ready, hanging above it. As rain began to patter against the roof, the usual leaks started up in the corners.

He didn't care to impress folks, not anymore, and this man least of all. But he'd helped his guest over the stoop like a nobleman might usher a lady into his bedroom, and ignored the man's protests that he needed no assistance in a similarly lofty manner.

Gallantry, he'd often found, suited a liar like a cape fit a king.

Garin squirmed in the seat next to them, but Bran paid him no mind as he took his glass and threw it back. He sighed as the liquid burned its way down his throat to settle a steady warmth in his gut. "Say what you want about Crazy Ean, but he makes a damn fine whiskey."

"So says anyone mad enough to try it," Garin muttered.

Bran grinned at him. "Life is short and dark as it is. May as well brighten it with a few glorious risks."

The youth shrugged.

He turned his gaze to the guest again, who hadn't touched his glass. "I know your name, Aelyn, and you know ours. The table is set. Now lay out what you want, or we'll have to settle on beans and roots for dinner."

Aelyn hadn't removed his hat, but even with his eyes shadowed, they seemed to gleam. "You know what I want. I'm not idly used as a messenger. But I obey my commands." 

He lifted his hand to reveal a small, shining band resting in his palm, then set it on the table. Garin stared at it, mouth open wide. Bran found he was unable to resist looking himself, though he knew its kind well. Not a ring of silver or gold or copper, but milky white crystal, with a steady glow from within its clouded center.

"What is it?" Garin asked, sounding as if he wished he hadn't spoken but was unable to resist.

Aelyn didn't answer but kept his steady, orange gaze on Bran, like a raptor on a hare.

Bran sighed. "It's a Binding Ring. An artifact of oaths that holds the wearer to a promise."

Garin might be a man grown to the villagers, but he looked a boy at that moment, his eyes wide, his mouth forming a small "o."

"Like… a magic ring?" the youth ventured.

"Enough of this!" Aelyn snapped. "Take it and put it on. We must be returning immediately."

"Off so soon? But you haven't touched your drink."

The man snorted. "If I wished to poison myself, I have a thousand better ways than that human swill. Don that ring. Now." His fiery eyes slid over to Garin. "Or do you want the boy to know your true name?"

Bran studied him. A feeling, hard as flint, was starting behind his eyes. A feeling familiar as a distant memory. A feeling he'd hoped to have dug a deep grave and buried in the past. As it rose, a warmth unconnected to the whiskey began coursing through his body. Dread? he mocked himself. Or anticipation?

He reached a hand forward, finger brushing the crystal. It was warm to the touch. From past experience, he knew it remained warm most of the time. So long as the wearer kept to what he was bound. If he didn't, a mountain peak in winter would be preferable punishment.

Aelyn's eyes watched. Wary. Waiting.

Bran scooped up the ring, vaulted across the table, and shouted, "Heshidal bauchdid!"

The man jerked, then stiffened in his chair, eyes wide with surprise, hat knocked askew. Bran took his moment, snatching one of the smooth hands and slipping the ring over a long finger.

As Aelyn shivered free of the binding, his mouth stuttered, "Bastard of a pig-blooded whore—!"

"Quiet down!" Bran shouted over him. "This I bind you to: That you will wear this ring until I am safely back in Hunt's Hollow. That you will tell no one that you wear this ring instead of me. That you will tell no one my true name unless I bid it. And that you won't harm the boy Garin or myself in that time."

The ring shone brightly for a moment, and Aelyn shuddered, eyes squeezed shut, teeth braced in a grimace. A moment later, the ring dimmed, and Bran released his guest's hand. As he settled into his chair, brushing back the hairs that had worked loose of his tail, his blood began to cool again.

"Now," he said as he reached for the whiskey bottle, which had fallen over in the struggle, and pulled out the stopper. "You sure you don't want any of this human swill?"

The man raised his hand and stared at the crystal ring, horror spreading across his face. "She told you, didn't she? She told you my true name."

Bran poured a glass, then proffered it to the youth, who stared at him as if he were the stranger. "Feeling mad enough yet?"

Garin took the glass, threw it back, and promptly coughed half of it back up.

"There you are, Garin, there you are," Bran said, thumping his back. "You'll learn to swallow it all before long."

About the Author:

J.D.L. Rosell is the author of more than seven books, including the dark epic fantasy series The Famine Cycle, the fast-paced LitRPG/Gamelit series The Everlands, and the sword-and-sorcery series Legend of Tal. He also writes some serialized books, including the Nordic epic fantasy The Frozen Throne, which has over 100k views on Wattpad.

Previously, J.D.L. Rosell earned an MA in creative writing and has written as a ghostwriter. Always drawn to the outdoors, he gets out into nature whenever he can and indulges in his hobbies of hiking and photography. But most of the time, he can be found curled up with a good book at home with his fiancée and two cats, Zelda and Abenthy.

Where to find him:

Website/Twitter/Facebook/Instagram/Reddit/Goodreads

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A King's Bargain Giveaway 

Stealing the Heiress (The Kidnap Club #2) by Samantha Holt

Stealing the Heiress
Samantha Holt
(The Kidnap Club, #2)
Publication date: May 28th 2020
Genres: Adult, Historical Romance

She was looking for adventure…

Lady Rosamunde Stanley just never expected in the form of a kidnapping.

Well, an almost-kidnapping. The dastardly man only went and took the wrong woman!

But she soon discovers the dark, handsome man is not quite the terrible rogue she thinks him to be
and she decides to put his experience to use. Her uncle has gone missing and no one believes her
when she says he’s in trouble. Can she persuade Russell to help?

Russell might have kidnapped her, but he has no intention of keeping her. Even if the heat between
them is driving him out of his wits and her crazy family makes him long for things a battle-hardened
orphan like him should never want.

Their societal divide isn’t the only reason to keep his distance. Rosamunde is a bloody knife-carrying,
picklock-wielding madwoman.

A far too appealing madwoman…

He’s not the only one struggling. Rosamunde is finding it just as difficult to fight the attraction,
despite knowing it is most likely her over-active imagination leading her down this path. Somehow,
she must keep her head around the most exciting man she’s ever met.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

“Stay where you are or I shall shoot,” he ordered firmly.

The driver nodded, his hands trembling around his loose grip on the reins. Russell moved around the
carriage and glanced through the window to find two women clutched together. He eyed the younger
one. Dark haired and attractive, just as Guy had described.

Very attractive. Russell clenched his jaw. Miss Heston looked a little older than the
one-and-twenty-year-old he had expected but Guy had certainly downplayed her looks. She peered
at him with wide eyes then murmured something to her older companion.

Before he pulled open the door, the woman shoved it and pushed her head out, meeting his gaze
head on. Without the hazy glass between them, he had a full view of generous lips, a slightly stubborn
chin, and wire framed spectacles that emphasized a warm, nutty gaze. However, there was nothing
warm about the way she looked at him.

He let a brow rise. The woman was an excellent actress.

“Come with me.” He kept his voice low, just in case her companion did not know of their arrangement.

“Like hell!”

He blinked at the blasphemy. As far as he knew, the woman they were kidnapping was gently bred
and trying to escape the persistent overtures of a gentleman. Still, perhaps she was trying to play the
role of helpless victim for her companion’s benefit.     

Very well. She wasn’t the only one who could act. He had not read every one of Shakespeare’s plays
for no reason. “Come with me or I shall shoot,” he warned her, keeping his tones low and aggressive.

Miss Heston scanned the length of him and lifted her chin. “If it is money you want, I am quite wealthy.”
She put her hand to a broach at the neckline of her crimson gown.

Russell’s gaze tracked the movement, unintentionally. He only realized her cleavage had caught his
attention when she began to undo the gold and ruby broach. He swiftly looked away and blinked,
feeling as though the image of soft skin, dark shadows, and generous curves might well be burned into
his mind. Every time he blinked from now on, he suspected he would see the image there again.

Fool. He’d seen many a cleavage in his lifetime. A little glimpse of what appeared to be a most excellent
cleavage wouldn’t be the undoing of him. If he could survive on the streets and forge a life for himself
from nothing, he could most certainly rid himself of the image of the faintest glimpse of not even a third
of a breast.

Or two.

Damn it. He blinked a few more times then scowled when she handed over the broach.

“Here, this is worth far more than you could get for me from ransom.”

He ignored it, letting his frown deepen. Why the devil was she dragging this out? Much longer and the
driver might get the courage to fight him or someone would happen along, and Russell could end up
getting shot.

“If that isn’t enough…” She hitched up her skirt, revealing a shapely, stocking-clad leg.

Well, the cleavage image no longer bothered him so that was something. He swallowed hard and
frowned as she revealed the lacy edge of her stocking and the garter holding them up. Her hand moved
slowly to the band and she tugged out a bank note.

Why the hell did this woman keep banknotes in her undergarments?

She reached for the note then curled her fingers around something else—a jeweled handle.

A damned penknife.

She grabbed it swiftly and thrust it outward. Russell dodged back, the blade skimming past his stomach
and catching briefly on the fabric.

“Bloody hell, woman.” He grabbed her wrist. This play-acting was becoming far too dangerous. This
needed to end now.

Author Bio:

USA Today Bestselling author Samantha Holt lives in a small village in England with her twin girls and a
dachshund called Duke. If you’re not sure where to start why not try…

Amelia and the Viscount (Bluestocking Brides #1) for a fun, slightly hot shorter length read. Meet the
Chadwick sisters and follow their adventures in each of their standalone stories.

You’re the Rogue That I Want (Rogues of Redmere #1) is a longer read with heat, witty dialogue, a
feisty heroine and adventure. All books in the series are standalone.

Sinful Confessions is the first in the Cynfell Brothers Series. These are all novella length and
standalone–ideal for a quick dip into the world of the sexy Cynfell brothers.

Wake Me With a Kiss is a sweet, fairytale romance. Twists on Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella
are also available if you love a clean, fun read.

To Steal a Highlander’s Heart is a full length dive into the world of sexy highlanders. For those who love

braw Scots, some steamy scenes, and medieval romance, this series is a perfect escape.

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