Giveaway!: When the Stars Threw Down Their Spears (Goblin Wars #3) by Kersten Hamilton

Recently I reviewed the final book in the Goblin Wars trilogy. Unfortunately I had the old publishing date on my calendar so I reviewed it much too early (my review). Even so, Kersten was not upset and even decided to let me have a giveaway on my blog on the proper release date. So guess what? Here is the giveaway!

The prize
(signed hardcover, US only):

When the Stars Thew Down Their Spears

by Kersten Hamilton

3rd in Goblin Wars trilogy

400p.
Publisher: Clarion Books
Available: Aug 6th, 2013 (Now!)

“People will die.” 

Locked doors are opening, and uncanny creatures are tumbling through mysterious portals from Mag Mell, the world-between-worlds, into the streets of Chicago. The Dark Man has marked Aiden with a new song that’s scared him badly, and a frightening new group of sídhe is lurking nearby. 

Teagan knows this is war, and she must protect her family. She leaves her flesh and bones behind to join Finn in hunting the evil beings across the city. Meanwhile, their relationship is heating up—almost faster than they can control. But he is still bound to fight goblins his entire life... and by blood she is one of them now. 

Then the gateway to Mag Mell cracks open again, and the Wylltsons find themselves caught in a trap. As her loved ones begin to die, Teagan realizes that she must destroy the Dark Man and his minions once and for all in order to save those who remain...
... before it is too late.

Other books in the series:

Tyger Tyger

In The Forests of the Night

 What do you have to do?

Fill out the rafflecopter form below:

Tyger Tyger International Giveaway!

Samhain

This Halloween the streets and parties will be filled with costumes, masks, mummers and merry deceit. But are you sure that every mask this year will hide a human face? Are you sure?

When grandmothers told tales by firelight and even the smallest child knew that strange creatures moved in the leaping shadows on the walls, October 31st was called Samhain’s Eve—the day when the walls between life and death, between our world and the world of the Sídhe grew thin.

Those who had to walk home in the darkness held their lanterns high, praying that their candles wouldn’t go out. They could feel the Others in the darkness around them, pressing as close as the flickering candles would allow.

Now electric lights have frozen the shadows to the wall, and we laugh, and dress up and call the day Halloween and pretend the darkness isn’t there. The characters in The Goblin Wars live too close to the Others world to pretend:

“….It was the year after my own dear man had passed, and didn’t I have trouble sleeping on such a stormy night with lightning tearing the clouds and punishing the marsh?” She shook her head. “I was just thanking the good Lord that all of mine were safe at home when I heard it—the howling of terrible hounds. It was The Hunt, as sure as there’s mold on Pádraig’s bones. The sound of it can send grown men cowering under their beds. And those who know—” She shook her head and pressed her lips together. 

“Know what?” Aiden asked. 

“That evil is hunting some poor child through the night, a girl child stolen from her home with no one to help her, no place to run—the very thought can drive men mad.” 

Teagan shivered, remembering the blood–stained muzzles. 

“What did you do?” Aiden asked. 

“I’m a máthair, aren’t I?” Mamieo drew herself up. “I made sure my own were tucked safe in bed, put on my shawl, and went to see what could be done….” Tyger Tyger

If you hear something on the wind this Halloween, if you feel breath on the nape of your neck—remember Samhain and turn on the electric lights. Turn them on quickly, and pray that the shadows stay frozen to the walls. Because we’re not as safe as we think we are. We’ll never be safe as long as we ignore the Other.

Thank you for having me on your blog, Melissa!

Kersten Hamilton
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks Kersten! I think I'm going to lock the doors right now... Oh and clean under the bed so I have a place to sleep tonight. ;)

I loved this book (my review) and now for those that have yet to read this great series, Kersten is celebrating the release of the paperback with you! So....

Giveaway!
This is a giveaway of the paperback of Tyger Tyger. Oh and just a small mention... it's international! Squee! All you have to do is fill out the rafflecopter form below! Good luck!

Kersten Hamilton Author Blog Post and Giveaway!

My best Christmas memory from when I was a child happened when I was six years old. My family was homeless and someone was letting us stay in their basement. The family we were staying with had a huge Christmas tree, with piles of presents under it, decorated with candy canes and ornaments—we could see the tree, but none of the presents were for us. My baby brother got in trouble for sneaking in and eating a candy cane off of the tree. We were thankful for the basement—it was December in Alaska, after all. But it was hard. We barely had money for food and necessities, and no money for presents or candy.

The day before Christmas, my mother took us all with her to the laundromat to do our laundry. The last load was drying when I walked down the rows of machines—and saw a fresh, new $50 bill on the floor. It hadn’t been there two minutes before. There were only three other people in the laundromat. No one had come in or gone out. I am sure now that one of those three dropped that bill for me to find, probably the scary–looking man who growled “If you found it, it’s yours, isn’t it” and frightened me so much I ran back to my mother.

Whoever dropped that money didn’t just change our Christmas—they changed me. When I had children of my own, we made it a tradition to look around to find someone who needs a blessing at Christmas time. One year it might be the child of someone in prison who can’t give them a present, the next neighbor kids whose parents are out of work. There are only two rules—buy the best gift you can afford—one you would be proud to give to the person you love the most—and it must always be a secret where it came from.

I’d like to ask your readers to join in the fun. Change Christmas for someone this year. Keep it secret. Pass it on.

Thank you for letting me tell people about this on your blog today, Melissa!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Such a beautiful story! Oh I so agree with you Kersten. Plus there are so many ways to give at anytime of the year. Even if it is just a smile to brighten someone's day. Oh and I think Kersten is about to brighten someone's holiday! Because...

Giveaway!

Kersten is giving away a HB copy of In the Forests of the Night! Oh and guess what??? It's INTERNATIONAL! I bet that made a few of you smile today. ;) Just fill out the rafflecopter form below to enter. Easy!

The battle against goblinkind continues . . . but which side will Teagan be on?

Teagan, Finn, and Aiden have made it out of Mag Mell alive, but the Dark Man’s forces are hot on their heels. Back in Chicago, Tea’s goblin cousins show up at her school, sure she will come back to Mag Mell, as goblin blood is never passive once awoken. Soon she will belong to Fear Doirich and join them. In the meantime, they are happy to entertain themselves by trying to seduce, kidnap, or kill Tea’s family and friends. Tea knows she doesn’t have much time left, and she refuses to leave Finn or her family to be tortured and killed. A wild Stormrider, born to rule and reign, is growing stronger inside her. But as long as she can hold on, she’s still Teagan Wylltson, who plans to be a veterinarian and who heals the sick and hurting. The disease that’s destroying her—that’s destroying them all—has a name: Fear Doirich. And Teagan Wylltson is not going to let him win.

My review of In the Forests of the Night

Don't forget too, that Tyger Tyger (Goblin Wars #1) is still only $2.69 at Amazon for Kindle, $2.99 at B&N, iBooks and Kobo.

When the Stars Threw Down Their Spears (Goblin Wars #3) by Kersten Hamilton

3rd in a trilogy
400p.
Publisher: Clarion Books
Available: Aug 6th, 2013 (they changed the date on me!)
Source: eARC from the author and NetGalley

“People will die.” 

Locked doors are opening, and uncanny creatures are tumbling through mysterious portals from Mag Mell, the world-between-worlds, into the streets of Chicago. The Dark Man has marked Aiden with a new song that’s scared him badly, and a frightening new group of sídhe is lurking nearby.

Teagan knows this is war, and she must protect her family. She leaves her flesh and bones behind to join Finn in hunting the evil beings across the city. Meanwhile, their relationship is heating up—almost faster than they can control. But he is still bound to fight goblins his entire life... and by blood she is one of them now.

Then the gateway to Mag Mell cracks open again, and the Wylltsons find themselves caught in a trap. As her loved ones begin to die, Teagan realizes that she must destroy the Dark Man and his minions once and for all in order to save those who remain... 

... before it is too late.

I love the first two in this trilogy, Tyger Tyger and In the Forests of the Night. In the last book that follows the Blake poem, Teagan is determined to save her loved ones as well as Meg Mell. Her connection to everything fae has been enhanced and she has embraced both sides of herself.

Now for my problem... how do I talk about this book and not spoil it for those that haven't yet read the other two? That is always a problem for a book you enjoy.

What I will say is this: I felt that this was the best of the 3 for me. I think what I loved was Teagan's growth throughout the series. Often when you get that, you see a character slip back as if they never had epiphanies or any growth at all. You do not find that here. Sure Teagan makes mistakes, but they don't seem to be repeated and she learns to trust herself. Also the characters were stellar. I have loved her little brother throughout the series and he captures my heart again in this book. I also love the other secondary characters and we get a bit more of the ones we met in the last two books. Also with the other books, I think the research was stellar. The way the poems were woven into the story, the names, mythologies all harken back to the old stories and tales. It's just something I really enjoyed.

My biggest complaint? This is the last book! Perhaps a Abby and Jing book? A book of Aiden when he is all grown up? Seriously... I don't want to give these characters up! Guess I'll have to be satisfied with rereading the stories again. *sigh*

I give this book 5 stars. I really enjoyed my time in Meg Mell and I don't want to leave. I recommend it to YA and faerie book lovers.

Tyger Tyger by Kersten Hamilton

From Goodreads:

Teagan Wylltson's best friend, Abby, dreams that horrifying creatures--goblins, shape-shifters, and beings of unearthly beauty but terrible cruelty--are hunting Teagan. Abby is always coming up with crazy stuff, though, so Teagan isn't worried. Her life isn't in danger. In fact, it's perfect. She's on track for a college scholarship. She has a great job. She's focused on school, work, and her future. No boys, no heartaches, no problems. 

Until Finn Mac Cumhaill arrives. Finn's a bit on the unearthly beautiful side himself. He has a killer accent and a knee-weakening smile. And either he's crazy or he's been haunting Abby's dreams, because he's talking about goblins, too . . . and about being The Mac Cumhaill, born to fight all goblin-kind. Finn knows a thing or two about fighting. Which is a very good thing, because this time, Abby's right. The goblins are coming.

This book is a fun adventure full of faeries who chose to be evil and are called goblins. The main characters Teagan, Finn and Aiden are very likable. In fact, I just fell in love with Aiden the 6 year old boy. A lot of humor comes from his character and he is able to say things that make you laugh. Teagan, is also a very likable character and she uses her brain to get them out of trouble many times. So, Finn wasn't the only hero in this story and I loved that. Finn is also very aware of his responsibilities and always wants to do the right thing no matter what his circumstances are in his life. He falls for Teagan but doesn't want to break her heart. However, it doesn't stop him from helping her rescue her father in Meg Mell which has befallen an evil spell by an evil enemy. He is aware of the risk, but will risk it without asking anything from Teagan. Makes him a very loveable hero in this story.

I think my only big criticism in this book is a completely personal one. It had to do with St. Patrick, himself. He only makes a few mentions in this book, but I've never saw him as a hero. I've always had a soft spot for all the snakes he drove out of Ireland and I don't agree with forced conversion. Yes, for those that don't know... the snakes were not of the animal kind, but the human kind. He displaced people from their homes. I'm not saying he had an easy life or was evil, I just don't see him as a hero. So, you see, it is completely personal reasons and I hope the author and my Catholic friends forgive me of this transgress. It really didn't impact that much on my enjoyment as a whole in the book, but loud mouthed me just had to say something. ;)

I give this book 5 stars. I so recommend this book to anyone wanting to read a fun paranormal adventure book. Quite honestly the blurb above and the cover don't do justice to the book. It exceeded my expectations and I can't wait for the next installment (which I hope there is going to be one).

I'd like to thank the author, Kersten Hamilton for suggesting I read it, NetGalley, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the opportunity. No compensation was given for my review.

Cover Reveal: When the Stars Threw Down Their Spears

The 3rd book in the Goblin Wars series by Kersten Hamilton is coming Feb. 2013! Here is a look at the cover:

When the Stars Threw Down Their Spears

“People will die.” 

Locked doors are opening, and uncanny creatures are tumbling through mysterious portals from Mag Mell, the world-between-worlds, into the streets of Chicago. The Dark Man has marked Aiden with a new song that’s scared him badly, and a frightening new group of sídhe is lurking nearby.

Teagan knows this is war, and she must protect her family. She leaves her flesh and bones behind to join Finn in hunting the evil beings across the city. Meanwhile, their relationship is heating up—almost faster than they can control. But he is still bound to fight goblins his entire life . . . and by blood she is one of them now.

Then the gateway to Mag Mell cracks open again, and the Wylltsons find themselves caught in a trap. As her loved ones begin to die, Teagan realizes that she must destroy the Dark Man and his minions once and for all in order to save those who remain... 

... before it is too late.

Books in the series:

Tyger Tyger

In The Forests of the Night

On My Wishlist...

In the Forests of the Night by Kersten Hamilton
TBP: Oct. 3, 2011
From Goodreads:

Teagan, Finn, and Aiden have made it out of Mag Mell alive, but the Dark Man's forces are hot on their heels. Back in Chicago, Tea’s goblin cousins show up at her school, sure she will come back to Mag Mell, as goblin blood is never passive once awoken. Soon she will belong to Fear Doirich and join them. In the meantime, they are happy to entertain themselves by trying to seduce, kidnap, or kill Tea’s family and friends.  

Teagan knows she doesn’t have much time left, and she refuses to leave Finn or her family to be tortured and killed. A wild Stormrider, born to rule and reign, is growing stronger inside her. But as long as she can hold on, she’s still Teagan Wylltson, who plans to be a veterinarian and who heals the sick and hurting. The disease that’s destroying her—that’s destroying them all—has a name: Fear Doirich.  

And Teagan Wylltson is not going to let him win.

SQUEE! Goblin Wars #2 is almost here! In case you missed the first one, go out and get it! 

First book:

So what are your Mag Mell wishes this week?