Hello Friends!
It’s Friday! How are you doing? What are your plans for the weekend? Tomorrow I’m going to be away all day since there is a conference that I will be going to. And hopefully, I will be able to read, do some writing on my novel and work on some posts.
But today I bring the review of “Visions of Zarua“, written by Suzanne Rogerson, this is a fantasy novel published on 16th November 2015. So… Happy Book Birthday!
I want to thank Rachel, at Rachel’s Random Resources, and Suzanne for the eCopy of this book and for allowing me to join in the fun and by being a part of the blog tour with my honest review of the book.
Blurb
Two wizards, 350 years apart. Can they save the realm of Paltria from Zarua’s dark past?
An ancient darkness haunts the realm of Paltria.
Apprentice wizard Paddren is plagued by visions of a city on the brink of annihilation. When his master dies in mysterious circumstances, the Royal Order of Wizards refuses to investigate.
Helped by his childhood friend, the skilled tracker Varnia, and her lover Leyoch, Paddren vows to find the killer.
The investigation leads Paddren down a sinister path of assassins, secret sects and creatures conjured by blood magic. But he is guided by a connection with a wizard from centuries ago – a wizard whose history holds the key to the horror at the heart of the abandoned city of Zarua. Can Paddren decipher his visions in time to save the Paltrian people from the dark menace of Zarua’s past?
Purchase Link – Amazon
Visions of Zarua is only 99p for a limited time to celebrate the book birthday.
Author Bio
Suzanne lives in Middlesex, England with her hugely encouraging husband and two children.
She wrote her first novel at the age of twelve. She discovered the fantasy genre in her late teens and has never looked back. Giving up work to raise a family gave her the impetus to take her attempts at novel writing beyond the first draft, and she is lucky enough to have a husband who supports her dream – even if he does occasionally hint that she might think about getting a proper job one day.
Suzanne loves gardening and has a Hebe (shrub) fetish. She enjoys cooking with ingredients from the garden, and regularly feeds unsuspecting guests vegetable-based cakes.
She collects books, loves going for walks and picnics with the children and sharing with them her love of nature and photography.
Suzanne is interested in history and enjoys wandering around castles. But most of all she likes to escape with a great film, or soak in a hot bubble bath with an ice cream and a book.
Social Media Links – Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon | Goodreads
My Review
This is the first book I’m reading of Suzanne and it was a good introduction to her work because I saw her writing style and got to know a ‘new-to-me’ author. I was captivated about this book as soon as I saw the cover, it had that vibe that said this would be an intriguing, epic, spooky, mysterious novel. And that’s what I got.
This book had a great concept since it’s told from two different time periods, 350 years apart. And that’s different and I wasn’t confused about that because it was like reading a book with different POVs. after getting it and understanding the novel in that perspective, I get use to it and understand where the characters were, and who they are, and what time was.
Speaking of the characters, it was a great group with well developed characters, that have flaws, issues, dreams, ideas, beliefs, needs, and you could feel their emotions and feel empathy for them, get curious about their secrets and thoughts, and want to know more about what they are going to do next. In the end I felt connected to them.
The author created an amazing world with relatable characters, many secrets, magic and a touch of romance in a great recipe for a wonderful fantasy standalone novel. Besides the magical aspect of this story, there is mystery and action and that’s always something I like in fantasy books because it makes it dynamic and intriguing.
Overall, I loved the book. It was a refreshing fantasy novel with the right elements that made the plot interesting, and the author’s writing style was what connected everything and made it amazing.
Giveaway
For a chance to win 3 x Paperback Copies of Visions of Zarua Click Here
(Open Internationally)
*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
Don’t forget to check out all the other bloggers that given their contribute in this Blog Tour, from reviews to basic promo/spotlight posts.
Don’t forget to comment, don’t be stranger. If you have any book recommendation you can leave a message using the form on my Contact Me page.
If you are an author and want me to do a review of your book you can go check out my Request Review page.
I always welcome new books to add to my list and I’m always excited to do reviews and read books.
And if you would like to join me as a guest on my blog, check out the Guests Post page to know more and contact me so we can start planing your visit.
Love,
Jess
Jess Bookish Life 
Hi Jess. Thank you so much for your review and for joining in the birthday book blitz today. I’m really happy you liked Visions of Zarua!
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