Showing posts with label Charlotte McConaghy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Charlotte McConaghy. Show all posts

Monday, April 6, 2015

Blog Tour: Melancholy by Charlotte McConaghy


Title: Melancholy: Episode One (The Cure #2) 
Author: Charlotte McConaghy 
Synopsis: Here in the west they know a lot about hope. They know how to ration it just as they do with food and water. Josephine is at last free of the blood moon. But in a desperate rush to find help for a comatose Luke, she discovers the strange and dangerous world of the resistance, and it is unlike any world Josi has known. In the west they believe in fury – they cultivate and encourage it. The unruly people of the resistance know that to survive means to fight. But can they fight the inevitable cure for sadness that rushes steadily closer? In the action-packed sequel to Fury, everything Josi believes about herself will be challenged. Haunted by atrocities and betrayals, she must find the strength to trust again, and decide how far she is willing to go to fight the inevitable. At times both brutal and sweet, Melancholy is the story of second chances and finding love in a ruined world.

Approaching a Sequel: Revisiting Characters
By Charlotte McConaghy

Thanks for having me on the blog today! To celebrate the release of my new novel Melancholy – Book 2 of The Cure Series, I thought I’d talk about revisiting characters in a sequel. While like returning to old friends, it’s also, in my opinion, one of the most difficult challenges a writer faces. I dealt with this in Melancholy, the sequel to Fury, which is the first in a romantic dystopian trilogy. I’ve found that book two is always the toughest in a series to approach – and that comes down to the structure of a character arc.

            With book one you have a more basic structure: a character who is missing something, is damaged in some way or unsatisfied with their life. You put them through trials and obstacles that challenge them to face their wounds or flaws – you make life really hard for them until they can bravely facilitate their own transformation. It feels satisfying and cathartic, and in a way it sort of feels neat.

            Then you have a break, exhausted, and wait for the tug of that character and that world to pull you back in. The start of book two is like taking a deep breath and plunging back under the surface – it’s wonderful, exciting, familiar and a bit terrifying. But after you’ve written a flurry of pages – probably all rubbish – you inevitable stop and think ‘Hang on. What’s this about?’ Who is this person you knew so well? Who have they become?
They can’t be too healthy or enlightened after the first transformation, or you’ve got no real story and a seriously dull character. But then again they can’t revert entirely back to their initial beliefs and flaws, or you’re sort of undercutting the whole point of book one.

So the trick is to work out a middle ground. To present your character with a new situation that maybe challenges them in a new, different way. Pull out previously unexplored qualities, while also allowing them to fall back into old habits or patterns. After all, people rarely change completely, but have to consistently work at understanding ourselves better. We are all extremely complex; we continue to plumb new depths and beliefs as we’re faced with new ideas or problems. So as a writer you have to allow the same levels of complexity in your characters.
I’ll go into detail about my series now, so – spoiler alert!

In Fury, Josephine goes through a mission to discover the truth. She has a tumultuous relationship with Luke, due to her brutal past and inability to trust. She is ruled by the fury of living in a world she hates, of feeling like the only sane one left in a land of emotionless drones, and of being powerless to the violent creature she becomes under the blood moon. Over the course of the book she learns to let Luke in, to see that there is beauty left in the world, and to allow herself joy as well as anger. She accesses her own power and agency as a woman, and is liberated by her decision not to be a victim, but to fight for what she believes.  

But it isn’t quite so straightforward as all of that. Luke has some pretty big secrets of his own. And the good thing about ending on a cliffhanger is that you have an easy way into book two – the aftermath of a climax is often as interesting as the climax itself. I left open a lot of storylines for myself – Josi has yet to forgive Luke for his betrayal; she took a bit of a slap in the face for finally trusting him. She’s also in a new world, the world of the resistance. So I had a lot to play with: acclimatizing her to a new situation, dealing with a whole lot of new characters. Navigating the issue of trust after betrayal. And most importantly, the guilt she’s drowning in for all the murders she committed in book one. She’s escaped the blood moon, but she hasn’t escaped any of the things it made her do.   

So in a way Josi reverts a bit to the disempowered girl she started the series as, and has to find her strength and courage again in a very different setting – the strength not only to fight, but to forgive. The challenge now is to leave room for more development in book three!

GIVEAWAY





Saturday, August 2, 2014

REVIEW: Thorne by Charlotte McConaghy


Title: Thorne (The Chronicles of Kaya #2) 
Author: Charlotte McConaghy 
Synopsis: Lovers in Kaya have always died together, bonded in death as in life. But a cure for the bond has sent rumours like wildfire through the land. A team of young Kayans will be sent on a quest to find the answer and, with rebellion brewing, the very nature of love is at stake. The beautiful but reckless Finn has never shied away from danger, and ending the bond means more to her than anyone knows. This adventure sounds thrilling to her, but Finn has always been willing to risk too much, and for the first time must face the idea that she has something—or someone—to lose. Crown Prince Thorne, in the neighbouring land of Pirenti, has grown up rejecting the legacy of his father’s blood, keeping caged the beast that lies dormant within. But the moment he sets eyes on the wild girl from the Kayan cliffs, his usual caution hasn’t a hope of surviving. As the world crumbles around them, can Finn and Thorne cast off the shadows to find a love stronger than either imagined? Or is their true challenge to find a way to embrace the darkness within?


My Review:

Personally, Thorne has been one of the most expected books of this year, I´ve been waiting for its release since I finished reading Avery last summer. I fell so deeply and utterly in love with Avery that it instantly became one of my favourite books . So I had high expectations for Thorne and I have to say that I loved it too, not as much as Avery because that book is a master piece but it will hold a place of honor in my book favourite list for sure.

The story takes place 18 years after the end of Avery and the main characters are Thorne, the heir to the throne, and Finn an adventurous Kayan girl that loves danger. There are four narrators in the story: Thorne, Finn, Falco and Quillane. In the beginning I didn´t like the chapters narrated by Falco and Quillane, I knew they were important but I was more interested in the development of the story of Thorne and Finn. Though in the end one of the best chapters of the whole book was the one narrated by Falco and Isadora. 

I have to admit that it took me sometime to like Finn, I liked her looks and attitude but I didn´t portrayed her as Thorne´s girl, it seemed like they were not going to fit together. Though in the end they were two opposite pieces of the same puzzle, they complemented each other perfectly. And Thorne was not what I was expecting, I thought he was going to be like his father violent and ruthless and he is the opposite. He is strong, fierce, and young. He loves deeply and cares for his family and friends. He avoids violence and blood at much as he can and he has a really strong will; he is powerful yet humble.
The secondary characters are  also an important part for the development of the plot. They give realism and color to the story. At first I wasn´t sure of Isadora´s role in the story but in the end she is a really important piece in the development of the book. The author has been able to surprise me, I wasn´t expecting that twist in the story at all. I was literally left with my mouth hanging open and re-reading it because it really took me by surprise. When I saw the title of the next book I squealed in excitement. I really think Isadora is going to my favourite book.
There are similitudes between Avery and Thorne, both male characters are from Pirenti while the females are from Kaya. Both couples seem to be mortal enemies that in the end overcome they differences. The stories´main events take place in an exciting journey. And of course there are heartbreaking scenes that made me cry like a baby. In both books I had to stop reading because I couldn´t see through my tears.
I loved that I got to know more about Avery and Ambrose, I really missed them.

McConaghy has created an epic love story in a world where it seemed impossible to conquer differences. While at the same time she has developed a web of intrigues and mysteries around the characters.
I can´t really find enough adjectives to say how much I love this series. The Chronicles of Kaya is an addictive, powerful, and wickedly breathtaking series that will grab your heart so tight in a fist of feelings that you will end up sobbing of pain and happiness while in awe because it so magical to feel that words can make you feel that much. And I would really would love to have them on paperback, I need them to be in my shelf.
The Chronicles of Kaya is a MUST read for all the fantasy lovers, I would also recommend it to romance and adventure readers. It has everything to be your next favourite series, so please go and give it a try, you won´t regret it!



Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday (39)

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we´re eagerly anticipating.

The book that I am waiting is :



Title: Fury: Episode 2 (The Cure #1)
Author: Charlotte McConaghy
Publisher: Momentum Books
Release Date: March 18th 2014
Synopsis: The sharp, tangy scent of rusted steel is in my nose. Bales of hay are bright yellow, like spun gold, shimmering in the light of the fire. There's more yellow—long tendrils of hair that belong to a child. I can smell her, can smell her fear.

It makes me hungry.

It's not rusted steel I smell after all—it's blood.

Scared of her growing feelings for Luke, Josi strikes out on her own, determined never to get close to another living soul. A desperate fear is kindling inside her—a fear of the intimacy Luke craves, and a fear of her own terrible past and the trail of murders she has left in her wake. 

Despite the danger, Luke is drawn to Josi, and is determined to discover the truth about her fury despite the risks. Luke knows that Josi will be hunted by the Bloods—the secret police who slaughter anyone who hasn't been cured. 

Is Josi's fury enough to keep her alive? And will the deadly secret Luke is keeping from her be discovered? It is a secret he has fought to protect—lied to protect. A secret that could destroy them both if discovered ...



- I am a huge fan of Charlotte´s books and after reading last week the first episode of her new dystopian series I am can´t wait to read this one.

Which book are you waiting on this week?




Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Prince Ambrose of Pirenti

El príncipe Ambrose de Pirenti es el protagonista masculino de la novela Avery (The Chronicles of Kaya) de Charlotte McConaghy. Ambrose es el segundo príncipe de Pirenti. Es guapo, listo y fuerte; y aunque en un principio no me gustó mucho, al final del libro estaba completamente enamorada de él. Es un hombre fantástico y el hecho de que a pesar de su difícil juventud sea capaz de amar tan intensamente es increíble.

Pero para que entendáis completamente a Ambrose, debéis leer Avery, es un libro fantástico que no os decepcionará.

The Prince Ambrose of Pirenti is the main male character of Charlotte McConaghy novel, Avery (The Chronicles of Kaya). Ambrose is the second prince of Pirenti. He's handsome, smart and strong and although at first I did not like him much, by the end of the book I was madly in love with him. He is a fantastic man, the fact that he loves so deeply despite his childhood is amazing.

But to understand and really love Ambrose, you need to read Avery, a fantastic book that is full of feelings and I highly recommend it.




Sunday, July 7, 2013

REVIEW: Avery

Avery (The Chronicles of Kaya #1)Título: Avery (The Chronicles of Kaya #1)
Autor: Charlotte McConaghy
Editorial: Random House
Sinopsis: La gente de Kaya muere en parejas. Cuando un amante muere, el otro también lo hace. Así ha sido durante miles de años, hasta Ava.
Porque aunque su compañero, Avery, ha sido asesinado y el alma de Ava se ha partido en dos, ella es la única que ha sido lo suficientemente fuerte como para aferrarse a la vida. Jurando venganza contra la bárbara reina de Pirenti, el plan de Ava se interrumpe cuando es capturada por el mortal príncipe de sus enemigos.
El príncipe Ambrose ha sido criado para matar y odiar. Pero cuando se hace cargo de un preso Kayano extrañamente cautivador y se ve obligado a sobrevivir con ella en una isla peligrosa, deberá reconsiderar todo lo que creía como verdadero. . .
En un país violento como Pirenti, donde la emoción es despreciada y vista  como una debilidad, ¿podrá encontrar la fuerza para luchar por la persona que ama. . . incluso cuando ella es su vengativo enemigo?
Avery es una dramática novela de fantasía romántica acerca de la pérdida y de la identidad, y de encontrar el coraje de amar a pesar de todo.

MI PERSONAJE FAVORITO: Ambrose es el segundo príncipe de Pirenti. Es guapo, inteligente, fuerte y aunque en un principio no me gustó mucho, para el final del libro estaba locamente enamorada. Es un hombre fantástico, el hecho de que ame tan profundamente a pesar de su infancia es increíble. Es el personaje que más emociones me provocó y el que más me sorprendió.

Opinión: Tuve la oportunidad de leer este maravilloso libro gracias a Netgalley. Lo solicité por la primera línea de la sinopsis "La gente de Kaya muere en parejas" y porque quería cambiar un poco de género literario y tengo que decir que no me decepcionó en absoluto, si no que me encantó.
Esta reseña va a ser una de las más difíciles porque el libro me transmitió tantas emociones que habiendo esperado un día para reseñarlo, todavía noto todos los sentimientos de los personajes amontonados dentro.

Hacía muchísimo tiempo que una novela de fantasía me había gustado tanto. Charlotte ha creado un mundo misterioso, hechizante y peligroso lleno de muchísimas emociones. Estoy muy contenta de haber tenido la oportunidad de leer este libro porque desde que leí Princesa Mecánica ningún libro me había llegado tan adentro. Y es que Avery es uno de esos libros que mientras lo estás leyendo no puedes dejar de suspirar, llorar y hablar contigo misma y con los personajes. En varias ocasiones tuve que parar de leer porque el libro transmite tantas emociones que es difícil continuar leyendo mientras sientes el corazón apretujado. La narración es maravillosa, fluida e incomparable. A través de las palabras he llegado a sentir la furia de Thorne, la fuerza de Ambrose, la pérdida de Ava y el deseo de Roselyn.


Hacía muchísimo tiempo que no leía sobre unos personajes tan bien desarrollados. El hecho de que la novela este narrada en 4 puntos de vista te hace tener la oportunidad de descubrir el mundo de Kaya y Pirenti desde diferentes ángulos. La habilidad que tiene la autora de convertirse en 4 personas diferentes es increíble y el hecho de que pudiera transmitir todo lo que ha transmitido en el libro es una hazaña fantástica.

Recomiendo esta novela encarecidamente, aunque he de avisar que tenéis que estar preparados para ser transportados a un mundo muy complicado y lleno de emociones. En algunas ocasiones serán tan vívidas que parecerá que sois el propio personaje.

Si pudiera le daría más de 5 estrellas y definitivamente me he hecho una fan de Charlotte Macgonaghy y no puedo esperar para leer el segundo libro. Desafortunadamente solo está en inglés y en versión ebook.

"Te amaba cuando eras un hombre, y te amo como a una mujer. Te veo como eres, Ave - rota en pedazos y sofocándote - y me encantan todas tus partes, no importa lo pequeños y destrozados que estén  ni lo lejos que hayan sido esparcidos ".-Avery-(Charlotte McConaghy)
Puntuación: 5/5





Avery, Charlotte McConaghyTitle: Avery (The Chronicles of Kaya #1)
Author: Charlotte McConaghy
Editorial: Random House
Synopsis: The people of Kaya die in pairs. When one lover dies, the other does too. So it has been for thousands of years – until Ava.

For although her bondmate, Avery, has been murdered and Ava’s soul has been torn in two, she is the only one who has ever been strong enough to cling to life. Vowing revenge upon the barbarian queen of Pirenti, Ava's plan is interrupted when she is instead captured by the deadly prince of her enemies.

Prince Ambrose has been brought up to kill and hate. But when he takes charge of a strangely captivating Kayan prisoner and is forced to survive with her on a dangerous island, he must reconsider all he holds true . . .

In a violent country like Pirenti, where emotion is scorned as a weakness, can he find the strength to fight for the person he loves . . . even when she’s his vengeful enemy?

Avery is a sweeping, romantic fantasy novel about loss and identity, and 
finding the courage to love against all odds.

MI FAVOURITE CHARACTER: Ambrose is the second prince of Pirenti. He's handsome, smart and strong and although at first I did not like him much, by the end of the book I was madly in love. He is a fantastic man, the fact that he loves so deeply despite his childhood is amazing. He is the character that surprised me the most.

Opinion: I had the opportunity to read this wonderful book through Netgalley. I requested it for the first line of the synopsis "The people of Kaya die in pairs" and because I wanted to change a little of literary genre and I have to say I was not disappointed at all, in fact I LOVED it.

This review will be one of the most difficult ones because the book gave me so many emotions that even after having waited a day to review it, yet I feel all the feelings of the characters piled inside me.
It had been a long time since I liked a fantasy so much as I did with Avery. Charlotte has created a mysterious, haunting and dangerous world filled with many emotions. I'm very glad I had the opportunity to read this book because since I read Clockwork Princess any book had come to me so deep inside me. And that is because Avery is one of those books that while you're reading it you cannot help but sigh, mourn and talk with yourself and with the characters. On several occasions, I had to stop reading because the book conveys so many emotions that it is difficult to continue reading while the heart feel cramped. The story is wonderful and unparalleled fluid. Through the words I have come to feel the fury of Thorne, the strength of Ambrose, Ava´s loss and Roselyn´s wishes.

It had been a long time since I read about characters so well developed. The fact that this novel is told in 4  different points of view gives the opportunity to discover the world of Kaya and Pirenti from different angles. The skill that the authorhas to create 4 different people with such different personalities is incredible and the fact that she could convey all that in the book is a fantastic feat.

I highly recommend this novel, but I've to told you that you have to be prepared to be transported to a very complicated world full of emotions. Sometimes it will seem so vivid that you will feel that you have become in one of the characters.

If I could give it more than 5 stars  I will and I´ve  definitely become a fan of Charlotte Macgonaghy and I cannot wait to read the second book. Unfortunately it is only in English and in ebook version.
 “I loved you when you were a man, and I love you as a woman. I see you as you are, Ave – broken into pieces and suffocating – and I love all the pieces of you, no matter how small they’ve shattered, nor how far they’ve been scattered.”- Avery- (Charlotte McCgonaghy)
Punctuation: 5/5






Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...