Book Tour: HEARTSTONE Review

January 20, 2017 erinthebooknut Book review

About the Book:

Title: HEARTSTONE
Author: Elle Katharine White
Pub. Date: January 17, 2017
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Pages: 352
Formats: Paperback eBook
Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Goodreads

A debut historical fantasy that recasts Jane Austen’s beloved Pride & Prejudice in an imaginative world of wyverns, dragons, and the warriors who fight alongside them against the monsters that threaten the kingdom: gryphons, direwolves, lamias, banshees, and lindworms.

They say a Rider in possession of a good blade must be in want of a monster to slay—and Merybourne Manor has plenty of monsters.

Passionate, headstrong Aliza Bentaine knows this all too well; she’s already lost one sister to the invading gryphons. So when Lord Merybourne hires a band of Riders to hunt down the horde, Aliza is relieved her home will soon be safe again.

Her relief is short-lived. With the arrival of the haughty and handsome dragonrider, Alastair Daired, Aliza expects a battle; what she doesn’t expect is a romantic clash of wills, pitting words and wit against the pride of an ancient house. Nor does she anticipate the mystery that follows them from Merybourne Manor, its roots running deep as the foundations of the kingdom itself, where something old and dreadful slumbers . . . something far more sinister than gryphons.

It’s a war Aliza is ill-prepared to wage, on a battlefield she’s never known before: one spanning kingdoms, class lines, and the curious nature of her own heart.

Elle Katharine White infuses elements of Austen’s beloved novel with her own brand of magic, crafting a modern epic fantasy that conjures a familiar yet wondrously unique new world.

About Elle:
Elle was born and raised in Buffalo, NY, where she learned valuable life skills like how to clear a snowy driveway in under twenty minutes (a lot easier than you think) and how to cheer for the perennial underdog (a lot harder than you think).
MEET ELLE

When she’s not writing she spends her time reading, drinking absurd amounts of tea, having strong feelings about fictional characters, and doing her best to live with no regrets.

Connect with her on Facebook at @ellewhite.author, or witness the hilarious spectacle that is a writer contending with the 140-character limit on Twitter at @elle_k_writes.
Website | Twitter |Tumblr | Facebook | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of HEARTSTONE, US Only.

Rafflecopter code:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rafflecopter Link:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/ZTIzODliYTI4ZTEzMGVjODBhNzA2MmFmMTU3YWM3OjUyNw==/?

Tour Schedule:

Week One:
1/9/2017- YA Book Nerd- Interview
1/10/2017- Seeing Double In Neverland – Review
1/11/2017- Novel Novice- Guest Post
1/12/2017- What the Cat Read- Review
1/13/2017- Two Chicks on Books- Interview

Week Two:
1/16/2017- Fiction Fare – Review
1/17/2017- The Eater of Books!- Excerpt
1/18/2017- History from a Woman’s Perspective- Review
1/19/2017- Stories & Sweeties- Excerpt
1/20/2017- The Book Nut- Review

THE REVIEW:

Guys.

GUYS!

Heartstone has been on my radar for MONTHS. All you had to do was say fantasy + Pride and Prejudice and you had me. Add dragons? BONUS! I’m a happy Austenite.

So of course I jumped at this chance immediately. I was not disappointed.

Fans of P&P will be very pleased with this retelling as it remains very loyal to the original story. The characters remain recognizable to their Austen origins and balance it with new traits that make each lovable or hated in their own right.

Now add dragons, a dash of wyverns, and a handful of other fantastical creatures. What can be better? I do have a few questions, one of which is of course is this a standalone? Because if it is there are a lot of loose ends that remain untied. I could happily do with more from these characters, either in using another story to continue the retelling aspect or if it were to just continue on its own. Either way, there needs to be some closure to a few characters’ story arcs that I can see continuing on into another book or more.

I also enjoyed the fact that Heartstone had its own narrative along side that of the retelling. That plot is just as strong as the P&P backbone, mushing with it beautifully without either overshadowing or underperforming. It makes the story its own unique creation rather than just another P&P retelling. I has its own history, its own mythology and inhabits its own world. It’s a balance that I don’t think was easily struck but the care the author has taken clearly shows.

I adored this book, enough to buy a physical copy for my collection. My expectations were not only met, they were exceeded. Easily a 4 1/2 read, only missing 5 by virtue of its loose ends.