Blog Tour: Promising Light by Emily Ann Ward (Review + Giveaways)

Genre:	Epic Fantasy Romance
Publication.Date	January 2012
Pages:	?
Published By:	Emily Ann Ward  |
Website	Emily Ann Ward
	The Future Of Us - Goodreads
My review copy:	Received from the author in exchange for an honest review
Where to get:	Smashwords | Amazon |

    Grace began a secret courtship with Dar for the thrill of doing something against her father, the king’s general. She hadn’t planned on falling in love with him. When Dar suddenly leaves her, she searches for answers, reluctant to let him go.

Everyone seems determined to keep the truth from her—until she’s kidnapped by Dar’s family. They’re shape changers who claim she can break a curse set on them ten years ago by the Protectors, a group of noblemen determined to stifle magic in the name of safety.

Torn between two worlds, Grace isn’t sure who to trust. If the curse endures, Dar’s family could die out forever. But to help them, she’ll have to leave behind everything she knows.
(Goodreads)

I wish I could freeze this moment in time and carry it around with me.

 Shed given all of herself to him in the last six months, even if it hadn't been wise. Their relationship had started off playful, but she'd fallen for him quickly. He knew everything about her, from the birthmark on her stomach to how she liked her tea to her secrets, hopes, and dreams. Yet Dar still had his secrets and a past that he tried to keep hidden.

Nothing in your past could change the way I feel about you. I care about you. Not what's happened to you. 

   

     Promising Light by Emily Ann Ward was such a sweet and entertaining read! I absolutely loved the historical setting, vividly depicted scenes and overall medieval-ish atmosphere. It was  astonishing! This book is full of surprises: first, there's romance, after that - heartache and confusion, and then next thing you know, you're being totally sucked in by the marvelous supernatural world, full of shape shifters, Protectors, secrets, curses and magic. What an explosive and insanely intensive read!

      At the beginning of the story, we're introduced to Grace and Dar. Lady Grace Ellengreen is the beautiful daughter of the King's general. Sir Dar is the handsome and wealthy son of a respected governor of Shyra. These two have been sneaking around and secretly dating behind Grace's father's back for a while now. The reason for wanting to keep their relationship a secret is simple: Grace's father wouldn't approve of them being together. Whether it's because of the bad reputation of Shyra, or something more personal, one thing's for sure: he dislikes Dar and his family. Not to mention that, supposedly as a cover-up, Dar is courting Lady Rebekah Morten. The situation get's even more weird and complicated when a mysterious, cloaked man tells Grace that Dar is a dangerous man, and warns her to stay away from him. When Grace tells Dar about the bizarre encounter, he breaks it off with her and disappears. How much weirder can it get? Well, a lot! There's a whole world out there that Grace didn't know existed. A world full of magic, supernatural creatures, mind readers and old curses. What will she do when she uncovers Dar's secret?

      Wow. Emily Ann Ward is a truly remarkable storyteller. I was amazed by her creativity and imagination. The story flowed smoothly, the dialogues were dynamic and sparkly, and, most importantly, the plot line was great. It's amazing how tension in the story was steadily building up, and how mystery would work with conflict to raise the emotional level to the point that you'd shift impatiently in your seat, eager to find out what will happen next. It's the kind of story that readers will be captivated by and fully invested in.

      I must admit that I wasn't very fond of Dar at the beginning. I didn't understand why he chose to court Lady Rebekah while he was secretly meeting Grace at the same time. When he disappeared from Grace's life, leaving her confused and slightly heartbroken (I say "slightly because, let's face it, Grace is not the kind of gal to sit around and weep after a guy!), I disliked him even more. And when they met again, and he was giving her the proverbial "cold shoulder", my feelings solidified. But that's of course all part of the big mystery, and once you get to know him better and learn more about the secrets he was keeping, and his tragic past, you begin to see him in a different light. Grace, on the other hand, was a character I liked from the very beginning. Smart, brave, with a healthy dose of sass, she was a very positive heroine and I had a great time following her adventures.

      Right from the first sentence, Promising Light, is amazing, adventurous, fun and entertaining. Emily Ann Ward created a beautiful, engaging story. I had a a fantastic time reading her novel and am definitely looking forward to her next books!

 

The Stops

January 30th: The start of Author of the Week at Full Moon Bites with Holly.

January 31st: Author interview with Ritesh. Ritesh is also hosting the giveaway for two paperback copies!

February 1st: Author interview with Coral at Chaos and Insanity.

February 2nd: Grace’s Google history, an excerpt from the first chapter, and an ebook giveaway with Kate at The Southern Scrawl.

February 3rd: The evolution of Promising Light guest post and an ebook giveaway with Coral at Alchemy of Scrawl.

February 4th: “What I’d Do if I were a Shape Changer” guest post and an ebook giveaway with Kate at Who Needs Neverland?

February 5th: If Promising Light Become a Movie guest post with Delphina.

February 6th: Author interview with Anjana at Kindle And Me.

February 7th: “What Would Your Character Do If?” Guest Post with TK Richardson.

February 8th: Excerpt with Theresa at Fade Into Fantasy.

February 9th: Characters Sierra and Sashe interview each other on Fade Into Fantasy.

February 10th: Book review -  Evie at Bookish.

February 11th: Guest post about the prequel novellas and review with Karen.

February 12th: The locations of Promising Light guest post with Vidya at Books Are Magic.

February 13th: Book Soundtrack for Promising Light with Ron.

February 14th: Character Interview with Grace, review, and ebook giveaway with Danica.

February 15th: Character Interview with Dar, excerpt, and ebook giveaway with Laurie.

BLOG TOUR GIVEAWAYS:

Ebooks: Five chances to win an ebook of Promising Light over five different blogs.

Paperbacks: Emily is giving away two paperback on Ritesh’s blog. US only.
$20 Gift Card: Amazon or Barnes & Noble, winner’s choice. International. Gain entries for each post you comment on with your e-mail and name OR gain five entries by buying Promising Light before February 15th and e-mailing your receipt to emilyannward at yahoo dot com. 

❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

About the Author

Evie is the Blogger behind Bookish. She enjoys reading many different genres, especially YA, Paranormal, Contemporary Fiction and Fantasy.

She loves talking to authors and is always happy to welcome them for interviews, and guest posts. She also likes spreading the love for awesome books and  chatting with fellow book-worms.

You can find Evie here: Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Shelfari | The Library Thing