Awakened blog tour: excerpt, review and giveaway

We are one of today's stops on the Awakened blog tour hosted by Xpresso Book Tours. Read the excerpt, we have our review, and enter the giveaway. Thanks for visiting!

Awakened (The Legends Of Elyndia, book #1)by Kriston Johnson

YA Fantasy*Paperback/eBook, 274 pages

Publication date: April 25th 2013 

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Can fighting for the right side be the wrong thing to do?

Draven, the tyrant ruler of Elyndia for the last one thousand years, searches for the one who can fulfill his prophecy.

The Paladins, an elite band of warriors sworn to protect their way of life at all cost, search for the one with the ability to bring their world crumbling down.

An innocent girl, tormented by demons only she can see, lives on the brink of insanity and longs for a life of peace.

When seventeen-year-old Jade Rosenberg reads from an antique book, she has no idea she just read an incantation awaking her inherited power. But when opposing—and equally terrifying—groups invade her home, she learns she is descended from an enchanted realm and a member of a powerful race thought to have been hunted to extinction. 

Ripped from her world, Jade is forced to seek refuge from those who want her dead. She is given one of two options and the time has come for her to make a choice: assassinate their sworn enemy…

Or sacrifice her soul.

Excerpt:
An Offer He Could Not Refuse

A young servant girl entered the throne room and padded across the flagstone floor, carrying a delicate metal cage in her trembling hands. She remained silent while waiting for her next command. Draven slowly stood and glided over to the pedestal to his left, his black robe trailing behind him. He inhaled a deep breath and stared at the empty gilded cage that sat before him. He suddenly swung his arm at it, sending it flying across the spacious room, and it crashed loudly against the floor. The servant gently rested the new cage in its place and swiftly fled the room.

Draven sat down and leaned back into his throne made of solid gold. His gaze bore down on the man cowering before him. “You have two Elementals tucked safely away behind your walls. I want them.”

“I am afraid that is a matter out of my control.” The petrified man sat quite still, purposely avoiding Draven’s scrutiny.

A buzzing noise vibrated from the cage. A pixie fluttered her tiny wings, flying frantically and bouncing off the bars. Annoyed, Draven shot silver sparks out of his fingertips, aiming at the pixie. She was quick and barely dodged them.

“You have the ability to free them.” Draven’s lips curled into a sneer.

“I am flattered, sir, that you think I have the ability to grant your wish, but I must regretfully inform you that you are mistaken.”

With the flick of his index finger, Draven magically opened the cage door. The pixie tucked her wings against her back and pressed herself against the far wall of her cell.

“It’s okay, my little darling. Please come to me,” Draven said to the pixie. She took tiny, hesitant steps until she reached the edge and peered out the door. He turned his attention back to the man. “I am truly sorry to hear that.”

The pixie took off in flight from her cage and zipped toward an open window. Draven raised his open hand and summoned her to him, and she involuntarily flew in his direction. She let out a squeak as Draven swatted her to the ground; she lay unmoving, knocked out cold.

“What if I offered you your deepest desire?”

“There is only one thing I would wish for and I am afraid not even you could grant that wish. The only thing I want in this world is my wife, and she’s dead. There is nothing beyond that that could persuade me to help you.”

The pixie stirred, slowly regaining consciousness. After a minute of watching the tortured pixie attempting to flee to safety, Draven shot sparks out of his hand, hitting the pixie in the back. She spiraled to the ground, and what was left of her wings sizzled to ash from the electric shock.

“What if I could bring your wife back? Could you be persuaded to help me then?” Draven walked over to the pixie and waved his hand inches above the dead creature. A glittering wave of magic washed over her body, restoring her strength and beauty. She tried for her freedom one last time, and inches from the window Draven summoned her, sending her straight back to her cage.

“I’m listening.”

About the author:

Kriston Johnson

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

Kriston Johnson lives in Southwest Washington with her husband, teenage son, and miniature Australian Shepherd. Her home rests at the fringe of an old growth forest that she insists is the home of Jason Voorhees. Her husband thinks that’s a ridiculous assumption, because everyone knows it’s really Bigfoot. Every summer Kriston participates in the annual pilgrimage to Faerieworlds, a real life faerie realm here on Earth, and has an unhealthy obsession with Star Wars, The Vampire Diaries, and Iron Man. Awakened is her first novel. You can visit her online at www.kristonjohnson.blogspot.com.

A tough talking seventeen year old. A magical grimoire. Another realm. A unique talent. A great cover. These are some of the things I found in Kriston Johnson's YA fantasy, Awakened. Jade is cool, sassy, and totally confused. Literally tossed into a magical world she didn't know about, she still gets her sass on and takes care of herself. She unknowingly spoke an incantation she read from a book and opened up a can of magical whoop.

Jade lives with her grandfather who runs an antiques shop. But there's more to Walter and his assistant, Maggie, than Jade knows. When Jade finds herself in another world, the land of Elyndia, she resorts to her instincts since she doesn't know what's going on. There's action, mystery, romance, a vividly described realm, and enough magic to charm fans of YA fantasy.

I found Jade my favorite type of YA heroine. Author Kriston Johnson has created an alluring tale mixing realism and magic, demons and the elements, and I enjoyed it. I did feel just as confused as Jade in the beginning and liked it. The unknowing made the discoveries Jade encountered even more realistic. The action kept me grounded and I'm curious to what happens next in the series. Recommended.

Rating: 

Cover comment:

What can I say? Another gorgeous cover created by Regina at Mae I Design. Love it!

Book source:

I received a promotional copy in return for my honest review during a book tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway