Steam (Legends Saga, Book 3) by Stacey Rourke #blogtour with review and #giveaway @Rourkewrites


We hope you enjoy today's tour. The Legends Saga simply blew me away and can't wait to pass on how great these books are. Check out the awesomeness of the covers too. Don't forget to enter the giveaway! 


STEAM by Stacey Rourke
Genre: New Adult, Paranormal


Time passes, sins forgotten.
The bodies of the victims long since rotten.

Trapped within the essence of the Headless Horseman by the guilt of slaughtering her best friend, Ireland Crane follows the father of science fiction, HG Wells, in search of freedom from the curse that binds her. Instead, she discovers even he has a hidden agenda. A dark, relentless passion to be reunited with the woman he loves has driven him to manipulate time and a murderous Horseman.

Yet heed my warning, as the Raven flies,
The Hessian will come … and you will die.
All that prevents Ireland from abandoning Wells’ twisted pursuit, or introducing him to her sword, are the undead witches haunting her. Begging for freedom from a vile succubus, the ghoulish coven leads Ireland and her crew on a journey through Salem’s sordid past. There, they learn there is more to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s history than a scarlet letter, and the secret they’ve uncovered seeks to destroy them all. 

Purchase
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Smashwords


First off, I have to admit The Legends Saga by Stacey Rourke is one of those YA series I've kept hearing about, even had the first book on my Kindle, but never got around to reading. Until now. NOW. All I can say now is "Wow!" I really wished I'd started reading this series sooner. This series freakin' rocks! 

I live in the Hudson Valley and the legend of Ichabod Crane is known/revered by many residents. I've been to Sleepy Hollow and adore the picturesque town. I even love the TV series. The first book in Rourke's highly addictive series, CRANE, has it all. The myth, the setting of the town, witchcraft, curses, and so much more. Oh my gosh, the imagination this author has! Main character Ireland Crane has to deal with a lot, from infidelity to handling the darkness inside her. Her snark had me snickering throughout my reading and appreciating her humor amidst the darkness and various goings on. Noah Van Tassel is the kind of guy I love to fall in love with while enraptured in a good story. I really admired the skill the author displayed in how she handled the legends while infusing it with unique details and creating a fabulous whole new world to enchant readers with. Giving us the flashbacks of Ichabod's story really helped me create a highly visualized world. What an intense tale!

From CRANE to RAVEN, book two simply intensifies an already dark, addictive and satisfying series. Cursed tattoos, piecing together mysteries all while dealing with what is inside her, Ireland's character changes and grows, and I can only cheer for her from the sidelines. From the dark overtones of Washington Irving's creations to the macabre mind of Edgar Allen Poe, Rourke continues her awesome storytelling and succeeds in showcasing her skills as a master storyteller. Ireland is part of a trio now, along with her sidekick Rip, and Ridley. I appreciated the brilliance of Poe while reading, enjoying the way things unfurled with things happening in the past and present. Lenore is one tough cookie and I felt sorry for Manhattan. Ridley and the ghosts held my attention as my emotions switched from hate to love with him. The twists and turns in book two made me glad I had the third book to jump right into.

STEAM only cemented my belief that there's nothing Stacey Rourke can't do. The addition of H.G. Wells, the Salem Witch Trials and Nathaniel Hawthorne were brilliant and added to the creepy atmosphere. Why isn't this series optioned for film or a TV series??? This book was also sad, I mean heartbreaking sad, but I still enjoyed it immensely. Ireland is already dealing with being the Hessian and sharing her body with the Headless Horseman. Now she adds haunting witches and H.G. Wells to the mix. Wells offers her his assistance but his motives aren't selfless, that's for sure. Ireland has grown so much over these books and I've been stoked to be able to go along with her on this crazy journey. There's so much to say about this series-from the uniqueness of each book to the intense twists and un-see-able turns to the admirable way the author adds her own spins to reinvent timeless lore. Reading this series has been quite a ride! 

I always like to check out how authors handle retellings. Some are done well, others are not, and the Legends Saga is a master class on how to do it correctly. Let me say that Rourke has amazing writing chops! To take beloved legends and add her own ideas to create such memorable characters and novels while seamlessly weaving both together into a kickass story was no easy feat. I'm not sure if this is the end of the series (there is some room for more!) but I would definitely grab anything else if available in the future. I will end my review with a shout-out to Najla Qamber for her gorgeous GORGEOUS covers!!! They are breathtakingly beautiful and perfectly represent the brilliance of the Legends Saga. I LOVED this series and know I will be rereading them to enjoy them all over again.

Rating: 5 (the entire series)
Cover comment: Stunning!
Book source: I received promotional copies.

Books 1 & 2 

 

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About the Author

-RONE Award Winner for Best YA Paranormal Work of 2012 for Embrace, a Gryphon Series Novel
-Young Adult and Teen Reader voted Author of the Year 2012
-Turning Pages Magazine Winner for Best YA book of 2013 & Best Teen Book of 2013 
Stacey Rourke is the author of the award winning YA Gryphon Series as well as the chillingly suspenseful Legends Saga. She lives in Michigan with her husband, two beautiful daughters, and two giant dogs. She loves to travel, has an unhealthy shoe addiction, and considers herself blessed to make a career out of talking to the imaginary people that live in her head. 


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