Welcome back to another week here on Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers. Today, I'm thrilled to be hosting a spot
on the THE FALL OF THE HOUSE TATTERLY by Shanna Miles Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out
my review, a special GUEST POST, and don't miss your chance to win in the tour wide giveaway before you click on over to the other fab sites participating! Let's get this party started...
THE FALL OF THE HOUSE TATTERLY
by Shanna Miles
Pub. Date: October 10, 2023
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook
Pages: 280
Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/THE-FALL-OF-THE-HOUSE-TATTERLY
Twelve-year-old Theo Tatterly’s
ability to see ghosts is a useful skill in a house full of dead relatives, but
it makes him a loner at school and everywhere else, where ghosts eternally
pester him for help. For Theo, life is easier on the periphery. When his first
failed exorcism portends an end to the Tatterly line, Theo must bring together
his entire family—living and dead—to save the home they’ve lived in for
generations . . . and maybe the world.
Author Shanna Miles’s story of magical modern-day Charleston crackles with
unforgettable characters and pays homage to the city’s rich culture, folklore,
and history.
Reviews:
“A richly detailed story that amplifies the importance of
connections and community.”—Kirkus Reviews
"A spine-chilling stand-alone for readers who love the works of Eden Royce
and Lora Senf." —Booklist
"Over-the-top fantastical ambiance, paired with rich depictions of
Charleston’s historical and cultural lore, makes for an endearing, enchanting
adventure teeming with quirky characters." - Publishers Weekly
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Quickie review from my time between the pages...
...I really enjoyed this one! From the super appropriate timing for release (it IS October, and all things with a SPOOKY tinge rule, and yes, this has it in spades!) to the family heritage shared (fascinating learning about a culture!), the bigger back story that allows you to really get into it to the characters themselves (both alive, and not so much!) that bring you along for the ride to the lessons learned along the way (such as asking for help is not a sign of weakness!), everything feels real, has that tangibility that only comes from great storytelling.
I really felt for Theo as he seemed so locked in by his "talent", but he handled it with hard earned maturity, and more responsibility than most adults could/would. What he tried to do for the spirits left behind was commendable, even if he didn't always seek assistance where assistance was MORE than warranted. Issa was also a curiosity to me...one of the scenes I remember most was the aquarium and how she charmed the sea animals seemingly without trying, and yet could be so easily taken over by a rogue spirit for better or worse. It seemed she had two halves of a wicked powerful stone that didn't add up to much freedom either. All of the Aunties leave their mark as well, but if I start listing them out, we'll be here all night. My point is, the entire Tatterly family is remarkable in their own way, but they also remind us that that which makes them remarkable, whether asked for or not, comes at a price. They were all too happy to "pay" it, but would YOU be?
Now, let's get into a little TOP FIVE action with the author herself as we tackle your favorite subject and mine...BOOKS!
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~~~ GUEST POST ~~~
Top 5 Books of Shanna Miles
with author Shanna Miles
I’m
old enough to remember the Top 8 at MySpace. For all of you born in
the new millennium, My Space, was a social network that rivaled
Facebook and you had to curate a homepage that listed your top 8
friends on the site. It was a big deal to be on someone’s Top 8.
The whole enterprise was anxiety inducing. Similarly, choosing my
favorite books of all time is also a little nerve wracking. How can I
choose just five? Will I feel the same about my choices a year from
now and have to justify the change?
Given
all that I won’t say that these are my favorite books of all time,
but my favorite books today. My debut middle grades novel, The Fall
of the House of Tatterly, is a fantasy set in Charleston, South
Carolina. It features twelve-year-old Theo Tatterly, a boy medium who
finds himself in a battle for his home and his soul when a centuries
old demon rises from the grave. It’s spooky and fantastic and
because of that I’ve got horror and fantasy on the brain. So here
are my top 5 speculative fiction picks.
Ring
Shout by P. Djeli Clark
I
had the privilege of being on a panel with the author this year and I
was absolutely geeked out. Ring Shout was my favorite book of 2021.
It’s about a rag tag group of zombie killers in Macon, Georgia
during the 1930’s, and the zombie’s are klan members. Delicious!
Cinderella
is Dead by Kalynn Bayron
This
gem is set in a fictional town two hundred years after Cinderella’s
death. Of course, she’s worshiped as some kind of quasi-goddess,
because of course that would happen. The commoner becomes the queen?
That’s a legend. But now , it’s bound all girls to the same kind
of ritual, where they are chosen by men in their village with no
choice and no escape. It’s fun, and queer and full of adventure. I
love it.
Reverie
by Ryan La Sala
This
was something I loved because of the world building. Kane Montgomery
was found unconscious in a river and he can’t remember why. That
would be messed up enough, but when he’s dragged waking into these
dream worlds with people who claim to be his friends, but feel
dangerous, things get weird and in the best way.
The
Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
I
love a book set in the South. Give me a heart to heart in a Waffle
House and I’m sold. Grady is able to evoke the humid and haunting
feeling of living in South Carolina, while also tossing in some
pretty vicious vampires. He also allows older women to be the heroes,
which doesn’t often happen in slasher stories.
Fiyah
Lit’s Entire Catalog
Sometimes
I can’t sustain the attention span to read something long. I may be
drafting something new and I don’t want to take that long of a
break so short stories are my go to. Fiyah Lit is a speculative
fiction literary magazine that publishes short stories, non-fiction
essays and poems. With a focus on afro-futurism I always find
something new and refreshing.
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About the author...
Born and raised in Columbia, South Carolina, Shanna
Miles considers herself a dyed-in-the-wool Southern girl. She lives in
Georgia with her family. When she’s not working as a high school librarian, she
can be found writing. Visit her online at shannamiles.net or on Twitter at
@srmilesauthor.
Subscribe to Shanna’s newsletter! (scroll to the bottom of the page)
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Goodreads
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~ GIVEAWAY ~~~
1 winner
will receive a finished copy of THE FALL OF THE HOUSE TATTERLY, US Only.
Ends October
17th, midnight EST.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Special thanks to Rockstar Book Tours for the chance to bring this tour to you and to the publisher for the copy for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, the publisher, this tour, or those on this horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. Be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more...
Tour Schedule:
Week One:
Week Two:
Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!
