Rockstar Book Tours presents... THE LIBRARY OF BROKEN WORLDS by Alaya Dawn Johnson - REVIEW + GIVEAWAY!

Today, I'm hosting a spot on the THE LIBRARY OF BROKEN WORLDS by Alaya Dawn Johnson Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my mini review, snag your chance to enter the giveaway, then swing by the other sites participating!

 

Title: THE LIBRARY OF BROKEN WORLDS

Author: Alaya Dawn Johnson

Pub. Date: June 6, 2023

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 448

Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/THE-LIBRARY-OF-BROKEN-WORLDS

A girl matches wits with a war god in this kaleidoscopic, thought-provoking tale of oppression and the cost of peace, where stories hide within other stories, and narrative has the power to heal -- or to burn everything in its path -- from World Fantasy Award–winning author Alaya Dawn Johnson.

A girl and a god, alone in communion ...

In the winding underground tunnels of the Library, the great peacekeeper of the three systems, a heinous secret lies buried -- and Freida is the only one who can uncover it. As the daughter of a Library god, Freida has spent her whole life exploring the Library's ever-changing tunnels and communing with the gods. Her unparalleled access makes her unique -- and dangerous.

When Freida meets Joshua, a Tierran boy desperate to save his people, and Nergüi, a disciple from a persecuted religious minority, Freida is compelled to help them. But in order to do so, she will have to venture deeper into the Library than she has ever known. There she will discover the atrocities of the past, the truth of her origins, and the impossibility of her future.

With the world at the brink of war, Freida embarks on a journey to fulfill her destiny, one that pits her against an ancient war god. Her mission is straightforward: Destroy the god before he can rain hellfire upon thousands of innocent lives -- if he doesn't destroy her first.

 

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I'm not gonna lie, this book is pretty intense! It's rated for the Young Adult crowd and beyond, but, it's total high Science Fiction. Is that a thing? If not,  it should be. Normally I hear high Fantasy as a sub genre, but this has all the earmarks but with the scientific twist. The world being built seems unimaginable. The beings we encounter seem just beyond reachable, and their humanity is certainly in question. The tasks set before them register as impossible. The environment they inhabit seems to breath and alter, yet has no true pulse. It's a Library but not like any you or I have ever seen, or probably will see, though from some of the things that occur, I can't say I'm sorry about that. However, although much seems beyond reach, the class struggles, personal battles, and all out wars to gain things lost, and protect things not their own... yeah; those sound familiar. 

It's a story within a story within a story that reminds us we can only move forward if we embrace the past, learn from it, and built on it. We can do anything we set our minds to, but set them we must. Nothing ever truly dies if there is but one being that still holds the memory of it. Along with a very curious and intertwined tale, we also have an inclusive cast that readers can find themselves in at some point or another, inviting everyone to get lost between the pages, and see just how much power a story can hold. 

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About the author...

Alaya Dawn Johnson is an award-winning short story writer and the author of seven novels for adults and young adults. Her most recent novel for adults, Trouble the Saints, won the 2021 World Fantasy Award for best novel. Her debut short story collection, Reconstruction, was an Ignyte Award and a Hurston/Wright Legacy Award finalist. Her debut YA novel The Summer Prince was longlisted for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, and the follow-up Love Is the Drug was awarded the Andre Norton Nebula Award. Her short stories have appeared in many magazines and anthologies, most notably the title story in The Memory Librarian, in collaboration with Janelle Monáe. She lives in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Find Alaya- https://linktr.ee/alayadawnjohnson | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

 

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Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of THE LIBRARY OF BROKEN WORLDS, US Only.

Ends June 20th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Special thanks to the Rockstar Book Tours team 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 the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now via Scholastic Press, so click on over to your favorite online retailer or plan a trip to your local brick and mortar store!

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

5/22/2023	yabookscentral.com	Interview
5/23/2023	The Reading Life	Excerpt/IG Post
5/24/2023	@katherinebichler	TikTok Post
5/25/2023	@jlreadstoperpetuity	Review/IG Post
5/26/2023	@enjoyingbooksagain	IG Review
5/27/2023	onemused	IG Post

Week Two:

5/28/2023	celiamcmaahonreads	IG Review
5/29/2023	thealylifestyle	Review/IG Post
5/30/2023	travelersguidetobooks	IG Review
5/31/2023	Jaime_of_gryffindor	Review/IG Post
6/1/2023	@get.outside.and.read	IG Post
6/2/2023	Book-Keeping	Review/IG Post
6/3/2023	More Books Please blog	Review/IG Post

Week Three:

6/4/2023	Author Z. Knight’s Guild	Review/IG Post
6/5/2023	A Backwards Story	Review/IG Post
6/6/2023	Confessions of the Perfect Mom	Review/IG Post
6/7/2023	A Dream Within A Dream	Review/IG Post
6/8/2023	The Momma Spot	Review/IG Post
6/9/2023	@froggyreadteach	IG Review
6/10/2023	Fall Between the Pages	IG Review/TikTok Post

Week Four:

6/11/2023	OneMoreExclamation	Review/IG Post
6/12/2023	A Blue Box Full of Books	IG Review/LFL Drop Pic/TikTok Post
6/13/2023	Country Mamas With Kids	Review/IG Post
6/14/2023	@get.outside.and.read	IG Review
6/15/2023	Books with Brandie Shanae	YouTube Review/IG Post
6/16/2023	Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers	Review/IG Post

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

Get ENTANGLED in your weekend reading!

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Alright, so is it just me or is July going by UBER fast?  I mean there seems to be so much going on that it's hard to keep up, and that's especially true when it comes to reading!  How so?  Well, let me tell you that there have been copious amounts of FABULOUS, WONDERFUL, SCREAM IT FROM THE MOUNTAINTOP books coming out, and I'm treading virtual water to get them all covered!  Why do that to myself?  HONESTLY, you think you'd know a person after all these years... 😉 ...but seriously, I LOVE a good book, and it's REALLY HARD to say no, or not right now, and so, today's post has come about!

What all of that means to you is you get a FABULOUS ASSORTMENT of titles from my recent reading adventures.  What that also means, if you haven't already gleaned it from the post title, is that I'm focusing in on the fabulosity that is Entangled Publishing this time around because HAVE YOU SEEN ALL THE GREAT TITLES THAT HAVE COME OUT RECENTLY 😍?!  I mean, it's mindboggling, and yet I'm in utter bliss because of those same said titles.  If you follow my other social media feeds, you've seen these books teased in some fashion or another, but today, I'll put it all together in one spot, with a little more meat to tantalize and tease, and let's face it, more fangirling, because my excitement doesn't stop at the introduction!  Ladies and gents, prepare for bookish feast...

The Lord Pretender 

by Sawyer North

9781649372871

Entangled Amara

ROMANCE

Released:  June 20th, 2022

Think a Historical Romance version of Freaky Friday with a dash of revenge, and a romance twist.  While that particular aspect (the body swap...err, spirit swap?) was unexpected, and a but unusual, it served its purpose in showing them both what it was really like to walk in the others shoes, live in their stations, love in their time.  Emma and Simon are characters you can't help but love, even when one is out to get the other for reasons that seem perfectly sound...at the time...but their eventual coming together isn't just a matter of feelings confessed.  It's something on a BIGGER scale, more befitting their stations and circumstances that certainly makes a splash! A few moments, but nothing overtly steamy.

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Stealing Infinity (Stolen Beauty, Book 1)

by Alyson Noel

9781649371508

Entangled Teen

YA FANTASY

Released:  June 28th, 2022

Take a trip to Gray Wolf Academy...and have the time of your life...or is it the life of your time?  I get that confused.  (LOL!)  Seriously though, this is a topsy turvy time tripping read that let's you see just how far some will go to have everything they ever wanted...but it being the first book and all, I'm pretty sure the lesson will be on THEM, not our leading lady.  (Just a hunch.)  After all, you can control a lot of things in this world, but PEOPLE...like effectively and shutting down their own desires, wants, needs, and thoughts...I don't care what kind of great thinker you are, never gonna happen.  Natasha is just the girl to prove me right too!  Sure, she missteps several times over, but that's the thing about being human, we make mistakes...and it doesn't help that she's trying to get her mind wrapped around the INSANITY that is the academy anyway.  I mean the things they can do, the things SHE can do, the way the people are really only looking out for number one...though Braxton may be an exception, but I'm still not quite sold on him, devilishly handsome as he may be...it's definitely jumping into the slipstream with both feet.  Can't wait to see what's in store for them next...at least those that are still there.  Oh an there's definitely a bit of sparkage between Braxton and Natasha, so watch for the fireworks!

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Mansplainer (Last Man Standing, Book 3)

by Avery Flynn

9781649370167

Entangled Amara

ROMANCE

Released:  June 27th, 2022

This has been a great series filled with the misadventures of three cousins not looking for love in order to win a bet.  Sound strange?  Well, the prize was the last gift from a beloved family member that is no longer with them, and that, if anything, goes to show how important family is to this trio.  Anywho, I read the first book (Neanderthal), skipped the second (Mama's Boy), and arrived at this one, the third and final installment.  Was it worth the wait?  Yes indeed!  Beckett knows everything, and explains EVERYTHING (hence the title!), but actually has good intentions...he just can't seem to see how all the free advice is perceived by the recipient...again, hence the title.  Chelle is just the woman to give him a makeover, of sorts, and in return, she'll get the help she needs to break out of the skeazy patriarchal tripwire in her father's will.  Honestly, trying to "put her in her place" from the grave?  How low CAN you go?  But, she's a woman not to be toyed with, and she'll get what she desires...and then some because she SO doesn't see Beckett coming!  Let's just say this one is a bit hotter than a few of the others, I've mentioned, so beyond blush worthy a time or two, but the story is not to be missed!

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First Bride to Fall (Majestic Main, Book 1)

by Ginny Baird

9781649372239

Entangled Amara

ROMANCE

Released:  June 28th, 2022

Nell and Grant.  Grant and Nell.  Honestly, when I was reading this one, I kept forgetting it was Contemporary because of the notions suggested to save the business!  I mean, I suppose people do marry for convenience, but sight unseen?  No meet cutes, or meetings at all?  Yeah, a bit from a different age, but nevertheless, it was an idea put forth in desperation, that these three sisters can't seem to find a way out of...or can they?  I love the goals they set themselves to break out of the forced commitment, though I have a feeling Nell would have stepped up anyway, but I also love how it forced Nell out of her comfort zone.  She was trying SO HARD it hurt, but it was sweet, and even Grant couldn't pick at her for that...at least until the old saying loose lips sink ships comes to pass and he tries turning the tables on her "get married quick" scheme by becoming a chauvinistic a-hole of the grade A variety.  Oh. My. Word!  I don't know how she kept her you-know-what together, but more power to her...and the way things turn out by stories end, you couldn't want for more.  Heat level in this one is a little sparkage, but nothing more...it's sweet though and filled with emotion. 

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Project A.I.D.E.N.

by Lindsey Frydman

9781640636798

Entangled Teen

YA SCI-FI

Released:  July 4th, 2022

I don't read a lot of Science Fiction, in any genre, but when I read about this release, it HOOKED me.  I'm so glad I went with that feeling because it was REALLY GOOD!  Aiden was a conundrum...human, or human like?  That was the debate behind the scenes, but up close and personal with Elena, he had more heart than your average guy...not that he was average in ANY department.  Looks, strength, skill...he was a walking want ad for everything you might desire, but he struggled with an overheard conversation about his fate, worried about who he could really trust, and ended up ultimately making the most human choice possible.  To start to fall for the one person he shouldn't probably in the ENTIRE WORLD because yeah, the long arm of the law is nothing compared to a pissed off creator, or someone's father.  Lots to love about this short, yet compelling story, so even if you're not big in the subgenre, give it a read!

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A Matter of Temptation (Book 1)

by Stacy Reid

9781649372246

Entangled Amara

HISTORICAL ROMANCE

Released:  June 28th, 2022

If you know nothing about a book or the author, you check out the cover and the synopsis. Visually, this one gets mad props, but summary wise...there is SO MUCH MORE than what it gives you, I want to scream it from the rooftops!

You'll fall in love with the brother and sister duo, laugh at the assistance received for a bit of trickery, and hold your breath that the scheme to save them all ACTUALLY works. You'll bluster at the Earl trying to set things to right in his own way, be unable to deny his appeal especially with his progressive ideas and desire to help the common man or woman, raise a brow at his attempt to fire Mina "for her own good", while gasping at the direction their interactions take. It's a story with so many facets, it might as well be a diamond of the first water...and yet, while those may be flashy, they can also be more flash in the pan, and this story, this duo have staying power!

A great read this summer or any time of year with an intriguing story, wit, wisdom, laughter, love...and enough sparks to set the page afire (so yes, we've got some heat)! Regency Romance fans take note, this one is most definitely not to be missed!

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Hottie on Her Shelf

by Christi Barth

9781649373601

Entangled Amara

ROMANCE

Released:  July 11th, 2022

Last, but certainly not least, my latest read in this set that features the golden boy Mayor Montgomery (aka Fitz), and the town...librarian?  Yes indeed!  You know you love a good story featuring books, or bookish people, and this one has a splash of both making a wonderful concoction you want to bottle and sell!  Loved the family legacy running the town, yet how Fitz wasn't really one of them.  There was so much good he actually wanted to do, and yet rocking the boat, even in his privileged world, wasn't an easy thing to do!  Enter, Hallie Scott...his new running mate for town Mayor.  He's run uncontested for his last two terms, as have the Montgomery's before him, but leave it to this disheveled, but golden hearted librarian to inadvertently shake things up.  She reminds him why he does what he does, or rather of the dreams he's cast aside to do what he does for the family, and he can see that while yes, she's a hot mess when it comes to campaigning, she's got the raw material.  I love how despite running against one another, they are able to acknowledge what could be between them, and that their platforms are not truly who they are, but rather things they stand for.  The separation of the mayoral candidates and Fitz and Hallie was sweet (and sometimes spicy!), but a great new way to take on the political arena...too bad it doesn't play out in the real world!  Another fun read with heart, snark, and a bit of heat, perfect for a summer escape!

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Massive thanks to Riki and the Entangled Publishing team for the eARCs for review!  (THANK YOU!)  They are amazing folks repping some fantastic authors, so if you haven't checked them out, I sincerely hope you do.  All the titles above are available now, so click on over to the publisher's site (linked above!) or your favorite online store to snag your copies today!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

Rockstar Book Tours presents... ALONE OUT HERE by Riley Redgate - REVIEW + GIVEAWAY!

Hi guys!

Welcome back to Satisfation for Insatiable Readers.

It's another TWO POST kinda day, and next up on the roster is a TOTALLY EXCITING NOT TO BE MISSED TITLE currently on tour with Rockstar Book Tours. If you're a Young Adult Science Fiction fan that likes a bit of thriller in the mix, you are SO in for a FANTASTIC ride...and if you're not, give it a shot anyway because sometimes you have to step outside your box to find your next favorite read.  Ladies and gents, let's get to the intro, my review, and then make sure to enter the giveaway before you jet off to the other sites participating in this fabulous tour!! 

Title: ALONE OUT HERE

Author: Riley Redgate

Pub. Date: April 5, 2022

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 400

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

What do you stand for, when you're one of the last left standing?

The year is 2072. Soon a volcanic eruption will trigger catastrophic devastation, and the only way out is up.

While the world’s leaders, scientists, and engineers oversee the frantic production of a space fleet meant to save humankind, their children are brought in for a weekend of touring the Lazarus, a high-tech prototype spaceship. But when the apocalypse arrives months ahead of schedule, First Daughter Leigh Chen and a handful of teens from the tour are the only ones to escape the planet.

This is the new world: a starship loaded with a catalog of human artifacts, a frozen menagerie of animal DNA, and fifty-three terrified survivors. From the panic arises a coalition of leaders, spearheaded by the pilot’s enigmatic daughter, Eli, who takes the wheel in their hunt for a habitable planet. But as isolation presses in, their uneasy peace begins to fracture. The struggle for control will mean the difference between survival and oblivion, and Leigh must decide whether to stand on the side of the mission or of her own humanity.

With aching poignancy and tense, heart-in-your-mouth action, this enthralling saga will stay with readers long after the final page.

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Reviews:

"Redgate explores what makes us human and what makes us teens with excruciating precision, revealing the best―and worst―of both. A fast-paced, beautifully put together story of a girl getting it done."―E. K. Johnston, New York Times #1 best-selling author of Star Wars: Ahsoka

"With its diverse cast of characters and near-future plot line, this book would make a good addition to collections with established audiences for science fiction stories and titles featuring strong examples of female empowerment."―School Library Connection

“An enthralling adventure that’s at once intimate and cinematic, with heart-pounding twists and vividly drawn characters. Redgate’s gorgeous prose poses fascinating questions about the future.”―Romina Russell, author of the New York Times best-selling Zodiac series

“Stunning, visceral, and utterly gripping, Alone Out Here is a vivid look at human determination when forced to survive the impossible. Leigh Chen is a leader unlike any other as she navigates dwindling resources, betrayal, and the ultimate question of what it means to be human.”―C.B. Lee, author of the Sidekick Squad series

“Utterly absorbing, and packed with heart, action, and questions that lingered long past the final page. I read it in a single day.”―Amie Kaufman, author of the Aurora Cycle and the Elementals trilogy 

 

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What would happen if the world was going to end...

...and not just end, but like END, as in wipe out everything, and everyone, leaving anything you knew, loved, or held dear, obliterated in its wake?

What would you do?

How would you act?

Who would you save?

They may sound hypothetical, but are very real for the vision of Earth presented in Alone Out Here by Riley Redgate.  It gives us a glimpse into what the world would be like, if we knew we had a deadline.  I know what you're thinking, or at least some of you are, there'd be love, peace, and harmony...right?  Yeah, about that.  Unfortunately, human nature doesn't always sway towards the "flower in the gun" side of things, and quite honestly, the take portrayed here, sounds a bit more accurate.  Man against man, woman against woman, child against child.  Nations voicing their desires only to be silenced by those with greater power.  The enormous undertaking of trying to save the world's population is noble, but the reality is harder to underline.  

This is the world Leigh inhabits; one where power speaks volumes, and, despite best intentions, the good doesn't always win.  When everything comes to a head, it's every man, woman, and child for themselves...leaving an uncertain future for those that survived.  Why?  Well, let's think.  They were working on a deadline...and when has any massive project controlled by political entities ever been fruitful before its time?  Now, you're getting the picture...and it isn't pretty, nor is what's to come, but what it will show is the lengths to which some will go to reach a new beginning, to overcome their past, to assert some form of control in a life that seems to spin without anchor.  You see character growth and breakdown, adaptability and succumbing, the evolution of a society from separate pieces to a hive mind, and just what it takes to break the proverbial camel's back.

I was completely caught up in this one from start to finish.  Yes, there are several characters to keep track of, but they never narrate, so it's easier to follow.  Yes, Leigh can get a touch too introspective while talking with her inner voice, but that's simply her, and you end up loving her more for it.  The friends she makes, the balance she tries to keep, the greater good she keeps striving for that echoes the lessons learned from her parents, all go into creating such a memorable character at the center of a story so much bigger than just her.  There's not a character that you won't feel for, on some level, even as they react with their basest instincts; sometimes doing or saying things that you could never imagine in normal days.

All in all, it's Science Fiction, but with oh so much heart that the bright shiny clinical aspects of that streamlined space station in the sky take on a rainbow of new dimensions that truly bring it to life right before your eyes.

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About the author...

Riley Redgate majored in Economics at Kenyon College and is now based in Chicago, where she was an apprentice with the Onion. She is the author of the critically acclaimed Seven Ways We Lie; Noteworthy, a Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Book and NYPL Best Book; and Final Draft, a Bank Street Book of the Year.

 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Tumblr | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

 

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YOUR CHANCE TO WIN...

1 winner will receive a finished copy of ALONE OUT HERE, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Special thanks to the Rockstar Book Tours team for the chance to bring this tour to you and to Disney Hyperion for the ecopy for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, the publisher, this tour, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now, wherever books are sold. Catch the rest of the tour for more bookish fun!

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

4/1/2022	YABooksCentral	Excerpt
4/2/2022	The Reading Devil	Excerpt/IG Post

Week Two:

4/3/2022	Kait Plus Books	Excerpt/IG Post
4/4/2022	Rajiv's Reviews	Review/IG Post
4/5/2022	boozybook blog	Review/IG Post
4/6/2022	@theheavycrownreads	Review
4/7/2022	Lifestyle of Me	Review
4/8/2022	onemoreexclamation	Review/IG Post
4/9/2022	A Court of Coffee and Books	Review/IG Post

Week Three:

4/10/2022	The book review crew	Review/IG Post
4/11/2022	Celia's Reads	Review/IG Post
4/12/2022	Tween 2 Teen Book Reviews	Review
4/13/2022	Book-Keeping	Review/IG Post
4/14/2022	Emmiepooh2	Review
4/15/2022	Excuse Me, I’m Reading	Review
4/16/2022	laura's bookish corner	Review/IG Post

Week Four:

4/17/2022	TakeALookAtMyBookshelf	Review
4/18/2022	A Backwards Story	Review/IG Post
4/19/2022	@the.page.sage	TikTok Review/IG Post
4/20/2022	100 Pages A Day	Review
4/21/2022	@coffeesipsandreads	Review/IG Post
4/22/2022	Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers	Review/IG Post
4/23/2022	Two Points of Interest	Review

Week Five:

4/24/2022	@jypsylynn	Review
4/25/2022	The Momma Spot	Review/IG Post
4/26/2022	@thebookishfoxwitch	Review/IG Post
4/27/2022	onemused	Review
4/28/2022	Do You Dog-ear?	Review
4/29/2022	Momfluenster	Review
4/30/2022	popthebutterfly	Review/IG Post/TikTok Post

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!