Rockstar Book Tours presents... THE FALL OF THE HOUSE TATTERLY by Shanna Miles - REVIEW + GUEST POST + GIVEAWAY!

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

 

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~~~   GIVEAWAY   ~~~

1 winner will receive a finished copy of THE FALL OF THE HOUSE TATTERLY, US Only.

Ends October 17th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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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:

10/2/2023	Kim's Book Reviews and Writing Aha's	Review/Guest Post/IG Post
10/3/2023	Review Thick And Thin	Review/Guest Post/IG Post
10/4/2023	jaimes_mystical_library	IG Review
10/5/2023	@anitralovesbooksanddogs	IG Review
10/6/2023	@enthuse_reader	IG Review/TikTok Post

Week Two:

10/9/2023	Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers	Review/Guest Post/IG Post
10/10/2023	@pagesforpaige	IG Review
10/11/2023	One More Exclamation	Review/IG Post
10/12/2023	A Blue Box Full of Books	IG Review/LFL Drop Pic/TikTok Post
10/13/2023	@jenguerdy	IG Review

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