WHAT'S THE BUZZ?: Lia Park and the Heavenly Heirlooms by Jenna Yoon - REVIEW!

Today, we're spreading a little pre book birthday BUZZ about a new title COMING SOON from Aladdin/Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing!  It's the second installment in the Lia Park series, and it does not disappoint!  I LOVED the first title (check out my review here), so I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one for another dose of all the mystical, magical, cultural fun (and danger!) that await Lia and her friends.  This time around, we're heading off to IMS....that's International Magic School...but you'd be wrong if you thought it would be all schoolwork and no play (or danger!) because there is SO MUCH MORE AT WORK!  Ladies and gents, tuck in closer to the screen as we dive between the pages of today's book of choice...

Lia Park and the Heavenly Heirlooms

Lia Park series, Book 2

by

Jenna Yoon

9781534487963

Aladdin

About the book...

Twelve-year-old Lia Park and her best friend, Joon, are now full-time students at International Magic Academy after defeating corrupt diviner Gaya, and their first assignment is an ambitious one. The evil nine-headed monster and King of Darkness, Jihaedaegukjeok, wants to destroy the three Heavenly Heirlooms that create fire and light to plunge the world into darkness and destroy humanity.

The heirlooms can only be destroyed if they are all together, so over time, they have been hidden carefully with magic. Except now, one of them is missing. Lia, Joon, and their classmates have been tasked with recovering the lost heirloom and bringing it to IMA for safekeeping. They expected the task to be difficult, but the number of obstacles the magic trainees run into makes Lia start to wonder if the sabotage could be coming from someone inside the school.

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Oh my goodness...what has Lia gotten herself into?

I was all over the place with this one...not in my love of the book, because I loved it, but in my choice of the villain within!  At first I thought, yeah, that's the culprit, and then I would read a little more and think but that person is REALLY sketchy, and the pattern would repeat.  I did have a defining moment of triumph in my decision making process, but it comes at a CRUCIAL point if you're paying attention to the details, and...I'll let you discover it for yourself.  See if you spot it when you're reading and report back!  Moving forward...

I love there's just as much story as there is history, and culture immersion.  You get a history lesson without it feeling like a lesson.  You learn about Lia's Korean heritage as she's learning about her powers (and mayhap why they're malfunctioning!), making friends, keeping friends, and just whom she can REALLY trust.  She's faithful to her core, unless you give her a REALLY good reason to doubt you, and while that easy trust gets her into some jams here (especially one in particular...eek!), I wouldn't want her any other way.  She's real, she's authentic, she's easy to connect with, while being someone readers can learn from and grow with.  Her passion for learning, doing the right thing, and giving people a chance are heartwarming.  Her steadfastness in her friendships is inspiring.  The fact that she doesn't call it quits when it seems the world is pretty much against her is remarkable, and just goes to show you that inner strength definitely starts with belief in yourself and the infinite things you are capable of.

A great read for Middle Grade fans of all ages, and an exciting adventure to be had between the pages.  

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About the author...

Jenna Yoon studied Art History at Wellesley College and received her master’s degree in Korean art history from Ewha Womans University. She’s lived about half her life in both Korea and the United States. When she’s not writing, Jenna loves to travel, find yummy eats, play board games, and take skin care very seriously. Currently, she lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and two kids.

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Special thanks to Lindsey at Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing for the copy for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is out today, so seek thee out a copy wherever books are sold.

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

From TALONS to DUKES, it's an Entangled Publishing RELEASE WEEK you won't forget!

Hi guys!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're throwing a post BOOK BIRTHDAY but still RELEASE WEEK celebration for TWO titles that JUST PUBLISHED with Entangled Publishing...one with their TEEN division, and another with AMARA!  They couldn't be any more different than each other if they tried, but MY reading taste varies and BOTH catered to my palette, so now, I give you a taste of each for your self.  First up, our Entangled TEEN selection featuring a kicka**heroine that doesn't know her own worth, but will fight the gods themselves to save her sister from harm.  Ladies and gents, I give you this EXPLOSIVE book birthday celebrant...

Last of the Talons

by

Sophie Kim

9781649372970

Entangled Teen  

About the book...

After the destruction of her entire Talon gang, eighteen-year-old Shin Lina—the Reaper of Sunpo—is forced to become a living, breathing weapon for the kingdom’s most-feared crime lord. All that keeps her from turning on her ruthless master is the life of her beloved little sister hanging in the balance. But the order to steal a priceless tapestry from a Dokkaebi temple incites not only the wrath of a legendary immortal, but the beginning of an unwinnable game…

Suddenly Lina finds herself in the dreamlike realm of the Dokkaebi, her fate in the hands of its cruel and captivating emperor. But she can win her life—if she kills him first.

Now a terrible game of life and death has begun, and even Lina's swift, precise blade is no match for the magnetic Haneul Rui. Lina will have to use every weapon in her arsenal if she wants to outplay this cunning king and save her sister...all before the final grain of sand leaks out of the hourglass.

Because one way or another, she'll take Rui's heart.

Even if it means giving up her own.

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OMG!

I can honestly say, just WOW.  It was dark and gritty, filled with a world of mythology and folklore you never imagined, and characters you'll love, loathe, despise, and DESPERATELY be unsure of.  The battle  between Rui and Lina is beyond comprehension, and yet you're constantly on edge trying to see just how it all plays out.  There is one moment where it seems like she gets the upper hand, but if you're paying any sort of attention, you simply KNOW the proverbial rug is about to be pulled out from under her.  I couldn't help but fear from her, and still root for her as she valiantly charges into the unknown, even with the odds stacked dangerously against her, constantly reaching for that one chance, that one moment where salvation for her sister might be found.  That's right, I said for her sister.  It's not her own life she fights for, although she'd love the chance to truly be free of all the hate, crimes, and ugliness that has enveloped her world, but she is so burdened down by grief, self-loathing, and misplaced guilt that she's right at the edge of believing her life to be forsaken.  All she wants is a better tomorrow for her sister...even if it means she's not there to see it....and trust me, there are times you are pretty certain the chances of her seeing the next second, let alone next day, are slim to none!  

I repeat...it is DARK, VIOLENT, and GRITTY....but you won't be able to look away.  The messages repeating throughout run even deeper than the atrocities, ranging from the importance of family (chosen and/or blood) and its protection, believing in yourself at all costs, there is good inside most people if given the chance to shine...and pure evil is just that...pure...evil....and it comes in all shapes and sizes....as does retribution, revenge, and payback.  A great read for Young Adult Fantasy fans, and a high recommendation from me to you!

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Next up on the BOOK BIRTHDAY RELEASE WEEK duo celebration....

...we're heading back in time for a Historical Romance that's just too much FUN not to indulge in!

The Duke's Rules of Engagement

by

Jennifer Haymore

9781649372918

Entangled Amara

About the book...

Some matches are made in hell…

Joanna Porter loves being one of London’s hottest up-and-coming matchmakers. But her heavenly vocation is about to turn into a nuptial nightmare—thanks to the Duke of Crestmont. He’s as handsome as he is insufferable and obsessed with all things proper. Matching him would cement Jo’s status as England’s greatest matchmaker. Except, of course, the impossible-to-please duke refuses all of her most eligible ladies…confirming his status as a complete and utter pain in her petticoats.

The Duke of Crestmont can’t believe he needs a matchmaker—let alone this spitfire of a woman whose kissable mouth and dancing, impertinent gray eyes tease him ruthlessly. But the people of his estate are counting on him to find a duchess. A proper lady with a flawless pedigree and immaculate deportment. So why can’t he stop himself from wanting his pert, lively matchmaker…instead of the perfect duchess?

Now the entire ton is watching as this determined, audacious matchmaker takes on the most powerful man in London in USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Haymore’s lively new Regency romp. And this show might just be the most outrageous one yet…

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Alright, alright, alright.

So I've got A LOT of love for this release too, and if you're a Historical Romance fan, may I suggest you indulge in it post haste!  From our wonderfully uncommon Mrs. Porter to our curiously direct Duke of Cresmont, and everyone in-between, you've got a cast worth remembering from start to finish.  I loved their initial meet cute, even if it wasn't intended to be an actual "cute" in any fashion.  They were both so taken by the other, yet desperately trying to deny it...well, in his case anyway, as she was still trying to sort what her feelings actually were.  Despite their noble intentions, feelings flare, connections are made, liaisons are had...and hearts are dangerously close to being broken.  I mean, what's a girl to do when a duke came to her for her matchmaking services, and the right match, deep down in her heart...is actually HER?

I won't say any more right now, as I have this one on an upcoming tour, but trust me, this is a duo you won't want to miss!

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Massive thanks to Riki and the Entangled Publishing team for the eARC and ARC 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... THE LAST FALLEN MOON by Graci Kim - REVIEW + GIVEAWAY!

Hi guys!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the THE LAST FALLEN MOON by Graci Kim BLOG TOUR hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my review post below and make sure to enter the giveaway for your chance to win!

Title: THE LAST FALLEN MOON (Gifted Clans #2)

Author: Graci Kim

Pub. Date: June 14, 2022

Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Pages: 384

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

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents the second book in Graci Kim's magical and mysterious Gifted Clans trilogy.

"Graci Kim does such an amazing job of blending Korean mythology into the modern world, I am now wondering how I ever lived without knowing all this cool information."--New York Times #1 best-selling author Rick Riordan

For Riley Oh, life as the Godrealm’s last fallen star is not all it’s cracked up to be. Her new divine heritage doesn’t even come with cool magical powers; half of her friends and family (including her parents) can’t remember her; and to top it all off, the entire Gom clan is mad at her for killing the Cave Bear Goddess and stripping away their healing abilities.

But when their anger boils over and a group of witches curse Riley’s home, she knows it’s up to her to restore magic back to her clan – even if it means sneaking into the Spiritrealm.

Luckily, Riley has some backup. Along with her sister, Hattie, Riley meets Dahl, a heaven-born boy with shockingly white hair and a fondness for toilets who might not be telling the whole truth about who he is. Together they’ll fight vicious monsters, discover dark underwater worlds, and race to save the land of the dead from a fate that no one could have foreseen.

And this time, Riley won’t let anything get in her way. Because she can’t shake the feeling that something terrible is coming their way – and the gifted community is going to need all the powers they can get.

Grab THE LAST FALLEN STAR now!

 

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 This was a thrilling ride from start to finish.

When first we meet Riley Oh, she's lost her touch with her yourself, with her family, with her friends...with her LIFE.  While it's understandable considering all she has been through...discovering an incredible heritage, inadvertently making her clan lose their powers of healing while trying to save the world, having her parents and friends completely mind wipe on her, and almost losing her sister for good...it doesn't make it any easier to digest.  She's cut off from her emotions; lost her way.  She blames herself for so many things that were outside of her control, as so some of the former clan, and all she wants to do is set things right.  That guilt, that desire to make things good again for everyone is what drives her to make an irrational choice, landing her in the underworld on a self made quest to restore the clan's powers...but as you might have guessed, things are not quite that simple.  There are many obstacles along the way, including a 1000 year sentence to be served in one of the seven realms of hell, imugis that are not nearly as cute as the name might make them sound, and additional unknowns that seem to pop up from every corner.  Good thing she has a guide to help her through...sort of.  Good thing she catches up with someone she knows though is surprised to find...sort of.  Good thing at the end of the day the drudgery through the seven levels is more than a punishment...or vacation (what a concept!)...but a chance to learn and grow as she makes her way from the Riley she was before to the new(ish) and improved(ish) version left behind after all is said and done.

I really enjoyed this story from start to finish.  It was so interesting to learn about some of the Korean  beliefs surrounding the afterlife, and reincarnation, while being engrossed in the Fantasy story unfolding before our very eyes.  The dummy book Riley Oh encountered put it pretty cut and dry, even from the contents page, while the real thing's makeover was hard to believe, yet quite the concept!  As the story unfolded, so many more pieces, more characters, more stories were put into play that you could just feel it building to the possibility of another title in the series, still to come.  I mean, it's bad enough to have to leave characters behind that you've grown to know and love, but when they're are left on such a precipice as these were?  All true fans can do is count the days until the next adventure is ours to explore!  

So take a walk into the past, to secure a future for Riley Oh and her family, friends, and clan.  There are many surprises along the way, as well as liberal use of imagination, but that's what makes stories like these so unforgetable!

 

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About the author...

Graci Kim is the bestselling author of The Last Fallen Star, book one in the Korean mythology-inspired middle grade adventure series. Called a “sparkling yarn” by Entertainment Weekly, the Gifted Clans trilogy has been optioned by the Disney Channel for a live-action television series, and was a 2021 Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for “Best Middle Grade & Children’s Book”.

Graci is also one of the authors of The Cursed Carnival and Other Calamities short story collection, published by Rick Riordan Presents (Disney Hyperion), which became an instant New York Times bestseller.

In a previous life, Graci was a diplomat for the New Zealand foreign service, a cooking show host, and once ran a business that turned children’s drawings into cuddly toys. She lives in New Zealand with her husband and daughter. You can find her sometimes on Twitter (@gracikim), more often on Instagram (@gracikimwrites), and always at her website (www.gracikim.com).

Website | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

 

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Giveaway Details:

1 winner will win a finished copy of THE LAST FALLEN MOON, 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 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, wherever books are sold. Catch the rest of the tour for more bookish fun!

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

6/1/2022	YABooksCentral	Excerpt
6/2/2022	Feed Your Fiction Addiction	Review/IG Post
6/3/2022	More Books Please blog	Review/IG Post
6/4/2022	onemoreexclamation	Review/IG Post

Week Two:

6/5/2022	Lifestyle of Me	Review
6/6/2022	Okie Dreams	Review/IG Post
6/7/2022	The Bookwyrm's Den	Review
6/8/2022	laura's bookish corner	Review/IG Post
6/9/2022	A Court of Coffee and Books	Review/IG Post
6/10/2022	wilted pages	Review/IG Post/TikTok Post
6/11/2022	beersbooksandboos	Review/IG Post/TikTok Post

Week Three:

6/12/2022	@drewsim12	IG Review/TikTiok Review
6/13/2022	Read With Serena	Review/IG Post
6/14/2022	Nonbinary Knight Reads	Review/IG Post/TikTok Post
6/15/2022	meetcuteromancebooks	Review/IG Post
6/16/2022	@coffeesipsandreads	Review/IG Post
6/17/2022	@ReadsReaders	YouTube Review/IG Post/TikTok Post
6/18/2022	Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers	Review/IG Post

Week Four:

6/19/2022	Emmiepooh2	IG Review
6/20/2022	Bookwyrming Thoughts	Review
6/21/2022	The Real World According To Sam	Review/IG Post
6/22/2022	The Girl Who Reads	Review/IG Post
6/23/2022	The Momma Spot	Review/IG Post
6/24/2022	BookBriefs	Review/IG Post
6/25/2022	Ruei's Reading Corner	Review/IG Post

Week Five:

6/26/2022	onemused	IG Review
6/27/2022	Library of Alexandria Archives	Review/IG Post
6/28/2022	Two Points of Interest	Review
6/29/2022	popthebutterfly	Review/IG Post/TikTok Post
6/30/2022	@enjoyingbooksagain	IG Review

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

Happy BOOK BIRTHDAY to... Lia Park and the Missing Jewel by Jenna Yoon - REVIEW!

HI guys!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

I TOLD you I'd be back with another dose of bookish goodness, and this time around, we're taking this adventure overseas as we dive into a NEW Middle Grade Fantasy steeped in Korean culture, and filled with mystical, magical wonder! Celebrating its BOOK BIRTHDAY today, make room on your MUST READ list for book one in a new series...

Lia Park and the Missing Jewel

Lia Park series, Book 1

by

Jenna Yoon

9781534487932

Aladdin

About the book...

Twelve-year old Lia Park just wants to fit in. Her parents work with a mysterious organization that makes them ridiculously overprotective. Lia’s every move has been scrutinized since she was born, and she’d love to have the option of doing something exciting for once. So when she gets invited to the biggest birthday party of the year—and her parents say she can’t go—Lia sneaks out.

But her first act of rebellion not only breaks her parents’ rules, but also an ancient protection spell, allowing an evil diviner spirit to kidnap and ransom her parents for a powerful jewel that her family has guarded for years. With just the clothes on her back and some very rusty magical skills, Lia finds herself chasing mysterious clues that take her to her grandmother’s home in Korea.

From there, she has to make their way to the undersea kingdom of the Dragon King, the only person who knows where the powerful jewel might be. Along with her friend, Joon, Lia must dig deep and find courage to stand up for those who are weak—and become the hero her parents need.

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Lia Park is just getting started in life, but she thinks she knows where she's going...like most 12 year olds do.  In her case, it was straight to the IMA (International Magic Agency) to help track down monsters, or at least the evil ones, and perform other magic type tasks to help keep the world a safer place...or at least, that was the plan.  It seems her power hasn't quite manifested as of yet and with that, she's only 2/3 ready for the big entry test.  What's a girl to do?  Or perhaps better asked, what's a Park to do?  Can we say BACK UP PLAN?  Yes, we can, and we did, although hers isn't as exciting as it should be, nor does it work out the way she had intended.  Instead of becoming the next uber bestie to THE it girl in school...she ends up leaving the party after a disaster, only to happen upon an even bigger disaster that not only puts her own life at risk, but the lives of those she cares most about...her family.  Lia is about to embark on a journey she never could have anticipated, uncover secrets she never knew she had, and, if all things go well, just might save the world from utter destruction at the watery hands of an evil diviner.  No pressure or anything...

Okay, so if you couldn't tell, I was drawn in from the start and couldn't turn away if I tried...no watery hands or spells required!  I loved the blend of cultures presented, and had a great time learning about the history, mythology, and magic that ran through the veins.  The stories they shared all had lessons to be learned from, as well as familial ties to carry forward.  Lia was a remarkable young lady, bursting at the seams with a desire to be one of them, and yet she hadn't taken the time to truly get to know herself, and all she could do.  True, some of that wasn't her fault, but the little things would have some from knowing her own mind just a bit more.  Good thing for her, her family made lasting impressions throughout her lifetime, which made putting the pieces of herself together THAT much less challenging.  The secrets and codes Lia and Joon had to figure out along the way gave readers another challenge to be involved in, leading to more historical discoveries, and even more danger as they work together to stop the evil that is coming.  That's another thing though, she's never quite going it alone...a great lesson for kiddos too.  It's not that she's not capable of doing it herself, as we come to find out at some point in the story...that I will not ruin...but it's more so that she chooses to accept the help available to her and work as a team.  The amount of heart this girl has is astounding...as is the love she shares with the family, both blood related and chosen.

All in all, a GREAT read for Middle Grade Fantasy fans of all ages with a leading lady you won't soon forget!  I can't wait to see what might happen next in the series...almost enough to wish I could get my hands on that jewel considering it's power against time!  

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About the author...

Jenna Yoon studied Art History at Wellesley College and received her master’s degree in Korean art history from Ewha Womans University. She’s lived about half her life in both Korea and the United States. When she’s not writing, Jenna loves to travel, find yummy eats, play board games, and take skin care very seriously. Currently, she lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and two kids.

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Special thanks to Lindsey at Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing for the copy for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is out today, so seek thee out a copy wherever books are sold.  

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