Guest Post: Author Ciye Cho

Far beyond heaven, earth and hell is a city known as Palladino, a place ruled by ghosts and filled with demons, magic, and all sorts of darkly beautiful things. A city where no one can ever escape.

Eighteen-year-old Rory is a cake decorator who makes stunning confections. But no amount of frosting or miracles can save her when a demon kidnaps her—and carries her to Palladino. Here, Rory ends up in a deadly charm school where young women are forced to become companions for the Ghost Lords. And for her to survive, Rory must become everything that she isn’t: graceful, elegant... and perfect.

But nothing is what it seems in Palladino. Not the magic. Not the ghosts. And definitely not Martin Marius, the bizarre Ghost Lord-slash-inventor who is drawn to Rory. For amid a thousand machines and a hundred cats, Martin holds a secret that could change everything. A secret that could either free Rory... or destroy her.

 

YA Haiku

Young-adult books are
magical things for readers
and dream believers.

To the young, they are
mirrors of a life they know.
(or wish they knew of.)

To the young at heart,
they are reminders of things
we must not forget.

all those joys, blunders,
dizzying fears and wonders.
And relationships.

young love, first love and
the dreaded love triangle.
Oh, the way hearts fly!

YA books take you far,
far away to worlds unknown
and worlds close to home.

-- Ciye Cho

 

About the Author:

 

 

Ciye Cho lives in Australia and works as a graphic designer. He writes YA novels in his free time--and his head is often lost in the clouds or some place far from reality...

 

Author's Website

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ARC Review: Luminaire (Florence Waverley, #2) by Ciye Cho

Being the only human in a world of merfolk... isn't easy. Florence Waverley chose to stay in Niemela, but things have gone awry. Secrets have risen and the prince she cares about has pulled away. All the while, dark dreams warn her of a tragedy that only she can stop. But in order to save the merman she loves, Florence will have to enter the Life Path tournament: a brutal test of fear and madness.

The tournament is a rite of passage--a maze where young mermaids and mermen battle to find their purpose. It is also a place where Florence will face grave danger: mermaids with evil magic, tunnels filled with sea fire, and guardians who wish to use her as a pawn in their secret plans. But will Florence be strong enough to survive the tournament... or will she perish inside it?

Everything hangs in the balance: her life, her world, and her love.

I've just got to say that this is one of those series that  I just plain old enjoy reading.  The characters are fun to get to know, witness in action and learn more about.  Cho's writing is straight forward and the imagination that went into creating this world within the series continues to surprise and impress me.  When authors are able to spin a tale that draws their readers in and keeps them wanting more after the last page is turned deserves a large amount of credit.

I continue to be grateful to get the opportunity to read and review Cho's work and look forward to what will happen next in this series.  If you're unfamiliar with the series, take a look and give it a try.  With only two installments on the shelves to date there's plenty of time to catch up and get to know Florence, Rolan, Yolee and everyone else that Cho has brought to the table.  The new additions in the cast of characters within this sequel had me smiling from ear to ear.  I can't say enough about Wynn!  I adored his character's personality and loyalty, not to mention his gumption!

While I'm sad that yet again I'm left waiting and counting down until another installment in the series is available, for now I'm just happy that the series has continued on past the opener.  I'm always worried that with first installments, I'll be left waiting to see what happens next, and be left disappointed.  But that wasn't the case with Cho's Florence Waverley series.  The sequel more than lived up to the opener and I'm positive the future installments within the series will stand on the same ground.

I gave Luminaire (Florence Waverley, #2) 3 shamrocks!!!