Blog Tour | KITTIWAKE STORMHAVEN AND THE PIRATE’S PORTOLANO by Victoria Williamson

About the Book:

KITTIWAKE STORMHAVEN AND THE PIRATE’S PORTOLANO

BY VICTORIA WILLIAMSON | PUBLICATION: OCTOBER 23, 2025
TINY TREE BOOKS | GENRE: MIDDLE GRADE FANTASY

"...a spirited, sea-swept middle-grade adventure that bursts with energy from the very first chapter."
-Gina Rae Mitchell

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A daring mission, a sister turned pirate and a sea full of secrets…

In a world of water where land is a legend, 11-year-old Kittiwake Stormhaven dreams of adventure aboard the Amazon Princess. When a vital mission takes the ship into dangerous waters, Kittiwake discovers shocking news - her long-lost sister, Petrel, is now a feared pirate queen.

Kittiwake must outsmart pirates, outmanoeuvre storms and face ghostly captains to save her ship, her mischievous monkey Caboodle and her friends. But in a high-stakes showdown, family loyalty collides with survival, and Kittiwake learns the ocean hides more secrets than she ever imagined.

Kittiwake Stormhaven is a fast-paced, sea-swept adventure filled with daring rescues, thrilling discoveries and the magic of friendship.

AMAZON | GOODREADS

"Williamson is an excellent writer and her prose zips along at a rate of knots."
-Iseult Murphy
"Kittiwake is a protagonist in whom many readers will recognise aspects of their own personalities."
-Mrs Sydney's Famous World's Smallest Library


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About the Author:

Victoria Williamson is an award-winning author from Glasgow, Scotland, who loved reading books and writing adventure stories from an early age. After studying Physics at the University of Glasgow, she set out on her own real-life adventures, which included teaching maths and science in Cameroon, training teachers in Malawi, teaching English in China and working with children with additional support needs in the UK.

Her previous novels include The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle, The Boy with the Butterfly Mind, Hag Storm, War of the Wind, The Pawnshop of Stolen Dreams, Norah’s Ark, The Whistlers in the Dark, Feast of Ashes, and Skyfleet: March of the Mutabugs. Her books have won the RED Book Award 2024, YA-aldi Glasgow Secondary School Libraries Book Award 2023 and the Bolton Children’s Fiction Award 2020/2021, and have been short-listed and long-listed for numerous other awards. War of the Wind and Norah’s Ark were also both nominated for the 2024 Yoto Carnegie Medals.

Victoria writes and edits Key Stage 2 books for the education company Twinkl. She spends the rest of her time writing novels and visiting schools, libraries and literary festivals to give author talks and run creative writing workshops. Her latest novel, Kittiwake Stormhaven and the Pirate’s Portolano, channels her love of pirates and swashbuckling adventure to create a steampunk world set on the seven seas, and is illustrated by the very talented James Brown.

You can find out more about Victoria’s books, school visits and free resources for schools on her website: www.strangelymagical.com

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Blog Tour | THE FIRST SIN by Cheyenne Brammah

About the Book:

THE FIRST SIN

All Our Sins, Book 1
BY CHEYENNE BRAMMAH | PUBLICATION: OCTOBER 23, 2025
GENRE: SCIENCE FANTASY

"It's gritty, spicy, and unflinchingly raw..." -Mike

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In the sweeping expanse of the Årdrakin Empire, the people fight and die for honor as elite warriors of the galaxy. But long ago, a prophecy was spoken that presaged the apocalypse. Everyone knows and fears the truth: one day, the empire will fall.

Tårik is a guard for small, independent Clan Tsinna. Instead of pondering the end of his civilization, Tårik’s greatest concern is maintaining his honor while escorting a group of impertinent dignitaries across the treacherous Barren Gale. When the Mother Goddess speaks a passage from the prophecy to him, he has the good sense to be frightened, but he doesn’t heed the significance of Her visit.

Then disaster strikes, and Tårik is branded as an exile, leaving him with no home, no honor, and no future. Forced into a desperate struggle for survival, all Tårik can focus on is living just one more day until luck—or maybe fate—gives him the opportunity to join a new clan. But even this is fraught with danger and uncertainty, and it takes him to an inhospitable world far from the empire where survival seems all but impossible.

Faced with new challenges, including trying to navigate first contact with the low-tech locals, Tårik believes the prophecy can’t reach him. Yet it continues to loom, signaling that his fate and the fate of the empire are irrevocably entwined.

This is a dark, spicy, adult science fantasy set in a world that includes war, violence, and other mature themes that some readers may find disturbing. Reading guidance can be found at the beginning of the book or on the author's website.

AMAZON | GOODREADS | THE STORY GRAPH

"The blurb says dark and spicy, and it certainly delivers on that."
-Beth's Bookcase
"This was nothing short of a rollercoater ride..."
-Sarah reads.


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About the Author:

Cheyenne Brammah, also known as Iron Dragon, is a Canadian science fiction and fantasy author who “torments her characters in ways reminiscent of George R R Martin”. She’s had a pen in hand for most of her life and loves character-driven stories that are epic in scope and complexity. The All Our Sins Saga features her debut novel, The First Sin, and will be the first stories told in the Akrodaxis universe.

When she’s not writing or reading, Cheyenne dyes yarn, crochets, knits, plays video games with her wonderful husband Mathew, and dabbles in nature photography. She lives in beautiful Cochrane, Alberta, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

Cheyenne can be found online at https://akairondragon.ca/

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BBNYA Spotlight | PHYSICAL MAGIC by William C. Tracy

About the Book:

PHYSICAL MAGIC

The Shifting Lands Series , Book 1
BY WILLIAM C. TRACY | PUBLICATION: NOVEMBER 5, 2024
SPACE WIZARD SCIENCE FANTASY | GENRE: ADULT FANTASY

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Welcome to the Shifting Lands.

Silluka was born with only one arm and could never practice the exacting motions to summon the favor of the gods. Caught stealing, she is forced to test her powers or be branded an outcast. She fails, and loses citizenship to her village.

In a fit of desperation, Silluka tries to steal a badge of citizenship from a mysterious elder, but instead, Elder Quilqi shows Silluka a different path to gain the powers of the gods, aided by an octopus-like technological wizard who worships their own eldritch divinities. Time is short for training however, because a new island is speeding toward the coastal town, throwing deadly hurricanes and tidal waves before it and threatening all who live there.

Only the gods and godlike storm warriors protect the village from destruction, but all of them fail when a mysterious creature bursts through the wall. It's only one forerunner for a species of terrifying turtlemen: fast, deadly, and ready to invade the larger island. The village must flee inland before the invasion, while Silluka is weighed down by her outcast status and her brother’s failing abilities. To save herself, her family, and her village, Silluka must overcome stigma and self-doubt. She must learn the scope of the world outside her village. She must learn Physical Magic.

AMAZON | GOODREADS | THE STORY GRAPH

The Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA) is celebrating the books that made it to the semi-finals with a mini spotlight blitz tour for each title.

BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 (17 in 2025) finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official.

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About the Author:

William C. Tracy writes and publishes queer science fiction and fantasy through his indie press Space Wizard Science Fantasy. He also does developmental editing on all titles released from it.

His largest work is the Dissolutionverse: a space opera with music-based magic, including ten books and a TTRPG. He’s also published Fruits of the Gods, an epic fantasy with seasonal fruit magic, How To Operate Your Body, a nonfiction book about body mechanics and correct posture, and The Biomass Conflux, a sci-fi trilogy with colony ships and a planet covered by a sentient fungus. He’s currently working on a progression fantasy series about martial arts and moving islands.

William is an NC native and a lifelong fan of science fiction and fantasy. He has a master’s in mechanical engineering, and has both designed and operated heavy construction machinery. He has also trained in Wado-Ryu karate since 2003 and runs his own dojo in Raleigh NC. He is an avid video and board gamer, a beekeeper, a reader, and of course, a writer.

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Book Review | MY MOTHER, THE MERMAID CHASER by Jamie Jo Hoang

MY MOTHER, THE MERMAID CHASER

BY JAMIE JO HOANG | PUBLICATION: SEPTEMBER 23, 2025
CROWN BOOKS | GENRE: YA FICTION
RATING: ★★★★

"It holds space for forgiveness, for healing, for the limits of what people can endure."

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Told in dual POV, this gripping companion piece to My Father, the Panda Killer, follows a teenage son who defies his sister's wishes by searching for more information about their absent mother. Meanwhile, his mother's poignant backstory reveals her struggle with grief and longing, culminating in her heart-wrenching decision to leave her children.

San Jose, 2008: Paul yearns to know more about the mother who abandoned his family, but she is the only topic no one discusses. Now’s he’s in Vietnam, feeling displaced and considered an outsider. Plus, a ghost is haunting him even though he doesn’t believe in ghosts. His cousin and the grandmother he’s never met before now keep telling him that he’ll get answers only if he’s willing to open his ears.

Vũng Tâu, 1975: Ngọc Lan is eleven when her family breaks her brother is drafted into the army; her father leaves on the last helicopter to the US. She and her sister are sent from Vietnam on a harrowing journey by boat. Only Ngọc Lan will survive. But what is the American dream when you are haunted by the death of your sister, missing your homeland; seeing ghostly mermaid sightings; lost in an abusive marriage; struggling as a parent?

Told in the alternating perspectives of Paul and Ngọc Lan, My Mother, the Mermaid Chaser is a haunting story about the intergenerational effects of war, estranged family bonds, and how a teenager discovers a new connection to a lost part of himself.

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I came to this book without having read its companion, My Father, the Panda Killer. And maybe that’s fitting—because this story, too, begins with absence. With the ache of not knowing. With a boy named Paul, who chooses to seek the truth about his mother, even when that truth might hurt.

This is a poignant novel. It blends adventure and humor with the quiet devastation of wanting to understand your parents. Beneath the surrealism and whimsy lies something raw: the longing to make sense of abandonment, of trauma, of choices that ripple across generations.

Paul is the heart of this story. He’s like an open vessel—willing to receive, willing to give, willing to believe. His openness stands in sharp contrast to his sister Jane, whose guardedness feels like a shield forged from years of disappointment. Watching Paul navigate this emotional terrain is deeply moving. He steps into adult shoes, yes—but he never stops being a boy.

Hoàng has a gift for writing complex family dynamics. She doesn’t shy away from pain, but she also doesn’t drown in it. Her prose carries trauma and tenderness in equal measure, often laced with humor and surreal imagery that make the emotional weight bearable.

As a mother myself, I found myself asking: How could a mother abandon her children to an abusive father? It’s a question that lingers. And yet, Hoàng invites empathy—not just for the children, but for the flawed adults who made impossible choices. The story doesn’t excuse, but it understands. It holds space for forgiveness, for healing, for the limits of what people can endure.

There are slow parts, yes. But I stayed. Because some stories deserve patience. And this one, with its quiet bravery and emotional honesty, is worth every page.

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About the Author:
Jamie Jo Hoang is the daughter of Vietnamese refugees. She grew up in Orange County, CA—not the rich part—and worked as a docuseries producer before shifting to writing full-time. Her debut young adult novel, My Father, The Panda Killer, was named one of NPR’s Books We Love and received an Honorable Mention from the Freeman Book Awards. Hoang is also the author of the award-winning adult novel Blue Sun, Yellow Sky, which was named one of the best books of the year by Kirkus Reviews and won a silver medal at the Independent Publishers Awards. Her work has been published in TIME, SALON, and Tiny Buddha. When she’s not writing, Hoang loves to take long walks, travel, and scuba dive. She lives in house covered in Post-It Notes with her husband and son.

*Penguin Random House provided the ARC
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Book Review | SCARLET MORNING by N.D. Stevenson

SCARLET MORNING

Scarlet Morning series , Vol. 1
BY N.D. STEVENSON | PUBLICATION: SEP 23, 2025
QUILL TREE BOOKS | GENRE: JUVENILE FICTION
RATING: ★★★★★

"A salt-swept masterpiece of pirates, puzzles, and found family."

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From the powerhouse creator of Nimona comes a breathtaking illustrated novel following two orphans who leave the only home they’ve ever known to sail with an eccentric crew of pirates.

Viola and Wilmur have been waiting for their parents for fifteen boring years in the colorless town of Caveat. Their lives are a drudge of salt, trash, pirate stories, and what-ifs . . . until one very stormy night, when Captain Cadence Chase breaks down their door. They cut a deal with the Chase can take their most prized possession, a mysterious book, but only if she takes them, too. After all, if their parents aren’t coming, Viola and Wilmur might as well have a grand adventure to find them.

Setting sail into the treacherous and beautiful world beyond Caveat, the two inseparable friends must uncover the facts behind legend—and the key to saving all of Dickerson’s Sea from obliteration—before the truth tears them apart.

Wickedly funny, deeply emotional, and sharply incisive, Scarlet Morning is a tale of love, betrayal, and the extraordinary lengths we’d go to save a world broken beyond repair.

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"A Salt-Swept Masterpiece"

From the creator of Nimona comes a story that feels like a storm cracking open the sky—SCARLET MORNING is everything I want in a YA fantasy and more. It’s a tale of orphans, pirates, and death-defying adventure, yes—but also of mystery, memory, and the kind of love that anchors you when the world is broken.

Viola and Wilmur have waited fifteen years in the colorless town of Caveat, clinging to stories and salt. When Captain Cadence Chase bursts through their door, they trade their most prized possession—a mysterious book—for a chance to chase legend and find their missing parents. What follows is a voyage across Dickerson’s Sea, where truth is slippery, betrayal cuts deep, and the world itself may be on the brink of unraveling.

📚 Why I loved it:
• It’s brilliant. And everything between that and a masterpiece.
• The recipe is perfect: orphans, pirates, fantastical phenomena, and a mystery worth solving.
• ND Stevenson’s illustrations are signature and stunning—each page feels alive.
• The world-building is vivid and vast. I could see it, feel it, get lost in it.
• The narrative is warm, witty, and emotionally grounded. No profanity, but plenty of reality checks.
• The characters are unforgettable—each one unique, fully developed, and deeply human.
• The names and places may boggle you, but they stick. They matter.
• The “found family” theme is handled with grace and heart. It reminded me why I love people.
• The mystery is a full puzzle, and I’m already desperate for the next book. How many? When?

This is a book that makes you wait for reading time like it’s treasure. I couldn’t stop thinking about it, even when life got in the way. It’s perfect for young readers, but it doesn’t talk down—it lifts up. It’s a story that believes in good people, in broken worlds worth saving, and in the power of stories to carry us home. I highly recommend SCARLET MORNING.

Video courtesy of Shelf Stuff, http://www.shelfstuff.com. No infringement intended.

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About the Author:

ND Stevenson is the award-winning, bestselling author and illustrator of Nimona and The Fire Never Goes Out and the cocreator of Lumberjanes and was the showrunner for the award-winning Netflix series She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. He currently lives in Los Angeles.
Photo by Derrick Boutté

*HarperCollins CA provided the ARC
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Blog Tour | GENERATIONS by Noam Josephides

About the Book:

GENERATIONS

BY NOAM JOSEPHIDES | PUBLICATION: AUGUST 28, 2025
PYGMALION MEDIA | GENRE: ADULT FANTASY / MYSTERY,

"What truly impressed me was how seamlessly Josephides weaves politics, philosophy, and psychology into this interstellar mystery."
-Ashley, Adventures in Literature

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A secret buried for generations. A conspiracy that threatens humanity’s future. And one woman who must risk everything to uncover the truth.

The THETIS is humanity’s last hope: a generation ship carrying the last remnants of Earth to resettle on a new planet.

For two hundred years, its society has flourished under the banner of unity and cooperation. But beneath this carefully maintained facade lurks a truth so devastating it could spell doom for their entire future on their new home.

The key to uncovering the truth lies in the hands of SANDRINE LIET, an introverted Archivist who has everything to lose by pitting herself against the most powerful people on the ship.

The deeper she digs, the more evident it becomes that there is only one way to save both herself and her fellow Thetans from the ominous scheme plotted by the Thetis elite – and it’s the most horrifying choice imaginable…

AMAZON | GOODREADS | THE STORY GRAPH

"It’s evident that a good deal of thought and planning went into this novel."
-Melissa, Never enough books…
"I really enjoyed this SciFi political noir, with a breathtaking end sequence."
-Beth's Bookcase


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About the Author:

Noam Josephides is an award-winning and bestselling author, screenwriter and director.

He is also a serial technology entrepreneur with numerous successful companies founded, and a past as an Airforce Captain.

Noam's love for speculative writing and Science Fiction began with the genre classics he read in his childhood - from Asimov and Heinlin to Clarke and Douglas Adams.

His scientific enthusiasm for space led him to pursue studies in Astrophysics and aviation, and his prose combines deep technological and scientific knowledge with a unique focus on human drama, values and personal journeys.

Noam spends his time between leading Artificial Intelligence product development at the world's top technology firms, and writing novels, screenplays and fake Tooth-Fairy letters for his 3 young kids.

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BBNYA Spotlight | THE STORM BENEATH THE WORLD by Michael R. Fletcher

About the Book:

THE STORM BENEATH THE WORLD

Children of Corruption Series, Vol. 1
BY MICHAEL R. FLETCHER | PUBLICATION: APRIL 1, 2024
GENRE: ADULT FANTASY

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The gods have abandoned their creation, fled to the city beyond the clouds. Banished from the heavens, the Betrayer rules the hellish storm beneath the world.

Before the gods left this world, they cursed its people. The magical abilities the inhabitants once enjoyed became twisted and dangerously addictive. Now, to discover one’s talent is a curse. These corrupt souls are doomed to use their skills, improving and growing in strength, until they can no longer resist its lure. Starvation and death are the fate of every Corrupt.

When war with a neighbouring island becomes inevitable, four young Corrupt are sent to a hidden school to hone their dangerous talents. They are to be trained and used as weapons before the curse claims them.

United in purpose, divided by caste, only they can save their home.

AMAZON | GOODREADS | THE STORY GRAPH

The Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA) is celebrating the books that made it to the semi-finals with a mini spotlight blitz tour for each title.

BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 (17 in 2025) finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official.

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About the Author:

Michael R. Fletcher is a science fiction and fantasy author, a grilled cheese aficionado, and a whiskey-swilling reprobate. He spends his days choreographing his forklift musical (titled "Get Forked"), and using caffeine as a substitute for sanity. Any suggestions that he is actually Dyrk Ashton in disguise are all lies.

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