Blog Tour (Review & Giveaway}—Arrow of the Mist by Christina Mercer

Stopping by The LUV'NV today is the Arrow of the Mist  blog tour, organized by Xpresso Book Tours.
We got the pleasure of reading and reviewing this Fantasy, and you can enter to win an eBook copy!

Arrow of the Mist

by Christina Mercer

Publication: March 21st 2013 by Christina Mercer
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Book Depository Amazon B & N Goodreads

"Ancient magic and herbal lore mark this engaging, fast-moving fantasy with a botanical bent. Lia, 15, is a winning heroine, discovering and wielding her magical gifts. Well developed characters, elegant dialogue, trickster creatures, exciting scenes of mystic battle and intriguing riddles stir up a powerful potion that will charm readers." — Publishers Weekly

Terror strikes the Celtic inspired kingdom of Nemetona when barbed roots breach the veil of a forbidden land and poison woodsmen, including 15-year-old Lia’s beloved father. Lia and three others embark on a quest to the forbidden land of Brume to gather ingredients for the cure. But after her elder kinsman is attacked and poisoned, she and her cousin, Wynn, are forced to finish the quest on their own.

Lia relies on her powerful herbal wisdom and the memorized pages of her late grandmother’s Grimoire for guidance through a land of soul-hungry shades, trickster creatures, and uncovered truths about the origin of Brume and her family’s unexpected ties to it. The deeper they trek into the land, the stronger Lia’s untapped gift as a tree mage unfolds. When she discovers the enchanted root’s maker, it forces her to question everything about who she is and what is her destiny. Ultimately she must make a terrible choice: keep fighting to save her father and the people of the lands or join with the power behind the deadly roots to help nature start anew.

Look for the sequel, Arms of Anu, in Fall 2013.

Arrow of the Mist  is one wonderful YA fantasy adventure. When barbed roots from a no-man's land poisons multiple villagers, including her father, Lia sets off with kin to enter the forbidden land to find a cure. With nothing but will, her knack for herbs and plants, and her late grandmother's Grimoire, she has to experience everything the dark land has to offer if she wants to succeed. She gains knowledge and power along the way, but by the end, she has to choose between lives and her own beliefs of what's best for the land and kingdom.

From the very first chapter, I was transported to the Celtic-inspired kingdom of Nemetoma. From Lia's little village to the misty fog that veils the mysterious and forbidden land of Brume, then through it, the forests, and the desolate expanses, I was brought into the wide range of settings. With everything from fae to dwarves to rock giants, mystical lore to ancient mythology, earth magic to herbal wisdom that grounded it—the idea behind the world was fantastically inventive.

The characters were strong yet endearingly flawed. I would've appreciated more overall emotion and more emphasis on Lia's inner personal struggle. When it comes to Fantasy, I expect a certain character depth. Besides the outer conflict brought by an external force, the protagonist needs to have a quality that could lead to her downfall. It helps a reader connect, really feel her and root for her. Lia felt ... perfect, too much so as a young heroine. Nonetheless, I liked her and all the other characters.

All the riddles woven throughout the story and grimoire were fun to solve and brought the plot around nicely. I breezed through the book, eager to know where everything would lead, and the description of the plants, with all the uses and history, were breathtaking. The story leans more MG/YA, with the romance implied and not highlighted (which is a shame because I adored the love interest), but I still enjoyed it and would read the next installment. I'd recommend it to YA Fantasy, race-against-time adventure fans who enjoy fairytales and all types of lore.

eBook provided by the via Xpresso Books Tours. Thank you!

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"Arrow of the Mist is an intriguing, well crafted fantasy novel for young adults. It abounds with magic, mystery and adventure. Lia is a girl whom the reader will cheer on as she labors to save her beloved father."

— ABNA Expert Reviewer

"A fresh voice in the YA fantasy genre, Mercer blends a delicious mix of Celtic lore, herbal remedies, threatening foes and the romantic tension of first love. Arrow of the Mist takes you on a coming of age journey with heroine Lia, leaving you breathless in the battle scenes and soothed in the tender moments."

— Susan Salluce, MA, Author of Out of Breath

"Lovely work! Fantasy is one of my favorite genres, and this is exceptionally well done. Dialogue is natural and the characters are warm and lively. The idea of a sinister region that is encroaching on the ordinary world is a familiar theme, but this author has a fresh voice and her characters make the tale unique."

— ABNA Expert Reviewer

Arrow of the Mist  was a semi-finalist in the 2010 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest

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Christina Mercer

Her Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Christina Mercer writes fiction in addition to mothering two young adults, a pack of large dogs, and about 100,000 honeybees. She's been an avid reader since she could walk and took her first writing job at age 10 as reporter for her local 4-H group. Her varied interests and ambidextrous skills prompted her to study creative writing in college, earn her official degree in Accounting from California State University at Sacramento, become a CPA., acquire a certificate in Herbal Studies from Clayton College of Natural Health, and become a hobbyist beekeeper. She took Writer’s Best in Show at the 2012 SCBWI CA North/Central Regional Conference and was a semi-finalist in the 2010 Amazon Breakout Novel Award Contest. You can find her at www.christinamercer.com or blogging with the girls over at www.indie-visible.com.

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Terms & Conditions:

♥ By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 13 years old.
♥ One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive a bookmark and an eBook copy of Arrow of the Mist by Christina Mercer. Winner's choice of mobi, epub, or PDF format. eBook is international, but bookmark is US only. If the winner is US/Can, a second winner will be chosen for the bookmark.
♥ Winner will be contacted via email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST July 14th.
♥ Winner has 48 hours to reply before a different winner will be chosen.
♥ Prize(s) will be sent the week of July 29th.

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Arrow of the Mist  by Christina Mercer (open internationally)
Bookmark (US/Can only)

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Arrow of the Mist  Tour Schedule