Ever dreamed of a life that reads more like a book? Rowena did until she stumbled into a fairy tale that wasn't so friendly.
Fabled by Vanessa K. Eccles
Publisher: Bound and Brewed
Young adult fantasy/fairy tale
Rowena thinks the Grimm’s infamous podcasts are simply
another teen fad until she finds herself trapped in a land of nightmarish
storybook characters. She tries desperately to flee Mezzanine and return home,
but Dresdem, Mezzanine’s wicked monarch, plans to use Rowena’s access to her
world to bring dark magic and absolute rule into Georgia and beyond.
But when Rowena’s dear friend Madeline falls into Dresdem’s
grasp, her battle with him becomes war, and all hopes of home are temporarily
thwarted. With the help of an invisible hero, a beast, and an owl, she sets out
to free Madeline from a deadening sleep. But Rowena must become her own hero
when she finds herself bound by the kingdom’s darkest family. She must make the
ultimate choice – align herself with her enemies or live on the run forever.
Excerpt:
“Heads or tails?” Lil
asked as she opened the door and stood in front of me.
“Tales.”
“When are you going to
learn that heads always wins?” She snickered and rolled her eyes in amazement
of my apparent naivety.
“Not always. Besides,
tales are more interesting.”
Not understanding my word
play, she shrugged and searched her pockets for a coin.
I leaned into the porch
swing, coffee and book in hand, and watched as autumn's first leaves sunsetted
the deadening grass. I rested the mug on my knee and let the cool breeze sway
me back and forth while I waited.
Trying to ignore my
little sister's attempts to aggravate me, I looked down at the fantastical book
in my hands and realized how beloved, yet unrealistic it seemed. Most of us
lead relatively dull lives and are content but never satisfied. The “happily
ever afters” they crammed in our minds as children were merely lies, but I
couldn’t help but dream of an adventure like the one I was holding. I wanted my
life to be epic. Who was I kidding?
Only characters in our favorite stories experienced magical lives. Mine had
already been planned out for me − go to college, land a mediocre job, get married, and have 1.8
perfectly groomed, smiling children. That was it. The end.
Meet the Author: Vanessa K. Eccles graduated Troy University with a degree in
English. She currently serves as executive editor of Belle Rêve Literary Journal and is founder of the book blog YA-NASisterhood. When she’s not writing or devouring books, she enjoys the lake life
with her Prince Charming and their four dogs.
Thanks so much for having me, Nicole. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful cover and I love that you've incororated an owl in the story. I love owls. The exerpt really drew me in. And so it goes, another on to add to my ever-growing TBR list.
ReplyDelete