Blog Tour: Lichgates by S.M. Boyce

*Received a free copy in exchange for an honest review

Lichgates by S.M. Boyce
(The Grimoire Saga #1)
Publication date: October 15th 2011
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis:

Fans of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and Eragon will enjoy this contemporary remix of the classic epic fantasy genre.
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Kara Magari is about to discover a beautiful world full of terrifying things—Ourea.

Kara, a college student still reeling from her mother’s recent death, has no idea the hidden world of Ourea even exists until a freak storm traps her in a sunken library. With no way out, she opens an ancient book of magic called the Grimoire and unwittingly becomes its master, which means Kara now wields the cursed book’s untamed power. Discovered by Ourea’s royalty, she becomes an unwilling pawn in a generations-old conflict—a war intensified by her arrival. In this world of chilling creatures and betrayal, Kara shouldn’t trust anyone… but she’s being hunted and can’t survive on her own. She drops her guard when Braeden, a native soldier with a dark secret, vows to keep her safe. And though she doesn’t know it, her growing attraction to him may just be her undoing.

For twelve years, Braeden Drakonin has lived a lie. The Grimoire is his one chance at redemption, and it lands in his lap when Kara Magari comes into his life. Though he begins to care for this human girl, there is something he wants more. He wants the Grimoire.

Welcome to Ourea, where only the cunning survive.

Helpful Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Website

My Review:

Blinded by the pain of grief Kara falls into a new world, when she opened the Grimoire and became it's master. Now she is in the middle of a conflict that rages on between the races that dwell within Ourea, the world to which she is simply a pawn and a tool to wield. Now Kara must decipher who her true allies are among faces that seem like friends. Guided by her Grimoire and the memories of the past keeper, she embarks on a dangerous journey that has her running for her life and fighting for a world that she never knew existed. She stumbles upon Braeden Drakonin, a man living a lie and running from a fate that he does not want. With his own agenda and ends in mind Braeden vows to guide and protect Kara in the big new world of Ourea, but the secrets she uncovers may be to big for her to survive.

When you first open Lichgates you find Kara deep in the throes of grief, guilt and pain over the recent loss of her mother. But soon her world is turned upside down and everything that she has ever believed is put to the test. It doesn't take long for everything to change in this book; one minute you are battling grief and the next you are falling into a whole other world. Now you are lost, confused and scared out of your ever loving mind! Especially once you lay eyes on the creatures that walk the mysterious land. 

But Kara just isn't any girl, or woman, she is a strong willed woman who is determined to do the right thing, no matter what the cost. She is fierce, a fighter and has a quick tongue. In Lichgates we follow her journey as she struggles to discover what her place is in Ourea, who she can trust and how to use the magic that she has been blessed with. 

She has no real "road map" to the mysterious world of Ourea except the Grimoire that can answer any question, if it is the right question. Which I have to say is a pretty cool book. Frankly I would love to have one. Could you imagine school work? Seriously, S.M. Boyce had a great idea with that one. Now I know she wasn't the first one to do it, but S.M. Boyce did it with flare! In Lichgates the Grimoire became so much more than a book, it became a companion. Albeit sometimes a stubborn companion, but a companion nonetheless and one that she could always count on. 

But Kara does not have to survive by Grimoire alone, oh no, because she is joined by one hot, dangerous warrior named Braeden. And boy is the guy one hot body of secrets! His story is dark, dangerous and a bit saddening. He lives a life full of lies and can never truly be himself, not without the fear of death. His plight can't help but tug at your heartstrings. I have to say I am pretty jealous of Kara getting to have this handsome guide with her on her journey. Braeden is a wealth of knowledge and power and vows to protect Kara as long as she is in Ourea, which as he discovers proves to be harder than he ever imagined. 

In Lichgates author S.M. Boyce gives us a creative world as deep as the ocean with boundless possibilities. In the world that is Ourea we are greeted with vast creatures, some we know and many that we don't. And S.M. Boyce does a spectacular job of breathing new life into things we thought we knew. With the creatures of Ourea you never know who is friend or foe. This is definitely one world where you can't judge a person....or a creature by their appearance. 

AUTHOR BIO~

International Amazon Bestseller. Fantasy Author. Twitter addict. Book Blogger. Geek. Sarcastic. Gooey. Odd. Author of the action-packed Grimoire Saga.

S.M. Boyce is a novelist who loves ghosts, magic, and spooky things. She prefers loose-leaf tea, reads far too many books, and is always cold. She’s married to her soul mate and couldn’t be happier. Her B.A. in Creative Writing qualifies her to serve you french fries.

Boyce likes to update her blog a few times each week so that you have something to wake you up in the morning.

Find Her: Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook

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