Hey, lovelies!! It gives me great pleasure today to host Michael Haddad and his new book, “Frostborn,” here on FAB!! For other stops on his Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.
Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!! And NOT ONLY is there this fabulous giveaway, but there is a SECOND fabulous giveaway!! Be sure to continue scrolling down for a chance to win an eBook copy of the featured book, “Frostborn,” on Goodreads. See below for more details.
Also, come back daily to interact with Michael and to increase your chances of winning!!
Thanks for stopping by!! Wishing you all lots of luck in this fabulous giveaway!!
Frostborn
by Michael Haddad
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GENRE: Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / General
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BLURB:
The Frostborn—the one destined to end the war, the one blessed by the magic of Aether—was supposedly nothing more than a hopeless fairytale, a myth lost to time. But as the centuries-long war between the kingdoms of Eljud and Surtrol forces Elias Jökull to evacuate his village, a run-in with the fearsome Gjallarhorn army awakens within him a dormant power long since forgotten by the people—a power signaling the existence of the Frostborn.
With such critical news, hope of victory against Surtrol becomes contagious, yet Elias's former life of slavery leaves him apprehensive about lending a hand to his own flawed kingdom. Even still, knowing the world will soon be in search of him, the newfound Frostborn must choose his allegiances quickly. And after encountering a ranked Surt captain, he does just that.
But while acting as a double agent, feeding intel to Eljud's southern enemy and working both sides of the same border, his conflicted self struggles to anchor his loyalty to a single kingdom as buried secrets begin to unearth.
The incessant clash between the north and south is soon coming to an end and Elias will have to find a side to stand on. The hard question is: which side? Everyone wants the Frostborn for themselves, but for how long can Elias let the world string him along?
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EXCERPT ONE:
She holds the child close to her chest, cradling the head with a mother’s delicate touch. The other infant is nestled in a crib only a few feet away. Winds rattle the glass panes of the cracked window and some of the winter air seeps through. The rough and tattered curtains dance with it—the only movement in the room besides the woman’s near-chattering teeth. She does her best to keep the children warm, but for some reason they sleep soundlessly, soothed by the whistling of the wind.
The woman brushes a gaunt, wrinkled finger along the pudgy cheeks of the bundle in her arms. The shackles on her wrist jangle, anchored down by a bolt at the centre of the room. The tight, unrefined metal leaves behind blisters, but to her it is worth it. The young child’s skin is stone cold to her touch, but soft and full of colour. He breathes evenly and she can feel his pulse just fine when she moves her finger to the child’s neck. He feels dead, yet is as alive as anyone.
“Freezing cold. Ah, but look at these pudgy cheeks. You remind me of those statues in the hall,” she whispers, pinching his face until it is ruddy. “I’d be scared if you weren’t so adorable.”
The woman lifts her head as the sound of rushed steps echoes in the hall outside the door. She hears the jiggle of keys and a mechanical click releasing the lock. The knob turns and the door swings open...
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GUEST POST:
Nine Reasons You Should My Latest Book, “Frostborn”
1.) A relatable and
diverse cast of characters:
a.) Most characters
in the novel have their own motivating factors that contribute to the plot, and
while they work to achieve these goals, they face hardships and must overcome
their very relatable flaws.
b.) Characters also
express and normalize LGBTQ+ behaviors.
c.) There is a
healthy mixture of privileged and unprivileged characters.
d.) The cast has
strong female leaders.
e.) There is a clash of cultures as invading kingdoms drive deeper into their territory.
2.) A developing magic
system for readers to imagine being a part of:
a.) As the story
progresses, readers learn about the lore of the current magic system and how it
came to be, including the three primordial energies Aether, Nether and Ether.
b.) The magic system
has limitations. This is important in forcing characters to rely on their
creativity/skill and not solely their power when using “magic”.
c.) Although the Frostborn’s magic is inherent, any human could be gifted such power. They just need something called a Relic to act as a vehicle for their inner energy.
3.) Motifs and themes
directly taken from Norse mythology:
a.) Most names either
tie directly into Nordic lore or have Nordic origins.
b.) Aurgelmir,
Eljud’s capital, is another alias for Ymir, the frost jötunn.
c.) Surtrol, the hot
southern kingdom, comes from the fire jötunn Surtr, who’s told to be a
contributing factor in Ragnarök.
d.) Gjallarhorn Army
is named after the horn associated with the god Heimdallr.
e.) Hlidskjálf is the throne that oversees all nine realms. I named Eljud’s own throne after it.
4.) Fun fact: Don’t worry if you can’t pronounce any of the names, I can barely pronounce half of them!
5.) If you like trilogies, commit to this one! Frostborn is the first in the series and it’s not too long for a fantasy novel, so you’ll for sure know if you want to commit to the next books after reading the first.
6.) Conflict! There
are many flavours of conflict, for example:
a.) Character
against society: Even as the Frostborn,
Elias must still face prejudices due to his history as a slave, inhibiting him
from fulfilling his role as the kingdom’s alleged savior.
b.) Character
against self: Elias struggles with his
own identity and making decisions given the circumstances of the ongoing war.
He’s also desperate to control his newfound power.
c.) Character against Character: We all love a villain, especially when that villain has been one step ahead of the MC every single time. But we all know, when a character is forced into a corner, they’re bound to exhibit significant changes.
7.) Frostborn has a unique world of its own. The setting is vivid and
highly developed. Characters venture through numerous cities before ending up
at the capital city nested in the mountainside and closed off by a colossal
wall. Although this novel focuses on the winter kingdom of Eljud, there will be
more land for my characters to explore in the upcoming novels.
a.) I’m hoping to include a map for book two because I am obsessed with them in fantasy stories. Keep an eye out! I may share sneak peeks on my social media as I continue working on it.
8.) Profound and
meaningful prose!
a.) Ex. “There is no weakness in relying on others when the world has a knife to your throat.”
9.) Last but certainly not least, Frostborn looks stunning on a bookshelf! I don’t know about you, but I’ve purchased books for much less.
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AUTHOR BIO:
Hardworking university student and recent John Abbott College graduate, Michael Haddad doubles as a fiction author of the fantastic who throws himself into his own writing—who can't stop imagining new worlds, new ideas, new characters. His passion for roleplaying games has earned him his fair share of teasing, but he'd be lying if he said it didn't open his imagination. When not at his computer, typing away, Michael is often with his friends and family, losing terribly at tennis, hunkering down for movie marathons, and trying to get a good night's sleep. As someone born and raised in Montreal, he is no stranger to having ice rinks for streets and snow up to the knee—but that's nothing a warm cup of coffee can't beat.
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CONNECT WITH MICHAEL:
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Michael-Haddad-Author-106283484884430
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/mhaddad_author
Goodreads Author Page:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21313196.Michael_Haddad
Goodreads Book Page:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58158288-frostborn
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BOOK BUY LINKS:
Amazon US Kindle eBook:
Amazon US Paperback:
Amazon CA Kindle eBook:
https://www.amazon.ca/Frostborn-Michael-Haddad-ebook/dp/B094ZN4JQL
Amazon CA Paperback:
https://www.amazon.ca/Frostborn-Michael-Haddad/dp/0228849640
Barnes and Noble Paperback:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/frostborn-michael-haddad/1139075432
The Book Depository Paperback:
https://www.bookdepository.com/Frostborn-Michael-Haddad/9780228849643
BAM! Books-A-Million Paperback:
https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Frostborn/Michael-Haddad/9780228849643
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GIVEAWAY #1 INFO:
Michael will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.And, because why have ONE giveaway when you can have TWO!! Yep – that’s right!! There is a SECOND Giveaway!!
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GIVEAWAY #2 INFO:
Michael is also awarding an eBook copy of his featured book, “Frostborn,” on Goodreads.
Check It Out and Enter to Win Below:
**This post contains
affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase is made, I may receive a small
commission to help support this blog.
This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those awesome
giveaways on here**
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good book.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for hosting my debut novel on such a wonderful Blog!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a very good book.
ReplyDeleteI like the book cover. There's something about it that just draws me in.
ReplyDelete