The Duality of Nature
C.E. Clayton
(The Monster of Selkirk, #1)
Publication date: April 18th 2017
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Monsters come in many forms, and not everyone knows a monster when they see one. After three hundred years of monstrous, feral elves plaguing the island nation of Selkirk, everyone believes they know what a monster is. Humans have learned to live with their savage neighbors, enacting a Clearing every four years to push the elves back from their borders. The system has worked for centuries, until after one such purge, a babe was found in the forest.
As Tallis grows, she discovers she isn’t like everyone else. There is something a little different that makes people leery in her presence, and she only ever makes a handful of friends.
But when the elves gather their forces and emerge from the forests literally hissing Tallis’s name like a battle mantra, making friends is the least of her troubles. Tallis and her companions find themselves on an unwilling journey to not only clear her name, but to stop the elves from ravaging her homeland.
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play
--
The Heart of the Forest
C.E. Clayton
(The Monster of Selkirk, #2)
Publication date: October 17th 2017
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Tallis is learning how to deal with loss and violence as she and her friends traverse the forests of Selkirk trying to find the reason behind the elven uprising. Not to mention why they keep hissing her name. But the further into the forests they go, Tallis is finding that the elves’ depravity can still surprise her, and thoroughly test the bonds of friendship, family, and love.
Tallis’s journey eventually leads to answers they’re not prepared for. Now Tallis begins to wonder just who she really is, and if she’s the evil that will end up destroying Selkirk. But she cannot stop to process these revelations, as an unforeseen betrayal lands those she loves at the feet of the very monster responsible for all the hurt, and heartbreak.
Coming face to face with her foe, Tallis discovers all too late she has no idea how to deal with this level of pain, and death. One way or another, the monster’s path ends here, and all Tallis can hope to do is bring those she loves safely out of the heart of the forest.
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks /
“Top 10 People that would make a good friend for Tallis. And why?”
So I’m pretty bad at thinking of fictional characters that I think would be good friends for my characters, or even real people for that matter. But I’ll give it a shot!
- Jyn from Tyffany Hackett’s “Imber”—he’s a snarky elf who is a complete badass when it comes to fighting. Tallis could learn a lot from him, plus then she’d have help protecting more people!
- Penryn from Susan Ee’s “Angelfall”—this is another independent lady who can take care of herself and will do anything to protect the people she loves, often in very dire circumstances. A spirit like that is kindred to Tallis!
- Peta from Suzanne Collins’s “Hunger Games”—he reminds me a bit of Tomas, a sensitive guy who helps those he cares for to see their true potential. Tallis needs more people like that in her life, the poor girl is often plagued with self-doubt.
- Nina from Leigh Bardugo’s “Six of Crows”—Nina is so sassy and carefree, she reminds me a little of Tallis’s other best friend, Rosslyn, and Tallis loves that kind of wit and humor. Plus, who doesn’t love having a confident, smart-mouthed best friend?
- Tyrion Lannister from George R. R. Martin’s “Game of Thrones”—Tallis is often left wondering what she should do, or where she should go, and often she can’t relax. I think Tyrion would be a great friend to her because he’s smart and clever, and he can help her piece together what she should do objectively. Plus he’d be a great drinking buddy and Tallis always needs more of those!
- Kelsier from Brandon Sanderson’s “The Final Empire”—he’s a man with a plan and Tallis always appreciates that, especially since it’s a bit similar to her cousin, Donovan. Tallis always looks up to people who are capable, and can back up their words with action, but who also have big hearts and will lay down their lives for something bigger than they are. Tallis always needs those good influences, plus Kelsier is very witty, and Tallis needs more humor in her life.
- Jean from Scott Lynch’s “Lies of Locke Lamora”—he’s one of those best friends that will always have your back and follow you on all your insane adventures, and see you through to the bitter end of even the craziest of schemes. Tallis finds herself in a lot of precarious situations, so having such a steadfast best friend, one who will always be there for you with a joke and a glass of whiskey if you mess up, is pretty crucial for Tallis to have.
- Carrot from Terry Pratchett’s “Guards! Guards!”—Carrot is a simple soul, but he knows what’s right and he’s going to do it. Tallis could really use a moral compass like that, especially in later books! Carrot is also completely loyal, and so is Tallis, so I feel like these two would have an unbreakable bond. Plus, Carrot is a total sweetheart, but can also completely take care of himself, which Tallis would appreciate.
- Mari from Jack Campbell’s “Dragons of Dorcastle”—she’s smart and takes no attitude, plus she doesn’t let others tell her what to do or believe, she finds her own path and gets to the heart of even the biggest of conspiracies. Tallis and Mari have similar attitudes, and together, I don’t think there’d be a problem big or small they couldn’t tackle.
- Sevro from Pierce Brown’s “Red Rising”—this guy is crazy, both in terms of fun and chaos. He’s hilarious and there’s never a dull moment with him, but he’s also committed and willing to forgive the people he’s friends with. Sevro would get Tallis out of her comfort zone, and while she may not like it, it’d be good for her, and Sevro’s sarcasm would make it so she always forgave him, too.
Author Bio:
C. E. Clayton was born and raised in the greater Los Angeles area, where she attended the University of Southern California (Fight On!) for both her Bachelors and Masters, and then worked in the advertising industry for several years on accounts ranging from fast food, to cars, and video games (her personal favorite). After going the traditional career route and becoming restless, she went back to her first love–writing–and hasn’t stopped. She is now the author of “The Monster of Selkirk” series and her horror short stories have appeared in anthologies across the country. When she’s not writing you can find her treating her fur-babies like humans, constantly drinking tea, and trying to convince her husband to go to more concerts. And reading. She does read quite a bit. More about C.E. Clayton, including her blog, book reviews, social media presence, and newsletter, can be found on her website: https://www.ceclayton.com/
Hosted By:
Thanks for being on the tour :)
ReplyDeleteLove the covers sound like great reads.
ReplyDelete