Blog Tour Stop : Shadows of Asphodel by Karen Kincy

 The Shadows of Asphodel Blog Tour was organized by Candace's Book Blog.

 Hi guys!

Welcome to my tour stop for Shadows of Asphodel by Karen Kincy. As part of my tour stop, I'm excited to be sharing with you guys a review and a giveaway. I hope you guys enjoy it and don't forget to check out the other tour stops here.

Summary (from Goodreads)

Title : Shadows of Asphodel (Shadows of Asphodel #1)
Author : Karen Kincy
Publication Date : September 13th 2013
Publisher : Self-Published
Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes & Noble

1913. In her work as a mercenary for Austria-Hungary, Ardis has killed many men without hesitation. One more man shouldn’t matter, even if he manages to be a charming bastard while he stands dying in the snow.

But when he raises the dead to fight for him, she realizes she must save his life.

If a necromancer like Wendel dies, he will return as a monster—or so the rumors say. Ardis decides to play it safe and rescues him. What she doesn’t expect is Wendel falling to one knee and swearing fealty. Ardis never asked for the undying loyalty of a necromancer, but it’s too late now.

Ardis and Wendel forge an uneasy alliance underscored with sexual tension. Together, they confront rebels, assassins, and a conspiracy involving a military secret: robotically-enhanced soldiers for a world on the brink of war. But as Ardis starts to fall for Wendel, she realizes the scars from his past run more deeply than she ever imagined. Can Ardis stop Wendel before his thirst for revenge destroys him and everyone else around him?

Personal Thoughts

Interesting, unique and highly compelling are the 3 words I would use to describe Shadows of Asphodel.

Shadows of Asphodel tells the story about Ardis, a brave young woman, who was kick-ass in every sense of the word. Ardis was a protagonist who was easy to connect with from the first few pages itself. Her devotion and her willingness to do everything for the good for the world was an admirable quality. Ardis was also a young woman who thought about the possible consequences of the decisions she has to take before taking them, a quality which I think is important in likeable main characters in fantasy novels. The only part of Ardis I would say I wasn't too keen was, was the part of her who was so easy to trust Wendel, but I'll get more to that later. Wendel, was personally, not a character I grew to appreciate much, because he evaded and omitted the truth so much. It was difficult for me to trust him, which led to me not being able to become fully attached to him. I did wish we had a more of a back story to him so I could connect with him as much as I wanted to.

Because I didn't really connect with Wendel, I also had issues with the romance. In all honesty, the romance moved too fast for my liking, especially for a YA fantasy. I prefer more of a slow-burn romance in these sorts of books, so I was slightly disappointed with that. Regardless, that didn't affect my enjoyment of the book because the story was unique and brilliantly well-written. I had never heard of diesel-punk before I read this book, but let me tell you, I was fascinated. The historical setting in Shadows of Asphodel was also vivid and highly imaginative. I also thought the author did a fantastic job with the progression of the plot and the blending of the genres. I was undoubtedly immersed in the story line from start to finish.

Shadows of Asphodel is a book that brings back my faith in NA novels. Not only was it unique, but it was also terrific in the character development and the world-building. I highly recommend this to fans of fantasy novels.

Rating

Cover : 3/5
Plot : 4/5
Characters : 4/5
Writing : 4/5

Author Biography

Karen Kincy (Redmond, Washington) can be found lurking in her writing cave, though sunshine will lure her outside. When not writing, she stays busy gardening, tinkering with aquariums, or running just one more mile. Karen has a BA in Linguistics and Literature from The Evergreen State College. 

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What do you guys think of this book?
Does this sound like something you would enjoy?

Be sure to let me know in the comments below!

Thank you to Candace's Book Blog for letting me take part in this blog tour.