Blog Tour: Interview with Alison Goodman!

 Today on WinterHaven Books I am participating in the blog tour for Alison Goodman!  Her latest novel The Dark Days Club hit shelves this week and if you haven't stalked your local bookstore then you must do so now!!  For our stop on this amazing tour Alison is stopping by to answer a few of our questions!

1. Please describe The Dark Days Club in five words or less.
Demon hunting in Regency high society.  I know that’s six words…but it’s a big book.

2. Which character was your favorite to write?
Lady Helen has to be my favorite, but a close second is Lord Carlston. He is mysterious and not altogether respectable–an excellent Regency hero–and it was so much fun writing the banter between him and Lady Helen. I also enjoyed creating Mr Benchley who is quite a nasty piece of work; villainous types are always great to write.

3. I love that Helen will be hunting demons! Did you always plan for her to hunt demons or did your writing turn this way halfway through?
I am a planner, so I always knew Helen would discover that there was a shadowy world of demonic creatures hidden within Regency society. However, at the beginning of the novel, she is not aware of them. Nor is she aware of her own extraordinary abilities–they are only just starting to develop. As the book progresses, the truth about her abilities gradually emerges and she must face enormous danger and terrible choices.

4. Do you have any writing rituals?
When I sit down to start a new day of writing, I always read what I wrote the day before, edit it, and then start on the new section. In that way I retrieve the flow of the writing and the tone, and “warm up” for the day ahead.

5. Can you share what you are working on next?
I am currently working on Book 3 of the Lady Helen series, which is set in Bath in the winter social season. I’m also writing another project set in the Regency: a short story titled “The Benevolent Society of Ill Mannered Ladies”. It is for a new anthology called And Then…The Great Big Book of Awesome Adventure Tales, which will be published this year by Clan Destine Press.

Alison thanks so much for stopping by!  I can't wait to dive into this amazing adventure!!

The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman

Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers

Release Date: January 26th, 2016

Purchase: Amazon

New York Times bestseller Alison Goodman’s eagerly awaited new project: a Regency adventure starring a stylish and intrepid demon-hunter!

London, April 1812. On the eve of eighteen-year-old Lady Helen Wrexhall’s presentation to the queen, one of her family’s housemaids disappears-and Helen is drawn into the shadows of Regency London. There, she meets Lord Carlston, one of the few who can stop the perpetrators: a cabal of demons infiltrating every level of society. Dare she ask for his help, when his reputation is almost as black as his lingering eyes? And will her intelligence and headstrong curiosity wind up leading them into a death trap?

Find Alison

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Instagram / Goodreads

The amazing people at Penguin are hosting an awesome giveaway! 

5 lucky readers will win a hardcover copy of The Dark Days Club!

Open to US residents only

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Aussie Review: Eona: The Last Drangoneye by Alison Goodman

Eona: The Last Drangoneye by Alison Goodman
Publisher- VIKING by Penguin Group
Release- April 19th 2011
Purchase- Amazon / B & N / Chapters

Eon has been revealed as Eona, the first female Dragoneye in hundreds of years. Along with fellow rebels Ryko and Lady Dela, she is on the run from High Lord Sethon's army. The renegades are on a quest for the black folio, stolen by the drug-riddled Dillon; they must also find Kygo, the young Pearl Emperor, who needs Eona's power and the black folio if he is to wrest back his throne from the selfstyled "Emperor" Sethon. Through it all, Eona must come to terms with her new Dragoneye identity and power - and learn to bear the anguish of the ten dragons whose Dragoneyes were murdered. As they focus their power through her, she becomes a dangerous conduit for their plans. . . .Eona, with its pulse-pounding drama and romance, its unforgettable fight scenes, and its surprises, is the conclusion to an epic only Alison Goodman could create.

My Thoughts:
Wow! What a sequel! 
Don't you just love it when the second book is better then the first? Well, for me, this book was so different compared to Eon: Dragoneye Reborn. While the first book was more slow moving, Eona: The Last Drangoneye was more action packed, more dire and moved at a constant steady flow of intrigue. I loved it!

Eona is very different compared to herself as Eon. She was a very uncertain character who was shadowed by fear. In this book she has more strength, more courage, but she still struggles with control, which is really the whole point of the book since a power that fantastical is beyond control. But it's more then that. It seems that Eona is always caught between what is right, what is wrong and what is necessary. I didn't always agree with her choices and it was  frustrating to see her being pulled by blame, guilt and duty.
Alison Goodman did a tremendous job with character building, not only for Eona but for the entire cast. There were vital points to where Eon stood in the first book that lead Eona to her master conclusion. Getting there is the most fun I've had in high fantasy since Finnikin of the Rock. As for the other characters  I don't think I could have loved them any less. Ryko, Dela, Vida and of course, his Majesty, emperor Kygo.

As for the love interest? There was no romance in the first book, something that I was grateful for actually since Eon had a enough on her shoulders just trying to figure out who she wanted to be and finally deal with who she became. Love would have complicated it and make it unrealistic for her at that time. However in this book Kygo and Eona walk a very thin line. Both are powerful and important, each having their own duty. But they are still man and women and whenever they are reminded of that, the raw attraction is filled with pure energy, even when they disagree and argue, I can feel the chemistry sizzle. Such an explosive pair. As for Ido? Well I'm not sure I can say this was much of a triangle since, in my opinion, I feel that the women should have conflicting feelings for both men, while the men fight for her love. Was Eona attracted to Ido? Sure, but attraction isn't love. Was she connected to him affectionately and emotionally? No, I don't think she was. I think that she was attracted to what he could offer her. Power and knowledge. It wasn't love, it was control and as I mentioned before, this book is about control that is out of control and therefore can never truly be real. So I believe that Eona has only truly desired and loved one man in her life and I'm glad for it. They are an exceptional pair.

The plot has stepped up hugely in this book. Some of the scenes were pretty graphic, earning a cringe from me, but I was still simply amazed by all the twist and turns that Goodman put the characters and the readers through. I couldn't predict half of what happened and I was constantly on my toes. While it took a little longer to read the first one, I couldn't inhale this one fast enough. Loved the real story behind the Pearl and the dragons and how the Mirror Dragon was vastly connected. Such a sensational tale.

Bottom line, I loved this series. It's chaotic, heartbreaking and spiritually uplifting. Apart of me is still curious about what happens next, but it's not hard to figure out. I'm content with the way it ended, but I'll miss these characters very much. 
This was a brilliant adventure that I wont soon forget, it will be treasured always.

Find the author:
Goodreads / Website
                                                                   5 Snowflakes

Aussie Review: Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman

Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman
Publisher- Viking Juvenile
Released- June 23rd 2009
Purchase- Amazon / B & N / Chapters

Eon has been studying the ancient art of Dragon Magic for four years, hoping he'll be able to apprentice to one of the twelve energy dragons of good fortune. But he also has a dark secret. He is actually Eona, a sixteen-year-old girl who has been living a dangerous lie for the chance to become a Dragon-eye, the human link to an energy dragon's power. It is forbidden for females to practice the Dragon Magic and, if discovered, Eon faces a terrible death. After a dazzling sword ceremony, Eon's affinity with the twelve dragons catapults him into the treacherous world of the Imperial court, where he makes a powerful enemy, Lord Ido. As tension builds and Eon's desperate lie comes to light, readers won't be able to stop turning the pages... 

My Thoughts:

Eon: Dragoneye Reborn, is an exquisite, fascinating story that combines Chinese culture, the zodiac animals, swordplay, magic and dragons. It's traditional with code of honor and respect. It's cruel and cunning, sharp and smart and completely imaginative.
Eon is a sixteen year old girl posing as a male so she can train in hopes to be a Dragoneye apprentice. Even though she is a weak link, a cripple, she is also special. She has a rare gift, she can see the presence of the eleven dragons as well as the lost Mirror Dragon, with mind-sight. Something no one else can do. Soon the weight of hope is rested on Eon's shoulders, and she will learn her true fate...as Eona. 

This is the kind of high fantasy that I can't help but crave. Lots of names to remember, politics to understand and emotional play to get lost in. But at the heart of the story it's actually quite simple. It's a story about one girl who got tangled in a web of lies that her master set her upon, its a story about struggling to find her own way...as herself. To belong. To be accepted and ultimately, to survive. As the story moves on it becomes bigger then her and takes on a more dire need. As Eon unfolds in the story, I begun to unfold with her. So much forced-growth in a character right before my eyes and it was incredible to witness each step with each new chapter.

The way of each character is very formal in both speech and physical presence, I don't mean it to sound like they're robotic or dry, quite the opposite in fact, each of them have a commanding presence, from royalty to Dragoneye to servant. They are fair. They are power. They are humble. They know their places. Each role is very defined and rooted. I was going to name a list of characters and what I liked about them, but that would result in a rather long(er) review, so in short, I was very much invested to each and everyone one of them. Chart is one of my favorites though, so he gets a special shout out. He has such a kind and innocent heart. What Eon did for him was absolutely amazing and really touched my heart. There were a few characters that surprised me and some that made me disgusted (Lord Ido I'm looking at you) but no matter who was bad and who was good I thought they were all marvelously created.

The flow of this book is gradual and filled with very fine details, which I feel is the true beauty of this book. It's rich, vivid and stunning.
My only suggestion to anyone who wants to read this is, to take it a few chapters at a time. Let the story absorb in your mind before moving on, otherwise it can be a bit overwhelming or underwhelming depending on your take of the story.
Personally, I loved the way it was written. Alison Goodman writes with passion and grace. There is zero romance in this installment, so if your expecting one then you might be disappointed. It didn't take anything away from the experience for me though since I don't think there was any room for romance in a story this grand. Maybe next book?

All in all, I was very impressed with this book. It has so much heart and soul and I had a great time savoring this right till the very end. An Exceptional Read!

Find the author:
Goodreads / Website
                                                                    4 Snowflakes