The Blue Unicorn’s Journey to Osm Book Tour & Giveaway

Genre: Middle-Grade Fantasy
Publisher: Sybrina Publishing
Publication Date: February 20, 2017
Pages: 143
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Everybody loves unicorns! OK maybe they don’t but for those who do, they will love this story about a little unicorn who was born into a tribe of magical, metal horned unicorns. The little guy has no magic and he has no metal but somehow he must save the tribe from an evil sorcerer. Read the book to find out if he can do it.

“The metal horned unicorns are doomed!” That’s what Lauda Lead Horn wailed when she first saw the tribe’s new savior. OK, so his horn was not metal. . .and he did not have a magic power. . .and he was really a puny little runt. But doomed? Were things really that bad?

Well, things were pretty bad in the land of MarBryn. Magh, an evil sorcerer utilized unicorn horns and hooves to create his magical potions and spells. Those he used, to increase his power and to conquer everyone in his path. All of the unicorns from the Tribe of the Metal Horn were now gone . . . except for twelve survivors.

Before the blue unicorn was born, Numen told Alumna, the aluminum-horned oracle, that he had a plan to bring the tribe back home to Unimaise. His prophecy was, “Only the blue unicorn can join with the Moon-Star. Until then, no new unicorns will be born.” Blue was the last unicorn born. Twenty years later, his horn was still covered with a plain blue colored hide. There was not a glint of metal to be seen on it or his hooves. And he still didn’t have any magic. But he was no longer scrawny and he had his wits. Though no one else in the tribe thought he had a chance, Blue felt ready to make Magh pay for his evil deeds. And he went off to do it alone. That was Blue’s first mistake. If the entire tribe was not standing horn-tip to horn-tip at the proper time and the exact place to help usher the Moon-Star Spirit into Blue’s horn, he would die. Then, the rest of the tribe would really be doomed.

Readers will follow along two journey paths in this book. Blue is joined in his travels by his mentor Gaiso, the Stag and his friend, Girasol the Firebird as they try to find their way across a danger-filled MarBryn to Muzika Woods. The rest of Blue’s tribe is forced to follow another route due to Nix Nickle Horn’s unfortunate incident with a Manticore. Nix, the great unicorn defender must safely lead the way for Ghel, the Golden-Horned unicorn; Silubhra Silver Horn; Cornum the Brass-Horned unicorn; Steel Horned Style; Cuprum the Copper-Horned unicorn; Tin-Horned Tinam; Dr. Zinko; Iown the Iron-Horned unicorn and the others in an action packed adventure to their destination in Muzika Woods. Both journey paths converge there in the Nebulium Circle.

This chapter book is a collector’s dream containing page after page of lavish artwork. It contains nearly 100 pages of story text by Sybrina Durant and the same number of pages of magnificent water-color illustrations by Dasguptarts. This book, written by Sybrina Durant and illustrated by Dasguptarts, offers readers a visual feast of over forty beautiful water-color pictures that each span two pages. Forty-two – easy to digest two-page chapters are chock full of adventurous and entertaining morsels. This illustrated book will become a favorite of teen and older fantasy readers.  A companion coloring/ character description book is also available at any online bookstore.

Where to Buy

Amazon

 Hi!

I’m Sybrina. . .. . .Just one of millions of wannabe author/singer/songwriters out there but I hope, after reading or hearing my books and songs, you’ll think my contributions to the world have as much value as any other famous artist out there today.

Fame is all in being in the right place at the right time but at least with the internet and venues like this, all of us have opportunities to share our creativity with the world. I’m so happy that I am able to share my works with you. That is awesome!

The books I’ve written span a wide range between illustrated picture books, coloring books and YA novels to technical and how-to books.

Enjoy!

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The Neverending Story by Michael Ende

This is a new series as I go through the books that were turned into movies that I’ve enjoyed.

 
Genre: Middle Grade/Young Adult, Fantasy, Classics
Publisher: Dutton Children’s Books
Publishing Date: 1997 (originally pub 1979)
Format: Paperback (own copy)
Pages: 396
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My Rating

4.50 Stars

About the Book

This epic work of the imagination has captured the hearts of millions of readers worldwide since it was first published more than a decade ago. Its special story within a story is an irresistible invitation for readers to become part of the book itself. And now this modern classic and bibliophile’s dream is available in hardcover again.

The story begins with a lonely boy named Bastian and the strange book that draws him into the beautiful but doomed world of Fantastica. Only a human can save this enchanted place–by giving its ruler, the Childlike Empress, a new name. But the journey to her tower leads through lands of dragons, giants, monsters, and magic–and once Bastian begins his quest, he may never return. As he is drawn deeper into Fantastica, he must find the courage to face unspeakable foes and the mysteries of his own heart.

Readers, too, can travel to the wondrous, unforgettable world of Fantastica if they will just turn the page….

My Review

Growing up, The Neverending Story (especially the first movie) was part of the collection of movies that would single-handedly corrupt me for life. Labyrinth was the first and foremost, if you needed to know. Haha. No shame in the horrible sobbing because of the loss of Artax. (His death is much different in the book.)
Although I must say that it was the first two Neverending Story movies that enthralled me. The third subsequent movie was not to my taste. Falkor’s voice in it, shudder.

When I learned that the movies had a book, I had spent many years looking for said book. It was on that “if I find it, no matter the price, I will get it” list that I have in my head. This list annoys my dad’s partner because when she asks, I can never think of what is on the list. When I see the books, I know.

Anyhow, in a magic second hand store is where I found The Neverending Story. My friend Jamie and two of his friends and myself had a day of books, comic book stores and really good food. I found my precious in this store, nestled between other classic stories I had very little interest in. I may have squealed a little and danced a small “I found it!” jig. This is entirely out of character for me as I have agoraphobia and social phobia, and was gazed upon with amusement. I do this when I see other shinies that I want. Shiniiiies! (If you play Guild Wars 2, you will understand.)

Book Bastian, is possibly the most unlikable character. While I understand he is neglected emotionally by his father and horribly bullied; he is just the most unattractive of characters. He is spoiled, sullen, and very selfish. As the book goes on, he does become more unlikable. I’m sure he was written that way for the book to shape him but ugh.
The first movie, which features a moderate portrayal of the first half of the book, movie Bastian was much more tolerable. He was more bookish and a little more rebellious in the movie. He wasn’t as insufferably selfish and spoiled. But he was horribly bullied, the poor thing. I enjoyed his vast book knowledge as well.
When the second half of the story came, Bastian was even more insufferable. I guess that is because AURYN was stealing his memories every wish he made, but gah. Even the movie version of Bastian was as terrible. He treated his friends terribly and linked up with the beautiful but dangerous Xayide. The movie’s second half was a very loose portrayal of the second half of the book.
The ending for Xayide in the book was a little dark, but the movie ending was perfect. Especially because she used her charms and trickery to lure Bastian into using AURYN more and more.

Like most fairy tales, each story has a moral to it. The first half of the book talks about a world where children are growing up surrounded by an electronic world and forget about the written worlds. Thus Fantastica/Fantasia begins to disappear into “nothingness”. The werewolf in the movie and book represented the dreaded The Nothing that was devouring the world. In the book it was a being that could walk in both the fantasy world and the human world, and he was to destroy Atreyu to prevent Atreyu and Bastian from finding the cure for the Child-Like Emperess. Although, who the heck names their child Moonchild? At the time of the movie, Bastian’s mother would have been too old for the days of the Hippie’s and their unique names for children.
While the second half of the book and movie, it was a moral of not allowing yourself to get lost and to forget your world. As Bastian lost his memories of his family and life outside Fantastica/Fantasia, but it taught him that his father truly did care for him.

I honestly wouldn’t recommend either the movies or the book for anyone under the age of 8 or 9. Even then, it might be pretty difficult for them to understand. Whoever translated the story from German managed to use words that are difficult to understand, even as an adult. Thank you translator. But I do recommend it as a read for your children. It is a great book to awaken a love of fantasy and because it is a never-ending story, it is one they can go on again and again.

Where to Buy

Amazon CAN | Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | Chapters/Indigo

About the Author

 Michael Andreas Helmuth Ende was a German writer of fantasy and children’s literature. He was the son of the surrealist painter Edgar Ende. He died in Stuttgart (Germany) of stomach cancer.

Ende was one of the most popular and famous German authors of the 20th century, mostly due to the enormous success of his children’s books. However, Ende was not strictly a children’s author, as he also wrote books for adults. Ende claimed, “It is for this child in me, and in all of us, that I tell my stories,” and that “[my books are] for any child between 80 and 8 years” (qtd. Senick 95, 97). Ende’s writing could be described as a surreal mixture of reality and fantasy. The reader is often invited to take a more interactive role in the story, and the worlds in his books often mirror our reality, using fantasy to bring light to the problems of an increasingly technological modern society.

Ende was also known as a proponent of economic reform, and claimed to have had the concept of aging money in mind when writing Momo. He was interested in and influenced by anthroposophy. (via GoodReads )

http://www.michaelende.de/

 

 

Blue’s Prophecy Book Tour & Giveaway

Genre: Middle Grade/Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction
Publisher: TitleTown Publishing LLC
Publication Date: May 15, 2017
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About the Book

Two genetically altered dogs, two different fates. One is Robo, a beloved Great Dane, who is tricked out of the embrace of his human family and then is horribly altered by an evil scientist who rebuilds him with robotic parts, weaponizing the dog for money from the military. But that s not all the scientist does the experiments he conducts leave Robo a genius, almost immortal and with powers beyond explanation. But the horror Robo experiences at the scientist’s hands changes him driving him insane with the sole mission to destroy all humans, especially those who have tortured and hurt dogs.

Meanwhile, a scrappy alley husky sits in a shelter, when she with her blue eyes and tough wolf-like features captures the attention of another group of scientists desperate to stop Robo from his path of destruction. This dog, called Blue, could be the chosen one to fight and defeat Robo. She is also genetically enhanced and left with glowing turquoise eyes before being released to face Robo s vicious dog army. Her mission: save human civilization and the packs of dogs she’s grown to love.

Book Trailer:

Where to Buy:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Author Unboxes Blue’s Prophecy books:

About the Author:

Emily Ross, 13, is a fifth generation writer and an owner of three dogs, Balta, Buddy and Zoey. Her prose exceeds her years, with Emily starting work on Blue’s Prophecy, a science fiction/fantasy book for pre-teens and teens, when she was 10. Living in Atlanta, Emily is also an animator and a skilled archer, and relaxes by playing the double bass in her middle school orchestra.

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Website | Twitter | Facebook

Article about the Author on Vox Communications:
http://voxatl.com/teen-novelist-emily-ross-writing-tips/

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