Acquired Book By: Earlier this Spring, I participated in an event uniting book bloggers and Indie Authors called #ReviewPit. One of the authors I discovered during this event was H.L. Burke – her s/o about the novel on Twitter was most enticing (see also tweet) but it was the premise which captured me the most – how a fairy queen, a cat-elf and a knight all interconnect to each other in this fairy tale Fantasy! It felt different than most of the fantastical stories I come across within the same niche of interest and being that I am constantly trying to root out either a) new fairytale fiction or b) stories of the fey – I felt this one was a good choice to take a chance on reading!
I was seeking stories during #ReviewPit which caught my eye for their uniqueness but also what was quite lovely is how most of the stories which intrigued me to read were actually within the realms of Fantasy! I found this wicked interesting and it is why I was thankful during #WyrdAndWonder Year 2 I could continue to celebrate my love of Indie Authors & Indie Publishers and Press!
I received a complimentary copy of “To Court A Queen” direct from the author H.L. Burke in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
And, the fey came to call during #ReviewPit:
When I first learnt of the #bookishTwitter event #ReviewPit, I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect – I keep a watchful eye on twitterverse events where writers are seeking betareaders or where authors are seeking publication (ie. #PitchWars, etc) as I generally find #newtomeauthors this way and I do like to champion the writers who are on their path towards becoming published as this is something I can personally relate to as I’m a writer whose currently moonlighting as a book blogger and joyful tweeter! It is lovely to reach out into the Indie community on Twitter and continue to seek out the stories I desire to be reading. Ever since I first started blogging here at Jorie Loves A Story, I’ve had an eye out for Indie Press, Publishers and the writers who are seeking alternative publication – either through the Indie side of publishing directly through established publishers and press; or through Small Trade publishers or taking the full-Indie route into Self-Publishing or Hybrid publishing options.
This is what made #ReviewPit such a keen event for me – I decided to just jump into it and see what I would find. It is run similar to other events where you get a pitch about a story and you are given a clue of a nod towards its genre of interest. I quite literally had such a wicked joy just scrolling through all the lovelies being offered, I wasn’t entirely sure how many would be available to receive as print editions for review but I decided to give myself the chance to just seek out the authors first and request which ones were available lateron.
To Court A Queen felt like it would be ideally quirky with just enough fantastical realism to draw me into its folds – plus, what I liked about it most is that it felt dearly comical with a healthy dash of comedic joy to make this potentially another entry in my feast of Fantasy satire satisfying the affinity I have for humour in fiction!
Notation on Cover Art Design:
Can be pause this review for a moment to take stock of the lovely cover art featured on this beautifully love Fantasy Romance novel!? The dress alone is delightful but it is her ears and the length of her hair which I really felt took the image home for me to feel like I had crossed the threshold into this world being built for me to explore! It is truly beautiful enough to frame on your wall where your bookshelves remind you of all the lovely stories you’ve travelled through – I normally love original illustrations for Fantasy novels but this realistic photography art felt wicked brilliant all on its own!
To Court A Queen
Subtitle: A Fairy Tale Romance
by H.L. Burke
Source: #ReviewPit Author, Direct from Author
He doesn't want to get married, but he wants to be a frog even less.
Knight errant, Devin, takes a shortcut through the woods, only to be captured by fairy forces. The fairy queen has run out of breathing males to fight for her hand, and Devin, while not ideal fairy stock, is breathing--for now.
Telling a vain fairy queen you'd rather not be her one true love is a ticket to life on a lilypad, so the knight agrees to face three challenges to win Queen Agalea's hand. When a clever servant girl offers to help him navigate the trials in order to stop the constant bloodshed of the courtship ritual, Devin jumps at the chance. However, as he balances "flirting" with his "beloved" and overcoming tasks specifically designed to kill him, he finds his heart drawn to his new partner in survival.
Places to find the book:
ISBN: 9781794579644
Also by this author: Ashen
Published by Self Published
on 18th February, 2019
Format: Trade Paperback
Pages: 163
This is a self-published novel.
Discover MORE #FantasyRomance by H.L. Burke!
Formats Available: Trade Paperback, Audiobook and Ebook
a short extract from “To Court A Queen:
About H.L. Burke
Born in a small town in north central Oregon, H. L. Burke spent most of her childhood around trees and farm animals and was always accompanied by a book. Growing up with epic heroes from Middle Earth and Narnia keeping her company, she also became an incurable romantic.
An addictive personality, she jumped from one fandom to another, being at times completely obsessed with various books, movies, or television series (Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Star Trek all took their turns), but she has grown to be what she considers a well-rounded connoisseur of geek culture.
Married to her high school crush who is now a US Marine, she has moved multiple times in her adult life but believes that home is wherever her husband, two daughters, and pets are.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- #2019NewReleaseChallenge
- #WyrdAndWonder
