Chasing the Star Garden by Melanie Karsak ~ Audio Book Review Tour: #AudiobookReview

Title: Chasing the Star Garden

Series: The Airship Racing Chronicles #1

Author: Melanie Karsak

Genre: Steampunk

Publisher: Clockpunk Press

Release Date: Audio Book Sept 2014

Narrator: Libby Clearfield

Length: 6 hrs, 52 min

Formats Available: Audio / eBook / Print

Source: Copy for Review

Purchase: Audible | Kindle | Amazon Print | B&N | Books A Million     

Synopsis

An opium-addicted beauty.

An infamous poet living in self-imposed exile.

An ancient treasure about to fall into the wrong hands. 

Melanie Karsak's Chasing the Star Garden takes readers on a thriller adventure from the gritty opium dens of gaslamp London to the gem-colored waters of the ancient world. Lily Stargazer, a loveable but reckless airship racer with a famous lover and shattered past, reluctantly plunges into a centuries-old mystery in a romantic adventure best described as Dan Brown meets Mary Shelley. 

It all begins on one of the worst days of Lily's life. She just lost the London leg of the 1823 Airship Grand Prix. To top it off, a harlequin fleeing from constables shoved a kaleidoscope down her pants, told her to fly to Venice, then threw himself from her airship tower. What's a girl to do? For Lily, the answer is easy: drink absinthe and smoke opium.

Lily's lover, Lord Byron, encourages her to make the trip to Venice. Lily soon finds herself at the heart of an ancient mystery which has her running from her past and chasing true love and the stars along the way.

**Due to steamy scenes and depictions of drug use, this novel is intended for mature readers.**  

I bought Chasing the Star Garden just a couple of months ago in eBook format but have been getting into audio books lately. I've been dying to read this book and so jumped at the chance to review this story in audio book format. 

Listening to Chasing the Star Garden is a beautiful experience. I love the narrator, Libby Clearfield! She can speak in a variety of accents, including Italian and French. She brings the story to life and speaks clearly. I'd definitely listen to another audio book narrated by her.

Chasing the Star Garden is engrossing and action packed with romance sprinkled throughout. The heat level to some of the love scenes definitely makes this a book for adults! 

Lily is a character who quickly became a favorite of mine. She has a painful past she escapes from by smoking opium and drinking absinthe, and you see what her past is like through flashbacks. While Lily is strong, independent, and fierce, she also has a vulnerability. 

I didn't realize at first how much Lord Byron and Sal meant to her, but it soon became clear they were much more than just her lovers. They both know about the other, and I think it was harder for Sal to accept that she also has Lord Byron. I think Sal loved Lily and didn't want to share her with anyone, but I also think Lily knew that and was scared of that kind of love.  

The way Greek mythology ties into the treasure hunt in the story was interesting and well done. As if airship racing wasn't exciting enough, there's more excitement with the danger and adventure that comes with searching for the treasure before it falls into the wrong hands. Lily's very life is on the line. 

Chasing the Star Garden confirms my love of the steampunk genre, and I'm looking forward to the next installment of the Airship Racing Chronicles, Chasing the Green Fairy! The title alone would make anyone want to dive into the story even if she/he didn't know what it was about, I'm certain of it! I definitely need more Lily!   

My Rating:

About the Author

Melanie Karsak is the author of the Amazon best-selling steampunk series The Airship Racing Chronicles, the award-winning horror/dark fantasy The Harvesting Series, and The Saga of Lady Macbeth. She grew up in rural northwestern Pennsylvania and earned a Master's degree in English from Gannon University. A steampunk connoisseur, Shakespeare nerd, and zombie whisperer, the author currently lives in Florida with her husband and two children. She is an Instructor of English at Eastern Florida State College. 

Connect with the Author 

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Lady Macbeth by Melanie Karsak ~ Blog Tour: #Review & #Giveaway

Hey guys! Welcome to my stop on the Lady Macbeth Blog Tour hosted by Xpresso Book Tours. Click here to follow along with the full tour schedule. 

Title: Lady Macbeth

Series: Daughter of Ravens #1

Author: Melanie Karsak

Publication date: December 3rd 2014

Genres: Adult, Fantasy

Source: Copy for review

Purchase: Amazon

Something wicked this way comes. . .

Gruoch is born to rule, but long before she becomes Macbeth's queen, ancient forces claim her soul. 

Marked from birth by the old gods, Gruoch is initiated into the ancient religion of her ancestors and begins learning the mysteries of the Goddess Cerridwen. But not everything is as it seems. Soon the Battle Goddess Morrigu imposes her will, and Gruoch finds herself at the mercy of the Wyrd Sisters. 

With King Malcolm plotting, the Wyrd Sisters schooling her in arcane craft, and haunted by dreams of a raven-haired man she's never met, Gruoch feels her fate is not her own. That is, until she meets a druid named Banquo. Gruoch's heart is swept away when Banquo awakens something in her more powerful than duty magic, or destiny: love.

This retelling of Shakespeare's classic work leads readers through an unforgettable saga of one woman struggling to escape her fate without blood on her hands. 

Begin the Lady Macbeth Saga with Lady Macbeth: Daughter of Ravens.  

Out of all the characters in Shakespeare's Macbeth, Lady Macbeth has to be the most memorable and intriguing one, perhaps even more so than Macbeth himself. With her "Out, damned spot! out I say!" she's a formidable foe who eventually crumbles under the guilt that gnaws away at her, leading to a tragic end. Remembering my perception of her from long ago, I went into reading Lady Macbeth: Daughter of Ravens wondering if I'd end up changing my mind. 

From the synopsis, Gruoch will become Lady Macbeth, yet I already feel for her. The way her uncle, who's also her adopted father, leers at her and violates her sense of safety is appalling. With him around there is no peace and certainly no happiness. Just from these encounters I knew I wasn't going to view her the same way. 

Karsak paints a different and comprehensive picture of this character and how she came to be in a position of power. I love the idea of taking a famous figure from literature and reimagining an entirely different life for that figure. I also love how Karsak weaves some of the most famous lines into her story, the best one to me being, "What's fair is foul and foul is fair."

The pacing was slow for me, and I became restless at times while reading. I also had trouble piecing together everything that was happening even though I know reincarnation plays a huge part. With that being said, I'm way too intrigued by Karsak's rendition of Lady Macbeth and will continue reading the series. I have a feeling Karsak is just getting warmed up.

My Rating:

Melanie Karsak is the author of the Amazon best-selling steampunk series The Airship Racing Chronicles (Chasing the Star Garden and Chasing the Green Fairy) and the award-winning horror/dark fantasy Harvesting Series. 

She grew up in rural northwestern Pennsylvania and earned a Master's degree in English from Gannon University. A steampunk connoisseur, white elephant collector, and zombie whisperer, the author currently lives in Florida with her husband and two children. She is an Instructor of English at Eastern Florida State College.  

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The Shadow Aspect by Melanie Karsak ~ Cover Reveal & Giveaway

The Shadow Aspect sounds so awesome, I knew I had to be a part of the cover reveal. Read on and see what I mean. Also, don't forget to enter the giveaway at the bottom of the post! :)

Title: The Shadow Aspect

Author: Melanie Karsak

Publication date: Summer/Fall 2014

Genres: Dark Fantasy, Young Adult, Zombies

Cover Designed by: Princess of Shadows

When Layla took the final step through the labyrinth, she knew she was saving the ones she loved. 

She couldn't have been more wrong.

The unwitting victims of a grudge seething for eons, Layla and the other survivors now find themselves in a war for our world. With vampires lurking and shapeshifters plotting vengeance, Layla must learn who to trust if humanity has any hope of survival: the carnie girl? The quiet doctor? The tarot reader? The stranger with alluring gold eyes? Or the man she loves? And then there are the voices. What does it forewarn if the dead can speak?

When the world burns, mankind's shadow side rises. Do we deserve to survive? 

Melanie Karsak grew up in rural northwestern Pennsylvania and earned a Master's degree in English from Gannon University. A steampunk connoisseur, white elephant collector, and zombie whisperer, the author currently lives in Florida with her husband and two children. She is an Instructor of English at Eastern Florida State College.

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