Roz Maclaren

Teen Fiction with a Dark Twist

What to read while you’re waiting for Fable and Legend to be released

by Leave a Comment

Fable and Legend is due out this autumn – but there’s still time to finish up your summer reads. If you are excited for the second instalment in The Mirrordom Legends, chances are you like dark fantasy – so here are a few books to get stuck into until Fable and Legend comes out!

Powerless by Lauren Roberts.

9/10.

This book was getting so much praise on BookTok and Bookstagram that I had to check it out. If you haven’t already read it, it’s definitely worth picking up. I’m excited to see how the rest of the series develops.

Of Kingdoms and Curses by Amy Woodruff.

10/10.

I received an ARC of this fantastic book, but it’s since been released. I wrote a full review but the short version is this was a thoroughly enjoyable escape into a magical world.

A Forgery of Roses by Jessica S. Olsen.

I must admit, I haven’t read this one yet but it’s on my TBR and I found the synopsis rather arresting. I’ll likely write a full review once I do read it.

In The Days Before by Renée Shantel.

10/10.

Once again, I had an ARC of this book and can thoroughly recommend this twisty mystery. It’s due out on 23 October. I’ve written a full review on this amazing novel as well, but I can’t praise it enough.

Foiled Stars by Jennifer Ascienzo.

10/10.

I was fortunate enough to receive the entire Foiled Stars trilogy as ARCs. The first two are both available to buy now and the third is due out in September. I really enjoyed the escapism of this series and Jennifer’s writing style very much lends itself to people with busy schedules who still want to progress through their books. I’ve written three full reviews, but I would definitely recommend anyone who likes sci-fi to check them out.

Venom and Blaze by Roz MacLaren.

I was just about to hit publish on the blog when I realised I had forgotten the obvious! Before diving into Fable and Legend it will make sense to check out the first in the series, Venom and Blaze. While The Mirrordom Legends is a series that can make sense with each book read in isolation, each story will weave together to create a complete picture. So I would definitely recommend starting with Venom and Blaze first – as one of the side characters in that story is getting a whole novel dedicated to her adventures in Fable and Legend.

Here’s what another amazing author had to say about my book on Amazon:

“I finished reading in one sitting — both because the book is the perfect length for a lazy Sunday afternoon, and because I was absolutely captivated by the story. I’d intended to start it, to put it down when I went to bed, and pick it up again after work tomorrow. Instead, I devoured it start to finish with only a short break in between for dinner.

I loved everything about this book. The concept of the Mirrors was fantastic. The world-building was simple but well done, so I never once felt bogged down by it. The characters were phenomenal, and the twists! The turns! Every time I thought I knew what was coming, I was wrong. There were so many surprises waiting just over the page that I was almost afraid to turn them!

I NEED more of this series. I need to know what’s going to happen to these characters.

10/10 would forego sleep to finish reading this again!”

As always, if you do read a book, especially by an indie author, I can testify first-hand to how deeply appreciated that will be. So, if you enjoy any of my recommendations, I’d love to hear your thoughts and read your reviews.

Inspiration for Venom and Blaze’s setting

by Leave a Comment

Venom and Blaze takes place in a fantasy world called Mirrordom. The area is split into distinct regions based on geographical features – such as the Sealands, the Heatherlands and the Cavelands. I thought it would be fun to take a look at the real-life locations that inspired some of the settings in Venom and Blaze.

Mirrordom

It’s never explicitly stated in the books (and it never will be) but Mirrordom, in my head, is Scotland. The range of scenery in Scotland can be dramatically different even over a relatively small region. So I took inspiration from Scotland’s mountains, moorlands, coastal regions and islands to create the setting for my series.

Mirror Island

Mirror Island is a location that won’t be properly developed until the fourth book at the earliest. However, it’s a location that is frequently mentioned in all of the books. It’s the place where all the Mirror babies are banished to. Given the population of the Good, we can determine that Mirror Island must be quite sizeable.

Mirror Island, for me, is based on the Scottish Isle of Skye – large enough to house a generous population of Mirrors and with a varied terrain from beaches, rocky coastlines, mountain ranges, moorlands, bogs and forests.

The Castle

King Viper’s castle is one of the few places not inspired by something Scottish.

Mont Orgueil Castle or Gorey Castle on Jersey CI formed the basis for the Venom’s home. All of the book was written on the Isle of Jersey, so it made sense that some island inspiration crept into the book.

A small section in the novel describes Venom spending many a happy hour reading in the courtyard of the castle and this particular scene was based on an hour or so I spent in castle courtyard basking in the gorgeous sunshine surrounded by very cute lizards and reading on my Kindle.

Are the locations that inspired Venom and Blaze‘s setting similar to how you pictured them in your head? I’d love to hear how you imagined the places.

Venom and Blaze is available now.

SHOP VENOM AND BLAZE

Book review: Of Kingdoms And Curses by Amy Woodruff

by Leave a Comment

10/10

Thank you so much to MTMC Tours and Amy Woodruff for an ARC of this amazing book. My views are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Of Kingdoms And Curses is a YA fantasy novel and the first in the Blood And Curses series.

Bridget is trapped in a magical realm and has no memory of her human existence. When she enters a tournament to marry the Prince, she hopes she can use this to get back to the human world – and remember who she is.

What I loved…

The characters. Every one was multi-faceted and had their own agenda. From the ones I liked to the ones I hated, they were all beautifully portrayed.

The plot. This is a phenomenal plot that unfolds beautifully.

The love story. Amy has done a fabulous job at creating a deep and touching love story (and I am a self-professed cynic.) I can’t wait to see how it unfolds.

What I didn’t love so much…

While I love the way the book got straight into the action, I feel a little bit of world building at the start would have been good to set the scene. There’s a tiny bit of an info-dump in the early chapters that I think could have read more engagingly if they had been woven through at a slower pace. That being said, it didn’t put me off the book and it wasn’t hard-going to get through the early chapters.

Of Kingdoms And Curses has left me itching for more and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series. It has easily earned a full ten out of ten from me.

Goodbye, July

by Leave a Comment

As July draws to a close (and Scotland finally gets some summer sunshine!), it seemed like a good time to share an update of where we are with everything.

Venom and Blaze

Venom and Blaze has been out for two weeks and a day! My debut novel has already been sold in Australia, the US, Canada and, of course, the UK. Thank you so much to everyone who has bought a copy, left a review or a rating or told your friends about it. I really appreciate it all.

Sci-fi standalone

If you’re wondering what the header picture has to do with anything… it’s because I’m working on a standalone science-fiction novel, with a working acronym of TBWWFH (which stands for something top secret that I can’t reveal.) I’m about half-way through writing the first draft and really love the concept and the characters.

Fantasy standalone

Past blog posts have alluded to a fantasy standalone set in the year 3034, with a working acronym of FFAR. It’s currently been submitted to a publisher and I’m waiting to hear back. I am extremely proud of this novel and really hope it makes it into your hands one day!

Fable and Legend

The second installment in The Mirrordom Legends will be out this autumn. I still have to complete the edits, approve the cover design and write the blurb for it. (Writing the blurb is my least favourite part of the process!)

ARC reading

I’ve been really pleased to be entrusted with several ARCs for amazing authors. Full reviews are coming soon.

I also want to address the recent events where ARCs were pirated. It should go without saying that, as independent author myself, I always treat ARCs with the respect they deserve. It’s a privilege to get an early look at someone else’s work and lovely to be able to support other authors.

Flame and Phoenix

The first draft of the fourth book in The Mirrordom Legends is complete. As usual, I’m letting it sit in my Documents folder, languishing away, until my mind is fresh and ready to look at it again.

Currently, I am planning five books in the series. But, seeing as this time last year, I was only planning one, you never know where life in Mirrordom might take the characters. There’s definitely room to explore the world a bit more.

How have you spent your July? Have you any book recommendations? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments.

Book review: The Lost Empress by Jennifer Ascienzo

by Leave a Comment

10/10

WARNING: SPOILERS

I didn’t expect to get my hands on the final installment in the Foiled Stars trilogy until it came out – so imagine how thrilled I was when Stag Beetle Books sent me an eARC of The Lost Empress by Jennifer Ascienzo.

I read and reviewed ARCs of both the first and second in the series, so I was itching to see if the third one answered all my questions and wrapped the trilogy up in a satisfying way.

The Lost Empress kicks off with Autumn abducted by a cruel alien and Dante in deep trouble with the Grand Supreme. And those in trouble with the Grand Supreme don’t usually live for very long…

What I loved…

The action. Jennifer did a great job keeping the tension amped up, especially during the early part of the story where Autumn and Armienti are trapped on a frozen planet. When the main character is wandering around an ice world, there’s a danger that the storyline can become quite monotonous (ice, ice, ice, danger, near-death, eventual rescue). However, Jennifer keeps the story tense.

Character development. In this final book, we really see Autumn’s shift from innocent young girl to grown woman. It’s bittersweet but satisfying to watch her make decisions as an empress. We see her learn that tough choices have to be made for the greater good and it’s a sad but necessary fact.

Mr Hiss. Autumn’s pet once again has a starring role and, if you’re like me and hate books where the animals get hurt, I am delighted to report nothing bad happens to Mr Hiss.

The twists. An unexpected reveal regarding Maeve really kept me on my toes and shocked me.

What I didn’t love so much…

I am being ultra-picky with this one! The phrase “the hairs on the back of his/her neck stood at perfect attention” is repeated multiple times throughout the book. I feel variations on that theme would have added variety.

The traitor. The main villain, an alien called Izzo, said that there was a traitor in Dante and Autumn’s palace – but their identity was never revealed. I’m going to re-read again and see if I just completely missed it (not being terribly good at getting subtle hints.) However… I am wondering if this does leave room for another installment in the series – perhaps a sequel?

All in all, even though I do have a few unanswered questions, this was a very satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. The action and drama was realistic and enjoyable. I particularly love Jennifer’s writing style, which consists of very short chapters. This makes it perfect for reading quickly on the train to work or during a lunch break – and you make progress through the book without realising how far you’ve come.

Thank you very much, Stag Beetle Books, for the eARC. The Lost Empress is out on September 22 and you can keep up with the latest news on Jennifer’s Instagram.

Meet the characters in Venom and Blaze

by Leave a Comment

Venom and Blaze has been out for over a week. I thought it would be fun to introduce you to the characters and tell you a little about the inspiration for each one. If you haven’t already read the book, this will give you a flavour for who everybody is.

The book is set in a fantasy world where every character is divided into either Good or Mirrors – with the Good being as wholesome as their name suggests and the Mirrors being their twin that is the opposite of good in every way. Where the Good are incapable of killing, lying and stealing, their Mirror is capable of all that and more. In this world, every Mirror is banished upon birth to Mirror Island, where they all live together.

Venom

One of the titular characters in the book is Princess Venom, who lives with her abusive father. When we start the book, Venom is anxious to please her father and, although she is rather lonely and sad, she very much tries to be one of the Good. When she is given an assignment from her father, she is forced to make a decision that ultimately affects the entire world around her.

The inspiration for Venom actually came in a backwards way. I had completed what went on to be the third book in the series, in which Venom is a grown up character. A throwaway remark in that book made me think “I need to explore this a little more and delve into Venom’s backstory.” Venom and Blaze was born!

Favourite quote from Venom: “You’re the worst father in the world. I’ve always wanted to tell you that.”

Blaze

Blaze is a Mirror who has had probably the most traumatic experiences of any of my characters. As part of a cruel experiment, King Viper decided to keep Blaze and four other Mirrors locked up in the dungeons to see if he could ‘tame’ them or turn them Good.

Like Venom, Blaze also makes an appearance in the third book. His initial inspiration was because I wanted a character to challenge Venom, almost as an antagonist for her.

Favourite quote from Blaze: “I was nothing more than a pawn in your twisted chess game.”

The spiders

This book is definitely not suitable if you have arachnophobia! Venom’s main friends are spiders – and she can actually communicate with them!

I particularly wanted to include spiders in the book as I have always felt really affectionate towards them and I really hope that by anthropomorphising them, it might encourage people to, instead of squishing them on sight, pop a glass over them, slide some paper over the hole and gently let them out into the garden.

Thorn

Thorn is a Lawkeeper, one of the law enforcers assigned by the reigning monarch to transfer babies to Mirror Island. Thorn is deliberately painted as quite an insipid character – but is there more to him than meets the eye?

Favourite quote from Thorn: “I had this all under control.” (Did you really, Thorn?)

King Viper

Every good story needs a good villain. King Viper fills that role splendidly. Venom’s father is a cruel and tyrannical ruler – even though he’s meant to be one of the Good. His one aim in life is to increase his power and social standing – and if that means using Venom as a pawn, that’s exactly what he’ll do.

As the villain, Viper definitely gets some of the best lines in the book, so it was a struggle to pick a favourite quote from him. Ultimately, this is the one that won out, simply because he delivers it with such conspicuous sarcasm and unsettling calm.

Favourite quote from Viper: “Do you have any idea how disconcerting it is to awaken from your slumber and find a corpse in your chamber?”

Queen Saffron

Hailing from the Sealands, Queen Saffron is one of the few characters in this book that manages to perfect the balance of being decent and self-serving. It’s a brief association with her that ultimately ends up shaping Venom’s character and causes her to make the choices she does.

The queen has such an air of calm serenity about her, as if she’s always in control. She is the only woman in the series that even King Viper shows a modicum of respect for. Perhaps future chronicles will explore her backstory – because there’s definitely a story to be told there.

Favourite quote from Saffron: “Saying you don’t have a choice is an act of weakness. Because there’s always a choice. Often, we’re just too afraid to make it so we make excuses instead.”

Fable

Fable may not get much of a starring role in this story – but watch out for her in the second book. Fable and Legend is out this autumn.

Like Venom and Blaze, Fable’s original appearance is in the upcoming third novel. However, in both the first and second books I wanted to explore her backstory. Fable is one of The Five, the group of Mirrors imprisoned in the dungeon by King Viper.

While she doesn’t immediately have the leadership skills of Blaze, she does possess a determined spirit.

I don’t have a favourite quote from Fable, but she does elbow Blaze hard in the ribs, which takes a certain amount of courage as Blaze is rather fierce!

Have you ordered your copy of Venom and Blaze? If not, you can do so here. And, when you do, come back and tell me which character is your favourite!

One week of Venom and Blaze!

by Leave a Comment

Venom and Blaze has been out in the world for exactly one week!

In this time, it’s been bought by lovely readers in Australia, America and the UK. My little novel has travelled further than I have in its short life!

I am so grateful to everyone who has bought and reviewed it – it’s lovely to hear what people think and to get constructive feedback. I’m particularly delighted at how many of you are saying you like the character of Venom and enjoy watching her develop as the story goes on.

I’d love to see reader photos of you and the book out and about – so if you can grab a photo of Venom and Blaze in front of Sydney Opera House, in the centre of Times Square or on Tower Bridge, I want to see it!

SEND ME YOUR PHOTOS!

What else is happening?

Currently, I’m working on the fourth novel in the series and have just finished the second draft. As usual, I’ll let it sit for a bit before editing it some more and, when I reach the point of being happy with it, I’ll share it with my publisher, Fire and Ice YA, to see what they think.

I’m also working on two standalone novels at various stages. One of them has been submitted to a publisher, so I’ll let you know what becomes of that. One of my aims with this blog was to document the entire process – including the failures and rejections. So, whether it gets rejected or accepted, I’ll be writing about it here. The second book is still in the process of being written.

How is your week going? Have you picked up a copy of Venom and Blaze yet?

How to leave a book review and why it matters

by 1 Comment

When you finish an amazing book, your first instinct (after you’ve sat catatonically for twenty minutes processing) may be to tell a friend.

With the advent of social media, telling a friend has become much easier. In fact, if you leave a book review, you can tell everyone. But why should you? What should you write? Where should you leave a review?

Why book reviews matter

Book reviews are extremely important in helping a manuscript gain traction and raise awareness. After a certain amount of reviews on Amazon, the company will start to promote the book – something that can dramatically help increase sales.

As a newly-published author, I find reviews are a great way to help me hone my craft. With every book I write, I want to make it the best I can – and reviews are extremely helpful in helping me see where I need to improve.

But book reviews aren’t just for helping authors make more money and get better at writing. They’re a great way for you as the reader to connect with other, like-minded folk out there. The online communities of Bookstagram and Booktok are full of people who have made strong friendships because of their shared love for reading. Book reviews can help you pick your next read, bond over a shared favourite book and keep up to date with the latest news in the book world.

What if you don’t like the book? Should you still leave a review?

You’ll get different opinions on this – so here’s mine. I’ll caveat it by saying I prefer the brutal, blunt truth in general life and I like to believe that years of working elsewhere in the writing industry has helped me develop quite a thick skin.

Yes. You should. If you hate my work, I’d rather you told me.

Other writers may not necessarily feel the same and I can’t speak for them. But I’m interested in everyone’s opinions – good and bad.

Where should you leave a review?

During my research for this blog, I’ve come to the conclusion that Amazon is a phenomenally important place to leave reviews. However, there are many places you can share your thoughts – and authors greatly appreciate the time you spend doing so.

For example, you can share your opinion on my debut novel, Venom and Blaze, here:

The beauty of all those platforms is you can leave a review in a way that suits you. If you prefer to talk about the book, you can record a video or a reel for TikTok and Instagram. I prefer to write a review, so I like to post them on Instagram and my blog. It’s entirely up to you.

What should you say?

I like to write a brief synopsis of the story itself to kick the review off. While the synopsis may be readily available when you review on Amazon or Goodreads, it won’t be visible if you post on your social media. So giving your review readers a flavour of what the book is about, before you start delving deeper into it, just makes sense to me.

I like to lead with what I liked about the book, trying to be specific and clear. I then follow up with anything I didn’t like as much, explaining why I didn’t like it and indicating if these areas are simply just personal preference. For example, if the book is well-written but contains the death of a cat or dog, I wouldn’t want to read about this and it would go down as something I don’t like – but that doesn’t mean it’s not a carefully crafted book.

How can you get ARCs to read and review?

Reviewing ARCs is incredibly rewarding. There’s the excitement of reading something brand new – and the joy of knowing an author is going to really appreciate the review you come up with.

You can source ARCs by joining a Street Team, either with the publisher (which enables you to access a range of ARCs by different authors) or with the author themselves. You can also get ARCs through dedicated platforms that distribute these. My tip would be to make sure you don’t collect more than you can reasonably read and review, especially if some of them have tight deadlines.

Lastly, a big thank you!

Some people have already left reviews for Venom and Blaze and this is greatly appreciated! I know it can be time-consuming, collating your thoughts and putting them out there online, but as an independent author, I value it greatly.

Happy reviewing!