Blog Tour - QUEEN OF EVENTIDE by Matthew Ward

 

Out of This World SFF is incredibly stoked to be one of the great group of blogs participating in QUEEN OF EVENTIDE blog tour! QUEEN OF EVENTIDE is one of Matthew Ward's very first fantasy novels and it is being reissued on August 31st with a brand new gorgeous cover designed by talented artist Lorelei Przybranowski. So to celebrate I will be bringing you a brief synopsis of the book as well as my official review and a preorder link so that you can have this enchanting standalone story sent to you immediately upon its publication.

Oh and as part of the tour and rerelease celebration I am also (thanks to Matthew and publisher Orbit Books) giving away FREE Audible audiobook codes for a few lucky winners!!! See the pinned tweet on my Twitter account @NickRevws for details on how to enter. (This is a US and UK giveaway and winners will be announced on August 31st!)

And now, let's get started with my stop on the tour, shall we!

Back Cover Blurb

WHEN THE MISTS RISE, THE HUNT BEGINS

For Maddie Lincoln, returning to her childhood home was an opportunity to retake control. Instead, she becomes trapped in an ancient struggle between mythic forces. A struggle in which her life - or death - might be the deciding factor.

Pursued through Nottingham's mist-shrouded streets, Maddie is drawn into Eventide: a realm where legends walk and perception shapes reality. As the hidden dangers of Eventide bleed into the material realm, Nottingham falls under the sway of a vengeful, malevolent queen.

It falls to Maddie to stop the chaos from spreading....no easy task when nothing and no one are precisely what they seem.

Can Maddie discover the truth about the Queen of Eventide before it's too late?

Review

This book is such a charming and wondrous portal-esque fantasy tale that had me entranced right from the opening pages. And it was interesting reading something that wasn't epic fantasy from Matthew Ward as the only exposure I had of him before this was his wonderful doorstopper Legacy Trilogy (which I loved by the way). So I think that having this be a different style and tone actually made my enjoyment of the story that much higher.

One thing about this book that truly captivated me is that it is rooted in the Robin Hood legend but with a different twist that takes place mostly in present day. At the same time there are characters and things that somehow make their way into the material world during the mists just before dusk which really gave an added portal fantasy aspect that I simply loved. And these things are hunting main character Maddie Lincoln for some unknown reason. 

There are also some outstanding elements with regard to one famous character in particular in the RH legend and how they are reflected in the story taking place in the Nottingham of today. A fair amount of reworking is present but Ward does a masterful job of spinning everything into his own unique and entertaining story in my opinion. 

If you enjoy folklore-based tales with a splash of urban and portal fantasy thrown in the mix, then you will absolutely adore QUEEN OF EVENTIDE. Matthew Ward has shown with this magical story just how broad his range is and the results are more than remarkable. This is a quick read that should enchant the vast majority of fantasy readers in my opinion. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend preordering this one so that you have it immediately on publication day, August 31st!

Rating:

You can preorder QUEEN OF EVENTIDE in paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats by clicking HERE.

About the Author

Cat-servant and owner of more musical instruments than he can actually play (and considerably more than he can play well), Matthew Ward is also the author of the Legacy Trilogy and the forthcoming Soulfire Saga. He's also the architect of Coldharbour, and a roaming Creative Consultant and Voice Director in video game land, including Vermintide 2, Darktide and [Redacted] (pesky NDAs).

He's afflicted with an obsession for old places - castles, historic cities and the London Underground chief amongst them - and should probably cultivate more interests to help expand out his author biography.

After a decade serving as a principal architect for Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 properties, Matthew embarked on an adventure to tell stories set in worlds of his own design. He lives near Nottingham with his extremely patient wife - as well as a pride of attention-seeking cats - and writes to entertain anyone who feels there's not enough magic in the world.

You can connect with author Matthew Ward and his books online via his Website, Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.

And that concludes my stop on the QUEEN OF EVENTIDE blog tour! I hope you enjoyed it and please remember to visit all of the other blogs that are participating to check out what goodies they have in store for you. Special thanks to author Matthew Ward and publisher Orbit Books for the free audiobook giveaway codes. And thanks as always for visiting and supporting the blog and Happy Reading!

- Nick