Saturday, December 1, 2012

Pixie Dust (book 2 of Amethyst Dragon series) by D C Grace

It's safe to say that we are HUGE fans of D.C. Grace and her Amethyst Dragon series. We've had the pleasure of reviewing the first book, Dragon Wings,enjoyed sneak peeks, intimate interviews with D. C. and a few of her AMAZING characters, and we thoroughly embraced the special friendship she has extended to us. 

D.C. has charmed us. Completely. Much like the amalgamations of her fae, ours is a bond that cannot be broken. We are just as chained to these characters.They are in our veins. 

We trilled with glee when we learned we were to acquire advanced copies of the highly anticipated sequel, Pixie Dust. And of course it blew us away. 
So we are excited to finally be able to  share our thoughts and this magical tale with all of you. And just to show you how much we love YOU, we begged D.C. to share another snippet. Snippet- HA! You get a whole page!


In the shadowy recesses of Orbis Alia, Avalon's darkest realm, the Winter Dragon weaves his intricate, evil spell like a spider web, delicately poised to ensnare his prey once and for all.Yet somewhere in the land of Tir na nog, Dade Blue-Therror fights back with magic of his own. The crown prince of the Seelie Court will not lose his Chuisle, Shelby, to the madness of his greatest foe.
The battle of good versus evil is about to begin. Father against son, brother against brother. And for Dademond, the stakes have never been higher.


So Morgan le Fay was to enter my palace. I was incensed at Dade's behavior. I'd

no idea how much of this was the influence of the mortal girl, Shelby. My grandson had


never been so brazen before his departure to the human realm, but clearly he had returned


with behavior and conduct most unbecoming of the Seelie Court. If this was the effect a


mortal Chuisle had on him, I would have to find a solution. There had to be some way to


undo the bond of the Chuisle. And I would have to find it before these mortal habits


ingrained themselves in the heir to my throne.


Whispers rushed through the crowd like a wave, and I turned to look back across


the assembly. Standing at the top of the stairs, wearing a gown in her signature emerald


green, was Morgan le Fay. I daresay the bodice was so tight she mightn't have room to


breathe, and her skirts hugged her hips in a similarly constricted fashion. In the face of so


many guests, I gritted my teeth and feigned graciousness. Knowing full well the history


between us, I felt all eyes upon my back as I approached the Priestess shrew. She slinked


down the staircase like a jungle cat, no doubt enjoying the spectacle her appearance in the


Seelie Court was making. Meeting her at the bottom, our eyes locked.


“Queen Mab,” she greeted, her voice dripping sweet like sugar. “How kind of you


to invite me to your little soiree. The province of Glamorgan is ordinarily forgotten by the


High Courts of Avalon. I am so glad to see a change on the horizon.”


“Spare me, Morgan,” I hissed, smiling all the while. “Thy phony display of


benevolence is wasted on me. We both know thy appearance here is a farce. 'Tis Prince


Dademond who sought thy presence.”


“Still a tight ass I see, Mab dear. Time has changed little more than the lines


across your face. Pity,” she giggled.


“Were it not for my grandson, thee wouldst find thyself floating in the moat with


thy knickers around thy head,” I growled. “Ye be wise to remember that. Find the boy


prince, my lady, and I use such a term loosely, else I change my mind.”


“No one will wear their knickers around their heads this evening, Grandmother,”


Dade's voice came from behind me. I turned to see him smiling at Morgan as he joined


us. With a gallant bow, he extended his arm for her, which she accepted. Morgan gave me


one last wolfish smile and leaned closer.


“Luckily, I don't wear knickers. Good evening, Queen,” she said, winking


devilishly.


“Again, you are most welcome,” I replied for the benefit of those standing nearby.


I watched Dademond lead Morgan le Fay to the dance floor. My body all but


shook with fury as I watched them waltz together, Morgan smiling gaily, laughing at my


grandson's wit. The heat rose up in my neck, and I snapped my fingers for my lady in


waiting, who appeared within seconds.


“Fan me,” I commanded. She obliged, and I forced my attentions elsewhere. Still,


Morgan le Fay was ever present in my mind. If the Priestess of the Witches thought she


would get a foothold within my kingdom, she was sorely mistaken.


~Copyright 2012
D.C. has studied various Native American cultures for well over twenty years. She has three daughters. The girls, being half Chiricahua Apache and Cherokee respectively, have been raised to know as much about their heritage as possible. D.C. has also been fascinated with all things supernatural since childhood. She wrote her first vampire story at the ripe old age of nine.
When she's not trying out a new recipe or digging into a good book, D.C. can be found driving her daughters around town in her Mom Cab.
D.C. lives just outside Louisville, KY. She shares a home with her girls, three crazy kitties, and a neurotic Chihuahua. She considers herself lucky they all let her live with them.



Twitter

Pixie Dust is an absolutely stunning, suspenseful and intensely emotional thrill ride. A dream come true and living nightmare all wrapped up in one.You've never before experienced Avalon like this.
Does that about cover it? Not even close. This is sequel perfection. It's everything you'd expect from D. C. Grace and then some. Her lyrical prose is bittersweet and bewitching. Her dialogue heartfelt, emotionally charged,charming and often laugh out loud funny- what's impending death and doom without a little humor? Her characters are bold, vibrant and completely fascinating. 
This story is everything I could hope for in a faery tale. From painting a perfect picture of Avalon- the dark and the beautiful, quoting Shakespeare,mixing music, magic and modern day realities, to crafting characters so raw and believable that their joys and sorrows touch not only your heart but your soul as well. 
Grace's brilliance shines throughout this web of fae enchantment personified.Filled to the brim with betrayal, deceit and plots of revenge, love and lust,hopes, dreams and nightmares in the most magical of realms, Grace melds Court politics and mortal fears taking our beloved Dade and Shelby through more trials then any young couple should have to endure. But it doesn't stop or focus entirely on these two. 
With POV's from several fan favorites including mortals Marshall, Izzy,Shelby's parents, as well as Leo, Morgan and my favorite, Tryamon, we're truly given all sides to the story. And where other authors fall short, often confusing or frustrating us with the shifting of perspectives, Grace glides seamlessly through each, building anticipation and trepidation with each passage right up to the once again heart stopping conclusion. And this is what sets this tale apart from the rest for me. It is a full and complete telling.As three dimensional as words on a page could possibly be. While there are plot twists and turns-heartwarming highs and gut wrenching lows- You don't for one moment feel like you're missing anything. Everything unfolds before you,fueling your deepest fears and strongest hopes that Avalon, it's Seelie Prince and half mortal Princess will not only survive, but find their happy ever after. 
And that, at Pixie Dust's close, remains to be seen. 
Utterly beautiful, dark and beguiling, Pixie Dust is one of my top picks for this year. An absolute must read for all lovers of the fae and anyone looking for a modern love story with old world enchantment. 

Where do I begin?  I mean, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE this series.  I was completely enthralled with Dragon Wings and now Pixie Dust has captivated me as well. Was I surprised by this?  No, of course not.  DC Grace is such a fantastic writer that I knew reading Pixie Dust would rock my world.
So, as I dove in to Pixie Dust, I picked up right where Dragon Wings left off and immediately was thrust back in to the turmoil and angst that our beloved characters were experiencing.  And...OMG at the drama!! The things that these characters have to endure throughout this book...which is not a short read by far...is heart-wrenching, action packed, romantic, heart-warming, and to top it off...SHOCKING!!
There were so many times while I was reading that I would be like..OMG...I can't believe that happened to Shelby.  Or, NO...DC, you did not just let that happen to Dade...
But, with some fabulous characters in this series, you are so tied emotionally that when something like this happens, you are scarred and your soul is wounded.
Don't get me wrong...it isn't all depressing...There are some beautiful, magical moments that just take your breath away.  Swept up in the mystical world of the dragon fae and experiencing every event right along with them, you can feel yourself transported to Avalon too!
I could go on and on about this book...but I don't give spoilers and I am afraid that if I continue, I will give some vital info away.  And I just won't do that.
To truly understand and love this book, you are going to have to immerse yourself in to these pages and fall in love with them just like I had...
FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC read!!  GO---GET YOUR COPY NOW!!!

2 comments:

  1. The excerpt is one of my absolute FAVORITE parts of the book!! I am glad that DC shared this one!!!

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  2. I'm so glad she did too. Such fun. Gotta love those women. Thanks for stopping by, Jenny! <3 ~Shelley

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