Hi everyone! Today I’m excited to participate in the Bookstagram & Creative Blog tour for Esme’s Gift by Elizabeth Foster! Esme’s Gift is the second installment in the Esme series, a thrilling fantasy adventure series where Esme Silver must face her fears and find hope in the darkest of places. Perfect for readers 12 and over, especially for fans of Percy Jackson and The Chronicles of Narnia!
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Esme's Gift by Elizabeth Foster
Published by Odyssey Books ISBN: 1925652831
on November 30, 2019
Genres: YA, Middle Grade, Fantasy
Pages: 266
Format: Paperback
Goodreads
Buy on Amazon|Book Depository|B&N
Source: MTMC Tours, Author
I received this book for free from MTMC Tours, Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Terror was within. Terror was without. Like her mother, she was at the water's mercy.
In the enchanted world of Aeolia, fifteen-year-old Esme Silver is faced with her hardest task yet. She must master her unruly Gift – the power to observe the past – and uncover the secrets she needs to save her mother, Ariane.
In between attending school in the beguiling canal city of Esperance, Esme and her friends – old and new – travel far and wide across Aeolia, gathering the ingredients for a potent magical elixir.
Their journey takes them to volcanic isles, sunken ruins and snowy eyries, spectacular places fraught with danger, where they must confront their deepest fears and find hope in the darkest of places.Esme’s Gift, the second instalment in the Esme trilogy, is an enthralling fantasy adventure for readers 12 years and over.
Winner of a 2020 IPPY medal for best YA fiction AND a Purple Dragonfly Book Award for best fantasy!
What to expect from Esme’s Gift?
Esme’s Gift is the fantastic sequel to Esme’s Wish, a wonderful series about magic and hidden worlds accessed through magical water portals.
I read and adored Esme’s Wish a few years back (you can read it HERE) but here’s a small snippet:
This book gave me the book tingles right from the start! You know, that sense you feel in your core that the book will turn out to be a great read and possibly become a new favorite? I felt that. I immediately felt drawn to Esme and her story. I felt for her helplessness as she faces her Father’s wedding with an unlikeable woman and family who wishes she didn’t exist, while she still clings to the idea that her mother could possibly be still out there, and not lost to the sea as everyone thinks.
I don’t think this book ever make me lose the book tingles feel. As soon as I stepped back into this world, I was drawn again by the magic, the soft characters and friendships, forever in awe for Esperance and everything it has to offer! Esme has been through such a journey and she has grown so much from book 1. I loved how she didn’t hesitate to continue with her studies and her quest to bring her mother back from her comma, not even letting her Dad’s disbelief in the magical world and ignoring HER over this stranger who he turned into his WIFE against her daughter’s wish, push her to stop fighting. Esme has been always in a desperate need to find a family that listens to her and she found this in Esperance – with Lillian and Daniel, plus all other wonderful characters she meets along the way.
But Esme still has to deal with her newfound gift that allows her to delve into the past and solve the mysterious works that are plaguing Esperance, those that are still linked to her mom. It’s once again a wonderful journey into a magical world that will just leave you wanting more!
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Explore Esperance like a local!
You know what I would REALLY love? To be able to jump into any book and explore all the places mentioned in fictional worlds. That would be such a lovely magical gift to have and one I would definitely love to use to jump straight into Esme’s Gift and visit Esperance!
There are SO MANY lovely places to explore, but right off the bat, I would love to experience life like a local and visit these three places:
Delfino’s – “Stationers to Royalty”
Inside, Esme stopped short, astounded by the store’s sheer size. Delfino’s had the woody, old-world smell of a library, and just as many shelves, judging by the endless aisles of polished mahogany, each one of which beckoned temptingly toward her.
Fantasy stationery stores are always so wonderful! For the scholars at heart, you can find all sorts of magical pens, sketchbooks, envelopes, drawing materials, etc. And this store is kept running thanks to the help of magical Gifts. Definitelt a top destination for me!
Vivolino’s – Lillian’s favorite café!
In a well-trodden lane only minutes away stood Vivolino’s. Music spilled out through the doorway fashioned in the shape of a double bass. The interior was warm and vibrant, with low lamps hanging over leather booths, and woodcuts of famed musicians decorating the walls patterned with rich red flounces.
On a small, low stage in the corner, a piccolo trio played a fast and furious tune, the notes chasing each other higher and higher as they flowed out of the tiny instruments.
Rule #2 of visiting any fantasy world: YOU HAVE TO TRY THE FOOD! And nothing is better than visiting a character’s the favorite café. They serve Pumpkin Ravioli, Fish and Potato Pie, desserts like Apple Crumble, and even coffee. ♥ Would definitely make an effort to visit!
Pierpoint – Esperance’s magical school!
Soon, they were standing on a timber boardwalk parallel to the water, facing a place that looked decidedly unlike a school.
Four long piers jutted out from the wooden walkway, and large warehouses ran the length of each pier. With their post-and-beam construction and double-gable roofs, these salt-licked edifices evoked the hue and cry of stevedores, not school bells, stern voices, and chalk on blackboards. Small boats rocked in the water off each jetty: canoes, dinghies, and two-person sailboats, all with dragons decorating prows.
Last but not least, if I were visiting Esperance (would not mind living here btw), I would have to visit Pierpoint and try not to feel sad that I cannot enroll myself into classes. Most of the student body has Gifts and it is magical chaos! You can study normal subjects (history, biology, math, etc.) but magic is pretty much part of every Aeolian citizen.
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So many other places to visit and activities to do! Like riding dragons and boats that sail themselves, aaah! You must read Esme’s Wish and Esme’s Gift to learn more about them! ♥
Intl Giveaway!
Enter the Rafflecopter below to win a digital copy of Esme’s Wish & Esme’s Gift! There will be three winners and this is open internationally.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Intl Giveaway on Instagram!
You can also enter the tour-wide giveaway on my Instagram account where you can get more chances to win a digital set of Esme’s Wish and Esme’s Gift. There will be 7 winners!
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Follow the Tour!
September 7
@paperfury – Bookstagram + Blog
September 8
@these.blank.pages – Bookstagram
September 9
@thereaderandthechef – Bookstagram + Blog
September 10
@eternal.chapters – Bookstagram + Blog
September 11
@mom.always.reads – Bookstagram
September 12
@thereadingcornerforall – Bookstagram + Blog
September 13
@linathebookaddict – Bookstagram + Blog
September 14
@rebireads – Bookstagram
September 15
@lilareads_ – Bookstagram + Blog
September 16
@leolikesbooks – Bookstagram
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About Elizabeth Foster
Elizabeth lives in Sydney, Australia, where she is hard at work on the third and final novel in the Esme series. Much of her inspiration comes from nature, especially the ocean. Her first novel, Esme’s Wish, for kids aged 10–14, has been enjoyed by readers around the world. Esme’s Wish is a recipient of a Purple Dragonfly award, an award which recognizes excellence in children’s literature. Esme’s Gift, the sequel to Esme’s Wish, recently won an IPPY medal for best fantasy. Find out more about Elizabeth on her website.
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