Hi friends! Today we are excited to share a stop in the Bookstagram & Creative Tour for In the Jaded Grove by Anela Deen (hosted by MTMC Tours!). The Darkest Part of the Forest meets A Curse So Dark and Lonely in this gripping portal fantasy—where an injured pixie knight from a magical realm falls into the path of a poet from Michigan. Out on April 15th, 2021 from Fine Fables Press.
Now read on below for a review, a fun Leche flan recipe, plus an International giveaway!
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In the Jaded Grove by Anela Deen
Series: Kindred Realms #1
Published by Fine Fables Press on March 31, 2021
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, New Adult
Pages: 333
Format: Kindle, Paperback
Goodreads
Buy on Amazon
Source: Author, MTMC Tours
I received this book for free from Author, MTMC Tours in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Simith of Drifthorn is tired of war. After years of conflict between the Thistle court and the troll kingdom, even a pixie knight known for his bloodlust longs for peace. Hoping to secure a ceasefire, Simith arranges a meeting with the troll king—and is ambushed instead. Escape lies in the Jaded Grove, but the trees of the ancient Fae woodland aren’t what they seem, and in place of sanctuary, Simith tumbles through a doorway to another world.
Cutting through her neighbor’s sunflower farm in Skylark, Michigan, Jessa runs into a battle between creatures straight out of a fantasy novel. Only the blood is very real. When a lone fighter falls to his attackers, Jessa intervenes. She’s known too much death to stand idly by, but an act of kindness leads to consequences even a poet like her couldn’t imagine.
With their fates bound by magic, Simith and Jessa must keep the strife of his world from spilling into hers—except the war isn’t what it appears and neither are their enemies. Countless lives depend on whether they can face the truths of their pasts and untangle the web of lies around them. But grief casts long shadows, and even their deepening bond may not be enough to save them from its reach.
What to expect from In the Jaded Grove?
I must begin by saying that In the Jaded Grove has stolen my heart, I loved every second of it! The plot, the magic, the beautiful descriptions, I feel like I am still leaving inside the Jaded Grove.
The adventure begins when Jessa is nervous about going to her best friend’s birthday party and her anxiety kicks in at just dealing with people’s stares and “the inevitable questions” since the loss of her family. However after unexpected events she crosses paths with Simith (a pixie!) and that’s when she realizes that her books of fairytales might not have been as make believe as she once thought. She and her best friend Katie will forever be changed by the knowledge of this magical beings and the hidden world where they come from.
One of my favorite aspects of this story, besides the amazing storytelling and characters, was how effortlessly beautiful this world was. In the Jaded Grove is a fast paced read, but at the same time the author managed to write an incredible world full of beautiful descriptions and introduced a magic system all in a space of a 300 page book?! I thought that was amazing!
We also get to meet so many wonderful characters. First there is Jessa and Katie, who are basically the only two humans in this story and I just loved the sisterly bond between them. Then we have sweet and brave Relle and her fiercely protective grandmother Ionia who are fae living among human. And there is also Simith who I adored and brings the rest of the magical world below the Jaded Grove so we get to meet armies of Pixies, Trolls, Fairies and random creatures in between.
Aah, this truly was a wonderful and unputdownable book! And did I mention that there is also poetry and a bit of romance?! In the Jaded Grove has it all! Now excuse me while I try to recreate Jessa’s Leche Flan recipe inspired by her grandma’s and mom’s recipes. I have a feeling I will need it after this super sweet read!
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Leche Flan Recipe
Ingredients:
3 eggs
170 grms of condensed milk
170 ml of evaporated milk
120 grms of heavy cream
1 tbsp of vanilla
1 tbsp of cornstarch
3/4 cup of sugar
Utensils:
4 ramekins
Steamer pot
Aluminum foil
Instructions:
Take sugar into a pan and melt in medium heat till it reaches a caramel color. Immediately pour into the ramekins.
Blend the rest of the ingredients and transfer the flan liquid into the ramekins dividing in equal portions.
Cover each ramekin with aluminum foil and place them inside the steamer pot for 45 min on medium heat.
Let them cool and enjoy!
(You can also place them in the fridge overnight if you prefer to eat it cold.)
Pre-order Campaign for In the Jaded Grove!
Author Anela Deen is also running an EPIC pre-order campaign, and best of all, it is open internationally!
Details and links are on her website here: https://bit.ly/3eWOmE2 but below are some highlights.
Anyone who pre-orders the book on Amazon OR suggests it as a library purchase – and fills out my Google form – receives a swag pack.
The swag pack includes:
- A 5×7 “In the Jaded Grove” Art Print (Exclusive design by Dreamy&Co)
- 2 Bookish Stickers
- 1 Double-Sided Bookmark
- 1 Signed Author Bookplate
This is running until I run out of swag packs or until the end of April, whichever comes first.
INTL Tour-wide Instagram Giveaway!
Head over to our Instagram account where you can enter one of the following prizes:
1 Winner:
-A paperback copy of In the Jaded Grove
-A slim volume of selected poems by Emily Dickinson (the MC’s favorite poet) with gilt-edged pages
-1 Alice in Wonderland postcard (my favorite portal fantasy ?) illustrated by @MarijkeIllustration
5 Winners:
– 1 Alice in Wonderland postcard illustrated by @MarijeIllustration
Tour Schedule:
April 12
@paperfury – Boostagram + Book Blog
April 13
@pixiecutsandprose – Bookstagram
April 14
@thereaderandthechef – Bookstagram + Book Blog
April 15
@theheavycrownreads – Bookstagram
April 16
@brenyandbooks – Bookstagram + Book Blog
April 17
@gcreads04 – Bookstagram
April 18
@thereadingchemist – Bookstagram + Book Blog
April 19
@readmeinpastel – Bookstagram
April 20
@my_heart_is_booked – Bookstagram + Book Blog
April 21
@dazzlingtragedy – Bookstagram
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Love this so much, In the Jaded Grove is such an amazing read! The Leche Flan looks delicious ✨