This past week we gave the spotlight to In the Jaded Grove, Anela Deen’s Portal Fantasy novel, the first book in the Kindred Realms series! Our Roadies brought a wide selection of content to this show with reviews and other posts. Now it’s time to bring the show to an end and it’s my pleasure to present you with the encore, including some extra content. Come and learn a bit more about the world of In the Jaded Grove through Anela’s playlist!
Shall we?
A child of two cultures, this hapa haole Hawaiian girl is currently landlocked in the Midwest. After exploring the world for a chunk of years, Anela Deen hunkered down in Minnesota and now fills her days with family, fiction, and the occasional snowstorm. With a house full of lovable toddlers, a three-legged cat, and one handsome Dutchman, she prowls the keyboard late at night while the minions sleep. Coffee? Nah, she prefers tea with a generous spoonful of sarcasm.
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.
Click on the blog name to read their full review or other content!
JULY 11TH – THE KICKOFF
Whispers & Wonder – excerpt + IG spotlight @whispersandwonder
JULY 12TH
Mae the Dreamer – review
“What I especially loved about this book was it managed to discuss grief and guilt, and how our emotions can either allow us to grow, or be the reason we sink deeper into despair. Simith, plagued by his guilt and Jessa by her grief, through these characters, we learn that we when we confront such emotions, rescue and healing is possible. I also love how it served as a reminder that asking for help is always okay. The way of all this is portrayed on text was truly amazing and comforting to read about.”
Fantasy Book Critic – interview
JULY 13TH
Beneath A Thousand Skies – review
“I’m not entirely sure what I went into this book expecting, but it wasn’t what I found and I am more than happy about that because In the Jaded Grove is a fantastic example of what portal fantasy can be. But, it is more than that, and it was the emotion in this story that really gripped me beyond the world and the magic. This is a fantastic book for anyone who loved fast-paced fantasy with a breathtaking emotional depth.”
Levicorpvus Blog – review + IG spotlight @ofproseandspells
“The characters were very likable. I could easily sympathize to both Jessa and Simith who had undergone through so much tragedy and grief, that sometimes they just built a huge wall to protect themselves from their loved ones as a mean protecting themselves. This emotion was very distinct and mostly affect the atmosphere and tone of the novel. Despite these awful things, they managed to help each other overcome those regrets and nightmares. I enjoyed the dynamics and different relationships portrayed in this novel.”
JULY 14TH
Armed with A Book – interview + IG spotlight @_armedwithabook
JULY 15TH
33 South Textworks – review
“On the whole, a thoroughly enjoyable adventure in another world.
Recommended to anyone looking to escape reality, In the Jaded Grove is the first of what I’m sure will be a wonderful series.”
I Can Has Books – review
“But will all that being said, there is more then just a fantasy novel at play in this book, it’s about the loss and what one goes through after such loss. And how to help find ones self again. Reach out to others when you can and are ready. Sometimes it is you that is holding you back. Things take time, but sometimes you might have to push yourself forward. I will say Katie may annoyed me but she wanted what was best for Jessa, and stuck by her through it all, even if she could have easily not have.”
JULY 16TH
Kayla C. Reviews – review
“It was great that the author wrapped the story up so neatly, but the resolution seemed glossed over. That said, I adored In the Jaded Grove and I’d love to read more from Anela Deen.”
@fantasybookcraz_mum – review + IG spotlight
“The story is filled with magic, action with epic fight scenes and full of twists and turns. I look forward to reading more of Kindred Realm. A must read for sure.”
Unholy War – Jacob Banks
The singer had a different intention behind the song, but it worked really well to describe the war going on in the magical realm of In the Jaded Grove, a world that is constantly trying to take freedom away from those who live there.
Ashes – Claire Guerreso
Grief is a central theme in the story – the way losing someone we love changes the definition of ourselves and our world. While writing, this song and these lyrics really resonated with that theme for me.
Save Yourself – Kaleo
Moving alongside the theme of grief is one of guilt – and the way we can push others away when we’re caught in its hold, as if we don’t deserve to be comforted and cared for. In the book, Jessa’s loss has put her in this place.
Shrike – Hozier
This one became Simith’s theme for me. A shrike is a butcherbird that tears apart its prey. As a knight renowned for his ruthlessness, Simith struggles throughout the story with the things he’s done in war and whether he is irredeemable.
Crazy – Daniela Andrade
There are quite a few spectacularly bizarre scenes involving magical creatures doing wild and devastating things in otherworldly environments, and this song put me in just the right mindset to write them.
If you are interested in In the Jaded Grove and would like to get in contact with Anela Deen, you can find her on social media:
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