#PublicationDay Birth of the Mortokai by D.G. Palmer

It's Publication Day for Birth of the Mortokai by D.G. Palmer.

About the Author
Currently residing in London, England, D.G. Palmer writes in the Spec Fiction genre, using his imagination to create vivid worlds and captivating characters.
An avid reader and player of video games, in the past, he was part of table top roleplaying groups where he nurtured his storytelling by penning several story arcs.

If you wish to receive updates about his latest books, event dates and other exclusive news, sign up to The World of D.G. Palmer and enter his mind. He warns it can be a mess sometimes, so make sure you wipe your feet on the way out – you never know what you might take with you.

Follow @DGPalmer3 on Twitter, on Facebook, on Goodreads, on Instagram, on Pinterest, on BookBub, Buy Birth of the Mortokai

About the book
Daniel Welsh was born different—and to Daniel, to be different means to be alone. But what if he’s wrong?

Born an albino with a photographic memory, Daniel Welsh never expected to fit in. Yet, when he is approached by Trinity—a young girl who definitely isn’t human—she reveals a whole new world where he might just belong. Ariest is a place where his features aren’t a disability or the mark of a freak, but rather a trait of powerful mages born of human-faerie unions. His father is a renowned war hero and swordsman, his mother is a human doctor, and that makes him a powerful mage that’ll tip the scales. Magic is real—and so is the threat it brings.

Trinity and her father, a battle mage, aren’t the only ones to have discovered Daniel and his gifts hidden in the human realm.

The Shade have awakened.

Enemies to the fae realm long thought dead have been lying in wait for their moment to strike. Young mages like Daniel are the perfect morsel for their starving appetites and they start their killing spree without delay with the nearest unsuspecting mage boy. Daniel cannot sit idly by while monsters take innocent lives, so he will embrace a destiny he is only just beginning to understand... even if it means losing a life that’s finally worth living.

Birth of the Mortokai is a young adult coming of age fantasy adventure novel. Trigger warning: this novel contains descriptions of albinism, a real genetic disorder that affects 1/17,000 persons worldwide per year.

Review
I think it's fair to say that Daniel has a tough life. His albinism makes him a target for bullies and he has become used to being alone. When a young girl called Trinity befriends him and introduces him to a whole new world Daniel discovers a new path for himself.

Being drawn into a world of magic, fae, bizarre creatures and beings of all shapes and sizes gives him a new perspective on his life. He evolves into someone he always was on the inside, but now others can see it too.

Although I commend the author for creating a character who has to deal with discrimination, bullying and constant harassment, due to his genetic disorder, I did have some reservations. In many cultures and countries, albeit it for the most part in Sub-Saharan African communities, especially East African communities, albinos are a target.

They are persecuted and hunted, then caught, sold, tortured and killed. They are presumed to be cursed or bring bad luck. There is a belief, a superstition, that their body parts carry magical powers, ergo using a part of them in a potion or spell makes them a highly sought after commodity.

So, creating a main character with albinism and magic sort of plays into those superstitions, myths and the very real threat people with this genetic disorder face in Sub-Saharan African communities. This book may not be circulated there, but it's something to consider.

Aside from that I like the idea of a character who doesn't fit into what is considered the stereotypical norm. It is a better reflection of society and readership, and gives readers who are considered slightly different a chance to be the hero in the story.

It's a YA fantasy, suitable for both younger and older readers. A story infused with Potteresque magic and a tale of the underdog who came, saw and conquered.

Buy Birth of the Mortokai:The First Chronicle of Daniel Welsh at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: DGP Creative Solutions; pub date 1 Aug. 2019. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogBlitz A Laughing Matter of Pain by Cynthia Hilston

It's Publication Day for A Laughing Matter of Pain by Cynthia Hilston. It's a tale of struggle and determination to come back from devastating mistake and addiction.

About the Author
Cynthia Hilston is a thirty-something-year-old stay at home mom of three young kids, happily married. Writing has always been like another child to her. After twenty years of waltzing in the world of fan fiction, she finally stepped away to do her debut dance with original works of fiction. Hannah's Rainbow: Every Color Beautiful is her first original novel. She's currently working on more books. Visit her website for more information.

In her spare time - what spare time? - she devours books, watches Doctor Who and Game of Thrones, pets her orange kitty, looks at the stars, and dreams of what other stories she wishes to tell.

Follow @cynthiahilston on Twitter,on Instagram, Goodreads, on Facebook, Visit cynthiahilston.com

Buy A Laughing Matter of Pain

About the book
Harry Rechthart always knew how to laugh, but laughter can hide a lot of pain that’s drowned by the bottle and good times. He grew up the joker in the early 1900s in Cleveland, Ohio, but as he enters adulthood, conflict splits him. His once close relationship with his brother, Erik, breaks as they come into their own and Erik goes off to college. No longer under Erik’s shadow, Harry feels he might finally shine and make others see him as someone to be proud of. Harry finds an unlikely comrade who understands how he feels–his younger sister, Hannah. Once free of high school, Harry and Hannah double date sister and brother, Kat and Will Jones, attending wild, extravagant parties during the years of Prohibition. Harry thinks he’s won at life–he’s found love in Kat, in a good time, and in the bottle. But all the light goes out fast when Harry’s alcoholism leads to disastrous consequences for him and Kat.

Harry thinks the joke’s on him now that he’s sunk lower than ever. He’s in jail. He’s pushed away his family. He’s a broken man, but in the darkest depths of a prison cell, there is hope. Can Harry rebuild his life and learn that true laughter comes from knowing true joy, or will he bury himself once and for all in this laughing matter of pain?

Review
This is a story about how alcoholism can destroy lives. Not just the the life of the alcoholic, but also that of their loved ones and the people around them. It is also the story of the hard walk of sobriety.

What Harry likes to do throughout the story is lay the blame at different doors. His older brother is too perfect and successful, and Harry can't live up to it. His eldest sister is too busy being an adult, his younger sister is too busy being a child. The only sibling he connects and has a bond with is Hannah, and in the end he rejects her too for caring and loving him. His parents expect him to be responsible, keep his life together and grow up. I mean, come on that's just too much pressure for one man, right.

Now that may seem like a harsh comment, but the truth is that even the smallest source of pressure, stress or anxiety can be a trigger for a person with addiction problems.

It's really interesting to note how his addiction sneaks up on him, in fact he isn't even aware that he has a problem until he ends up behind bars. His sister Hannah knows, but she enables and helps him to hide it from the rest of the family. In the end his realisation comes after a lot of soul-searching in prison, and yet he still lacks a certain acknowledgement of culpability.

During his time in prison he meets an inmate who offers him a lifeline when he gets out, so it isn't his own family he turns to after years of imprisonment - it's a stranger.

The author shows the reality of his addiction, which isn't always triggered by dramatic events by the way. An alcoholic always wants to drink, it is always the inner voice whispering into your ear, regardless of where you are or what you are doing. The question is whether you can learn to control the urge or not, an internal and eternal urge. I think that is something many people struggle to understand though, that addiction never leaves you and there is always the possibility of falling off the wagon. Kudos to those who manage sobriety, especially when they are confronted with their addiction of choice on a regular basis.

It's a tale of struggle and determination to come back from a devastating mistake and addiction. It is a story of what family is to some of us, and that it sometimes isn't defined just by blood. Hilston wants her readers to see that with support there is a possibility of redemption and a new life.

Buy A Laughing Matter of Pain at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.
Buy A Laughing Matter of Pain at Amazon com