I was so lucky to get to be on the Blogger panel for The Book Blogger Novel of the Year Awards (BBNYA) 2020. While I haven’t had a chance to read all the books in the top 10 yet I will be posting the reviews for those that I have read and letting you in on all the gossip for those that I haven’t gotten to yet.
If you don’t know BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors.
If you are an author and wish to learn more about the 2021 BBNYA competition, you can visit the official website or our Twitter account, @BBNYA_Official . If you would like to sign-up and enter your book, you can find the BBNYA 2021 AUTHOR SIGN UP FORM HERE. Please make sure to carefully read our terms and conditions before entering.
If you are a book blogger or reviewer, you can apply to be part of BBNYA 2021 by filling out this form (also remember to read the terms and conditions before signing up)!
BBNYA is brought to you in association with the Folio Society (If you love beautiful books you NEED to check out their website! I have their copies of Murder of Roger Acroyd and H2G2 and they are stunning!!!!) And the book blogger support group TheWriteReads.
Todays Spotlight is for 2020 BBNYA’s 4th place
Title: The Gilded King
Series: Soverign #1
Author: Josie Jaffery
4 Stars
From Goodreads:
In the Blue, the world’s last city, all is not well.
Julia is stuck within its walls. She serves the nobility from a distance until she meets Lucas, a boy who believes in fairytales that Julia’s world can’t accommodate. The Blue is her prison, not her castle, and she’d escape into the trees if she didn’t know that contamination and death awaited humanity outside.
But not everyone in the Blue is human, and not everyone can be contained.
Beyond the city’s boundaries, in the wild forests of the Red, Cameron has precious little humanity left to lose. As he searches for a lost queen, he finds an enemy rising that he thought long dead. An enemy that the humans have forgotten how to fight.
One way or another, the walls of the Blue are coming down. The only question is what side you’ll be on when they do.
About the Author:
Josie is the author of nine self-published novels plus short stories. She is currently working on a range of fantasy and historical fiction projects (both adult and YA), for which she is seeking representation. Ultimately, she hopes to be a hybrid author, both traditionally- and self-published.
After finishing her degree in Literae Humaniores (Classics) at the University of Oxford, Josie wasn’t sure what to do with her life.
She slogged through a brief stint working for an investment bank in London during the 2008 credit crunch, then converted to law and qualified as a solicitor specialising in intellectual property. She worked at a law firm for five years before moving to a UK-based international publisher in 2016. Whilst she loved law, in the end she didn’t love it quite as much as writing, which she now does almost full time.
Josie lives in Oxford with her husband and two cats (Sparky and Gussie), who graciously permit human cohabitation in return for regular feeding and cuddles. The resulting cat fluff makes it difficult for Josie to wear black, which is largely why she gave up being a goth. Although the cats are definitely worth it, she still misses her old wardrobe.
What I Thought:
I have to admit I have misplaced my notes for this one and I am struggling to remember exactly my thoughts and feelings apart from overall enjoyment. I know it was not my favourite of Josie Jaffery’s work I would place May Day with that honour, as I am more partial to the Urban Fantasy police procedural setting of that series. While they take part in the same Universe (Silverse) I just found myself connecting more with May Day but that is probably down to me over Jaffery’s writing
Jaffery’s writing is fantastic in all of her works and her world building is second to none. It really does feel like it expands beyond the boarders of the page. Her characters are fun and enjoyable, and have depths and flaws that make you both love and frustrated with them at the same time and that keeps you reading. I particularly felt the frustration with Cameron in this one but again in the best way. I wanted to follow his journey, to learn more about him. Overall I really enjoyed this book. It has fantastic characters, a romance with just the right level of cheesiness that good YA fantasy should have, and a world that left you wanting to read more.
What BBNYA Panalists Thought:
This book was incredible paranormal tale that keeps you engaged from page one until the very end! There is intrigue, there is action, and there’s even a dash of romance. Ya know… for flavor *wink* The characters are beautifully crafted and will make you invested in their story as you get to know them. The world-building makes you want to know more and more about what’s going on in this strange, yet familiar landscape.
Kerri (Kerri McBookNerd)
Overall, this was a fantastic first book in a series that I know I will adore. I love Josie’s writing style, the worlds and characters she creates, the plots she weaves together.
Ellie (Read to Ramble)
Fi's Bibliofiles 
Amazing spotlight Fiona!
LikeLiked by 1 person