Reign the Earth by A.C. Gaughen // earth powers and feminist fantasy?? hell yeah (also giveaway!!) [blog tour]

Give me some of them earth powers thank you.

I love that the main character has earth powers?? When the main characters always have fire or water powers or something?? LIKE EARTH POWERS ARE sO COOL (and also I love Toph from Avatar: Airbender bye)

Anyways!! This is a blog tour where I list who I’d #ReignTheDay with and I’m also including a review! Because why not smush everything together and also I don’t like doing *only* spotlights for books and things like that.

There’s a giveaway for a signed copy of Reign the Earth at the end of this post (only open to US and Canada, sorry to all of my international friends!!)

this is a list of everyone else who participated in the blog tour!! also look it’s my name on a publisher graphic thing COOL

goodreads

Shalia is a proud daughter of the desert, but after years of devastating war with the adjoining kingdom, her people are desperate for peace. Willing to trade her freedom to ensure the safety of her family, Shalia becomes Queen of the Bonelands.

But she soon learns that her husband, Calix, is motivated only by his desire to exterminate the Elementae—mystical people who can control earth, wind, air, and fire. Even more unsettling are Shalia’s feelings for her husband’s brother, which unleash a power over the earth she never knew she possessed—a power that could get her killed. As rumors of a rebellion against Calix spread, Shalia must choose between the last chance for peace and her own future as an Elementae.

This intense, richly drawn high-fantasy by the author of Scarlet will hold readers spellbound.

★★★★☆

I want to note some trigger warnings for this book, since it has some really dark topics going on, including: rape, physical & emotional abuse, torture, and pregnancy with a possible miscarriage. The romance is not with the abuser.

THE POLITIC-NESS

WHO REALLY FREAKING LOVES POLITICAL MANIPULATION AND LIKE COURT AND ROYALTY AND GOVERNMENT TWISTY TRICKS???

it’s me.

I LOVE READING ABOUT THEM and it was just so cool to see everything happening in this book?? Since Shalia is married to Calix, she experiences a lot of this stuff, and I just loved it.

I’m not weird.

SHALIA I LOVE HER

This is such a #feministfantasy and I love it and I love Shalia??? She’s so strong as a heroine and it was just so… AHHHHH but in a good way. I loved how empowered she was and how she didn’t let herself be someone that was defined by men and who she was surrounded by.

SHE WAS HER OWN PERSON and as someone who lowkey wants to fall into a puddle, I LOVED THAT. It’s so great seeing protagonists as together and independent and everything you’re not.

THE MAGICAL SYSTEM

So the magic is based off the elements, where people can have power over earth or fire or air or water. These people are called Elementae, and it was just so interesting to read about them and the worldbuilding.

Also, I’m pretty sure that one of the main side characters was the main character from Scarlet or another book that A.C. Gaughen wrote?? And I think that that’s really cool and I WANT TO READ THAT BOOK NOW.

CALIX WAS HORRIBLE AND ALSO 2D

Ummmm so Calix was an interesting character.

I mean, I HATED HIM. He tortured people and killed people and he abused people and during the whole book I lowkey just wanted to jump in and strangle him.

HE WAS HORRIBLE. And I feel like he wasn’t as well-developed as I normally like my villains as? I’M SORRY I’M JUST PICKY WITH THESE THINGS.

who would i #ReignTheDay with?

I chose three people (initially):

• Emma Watson
  • I love her feminism and how she uses her position to talk about it??? YES??
• Marie Curie
  • So I researched her for a project last year and she did SO MUCH in radioactive testing research and she’s very underappreciated??
• Marilyn Monroe
  • I DON’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT HER TBH but I know that she helped with plus-size body image positivity!! Which is fantastic!!

I’m highkey disappointed in myself because these are all white women???

So here are some people of color:

• Mirai Nagatsu
  • She’s an ice skater and the first US skater to pull off the triple axel at the Olympics and the third skater EVER to pull off the triple axel at the Olympics SHE’S JAPANESE AND I LOVE HER
• Chloe Kim
  • SHE’S A SNOWBOARDER AND SHE’S SO CUTE LIKE I CAN’T eVEN??? And her food eating is so relatable and she’s just so accomplished and lowkey my idol now

I LOVE THESE GIRLS AND YES I WATCHED THE OLYMPICS (aka I literally watched two Youtube videos so I could see these girls because I love them they’re fantastic and they’re doing great sweetie)

Anyways, here’s the giveaway for the book! JUST CLICK ON THE IMAGE or right here in case WordPress fails me for the 47th time.

HAVE YOU READ REIGN THE EARTH? Who would you #REIGNTHEDAY with? Who are some of your favorite people ever?? Do you like earth magic?? Do you watch Avatar: Airbender??