~Book Tour~ The Wolf's Cry by Natalie Crown

Thanks for stopping by my tour stop for The Wolf's Cry by Natalie Crown. 
Back in November I had the pleasure to host the Cover Reveal, and I fell in love with it right then and there. And when the opportunity to review the book and host a tour stop presented itself, I knew I had to take it. 
The Wolf's Cry by Natalie Crown is a YA Fantasy book that released in January 2014, the first book in The Semei Trilogy.  
This tour will run March 10th-21st and consist of reviews, author interviews, guest posts, top tens and a giveaway.  

Stop by the tour page for the full list of tour stops.

Book Title: The Wolf's Cry (Book One in the Semei Trilogy)
Author: Natalie Crown
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: YA
Length: PDF is 199 pages

Book Links:  

Goodreads | Amazon 

She is his weakness.
And she will ruin everything.
Kammy Helseth's idea of adventure never amounted to more than getting a boat across to the mainland and finally escaping to London. That was until she stumbled through the mouth of the forest into a world beneath our own, the world of the Semei.

Her only wish is to find her way home but when Jamie, her best friend, is taken into this new world of shapeshifters and Crystals she has no choice but to stand up to her fear and to remain beneath the surface. Hunted by Bagor, King of Alashdial, and those that are loyal to him, Kammy finds herself in the company of a group of outlaws led by Jad, a Prince with a bitter past and a similarly bitter demeanor.

They overcome age-old prejudice to find a way to work together. But Bagor knows a secret about the Crystals that threatens to change everything. Kammy and Jad must find a way to thwart the king and to save Jamie, but that is just the beginning. For Kammy is in possession of a Key and the fate of countless lives, both human and Semei, may rest in her hands.

The Wolf's Cry is the remarkable new Ya fantasy debut by Natalie Crown.
Kammy 18,is an outcast in her village who spends her time skimming rocks on the shore and daydreaming  about packing her bags and leaving to a faraway place, preferably London.
The only people close to her are her Gran, her boss Harry, and her bestest beastie in the world, Jamie.
Everything changes when she curiously crawls into a rabbits hole not knowing it's a door to another world.
She is taken to Seimei, a world just under the earth layer, where a race of shape-shifters dwells.
Things spiral out of control, and now she must do all it takes to save those close to her.

This Book!!!
I never thought I  would love it so much. Semei really grew on me.
The unbelievable tales, the characters and in the middle of everything, Kammy and her friends.

The Seimei wanted a war against humans and she was stuck in their world; 

a world so ridiculous it did not even have a sun.

Kammy is...hmm, I think she is still finding herself, her strength and her resolve.
In the first half of the book I honestly thought she was gonna end up like the typical textbook young adult heroine, wishy-washy,dull and whiny.
But her trip to Seimei changed her, and i think  the author wanted to portray that change.
It was a test. When the stakes are high, and the life to be saved is not her own, how would she react.
And she did it perfectly. She truly found her resolve. I loved the fact that she wasn't reckless, she is very aware of her limitations, instead she focuses on the things she does best.
She went with the decisions of the team because she knew they indeed know best, having the home advantage.

Jad the male hero,pretender to the throne, has the typical broody, unkind  personality on the outside, but unbeknownst to him, everyone senses his the thoughtful and gentle persona, and teases him for hiding it (Eric)
He wants to overthrow the current king and take what is rightfully his, but he also wants his friends to be safe. and fears for the consequences that would befall them should he fail. I loved how conscious he was of Kammy, genuinely curious of what makes her tick.
I enjoyed seeing the gradual process of the change of his affections for her.

Eric,  Tayah,  and Jamie where such great characters, they really rounded up the story and made it even more interesting. Especially the comic duo Eric-Jamie.

 When have I ever lost my cool? I’m unflappable, me.’

 ‘When have you ever been kidnapped by a race of shapeshifters and taken into another world?’ 

Jamie paused, ‘Fair point, yet here I kneel, unflapped

Finally, a villain with substance who is not black and white.
Bagor is a typical text book politician all sweet and mellow on the outside, and sour and rotten on the inside.
At some point I truly wondered if he is indeed the bad guy. (that's how good he is!) 

The ending was a cliffhanger, it destroyed me,ripped my hear out and tore it to pieces.
 Damn it, I wanted the second book right that second!

Things I'm yearning for in the second book
MORE Jamie, there is a need for more Jamie. I laughed my ass off whenever there was a scene with him.
He made very bad situation somehow lighter.
More Eric, I realise that the game has changed for him, and he will have it though in the second book, I just hope he will overcome it!
Tayah, I want to see a little more character development and maybe a closer interaction between her and Kammy. And more of her back-story.
More Semei history.

To recap; Natalie Crown wrote one of the best young adult fantasies this year. 

She created a captivating world full of wondrous places and  its mind-boggling inhabitants.

I'm looking forward to the future.

About the Author:
I grew up in a village called Swilland, in the countryside of Suffolk, England. There wasn't much around, other than farms and fields, but for the most part I loved it, and I still do. I’m a passionate person by nature. I don’t just LIKE things, I LOVE things. Whether it’s a book, a film, or a sports team. Once I decide to enjoy something, I enjoy it to the MAX.

I’m a terrible cook. I prioritize essential social media work over keeping my flat tidy, because I know best. I am desperate to get a dog. My mum suspects I miss my cats at home more than I miss her. I am a devout Arsenal/Ferrari/Rafael Nadal fan. I get all mad when confronted with a case of social injustice and then I get all mad when people take the fight for social justice too far. I mostly keep those thoughts to myself and simmer with rage. I watch good TV and bad TV, because I can. What I can’t do is enjoy bad books (subjective opinion of course). I just can’t.

Onto my love of reading and, consequently, writing - it was my dad that played a big role in encouraging me to read. He didn't push me towards books necessarily; he simply read a lot himself. Then I would pick up his books and read them after him. I was reading high and epic fantasy from a very young age. I guess that might explain why I have always loved adventure stories with magic and intrigue and princes and princesses in.

I was aware that I wanted to ‘be a writer’ from a very young age. I was convinced I would be the first best seller that hadn't reached double figures in age yet! I wrote about the Danshees, furry creatures that lived through a mirror. I wrote about a Sand Bottle that transported a boy into a world of magic. I wrote about a sick girl finding a music box that healed her, but transported her back in time. (Wow, I always have loved alternate universes…)

When I was eight I wrote my first novel called The Land of No Return. Despite the title, I am determined to return to it one day. I feel like I owe it to my past self. So, as you can see, I have always been writing. There have been times when I have gone weeks without scratching down a word. Then there are days where I churn out multiple chapters and only my body’s silly desire for sleep and/or food can stop me.

I write because I enjoy it. I write fantasy because I enjoy it. I try my hardest to put something of myself into my writing. I like to think my characters have depth, I like to think that my fantasy worlds reflect upon the real world in some way. You guys will be the judge of that, but even if you don't agree I know that I at least try, and I can do no more than that.

These days I live in North London, and I love it. I work full time and London is a hectic city. Juggling work, writing and a social life is tough, but nobody is forcing me to do it so I can't complain. The dream is that writing will be my career one day, but it doesn't matter if I never quite make it. I love writing too much to ever pack it in.

Find the author:

Website/Blog |  Tumblr | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads


Giveaway:

2 $50 Amazon Gift Cards (INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This tour was organized by CBB Book Promotions