blog tour, darby karchut, griffin rising

Blog Tour with Excerpt: Griffin Rising by Darby Karchut

Book 1: Griffin Rising ( My Review )
Book 2: Griffin’s Fire ( My Review )

For centuries, rumors have abounded of a lowly caste of supernatural beings known as the Terrae Angeli. Armed with the power to control Earth, Fire, Wind, and Water, these warriors secretly serve as guardians for mortals in danger.But for one young angel-in-training, Griffin, life is hell as a cruel master makes his apprenticeship a nightmare. On the verge of failing, a new mentor, Basil, enters his life and changes it forever.Taking on the identity of father and son, Griffin and Basil forge a special bond where honesty and trust go hand in hand to secure Griffin’s destiny as a Terrae Angeli. Griffin’s belief in himself and the love of a mortal girl are the perfect combination in overcoming the darkest days of his life. But will it be enough for him to succeed?For Griffin, it’s time to angel up.

I’m happy to be a part of the Griffin Rising blog tour today! The link to my review is above. I really enjoyed this book. Here’s an excerpt:

The desk chair squealed as Griffin rocked back and forth. He sighed, and then leaned over
and snatched a scrap of paper out of the trashcan. Folding it into a compact triangle, he balanced
it on one corner and aimed, punting his paper football with a flick of his fingers. It sailed across
the room, straight toward the fireplace, bursting into flames before landing on the logs.

“No Elements in the house,” murmured Basil, engrossed in his book. He turned another
page and settled more comfortably, hooking a leg over the arm of the old sofa. After a while, the
silence made him look up. He studied Griffin’s face. What is he fretting about now? I swear, the
lad’s going to be the first Terra Angelus in existence with an ulcer.

“Basil?”

“Fin.”

“What happens? When an angel becomes mortal? I mean, does it … hurt?”

The Mentor’s heart twisted. “Yes. Yes, it’s quite painful.” Please don’t ask me anymore.

“Where would I go? To live?” Griffin toyed with a glass paperweight, spinning it around on
the worn surface. “I guess I’d have to get a job. Or go to school or something.”

Basil put down his book. “Thinking about the Proelium?”

Griffin shrugged. “Sixteen in two months, you know.”

“First of all, you’re acting as if you’ve failed already,” he said, “which isn’t going to happen.
Second, you don’t take the Proelium the instant you turn sixteen. Yours will most likely be on
or around the winter solstice. When one of the Senior Mentors is able to administer it. Third, no
matter what happens, this is your home. For as long as you wish.”

Griffin kept his eyes on the paperweight. “Promise?”

“I promise.”

Books By Darby Karchut

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Book Review, griffin rising

Book Review: Griffin Rising

Title: Griffin Rising
Author: Darby Karchut
Publisher: Paladin Timeless Books
Release Date: April 2011
Pages: 169
Series: Griffin #1
4 STARS: I Really Liked It

For centuries, rumors have abounded of a lowly caste of supernatural beings known as the Terrae Angeli. Armed with the power to control Earth, Fire, Wind, and Water, these warriors secretly serve as guardians for mortals in danger.But for one young angel-in-training, Griffin, life is hell as a cruel master makes his apprenticeship a nightmare. On the verge of failing, a new mentor, Basil, enters his life and changes it forever.Taking on the identity of father and son, Griffin and Basil forge a special bond where honesty and trust go hand in hand to secure Griffin’s destiny as a Terrae Angeli. Griffin’s belief in himself and the love of a mortal girl are the perfect combination in overcoming the darkest days of his life. But will it be enough for him to succeed?For Griffin, it’s time to angel up.

My Thoughts:
I enjoyed this book, especially the length. Sometimes it’s wonderful to see a nice short book, this was less than 200 pages, that will be quick to finish instead of a 400+ page beast sitting on my shelf.

In the prologue Griffin, the main character, is 16 then it flashes back to when he was 13 when the book starts. After a few chapters he’s back to 16. I liked the background of Griffin’s life at 13 since this was after some traumatic times for him. It was nice to see Griffin’s growth from 13 to 16. Throughout the story there are journal entries from Griffin, his mentor, and later another character that may or may not be a girl Griffin’s age. 😉 The journal entries were a unique way for the author to show what went on in the minds of three of the main characters. I loved it! It helped the pace of the book move along too.

On a side note about Griffin’s name I really like when his mentor, Basil, calls him Fin for short. That is such a cute name, don’t you think? I really like Griffin and Basil and their dynamic. Basil and Griffin are Terrae Angeli or guardian angels. When they are “on call” they go out and rescue humans in need possibly from a car in a river or on the side of a mountain. Great stuff.

Overall a fun and entertaining read. I enjoyed getting to know Fin and look forward to reading more of his story in the next book of the series.

Content Ratings: highlight between ( ) to view details
Sexual Content: mild ( kissing )
Language: mild ( a** 1, h*** 2, God 2, Bloody 4 )
Violence: mild ( briefly mentioned abuse of a kid, fighting, blood, injuries )

*I received a review copy from Darby Karchut. Thank you! I do not get paid for any of my reviews. My reviews are solely my opinion.