Return to Arèthane Blog Tour

Return to Arèthane (The Elves of Arèthane #1) by Kelly Riad

4/5 Stars

Published May 30th 2012

Young Adult fantasy

Book Description 

16-year old Emily has accepted her fate with each weakening beat of her heart, but after her best friend's brother and sister arrive in town and turn out to be more than what they appear, Emily's life is turned upside-down. When their friendship includes confronting wizards who harbor dark secrets and dancing with an elf prince, Emily discovers there are some things still worth living for.

Review

What a great adventure, Return to Arèthane has Centaurs, Gryphons, Dragons, Elves and more! I loved this Young Adult fantasy, the storyline was well written and Emily and Jarred are defiantly my favorite characters in the book! There’s a lot that goes on from the very start of the book all the way to the end you won’t be disappointed.  I really can’t wait to get my hands on the next book in the series! 

Emily has not had an easy life she suffers from a heart condition and her mother is always drunk. So Emily has to be the strong one and clean up the mess her mother has made of their lives.  When her best friends older brother and sister show up Emily thinks there is something going on and then swears she is seeing things. Poor Emily’s life is turned upside down when she finds out what her best friend and her brother and sister are. Little do they know someone close to them is not who they say they are and they must save the future Queen Arèthane. But will they survive long enough to save her?

Character Interview Jarred

~Steph:  Hi Jarred, Thank you for taking the time to talk with us today!

-Jarred: Thank you so much for having me, it's lovely to be here.

~Steph: What thoughts were going through your head when you first met Emily?

-Jarred: Well, at first, before I had truly seen her, my first thought was of anger and concern that a mother could behave in such a way, would place her daughter in that position. But then I looked up and Emily filled my vision and everything stopped. I couldn't make sense of what I was thinking or of what to say, I just knew I didn't want her to leave.

~Steph: What are your favorite scenes in your book: the action, the dialog or the romance?

-Jarred: Any scene that combines those three is the perfect moment for me, but the one that stands out the most was when Emily asked me to enchant her and I was able to bring her to Arethane while still in her world.  That was a special moment that I was really grateful to be able to share with her.  And of course, our first kiss--you never forget your first kiss, right?

(That was one of my Favorite parts in the book also and no I don’t think you ever forget your first kiss.)

~Steph: What is your favorite food? What is your least favorite food?

-Jarred: Emily has given me a new appreciation for ice cream. *grins*  But I'm really more of a fruit and vegetables kind of elf.  I'm not a fan of ham...

(Ick I’m not a fan of Ham either!)

~Steph: How is it for you to be living here on earth instead of at home in Arethane?

-Jarred: It's not easy.  Every day I have to be on my guard, I must restrain myself and hide who I am. A world without magic is a sad place and you don't realize just what you're missing until you're without it.  But being with Emily makes it all worth while.

Thank you so much for having me here!  I really enjoyed our chat.

--Jarrad A.

~Steph: You’re welcome we loved having you here also and I know I can’t wait to read more of your story!

Jarred's Bio 

Jarrad Allen (Tahlam Alean'raheal)

 

Age: Human - 17; Actual - lost track.

Born: The first day of the Spring Equinox

Place of Birth: The Royal Capital, Hemelstad, in Arèthane

Parents: deceased

Description:  6'3", blonde hair, light blue eyes, contagious smile

Q. What are your favorite foods?

A. Ice cream

Q. Is that all?

A.  Ice cream with Emily

Q. What's your favorite color?

A. Green

Q. Emily said you stole it from her, that it was her favorite color first...

A. I stole it from her?  When I've been alive centuries longer than her? (laughs)

Q. What are your favorite activities?

A. Anything that gets my heart racing--cliff diving, snowboarding, racing motorcycles or horses, ...Emily.

Q. What is it about Emily that makes your heart race?
A. She has this way of playing with her lip ring with the tip of her tongue while she's lost in thought - drives me mad. 

Q. Anything else?

A. Emily is one of the strongest individuals I know.  She has a power within her so great, it could change worlds and yet she has know idea.  She just thinks she's getting by, but she's altering life around her.  She's altering the people around her, for the better.

Q. Hopes for the future?
A. Emily's elfin love-slave? 

About the author 

Kelly Riad is from Texas where she lived with her husband and a house overrun by pets. She now lives in the San Francisco Bay area and is determined to bring the y'all to the West Coast.  While she published her first book - a handmade pop-up titled "The Lost Puppy" - in the fifth grade to much acclaim by the first graders, she only recently picked the craft back up. "Return to Arèthane" is her second published novel.

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