BLOG TOUR for SPELLBINDERS: BREAK THE GAME by Andrew Auseon with Review and Giveaway

I'm super excited to be hosting a spot on the SPELLBINDERS: BREAK THE GAME by Andrew Auseon Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

                                                                  About The Book:

Title: SPELLBINDERS: BREAK THE GAME
Author: Andrew Auseon
Pub. Date: June 18, 2024
Publisher: Labyrinth Road
Formats:  Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook
Pages: 400
Find it:  Goodreads, https://books2read.com/SPELLBINDERS-BREAK-THE-GAME 

It takes more than magic to make a hero, in the next installment of this hilarious and epic illustrated series. One not-so-chosen champion and his mystical friends must cross the multiverse and harness a dangerous power to defeat a mysterious new enemy.

"My favorite new fantasy series.”—Max Brallier, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Last Kids on Earth series

After leveling up from basement roleplaying games to saving an entire magical realm, 12-year-old Ben isn’t happy returning to his ordinary life of homework and chores. So, when his very un-magical LARP session is crashed by monstrous frog-men from another dimension, he can't wait to get back into hero mode.

Someone is after all the Spellbinder’s books, which grant the users — including Ben — epic reality-shifting powers. Ben, Niara, Merv, Drake, and their new friend Agnes must embark on an epic quest to save the books and their owners. But while hopping across different realms may be Ben’s idea of a totally awesome spring break, it’s tough to be an ordinary kid among extraordinary heroes. Especially when fighting for the fate of the universe seems to consist mostly of finding fun new ways to get them all killed, from zombie rats to pool noodle squids, to a mysterious Big Bad controlling everything from behind the scenes. How do you win the game when someone else is rolling the dice?

                                            Reviews:

"The metafictive story structure counters predictability with a self-awareness that caters to imaginative readers....Ideal for fantasy nerds, gamers, and writers." —Kirkus Reviews

Grab book 1 now!

 Book Trailer:

My Review of Spellbinders: Break The Game:

Spellbinders is like visiting Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, a place full of wonder and excitement mixed with a Dungeons and Dragons quest.  You can never predict which realm the characters will venture to next—be it the House of Reflection, The Snow Globe, The Sea of Whispers, Empire of Glitz or my personal favorite The fields of Frolic.  Or the monster's they'll face, which are just as unpredictable, from Doom rats, Squidoculus or Razor Jaw.  Will they survive? It's anyone's guess. 

The book offers a bit of everything, including magic, humorous battle scenes straight out of the Streets of Struggle videogame, where they employ a butt code to defeat a shark.  There are pop culture references, which I admit were a little hard for me to follow, but sounded amusing like the Worlds of Nowhere PJ's, an extremely evil Mini Boss and even excerpts from the Path of Champion Book, which Ben uses as his manual on how to become a great hero. 

There's some weirdness like using "butternut squash" and "cargo pants" in place of curse words but it's all meant to be silly and entertaining, which it really is.  I do enjoy how the book encourages the reader to visualize the various realms, how the author presents the character cards of each person, with their class, faction, alignment, abilities and special moves.  How there's breakout boxes of additional text providing factoids about what a manifest level 1 means, or what a Pus Abomination is.  And most of all I loved the illustrations, of all the main characters, some of the realms and monsters.  Although the artwork in my copy wasn't the final version or wasn't all complete yet, the glimpses I saw were gorgeous.

Ben makes for a wonderful main character; he's always wanted to be a great warrior and go on dangerous quests to fight forces of evil, but he doesn't feel like he has as much experience as the other members of his party.  His self-doubt causes him to take great risks.  And he's really on this journey to prove to his friends that he is strong enough to wield the magic of the Spellbinder books, despite the dangers.  There are two non-binary characters including Merv, Ben's best friend who can shapeshift.  As well as Niara, Agnes and Drake, who 100% reminds me of Flynn Rider from Tangled.  At 400 pages it's a tad on the long side, but well worth the read for the worldbuilding, stunning illustrations, twists, and zany, humorous story.   I'm looking forward to seeing where this adventure takes Ben next.   

** A huge thank you to the author, publisher and Rockstar for the E-ARC.**

 About Andrew Auseon:

Andrew Auseon is the author of several books for children and young adults, and he is the writer of numerous bestselling and award-winning video games. A transplant from the Midwest, he lives in Washington, D.C. with his family and two very naughty cats. He loves breakfast cereal, the sound of the ocean, and the feeling of a brand-new book in his hands.

Website | Book Website | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok | Amazon

 

Giveaway Details:

2 winners will receive a signed finished copy of SPELLBINDERS: BREAK THE GAME & a swag pack. US Only.

Ends July 16th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

6/17/2024	Two Chicks on Books	Excerpt/IG Post
6/18/2024	MoonShineArtSpot	Review or Excerpt
6/19/2024	onemused	IG Post
6/20/2024	@evergirl200	IG Review
6/21/2024	jlreadstoperpetuity	IG Review/TikTok Post
6/22/2024	@thepagelady	IG Review

Week Two:

6/23/2024	@enthuse_reader	IG Review/TikTok Post
6/24/2024	Log Cabin Library	Review
6/25/2024	Kim's Book Reviews and Writing Aha's	Review/IG Post
6/26/2024	Country Mamas With Kids	Review/IG Post
6/27/2024	Edith's Little Free Library	IG Review/TikTok Post
6/28/2024	@blueeez_away	IG Review
6/29/2024	avainbookland	IG Review

I'm also including this as a part of Middle Grade Monday's hosted by Greg Pattridge at his blog, I hope you'll check it out HERE