Welcome to my stop on the tour for From Brick & Darkness, a gritty YA novel steeped in Djinn mythology. Read on for an exclusive excerpt and a chance to win a signed copy!
From Brick & Darkness
Publication Date: May 16, 2022
Genre: YA/ Modern Fantasy/ Retelling
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
The most powerful wishes aren’t said with words.
Bax always fantasized something remarkable would happen in his life. So when a decrepit man with glowing purple eyes offers him a ring intended for his estranged father, Bax accepts.
The ring speaks to Bax in a dream, tempting him with a vision of a powerful djinn. Desperate to make his fantasies a reality, Bax unleashes a creature called Ifrit, but soon learns this djinn isn’t what the ring led him to believe. Feeding off the depths of his subconscious, the sinister demon fulfills what he thinks Bax wants by manipulating, threatening, and murdering. With everyone he loves in danger and a trail of crimes pointing back at him, Bax must scramble to solve the puzzle that will banish Ifrit forever.
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Review
Having all your dreams come true sounds like a great thing, right? Well, you might think differently after you read From Brick & Darkness by J.L. Sullivan! This is a YA Fantasy focused on djinn mythology.
Bax and his friends embark on what seems like an exciting adventure, but things quickly go awry. This takes quite the dark turn and is very compelling. ‘Be careful what you wish for’ is one of the themes in this coming of age tale, and it surely makes you wonder what you would do if you were in Bax’s shoes.
I am picky about my YA reads, but J.L. Sullivan’s debut checks the boxes I expect and more. The writing is fantastic, with pacing that keeps you reading. I absolutely loved the mythology. Djinn are fascinating to me, so reading this was a real treat!
Overall, From Brick & Darkness was an excellent read. I am looking forward to reading more from this author. If you’re a YA Fantasy fan and you enjoy dark stories, check this out!
Thank you to R&R Book Tours for the free review copy and tour invite. All opinions are my own and unbiased.
Rating
4★
Excerpt
Neck bones popped as his head rotated toward me, his face eclipsing the rays of the streetlight. His irises were dull purple, glazed over with a foggy film, and deep-set wrinkles radiated from the corners of his eyes like arrows drawing attention to them.
A shudder caused the keys to slip from my hand and clank on the ground. My face burned with shame that the poor man’s appearance had startled me. My rudeness would have disappointed Mom.
“I’m sorry, but really—” I snagged my keys.
His hand slithered out of the brick-colored sleeve as his arm rose, trembling as he strained to hold the weight of his own limb. Gloved in loose, veiny skin, his skeleton hand had yellowed fingernails so overgrown they grew in on themselves like curly birthday ribbons. As his fingers unfurled, he revealed a ring nestled in his palm.
It was large. Too large. The ring resembled the toy jewelry Jason’s sister played with or something from a Halloween costume. Grimy gold with a single dull purplish jewel that matched his eyes.
His hand trembled under the heaviness of the ring. “Take it.”
Shifting my backpack to my other shoulder, I took it. “What is this?”
The corners of his thin lips curled into a grin as a gust of warm, dry wind cut through the chilly October night and swirled around me.
Available on Amazon and at Barnes & Noble
J.L. Sullivan writes young adult stories inspired by gritty urban environments and the tales that percolate within abandoned buildings and desolate alleys. He lives in St. Louis with his wife, two daughters, and a dog named Princess Penelope Picklesworth.
J.L. Sullivan | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads
★GIVEAWAY★
Click the link below to enter for a chance to win a signed copy (US Only)
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