Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: The Boy with the Hidden Name by Skylar Dorset

On tour with Sourcebooks.

Welcome to my review and giveaway tour stop for The Boy with the Hidden Name by Skylar Dorset! I've loved the covers of these books and their synopses, which both pulled me into this series. You can see what I thought about the first book in this series here and what I thought of this one down below.

The Boy with the Hidden Name (Otherworld, #2)The Boy with the Hidden Name
(Otherworld #2)
by Skylar Dorset
YA Urban Fantasy
Paperback320 Pages
December 2nd 2014 by Sourcebooks Fire

Summary

In the stunning conclusion, Selkie Stewart, A half-faerie princess… and the most wanted person in the Otherworld, must prepare to meet her destiny as the usurper of the corrupt Seelie Court even if it means losing the boy she loves to a dark prophecy.

Selkie Stewart has just saved her “boyfriend,” Ben from a fairy prison run by the Seelie Court. If they weren’t the two most wanted individuals in the Otherworld before, they definitely are now. Along with Ben and the rest of their ragtag group of allies- Selkie’s ogre aunts; a wizard named Will; Ben’s cousin Safford and Kelsy, Selkie’s best friend- Selkie is ready to embrace her destiny and bring the Seelie Court Down. Until she hears the rest of her prophecy…Benedict Le Fay will betray you and die.
    

My Review

The Boy with the Hidden Name starts off pretty much right after the first book ends. Even though one catastrophe has been diverted there is so much more coming. There is almost more at stake this time around because the faeries aren't just a threat in the Otherworld, but are focusing on the safe haven of Boston. The clock is ticking and there is limited time to save the world. Selkie along with her family and friends have to come together again to finish what they started and it was an intense and entertaining ride.

I still really liked these characters that I grew to love from the first book. I liked the continued intensity between Selkie and Ben. I also liked the old friendships that continued to grow and the new ones that developed. There were definitely some fun additions. I did seem to connect a little bit better to the first book than this one. I think that's because I enjoyed how Selkie's and Ben's relationship developed in the first book more than in this one. At the same time, there was some serious romantic tension and they both just about sacrificed everything for the other.

I'm definitely curious to see what this author writes next. I liked this version of faeries and a fantasy world. It had a good balance of both mischievousness, good, and bad characters. If you enjoy urban fantasy then I would give this series a try.

Content: Some innuendo, including gay references, but otherwise clean.
Source: From the publisher through NetGalley, which did not affect my review in any way.

The Other Books in the Otherworld Series

The Girl Who Never Was
(Otherworld #1)
by Skylar Dorset
YA Urban Fantasy
Paperback304 Pages
June 1st 2014 by Sourcebooks Fire

Summary

THE GIRL WHO NEVER WAS is the story of Selkie Stewart, who thinks she’s a totally normal teenager growing up in Boston. Sure, her father is in an insane asylum, her mother left her on his doorstep—literally—when she was a baby, and she’s being raised by two ancient aunts who spend their time hunting gnomes in their Beacon Hill townhouse. But other than that her life is totally normal! She’s got an adventurous best friend who’s always got her back and an unrequited crush on an older boy named Ben. Just like any other teenager, right?

When Selkie goes in search of the mother she’s never known, she gets more than she bargained for. It turns out that her mother is faerie royalty, which would make Selkie a faerie princess—except for the part where her father is an ogre, which makes her only half of anything. Even more confusing, there’s a prophecy that Selkie is going to destroy the tyrannical Seelie Court, which is why her mother actually wants to kill her. Selkie has been kept hidden all her life by her adoring aunts, with the help of a Salem wizard named Will. And Ben. Because the boy she thinks she’s in love with turns out to be a faerie whose enchantment has kept her alive, but also kept her in the dark about her own life.

Now, with enchantments dissolved and prophecies swinging into action, Selkie finds herself on a series of mad quests to save the people she’s always loved and a life she’s learning to love. But in a supernatural world of increasingly complex alliances and distressingly complicated deceptions, it’s so hard to know who to trust. Does her mother really wish to kill her? Would Will sacrifice her for the sake of the prophecy? And does Ben really love her or is it all an elaborate ruse? In order to survive, Selkie realizes that the key is learning—and accepting—who she really is.
    

The Girl Who Kissed a Lie
(Otherworld #0.5)
by Skylar Dorset
YA Urban Fantasy
ebook95 Pages
May 6th 2014 by Sourcebooks Fire

Summary

It’s the beginning of summer vacation, and everyone at Selkie Stewart’s Boston high school is excited. Except for Selkie, who sees herself standing at the edge of an abyss of Nothing To Do. Selkie doesn’t want to spend her summer scouring the kitchen for gnomes with her crazy aunts or mooning over the enigmatic boy on Boston Common. So instead Selkie goes in search of a job. What she finds is a new best friend, a cute boy who might be more than he seems, and even more question about her mother and her past — and a sense that Selkie’s adventures are just beginning.

Grab a FREE copy on Amazon!

The Girl Who Read the Stars
(Otherworld #1.5)
by Skylar Dorset
YA Urban Fantasy
ebook
November 4th 2014 by Sourcebooks Fire

Summary

Set after Skylar Dorset’s debut The Girl Who Never Was and before the thrilling conclusion to her Otherworld duology, The Boy With the Hidden Name, this novella is told from the perspective of Merrow, the Fay of the Summer Equinox.

Merrow could tell is was going to be a good school year because Jupiter was moving into her constellation. Merrow read the stars…well, sometimes she got a feeling anyway. The stars were always dancing — they were difficult to understand. And then there was Trow. He was a new boy at school and Merrow got a feeling… Which is weird because she’s never minded being on her own before. (She wasn’t exactly popular.) But there was something about Trow. And a prophecy and fate and danger and love — if only the stars would hold still.

Grab a FREE copy on Amazon!

About the Author

Photo Credit: Larry StritofSKYLAR DORSET grew up in Rhode Island (where she still lives), graduated from Boston College and Harvard Law School, and has lived in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Washington, D.C. But she actually spends most of her time living with the characters in her head. She hopes that doesn't make her sound too crazy.

Skylar’s first story was a tale of romantic intrigue involving two feuding factions of squirrels. Think “Romeo & Juliet” but with bushy tails and added espionage. She was seven.

Since that time, Skylar’s head has been filled with lots of characters and lots of drama. She is delighted to be able to share some of it with all of you now, because, honestly, it was getting pretty loud and crowded in there.

Skylar is a born-and-bred New Englander, which is why Boston was a natural setting for her debut novel, THE GIRL WHO NEVER WAS. Skylar shares her home with a cardboard cutout of the Tenth Doctor, lots of Mardi Gras beads from the time she spent living in New Orleans, and a harp she’s supposed to be teaching herself to play. She’d like to get a dog.


Giveaway

Print copy of The Boy with the Hidden Name (US/CAN only) provided by the publisher
Ends January 2nd

a Rafflecopter giveaway

17 comments

  1. Haha her aunts 'hunt gnomes' (I had to pick that out!) love the sound of this book, I'm a big fan of urban fantasy too! Great review!
    Naomi @The Perks Of Being A Bookworm

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  2. Great review. I've seen this book before and wasn't sure if it was for me but I'm glad to hear that it wasn't a slow boring plot. I will add this to my library list and see if they have it.
    Kristin @ Book Sniffers Anonymous

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  3. No, I don't think that I would want to be a faerie. Thanks for having this giveaway.

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  4. Lisa Loves Lit12/19/14, 12:46 PM

    Maybe, depends which book type of faeries we're talking about. Some are cooler than others.

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  5. Alexandra Perc12/19/14, 1:01 PM

    This is an amazing start! Thank you for the post!

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  6. Samantha Wallace12/19/14, 2:33 PM

    I don't know because there are many different definitions of faerie in YA books. It would have to depend on what type we were talking about and thanks for the giveaway!! :)

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  7. Cali Willette12/19/14, 3:45 PM

    This book sounds really good. I need to read more urban fantasy and I like the cover.

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  8. Kind of depends on what type of faerie you're talking about. I probably wouldn't mind being one though.

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  9. Cali Willette12/20/14, 2:20 PM

    It all depends on what type of faerie. Thanks for the giveaway. ;)

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  10. Yes maybe for my next life and as long as a cat doesnt come up and eat me hehe

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  12. Ooh…hadn't heard of this one, but I'm adding it to the TBR list. And so glad the second one is out too! Is a trilogy? I may have to wait until all three are out, I'm reading so many series right now and it's exhausting, but I would love to binge read!! Great review! ~Pam

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  13. Kayla Strickland12/29/14, 10:05 PM

    Maybe, depending on the rules for faeries. Thanks for the giveaway!

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  14. Yes it would be nice to fly and have some powers

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  15. Alisha Sienkiel1/2/15, 7:16 PM

    Yes I think it would be tons of fun to be a faerie! :)

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  16. Olivia Roach1/3/15, 2:32 AM

    I actually have this book but have yet to actually begin reading. I think the cover is awesome and I love the idea of a book based more on a fae. I can't wait to start reading this, you have me excited now :D

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  17. Olivia Roach1/3/15, 2:38 AM

    I didn't notice there were some novellas to these two! Especially ones which can be downloaded for free. And I am glad the second book was one that you were able to still enjoy after the first!

    ReplyDelete

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