Book Review and Giveaway - Vivid Author: Ashley Bustamante

 

About the Book

Book: Vivid

Author: Ashley Bustamante

Genre: YA Fantasy

Release date: May 17, 2022

Danger Lurks Behind Every Color

When Ava Locke was five years old, she began a journey to join the Benefactors—the leaders of the magical continent of Magus. Twelve years later, she unwittingly started down the road to betray them.

On Magus where colors fuel magical abilities, yellow is banned in an effort to protect people from its mind-controlling capabilities. When a rogue Yellow magic-user named Elm escapes imprisonment Ava becomes innocently fascinated with his story. Once this mysterious Elm shows up at her school, Ava pushes her interest to the next level by helping him evade the Benefactors. Ava grows increasingly conflicted as her intrigue leads her down a dark road of secrets about her world. As she learns more about Yellow magic’s potential to control its victims, Ava now must question whether her rash decisions are all her own or if someone else is pulling the strings.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Ashley Bustamante has created stories from the moment she could scribble and staple sheets of paper together. She simply cannot recall a time when writing was not a force in her life. When not running through lines of dialogue in her mind, she enjoys taking photographs and spending time with her husband, three children, and any furry, feathered, or scaly creature she can find. She currently works at Arizona State University.

 

More from Ashley

Vivid is a great example of how something small can turn into something big with a little faith and a lot of work!

The idea for Vivid came from a dream (which later became part of Chapter 5) that I just couldn’t forget. A dream about a charming young man in a top hat and a young lady in a yellow dress. I won’t give away the whole scene, but what stood out to me was the complicated feelings of the young lady. She was left so conflicted and dazed by her encounter with this roguish stranger. She knew she shouldn’t have spent time with him, and yet it was exciting. The thing she wanted more than anything was for him to come back, and yet that was also the thing that terrified her the most.

 

This scene and these characters would not leave my head. I wanted to know the rest of their story and it was all I could think about. Finally, I wrote it all down. How could I not? I made some adjustments, and soon I was plotting. Soon I had names. Places. A magic system. A chapter. Two chapters. Ten chapters. Within a month, I had my first draft written.

 

The road forward wasn’t easy as I was met with rejection after rejection. But through it all I could feel my Heavenly Father cheering me on, encouraging me to grow the talent he had given me. At once point I almost shelved the project, but that little nudge kept me going and eventually led me to my publisher. All the little pieces that came together over the years to lead me there is a story in and of itself.

 

I hope you will enjoy Vivid and come to love Ava and Elm as much as I do. It is my privilege to have this opportunity to share them with you.

My Thoughts

 Vivid is a Young Adult Fantasy book that is written by Ashley Bustamante. This is book one in the Color Theory series. While this is not my usual genre, the writing pulled me in. Ava, was 5 years old when she started a journey with the Benefactors. These are the people that lead Magnus where they live. Magnus is located where the Bermuda Triangle used to be, for the author has created an alternative world.  Ava has had hopes and dreams of becoming a Benefactor when she gets older, but now she has realized they are not what they seem. Ava, who has been studying red magic, wants to know more about yellow magic. She feels drawn to this idea. She also wants to know about the war that killed her parents. It appears that questioning anything other then the norm is frowned upon.  

There is a trigger warning that I picked up on. While it did not negatively affect the story, I want to mention it in case it may be a stumbling block. There is a group of students studying the red magic that are learning how to heal wounds. In order to do so, they have to cut themselves. I want to mention this for anyone that may be struggling with self harm, for I understand it due to two of my daughters struggling with it. 

Overall, the book is a good YA Fantasy read. The characters are well written, the author has created a very descriptive world. I hope to read the next one. 

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Celebrate Lit for allowing me to read a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own. 

Blog Stops

Library Lady’s kid Lit, May 31

A Baker’s Perspective, June 1 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 1

Texas Book-aholic, June 2

Inklings and notions, June 3

deb’s Book Review, June 4

For Him and My Family, June 5

Locks, Hooks and Books, June 6

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 7

Tell Tale Book Reviews, June 8

Adventures of a Travelers Wife, June 9 (Author Interview)

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, June 9

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, June 10

Blogging With Carol, June 11

Labor Not in Vain, June 12

Inside the Wong Mind, June 13

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Ashley is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and a signed hardback copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/1e382/vivid-celebration-tour-giveaway