Hi everyone, I’m back! And I’m extremely excited to bring you my contribution to the Guardians Blog Tour for Ashia Monet’s forthcoming debut The Black Veins. The tour was organised by CW and you can find the introduction post over on The Quiet Pond.
Ashia Monet is a speculative fiction author whose work almost always includes found families, diverse ensemble casts, the power of friendship, and equal parts humor and drama. Some of her favorite things are The Adventure Zone, Ariana Grande, and the color pink. You can follow her on Twitter @ashiamonet and Instagram @ashiawrites.
SO WHY SHOULD YOU READ THE BLACK VEINS?
If any of the following sound like your cup of tea, The Black Veins is definitely for you:
- a badass black bisexual girl protagonist whose weapon of choice is a magical hockey stick
- a road trip with lots of road blocks
- an unlikely found family full of queer kids, trans kids, and kids of colour
- teenage girls discovering their magic and their worth
- YA urban fantasy without romance
Before we move on to the playlist, take a look at this awesome cover and the official blurb:
In a world where magic thrives in secret city corners, a group of magicians embark on a road trip—and it’s the “no-love-interest”, found family adventure you’ve been searching for.
Sixteen-year-old Blythe is one of seven Guardians: magicians powerful enough to cause worldwide panic with a snap of their fingers. But Blythe spends her days pouring latte art at her family’s coffee shop, so why should she care about having apocalyptic abilities?
She’s given a reason when magician anarchists crash into said coffee shop and kidnap her family.
Heartbroken but determined, Blythe knows she can’t save them alone. A war is brewing between two magician governments and tensions are too high. So, she packs up her family’s bright yellow Volkswagen, puts on a playlist, and embarks on a road trip across the United States to enlist the help of six strangers whose abilities are unparalleled—the other Guardians. — Goodreads
PLAYLIST: GET IN, LOSER, WE’RE GOING TO ELECTRIC CITY
With this playlist, I’ve tried to capture the mood of the book while also picking up some of the prevalent themes like friendship and the importance of believing in yourself. The songs I used are mostly by queer and / or poc artists, and I really hope you enjoy it! You can listen to the playlist on Spotify, or click on the respective song title in the track list below to listen to each song on YouTube:
- 2nd Floor Window — Terence Blanchard
- Unholy War — Jacob Banks
- Run Away – Manila Killa
- Didn’t Cha Know — Erykah Badu
- Friendship Station — Le Tigre
- Can’t Be Sure — Tei Shi
- Standing in the Way of Control — Gossip
- Remain — Jay Som
- City Lights — Blanche
- Disparate Youth — Santigold
If this post has piqued your interest, please preorder The Black Veins at any of the following links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Indigo | Apple Books
And don’t forget to check out the other blog tour posts by my amazing co-contributors!
THE BLACK VEINS BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE
11th July
CW @ The Quiet Pond (Introduction + Review)
12th July
Fran @ The Ramblebee (List + Playlist)
Fadwa @ Word Wonders (Review + Aesthetic)
13th July
Melanie @ Mel to the Any/BookTube (Review only)
Sage @ sageshelves (Review + Discussion Post [Benefits of No Romantic Arc])
14th July
Kate @ Your Tita Kate (Review only)
Vinny @ Artsy Draft (Review + Lockscreen/Wallpapers)
15th July
Lili @ Utopia State of Mind (Review + Hand Lettering)
Noémie @ Tempest of Books (Review + Discussion [‘No Romance’])
16th July
Marie @ Drizzle and Hurricane Books (Review only)
Surina @ Book Reviews by the Bloggisters (Review + Author Interview)
17th July
Saoudia @ Recs From Ur Friend (Review + Quiz [Which Guardian Are You?])
Gretal @ Books and Breadcrumbs (Review + Discussion [No Romantic Arc])
18th July
Kate @ Reading Through Infinity (Review + Author Interview)
Vanessa @ The Wolf & Books (Review + Moodboard OR Playlist)
Thank you so much to CW @ The Quiet Pond for organising this blog tour, and to both CW and Ashia for letting me be a part of my first ever blog tour!
The Ramblebee 