BLOG TOUR Lionborn by Sharique Zea

 

Hi friends! Welcome to my stop on the tour for Lionborn by Sharique Zea, hosted by The Children's Book Review. Check out my post to learn more about the book, hear my thoughts, check out the included activity, and enter the giveaway. Thank you for allowing me to host a stop. Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book to share my opinions. All thoughts shared are my own. 

About the Book

Lionborn

Written by Sharique Zea

Ages 10+ | 228 Pages

Publisher: Sharique Zea (2025) | ISBN: 978-1-0682018-2-0

Publisher’s Book Summary: A Boy with Hidden Power. An Evil Sorcerer. Three Daring Trials to Test His Courage.

Fionn Hurley feels different. Worried his nightmares might be real, the twelve-year-old has visions of strange creatures and wakes up covered in mysterious marks that heal in a flash. But when a lion cub appears beside his reflection, the curious boy travels to a mystical land… and discovers he’s a Lionborn with powerful magic.

Fionn is shocked to hear an evil sorcerer wants him to bring back a dark overlord. But after finding a clue to defeating the wicked enchanter, the brave young hero discovers three perilous trials stand between him and victory.

With everyone out to get him, can Fionn embrace his abilities and save the people he loves?

If you like friendships full of courage, jaw-dropping surprises, and worlds bursting with magic, then step into Lionborn and let the adventure roar!

My Thoughts on the Book (Review):

I really liked the premise and the worldbuilding. Its quite fantastical and imaginative. It's a very good coming of age middle grade type story, and I appreciated that it was different than many other books where its not reliant on a pre existing set of folktales or mythological stories (from what I can tell/am aware of). There were some parts where the book struggled, such as pacing and getting readers invested with whatever the 'stakes' are (I didn't really feel like I was committed till maybe 70% of the way in), which is a long time to keep younger readers engaged. However, I think a large part of that was the scope of the worldbuilding the author committed to and how much had to be explained. If the author takes this story into further books, I'd be curious to see how the pacing flowed with the lessened worbuilding burden as I saw a lot of potential for a debut novel. I look forward to checking out more of what the author produces in the future. 

PURCHASE LINK

https://books2read.com/u/47poZL 

About the Author

Sharique Zea was born in Ranchi, Eastern India, into a family of educators. He is a chartered accountant.

His imagination took flight early, drawing him towards books and libraries. Entranced by worlds of smoke and dreams, he would spin fantastical tales as a child, a personal pastime that stayed with him even as he entered the world of finance in London.

He has kept his passion alive by creating stories whenever inspiration strikes, and although his day job crunches numbers, his heart beats for the magic of storytelling.

For more information, visit https://www.shariquezea.com/

Download the activity!

GIVEAWAY

Enter for a chance to win one of 10 signed paperback copies of Lionborn by Sharique Zea. A grand prize winner will also receive a signed copy plus a $50 USD Amazon gift card to explore even more magical reads.

Click here for the entry form: https://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/lionborn-by-sharique-zea-awareness-tour/ 

REVIEW All Superheroes Need Photo Ops (Supers in the City #2) by Elizabeth Stephens

All Supheroes Need Photo Ops (Supers in the City #2) by Elizabeth Stephens
Rating: 5 Stars
Release Date: November 25, 2025
Format: eBook and Audiobook (Kindle Unlimited)
Publisher: Montlake  

I thought that the first book in the Supers in the City series by Elizabeth Stephens, All Superheroes Need PR, was great but the sequel All Superheroes Need Photo Ops blew it out of the water. Monica, the war photographer that we meet in the first book, has been adjusting to life out of war zones and following the lifes of various 'Champions', or the group of beings that fell from the sky when they were young and are now considered superheroes. The Wyvern, one of the leads of the previous book, is now the most popular superhero on the planet. However, the former top dog, Taranis, isn't thrilled that he's losing out on the attention and contracts Monica to follow him around for photo ops. Sparks fly, and a much more dynamic relationship ensues (along with more superpowered clashes).

Without spoiling the events of the first book, its safe to say that the action is moving very quickly. The author revealed more of the mystery surrounding the champions and their powers in this book, and it left me excited for the rumored third book in the series (and who I think the main focus will be). Monica and Taranis have a very different relationship than Vanessa and the Wyvern do, but it makes sense for them. There were definitely scenes that get very spicy (i.e. the limo post gala), which put this very clearly into adult romance territory. The action also gets more intense, and graphic, so anyone whose worried about being triggered should check the content warnings before opening the book.

Overall, this was a fantastic read. I highly recommend it to fans of adult romance, especially with the superheroes tropes or monster/alien romance. A great choice if you have Kindle Unlimited.Sean Crisden and Emery Erickson did an excellent job bringing Monica and Taranis’ perspectives to life with their performance in the audiobook.

Content Warnings: Kidnapping/Captivity, Graphic Violence, Torture, War