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Amy’s Rebellion (Gemstone Massacre Book 1) by Julia Goldhirsh – Review by Kerry Carr

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Amy's RebellionAmy’s Rebellion by Julia Goldhirsh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the first book in the Gemstone Massacre Series. This is a fantasy story filled with magic, danger, Suspense, shapeshifters and a enemies to friends romance. The author does an amazing job of creating the magic world in a way the makes the reader believe its real. I wasn’t aware that their was a prequel to this story and I feel if I had read that first I would have understood the conflict between Amy and Opal better so I will be going back to read that.
I loved the main character of Amy. Amy is a very strong and determined person who has had to deal with a lot of loss, from losing their best friend to losing their entire clan. Now Amy has escaped to earth and is in hiding however she won’t be able to hide forever and with Opal hunting Amy down she knows she needs to build an army strong enough to fight.
The author does an amazing job and it was unique to find the characters who are part of the LGBTQ+  which makes this story relevant and more in keeping with today’s society.
I also loved the likeness to old mystical stories such as Merlin and King Arthur and Excalibur. All these different elements work so well together to take the reader on an exciting journey across magical relms and overcoming obstacles along the way which makes this read really engaging. I can’t wait to see what happens next in the series.

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Amy’s Rebellion (Gemstone Massacre Book 1) by Julia Goldhirsh – Review by Tausha Treadway

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Amy's RebellionAmy’s Rebellion by Julia Goldhirsh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Amy’s Rebellion (Gemstone Massacre Book 1) by Julia Goldhirsh. This is such a good Adult Fantasy read. Its the story of Amy who has killed a man in self defense at, of all places the peace negotiations. Due to this she has been given the name of Amethyst Killer. Amy has a lot of enemies but none that are worse than Opal who is the Magic Council’s President. Amy runs to the human world to escape. Unfortunately Opal follows her and wants Amy dead. She has already killed her whole clan and she won’t stop until she kills Amy. Amy is trying to escape as far away as she can but also she won’t lay down. Opal has taken her friend Night and Amy isn’t sure if Night was captured or is with Opal on her own which adds a whole other level of confusion for Amy. Will Amy be able to lead her people to peace or will Opal take Amy down at last? Read this fast paced Adult Fantasy to find out!

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Amy’s Rebellion (Gemstone Massacre Book 1) by Julia Goldhirsh – Review by La Toya Lewis

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Amy's Rebellion (Gemstone Massacre)Amy’s Rebellion by Julia Goldhirsh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Amy’s Rebellion by Julia Goldhirsh is book 1 in the Gemstone Massacre series. This book was a fun read. It follows Amy who is on the run from her vengeful leader. Soon she realizes she has nowhere left to run and must fight back. There was a lot going on in this book as is typical at the start of fantasy series. I really enjoyed the world-building as well as the good amount of LGBT+ representation. Watching Amy come into her own and do what she must to protect herself was great fun. The story has a lot of adventure and is a page-turner. I feel like fantasy lovers will really enjoy this story.

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Amy’s Rebellion (Gemstone Massacre Book 1) by Julia Goldhirsh – Review by Moriah Venable

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Amy's RebellionAmy’s Rebellion by Julia Goldhirsh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Amy is twelve years old when they kill a man.

With the help of a shifter, they run to the human world where they learn to camouflage themselves but soon they are discovered.

It is time to fight and stop running.

The cover and plot caught my attention. Amy is a fierce and fearless main character and I really loved them.

I don’t read a lot of stories where the main character is trying to build an army.

This book does a great job of incorporating world building with the other elements such as suspense and action.

There are a few options for love interests and I love the slow burn enemies to lovers.

I didn’t know there was LGBTQ+ representation when I first started reading so it was an added surprise that made me love it more.

I saw there were two prequel stories so I probably should have started with those first before reading the main stories. I feel like it would have added some details as far as why certain events happen. But I do plan on going back to read them.

I was really hoping there was a sequel book cause I really want to know what will happen next.

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Amy’s Rebellion (Gemstone Massacre Book 1) by Julia Goldhirsh – Review by Lauren West

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Amy's Rebellion (Gemstone Massacre)Amy’s Rebellion by Julia Goldhirsh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

First time read from this author, and it was enjoyable. It is a fantasy novel with its own element. Amy a heroine who was a fearless and fierce. She drove herself as well as the others around her.
This book entangles magic, drama, action, suspense, and a perfect touch of romance.
Amy left her previous life behind. A life in which her decisions were not her own, and the choices were dictated by others. Amy knows she cannot leave her past fully behind, and the evil forces won’t stop until they have her. She determines her own fate now, and the only way to ever be free is to lead her own army against the evil that’s coming. The story that you will not want to miss.

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Amy’s Rebellion by Julia Goldhirsh Reivew by Krystal Gregory

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Amy's RebellionAmy’s Rebellion by Julia Goldhirsh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Amy’s Rebellion (Gemstone Massacre Book 1)
4 out of 5 stars
This book was my first introduction with a character that used They/Them pronouns. This is an Adult, Dark Fantasy story. I would strongly place this book into the genres of mystery, fantasy, mythology and the LGBTQIA+ reading. I loved this book. The LGBTQIA+ representation was both subtle and beautiful. The characters in this book are strong, resilient, built to handle whatever is thrown at them, but at the same time they are graceful, gentle and unyielding. This was a new read for me and I am glad I read it. The mystery that this book holds kept me flipping each page fast and faster. A strong 4 out of 5 stars.

Review by @kgregory
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Amy’s Rebellion (Gemstone Massacre Book 1) by Julia Goldhirsh – Review by Jennifer Reimer

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Amy's Rebellion (Gemstone Massacre)Amy’s Rebellion by Julia Goldhirsh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was a little different then the normal im use to. The author did an amazing job putting the real world and the fantasy world twisted together in this story. The characters were very well written that it made me feel like I know them and was in the story with them. Amy is a strong lead character that has some very powerful magic. the story itself is very well paced and easy to keep track of what is going on. There were a few twists and turns in the story that I did not expect and kept me reading more. This book was filled with magic, fantasy, paranormal, romance, danger, drama, action, and so much more. This was an all out good book to start a series, I did not know that there is a prequel and really feel like I would know more to go with this book, even thou it was good on its own.

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Amy’s Rebellion (Gemstone Massacre Book 1) by Julia Goldhirsh – Review by Maikalani Alexander

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Amy's RebellionAmy’s Rebellion by Julia Goldhirsh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An interesting tale that’s twists to unfold more of her past. One she knew nothing of can help her succeed in the future. Maybe the past doesn’t define her but it helps shapes Amy and her team of rebellions. It’s a slow steady burn with a few potential love interests I am curious to watch blossom. Will she succeed? The discovery of who she could be change the game to her favor ? Questions I hope to answer as I continue through the series

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Amy’s Rebellion (Gemstone Massacre Book 1) by Julia Goldhirsh – Review by Cindy Mayberry

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Amy's RebellionAmy’s Rebellion by Julia Goldhirsh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is an exciting read for new adults with a mind for fantasy. Amy’s life started out with her first unwanted killing. But she had no choice in the matter. She leaves what was left and moved into the human world. But even that is unsafe for Amy. She must build her own army of trusted shifters to hopefully beat the evil headed her way. This story was very different for me. Don’t take me wrong. I enjoyed the story, it was just too many fantasy shifters for me. This is an author I had not read from before. That is why I chose this book. The characters were well liked and knew their place in the story. The book was well thought out, well written and easy to keep up with. If you enjoy fantasy stories this book is for you!

Review@cinful

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Amy’s Rebellion (Gemstone Massacre Book 1) by Julia Goldhirsh – Review by Kerry Baker

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Amy's RebellionAmy’s Rebellion by Julia Goldhirsh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the first story I have read where the character is referred to as “they” and it made for a unique reading experience. I like that this is a topic the author has chosen to tackle, although a times it did feel a little clumsy. The overall story was well written though and easy to get into. I enjoyed reading about the characters too. They all seemed to add so much to the story and fitted well with each other.
This is a pretty new author to me and I think her work shows promise. I think the more of her work that I read the more I will enjoy. I am looking forward to discovering more from her.

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Amy’s Rebellion (Gemstone Massacre Book 1) by Julia Goldhirsh – Review by Mary Espinoza

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Amy's Rebellion (Gemstone Massacre)Amy’s Rebellion by Julia Goldhirsh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Amy’s Rebellion is book one in the Gemstone Massacre series by Julia Goldhirsh. I would consider this a dark urban fantasy. There are plenty of encounters with romance, magic, danger, drama and so much more! I will let you know right now that there is quite a bit of references to the LGBTQ+ community with the gender fluid characters that are introduced in this book. The world that the author has built is a unique feel to it. This is the first book that I have read by Julia Goldhirsh and so I wasn’t sure what I was going to be reading, I wasn’t disappointed, but I really didn’t feel like it was my style of reading. To me the book was very busy, and I had a hard time keeping up with everything that was going on, like I said so much more…lol! I did like that Julia built a world full of fantasy and had some wonderful characters, even though at times I was confused with the pronouns that were being used. I think I would have had a different outlook on the book if I would have known previous to reading it that there was a prequel. Maybe reading the prequel will help with some of the confusion and busyness of the book. Like I said, overall, an interesting story. I think I’m going to have to read the prequel to see if maybe my outlook on this book changes some. All in all, still a book that was very readable.

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Mary Espinoza, April 2023

Amy’s Rebellion (Gemstone Massacre Book 1) by Julia Goldhirsh – Review by Rebeca Elliott Figueiras

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Amy's Rebellion (Gemstone Massacre)Amy’s Rebellion by Julia Goldhirsh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the LGBTQ inclusion as I don’t often come across fantasy books with gender fluid characters.

My only minor criticism would be that it wasn’t always clear whether the use of ‘they’ meant Amy, or other characters. However, this wasn’t a major issue as the meaning could be understood through context.

The story is paced well and the characters well-written. There were even a couple of surprises (for me at least) along the way which kept it interesting as it wasn’t entirely predictable.

The storyline had me hooked and I got emotionally invested in Amy’s situation. I look forward to the next book and the adventures that follow.

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Amy’s Rebellion (Gemstone Massacre Book #1) by Julia Goldhirsh – Review by Angela Hayes

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Amy's RebellionAmy’s Rebellion by Julia Goldhirsh
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

 

3 Stars

 

Amy’s Rebellion is book one in the Gemstone Massacre series by Julia Goldhirsh. It is a dark urban fantasy, with an enemies-to-lovers romance, magic, danger, drama, assassins, shifters, the paranormal, action, adventure, violence, elementals, LGBTQ+/gender fluid characters, agendas, sinister intentions, friendship, corruption, gemstones, myth/legends, armies, rebellion, good vs evil, originality, and intriguing world-building.
This is the first book that I have read by Julia Goldhirsh, so I really wasn’t sure of what to expect from her storytelling. But I love anything fantasy, plus the cover and blurb quirked my interest, so I took a chance and plunged in for the adventure.
I really wish I had realised that there was a prequel to this before embarking on the adventure, as I think that would have given me a better understanding and appreciation of this book- so I will definitely be going back to read the prequel before continuing on with more of the series.
Happy Reading…

Thank you, Julia Goldhirsh!

 

Reviewed by @angelahayes

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Amy’s Rebellion (Gemstone Massacre Book 1) by Julia Goldhirsh – Review by Amanda Haller-Doris

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Amy's Rebellion (Gemstone Massacre)Amy’s Rebellion by Julia Goldhirsh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this story. The author did a great job of creating a sci-fi fantasy world that mixes in their world with the regular human world. We jump right in with Amy, who is semi on the run from the powers that destroyed her home. She has made some close friends who are helping her and I loved the friendships between the characters and how they are all working to help take down Opal, the vengeful leader. I felt the author did an amazing job of inclusivity with LGBTQ+ characters and it is weaved in seamlessly. The author has created a magical world and story full of twists and turns. Amy is a fantastic character who you can’t help but root for. I will be checking out the prequel as well as this is an amazing start to a wonderful series!

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Amy’s Rebellion (Gemstone Massacre Book 1) by Julia Goldhirsh – Review by Shelly Kittell

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Amy's Rebellion (Gemstone Massacre)Amy’s Rebellion by Julia Goldhirsh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a pretty good fantasy. Amy is a fairly strong character with some powerful magic. I found Amy to three-dimensional and courageous. She already lost night. She’s ready to battle Opal again. The story has a few glitchy spots which makes it hard to follow in spots but overall I found it an interesting fantasy to read.

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Amy’s Rebellion (Gemstone Massacre Book 1) by Julia Goldhirsh – Review by Jenni Bishop

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Amy's RebellionAmy’s Rebellion by Julia Goldhirsh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 stars
Amy’s Rebellion is an intriguing New Adult dark fantasy story. It is the first book in the Gemstone Massacre Series and an enemies to lover’s romance. It is also the first book I have read by this author. I was not aware there is a prequel, War of the Twin Swords until after I finished Amy’s Rebellion. I would say reading the prequel is a must as it tells the story of Opal the clans and the war. There is much to be learned.
There is so much to keep the reader engaged with drama, action, and suspense, magic, magical lands, friendship, enchantress’s, assassins, gemstones, familiars, seers, evil intensions, a corrupt Magic Council, shifters.
Julia has given us mythologies based around Merlin and King Arthur with a new twist on Excalibur. It is a retelling of sorts that is unique with a plot is very well thought out. There are unexpected twists and vivid details. Julia has included a cast of different cultures and LGBTQ+ characters with strong FMC’s. Sometimes keeping track of them all got a bit difficult.
All in all, this was an enjoyable read, and I will see where the next book in the series takes us.

Reviewed by @jennadb

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Amy’s Rebellion (Gemstone Massacre Book 1) by Julia Goldhirsh

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Amy’s Rebellion (Gemstone Massacre Book 1) by Julia Goldhirsh
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3ZDzQF9
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Hosted by Itsy Bitsy Book Bits
Genre – Fantasy, New Adult
Page Count – 283
Cover Designer – Vicki Adrian

 I was twelve the first time I killed a man.

After the war, I was driven to the human world by a vengeful leader. My only chance at survival? Run.

With the help of a genderfluid shifter, I learned to hide in plain sight and harness the powers within, but my luck soon ran out.

This time, she captured my sister and sent an assassin after me. Running is no longer an option.

If I want to live, I have to fight.

But how do you defeat the same power that turned your clan to ash?

You build an army and start a rebellion.

~ AMAZON ~


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Julia Goldhirsh was born and raised in Coconut Creek, Florida. They spent one year working in Japan as an ESL teacher and love traveling and teaching. They have been writing ever since they were in elementary school, and their favorite stories to read and write were always fantasy and mythology books.

They started out writing on writers cafe and all poetry. RPG writing became their favorite past time in high school. They won a short fiction award in high school from the Broward County Lit fair for their short story “Night Sprite.”

They love to talk about lesser-known mythological creatures. Their most recent obsession is with Nymphs, Enchantresses, and the Encantado. Known as wanderingteacher on their travel blog and adventuringwriter on their author blog, they also write about traveling, adjusting to different cultures, and the process of self-publishing.

Author Interview with Julia Goldhirsh

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