Guest Post by Hannah Rials, author of Ascension

Hi guys! Today I have a guest post for you all by Hannah Rials, author of Ascension. She will be sharing how to make some cocktails inspired by two of her favorite books, Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo!  I love Leigh's books so I was super excited to learn how to make these, and I hope you guys are too!

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So here’s the backstory. I’m obsessed with the Grisha universe that Leigh Bardugo created. One of my dear friends, also a wonderful pastor, is obsessed with these books too. We obsess over them together.

            

A few months ago, we decided that there isn’t enough paraphernalia inspired by the Grishaverse and the Six of Crows duology. I came to the idea of creating cocktails while I was writing a research paper analyzing the Ravkan language. In an interview with Bardugo, she said that the drink “kvas,” which everyone drinks in the books, is actually a real Russian drink, however it’s not very strong. She still felt that the word itself was evocative of “vodka,” and that’s what she pictured. So then I started thinking about vodka-based drinks inspired by Bardugo’s world. And this is what our combined minds came up with:

The Sun Summoner (inspired by Alina from Shadow and Bone)

1.5 oz lemon vodka

¾ oz. lemon juice

¼ oz. simple syrup

A dash of triple sec

Club Soda (enough to give it a burst on your taste buds)

Super fine sugar

While making your drink, place your glass in the freezer.

Pour all ingredients into a shaker and shake. it. up.

Dip the rim of your glass in lemon juice and sugar, then pour and enjoy!

The Ketterdam **Warning: Danger** (inspired by Six of Crows)

4 oz. Blackberry liquor

3 oz. Cranberry Vodka

2 oz. Merlot of your choice

1 tbls brown sugar

Blackberries (a plentitude)

½ Lemon

Muddle fresh blackberries , ½ lemon, and brown sugar in the bottom of the shaker.

Pour in the rest of your ingredients and shake super well.

Add fresh blackberries into your drink and enjoy, but drink carefully.

We tried to embody the essence of the worlds Bardugo created. For instance, The Sun Summoner, is sweet, bitter, but with a burst from the club soda, just like Alina. The Ketterdam is dark and dangerous, sweet and a little bitter. Adjust the recipes to your preference and enjoyyyyyy!

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So what do you think? Would you give these a try? Out of the two, I think I would enjoy the Ketterdam the most...I love black cherry! 

About Ascension:

Life is supposed to be perfect after Cheyenne Lane's Ascension ceremony, but it turns out awakening her vampire half only complicates things more. Burdened with a patronizing family and constant surveillance by the Vampire Council, Cheyenne welcomes a summer vacation to the magical city of New Orleans. But Cheyenne quickly realizes that she can't escape her problems, no matter where she goes. After seventeen years of fearing exposing her secret to humans, Cheyenne's world is rocked when she starts to fall for a witch named Eli. When he shows Cheyenne how complex the world really is, she must accept that everything she thought she knew about being a Deuxsang is a lie. As if all this isn't problem enough, Cheyenne finds herself the pawn of a conspiracy hatched by those who should be protecting her. Her whole life Cheyenne is told what to believe and who to trust. Now, she's forced to choose for herself who and what is right. No matter which choice she makes, it will cost her everything.

Buy Links: 

Amazon | Barnes and Noble 

About Hannah Rials: 

As Maryville native and current college student at University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Hannah Rials began writing her first novel at age twelve. Eight years later, the result is her newly published YA novel Ascension; a modern day teenage romance filled with "double-blooded" vampires and revenge-seeking witches. Published by Aletha Press of Maryville, TN, Ascension is Rial’s first novel.

When not attending college and spending time with her family, Rials keeps busy by playing with her beloved Corgi Buddy, leading a creative writing group, and cultivating her writing skills.

Author Links: 

Twitter | Website | Facebook | Goodreads Profile