Hey everyone! Welcome to my stop on the Silvern Blog Tour! Today, I’m pleased to share a Top Five List with you. First, here’s the cover and synopsis:
 

Title: Silvern
Author: Christina Farley
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release date: September 23, 2014

Jae Hwa Lee has destroyed Haemosu, the dangerous demi-god that held her ancestors captive, and now she’s ready to forget about immortals and move on with her life. Then the god of darkness, Kud, sends an assassin to kill her. Jae escapes with the knowledge that Kud is seeking the lost White Tiger Orb, and joins the Guardians of Shinshi to seek out the orb before Kud can find it.

But Kud is stronger and more devious than Haemosu ever was. Jae is soon painfully reminded that by making an enemy of Kud, she has placed her closest friends in danger, and must decide how much she can bear to sacrifice to defeat one of the most powerful immortals in all of Korea.

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And now, here is a list of Christina’s Top five places to visit in North Korea, based on Silvern. Enjoy!

1. Kuryong Falls (Nine Dragons Waterfall)

This waterfall is one of the sacred places of the Koreas. It’s beautiful, not just for its plunge of 74 meters (272 feet), but it’s also in a sacred area. Above, there is a platform, the Kuryong Pavilion, that has a great view for picture taking, and it’s also where Marc finds a secret message. Legends speak of nine dragons that once inhabited Kuryong Lake, the pool at the foot of the falls. These dragons insured the mountain was safe. Why? Read SILVERN to find out!

Here’s a great site for pictures.

2. Mount Kumgang

This mountain is also called Diamond Mountain and is well-known in Korean art due to its jagged peaks and unusual formations. Its name actually changes with the seasons, but tourists simply call it Mount Kumgang. There are many interesting stone formations made from granite and diorite, rigorous hikes, temples, and gorgeous views.

Check out this picture of Mount Kumgang!

3. Mount Kumgang Tourist Region

This is the region where most of the North Korean scenes in SILVERN take place. It was opened to tourists until July 11, 2008 when a 53-year-old South-Korean tourist was shot and killed while walking on the resort’s beach. Perhaps someday the border between North and South Korea will once again be reopened, but until then, only medical relief workers and government authorized personal are allowed.

Click here for the full archive of the events in this tourist region.

4. Kumgangsan Culture Center

This center once held ninety-minute cultural shows for tourists of gymnastics, dance, and acrobatics. In SILVERN, tensions begin to rise while Jae is watching this show.

Here’s a great picture of this center.

5. Demilitarized Zone

In order to cross from South Korea into North Korea, you have to go through the demilitarized zone, also coined DMZ. Although this feat is nearly impossible these days, especially for Americans. Basically the DMZ is a strip of land that separates the two countries. When I visited the DMZ, I couldn’t help but notice the tension and high alert simmering beneath the quiet zone.

An interesting note is that the DMZ is one of the best preserved temperate habitats in the world. Amazingly, within this landmined region and fortified fences live extremely rare animals such as the red-crowed crane, white-napped crane, Korean tiger, Amur leopard, and Asiatic black bear.

This picture shows the road that Jae and her friends would have taken from their entry point into North Korea.

Finally, we’ve got an amazing giveaway for you! Please fill out the Rafflecopter below to enter:

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About Christina
 
CHRISTINA FARLEY, author of Gilded was born and raised in upstate New York. As a child, she loved to explore, which later inspired her to jump on a plane and travel the world. She taught at international schools in Asia for ten years, eight of which were in the mysterious and beautiful city of Seoul, Korea that became the setting of Gilded. Currently she lives in Clermont, FL with her husband and two sons—that is until the travel itch whisks her off to a new unknown. Gilded is her first novel. For more details, check out her website at www.christinafarley.com. Christina holds a master’s degree in education and has taught for eighteen years. She is represented by Jeff Ourvan of Jennifer Lyons Literary.

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