TL;DR Review: Bloody, brutal, and spectacular. Insanely action-packed with highly addictive characters and a gothic world that just keeps getting darker and more intriguing. Synopsis: From holy cup comes holy light;The faithful hands sets world aright.And in the Seven Martyrs’ sight,Mere man shall end this endless night. Gabriel de León has saved the Holy Grail […]
Book Review: Play of Shadows (Court of Shadows #1) by Sebastian de Castell
TL;DR: True to the spirit of the Greatcoats, but fresh and unique. Thrilling, complex, and absolutely addictive. Synopsis: Swordplay, magic, intrigue and friendships stronger than iron: the first volume in the new swashbuckling fantasy series set in the universe of THE GREATCOATS. Damelas Chademantaigne picked a poor night to flee a judicial duel. He has […]
Review: The Hallows by HL Tinsley
TL;DR Version: Nuns with machine guns, a grim and gritty flavor, and a bizarre mystery I had to solve. An unforgettable reading experience! Synopsis: The Hallow serum was once sacred to the Auld Bloods. Used to gain access to their lost ancestral powers, now it is regulated and administered by the powerful Providence Company. Evolved […]
Book Review: Mushroom Blues by Adrian M. Gibson
TL;DR Review: Engaging, fascinating, and set in a unique and riveting world. Strong characters and a compelling sci-fi detective noir story. A truly stunning debut. Synopsis: TWO YEARS AFTER a devastating defeat in the decade-long Spore War, the island nation of Hoppon and its capital city of Neo Kinoko are occupied by invading Coprinian forces. […]
Book Review: Majordomo by Tim Carter
TL;DR Review: Immediately relatable and engaging with a surprising amount of heart. Fun, fresh fantasy in the vein of Kings of the Wyld, The Dungeoneers, and Orconomics. Synopsis: A plucky underdog. A powerful necromancer. And the idiot heroes bent on murdering them. Kobolds are supposed to run away—it’s what they’re best at. But Jack? Born […]
Review: Trials of Empire (Empire of the Wolf #3) by Richard Swan
TL;DR Review: Grimdark and brutally epic, a solid conclusion to a trilogy that promises to be one of the best reads of the year. Synopsis: THE TIME OF JUDGEMENT IS AT HAND The Empire of the Wolf is on its knees, but there’s life in the great beast yet. To save it, Sir Konrad Vonvalt […]
Review: Small Miracles by Olivia Atwater
TL;DR Version: Like Good Omens, with chocolate and bribery. Heartfelt, delightful, and amusing cozy fantasy. Synopsis: A little bit of sin is good for the soul. Gadriel, the fallen angel of petty temptations, has a bit of a gambling debt. Fortunately, her angelic bookie is happy to let her pay off her debts by doing […]
Review: The Malevolent Seven by Sebastian de Castell
TL;DR Review: Suicide Squad done right. Grim, gritty, sarcastic, and charmingly irreverent. Entertaining from start to finish. Synopsis: ‘Seven powerful mages want to make the world a better place. We’re going to kill them first.’ Picture a wizard. Go ahead, close your eyes. There he is, see? Skinny old guy with a long straggly beard. No […]
Review: Elegy of a Fragmented Vineyard by Kaden Love
TL;DR Review: A stunning complex, thoroughly fleshed-out world and a terribly grim premise heralding from a talented new voice in fantasy. Synopsis: Forced to appease the policies of a foreign fiefdom, Phenmir must do the unthinkable: harvest organs from infants. Ten years ago, a new generation of children began to manifest abilities from the gods. […]
Book Review: The Blood Stones by Tori Tecken
TL;DR Review – A brilliant, complex, engaging story that had me reading compulsively from start to finish. A familiar yet fresh fantasy epic. 5 stars. Synopsis: His name is not worthy. A traitor is executed, his name ripped away from history. Now the kingdom stands on the brink of a succession war that could bring […]
Review: The Seam of Eternity (The Veins of Eternity #1) by Rocco Levitas
TL;DR Review: Perfect for fans of the early Wheel of Time books and a more cerebral, hard magic system. Great worldbuilding, interesting characters. Synopsis: Shadow cripples all realms, magical and physical. A single chosen one isn’t enough. Callan failed to save his sister from the plagued swamps blighting the land. When darkness threatens his home, […]
Review: Kraken Rider Z by David Estes and Dyrk Ashton
TL;DR Review A wonderfully fresh, upbeat, and enjoyable entrant into the world of progression fantasy. Compelling yet easy reading from start to finish. Synopsis If there’s one thing dragons fear, it’s a kraken. Even lowly hull-scrubber Zee Tarrow knows that. Like everyone on the island kingdom of Tosh, he grew up frightened by fables and […]