I was glad to see that even after all this time, the author maintains her writing quality throughout this series, even so many installments in. Truly, you always feel completely immersed in the settings and story because of her evocative and detailed writing.
About Eleni A.E.
Cover Reveal: The Diplomacy of the Knife (Four of Mercies #2) by C. M. Caplan
Hello again dear reader or listener! Tis a brand new year and guess what? I have brand new goodies. As a treat! As always, it is a pleasure helping our resident crackhead Golden Retriever energy levels co-blogger and Indie author, Connor M. Caplan, reveal his latest book cover. Rolls off the tongue nicely, doesn’t it?
Eleni’s Top Reads of 2024
I’ve decided to do something a little different than my usual top five for this year’s top reads given that, while I may not have totaled an awful lot of books over the past year, the majority were pretty dang great. So, I figured I’d treat you to a longer list and the ensuing cover extravaganza! As always, if I’ve reviewed these here, I’ll link that to the book title so you can have some fun with my longer rambles, if you so wish.
With a solid mix of various subgenres, you will find highly anticipated sequels, standalones, or brand-new series openers that hold onto you from beginning till the end.
Review: The Unkillable Princess (The Kystrom Chronicles #2) by Taran Hunt
In between breakneck action worthy of the Mission Impossible franchise, reckless yet efficient spaceship piloting, and badass hand-to-hand combat, Hunt delivers another truly excellent romp, across planets and moons this time, that is in no way lacking in tons of heart and hilarity. You just need this in your life.
Review: The Gods Below (The Hollow Covenant #1) by Andrea Stewart
The Gods Below is a grand start to a series which promises even more twists, intrigues, feels, romance, political machinations, and magic! Nailing the psychology of different kinds of trauma, cultish manipulation, the weight of familial expectations, and the forced shouldering of responsibilities that you are ill prepared for or didn’t deserve, Stewart presents readers with a story full of heart and drive and stubbornness.
Cover Reveal: The Fall Is All There Is (Four of Mercies #1) by C. M. Caplan
Hello again dear reader or listener, you know we at FFA love doing cover reveals and even more so when it’s for one of our own!
Allow me, then, to share with you all the brand new cover for C. M. Caplan’s, SPFBO9, BBNYA, and Indie Ink Awards Finalist, The Fall is All There Is!
Review: Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas
In short, Isabel Cañas’ Vampire of El Norte is everything you could possibly wish for in a Mexican gothic, with rich folklore, beautiful and atmospheric prose, complex characters, and a forbidden romance rooted in cultural and historical authenticity, to die for. Not to mention how incredibly it shows the “other side” of the Mexican-American war of the late 1840s, in ways you rarely see in mainstream media.
Review: And He Shall Appear by Kate Van Der Borgh
And He Shall Appear is very much a spec-fic character and psychology study, with few and unexpected answers, beautiful if at times self-indulgent prose (which fits perfectly in context) and very lyrical narration carried out by an unreliable and (very cleverly) unnamed narrator.
Review: Guillotine by Delilah S. Dawson
While I have not read anything else by Dawson, I can certainly tell why she is so loved. Her writing is clean and quick, flowing expertly from the page with the economic yet evocative emphasis of a high-level storyteller.
Review: Asunder by Kerstin Hall
Synopsis:We choose our own gods here.Karys Eska is a deathspeaker, locked into an irrevocable compact with Sabaster, a terrifying eldritch entity—three-faced, hundred-winged, unforgiving—who has granted her the ability to communicate with the newly departed. She pays the rent by using her abilities to investigate suspicious deaths around the troubled city she calls home. When a […]
Review: Deep Black (Arcana Imperii #2) by Miles Cameron
If you loved Artifact Space you’re gonna love Deep Black! You’re going to be breathless from all the action, only to catch it long enough to be either cocooned by the warm found family feels or devastated by the emotions and romance. You will be amused, bemused, worried, entertained, stressed, and impressed. And you’re going to love every second of it.
Review: Black Tide Son (The Winter Sea #2) by H.M. Long
H. M. Long raises the bar on what epic high seas fantasy and character work are supposed to be. And she does so spectacularly, by grabbing you by the proverbial lapels and flinging you into edge of your seat action, humor, and so much heart.