FanFiAddict

A gaggle of nerds talking about Fantasy, Science Fiction, and everything in-between. They also occasionally write reviews about said books. 2x Stabby Award-Nominated and home to the Stabby Award-Winning TBRCon.

Traveling Cloak (Jason)

Traveling Cloak’s Top 10 Reads of 2021

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Hi, book friends! Welcome to my 2021 Top 10 List. This is always a difficult post for me to write, because I feel like I read so many great books, and I do not want to leave any out. But, life is about choices, so I have done my best.

According to Goodreads, I clocked 24 five-star reads in 2021, so I had to make some tough decisions. I decided to keep it to 10 so the post is not too long.Some of those books, though, are from the same series, so I have give those one line instead of having them take up 2 or 3 spots. Also, these are books I read in 2021, regardless of release date. Now, let’s get to the fun stuff: here are my Top 10 books I read in 2021!

Review: Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes

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Dead Silence is author S.A. Barnes’ lates release (and the first under that name, though the author has a whole portfolio of titles – mostly YA – under the name Stacey Kade). I thought this was a really good read, and it is exactly as billed: it’s the Titanic in space but also murdery with a touch of reality TV.

Review: Light Years from Home by Mike Chen

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Light Years from Home is Mike Chen’s latest novel, and, in my opinion, it fits right in with the rest of the author’s portfolio. It is a sci-fi story written in Chen’s signature smooth style, with a narrative that includes family drama and alien technology, and a message full of hope. I definitely enjoyed this read.

Review: Far from the Light of Heaven by Tade Thompson

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Far from the Light of Heaven is the latest release for noted SciFi author Tade Thompson (also known for The Wormwood Trilogy and the Molly Southborne series, among many others). This book is about a space mission gone awry. It is very murdery and includes rogue AI plus aliens. I was not the biggest fan of how everything was put together, but read on: this may be the very kind of book you connect with.

Review: A Marvellous Light (The Last Binding #1) by Freya Marske

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A Marvellous Light is the first installment in Freya Marske’s The Last Binding trilogy, and the author’s debut novel (though, it is not the author’s first published writing, as Marske has published short stories in the past). Honestly, I was not sure about this book at the start; but, by about a third of the way in the characters had grown on me and the intrigue of the plot began to set in. Not to mention the beauty of the prose. Needless to say, I really liked this book.

Review: Of Darkness and Light (The Bound and the Broken #2) by Ryan Cahill

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Of Darkness and Light is the second install in Ryan Cahill’s The Bound and the Broken series, and it is a book in which the author dramatically expands in all aspects versus book 1. The storyline has much more suspense and conflict, the character set is expanded, the characters also grow significantly, the world building is grander, and the pace is improved, as well. Of Darkness and Light is truly epic.

Review: Of Blood and Fire (The Bound and the Broken #1) by Ryan Cahill

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Of Blood and Fire is the first in The Bound and the Broken series and author Ryan Cahill’s first novel. I walked away impressed with Cahill’s storytelling ability, world building proficiency, skill in developing characters, and detailed descriptions. I liked this book a lot and see a lot of potential for the rest of the series.

Review: The Bone Shard Emperor (The Drowning Empire #2) by Andrea Stewart

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The Bone Shard Emperor is the 2nd installment in Andrea Stewart’s The Drowning Empire series. This is one of the most unique fantasy stories I have read; in fact, the first book in the series, The Bone Shard Daughter, was one of my (and many others’) favorite books of 2020 (read that review here). With all of the great elements at play in this book and the way the story progresses, I am not surprised to see The Bone Shard Emperor receiving similar accolades.

Review: Thunder, Blood, and Goats (Tales of the Nine Worlds #1) by Lyra Wolf

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Thunder, Blood, and Goats is a novella side story in Lyra Wolf’s The Nine Worlds Rising series (previously titled The Nine Worlds Chronicles). I have been a big fan of this series (read my reviews of the previous books here, under the old series name: Truth and Other Lies [The Nine Worlds Rising #1]; Chaos Rising [The Nine Worlds Rising #2], and this latest release has done nothing to diminish that experience.

Review: Blood of the Chosen (Burningblade & Silvereye #2) by Django Wexler

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Blood of the Chosen is book 2 in Django Wexler’s Burningblade & Silvereye series, and the follow up to Ashes of the Sun (the first in the series, published in 2020 – a book which I also enjoyed. Read that review here). Blood of the Chosen does a great job of upping the stakes and keeping the tension high. I loved this book.