TL;DR Review – Pokemon meets Dances with Wolves. A youthful and engaging “light” progression fantasy. Synopsis: Kellen Lars may be the most unremarkable person on Earth. In the mana-enchanted land of Oras, he could become a champion. After his little sister vanishes before his eyes, Kellen awakens in another realm inhabited by mythical creatures and […]
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Book Review: Ice and Ivy (Mages of the Wheel #4) by JD Evans
TL;DR Review – A delightful grumpy/sunshine romance, an insightful exploration into PTSD and a path to healing from trauma. Synopsis: A wildflower alone is all the more beautiful for the barrenness from which it grows. A single note more glorious for the silence around it. She is a void, the empty balance of magic.When the […]
Review: The Mystery of the Pale King by Sam Flynn
Synopsis: “Tonight, my friends, the performance is real. To you, my most faithful, I dedicate this, the final production of ‘The Mystery of the Pale King.’” As an orphan growing up in a distant border province, Faron took pride in the epic tales of the Hero of Hathur, a great and powerful warrior who ruled […]
TBRCon2024 Highlight: Developing Alien Races with Christopher Paolini, Adrian Tchaikovsky, J.S. Dewes & More
Every Friday, we’re highlighting a panel from the TBRCon2024 all-virtual SF/F/H convention, looking back on the incredible variety of discussions that we had the honor of hosting.
This week, join moderator/author Frasier Armitage and panelists Christopher Paolini, Adrian Tchaikovsky, J.S. Dewes, Ada Hoffmann and K.B. Wagers for a TBRCon2024 panel on “Developing Alien Races.”
White Fuzz (The Bedlam Bible #2) By William Pauley III
Synopsis Franklin feels alone in life. One fateful night, he gets a curious text from a stranger, Lynda, another resident of his apartment building. She convinces him to come over, against his better judgment, and surprisingly the night seems to be going great, despite a little awkwardness. However, it’s clear that Lynda is living with […]
Review: Eluthienn: A Tale Of The Fromryr by Sam Middleton
Synopsis Welcome to the Abyss Formaria – a labyrinthine network of underground tunnels – is home to the Fromryr. An alliance of humans, dwarves, elves, and gnomes, they fight an endless war with ancient technologies. Technologies they don’t truly understand but deploy with devastating effect. Above the surface, exorcist Kalbrayeth Lyander investigates a possible demonic […]
REVIEW: I Was A Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones
SYNOPSIS Lamesa, Texas, July 1989 It’s the summer before senior year for best friends Tolly Driver and Amber Dennison. They’re not in the marching band, they’re not in the FFA-they don’t really count. Amber’s the only Native student in town, and Tolly’s only on the radar due to his father’s death. This is all about […]
Review: Season of the Dragon (Dragos Primeri #1) by Natalie Wright
Season of the Dragon is a fun story with incredible worldbuilding that might just be your anyone looking for their next epic fantasy fix.
Book Review: Throne of Blood (Battleborn Mage #3) by Angel Haze
TL;DR Review: Magic, mayhem, action, and monsters. Dark fantasy with surprising humor and a whole lot of fun. Synopsis: Amid the king’s death, magic storms rage, spreading fear against the mages. Killien will stop at nothing until he finds his sister, Fate. Her magic is both feared and hunted by mages, soldiers, assassins and the […]
Fragmented Fates (FF Duology #1) by Nancy Foster
Synopsis After surviving two bloody purges that nearly exterminated both the Grey Clan and Orsenmuray City, the elf and harlequin survivors struggle to bring the tent city of Almjarhad to life. Surrounded by the ocean and desert, these inhospitable lands are slowly being developed with the aid of their magic. As the culprit of their […]
GUEST POST: The Essential Hero’s Toolkit by R.R. Virdi
There are three tools all heroes must possess. Know them by their shape and their names. They are the candle, cloak, and cane.
Magic swords, magical horns, and magic powers. Heroes throughout myth and modern fiction have had no end of magical macguffins to seek or draw upon. But when crafting Tales of Tremaine, I wanted to look back through history, and mythology, to what heroes have often had or needed, but perhaps not always got the spotlight.
So, where did I begin?
Review: Valour (The Faithful and the Fallen #2) by John Gwynne
Synopsis: The Banished Lands are torn by war as the army of the High King Nathair sweeps the realm challenging all who oppose his holy crusade. Allied with the manipulative Queen Rhin of Cambren, there are few who can stand against them. Meanwhile, the young warrior Corban flees from his conquered homeland with his exiled […]