Hello everyone and welcome to our latest author interview for the 7th annual Self Published Fantasy Blog Off! I’ve been working on reaching out to each of the authors who have landed in our batch of books for the competition to see if they would be interested in being interviewed or contributing a guest article in an attempt to drum up a little extra excitement for their book and (hopefully) get to know them a bit better.
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Blog Tour Review: Legacy of Light (The Legacy Trilogy #3) by Matthew Ward
Sometimes I struggle with reviews of series finales because I find it difficult to find something new to say. I have already spoken at-length about characters, plot, setting, writing style, emotional connection, etc. I try to stay away from repeating myself too much, because who wants to read that? (By the way, if you want to read my previous reviews, you can find them here: The Legacy of Ash (Book 1); The Legacy of Steel (Book 2).
Escapist Fantasy: 5 Series To Turn Off Your Brain and Have Some Fun
Author Q&A: Matthew Ward
Well, today’s an important day for us here at the blog because we’ve been kindly invited to host the Legacy of Light Blog Tour for today, courtesy of Matthew himself, which we’re all very excited about and can’t wait to get stuck into. So, you’ll be with me, and Matthew, for the first part of the day, where’s he’s agreed to answer some of my questions with hopefully some answers to your own questions …
Review: Legacy of the Brightwash (Tainted Dominion #1) by Krystle Matar
Legacy of the Brightwash takes you on a journey, the characters you meet at the start of the book go through huge emotional and moral changes throughout the course of the novel. It is such an amazing thing to read. Krystle Matar has managed to craft and develop so much in the course of just one book.
Guest Post: You Can’t Fix Nothing by Zac Topping
SPFBO 7 Interview: Shane Scott
Review: The Wood Bee Queen by Edward Cox
The Wood Bee Queen by Edward Cox is a standalone fantasy reminiscent of old folktales sprinkled with classic fantasy tropes and some Ancient Greek/Roman mythology homages (or Easter eggs if you like). It is also a portal fantasy, which I haven’t read in quite some time, and that definitely catered to some of the nostalgia from my early teens. Through it, Cox tackles timeless themes of good vs evil, blind religious faith, petty/whimsical gods, and the importance of stories, as well as making one’s own decisions without letting others sway you for their gain.
Cover Reveal Blitz: The Spawn of Spiracy (A Disaster of Dokojin #2) by Jesse Nolan Bailey
SPFBO 7 Interview: Kim Alexander
Review: The Hand of the Sun King (Pact and Pattern #1) by J.T Greathouse
The story takes on an older Wen Alder/Foolish Cur, reflecting on his past. He wants to learn magic without the limitations of his Nayani heritage and the Siennese disdain for magic. His grandmother is a central character that wants him to revolt against the Empire. While his mother doesn’t want that. I shall call him Foolish Cur because that is an apt name for many of the decisions he makes in the book’s course, which aren’t significant. He is competent, yes, but he’s also misguided at the same time. Foolish Cur wants his way, a third way where he’s free from all the burdens that are placed by his background. He’s torn between two heritages, and that’s what eats at the core of his soul in this book. How can one man break away from this? On the one hand, the Siennese torture and kill those who practice magic and yet make use of it in battle. On the other, the Siennese recently conquered the Nayani, and they have been rebelling against them. Foolish Cur could have been a double agent, which he tries too, but fails at it miserably. This entire book is about a young man trying to discover who he is and what he wants.
Review: The House of Always (A Chorus of Dragons #4) by Jenn Lyons
The House of Always is book 4 in Jenn Lyons’ A Chorus of Dragons series, and I am just going to come out and say it: I loved this book. Not like, “hey y’all, this is a really good book”. Nope.
I. Loved. This. Book.