THAT’S RIGHT! I loved this trilogy so much that I’m not done boosting it to the masses! Child-, Thief-, and Queen of the Night Guild are some of the best in indie. Grimdark sword and sorcery that packs a band of thieves into so much action, grief, struggle, and perseverance. I wanted to check these […]
Reviews
SPFBO XI Review: A Sea of Blood and Tears by J.K Divia
Synopsis Ionna is a selkie torn between sea and shore. She has waited years for the chance to find the son stolen by the mysterious woods on her island. When Viking raiders threaten her village, she must choose between returning to the sea, saving one of her children, or risking everything to protect them all. […]
Review: Corpsemouth and Other Autobiographies by John Langan
Corpsemouth & Other Autobiographies is a fantastically tantalising set of dark tales, with a deep mythology to be uncovered as you scratch away at its surface, revealing something sinister between the words on the page.
Review: The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer
Synopsis: EXCITING OPPORTUNITY:Caretaker urgently needed. Three days of work. Competitive pay. Serious applicants ONLY. Macy Mullins can’t say why the job posting grabbed her attention—it had the pull of a fisherman’s lure, barbed hook and all—vaguely ominous. But after an endless string of failed job interviews, she’s not exactly in the position to be picky. […]
Review: Copper Skin, Oaken Lungs (Copper & Ash #1) by Adam Bassett
Synopsis: For a thousand years, The Old Town has stood as humanity’s last bastion against the maalkonis, malignant black mists that reduced the rest of the world to ash. They are kept at bay by rusty machines on the town’s walls. In order to survive, the dwindling population depends on one another. Since a young […]
SPFBO XI Review: Children of Nemia by Michael Goe
Synopsis On the eve of Nemia’s Journey of Patronage, fifteen-year-old Van is determined to prove himself by returning home as a blooded member of his tribe–assuming he survives the ordeal. As the chieftain’s son, Van will strive to earn his father’s respect by extending a hand in friendship to Simon, a fast-talking sorcerer from a land […]
Review: Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman
Synopsis: All New Sonoran colonist Oliver Lewis ever wanted to do is run the family ranch and keep their aging fleet of intelligent agriculture bots ticking. But now the colossal Apex Corporation has been hired to commence an “eviction action” – exterminate all life on New Sonora in preparation for a reboot. And they charge […]
Review: Jester by Tim Carter
Synopsis In a realm ruled by idiots, their only hope is the Fool. You’d think an army of zombie trolls and undead ogres would catch the nobility’s attention. You’d be wrong. The rulers of Halfsock are deeply in denial. Besides, they have taxes to avoid, neighbors to plunder, and relatives to backstab. With war looming, […]
Review: Prey of Angels (The Hybrid Helix #8) by J.C.M. Berne
Synopsis: Rohan has been building alliances and solidifying his abilities, all to keep his friends, his family, his homeworld, and the Empire safe from anything that threatens them, from anywhere in the universe, whether from inside the sector or from a distant galaxy. He thought he was doing a pretty good job. He thought he […]
Review: Queen of Faces by Petra Lord
Synopsis: A desperate girl at a cutthroat magical academy faces a choice between life and death: become an assassin for the enchanted elite or watch her decaying body draw its last breath. Anabelle Gage is trapped in a male body, and it’s rotting from the inside out. In Caimor, where the magical elite buy and […]
SPFBO XI Review: A Mage’s Mentor by Stephen Jarocki
Synopsis Twenty years after her mother’s mysterious disappearance, Sinccah sets out to find answers in the untamed province of Ucksland. Hoping to bolster her meager magic skills, she seeks out the old mage guarding the caravan. While talking to him, she discovers that the pendant her mother left her might hold a secret. Unfortunately, before […]
SPFBO Review: Blackwater by Emily Blakeney
Synopsis: There is much to be done when the kingdom isn’t looking. Iona Strider is a ruthless pickpocket cursed with a disobedient shadow. Violent, too. Worse, she can’t remember who cursed her, or why. But she does know one with each passing day, her control of the shadow dwindles. In her relentless pursuit of answers, she winds […]