Synopsis Praise be to Our Lady of Eternal Sorrows, and blessed be the Ascended Martyr.’ Those were the words on lips of the faithful: Blessed be the Ascended Martyr, and woe betide you if you thought otherwise. The word Unbeliever had become a death sentence on the streets in those days. Gangster, soldier, priest. Governor, […]
Reviews
Review: Honeysuckle by Bar Fridman-Tell
Going into Honeysuckle I had no idea how much I would love it. The synopsis sounded like something I would be into, but the publishers description of ‘feminist Frankenstein’ had me nervous. However, I’m very very happy to report that this might be one of my favourite books of the year so far. It’s dark, haunting and was filled with a slow-burn dread that had me racing through the pages hoping the characters would realise what I had.
SPFBO XI Review: No More Levels by Benjamin Barreth
Synopsis Life sucks when you’re a potato farmer. That’s why Rin can’t wait to turn sixteen and conquer the nearest beginner dungeon. Only then can he acquire a powerful class in the Game of the Gods and begin the earnest grind to leveling up. With enough monster kills, he might even become someone truly strong, […]
Review: Broken Dove (Silver Elite 2) by Dani Francis
Synopsis: LINES WILL BE CROSSED. After blowing her cover as a double agent within Silver Elite and fleeing the Prime-controlled capital, Wren Darlington is finally safe behind allied lines. As her lover and former commander Cross Redden works to disrupt the Primes from inside their ranks, Wren turns her focus toward assisting the Uprising in […]
Review: Scion by James Islington
Synopsis: Scion introduces James Islington’s first ever sci-fi novel in an unmissable new series following the story of Azure, the cybernetically enhanced survivor of a mysterious explosion that killed his best friend as he’s embroiled in a secret underworld of organised crime and world-changing technology – complete with the breathless pace and jaw-dropping twists readers know […]
Review: Trad Wife by Sarah Langan
Synopsis Your favourite influencer is about to be exposed . . . Every day, millions watch Mia Wright, the “trad wife” queen, on her idyllic 300-acre farm. With her handsome husband, seven perfect children, and a life of from-scratch meals, she’s an icon of modern femininity. But behind every perfect image is a lie. Desperate […]
Review: The Heart of the Nhaga (The Bird That Drinks Tears #1) by Young-Do Lee, Translated by Anton Hur
Synopsis: Welcome to Lee Young-do’s epic classic series, The Bird That Drinks Tears. The master of Korean fantasy—often cited as the J.R.R. Tolkien of South Korea—Lee Young-do has created a tale of castles built on the backs of flying mantas, giant birdmen, heartless immortals, and a quest that will change the very nature of the […]
Review: Residuum: A Darkening Dawn Novella by D.B. Rook
Synopsis Humanity is falling. She has little hope of survival. Charlus Vaughn, a teenage refugee on the run from machine judgement and haunted by her mother’s secrets. When a rogue data-pirate crew pulls her from the brink of execution, Charlus finds a place to belong, but something far older and far more dangerous is watching. […]
Review: Mother of Death and Dawn (The War of Lost Hearts #3) by Carissa Broadbent
Mother of Dawn and Death’s best character arc is Aefe, hands down. In Children of Fallen Gods I was very fond of her, and then over the course of Mother of Death and Dawn I went through so many emotions with her. From seeing her as a villain, to seeing her just as a broken, used person who makes the wrong choices for love, to making the right choices for herself. Her growth and change is what carried the emotional side of this book for me.
Review: The Sunrise Dagger (Memories of Kenjir #2) by Abel Montero
Synopsis The empire is splintering, and the gods’ dominion grows weaker with every passing day. Out of the chaos, old loyalties fracture, new dangers emerge, and the line between faith and betrayal blurs beyond recognition. For Andik, survival means constant flight. Pursued across the empire, he follows a trail of secrets that lead him closer to […]
Review: Children of Memory (Children of Time #3) by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Synopsis: Earth failed. In a desperate bid to escape, the spaceship Enkidu and its captain, Heorest Holt, carried its precious human cargo to a potential new paradise. Generations later, this fragile colony has managed to survive, eking out a hardy existence. Yet life is tough, and much technological knowledge has been lost. Then strangers appear. They possess […]
Review: Legacy of the Brightwash (Tainted Dominion 1) by Krystle Matar
Synopsis Follow the law and you’ll stay safe. But what if the law is wrong?SPFBO Finalist Indie Ink Award Finalist BBNYA Finalist Stabby Nominee—Best Debut 2021 Stabby Nominee—Best Indie Book 2021Tashué’s faith in the law is beginning to crack. Three years ago, he stood by when the Authority condemned Jason to the brutality of the […]