Synopsis: Not even the Church of the Invincible Sun is invincible – and somebody has to do its dirty work. Enter Sister Svangerd and her accompanying priest, both accomplished practitioners. Their mission is simple: to make a meddlesome princess disappear (permanently). To get to her, they must attend the legendary Ecumenical Council, the once-in-a-century convening […]
Fantasy
Review: The Monster of Lightower Library (A Lamplight Short Story) by Morgan Stang
Synopsis Enter the library of Lightower Keep, an ancient depository of arcane knowledge. With secrets around every corner, mysterious tomes, and even the odd ghost or two, monster-hunters throughout the ages have consulted its vast bestiary. Now, for Huntress Isabeau Agarwal, it may hold the key to putting down her most recent an invisible entity […]
Book Review: The Poet Empress by Shen Tao
TL;DR Review: Daughter of Empire meets Iron Widow. A fascinating look at the making of a sociopath. Synopsis: Debut author Shen Tao introduces readers to the lush, deadly world of The Poet Empress, a sweeping, epic and intimate fantasy perfect for fans of The Serpent & the Wings of Night, The Song of Achilles and She Who Became the Sun. […]
Review: Die Slow (The Runeborn Trilogy #2) by Morgan Shank
Synopsis The Runemasters are purged. The Hound, the Tower’s secret weapon, is buried under rubble in the ocean. Most importantly, the mainlanders who ended the Runemasters—Magon, Seneka, High Priest Oath, Itula, and Princess Elthren—survived the ordeal. However, Princess Elthren suffered great loss, and she will never be the same. Itula drained her magic, and she […]
Review: The Curse of Chalion (World of the Five Gods #1) by Lois McMaster Bujold
Synopsis A man broken in body and spirit, Cazaril, has returned to the noble household he once served as page, and is named, to his great surprise, as the secretary-tutor to the beautiful, strong-willed sister of the impetuous boy who is next in line to rule. It is an assignment Cazaril dreads, for it will […]
Review: The Price of Fear (The Wretched Trilogy #1) by Miles Lyon
Synopsis: For a Godless like Azreal the Wretched, peace might be a more profitable time, but it’s no less bloody… A decade into the armistice with Inath, the North, once united against invasion, finds itself a divided kingdom. Azreal – an infamous mage of the Northern military – operates in his native land as a […]
Hall of Bones, Brotherhood of the Eagle, Book 1 by Tim Hardie
Synopsis When a new enemy comes to power, Rothgar’s ruling family and friends are forced to ally with old rivals. Faced with betrayal from within their own clan, Rothgar’s survival is by no means certain, as an ancient and malevolent magic grows in strength and threatens all he holds dear. In the remote land of […]
Review: The Not So Mundane Mysteries of Norman Melamourne by G.J. Terral
Synopsis: If Norman Melamourne, a Source-hating ex-detective, had things his way, the Source wouldn’t have snapped into existence twenty years ago. After all, it’s the reason his wife lost her life; he lost his job, and now even his favorite restaurants use Source-processed ingredients. He can taste the difference, and it’s awful. When a consulting position lands […]
Book Review: Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman
TL;DR Review: Quirky, utterly off the wall, wildly hilarious and deeply emotional. Signature Matt Dinniman-style entertainment I couldn’t put down. Synopsis: A man must fight for his planet against impossible odds when gamers from Earth attempt to remotely annihilate it in this epic, fast-paced novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the smash-hit Dungeon Crawler Carl. […]
Review: Hogfather (Discworld #20, Death #4) by Terry Pratchett
Synopsis IT’S THE NIGHT BEFORE HOGSWATCH AND IT’S TOO QUIET. Where is the big jolly fat man? Why is Death creeping down chimneys and trying to say Ho Ho Ho? The darkest night of the year is getting a lot darker… Susan the gothic governess has got to sort it out by morning, otherwise there […]
Review: The Thief Who Knocked on Sorrow’s Gate (Amra Thetys #3) by Michael McClung
Synopsis The third installment in the Amra Thetys series: After surviving Thagoth and returning rich to Lucernis, Amra and Holgren have settled down to a very comfortable, if decidedly unexciting life — until the night Amra receives an old enemy’s head in a box. A longstanding debt calls her back home to Bellarius, the scene […]
Review: Godstorm by Solitaire Townsend
Summary: A Female Gladiator’s Vow. A Stolen Child. A Storm to End Empires In a petrol-fuelled Roman Empire which never fell, Arrow, a gladiatrix turned governess must rescue the child she has loved as her own, a girl who could tear down the world. When Livy is abducted during a devastating Godstorm, Arrow must unleash […]