Synopsis From the author of the emotionally devastating epic fantasy series The Spellbinders and the Gunslingerscomes…well, the complete opposite of that. “Cheeky, sharp, humorous, Pratchett-esque. A bit silly, but in the best way possible.” -Andy Peloquin, bestselling author of the Darkblade series “Delightful and fun.” -K.E. Andrews, SPFBO 9 finalist and author of Hills of Heather and Bone______________________ It begins and […]
Fantasy
Book Review: The Palace of Illusions by Rowenna Miller
TL;DR Review: Slow in pace but rich in wonder. A quirky character you’ll enjoy following as she discovers the world of magic is real—and there is a threat only she can stop. Synopsis: The Palace of Illusions brings readers to a Paris breathless with excitement at the dawn of the twentieth century, where for a select […]
Review: Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab
Synopsis: From V. E. Schwab, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue: a new genre-defying novel about immortality and hunger. This is a story about hunger.1532. Santo Domingo de la Calzada.A young girl grows up wild and wily—her beauty is only outmatched by her dreams of escape. But […]
Review: Violence & Vigilance (Turisia Untamed #1) by David T. List
Synopsis: Irdessa the Undying, a renowned arena fighter in Fohrvylda, has escaped imprisonment but at great cost. Broken and alone, she must outwit and outfight her pursuers. Basalt Kale, a failed Consonant monk of the lowest order, embarks on a quest to improve Ausgan but discovers vile secrets of his order that he cannot abide. […]
Review: Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab
Synopsis: This is a story about hunger.1532. Santo Domingo de la Calzada.A young girl grows up wild and wily—her beauty is only outmatched by her dreams of escape. But María knows she can only ever be a prize, or a pawn, in the games played by men. When an alluring stranger offers an alternate path, […]
Review: A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett
Synopsis In the canton of Yarrowdale, at the very edge of the Empire’s reach, an impossible crime has occurred. A Treasury officer has disappeared into thin air—abducted from his quarters while the door and windows remained locked from the inside, in a building whose entrances and exits are all under constant guard. To solve the […]
Review: Becoming a Druid (Protectors of Pretanni 1) by Mike Mollman
Synopsis Grahme has wanted to be a druid for as long as he can remember. Talented but headstrong, he runs afoul of a despotic, mind-controlling mage during his initiation quest. The price of failure is death. Intrigue and distrust has turns his order against him. Haggard, hunted and without his magic, Grahme must make impossible […]
Review: Death of a Clown by Catherine McCarthy
The joke’s on him… Synopsis Born and raised into the Sacred Order of Tragicomedy, Chester Brown’s path is written in stone. The bulbous nose and gigantic feet define him physically, while The Sacred Church of Razzmatazz ensnares him in its grip.For Chester there can be no escape…or so he believes.But Chester Brown has a secret […]
Book Review: Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me (Dark Lord Davi #2) by Django Wexler
TL;DR Review: Beautifully balanced between epic and cozy, it’s an adventure as action-packed as it is heartwarming. Synopsis: Dark Lord Davi rules the kingdom, but she must now break the time loop that binds her in this hilariously bloody conclusion to the Dark Lord Davi duology. After countless failures (let’s not dwell on it), Davi […]
Book Review: Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove
TL;DR: Van Helsing, but as played by a Murderbot-style ship’s AI, with the delightfully cozy and heartwarming flavor of Becky Chambers The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet. Synopsis: Spaceships aren’t programmed to seek revenge—but for Dracula, Demeter will make an exception. Demeter just wants to do her shuttling humans between Earth and Alpha […]
Book Review: Crueler Mercies by Maren Chase
TL;DR Review: Rapunzel meets Man in the Iron Mask. A helpless, naïve prisoner becomes a cunning, revenge-driven queen. Synopsis: “Vita’s rage overflowed until she was prepared to drown in it, and she knew that she would never again dam this anger to please another.” After nine years as the people’s beloved princess in the sun-soaked […]
Review: Firebird (The Fire That Binds #1) by Juliette Cross
Synopsis: House of the Dragon meets From Blood and Ash in this epic, scorching dark romantasy. A conqueror captivated…A witch prophesied to save them all…A world where dragons rule Rome. From the moment Roman general and nephew to the emperor Julianus Dakkia laid eyes on Malina, he was enthralled by the Dacian dancer. Years later, the fierce beauty […]