Jade War is the sequel to Jade City and the second book in Fonda Lee’s Green Bone Saga series. I was so happy after reading book 1 that I could not wait to read book 2, and I dove right in. As expected, Jade War lives up to the expectations created by the greatness of Jade City.
Action Fantasy
Review: Jade City (The Green Bone Saga #1) by Fonda Lee
Jade City is the first book in Fonda Lee’s critically-acclaimed Green Bone Saga series, and… wait, what was that? I am three years late getting to it, you say? Yes, that is true, and let me tell you: no one regrets waiting to read this series more than I do. I wish I had read it earlier, because, not only do I love it, but it is clearly one of the best fantasy books of the last 5 years.
Review: Of Blood and Fire by Ryan Cahill
Synopsis Born in fire. Tempered in blood. Epheria is a land divided by war and mistrust. The High Lords of the South squabble and fight, only kept in check by the Dragonguard, traitors of a time long past, who serve the empire of the North. In the remote villages of southern Epheria, still reeling from […]
Review: Hall of Smoke by H.M. Long
Synopsis Hessa is an Eangi: a battle-hardened priestess of the Goddess of War, with the power to turn an enemy’s bones to dust with a scream. Banished for disobeying her goddess’s command to murder a traveller, she prays for forgiveness—but while she is gone, raiders burn her town to the ground. Grieving and alone, Hessa—the […]
Review: Promise of Blood (Powder Mage #1) by Brian McClellan
Brandon Sanderson once blurbed the Powder Mage trilogy, calling it “just plain awesome”… I can safely say I totally agree with him!
Review: Forgotten Ruin (Forgotten Ruin #1) by Jason Anspach & Nick Cole
Synopsis Tolkien meets Shock and Awe Orcs. Trolls. Wraith riders. Dark wizards. Together, they form an unstoppable force. Or so they thought. Dark Army… meet the U.S. Army Rangers. When a Joint Task Force of elite Rangers are transported to a strange and fantastic future where science and evolution have incarnated the evils of myth […]
Review: The Bone Shard Emperor (The Drowning Empire #2) by Andrea Stewart
hooked. The vibrant world, imagining an empire of seasonal, migrating islands, and the relatable cast of characters had me fully invested to the end. But it was the richness of her prose and worldbuilding, and the gut-punch weight of the book’s many twists that left me aching for more.
Thankfully, Stewart’s sophomore effort and the sequel to The Bone Shard Daughter does not disappoint. In fact, The Bone Shard Emperor swiftly ups the ante, dealing with the fallout of its predecessor and building political and emotional pressure in captivating ways. With morally grey characters (in a morally grey world) that I can truly root for and a world with a deep, mysterious history I want to know more about, The Drowning Empire series just keeps getting better.
Review: The Thousand Deaths of Ardor Benn (Kingdom of Grit #1) by Tyler Whitesides
Synopsis Ardor Benn is no ordinary thief – a master of wildly complex heists, he styles himself a Ruse Artist Extraordinaire. When he gets hired for his most daring ruse yet, Ardor knows he’ll need more than quick wit and sleight of hand. Assembling a dream team of forgers, disguisers, schemers and thieves, he sets […]
Review: The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwyne (The Bloodsworn Saga #1)
Shadow of the Gods is a masterpiece in the realm of epic fantasy combined with great visuals, and great storytelling
Review: Engines of Empire (The Age of Uprising #1) by R. S. Ford
Synopsis “An excellent start to a new series: fast-paced and engaging, with a properly epic setting and a cast of characters I look forward to seeing more of.” –James Islington, author of The Shadow of What Was Lost “Epic fantasy fans listen up: This is the good stuff. Highly recommended.” —Kirkus (starred review) From an unmissable voice […]
Of Darkness and Light(The Bound and the Broken #2) by Ryan Cahill
All in all, Of Darkness and Light was an incredible book that had me gripped from page one, all the way to the last page two days later. Cahill is absolutely going to keep on getting better with each book that he puts out and I can’t wait to see what happens in book three and even where he goes after he finishes with The Bound and the Broken.
Review: The Pariah (The Covenant of Steel #1) by Anthony Ryan
The Pariah is the opening act in The Covenant of Steel series and what an opening it is! We follow Alwyn Scribe in first person, as he shares with the reader his tale through the benefit of hindsight. I’ve grown really fond of this type of narrator over the years because, especially if the attitude is right, it makes for some really fun reading, rife with asides and commentary that add a certain dimension to the story that, be it because of ominous foreshadowing or amusing snark, sass, or dry humor, regularly gives you a solid chuckle. The Pariah had all of that and more.