The Bladed Faith is the first in David Dalgishes’ new series, Vagrant Gods. Dalglish, who has proven himself a master of action over the last several years (and is fresh off the phenomenal finale of his last series, The Keepers) has managed to publish yet another fascinating fantasy series. I came for the amazing cover and intriguing synopsis and stayed for the fantastic fight sequences, amazing storyline, and compelling characters.
Action Fantasy
Review: A Touch of Light (The Ashes of Avarin, Book 1) by Thiago Abdalla
Synopsis How far would you go to resurrect someone you love? Would you change who you are to show you belong? The world of Avarin is tearing itself apart. The Domain worships life, its leaders lead eternal lives and death is a shame that must not be mourned. But, for the clans to the south, […]
Review: The Hunger of the Gods (The Bloodsworn Trilogy #2) by John Gwynne
Synopsis Set in a Norse-inspired world and packed with myth, magic, and vengeance, this epic saga follows a band of warriors as they face the wrath of ancient gods and change the shape of the world. Lik-Rifa, the dragon god of legend, has been freed from her eternal prison. Now she plots a new age […]
Review: Jade Legacy (Green Bone Saga #3) by Fonda Lee
Jade War is the third and final release in Fonda Lee’s Green Bone Saga series (I previously reviewed books 1 and 2 here and here). Considering the events of first two books in the series, I had high hopes for this finale, but I was also a little trepidatious about where the final storylines were going to end up. Read on to find out what I thought of the ending.
Engines of Empire (The Age of Uprising #1) by R.S. Ford
A majestic first novel in the Age of Uprising series, with a gorgeous audiobook to match.
Review: Jade War (Green Bone Saga #2) by Fonda Lee
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.
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.