Gothic romantic fantasy with tarot-inspired magic system. Perfect for an October read!
Dark Fantasy
Review: Not Good for Maidens by Tori Bovalino
Oh. My. God. I LOVED this. I’ve already practically thrown the book at multiple people, although basically shouting ‘it’s about the goblin markets’ probably isn’t the best approach I could’ve gone for. Not Good for Maidens does contain a fair amount of body horror and is definitely horror rather than a YA horror (although it does have a 17-year-old protagonist). But that being said, if you like your horror gory, and creepy, and heart-pounding, this is the book for you.
Nona the Ninth (The Locked Tomb #3) by Tamsyn Muir
Nona the Ninth is tremendous—there’s maximum intrigue right from the start in true Muir fashion; in the form of, we don’t know who Nona is and neither does she, though there’s rubbish meals, cool t-shirts, a dog with three legs and a looming … something. It reeks of … something punk—cyberpunk?—punk something as we’re treated to a hopeful story of a person called Nona, and her minders Palamedes-and-Camilla, and the ten-thousand-year-old Pyrrha. Our favourite necromancers-in-space series stops off for a break in a desolate city, in the desert of a world besieged by blue light.
The Trials of Ashmount (Tragedy of Cedain #1) by John Palladino
SYNOPSIS Cedain is destined to collapse. Across a world rife with blood, betrayal, and brutality, five people wade through unexpected tragedies. An egotistical student, a fleeing refugee, a nomadic warrior, a fallen noble, and a criminal in hiding navigate the sinister dealings of politicians, two sudden wars, and nefarious lies that surface at Ashmount-a university […]
Review: The Oleander Sword (The Burning Kingdoms #2) by Tasha Suri
Synopsis: The Jasmine Throne has been hailed as a series opener that will ‘undoubtedly reshape the landscape of epic fantasy for years to come’ (Booklist, starred). Now, award-winning author Tasha Suri’s provocative and powerful Burning Kingdoms trilogy continues with The Oleander Sword. The prophecy of the nameless god – the words that declared Malini the rightful empress […]
Review: The Jasmine Throne (The Burning Kingdoms #1)
Synopsis: One is a vengeful princess seeking to depose her brother from his throne.The other is a priestess searching for her family.Together, they will change the fate of an empire. Imprisoned by her dictator brother, Malini spends her days in isolation in the Hirana: an ancient temple that was once the source of powerful magic […]
An Altar on the Village Green (The Chained God #1) by Nathan Hall
An Altar on the Village Green is a story of horrors. Hall’s use of time loops set within a punishing landscape immerses you within the madness, seeping into your consciousness, leaving you completely unaware of how redefining it all is until you’ve breached the surface back to reality.
The Garden of Empire (Pact and Pattern #2) by J.T Greathouse
Synopsis: J.T. Greathouse continues his Pact and Pattern fantasy series, hailed by New York Times bestselling author Anthony Ryan as “a captivating epic of conflicted loyalties and dangerous ambition.” The boy once known as Wen Alder has become the rebel witch Foolish Cur. Schooled in both the powers that bound him to serve the emperor as well […]
Buddy read & Review: We Are the Dead (The Last War #1) by Mike Shackle
If you follow me on Twitter or we talk in any capacity you’ll know that I’ve become somewhat of a broken record recently. Truthfully, I’ve been kicking myself for the past few weeks over having waited this long to start this series! As Dan says above, We are the Dead and The Last War trilogy as a whole is an absolute must read. Mike Shackle has to be one of the most criminally underrated authors currently writing.
Review: The Book of Gothel by Mary McMyne
The Book of Gothel is beautifully woven, and full of depth and compassion. It’s adventurous, and manages to be classic and modern all at once, giving life to Mother Gothel.
Review: Sons of Darkness (The Raag of Rta #1) by Gourav Mohanty
Synopsis A brilliantly imaginative talent makes his exciting debut with this epic grimdark fantasy saga inspired by ancient Indian epic Mahabharata and filled with treachery, war and vengeance, in the tradition of Steven Erikson’s Malazan Book of the Fallen Series and George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire Series. SOME BALLADS ARE INKED […]
Review: Until The Last (The Last War #3) by Mike Shackle
Synopsis: ‘Staggering, marvellous and gripping’ Grimdark Magazine ‘An adventure that’s rich in darkness and bloodshed’ SFX THE TIME HAS COME.SEKINOWARI – THE LAST WAR – HAS ARRIVED. The breakneck conclusion to the trilogy that started with We Are the Dead. To beat the ultimate evil, sometimes the price is more than you can pay . […]