The Pariah is the first installment in Anthony Ryan’s latest series, The Covenant of Steel. This series is off to a really good start with tons of action, good writing flow, and a cast of characters that make story worth following.
Dark Fantasy
Review: Harrow the Ninth (The Locked Tomb #2) by Tamsyn Muir
Harrow the Ninth is the utterly full of mood sequel that we needed for the Locked Tomb; the prose sings old harmonies from an ancient turntable, the needle screeching in eloquent – but drawn out – screams that dig deep into a sense of misguidance, a sense of the unknown dipped into depression and coated in necromancy. This sequel takes the gothic laboratory in space, seeped in mystery and necromantic theorems and flips it upside down with planet-sized Beasts of the Resurrection, terrorist orgs with nukes, God himself, Necrosaints to the Lord Undying, and bones … lots of bones.
Review: She Who Became the Sun (The Radiant Emperor #1) by Shelley Parker-Chan
She Who Became the Sun is the first in Shelley Parker-Chan’s The Radiant Emperor series. Set in 14th-Century China, the books combination of war, politics, and gender identity exploration is certain to please fans of Chinese-inspired historical fantasy.
Review: Seven Deaths of an Empire by G.R. Matthews
Seven Deaths of an Empire is a new standalone fantasy novel from author G.R. Matthews. It is being billed as grimdark and comparable to George R.R. Martin; however, I would not make those comparisons, myself – at least not to Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. To me, this would closer to old-fashioned, classic fantasy.
Review: The Helm of Midnight (The Five Penalties #1) by Marina J. Lostetter
The Helm of Midnight is the first in Marina Lostetter’s The Five Penalties Series, and the author’s first fantasy novel, according to her bio in the back of the book. I love the premise of this book, and, while in the end it did not keep my interest as much as I had hoped, Lostetter definitely showed off her writing chops.
Book Tour and Review: Red in Tooth and Claw by Ryan Howse
Review: The Shadow of The Gods (Bloodsworn Saga #1) by John Gwynne
of soil in front of her wooden built dwelling. She dug up little holes for laying vegetable seeds, but as she lost herself into the peaceful endeavor, a rat-sized butterfly landed on the soil—a few feet away from her. She glanced at the large multi-colored wings and appreciated its beauty. Abruptly, the butterfly shifted to expose its body and revealed a set of enormous claws and an odd opening filled with sharpened teeth. The creature flew directly at her neck and sunk its jaw into her jugular.
Review: Wraithblade by S.M. Boyce
Wraithblade, a sprawling epic, amazed me from beginning to end and left me wanting more of the story that involves an unlikely team of characters; Connor, Murdoch, Sophia and the rest of the supporting characters. It ramped up slowly where S.M. Boyce takes a generous amount of time introducing us to its world filled with kingdoms, beautiful fauna, political power struggles and its own magic system, and then goes into high gear with a palette full of action and a smorgasbord of twists and turns!
Review: Vultures (Shadow Twins #1) by Luke Tarzian
I’ll admit that I am a little unsure how to approach this review. Vultures was one of the most unique approaches to storytelling that I have ever experienced. It was complex, dark, emotional, and raw. The characters are all nuanced and they practically bleed pathos. In many ways this was not an easy read. I was challenged as a reader in ways I haven’t been since Erickson’s Gardens of the Moon.
Review: King of the Rising (Islands of Blood and Storm #2) by Kacen Calendar
The King of the Rising is the follow-up to 2019’s Queen of the Conquered (my review of that book is here) and the finale in Kacen Callender’s Islands of Blood and Storm duology. This is a complex fantasy series built around themes of colonialism and power dynamics. I have mixed feelings about the direction this book ended up taking, so let’s dig in.
Review: The Sadeiest by Austrian Spencer
I want to start this review off by pointing out a few important trigger warnings. The Sadeiest is about death and describes people dying in many different ways in detail (including death by suicide, disease, drowning, etc). If that is a trigger or even just an upsetting topic to you, please do not continue.
Review: The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower #1) by Stephen King
The Gunslinger is an experimental book for sure, but there is no better way to start your quest to the Dark Tower than this.