Synopsis Where there is light, there must always be shadow… The fifth volume in Janny Wurts’s spectacular epic fantasy, now re-released with a striking new cover design along with the rest of the series. The wars began when two half-brothers, gifted of light and shadow, stood shoulder to shoulder to defeat the Mistwraith. Their foe […]
Epic Fantasy
Eleni’s Top Reads of 2025
I couldn’t really pick a top five, nor a top ten this year. So you get the fun of a top 15! Like last year then, I’ll just be sharing all of their glorious covers and if I reviewed the book itself I’ll be linking the rambles in their titles so you can see if they are the books for you, at your leisure.
These are all books that kept me up till the very small hours of the night, some even made me see the first inklings of dawn and deprived me of even the little sleep I do get. But! I have no regrets whatsoever and neither would you, I believe, if you gave them a go!
Book Review: Dogged by Michael R. Fletcher
TL;DR Review: Bloody, gritty, action-packed, and…heartwarming? The novel I didn’t know my year was missing! Synopsis: WARDOGS ARE BORN TO DIE. In the final days of the Demon Empire a lone wardog goes in search of the answer to the only question she cares Who murdered her mate? Utterly unqualified to solve a mystery, Dogged […]
Review: The Prophet of Edan (The Edan Trilogy #2) by Philip Chase
Synopsis Ruin follows in the wake of Torrlond’s victorious army and the beasts its priests enslave, leaving no corner of Eormenlond untouched by the inferno of its war. Kingdoms and tribes line up on opposing sides as the conflict rages, rekindling ancient hatreds and avenging old wrongs. As Dayraven struggles to contain the vast power […]
Review: The Way of Edan (The Edan Trilogy #1) by Philip Chase
Synopsis The Kingdom of the Eternal will awaken when the Way of Edan holds sway over all of Eormenlond. So say the prophecies. With unrivalled power in the gift, the Supreme Priest Bledla leads Torrlond and its mighty army to convert rival kingdoms by the sword and by the fang. Among the gathering resistance is […]
Review: Jade Shards by Fonda Lee
Synopsis Fonda Lee returns to the acclaimed Green Bone Saga with four prequel short stories that delve into the personal histories of the Kaul and Ayt families. The Witch and Her Friend. Before she was the ruthless leader of the Mountain clan, Ayt Mada was an orphan without friends at school except for one: Aun […]
Review: Hall of Bones (The Brotherhood of the Eagle #1) by Tim Hardie
Synopsis: When a new enemy comes to power Rothgar’s ruling family and friends are forced to ally with old rivals. Faced with betrayal from within their own clan Rothgar’s survival is by no means certain, as an ancient and malevolent magic grows in strength and threatens all he holds dear. In the remote land of […]
Review: Rook & Rose Trilogy by M. A. Carrick
Synopsis Fortune favors the bold. Magic favors the liars. Ren is a con artist who has come to the sparkling city of Nadežra with one goal: to trick her way into a noble house, securing her fortune and her sister’s future. But as she’s drawn into the elite world of House Traementis, she realizes her […]
Review: The Blackfire Blade (The Last Legacy #2) by James Logan
I can now safely say that Logan breezily surpassed my expectations with The Blackfire Blade, making everything that worked great in book one even better, avoiding previous mistakes, and vaulting right over the feared sophomore slump. Indeed, this series is quickly and easily carving out a spot for itself as the perfect entry into the genre for new fantasy readers, and as a comfort read for those of us seasoned in classic epic fantasy. Everything I said for book one remains true; Logan’s worldbuilding is strong and, his take on beloved tropes, fresh and engaging.
Review: Spiderlight by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Adrian Tchaikovsky writes DnD, turns everything you thought you knew on its head, and writes the perfect length book. Spiderlight is a very classic quest story at it’s heart, our band of misfits (the classic cleric, rogue, mage etc) are following a prophecy in which they will defeat the Dark Lord. Simple, classic, already a great story. Then we have a Spider turned into human form (and, yes, you will sympathise with him), and a journey through some of the darkest parts of the land, where deeper personalities are revealed, and darker storylines take place.
Review: The Second Death of Locke (The Hand and the Heart #1) by V.L. Bovalino
This is a deeply romantic and epic tale of what it means to be loyal and love so much you’d be willing to sacrifice anything, but also a cautionary one of when to recognise that a life built on a cycle of sacrifices is perhaps one of too high a cost. What if instead of dying for love, you live for it, and fiercely so?
Review: The Severing Son (The Sundered Nation #1) by Vaughn Roycroft
Synopsis: Tales of the Bringer of Urrinan had been told for generations, but never had the prophecy felt so near to so many. Elan wasn’t sure if she even believed one man could cause the sort of upheaval that would change the world. And yet, just as the prophecy foretold, dark forces were on the […]