TL;DR Review: A beautiful balance of magic and intrigue, action and romance, underscored by a lovely “Persephone and Hades” flavor. Synopsis: BLOOD BOUND AND PENNILESS. EXILED INTO CURSED LANDS. HUNTED BY DEATH. When the thief Suri suffers a humiliating robbery, she has one day to pay off an ugly debt. Her solution: abduct and impersonate […]
Epic Fantasy
Book Review: Gift of the Shaper (Highglade Series #1) by DL Jennings
TL;DR Review: Familiar-feeling classic high fantasy with some wonderfully surprising twists. Synopsis: Armies will clash and gods will die… For thousands of years, the Breaker of the Dawn has been locked away in the ethereal plane of the Otherworld. Now, a young blacksmith’s apprentice finds himself trapped in a war between the noble Athrani, a […]
Review: The Gods Below (The Hollow Covenant #1) by Andrea Stewart
The Gods Below is a grand start to a series which promises even more twists, intrigues, feels, romance, political machinations, and magic! Nailing the psychology of different kinds of trauma, cultish manipulation, the weight of familial expectations, and the forced shouldering of responsibilities that you are ill prepared for or didn’t deserve, Stewart presents readers with a story full of heart and drive and stubbornness.
Book Review: Blood of the Old Kings by Sung-Il Kim
TL;DR Review: Compelling, colorful, and complex. Epic storytelling that sinks into your bones and keeps you turning pages. Synopsis: Powered by the corpses of sorcerers, the Empire has conquered the world. It claims to have brought peace and stability to its conquered lands, but some see that peace for what it is—a lie—and will give […]
Where Sirens Roam (The Twin Worlds Saga) by Cameron Michaels
Synopsis Fear lies in the depths.Daruhm just wants to be left alone, away from the broken world he inhabits.However, as one of the last remaining scribes of his kind, he is tasked with joining the Iron Dragon for a voyage across the Great Sea, giving an account of their findings, alongside an ancient race that […]
Review: From the Depths (The Heart of Quinaria #0.6) by B.S.H. Garcia
Synopsis: The world can sustain the needs of many, but the greed of a few can destroy it for all. In a life steeped in peril, the Brune family has thrived on the knife’s edge. Renowned for their smuggling and bounty exploits, Konar and Karliah’s parents command both respect and fear. Comfortable yet haunted, the […]
Review – Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson (The Stormlight Archive #4)
Review I will start by stating the obvious, The Stormlight Archive is going to go down as a generational fantasy series and will become part of fantasy folklore for generations to come. I have never experienced any story or series that is so ambitious in every aspect. The world building is on another level to […]
Book Review: A Grave for Us All (Crown and Tide #2) by Michael Roberti
TL;DR Review: Higher stakes, deeper grimdarkness, bloodier battles, and messier characters—exactly what I want in a Book 2! Synopsis: “A civil war on that scale would make Harfal little more than a mass grave.”“There would be death. There would be chaos. But this time there would be a lasting peace…” Follow Cael, Emil, Merily and […]
Book Review: The Pale City (Rites of Resurrection #1) by Marshall J. Moore
TL;DR Review: Lightning-fast plot, richly colorful world, and heart-pounding action. Roman/Greek Republic colored with African-inspired culture and magic. Synopsis: Only the dead can save the living. In Albastine, the dead are made into mindless servants known as Attendants, incapable of harming the living unless commanded to by the soldier-necromancer Legates. Forced into an early retirement, […]
The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djèlí Clark
Synopsis The Dead Cat Tail Assassins are not cats. Nor do they have tails. But they are most assuredly dead. Nebula and Alex Award winner P. Djèlí Clark introduces a brand-new world and a fantastical city full of gods and assassins. Eveen the Eviscerator is skilled, discreet, professional, and here for your most pressing needs […]
Review: The Blood that Burns the Winter Snow (The Bound and the Broken short story) by Ryan Cahill
Synopsis The Blood that Burns the Winter Snow is a short story set in the world of The Bound and The Broken. Vars Bryer is a man of The Glade. He loves his wife, feels at peace in his home, and would give the air in his lungs to keep his children safe. But the […]
Review: The Erkenblood (Wielders of Sessara #1) by H. Ferry
Synopsis: Born to destroy, raised to love, condemned to choose. For Panthea, every breath she draws in the Southern Kingdom is an act of repression. Her faith in her goddess keeps her from sin. Her guardian, Rassus, keeps her safe. And a powerful drug keeps her deadly power in check. Yet, none can change what […]