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.
Epic Fantasy
The Spirit Eater (The Legend of Eli Monpress #3) by Rachel Aaron
Synopsis With the pressure on after his success in Gaol, Eli Monpress, professional thief and degenerate, decides it’s time to lie low for a bit. Taking up residence in a tiny seaside village, Eli and his companions seize the chance for some fun and relaxation. Nico, however, is finding it a bit hard. Plagued by […]
Review: The Shadow of the Gods (The Bloodsworn Saga #1) by John Gwynne
Take it from me and the other 9 people on this blog that have reviewed it, Shadow of the Gods is a brilliant read!
Review: The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwyne (The Bloodsworn Saga #1)
Shadow of the Gods is a masterpiece in the realm of epic fantasy combined with great visuals, and great storytelling
Book Tour Review: We Break Immortals (The Advent Lumina Cycle #1) by Thomas Howard Riley
We Break Immortals is the first book I have reviewed for 2022 and it has set the bar extremely high! Riley displays some of the most impressive worldbuilding and character work that I have ever seen. The amount of worldbuilding that is just casually littered throughout the book is staggering, yet it feels like there’s so much more to learn. It’s truly a testament to Riley’s skill and it serves to make the world really feel lived in. It’s not just a backdrop for the story to take place, but an active participant in the telling.
Review – Engines of Empire (The Age of Uprising #1) by R.S. Ford
Synopsis The nation of Torwyn is run on the power of industry, and industry is run by the Guilds. Chief among them are the Hawkspurs, whose responsibility it is to keep the gears of the empire turning. That’s exactly why matriarch Rosomon Hawkspur sends each of her heirs to the far reaches of the nation. […]
Review: Engines of Empire (The Age of Uprising #1) by R. S. Ford
Synopsis “An excellent start to a new series: fast-paced and engaging, with a properly epic setting and a cast of characters I look forward to seeing more of.” –James Islington, author of The Shadow of What Was Lost “Epic fantasy fans listen up: This is the good stuff. Highly recommended.” —Kirkus (starred review) From an unmissable voice […]
Review: The Spirit Rebellion (The Legend of Eli Monpress #2) by Rachel Aaron
The Spirit Rebellion managed to bring what was great about book 1 back to the table and improve upon it in every way, adding important elements to the story that made the characters more compelling and increased my investment in the story.
Review: Of Darkness and Light (The Bound and The Broken #2) by Ryan Cahill
For me personally Of Darkness and Light could have been 900 pages longer and it wouldn’t have mattered. It’s that epically good.
Of Darkness and Light by (The Bound and the Broken #2) by Ryan Cahill
Arrows whoosh. Fire burns. Hearts beat. Blood pumps, spills; the start of Darkness and Light is visceral like the Fall, but this situation seems entirely worse. What starts in fire and loss end in complete darkness with a singular ray of light that is the exciting, jaw-dropping cliff-hanger that rounds off such an expansive novel. It lifts the lid on the story that started with Of Blood and Fire. The Dragonguard and the imperial army descend upon one boy and his adolescent dragon. The night holds its breath as we wait for the fires to come …
Of Darkness and Light(The Bound and the Broken #2) by Ryan Cahill
All in all, Of Darkness and Light was an incredible book that had me gripped from page one, all the way to the last page two days later. Cahill is absolutely going to keep on getting better with each book that he puts out and I can’t wait to see what happens in book three and even where he goes after he finishes with The Bound and the Broken.
Review: Of Darkness and Light (The Bound and the Broken #2) by Ryan Cahill
Of Darkness and Light is the second install in Ryan Cahill’s The Bound and the Broken series, and it is a book in which the author dramatically expands in all aspects versus book 1. The storyline has much more suspense and conflict, the character set is expanded, the characters also grow significantly, the world building is grander, and the pace is improved, as well. Of Darkness and Light is truly epic.