The best way to sum up my feelings for this book overall would be to say that I did enjoy what I read for the most part, but I was disappointed not to find what had been promised. Newman shows no lack of writing skills for sure, in fact what we do get reads really smoothly and I’ll get into all the good stuff properly in a moment. But I’m not sure I’d confidently say she hit the mark on the target she set out either.
Flintlock Fantasy
Review: The Lies of Locke Lamora (Gentlemen Bastard #1) by Scott Lynch
Synopsis An orphan’s life is harsh—and often short—in the mysterious island city of Camorr. But young Locke Lamora dodges death and slavery, becoming a thief under the tutelage of a gifted con artist. As leader of the band of light-fingered brothers known as the Gentleman Bastards, Locke is soon infamous, fooling even the underworld’s most […]
Book Review: Grave Empire (The Great Silence Book #1) by Richard Swan
TL;DR Review: Bigger, more epic, and far more horror-drenched. A brilliant start to a tonally different but no-less-engaging new trilogy in one of my new favorite fantasy worlds. Synopsis: Blood once turned the wheels of empire. Now it is money. A new age of exploration and innovation has dawned, and the Empire of the Wolf stands to take […]
Remnant by K.R. Solberg Book One of The Palimar Saga
Synopsis: When Jon Thurman and his family of smugglers get entangled in a manhunt for a godkiller they are forced out of hiding to face off against corrupt leaders and evil immortals. This will lead to learning things about their past that Jon would rather keep secret. Review: Remnant is a flintlock fantasy that is […]
Review: Wild Skies (Yeehaw Dragons #1) by K.E. Andrews
Wild Skies is a joyful fantasy western. It’s a quick read with a balance of explosive action and intrigue as Dale searches for his missing parents.
Review: The Mystery of the Pale King by Sam Flynn
Synopsis: “Tonight, my friends, the performance is real. To you, my most faithful, I dedicate this, the final production of ‘The Mystery of the Pale King.’” As an orphan growing up in a distant border province, Faron took pride in the epic tales of the Hero of Hathur, a great and powerful warrior who ruled […]
Review: Black Tide Son (The Winter Sea #2) by H.M. Long
H. M. Long raises the bar on what epic high seas fantasy and character work are supposed to be. And she does so spectacularly, by grabbing you by the proverbial lapels and flinging you into edge of your seat action, humor, and so much heart.
Review: The Way of the Renegades by Steve D Wall (The Bards and Dragons Saga 1)
Rating: 8/10An action-packed flintlock fantasy book about guns, mages, bards and dragons! Ulric, former war hero, has been living a quiet life of exile in the frontier city of Quinport and wants only to continue hiding from the mistakes of his past. But then he discovers the invention of a revolutionary new kind of rifle, […]
The Way of Renegades (The Bards and Dragons Saga #1) by Steve D. Wall
Synopsis Ulric, former war hero, has been living a quiet life of exile in the frontier city of Quinport and wants only to continue hiding from the mistakes of his past. But then he discovers the invention of a revolutionary new kind of rifle, and worse, the ruling Coalition discovers his identity. Rather than be […]
Review: Elder Epoch (Gunmetal Gods Series #3) by Zamil Akhtar
Synopsis The protector of the land is dead. A blood plague infests the soil and sea, eldritch angels vie for dominion over hearts and souls, and holy war boils between four gunpowder empires. The line between truth and falsehood, the righteous and the wicked, hope and annihilation is buried deep beneath blood-soaked sand. Review By […]
Review: Dark Water Daughter (The Winter Sea #1) by H.M. Long
Synopsis A stormsinger and pirate hunter join forces against a deathless pirate lord in this swashbuckling Jacobean adventure on the high-seas. Mary Firth is a Stormsinger: a woman whose voice can still hurricanes and shatter armadas. Faced with servitude to pirate lord Silvanus Lirr, Mary offers her skills to his arch-rival in exchange for protection […]
Review: Retribution Falls (Tales of the Ketty Jay #1) by Chris Wooding
Hello again, dear reader or listener, if rich world building you don’t even notice happening, chaotic disaster characters, occasionally sharing the one braincell between themselves, hilarious moments akin to a comedy of errors, and feels that sneak up on you in between awesomely flowing action sequences is the thing you’re looking for your future reading, do yourself the favor and give The Tales Of The Ketty Jay a go.