Mortedant’s Peril is an epic historical fantasy of murder, mystery and unlikely alliances from RJ Barker, award-winning author of The Bone Ships. Perfect for fans of Six of Crows and City of Last Chances. ‘An engrossing, ingenious story in a beautifully crafted world’ – Adrian Tchaikovsky Irody can speak to the dead. But the living […]
Flintlock Fantasy
Review: Hawkwood’s Voyage (The Monarchies of God #1) by Paul Kearney
Synopsis As the once great Fimbrian nations of the West begin to fall to heathen Merduk hordes, bloody religious fanaticism threatens to consume the land from within, and rogue mariner Richard Hawkwood embarks on an expedition across the Great Western Ocean to find a legendary lost continent and a safe sanctuary for survivors. Review During […]
Review: This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me (Maggie the Undying, #1)
Synopsis: An unforgettable fantasy set in a city peopled with ruffians, spies, malcontents and murderers. Experience out-of-this world adventure and dangerous politics as Maggie tries to survive waking up in her favourite fictional world. A heart-pounding epic from No. 1 New York Times bestselling author duo Ilona Andrews. When Maggie wakes up cold, filthy and […]
Review: The Curse of Dragon Tail Island: A Pirate Fantasy Adventure by Jonathan Nevair
Synopsis Set sail with the Salty Scoundrels in this swashbuckling pirate fantasy—a rollicking tale of clashing cutlasses, monsters and magic, and high seas adventure. A once-legendary pirate and his loyal crew risk uncharted waters for a chance at freedom, treasure, and glory. Captain James R. Hawk, aka Trusty Jack, and his Salty Scoundrels are do-gooder […]
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!
Review: The Sovereign (Magic of the Lost, Book 3) by C.L Clark
The Sovereign brings princess Luca and soldier Touraine together one last time in the thrilling conclusion to C. L. Clark’s beloved queer political fantasy trilogy. Luca is the new queen of Balladaire. Her empire is already splintering in her hands. Her uncle wasn’t the only traitor in the court, and the Withering plague will decimate her people […]
Review: The Fall of Selvandrea by T.J. McKay
Synopsis: Remember the wolf. Remember what’s out there in the dark. Valdaris was a middling artillery captain before his people fell to a conquering rival. Then he fell further still, snatched from the battlefield by a ruthless cult and cast into the depths of ultimate evil. Transformed by powers he can’t begin to understand, Valdaris […]
Review: The Source of Strife by Alex Arch
Synopsis: Energy can neither be created nor destroyed. Only stolen. Mages feed on catalysts like Dinnie to enhance their spells, and since she’s the most formidable weapon alive, they will stop at nothing to control her. Even her parents, leaders of warring realms, wage a battle for her custody, imprisoning her to prevent the other […]
Review: Red Tempest Brother (The Winter Sea #3) by H.M. Long
Red Tempest Brother is everything you want in a series conclusion. It reunites you with beloved characters one last time, keeping you on the edge of your seat the whole time, while enthralling you with wondrous and epic ambiance you’ve loved and have been transported by throughout the whole series. The Winter Sea trilogy is one I will find myself rereading often in the future and if you haven’t yet started it, dear reader or listener, now is your chance to binge the whole thing in one go. Trust me, you’ll want to.
Review: The Vengeance (The Vampires of Dumas #1) by Emma Newman
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.
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 […]