Synopsis A great deal is happening in London and the country this season. For starters, there’s the witch who tried to poison Kate at the Royal College of Wizards. There’s also the man who seems to be spying on Cecelia. (Though he’s not doing a very good job of it–so just what are his intentions?) […]
Gaslamp
Review: Where Shadows Lie (The Last Gift: Arc one #1) by Allegra Pescatore
Synopsis The Chosen One is dead. Only his sister can take his place. Disabled since childhood, Elenor was content to live in her brother’s shadow, besting her cousins at cards and sneaking her girlfriend into her room at night. Now she’s next in line for the throne and beset on all sides by factions out […]
Review: Shattered Spirits: The Fall of Ishcairn by Cal Black
Synopsis Legends say a dead god is buried under the stone city of Ishcairn, protecting its inhabitants by dashing enemy fleets into the jagged coast of Craeburn. Adjunct professor Corrie Ecksley doesn’t believe any of that, but she knows from her work excavating nearby burial sites that the ancient Craeburn people believed it enough to […]
Review: Shattered Spirits: The Fall of Ishcairn by Cal Black
This novella skillfully intertwines facets of gaslamp fantasy and eldritch horror, evoking a chilling and captivating narrative that surpassed my expectations. It’s an unnerving tone to the final chapters that etched themselves into my memory. A quick, yet immersive literary experience for anyone looking for a single-sitting read.
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, […]
Review: Of Honey and Wildfires (The Songs of Sefate #1) by Sarah Chorn
Synopsis From the moment the first settler dug a well and struck a lode of shine, the world changed. Now, everything revolves around that magical oil. What began as a simple scouting expedition becomes a life-changing ordeal for Arlen Esco. The son of a powerful mogul, Arlen is kidnapped and forced to confront uncomfortable truths […]
Review: The Werewolf of Whitechapel (Miss Sharp’s Monsters #1) by Suzannah Rowntree
Synopsis Murder, monsters…and a disreputable lady’s-maid on a mission. A killer prowls the grimy streets of Whitechapel. Scotland Yard seems determined to turn a blind eye. But with one look at her best friend’s corpse, Liz Sharp knows the truth: the killer is a werewolf, one of the monsters that rules Europe. If she doesn’t […]
Review: The Thirteenth Hour (The Cruel Gods #1) by Trudie Skies
If you are looking for something different from your usual fantasy reading, then this is my recommendation. The Thirteenth Hour is a brilliant debut that left me feeling like I’d watched a well produced TV series. It is no surprise it was a SPFBO finalist.
The Hand that Casts the Bone (The Vanguard Chronicles #2) by H.L. Tinsley
The Hand that Casts the Bone is a fantastic sequel, closing the door on any feared second book syndrome with its highly recognizable characters, fascinating plot, and outstanding characterization.
Review: We Men of Ash and Shadow (Vanguard Chronicles, Book 1) by H.L. Tinsley
Synopsis ‘We Men of Ash and Shadow’ is the first book in the Vanguard Series and follows the journey of protagonist, John Vanguard, through the dark and corrupt city of D’Orsee. A Grimdark gas lamp novel, ‘We Men of Ash and Shadow’ explores themes of redemption, loyalty, and betrayal against the backdrop of a world […]
Review: A Marvellous Light (The Last Binding #1) by Freya Marske
A Marvellous Light is the first installment in Freya Marske’s The Last Binding trilogy, and the author’s debut novel (though, it is not the author’s first published writing, as Marske has published short stories in the past). Honestly, I was not sure about this book at the start; but, by about a third of the way in the characters had grown on me and the intrigue of the plot began to set in. Not to mention the beauty of the prose. Needless to say, I really liked this book.
Review: Legacy of the Brightwash (Tainted Dominion #1) by Krystle Matar
Legacy of the Brightwash takes you on a journey, the characters you meet at the start of the book go through huge emotional and moral changes throughout the course of the novel. It is such an amazing thing to read. Krystle Matar has managed to craft and develop so much in the course of just one book.