As far as I’m concerned Anthony wrote what I would class as a perfect fantasy book and its an easy 10/10 for me.
Grimdark
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: The Blood of Outcasts (The Bane Sword Trilogy #1)
There’s a lot to love about TBoO, especially its acronym, but it’s an incredibly bloody, gritty, ronin romp that’s well worth checking out.
Book Review/Tour: The Spawn of Spiracy (A Disaster of Dokojin #2) by Jesse Nolan Bailey
Synopsis The Sachem has fled his Fortress. Many fear that he intends to turn on the Decayer Device. Hoping to stop this, Annilasia resolves to track down the Sachem. But her plan falters when she discovers that, should the Sachem succeed in turning on the Device, the dokojin attached to her will rip her apart. […]
Review: Legacy of the Brightwash (Tainted Dominion #1) by Krystle Matar
It’s very rare that I am at a genuine loss for words once I’ve turned the last pages of a book, but that was the exact situation I found myself in after finishing Krystle Matar’s Legacy of the Brightwash. This story is incredible in so many ways and I will try to capture and articulate it in this review, but I make no promises.
BOOK TOUR/REVIEW: The Blood of Outcasts (The Bane Sword Trilogy #1) by D. A. Smith
Synopsis What if spilling your own blood was the only way to save yourself? Masako escapes the Lord Council with only her life intact, her clan shattered and master dead in wake of disaster she wrought. It is her cursed blood that cries out, and a godsborne that answers. By the power in her blood, […]
Review: Age of Ash (Kithamar #1) by Daniel Abraham
As a lover of science fiction, I can appreciate the breaking of the status quo. Every so often, genres like cyberpunk or post-apocalyptic fiction came in to stir shit up and make it messier, so to say. But fantasy, I’ve found, is much more comfortable resting on its laurels—challenges to foundational fantasy conventions have been slower, and few and far between. In the last decade or so, though, the intention from authors to actively challenge fantasy’s history has been growing.
Daniel Abraham’s newest novel Age of Ash, book one in The Kithamar Trilogy, seems to do just that. It tackles the notion of “epic fantasy,” questioning the epic-ness of it all and how big battles and a fast pace have dominated that landscape. But beyond that, Age of Ash is a heartfelt story that grounds itself in genuine characters in grim circumstances. What follows is a novel that is epic in its ideas and execution, but relatable in its perspectives and emotions.
Review: The Fangs of War by EJ Doble
Synopsis After the brutal execution of Provenci’s King by the roving forces of Tarraz, a new military government vaults into power with the nefarious Alvarez at the helm. Hell-bent on bloodshed and the glory of an imperial past, he amasses the largest army seen in a generation and plunges the two nations into a bloody […]
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: Age of Ash (Kithamar #1) by Daniel Abraham
From New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed author Daniel Abraham, co-author of the Expanse, comes a monumental epic fantasy trilogy that unfolds within the walls of a single great city, over the course of one tumultuous year, where every story matters, and the fate of the city is woven from them all. Kithamar is a centre […]
Review: The Justice of Kings (Empire of the Wolf #1) by Richard Swan
Synopsis As an Emperor’s Justice, Sir Konrad Vonvalt always has the last word. His duty is to uphold the law of the empire using whatever tools he has at his disposal: whether it’s his blade, the arcane secrets passed down from Justice to Justice, or his wealth of knowledge of the laws of the empire. […]
Review: The Last Mortal Bond (Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne #3) by Brian Staveley
Synopsis Emperor Sanlitun is dead and his empire lies in ruins: The powerful Csestriim, since time immemorial the deadliest enemies of humans, have returned to Annur. Mages, hitherto living only in secret, are coming out into the open to practise their dark arts, and the Old Gods, capricious and treacherous, walk the earth once more. […]