Valor doubles down on everything that worked in book one and then some. Gwynne goes darker and more epic, building out a world and mythos for his series that steps out of any lingering shadows cast by its predecessors and fully into its own identity.
Heroic Fantasy
Among the Thorns – Never the Roses by Jennifer K Lambert
Twin sorceresses. One Prince Charming. Which sister will win out? Ambitious young sorceress Rose of Northbrooke is about to graduate. She’s the only known dream sorcerer of her generation and she’s a remarkable one. No wonder she has Prince Sebastien, one of the most eligible royals of the realm trailing her skirts. But when rumours […]
Review: Upon The Forge of Battle (Age of Wrath, #3) by Anthony Ryan
The Age of Wrath reaches its bloody conclusion, the world will be reforged in steel and fire . . . Thera Blackspear was once champion to the Sister Queens. Now she’s a queen herself, with Elvine as her spear maiden, wielding a weapon forged by the gods. But while the traitorous Sister Lore plots in […]
Review: Ember and Steel (The Breitho Chronicles #1) by Donna Morgan
Ember and Steel is a dark fantasy tale that cleverly balances the gruesome and joyful parts of this richly detailed world.
Review: A Drowned Kingdom (The Drowned Kingdom Saga #1) by P.L. Stuart
Synopsis Once Second Prince of the mightiest kingdom in the known world, Othrun now leads the last survivors of his exiled people into an uncertain future far across the Shimmering Sea from their ancestral home, now lost beneath the waves. With his Single God binding his knights to chivalric oaths, intent on wiping out idolatry […]
Review: Rising Gale (Song of the Damned #2) by Z.B. Steele
Synopsis: My execution draws near… The noose beckons. My days dwindle. And still, my story is unfinished. Tears are left to be shed. Blood has yet to be spilled. Lend me your ear once more to hear of sins and failures. Of swords and shadows. Of violet lightning and black blood. For it was I […]
Review: Mortedan’s Peril (The Trials of Irody Hasp, #1) by R.J Barker
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 […]
Review: Crownfall by Michael Vadney
Synopsis: The gritty underworld and razor-edged found family of Six of Crows collide with the mysterious magic and sweeping intrigue of The City of Brass, all against the vivid industrial backdrop of Arcane in Michael Vadney’s nobledark fantasy debut. Nearly a decade under the empire’s grip has left Burunt a troubled land. Kyndel Heim knows […]
Review: The Curse of Dragon Tail Island by Jonathan Nevair
This novel blends pirates with classic fantasy, all in a Robin Hood style package.
Review: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season one
A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS is an HBO adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s Dunk and Egg novellas. I absolutely love these low stakes prequels to the A Song of Ice and Fire universe that take place a century or so before the events of the books. The three-released novellas star Ser Duncan the Tall […]
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 Blackfire Blade (The Last Legacy #2) by James Logan
I can now safely say that Logan breezily surpassed my expectations with The Blackfire Blade, making everything that worked great in book one even better, avoiding previous mistakes, and vaulting right over the feared sophomore slump. Indeed, this series is quickly and easily carving out a spot for itself as the perfect entry into the genre for new fantasy readers, and as a comfort read for those of us seasoned in classic epic fantasy. Everything I said for book one remains true; Logan’s worldbuilding is strong and, his take on beloved tropes, fresh and engaging.