In the first installment in his Shadow of the Leviathan series, Bennett blends in just the right mix of familiar mystery and fantasy elements to satisfy readers of both genres while still creating something that feels unique and immersive.
High Fantasy
Review: The Last Breath of Peace by Lewis J. Sutcliffe
Synopsis: In the deep quiet of the Whispering Wood, Sorin has made a life out of being forgotten. That silence shatters when a dying Elven messenger collapses at his door, carrying a sealed warning meant for a king who may already be too late to listen. Hunted by fanatics, shadowed by ancient powers, and burdened […]
Review: Valor (The Faithful and the Fallen #2) by John Gwynne
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.
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: Daughters of Tith (Children of the Trees #1) by J. Patricia Anderson
Synopsis The kandar are the children of the trees. Powerful. Immutable. Nine hundred eternal beings who need no sleep nor sustenance, created at the beginning of time to guard the nine human Earths. That was never meant to change. The youngest of five sisters, Tchardin is about to be acknowledged as queen of the kandar. […]
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.
Tales of Ethrea by David A Trotter
Synopsis Three Epic Tales In One. The First Oath, Blessings of Blood, and the Many Secrets of Dhall’mahal Academy. Review This was my first time reading David A. Trotter, and I came away thoroughly impressed. Tales of Ethrea collects three short stories set in the world of Ethrea, and each one serves as both a […]
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: The Last Hour Between Worlds by Melissa Caruso
Synopsis A whip-smart adventure fantasy packed with rival guilds, reality-bending magic, and sapphic pining, The Last Hour Between Worlds is the brilliant launch of a new series from David Gemmell Award-nominated author, Melissa Caruso. Kembral Thorne is spending a few hours away from her newborn, and she’s determined to enjoy herself at this party no matter what. […]
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: Mother of Death and Dawn (The War of Lost Hearts #3) by Carissa Broadbent
Mother of Dawn and Death’s best character arc is Aefe, hands down. In Children of Fallen Gods I was very fond of her, and then over the course of Mother of Death and Dawn I went through so many emotions with her. From seeing her as a villain, to seeing her just as a broken, used person who makes the wrong choices for love, to making the right choices for herself. Her growth and change is what carried the emotional side of this book for me.
Review: The Curse of Dragon Tail Island by Jonathan Nevair
This novel blends pirates with classic fantasy, all in a Robin Hood style package.