TL;DR Review: High on the steam, spice, and sass. An insightful exploration of the burdens of duty and the cost of desire. Synopsis: Low stakes. High heat. Sharp steel. Mattinesh Jay, dutiful heir to his struggling family business, needs to hire an experienced swordsman to serve as best man for his arranged marriage. Sword-challenge at […]
High Fantasy
Book Review: A Grave for Us All (Crown and Tide #2) by Michael Roberti
TL;DR Review: Higher stakes, deeper grimdarkness, bloodier battles, and messier characters—exactly what I want in a Book 2! Synopsis: “A civil war on that scale would make Harfal little more than a mass grave.”“There would be death. There would be chaos. But this time there would be a lasting peace…” Follow Cael, Emil, Merily and […]
Book Review: The Pale City (Rites of Resurrection #1) by Marshall J. Moore
TL;DR Review: Lightning-fast plot, richly colorful world, and heart-pounding action. Roman/Greek Republic colored with African-inspired culture and magic. Synopsis: Only the dead can save the living. In Albastine, the dead are made into mindless servants known as Attendants, incapable of harming the living unless commanded to by the soldier-necromancer Legates. Forced into an early retirement, […]
Review: The Blood that Burns the Winter Snow (The Bound and the Broken short story) by Ryan Cahill
Synopsis The Blood that Burns the Winter Snow is a short story set in the world of The Bound and The Broken. Vars Bryer is a man of The Glade. He loves his wife, feels at peace in his home, and would give the air in his lungs to keep his children safe. But the […]
Book Review: The Traitors We Are (Crown and Tide #1) by Michael Roberti
TL;DR Review – “Light” grimdark flavor, with singular characters and a world that just keeps getting more interesting with every chapter. Synopsis: In a world where writing disappears when the author dies, 22-year-old Cael Oberlan watches the last gasping breaths of his best friend. He pulls a scrap of paper out of his pocket as […]
Book Review: The Gods Below by Andrea Stewart
TL;DR Review: A singularly creative and fresh-feeling reading experience. An excellent start to a gripping new series. Synopsis: In this sweeping epic fantasy comes a story of magic, betrayal, love, and loyalty, where two sisters will clash on opposite sides of a war against the gods. A divine war shattered the world leaving humanity in […]
Book Review: Flames of Gold (Legends of Gold and Silver #1) by Liz Delton
TL;DR Review: An epic journey begins, promising great things to come. Synopsis: The silverswords have held Tytan in an iron fist for centuries.That fist has crushed the last hope for the continent. After quitting mage training, fire mage Fig thought her dealings with the crown and the ruthless silverswords who rule Tytan were over. That […]
Book Review: Cursed Cocktails by S.L. Rowland
TL;DR Review: Cozy, heartwarming, and instantly engaging. A great look at a “second act/second career” so many of us can resonate with. Synopsis: When life gives you lemons, squeeze them into a stiff drink and stir. After twenty years defending the frozen north against some of the most dangerous threats in the nine kingdoms, […]
Book Review: The Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher
TL;DR Review: Fun, easy reading. Cozy fantasy that becomes wonderfully epic by the end. The perfect binge-reading book. Synopsis: Fourteen-year-old Mona isn’t like the wizards charged with defending the city. She can’t control lightning or speak to water. Her familiar is a sourdough starter and her magic only works on bread. She has a comfortable […]
Book Review: The Last Shield by Cameron Johnston
TL;DR Review: Grueling, gritty, and grimdark as hell. A main character who takes badass and resilient to a whole new level. Synopsis: A gender-flipped Die Hard set in a mysterious castle, Cameron Johnston’s The Last Shield is an engaging fantasy read, perfect for fans of John Gwynne and Mark Lawrence. The ancient forest realm of […]
Book Review: Outlaw Mage by (The Dageian Puppetmaster Book 1) K.S. Villoso
TL;DR Review – A wonderfully complex examination of cultural whitewashing and complicated families. Synopsis: Despite Rosha’s best efforts, she will never fit in. To her classmates, she is forever an outsider, a girl from the fringes of the empire just lucky enough to have well-off parents. To her teachers, she is either a charity case […]
Book Review: Of Thieves and Shadows by B.S.H. Garcia
TL;DR Review: A breathtakingly epic world and high stakes adventure with an intriguing cast of complex, well-developed characters. Synopsis: Some secrets are best left to the shadows. But shadows have a mind of their own. The ancient land of Quinaria teeters on the brink of war, as its most precious resource is unearthed and exploited. […]