Synopsis: There is much to be done when the kingdom isn’t looking. Iona Strider is a ruthless pickpocket cursed with a disobedient shadow. Violent, too. Worse, she can’t remember who cursed her, or why. But she does know one with each passing day, her control of the shadow dwindles. In her relentless pursuit of answers, she winds […]
Fantasy
Review: Wolf Worm by T Kingfisher
Synopsis The year is 1899 and Sonia Wilson is a scientific illustrator without work, prospects or hope. When the reclusive Dr. Halder offers her a position illustrating his vast collection of insects, Sonia jumps at the chance to move to his North Carolina manor house and put her talents to use. But soon enough she […]
Review: A Drowned Kingdom (The Drowned Kingdom) by Gregory Kontaxis
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: Daytide by Chris Panatier
Daytide by Chris Panatier is a thought provoking, turpentine induced, rapture of a novel that carries you into a dark world filled with hope against all odds, tender yet bittersweet full circle moments, and unexpected beauty in spite of the grotesque and macabre.
Review: Posthumous Education (Fred, the Vampire Accountant #8) by Drew Hayes
Synopsis Much like accountants, fey never forget a debt. Just as Fred is settling down in his new abode, he receives word that a favor is being called in, one he promised to a dangerously powerful member of otherworldly royalty. Bracing danger, adventure, and unknown threats, Fred is instead asked to take on an entirely […]
Review: The Curse of Dragon Tail Island by Jonathan Nevair
Synopsis: A once-legendary pirate and his loyal crew out to retake the high seas. Captain James R. Hawk, aka Trusty Jack, and his Salty Scoundrels are do-gooder buccaneers leaving a trail of merry mayhem in their wake. Their credo: ignore the corrupt laws of the Jewel Island’s greedy regent and sail the tropical seas in […]
Review: Queen of the Night Guild (Queen of Thieves 3) by Andy Peloquin
Synopsis Her life burned to ashes. Her city under siege. She will sacrifice everything she has for bloody vengeance. Ilanna has lost everything: her friends, her home, her family, her dreams of freedom. All that remains is a burning desire to find the bastards who burned down her city and tried to kill her. But […]
Review: Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead by K.J Parker
Synopsis: Not even the Church of the Invincible Sun is invincible – and somebody has to do its dirty work. Enter Sister Svangerd and her accompanying priest, both accomplished practitioners. Their mission is simple: to make a meddlesome princess disappear (permanently). To get to her, they must attend the legendary Ecumenical Council, the once-in-a-century convening […]
Review: The Monster of Lightower Library (A Lamplight Short Story) by Morgan Stang
Synopsis Enter the library of Lightower Keep, an ancient depository of arcane knowledge. With secrets around every corner, mysterious tomes, and even the odd ghost or two, monster-hunters throughout the ages have consulted its vast bestiary. Now, for Huntress Isabeau Agarwal, it may hold the key to putting down her most recent an invisible entity […]
Book Review: The Poet Empress by Shen Tao
TL;DR Review: Daughter of Empire meets Iron Widow. A fascinating look at the making of a sociopath. Synopsis: Debut author Shen Tao introduces readers to the lush, deadly world of The Poet Empress, a sweeping, epic and intimate fantasy perfect for fans of The Serpent & the Wings of Night, The Song of Achilles and She Who Became the Sun. […]
Review: Die Slow (The Runeborn Trilogy #2) by Morgan Shank
Synopsis The Runemasters are purged. The Hound, the Tower’s secret weapon, is buried under rubble in the ocean. Most importantly, the mainlanders who ended the Runemasters—Magon, Seneka, High Priest Oath, Itula, and Princess Elthren—survived the ordeal. However, Princess Elthren suffered great loss, and she will never be the same. Itula drained her magic, and she […]
Review: The Curse of Chalion (World of the Five Gods #1) by Lois McMaster Bujold
Synopsis A man broken in body and spirit, Cazaril, has returned to the noble household he once served as page, and is named, to his great surprise, as the secretary-tutor to the beautiful, strong-willed sister of the impetuous boy who is next in line to rule. It is an assignment Cazaril dreads, for it will […]