TL;DR Review: A beautiful balance of magic and intrigue, action and romance, underscored by a lovely “Persephone and Hades” flavor. Synopsis: BLOOD BOUND AND PENNILESS. EXILED INTO CURSED LANDS. HUNTED BY DEATH. When the thief Suri suffers a humiliating robbery, she has one day to pay off an ugly debt. Her solution: abduct and impersonate […]
Fantasy
Book Review: The Land Herself (A Tale of Cirilliarc) by Ainy Cormac
Synopsis: This faith is a double-edged sword, indeed. In the deserts of Utter Ung, there lies a great stone dagger, buried in the heart of the dead goddess. Sahul. The mother. The land herself. For hundreds of millennia, the artefact has drawn broken people to it; those in search of answers, and those in search […]
Review: Absolute Batman #1
Synopsis Without the mansion…without the money…without the butler…what’s left is the Absolute Batman! Review A violent gang runs amok in Gotham. Only one man can stop them. Sounds like your usual Batman plot. But there’s nothing usual at all about Absolute Batman #1. Written by Scott Snyder, with art by Nick Dragotta, Absolute Batman #1 […]
Book Review: Gift of the Shaper (Highglade Series #1) by DL Jennings
TL;DR Review: Familiar-feeling classic high fantasy with some wonderfully surprising twists. Synopsis: Armies will clash and gods will die… For thousands of years, the Breaker of the Dawn has been locked away in the ethereal plane of the Otherworld. Now, a young blacksmith’s apprentice finds himself trapped in a war between the noble Athrani, a […]
Review: Three Eight One by Aliya Whiteley
Synopsis It’s January 2314, and Rowena Savalas is obsessing over a mysterious text in the internet archives. The text relates the story of Fairly — who walks the Horned Road while being chased by the ‘Breathing Man’ — and was posted in the summer of 2024. Rowena finds herself being drawn into the mystery of […]
Book Review: Spark of the Everflame (The Kindred Curse Saga #1) by Penn Cole
TL;DR Review: A spitfire of a heroine. A lovely balance between warrior and healer, fighter and caretaker. Synopsis: When old secrets catch fire, everything will burn. In a mortal world colonized by the gods and ruled over by the Descended, their cruel offspring, Diem Bellator yearns to escape the insular life of her poor village. […]
Review: The Gods Below (The Hollow Covenant #1) by Andrea Stewart
The Gods Below is a grand start to a series which promises even more twists, intrigues, feels, romance, political machinations, and magic! Nailing the psychology of different kinds of trauma, cultish manipulation, the weight of familial expectations, and the forced shouldering of responsibilities that you are ill prepared for or didn’t deserve, Stewart presents readers with a story full of heart and drive and stubbornness.
Book Review: Blood of the Old Kings by Sung-Il Kim
TL;DR Review: Compelling, colorful, and complex. Epic storytelling that sinks into your bones and keeps you turning pages. Synopsis: Powered by the corpses of sorcerers, the Empire has conquered the world. It claims to have brought peace and stability to its conquered lands, but some see that peace for what it is—a lie—and will give […]
REVIEW: Lightfall (Book One of the Everlands) by Ed Crocker
SYNOPSIS For centuries, vampires freely roamed the land until the Grays came out of nowhere, wiping out half the population in a night. The survivors fled to the last vampire city of First Light, where the rules are simple. If you’re poor, you drink weak blood. If you’re nobility, you get the good stuff. And […]
Review: To Catch a Witch: A Story of the Temere by E.L. Montague
Caught in a scandal with Lord Arle that draws the attention of King Harald’s Inquisition, Shenagh is forced to flee her home into the Dark Wood. The young hedge witch, pursued by Master Macon den Lough and his henchman, Cobb, is tested by the forest’s rugged terrain, dangerous predators, and legendary monsters.
FLASHBACK REVIEW:Legacy of the Brightwash (Tainted Dominion #1) by Krystle Matar
SYNOPSIS Tashué’s faith in the law is beginning to crack. Three years ago, he stood by when the Authority condemned Jason to the brutality of the Rift for non-compliance. When Tashué’s son refused to register as tainted, the laws had to be upheld. He’d never doubted his job as a Regulation Officer before, but three […]
Book Review: Swordcrossed by Freya Marske
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 […]