llip has suddenly developed pointy teeth; he’s getting really wary of daylight and to top it off … he can no longer see his reflection in the mirror. Well, what does he think has caused that? Perhaps its an STD, he surmises … and that, reader, is completely on brand for a book in The Stranger Times series, it had me roaring from the get-go and is utterly, utterly entertaining. It’s certainly for fans of Pratchett and other comedic novels, but really does cut its own shape in the genre with a heavy focus on fantasy, world-building and urban-central storytelling. I loved this and it continues to be a series I look forward to.
Urban Fantasy
Review and Book Tour: Shadow of a Dead God (Mennik Thorn #1) by Patrick Samphire
Synopsis I was a grown man, damn it, and a mage of Agatos. Armies fled before me. Demons quaked in fear. Small animals gave me a wide berth. Babies cried when I smiled at them. Mennick Thorn is a broke mage for hire with an attitude problem and a tendency to make all the wrong […]
Review: Jade Legacy (Green Bone Saga #3) by Fonda Lee
Endings are a tricky thing. A good ending can reframe an entire story or bring home the points that an author was making. A bad ending can sour the experience of a whole series or story. Thankfully, Jade Legacy, the third and final book in the Green Bone Saga, is a smashingly good ending.
Review: Road to Juneau by Liam Quane
Synopsis New York: two years after the Third World War. Humanity is rebuilding its cities brick by brick; the damage done to the people, however, is a lot harder to repair. Dan Hardacre is one of those people. An aspiring stage actor and experienced draft-dodger, Dan struggles to find his place within the Utopic rebuild […]
Review: Jade War (The Green Bone Saga #2) by Fonda Lee
Jade War by Fonda Lee increased everything I loved about the first book and made for a truly breathless read. While the first book was enjoyable, something about it was lacking for me. This sequel expelled any doubts and was a fantastic continuation of the story. (minor spoilers for the first book follow)
Review: Jade Legacy by Fonda Lee
renching, thoughtful and satisfying close. Each of the books in this series stands on their own in such a unique way: Jade City is a story about a city and its warring clans; Jade War broadens the scope, establishing a country on the geopolitical world stage; and Jade Legacy goes even further, as multiple generations of a family come to grips with their legacy and the future of their nation. As time progresses, as power waxes and wanes, who will finally take control of Kekon?
Review: Jade City (The Green Bone Saga #1) by Fonda Lee
Jade City by Fonda Lee shot up my TBR pile with the effusive praise poured upon Jade Legacy, the conclusion of the series. I was blessed to be sent a review copy of Jade City by Orbit, so I decided to start the trilogy.
This series is an urban fantasy tale with heavy influences from gangster and mafia stories mixed with kung-fu. I’m not a huge fan of those kind of stories, but I love well written characters and an interesting take on fantasy, so I gave it a shot.
Review: Wildwood Whispers by Willa Reece
If you’re a fan of quietly beautiful storytelling and an intrinsic magic system, Wildwood Whispers might be a good book for you!
Monster Hunter International (#1 & #2) by Larry Correia
Monsters are real. But Monster Hunting is [semi] privatized. Enter Monster Hunter International (MHI)! Not all worlds need to be rich and fancy. Sometimes the solution is as simplistically elegant as picking up a gun and shooting a monster in the head. The author describes this as “a conglomeration of B-Movie stereotypes but tackled from the perspective tactical realism” and it’s just that.
Review: The Liar of Red Valley by W.L. Goodwater
A wildly imaginative urban fantasy!
Book Tour: Shadow Shinjuku by Ryu Takeshi
Shadow Shinjuku is a Japanese crime thriller and Ryu Takeshi’s first published novel. It is so interesting that the synopsis mentions noir, as well, because that was the vibe I got while reading it. I found the combination of urban fantasy, crime noir, and thriller to be fascinating. The book also has some supernatural elements, too, so it is hard to nail this book down to one genre.
Review: The Liar of Red Valley by Walter Goodwater
(The Liar of Red Valley) is a fantastic book full of magic creatures, cool magic and fast-paced plot. While I didn’t get behind some of the side characters, that in itself can play into a massive plot twist that I’m sure no one will see coming. However, it is a shorter book than I’d have liked so saves on going too in-depth. I believe it’s a stylistic choice that all of the magic creatures aren’t described because the human eye can’t behold, the human mind can’t decipher, what they are but it sometimes left a blank space in my imagination with it. However, it was a cool way to deal with beings we simply wouldn’t know how to describe and leaves an original twist on what their appearances might be in that everyone reading will see something different.