Of Darkness and Light is the second install in Ryan Cahill’s The Bound and the Broken series, and it is a book in which the author dramatically expands in all aspects versus book 1. The storyline has much more suspense and conflict, the character set is expanded, the characters also grow significantly, the world building is grander, and the pace is improved, as well. Of Darkness and Light is truly epic.
Reviews
Review: The Pariah (The Covenant of Steel #1) by Anthony Ryan
The Pariah is the opening act in The Covenant of Steel series and what an opening it is! We follow Alwyn Scribe in first person, as he shares with the reader his tale through the benefit of hindsight. I’ve grown really fond of this type of narrator over the years because, especially if the attitude is right, it makes for some really fun reading, rife with asides and commentary that add a certain dimension to the story that, be it because of ominous foreshadowing or amusing snark, sass, or dry humor, regularly gives you a solid chuckle. The Pariah had all of that and more.
Review: Leviathan Falls (The Expanse #9) by James S.A. Corey
A good closure to one of the best sci-fi series of all time, but not really a satisfying read.
Review: The Justice of Kings (Empire of the Wolf #1) by Richard Swan
The Justice of Kings is a triumph, a marvel that has placed courtrooms and wordplay as epic a battle as legions of men versus beasts ever were; with intrigue laced into every word of Helena’s tell-all tale of justice, and the lengths a single man will go to mete it out, the Justice of Kings is a tale above them all? When I say I enjoyed this book, it is the biggest understatement I’ve made this year.
Review: Of Blood and Fire (The Bound and the Broken #1) by Ryan Cahill
Of Blood and Fire is the first in The Bound and the Broken series and author Ryan Cahill’s first novel. I walked away impressed with Cahill’s storytelling ability, world building proficiency, skill in developing characters, and detailed descriptions. I liked this book a lot and see a lot of potential for the rest of the series.
Review: Of Darkness and Light (The Bound and the Broken #2)
Synopsis Heroes will rise. Nations will fall. Behind the towering walls of Belduar, Calen Bryer and his companions stand in defense of the city and its new king. In over a thousand years, Belduar has never fallen. It has stood as a bastion of hope. But the Lorian empire are at its walls once more, […]
Lucia by Steven A. McKay
Synopsis At eight years old, Lucia is torn from the life she knew. Her village burned to the ground and parents murdered by Romans, she is kidnapped, sold and shipped abroad to the Villa Tempestatis in Britannia to serve the young Roman army officer Castus.Faced with a bleak future of decades of servitude to her […]
Illborn by Daniel T Jackson (The Illborn Saga #1)
Synopsis Long ago, The Lord Aiduel emerged from the deserts of the Holy Land, possessed with divine powers. He used these to forcibly unite the peoples of Angall, before His ascension to heaven. Over eight hundred years later, in a medieval world which is threatened by war and religious persecution, four young men and women […]
Review: This Is How You Lose The Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone – a Hugo, Nebula, and Locus award winner – is one of my favorite reads of 2021.
Review: The Fall (The Bound and the Broken #0.5) by Ryan Cahill
The Fall is a prequel novella related to Ryan Cahill’s The Bound and the Broken series. It takes place approximately 400 years before the events of book 1, Of Blood and Fire, and highlights a big event in the history of Epheria that is mentioned several times in Of Blood and Fire and continues to impact current events.
Review: Falling Dark by Tom Lloyd
SynopsisIt’s the find of a lifetime – an ancient alien spaceship hanging in a forgotten corner of space. For Song this could change everything. She’s got as many problems with her finances as she does in her marriage, but maybe at last her passion for wreck-diving will pay off. One piece of unknown tech could […]
Review: The Bone Shard Emperor (The Drowning Empire #2) by Andrea Stewart
The Bone Shard Emperor is the 2nd installment in Andrea Stewart’s The Drowning Empire series. This is one of the most unique fantasy stories I have read; in fact, the first book in the series, The Bone Shard Daughter, was one of my (and many others’) favorite books of 2020 (read that review here). With all of the great elements at play in this book and the way the story progresses, I am not surprised to see The Bone Shard Emperor receiving similar accolades.