brilliantly written sci-fi stories that completely resonated with me on both an emotional and intellectual level. Liu has quickly become one of my favorite science fiction writers.
Reviews
Review: The Fall of Babel by Josiah Bancroft
At last, the Books of Babel by Josiah Bancroft has come to its conclusion – and boy is it great. I first picked up Senlin Ascends based on the recommendation by Mark Lawrence when the first two books were published with Orbit. Senlin Ascends was, and remains, one of the best fantasy books I’ve ever read – and probably books in general. In fact, if you haven’t read these yet, stop reading this review and go do that now.
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!
The Traitor Baru Cormorant (The Masquerade #1) by Seth Dickinson
Synopsis Tomorrow, on the beach, Baru Cormorant will look up and see red sails on the horizon. The Empire of Masks is coming, armed with coin and ink, doctrine and compass, soap and lies. They will conquer Baru’s island, rewrite her culture, criminalize her customs, and dispose of one of her fathers. But Baru is […]
Review: An Altar on the Village Green by Nathan Hall
When I heard this was very Dark Souls-esque I was instantly intrigued. As someone who doesn’t have the patience to actually sit and complete them (mostly because I die way too much), but who will sit and google all the lore while her brother plays it, this was perfect for me.
There are so many small nods to the series, open gates that persist between deaths, the crazy lore where nothing ever quite seems to be on the side of ‘good’, and just the dark atmosphere that sits throughout the book. If you like the Dark Souls series you should really pick this up.
Review: Map’s Edge (The Tethered Citadel #1) by David Hair
Map’s Edge isn’t far from your classic fantasy comfort read; it’s a book for the winter, a book that’s warm and ready to take you on an adventure you might be familiar with, but it’s far from anything you’ve read before. There’s a modern voice, a twist on what you’ve read before. From the tale of Vashtariel the last God-King of the Aldar, the quality of Gravis’ alcohol, to the clientele is his tavern, the details are all here.
Review: Artifact Space by Miles Cameron
Fun space adventure!
Review: Notes from the Burning Age by Claire North
And what a solid package this was. Notes from the Burning Age sunk its hooks into me early on, grabbing my attention with an intriguing world, strange mysteries and a lead character that I could sympathize with. I was consistently curious to read more and more. And more. By the end, I was wholly enthralled and deeply invested in the rich, descriptive prose, geopolitical machinations, the backstabbing, the supernatural elements, the the history and lore—all of it. I can’t recommend this book enough.
Book Tour: Creation (Why Odin Drinks #1) by Bjorn Larssen
Creation is a humorous retelling of the Norse creation myth, centering around the god brothers, Odin, Vili, and Ve. Instead of being a straightforward retelling of the myth, Larssen has taken Norse mythology and viewed it through the lens of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, resulting in a silly and often slapstick look at Norse tradition.
Review: The Splinter King (The God-King Chronicles #2) by Mike Brooks
The Splinter King is the second book in Mike Brooks’ God-King Chronicles series, and the author really goes to great lengths to expand the world and the characters. While I did not think it quite lived up to the expectations set by the first book, I did still enjoy it.
Review: Dreams of the Dying (Enderal #1) by Nicolas Lietzau
As you can probably tell by now, my feelings on Dreams of the Dying are really mixed. It seems like everything I liked about it also happened to be its greatest flaws. Take the worldbuilding, for instance. I loved how deep Lietzau went with the worldbuilding, giving us two unique cultures and fantastical creatures galore.
Review: The Fall of Babel by Josiah Bancroft
ot only as a fantastic story in and of itself, but it also ties up a four-book series in a way that is both enjoyable and optimistic. (Most) loose ends were tied, character arcs fulfilled, many questions answered, but a couple of new ones were introduced that infused the finale with a wondrous sense of mystery. To be honest, I was caught off guard with how it all wrapped up, reeling from how amazingly cool things turned out that I needed to re-read it just to absorb everything that happened—and I loved it. I don’t need a tidy ending, truth be told. But author Josiah Bancroft did a phenomenal job giving this series an ending befitting the majestic, enigmatic Tower of Babel.