Cold from the North begins in Broadheim, a Nordic inspired land, that is suffering from a much colder winter than usual. We’re quickly introduced to Ogulf a young viking and his friend Melcun who posses some interesting abilities that are rather frowned upon. A rather mysterious and dangerous enemy is lurking on the horizon, flattening everything in it’s path. This causes the main characters to quickly be thrown into the deep end, deciding it’s best to run and regroup rather than fight an unknown enemy. Now, some of this might sounds familiar, which it is, but the plot was driven forward at a perfect pace and I felt myself easily drawn into the world and its characters. The Nordic/Viking theme was also never lost in the book and at times I felt that cold that the characters felt.
Reviews
Review: Fury of a Demon (Dragons of Terra #3) By Brian Naslund
The writing was amazing, and each time I felt something new was going to happen, it did. This novel is not predictable, and that’s a good thing. There’s always something new happening, and I cannot wait to see what happens when Vera and the group travel to see the lands beyond Taggerstan. There’s so much story brimming here, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the entire series here.
Review: Immersion Online: The Noob (Immersion Online #1) by Evan Klein
While LitRPG might not be for everybody, I would like to challenge people to expand their horizons. This book has so many cool fantasy and sci-fi elements that the LitRPG elements shouldn’t distract. This is not a harem kind of wish fulfillment book, either, so no worries on that account. Its just a solid, fantasy based book that should appeal to fans of both LitRPG and fantasy alike. I highly recommend it, because book two is due to be released later this month, so you won’t have to wait for your next fix.
Review: Echoes of the Past (Demon Squad #4) by Tim Marquitz
Sometimes it seems like a series can start to run out of steam after the first trilogy of books. That is definitely not the case with the Demon Squad. The characters keep evolving, the world building gets better with every book, and you become seriously invested in where the story is going. Echoes Of The Past is an excellent addition to the series, and I hope more people discover Frank and company as well. Everyone needs some snark in their lives. I will highly recommend this book, and this series as a whole!
Review: Pieces of Eight (The Guardian of Empire City #2) by Peter Hartog
Pieces of Eight was a nearly perfect sequel to Bloodlines and I am so excited to see what the Guardian of Empire City must confront next. Hartog’s character work is so well done that choosing a favorite character is almost impossible. While parts of the ending fell a little flat for me, my overall enjoyment of the book was not affected. The Guardian of Empire City series has become one of my favorites and I can’t wait for the next entry.
Review: Hard Reboot by Django Wexler
I’m typically not a big fan of reading Novellas and prefer longer formats and this month I read 3, and Hard Reboot was a good one. I would have preferred to read this premise in a longer format to get a better picture of the world, characters and main storyline, but Django maintained my interest and kept me turning pages despite the shorter format.
Review: Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Certain Dark Things is the new, sharply set, novel from Silvia Moreno-Garcia; it bares its fangs right away with action scenes in fast beats under the glow of the neon lights. It’s what twilight would be if it was dark and riddled with bullet holes, if the vampire families were warring drug cartels, not welcome by the human ones that inhabit, run and rule Mexico City. This alternate reality where ten types of vampires will come for you in the night, or day, is sure to keep you gripped.
Review: The Six-Gun Tarot (Golgotha #1) by R.S. Belcher
Words cannot express how much I have enjoyed reading this book as it has expanded my horizon, not only in terms of western novels, but mystery and horror novels as well. Readers who need to care about their characters will adore the Six-Gun Tarot and the mysteries behind them all. Fans of Stephen Kings Dark Tower series would also feel at home in this world as they strap in for a wild ride. The Six-Gun Tarot will only leave you wanting more because Mr. Belcher just keeps on delivering the goods. Enjoy the journey and I hope it never ends.
Review: The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan
Embracing the DNF: 3 Reasons It’s Okay to Read Something Else
Review: Dare to Know by James Kennedy
James Kennedy has crafted a premise and a novel that starts in one place, and ends up somewhere completely and utterly different. It only takes 300 pages but it works perfectly and at no point does it feel rushed, or like anything is missing. We follow our narrator in across almost his entire life. Intertwined with the present day parts are bits and pieces from his past. It ranges from Physics camp with his new best friend, days out with his ex-girlfriend and affairs while he travels. Every moment is important, every moment somehow leads into that ending. You get something entirely different to what the blurb promises, but in the best possible way.
Review: The City We Became (Great Cities #1) by N. K. Jemisin
Well, this review has been a long time coming. Very rarely do I find myself so conflicted by a book, but N. K. Jemisin’s latest, The City We Became, left my emotions mixed and two months later I finally feel I can deconstruct the reasons why. With this book, I had no idea what to expect, but I knew it wouldn’t be an easy read. Despite my suspicions being confirmed, I came out the other side both captivated and frustrated.