TL;DR Review: Razor-sharp dialogue, a wildly imaginative alt-history fantasy world, and wonderfully extravagant characters result in what may be Joe Abercrombie’s best work to date. Synopsis: Holy work sometimes requires unholy deeds. Brother Diaz has been summoned to the Sacred City, where he is certain a commendation and grand holy assignment awaits him. But his […]
Books
Author Chat: Mark A Ellis
Author bio: Mark A Ellis lives in Sheffield, England with his wife and two children. When not writing sci-fi he is usually reading it or climbing/cycling in the nearby Peak District. He is also a University Lecturer and holds a PhD in Responsible Leadership, a field in which he also publishes. Beyond the Treeline is his debut […]
Book Review: Anji Kills a King (The Rising Tide #1) by Evan Leikam
TL;DR Review: A grimdark fantasy adventure, an indefatigable character, and cleverly woven mysteries that had me spellbound until the last page. Synopsis: An unlikely assassin struggles to escape a legendary bounty hunter in this breakneck fantasy debut that will grab you by the throat―perfect for fans of Joe Abercrombie, R.F. Kuang, and Christopher Buehlman. She […]
Review: Bloodless by G.J. Terral, book 3 of The Binding Tenets
Synopsis: No less blood is shed when bonds become broken. Threats come from all sides as Ladrican ships wait off the coast and a mysterious untethered threat becomes impossible to ignore. Lin is pushed to breaking as he struggles to stall Ladrica’s assault. War is upon Danica, but like an infection allowed to fester, the […]
Review: The Baby Dragon Cafe by A.T. Qureshi
Synopsis When Saphira opened up her café for baby dragons and their humans, she wasn’t expecting it to be so difficult to keep the fires burning. It turns out, young dragons are not the best magical animals to keep in a café, and replacing all that burnt furniture is costing Saphira more than she can afford from […]
Review: Relentless Blades (Vol.1 of The Prophecies of Zarune) by Russell Carroll
Synopsis: Cross the wrong men and meet their blades! In a rugged frontier town, two broken men wander aimlessly–Grimlock, a tormented soul despised by the townspeople he protects, searches for a brother he may never find, while Vigilanton, a disgraced knight bound by shame, serves a vicious crime lord. The Vragoths’ arrival–brutal conquerors seeking an […]
Review: Kill For Me, Kill For You by Steve Cavanagh
Synopsis For fans of The Silent Patient and Gone Girl, a razor-sharp and Hitchcock-inspired psychological thriller about two ordinary women who make a dangerous pact to take revenge for each other after being pushed to the brink. One dark evening on New York City’s Upper West Side, two strangers meet by chance. Over drinks, Amanda […]
Review: A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck
Synopsis An ordinary family man, geologist, and Mormon, Soren Johansson has always believed he’ll be reunited with his loved ones after death in an eternal hereafter. Then, he dies. Soren wakes to find himself cast by a God he has never heard of into a Hell whose dimensions he can barely grasp: a vast library […]
Review: Toothsucker by Kaden Love
Something to chew over Synopsis In a cyberpunk future, an alarming disease strikes, dissolving the bones of those with cybernetic enhancements. Petya, a refugee, sells himself to a company experimenting with a potential cure and instead finds himself with a strange new implant… and a vampiric hunger for teeth. Petya only wanted a short trial […]
Review: Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson
Synopsis The spirits of the dead do not rest. Artemisia is training to be a Gray Sister, a nun who cleanses the bodies of the deceased so that their souls can pass on; otherwise, they will rise as ravenous, hungry spirits. She would rather deal with the dead than the living, who whisper about her […]
Review: The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen
Synopsis Hart is a marshal, tasked with patrolling the strange and magical wilds of Tanria. It’s an unforgiving job, and Hart’s got nothing but time to ponder his loneliness. Mercy never has a moment to herself. She’s been single-handedly keeping Birdsall & Son Undertakers afloat in defiance of sullen jerks like Hart, who seems to […]
Review: The Last Outlaw by Lee Hall
Synopsis: “I’m gonna take that gold right from under them and disappear with what I have always deserved – the fortune we have always deserved…” It’s the turn of the 20th century and times are getting harder for aging gunslinger John Arthur and his adopted daughter Bethany ‘The Blade’ Mason. After reuniting with an old friend they […]