Hello again dear reader or listener, remember the week between Xmas and NY doesn’t count for Santa’s list, so I hope you’ve been having fun these last few days of 2023!
If I’m being honest 2023 was a bit of a mixed bag and life stuff plus the undertaking of an MRes meant much less leisure reading for me this year. If I hadn’t signed up for so many ARCs in fact, I doubt I’d have read as much as I did in the end. But I am also pleased to say I had some great reads regardless and now I’m gonna do my best to give you a top five. This was the year I leaned a bit more into the thriller/horror/Gothic ambiances even though in this list you’ll also find various subgenres of fantasy such as steampunk, epic, and historical fantasy, as well as some romance.
Dark Water Daughter
Review: Dark Water Daughter (The Winter Sea #1) by H.M. Long
Synopsis A stormsinger and pirate hunter join forces against a deathless pirate lord in this swashbuckling Jacobean adventure on the high-seas. Mary Firth is a Stormsinger: a woman whose voice can still hurricanes and shatter armadas. Faced with servitude to pirate lord Silvanus Lirr, Mary offers her skills to his arch-rival in exchange for protection […]
Review: Dark Water Daughter (The Winter Sea #1) by H. M. Long
Long has presented us with an incredible adventure that hits the ground running, full of fascinating and interesting characters, that are also so delightfully vivid, to open a series that promises so much more to come. The writing is truly atmospheric, fast paced and flowing, without sacrificing any detail, nor weighing down the story with any needless expositing. It all happens so organically that you are fully immersed in this cold pirate world.
Review: Dark Water Daughter (The Winter Sea #1) by H.M. Long
This is hands-down Hannah’s best book yet. And I’ve read and loved all her previous work. There’s something about Dark Water Daughter that captured me and refused to let go. I suspect this series will become a favourite of mine, I can’t wait to see where Hannah takes this story.
SFF Addicts Ep. 38: Discovery Writing with H.M. Long (Mini-Masterclass)
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson and M.J. Kuhn as they delve into a mini-masterclass with author H.M. Long, where she explores the process of discovery writing. During the episode, Hannah explains the concept of discovery writing, how it became her go-to writing approach, the benefits of discovery writing for workflow, plot and worldbuilding, spontaneity in storytelling, editing while drafting, potential challenges and more.
SFF Addicts Ep. 37: H.M. Long talks Barrow of Winter, Dark Water Daughter, Writing as Therapy & More
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson and M.J. Kuhn as they chat with author H.M. Long about her origins in SFF and reading, why she started writing, the many books she wrote before getting published, the origins of Hall of Smoke, how she expanded that book into a series, her new books Barrow of Winter and Dark Water Daughter, plus pirates, salamanders and much more.