Hello as always dear reader or listener,
If you’ve been around me and my writing/tweeting even a tad throughout this past year, odds are you’ve seen me happily ramble about any one of the books or series on this list. I could talk about what I loved from each of these for dayyyys, that is a known fact, but for this post I thought I’d keep it to cover extravaganza and one or two quotes from each. Needless to say that I rec every one of these with eyes closed but if you’re feeling like you need more convincing, I’ll link my reviews (if I’ve written one) with each title, otherwise if you just want a quick chat about them, you know where to find me!
Orbit
Ashley’s Top 10 Reads in 2021
Reflecting on my favorite books of the year is one of my favorite December activities. Here are my top 10 reads in 2021.
Review: Far from the Light of Heaven by Tade Thompson
Far from the Light of Heaven is the latest release for noted SciFi author Tade Thompson (also known for The Wormwood Trilogy and the Molly Southborne series, among many others). This book is about a space mission gone awry. It is very murdery and includes rogue AI plus aliens. I was not the biggest fan of how everything was put together, but read on: this may be the very kind of book you connect with.
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.
Author Chat: Fonda Lee
Join FanFiAddict’s Adrian M. Gibson and author Fonda Lee for a chat about The Godfather, Dune and Hong Kong action films, her early career, what she’s learned from publishing books, martial arts, building a fictional world from scratch, writing compelling and complex characters, the release of Jade Legacy, saying goodbye to The Green Bone Saga series and much more.
Review: Blood of the Chosen (Burningblade & Silvereye #2) by Django Wexler
Blood of the Chosen is book 2 in Django Wexler’s Burningblade & Silvereye series, and the follow up to Ashes of the Sun (the first in the series, published in 2020 – a book which I also enjoyed. Read that review here). Blood of the Chosen does a great job of upping the stakes and keeping the tension high. I loved this book.
Author Chat: Andrea Stewart
Join FanFiAddict’s Adrian M. Gibson and fantasy author Andrea Stewart for a chat about her wild, long journey to get published, the origins of The Bone Shard Daughter, writing sequels and planning a trilogy, worldbuilding, morally grey characters, painting and much more.
Review: The Bone Ship’s Wake (The Tide Child #3) by R.J. Barker
The Bone Ship’s Wake is the third and final installment in R.J. Barker’s The Tide Child trilogy. This series is known for it’s sea-faring, pirate-y writing style, prophetic storyline, and characters that dynamic characters. I can safely say The Bone Ship’s Wake holds true to form.
Author Chat: Josiah Bancroft
Join FanFiAddict’s Adrian M. Gibson and Josiah for a chat about the release of his latest novel The Fall of Babel, writing (and finishing) a four-book series, the origins of The Books of Babel, self-publishing vs. traditional publishing, SPFBO, writing believable characters, approaches to humor and satire and much more. (Also, jokes aplenty.)
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.
Series Review: The Age of Madness by Joe Abercrombie
The Age of Madness series consists of three books: A Little Hatred, The Trouble with Peace, The Wisdom of Crowds. It is also part of Joe Abercrombie’s First Law universe, but it is hard for me to place exactly when this story takes place in relation to the rest because it was a very long time ago that I read them. Suffice to say, though, The Age of Madness fits perfectly within Abercrombie’s grimdark theater.
Review: The Shadow of the Gods (The Bloodsworn Saga #1) by John Gwynne
Gwynne has seriously delivered in this epic beardy saga. All three of his protagonists would warrant their own separate story, so their three spectacular narratives entwine into a true behemoth of a book.