Synopsis: Nearly a thousand years ago, the tyrant-sorcerer Mordechai betrayed his people, forged a weapon of darkness, and led an assault against the Middle Kingdoms to claim the throne of Reality. He slaughtered the defenders, broached the Shimmering Door, ascended to the Unseen Realm, and sought to make himself a god at the Heart of […]
Epic Fantasy
Review: The Last Vigilant (Kingdom of Oak and Steel #1) by Mark A. Latham
Synopsis: Set in a world where magic is forgotten, monsters lurk in the dark woods, and honorable soldiers are few, this utterly gripping epic fantasy tells the story of two flawed humans, an out-of-practice wizard and a hot-headed sargent, who are thrust into the heart of a mystery that threatens to unravel their kingdom’s fragile […]
Review: The Ships of Merior by Janny Wurts
Synopsis: A powerful, layered weaving of myth, prose and pure imagination – The Ships of Merior continues an epic fantasy series perfect for enthusiasts of The Dark Tower and Earthsea. The second volume of Janny Wurts’s incomparable series following Arithon and Lysaer, two brothers forced to take opposite sides in a relentless conflict.After defeating the […]
Book Review: Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me (Dark Lord Davi #2) by Django Wexler
TL;DR Review: Beautifully balanced between epic and cozy, it’s an adventure as action-packed as it is heartwarming. Synopsis: Dark Lord Davi rules the kingdom, but she must now break the time loop that binds her in this hilariously bloody conclusion to the Dark Lord Davi duology. After countless failures (let’s not dwell on it), Davi […]
Book Review: Crueler Mercies by Maren Chase
TL;DR Review: Rapunzel meets Man in the Iron Mask. A helpless, naïve prisoner becomes a cunning, revenge-driven queen. Synopsis: “Vita’s rage overflowed until she was prepared to drown in it, and she knew that she would never again dam this anger to please another.” After nine years as the people’s beloved princess in the sun-soaked […]
Book Review: The Devils by Joe Abercrombie
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 […]
Review: The Devils by Joe Abercrombie
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 new flock is made up of unrepentant murderers, practitioners of ghastly magic, and outright monsters, and the mission he is tasked with will require bloody […]
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: Anji Kills A King (The Rising Tide #1) by Evan Leikam
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 killed for a cause. Will she die for it too? Anji works as a castle servant, cleaning laundry for a king […]
Review: The Curse of the Mistwraith by Janny Wurts
Synopsis: Let each who reads determine the good and the evil for himselfAthera is besieged by the Mistwraith, which blights the land and dims the mysteries guarded by the last fugitives of the old bloodlines.But from a prophecy springs hope: the gifts of two brothers – one dark, one fair, raised on opposite sides of […]
Review: Sea of Souls (Sea of Souls saga #1) by N.C. Scrimgeour
Synopsis Isla Blackwood has never accepted the shackles of her family’s nobility. Instead, she sails the open waters, searching for belonging on the waves. But when tragedy forces Isla home, she realises she can no longer escape the duty she’s been running from. Selkie raiders plague the island’s coasts, and when they strike at Blackwood […]
Review: The Waking of Storm and Flame by N.A. Betts
Summary: A DESTINY SHE NEVER CHOSE. A FATE, SHE CAN’T ESCAPE. Alira Verbrandt, the Princess of Namelle, savored the scholastic tranquility of her life until the Illyrian Empire descended from the north. On the eve of battle, Alira is drawn into the center of a war that has raged for a thousand years. Unveiled as […]