Synopsis:

An orphan, without a trueborn name, returns to the city of her birth to uncover her past. Hounded by the servants of the Dark God and dying from the poisonous mist that covers the land, her path leads to one of the magical seals protecting the holy ruin of Eminence.

A father, murdered and reborn, aims to bring down the floating fortress hovering over his homeland. Burdened by loss, he’s willing to sacrifice his soul to free his city and get revenge for the destruction of his family.

A mother, captured and bonded to a daemon, kills in the name of the Dark God so she can free her tortured daughter. Relentless in her vengeance, she hunts the one person who could end her suffering: the man who would destroy her vile master.

A drake, the banished hatchling of a failed advisor, seeks his father’s stolen horns. Untested, he desires to right his father’s wrongs in the eyes of the gods and restore his family’s honor.

As all converge in the occupied desert city where the world’s fuel source is mined, one family’s bond will be tested. Old betrayals will resurface, anger and resentment will flourish, but one thing remains clear: blood rules all.

Review:

I was drawn to The Godsblood Tragedy by the promise of a dark fantasy rich in intricate world-building and religious law. I got that in spades, which I will come to in a moment. What hadn’t registered when reading the description was the fantasy/scifi mix, the blend of magical tapestries amid a belching steampunk environment.

Bill Adams, take a bow. Now this is a world I can revel in.

The lore is fantastic and blends seamlessly with the environment Adams has created for us. The darkness of his city, the descriptions that provide a vivid yet sordid eye’s view upon a poisoned world, place you at its black heart. He also populates it with some truly malevolent characters, whose acts are brutal and savage yet delivered without caricature. They revel in what they are, understand the choices they make, and written with a depth that pleases a fan of three-dimensional antagonists (i.e. me). And then we have a tortured and tangled family, torn apart and remade who form the core of the many POVs Adams uses to bring this tale of revolution and revenge to life. And for this fan of Moorcock’s Eternal Champion, a daemon-possessed dagger whose role and interactions have you rapidly turning the pages.

Amid all this praise, I implore the reader to be patient. Adams has a complex world to unfold, filled with magics and cults, religions and realms. It takes time, and like the best of fine teas, it needs to steep. His word choice can have you reaching for a dictionary, and some of the prose has a rhythm you need to tune into. But it’s so worth it. Keep going. Superb.

Synopsis

Two novel-length YA steampunk adventures from the author of the wildly successful Murderbot Diaries

Together in one volume for the first time:

Emilie and the Hollow World

Running away from home, and stowing away on the wrong ship, Emilie embarks on a fantastic adventure.

Emilie learns that the crew hopes to use an experimental engine to journey to the interior of the planet, but when the ship becomes damaged on arrival, and evidence points to sabotage they encounter the treacherous Lord Ivers, along with a strange new race.

Can Emilie and her new-found friends possibly reach the surface world again?

Emilie and the Sky World

When Emilie arrives in Silk Harbor, Professor Abindon, an old colleague of her friend Lady Marlende, warns them of something strange and potentially deadly in the sky, a disruption in an upper air aether current. On further investigation they realize it’s a ship from another aetheric plane.

How to determine if it’s a friendly explorer, or something far more sinister… Nothing less than a journey into the dangerous air currents will do.

Join Emilie and she navigates the strange landscapes of the upper air, and the deadly menace that inhabits the Sky World.

Review

Martha Wells has been consistently writing fantasy and science fiction since the mid-90’s with many series under her belt and even novels written for both Star Wars and Stargate: Atlantis. But, for many, Wells only recently became a household name thanks to The Murderbot Diaries, a cult classic turned mainstream hit with five novellas, two novels and an Apple TV show on the horizon.

And with the success of Murderbot, some of Wells’ previously published backlist is being repackaged for a new crowd — namely The Emilie Adventures. This new edition is actually two previous short young adult fantasy novels, Emilie and the Hollow World and Emilie and the Sky World, originally released in 2013 and 2014, respectively. 

These are very much written in a young adult style, so if you’re looking for Murderbot, this ain’t it. Some of what makes Murderbot great — good character work with understandable motivations — is definitely present, so don’t immediately shy away just because it has the initials YA next to the genre. The writing style isn’t just YA, however. There is almost a timeless quality to it in some ways. If there was a copyright date of 1965 or even 1925 on the inside cover, I’d almost believe it. Spunky steampunk tales via Jules Verne’s sensibilities — these books would find a home almost no matter what decade they were released in. 

I will say, if I was going to rank the two books against each other, the first book was a little easier to get into for me. I’ve always been fascinated by a Hollow Earth concept, and Wells really had fun with getting our characters “inside” the Earth for their first adventure. The second is a little more nebulous, but thanks to some of the infrastructure work in the first book, this one gets going a lot quicker. Both, however, had good, fun action with relatable characters. 

Last year I devoured the Murderbot series within just a couple of weeks. After months away from Wells’ scifi stories I was ready to get into her writing again, so when the opportunity to read and review The Emilie Adventures, I jumped at the chance. I had a great time with the Jules Verne-inspired steampunk tales and kinda hope Wells delves back into Emilie’s world at some point down the road. 

The Emilie Adventures releases on May 13.

Thank you Tordotcom for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis

When the saints fail, the sinners step up.

Cruel gods rule the steam-powered city of Chime, demanding worship and tribute from their mortal subjects. Kayl lost her faith in them long ago, and now seeks to protect vulnerable and downtrodden mortals from their gods’ whims. But when Kayl discovers powers that she didn’t know she had—and destroys a mortal’s soul by accident—she becomes Chime’s most wanted.

Quen’s job was to pursue sinners, until the visions started. Haunted by foreboding images of his beloved city’s destruction, Quen hunts soul-sucking creatures made of aether who prey on its citizens—and Kayl is his number one target.

To ensure Chime’s future, Kayl and Quen must discover the truth of Kayl’s divine abilities before the gods take matters into their own hands.

For a city that bows to cruel gods, it’ll take godless heathens to save it.

Review

The Thirteenth Hour by Trudie Skies is an ambitious gaslamp fantasy that introduced readers to characters Kayl and Quen. Through their perspectives, the reader got a glimpse into a world of magic and apostasy.

“The universe is a machine; the gods are the gears, and we are the cogs.”

A striking cover captured the overall tone– a unique combination of steampunk as it does deal with technology, gaslamp as it involves the supernatural, dark/grim because errrr well  *waves hand* spoilers, and historical in its Victorian inspired aesthetics. The science fantasy elements created quite the original story, and I love genre blending.

Skies created a universe where religion and technology unite in fascinating ways.  A diverse cast of characters, each keeping their own secrets and motivations, kept me invested in the unfolding mystery. The antagonists did fall a bit flat in charactizeration and the romance didn’t entirely work for me. At times, the narration would include oddly timed thoughts, momentarily distracting me and interrupting the flow of dialogue. Kayl and Quen shared a similar voice, and it was hard to tell the difference between their povs, especially on audio.

The pacing moved swiftly through descriptions of the domains, appearances, and abilities. The idea of different worlds stemming from a single location (Chime) was incredibly inventive, and I obsess over the clock tower/hourly world changes. No story is complete without flirting with betrayal and disaster.

Some spoilers next.

Chime was a fully developed setting, and although we entered the domain of Vesper described as “rolling hills of bioluminescent mushrooms and a never-ending dusk,” the atmosphere and uniqueness once inside the domain left me wanting. In addition, I had a difficult time believing that Kayl could wield other domain skills and abilities immediately without any struggle or practice (and I think I missed the “why” for why she never realized she was this way before and did something trigger this recent skill).  For instance, being able to escape by gliding down the building or manipulation of time. I guess it would’ve been easy when Jinx took over control, but I don’t know. I would’ve preferred a slight learning curve so it doesn’t become a matter of convenience to progress the plot.

End of spoilers.

Overall, The Thirteenth Hour is a promising introduction to The Cruel Gods series and shines brightest with its exploration of magic, religion, and technology between mortal and divine forces. The overarching storyline is a grand and imaginative idea, and I have no doubt in Skies’ ability to stick the ending.

Triggers: Several- Please check Trudie’s list on their website.

Recommended for: readers who enjoy supernatural mystery, immersive and original settings, blending the magical with mechanical, blurred boundaries between mortal frailty, free will, and destiny.

Synopsis

From a debut voice comes a genre-breaking blend of apocalyptic sci-fi and epic fantasy about a scattered group of unlikely heroes traveling across their broken mechanical planet to stave off eternal darkness. A tightly-coiled puzzle of a thrill ride, The Failures launches The Wanderlands trilogy

Welcome to the Wanderlands.
A vast machine made for reasons unknown, the Wanderlands was broken long ago. First went the sky, splintering and cracking, and then very slowly, the whole machine—the whole world—began to go dark.

Meet the Failures.
Following the summons of a strange dream, a scattering of adventurers, degenerates, and children find themselves drawn toward the same place: the vast underground Keep. They will discover there that they have been called for a purpose—and that purpose could be the destruction of everything they love.

The end is nigh.
For below the Keep, imprisoned in the greatest cage ever built by magicians and gods, lies the buried Giant. It is the most powerful of its kind, and its purpose is the annihilation of all civilization. But any kind of power, no matter how terrible, is precious in the dimming Wanderlands, and those that crave it are making their moves.

All machines can be broken, and the final cracks are spreading. It will take only the careless actions of two cheerful monsters to tip the Wanderlands towards an endless dark…or help it find its way back to the light.

Review

“The Failures” is an exceptionally ambitious novel and debut novel at that! Liar swings for the fences and knocks it out of the park. This book can be categorized as epic fantasy, science fiction, post apocalyptic, grimdark, steampunk, and more. Liar does not hold your hand but instead fully immerses you into the fascinating world of The Wanderlands, where darkness reigns supreme inside of a mountain civilization. You will encounter unique magic, giants (who can either save or destroy the world depending on who you ask), portals, magical artifacts, automata, and much more.

The story follows multiple POV characters across different time periods, creating a complex puzzle of timelines and narratives that come together through thrilling “a-ha moments.” It is brilliantly executed. The novel explores themes such as identity, friendship, and power.

As you read, you’ll find answers to your many questions, only for new ones to arise. The world’s history is expansive and deeply intriguing, leaving you eager to learn more. The author masterfully balances providing answers while setting up future installments in this exciting new series.

This is truly a remarkable debut novel. Liar meticulously crafts a complex and epic tale. The best part is that this is just the beginning. I can’t wait for book two and until then “The Failures” will be living rent free in my head.

TL;DR Review: Magic-based steampunk with a colorful cast of characters, wicked gods, and a lovely slow-burn romance.

Synopsis:

WHEN THE SAINTS FAIL, THE SINNERS STEP UP.Cruel gods rule the steam-powered city of Chime, demanding worship and tribute from their mortal subjects. Kayl lost her faith in them long ago, and now seeks to protect vulnerable and downtrodden mortals from their gods’ whims. But when Kayl discovers powers that she didn’t know she had—and destroys a mortal’s soul by accident—she becomes Chime’s most wanted.

Quen’s job was to pursue sinners, until the visions started. Haunted by foreboding images of his beloved city’s destruction, Quen hunts soul-sucking creatures made of aether who prey on its citizens—and Kayl is his number one target.

To ensure Chime’s future, Kayl and Quen must discover the truth of Kayl’s divine abilities before the gods take matters into their own hands.

For a city that bows to cruel gods, it’ll take godless heathens to save it.

The Thirteenth Hour is the first book in The Cruel Gods series—a gaslamp fantasy featuring magical portals, gothic cosmic deities, quaint Britishisms, and steampunk vibes. This is an adult book containing strong language and mature themes that some readers may find disturbing. For a full list of content warnings, visit Trudie Skies’s website.

Full Review:

I love a good steampunk story for its ingenuity and creative approach to technology and gadgets. But what The Thirteenth Hour does so well is incorporate the steampunk flavor with more classic fantasy fare: magic, gods, and fascinating realms.

The story takes place in Chime, a sort of no-man’s-land-type city set between twelve realms, with each realm ruled by a different god and home to different fairie-like races with their own set of skills—from manipulating time to altering memories to high strength and resilience, and so much more.

So many classic magical creatures—from pixies to trolls to fish-folk to griffins—are represented with their own unique and fascinating twist. The disparate cultures, customs, religions, behaviors, and appearances of the peoples of the twelve realms was evocative of Zootopia, Elemental, and Inside Out, which I absolutely loved.

The story takes us on a ride with two POV characters:

Kayl, a Vesper (dark-skinned race with the ability to manipulate shadows) who is ruled by a goddess who demands too-high tithes and inflicts torment on those who fail to pay it. Many Vespers flee their realm to the safety of Chime (where the gods have no sway), but end up crammed into slums or filling the workhouses of the wealthier races. Kayl is a member of the “Godless”, a band of rebels who seek to defy the rules and customs of the gods (and the people who worship them) while also helping the “lower class” races (including the Vespers and other races better suited to work) to survive in Chime. She and her fellow Godless have to avoid the notice of the lawkeepers of Chime, the Wardens.

Which means it’s inevitable that our other POV character is…

Quentin, a Diviner (race with the ability to slow or speed up time) who is also a high-ranked Warden. In fact, he’s the DARK WARDEN, the one responsible for a massacre of the very same Vespers (and others) the Godless were formed to help.

As to be expected, Quentin and Kayl’s stories draw them together—first on opposite sides of the law, then reluctant partners, and eventually…well, I won’t spoil the fun on that. But yes, the book does set up a delightful slow-burn romance between them (and other characters) that creates for a great deal of delicious interpersonal tension between our hero and heroine.

Both characters are wonderfully flawed and broken in their own ways, and it’s the people around them—and each other—that help to put their respective pieces back together and set them down the path to becoming whole again. Kayl’s story, in particular, hits the “found family” vibes hard, with a wonderfully colorful cast of characters from many races to join her on the mission. This offers both excellent emotional and moral support as well as great insight into each of the races.

The story is addicting as the pair of them set out to uncover the mystery of why people are being murdered—gruesomely—and the dark undertones quickly turn to dark overtones as the veneer of Chime is peeled back and the tarnish beneath the brass and gold becomes more visible.

Unique, enthralling, and wonderfully complex, it’s a magic-forward steampunk adventure I highly recommend!

Synopsis

Tourmaline Larou lives an idyllic life of learning by day and partying by night. An aspiring poet, her future promises nothing less than brilliance. Then, Vignette Stonemoss walks through the door, and Tourmaline’s world is upended. As she struggles to understand the effect this stranger has on her, Tourmaline and her fellow fae face a looming threat from the human world. War is on the horizon, and their very existence is at stake. And Tourmaline will discover whether love will save her—or destroy her.

Carnival Row: Tangle in the Dark is set in the world of the Amazon Original series Carnival Row, created by Travis Beacham and René Echevarria. Carnival Row is available only on Amazon Prime Video. 

Review

So this is a reread for me. I recall listening to it and reviewing it, and as I just finished season two the other day I remembered this and looked for it and it was entirely gone. No review on audible, Goodreads, or my instagram. So maybe I dreamed it. Oddly fitting.

Tangle in the Dark is a prequel to the Amazon Original show. It features Tourmaline Larou (whose actor, Karla Crome, does the narration for this…quite well too) as the main character, her time as a student at university, and the beginnings of her relationship with Vignette. It serves to further deepen the characters, especially as this deals with some of the world’s classism between even the same races, before the show itself starts to show the darker side of the world’s feelings between the races. As a student, budding poet, and nighttime partygoer, Tourmaline has to learn to overcome some of her preconceived notions about those that maybe are outside of her own social class. It makes their relationship seem more real, as their attraction to each other also teaches them about themselves. It’s also interesting to see simply because the world they are in, and the lives they are living, in the show are so drastically different from what we read here. It gives off possible ideas for what the show could have looked like during peace times (if we can even believe those are possible).

Enjoyable, a bit refreshing in how different it is, and quick.

I also wanted to use this review to talk a bit about the show. I’m always surprised by the lack of reception I see for it online. For me, it ticked an awful lot of boxes, so to see practically nothing about it is just so weird to me. And I’m sure that’s the reason it only received two seasons (at least they knew and wrapped up storylines, unlike Nos4A2 which I also just finished and it was somehow in the middle of starting NEW storylines and got canceled). But just like the popular Game of Thrones or even The Rings of Power and The Wheel of Time, I often see people online complaining that there are so many amazing and unique ideas out there in the world and yet they keep dipping into Tolkien or more GOT spinoffs…and yet a show like this, which has action, deceit, intrigue, action, and sex (much like GOT but in a less high fantasy setting) and there’s hardly a peep about it.

The show is in a somewhat industrial, Victorian-era fantasy world, that is also a bit steampunk/sci-fi, where humans are living with fairies, fawns, and a bunch of other creatures. And the show, while being character forward, still heavily deals with race, racism, and classism, where the humans of course think they are above the rest. The show stars Orlando Bloom (another reason I’m surprised no one talks about it) and Cara Delevigne (who I did not particularly care for after seeing Suicide Squad, but she sold me in this), and season one starts out largely as an almost fantasy world noir. Philo, Orlando’s character, is an inspector who is investigating a murder, and Vignette, Cara’s character, is a fairy that is both romantically involved with Philo, and possibly linked to the crime. I absolutely love the blend of mystery and fantasy, and I think season one did a great job of it.

Season two continued to deliver a lot of the same feel, with Philo still trying to stick to his crime solving ways, even though he’s no longer fully excepted. Now, when I watched season two, I honestly hadn’t realized they had canceled it, so I ended up surprised with how well the storylines closed up, but at least it was well done. And while I think the show could have continued, and I would have watched more, at least it got a fair shake at ending itself. Season two definitely cut out mostly all of the sex from season one, focusing instead on important character beats, and finishing out what had been started.

All in all, a two season show absolutely worth checking out!

Synopsis

SPSFC 3 SEMIFINALIST
SPFBO 9 FINALIST
INDIE INK AWARDS FINALIST 

All Petre Mercy wanted was a good old-fashioned dramatic exit from his life as a prince. But it’s been five years since he fled home on a cyborg horse. Now the King – his Dad – is dead – and Petre has to decide which heir to pledge his thyroid-powered sword to.

As the youngest in a set of quadruplets, he’s all too aware that the line of succession is murky. His siblings are on the precipice of power grabs, and each of them want him to pick their side.

If Petre has any hope of preventing civil war, he’ll have to avoid one sibling who wants to take him hostage, win back another’s trust after years of rivalry and resentment, and get an audience with a sister he’s been avoiding for five years.

Before he knows it, he’s plunged himself into a web of intrigue and a world of strange, unnatural inventions just to get to her doorstep.

Family reunions can be a special form of torture.

“The Fall Is All There Is is a wonderfully weird, unapologetically unhinged, and darkly entertaining gendreblendy gem of a book. It throws all genre conventions and reader expectations straight out the window, and that is exactly where its irresistible charm lies.”
–Esmay Rosalyne, Fantasy Book Critic

Review

I received this to review for the Indie Ink Awards for neurodivergence and bisexual rep and decided to get the audiobook on audible as I’ve been behind and having trouble focusing on reading. Scott Fleming did a fantastic job that I really enjoyed. 

*I do want to add a disclaimer as the author is part of FanFi…I, of course, consider myself to be incredibly fair and level. And especially because the award is based of how the rep is written, and not my opinion of the book (regardless of how unbiased I aim to be) I do not see an issue.*

Every review I’ve ever seen for this book has talked about how unique it is. So let’s get the obvious out of the way. This is one of the most unique novels and genre blends I’ve ever read. It mixes science fiction aspects with a fantasy world, dialogue that feels more modern, and horror elements too. 

The characters use gas masks while outside of the major cities to save themselves from becoming gaunt. Aka breathing in ghost-like vapor and having their bodies taken over. Think kind of zombies, or evil entities a la the Shinigami in Never Die. The masks felt very scifi, while the nature of their need was wholly fantasy. Just one of the great blendings. 

The main character Petre, has a mental processing disorder, which leads him to need to get these implant injections. This kind of disability rep was something I’ve never read before, and the ‘cure’ (however temporary) was just another thing that felt so incredibly sci-fi in this fantasy world. He’s also a great example of bisexual rep as well, having desires for both men and women in a way that feels genuine. 

Another aspect of this novel that really knocked it out of the park was the way the author wrote the main characters. Not only are they siblings, they are quadruplets, so not everything is always good, but the bond is still unbreakable. Even if they wish it were. So when their father, the King, dies, naturally they can’t keep it together and behave amicably. The way in which the author writes their scenes together is so good, so believable, it’s almost as if the reader is experiencing the family arguments from the inside. As one of them. Or maybe it’s just because I am one of four kids myself. 

While I really enjoyed this, I was a bit surprised how the story didn’t really progress. That’s not the say that steps weren’t taken, or that there isn’t action, the plot itself just didn’t reach any kind of resolution. It almost kind of ends on the climax. Which instead of ruining it, definitely made me feel like I needed more immediately. I guess I just didn’t realize it wasn’t a standalone!

SYNOPSIS

The Halls of Venn are the seat of both knowledge and power in the great continent of Luna Ruinam. Renia, a scribe with a tragic past, spends her days expertly copying books that do little to satiate her desire for knowledge.

When a fateful commission lands on her desk, she finds herself tasked with transcribing a book coveted by assassins from the southern continent. Its theft throws the scribing halls into chaos and threatens to destroy the fragile peace that exists between their nations.

Haunted by dreams of her past, Renia must learn to master her impulses and awaken her long dormant magical abilities if she is to prevent war.
Fate, it would seem, is eager to grant her wishes. Yet she must risk everything to pursue it, and pay the bloody price it demands.

REVIEW

Thank you Karl Forshaw for providing a complimentary review copy in exchange for an honest review. And thank you to Indie Book Tours for putting this whole thing together. All opinions are honest and my own.

Renia is a dark political fantasy wrapped up in mystery and horror with a dash of sci-fi and steampunk just to spice things up.

Karl Forshaw gripped me right from the start with a mysterious prologue that immediately made me need to know more. I was quickly sucked into the world of Luna Ruinam with it’s fascinating world-building and compelling characters.

We start off with Renia, the titular character, as she finds her inadvertently thrust into a dangerous mystery involving a missing book and deadly assassins. The first act is spent mostly with her, alternating between the present story and her childhood. By the time we reach the second act, the flashbacks are over and it’s full steam ahead into this dark and twisty tale.

While it’s the mystery that gripped me, it’s the characters that kept me coming back. As the book progresses the cast grows, as well as the amount of POV’s. While unorthodox in its execution, it never felt overwhelming or overstuffed. Each POV is introduced organically and with Forshaw’s excellent grasp on character, it was always welcome to get into the characters’ heads.

While this story isn’t one I would call “action-packed”, when the action does happen it is gripping and exciting. The climax in particular was intense and introduced some horror elements that will make your skin crawl. Forshaw writes his action clearly and with a great sense of space, never leaving the reader confused about what is happening.

What really propelled the story for me and kept me turning the pages late into the night was the mystery of who took the book, as well the mystery of Luna Ruinam itself. The world-building is endlessly intriguing and original. Forshaw blends the lore of Luna Ruinam seamlessly into the plot so it never feels like an exposition dump. The magic and history is given to you when you need to know and as it relates to the plot. This means there is still plenty of this world left to explore in future installments.

Reminiscent of Patrick Rothfuss’s The Name of the Wind in terms of setting and how much world-building we get, Renia is otherwise a beast all of its own. I haven’t read anything else quite like it and I still find myself thinking about it weeks after finishing. With a complex mystery, compelling characters and a fascinating world with plenty of history and lore, Karl Forshaw’s Renia is a fantastic and magical debut that has this reader extremely eager for what comes next.

Synopsis

A world consumed by war . . .

An ancient evil resurrected . . .

A millennia old bargain comes due . . .

When two blades clash, the third will fall, and the fate of all will be jeopardized. To save Lozaria, the failures of the past must be atoned for by a new generation of heroes. The time has come for mortals to cast off sight and, in doing so, truly come to see . . .

Victory is never absolute.

Seven centuries ago, the forces of order won the Illyriite War on the plains of Har’muth. Darmatus and Rabban Aurelian slew their elder brother, Sarcon, the despotic architect of the conflict, then sacrificed themselves to banish the cataclysmic vortex opened with his dying breath. The first advent of the Oblivion Well was thwarted. Even without their vanished gods, the seven races of Lozaria proved themselves capable of safeguarding their world.

Or so the story goes.

The year is now 697 A.B.H (After the Battle of Har’muth). Though war itself remains much the same, the weapons with which it is waged have evolved. Airships bearing powerful cannons ply the skies, reducing the influence of mages and their spells. Long range communication has brought far flung regions of Lozaria closer than ever before. At the center of this technological revolution are the three Terran states of Darmatia, Rabban, and Sarconia, who have fought a near ceaseless campaign of 700 years in an attempt to best each other. The roots of their enmity lie buried beneath the wasteland of Har’muth, a place all three nations consider best forgotten.

However, an ancient power sealed within Har’muth has not forgotten them, and the descendants of those who fought on that field must now take a stand to rectify the mistakes of the past.

—Winner of the American Fiction Award for Best Epic Fantasy of 2021

Review

Wow, what a ride. Hats off to Christopher Russell for his amazing debut. This book is so intense that it will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. The scope of the story is so epic, his descriptions and the detail he puts into the military, the airships and the magic is so immense, the characters are brilliant and then there’s the bad ones you just want to punch in the face. It is a brilliantly military sci-fi-fantasy story with lots of big ass guns and lots of magic.

Rebirth is the first book, his Divinity’s Twilight series, and it’s so fast-paced, action-packed to the hilt. It will have your head spinning with excitement. Christopher’s writing is excellent. He has woven an intricate tale full of wonderful prose, and the story just flows beautifully. Christopher Russell has created a very dark world for sci-fi and fantasy fans alike to get lost in, and let me tell you, it’s so good. It’s a bloody intriguing read that you will absolutely love.

The story starts off with an explosive beginning, you are dropped straight into a battle of epic proportions, when three brothers have three separate visions for peace, they meet on the battlefield, two of them must sacrifice everything, including themselves to take out their oldest brother, when they die trying and believing it was enough to stop their evil brothers vision of remaking the world.

But the world that emerges years after that bloodbath is one that convinces itself that a peace of sorts has been achieved or has it, each of the three realms becomes a mirror image, a living testament, of each brother’s vision of how peace should have been created, the illusion is shattered when the eldest brother’s evil vision breaks forth again. The Sarconian Empire have a new weapon, and those who oppose them face annihilation. But a group of misfits Darmatian cadets stands against an empire, looking for revenge and try to take back what was their’s.

An awesomely good tale, the worldbuilding, the plot, and the setting are fantastic. I can’t wait to get stuck into book two. I very highly recommend…

Synopsis

Nebula, Locus, and Alex Award-winner P. Djèlí Clark returns to his popular alternate Cairo universe for his fantasy novel debut, A Master of Djinn

Cairo, 1912: Though Fatma el-Sha’arawi is the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, she’s certainly not a rookie, especially after preventing the destruction of the universe last summer.

So when someone murders a secret brotherhood dedicated to one of the most famous men in history, al-Jahiz, Agent Fatma is called onto the case. Al-Jahiz transformed the world 50 years ago when he opened up the veil between the magical and mundane realms, before vanishing into the unknown. This murderer claims to be al-Jahiz, returned to condemn the modern age for its social oppressions. His dangerous magical abilities instigate unrest in the streets of Cairo that threaten to spill over onto the global stage.

Alongside her Ministry colleagues and her clever girlfriend Siti, Agent Fatma must unravel the mystery behind this imposter to restore peace to the city -or face the possibility he could be exactly who he seems…

Review

“It was criminal in this modern age that stairs should be allowed to yet exist– when lifts could carry passengers in comfort.”

Reading this book was a treat. And what’s better is it was a two-for-one. It was an epic fantasy and murder-mystery all rolled into one. I started with A dead djinn in Cairo (the prequel novella) because somebody in my book club said that was a great introduction to the MC – Fatma el-Sha’arawi. I loved the prequel novella and immediately jumped into this book. Also, the novella is not required reading and A Master of Djinn stands alone very well on its own but I definitely recommend it. It is available for free on the TOR website.

This is my first 5 star read of 2024 and first 10/10 on Fanfiaddict. I’m just going to ramble on about all of the highlights in this book for me. Firstly, I love the buddy cop trope and this book had the best buddy cop genre convention – grumpy/loner senior cop and the bright-eyed recruit that wants to learn. Fatma el-Sha’arawi and Hadia Hafez are such a delight to follow. Fatma el-Sha’arawi especially with just one novella and one book has become one of my favorite ever fantasy protagonists. A suit & bowler hat wearing detective with a cane who talks down Djinns and deals with supernatural threats even though she has no powers of her own. What’s not to like?

“Fatma blinked at the tirade. Of all the djinn these two had to go and wake up, it had to be a bigot.”

The second highlight is the writing. Not since NK Jemisin’s The Fifth Season have I adored the writing in a book so much. The Fifth Season is tonally a very different book to A Master of Djinn but the writing in TFS is so elegant that it felt like each word, sentence, and paragraph was crafted. A Master of Djinn feels the same way. The fantasy elements, the steampunk elements, the mystery element, the wit, the romance all balance and complement each other so well making this a masterpiece of speculative fiction. Also it’s a very funny book, I’m sure there’s a joke at least every other page. For all intents and purposes, this is a slow-burn mystery fantasy book but I didn’t notice it being slow for a single moment because of how much I was enjoying it.   

“It is a terrible thing, this politics of being perceived as respectable. To be forced to view your frailties through the eyes of others. A terrible thing.”    

And finally world-building. I absolutely love it too. The story is set in a steampunk version of Cairo in an alternate universe version of our world where Egypt is a superpower during the early 1900s. And it is chock-full of fantasy elements: Metallic Angels, Djinn, Jann, Ghuls, Rukhs, Ifrits, Golems, Inter-dimensional portals, final-fantasy eikon fight scenes and more. Outside of the fantasy elements, the city feels so real too. In the best use of ‘the devil is in the details’ there are so many minor touches all over that lend authenticity. From authentic sounding Arabic names to actual middle eastern food dishes, to borrowing from Islamic culture and traditions and homages to Egyptian mythology and other African and Middle Eastern stories and artists- the author’s research and effort is exhibited beautifully.

“If you steal, steal a camel. And if you love, love the moon.”

I cannot accurately express how much I enjoyed reading this book but I am almost immediately going to read the other two novellas set in this world and I sincerely hope that TOR commissions so many more books/novellas in this world. This is also going to be my top recommended book to fantasy readers in 2024.