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Tag: 4 stars

Book Review: Tales of the Sun Eater, Volume 3 (The Sun Eater, #5.5) by Christopher Ruocchio

Book Review: Tales of the Sun Eater, Volume 3 (The Sun Eater, #5.5) by Christopher Ruocchio

Review copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Cover art illustrated by James L. Cook

Tales of the Sun Eater, Volume 3 by Christopher Ruocchio

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Sun Eater (Book #5.5 of 7)

Genre: Sci-fi, Space Opera, Science Fantasy

Pages: 216 pages (Kindle edition)

Published: 15th September 2023 (Self-Published)


Tales of the Sun Eater Volume 3 is, by far, the strongest collection of short stories in The Sun Eater series so far.

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Book Review: Voice of War (Threadlight, #1) by Zack Argyle

Book Review: Voice of War (Threadlight, #1) by Zack Argyle

Review copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Cover art by Omer Burak Onal

Voice of War by Zack Argyle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Threadlight (Book #1 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy

Pages: 382 pages (Hardcover edition)

Publish date: 19th of March 2020 by Zack Argyle (Self-Published)


Promising beginning. Readers weren’t exaggerating when they said Voice of War by Zack Argyle is a great Sanderson-lite fantasy novel.

“The Rite of Revelation was such an important event for a parent, but would a parent really love their child less based on the color of their eyes? Love is not a calculated result of features and faults. Love is the unseen thread binding two souls together no matter the externalities.”

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Book Review: Defiant (Skyward, #4) by Brandon Sanderson

Book Review: Defiant (Skyward, #4) by Brandon Sanderson

Cover art illustrated by Sam Green

Defiant by Brandon Sanderson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Skyward (Book #4 of 4)

Genre: Sci-fi

Pages: 415 pages (Kindle edition)

Word count: 117,000 words

Publish date: 21st of November 2023 by Delacorte Press (US) & Gollancz (UK)


This is another series wrap-up from Sanderson. Defiant is a satisfying concluding volume to the Skyward series that reflected the root of the first book: friendship.

“Some of them might die, I said. And it’s going to hurt. We’ll get through it though. Pretending that nobody will ever be in danger is the same as living in the nowhere, pretending loss doesn’t exist.”

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Book Review: The Heart of What Was Lost (The Osten Ard Saga, #3.5) by Tad Williams

Book Review: The Heart of What Was Lost (The Osten Ard Saga, #3.5) by Tad Williams

Cover art illustrated by Michael Whelan

The Heart of What Was Lost by Tad Williams

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Osten Ard Saga (Book #3.5 of 7)

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy

Pages: 222 pages (Kindle edition)

Word Count: 78,000 words

Published: 3rd January 2017 by DAW Books


The Heart of What Was Lost is the action-packed epilogue to Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy, and it is also a great setup to The Last King of Osten Ard.

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Book Review: Evershore (Skyward Flight, #2.3) by Brandon Sanderson & Janci Patterson

Book Review: Evershore (Skyward Flight, #2.3) by Brandon Sanderson & Janci Patterson

Review copy provided by the publisher—Gollancz—in exchange for an honest review.

Cover art illustrated by Sam Green

Evershore by Brandon Sanderson & Janci Patterson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Skyward (Book #2.3 of 4)

Genre: Sci-fi

Pages: 224 pages (Hardcover edition)

Publish date: 28th of December 2021 by Delacorte Press (US) & Gollancz (UK)


Even without Spensa, this is a return to form. Evershore is the best title in Skyward Flight omnibus.

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Book Review: Queen Amid Ashes (The Sun Eater, #2.5) by Christopher Ruocchio

Book Review: Queen Amid Ashes (The Sun Eater, #2.5) by Christopher Ruocchio

Cover design by Jenna Ruocchio

Queen Amid Ashes by Christopher Ruocchio

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Sun Eater (Book #2.5 of 7)

Genre: Sci-fi, Space Opera, Science Fantasy

Pages: 173 pages (Kindle edition)

Word Count: 36,000 words

Published: 8th June 2022 (Self-Published)


Contemplative and thought-provoking, Queen Amid Ashes asked the question of who’s more monstrous in The Sun Eater universe: humanity or The Cielcin?

“Men are ever more careful with the lives of their loved ones than they are with their own.”

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Book Review: The Lesser Devil (The Sun Eater, #1.5) by Christopher Ruocchio

Book Review: The Lesser Devil (The Sun Eater, #1.5) by Christopher Ruocchio

The Lesser Devil by Christopher Ruocchio

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Sun Eater (Book #1.5 of 7)

Genre: Sci-fi, Space Opera, Science Fantasy

Pages: 205 pages (Kindle edition)

Published: 14th April 2020 (Self-Published)


The Lesser Devil is an action-packed spin-off novel that offers readers the chance for a more extensive dive into the mind of Crispin Marlowe.

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Book Review: Bookshops & Bonedust (Legends and Lattes, #0) by Travis Baldree

Book Review: Bookshops & Bonedust (Legends and Lattes, #0) by Travis Baldree

ARC provided by the publishers—Tor Books & Tor UK—in exchange for an honest review.

Cover art illustrated by: Leo Nickolls

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Legends and Lattes (Book #0 of 4)

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Cozy Fantasy

Pages: 368 pages (Kindle edition)

Publish date: 7th of November 2023 by Tor Books (US) & Tor (UK)


Legends and Lattes and Bookshops and Bonedust, Travis Baldree truly knows the secret recipes for crafting wholesome cozy fantasy novels.

“Never trust a writer who doesn’t have too many books to read. Or a reader, for that matter.”

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Book Review: Starsight (Skyward, #2) by Brandon Sanderson

Book Review: Starsight (Skyward, #2) by Brandon Sanderson

Cover art illustrated by Sam Green

Starsight by Brandon Sanderson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Skyward (Book #2 of 4)

Genre: Sci-fi

Pages: 469 pages (Hardcover edition)

Publish date: 26th of November 2019 by Delacorte Press (US) & Gollancz (UK)


Contrary to my expectations, Starsight was an incredibly fun and engaging sequel to Skyward.

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Book Review: Ascendant (Songs of Chaos, #1) by Michael R. Miller

Book Review: Ascendant (Songs of Chaos, #1) by Michael R. Miller

This review is a copy of the transcript of my video review on Ascendant

Review copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Cover art illustrated by Yigit Koroglu

Ascendant by Michael R. Miller

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Songs of Chaos (Book #1 of 5)

Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Progression Fantasy

Pages: 532 pages (Hardcover edition)

Published: 1st September 2020 by Monolith Books (Self-published)


Filled with familiar tropes and fun to read, Ascendant is a dragon rider epic fantasy with heart and a hard magic system.

“If you love with your eyes, death is forever. If you love with your heart, there is no such thing as parting.”

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