ARC received from the publisher, Tor Books, in exchange for an honest review.
The Last Emperox by John Scalzi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars.
Series: The Interdependency (Book 3 of 3)
Genre: Science fiction, space opera
Published: 14th April 2020 by Tor US & 16th April 2020 by Tor UK
The Last Emperox is a satisfying conclusion to one of the more entertaining and accessible space operas I’ve read.
Review copy received from the publisher, Tor Books, in exchange for an honest review
The Consuming Fire by John Scalzi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars.
Series: The Interdependency (Book 2 of 3)
Genre: Science fiction, space opera
Published: 16th October 2018 by Tor US & 18th October 2018 by Tor UK
The Consuming Fire feels like a middle-book, but in a good way. Just as entertaining and accessible as the first, this sequel took the plotline of The Interdependency trilogy in an interesting direction.
The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars.
Series: The Interdependency (Book 1 of 3)
Genre: Science fiction, space opera
Published: 21st March 2017 by Tor US & 23rd March 2017 by Tor UK
I think two words perfectly describe The Collapsing Empire – entertaining and accessible. This is science fiction for the masses that is fun and riveting.
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ARC received from publisher, Orbit UK, in exchange for an honest review.
The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Series: Great Cities (Book 1)
Genre: Urban fantasy, horror
Published: 24th March 2020 by Orbit US & 26th March 2020 by Orbit UK
The City We Became is a unique take on urban fantasy that reaffirms N.K. Jemisin as a brilliant author of imaginative and original fantasy fiction.
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Age of Empyre by Michael J. Sullivan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Series: The Legends of the First Empire (Book 6 of 6)
Genre: Fantasy, high fantasy, classic fantasy
Published: 5th May 2020 (Grim Oak Press)
Age of Empyre proves once again that Michael J. Sullivan is a masterful storyteller that really knows how to captivate and conclude a well-crafted tale. As I turned the final page, I couldn’t help feeling that I’m going to miss all the wonderful characters that I’ve grown to love.
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Reaper’s Gale by Steven Erikson
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars.
Series: Malazan Book of the Fallen (Book 7 of 10)
Genre: Epic fantasy, grimdark fantasy
First published: 2007 by Bantam (UK) and 2008 by Tor (US)
I will not be the first to extoll the astounding breadth and depth of the Malazan world with its extensive history, a multitude of races, richly diverse cultures and a huge cast of characters. I may also not be the first to admit how lost I sometimes feel, wandering through this labyrinth of intricate worldbuilding.
Reaper’s Gale was the first volume in the Malazan Book of the Fallen which, to my delight, continued directly from the previous book. There was no whiplash from the sudden change in plot lines from one book to the other in the past six books. Almost all the subplots from the previous novels led into this one with a lot of known main characters showing up one way or another, all of which descended upon the Letherii Empire.
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The Bonehunters by Steven Erikson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars.
Series: Malazan Book of the Fallen (Book 6 of 10)
Genre: Epic fantasy, grimdark fantasy
First published: 2006 by Bantam (UK) and 2007 by Tor (US)
Malazan Book of the Fallen really hit its stride coming into its sixth chapter of this massive tale. However, now that we have moved past the midway point of the series, it will get more and more difficult to compose a review without giving away too much. As such, you may see the length of these reviews getting shorter as I progress towards the finale.
Firstly, I have to say that in The Bonehunters, Erikson started to reveal a larger picture of the intricate tapestry that he has so masterfully woven. Almost every character that we have met from the beginning and their respective arcs or subplots were coming together to form a more cohesive narrative across all the volumes of the series so far. While the prose maintained its dense philosophical slant, the books were progressively getting easier to read. Easier being solely relative to its predecessors. …
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Series: The Cemetery of Forgotten Books (Book #1 of 4)
Genre: Historical fiction, Mystery
Translated Edition Published: 2004 by Weidenfield & Nicholson, Orion Books (UK) & 2004 by Penguin Books (US)
The Shadow of the Wind was something truly special. Incredibly moving and beautifully written, it is a story within a story that so wonderfully captures the essence of how books (and the stories within) could make an indelible mark in our lives.
Review copy of audiobook received from the author in exchange for an honest review
Blight Marked by Josh Erikson
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Series: Ethereal Earth (Book #3)
Genre: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy
Published: 11th March 2020 by Josh Erikson (self-published ebook) and Audible Studios
Josh Erikson has utterly upped his game in Blight Marked. A heady concoction of compelling character development, interesting worldbuilding, exhilarating action scenes and great humour, the only thing that made it even better was Erikson’s stellar self-narration. …
The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Science fiction, fantasy, magic realism, dystopian
Published: March 2016 by Gallery/Saga Press (US) and Head of Zeus (UK)
I’ve been meaning to read Ken Liu’s first collection of short stories for a quite a while. His translation for two of Cixin Liu’s books in the Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy was excellent and I’ve heard a lot of great things about the titular short story of this collection.
In my opinion, the preface alone warrants at least a 5-star and an award. Liu’s writing is utterly beautiful and profound, and one can clearly see how talented and intelligent this author is just from reading his preface to the collection. I’ve highlighted at least half of it because it was so well-written. …