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Category: Eon’s Reviews

Book Review: A Chorus of Fire (The Sorcerer’s Song, #2) by Brian D. Anderson

Book Review: A Chorus of Fire (The Sorcerer’s Song, #2) by Brian D. Anderson

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I received an ARC of A Chorus of Fire from the publisher (Tor books) in exchange for an honest review.

A Chorus of Fire by Brian D. Anderson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Sorcerer’s Song (Book #2 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy

Published: 11th August 2020 by Tor Books

A captivating continuation, A Chorus of fire expertly sets up the series for a climactic finish.

The Bard’s Blade was the first book I read by Brian D. Anderson and I loved it. As I stated in my review for that book, there are not many fantasy stories where music plays a major role. That does not seem to have changed much since I wrote that and I was eagerly looking forward to immersing myself back in this world. When I was given the chance to read the sequel early, I had zero hesitation in saying “YES, PLEASE!” Before I carry on though, I would like to give a shout out to Felix Ortiz for the gorgeous cover art he created for this book.

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Book review: Shadow of a Dead God by Patrick Samphire

Book review: Shadow of a Dead God by Patrick Samphire

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Shadow of a Dead God coverShadow Of A Dead God

Shadow of a Dead God by Patrick Samphire

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Mennik Thorn (Book #1)

Genre: Fantasy

Published: May 27th, 2020 by Five Fathoms Press

Copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

A real page-turner; Patrick Samphire has crafted an excellent, mage-ical adult fantasy debut.

I am for the most part very wary regarding what I choose to read, and as such, I rarely read books that I have not heard a lot of good things about, with the exception of authors whose previous work I loved. Shadow of a Dead God by Patrick Samphire fell smack-bang in the middle of this category, with neither the author nor the book being known to me, but I was seriously tempted from the first time I read the blurb and it shows the importance of a well-written description. Still, I wavered until my co-blogger, Emma, said that she was also interested in this fun sounding book and ready to give it a shot, and I thought, what the hell, let me join in. I am SO happy I made that decision.
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Book Review: The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow

Book Review: The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow

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The Once and Future Witches

 

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Stand-alone

Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction

Published: October 15th, 2020 by Orbit (UK) and October 13th, 2020 by Redhook (US)

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Witchy as HELL! The Once and Future Witches was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and Alix E. Harrow absolutely, unequivocally, brought the magic.

I first picked up The Ten Thousand Doors of January earlier this year (2020) and loved it beyond description. In fact, that book now occupies a space on my favourites shelf. It is unsurprising then, that The Once and Future Witches was one of my most anticipated book releases of the year. Luckily, I have been fortunate enough to have been given the opportunity to read this book before the official release date. The icing on the bookish cake is that I have had the privilege of reading not just one, but two of Alix E. Harrow’s spellbinding stories in less than seven months and both have filled me with an unbridled sense of wonder.

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Book Review: The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water

Book Review: The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water

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The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Genre: Fantasy

Published:  23 June 2020 by Tor.com Publishing

Zen Cho is an author whose previous work I have enjoyed a lot, but in all honesty, what first drew my attention to this book was not the author or the title, but the beautiful, captivating illustration done by Sija Hong for the cover. Add in that blurb teasing a found family, wuxia fantasy story involving a nun joining up with a group of bandits in order to protect a sacred object but finding herself in a situation far more complicated than she expected and yes, my tbr mountain found itself one book higher.

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The Girl and the Stars (Book of the Ice, #1)

The Girl and the Stars (Book of the Ice, #1)

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The Girl and the Stars by Mark Lawrence

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Book of the Ice (Book 1 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Science Fiction

Published:  21 April 2020 by HarperVoyager (UK) and by Ace (US)

A scintillating start to this new series!

Omens are difficult and open to interpretation but if the oracle that touches your newborn dies moments later, frothing at the mouth, it is hard even with a mother’s love to think it is a good sign. In such cases a second opinion is often sought.

If the old adage that you’re only as good as your last book holds true for authors, then it’s hardly a surprise that one of my most highly anticipated book releases of the year was The Girl and the Stars. Full disclosure, that’s a complete understatement. Mark Lawrence delivered an emphatically stunning and satisfying conclusion with Holy Sister, finishing off his The Book of the Ancestor (TBOTA) series in some style and simultaneously pushing my hype levels for his next project through the roof (although I am still not over some of the heartaches he caused me). I did not think I could be more excited. That was until I heard that his new book was set in the same world as that previous series. It’s safe to say that if I had access to a Delorean, I’d have read this quite a while ago.

*For those who have not yet read TBOTA series, you are welcome to read The Girl and the Stars first. You won’t be missing out on anything that will take away any understanding or enjoyment from this read.
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Manhwa Review: Solo Leveling (Season 1) by Gi So-Ryeong & Jang Sung-Rak

Manhwa Review: Solo Leveling (Season 1) by Gi So-Ryeong & Jang Sung-Rak

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Solo Leveling by Gi So-Ryeong & Jang Sung-Rak

Series: Solo Leveling (Season #1)

Genre: Fantasy, LitRPG, Progression Fantasy, Urban Fantasy

Petrik’s Review: 5 of 5 stars

I will level (pun fully intended) myself with you; this was by far the most badass and engaging LitRPG I’ve ever read. …

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Book Review: The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

Book Review: The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

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The Ten Thousand Doors of January
Ten Thousand Doors of January cover

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Stand-alone

Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction

Published: September 12th, 2019 by Orbit (UK) & September 10th, 2019 by Redhook (US)

“…there are ten thousand stories about ten thousand Doors, and we know them as well as we know our names. They lead to Faerie, to Valhalla, Atlantis and Lemuria, Heaven and Hell, to all the directions a compass could never take you, to elsewhere.”

I have been watching my cats lazing about in the warm, reposeful afternoon sun. Languid stretches and lazy yawns and leisurely rolls. Complete comfort and contentment. The sheer bliss of surrendering to the moment evident in their eyes. Melting, mellow happiness. Felicity.

That is the feeling that came over me upon finishing this book, and I basked in every second of its warmth. Lyrical. Stunning. Beautiful. Spellbinding. Richly imagined. Eloquent. Wistful. A riotous swirl of adjectives, all apt and all applicable. The Ten Thousand Doors of January is an emphatically stunning debut by Alix E. Harrow, delivering a tale that speaks to one of humanity’s oldest fantasies – visiting another world.
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Book Review: The Unspoken Name (The Serpent Gates, #1) by A.K. Larkwood

Book Review: The Unspoken Name (The Serpent Gates, #1) by A.K. Larkwood

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I received an ARC of The Unspoken Name from the publisher (Tor UK) in exchange for an honest review.


The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Serpent Gates (Book #1 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, Science-fiction, Space Opera

Published: 20th February 2020 by Tor (UK) & 11th February 2020 by Tor Books (US)

An extraordinary debut from a fresh and exciting new voice in fantasy!

It has been a while since I added a book by an unknown author to my tbr that fast. It was unavoidable though, as the blurb of the Unspoken Name spoke to me! On the day of her inevitable death as a sacrificial bride to the god of desolation, Csorwe is gifted a choice. She can ignore her fate and walk away from this needless death. All she has to do is join a wizard named Belthandros Sethennai as his loyal agent. Her duties? Fulfilling the role of thief, spy & assassin in the mage’s quest to regain rulership of the city Tlaanthothei, and helping him recover his ultimate prize – the Reliquary of Pentravesse. As choices go, it’s not the hardest one to make, but it has consequences. Gods do not forget.

“Nothing in this world has earned the power to frighten you, Csorwe,” he said. “You have looked your foretold death in the face and turned from it in defiance. Nothing in this world or any other deserves your fear.”

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Book Review: A Time of Courage (Of Blood and Bone, #3) by John Gwynne

Book Review: A Time of Courage (Of Blood and Bone, #3) by John Gwynne

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I received an ARC of A Time of Courage from the publisher (Pan Macmillan) in exchange for an honest review.

A Time Of Courage book cover

A Time of Courage by John Gwynne

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Of Blood and Bone (Book #3 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy

Published: 2nd April 2020 by Pan Macmillan (UK) & 7th April 2020 by Orbit (US)

Flawless!

No word better describes the result of the time and effort John Gwynne has put into A Time of Courage, the finale of the Of Blood and Bone series. It is a monumental achievement to have wrapped up this series so perfectly and speaks to the care and dedication that the author has put into this work, the love for it permeating every page.

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