Browsed by
Category: Haïfa’s reviews

Book review: Blood Heir (Aurelia Ryder #1) by Ilona Andrews

Book review: Blood Heir (Aurelia Ryder #1) by Ilona Andrews

Comments 4 comments

Blood Heir by Ilona Andrews

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Aurelia Ryder #1

Genre: Urban Fantasy

To be published: January 12th 2021

 

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest opinion. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This review is part of the Blood Heir Blog Tour, kindly organized by Mihir (Fantasy Book Critic). #BloodHeirKD

 

Back to Atlanta.
Back among old friends.

 

“To the fans of Kate Daniels World who refuse to let it go.”

Aww look, I just got my first and very apt book dedication!

Joking apart, Kate Daniels’s crazy world, her dysfunctional Atlanta and her colorful friends and foes alike aren’t things I am ready to let go. If there is more, I will read it. If there isn’t, I will reread the existing stories over and over again. But Blood Heir, however, is not a book about Kate. is a book (and the first installment in a new series) about Julie, Kate’s protégé and probably my least favorite regular character. Did I care? May be a bit, may be at first, but not enough to make me consider walking away. As long as it was set in Atlanta, the mere chance of seeing some of the old cast was incentive enough to pre-order the book months in advance and pounce on the opportunity to read it early.

…

Read More Read More

Book review: Asperfell by Jamie Thomas

Book review: Asperfell by Jamie Thomas

Comments 0 Comment

Asperfell by Jamie Thomas

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Book #2 is being written, no information on the name of the series yet

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy

Published: February 18th 2020 by Uproar Books

ARC received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest opinion. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and the quotes included may have changed in the released copy.

 

What an utterly charming and engrossing debut.

<blockquote><i><b>“Whispers in the dark.
The dead keep the secrets of the living.</b></i></blockquote>

Asperfell was a surprising and enchanting tale, and made even more so by the flawless writing. Jamie Thomas took a risk with her prose. With its classic sophistication, it could have come across as pompous or out of fashion. But instead, it felt surprisingly fresh and suitable to the atmosphere (in the first half rather regency-inspired and then bordering on gothic in the second half). The writing flew seamlessly and elegantly and retained a classic charm with no trace of the dullness or prolixity that makes some classics so unapproachable or difficult to read.

…

Read More Read More

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

Comments 2 comments

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)

ARC provided by the publisher, Pan Macmillan, in exchange for an honest opinion. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and the quotes included may have changed in the released copy.

A Time of Courage is the glorious and bittersweet conclusion of 140 hundred years (or I should probably say 2000 years) worth of bloody history in the Banished Lands!

I have to admit that I went into this final book with a lot of trepidation, in addition to the positive excitement and anticipation. Could this book really be on the same level as Wrath, the masterpiece that was the conclusion of the previous quartet? Will I love it as much? Would I feel as much joy, and sorrow and satisfaction? Will I stare at the book, blinking away tears and trying to calm my frantic heart as a beloved character met their end? Will my eyes fly through the pages, during a tension-filled battle or duel, to seek the outcome and make sure my heroes survived? The answers were yes, yes, yes, yes and yes. John Gwynne truly outdid himself in this outstanding finale.

…

Read More Read More

Book review: The Last Smile in Sunder City (The Fetch Phillips Archives, #1) by Luke Arnold

Book review: The Last Smile in Sunder City (The Fetch Phillips Archives, #1) by Luke Arnold

Comments 0 Comment

Last Smile in Sunder City

The Last Smile in Sunder City by Luke Arnold

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Fetch Phillips Archives

Genre: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy

Published: 6th February 2020 by Orbit (UK) & 2nd February 2020 by Orbit (US)

 

ARC provided by the publisher, Orbit in exchange for an honest opinion. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and the quotes included may have changed in the released copy.

The Last Smile in Sunder City is a UF mystery, imbued with a unique personality, a moody atmosphere and a deep wistfulness.

…

Read More Read More

Book review: The Bard’s Blade (The Sorcerer’s Song, #1) by Brian D. Anderson

Book review: The Bard’s Blade (The Sorcerer’s Song, #1) by Brian D. Anderson

Comments 0 Comment

bard's blade

The Bard’s Blade by Brian D. Anderson

My rating : 5 of 5 stars

Series: The Sorcerer’s Song 

Genre: Fantasy, High fantasy

To be published: January 28th, 2020 by Tor books

 

I would like to thank the publisher, Tor books, for providing an early copy in exchange for an honest opinion. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and the quotes included may change in the released copy.

The Bard’s Blade was a winning bet! This is the 2nd book I started on a whim last year based solely on a recommendation from Petrik and it worked superbly. Gripping and moving, the first installment of Brian D. Anderson’s newest series made me ridiculously ecstatic and sat proudly in my top 3 reads of 2019.

…

Read More Read More

Book review: Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Book review: Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Comments 0 Comment

42937515._SY475_

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

My rating : 5 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone

Genre: Science Fiction, Thriller

Published:  July 26th 2016 by Broadway Books

“Every moment, every breath, contains a choice. But life is imperfect. We make the wrong choices. So we end up living in a state of perpetual regret, and is there anything worse?

Dark Matter made for an exhilarating, unsettling, intense and thought-provoking reading experience!

…

Read More Read More

Book review: The Autumn Republic (Powder Mage, #3)

Book review: The Autumn Republic (Powder Mage, #3)

Comments 0 Comment

24363267

The Autumn Republic by Brian McClellan

My rating : 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Powder Mage

Genre: Fantasy, Flintlock Fantasy, Military fiction

Published: February 10th 2015 by Orbit

 

The Autumn Republic is the third and last book of the Powder Mage Trilogy and again, it’s a brilliant (and equally frustrating) mix of military tactics, fantasy, politics and investigative narrative.

The action began a few days after the closing events of the Crimson Campaign. Some of the main characters found themselves in dire situations, others were beginning new adventures. So to say the least, the book started off with a bang. …

Read More Read More

Book review: The Crimson Campaign (Powder Mage, #2)

Book review: The Crimson Campaign (Powder Mage, #2)

Comments 1 comment


17608111.jpg

The Crimson Campaign by Brian McClellan

My rating : 4.25 of 5 stars

Series: The Powder Mage

Genre: Fantasy, Flintlock Fantasy, Military fiction

Published: May 6th 2014 by Orbit

 

The Crimson Campaign is the second book of the Powder Mage trilogy and it picks up a few days after the last events of Promise of Blood. The story is still told from 3 main male POVs and a smaller female POV (that is gaining in importance).

The Crimson Campaign was really, really good. Brian McClellan showed in it some of the great potential Promise of Blood hinted at!

So why not a 5 stars rating, one would ask ?

…

Read More Read More

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

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

Comments 3 comments

TS’ rating: 5 of 5 stars

Haïfa’s 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)

TS’s Review

ARC provided by the publisher, Orbit.

Incredibly lush, exquisite and enchanting, The Ten Thousand Doors of January has all the makings of a classic. One which I’m certain will be well-loved and much-read. And I dare say not only by those who enjoy fantasy, for this novel is pure joy in literary form that is a tribute to almost every reader out there.

Do you love books? This book is for you.

Do you love the written word? This book is for you.

Do you love stories and escapism? This book is for you.
…

Read More Read More

Books review: Hidden Legacy by Ilona Andrews

Books review: Hidden Legacy by Ilona Andrews

Comments 0 Comment

This post includes reviews of the 3 available books of the Hidden Legacy series. All 3 reviews are spoiler-free.

What is it with Ilona Andrews‘ books that keeps me awake until dawn or makes me steal a few precious minutes here and there every time I have a break? I can think of multiple reasons, including amazing female characters, flowing and funny writing, original magic systems or imaginative worlds but I honestly can’t settle for one that makes their books stand out this much in the Urban Fantasy genre! Since reading and obsessing over absolutely loving Kate Daniels (the best UF series I’ve read to date), I kept looking for a new UF series that would make me feel the same pleasure and the same level of immersion. But here I am, for the third time in two years, coming back to basics! …

Read More Read More