Book Reviews Archives - Page 11 of 111

Book Review: Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

September 21, 2023 Celeste Comments 0 Comment

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received an advance digital copy of this novel from the publisher, Tor Books, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I think I found my favorite book of the year.

Starling House was my most anticipated book of 2023. Which is saying something, as there were so many excellent books published this year. But Harrow’s debut, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, is my favorite standalone novel of all time, so my expectations were sky high. Those expectations could have set me up for failure. They didn’t. While the two novels couldn’t be more different, Starling House is just as powerful and beautiful as The Ten Thousand Doors of January. It just has much sharper teeth. …

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

September 21, 2023 Petrik Leo Comments 0 Comment

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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Book Review: Esrahaddon (The Rise and Fall, #3) by Michael J. Sullivan

September 18, 2023 Petrik Leo Comments 0 Comment

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

Cover art illustrated by Marc Simonetti

Esrahaddon by Michael J. Sullivan

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Rise and Fall (Book #3 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy

Pages: 936 pages (Kindle edition)

Published: 15th August 2023 by Riyria Enterprises (Self-published)

Esrahaddon is an incredible novel 15 years in the making. Fans of Riyria and Legends of the First Empire will be thrilled to read this.

“With education comes understanding. With understanding, wisdom. With wisdom comes control. With control, peace.”

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Book Review: The Passing of the Dragon by Ken Liu

September 15, 2023 Petrik Leo Comments 0 Comment

You can read this beautiful short story for free here: https://www.tor.com/2023/09/13/the-pa…

Cover art illustrated by Mary Haasdyk

The Passing of the Dragon by Ken Liu

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone

Genre: Short Story

Pages: 46 pages (Kindle edition)

Ken Liu has done it again. The Passing of the Dragon is a brilliant and impactful story, I believe, should be read by every reader, reviewer, artist, and author.

“An artist craves an audience, but maybe not all audiences are crave-worthy. “

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Book Review: House of Odysseus (The Songs of Penelope, #2) by Claire North

September 13, 2023 Celeste Comments 0 Comment

House of Odysseus by Claire North
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher, Orbit Books, in exchange for an honest review.

Ithaca was one of my favorite books of 2022. However, I was thrown at the end of the book when I discovered that, unlike most Greek myth retellings, it was not a standalone novel but the first of a trilogy. I have been eagerly awaiting House of Odysseus since finishing those final pages of Ithaca, and am thrilled to announce that it lived up to its predecessor in every single way. This series follows the story of Penelope during the 20 year absence of her husband, King Odysseus of Ithaca. Ithaca presents this story from the perspective of Hera, Queen of Queens, as she observes what’s going on in Penelope’s life and how those happens overlap with the last days of Clytemnestra, Hera’s darling. House of Odysseus picks up where Ithaca left off, but now from the perspective of Aphrodite as her favorite, Helen, weaves her way back into Penelope’s story. …

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Book Review: Skyward (Skyward, #1) by Brandon Sanderson

September 5, 2023 Petrik Leo Comments 0 Comment

Cover art illustrated by Sam Green

Skyward by Brandon Sanderson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Skyward (Book #1 of 4)

Genre: Sci-fi

Pages: 544 pages (Hardcover edition)

Publish date: 6th of November 2018 by Delacorte Press (US) & Gollancz (UK)

Skyward is a great and rare example of a YA sci-fi novel done right.
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Book Review: Light Bringer (Red Rising Saga, #6) by Pierce Brown

September 1, 2023 Petrik Leo Comments 0 Comment

This review is a copy of the transcript of my video review on Light Bringer

Cover art illustrated by Jonathan Barlett

Light Bringer by Pierce Brown

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Red Rising Saga (Book #6 of 7)

Genre: Sci-fi, Space Opera

Pages: 682 pages (Hardcover edition)

Publish date: 25th of July 2023 by Del Rey (US) & Hodder (UK)

Light Bringer is a bloodydamn near perfect space-opera masterpiece.

“For a friend with an understanding heart is worth no less than a brother. —Homer”

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Book Review: The Ice (The Bound and the Broken, #3.5) by Ryan Cahill

August 25, 2023 Petrik Leo Comments 0 Comment

ARC was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

The Ice by Ryan Cahill

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Bound and the Broken (Book #3.5 of 5)

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy

Pages: 200 pages (Kindle edition)

Publish date: 23rd of September 2023 by Ryan Cahill (Self-published)

The Ice has the element to freeze and kill. That is not the trajectory of Cahill’s rapid-fire career. With another incredible novella under his belt, Cahill’s rise to fame in the fantasy landscape is unstoppable.

“All hope ever does is convince us to do things we know we shouldn’t. It isn’t worth dying for.”
“It’s one of the few things that is worth dying for, Ihvon.”

…

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Book Review: To Green Angel Tower (Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, #3) by Tad Williams

August 23, 2023 Petrik Leo Comments 0 Comment

This review is a copy of the transcript of my video review on To Green Angel Tower

Cover art illustrated by Michael Whelan

To Green Angel Tower by Tad Williams

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn (Book #3 of 3), The Osten Ard Saga (Book #3 of 7)

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Classic Fantasy

Pages: 1960 pages (eBook edition)

Word Count: 533,000 words

Published: 1st March 1993 by DAW Books

It is done… At 530k words long, To Green Angel Tower is the largest single-volume novel I’ve ever read. It is a mesmerizing slow-burn epic fantasy tome imbued with high-stakes pulse-pounding final chapters.