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Category: Book Reviews

Book Review: Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan

Book Review: Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan

 

Long Live Evil (Time of Iron #1) by Sarah Rees Brennan

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Publish date: 1st August 2024

 

How many times have you dreamt of entering the world of your favourite novel or series? Got lost in the thought of meeting that character or leading the charge against that villain? Being the one to entice that dark haired, shadow wielding … *cough* ok, let me bring it back to the point. Many of us dream of entering our favourite fantasy novel, with the usual caveats, of course. Obviously, we want to be one of the rich or powerful or beautiful characters, not the cannon fodder or poverty stricken nobodies that hover in the background, worth nothing more than a passing reference, if that. But what would it take you to actually DO it? Maybe your imminent death? That’s what happens to Rae. When a mysterious woman reveals that there’s no hope left for her, that her tumours have spread and the upcoming costs of treatment will destroy her family before she dies anyway, she’s offered one opportunity to change it all, to live. And she takes it. Who wouldn’t? Finding herself in the pages of her favourite fantasy series, Rae uses every bit of her (admittedly patchy) knowledge of the plot to keep herself alive and manipulate her way to her goal – stealing the Flower of Life and Death. It’s her only chance to live her real life again, free of disease and pain. But being a villain is harder than it looks and the real world is not the only place where death stalks the story…

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Book Review: Sanctuary by Ilona Andrews

Book Review: Sanctuary by Ilona Andrews

 

Sanctuary by Ilona Andrews

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Publish date: 30th July 2024

Imagine this. You’re home for the holidays, sorting out the final trimmings for the best meal of the year. But just when you thought it was safe to relax and enjoy your Christmas, Chernobog, the God of Destruction, Darkness and Death, decides he needs something doing. Immediately. So he sends a dream request with no get out clause. We’ve all had bosses like it – no boundaries and can’t take no for an answer. On top of that, a child, bloody and near death, rocks up asking for sanctuary, with elite mercenaries and a catastrophically powerful priest hot on his tail. The whole situation reads like disaster – now, nobody gets to eat turkey and perhaps even worse, they might actually die. A rubbish outcome all round.

For Roman, a classic homebody (read: recluse with no desire to see or speak to people), this means a Christmas break gone completely to hell. But like any proud homeowner, he is more than prepared to defend his space, and everyone in it, from bad guys. Especially when they turn up with very bad attitudes and suspicious reasons for wanting to ‘take the child home to his parents’. Yeah right. We know how this works. And so does Roman. If you know anything about him from the Kate Daniels books, you know he has a bit of an attitude himself. More than enough to take on some jumped up soldiers, he’s the Black Volhv after all.

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Book Review: Sistah Samurai by Tatiana Obey

Book Review: Sistah Samurai by Tatiana Obey

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

Cover art illustrated by Felix Ortiz

Sistah Samurai: A Champloo Novella by Tatiana Obey

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Champloo (Book #1)

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 140 pages (Paperback edition)

Word Count: 30,000 words

Publish date: 1st November 2023 by Tatiana Obey


Sistah Samurai is legit one of the most entertaining action-fantasy novellas I’ve ever read.

“We were women, and mothers, and sisters, and cousins. We were teachers, and healers, and innovators, and warriors. And we went down fighting.”

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Book Review: Where Darkness Dwells (Song of the Solas, #1) by Andrea Renae

Book Review: Where Darkness Dwells (Song of the Solas, #1) by Andrea Renae


Where Darkness Dwells by Andrea Renae
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Where Darkness Dwells is a lush, beautiful story with a radiant core of hope. It doesn’t shy from darkness, but it also doesn’t revel in it. Instead, it exposes the weak underbelly of that darkness, dwelling on the fact that, no matter how thick the darkness may seem, the Light is always able to overcome it. We might not understand why the darkness has held dominion for so long, or why the Light didn’t reclaim its rightful throne sooner. But we can know that a battle between the two forces is inevitable, and we rest assured of the fact that Light will win.

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Book Review: The Curse of the Mistwraith (Wars of Light and Shadow, #1) by Janny Wurts

Book Review: The Curse of the Mistwraith (Wars of Light and Shadow, #1) by Janny Wurts

Cover art illustrated by Janny Wurts

The Curse of the Mistwraith by Janny Wurts

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: Wars of Light and Shadow (Book #1 of 11)

Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy

Pages: 611 pages (Hardcover edition)

Word Count: 233,000 words

Publish date: May 1993 by HarperVoyager


The Curse of the Mistwraith is the start of a super ambitious epic fantasy, and it is a book that will require your 100% concentration.

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The Mirror (The Lost Bride Trilogy #2) by Nora Roberts

The Mirror (The Lost Bride Trilogy #2) by Nora Roberts


The Mirror by Nora Roberts
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received an advance digital copy of this novel from the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Inheritance was one of my favorite books of 2023, and it ended on a major cliffhanger. So when I was offered an advance digital copy of The Mirror, which was quite possibly my most anticipated read of 2024, I couldn’t hit the download button fast enough. And I loved every single page. There’s not a single thing I would change about The Mirror, except for the fact that I have to wait over a year to see how the story ends.

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Book Review: Kavithri (Ghosts of Ethuran, #1) by Aman J. Bedi

Book Review: Kavithri (Ghosts of Ethuran, #1) by Aman J. Bedi

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

Cover art illustrated by Giby Joseph

Kavithri by Aman J. Bedi

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Ghosts of Ethuran (Book #1 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy

Pages: 448 pages (Hardcover edition)

Word Count: 111,500 words

Publish date: 16th of May 2024 by Gollancz


Imagine an engaging Indian-inspired steampunk fantasy debut reminiscent of The Poppy War with an empathetic heroine with a rein on her wrath. That’s Kavithri.

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The Last Song of Penelope (Songs of Penelope #3) by Claire North

The Last Song of Penelope (Songs of Penelope #3) by Claire North


The Last Song of Penelope by Claire North
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I adore Greek myth retellings when they’re done well. Circe and The Song of Achilles, Clytemnestra and Stone Blind, Ariadne and Elektra and Atalanta are all examples of excellent retellings, beautifully written. Stone Blind and Circe are even among some of my very favorite books. But North’s Songs of Penelope trilogy has usurped them all on my shelf. It’s rare that a mythic retelling is not a standalone novel. It’s rare that such a story can stay so true to its source material while also being wonderfully original. It’s rare that every book in a trilogy merits five full stars. Songs of Penelope manages to do all three of those things brilliantly. There is nothing that I would change about any of this trilogy, but I believe this final installment, The Last Song of Penelope, is my favorite. What a note to end on.

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Book Review: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

Book Review: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone

Genre: Historical fiction

Pages: 496 pages (Kindle edition)

Publish date: 6th of September 2016 by Penguin Books


A Gentleman in Moscow is a beautifully written book with minimal suspense, conflict, or captivating drama.

“It is a sad but unavoidable fact of life… that as we age our social circles grow smaller. Whether from increased habit or diminished vigor, we suddenly find ourselves in the company of just a few familiar faces.”

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