Review copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Series: Standalone
Genre: Horror, Historical Fiction, Fantasy
Pages: 432 pages (US Hardcover edition)
Published: 2nd October 2012 by Ace (US)
A bleak historical fantasy/horror about life, death, faith, and hope. …
ARC provided by the publisher—Orbit—in exchange for an honest review.
Cover designed by: Lisa Marie Pompilio
Jade Legacy by Fonda Lee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Series: The Green Bone Saga (Book #3 of 3)
Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Urban Fantasy
Pages: 736 pages (US Kindle edition)
Published: 30th November 2021 by Orbit (US) & 2nd December 2021 by Orbit (UK)
Without a shadow of a doubt, one of the best books I’ve ever read. Jade Legacy is an all-around masterpiece that certified The Green Bone Saga as my top favorite completed trilogy of all time.
“Good men are remembered with love by their friends… Great warriors are remembered with awe by their enemies.”
Black House by Stephen King and Peter Straub
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
For some reason, I wasn’t expecting much from Black House. While I really enjoyed The Talisman, the first novel in this duology, I feel like I’ve heard a good bit of negative commentary about this particular book in the past. Can I actually pinpoint any of said comments? Nope. Not a one. Maybe I was thinking about a different book. Because Black House was everything I should have expected: scary, moving, and vital to the Dark Tower.
“I must not be so bad if I have a friend like that.”
Cover art illustrated by: Marc Simonetti
The Disappearance of Winter’s Daughter by Michael J. Sullivan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Series: The Riyria Chronicles (Book #4)
Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy
Pages: 480 pages (Kindle edition)
Published: 5th December 2017 by Riyria Enterprises, LLC (Self-published)
As always, another great book in the series, and now I’m fully caught up with The Riyria Chronicles. I hope it won’t be too long for Drumindor to come out.
“Things will change, but not all at once… You can’t obtain respect at the point of a sword, not from people who despise us. Respect needs to be earned. Trust needs to be built up over time, over generations.”
The Flame Bearer by Bernard Cornwell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Series: The Last Kingdom (Book #10 of 13)
Genre: Historical fiction
Pages: 305 pages (Kindle edition)
Published: 6th October 2016 by HarperCollins
The Flame Bearer has a strong start and concluding chapter, but this series has run its course, and I can’t believe there are still 3 books to go. …
The Spider’s War by Daniel Abraham
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Series: The Dagger and the Coin (Book #5 of 5)
Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy
Pages: 519 pages (Kindle edition)
Published: 8th March 2016 by Orbit
The best of the series; The Spider’s War is an unconventional and incredibly satisfying conclusion to an underrated fantasy series.
“The world has never been fair. Often beautiful. Sometimes kind when kindness was not deserved. But never fair.”
Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Jennifer Saint penned a lovely, if depressing, novel in Ariadne. It will definitely appeal to the same audience that loved Madeline Miller’s Circe. However, there was some magic imbued into Miller’s work, some fierce beauty behind the pain, that wasn’t present in this novel. It felt like viewing a work of art through a fog instead of clear glass. While it was a very well written mythological retelling, I couldn’t quite love it. …
Cover art designed by: Books Covered
The Fall by Ryan Cahill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Series: The Bound and the Broken (Book #0.5 of 4)
Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy
Pages: 95 pages
Published: 1st November 2020 by Ryan Cahill (Self-published)
Wow. I can’t believe this great novella is available for FREE on the author’s website. …
This review was written on the 29th of June 2017
Cover art by: Ian Leino
Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancroft
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Series: The Books of Babel (Book #1 of 4)
Genre: Fantasy, Steampunk Fantasy
Pages: 371 pages (US Kindle edition)
Published: 18th February 2013 by Josiah Bancroft (Self-published) & 22nd August 2017 Orbit Books
If you need extra proof that a self-published fantasy can be on par/superior compared to traditionally published fantasy books, Senlin Ascends is it. …
City of Miracles by Robert Jackson Bennett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Series: The Divine Cities (Book 3 of 3)
Genre: Urban fantasy, fantasy, post-apocalyptic
Published: 2nd May 2017 by Broadway Books (US) & 4th May 2017 by Jo Fletcher Books (UK)
With its stunning denouement in City of Miracles, Robert Jackson Bennett’s masterful genre-redefining trilogy is now one of my all-time favourites.
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