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Book Review: Servant of the Empire (Riftwar: Empire, #2) by Raymond E. Feist & Janny Wurts

Book Review: Servant of the Empire (Riftwar: Empire, #2) by Raymond E. Feist & Janny Wurts

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Servant of the Empire by Raymond E. Feist & Janny Wurts

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: The Riftwar: Empire (Book #2 of 3), The Riftwar Cycle (Book #6 of 31)

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

Pages: 827 pages (UK Paperback edition)

Published: 1st September 1990 by Doubleday

Servant of the Empire is an incredible, political, and massive sequel to the excellent Daughter of the Empire.

“You people never cry enough… Uncried tears remain inside you, like poison.”

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Book Review: The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo

Book Review: The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo

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The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher, Tordotcom, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was immediately intrigued when I heard that a fantasy retelling of The Great Gatsby told from Jordan Baker’s perspective was in the works. I’ve always been fascinated by The Great Gatsby, both by the characters and Fitzgerald’s writing style. It’s not the most accessible of novels, despite its brevity, but there’s something magnetic about it, much as there is that same special magnetism surrounding the title character himself. I was very interested in seeing how these characters translated in the hands of another, with magic added to the mix. The author did a pretty great job capturing the tone and feel of the original while still making the story their own. …

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Book Review: The King’s Blood (The Dagger and the Coin, #2) by Daniel Abraham

Book Review: The King’s Blood (The Dagger and the Coin, #2) by Daniel Abraham

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The King’s Blood by Daniel Abraham

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Dagger and the Coin (Book #2 of 5)

Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy

Pages: 517 pages (Kindle edition)

Published: 3rd May 2012 by Orbit

The King’s Blood was a magnificent sequel that expanded upon everything the previous book built.

“Wars are easier to start than end, and where they take you is rarely where you intended to go… It will be better for all of us to avoid it.”

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Book Review: Sword and Pen (The Great Library, #5) by Rachel Caine

Book Review: Sword and Pen (The Great Library, #5) by Rachel Caine

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Sword and Pen by Rachel Caine

My rating: 5 of 5 stars.

Series: The Great Library (Book 5 of 5)

Genre:  Young adult, alternate history, historical fantasy, fantasy

Published: Sept 2019 by Berkley Books (US) and Allison & Busby (UK)

Much to my delight, Sword and Pen delivered a truly satisfying and emotional conclusion to The Great Library, a spectacular YA series that has earned a spot as one of my favourites.

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Book review: Spellslinger (Spellslinger, #1) by Sebastien de Castell

Book review: Spellslinger (Spellslinger, #1) by Sebastien de Castell

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Cover art illustrated by: Dale Halvorsen
Interior card art illustrated by Sam Hadley

 

Spellslinger by Sebastien de Castell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Spellslinger (Book #1 of 6)

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult Fantasy

Pages: 416 pages (Hardcover edition)

Published: 4th May 2017 by Hot Key Books

Spellslinger is a highly entertaining and engrossing start to this hexalogy.

Normally when I see a promising sounding book and notice that it is YA, I immediately lower my expectations for it as I have not always had the best experience with the genre. That has steadily changed over the last few years though, as more and more YA books have surprised me. When Spellslinger quietly showed up on my radar, though, I had no such reservations. I love Sebastien de Castell’s writing that much and will give him the benefit of the doubt any day of the week, and I am thrilled to say that it did not betray my trust in the least.

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Book Review: Blacklight Born (The Combat Codes Saga, #3) by Alexander Darwin

Book Review: Blacklight Born (The Combat Codes Saga, #3) by Alexander Darwin

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

Cover art illustrated by: Felix Ortiz

Cover art designed by: STK.Kreations

Blacklight Born by Alexander Darwin

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: The Combat Codes Saga (Book #3 of 3)

Genre: Science fiction, Dystopia, Martial Arts

Pages: 379 pages (Kindle edition)

Published: 14th July 2021 by Insight Forge Press (Self-published)

To my own bafflement, I finally finished reading a series for the first time this year. …

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Book Review: The Pagan Lord (The Last Kingdom, #7) by Bernard Cornwell

Book Review: The Pagan Lord (The Last Kingdom, #7) by Bernard Cornwell

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The Pagan Lord by Bernard Cornwell

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: The Last Kingdom (Book #7 of 13)

Genre: Historical fiction

Pages: 321 pages (Kindle edition)

Published: 26th September 2013 by HarperCollins

For the first time ever in the series, I actually think The Pagan Lord felt almost completely like a filler book. …

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Book Review: Smoke and Iron (The Great Library, #4) by Rachel Caine

Book Review: Smoke and Iron (The Great Library, #4) by Rachel Caine

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Smoke and Iron by Rachel Caine

My rating: 5 of 5 stars.

Series: The Great Library (Book 4 of 5)

Genre:  Young adult, alternate history, historical fantasy, fantasy

Published: July 2018 by Berkley Books (US) and Allison & Busby (UK)

The best book in the series so far, Smoke and Iron gave me more than a consistently fantastic continuation in The Great Library.

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Book Review: The Dragon’s Path (The Dagger and the Coin, #1) by Daniel Abraham

Book Review: The Dragon’s Path (The Dagger and the Coin, #1) by Daniel Abraham

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The Dragon’s Path by Daniel Abraham

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Dagger and the Coin (Book #1 of 5)

Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy

Pages: 577 pages (Kindle edition)

Published: 7th April 2011 by Orbit

There’s a charm in Abraham’s writing and the stories he tells that just keeps me coming back for more. And the same can be said for The Dragon’s Path. …

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