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Category: Book Reviews

Book Review: Call of the Bone Ships (The Tide Child, #2) by R.J. Barker

Book Review: Call of the Bone Ships (The Tide Child, #2) by R.J. Barker

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The Bone Ships by by R.J. Barker

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars.

Series: The Tide Child (Book 2 of 3)

Genre: High-fantasy

Published: November 24, 2020 by Orbit (UK & US)

A superb sequel that elevates the series.

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of RJ Barker’s Wounded Kingdom series, and when I recently reread the first book in the Tide Child trilogy I was once again reminded how much I love his stories and I kept on thinking about the story and the characters long after that reread. So when the time came around for myself, TS and Petrik to resume our buddy read with the Call of the Bone Ships I was more than excited to plunge into this world again and I was overjoyed to find that it was every bit as good as I’d hoped.

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Book Review: The Justice of Kings (Empire of the Wolf, #1) by Richard Swan

Book Review: The Justice of Kings (Empire of the Wolf, #1) by Richard Swan

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

Cover art illustrated by: Martina Fackova

Cover designed by: Lauren Panepinto

The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Empire of the Wolf (Book #1 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 432 pages (UK paperback edition)

Published: 22nd February 2022 & 24th February 2022 by Orbit

The Justice of Kings was totally addictive. A truly riveting tale about law, war, morality, and justice.

“Empires are built and maintained with words. Swords are a mere precedent to the quill.”

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Book Review: Charmcaster (Spellslinger, #3) by Sebastian De Castell

Book Review: Charmcaster (Spellslinger, #3) by Sebastian De Castell

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Charmcaster by Sebastian de Castell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Spellslinger (Book 3 of 6)

Genre: Fantasy, YA fantasy

Published:  17th May 2018 by Hot Key Books (UK) and 18th September 2018 by Orbit (US)

Charmcaster was yet another entertaining and engaging read from Sebastian de Castell.
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Book Review: Reaper (Cradle, #10) by Will Wight

Book Review: Reaper (Cradle, #10) by Will Wight

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Reaper

Cover art illustration by: Patrick Foster

Bloodline by Will Wight

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Cradle (Book #10 of 12)

Genre: Fantasy, Progression Fantasy, Xianxia

Pages: 465 pages

Published: 2nd November 2021 by Hidden Gnome Publishing (Indie)

Will Wight keeps on upping his game; Reaper is the best book of this series so far for me and delivers one hell of a payoff!

You would think that the tenth book in a not yet completed series might be prone to losing some steam, and in many cases, you might be right. Regarding Reaper, the book that takes the Cradle series into double digits, you would be wrong. This is of course only my opinion and is greatly influenced by the spotlight being shone on my favourite character throughout, but that is just one aspect of the story. What makes this better than any other for me, is how much the story focuses on teamwork, and just like this plot, Wight has made all the different parts work together to result in what I believe to be the strongest Cradle entry to date and also the most revelatory.

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Book Review: Of Blood and Fire (The Bound and the Broken, #1) by Ryan Cahill

Book Review: Of Blood and Fire (The Bound and the Broken, #1) by Ryan Cahill

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

Cover art by: Books Covered

Of Blood And Fire by Ryan Cahill

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Bound and the Broken (Book #1 of 4)

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy

Pages: 494 pages (Hardcover edition)

Published: 20th March 2021 by Ryan Cahill (Self-published)

Of Blood and Fire may not bring anything new to the genre, but it’s certainly another great modern take on classic fantasy.

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Book Review: Jade Legacy (The Green Bone Saga, #3) by Fonda Lee

Book Review: Jade Legacy (The Green Bone Saga, #3) by Fonda Lee

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

Jade Legacy by Fonda Lee

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: The Green Bone Saga (Book #3 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy

Published: 30th November 2021 by Orbit (US) & 2nd December 2021 by Orbit (UK)

Devastatingly brilliant, Jade Legacy is a triumphant finale in Fonda Lee’s emotionally powerful character-driven masterpiece.
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Book Review: An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield

Book Review: An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield

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An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Biography, memoir, non-fiction, science

Published: Oct 2013 by Macmillan (US) and Little, Brown and Company (UK)

An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth was definitely one of the more interesting and compelling memoir of sorts that I’ve read which proffered valuable life lessons.  Lessons which in fact seemed to go against conventional thinking and life coaching such as visualising success, not sweating the small stuff and not caring about what others think.  Chris Hadfield’s experience as an astronaut – or more importantly, on becoming an astronaut – proved otherwise.
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Book Review: The Death of Dulgath (The Riyria Chronicles, #3) by Michael J. Sullivan

Book Review: The Death of Dulgath (The Riyria Chronicles, #3) by Michael J. Sullivan

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The Death of Dulgath by Michael J. Sullivan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: The Riyria Chronicles (Book #3)

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy

Published: 3rd November 2015 by Riyria Enterprises (self-published)

It should come as no surprise that I absolutely loved The Death of Dulgath, which was just as good if not even better upon reread.

Aside from Sanderson, I have one other major fictional addiction, and that is Riyria. I could never get enough of reading about the duo of Hadrian Blackwater and Royce Melborn, and have read The Riyria Revelations and the first two books of The Riyria Chronicles three times.
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Book Review: Arm of the Sphinx (The Books of Babel, #2) by Josiah Bancroft

Book Review: Arm of the Sphinx (The Books of Babel, #2) by Josiah Bancroft

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This review was written the 2nd of July 2017

Arm of the SphinxCover art by: Ian Leino

Arm of the Sphinx by Josiah Bancroft

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Books of Babel (Book #2 of 4)

Genre: Fantasy, Steampunk Fantasy

Pages: 381 pages (US Kindle edition)

Published: 28th July 2014 by Josiah Bancroft (Self-published) & 22nd August 2017 Orbit Books

Raven’s Shadow by Anthony Ryan, The Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan, and now, The Books of Babel by Josiah Bancroft; I’ll be surprised if this series doesn’t end up becoming the next successful self-published to traditionally published fantasy transition.

Arm of the Sphinx is the second book in The Books of Babel series by Josiah Bancroft. The story continues months after the end of the previous book. Each chapter still begins with memorable and philosophical quotes such as:

“We are, each of us, a multitude. I am not the man I was this morning, nor the man of yesterday. I am a throng of myself queued through time. We are, gentle reader, each a crowd within a crowd.”

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