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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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Book Review: Ash and Quill (The Great Library, #3) by Rachel Caine

Book Review: Ash and Quill (The Great Library, #3) by Rachel Caine

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Ash and Quill by Rachel Caine

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars.

Series: The Great Library (Book 3 of 5)

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

Published: July 2017 by Berkley Books (US) and Allison & Busby (UK)

Immensely engaging and intense, Ash and Quill was mid-series perfection.

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Book Review: Daughter of the Empire (Riftwar: Empire, #1) by Raymond E. Feist & Janny Wurts

Book Review: Daughter of the Empire (Riftwar: Empire, #1) by Raymond E. Feist & Janny Wurts

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

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: The Riftwar: Empire (Book #1 of 3), The Riftwar Cycle (Book #5 of 31)

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

Pages: 528 pages (UK Paperback edition)

Published: 19th May 1987

Daughter of the Empire is a magnificent page-turning political intrigue with an amazing heroine to root for.

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Book Review: Spirit’s End (The Legend of Eli Monpress, #5) by Rachel Aaron

Book Review: Spirit’s End (The Legend of Eli Monpress, #5) by Rachel Aaron

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Spirit’s End by Rachel Aaron

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: The Legend of Eli Monpress (Book #5 of 5)

Genre: Fantasy, high fantasy

Published: November 2012 by Orbit (UK and US)

Easily one of the most addictive and fun fantasy series I’ve read in recent memory, The Legend of Eli Monpress concluded most satisfactorily in Spirit’s End, and now occupies my list of favourites.

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Book Review: Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr

Book Review: Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr

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ARC provided by Goodreads & the publisher—Scribner—in exchange for an honest review.

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone

Genre: Historical fiction, Science fiction, Literary fiction

Pages: 656 pages (Kindle edition)

Published: 28th September 2021 by Scribner

Cloud Cuckoo Land is more ambitious and complex than All the Light We Cannot See in every possible way. …

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