Cover art illustrated by: Chris McGrath
Rise of the Ranger by Philip C. Quaintrell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Series: The Echoes Saga (Book #1 of 9)
Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy
Pages: 538 pages (Kindle Edition)
Published: 5th May 2017 by Quaintrell Publishing (Self-Published)
Rise of the Ranger is a promising beginning to another classic fantasy series told with a modern voice. …
Review copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
ILLBORN by Daniel T. Jackson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Series: The Illborn Saga (Book #1 of 4)
Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy
Pages: 714 pages (Paperback Edition)
Published: 19th March 2021 by Troubador Publishing (Indie)
By the Lord, this was amazing. Illborn is an absolutely compelling character-driven epic fantasy debut. …
Cover art illustrated by: Nico Delort
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Series: Standalone
Genre: Fantasy, Retelling
Pages: 480 pages (US Hardcover Edition)
Published: 10th July 2018 by Del Rey (US) & Pan Macmillan (UK)
If Uprooted is my Hell, then Spinning Silver is my Heaven.
Five years. It’s been exactly five years since I’ve read Uprooted by Naomi Novik. Honestly speaking, I never intended to read Spinning Silver. I consider Uprooted one of the worst fantasy novels I’ve read, and I had no motivation in trying out more of Novik’s works for five years. However, after hearing from many readers—one of them being my friend, Elliot Brooks—who disliked Uprooted that Spinning Silver worked wonderfully for them, my curiosity was piqued. And then, another good friend of mine—Mary—who also disliked Uprooted decided to sent me a copy of Spinning Silver. She said that Spinning Silver is one of the best standalone novels she has ever read. So here I am, nodding my head and adding my opinion to their praises; they were all 100% right. Spinning Silver is one of the best standalone novels I’ve read. This high rating you’re seeing is not a fairytale. It’s well-deserved, and Spinning Silver rightfully deserves the gorgeous cover art (US edition) illustrated by Nico Delort. …
Cover Illustration by: Daniel Dociu
Leviathan Falls by James S.A. Corey
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Series: The Expanse (Book #9 of 9)
Genre: Sci-fi, Space Opera
Pages: 543 pages (Kindle Edition)
Published: 26th March 2019 by Orbit
My last review of 2021 is for the conclusion to the first big space opera series of novels I’ve ever finished to its completion, and I’m glad it’s The Expanse. …
War Lord by Bernard Cornwell
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Series: The Last Kingdom (Book #13 of 13)
Genre: Historical fiction
Pages: 333 pages (Hardcover edition)
Published: 15th October 2020 by HarperCollins
It’s over. I finally finished The Last Kingdom series by Bernard Cornwell, and it was an impressive conclusion. …
ARC provided by the publisher—Orbit—in exchange for an honest review.
Cover art by : Ian Leino
The Fall of Babel by Josiah Bancroft
My rating: 1.5 of 5 stars
Series: The Books of Babel (Book #4 of 4)
Genre: Fantasy, High fantasy, Steampunk
Pages: 672 pages (US paperback edition)
Published: 9th December 2021 by Orbit
The Fall of Babel is not just a title; it is a state. A state where the quality of the series ends up.
Josiah Bancroft, please do not read this review. I love your previous books, and I would prefer your memory of my thoughts on your books remains that way; leave it in the state of innocence and happiness just like Senlin before he entered the Tower of Babel. Now, let’s get on with the review.
“You could resent yourself for your imperfect enjoyment of your life, but that seems to me like a never-ending chore. A thankless one, too. I think that if we really knew how good our lives were while they were good, we’d be too scared to do anything, change anything. We’d never take a risk, or explore, or grow. You can hate yourself for not fully appreciating your happy days while you had them, or you could look back and be warmed by the memory, couldn’t you?”
ARC provided by the publisher—Orbit—in exchange for an honest review.
The Bone Ship’s Wake by R.J. Barker
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Series: The Tide Child (Book #3 of 3)
Genre: Fantasy, High fantasy
Pages: 543 pages (UK paperback edition)
Published: 30th September 2021 by Orbit
I’ve completed two series by R.J. Barker now, and Barker stuck the landing in both Kings of Assassins and The Bone Ship’s Wake.
“Of all the people on the ship, the courser knew most what it was to be alone. And Joron, as Meas had once said, had found command was the loneliest place of all.”
Sword of Kings by Bernard Cornwell
My rating: 1.5 of 5 stars
Series: The Last Kingdom (Book #12 of 13)
Genre: Historical fiction
Pages: 346 pages (Kindle edition)
Published: 3rd October 2019 by HarperCollins
Sword of Kings is the penultimate installment of The Last Kingdom series, if it wasn’t, I would’ve given up reading the rest of the series. …
Cover art illustration by: Patrick Foster
Reaper 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, I’m so tired of saying this statement on so many books in Cradle, but once again, Reaper is the new best book of the series so far.
“An ant had a better chance of resisting a boot.”
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Series: Standalone
Genre: Fantasy, Mystery, Magical Realism
Pages: 246 pages (Kindle edition)
Published: 15th September 2020 by Bloomsbury
A genre-blending, memorable, and melancholic standalone novel.