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Category: Petrik’s Reviews

Book Review: Stone of Farewell (Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn #2) by Tad Williams

Book Review: Stone of Farewell (Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn #2) by Tad Williams

Cover art illustrated by Michael Whelan

Stone of Farewell by Tad Williams

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn (Book #2 of 3), The Osten Ard Saga (Book #2 of 7)

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

Pages: 703 pages (Hardcover edition)

Word Count: 282,750 words

Published: 7th August 1990 by DAW Books


Stone of Farewell is all about preparation for the grand conclusion.

“Old cities and old stories were now part of his very life. It was strange how the future seemed tied inseparably to the past, so that both revolved through the present, like a great wheel…”

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Book Review: Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson

Book Review: Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson

This review is a copy of the transcript of my video review on Yumi and the Nightmare Painter.

Cover art by Aliya Chen

Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: The Cosmere

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Romance

Pages: 479 pages (Kindle)

Published: 1st July 2023 by Dragonsteel Books (Kickstarter) & 11th July 2023 by Tor Books (US Ebook)/Gollancz (UK Ebook)


This was utterly brilliant and satisfying. Yumi and the Nightmare Painter will be the best of the secret project novels, and it is easily one of Sanderson’s finest books in his career.

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Book Review: The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi (Amina al-Sirafi, #1) by Shannon Chakraborty

Book Review: The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi (Amina al-Sirafi, #1) by Shannon Chakraborty

This review is a copy of the transcript of my video review on The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi.

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

Cover art by Ivan Belikov

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty

My rating: 3.5  of 5 stars

Series: Amina al-Sirafi (Book #1 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fantasy

Pages: 483. pages (Hardcover edition)

Published: 28th February 2023 by Harper Voyager


I gave in to the hype. I finally read Chakraborty’s book for the first time, and it certainly will not be the last.

“Exaggerations, but the truth scarcely matters when it comes to a good tale.”

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Book Review: Ruination (League of Legends) by Anthony Reynolds

Book Review: Ruination (League of Legends) by Anthony Reynolds

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

Ruination: A League of Legends Novel by Anthony Reynolds

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: League of Legends (Book #1)

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy

Pages: 448 pages (Hardcover edition)

Published: 6th September 2022 by Orbit Books


Surprisingly better than I expected. Ruination is a fast-paced and compelling standalone novel in the universe of League of Legends.

“A fool with power is a dangerous thing. And we live in a world overflowing with fools and power. —Extract from “The Helian Primer of Light”

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Book Review: Mother of Learning ARC 3 by nobody103 or Domagoj Kurmaic

Book Review: Mother of Learning ARC 3 by nobody103 or Domagoj Kurmaic

Cover art by: Mansik Yang

Mother of Learning: ARC 3 by Domagoj Kurmaić

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Mother of Learning (Book #3 of 4)

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Progression Fantasy, Web novel

Pages: 743 pages (Kindle edition)

Published: 6th September 2022 by Wraithmarked Creative (Indie)


Mother of Learning has been one heck of an entertaining ride, and the beginning of the end is here.

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Book Review: Morning Star (Red Rising Saga, #3) by Pierce Brown

Book Review: Morning Star (Red Rising Saga, #3) by Pierce Brown

This review is a copy of the transcript of my video review on Morning Star and Red Rising Trilogy.

Morning Star by Pierce Brown

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Red Rising Saga (Book #3 of 7)

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

Pages: 518 pages (Paperback Edition)

Word Count: 173,000 words

Published: 9th February 2016 by Del Rey (US) & 11th February 2016 by Hodder (UK)


Morning Star is an absolutely prime conclusion to the first trilogy in Red Rising Saga, my favorite sci-fi series of all time to date.

“If this is the end, I will rage toward it.”

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Book Review: The Dragonbone Chair (Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, #1) by Tad Williams

Book Review: The Dragonbone Chair (Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, #1) by Tad Williams

This review is a copy of the transcript of my video review on The Dragonbone Chair.

Cover art illustrated by Donato Giancola

The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn (Book #1 of 3), The Osten Ard Saga (Book #1 of 7)

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

Pages: 703 pages (Hardcover edition)

Word Count: 288,700 words

Published: 25th October 1988 by DAW Books


Incredible. The Dragonbone Chair is an absolutely brilliant transition from classic to modern epic fantasy.

“When you stopped to think about it, he reflected, there weren’t many things in life one truly needed. To want too much was worse than greed: it was stupidity—a waste of precious time and effort.”

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Book Review: Nolyn (The Rise and Fall, #1) by Michael J. Sullivan

Book Review: Nolyn (The Rise and Fall, #1) by Michael J. Sullivan

Review copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Cover art illustrated by Marc Simonetti

Nolyn by Michael J. Sullivan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Rise and Fall (Book #1 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy

Pages: 480 pages (Hardcover edition)

Published: 3rd August 2021 by Grim Oak Press (Self-published)


Nolyn was an engaging military fantasy and murder mystery novel in the world of Elan. But this is not designed for newcomers to the world of Elan.

“An empty house is a lonely place, an oversized coffin with furniture and windows.”

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Book Review: The Severing Son (The Sundered Nation, #1) by Vaughn Roycroft

Book Review: The Severing Son (The Sundered Nation, #1) by Vaughn Roycroft

Review copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Book cover

Cover art by John Anthony di Giovanni

The Severing Son by Vaughn Roycroft

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Sundered Nation (Book #1 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Historical Fantasy

Pages: 538 pages (Paperback edition)

Published: 18th October 2022 by Avalon Cottage Publishing (Self-published)


The Severing Son is a fast-paced modern fantasy debut with great actions and nodes to classic fantasy tropes.

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Book Review: The Bone Shard War (The Drowning Empire, #3) by Andrea Stewart

Book Review: The Bone Shard War (The Drowning Empire, #3) by Andrea Stewart

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

Cover art by Sasha Vinogradova

Cover design by Lauren Panepinto

The Bone Shard War by Andrea Stewart

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Drowning Empire (Book #3 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy

Pages: 624 pages (Hardcover edition)

Published: 20th April 2023 by Orbit Books


In the words of Mephi, The Bone Shard War was a very good and satisfying conclusion.

“Popularity doesn’t make a thing less valid. On the contrary, I’d argue that the book is popular because the proverbs ring true to so many.”

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