Book Review: Lumen (The Nightingale Trilogy #2) by J.J. Fischer

Book Review: Lumen (The Nightingale Trilogy #2) by J.J. Fischer

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Lumen by J.J. Fischer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lumen is the second installment in the Nightingale trilogy, and it picks up right where Calor left off. The pace is fast and the tensions are high from the very first page. The cast is still wonderful, and I’m enjoying getting to know them more deeply. Fischer does a wonderful job balancing their strengths against their weaknesses. She also does a lovely job of weaving subtle strands of Greek myth into her world in a way that only serves to deepen the story. There are subtle nods throughout, especially seen in the naming of places and even certain characters. …

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Book Review: Exit Strategy (The Murderbot Diaries, #4) by Martha Wells

Book Review: Exit Strategy (The Murderbot Diaries, #4) by Martha Wells

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Cover art by Jaime Jones

Exit Strategy by Martha Wells

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Murderbot Diaries (Book #4)

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 150 pages (Kindle Edition)

Word count: 32,400 words

Published: 2nd October 2018 by Tordotcom

Exit Strategy concluded the first story arc of The Murderbot Diaries with another action-packed narrative.

“I was having an emotion, and I hate that.”

…

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Book Review: Calor (The Nightingale Trilogy, #1) by J.J. Fischer

Book Review: Calor (The Nightingale Trilogy, #1) by J.J. Fischer

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Calor by J.J. Fischer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Calor is the first installment in the Nightingale saga, a completed epic fantasy trilogy followed by a standalone sequel. The entire series is inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s beloved short story, “The Nightingale,” and also includes notes of the Hades and Persephone myth. I was enraptured by Calor from the very beginning. The worldbuilding is fascinating, the characters are compelling and sympathetic, the writing is lovely and incredibly engaging, and the pacing never falters.
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Book Review: Darkfell by Amanda Wright

Book Review: Darkfell by Amanda Wright

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Darkfell by Amanda Wright
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Darkfell is a timeless, refreshing take on classic fantasy tropes that deserves shelf space alongside The Chronicles of Narnia and Dekker’s Circle series. Like the aforementioned works, Darkfell tells a powerful, fantastical tale on the surface, with layers of spiritual depth underpinning the plot. I love finding Christian fantasy that is actually, unabashedly Christian, not simply clean and penned from a Christian worldview. Darkfell is unashamedly Christian. While the plot is propulsive, the characters engaging, and the worldbuilding exemplary, this is a story that would quite literally fall apart without the Creator holding it together. Which is a writing decision that I love, because my story would also fall about without Him. …

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Book Review: Illuminary (The Sceptre and the Stylus, #1) by Chawna Schroeder

Book Review: Illuminary (The Sceptre and the Stylus, #1) by Chawna Schroeder

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Illuminary by Chawna Schroeder
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

I’ve been eagerly anticipating Illuminary since it was first announced. A Little Princess is one of my favorite books of all time, so the idea of a fantasy reimagining of that classic story was immediately appealing to me. While I could absolutely see and feel that inspiration in this series opener, it never felt derivative in any way. Illuminary is a refreshingly unique tale, packed with more action and adventure and faith than I expected to find. …

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Book Review: A Song of Legends Lost (The Invoker, #1) by M.H. Ayinde

Book Review: A Song of Legends Lost (The Invoker, #1) by M.H. Ayinde

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

Cover art by Richard Anderson

A Song of Legends Lost by M.H. Ayinde

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Invoker (Book #1 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy

Pages: 592 pages

Word count: 189,000 words

Published:  8th April 2025 by Orbit (UK) & 3rd June 2025 by Saga Press (US)

A Song of Legends Lost is a Final Fantasy X inspired debut with magic summons reminiscent of Spirit from Shaman King or Stand from Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. …

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Book Review: Rogue Protocol (The Murderbot Diaries, #3) by Martha Wells

Book Review: Rogue Protocol (The Murderbot Diaries, #3) by Martha Wells

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Cover art by Jaime Jones

Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Murderbot Diaries (Book #3)

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 150 pages (Kindle Edition)

Word count: 32,400 words

Published: 7th August 2018 by Tordotcom

An action-packed story and Miki turned Rogue Protocol into a pleasant surprise for me, despite my preliminary disappointment.

“There needs to be an error code that means “I received your request but decided to ignore you.”

…

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Book Review: Artificial Condition (The Murderbot Diaries, #2) by Martha Wells

Book Review: Artificial Condition (The Murderbot Diaries, #2) by Martha Wells

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Cover art by Jaime Jones

Artificial Condition by Martha Wells

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Murderbot Diaries (Book #2)

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 149 pages (Kindle Edition)

Word count: 32,400 words

Published: 8th May 2018 by Tordotcom

Artificial Condition offers one great new supporting character to accompany our beloved Murderbot.

“I would defer to your expertise in shooting and killing things. You should defer to mine in data analysis.”

…

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Book Review: Earthbound (Of Earth and Sky, #1) by Katee Stein

Book Review: Earthbound (Of Earth and Sky, #1) by Katee Stein

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Earthbound by Katee Stein
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Earthbound has been on my radar for a while now. With threads of The Stormlight Archive in its words of power, Dune with its gargantuan subterranean monsters, and even Empire of the Vampire in terms of certain relationship dynamics and quasi-religious political machinations, this sounded like an incredibly promising science fantasy that would harken back to powerful stories I’ve loved in the past while still being a tale wholly its own. And that’s exactly what Stein delivered in this first installment in the Of Earth and Sky duology. What I didn’t anticipate was just how tense and heart wrenching a story it would be. Earthbound is nothing if not intensely unique and totally unforgettable. …

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