The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Series: Kingsbridge (Book #1 of 5)
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 992 pages (Hardcover edition)
Word Count: 410,000 words
Publish date: October 1989 by Macmillan …
Hi everyone! Petrik Novel Notions here.
We’re honored to do today’s cover reveal. When Michael was last here, it was for the cover reveal of his Dragon’s Blade Trilogy plus Unbound and Defiant. This time, we will be revealing the cover art of Reckoning, the fourth and penultimate installment in the Songs of Chaos series. If you are unfamiliar with this series, The Songs of Chaos is a dragon rider epic fantasy that takes inspiration from such celebrated works as Eragon and Pern. In Michael’s own words “It’s about a serving boy who defies society to save a blind dragon from death and rises to become a dragon rider. A bit of cultivation/progression magic is sprinkled into this one.” Since the cover reveal of Defiant, I am happy to say I have made good progress on the series, and I’m about to dive into Defiant as we speak. But without further ado… check out the cover art of Reckoning!
Cover art by Randy Vargas …
Cover art illustrated by Janny Wurts
The Curse of the Mistwraith by Janny Wurts
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Series: Wars of Light and Shadow (Book #1 of 11)
Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy
Pages: 611 pages (Hardcover edition)
Word Count: 233,000 words
Publish date: May 1993 by HarperVoyager
The Curse of the Mistwraith is the start of a super ambitious epic fantasy, and it is a book that will require your 100% concentration. …
The Mirror by Nora Roberts
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I received an advance digital copy of this novel from the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Inheritance was one of my favorite books of 2023, and it ended on a major cliffhanger. So when I was offered an advance digital copy of The Mirror, which was quite possibly my most anticipated read of 2024, I couldn’t hit the download button fast enough. And I loved every single page. There’s not a single thing I would change about The Mirror, except for the fact that I have to wait over a year to see how the story ends. …
ARC provided by the publisher—Gollancz—in exchange for an honest review.
Cover art illustrated by Giby Joseph
Kavithri by Aman J. Bedi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Series: The Ghosts of Ethuran (Book #1 of 3)
Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy
Pages: 448 pages (Hardcover edition)
Word Count: 111,500 words
Publish date: 16th of May 2024 by Gollancz
Imagine an engaging Indian-inspired steampunk fantasy debut reminiscent of The Poppy War with an empathetic heroine with a rein on her wrath. That’s Kavithri. …
Hi everyone! Petrik from Novel Notions here.
We have an incredibly exciting post today. Orbit has asked me and Novel Notions to host the cover reveal for A Song of Legends Lost by M.H. Ayinde! This will be the start of a new trilogy from a debut author, and it sounds like it will be a promising epic fantasy debut. I am so looking forward to reading this, especially after reading the premise and seeing the stunning cover art illustrated by one of my favorite artists, Richard Anderson. Without further ado, here’s the cover reveal to A Song of Legends Lost by M.H. Ayinde!
Cover art illustrated by Richard Anderson
The Last Song of Penelope by Claire North
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I adore Greek myth retellings when they’re done well. Circe and The Song of Achilles, Clytemnestra and Stone Blind, Ariadne and Elektra and Atalanta are all examples of excellent retellings, beautifully written. Stone Blind and Circe are even among some of my very favorite books. But North’s Songs of Penelope trilogy has usurped them all on my shelf. It’s rare that a mythic retelling is not a standalone novel. It’s rare that such a story can stay so true to its source material while also being wonderfully original. It’s rare that every book in a trilogy merits five full stars. Songs of Penelope manages to do all three of those things brilliantly. There is nothing that I would change about any of this trilogy, but I believe this final installment, The Last Song of Penelope, is my favorite. What a note to end on. …
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Series: Standalone
Genre: Historical fiction
Pages: 496 pages (Kindle edition)
Publish date: 6th of September 2016 by Penguin Books
A Gentleman in Moscow is a beautifully written book with minimal suspense, conflict, or captivating drama.
“It is a sad but unavoidable fact of life… that as we age our social circles grow smaller. Whether from increased habit or diminished vigor, we suddenly find ourselves in the company of just a few familiar faces.”
All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I received an advance digital copy of this novel from the publisher, Crown Publishing, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
We Begin at the End was one of my very favorite books of 2021. It was one of the two best crime fiction novels I had ever read, alongside Razorblade Tears by S. A. Cosby. A third is now joining their ranks. All the Colors of the Dark is an absolutely brilliant example of crime fiction. It’s heavy and hard and heartbreaking, but it ends on such a strong, vibrant note of hope that it makes the darkness of the journey feel worth it.
“I just wanted to show you that sometimes things survive despite the harshest of odds.”
ARC provided by the publisher—Tor Books—in exchange for an honest review.
Cover art illustrated by Marie Bergeron
The Daughters’ War by Christopher Buehlman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Series: Blacktongue (Book #0)
Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy
Pages: 416 pages (Kindle edition)
Publish date: 25th of June 2024 by Tor Books (US) and Gollancz (UK)
The Daughters’ War is a very different kind of prequel novel from The Blacktongue Thief.
“One who has studied and thinks oneself capable might be undone to discover how much less one knows than one thinks.”