Cover art illustrated by Nekro XIII
The Mask of Mirrors by M.A. Carrick
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Series: Rook and Rose (Book #1 of 3)
Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy
Pages: 688 pages (Paperback edition)
Word Count: 215,000 words
Publish date: 19th January 2021 by Orbit
The Mask of Mirrors is the start of a Venetian fantasy-setting series with a heavy focus on political intrigue, multiple identities, lies, and world-building. …
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
The Price of Power by Michael Michel
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Series: The Price of Power (Book #1)
Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy
Pages: 730 pages (Kindle edition)
Publish date: 6th February 2023 by Morningstar Books (Indie)
The Price of Power is a foundational character-driven fantasy debut with promises of great things to come.
“As much as the future is fickle, the past is solid and certain. What it tells me is things continue forward. The future persists even when bleak. I fight fear with wisdom.”
The Enchanted Lies of Céleste Artois by Ryan Graudin
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher, Orbit/Redhook, in exchange for an honest review.
When I first saw the title of this book, I couldn’t help but be excited. For obvious reasons. My name is an uncommon one, and I’ve never read a book featuring a protagonist who shares it. And then, earlier in the year, I read a delightful middle-grade novel, The Girl Who Kept the Castle, by the same author. Knowing how much I loved her writing for young readers, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on her adult debut. I might have set my expectations just a bit too high. While this book was expertly crafted, with gorgeous prose and lush settings and characters I grew to love, the pace and the scope didn’t quite work for me. But overall, this is a charming story that ushers readers into a magical world they won’t want to leave.
“People so often think their futures are set in stone, that their stories are written in the stars before they’re even born, but stone can be worn away, and stars will turn to dust if you wait long enough.”
Review copy provided by the author’s agent—Zeno Literary Agency—in exchange for an honest review.
Cover art illustrated by Todd Lockwood
The Tropic of Serpents by Marie Brennan
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Series: The Memoirs of Lady Trent (Book #2 of 5)
Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy
Word Count: 98,000 words
Pages: 331 pages (Paperback edition)
Published: 4th March 2014 by Tor Books (US) & 20th June 2014 by Titan Books (UK)
The Tropic of Serpents precisely portrayed why I hate jungles.
“There is no faster way to harden my determination than to assume I will fail at something.”
Review copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Cover art illustrated by Diego Spezzoni
The Crown of Omens by E.J. Doble
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Series: The Blood and Steel Saga (Book #0.5 of 5)
Genre: Fantasy, Grimdark Fantasy, Epic Fantasy
Pages: 159 pages (Paperback edition)
Published: 1st October 2023 (Self-Published)
The Crown of Omens is an action-packed alternative starting point for Doble’s grimdark Blood and Steel Saga. …
Cover art illustrated by Diego Spezzoni
The Fangs of War by E.J. Doble
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Series: The Blood and Steel Saga (Book #1 of 5)
Genre: Fantasy, Grimdark Fantasy, Epic Fantasy
Pages: 575 pages (Hardback edition)
Published: 11th January 2022 (Self-Published)
It is an impressive feat that a young 21-year-old writer wrote and published a grimdark fantasy debut the like of The Fangs of War. …
ARC provided by the publisher—Orbit Books—in exchange for an honest review.
Cover art illustrated by: Martina Fackova
Cover designed by: Lauren Panepinto
The Trials of Empire by Richard Swan
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Series: Empire of the Wolf (Book #3 of 3)
Genre: Fantasy, High fantasy
Pages: 496 pages (Kindle edition)
Word Count: 164,000 words
Published: 6th February 2024 by Orbit (US) & 8th February 2024 by Orbit (UK)
The Trials of Empire bestowed readers with a different direction and satisfying ending to Empire of the Wolf trilogy.
“One of the greatest feats of human cognisance is to realise and accept that every being capable of thought has a life as complex as one’s own.”
The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher, Orbit/Redhook, in exchange for an honest review.
The description for The City of Stardust captivated me as soon as I read it. Here’s what hooked me: “A young woman descends into a seductive magical underworld of power-hungry scholars, fickle gods and monsters bent on revenge to break her family’s curse in this spellbinding contemporary fantasy debut.” There are so many things that grab me in that little synopsis. A “seductive, magical underworld?” Sign me up. “Power-hungry scholars?” Forever and always. Fickle gods and family curses? Yes, please. While I did get all of those things, the story itself didn’t land quite as solidly for me as I had hoped it would. …
Review copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Cover art by Dusan Markovic
Heliotrope by Palmer Pickering
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Series: Standalone
Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy
Pages: 784 pages (Paperback edition)
Published: 23rd November 2022 by Mythology Press (Self-Published)
Heliotrope is a good one-off standalone character-driven fantasy reminiscent of the classic adventurous fantasy novel. …
Review copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Cover art illustrated by Kyra Gregory
The Prophet of Edan by Philip Chase
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Series: The Edan Trilogy (Book #2 of 3)
Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy
Pages: 610 pages (Paperback edition)
Published: 21st June 2023 by Philip Chase (Self-Published)
For better or worse, The Prophet of Edan is a heavily action-packed sequel to The Way of Edan. …