4.5 stars Archives - Page 12 of 25

Book Review: Tiamat’s Wrath (The Expanse, #8) by James S.A. Corey

November 2, 2020 Petrik Leo Comments 0 Comment

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Cover Illustration by: Daniel Dociu

Tiamat’s Wrath by James S.A. Corey

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Expanse (Book #8 of 9)

Genre: Sci-fi, Space Opera

Pages: 560 pages (UK paperback)

Published: 26th March 2019 by Orbit

Wow, I take back what I said before. Tiamat’s Wrath surpassed Caliban’s War and Nemesis Games as the best installment of the series so far. …

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Book Review: The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu

October 23, 2020 Petrik Leo Comments 0 Comment

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Cover illustration by: Quentin Trollip

The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone

Genre: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Thriller, Magical Realism, Historical Fiction

Pages: 464 pages (US Hardback)

Published: 10th March 2016 by Head of Zeus (UK) & 8th March 2016 by Gallery / Saga Press (US)

The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories is an intimately powerful and beautiful collection of stories that encompassed some of the most relatable themes to our society, and some stories contained in this collection felt personal and evocative to me.

“Every act of communication is a miracle of translation.”

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Book Review: Uncrowned (Cradle, #7) by Will Wight

October 5, 2020 TS Chan Comments 0 Comment

Uncrowned by Will Wight

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Cradle (Book #7 of 12)

Genre: Fantasy, Progression Fantasy, Xianxia

Published: 26th September 2019 by Hidden Gnome Publishing (Indie)

The Cradle series has been relentlessly fun and tremendously addictive, and Uncrowned might be its best yet if not for the rather abrupt ending.
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Book Review: Cold Days (The Dresden Files, #14) by Jim Butcher

September 24, 2020 Petrik Leo Comments 0 Comment

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Cover illustration by: Chris McGrath

Cold Days by Jim Butcher

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Dresden Files (Book #14 of 25)

Genre: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy

Pages: 529 pages (US Kindle edition)

Published: 29th November 2012 by Orbit (UK) & 27th November 2012 by Roc (US)

Cold Days once again established The Dresden Files as one of the most consistently good series out there.

“I know it’s not thematically in tune with my new job and all, but I find it effective. Build a man a fire and he’s warm for a day,” I say. “But set a man on fire and he’s warm for the rest of his life. Tao of Pratchett. I live by it.”

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Book Review: Black Sun (Between Earth and Sky, #1) by Rebecca Roanhorse

September 14, 2020 Petrik Leo Comments 5 comments

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

Cover illustration by: John Picacio

Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Between Earth and Sky (Book #1 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, High fantasy

Pages: 464 pages

Published: 13th October 2020 by Gallery / Saga Press

Fascinating world-building and riveting narrative. Black Sun was my first venture in Rebecca Roanhorse’s works, and it certainly won’t be the last. …

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Book Review: Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy

September 9, 2020 Celeste Comments 0 Comment

Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher (Flatiron Books) and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Migrations is a beautiful, heartbreaking, defiant literary fiction debut. While McConaghy has written SFF in the past, this work is something entirely new for her, and you could feel the passion and anger pouring off of every page. I’ve never read any of her SFF novels, but I might have to give them a go. Because the woman can really write. …

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Book Review: The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings, #3) by J.R.R. Tolkien

August 28, 2020 Petrik Leo Comments 0 Comment

The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Lord of the Rings (Book #3 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, Classic Fantasy, Epic Fantasy

Published: 20th October 1955 by George Allen and Unwin

“For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”

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Book Review: The Bone Shard Daughter (The Drowning Empire, #1) by Andrea Stewart

August 21, 2020 Eon Comments 4 comments

I received an ARC of The Bone Shard Daughter (Orbit) in exchange for an honest review.

The Bone Shard Daughter book cover

The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Drowning Empire (Book #1 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy

Published: 10th September 2020 by Orbit (UK) & 8th September 2020 by Orbit (US)

I will make no bones about it: This brilliant fantasy debut has announced Andrea Stewart as quite possibly the best newcomer of the year.

Bone. Shard. Magic. How intriguing does that sound?!?! I’m a sucker for a cool magic system and the sound of that sold me instantly. Having finished this book speedily, I can honestly say you would be wrong if you thought that was the final mark under this book’s coolness column. We’re talking migrating islands, lost ancient civilizations, wet and dry seasons that last for years if not decades, mythical creatures, people mysteriously disappearing, and other inexplicable magic. I fully understand if you stop reading this review about now to go and place that pre-order. Excellent choice in supporting this author if I may so.

“The construct looked nothing so much as a giant spider, dark brown and glistening, as tall as my chest when it stood to attention. Human hands were attached to the end of each of its spindly legs, and an old woman’s adorned the abdomen.”

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Book Review: Boy’s Life by Robert R. McCammon

August 9, 2020 TS Chan Comments 4 comments

Boy’s Life by Robert R. McCammon

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Genre: Historical fiction, magic realism, horror, mystery

First Published: 1991

Boy’s Life is a beautifully written and captivating coming-of-age story.

I would like to highlight first of all that while this book might have won the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1992, I would say that it was more akin to magic realism with a dose of horror in historical and fictional setting of a small town named Zephyr in Alabama.

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