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Tag: 4.5 stars

Book Review: Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

Book Review: Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

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Cover art illustrated by: Nico Delort

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone

Genre: Fantasy, Retelling

Pages: 480 pages (US Hardcover Edition)

Published: 10th July 2018 by Del Rey (US) & Pan Macmillan (UK)

If Uprooted is my Hell, then Spinning Silver is my Heaven.

Five years. It’s been exactly five years since I’ve read Uprooted by Naomi Novik. Honestly speaking, I never intended to read Spinning Silver. I consider Uprooted one of the worst fantasy novels I’ve read, and I had no motivation in trying out more of Novik’s works for five years. However, after hearing from many readers—one of them being my friend, Elliot Brooks—who disliked Uprooted that Spinning Silver worked wonderfully for them, my curiosity was piqued. And then, another good friend of mine—Mary—who also disliked Uprooted decided to sent me a copy of Spinning Silver. She said that Spinning Silver is one of the best standalone novels she has ever read. So here I am, nodding my head and adding my opinion to their praises; they were all 100% right. Spinning Silver is one of the best standalone novels I’ve read. This high rating you’re seeing is not a fairytale. It’s well-deserved, and Spinning Silver rightfully deserves the gorgeous cover art (US edition) illustrated by Nico Delort. …

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Book Review: Leviathan Falls (The Expanse, #9) by James S.A. Corey

Book Review: Leviathan Falls (The Expanse, #9) by James S.A. Corey

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Cover Illustration by: Daniel Dociu

Leviathan Falls by James S.A. Corey

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Expanse (Book #9 of 9)

Genre: Sci-fi, Space Opera

Pages: 543 pages (Kindle Edition)

Published: 26th March 2019 by Orbit

My last review of 2021 is for the conclusion to the first big space opera series of novels I’ve ever finished to its completion, and I’m glad it’s The Expanse. …

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Book Review: War Lord (The Last Kingdom, #13) by Bernard Cornwell

Book Review: War Lord (The Last Kingdom, #13) by Bernard Cornwell

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War Lord by Bernard Cornwell

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Last Kingdom (Book #13 of 13)

Genre: Historical fiction

Pages: 333 pages (Hardcover edition)

Published: 15th October 2020 by HarperCollins

It’s over. I finally finished The Last Kingdom series by Bernard Cornwell, and it was an impressive conclusion. …

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Book Review: The Bone Ship’s Wake (The Tide Child, #3) by R.J. Barker

Book Review: The Bone Ship’s Wake (The Tide Child, #3) by R.J. Barker

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

The Bone Ship’s Wake by R.J. Barker

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Tide Child (Book #3 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, High fantasy

Pages: 543 pages (UK paperback edition)

Published: 30th September 2021 by Orbit

I’ve completed two series by R.J. Barker now, and Barker stuck the landing in both Kings of Assassins and The Bone Ship’s Wake.

“Of all the people on the ship, the courser knew most what it was to be alone. And Joron, as Meas had once said, had found command was the loneliest place of all.”

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Book Review: Call of the Bone Ships (The Tide Child Trilogy, #2) by R.J. Barker

Book Review: Call of the Bone Ships (The Tide Child Trilogy, #2) by R.J. Barker

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

Call of the Bone Ships by R.J. Barker

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Tide Child (Book #2 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, High fantasy

Published: 24th November 2020 by Orbit

An excellent sequel filled with brutal and bloody seafaring adventures, Call of the Bone Ships elevated the story with remarkable character work.
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Book Review: Cytonic (Skyward, #3) by Brandon Sanderson

Book Review: Cytonic (Skyward, #3) by Brandon Sanderson

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Cytonic by Brandon Sanderson

My rating:  4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Skyward (Book 3 of 4)

Genre: Science fiction, young adult

Published: 23rd November 2021 by Gollancz (UK) and Delacorte Press (US)

No surprises, Cytonic was a superb read filled with brilliantly creative worldbuilding and compelling characterisation that I’ve always expected, and received, from Sanderson.

It all started with a novella that he wrote and submitted to a magazine way back before he was even published. That piece of work received an honourable mention at the Writers of the Future contest in 2003, and after substantial re-editing in 2008 won first place in the UPC Science Fiction Award in Spain, and was published in the Oct/Nov 2008 issue of Asimov’s Science Fiction.  However, for the most of the past decade, most readers have only known Sanderson as a bestselling fantasy author as aside from a few short stories, he had not really written a science fiction series.  That is, not until Skyward came about – and it was just as fantastic as his fantasy writing. The fact that it’s YA took away nothing from his ability to spin the most incredibly engaging stories set in the most imaginative settings.

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Book Review: Call of the Bone Ships (The Tide Child, #2) by R.J. Barker

Book Review: Call of the Bone Ships (The Tide Child, #2) by R.J. Barker

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The Bone Ships by by R.J. Barker

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars.

Series: The Tide Child (Book 2 of 3)

Genre: High-fantasy

Published: November 24, 2020 by Orbit (UK & US)

A superb sequel that elevates the series.

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of RJ Barker’s Wounded Kingdom series, and when I recently reread the first book in the Tide Child trilogy I was once again reminded how much I love his stories and I kept on thinking about the story and the characters long after that reread. So when the time came around for myself, TS and Petrik to resume our buddy read with the Call of the Bone Ships I was more than excited to plunge into this world again and I was overjoyed to find that it was every bit as good as I’d hoped.

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Book Review: The Justice of Kings (Empire of the Wolf, #1) by Richard Swan

Book Review: The Justice of Kings (Empire of the Wolf, #1) by Richard Swan

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

Cover art illustrated by: Martina Fackova

Cover designed by: Lauren Panepinto

The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Empire of the Wolf (Book #1 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 432 pages (UK paperback edition)

Published: 22nd February 2022 & 24th February 2022 by Orbit

The Justice of Kings was totally addictive. A truly riveting tale about law, war, morality, and justice.

“Empires are built and maintained with words. Swords are a mere precedent to the quill.”

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Book Review: The Spider’s War (The Dagger and the Coin, #5) by Daniel Abraham

Book Review: The Spider’s War (The Dagger and the Coin, #5) by Daniel Abraham

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The Spider’s War by Daniel Abraham

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Dagger and the Coin (Book #5 of 5)

Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy

Pages: 519 pages (Kindle edition)

Published: 8th March 2016 by Orbit

The best of the series; The Spider’s War is an unconventional and incredibly satisfying conclusion to an underrated fantasy series.

“The world has never been fair. Often beautiful. Sometimes kind when kindness was not deserved. But never fair.”

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Book Review: Senlin Ascends (The Books of Babel, #1) by Josiah Bancroft

Book Review: Senlin Ascends (The Books of Babel, #1) by Josiah Bancroft

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This review was written on the 29th of June 2017

Cover art by: Ian Leino

Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancroft

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Books of Babel (Book #1 of 4)

Genre: Fantasy, Steampunk Fantasy

Pages: 371 pages (US Kindle edition)

Published: 18th February 2013 by Josiah Bancroft (Self-published) & 22nd August 2017 Orbit Books

If you need extra proof that a self-published fantasy can be on par/superior compared to traditionally published fantasy books, Senlin Ascends is it. …

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