Smoke and Iron by Rachel Caine
My rating: 5 of 5 stars.
Series: The Great Library (Book 4 of 5)
Genre: Young adult, alternate history, historical fantasy, fantasy
Published: July 2018 by Berkley Books (US) and Allison & Busby (UK)
The best book in the series so far, Smoke and Iron gave me more than a consistently fantastic continuation in The Great Library.
Daughter of the Empire by Raymond E. Feist & Janny Wurts
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Series: The Riftwar: Empire (Book #1 of 3), The Riftwar Cycle (Book #5 of 31)
Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Classic Fantasy
Pages: 528 pages (UK Paperback edition)
Published: 19th May 1987
Daughter of the Empire is a magnificent page-turning political intrigue with an amazing heroine to root for.
Spirit’s End by Rachel Aaron
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Series: The Legend of Eli Monpress (Book #5 of 5)
Genre: Fantasy, high fantasy
Published: November 2012 by Orbit (UK and US)
Easily one of the most addictive and fun fantasy series I’ve read in recent memory, The Legend of Eli Monpress concluded most satisfactorily in Spirit’s End, and now occupies my list of favourites.
The Spirit War by Rachel Aaron
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Series: The Legend of Eli Monpress (Book #4 of 5)
Genre: Fantasy, high fantasy
Published: June 2012 by Orbit (UK and US)
A new-found favourite, The Spirit War was a fantastic penultimate volume in The Legend of Eli Monpress, a series which just kept getting better.
The Crown Tower by Michael J. Sullivan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Series: The Riyria Chronicles (Book #1)
Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy
Published: 6th August 2013 by Orbit
If ever there was a prequel story which I thought was perfection, The Crown Tower absolutely fit the bill.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Ocean at the End of the Lane was the very first Gaiman book I ever read. I’ve sense read nearly everything he’s written, and have discovered that my favorite way to ingest his stories is via audio when he reads the books himself. His voice is divine, and I’ve found that listening to him tell his own stories adds to the magic for me. So what better way to revisit the novel that first charmed me into reading his work than by trying it on audio? It was the right decision. I was once again transported into this nameless boy’s childhood adventures, and Gaiman’s voice merely added to the charm of the tale.
“Words save our lives, sometimes.”
King of Assassins by R.J. Barker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy, mystery
Published: 7th Aug 2018 by Orbit US & 9th Aug 2018 by Orbit UK
King of Assassins is a powerfully poignant conclusion to a remarkably captivating trilogy. …
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ARC provided by the publishers—Tor Books & Tor UK—in exchange for an honest review.
Cover art illustrated by: Richard Anderson
The Empire’s Ruin by Brian Staveley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Series: Ashes of the Unhewn Throne (Book #1 of 3), Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne (Book #5 of 7)
Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy
Pages: 752 pages (Kindle edition)
Published: 8th July 2021 by Tor (UK) and 6th July 2021 by Tor Books (US)
The Empire’s Ruin is a scintillating explosive epic fantasy with multiple legendary scenes that rivaled The Way of Kings. …
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ARC provided by the publisher—Gollancz—in exchange for an honest review.
Cover art illustrated by: Patrick Knowles
The Hand of the Sun King by J.T. Greathouse
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Series: Pact and Pattern (Book #1 of 3)
Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy
Pages: 416 pages (Kindle edition)
Published: 5th August 2021 by Gollancz
An all-around marvelously crafted fantasy debut; The Hand of the Sun King has cemented its spot as the best fantasy debut of the year. …
Review copy received from the publisher, Random House UK, in exchange for an honest review
A Life on Our Planet by David Attenborough
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Genre: Non-fiction, auto-biography, environmental/climate awareness & science
Published: 1st October 2020 by Ebury Press (Random House UK) and 6th October 2020 by Grand Central Publishing (Hachette Book)
Brilliance was what I’ve expected from Attenborough, and brilliance was exactly what I got.
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