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.
…
ARC provided by the publisher—Orbit—in exchange for an honest review.
Cover art illustrated by: Marcus Whinney
The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Series: The Bloodsworn Saga (Book #1 of 3)
Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy
Pages: 496 pages (Hardcover edition)
Published: 6th May 2021 by Orbit (UK) and 4th May 2021 by Orbit (US)
The Shadow of the Gods is the new benchmark in Norse mythology-inspired stories. This is the fantasy I’ve been waiting for.
In all honesty, this book had as good a chance as possible of becoming a favourite of mine, for I am without a doubt an ardent reader and supporter of John Gwynne and his books, having read and loved all of his previous works. Both The Faithful and the Fallen and Of Blood and Bone are masterpieces in my estimation and occupy treasured spaces on my shelf and within my heart. Nevertheless, no book is a certain thing as writers are only human beings, but I could not contain my excitement when I read that this latest venture of Mr Gwynne was another epic fantasy story, this time with Norse ink in its veins. I believe that mythologies always appeal to a wide fan base, with Norse and Greek, in particular, being personal favourites. And while I am nowhere near well-read on the subjects, I squeed like any fan worthy of the title at the idea of a favourite author shaping a story from the fertile ground that is the Norse culture. On such a foundation The Shadow of the Gods had much to live up to and I tried to curtail my hopes a little. There was no need though. At the end of this story, I was once again in awe at witnessing a master completely comfortable in executing an epically captivating and exciting tale.
Cover art by Anna Steinbauer
One Good Dragon Deserves Another by Rachel Aaron
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Series: Heartstrikers (Book 2 of 5)
Genre: Urban fantasy
Published: 1st August 2015 (Aaron/Bach, self-published)
One Good Dragon Deserves Another is simply a sublime sequel.
I thoroughly enjoyed book one in The Heartstrikers series and was eagerly looking forward to more of the same with Rachel Aaron’s follow up book, One Good Dragon Deserves Another. Lucky for me, the author not only delivered on this expectation, but she also blew it out of the water! This book has every chance to be in my top ten at the end of the year! I LOVED IT.
…
Darkdawn by Jay Kristoff
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I am completely blown away by this trilogy. Finding a series that I love all the way through is rare for me. And I just found one to add to that very exclusive list. There’s a bloody beauty to Mia’s story. A vulgar elegance, if you will. The world Kristoff created here managed to be both stark and lush in equal measures, and something about that dichotomy resonated strongly with me. As did Mia. Her heartache, her rage and fear and determination, all felt honest. I found her and her journey utterly captivating.
“I am a daughter of the dark between the stars. I am the thought that wakes the bastards of this world sweating in the nevernight. i am the vengeance of every orphaned daughter, every murdered mother, every bastard son. I am the war you cannot win.”