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Tag: 5 stars

Book Review: Dawnshard (The Stormlight Archive, #3.5) by Brandon Sanderson

Book Review: Dawnshard (The Stormlight Archive, #3.5) by Brandon Sanderson

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Cover illustration by: Ben McSweeney

Cover designed by: Isaac Stewart

Dawnshard by Brandon Sanderson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: The Stormlight Archive (Book #3.5 of 10)

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Epic fantasy

Pages: 272 pages (ebook)


Dawnshard is a magnificent warm-up to the upcoming Rhythm of War.

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Book Review: Hollow Empire (The Poison Wars, #2) by Sam Hawke

Book Review: Hollow Empire (The Poison Wars, #2) by Sam Hawke

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

Cover illustration by: Greg Ruth

Hollow Empire by Sam Hawke

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: The Poison Wars (Book #2)

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Mystery

Pages: 560 pages (US Hardcover)

Published: 26th November 2020 by Bantam Press (UK) & 1st December 2020 by Tor Books (US)


An incredibly well-polished and absorbing sequel; out of all the books and series I’ve read this year, Hollow Empire is quite likely THE sequel that has the most significant improvement in overall quality over its predecessor.

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Guest (Nils) Post: Code of the Communer (Shadows in the Wildwood, #1) by Kai Greenwood book review

Guest (Nils) Post: Code of the Communer (Shadows in the Wildwood, #1) by Kai Greenwood book review

Today, Novel Notions is hosting a guest post by Nils from The Fantasy Hive. This is what Nils has to say:

I read Code of the Communer for SPFBO 2020 as a judge with The Fantasy Hive. Petrik has kindly let me write a guest review post on Novel Notions as I’d like to help bring some spotlight to a book I feel is far too underrated.


Code of the Communer by Kai Greenwood

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Shadows in the Wildwood (Book #1)

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 323 pages (Paperback)

Published: 17th March 2020 by Wildwood Press (Indie)

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Book Review: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Book Review: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig


The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Between life and death there is a library, and within that library, the shelves go on forever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be if you had made other choices… Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?”

This is the premise of The Midnight Library, Matt Haig’s newest novel. I’ve never read anything by Haig before this book, but I can guarantee that this oversight will be addressed. Because The Midnight Library was wonderful. There’s incredible philosophical depth packed into relatively few pages. And for a book that begins with a suicide attempt, it ended up being surprisingly positive and uplifting. Not only is it a thoughtful novel, it inspired deep contemplation within the reader, but in a way that is comfortingly gentle for the times in which we’re living.

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Book Review: A Fool’s Hope (The Last War, #2) by Mike Shackle

Book Review: A Fool’s Hope (The Last War, #2) by Mike Shackle

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

Cover illustration by: Tomas Almeida

A Fool’s Hope by Mike Shackle

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: The Last War (Book #2 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, Epic fantasy, Grimdark Fantasy

Pages: 608 pages

Published: 3rd December 2020 by Gollancz


A Fool’s Hope wonderfully surprised me; it is one of the finest middle installment I’ve ever read.

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Book Review: Skin Game (The Dresden Files, #15) by Jim Butcher

Book Review: Skin Game (The Dresden Files, #15) by Jim Butcher

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Cover illustration by: Chris McGrath

Skin Game by Jim Butcher

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: The Dresden Files (Book #15 of 25)

Genre: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy

Pages: 610 pages (US Kindle edition)

Published: 27th May 2014 by Orbit (UK) & Roc (US)


Skin Game is a parkour to 5 stars. Parkour!

“Did you shout ‘Parkour’?” Michael asked.
“Well, sure,” I said. “That was kinda Parkour-like.”
Michael fought to keep a smile off his face. “Harry,” he said, “I’m almost certain one does not shout ‘Parkour.’ I believe one is supposed to simply do Parkour.”
“Do I criticize your Latin battle cries? No, never once.”

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Book Review: Wizard and Glass (The Dark Tower, #4) by Stephen King

Book Review: Wizard and Glass (The Dark Tower, #4) by Stephen King


Wizard and Glass by Stephen King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Dark Tower has completely captured my heart and mind. I feel as though I am part of the gunslinger’s ka-tet, making the trek right along with them. And so far, it’s one of the most fulfilling literary journeys I’ve ever embarked upon. Wizard and Glass did nothing but reinforce that feeling.

“And now, all these years later, it seemed to him that the most horrible fact of human existence was that broken hearts mended.”

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Book Review: The Stone Knife (The Songs of the Drowned, #1) by Anna Stephens

Book Review: The Stone Knife (The Songs of the Drowned, #1) by Anna Stephens

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

Cover illustration by: Stephen Mulcahey

The Stone Knife by Anna Stephens

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: The Songs of the Drowned (Book #1 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy

Pages: 608 pages (UK Hardback)

Published: 26th November 2020 by Harper Voyager


This was amazing. Great characters, lethal actions, and so much bloodbath; a vampire reading this book would probably find their thirst satiated.

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Book Review: The Fires of Vengeance (The Burning, #2) by Evan Winter

Book Review: The Fires of Vengeance (The Burning, #2) by Evan Winter

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

Cover illustration by: Karla Ortiz

The Fires of Vengeance by Evan Winter

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: The Burning (Book #2 of 4)

Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy

Pages: 528 pages (UK Hardback)

Published: 12th November 2020 by Orbit (UK) & 10th November 2020 by Orbit (US)


The Fires of Vengeance is an excellent sequel. If Winter can keep this impressive quality up for the remaining two books, the series is guaranteed to be included in many fantasy reader’s lists of favorite fantasy series.

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Book Review: Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance, by Ruth Emmie Lang

Book Review: Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance, by Ruth Emmie Lang


Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance by Ruth Emmie Lang
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I can’t remember the last time I was so utterly charmed and delighted by a story. Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance reads like a middle grade novel for adults, and I need more books like this one in my life. There is a wholesome, wonderful innocence to the story that won me over immediately. I’ve never been a fan of the word “precious,” but that term perfectly describes Lang’s debut novel.

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