5 stars Archives - Page 3 of 32

“The poets say that one’s fears grow less with trial, that we become men without fear if tried enough. I have not found it to be so. Rather, on each occasion we are tested, we become stronger than our fears. It is all we can do. Must do. Lest we perish for our failings.”

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Book Review: Empire of Silence (Sun Eater, #1) by Christopher Ruocchio

October 4, 2023 Petrik Leo Comments 0 Comment

This review is a copy of the transcript of my video review on Empire of Silence.

Cover art illustrated by Sam Weber

Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: The Sun Eater (Book #1 of 7)

Genre: Sci-fi, Space Opera, Science Fantasy

Pages: 612 pages (Hardcover edition)

Published: 3rd July 2018 by DAW Books

This was an absolutely stunning, ambitious, and well-written debut novel. From the first page to the last, Empire of Silence is an unputdownable new addition to my list of favorite books.

“It is a mistake to believe we must know a thing to be influenced by it. It is a mistake to believe the thing must even be real.”

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Book Review: Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

September 21, 2023 Celeste Comments 0 Comment

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received an advance digital copy of this novel from the publisher, Tor Books, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I think I found my favorite book of the year.

Starling House was my most anticipated book of 2023. Which is saying something, as there were so many excellent books published this year. But Harrow’s debut, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, is my favorite standalone novel of all time, so my expectations were sky high. Those expectations could have set me up for failure. They didn’t. While the two novels couldn’t be more different, Starling House is just as powerful and beautiful as The Ten Thousand Doors of January. It just has much sharper teeth. …

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Book Review: The Passing of the Dragon by Ken Liu

September 15, 2023 Petrik Leo Comments 0 Comment

You can read this beautiful short story for free here: https://www.tor.com/2023/09/13/the-pa…

Cover art illustrated by Mary Haasdyk

The Passing of the Dragon by Ken Liu

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone

Genre: Short Story

Pages: 46 pages (Kindle edition)

Ken Liu has done it again. The Passing of the Dragon is a brilliant and impactful story, I believe, should be read by every reader, reviewer, artist, and author.

“An artist craves an audience, but maybe not all audiences are crave-worthy. “

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Book Review: House of Odysseus (The Songs of Penelope, #2) by Claire North

September 13, 2023 Celeste Comments 0 Comment

House of Odysseus by Claire North
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher, Orbit Books, in exchange for an honest review.

Ithaca was one of my favorite books of 2022. However, I was thrown at the end of the book when I discovered that, unlike most Greek myth retellings, it was not a standalone novel but the first of a trilogy. I have been eagerly awaiting House of Odysseus since finishing those final pages of Ithaca, and am thrilled to announce that it lived up to its predecessor in every single way. This series follows the story of Penelope during the 20 year absence of her husband, King Odysseus of Ithaca. Ithaca presents this story from the perspective of Hera, Queen of Queens, as she observes what’s going on in Penelope’s life and how those happens overlap with the last days of Clytemnestra, Hera’s darling. House of Odysseus picks up where Ithaca left off, but now from the perspective of Aphrodite as her favorite, Helen, weaves her way back into Penelope’s story. …

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Book Review: Light Bringer (Red Rising Saga, #6) by Pierce Brown

September 1, 2023 Petrik Leo Comments 0 Comment

This review is a copy of the transcript of my video review on Light Bringer

Cover art illustrated by Jonathan Barlett

Light Bringer by Pierce Brown

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Red Rising Saga (Book #6 of 7)

Genre: Sci-fi, Space Opera

Pages: 682 pages (Hardcover edition)

Publish date: 25th of July 2023 by Del Rey (US) & Hodder (UK)

Light Bringer is a bloodydamn near perfect space-opera masterpiece.

“For a friend with an understanding heart is worth no less than a brother. —Homer”

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Book Review: To Green Angel Tower (Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, #3) by Tad Williams

August 23, 2023 Petrik Leo Comments 0 Comment

This review is a copy of the transcript of my video review on To Green Angel Tower

Cover art illustrated by Michael Whelan

To Green Angel Tower by Tad Williams

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn (Book #3 of 3), The Osten Ard Saga (Book #3 of 7)

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Classic Fantasy

Pages: 1960 pages (eBook edition)

Word Count: 533,000 words

Published: 1st March 1993 by DAW Books

It is done… At 530k words long, To Green Angel Tower is the largest single-volume novel I’ve ever read. It is a mesmerizing slow-burn epic fantasy tome imbued with high-stakes pulse-pounding final chapters.