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Book Review: The Lost Metal (Mistborn: Wax and Wayne, #4) by Brandon Sanderson

Book Review: The Lost Metal (Mistborn: Wax and Wayne, #4) by Brandon Sanderson

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

Cover art illustrated by: Sam Green

The Lost Metal by Brandon Sanderson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Mistborn: Wax and Wayne (Book #4 of 4), Mistborn Saga (Book #7 of 7)

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Steampunk

Pages: 528 pages (Kindle Edition)

Published: 15th November 2022 by Gollancz (UK) & Tor Books (US)


My god… The Lost Metal was an explosive and stunning conclusion to Mistborn: Wax and Wayne series. Sanderson has delivered another tremendous finishing volume in The Mistborn Saga, reinforcing my excitement for future Cosmere books.

“If you truly were interested in the beauty of the art—instead of some tangential sense of control—you’d want everyone to be able to experience it. The more the better.”

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Blog Tour: Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

Blog Tour: Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

Hi everyone! Petrik from Novel Notions here. We, the Novel Notions team, are thrilled and honored that we have the opportunity to participate in the blog tour for Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree. This is the super hyped cozy fantasy book, Travis Baldree’s debut novel, which I read and reviewed a few months ago. Today is the UK release date for the traditionally published edition of Legends and Lattes, so I thought might as well re-shape my review for the book.  Here’s why you should read Legends and Lattes if you somehow haven’t read it!


Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone

Genre: Fantasy, Slice-of-Life

Pages: 318 pages (Kindle Edition)

Published: 10th November 2022 by Tor (UK) & 8th November 2022 by Tor Books (US)


Legends and Lattes is the wholesome and cozy fantasy you didn’t know you need.

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Book Review: Dark Theory (Dark Law, #1) by Wick Welker

Book Review: Dark Theory (Dark Law, #1) by Wick Welker

ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Cover art by: Damonza

Dark Theory by Wick Welker

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Dark Law (Book #1)

Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Science Fantasy, Post Apocalyptic

Pages: 796 pages (Kindle Edition)

Published: 17th April 2022 by Wick Welker (Self-Published)


Dark Theory is an ambitious and imaginative blend of fantasy and hard science fiction.

“You get a little older—either wiser or dimmer, not sure—and you realize the questions don’t matter. It’s what you do with the mystery that matters.”

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Book Review: Age of the King (The Echoes Saga, #6) by Philip C. Quaintrell

Book Review: Age of the King (The Echoes Saga, #6) by Philip C. Quaintrell

Cover art illustrated by: Chris McGrath

Age of the King by Philip C. Quaintrell

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Echoes Saga (Book #6 of 9)

Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy

Pages: 678 pages (Kindle Edition)

Published: 4th October 2019 by Quaintrell Publishing (Self-Published)


Age of the King is not only the best of the second trilogy in The Echoes Saga, but it is also the best in the entire series so far.

“Every life matters… Only when weight is given to the individual will the many thrive.”

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TS’s Monthly Wrap-Up : Oct 2022

TS’s Monthly Wrap-Up : Oct 2022

Hello all, and welcome to my Spooky October monthly wrap-up where I had been reading books within the horror genre.   I did make a couple of changes to my reading list for the month, and was also not able to read as many titles as I wanted to as one of these changes resulted in chonker of a story which surprisingly turned out to be much better than I’ve anticipated.

NB. Books are rated within its genre.  For avoidance of doubt, rereads are not considered for Book of the Month.

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Book Review: Empire of the Vampire (Empire of the Vampire, #1) by Jay Kristoff

Book Review: Empire of the Vampire (Empire of the Vampire, #1) by Jay Kristoff

Cover art illustrated by Kerby Rosanes

Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

Genre: Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Epic fantasy

Pages: 725 pages (UK Hardcover)

Published: 7th September 2021 by Harper Voyager (UK) & 14th September by Tor Books (US)


Empire of the Vampire is an infuriating novel. And yet, at the same time, it is also a brilliant and bloody epic post-apocalyptic fantasy and vampire story.

“I never thought I’d find such peace in simple reading. The words were a kind of magic, taking me by the hand and sweeping me into lands unseen, times unremembered, thoughts unimagined. Through all my years in San Michon, all the blood and sweat and darkling roads I walked, I learned one of my greatest lessons sitting in that Library with those girls in the still of the night.
A life without books is a life not lived.”

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Book Review: Age of War (The Legends of the First Empire, #3) by Michael J. Sullivan

Book Review: Age of War (The Legends of the First Empire, #3) by Michael J. Sullivan

Cover art illustrated by Marc Simonetti

Age of War by Michael J. Sullivan

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Legends of the First Empire (Book #3 of 6)

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Epic fantasy

Pages: 464 pages (Mass Market Paperback)

Published: 3rd July 2018 by Del Rey


Age of War is the best of the series so far. And it is also among Sullivan’s list of best novels.

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Book Review: The Garden of Empire (Pact and Pattern, #2) by J.T. Greathouse

Book Review: The Garden of Empire (Pact and Pattern, #2) by J.T. Greathouse

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

Cover art illustrated by: Patrick Knowles

The Garden of Empire by J.T. Greathouse

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: Pact and Pattern (Book #2 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy

Pages: 446 pages (Hardcover edition)

Published: 5th August 2021 by Gollancz


The Garden of Empire did not live up to The Hand of the Sun King, but it is a good sequel—with issues—that also promises incredible things to come in the third and final book of the trilogy.

‘Ambition is only a failing if one cannot live up to it,’

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Book Review: The Bands of Mourning (Mistborn: Wax and Wayne, #3) by Brandon Sanderson

Book Review: The Bands of Mourning (Mistborn: Wax and Wayne, #3) by Brandon Sanderson

Cover art illustrated by: Chris McGrath

The Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Mistborn: Wax and Wayne (Book #3 of 4), Mistborn Saga (Book #6 of 7)

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Steampunk

Pages: 447 pages (International Paperback Edition)

Published: 26th January 2016 by Tor Books (US) & 28th January 2016 by Gollancz (UK)


The Bands of Mourning is the best of the Mistborn: Wax and Wayne so far.

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Book Review: The Battle that was Lost (Ringlander, #0.5) by Michael S. Jackson

Book Review: The Battle that was Lost (Ringlander, #0.5) by Michael S. Jackson

ARC was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Cover art illustrated by: John Anthony di Giovanni

The Battle that was Lost by Michael S. Jackson

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Series: Ringlander (Book #0.5)

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 104 pages (Kindle edition)

Published: 13th October 2022 (Self-published)


An action-packed one-sitting read, The Battle that was Lost is an introductory novella to the Ringlander that shows glimpses of Jackson’s skill at writing actions and a fast-paced story.

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