Review copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Aching God by Mike Shel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Series: Iconoclasts (Book #1 of 3)
Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy
Pages: 602 pages (Paperback edition)
Published: 9th April 2018 by Mike Shel (Self-published)
Aching God started off nicely and ended great, but I have issues with the overall pacing. …
Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Published: 9th September (Vintage)
It’s her first day at college, but Chloe Sevre isn’t nervous at all. She has a plan. Get rid of Mom, take the best room before her dorm-mate arrives, make 6-8 new friends before 4pm, and find Will. If you’re thinking ‘how sweet’, she must be looking for her boyfriend, you’re dead wrong. Will’s days are numbered (literally, the book includes a countdown), because the main reason Chloe came to John Adams University is to kill him. And she doesn’t plan on giving up till it’s done…
The Widow’s House by Daniel Abraham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Series: The Dagger and the Coin (Book #4 of 5)
Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy
Pages: 531 pages (Kindle edition)
Published: 5th August 2014 by Orbit
A penultimate installment filled with war, tactics, and intrigues. The stage for the conclusion of the series has been established nicely.
“These are the weapons that greater forces use against each other. Put two boys to fighting each other with sticks, and the boys may come away well or poorly, but the sticks will always be shattered.”
Warriors of the Storm by Bernard Cornwell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Series: The Last Kingdom (Book #9 of 13)
Genre: Historical fiction
Pages: 325 pages (Kindle edition)
Published: 8th October 2015 by HarperCollins
Warriors of the Storm has violence, funny moments, and an engaging turn of events. …
City of Blades by Robert Jackson Bennett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Series: The Divine Cities (Book 2 of 3)
Genre: Urban fantasy, fantasy, post-apocalyptic
Published: 26th January 2016 by Broadway Books (US) & 7th January 2016 by Jo Fletcher Books (UK)
City of Blades was one of the best sequels I’ve read; it has everything I could ask for that expands upon an already fantastic start to a trilogy.
Mistress of the Empire by Raymond E. Feist & Janny Wurts
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Series: The Riftwar: Empire (Book #3 of 3), The Riftwar Cycle (Book #7 of 31)
Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Classic Fantasy
Pages: 864 pages (UK Paperback edition)
Published: 1st April 1992 by Doubleday
This is the second series I finished this year, and it’s a thrilling and rewarding conclusion to the Riftwar: Empire trilogy.
“Love doesn’t demand; it accepts. It has taken me my life to learn this.”
Shadowblack by Sebastian de Castell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Series: Spellslinger (Book 2 of 6)
Genre: Fantasy, YA fantasy
Published: 5th October 2017 by Hot Key Books (UK) and 21st August 2018 by Orbit (US)
Enjoyable and engaging, Shadowblack was an excellent sequel which builds on the characters and the intriguing world they live in.
City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Series: The Divine Cities (Book 1 of 3)
Genre: Urban fantasy, fantasy, post-apocalyptic
Published: 9th September 2014 by Broadway Books (US) & 2nd April 2015 by Jo Fletcher Books (UK)
It had been a while since I’ve come across such a magnificent start to a series or trilogy; City of Stairs was a fine example of genre-redefining for urban fantasy.
ARC provided by the publisher—Orbit—in exchange for an honest review.
Cover art illustrated by: Jaime Jones
Cover art designed by: Lauren Panepinto
The Pariah by Anthony Ryan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Series: The Covenant of Steel (Book #1 of 3)
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 576 pages (UK Hardcover edition)
Published: 26th August 2021 (UK) & 24th August 2021 (US) by Orbit
I’ve read every novel by Anthony Ryan, and The Pariah just might have his best prose so far.
“When the task is a killing, be quick and make sure of it. Torment is an indulgence. Save it for only the most deserving.”
Ice Station by Matthew Reilly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Series: Shane Schofield (Book 1)
Genre: High-octane action thriller
I don’t usually write nor post reviews for thrillers, but Ice Station was way too entertaining and exhilarating for me not to put it out there.