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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: Brief Cases (The Dresden Files, #15.1) by Jim Butcher

Book Review: Brief Cases (The Dresden Files, #15.1) by Jim Butcher

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Cover illustration by: Chris McGrath

Brief Cases by Jim Butcher

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: The Dresden Files (Book #15.1 of 25)

Genre: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy

Pages: 444 pages (US Kindle edition)

Published: 5th June 2018 by Orbit (UK) & Roc (US)


This collection, especially Zoo Day, is mostly worth it just for the non-Harry’s POV stories.

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Book Review: The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu

Book Review: The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu

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Cover illustration by: Quentin Trollip

The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone

Genre: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Thriller, Magical Realism, Historical Fiction

Pages: 464 pages (US Hardback)

Published: 10th March 2016 by Head of Zeus (UK) & 8th March 2016 by Gallery / Saga Press (US)


The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories is an intimately powerful and beautiful collection of stories that encompassed some of the most relatable themes to our society, and some stories contained in this collection felt personal and evocative to me.

“Every act of communication is a miracle of translation.”

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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: Wintersteel (Cradle, #8) by Will Wight

Book Review: Wintersteel (Cradle, #8) by Will Wight

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Cover illustration by: Patrick Foster

Wintersteel by Will Wight

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Cradle (Book #8 of 12)

Genre: Fantasy, Progression Fantasy, Xianxia

Pages: 540 pages

Published: 6th October 2020 by Hidden Gnome Publishing (Indie)


Wintersteel is the most action-packed volume, with some of the finest action scenes, within the series so far.

“There are a million Paths in this world, Lindon, but any sage will tell you they can all be reduced to one. Improve yourself.”

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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: Uncrowned (Cradle, #7) by Will Wight

Book Review: Uncrowned (Cradle, #7) by Will Wight

Uncrowned by Will Wight

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Cradle (Book #7 of 12)

Genre: Fantasy, Progression Fantasy, Xianxia

Published: 26th September 2019 by Hidden Gnome Publishing (Indie)


The Cradle series has been relentlessly fun and tremendously addictive, and Uncrowned might be its best yet if not for the rather abrupt ending.

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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

Cover illustration by: Karla Ortiz

The Fires of Vengeance by Evan Winter

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: The Burning quartet (Book #2 of 4)

Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Military Fantasy,

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


This review is spoiler free.

The Fires of Vengeance melts expectations; burning even hotter than the Rage of Dragons and blazing a trail for Evan Winter to join an elite group at the top of the fantasy pile.

I absolutely loved Evan Winter’s first contribution to the fantasy genre, and ever since I finished the Rage of Dragons I had been counting the months to the sequel’s release and holding on to the hope of maybe even getting a chance to read it earlier. When I was offered an ARC, I jumped at the chance to read more about Tau and his journey on the path of vengeance and immediately made space in my schedule.

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