Cover art illustrated by: Chris McGrath
The Knights of Erador by Philip C. Quaintrell
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Series: The Echoes Saga (Book #7 of 9)
Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy
Pages: 608 pages (Kindle Edition)
Published: 20th March 2020 by Quaintrell Publishing (Self-Published)
Wow. The Knights of Erador is the best first installment in the three trilogies in The Echoes Saga. …
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.”
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.”
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.”
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. …
Hello all, and welcome back to my monthly wrap-up. As real-life work pressures crank up for the final quarter of year, I found myself reading a bit slower for the month of September. It’s also getting harder and harder for me to even come up with short reviews. Thankfully, I was still able to write a bit more for the Book of the Months, as it felt right to do so. And yes, it’s Books of the Month as there were two which both scored 5-stars and earned a spot amongst my favourite books.
NB. Books are rated within its genre. For avoidance of doubt, rereads are not considered for Book of the Month.
Dawnshard by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Series: The Stormlight Archive (Book 3.5 of 10)
Genre: Epic fantasy, high fantasy
Published: 5 November 2020 by Dragonsteel Entertainment
Dawnshard is another illuminating and beautifully crafted piece in the Cosmere puzzle.
Every time a new Stormlight Archive story gets released my excitement goes through the roof. There is no reading I enjoy more, and I am so thankful that I am lucky enough to be able to regularly read new Cosmere stories. You keep them coming please, Brandon, and we will keep on reading them.
Dawnshard is a novella, and as such shorter than your average SA book, but it’s still longer than Brandon planned and comes in at about 200 pages. Let me tell you though, I read this in the blink of an eye. All my favourite authors have that talent to make time disappear, but none more so than Brandon Sanderson and it’s almost sad (not really), because while Brandon continuously over delivers, I can never seem to get enough. Dawnshard is no different. Slotting into the spot between Oathbringer and Rhythm of War, it bridges the gap between those two books with a story that focuses on an expedition to the mythical island of Akinah (Many fans will know that this mysterious place is exciting for a bunch of reasons).
…
Cover art illustrated by: Chris McGrath
Kingdom of Bones by Philip C. Quaintrell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Series: The Echoes Saga (Book #5 of 9)
Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy
Pages: 592 pages (Kindle Edition)
Published: 6th May 2019 by Quaintrell Publishing (Self-Published)
With Kingdom of Bones, I am halfway through the super underhyped series: The Echoes Saga. …
Hi everyone! The month of August had been incredible, and not only from the perspective of the great reads that I had as you will see from the ratings of the books below.
What made this month phenomenal for me was The Sandman TV adaptation on Netflix, which is now one of my all favourite adaptations of all-time. It’s been almost a full month since its release on 5th August, and I’m still obsessed with the show ( and especially with Morpheus, Dream of the Endless, King of Dreams and Nightmares, etc etc). I loved the audiobook which came out a couple of years ago, but I’ve to say TV show was better. It was as faithful an adaptation as it could be to fit the medium, and I personally found that the changes that were made served the story better in current times. I also couldn’t believe that I would ever say I found a better Morpheus than James McAvoy, but Tom Sturridge was simply sublime and beyond perfect for this role. I’ve rewatched the entire show at least once, and Morpheus’ scenes countless times.
I could keep rambling on and on about The Sandman, and perhaps I might write a post about it later this year. For now, let’s get back to my bookish monthly wrap-up shall we?
NB. Books are rated within its genre. For avoidance of doubt, rereads are not considered for Book of the Month.
Cover art illustrated by: Tony Mauro
Speaking Bones by Ken Liu
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Series: The Dandelion Dynasty (Book #4 of 4)
Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Silkpunk
Pages: 1047 pages (Hardcover Edition)
Published: 21st June 2022 by Saga Press (US) & Head of Zeus (UK)
I am labeling Ken Liu as a genius. Speaking Bones has launched The Dandelion Dynasty to become the best series of 2022.
“What did that goddess-like lady say? If you do not like the stories you’ve been told, fill your heart with new stories. If you do not like the script you’ve been given, design for yourself new roles.”