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Tag: Fantasy

Book Review: A Study of Shattered Spells (Chintor’s Legacy #1) by Josiah DeGraaf

Book Review: A Study of Shattered Spells (Chintor’s Legacy #1) by Josiah DeGraaf

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A Study of Shattered Spells by Josiah DeGraaf
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ve been excited about A Study of Shattered Spells for close to a year now. As soon as information about it started to drop, months before the Kickstarter campaign opened, I was captured by it. A dark academia novel featuring a magic school and a music-based magic system, told from a professor’s perspective and written from a Christian worldview? I can’t think of any description more specifically tailored to my interests and reading tastes. …

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Book Review: The Strength of the Few (Hierarchy, #2) by James Islington

Book Review: The Strength of the Few (Hierarchy, #2) by James Islington

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

Cover art by Jaime Jones

The Strength of the Few by James Islington

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Hierarchy (Book #2)

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Science Fantasy

Pages: 736 pages (Hardcover edition)

Word Count: 240,000 words

Published: 11th Novermber 2025 by Saga Press

We’re not at the end of 2025 yet, but I believe The Strength of the Few by James Islington has secured the best fantasy book of the year award. This is the finest sequel I’ve read since Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson and The Wall of Storms by Ken Liu.

“The power to protect is the highest responsibility.”

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Book Review: The Radiant King (Astral Kingdoms, #1) by David Dalglish

Book Review: The Radiant King (Astral Kingdoms, #1) by David Dalglish

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Review copy provided by the publisher—Orbit—in exchange for an honest review.


Cover art by Magali Villeneuve

The Radiant King by David Dalglish

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Astral Kingdoms (Book #1 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy

Pages: 514 pages (PaperbackEdition)

Word count: 174,000 words

Published: 4th March 2025 by Orbit Books

The Radiant King by David Dalglish is a Berserk inspired epic fantasy book that will become one of Dalglish’s most underrated titles.

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Book Review: Flameheart (Flameheart Chronicles #1) by Dalton and Emily Bequette

Book Review: Flameheart (Flameheart Chronicles #1) by Dalton and Emily Bequette

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Flameheart by Dalton Bequette
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The description for Flameheart captivated me from the moment I read it, and saw the lovely cover art attached to the story. Flameheart is something of a portal fantasy, a book about books and a world containing a vast array of other worlds within it, worlds of which most inhabitants are wholly unaware and unsuspecting. It’s a love letter to stories, and to the weight the hold in our lives. …

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Book Review: Calor (The Nightingale Trilogy, #1) by J.J. Fischer

Book Review: Calor (The Nightingale Trilogy, #1) by J.J. Fischer

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Calor by J.J. Fischer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Calor is the first installment in the Nightingale saga, a completed epic fantasy trilogy followed by a standalone sequel. The entire series is inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s beloved short story, “The Nightingale,” and also includes notes of the Hades and Persephone myth. I was enraptured by Calor from the very beginning. The worldbuilding is fascinating, the characters are compelling and sympathetic, the writing is lovely and incredibly engaging, and the pacing never falters.
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Book Review: Illuminary (The Sceptre and the Stylus, #1) by Chawna Schroeder

Book Review: Illuminary (The Sceptre and the Stylus, #1) by Chawna Schroeder

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Illuminary by Chawna Schroeder
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

I’ve been eagerly anticipating Illuminary since it was first announced. A Little Princess is one of my favorite books of all time, so the idea of a fantasy reimagining of that classic story was immediately appealing to me. While I could absolutely see and feel that inspiration in this series opener, it never felt derivative in any way. Illuminary is a refreshingly unique tale, packed with more action and adventure and faith than I expected to find. …

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Book Review: A Song of Legends Lost (The Invoker, #1) by M.H. Ayinde

Book Review: A Song of Legends Lost (The Invoker, #1) by M.H. Ayinde

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

Cover art by Richard Anderson

A Song of Legends Lost by M.H. Ayinde

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Invoker (Book #1 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy

Pages: 592 pages

Word count: 189,000 words

Published:  8th April 2025 by Orbit (UK) & 3rd June 2025 by Saga Press (US)

A Song of Legends Lost is a Final Fantasy X inspired debut with magic summons reminiscent of Spirit from Shaman King or Stand from Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. …

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Book Review: An Inkling of Flame (Song of the Damned, #0.5) by Z.B. Steele

Book Review: An Inkling of Flame (Song of the Damned, #0.5) by Z.B. Steele

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Review copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.


An Inkling of Flame: A Song of the Damned novella by Z.B. Steele

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Song of the Damned (Book #0.5)

Genre: Fantasy, Grimdark Fantasy

Pages: 89 pages (Paperback edition)

Published: 13th January 2025

An Inkling of Flame by Z.B. Steele does what the title signifies. It shows the burning potential the series has to leave its scorching mark in the genre. …

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Book Review: A Darkness at Sethanon (The Riftwar Saga, #4) by Raymond E. Feist

Book Review: A Darkness at Sethanon (The Riftwar Saga, #4) by Raymond E. Feist

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A Darkness At Sethanon by Raymond E. Feist

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: The Riftwar Saga (Book #4 of 4), The Riftwar Cycle (Book #4 of 31)

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

Pages: 401 pages (Kindle edition)

Published: 7th February 1986

A Darkness at Sethanon successfully provided a climactic final few chapters to The Riftwar Saga trilogy, but as an installment, it is also the weakest book of the trilogy.

“Your destiny is now your own to forge as best as you may.”

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