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Book Review: The Crown of Omens (The Blood and Steel Saga, #0.5) by E.J. Doble

Book Review: The Crown of Omens (The Blood and Steel Saga, #0.5) by E.J. Doble

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


Cover art illustrated by Diego Spezzoni

The Crown of Omens by E.J. Doble

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Blood and Steel Saga (Book #0.5 of 5)

Genre: Fantasy, Grimdark Fantasy, Epic Fantasy

Pages: 159 pages (Paperback edition)

Published: 1st October 2023 (Self-Published)


The Crown of Omens is an action-packed alternative starting point for Doble’s grimdark Blood and Steel Saga.

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Book Review: The Witchwood Crown (The Last King of Osten Ard, #1) by Tad Williams

Book Review: The Witchwood Crown (The Last King of Osten Ard, #1) by Tad Williams

Cover art illustrated by Michael Whelan

The Witchwood Crown by Tad Williams

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Last King of Osten Ard (Book #1 of 4), The Osten Ard Saga (Book #4 of 7)

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy

Pages: 736 pages (Hardcover edition)

Word Count: 350,000 words

Published: 27th June  2017 by DAW Books (US) & Hodder (UK)


It is with a heart of joy I proclaim The Witchwood Crown as an exquisite return to the world of Osten Ard.

“You have a fine voice. Remember that music is a noble charge, even a dangerous charge, because it can pierce a man’s heart when a spear or arrow cannot.”

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Book Review: Stones of Light (Threadlight, #2) by Zack Argyle

Book Review: Stones of Light (Threadlight, #2) by Zack Argyle

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

Cover art by Omer Burak Onal

Stones of Light by Zack Argyle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Threadlight (Book #2 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy

Pages: 362 pages (Hardcover edition)

Publish date: 4th of April 2021 by Zack Argyle (Self-Published)


This was a great sequel. In Stones of Light, Argyle maintained the consistency of quality in his storytelling.

“It’s like comparing granite to clay. The clay may take shape more easily, but the granite, once you’ve chiseled it into place, is so much stronger. For some people, motherhood comes more easily. For others, it takes a hammer and chisel. No one is made for motherhood. Motherhood is made for you. Some of us aren’t so lucky.”

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Book Review: The Failures (The Wanderlands, #1) by Benjamin Liar

Book Review: The Failures (The Wanderlands, #1) by Benjamin Liar

This review is a copy of the transcript of my video review on The Failures

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

Cover art by theBookDesigners

The Failures by Benjamin Liar

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Wanderlands (Book #1 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, Science Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Sci-fi, Post-apocalypse

Pages: 544 pages (Hardcover edition)

Published: 2nd July 2024 by DAW Books


The Failures is an extremely ambitious, mind-bending, and meticulously constructed debut novel.

“If we are truly just cogs, and part of some great machine, then it must run poorly indeed.”

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Book Review: The Fangs of War (The Blood and Steel Saga, #1) by E.J. Doble

Book Review: The Fangs of War (The Blood and Steel Saga, #1) by E.J. Doble

Cover art illustrated by Diego Spezzoni

The Fangs of War by E.J. Doble

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Blood and Steel Saga (Book #1 of 5)

Genre: Fantasy, Grimdark Fantasy, Epic Fantasy

Pages: 575 pages (Hardback edition)

Published: 11th January 2022 (Self-Published)


It is an impressive feat that a young 21-year-old writer wrote and published a grimdark fantasy debut the like of The Fangs of War.

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Book Review: A Natural History of Dragons (The Memoirs of Lady Trent, #1) by Marie Brennan

Book Review: A Natural History of Dragons (The Memoirs of Lady Trent, #1) by Marie Brennan

Review copy provided by the author’s agent—Zeno Literary Agency—in exchange for an honest review.

Cover art illustrated by Todd Lockwood

A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: The Memoirs of Lady Trent (Book #1 of 5)

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy

Word Count: 98,000 words

Pages: 334 pages (Paperback edition)

Published: 5th February 2013 by Tor Books (US) & Titan Books (UK)


A Natural History of Dragons is a very different kind of fantasy book compared to what I usually read, and it provided me with a refreshing reading experience despite its flaws.

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Book Review: Voice of War (Threadlight, #1) by Zack Argyle

Book Review: Voice of War (Threadlight, #1) by Zack Argyle

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

Cover art by Omer Burak Onal

Voice of War by Zack Argyle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Threadlight (Book #1 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy

Pages: 382 pages (Hardcover edition)

Publish date: 19th of March 2020 by Zack Argyle (Self-Published)


Promising beginning. Readers weren’t exaggerating when they said Voice of War by Zack Argyle is a great Sanderson-lite fantasy novel.

“The Rite of Revelation was such an important event for a parent, but would a parent really love their child less based on the color of their eyes? Love is not a calculated result of features and faults. Love is the unseen thread binding two souls together no matter the externalities.”

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Book Review: The Dollmakers (The Fallen Peaks, #1) by Lynn Buchanan

Book Review: The Dollmakers (The Fallen Peaks, #1) by Lynn Buchanan

This review is a copy of the transcript of my video review on The Dollmakers

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

Cover art by Ashley Mackenzie

The Dollmakers by Lynn Buchanan

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Fallen Peaks (Book #1)

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy

Pages: 400 pages (Kindle edition)

Word Count: 114,000 words

Published: 13th August 2024 by Harper Voyager


The Dollmakers is guaranteed to be a contender for one of the strongest fantasy debuts of the year 2024.

“Shean enjoyed thinking. Logic was a comfort— as long as she had a plan, she had direction, a guide to follow and mull over and think and rethink until she’d thought of every possible outcome to every possible event.”

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Book Review: Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Book Review: Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Cover art illustrated by Dave McKean

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone

Genre: Fantasy, Horror

Pages: 201 pages (Lyra’s Books Hardcover edition)

Word Count: 31,000 words

Published: 2nd July 2002 by Harper Collins


Coraline is the best book by Neil Gaiman that I’ve read. And maybe, all this time, I might have picked the wrong Neil Gaiman books to read.

“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.”

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