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Tag: Grimdark Fantasy

Book Review: The Devils (The Devils, #1) by Joe Abercrombie

Book Review: The Devils (The Devils, #1) by Joe Abercrombie

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

Cover art by Will Staehle

The Devils by Joe Abercrombie

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: The Devils (Book #1)

Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Historical Fantasy

Pages: 512 pages (Paperback edition)

Word Count: 213,000 words

Publish date: 6th May 2025 by Gollancz & Tor Books (US)

I fully realize this book is not out until May 2025, but so far, The Devils by Joe Abercrombie is the best fantasy book I’ve read this year. It’s devilishly brilliant.

‘No matter how you fight, you can’t beat time. It lays low every empire, topples every tyrant.’

…

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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

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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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Petrik’s Top 19 Books of the Year! (2023)

Petrik’s Top 19 Books of the Year! (2023)

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Click here if you want to see the list of all the books I’ve read so far this year: Petrik’s Year in Books (2023)

Between 1st January 2023 and 31st December 2023, I read 80 books + 177 manga/manhwa volumes (76.8k pages).

Please read this first. There will be three rules I set in this list for me to give appreciation to more authors rather than having only a few authors hoarding this list. These rules allow me to highlight more authors, and at the same time, I’ll also be able to include both new and older books (many of them still need attention) that I read this year.

  • Rereads aren’t included.
  • One book per series.
  • The books listed here are not all exclusively published this year; the list consists of the top books I read for the first time this year. Non-2023 published books on this list will have their first date of publication included.

Do note that although there’s a rank to this list, I HIGHLY recommend every book/series listed below because I loved all of them immensely, and they received a rating of 4.5 or 5 out of 5 stars from me. Honorable mentions are for two best novellas and two short stories I read this year. Without further ado, here are the top 15 (or 19) books I’ve read this year! (All full reviews of the books listed can be found on Novel Notions and my Goodreads page.) …

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Book Review: The Great Change (and Other Lies) by Joe Abercrombie

Book Review: The Great Change (and Other Lies) by Joe Abercrombie

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Cover art by John Anthony di Giovanni

The Great Change (and Other Lies) by Joe Abercrombie

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Age of Madness (Book #0.5 of 3), First Law World (Book, #11 of 11)

Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Grimdark fantasy

Pages: 120 pages (Hardback)

Published: 30th September 2023 by Subterranean Press

The Great Change (and Other Lies) is a terrific and thought-provoking insight into the behind-the-scenes of creation and revolution in The Age of Madness.

“Greed was the one thing in the diamond trade, after all, that could always be relied upon.

…

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Book Review: A War to End All (Manifest Delusions, #3) by Michael R. Fletcher & Clayton W. Snyder

Book Review: A War to End All (Manifest Delusions, #3) by Michael R. Fletcher & Clayton W. Snyder

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

Cover art illustrated by Andrew Maleski

A War to End All by Michael R. Fletcher & Clayton W. Snyder

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Series: Manifest Delusions (Book #3 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, Grimdark Fantasy, High Fantasy

Pages: 535 pages (Kindle edition)

Publish date: 18th September 2023 (Indie)

A War to End All is a philosophical and tepid conclusion to a brilliant grimdark fantasy series.

“The Old Gods were broken by wars and plagues of the mind, left reeling like the most bloodied veterans. Infected with horror at the cost of their actions, they retreated into dementia. Insanity as escape. Seeking to free themselves, they fled to a world of delusion, a world uncorrupted by jealousies and psychoses. And yet, in the end, even this they would pollute. So deep their need, so desperate their flight from their bitter past, they ignored the one truism all must bow before. Belief defines reality.”

…

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Book Review: The Mirror’s Truth (Manifest Delusions, #2) by Michael R. Fletcher

Book Review: The Mirror’s Truth (Manifest Delusions, #2) by Michael R. Fletcher

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This is a repost of a review I wrote in August 2017.

Cover art illustrated by John Anthony Di Giovanni

The Mirror’s Truth by Michael R. Fletcher

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Manifest Delusions (Book #2 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, Grimdark Fantasy, High Fantasy

Pages: 375 pages

Published: 28th November 2016 by Michael R. Fletcher (Self-Published)

This is why I love grimdark fantasy. The Mirror’s Truth is grimdark fantasy at its best and it deserves only the highest of praise from me. …

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Book Review: Beyond Redemption (Manifest Delusions, #1) by Michael R. Fletcher

Book Review: Beyond Redemption (Manifest Delusions, #1) by Michael R. Fletcher

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This is a repost of a review I wrote in 2017.

Cover art illustrated by Richard Anderson

Beyond Redemption by Michael R. Fletcher

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Manifest Delusions (Book #1 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, Grimdark Fantasy, High Fantasy

Pages: 495 pages (129,000 words)

Published: 16th June 2015 by Harper Voyager

I don’t think I truly knew what I was signing up for when I started reading this book because it was beyond anything I could ever dream of, and was insanely marvelous.

Beyond Redemption, the first book in the Manifest Delusions series by Michael R. Fletcher is what I foresee as the beginning of a magnificent series in the grimdark fantasy genre.
 …

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Book Review: Eleventh Cycle (Mistland, #1) by Kian N. Ardalan

Book Review: Eleventh Cycle (Mistland, #1) by Kian N. Ardalan

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

Cover art illustrated by: NinoIs

Cover art designed by: Shawn T. King

Eleventh Cycle by Kian N. Ardalan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Mistland (Book #1 of 4)

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Epic fantasy, Grimdark Fantasy, Dark Fantasy

Pages: 802 pages (Paperback)

Published: 1st February 2023 (Self-Published)

Eleventh Cycle is one of the best books I’ve read. Berserk and Dark Souls fans, this page-turning epic grimdark fantasy novel is written for us.
…

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Book Review: The Lonesome Crown (The Five Warrior Angels, #3) by Brian Lee Durfee

Book Review: The Lonesome Crown (The Five Warrior Angels, #3) by Brian Lee Durfee

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Cover art illustrated by: Richard Anderson

The Lonesome Crown by Brian Lee Durfee

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: The Five Warrior Angels (Book #3 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, Grimdark Fantasy, Epic fantasy

Pages: 1088 pages (Paperback)

Published: 29th November 2022 by Saga Press

The Lonesome Crown is a massive fiery, brutal, and unpredictable concluding volume to The Five Warrior Angels trilogy.

“One must cease trying to control every little thing. Let the rivers of time flow, let the waters run where they may, for what destiny is yours shall remain the same and polished from the journey.—THE WAY AND TRUTH OF LAIJON”

…

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Petrik’s Top 19 Books of the Year! (2022)

Petrik’s Top 19 Books of the Year! (2022)

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Click here if you want to see the list of all the books I’ve read so far this year: Petrik’s Year in Books (2022)

Between 1st January 2021 and 28th December 2022, I’ve read 65 novels + 162 manga/manhwa volumes (69k pages).

Please read this first. There will be three rules I set in this list in order for me to give appreciation to more authors rather than having only a few authors hoarding this list. These rules allow me to highlight more authors, and at the same time, I’ll also be able to include both new and older books (many of them still need attention) that I read within this year.

  • Rereads aren’t included.
  • One book per series.
  • The books listed here are not all exclusively published this year; the list consists of the top books I read for the first time within this year. Non-2022 published books on this list will have their first date of publication included.

Do note that although there’s a rank to this list, I HIGHLY recommend every book/series listed below because I loved all of them immensely, and they received a rating of 4.5 (rounded up on Goodreads) or 5 out of 5 stars from me. Honorable mentions are for books I rated 4.5 stars but I didn’t round up the ratings. And I will also mention my favorite novellas first this year. Without further ado, here are the top 15 (or 19) books I’ve read this year! (All full reviews of the books listed can be found on Novel Notions and my Goodreads page.) …

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