Petrik's Favorites Archives - Page 2 of 18

“The poets say that one’s fears grow less with trial, that we become men without fear if tried enough. I have not found it to be so. Rather, on each occasion we are tested, we become stronger than our fears. It is all we can do. Must do. Lest we perish for our failings.”

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Book Review: The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez

October 24, 2023 Petrik Leo Comments 0 Comment

The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Cosmere

Genre: Science Fiction, Space Opera

Word Count: 129,000 words

Pages: 416 pages (Paperback)

Published: 14th January 2020 by Del Rey Books

The Vanished Birds is a beautiful, heartfelt, and tense standalone space opera story about kindness, choices, love, pain, ambition, and found family.

“Geniuses are born all the time, but kindness is rarer, these days especially. The world could use more kindness.”

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Book Review: Empire of Silence (Sun Eater, #1) by Christopher Ruocchio

October 4, 2023 Petrik Leo Comments 0 Comment

This review is a copy of the transcript of my video review on Empire of Silence.

Cover art illustrated by Sam Weber

Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: The Sun Eater (Book #1 of 7)

Genre: Sci-fi, Space Opera, Science Fantasy

Pages: 612 pages (Hardcover edition)

Published: 3rd July 2018 by DAW Books

This was an absolutely stunning, ambitious, and well-written debut novel. From the first page to the last, Empire of Silence is an unputdownable new addition to my list of favorite books.

“It is a mistake to believe we must know a thing to be influenced by it. It is a mistake to believe the thing must even be real.”

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Book Review: Esrahaddon (The Rise and Fall, #3) by Michael J. Sullivan

September 18, 2023 Petrik Leo Comments 0 Comment

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

Cover art illustrated by Marc Simonetti

Esrahaddon by Michael J. Sullivan

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Rise and Fall (Book #3 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy

Pages: 936 pages (Kindle edition)

Published: 15th August 2023 by Riyria Enterprises (Self-published)

Esrahaddon is an incredible novel 15 years in the making. Fans of Riyria and Legends of the First Empire will be thrilled to read this.

“With education comes understanding. With understanding, wisdom. With wisdom comes control. With control, peace.”

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Book Review: The Passing of the Dragon by Ken Liu

September 15, 2023 Petrik Leo Comments 0 Comment

You can read this beautiful short story for free here: https://www.tor.com/2023/09/13/the-pa…

Cover art illustrated by Mary Haasdyk

The Passing of the Dragon by Ken Liu

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone

Genre: Short Story

Pages: 46 pages (Kindle edition)

Ken Liu has done it again. The Passing of the Dragon is a brilliant and impactful story, I believe, should be read by every reader, reviewer, artist, and author.

“An artist craves an audience, but maybe not all audiences are crave-worthy. “

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Book Review: Light Bringer (Red Rising Saga, #6) by Pierce Brown

September 1, 2023 Petrik Leo Comments 0 Comment

This review is a copy of the transcript of my video review on Light Bringer

Cover art illustrated by Jonathan Barlett

Light Bringer by Pierce Brown

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Red Rising Saga (Book #6 of 7)

Genre: Sci-fi, Space Opera

Pages: 682 pages (Hardcover edition)

Publish date: 25th of July 2023 by Del Rey (US) & Hodder (UK)

Light Bringer is a bloodydamn near perfect space-opera masterpiece.

“For a friend with an understanding heart is worth no less than a brother. —Homer”

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Book Review: To Green Angel Tower (Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, #3) by Tad Williams

August 23, 2023 Petrik Leo Comments 0 Comment

This review is a copy of the transcript of my video review on To Green Angel Tower

Cover art illustrated by Michael Whelan

To Green Angel Tower by Tad Williams

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn (Book #3 of 3), The Osten Ard Saga (Book #3 of 7)

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

Pages: 1960 pages (eBook edition)

Word Count: 533,000 words

Published: 1st March 1993 by DAW Books

It is done… At 530k words long, To Green Angel Tower is the largest single-volume novel I’ve ever read. It is a mesmerizing slow-burn epic fantasy tome imbued with high-stakes pulse-pounding final chapters.

“Sorrow needed its brothers. Together they would make a music greater still.”

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Book Review: Mother of Learning ARC 4 by nobody103 or Domagoj Kurmaic

August 17, 2023 Petrik Leo Comments 0 Comment

Cover art by: Mansik Yang

Mother of Learning: ARC 4 by Nobody103

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Mother of Learning (Book #4 of 4)

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Progression Fantasy, Web novel

Pages: 601 pages (Kindle edition)

Published: 4th April 2023 by Wraithmarked Creative (Indie)

Mother of Learning was one of my priority series to start and finish this year, and I’m pleased Mother of Learning by nobody103 or Domagoj Kurmaic is the first web novel series I finished. It certainly won’t be the last.