Admit it! You thought I'd miss the whole March book blog event--and I nearly did. But fret not, Reader, I've got you covered with a long overdue look at a sequel that flew past me last year. It's time to gush over Andrea Stewart's Bone Shard Emperor! A Sequel Worthy of the Name When I... Continue Reading →
Red Sister by Mark Lawrence – An Adventurous Discussion (Part #2 of 2)
Previous | Very obvious spoilers ahead! My fellow adventurer Kosara and I have finished the second part of Red Sister – and boy, do we have some thoughts! Read along as we try to make sense of the second half of this riveting fantasy novel. K: So, since last time we started with a brief... Continue Reading →
Red Sister by Mark Lawrence – An Adventurous Discussion (1 of 2)
Next | My fellow adventurer Koki and I have been reading the first installment in the Book of the Ancestor series - and boy, do we have some thoughts! Read along as we try to make sense of the first half of this riveting fantasy novel. SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST HALF OF RED SISTER, "Red... Continue Reading →
When Your Villain is an Abstract Concept — Short-Form Essay
There's something delectably fun about a villain that's perfectly defined by their name, especially when that name is a monosyllabic nouns like "Pride" or "Sin" or "Ruin". Everything's on the label - you can be comfortable in your expectations as to the goals they'll pursue but how they get there is anybody's guess! It's also... Continue Reading →
Dark Fantasy Is Cathartic
I was thinking about what blog posts to write this week and one question wouldn't leave me alone: Why do I like dark fantasy so much? There's no one single answer to this but the title of this post is one possible response. Dark fantasy, good dark fantasy, with its surfeit of tragedy, brings catharsis... Continue Reading →
We Are The Dead by Mike Shackle – Video Review
https://youtu.be/bitO0BtQEjQ Hey folks, I'm back this week with another video review of a fantasy novel! This one is Mike Shackle's 2019 dark fantasy debut, We Are The Dead. I took a liking to it - as you'll find out when you check the video. As always, I would appreciate you subscribing and liking the clip... Continue Reading →
The Gutter Prayer by Gareth Hanrahan – Book Review Repost
Series: The Black Iron Legacy # 1Published by: OrbitGenre: Dark Fantasy, Grimdark, High FantasyPages: 544 (kindle edition)Review Format: e-bookPurchased Copy. I enjoy playing catch-up at year’s end – time is ever a limited resource and great books fall through the cracks more often than I’d like. One such prime example is The Gutter Prayer by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan,... Continue Reading →
The World Maker Parable by Luke Tarzian – Book Review
Self-Published Genre: FantasyPages: 140Format: ebook This is an interesting short novel, whose strengths include worldbuilding, an all-encompassing sense of mystery and intrigue, plenty of misdirection and a hell of a clincher. But first, lend me your ear. It's okay, come 'ere, come a wee bit closer. I've a secret to tell you -- the only... Continue Reading →
A Plague Tale: Innocence Review: An Excellent Narrative
https://youtu.be/nLfQAKglKrA A Plague Tale: Innocence is a remarkable third-person narrative game, telling the story of Amicia and Hugo de Rune as they evade the Inquisition during the peak of the bubonic plague in France. I am IN LOVE with the characters and horrified by the world; I think, you will be, too.
The Shadow Saint by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan – Book Review
Series: The Black Iron Legacy # 2Published by: OrbitGenre: Dark Fantasy, Grimdark, High FantasyPages: 567Format: e-bookReview Copy Courtesy of NetGalley If you haven’t read The Gutter Prayer and don’t know if you want to, read my review of it here. The Gutter Prayer was an exceptional debut – no matter how hard I thought about... Continue Reading →