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Rtc

Reggie Lang is seventeen, and suffice it to say, she has a lot going on. She has a mother who has problematic alcohol use and mental health problems. In addition to this she has virtually had to bring herself up, and also look after her mother, acting as parent rather than a child, oh and I forgot to mention that her father went missing when she was a child. That would be enough for any broad shoulders, but there is more. She is being targeted at school and to top it all she has been experiencing inexplicable random acts of bringing dead animals back to life.

Obviously these random lazarus acts do have a perfectly logical explanation in that she is some kind of magical being (well, you did know there was something didn???t you?). Yep, she is magic and she gets frequent visits from this bloke who she describes as a cliche, and by the way he visits her in her dreams.

Welcome to Reggie???s world as she finds out about herself, her father and another world. You see through the course of the story, Reggie finds out that she comes from another reality called The Other, in which magic is a realty.

Secret mage is a pretty decent slice of portal fantasy, aimed at thirteen to eighteen year olds. Although, with the themes in the book, it would probably be aimed at the higher end of this age range as the book does deal with some more mature themes.

Rebecca Jaycoxs???s Secret Mage tugged at my attention from the start. Mainly due to the main character of the story, Reggie. She is equal parts snark and good heartedness and she is immediately engaging.

I have to admit, this is the first book that I have read by Rebecca Jaycox and I am quite glad that I got the chance to read this book, as normally I would have missed this.

The main characters in the story are vivd and relatable,?? with the standouts being Reggie and Brwyn, the changeling elf. A number of different characters are introduced throughout the book including the main love interest Asher and the big bad Andrius Drake.

Unfortunately, I didn???t particularly gel with both Asher and Andrius to be honest. It wasn???t that they were bad characters, it???s just that they didn???t capture me wholeheartedly in this book. I didn't feel that there was much development in their personality,?? although I think there may be more of them both as the trilogy progresses and it will be interesting to see how they develop later in the series.

However, I am willing to forgive these things that did not work for me in the story because Reggie is enough to carry the story by herself, as is Brwyn, who is duplicitous in his actions, but is intrinsically a good guy who is aiding the revolutionaries in the tale and is trying to aid the rebellion in his own way.


Throughout the book, Rebecca Jaycox manages to keep the plot moving at quite a bouncy pace. There are times when there are lulls in the plot, but that did not prompt any disengagement of my attention, again mainly due to the characters.

I enjoyed my visit to The Other. In fact I enjoyed this bit immensely, and Rebecca Jaycox builds a solid and believable world that she shows you through the eyes of the character, which is my favorite method of world building rather than massive info dumps.

The magic system is pretty comprehensible and again, rather than giving a mass of information about how the magic system works, we get to see it in action and discover its uses and limitations.

However, the strongest aspect of the book has definitely got to Rebecca Jaycox???s witing, She manages to pitch the tone just right and keeps you engaged in the plot. There are some times when my attention wavered, mainly when the romance enters into the story, but that is my problem, not the books.

What particularly impressed me was that Rebecca Jaycox does not shy away from pretty hefty subjects, such as mental health, problematic alcohol use, child carers and sex. Whilst there are scenes of a sexual nature, Rebecca Jaycox does not hide the fact that the characters have a sexual relationship and instead of portraying it as a bad thing, she presents it as a natural part of life, but remember to do it safely. And she deals with these other hefty subjects skillfully and with a light touch, highlighting how much of an effect that they have on an individual.

As a final note, it has to be mentioned that this book is a reissue and Rebecca Jaycox originally released this book as The Other Inheritance. However it has been revamped and a fantastic new cover by Molly Phipps added,?? which is quite stunning and fits the tone of the book perfectly.

So , if you like your heroes to be part snarkiness, part good hearted with a dose of magic, then you cannot go far wrong with the Secret Mage.

NB: My thanks got to the publishers and Zoe for a pretty stunning copy of the book, which didn't affect my judgement at all.

RTC

3.5/5 stars
Deeper, Older Darker is an urban fantasy set in the wilds of Somerset and steeped in English Folklore.

So with that, it immediately got a plus point from me as I very rarely see a fantasy using English Folklore much, and there is a rich vein of myths and legends that do not wholly revolve around King Arthur or Robin Hood. Yes, some of them may tie in, such as the Girt dog of Langport, but if you go around the British Isles there are all sorts of stories.

So, when I read the blurb for this and read about this fact, I was quietly excited, to be honest.

The story revolves around a shadow organisation called the Bowlore, which kind of works outside the parameters of normal existence and is comprised of a set of different independent groups, named after certain ancient British landmarks, like Silbury hill or Badbury Rings.

Within this organisation, there is a lot of jockeying for position and the possession of certain artefacts of power that will increase the standing in the organisational structure of the Bowlore.

And it Is with that we get the crux of the story, as we centre on the possession of a particular artefact called the wolf stone thus increasing the power of the group that owns it.

I liked this book. I liked how it took folklore as the main driver of the story and how it integrates and impacts not only on the Bowlore, but on the groups within it. Like I said, it really is steeped in folklore with such things as the power of healing obtained from Yew trees, the thirteen treasures of the Island of Britain, the legend of Wayland???s Smithy and all the mystical things associated with England.

PJ Richards does a really good job of weaving these fascinating aspects of British folklore into the story, using it as a driver for the plot. However, not only are these legends used but also the very land and sites around England associated with these legends.

In terms of the book itself, as I said, I felt that it fell into urban fantasy and it is a while that I dipped into this aspect of fantasy, and with Deeper, Older, Darker, PJ Richard???s presents a good read for any fans of the genre.

I did have some things that didn???t quite click with me. However, that entirely depends on where this book goes.

Let me explain! I felt that the characters of the book were secondary characters to the main character, which was the Bowlore itself. I would have liked to have some more history and information about the organisation of the Bowlore, like its hierarchical structures, how it was developed, what some of the terminologies meant.

I think for me, this was one of the most difficult parts of the book as I would frequently become lost, trying to work out the structures of the different groups and some of the terms used in the book. In addition to this, there were points in the story where I couldn???t recall which character was which and how they stood within that regime of the different groups.

When it came to the characters of the story, most of them are pretty morally grey, and their motivations tended to revolve around their own personal motivations, machinations and selfish obtaining of power, and they have no inclination to care for those that they hurt in the process.

I have to say that I didn???t find them particularly likeable at all, but I am not averse to morally grey, unlikeable characters as long as they are interesting, and I certainly found them to have that in common.

However, as I said I did feel like the characters of the book played a secondary role to the Bowlore itself.

Did this spoil the enjoyment of the plot? Not particularly, as the pace of the plot kept it flowing along quite nicely.

Now going back to my earlier point, which I said earlier before I described my own personal little foibles with the book. These foibles depend on whether this is intended as a series (which I feel that it does have scope for). If this is to be a series, then some of these things don???t particularly matter as much as I am sure that they will be expanded on later in the series and so will the characters, making this a good introduction to the world of the Bowlore. However, if it is a standalone, then those points would come back into play.

On top of this, there were certain facets of English folklore that I was not aware of, like the Girt Dog of Langport which would send me off into a flurry of gaining more information about this, which I have to say that personally, I enjoyed immensely. I love going off and looking at titbits of information and coming out of a book with more knowledge than I went in. However, I am sure that there will be people that will have a converse opinion to that.

I think P. J. Richard???s trusts that the reader will gain the necessary bits of information themselves rather than spoon-feeding it to the reader. Although, equally at some points some background exposition may be useful.

So, if you are interested in a unique slice of urban fantasy steeped in English folklore, then I think that you may enjoy this one.

I like J.C. Kang???s writing immensely! He has a knack of drawing you into the story immediately. As soon as I read the prologue and he mentions Avarax the dragon, I was hooked.

I always like the fact that at the beginning of the book, J. C. Kang gives us a cast of characters. I always find this useful. However, you never really need it as the characters are all distinctive and well imagined.

During the promotion for Crown of a Sundered Empire, I recently read in an interview with J. C. Kang that Crown of a Sundered Empire is his most accomplished work, and whilst I have very little to compare it to, it is very easy to tell that the story is a well-crafted piece of work. It is so slick in it???s writing, and it simply oozes charm.

Initially, the story revolves around an invasion of the village of Lorium by the Bovyans of the Teleri Empire, whose main motivations for invading the countries that they invade is due to their horrific ideals in relation to obtaining the next generation of soldiers. This is pretty awful, however, whilst sexual violence is referred to several times, it never occurs. However, that does not diminish the horror of the invasion.

In the midst of this, is Tomas, a young streetwise fisher boy who attempts to rescue the girl that he is smitten by. However, he is punished by the Bovyans who remove his eye as recompense.

However, Crown of a Sundered Empire revolves around five points of view, which includes the half-elf super-spy, Jie.

I love Jie, the half-elven spy. I met her first in Songs of Insurrection, and she stole the show in that book, and similarly, in Crown of a Sundered Empire, she steals the limelight each time the story centres on her.

When Jie enters the story, you know that there is going to be heaps of intrigue, and guess what Crown of the Sundered Empire is filled with the stuff. Even the subplots have subplots. But J.C. Kang is such a skilled writer that he keeps a tight leash on them all and then carefully draws them together at the end.

As I mentioned earlier, I had previously read Songs of Insurrection, so this aided me at times with Crown of a Sundered Empire as several times throughout the book, J. C. Kang puts in little easter eggs to other books, which I recognised. I don???t think it impacts on the story if you haven???t read any of the other books, but I did like these little references to the other books in the series.

There are a number of other storylines in the book, that include arranged marriages, the theft of priceless artefacts and infiltrating spies.

If you cannot guess, I enjoyed this book and there are many good things about J.C. Kang???s writings. One of these is his ability to write strong female characters. In fact, when it comes to characters, the female characters stand out more than the male characters and for me they appear to be the main driving force in his stories.

Additionally, I like the fact that he does not coddle the reader in his stories. He simply throws the reader in at the deep end and he expects that whilst the reader may find the introduction to the world and the environment a little confusing, he trusts that the reader will catch up and stick with it. If you do, you are richly rewarded with a satisfying tale of daring dos that and an intriguing plot.

If you like your books to be full of political intrigue, then Crown of a Sundered Empire is definitely a book for you.

My review of Time of the Twins -

Caramon/Raistlin. Stop it. If you don't pack it in I am going to bash your heads together.

Dwarves - stop it. Pack it in. If you don't stop it I am going to bash your heads together.

Nooooooo, Timely Wimey stuff
My head hurts.

Oooh, Crysania, can't you just see he's using you.

Where's Taz, not enough Taz

Well, didn't see that coming

Oh for god's sake Caramon, just kill him.

Oh, There's Taz. Definitely not enough Taz.

Yeah well, you will go and think he's god's gift won't you.

My eyes, my eyes - stop talking about Raistlin's muscled body.

Raistlin! There was no need for that.

So here we go again. Timey wimey stuff.

Review to come shortly

I wrote a review, and it is on the website www.fanyasybooknerd.com, and today I am being inordinately lazy, so there!

The book is an Asian inspired fantasy with loads of martial arts, assassins and mystical spirits.

Initially, the book introduces us to our main character, Sonika, a young Okami girl who are a race of people that are highly in tune with the environment and nature, on the island of Othaka. A people that are in tune with everything around them, and commune with the wolf spirits (who feature quite prominently throughout the book as a kind of portent to events). Almost immediately we are plunged into the story as those around Sonika are cruelly slaughtered after they are betrayed by the Giahatians, a cruel, warlike community who rule over their empire with fear and terror, and she is left for dead.

As this is quite a short book, Alyssa Lauseng wastes no time in introducing us to protagonist no.2, Kulako. Who is currently held in a harsh military assassin training school on Perena, where even the slightest infringement of the rules will earn you a beating of the harshest kind. And in addition to that, it isn???t guaranteed that you will see the day out. Kulako comes from the slave island of Okara, being indentured to the brutal assassin regime when he was six years old, when he was sold to the Giahatians by his father.

I think you can see a theme running through here. These Giahatians are not the peace, love and live in harmony with others type, are they?

Anyway, back to Sonika, who has been left for dead! (This is not a spoiler, because it says it on the back of the book) Sonika survives! However, she then escapes the island, pops over to another one, gets taken in by a kindly old couple, and happy days! Except, it doesn???t quite work like that. Our poor Sonika is harried from island to island as the Giahatians mercilessly hunt for her in their bid to wipe out her race completely. Whilst there are moments of peace and quiet for Sonika, she does have a pretty horrid time of it initially, and in her hour of desperation she ends up in the care of Okubo, who is at best described as a waste of good skin, and subsequently takes advantage of the situation that Sonika finds herself in.

Now I may have painted a slightly jovial picture of the book, but the story is far from that, and at times deals with some pretty hard stuff including domestic and sexual violence. In addition to that there is violence against children, particularly in Kulako???s case who is basically being indoctrinated and honed into a compassionless killer by quite brutal means.

Alyssa Lauseng deals with these issues sensitively and with compassion. Especially with Sonika???s story. She successfully navigates her story, highlighting that even though Sonika is a strong woman, there are situations that go beyond her control, and even when Sonika recognises the danger, she does not have the means to escape her predicament and is subsequently trapped.

However, it is not all doom and gloom, as Alyssa Lauseng skilfully blends the tones of the book by adding lightness and hope to the story as well. Nicely adding balance to the story.

Throughout the book, Alyssa Lauseng brings the characters of Sonika and Kulako to life, bringing different perspectives and expanding the environments of the world by following these two points of view. In Kulako???s story, there are some elements that are instantly recognisable in any coming of age story, or even assassin???s school story. We have the obligatory bullies, harsh teachers and brutal regime that serves to remove any kind of compassion, even to those that they call friends. It is a harsh and horrible situation, that is made equally distasteful by those who (and I say this in the loosest way possible) care for them.

It is not long that you learn that the empire of the Giahatians is built on hate, fear, racial purity and subjugation.

I think before we go any further, I am going to have to mention the world-building in this book. The world in this book really captured my imagination, and similar to Andrea Stewart???s The Bone Shard Daughter, is set in a world, with a number of different islands, ruled by a centralised government, the tyrannical Giahatians. I have to admit that I do like this type of environment, as it gives the ability to introduce vastly different cultures, environments and motivations within the world.

There is a lot of island hopping in this book, as characters move from one island to the other. So, it can be refreshing because if you were stuck primarily in Perena, it is going to become pretty grinding.

Whilst Keeper of the Fallen is pretty low on magic, in the sense that it does not have loads of people chucking spells about every two minutes, it is quite high with the mysticism. And this is the main driving force, at times giving an almost epic feel to the book. Especially later on in the story.

One of the things that stood out for me was Alyssa Lauseng???s writing. She impressed me with a number of things throughout the book. Her writing is engaging, and never once did I lose my concentration on the story. She shows a particular adeptness for engaging the reader, and showing them the world that the characters live in, entrenching it in the plot rather than as big chunks of information, giving the reader the immersion in the world that she has created rather than them being general observers.

For me, whilst on the one hand, I found the brevity of the book mostly worked in its favour, I did find myself wanting some more expansion of the story at times, and with some of the characters. I did feel that I wanted to know more of their motivations, or how this world had evolved. I wanted to know more about the shift of the balance of power that led to the development of the social structure of the environment. Whether that is to come further in the story, I don???t know. I also wanted to see more of the Emperor as well. He felt a little like a cursory character in this story. In addition to that, there were certain scenes that seemed to be over in a flash and I had to go back and read them again to see if they really happened, such as Kulako???s second encounter with Roku. However, on the flip side of this, the book's brevity was also its strength in that Alyssa Lauseng didn???t waste any words. She got to the heart of the story without any superfluous exposition.

Keeper of the Fallen is an introduction that is bursting with promise, and I found myself engrossed in this mystical story of family, assassins, gods and tyrannical empires.

If you liked this review, I have lots of other reviews on my website which you can go to by pressing here

Okay, just to get this out of the way, I received a free copy of the audiobook by Gregory Benson. He said, “Do you want to listen to this audiobook and write something about it?”. So, I said “Okay!”

I must say I enjoyed this audiobook, It has that kind of popcorn feel about it. That is not to say it is a bad book or anything like that, but it is one of those light books where you breathe, sit back and just go with the flow of the story.

The story centres around our hero, Crix.

Crix feels different from those around him, mainly because he is. He is a lone human in an alien environment. He has been raised by his guardian Hafllinger amongst the equine race of Andors, a species of equine inhabitants of the planet Troika.

Not only that, he is a Tolagon, and has an orb inside him that gives him extraordinary powers.

However, evil forces are afoot, and one day as he is out walking he sees an unidentified craft crash land. Now Crix is a bit of a curious lad and decides that he needs to investigate and makes his way over the dangerous terrain to the crash site to investigate and discovers that the pilot, a Mendac girl called Kerriah is alive and well, and that she might need a little bit of help getting out of her crashed spaceship.

He is subsequently thrown headlong into an adventure that will take him further than he has ever been before, running from the might of the evil empire of the Marcks, stumbling on ancient gods, and becoming embroiled in a prison break on a prison planet.

This book was an enjoyable read, especially as we are thrown straight into the adventure, and it keeps the pace at full tilt until the end.

I found that one the things that helped were that I didn't have to think too hard about this book and that I just went from one dangerously life-threatening situation to the next without much in between. It has a fun-filled action-packed plot that drags you along with its flow.

If I thought about it a little bit, there were some small fissures in the gloss of the story, but I thought what the heck. let the story wash over you and just go with it. And with that, all restraints thrown off, I enjoyed this audiobook

The book is narrated by Gabriel Micheals who does a pretty good job of bringing the characters to life and injecting some verve into the story. He has such a good vocal range that gives definition and personality to each character. I was able to follow th narrative of the story and didn't get lost in the action. So, on the whole, got to say that I quite liked this and will definitely be seeking out the sequel.

Ever since reading L. L. MacRae's novella, The Citrine Key, The Iron Crown has been on my must-read list. So, when I received a message from L.L. MacRae asking if I would like to receive an advanced reading copy of this book to review, I could not move my thumbs fast enough to type the reply that I most definitely would.

Upon starting the book, I knew I was drawn in, right from the very first page and as I got further into the story, I did not want to leave it alone for a minute and would find myself disappearing in various parts of the house with my Kindle in hand, trying to see what would happen next, trying to fit in another page, or another chapter on the sly.

You can always tell a good book when you can't wait to pick it up or you find yourself thinking about what is going to happen next. And that was the case with The Iron Crown.

The book immediately throws us into the story, as we meet Fenn, struggling for his life in the middle of a bog. However, he has no recollection of how he got there and no memories of the time before the incident in the bog. As he struggles for his life, rescue comes from an unlikely source, the Dragon Spirit, Hassen, the Spirit of Salt Ash.

At the end of the encounter, the dragon leaves him alive because he finds him ‘interesting'. He subsequently meets Jisyel, (who has been cursed by Hassen) and her partner, Calidra. They take pity on his wretched state and take Fenn back to Jisyel's home, an inn owned by her grandmother.
In the meantime, Calidra has received an invite to return home to attend the funeral of her estranged father. And here we have the springboard for the adventure that is to come.

There are so many things to like about this book. If you like the found family trope in fantasy, then this is a book for you. L. L. Macrae does this so well. However, what I found interesting in L.L. MacRae's use of the found family aspect was, as more characters join the party, travelling across Bragalia to attend the funeral of Calidra's father, the relationships become more and more fractious, and there is always the underlying tension that the party will fall apart. Initially, the party is comprised of Fenn, Jisyel and Calidra, but this expands to include Delays, a priest of the Dragon Spirit Neros, and Varlot, a former general in the Posenthian Army.

The book is filled with memorable characters. Fenn is the obvious one that drives the story, The mystery of who he is, why he has lost his memories and how he can be cured is the main driver of the story, and I think that one of the appealing things about him is that due to the fact that he has lost his memory and all the aspects of himself, he is a blank slate. He is almost childlike in his innocence and sees the good in people regardless.

Similarly, with Jisyel. She has an extremely positive personality, despite the affliction of being cursed by Hassen and this counteracts Calidra???s sometimes untrusting and negative view of the world. Varlot, is another matter. I am not quite sure what is going on there. He regularly disappears in the book. Usually visiting taverns and gambling dens, for which he seems to have an addiction to. However, he has reasons, and it is the reason for his behaviour that made him a character that I wanted to get to know more.

When you look at the characters, they each have endearing qualities, and the more that you get to know them, the more you come to realise that they are broken through events in their life, and it is these experiences that draw each of them together.

The book is written with multiple points of view, and in all honesty, I couldn???t pick out my favorites, from Fenn to Torsten (an inquisitor in the Iron Queen???s army, who I haven???t discussed, but is an equally intriguing character). About halfway through the book, we are reintroduced to Apollo from The Citrine Key. I really liked Apollo in that novella, and it was brilliant to see how he had progressed from the original story. It was kind of like meeting an old friend.

Now enough of the characters. What you want to know about are the dragons. The Dragons are a prominent feature of the story and go through the book deigning to give the people of Lassar their gift or their curse. I liked the dragons in this book as they seemed didn???t fall into the westernised version of Dragons as terrible flying lizards that terrorise the countryside, eating goats, horses and the odd stray child. To me they seemed to fit more of a Chinese mythological representation of dragons, in that they are more like localised spirits that are attached to either certain areas of land, sea or elements. And these facets give them their own personalities. They each have their own quirks to them. In some instances, they can be fearsome, or wise. At other times, they can be capricious and cruel.

Oh, and as a side note, besides Dragons other magical creatures populate the world. You also get a side helping of Griffins

The world-building is rich, and it is cleverly written, in that the world opens up with the story. Initially, it is small and contained as the story starts on the small Isle of Salt, but as the story unfolds, so does the world, to become massive.

Additionally, the magic system is similar. Whilst not initially overt, you get the feeling that there is more to it and by the end of the book this aspect opens out in a similar fashion to the world-building. You get the impression that there is something big happening behind the scenes, but you cannot put your finger on it. However, towards the end of the book, we get some tantalising glimpses of it.
Thinking about this book, I have lots of questions.

There seems to me that there is a lot of ambiguity in the story. One of these ambiguities is The Iron Queen herself. I mean, anyone that is called The Iron Queen isn???t going to Miss sweetness and light, but what is her deal? She seems to run the country with tyrannical zeal and yet everybody seems to trust her. And similarly, the Myr! Throughout the book, the people portray them as monsters. However, there are hints that other things are afoot and nothing is as it seems.

I tell you; this book quite plainly and simply has got its hooks into me and I cannot wait to see how the story progresses.

If you liked this review, I have wrote lots more on my blog Fantasy Book Nerd

This is the tale of Garlan. The kitchen boy who wants to be a knight.

Mark Cushen weaves an enthralling and enchanting tale of dreaming big. Of working for your dreams and never letting go of your ambitions.

The story revolves around Garlan who is told that an ancient evil is returning to the land and that the king must know of its return. However, when he speaks to his mentor, he decides that he will undertake a quest to avert disaster, and with his friend, a sentient floating piece of wood called Oldface, they tackle the ancient evil together, taking the news to The four Seasons who live in Dryad Wood. A place out of time and out of the world.

This is a classic tale of the underdog finding ways to make his dreams a reality. However, the tale also describes an individual who has spirit and will try his hardest for those around him.

Filled with a wondrous cast of characters that include faeries, wizards, the four seasons, murderous snowmen, and yetis

Mark Cushen???s writing is reminiscent of classic faerie tales and it captures your imagination. Never once did the story lull in its adventure. There was always something in the plot that keeps your attention. Always a new situation to keep you entertained. And this is an entertaining book from start to finish.

Sometimes, children???s books can fall into the trap of trying to talk down to children, and never once did this feel like it was talking down to children, trying to impart them with the knowledge that they may need in their future lives. It treats them as individuals who will understand the story and its message. There are some sweet moments in this book. Particularly when Garlan helps a scarecrow deal with the death of his master, telling him about his own losses and how he dealt with the situation

In fact, there are some pretty grown-up scenes in this book and one of them wouldn???t be too out of place in a Joe Abercrombie novel in all honesty as it was pretty bloodthirsty.

In addition to this, there are a wonderful cast of characters. Garlan is pure innocence,, he approaches each problem that he faces with pragmatism and determination. In addition, he has a number of advisors that lead him on the right path or are quick to give him the advice that he needs.

Never once does Garlan not listen to advice. He listens to the counsel that others give him and uses it to his advantage, and generally comes out on top.

This book was a delight from start to finish. It was one of those books that lightened my day each time I read it. The prose is full of whimsy and warmth and this book begs to be read in the middle of winter with a cosy glass of something warm.

if you liked this review, have a look at some of the others I wrote on www.fantasybooknerd.com

(note: more like 3.5)

Misery loves company! Especially in R. J. Rettger's debut novel, Oathbreaker, as it chronicles the tale of newly knighted Mario Deschamps.

When we initially begin the story of Mario, the book does not give any indications of where this book descends and by the end of Mario's story, nothing prepares you for it's culmination.

At the start of the story, Mario is a bright eyed, bushy tailed newly anointed knight. However, as he embarks upon his first quest, events will lead him to become a very different person from the one he envisages and fantasizes about.

In his head, he is going to follow in the footsteps of his esteemed father, Pablo Deschamps. A renowned knight who single handedly quelled the uprising of the elves that populate the world.

However, Mario will be challenged and stripped bare of all the things he believes!

At the start, he firmly believes that the world around him follows a set of rules that fit into his steadfast worldview. However, all this ideals and fantasies of being a courageous knight are brutally stripped from him. There are many trappings of classic fantasy here, such as the Knight on his destrier, non-human races, such as elves, dwarves and halfling. In addition to this, there are monsters, and bandits.

But you will find that most things are turned on their head, particularly with the non - human races. Yes, the elves seem to be typically aloof and haughty. However, the elves are hated and subjugated. They are dehumanised, beaten and treated as something less than human. Additionally, this attitude permeates to the other non human races, and you feel that the hatred towards other races is pernicious and deeply ingrained.

We follow Mario as he embasrks on his first quest. This quest will strip away everything that he holds dear. It will be the hardest thing he has ever done. It will take him on a journey that will change his life forever.

I found the book to be a bleak story, and as Mario and those around him experience tragedy after tragedy, the trauma just piles up. If I could pick a soundtrack for this book, it would be Walk with Me in Hell by Lamb of God, primarily because it is like walking through hell as Mario is stripped and disabused of his innocence one layer at a time, one trauma at a time. If I think back on this, I cannot recall one moment of peace or happiness. Oh, no sorry I lied, one does spring to mind. However, when it does happen there is a foreboding that this is going to not go well.

Now, I hope that I haven???t put you off this book, but there is no shying away from it, this is a dark book. There are no rays of sunshine or knights on white chargers coming to save you.

On the whole, Oathbringer is well written debut. As I said previously, A.J. Retinger has a head full of ideas. Mostly, these ideas work but there were times when some of them didn???t click with me. I found that the intrusion of Mario???s inner thought processes took me way from the narrative, and I felt that these interrupted the flow of the story. That is just my personal opinion, and most people had no problems with this aspect

If you like your fiction dark, then I think you will enjoy this. After the ending of this book, I really want to know what happens next and will be looking forward to the next instalment.

Review to come!

Son of the Storm is the first in a new series by Suyi Davies Okungbowa set in a rich West African based society.

When reviewers read books and subsequently post reviews, we attempt to convey our own interactions with the books. What captured our imagination, our level of engagement with the book and the emotive impact that it had to make us feel the way that we do.

Sometimes a book hits right to the very heart of all these things, and sometimes it misses. I suppose what I am trying to say is that whatever we write, positive or negative, the review is about the reviewer's own opinion, and whilst is not necessarily correct, it is how they feel.

Unfortunately, Son of the Storm did not hit the mark for me. I know a lot of reviewers will say ???I really wanted to like this book??? and I think that you can guess, that is pretty obvious because that is why I clamoured to review this book, and I am indebted to Netgalley and the publishers Orbit for a chance to review this book

There are a lot of positives in Son of the Storm, such as Suyi Davies Okungbowa???s vibrant voice that is prominent throughout this book. He writes with a distinctive voice that you can immediately grasp the vocal tones that the characters are speaking with.

In addition to that, he has created a world that is full of colour and it was one of the things that struck me with its vivacity.

He also describes a rich socio - political system that is complex and at times quite oppressive in its insular vision.

However, as I have said, I failed to make a connection with this book. It does have a lot of positive points, but I just could not get emotionally invested in the story. I have learnt in my time that sometimes this happens. Sometimes, a book fails to click and attach itself at the basest level. This led me to have difficulty with the book and rather than a growing investiture in the plot, I found myself becoming more and more detached from the book.

There is a multi point of view in relation to characters. Again, this was one of the areas I had problems. I could not relate to the main character of Danso and found myself not caring about what happened to the character in the story.

The breakout character for me was Esheme and her constant striving to increase her status. As a result of this she will do anything. She is a dichotomy of characteristics. On the one hand she is highly passionate about her standing, and on the other she is cold and dispassionate, and in her ambition she finds herself being led down a dark path.

As the story progresses, the character of Lilong is introduced, and similarly as with Danso, I found it hard to connect.

On the whole, I found a Son of Storms a mixed bag. Whilst there were positives, such as the vibrant world, the complex socio - political system and Suyi Davies Okunbowa???s distinctive voice but the book unfortunately did not grab me and narratively whisk me away

As I said at the beginning of this review, as a blogger the main thing that I try to convey is my opinion. There are times that I hope that you will agree with what I write. However, on this occasion, whilst I hope you understand that this is my perspective, I hope that you disagree with everything I say.

Shameless meets gritty gangland noir in RJ Dark's story of the criminal underbelly in the Wilds of a Yorkshire council estate.

‘A Numbers Game' is the first book in a new Northern Noir series written by RJ Dark, the once underground musician and club promoter, who now spends his life tottering around his ancient mansion.

If you have seen interviews with RJ Dark, you will be familiar with the fact that most his personal reading revolved around crime novels that he got from local second hand shops and that this is the type of fiction that he gravitates towards, and I have to say that I enjoyed his inaugural foray into a fictional Yorkshire gangland immensely. It seems that whatever RJ Dark writes, he spins pure gold.

Now, let's get to ‘A Numbers Game'. The story is based around our two main characters, Malachite Jones, or Mal as he prefers to be called, and Jackie Singh Khattar. A borderline sociopath, with a rigid ethical code and a heart of gold at his core.
On top of that, there is a whole host of characters that provide a depth to the story.
There's ‘Trolley' Mick Stanbeck. The main gangster of the piece, who whilst being an absolute brutal shit of a man who rules the Blades Edge with an iron rod of fear, he also has a penchance to look after his family.

Alongside Trolley Mick,.there's ‘Russian' Frank. The other antagonist of the story who Mal and Jackie come into contact with when they are tasked to find a missing lottery ticket that is worth 8 million pounds and everyone thinks they have a stake in.

As I said earlier, the story revolves around Mal and Jackie. Mal is a medium/conman who communes with the dead. Well, not really, as most of his work is pretty much a community service that he does for various people around the infamous Blades Edge Estate, a council estate in an unnamed town in Yorkshire. Whilst Jackie is a ‘legitimate businessman' who works a small time protection racket in the local area.

After the death of Lawrence ‘Larry' Stanbeck, Mal is visited by his widow (a job set up by Jackie) to find a missing lottery ticket that could, if you will pardon the pun, be her ticket off the Blades Edge Estate. As the search for the missing lottery ticket ensues, the danger to Mal and Jackie increases as the stakes become higher and higher.

I absolutely adored the mismatched pairing of Mal and Jackie. Mal has a past, and one that he struggles with everyday, whilst for some reason, the local school bully, now medium sized hardman, Jackie looks after him like a mother hen. Always magically turning up whenever he is in trouble.

One of RJ Dark's skills (amongst many) is that he writes utterly compelling characters that you cannot help falling in love with. And ‘A Numbers Game' is packed full of them.
As well as the main ones that I talked about earlier there is a plethora of supporting characters that are both comedic and relatable. For instance, there's Mal's assistant, Beryl, who is an overbearing she bitch with mysterious talents, who yet again, looks out for Mal and has his best interests at heart, even though he drinks coffee. And then there's Mick Stanbeck's twins (named ‘The Kray Twins, but don't call them that to their face) who only have one brain cell between the both of them and carry a dictionary in their back pocket so that they can ‘better' themselves. Like their dad told them they should!

For me, one of the standout aspects of this book is that it is filled with utter warmth towards the characters and to the world that Mal & Jackie live in. Whilst, Dark pokes fun at the council estate mentality and it's inhabitants, there is never any spite towards them. Yes, at times he can make some cutting observations about life on a council estate, yet you always get the impression that he is willing to forgive the characters their faults.

As well as this, the book is full of RJ Dark's unnerring silliness, which at times sails very close to being pythonesque parody, and had me laughing out loud on a number of occasions, but he pulls it back enough to maintain the reality of the situation, and the jeopardy of lead characters situation.

However, don't think that the book is all comedy and innocent tomfoolery, because it's not. It goes to some pretty dark places at times and there is plenty of violence in there. And, the inclusion of this violence serves to increase the sense of danger that face our heroes and gives a palpable feeling of menace to the various gangsters that are present in this book.

As this is a crime thriller, we have to mention the plot. Yep it's twisty and turny and keeps you guessing right to the very end. That's what you expect right! You don't want a plot that goes from A to B in a straight line. You expect that it will take a detour to b,c & d and back again, and in this Dark does not disappoint, but the main point is that the end is believable.and that it ends in a way that does not bring in inexplicable plot revelations.

If you haven't got it yet, I enjoyed this Northern Noir crime caper with its inimatbale sense of fun and warmth, I think it is up there as my favourite RJ Dark (but don't tell that Barker bloke) novel and I cannot wait to see what Mal & Jackie get embroiled in next?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to review ‘A Number's Game'. The enjoyment was all my own! Welcome to the Dark side!

I have to say that Ritual of Flesh is a more accomplished book than the original. It???s not that I did not like A Ritual of Bone, but from the outset it felt that Lee Conley had found his beat and he is about to produce a 19 minute prog opus that steadily reaches its crescendo.


When I finished the first book, I had questions. Lots of the questions, but the main one revolved around the Apprentice. Who was he? What is he up to? Does he have a plan? What is that Dark force that is hanging around in the background orchestrating events like Palpatine at a political rally?

Well, let me tell you dear reader, these questions get answered. Well, kind of! Look, Lee Conley is an author. He likes to maintain an air of mystery, likes to keep you interested. I mean he needs to get you come back doesn???t he.

Sorry, I went off on a tangent there, didn???t I? Anyway, let???s get back to the point. Yes, Lee Conley does give these answers. However, I am not going to tell you what these answers are. Job done, review over!

No just kidding!

The book starts immediately after the first book. Initially, bringing in the quiets tones, that have a slight twang of ominous tension. In the first instance, Lee Conley expertly weaves a number of different events that are happening in the world of Arnur. Much like the first book, we have a multiple point of view, with the Apprentice making his way to the college in order to report the findings of his master???s experiments. Whilst in another part of the land Bjorn is collecting his bounty and also imparting the findings that he found about the cannibals. Meanwhile Lord Arnulf is making his way to the capital, Arn to warn of the impending doom and also back up these claims by taking his son, Ewolf to show him. You remember the one that got bit and turned into a feral killing machine.

Oh, and then there is Nym???s story, which I found to be one of the most engaging character arcs. It shows her daily struggles that she has to contend with. How she is managing on a daily basis, her attempts to keep her wayward brother in check. However, there is a wider picture at work here, in that it highlights the social decline following the pandemic that has struck the land and how brutal this degradation is.

It is also interesting that he gives Ewolf a part in the story. Not only when he is being transported, but as he turns into one of the feral beats that eat human flesh. He manages to convey a sense of intelligence and purpose in the creatures, rather than mindless killing machines.

Throughout the story, there are lots of events happening. However, never once did I feel lost with the sheer amount of story that Lee Conley crams into this book.

I think the most interesting storyline was the one of the Apprentice. Lee Conley details his change from an unassuming student, whose only aim is to gain his position as master, to the place where he gets to by the end of the book, full of confidence and willing to make his own destiny, whatever the cost.

All the way through the first part of the book there is some pretty nifty ominous foreshadowing of events. You get a palpable feeling that something is going to happen

It is in this first part tha Lee Conley firmly orchestrates all his instruments into play. Each one adding to the texture of the story, whilst showcasing each individual player in their own right.

All of the characters get time to grow and to play their part in the story. And on top of that he also manages to broaden the world that the characters live in. Besides the Apprentice, there is a full cast of characters, and each one is realised and individual. Even down to the most insignificant guard.

However, all this is a power play to get to the events that you know are coming, and when they do come the pounding beat brings in the pulse banging events. Everything increases tenfold when events take off. It???s like he turns the action up to 11 and there is no stopping till the end. It was at this point that my headphones were permanently glued to my ears until I got to the breath taking end, and my goodness what an end it is.

There is tragedy, loss and horror as the wall of undead make their appearance. And a relative tsunami of horror envelops the city of Arn as each of the characters fight for their lives and sanity in the raging torrent of the cursed.

As it reached it's conclusion, I let out a breath that I knew I was holding and relexed. However, I must say?????? I still have questions!

At its core, Ritual of Flesh has all the tones of a twisted epic fantasy, with regular tropes being played upon. In some respects, you will find the found family element, particularly when events start to take hold, and each of the individual characters are thrust into finding each other.. You will also recognise the unassuming boy finding his destiny in The Apprentice's story. In addition, there are dark forces at play looking to destroy the equilibrium. However, when you add the icing on the cake of ‘The Cursed', it takes it into a whole new level.

Postscript
Now as I told you, I listened to the audiobook of Ritual of Flesh, and I have to say this is one of my favorite audiobooks that I own. RJ Bayley does a fantastic job of bringing the characters to life, giving each one a distinctive voice and character. He magnificently manages to convey the change that the Apprentice undergoes, and he successfully manages to initially show the uncertainty of his character and the weakness that he feels and his transformation by the end of the book

In addition to that, he manages to convey the emotions and nuances of each individual character.

You never get lost in the story and all of the words are audible. I sometimes find that the sound design can get muddled in some audiobooks I have listened to, and on occasion have lost aspects of dialogue. However, with Ritual of Flesh, the production is clear and accessible.

The story is told distinctively in a North of England accent, and I have to say that hats off to RJ Bayley and Lee Conley for the correct pronunciation of water. Now you might question what that means, and I will explain. Normally, water is pronounced with a soft ???a???, and sounds like ???warter???. However, in parts of Northern England it is pronounced with a hard ???a???, like in ???apple??? and that is how I grew up hearing it pronounced.

There's a story behind this book. Originally, S. C. Gowland got in touch asking if I would like to read the second book in his series The Soul's Abyss, Coven of Shadows (released 13th April, and will be reviewed next on the site). Now, I must confess that I had not read the first one and asked ‘do I need to have read the first one?' - I know, I know, you are saying ‘Duh, of course you do!'. However, S.C. Gowland very kindly wrote me a synopsis of this book. However, as I had the second one to review, I thought nope, I will have a look at The Dark Crown becasue I want to get a feeling for S. C. Gowland's writing. Well, I was immediately hooked and simply could not stop.

The Dark Crown was a semi - finalist in the Self - Published Fantasy Blog Off 2020 competition and it is easy to see why.

Now, if there is one thing that is going to grab my attention, it is going to be animal companions and when I started reading The Dark Crown, the first thing that struck me was the use of giant cats, called Pantheras that are used as mounts, instead of horses. I immediately felt my interest rising further, as we are introduced to our lead protagonist Kaoldan as he escorts a group of refugees from an unknown war with a people called the Krund. As this first chapter progresses, other details jumped from the page that hooked me into the story.

As the refugees continue on their way they are attacked by the forces of the Krund, which results in Kaoldan defending the refugees (and this is where again my attention was grabbed) he reaches for his weapon. This was something called a ‘Walkerblade' which is a metal rod that tranforms into whatever weapon the bearer wants.

Okay, call me a bit shallow, but animals and weapons are going to draw me in. Can't help it! But I am a fantasy fan, so what do you expect!

However, the story can't be held with animals and transforming weapons alone and as the story progressed, I felt myself becoming more and more sucked in, and I wanted to spend time in this world and see what happens.

Well, I have to say that I ended up adoring this book and devoured it in a couple of days. I simply wanted to depart from the real world and becomge engrossed in the story of Kaoldan, Zalen, Khubrean and the world of the Walkers.

The Dark Crown is very definitely epic fantasy, you know fate of the world, evil threatening the stability of everything around it etc. However, the story has some very compact themes in it and as you spend more time immersed in The Dark Crown, these smaller themes come more to the fore and the epic scale falls into the background.

The story revolves around Kaoldan, who is a Walker. An order of warriors (that resemble knights) that protect the peope and also maintian order. We learn that Kaoldan is a Red Walker and that the order is split into differing levels based on colours. Green Walkers are the lowest, Red Walkers are the most experienced warriors, Grey Walkers are the commanders and the Black Walkers are the absolute pinnacle of the order.

Kaoldan is an experienced Red Walker. However, he has experienced tragedy in his life, which has resulted in his family breaking down. His family are subsequently split and his daughters are enrolled to be Walkers, so that it takes their mind from the tragedy they have endured, and Kaoldan has immersed himslef in his role in order to not deal with what happened.

As you can imagine, this is going to come up and cause conflict at some point, and it does! And this interplay between Kaoldan and his daughters adds to the texture of the book, along with all the other stuff that is going on.

One of the main drivers in The Dark Crown, is that it is filled with engaging characters that you want to spend time with, you want to learn more about them and live in their world, sharing their experiences. In addition to that, there is an immersive plot that involves travelling to hidden cities, obtaining an object of power and fighting enemies, both known and unlnown.

There are lots of things to admire in The Dark Crown. Such as the world building. S.C. Gowland builds an environment that is varied and detailed that is very definitely part of the story. There are times when there is a lot of travelling involved as the protagonists search out information about the threat that is coming from the Krund, but I enjoyed this aspect and it gave me an opportunity to visit other parts of the land.

Add to this an ensemble cast that all make the story richer. There is Nova and Tokel, effectively, Kaoldan's grandparents who basically raised him when he was training to be a Walker. There is Khubrean, his mentor and Zalen, his best friend throughout his life as a Walker, who is both flippant and deep all at the same time.

It struck me that there are many of the tropes used that fantasy fans will recognise, but the thing with tropes is, that if they are done well, it adds to the book rather than detracts from the story, S. C. Gowland does use tropes that I am sure is going to hit to heart of every fantasy fan. Such things as animal companions with the Panthera, which rather than being just animals that the Walkers ride, all have their own character, and Dref the Schnauzer, who becomes just as much a part of the party as the humans. There is the found family aspect, which never fails to get me. And then there is the interplay between the characters.

When Kaoldan's daughters, Zahana and Romina are introduced, they change the dynamic a little as it brings to the fore all of the feelings that Kaoldan has kept hidden and as they are reintriduced to each other again, you cannot help but empathise with both parties at the raw emotions that they have when they get back together. One of the things that I like is that as a protagonist, Kaoldan is not perfect. He has made mistakes and wrong decisions. But you can understand them, even if you don't agree with them.

And where would any fantasy book be without a magic system. I liked S.C. Gowlands magic system, which he calls Fajin, which kind of resembles the force. Again, it is effective and adds to the richness of the story.

In conclusion, if you like your fantasy epic, but with more compact themes of family, grief and loss then this is the book for you.

If you liked this review, have a visit to my blog www.fantasybooknerd.com.

Let's get this out there before we start, this is my first John Gwynne book. I have been meaning to read his books for quite some time, but unfortunately, commitments usually got in the way and delayed me from starting his books.

When people usually mention John Gwynne, there is always an undertone of reverence whenever his stories are mentioned, so I was eager to read this book, and this seemed the perfect time to become acquainted with John Gwynne's works.

The story is the start of a new storyline that is not based in the same world as his previous books and is set in a Viking world, full of battle-hardened warriors, Jarls and monsters (If there's something that is going to get my attention, it is definitely monsters!).

The Shadow of the Gods revolves around three main characters; Varg, Orka and Elvar. Each with their own separate storylines, running side by side. Each one showing different aspects of the world of Virgid.

With Varg, we follow him as he joins the warband the Bloodsworn (the very same Bloodsworn on the front cover that this saga is all about!). We share his experiences as he initially joins the war band and then his adventures as he travels the land of Virgid.

Independently, of this, there is Elvar's story. Elvar is a member of another warband, the Battle Grim. Elvar's thread opens up the world further, showing us another perspective of the world that the characters reside in. Elvar's story does take time to gain momentum. However, when it does, her part in this saga is gigantic (In fact, my jaw literally dropped and I found myself going Whooooa, like a big kid. Gordon Bennett, I wish I could tell you more, but you need to read it and I don't want to spoil it).

And finally, we have Orka! Upon reading many of the reviews and comments about The Shadow of the Gods, Orka's story is the one that has had the most resonance with readers, and when you read the book, you can see why. Orka is such a brilliant character, she has both warmth and depth, and is a proper badass! She is a woman fueled by vengeance And she will stop at nothing to enact it, she's like a force of nature.

One of the many strengths of this book is the rich and complex characters that populate The Shadow of the Gods. However, besides the main protagonists of the story, there is a dearth of individuals who make up the supporting cast. Each one of these adds to the texture of the book. Characters like Svik, who delights us each time he is on the page, especially when he waxes lyrical about his love of cheese. Which had me in peals of laughter.

This book worked on so many levels. Gwynne's world-building is so gorgeously crafted and immersive. In ‘The Shadow of the Gods', John Gwynne throws the reader into an expansive world made up of monsters and cities built on the skeletons of God's. It is a brutal world, ‘a world of tooth and claw, where life is battle',

However, not only that, but John Gwynne keeps you enthralled even in the quiet moments. For instance, when Svik tells the story of a time he was captured by a troll and engaged him in an eating contest. I was as engrossed at this story as much as the Bloodsworn sat at the campfire.

It's amazing how he interjects the furious battle scenes with moments of humour and comradeship, that grip you just as much as the massive, bloody fight scenes.

Let's talk about the battle scenes! Oh my goodness, John Gwynne writes some of the most blood-pumping battle scenes that I have ever read. When he writes a battle scene, you can almost hear the clash of steel reverberating around you, smell the perspiration of warriors next to you and feel the jolt of metal as sword hits shield.

I constantly marvelled at John Gwynne's masterful storytelling, I found myself unable to lift my head from the page. It's books like this that show the wealth, depth and scope of stories written in the fantasy genre and keep me begging for more.

With his new book The Shadow of the Gods, John Gwynne shows us that the pen is indeed mightier than the seax, as he swathes his way to the top of everyone's to be read list in this must-read fantasy book of the year.

First off, I need to say thank you to Luke Daher for contacting me to review his book. As you can guess I did receive a copy, and obviously I said I would love to read it, but I will be giving an honest review. He said ???fair enuff!??? So there you have it.

Now, down to brass tacks, what did I think?

I have to admit that I knew nothing about this book at all. I didn???t read the blurb before diving in, so didn???t really know what to expect.

I like to do this, you have no preconceived ideas and whatever happens is a surprise, and let me tell you that this was a surprise.

The story revolves around master swordsman Normyn Stormcoat. However, when we meet him he is just plain, simple Normyn, a boy from Catchcreek, a backwater village in The Wilds. He's a boy that is able command respect despite his young age,but is quite self conscious about a facial blemish that marks him out as being different.

The other main character is Xylia, a self assured artist from the Kyrese society. A member of the blessed who is constantly pushing against what she sees as the constraints of the society she lives in. She is always striving to be more, to be the best, and above all others.

The book mainly follows these two characters' points of view, although there are some points of view of other characters who enter a bit later in the book.

There are a number of things to mention in this, Luke Daher???s first outing. Firstly, his world building is vivid, and at times oppressive, particularly when we are in the wilds, which is painted as an arid, desolate environment. However, when we switch to Kyrel, the picture is the exact opposite. This is a city of beauty, plenty and the pursuit of perfection, but there is an undercurrent of nastiness. And when we change each point of view, we see the contrasts of each environment.

However, it is not just in the physical landscapes that we see these contrasts but also in the landscape of each of the characters' psyche. Normyn is equally as desolate as the landscape that he lives in, whilst Xyria similarly reflects her landscape in her pursuit of perfection.

In addition to the vivid world building, Luke Daher presents us with intriguing and engaging characters that you want to spend time with. However, they are not particularly likeable. Normyn, for instance, is a man that is plagued with mental health problems, but he does make it difficult to have any sympathy for him. He has gone through some significant trauma, and whilst he is a man of great power, he is plagued by guilt and has subsequently given up on life. He has given up caring and has become withdrawn from everything. He does not want to become involved with anything and will let himself be beaten and imprisoned rather than interact. He is a reluctant hero and tries his damned hardest not to become a part of anything.


Conversely whilst Xylia does have some degree of likeability, even though is she self serving, arrogant and blinded to anything but her own desire to be the absolute pinnacle of what she perceives is perfection. And this is one of those things that Daher does very cleverly. He instils a sense of certain paths for each character, but the series is called Meandering Paths for a reason, and characters reach their destination from different directions


However, the characters are strong and intriguing, which is good as for the first half of the book we spend a long time living with these characters, learning about them, breathing with them, and as you can imagine to pull this with off with a degree of success, you have to be able to write characters that are able to carry the story.

As well as these two, we have others that enter the story. Ley, a precocious, unruly boy who is imprisoned with Normyn, who in all actuality takes Normyn under his wing and sticks by him, irregardless of the fact that Normyn is unable to care for anyone. We later get Tabita, an insular Highlander that just tags along and becomes part of the group.

Well, when it comes to the check boxes, we have world building covered, we have characters covered. What else do we need? Ahh, that???s it - the magic. Yes, there is magic aplenty in First Steps. And what Luke Daher has done is to successfully make it part of each individual character, each power different depending on who wields it, collectively known as different names depending on which part of the world that you come from, in some ???the blessed??? and in others ???the powerful???

The pacing is not immediately explosive, it takes time to build. However, if you are used to such books as the Wheel of Time, I don???t think that you will have any trouble with this book

As a debut, this is a solid, entertaining debut that is certain to appeal to fans of epic fantasy and that I think needs some more exposure as I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

At its heart, First Steps is epic fantasy, and Luke Daher presents us with the tropes that you expect to see in epic fantasy - the good vs evil, the chosen one, enchanted swords etc. However, Luke Daher uses these effectively and subverts them to present an engaging fantasy that by the end leaves you wanting more.

The Conductors is a mix of murder and magic, set in an alternate history of post-civil war USA, following the emancipation of slavery..

This is a really inventive setting and Nicole Glover vividly weaves a tale of murder, magic, and friendship, to make a book that grips you from the start.

The story revolves around Hetty & Benjy, who previously aided slaves to escape from their lives of servitude in their roles as conductors. Now, they live in Philadelphia, with Hetty working as a seamstress and Benjy as a blacksmith. However, on the side, they work as a husband and wife detective team and continue to aid the community that they live in by dealing with crimes that the police would generally consider as not their problem.

One night, at a party at their friend's house, they are approached by local entrepreneur (and all-round dodgy bloke) Charlie Richardson. However, both Hetty and Benjy want nothing to do with whatever problems Charlie has.

When Charlie turns up dead in an alleyway with a cursed sigil carved in his chest. Hetty and Benji are drawn into a mystery that will have them questioning everyone around them, from a local political institution to their friends. In their efforts to solve the crime, they will uncover truths about those around them, including their nearest and dearest.

Nicole Glover does a fantastic job of weaving magic into this riveting mystery tale. You would think how could the two co-exist? But Nicole Glover sews the magic system into the very tapestry of everyday life.

There are two aspects to the magic system in the book, Sorcery (which is the magic system used by white people) and Celestial magic (which is used by the African American population) and Glover clearly describes the distinction between the two systems, with Sorcery primarily using wands as a focal point for magical emanations, whilst Celestial magic uses the constellations to manifest power.

Now, obviously, a book cannot be carried by a magic system alone. We need characters, plot, and world-building.

And with this we need to move onto the characters. This has definitely got to be the most enchanting aspect of the book. Hetty & Benjy are solid and intriguing individuals that you want to spend time with. Hetty is strong, dogmatic, level-headed, and individualistic, whilst Benjy is insightful, meticulous, and introspective. However, whilst all these characteristics are positive aspects, particularly in a detective, in real life they can turn around and bite the characters in the ass. For instance, Hetty's obsession with finding her sister leads to problems. Sometimes, she can be so short-sighted that she does not see what is in front of her.

Not only do we have two strong leads, but we have a well-written cast of supporting characters, such as Penelope and Eunice.

Now, let me get this out of the way. Murder/mystery is not usually my cup of tea. However, Nicole Glover deftly interweaves elements of murder with domestic and social issues, drawing you into the world she has built. In addition, the book is peppered with interludes, shedding light on Hetty and Benjy???s past and their exploits helping other slaves to flee from their life.

Obviously, with any fantasy book, you have to mention the world-building. I liked Nicole Glover???s world-building. She manages it so deftly that I actually believed that post-civil war, America did actually have magic as she seems to make the world-building part of the very fabric of the book.

So, if you like murder/mystery stories, interwoven with a fantastical edge and vivid characters, you wouldn???t go far wrong if you gave Nicole Glover???s ???The Conductors??? a try.

Irreverent, anarchic and just bloody good fun.

Welcome to the world of the Loners. A band of merry mercenaries looking for just one thing.

Retirement!

Bounty hunting is a complicated job; some love you, most despise you. But if Jari Rockjaw showed up with a poster, it was your final day on Labrys.

Meet Jari Rockjaw, the Merc with a heart. His trusted companion Betha, a Minotaur with a past she doesn't want to talk about. And then there's Toli Hookhand, whose main pastime is Dwarven lasses asses, and Kala who also has a bit of a past.

This book promised to be such good fun and it didn't disappoint.

The story revolves around Jari and the rest of the Loners who initially head out to collect the bounty of a bunch of dark elves. However, in order to do that they need to swell the ranks of their party and are joined by Gnok, Jari's cousin. Sinda Rockgut, a beautiful dwarf with a score to settle and Arnak, a turtle humanoid called a Hah - Nu - Nah.

However, things don't go according to plan when they are hired to undertake a scouting mission on behalf of King Zista, to find a particular ne'er do well by the name of Boro Spiderbinder, a raider who has been, well, raiding.

As they lurch from one misadventure to the next, things become slightly more complicated, and Jari and his bunch of Loners find themselves in one impossible predicament after another.

I have to say, I enjoyed this book immensely, from the very moment it opened. It immediately promised mirth as we open with Jari Rockjaw fighting a fire breathing giant snail in his birthday suit.

The characters are all likeable. Jari, as I said earlier is full of heart, but is definitely not perfect, and he is quite happy to fight for a cause. Betha is hard headed, but underneath it all cares for each of her companions and Toli is the impudent comic relief, and there is a full cast of characters along the way that add their little bit to the story.

I also have to mention the setting. Whilst it is a fantasy world, it put me more in mind of a classic western setting for some reason. I don't know if this is because I listened to this by audio, and the narrator, Walt Allen, reads it with a drawl, but it put me in mind of the Saturday afternoon westerns I watched as a kid. There's lots of scalp hunting, deserts (called the expanse in the book) and general riding about (mainly on battle goats) and I could easily picture Jari as a John Wayne type figure.

The book is full of action, with the pacing starting at full throttle. And it continues at this pace throughout, with D. B. Bray & Wahida Clark never letting their foot off the accelerator all the way through.

So, if you need a book that is fun to read but with a lot of heart, look no further than Loners.

Thank you for D. B. Bray for getting in touch and giving me a review copy of this audiobook in return for an honest review.

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Sometimes, I need to break from fantasy, and this book was the perfect tonic.

The story is about Robert (Bob) Johansson, a software developer who has just sold his company, making him a pretty rich guy. So, what does he do? He goes to a company to get his head frozen in the event of his death (obviously harking to the urban legend that Walt Disney got his head frozen too!).

Now the thing about Bob, is that he is also a sci fi nerd as well. He loves Star Trek, Star Wars etc, and after signing his contract to have his head surgically removed from his body if he dies. He then promptly goes off to Vegas to attend a Sci - con. Listens to a fascinating lecture on Vann Neumann probes (self replicating probes) and then leaves. However, it is in Vegas that he comes off worst in an argument with a car.

Good way to start a story, with the hero of the piece getting splattered in the first twenty pages. However, with the death of our titular hero, this is when the story starts proper, as Bob finds himself suddenly transported to 2133 and finds that he is a new and improved version of himself, well, minus a body and a head and he is in fact a computer simulation of himself. He is Bob version 2.0.

He soon learns that not only has he changed, but the whole world has too. Gone are the political systems that once ruled the world and they have now changed, with the USA has become THE FAITH ENCLAVE, which is basically a theocracy. In addition to this, Brazil has become a superpower, as has the UAE (I think it's that, you will have to excuse my memory when it comes acronyms, I always forget them), which stands for United Affiliation of Eurasia, and China.

As we move on in the story, it soon becomes evident that Bob is the property of the Faith Enclave, and he is in competition with some other A. I. s to undertake a mission of extreme importance. To be one the controlling AI in an interstellar probe looking for habitable planets.

So, how did I get along with a book whose main character happens to be a sentient spaceship. Well, quite well actually, and this is mainly down to Denis E Taylor's writing. Yes, the main character is a sentient ship, but he is bursting with a snarky character and Taylor interjects some serious nerdom, making refernce to various bits of popular culture,which works surprisingly well.

Taylor gives Bob a surprisingly human character, and as the story progresses, Bob does become more human, especially when he replicates himself, with each ‘copy' being slightly different. Now I thought that this was a good plot device on how to introduce more characters. However, at times, I did find this more and more confusing as more copies are introduced and I kept getting lost occasionally as each chapter flits between a number of the different versions of the original Bob.

In between all this, Taylor manages to ask some big questions, like what makes us human, our concept of self and is AI actually sentient (a la the Turing Test). Which he manages to sneak in without the topics being too overbearing.

The other thing that I found a little bit cumbersome, was the description of space travel and the manoeuvrability of the ships. At times, I found that the inclusion of the differing speeds dragged the action a little, because this was done on each encounter that Bob has whilst in space. It seemed a little bit video gamey, and I was always put in mind of the video game Elite Dangerous.

I also found that the pacing stumbled a little in the second act of the book, as the main focus is on exploration, mining for minerals, obtaining enough materials etc, which became a bit repetitive.

However, the pacing does drag itself up towards the end of the second act and into the final acts, and the book starts to add in other aspects of plot, which helps it lead to it's conclusion.

All in all, I found this to be an enjoyable sci fi book that was full of snarkiness, nods to nerdom and general fun, and yep, I really enjoyed it! Oh and one other thing. I listened to this on audio and I really enjoyed Ray Porter's narration.

This is a middle grade fantasy adventure that has its roots in Celtic Mythology. And thank you to Igo Rab for getting in touch.

I have to say from the start that this book impressed me immensely. Now I know that I am not the target audience for this book. However, the sign of a quality writer is to be able reach past the target audience and be able to reach a wider readership, and this book certainly does that.

The story revolves around the main character Milo, who is a child that comes from a difficult background. His mother is the main caregiver and his father works away from the home. However, when his father does come home, his visits are interspersed by arguments with his mother and you get the impression that he is not a particularly good father. As a reader, we are immediately thrown into the middle of one of these situations, described through the eyes of Milo.

Additionally, his grandfather has just died and his mother is making plans to attend the funeral whilst organising care for Milo with her brother, who is going to stay at Milo's house.

It is when his uncle comes to stay that the story begins to unfold. We learn that his uncle is regarded as having some form of mental health difficulties and he finds it hard to attend his father's funeral. During the first night of his uncle's stay, Milo is visited by a faery called Asrai and is enchanted to follow her to the land of faery in order to fulfil the mysterious tiend, a price that has to be fulfilled every seven years, and in order to fulfil this Tiend, the faeries take human children so they don't have to send their own.

Faery: The Tiend is a fantastic little book. I like what Igo Rab does in this book. Now obviously, as an adult reading a book directed at 9-13 year olds, you try to put yourself in the position of the target audience. However, that isn't possible. I have have been older longer than I have been younger.

The book is an excellent gateway into fantasy with realistic characters, solid world building and an engaging plot.

The main character is Milo, a ten year old, socially awkward, bullied kid that as I said, comes from a family that is under stress. What I think is particularly commendable with Igo Rab's writing is the fact that Milo's character doesn't change when he gets to the land of faery. Even though he is the hero of the book, Rab doesn't give him a heroic persona, he doesn't gain magical powers or superhuman strength, he stays exactly the same, a young boy with anxieties, doubts and weaknesses, which works well and makes Milo really relatable.Whilst he is in the land of faery, he just retains his human qualities.

In addition to that, the rest of the characters that surround Milo are all fully realised on their own right.

You have to mention the Celtic Mythology here. The book is steeped in it, from the land of faery itself to the Queen of Faery and Mab.

The other aspect that I found to be of exception is the fact that Igo Rab never talks down to the audience. Never once does Igo Rab try to sanitise the danger or threat. There is death in the book, and whilst yes, it isn't gruesome, it is present thus giving that realistic edge.

With Faery:The Tiend, Igo Rab has written an insightful and we'll crafted tale of heroism, friendship and inner strength.