Tyler Sparr

While this isn't the best book I've ever read, I think the world and the concepts behind it have a ton of promise! The world is very Roman-coded if not just outright Rome with the names changed, but it's done in a way that doesn't make it feel too limiting. There's also a lot of Eragon vibes to the journey which I enjoyed. If you're going into this book with a critical mind, maybe don't? Because overall there's a lot of fun to be had if you can just let yourself be swept along by the story. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

If you like The Gentleman Bastards, I highly recommend you pick this book up! It's got heists, it's got swordplay, it's got banter. What's not to like? At times this read more like a thriller than a fantasy book in all the best ways. I don't remember the last time I looked down and saw I'd accidentally read for hours without noticing it. Was completely sucked in! While there's always a chance the rest of this series will be a letdown, this is such a strong start that I'm ready for the ride!

This was so, so close to being a 5-star read and has the feel of a book that might end up being 5-stars after further reflection. The ending felt just slightly rushed to me and some of the plot was a little more predictable than I’d like, but I was just so engaged with every second of it. I think everyone should read this book if even just to broader your own horizons.

What isn’t there to love about Jurassic Park? There’s some interactions that feel a little dated these days, maybe Malcolm is a little too preachy, and Lex could probably talk about baseball a little bit less, but there’s dinosaurs! Just such a fun, easy read that anyone should be able to pick up and enjoy.

This was overall a fun book, but I think this is one of those rare cases where the movie is actually better than the book. For some reason, all of the various events felt even more ridiculous on paper than on screen. There's definitely better thrillers out there, but I don't regret the read. Probably not going to seek out anything further from the author.

Overall, I can’t say this book is anything more than fine. Much like the author’s other book, Sword of Kaigen, this one is severely overhyped. The pacing is poor, the stakes aren’t real, the plot’s relatively predictable, and the ending isn’t all that satisfying. Certainly not something I regret reading, but not one I’d actively recommend.

Aside than being far too long, still a solid entry in the series. Definitely one that I’ll see through to the end.

There’s really not much to set this one apart from other entries in the series. If you’re really looking at reviews of book 13 to decide whether to continue on, probably best to just drop it. A decent entry, but really minimal forward plot movement.

Overall, I liked this book and it was well written, but I just wanted more from it. There was a lot of talking about things happening and very little of it actually happening. That aside, the plot was interesting and the characters felt fully realized. Worth a read.

I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected to! It took a little bit for me to get into the swing of things and understand the landscape, but once I did, I was hooked! Every little revelation will have you constantly turning the pages to figure out just what’s going on.

Like most book 1’s, there’s a lot of info-dumping going on, but it’s done in a way that feels relatively natural. The storyline itself feels familiar while having its own unique spin. My only minor grip is that the magic system is so soft that it’s really hard to say what everyone’s capable of. Maybe that’ll firm up in the sequels, but regardless a great start to a new series.

This book was truly a masterpiece of slow burn horror. It probably could have stood to be just a little bit shorter with some snappier pacing in a few parts and some really crucial scenes were much shorter than expected, but still probably the best example of this genre I’ve ever read. Absolutely worth the read.

The second book in a series disappoints so often that it's almost taken as a given when going into it. This book does not dissapoint though. If anything, it's quite a bit better than the first. Getting to see more of the world and the lore around this world was very satisfying and I felt like I was able to connect with the characters much more. Really looking forward to seeing where this series goes.

While this is set in the Halo universe, you really don't need to be familiar with Halo at all to appreciate the story on offer which is an incredible take on the morality and ethics of true AI. A very short read that was well worth it.

This book was just so lovely. All of the characters are charming, the setting is delightful, and the plot whisks you along on a magical, little journey. A+ work.

Having never read the book before and only seen the movie, I wasn’t super sure what to expect from this and largely chose it due to length. Turns out the movie was pretty close to the book. Fun listen and Scarlett Johansson did a good job of doing all the voices.

What a cool start to a new series! Obviously Will Wight is no stranger to writing about powerful characters after Cradle, but wow does this one just come out punching! Part sci-fi, part magic, all entertaining. Looking forward to reading this whole series!