Category: Fantasy

Recent Reads: Shadow in the Empire of Light by Jane Routley

Posted on by Pam

My review:???

Shadow in the Empire of Light by Jane Routley is a fantasy book, set in a matriarchal world, with those who are mages, and those who are mundane.  Shine is a mundane with a lot of mages for family, and so she is ignored or mocked.

It’s a festival where all the family come home, and so Shine has to endure them all.  This time, there’s a spy hiding, a letter to be found and a death to enliven matters.

I found the story to be ok.  It was good to see a book with an emphasis on female power, but this power was abused in the same ways that they are in patriarchal society.  

Shadow in the Empire of Light by Jane Routley was published on 19th January 2021, and is available on Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Jane Routley on Facebook.

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Rebellion.

Recent Reads: The Stranger Times by C.K McDonnell

Posted on by Pam

My review:????

The Stranger Times by C.K McDonnell is about a newspaper full of weird and wonderful stories from the public.  Think UFOs, ghosts, and of course, Elvis.

Hannah Willis is running away from her life, and manages to get the job as the Assistant Editor.  It’s a role that’s seen more than a few people, and now is Hannah’s.  She gets to deal with the drunk and rude editor, which looked to be hard even before forces of darkness start to intrude.  Perhaps the things they write about aren’t all fantastic tales.

This is a fantasy romp and one that I enjoyed.  I liked the back stories of all the people who work at the paper, the mystical elements that are added, and the twists and turns the story takes!

The Stranger Times by C.K McDonnell was published on 14th January 2021, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow C.K McDonnell on Twitter.

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Transworld Books.

Recent Reads: Death Masks by Jim Butcher (The Desden Files book 5)

Posted on by Pam

My review:?????

Death Masks by Jim Butcher is book 5 in the Dresden Files series, so spoilers ahoy!

Harry is challenged to a duel by Ortegas, a Duke of the Red Court, who wants to end the war,  Susan is back in town, and Harry has been hired to find the Shroud of Turin, which has been stolen and is thought to be in Chicago.  So, it’s an average week for Harry!

We meet some new characters – Butters, the polka loving Assistant Medical Examiner, the Archive and Kincaid.

I love this series, and I’m really enjoying going back through the series!  If you enjoy urban fantasy, you’ll probably enjoy this series!

Death Masks by Jim Butcher was published on 5th August 2003, and is available to buy from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Jim Butcher on his website, Twitter and Facebook.

My reviews for previous Dresden Files books are below:

Storm Front (book 1)

Fool Moon (book 2)

Grave Peril (book 3)

Summer Knight (book 4)

Recent Reads: Blood Metal Bone by Lindsay Cummings

Posted on by Pam

My review:???

Blood Metal Bone by Lindsay Cummings is set in a world of magic, where Sonara comes back to life after being sentenced to death by her mother for her brother’s disappearance.  She comes back as a Shadowblood, one of those who has shadows for blood and have powers.

Sonara is still hunting for her brother, and so when the object that took him returns, she must find answers.

This is a mix of fantasy and science fiction, and was an enjoyable read.  

Blood Metal Bone by Lindsay Cummings was published on 7th January 2021, and is available to buy from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Lindsay Cummings on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and her website.

I was given this book in return for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to HQ. 

Recent Reads: Fantasy Titles from Bloomsbury 2020 – excerpts from A Vow so Bold and Deadly by Brigid Kemmerer, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas, We Are Bound by Stars by Kesia Lupo, The Mask Falling by Samantha Shannon, Dark Art by Steve Feasey and Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

Posted on by Pam

Fantasy Titles from Bloomsbury 2020 has excerpts from A Vow so Bold and Deadly by Brigid Kemmerer, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas, We Are Bound by Stars by Kesia Lupo, The Mask Falling by Samantha Shannon, Dark Art by Steve Feasey and Piranesi by Susanna Clarke.

Most of these extracts are from book 2 onwards in a series, and you would need to have read the previous book/s in order to make sense of what is happening! 

A Vow so Bold and Deadly by Brigid Kemmerer is the final book in the Cursebreakers series.  In two months time, Grey is going to attack Emberfall.  We see some of both sides.  I felt quite lost with all of the characters, so you do need to have read the previous books!

I’ve reviewed A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas before, so you can read that review here.  This was in the book as the fourth book is due out on 16th February 2021 (in the US at least!).

We Are Bound by Stars by Kesia Lupo is book 2 in the We Are Blood and Thunder series. This is a YA fantasy series, set on an island where Beatrice is a conduit for the wishes of a god. Livio is the first male rules in centuries, but his magic is out of control.  

The Mask Falling by Samantha Shannon is the fourth book in the Bone Season series.  This was another book where I could tell how much I didn’t know!  It’s set in 2060, and Paige is on the run, and having flash backs to being held.  

Dark Art by Steve Feasey is the second book in the Whispers of the Gods series, and is a fantasy book. Kelewulf is in search of an artefact, the heart of a god. Lann is struggling to keep control of the Dreadblade. 

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke is set in an infinite labyrinth, with few characters, and odd happenings in the labyrinth.  This is a book I’ve heard a lot about, and would need to read the full book!

I was given these excepts in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Bloomsbury.

Recent Reads: The Burning God by R. F Kuang

Posted on by Pam

My review:????

The Burning God by R. F Kuang is the third book in the series, and you really need to have read the two previous books before you read this one!  Fang Runin has won the war, and now has to deal with the after effects, of ruling a devastated land, and the after effects of a civil war.

There are Hesperians, the Dragon Republic, and the remnants of her people, who thirst for revenge.

This is the end of the Poppy War series, and it packs a punch! 

I enjoyed the end to the story, and the ways it tidied up all of the loose story threads.  As with the other books in the series, it’s not going to hide the realities of war, or the sacrifices people make.

The Burning God by R. F Kuang was published on 17th November 2020, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones, and your local independent bookshop.

I’ve read the previous books in this series (The Poppy War and The Dragon Republic), and you can read my review here.

You can follow R.F Kuang on Twitter, or through her website.

I was given this book for free in return for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to  HarperCollins for this book.

Recent Reads: Glassheart by Katharine Orton

Posted on by Pam

My review:????

Glassheart by Katharine Orton is a YA fantasy book, with our heroine, Nona, being 11 years old, and it is set after the World War II, with descriptions of the Blitz.

She lives with her uncle, who creates stained glass windows, but she wakes one night to find her uncle talking to someone she can only see as a reflection in a mirror.  The next day they go to the middle of nowhere on the moors of Dartmoor.  Who has enchanted her uncle and why is what Nona has to find out.

This is a very emotive book, with lots of memories of those who have been lost.  It’s a good story of a young girl taking on forces stronger than her for those she cares about.

Glassheart was published on 5th November 2020, and is available on Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.

You can follow Katharine Orton on her website and on Twitter.

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Walker Books.

Read With Me: Summer Knight by Jim Butcher (Dresden Files book 4)

Posted on by Pam

My review:????

Summer Knight by Jim Butcher (Dresden Files 4) is our introduction to more of the fae than just Harry’s Godmother.  Now we meet the Queens of the Summer and Winter courts.  The knight of the Summer court has been found dead at the bottom of the stairs, and so the Winter Queen “requests” Harry investigate.

Harry’s not in the best place after Susan was bitten by one of the Red Court vampires in the previous book, the White Council aren’t happy that war with the Red Court was declared by Harry trying to do the right thing, and Harry has been obsessively trying to find the cure for Susan.  

I really enjoy the Dresden Files books, and this was no exception, especially as our cast is slowly growing!

Summer Knight (Dresden Files 4) was published 3rd September 2002, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones, and your local independent bookshop.

You can follow Jim Butcher on his website, Twitter and Facebook.

My reviews for previous Dresden Files books are below:

Storm Front

Fool Moon

Grave Peril

Recent Reads: The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow

Posted on by Pam

My review:?????

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow is set in 1893, in New Salem, after old Salem burnt down, back when there were witches around.  Juniper, Agnes and Beatrice, the Eastwood sisters, know the little spells things they were taught by their grandmother, but inspired by the suffragettes, they want more.

With mysterious shadows, powerful men, and alliances with other women, life in New Salem is changing.

I really enjoyed the book, it was thrilling, sad and exciting.  I didn’t know what was going to happen next!

This isn’t the first book of Alix E. Harrow’s that I’ve read! I read The Ten Thousand Doors of January recently, and also really enjoyed that!  Enough that when I spotted this book, I knew I needed to read it!

The Once and Future Witches was published on 15th October 2020, and is available to buy from Amazon, Waterstones and your local independent bookshop.

You can follow Alix E. Harrow on her websiteand Twitter.

I was given this book in return for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Little, Brown UK.

 

Recent Reads: All About Us by Tom Ellen

Posted on by Pam

My review:????

All About Us by Tom Ellen is the story of Ben.  He’s finding life very hard, and is wondering if he made the right choices.  He’s with Daphne, but should he have ended up with Alice?

It’s Christmas Eve, and when he gets given a watch by a mysterious man at the pub, he puts it on, but he doesn’t realise what’s about to happen to him.  When he wakes up the next morning, it’s not Christmas Day, instead it’s 5th December, 15 years before, when he made his choice between Daphne and Alice.

This is a heartwarming, sad, sweet and funny story of Ben’s past, his decisions, and the consequences.  

I really enjoyed the book overall, even if I did find some sections sad and hard to read.  It really is a very good book, and one that has a lot of Christmas in it, if you’re looking for something festive!

All About Us is being published on 15th October 2020, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and your local independent bookshop.

You can follow Tom Ellen on Twitter.

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to HQ.