fantasybooknerd

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.

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.

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.

I have recently entered the world of comics again and wanted to read some Justice League. I enjoyed this book. The artwork is gorgeous in it but there is a definite split in the stories. The first one with Wonder Woman is really good. The second - meh. It was okay.
Definitely a book of two halves!

This is quite simply one of the best radio 4 dramas. The stories are based on William Palmer (otherwise known as Pilgrim) a man who is cursed by the king of the grey folk to eternal life for denying that the grey folk in 1185.
The stories are based on English Folklore. I love these plays, they are imaginative and get their hooks into you. It is a shame that this had to finish and the only way that I can get my fix is to listen to them again and again (I think I am on the fourth or fifth listening). If you do get chance to listen to this, I strongly recommend that you give it a whirl.

The Swordsman???s Lament centres around our central character, Belasko. Master Duellist, teacher, advisor to the king and general friend of the stars. The story starts pretty much how it goes on, with a duel. Immediately, GM White sets up his main character, a good guy, skilled at fighting and generally nice to all those around him, unless of course you happen to offer him out in a fight, then you take your chances. Although, he will be pretty amiable to those that he is about to dispatch in a duelling contest.

After the bout of swordicuffs ends he returns to the Inn where he was dining, pays for any inconvenience and compliments the chef, the innkeeper's daughter Kendra, and offers her a job. He books a table at the inn and then comes back to the inn with the King of Villan and his family, subsequently giving her a job in the palace kitchens.

See, told you he was a generally good guy!

Thus starts a story of adventure and general chicanery that pretty much defines this zip wire of a plot.

To say that I loved this book, is an understatement. It is one of those books that reminds me of being a kid and the kind of stories and films that I watched and read as a child. It took me back to those dreary saturday afternoons where I would watch the saturday afternoon matinee and there would be films showing like Captain Blood or Robin Hood with Errol Flynn, or The Flame and The Arrow and The Crimson Pirate with Burt Lancaster. I absolutely lapped up these cinematic swashbucklers and it was these types of films that were my gateway into fantasy novels, as I wanted more things like this.

And guess what, The Swordsman???s Lament fits this bill perfectly. It just pressed the correct button, my happy nostalgia button that makes me feel warm and fuzzy and brings a smile to my face.

Belasko is a roguishly good guy who is instantly likeable and you cannot help but like him, and the rest of the characters are equally likeable (or dislikeable depending on their alignment).

Now, one of the things that I admired about GM Whites book is that whilst the book is short, he manages to fit so much in such a short space of time. It is a proper little Tardis of a book.

In two hundred pages, he manages to fit in backstory, world building and everything that you need to get you running along nicely with the plot.

This takes some pretty good writing chops, and I was instantly enamoured with it. The plot is a good action adventure that just sucks you in. Rooting for the good guy, and hoping that the bad guy and his scheming will be uncovered so that there will be some semblance of happy ever after.

I think one of the other things besides the plot and characters of the book. G.M. White writes fantastically vivid action sequences, which I freely admit. I love a good action sequence. They are typically flamboyant and swashbucklery and sated that desire to see a good sword fight.

Interspersed with this, is that element of comedy that you get in these types of books, but it is also levelled out with loss and grief.

So, if you want a book that is full of rambunctiously, spirited adventure, then The Swordsman's Lament is definitely your book.

And to top it all, this is the first time that I get to use this phrase (and I have been wanting to use it, like, forever!)It is a rollicking good read from start to finish.

Jahna Mornglow is a thief and a liar, and also a half breed of the Narcean race, in this the first book of the Ardentia Saga by Jo ??? Anne Tomlinson. The story centres around the three main characters of Jahna, Lilac and Silko.
The land of Ardentia is threatened when the King becomes gravely ill with a mysterious sickness. This sickness affects all the land as it is attached to the fate of the line Ardentia. However, the king has no male heirs and his daughter is being manipulated by the evil Queen Regent.
Jahna and her friends journey back to the village that they grew up in for some kind of annual reunion.On top of that, Jahna???s mother has some information that she needs to tell her which results in Jahna???s life been changed for ever and leads her on a journey to change her destiny.
Yep, pretty standard fantasy fare with very few surprises. Now, don???t get me wrong, I wanted to like this book, I really did but it just did not happen for me at all. I am not above ditching a book if I don???t like it and it has not caught my attention, but like I said, I wanted to give this book a chance and there were many times that I thought ???Bugger it, I have had enough???, but I didn???t. I persevered.
And the main thing that put me off was that I was merely persevering with this book rather than enjoying it.
I was hoping that at some point in the book, the story would take off, but it just didn???t. The book lurches through a series of situations that the characters find themselves in, rather than drawing on a cohesive narrative that moves the plot forwards. There seemed to be no impetus at all for the characters lurching from one dangerous situation to the next.
I think the main thing missing for me was a sense that something was threatening the characters or even just making them a little bit scared might have given the story something to work with. I didn???t even know who the bad guy was and it only alluded to the Dark Star on a couple of occasions.
I didn???t gel with the characters at all. I had read reviews that said that Lilac was funny and added to the story, but I didn???t see it, and I was waiting for her to be funny. She just wasn???t!
All in all, I found the main characters to be one dimensional, and well frankly a little boring.
At some points in the story, it does tend to alight to the gender politics of the world that the author has built, but even that got lost to the normal fantasy tropes.
I think one of the worst problems that I had was with the dialogue. Particularly when the story tries to inject some political intrigue into the story to move the plot forward. At times it was clunky and at others downright incomprehensible and I was just going Ugh, what does that mean? For example when the Royal - advisor? Friziel was talking to Jahna???s mother in some weird hive mind that the Narcean race have (I didn???t quite get to grips with what that was).
Friziel scoffed. ???I am sure you are well versed in the history of the Dubraycon Kings. They are just and lordly men, but their hearts are cursed with the lusts of their sire. A lust you have known first hand.???
What does that mean? I have no idea
There were other things too but I haven???t got the strength to bother writing them down.
I think it is pretty fair to say that I won???t be reading the rest of the series, even with big cliffhanger at the end.

This is one of those books that I have been meaning to read for ages as I have had it recommended to me on a number of occasions, and I have to say that I found this book to be exceptionally good.
Now the story is billed as fantasy, but for me I didn???t feel that it was fantasy per se, but there does seem to be fantasy elements running through it, but they do see to be there, intrinsically wrapped up in the very essence of the rich and detailed world that Michael Fletcher and Clayton Snyder have developed. At this point in time, the world reminded me more of something set in a nightmarish gaslamp Gibsonian world.
The book is set in a Russian inspired world, which I have to say that I found totally unique, and this is something that I have not come across before. It???s a bleak setting, full of grime and smoke, filth and slush. Nothing is clean in the industrualised town of Norylska. There might be nice parts of it, but the story sets itself in the downtrodden slums of the town and we only get a glimpse of the ostentatious part of the town.
Added to this, there is an oppressive state-run political system that seems to be akin to the early years of communist rule. Everything is run around ???The Party???, and there are partisan politics running through the whole of the book. From how the inhabitants of Norylska live their lives to what type of employment that they are suited to.
As I said, it is a pretty grim book, and Michael Fletcher and Clayton capture the essence of the bleakness perfectly. In the past, I have read some Russian literature, and for the most part I found it to be quite dark, and similarly with Norlyska Groans, there is that oppressive feeling that I got when reading this type of literature, and the book is as harsh as the environment that it is set in.
That is not to say that it is totally devoid of light and hope, because it is not, and this seems to be a driving force to the characters motivations. Both Gen & Kat are motivated by their hopes that their choices can lead to a better life, although it is this hope which leads them down the individual paths that they go down.
The story revolves around two main protagonists, Genndy Antonov and Katyushka Leonova, and the book tells their stories separately, even though their paths do collide at various points in the book.
Genndy, or Gen for short is a factory worker who is initially laid off from his job as a factory worker in the early stages in the book. Following this, he is approached by local crime lord Akady Vetrov to come and work for the resident crime family, especially as Gen is ex-military and has a propensity for violence. As he as a wife and the imminent birth of a child to provide for, he sees this as the only viable option to solving his problems.
Katyushka, otherwise known as Kat, on the other hand is a woman that is in an unsatisfying relationship with a turd of a man. She initially takes up a job as a secretary in the local police force. However, she is side-lined into ???volunteering??? for an experimental project to introduce women to the police force and is subsequently teamed with suave Maks Tkatchenko.
What follows is the descent of both protagonists into their respective worlds. One, a police officer and the other a criminal and how their lives fall apart, intersect and dissect again.
Like I said earlier, I liked this book immensely. Whilst it is not a hard book to read as both Snyder???s and Fletcher???s prose drive the story along with addictive precision, it is a dark book! There are no shreds of light and each of the protagonists find themselves enfolded in an increasingly violent and stygian world.
There are loads of things going on this book and lots of aspects of the book that caught my attention. One of these being the magic system. And whilst it is not a conventional fantasy magic system as such, you get hints that it derives from fantastical elements in its inception and that it has been modified altered and transmuted into something new through the ages of the world. It is a totally intriguing concept that bears a resemblance to say something like the computerised alterations of a William Gibson book, but that it has been pared back to fit into a prehistoric concept ad subsequently updated to the industrialised setting. Let me explain! The system revolves around stones that the wearer places next to their skin. The stones are imbued with the characteristics, personalities, and memories of the previous wearers, and these can instil these same memories, personality traits and characteristics into the individual that is wearing them. The personality can wear one or more stones and they will each enhance certain properties in the wearer, like bravery for instance. However, there is a catch that the wearer will lose time and memories when wearing the stones, which again leads to some brilliant scenarios in which the wearers will forget everything they have done throughout the day when they revert to their original personalities. Totally fascinating! And whilst initially, the magic system seems to be such a small part of the narrative, it is so intricately woven into the plot that you do not realise how much an effect that the magic system does have on the narrative.
In addition to this, the world building is so rich and vividly detailed that you can actually feel the soot and grime on your fingertips as you turn the page. Michael Fletcher and Clayton Snyder have created a fully realised world that has a history and all the other things that make the environment that the characters inhabit a living and breathing entity that makes you feel like you are actually ensconces in the surroundings of the book when you are reading it.
The story falls very definitely into the hard-boiled category of violence and there are some graphic scenes of violence and torture throughout the book. However, I did not feel that this was violence for violence???s sake, but that it matched the tone and narrative of the book, and on top of that it always felt like it was controlled with Fletcher and Snyder reining in the violence when it wasn???t necessary.
One of the things that I had a little trepidation over, was the fact that two authors had done the book. You always wonder what the styles, different ideas and different approaches will have on the story. However, both Snyder and Fletcher mesh their differences seamlessly, and each differing approach compliments, interacts and bounces off each other perfectly.
I have to say, that this is one of those books that has stayed with me as I will find myself mulling over some aspect of the book, days and weeks after I have finished it.

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.

Need to write a review

Review to come.

The Serpent & The Dead is the latest addition in Aconite???s Legends of Asgard series set in the Marvel Universe written by Anna Stephens.
I have to say that prior to this, I had read Anna Stephen???s The Stone Knife, and with this book she had firmly cemented herself as one of my favourite authors who writes complex and rich narratives, so I was immediately drawn to this book to see what she could produce in the Marvel Universe.
And boy, was I not disappointed!
I am so glad that I read this book as it showcases Anna Stephen???s versatility as a writer and perfectly compounded why I have so much admiration for her writing.
The Serpent and the Dead is a pacey Action/Adventure story featuring Lady Sif and the Valkyrie Brunnhilde in a tale of friendship, mystery, and action.
From the very beginning we are thrown headlong into the story as we join Lady Sif in the middle of a battle sequence. When the book initially opens Lady Sif is engaged with giants in a skirmish in another part of Asgard. However, the giants are not behaving as they normally would and seem to be targeting certain individuals, one of these being Lady Sif???s friend, Gyda. Ultimately, Lady Sif???s comrade and friend is killed. But, for some inexplicable reason, her soul is stolen from her body at the point of death, and is whisked away to somewhere that is not Valhalla.
Obviously, this leaves Lady Sif pretty distressed, as all souls who die in battle are promised eternity in Valhalla and her mate did not transcend to the Hall of the Gods. In a bit of a state, she asks Brunnhilde, the leader of the Valkyries to check out whether her friend is where she should be.
When Brunnhilde discovers that Gyda is not sitting in the halls of Valhalla quaffing ale and mead, she investigate the reasons for this and also finds a deeper mystery. This is not the first time that this has happened, and it seems to be occurring undetected with alarming frequency. As a result, Lady Sif and Brunnhilde are thrown together to unravel the mystery of the missing souls, and the main culprit is obviously our friendly neighbourhood trickster, Loki.
What follows is a journey through Asgard, and subsequently to Jotenheim, to discover who is responsible for stealing the souls of the Asgardians before they die.
Whilst this is set in the Marvel Universe, the settings of the book feel like classical Norse Mythology. We get to see what is outside of Asgard and how the people of that realm live as Sif and Brunnhilde, along with Brunnhilde???s partner Inge follow the breadcrumbs to solve the mystery.
As I said earlier, the book shows Anna Stephen???s versatility as a writer as she comprehensively builds the world outside of Asgard and adds her own flourishes, for instance when the party go to Meadowfall or to the jump gates.
Be prepared, this is an action book, and it never lets up from the beginning, swiftly moving from one battle scene to another without giving you pause for breath. And this is one of the things that stands out in the book. Anna Stephens writes blood pumpingly good action sequences. I had seen many examples of it in previous books, but The Serpent & The Dead shows her skill at this magnificently. There were many a time that I was reading I found that I was holding my breath till I got to the end of the sequence that she was writing.
Add to this her skill of writing characters and relationships with such depth and clarity they virtually walk off the page, everything just clicks together.
And somehow, whilst the book is nonstop action, Anna Stephens manages to fashion a relationship between the three women, getting across the deeply loving relationship between Brunnhilde and Inge and form lasting relationships with the characters without it being contrived or mawkish is absolutely stunning. Throughout the book, the relationship between Sif and Brunnhilde grows and is central to the plot. And let???s not forget, they are all badass.
As the book reaches its climactic plot, you do get some inkling of the fact that things are not what they seem, as Anna Stephen???s does give some hints.
However, I am not one of those people who sit there being all smug, saying that I had figured it out. I didn???t! And I am glad I didn???t as it would have spoilt the cracking ending.
If you want supersonic action and adventure, you won???t go far wrong picking up this little number.

So, I read this as part of Zooloo's Blog Tour for Wilson Indeed. Whilst the book was provided for review purposes, the enjoyment was all my own

One of the reasons that I like to do book tours is that I get to read some books that would not normally be on my radar. And the sad fact is that I may have passed Wilson Indeed by. However, I am on Zooloo???s Book Tours and saw this one and thought, ???hmmm sounds interesting!???, and boy am I glad I did!

Wilson Indeed is the story of Wilson Armitage, a normal boy just living outside of Stockport. There???s nothing particularly remarkable about Wilson until one day, he comes down for breakfast and is able to speak fluent French, at the age of five. Nobody has taught him the language, and he is not even remotely French in any way.

This is the start of a number of unexplainable and remarkable things that that he does throughout his life, and with that we learn that Wilson Armitage is far from a normal boy. He has the inexplicable talent to be able to learn things that no one has taught him. Is he a genius? A prodigy? Well, no, not really! It is just that he can access information from his dreams. And thus, we have the premise of the book.

The Wifi of dreams delighted me throughout, and I clicked with it immediately. Steve Walsh???s writing style is so accessible and good natured, that he draws you along with the story of Wilson Armitage and the events that unfold in the book, and I think that one of the enchanting things that he does in the book, is that he makes the unbelievable believable and makes you want to be a part of this world.

The story itself is part coming of age story, with Wilson coming to terms about his abilities and also finding out about the existentialist nature of the world that he inhabits when he sleeps, at other times, it is a teenage boys first relationship with a girl. There is a bit of mystery thrown in, especially when Wilson decides that he can do some good with his extraordinary abilities.

Wilson himself is a good character, he???s at once gifted with extraordinary abilities, but fallible in his own way as he is a teenage boy, and he makes mistakes. The supporting cast of Teaps and Hoover, Daisy and the Armitage family as a whole help to give some delightful scenes throughout the book. The standouts being Hoovers lost sock website, or his interactions with his family. However, it is Teaps that you cannot help but liking. His story really tugs at your strings and you cannot help but have some empathy with the situation that he is in.

Now, I think what got my attention the most was the descriptions of the dream land, the reasons for it and how it impacts on Wilson and those around him. I think Steven Walsh did an exceptional job with this part of the book. He gives it a decidedly other world feel, but at the same time, keeps it restrained enough to feel within the realms of possibilities. With this maintenance of that fine balance, he is able to expand it further and introduce other possibilities to its actual nature. Yes, there are the theories of Morphic Fields underpinning this, but the concept is used to great effect to provide an immersive narrative that I just wanted to read until the end.

I think for me personally, with the book being set in the North it brought some elements of nostalgia to me and also gave me those connections. For instance, when he describes that Wilson???s mum was making the tea. Obviously, I immediately clicked because that is how I talk, so there was that instant connection. But there were other things too that reminded me of favourite things. The interactions with his family brought to mind Sue Townsend. Added to that, there is a scene in the dream world in which all the participants stop as though they have been frozen, and this immediately put me in mind of Powell & Pressburger???s film ???A Matter of Life and Death??? which is one of my favourite films ever. It???s little things like that that hooked me in.

I have to say that Wilson Indeed is a moreish book that I just wanted to carry on with to see what happens next.

Jim Ody's pulpy revenge thriller Sweet Vigilante draws you into the dark underbelly of its story immediately as we are introduced to a little girl, Gina, who is been taken to some kind of boarding school or home in the country. As the story opens a deep sense of foreboding sets in as we find out that her mother has no love for the child and would rather give Gina up to complete strangers who she knows nothing about, whatever the outcome. As soon as we meet her foster family, there is a sense that something is off, and you are basically shouting at the page for the mother to come back and take the child away from this place.

Moving on to the story, we learn that Gina has taken up the mantle of a vigilante in order to protect others from the trauma that she has experienced and endured throughout her childhood.

Through alternating chapters that reach into Gina's past, we get to understand what shaped her and forced her into the choices that she makes. How she cannot trust the male of the species and how she struggles to form.

The story is a dark story and outlines how Gina was used, abused and abandoned. And whilst there is a lot of darkness in the book (such as sexual assault against children), Jim Ody treats the subject with sensitivity and compassion, and I never felt that this was exploitative.

Sweet Vengeance is a solid crime novel that has a number of things that I liked about it, not least Gina as a character. Whilst she is traumatised and sometimes makes decisions that are not wholly commendable, she is able to show love and empathy to those around her. As well as Gina, Sweet Vigilante is peppered with solid characters that add to the story.

There were times that I felt for me where the narrative missed its mark, particularly in the second act of the book when Gina takes in a child.In addition, there was an element to the story that I was not quite sure of its inclusion in the story, but I feel that these elements may be explored in later book. However, these were minor points and they did not spoil my enjoyment of the book as a whole.

In fact, in relation to the plot, I found it to have a decent pace and there were plenty of hooks in there to keep me reading and turning the pages at a fantastic rate to finish the book.

Whilst I guessed the nature of the main antagonist, and I think that this was done purposefully, I never actually saw the twist at the end and in no way predicted the culmination of the story.

Sweet Vigilante is a page turner of a book that maintains its pace throughout the story, and it finishes with a denouement that I definitely did not see coming.

Caroline Dunford's The Mapmaker's Daughter is an interesting tale of political wrangling, betrayal and ecological disaster.

The Shift moves across the land bringing devastation in its wake. The Mapmaker's work to prevent this, but their battle to stop the Shift is becoming harder to predict.

The story starts with our MC, Sharra and her socially conscious sister Jayne being Waylaid by a man delivering maps to two towns. However, after his horse breaks it's leg, he has to commandeer a horse. Enter Sharra and Jayne. The Two Daughters of master Mapmaker, Milton.

It is from here that the story springboards off to give a view of the current happenings within the Milton household and the plot, which whilst having a slow start, full of intrigue and political machinations, eventually careers off to become a full blown adventure story.

The book is essentially a story of two halves, with the first half set in the Milton household, and the second half being set in the wider world. For me, I found that as well as being two halves to the book, there was also two tones to the book, with the first half feeling like gothic horror, reminding me very much of Daphne du Maurer's Rebecca, accentuated by the fact that Sharra's mother is a ghost like presence seeping through the essence of the first half of the story. We get constant hints that she is there and that there was some tragedy surrounding her death. Add to that the creaking eeriness of the house and it's forest like library that women are not allowed to enter as they may disrupt the balance. And the second half of the book becomes more of an action/adventure story.

It is obvious that Caroline Dunford likes fairy/folktales as she manages to bring in various tropes of fairy tales such as the evil stepmother who marries the father after the mother has died in tragic circumstances, and is totally selfish, only concerned with her own status, hating the stepdaughter and favouring her own. She also manages to get the tale of Stone soup in there, which is one of my favourite tales as a child.

On top of this she manages to bring in some prescient topical subjects with the main antagonist of the story, the Shift, which reflects current topics such as climate change and the effects of over resourcing the planet. And whilst Sharra's stepmother, Ivory, is the villain of the group (I didn't think I would ever get a Zappa skit in a review

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.

Heartbreaking, horrifying and whimsical, Elyse Hoffman???s historical fantasy, set in Poland during world war two, centres around Uriel, the mute Angel Finder, who is tasked by Samael, the Angel of Death to complete five tasks that will set the captive Angel Michael free.

Elyse Hoffman???s book is a strangely beguiling story. As I said, it centres around Uriel, a mute Jewish child who after surviving the massacre of his village, Zingdorf, in Poland, is healed by a host of angels who tell him that the Angel Michael is being held captive by the Angel of Death in revenge of the people that he was the Guardian for, the Esau. They heal him and tell him of their plight, subsequently engaging his aid to help them and giving him a Hamsa in order to protect him and turn him invisible from the unrighteous, telling it will only be the righteous that can see him.

What we don???t count on is that the righteous person that can see him is a German linguist called Uwe Litten, who has been employed to translate for the leader of the Ordnunpolezei, the Order police, Major Brandt. Upon being transported to his place of residence, Uwe travels through the village of Zingdorf, and discovers the nearly dead body of Uriel. Whilst he cannot revive him, takes the boy most prized possession, a golden notebook, in which the mute boy has written down the stories that that boy???s father has told him.

Later, Uriel travels to the house where Uwe is staying and learns that the Germans cannot see him and steals into the house but is shocked to discover that against his expectations Uwe can see him, thus making him righteous. Uwe, then hides the boy in his room.

As the story moves on, he meets with the Angel of death who informs him of his plan and also that the thing he desires most is the death of Michael???s people, the Jewish people, and that he is following around the destruction caused by the Nazis with not a small amount of glee.

In the midst of this, while he is being aided by Uwe, a sort of friendship and bond develops between the two. In essence, Uwe is a good soul, and is able to relate to Uriel as both a child and a human being, which we know this was something that was lacking in the Nazi Psyche, and was one of the many myriads of reasons that they could carry out the atrocities they did.

This is one of those books that defies being fitted into a particular pigeon hole. On the one hand, it runs like a fairy story, and is it at times almost whimsical. However, it never shies away from the brutality and horror of the situation. In addition to this, there is this strange juxtaposition of the German Army, that paints a different picture of the people that were carrying out these atrocities. For instance, Major Brandt is constantly shown as an affable and amiable soldier, who is almost father like in his ministrations to his subordinates, and they regularly refer to him as Uncle, yet carries out a thoroughly awful torture scene in the book, and other atrocities against the Jewish people.

In addition to this, Elyse Hoffman gives the reader insights into the Jewish faith and folklore, that are encapsulated in the stories that Uriel writes down, or by little passages at the end of a chapter, but it is never preached

Uriel is one of my favourite characters that I have seen written. He is at once innocent, trusting and faithful to his religion, yet on the other hand, he is strong, resilient, and fearless in the face of adversity. And then we have Uwe, who is loving and has more than an ounce of compassion, yet can be hard, as is illustrated when he cuffs Uriel around the back of the head for going out of the room, or when he stands up for his principles and stops the torture that Brandt is involved with.

This is one of the most original books that I have read all year, in fact for a very long time. It beguiled and captivated me, horrified me, delighted me, whilst educating and perplexing me at the same time. I don???t know how I felt about this book, but I do know that it will stay with me.

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

So, I am writing this just as I have finished reading the book. Phew! Talk about cutting it fine there!

Fireborn is a middle grade fantasy that revolves around a flawed and friendless young girl, Twelve, who happens to be quite good with a pair of axes. In fact she is so good with them that no one wants to get too close to her, except unpopular Seven and her pet squirrel, Widge.

She is constantly in trouble and she gets a fair amount of stick from the others in the Hunting Lodge, a home for a group of fighters, called Hunters, that protect the land from the evils amd monsters that plague it. The main culprit for having a go at Twelve is too big for his boots, Five and his partner in crime, Six.

One evening, after hearing Five remonstrating that she is a bad apple, she pushes a crate of things near to Five that leads to changing her life forever.

I have to say that I really enjoyed Fireborn immensely and am so glad that I got the opportunity to read this charming and delightful book by Aisling Fowler.

I always point out when I am reading middle grade fantasy that whilst not being the target audience, the sign of a good book is that despite the fact that I am not the target audience, it is relatable to whoever is reading it. And in all honesty, my demands from a good book are exactly the same as what they were when I was a kid. In fact they haven???t changed at all. I want a well written story, with characters that have depth and are believable and a plot that is going to keep me reading until the very end.

And Fireborn has this in spades!

Aisling Fowler???s debut is a cracking book and meets all those demands that I have up there.. It???s full of magic, has endearing relationships and bags of action.

There were loads of things that I liked about this book. Aisling Fowler???s writing is fantastic. Her writing style is really easy to read and she maintains the pace all the way through the book.

Twelve is a fantastic character, and I really enjoyed her character arc. Twelve is complex, flawed,sometimes cruel, has aggressive outbursts and is completely socially incompetent, due to the fact that she cuts off those around her.

There are reasons that she behaves the way that she does and throughout the book we get some insight into the tragedy that she has experienced and has brought her to the Hunting Lodge.

On top of that. The side characters of Five, Six, and Seven are amazing too. Especially Five! I have to say that I liked him loads. He is annoying, he is a loud mouth and is insensitive to most things around him, but I did enjoy his arc.

Aisling Fowler mixes in some of my favorite fantasy tropes that I can???t help be drawn to. We have animal companions, in the form of ???Dog??? the stone guardian of the Hunting Lodge who is let loose as events happen in the book. He is the parent in the story, always being the light of reason and keeping the party in line. And then there is Widge the Squirrel, who is cute as anything, despite my aversion to squirrels.

And just to make things that little bit better, there is the old found family trope, which I???m sorry, I can???t help but loving. I also like that the relationships are a little rocky and we get to see them develop, even though Twelve does make it rather difficult for the others to like her at times.

The plot revolves around a quest/mystery premise which works well, and I have to say. I didn???t guess what was coming at all. I am not going to go into the plot too much as I don???t wasnt to spoil the joy of discovering it for yourself.

The world building is solid, and we see the environment as the gang travel through it, although the story does centre on the monsters at times and there were some questions that I wanted answering.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone to read, adults or children and is a perfect starting point to anyone wanting to get into the fantasy genre.

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.

Rtc

We Men of Ash and Shadow is a grimdark Gaslamp novel by H.L. Tinsley set in the shadowy underworld of D???orsee.
John Vanguard, the main character, is a grizzled veteran who hires his services out to the powers that be to remove anyone that they see as being ???undesirable???, which mainly involves the scum of society. However, John Vanguard is not like your average assassin, he has the power to be undetectable, and this gives him an advantage in his chosen profession.

In addition to Vanguard, the other main protagonist is Tarryn, an emotionless psychopath who lives on the edge of ???society??? with his ailing mother. Once a prosperous family who owned a shipping conglomerate, he now lives on the cusp of poverty in a decaying house with his mother, who is slowly losing her wits and does not even recognise her own son anymore.

We men of Ash and Shadow is an interesting book. It???s a gritty noirish tale of two broken people who live in a world of broken people. John Vanguard is a man that is steeped in guilt and is effectively a husk of a man who has few pleasures. He lives in a brothel (mainly sleeping in the bath tub as he has spent a number of years confined in ???The Hole??? for crimes against the state). When we meet Tarryn we learn of his past, but we also learn throughout the book that he is also on the edge of psychopathy, and is similarly an emotionless husk of a man who only comes alive when he is killing
.
We Men of Ash and Shadow is a deliciously dark introduction into John Vanguard???s world and one of the things that jumped out at me immediately is the character of John Vanguard. It makes a nice change to encounter a character that is middle aged in years and not just on the verge of adulthood. Yes, whilst he is a cold-hearted killer, for some reason it is easy to connect with him as a character. He does have an ethical code in which he operates and there is a sense of honour to him. Throughout the book, it is clear that whilst he lives in an environment that is morally grey, he will look after those that he cares about, such as the girls who live in the brothel, or the madame who governs it. He will not see injustice done and tends to only kill those that deserve it.

Tarrryn on the other hand is also a good secondary character, and we see his development through the story as at first, he is merely a lost soul, but the writer shows us how he got to where he is now through recollection and develops him and his ever-tenuous psyche.

The world that Holly Tinsley has built is bleak, hard and unforgiving. There is grime and filth aplenty and the citizens of D???Orsee eke out an existence in this grim environment. It seems to be quite a dystopian world that the citizens of D???Orsee live in, resembling the industrialised environment of Victorian England, and you get hints of the changes from the vestiges of a pastoral world to the grime and degradation of an industrialised world, and Holly Tinsley captures this very well.

The book itself is filled with a multitude of characters that you can???t help but like. There???s Ruth (who is renamed Carmen to make her more exotic to the customers of the brothel) who has an interesting arc in the book, moving from wide eyed innocent to revolutionary. I particularly enjoyed her interactions with Vanguard, and again this one of the things that Holly Tinsley does well. Whilst the world that the characters inhabit is harsh, cold and bitter, there is the juxtaposition of warm and intimate friendships and relationships in this hostile climate. Vanguard???s relationship with the brothel Madam, Henrietta for instance, is such a good one that highlights this propensity for hope throughout the book. Similarly, Tarryn???s adherence to his duty to looking after his mother. He endures a multitude of punishments from her when she is in a frenzied state of unreality. However, despite his ability for violence against others, he takes the beatings that she gives him and calmly deals with them, recognising that they are not her fault.

I have to say that I enjoyed Holly Tinsley???s book, that is filled with characters that have an emotional complexity which helps brings the characters alive and kept me immersed in the narrative.
The plot of the book itself keeps you gripped and takes you to places that you don???t particularly expect and leads you expectantly into the next book. The plot initially has noirish murder plot to it as Vanguard is tasked to investigate the deaths of a number of the ???Red Guard???, the militia of the town of D???orsee and also the disappearance of a prominent figure in society. However, as the plot develops, we soon see that there is more going on that meets the eye.

In terms of magic, it is fairly muted, except for the strange powers of Vanguard and Tarryn???s abilities to meld into the shadows. However, I liked this aspect and the fact that there are not inexplicable magical events peppered throughout the book as I felt that it added to the overall substance of the book, that gritty realism of the story, shall we say.

Added to that there is the familiar comfort of RJ Bayley???s excellent narration of the story, which increased my enjoyment of the book. This in itself was a draw to me.

Since I listen to a plethora of audiobooks, I will look for narrators who I am familiar with. I first became aware of R. J. Bayley in another favourite audiobook of mine ???Ritual of Flesh???, so when I noticed that he was the narrator of ???We Men of Ash and Shadow??? I was immediately interested in this book as I knew it would be excellent.

We Men of Ash and Shadow is an excellent debut by Holly Tinsley and is a must for any grimdark fan, and the dimly lit world of light and shadow is sure to please those that delight in the darker aspects of fantasy.

If you like this review, have a look on my website www.fantasybooknerd.com

Well, that's another review to write

The Girl with the Whispering Shadow is the second instalment of D. E. Night???s ???The Crowns of Crosland???.
Following on from (a couple of days in fact) from the events of the first book, Ivy and Rebecca have finished their first year in the Halls of Ivy and are planning to spend their summer holidays in their respective places. Rebecca is off home, and Ivy is going???.to the place that has no name.
Well, that???s not strictly true because it does have a name, but it is a secret. In fact, it???s so secret that it doesn???t appear on any map and it is shrouded in darkness. However, there???s danger ahead (well there would have to be wouldn???t there, we do need some story after all!) as Ivy is tasked to find more pieces of the Kindred Stone, and to evade the Dark Queen???s plans
The Girl with the Whispering Shadow sees D. E. Knight gaining more of a firmer footing in this the second book, and whilst there is still some information to be passed on, particularly in relation to the town of Belzebuthe, which sometimes slows the pace down a little, this is a lot more of a focused novel that doesn???t have the added weight of introducing the reader to the world that she has created.
You have to mention the characters in a review don???t you, and this was the part that I couldn???t wait to get to. I have to say that D. E. Knight writes some fantastic characters and Ivy is a marvellously strong female character for this particular age group. However, not only that, but she also populates the rest of Crosland with equally strong characters, and whilst I am out of the intended demographic for this book, my reading changes are the same as when I was younger. I want a book with a good plot that keeps me interested, good characters and plenty of magic, and with this series you get this in spades.

There???s a lot to admire in Dan Fitzgerald???s writing. I like how he is pushing the boundaries of fantasy to tell unconventional stories, which is always going to get my attention.

Now, I know that much has been said about the fact that this book does not contain a sharp pointy thing called a sword, and that makes no difference to the level of threat that is there in the story, except it comes from a different source than loads of fantasy peoples running around or threatening people with oversized cutlery.

The story centres around a raft trip down a river, and the events that happen on the trip.

Temi and Sylvan are two members of an aristocratic society who come from two ends of the specctrum. Sylavn is from a highly successful, well to do family, whilst Temi???s family are down on their luck and are hoping that the hue of Temi???s skin will bag her a rich, powerful husband in order to save the family???s fortunes.

The thing that these two have in common is that they are planning to take something called a Roughabout. A kind of trip that is designed to give the rich folk a bit of resilience and character. A sort of toffee nose rite of passage that lets the pampered, cosseted children of rich folk experience ???real??? life.

Along with Temi and Sylvan is Leo, the organiser of the roughabout, and Gilea, Temi???s protector and aide.

Now whilst they all have one thing in common, they all have very different goals. Sylvan is a scholar of nature, particularly marine nature and biodiversity, and hopes to study the environment and compare what he finds to a work of scholarly art that he received for his graduation. Temi has her own plans that do not involve any of these things. Leo is in it for the money, but also some level of excitement and a hope to find The living Waters. Whilst Gilea is initially in it for the money, but finds that she has other motivations on the trip.

Essentially, I felt that it was a very gentle story about development and growth, and how experience affects each of differently. Each of the characters grow throughout the book in different ways and it was such a delight to see how each of the characters took different things away similar experiences and how they interpreted those experiences.

The book is a character driven book, and I got attached to all the characters in different ways. Temi and Sylvan are both nobles, and I found the construct of the upper eschelons quite fascinating. The nobles in The Living Waters paint their faces, and cherish their lightened skins as a way to denote their wealth and standing. Conversely, the regular folk of the country who work outside have sun browned skins that imply that these are commoners.

I adored each of the characters in the story, although I liked some more than others. I think most people will find Temi and Gilea???s arc the most satisfying, and I did enjoy their stories. Temi is strong willed , she becomes quite ill in the story with a disease that resembles consumption (Tuberculosis), and she bravely copes with this condition. However, I liked Sylvan. He has an unassuming way of looking at the world. He is constantly in awe of the natural world and the environment that he finds himself in, and in the end undergoes a dramatic change that shows his strength and willingness to assimilate into new cultures and experiences.

I have to say that I did find Leo a little overwhelming at times, he just never sits still, or goes off on impulsive little side trips. He is at once charming and aloof, and at times a little difficult to emapthise with.

Now I know that I said that this is a gentle story. However, that does not mean that there isn???t action and tension, because quite the opposite, there are a number of scenes of tense action. Particularly the end, and the dangers posed by the different events that occurs on their journey.

The journeying aspect of the book give it a chance to introduce a rich source of world building that Dan Fitzgerald does in organic and underwhelming manner. He evokes a rich and well realised world that constantly changes at different parts of the river. In addition to this, he brings in a lot of cultural and environmental diversity.

Furthermore, there is an intriguing magic system in the book that doesn???t involve explosions of fireballs, but revolves around a mixture of natural magic, alchemy and a spiritual and meditative approach, and this becomes more prominent when the gang meet the Ipsis and the Sitri.

The Living Waters is an ambitious book, showing how fantasy can be used to tell different types of stories, and it is one of those books that will stay with me.