_ The Book in Hand _

RUIN by John Gwynne

Book 3 of The Faithful and the Fallen Books by the amazingly talented John Gwynne.

Order with: Amazon UK

DEEPLIGHT by Frances Hardinge

This book was one of my ‘Recommended For You’ books on Amazon. It isn’t an author I know or a book title I have heard but the cover made me click, and then the blurb sounded pretty cool but this…”But with the heart, Jelt gradually and eerily transforms. How long should Hark stay loyal to his friend when he’s becoming a monster” has me the most intrigued.

Order with: Amazon UK

THE LAST CONTINENT by TERRY PRATCHETT

I haven’t read any of the Discworld books but I know many have so this one is more for you than me, especially since it is book 22!

Order with: Amazon UK

Children of Virtue and Vengeance by tomi adeyemi

I haven’t read book one of this series but I have it on Kindle so while book two is on offer I figured I would pick it up.

Order with: Amazon UK

The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter by THEODORA GOSS

A mash up of a sci-fi and horror classic, made Ito something more making the art of retelling something totally different.

Order with: Amazon UK

A Boy and his Dog at the End of the World by C. A. FLETCHER

I LOVE my dog. So much! So this book had me when it said “There may be no law left except what you make of it. But if you steal my dog, you can at least expect me to come after you.“…

Order with: Amazon UK

THIEF’S MAGIC by Trudi Canavan

I have had this on my TBR for a while, but I did receive this through Netgalley so this is for those who haven’t got it yet 🙂

Order with: Amazon UK

hALF A KING by Joe Abercrombie

This is such a good introduction to Joe if you haven’t already read his work!

Order with: Amazon UK

The Legend of Deathwalker by David Gemmell

Goodreads says Book 7 of the Drenai Saga and Amazon says book 5. Who knows?

Order with: Amazon UK

White Wolf by DAVID GEMMELL

Amazon says this is book 6 of the Drenai Saga but Goodreads says it is book 10. Sooo 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

Order with: Amazon UK

Gardens Of The Moon by STEVEN ERIKSON

Boon 1 of the Malazan books. I’m due to start these books next year so may as well grab it on Kindle while its on sale…

Order with: Amazon UK

THE GHOST BRIGADES by JOHN SCALZI

Order with: Amazon UK

Well, that is just a few of the books on the Kindle Sales this month, there may be more books more to your fancy but these are the ones that grabbed me!

Enjoy and go shopping!!

SUNDAYS SEVEN | 7 AUTUMNAL RELEASES TO READ…

4 Comments 28th Sep 2020 thebookinhandsam

It’s Autumn!

I love Autumn, it is my favourite season, or at least it is in theory! I say in theory because well, the UK is WET.

The whirling mass of crimson and lurid leaves, mother natures finale exhalation, the mild autumnal breeze drawing everyone to that pumpkin spice latte… You feel them all, the inexhaustible influence to hunker down with a warm drink by the roaring fire. It is the season that draws out all the cosy blankets, fluffy socks or some attempt at wholesome comfort. Until it rains and we have wet slippy orange mulch everywhere. So, you see favourite in theory.

Autumn officially started on Tuesday 22nd September 2020 and is with is all the way through to Monday 21st December 2020, which always throws me because for how cold it get here in the UK you’d think you were in bloody Winter!

Here are seven book, give or take maybe one, that have been or are due to be released this autumn…

Enjoy!

The Betrayals by Bridget Collins

Release Date: November 12th 2020

At Montverre, an exclusive academy tucked away in the mountains, the best and brightest are trained for excellence in the grand jeu: an arcane and mysterious contest. Léo Martin was once a student there, but lost his passion for the grand jeu following a violent tragedy. Now he returns in disgrace, exiled to his old place of learning with his political career in tatters.

Montverre has changed since he studied there, even allowing a woman, Claire Dryden, to serve in the grand jeu’s highest office of Magister Ludi. When Léo first sees Claire he senses an odd connection with her, though he’s sure they have never met before.

Both Léo and Claire have built their lives on lies. And as the legendary Midsummer Game, the climax of the year, draws closer, secrets are whispering in the walls…

Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark

RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 13TH 2020

I saw this on Twitter a wee bit ago and after reading the synopsis I couldn’t wait to read it, it sounds bloody brilliant. A dark fantasy historical fiction novella that takes the Ku Klux Klan and twists it up.

D. W. Griffith is a sorcerer, and The Birth of a Nation is a spell that drew upon the darkest thoughts and wishes from the heart of America. Now, rising in power and prominence, the Klan has a plot to unleash Hell on Earth.

Luckily, Maryse Boudreaux has a magic sword and a head full of tales. When she’s not running bootleg whiskey through Prohibition Georgia, she’s fighting monsters she calls “Ku Kluxes.” She’s damn good at it, too. But to confront this ongoing evil, she must journey between worlds to face nightmares made flesh–and her own demons. Together with a foul-mouthed sharpshooter and a Harlem Hellfighter, Maryse sets out to save a world from the hate that would consume it.

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow

RELEASE DATE: October 13th 2020

I know, I know. Another witchy book, but its coming up to spooky season so I guess it must just be a sign! I can’t wait to read this and I am so happy to have the NetGalley eBook waiting patiently on my Kindle.

In 1893, there’s no such thing as witches. There used to be, in the wild, dark days before the burnings began, but now witching is nothing but tidy charms and nursery rhymes. If the modern woman wants any measure of power, she must find it at the ballot box.

But when the Eastwood sisters–James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna–join the suffragists of New Salem, they begin to pursue the forgotten words and ways that might turn the women’s movement into the witch’s movement. Stalked by shadows and sickness, hunted by forces who will not suffer a witch to vote-and perhaps not even to live-the sisters will need to delve into the oldest magics, draw new alliances, and heal the bond between them if they want to survive.

There’s no such thing as witches. But there will be.

Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco

RELEASE DATE: October 27th, 2020

A YA Fantasy filled with all you could want from a supernatural world. I love the supernatural world and find it and its history incredibly fascinating, so this book really attracts me as a reader. It won’t be everyones cup of tea but i’m pretty excited for it.

Two sisters. One brutal murder. A quest for vengeance that will unleash Hell itself… And an intoxicating romance.

Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria are streghe – witches who live secretly among humans, avoiding notice and persecution. One night, Vittoria misses dinner service at the family’s renowned Sicilian restaurant. Emilia soon finds the body of her beloved twin…desecrated beyond belief. Devastated, Emilia sets out to find her sister’s killer and to seek vengeance at any cost-even if it means using dark magic that’s been long forbidden.

Then Emilia meets Wrath, one of the Wicked-princes of Hell she has been warned against in tales since she was a child. Wrath claims to be on Emilia’s side, tasked by his master with solving the series of women’s murders on the island. But when it comes to the Wicked, nothing is as it seems…

The Fires of Vengeance by Evan Winter

RELEASE DATE: November 10th, 2020

The second book in The Burning books by Evan Winter is due to release this November. With praise as high as can be found Winters debut received an incredible reception.

Desperate to delay an impending attack by the indigenous people of Xidda, Tau and his queen craft a dangerous plan. If Tau succeeds, the queen will have the time she needs to assemble her forces and launch an all-out assault on her own capital city, where her sister is being propped up as the ‘true’ Queen of the Omehi.

If the city can be taken, if Tsiora can reclaim her throne and reunite her people, then the Omehi might have a chance to survive the coming onslaught.

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini

Release date: September 15th, 2020

I know this technically falls before Autumns official start but I couldn’t help it. It’s been what NINE YEARS!

Paolini is back, and from what some of the reviews have said his work is even stronger than before! From YA to adult. From Fantasy to SCI-FI I am super excited to read this!

Kira Navárez dreamed of life on new worlds.

Now she’s awakened a nightmare.

During a routine survey mission on an uncolonized planet, Kira finds an alien relic. At first she’s delighted, but elation turns to terror when the ancient dust around her begins to move.

As war erupts among the stars, Kira is launched into a galaxy-spanning odyssey of discovery and transformation. First contact isn’t at all what she imagined, and events push her to the very limits of what it means to be human.

While Kira faces her own horrors, Earth and its colonies stand upon the brink of annihilation. Now, Kira might be humanity’s greatest and final hope . . .”

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

Release date: October 6th, 2020

I haven’t read any of V. E. Schwab books before, I have some on of hers on my TBR but as it is with the larger TBR lists, some books just fall victim to the abyss that no mere mortal can come out of alive. However, after coming across this ‘The Invisable Life of Addie LaRue’ I was pretty intrigued. Set over several hundred years always to be forgotten something changes.

A Life No One Will Remember. A Story You Will Never Forget.

France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.

Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.

But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.

BOOK REVIEW: THE HEART OF STONE BY BEN GALLEY

4 Comments 27th Sep 2020 thebookinhandsam

This is my first review with a new rating system, it is pretty simple but if you want further details then head to my Rating System Page.

So, the basics.

Rather than rate books on a numerical scale from one to five I am going to give them one of the following tags:

Buy the Hardback
Buy the Paperback
Buy the Kindle eBook
Rent from the library OR wait for a sale

There is still an element of loved it or liked it but I’m going to move forward with this and see how it goes. This is totally new and will likely end up with a few holes in the logic but I don’t mind, it is new and exciting! Also, if you really want a star rating I will still be using Goodreads which has the five star system.

I’m also going to start this review a little bit differently to what I usually start my reviews like. I’m aware that people read these on a time constraint or just want to get to the end summary or generally just want a shorter review. So this time I’m going to give you a few bullet points of the things you can expect within the story, it won’t be a review it will literally be something like the types of themes, feelings the books gives you or generally the elements we love to see in a book in bullet point form. Then you can read that and be like ‘damn yes, I love brotherhood feels, battles or blood and gore’. Then from there you can either read the rest or just add it to your TBR. I mean I hope you read it all but I get it…Maybe ☺️☺️

A few facts about The Heart of Stone:

Title: The Heart of Stone
Author: Ben Galley
Series: Standalone
Publisher: BenGalley.com
Pages: 406

I read The Heart of Stone on my Kindle which is currently only £0.99 on Amazon (UK)! I would love to buy a physical copy too but alas it is only audio or eBook to my knowledge.

Synopsis:

Golems are built for war and little else. In centuries past, they were a terrifying staple of the battlefield. Empires were conquered on the backs of golems. Now, time and fear have whittled their kind down to a precious few, kept only by kings and warlords.

Task of Wind-Cut is one such machine of war.

Task was built to kill. Built to win. Thousands have died at his stone hands. He cared once, perhaps, but far too many years have passed and too much blood has been spilled. Task has become numb to the chaos he wreaks for his masters. A slave to the spells that bind him.

Now, Task has a new master to serve and a new war to endure. In the far reaches of the Realm, Hartlund is in the grip of civil war, tearing itself in two over coin and crown. This time, Task will fight for a boy king and a general bent on victory.

Beneath his formidable stone, Task longs for change. For an end to this cycle of warfare. For proof of light and good amongst the foul darkness of humanity and war. It will take the mind of an unusual stable-girl to change his.

Review:

As promised, here are a few things you can expect from The Heart of Stone:

Big brother/Little Sister Vibes – An utterly wholesome and well developed relationship which came across vey sibling like in my opinion;
Double agents, spies and political intrigue;
Brilliant word-building of a country ravaged by war;
Memorable characters who you will think about even while not reading the book;
Violent Battles and Civil War;
Dry Humour ;
HEART

On to the full review…

Bloody hell! Right, I have a really weird relationship with the beginnings of novels. I really do. I either love them or hate them, obviously there is a middle ground in which I keep plodding on but sometimes, just sometimes a book has me in the first page! And it doesn’t have to be anything huge either. I’ll tell you what it was for this book…it was the sentence:

”He felt heavier than a mountain.”

See what I mean, that’s odd right?!

But that sentence just gave my crazy imagination so much. To feel heavy as a mountain you have to be pretty drained, pretty tired and dang near defeated! Why? Who is this person? Why so heavy? What life have you lead to warrant such a feeling! Then to be followed by a writing style I can love which paints such a vivid picture in my head…I’m feeling like I’m onto a winner, no? YES.

Now don’t get me wrong this can change but I’m starting a book with the best possible start when this happens.

While it seemed to take me forever to read this book, I really enjoyed it! This book has so many elements to it, of which are all beautifully intertwined to create a compelling and intriguing plot. Though, this books biggest success to me was quite simply its characters.

I really liked Task, I found his personality brilliant. What was likely not necessarily meant to be humour had me chuckling quite a bit. Task does not mince his words and has a dry and blunt personality.

‘I didn’t hear you. Well done. Now leave me alone.’

Ahhhh, Lesky! Little Lesky (or leaky if my autocorrect had it’s way) was amazing. How can you not adore a driven young person striving to make better of their situation and with a dream big enough to guide her?! The answer is you can’t. You must love the spirited little love and I did! I adored her character and her budding relationship with a big grump of a golem.

Lesky shrugged. ‘Mam says that fighters fight and survivors survive, but cowards cower. “You got to do what you are to be what you are”, and I ain’t no coward.’

This was the first book of Galley’s that I have read I was really impressed with the writing style, it was detailed enough to bring out such vivid and incredible images while not falling into tedious or the over embellished category. My first introduction to Alabast was marvellous and Galley’s ability to create such a brilliant world is deserving of much praise. I instantly liked Alabast and his introduction greatly reminded me of a certain character introduction from Jonathan French’s ‘The True Bastards’. I appreciated it then and even more so in ‘The Heart of Stone’ for the fact it sets up the character personality quickly and effectively!

Another thing that I liked in this series was, and this is going to sound silly so let me try and explain it 🙈 so Pocahontas was my favourite Disney girl and colours of the wind was my favourite song yanno the bit

”I know every rock and tree and creature has a life has spirit has a name…”

Yeah that, always loved it. Always will so when I saw hints at Task listening to the stones stories and feeling the current of the earth like they were whispering to him the secrets of battle I bloody loved it. Like I said a bit weird but we all have our clicks 😂

The mass of beating hearts, the nervous shiver of countless feet, the crashing of drums and shields… He felt them all, and through them he felt more than just stone.

I could really write a ton more on this book. The plot, the characters, the world and the writing are all amazing but I’m aware I have waffled a fair amount in this review..

So let me round this up by saying this is a great read, it is a solidly written fantasy with some dark fantasy feels too. It focuses on the characters and their growing relationships while maintaining a dynamic and interesting plot. Galley also filled a brilliantly written world with a great number of flawed, morally grey and wholesome side characters.

He could not fight for the Truehards; not for Huff. But he could fight for men and women like these. Men and women who were shackled by the sway of their betters, just like him.

Any way that’s it from me, and now as you are aware I will be rating my books on a buy hardback, paperback, kindle or rental/wait for a sale system…

The Heart of Stone is definitely (if it wasn’t just published for audio and eBook) a book I would get in paperback form!

It is a book I would read again
The cover is also great
I would feel honoured to have this on my shelves at home

Thanks for reading!

COVER REVEAL: AMETHYST BY JESSE NOLAN BAILEY

2 Comments 24th Sep 2020 thebookinhandsam

Hi there, everyone!

Today I am super excited to be taking part in the Amethyst Cover Reveal hosted by the incredibly hard working and brilliant Storytellers On Tour, and I’m so very exited to bring to you one of the first looks at Amethyst, a adult fantasy fiction by the amazingly talented Jesse Nolan Bailey.

The Blurb

Rashell’s brother has vanished. When the local villagers express no concern, she enlists the help of a stranger from a faraway city to find Teth.

Investigator Derrik discovers the people worship a massive stone known as the Amethyst. Even more bizarre, an ancient relic of a mummy fuels their reverence.

Given limited time, Rashell and Derrik confront these mysterious elements at play, all the while striving to uncover what happened to Rashell’s brother.

Amethyst will be available September 24th 2020! and can be picked up here FOR FREE TODAY!

Genre: Fantasy (New Weird)

Keep scrolling for the cover and a little bit more about Jesse Nolan Bailey.

Without further ado, I am honoured to present to all of you…

JESSE NOLAN BAILEY’S AMETHYST

ABOUT JESSE NOLAN BAILEY…

Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website

Enthralled by the magic that written stories contain, Jesse Nolan Bailey has always wanted to be an author. With his debut novel, THE JEALOUSY OF JALICE, and his shorter fiction, AMETHYST, released to the masses, he can now claim such title with re-lief. He lives in Durham, North Carolina, where he has embraced the equally-gratifying lifework of hosting a trio of spoiled cats and two mini-aussies.

Thanks for checking out our cover reveal! Have a great day!

7 BOOKS THAT SHOULD BE MADE INTO MOVIES OR TV SHOWS…

6 Comments 20th Sep 2020 thebookinhandsam

Mmmmmm, books to movies.

Books to movies has a fairly split fanbase, some people love them and some people hate them! I guess I sit in the middle I am all for books to movies or TV shows so long as it is done well and has the deserved budget to make it what I can be.

I think in some cases to it gives the books more exposure, a bump in sales and praise from a far wider audience. I for one can name at least five people who have watched Game of Thrones, loved it and then bough the books. From that they have then proceeded to look into other fantasy books and thus started reading when they hadn’t previously. I can probably name a handful of folks I know too who once read, slowly stopped and from watching a book to movie adaption started reading again!

I can almost guarantee that someone will disagree with a few in this list, maybe all of them, because some people can’t help but watch a book to movie adaption and just hate it. But for me these are seven books I would like to be adapted into either a TV Show or a Movie!

THE FAITHFUL AND THE FALLEN BY JOHN GWYNNE

Obviously this was going to be in this list. I love this book, if this was made into a TV show I think my book existence would be complete. Give it the budget it deserves and I’m more than comfortable saying this would be better than the early seasons of Game of Thrones.

CARAVAL by Stephanie Garber

Now, this is a film that could be so visually stunning while still keeping a fun and magical element through the mystery of the game. With the tools and talents of movie makers now this film could be utterly spectacular.

The Farseer Trilogy BY Robin Hobb

Now, I am only a book and a half into this trilogy but I can already see how this trilogy would make a brilliant TV series. I mean come on…a royal bastard training as an assassin in lands plagued by raiding red ships. Throw in the political intrigue and the country folk being turned into mindless husks and you have an action packed, witty and incredibly tense show! Thats to even accounting for the amazing characters and their relationships!

Graceling BY Kristin Cashore

This book falls into the Young Adult Fantasy genre but I remember really enjoying it when I read way back when, it was such a good book and has some pretty cool characters. Not only that but the magic system could make for some pretty interesting scenes.

BLOOD SONG BY ANTHONY RYAN

Bloodsong has garnered quite a few fans, and it tells the story of Vaelin and the epic journey that leads to his duel to the death. It would be such a grande movie, given the right budget and the right actor to play Vaelin it would be sheer amazingness!

THE SWORD OF KAIGEN BY M. L. WANG

Gosh, I don’t even know what to say for this one. If you have read the book you just know. The magic, the world, the characters and the setting all make for an incredible movie.

RED RISING SAGA BY PIERCE BROWN

This trilogy is just outstanding so to make this into either a TV Show or a movie and my lord what a show it would be!

Let me know on Twitter or in the comments any books you would love to see turned into a movie.

Again thanks for reading and have a smashing week!

7 SELF PUBLISHED BOOKS I HAVE READ AND 7 I WANT TO READ…

5 Comments 14th Sep 2020 thebookinhandsam

Good Afternoon book folk and welcome back to my blog, yes it is the one in which I promise a weekly feature and forget said weekly feature! My bad, I am sorry but sometimes work just gets in the way. However, worry not as I am going to give you the goods today!

Maybe I should call today Missed Posts Monday. Mmm, yeah that could work…

So, as it turns out I actually forgot TWO Sunday’s Seven posts…

To compensate you for said loss I am going to give you 14 books!

As we are still in September’s Self Published Fantasy Month I am going to be giving you 7 self-published books I have read and enjoyed and 7 self-published books I am due to read!

7 SELF PUBLISHED BOOKS I HAVE READ AND ENJOYED…

Kings and Daemons

by Marcus Lee

Synopsis:

A tale of conquest, dark kings, and daemonic heroes. A spellbinding story that will enchant you with its plot of ambition, love, betrayal, sacrifice and redemption.

Over fifty years have passed since Daleth the seemingly immortal Witch-King and his army conquered the Ember Kingdom.

Now, with the once fertile lands and its enslaved people dying around him, the Witch-King, driven by his insatiable thirst for eternal youth, prepares his forces to march on the prosperous neighbouring Freestates. It will be the beginnings of a conquest that could destroy nations, bringing death and destruction on an unimaginable scale.

Then, when a peasant huntress whose rare gift was concealed from birth is exposed, it sets in motion a chain of events that could alter the destiny of generations to come

My Thoughts:

Kings and Daemons is Marcus Lee’s debut novel and the first in the series, I loved it and I am excited to read the next book in the series. I truly loved Marcus’ writing, it read perfectly to me, and by perfectly I mean it is exactly the tone and style of writing I adore in fantasy.

AVAILABLE FROM: | AMAZON UK | AMAZON USA |

Blood of Heirs

by Alicia Wanstall-Burke

Synopsis:

Lidan Tolak is the fiercest of her father’s daughters; more than capable of one day leading her clan. But caught between her warring parents, Lidan’s world begins to unravel when another of her father’s wives falls pregnant. Before she has time to consider the threat of a brother, a bloody swathe is cut through the heart of the clan and Lidan must fight, not only to prove her worth, but simply to survive.

Ranoth Olseta wants nothing more than to be a worthy successor to his father’s throne. When his home is threatened by the aggressive Woaden Empire, Ran becomes his city’s saviour, but powers within him are revealed by the enemy and he is condemned to death. Confused and betrayed, Ran is forced to flee his homeland, vowing to reclaim what he has lost, even if it kills him.

Facing an unknown future, and battling forces both familiar and foreign, can Lidan and Ran overcome the odds threatening to drag them into inescapable darkness?

My Thoughts?

Blood Heirs is a promising debut and sets itself up for a darkly entertaining second book. I enjoyed reading Blood Heirs due to the amazingly beautiful writing style that is Alicia Wanstall Burkes and the great characters…

AVAILABLE FROM: | AMAZON UK | AMAZON USA |

The First of Shadows

by Deck Matthews

Synopsis:

How do you kill a shadow?

As a raging storm descends on the Blasted Coast, the crippled young rigger, Caleb Rusk, meets a stranger on the road. Little does he know that the encounter will pull him into a conflict that threatens everything he holds dear—and change the course of his life forever.

Meanwhile, in the Capital of Taralius, a string of inexplicable deaths have captured the attention of the Ember Throne. Second Corporal Avendor Tarcoth is tasked with uncovering the truth behind a danger that could threaten the very fabric of the Realm.

My Thoughts?

A delightfully fast paced and easy flowing novella which gives you the feels of a larger epic read while not bogging you down with the page count! AND the map! This is a map that is even outstanding on my Kindle soo imagine it on paper!

Pssst…RTC.

AVAILABLE FROM: | AMAZON UK | AMAZON USA |

Limbo

by Thiago d’Evecque

Synopsis:

The fate of the world hinges on a forsaken spirit, a mad god in a sword, and 12 mythological beings.

The Limbo is where all souls — human or otherwise — go to after dying. Some don’t realize where they are. Death is a hard habit to get used to. Gods and mythological figures also dwell in the plane, borne from humanity’s beliefs.

A forsaken spirit is awakened and ordered to dispatch 12 souls back to Earth to prevent the apocalypse. Many don’t take kindly to the return. Accompanied by an imprisoned mad god, the spirit must compel them.

Each of the 12 unlocks a piece of the forsaken spirit’s true identity. Memories unfold and past wounds bleed again.

The journey will reveal buried truths about gods, angels, humanity, and the forsaken spirit itself.

If you like epic fights, diverse mythology reinterpreted, and surprising plot twists, Limbo is for you.

My Thoughts?

Limbo is a strange tale to be told, interesting and quite creative with its mixture of many religions, legends and folklore tales. It was interesting to read one story which is made up of many historical tales coming from Asia, Europe and all across the world and done so skilfully as not to feel disorientating.

AVAILABLE FROM: | AMAZON UK | AMAZON USA |

Paternus: Deluge, A Short Story

by Dyrk Ashton

Synopsis:

“Deluge” is a stand-alone backstory of two characters from The Paternus Trilogy. In this short story, myths, fables, and legends from around the world are combined to recount the adventures of Fintán mac Bóchra and Myrddin Wyllt in ancient Ireland, and tell the “true” tale of the global disaster known as the Great Flood.

My Thoughts?

I have been eyeing Ashton’s Paternus books for a while now so saw this little gem and took it for the perfect opportunity it is, and I can safely say I loved Ashton’s writing and will be reading his other book in due time!

AVAILABLE FROM: | AMAZON UK | AMAZON USA |

The Sword of Kaigen

by M.L. Wang

Synopsis:

A mother struggling to repress her violent past,
A son struggling to grasp his violent future,
A father blind to the danger that threatens them all.

When the winds of war reach their peninsula, will the Matsuda family have the strength to defend their empire? Or will they tear each other apart before the true enemies even reach their shores?

High on a mountainside at the edge of the Kaigenese Empire live the most powerful warriors in the world, superhumans capable of raising the sea and wielding blades of ice. For hundreds of years, the fighters of the Kusanagi Peninsula have held the Empire’s enemies at bay, earning their frozen spit of land the name ‘The Sword of Kaigen.’

Born into Kusanagi’s legendary Matsuda family, fourteen-year-old Mamoru has always known his purpose: to master his family’s fighting techniques and defend his homeland. But when an outsider arrives and pulls back the curtain on Kaigen’s alleged age of peace, Mamoru realizes that he might not have much time to become the fighter he was bred to be. Worse, the empire he was bred to defend may stand on a foundation of lies.

Misaki told herself that she left the passions of her youth behind when she married into the Matsuda house. Determined to be a good housewife and mother, she hid away her sword, along with everything from her days as a fighter in a faraway country. But with her growing son asking questions about the outside world, the threat of an impending invasion looming across the sea, and her frigid husband grating on her nerves, Misaki finds the fighter in her clawing its way back to the surface.

My Thoughts?

This book is just, wow. I would say I have no words but that’s a lie! I could praise this book all year round. This is easily one of the best books I have read this year…

AVAILABLE FROM: | AMAZON UK | AMAZON USA |

The Heart of Stone

By Ben Galley

Synopsis:

Task of Wind-Cut is one such machine of war.

My Thoughts?

Ok, I know this one is technically cheating because I am still in the process of reading this book but its going well so far so I’m going to chuck it in! Go judge me.

AVAILABLE FROM: | AMAZON UK | AMAZON USA |

7 SELF PUBLISHED BOOKS I HAVEN’T READ BUT PLAN TO…

Sufficiently Advanced Magic

by Andrew Rowe

Synopsis:

Five years ago, Corin Cadence’s brother entered the Serpent Spire — a colossal tower with ever-shifting rooms, traps, and monsters. Those who survive the spire’s trials return home with an attunement: a mark granting the bearer magical powers. According to legend, those few who reach the top of the tower will be granted a boon by the spire’s goddess.

He never returned.

Now, it’s Corin’s turn. He’s headed to the top floor, on a mission to meet the goddess.

If he can survive the trials, Corin will earn an attunement, but that won’t be sufficient to survive the dangers on the upper levels. For that, he’s going to need training, allies, and a lot of ingenuity.

The journey won’t be easy, but Corin won’t stop until he gets his brother back.

What Remains of Heroes

by David Benem

Synopsis:

Lannick deVeers used to be somebody. A hero, even. Then, he ran afoul of the kingdom’s most powerful general and the cost he paid was nearly too much to bear. In the years that followed, his grief turned him into a shadow of his former self, and he spent his days drowning his regrets in tankards of ale.

But now an unexpected encounter casts Lannick upon an unlikely path to revenge. If he can just find the strength to overcome the many mistakes of his past, he can seize the chance to become a hero once more.

And with an ancient enemy lurking at the kingdom’s doorstep, he’d better…

Asunder: A Vatan Chronicle

by L. Steinworth

Synopsis:

Alden knew life in the Shadowen Thieves Guild would cost him greatly, but when their next mission means abducting Princess Mayli Drake of Ammos, the price was too high. Defying the guild, Alden sets out to return Mayli safely home in hopes of restoring peace with the kingdom of Brimley.

Mayli feels as though her life has torn asunder after being taken captive. However, if she is to survive, she must come to trust the renegade thief loyal to her mother’s killer. As Alden pleads for Brimley’s innocence, Mayli begins to question what she thought she knew about her kingdom’s enemies.

Frozen Rage

by Steve McHugh

Synopsis:

Realm of Dreich is a getaway for the rich and powerful, a medieval-inspired town in the middle of a vast frozen wilderness. Now it’s the site of a wedding, intended to join two feuding families who have spent centuries in an uneasy truce with each other.

When Tommy Carpenter asks his best friend, Nate Garrett, to help him with the security of the wedding, Nate reluctantly agrees, knowing that it will be a long weekend of work and, in all probability, treachery.

It is only a matter of time before members of each family are found murdered and it is up to Nate and Tommy to find the killer before more bodies fall, potentially reigniting a war.

The Thief Who Spat In Luck’s Good Eye

by Michael McClung

Synopsis:

Amra is a thief with morals—she won’t steal from anyone poorer than she is. Fortunately, anybody that poor generally doesn’t have much worth stealing! Holgren is a mage with a distaste for magic and a soul bartered away to dark powers who will transport him to an eternity of torment on the instant of his death. Together they embark on a quest for the fabled city of Thagoth, where the secret of immortality is rumored to be hidden.

But Amra and Holgren aren’t the only ones after the secret. Many others seek to utilize the hidden magic for their own twisted ends. And waiting in the ruined city with dark plans for the world are the twin gods Tha-Agoth and Athagos, a brother and sister whose illicit passion is as destructive and vengeful as they are.

Now, as potent sorceries clash in a violent struggle for dominion over all that lives, Amra and Holgren face a choice between the unthinkable and the unbearable—with the fate of the world hanging in the balance. . . .

Parasites

by Matthew Samuels

Synopsis:

Parasites is a YA science fiction, solarpunk exploration novel that takes place at the end of the universe, just as it slowly starts to contract in the ‘big crunch’. On the planet Lyra, humans evolved late, on a resource-poor world, in a resource-poor solar system. The Lyrans master space flight, only to discover that their nearest worlds have also been stripped of resources. The population begins to decline, until a scientist discovers a technology allowing people and vehicles to travel through ‘thinnings’ – patches of space linking universes.

Kael and Alessia are explorers, charting where the thinnings go and bringing valuable resources back to Lyra, trying desperately to extend the lifespan of their home world. Alessia’s father, Ben, set out two years ago to uncover another species’ reference to a ‘solution’ to the big crunch problem – but never returned. A chance discovery leads Kael and Alessia to a clue, prompting another expedition to see if they can avoid the mistakes of the past and help to unravel the mystery.

Kael, Alessia and their gruff bodyguard Basteel retrace Ben’s steps, seeking closure for Alessia, a solution for Lyra and together begin a voyage through wild, weird and wonderful planets.

Voice of War

by Zack Argyle

Synopsis:

Chrys Valerian is a threadweaver, a high general, and soon-to-be father. But to the people of Alchea, he is the Apogee—the man who won the war.

When a stranger’s prophecy foretells danger to Chrys’ child, he must do everything in his power to protect his family—even if the most dangerous enemy is the voice in his own head.

To the west, a sheltered girl seeks to find her place in the world.

To the south, a young man’s life changes after he dies.

Together, they will change the world—whether they intend to or not.