SUNDAYS SEVEN | 7 FANTASY BOOKS TO READ IN THE SPOOKY SEASON…

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Happy Sunday Book Folk!

I hope you have all had a good weekend! I have been working all weekend, as per usual! But I still got time in to do some reading so it’s not all bad.

I thought for this Sundays Seven I would go festive, in anticipation for the spooky holidays I have opted for 7 fantasy books to read if you don’t read horror. Thus, I have searched through Goodreads for some books that will satisfy your Halloween needs.

As I read fantasy mostly and have never read a single horror book, I wanted something that had elements of halloween but weren’t too heavy on the horror. I scoured the vast lands of Goodreads, the many lists users have created and then finally those that made the shortlist I checked out the reviews of some trusted reviewers and friends.

Ohh, I lied! I have read a horror, kind of, I have read half of Mexican Gothic. I stand corrected.

These books have witches, necromancy, ghosts, graveyards and more but still remain (according to Goodreads) firmly in the fantasy category!

So, without further ado and after much research here they are…

The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson

A young woman living in a rigid, puritanical society discovers dark powers within herself in this stunning, feminist fantasy debut.

In the lands of Bethel, where the Prophet’s word is law, Immanuelle Moore’s very existence is blasphemy. Her mother’s union with an outsider of a different race cast her once-proud family into disgrace, so Immanuelle does her best to worship the Father, follow Holy Protocol, and lead a life of submission, devotion, and absolute conformity, like all the other women in the settlement.

But a mishap lures her into the forbidden Darkwood surrounding Bethel, where the first prophet once chased and killed four powerful witches. Their spirits are still lurking there, and they bestow a gift on Immanuelle: the journal of her dead mother, who Immanuelle is shocked to learn once sought sanctuary in the wood.

Fascinated by the secrets in the diary, Immanuelle finds herself struggling to understand how her mother could have consorted with the witches. But when she begins to learn grim truths about the Church and its history, she realizes the true threat to Bethel is its own darkness. And she starts to understand that if Bethel is to change, it must begin with her.

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a perfectly normal boy. Well, he would be perfectly normal if he didn’t live in a graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor the world of the dead.

There are dangers and adventures for Bod in the graveyard: the strange and terrible menace of the Sleer; a gravestone entrance to a desert that leads to the city of ghouls; friendship with a witch, and so much more.

But it is in the land of the living that real danger lurks, for it is there that the man Jack lives and he has already killed Bod’s family.

A deliciously dark masterwork by bestselling author Neil Gaiman, with illustrations by award-winning Dave McKean.

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

In the captivating start to a new, darkly lyrical fantasy series, Tea can raise the dead, but resurrection comes at a price.When Tea accidentally resurrects her brother from the dead, she learns she is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy means that she’s a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community. But Tea finds solace and guidance with an older, wiser bone witch, who takes Tea and her brother to another land for training.In her new home, Tea puts all her energy into becoming an asha-one who can wield elemental magic. But dark forces are approaching quickly, and in the face of danger, Tea will have to overcome her obstacles and make a powerful choice.

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

Aching God by Mike Shel 

“Closer, mortal. You are here, finally, to feed the Aching God…”

The days of adventure are passed for Auric Manteo. Retired to the countryside with his scars and riches, he no longer delves into forbidden ruins seeking dark wisdom and treasure. That is, until old nightmares begin plaguing his sleep, heralding an urgent summons back to that old life.

To save his only daughter, Auric must return to the place of his greatest trauma: the haunted Barrowlands. With only a few inexperienced companions and an old soldier, he must confront the dangers of the ancient and wicked Djao civilization. Auric has survived fell beasts, insidious traps, and deadly hazards before. But can he contend with the malice of a bloodthirsty living god?

First book in the Iconoclasts trilogy, Aching God is the debut novel of RPG adventure designer Mike Shel. He is working on book 2, Sin Eater. The first two chapters of Sin Eater are included at the end of Aching God.

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

Perdido Street Station by China Miéville 

Beneath the towering bleached ribs of a dead, ancient beast lies the city of New Crobuzon, where the unsavory deal is stranger to no one–not even to Isaac, a gifted and eccentric scientist who has spent a lifetime quietly carrying out his unique research. But when a half-bird, half-human creature known as the Garuda comes to him from afar, Isaac is faced with challenges he has never before encountered. Though the Garuda’s request is scientifically daunting, Isaac is sparked by his own curiosity and an uncanny reverence for this curious stranger. Soon an eerie metamorphosis will occur that will permeate every fiber of New Crobuzon–and not even the Ambassador of Hell will challenge the malignant terror it evokes

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

The Emperor needs necromancers.

The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman.

Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and no more time for undead bullshit.

Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won’t set her free without a service.

Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon’s sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die.

Of course, some things are better left dead.

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

MIDDLEGAME by SEANAN MCGUIRE

Meet Roger. Skilled with words, languages come easily to him. He instinctively understands how the world works through the power of story.

Meet Dodger, his twin. Numbers are her world, her obsession, her everything. All she understands, she does so through the power of math.

Roger and Dodger aren’t exactly human, though they don’t realise it. They aren’t exactly gods, either. Not entirely. Not yet.

Meet Reed, skilled in the alchemical arts like his progenitor before him. Reed created Dodger and her brother. He’s not their father. Not quite. But he has a plan: to raise the twins to the highest power, to ascend with them and claim their authority as his own.

Godhood is attainable. Pray it isn’t attained.

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

Thank you again for visiting my blog and taking the time to read.

NO TIME RESTRICTIONS. NO ORDER. JUST MY IMMEDIATE TBR

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Hello Book Folk!

Today, is a little bit of an accountability post for myself. It is going to be the books that I NEED/WANT to read for a variety of reasons.

The books on this list are the ones that I have received from generous authors, ARC’s NetGalley downloads or just some books I have been meaning to get to but keep missing.

As the title of this post says this TBR will have no order or time limits and hopefully is varied enough my mood reader problems won’t cause me problems. This TBR could be with me for the next three months or the next bloody year I don’t know, but these are the books I want to get through soonish!

I have been lucky enough to receive a good number of books from authors and I just haven’t had time to get around to them lately. I always give a realistic reading time to anyone who sends me a book (and im pretty sure I’m still within them all) but I feel like I am SOOOO behind at the minute because of my month or so long time/reading slump! And that makes me feel shitty to those who have sent me books.

The thing with books is, we get out of them what we put in.

If I go into a book with the wrong mindset or a blagging feeling that I HAVE TO READ THIS or that I’m letting someone down, well, I’m going to be stressed before I even start reading and that will without fail have a negative impact on my reading experience and thus review. So, while I appreciate the need to honour time commitments and be realistic, if your book is already published would you not rather me going in with the best possible attitude and love your book or feel forced into it and not enjoy it as much as I could.

So this is my post detailing the books I am moving to my immediate TBR and a few little notes. Again, an accountability post.

**This is in no particular order, as I am just going to pick from this list each time I need a new book to read**

**Any title with a link attached to it is simply the Goodreads link in case you want to check the book out**

PHYSICAL BOOKS:

The Waking Fire by Anthony Ryan:

I was lucky enough to receive a signed copy of ‘The Waking Fire’ book from Anthony Ryan after having a Twitter conversation about picking it up! This book is pretty high up in my mind and is likely to be my next read after ‘The Thief Who Spat in Luck Good Eye‘ by Micheal McClung.

The Wolf and the Water by Josie Jaffrey:

I received this through Josie’s ARC request form and I’m super excited to read it. I liked her light-hearted easy to read book ‘May Day‘ so thought I would request ‘The Wolf and the Water’ too. This is due to be release on October 8th so I would really like to have it read and reviewed before them. While no deadline was set for this ARC I still feel like it is good practice to aim for release day! That’s why we get most ARC’s after all, its just good manners in my opinion.

We Are The Dead by Mike Shackle:

This is another book I was lucky enough to get a signed copy of through talking to the author on Twitter. Mike was kind enough to offer a few signed copies with his brilliant doodles in to those who were lucky enough to see his post and ask! ‘We Are The Dead‘ had been on my radar so I flew at this chance, and as I said I was SUPER lucky to be one of the early requesters!

Sojourney by Brian Shotton:

Brian contacted me through my email and offered me a copy of his book in exchange for an honest review, I accepted as it sounded like quite a cool book! I received this mid August, or early August and still haven’t gotten around to reading it. Which I always feel super shitty for. I’m still within the time frame I set but it still feels like I’m lagging because of my month and a half long slump.

Voice of War by Zack Argyle:

Zack was generous enough to send me a copy of ‘Voice of War‘ after we ran a giveaway together, I was not expecting this and I am SOOO happy and utterly grateful. A lot of time and effort goes into a book and so to give that book away free…well, it is no small thing and something I truly appreciate.

The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter:

I bought ‘The Rage of Dragons’, but requested a copy of ‘The fires of Vengeance’ through NetGalley. So, I need to read this first before I can move on to book two. Obviously.

NETGALLEY DOWNLOADS:

So before you judge my big ass NetGalley TBR let me try and defend myself! I didn’t know what NetGalley was or how it worked when I first started so I went on a requesting spree and I got accepted for literally every book! All but one of those initial books are archived now it was that long ago.

I have since requested ‘A Fools Hope’, ‘The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue‘ and ‘Fires of Vengeance‘. For those books, by all means get pissy and rage about people treating NetGalley like a library. I don’t do it now and have only requested books on two occasions, the first spree and then the last three books I mentioned.

A Fool’s Hope by Mike Shackle:

Literally as soon as I saw Mike’s Twitter status stating that this was now available on NetGalley UK I was on the website and requesting it, even though I am still yet to read book one.

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

This is my most recent NetGalley request so I don’t feel too bad about this, but still want to read it to get my NetGalley stats acceptable because at present they suck.

The Fires of Vengeance by Evan Winter:

I bought book one of this series and it has such amazing reviews. I am expecting to LOVE ‘The Rage of Dragons’ as some trusted book friends have raved about it and with similar tastes. I’m expecting big things thus my eagerness to get ‘The Fires of Vengeance’.

The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant:

This is the only book from my initial requesting spree that hasn’t been archived!

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow:

I am hoping to read this soon because its nearly Halloween and well this book it WITCHES!

The Girl and the Stars by Mark Lawrence:

So, this was a little bit of a cheat book for me. I really wanted to get ‘The Girl and the Stars‘ but was on the fence about whether I would like it or not so I opted for a NetGalley request to trial it. Honestly expecting to be rejected.

Legacy of Ash by Matthew Ward:

I’m so excited to get to this book and I have actually picked up the audiobook for it too! So here’s to hoping I like it.

Ashes of the Sun by Django Wexler:

I have started this book but started it at the height of my book slump so I was really ‘MEH’ about it. I am going to go back to ‘Ashes of the Sun‘ though and start from the begging hopefully with a significantly better attitude.

We Ride the Storm by Devin Madsen:

I requested this, again expecting to get declined, alas I was accepted and still need to read it! Twitter was going mental for it so I jumped on the bandwagon, I am really excited to read it though ‘We Ride the Storm‘ sounds epic!

Phoenix Extravagant by Yoon Ha Le:

Impulse request. I will get to this!

Northern Wrath by Thilde Kold Holdt:

Another I impulse requested on my first search spree, and one I will read especially with Norsevember happening! So ‘Northern Wrath‘ is calling me.

There we have it my Immediate TBR! If you have actually read all that i’m impressed so thanks!

BOOK HAUL | SELF PUBLISHED FANTASY MONTH & MY SELF-PUBLISHED BOOK HAUL…

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Hello!

Self-Published Fantasy Month is nearly over and it has been such fun to experience. I have seen some incredible reviews and even better interviews. I loved focusing on the self-published gems of the bookish world this month, even if I didn’t read as much as I wanted because I was in a slump ( I loved all I was reading but generally struggled to find the time to read😩😭) I still managed to get some Self-published inspired posts out…

I hosted two giveaways featuring ‘Voice of War’ by the amazing Zack Argyle and ‘The Riven Realm’ by the talented Deck Matthews.

Order Voice of War: Amazon UK / Amazon USA | Order The Riven Realm: Amazon UK / Amazon USA

My Sundays Seven post featured 14 self-published book both read and to be read!

I partnered with Storyteller on Tour and Jesse Nolan Bailey to bring you the cover reveal for his stunning new dark fantasy novella ‘Amethyst‘.

GET AMETHYST FREE HERE

I managed to read…

  • The Lost Sentinel by Suzanne Rodgerson as a part of a book tour hosted by the incredibly hardworking and amazing Storytellers on Tour – Review Here
  • Deluge by Dark Asthon – Review to Come
  • The First of Shadows by Deck Matthews – Review To Come
  • The Heart of Stone by Ben Galley – Review Here

So, to end Self-Published Fantasy Month with a bang my book haul is going to be all self-published & INDIE bookS and here’s what I picked up!

**You can see by the picture if I bought them in paperback or Kindle**

Goodreads Link
Goodreads Link
Goodreads Link
Goodreads Link
Goodreads Link
Goodreads Link
Goodreads Link
Goodreads Link

What Self-Published/Indie books have you read this month!? LE me know in the comments or on Twitter 🙂

Thanks For Reading

UK MONTHLY KINDLE DEALS | SEPTEMBER 2020

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Hello Everyone!

It’s the back end of September now and it is coming up to pay day for some, so I thought I would do a quick post with some of the cool Kindle Deals going on Amazon at the minute so you can grab them before the October deals roll out.

I usually do this at the start of the month on My Twitter page but with how much us book folk tweet unless it is pinned it is sooo easy to get lost, so I’m opting to do it on my blog this time around.

All the links on this page are just links, they are not affiliated, I’m just being super nice and putting them all in one place for you all.

To the deals…

The books in this list will predominantly be Fantasy or SCI-FI but if something cool pops up…well, I would be rude not to include it.

Hero In The Shadows by David Gemell

Now, Amazon says this is book 3 of the Drenai Saga but Goodreads says it is book 9. Sooo 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

Order with: Amazon UK

Check It Out On Goodreads

THE WINTER WARRIORS by David Gemell

Now, Amazon says this is book 10 of the Drenai Saga but Goodreads says it is book 8. Sooo 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

Order with: Amazon UK

CHECK IT OUT ON GOODREADS

RUIN by John Gwynne

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

Order with: Amazon UK

CHECK IT OUT ON GOODREADS

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

CHECK IT OUT ON GOODREADS

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

CHECK IT OUT ON GOODREADS

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

CHECK IT OUT ON GOODREADS

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

CHECK IT OUT ON GOODREADS

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

CHECK IT OUT ON GOODREADS

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

CHECK IT OUT ON GOODREADS

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

CHECK IT OUT ON GOODREADS

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

CHECK IT OUT ON GOODREADS

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

CHECK IT OUT ON GOODREADS

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

CHECK IT OUT ON GOODREADS

THE GHOST BRIGADES by JOHN SCALZI

Order with: Amazon UK

CHECK IT OUT ON GOODREADS

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…

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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…

ADD IT YOUR GOODREADS

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.

ADD IT YOUR GOODREADS

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.

ADD IT YOUR GOODREADS

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… 

ADD IT YOUR GOODREADS

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.

ADD IT YOUR GOODREADS

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 . . .”

ADD IT YOUR GOODREADS

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.

ADD IT YOUR GOODREADS

COVER REVEAL: AMETHYST BY JESSE NOLAN BAILEY

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

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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. 

MY REVIEW

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

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… 

MY REVIEW

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

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.

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

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.

MY REVIEW

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

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!

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

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…

MY REVIEW

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

AVAILABLE FROM: | AMAZON UK | AMAZON USA |

The Heart of Stone

By Ben Galley

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.

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.

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

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.

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

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…

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

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.

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

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. 

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

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. . . . 

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

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.

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

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.

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

There you have it folks, my Missed Posts Monday feature, the day in which I make up for missed posts! I have a good few more Self Published books I want to read so feel free to check out my Self Published List on Goodreads! It is always growing so you may find something you are yet to read!

100 FANTASY BOOKS FOR THE BUCKET LIST!

4 Comments

Hello, book friends!

Once again I took to my Book Twitter to get an idea of what fantasy books you all thought should be listed.

Click on the picture to see the thread.

As you can see I asked the twitter community to give me the books they thought were classic, renowned in the genre or a must read for my Book Bucket List Poster.

A book bucket list poster is a poster that has some form of pictures representing a selection books on it and you scratch off the cover when you have read it, kind of like a scratch card. Now, most of the ones I have seen are books in general and have all the classics on rather than being genre specific. I obviously want a fantasy specific one, so I thought to make my own but still needed to come up with the books and Twitter did not let me down!

I had over 100 suggestions and nearly all fell into the criteria I wanted!

So, while I go through the books a little bit more and select the books I want to use for the poster I’m going to draft up this list of all the suggestions that came from the thread!

Without further ado, please see the fantasy books you all said were classic, renowned or a must read for the fantasy genre…

** In no particular order, well I suppose there is an order, just the order I wrote them down from the Twitter thread 🙂 **

Please note I have only written the first books of the series as this will be a bucket list. If you like the book continue the series, if you don’t like it then don’t continue it 😀

1. THE HOBBIT
by J. R. R. Tolkien

2. THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING
(Lord of the Rings) by J. R. R. Tolkien		3. PAWN OF PROPHECY (The Belgariad) by David Eddings
4. LEGEND
(The Drenai Saga)
by David Gemmell
5. THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE
(The Chronicles of Narnia) by C.S. Lewis
6. THE WAY OF KINGS (Stormlight Archive)
by Brandon Sanderson

7. MAGICIAN: APPRENTICE (The Riftwar Saga) by Raymond E. Feist

8. THE SWORD OF SHANNARA
(Shannara Trilogy) by Terry Brooks
9. WIZARD’S FIRST RULE
(Sword of Truth) by Terry Goodkind
10.Dragonsbane
(Winterlands) by Barbara Hambly
11. THE FIFTH SEASON
(The Broken Earth) by N. K. Jemisin
12. A Wizard of Earthsea
(Earthsea Cycle) by Ursul K. Le Guin
13. The Eye of the World (The Wheel of Time) by Robert Jordan
14. Dawnthief
(Chronicles of the Raven) by James Barclay
15. Blood of Elves
(The Witcher) by Andrzej Sapkowski
16. Gardens of the Moon
(Malazan Book of the Fallen) by Steven Erikson
17. GOOD OMENS
by Terry Pratchett
and
Neil Gaiman		18. The Golden Compass
(His Dark Materials) by Philip Pullman		19. Eragon
(The Inheritance Cycle)
by Christopher Paolini
20. Traitor’s Blade
(Greatcoats)
by Sebastien de Castell
21.Dragonflight
(Dragonriders of Pern)
by Anne McCaffrey		22. Blackdog
(Gods of the Caravan Road) by K.V. Johansen 		23. The Forgotten Beasts of Eld
by Patricia A. McKillip		24. The Colour of Magic
(Discworld)
by Terry Pratchett
25. Blood Song
(Raven’s Shadow)
by Anthony Ryan 
26. The Name of the Wind
(The Kingkiller Chronicle)
by Patrick Rothfuss 		27. The Rage of Dragons
(The Burning)
by Evan Winter 		28. The Shadow of What Was Lost
(The Licanius Trilogy)
by James Islington 
29. The Magicians’ Guild
(The Black Magician Trilogy) by Trudi Canavan		30. The Crown Conspiracy
(The Riyria Revelations)
by Michael J. Sullivan 		31. American Gods
(American Gods)
by Neil Gaiman 
32. The Way of Shadows
(Night Angel)
by Brent Weeks 
33. Malice
(The Faithful and the Fallen)
by John Gwynne 		34. The Black Prism
(Lightbringer)
by Brent Weeks
35. The City
(The City)
by Stella Gemmell
36. The Lies of Locke Lamora
(Gentleman Bastard)
by Scott Lynch
37. The Thousand Names
(The Shadow Campaigns)
by Django Wexler		38. Promise of Blood
(Powder Mage)
by Brian McClellan 
39. The Book of Three
(The Chronicles of Prydain)
by Lloyd Alexander		40. The Darkness That Comes Before
(The Prince of Nothing)
by R. Scott Bakker
41. Blackwing
(Raven’s Mark)
by Ed McDonald 
42. The Tiger and the Wolf
(Echoes of the Fall)
by Adrian Tchaikovsky		43. Neverwhere
(London Below, The World of Neverwhere)
by Neil Gaiman 		44. Kushiel’s Dart
(Phèdre’s Trilogy)
by Jacqueline Carey 
45. Elantris
(Elantris) by Brandon Sanderson		46. Senlin Ascends
(The Books of Babel)
by Josiah Bancroft		47. Stardust
by Neil Gaiman 
48. The Last Unicorn
(The Last Unicorn)
by Peter S. Beagle 
49. The Curse of the Mistwraith
(Wars of Light and Shadow) by Janny Wurts 		50. A Game of Thrones
(A Song of Ice and Fire)
by George R.R. Martin
51. The Dragonbone Chair
(Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn) by Tad Williams		52. Black Sun Rising
(The Coldfire Trilogy)
by C.S. Friedman
53. The Warded Man
(Demon Cycle)
by Peter V. Brett 

54. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
(Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland) by Lewis Carroll		55. The Blade Itself
(The First Law)
by Joe Abercrombie

56. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
(Inheritance Trilogy)
by N.K. Jemisin
57. Tigana
by Guy Gavriel Kay
58. The Ocean at the End of the Lane
by Neil Gaiman		59. Sabriel
(The Old Kingdom)
by Garth Nix 		60. The Sword of Kaigen
(Theonite) by M.L. Wang
61. Red Sister
(Book of the Ancestor)
by Mark Lawrence
62. The Mists of Avalon
(Avalon) by Marion Zimmer Bradley		63. Elfsorrow
(Legends of the Raven)
by James Barclay 
64. Mage’s Blood
(The Moontide Quartet) by David Hair
65. Empire in Black and Gold
(Shadows of the Apt) by Adrian Tchaikovsky 		66. The Sword in the Stone
(The Once and Future King) by T.H. White		67. The Crystal Cave
(Arthurian Saga)
by Mary Stewart
68. The Final Empire
(Mistborn)
by Brandon Sanderson
69. Prosper’s Demon
by K.J. Parker

70. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
by Susanna Clarke
71. Weaveworld
by Clive Barker

72. Over Sea, Under Stone
(The Dark Is Rising) by Susan Cooper 
73. Taliesin
(The Pendragon Cycle)
by Stephen R. Lawhead
74. Byzantium
by Stephen R. Lawhead

75. Green Rider
(Green Rider) by Kristen Britain
76. Seventh Son
(Tales of Alvin Maker)
by Orson Scott Card
77. Alanna: The First Adventure
(Song of the Lioness) by Tamora Pierce 		78. The Priory of the Orange Tree
by Samantha Shannon
79. The Goblin Emperor
(The Goblin Emperor)
by Katherine Addison		80. Elric of Melniboné
(The Elric Saga)
by Michael Moorcock
81. The Diamond Throne
(The Elenium) by David Eddings		82. Spellsinger
(Spellsinger)
by Alan Dean Foster
83. Assassin’s Apprentice
(The Farseer Trilogy) by Robin Hobb 		84. The Complete Grimm’s Fairy Tales
by Jacob Grimm & Wilhelm Grimm
85. Dragon Wing
(The Death Gate Cycle)
by Margaret Weis
86. The Magic of Recluce
(The Saga of Recluce) by L.E. Modesitt Jr		87. The Neverending Story
by Michael Ende
88. Redwall
(Redwall)
by Brian Jacques
89. A Time of Dread
(Of Blood and Bone)
by John Gwynne
90. Beyond Redemption
(Manifest Delusions)
by Michael R. Fletcher
91. Guardians of the West
(The Malloreon)by David Eddings		92. Dragons of a Fallen Sun
(Dragonlance: The War of Souls) by Margaret Weis 
93. Hounded
(The Iron Druid Chronicles) by Kevin Hearne		94. The Court of Broken Knives
(Empires of Dust) by Anna Smith Spark 		95. Age of Assassins
(The Wounded Kingdom)
by R.J. Barker 
96. Prince of Fools
(The Red Queen’s War)
by Mark Lawrence
97. The Red Knight
(The Traitor Son Cycle)
by Miles Cameron 

98. The Shadow of the Wind
(El cementerio de los libros olvidados) by Carlos Ruiz Zafón		99. Killer of Men
(Long War)
by Christian Cameron

100. Talion: Revenant
by Michael A. Stackpole


There we have it 100 books that I will slowly draw up icons for and put on my book bucket list poster!

7 URBAN FANTASY BOOKS TO READ…

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Having just bought Jim Butcher’s Storm Front, the first book of the Dresden Files I realised I don’t have that much GOOD urban Fantasy under my belt. So, I did a little research and have hunted down seven books that sound pretty awesome in the urban fantasy genre.

I’m going to give them all a go. At some point soon. Maybe. Hopefully…

Here it is, then 7 urban fantasy books to read:

American Gods by Neil Gaiman 

Days before his release from prison, Shadow’s wife, Laura, dies in a mysterious car crash. Numbly, he makes his way back home. On the plane, he encounters the enigmatic Mr Wednesday, who claims to be a refugee from a distant war, a former god and the king of America.

Together they embark on a profoundly strange journey across the heart of the USA, whilst all around them a storm of preternatural and epic proportions threatens to break.

Scary, gripping and deeply unsettling, American Gods takes a long, hard look into the soul of America. You’ll be surprised by what – and who – it finds there…

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

AVAILABLE FROM: | WHSMITH | AMAZON UK | AMAZON USA | BLACKWELL’S | WATERSTONES

WAR FOR THE OAKS B EMMA BULL

Acclaimed by critics and readers on its first publication in 1987, winner of the Locus Award for Best First Novel, Emma Bull’s War for the Oaks is one of the novels that has defined modern urban fantasy.

Eddi McCandry sings rock and roll. But she’s breaking up with her boyfriend, her band just broke up, and life could hardly be worse. Then, walking home through downtown Minneapolis on a dark night, she finds herself drafted into an invisible war between the faerie folk. Now, more than her own survival is at risk—and her own preferences, musical and personal, are very much beside the point.

By turns tough and lyrical, fabulous and down-to-earth, War for the Oaks is a fantasy novel that’s as much about this world as about the other one. It’s about real love and loyalty, about real music and musicians, about false glamour and true art. It will change the way you hear and see your own daily life.

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

AVAILABLE FROM: AMAZON UK | AMAZON USA

RIVERS OF LONDON BY BEN AARONOVITCH

Probationary Constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London’s Metropolitan Police. Too bad his superior plans to assign him to the Case Progression Unit, where the biggest threat he’ll face is a paper cut. But Peter’s prospects change in the aftermath of a puzzling murder, when he gains exclusive information from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost. Peter’s ability to speak with the lingering dead brings him to the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, who investigates crimes involving magic and other manifestations of the uncanny. Now, as a wave of brutal and bizarre murders engulfs the city, Peter is plunged into a world where gods and goddesses mingle with mortals and a long-dead evil is making a comeback on a rising tide of magic.

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

AVAILABLE FROM: | WHSMITH | AMAZON UK | AMAZON USA | WATERSTONES

Libriomancer BY Jim C. Hines

Isaac Vainio is a Libriomancer, a member of the secret organization founded five centuries ago by Johannes Gutenberg. Libriomancers are gifted with the ability to magically reach into books and draw forth objects. When Isaac is attacked by vampires that leaked from the pages of books into our world, he barely manages to escape. To his horror he discovers that vampires have been attacking other magic-users as well, and Gutenberg has been kidnapped.


With the help of a motorcycle-riding dryad who packs a pair of oak cudgels, Isaac finds himself hunting the unknown dark power that has been manipulating humans and vampires alike. And his search will uncover dangerous secrets about Libriomancy, Gutenberg, and the history of magic. . . . 

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

AVAILABLE FROM: AMAZON UK | AMAZON USA |

MAGIC BITES BY by Ilona Andrews

The world has suffered a magic apocalypse. We pushed the technological progress too far, and now magic returned with a vengeance. It comes in waves, without warning, and vanishes as suddenly as it appears. When magic is up, planes drop out of the sky, cars stall, electricity dies. When magic is down, guns work and spells fail.

Atlanta would be a nice place to live, if it weren’t for magic… One moment magic dominates, and cars stall and guns fail. The next, technology takes over and the defensive spells no longer protect your house from monsters. Here skyscrapers topple under onslaught of magic; werebears and werehyenas prowl through the ruined streets; and the Masters of the Dead, necromancers driven by their thirst of knowledge and wealth, pilot blood-crazed vampires with their minds. In this world lives Kate Daniels. Kate likes her sword a little too much and has a hard time controlling her mouth. The magic in her blood makes her a target, and she spent most of her life hiding in plain sight. But when Kate’s guardian is murdered, she must choose to do nothing and remain safe or to pursue his preternatural killer. Hiding is easy, but the right choice is rarely easy… 

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

AVAILABLE FROM: AMAZON UK | AMAZON USA |

Daughter of the Sword by Steve Bein

ANCIENT POWER

As the only female detective in Tokyo’s most elite police unit, Mariko Oshiro has to fight for every ounce of respect, especially from her new boss. But when he gives her the least promising case possible—the attempted theft of an old samurai sword—it proves more dangerous than anyone on the force could have imagined.

The owner of the sword, Professor Yasuo Yamada, says it was crafted by the legendary Master Inazuma, a sword smith whose blades are rumored to have magical qualities. The man trying to steal it already owns another Inazuma—one whose deadly power eventually comes to control all who wield it.

Mariko’s investigation has put her on a collision course with a curse centuries old and as bloodthirsty as ever. She is only the latest in a long line of warriors and soldiers to confront this power, and even the sword she learns to wield could turn against her. 

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

AVAILABLE FROM: AMAZON UK | AMAZON USA |

STORM FRONT BY JIM BUTCHER

HARRY DRESDEN — WIZARD

Lost Items Found. Paranormal Investigations. Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates. No Love Potions, Endless Purses, or Other Entertainment.

Harry Dresden is the best at what he does. Well, technically, he’s the only at what he does. So when the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal creativity or capability, they come to him for answers. For the “everyday” world is actually full of strange and magical things—and most don’t play well with humans. That’s where Harry comes in. Takes a wizard to catch a—well, whatever. There’s just one problem. Business, to put it mildly, stinks.

So when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, Harry’s seeing dollar signs. But where there’s black magic, there’s a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry’s name. And that’s when things start to get interesting.

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

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6 THINGS THAT NON-READERS DON’T UNDERSTAND ABOUT BOOKS AND READING…

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 Hello everyone! Today is a fairly fun post, or at least when I thought of it I figured it would be, but we shall see if that is the case now I am writing it!

There are an astonishing number of people reading these days but there are still a great number of folks out there who simply have little to no interest in picking up a book of their own free will. Weird, I know right?! But they just don’t get what the appeal is. Why pick up a book when you can watch a movie right? Mehh. No, but that’s just us.

So here it is guys and gals, 6 things that none-readers just don’t understand about books and reading:

BOOKS ARE ALIVE:

Books keep readers coming back time after time, either for a reread of a favourite book or to continue the series, these books are then kept alive by our vivid imagination and our participation in the book community. We discuss the events in a book like we discuss events in the news. The motivations of a character, the loss of a character and more! I have had many a conversation about fictional people because, like I said, books are alive and those contained within its pages are real to us!

REPRESENTATION MEANS A LOT, JUST AS MUCH AS IT DOES IN ANY ANOTHER ART OR MEDIA FORM:

We are in a time now were the absence of varied representation and inclusivity of people of colour, LGBT groups, women and minority groups in general is being highlighted but folks who don’t read can sometimes still not quite get the need for representation because “there just books” or “they aren’t real people” but just as it is with gaming or movies when we read many of us want to see people like ourselves in a story. I mean we commit a considerable amount of hours to a book, so its pretty fucking important to feel represented and be able to resonate with certain aspects of a character.

BOOKS ARE GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH:

There are tons of benefits to a daily reading session. To name a few; it builds ones vocabulary, it prevents cognitive decline and strengthens the brain, its aids sleep and reduces stress! I’m pretty sure I read somewhere it even increases ones lifespan! 

THE INABILITY TO ‘JUST STOP READING’:

We have all had it where someone starts talking to you while you are reading and it takes you a moment to respond. You know why? Because we are at least finishing the sentence we are on, for me you are lucky I don’t make you wait until the end of the paragraph for me to respond. I can miss an entire conversation because I’m not just reading a book, I am in a book. I am experiencing everything the characters are! The other half, in response to one of the worlds largest yawns from me, says ‘just stop reading and go to sleep’…Mmmm, no. I have just gone to war, I’m currently atop my war horse charging the orc hoards of the east! One cannot simply just stop and go to sleep in the midst of an epic battle. Pfft. Please.

This is probably one of the biggest things none readers just don’t get, and it is that you can’t just stop reading.

BOOKS ARE AN EMOTIONAL INVESTMENT:

Even now, in a time when we are being encouraged more and more to talk about our emotions and engage with things on an emotional level, there are still tons of folks out there who find the prospect of emotionally engaging with anything, never mind with a book and its characters completely alien. It is important as a reader to fully appreciate the immersive nature books can offer, and in my opinion books take this to whole new heights, yes a movie can make you cry but a book…a book breaks you. And it is that what I think a none reader is unable to comprehend or even appreciate.

THE STRESS OF THE BEASTLY TBR:

This I think is something that both long time readers and new readers can appreciate.

An avid reader has the problem of being wider read than a newb, they have read so many books from such a variety of authors that for each authors they loved they have added most of their other works to their TBR and also they have been exposed to books that are similar which more than likely make it to their TBR’s but then on the other hand you have a new reader. They essentially have all the greats of their chosen genre to read before even being exposed to other works so they have an instant TBR.

We all know that the TBR can be pretty stressful, it becomes difficult to chose your next book, you worry you will never get around to reading your backlog because new books are constantly coming to light and your TBR can sometimes become so convoluted and filled with books that may not even suit your tastes anymore! The TBR and the stresses that come with it is definitely something a non reader cannot even begin to fathom!

There you have it, six things I think none readers just can’t understand about readers and I can confirm it was fun to do. I always love seeing the bookish traits we all have and mutual understandings our community has. I know that there are tons of bookish quirks that folks don’t get about book folks but the above six points are things I genuinely don’t think none readers get. If you have any that you have experienced or think I have missed pop them in the comments or on the Twitter post and let’s discuss!!

Again, thank you to everyone who visits by blog and takes the time to read my bookish ramblings I truly appreciate it! If you like the content then maybe follow my blog or even head over to my Twitter where I also talk shit 😀