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God Killer by Hannah Kaner
God Killer….oh how to start? I’m starting this review off on a downer, but I was so looking forward to reading this book, the cover alone made me so excited to get begin a devouring reading session. The reality unfortunately is quite different. This was a highly anticipated novel of 2023, but I just feel like it fell flatter than pancake on Shrove Tuesday. Truth be told the cover was the only thing about the book that stood tall. The artwork is incredible and prior to reading the eBook I had considered investing in the beautiful, sprayed edge edition for my personal collection, I’m afraid as beautiful as it is,…
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The House of Sacrifice by Anna Smith Spark
The House of Sacrifice was absolutely brilliant – unsettling, brutal and tragic. A masterpiece of intrigue and Anna Smith Spark has crazy talent. The House of Sacrifice concludes the Empires of Dust trilogy and can I say what a wild ride it was. I enjoyed every minute of it and can’t believe it took me this long to pick it up. I deserve a slap across the wrists for that misdemeanour. The prose is outstanding…seriously beautiful in its brutal sense of realism. At no point did I struggle to get lost in the story, I was there in that moment, living the consequences of those characters. Spark has a way…
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The Tower of Living and Dying by Anna Smith Spark
The Tower of Living and Dying is absolutely EVERYTHING you could want in a fantasy novel. Epic scope and an imagination that never quits for anything. When I read The Court of Broken Knives a couple of weeks ago, I was blown away by the sheer force of Smith Spark’s writing. The characterisation, the passion, and the endless possibilities of the worldbuilding. It’s been a breath of fresh air from the usual fantasy novels I’ve been known to read. I love Grimdark in all its devious nuances and deplorable characters but this feels different somehow, addictive and binge worthy. The Tower of Living and Dying continues straight on from The…
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The Court of Broken Knives by Anna Smith Spark
A Court of Broken Knives is the crowning of the Queen of Grimdark, Anna Smith Spark. A fantastical story that resonates with power and struggle. I can’t wait to delve into the Empire of Dust series once more. Am I glad that I picked up The Court of Broken Knives? Oh boy, am I ever. I put out a call on Twitter to get my fellow bookworms to suggest fantasy books that might get me out of my fantasy reading funk. In 2022, I read the First Law Trilogy in its entirety and had the biggest book hangover. Nothing in the Fantasy genre was scratching that grimdark itch, it was…
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The Hollows by Daniel Church – REVIEW
The Hollows is a fantastic exploration of good and evil. It’s a stark picture of folk tales and reality, like a Russian Doll the nightmares continue to keep revealing themselves. Are you looking for a wintery read that gives you chills, not only from the seasonal weather but also from the chokehold of an ancient evil that begs to be awakened? If the answer is yes, then The Hollows by Daniel Church will be right up your street. The author proves that horror is a genre for any season, not just Halloween. Horror is my lifeblood. I need it to continue breathing. Some people have shopping, some have gaming, and…
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Prince of Thorns (The Broken Empire #1) by Mark Lawrence – REVIEW
TRIGGER WARNING – RAPE/MURDER Prince of Thorns is the first book in the Broken Empire series by Mark Lawrence. After reading his Book of Ice series I quickly realised his brand of storytelling is one that I love immensely. There is action aplenty but at the core of the story is a pulsing heart that bleeds with every injustice. He made me remember why I fell in love with Fantasy, in particular Grimdark. Prince of Thorns follows fourteen-year-old Jorg Ancrath. I’m kind of torn between loving and loathing Jorg. In his defence (if there is any) he was a boy that lost his mother and brother in the worst circumstances.…
