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The Shadow Gate by L.L. MacRae
The Shadow Gate is yet another phenomenal outing from Macrae. She has a way of turning words into gold. A freshly imagined world and a fantastical plot full of twits and turns. The Shadow Gate is the long-awaited sequel to The Iron Crown which I enjoyed immensely. I was left hungering for more – characterisation, world building and a plot tighter than two coats of paint left me itching to know what would happen next. I read this before the sprawling fantasy novel was entered into SPFBO #7 and subsequently became a finalist. There was always something special about it, it was always evident that others would feel the same…
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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 Witch and the Tsar by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore
The Witch and the Tsar is a story magnificently told. The frozen landscape of Russia is home to treachery, romance, and strength. My imagination was on fire so much I think I combusted a little! It is books like The Witch and the Tsar reminds me why I enjoy reading literature from other cultures. The imagery in this story was stunning, the frozen landscape, the chill emanating into your bones from thousands of miles away, it is told so succinctly that if you look up you can almost feel the delicate snowflakes land on your skin. It is a book that makes you forget your sense of place, time, and…
