The Reading Bud

Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring Andrew Beardmore for their latest release, The Strains of Malice.

Book: The Strains of Malice
Author: Andrew Beardmore
Publication Date: 28/2/2025
Publisher: Ryelands Books (an imprint of Halsgrove Publishing) 
Pages: 397
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Available Formats: Ebook and Paperback
For Readers who Enjoyed: Cold Sanctuary (Book Two of The Nessemiah). Many reviewers (including LoveReading) compare The Nessemiah to A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones)
Out next month: The Awakening (Book Three of The Nessemiah); The Kiss of Nessemi (Book Four of The Nessemiah)

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About the Book

Book one of the gripping new historical fantasy series, The Nessemiah.
Is anywhere on Thera safe from Nessemi? Or the hell that lies beyond?
“I’m afraid there are good and bad everywhere, Emilya. It’s a fact of life that wherever you look, there are strains of malice.”
Fifteen-year-old baker’s daughter, Emilya Luca, is in serious trouble with the Glennadian Crown. Her crime: to prevent a small dog from being torn apart by hounds belonging to the callous Prince Magnus. Having been rescued by former naval captain, Jake Oscom, the unlikely pair become fugitives, hunted across Glennad – initially for cruel sport but latterly after Oscom is framed for a heinous crime committed by Magnus himself.
Elsewhere, in a world with unusual geographical quirks and subtle energy lines, hardships endure for a close-knit community of miners and unimaginable foul play befalls a Glennadian princess – but these trials pale into insignificance compared to what northern astronomers have just discovered. Four hundred leagues south, in the ancient city of Thera, the cruel eyes of Calidius Antoninus Dominius have seen the same thing – but to him it merely expedites his imperial ambitions and presents a justified opportunity to brutally murder thousands of his subjects.

‘This is an authentic and well developed epic fantasy world with lots of heroes to root for and villains to dislike. It reminds me of A Song of Ice and Fire. Prince Magnus certainly gives Joffrey a run for his money!’ 
– LoveReading

‘Beardmore is a fantastic storyteller with a penchant for meticulous details. He crafts a world so humanistically flawed and tremendously intriguing.’
– onlinebookclub.org

You can find The Strains of Malice here
Amazon UK | Amazon US | Amazon IN | Goodreads

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About The Author

Andrew Beardmore

Andrew Beardmore is the award-winning author of the four-book epic fantasy series, The Nessemiah.
The series commenced with Book One, The Strains of Malice, described by one reviewer as “a sweeping and sophisticated debut to a historical fantasy series that merges human frailty, political intrigue, and cosmic mystery into one masterfully interwoven tale.”
Meanwhile, professional media reviewers constantly compare The Nessemiah series to George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire and Frank Herbert’s Dune.
In terms of accolades, The Strains of Malice has recently won the Literary Titan Gold Award in April 2026 and BookViral’s Golden Quill Award in May 2026.

Media praise for The Nessemiah:

“Poldark meets Gladiator…on another world!” – Ryelands Books

“This authentic and well-developed epic fantasy world reminds me of A Song of Ice and Fire. Prince Magnus certainly gives Joffrey a run for his money!” – LoveReading

“Beardmore is a fantastic storyteller with a penchant for meticulous details. He crafts a world so humanistically flawed and tremendously intriguing.” – OnlineBookClub

“The book’s plot is complex, and it features a huge cast of characters, but Beardmore’s skill in developing his storylines is exceptional.” — BookBrowse

“The Strains of Malice stands out for immersive worldbuilding, well-timed twists, and a cast that is vivid and easy to root for.” — Literary Titan

“The Strains of Malice is a richly layered epic fantasy featuring memorable characters, political intrigue and immersive worldbuilding.” — BookViral

“Cold Sanctuary occupies a compelling space between fantasy, science fiction, and historical fiction, with echoes of George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire and Frank Herbert’s Dune. The result is ambitious, layered, and expansive. It is easy to be drawn into this world, and easier still to trust that the story is in the hands of a master storyteller.” — Literary Titan

Prior to fantasy success, Andrew authored the acclaimed “Unusual & Quirky” series of local history books, each delivering a detailed history of an English county, interspersed with eyebrow-raising anecdotes known as Quirk Alerts!

Andrew’s extensive historical knowledge was then used to great effect in bringing to life the vibrant, authentic world of Thera in The Nessemiah.

You can find author Beardmore here:
Author website | Goodreads | YouTube channel | News story | India teaching website | Above full interview on YouTube | AB books on the UK’s leading bookstore, Waterstones
Check out various media reviews on LoveReading, BookBrowse, Literary Titan, onlingbookclub.org, etc.

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