Book Review: The Young by Nicholas John Powter

06/10/202206/10/2022Fantasy, Nicholas John PowterLeave a Comment

Book Details:

Author: Nicholas John Powter
Release Date: 28th May 2020
~~Series~~:
Genre: Fantasy
Format: E-book
Pages: 128 pages
Publisher: Balboa Press Au
Blurb:
A father and his son home has been attacked by a mysterious man, an omen a sinister presence has come about the lands of “The Deluge”, the great sun gods know as the Phrazon mur guide and protect the inhabitants who are awake during the day while the evil creatures and man alike come to fruition during the night. For that where the great evil moon gods come up out of hiding. A Religious cult known as the “Spawn” and their most prestigious leader Roland seek to extract the power of the moon gods and destroy the sun gods and plummet the world into but darkness and sorrow. Out two unlikely protagonist must go on a journey to stop them and free their lands from both the gods and the cults grasp. As somewhat reluctant they may be, they will set out on a task of many dangers and one most foreign to them. A journey of family, love loss violence and devastation, divinity and faith.

Review

The Young by Nicholas John Powter is a unique fantasy novel that will take you on a rollercoaster of a magical emotional ride.

One of the reasons why I really liked this book is because of the unique and very rarely used concept of the sun and moon gods going against each other. And the second reason for having really liked this book is the tricky and complex relationship between a father and son that the author has explored in this book. Both these things set The Young apart from other fantasy novels. I enjoyed how the plot unfolded and how different sub-plots and side characters and their stories and conflicts kept the momentum of the story building, while the relationship between Sven and Fren sees its fair share of ups and downs and well… we get to see an apt demonstration of a realistic development that can only be experienced as the story unfolds.

I’d recommend this book to all fantasy lovers who want to explore a book on a new concept and to those readers who want to explore a title by a new author, especially about the dynamic between a father and a son.

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Book Review: The Magicians Of Ysavar by Z.B. Lee

06/02/202210/02/2022Fantasy, High fantasy, Magic, Magic/Elementals, Young Adult, Z.B. LeeLeave a Comment

Book Details:

Author: Z.B. Lee
Release Date: 3rd January 2022
Genre: Young-Adult Fiction, High Fantasy, Magic-Elementals
~~Series~~:
Format: E-book
Pages: 167 pages
Publisher:
Blurb:
Johan Finley dreams of being a warrior for his home, Center City, but he is devastated when his own arrogance costs him his dream. When all seems lost, a cheery little fellow comes knocking on his door. Johan could never expect the fantastic journey that awaits.

There is one problem: Blazer, an enchanted sword, has fallen into the wrong hands. A shadowy enemy seeks to use this powerful weapon to turn the tides in a greater war of good versus evil. Johan must find the strength to face down this sinister foe and take back the sword before it’s too late.
Under the tutelage of a wise magician and a battle-tested knight, along with the friendship of a courageous halfling, Johan is going to learn what it means to be a true hero in the Order of Ysavar. But when the fate of the world rests on his shoulders, will he crack under the pressure? Or will he rise to the occasion?

Review

The Magicians Of Ysavar by Z.B. Lee is a new young-adult magical coming-of-age book full of action-packed scenes that are brimming with conflict, both internal as well as external. I enjoyed reading this book from cover to cover and was not able to put it down once I started!

This book had an amazing pace throughout the book and the tension ran deep and tight right from the beginning to the very end. The book started off on a great note and the build-up was amazing – even better than I was expecting! The characterisation was good, the settings were well-executed and the entire plotting was well done. I thoroughly enjoyed this action-packed ride.

I would strongly recommend this book to all young-adult readers and fans of coming-of-age stories that have magic elements.

You can also read this review on:

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Amazon

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Book Review: To The North by Evan L. Grove

26/01/2021Evan L. Grove, Urban FantasyLeave a Comment

Author: Evan L. Grove
Release Date: 4th December 2020
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: The Awakener Duology (Book #1)
Format: E-book
Pages: 390 pages
Publisher:
Blurb:
Emily Lee wants nothing more than to live her life in peace, safe in the comfort of home with her father. But when he falls prey to dark magic, trapping him and countless others in a foreign land, she is forced to take action. Compelled only by the desire to save him, Emily travels to the northern nation of Odelia in search of a means to free her father from his terrible curse.

Lehksi Olent works as a private investigator, helping those uncover the truth that is often shrouded by a world of magic and mystery. Together with her brother, Marty, she now travels the Odelian countryside in pursuit of the growing unrest taking place within the heart of a country torn asunder by unseen forces.
When their paths converge, Emily and Lehksi’s lives will be forever changed. Two paths, one future. Be it for the good of all, or for a singular desire, the fate of Odelia lies within their choices. And should they prove lacking, the world of Oul might never be the same.
To the North is the first novel in The Awakener Duology, an adult urban fantasy that explores what it means to discover the dark truths of an unforgiving land. It takes place in an alternate reality set in a pre-digital world, one that is governed by magic and corporate influence. Two young women must navigate numerous challenges in order to protect what is important to them, but in doing so they will make discoveries that may drive a wedge between them.

Review

To The North by Evan L. Grove is the first book in The Awakening urban fantasy duology. It is a very conceptually refreshing book and I really enjoyed reading it.

The characterisation was good, the world-building was great and the narration was good and complemented the story well. I love reading fantasy and thankfully this book met all my expectations. It is a good fantasy read, especially considering that this is the first book in a duology. I’m really looking forward to reading the sequel to this book.

I really liked this book and would recommend this book to all fantasy readers.

You can also read this review on Goodreads and Amazon

Book Review: Bort’s People (The Sunset Of Magic #3) by Alistair Potter

31/03/201902/04/2019Adventure, Alistair Potter, Science-Fiction FantasyLeave a Comment

Author: Alistair Potter
Release Date: 11th February 2016
Genre: Science-Fiction-Fantasy, Adventure, Quest, Magic Elementals
Series: The Sunset Of Magic (Book #3)
Edition: E-book
Pages: 260
Publisher: –
Blurb:

Magic, dragons, drama and adventure… did I mention the dragons? Lots of those! The wizard Zerphal, Bort and Lofti the Dunnit Sprite leap across the void between Nephus and the Harrowen homeworld, Mirt. Each have their reasons: Zerphal, an agent of the Council of Wizards, seeks to discover how his species, the warlike Harrowen, have managed to escape Mirt; Bort, on a mission of hope, to find out if any of his Trollid race, kidnapped and enslaved some some 300 years earlier, still survive; and Lofti… well… because a true friend would not allow Bort to make such a journey alone.

REVIEW

★★★★

Bort’s People by Alistair Potter is the third instalment in The Sunset Of Magic series and the sequel to The Counsel Of Wizards. It is a very entertaining sci-fi-fantasy adventure that has a mix of characters from both the previous books in this series who embark on an adventurous journey, which entails serious action, mild drama and a good emotional arc.

This book is in lieu of the previous one, and therefore, I enjoyed it to no end. It had good characterization and a well-written plot that progressed with an even pace. The tension rose and fell as needed and the action scenes were both well timed and well executed.

I enjoyed reading this book as well as this series would definitely explore more books by the author. I’d recommend this book, and the rest by author Alistair Potter, to all sci-fi-fantasy readers, lovers of hardcore sci-fi and those who love adventure genre.

You can also read this review on Goodreads and Amazon

Book Review: Six Of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

10/01/201911/01/2019Dark Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, High fantasy, Leigh Bardugo, Magic, Magic/Elementals, Young Adult6 Comments

Author: Leigh Bardugo
Release Date: 12th July 2016
Genre: Dark Fantasy, Young Adult, Magic & Elementals
Series: Six Of Crows (Book #1) & Grishaverse
Edition: Paperback
Pages: 495
Publisher: Orion Children’s Books
Blurb:
Criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker has been offered wealth beyond his wildest dreams. But to claim it, he’ll have to pull off a seemingly impossible heist:
Break into the notorious Ice Court
(a military stronghold that has never been breached)
Retrieve a hostage
(who could unleash magical havoc on the world)
Survive long enough to collect his reward
(and spend it)
Kaz needs a crew desperate enough to take on this suicide mission and dangerous enough to get the job done – and he knows exactly who: six of the deadliest outcasts the city has to offer. Together, they just might be unstoppable – if they don’t kill each other first.

Review

★★★★★

Six Of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, the first book in the Six Of Crows Duology (also a part of the Grishaverse), is DEVILISHLY GOOD!!

When I was starting with this book, I did not even have the slightest of ideas that it would turn out to be one of my all-time favourite fantasy books! I loved, LOVED, the world-building and felt like Ketterdam was indeed a real world of which I desperately wanted to be a part of! This book is like a dream come true for a fantasy reader because this book has so much to offer to its readers that you simply can’t fault it! The conflicts were ridiculously good and lent an air of authenticity to the characters, something that lacks in most of the fantasy books these days. It was pure bliss to have read this book as I was so fed up of reading books that were only hyped up and had literally next to nothing to offer Caraval.

This book is a mind-blowing and earth-shattering dark fantasy novel. The story is deliciously complex and suitably grounded and the characterisation very mature, gritty and intricate. The story and the concept are simply out of the world and the author’s meticulous detailing is spot-on. This is a book you’d want to get lost in forever.

It is like a beautiful piece of art that you want to collect and then visit and revisit it again and again and again… This book is so ridiculously good that I can re-read it right now (only after 10 days.) It is one of those books that you wish would never get over… like The Hobbit and the ASOIF series but in a totally different way.

THIS BOOK HAS IT ALL!!
✦ A badass anti-hero with gut-wrenching inner-conflicts and an extremely difficult background and who is dubbed by people as the demon or the devil – check ✔︎
✦ A deadly and dangerous heroine who uses her Wraith-like persona to find out everyone’s dark secrets in order to serve the devil himself – check ✔︎
✦ A super-funny, charming and dangerous sharp-shooter side-kick who also happens to have a crush on the devil – check ✔︎
✦ A super-sassy, bold and gifted enchantress with unmatched super-powers who can kill you with a snap of her finger – check ✔︎
✦ A badass warrior-hunter-soldier who cannot be matched for strength – check ✔︎
✦ A naive rich brat who has left all the comforts and riches behind in order to find himself – check ✔︎

And there’s even more…
☛ An impossible heist
☛ Harsh weather conditions
☛ Bitterness amongst some people in the crew
☛ Possibility of backstabbing
☛ The odds are completely against and the stakes are so high that the readers can’t help but get swept away by how things happen the twisty turns that greet them at each and every page turn!

This book is a legitimate un-put-down-able read and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy and/or books with a solid plot as well as characterization. I mean, What The Hell Are You Still Waiting For?! Go and get this book today and do yourselves a huge favour!!

this review is also posted on Goodreads

Audiobook Review: Looking For Dei by David A. Wilson

25/05/2018David A. Willson, High fantasy2 Comments

Author: David A. Willson
Narrator: Tanya Eby
Release Date: 30th March 2018
Genre: High Fantasy
Series: –
Length: 10 hours 7 hours 25 minutes
Publisher: Seeker Press
Blurb:
Join Nara and Mykel on a journey through the Great Land….
Fifteen-year-old Nara Dall has never been good at keeping secrets. Yet it seems that her life has been filled with them, from the ugly scar on her back to the strange powers she possesses. Her mysterious adoptive father refuses to say anything about her origins, and soon, she and her best friend must attend the announcement ceremony, in which youths are tested for a magical gift.
A gifted youth has not been announced in the poor village of Dimmitt for decades. When Nara uncovers the reason, she uses her own powers to make things right. The decision sets her and her friend on a path of danger, discovery, and a search for the divine. In the process, she learns the truth about herself and uncovers the biggest secret of all: the power of broken people.

Review

★★★+1/2

Looking For Dei by David A. Wilson is an interesting new high fantasy read with a believable storyline and an impressive world-setting. I was pulled into the story right from the start and was kept engaged till I hit the middle part of the story, and that was when I kind of hit a brick wall. After about 45% I started to struggle because of the pacing, which was pretty good until that point but then suddenly slacked and the story started to feel like a drag. Fortunately, after a while, the pacing picked up again (albeit a bit slowly) and I was happy to reach the end of the story without any further pacing issues. The story picked up in the ending again and overall I was glad that I picked this read.

I was fortunate enough to get this book in both the formats – e-book from NetGalley and audiobook from Audiobookworm. I started this with the e-book but when I got the audio, obviously I listened to the entire story because that just saved me a hell of a lot of time! Also, the narration was pretty good and I loved the different variation the narrator used especially of the old crone, Ann.

I’d recommend this book to all the fantasy lovers, and even to those who rarely read fantasy and are looking for a new fantasy series to explore.

this review is also posted on audible and Goodreads

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Book Review: In The Blood by R.L. Martinez

07/07/201612/08/2016Books Reviews (by Author), Fantasy, Magic, Magic/Elementals, Podcasts, R.L. Martinez5 Comments

Author: R.L. Martinez
Release Date: March 21, 2016
Series: The Witchbreed Series
Genre: High Fantasy, Magic Realism
(Magic Elementals > Wizards, Witches & Shapeshifters)
Edition: E-book (mobi)
Pages: 356
Publisher: Lake Water Press
Source: Publicist (via NetGalley)
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★★★★★

Blurb:

The Warrior
The war between Dosalyn and Roanaan has ended, but a new battle begins for prisoner-of-war, Ottilde Dominax. Dreams of her witchbreed twin sister are visions of death and betrayal. Driven by their grim warning, she escapes her captors and races across nations to save her sister.
But she may arrive too late…
The Witch
Oriabel Dominax has kept her healing magic secret while she cares for her family’s struggling estate. But the arrival of a new lord with secrets of his own, the discovery of a dark and addictive magic, and threats from a cruel blackmailer push Oriabel closer to disaster.
Through it all, the Witch’s Tree calls…

Review

I enjoyed this book through and through. I picked up this book in hopes of reading a decent fantasy novel, but this book pleasantly surprised the hell out of me! It is an epic book with a brilliant plot, stunning characterization, and beautiful writing – all weaved together into a fantastic work that I was lucky enough to read.

This book has everything a fantasy lover craves – A new world to get completely lost into, characters whom you can love and hate forming unbreakable emotional bonds and a story that’ll make you forget everything else.
I was completely blown by the simplicity of this book and I’m eagerly waiting for the next part in this wondrous series.

In this book, the author uses realism as her weapon. Not all tales of good witches and helping shapeshifters end happily, and I’m really glad to say, that this book made me realize that the world of magic is not something to play around with.

R.L. Martinez uses her dark imagination to plow the fields of her war-wrought world with realism. It really made the entire witch breed concept interesting and mesmerizing. Now, I’m actually afraid of witches (which is something that is always missing in most of the fantasy novels.) The author’s writing was really smooth and the pacing was exceptional.

The romance in this book literally swept me off my feet because of its simplicity and subtlety.

At first, the timelines seemed a little jumbled, but once I got in sync with the story I was able to make out the timelines pretty clearly.

In spite of all the raves, there was only one significant negative that stood out while reading this book, and it was the fact that most of the names (both of places and people) were odd and difficult to pronounce. It made it a bit difficult for me to enjoy the first few pages, but once I let go of my obsession of pronouncing the word right, I was able to get into the book easily enough. (Though I’m pretty sure I’ve got more than half of the names wrong, and to be honest, this book is so great that I don’t even care about it anymore.)

As I said earlier, the characterization is brilliant! I felt a really strong connection with the leading twin ladies of this book (I’m not gonna say the names as I’m sure I’ll pronounce them wrongly.) The other characters were so good that I felt a bond with each and every single character (secondary as well as not-so-important ones.)

This book ended on an excellent note with a smasher of a cliff hanger. After reading the last page I was literally pulling at my hair!

I loved this book and I think that everyone on this planet should read this series as I really think that everyone will love it!

Video Podcast

Bookstagram

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Other Stuff

Opening Line: With cold stiff fingers, Ottilde Dominax rubbed the prisoner number tattooed on the side of her neck.

Highlights: Storyline and magic realism.

Lowlights: Names with difficult and odd pronunciations.

Memorable Quotes:

The world is only so big and you can only run so far.

Final Thoughts: A brilliant high-fantasy read that you simply can’t afford to miss!

You can also read this review at Goodreads, Netgally and Amazon.

Book Review: The Outlander (The Fulfillment #2)

12/02/201610/02/2016Book Reviews (by Genre), Erin Rhew, Fantasy, High fantasy, Miscellaneous, Romance, Young Adult6 Comments

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Author: Erin Rhew
Release Date: October 21, 2014
Series: The Fulfillment Series
Genre: YA | High-Fantasy | Romance
Edition: Ebook (mobi)
Pages: 345
Publisher: BookFish Books
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon

Blurb

With King Jesper dead and Prince Wilhelm mortally wounded, Halfling prince, Nash, and the Fulfilment, Layla, assume the throne of Etherea. They must contend with a new Prophecy Candidate who asserts her position, and Layla is surprised to find her fate intertwined with this challenger. Facing a myriad of choices, Nash and Layla’s decisions affect not only their own futures but that of two kingdoms.

Unbeknownst to the Ethereals or the Vanguards, a slumbering menace stirs in the south, awakened after centuries of slumber. The mysterious Outlanders, a force shadowed in mystery, sit poised to tip the balance of power, sending ripples of fear throughout both warring kingdoms.

Elder Werrick proved a formidable foe, but Layla may yet meet her match in the monstrous Outlander queen. This mistress of the dark’s plans, rooted in revenge and ancient lore, now threaten the livelihood of all three kingdoms.

Racing against time, Layla travels to the Borderlands—home of the Voltons and Ecclesiastics—to discover as much as she can about the war, the First Ones, and the prophecy itself. Lives teeter in the balance, kingdoms sit on the cusp of ruin, and a beast, greater than any she’s ever faced before, plots a catastrophic attack.

Review

5 Stars Black

The Outlanders start right where the first part, The Prophecy, ends. It feels as if you’re reading the book in continuation without any break, which in this case, is a good thing, cause really loved the way the book’s been written.

I enjoyed this par more than the first as there were some amazing detailing in relation to the awesome world build by the author for this series. It had layers and layers of elements which took the entire experience to the next level.

The new characters that were introduced in this book are so amazing that either you’ll love them or completely hate them! I mean, this part evokes such strong emotions that it leaves you crazily craving to know what happens next and wonder “how the hell is everything going to get better!?” The drama added an another layer to this awesome story and the love triangle successfully created a complicated web of suspense (in a good way.)

This is one of those rare instances where the middle book of a trilogy is actually the best part of the story. And I’m happy that i read this book, simply because it is an awesome Fantasy read!

If you’re looking for a kickass Fantasy series then this trilogy is what you need!

You can read my review of The Prophecy (The Fulfillment #1) here.

Other Stuff

Opening Line: Will stared down at the delicate hand gripping his arm.

Highlights: World-building.

Lowlights: None.

Final Thoughts: An amazing Fantasy read.

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

Book Review: Frozen (Heart Of Dread #1)

16/03/201517/03/2015Books Reviews (by Author), Melissa De La Cruz, Michael Johnston34 Comments

Author: Melissa De La Cruz and Michael Johnston
Release Date: 2nd October, 2014
Series: Heart Of Dread Series
Genre: Fantasy | Romance | Post-Apocalyptic | Supernatural | Science-Fiction | Dystopian | YA | Adventure 
Edition: Kindle
Pages: 365
Publisher: Orchard Books
Source: NetGalley

Continue reading ➞ Book Review: Frozen (Heart Of Dread #1)