Can you believe it’s already December? This year went by so fast, even if sometimes it seemed like time was dragging. It’s traditionally time to look back at the year, but I’ll keep most of that for the annual anniversary post in March. Here I’m only going to say that I basically met none of my goals set for myself in this post. But then, 2020 brought on challenges none of us saw coming. I’m not going to bore you with reading stats and my favorite reads of the year either, we’ll have plenty of time to do that in January.
We’ve been taking things easy in December to give us some breathing room, so we only had a couple of reviews and tour encore posts. Oh, and among other awesome blogs and sites, RockStarlit BookAsylum had been nominated for a Stabby Award! I’m absolutely honored.
All that being said, it’s time for a Monthly Wrap Up, let’s see what we were up to in December!
In case you missed any of our reviews in December, it’s your chance to catch up!
Carved from Stone and Dream by T. Frohock – 5/5
T. Frohock definitely carved out a permanent place on my favorite authors list with the Los Nefilim series. I can’t wait to read the last book soon, but until then you have to do with my Carved from Stone and Dream review.
“I would rather not go into the details regarding the plot as it’s something you have to experience yourself. Events in Carved from Stone and Dream take place within 48 hours or less. Not sure if this is the reason, but the 350 pages long book felt more like 100. It’s a super-fast read and a highly engaging one. Then again, I’m biased, because I just love these characters so much and if it was up to me, this book easily could have been 600 pages long for all I care. And I don’t even like chonky books.”
The Immortal City by Amy Kuivalainen – 3.5/5
As part of my plan to catch up with my backlog, I finally got to The Immortal City, a year later than I was supposed to…
“The Immortal City is a fast-paced, decent Fantasy set in the beautiful Venice – of which we get not nearly enough by the way. It might be a perfect read for those who love Mystery books with star-crossed lovers and magic chasing thousands of years old myths. It has a lot going for it and Kuivalainen made Venice alive in this modern-day blood-soaked love story.”
The Thunder Heist by Jed Herne – 4/5
Jen got her hands on an ARC of Jed Herne‘s latest Fantasy novel.
“This was action-packed, edge-of-your-seat pacing, and fun as hell. I blew through this one in just a few hours. A unique setting kind of Waterworld meets the Italian Job…minus the mini-car chase but the underwater scenes were just as breath-stealing. Exactly the kind of read I was needing to break up the epic-sized stories that have been on my plate lately.“
Karolina Dalca, Dark Eyes by M. R. Noble – /5
Another book review from Jen, this time for a n urban fantasy / romance novel.
“Karolina Dalca, Dark Eyes was a hard one to choose a final score for (books like this are why I hate ratings), it pushes that line a little in the believability (I know we are talking vampires/werewolves here) especially at the beginning with the police stuff etc. And Karo’s emotionally charged, and occasionally whiplash-inducing choices, were enough to rattle your brain at times.”
War of the God Queen by David Hambling – 3.5/5
Another one from my backlog, War of the God Queen, for which I had the pleasure to do the cover reveal back then. And in which you’ll find a character named after yours truly.
“David Hambling certainly knows how to write slow-burn books with just enough action to keep things interesting. I also thought the ending a bit underwhelming personally, even though we get a nice big epic battle. Despite finding it hard to connect with War of the God Queen on an emotional level, I still think you should give it a go. If nothing else for the huge amount of research that went into writing this epic fantasy novel, which is only the start of a series.”
Oshibana Complex by Craig Hallam – 3.5/5
Arina also joined the crew with a book review of this Cyberpunk novella, Oshibana Complex.
“In short, pick this one up if you love reading: cyberpunk, dystopia, character-driven stories through thought-provoking worlds, cyber societies, fun, intriguing character dynamics, queer identities, short reads that go a long way, virtual-reality worlds, and explorations on identity, freedom, and the future of our species.”
Tristan’s Folly by Marcus Lee
we gave the spotlight to Tristan’s Folly, the sequel to Kings and Daemons by Marcus Lee in celebration of its release! Our Roadies brought a wide selection of content to this show with reviews and other posts. Come and learn a bit more about the world of Tristan’s Folly through our Q&A!
The Archive by Dan Fitzgerald
We gave the spotlight to The Archive, the sequel to Hollow Road by Dan Fitzgerald in celebration of its release! Our Roadies brought a wide selection of content to this show with reviews, interviews and other posts.
Steel & Stone by Kate Haley
We gave the spotlight to Steel & Stone, the first book in Kate Haley’s YA Fantasy series! Our Roadies brought a wide selection of content to this show with reviews, interviews and other posts. Now it’s time to bring the show to an end and it’s my pleasure to present you with the encore, including some extra content. Come and learn a bit more about the world of Steel & Stone through our Q&A!
I think that’s it for December. In hte name of the Ladies of the ASylum, I wish you a very Happy New Year and I hope to see you all on the other side!
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