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Book Reviews

The Written by Ben Galley

The Written by Ben Galley

  • Posted byby Timy

The Written was the 4th book I’ve read from Ben Galley and I managed to do that in about 7 months. I think it was only the first 5 Harry Potter books that I’ve read in less time. Interestingly, I’ve read Galley’s latest trilogy, The Chasing Graves first, then continued with his debut. Normally people do it in reverse order. On the other hand, it gives me the opportunity to see how far he had come in the past 10 years or so. Of course I won’t compare the two series as they are completely different and besides that wouldn’t be fair. Despite the fact that lately I’ve been in a reading slump and started to get tired of epic fantasy, I really enjoyed The Written. It has some flaws, sure, but it also had some ideas I was really digging.

Ioth, City of Lights by D.P. Woolliscroft

Ioth, City of Lights by D.P. Woolliscroft

  • Posted byby Timy

If you liked Kingshold, then you probably don’t need any more prompting to check out Ioth, City of Lights. While Kingshold was something fresh in Fantasy, Ioth, City of Lights is rather a classical epic fantasy with a solid world building, a large set of interesting characters, political intrigue and plenty of action. While it has its own story arc, it leaves plenty of room for the next adventure. I’m pretty sure Woolliscroft has quite a few things waiting for us in the future.

Gedlund by William Ray

Gedlund by William Ray

  • Posted byby Jen

As military fantasys go, I found a lot to like in this one. There’s a lot of battles which get progressively bigger until the finale. There are organising troops, gun use, and marching – some of my favorite parts were the parade row marching and just any of the scenes where they had to keep or use a tempo. I especially loved the use of sound combined with the visuals to bring the scenes alive.

The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t With Her Mind by Jackson Ford

The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t With Her Mind by Jackson Ford

  • Posted byby Jen

This opens with a bang, befitting the title but it’s weird bang – kind of like small town fireworks with the reload time between the bursts of color, as this stops mid-action to give us a bit of catch-up. Once we are caught up though, it’s go-time, and the rest of the book is an easy, quick, and fun read.

Priest of Lies by Peter McLean

Priest of Lies by Peter McLean

  • Posted byby Timy

I honestly don’t know what is it about this series that I absolutely adore. I mean, this is as grimdark as it can get – well, okay, maybe not as much, but you know – and most of the characters aren’t exactly nice, or loveable. And still. Here I am, trying to gather my thoughts and coming up with something to criticise. I’m afraid this will be one of those unbalanced reviews where all I do is gushing. I guess I need to have those every once in a while. I’ll keep this review spoiler free, unless you’ve not read Priest of Bones yet. You might get spoiled then.

The Ghost Hunter's Daughter by Caroline Flarity

The Ghost Hunter’s Daughter by Caroline Flarity

  • Posted byby Timy

The Ghost Hunter’s Daughter is a solid and entertaining read. Being the debut of Caroline Flarity, I think it has good potential. All in all, it mostly delivered what I expected: a fast paced, sometimes spooky read with a bit of teen drama. If you like ghost hunter stories, evil spirits wreaking havoc in a little town playing mindgames on people, with teen angst and love drama on the side, then I’m sure you will enjoy The Ghost Hunter’s Daughter.

Thorn of the Night Blossoms by JC Kang

Thorn of the Night Blossoms by JC Kang

  • Posted byby Timy

Thorn of the Night Blossoms is a good entry point into JC Kang’s world. Whether you only just get to know the Dragon Songs Saga series or you already read one the books and you are interested to learn more about Jie’s past, you won’t be disappointed.

One Word Kill by Mark Lawrence

One Word Kill by Mark Lawrence

  • Posted byby Timy

So, I am just going to leave it there and say: If you’re like me and been hearing lots of good things about this author but haven’t had the opportunity, or weren’t sure where to start with his work…well, then this is a great place to jump on the Mark Lawrence bandwagon.

The City Screams by Phil Williams

The City Screams by Phil Williams

  • Posted byby Jen

There were a few things I was unsure of – like why just being from Ordshaw made Tova a special interest to anyone in the first place, and some of the ending was a bit unclear to me. But this did what I think these extended series novellas should do – and that is get me interested in the world, give me a taste without giving me everything, and do it while being a ton of fun. In that, this book succeeded on all levels.

Three Crows Magazine #3 by Alex Khlopenko

Three Crows Magazine #3 by Alex Khlopenko

  • Posted byby Timy

This issue has less short stories, but it contains more other content. Such as an article in memory of Gene Wolfe, an interview with Gareth L. Powell, a game review of Sekiro, bookreview of Uncanny Collateral, a movie review of Illang, an article about the legacy of Sheri S. Tepper and an analysis about the Gormenghast series.