Nikky Lee's Blog, page 2

Cover Reveal: THE RARKYN'S FALL (The Rarkyn Trilogy #2)

Huzzah, the day is here and I can finally show off this beautiful cover from Isabeau Backhaus for The Rarkyn's Fall, book two in the Rarkyn Trilogy! I've been sitting on this for a few weeks now and, wow, let me tell you how hard it was to quell the urge to share it with everyone immediately.

Okay, okay, okay, you're here for artwork not waffle so...*drumroll* here it is!

And wait, it gets better. There's a stunning back page, because this, ladies, gents and enbies, is a wrapped artwork.

...

Award wins for ONCE WE FLEW and "What Bones These Tides Bring"

With the 2023 award season temporarily wrapped up, I figured it was time for an update post on how the two works I had were eligible went!

For reference, the two works were Once We Flew, my self-published science fiction/fantasy hopepunk novella and "What Bones These Tides Bring" a dark fantasy/horror short story about ghosts in the New Zealand apocalypse that I wrote for Remains To Be Told: Dark Tales of Aotearoa.

As I shared earlier this year, both stories were shortlisted for Australian Aur...

Book Review: Dungeon Crawler Carl

Title: Dungeon Crawler Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl #1)

Author: Matt Dinniman

Publisher: Dandy House

Page Count: 446

Series Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐

Blurb for Dungeon Crawler Carl

The apocalypse will be televised!

A man. His ex-girlfriend's cat. A sadistic game show unlike anything in the universe: a dungeon crawl where survival depends on killing your prey in the most entertaining way possible.

In a flash, every human-erected construction on Earth—from Buckingham Palace to the tiniest of sheds—collapse...

ONCE WE FLEW and "What Bones These Tides Bring" make Aurealis, Shadow and Sir Julius Awards shortlists!

I'm thrilled to share that my space opera hopepunk novella Once We Flew is a finalist in the Aurealis Awards and the Sir Julius Vogel Awards (for Best Science Fiction Novella and Best Novella respectively). My post apocalyptic dark fantasy/horror short story, "What Bones These Tides Bring" published in Remains To Be Told: Dark Tales of Aotearoa (and edited by the estimable Lee Murray) is also a finalist in the Aurealis Awards, Sir Julius Vogel Awards and the Australasian Shadow Awards (in the B...

ONCE WE FLEW and "What Bones These Tides Bring" make Aurealis Awards shortlist

I'm thrilled to share that my space opera hopepunk novella Once We Flew and my short story "What Bones These Tides Bring" published in Remains To Be Told: Dark Tales of Aotearoa (edited by the estimable Lee Murray) are finalists in the Aurealis Awards!

About the Aurealis Awards

These awards are Australia's premiere awards for authors of science fiction, fantasy and horror fiction, so I'm over the moon to be on the shortlist for Best Science Fiction Novella and Best Fantasy Short Story.

So, if y...

Book Review: Daughter of the Beast by E. C. Greaves

Title: Daughter of the Beast (The Vyshivka Trilogy #1)

Author: E.C. Greaves

Publisher: self published

Page count: 374

Genre: Dark fantasy, grimdark, folklore

Rep: LGBTQ+

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(4.5/5)

Blurb

When her sleepy village is raided by the Vulkari, the fearsome warrior women of the Ancient Wilds, only Zyntael Fairwinter is taken.

Claimed as a daughter by their infamous matriarch, Zyntael is trained to hunt, to fight, and to kill—all for a purpose, which remains ever out of her grasp.

In the comp...

Book Review: Lesser Known Monsters by Rory Michaelson

Title: Lesser Known Monsters (Lesser Known Monsters # 1)

Author: Rory Michaelson

Publisher: Self published

Page Count: 290

Genre: Dark fantasy, paranormal romance, horror

Rep: LGBTQ+ (M/M, trans), POC, mental health

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5)

Spice: ️️️ – romantic interactions, kissing, and making out; one or more on-page sex scenes.

Blurb for Lesser Known Monsters

Being the chosen one isn’t always a good thing...

Oscar Tundale is not a hero. Anxious, indecisive, and awkward, he can barely get through a...

Book Review: The 716 by S.J. Pratt

Title: The 716

Author: S.J. Pratt

Publisher: Self published

Page Count: 345

Rep: POC

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Blurb for The 716

Olivia is destined to be the future leader of Meliora. She’s smart, rich, and innovative, and she has a pink Identifeye light.

Andy is destined to be a waiter and househusband. His blue Identifeye light prevents him from pursuing his dream of becoming an engineer. After all, who ever heard of a male engineer?

But when Andy’s life becomes entangled with Olivia’s and he gets the ch...

Cover reveal: ONCE WE FLEW

I'm super excited to share with friends and readers this gorgeous cover for my new science-fantasy, space colonisation, dystopian turned hopepunk novella, Once We Flew. In true me fashion, this story is another genre mash—we have lost colonists, crashed spaceships, magic-like abilities, visions, journeys and more. But enough rambling, let's get on with the reveal!

Here it is! It's it lovely?

Credit where credit's due—massive thank you to Maria Spada for the wonderful design.

Blurb for Once We ...

Book Review: Smoke and Stone by Michael R. Fletcher

Title: Smoke and Stone

Author: Michael R. Fletcher

Publisher: Self published

Page Count: 511

Genre: Grimdark fantasy

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Blurb:

After a cataclysmic war of the gods, the last of humanity huddles in Bastion, a colossal ringed city. Beyond the outermost wall lies endless desert haunted by the souls of all the world’s dead.

Trapped in a rigid caste system, Nuru, a young street sorcerer, lives in the outer ring. She dreams of escape and freedom. When something contacts her from beyond the wa...