Rob J. Hayes's Blog, page 10
January 6, 2020
A Big ‘Ol Apology
Let’s start by saying that I’m really sorry. Honestly, sorry!
My next book, Along the Razor’s Edge, was supposed to be releasing next month. That’s not going to happen. The truth is, I messed up. I spent far too long deliberating about what I wanted in terms of a cover, and when I finally decided, it was simply too late to get things ready in time. I had hoped I could get my awesome cover artist (Felix Ortiz) and my designer (Shawn King) to make up for my slack, but that wasn’t really fair. So I’m holding up my hands and saying the delay is entirely my fault.
The good news is that the delay will not be long. Instead of a February release, I’m going to be releasing Along the Razor’s Edge in late March. This means that book 2, The Lessons Never Learned, will be releasing in late April. And book 3, From Cold Ashes Risen, will be releasing in late May. The whole The War Eternal trilogy will be out there by June.
Again, I’m sorry for the delay, but know that it’s all in aims to make this series the best I can. I’m currently working through the edits for book 2, and I’ll be launching straight into the edits for book 3 after that. I’m incredibly proud of this series, and I think you’re all going to like it. Hopefully.
For those unfamiliar with any of this. The War Eternal is my latest series. It’s an epic high fantasy series written from the perspective of a young woman, a Sourcerer, who finds herself on the losing side of the greatest battle mankind has ever known. Stripped of her magic, she’s sentenced to life imprison for war crimes, and must learn to survive without her magic. All while making new allies, plotting her escape, and dreaming of vengeance against her enemies. It’s quite different to everything I’ve written before, not least of all because it’s written from first person perspective.
So that’s all for now. Again, I’m sorry for the delay, but it’ll be worth the wait!
January 2, 2020
Self Published Fantasy Releases – January 2020
If you would like to be kept up to date with the upcoming lists, please subscribe to my newsletter by clicking this link. I don’t send out letters too often, pretty much once a month when this list goes out… and occasionally if I release a book or something.
As always, this is not a comprehensive list, but only includes all the books I have heard about so far.
If you have a fantasy novel you are self publishing in December or beyond, let me know either in the comments, or by emailing me, and I shall add it to the page. There are but 3 requirements:
1) It must be a self published fantasy novel.
2) It must have a Goodreads page.
3) It must have a cover.
13th January – The Reluctant Witch (Santa Cruz Witch Academy #1) by Kristen S. Walker
A girl who just wants to be invisible. A threat only she can stop. Will she leave the shadows to save her school?
Brie doesn’t want to be a witch. Her grandma is infamous for almost destroying her small town in Calaveras County, and her mom is famous for saving it. Growing up in the shadows of two powerful witches, she knows that everyone is going to judge her for her family’s reputation. How can a girl just have a normal life?
Maybe getting away from the small town gossip will help. Brie agreed to try out witch school for two years if she can go somewhere else. In Santa Cruz, the only person she knows is her best friend, Damian. She plans to fade into the background and just graduate so she can go to the art school of her dreams.
But then Brie notices suspicious activity by the Boardwalk. Mermaids are plotting to attack Santa Cruz Witch Academy, yet no one listens to her warnings. If she tries to be a hero, she can kiss her obscurity goodbye.
She must embrace her magical legacy—or watch her school wash out to sea.
14th January – Ragged Heroes (The Silent Champions #5) by Andy Peloquin
When death came calling, the outcasts became the champions.
The Deadheads. A ragtag band of disgraced soldiers, killers saved from the gallows, and recruits too inept to hold the shield wall. They are the dregs of the Legion of Heroes.
Duvain and Endyn are no exception. A giant with a terrible secret and his weak, incapable brother, they are barely competent enough to march in a straight line and hold formation.
But when a humdrum posting far from the battle line sets them directly in the path of an unstoppable barbarian horde, the Deadheads are all that stands between the enemy and total annihilation.
Can the good-for-nothing soldiers prove themselves capable enough to turn the tide of battle and save innocent civilians?
20th January – Children of Anshar by K.J. Shadmand
Children of Anshar is a dark and epic fantasy novel following the perilous adventures of prince Sargon and his childhood friend Issur the charioteer; high-born nobles who become refugees after the great city of Dur Pilesar is overthrown and its royal family massacred. As the two friends struggle for survival and vengeance, they discover the strange and enigmatic race of Lamissaurs, man-bull hybrids who once served the kings of old; and the Semiramians, a civilisation of warrior-women without equal in war. With such allies and their own extraordinary powers, the two friends discover that there are very few enemies who can stand against them. Except of course, the greatest enemy of all: themselves.
28th January – Temple of the Oracle (Fate of Wizardoms #3) by Jeffrey L. Kohanek
A wizard lord bent on conquest. Mythical creatures return and threaten the lands. A foreboding future awaits.
Thrones lie vacant while a power-hungry wizard lord seeks world domination. Armed with unequaled power, who can stop his mad lust for conquest?
Monsters from legend arise and stalk the land. Who or what is behind their return?
The Seers of Kelmar, a reclusive sect of prophets, claim the future has become obscured from their visions. What foreboding future awaits the Eight Wizardoms?
A band of reluctant heroes embark on a quest to stop the chaos sweeping over the Eight Wizardoms. Can they prevent the end of their world?
Space for more…
December 20, 2019
Review Blog – Age of Asssassins by RJ Barker
A ‘who dunnit’ in reverse.
I’m gonna start this review by pointing out the main character in Age of Assassins is a young lad by the name of Girton… and for some reason my crazy brain says “hears a who” after every single time I read that name. This has nothing to do with the book, but I felt the need to tell you all.
Age of Assassins is a weird who dunnit in reverse where the murderers are doing the investigating, trying to find out who hired them. It’s a murder mystery without a murder. It’s also an oddly innocent tale of a young boy learning what it means to be a young boy for the first time.
Girton (hears a who) is an assassin in training. He’s spent the past decade-ish of his life with no company save for his master, and as such has no real idea how to act like a normal person. Which is fair because we all struggle to person sometimes. He’s cold, calculating, and sarcastic. He also has a club foot, which we’re told has something to do with the magic of this world having ravaged the land. The most interesting thing about Girton was the way he slowly becomes a real boy after spending time with other people his age. It was interesting watching him go from cold and calculated to hot headed and temperamental. Almost like watching him hit puberty for the first time. Congrats, you’re a teenager. This made him hard to like at times because… teenagers gotta teenager, but the development of his character was plain to see and made him feel very much alive.
As the plot progresses we get to know some of the other characters a bit better, including a wonderful look at Girton’s master, Merelah. There was a depth of emotion built into this character that was both subtle and powerful. Watching her secrets come to light and how that effected both her and Girton, as well as the way the dynamic between the two characters changed, was a real highlight for me.
As for the plot itself. Well, it’s a damned murder mystery so I really can’t give much away without spoilers. Suffice to say it moves at an excellent pace that never felt boring. There’s enough twists and turns to call it spaghetti. And it all felt wonderfully natural and real. There’s political intrigue at play at all levels in this book.
I have just one small gripe and it’s that the finale felt a little rushed. Almost as though there needed to be a big fight at the end, so one was shoehorned in.
Age of Assassins is kinda like Robin Hobb’s Assassin’s Apprentice, but with the pace ramped up to 11. It’s fun and heartfelt and will keep you guessing. I must have liked it because I immediately picked up books 2 and 3.
A well earned 4 stars from me! Loved it.
November 27, 2019
Self Published Books on Sale Right Now
So I’ve noticed that there’s quite a few self published fantasy books on sale right now. Why? I’ve got no idea other than us authors trying to flog our wares. Anyways, I thought I’d do a quick list to gather together those I’ve found so far.
I’ll leave this post up for a while, but please be aware the sales on some books may end before I bring it down.
Oh, and I’ll be starting with one of my own…
Never Die by Rob J. Hayes
Ein is on a mission from God. A God of Death.
Time is up for the Emperor of Ten Kings and it falls to a murdered eight year old boy to render the judgement of a God. Ein knows he can’t do it alone, but the empire is rife with heroes. The only problem; in order to serve, they must first die.
Ein has four legendary heroes in mind, names from story books read to him by his father. Now he must find them and kill them, so he can bring them back to fight the Reaper’s war.
The Riven Wyrde Saga by Graham Austin-King
Every myth has its source, every fable has its root.
A boy and his mother, in the right place at just the wrong time, will set in motion events that will change two worlds forever.
The fae were banished, locked away until the tales of them passed into myth and folklore. Now the barriers are ancient, and fading in the faltering grasp of the one man who still knows the truth.
But war is coming to Anlan. Bjornmen raiders have abandoned coastal plunder for outright conquest, and their fleets surge across the icy seas. As the people of Anlan struggle to repel them, and the first battles rage, there are rumours of things in the moonlight – whispers of creatures escaped from myth and fable. An older peril has awoken and mankind must set aside their differences or perish. The fate of the world may rest in the hands of two young men, born of opposite sides of the conflict, and with no reason to trust each other.
The Chasing Graves trilogy by Ben Galley
How far would you go for your freedom?
Meet Caltro Basalt. He’s a master locksmith, a selfish bastard, and as of his first night in Araxes, stone cold dead.
They call it the City of Countless Souls, the colossal jewel of the Arctian Empire, and all it takes to be its ruler is to own more ghosts than any other. For in Araxes, the dead do not rest in peace in the afterlife, but live on as slaves for the rich.
While Caltro struggles to survive, those around him strive for the emperor’s throne in Araxes’ cutthroat game of power. The dead gods whisper from corpses, a soulstealer seeks to make a name for himself with the help of an ancient cult, a princess plots to purge the emperor from his armoured Sanctuary, and a murderer drags a body across the desert, intent on reaching Araxes no matter the cost.
Only one thing is certain in Araxes: death is just the beginning.
Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang
A mother struggling to repress her violent past. A son struggling to grasp his violent future. A father blind to the danger that threatens them all.
When the winds of war reach their peninsula, will the Matsuda family have the strength to defend their empire? Or will they tear each other apart before the true enemies even reach their shores?
High on a mountainside at the edge of the Kaigenese Empire live the most powerful warriors in the world, superhumans capable of raising the sea and wielding blades of ice. For hundreds of years, the fighters of the Kusanagi Peninsula have held the Empire’s enemies at bay, earning their frozen spit of land the name ‘The Sword of Kaigen.’
Born into Kusanagi’s legendary Matsuda family, fourteen-year-old Mamoru has always known his purpose: to master his family’s fighting techniques and defend his homeland. But when an outsider arrives and pulls back the curtain on Kaigen’s alleged age of peace, Mamoru realizes that he might not have much time to become the fighter he was bred to be. Worse, the empire he was bred to defend may stand on a foundation of lies.
Misaki told herself that she left the passions of her youth behind when she married into the Matsuda house. Determined to be a good housewife and mother, she hid away her sword, along with everything from her days as a fighter in a faraway country. But with her growing son asking questions about the outside world, the threat of an impending invasion looming across the sea, and her frigid husband grating on her nerves, Misaki finds the fighter in her clawing its way back to the surface.
Quill (The Cartographer #1) by AC Cobble
The fate of empire is to crumble from within.
A heinous murder in a small village reveals a terrible truth. Sorcery, once thought dead in Enhover, is not. Evidence of an occult ritual and human sacrifice proves that dark power has been called upon again. Twisting threads of clues lead across the known world to the end of a vast empire, and then, the trail returns home.
Duke Oliver Wellesley, son of the king, cartographer, and adventurer, has better things to do than investigate a murder in a sleepy fishing hamlet. For Crown and Company, though, he goes where he’s told. As the investigation leads to deeper and darker places, he’ll be forced to confront the horrific spectres rising from the shadows of his past. When faced with the truth, will he sacrifice what is necessary to survive?
Samantha serves a Church that claims to no longer need her skills. She’s apprenticed to a priest-assassin that no one knows. Driven by a mad prophecy, her mentor has prepared her for a battle with ultimate darkness, except, sorcery is dead. When all is at stake, can she call upon an arcane craft the rest of the world has forgotten?
They Mostly Come Out At Night (Yarnsworld #1) by Benedict Patrick
He locked himself away from the dark, but in the Magpie King’s forest nowhere is safe…
Lonan is an outcast, accused of letting the monsters that stalk the night into the homes of his fellow villagers. Now, he will not rest until he wins back the heart of his childhood love and reclaims the life that was stolen from him. However, locked safely in his cellar at night, in his dreams Lonan finds himself looking through the eyes of a young prince…
Adahy has a destiny, and it terrifies him. How can he hope to live up to the legend of the Magpie King, to become the supernatural protector of the forest and defender of his people? But when the forest is invaded by an inhuman force, Adahy must rise to this challenge or let the Wolves destroy his people.
Watching these events unfold in his sleep, Lonan must do what he can to protect his village from this new threat. He is the only person who can keep his loved ones from being stolen away after dark, and to do so he will have to earn back their trust or watch the monsters kill everyone that he holds dear.
You can also pick up Patrick’s Where the Waters Turn Black for 99p/99c on Amazon.
Onslaught of Madness (The Madness Wars #1) by Jesse Teller
The Drine war machine needs to be constantly fed and has turned its sights on Tienne. Warlord Rextur devoted his life to planning this invasion, so how did he lose the element of surprise? And who is this emerging rival Peter Redfist? He can’t be much of a problem. The god of destruction has long favored Rextur. His faith is strong and his legions mighty. Who could withstand their onslaught?
You can also pick up most of Jesse’s catalog for just 99p/99c on Amazon!
Blood of Heirs (The Coraidic Saga #1) by Alicia Wanstall-Burke
Lidan Tolak is the fiercest of her father’s daughters; more than capable of one day leading her clan. But caught between her warring parents, Lidan’s world begins to unravel when another of her father’s wives falls pregnant. Before she has time to consider the threat of a brother, a bloody swathe is cut through the heart of the clan and Lidan must fight, not only to prove her worth, but simply to survive.
Ranoth Olseta wants nothing more than to be a worthy successor to his father’s throne. When his home is threatened by the aggressive Woaden Empire, Ran becomes his city’s saviour, but powers within him are revealed by the enemy and he is condemned to death. Confused and betrayed, Ran is forced to flee his homeland, vowing to reclaim what he has lost, even if it kills him.
Facing an unknown future, and battling forces both familiar and foreign, can Lidan and Ran overcome the odds threatening to drag them into inescapable darkness?
November 25, 2019
Self Published Fantasy Releases – December 2019
And here we are at the end of 2019. I’ve been doing these releases lists for 12 months now and in that time I’ve featured 181 self published fantasy books. It’s only the tip of the berg, but I shall continue to bring as many releases as I can to your attention.
And if you would like to be kept up to date with the upcoming lists, please subscribe to my newsletter by clicking this link. I don’t send out letters too often, pretty much once a month when this list goes out… and occasionally if I release a book or something.
As always, this is not a comprehensive list, but only includes all the books I have heard about so far.
If you have a fantasy novel you are self publishing in December or beyond, let me know either in the comments, or by emailing me, and I shall add it to the page. There are but 3 requirements:
1) It must be a self published fantasy novel.
2) It must have a Goodreads page.
3) It must have a cover.
30th November – Legacy of Ghosts (The Coraidic Saga #2) by Alicia Wanstall-Burke
Four years have passed since Lidan’s world was ripped apart, and time is running out to change her father’s mind about the succession before the bargain with her mother expires. Torn between what she wants and what she knows is right, she is faced with an impossible choice; will her brother live, or will he die?
Within the walls of the Hidden Keep, Ranoth holds his secrets close as he tries to harness his wild magic. But when life in the Keep descends into chaos, he is cast once more into the outside world, forced upon a southward path toward unknown lands and untold danger.
With Ran set on seeking justice and revenge, and Lidan fighting to find her feet and follow her heart, journeys will converge, and the ghosts of a past thought long dead will rise.
30th November – The Last King of the Mountain (The True Queen of the Lathai #1) by Camryn Daytona
Ever since her mother Queen Aramaris was killed by the Malda, Ariawyn has been raised to be the next Queen Of Lathai. But she feels unprepared for her role, and instead flees from the elven lands, joining a group of wandering dwarves and returning to their homeland in Fighgarum.
As Ariawyn finds herself embroiled in the politics of the dwarves, those she left behind grapple with a kingdom that has lost its heir, an over ambitious regent, and unwelcome tidings from the Northern Isles.
30th November – The Last Bloom of the Jade Lotus (Scions of the Black Lotus #6)
The ringleader of a rebellion has holed up with his allies in an unassailable castle, and it is up to Jie, Tian, and other members of the Black Lotus clan’s Floating World cell to assassinate him.
1st December – A Prince of Song and Shade (A Tale of Stars and Shadow #2) by Lisa Cassidy
The darker the night…
Emboldened by the effect Talyn Dynan had on the humans of Mithranar, the Shadowhawk is working harder than ever to make a difference for those struggling to survive on the streets of Dock City. But when violence spreads to the citadel in a horrific murder, he finds himself torn between protecting the humans and keeping his identity secret from the increasingly determined prince of night and his Falcon hunters.
Meanwhile, Talyn has returned home to the Twin Thrones ready to begin rebuilding her life. Yet there are more secrets shrouding the Dumnorix family’s past than she realised, and when the Callanan ask her to undertake a highly dangerous mission, Talyn is faced with a difficult choice—between duty to her family and country and trusting the shadowy criminal she met in Mithranar.
And after their failed assassination attempt on Prince Cuinn, Vengeance are far from done. Their reach is deeper than either Talyn or the Shadowhawk could ever have imagined, and now they’ve got a new target in their sights…
3rd December – Tomb: Stone and Blood by Michael McClung
Anomus ip Garma, greatest living architect of the Subori Empire, is tasked by his emperor to construct a tomb for the emperor’s concubine upon her death. Anomus and ten thousand workers labor in the desert for years while the emperor’s dead love waits, ensorceled and undecaying, for her final resting place to be completed.
But betrayal awaits Anomus and all who slaved to build the Tomb, and a dark god has taken an interest in the evils man does to man…
10th December – Violya (In the Heart of the Mountains #2) by Rosalyn Kelly
A gifted warrior consumed by revenge. An unstoppable enemy rampaging ever closer. A ravaged country in desperate need of a ruler.
After a brutal and bloody invasion, a once powerful matriarchal nation is in chaos.
Only the shy warrior Violya can pick up the pieces and save her broken country. But an old threat – for one thousand years suppressed – has awoken. Now unleashed, it’s hell-bent on destruction.
To protect her people, Violya must cast aside her desire for vengeance, master her rare magic and find the courage to rule – and fast.
Time is running out as a prophecy is coming true. A formidable enemy is closing in to crush them all. Can Violya unite friend and foe to face the looming catastrophe before it’s too late?
She’s out for blood, but first she must master her own…
12th December – Cursebreaker (The Heretic Gods #2) by Carol A. Park
Demonspawn. Gifted. Godtouched. Banebringers are called by many names, but will they ever be called human?
After being exposed by Vaughn and the Ichtaca, the Conclave has now cast off all pretense and seized the reins of power in the Setanan Empire—and they just might have a god on their side.
Vaughn is thrust into the center of this conflict. While the Ichtaca seek political allies, he seeks a way to counter the might of a god. But the only lead he has is written in a language no one understands, and time is running out.
Ivana wants nothing more than to be left alone, but her past has a way of finding her. With the Setanan Empire falling apart around her, she’ll have to make a decision that will determine more than just her own destiny.
13th December – Lirien (5th Compass #3) by E.L. Drayton
After finding one compass and losing another, Daxton knows time is nearly running out on finding his mother now that the Paragon is after him. With little options placed before him and the lives of his friends in the balance, Daxton must decide their great escape.
Unfortunately, fate has other plans in store for him when he and his friends are kidnapped and taken to the ocean floor. There he meets Lirien, queen of the mermaids. And although there is more to Lirien than one might expect, Daxton sympathizes with her and before his time underwater is over he will change course from looking for his mother, to seeking revenge.
What repercussions will his decision hold for his future and will his friends continue to stand by him?
December – Limbo by Thiago d’Evecque
The fate of the world hinges on a forsaken spirit, a mad god in a sword, and 12 mythological beings.
The Limbo is where all souls — human or otherwise — go to after dying. Some don’t realize where they are. Death is a hard habit to get used to. Gods and mythological figures also dwell in the plane, borne from humanity’s beliefs.
A forsaken spirit is awakened and ordered to dispatch 12 souls back to Earth to prevent the apocalypse. Many don’t take kindly to the return. Accompanied by an imprisoned mad god, the spirit must compel them.
Each of the 12 unlocks a piece of the forsaken spirit’s true identity. Memories unfold and past wounds bleed again.
The journey will reveal buried truths about gods, angels, humanity, and the forsaken spirit itself.
Space for more…
November 21, 2019
Review Blog – Seraphina’s Lament by Sarah Chorn
Beautiful, haunting, damning. Grimdark poetry.
You’ll have to bear with me, my computer has crashed and I’m writing this review on my phone. Yes, I could wait until my PC is up and running again, but that could take years and I’ve already been sitting on this review for a few days while I figured out what I wanted to say about this book. Well, I’ve figured it out so I’m writing the review here and now.
Seraphina’s Lament is in some ways the epitome of what I consider to be grimdark. It’s set in a crapsack world that is literally dying, taking all life with it as it does. People are starving, eating each other, killing each other. And at the same time the kingdom is ruled by a maniacal tyrant who is strangling the population for everything he can take, and he sees spies and subversive elements in every shadow. BUT!!!! But the story is about hope. It says it from the very first chapter, lays it out for us in those first words. This story is about hope. The hope of saving a dying world.
There’s a lot of points of view for quite a short book. 8, I think. Possibly 9. But most are pretty integral to the plot and it never really gets confusing. The story is about these characters coming together, breaking down, being reborn so they can maybe, possibly, hopefully bring that same rebirth to the world. It’s messy and painful and heartbreaking in equal measure.
So the thing is, this book is beautifully written. It is poetry. It is poignant. It’s the sort of book where you find yourself rereading lines multiple times to truly appreciate not only their meaning, but how they flow together. It’s not for everyone, but if you enjoy poetic prose written with care and meaning and emotion laid bare, then it’s probably for you.
It’s not a perfect book. This isn’t epic fantasy, it’s poetic, emotional fantasy (I have no idea which subgenre to put it in). The world building is scarce, and there are more questions than answers. I also struggled to really connect to any of the characters. This is a personal issue. From the get go every one of the characters in hanging on by the barest of scrapes and we know from the beginning things are gonna get worse for them. Rather than help me connect to them, I think it made me close off a little, cauterising the wound early.
Seraphina’s Lament gets a solid 4 stars from me. It’s heart-rending, gorgeous, bleak, and poetic. A tough journey, but one well worth taking.
November 1, 2019
Review Blog – The Gutter Prayer by Gareth Hanrahan
You’ll have to forgive me if this review is a little rambly. I didn’t get near enough sleep last night and one cup of tea doesn’t appear to the have the caffeine I need to get started today… How’s that for an introduction?
The Gutter Prayer by Gareth Hanrahan is an odd book. For a start it’s written in present tense, and I for one for that hard to get into. It’s a personal thing. Present tense just seems odd to me. It took me a while to really get my head around it, and every time I came back to the book I needed a few pages to adjust. It also disappears down the rabbit hole on a fairly regular basis. We often get entire paragraphs of characters’ inner monologues and they’re delivered in stinted, chaotic sentences. I offer up these oddities so I can then say this… I fucking loved this book.
I could go into depth about the characters and how they’re an unlikable bunch of rogues who you end up both liking and rooting for. Or the way the city is described which gives it a living, lived in feel that makes it stand out fully formed in the mind. Or the pacing, or the twists… but I won’t. Instead I’m going to talk about the coolness of the book.
Hanrahan is damned inventive and gives us a host of creepy and cool monsters, demons, and gods. From the Tallowmen, basically living candles made from melted down people. To the ghouls, creatures that evolve like pokemon as they consume the dead. To the Crawling Ones, communities of worms who take the shape of people and have crazy magic sorcery. To the stone men, humans with a disease that slowly turns them to stone, giving them incredible strength and toughness, basically turning them into walking tanks, before going too far and turning into living statues. To the saints, people or things acting as a conduit for one or many of the MANY Gods that roam the world. And it’s all set against a backdrop of a Godswar. A war between Gods taking place in the world all the time, blasting it, reshaping it, reshaping the people who inhabit it. It’s a fantastically inventive setting with a whole bunch of stuff you’ve never seen before and that is something that is rare in this day and age.
Well I did warn you I would probably ramble through this review.
Was it perfect? No. There were a few points where it slowed to a crawl and seemed to go nowhere. Some of the twists were so heavily telegraphed they were obvious. But dear Gods I enjoyed the hell out of it all. It’s charming, unique, horrifying, and exciting.
A well-earned 5 stars.
October 28, 2019
Self Published Fantasy Releases – November 2019
This list is the twelfth I’ve published. That means I’ve been doing this thing for a whole year. The good news is I intend to keep going so I’ll continue to keep you all up to date on the latest self published fantasy releases… or at least the ones that I hear about. 
September 30, 2019
Self Published Fantasy Releases – October 2019
October is here and it has brought with it a whole new list of self published fantasy chomping at the bit to be released.
And while I remember, if you would like to be kept up to date with the upcoming lists, please subscribe to my newsletter by clicking this link. I don’t send out letters too often, pretty much once a month when this list goes out… and occasionally if I release a book or something.
As always, this is not a comprehensive list, but only includes all the books I have heard about so far.
If you have a fantasy novel you are self publishing in October, let me know either in the comments, or by emailing me, and I shall add it to the page. There are but 3 requirements:
1) It must be a self published fantasy novel.
2) It must have a Goodreads page.
3) It must have a cover.
27th September – Daughters of Fire & Sea #1 by Holly Karlsson
Abandoned by their mother, Elaina, at fifteen, twin sisters Lyric and Runa Graymorn are accustomed to living on their own. They’d always known there were secrets in their past, but when Elaina’s unexpected return threatens their lives, the sisters must flee from the only home they’ve ever known.
Embarking on an incredible journey deep into the Veil of the Underworld and out along the Tainted Shore, Lyric and Runa are shocked to learn myths are more real than they imagined and there is magic in their blood; magic they can use.
How will they respond to their new role as pawns at the heart of an age-old war? Will their bond survive their dangerous journey?
27th September – Crimson Bone (Kouzlo Saga #2) by L.L. McNeil
Demon hunting is all in a day’s work for Seila.
As a soulless Phantom and member of Fallow Caramond’s Kouzlo—a secret demon killing organisation based outside London—Seila is driven by little other than hunting demons.
Although she’s made new allies—Elementals, Enchantresses, and even a Djinni—and slaying demons has never been easier, working as part of a team goes against everything Seila has done before. It’s not easy to adjust to sharing her life with others, especially when she’s still no closer to reclaiming her soul and her humanity. She butts heads with Lady Tress Vitali, a demon assassin, and finds the edge of her tongue as sharp as her dragon axes.
After vanquishing Elite Demon Sekki, another has leapt in to take his place, and Seila cannot rest while London is under siege.
With Prowler Demons on the loose and half-fire Elemental Damon’s developing powers less than under control, Seila has her hands full not just coping with the growing Kouzlo, but the new Elite Demon wrecking havoc upon London.
28th September – The Fall of the Wizards Book 1: Bildungsroman by Paul Calhoun
The Fall of the Wizards follows the previously mythical adventures of the founder of modern magical society on his world, and the political fallout in the modern era of having someone so revered telling his story in his own words. Zunvect the Sunlord, god of organized magic, has been dead for 8,000 years. Unfinished business and a timely intervention by an ambitious demonologist lead to his revival. No matter what forces are arrayed against him, he must accomplish his goal. His autobiography is overdue and the book launch circuit awaits!
Volume 1 of his autobiography sees Zunvect grow up in a world where magic, music, and mathematics mix together. Dictated to the somewhat disgruntled demonologist, who insists she’s the one in control, the autobiography makes waves in the wider world. Ancient history gets political.
30th September – The Fall of Erlon (Falling Empires Saga #1) by Robert H. Fleming
As empires burn, heroes must rise.
Elisa Lannes was once heiress to the mighty Erlonian Empire. But when her mother abandons the empire and her emperor father is defeated on the battlefield and sent into exile, the world she would rule collapses around her. As enemies converge on the capital, Elisa must join with the last of the empire’s loyal soldiers to escape the evil that hunts her and her family.
With the help of her father’s generals, can Elisa find the strength to fight for her people? Or will a twist in the tide of the empire’s last war awaken an evil far greater than the enemy’s blade?
1st October – Knight Rising (The Faerie Queen #1) by Jason Hamilton
Do not wander in cursed lands alone…
Una wants only one thing, to find and kill the dragon that drove her out of her childhood home in the heart of Arthurian Britain.
When a handsome knight frees her from captivity, she learns that she is not the only one who wants the beast dead. The knight is Sir George, a messenger of the Faerie Queen and the man assigned to kill the dragon that still haunts her home.
But the road to get there contains new dangers, long shut out from this world…until now.
Together with her newfound ally, she must survive the dreaded Forest of Arden, return to her homeland, and discover what happened to her family. To get there, she will search within herself and discover an ancient, forbidden magic that is either the key to their survival, or the means to their end.
1st October – Wizardoms: Eye of Obscurance by Jeffrey L. Kohanek
In a realm where wizards rule, the ambitious contend for thrones that grant the power of a god. How can one defeat a god?
Jerrell Landish is a thief, clever, creative, and conniving to the extreme. His legendary exploits force him to use the name Jace just to remain inconspicuous. When he accepts a contract to acquire a secret, enchanted amulet, he discovers the item has already been stolen. To satisfy the leader of the Thieves’ Guild, he must track down the amulet and complete the ultimate objective:
Assassinate Wizard Lord Taladain, a man with the power of a god.
Rhoa is an acrobat, diminutive, agile, and daring. Armed with the Eye of Obscurance, she sets out to accomplish the unthinkable. Haunted by a troubled past, she cannot escape a single, all-consuming desire. She would risk anything to see Lord Taladain dead.
Taladain’s daughter, Narine, is a princess who recently graduated as a master wizardess. However, her father and brother seek nothing but power – one would use her to strengthen his position, the other views her as a threat to his future.
Can she navigate troubled waters with danger lurking at every turn?
1st October – Hunted by Steve McHugh
Cursed by witches centuries ago, Remy Roax was content with living his long life as a half-man/half-fox. But when he learned he had had undiscovered powers, he had no choice but to learn how to use them.
After relocating to North Dakota in order to practise his new found abilities, he soon finds himself in the targets of Louis Bonne, a man who wants to understand how the curse placed on Remy worked, so that he can use the souls of innocent people to make himself immortal.
Since Remy has no interest in helping, Louis Bonne sends a group of murderers intent on convincing him. But Remy isn’t some helpless bystander, and these people will soon discover that Remy isn’t the kind of fox who runs from a hunt.
1st October – Battle for Peace (The Silent Champions #2) by Andy Peloquin
A vast barbaric army is on the march. One hardened captain and his elite commandos are the kingdom’s last hope…
Captain Aravon fights to honor and avenge those who died under his command. Groomed for battle by his famous father, he’s proud to stand alongside his six special-ops officers against impossible odds. But as enemy forces surround his starving countrymen, a spy within his own ranks could turn Aravon’s mission into his final downfall.
Still scrambling to root out the traitor, he must recruit a rival warrior clan to join forces against the barbarian invaders. But when the infiltrator sabotages his plan of attack, the beleaguered captain fears his war-weary legionnaires will fall in another bloody massacre.
Outnumbered and under full assault, will Aravon taste vengeance or suffer crushing defeat?
1st October – Windwalker: Order of the Red Sons
Betrayed by those she swore to protect.
When Kiva is attacked by a group of masked men within the walls of her desert city, she is given a choice: leave, or risk the lives of her loved ones. They are the Order of the Red Sons, and they are determined to return Madina Basin to a time before female windwalkers.
As the Order’s influence spreads, Kiva discovers that no one is immune to their rhetoric, not even those closest to her. But the danger goes beyond the hearts and minds of her people, for a far more insidious purpose lurks in the heart of their leader–one that could spell disaster for every last soul in Madina Basin.
5th October – Onslaught of Madness (The Madness Wars #1) by Jesse Teller
The Drine war machine needs to be constantly fed and has turned its sights on Tienne. Warlord Rextur devoted his life to planning this invasion, so how did he lose the element of surprise? And who is this emerging rival Peter Redfist? He can’t be much of a problem. The god of destruction has long favored Rextur. His faith is strong and his legions mighty. Who could withstand their onslaught?
7th October – Rumble in Woodhollow (The Holy Sisters #1) by Jonathan Pembroke
Sydney was bored–bored with mixing potions in her aunt’s alchemy shop and bored of life in the faery homeland of Sylvan Valley. So when her sister Marla sends her a letter and asks Sydney to bring some family documents to the crime-ridden city of Woodhollow, Sydney leaps at the chance–only to discover Marla in charge of one of the criminal syndicates competing for control of the Woodhollow underworld.
Before she knows it, Sydney finds herself embroiled in a gang war and must maneuver her way through the plots of rival thugs, ogre peacekeepers, and the semi-immortal ruler of the city. And through it all, she learns she has drawn the attention of a mysterious order of assassins…who want Sydney for some sinister purpose of their own.
7th October – The Flight of the Darkstar Dragon by Benedict Patrick
Impossible world. Impossible dragon. Impossible adventure.
Lost with her ship and crew in an unfamiliar land, Min’s first command could be her last.
Nothing here behaves the way it should:
The magic that powers her skyship has been drained, rendering it immobile.
The sky is an endless twilight, lit by the luminous fish that swim in it.
Off starboard, there’s also the country-sized dragon that is looking particularly hungry.
It will take all of Min’s training and experience to get her people safely back home, but as the truth about the Darkstar Dimension begins to be revealed, Min will have to prove to her crew – and to herself – that she is still the best person for the job.
11th October – Mid-Lich Crisis by Steve Thomas
Is trying to sacrifice your estranged wife to a bloodthirsty demon an irredeemable act of evil? This is the sort of question the Dread Wizard Darruk Darkbringer struggles with. After being called evil one too many times, Darruk sets off to find a new purpose in his life and become a beloved celebrity. Can a dark wizard come to terms with himself and prove to the world that a few atrocities don’t define who he is?
25th October – Order (The Dreg Trilogy #3)
When Mara escaped the Order, she thought the worst was behind her.
She couldn’t have been more wrong.
Now, she must survive court life while undermining the Order at every turn. If the emperor discovers her secret, it will be more than just her neck on the chopping block.
But Cadmus is proving to be a more cunning foe than she’d imagined, and her complicated feelings about a certain disgraced Magi certainly aren’t helping.
Friends have become enemies and alliances will be broken, but can Mara prevent a war?
Or is war inevitable?
Mara must destroy the Order… or die trying.
29th October – Steel and Valor (The Silent Champions #3) by Andy Peloquin
A hunt for a traitor. A desperate search for salvation. An uncovered secret that could destroy everything they hold dear.
Victory over an unstoppable barbarian horde and the salvation of an allied clan are distant memories for Aravon and his Grim Reavers. Now, they have a single objective: unmask the turncoat selling vital information to the enemy, and bring to justice the one guilty of murdering Aravon’s mentor and surrogate father.
The noble quest throws the specially-trained champions directly in the path of a rampaging force of ruthless enemies. Scrambling to defend a precarious position, Aravon and his companions must rely on the courage and skill of mysterious masked warriors guarding a secret treasure.
But even with their forces bolstered, the soldiers have little hope of survival…much less victory.
Can Aravon defeat overwhelming odds to protect his people, or is his mission doomed to end in failure and death?
September 26, 2019
Review Blog – Hero Forged by Josh Erikson
I have to admit, I’m not really into Urban Fantasy. It’s just not my cup of tea. I also don’t like a lot of humour in my books. A bit of gallows humour maybe, but that’s usually about it. I say this so I can impress upon you that this book was up against it. But the author himself offered me a free copy and I know a few folk who have said it was good so… what the hell.
And I really enjoyed it.
For a quick story gumpf. We follow Gabe, a conman who is permanently broke and quite likes it that way. He a snarky arsehole who doesn’t know when to shut up. After an apparently botched B&E job, Gabe finds himself catapulted into a world filled with umbras (demons and the like), and has to navigate his way through it… while also trying to remove a god from his head. Along the way we get a sexy succubus (I’m not sure there’s any over kind) and a host of colourful characters. Sounds a bit hackneyed? Well the author manages to make it work, largely by making us empathise with a main character who is so far out of his depth he drowned about 100 pages ago.
I’m gonna point out here that the author narrated this one himself and did a bloody good job for the most part… although the voice of the God made my teeth itch.
It’s a fast paced ride full of daring jobs, twisty plots, moments of genuine emotion, and big action pieces. Honestly my only real issue is it sometimes a bit too fast paced. Some of the best moments are when the book slowed down for a moment and gave us some worldbuilding and emotional gut punches. Other times I was wishing it would slow down for a second.
So there we go. Not a long review, but they don’t all have to be. A thoroughly enjoyable urban fantasy read(listen) which is something I don’t say very often at all. 4 stars.
