Rob J. Hayes's Blog, page 11
September 16, 2019
Review Blog – The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang
Time for a preamble. I heard about this book earlier this year when a blogger I follow (that’s you, Petrik) claimed it was not only the best self published book he’d ever read, but also the best stand alone he’d ever read. This was high praise indeed so I snapped up a paperback and stuck it on my TBR shelf along with many other books. For a long time it was nestled between Poppy War and Sins of Empire… neither of which I’ve gotten around to reading yet because I read so damned slow. Anyways, a few other trusted bloggers reviewed it and gave their glowing opinions. Then it was entered into the SPFBO (Self Published Fantasy Blog Off) and I immediately thought “This one is a contender for the finals for sure”. Last month I decided it was finally time to pick it up and give it a read…
I say this next bit despite my own horse in the race. The Sword of Kaigen will win this year’s SPFBO.
We’ll start this review proper with a little comparison. The Sword of Kaigen is Avatar the Last Airbender meets Robin Hobb. Sounds a bit strange on the surface, but it really does fit. The world ML Wang has created is a place where there are nations around the world each with their own affinity for an element, and their own powers to control those elements. Delving a bit deeper, certain families within each nation have specific and powerful bloodline powers. As an example, the Matsuda family are water theonites and their bloodline ability is the power to create a whispering blade; a blade of ice that can cut through anything. For those of you who like a bit of anime, you can likely already see a few similarities to a certain ninja story.
Talking about the world… it’s large and well-realised. This is a dense book, full of lore and world building, but it never sticks out even when you’re being bombarded by words you don’t know. Some of it is Japanese (I think…) and some of it is made up terms for the world. It never feels out of place or left me wandering what was going on. You get a real sense that the story we’re following is only a small part of the world, and fairly minor in the grand schemes of things. There’s a lot happening, a lot of important world changing events, but the story is character focused.
As for the characters. They are varied and so well presented. For the most part we follow Misaki. She’s a middle aged woman with an exciting past, who has forced herself into a very traditional housewife role. And if your heart doesn’t break for her, it may just be made of whispering blade ice (sorry, had to be done). We also follow Mamoru, Misaki’s son, and a powerful theonite who is thrust into understanding of the wider world, and struggles to come to terms with it. The supporting cast are just as strong and there’s not a one that doesn’t feel like a fully realised character with their own story to tell.
ML Wang manages to inject so much emotion into the pages and the character’s plights. Just like with Robin Hobb’s works, I found my heart strings thoroughly pulled, and I was really rooting for the characters. I felt their highs, their lows, and their turmoil.
So that’s a lot of gushing. I should probably think of something negative to say, right? … … I got nothing. Honestly, I loved reading this book cover to cover.
5 stars and it painstakingly earned every single one of them.
August 27, 2019
Self Published Fantasy Releases – September 2019
September has arrived and there’s some BIG trad releases this month… but we don’t care about those, do we? We care about the smaller releases, the ones that might otherwise slip under the radar. So here we go with the September Self Pubbed releases.
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 September, 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.
26th August – Song of Shadow (Ballad of Emerald and Iron #1) by Natalya Capello
They said she was out of her mind. The dark truth will shake the foundations of the fae realm…
Lorelei refuses to believe her wild visions mean she’s insane. But despite her royal sidhe heritage, she’s banished to a remote priory to prevent her causing trouble. So when a priestess of the Elemental Order urges her to join a risky pilgrimage, she flees her prison and sails headlong into danger.
Traveling to an ancient land imbued with volatile magic, she chokes back her disbelief after unearthing evil sorcery that shouldn’t exist. And now that Lorelei holds the forbidden secrets, she fears it’s only a matter of time before the powerful Elphyne Empire silences her permanently. If the fae church’s ruthless assassins don’t hunt her down first…
Can Lorelei expose the sinister conspiracy before darkness falls forever?
30th August – Crimson Eyes (Kouzlo Saga #1) by L.L. McNeil
Seila has been slaying demons for as long as she can remember.
A Phantom, she travels the length and breadth of England in a quest to reclaim her humanity—and her soul. With her Sieken Blade, she cuts down the demons in her path while inching closer to freedom from the endless hunt.
When an Elite Demon makes sport of London’s Kouzlo—a secret organisation of supernaturals dedicated to ridding the Earth of demons and sealing the portals they slink through—its leader, an Enchantress called Fallow, implores Seila to join their cause before they’re wiped out.
Desperate to save her Kouzlo and the people they protect, Fallow pledges to help Seila reclaim her soul in return for the Phantom’s formidable skills. The demon hunter is torn between her lone hunt and joining Fallow’s decimated forces—and perhaps the chance to stop the demons once and for all.
Thrown in with Damon, a fledgling half-Fire Elemental with limited control of his powers, and Tej, a reckless human with a penchant for crossbows, can Seila and her new allies keep it together long enough to save London?
1st September – A Not So Dead Man’s Journey by C.J. Jordan
Meet Alden. Adventurer, knight, and magic wielding family man.
When a long forgotten book finds its way into the hands of Mullentide’s most magical family, one man’s epic journey home begins. Separated by a pirate raid that burns their home to the ground by the will of a madman, he must forge a path back to his family even if it means risking their very lives and those of the innocent he is sworn to protect. As deaths mount as quickly as his failures Alden must decide if being a hero is worth the price.
2nd September – Kicking Axe and Taking Gnomes by Steve Thomas
A bearded wrecking ball rampages his way through 16 hilarious adventures.
Monsters killed his parents, and Klondaeg is out for revenge. Wielding a talking battle-axe with a split personality, Klondaeg travels the world, teaming up with outlandish adventurers in search of new monsters to slay. He’ll battle lycanthropic garden gnomes, gold-devouring demons, aliens from a long-dead universe, the mighty maxotaur, an apocalyptically misguided wizard, and much, much more on his tireless quest to track down and bury every monster he can find. Klondaeg may be the world’s greatest monster hunter, but the world needs more than a monster hunter. It needs a hero.
3rd September – City of Whispers (The Famines Cycle #1) by J.D.L. Rosell
A peddler of rumors. A ruler’s untimely death. Whoever controls the secrets, controls the realm…
Oedija, Pearl of the Four Realms, is a city on the brink. Its wardens, those who can bend energy to their will, have been suppressed, killed, or driven into hiding. Its government is rife with corruption, and power has become concentrated in the hands of the ruthless. And the worst drought in a century scorches its fields and starves its people. So when Oedija’s symbolic ruler dies suspiciously, it is the spark to set the city on fire.
Hoping to make their fame and fortune, Airene the Finch and her unorthodox companions rush to solve the mystery of their ruler’s death. Sellers of rumor and scandal, they’re just scraping by, and need a big payout if they’re going to survive. And Airene has greater dreams: to be recognized as a Verifier of Truth whose calling is to root out corruption from the highest echelons of society. But the Despot’s death is only the beginning. Legends stir and rise from the past. The yokes of society begin to fray and are cast off. And an ancient threat, one that will shatter the Four Realms, is awakening…
3rd September – Shields in Shadow (The Silent Champions #1) by Andy Peloquin
Burdened with legend. Hardened by battle scars. Hellbent on bloody revenge.
As the son of a famous general, Aravon is proud to captain his own company against his people’s enemy. But the experienced veteran’s march toward glory dissolves into pain as ruthless barbarians massacre every last one of his soldiers. Burning for vengeance, he leaps at the chance to spearhead a specially-trained company and pay back his tragic defeat with blood.
Desperate to not repeat his tragic past, Aravon trains his new warriors relentlessly. But the captain fears that all the tactical drills in the world may not matter when they’re forced to defend a helpless village against overwhelming odds. As his quick raids sow chaos amongst the enemy, the bloodthirsty savages threaten to make Aravon’s nightmarish history repeat itself…
Can the captain take command of his fighting spirit before the kingdom falls to barbarous invaders?
6th September – The Magelands Origins by Christopher Mitchell
The Trials of Daphne Holdfast. Her First Command. Will it be her last…?
Daphne Holdfast is responsible for two hundred souls deep within enemy territory. It should have been easy – invade and occupy Sanang, strip the forests bare, then withdraw until the following year, ready to do it all over again. But this year something has changed. The orders to retreat have not arrived and the great forest lies dark and silent around them. Somewhere within the shadows of the trees the enemy is waiting – and thirsting for revenge.
Daphne has a decision to make – order her company to pull back and risk being condemned as a traitor, or stay to the bitter end? Retreat of the Kell. A bitter struggle to the end… The Rahain invasion was unexpected, sweeping through northern Kell in less than a season. Holding the line at a narrow pass, Killop and his twin sister, Fire Mage Keira, stand shoulder-to-shoulder, ready to do anything to defend their homeland from the overwhelming legions of Rahain soldiers advancing towards them.
With the price of failure enslavement or death, only complete victory will save their people.
8th September – Last Heir of the North #1 by J.C. Kang
The mysterious ringleader of a deep-rooted conspiracy threatens peace and stability in the realm, and only the memories of a dead woman can unearth him.
Before her death at Jie’s hands, Lilian left clues to her many secrets. Among them, the identity of a rebellion’s leader.
13th September – Ojo and the Mermaid Queen (5th Compass #2.5) by E.L. Drayton
Ojo comes from a long line of pirates. His father was a pirate. His father’s father was a pirate. Therefore, it only makes sense that he should become a pirate too. But pillaging has not always been his ambition.
Believe it or not, Ojo has always wanted to sing! Entertain and receive adulation’s from a crowd. Yet, how can he if destiny has set him on a pirate’s path?
But every now and then destiny likes to take us on a journey we could never believe possible, to test our resolve and help us figure out what we really want. In Ojo’s case, destiny will take him where he’ll be faced with a life-changing decision: Enter an American Idol-type competition with the possibility of being an MC for a newly built coliseum or continue to live the life of a pirate?
24th September – Afterlife III by Matt Moss
John Crussel lost. And his family paid the price. He’s through with Alterlife. That is until Deakins convinces him to meet Giovisi – a strange and meticulous man who owns a cleaning business. It also happens that he’s the Guildmaster of the Saviors – a mysterious guild in an even more mysterious place.
Giovisi convinces John that the threat still remains; the virus is still in Afterlife. He warns that soon, the Gamemasters will raise Thal, the God of War, and when they do, the virus will be unleashed upon all of Alterlife and the real world as well, ushering in the extinction of the human race.
The countdown to the Blood Moon has begun; the gods’ rite will bring mankind’s doom. And they’ve got the aid of the Soldiers of Justice and the King’s Blood – the two largest guilds in Alterlife. With tremendous odds stacked against them, it’s up to John Crussel and the Saviors to stop the gods before it’s too late.
Game on.
25th September – The Dragon’s Banker by Scott Warren
Finance: The lifeblood of any country’s beating heart and the life’s work of Sailor Kelstern — Merchant Banker. While wizards brood in their towers and great warriors charge into battle Sailor is more interested in the price of ore, herbs, and alchemicals carried by the trade ships.
But when a spell of bad fortune and bitter rivalry leaves him scrambling to turn a profit on little more than winds and whispers, one such whisper catches Sailor’s ear— a dragon has been seen in the west.
Sailor soon finds that the dragons are very real, and not at all what he expected. And they practice a very different sort of economy — one of subterfuge and fire.
Space for more books…
August 5, 2019
Review Blog – Rage of Dragons (The Burning #1) by Evan Winter
What a fantastic start to a fresh new epic fantasy tale.
So let’s start with this. The blurb says Rage of Dragons is Game of Thrones meets Gladiator. Well it’s very like Gladiator in many ways, but to say it’s anything like Game of Thrones is doing a disservice to both parties. This book is nothing like GoT. Nothing.
I think this is my first African-inspired epic fantasy book. I certainly can’t remember reading another one. It has a distinct flavour to it from the beginning through to the end, and it really helps to focus the immersion. In a market still largely populated by euro-centric settings, this made the book very fresh to me and I loved it. It felt new, different, and unique.
The narrator, Prentice Onayemi, was fantastic. He really helped bring the characters to life and put a lot of heart into the performance. A narrator can make or break a book when it comes to audio and Prentice certainly helped make this one. It’s fair to say I’ll be continuing the series in audio when future installments release.
So RoD is the story of a civilisation at war with its neighbours. The Omehi people are refuges/invaders and have been fighting against the native population for two hundred years. The war is unwinnable. They’re also a people who have built their society around not only war, but a rigid caste system designed to benefit those of strong blood (basically people who are taller and stronger in this case). Oh, and 1 in every 1000 (I think) women are born gifted which gives them magical powers that can tear a person’s soul out of their body into the underworld, enrage a person to make them giant killing machines, or even call down dragons. Thrown into this world we follow Tau, a commoner with no gifts or special power, or any prospects other than being just another expendable soldier. But Tau has something no one else has… a singular purpose, a drive that makes him push himself beyond his abilities and beyond his station.
There’s a lot of fighting in this book. The world Winter has created revolves around war and we follow a young man training to be a warrior. The fighting is well done with a good balance between description and narrative flow. It works well.
We only really have the one character arc. Tau is our only Point of View (mostly) and he develops naturally. At times he is frustrating as the hells, but then you don’t want your character to be perfect. Still… I wanted to crawl inside the book and slap some sense into him once or twice.
There’s quite a few twists and turns throughout and though a couple are obvious, others are not so much. It also does a fantastic job of setting up the conflict and world for the next in the series. This one is epic fantasy and makes no apologies for it. I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes next.
I have a couple of gripes. There’s some single chapter point of view swaps that make no sense to me. The rest of the book is told through Tau’s perspective and swapping heads just twice was odd and jarring. There’s also a few turns of phrase that were so awkward they pulled me out of the story to scratch my head and in one case laugh… in the middle of a gruesome battle scene. Oh and a sexy-time shaving scene. Ok, that last one is a personal niggle because shaving scenes aren’t sexy, they’re weird and awkward.
I enjoyed the hell out of RoD and can’t wait to continue with the story. I’ve no idea when book 2 will be coming out, but I’ll be picking it up as soon as it does.
I’m going with 4.5 stars for this one so I can round it up to 5. 
July 29, 2019
Self Published Fantasy Releases – August 2019
August is here and with we can only hope the oppressive heat is behind us. But just in case it isn’t, it’s worth having some good books to read. This is the August list of upcoming self published fantasy and there’s very interesting titles in it.
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 August, 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.
26th July – The Kingmaker Contest (The Source of Magic #1) by Troy Clem
A brutal contest determines the King. Does a god control the outcome?
Theo’s empathic power lies untapped, but she knows of his abilities. Is she god or something worse? The only thing that’s certain: the rage and terror warring inside Theo can obliterate the Drasque Empire—if war doesn’t first.
Theo couldn’t imagine the consequences when he stowed away. His freedom from Losik wasn’t worth war, but he didn’t know magical forces were waiting for him. In a time when whale oil and muskets replaced torches and swords, an ancient way of thinking still prevails, forcing men to kill other men for a chance to be king, and allowing a god and her blood magic warriors to bend the world to her will.
27th July – Saving the Dark Side 3: The Unbound by Joseph Paradis
The Dark Side has fallen.
All three Harbingers have been crowned. Sorronis, Decreath, and Grotton once again walk among the innocent, plaguing Aeneria with unprecedented suffering as they strive to unlock the aethers. The Sill remains as Aeneria’s last candle of hope against the rising of the Shadow Tide.
With their masters out of the fight and The Sill weaker than ever, it is now up to Cole and his friends to don the mantle of Unbound and deliver Aeneria from The Three’s deadly embrace. They must become more than themselves, and succeed where Chiron, Roth, and Alvani failed. They strike out to the farthest reaches of Aeneria, exploring lands exotic and uncharted while recruiting warriors for their cause. Yet wherever their missions take them, they find whisperings of something foul stalking every step they take.
30th July – Deadliest Bidder (Nick Teller #2) by Alan Brenik
Some debts can get you killed.
Nick Teller has spent his entire adult life hiding from other arcanists, living in fear of the ruthless Society of Arcanists and other rogues alike. He’s strived to build a quiet life for himself as a lecturer at King’s College London, softening the edges of his upbringing, but when the Prime of the Society calls in a debt, Nick is dragged back into that world he’s tried so hard to leave behind.
Prime Ascrid orders Nick to infiltrate an exclusive auction reserved for the most dangerous rogue arcanists in the world, where the prize is worth killing for and the bidding can be lethal. Nick will need to sharpen his edges and stay two steps ahead of the competition if he’s going to get his hands on the prize.
But with the Prime’s Járngrimr bodyguard watching his every move, a game-obsessed godling running the auction, and rogues circling like sharks, it’s going to take everything Nick has just to survive.
In a world of rogues, where every face hides an agenda and every smile a knife, Nick knows that the slightest misstep could get him killed, and that often the deadliest knife is the one you don’t see coming.
1st August – Royal Elves (The Hisime Ara Chronicles) by Misty D. Billman
Slavery isn’t a life, but neither is one without family.
Hisime Ara has been abused by her guardians her whole life, but at least she hasn’t been separated from her younger brother. She has nowhere to run to, and even if she did, she’d try to take her brother with her.
But everything changes when Royal Elves come to their small hamlet. Hisime sees it as a chance to finally escape, until she learns they might be after her brother.
Now she must make a choice: escape and leave him behind, or stay and fight for both of their lives. One choice means freedom, but the other is almost certain death.
Blood runs thicker than water, but is it possible for Hisime to save them both?
5th August – Dual Nature (Principles of Magic #1) by Brenna R. Singman
Kitty Guthrie is a youngster with a lot to prove–don’t we all? Even with babysitting, volunteering, and homework, she’s also planning her junior high school’s first Homecoming Dance. And on top of that? She’s learning magic! But when a spell goes haywire, Kitty needs quick help from cocky Mage Will Cavanaugh before anyone learns about her mistake! With all of these balls to juggle, one is sure to drop, and someone will have to face the music.
6th August – Heirs of Destiny (Defenders of Legend Omnibus #3) by Andy Peloquin
Kodyn expected hardships along his journey to return the kidnapped Briana to her father. Yet harsh deserts and cutthroat bandits prove far less lethal than the foes that await him in Shalandra, the City of the Dead. But he doesn’t fight alone…
Elite warrior-in-training Issa battles to earn her place as a true champion of Shalandra.
Cunning street thief Evren unmasks insidious plots to foment chaos, revolt, and bring death to the city. All the while, he fights to protect his adoptive brother, Hailen, whose mysterious powers could very well shatter the world.
Aisha, Kodyn’s companion and a fierce warrior from the north, finds herself drawn deeper into the world of the spirits. Her growing powers could lead to madness—or the salvation of everyone in Shalandra.
These young heroes face a desperate clash against death cultists, bloodthirsty criminal gangs, and the most powerful politicians in Shalandra. But will their bonds of unity triumph against greed and cruelty, or will the kingdom crumble around them?
8th August – Wrath of Storms (Raincatcher’s Ballad #2) by Steven McKinnon
A girl with terrifying powers. An assassin battling his bloodlust. And an ancient evil stirring…
Serena’s fearsome power is growing stronger. After conning her way aboard a luxury airship in search of clues about her past, she walks straight into a sky pirate’s trap. But after her powers are unleashed and apocalyptic visions invade her mind, Serena realises the greatest threat may be herself…
As Damien Fieri struggles against his bloodlust, connections in high places conspire to keep his killer instincts sharp. He’d love to confront the clandestine forces that turned him into a living weapon—but can he find a way to do it that doesn’t shed more blood?
Can Serena and Damien bend their powers for good, or will they become dangerous pawns in a much deadlier game?
9th August – The Lordless City by Matt Karlov
Arandras Kanthesi, now master of a golem army, is determined to resist the allure of his newfound power. But war is coming, and Arandras must lead his charges into the very maelstrom he sought to avoid.
The god Azador has set its sights on Spyridon, a city whose leadership is riven by discord. Eilwen, the former Woodtrader who is still haunted by the murderous beast within her, and the rogue sorcerer Clade race to defend Spyridon from threats both within and without. Yet each is torn between the good of the city and their own ambitions, and the forces arrayed against them wield a power beyond their imagining.
As the enemy cannons draw near, Arandras discovers the shocking truth about the golems he commands. Appalled, Arandras is forced to make an unthinkable decision — one where every choice will see him branded a monster…
10th August – The Thief Who Went to War (Amra Thetys #5) by Michael McClung
After barely surviving the attentions of the Knife That Parts the Night, Amra and Holgren are determined to end the threat posed by the remaining sentient, powerful Blades of the Eightfold Goddess. They are willing to risk everything to win their secret war, but can they succeed when their adversaries are cunning, powerful beyond measure, and utterly ruthless?
And even if they can, what will it cost them?
14th August – Eternal Forest (5th Compass 2) by E.L. Drayton
With two compasses in his possession, Daxton must go where no man dare tread …
Daxton thought all his troubles were over when he set out in search of his birth mother and came into possession of another compass but he couldn’t be more wrong. There are others in search of the same compasses he seeks but their reasons are completely different from his own.
Together with his friends Daxton must hide in the Eternal Forest before his compasses are taken and none of their lives spared. Can they do what no one else ever has? Enter the Eternal Forest and escape it alive. Or will they be yet another meal for the ever hungry and ever inviting knonn?
15th August – Distaff by various authors
The word Distaff has taken on a negative connotation lately. Originally a ‘distaff’ was a tool used in the spinning of wool. It refers to ‘women’s work’ in a traditionally passive-aggressive Victorian manner.
The anthology features a wide range of stories with little in common except their genre – science fiction – and the fact that they are women’s work from cover to cover.
15th August – The Greatwood Portal (Heroes of Spira #3) by Dorian Hart
The end of the world is a week away, and only Horn’s Company can stop it. All they have to do is find and rescue Ivellios, who’s been kidnapped by the Black Circle to fulfill their prophecy of freeing the all-powerful Naradawk Skewn from his prison world.
Meanwhile, Morningstar must ready her team of Ellish dream warriors to battle the vicious Aktallian Dreamborn, who continues to harass Abernathy and the archmagi. And Aravia must master the Crosser’s Maze, the most powerful and complex magical artifact ever created.
What could go wrong?
According to the goblin shaman Irligg, Horn’s Company is destined both to succeed and to fail in their quest to save the world of Spira. Kibi always says there’s no such thing as destiny, but as the forces of Charagan prepare for Naradawk’s invasion, there’s a hidden thumb on the scales of fate…
20th August – Wild Type by M. Telsch-Williams
Thane may be the most lavish of all the Circled Kingdoms, but for a woman, it’s a prison surrounded by a seventy-foot high, white wall. No rights, no education, and certainly no chance to leave.
Penn’s father knew this when he illegally taught his headstrong daughter science, shaping her love of nature and biology. He gave her only one request on his deathbed: promise to explore the uncharted Farlands in the west. Yet, Penn struggles to define herself after his death. Without his guidance, without him protecting her dreams, she’s no one. Only her father’s shadow.
But the wildness of the Farlands calls.
When Penn petitions to carry out her father’s last expedition, Thane’s President, points out her every misstep. He twists her words. He mocks her conviction. The only way the President will approve the trek is if she accepts his unreasonable demands, and his “alterations” to her proposal.
While Penn’s gut screams to be on guard and not make sacrifices, her desire to explore runs too deep to refuse. She may never get this chance again.
Survival may become her greatest act of defiance.
20th August – A Traitor in Skyhold (Mage Errant #3) by John Bierce
Hugh and his friends have, to his great displeasure, become the center of attention among the student body at Skyhold. It turns out that surviving the depths of the labyrinth and helping stop a coup both tend to attract notice. If Hugh had his way, he’d happily go back to being just another anonymous student. He has more than enough to deal with already as he starts his second year, between his crushing load of schoolwork, training as a prospective candidate to the Librarians Errant, and navigating a long distance relationship.
Oh, and the fact that Hugh and company have been dragged into trying to catch a traitor on the Skyhold Council doesn’t make life any easier. Nor does it help that the traitor is working with the demon Bakori, who lurks in the depths of the labyrinth below Skyhold, waiting for his chance at revenge.
July 16, 2019
Review Blog – Crowfall (Raven’s Mark #3) by Ed McDonald
An adrenaline-fueled ending to a fantastic series. A truly desolately hopeful fantasy.
Crowfall is book 3 of Ed McDonald’s debut series, Raven’s Mark, and the final(?) journey of Ryhalt Galharrow. And what a journey it has been. Seeing the way Ed has developed the character across the trials and tribulations of these 3 books has been a pleasure, and the narrator Colin Mace should be applauded for bringing Galharrow to life in such a fantastic way.
Book 3 skips ahead a bit of time and we start with Galharrow living in and off the Misery, a desolate wasteland of misshapen horrors, physics gone awry, and wild stray magic. It deals with the endgame from the outset, and though there are a few diversions, never loses sight of the epic final confrontation it builds to all the way.
Ed has a philosophically poetical way with the prose that reminds me of Mark Lawrence. Rarely a page goes by without a line that needs further consideration, not just for the meaning, but also for the way the words run together to give the meaning a delivery that hits home.
I always struggle to review book 3s of a series, but suffice it to say I loved this one almost as much as the previous 2 books. The philosophising occasionally got a bit out of hand, but that’s only a minor gripe in the scheme of things. A fantastic end to a fantastic series. 5 stars and well earned.
July 2, 2019
Book Review – God of Broken Things by Cameron Johnston
A fantastic conclusion to the duology and a great send off to mighty Edrin Walker.
So the Age of Tyranny duology is undoubtedly all about Edrin Walker. He’s a thief, a magus, a tyrant, and an arsehole extraordinaire. He’s also charismatic and downright fun.
God of Broken Things does exactly what it needs to as the second and final book in the series. It upped the stakes, delivered on the mysteries and promises of book 1, and gave a fitting finale to the crass, foul-mouthed bastard who we’ve been following. It also tightened things up a bit. Book 1 (The Traitor God) felt a bit slow and bloated in places. The pace occasionally meandered it couldn’t quite decide if it wanted to be a murder mystery, a dungeon crawler, or an adrenaline-fueled action spectacular. Book 2 does away with all the fat and leaves us with the grisly heart of our favourite tyrant. It has blistering battles, monstrous monsters, heartfelt reunions, and a glorious ending that just felt right.
It’s also definitely worth noting that Paul Woodson again nailed the narration. He was an entirely believable Edrin Walker and really helped bring the character to life in all his aresholic glory.
I think I gave book 1 4 stars, but I’m going for 5 stars for book 2 and for the Age of Tyranny series as a whole. An absolute joy to listen to and I’m going to miss Edrin Walker.
June 24, 2019
Self Published Fantasy Releases – July 2019
It’s almost July already! Where has the year gone? In the past 6 months I’ve been doing these lists, I’ve let you all know about over 100 new self published releases coming your way. So here’s to another 6 months and even more books!
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 July, 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.
25th June – Guild of Tokens by Jon Auerbach
She wants to level up her humdrum existence. But her next quest could spell life or death.
All Jen Jacobs has achieved in life is loneliness. So when she stumbles across a real-life game of epic quests on the streets of New York, she jumps at the chance for some excitement and gold tokens. Little does she know that the items she strives to collect hold a darker purpose…
After a particularly harrowing quest pairs her up with Beatrice Taylor, a no-nonsense and ambitious mentor, Jen hopes she’s on the path to becoming a big-time player. But as she dives deeper into the game’s hidden agenda, she realizes Beatrice has her sights set on the Guild, the centuries-old organization that runs the Questing game. And the quests Jen loves are about to put both of them in grave danger.
Will Jen survive the game before powerful forces cut her real life short?
25th June – Fortune’s Fool (Eterean Empire #1) by Angela Boord
A secret affair. A disfiguring punishment. A burning need for revenge.
Kyrra d’Aliente has a bad reputation and an arm made of metal. Cast out of the safe and luxurious world of silk to which she was born, played as a pawn in a game of feuding Houses, Kyrra navigates a dangerous world of mercenaries, spies, and smugglers while disguising herself as a man.
War destroyed her family and the man she loved. Vengeance is within her grasp.
But is she willing to pay its price?
1st July – Wisdom Lost ( Pandemonium Rising #2) by Michael Sliter
Ardia is fractured, torn apart by civil war initiated by deceit. Florens has fallen, and the rebel army of Lady Escamilla has been scattered by the Feral. Little stands in the way of the Rostanians and their ruthless rulers seizing the entire country. Amidst this rising conflict, four people seek to stem this tide. Or, to simply survive.
Fenrir, also called the Bull, Coldbreaker, Dukeslayer, and sometimes bastard, has the worst kind of luck. Instead of being dead, pierced by a dozen swords, he finds himself under the control of the most horrible person he knows: his father. And an unwelcome family reunion is made more unpleasant as clandestine and legitimate powers vie for the rule of Rostane.
Meanwhile, Hafgan Iwan breaks an oath to himself—that he would never return home. The hallowed Wasmer city of Hackeneth is not welcoming, particularly as a new god has usurped the old ways. Hafgan is torn between the world he once knew and the one he has created for himself.
Leading the exhausted and haphazard remnants of a rebel army, Lady Emma Breen seeks allies across the border, in the crumbling city of Farrow’s Hold. But when faith clashes with politics, can a faithless former handmaiden hold them all together?
And Merigold Hinter travels across oceans to the fabled Agricorinor with a wish and a warning. The wish? That she may understand her powers and take revenge. The warning? The Feral are coming, and they will tear out the throat of the world.
9th July – Darkblade Guardian (Defenders of Legend Omnibus #2) by Andy Peloquin
The Hunter may be only one who can protect a boy in need. As rival demons clamor to recruit him to their devious purpose, he wields his blade solely to atone for his bloody past. But with a killing curse buried in his soul, his struggle to restrain his evil urges could cost the lives of those he’s sworn to protect.
As the Hunter’s craving for slaughter rages, the young ward he’s grown attached to falls victim to a form of inherited mind-corrupting magic. And the only way the Hunter can pull him back from the brink of insanity is to unlock an ancient city’s dark, deadly secrets.
15th July – Dust of the Darkness (Riven Realm #2) by Deck Matthews
Fleeing the ruins of his broken life, Caleb Rusk arrives in the sleepy village of Timberford. But when a series of vicious attacks stir the community into a terrified frenzy, Caleb and his friends must join with his bound-brother, Carvesh Tarne, to defend the village from the monsters lurking in the shadows.
Meanwhile, murder continues to plague the city of Taralius. While Avendor and Tiberius struggle to uncover the truth behind a dangerous conflict they’re only beginning to understand, a new player is sent to join the game—and her’s is a kiss of death.
19th July – Amarah (World of Linaria #3) by L.L. McNeil
‘This treasure’ll make us richer than any Goldstone. All the sky pirates in Estoria, Val Sharis, heck, in all of Linaria would be on their way here if they knew where here was.’
With rampaging dragons and marauding Arillians dominating Linaria’s skies, Amarah’s quest for vengeance against the one who took everything from her seems almost impossible.
When a treasure hunt with a former ally leads to the discovery of a lost Varkain artefact, she’s plunged into the middle of an ancient war between Sevastos dragons, Varkain blood magic, and those who crave these powers for themselves.
Amarah wanted revenge. What she uncovers will change the face of Linaria forever.
21st July – Steel (Kalima Chronicles #3) by Aiki Flinthart
Even steel can be broken.
Mamlakah is once again on the brink of war, this time over who sits on the throne. Alere, Jarran, and Mina race toward Madina to claim Jarran’s inheritance as Jun First. And with a Weishi House kill-contract on her head, Alere must unlock new yanstone powers – which lead her further down a destructive path Mina cannot condone.
But Nasra Connor and Jun Fourth Hassan Wen-Gates reach Madina first, and they pave the city’s streets with blood to secure the throne. Xintou House’s students and Bonded Xintou are murdered. Mistress Li, the two Jun Seconds, and Jarran’s daughters are imprisoned and slated for execution.
Even if Alere can reach Madina in time to prevent the executions, her fighting skills are no use against Nasra and Rohne – the two most powerful Xintou in existence. Her only chance is if she and a reluctant Mina can master the yanstones. But Mina is unwilling to use the yanstones’ brutal powers against her old friends.
So Alere will gamble her mind, her life, and the sanity of everyone she loves on one, dubious, chance of victory. If she can’t prevail, Kalima will be subjugated beneath the steel will of the strongest xintou in history.
All chance of freedom… lost.
22nd July – Riwenne & the Bionic Witches (Divine Warriors #2) by Kristen S. Walker
No friend left behind.
Riwenne escaped the floating city with her life and most of her friends, but one loss haunts her nightmares. If only she could save her sister. But she’s out of magic, and nowhere is safe for the divine warriors. Defying the Empire put a price on their heads. With nothing but an airship and a few gods on their side, they need a new way to fight back!
The sun goddess is arming bionic witches with blood magic. Riwenne’s talking bird mentor, Tika, says the only magic that can stop the sun is the moon goddess. But the moon goddess was banished and even her name is forbidden. Riwenne must search for ancient clues to free the moon and get her powers back.
She’s not afraid to fight, but the battles are getting fiercer. She can’t let her broken heart get in the way. Sooner or later, she’ll have to face the one person she dreads—and this time, death is the only way. But can she live with herself if she becomes a killer?
30th July – Deadliest Bidder (Nick Teller #2) by Alan Brenik
Some debts can get you killed.
Nick Teller has spent his entire adult life hiding from other arcanists, living in fear of the ruthless Society of Arcanists and other rogues alike. He’s strived to build a quiet life for himself as a lecturer at King’s College London, softening the edges of his upbringing, but when the Prime of the Society calls in a debt, Nick is dragged back into that world he’s tried so hard to leave behind.
Prime Ascrid orders Nick to infiltrate an exclusive auction reserved for the most dangerous rogue arcanists in the world, where the prize is worth killing for and the bidding can be lethal. Nick will need to sharpen his edges and stay two steps ahead of the competition if he’s going to get his hands on the prize.
But with the Prime’s Járngrimr bodyguard watching his every move, a game-obsessed godling running the auction, and rogues circling like sharks, it’s going to take everything Nick has just to survive.
In a world of rogues, where every face hides an agenda and every smile a knife, Nick knows that the slightest misstep could get him killed, and that often the deadliest knife is the one you don’t see coming.
July – Where Loyalties Lie AUDIOBOOK by Rob J. Hayes
Everybody knows Drake Morrass is only out for himself.
As the fires of a dying city burn on a distant shore, Drake sees an opportunity to unite the other pirate Captains under his flag and claim a crown for himself. If he is to succeed he will need allies and the Oracle named Keelin Stillwater, the best swordsman in the isles, as Drake’s right hand.
With enemy ships sailing his waters and setting fire to his cities, and the sinister Tanner Black threatening to steal the throne before Drake has even sat in it, Drake must somehow convince the other Captains that his best interests are also theirs.
May 28, 2019
Self Published Fantasy Releases – June 2019
Looking for some fantastical books to read in the heat this summer? Well here’s the June list of Self Published Fantasy Releases. 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 June, 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.
28th May – A Magical Inheritance (Ladies Occult Society #1) by Krista D. Ball
Miss Elizabeth Knight received an unexpected legacy upon her uncle’s death: a collection of occult books. However, when one of the books begins talking to her, she discovers an entire world of female occultist history opened to her—a legacy the Royal Occult Society had purposely hidden from the world.
However, the magic allowing the book to speak to Miss Knight is fading and she must gather a group of female acquaintances of various talents. Together, they’ll need to work to overcome social pressures, ambitious men, and tyrannical parents, all to bring Mrs. Egerton, the book ghost, back.
30th May – Blood for the Dancer (The Horde and the Host #1) by Dallas Mullican
Dying and trapped in pain, Dustan Wheaton cries out to Heaven… but it’s a demon who answers.
Salvation comes at a price. Dustan must become the demons’ most deadly assassin, slaying angels on earth before they can recruit mortal souls into a war that has raged for eons.
With the demons fanning his hatred, Dustan is eager to kill those he blames for ignoring his prayers and allowing his parents to die. He travels the world destroying his angelic enemies until sent to face a mysterious woman.
The Dancer is unlike any foe Dustan has encountered. He finds himself inexplicably drawn to her, and for the first time, he questions his orders. Her claim that his entire life has been a lie threatens to shatter lifelong beliefs and sows doubts about his demon family.
Trusting this woman will mean turning his back on those who saved him and gave his life purpose, not to mention place a target on his back for angels and demons alike. Doubting her could mean the end of all humankind.
31st May – Search of the Lost (The Knights of Ezazeruth #1) by Thomas R. Gaskin
The Knights of Ezazeruth were the most elite warriors the world had known: toughened by war and trained in a harsh regime, they were a force to reckon with. But when the arrogant King Afthadus became afraid they would not survive, he cursed them with immortality: and so they went into exile…
2,000 years later, the dark armies of the Black, the very empire they swore to protect the world against, begin their invasion of Ezazeruth, and the ancient legends must be summoned back to fulfil their oath. This quest falls upon Havovatch, with his newly-appointed captaincy and unit of elite warriors. They must venture into the wild to find the Knights. But there is one problem: no-one knows where they are…
If Havovatch does not succeed then Ezazeruth is doomed.
1st June – A Collection of Obsessions (Short Stories) by Michael R. Fletcher
From cyberpunk to Manifest Delusions, this collection of 17 short stories is rife with Michael R. Fletcher’s obsessions. Some of these have previously been published, some have not.
1st June – Quill (The Cartographer #1) by A.C. 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?
1st June – White Sheep of the Family (Legends of Tivara novella) by J.C. Kang
A lord has been assassinated, and only an awkward boy can uncover the mastermind.
Banished from the capital, ten-year-old Zheng Tian joins the Black Lotus Clan. As son of a great lord, he is utterly unprepared for this new life– a fact complicated by his awkwardness. As of yet untrained in the arts of stealth, he is thrust into an investigation into a lord’s murder.
1st June – The Phoenix Ascension by Joe Jackson
From the ashes a new life is born.
Kari and her allies have seen numerous miracles in recent months, from the glorious rebirth of a friend to the unprecedented alliance of many peoples from across Terrassia and beyond. Now, all the pieces are in place, the military campaign known as The Phoenix Ascension ready to be put into motion. All hope – not just on Terrassia or even Citaria as a whole, but on her sister worlds of Irrathmor and Mehr’Durillia as well – now rests on the execution of this plan. Failure will mean the end of the last chance of liberating Mehr’Durillia and the deaths of the final defenders of Citaria.
Now, the time has come to find the truth behind the cunning priestess Ehren Hrykel and the god-like Tempis’ra. Will the alliance of many nations, many races, and many faiths, bolstered by the power of dragons, be enough to stand against the foothold of the demons? And what other mysteries will come to light as the heroes push toward victory?
3rd June – Warlord (Ironstone Saga #2) by Keith McArdle
As the invading army of a mad king ravages the land, Vyder seeks help from the one force that can stop them: the fierce Highland warriors of his home province. But Vyder finds he has enemies in the Highlands now — can he stay alive long enough to raise an army, and even if he succeeds will it be too late?
8th June – Children of the Dead City by Noor Al-Shanti
King Sharr of the Kingdom of Shining Waters was not a particularly brave man. When he heard that the Mad Sorcerer was creeping up the mountainside he fled the fortress city, practically handing it over to the Mad Sorcerer, and made his abode in Dalaiabeth: the King’s City. His palace lay behind high walls on one side of the great lake and Dalaiabeth lay almost defenseless on the other. Even behind the high walls of his palace the King worried. Most of all, he was afraid for his young daughter, the Lady Shila.
It was the palace blacksmith that offered the King salvation from his fears. “Why not adopt an orphan boy from the city?” he asked. “He will grow up with the Lady Shila, learn to love her as a sister, and he will protect her when the matters of the Kingdom take you away from her.”
So the King sent three trusted men to bring him a suitable boy from the city orphanage.
But it was more than three men that knocked on little Dargoth’s door the next day. His mother tried to protect him, but she was no match for the unit of trained soldiers that took her little boy, Dargoth from her, claiming that he was wanted to fight in the war.
As Dargoth and his mother struggle to reunite, the Mad Sorcerer’s relentless attacks throw their Kingdom into chaos and despair, and they find themselves up against forces and intrigues far beyond what they could have imagined.
11th June – Darkblade Avenger (Defenders of Legend Omnibus #1) by Andy Peloquin
He’s an assassin with a moral code. But playing by the rules won’t silence the beating of hell’s blackest hearts…
The Hunter spills blood to quiet the voices in his head. With his cursed dagger by his side, the feared assassin vows his ruthless gift will only strike down the wicked. So when dark enemies trick him into taking an innocent life, he unleashes the full force of his rage.
Devastated by his irreversible actions, he won’t stop until he dismantles the evil syndicate that deceived him. With each traitorous criminal he cuts down, the more determined he is to expose the secrets of the killing blade that torments his mind.
Will the truth set him free or seal his eternal damnation?
11th June – Vultures (Shadow Twins #1) by Luke Tarzian
TRUTH FROM MADNESS
In Ariath, this is more than a simple adage. For Theailys An, they are words to live by, especially in the city of Helveden, where he and his demon brethren, the dissident, are looked upon with scorn. Viewed as cohorts of the dead progenitor of Ariathan suffering, they are outcasts.
Still, Theailys has a job to do: destroy the Heart of Mirkúr and end the war for good. Though Te Mirkvahíl is dead, its progeny leak endlessly from the Heart, sowing death with their passage. With The Keepers’ Wrath, a power focus of his own design, Theailys believes there is hope to restore peace to Ariath once again.
But ending a war is easier said than done, especially for a man haunted by past tragedies and occasionally possessed by a murderous presence keen to take his body for its own. As Theailys works to forge The Keepers’ Wrath, amid a creeping shadow over Helveden, one thing becomes increasingly and horrifyingly clear:
These events have played out many times before.
14th June – Gloomwalker (Saga of the Severed #1) by Alex Lang
As a boy of eleven, Kyris made a vow to kill a man. A holy man with the blessing of a sun god. Kyris swore on his own life that he would let nothing stop him from achieving this goal.
Eight years he trained and strove, until he was ready to seek out his quarry.
His hunt leads him to the great city of Vigil, the seat of power for the Tesrin Imperium, the center of the civilized world and the stronghold of his enemy.
The one he seeks is powerful, able to call and command hallowed flames at will. But Kyris isn’t without a talent of his own, a dark ability unseen and unknown to all.
In the capital, games of intrigue are played among the merchant houses, slaves struggle against their masters, and the faithful preserve the Light to keep the Darkness at bay. But Kyris cares naught for any of it. He steals from the city’s highborn to further his cause, but when a simple job goes wrong, when a single knife thrown without thinking embroils him in the schemes of the powerful, his convictions are put to the test.
Vengeance at any cost, or so he’s always told himself. Will it be harder to fulfill that promise or walk away from it?
15th June – Clovir: An Overture (Tales of Sight #1) by Andrew Marc Rowe
What Darkness Hides Within The Murk Of Cistern Ale?
Rolf the Tavernkeeper is a man with problems. The competition is crushing his business. His sister, a single mother named Karla, has moved into the Green Dragon and the baby is not making things any easier. You don’t even want to hear what is going on with his brother, Alfred the Executioner.
When financial desperation, the family ties that bind, and a hefty dose of cowardice see Rolf make selfish choices and dark alliances, he takes a course of action sees him become embroiled in behind-the-scenes plotting with the most powerful group in the Kingdom of Thrairn. Have his fortunes finally changed? Or will his gamble see him dead before dawn?
17th June – A Ritual of Bone (The Dead Sagas #1) by Lee C. Conley
“Only valour and steel can stand against the rising dead”
Arnar is a land of warriors, its people as stalwart as the stones themselves. In a land of dark forests and ancient hill forts, a forgotten evil is awoken by curious minds.
The Great Histories and the Sagas say nothing of this evil, long passed from the memory of even the studious scholars of the College. For centuries, the scholars of Arnar have kept these records and preserved the knowledge and great deeds of a proud people. The story of these peoples forever chronicled in the Sagas of the Great Histories.
But now the evil spreads and the dead walk in its wake, terrible creatures roam the night and even the spirits are restless. The Dead Sagas could perhaps be the final chapters of these great records.
20th June – Ioth, City of Lights (Wildfire Cycle #2) by D.P. Woolliscroft
Be careful what you strive for.
The people won and now Mareth is Lord Protector of Edland. But winning an election is a lot different than governing a country, especially when the empire of Pyrfew is expanding into the Sapphire Sea. In the interests of peace, Mareth must dispatch Alana to Ioth, city of a thousand lights, to convince the ruling merchants to turn their back on the empire. Neenahwi, armed with the knowledge revealed to her in her coming of age ceremony, desperately wants to determine Pyrfew’s plans and to take the fight to the emperor. But Llewdon, ancient elven emperor of Pyrfew, has had decades to develop his schemes and his agents are embedded in the least expected places. Everything seems to revolve around the disappearance of Jyuth’s master a millennia ago.
Will the heroes of Kingshold be able to survive fire belching ships, strange slimes, sinister doppelgängers, demon dogs, greedy merchants and past vices to lead Edland to safety?
21st June – Spire and the Dragonwood Affair (5th Compass #1)
You’ve read about Captain Silverblade and the sacrifice she had to make to save her life and the life of her child. But what about her pirate captains? She trusted them with her very souls and asked them to hide each compass where no one could find them.
Find out about the journey of each compass and the pirate captains charged to hide them.
Captain Spire must return to his childhood home. A place that he had to flee from or risk being beaten to death by four large and angry brothers. But the possibility of getting revenge on an evil landowner of immense power and influence in Dragonwood and seeing the woman he had to leave behind is too much for him to pass up.
25th June – Guild of Tokens by Jon Auerbach
She wants to level up her humdrum existence. But her next quest could spell life or death.
All Jen Jacobs has achieved in life is loneliness. So when she stumbles across a real-life game of epic quests on the streets of New York, she jumps at the chance for some excitement and gold tokens. Little does she know that the items she strives to collect hold a darker purpose…
After a particularly harrowing quest pairs her up with Beatrice Taylor, a no-nonsense and ambitious mentor, Jen hopes she’s on the path to becoming a big-time player. But as she dives deeper into the game’s hidden agenda, she realizes Beatrice has her sights set on the Guild, the centuries-old organization that runs the Questing game. And the quests Jen loves are about to put both of them in grave danger.
Will Jen survive the game before powerful forces cut her real life short?
25th June – Fortune’s Fool (Eterean Empire #1) by Angela Boord
A secret affair. A disfiguring punishment. A burning need for revenge.
Kyrra d’Aliente has a bad reputation and an arm made of metal. Cast out of the safe and luxurious world of silk to which she was born, played as a pawn in a game of feuding Houses, Kyrra navigates a dangerous world of mercenaries, spies, and smugglers while disguising herself as a man.
War destroyed her family and the man she loved. Vengeance is within her grasp.
But is she willing to pay its price?
June – The Narrows AUDIOBOOK by Travis M. Riddle
“I can show you how to enter the Narrows to find what you seek.”
Oliver and his friends have returned to their hometown of Shumard, Texas for the funeral of their close friend Noah. They each grapple with the loss in their own ways, trying to understand the strange circumstances of their friend’s unexpected death.
While visiting the site where the body was found, Oliver stumbles across a chilling discovery that he knows must be related to what happened to Noah. Wanting to protect his friends from these newfound horrors, Oliver takes it upon himself to venture into the grotesque otherworld known as the Narrows to learn what happened to his friend and find a way to bring him back.
Entering the Narrows is one thing, but will whatever he finds there allow him to leave?
June – Never Die AUDIOBOOK 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.
Self Published Fantasy Releases – June
Looking for some fantastical books to read in the heat this summer? Well here’s the June list of Self Published Fantasy Releases. 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 June, 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.
28th May – A Magical Inheritance (Ladies Occult Society #1) by Krista D. Ball
Miss Elizabeth Knight received an unexpected legacy upon her uncle’s death: a collection of occult books. However, when one of the books begins talking to her, she discovers an entire world of female occultist history opened to her—a legacy the Royal Occult Society had purposely hidden from the world.
However, the magic allowing the book to speak to Miss Knight is fading and she must gather a group of female acquaintances of various talents. Together, they’ll need to work to overcome social pressures, ambitious men, and tyrannical parents, all to bring Mrs. Egerton, the book ghost, back.
30th May – Blood for the Dancer (The Horde and the Host #1) by Dallas Mullican
Dying and trapped in pain, Dustan Wheaton cries out to Heaven… but it’s a demon who answers.
Salvation comes at a price. Dustan must become the demons’ most deadly assassin, slaying angels on earth before they can recruit mortal souls into a war that has raged for eons.
With the demons fanning his hatred, Dustan is eager to kill those he blames for ignoring his prayers and allowing his parents to die. He travels the world destroying his angelic enemies until sent to face a mysterious woman.
The Dancer is unlike any foe Dustan has encountered. He finds himself inexplicably drawn to her, and for the first time, he questions his orders. Her claim that his entire life has been a lie threatens to shatter lifelong beliefs and sows doubts about his demon family.
Trusting this woman will mean turning his back on those who saved him and gave his life purpose, not to mention place a target on his back for angels and demons alike. Doubting her could mean the end of all humankind.
31st May – Search of the Lost (The Knights of Ezazeruth #1) by Thomas R. Gaskin
The Knights of Ezazeruth were the most elite warriors the world had known: toughened by war and trained in a harsh regime, they were a force to reckon with. But when the arrogant King Afthadus became afraid they would not survive, he cursed them with immortality: and so they went into exile…
2,000 years later, the dark armies of the Black, the very empire they swore to protect the world against, begin their invasion of Ezazeruth, and the ancient legends must be summoned back to fulfil their oath. This quest falls upon Havovatch, with his newly-appointed captaincy and unit of elite warriors. They must venture into the wild to find the Knights. But there is one problem: no-one knows where they are…
If Havovatch does not succeed then Ezazeruth is doomed.
1st June – A Collection of Obsessions (Short Stories) by Michael R. Fletcher
From cyberpunk to Manifest Delusions, this collection of 17 short stories is rife with Michael R. Fletcher’s obsessions. Some of these have previously been published, some have not.
1st June – Quill (The Cartographer #1) by A.C. 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?
3rd June – Warlord (Ironstone Saga #2) by Keith McArdle
As the invading army of a mad king ravages the land, Vyder seeks help from the one force that can stop them: the fierce Highland warriors of his home province. But Vyder finds he has enemies in the Highlands now — can he stay alive long enough to raise an army, and even if he succeeds will it be too late?
11th June – Darkblade Avenger (Defenders of Legend Omnibus #1) by Andy Peloquin
He’s an assassin with a moral code. But playing by the rules won’t silence the beating of hell’s blackest hearts…
The Hunter spills blood to quiet the voices in his head. With his cursed dagger by his side, the feared assassin vows his ruthless gift will only strike down the wicked. So when dark enemies trick him into taking an innocent life, he unleashes the full force of his rage.
Devastated by his irreversible actions, he won’t stop until he dismantles the evil syndicate that deceived him. With each traitorous criminal he cuts down, the more determined he is to expose the secrets of the killing blade that torments his mind.
Will the truth set him free or seal his eternal damnation?
11th June – Vultures (Shadow Twins #1) by Luke Tarzian
TRUTH FROM MADNESS
In Ariath, this is more than a simple adage. For Theailys An, they are words to live by, especially in the city of Helveden, where he and his demon brethren, the dissident, are looked upon with scorn. Viewed as cohorts of the dead progenitor of Ariathan suffering, they are outcasts.
Still, Theailys has a job to do: destroy the Heart of Mirkúr and end the war for good. Though Te Mirkvahíl is dead, its progeny leak endlessly from the Heart, sowing death with their passage. With The Keepers’ Wrath, a power focus of his own design, Theailys believes there is hope to restore peace to Ariath once again.
But ending a war is easier said than done, especially for a man haunted by past tragedies and occasionally possessed by a murderous presence keen to take his body for its own. As Theailys works to forge The Keepers’ Wrath, amid a creeping shadow over Helveden, one thing becomes increasingly and horrifyingly clear:
These events have played out many times before.
15th June – Clovir: An Overture (Tales of Sight #1) by Andrew Marc Rowe
What Darkness Hides Within The Murk Of Cistern Ale?
Rolf the Tavernkeeper is a man with problems. The competition is crushing his business. His sister, a single mother named Karla, has moved into the Green Dragon and the baby is not making things any easier. You don’t even want to hear what is going on with his brother, Alfred the Executioner.
When financial desperation, the family ties that bind, and a hefty dose of cowardice see Rolf make selfish choices and dark alliances, he takes a course of action sees him become embroiled in behind-the-scenes plotting with the most powerful group in the Kingdom of Thrairn. Have his fortunes finally changed? Or will his gamble see him dead before dawn?
17th June – A Ritual of Bone (The Dead Sagas #1) by Lee C. Conley
“Only valour and steel can stand against the rising dead”
Arnar is a land of warriors, its people as stalwart as the stones themselves. In a land of dark forests and ancient hill forts, a forgotten evil is awoken by curious minds.
The Great Histories and the Sagas say nothing of this evil, long passed from the memory of even the studious scholars of the College. For centuries, the scholars of Arnar have kept these records and preserved the knowledge and great deeds of a proud people. The story of these peoples forever chronicled in the Sagas of the Great Histories.
But now the evil spreads and the dead walk in its wake, terrible creatures roam the night and even the spirits are restless. The Dead Sagas could perhaps be the final chapters of these great records.
20th June – Ioth, City of Lights (Wildfire Cycle #2) by D.P. Woolliscroft
Be careful what you strive for.
The people won and now Mareth is Lord Protector of Edland. But winning an election is a lot different than governing a country, especially when the empire of Pyrfew is expanding into the Sapphire Sea. In the interests of peace, Mareth must dispatch Alana to Ioth, city of a thousand lights, to convince the ruling merchants to turn their back on the empire. Neenahwi, armed with the knowledge revealed to her in her coming of age ceremony, desperately wants to determine Pyrfew’s plans and to take the fight to the emperor. But Llewdon, ancient elven emperor of Pyrfew, has had decades to develop his schemes and his agents are embedded in the least expected places. Everything seems to revolve around the disappearance of Jyuth’s master a millennia ago.
Will the heroes of Kingshold be able to survive fire belching ships, strange slimes, sinister doppelgängers, demon dogs, greedy merchants and past vices to lead Edland to safety?
21st June – Spire and the Dragonwood Affair (5th Compass #1)
You’ve read about Captain Silverblade and the sacrifice she had to make to save her life and the life of her child. But what about her pirate captains? She trusted them with her very souls and asked them to hide each compass where no one could find them.
Find out about the journey of each compass and the pirate captains charged to hide them.
Captain Spire must return to his childhood home. A place that he had to flee from or risk being beaten to death by four large and angry brothers. But the possibility of getting revenge on an evil landowner of immense power and influence in Dragonwood and seeing the woman he had to leave behind is too much for him to pass up.
June – The Narrows AUDIOBOOK by Travis M. Riddle
“I can show you how to enter the Narrows to find what you seek.”
Oliver and his friends have returned to their hometown of Shumard, Texas for the funeral of their close friend Noah. They each grapple with the loss in their own ways, trying to understand the strange circumstances of their friend’s unexpected death.
While visiting the site where the body was found, Oliver stumbles across a chilling discovery that he knows must be related to what happened to Noah. Wanting to protect his friends from these newfound horrors, Oliver takes it upon himself to venture into the grotesque otherworld known as the Narrows to learn what happened to his friend and find a way to bring him back.
Entering the Narrows is one thing, but will whatever he finds there allow him to leave?
June – Never Die AUDIOBOOK 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.
April 29, 2019
Self Published Fantasy Releases – May 2019
May is just around the corner and (along with my Birthday) there’s a bunch of new self published fantasy books releasing. 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 May, 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.
On to the list… and this month I get to cheekily start with one of my own.
