Rob J. Hayes's Blog, page 9
April 29, 2020
The book that nearly killed me
I released a book yesterday and my anxiety levels have possibly never been higher. I have never been more scared to put a book out there than I am with this one. Why? Because this book… THIS BOOK almost killed me. It made me question myself as an author. It very nearly made me give up, not just on the book, but on the career. Yup… for a while it was that bad.
But first let me set the scene a little. I finished book 1, Along the Razor’s Edge, at the very tail end of 2016. It flew out of me, and generally when I write a book that quickly, it’s because I am loving it and am deep within the narrative. It’s a story that needs to be told, even if I don’t know where it’s going while I’m writing it. Eska was such a powerful character in my mind, she demanded to be put on the page and to see the world. Honestly, there was simply no arguing with her.
But then 2017 happened…
Early 2017 saw me in a bit of turmoil. I split with my publisher at the time, and also hadn’t been paid for about a year, so was struggling a little. OK, a lot. I was struggling a lot! That aside, I sat down to write Eska’s 2nd book.
And the real struggle began.
That first version of The Lessons Never Learned was like wading into a stormy ocean. I had to pull every damned word out of me, and they never seemed to fit the way I wanted them to. It all felt so wrong and stinted and forced. Every day saw me clenching my teeth, dragging a few hundred words onto the page, and then feeling like I hadn’t gotten anywhere.
Fear struck me pretty hard. The story wasn’t flowing, and I just couldn’t make it work. I honestly thought I had lost Eska’s voice, and I couldn’t seem to find it again. She went from a force of nature to flat and unemotional. Robotic.
But I persevered and finished the book, thinking as long as I could get the story down, I could go back and fix it all in edits. Make the awkward phrases pop flow and actually mean something. Bring the characters back to life and have them steer their own path instead of me forcing them along it step by grueling step. At that time it sat at about 110k, on the small side, but still just about longer than book 1. But there was a problem.
I hated it! I thought it was a terrible book. I knew it was a terrible book. Eska’s fire seemed diminished, and she didn’t really do anything, and the book just kinda plodded along and nothing happened. There were some good ideas, sure, but it lacked purpose and emotion. Regardless, I sent the book to my alpha readers, thinking maybe I was wrong and just needed some distance.
I was not wrong.
When your alpha readers, people who generally like your work enough to sign up for such a task, come back to you and say the book is terrible… listen! When they all come back and say the same thing… listen! Thankfully, I did. They had no answers, because that’s not their job, but they were united and resolute. Book 2 was a stinker and should be snuffed from existence. I agreed wholeheartedly, and the problem was I had no answers either.
I’d lost it. And I couldn’t figure out how to get it back. How to fix it. I didn’t even really know where I had gone wrong. All my ideas had just not worked. The story I had in my head turned out to go nowhere and Eska just vanished.
The series was dead.
I put it down, and shoved both books into an archive file that I knew would never see the light of day again. It is a place where aborted stories go to die. Then I drifted, playing with a couple of projects my heart was never really in. It was a time of heavy sighs, large tipples, and depression that put a lot of strain of every part of my life. I was not a very fun person.
By mid 2017 things were starting to look up. My split from my publisher was complete and I finally had my rights back. This meant I had books on sale once more and was actually making money. Not much, but it allowed me to pay a few bills.
So right now, I think it’s time to stop and point out that my wonderful wife-not-wife, Vicki, supported me both emotionally and financially through all of this. Without her, I honestly don’t know how I would have coped. I don’t think I would have coped. I played the stereotypical starving artist and she loves me enough not to kick me out on my arse, and I don’t think I can ever thank her enough for that.
So, mid 2017 and now not only did I have books on sale again, but my piratical novel, Where Loyalties Lie, was in the finals of the SPFBO (That’s the Self Published Fantasy Blog Off, run by Mark Lawrence). I was starting to feel a little more happy about my career for the first time in about 2 years… Because about 2 years prior was when I signed up with my ex-publisher. We’ll just file that whole debacle under mistakes were made.
During this depressive down time, I had spent quite a few of my nights going back to the things that had inspired my imagination in the old days. I found a few new anime to watch, along with a couple of old favourites (Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood is watched roughly once a year!). I also dug out a bunch of my old Martial Art Cinema films. I’ll admit, a lot of those aren’t deep and meaningful… they’re kinda just big excuses for spectacular fights sometimes. But sometimes that’s what you need. It’s what I needed. Stories about good vs evil, played out in punches and kicks. Stories about loss and redemption and overcoming the odds. Stories about mortals punching Gods because they were so damned determined to win.
Now with a bit more pluck and optimism to my step, I had a new idea for a novel about samurai and shinigami and lots of fighting. So, I wrote that. It flew out of me, and for the first time since writing Along the Razor’s Edge, I thought maybe I hadn’t lost it.
Time to admit that I am constantly plagued with fears that I have lost it, and my last decent book will be my last decent book. I know these fears aren’t unique to me, so if you also suffer from them, you’re not alone and the fears are shit!
Anyways, speaking of Along the Razor’s Edge (we’ll just call it AtRE from here on out), it kept repeating on me. I couldn’t get the book and the characters (mostly Eska) out of my head. I finished my anime and martial art inspired novel, Never Die, towards the end of 2017, and picked up AtRE again and read it.
And loved it!
The Lessons Never Learned (TLNL) made me want to give up on the series, but Eska just wouldn’t let me. I felt she deserved a better book 2! And I couldn’t just give up because I loved book 1 so much that I wanted to share it.
That’s the thing that drives me hardest as an author. I have stories I want to tell, to share with people. Yes, they’re all make believe stories that exist in my head, but I just love inflicting them upon others.
So after reading AtRE again, I picked up TLNL again and read it through. It still sucked. I mean, really REALLY sucked. But in that re-reading of it, I figured out why it sucked. Where I had gone SO wrong.
When I was writing it, I felt lost in my own life. I had just split with my publisher, I had no books for sale, my career felt like it was dead-ending. And I had no idea what I was doing. Subconsciously, I put all that into the book, and not in a good way. I felt rudderless, and so Eska became rudderless… which killed her character because Eska is not the type to sit still. It was a terrible book, but I had finally figured out why it was a terrible book. And that gave me some hope.
At this point I think I really worried the wife-not-wife because I was talking about trying again with book 2. She saw how the first attempt almost killed me. But she supported my decision to give it a go once more… and give it a go I did.
I started by gutting the novel. Out of 110k, I deleted all but about 20k, and much of that 20k was put in an archive to be chopped up for parts. I started again. But I didn’t just delete the words, I scrapped the plot and started again, took it in a new, more exciting direction. It was always my intention for book 2 to be wildly different to book 1, as the setting goes from entirely underground, to the open world, but I wanted more magic, more mystery, more coolness, and more emotion. So I did it all.
I re-wrote The Lessons Never Learned from the ground up, keeping only a few of the story elements, and making everything bigger and better. I gave Eska her purpose back. And Eska being herself kinda ran with it, took my ideas and made them her own. It’s pretty much her thing.
The second version of TLNL flew out of me once more, and by the gods was I happy about that! When I had finished it, I sent it to my alpha readers, promising it was different than the last version and in every way that was good. The first response I received was one word.
“YES!”
I took it as encouragement.
So there we go. The Lessons Never Learned was the most difficult book I have ever written. It almost made me give up on the series, and it made me question myself as a writer, both my ability and my future.
It turns out The Lessons Never Learned is a somewhat ironic title in that I learned more while writing this book (both damned times!) than any other before or since. And it is now the book I am most proud of in my entire catalogue.
And I hope never to have to write the same book twice
ever again. Ever! But that doesn’t mean I won’t, if that’s what it takes.
So that’s my story. It has its highs and lows, a plucky young underdog who refuses to be put down. A rise from the grave to new levels of power. And the ultimate victory of words over the blank page. All it’s missing is a wise old mentor and a training montage.
The best I can hope is that my telling of this story helps someone else who might be going through something similar. Because this can be a real tough industry and often it feels like we’re all alone in it. But we’re not!
Thank you for taking the time read this.
April 27, 2020
Self Published Fantasy Releases – May 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 May 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.
28th April – The Lessons Never Learned (The War Eternal #2) by Rob J. Hayes
I am the weapon.
Eskara is free of the Pit, but far from safe. She is beset by the ghosts of those she has killed, and plagued by the ancient horror that possesses her. Enemies dog her heels, determined to see the last Orran Sourcerer dead. Worse still, there is new player in the game, one far more dangerous than anything she has faced before.
But there is one place that might offer her both the safety she needs to survive, and the power she needs to strike back; Ro’shan, the flying home of a God.
Eska will soon learn that all power comes with a cost, and some prices are too high.
28th April – Of Honey and Wildfires by Sarah Chorn
From the moment the first settler dug a well and struck a lode of shine, the world changed. Now, everything revolves around that magical oil.
What began as a simple scouting expedition becomes a life-changing ordeal for Arlen Esco. The son of a powerful mogul, Arlen is kidnapped and forced to confront uncomfortable truths his father has kept hidden. In his hands lies a decision that will determine the fate of everyone he loves—and impact the lives of every person in Shine Territory.
The daughter of an infamous saboteur and outlaw, Cassandra has her own dangerous secrets to protect. When the lives of those she loves are threatened, she realizes that she is uniquely placed to change the balance of power in Shine Territory once and for all.
Secrets breed more secrets. Somehow, Arlen and Cassandra must find their own truths in the middle of a garden of lies.
30th April – A Dark Inheritance (Hollow Fate #1) by Todd Herzman
Their parents are long dead. They were never told of the power that runs in their family. Nor the dangers that power could lure toward them…
Ruben is a prisoner. His captor, a blood mage, commands loyalty with an unbreakable bond. As Ruben tries to resist the blood mage’s pull, he realises he has a power of his own. His desire to become stronger takes him to dark places, driving him to do even darker things. If he can gain his freedom, will he be able to return to the life he once knew, after all he has done?
When Ella’s brother Ruben is kidnapped, she vows to rescue him. But Ella’s never left her village, never swung a sword. On her journey, she finds a courage she never knew she had. And something else—a strength deep within. An Affinity for magic she yearns to understand. While her newfound power buoys her confidence, the discovery of who holds her brother captive makes her wonder if it will be enough.
Marius, his brother and sister gone, doesn’t know what to do with himself. Until a Tahali monk, a man who can move things with his mind and heal with a touch, comes to town. When the monk discovers Marius’s powers—powers Marius never knew he had—he offers him the chance to become an apprentice. But the road to the Tahali mountains is no longer safe, and a dark evil hounds them on their way.
1st May – Traitor (A Crown of Lilies #1) by Melissa Ragland
A rebellious heiress. An oath-sworn warrior. A hidden princess.
Born a daughter when she should have been a son, Elivya is far from the conventional female heir. Though sword and dagger call to her, her destiny lies at court, putting to use an equally unorthodox set of skills to lure a respectable husband and assure the continuation of her dwindling House. The coveted son and heir of a powerful noble family quickly catches her eye, but securing an advantageous marriage is not the only challenge that awaits her as she enters society. An enemy has infiltrated the royal court, whispering in the King’s ear and sowing the seeds of war. What hard-won skills Elivya has accrued will be put to the test in a desperate bid to save her homeland, an endeavor that will require her to do the unthinkable: commit treason.
1st May – The Lantern-Lit City (Sovereigns of the Dead #1) by Vista McDowall
Ultimate evil is simple to denounce…unless that evil lives in you.
Cara is a monster. Inside her dwells a creature akin to the undead prowlers that roam the kingdom. When a mysterious man kidnaps her lady, Cara ties her identity to the quest to free her. If she succeeds in the rescue, it will prove that she’s not evil. But danger lurks along the way to the fabled city Riverfen. Cara’s inner beast is a benefit and a curse, saving her life and endangering her in turn. As she gives into it more and more, Cara fears what such a bonding will produce.
As Cara battles her inner self, Princess Gwen hides her forbidden sorcery from the world. After being forced to flee her home by an anti-magic Inquisition, Gwen finally has the chance to pursue her enchantments. But her spellcasting provokes the very man whom Cara pursues.
Each woman’s power could free her…or doom the lantern-lit city.
4th May – The Apprentice in the Master’s Shadow (Legends of the Order #2) by Ian Gregoire
Sometimes Respect Has To Be Earned The Hard Way.
The end of an arduous apprenticeship is close at hand, and Kayden Jayta unexpectedly learns that being the favoured apprentice of a living legend is not conducive to gaining the respect she deserves. With little time left to change perceptions, simmering resentment persuades her that drastic action is required to redress the slights of her detractors. Measures that may jeopardise her induction into the Order, and endanger her life.
An overheard conversation presents Kayden with both the means and justification to pursue her objective. The key to attaining the respect she craves lies beyond the borders of the Nine Kingdoms. But the window of opportunity is small; the danger she must face, great; and the price of failure, greater still. Undeterred, she will allow nothing and no one to hinder her from the path she must walk.
The one-woman mission to a foreign land will test Kayden’s abilities like never before. If she is to succeed in her dangerous manhunt, she must overcome enemies new and old before facing an adversary she maybe ill-equipped to defeat. And little does she suspect that her reckless endeavour will have unintended consequences, forcing the legendary Fay Annis to confront her infamous past.
But the trials and tribulations that lie ahead must surely be worth the risk, for only unprecedented action will permit the headstrong apprentice to step out of her master’s shadow.
12th May – Wavebreaker (Stone War Chronicles #2 Part 2 of 2) by A.J. Norfield
The Stone King’s ships continue to spread across the known world, razing city after city. Serving High General Setra, Bronson is in the middle of it—protecting the twisted monster that holds his mother’s and twin sister’s lives in his hands.
In Aeterra, Raylan and his friends finally get their chance to warn the king and council, but with Xi’Lao imprisoned in the castle’s dungeon, Raylan doubts where his loyalty should lie. He has no intention to abandon his friend, but the king’s orders are law and not everyone in their squad is willing to risk the noose. Then, with things going from bad to worse, help arrives from the most unlikely of places.
Further south, the times of plenty have arrived on the red plains. Trista, Decan and Dalkeira do their best to fit in with the tribe, but conflict brewing beneath the surface does not make it easy. Shiri’s rivalry with the red-haired newcomer escalates and the first huntress’ actions lead to unforeseen consequences that might very well herald the end of the Minai.
15th May – Dragon’s Reach (The Keeper Origins #1) by J.A. Andrews
Sable can feel truth and lies in other people’s words. Luckily, no one can feel them in hers.
For the past ten years, Sable’s used her powers to navigate the dangerous slums of Dockside. Indebted to the ruthless gang boss Kiva, she’s been forced to steal for him, handing over every cent she takes.
Orphaned young, she’s done everything she can to protect her little sister Talia, including lying to her. Sable’s downplayed the dangers of Dockside, hid the stash of money she’s skimmed, while working tirelessly to earn their freedom.
But just when Sable might actually pay off her debt, Kiva discovers her lies, and uses them to drag Talia deeply into his web. Unable to free her sister, and pursued by Kiva’s thugs, Sable must escape the city with a traveling theater troupe, until things settle down.
As she travels and acts with a dwarf, a kobold, some book-loving magic wielders, and an overly-dramatic actress, she finds the freedom she’s longed for.
And discovers her powers are stronger than she thought.
But life outside the city is anything but safe. On the fringes of civilization, the troupe discovers an invading force, long thought to be an ally, is headed straight for her city – and everyone she had to leave behind.
The troupe returns to warn them, and Sable must play a dangerous role, exposing herself to Kiva, and defying the leaders of the city while she tries to convince the people of what is coming.
She’ll have one chance to speak the truth to the world—and hope the world will listen.
19th May – The Jealousy of Jalice by Jesse Nolan Bailey
The Realms have split apart, the Stones of Elation have been hidden, and warnings of dokojin drift among the tribes.
The land and its people are corrupted. The Sachem, chief of the Unified Tribes, is to blame.
It is this conviction that drives Annilasia and Delilee to risk their lives. Afraid of the aether magic he wields, they enact a subtler scheme: kidnap his wife. In her place, Delilee will pretend to be the chieftess and spy on the Sachem.
Unaware of this plot against her husband, Jalice is whisked away by Annilasia. Pleading with her captor proves futile, and she rejects Annilasia’s delusional accusations against the chief. After all, the Sachem has brought peace to the land.
Yet a dangerous truth hides in Jalice’s past. As she and Annilasia flee through a forest of insidious threats, they must confront the evil plaguing the tribes and the events that unleashed it.
26th May – From Cold Ashes Risen (The War Eternal #3) by Rob J. Hayes
The Corpse Queen Comes.
Eskara has lost everything. The War Eternal has cost her everything she loves, and the Iron Legion has taken the rest. Yet there is something that is still hers, something that kept her warm during her time in the Pit. Anger and a lust for vengeance. First on the list of those who must pay, the Emperor of Terrelan.
Her friends counsel peace, but her inner demons push for war, and Eska finds herself caught in the middle. Will she find a way to reap her vengeance? Or will the enemies of her past catch up to her first?
One thing is certain. The world will soon know fear when the Corpse Queen ascends her throne.
26th May – Objects of Power (Fate of Wizardoms #4) by Jeffrey L. Kohanek
Prophecy foretells the Dark Lord’s rise, sparking a desperate quest for magical relics.
A ruthless wizard lord conquers a neighboring wizardom, increasing his magic far beyond mere mortals. The more power he gains, the more he craves.
While wizardoms war against one another, the Dark Lord rises. An army of monsters invades, sending the world toward the brink of doom.
A team of misfits find themselves the fulcrum point of destiny, their world teetering upon their actions, certain to crumble should they fail. Led by cryptic passages from a dark prophecy, these heroes set off on two separate quests.
One expedition leads to the Enchanter’s Isle, rumored to hide a mysterious object known as the Band of Amalgamation. The other involves the Arc of Radiance, a sacred object protected by a lost race of elves.
What power might these two enchanted relics unlock? Will they be located before it is too late?
Space for more…
April 1, 2020
Along the Razor’s Edge Paperbacks
I seem to be making something of a habit of these apology posts after releasing a book. But at least this time I can honestly say, it’s not my fault.
I’ve received word from a number of readers that there have been delays regarding the Along the Razor’s Edge paperbacks. This one is entirely out of my hands unfortunately. Be it down to the print on demand service, or on Amazon’s delivery, the apocalypse has caused delays.
The gist of it is, the paperback is showing as out of stock, and even some of those who have had it on pre-order don’t have their copies. I am so very sorry. Your books will arrive, but I have no control over when.
What I do have control over, is the little compensation I can offer. So, if you have ordered a paperback copy of Along the Razor’s Edge and it hasn’t arrived, please don’t hesitate to contact me at robjhayes1@gmail.com. I will happily send you an ebook or audiobook of your choice from my catalogue as a way of apology.
Again, I’m very sorry about the delays. Stay safe all!
March 31, 2020
Self Published Fantasy Releases – April 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 February 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.
27th March – Wynter’s Edge by Lucas Pederson
In an age where nanobots (nites) take the form of mythical creatures like dragons and become the scourge of the world, only a sacred few rise out of the shadows to battle them. Technosorcerers. Warrior sorcerers wielding the only weapons and spells able to take down a nite creation.
Wynter is one of the best technosorcerers in the world and when someone needs a nite creation taken out, she’s the one they call. But when a powerful, yet shady group called the psychonauts kidnap her daughter they give her a choice.
Kill the President of the United States, or her daughter dies.
The President is no longer the President, they claim, but a nite creation and Wynter must stop the nites before they fully infiltrate the Government and spread. But nothing is what it seems. Darkness strangles the light, giving way to Wynter’s greatest foe.
And, perhaps, her final battle.
30th March – Along the Razor’s Edge (The War Eternal #1) by Rob J. Hayes
No one escapes the Pit.
At just fifteen Eskara Helsene fought in the greatest war mankind has ever known. Fought and lost. There is only one place her enemies would send a Sourcerer as powerful as her, the Pit, a prison sunk so deep into the earth the sun is a distant memory. Now she finds herself stripped of her magic; a young girl surrounded by thieves, murderers, and worse. In order to survive she will need to find new allies, play the inmates against each other, and find a way out.
Her enemies will soon find Eskara is not so easily broken.
31st March – The Pursuit of Wolves (The Nine Fold Gate #2) by Michael S. Evans
The dead god Gilliath has returned, and is searching the world for the remaining parts of his scattered soul. Tasked by the goddess of death to stop him, Brennus, Iordanis, Ravenna and Connor must first find him, then learn how to contain him. But other powers are moving across the world and soon the specter of war begins to rise.Across the world armies are marching and chaos is coming and everything we think we know is proving to be false.
In Carcamesh, the safest city in the world, Connor begins a quest to understand why the lore of magic is wrong. What starts as a simple question pulls his family into a battle with an ancient and evil corruption that lurks at the heart of the society of mages.
Ravenna returns to the Secret City to warn the soul keepers of the return of Gilliath. She discovers that a fragment of the gods scattered soul hidden within the city for thousands of years, has been released. She alone can prevent it’s escape into the world.
In Ashay, the Emperor and the all powerful Temple of Aiasier begin a crusade that could see the cult of the sun god burn all other faiths from the face of the world.
And in T’eag, Graise seeks to consolidate her hold on the throne and Snee, Iordanis, Baelon and Twizzle must find a way to steal back the Soul Blade and kill the avatar queen.
Meanwhile in the hill town of Keller, Harlon, the reluctant harbinger of the wolven, must select just one person who will be allowed to survive the wolven moon.
1st April – Black Stone Heart (The Obsidian Path #1) by Michael R. Fletcher
A broken man, Khraen awakens alone and lost. His stone heart has been shattered, littered across the world. With each piece, he regains some small shard of the man he once was.
He follows the trail, fragment by fragment, remembering his terrible past.
There was a woman.
There was a sword.
There was an end to sorrow.
Khraen walks the obsidian path.
1st April – A King of Mask & Magic (A Tale of Stars and Shadow #3) by Lisa Cassidy
A storm is coming…
The Shadowhawk has been unmasked to those he trusts most. Montagn, the most powerful empire in the world, prepares for invasion. And back in the tangled alleys and dark streets of Dock City, Vengeance lurks.
Badly injured after the ambush that nearly claimed his life, Cuinn Acondor is recovering in the Twin Thrones, determined to grow strong so that he can go home and do more. Be more. Find a way to make a better country for his people. Talyn Dynan, reeling from the news that Montagn has been using Vengeance as a tool to undermine Mithranar from within, has a single purpose… return and raze them to the ground.
But Vengeance isn’t their only enemy. The prince of night grows stronger, his grip on power in Mithranar tightening. A deadly strike to the heart of the Dumnorix family reveals a greater threat than anyone realised.
And when a dangerous revelation sends shockwaves through Mithranan society, Cuinn and Talyn must stand together and fight, or risk losing everything they love.
6th April – The Last March (The Silent Champions #6) by Andy Peloquin
Sergeant Koltun and his Screaming Howlers should never have been caught up in the desperate battle to defend Highcliff Motte from a horde of Eirdkilrs. But with so few Legionnaires against so many barbarians, they couldn’t simply ride away and leave their fellow soldiers to die.
Outnumbered, cut off from reinforcements, with no chance of victory, their only hope is to embark on one last march…every step a fight to survive.
6th April – Forged in Shadow (The War of the Nine Faerie Realms #1) by Megan Haskell
In the chaos of war, not all heroes shine. Some must rise from shadows to claim the light.
As the youngest son of the greatest smith of the fae, Curuthannor should be aspiring to the forge. Instead, he would rather wield a blade than craft one. When the high elf king commissions a powerful enchanted sword requiring iron found only in the subterranean goblin mines of the Shadow Realm, Curuthannor seizes the opportunity to earn a place in the smithy that doesn’t require a hammer. But when dark elf treachery interferes, the lives of his entire family could be at risk…for the high elf king is unmerciful and will not suffer disobedience.
Especially from his own daughter.
Lhéwen is honored to be the only handmaiden selected to attend the high elf princess on what she believes is a diplomatic delegation to the dark elf king. She doesn’t realize it could be a one-way trip. While the princess forges an escape from her father’s ruthless will, Lhéwen is trapped in a foreign land. Betrayed and alone, Lhéwen discovers it is her own quiet power that may free—or doom—them all.
For when the pen fails, the sword will take its place.
7th April – Wings of the Storm (A Tale of Bone and Steel #3) by Kirk Dougal
War has been unleashed…
Blood and destruction have spread over the lands from the Windward Sea to the Luhlaza Ocean. At every step, the dead emperor’s forces take cities, dethrone kings and queens, and leave death in their wake.
Keely Staghorn has been swept up in the rising war. She took the dragon eye test and passed, proving herself powerful enough to be named the Matra, the mother of the resurrected emperor. Keely feels herself being trapped by the events swirling around her and, despite her abilities, she feels hopeless to escape.
Gera and his Draig D’Alikar brothers are the only thing standing between the people and everlasting defeat. But at every turn, they are met by overwhelming forces. Even as Gera embraces his saca, leading his few allies to battle victories, they continue to lose the war. Their slim hopes rest on the power still living in their dragon bone weapons and the prophetic ramblings of a mad man one thousand years earlier.
Yet, one question no one appears able to answer is why Emperor Abaddon wanted to destroy the kingdoms in the first place.
7th April – Under Ordshaw (AUDIOBOOK) by Phil Williams
Welcome to Ordshaw. Don’t look down.
Pax is one rent cheque away from the unforgiving streets of Ordshaw. After her stash is stolen, her hunt for the thief unearths a book of nightmares and a string of killers, and she stands to lose much more than her home.
There’s something lurking under her city.
Knowing it’s there could get you killed.
12th April – Voice of War by Zack Argyle
Chrys Valerian is a threadweaver, a high general, and soon-to-be father. But to the people of Alchea, he is the Apogee—the man who won the war.
When a stranger’s prophecy foretells danger to Chrys’ child, he must do everything in his power to protect his family—even if the most dangerous enemy is the voice in his own head.
To the west, a sheltered girl seeks to find her place in the world.
To the south, a young man’s life changes after he dies.
Together, they will change the world—whether they intend to or not.
14th April – The World Maker Parable by Luke Tarzian
Guilt will always call you back…
Rhona is a faithful servant of the country Jemoon and a woman in love. Everything changes when her beloved sets the ravenous Vulture goddess loose upon the land. Forced to execute the woman she loves for committing treason, Rhona discovers a profound correlation between morality and truth. A connection that might save her people or annihilate them all.
You are a lie…
Varesh Lum-tale is many things, most of all a genocidal liar. A falsity searching for the Phoenix goddess whom he believes can help him rectify his atrocities. Such an undertaking is an arduous one for a man with missing memories and a conscience set on rending him from inside out. A man whose journey leads to Hang-Dead Forest and a meeting with a Vulture goddess who is not entirely as she seems.
15th April – Wrath of Madness (The Madness Wars #2) by Jesse Teller
The militant forces of Drine march across Tienne, destroying and enslaving all they face. As the last few nobles struggle to organize a resistance, a rich network of merchants declares themselves rulers of Tienne. Warlord Rextur finally catches up with Peter Redfist and his refugee forces to clash in devastating battle. Who will be left to pick up the pieces? Does the ancient nation of Tienne have any hope of survival?
17th April – The Missing Shield (The Veil Keepers Quest #1) by L.L. Thomsen
Nine realms. One quest.
When the immortal Guardians of Dallancea are called to protect the nine realms against the Creator’s first race, the chaos-driven self-styled gods, the first thing that greets them is the aftermath of the near-disaster that almost cost them – and the world – the ultimate price. But what could possibly have driven one of their own to commit the very act of treason that almost spelt the end?
To Malandar Denarlin, the Guardian Commander, there is no logical reason why his former friend and ally would have broken Oath to aid a common enemy thus. Yet, the evidence is lacking and leads to only one conclusion: that the betrayal – and subsequent sabotage – was a deliberate act.
Or was it?
28th April – The Lessons Never Learned (The War Eternal #2) by Rob J. Hayes
I am the weapon.
Eskara is free of the Pit, but far from safe. She is beset by the ghosts of those she has killed, and plagued by the ancient horror that possesses her. Enemies dog her heels, determined to see the last Orran Sourcerer dead. Worse still, there is new player in the game, one far more dangerous than anything she has faced before.
But there is one place that might offer her both the safety she needs to survive, and the power she needs to strike back; Ro’shan, the flying home of a God.
Eska will soon learn that all power comes with a cost, and some prices are too high.
28th April – Of Honey and Wildfires by Sarah Chorn
From the moment the first settler dug a well and struck a lode of shine, the world changed. Now, everything revolves around that magical oil.
What began as a simple scouting expedition becomes a life-changing ordeal for Arlen Esco. The son of a powerful mogul, Arlen is kidnapped and forced to confront uncomfortable truths his father has kept hidden. In his hands lies a decision that will determine the fate of everyone he loves—and impact the lives of every person in Shine Territory.
The daughter of an infamous saboteur and outlaw, Cassandra has her own dangerous secrets to protect. When the lives of those she loves are threatened, she realizes that she is uniquely placed to change the balance of power in Shine Territory once and for all.
Secrets breed more secrets. Somehow, Arlen and Cassandra must find their own truths in the middle of a garden of lies.
30th April – A Dark Inheritance (Hollow Fate #1) by Todd Herzman
Their parents are long dead. They were never told of the power that runs in their family. Nor the dangers that power could lure toward them…
Ruben is a prisoner. His captor, a blood mage, commands loyalty with an unbreakable bond. As Ruben tries to resist the blood mage’s pull, he realises he has a power of his own. His desire to become stronger takes him to dark places, driving him to do even darker things. If he can gain his freedom, will he be able to return to the life he once knew, after all he has done?
When Ella’s brother Ruben is kidnapped, she vows to rescue him. But Ella’s never left her village, never swung a sword. On her journey, she finds a courage she never knew she had. And something else—a strength deep within. An Affinity for magic she yearns to understand. While her newfound power buoys her confidence, the discovery of who holds her brother captive makes her wonder if it will be enough.
Marius, his brother and sister gone, doesn’t know what to do with himself. Until a Tahali monk, a man who can move things with his mind and heal with a touch, comes to town. When the monk discovers Marius’s powers—powers Marius never knew he had—he offers him the chance to become an apprentice. But the road to the Tahali mountains is no longer safe, and a dark evil hounds them on their way.
Space for more…
February 24, 2020
Self Published Fantasy Releases – March 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 February 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.
2nd March – The Forever Night (The Landkist Saga #5) by Steven Kelliher
The last Sage is dying.
After a titanic battle fought among the frozen waves of the north, the War of Sages has come to an end. But as the heroes of the Valley have discovered, the centuries-long conflict between immortals was little more than a prelude.
In the wake of Queen Elanil’s folly, the World Apart has come in force, bringing with it the fury of a dark and vengeful god. The horizon is a ruin. Oceans burn. Last Lake shimmers and shivers under an assault the likes of which the Emberfolk have never seen before.
While the peoples of the world attempt to weather the war that was foretold, Kole, Linn and the heroes of the Valley limp toward the broken lands of the south in the company of the man the Emberfolk have long held up as their greatest enemy.
The last Sage is dying.
And with him, the last hope for the world.
5th March – The Headlock of Destiny (Titan Wars #1) by Samuel Gately
Some say titans are descended from giants. Others say they are risen from men. But there’s never any debate about where to find them. They will be in the center of a roaring crowd, beating the hell out of each other. From contenders like the Savage and Scott Flawless to pretenders like Richard the Living Portrait and Troll-Blooded Thom, a titan’s lot in life is the same: To wrestle for dominion and glory in the squared circle.
Van, a quiet titan from the brewery town of Headwaters, wants no part in this. He’d prefer to be left alone with a beer. But destiny has him in a headlock, and it is prepared to drag him into battles that will shake the land and change his world forever.
6th March – The Brightest Shadow (The Brightest Shadow #1) by Sarah Lin
The arrival of the Hero was worse than anyone could have imagined.
To take her place as a full warrior of her tribe, Tani must travel across the vast grasslands of the Chorhan Expanse. But she has her sights set higher than a mere ritual journey: she wants to uncover a solution to the impending war that threatens her people. Her world has never been peaceful, torn between the many cultures that meet on the Chorhan Expanse, but the greatest threat is an expansionist army of monstrous non-humans who call themselves the mansthein.
Legends tell of monsters who will attempt to conquer the world, but are the mansthein those monsters? Tani believes that peace may be possible, but there are others on both sides who believe in the legends with zealous devotion. All around her, warriors have their eyes on a glorious victory with no concern for the piles of bodies they’ll create on the way.
Tani will be joined by a killer pretending to be a healer, a mansthein commander struggling with his orders, a thief who pawned her heart of gold, and a strategist exiled from a foreign land.
But none of them are the Hero. It doesn’t matter how many shades of gray might exist, some people see only in black and white. And the terrifying truth is that the stories they tell might not be just legends.
11th March – Blight Marked (Ethereal Earth #3) by Josh Erikson
Becoming a target is never great, but it’s a little worse when the people trying to kill you are technically the good guys.
Gabe escaped the Ether with the ultimate prize, and he thought that meant he was done with deadly cosmic games. But the nightmares infesting his life have different plans, and they’re not asking nicely before dragging him back in. It turns out holding all the power in the universe doesn’t mean much if you have no idea what to do with it.
So together with Heather, he embarks on a frantic race to collect the remaining six Iglas and stave off the coming darkness. And in the process, they discover just how much deeper their problems go. With new threats lashing at them from every side, and old ones tightening their grip, it becomes a contest against chaos to see who will dictate the future of existence: the assorted protectors of Earth, an all-consuming darkness…or a conman who would really rather not.
17th March – Black Shadow Rising (A Tale of Bone and Steel #2) by Kirk Dougal
Evil’s shadow is rising…
A thousand years of waiting are about to end. Emperor Abaddon’s generals believe they have finally discovered the way to resurrect him, using a woman who may be powerful enough in saca to bring life to him again and lead them to victory. But first they need to test Keely Staghorn to see if she can be the prophesied Matra.
Keely’s brothers are trying to rescue her from that fate. Gera and Dax rush to help her escape the generals’ clutches before she is locked behind the gates of the Sacara Institute, but that nearly impossible task has suddenly become even more difficult.
While Gera comes to grips with his new responsibilities as one of the legendary Draig D’Alikar, warriors chosen by the dragon bone weapons they wield, he must try to find a way to help his sister as war begins stirring around him.
Dax’s path is no easier. He has found Keely and helps her to escape, but demons of his own making are striving to destroy the siblings’ hopes, and with them the world’s last chance for peace.
25th March – Scions of the Black Lotus: Complete Tales of the Floating World by J.C. Kang
For an imperial assassin, assignment as a courtesan in the Floating World seems like a waste of her talents… until killers target her clan sisters.
In the legendary Floating World, wars are waged with wit, the strongest soldier can be bound with threads of silk, and flesh is the currency by which life, death, and freedom can all be purchased.
Half-elf Jie doesn’t mind her temporary assignment as a Night Blossom in the most sought-after house. It’s perfect cover for her real work as an assassin in the emperor’s service, and keeps her close to one who matters most. Her life belongs to her clan, but her heart lies with clan junior, Lilian.
Lilian’s talents trade stealth for sensuality, poison for poetry. With looks as sharp as any blade, she can coax information from any man, and still leave him paying for the pleasure. She’s enthralled many a noble, none more important than the warlord who can calm a brewing insurrection. Only her sweet whispers can secure his obedience to the throne.But now, his increasing abuse has Jie seeking a new assignment for Lilian—even if it means their separation.
When killers target clan sisters, and the seeds of rebellion find fertile soil in the Floating World, Jie must choose between loyalty and love.
27th March – Wynter’s Edge by Lucas Pederson
In an age where nanobots (nites) take the form of mythical creatures like dragons and become the scourge of the world, only a sacred few rise out of the shadows to battle them. Technosorcerers. Warrior sorcerers wielding the only weapons and spells able to take down a nite creation.
Wynter is one of the best technosorcerers in the world and when someone needs a nite creation taken out, she’s the one they call. But when a powerful, yet shady group called the psychonauts kidnap her daughter they give her a choice.
Kill the President of the United States, or her daughter dies.
The President is no longer the President, they claim, but a nite creation and Wynter must stop the nites before they fully infiltrate the Government and spread. But nothing is what it seems. Darkness strangles the light, giving way to Wynter’s greatest foe.
And, perhaps, her final battle.
30th March – Along the Razor’s Edge (The War Eternal) by Rob J. Hayes
No one escapes the Pit.
At just fifteen Eskara Helsene fought in the greatest war mankind has ever known. Fought and lost. There is only one place her enemies would send a Sourcerer as powerful as her, the Pit, a prison sunk so deep into the earth the sun is a distant memory. Now she finds herself stripped of her magic; a young girl surrounded by thieves, murderers, and worse. In order to survive she will need to find new allies, play the inmates against each other, and find a way out. Her enemies will soon find Eskara is not so easily broken.
31st March – Of Honey and Wildflowers by Sarah Chorn
From the moment the first settler dug a well and struck a lode of shine, the world changed. Now, everything revolves around that magical oil.
What began as a simple scouting expedition becomes a life-changing ordeal for Arlen Esco. The son of a powerful mogul, Arlen is kidnapped and forced to confront uncomfortable truths his father has kept hidden. In his hands lies a decision that will determine the fate of everyone he loves—and impact the lives of every person in Shine Territory.
The daughter of an infamous saboteur and outlaw, Cassandra has her own dangerous secrets to protect. When the lives of those she loves are threatened, she realizes that she is uniquely placed to change the balance of power in Shine Territory once and for all.
Secrets breed more secrets. Somehow, Arlen and Cassandra must find their own truths in the middle of a garden of lies.
31st March – The Temple of Arrival by Matthew Olney
Betrayed.
Hunted.
The Liberators defiant stand at the city of Asta has sparked the fires of resistance in the downtrodden people. Slaves, serfs and even members of the aristocracy have risen against the regime and flock to the Liberator banner.
As conflict spreads across the world, the Supreme’s gaze is fixated on Elian more than ever. Reeling from his mentor’s betrayal and battle with the First Fear he is hunted relentlessly by Hollowed and Venerable Chamber Seekers.
The only person who can help Elian is a mysterious Empowered One–who he’s not even sure he can trust. Terrible secrets await. Secrets about himself. Secrets that could herald the end of all things.
Space for more…
February 7, 2020
Review Blog – Gideon the Ninth (The Locked Tomb #1) by Tamsyn Muir
OK, so if you read my reviews you know I like to start them with a weird little aside, an anecdote, something very very barely related to anything else I’m about to say… Stick with me on this one. I’m a massive fan of Avatar the Last Airbender, hells I even named my little dog Korra T. BeagleFace (she has a very beagle-y face). Well, my favourite character in Avatar is… actually it’s Toph. But my second favourite character is unquestionably Azula. Here’s where I link up. Within the first chapter, Gideon the Ninth introduces us to a character called Harrowhark(Harrow) who reminded me so much of Azula I formed an instant love of both the character and the book. And the good news is the rest of the book did not disappoint!
We follow along behind Gideon in a weird, necromantic who dunnit, coupled with a bit of magic academy, and then blended together with an ending so damned anime Goku wants his super sayain back (or possibly just his kaoken). Gideon herself is an odd character. Refreshing, but odd. She’s crass, energetic, loves to make bad jokes (“That’s what she said.” even pops up a couple of times), gets flustered around pretty women, and approaches every situation with the mindset of “Can I stick my sword in it?” And she’s a hell of a lot of fun, despite the at times cringe-worthy humour… Or possibly because of it.
Look, there’s cool necromantic magic, stuff that goes beyond the usual zombies and skeletons. There’s a host of slightly off-kilter characters bouncing off each other. There’s a mystery (or two) at the heart of it all. And there’s some bloody good fun action sequences. But honestly, what made this book for me was the relationship between Gideon and Harrow, both the way it started and the way it grew. The way they interacted with each other, and the past the was slowly revealed to us… slowly at first, then dumped on us like a bucket of salt water. Whenever Gideon and Harrow were around, the book took on a new light that just cranked the fun up to 11.
It’s not a perfect book. Some of the language I found jarring. When one of the characters said “Let’s bounce.” I almost ground my teeth to dust. And I had a couple of other niggling issues… but you know what, I just don’t care because I had so much fun with this one! And now it’s over and I have to wait five months for book 2 and I’m having a book sad.
Also worth pointing out that I listened to this one and the narrator, Moira Quirk, nailed it. She really brought the characters, the setting, and the action to life.
I’m gonna cheat a little with the rating because some books I just have to. I would usually give it a 4, but because I enjoyed the hell out of it so much, I’m gonna give it 4.5 so I can round up to 5. 
February 1, 2020
Review Blog – King of Assassins (The Wounded Kingdom #3) by R.J. Barker
I guessed it! I guessed the big twist right near the beginning of book 2, and RJ managed to throw enough doubt on that guess that I’d reconsidered by the end of book 3 and assumed I was just seeing villains in every shadow!
I hate reviewing third books in a series. I find it hard to say things without spoilers of any of the books, and I find it just as hard to review the book rather than the series. Anyways, The Wounded Kingdom is a series that has gone from strength to strength, building upon everything the previous books laid down, and doing so in such a fluid manner that it felt real. I felt as though I knew the characters. This book took me a long time to read because I kept putting reading it off. Not because it wasn’t worth reading, but because I was scared of what might happen to the characters I had come to know and love. Because I didn’t want to see it end and say goodbye. That right there is the mark of a brilliant series!
Girton is a bit older and a lot more mature in this volume. Gone is the brash arrogance and overcompensation of book 2, and instead he possesses a quiet confidence. Gone is the blinding anger and angst and hate at the world, and instead he is contemplative and patient. It all makes for a much different experience, while remaining true enough to narrative and character that it feels natural.
The story is once again heaped with intrigue, mystery, red-herrings, and characters you both love, hate, and love to hate. It is amazing to me that the author managed to generate so much intrigue with each book and still keep it all fresh and interesting. It has never felt tired, even though each of the 3 books uses the same basic formula of mystery to be solved, Girton is on the case.
And… well there’s a redemption. There’s a redemption that started in book 2 and continued here, and it was bloody glorious to behold.
OK, I’m gushing again. I loved this book. I’ve loved all three of these books. I can’t actually think of a negative or con or whatever. This series has done something special. It has provided, time after time, a compelling mystery surrounded by vibrant characters and an emotional core that sucks you in and does not, will not, can not let you go.
5 stars and every one of them earned!
January 29, 2020
The Future of Never Die
Never Die turns 1 year old today! *Waits for the rendition of Happy Birthday to die down*. My little book written as a love letter to martial arts films has exceeded any and all expectations I had for it. It’s a hit! And you, my readers, have spoken. The most common criticism I have seen for the book is that you want more… Well OK then!
So it’s time for a bit of news. Never Die is a stand alone. It will stay as a stand alone. But no longer will it stand alone. I enjoyed writing in the world of Hosa and its surrounding nations so much that I’ve decided to do it again. And again after that. That’s right, there’s going to be a series of stand alones all set in the same world, and I’m calling them The Mortal Techniques novels.
What does this mean? Well for one it means you can expect more yokai, more legendary heroes (and villains), more gods, more epic fights, and more glorious battles. Each book will be different, but they will draw upon the same setting, and many of the same influences, and each one will expand the world.
So far I have two more Mortal Technique novels planned… well actually I have one written and another one planned. Next up will be Pawn’s Gambit, and the plan is it will release at the back end of 2020. It revolves around a certain strategist introduced in Never Die, and a quest to topple the barbaric reign of the God of War.
And I’ll be starting to write the third book next week… because I need a break from editing. That’s a whole other thing.
And one more bit of Never Die related news! In order to celebrate its 1st birthday, Never Die is on sale for 99c or equivalent! So there’s never been a better time to pick it up… or bug your friends to pick it up. Or just buy it for them.
January 27, 2020
Self Published Fantasy Releases – February 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 February 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.
1st February – The Exiles Redemption (The Heart of a Tyrant #1) by Reece Dinn – RE-RELEASE
The fate of a continent shall be shaped by the actions of a few.
Awon: A butcher’s son, and foul mouthed thug. His feud with a local baker’s son will bring a city to its knees.
Koma: A handmaiden to the Saban’s daughter, and spy for an enemy nation. Cold, callous, ill-tempered, and longs for home, she hides in plain sight amongst the palace staff.
Melonaz: A gifted young warrior, hindered by his own arrogance and stubbornness. He seeks to redeem himself, and save the lives of his loved ones.
Beroz: A lone warrior struggling to do his duty. A close encounter with his people’s Enemy leaves him with an dangerous affliction that threatens to destroy him, and his homeland.
3rd February – The Emerald Blade (The Landkist Saga #2) by Steven Kelliher – RE-RELEASE
One Sage is dead. Five remain.
For Kole, Linn and the newly-minted heroes of the Valley, their victory is short-lived in light of new revelations.
The King of Ember is alive. But the man who once led his people against the forces of darkness is changed. His path now takes him to the north and a land called Center, where he intends to bring his power to bear against another would-be God.
While Kole and Linn gather a small company to follow the King, another group heads for the northern deserts, intent on discovering what power the Emberfolk left buried in the sands.
The Dark Months have faded, but the light cannot last. The time for hiding is over.
It’s time for the World to meet the Landkist.
3rd February – The Raven’s Cry (The Chronicles of Adalmearc #2) by D.E. Olesen
Civil war and foreign invasion are tearing the Realms apart. The Order, severely outnumbered, faces an impossible task in driving the outlanders back across the long wall. The knights have only one hope – the young commander Brand, who must surpass his military feats from last year if there is to be victory.
While the knights battle the incursion, the jarls of Vale and Isarn continue their protracted war to rule Adalrik. Through siege and open battles, they fight over each field and village between their jarldoms, devastating the land.
Both sides make schemes, gathering more allies and fighting new enemies. Like bloody fire, war spreads from one realm to the next as kings, clans, and commoners become entangled in civil strife. And with every life lost, every region ravaged, the Order loses further support in the fight against the outlanders.
Across the Realms, the raven’s cry is heard, and war will follow.
4th February – Age of Death (The Legends of the First Empire #5) by Michael J. Sullivan
Winter blankets the land, and more than just hope has died. Prevented from invading the Fhrey homeland by the tower of Avempartha, the western army seeks a way across the Nidwalden River before the fane obtains the secret of dragons. As time runs out for both humanity and the mystic Suri, the only chance for the living rests with the dead. Having made their fateful choice, can a handful of misfits do the impossible, or are they forever lost to an inescapable grave? Do gods truly exist? Is it possible to know the future? And what lies beyond the veil of death? In the tradition of Virgil’s Aeneid, Dante’s Divine Comedy, and Milton’s Paradise Lost, the most epic of tales transcend the world of the living. It’s time to see what lies in Elan’s Age of Death.
10th February – The Midnight Dunes (The Landkist Saga #3) by Steven Kelliher – RE-RELEASE
Some say they never should have left. Others, that they should never go back.
For Talmir Caru, the world has left him little choice. With his people balanced on the knife-edge of a war beyond reckoning, the Captain of Hearth must brave the deserts of his ancestors to find the power left buried there – a power that could provide the Emberfolk their only hope should their wayward champions fail.
They say the Faey can hurt as easily as heal.
Iyana Ve’Ran, living legacy of the Faey Mother, is beginning to tap newly-discovered powers of her own. While her lost sister seeks to put an end to the War of Sages, Iyana just wants to put the world she loves back together again. But some things must be broken before they can mend.
They say only death waits beneath the sands.
Despite deep misgivings about returning to the Embers’ ancestral home, Karin Reyna, First Runner of Last Lake, has sworn to keep his companions alive throughout their journey. In so doing, he will rediscover what made his a name for stories before their time.
13th February – The Bone Reader (Magic in the Imperium #2) by Jordan R. Murray
Ancient secrets are buried with the dead. A Bone Reader can unlock them all.
Teguin Dorst and Herbert Tanasen are willing to defy the Imperial Empress herself to rescue Teguin’s kidnapped master, a woman with the rare ability to recall memories of the dead through their bones. But when they find her hard at work, Teguin realizes that the knowledge she uncovers could remove the Empress from power, and reveal hidden magic left behind by the old gods.
New alliances are forged in blood and steel, and the magic that brought Teguin and Herbert together threatens to end more than their friendship. Some secrets demand both loyalty and sacrifice — if they don’t kill you first.
15th February – Crisis of Fate by Jesse Teller
To save her sanity she must give up her soul.
With rare exception, Raendel took everything she ever wanted. Now her vicious thieves guild is festering around her. Through paranoia and insomnia, her grip on reality crumbles, and a crisis leads her to a desperate choice—face retribution or serve a creation of pure evil.
15th February – Neon Leviathan by T.R. Napper
A collection of stories about the outsiders – the criminals, the soldiers, the addicts, the mathematicians, the gamblers and the cage fighters, the refugees and the rebels. From the battlefield to alternate realities to the mean streets of the dark city, we walk in the shoes of those who struggle to survive in a neon-saturated, tech-noir future.
Twelve hard-edged stories from the dark, often violent, sometimes strange heart of cyberpunk, this collection – as with all the best science fiction – is an exploration of who were are now. In the tradition of Dashiell Hammett, Philip K Dick, and David Mitchell, Neon Leviathan is a remarkable debut collection from a breakout new author.
24th February – The Frostfire Sage (The Landkist Saga #4) by Steven Kelliher – RE-RELEASE
The Sages are dying. The gods are waking up.
Kole, Linn and their companions have survived the wilds of Center, slain another Sage and put their world on a path toward salvation.
Or so they think.
But the Eastern Dark has returned and laid claim to the power of T’Alon Rane, making the King of Ember his dark servant once more. Now, their ancient enemy marches across the frozen wastes of the north, seeking to end the life of his former ally and the last true power that can stand against him.
With the last two Sages on a collision course that could decide the fate of the world, the Landkist of the Valley have a choice to make. One between darkness and light, redemption and corruption.
For the Frostfire Sage is alive and unwell. And she has secrets to keep. And scores to settle.
25th February – Legacy of Bones (A Tale of Bone and Steel #1) by Kirk Dougal
An ancient evil is waiting to be reborn…
One thousand years ago, Emperor Abaddon and his generals swept into the Western Kingdoms and unleashed death and destruction on the people. But ruling the world could not be accomplished until they destroyed the dragonlord and his followers, leaving themselves as the most powerful sagias alive.
The dragons and the eastern countries had other plans. Legendary beasts and men banded together in a suicide mission to stop the war, meeting them in a final battle where the emperor and the dragonlord were killed. The five surviving soldiers who fought beside the dragons became the Draig D’Alikar, a group of fighters with the legacy to protect the kingdoms by carrying the bones of the dragonlord as weapons against their enemies.
But now, a young woman has been found who could be a powerful enough sagia to help the emperor be reborn. Only her two brothers, one a recently liberated apprentice who has his own secret power, and the other a drunk still trying to forget their father’s death, stand in the way of the generals bringing Emperor Abaddon back to life.
If only the emperor would remain dead, so all the other sagias could live.
Space for more…
January 12, 2020
Review Blog – Blood of Assassins (The Wounded Kingdom #2) by R.J. Barker
Yes, I’m using the french covers in these reviews because they are so fucking gorgeous!
Book 2 of The Wounded Kingdom trilogy, Girton Needs a Slap – no, look, I’m allowed to call it that. RJ himself calls it that… and it’s true. Oh dead gods, is it true! Back to the review. Blood of Assassins is a book that could not have worked without book 1… A stupid statement, I know. The same could be said of almost all second books in a trilogy. But it is even more important a sentiment in this case. If this had been book 1, I would not have finished it. But as it’s book 2, I loved the shit out of it!
Girton spends the majority (about 99%) of this book being a petulant arsehole of a character who… well, he needs a good slap. With the attachment I formed in book 1, without being so invested in his character (and Merela) already, I could not have got through book 2 without grinding my teeth to dust. Yes, he is that much of an angsty little prick. BUT, because I was already invested in his character, it worked because I was rooting for him to see past his angst and redeem himself. I was rooting for him to overcome his flaws, and I feared that he might not. Honestly, this book was tough to read at times because I dreaded what was going to happen.
So BoA picks up 5 years after AoA left off. Girton has been out in the world, acting as a mercenary, and he’s done some real nasty shit. He’s seen things. He’s done things. And he is struggling to come to terms with those things. On the other side of the world, the Tired Lands are at war. 3 kings (all old acquaintances) have been battling it out to see who will get to rule. And then Girton returns home to throw himself right into the thick of it.
In many ways BoA follows a very similar structure to AoA. There is a mystery to be solved and RJ laces the narrative with subtle clues, red herrings, suspicious characters, and outright lies. He certainly keeps you guessing, and every time you think you’ve figured out the culprit… you’re wrong. Nope, you’re wrong. Just wrong. It’s not them… or is it? Girton doesn’t have the assistance and wisdom of his master this time around, but it’s OK, because he has his own pig-headedness to make up for it. There’s a lot more action in BoA because there’s a war going on and Girton finds himself in the centre of it all. There’s plenty of scraps, some chaotic battles, and SO MUCH INTRIGUE.
And I have to mention the battle. I spoke to RJ after finishing AoA and he said there’s a scene (a siege) in BoA that he was really proud of. I can see why. The siege in question is one of the best written, most engaging battle scenes I’ve ever read. It is beautiful and horrific, balanced on the edge of a knife, and has imagery that just leaps off the page. I could actually see it all happening. Just amazing. Which also brings me to the weird way in which RJ writes action sequences in this series. Every time the action ramps up, he swaps from past tense to present tense. This is breaking the rules and 99 times out of 100 it would drag me out of the narrative and really hurt my enjoyment of the book. But RJ manages to make it work, and it only serves to heighten the tension, making the action more urgent.
Yeah, OK, I’m gushing. I loved the book. Deal with it. I have nothing really negative to say other than a few plot points were wrapped up a little quickly, seeming a bit rushed, but they’re so minor it really didn’t hurt my enjoyment. Hells, I read the last 150 pages in one day and that’s pretty damned rare for me!
So I’m giving Blood of Assassins a roaring 4.5 and rounding up to 5. I loved this book, even more than the first, and I can’t wait to start King of Assassins… which I will be doing today.
