"This world we live in is a cold unforgiving place. It will devour you and everything you love if you allow it. Do what you need to do to get your "This world we live in is a cold unforgiving place. It will devour you and everything you love if you allow it. Do what you need to do to get your head right."
After having loved the first book in the Godless Lands series, I had high expectations for the sequel. And it didn't disappoint.
[image]
But before I start with this review be warned. This series is not a fluffy sweet tale full of candies and sunshine. It's dark, grim and downright brutal, as raw and bloody as it gets. The kind that brings to the forefront the lowest levels human beings can sink to. And it's got a cartload of triggers not everyone will be comfortable with. Fitting I would say, for Godless Lands in the truest sense of the word. But if you're a Bookdragon like me, who delights in the dark and gloomy and appreciates a deep dive into human nature alongside an excellent tale with masterfully drawn characters in different shades of grey, you'll find this book a brilliant read. Brilliant with a side of WTF did I just read! And WTF is wrong with me because I LOVED that scene! Yep. You might might yourself questioning your sanity occasionally while reading this. And KUDOS to the author for pulling that off so well for me.
While I complained about the too dark and seemingly devoid of hope tone of book 1, this sequel gave me the hope I wanted, though not quite the way I expected it. This time around, we get to see hope beginning to blossom, only to be immediately snuffed out by the harsh reality. And just when we think the worst has happened, and nothing can go lower than that, it does. But in the end, we get no victory or even a little hope for it. What the author gives us instead is determination and a will to live, mixed with a desire for revenge. Delivered in such a way that you'll be left yearning for the sequel. Because you'll grow to love a ballsy and totally badass Steel Rose and even root for the feared outcast who built his name embracing the hatred around him.
Excellent prose going hand in hand with great wordbuilding, complete with a tangible vibe of doom and gloom, masterfully drawn characters that seem to have a life of their own, a great plot and nicely upped tension, delightful gore and skin-crawling scenes as well as lots of food for thought... this book has it all and then some!
'How ironic that I can trust a... dragon more than my own clan.'
I picked up this novella for my 'Fantasy Ladies Who Aren't Perfect Beauties' featu'How ironic that I can trust a... dragon more than my own clan.'
I picked up this novella for my 'Fantasy Ladies Who Aren't Perfect Beauties' feature and was not disappointed.
[image]
In a world where "firebeasts" prey on livestock and humans alike, a young healer unexpectedly finds herself at the mercy of one such a beast. Becoming a snack for the beast was the only thing Sidren expected, but turning her into a snack was the furthest thing on the young dragon's mind. And this is how the story of how humans and dragons met for the first time in the Cloud Lands begins. With reluctantly given trust and a friendship that will change the course of not only human but also dragon lives.
Well written, with a good pace and lots of action, Dragon Prey gives us real seeming characters in different shades of grey and captivating dragons. But not only that. The FMC, Sindren, is disabled and I truly appreciated the way her disability was represented. Used neither as a mere crutch to set the plot going, nor as a means to endearingly have her fall into the arms of a loving mate -something I have noticed some authors do (*cough* A Curse So Dark and Lonely). Sindren's disability was an integral part of her character and felt real. And NO. There's no romance at all in this book. No human mate either. I was just referring to the portrayal of disability with that remark.
The world is nicely sketched with a definite touch of realness that also applies to the reactions of characters as well as their interaction. From feelings to actions everything is absolutely understandable if not always relatable. And I loved the incorporated themes of prejudice countered by forgiveness, and hate stopped in its tracks by love.
If you're a fan of fantasy and dragons, this novella is worth your time.
Review copy requested from the author after the book was recommended on my FB page rec request post. Thank you Hannah Steenbock!
'You don't give up before the fight. Even with the odds against you, you claw and bite until they cut you down. Don't run. Fight!'
Now this is what 'You don't give up before the fight. Even with the odds against you, you claw and bite until they cut you down. Don't run. Fight!'
Now this is what I call Urban Fantasy of the best kind!
I picked up A Force of Nature after it was recommended for my 'Fantasy Books with Ladies Who Aren't Perfect Beauties' feature. I was supposed to read it, then move on to a different book from that big pile of recs. 'Supposed to' being the key word here. Because I ended up setting everything aside and binge-reading the whole series. Yep. All 5 books. One after another. In less than 5 days. Because it was THAT GOOD.
Did it make it onto my Best of List for the actual feature? Nope. Because the MC's beauty, or lack of thereof, didn't play an important role in this series. Did it make it onto my Best of Fantasy Series read this year list? Hell yeah! And then some.
A Force of Nature kicks off a refreshingly stormy Urban Fantasy series set in Europe. Gripping, unpredictable and action-jam-packed from first to last page, it gives us a world ravaged by nature spirits in which a group of elite soldiers called the spirit seekers, are the only thing standing between humanity and the wrath of nature. Trained to fight the dangerous, unpredictable, and largely invisible spirits, the seekers find and trap them, defending cities all around the world. All under the leadership of the SSA - The Spirit Seeker Agency - whose main purpose is to ensure humanity's survival and put an end to the spirit attacks.
But not all spirits are easily defeated, especially when not even the seekers can see them all. And sometimes battles are almost lost even before they've begun without the advantage of sight. And this is how Rika, a 24 year old homeless young woman ends up smack down in the middle of a seeker/spirit fight in Berlin. After having lived on the streets for 8 years, Rika's appearance is, let's say, not in the least appealing. And the fact she's a Romany doesn't help first impressions at all. Well, later interactions either if we must be honest. But Rika can so something no other seeker had even considered. She can not only see the spirits, but also talk to them. And the help she instinctively offers to the Berlin Seeker Team when they find themselves in a pickle, not only sets Rika into the sight of the SSA Berlin team, but also ensures her the top spot on The Erlking's black list. Yep. THAT Erlking. And he is glorious! In a 'Holy shit!! He's coming!! Run baby RUN!!' kind of way.
This is how Rika's tale begins. With a wild and unexpected change. And I loved every bit of her journey. From the young homeless woman wondering: 'What happens tomorrow that's worth living for?' Rika slowly transforms into a woman with a purpose. With the gentle support of the seekers, a girl who'd been so often told that people like her are 'a burden on society, an eyesore, a problem,' turns into a woman who starts to belong. And I swear her reactions and adjustment to the new life made me wanna cry at times. Because this author makes you not only see but also feel with Rika, the comfort even the smallest things provide. Things most of us take for granted on a daily basis. Things like a soft bathmat or a fluffy towel, a soft bed, a hot shower, or a fresh toothbrush. The found family was hands down my favourite part of this first in series. And I'll bet it will be yours too. Because it has that touch of realness that makes it leap from the page.
Great character development goes hand in hand with a fast paced plot jam packed with edge of the seat action and adventure, complete with unpredictable twists and a nicely upped tension. The prose is excellent, while the narrative flows nice and smooth, the wordbuilding is solid and the mythology-fantasy mix used to portray the spirits absolutely fascinating, while the spirits-seekers battles are as gripping as it gets. And everything works so well together that you can't help but get sucked into the tale. Food for thought included, which is nicely presented without being overwhelming.
This series doesn't give us fun banter and sassy charm, as one often expects from the genre. And there's no romance in it at all in this first book, so don't expect it. The romance will come later, a slow burn as slow as it gets, very low on steam and high on feeling. But despite the above mentioned, (which are quite important for a steamy romance junkie like me :D) there's this little something that gets readers addicted to the tale. The spunk, the spark, the stormy addictive danger and heartache. That fascinating irresistible something that sets a tale apart from the rest of the genre. That little extra that makes it stand out. This series has it.
There's a little sylph that made me go 'Awww!!!' several times over, a particular seeker I wanted to occasionally slap and others I wanted to hug. There's cool magic and lots of action, fascinating creatures and a hell lot of feeling. And much much more!
A must read for fans of the genre. That's what this series is. But get all the five books, because you're gonna want to binge.
"I'm a little tired of having a reputation that I didn't earn just because of the way I was born." "So does half the world, kid. And the other half "I'm a little tired of having a reputation that I didn't earn just because of the way I was born." "So does half the world, kid. And the other half doesn't give a wargle's ass. Get used to it."
[image]
Meet Volagra Lightbringer, (Vola in short) Paladin Candidate of the Whiteshield Academy and wandering adventurer, hoping she’ll find a quest good enough to earn her shield. No one at her academy wanted a half-orc like her as a paladin, so they’ve sent her to the back end of a swamp, hoping she'll fail. But Vola is nothing but determined. And she has help. Of the divine nature. So the mission practically finds her. Good enough to earn her shield and have her win the respect of the Academy - find a group of missing people.
The problem? Vola's resources are a big fat zilch. She has no team and her goddess is practically considered a laughingstock by most people. And did I mention that most of said people don't even want a half-orc's help? But Vola is set on earning her shield and more importantly, finding those missing people. Especially 'those who have no one to ask for them.' So she finds herself a team. Or the team finds her if we need to be precise. A hyperactive halfling a tad overenthusiastic at pummelling, a klutzy spell caster, and a cloaked monosyllabic mystery who’s a little too good with their knives.
"Let's go kick some kidnapper booty."
Straight off into a swamp with no proper equipment and no real trail to follow. The mission didn't have to be a disaster, if only Vola could have some patience. But Orcs weren't known for their patience, just as they weren't known for being paladins.
And this is how the adventures of Mishap's Heroes begin. With the wrong foot on the wrong path and everyone and everything seemingly intent to stand in their way. I admit I was often not sure whether to laugh out loud with them, or at their predicament, admire them for their determination, or get royally pissed and trash those who set so many obstacles in their path. One thing's for sure though, I've been rooting for them from the very first page.
'"Am I ready?" There is no magical ready or not ready. There're only those who keep trying to do the right thing. To do better.'
Magic and Misrule is a humorous fantasy with a general setting and characters that bring gaming into mind. So gamers will feel right at home. But don't you go thinking you won't enjoy it if you're not into gaming at all. This book is not one written for gamers.
Magic and Misrule is a book for any reader who enjoys a good humorous fantasy with a solid plot and nice depth. The characters are practically irresistible in both demeanour as well as misfortunate clumsiness. With their past and motivations only hinted at, we get to judge them through their actions. And the circumstances of their mishaps are bound to resonate with any reader out there one way or another.
The humour is excellent and the banter first class. The food for though is nicely dished without overpowering the general feel good laugh out loud flavour of the tale and the underdog representation is chef's kiss.
The author gives us a team/pack made up of three women, - all as badass as it gets, possibly by accident :D - and one nonbinary member, who's very well represented. This fact alone is already enough to give the tale a different feel, compared to that of older fantasies. But what really makes it stand out, is the combination of a surprisingly relatable and wickedly funny 'underdog representation' alongside a great narrative, a solid plot with a couple of good twists, a well defined setting and food for thought any reader is bound to remember one way or another.
"You want to be comfortable in your skin but it's hard when the world is telling you that the skin should look a certain way. It takes a certain strength to ignore the world. And you hate yourself when you don't have that strength."
This is one book that manages to be both wickedly funny and inspiring, just as a good humorous fantasy should be. It's fun and witty and charming, it's quirky and daring and all around badass awesome in a feel good heartwarming kind of way.
The only reason I knocked down a star is because the swamp part of the adventure became a tad too much for me, but that may not be the same for every reader out there.
All in all, I LOVED the adventures of Mishap's Heroes and will continue the series ASAP.
My favourite character: Vola and her pack - NO! I cannot and will not choose because they are all badass! My favourite LOL scene: the meet and greet with a certain 'swamp... horse... thing' that's supposed to 'grow on you eventually... like a fungus.' And NO! There's no way in hell I'd like to have one too. :D My favourite quote: "Your strength is not in your arm, it's in your head and your heart." And I swear I will never look at a cleaver the same way again.
Happy reading everyone and remember 'every failure feels like an end. But it's only the end if you let it be.'
'For the ageing, menopausal, snarky and disappointed. We deserve our fantasy too.'
And this one is just... PERFECT.
[image]
I don't remember the last'For the ageing, menopausal, snarky and disappointed. We deserve our fantasy too.'
And this one is just... PERFECT.
[image]
I don't remember the last time I laughed so hard while reading a book. The full out belly laughter with tears in your eyes and gasping for breath kind. Caroline Noe, if you're ever going to read this little review... you made me laugh so hard I wet my pants! Your book is bloody brilliant!
Now let me get to the WHY part. (*cracking knuckles, popping bones and getting down to writing*) But, before I proceed, beware. There'll be quite a bit of irreverent snark, mostly due to 'a grey haired old fart.' grumpy old eagles and a mangy wolf, but truly, much much more.
So if you're looking for young and beautiful, sexy hot smut and first's love perfect kiss, look elsewhere please. Neither this book nor this review are it. If on the other hand, snarky middle-aged tales are your jam, pull up a seat my friend cause this one's a real treat!
As the blurb aptly warns, A Wolf So Grim And Mangy is the tale of a disillusioned former fantasy believer in her fifties. Her name is Edi (short for Edith), who occasionally wishes she were someone else, doing something else and living anywhere else, because anything would be better than her lonely life and rubbish job. When she ends up standing on a spot vacated by a toilet wiping dog pee from her ankle with an idiotic map after reading from a weird magic book and is Once Upon A Timed to a stunningly beautiful freeze-your-arse-off mountain in the middle of nowhere, no one can really blame her for cursing the Great Beyond's idea of a cruel joke. I bet you can't read that whole sentence without stopping to take a breath. :D But back to the book, because I digress - of course our Edi won't find a handsome prince waiting for her on arrival. Because this is a real story and the real deal. She gets a mangy wolf instead. ;)
She finds herself smack down in the middle of a dispute between several clans of shifters with an attitude. And when I say that I mean ALL those shifters. And ALL the attitude. As it turns out, they're in trouble because their youngsters go missing and they need a Chosen Saviour to help sort the mystery out, and keep them off each other's throats. A prophesized Saviour who's 'young and beautiful, with long, sun blond hair to her waist and even her nails sparkle.' Not 'a padded old woman.' But none of the poor schmucks counted on the curiosity and wits of a modern middle-aged woman. And none of them realised there's nothing more lethal than said pissed off woman on a self-appointed mission. Too bad they didn't get the memo. :D Because when Edi pokes her nose into their business they won't know what hit them. Not only figuratively speaking - just to be clear.
I won't tell you anything else about the plot, because I don't want to spoil, and it's best you go into this the way I did - head on and crash landing - eagle style. You'll get what I mean by this when you read the book. (*slapping duct tape on the mouth to prove a point*) I bet my shiny new Gucci purse that you're gonna love it!
[image]
Now where was I? Right! What to expect.
Apart from our Edi, who occasionally(*cough*) more often than not fumbles around like a walrus in a dinner jacket and gets into trouble faster than you can say chicken. Plenty of snarling and fur flying, bald eagles and furry missiles, complete with a cartload of snarky fun. Grumpy old eagles nannying mangy wolves into circus outfits whining and whinging in stereo all the way, birds smacked in the mush till the faces are flat and snakes booted in the nuts.... There's a lot more where that came from but you get the gist by now. All around glorious fun!
And at the centre of it all, a wonderful message and a tale as heartwarming as it gets. A tale that poignantly shows it doesn't matter what type of feathers, fur or scales you wear. We are all the same flesh and blood underneath it all and we can all get along if only we give each other a chance. Or if we have a determined Edi boxing our ears to get us there. :D
[image]
This book is like a warm fuzzy blanket wrapped around your shoulders on a cold winter day. Not only wickedly fun, but also as sweet as it gets. It's a delightful feel good tale of love and acceptance wrapped up in a big fat package of snarky fun.
And the best part of it all is that it manages to keep it all down to earth and real. Edi, our MC, is not the cast iron, sword wielding bad arse, but just a regular middle-aged British woman who doesn't know how to give up. Well... she is pretty bad arse if you ask me, but at the end of the day, she remains that 'real-life' middle-aged woman all of us can identify with. You know, the 'my knee's killing me, all my bones ache, the sciatica's throbbing merry hell down my legs' kind of real. And there's no magic spell or potion to cure it.
The wolf remains mangy and eagle stays grumpy, kisses are sloppy and singing kind of sounds 'like an overexcited fox mating with a parrot'. No one would win any beauty contests or garner thousands of social media likes, everyone trips and fumbles and occasionally fudges up. Royally fudges up that is! But second chances are given regardless of all that. Love is shared in big bear hugs and furry cuddles. And there's a general feel good vibe leaping from the pages, straight into your heart.
To sum it all up, happy reader style,
A Wolf So Grim And Mangy is humorous fantasy the way it should be written. Hands down the best book I've read so far this year. Snarky, smart, honest, and wickedly fun.
If you're a fan of the genre THIS IS A MUST READ. Take a Bookdragon's word for it. You can thank me later. :)
Happy reading everyone and remember: 'All we can do is live today and plan for tomorrow, praying it'll be there.'
P.S. - I swear the mere mention of YMCA will have me cracking up for a very long time!
“All women are beautiful,” said Istvhan, dismissing this. “It is the job of their lovers to make them feel that way if they do not already.”
If you“All women are beautiful,” said Istvhan, dismissing this. “It is the job of their lovers to make them feel that way if they do not already.”
If you are tired of YA angst and drama and are looking for a tale with more level-headed characters, a bit of fluff, action and a lot of fun, I highly recommend you give this one a try.
But do keep in mind please, that said level headed characters might be a tad dorky and broken, as well as a hell lot of fun.
[image]
Paladin's Grace may be shelved as fantasy, but it is at heart a romance. A fluffy romance with all the feels, snarky laugh out loud banter, a bit of possibly upsetting magic and the occasional severed head.
The heroes are not your typical save the day totally awesome knights and beautiful ladies. They are dorky, downright cuddle worthy broken paladins and ladies who aren't perfect beauties but will make you fall in love with them anyway.
From the blurb you can see what the tale is about, so I'll make it short and tell you just what to expect.
Apart from the above mentioned fluffy romance, possibly disturbing upsetting magic and the occasional severed head that is. :D A hell lot of fun!
From the paladin debating why people won't take him serious while he's knitting his socks.
“He wished that he could break out his knitting, but for some reason, people didn’t take you seriously as a warrior when you were knitting. He’d never figured out why. Making socks required four or five double-ended bone needles, and while they weren’t very large, you could probably jam one into someone’s eye if you really wanted to. Not that he would. He’d have to pull the needle out of the sock to do it, and then he’d be left with the grimly fiddly work of rethreading the stitches. Also, washing blood out of wool was possible, but a pain.
Still, if he had to suddenly pull out his sword and fend off an attack, there was a chance he’d drop the yarn, and since he’d been feeling masochistic and was using two colors for this current set of socks, there was absolutely no chance the yarn wouldn’t get tangled and then he’d be trying to murder people while chasing the yarn around. And god forbid the tide rose and he went berserk. You never got the knitting untangled after that; you usually just had to throw it away completely.”
To inventive use of décor as weapons:
“Istvhan, you ever kill someone with an ice swan?” he whispered. “I clubbed someone unconscious with a frozen goose once. That’s similar?” The Bishop suffered a mysterious coughing fit. “No, you had to use the goose as a bludgeon, didn’t you? For the swan, I figure you’d snap the head off and try to stab with the neck.” “Hmmm…” Istvhan eyed the ice sculpture speculatively. “It’s pretty big. And not well balanced.” “I figure you’d have to go two-handed with it.” “I think I’d grab one of the candelabras instead. Some of those are nice and heavy.” “Far too unwieldy. I could take you apart with the ice swan while you were still trying to get the candelabra off the ground.” “Gentlemen,” said Beartongue, “I forbid you to smash the Archon’s decor and try to duel with it.” “Yes, your holiness.” “I’ll have you both excommunicated.” Stephen coughed. “Technically we’re not in your church, your holiness.” “Then I will have you confirmed so that I can excommunicate you even harder.” “Yes, your holiness.” He and Istvhan traded smug looks. Shane gazed into the distance, perhaps imagining a place where he had suitably serious colleagues.”
Absolutely fitting self-reproach:
'If you were really worried about her being too warm, you wouldn't be draping yourself over her like a comforter made of meat.'
Intriguing romantic settings:
“Granted, she hadn’t known Stephen that long, but if you couldn’t bond over multiple corpses, what could you bond over?”
And totally awesome lady BFFs:
“Having men want to rescue you was worlds different than simply having a female friend who had your back. If she needed a body buried, the only question Marguerite would ask was, 'How deep?”
This book has it all and more.
I loved the slow burn romance in between our two broken heroes. And absolutely adored it's gentleness.
The plot is a bit light and some things are left hanging, but all in all, this was a wonderful read that was simply delightful.
This book is the one chosen by the majority over in Fantasy Faction, on my 'pick the next read based on the first line post.'
And it was awesome! The kiThis book is the one chosen by the majority over in Fantasy Faction, on my 'pick the next read based on the first line post.'
And it was awesome! The kind of light, fun and cozy fantasy with a dash of romance, that will make you smile and chuckle even after a long shitty day.
Loading...
