Browsing all articles by A. M. Justice.
Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off #6: The Second Five Fall
Each SPFBO, Mark Lawrence makes a Wordle of the titles entered that year. The biggest words represent those used most often, and Fantasy-Faction got our share of the books with dragon and shadow in the title. Today we must cut two of our dragon titles, but two more dragons and all five shadows are still […]
Psycho Killers in Love by C. T. Phipps
I like books that make me think, including those with layered storytelling and deep metaphors you can peel back like an onion to find more and more thought-provoking material. But sometimes, especially times like these, escaping into a page-turner of a light romp is exactly the break one needs. This is absolutely the case with […]
Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off #6: The First Five Fall
* Disclaimer * As my friend and colleague GR Matthews has written in these introductions many times, reading is a subjective exercise. Some readers will see classical character and narrative arcs, while others perceive a dull landscape of tired tropes. Whether a book thrills or bores depends as much on the reader as the author—check […]
A Wizard’s Sacrifice by A. M. Justice – Cover Reveal and Excerpt
Although my name—A. M. Justice—might imply I write detective fiction or Westerns, my particular authorial wheelhouse is science fantasy. I also contribute reviews of film, TV, and books to Fantasy-Faction, and I’m honored to lead the Faction’s SPFBO6 judges’ group. For all these reasons and more, I’m doubly honored that Fantasy-Faction is hosting the cover […]
We Ride the Storm by Devin Madson
I originally read We Ride the Storm when it was a finalist in the fourth Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (SPFBO), and I could immediately see why it fared so well in that competition (you can read the Fantasy-Faction review here). I loved it well enough that when Orbit picked it up, I jumped at the chance […]
6th Annual Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off: Cover Contest
“I may not know much about art, but I know what I like.” That is the punchline of a Monty Python sketch in which the Pope and Michelangelo argue over the merits of Mike’s version of The Last Supper, a painting that contains 28 disciples, a kangaroo, and Jell-O for dessert. The line has always […]
6th Annual Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off: An Introduction to the SPFBO
Fantasy-Faction has been part of the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (SPFBO)—a fantasy fiction competition sponsored by Mark Lawrence—from the beginning, and as the sixth round of the competition kicks off, we’re itching to get our hands on the next batch of contenders. The submissions seem to get stronger every year, and we can’t wait to see […]
Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off: A Look Back at SPFBO #5
The 5th Annual Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (SPFBO5) closed with a bang this year. The winner, M. L. Wang’s Sword of Kaigen, tied for the highest ever score and was the book chosen by this blog to win the competition. The second and third place finalists, Fortune’s Fool by Angela Boord and Blood of Heirs by […]
Of Honey and Wildfires by Sarah Chorn
Sarah Chorn’s western-inspired fantasy Of Honey and Wildfires digs deep into the soul and taps a well of emotion in a layered tale that examines artifice, reality, and the costs of love. At its core, the story revolves around a pair of fathers and the legacies they create for their children. Matthew Esco is a […]
Nite Fire: Flash Point by C. L. Schneider – SPFBO Review
Slated for execution, shapeshifting assassin, Dahlia Nite, flees her world to hide in the human realm. As payment for the shelter they unknowingly provide, Dahlia dedicates herself to protecting humans from what truly lives in the shadows. Moving from town to town, she hunts the creatures that threaten an unsuspecting human race; burying the truth […]
Jesse Teller Interview – Onslaught of Madness
Today we are happy to welcome author Jesse Teller to Fantasy-Faction! Teller’s writing is the definition of epic fantasy. The stories are comparable to Steven Erikson’s Malazan in scope and scale, and likewise could be classified as “high grimdark” fantasy. So far, Teller has published eight books set on the continent of Perilisc, with plans […]
Onslaught of Madness by Jesse Teller
“I lead you now into peril.” So says Peter Redfist to his brother-in-arms Aaron the Marked. Peter is ten years old and Aaron is thirteen, but they are not boys. They are men on a mission to save the nation of Tienne from Rextur Cherlot, aka Madness, the anointed general of a god bent on […]
