Browsing all articles in Reviews.
Jordskott: Seasons 1 and 2 – TV Series Review
How far would you go to protect your child? Would you destroy a community? Commit genocide? Kill another’s child? On the Swedish urban fantasy crime drama Jordskott, the answer to these questions is often yes. Jordskott could be described as The Killing meets Trollhunter. It begins when Eva Thörnblad (Moa Gammel), a troubled police detective, […]
Nightblade by Ryan Kirk
As a fan of epic fantasy with diverse casts, I always saw Ryan Kirk’s Nightblade atop the Asian Myths and Legends charts on Amazon, reminding me I needed to finish it. Though it had been sitting on my Kindle for years, and I had tried several times to make it through the first chapter, it […]
Sufficiently Advanced Magic by Andrew Rowe – SPFBO Review
Five years ago, Corin Cadence’s brother entered the Serpent Spire—a colossal tower with ever-shifting rooms, traps, and monsters. Those who survive the spire’s trials return home with an attunement: a mark granting the bearer magical powers. According to legend, those few who reach the top of the tower will be granted a boon by the […]
The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang
Today is May 4, coincidentally the 99th anniversary of the first popular protest in China’s history. Due to the somber tone of The Poppy War, I am eschewing my usual levity in this review. In my review of Naomi Novik’s His Majesty’s Dragon, I proclaimed to be an avid student of Napoleonic History. If there’s […]
Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay
Under Heaven is the first book in the Under Heaven duology. It is set in a fictionalized version of the Tang Dynasty of 8th Century China and contains a masterful story of family, intrigue and power. “The world is not something to be understood. It is vanity, illusion to even try.” This was my first […]
Blackmark by Jean Lowe Carlson
If you’ve followed my reviews on Fantasy-Faction, you know how I nearly gave up on some of my now-favorite books and series like Alec Hutson’s Crimson Queen and Phil Tucker’s Chronicles of the Black Gate. Add Jean Lowe Carlson’s Blackmark, book one of The Kingsmen Chronicles as yet another story I almost threw down after […]
The Way into Chaos by Harry Connolly – SPFBO Review
The city of Peradain is the heart of an empire built with steel, spears, and a monopoly on magic. Until, in a single day, it falls, overthrown by a swarm of supernatural creatures of incredible power and ferocity. Neither soldier nor spellcaster can stand against them. The empire’s armies are crushed, its people scattered, its […]
The Goddess Project by Bryan Wigmore
One of the quieter entries into the Best of 2017 list here on Fantasy-Faction, The Goddess Project by Bryan Wigmore, is a unique venture into a complex fantasy world. It combines some traditional fantasy tropes (magical artifacts, all-powerful wizards, and sea monsters) with some less common elements that make it a really interesting mix. And, […]
Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames
When I started reading Kings of the Wyld it was already quite hyped and I am someone who is rather uncomfortable dealing with stuff which accumulated hype overnight. Thus, I approached the book being extremely skeptical and had a nagging feeling in my gut that it was going to be overrated. Boy was I dead […]
Tree of Ages by Sara Roethle
Some books grab you from the get go with breakneck action. Others, with a lovable character in a difficult situation. In many, we are immersed in new, fascinating worlds which don’t follow expected rules. Oftentimes, we get a combination, such as Pee Wee’s Playhouse. In Tree of Ages, by Sara Roethle, we get: a tree. […]
An Echo of Thing to Come by James Islington
An Echo of Thing to Come is the second book in The Licanius Trilogy, the first being The Shadow of What Was Lost. The trilogy is an epic fantasy set in the fictional world of Andarra. Book two picks up roughly a month after the events of the first book. It starts with a refresher […]
The Sons of Heaven by Kage Baker
Whew. Eight books and several hundred years later (or several hundred thousand years, depending on whether you’re counting from the Spanish Inquisition or Options Research and Back Way Back… time travel is a rather messy business to write about), here we are. 2355. The Silence. All the pieces are going to come together, and after […]
