The Pilgrims of the Damned by Steve McHugh – Review
Julia Kitvaria Sarene
These are vampires who make choices about what kind of people they want to be, not mindless predators, and I love that mix of grit, gore, and moral conviction
Dark Fantasy
Once Was Willem by M. R. Carey – Review
Once Was Willem is dark, strange, and often brutal, but also moving and full of heart. It’s about monsters and men, about power and corruption, about finding family in the…
Julia’s Favourite Self-Published SFF Books: A Giant List (Part 3) – Grimdark Fantasy
... grab your sharpest sword, polish your blackest armor, and let’s head into the shadows…
Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
Jayna
What in a Necromancer’s fever dream did I just read? I’m still not sure but I thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing. If you’ve got a thirst for something dark and…
The Price of Faith by Rob J. Hayes – Review
For those who enjoy gritty, unflinching fantasy, it's precisely what makes this series stand out.
Summoned to the Wilds by A. K. Caggiano – Review
The combination of lighthearted romance and quirky humor works perfectly here, and it’s a joy to read. The balance of both elements is refreshing, and it never feels forced, which…
Review: A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
Overall, A Sorceress Comes Calling is a darker but still immensely enjoyable read, perfect for fans of Kingfisher who are looking for something a bit more serious, with the same…
The Empire’s Ruin by Brian Staveley – Review
The inner conflict that comes with that was bleeding of the page, and addictive.
Last Winter Sun by G.R. Matthews – Review
Last Winter Sun by G. R. Matthews is a mix of dystopian novel, magic, orks and other beasts. The blurb says “A-Team meets World of Warcraft” and as someone who…
Half the World by Joe Abercrombie
Richard Bray
Half the World continues the story of Yarvi, now the “deeply cunning” minister of Gettland, but rather than continuing Yarvi’s story through his own eyes, as Abercrombie did in Half…
Half a King by Joe Abercrombie
What Half a King does is remind us that it’s not the violence or occasional profanity that has made Abercrombie such a tour de force – it’s his perceptive ability…
Kraken: An Anatomy by China Miéville
Chloe Smith
They say there are no new stories, just tropes, myths and archetypes that appear over and over again in different guises. This is, perhaps, especially the case in genres such…