Many months back, I saw the cover of this book and read the description; I then sent out a request for a review copy a minute later. The Parents must have been smiling down on me, for I was granted that request, and In the Shadows of the Gods proved to be among the best books I’ve read this year. Multiple POVs and compelling characters; intertwining plots, and a story with a large scope; great prose, and a vast world with wonderful and creative world building. All the ingredient you need to make a epic fantasy trilogy that fans will devour. It has been almost 800 years  since The Fall – when the Parents exiled the Twins, burying them deep within the Earth. Since then, two religions have formed: those who follow the Parents, and those who follow the Twins. Followers of the Parents, believe the Parents were right in their punishment of the Twins. Because of their faith, twins are actively hunted down and persecuted; anytime twins are born, they are instantly drowned, or if there is no water around, they are burned to death. Followers of the Twins believe the Parents were motivated by their jealously of the Twins to exile them. Their goal is find and release the Twins…

Matt Wallace’s Sin du Jour series is back with another great installment, and this time around the action is crazier than ever! If you haven’t started this series, I recommend starting at the beginning and reading the novellas in order, simply because Wallace sometimes references events in earlier books. Also, we get to know the characters better as the series goes along, and it’s fun to see each person grow and develop. In case you’re new to the series, Sin du Jour is a catering company that caters to the supernatural crowd, and while you may think that catering is a bland and safe occupation, there is nothing remotely safe about the jobs that Sin du Jour takes on. And that’s what makes these books so addictive. Each installment has the Sin du Jour gang working on a different catering job, and in Pride’s Spell it’s a movie premiere after-party. That’s right, the New York-based company is heading to Hollywood, giving Wallace a fantastic opportunity to skewer the movie business with his particular brand of snarky humor. When the story opens, executive chef Bronko has booked his catering crew into two different events at the same time, on two different coasts….

The Vanishing Throne is the second in the Falconer series by Elizabeth May, a series that brings to us a story including the fae, a little romance and a combination of period drama and steampunk.  Whilst I had the odd irritation here and there these were only slight niggles that didn’t spoil my enjoyment of this book – although, that ending!  (more later).  It has a different feel than the first, a lot more dark and moody as we learn more of the fae and their history and in particular the role they’ve previously played with humankind. Please be aware that being the second book in series this review may contain spoilers for the first book. Basically, as a recap from the first you will no doubt recall that Aileana (or Kam as she’s more commonly known) was attempting to keep closed a portal that kept the majority of the fae world separate from humankind.  Unfortunately the attempt did not succeed and at the same time Kam fell through the portal and became the prisoner of Lonnrach.  Now, I don’t really want to give away too much about the plot or the motivations that underpin the story but I think I…

Like any great story, The Wheel of Osheim is a book of lies . . . a story of lies . . . a very mythology of lies. Names, people, places, memories, histories – all damned lies. I’m treading on the edge of spoiler territory here (I can see the gaping chasm to my left) but, as we come to discover late in the tale, the entire story of Jalan Kendeth actually hinges on a single lie that’s too painful to even contemplate here. In wrapping up his third and final chapter of The Red Queen’s War, Mark Lawrence has truly outdone himself. I would actually go so far as to say that this is his best book, hands down, and that is no lie. While he’s used a number of different framing devices in spinning his tales of Jorg and Jalan, Lawrence’s approach here is perfectly suited to the shaping of lies. The book opens with Jalan’s comic escape from the bowels of Hell, seemingly robbing us of a resolution to the cliffhanger that ended The Liar’s Key. It’s several chapters later before we get the first fragment of Jalan’s journey through (and escape from) Hell. As for Snorri’s…

They say there’s a certain amount of truth in fairy tales. Despite their fantastical nature, the stories usually have some basis in reality, providing a moral compass during turbulent times, often teaching lessons which can be applied to one’s own life. If nothing else, the “trueness” may lie in the big picture rather than the details, such as the honesty of the character’s emotions or the essence of their relationships. How far would you go to save someone you love, for instance? And what might you be willing to sacrifice to get your happily ever after? Roses and Rot is a novel that encompasses these concepts, using metafiction to address the basic literary conventions of fairy tales in order to convey the story’s full purpose and meaning. It follows the lives of two sisters, both of whom are talented artists in their own fields. Imogen, our narrator, is a writer, while her younger sibling Marin’s passion is in dance. The two of them grew up together suffering at the hands of their cruel, controlling and abusive mother, but it was awkward and introspective Imogen who bore the brunt of the mistreatment. This prompted Imogen to leave home as soon as…

I spotted Stranger of Tempest a while ago when the stunning cover was running amok on the internet and was immediately keen to pick up a copy as it looked and sounded great.  Does the book live up to the promise?  Yes, I’m happy to say it does.  I found this a really intriguing story and a great set up for the rest of the series.  It’s a great blend of fantasy and action set predominantly in dark tunnels and a ruined city that are riddled with scary creatures, unusual dwellers and something even darker that stalks the night At the start of the story we witness a man called Lynx as he searches for his latest meal ticket.  He reluctantly finds work with a band of mercenaries known as The Cards who are about to head out on their latest mission.  Lynx is answerable to nobody, he doesn’t seek much in life above a full stomach and is content to take on any number of small jobs usually trying to avoid bands of mercenaries and other conflicts.  However, when he’s approached by a group of hardened mercs who are about to take on the rescue of a kidnapped young…

Warrior Witch by Danielle L Jensen is the final instalment from The Malediction Trilogy that brought to us Stolen Songbird and Hidden Huntress.  If you haven’t picked up these books yet please be aware that the following review will contain spoilers. I must confess from the outset that I had mixed feelings about Warrior Witch and I’ve taken a little longer than normal to reflect before writing this review.  Now, let me be clear by saying that I didn’t dislike this book but by the same token I didn’t love it either, I am however pleased that I finished the series.  I think this was always going to be a story that would be difficult to conclude.  Sometimes you’re so caught up in a story that you can’t see the wood for the trees even though deep down, at the back of your mind, you have concerns about how it could possibly conclude satisfactorily.  I think the Malediction Trilogy is one of those series.  That probably sounds like a massive spoiler but please trust me when I say it really isn’t! To give a recap.   The Malediction Trilogy brings to us a world of magic, fae and trolls.  The…

Hex is a unique story about a witch who haunts the inhabitants of a small town.  It’s a creepy tale that stays with you after you finish reading and gives you plenty of food for thought – but probably in a way that you really wouldn’t expect.   Katherine van Wyler was sentenced to death for witchcraft by the towns people of Black Springs in the year 1664.  Unfortunately for the people of Black Springs Katherine took her death sentence rather badly and ever since has haunted the towns people who are now, effectively cursed.   I think Hex probably has one of the most unusual concepts for a creepy tale that I’ve ever come across.  A witch who haunts a town and literally walks the streets or shows up in people’s houses.  What makes this worse is that Katherine has her eyes and mouth sewn shut and is wrapped with chains.  Her appearance is usually preceded by the smell of rot and the stench of dirty water and if the inhabitants listen closely enough they can hear Katherine whispering quietly a string of vitriol that can cause madness and worse in any that overhear her words.  Now imagine that some people…

Children of Earth and Sky is Kay’s latest novel, set in war torn lands. The cast is comprised of a variety of characters, characters that are unlikely companions, crossing paths only by chance. As with Kay’s other books, this is set in a fictional land/world, but quite closely matches our own. There are a good number of characters in this, but I think it works well as it helps give perspectives and information from a variety of sources. This always helps paint a broader picture. That said, some readers may find it breaks the flow of the story a bit as the story is often jumping from one story to another. Personally, this is not an aspect that bothers me but I do know some readers prefer a more constant source for the story. As one might expect, this world can brutal, and there are great hardships that help steer our characters onto their current courses. Danica is a determined young woman, set of on vengeance for the loss of her family. She is fiercely independent and not afraid of calculated risks. Honestly, she does not seem to fear much in this world. Perhaps that comes from losing so much….

This book is marketed as “an epic fantasy, in miniature” and I agree with that statement – to a certain extent. A great deal of time and effort goes in to the magic and world-building, and it pays off, but to my disappointment, outside of the magic gems, there was not much else. Jewel Lin is daughter to the King of the Jewel Valley. Lin’s Lapidary is Sima, and her father is the King’s Lapidary. Lapidaries have the power to talk to gems and they serve the Jewels. In order to become a Lapidary, you must first have the ability to hear gems talking, and then, you must take your vows; two of which are: a lapidary obeys their Jewel, and a lapidary must protect their Jewel. Those are two of the vows that Sima’s father broke, who went gem-mad, and turned over the Valley Kingdom to the Mountain Kingdom, destroying most of the Jewel’s gems and murdering all of the Jewels – except for Lin. It is just Lin and Sima alive now in the Court, and the general of the Mountain army is coming through the gates to try to claim her new kingdom and gems. Two of the…