Showing posts with label dark fantasy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dark fantasy. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 8, 2025
Book review: The Book That Held Her Heart by Mark Lawrence (The Library Trilogy # 3)
Mark Lawrence has never been one to pull punches, and The Book That Held Her Heart might just deliver his most merciless finale yet. Everything that made The Library Trilogy special (an ambitious blend of mystery, adventure, and philosophical musing) collides violently, and with lots of powerful twists.
This time, the stakes are cataclysmic. The fate of the infinite library hangs by a thread, and Livira and Evar, once inseparable, are scattered across time. Livira is chasing answers through the labyrinthine past, while Evar is trapped in an impossible situation, kept alive through means best left unspoiled. Meanwhile, the war over the library rages on, with no simple resolutions is sight.
The Book That Held Her Heart feels darker and weightier that its predecessors. Not just in terms of stakes - though those are plenty brutal - but in its themes. The story brings in a new perspective through Anne Hoffman, a Jewish girl in Nazi Germany, tying the library’s war to the real-world horrors of book burning and historical erasure. It’s a bold move, and Lawrence makes it land. I feel the incorporation of real-world history into already mind-bending worldbuilding was a gamble, but it payed off. Ultimately, the story that has always been about books, memory, and the battle between knowledge and ignorance.
Despite the weighty themes (censorship, history’s cyclical nature, and the cost of knowledge) the novel never drags. Lawrence balances it all with his trademark wit and clever chapter epigraphs. The ending is powerful and I needed a moment to process it.
The Book That Held Her Heart is a stunning, gut-punch of a conclusion. It demands patience, rewards rereads, and cements Lawrence as one of the genre’s most daring storytellers.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: K.R. Gangi is an independent author from Minnesota who transcribes his daydreams into stories of fantasy. The Light of the New World series is his first step on his writing journey, along with a few short stories and an endless list of projects he hopes to one day complete. There is nothing that brings him more joy than his wife, Melissa, and the books neatly shelved in what's referred to as "The Reading Room." He firmly believes that there is nothing more powerful than a good story.
Find K.R. online: website
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Book review: In The Shadow of Their Dying by Michael R. Fletcher & Anna Smith Spark
Michael R. Fletcher: Michael R. Fletcher lives in the endless suburban sprawl north of Toronto. He dreams of trees and seeing the stars at night and being a ninja. He is an unrepentant whiskey-swilling reprobate of the tallest order and thinks grilled cheese sandwiches are a food group.
Anna Smith Spark: Anna Smith Spark lives in London, UK. She loves grimdark and epic fantasy and historical military fiction. Anna has a BA in Classics, an MA in history and a PhD in English Literature. She has previously been published in the Fortean Times and the poetry website www.greatworks.org.uk. Previous jobs include petty bureaucrat, English teacher and fetish model.
Anna's favourite authors and key influences are R. Scott Bakker, Steve Erikson, M. John Harrison, Ursula Le Guin, Mary Stewart and Mary Renault. She spent several years as an obsessive D&D player. She can often be spotted at sff conventions wearing very unusual shoes.
Publisher: Grimdark Magazine (March 19, 2024) Length: 143 pages Formats: ebook, paperback
The Truth of the Aleke by Moses Ose Utomi
Book links: Amazon, Goodreads
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Moses Ose Utomi is a Nigerian-American fantasy writer and nomad currently based out of Honolulu, Hawaii. He has an MFA in fiction from Sarah Lawrence College and short fiction publications in Fireside Fiction, Fantasy Magazine, and more. He is the author of the novella The Lies of the Ajungo and the YA fantasy novel Daughters of Oduma. When he’s not writing, he’s traveling, training martial arts, or doing karaoke—with or without a backing track.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Over the past decades, Brom has lent his distinctive visions and artwork to all facets of the creative industries, from novels and games, to comics and film. He is also the author of a series of award-winning illustrated horror novels: Lost Gods, Krampus the Yule Lord, The Child Thief, The Plucker, and The Devil’s Rose. Brom is currently kept in a dank cellar somewhere just outside of Seattle. Visit him at www.bromart.com.
Publisher: Tor Nightfire; 1st edition (September 14, 2021) Page count: 320 Formats: audio, ebook, paperback Cover art & Design - Brom
Blood Over Bright Haven by M. L. Wang review
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: M. L. Wang is a weird recluse, probably in a small room somewhere, planting tomatoes and talking to them. She enjoys gruesome nature documentaries and long walks in circles around her room.
Her books include Blood Over Bright Haven, The Sword of Kaigen, the Theonite Series (discontinued), and The Volta Academy Chronicles (published under Maya Lin Wang).
Publisher: M.L. Wang (July 25, 2023) Page count: 527 pages (Kindle) Formats: ebook
Saturday, May 14, 2022
Book review: An End to Sorrow by Michael R. Fletcher (reviewed by Lukasz Przywoski & Mihir Wanchoo)
ABOUT AUTHOR: Michael R. Fletcher is a science fiction and fantasy author, a grilled cheese aficionado, and a whiskey-swilling reprobate. He spends his days choreographing his forklift musical (titled "Get Forked"), and using caffeine as a substitute for sanity. Any suggestions that he is actually Dyrk Ashton in disguise are all lies.
Book links: Amazon, Goodreads
AUTHOR INFO: JONATHAN MABERRY is a NY Times bestselling suspense novelist, five-time Bram Stoker Award winner, and comic book writer. He is one-third of the very popular and mildly weird Three Guys With Beards podcast. He is a board member of the Horror Writers Association and the president of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers. Jonathan lives in Del Mar, California with his wife, Sara Jo. www.jonathanmaberry.com
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (May 10, 2022) Page count: 560 Cover art:
Tuesday, April 26, 2022
FBC: Authors & Their Favourite Books, Michael R. Fletcher chats about Wizard War by Hugh Cook (Interviewed by Mihir Wanchoo)
Hello everyone, this is the ATFB series, Authors & Their
Favourite Books. This series is inspired by hearing about authors talk
about what books inspired them to become wordsmiths in their own right.
Today we have with us Michael R.
Fletcher, indie grimdark darling, grilled cheese sandwich aficionado &
whiskey reprobate (in his own words). We chat with Michael about why he loves
this book. How he came across it and why more readers should perhaps give it a
try. Michael talks about its different approach in the 80s and much more. Plus a sneak peek at what he plans to release next.
Therefore, it is my sincere hope that you enjoy this
conversation and please feel free to let us know what you think either in the
comments below or comments on the Youtube video.
Series Links:
THE GIRL AND THE STARS - FBC Review
THE GIRL AND THE MOUNTAIN - FBC Review
AUTHOR INFO: Mark Lawrence is a research scientist working on artificial intelligence. He is a dual national with both British and American citizenship, and has held secret-level clearance with both governments. At one point, he was qualified to say, “This isn’t rocket science—oh wait, it actually is.” He is the author of the Broken Empire trilogy (Prince of Thorns, King of Thorns, and Emperor of Thorns), the Red Queen’s War trilogy (Prince of Fools, The Liar’s Key, and The Wheel of Osheim) and the Book of the Ancestor series (Red Sister).
Publisher: Ace (April 26, 2022) Page count: 416 pages
Official Author Website
Order the book HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Soulkeeper
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s review of Ravencaller Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of A Dance Of Cloaks
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s review of A Dance Of Blades
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of A Dance Of Mirrors
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of A Dance Of Shadows
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Cloak & Spider
Read Fantasy Book Critic interview with David Dalglish
Read Fantasy Book Critic cover art interview with David Dalglish
Read "Sequels And Satisfying Endings" by David Dalglish (guest post)
AUTHOR INFORMATION: David Dalglish is the author of the popular Half Orc fantasy series and the Paladin series. He was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He graduated from Missouri Southern State University in 2006 with a degree in Mathematics and used to work with Special Education students. He lives with his family on the east coast; A Dance Of Cloaks was his traditional publication debut.
Order the book HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Soulkeeper
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s review of Ravencaller Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of A Dance Of Cloaks
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s review of A Dance Of Blades
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of A Dance Of Mirrors
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of A Dance Of Shadows
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Cloak & Spider
Read Fantasy Book Critic interview with David Dalglish
Read Fantasy Book Critic cover art interview with David Dalglish
Read "Sequels And Satisfying Endings" by David Dalglish (guest post)
AUTHOR INFORMATION: David Dalglish is the author of the popular Half Orc fantasy series and the Paladin series. He was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He graduated from Missouri Southern State University in 2006 with a degree in Mathematics and used to work with Special Education students. He lives with his family on the east coast; A Dance Of Cloaks was his traditional publication debut.
OFFICIAL BOOK BLURB: A usurped prince prepares to take up the mantel of a deadly assassin and reclaim his kingdom, his people, and his slain gods in this epic fantasy from a USA Today bestselling author.
Cyrus was only twelve years old when his gods were slain, his country invaded, and his parents—the king and queen—beheaded in front of him. Held prisoner in the invader's court for years, Cyrus is suddenly given a chance to escape and claim his revenge when a mysterious group of revolutionaries comes looking for a figurehead. They need a hero to strike fear into the hearts of the imperial and to inspire and unite the people. They need someone to take up the skull mask and swords and to become the legendary "Vagrant"—an unparalleled hero and assassin of otherworldly skill.
But all is not as it seems. Creating the illusion of a hero is the work of many, and Cyrus will soon discover the true price of his vengeance.
FORMAT/INFO: The Bladed Faith is 470 pages long divided over forty-eight character titled chapters with an epilogue. Narration is in third person via Cyrus Lathan, Mari Ahlai, Stassia Ahlai, Paragon Rayan. Sinshei Vin Lucavi. Soma Ordiae, Arn, Magus and Vagrant. This is the first volume in The Vagrant Gods trilogy.
April 5, 2022 marks the e-book and trade paperback publication of The Bladed Faith and it will be published by Orbit books. Cover art is by Chase Stone and design by Lauren Panepinto.
Thursday, March 31, 2022
SPFBO Finalist review: Shadows of Ivory by T.L. Greylock and Bryce O'Connor
AUTHOR INFO: T L Greylock is the author of THE GODFORGED CHRONICLES series and THE SONG OF THE ASH TREE trilogy.
She can only wink her left eye, jumped out of an airplane at 13,000 feet while strapped to a Navy SEAL, had a dog named Agamemnon and a cat named Odysseus, and has been swimming with stingrays in the Caribbean.
P.S. One of the above statements is false. Can you guess which?
Publication Date: August 4, 2020 Publisher: Wraithmarked Creative Page Count: 500 Cover art: Tatiana Anor Formats: ebook, paperback, audiobook
Wednesday, February 9, 2022
SPFBO Finalist review: The Forever King (The Scalussen Chronicles # 1) by Ben Galley
Read FBC's interview with Ben
AUTHOR INFO: Ben Galley is an author of dark and epic fantasy books who currently hails from Victoria, Canada. Since publishing his debut Emaneska Series, Ben has released a range of novels set in strange, unforgiving worlds, including the award-winning weird western Bloodrush and standalone novel The Heart of Stone. He is also the author of the critically-acclaimed Chasing Graves Trilogy and new Scalussen Chronicles.
When he isn’t killing off hordes of fictional beings, or arguing the finer points of magic and dragons, Ben enjoys exploring the Canadian wilds and sipping Scotch single malts, and will forever and always play a dark elf in The Elder Scrolls. One day he hopes to live in an epic treehouse in the mountains.
Ben can be found on Twitter or vlogging on YouTube @BenGalley, or loitering on Facebook and Instagram @BenGalleyAuthor. Or just go to bengalley.com for all Ben's info.
Publication Date: December 01, 2020 Publisher: BenGalley.com Page Count: 666 (hell yeah!) Cover design: Pen Astridge Original and map illustrations: Ben Galley
Order Obsidian HERE
AUTHOR INFO: Sarah J. Daley is a former chef who lives and writes in the Chicago Metropolitan area with her husband and teenaged son. She earned a degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. Though she still enjoys the heat and chaos of a professional kitchen, she is now writing full-time. She enjoys traveling, creating costumes for comic con, riding the occasional horse, and streaming old sitcoms for background noise.
Release Date: January 25, 2022 Publisher: Angry Robot Pages: 400 Cover design: Mark Ecob
Friday, January 7, 2022
Exclusive Cover Reveal: The Madness Of Herakles (Tapestry Of Fate #4) by Matt Larkin
Official
Author Website
Order Tapestry Of Fate titles over HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic's interview with Matt Larkin
Order Tapestry Of Fate titles over HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic's interview with Matt Larkin
Today
we are super excited to host the cover reveal for Matt Larkin’s fourth volume in the Tapestry Of Fate series titled THE
MADNESS OF HERAKLES.
AUTHOR INFO: Krystle Matar has been writing for a long time, but things got serious when Tashué Blackwood walked into her life, an amber-eyed whirlwind. When she isn’t arguing with him or any of his friends, she parents, and farms. She has a lot of children and even more animals and one very excellent husband. She is currently working on lots of stories set in the Dominion. She expects to exist in this universe for a while.
Publication Date: February 18, 2021 Publisher: Imburleigh Book Company Page Count: 662 Covet art: Brad Bergman
About Simon Spurrier: Simon "Si" Spurrier writes novels and comics.
His work in the latter field stretches from award winning creator-owned books such as 'The Spire', 'Coda' and 'Angelic' to projects in the U.S. mainstream like 'Hellblazer', 'The Dreaming' and 'X-Men'. He and his works have been nominated for Eisner Awards multiple times.
His prose works range from the beatnik neurosis-noir of 'Contract' ("A tour de force" - The Times) to the occult whodunnit 'A Serpent Uncoiled' ("Gargantuan literary flourishes" - The Truth About Books). His experimental e-novella 'Unusual Concentrations' was shortlisted for the Shirley Jackson Awards.
He lives in Margate, UK.
Publication date: December 20, 2020 Publisher: BOOM! Studios Page count: 208 p
About H.L. HL Tinsley is the pen name of professional blogger and creative writer Holly Tinsley. Based in the UK, she is a published author of Fantasy, Gothic Horror and Grim-dark fiction as well as a regular contributor to gaming, TTRPG and pop culture websites and blogs. Her work has been featured in Horla Magazine online, An Hour of Writes and by the British Fantasy Society journal ‘New Horizons’.
FORMAT: Self-published by the author on October 1, 2020, We Men Of Ash And Shadow is the first book in the Vanguard Chronicles. It's available in ebook, paperback, and audio format. The book is 204 pages long. Cover illustration by Luke Michael Copsey.
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