Book review: The Price of Power by Michael Michel
Book links: Amazon | Goodreads
About the book: Prince Barodane could not hold back the darkness. Not even in himself. He laid an innocent city in its grave and then died a hero.
In his absence, war whispers across the land.
Power-hungry highborn dispatch spies and assassins to the shadows as they maneuver for the throne, while an even greater threat rises in the South. Monsters and cultists flock to the banners of a mad prophet determined to control reality…and then shatter it.
Destiny stalks three to the brink of oblivion.
A dead prince who isn’t dead. Barodane buried his shameful past in a stupor of drugs, drink, and crime. Now, he’d rather watch the world fall apart than wear the crown again.
An orphan with hero’s blood who's forced to make a harrowing betray her country or sacrifice her first love.
And a powerful seer who has no choice at all–her grandson must die.
If any of them fails to pay the price…
The cost will be the world’s complete annihilation.
Formats: Audiobook, ebook, paperback
Two empires have been struggling for decades. One side invaded and enslaved the other, but the slaves broke free and overcame their oppressors while unifying disparate territories into a sovereign nation. But as time passed, the oppressed became the oppressors; they enacted a horrifying tradition of permanently scarring the newborns of their old enemies. There are legitimate arguments on both sides for generational hatred, and the current balance of peace vs. rebellion is teetering on the precipice of disaster.
We follow several POVs across the continent: a powerful Grandmother tasked with training a doomed young boy; an isolated princess forced to prove her worth to save the kingdom from shattering into chaos; a disgraced war veteran-turned-drug dealer haunted by madness and regret; an ally of the veteran who traded honor for loyalty; a defeated and abused pig farmer who embarks on a suicide march up a cursed mountain haunted by demons and untold power.
The vast majority of the story has very little crossover between the characters, but the threads start to weave together near the conclusion. While there was some predictably with some of the later reveals, Michel’s strong character development and emotional growth elevated the reading experience.
The pacing was also strong, as I longed to return to each POV to see what would happen next — but was never upset about switching over to the next chapter POV. There was a good balance between action, plot development, and the emotional struggles each character was facing.
This is not a short book, but it still felt like it was all about setup — characters were introduced, stakes were raised, and pieces put in place for a long, complex, and exciting journey ahead.
I wouldn’t classify this as grimdark although it’s easy to see how others might. Just be warned that this is not an uplifting book — many terrible things happen to good people, and justice is fleeting. But for those who like grit and grime and no easy solutions, this is an easy recommendation to make. I already started the prequel novella and eagerly await book two’s release.
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Book Review: The Weavers of the Alameda by Hadeer Elsbai
OFFICIAL AUTHOR BIO: Hadeer Elsbai is an Egyptian-American writer and librarian. Born in New York City, she grew up being shuffled between Queens and Cairo. Hadeer studied history at Hunter College and later earned her Master’s degree in library science from Queens College, making her a CUNY alum twice over. Aside from writing, Hadeer enjoys cats, iced drinks, live theater, and studying the 19th century.
FORMAT/INFO: The Weavers of Alamaxa is the finale book of the Alamaxa Duology. It was published on March 19th, 2024 by Harper Voyager in harcover, ebook and audio formats in the U.S, and in paperback, ebook and audio by Orbit Books in the U.K.
GUEST POST: Writing the Villainess by Elyse Thompson
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Interview: Gareth Brown, author of The Book of Doors
Buy The Book of Doors here
OFFICIAL BOOK BLURB: New York bookseller Cassie Andrews is not sure what she’s doing with her life. She lives quietly, sharing an apartment with her best friend, Izzy. Then a favourite customer gives her an old book. Full of strange writing and mysterious drawings, at the very front there is a handwritten message:
Book Review: The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown
FORMAT/INFO: The Book of Doors was published on February 15th, 2024 by Bantam Books in the U.K. and on February 13th 2024 by William Morrow in the U.S. It is available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats.
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Book Review: The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers
Buy The City of Stardust - U.S. | U.K.
She has previously worked as an editor, a bookseller and rare books student librarian, so you could say she’s seen the entire lifecycle of a book.
When she’s not doing bookish things, she enjoys embroidery, playing piano, and painting, among various other crafts. She currently lives in London, but she dreams of one day living in a haunted château with cats and a ghost that cleans.
Interview: RuNyx, author of Gothikana
Buy the Gothikana Hardcover Edition: featuring sprayed edges, a foiled case stamp, gorgeously detailed endpapers, an updated map and deliciously moody art throughout, here
This edition will go on sale on January 23, 2023
Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett (Reviewed by Shazzie)
Book Review: Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett
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Book Review: The Witchwood Knot by Olivia Atwater
Buy The Witchwood Knot here
OFFICIAL AUTHOR BIO: Olivia Atwater writes whimsical historical fantasy with a hint of satire. She lives in Montreal, Quebec with her fantastic, prose-inspiring husband and her two cats. When she told her second-grade history teacher that she wanted to work with history someday, she is fairly certain this isn't what either party had in mind. She has been, at various times, a historical re-enactor, a professional witch at a metaphysical supply store, a web developer, and a vending machine repairperson.
Book Review: The Hexologists by Josiah Bancroft
Official Author Website
Buy The Hexologists here - U.S. | U.K.
Read Caitlin's review of the book here
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A Cup of Tea at the Mouth of Hell by Luke Tarzian (Reviewed by Matthew Higgins)
Book Review: A Cup of Tea at the Mouth of Hell by Luke Tarzian
Interview: Gama Ray Martinez, author of the Defenders of Lore series
Book Review: The Blood of Crows by Alex C. Pierce
Growing up, Alex wanted to be either a Writer or a World Renowned Thief. Deciding between a career of morally grey choices, complex planning, difficult execution, lies, and misdirection, or potentially going to jail? Alex naturally gravitated toward writing.
His debut book The Blood of Crows, a Fantasy Thriller with heists, murder, and magic eating monsters, came out May 26th, 2022, and he'd really love it if you bought a copy. He has numerous other stories (including sequels) in varying stages of being outlined, spanning genres from Science Fiction, to Urban Fantasy, to Fantasy Thriller.
He lives in Canada and is a life-long reader and writer, and lover of all things magical.
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