Series: Masters & Mages #2
Release Date: January 29th 2019
Publisher: Gollancz
Pages: 448
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review.
Synopsis
Only fools think war is simple.
Or glorious.
Some are warriors, some captains; others tend to the fallen or feed the living.
But on the magic-drenched battlefield, information is the lifeblood of victory, and Aranthur is about to discover that carrying messages, scouting the enemy, keeping his nerve, and passing on orders is more dangerous, and more essential, then an inexperienced soldier could imagine . . . especially when everything starts to go wrong.
Battle has been joined – on the field, in the magical sphere, and in the ever-shifting political arena . . .
Review
Cold Iron was one of my favourite new fantasy books of 2018. I enjoyed the world so much and I really grew attached to Aranthur and friends. Masters and Mages has the feeling of an old time fantasy novel but with a completely fresh perspective. When Dark Forge arrived I was so excited to dive back into this world, and it definitely did not disappoint.
This time around we are on the battle field. Cameron brings to life the sights and sounds of the magic filled battle zone and it is a gripping setting for this next instalment. Aranthur is tasked with carrying messages and he soon finds out this is a pretty dangerous situation to be in – especially when things don’t go quite as planned. The plot is quite quick paced as the battle rages on and I found it difficult to put Dark Forge down.
Dark Forge also has quite a bit of political intrigue which I really enjoyed. It helped to expand the world and really immerse myself in the story. Like the previous instalment Aranthur goes through quite a bit of character growth and I enjoyed seeing him continue to gain new skills as a mage.
As Dark Forge continues the story of Aarathur it continues that feeling of old time fantasy but with a modern approach. I really loved this aspect of the book and it definitely feels like a breath of fresh air to the typical fantasy novel. Miles Cameron really does a superb job with world building and it was easy to sink into the world he has created in this exciting series. If you’ve read Cold Iron and planning to pick Dark Forge up, it’s definitely worth the wait!
This is my first book from A. G. Howard – I have always wanted to read Splintered but haven’t gotten around to it yet – so when I heard about this it immediately went on my TBR. A Gothic fairy tale retelling of The Princess and the Pea? Where do I sign up? I was completely sucked in by that beautiful cover and the synopsis. After just a few chapters I completely fell under the spell of this beautifully written book.
The book is set in this eerie, dark little town called Lost Creek in Alaska. Our main protagonist Corey grew up there but has since moved away, returned after the death of her best friend Kyra. But Lost has change in the months she’s been away, and Corey is no longer part of the community, she’s an outsider which the townspeople don’t take too kindly too. I loved this setting, it was so vividly described and such a claustrophobic and unsettling place. There were more than a few times when I felt a shiver from this cold dark landscape.
I’m pretty sure that’s all the review you need but I’ll attempt to go into a little bit more detail. The Wicked King is the second instalment in the Folk of the Air series. This is already a massively popular series and book one – The Cruel Prince – was on everyone’s best of 2018 list (including mine). Going into The Wicked King I had a certain amount of trepidation – what if it’s all filler and suffers from second book syndrome?
I recently did a 24 hour readathon and this was one of the books I was hoping to get to. After reading just a few pages I was absolutely hooked and I’m pretty sure I barely even breathed as I devoured this beautiful and original book.
Series: Valkyrie #1
I always enjoy books with Norse mythology and Between the Blade and the Heart is chalk full of myths and legends. I loved the level of detail that Hocking put in, the story feels well plotted out and well researched. I also loved the dark, dank setting of a world full of demons and creatures. The world building is an odd mix, with run down buildings and dingy bars but also hovering bikes and other technology.
The one thing I found about both We Were Liars and Genuine Fraud is that they were pretty quick reads. Genuine Fraud is just over 250 pages and tells the story of two young women, Imogen and Jule and their lives over the course of their friendship.The story is told in a series of different chapters which jump in time. I found this really grating, especially when I put the book down for a while and went back to it. I imagine some people will love this non-traditional way of telling a story but it wasn’t really for me.
The book is told from the perspective of young Zach, who is a powerful and fascinating protagonist. Navin does a fantastic job of bringing him to life, Zach along with the rest of the characters feel very realistic and complex, each dealing with their own complex emotions and grief as they deal with all that has happened. I definitely felt myself becoming attached to Zach, you feel for this clever young boy as he retreats into his books and drawings, while his parents attempt to cope with their grief.
Series: Tales From Algaesia #1
second part of the book being a memoir of the witch Angela. This part was particularly intriguing because it was written by Angela Paolini who was the inspiration for that character in the original books.
Release Date: March 13th 2018
I had no idea what to expect when I started reading this book. The story sounded fascinating and I must admit I was partly intrigued by that lovely cover, but the story within is so much more complex and layered that I imagined. So much happens in such a little book, but the writing is exquisite and really brings to life this fascinating period in history.
The Bibliophile Chronicles 