A hectic work month has set me back in keeping up with this blog, but I have a brief reprieve this week, just long enough to write a review of a recently finished novella, The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss. This is the first book I’ve ever read that warns readers they…
I’m rounding out my reviews of recently finished novels with the epic fantasy Malice by John Gwynne. I’ve admired his brilliant book covers for years at my neighborhood Barnes & Noble and finally got around to reading his debut novel. Better late than never, as they say. My first observation is how squarely this book…
I’m continuing to catch up on book reviews after the launch of The Cauldron of God and work on my next novella. I’m taking a short break following a vacation to Scotland and Ireland, so it’s now or never! My latest medieval fiction read was The Ill-Made Knight by Christian Cameron. It’s the first time…
Earlier this year, I declared Crucible of Chaos by Sebastien de Castell the best book I’ve read in 2024. That remains true, but de Castell’s Play of Shadows now stands as its equal. Both are part of his new Court of Shadows series, with Crucible of Chaos serving as a prequel to the rest of…
With all the activity surrounding the launch of The Cauldron of God, I’ve fallen way behind on my book reviews. I haven’t stopped reading by any means, but I’ve finished at least three good-sized novels since my last review, so it’s time to start playing catch-up. I’ll begin with Tyrant’s Throne, the fourth and final…
After relishing Sebastien de Castell’s Crucible of Chaos, I went back and finished his earlier Greatcoats series. The third book, Saint’s Blood, sets up the tale that unfolds in Crucible of Chaos, and it turned out to be one of my favorite Greatcoat books. Falcio Val Mond, the First Cantor of the Greatcoats, continues his…
Richard Swan’s Empire of the Wolf series reaches its epic conclusion in The Trials of Empire. This installment is more harrowing and bloody than its predecessors, but it provides a satisfying conclusion to this captivating trilogy. This novel begins where The Tyranny of Faith left off. Former magistrate justice Sir Konrad Vonvalt and his law…
I returned to Jacob Pepper’s Saga of the Known Lands earlier this year with the series’ second installment A Warrior’s Redemption. The novel is a worthy sequel to this grimdark fantasy tale. So far, these books are not epic stories but more personal journeys focused on the series’ chief protagonist, Cutter. Also known as “Kingslayer,”…
So far, the best book I’ve read in 2024 is Crucible of Chaos by Sebastien de Castell. The book is a prelude to de Castell’s upcoming Court of Shadows series and a sequel to his excellent Greatcoat novels. Whatever I read next will have a hard time topping this one! The story’s protagonist, Estevar Borros,…
Richard Swan’s The Tyranny of Faith is that rare sequel that outshines its predecessor, The Justice of Kings – which happened to be one of the best books I read last year. Suffice it to say that Swan’s Empire of the Wolf series is becoming one of my favorites. Set in the aftermath of the…
Among the best novels I’ve read in 2023 was The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan. Like me, Swan is a lawyer, and armed with his legal background, he’s crafted a compelling novel about the importance of the rule of law in a sprawling medieval empire on the verge of collapse. Central to the novel…