Oct 28 2026

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Book Review: The Tomb of the Corpse King and Other Stories by Anthony Ryan

Title: The Tomb of the Corpse King and Other Stories

Author: Anthony Ryan

Series: Seven Swords #7.5

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: None listed yet on Goodreads, but this contains a few prequel and aftermath stories for the Seven Swords series. I’ll provide a link in case one gets generate in the future: Goodreads

Niki’s Review:

What a fantastic way to round-out a series!

I will admit I went into this collection hoping he’d chosen to write a certain story (I wanted a series aftermath tale following a specific character). Unfortunately my hopes were dashed. But in it’s place I found a few other stories that actually enhanced my overall experience with the series.

But the start was rough. Halfway into the first story I was wondering what I’d gotten myself into. I was confused about timeline through the entire thing, as it read like a prequel, but it kept referring to a place we’d visited within the main series and I thought the main character was someone we’d met. After I finished it, I picked up Blackfyre Keep to flip through to see if I could figure out where this story lined up, only to discover that the main character I’d thought we were following was an entirely different person, also with an “L” name that was within a few letters of being identical. I’m willing to take accountability on being dense in this case and losing some enjoyment because of that, but Ryan’s insistence on using “L” names throughout the entire series has been a constant source of annoyance and I don’t feel like it helped at all with clarity or character distinction. At one point I had to make myself a character chart to keep them all straight. That said, even if I’d been clear that this was a new character, I don’t think the story was overall particularly compelling, nor did it add much to my experience with the series as a whole.

… but the other three stories are a different, uh, story.

The two back stories added a ton of context to the series to the point where I’d recommend reading them before beginning the series if you plan to eventually consume the whole thing. Especially the Scarlet Ziggurat, which did a much better job acclimating the reader to the main character than the first book (which kind of throws you right into the fire). And the Seeker prequel was just a cool tale from start to finish and I think I’d have appreciated it even as a stand-alone.

Okay, let’s talk about the title aftermath story. Even though it didn’t cover the character I was hoping it would, it still provided just as much of an impact as any of the books from the main series. It’s crazy to me how he can pack so much into such a small word count. I could tell early on that the author had a sort of darling of his series – a character that got featured and highlighted more than the others. So having my capstone experience with the series riding with that character seems very fitting. And I think it gave a broad sense of world resolution that the main series-ender lacked a bit. There were so many cool world-building things here, and really my overall takeaway from Seven Swords is that I wish we’d get more because it’s such a creative project with seemingly endless possibilities.

Overall, even though the collection starts slow, it’s quickly amps up into one of the most value-adding extras I’ve ever read for a series. I’m hoping it’s not the last we’ll see from this world, but if it as, at least it went out with a bang!

I’d like to thank Subterranean Press, Anthony Ryan, and Netgalley for the chance to read and review an early copy of this short story collection!

Thank you to my Patrons: Dave, Katrin, Frank, Jen, Karen, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Betsy, Eliss, Elizabeth, Bee, Poochtee, Kinsey, Alysa, Derek, Kelly, Grace, Carmen, Leah, and Laura! <3

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by Niki Hawkes

Oct 27 2026

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Book Review: Tales From the Territory by Travis Baldree

Title: Tales From the Territory

Author: Travis Baldree

Series: Legends and Lattes #3.5

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: There are many tales yet untold . . .
‘GOBLINS & GREATCOATS’: Chaos goblin Zyll is involved in a case of mistaken identity, where she solves a murder at an inn whilst simultaneously stealing all the cutlery.
‘JUST A THIMBLEFUL’: The sweet rattkin baker Thimble finds a new home for his soon-to-be famous cinnamon rolls.
‘PAGES TO FILL’: An act of mercy leads to a life-changing discovery for warrior orc Viv.
In ‘MIROGRAPH’, young succubus Tandri assists a university professor on a mysterious project where art and science collide.
In ‘CAVALIERS & COFFEES’, Viv, now the owner of Legends & Lattes coffee shop, discovers that imitation is not the highest form of flattery. –Goodreads

Niki’s Review:

This collection was an absolute delight! I keep saying I don’t care for short stories, but I may need to re-evaluate, as I was hooked on this right from the first page. It helped that the first story (Goblins and Greatcoats) was about my single most favorite character I’ve met over the last few years: Zyll. This being is hysterical (and slightly unnerving), and her story was every bit as entertaining as the scenes we got with her from Brigands and Breadknives. It also provided a great backstory to how she came to possess a certain item…

And then the Thimble story!! Which was very reminiscent of Ratatouille, but I loved the twist Baldree put on the tale. This was the one for which I felt the largest emotional connection. It also best captured the cozy, day in the life aspect I loved so much about Legends and Lattes. Thimble spoke to my artist’s soul. He had an insatiable drive to refine his culinary confections to perfection without any external appreciation for his efforts. His story arc there was especially satisfying, and I think this is the one I’ll remember most from the collection (which is fitting because it’s the cover image feature on my Broken Binding copy).

Then we get into my least favorite of the collection, Pages to Fill. I found it oddly difficult to follow compared to the other stories and even had to go back and reread a good chunk of it at one point because I was so disengaged. It was almost as if it were missing something, but I can’t put my finger on what it was. The end half of the story was a bit more successful, and I finally found a story element I liked enough to keep my attention. While doing research after finishing the book, I discovered this particular story was written many years before the others in the collection. Interesting, then, that it’s the only one I had a struggle with. I think it signifies just how far the author has grown as a writer since his early publishing days, so I was still able to appreciate it as a good stepping stone.

And finally, a maddening but also heartwarming tale taking us to a time period after L&L with Viv and her coffee house crew. It’s fun to get a “where are they now” update, and I’m certainly hoping this isn’t the last we’ll see of them. Injustices in books, even in cozy books, stress me out, so this was probably the most evoking tale of the bunch. Even so, it ultimately left me with all the right emotions and was a good capstone for the collection.

Overall I’m not sure which story was my favorite, but I can say I think it is worth reading for fans of the series. It added a good bit of roundness to the world for me and I truly cannot wait to see what the author has in store next! I experienced the story both on audio (narrated by the author himself – a narrator by profession, so you know it’s good!) and via the Broken Binding hardback edition. The physical book I read had striking full color illustrations to go along with each story, which definitely enhanced the experience for me. Overall I’m thrilled to add this one to my library!

I’d like to thank Macmillan Audio, Travis Baldree, and Netgalley for the chance to listen to and review an early copy of Tales From the Territory!

Thank you to my Patrons: Dave, Katrin, Frank, Jen, Karen, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Betsy, Eliss, Elizabeth, Bee, Poochtee, Kinsey, Alysa, Derek, Kelly, Grace, Carmen, Leah, and Laura! <3

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by Niki Hawkes

Oct 25 2026

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Book Review: Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst

Title: Sea of Charms

Author: Sarah Beth Durst

Series: Spellshop #3

Genre: Cozy Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: Marin is a supply runner with her own boat that she sails from island to island, delivering whatever anyone will pay her to deliver: letters, flour, even the occasional enchanted lemur. It’s a lonely life, but it’s hers, and she wouldn’t trade the freedom of the sea for anything. Her only companion is a sea serpent, Perri, whom she saved from a fisherfolk’s net. One day, she sails to Alyssium and discovers the city is on fire. There’s been a revolution, and the empire has fallen. Marin, with Perri, begins transporting refugees, finding them new homes where they can start over. One such refugee is Dax, a composer who refuses to leave behind his instruments, no matter how much she tries to emphasize the gravity of the situation. Intrigued by his stubbornness, his passion for stories, and his charming smile, Marin discovers perhaps she isn’t saving him ― maybe it’s the other way around. –Goodreads

Niki’s Review:

Sarah Beth Durst continues to write stories I wish I’d thought of first. After dazzling me with Race the Sands a few years ago, I’ve been gradually working my way through her works. She’s such a delightful writer – telling stories filled with so many fun fantasy elements that make you feel like a kid again. Everything I’ve read so far has been solid, and I can’t wait to eventually get to all of her books.

In general, I need to read more feel-good stories like Sea of Charms. That said, it did take me about half the book to really get into it. I was missing a little of that slow-burn, day-in-the-life aspect that we got in the first two books (one via starting and operating a jam shop, the other via the daily care and maintenance of greenhouse plants). Both fulfilled a specific craving, which I feel was lacking in Sea of Charms. Just a little more page count dedicated to the care and keeping of the magical ship would have gone a long way. Plus more effort on fleshing out the ship itself, giving it even more magical properties. As it was, with the ship acting as little more than a vessel (ha) from place to place, it felt like an opportunity wasted.

But that was my only negative takeaway from the book. What it lacked in caretaking vibes it more than made up for with adventure. We got to explore more of the many islands in this nation, which was probably my favorite aspect of the story. Also, the story was told along the same timeline as the other books in the series, expanding what we know of this world and where we’ve visited. As we get closer and closer to the source of the main conflict with each book, I feel myself getting increasingly invested. The framework for this whole thing is particularly fantastic because, as each of the islands has it’s own unique and magical properties, the possibilities are endless for future books. And in fact, we’ve already been given some insight into the characters we’ll meet for the next book (The Magical Cheese Emporium), for which I’m incredibly excited!

I initially wasn’t sure if I liked the main characters and their love story. I couldn’t see the what their draw was to one another other than physical attraction at first. But as the story went along, the care they took in creating a safe place for each other, offering support, and prioritizing one another soon became apparent, making this one of the more profound love stories I’ve read in a while. It was really sweet. And the side characters! Durst is quickly becoming one of my go-to authors for great side characters. I thought nothing could beat the rolling cactus in the first book, but Perri, the sea serpent, earned a star from me all on his own. Loved.

Even with all of these cool elements coming together, Durst made it even better by incorporating music into the storyline in a way that wove together the entire plot. Without going full bard-mode, she managed to make the book feel heavily musical… it was downright beautiful. I will probably remember this book more as the music installment rather than the exploration/merchant one, which I don’t hate.

Overall, this was a delightful book that was the exact sort of cozy fantasy I crave between my usual gritty SFF reads. Despite the fact that it has a romance component, I would not lump this into the romantasy category, as its primary focus is on the fantasy elements, there are no sex scenes, and it has completely different vibes than the books I’ve read in the romantasy category. It was an incredibly wholesome read, and I can’t wait to see what the author has in store for us next!

I want to thank Macmillan Audio, Sarah Beth Durst, and Netgalley for the chance to listen to and review an early copy of Sea of Charms!

Thank you to my Patrons: Dave, Katrin, Frank, Jen, Karen, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Betsy, Eliss, Elizabeth, Bee, Poochtee, Kinsey, Alysa, Derek, Kelly, Grace, Carmen, Leah, and Laura! <3

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by Niki Hawkes

Oct 18 2026

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DNF Q&A: With a Golden Sword by Rachel Aaron

Title: With a Golden Sword

Author: Rachel Aaron

Series: DFZ Changelings #2

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: 1.5/5 stars

The Overview: Standing up to Victor was only the beginning. Three weeks ago, Lola put her soul on the line to save her sister and stop an abusive blood mage from making himself a god. But while she managed to derail the worst of Victor’s plans, the rest of the world still sees her old master as the hero. To make matters worse, the Nightmare King Alberich has entirely escaped his prison and is now leading the Wild Hunt on a rampage of fear and chaos across the skies of Europe. With Alberich playing the villain, it’s only a matter of time before Victor convinces all of humanity that his abusive magic is their only hope. Lola’s not about to let him get his dirty hands on that kind of power. But while she’s free to fight him, Simon and the Black Rider are still trapped under the blood mage’s boot. Lola will have to break them both out before she can take Victor down, but her former master’s plans are far from finished. He’s playing a game none of them can predict for a prize no one yet understands, and once all of his pieces are in place, the future of the world will hang on the edge of a golden sword. –Goodreads

Niki’s Q&A Review:

Did you really give With a Golden Sword a chance?

According to my Goodreads update, I read 75% of this book before throwing in the towel. No regrets. At that point I started spot-reading to the end and even skimmed through to read the final chapter of the last book! You KNOW I’m totally fed up when I do drastic things like that. I definitely wasn’t planning to revisit this later.

Have you enjoyed other books in the same genre before?

Admittedly, the fae are closely tied with angels as my least favorite supernatural creature in books. So diving in, there were already a few things working against me. And unfortunately I found the fae in here every bit as stereotypical as I’ve come to dread. But what’s surprising is that I HAD read everything by Rachel Aaron/Bach published to date (except for FFO) before reading this series, and many of her books are on my conservative shortlist of all-time favorites! Like these:

So many fun series! Aaron/Bach has been on auto-buy for years. But to be honest, her most recent books have gotten a bit long-winded and loose, especially since it has been some time now since she has worked with a trad publishing house. I think her works benefitted from being parred down a bit by editing teams. Either way, I still love her… but now there’s a bit of a thorn.

Did you have certain expectations before starting it?

Yeah, I was nervous. Even though I had a few nice things to say about the first book, I didn’t love it (2.5/5 stars). I was more or less continuing out of a sense of obligation to close out an open loop rather than because I was genuinely excited to move on (never a good reason). I blame the fae. That said, I still went in hoping for at least a mildly enjoyable experience.

What ultimately made you stop reading?

No joke, 50% of the book was of the characters standing around talking. They may as well have been talking heads in a void for how little bearing the setting had on the scenes. Then, in a burst of activity and excitement, we switched to another location… and proceeded to talk and talk again. I suppose the talk was somewhat compelling in small doses: rehashing what had happened previously, how the characters felt about what had happened previously, discussion of what to do about what’s happening now, how the characters feet about THAT. And so on. I would be really surprised if the author wrote this with clear story beats in mind. Or if she did, then either I missed them in their subtlety or she wasn’t concerned about getting to the next ones with any sense of urgency. Unfortunately for me it felt like mostly a massive waste of time.

Worth mentioning: the author has a book called “2,000 to 10,000: How to Write Faster, Write Better, and Write More of What You Love.” And so the scenes she writes like the ones I’m struggling with do feel like they were written in one long, flowing writing session with continual streams of thought. However, when something is written like that, I think it’s more difficult to go back and edit it down. Any changes would be disrupting 10000 words of flow and I imagine it’s a lot more painful to throw out that kind of word count rather than just 2000. It’s much, much easier if you’re a decent writer to just indulge yourself and keep all of the word vomit so you can continue clipping along tomorrow. If this is really what’s going on, I don’t think her writing technique is doing her any favors these days. The book needed more direction, considerably tighter pacing, and more variety of story beats.

I got so fed up waiting for the book to get to the point that I jumped ship. I was already drowning in speculation and couldn’t take it anymore.

Was there anything you liked about With a Golden Sword?

The character profiles are unconventional, creative, and really cool! I’ve never seen their like, and I especially liked how they interacted with one-another. I also have an affection for the author and her storytelling in general, so it pains me to hold this series in such low regard.

Would you read anything else by this author?

Absolutely, even though I’m a bit wary of this new era of her writing style. I have already purchased her entire Tear Down Heaven series… wish me luck.

So you DNF’d the book – would you still recommend it?

Yes. I am much pickier (crankier ::coughs::) than I used to be and sometimes a bit unfair to certain works. I could se someone else settling right into the comfort of the writing and not even noticing the lack of external workings. Also keep in mind that I am completely sick of reading about the fae (did I mention that?). Additionally, I read for novelty and emotional investment, so a straight-forward, simple, sweet plot like this where I can tell where it’s going and have too many other things lined up to have the patience to sit there and wait while it meanders its way there while I’m already annoyed is just not going to cut it. My review sounds very cynical, so I’m certain the series will work considerably better for most other readers.

Thank you to my Patrons: Dave, Katrin, Frank, Jen, Karen, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Betsy, Eliss, Mike, Elizabeth, Bee, Poochtee, Kinsey, Alysa, Derek, Kelly, Grace, Carmen, Leticia, and Leah! <3

This DNF review format was borrowed with permission from Nikki @ There Were Books Involved (who doesn’t blog anymore, but she still gets all the credit).

by Niki Hawkes

Oct 11 2026

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Book Review: Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

Title: Lonesome Dove

Author: Larry McMurtry

Series: Lonesome Dove #1

Genre: Literary Fiction/Western

Rating: 5/5 stars

The Overview: A love story, an adventure, and an epic of the frontier, Larry McMurtry’s Pulitzer Prize-winning classic, Lonesome Dove, the third book in the Lonesome Dove tetralogy, is the grandest novel ever written about the last defiant wilderness of America. Journey to the dusty little Texas town of Lonesome Dove and meet an unforgettable assortment of heroes and outlaws, whores and ladies, Indians and settlers. Richly authentic, beautifully written, always dramatic, Lonesome Dove is a book to make us laugh, weep, dream, and remember. –Goodreads

Dave’s Review:

Lonesome Dove is an enormous book, and it is not a fast-paced one. McMurtry takes his time developing the story, allowing the characters and their relationships to evolve at a leisurely pace. However, despite its length and deliberate pacing, I never found it a chore to read. Quite the opposite, actually. I was happy to spend time in this world, following these characters wherever the journey took them.

Having seen the television miniseries years ago, I was already familiar with the main characters, even if I no longer remembered many of the details of the plot. Revisiting Gus, Call, Deets, and the others in the novel was a pleasure. McMurtry creates an impressive cast of characters, and what struck me most was how many of them are memorable and endearing, even those who only appear briefly. They feel like real people, with their own quirks, flaws, and motivations, rather than simply serving a purpose in the story.

The book also offers a fairly unromantic view of life in the American West. There is plenty of adventure, humor, and camaraderie, but McMurtry never loses sight of how difficult and often brutal life could be. The journey is filled with hardship, violence, and loss, and the author is not afraid to let events unfold in ways that are uncomfortable or heartbreaking. In that respect, I found the novel considerably harsher at times than I remembered the miniseries being. Perhaps that is partly because the television adaptation may have been softened to some degree for prime-time network audiences, but the book certainly does not pull any punches.

Ultimately, what makes Lonesome Dove so good is not any single event or plot development, but the characters and the time spent with them. McMurtry has created a wonderfully rich and lived-in world that feels both compelling and authentic. Despite its considerable length, I was never eager for it to end. This is a remarkable novel that absolutely deserves its reputation as a classic of the Western genre and the Pulitzer Prize it received.

Oct 10 2026

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Book Review: Monster, Monarch, Maiden by Rae Carson

Title: Monster, Monarch, Maiden

Author: Rae Carson

Series: N/A

Genre: YA Romantacy

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

The Overview: Bria Angarsold isn’t supposed to be a hero. She’s just a mountain girl. A mountain girl with a near useless Gift, living an idyllic life with her sister and her parents, running the family’s thriving inn. But then the raiders come, and Bria’s family is destroyed. One of the last survivors of the raid, Bria isn’t sure she’ll live to see where the captors are taking her. Until the caravan crosses paths with a mysterious traveler and Bria’s luck changes again. With no family or home to return to, Bria swears her life to this moody, secretive young man. Titus has been chosen to complete a perilous quest—one that will make Bria question everything she’s ever believed, from the magic that weaves through their world to the very gods themselves. As the journey unfolds, Bria realizes she has something—someone—new to believe in. She’d follow Titus to the Edge of the World, sworn oath or not, even if neither of them stands a chance at returning from it. But Bria Angarsold is a survivor. She isn’t useless, and neither is her Gift. And this is her story. –Goodreads

Niki’s Review:

If anyone was going to write a wholesome, organic romantacy, it’s Rae Carson. I’ve long admired her approach to love stories and her character profiles in general because they always feel more realistic. More relatable. Where the romantic bonds are formed based on way more than just physical attraction and plot convenience.

Even so, I wish the fantasy elements in the book had been stronger. They provided the backbone objective to the story and some fun moments involving personal magical “talents,” but for the majority of the book, I forgot I was reading a fantasy. The elements were definitely a bit more subtle than I usually prefer. What’s more, a lot of the richer world-building components took place “off-screen.” There’s only so much page count, and this was a romance-first story. I think had the intent been to make it a fantasy-forward tale, all of those cool elements would’ve been featured instead of getting pushed to the periphery in favor of relationship development… and I probably would’ve liked it more. The ending felt a little rushed (regarding the fantasy plot points, not the romance, which was perfectly paced), which made the rest of the book feel too drawn-out in retrospect (because omgsh we spent a lot of time trudging through the snow), which is why I think I finished it feeling a bit dissatisfied. This is definitely an instance of the book being a wonderful representation of its genre, but me not being the intended audience.

I need to rant about romantasy in general for a minute and then explain why I liked this one better than most I’ve read. Do you ever find it ridiculous how signs of attraction between characters are written in at the absolute stupidest times? Like during life or death situations where the last thing you’d be thinking about is how hot the other person is, especially in the WAY those scenes are written where time seems to slow down, the danger subsides for a minute, and we get a couple of pages describing in detail the other person’s physique. These moments irritate me to no end because they are so obviously pushing a plot agenda, and they effectively steal away all tension and sense of danger from the scene.

What’s cool is that Carson’s books never have any of the things that irritate me about how romances are often written. The relationships are always slowly developed, based on mutual respect and gradually increasing regard for one another that comes from going through difficult things together and consistently showing up for one another. So good. I give that aspect of the story a solid A+.

I know this review is weird. I’m not a romantasy fan who is trying to fairly evaluate a romantasy book. But I AM a big Rae Carson fan and have read and will continue to read anything she comes out with. And if like me you like love stories that feel more organic and wholesome, she’s a great recommend. For the record, this romantasy contains zero spice and is a perfectly lovely little love story.

I’d like to thank HarperAudio Children’s, Rae Carson, and Netgalley for the chance to listen to and review an early audiobook copy of this book!

Thank you to my Patrons: Dave, Katrin, Frank, Jen, Karen, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Betsy, Eliss, Mike, Elizabeth, Bee, Poochtee, Kinsey, Alysa, Derek, Kelly, Grace, Carmen, Leticia, and Leah! <3

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