Sep 23 2026

Image

Book Review: Bodies of Magic by Freya Marske

Title: Bodies of Magic

Author: Freya Marske

Series: N/A

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 5/5 stars!

The Overview: At the Academie of the Grand Duchy of Sieuxerr, every mage with the healer’s gift has five years to master their power and to prepare for the infamous Grand Exam—a five-day trial whose results will determine their entire future.

The list of exam rules includes:
• You will perform five practical cases.
• Your exam group is chosen at random.
• You pass together, or fail together.

It does not include:
• On the first day, your exam group will find a classmate’s dead body in the exam hall.

And as they will soon discover, this particular group all have something to hide… and all have a connection with the dead girl, a brilliant scholar who would have been first in their class.

Five scholars. Five secrets. Five days in which to solve a murder, pass the most important exam of their lives, and uncover a secret larger than all of their own combined. One with the potential to change the world.

Are you ready?

Let’s begin. –Goodreads (isn’t that a killer overview?!)

Niki’s Review:

One of my favorite books of the year!

I know better than to fall for the “for fans of X: this ridiculously popular book” spiel, generally. But in this case what is being advertised (A Deadly Education meets Grey’s Anatomy) is exactly what Bodies of Magic delivers! I’ve never come across a medical fantasy, let alone one with and academic framework, so I knew the moment I first saw it that I needed to read it ASAP. And you know what? It was fantastic.

Here’s the thing, when I pick up a book like this I’m expecting the medical school to play a strong role in the story (it did), I want a lot of detailed magical workings included (there were), and I want the mystery to be satisfying (it was decent). The author really delivered on all of the promises made, producing one of the best books I’ve read all year (and definitely one of my top academic books). It’s worth highlighting specifically what made the medical magic school aspect of this story so freaking good. You really get into the nitty gritty of how the magic works – everything from training on cadavers to experimenting with untested industry-advancing medical magic theory. Then we also get these complete case studies as part of their final exam where we get to follow the process all the way from symptom presentations to diagnosis to treatment plans. These students are brilliant, most at the top of their graduating class, and the amount of detail they get into during these final exams is so satisfying. It ticks all my boxes, and I’ll long remember this book for how perfectly it presented this aspect of the story. It was phenomenal.

So now I’ve explained how completely into the story I was for the medical magic, I’ll admit that the rest of the book was good, more than passable to be fair, but a bit more focused on the interpersonal relationship of the variety of “who is sleeping with who” than I usually prefer in books. It’s part of the reason the book is being likened to Grey’s Anatomy. And I think the main reason it worked for me where other books of the same vein may have not was because of how pertinent all of the social happenings were to solving the murder-mystery case. It felt very fitting and appropriate to include and also enhanced the collegiate atmosphere the story. I also found I was a bit more emotionally invested in the characters than I might have been otherwise. It worked because it was balanced so well with the magic aspect of the story, and the author never forgot to hone back in on the elements that were making the book special. Add to all of that some great pacing, a nice variety of focus, and an incredible momentum to the end of the book, and you can see why I’m so enamored.

Overall this was a huge success for me and I think it has a strong recommendability factor to those who love dark academia, to those who like mysteries in their fantasy books, all the way to the romantasy crowd. It hit a lot of good notes without diving too far into one thing, and I’m sure I’ll be recommending it often for years to come.

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

I’d like to thank Freya Marske, Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for the chance to read an early audiobook copy of this book!

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Sep 20 2026

Image

Novella Reviews: Finally Finishing the Seven Swords by Anthony Ryan (Books #5-7)

It’s kind of a running joke on my Youtube channel that I’ve been saying I’m going to “finally finish this series” for several years now. After all, they are so short, why on earth have I not been able to find time to read them?! As it turns out, the real issue involves overcomplicating my reading life for the sake of delivering on a bunch of arbitrary expectations I put on myself as a content creator.. but that is beyond the scope of this post. Either way, we’ve finally arrived at completion. Here are my thoughts on the remaining books in a short series I initially started in 2021…

Across the Sorrow Sea (#5) [3/5 stars]

I was worried that reading through this series more back to back would dilute the experience I had with each book, and I feel that happened a bit here. I don’t generally get on well with short stories or novellas because it doesn’t give me enough time to get really invested in the story. That said, I loved the world-building here, considering it another great installment in that regard for the series. I also liked the new character introduced, although I didn’t feel as much a connection to her as a few of the others we’ve met along the way. One thing I found satisfying is that the pivotal moment of this particular story moved things forward for me significantly. I finally feel like I understand where we are going and exactly what the stakes are, so now it’s just a matter of enjoying the ride!

The Road of Storms (#6) [3/5 stars]

I’ll admit I initially found this volume to be a lot more mundane than the previous novellas, likely because the setting was much less exotic and we seemed to almost have backtracked. I think it also prudent to admit that because of that, I had trouble staying focused while listening to the audiobook. I’d tell you the first half was dry and directionless, but that could feasibly be because I wasn’t as engaged as I should have been. As soon as I switched to the physical edition though, everything changed and suddenly the series was exciting again… although that could have been more to do with the massive conflict that took place rather than the format switch, but it’s hard to say. At the very least I was able to finish the novella fully engaged and very invested in seeing how the entire thing ends with the next book. The characters are all great profiles, some more favored (developed) than others, but other than sympathy for their plights, I’ve felt no really emotional connection to them. Is that due to the shorter page count? Ryan sure does manage to pack in a TON of things with such a small package, and the focus has been heavy on world-building (love). But at this point in the series I wish I felt just a tiny bit more invested. We’ll see what the final novella has in store.

The Infernus Gate (#7) [4.5/5 stars]

It has been my experience with each of these later books that it takes a hot minute for the story to get going. But once it does, hold on to your seat!! This finale was everything I’d hoped it would be and delivered a killer ending. Weirdly, halfway through I was wondering how we’d ever get to anything satisfying with so much ground to cover and so little time left, but I shouldn’t have doubted. The book had a ton of action sequences, some excellent backstory moments, and a lot of emotionally compelling situations. I didn’t have too terribly long to dwell on any of the things that happened, but I will still long remember the “punchline” of the story, which is probably more important, anyway.

Overall this series has been an absolute delight. I’m not sure it was quite worth how much I invested in the signed and numbered Subterranean Press hardcovers I’ve collected, but seeing as Anthony Ryan is an all-time favorite from reading his Draconius Memoria series, I’m still glad I have them. It created a unique and memorable atmosphere with its expansive world-building that is difficult to find even in full-length novels. I can’t wait to dive into my still unread books from this author!

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

Other books you might like:

By Niki Hawkes

Aug 30 2026

Image

Book Review: Science Fiction and Fantasy Short Stories by Andrew Erikson (ed.)

Title: Science Fiction and Fantasy Short Stories

Author: Andrew Erikson (editor)

Series: N/A

Genre: Science Fiction

Rating: 2.5/5 stars

The Overview: Science fiction and fantasy have gone hand-in-hand since their emergence at the end of the 19th century. Containing the best short stories of the masters of the two genres, this collection brings together the outstanding imaginations of writers such as H. G. Wells, George Griffith, Robert E. Howard and William Morris. Providing both an escape from the troubles of the real world and unique insight, these tales provide an experience that can’t be replicated anywhere else. –Goodreads

Dave’s Review:

This compilation is an journey through the early history of science fiction and fantasy, but I found the quality to be uneven. Some stories, particularly the H.G. Wells and Ambrose Bierce selections, remain interesting because of their ideas and the historical context in which they were written. Others are little more than pulpy adventures that feel dated today. I appreciated seeing how authors from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries imagined technology, space travel, and alternate realities, but too many of the stories were overly wordy, meandering, or simply failed to go anywhere particularly interesting. There are some worthwhile curiosities here, but overall I found the collection more interesting historically than enjoyable as a reading experience today.

As usual with short story collections, I noted my thoughts in a couple of sentences after reading each one, and have compiled them below.

Under the Knife by H.G. Wells. A story about a man undergoing an operation, yet is able to perceive what is happening on both a small scale and large scale via an outer body experience. Interesting for a story written in the 19th century. No doubt it was terrifying going into an operation back then, with a very high mortality rate, especially for anything major.

The Door in the Wall by H.G. Wells. This one is about a door to some sort of alternate reality where life is simple and peaceful. It definitely seems to be a metaphor for different paths in life and making decisions.

Polaris of the Snows by Charles B. Stilson. I was not familiar with the author prior to reading this story. It is a fun, pulpy adventure story that takes place in the Arctic – perhaps somewhat of a polar Tarzan. This was nothing special, just a fun read.

The Artist of the Beautiful by Nathaniel Hawthorne. I have not read Hawthorne since The Scarlet Letter in high school. This story had promise at the beginning, but ultimately did not go in the direction that I thought it might. However, that is probably not unusual for speculative fiction from so long ago. It was also overly wordy and meandering in a few places, but likely just the style of the author/times.

The Darwinian Schooner by W.L. Alden. An interesting idea of a story about a schooner found at sea, but ultimately I felt that it never went anywhere very satisfying. There was potential for a deeper story. Modern authors likely would have taken this concept much further.

A Visit to the Moon by George Griffith. I cannot say that this was a particularly good story, but it was an interesting read due to its age. This was written in 1900, the same time as H.G. Wells’ serialized novel on the same topic. Some of the details seem quite ridiculous today, but it is fascinating to see how some authors envisioned such a trip the better part of a century prior to when it occurred in reality.

Moxon’s Master by Ambrose Bierce. This starts out with “do you really believe that a machine thinks?” No doubt this was a wild statement in the late 1800s, but with AI prevalent everywhere today, it hardly raises an eyebrow. However, this was an interesting relic of a bygone era, complete with outdated perceptions of technology. And the ending, well, still very much relevant in our world today.

Rats in the Belfry by John York Cabot. An eccentric man builds a bizarre mansion and then discovers a portal. This is perhaps a simple precursor to other similar works that have since presented much more expansive ideas based on this concept. Still, this brief story was worth the small investment.

On the Martian Way by Harry Gore Bishop. I was surprised to discover afterward that this was first published in 1907, before the Titanic. I would have guessed that it took some inspiration from that event. Overall it is an average story, with some interesting insight into what we would now say is a pretty archaic view on how “shipping” routes between colonies on different planets might look.

Within an Ace of the End of the World by Robert Barr. This is a story where a world food shortage occurs at the dawn of the twentieth century. It is discovered that food can be manufactured from nitrogen in the air, but of course that then causes other problems. It was written in 1900, and is a bit bland, but it is an early attempt at tackling certain topics which are still pretty relevant today.

The Phoenix on the Sword by Robert E. Howard. A Conan story. I have read a couple of Conan novels long ago. I am not a huge fan. This is more or less what I expected, but at least in short form, it is less of a commitment. It is mildly entertaining, but there is zero depth and it suffers from some very dated tropes that feel a little uncomfortable today.

The Tower of the Elephant by Robert E. Howard. Another Conan story, this one is about a young Conan attempting to steal an artifact from a guarded tower. Again, it is purely an adventure story from another era. It is a good bit of fun with the right expectations, but it lacks any depth. This one is probably slightly more memorable than the previous Conan story in this collection.

The Shadow Kingdom by Robert E. Howard. This predates the Conan stories, and is apparently regarded as a highly influential work, considered to be one of the very first truly gritty sword and sorcery story. Be that as it may, I did not find the story particularly interesting or enjoyable to read. It feels pretentious and needlessly excessive. I guess I can at least say that I have read it now?

The Sea-Witch by Nictzin Dyalhis. I was completely unfamiliar with this author, and perhaps if would have been best left that way. This was an overly long and largely uninteresting story about, well, a witch? It is Viking-inspired, but quite pulpy and I got very little out of it for the time I invested in reading it.

The Dancer in the Crystal by Francis Flagg. This story imagines a scenario where electricity becomes nullified. Despite the strong premise, the story itself is a little underwhelming. Written in 1929 and taking place in the 1950s, the effect of the complete loss of electricity in the story is actually nowhere near as catastrophic as it would be were this to occur in our world today.

The Regent of the North by Kenneth Morris. Cool, a Viking story! Except that I found it to be very mundane. It felt like reading a history book with elegant prose. This style of short story is just so different from what tends to be popular today.

The Folk of the Mountain Door by William Morris. A Nordic tale that was supposedly an influence on early twentieth century fantasy authors. That may be the case, but I did not enjoy reading it. The prose is strong, but archaic, and the text has far too many poems/songs for my liking. I also found the story itself to be pretty unmemorable.

Aug 25 2026

Image

Book Review: Inheritance by Ilona Andrews

Title: Inheritance

Author: Ilona Andrews

Series: Breach Wars #1

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

The Overview: We are at war. The interdimensional invasion brought us unimaginable suffering, but it also awoke talents slumbering deep within us, a means to repel and destroy our enemy. Every day new gates open, leading to breaches filled with monsters and valuable resources. If you are a Talent, your country needs you. The world needs you. Be the hero you were born to be. Adaline is a Talent. Ten years ago, she had a happy marriage and a job she loved. The invasion shattered both. Now she works for the government, searching the breaches for magic metals and medicine to help Earth repel an interdimensional enemy. Two kids, one cat, bills, benefits, mortgage and school tuition…Risking her life became routine. She had gone into the dimensional gates hundreds of times. She was always well protected. This time everything goes wrong. Now Ada is trapped in the labyrinth of alien caves unlike any other. Her only companion is a scared German Shepherd named Bear. Together they must uncover the breach’s secrets and escape, because Ada promised her children that she will come home. The future of humanity depends on it. –Goodreads

Niki’s Review:

Inheritance started out strong and for the most part remained a decent read the entire way through.

The beginning chapters of this surprised me in so many ways. I’ve come to expect certain things from these authors and the genre in general, so to have the story take a direction I wasn’t anticipating was particularly exciting. I suppose the stuff that happened wasn’t revolutionary, but it caught me off-guard enough that I rode the high of it through most of the book.

I can’t say that the entire thing knocked my socks off, though. It was fun – a typical IA read with interesting characters, great world-building, and an awesome animal companion. But I think I lost engagement because the book tried to do too many things. It contained an overwhelming amount of expansive world-building, with lots of very creative ideas packed into a small page count. There were a lot of “explain to the reader” passages as they conveyed the many cool things about this world and its magic systems. The story definitely needed to be longer to absorb that much detail. As it was, it got a little lost in the weeds for my tastes and left a lot less time for the actual plot progressing elements. The back half of the book felt even more crammed, which is no doubt why I finished it feeling a bit dissatisfied.

That said, everything they introduced was super interesting: cave-like portals, alien species, a monster-driven apocalypse, humans with a wide variety of special abilities, and did I mention the dog? It’s the kind of creativity that makes me love reading, and I’m definitely planning to pick up the concluding book when it comes out. As the series is planned as a duology, it might be a good place to taste test the authors if you’ve never tried them, as it’s a good approximation of what you can expect from their stories (if albeit a little compact).

IA are auto-buy, drop everything and read immediately authors for me, and this one definitely delivered on great atmosphere and a cool concept. If like me you thought the story was a bit too crammed in the back half but loved the world-building, I highly recommend their Hidden Legacy series as something more robust but with a lot of the same elements. Don’t let the covers scare you off. There is a love story in the books, but it’s not a full-blown romance. Think more along the lines of Mercy Thompson and Rachel Morgan.

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, and Leticia! <3

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Aug 23 2026

Image

Book Review: Green City Wars by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Title: Green City Wars

Author: Adrian Tchaikovsky

Series: N/A

Genre: Fantasy

The Overview: Philip Marlowe meets Redwall in this superior adult noir tale, where all the characters are animals, fighting for survival in the city underneath the humans. In the solar cities of the future, the humans relax in the sun and the animals work in the shadows. Genetically engineered Little Helpers, serving humanity—unseen, unheard. Meet Skotch. Racoon, P.I.—Yours for a few buttons as long as the job isn’t too illegal, whatever that means. A mouse has gone missing. Normally this wouldn’t raise any hackles, nor any alarms, but this mouse has something that everyone seems to want, though nobody appears particularly eager to say what that something is. The fee is good—perhaps too good. Certainly not something Skotch can easily turn down. If only Skotch can work out where the mouse is hiding, what he’s hiding, and why his secrets are upsetting a lot of animals caught up in the Green City wars. –Goodreads

Niki’s Review [2/5 stars]:

A mystery/crime noir Tchaikovsky fantasy novel that channels the Redwall series by Brian Jacques?! Freaking sign me up!

But alas, this is my second least favorite Tchaikovsky to date.

I had such high hopes for this book, but experienced a lot of issues with it. It was a very basic plot that relied on the main character meeting a series of creatures in his investigation to find this important mouse. I struggled with the repetitive nature (pun) of it as well as the slow pacing. And other than the fact that the creatures he met ranged from a loquacious pigeon to an anarchist toad (which sounds way more interesting than what was actually presented) the interactions all went the same and made up the vast majority of the book.

Additionally, Tchaikovsky withheld important information from the reader for far too long. I think it was meant to provide a motive to keep reading, extending the suspense of it all, but I found it frustrating to the point where I started to not care if I ever found out what the great big secret was. And actually, once it was finally revealed, I think knowing the secret the entire book could’ve gone a long way towards making it more engaging – because we’d know the stakes! We could get into the gritty politics of it all and actually know what all these different random animal players were hoping to achieve with their ambiguous actions. As it was, it kept me at a complete arms-distance the entire time, and I truly lost investment. Needless to say, I found it a major struggle to get through, and had it been anything other than a Tchaikovsky, I would’ve DNFed at about the halfway point.

Now don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t ALL bad. It is, after all, a Tchaikovsky and his baseline in storytelling is quite high. I thought the tone and the atmosphere of the story was particularly good. It delivered on the promise of a crime novel and had a very detective-y feel. The style of writing and voice also worked really well for the story, told in second-person, present-tense. The profiles of the characters, especially the MC, Skotch, were loads of fun, even if I wish more had been done them. The world-building and the concept for the story were unique – I always appreciate his take on futuristic, slightly dystopic narratives. And the entire premise for the story was wildly creative, which is something you can always count on from this author.

So overall, even though the book had a lot of really good components, I struggled with the execution. I consider myself a colossal Tchaikovsky fan, committed to reading everything he has written (I think I’m just about halfway through all of his works, but haven’t done an official count, so don’t quote me on that), so it pains me to review one of his books poorly. But this one just did not work for me. In general I’d say I’m struggling with his most recent releases, not having anything really knock my socks off in a few years. And I can’t help but wonder if the sheer number of projects he’s taking on is affecting his ability to make each one feel robust and cared for. I’m hoping to find another soon that hit those same amazing notes as his earlier works. I’ll be sure to share if I do. :)

I’d like to thank Adrian Tchaikovsky, Macmillan Audio, 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, and Leticia! <3

Dave’s Review [2/5 stars]:

The concept behind Green City Wars immediately caught my attention. The combination of its unusual setting, strange characters, and distinctive style should make for an entertaining story, and there are definitely moments where Tchaikovsky’s imagination shines through. A noir detective story with uplifted anthropomorphic characters from a proven author? How could this not be a win? Unfortunately, I found the actual experience of reading it much less interesting than the premise suggested.

The biggest problem for me was the repetition. The story repeatedly returns to similar situations and ideas, and after a while, what should have been exciting began to feel tedious. There is plenty happening, but I often found myself bored despite the fact that, on paper, this should be a pretty entertaining story. The novel feels like it needed another round of editing and revision to tighten the narrative and eliminate some of the repetition. The material might even have been better suited for a novella rather than a full-length novel.

Skotch is the main protagonist of the story, a private investigator who is also a genetically modified raccoon. He is interesting, distinctive, and certainly my favorite character in the book. If not for the fact that he is a raccoon, I would probably imagine him as Humphrey Bogart. Unfortunately, most of the other characters failed to make nearly as much of an impression. I never became particularly invested in them, which made the more repetitive sections of the story even more of a slog at times.

I listened to the audiobook for this one, and the narrator does a strong job, particularly with bringing the various characters and the unusual world to life. Unfortunately, even a good performance could not redeem a story that I found increasingly tedious.

There is certainly a good book buried somewhere in Green City Wars. The concept and style are both interesting, and Skotch is a strong character, but the repetition and need for further editing ultimately made this a disappointing read.

Other books you might like:

Aug 7 2026

Image

Novella Review: To Blackfyre Keep by Anthony Ryan

Title: To Blackfyre Keep

Author: Anthony Ryan

Series: Seven Swords #4

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

The Overview: Guyime – Demon Cursed wielder of the nameless blade – follows the trail of the fabled seven swords into the troubled northlands, a realm where he was once called king… and ravager. Magically guided to enlist in the retinue of a lovesick knight, Guyime and his companions journey to the haunted ruin of Blackfyre Keep, a castle legend tells cannot be held. But a far deadlier threat than mere ghosts awaits. An ancient evil has been conjured and to defeat it Guyime may be forced to become the monster he used to be—the Ravager reborn. –Goodreads

Niki’s Review:

Another entertaining installment! We’re at the point in the series now where momentum is starting to build and patterns are emerging – I’m thoroughly enjoying every step.

My favorite thing about the series is the incredibly expansive world-building. These rich settings have such depth, and all the books so far have made me feel like I’ve consumed a full-length series rather than a couple of meager novellas. It’s amazing to me that he’s able to pack so much into such a small page count. I’ve compared the first book to the atmosphere and expansiveness that I felt in my read of the first few Malazan books, and I still stand by that comparison. It has that X factor. And as world-building draws me to stories more than anything else, you can see why I’m enamored (even if my rating for this specific book is a bit conservative).

These books are more than the sum of their parts, and I’m there for all of it. This one in particular told a story I feel I’ve read before, missing a bit of the novelty from previous books. Also, as rad as I think the cover is, it does kind of let the cat out of the bag on this “great big mystery” of what’s going on around this keep. I read mostly for the discovery process, so knowing what was coming before it was revealed definitely affected my enjoyment (and therefore my rating) a bit. Even so, this is a highly recommendable little snack of a series, and I can’t wait to find out what happens next!

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, and Leticia! <3

Other books you might like: