Feb 20 2024

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Book Review: The Silverblood Promise by James Logan

Title: The Silverblood Promise

Author: James Logan

Series: The Last Legacy #1

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 2.5/5 stars

The Overview: Set in a city of traders and thieves, monsters and murderers, this fast-paced epic fantasy debut is a must-read for fans of Joe Abercrombie, Nicholas Eames, and Scott Lynch. Lukan Gardova is a cardsharp, academy dropout, and—thanks to a duel that ended badly—the disgraced heir to an ancient noble house. His days consist of cheap wine, rigged card games, and wondering how he might win back the life he threw away. When Lukan discovers that his estranged father has been murdered in strange circumstances, he finds fresh purpose. Deprived of his chance to make amends for his mistakes, he vows to unravel the mystery behind his father’s death. His search for answers leads him to Saphrona, fabled city of merchant princes, where anything can be bought if one has the coin. Lukan only seeks the truth, but instead he finds danger and secrets in every shadow. For in Saphrona, everything has a price—and the price of truth is the deadliest of all. –Goodreads

The Review:

I really wish I’d enjoyed this more.

Some really good scenes early on had me bouncing with anticipation for what was to come, but many of those cool ideas that I thought would play a bigger role in the story were never revisited. In a way it felt like promises never fulfilled in the name of packing too many things into one book. A lot of good ideas, mind you, but perhaps they could’ve had more of an impact on the story in the long-run.

The book was marketed as “a must-read for fans of Joe Abercrombie, Nicholas Eames, and Scott Lynch,” three authors I love primarily for their strong, distinctive writing voices and brilliant splashes of dry humor… neither of which I got from the Silverblood Promise. Perhaps the setting and the underground politicking had glimmers of similarities, but I found it more comparable to Sullivan’s Riyria Revelations and Weeks’ Night Angel trilogy.

At times the book read more like a mystery set in a fantasy world than it did a fantasy with mystery components. Unfortunately, as almost the entire book revolved around the mystery, it wasn’t a very good one. Too many conveniently placed pieces to the puzzle. Too many thinly-veiled setups. Too easy to deduce. And then you add a character who isn’t particularly suave or clever with too many implausible “close calls,” and you can see why I didn’t like this one as much as I hoped to.

Additionally, some things just felt off. Even near the end there were a couple of odd POV switches (after we’d been following a single POV the entire book) that made it seem like the MC was no longer the center of the most interesting things happening, temporarily irrelevant. It killed the momentum and left me wishing he’d been written closer to the action the entire way through.

Overall, the combination of all of these minor things kept the story from feeling completely composed. It had a lot of potential, but for me it didn’t quite get there.

Recommendations: A story that started out strong eventually turned into a struggle to finish. Many of the things that bothered me don’t seem to be phasing other early readers (it currently has a 4.42 average rating and some high praise from other reviewers I respect), so if you’re excited to read this, take my opinion with a grain of salt (and let me know what you think when you read it)!

Thank you to my Patrons: Dave, Katrin, Jen, Frank, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Betsy, Eliss, Mike, and Elizabeth! <3

And thank you to TOR Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of The Silverblood Promise!

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by Niki Hawkes

Feb 6 2024

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Book Review: Mislaid in Parts Half-Known by Seanan McGuire

Title: Mislaid in Parts Half-Known

Author: Seanan McGuire

Series: Wayward Children #9

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 3/5 stars

The Overview: Antsy is the latest student to pass through the doors at Eleanor West’s School for Wayward Children. When her fellow students realize that Antsy’s talent for finding absolutely anything may extend to doors, she’s forced to flee in the company of a small group of friends, looking for a way back to the Shop Where the Lost Things Go to be sure that Vineta and Hudson are keeping their promise. Along the way, temptations are dangled, decisions are reinforced, and a departure to a world populated by dinosaurs brings untold dangers and one or two other surprises! A story that reminds us that finding what you want doesn’t always mean finding what you need. –Goodreads

The Review:

A decent continuation, but far from my favorite of the series so far.

There are two types of Wayward Children books -> the plot-progressing school-setting ones where multiple characters are involved. And the single character deep-dives that usually involve exploring a new place (through a door). The latter often end up being my favorites of the series because not only do I get an adventure, but I also develop deeper connections to the characters involved.

This installment was a plot-progressing one where many characters converge to move the overall arc of the series forward. This was entertaining in its own right, but I’ll admit a disappointment that it wasn’t a deep-dive given that there are mf DINOSAURS on the cover. My friends, there were no dinosaurs in this book. Not “on screen” anyway. It was more a bridge novel wrapping up loose ends from the previous book. I can only assume she’s going to return to this world eventually, but for now I’ll have to wait for my dinosaur fix. Woe is me.

Glimmers of an overarching plot regarding the door magics of this world have been hinted at occasionally, and learning more about that has been one of the reasons I’m eager for more WC books. Even after nine of them, it hasn’t become a strong through-line yet, but just the few casual mentions here and there are enough to keep me hooked!

Overall I can’t wait to see what adventure McGuire has in store next!

Recommendations: sometimes edgy fluff, sometimes deeply profound, you never know what you’re going to get with a Wayward Children book. The discovery is half the fun! But “Be Sure.”

Thank you to my Patrons: Dave, Katrin, Frank, Jen, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Betsy, Eliss, Mike, and Elizabeth! <3

I’d like to thank the marketing team at tordotcom for the chance to read and review an early copy of Mislaid in Parts Half-Known!

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by Niki Hawkes

Jan 25 2024

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Book Review: Amber and Ashes [Dragonlance] by Margaret Weis

Title: Amber and Ashes

Author: Margaret Weis

Series: Dark Desciples #1

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 3/5 stars

The Overview: Margaret Weis takes up where the War of Souls series left off with the central character Mina. While following her story, this new trilogy also explores the chaos that is post-war Krynn. This is Weis’s first solo trilogy in the Dragonlance world. –Goodreads

The Review:

Seeing as I haven’t picked up a Dragonlance book in over 15 years, this felt like a random read. But I was looking at my collection of the main series by both Weis & Hickman, remembering how much fun I had with it and how awesome I thought the ending of War of Souls (the final trilogy) when inspiration struck to see how the remnant pieces fell in the aftermath.

That’s a lot of history to carry into a spinoff trilogy, and I went in with a weird hodgepodge of high hopes because of how much I loved the main series, and low expectations given my poor experience with Weis’ Mistress of Dragons.

Amber and Ashes was just okay.

A mediocre story spritzed with the a couple of really good scenes – ones that were enough to keep me reading when I’d been considering a DNF. Let’s face it, Mina wasn’t a character I particularly liked to begin with, yet the way she was written here made me like her even less. She came across hollow and one-dimensional with a proclivity for meekness and subservience. More of a figurehead than an actual person. The monk, by contrast, was a bit better. More well-rounded and thoughtful. But it was the dog who ultimately stole the show. No jest.

Overall, I don’t mind that I read it, but I’m in no hurry to pick up the next book. The plot and character lineup were simple enough that I’m sure I can dive in again months, even years later without missing a beat. Those few good scenes were enough to raise my overall rating to 3 stars.

Recommendations: Read this only if you’ve already tackled the main Weis/Hickman series ending with the War of Souls trilogy. If, like me, you thought the conclusion to that saga was superb, this might feel like a letdown of an extended epilogue. If you’re a Dragonlance superfan who plans to read ALL THE THINGS, then not only do I admire your dedication, I’d also say this is likely one of the better ones.

Thank you to my Patrons: Dave, Katrin, Frank, Jen, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Betsy, Eliss, and Mike! <3

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by Niki Hawkes

Jan 13 2024

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Book Review: A Time of Dread by John Gwynne

Title: A Time of Dread

Author: John Gwynne

Series: Of Blood and Bone #1

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

The Overview: A race of warrior angels, the Ben-Elim, once vanquished a mighty demon horde. Now they rule the Banished lands, but their peace is brutally enforced. In the south, hotheaded Riv is desperate to join the Ben-Elim’s peacekeeping force, until she unearths a deadly secret. In the west, the giantess Sig investigates demon sightings and discovers signs of an uprising and black magic. And in the snowbound north, Drem, a trapper, finds mutilated corpses in the forests. The work of a predator, or something far darker? It’s a time of shifting loyalties and world-changing dangers. Difficult choices need to be made. Because in the shadows, demons are gathering, waiting for their time to rise… –Goodreads

The Review:

A Time of Dread helped take the edge off my Faithful and the Fallen hangover… but it wasn’t the same.

I mostly like the premise that’s providing the backbone of this trilogy. It was a creative way to put a twist on things that happened in F&TF without repeating elements. And I especially like the duality of the “villain” in that I can’t tell for certain who’s evil and who’s not. It’s giving me a stronger drive for answers than the original four books, which is always fun.

I’d also say this trilogy is starting out a lot more accessible, with considerably fewer POVs featuring younger characters. If not for the typical Gwynne brutality I’d have thought this one was written for a younger audience.

The characters are great – all fiery and driven and not afraid to do hard things. A with any spinoff or next-gen continuation, it’s probably impossible to have an identical experience of latching onto characters (usually I fall in love with the first cast and never look forward) but their charm makes these new characters hit some of the same notes. At least they’re as good as they can be without actually BEING Corban and Cywen.

The book was probably good enough to warrant a 4/5 stars, but something about it or my mindset while reading it kept me feeling detatched. Because of my experience with F&TF and the Bloodsworn Saga, I know what a 4 & 5 star Gwynne feels like, and I definitely didn’t connect with this one as much as those. 3 stars it is.

Recommendations: for the love of all the book gods, don’t pick this up until you’ve read F&TF! This is a next-gen continuation set about 100 years later and it contains ALL THE SPOILERS. Also… read F&TF if you haven’t already. It’s a brilliant classic-feeling fantasy written with a modern voice and pacing. Superb! The jury is still out on this one.

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by Niki Hawkes

Nov 14 2023

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Book Review: Of Blood and Fire by Ryan Cahill

Title: Of Blood and Fire

Author: Ryan Cahill

Series: The Bound and the Broken #1

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 2/5 stars

The Overview: Epheria is a land divided by war and mistrust. The High Lords of the south squabble and fight, only kept in check by the Dragonguard, traitors of a time long past, who serve the empire of the North. In the remote villages of southern Epheria, still reeling from the tragic loss of his brother, Calen Bryer prepares for The Proving—a test of courage and skill that not all survive. But when three strangers arrive in the village of Milltown, with a secret they are willing to die for, Calen’s world is ripped from under him and he is thrust headfirst into a war that has been raging for centuries. There is no prophecy. His coming was not foretold.
He bleeds like any man, and bleed he will. -Goodreads

The Review:

If classic fantasy is your main jam, you’re primed to like this a little more than I did.

My experience with this was rough. I started the book with a lot of enthusiasm, finding it easy to get into the flow of the story. It was fairly typical classic fantasy with overly drawn-out beginning chapters reminiscent of WoT. I kept waiting for it to sweep me away on that rolling hype train… but it never quite got there. Add to that several blatant deus ex machinas early on (which effectively removed all the high stakes from the story), and I found my enthusiasm waning. It eventually became a struggle to finish.

Great care was taken early on to highlight people and things that had no bearing on the rest of the book. Meanwhile, the important stuff (a mf DRAGON) was often brushed over so quickly that I kept having to backtrack to make sure I hadn’t missed anything. Several scenes were vague and felt more like afterthoughts than fleshed-out scenes. I had more of a moment with the description of a townswoman early on than I did with the (mf) DRAGON. I look to the storyteller to show me what to focus on, but here it seemed as though many things were included for the sake of being there rather than because they added value.

While the pacing of the story had a nice flow, I finished the book feeling like I didn’t get enough substance out of book to justify the page count. There weren’t a lot of plot points and the ones that were there didn’t stick with me much.

Overall I wish I’d liked it more.

Recommendations: Pick this up for a classic fantasy kick and the promise that the series gets better with each book. I’m not sure I’m going to make it that far, but those who have seem to love it. Incidentally, once I finished writing my review I scanned through a handful of people I follow on GR and all the ones I saw loved the book more than me. All of them. Alrighty – take my review with a grain of salt. :)

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by Niki Hawkes

Nov 7 2023

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Book Review: Magic in the Blood by Devon Monk

Title: Magic in the Blood

Author: Devon Monk

Series: Ally Beckstrom #2

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: 1/5 stars

The Overview: In the second book in Devon Monk’s Allie Beckstrom series, when the police’s magical enforcement division asks Allie to consult on a missing persons case, she finds herself drawn into an underworld of criminals, ghosts, and blood magic. Working as a Hound—tracing illegal spells back to their casters—has taken its toll on Allison Beckstrom. But even though magic has given her migraines and stolen her recent memory, Allie isn’t about to quit. Then the police’s magic enforcement division asks her to consult on a missing persons case. But what seems to be a straightforward job turns out to be anything but, as Allie finds herself drawn into the underworld of criminals, ghosts, and blood magic. -Goodreads

The Review:

This was almost a DNF… and it probably should’ve been, given I didn’t get any value out of forcing myself through it.

I have masochistic tendencies (and unrelenting optimism) when it comes to Urban Fantasies. I’ve been rewarded by persistence often enough not to discount any series in the genre that doesn’t immediately make a good impression. To boot I’ve read Monk’s Ordinary Magic series and the first of her Age of Steam and liked them… so I know she has the ability to really work for me.

But even given all it’s concessions, thus far Magic in the Blood has been one of the weakest UFs I’ve ever read.

This second book was a TAD better than the first one, if only because it had more of a plot and the heroine was a smidge less brain-damaged (harsh), but even so, there wasn’t enough going on to keep my attention.

For starters, the “hounding” magic still hasn’t been well-established yet, nor really contributed in any meaningful way. It’s an interesting premise, but feels very underdeveloped. The mystery plot is similar, having good basics, but didn’t offer anything beyond that. I finished the book a month ago and really can’t tell you much on recall. Whether that’s because it was uninteresting or I was just too disengaged to care, it’s hard to say, but either way that’s not ideal.

And then there’s the love story.

One of the worst I’ve read. And that includes a handful of trashy paranormal romances. The biggest problem is that engaging with the love interest given the context of the story was the stupidest thing the main character could’ve done. The total lack of common sense made her instantly unlikable and immediately stole credibility from her perspective. That foolishness follows into this second book to a lesser degree, but it’s still a negative factor. I also don’t like the poor execution of craft behind it. This is the only book I think a love triangle may have actually helped, as it would’ve deflected attention from the only male candidate how little the MC trusted him. I suppose some people might enjoy reading about a reckless love life, but it just doesn’t work for me. The facade of “the main character thinks he’s untrustworthy and working with the enemy, but also thinks he’s hot and wants to date him anyway” is a thin one and easy to see through.

Oh yeah, and the dialogue back and forth between them was immature and unrealistic and felt totally out of place given all the “sinister” things happening around them.

I didn’t not like it, Sam I am.

Yet I may, MAY still read the next one in a few years when I’ve nothing else pending in the genre, just to be contrary. After all, I do really like some of her later works… maybe this one gets better. XD

Recommendations: Unless you’ve read everything else in the urban fantasy genre, skip this series for now. Try Ordinary Magic instead.

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