Tag Archives: fantasy

Jan 2 2020
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Tackling the TBR [53]: January 2020

tackling the TBR

It’s once again time for my favorite feature: Tackling the TBR! There’s nothing I love more than picking out which books to read next, and this slightly organized method of reading has really amped my enjoyment to the next level. Bring on the mantras!

Read the best books first.
&
Life is too short to read books you’re not enjoying.

However you put together your TBR for the next month, the goal is to reduce the amount of obligation in reading and increase the fun.

Here’s a look at how the system works:

1. Identify the titles that take top priority in your TBR.
2. Combine them all in your own Tackling the TBR post.
3. Throughout the month pick from that pile as the mood strikes you.

Here’s what mine looks like:

January 2020 TBR Tackler Shelf:

New year, new list! I’m not one for new years resolutions (usually because I set goals constantly throughout the year), but I’m choosing mentally reset and work with a clean slate going into 2020. I might do a post on that later. :) One of my biggest goals is to get back to reading and reviewing with consistency. It has been a desire, but it hasn’t been a focus where I’ve been willing to sacrifice other things for it. This year will be all about bringing back the joy of the hobby that has shaped me since I was a little kid. I also see a strong future vision of what I want to accomplish, and that clarity is incredibly motivating. I love my lineup for January. The only gamble is The Stone in the Skull, but it has dragons and the author has been around a while, so I hope I’m safe lol.

These challenges are always more fun with friends <3. Here’s a link to my friend Chanzie’s blog, where she adapted the challenge to fit her TBR needs:

Free To Be Me

Have a great month in reading!

by Niki Hawkes

Dec 6 2019
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Tackling the TBR [52]: December 2019

tackling the TBR

It’s once again time for my favorite feature: Tackling the TBR! There’s nothing I love more than picking out which books to read next, and this slightly organized method of reading has really amped my enjoyment to the next level. Bring on the mantras!

Read the best books first.
&
Life is too short to read books you’re not enjoying.

However you put together your TBR for the next month, the goal is to reduce the amount of obligation in reading and increase the fun.

Here’s a look at how the system works:

1. Identify the titles that take top priority in your TBR.
2. Combine them all in your own Tackling the TBR post.
3. Throughout the month pick from that pile as the mood strikes you.

Here’s what mine looks like:

December 2019 TBR Tackler Shelf:

I had SO MUCH FUN reading last month. I finished a bunch of books and haven’t even paused to review any of them (clearly). This month I’m carrying over current WIPs and adding a few fun novels in between. I’ve read Blade Itself already, but I’m doing a reread with a friend to continue the series. I don’t want to overload myself with too much of a good thing, but I’ll probably make time to fit in the last McClellan book this month after I finish Wrath of Empire (he’s so good).  

These challenges are always more fun with friends <3. Here’s a link to my friend Chanzie’s blog, where she adapted the challenge to fit her TBR needs:

Free To Be Me

Have a great month in reading!

by Niki Hawkes

Nov 15 2019
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Book Review: Sins of Empire by Brian McClellan

Sins of Empire by Brian McClellan

Title: Sins of Empire

Author: Brian McClellan

Series: Gods of Blood and Powder #1

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 5/5 stars!

The Overview: An epic new fantasy series from Brian McClellan, set in the world of his wildly popular Powder Mage trilogy. A world on the cusp of a new age…The young nation of Fatrasta is a turbulent place — a frontier destination for criminals, fortune-hunters, brave settlers, and sorcerers seeking relics of the past. Only the iron will of the lady chancellor and her secret police holds the capital city of Landfall together against the unrest of an oppressed population and the machinations of powerful empires. Sedition is a dangerous word… The insurrection that threatens Landfall must be purged with guile and force, a task which falls on the shoulders of a spy named Michel Bravis, convicted war hero Mad Ben Styke, and Lady Vlora Flint, a mercenary general with a past as turbulent as Landfall’s present. The past haunts us all… As loyalties are tested, revealed, and destroyed, a grim specter as old as time has been unearthed in this wild land, and the people of Landfall will soon discover that rebellion is the least of their worries. -Goodreads

The Review:

So damn good! McClellan is now definitely among my conservative list of favorite authors, and I can’t wait to see what he has in store for me next!

Just like the entirety of the Powder Mage Trilogy, Sins of Empire absorbed me completely from start to finish. It’s a slow-burn story that built beautifully to a snowball ending that had me on the edge of my seat!

External conflicts aside, the true beauty of this author is his ability to develop characters. They feel like real people, which might be the magic X-factor that pushes books over the edge into “phenomenal” for me. These characters have so much depth, and he doesn’t even bother telling you outright some of their quirks and tendencies, but chooses instead to reveal them casually so you can make your own assumptions. It’s brilliant. But what’s even more impressive to me, and what makes these stories so damn good, is how these amazing characters relate to one another. The bonds between them are magic. And because of that, every single scene has meaning and relatability. Of all the novels I’ve read, I don’t believe I’ve ever seen it done better. Add to that situational humor that delights me to no end, and we have a winner.

After finishing the book, I checked out a bunch of other reviews and was surprised to discover how many people don’t like Vlora (not as a side character, not as a main character, not in a house, not with a mouse). I guess I can understand to a degree their objections, because she’s a little more understated (not underdeveloped, imo) than the other characters in the series. But… that’s kind of what I liked most about her. She has this calm, unfaltering conviction that I loved seeing played out in different situations. I like that she’s had to put personal needs and wants aside to maintain her high-ranking position, but she still has a few soft spots that come out during more vulnerable moments (which I personally found the most endearing). And I love that her success is often based on the good relationships she builds with others. So, zero objections here on that front – I’m excited to see where her story goes next.

Recommendations: It is truly few and far between that a book can hook me as wonderfully as this one did, and I’m grateful it’s only the first book of a continuation trilogy. I don’t hand out 5 starts very often anymore these days (perhaps 2 or 3 per year), so take this as an endorsement of a series I really stand behind as a solid recommendation. Start with Promise of Blood (which incidentally got one of my precious 5-stars last year). Amazing characters, great story, good magic system, brilliant writing… all the things! :)

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Nov 5 2019
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Tackling the TBR [51]: November 2019

tackling the TBR

It’s once again time for my favorite feature: Tackling the TBR! There’s nothing I love more than picking out which books to read next, and this slightly organized method of reading has really amped my enjoyment to the next level. Bring on the mantras!

Read the best books first.
&
Life is too short to read books you’re not enjoying.

However you put together your TBR for the next month, the goal is to reduce the amount of obligation in reading and increase the fun.

Here’s a look at how the system works:

1. Identify the titles that take top priority in your TBR.
2. Combine them all in your own Tackling the TBR post.
3. Throughout the month pick from that pile as the mood strikes you.

Here’s what mine looks like:

November 2019 TBR Tackler Shelf:

This month I’m doing away with my reserve list altogether. While analyzing my reading stats for the year, I realized my average completion rate per month is only four books… which means my priorities list is more than sufficient. For a change I’m setting smaller goals. :) I’m really excited for this lineup. It has been about a year since I last indulged in starting so many new series at once, and I think the novelty (pun) will help my completion rate. 

These challenges are always more fun with friends <3. Here’s a link to my friend Chanzie’s blog, where she adapted the challenge to fit her TBR needs:

Free To Be Me

Have a great month in reading!

by Niki Hawkes

Nov 4 2019
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Book Review: Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews

Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews

Title: Clean Sweep

Authors: Ilona Andrews

Series: Innkeeper Chronicles #1

Genre: Urban Fantasy (kinda)

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: On the outside, Dina Demille is the epitome of normal. She runs a quaint Victorian Bed and Breakfast in a small Texas town, owns a Shih Tzu named Beast, and is a perfect neighbor, whose biggest problem should be what to serve her guests for breakfast. But Dina is…different: Her broom is a deadly weapon; her Inn is magic and thinks for itself. Meant to be a lodging for otherworldly visitors, the only permanent guest is a retired Galactic aristocrat who can’t leave the grounds because she’s responsible for the deaths of millions and someone might shoot her on sight. Under the circumstances, “normal” is a bit of a stretch for Dina. And now, something with wicked claws and deepwater teeth has begun to hunt at night….Feeling responsible for her neighbors, Dina decides to get involved. Before long, she has to juggle dealing with the annoyingly attractive, ex-military, new neighbor, Sean Evans—an alpha-strain werewolf—and the equally arresting cosmic vampire soldier, Arland, while trying to keep her inn and its guests safe. But the enemy she’s facing is unlike anything she’s ever encountered. It’s smart, vicious, and lethal, and putting herself between this creature and her neighbors might just cost her everything. -Goodreads

The Review:

Ilona Andrews are my feel-good authors.

It’s pretty much a guarantee at this point that I’m going to enjoy everything they produce. And they’re only getting better with time. Innkeeper happens to be my last unexplored series from them, and I plan to savor it.

Clean Sweep was delightful. One of the funniest I’ve read from them, it’s biggest selling point was how much fun they clearly had with it. The world building is wildly random compared to other books in the genre (low fantasy setting and feel, urban fantasy beings, and a slight science fiction influence) but somehow it worked. There’s a lot of unexplored territory that bodes well for an interesting expansion in future books… I can’t wait. :)

The characters were also 100% Ilona Andrews trademarks, meaning they were strong-willed, capable, cheeky, and a complete pleasure to read. Dina might be one of my favorites because she’s a little more understated and I like the depth of the backstory driving her actions. The male lead fits the carbon copy, but he’s just different enough that I didn’t mind it.

For such a quick read, the book did have a few small pacing issues. Everything was engaging and interesting, but I think there were too many info-drop scenes. It is a slightly more complicated world and setting than usual, but hopefully it will go more smoothly in the next novel. My rating also reflects comparisons to other books they’ve written, some of which have completely knocked my socks off! Clean Sweep was just a solid, entertaining story by comparison.

Recommendations: these authors (it’s a duo writing under one name) are among my favorites for a reason – they always produce fun, creative, and exciting stories. Clean sweep was an excellent start to this ongoing series, and I’d recommend it as a good starter if you haven’t tried an IA yet. I’m going to start calling Ilona Andrews my “instant mood-boosters.” :)

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Oct 4 2019
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Tackling the TBR [50]: October 2019

tackling the TBR

It’s once again time for my favorite feature: Tackling the TBR! There’s nothing I love more than picking out which books to read next, and this slightly organized method of reading has really amped my enjoyment to the next level. Bring on the mantras!

Read the best books first.
&
Life is too short to read books you’re not enjoying.

However you put together your TBR for the next month, the goal is to reduce the amount of obligation in reading and increase the fun.

Here’s a look at how the system works:

1. Identify the titles that take top priority in your TBR.
2. Combine them all in your own Tackling the TBR post.
3. Throughout the month pick from that pile as the mood strikes you.

Here’s what mine looks like:

October 2019 TBR Tackler Shelf:

Priority Titles!!!

 

The Reserve…

 

Did I really only read two books from my list last month? ::checks reading history on Goodreads:: Huh. I would’ve sworn I had a really productive month because I enjoyed every single second of the books I read, which is not typical these days. And I felt myself drawn to them constantly. I guess it really is the quality over quantity that’s important, but I’m starting to feel like a reading fraud compared to how many books I used to read in a month (at least 10). But life is different for me now and my priorities are different. I’ve been out adventuring more in the last eight months than I had in my entire life combined. I’ve become a single parent, which comes with a significantly lot less free time than it used to (not that I’m complaining, but books got a little sidelined). I’ve taken on a paying gig reviewing audiobook productions, which if I’m not careful can dominate my entire month. And I’ve been focusing harder at work, so I don’t have as much downtime there as I used to. That’s all a bit personal, but I want my book blog to be more than just books. I want it to be the ultimate form of my personal expression through books. Literary snapshots of where I’m at in life. And sometimes it just is what it is.

So, this month’s lineup is practically identical to last months, and I’m okay with that. I’m finding myself being drawn to starting new series and less drawn to closing out all the reserve titles I’ve had going for ages. I might get rid of the reserve category altogether for November so that I can direct my focus completely on the books that delight me most in that moment. 

Have big life changes ever gotten in the way of your reading? Did it bother you? If so, how did you cope? 

These challenges are always more fun with friends <3. Here’s a link to my friend Chanzie’s blog, where she adapted the challenge to fit her TBR needs:

Free To Be Me

Have a great month in reading!

by Niki Hawkes