Hello!

And welcome to the start of Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week on the blog! For the entire week (with one very exciting exception) I will be celebrating and showcasing Self-Published books and authors. Each day will start with a recommendations post (6 recs every day, apart from Sunday which is slightly different to bring the week to a close and to add to those TBRs just a little more) based on a different theme each day. Most of the books I’m featuring are ones that I’ve already read, or which are on my imminent TBR and I will be linking to my reviews where relevant! In addition to this I will be reviewing three SP books each day this week, so it’s going to be a busy, busy week on the blog.

If you want to follow the event on twitter just keep an eye out on the tags #SelfPubAppreciation and #IndiesAreAwesome (which they are), and there is also a hub across at Witty & Sarcastic Bookclub where you will be able to find all the posts (once curated) in one place. And a massive shoutout to Jodie at Witty & Sarcastic Bookclub for organising this wonderful event, and to Anca for the graphics!

So, to kick things off today I delighted to be sharing six (plus a sneaky extra) books that deserve more love! Please check out these hidden gems, and if you have any underappreciated SP books to share then please drop them in the comments! (My TBR might weep, but I won’t).

Book Summary:

The Midwife has worked on her share of unusual births over the years—from foxes to royalty to the Gods themselves. One of the stranger births she assisted was a queen who delivered twins: one a boy, the future king, and one a serpent, known as The Lindworm.

Now, almost twenty years later, the queen has called upon The Midwife again—this time, to rid the castle of The Lindworm once and for all. Devouring maidens from across the land, it seems the monster’s thirst for blood cannot be slaked. But the sensible Midwife has no patience for histrionic queens or fae monsters. She intends to settle this. All of it.

Purchase Links: Amazon UK | Amazon US

***** *****

Book Summary:

A ghost searches for revenge in ancient Egypt. A boy unearths the bones of a dragon. A girl risks awakening a dark god to save her dog…

He reached out a hand and touched Grace’s cheek. The touch made her shiver. “You can’t save everyone, Grace.”

“I don’t want to,” Grace whispered. “Just her.”

At the Gates and Other Stories is a collection of sixteen fantasy short stories.

You can read my review HERE.

Purchase Links: Amazon UK | Amazon US

***** *****

Book Summary:

“We have to be very careful, as those who age so slowly, not to fight upon past battlefields. In that, and maybe only in that, are we superior. To hold a grudge for a human lifespan, that is one thing. To hold a grudge throughout the whole of our lives, that would be an unlivable, untenable existence. So, we do not fight on past battlefields. We air our grievances as plainly as possible. We found, after centuries, we could live no other way.”

— Salter, The Chronicler

As zombies roamed, the earth went quiet. It is as if every critter knew that the only way to stay safe was to lay silent.

Rise and his coven were running out of fresh blood to feed on. With only one human – albeit pampered beyond belief – at their disposal, there wasn’t enough food to go around. He must find other human survivors if they want to avoid succumbing to the blackness of oblivion.

When the human survivors he rescued were infiltrated by Warwolves, an ancient order of vampire hunters, Rise soon realizes the danger he brought upon his kind. With the full intent to survive, Rise must purge all threats to his vampire race.

The world, although decimated, is ripe for rule. If he wished to set history on a new path, he must triumph — starting with the rise of one individual.

Will Rise triumph?

Will he fall victim to the brain-dead that abound?

Or will the Warwolves succeed in finally ridding the earth of his kind?

You can read my review HERE.

Purchase Links: Amazon UK | Amazon US

***** *****

Book Summary:

The last competition Belasko won was the catch a slippery pig contest at his village fair.

Now he has to beat the best warriors in the kingdom.

Belasko, a farm boy who ran away to war, is a decorated soldier and war hero with a good military career ahead of him. When Markus, champion to the king of Villan, summons Belasko to take part in the competition to choose his successor, a world of possibility opens up to him. Possibility that Belasko cannot resist. In order to take the mantle of champion, and rise to one of the highest positions in the Villanese court, Belasko must prove himself yet further against the finest blades in the kingdom. Against warriors from all walks of life. From those who have had access to the best fencing instructors money can buy, to fellow career soldiers, he must best them all. Including a young noble named Ervan with whom his fate will be intertwined. Only by working hard alongside newfound friends and foes, pushing himself to the limit, and putting everything on the line, can Belasko fulfil his potential and become the first commoner to claim the title of Royal Champion.

Set fifteen years before The Swordsman’s Lament, this novella sets in motion both the events of that novel and Belasko’s destiny.

Purchase Links: Amazon UK | Amazon US

**

Book Summary:

When a prince is murdered, a legendary swordsman stands accused.

The King wants blood . . .

and loyalty counts for nothing.

Belasko thought he was beyond intrigues and machinations. But when the grief-stricken King demands vengeance, Belasko discovers he is expendable. His options are clear… find the real killer or satisfy the royal bloodlust. 

With the forces of the palace mobilised against him he is thrust into the city’s bleak underbelly and must fight to discover the truth. With betrayal around every corner he must form unlikely alliances. Can the veteran warrior survive long enough to protect his friends and prove his innocence?

Join Belasko on a fast-paced fantasy adventure as he hunts the real killer, from courtly intrigue to the depths of the city’s criminal underworld, and learns the true meaning of The Swordsman’s Lament.

Purchase Links: Amazon UK | Amazon US

***** *****

Book Summary:

Fairy tales are not what they seem.

Gisela knows about sacrifice all too well.

She abandoned her education, friends, and fairy tales to support her family and care for her sister.

But when she jilts a wealthy suitor, Gisela is chosen for another type of sacrifice.

As an Offering to the Goddess Bergot, Gisela and seven others are sent on a deadly quest for a mythical crown. To return home, Gisela must overcome obstacles which darkly resemble the fairy tales she once believed.

Weaving through a tapestry of friendship, romance, violence, and magic—Gisela becomes the target of an ancient evil force, while an ominous detail from the past haunts her at every turn.

To what lengths will Gisela go to save the ones she loves?

Sometimes sacrifices must be made.

You can read my review HERE.

Purchase Links: Amazon UK | Amazon US

***** *****

Book Summary:

The Grand Alliance has failed, its armies destroyed on the battlefield by the monstrous Ulokan horde. But the Ulokans have been defeated in turn by the forces of the sorcerer-lord Skraka Gorn. As ancient evils rise once more and new threats emerge, Gorn holds himself out as the only hope for the survival of humankind.

Tamurac, lord of the Halyas, has disappeared in the battle. Now his teenage son Danalar must accept responsibility and become the warrior and leader he has trained his whole life to be. Meanwhile, until he comes of age it falls to Charymylle, Lady Halyas, to lead the clan through this time of change – if the wardens and warband will follow a woman.

When a survivor returns with suspicions of Gorn’s treachery, the Halyas must make a fateful choice. They could choose safety and give up their free heritage to support Gorn’s imperial ambitions. Or dare to resist his expanding empire and face his devastating sorceries in a new kind of war.

Their decision leads to an adventure greater and more terrible than Danalar ever imagined.

You can read my review Here.

Purchase Links: Amazon UK | Amazon US

**

What are some hidden gems you’ve discovered?