Category: Fantasy

Blog Tour (Book Spotlight): The Sword of Wrath and Mercy (Swords of Dominion #1) – NC Koussis

On By Rowena AndrewsIn Book Spotlights, FantasyLeave a comment

Hello!

Today I am hopping onto the Escapists Books blog tour with a spotlight for The Sword of Mercy and Wrath, which is the first book in the Swords of Dominion series and debut by NC Koussis. There’s an extract to whet your appetite, and please do check out the rest of the tour to see what the other reviewers think and check out the book and author.

Book Summary:

VENGEANCE CUTS A BLOODY PATH

In a cathedral at the south of the Istryan Empire, young men and women are trained to be killers. The Order of the Golden Sword’s inquisitors are feared for their brutality masked as piety. Masters of blade and crossbow, their quarry is the god-cursed werewolf, whom they hunt with impunity to herald the return of their god.

Betrayed by her monstrous father, Selene loses her left arm and nearly her life when she’s saved by a traveling inquisitor. Scarred and broken, she swears vengeance on the cursed beasts and joins the Order. It takes all her will to overcome her limits, only for her violent past to drag her back into blood.

With the fabric of the empire at stake, Selene must master her hatred, hone it to a sharp point, then let it loose on her enemies.

The stunning fantasy debut from “One of Australia’s most promising young writers.” Perfect for fans of Andrzej Sapkowski and Mark Lawrence.

Continue reading “Blog Tour (Book Spotlight): The Sword of Wrath and Mercy (Swords of Dominion #1) – NC Koussis” →

Blog Tour (Book Review) – His Ragged Company (Testimonies of Elias Faust) – Rance D. Denton

On By Rowena AndrewsIn Fantasy, Review, Self-Published, Weird West, WesternLeave a comment

Hello!

Late because trains apparently hate me, and yesterday was a fiasco in terms of travel and today the train wifi decided to eat the entire post apart from the title and header. However, despite all that, I am delighted to be joining the Escapists Books blog tour for His Ragged Company by Rance D. Denton.

Please do check out the rest of the tour stops.

Disclaimer – I received a copy in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts are my own.

Book Summary:

A pissed-off warlock with a taste for revenge.

An army of sand-golems with fistfuls of magic.

A wishing well with a mind of its own.

No wonder Blackpeak, Texas never got its spot on the map.

Town marshal Elias Faust thinks that he can make any problem go away if he throws enough lead at it. The living’s easy for a lawman. Bloody, but easy – that is, until Magnate Gregdon arrives with his undead syndicate to tear the town of Blackpeak, Texas apart.

When a shootout with a pair of outlaws goes sideways, Elias Faust accidentally draws the Magnate’s attention. As if dealing with arcane sorcery, reanimated corpses, and the Magnate’s personal vendetta aren’t enough, Faust finds himself at the center of a power-struggle for Blackpeak’s eldritch secrets.

Suddenly, staying alive just got a lot more complicated.

Hunted by a cadre of sandshades and hounded by sinister spellcraft, Elias Faust may be the only bag of skin defiant enough to keep Blackpeak from being destroyed. To outlast the Magnate’s disciples, he’ll need to shoot straighter, run faster, and live longer…even if it means sacrificing a part of himself to do just that.

Continue reading “Blog Tour (Book Review) – His Ragged Company (Testimonies of Elias Faust) – Rance D. Denton” →

Book Review: Eleventh Cycle (Mistland #1) – Kian N. Ardalan

On By Rowena AndrewsIn Fantasy, Review, Self-PublishedLeave a comment

Hello!

Today I am sharing my review for Eleventh Cycle by Kian Ardalan, the first book in the Mistland series. This was a book that I really wanted to love, but as you will see from the length (and I apologise…I think this is my longest review to date) that didn’t happen. There is so much potential in this book, and it has some of the most spectacular worldbuilding, but it turned out not to be the book for me.

Disclaimer – I received a copy in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts are my own.

Book Summary:

It has been a thousand years since the last Seed abandoned their duty. The mists are closing in. Finally, the Morning Bell tolls. A new Seed is born, but is it too late?

The rot eats away at mortals. The Witnesses pray so that they may not turn into one of the forgotten. And the constricting mists infect the lands with fear.

But there is more to this tale than just the Elders and their Seeds. Four mortals will have a part to play in Minethria’s fate. A farmer girl with only love in her eyes. A warrior born to the life of a refugee. A highborn stuck between the realm of gods and men. And a woman running into front lines and away from home.

Will the cycle finally be completed? Or will the mist swallow all?

“A seed is born and the evil is slain, so doth another cycle commence. Yet the last Seed born hath turned traitor, and the mists which had been pushed back, returneth.”

Continue reading “Book Review: Eleventh Cycle (Mistland #1) – Kian N. Ardalan” →

Blog Tour (Book Spotlight): The Way of Unity (Velspar – Elegies Book 1) – Sarah K. Balstrup

On By Rowena AndrewsIn Book Spotlights, FantasyLeave a comment

Hello!

Today I am joining the Escapist Books blog tour for The Way of Unity by Sarah K. Balstrup with a spotlight post featuring a extract to whet your appetites.

Please do check out the other stops on the tour.

Book Summary:

The Seven Lands of Velspar put their faith in the Intercessors, a psychic priesthood responsible for the purification of the spirit. Where passion flares, they soothe its intent. Those who cannot be soothed, are cast out, their spirits destroyed by fire.

The Intercessors are mystics of the highest order, but Velspar’s ruling Skalens believe their power has grown too great.

Surviving the Intercessor’s murder plot against her family, Sybilla Ladain rises to power. The Skalens come together under the banner of her grief, bringing the practice of Intercession to its brutal, bloody end.

Yet victory brings Sybilla no peace. In time, she will have to face the people of Velspar, forced to live in a psychically alienated world, and a band of rebels led by an escaped Intercessor set on her annihilation.

Continue reading “Blog Tour (Book Spotlight): The Way of Unity (Velspar – Elegies Book 1) – Sarah K. Balstrup” →

Blog Tour (Book Review): Chronicles from the World of Guilt – Chris Durston

On By Rowena AndrewsIn Fantasy, Indie, ReviewLeave a comment

Hello!

After A WEEK and train wifi playing absolute havoc with my attempts to get this post up and running, I’m delighted to be belatedly joining the blog tour for Chronicles from the World of Guilt by Chris Durston, a book that caught me by surprise.

Disclaimer – I received a copy in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts are my own.

Book Summary:

What is Guilt?

Is it an enormous flying whale? Maybe an alien, come from deep space to punish us? Some call it an angel or a god, others a demon.

What nobody can deny is that it is the end.

These tales chronicle the story of the Earth in the centuries after the apocalypse: struggles for survival against twisted, horrific foes; small moments of kindness and warmth in the dark; life going on, even as the whole world changes.

These are the Chronicles from the World of Guilt.

Continue reading “Blog Tour (Book Review): Chronicles from the World of Guilt – Chris Durston” →

Cover Reveal: The Necessity of Rain – Sarah Chorn

On By Rowena AndrewsIn Cover Reveal, FantasyLeave a comment

Hello!

Today it is my honour and pleasure to reveal the cover for The Necessity of Rain by Sarah Chorn which is coming 27th June 2023 and is available for preorder now! There is also an extract from the book (and oh your hearts are not ready for this one) to whet your appetite.

Book Summary:

It begins with a butterfly in chains.

Since the dawn of time, life has been comfortable and predictable. The gods have wrested pockets of Creation from Chaos, formed civilizations, and built entire realities. Now, the nature of Creation is changing and the Divine are losing their divinity.

Rosemary, daughter of the God of Creation, can no longer deny this when a strange delegation from Dawnland braves the paths through Chaos and survives. Come to negotiate trade and protection agreements with the Divine of Meadowsweet, it is the butterfly woman who so captivates Rosemary. The weight of her sorrow, the heaviness of her secrets.

For the soul is a battleground. Clouds are massing along the horizon, and Rosemary… 

She must survive the storm.

Continue reading “Cover Reveal: The Necessity of Rain – Sarah Chorn” →

Blog Tour (Guest Post): ‘My Journey to Romance’ – Dan Fitzgerald (The Delve)

On By Rowena AndrewsIn Fantasy, Guest Post, Romance, Self-PublishedLeave a comment

Hello,

It is my pleasure to be joining the Escapist Book Tours blog tour for The Delve by Dan Fitzgerald. This book is the first in a new trilogy of standalones, set in the same world as the Maer Cycle (but you do not need to have read them to enjoy this book). You can check out my review for The Delve here as I was lucky enough to read an ARC – and this book was one of my favourite reads for 2022!

Today, I am delighted to welcome Dan to the blog with a fantastic guest post about his journey to writing romance, it’s a fantastic post, very open and personal and for me incredibily relatable; and I want to thank Dan for sharing this post.

Book Summary:

The sword wants what it wants.

The Deepfold mine has gone dark on the eve of war. Without its supply of brightstone, the Maer’s technological advantage over the humans will evaporate. A rising knight named Yglind has earned his Forever Blade and been sent on a quest to uncover the cause of the blackout. Joined by his trusted squire Ardo and a prickly mage named Aene, Yglind hopes to cement his legacy and the Maer’s chance at victory in the coming war.

Inside the Deepfold, they are plunged into a world of bloodshed and chaos. Unknown foes have slaughtered many of the miners, and a gruesome dragon stalks the dark tunnels. While taking refuge in the mine’s impregnable keep, Yglind and Ardo seek solace in each other’s arms and the courage to face the cruel forces arrayed against them.

With their civilization hanging in the balance, they strike out against the invaders as their quest hurtles toward its bloody end.

The Delve is a fast-paced spicy romantic fantasy, the first in the Time Before trio of linked standalones, set 2,000 years before the Maer Cycle trilogy and the Weirdwater Confluence duology. The series are independent and can be read in any order.

Author’s note: this book contains explicit, consensual sex scenes, violence, gore, and death, and is not intended for readers under the age of eighteen.

Continue reading “Blog Tour (Guest Post): ‘My Journey to Romance’ – Dan Fitzgerald (The Delve)” →

Blog Tour (Book Review): A Shade of Madness (The Ashes of Avarin #2) – Thiago Abdalla

On By Rowena AndrewsIn Fantasy, Review, Self-PublishedLeave a comment

Hello!

Today it’s my pleasure to be joining the Escapists Books blog tour for A Shade of Madness by Thiago Abdalla, the second book in the Ashes of Avarin series and sequel to the SPFBO finalist A Touch of Light. You can find my review for book one HERE, and please do check out the rest of the stops on the tour!

Disclaimer – I received a copy in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts are my own.

Book Summary:

Avarin tumbles into madness through the shattered ruin of a centuries-old peace.

As griffin riders clash against airships above and hordes of madmen below, Lynn finds herself surrounded by enemies. Ones that will test the limits of her faith. To defeat them, she must risk everything… including her sanity.

Adrian has lost the Legion, but new magics on foreign shores might be the answer he needs to rebuild his army. His return to the Domain will bring vengeance, and the hope that he will finally prove himself to his father.

Nasha’s curse has taken on a new, terrifying shape. She dreads it could be just what the dead goddess needs to escape from Her prison within the Silent Earth. Will she be strong enough to resist, or will Nasha’s curse give rise to the monster she fears to become?

Madness is spreading and it cares not for the borders of men.

A Shade of Madness is the second book in the Ashes of Avarin series, picking up straight after the exciting conclusion of A Touch of Light.

Continue reading “Blog Tour (Book Review): A Shade of Madness (The Ashes of Avarin #2) – Thiago Abdalla” →

Book Review: Dyer Street Punk Witches – Phil Williams

On By Rowena AndrewsIn Fantasy, Review, Self-Published, ThrillerLeave a comment

Hello,

Today I am catching up a long overdue review. I was lucky enough to get an ARC of Dyer Street Punk Witches from the author, and then life got turned upside down, inside out and every other word for messy that you can think of and this wonderful book has been out in the world for a few months now. So a massive thank you for the arc and an even bigger apology to the author for taking so long with the review – but I LOVED this book!

Disclaimer – I received a copy in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts are my own.

Book Summary:

Kit hung up her brass knuckles, but the shadows of her past always lingered. Now they’re back to claim her.

Kit “Fadulous” Hamley, magazine editor, activist and former punk rocker, is a well-known loudmouth in St Alphege’s. She works tirelessly to hold local authorities to account. Some say she’s making up for her criminal youth. Others spread rumours of witchcraft. Only a handful of people know how dark her secrets really are.

When an old friend warns Kit that a former rival has resurfaced, those secrets start to resurface. People have gone missing, with body parts and strange symbols left behind, and someone is stalking Kit. The gang she abandoned are scared stiff and her magic-wielding bandmates are long gone. Kit herself is a target, and if she can’t unravel exactly how this new feud connects with her past mistakes, it could kill her.

Decades older, a little wiser, and contrary as ever, Kit’s going to remind them all what a punk witch can do.

Get ready for a riotous ride into the seedy underbelly of St Alphege’s, where gang warfare and occult conspiracies tear ordinary lives apart. Dyer Street Punk Witches is a standalone urban fantasy thriller, packed with tough, subversive characters and tense twists – you won’t be able to put down.

Continue reading “Book Review: Dyer Street Punk Witches – Phil Williams” →