Book Review: The World Reaper Odyssey – Luke Tarzian

On Mar 30, 2022 By Rowena AndrewsIn Fantasy, Review, Self-PublishedLeave a comment

Hello!

Today I am delighted to be reviewing the novelette ‘The World Reaper Odyssey’ which is part of Luke Tarzian’s omnibus edition of the Adjacent Monsters series which came out yesterday (digital) and will be out in physical copies in a couple of days. There are no words to describe how excited I was when this omnibus edition with a bonus novelette was announced, and I grabbed the digital copy straight away and I will getting the physical once it’s released (I mean just look at that cover, who wouldn’t – plus I need a matching set!).

You can check out my reviews for the other books in this omnibus edition here:

The World Maker Parable | The World Breaker Requiem | The World Breaker Requiem: Deep Dive

Book Summary:

Both books in the Adjacent Monsters duology, plus a bonus novelette, compiled in a digital boxset and print omnibus.

THE WORLD MAKER PARABLE

Guilt will always call you back…

Rhona is a faithful servant of the country Jémoon and a woman in love. Everything changes when her beloved sets the ravenous Vulture goddess loose upon the land. Forced to execute the woman she loves for committing treason, Rhona discovers a profound correlation between morality and truth. A connection that might save her people or annihilate them all.

You are a lie…

Varésh Lúm-talé is many things, most of all a genocidal liar. A falsity searching for the Phoenix goddess whom he believes can help him rectify his atrocities. Such an undertaking is an arduous one for a man with missing memories and a conscience set on rending him from inside out. A man whose journey leads to Hang-Dead Forest and a meeting with a Vulture goddess who is not entirely as she seems.

THE WORLD BREAKER REQUIEM

Prince of Woe…

Avaria Norrith is the adopted heir to the Ariathan throne. But that means little to a man who, for the better part of fifteen years, has sought and failed to earn his mother’s love. Fueled by pride and envy, Avaria seeks the means to prove himself and cast away his mental chains. When he’s tasked with the recreation of The Raven’s Rage he sees his chance, for with the infamous blade he can rewrite history and start anew.

Daughter of the Mountain…

Erath has not felt sunlight for a century. Not since Ariath condemned her people to a life of darkness with their misuse of The Raven’s Rage. But when an old friend comes seeking the remnants of the ancient sword, Erath cannot contain her curiosity and resolves to lend her aid. Is it true-can history be revised? Can her people be reclaimed?

Toll the Hounds…

They are hungry-and they are here.

Continue reading →

Book Review: The World Breaker Requiem (Adjacent Monsters #2) – Luke Tarzian

On Dec 2, 2021Dec 7, 2021 By Rowena AndrewsIn Fantasy, Review, Self-Published3 Comments

Hello!

Today I am delighted to be reviewing The World Breaker Requiem by Luke Tarzian, the second book in the Adjacent Monsters series which will be released on the 21st of this month (so you still have time to read book 1 and preorder this one, and you will find the links below). You can find my review for the first book in the series – The World Maker Parable here. I apologize in advance if I’ve rambled but I loved this book so much that it’s hard to do it justice in a review – all I can say is that it is fantastic and you want to get your hands on it as soon as possible!

‘Disclaimer: I had the honour and pleasure of being a beta reader for this book, but all thoughts (and rambling) are my own. ‘

Book Summary:

Prince of Woe…

Avaria Norrith is the adopted heir to the Ariathan throne. But that means little to a man who, for the better part of fifteen years, has sought and failed to earn his mother’s love. Fueled by pride and envy, Avaria seeks the means to prove himself and cast away his mental chains. When he’s tasked with the recreation of The Raven’s Rage he sees his chance, for with the infamous blade he can rewrite history and start anew.

Daughter of the Mountain…

Erath has not felt sunlight for a century. Not since Ariath condemned her people to a life of darkness with their misuse of The Raven’s Rage. But when an old friend comes seeking the remnants of the ancient sword, Erath cannot contain her curiosity and resolves to lend her aid. Is it true—can history be revised? Can her people be reclaimed?

Toll the Hounds…

They are hungry—and they are here.

Continue reading →

Blog Tour (Book Review): Gravitas (A Tale of the Constella) – Christopher Russell

On Nov 5, 2021Nov 5, 2021 By Rowena AndrewsIn Fantasy, Review, Self-Published3 Comments

Hello!

Today I’m delighted to be reviewing ‘Gravitas’ by Christopher Russell as part of the blog tour organised by Storytellers on Tour. I really enjoyed Divinity’s Twilight: Rebirth when I read it last year, so I’ve been excited for this one ever since it was announced, and what a deliciously dark book it turned out to be.

I hope that you will check out the book and the author, and enjoy the rest of the tour with the schedule in the banner below or (HERE).

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

Book Summary:

History has weight behind it. The power to crush an empire . . . or birth it anew.

Nowhere is this more true than the Republic of Lestadt, an island nation founded upon the bones of tyrants and sustained by the might of Gravitas. This magic is the manifestation of the past, drawing upon the heritage of relics and heirlooms to bend the forces of nature. The more storied an artifact, the more power it commands.

Yet after 300 years of prosperity, Lestadt is crumbling. Revolutionaries gather in the docklands, seeking restitution for the crimes of the ruling oligarchs. A mysterious augury pronounces the nation’s doom.

Desperate to save themselves, Lestadt’s Court of Magisters turns to Lord Fixer Scraw for salvation. The deformed man may be ruthless in his methods, but he has never failed them. With a powerful Gravitas relic in his scarred hands, unlimited resources at his disposal, and a depraved plan taking root in his mind, can Scraw stop the revolution and save Lestadt?

Or will the cure be worse than the disease?

Continue reading →

Book Review: The World Maker Parable (Adjacent Monsters #1) – Luke Tarzian

On Oct 14, 2021 By Rowena AndrewsIn Fantasy, Review, Self-Published4 Comments

Hello!

Today I’m revisiting and reviewing The World Maker Parable by Luke Tarzian, the first book in the Adjacent Monsters series and a prequel novella to his fantastic novel Vultures (Review). With The World Breaker Requiem on the horizon – due for release on the 21st of December for anyone looking for a lovely, dark Christmas present for themselves – I wanted to return to the first book, and once again I found myself loving it even more on the reread.

Book Summary:

Guilt will always call you back…

Rhona is a faithful servant of the country Jémoon and a woman in love. Everything changes when her beloved sets the ravenous Vulture goddess loose upon the land. Forced to execute the woman she loves for committing treason, Rhona discovers a profound correlation between morality and truth. A connection that might save her people or annihilate them all.

You are a lie…

Varésh Lúm-talé is many things, most of all a genocidal liar. A falsity searching for the Phoenix goddess whom he believes can help him rectify his atrocities. Such an undertaking is an arduous one for a man with missing memories and a conscience set on rending him from inside out. A man whose journey leads to Hang-Dead Forest and a meeting with a Vulture goddess who is not entirely as she seems.

Continue reading →

Blog Tour (Book Review): The Ancient Ones (The Ancient Ones #1) – Cassandra L. Thompson

On Sep 30, 2021 By Rowena AndrewsIn Fantasy, Historical, Horror, Indie, Review3 Comments

Hello!

Today is my stop on the blog tour for ‘The Ancient Ones’ by Cassandra L. Thompson organised by Storytellers on Tour, this is the first book in The Ancient Gods trilogy and the second book in the series ‘Liminality’ is due for release on the 31st October!

I hope that you will check out the book and the author, and enjoy the rest of the tour with the schedule in the banner below or (HERE).

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

Book Summary:

Some things are not meant to die…

When David stumbles upon a tragic young woman in a sordid Limehouse pub, he has no idea she’d recognize him as the last vampyre alive, nor that she’d be the one to pull out his story. Yet as he recalls his life from the sweltering vineyards of Ancient Rome to the cold horrors of Medieval Romania – as well as his tumultuous past with the mad and mysterious Lucius – he realizes she is much more than what she seems.

Gothic horror and mythological fantasy blend seamlessly together in this thrilling adventure, breathing new life into vampire lore as it reveals its true origins. The Ancient Ones is a tale of myth, mayhem, and magic … with a dash of romance that bites.

Continue reading →

Cover Reveal: Redemption (Legends of Lightning #2) – T.R. Slauf

On Aug 13, 2021 By Rowena AndrewsIn Cover Reveal, FantasyLeave a comment

Hello!

Today I am delighted to be part of the Storytellers on Tour Cover Reveal Blitz for ‘Redemption’ by T.S. Slauf, the second book in the Legends of Lightning series which is due for release November 2021.

Book Summary:

“Blood seems to be the only thing flowing in this Realm. The day I found out the truth of who I was, was the day I died.”

“Sometimes you must die so you can be re-born.”

Esther escaped the horrors of Castle Rose, but at a cost. Believing her lost guide is still alive deep in the bowls of Adam’s dungeons, she aims to save him, but the other Huntsman are not so sure he’s alive… Desperate to rescue Oisin, Esther makes tempestuous allegiances with dangerous foes. Walking a fine line between enemies and allies, life and death, she rages war against the monsters of the Hidden Realm.

Esther’s journey continues in this heart wrenching sequel as she navigates the politics and grudges of ageless Queens. By night, she’s haunted by what she’s seen fighting in a war that was never hers. What she’s done to survive in the Hidden Realm will haunt her forever and she’s terrified of losing herself in the darkness without a star to guide her. Will Esther be able to save Oisin and the lands before the shadows of her mind overtake her spirit?

Continue reading →

Cover Reveal: The Stone God (Indulgence #1) – Erin Kellison

On May 3, 2021 By Rowena AndrewsIn Cover Reveal, Fantasy1 Comment

Hello!

Today I’m delighted to be helping with the Storytellers on Tour Cover Reveal for The Stone God by Erin Kellison, which is due for release May 24th 2021.

Book Summary:

Enter bestselling author Erin Kellison’s captivating new world of gods, monsters, passion, and games…

Terah Crane knows not to tempt the gods. A happy life—or at least an uncomplicated one—involves no gods at all. And since her loving grandfather bought her an Indulgence that exempts her from their service, she can focus on her other problems of being recently divorced, broke, and unemployed.

Seeking a fresh start, Terah packs everything she owns into her beat-up car and moves to her family’s empty country cottage—never mind that deadly firedrakes occasionally wander into the garden. When an unlikely flood carries a cracked pillar of stone from a nearby shrine right to Terah’s doorstep, it seems the gods demand her service after all.

The man trapped inside the monolith is still alive, and Terah’s reluctant task is to resurrect him, his godkiller of a sword—and his fury for vengeance.

The gods’ awesome powers are matched only by their careless, capricious whims—and vulnerable mortals are often the ones to suffer and die. Now, the gods are watching Terah, making her a pawn in their savage game. Her survival depends upon navigating a new world of peril and treachery, taking up a weapon, and making a fateful move of her own…

Continue reading →

Book Blitz (Book Review & Extract): Windborn – Alex S. Bradshaw

On Apr 28, 2021 By Rowena AndrewsIn Fantasy, Review, Self-Published3 Comments

Hello!

Today I am delighted to be helping out with the Storytellers on Tour Release Day Blitz for Windborn by Alex S. Bradshaw, as this dark Norse fantasy caught my attention from the moment I first heard about it. Beneath the review, you will find an extract and also the opportunity to win a copy of this fantastic book for yourself, so please check out the book and support the debut release!

*Disclaimer: ‘I was given a copy this book in exchange for an honest review, all views are my own.’*

Book Summary:

Drowning is only the beginning…

Edda Gretasdottir is a raider, a fell-handed shield-maiden, feared along every coast. Hers is a life woven in battle scars.

But she never wanted to walk the warrior’s path. All she wanted was freedom, to earn enough gold to buy her family their own remote farm, and to escape their oppressive chieftain. Now, she has enough plunder so that she can finally hang up her shield and live in peace.

That peace is stolen from Edda, however, when raiders burn her home, destroy all that she loves, and toss her, wounded and bleeding, into the ravenous ocean.

But the fates are cruel and this is not the end for Edda: she rises from the bloody surf as a Windborn, a cursed warrior whose supernatural gifts are a poor exchange for everything she has lost.

Fuelled by rage and armed with strange new powers Edda will hunt for whoever sent the raiders, for whoever is responsible for taking everything from her. She will show them the sharp edge of her axe… or die trying.

Windborn is a dark, character-driven Norse fantasy packed with emotion, deadly foes, and vicious battles.

Get your copy of Windborn now to hear Edda’s epic tale!

Continue reading →

Cover Reveal: Windborn – Alex S. Bradshaw

On Mar 18, 2021 By Rowena AndrewsIn Cover Reveal, Fantasy2 Comments

Hello!

Today I am delighted to be part of the Storytellers on Tour Cover Reveal Blitz for ‘Windborn’ by Alex S. Bradshaw the first in a new Dark Fantasy that is due for release on the 28th April 2021. I was already excited about the premise for this one, and the cover has sealed the deal and I can’t wait for this one to come out next month.

Book Summary:

Drowning is only the beginning…

Edda Gretasdottir is a raider, a fell-handed shield-maiden, feared along every coast. Hers is a life woven in battle scars.

That peace is stolen from Edda, however, when raiders burn her home, destroy all that she loves, and toss her, wounded and bleeding, into the ravenous ocean.

But the fates are cruel and this is not the end for Edda: she rises from the bloody surf as a Windborn, a cursed warrior whose supernatural gifts are a poor exchange for everything she has lost.

Windborn is a dark, character-driven Norse fantasy packed with emotion, deadly foes, and vicious battles. Get your copy of Windborn now to hear Edda’s epic tale!

Continue reading →

Cover Reveal: The Echoed Realm (The Chaos Cycle #2) – A. J. Vrana

On Nov 12, 2020Jun 27, 2021 By Rowena AndrewsIn Cover Reveal1 Comment

Hello!

Today I am delighted to be part of the Storytellers on Tour Cover Reveal Blitz for ‘The Echoed Realm’ the second book in The Chaos Cycle Duology by A. J. Vrana, a dark fantasy with more than a touch of horror and magical realism, which will be published on the 8th June 2021 by Parliament Press. I read and reviewed the first book in this series back in march (Here) and I am super-excited for the second book, so I hope that you will show the author and book a lot of love.

Book Summary:

Miya’s world ended in Black Hollow.

It’s been three years since the Dreamwalker upended her life and left her with a heavy burden. A fledgling to the ethereal realm, Miya stumbles into the nightmares of those haunted by spectres. Little does she know, one of them is coming for her, clutching a dark secret abreast.

Kai has found a new purpose with his companion, but the price is his freedom. Bound and beholden to Miya, he struggles to adjust to his new role as her vanguard.

Meanwhile, Mason discovers he may be a pawn trapped in a web of schemes. Was his time in Black Hollow an accident, or was it only the beginning of some greater machination?

As Black Hollow’s bloody stain spreads beyond its wooded borders, Miya fights to evade a past she barely understands. The Dreamwalker’s legacy is a vise grip, and it isn’t letting go. Primordial horrors draw near, fables come alive, and long-buried histories rise from the grave, ready to hunt.

Sharpen your claws and bloody your teeth. There’s fear to be sown.

***** ***** *****

Drum Rolls