My ’10’ Favourite Books of 2022 & My Book of the Year

On Dec 29, 2022Jan 6, 2023 By Rowena AndrewsIn Lists2 Comments

Hello!

It’s that time of year again when we look back at the books we’ve read and loved this year, and while 2022 has been A YEAR, I was blessed with many fantastic books (and an evergrowing TBR from the ones I didn’t get too). It’s always difficult to narrow that down to ten (and I did sneak in an extra one), and then my absolute favourite on top of that (because I have no self control). Now these are my personal favourites, whether because of emotional resonance, sheer enjoyment, favourite characters or any one of the many criteria readers love books, and I’ve listed them in no particular order (because I can’t choose and they’re all bloody good and you should absolutely add them to your TBR for 2023 if you haven’t already read them.

This year, all the books featured are indie/self-published which reflects just how much of my reading falls into that category these days. There are wonderful trad books out there and I still really enjoy them, but indie books are just so wonderfully varied and the community so rich that I find myself leaning that way more and more.

Now without further ado…the list!

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Blog Tour (Guest Post): Jonathan Nevair ‘Escapist Thriller vs. Space Opera’

On Dec 9, 2022Jan 6, 2023 By Rowena AndrewsIn Guest Post, Sci-Fi, ThrillerLeave a comment

Hello!

Today I am delighted to be joining the Escapists Tours blog tour for Stellar Instinct, the new spy-fi thriller by Jonathan Nevair the author of the Wind Tide trilogy (Goodbye to the Sun, Jati’s Wager, No Song But Silence). This is a fantastic book and you can check out my review HERE, and I can’t recommend it highly enough! I would also like to thank Jonathan for the fantastic post that I’m featuring today.

There is also a chance to win a copy of the book for yourself, so check out the giveaway details at the end of the post.

Please check out the rest of the stops on the tour.

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Book Summary:

A secret agent. A gaming mastermind. Two players in a dangerous competition blurring the boundaries of entertainment and reality.

Mysterious signals pulse from an icy planet in a remote star system. GAM-OPs wants answers. Enter Lilline Renault, secret agent extraordinaire. To ordinary citizens she’s Keely Larkin, an adventure company guide with a flair for the daring and a penchant for writing trite poetry. Lilline’s at the top of the spy game, but publishing her literary work is proving harder than saving the galaxy.

When the mission uncovers a dastardly plan threatening billions of lives, Lilline leaps into action. Verses flow as she rockets through space, dons cunning disguises, and infiltrates enemy territory with an arsenal of secret gadgets. But to prevent the whims of a self-obsessed entrepreneur from turning the galaxy into a deadly playground means beating him at his own game. Lilline will need her best weapon to stand a fighting chance: her instinct.

STELLAR INSTINCT: A spy-fi thriller set in space.

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Book Review: Stellar Instinct – Jonathan Nevair

On Nov 9, 2022Jan 6, 2023 By Rowena AndrewsIn Review, Sci-Fi, Self-Published, Thriller1 Comment

Hello!

Today I am delighted to be reviewing an ARC of Stellar Instinct by Jonathan Nevair, which is out in the world on the 1st of December (so there is still time to sneak in that pre-order!).

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

Book Summary:

A secret agent. A gaming mastermind. Two players in a dangerous competition blurring the boundaries of entertainment and reality.

STELLAR INSTINCT: A spy-fi thriller set in space.

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Blog Tour (Book Review): No Song, But Silence (Wind Tide #3) – Jonathan Nevair

On Dec 4, 2021Dec 7, 2021 By Rowena AndrewsIn Indie, Review, Sci-Fi4 Comments

Hello!

Today is my stop on the blog tour for ‘No Song, But Silence’ by Jonathan Nevair organised by Storytellers on Tour. This is the third book in the Wind Tide series, and you can find my reviews of the previous books ‘Goodbye to the Sun’ and ‘Jati’s Wager’ here. It has been an absolute delight to follow this series from start to finish.

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:

The tide of justice ebbs. A mysterious and reclusive superpower threatens to extend its reach, colonizing new star systems for Wind energy and spreading a corrupt political empire. The People’s Army, once the hope for a new federation of allies in the Arm, has dwindled to a mere spectator in the fight for political control. Ailo’s role in its revolutionary fervor is over. The esoteric philosophy of the legendary Cin Quinti is her only concern now. But when an unimaginable threat sends a political shock wave through the Arm she must weigh the cost of self-preservation, hiding in the shadows as civilization falls to despotism and tyranny.

Light years away on Kol 2, a young librarian grows inspired by a mentor’s clandestine teachings. What he discovers with the newfound knowledge reveals a moral avalanche. The dubious and cruel political power corrupting his society must be exposed, but it will take a leap of faith to challenge an empire.

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Cover Reveal: No Song, But Silence (Wind Tide #3) – Jonathan Nevair

On Oct 18, 2021 By Rowena AndrewsIn Cover Reveal, Sci-FiLeave a comment

Hello!!

Today it is my pleasure to be hosting the Cover Reveal for No Song, But Silence by Jonathan Nevair. This is the final book in the Wind Tide Trilogy, and is due to be released from Shadow Spark Publishing on the 18th November 2021. Wind Tide is one of my favourite Sci-Fi series and I am ridiculously excited for this one (and I just love the blurb), and I want to thank Jonathan for the opportunity to reveal the cover. You can check out my reviews for Goodbye to the Sun and Jati’s Wager, and there’s enough time to grab and read them before the third book is released!

There will also be a tour for No Song, But Silence in December with the wonderful people across at Storytellers on Tour so please keep an eye out for signups and the tour.

Book Summary:

Can the secrets of a lost philosophy break the cycle of vengeance?

WIND TIDE: A nonstop thrill ride across an unstable galaxy, combining moral struggle with character-driven adventure.

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Blog Tour (Book Review): Jati’s Wager (Wind Tide #2) – Jonathan Nevair

On Aug 31, 2021 By Rowena AndrewsIn Indie, Review, Sci-Fi6 Comments

Hello!

Today is my stop on the blog tour for ‘Jati’s Wager’ by Jonathan Nevair organised by Storytellers on Tour. This is the second book in the Wind Tide series, and you can find my review of the first book ‘Goodbye to the Sun’ here. It was a delight to return to this series.

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:

A space opera heist brimming with action, twists, and turns that doubles as a story of personal growth, mentorship, and sacrifice.

Ailo is a streetwise teen surviving alone on the remote moonbase, Tarkassi 9. She wants nothing more than to flee into the wider world of the Arm. When her chance arrives, she makes it no farther than the first ship out of the system. That’s where Jati, the Patent War veteran and general fighting the Monopolies, gives her a second chance. It’s an unlikely partnership, but Ailo’s rogue status is just what Jati’s People’s Army needs to drive the final spike of victory into a weakening Garissian Council.

A team of experts assembles and hope rests on Ailo’s skill, stealth, and tenacity to pull off the impossible. It’s a wild gambit, and a moral code may need to be bent, or broken, to achieve success. When an internal shadow rises, casting doubt on their plans, Ailo and Jati are forced to weigh the cost of revenge against honor and justice.

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Cover Reveal: Jati’s Wager (Wind Tide #2) – Jonathan Nevair

On Jul 20, 2021 By Rowena AndrewsIn Cover Reveal, LGBTQIA, Sci-FiLeave a comment

Hello!

Today I am delighted to be joining the Storytellers on Tour Cover Reveal for the second book in the Wind Tide series by Jonathan Nevair – Jati’s Wager. I was so excited when the signup opened for this, because I loved the first book – Goodbye to the Sun (Review HERE), but my only concern was how they were going to follow up to the stunning cover from book one.

By smashing it into orbit it turns out, because the cover for Jati’s Wager is absolutely beautiful.

A space opera heist brimming with action, twists, and turns that doubles as a story of personal growth, mentorship, and sacrifice.

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Book Review: Goodbye to the Sun (Wind Tide #1) – Jonathan Nevair

On Jun 7, 2021 By Rowena AndrewsIn Indie, Review, Sci-Fi6 Comments

Hello!

Another belated review, darn life getting in the way. I was lucky enough to get an e-arc of this one, and then I won a physical copy (which means I get to admire the beautiful cover in all it’s glory). Goodbye to the Sun is also currently on tour with Storytellers on Tour (schedule HERE) so please check that out as well.

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

Book Summary:

A nonstop thrill ride across an unstable galaxy, combining moral struggle with character-driven adventure…

Tucked away in the blue sands of Kol 2, the Motes are on the brink of cultural collapse. Razor, a bold and daring pilot, leads a last-ditch gambit against their local oppressors, the Targitians. The plan – abduct visiting Ambassador Keen Draden and use him as a bargaining chip to restore her people’s independence in the Sagittarius Arm. But when the operation unravels, Razor is forced to renegotiate terms with the arrogant diplomat.

Light years away on Heroon a radical resistance blossoms. The alluring rainforest planet haunts Keen. All his problems started there during the Patent War, but it’s where Razor’s troubles may find a solution. The moral tide ebbs, exposing an impossible choice that links their futures together more tragically than they ever thought possible.

Goodbye to the Sun: a space opera inspired by the Greek tragedy, Antigone.

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Cover Reveal: Goodbye to the Sun (Wind Tide #1) – Jonathan Nevair

On Apr 19, 2021 By Rowena AndrewsIn Cover Reveal, Indie, Sci-Fi1 Comment

Hello!

Today I am delighted to be sharing with you the fantastic cover for Goodbye to the Sun, the debut and first book in the Wind Tide Series by Jonathan Nevair which is due for release next month by Shadow Spark Publishing.