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The Skald’s Black Verse | Blog Tour

September 10, 2020September 10, 2020 by booksteff, posted in menu, Reviews

Hey All, today is my stop with Storytellers on Tour for the blog tour of The Skald’s Black Verse by Jordan Loyal Short! A link to the Storytellers on Tour post with details of the tour and the other stops can be found here. Please check the others out as well and show support for this book!

Title: The Skald’s Black Verse
Author: Jordan Loyal Short
Genre: Adult Fantasy
Paperback: 339
Rating: 4 *

Synopsis

When a soldier’s murder sparks rebellion in the tiny village of Skolja, Brohr’s past marks him as the prime suspect. Haunted by his brother’s ghost, and drawn in to a web of dark pacts and tangled loyalties, Brohr must choose between the path of vengeance set before him, and a chance to forge his own fate. From the shadows, an all but extinct race of alien demigods have begun the end game of their millennia-spanning war, and one has chosen Brohr for his closing gambit. But Brohr’s grandfather harbors a dark secret that will change everything. Above it all, a dread portent looms in the sky, spelling the death of Brohr’s world. With doom spiraling toward them, Brohr must lead an unlikely rebellion, unearth disturbing family secrets, and tame the raging ghost that haunts him. Can Brohr lead his people out of darkness, or will he succumb to his own terrifying bloodlust, and destroy the very people he has sworn to save?

My Review

I went into this novel expecting Norse themed fantasy, something I enjoy a lot…what I got was that and so much more! The Skald’s Black Verse starts out with a nitty gritty scene that really does well to set the tone and expectations of the novel. We follow multiple POV’s but Brohr is the main one we really stick to.

Okay, so let’s talk about the things I liked in this story. Firstly, can we just take a moment to appreciate that Jordan Loyal Short threw me a loop when he set me up for Norse vibes and then caught me completely off guard with the insane flying ship thing…it was all very unexpected, and quite frankly a great twist to what I assumed would be another classic Norse type tale. Jordan Loyal Short was able to take a story, infuse it with all the heart and bloodthirst of the Norse Pantheon whilst also showcasing a new dynamic way to infuse the story with colliding planets, inter-planetary spaceships, and interesting cultures. This story was filled with explosive action, dark creatures, awesome magic, and a rise against repression.

The only thing that had me mark it down was that it took me a while to settle into the writing style initially, but this is more a preference than any reflection on the book itself, which is why I have still rated it so high.

Make no mistake people, this story has plenty going on to keep you entertained, and definitely some darker moments to make you squirm. I definitely recommend picking this one up if you are a fan of adult fantasy that isn’t shy about expressing its darker themes.

There you have it beautifuls, I really hope you enjoyed my stop on this blog tour, and I really hope that some of you consider picking this one up to support Jordan Loyal Short. It was book that took me on a journey I wasn’t expecting and was worth the ride.

Knight of the Silver Circle by Duncan M. Hamilton Review

December 6, 2019December 6, 2019 by booksteff, posted in menu, Reviews

As promised here is my review of the sequel to Dragonslayer by Duncan M. Hamilton. I would just like to quickly give thanks to the lovely people at Tor who gifted me a finished copy of this book for review – I am so grateful to them for giving me awesome books to review!

Title: Knight of the Silver Circle
Author: Duncan M. Hamilton
Hardback: 320 pages
Publisher: Tor
Genre: Fantasy
My Rating: 4*

Synopsis – From Amazon

Dragons have returned after a thousand years, but greater dangers lurk in the shadows…

As the lines between enemy and ally blur, Guillot dal Villerauvais is drawn farther into the life and service he had left far behind. Solène attempts to come to terms with the great magical talent she fears is as much a curse as a blessing, while the Prince Bishop’s quest for power twists and turns, and takes on a life of its own.

With dragons to slay, and an enemy whose grip on the kingdom grows ever tighter, Gill and his comrades must fight to remain true to themselves, while standing at the precipice of a kingdom in peril.

My Review

Firstly, since this is the second book in what is to be a trilogy I will be making this as non-spoiler as I can, and secondly here is the link to my review of book one if you missed it.

Now, let me start by saying that this picks up from where it left off at the end of book one and only ramps up the excitement. We still follow Guillot as he tries to find the knight within himself that he once was, but we also see a lot more maneuvering and power plays from certain characters. I of course loved the appearance of the dragons in this book – we got a whole new side to them that was exciting and I was really happy with that. Further development was given to the magic system and quite honestly I loved it.

I will say that there were certain things that came into play which were kind of left a little unresolved in my opinion and I hope that is something that is handled in the final book. As I mentioned in my review of Dragonslayer Duncan M. Hamilton likes his cliff hangers and he left me on that cliff again! This time its not fun because I don’t have the next book to go straight onto. However, that cliff has left me wanting more, and wanting desperately to find out what happens in the next installment of this story.

I can’t wait for it! Who will prevail? What will happen? I am very keen to know, and hope I’ll get the answers soon.

If you have read or want to start these books, please let me know in the comments. I love hearing your opinions!

Blood of An Exile by Brian Naslund Review

September 19, 2019 by booksteff, posted in menu, Reviews

Hey Beautiful Booklovers! Sorry I haven’t posted a review in a while…I’ve been kind of snowed under by a lot of things and have been finding it difficult to post on here, but I’m here now to tell you all about this lovely book – non-spoiler of course!

So here’s the general details if your not aware…

Title: Blood of An Exile
Author: Brian Naslund
Hardcover: 416
Publisher: Tor
Genre: Fantasy
My Rating: 4.75*

Synopsis – From Amazon

Sentenced to die. Impossible to kill.

Bershad was supposed to die. When he was caught attempting to assassinate a fellow noble, he was given the harshest sentence: a command to slay dragons, so his death might serve the kingdom. Yet for some reason he never lost a fight and is now the most successful dragon-slayer in history. However, as a doomed man Bershad is still shunned by his peers and his countrymen. But that could all change.

The king who sentenced Bershad has just given him a way out: kill a foreign monarch and walk free forever. His problem is that Bershad couldn’t care less about the fates of kingdoms – until the dragon-slayer discovers he could save an innocent child in the process.

His mission might also save every creature in Terra.

My Review

I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, but you know the drill – all opinions are my own.

Anyway as you can probably guess from the rating, I really enjoyed this book…like really enjoyed it. I honest to Gods didn’t think it would be as good as it was. Quite simply put, Brian Naslund did what hardly anyone does…he thought extensively about how dragons would work in a world among humans. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not having a go at other dragon books…I love dragons, but Brian Naslund actually thought about the ecosystem. He thought about how an apex predator would effect that ecosystem and how he could make it work. And work it did my friends. His world building blew me away! I was honestly so excited to learn about the different species, the magic, the eating habbits, the consequence of dragon numbers dwindling…it was just beautiful. Really, a big thank you to Brian Naslund for giving me a world of dragons that I can live and breath and totally imagine being 100% legit.

Bershad, our main character, is a miserable and seemingly prickly man who is forced into a life of killing the very beasts he once admired. His rank and station are removed from him, and he is given over to a life on the road…so it is very understandable that he is prickly. I would be. He gives me all the badass warrior vibes I need in a character! As the book progresses we see him open up and we delve more into him as a person and I have to say… I love him. I’m not even kidding!

There is so much in this story that leaves you wondering why. Wondering when you get to know x, y, and z. It was a truly enjoyable story and I highly recommend this book! If you like dragons definitely pick it up, but even if you aren’t a fanatic like myself pick it up anyway! It was such a good journey, and very worth the read!

Please pick it up if you haven’t already, and then come fangirl/ fanboy with me!! This book needs more chatter! And if you have read it let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Warrior of the Wild by Tricia Levenseller Review

March 21, 2019March 21, 2019 by booksteff, posted in menu, Reviews

Hey Beautiful Booklovers! The book in the spotlight today is the awesome Warrior of the Wild by Tricia Levenseller!!

I have to say I’m a sucker for a warrior themed book! I just adore the whole shield maiden vibe, and when it’s done well always leaves me feeling empowered!

Title: Warrior of the Wild
Author: Tricia Levenseller
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (1 Mar. 2019)
Genre: Fantasy
ISBN-10: 1250189942
ISBN-13: 978-1250189943
My Rating: 4.5*

Synopsis – From Amazon

Eighteen-year-old Rasmira has always been both praised and scorned for her talents. As her father’s chosen heir, she has trained her whole life to become a warrior and lead her village.

Fortunately, her long wait is almost over and after she passes her coming-of age trial, she’ll finally be able to live on her own and not have to deal with her mother’s constant rejection or the jealousy of her peers. Perhaps then she will be able to be both a warrior and a woman. But when trial day arrives, everything goes terribly wrong. Her test is sabotaged, and by law all those who fail are banished and given an impossible quest to reclaim their honor in death. And Rasmira is given the most difficult quest of them all: She must kill the oppressive deity who claims tribute from her village every year or die in the attempt.

My Review

The short version? I really loved this book. Give me female warriors, and axes any day! Tricia Levenseller is great in her ability to tell a good story in a short book.

Okay so, I loved the world, I loved the creatures, and I loved the characters.

The world was one I would happily steal into…you know, if I was a bad-ass warrior who could take down all the dangerous creatures! We follow Rasmira on her journey into banishment after she is wrongly sabotaged in her coming of age trials. What I loved about this book was Rasmira’s character arc! She really comes into herself so much throughout the 336 pages. You get to see her develop, and trust and oh my gosh, I loved it!

The creatures…honestly I really loved all the new crazy and dangerous things that roamed in the wild of this novel. I always get excited about new creatures in books, and Tricia Levenseller didn’t disappoint me!

Now, if you have read Tricia Levenseller’s Daughter of the Pirate King duology, you may know that she is a fan of sexy romances. This book did have a romance element to it, but what I loved about it was that it did not overpower the main plot. It was there, but my attention was still firmly in place where the characters overall goals lay.

This book gave me action, teamwork, great character arcs, great world building, and amazing new creatures.

Overall, I would say pick it up if you love a good female warrior, beautiful friendships, complex family dynamic and an awesome fantasy world.

My only regret? It’s a standalone [insert – me crying into a pillow]!

Have you read this book yet? Is it on your TBR (It definitely should be Booklovers)? I’m so happy I read this book, but then again I am a massive fan of anything even loosely viking themed! Let me know what you think in the comments below!

The Binding by Bridget Collins Review

March 14, 2019 by booksteff, posted in menu, Reviews

Hey Beautiful Booklovers! Today I am coming at you with an overdue review for The Binding by Bridget Collins! I read this book a couple of weeks ago, and now that I can consolidated my thoughts I am finally ready to give you my opinions on this book!

Title: The Binding
Author: Bridget Collins
Hardcover: 448 pages
Publisher: The Borough Press (10 Jan. 2019)
Genre: Historical Fantasy
ISBN-10: 0008272115
ISBN-13: 978-0008272111
My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Synopsis – From Amazon

Imagine you could erase your grief.
Imagine you could forget your pain.
Imagine you could hide a secret.
Forever.

Emmett Farmer is working in the fields when a letter arrives summoning him to begin an apprenticeship. He will work for a Bookbinder, a vocation that arouses fear, superstition and prejudice – but one neither he nor his parents can afford to refuse.

He will learn to hand-craft beautiful volumes, and within each he will capture something unique and extraordinary: a memory. If there’s something you want to forget, he can help. If there’s something you need to erase, he can assist. Your past will be stored safely in a book and you will never remember your secret, however terrible.

In a vault under his mentor’s workshop, row upon row of books – and memories – are meticulously stored and recorded.

Then one day Emmett makes an astonishing discovery: one of them has his name on it.

My Review

You know as general rule I try to keep things non-spoiler, and this review is no different in that department, though that really is a tough feat!

From the synopsis you think you know what your getting into with this book, at least I did, but let me tell you this book was not what I expected it to be! Nevertheless, the writing was gorgeous, the characters in-depth, and the plot…wow that plot takes you on a ride.

There was so much I didn’t expect to encounter. So much I just didn’t see coming, and quite honestly I really had an unexpected surprise with this book; not because I didn’t expect it to be good, but because I was expecting something, got something else, and yet still managed to really enjoy it. That in itself is an unusual thing for me.

There isn’t a whole lot of focus on the magic of book binding, but what is there is sound enough, and to be honest this is a book that is focused firmly on the characters – whom I adored/ hated where necessary. There is so much to love about this book – the story line for one, the relationships for another, and I really am glad I read it (even if I originally picked it up thinking it would be more magic focused etc,).

If you like historical type fiction/ magical realism with lgtbq+ representation, I honestly think you can’t go wrong with a book like this. I laughed and I cried, which to me shows the great skill of an authors ability to make you feel a part of their world.

Have you read this book? Or are you planning on reading it? Let me know in the comments below! I’m always happy to fangirl/ boy over books with you all!

February TBR

February 7, 2019February 18, 2019 by booksteff, posted in menu, TBR

Below is my predicted, and hopeful TBR for the month of February. I have to admit that whilst I do try to stick to my monthly TBR, when left without deadlines etc, I do tend to wander! Be advised this is what I want to read in this month, but perhaps I won’t achieve reading them all, and may detour for a bit. Hey, that’s what wrap ups are for!

Master of Sorrows: The Silent Gods Book 1 by Justin Call

I requested this as an ARC through NetGalley, and was approved by Orion Publishing Group, so I have to give a huge thank you to the lovely people at Orion. I have the privilege to be currently reading this before it releases towards the end of the month, and so far so good. Look out for this book in my Wrap Up

2. Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

I was supposed to finish this book in the month of January, but well…I didn’t. So, this is a rollover, but one that I will definitely finish. It is also part of a readalong with Elliot Brooks over at https://www.instagram.com/ebnovels/?hl=en You may be more familair with her over on her Youtube Channel – I’ll link her 2019 Readalong video if you want to check out, and join in on the Sanderson/ Sapkowski fun! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmjIQEChIvI

3. Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb

This is part of my year long reading ambition to read all the Robin Hobb books. I know a lot of people start with this series and enjoy it, so I am excited!

4. Sword of Destiny by Andrzej Sapkowski

This is part of the Witcher, and Sanderson Readalong I mentioned above.

5. China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan

This is just for fun, I recently read Crazy Rich Asians and really enjoyed it, so wanted to continue on with the series to see where it goes.

6. Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson

Again part of the Readalong, but this is the Sanderson book of February…the one I was supposed to be on!

There you have it my official TBR for the month of February, hopefully I can manage it! What are you reading this month? Let me know in the comments.

Reading Update #1

February 6, 2019February 18, 2019 by booksteff, posted in Reading Update

I thought I would take the time to do an update on what I am currently reading, so you all know where I’m at.

I am currently about a quarter of the way through Master of Sorrows by Justin Call, and really enjoying it. It has such a beautiful fantasy feel, and I just love being told background information about history, and tradition of dissent etc within my fantasy books – which this has given me so far. That being said it has not once felt like an info dump, so don’t worry if your not someone who likes that kind of thing. I won’t reveal too much about this just yet as I plan to do a full review and will, of course, include it in my wrap up.

I have just finished Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb and adored it! 4.5* from me. I will be adding my review to Goodreads, but keep an eye out for my wrap up where I plan to talk more about it, and tell you all my thoughts.

And…last but by no means least, I am about a quarter of the way through Elantris by Brandon Sanderson. This one is a slow burner so far, and I keep meaning to pick it back up. It definitely has the power to peak my interests, and I am intrigued, but since my Robin Hobb read is smaller I wanted to get that finished first, and because Master of Sorrows is releasing in only 15 days! I have made that a priority.