Synopsis: Seraphina is mistress of music at the royal court, but when dragon/human relations become strained, she fears that someone will discover her secret–that she is half dragon herself. Review: Seraphina was an absolutely delicious read. Fabulous world, great political intrigue, and a winning love story all centered around a fierce, strong, vulnerable, complicated protagonist. I am only sad that this is just Rachel Hartman‘s debut because I want to read more!
Synopsis: When he’s kidnapped by a feisty female assassin, a young blacksmith discovers himself at the heart of a battle between dead gods who want to live again. Review: I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the prose in Bound by Fire, because, you know, with emerging fantasy authors you have to be prepared for the worst. I really felt like I was drawn into a world I was interested in, and the characters had enough depth to keep me reading. However, about 3/4…
Synopsis: The Color War is ON–but Gavin Guile, the only man who can fight back the darkness is losing his powers and facing demons from his past. Review: The Blinding Knife is the second book in Brent Weeks’s stunningly awesome Lightbringer trilogy, which he began in The Black Prism. So far both books have gotten off to a slow start, but once they kick in they are just relentlessly awesome. I feel like Weeks could benefit from a more conscientious editor but his world-building, plotting,…
Synopsis: 2000 pages of epic fantasy set in a vaguely feudal world filled with magic and mayhem–and at the center is Kylar, a street rat turned assassin for hire who finds himself in possession of a mystical object that lets him see the guilt in people’s eyes. Review: I was really impressed by The Night Angel, despite some intermittently clunky writing and some derivative elements (brother-sister incest, anyone?). I definitely lost myself in the story, though books two and three never quite lived up to…
Synopsis: All humans are “Sounds” with “Echoes” in the echo world, and when a Sound dies, the Echo must be killed, so when a boy discovers that his Echo is a prince, he quickly realizes that there is a target on his back. Review: The Sound and the Echoes is a middle-grade fantasy with an intriguing concept. For me, I felt like there were too many rules, but I think that’s because I’m a grown up not a kid. I’m curious to see what Amanda…
Synopsis: Color is magic and war is imminent, and when a corrupt leader discovers his bastard son, the game may change forever. Review: Wow. The Black Prism completely blew me away! I had heard absolutely nothing about it before buying it thanks to a $2.99 Kindle deal. I figured I could risk it. I had a little trouble getting into it at first, mostly because I have started and given up on so many bad fantasy novels that I’m primed for disappointment. I wasn’t sure…
Synopsis: On their way to Calla Bryn Sturgis, Roland and his ka-tet take shelter from a starkblast, and Roland tells the story of his first quest after killing his mother, and within it tells a fairy tale about a brave boy who tangles with a demonic trickster. Review: Oh, my, and it was good to hear Roland’s voice again, you say true and I say thankya. With the series complete, King didn’t need to add to his Dark Tower saga, but The Wind Through the…
Synopsis: A tiny Hapenny named Mae finds herself fighting against a disguised troll who wants to turn Mae and the other Hapennies into food for her troll friends. Review: Hapenny Magick is an adorable little fantasy tale, perfect for middle grade readers who enjoy fantasy stories. The world is charming, the characters imaginative, and the illustrations captured my four-year-old’s attention in a positive way. I think she’ll enjoy this one when she’s old enough to read it.
Synopsis: Against the backdrop of a dreamlike traveling circus, two magicians pit their powers against each other in a battle royale complicated by the transcendent love growing in spite of the rigid constraints of the game. Review: I had low-ish expectations for The Night Circus. I couldn’t wrap my brain around the weird plot description, and the glowing reviews had me suspicious that the book was all superficial charm. I could not put the book down. I was utterly transported into the world of the…
Synopsis: A reimagining of the “Gunpowder Plot” with religious persecution against those with magical powers. Review: Against the Light moved at a brisk pace, not wasting much time in getting characters from one place to another. I really liked the relatively contemporary setting, with English manor living and firearms, instead of the usual feudalism of epic fantasy. And there was a bawdiness in the telling that made the whole thing feel fresh and cheerful, even amid the darker elements of the story. Basically you have…