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Mistborn

This year the Cosmere role playing game is going to release at the end of the year. I thought now would be a great time for me to dive back in to the Cosmere books and I decided to start by re-reading Mistborn.

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Synopsis:

Once, a hero arose to save the world. He failed.

Ever since, the world has been a wasteland of ash and mist controlled by the immortal emperor known as the Lord Ruler.

But hope survives. A new uprising is forming, one built around the ultimate caper, the cunning of a brilliant criminal mastermind, and the determination of an unlikely heroine: a street urchin who must learn to master the power of a Mistborn.

Review

Rating: 4 out of 5.

The first book in the Mistborn series introduces us to the main players and sets up the world they operate in. And it establishes the rules of magic for the world. This is a dystopian world where ash falls from the sky and the despotic Lord Ruler has governed for a thousand years. He stays in power by oppressing the Skaa people and making sure the nobility is beholden to his whims.

But in this world there are people with special gifts. They can do a kind of magic called Allomancy. The way this works is they ingest a small amount of metal. Then they use that metal to allow them to do things like enhance their senses an strengthen their bodies. And even, in one case, they can see briefly into possible futures.

Out of this world a few characters come up with a bold plan to overthrow the Lord Ruler. Kelsier, a famous thief recruits Vin, a teenage urchin, to put his plan into action. The story is from Vin’s point of view as she learns about the nobility, the Skaa, the Lord Ruler, and Allomancy.

But there is a reason this Lord Ruler has reigned for so long. He has every resource at his disposal. The bold plan of Kelsier’s may be doomed.

While I don’t think this is the best book of the series, it does a great job of establishing the heroes, villains, and mysteries of the world. As with a lot of Brandon Sanderson books, the magic system is complicated. But it works well and makes for some really memorable scenes. The opening scene of the book alone is one of the most epic in fantasy novels.

If you like fantasy books and you haven’t read Mistborn I highly recommend checking this one out. To take away any confusion, this book is known as Mistborn but you’ll also see it titled Mistborn: The Final Empire. You might even find it as just The Final Empire.

If you like heroic fantasy set against impossible odds, this book is for you.

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The Assays of Ata – Book Review

Note: this review was first posted on Reedsy Discovery, an awesome website that pairs independent authors and readers. To see the post there, click here.

If you are a book reviewer and want to contribute reviews on Reedsy Discovery, click here.

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SYNOPSIS

Bitch.
Bastard.
Orphan.

Ata had become inured to these epithets – her self-directed labels cut much deeper:

Spy.
Liar.
Traitor.

Their accuracy rent to the bone… But all people had their roles to play and hers was one of secrecy and survival-driven destruction. For the greater good.

Follow Ata’s travails through royal intrigues, violent invasions, and hard-forged alliances as she fights alongside friend and foe for the survival of the continent of Áitarbith. She questions old relationships and forges new whilst navigating treacherous courts and brutal battle landscapes, possibly finding love along the way. In the face of an implacably ruthless enemy, as well as uncertainty as to who can be trusted, the final outcome of this struggle is anything but certain.

This is Book 1 of a trilogy titled The Chronicles of Áitarbith.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

REVIEW

Ata is a spy for her kingdom of Pandia. She’s infiltrated the palace of Cinnae as a servant. She remains undiscovered but her mission will either bring the two kingdoms together or tear them apart. Everything changes one night when there is a brutal attack on the palace. Ata will need to use her skills in fighting and magic to keep the world safe. But her actions may cause suspicion and she risks the wrath of both kingdoms. Added to that, Svens, the bastard offspring of the Cinnaen Queen spikes her temper, yet she feels an undeniable attraction to him.

The Assays of Ata is the first in a high fantasy trilogy by author K.I.S. The book is surprising at turns and highly engaging. Ata is a strong willed character full of both kindness and temper. She strives to do the right thing, even if it means defying her own king. But she’s also no pushover when ordered to do something she doesn’t want to.

The world created here feels vast and lived in, with a rich history to it. When a threat thought gone for generations arrives, Ata must jump into action and take charge. These actions cause long ranging consequences that will affect both her and the world of Áitarbith. Most of the characters are well fleshed out and have their own unique voices and visions of the world. And while many of the characters have clear motivations, who is set to gain and lose from Ata’s actions is less clear, making for an intriguing read.

By the end of the book there are definitely threads that have not been tied up but if K.I.S. manages subsequent volumes as well as this one, the reader won’t be disappointed.

If you like high fantasy books with headstrong heroes, political machinations, bloody battles and fantasy creatures, this book is definitely for you. Personally, I am looking forward to reading the next volume.

FURTHER REVIEWS

If you liked this review check out some of my others here!

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Tress of the Emerald Sea – Book Review

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson with Illustrations by Howard Lyon

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Tress of the Emerald Sea – Summary

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson comes a rollicking, riveting tale set in the Cosmere universe―a standalone adventure perfect for fans of The Princess Bride.

The only life Tress has known on her island home in an emerald-green ocean has been a simple one, with the simple pleasures of collecting cups brought by sailors from faraway lands and listening to stories told by her friend Charlie. But when his father takes him on a voyage to find a bride and disaster strikes, Tress must stow away on a ship and seek the Sorceress of the deadly Midnight Sea. Amid the spore oceans where pirates abound, can Tress leave her simple life behind and make her own place sailing a sea where a single drop of water can mean instant death?

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Review

To say Brandon Sanderson is a prolific writer would be an understatement. He writes novels the way most of us go to the movies. It’s constant. While COVID-19 had the world locked down, Sanderson took the initiative to write four different novels without telling his publishers or anyone else on his team. He then released them on a kickstarter campaign and broke the record for pledges there.

Tress of the Emerald Sea is the first of these novels. And now, it is widely available. This is one of the cosmere novels. If you are a longtime reader of Sanderson’s you’ll know what that means. But you do not need to have read his other books to enjoy this one. This story can stand alone. Although, you will get more out of it if you have read more of his books.

Tress loves two things. She loves cups of all kinds. And she loves Charlie. Charlie is expected to take a bride from far off, leaving Tress all alone. But when Tress discovers Charlie is in trouble, her life changes. She must take action and save Charlie before it’s too late.

The book is a bit more whimsical than a good portion of Sanderson’s books and reads a bit like The Princess Bride or Good Omens. It’s got some interesting mechanics as far as how the unique sea on this planet works. And it has a familiar character as the narrator here, adding a layer to the story for fans of the cosmere. The artwork is fantastic and worth the price of the book alone, with Howard Lyon evoking the scenes perfectly in the reader’s imagination.

Do I need to Read other Sanderson Books before Tress of the Emerald Sea?

While this does stand on its own, it does feel a bit like things are not fully revealed if you don’t know at least a bit about the cosmere. I certainly don’t know everything about the cosmere. There may be things I missed while reading. But there wasn’t so much that I couldn’t enjoy the book.

There’s a good bit of quirky humor so if that’s not your thing, this book may not be for you. The world building is as effective as ever and Sanderson continues to be a master of it.

This is a good book to start out on but don’t assume all of his writing is like this. There are some of his works much more serious and some less so.

If you do enjoy books like Good Omens, Discworld, or The Princess Bride, this is a great one to read if you want to find a fun, quick read.

In Conclusion

Brandon Sanderson has so much out there, it can be difficult to know where to start. Tress of the Emerald Sea provides a good beginning point if you are new. It also works as a nice distraction to those who are fully entangled in the cosmere already. While I won’t say this is his best book, it is largely enjoyable and a fun read. You may feel yourself left wanting just a little more. But the good news is, Sanderson has metric tons more for you to find.

Already read Tress of the Emerald Sea but want another stand alone book to read? Check out my review of Elantris!

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To Save a Thorn (Aerieti Chronicles of the Fall, Book 2) – Book Review

To Save a Thorn by Electra Nanou

Note: this review was first posted on Reedsy Discovery, an awesome website that pairs independent authors and readers. To see the post there, click here.

If you are a book reviewer and want to contribute reviews on Reedsy Discovery, click here.

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SYNOPSIS

Why escape death by demon just to die at the hands of heroes?’

Taitu Jathaeri, a sixteen-year-old girl with arcane gifts, is impatient to leave her matriarchal home island to train at Mecanta’s Academy of the Arcane Arts.
But when her guardian, a recluse witch, is murdered, Taitu is tasked to go to the dreaded mainland, find a mage in the ruins of Old Anvadore, and give him the artefact Arjanna has hidden for twenty years.
But Arjanna had many secrets. The young Thorn must learn who to trust and whether the murderers who are now pursuing her could be her salvation or her ruin.
Has she unwittingly chosen the wrong side in a war that will release an ancient corrupting evil into the world of Itania?

To Save a Thorn is the second book of the Aerieti Chronicles of the Fall series. It’s largely self-contained and easy to follow without having to read the first book. That being said, reading them both adds context.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Taitu Jathaeri is a bit unusual in her little island community. She is able to cast magic, unlike most of the women who live on her home island of Ilja. The island is mostly comprised of women who live there in a matriarchal society. Due to her magic, Taitu is given to Arjanna, the only other person capable of casting magic on the island, to raise. Although grateful to Arjanna, Taitu still misses her mother and wishes to go to the mainland to learn more about how to wield her magic. Yet, there seems to be more to Arjanna than Taitu knew when a group of strangers attack and Arjanna taks Taitu with keeping a secret artifact safe and getting it to a mysterious stranger far away.

On her journey, Taitu encounters people who want to recover the artifact but are they trying to harm Taitu or save her?

Like the first book in the series, To Save a Thorn has a charming protagonist who you can’t help but cheer for as she makes her way in the world. The story is full of fun and magic and a thoroughly enjoyable read. If you read the first book in the series, it will be a bit easier to pick up on who is trying to help and who is trying to harm Taitu but either way you can read this volume as a stand alone book. This volume brings along some characters from the first book but introduces us to plenty of new ones.

The book fits in well to the larger story and it will be interesting to see where the series goes from this point on.

If you enjoy fun fantasy adventures with lots of different creatures, magic throughout the world, and charming protagonists, this book is for you.

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5 Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Series to Read (or Re-Read) in 2024

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Hello book lovers! It’s 2024 and that means we’ve all got a fresh year full of reading to look forward to. But what is there to read? There’s millions of books out there and tons of blog lists recommending those books. So, I decided to come up with my own list of what I think might be worth reading this year. For the most part these will be fantasy or science fiction books but that’s just my taste. If you read anything this year and you like it, you win your year in reading. I’ll get into why I think the books below are worth reading but a lot of them have been around for a long time so it might be a re-read for you. Anyway, I hope you like the list!

The Dune Series

Dune by Frank Herbert

Dune is one of the most brilliant science fiction books of all time. It has an epic and sweeping story spanning entire planets but it focuses on a small group of characters in a desperate situation. You probably know there was a Dune movie released in 2021 and there will be a part two of that film released this year. Both films are based on the first book in the series. There are a total of 6 books in the series so if you enjoy the first one, there’s still plenty to read after that first book.

The Wheel of Time Series

The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

No matter how you feel about the adaptation of the Wheel of Time series, the books written by Robert Jordan have been well loved for decades. There is good reason for this as the stories are immersive and sweeping and contain everything you would want in a fantasy series while providing incredible and unexpected twists. The book to start with is The Eye of the World but there are a whopping 14 books to read. The last three were written by Brandon Sanderson who we’ll be talking about later in this list but the rest were written by Jordan himself. If you haven’t started reading this series, 2024 is the perfect year to start. There have been 2 seasons of The Wheel of Time television show released with a third on the way.

The Time Corrector Series

The Winding by Avi Datta

In the past few years one of the most beautiful books I have read was The Winding by Avi Datta. This is the first part in the Time Corrector series. It’s full of interesting time travel concepts but also contains an incredible romance story. A third volume of the series is on the way and I’ll be reviewing that book in February. If you are looking for a great science fiction book, a great romance, or simply an amazing story, I can’t recommend this series enough. With there only being three books so far, it should be pretty quick to catch up and get a bit further on your reading challenges this year.

The Lord of the Rings

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

Okay, I know, I know, every fantasy fan has probably already read this. But, if you are like me, you can never get enough of these books. It’s where a lot of western fantasy comes from and Tolkien’s genius is virtually unmatched in literature. If that weren’t enough, there is a re-release of the Lord of the Rings films in January and, believe it or not, another LOTR related movie is coming out in 2024. It’s called The War of the Rohirrim and is going to be an animated film starring the voice talents of some of the cast from the live action films. That makes 2024 the perfect year to revisit this series. (Well I think every year is the perfect year for that but at least I have an excuse now)

Literally anything by Brandon Sanderson

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

Who is the least adapted but most prolific fantasy author alive today? Hands down, Brandon Sanderson. To say he is prolific is truly an understatement, this guy writes volumes of books the way I consume popcorn. My personal favorite series of his is The Stormlight Archives but these books are all huge so I am plodding my way through them. He also has the notable and extremely enjoyable series Mistborn, a great single volume novel called Elantris and a series of Y.A. books called Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians. A lot of his books tie together into a shared universe he calls the Cosmere which leads to plenty of fun and interesting easter eggs. I haven’t come across one of Sanderson’s books I don’t like, however, he writes an incredible amount of books so I have not nearly read them all. 2024 is a good year to start these books because, well, any year is a good year to start his stuff and he’s overdue for an adaptation of his work in film or television so you might as well get on the bandwagon where all the cool kids are now.

Conclusion

This is by no means an exhaustive list of great science fiction and fantasy books. Other great authors to consider include N. K. Jemisin with her Broken Earth series, The Binti series by Nnedi Okorafor, anything by Neil Gaiman, The Earthsea Cycles by Ursula K. Leguin and The Dark Tower series by Stephen King. Put simply, there are too many books out there for me to read so I can’t tell you everything you should read but those are a few of my suggestions for the year.

What are you planning to read this year? I’m always looking for a good book recommendation, especially in sci-fi, fantasy, and horror categories so let me know in the comments!

Literally yours,

Slick Dungeon

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The Badlander – Book Review

The Badlander by Tom Golden

Note: this review was first posted on Reedsy Discovery, an awesome website that pairs independent authors and readers. To see the post there, click here.

If you are a book reviewer and want to contribute reviews on Reedsy Discovery, click here.

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Rating: 4 out of 5.

The world is dying. The gods have waged war against one another and are scattered and weakening. Everything from the sun to the winds are affected. Cyprian Fontaine is a collector of artifacts who holds a noble lineage. Years ago, his father set out on an expedition to save the world but never returned. When he learns the true nature of what his father was doing, Cyprian knows he will need to join the expedition attempting to finish what his father didn’t and save the world from certain death. But along the way the party will face extreme weather they are not used to, starving and maddened humans who want to enslave them, and gods who while weakened are still certainly powerful enough to kill any mortal. Guiding the expedition is a single outsider, a so called badlander. But are his motivations to help humanity survive or simply to achieve his own ends?

Badlander is a fascinating book that pulls no punches whatsoever. It’s nice to see a fantasy book that actually takes into account the environment as well. The threats are not simply endless sword battles but things as simple as lack of food or water could easily kill this party if they are not careful. Tom Golden does a fantastic job of managing a large list of characters, knowing when to zoom in on some and turn away from others.

At times it seemed perhaps the scale of the gods depicted in the book was somewhat flexible and it was hard to tell exactly how much of a threat they were. There are also a few times where battles may have lasted just a tad too long in the book but reading to the end was wholly satisfying. The last act of the book does not end in the way much of fantasy does and this makes it utterly refreshing to read.

The book is a good mix of survival adventure, political intrigue, fantasy action, a bit of romance, and a whole lot of sacrifice.

If you like fantasy books where the characters take on impossible odds and keep trying to save the world because there is no other choice, this book should be right for you. If nothing else, I guarantee you will not forget the ending of this book.

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Drakomunda – Book Review

Drakomunda by Guy Quarterly

Note: this review was first posted on Reedsy Discovery, an awesome website that pairs independent authors and readers. To see the post there, click here.

If you are a book reviewer and want to contribute reviews on Reedsy Discovery, click here.

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Rating: 4 out of 5.

Drakomunda is a book that takes place in a land of dark magic and strange artifacts where anyone can have their lives altered by fate. A series of short but related stories are presented in the book, all with a bit of a different flavor. Some take place in a decidedly ancient society while others feel like they are happening closer to our time, albeit still in a quite fantastical world.

Like with any book filled with shorter entries some stand out more than others. Overall, Guy Quarterly, does a fantastic job with his characters and the book is simply full of great action and horror. A few of the stories feel like they could have been shortened just a bit but in the end the payoff is usually worth it.

Whether Quarterly is writing about a caravan crossing the desert, a shipwrecked crew, brave warriors trying to fit in with their tribe, or warlords getting their revenge, the stories are gripping. Often times they are decidedly dark and the threats and menace in the book is palpable. Quarterly is especially good at building out interesting villains here.

Many of the themes of the book deal with unlikely allies, unexpected betrayals, and even love both gained and lost. Because the stories are so varied, there is surely something for any reader to like here but which ones stand out most to a reader will depend on individual tastes. The whole collection is very much worth reading.

There is a fair amount of gore so any readers sensitive to that may wish to take caution. That’s not to say everything in the book is always gratuitous, just that those who are squeamish about such things may not enjoy every aspect of every story.

With this as a debut, I am looking forward to reading more of his work. If you like fantasy with a dark edge, and enjoy short fiction along those lines, this is a perfect book for you.

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Illyadra – Book Review

Illyadra by Adriel Wallaker

Note: this review was first posted on Reedsy Discovery, an awesome website that pairs independent authors and readers. To see the post there, click here.

If you are a book reviewer and want to contribute reviews on Reedsy Discovery, click here.

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Rating: 3 out of 5.

A kingdom is about to collapse, torn by war on all sides. Factions are coming after the crown that makes Renovia the mightiest nation of its time. But, this great nation is near its ruin. A king’s only solution is to protect his children, and the future of his kingdom, by sending Kairo and Aterah into the future where they will forget all they have known.

The future is a time of war and rebellion and Aterah and Kairo are on what seems to be the losing side. There are factions and warlords surrounding them who are not only deadly, they deal in magic known as vuu. The powerful magic is used in different ways by different nations and at this moment in time, Renovia seems to have none of it. But, there are artifacts that can restore the world to what it once was. Kairo and Aterah have no indication of how important they are in events to come. And there are others who covet the power of vuu and the artifacts that can restore Renovia.

Illyadra is a high magic fantasy epic. Several people and nations will be taking actions that will sway the fate of the world entirely. Some of these people are unaware of what is to happen, while others are making strategic plans on how they can capitalize for themselves. There are battles to the death using weapons, magic, and even with only the power of words. When Aterah is taken, Kairo must take action to rescue his sister. Unfortunately for him, a major injury means he will need all the help he can get. But what form that takes will surprise everyone.

The author, Adriel Wallaker, does a fair job of handling a large cast of characters. It can be at times somewhat difficult for the reader to keep them all straight as a few of them have very similar names. But the writing is strong enough this is not too much of a concern. Wallaker also does a decent job of tying things up in the end while still leaving the reader wanting to know what will happen next in the series. There are some spots in the book where the action gets a bit tedious but for the most part it’s fun.

Readers should be forewarned there is quite graphic violence in the book. It is handled well by the author but not for the squeamish at heart.

One of the more interesting aspects of the book was seeing magic used in ways not simply related to battle. Especially intriguing were the people who could wield influence over others with arguments. This is one area it would have been nice to see a little more of because those portions of the story were quite engaging. This is where a lot of the philosophy behind vuu comes in and is rather fascinating.

If you like sprawling epics where magic is everywhere and can be used in a lot of ways, Illyadra is definitely worth a read.

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Empire: Spiral

Empire: Spiral by Tim Goff

Note: this review was first posted on Reedsy Discovery, an awesome website that pairs independent authors and readers. To see the post there, click here.

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Rating: 4 out of 5.

SUMMARY

A half-open portal to a demon world sits in the middle of Corber Port, the largest metropolis in the Solarian Empire. Should it fully open, the city dies.

Tia Samos and her companions are captives in an alien city on the Doors other side. Surviving will take everything they have. Even then, escape may be impossible. But they will try anyways…

REVIEW

After a battle with cosmic entities much more powerful than our heroes can fully understand, they’ve been separated by a dark portal. On one side Tia, Peter and Kyle have found some refuge in a kingdom run by a King in Yellow. But the forces surrounding them are darker than ever and each moment a cosmic god could utterly destroy their existence unless they are strong enough to fend of his attacks. On the other side of the portal is Rebecca and Kyle’s nephew. Rebecca has always been a songstress but she’s finding out there is more to her songs than a melody and a way to make a living. She can see what she thinks are her friends on the other side of the portal but she has no way to reunite with them and she still needs to make her own way in the world. There is limited time on both sides of the portal as angry beings with dark purpose grow stronger at each moment.

The Empire series by Tim Goff has always had some dark cosmic elements in it but for the most part it started with elements of fantasy and political intrigue. Empire: Spiral puts the cosmic right out front. Anyone with even a passing familiarity with Lovecraftian mythos will recognize several of the dark beings and cosmic gods here. And, if you know anything about cosmic horror, you know just how dangerous these creatures can be. This volume, more than any other so far makes us believe the heroes are in real mortal danger at every turn. And that is saying something because Goff frequently puts his characters in utterly horrible and dangerous situations.

While the cosmic is more up front, there are still definitely elements of fantasy and political intrigue at work here. Tia must figure out how to be diplomatic with people who are not human while Peter must restrain himself from lashing out at old foes. It all makes for a quite interesting read and so far, I think, is the best book in the Empire series.

If you have read the rest of the series, you’ll be satisfied but if you have not started and want to read something that blends a well built world of fantasy with the most cosmic of cosmic horrors, read the Empire series.

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Empire: Metropolis – Book Review

Empire: Metropolis by Tim Goff

Note: this review was first posted on Reedsy Discovery, an awesome website that pairs independent authors and readers. To see the post there, click here.

If you are a book reviewer and want to contribute reviews on Reedsy Discovery, click here.

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Rating: 3 out of 5.

Summary

Corber Port is the commercial center and largest metropolis of the tottering Solarian Empire. A devastating earthquake and fire have reduced much of the city to charred rubble roamed by gangs.

Tia Samos, once a prominent imperial citizen, is held captive in this urban wasteland by demons masquerading as mortal men. Tia’s former companions scour the city searching for her but are stymied at every turn.

Worse, dark forces plot to unleash yet another calamity on Corber Port – and Tia’s captors may be the only ones who can prevent it – if they choose to do so.

review

The last book in the Empire series left us at a crucial moment with Tia making a great sacrifice in order to save her friends. Peter, Kyle, and Rebecca had no power to stop Tia’s decision, leaving them with the only option of regrouping later to find Tia and attempt to rescue her from evil. In Empire: Metropolis we find our characters in the largest city in the Empire, attempting to make new lives for themselves, gaining increased knowledge, and even magical power. But at the same time, they must attempt to locate Tia, and Kyle’s nephew Barry, without allowing evil entities to gain knowledge of what they are doing. To make matters worse, there are places in the city where Kyle’s burgeoning magical powers are ineffective, there are those in power who stand to gain from keeping it that way, and in this city teeming with humanity, a demon on the loose could cause permanent havoc, not just for Tia and her friends, but all of the Empire.

Throughout the first three books in this series there has been a bit of a pattern emerging with small story threads occurring over and over again in slightly different ways. In Empire: Metropolis those threads start to come together to create a larger picture of why Kyle, Rebecca, Peter, and Tia all keep encountering the same evils, and what it will mean if they can’t defeat the darkness. But even the most corrupted of humans may still have some humanity in him. To stop the darkest of times, this man will have to remember what he was before he was taken by darkness. It’s up to Tia to figure out how to make that happen, while it’s up to her companions to save her before it is too late for her and everyone else.

So far all of the Empire books have been worth reading with a good blend of a fantasy setting, dark and cosmic horror, and even a bit of modern technology thrown in. The setting of Empire: Metropolis improves on the formula a bit by giving a real sense of the larger society and helps the reader to understand what life is like for common folks in the largest city in the Empire. The end still leaves the reader with some questions which will hopefully be answered in subsequent volumes. Tying the whole story together will be a real challenge but if the series stays consistent, author Tim Goff should be up to the task.

If you like your fantasy blended with a good dose of horror, a bit of the supernatural, and a bit of the cosmic, this series is well worth checking out.