Fantasy Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: The Demon King and the Boy Who Hardly Knew Anything by Pat Ellis

★★★★

Although fantasy worlds are in abundance at the moment, there is always room for fantasy fiction as fresh and smart as The Demon King and the Boy Who Hardly Knew Anything. Pat Ellis may be a first-time writer, but this debut novel has the echoes of a much more mature and seasoned author.

In the generations-long struggle between the magic of Aranfeit and the technological brilliance of Morandia, there are countless stories to tell, and the riveting chunks of exposition throughout this novel welcome readers into this new land – one where “traditional” fantasy and futuristic sci-fi elements […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2017-09-21T03:33:51+02:00August 24th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Angel Curs: Adam & Eve by Michael Thomas Griswold

Spanning more than 100,000 years of imagined history, Angel Curs: Adam & Eve, the first book in the Angel Curs series, is an innovative novel that leaps from humanity’s beginnings to a looming third world war. Michael Thomas Griswold’s fantasy is based on the premise that Angels, actually descendants of Neanderthal Man, sparked all Earth’s development, fighting but eventually intermarrying with the Curs, or ordinary humans.

In 2030, only one Angel remains – Gabriel, now driven by his inherited destiny to collect three ancient books written by Angels, and to present their knowledge to the world and prevent the […]

SPR2017-08-21T06:16:34+02:00August 21st, 2017|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews, Religious Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: To Seduce an Assassin (The Omaja Series Book 2) by Jayla Jasso

To Seduce an Assassin by Jayla Jasso, the second book in her Omaja series, is an electrifying romantic adventure that manages to improve on its predecessor. In Book 1 of the Omaja series, the rugged Yavi lost his love and has sworn off entering into another torrid affair. The younger sister of Jiandra – the heroine of the first novel, married to Yavi’s brother – has had a crush on Yavi since her teens. Now twenty, Graciella has her sights set on him, even though he’s taken an oath of celibacy so he can concentrate on his duties as Emperor.[…]

Lysa Grant2019-10-04T07:35:31+02:00August 18th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews, Romance Book Reviews|

Review: Jake & the Dragons of Asheville by Brian Kacica

★★★½

Writing a unique YA novel in this saturated genre can be a challenge, as dozens of new authors seemingly pop up every week. The key to finding a niche in the ever-crowded YA genre is a clever take on a popular theme, combined with interesting characters and an engaging plot. In Jake & the Dragons of Asheville, author Brian Kacica delivers a fun and memorable novel that both young readers and adults will enjoy.

As with many YA adventure stories, there is an unprepared hero, Jake Winston, who is living a relatively normal early teenage life in North […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2017-09-15T12:53:24+02:00August 16th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews, Young Adult Book Reviews|

Dark Isles: Deliverance by Brian Shinomiya

Dark Isles: Deliverance by Brian Shinomiya is a well-drawn work of military sci-fi following Zayta Holtcoughski, a soldier who’s been primed for battle from a very young age. When a space mission goes awry, Zayta is thrown from the ship in an escape pod and lands on a foreign world where medieval weaponry is the norm, and the planet is deep in conflict. Zayta joins the war, but he’s torn between staying in this brutal world and starting a new life, or returning to who he once was.

A glance at the cover – and the title – and you […]

SPR2017-08-14T06:57:30+02:00August 14th, 2017|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: Steel, Blood & Fire (Immortal Treachery Book 1) by Allan Batchelder

★★★★

There are many fantasy authors who rely too heavily on the work of others, or the favorite tropes of the genre, when creating their own worlds. Fortunately, there are authors like Allan Batchelder who derive inspiration from fantasy masters and then construct wholly new and endlessly engaging realms for readers to enjoy. Steel, Blood & Fire, Book 1 of the Immortal Treachery series, is a grim, edge-of-your-seat pleasure to read.

Batchelder doesn’t concern himself with too much exposition, but instead jumps right into the action, transporting readers into a dark, brutal world and introducing them to one of […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2017-09-18T07:20:14+02:00August 14th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: The Moreva of Astoreth by Roxanne Bland

★★★★

Being the granddaughter of a goddess has certain advantages. Those privileges inflate the priestess Tehi’s ego beyond the bounds of propriety. When she fails in her duties thanks to her open disdain for the hakoi, the common laborers, her grandmother sentences her to serve a year in a far northern outpost. She will be the only moreva, and all of her daily interactions will be with hakoi. But that’s hardly the most challenging aspect of her assignment. The town is a border between the land of Tehi’s gods and untamed hakoi who refuse to be governed.

In her new […]

Mindy Hood2017-08-09T01:54:11+02:00August 2nd, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: Seeds of Hatred (Scions Awakened Book 1) by Christian Nadeau

★★★★½

In Seeds of Hatred, Christian Nadeau proves that he is more than up to the task of creating an ambitious and creative fantasy universe. The opening chapter sets the mood for the entire book – danger around every corner, assassins and informants in a deadly dance, and cryptic warnings about mysterious threats from distant lands.

Marac is one of the main characters of the book, a man who knows how to kill, but also when to lay low, yet his need for employment leads him into cult-infested waters. The Brotherhood of Khan is only one of the many […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2017-09-14T10:42:41+02:00July 26th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|