Genre: High Fantasy

Imagine the church had a secret thirteenth chapel consisting of paranormal beings and monsters employed in carrying out assignments that cannot be achieved through more typical and moral methods. The Devils by Joe Abercrombie takes the dark fantasy genre and gives it an unhinged and comedic spin akin to the Suicide Squad within an epic fantasy tale. An action-packed story that has a lot of heart in it, this book features Abercrombie’s engaging and cinematic storytelling lightened by high-energy wit and over-the-top hijinks that’s a lot of fun to read provided one doesn’t compare it to or expect it to channel his more intense works. Similar to a street rat rags-to-riches story dressed up in light absurdity, The Devils’s story loosely covers the story of Brother Diaz assigned to lead a gang of immoral prisoners of various skills tasked with escorting the recently discovered lost princess Alexia to Troy to reclaim her title. Besides being an orphaned petty thief for most of her life with zero essence of nobility, she also is under threat from her powerful and dangerous cousins seeking to claim the throne for themselves. Plucked from the Holy City streets, the unlikely group’s reconnaissance mission hits some…

Like its namesake character, Bloody Rose by Nicholas Eames is a book that has big shoes to fill after its predecessor’s bombastic breakout. Rather than recycling or retreading familiar beats, this book is an effective and smart sequel that reflects and contrasts Saga’s adventures and fame, telling its own story that’s more serious, mature, and thematically rich while still maintaining the spirit of the first book. Though some readers may find it less funny or entertaining initially, Bloody Rose is a well-rounded high fantasy adventure that successfully builds off the first book’s world-building, lore and band culture. As far as debuts go, Eames’s Kings of the Wyld is a textbook example of making a statement, a book with a lot of personality and great humor. With the way the story ends, it’s clear a sequel was planned, though it would be facing high expectations. With such a large looming shadow behind it, Bloody Rose is an interesting and intelligently crafted sequel meant to be a companion piece to the first book rather than an attempt to outdo or rehash the same narrative formula. Set six years after the first book’s ending, this story follows the modest and unassuming Tam Hashford,…

This review is based on a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy provided by Requited. A thief, a swordswoman, a magic caster, and a weapons forger walk into a pub only to be thwarted by an immortal being in need of their oddly specific skillset. That more or less sums up Taylor J. LaRue’s debut novel Steelborn, the first entry in a planned trilogy titled the Steelborn Saga. This book’s fantasy elements are as widespread as its main character Reya’s talents, which can make it an exciting read or a narratively muddy one based on the reader’s taste. Featuring noteworthy action and high fantasy elements coupled with typical romantasy tropes and some messy world-building, I found this book to be a decent read, though one that I personally wasn’t very invested in (on Goodreads, 2.5‑star rating rounded up). A fantasy‑romance/romantasy book with prominent fantasy‑adventure storylines, Steelborn feels like a book specifically crafted for veteran romantasy readers who want a bit more flashy swordfighting than the genre norm. A skilled thief who doubles as a mercenary for hire, the story follows Reya Connery, a scrappy young woman known as the Crimson Dagger. As expected based on its premise, the book’s best moments are when…

The following review is based on a complimentary ARC provided by Forever, an imprint of Grand Central Publishing. Marketed as a new standalone story, V.L. Bovalino’s The Thief and the Traitor Bride is a fascinating book conceptually that has multiple identities just like Nore and Caspian. Featuring new main characters, a different romance trope, new magical system rules, and more, this book is a brand‑new story in a familiar world that is expanding in scale and complexity. Despite its new tale and characters with different careers in the high fantasy setting, this book is very much spinoff sequel to The Second Death of Locke, or at least a narrative epilogue after the previous book’s open‑ended conclusion. Expertly crafted, beautifully written, and featuring perhaps even better character development compared to the previous entry, The Thief and the Traitor Bride is an ambitious slow‑burn fantasy romance epic. Before getting into the review of the book itself, I know quite a few people are desperate to know if this book gives any closure to Grey and Kier, as the first book ends on a dramatic and rather open‑ended note. I can happily report that The Thief and the Traitor Bride definitely follows up…

Mid-life aging, mercenary glory, and good old-fashioned cross-country adventures have never been as fun and easy to enjoy as Nicholas Eames’s Kings of the Wyld. DnD-style fantasy at its finest, this book nicely balances fast-paced action and humor with unexpectedly strong themes of family and brotherhood. Chaotic and intentionally silly when it wants to be, framed by serviceable worldbuilding and epic fantasy elements, this book is incredibly entertaining provided one isn’t opposed to fantasy “bro” style humor and tone. As far as book synopses go, Kings of the Wyld’s summary is spot on, what you see is what you get. Described as a story about the once mean, dirty, feared, and famous group/band, the members of Saga have since gone their separate ways, aged and dulled by time. The book’s story is roughly divided into two main narratives: the first consisting of Clay and his ex-bandmate Gabriel tracking down the other Saga members to convince them to join what appears to be a suicide mission to save Gabe’s daughter Rose, and their journey across the dangerous stretch of the continent called the Heartwyld to reach her. The overall story is relatively simple despite being set within a high fantasy world…