its_justine's reviews
274 reviews

Captive by Jex Lane is an intriguing, dark and violent story, filled with all sorts of beautiful monsters that lurk in the shadows. Lane has created a unique and interesting world where vampires and incubi are ancient enemies, each unafraid to use those of the other race as a means to an end in the everlasting war between them. The characters are compelling and beautifully-developed. The battles are intense and brutal. The sex is steamy and plentiful. This was a captivating start to a new series with the beginnings of a vast mystery to be unfolded, which made me immediately dive into book two. If paranormal romance is your thing, then you should give this a try.

Warning: This is very graphic and intended for mature audiences. There’s a lot of sex…A LOT. And torture. And humiliation. And a master/slave dynamic. We are talkin’ vampires and incubi here…

I’ve always found anthologies to be something akin to one of those icebreaker sessions on the first day of school, where everyone gathers ‘round and introduces who they are and shares something interesting about themselves. You get the most minuscule idea of the person as a whole, but hey, they seem pretty cool, that’s my new best friend. Lost Lore: A Fantasy Anthology, superbly written and curated by fifteen indie authors who all participated in SPFBO, with an introduction by Mark Lawrence, is one of those anthologies that contains some precious gems hidden within its pages. While some of the short stories may not have completely resonated with me, I was easily able to find something enjoyable in each and every one of them. Each story is as unique as its author - finding something to pique your interest won’t be difficult whatsoever!

This book was my first real journey into the wonderful world of self-published fantasy, and it introduced me to some truly remarkable authors, whose other works were instantly put on my to-read list. Allowing people to get a taste of their writing styles in short story form is, in my opinion, absolutely brilliant - staring down at fifteen full-length books to pick and choose from can be quite intimidating! Oh, did I mention it’s free?! No excuses, go read it!

The City of Brass is the charming and magical debut from the very talented S.A. Chakraborty. Set in and around 19th century Egypt, this is a brilliant tale of political intrigue with its roots deeply seeped in Middle Eastern myth and lore. We’re introduced to a magnificent and diverse cast of characters - a con-woman of a mysterious and unknown lineage, a powerful djinn warrior of old, and a naïve prince who wants what’s best for his people - setting up for quite an interesting love triangle! The setting is richly historical and cultural, so vividly described and so completely immersive, a world you’ll definitely lose yourself in. I really enjoyed this entertaining story and cannot wait to continue my adventure in The Kingdom of Copper. I highly recommend.

It’s one we’ve heard before, but not like this! Heart of the Fae is a wonderful and beautifully-written retelling of Beauty and the Beast, interlaced with Irish mythology. It’s a story of a woman who ventures to find a cure for a plague that is devastating her village and finds herself on a remote island lorded over by a rude, angry, and disfigured exiled Prince of the Fae. They must learn to depend on each other in order to save both her family and his rightful place on the throne.

It is a tale of determination and compassion and the significance of opening your heart to another, no matter how painful it may be to do so. Hamm has created a dazzling, magical world filled with stunning characters that feel very familiar, yet fresh, and while the polishing isn’t perfect, it’s easy to look past the errors because you get so deeply immersed in a such a wondrous story. The book contains one of the most naturally-developed, slow burn romances I’ve read over the past few years and the legend of Sorcha and Eammon is one that will surely stick with me. Book one ends with a cliffhanger, but I immediate purchased and tore through book two - I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

Warning: There is one sexually explicit scene within.

I don’t think I’ll ever grow tired of Royce and Hadrian. For me, diving into a new Riyria story is like returning to your childhood home and chatting with old friends about what they’ve been up to since you’ve seen them last. Although The Disappearance of Winter’s Daughter is the fourth book in Sullivan’s Riyria Chronicles, it can be read as a completely independent standalone - but why in the world wouldn’t you want to read the others?! You can expect a beautifully-realized setting, hilarious banter amongst some of the most outstanding characters ever created, and riddles bursting at the seams with intrigue. As with his other books, the story is straightforward and easy to follow, but don’t get too comfortable and beware of the Sullivan twist that you should see coming, but never do!

MJS is a master at crafting good ol’ classical fantasty adventure novels that tackle difficult societal issues that have and continue to mar our own world, yet still remain somewhat light and airy. It’s always a refreshing experience cracking open one of his stories, and this book is no different. If you’re a fan of Riyria, this is a must-read. If you haven’t yet read any of the author’s work and are curious, I doubt you’ll close the back cover feeling disappointed. I highly recommend!

The Barrow is the exciting and provocative dark fantasy/horror hybrid debut by Mark Smylie that’s filled with dungeon crawls, perilous quests, ancient cults, mysterious rituals, and necromancy! The story begins with a gripping prologue that details the beginnings of a dangerous treasure hunt that accurately sets the tone for the rest of the book. We follow a group of coarse, rapacious, and morally-gray, but engaging, characters as they embark on an adventure to recover a sword of myth. Smylie’s worldbuilding is plentiful and impressive and often goes on saturate you in vivid detail. At times the info dumping could be a bit overwhelming and unneeded, but the story as a whole is one of the most fun and strange experiences I’ve had with a fantasy book in a long while.

I must point out that this story will not be everyone’s cup of tea - the ~600 pages are filled with lots of brutal, gratuitous violence, swearing mercenaries, and graphic, depraved sexual encounters. If the previous sentence doesn’t deter you, look forward to some great, pulse-pounding action, interesting character dynamics, and a dark humor that successfully breaks up the, at times, disquieting content. This story is weird and wonderful and I’m (im)patiently awaiting the sequel.

Underneath the copious amounts of blood and steamy sex, there's a genuinely interesting story of court intrigue drenched in mystery. Burkhart reveals just enough to keep you captivated, but leaves you with quite a few questions that need answerin'! I blew through this one in a few hours and am pretty excited to see where the tale takes me next - onto book two!