#SPFBO – Not a Review : Finalist Reading Schedule, Book #1
22 November 2021
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book 1, Christopher Mitchell, Finalist Reading Schedule, Finalist Spotlight, Magelands Eternal Siege #1, Not a Review, SPFBO, The Mortal Blade
Stage 1 of the SPFBO competition is now complete and Stage 2 has now commenced.
During Stage 2 The Critiquing Chemist and I will read, review and score the remaining 9 finalists as will the other judges until a winner is revealed. We have randomly selected our reading order and have already started reading. These ‘Not a Review’ posts are my way of shining the spotlight on each of the Finalists as they become our next read. Today, I’m posting details of our first finalist: The Mortal Blade (Magelands Eternal Siege #1) by Christopher Mitchell. The Mortal Blade is the Booknest’s Finalist and below is a little more information about the book:
A city ruled by Gods, a mortal champion, a misfit girl and a disobedient dragon…
Stolen from his home, Corthie Holdfast has arrived in the City of the Eternal Siege as a new Champion.
He must fight alongside the Blades, whose lives are dedicated to the defence of the City against the hordes of monstrous Greenhides; or die at the hands of the Gods who rule.
Maddie Jackdaw, a young Blade, faces her last chance. Thrown out of every unit defending the City, either she takes on a new role, or she will be sent to the Rats, a company of misfits given the perilous tasks beyond the Great Walls.
Her new role, if she takes it, will bring her face to face with her deepest fears, for beneath the walls, in a secret and hidden lair, lies a dragon, imprisoned and waiting…
Author InformationI love deserts, which is too bad as I live in Scotland, but the mountains, glens and lochs more than make up for it. My other love is Greek Tragedy, especially Euripides, and I also read history, science, fantasy, and pretty much anything about the Beatles…
#SPFBO – Not a Review : Finalist Reading Schedule, Book #1
15 November 2020
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: #SPFBO, Book 1, Patrick Samphire, Reading Schedule, Shadow of a Dead God
300 books 10 Judges 1 winner
The 1st of June marked the start of the sixth Self Published Fantasy Blog Off (details here.) My Introductory post is here. Stage 1 is now complete and the finalists can be found here .
During Stage 2 I will read, review and score the remaining 9 finalists as will the other judges until a winner is revealed. As with previous years I have given each of the 9 books a number and randomly selected a reading order. Today’s post is to highlight the first book I will be reading and provide information regarding that particular finalist.
Without further ado my first finalist will be :
| Shadow of a Dead God by Patrick Samphire |
Shadow of a Dead God is the finalist selected this year by Fantasy Faction. Their review can be found here and below is the description and author details:
A dead god. A brutal murder. A second-rate mage.
It was only supposed to be one little job – a simple curse-breaking for Mennik Thorn to pay back a favor to his oldest friend. But then it all blew up in his face. Now he’s been framed for a murder he didn’t commit.
So how is a second-rate mage, broke, traumatized, and with a habit of annoying the wrong people supposed to prove his innocence when everyone believes he’s guilty?
Mennik has no choice if he wants to get out of this: he is going to have to throw himself into the corrupt world of the city’s high mages, a world he fled years ago. Faced by supernatural beasts, the mage-killing Ash Guard, and a ruthless, unknown adversary, it’s going to take every trick Mennik can summon just to keep him and his friend alive.
But a new, dark power is rising in Agatos, and all that stands in its way is one damaged mage…
Patrick Samphire is the author of the adult fantasy novel SHADOW OF A DEAD GOD, as well as the middle grade novels SECRETS OF THE DRAGON TOMB and THE EMPEROR OF MARS. He has also published around twenty short stories and novellas.
Patrick has been writing stories since he was fourteen years old and thought it would be a good way of avoiding having to sit through English lessons at school. He was absolutely convinced that he would be famous by the time he was eighteen, but sadly, even infamy has eluded him.
He lives in Wales, surrounded by mountains, with his wife, their sons, and their cat.
When he’s not writing, he designs websites and ebooks.
He will now stop talking about himself in the third person.
#SPFBO 2018: The Finals
17 January 2019
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: #SPFBO 2018, Book 1, Out of Nowhere, Patrick LeClerc, The finals
You may have noticed if you visit this blog that the first stage of the Self Published Fantasy Blog Off concluded at the end of 2018. Three hundred books have been narrowed down to ten finalists. One each selected by the ten judges/team of judges taking part. You can check out my finalist here. And here is my post that also outlined the final nine and the runners up.
So, firstly feast your eyes on these lovelies: all the finalists in one beautiful display:
Check out this link to find out more about the competition and the scoreboard.
I’ve randomly chosen the order of my books and the first book I will be reading is: Out of Nowhere by Patrick LeClerc. I’ve put the description below for information:
An urban fantasy, pacy, funny and compelling to the last page…
Healer Sean Danet is immortal—a fact he has cloaked for centuries, behind army lines and now a paramedic’s uniform. Having forgotten most of his distant past, he has finally found peace—and love.
But there are some things you cannot escape, however much distance you put behind you.
When Sean heals the wrong man, he uncovers a lethal enemy who holds all the cards. And this time he can’t run. It’s time to stand and fight, for himself, for his friends, for the woman he loves. It’s time, finally, for Sean to face his past—and choose a future.
A story of love, of battle—and of facing your true self when there’s nowhere left to hide.
Books and travelling with Lynn 