#SPFBO : My Second Batch of Books
2 July 2020
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Blake Arthur Peel, Burn, Chains of Blood, Crystal Crawford, GE Hathaway, Knightmare Arcanist, Mid-Lich Crisis, ML Spencer, My Second Batch of Books, Ranger's Oath, Shami Stovall, SPFBO, Steve Thomas, The Edge of Nothing
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. You can find my first batch of books here and my update here.
As with previous years I’m hoping to read a batch of books each month. I will read at least 30% and hopefully will choose one or two books from each batch to roll forward and read fully and review before choosing semi finalists and a finalist. My book list is chosen randomly and the six books I will be reading this month are outlined below:
Burn (Desert Deities, #1) by G. E. Hathaway
After a devastating power outage wipes out most of Tucson, survivors Liam, Noah, and Ellie have more than the hot summers to worry about. In the absence of modern technology, ancient spirits awaken and the Sun God and Rain Goddess resume their timeless war over the elements. Friendships are tested and lines between good and evil are blurred as the humans are thrust into a strange and dangerous journey that reveals the mysterious forces ruling the desert. When the Rain Goddess is injured and the temperatures rise, Liam, Noah, and Ellie must find a way to restore power to the city before they all burn.
Ranger’s Oath (Arc of Radiance/Fall of Radiance #1) by Blake Arthur Peel
The barrier between worlds is broken. Only he knows the truth…
Magic has protected Tarsynium for a thousand years, shielding its people from being ravaged by bloodthirsty demons. When a young ranger’s apprentice named Owyn Lund discovers that the Arc of Radiance has been breached, he tries to warn anybody who will listen.
But legends aren’t supposed to be real.
When a village is mysteriously destroyed, rangers, mages, and rebels all point the finger, blaming each other for the demons’ brutality. However, Zara Dennel, a mage’s ward, has heard Owyn’s tale—and she’s inclined to believe him.
Together, they must prove that friendship is greater than intolerance, unity is more important than division, and that even the most powerful magic can sometimes not be enough.
Failure means the end of all things. A second—and lasting—Doom.
Experience the beginning of a thrilling Epic Fantasy series suitable for all ages. It’s perfect for fans of Sabaa Tahir, Sarah J. Maas, and Brandon Sanderson.
Knightmare Arcanist (Frith Chronicles #1) by Shami Stovall
Magic. Sailing. A murderer among heroes.
Gravedigger Volke Savan wants nothing more than to be like his hero, the legendary magical swashbuckler, Gregory Ruma. First he needs to become an arcanist, someone capable of wielding magic, which requires bonding with a mythical creature. And he’ll take anything—a pegasus, a griffin, a ravenous hydra—maybe even a leviathan, like Ruma.
So when Volke stumbles across a knightmare, a creature made of shadow and terror, he has no reservations. But the knightmare knows a terrible secret: Ruma is a murderer out to spread corrupted magic throughout their island nation. He’s already killed a population of phoenixes and he intends to kill even more.
In order to protect his home, his adopted sister, and the girl he admires from afar, Volke will need to confront his hero, the Master Arcanist Gregory Ruma.
A fast-paced fantasy with magical creatures for those who enjoy the Furies of Calderon (Codex Alera series) by Jim Butcher, Unsouled (Cradle Series) by Will Wight, and Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan.
Website: https://sastovallauthor.com/
The Edge of Nothing (The Lex Chronicles #1) by Crystal Crawford
An evil force terrorizes Arameth, but those out to stop it have a serious problem: their prophesied hero is dead.
Centuries ago, a malevolent magicborn overtook Arameth, fracturing their world and unleashing a devastating war between magicborn and their non-magic neighbors. To protect their magical heritage, the Ancients of Arameth sealed themselves off in The Core, wiping all memory of magic from the ordinary people. The remaining magicborns retreated into hiding, unable to use their abilities for fear of inciting the wrath of the Ancients’ dark regime—or the terror of their own neighbors.
Two hundred years later, the damage wreaked by the Fracture threatens to unravel their world. A dark energy from The Core is slowly corrupting once-beautiful Arameth, and the Worldforce, the source of all Arameth’s magic, is destabilizing. The heroes sworn to restore the balance fail catastrophically in their final battle, and tensions peak between the peoples of Arameth. Fluctuations in the unstable Worldforce bring frequent disasters.
But not all of Arameth’s problems come from The Core…
Lex is a seventeen-year-old with no memories before this morning, and no clue why a group of villagers want him dead. Realizing they have mistaken him for a destructive magicborn who slaughtered innocents in their village, Lex flees for his life—only to discover he’s more tangled in the conflicts of the past than he ever imagined. And the mysterious girl he stumbles upon during his escape creates a whole new set of problems…
An epic fantasy / portal fantasy / soft sci-fi mashup, this book is teeming with quirky characters, fantastical creatures, surprises and suspense. With subtle clean/sweet romance, high-stakes adventure, and a strong focus on friendship and second chances, this all-the-feels fantasy debut will keep you flipping the pages.
Website: http://ccrawfordwriting.com
Mid-Lich Crisis by Steve Thomas
Is trying to sacrifice your estranged wife to a bloodthirsty demon an irredeemable act of evil? This is the sort of question the Dread Wizard Darruk Darkbringer struggles with. After being called evil one too many times, Darruk sets off to find a new purpose in his life and become a beloved celebrity. Can a dark wizard come to terms with himself and prove to the world that a few atrocities don’t define who he is? You’ll feel guilty for laughing at his twisted tale of self-discovery.
Chains of Blood (The Chaos Cycle #1) by M.L. Spencer
He thought he was born Rylan Marshall…
…until he found out he wasn’t.
Instead, he was born the son of a demon.
Would that mean he was destined to follow in his father’s footsteps?
Rylan was attacked, his young son murdered, his baby daughter taken. But his assailant left him with two gifts: the gift of magic…and an oath to darkness. Rylan blamed himself, even though he knew it wasn’t his fault.
The life he knew was over.
And war is coming.
A new enemy, stronger and more fearsome than any other, appears out of the night.
Will Rylan use his newfound power to make a stand? Will he learn its use in time to make a difference? Or will his oath to darkness guide him to the enemy?
And when he finds out they’ve taken his daughter…how far will he go to get her back?
Once again, good luck to everyone. If you’d like to visit my blog for a guest post, excerpt, etc, then leave me a note in the comments.
#SPFBO Saturday
27 June 2020
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Burn, Emma and the Minotaur, GE Hathaway, Jon Herrera, Jon Monson, Joseph O'Doran, Rise of the Forgotten Sun, SPFBO, The Child of Silence
Today I’m combining two posts – my Cover Love (3) post that I usually post on Friday and my Saturday Snapshot where I post an excerpt from one of the forthcoming SPFBO books. Basically I was a little too preoccupied yesterday to do anything so I’m squishing the two together here today so that I don’t lose track of things.
So, firstly, I’m highlighting three covers from amongst my own collection of books this week – take a look and see what you think. In the interests of keeping this post to a reasonable length I’ve not added the descriptions here but I have linked to the Goodreads and Amazon pages so you can check them out quite easily:
Rise of the Forgotten Sun (The Sun and the Raven #1) by Jon Monson
Emma and the Minotaur (World of Light, #1) by Jon Herrera
Burn (Desert Deities, #1) by G. E. Hathaway
Do you have a favourite?
Secondly, my sample today, kindly provided by the author, to shine a light on his SPFBO entry, is The Child of Silence (The Burning Orbit Book 1) by Joseph O. Doran – this is a tiny teaser, I’ve also provided the description, links and author information below. Enjoy:
** Excerpt **
I am called Aiata dal’Pelferta. On the day I entered the world, I sustained massive damage to my brain. In a society where beauty is paramount, I have a weak, poorly-formed body that I can hardly move. Amongst a people where one’s voice grants incredible power, I cannot speak save for random sounds. For most of my life, those who knew me either resented my existence or liked to pretend I did not exist at all.
And worst of all, I was born fourth in line to the throne.
** Ends **
Further details for The Child of Silence:
You’ve never met a hero like this before.
Born severely disabled, Aiata dal’Pelferta has spent her life despised by her own people simply for who she is. Worse still, she is the youngest daughter of the Empress, making her an Imperial embarrassment. Unable to talk, move or let anyone know she is a thinking, feeling person, she spends her days observing – and learning – from those around her.
Everything changes when she finally discovers a way to communicate and is plunged into the dangers of the Imperial court. With the magic of Songthrust, Aiata’s people can force others to their will, however they are ill-prepared for a popular revolt within their own borders – a revolt that Aiata is dragged into. Abused by her family and surrounded by danger, Aiata will learn that her intellect – not her magic – is her greatest asset, as she fights to save her home from the ravages of civil war.
Yet while all eyes are on the war at home, a far greater threat looms in the dark of the night sky.
Author info
Finally, I’ve made very good progress on my first batch of books and my update will follow very soon. Unfortunately this will involve cuts – which is my least favourite part of this first stage of the competition – but it is also a necessary part so I wanted to raise this in advance.
Books and travelling with Lynn 