#SPFBO 8: My Second Finalist: Not a Review
24 December 2022
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: #SPFBO 8, My Second Finalist, Not a Review, The Cruel Gods #1, The Thirteenth Hou, Trudie Skies
What is SPFBO? Check out Mark Lawrence’s post here to look at this year’s entrants, judges and allocations list.
This year I am teaming up again with the ladies from The Critiquing Chemist.
We recently announced our finalist. To check out all the Finalists simply follow this link.
Our finalist this year was Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson – if you haven’t read it – I highly recommend it – seriously, grab yourself a copy and tuck in. It’s positively delightful.
Over the next few months my partners and I will be reading the other finalists and once we have a few tucked under our belts will start posting reviews. In the meantime I have randomly selected my reading order. The first finalist I picked up can be found here. The second finalist to be chosen is The Thirteenth Hour (book 1 of The Cruel Gods series) by Trudie Skies.
Here’s the description and cover:
Cruel gods rule the steam-powered city of Chime, demanding worship and tribute from their mortal subjects. Kayl lost her faith in them long ago, and now seeks to protect vulnerable and downtrodden mortals from their gods’ whims. But when Kayl discovers powers that she didn’t know she had—and destroys a mortal’s soul by accident—she becomes Chime’s most wanted.
Quen’s job was to pursue sinners, until the visions started. Haunted by foreboding images of his beloved city’s destruction, Quen hunts soul-sucking creatures made of aether who prey on its citizens—and Kayl is his number one target.
To ensure Chime’s future, Kayl and Quen must discover the truth of Kayl’s divine abilities before the gods take matters into their own hands.
For a city that bows to cruel gods, it’ll take godless heathens to save it.
The Thirteenth Hour is the first book in The Cruel Gods series—a gaslamp fantasy featuring magical portals, gothic cosmic deities, quaint Britishisms, and steampunk vibes. This is an adult book containing strong language and mature themes that some readers may find disturbing. For a full list of content warnings, visit Trudie Skies’s website.
#SPFBO 8: My First Finalist: Not a Review
3 December 2022
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: #SPFBO, My First Finalist, Not a Review, Olivia Atwater, Small Miracles
What is SPFBO? Check out Mark Lawrence’s post here to look at this year’s entrants, judges and allocations list.
This year I am teaming up again with the ladies from The Critiquing Chemist.
We recently announced our finalist. To check out all the Finalists simply follow this link.
Our finalist this year was Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson – if you haven’t read it – I highly recommend it – seriously, grab yourself a copy and tuck in. It’s positively delightful.
Over the next few months my partners and I will be reading the other finalists and once we have a few tucked under our belts will start posting reviews. In the meantime I have randomly selected my reading order and the first book chosen was:
Small Miracles by Olivia Atwater.
Here’s a little more about the book and the author:
A little bit of sin is good for the soul
Gadriel, the fallen angel of petty temptations, has a bit of a gambling debt. Fortunately, her angelic bookie is happy to let her pay off her debts by doing what she does best: All Gadriel has to do is tempt miserably sinless mortal Holly Harker to do a few nice things for herself.
What should be a cakewalk of a job soon runs into several roadblocks, however, as Miss Harker politely refuses every attempt at temptation from Gadriel the woman, Gadriel the man, and Gadriel the adorable fluffy kitten. When even chocolate fails to move Gadriel’s target, the ex-guardian angel begins to suspect she’s been conned. But Gadriel still remembers her previous job… and where petty temptations fail, small miracles might yet prevail.
Olivia Atwater explores love, grief, and the very last bit of chocolate in this sweet modern fantasy, full of wit and heart. Pick up Small Miracles, and enjoy a heavenly faerie tale from the author of Half a Soul.
Olivia Atwater writes whimsical historical fantasy with a hint of satire. She lives in Montreal, Quebec with her fantastic, prose-inspiring husband and her two cats. When she told her second-grade history teacher that she wanted to work with history someday, she is fairly certain this isn’t what either party had in mind. She has been, at various times, a historical re-enactor, a professional witch at a metaphysical supply store, a web developer, and a vending machine repair person.
I confess that I have already read this one (review to follow in the not too distant future) and I can give all you prospective readers a piece of advice – you will need chocolate, or sweets, or cake – or all three – whilst reading this! You have been warned.
#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 #8
24 April 2021
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: #SPFBO, Alexander Darwin, Finalist Reading Schedule, Not a Review, The Combat Codes
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 eighth book I will be reading and provide information regarding that particular finalist. The first finalist I read was Shadow of a Dead God by Patrick Samphire. This was a great start to the finals and my review can be found here. My second book was The Fall of Erlon by Robert H Fleming which I posted my review here. My third book was Shaun Paul Steven’s Nether Light, my review for which can be found here. My fourth book was a Norse myth inspired story called Darkness Forged by Matt Larkin and my review is here.. My fifth book was A Wind from the Wilderness by Suzannah Rowntree and here is my review. My sixth book was Black Stone Heart by Michael R Fletcher, reviewed here. My seventh book was Last Memoria by Rachel Emma Shaw and my review can be found here. Today, I’m posting details of the eighth finalist – The Combat Codes (The Combat Codes Saga #1) by Alexander Darwin. I’ve already made a very good start on this one and hope to post my review on Monday. Here are the details:
The Combat Codes is the finalist put forward by The Fantasy Book Critic. Here’s a little more information:
“We fight, so the rest shall not have to.”
In a world where single combat determines the fate of nations, the Grievar fight so that the rest can remain at peace.
Cego is a mysterious Grievar boy forced to fight his way out of the slave Circles into the world’s most prestigious combat school.
At the Lyceum, Cego will learn a variety of martial arts from eclectic teachers, develop deep bonds of friendship and fight against contentious rivals to climb the school’s rankings.
But, Cego will find far more than combat studies at the Lyceum. He will find the mystery of his past unraveled by forces greater than he could ever imagine.
Author Information:Alexander Darwin is a fantasy / science fiction author with an unabashed reverence for combat sports. He spends his days getting humbled on the mats, staring at the unwritten pages of his next novel, and questioning the dumb luck that landed him his wonderful wife and two daughters.
#SPFBO – Not a Review : Finalist Reading Schedule, Book #5
20 February 2021
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: A Wind from the Wilderness, Book No.5, Not a Review, SPFBO, Suzannah Rowntree, Watchers of Outremer #1
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 fifth book I will be reading and provide information regarding that particular finalist. The first finalist I read was Shadow of a Dead God by Patrick Samphire. This was a great start to the finals and my review can be found here. My second book was The Fall of Erlon by Robert H Fleming which I posted my review here. My third book was Shaun Paul Steven’s Nether Light, my review for which can be found here. My fourth book was a Norse myth inspired story called Darkness Forged by Matt Larkin and my review is here..
My fifth finalist will be :
| A Wind from the Wilderness by Suzannah Rowntree |
A Wind from the Wilderness (Watchers of Outremer #1) by Suzannah Rowntree is the finalist selected this year by the Fantasy Hive and their review can be found here. .Below is the description and author details:
Hunted by demons. Lost in time.
Welcome to the First Crusade.
Syria, 636: As heretic invaders circle Jerusalem, young Lukas Bessarion vows to defend his people. Instead, disaster strikes.
His family is ripped apart. His allies are slaughtered. And Lukas is hurled across the centuries to a future where his worst nightmares have come true…
Constantinople, 1097: Ayla may be a heretic beggar, but she knows one thing for sure: nine months from now, she will die. Before then, she must avenge her father’s murder–or risk losing her soul.
Desperate to find their way home, Lukas and Ayla join the seven armies marching east to liberate Jerusalem. If Lukas succeeds in his quest, he’ll undo the invasion and change the course of history.
But only if he survives the war.
Only if his enemies from the past don’t catch him.
And only as long as Ayla never finds out who he really is.
A Wind from the Wilderness is Book 1 in the new Watchers of Outremer series. If you love stories full of dark magic, bloody warfare, and star-crossed love, then you’ll be spellbound by this sweeping historical fantasy!
Author:Hi! I live in a big house in rural Australia with my awesome parents and siblings, writing historical fantasy fiction. You can visit me online at https://suzannahrowntree.site
If you like the mythic fantasy of Stephen Lawhead, S. A. Chakraborty or Naomi Novik, you’ll probably like my stories too!
Website : https://suzannahrowntree.site
Twitter : suzannahtweets
Books and travelling with Lynn 