Book Review: Under Darkness

By: Jasper T. Scott Narrated by: Ben Jaeger-ThomasReviewed by: Brian Mansur Heart-thumping thriller! This is my first time reading/listening to Jasper T. Scott’s work and I am seriously glad I took the recommendation. Under Darkness is a trippy mix of Independence Day vibes (of the good kind) with all the visceral fun of a Scream…

By: Steven KelliherReviewed by: Andy Peloquin I put off reading Rhythm of War for two days to finish this one! I was offered an ARC copy of this book by the author, and the premise intrigued me so I accepted. And I’m incredibly glad I did! Sword Punk has the feel of all of my…

By: J.M.D. ReidReviewed by: Andy Peloquin Sucked me right in and kept me reading until the end From the first chapter, I found myself drawn into this story. The tale of a young man touched by a storm and cursed by death. The tale of a young woman struggling to find herself and come to…

By: Rob J. HayesReviewed by: Andy Peloquin Never Die, the first of the Mortal Techniques “series”, slayed in the 2019 SPFBO–and, of course, my heart. I loved the wuxia/ronin/martial arts movie feel of the book. Pawn’s Gambit is both delightfully LIKE and UNLIKE Never Die. The world was the same. The flavor of gritty, dirty,…

By: M.L. SpencerReviewed by: Andy Peloquin The world, magic, and fantastical flavor is spot on. Seeing an ASD/neuroatypical person (like me) represented in the pages of fantasy was an absolute treat! Classic fantasy that kept me reading all the way to the last word. I was excited to dive into Dragon Mage because the main…

By: John GwynneReviewed by: Andy Peloquin I FINALLY finished Malice by John Gwynne (a beast of a book!) and wow, what an epic world! It’s rare to find Iron Age stories (most fantasy plays with steel), but I actually really enjoyed the more “primitive” feel of the world. It feels more like classic Dark Ages…

By: Virginia McClainReviewed by: Andy Peloquin For those who like the world of Rob J. Hayes’ Never Die, this will be another along the same vein–though reminiscent of feudal Japan instead of mainland China. Sairo’s Claw follows three main characters: Kaiyo, daughter of an Admiral, captain of her own ship, and all-around badass in her…

By: Alexander DarwinReviewed by: Alicia Wainstall Burke I’ve had this book sitting on my Kindle since its release in 2018, and it’s always intrigued me, but I only NOW got around to reading it. And boy, I’m kicking myself for putting it off for so long! Blood of Heirs is a story about two young…

By: Will WightReviewed by: Andy Peloquin Let’s be honest: everyone knows about Cradle. It’s one of the best-known fantasy series today, with the latest book actually cracking #1 on Amazon’s charts for a few days because so many people devoured it on Day One. I wasn’t one of them… I’ve heard amazing things about Cradle,…

By: Jordan RivetReviewed by: Andy Peloquin I didn’t know quite what to expect when diving into this books. A part of me was HOPING for something a bit more Greatcoats than Princess Bride–more badass action than romance. What I got was something that paired both surprisingly well in a story that had me way more…