Fantasy Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Thalondor: Kingdom of Legends by Shane Lege

Thalondor: Kingdom of Legends by Shane Lege

A hero from a strange land arrives to fulfill an ancient prophecy and save a magical realm from annihilation in Thalondor: Kingdom of Legends by Shane Lege, a classic clash of good and ultimate evil.

Awakening in a bewildered state, with only scraps of his memory intact, Valaric is mysteriously dropped into an unknown realm, where shadowy danger and confusion haunt his every step. However, after finding a treasure chest of supplies, weapons, and gold, this destiny-bound hero plunges eagerly into the throes of any adventure that may come.

Gathering companions in the forest along the way, such as Whisperwind […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-10-20T15:27:28+02:00October 16th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: Before the Dawn by David Crane

Before the Dawn by David Crane

A multilayered piece of fantasy that plays with horror and thriller tropes, Before the Dawn by David Crane is a vivid and intense novel with a long list of memorable characters. This ingenious book will give readers a taste of a wholly original vampire universe – a wonderful example of world-building that surprises, moves, and prompts the reader to think about our everyday world.

In a cold New York that is both dangerous and mundane, Cindy and Frank get to know each other at night. Cindy, a 150-year-old vampire that is stuck forever at the age of thirteen, and Frank, […]

Marina Dora Martino2023-11-22T19:02:31+02:00October 12th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews, Vampires Book Reviews|

Sons of Empire by Chandler McGrew

Sons of Empire by Chandler McGrew Seamlessly blending technology and magic in his exhilarating new novel Sons of Empire, author Chandler McGrew has delivered a brilliant allegorical adventure and a bold opening salvo in the World of Arras series.

Trastan, the son of a legendary High Magister, is suddenly sent away from all he knows to learn the hard lessons of war, leadership, and sacrifice, but his bloodline legacy calls him to something far greater – and potentially darker. As new forms of mysticism threaten the realms of old magic, violence seems inevitable, and sinister puppet masters pull strings from the shadows, pushing the great empires […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-10-05T13:37:50+02:00October 5th, 2023|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews, Steampunk Book Reviews|

Pixylations by Joe Laudati

Pixylations by Joe Laudati A delightful book that revisits Irish folk tales and legends, Pixylations by Joe Laudati tells the story of a rebellious and talented pixy called Faela, immersing the reader in a spellbinding story about friendship, love, and self-acceptance.

The Irish countryside of the 18^th century is thriving with magic creatures that have their own world and problems. Faela is not like all other pixies – first of all, she is blue and not a warm shade of yellow or pink like her peers. She is also not as tidy, or well-dressed, and certainly not as disciplined. She loves experimenting with […]

Marina Dora Martino2023-10-04T10:54:51+02:00September 28th, 2023|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews, Middle Grade Fiction Book Reviews|

From Where We Threw Dogs by Stephen Mellor

From Where We Threw Dogs by Stephen Mellor Transcending the boundaries of history, culture, and traditional narration, From Where We Threw Dogs by Stephen Mellor is a visceral and haunting new novel about family, destiny, and the cycles of fate from which we can never escape.

Ben and Sara are celebrating their anniversary with a rambling journey across Spain, but his exhausting and disturbing dreams threaten to derail their perfect trip. In another corner of time and space, a patchwork tribe of bandits ruling over a gorge of the gods seeks to expand their kingdom, but may be torn asunder by division within their leaders. A ghost from […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-09-27T14:26:42+02:00September 27th, 2023|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews, Visionary Fiction Book Reviews|

The Burning Bandit by Lauren Louise Hazel

The Burning Bandit by Lauren Louise Hazel A sprawling and original adventure in a familiar magical paradigm, The Burning Bandit by Lauren Louise Hazel is a richly imagined work of high fantasy.

Sharing a bond borne from tragedy, Kai and Rayan are the outsider dynamos at the center of this novel, their entrancing destinies swirling around the other as the story unfolds. One is the heir to an empire, the other is a prisoner of war who climbs the ranks with the help of his innate powers of chi. When Earth and Heaven fall out of balance, power struggles threaten to tear the kingdom apart, and Rayan’s […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-09-26T16:55:32+02:00September 26th, 2023|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: Beginning of Arrogance by Bryan Cole

Beginning of Arrogance by Bryan Cole

Author Bryan Cole debuts his A Paladin’s Journey series in stunning style with Beginning of Arrogance, a page-turning sword and sorcery adventure that will thrill devoted fantasy fans. The freshly imagined realm of Baltorc and Watford’s dramatic denizens set a coastal stage for the rise of a sinister new evil in this creative and compelling origin story.

An aspiring hero taking the first steps of his warrior’s journey, Krell is an ambitious and readily likable protagonist at the core of this novel. Bearing a heavy secret – the voice of the sea god ReckNor in his mind – Krell […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-09-25T17:26:00+02:00September 25th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Queens of Moirai by Rhiannon Hargadon

Queens of Moirai by Rhiannon Hargadon An engrossing work of dark fantasy, Queens of Moirai by Rhiannon Hargadon is a wildly imaginative novel marked by the strong presence of gods, fate, and magic, drawn in part from Greek mythology.

Both grandly mythic and down to earth, the novel tells the story of Morena, descendent of the death-ruler Atropos, and her struggle to reunite the three Fates in order to bring balance and justice to the kingdom of Moirai. The three fates include Lachesis, who spins the thread of life, Clotho, who measures it, and Atropos, whose task is to cut it, and they have always ruled […]

Marina Dora Martino2023-09-20T13:35:54+02:00September 20th, 2023|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|