Speculative Fiction Reviews
This week’s theme is : Hidden Gems (which books haven’t been talked about as much or haven’t been marketed as strongly that you think deserve some recognition?)
The Voodoo Killings (Kincaid Strange, #1) by Kristi Charish 
For the first time since we launched Bitten by Kelley Armstrong, Random House Canada is thrilled to announce the debut of a new urban fantasy series. Kristi Charish's The Voodoo Killings introduces Kincaid Strange, not your average voodoo practitioner...
For starters, she's only 27. Then there's the fact that she lives in rain-soaked Seattle, which is not exactly Haiti. And she's broke. With raising zombies outlawed throughout the continental USA, Kincaid has to eke out a living running seances for university students with more money than brains who are desperate for guitar lessons with the ghost of a Seattle grunge rocker--who happens to be Kincaid's on-again, off-again roommate.
Then a stray zombie turns up outside her neighbourhood bar: Cameron Wight, an up-and-coming visual artist with no recollection of how he died or who raised him. Not only is it dangerous for Kincaid to be caught with an unauthorized zombie, she soon realizes he's tied to a spate of murders: someone is targeting the zombies and voodoo practitioners in Seattle's infamous Underground City, a paranormal hub. When the police refuse to investigate, the City's oldest and foremost zombie asks Kincaid to help. Raising ghosts and zombies is one thing, but finding a murderer? She's broke, but she's not stupid.
And then she becomes the target...As the saying goes, when it rains it pours, especially in Seattle.
Torn (The Unraveled Kingdom #1) by Rowenna Miller A seamstress who stitches magic into clothing finds herself torn between loyalty to her brother and her secret love for a nobleman in this debut fantasy inspired by the French Revolution.
In a time of revolution, everyone must take a side.Sophie, a dressmaker and charm caster, has lifted her family out of poverty with a hard-won reputation for beautiful ball gowns and discreetly embroidered spells. A commission from the royal family could secure her future -- and thrust her into a dangerous new world.Revolution is brewing. As Sophie's brother, Kristos, rises to prominence in the growing anti-monarchist movement, it is only a matter of time before their fortunes collide.When the unrest erupts into violence, she and Kristos are drawn into a deadly magical plot. Sophie is torn -- between her family and her future.
The Shards of Heaven (The Shards of Heaven #1) by Michael Livingston The beginning of an epic historical fantasy that rocks the foundations of the ancient world
Julius Caesar is dead, assassinated on the senate floor, and the glory that is Rome has been torn in two. Octavian, Caesar’s ambitious great-nephew and adopted son, vies with Marc Antony and Cleopatra for control of Caesar’s legacy. As civil war rages from Rome to Alexandria, and vast armies and navies battle for supremacy, a secret conflict may shape the course of history.
Juba, Numidian prince and adopted brother of Octavian, has embarked on a ruthless quest for the Shards of Heaven, lost treasures said to possess the very power of the gods—or the one God. Driven by vengeance, Juba has already attained the fabled Trident of Poseidon, which may also be the staff once wielded by Moses. Now he will stop at nothing to obtain the other Shards, even if it means burning the entire world to the ground.
Caught up in these cataclysmic events, and the hunt for the Shards, are a pair of exiled Roman legionnaires, a Greek librarian of uncertain loyalties, assassins, spies, slaves . . . and the ten-year-old daughter of Cleopatra herself.
The Shards of Heaven reveals the hidden magic behind the history we know, and commences a war greater than any mere mortal battle.
Masks and Shadows (Masks and Shadows, #1) by Stephanie Burgis The year is 1779, and Carlo Morelli, the most renowned castrato singer in Europe, has been invited as an honored guest to Eszterháza Palace. With Carlo in Prince Nikolaus Esterházy's carriage, ride a Prussian spy and one of the most notorious alchemists in the Habsburg Empire. Already at Eszterháza is Charlotte von Steinbeck, the very proper sister of Prince Nikolaus's mistress. Charlotte has retreated to the countryside to mourn her husband's death. Now, she must overcome the ingrained rules of her society in order to uncover the dangerous secrets lurking within the palace's golden walls. Music, magic, and blackmail mingle in a plot to assassinate the Habsburg Emperor and Empress--a plot that can only be stopped if Carlo and Charlotte can see through the masks worn by everyone they meet.
Soul of the World (The Ascension Cycle, #1) by David Mealing A brilliant debut epic fantasy with a unique magic system and unforgettable characters.
It is a time of revolution. in the cities, food shortages stir citizens to riots against the crown. In the wilds, new magic threatens the dominance of the tribes. and on the battlefields, even the most brilliant commanders struggle in the shadow of total war. Three lines of magic must be mastered in order to usher in a new age, and three heroes must emerge.
Sarine is an artist on the streets of New Sarresant whose secret familiar helps her uncover bloodlust and madness where she expected only revolutionary fervor.
Arak'Jur wields the power of beasts to keep his people safe, but his strength cannot protect them from war amongst themselves.Erris is a brilliant cavalry officer trying to defend New Sarresant from an enemy general armed with magic she barely understands.
Each must learn the secrets of their power in time to guide their people through ruin. But a greater evil may be trying to stop them.
The Empire's Ghost by Isabelle Steiger An epic fantasy debut, The Empire’s Ghost weaves together the lives of the haves and the have-nots both desperately fighting to reassemble the remains of a fallen empire.
The empire of Elesthene once spanned a continent, but its rise heralded the death of magic. It tore itself apart from within, leaving behind a patchwork of kingdoms struggling to rebuild. But when a new dictator, the ambitious and enigmatic Imperator Elgar, seizes power in the old capital and seeks to recreate the lost empire anew, the other kingdoms have little hope of stopping him. Prince Kelken of Reglay finds himself at odds with his father at his country’s darkest hour; the marquise of Esthrades is unmatched in politics and strategy, but she sits at a staggering military disadvantage. And Issamira, the most powerful of the free countries, has shut itself off from the conflict, thrown into confusion by the disappearance of its crown prince and the ensuing struggle for succession.
Everything seems aligned in Elgar’s favor, but when he presses a band of insignificant but skilled alley-dwellers into his service for a mission of the greatest secrecy, they find an unexpected opportunity to alter the balance of power in the war. Through their actions and those of the remaining royals, they may uncover not just a way to defeat Elgar, but also a deeper truth about their world’s lost history.
Isabelle Steiger has crafted a powerful and masterful debut with The Empire's Ghost, the first book in a haunting new epic fantasy series.
The Tethered Mage (Swords and Fire, #1) by Melissa Caruso In the Raverran Empire, magic is scarce and those born with power are strictly controlled -- taken as children and conscripted into the Falcon Army.
Zaira has lived her life on the streets to avoid this fate, hiding her mage-mark and thieving to survive. But hers is a rare and dangerous magic, one that threatens the entire empire.
Lady Amalia Cornaro was never meant to be a Falconer. Heiress and scholar, she was born into a treacherous world of political machinations. But fate has bound the heir and the mage.
War looms on the horizon. A single spark could turn their city into a pyre.
The Tethered Mage is the first novel in a spellbinding new fantasy series.
Age of Iron (Iron Age, #1) by Angus Watson Legends aren't born. They're forged.
Dug Sealskinner is a down-on-his-luck mercenary travelling south to join up with King Zadar's army. But he keeps rescuing the wrong people.
First, Spring, a child he finds scavenging on the battlefield, and then Lowa, one of Zadar's most fearsome warriors, who's vowed revenge on the king for her sister's execution.
Now Dug's on the wrong side of that thousands-strong army he hoped to join - and worse, Zadar has bloodthirsty druid magic on his side. All Dug has is his war hammer, one rescued child and one unpredictable, highly-trained warrior with a lust for revenge that's going to get them all killed . . .
It's a glorious day to die.
The Bloodbound (Bloodbound, #1) by Erin Lindsey Of all those in the King of Alden’s retinue, the bloodbinders are the most prized. The magic they wield can forge invaluable weapons, ones that make soldiers like Lady Alix Black unerringly lethal. However, the bloodbinders’ powers can do so much more—and so much worse…
A cunning and impetuous scout, Alix only wishes to serve quietly on the edges of the action. But when the king is betrayed by his own brother and left to die at the hands of attacking Oridian forces, she winds up single-handedly saving her sovereign.
Suddenly, she is head of the king’s personal guard, an honor made all the more dubious by the king’s exile from his own court. Surrounded by enemies, Alix must help him reclaim his crown, all the while attempting to repel the relentless tide of invaders led by the Priest, most feared of Oridia’s lords.
But while Alix’s king commands her duty, both he and a fellow scout lay claim to her heart. And when the time comes, she may need to choose between the two men who need her most…
The Summer Dragon (The Evertide, #1) by Todd Lockwood The debut novel from the acclaimed illustrator—a high fantasy adventure featuring dragons and deadly politics.
Maia and her family raise dragons for the political war machine. As she comes of age, she anticipates a dragon of her own to add to the stable of breeding parents. Her peaceful life is shattered when the Summer Dragon—one of the rare and mythical High Dragons—makes an appearance in her quiet valley. Political factions vie for control of the implied message, threatening her aspirations, her aerie, her entire way of life.
The bond between dragons and their riders is deep and life-long, and Maia’s desire for a dragon of her own to train, ride, fly, and love drives her to take a risk that puts her life at stake. She is swept into an adventure that pits her against the deathless Horrors, thralls of the enemy, and a faceless creature drawn from her fear. In her fight to preserve everything she knows and loves, she exposes a conspiracy, unearths an ancient civilization, and challenges her understanding of her world—and of herself.
Ooh, The Empire’s Ghost sounds good.
Here is our Top Ten Tuesday.
It really was, and I don’t hear it mentioned very often for some reason
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Stacking the Shelves – September 29, 2018
Love this list, you have some books on here I missed, like The Bloodbound, that I need to make time for?
Tammy @ Books, Bones & Buffy recently posted…KEEPER OF THE BEES by Meg Kassel – Review
Oh, that was a fun one!
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Stacking the Shelves – September 29, 2018
Torn is one of those books I keep meaning to read but haven’t gotten around to yet.
I think you’d enjoy it, hope you find a chance to read it
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Stacking the Shelves – September 29, 2018
The Voodoo Killings is one I really want to try!
It was great! The next one is coming out sometime next year as well
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Stacking the Shelves – September 29, 2018
I loved Bloodbound and I have the Voodoo Killings to read and do a review around Thanksgiving. I considered getting some of the others and will see if I can work them in to read at some point. Thanks for sharing. Anne – Books of My Heart
Hope you enjoy Voodoo Killings!!
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Stacking the Shelves – September 29, 2018
These all sound like great epic fantasy reads! I heard about The Voodoo Killings a few years ago and meant to check it out but haven’t yet, it sounds great!
It was really fun
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Stacking the Shelves – September 29, 2018
There are a few Orbit picks here that are still on my to-read list. Glad to see that books like The Tethered Mage are starting to get more attention though!
The Tethered Mage definitely deserves more attention! 🙂
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Stacking the Shelves – September 29, 2018
Ooh The Summer dragon- I like Lockwood’s art but I totally forgot about this one. You have some good looking fantasy titles on this list that I need to look closer at.
Greg recently posted…Top Ten Hidden Gems
The Summer Dragon was great!
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Stacking the Shelves – September 29, 2018
I haven’t read any of these. Probably because I’m really bad at keeping up with series. I never know what’s coming out.
Aj @ Read All The Things! recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: Has Anybody Read These Books? Anybody?
There’s so much to keep up with, its hard /impossible to keep up with all of them
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Stacking the Shelves – September 29, 2018
I second Masks & Shadows. That was a enjoyable read. And I have The Tethered Mage on my wishlist. I actually saw it at a bookstore recently but didn’t buy it… Maybe I should remedy that soon.
Sara Letourneau recently posted…When the Fire Goes Out (and What to Do When This Happens)
Definitely! I think you’d enjoy it
Lisa (@TenaciousReader) recently posted…Stacking the Shelves – September 29, 2018