FANTASY REVIEW: Blades of the Fallen 2: Nightblade's Honor - Ryan Kirk

RELEASE DATE:  10/04/18
PUBLISHER:  47 North

SYNOPSIS:

In the riveting sequel to Nightblade’s Vengeance, the nightblades must choose a side, and the Kingdom will either rise again…or shatter into pieces.
With the realm on the brink of war, the once-celebrated blades have become an easy target for the rage of its devastated citizens. The nightblade warrior Asa’s lifelong quest for vengeance is over, but now she finds herself on the run from the people she sought to protect. As Asa forges a new course of action in an uncertain world, her path crosses with that of a young noblewoman.
Mari knows that great opportunity lies in the heart of chaos. If the Kingdom is to rise again, Mari will need support, and she can think of no group better than the nightblades. But the nightblades have been betrayed before, and gaining their trust will not be easy.
Mari wants to save the Kingdom. Asa wants to save the people. Both are willing to risk everything. But do their quests make them allies… or enemies?

REVIEW:
As a reader I love it when an author brings characters who are valued for their skills and abilities over their gender and delivers characters that are fully rounded to face the trials and tribulations that the author has them face. 

Here in this tale by Ryan, are characters who jump from the page into your imagination as a feudal style system faces its darkest time where all the warriors have to fall back on is their honour.  Its well written, it has some solid twists and for me the action sequences really delivered as I made my way through the plotline.

Add to this solid dialogue and all round I was a satisfied reader when the final page turned.

URBAN FANTASY REVIEW: Witches of New Orleans 1: The King of Bones and Ashes - JD Horn

RELEASE DATE:  23/01/18

PUBLISHER:  47 North

SYNOPSIS:

From the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Witching Savannah series comes the story of a young witch’s quest to uncover her family’s terrifying history...
Magic is seeping out of the world, leaving the witches who’ve relied on it for countless centuries increasingly hopeless. While some see an inevitable end of their era, others are courting madness—willing to sacrifice former allies, friends, and family to retain the power they covet. While the other witches watch their reality unravel, young Alice Marin is using magic’s waning days to delve into the mystery of numerous disappearances in the occult circles of New Orleans. Alice disappeared once, too—caged in an asylum by blood relatives. Recently freed, she fears her family may be more involved with the growing crisis than she ever dared imagine.
Yet the more she seeks the truth about her family’s troubled history, the more she realizes her already-fragile psyche may be at risk. Discovering the cause of the vanishings, though, could be the only way to escape her mother’s reach while determining the future of all witches.

REVIEW:
Having read the blurb for this book on Netgalley, I was pretty excited to read it, however upon starting it, it turned out to be a book that took quite a bit of time to get into especially when you have quite a bit of backstory that kept interupting the flow as well as the pace which left me as a reader feeling a little cheated wanting to find out more about the principle players rather than having extra elements added which didn't feel required at that point.

It is a story that does have a hell of a lot going for it, trading in the wonderful sense of macabre of the city of New Orleans alongside bringing the culture of magic and hoodoo to the reader that really grips them as events wend their own direction which does give a great creole flavour to the whole piece but for me as a reader, I did feel that perhaps the author needed to break the tale up between characters and would have been better concentrating on fewer with others to add their own dimensions further down the line in a seperate own title.

All round it is a strong start but in my opinion it will leave a number of readers not so sure about trying future outings which from the feeling I've picked up here would be a great shame, especially if the author simplifies some of the arcs within and keeps the pace moving without having to dive back into further pre-story information. 

URBAN FANTASY REVIEW: The Hellequin Series 7: Scorched Shadows and The Avalon Chronicle 1: A Glimmer of Hope - Steve McHugh

RELEASE DATE:  01/04/18
PUBLISHER:  47 North

SYNOPSIS:
Layla Cassidy has always wanted a normal life, and the chance to put her father’s brutal legacy behind her. And in her final year of university she’s finally found it. Or so she thinks.
But when Layla accidentally activates an ancient scroll, she is bestowed with an incredible, inhuman power. She plunges into a dangerous new world, full of mythical creatures and menace—all while a group of fanatics will stop at nothing to turn her abilities to their cause.
To protect those she loves most, Layla must take control of her new powers…before they destroy her. All is not yet lost—there is a light shining, but Layla must survive long enough to see it.


REVIEW:
The first book in a new series by Steve set in the same Universe as his Hellequin tales.  As you'd expect its full of action, has a great cast (some of which will be familiar to fans) that you'd like to go out drinking with and brings a whole new fresh angle to what has gone  before.

Back this up with dialogue that flows smoothly, cracking pace as well as an arc that shows a lot of thought so that it flows smoothly and delivers with some great gut punches, all round demonstrates that this is an author with a hell of a lot to bring to fans.  Magic.

RELEASE DATE:  19/12/17

PUBLISHER:  47 North

SYNOPSIS:

In the final chapter of the Hellequin Chronicles, secrets will be revealed, friendships tested, and destinies fulfilled.
Avalon is under siege. A shadowy cabal, headed by a mysterious figure known only as “My Liege,” has launched a series of deadly attacks across the globe, catching innocent human bystanders in the crossfire.
Emerging from the debris of battle, Nate Garrett, the sixteen-hundred-year-old sorcerer also called Hellequin, and his friends must stop My Liege once and for all. But powerful forces stand in their way. To save Avalon, they will need to enlist the help of Mordred, once Nate’s greatest nemesis, now his most formidable ally. But Mordred is grappling with a dark prophecy that could spell Nate’s doom…
The fate of the world hangs in the balance. Even if Nate can halt the war, will there be anything left worth saving?

REVIEW:
Ah a delight on my reading calender, a new Steve McHugh's novel who I was pleased to say I discovered luckily through a writing forum hosted by another author.  His writing brings wonderful myth and mystery together as we have stories with Arthurian enchantments blended with otherworldly creatures in the modern world that just sings of originality and for me its a series that keeps giving with each new outing.

I love the characters, the way they all feel realistic and each have their own individual voice to bring to the fore as their efforts have consequences in their world that may be quite unforseen.

Add to the mix a great understanding of pace, some wonderful turns of phrase alongside cracking action sequences and all round I was a more than happy reader.  I can't wait to see what Steve's new series has in store for me.