No Heart for a Thief is a great fantasy debut. It's rife with imagery, character, and unique magic without leaning too heavily on one aspect. The novel is well rounded, inviting, and simultaneously heart-wrenching and hopeful.
I found Kaylo and Tayen's budding relationship sweet and light in a world full of discrimination, colonialism, and bloodshed. If you like two overlapping stories wrapped into a single novel, kind of like The Kingkiller Chronicles, I'd recommend giving this one a shot.
James Lloyd Dulin is an emerging author to keep an eye on, and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
*Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.*
*Thank you to Tordotcom and NetGalley for the ARC.*
Untethered Sky is a story about grief, vengeance, acceptance, and loss. Ester becomes a ruhker (a roc trainer) to avenge her mother and brother's deaths after a manticore attack. It is a tale simultaneously about love and loss and the bittersweet acceptance of a fleeting bond between woman and beast. I didn't believe a story about training and hunting with a large bird would win me over so completely, but I found myself falling in love with Ester and Zahra's story. I adored Lee's prose and can't find a fault in her compelling yet compact novella.
I recommend this to anyone looking for a book about slaying enemies and finding an unflinching love for nature along the way.
The Keeper's Six is a short read that packs a punch. Simply put, it is about family, righting wrongs, and the willingness to sacrifice yourself for what's right. Throughout the journey, however, there are dragon kings, a multiverse with doors into countless realms, and magic.
Without spoiling anything, this novel is packed with action, interdimensional travel, and unearthly beings while simultaneously offering a heartfelt message.
I recommend picking up a copy (when it comes out on January 17th) if you enjoy fast-paced fantasy romps with a feel-good core.
*Thank you to Tor for the advanced copy.*
*Thank you to Tor and NetGalley for the ARC.*
The Lies of the Ajungo is a heart-wrenching tale of survival, truth, and politics. While short, it packs a punch with its vivid imagery, tight plot, and intriguing character arcs.
If you enjoy stories set in the African desert, magical realism, or survival plot lines, I recommend giving this a read when it comes out in March 2023.
Africa Risen is a great collection by new-to-me writers. Each story provides a fascinating take on common science fiction or fantasy plots, and I appreciated reading tales that weren't influenced by Western culture. There were many stories I enjoyed and only a few I didn't care for. What follows is a list of all the stories within this collection, listed in order of my preference:
IRL
The Lady of the Yellow-Painted Library
The Papermakers
A Soul of Small Places
The Sugar Mill
Ghost Ship
Biscuit and Milk
Air to Shape Lungs
When the Mata Wata Met a Demon
The Blue House
Mami Wataworks
A Girl Crawls in a Dark Corner
The Soul Would Have No Rainbow
Ruler of the Rear Guard
Exiles of Witchery
Door Crashers
Rear Mirror
Hanfo Driver
A Dream of Electric Mothers
Star Watchers
Liquid Twilight
A Knight in Tunisia
The Taloned Beast
The Carving of War
Peeling Time (Deluxe Edition)
Housewarming for a Lion Goddess
The Devil is Us
Cloud Mine
March Magic
Simbi
Once Upon a Time in 1967
Deification of Ogodo
I would recommend this collection to anyone looking for a sci-fi/fantasy collection written from a new perspective. With the large collection of stories, there's sure to be something for everyone.
*Thanks to Tor for providing me with an ARC.*
*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*
The Alkonost's Egg is the final book in a trilogy but works just as well as a standalone novel. If you're looking for a quick fantasy with a dose of romance, I recommend giving this a go. The characters were interesting and fleshed out, the world-building was great and easy to digest, and the plot didn't drag. I appreciated the detailed fight scenes; instead of getting caught up in the placement of limbs and weapons, thoughtful descriptions were used. My only criticism is I felt the romance between Callie and Bard didn't receive the attention it so needed; I never invested in their future and felt their connection was never as strong as it could have been. There needed to be more intimate scenes between the two of them to make it 100% believable.
Though I did not read the first two novels in this series, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and will definitely be giving the preceding titles a look.