Remember how we just talked about my June goals? Well unfortunately I’m going to have to mess one up this month. I received multiple review requests that are insanely long, so I’ll be dropping back down to 2 reviews a week, but still posting awesome content 6 days a week!
Curious about these long books? I’ll post them below.
A Death At Dawn by Gabrielle Grey
A feudalistic world, embedded for centuries within the continent of Mystos is falling apart. Peasant uprisings, political and religious scheming from the academia, and the highborn’s lust for power are the causes for this political downfall in Mystos. A DEATH AT DAWN is the first book of an epic fantasy series that follows various characters, each going through their own journey during a time of civil turmoil.
In the middle of the chaos is the ruling family of the Mountain Realm, House Wayward; a racially mixed family, dealing with their own inner conflicts. However, when tragedy strikes House Wayward, instead of rallying together, the members split apart and strategize for their own advantage, even if that means taking each other down.
This story gives the perspective of the people directly affected by these events. As some begin to experience adolescence, other older characters experience a taste of power, misery, deception, and insanity. Within the series, each character has to make decisions that not only affect their lives, but the lives around them, making many question if they are the true hero of this series. Book one sets up the journey that these characters will experience during the series.
I’ve actually already started this one and so far it’s awesome. It’s very reminiscent of A Game Of Thrones.
Shadowless by Randall McNally
What if the gods themselves wanted you dead?
A young boy lies on a beach on a warm summer’s day. While trying to block the sun from his eyes Arpherius makes a shocking discovery; he has no shadow. Confused and bewildered he asks his uncle why he is shadowless. What he learns is a terrifying secret that will change his life forever.
Set in the Northern Realms, Shadowless is a fantasy novel about individuals born without a shadow. Spawned by the malevolent deities of this world these children of the gods are persecuted at every turn. Hunted by the high priests who carry out the wishes of their gods, hunted by the Shadow Watchers; armed soldiers who are assigned to each temple, and hunted by the gods themselves.
Part-mortal and part-god, the Shadowless live for centuries and face a battle for survival, constantly on the run or hiding in far-flung corners of the Northern Realms.
Soon their lives and fates become intertwined, expedited by the mysterious monk Amrodan. Driven by a series of visions Amrodan travels through the Northern Realms, seeking out the Shadowless and trying to enlist their help to take a stand and fight back against the gods.
I’m really excited to read Shadowless because it sounds like a really epic fantasy.
The Singing Gold by T.K.P. Sternberg
A simple shepherd who can see all things invisible, a dwarf who risks his honour to strike the deal of his lifetime, and a clandestine necromancer who manages to do good despite his worst intentions. This unusual fantasy epic shows how petty shortcomings like jealousy, suspicion and greed can throw up challenges just as dangerous as revealed destiny or the unfolding of evil plans. Set in the deep forests of medieval Svitjod, at the shift between the worship of the old gods and the coming of Christianity, it stands firmly rooted in the mud and dirt of everyday life while revealing a fantastical world of trolls, alfs and magic.
When Stig accepts to guide some dwarven miners through the hexed forest only he knows how to navigate, he already has a bad feeling. The payment is far too generous for something supposed to be so simple. With a hungry family at home and still a few weeks before summer will end their hardship, he cannot afford to say no. As they set out on a journey fraught with troubles, not only do Stig realise he has gotten himself tangled up into something far greater than he could ever have imagined, the dwarves also slowly learn that Stig is not just your average shepherd.
The Singing Gold is the first part of a series which follows a poor woodsman and his family through a number of escalating dangers and misadventures, casting them out of the life they knew and finally threatening their very existence. It is a fairy tale and an epic adventure, but with a distinctly real medieval feel to it, and told from the perspective of poor people.
In Svitjod, the law was still made by free men meeting at the Ting to discuss and voice their opinions, the king had to constantly travel the country to make his will felt, and the weight of a man’s kin, friends and neighbours were still more important than his class. Yet, at the same time, ideas, trade, and beliefs moved fast and far. The Church had recently managed to form an organised network spanning from Lisbon to Trondheim to Acre in the far east, even if Jerusalem was again lost to them. Adventurous young men could seek their fortune in war or wager all over the continent. For Stig and his family though, the next few dozen leagues of dense pine forest, huddling villages and dearly conquered fields and pastures was the whole extent of their world.
I think this one was the most recent of the longer review requests I received, and I’m really hoping they all turn out great because they are long reads. Wish me luck, and hopefully I’ll have these awesome books reviewed for you soon!
Sav’s Review 