MainCategory: FANTASY

Kings of Paradise: Ash and Sand, Book 1

Related Posts
Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1)

NOW THE ACCLAIMED HBO SERIES GAME OF THRONES—THE MASTERPIECE THAT BECAME A CULTURAL PHENOMENON Winter is coming. Such is the stern motto of House Stark, the northernmost of the fiefdoms that owe allegiance to King Robert Baratheon in far-off King’s Read more

Kings of Paradise
Date:
MainCategory:
Type:
Genre:
trope:
Published: 2018-07-19
Lenght:
Seriesize:
Author:
Narrator:
Reception:

“Kings of Paradise presents a brutal world of complex yet simple politics, reminiscent of Game of Thrones. An intriguing low-magic world packed with interesting cultures to be further delved. Nell shows considerable skill in displaying his world distinctly through the eyes of his different characters.” – Fantasybookreview.co.uk

Ruka, called a demon at birth, is a genius. Born malformed and ugly into the snow-covered wasteland of the Ascom, he was spared from death by his mother’s love. Now he is an outcast, consumed with hate for those who’ve wronged him. But to take his vengeance, he must first survive. Across a vast sea in the white-sand island paradise of Sri Kon, Kale is fourth and youngest son of the Sorcerer King. And at sixteen, Kale is a disappointment. As the first prince ever forced to serve with low-born marines, Kale must prove himself and become a man, or else lose all chance of a worthy future, and any hope to win the love of his life. Though they do not know it, both boys are on the cusp of discovery.

Their worlds and lives are destined for greatness, or ruin. But in a changing world where ash meets paradise, only one man can be king… The first installment of an epic, low- fantasy trilogy. Kings of Paradise is a dark, bloody, coming-of-age story shaped by culture, politics, and magic.

The novel’s brilliant world works on so many levels; it has a rich political landscape, moral complexity, and immense environmental challenges, all told in beautiful, thoughtful prose.” – Indiereader “A must for lovers of fantasy, especially those who enjoy losing themselves in a epic tale.” – Reader’s Favorite “The world that Mr. Nell has created is pretty incredible. But the thing that really made me love this story was the characters he filled that world with.” – Goodreads

It Takes a Thief to Catch a Sunrise

It Takes a Thief to Catch a Sunrise
Date:
MainCategory:
Types: ,
Genre:
tropes: , , ,
Published: 2016-06-03
Lenght:
Seriesize:
Author:
Narrator:
Reception:

Set in a new world of corruption, deceit and thievery; mixing magical fantasy and alchemy-punk with a healthy smattering of airshippery. “There comes a point in every thief’s life where one has to take stock of all that they have achieved.

We have stolen almost everything there is worth stealing: Prince Henri’s Jadefire ring, the Marquisse d’Bola’s collection of prized toy soldiers, Elize Gion’s Living Autumn, the very first airship schematic, and who could forget we definitely made off with Baron Rivette’s pride. The trick, I find, is not to break in. No. The trick is to convince the mark to invite you in.”

 

follow up here

The Grey Bastards: A Novel (The Lot Lands)

The Grey Bastards: A Novel (The Lot Lands)
Date:
MainCategory:
Type:
Genre:
trope:
Published: March 19, 2019
Lenght:
Seriesize:
Author:
Narrator:
Reception:

“[A] fantasy masterwork . . . a dirty, blood-soaked gem of a novel [that reads] like Mad Max set in Tolkien’s Middle-earth.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Jackal and his fellow half-orcs patrol the barren wastes of the Lot Lands, spilling their own damned blood to keep civilized folk safe. A rabble of hard-talking, hog-riding, whore-mongering brawlers they may be, but the Grey Bastards are Jackal’s sworn brothers, fighting at his side in a land where there’s no room for softness.

And once Jackal’s in charge—as soon as he can unseat the Bastards’ tyrannical, seemingly unkillable founder—there’s a few things they’ll do different. Better.

Or at least, that’s the plan. Until the fallout from a deadly showdown makes Jackal start investigating the Lot Lands for himself. Soon, he’s wondering if his feelings have blinded him to ugly truths about this world, and the Bastards’ place in it.

In a quest for answers that takes him from decaying dungeons to the frontlines of an ancient feud, Jackal finds himself battling invading orcs, rampaging centaurs, and grubby human conspiracies alike—along with a host of dark magics so terrifying they’d give even the heartiest Bastard pause.

Finally, Jackal must ride to confront a threat that’s lain in wait for generations, even as he wonders whether the Bastards can—or should–survive.

The Lies of Locke Lamora

The Lies of Locke Lamora
Date:
MainCategory:
Type:
Genre:
tropes: , ,
Published: 2007-06-26
Lenght:
Seriesize:
Author:
Narrator:
Reception:

“Remarkable . . . Scott Lynch’s first novel, The Lies of Locke Lamora, exports the suspense and wit of a cleverly constructed crime caper into an exotic realm of fantasy, and the result is engagingly entertaining.”—The Times (London) An orphan’s life is harsh—and often short—in the mysterious island city of Camorr.

But young Locke Lamora dodges death and slavery, becoming a thief under the tutelage of a gifted con artist. As leader of the band of light-fingered brothers known as the Gentleman Bastards, Locke is soon infamous, fooling even the underworld’s most feared ruler. But in the shadows lurks someone still more ambitious and deadly.

Faced with a bloody coup that threatens to destroy everyone and everything that holds meaning in his mercenary life, Locke vows to beat the enemy at his own brutal game—or die trying.

Praise for The Lies of Locke Lamora “Fresh, original, and engrossing . . . gorgeously realized.”—George R. R. Martin “Right now, in the full flush of a second reading, I think The Lies of Locke Lamora is probably in my top ten favorite books ever. Maybe my top five. If you haven’t read it, you should. If you have read it, you should probably read it again.”

—Patrick Rothfuss, New York Times bestselling author of The Name of the Wind “A unique fantasy milieu peopled by absorbing, colorful characters . . . Locke’s wit and audacity endear him to victims and bystanders alike.”

“High-octane fantasy . . . a great swashbuckling yarn of a novel.”—Richard Morgan

Bran Mak Morn

Bran Mak Morn: The Last King
Date:
MainCategory:
Genre:
trope:
Published: 2005-05-31
Lenght:
Author:
Narrator:
Reception:

From Robert E. Howard’s fertile imagination sprang some of fiction’s greatest heroes, including Conan the Cimmerian, King Kull, and Solomon Kane. But of all Howard’s characters, none embodied his creator’s brooding temperament more than Bran Mak Morn, the last king of a doomed race.

In ages past, the Picts ruled all of Europe. But the descendants of those proud conquerors have sunk into barbarism . . . all save one, Bran Mak Morn, whose bloodline remains unbroken. Threatened by the Celts and the Romans, the Pictish tribes rally under his banner to fight for their very survival, while Bran fights to restore the glory of his race.

Lavishly illustrated by award-winning artist Gary Gianni, this collection gathers together all of Howard’s published stories and poems featuring Bran Mak Morn–including the eerie masterpiece “Worms of the Earth” and “Kings of the Night,” in which sorcery summons Kull the conqueror from out of the depths of time to stand with Bran against the Roman invaders.

Also included are previously unpublished stories and fragments, reproductions of manuscripts bearing Howard’s handwritten revisions, and much, much more. Special Bonus: a newly discovered adventure by Howard, presented here for the very first time.

The Empire’s Ruin: Ashes of the Unhewn Throne

The Empire's Ruin
Date:
MainCategory:
Type:
Genre:
Published: 2022-06-21
Lenght:
Author:
Narrator:
Brian Staveley, author of The Emperor's Blades, gives readers the first book in a new epic fantasy trilogy based in the world of his popular series the Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne, The Empire's Ruin. Best of Summer 2021--Polygon The Annurian Empire is disintegrating. The advantages it used for millennia have fallen to ruin. The ranks of the Kettral have been decimated from within, and the kenta gates, granting instantaneous travel across the vast lands…

Skullsworn: Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne

Skullsworn
Date:
MainCategory:
Type:
Genre:
tropes: ,
Published: 2018-07-17
Lenght:
Author:
Narrator:
Brian Staveley’s new standalone, Skullsworn, returns to the critically acclaimed Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne universe, following a priestess attempting to join the ranks of the God of Death. Pyrre Lakatur is not, to her mind, an assassin, not a murderer—she is a priestess. At least, she will be once she passes her final trial. The problem isn’t the killing. The problem, rather, is love. To complete her trial, Pyrre has ten days to kill…

Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne universe

The Emperor’s Blades: Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne, Book I

The Emperor's Blades
Date:
MainCategory:
Type:
Genre:
trope:
Published: 2014-01-14
Lenght:
Seriesize:
Author:
Narrator:
Reception:

The emperor of Annur is dead, slain by enemies unknown. His daughter and two sons, scattered across the world, do what they must to stay alive and unmask the assassins. But each of them also has a life-path on which their father set them, destinies entangled with both ancient enemies and inscrutable gods.

Kaden, the heir to the Unhewn Throne, has spent eight years sequestered in a remote mountain monastery, learning the enigmatic discipline of monks devoted to the Blank God. Their rituals hold the key to an ancient power he must master before it’s too late.

An ocean away, Valyn endures the brutal training of the Kettral, elite soldiers who fly into battle on gigantic black hawks. But before he can set out to save Kaden, Valyn must survive one horrific final test.

At the heart of the empire, Minister Adare, elevated to her station by one of the emperor’s final acts, is determined to prove herself to her people. But Adare also believes she knows who murdered her father, and she will stop at nothing – and risk everything – to see that justice is meted out.

Black Stone Heart (The Obsidian Path)

Black Stone Heart
Date:
MainCategory:
Type:
Genre:
trope:
Published: 2020-03-29
Lenght:
Seriesize:
Author:
Narrator:

A broken man, Khraen awakens alone and lost. His stone heart has been shattered, littered across the world. With each piece, he regains some small shard of the man he once was.

He follows the trail, fragment by fragment, remembering his terrible past. There was a woman. There was a sword. There was an end to sorrow. Khraen walks the obsidian path.

Smoke and Stone (City of Sacrifice Book 1)

Smoke and Stone
Date:
MainCategory:
Type:
Genres: ,
tropes: , ,
Published: 2019-09-09
Lenght:
Seriesize:
Author:
Narrator:
Reception:

After a cataclysmic war of the gods, the last of humanity huddles in Bastion, a colossal ringed city. Beyond the outermost wall lies endless desert haunted by the souls of all the world’s dead. Trapped in a rigid caste system, Nuru, a young street sorcerer, lives in the outer ring.

She dreams of escape and freedom. When something contacts her from beyond the wall, she risks everything and leaps at the opportunity. Mother Death, a banished god seeking to reclaim her place in Bastion’s patchwork pantheon, has found her way back into the city.

Akachi, born to the wealth and splendour of Bastion’s inner rings, is a priest of Cloud Serpent, Lord of the Hunt.

A temple-trained sorcerer, he is tasked with bringing peace to the troublesome outer ring. Drawn into a dark and violent world of assassins, gangs, and street sorcerers, he battles the spreading influence of Mother Death in a desperate attempt to save Bastion. The gods are once again at war.