I record what I read from July to July… and now, you get to reap the benefits of my reading as I present short little reviews! Unlike previous years, I’m not reviewing everything I read. Some things simply didn’t warrant mention, and I read a number of short stories that I didn’t feel like reviewing.
So you don’t get everything.
But you get this! Today, the top ten things I’ve read in the last 12 months!
Drawn Through Blood
By John W. Otte
Narius has chosen a queen to rule beside him over the Xoniel Dynasty. Unfortunately, he’s fallen in love with her. What’s worse, he’s turning to her religion. Now the Dynasty threatens to break into civil war over his actions, just as they are attacked from their greatest rival from the outside. Ending his marriage to Everys would make almost all his problems go away. Should he sacrifice his love—and hers—to save his kingdom?
This is the direct sequel to Drawn in Ash, and it picks up right where the last book left off. This science fantasy retelling of Esther was fantastic in book one, and it only gets better here. My only complaint is that I would have preferred to have a short synopsis of book one to start this one off; I feel like I had to play catch-up. That said, that little confusion was worth it for the action and intrigue involved in this book. Go read book one, and then come back and enjoy this one.
Damsel in (Social) Distance
by C. P. Morgan
Daisy leaves her abusive relationship, travels halfway across the US, and moves back in with her mother. And then the pandemic hits. Her mother’s young, handsome neighbor makes romantic overtures, but Daisy needs to recover. But her traumatic past will find her, and she will need all the friends she can get.
I don’t read romance. It’s not my thing. I do enjoy a lot of romcoms, though, and this hit that perfect sweet spot. I was cheering for Daisy and her new neighbor, Luke, and my experience with abuse resonated with everything Daisy had gone through. If you want a feel-good romance, read this one. It is so, so good. (And the author is a pretty awesome person, too. I met her at a con a couple years back!)
Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City
by K. J. Parker
The city’s surrounded by the enemy. No navy will come to save them. The walls are manned, for now, but the enemy seeks to kill all inside. The ranking officer is Orhan, head of the engineers. But what does an engineer know of protecting a city? Even more, he’s a foreigner. None of the citizens trust him! Should he save them?
Oh man. This book. Orhan’s sardonic tone seeps through every page, and I loved it. His creativity in protecting the city, the ultimate identity of the enemy, and the complex politics all blended together into a perfect fantasy-ish story. There’s no magic, no strange species. The story could have been plucked from ancient Rome. My only complaint is the very end of the book—it matches perfectly with what came before, but I’d rather have seen it go another way!
Wildfire
by Jordan S. Keller
Abigail Turner longs to be a superhero, and she has the flame-based powers to make her dream a reality. But in this town, you need to apprentice to a registered hero if you’re going to make it. After a disaster, she loses her chance. But then a villain steps forward and offers to train her. What could go wrong?
I got to meet author Jordan Keller at an author fair roughly a year ago. She’s a great person, and her premise got my attention. I’ve read superhero comics longer than I can remember, and it’s hard for someone to present me a new spin on the genre. I love Keller’s business-minded but still heroic approach to superpowers, and Abigail is a character I loved cheering for. I have the second book already, and I’m planning to read it this coming year.
The Quill and the Vial
by Bree Moore
“All plants lie.” Jayce knows this well. Every plant whispers to her, tells her what they’re good for. Now, as a plague rips through the kingdom, her services as an apothecary are necessary. Her debts are heavy, though, and when an officer of the law begins to pressure her to pay, she must go to extreme lengths to help herself… and maybe, maybe find a way to save the kingdom.
I backed this book on Kickstarter, and from the very first line it is good. Jayce serves as a flawed but instantly likable protagonist, and the other main characters each offer delight and disgust as needed. The world is both a unique fantasy setting and still incredibly lived-in and thought out. This book is well, well worth the read.
The Warded Gunslinger
Graveyard in the Sky
Last Stand at Rimont
by Filip Wiltgren
Jake flies the dark skies in his broken-down ship, just looking for quiet. He never finds it. He wants to be left alone, but trouble keeps finding him. It might be a broken-down mining town that needs a hero, or a whole population of people trapped on a space station out to kill them, but he needs his fast guns and his warded jacket to keep him safe. Also, he needs money for kibble. The void dragon he cares for needs to eat, too.
The book series sells itself as Firefly meets The Mandalorian, and I think it’s pretty accurate. Space western with magic pretty much nails it. Each book is an incredibly fast read; they’re really more novellas than full novels, but they thrilled me. There’s one more book in the series (so far, at least), and I plan to read it this year.
Bad Hunting
The Rancher’s Daughter
To the Gap
City of Mages
For the Wildings
by Kyra Halland
The people of the Wildings hate mages with reason. They’ve escaped near-slavery from the mages and set up their own land. Still, renegade mages wander the land. The people need protection. So one wizard makes his way through the wild-west-like setting, protecting people, even as they prepare to shoot him or hang him. Or both. Also, he may have fallen in love with a rancher’s daughter with her own secrets to keep.
Look, it’s a fantasy western. These books capture the tone of both your typical western and your typical fantasy to create something new with likable characters and thrilling adventures. There’s a sequel trilogy, and I can’t wait to read it!
Relics of the Ancients
Book 2: Hidden Relics
Book 3: Rogue Swarm
by M. G. Herron
Overmind X has separated from the Kryl hivemind and intends to conquer earth! Only the Solaran Defense League and their courageous captains, the Furies, have any chance to stop it. But Solaran politics and ancient relics muddy the waters. Now the Furies must navigate politics, survive deadly dogfights in space and atmosphere, and recover ancient devices if they’re going to protect their home.
I backed this project on Kickstarter back in the day. I read book 1 almost right away and thought it was decent. Nothing outstanding, but worth the time. I wanted some of that classic sci-fi feel, so I gave the series another try. I’m so, so glad I did. This was high adventure and great characters. I don’t know if the difference is me or the writing, but I am longing for this series to be extended now. If you’re looking for some good space battles, check these out!
Tales of the Mongoose and Meerkat, Vol. 3: The Redemption of Alness
by Jim Breyfogle
Four two years the rogue and the sellsword have adventured together, but now Kat sets her eyes on reclaiming her homeland from the barbarian hordes. Every job has led to this last great adventure, but the cost of victory will be high.
I greatly enjoyed the sword-and-sorcery adventures contained in the first two volumes in this series, and I’m sad to see it come to an end. This felt like a classic romp and had a feel of “older” fantasy, where the good guys don’t always win. I also loved that the tale was told in short stories. I highly, highly recommend this entire series.
Heroes of Time Legends: Murdoch’s Choice
by Wayne D. Kramer
Murdoch’s been a sea merchant for a long time. He’s ready to retire. He’s hired for one last mission, though, to find an impossibly powerful artifact. Whether or not he agrees to the mission, he’ll need to contend with darker forces that are after it. Oh, and his daughter, who hates sailing, ends up on his ship. And one of his crew wants to marry her. Oh, also a red panda pirate. Adventure on the high seas awaits!
This is a fun book, adventure in the finest sense. It’s also a family book, appropriate for kids but still a lot of fun for adults. It’s the first in a series. While I haven’t read the rest yet, book two is sitting right there waiting for me! (Also, Wayne is a great guy. Read his stuff!)
Jonathon Mast: Author 