In recent years, some overlords who should know better have begun suggesting that magic can be used for good. They’re wrong. Magic is nearly always obtained by wickedness and mages are invariably corrupted by the dratted stuff.
Castellan the Black, mighty dragon warrior, features in my Picky Eaters series. All proceeds for the duration of the publishing life of Picky Eaters, first book in the series, are donated to mental health charities. The second book, Flame & Blame, and the third book, Trouble With Dwarves, are now available.
I read and enjoyed the first book in this romantasy duology – see my review of The Courting of Bristol Keats. So it was a no-brainer that I’d request a copy of this offering – and I was delighted to receive a copy.
BLURB:Everyone needs something to hold onto, even if it’s a lie.
After Bristol nearly loses Tyghan to the monsters her mother unleashed, their love deepens to a whole new level. Together, Bristol and Tyghan work to understand and reconcile their differences, moving forward with their common goal of saving Elphame. But, when a daring rescue attempt turns disastrous and a beloved knight dies, Bristol is forced to confront the fact that her mother is more powerful than she could ever have imagined – and more dangerous, too.
Meanwhile, Tyghan’s heart is laid bare when he re-encounters his betrayer, Kierus, and must wrestle with a new secret that throws everything he thought he knew about his past into question. Bristol is Elphame’s last chance for survival, but where do her loyalties truly lie? If she embraces the magic that has always been her birthright, she could become a monster just like her mother. Is she willing to risk losing the people she loves most if it means keeping them safe?
REVIEW: Initially, I thought this one would continue on down the oft-trod path of a major misunderstanding blighting their love and passion for each other. After all, there are some mighty secrets lying like landmines between them – which I obviously won’t be revealing here. I’ll admit I let out a little sigh, thinking that I knew where this one was going. And despite the vivid worldbuilding and Bristol’s undoubted charm as a main protagonist – I wasn’t turning the pages with huge enthusiasm.
And then, the plot took a sudden left turn that tuned up the tension and put what I thought was happening on its head. I love it when that happens. I was suddenly completely engaged in the story and keen to discover how it was going to play out. In amongst all the other stuff going on, we learn more about Bristol’s parents own love story. Until they ran out of luck, or time, or both. At one point, I was wondering if their fate was foreshadowing what would become of Bristol and Tyghan – and what a strong, sad story that made.
One of the strengths of this adventure is the ongoing narrative arcs of other characters. Some end well – others not so much. Which kept me on my toes, wondering exactly what fate Pearson had in mind for her two main characters, as I continued turning the pages to discover how this would play out – especially bearing in mind the rather doom-laden title. It certainly wasn’t the ending I’d expected, but something more hopeful, poignant and tender. Highly recommended for fans of romantasy adventures with a strong emotional pull – though I would add that there are several fairly explicit sex scenes. While I could have done without them, they weren’t a dealbreaker as the relationship had more going for it than the physical attraction. While I obtained a copy of The Last Wish of Bristol Keats from the publishers via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own. 9/10
Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. It’s based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.
This week’s Can’t-Wait offering:
#science fantasy #feisty heroine #time travel #romance
The Girl Out of Time – Book 3 of the Mine Through Time series by Kate Serzenta
Release date – 1st December, 2025
BLURB: England, 1912. Emmeline Marshall has seven days of freedom left before she returns home to New York with her family, and her overbearing parents—who don’t seem to get the hint she’s not a little girl anymore—stick her into an odious finishing school that will make her into a ‘proper’ lady.
The freedom in question? The voyage across the Atlantic on the newest luxury ocean liner, the Titanic, where Emmeline meets the handsome and mysterious Leon. When their fraternization leads to a falling out between Emmeline and her father, she wishes she could be anywhere else and have a different life. And suddenly, she does.
England, 1815. It’s not a dream, but it is the fulfillment of Emmeline’s fantasies. Now she’s a rich heiress, engaged to a duke’s son, with friends to love and a library of gothic romances to get lost in. But everything is not as perfect as it seems. Unaware of her family’s involvement in time travel, Emmeline has no idea how she got to this time or why Leon—who is now Theo, an undercover French soldier—is here as well, but doesn’t recognize her.
Between untangling a mysterious treasure hunt from a book—which could lead her to understanding her powers—and navigating the glittering society of Regency London, can Emmeline learn to steer her own heart true? And can she find her way back home in time to save her family from a doomed ship? I am a sucker for timey-wimey stories. Though they do have to make sense and there have to be costs for the time travel – otherwise it becomes just another magic wand to fix everything. But I rather fell in love with the cover and hope it’s the enjoyable cosy time travelling story as advertised.Anyone else have this one on their TBR?
BLURB: Dealing with her father’s recent death, Laura Meehan decides to move back to her New Jersey hometown and take over the paint and wallpaper store he opened after quitting his straining job in the police. Knowing that she is uprooting her own and her supportive husband Roy’s lives, she’s determined to continue her father’s legacy and keep the business alive.
But that doesn’t seem to be the only thing alive when Laura discovers that her store is haunted by none other than her deceased father! Either that or Laura has finally lost her mind and developed Ghost Traumatic Stress Syndrome . . .
When she discovers the body of the town’s deadbeat painter Ernie on top of all that, Laura is determined to find the culprit who’s rudely used her store as their murder scene, with the help of her ex-police detective father’s ghost—real or not, Laura might as well make use of his expertise!
It turns out Ernie owed a lot of money to a lot of people. Could one of them have reached breaking point and killed the freeloader?
REVIEW: I quickly bonded with Laura. Copperman has the knack of depicting difficult and painful life events through the lens of a protagonist, who tends to deflect their pain through humour. It’s something a lot of us do. But it means that while still giving the subject sufficient emotional heft and respecting its seriousness – I also found myself grinning at Laura’s take on her predicament.
I sympathised with her over the loss of her father – losing a parent can be devastating and she is clearly still grieving. To the extent that she’s reasonably convinced that she’s seeing her father’s ghost because she doesn’t want to let him go. I was also impressed at Copperman’s depiction of Laura’s therapist – they often get a bad rap in fiction and Laura’s sessions with her are often amusing, but also sensitive to Laura’s feelings of loss. I’m aware that you’re probably thinking this is a rather sad book buoyed by the occasional shafts of humour – when it’s nothing of the sort.
Laura and her loyal, loving husband, Roy, are uprooting themselves and relocating to the hometown where Laura’s father settled to open a paint and wallpaper shop. They have a tightknit relationship I really appreciate. But then, one of the Laura’s most obnoxious customers is murdered in her store and from then on, she is increasingly drawn into the investigation – especially as she and her young assistant both come under suspicion. There are a pleasing number of suspects – Ernie isn’t a popular man – with plenty of plot twists and a nice ramping of tension near the end. The denouement and ultimate murderer makes complete sense – which isn’t always the case in cosy mysteries – leaving me finishing the book with a sigh of satisfaction.
I thoroughly enjoyed this one – Copperman is back to his best form. And now I’m eagerly anticipating the next book – I want to see how Laura and Roy will settle into their new home. Highly recommended for fans of cosy whodunits set in small-town America. While I obtained a copy of All Spooked Up from the publishers via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own. 9/10
This is part of the weekly meme over at the Caffeinated Reviewer, where book bloggers can share the books they’ve read and share what they have got up to during the last week.
Himself had the week off work. So we made a list of chores we wanted to get done and have managed a fair number of them. Notably, tidying and reorganising the bookshelf in our room – Amari keeps running across the books stacked on it and has brought down several volumes. Himself also sorted out his clothes and now has two bin liners of tee-shirts ready to deliver to the clothes bank tomorrow. He also made a trip to the nearest electrical recycling centre with all our broken/unwanted electrical equipment, including our dead desktop computers. He also has been cutting back some of the shrubs in the garden that have got out of control and spent half a day cutting them into small enough chunks to go into our gardening bin that gets emptied once a fortnight.
The pics this week – Amari perching on one of her favourite spots in the lounge – the mantlepiece, now we’ve cleared off all the fragile ornaments. Amari glaring at her reflection in the new fire – and all it’s good for is being a mirror because it’s useless at warming the room. Amari in the wastepaper bin in the bedroom and the pile of clippings waiting to be chopped up to go in the green waste bin.
We had a couple of lovely days at the start of the week, but since then it has been much colder, so I needed to switch on the electric fire we had installed in the summer. But it produces a stream of warm air for anything up to half an hour, then either switches itself off or starts blowing cold air instead. I’ve requested a visit from the service engineers to alter the thermostat, which they assured me would be happening. So far, nothing. I’m very much missing my lovely gas fire and wishing I’d not made the switch!
Typically, seeing as Himself has been on holiday – we have had more than our fair share of windy, wet weather, although today is lovely. Amari continues to be constantly curious and before we do anything, we need to check where she is. So that we don’t accidentally shut her in any cupboards, as it’s her life’s ambition to rascal around inside anywhere she isn’t supposed to be.
This week I’ve read:- Echoes of the Imperium – Book 1 of Tales of the Iron Rose series by Nicholas & Olivia Atwater A fallen empire. A goblin airship captain. One big, blasphemous problem.
Captain William Blair has taken shady jobs before—what goblin hasn’t? But this shady job has pirates off the port bow and legendary aethermancers knocking at his cabin door. Unfortunately, Wil has sworn an Oath to escort his newest dubious passenger wherever she wants to go… and a goblin must be worth his word.
The ragtag crew of the Iron Rose once survived the fall of an empire—but none of them are interested in revisiting the experience. As the dregs of the Imperium rise again to claw at their heels, Wil and his crew must face the literal ghosts of their past… or else history may well repeat itself. Review available.
AUDIOBOOK – Every Living Thing: The Great and Deadly Race to Know All Life by Jason Roberts In the 18th century, two men dedicated their lives to the same daunting task: identifying and describing all life on Earth. Their approaches could not have been more different. Carl Linnaeus, a pious Swedish doctor with a huckster’s flair, believed that life belonged in tidy, static categories. Georges-Louis de Buffon, an aristocratic polymath and keeper of France’s royal garden, viewed life as a dynamic swirl of complexities. Both began believing their work to be difficult, but not impossible—how could the planet possibly hold more than a few thousand species? Stunned by life’s diversity, both fell far short of their goal. But in the process they articulated starkly divergent views on nature, on humanity’s role in shaping the fate of our planet and on humanity itself.
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The rivalry between these two unique, driven individuals created reverberations that still echo today. Linnaeus, with the help of acolyte explorers he called “apostles” (only half of whom returned alive), gave the world such concepts as mammal, primate and homo sapiens—but he also denied species change and promulgated racist pseudo-science. Buffon coined the term reproduction, formulated early prototypes of evolution and genetics, and argued passionately against prejudice. It was a clash that, during their lifetimes, Buffon seemed to be winning. But their posthumous fates would take a very different turn.
With elegant, propulsive prose grounded in more than a decade of research, featuring appearances by Voltaire, Benjamin Franklin and Charles Darwin, bestselling author Jason Roberts tells an unforgettable true-life tale of intertwined lives and enduring legacies, tracing an arc of insight and discovery that extends across three centuries into the present day. I can’t recall which of the book bloggers I regularly visit had read and recommended this one – but thank you. Because I decided to get hold of the audiobook and listening to it has been a joy. The book is the product of extensive research, while the prose is accomplished and compelling. Listening to just how these clever, committed men went about undertaking such a huge project – and the consequences of their efforts has had me thinking about this one ever since I finished it. 10/10
All Spooked Up – Book 1 of the Haunted Paint Store Mysteries series by A.J. Copperman Dealing with her father’s recent death, Laura Meehan decides to move back to her New Jersey hometown and take over the paint and wallpaper store he opened after quitting his straining job in the police. Knowing that she is uprooting her own and her supportive husband Roy’s lives, she’s determined to continue her father’s legacy and keep the business alive.
But that doesn’t seem to be the only thing alive when Laura discovers that her store is haunted by none other than her deceased father! Either that or Laura has finally lost her mind and developed Ghost Traumatic Stress Syndrome . . .
When she discovers the body of the town’s deadbeat painter Ernie on top of all that, Laura is determined to find the culprit who’s rudely used her store as their murder scene, with the help of her ex-police detective father’s ghost—real or not, Laura might as well make use of his expertise!
It turns out Ernie owed a lot of money to a lot of people. Could one of them have reached breaking point and killed the freeloader? Review to follow.
The Last Wish of Bristol Keats – Book 2 of The Courting of Bristol Keats duology by Mary E. Pearson Everyone needs something to hold onto, even if it’s a lie.
After Bristol nearly loses Tyghan to the monsters her mother unleashed, their love deepens to a whole new level. Together, Bristol and Tyghan work to understand and reconcile their differences, moving forward with their common goal of saving Elphame. But, when a daring rescue attempt turns disastrous and a beloved knight dies, Bristol is forced to confront the fact that her mother is more powerful than she could ever have imagined – and more dangerous, too.
Meanwhile, Tyghan’s heart is laid bare when he re-encounters his betrayer, Kierus, and must wrestle with a new secret that throws everything he thought he knew about his past into question. Bristol is Elphame’s last chance for survival, but where do her loyalties truly lie? If she embraces the magic that has always been her birthright, she could become a monster just like her mother. Is she willing to risk losing the people she loves most if it means keeping them safe? Review to follow.
Injuries are the lot of a young lord. Mostly you can grit your teeth and keep going, so your rivals don’t realise your vulnerability. The exception is wing tears. Whatever you do, don’t ignore them. Or try to fly until they’re fully healed.
Castellan the Black, mighty dragon warrior, features in my Picky Eaters series. All proceeds for the duration of the publishing life of Picky Eaters, first book in the series, are donated to mental health charities. The second book, Flame & Blame, and the third book, Trouble With Dwarves, are now available.
I spotted this offering on the Netgalley dashboard and was immediately drawn in by both the intriguing premise and Olivia Atwater’s name on the cover. I very much enjoy her writing – see my reviews of Half a Soul and The Witchwood Knot. I’m also a sucker for a good steampunk adventure – would this one fulfil my expectations?
BLURB:A fallen empire. A goblin airship captain. One big, blasphemous problem.
Captain William Blair has taken shady jobs before—what goblin hasn’t? But this shady job has pirates off the port bow and legendary aethermancers knocking at his cabin door. Unfortunately, Wil has sworn an Oath to escort his newest dubious passenger wherever she wants to go… and a goblin must be worth his word.
The ragtag crew of the Iron Rose once survived the fall of an empire—but none of them are interested in revisiting the experience. As the dregs of the Imperium rise again to claw at their heels, Wil and his crew must face the literal ghosts of their past… or else history may well repeat itself.
REVIEW: This one plunges into the action, with the Iron Rose in immediate peril. That dynamic can work well, giving us a strong bonding moment with the main protagonist and his allies. As this action takes place on an airship, which is a restricted space anyway, it was a smart move. That said – it took a while for me to be completely convinced of Wil’s captaincy. The Atwaters make it very clear that goblins generally do the scutwork and are not highly regarded by most people – so why has he ended up in command of the ship? As the story progresses, I learnt of the reason and it makes entire sense, but it did take a while before I was convinced this wasn’t a major misstep.
The worldbuilding is excellent. I am allergic to pages of info-dumping, even if the world is intriguing and layered. So I wholly approve of the Atwaters’ decision to start the book with a bang and feed in the complex and rather heartbreaking backstory in the form of flashbacks or bitter reunions. This is a post-apocalyptic world, where the rebels overthrew the militaristic Imperium, literally bringing those in charge crashing down. Years later, there are still places infested with aether-ghosts, because those who died either at the hands of an aether weapon or were touched by aether as they perished, cannot rest.
However, I don’t want you to go away with the notion that this is grimdark – it isn’t. There are moments of grief and poignancy, but there are generous dollops of humour throughout. The crew of the Iron Rose are all quirky eccentrics, who manage to be warm-hearted and engaging without slipping into sentimentality. And several of them are clearly lethal. It’s a found family that has its tensions at times, but mostly works and Wil is rightly proud of his crew. I don’t want to say too much about the different personalities – I could run on for the rest of the review. But the one that stole my heart was poor Mr Finch, the highly fastidious and brilliantly clever engineer, who exists on tea. He also loves drinking it from good china – quite right too. Black tea, in particular, never tastes right from some hulking mug – and he gets through far too many tea services due to the extreme manoeuvrings of the Iron Rose. I also liked the gunnery ladies who knit obsessively for the rest of the crew.
Wil takes on a very risky job that leads to consequences and forces crew members to revisit pasts they’d rather forget. I like that despite being the captain – Wil isn’t remotely handy in close-quarters fighting as he’s too small and under-powered. Neither is he a wonderful swordsman, although he’s a reasonable shot. And when they are meeting up with high status humans, someone else assumes the role of captain in his stead. So the main protagonist sort of… isn’t. Which is another quirk in this enjoyable adventure that is a very promising start to this series. And I’ll certainly be looking out of the next book with enthusiasm. Highly recommended for fans of fantasy steampunk adventures which do interesting things with the genre. While I obtained a copy of Echoes of the Imperium from the publishers via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own. 9/10
Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. It’s based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.
This week’s Can’t-Wait offering:
#urban fantasy #feisty heroine #magic #books
The Bookshop Below by Georgia Summers
Release date – 20th November, 2025
BLURB: If you want a story that will change your life, Chiron’s bookshop is where you go. For those lucky enough to grace its doors, it’s a glimpse into a world of powerful bargains and deadly ink magic.
For Cassandra Fairfax, it’s a reminder of everything she lost, when Chiron kicked her out and all but shuttered the shop. Since then, she’s used her skills in less ethical ways, trading stolen books and magical readings to wealthy playboys and unscrupulous collectors. Then Chiron dies under mysterious circumstances. And if Cassandra knows anything, it’s this: the bookshop must always have an owner.
But she’s not the only one interested. There’s Lowell Sharpe, a dark-eyed, regrettably handsome bookseller she can’t seem to stop bumping into; rival owners who threaten Cassandra from the shadows; and, of course, Chiron’s murderer, who is still on the loose.
As Cassandra tries to uncover the secrets her mentor left behind, a sinister force threatens to unravel the world of the magical bookshops entirely…
I was very impressed with City of Stardust – see my review – so when I saw this one appear on the Netgalley dashboard, I immediately requested it and was delighted to get hold of a copy. The bonus – if you haven’t snagged a copy and want one, this book is released tomorrow, so you won’t have long to wait😊.
I enjoyed Jacka’s Alex Verus series. See my reviews of Fated (Book 1), Veiled (Book 6), Burned (Book 7), Bound (Book 8), Fallen (Book 10), Forged (Book 11) and Risen (Book 12). And I was absolutely blown away by the first book in this series – An Inheritance of Magic and also enjoyed An Instruction of Shadow, the second book. So when this one came out, it was a no-brainer that I’d get hold of a copy, though this time around it was the audiobook.
BLURB: Stephen Oakwood’s ambitions used to be simple. Pay his bills, track down his father, and take care of his cat. Maybe study a little magic after work, if he had time.
Now it’s a year later and he’s got everything he wanted. But it’s come with a price.
The Winged, a mysterious group involved with his father, have noticed Stephen, and they want him to join them or else. His career as a corporate locator has hit a dead end. And his new job as bodyguard to Calhoun Ashford is proving a lot more lethal than expected due to assassination attempts from outside the House, and possibly also from within.
To survive, Stephen’s going to need allies of his own. And along the way, he’s going to have to figure out the secret of his own gift, and what it means. The cults, Houses, and corporations of the magical world are locked in an endless battle for dominance, and Stephen is beginning to realize that he’s going to have to pick a side . . . before someone else picks it for him.
REVIEW: Could you crash into this series and get away with it? Hm. Yes – I think you could. That said, you would lose so much of the backstory and what has brought Stephen to the place he now it, that I’d strongly advise against it.
Next, is a shoutout to Will Watt, the narrator of the audiobook for his depiction of Stephen. The book is in Stephen’s first-person (I) narration and Watt’s characterisation is excellent. But of course, no matter how awesome the narrator, if the writing isn’t solidly good and the plot sufficiently engrossing – then the book still won’t fly. This one soars. I was glad that Stephen finally manages to meet up with his father – during the first book, he wasn’t even sure that his father was still alive, so it’s a relief for him to get a chance to see him again. Not that they can resume their lives together, because Stephen’s father is in deep hiding from an organisation called The Winged.
The first two books had plunged Stephen into a really difficult situation and we were swept along with him as he grappled to cope with the emergency that overtook him. This time around, we learn more of the world and the motivations of the people Stephen is facing as he struggles to work out who he can trust and who he can’t. It’s good to see him finally manage to build positive relationships and a tight team that can work together. Though there are still explosions of violence and magical battles, which Jacka depicts really well.
Stephen also learns more about his family and some of the constraints they are facing – which goes some way to explaining why certain members are so obnoxious. Especially Stephen’s grandfather, who is a real piece of work. As with all Jacka’s books, the story flew by as I listened late into the night to learn what happens next and it was over all too quickly. I’m now impatiently waiting for the next slice of Stephen’s adventures. If you haven’t had the pleasure and enjoy urban fantasy featuring a layered world where the protagonist is simply trying to make his way amongst powerful, entitled people accustomed to getting their own way, then do track down the first book in this series – An Inheritance of Magic. In the meantime, this continuation of Stephen’s adventures comes very highly recommended. 10/10
This is part of the weekly meme over at the Caffeinated Reviewer, where book bloggers can share the books they’ve read and share what they have got up to during the last week.
Another busy week. We ended up unexpectedly having Eliza sleep over on Thursday night as her mum’s car broke down in the supermarket car park and they were having to stay with the vehicle for its recovery. Eliza was very taken with Amari and getting her ready for school the next morning proved to be a bit of a challenge as the combination of a lively seven-year-old and an over-excited kitten meant minor chaos kept breaking out. It was a lovely treat to spend some unexpected time with her – and poor Rebecca was stuck with the car for four and a half hours on Thursday night, as the recovery vehicle didn’t finally pick her up until just after 8 pm. The pics are of Oscar showing Eliza how to hold Amari, the kitten playing with a box and then with another day of mischief behind her – crashing out on the settee next to me.
Oscar went up to Portsmouth yesterday to spend the day with his brother, who took him out to lunch and then they went shopping to buy Oscar’s present from Ethan. Oscar also had some birthday money that he wanted to spend. Fortunately, it was a lovely sunny day as he cycled to the station before catching the train.
The weather continues to be very mild, with temperatures still not cold enough for the heating to automatically come on. On Friday evening at 6 pm, it was 63℉, which is ridiculous in mid-November. That said, it was horrible watching the floods sweep through towns in Wales due to Storm Claudia – my thoughts and prayers go out to those who are facing the winter with sodden homes and ruined possessions.
This week I’ve read:-
AUDIOBOOK – A Judgement of Powers – Book 3 of An Inheritance of Magic series by Benedict Jacka The wealthy seem to exist in a different, glittering world from the rest of us. Almost as if by . . . magic.
Stephen Oakwood is a young man on the edge of this hidden world. He has talent and potential, but turning that potential into magical power takes money, opportunity, and training. All Stephen has is a minimum wage job and a cat. Review to follow.
The Hidden Kingdom – Book 3 of the Wings of Fire series by Tui T. Sutherland Deep in the rain forest, danger awaits…
Glory knows the dragon world is wrong about her tribe. After all, she isn’t “as lazy as a RainWing” — she isn’t lazy at all! Maybe she wasn’t meant to be one of the dragonets of destiny, as the older dragons constantly remind her, but Glory is sharp and her venom is deadly… except, of course, no one knows it.
When the dragonets seek shelter in the rain forest, Glory is devastated to find that the treetops are full of RainWings that no dragon could ever call dangerous. They nap all day and know nothing of the rest of Pyrrhia. Worst of all, they don’t realize — or care — that RainWings are going missing from their beautiful forest. But Glory and the dragonets are determined to find the missing dragons, even if it drags the peaceful RainWing kingdom where they never wanted to be — in the middle of the war. I’ve been really impressed how Sutherland has built up the world by having the dragonets of destiny visit each dragon tribe in turn. Small wonder this series has proved to be such a best-selling success – and like all quality writing, it shouldn’t just be left to the children. I’ve got the next book in the series and I’ll certainly be tucking into it sooner rather than later. 9/10
KU – Aftershocks – Book 1 of The Palladium Wars series by Marko Kloos Across the six-planet expanse of the Gaia system, the Earthlike Gretia struggles to stabilize in the wake of an interplanetary war. Amid an uneasy alliance to maintain economies, resources, and populations, Aden Robertson reemerges. After devoting twelve years of his life to the reviled losing side, with the blood of half a million casualties on his hands, Aden is looking for a way to move on. He’s not the only one.
A naval officer has borne witness to inconceivable attacks on a salvaged fleet. A sergeant with the occupation forces is treading increasingly hostile ground. And a young woman, thrust into responsibility as vice president of her family’s raw materials empire, faces a threat she never anticipated.
Now, on the cusp of an explosive and wide-reaching insurrection, Aden plunges once again into the brutal life he longed to forget. He’s been on the wrong side of war before. But this time, the new enemy has yet to reveal themselves…or their dangerous endgame. I do enjoy quality military sci fi adventure. And I was very impressed with Kloos’ Frontlines series, so when I saw that he’s writing another adventure, I got hold of a copy. Obviously, this book is setting up the world, but nonetheless I’m already a huge fan of Aden and want to see him build a peaceful life on a planet of his choice after all he’s been through. Though given this is the first in the series, I’m guessing that won’t be happening anytime soon. 9/10
AUDIOBOOK – Paladin’s Faith – Book 4 of The Saint of Steel series by T. Kingfisher Marguerite Florian is a spy with two problems. A former employer wants her dead, and one of her new bodyguards is a far too good-looking paladin with a martyr complex.
Shane is a paladin with three problems. His god is dead, his client is much too attractive for his peace of mind, and a powerful organization is trying to have them both killed.
Add in a brilliant artificer with a device that may change the world, a glittering and dangerous court, and a demon-led cult, and Shane and Marguerite will be lucky to escape with their souls intact, never mind their hearts. . . As ever, Kingfisher weaves a story that has me caring for Marguerite – who I’ve already met in the first book of this series – and Shane, the monosyllabic paladin. It’s my favourite type of romance story – where there’s a splash of humour and the protagonists are not merely negotiating their tangled feelings, but are also dealing with major dangers. Like lethal agents who want to see Maguerite dead and a dangerously powerful demon. As ever, Kingfisher’s writing had me desperate to discover what would happen next – and left this series on something of a cliffhanger, so I really hope Kingfisher will publish the next adventure featuring the plucky paladins who survived their god’s death. 9/10
Brainfluff 