Tag: Fantasy

Buddy the Knight and The Queen of Sorrow by Peter David

On By @f33lthesunIn Children KS2Leave a comment

Blurb

Buddy is no ordinary teddy bear.

He’s a Knight, crafted by The Nameless Wizard himself, and sworn to protect his Person, 10-year old Mieya, from all the Things-That-Go-Bump-In-The-Night.

When Mieya is cursed into a magical sleep, it’s up to Buddy and his friends Esteban the Bard, Sasha the Warrior-Princess, and Copper the Butterfly to journey across The Realm-Under-The-Bed and find the one responsible.

But this is no ordinary Quest. The Realm is a dangerous place, filled with jungles, deserts, lightning storms, and Monsters. But worst of all is The Queen of Sorrow who waits for them in her dark castle in the crags. To break her curse, Buddy will need more than his skill with a blade, Esteban’s witty songs, or Sasha’s ferocious might.

He’ll need Heart.

Review

Starting off with a fabulous map of The Realm-Under-The-Bed, which sets the scene for this questing adventure, is always a winner.

The author has created a fantastic world into which our brave hero, Buddy the Knight, must journey, in order to save his Person, Mieya, from the evil Queen of Sorrow’s curse.

Armed with his enchanted sword, a magic amulet to show him the perilous way and Esteban, his trusty sidekick, Buddy sets off to battle monsters, sirens, storms and other unknown perils.

Along the way, Buddy encounters friends, foes and challenges that make him question his bravery and everything he believes to be true. Can he solve the quest riddle and defeat the evil Queen?

There are a few themes woven through the story which hit the right notes; do not let how you look or how you think others perceive you to limit you or make you feel less than who you are, know that you need both heart and mind to be whole and finally, be there for your friends and let them be there for you.

Thank you to the author for the eARC in exchange for this review.

A Rose Among Thorns by Ash Fitzsimmons

On By @f33lthesunIn Fantasy, Young AdultLeave a comment

Blurb

No one said anything about an attack vine.

Rose Thorn should never be left unsupervised around plants. Potted things tend to die around her as if on principle. But when her great-aunt calls and asks Rose to watch her garden nursery for a few days, Rose can hardly say no. After all, Aunt Lily is the closest thing Rose has to a grandmother—and the only family she has left—so Rose doesn’t mind driving out to her tiny mountain town to look after the place.

Aunt Lily never mentioned anything about an inspection, however.

Rose is taken aback when an agent from an organization she’s never heard of arrives and panics to find Aunt Lily missing. As it turns out, Aunt Lily hasn’t been entirely straight with Rose. She’s not visiting a sick friend—she’s in danger and on the run. She keeps a hidden greenhouse on the property in which she grows highly regulated magical plants. And she’s an elf…as was Rose’s grandfather.

Though stunned to witness magic at work and shocked that no one ever divulged the family secret, Rose refuses to abandon the nursery until her great-aunt is safely home. But as she and the agent, now awkward housemates, try to keep up their cover story and find the missing grower, they realize that whatever led to Aunt Lily’s disappearance might not be the only magical crime in progress.

And while Rose has no green thumb, another talent of hers may be budding…

Review

I wasn’t sure what to expect, what I read was an enjoyable, well crafted urban fantasy.

Although set in a seemingly normal small town, the setting expands liminally to include a greenhouse full of weird plants that are ingredients for magical potions. Sally, one of those plants, is a fabulous creation and character in their own right.

The two main characters, Rose (human) and Yven (elf), are soon embroiled in magical mayhem and having to hurry to work out where Aunt Lily is and how two local cops fit into the grand scheme of what is going on. As their problem solving skills are tested and their relationship develops, they start to trust each other more, or in Yven’s case, he realises Rose does not take no for an answer and is very determined to find her Aunt.

As the first book in a series, this does an excellent job of introducing the world and characters, both human and non human, as well as setting us readers up for more adventures and intrigue. I look forward to Rose and Yven’s next storyline, and hopefully meeting Sally again. A thoroughly deserved 2nd place in the BBNYA 2023 Awards.

The Reanimator’s Heart by Kara Jorgensen

On By @f33lthesunIn AdultLeave a comment

Blurb

A reluctant necromancer, a man killed before his time, and the crime that brings them together.

Felipe Galvan’s life as an investigator for the Paranormal Society has been spent running into danger. Returning home from his latest case, Felipe struggles with the sudden quiet of his life until a mysterious death puts him in the path of the enigmatic Oliver Barlow.

Oliver has two secrets. One, he has been in love with the charming Felipe Galvan for years. Two, he is a necromancer, but to keep the sensible life he’s built as a medical examiner, he must hide his powers. That is until Oliver finds Felipe murdered and accidentally brings him back from the dead.

But Felipe refuses to die again until he and Oliver catch his killer. Together, Felipe and Oliver embark on an investigation to uncover a plot centuries in the making. As they close in on his killer, one thing is certain: if they don’t stop them, Felipe won’t be the last to die.

Review

I really enjoyed this historical, steampunk fantasy story told from two points of view: Oliver, an autistic necromancer working as a pathologist, trying to hide his magic so as not to be harshly judged by others and Felipe, a healer and paranormal investigator, who Oliver accidentally brings back from the dead when he is murdered.

What unfolds is a murder mystery involving organised religion, paranormal investigation, magical relics and the beginnings of a tentative love story between Oliver and Felipe, if only they would talk properly with each other.

The murder is important because of the consequences, the mystery behind it is not the main thing. It does set the backdrop for the relationship between Oliver and Felipe to develop beyond both of them admiring each other from afar but neither being confident enough to let the other one know.

Kara Jorgensen has created believable, well developed characters. The supporting characters are quirky and interesting and each brings their own foibles and personalities to the unfolding story.

This story achieved a very well deserved 3rd place in the BBNYA 2023 awards. Thanks to @The_WriteReads for the eARC to review for this tour.

Legacy of the Brightwash by Krystle Matar

On By @f33lthesunIn #YALeave a comment

Blurb

Tashué’s faith in the law is beginning to crack. Three years ago, he stood by when the Authority condemned Jason to the brutality of the Rift for non-compliance. When Tashué’s son refused to register as tainted, the laws had to be upheld. He’d never doubted his job as a Regulation Officer before, but three years of watching your son wither away can break down even the strongest convictions.

Then a dead girl washed up on the bank of the Brightwash, tattooed and mutilated. Where had she come from? Who would tattoo a child? Was it the same person who killed her? Why was he the only one who cared?

Will Tashué be able to stand against everything he thought he believed in to get the answers he’s looking for?

Review

Wow. This packed a punch and is still, a week after reading it, living in my head. It will be there for a long, long time. I immediately want to read the next book to continue the story.

Told from multiple points of view, this is a brilliant, character led story. Yes, there is a murder to solve, but it is not as simple as that. It never is, is it?

When Tashué Blackwood, Regulation Officer, is on the scene when the mutilated body of a child is found and no one else seems to want to know who, why or how, he decides to find out.

What follows is a story of flawed humans, moral dilemmas, vulnerability, political intrigue, power struggles, emotional turmoil, complex relationships, found family and love in all its forms.

This is a dark story, the characters have all faced (and are still facing) trauma and moral dilemmas, made their choices rightly or wrongly and are living the consequences of those choices.

Finding the corpse is the catalyst for Tashué to change the trajectory of his life, to try to make up for the decisions he has taken “for the Authority”. Is it too late?

Krystle Matar has created a complex and compelling world in which complex and compelling characters live and breathe.

Thanks to @The_WriteReads for the eARC.

Terra Electrica by Antonia Maxwell

On By @f33lthesunIn Upper Key Stage 2+1 Comment
Cover by Jet Purdie

Blurb

The last ice cap has melted, and the world is on the brink of collapse. A deadly force—Terra Electrica—has been unleashed. It feeds on electricity. It is infecting civilization.

In this chaotic, rapidly changing reality, 12-year-old Mani has lost her family and community to the Terra Electrica. Armed only with some ancestral wisdom and a powerful, ancient wooden mask she was never meant to inherit so soon, she suddenly finds herself responsible for the fate of the world.

Can Mani piece everything together and harness her newfound powers in time to save humanity?

Review

Mani’s father has left her in a cave whilst he goes to find food. He has not returned a month later so she is forced to leave the cave to find something to eat and look for him. She comes across the research centre and one scientist but she has been told they are the enemy and dangerous. What should she do?

She decides she has to interact with the scientist to survive. He has food and shelter. She then discovers she is infected by the deadly force that has killed so many, including her mother. Why is she not ill, or dead? Can she trust the scientist who says he will help her find her father or is his objective much more sinister?

Mani decides to try on the mask she has brought with her. Why did she feel she had to bring it? It is not essential to her survival. Or is it? When she puts it on, she has visions and meets some spirit animals who try to guide her. Frustratingly for Mani, they are not good at answering her direct questions but make her ask even more questions and give her lots to think about. She has a lot to learn about herself and the world.

She uses all her understanding of her people’s stories and traditions to help her work out what she needs to do.

Antonia’s writing carries powerful messages. There is power in stories, beliefs and traditions handed down through generations but there are also those who are selfish and/or greedy and would try to gain personally from something that could help everyone. However, there is always hope.

Thank you to Neem Tree Press and @The_WriteReads for the ARC in exchange for this review.

Birth of the Storm by Valerie Storm

On By @f33lthesunIn Fantasy, Young AdultLeave a comment
Cover by Ginka Jack (@Ginkahederling)

Blurb

A bolt of lightning. And a dream of vengeance.

For wolf-demon Kari, these define her every waking moment. Her parents are dead, slaughtered by human hands, forcing their only daughter to masquerade among their killers to save her own skin. Now she dwells among them, hiding her lightning-based abilities and plotting a terrible revenge, believing her schemes are all she’s good for now. But when she discovers unexpected solace among a group of humans who look past her monstrous nature, Kari finds herself questioning everything. Her mission. Her dreams. Even the hatred festering in her heart.

Is it possible for a creature like Kari to find happiness in a world that despises her?

Or will the spectres of her past force her down the path of vengeance in the end?

Review

As I started reading this I did not expect it to affect me as much as it did. It is to the author’s credit that I was pulled into Kari’s world and didn’t want to leave.

Valerie Storm has created an imaginative, dangerous world in which Kari has so much thrown at her from such a young age. This book does not shy away from violence and death, those Kari builds relationships with put in danger because of the power Kari was born with, despite her trying to keep it hidden, and those who are hunting her.

I had to keep reminding myself that Kari was a teenager to explain some of her reactions but she copes extremely well given her limited knowledge of her gift, the way most people treat her and the trauma of loss and separation she suffers. Her feelings of isolation, indecision and need for revenge drive her.

This is not a cosy fantasy story, it is hard hitting and powerful, better for it. It also ends on a twist and cliffhanger like no other.

I thought I was going to have to wait for the next book in the series so was very happy to realise that this was published in 2022 so others in the series are already out. Off to buy them.

Thank you to @The_WriteReads and Shadow Spark Publishing for the review copy.

I am resharing this blog to celebrate the release of the latest and final book in the series.

The Demon Storm series follows Kari Kasente, the wolf demon destined to destroy the world. While battling an innately crueler self, a Shadow Witch intent on controlling her, and a series of other enemies, Kari must learn to trust herself and those around her. Only then can she find her light and save the world.

The final book in the series, Fate of the Storm was released on May 13, 2025.

About the Author

Valerie Storm was raised in Tucson, Arizona. Growing up, she fell in love with everything fantasy. When she wasn’t playing video games, she was writing. By age ten, she began to write her own stories as a way to escape reality. When these stories became a full-length series, she considered the path to sharing with other children & children-at/heart looking for a place to call home.

She can be found on Twitter @Valerie_Storm

The Secret of the Moonshard by Struan Murray

On By @f33lthesunIn Fantasy, Upper KS2+Leave a comment
Cover and art by Vivienne To

Blurb

Domino is an eleven-year-old girl with a strange affliction: if she goes anywhere near magic, it will kill her.

All her life she’s been trapped in a floating laboratory, safe from magic but not from the cruel children and the crueler Science Barons who live there. Domino believes the Barons are trying to invent a cure for her magic allergy, but when a mysterious wizard arrives and unleashes total chaos, she discovers that everything she’s been told is a lie.

Domino escapes to the wondrous city of Abzalaymon, its streets filled with marvels she’s never seen, from automobiles to televisions to hulking thunder lizards. But the Science Barons are on her trail, and Domino must brave a hidden realm of magic if she is to defeat their sinister plot, and uncover a secret that might just save the world: the Secret of the Moonshard.

Review

Struan Murray has done it again. A superbly crafted story in a fantastically created world. The Scientarium floats above the city, tormenting Domino, who dreams of visiting it one day, who has known nothing else but the bullying / prankster revenge and testing cycles her life consists of, thanks to the Science Barons who raise her there “to protect her from magic”. Does she really need protecting?

Once again, following the highly original and exciting Orphans of the Tide trilogy, the author has delivered with a variety of well defined characters, twists and turns, magic and mayhem, chases that have you on the edge your seat and even some dinosaurs.

Creating characters with depth and believability is a special skill and Murray has this down to a fine art. The ones that I’m particularly drawn to are those who bring indecision to my mind…which side will these characters fall on when push comes to shove? Abzalaymon, the spirit, is a deliciously contrasting character, which puts you, as the reader, on edge. Will they help Domino, Calvin and Raphael…or eat them?

A book map is always a bonus.

Thanks to NetGalley and Puffin for the eARC in exchange for this review. The book will be published on March 7th 2024

The Siren, the Song and the Spy by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

On By @f33lthesunIn #YA, FantasyLeave a comment
Cover by Victo Ngai (@victongai)

Blurb

A diverse resistance force fights to topple an empire in this vibrant fantasy about freedom, identity and decolonization.

By sinking a fleet of Imperial Warships, the Pirate Supreme and their resistance fighters have struck a massive blow against the Emperor. Now allies from across the empire are readying themselves, hoping against hope to bring about the end of the conquerors’ rule and the rebirth of the Sea. But trust and truth are hard to come by in this complex world of mermaids, spies, warriors, and aristocrats. Who will Genevieve – lavishly dressed but washed up, half dead, on the Wariuta island shore – turn out to be? Is warrior Koa’s kindness towards her admirable, or is his sister Kaia’s sharp suspicion wiser? And back in the capital, will pirate-spy Alfie really betray the Imperials who have shown him affection, especially when a duplicitous senator reveals xe would like nothing better?

Meanwhile, the Sea is losing more and more of herself as her daughters continue to be brutally hunted, and the Empire continues to expand through profits made from their blood. The threads of time, a web of schemes, shifting loyalties, and blossoming identities converge in this story of unlikely young allies trying to forge a new and better world.

Review

I only realise after reading this that it is the second book set in this world, however I was able to read it without having read the first. Not giving anything away by saying I will be reading the first one, The Mermaid, the Witch and the Sea.

The author’s world building is excellent, as are the characters she has created and developed. They are well formed and deep. I think the use of chapters giving us multi viewpoints throughout helps us to bond with them. I particularly loved that the sea had her own chapters, which provided a link between a lot of the others.

The big themes of identity (individual and group), freedom, decolonisation, war and resistance are covered well and the friction between wanting freedom but having to inflict violence to achieve it is palpable, especially in Koa, one of the suppressed nation’s warriors.

If you enjoyed series like Utterly Dark by Philip Reeve or Orphans of the Tide by Struan Murray you will enjoy this. Note that this is definitely Young Adult, not for KS2 like those mentioned.

Thank to NetGalley and Walker for the eARC in exchange for this review. It will be published on 1st February 2024.

Arvia: Wings of the Wild by D.H. Willison

On By @f33lthesunIn Fantasy, Young Adult3 Comments

Blurb

It’s easy to stand up for your friends. What about for anonymous creatures nobody else cares about?

With their homes apparently safe from the magical storms, Darin and Rinloh venture to an isolated elven village and another ancient mystery: ruins of an imperial city whose entire population vanished centuries ago.

The duo befriend a host of eccentric new characters, from a chipper ogress and hipster troll to a deadpan griffin. Yet the Forest of Nightmares challenges them as never before. Merciless carnivorous trees, subterranean horrors, ethereal creatures no mortal weapon can slay… and most sinister of all, the greed and ambition lurking within the human heart.

Darin and Rinloh’s empathic connection grows stronger the deeper into the wilderness they go, but will it be enough to stop a dark conspiracy from ravaging the land?

Arvia: Wings of the Wild challenges the harpy-human duo with their grandest adventure yet. They must balance their deepening relationship as they sharpen their skills and work together as never before to unravel a deadly new plot.

Review

A book that has a map is off to a cracking start, in my opinion.

This series, of which this is the fourth book, is mainly character/relationship driven, but the adventurous story is not compromised by this.

Darin has been transported from his mundane earthly existence, via a meeting with an extraterrestrial of questionable character, to a hew life on Arvia, a world full of magic as well as many different species, some friendly, some not so friendly and some downright deadly. On Arvia, humans are the smallest, weakest and generally most vulnerable so he has to use his very limited life skills to stay alive, which causes him problems. He manages to persuade a harpy not to eat him and they become the unlikeliest of friends.

The themes in the story explore friendship, differences, relationships and trust, which becomes more interesting when your life may be in danger at any point. As the characters get to know each other and decide whether their preconceptions were correct or not, we find that many myths about them are blown out the water.

Rinloh (a harpy) has grown up being told about the evils of elves, ogres, trolls and fairies…but is what she has been told the real story?

Despite their differences and preconceptions of each other, each of the different species brings their own skills and knowledge to the group, and this makes them stronger.

In amongst the adventure and peril, there are some side stories. As anyone who follows me on Twitter will know, I have a soft spot for herons so was particularly invested in the small part involving the pet heron one of the conclave visitors had brought with them. It was concerning when it got caught up in one of the attempts on Darin’s life.

My “adopted” local heron, Harold

My favourite character in this story was Maurice, the griffin (definitely not a flying cat). He turned out to be the fount of knowledge where the ruined city was concerned, whilst remaining aloof/grumpy and uncompromising, although could be persuaded to go against his better judgement for a pampering brush.

I also loved the author’s nod to one of my favourite films in some of Darin’s sarcastic responses … inconceivable.

Thank you to D.H. Willison ( @dhwillison ) and @The_WriteReads for an advance copy of this book for the purposes of this review/blog tour.

Son of Shadow by John Lenahan

On By @f33lthesunIn Fantasy, Grown Up Novel, Young Adult1 Comment
Cover design by Nell Wood

Son of Shadow is the start of a new fantasy trilogy, following on from the Shadowmagic Trilogy. Admission…I have not read the original trilogy but will be rectifying that soon. This omission did not detract from my enjoyment of the book, but would have helped in following who was who as the story unfolded.

Thanks to The Write Reads @The_WriteReads and Eye and Lightning publishers for the advanced copy to review.

Blurb

A world of faeries, leprechauns and dragons – and magic fuelled by the blood of trees.

A mystery portal to the Real World.

And a pair of curious young adventurers who know they shouldn’t step through it…

Meet Fergal the Second, nicknamed ‘two’. Or ‘Doe’, in his own language. He can do magic. But, for the moment, he’s forgotten where he’s from. Or what’s happened to his blind friend Ruby.

He’s actually from Tir na Nog, the enchanted world of Shadowmagic, where a new generation of the royal House of Duir are cheeking their parents, preparing for adulthood and itching to see the Real World for themselves – whatever the peril.

Review

The story is split into three parts. The first covers Fergal’s introduction to the Real World, where he has no memory of where he came from, who he is or what he is doing. Something is clear though…he loves Real World pizza.

He does know how to make coins disappear, not slight of hand like a stage magician, but actually disappear. He then struggles to understand why he gets into trouble for doing so, despite being told he won’t, as the coin owners think it is deception, not magic.

Fergal then works out that he needs to find his sister. On his travels, having escaped from an asylum, he meets people who know of his faerie home land and of his family, some helpful, some not. With help, and some setbacks, he manages to get to where he needs to be, but still cannot find his sister.

The second part is set back in Tir na Nog, Fergal’s home. We discover through his memories who he is, how his sister disappeared and how his homeland is linked to the Real World. We also meet his family and friends.

Fergal is a cheeky teenager who rebels against his family’s teachings at times but at heart is a good kid. He learns the hard way that putting off admitting something to those who can help does not always end well,

The final part brings the two worlds together. Fergal and his friends have to work together, using magic to rescue not only his sister but also other family members from an evil sorceress.

The ending sets up for the next instalment very well, with Fergal saying “Oh cack” at what is to come, and I for one am already looking forward to continuing the story. It is at this point that reading the original trilogy would have been most helpful.

The author has created well rounded characters, warts and all, and the world building, especially Tir na Nog, is exceptional.

Book Info

Genre: Fantasy

Length: 310 Pages

Publishing: 25th June 2022

About the Author

Born in Philadelphia but long settled in the UK, John Lenahan is an acclaimed magician and TV performer. He fronted his own BBC2 magic series Stuff the White Rabbit, played the voice of the toaster in Red Dwarf and has appeared on a wide range of entertainment shows including TFI Friday, Comedy Café and Celebrity Squares. He is a member of the exclusive Magic Circle. He is also the author of the popular Shadowmagic trilogy, a fantasy adventure series for young adults which combines Irish folk myth with 21st-century wit. Son of Shadow takes up the story once more, following the noble houses of the magical parallel world of Tir na Nog into the next generation.