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10 Must-Read Fantasy Series You’ve Probably Never Heard of Before

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Hey everyone, Jodi here. Today I have a special guest post for you from Desiree Villena all about our favorite topic, fantasy book series. Without further ado, here’s her post –

Photo by Alice Alinari on Unsplash

10 Must-Read Fantasy Series You’ve Probably Never Heard of Before

No matter where you go, readers will find each other. Every social media platform has its own bookish community, from “booktube” to “bookstagram”. There’s just something irresistible about talking to fellow bookworms, whether we’re stacking our already towering TBR with even more titles, showing off our favorite book cover designs, or trying to get everyone within shouting distance to read this amazing book we just finished because we’ll burst if we don’t share it.

Unfortunately, “bookish” social media is subject to the same flaws as all social media. Chief among those is the echo chamber. Once you find your little corner of like-minded readers, it’s all too easy to get swept up into reading the same books that everyone else keeps gushing over.

But what about all the books that don’t get the hype? From those  telling a marginalized story to those by authors who haven’t managed to strike it big yet, you’d be surprised how many amazing books fly right under the radar. Today we’re going to be highlighting ten of my favorite fantasy series that, in all likelihood, you’ve probably never even heard of!

The Mangoverse series by Shira Glassman

Indie author Shira Glassman doesn’t write books to fit mainstream tastes — and that’s exactly what makes her work so delicious. Full of rich, real-world diversity and focusing on characters who are often overlooked, Glassman’s stories are always a delight.

The Mangoverse series, starting with The Second Mango, follows the story of Queen Shulamit and the warrior Rivka. What starts out as a simple quest for a royal girlfriend becomes an  adventure when they discover a temple full of women who’ve been turned to stone. Packed with characters you’ll love, the land of Perach will make you want to linger.

The Legacy of Flames series by Emma L. Adams

If urban fantasy is your thing, strap in for an unending adventure, because Emma L. Adams cranks out rip-roaring fantasy books like nobody’s business. From dragon shifters to faeries, there’s a series for everyone in her interconnected universe. Each series can be read in any order, but to get the full effect (and to really be able to appreciate Adams’ expansive imagination), readers should start with Alight and work their way on from there. These books are sure to delight anyone who wants plenty of sass, humor, and excitement.

The Second Sentinels series by Lee Brontide

Formerly published under the name Lee Blauersouth, this one is perhaps a bit of a cheat, since there’s technically only one book out so far — but I like to think of it as getting in on the ground floor of a great new series. (Plus, the author is hard at work editing book two, so I’m sure it’ll be here soon enough.)

This emotionally charged series follows four teens through the whirlwind of solving a superpowered mystery, but it’s about much more than just flashy tech and special abilities. Where Secondhand Origin Stories really shines is in its character development: each of the central teens deals with the world of superheroes in fresh and interesting ways. Come for the pizzazz, stay for the finely drawn world and in-depth relationships.

The Emperor’s Edge series by Lindsay Buroker

Okay, it’s possible that you’ve heard of this one. After failing to land a literary agent, Buroker became a powerhouse in the indie publishing world. Still, she’s shockingly unknown in the larger realm of fantasy fans — so I think we’re safe to include her.

The Emperor’s Edge is the book that put her on the map, and it’s a solid entry into the world of steampunk fantasy adventure. Centering on Amaranthe, an ex-law enforcement officer who’s been wrongly accused of a crime, and Sicarius, an assassin who’s guilty of pretty much every crime they pin on him, these books are just plain fun. The banter between all of the characters is top-notch, as is the slowly developing feelings that unfold over the course of the books. The best part? The first book is free!

The Harrietta Lee series by Stephanie Ahn

If hard-boiled detectives are up your alley, look no further than the urban-fantasy adventure that starts in Deadline. Described as a female-led Dresden files, the series stars Harrietta Lee, a paranormal investigator in New York City. Or at least she was, until a blood magic ritual goes horribly awry. Now she’s struggling to make rent and scrounging for odd jobs.

When an opportunity to work for a powerful corporate family falls into her lap, she doesn’t feel like she can turn it down — even if it’s a family she once had ties to, and solving this case will mean digging into her own uncomfortable past. If you want film noir, but with magic, you’ll tear through this series in no time.

The Eve Williams series by Ashley Beasley

Who doesn’t love a good story about necromancers?

In Bramble and Blood, Eve Williams is tasked with finding a woman who may already be dead. Working with a Druid Enforcer and contending with a wide range of magical creatures along the way, Eve will need to dig deep into this mystery — even if it means she may end up as the next victim. Full of excellent worldbuilding, strong characters, and perfect pacing, this book will have your heart racing as you rush to the end.

The Tales of Inthya series by Effie Calvin

If you’re looking for princesses and fairy-tale romance mixed into your fantasy series, The Queen of Ieflaria may just be for you.

What starts off as a tale full of ballgowns and royal betrothals quickly sets itself apart. Princess Esofi’s kingdom has a dragon problem, and a marriage to the prince of Ieflaria was supposed to fix it — until his tragic demise leaves her with a broken engagement and no means of making the alliance she so desperately needs. Or does she? An unexpected solution keeps the story fresh. Throw in dragon fights and ass-kicking princesses, and I’m even willing to overlook the names that read like the author let her cat walk across the keyboard.

The Order of the Dragon series by Tina Glasneck

Vampires and dragons taking center stage in a rollicking urban fantasy series? Sign me up, please!

Once Bitten introduces us to an utterly unique world where dragon’s blood creates day-walking vampires. Yes, you read that right. As if that isn’t enough, the star of our tale is a romance author who gets quite literally swept up in adventure when she falls overboard on a cruise ship, only to be rescued by a dragon. This series has plenty of bite, taking us on a journey full of mystery, prophecy, and romance.

The Tomes of Kaleria series by Honor Raconteur

In Tomes Apprentice, titular apprentice Mei Li has a problem: her Master has gone missing in a shipwreck, along with ninety tomes that detail how to prevent approaching disasters that could easily end the world. You know, no big deal.

Now everyone is turning to Mei Li for answers, but without the tomes, there’s little she can do. But that’s not going to stop her from trying. This rich, Asian-inspired fantasy series features 5,000-year-old demons, enchanted flutes, deities, and time travel. Add in a thrilling plot and a world populated with richly drawn side characters, and you have a series that shouldn’t be missed.

The Paranormal Worlds series by CC Solomon

Featuring another unusual premise for an urban fantasy, Mystic Bonds brings us to a version of Earth ruined by the apocalypse. In a world where most of the population was wiped out, those who remain either have sudden magical powers… or will do almost anything to get them. Magically-gifted Anima and her brother are on the run, searching for a hidden city and a man that Amina’s seen only in her dreams.

Full of rich worldbuilding and a compelling mystery that will enchant readers to the end, this book will stick with you long after you finish.

Desiree Villena is a writer with Reedsy, a marketplace that connects self-publishing authors with the world’s best editors, designers, marketers, and book reviewers. In her spare time, Desiree enjoys writing short stories and reading everything from cosmic horror to contemporary romance.

Book Review: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

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Years ago, I went on a reading binge of all the Holocaust books I could get my hands on. The experiences shared in those books were as much cast-iron testaments to the power of the human spirit as they were chilling. This book came out after that binge ended, but I kept hearing about it off and on, so I added it to my list.

That said, it was probably not my greatest idea to read a Holocaust book during our current difficult time. On the flip side of the argument, I would say that it’s also important to maintain perspective. The world has continually gone through periods of difficulty and gotten through them. We will get through this. With hard work and a dash of hope, we will have learned something valuable as well.

The story

Bruno is a nine-year-old German boy who’s father is a high ranking Nazi. At the beginning of the story, his family has to move because of his father’s work and he ends up at a place he calls “Out-With”. While it is never said in the text, readers are led to believe this is the Auschwitz concentration camp.

For the first half of the story Bruno is full of his anger at having to give up his friends and move to a place that is definitely not as nice as his home in Berlin. He misses all the things he enjoyed with his friends and the shops and the places he could go and explore.

It’s this craving that pushes him to go exploring along the long fence of the camp, a place that he has been told in no uncertain terms is “off limits with no exceptions.” This is how he meets Shmuel, a boy from Poland who shares Bruno’s exact same birthday. Bruno is thrilled that there is another boy his age and starts visiting him every afternoon.

We see through all these visits just how different the lives are for the two boys. Bruno always has plenty to eat, Shmuel is starving. Bruno’s life has been merely inconvenienced, Shmuel’s life has been completely overturned. Bruno shows a childlike naivete as he hears about Shmuel’s experience and often tries to tell Shmuel that what is happening to him can’t be all that bad, especially when compared to the minor inconveniences that Bruno has suffered.

***Skip this paragraph if you hate spoilers***

However, this is a Holocaust book, and as such, it certainly does not have a happy ending. Bruno learns that he is to go back home and as a farewell to Shmuel, agrees to help him search the camp for his missing father. They are collected up by the soldiers and marched into the gas chamber and both boys die. The last chapter of the book explores Bruno’s mysterious absence and the father’s chilling realization of what must have happened.

There goes my hope for a story that showed grit and determination in the face of a bad situation.

***End of spoilers***

My review

There are many who applaud this book as a gentle way of teaching children about the Holocaust and expose them to the history of the era. In that aspect, it does a fair job at teaching the basics and some of the ideas of what happened without diving into specifics. In essence, it’s a sanitized and simplified version of history.

For me, this book feels like if Winnie the Pooh were to be a German child in Nazi Germany. All of Bruno’s reactions are realistic to a young child where his immediate worries come first, and the rest of the world come in a very distant second. There is a beauty in seeing the world this way and for that I feel Boyne’s choice in writing style fits well.

However, there is so much about this book that bothers me, like never stating the truth of what’s happening. At every instance where it could have been an educational moment, Boyne pulls back. Bruno is told the correct words for things, but we never see the words themselves, and Bruno himself doesn’t use them because he doesn’t understand them. For example, instead of Führer he always refers to Hitler as “the fury.” Auschwitz is never named, and it’s purpose is only briefly touched on in a very childlike way.

Is the writing unique and interesting? Yes. Does the main character feel realistic and engaging? Yes. Does this book give an accurate sense of history? No. As the son of a high-ranking Nazi, Bruno would have been required to be part of Hitler’s Youth and would have been well educated about what was going on and why. Would he have understood what it actually meant? Probably not. This is a far cry from how Bruno is portrayed as being an innocent young boy. Shmuel in essence was just a hungry belly who Bruno could talk to. We see little more than him responding to Bruno’s endless questions and comments. In reality, Shmuel wouldn’t have been alive. Most young boys his age were sent straight to the gas chambers.

My recommendations

If you have a child who is interested in the Holocaust, but you want to introduce the ideas to them slowly, this book is a good pick because it doesn’t dwell on any of the uglyness and cruelty of the time period. It is an easy read, fairly short, and moves quickly enough so most readers won’t get bored. It is also available in audiobook with an excellent narration.

As an adult who has read a fair share of Holocaust books, this wasn’t as fulfulling as I’d hoped it would be. I wanted a story of survival against the odds or of good overcoming evil and got neither. Instead, I got a tragic story of a young boy who met an early end because he chose to be a good friend.

I rate The Boy in the Striped Pajamas 3/5

You can find The Boy in the Striped Pajamas on Amazon

Don’t miss it!

Stonebearer’s Apprentice comes out this Friday! Squee! It’s been a wild ride to get here and early readers have loved it. Even better, it has a happy ending.

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Jodi L Milner is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Book Review: The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith

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I found this book by happy accident. Namely, my book club thought it looked cool, and I love their discussions so much that I am compelled to read their picks. I won’t lie, most of the book reviews from the past year resulted from my book club. You guys rock.

The Story:

Claire is the librarian for The Library of the Unwritten, Hell’s own library for stories that were never completed by their authors. Most of these stories sleep quietly, but occasionally, their characters get anxious and try to escape. On one such escape, a Hero seeks out his author with the intent of inspiring her to finish writing his story, something that is totally against the rules. During his retrieval from the mortal world things go horribly wrong. The angels believe that Claire has the text of the Devil’s bible, a powerful weapon meant to upset the balance between Heaven and Hell. They will do anything to stop her from finding it’s pages.

My Review:

If you’ve read any of my other reviews, you’ll know that I have a weakness for excellent writing. The Library of the Unwritten is one of those books where the reader is continually delighted by a clever turn of phrase or an exceptional description. The most remarkable part of this book is the concepts engineered to make the worlds work together and the elaborate otherness of it all.

The Library itself is such a cool concept. Imagine, you think of a story and perhaps start to jot it down. As you work and think, the people and things in the story take on form and begin to live. What happens when the story is abandoned? Where do those characters go when the end of their tale isn’t written? In this essence, the library is a purgatory for books and everything they contain. They are stuck in limbo and hold all the potential their story has to offer, waiting for the author to pick up the pen once more. For those stories who’s authors have died, the characters who are restless and won’t stay in their books are allowed to live out the eternities in the Damsel suite, a protected place where they can learn and grow however they choose.

Claire is a compelling and complex character who is fairly snarky and has the wherewithal to dish it out. Her accompanying cast are a circus act blend of characters that include fallen angels, demons, a muse, and the people who spring from the unwritten stories.

As for the story itself, I was hooked right from the start. The idea that there was this librarian who curated unwritten books alone was so interesting that for the first third of the book I simply had to read more to see how all the different ideas were woven together. Don’t get me wrong, the story was interesting, but I think I read more because I was amazed at the creativity of it all – and the excellent writing. I did get a little tired near the two thirds mark, which might have been because I couldn’t relate to the stakes, or that my head cold muddled my brain, not sure which. However, the thrilling conclusion tied everything back together in a pyrotechnic fueled extravaganza that left this reader satisfied.

Recommendations:

This one is tough to place. It’s not a traditional fantasy and skirts into the realm of magical realism. The publisher categorizes it into humorous fantasy, and it was funny at times, but for me that doesn’t fit as well. Is there an existential fantasy category?

I’d recommend this for those who love excellent world and concept building that keeps the reader surprised, you’ll find plenty of it here. Also, for those creatives out there, this is a love letter to inspiration and where it lives when you are off doing other things. Authors especially will enjoy this book because of the many, many references to how we treat our characters, and how they might treat us in return.

However, for those who have issues with the ideology of Heaven and Hell, or of demons interacting with humans, this book will be a problem. There’s some straight up blasphemy in here, creatively used, of course.

I give The Library of the Unwritten a solid 4/5 stars.

Buy your copy here!

Hey, you look like someone who loves a really good read. I’ve got a little something for you. Consider it a tiny gift from me. “Breath” is a short story about Fauna, the original elemental guardian of souls and her journey to take part in the secret her charges possess.

Get your free copy here!

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Jodi L Milner is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Book Review: Word Painting Revised Edition the Fine Art of Writing Descriptively, by Rebecca McClanahan

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For November, and NaNoWriMo month for many of my fellow writers, I thought it would be appropriate to review a book that covers an important part of writing craft – description. There aren’t many books out there about this topic and indeed it would be a challenge to cover the subject in a way that didn’t sound just a little bit crazy. This book does an admirable job.

About the book:

In ten chapters McClanahan discusses different ways to approach the art of turning mundane descriptions into word paintings that grab the reader’s attention and helps feel part of the world they’re reading about. She explores using the different senses, how descrioption can help the reader understand character and setting, and using figurative language and metaphor. The book is thorough, insightful, and includes plenty of examples to help teach.

My review:

For me, the book was an excellent reminder of how much power lies in the perfect description. An evocative piece of description has the power to transport the reader to another place and time where they feel they are living within the pages and seeing and feeling the story through the eyes of the characters. A poor piece of description can do the opposite, pull the reader out of the story, confuse them, and make it hard to understand what is going on in the story.

Perhaps the most useful advice gleaned from the book is the importance of anchoring description deeply into the point of view of the person experiencing it. If the character is a baker, we want to feel the grit of the flour that has collected on the backs of his hands and reminisce of better times as we smell the comforting aroma of fresh bread.

Another thing that McClanahan does well is find hundreds of different examples to help solidify what she is trying to teach. Some of these are remarkable pieces of description that indeed transported me into the world of the scene. When I read them, it made me want to be able to do the same with my own writing.

Recommendations:

I recommend this to writers who feel they have the basics covered and are looking for a way to improve. This book is wonderful to help see different angles that can be taken in a passage of description and helps break writers out of old familiar patterns. It also shows how description doesn’t have to be long to be powerful.

I would not recommend this to brand new writers. While it’s full of important information, it’s also overwhelming with just how many possibilities there are in any given line of description. The best time to read this would be when a writer feels they have established their voice and are looking for ways to improve and deepen it.

I give this book 3 stars.

Psst! Jodi here. Did you enjoy today’s review? Did it help you decide if this book was for you? Cool, eh?

Guess what? You can do the same for me. If you’ve read any of my books, head on over to Amazon, Goodreads, or the book site of your choice and leave me a review.

It doesn’t have to be big and long like this one – a few sentences is perfect! Thanks in advance!

Book Review: Ella Minnow Pea, by Mark Dunn

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Happy October everyone! It’s the first Wednesday of the month which means it’s book review day. Today’s pick: Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn. This book came out in 2001 and I first read it back in college. It made a deep enough impression on me that I recently recommended it for a book group and reread it a few weeks ago.

About the story:

Ella Minnow Pea is an epistolary novel, meaning it’s composed of letters from one character to another. Ella lives on the fictional island of Nollop, located off the coastline of South Carolina and named after Nevin Nollop who has been immortalized by his creation of a phrase using all 26 letters of the alphabet, “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.”

What’s unique about this island is that due to poor infrastructure, they are isolated from the modern world. There aren’t computers, internet, email, or even telephone service, although those on the island know all these things exist. To communicate long distance, they are limited to letters and the occasional telegraph. Because of this, they’ve developed a love and passion for the written word and a unusual eloquence.

When letters begin falling off the memorial statue to Nevin Nollop, the island Council deems that it is a divine mandate from Nollop himself and they must stop using those letters in everyday speech and the written word. This also means those letters drop out of use for the remainder of the book. With each loss, the island falls deeper and deeper into totalitarianism as the Council works to eliminate those who would use the illegal letters.

Ella finds herself fighting to save her friends and family from being banished off of the island, a task that grows more complicated with new letter’s loss.

My review:

As a lover of artful use of language, this book delights on so many levels. Ella tries so hard to maintain her eloquence and love of language, even as each letter is taken away. The resulting linguistic gymnastics are impressive to say the least. It made me wonder if I could do the same. I tried it with the letter “m” thinking it would be easy. In a 15 minute sample where I tried my best to be careful, three “m”s still managed to find their way in.

There is also the element of satire about an overreaching government seeking punitive punishments for violators of the new rules as well as what happens when a society must adapt to censorship. For me, this felt almost Orwellian and brought back of not-so-fond memories of the discomfort of being forced to read 1984 in school, mixed with a touch of Lord of the Flies. However, Dunn encapsulates this satire inside the story of those trying to live the new rules and because their story shines stronger than the satire, it makes it much more palatable.

By the end of the story when only handful of letters are left, the text becomes almost unintelligible. Letters are swapped out for phonetic matches and to understand what’s being said, the reader almost has to say the syllables out loud. For me, it brilliantly demonstrated the frustrations of the main characters as they struggle to communicate.

In all, I found the book delightful and both a fun and profound read.

Recommendations:

I recommend this book to those who love a good play on words and appreciate vocabulary and wordsmithing, as well as those who love seeing how a society can go wrong. Those who love word puzzles will also get a kick out of seeing how each character manages to avoid using banned letters. It’s also a charming story of making the best of a hard situation that doesn’t dwell on the ugliness that could be found there.

I would not recommend this book for those who want an easy read. It is not. From the deeply vocab-u-tastic wordiness at the beginning, to the almost alien constructed language nearing the end, this book is challenging. I also would recommend those who are sensitive to political misuse of power to steer clear as this book might be triggering.

I give Mark Dunn’s Ella Minnow Pea 4.5 stars.

Psst! Jodi here. Did you enjoy today’s review? Did it help you decide if this book was for you? Cool, eh?

Guess what? You can do the same for me. If you’ve read Stonebearer’s Betrayal, head on over to Amazon, Goodreads, or the book site of your choice and leave me a review.

It doesn’t have to be big and long like this one – a few sentences is perfect! Thanks in advance!

Book Review: Book Thief, by Marcus Zuzak

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Asking an author which book is their favorite is a complicated question. There are books that keep us on the edge of our seats, or tease us with amazingly constructed story lines. There are those that fill us with a sense of wonder and those that light a creative spark. There are those which are tender and beautiful and make us cry.

Then, there are those books that have such a uniqueness to them they don’t quite fit anywhere else. That’s where the Book Thief falls for me. It balances tender with tension and beautiful prose with a touch of snark.

And it ranks in the top five books I’ve ever read.

About the story:

This is a holocaust book. But – don’t despair. The purpose of the book isn’t to showcase the horrors of that time period, but rather to give voice to a girl who lived it and how the books she stole made it possible to survive. What’s interesting and makes this book very different is that it’s told through the eyes of a rather unusual narrator – death.

Liesel Meminger steals her first book at the graveside service for her brother and carries it with her to her new home and foster parents, the Hubermann’s. Death has been watching her, as he does all people he finds interesting, and chooses to share the different scenes he’s witnessed of her life through the eternal lens of his own experience. The book is what seals her love for her foster father, Hans, as he uses it to help her cope with the nightmares that haunt her and teaches her from it.

It is this book and these late night teaching sessions that starts the embers glowing of what will turn into a fire within Liesel for the written word. All the while, World War II is tearing the country apart. The Hubermann’s must protect the son of a family friend by hiding him in their basement at great personal risk.

Liesel takes special interest in him and shares the one thing she has, her love of words. First, by sharing with him what the day is like outside, then by sneaking him newspapers, then by reading and writing their own books together.

I won’t ruin the ending for you by telling what happens, suffice it to say that it is a survival story, and Liesel survives.

Recommendations:

I recommend this book to anyone who loves expert level wordsmithing. The lyric nature of the prose is gorgeous and surprising in all the right ways. Also, it’s a strong historical fiction as well and portrays Nazi Germany in a very realistic and unsensational manner. Because of it’s unique narrator and style, it should also appeal to those who appreciate non conventional stories.

I would not recommend this for people who prefer clear and direct language in their stories. This book borders on poetry at times and often veils the truth with metaphor, or pulls back into the point of view of death and away from Liesel’s experience. It’s also a long book, so it might be harder work to get through because of how language is used.

I give Marcus Zuzak’s The Book Thief 5 stars.

Psst! Jodi here. Did you enjoy today’s review? Did it help you decide if this book was for you? Cool, eh?

Guess what? You can do the same for me. If you’ve read any of my books, head on over to Amazon, Goodreads, or the book site of your choice and leave me a review.

It doesn’t have to be big and long like this one – a few sentences is perfect! Thanks in advance!

Holy Smokes, FanX is this week! If you are coming to the the conference, come find me at the following panels on Thursday:

Book Review: The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss

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There are those books that are just interesting and fun to read and there are those books where you feel something magical has happened. The Name of the Wind is the latter. I read this book a few years ago, but because it’s summer and I’m behind on my normal reading, this was the perfect time to finally review it. 

The story:

As the first book in the Kingkiller Chronicle, The Name of the Wind introduces us to the famous Kvothe, who is trying his best not to attract attention by taking a fake name and serving as a small town innkeeper. When Kvothe rescues a traveling scribe known as Chronicler and is recognized, the scribe asks to record his real story and his unfortunate rise to fame. As with many popular main characters, Kvothe’s life is full of hardship and misfortune. Lucky for him, these misfortunes tend to open doors, often in the most unexpected places. 

The story that’s recorded covers his childhood with a traveling performer troupe, his lost days as a beggar and pickpocket, his desperate attempt to get into the University where he can track down information, the many different ways he works to get enough money to attend the school, and all the many problems he encounters along the way. And trust me, there are plenty of those.

My Review:

I’m a sucker for any fantasy book. But, when I can find a book with an unusual magic system, a well-formed world, and beautiful language, it’s a rare treat. The Name of the Wind has all three. Perhaps Rothfuss’s greatest strength is his ability to transform his ideas into evocative fluid images. You can’t help but feel pulled into his world. 

Another strength is in the construction of the story itself. Instead of the standard narrative tale starting with a character discovering a great need, this book starts at the end and then carefully gives the readers the pieces of Kvothe’s story through a scribe. From the first page, the reader is presented with questions that need to be answered. Part of the joy in reading it is piecing together the clues to see how everything fits together.

The last point that I loved, but some readers might be squeamish about, is that Rothfuss does not shy away from including physical injuries and their care afterwards. Poor Kvothe has many enemies who really like to hurt him. With inexperienced writers this can often be a pitfall, but Rothfuss weaves it in as a natural result of danger and adventure and it really works. 

Recommendations:

This is a fantasy that is better suited for older readers, I’d recommend it for readers no younger than sixteen because of the beautiful language and puzzle-like nature of the story itself which might be too abstract for younger readers. For those who love a unique magic system, beautiful writing, and plenty of danger, this is a good pick.

For readers who prefer knowing clearly what is going on from the beginning, and not having to wait, often several books, for the answers, this book might prove frustrating. 

I give it a 5 out of 5

Psst! Jodi here. Did you enjoy today’s review? Did it help you decide if this book was for you? Cool, eh?

Guess what? You can do the same for me. If you’ve read Stonebearer’s Betrayal, head on over to Amazon, Goodreads, or the book site of your choice and leave me a review.

It doesn’t have to be big and long like this one – a few sentences is perfect! Thanks in advance!

Book Review: Elantris, by Brandon Sanderson

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The beautiful Spanish Edition cover of Elantris

Growing up, I always had a book tucked away with me in my school bag, or violin case, or carry on, or simply stuck under an arm. The epic saga of the Wheel of Time filled in the gaps between classes at high school and during longer orchestra breaks when the second violins had to go fend for themselves.

While Robert Jordan’s vision of the Wheel of Time world and its characters is still a masterpiece in my mind – the tone of the story itself grew darker with each giant book to the point where it became harder to see if anyone would have a happy ending. Like the rest of the fans of the series, Jordan’s early death caused me a great deal of worry. Would whoever took the reins and finished the story be able to do it justice?

Knowing what I know now, I shouldn’t have worried. When Sanderson took up the story, he captured the story and its characters and breathed life and hope back into them. Readers could imagine the satisfying ending they’d been wishing for and then he delivered it.

But, this post isn’t about Wheel of Time. It’s about Brandon Sanderson’s first published book, Elantris.

The Story:

Elantris was once a city of magic and those with incredible power lived there. When the cataclysmic event of the Reod happened, the city and its inhabitants became cursed. The gates of Elantris were closed to the outside world. The inhabitants of the city couldn’t die or heal and were doomed to suffer continuous pain from any injury for the rest of their days.

When Prince Raoden shows signs of the curse, he’s thrown into the now closed city and is doomed to suffer with those living there. He’s not willing to accept that, however, and immediately goes about trying to make things better for those condemned in Elantris. While he does this he discovers vital clues that will help him solve the mystery of why the magic stopped working.

Against him are the gangs in Elantris who gang up on any new comer to steal what meager provisions they might carry and a high ranking priest mandated to convert the country to the Derethi religion. With him is the resourceful and determined Princess Sarene with whom which he was destined to wed if not for the curse.

My Review:

I love a strong fantasy with magic that feels real and makes sense, so this book already had a lot going in its favor before I even opened it. Prince Raoden is the kind of character that you want to root for. He genuinely wants to make things better despite his own problems and is willing to work. He knows how to organize people and inspire them to his cause. The situation he’s thrown into is a hard one. It would be way too easy to fall into despair, but he refuses. Of all that happens in the book, his character is what makes the story successful.

There is a fair amount of political maneuvering in the book and for the most part it serves its purpose, which is to raise the stakes for our heroes. But for me, it also ground the action to a halt.

That said, I loved how the big problem was solved (no spoilers!) and thought that the solution itself was nothing short of ingenious.

Recommendations:

This is a solid fantasy book that will clearly hold a lot of appeal with fantasy readers. I would recommend it for readers 12 and up for descriptions of injury and political intrigue. There is no offensive language or overly romantic situations. While this would be a good starter book for those who would like to familiarize themselves with the fantasy genre, I wouldn’t consider it a typical example of a fantasy novel.

I’d still give it five stars. 🙂

Psst! Jodi here. Did you enjoy today’s review? Did it help you decide if this book was for you? Cool, eh?

Guess what? You can do the same for me. If you’ve read any of my books, head on over to Amazon, Goodreads, or the book site of your choice and leave me a review.

It doesn’t have to be big and long like this one – a few sentences is perfect! Thanks in advance!

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Book Review: Mort, by Terry Pratchett

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While I try my best to branch out and read new authors as often as I can, sometimes it’s important to pick up a bit of indulgence reading. Terry Pratchett is one of my very favorites. His books are the equivalent of Cheetos and Jelly Bellies, intensely flavorful and full of surprises.

Mort is no different. This book was originally published in 1987 and is the fourth in the Diskworld universe series where the world is indeed flat and supported in its journey through the universe balanced on the back of four elephants which in turn stand on an immense giant turtle. If that doesn’t give you a good feel for Pratchett’s gigantic sense of humor and intellect, I don’t know what will.

The Story:

The main character, Mort, short for Mortimer but also meaning “death” in French, starts out as an awkward knobbly kneed youth and proceeds to, ironically enough, become Death’s apprentice. Death has become tired of his job and sees this as a wonderful opportunity to finally learn what life is all about. Mort, being the awkward youth that he is is tasked to collect the souls of those who have died and in the process accidentally breaks the nature of reality and time.

In order to heal the rift he has created, Mort must find a way to align reality to accept his big mistake – a process that involves finding a wizard specially suited for the job. Naturally this can’t be easy. Nothing in a Pratchett book is. Every twist and turn reveals different aspects of wonderfully complex characters and an equally complex world.

My Review:

I adore Prachett’s writing style. He creates the most unexpected and delightful descriptions and then blends them into a story that flows with such ease that I can’t help but sit back in awe. He does for fantasy what Douglas Adams did for science fiction – take a normally very serious genre and fill it with wonder and humor.

The story of Mort itself is just enough unpredictable that even this seasoned story expert was kept on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what would happen next. For me, this is a real perk. With most books, even the best written ones, the story is usually straight forward enough that I can guess what’s going to happen and that’s gets boring. With Mort, that expectation gets thrown out the window in the first chapter and a world of wonderful possibilities present themselves, each equally plausible.

Many books like to explore the ideals, especially when it comes to characters. There is usually a hero, a villain, and a variety of mentors, sidekicks, and romantic interests who cross the stage of the story. Prachett has never been slave to this convention. His strength lies in making all characters as flawed and strange as possible – the more unique the better. My favorite? Death. I love that he wants to explore the world and is so helplessly naive and charming as he learns what it means to live. The whole idea just tickles me the right way.

Recommendations:

I recommend this book to those who normally don’t enjoy fantasy, but want an introduction. The Diskworld books don’t need to be read in any particular order, but for those who need a plan of attack, I’d recommend the Diskworld Wiki to help explain the different families of books. I’d also recommend it to fans of Douglas Adams, those who like clever prose, and anyone with a pulse and a sense of excitement and adventure.

I would not recommend this book to the following – people who can’t smile, appreciate a good joke, or don’t get puns and sarcasm.

I rate this 5/5 stars for making me giggle and share random passages at my family. They still don’t know what hit them.

***

Psst! Jodi here. Did you enjoy today’s review? Did it help you decide if this book was for you? Cool, eh?

Guess what? You can do the same for me. If you’ve read Stonebearer’s Betrayal, head on over to Amazon, Goodreads, or the book site of your choice and leave me a review.

It doesn’t have to be big and long like this one – a few sentences is perfect! Thanks in advance!

***

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Daily Prompt – Worldly Encounters

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Today’s Daily Post Prompt asks bloggers about what book, movie, or song they would recommend to a friendly visiting extraterrestrial that explains what humans are all about. While I hesitate to speak on behalf of humanity, heaven knows what might happen should I choose incorrectly, I’ll have a go.

My recommendation: Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings

lotr

While this seems an odd choice, allow me to explain myself.  To understand human nature, we must explore humanity in all it’s fullness.  In the Lord of the Rings we have characters that iconify different types of people.  There’s the reluctant and noble Aragorn, the arrogant Boromir, the megalomaniac Saruman, the humble and naïve Frodo, the manipulating Wormtongue, and the wise Wizard Gandalf to name a few.

Their quest is one that humanity has fought since time began, the epic battle of good verses evil.  Frodo and his fellowship are charged with destroying the One Ring, a tool of great power that is linked to the dark lord Sauron.  In their efforts to do so they encounter resistance that takes many forms.  Armies march against them, their own turn upon them, friends die, and they fall into states of hopelessness, fear, and reluctance.  Against the odds they continue time after time to sacrifice and sweat and bleed toward their goal.

The writing contains passages that encapsulate vistas of both breathtaking beauty, and astounding ugliness.  If anyone has managed to expound on the majesty of an impressive view, it’s Tolkien.  He also manages to capture our love/hate relationship with technology and industrialization.

People might argue that a fantasy novel can’t be used to explain humanity, but they haven’t considered that it is human nature to dream and imagine impossible realities.  Leaving out this fact would be to forget the most vital part of what it means to be human, which is to exercise our creative powers to make both the new and the wonderful.