SHOREFALL
SHOREFALL This series is rapidly becoming one of my favorites. You can read my review of FOUNDRYSIDE, the first in the series. The character work(their likability, complexity of thought and variety of personalities as well as chemistry) and prose is excellent. The world building/magic is excellent and wonderfully tangible/ intractable. The […]
The Bone Ships high-fantasy book review
the bone ships High-fantasy book review I liked the high-fantasy book Bone Ships. The world building is strong with both original ideas, excellent cultural immersion/creativity, and a clear, enjoyable aesthetic which as best as I can describe feels like a mixture of Norse and Polynesian with some original elements sprinkled in. The […]
CROOKED LADDER fantasy book
crooked ladder High-fantasy book review The CROOKED LADDER is a high-fantasy book that has decent to good prose, solid character work and complexity that is well executed and displayed via interactions and story progression. The fantasy world-building is decent but a little bare bones, with the more interesting elements only emerging in the […]
SIREN AND SCION romantasy book review
SIREN AND SCION Siren and Scion is a bit slow to start with its main characters being more morally complicated than the preceding books; one is a gambling addict and the other is doing her best to strong arm herself into a political marriage. So it took time for me to be able to emotionally […]
Tea Set and Match cozy-mystery Book
TEA SET AND MATCH High-fantasy book review The sequel to the romantasy A Coup of Tea: Tea Set and Match largely maintains the quality of the first book, but has a couple more issues, one of which is more personal than anything else. Primarily, although the plot differs, its mostly the same […]
A COUP OF TEA cozy-mystery book
A COUP OF TEA A wonderful cozy fantasy. The characters are likable, decently complex, and the prose is strong. The opening chapter is sharp, delivering an excellent hook while introducing you to your main character with indications of her flaws and strengths while giving her meaningful decisions and agency. The books strongest […]
Company of Slayers fantasy book
a company of slayers High-fantasy book review There are several minor criticisms I could level against Company of Slayers, the prose is a little weak (albeit not terribly so) and the plot is inconsistent with its tone (I.e the plot reads like an adventure story, but the plot itself is simultaneously largely humorless […]
Fire of the Forebearers fantasy book
fire of the forebears High-fantasy book review TEXT EDITOR This high-fantasy book can be bought at Bookshop.org If you enjoyed this review, consider subscribing so that Adventuresome Book Reviews goes directly to your email. Help other readers find books to read via sharing Adventuresome Book Reviews. We specialize in indie/small press publications. Facebook Twitter Blueskies […]
Mysterious Ways fantasy book
mysterious ways High-fantasy book review Strangely enough, after decades of not encountering one, this another book set in a matriarchal society, stumbled upon immediately after finishing its predecessor. Unfortunately it suffers from much the same flaw as The Empath and the Solider in that it styles itself a matriarchal society, but […]
The Empath and the Soldier fantasy book
the empath and the soldier High-fantasy book review There’s quite a bit I liked about the Empath and the Soldier, GOODREADS has it at 4 stars. The prose is solid (and makes a distinct effort to fit within the time period of the events) the characters are strong, well defined, and given plenty […]
THE HOUSE WITCH Romantasy book
the house witch High-fantasy book review A cozy fantasy with a loose plot wrapped around a series of shorter adventures and a slow burn romance. The House Witch has a very specific style it’s going for, cozy, but it doesn’t quite hit the mark, and I can’t quite pinpoint why. There […]
Tethered Spirits fantasy Book
tethered spirits High-fantasy book review Tethered Spirits (StoryGraph) has several strong points: solid prose, decent characters, several strong ideas, a good plot that supports its action elements with some mystery/questions, and strong use of its cored idea/inspiration. But it also suffers from some significant technical flaws. It’s takes nearly sixty percent of […]
THE THIRTEENTH HOUR high-fantasy
THE THIRTEENTH HOUR High-fantasy book review There was a lot I liked about The Thirteenth Hour, (StoryGraph) at multiple levels: the characters are dynamic, likable, and full of personality. The world building is complex and immersive while also being well implemented. The narrative is consistently humorous while also landing the darker moments, themes, […]
Scales and Sensibility romantasy book
scales and sensibility High-fantasy book review Fun, solid romance, with decent characters. This is through and through a lighthearted romance, albeit one assisted by magic and dragons. The comedy is decent and present but didn’t particularly work for me, and the characters are likable but without particularly compelling subtext or archs. The […]
Stormless fantasy book
stormless High-fantasy book review The concept of having to live in a world continuously ravaged by cataclysmic storms, and not just one but a variety, is a fun, interesting, and ultimately cool idea. The idea that these storms power the magic system is again solid (albeit the author doesn’t quite distinguish enough from […]
Small Miracles indie-fantasy book
small miracles High-fantasy book review Enjoyable, mostly lighthearted and consistently amusing, Small Miracle is just a fun indie-fantasy book that is relatively short read. The characters are full of personality (Gadriel, our MC, especially) and immensely likable, with strong motivations. There many scenes and interactions where their personalities and those motivations […]
The Tale of the Young Witch fantasy book
the tale of the young witch High-fantasy book review The Tale of the Young Witch is a story I wanted to like more than I did: the beginning is strong, delivering potent motivation to our primary character that I could buy into, there is a strong aesthetic/setting in the age of steam, and […]
Godeena sci-fi
godeena High-fantasy book review The science-fantasy book Godeena is complicated to review: the world-building is strong, particularly the canvas of inter-galactic warfare and politicking. The bones of the plot itself are excellent, from collecting disposable convicts from a prison megalopolis to explore the ruins of world controlled by a psychotic and malignant deity, […]