zackargyle's reviews
14 reviews

This was a really cool book, and I’m pretty sure that if I took the time to read it a second time, it would be a 5 star review. The World Maker Parable felt like Donnie Darko meets Stormlight Archive. It was mind-bending and very visual.

The story throws you in immediately, and almost expects you to be confused throughout, which is tough. I can see less patient readers giving up out of confusion. That said, the end was worth it and the prose itself what great. Luke was very wise to make this the length he did. It was perfectly sized for the story.

TL;DR Great first book in a promising series.

Jealousy of Jalice is a twisted, epic fantasy medley of Horizon Zero Dawn and Alien. In a dystopian, tribal future, an assassin must kidnap her old friend in order to save the world from a tribal despot. The creatures are foul, the world is tainted both physically and spiritually, and missing memories lead to painful twists.

Spoiler-free Review: Jealousy of Jalice is a wonderful debut from an author with a nefarious mind and an epic story to tell. The world is intricate and beautifully crafted, the monsters are dark and fascinating, and the pacing is great (I blew through the back half). The characters are unique and well-thought-out, though none are particularly likeable and Annilasia doesn't always act like a deadly assassin. I hope that future installments show more character growth and opportunities for redemption. Overall, I'm definitely looking forward to the next book, and seeing how the events of the ending effect the world and how the characters will move forward.

*** Spoilery comments
Part of me was hoping that Annilasia (with her new-found dokojin buddy) was going to be the villain for book 2, but then Hydrin/Dardajah didn't actually die. I also, for some reason, really wanted Vowt to be Jalice's brother with a broken mind, and Mygo knew all along (good reason for him to go out of his way to help Jalice the whole time). That's all. 😆

A Dark Inheritance is a solid opening to a wonderful new Coming of Age series.

The story follows three siblings (19/15/12) as they discover their...dark inheritance. The plot moves quickly, the writing is void of flowery prose, and the characters are well-executed. While the majority of the story is firmly within the YA Fantasy genre (especially given the age of the POV characters), that does not stop the plot from delving into the dark recesses of Herzman's mind (see Vampirism).

The first 3/4 of the story were solid, but the ending was incredibly well-crafted. The climax is not just the climax for the plot itself, but it is the climax for the character development of each of the three main characters, and concludes the story in a brilliant hurrah. Everything wraps up so well that this could easily be a stand-alone novel.

This is perfect for fans of epic, YA fantasy with a glimmer of darkness.

Never Die was a great story in a great world that would have been perfect as a novella.

The story in Never Die follows a mysterious young boy who revives fallen heroes in order to bind them to his quest. Each of the heroes is unique, fun, and well-written in their own way. There is an oath-bound swords-woman, a self-serving rogue, a jolly strongman, a leper, and an unbeatable hand-to-hand fighter. The plot of the young boy collecting his crew of heroes takes up about 80% of the story, which is why I think this could have been even better as a novella—tighten it up and cut some of the collection storyline.

The worldbuilding was wonderful. An East-asian inspired country, brutal fights that feature unique weapons and qi-based magical abilities, and spirits and demons of myth playing a prominent role throughout it all. I loved the imagery of the different locations (especially the bamboo forest).

The prose is straightforward, with some quotable "wisdom" sprinkled in throughout the book. That said, there were a lot of editing mistakes: spelling errors, grammar issues, words missing or misplaced, etc. That said, I read enough self-published books that it didn't bug me.

Lastly—I won't go into too many details—but the ending was really strong. There are several twists that all pile up in the last 10-15 pages, and they are great. I called a few of them, but I still love a good twist in the end.

Overall, a strong 4/5 stars, that could have been bumped up with some tighter plotting in the first half and better editing. Still, super enjoyable and wouldn't hesitate to recommend to anyone!

If you love interesting magic systems woven into epic fantasy, Banebringer will not disappoint. Carol A. Park has a dark imagination and a story to tell.

When I first heard about this book, it sounded like all of the things I love, especially with comments about it feelings very Sanderson-esque. The magic system is exactly that. Banebringers are Carol's version of Allomancers, each breed wielding their own form of magic while being alike in the aether that runs through their blood. When a banebringer dies, it tears an interdimensional rift that releases a bloodbane, demonic creatures with intent to kill. Even the names of the banebringers have a very Sanderson vibe: Moonblood, Sunblood, Bindblood, Beastblood, Weaveblood, Fireblood, Iceblood, Lightblood, Darkblood, Charmblood.

(slight detour; if you don't like blood, don't read this. If you didn't notice from the banebringer types, it is expanded in the bloodbane types: bloodwolves, bloodhawks, bloodcrabs, bloodsprites, bloodgiants, bloodspiders, bloodbats, bloodrats. They also use magic-enhanced microscopes to look at blood, and they do a lot of pricking of their fingers and arms.)

Anyway, beside the cool, well thought out magic system, the plot is strong as well. I do think it could have been a slightly shorter book if it were tightened up (it's nearly 600 pages), but overall, the pace moves along nicely.

Alright, let's talk about the reasons this isn't five stars for me (4.5).

First is the main character Vaughn, who is too horny for my personal tastes. That said, my resentment of that led to a satisfying conclusion in the end. Sweetblade/Ivana, was a much more interesting character. She was haunted by her past, decisive in her worldview, and held firm throughout the story.

The second is the ending, which can make or break a book. I would give the ending 4 stars with a few spoilery comments. (view spoiler) But that is all opinion, and, overall, I felt like the ending was a satisfying conclusion to the story while leaving it open for more.

So, there you have it! A great story with an awesome magic system and plenty of strong worldbuilding. I definitely look forward to reading more from Park in the future.

First of Shadows is an action-packed entry point to an interesting world filled with intrigue and danger. Deck Matthews is a top-notch world-builder and a fresh new voice.

When I started, I was both skeptical and excited about reading an epic fantasy that comes in at only 170 pages. I read it in two days, which says something. Would I have loved for it to be longer? Yes. Does it feel a bit like Act 1? Yes. Yet, still, I loved every minute of it. The pages flew by and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone. The magic systems (plural) are very intriguing. The flying ships are awesome. And there is clearly a rich in-world history. That said, because this is a short book, none of these were explored too thoroughly.

The one thing criticism I have is that the characters felt a little too Tolkien-inspired. The main group is basically Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, and Frodo with a nazgul hunting them. I personally love LotR, so it didn't both me, but I'm keen to see Matthews take these characters and make them more of his own in subsequent books.

Overall, it's a great story. Fast paced. Inventive magic systems. And short enough that there's no excuse not to try it out! Especially since it's free on KU!

Combat Codes is currently an SPFBO Finalist (one of my competitors!) and it absolutely deserves its seat at the table.

In this mashup of Ender's Game and Red Rising, Darwin gathers a few well-worn tropes and weaves them together masterfully to create a gripping, fast-paced story. As someone who wrestled for four years, every takedown released a flood of fond memories and every arm bar a memorial shudder. The fight scenes are flawless flashes of real-world brutality. Like Ender Wiggins, you read not to see IF he will win, but HOW.

I'll leave this review short and sweet. You should absolutely read this book. It's fun, brutal, and the rich world is creative and intriguing. Book two is a quick add to my TBR.

Sometimes, a foul-mouthed mage is all the world needs

There's no way around it...this book is fun. Told from the first person view of its protagonist, Mennik Thorn, every twist and turn is filled to the brim with snark, sass, and words that certainly should not have been spoken by any sane mage. Dick jokes, cursing, and all of the disrespect you'd expect from growing up in the Warrens of the Grey City. This cozy mystery wasn't written by a man bundled up in a warm chair looking out over gentle rainfall; it was written by a man sprawled out on the street, fully nude, laughing at the stars. Samphire is king of the delightfully irreverent.

The pacing is great. The characters are fun (even the creepy 11 y/o psychopath murder-hobo). And the mystery at its heart keeps you invested from start to finish.

In the end, so long as you're not off-put by a bit of crass, you will love this one-of-a-kind story. I know I did.