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Official Author WebsitePre-order Only A Grave Will Do over HEREAdd Only A Grave Will Do on Goodreads
Today we have super thrilled to be part of the cover reveal for the last book of the Malitu trilogy by James Lloyd Dulin, 
Feast your eyes on the gorgeous cover for ONLY A GRAVE WILL DO by artist Martin Mottet, the book released on June 24th 2025 and you can checkout the blurb below:

OFFICIAL BLURB: On the march towards war, blood is both a promise and a gamble.

Newly dubbed the Hero of Anilace, Kaylo is thrust into leading a rebellion against insurmountable odds. His people are dying, if not in labor camps, in occupied cities as everything that makes them Ennean is stripped away. In two generations, the Great Spirits will be legends and Ennea will be yet another conquered territory. People look to Kaylo and the myth growing around him to stem the rising tide.

Sixteen years later, a trivial rebellion, a reclusive nation, and a vast empire march towards a battle to decide the fate of Ennea and her people. The actions of the small folk go unseen. Those who want to serve; those who have given up; those imprisoned; those who will fight at any cost; and those who will protect the people they love with every breath will tip the scales. Ennea is not done fighting.

Isn't it gorgeous?

There will also be a blog tour for the book release and you can check out all the details in the graphic below

(Hyperion Japanese cover art)
Despite the genre’s escapist premise, fantasy literature often hosts cutting commentary on real-world issues. The monsters that terrorize these tales—from mythical beasts like the Kraken to the eerie walkers of today’s The Walking Dead—can symbolize humanity’s deepest fears and our most naked vulnerabilities. Through these creatures, fantasy stories have always held a mirror to the shifting anxieties of their eras. As an avid fantasy reader who worries constantly about our collective future, I’m interested in how fantasy monsters represent universal alarm—and how the stories that harbor these monsters continue to fulfill our ever-increasing need for escapist media.

The earliest mythical monsters in human history stemmed from the need to explain mysterious natural phenomena. The creatures of ancient myths often embody our most basic, physical fears: the violence other species, the destruction wrought by severe weather, humanity’s defenselessness against unthinking and uncontrollable natural forces. In ancient Greece, for instance, all meteorological occurrences—from prosperous harvests to devastating floods—were thought to be the direct result of godly intervention. The Greek gods were alternately merciless monsters and generous benefactors; they both caused and exacerbated humans’ powerlessness.

Some of the beings that populated classical myths were more straightforwardly monstrous, and these too represented fears inherent to human existence: the Minotaur, trapped in a labyrinth alone, represents the violent parts of human nature that emerge with isolation. The serpent-like hydra, with its multiple heads, could be said to embody chaos—the uncontrollable force of natural disasters, perhaps, or the seeming inevitability of war. 
Many of these monsters can also be linked to moral and religious narratives. The Minotaur’s defeat by the hero Theseus could be said to symbolize the triumph of virtue over vice, a theme that appeared in ancient mythology and remains popular in fantasy literature today. The hydra, which is often associated with Ares, the god of war, sometimes represented punishment for moral failings, reminding us that ignoring religious or ethical obligations could trigger disastrous punishments. Thus, these early myths used monsters not only to explain the natural world, but also to prop up a moral framework.
(THESEUS AND THE MINOTAUR by Barret Chapman)
As exploration and colonialism brought unfamiliar cultures into contact with each other for the first time, new fantasy monsters emerged to account for explorers’ fear of the unknown. Fantasy monsters developed during this era often symbolized the threats posed by unfamiliar territories, cultures, and species, embodying anxieties about difference. The Kraken of Nordic folklore offers an excellent example. A colossal, squid-like creature, the Kraken could pull down ships with its powerful tentacles. For European sailors during the Age of Exploration, the mythological Kraken symbolized the very real danger of the open sea.
Other fabled monsters were developed during this era to represent the indigenous peoples of colonized lands Ogres, cannibalistic giants, and other “savage” human-like creatures populated stories like The Travels of Sir John Mandeville, a fictional 14th-century travelogue that describes various monstrous beings believed to inhibit the New World. These "monstrous races”, which include “dog-headed Cynocephales” and “one-legged Sciapods”, mirrored appearance-based prejudices against native peoples. 
Unlike the religious mythology of classical societies, stories that emerged during this era were more explicitly fictional. The fictional form gave writers license to exaggerate stereotypes that portrayed indigenous people as grotesque barbarians, reinforcing the fear and misunderstanding that often accompanied encounters between European explorers and native populations. This fear was not only of physical harm, but also of contamination wrought by cultural difference. Narratives of the time often portrayed European explorers or settlers as the heroic figures who, by defeating these monsters, demonstrated the superiority of their culture and values. 
As we’ve seen, the development of fantastical monsters has always been rooted in real fears. This continues today, with fantastical monsters in literature reflecting the complex existential woes of modern people. As technology has advanced, social structures and global concerns have shifted, and so too have the monsters that embody these concerns. Now, many fantasy monsters represent common fears of environmental degradation, political collapse, and social injustice.



One compelling example of this is Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang. The story’s villain—who I won’t reveal, since you should read the book yourself—causes the protagonist to wonder whether she can trust anyone. The villain’s conniving manipulation, and the unjust magical system of the setting, both parallel modern distrust in authority and misuse of power. 
In many modern fantasy narratives, the villains represent worst-case scenarios that humanity dreads: unchecked corruption (represented by the Darkling from Shadow and Bone), fear of being forgotten (represented by the veil in The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue) and the devastation wrought by modern warfare (represented by the tyrants in The Poppy War). These creatures mirror real-world fears and anxieties, but the narratives where they appear often provide a kind of hope—usually, despite the worst, the protagonists of these stories emerge victorious and some form of justice is served.

Those happy endings are what allow modern fantasy to maintain its escapist allure, even when it contains allusions to very real social ills. Generally, fantasy books and series end with something of a happy conclusion: the protagonist tends to vanquish the monster; the world tends to return to some semblance of order; the villains tend to end up dead or exiled. In a world where these just endings are so rare, reading fantasy allows us to indulge in satisfying depictions of the justice we don’t see in real life. 

Thus, fantasy’s use of realistic monsters does not betray its escapist properties, but bolsters them. It wouldn’t be interesting to read about a world in which everything is perfect all the time, but it can be exciting and validating to read about a world in which grit and determination can lead to meaningful social change. 

The journey from ancient myth to modern fantasy reflects a shift in our relationship to reality. In early mythologies, monsters were believed to be real, physical embodiment of the unknown and unexplainable forces of nature. They were creatures to be respected and feared, forcing humans to recognize the limits of their knowledge and physical ability. As our understanding of the world expanded, these monsters were gradually relegated to the realm of fiction, appearing in explicitly fictional narratives that allowed us to confront our fears from a safer distance. While most people no longer believe in dragons or sea monster, their symbolic power hasn’t been diminished.

The monsters that populate fantasy literature have always been imaginative and otherworldly, but their significance goes far beyond simple escapism or entertainment. Through these creatures, and the characters’ reactions to their violence, fantasy can often elucidate something insightful about the real world. From the ancient monsters that represented natural threats to the modern creatures that reflect existential dread, fantastical villains can all teach us something about the most profound aspect of the human condition. They give voice to the darkness within and without, reflecting both evolving external threats and timeless internal struggles. 

But, despite the terrifying nature of these creatures, the genre itself remains fundamentally optimistic, offering visions of triumph against every kind of evil. While the real world often feals messy and unjust, these stories offer a reassuring sense of order. Many of us feel powerless to confront the monsters we encounter every day—the dangers of unchecked authority, the collapse of social systems, and the degradation of the environment, to name a few—but fantasy provides a safe space to confront these fears.

At their core, fantasy monsters aren’t just symbols of our fears—they’re also reflections of the human condition. They show us the darkness we often try to ignore, but also offer hope that, despite our vulnerabilities and flaws, we can overcome existential challenges. By confronting these monsters in stories led by fearless protagonists, we learn more about our own fears—and how we can rise above them.


Author bio: Caroline is a writer for Reedsy and NowNovel who covers everything from the nitty-gritty of the writing process to the business of finding ghostwriting jobs. When she isn’t writing, Caroline loves reading indie books and spending time outdoors.

 

Book links:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
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The moon turns into cheese. Not metaphorically. Not in a dream. Like, literally. One day it’s the regular rock-ball we all know and ignore, and the next, it’s dairy. That’s the book. That’s the premise. I rolled my eyes too. But then I started reading, and - well, I ended up liking it more than I thought I would. More than I probably should’ve, honestly.

This is John Scalzi doing what he does best - taking a totally absurd idea and running with it. The moon becomes cheese (type undetermined). People react. Some panic, some scheme, some try to monetize it, some go to church. And through it all, Scalzi’s trademark mix of snark, satire, and sneaky emotional depth holds the whole gooey mess together.

There’s not really a central protagonist here-unless you count humanity in general, or maybe capitalism. Instead, we bounce around between a rotating cast of scientists, astronauts, cheese mongers, billionaire tech bros, diner regulars, and one very cursed Saturday Night Live episode. It's like a disaster movie crossed with a sociology paper, but funnier and with more dairy puns.

The plot meander a a bit and I admit I did I lose track of a few characters. But the short chapters kept things moving, and there’s something irresistible about how this book doesn’t try to be anything other than what it is: a ridiculous thought experiment with a surprising amount of insights into human behavior.

If you’ve read Kaiju Preservation Society or Starter Villain and enjoyed the vibes, you’ll probably enjoy this one too. If you haven’t, but the idea of “slice-of-life apocalypse, but make it cheese” sounds appealing, you might be in for a good time. Just don’t come in expecting hard sci-fi. This is soft cheese fiction. And that’s kind of the point.

Buy The Knight and the Moth

FORMAT/INFO: The Knight and the Moth will be published on May 20th, 2025. It is 400 pages and published by Orbit Books. It is available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats.

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: "Swords and armor are nothing to stone." That's the mantra of Aisling Cathedral, home to the six Diviners who dream of Omens and predict the future for those who come before them. Sybil Delling is one such Diviner. Like those who came before her, she and her fellow sisters were foundlings who have given ten years of their lives in service to the Cathedral in return for a place to call home. But with just a few months to go before their tenure ends, Sybil's sisters start to disappear without a trace, until only Sybil is left. Fleeing for her safety, the only person she can turn to is the heretical knight Rodrick, notable for his disdain of everything to do with Omens. Together, then two journey forth in search of the missing Diviners, only to uncover a darker truth than they could have imagined.

The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig is an absolutely beautiful gothic romance full of feminine fury. If the term "romantasy" (which I think is overly applied to any fantasy book that happens to feature a love story) is a turn off to you, I beg you to give this a second look. This isn't a race to get to spicy scenes; this is a slow burn romance of two people falling in love while exploring the dark mystery that surrounds the kingdom. While there is a spicy scene, it feels completely earned and keeps the descriptions fairly PG-13.

If you've read the author's previous Shepherd King duology, you may find some familiar beats in this plot, which is the one slight drawback to the story. Like the other series, there's an ominous kingdom full of dark forests and unforgiving landscapes, a group trying to collect magical items, and a romantic pairing at the center of it. But while I can spot the broad similarities, there's no denying the author executes the story extremely well.

In fact, in many ways The Knight and the Moth improves on the formula that came before (and I say this as someone who enjoyed the Shepherd King duology). I vastly preferred the romance in The Knight and the Moth to One Dark Window, finding Sybil and Rodrick equally matched foils who slowly move past their disdain for each other and find love. I also think the author does a much better job of keeping the main character of Sybil on the same pages as the reader, with her having epiphanies at the same time as me, instead of several chapters after the fact.

I also loved the growing evolution of Sybil of the course of the book. She begins to take strength from her anger at how her life has been controlled and manipulated. One of my favorite arcs of a character is when they go from relatively submissive to a strong individual capable of saying No to those who have taken advantage of them in the past. It was on full display here and it was glorious.

CONCLUSION: The Knight and the Moth earns every bit of its gothic romance label in the best way possible. It is atmospheric, romantic, and mysterious. It had me flying through the pages, and I am counting down the days until the sequel can be in my hands.

 

Book links: Amazon, Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: A native of Ames, Iowa, Dave loves writing, reading, boardgames, computer games, improv comedy, pizza, barbarian movies, and the cheaper end of the Taco Bell menu. Also, his wife and kids.

Dave is the author of Snood, Snoodoku, Snood Towers, and other computer games. Dave first published Snood in 1996, and it became one of the most popular shareware games of the early Internet. His most recent game is Scryptix, a word game for cell phones.

Dave taught geology, environmental studies, and computer programming at Guilford College for 24 years before stepping away to write full time. He does improv comedy every week at the Idiot Box in Greensboro, North Carolina. He’s also played the world’s largest tuba in concert. Not that that is relevant, but it’s still kinda cool. 

Publisher: Dave Dobson (May 21, 2024) Length:  395 pages Formats: ebook, paperback

I did not expect to enjoy this one as much as I did. I picked it up thinking I was in for a goofy sword & sorcery romp and I was right. What I didn't expect was how much personality it packed between the quips, one-liners, and brawls. 
The Glorious and Epic Tale of Lady Isovar is a fun mix of sword & sorcery, heroic epic, Monty Pythonesque humor and a buddy-cop tropes. Lady Isovar is a knight in shining armor. She’s brave, bold, big on honor, and low on planning. She's also unstoppable. 
Chevson, her squire and damage control specialist, trails behind with a notebook and a growing sense of dread. He's doing his best to rescue bystanders and stop Izzy from offending people or starting conflicts. The lad deserves a raise.
The plot is quite simple - there’s a wrong that needs righting, and by the gods, Izzy will right it! Possibly twice, just to be safe. The duo faces lots of classic fantasy villains - necromancers, dragons, tyrants, an oversized snake, and more. Lady Isovar dispatches them with a flair, usually in fun and chaotic ways. The plot consists of multiple interconnected (mostly) mini-quests.  
Tonally, it’s a joyful romp with likable characters, laugh out loud moments, and no brooding. The humor worked for me - it's clever, a little absurd, and occasionally so ridiculous I couldn't help but laugh. The sacred vows alone are worth attention. The friendship between Izzy and Chevson glues everything together. The knight has ADHD and the squire is just trying to get through the day without concussion, but despite being so different, they make a wonderful team. 
Dobson pokes fun at genre tropes but in a good-natured way and with respect. Brave deeds and heroic speeches do happen, but they never feel forced or out of place. Instead, they add some nuance, especially that Izzy's past isn't explained for a while. 
Now, the humor is very subjective. so it may not work for everyone. And yet I believe the humor here is good-natured, not very cynical and balanced so cjhances are most readers will find it amusing. Especially that beneath all the hijingks and jokes, there’s a surprising bit of heart. And the leading duo has an excellent chemistry and dynaimicvs. 
It’s silly. It’s heartfelt. It’s occasionally bloody. And I very much enjoyed the ride. I’d follow these two into battle.

 

Buy A Song of Legends Lost

FORMAT/INFO: A Song of Legends Lost was published in the UK on April 8th, 2025, and will be published in the US on June 3rd, 2025. It is 592 pages long and available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Everyone knows that only those of noble blood can invoke the ancestors, can call their spirits back to the mortal plane to fight in the wars against the greybloods. Or at least, that's what everyone thinks. But when a young woman in the slums summons a spirit, it sets off a chain reaction of events that will shift the Nine Lands forever. As families fight to determine the fate of the kingdom, one little detail slips through the cracks: not every spirit summoned is an ancestor.

A Song of Legends Lost is a truly unique science-fantasy story that will engross you as it keeps you guessing. It will be tempting for many of you to start this story and within a few chapters proclaim, "I know what's going on!" I certainly did that and I'm here to assure you that, like me, you will be wrong. This blend of magic and technology still has me (pleasantly) confused as to how it all ties together, as we only get a peek behind the curtain by the end of this first book.

The story immediately jumps into some bad situations with multiple characters, plunging you into the middle of things as you meet them. While a few POV characters stay the length of the book, some only stick around for chunks at a time, with the cast of POV characters changing as the story switches from Part 2 to Part 3, etc. This gives us a fairly wide view of the events that are playing out across the kingdom. The author does a good job overall of investing you in the characters, but given how much you jump around, I did occasionally find myself emotionally distanced from some characters more than others.

This is also a story that is working on two levels. On the surface you have the very real, sometimes deadly, political posturing between the monarchy, the powerful religious monks, and the noble families. But there is also a whole second layer of characters pulling strings for completely different reasons. To most, this is about protecting their power and protecting the Nine Lands from the dangerous graybloods. But to others, these power struggles are masking a completely different game. We don't know fully what's going on by the end of things, just that we are still in the dark about quite a lot.

That's where this story may be a bit frustrating for some. We only have a tantalizing glimpse of what's truly going on, with much mystery still to be unpacked in the subsequent sequels. Personally, there is plenty of adventure and growth to be found just in this book alone, but I did plead a little bit at the end to please give me just a liiiittle more detail of what's really going on? Please?

CONCLUSION: But in the end, that's while I'll be back for the sequel to A Song of Legends Lost. The author is clearly just getting started and I am ready to go along for the ride (especially after one especially juicy POV in the epilogue). If you're looking for something fresh and original to dive into, I wholly recommend checking out this story.

 

 

Book links: Amazon, Goodreads
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Ray Nayler is the author of the Locus Award winning novel The Mountain in the Sea. For nearly half his life, Ray has lived and worked outside the United States in the Foreign Service, the Peace Corps, and in international development. He was Environment, Science, Technology, and Health Officer at the U.S. consulate in Ho Chi Minh City. He most recently served as international advisor to the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and as a diplomatic fellow and visiting scholar at the George Washington University's Institute for International Science and Technology Policy. He lives in Washington, DC.
Publisher: MCD (April 1, 2025) Length: 336 pages Formats: audiobook, ebook, paperback
Nayler’s previous works impressed me. They are quieter, more cerebral, and heavier than most sci-fi I see nowadays. Where the Axe is Buried is no exception - it’s ambitious, sometimes dense, often cerebral, and very much not here to hold your hand.

Zoya, a revolutionary leader, is living on borrowed time. Lilia, a scientist, is quietly lighting a match under a corrupt regime. Both feel their world is falling apart in slow motion. Resistance movements aged into institutions, rebellion calcified into bureaucracy, and some people became symbols at the expense of their humanity. Surveillance became part of daily life, social credit systems force social obedience. Huh. Actually, it doesn’t feel like a far-off dystopia.

The story here is complex and drops readers into a tangled web of politics, ideologies, and slippery truths. There were definitely moments where I had to pause, re-read, or just pause. It’s dense, and not every reader is going to vibe with that. Especially if you come to sci-fi for character-driven stories -because while the characters here are interesting, they’re not always warm or even likable.

There’s a lot of high-concept tech in here (consciousness transfer, AI-run governments, memory networks), which is cool and disturbing. What happens when history is controlled by algorithms? Who decides what the future looks like? Can power ever truly be neutral? And so on, and so on, with no simple answers.

Overall, I felt Where The Axe is Buried is more interested in systems than individuals, in ideology over intimacy. It’s intellectually rich, occasionally chilly, but worth the effort. 

 

Buy A Drop of Corruption
Read a review of Book One, The Tainted Cup
Read Lukasz's review of A Drop of Corruption

FORMAT/INFO: A Drop of Corruption was published by Del Rey on April 1st, 2025. It is 465 pages long and available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats.

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Investigators Ana and Dinios are used to unusual crimes, so investigating the disappearance of a Treasury officer from a locked room is a relatively trivial matter. It's only a matter of hours before Ana not only works out how the person disappeared, but also deduces that they have been murdered as well. But as to who did it and why? That's a much trickier mystery to solve. The culprit seems to possess an almost supernatural ability to circumvent security measures and to anticipate Ana's investigation. The only thing Ana knows for sure is that the murderer's ultimate target is the Shroud, a high-security factory where the Empire harvests the leviathan blood that drives so much of it. And if the Shroud falls, the Empire could fall with it.

A Drop of Corruption is another rousing success from Robert Jackson Bennett, at once both a twisty mystery and harsh critique of colonialism. Returning fans will settle right back in with Ana and Din's familiar cadence: Din does the leg-work, interviewing witnesses and assessing crime scenes, while Ana takes the information and works out how the pieces come together. I was glad to see how Din had grown into his role, understanding that Ana's sometimes odd requests always have a reason, and knowing what kinds of information Ana is looking for.

Even though Ana and Din are working on behalf of the Empire, this is not a book that takes the side of the Empire. Instead, it uses the mystery to examine the messy can of worms that comes from colonizing an already inhabited land. While many of those Din interviews are high level officials, there is attention paid to the common folk who get caught in the middle of the political games between the Empire and the native regional government. The story also acknowledges that there are no clean solutions to the problem, as the Empire pulling out of the colony comes with its own set of headaches and injustices.

This book never feels like a lecture, however, because the message is blended with the absolutely engrossing world-building. A Drop of Corruption continues to iterate on the weird alchemical enhancements introduced in the first book, introducing us to new weird ways people alter themselves in this world. And in the process of delving deeper into the science of alchemy...well let's say some past things that may have registered as off to some readers may start to make sense.

CONCLUSION: In short, A Drop of Corruption further solidifies Robert Jackson Bennett as an autobuy author for me. From his deep, intricate world-building to his real world commentary, every one of his books is a full meal. Even if you're just here for the mystery, you're going to have a great time. But for those who just want to lose themselves in a completely different world? You need to pick his books up.

 

 Buy The Gentleman and His Vowsmith

FORMAT/INFO: The Gentleman and His Vowsmith releases on April 15th, 2024 from Saga Press Books. It is 464 pages long and available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats.

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: To save his crumbling family estate, playboy Lord Nicholas Monterris has finally agreed to take a wife. As is tradition, that means the families of the bride and groom will be magically locked into the Monterris family manor while the magical marriage contract is negotiated and signed. To make a bad situation worse, the vowsmith for the bride's family is none other than Dashiell sa Vare, an old flame of Nicholas's who ended their relationship years ago suddenly and without warning. But all past feuds have to be set aside when people start turning up dead. Someone doesn't want this marriage to go through and they're willing to kill to make it happen. Nicholas, Dashiell, and bride-to-be Leaf have to work together to find the murderer before they end up the next victim.

The Gentleman and His Vowsmith is a well-mixed blend of Regency murder mystery and queer romantasy. It takes two rival noble families and their underlings, traps them in an isolated manor house, and mixes in a little murder and a dash of ghostly apparitions. The result is a pot bubbling over with emotions, ranging from love to resentment. In the forced proximity, people are forced to confront their unspoken affections and hash out long simmering hatred. All of this is underpinned by the overall gothic tone, the dark hallways and eerie sights that leave the guests wondering if the murderer is human...or something else.

And with all this talk of passion, now is the time to mention that this is definitely a spicy romantasy. If you're not a fan of explicit scenes, don't pick this one up. Things get hot and heavy between our leads in short order, and it carries on throughout the book. Honestly, as much as I enjoyed the catharsis of two pining lovers finally satiating themselves, at a certain point I was wishing they would keep their hands off each other for five minutes so we could get back to the murder solving.

(I also want to mention that if you're concerned that the bride in this situation gets the short end of the stick, don't worry. This isn't a situation where she's being cheated on or otherwise getting left out in the cold. She's being forced into the marriage as much as Nicholas and for various reasons is perfectly fine with him wanting to be with someone else.)

I did enjoy the queer reimagining of the Regency era, with same sex pairings fully accepted. This doesn't mean Regency society is suddenly perfect. Social stratification still exists (a noble cannot simply marry a "lowly" vowsmith") and you're still expected to carry on the family name through marriage (even if it requires something like a "stud" clause for those who don't want to sexually partner with their spouse). Nobody blinks an eye, however, at the idea of same sex relationships, as long as all the other social norms are being followed.

Overall the mystery itself is a solid twisty affair, with plenty of clues and red herrings to keep the reader on their toes. There's lots of family drama to unpack, with each new revelation providing another motive for murder. I admit, I was slightly underwhelmed by the eventual reveal of the murderer at the end of the day (given the range of options I had considered), but the journey to get to that point was satisfying.

CONCLUSION: In short, do you like murder mysteries? Do you like romantasy? If you answered yes to both questions, then do yourself a favor and pick up The Gentleman and his Vowsmith

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: JA Andrews lives deep in the Rocky Mountains of Montana with her husband and three children. She is eternally grateful to CS Lewis for showing her the luminous world of Narnia. She wishes Jane Austen had lived 200 years later so they could be pen pals. She is furious at JK Rowling for introducing her to house elves, then not providing her a way to actually employ one. And she is constantly jealous of her future-self who, she is sure, has everything figured out.
Find J.A. online: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Bookish Things Newsletter Signup with free short story 
Runelight links: Amazon, Goodreads
ESMAY
You know, as much as I enjoy a wickedly inventive genre blender, sometimes all you need is some good ol’ traditional epic fantasy, and that is exactly what J.A. Andrews delivers in Runelight. Part rescue quest, part treasure hunt, this is a comfortingly familiar character-driven fantasy adventure full of mystifying mysteries and mystical magic.
Runelight is one of those books that just starts with a bang and has one hell of a strong hook. See, we follow a trio of young siblings as they stumble upon a mysterious aenigma box in a cave system, only to be devastatingly torn apart when their discovery attracts unwanted attention. Fast forward 20 years to now 32-year-old Keeper Kate, who has spent the past two decades hopelessly trying to solve the inexplicable mystery of the missing magic box and her lost brother… only for a surly elf to show up with that very same aenigma box and the shocking news that her other brother, Bo, has now vanished as well; cue the drama, mayhem, and adventure!
Now, even though the hectic and action-packed start was a bit overwhelming for me, I did really like how it set up the stakes and established the core motivations and relationships that drive this entire narrative forward. Plus, Kate immediately proved to be a very rootable protagonist, though I do have to say that she felt a bit immature (girlie did not read as early 30s to me) and kept grinding my gears with her tendency to speak her thoughts out loud to herself in the early parts of the book. Still, I was just beyond intrigued by all the mysteries going on in her life, be that the mystery surrounding the mystifying magic box, the fate of her disappeared brothers, the enigmatic shadow man following them all around, or any of the confounding trials and tribulations that she has to face on this dangerous mission.
Moreover, the side characters were also very likeable to me, even if they felt a bit stereotypical in their characterisation. See, for me Runelight just shines in its wholesome interpersonal relationships, and I was quite entertained by all the fun character dynamics amongst the little unlikely motley crew that Kate assembles to go on her rescue mission. There’s a good bit of snarky banter and light-hearted teasing between the idiosyncratic Kate, Venn the surly elf and Silas & Tribal the mischievous dwarves, and I really enjoyed seeing how they overcame their differences and prejudices to work towards their common goal.
All that said, I can’t sit here and pretend that Runelight was a smooth ride the entire way through for me. See, this book is quite a chunker, and I personally felt like the pacing was really hindered by some overly descriptive passages, a couple of very repetitive (internal) conversations and a frustrating lack of any satisfying answers/revelations for way too long. I mean, yes, I burned through this 700+ page book in just 3 days, but I think that was more because of the fact that Andrews’s prose is just so effortlessly readable than out of any real investment in the story or characters.
Ultimately though, it was just very nice and comforting to be back in the world of the Keepers that I had fallen in love with when I read The Keeper Chronicles a few years ago (oh how the little easter eggs made my heart smile!), even if Runelight never reached the heights of that series for me. If you like your fantasy to be character-driven, familiar, mysterious, adventurous, and full of heart, then I would recommend embarking on this epic journey.
ŁUKASZ
Runelight follows Kate, a Keeper (a storyteller-mage) on a quest to find her missing brother and the mysterious box linked to his disappearance. It starts strong - with mystery, high personal stakes, and a promise of adventure. It also delivers a female-led buddy adventure, which is cool, since epic fantasy rarely features platonic relationships between women. Kate forms alliance with Venn, a grumpy, emotionally scarred elf. It soon turns into a meaningful friendship. There’s no romantic tension, no enemies-to-lovers, just two women figuring out how to trust and fight alongside one another. For me, Kate and Venn’s friendship is the best part of the story. Set in the same universe as the author’s Keeper Chronicles, Runelight brings in familiar lore but has a different vibe. The tone is adventurous with an Indiana Jones-style flair. Puzzles, peril, ancient secrets, you name it. The antagonist remains mysterious, and it fits the story’s atmosphere of solving a long-buried mystery. But… I gotta be honest, this book felt way too long. Like, not just “epic fantasy long,” but bloated long. A lot of the middle felt repetitive - characters rehashing the same questions, Kate talking out loud to herself (a lot), and not much actual movement on the mystery front. I kept waiting for some big reveals or momentum to kick in, and instead the book kind of… wandered. And then, just when you think it’s building to something big, it pivots into a long flashback. That was a weird choice and kind of killed the tension. I also didn’t totally buy Kate as a thirty-something protagonist-she read way younger to me-and some of the worldbuilding leaned too heavily on characters sitting around explaining things to each other. There’s definitely cool stuff in the lore and magic system, but I wanted to experience it through the story, not just be told about it. Overall, Runelight had some really cool moments, but it dragged and left too much unresolved. Still, if you prefer heart and wit over blood and grit, chances are you’ll dig this one :) Also, the audiobook narrator does a great job!
OFFICIAL SPFBO SCORE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: JA Andrews lives deep in the Rocky Mountains of Montana with her husband and three children. She is eternally grateful to CS Lewis for showing her the luminous world of Narnia. She wishes Jane Austen had lived 200 years later so they could be pen pals. She is furious at JK Rowling for introducing her to house elves, then not providing her a way to actually employ one. And she is constantly jealous of her future-self who, she is sure, has everything figured out.
Find J.A. online: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Bookish Things Newsletter Signup with free short story 
Runelight links: Amazon, Goodreads
Thank you for agreeing to this interview. Before we start, tell us a little about yourself.
Hi! Thanks for inviting me! I’m Janice, and I live deep in the mountains of Montana, which I love. I’ve been an indie author for 8 years now, writing epic fantasy. All my trilogies are in the same world, and all are at least vaguely interrelated, although you can start with any of them that you like.
Including starting with Runelight.
Do you have a day job? If so, what is it?
Not one that pays! I homeschool my three teenagers and write.
Who are some of your favorite writers, and why is their work important to you?
My very favorite book (and one of the few non-fantasy books I read) is Pride and Prejudice, so Jane Austen is definitely a favorite of mine. She’s just so good at characterization and dialogue and subtext. I love her.
What do you like most about the act of writing?
This is a shockingly hard question. On any given day, writing might be either incredibly fun and feel like stepping right into my favorite world with fascinating people living an adventure—or it could be a painstaking effort to grind out every sentence.
Since that’s not an incredibly useful answer, I’ll add that dialog is by far my favorite part of writing.
Can you lead us through your creative process? What works and doesn’t work for you? How long do you need to finish a book?
I’ve discovered that I need to plan extensively before I write or I wander off course in the book and end up with an embarrassingly large amount of words that have to be cut out and left on the writing room floor.
I average one book a year, and even though every time I swear the next one will be faster, I have yet to make that a reality.
What made you decide to self-publish Runelight as opposed to traditional publishing?
I never have sought a traditional publishing contract. When I first looked into getting published, the traditional route felt so cumbersome that when I learned self-publishing was becoming a viable route, I jumped at the chance to have more control over the process. I’ve had such a positive experience self-publishing that I don’t currently have any interest in seeking out a traditional contract.
What do you think the greatest advantage of self-publishing is? And disadvantage?
The freedom to write the books I want and publish on the schedule I want. The disadvantage is that you don’t get the marketing power of the big publishers, and it’s a heckuva lot harder to get into bookstores.
Why did you enter SPFBO?
This was my 5th time entering SPFBO. I honestly hadn’t expected to reach the finals, but every year in the contest I’ve met great authors and bloggers and was excited to do the same this year. I think the community in SPFBO is the best part of the competition.
Your book is available in audiobook format. Can you share your experience producing it and a reflection if it was worth it?
I have the privilege of working with Podium to produce my audiobooks, and they provided me with amazing narrators. It’s been an excellent experience, and I’m so glad I did it.
How would you describe the plot of Runelight if you had to do so in just one or two sentences?
Indiana Jones meets classic epic fantasy. Two women embark on a rescue mission and find themself tangled in secrets and puzzles that are centuries old.
What was your initial inspiration for Runelight? How long have you been working on it? Has it evolved from its original idea?
After reading Michael J Sullivan’s Riyria series, I really wanted to write a similar thing with two female leads. Sort of a female buddy cop idea, because even though in life it’s very common for women to have deep, long-term friendships, I don’t see a lot of it in epic fantasy.
Runelight is set in the world of the Keepers, like my other books, and the main character Kate had already been introduced very briefly at the end of my Keeper Chronicles. I thought an Indiana Jones type adventure would be fun to write, and it has been! My original idea was more of a tone than a plot, so the book has stayed pretty faithful to that.
If you had to describe it in 3 adjectives, which would you choose.
Okay, I can’t seem to do this with adjectives, so I’m taking creative license and giving you three nouns. Found family, friendship, puzzles.
Is it part of the series or a standalone? If series, how many books have you planned for it?
It’s the first book in The Aenigma Lights Trilogy.
Who are the key players in this story? Could you introduce us to Runelight’s protagonists/antagonists?
Our protagonist is Kate, a Keeper (storyteller/mage) who’s searching for her brother who’s been missing for twenty years and the magical aenigma box that was connected to his disappearance. Along with her is Venn, an elf who has a decent amount of grump and a good deal of baggage. The two women go from enemies to besties while thrown neck-deep in secrets and mysteries that have spanned centuries.
The antagonist is…well, if Kate knew that, she’d be steps ahead of where she is. All she knows is a shadow–who might be kidnapping and murdering people–has apparently abducted (or killed?) her one remaining brother.
Does your book feature a magic/magic system? If yes, can you describe it?
Keeper magic involves moving energy from living things or fire, and manipulating it into heating other things or healing things or infusing things with life.
In a past life, I was an engineer, and this magic system involves the same sort of energy transfer we use on a daily basis, complete with massive inefficiencies and generally a lot of unnecessary heat generation.
Have you written the book with a particular audience in mind?
I write all my books for an adult audience who love classic epic fantasy tropes, but want them with a character driven, more modern feel.
I also write all my books so that my kids can read them at any age. So while they’re written for adults with adult characters and issues, there’s no graphic violence or language or sexual situations.
What’s new or unique about your book that we don’t see much in speculative fiction these days?
I think the idea of the central relationship being a friendship between women (which starts out more of a prickly forced companionship) is strangely rare in modern speculative fiction. I don’t tend to write much romance, but I do always end up with a lot of found family tropes in my writing. This, though, was the first time I just focused on a flat out friendship of a human mage and an elf, learning to respect and grow close to each other despite their differences.
Cover art is always an important factor in book sales. Can you tell us about the idea behind the cover of Runelight and the artist?
My artist is St. Jupiter, and it was really fun working with her to come up with symbolic artwork that could portray the mysterious runes that Kate deals with during the book.
What are you currently working on that readers might be interested in learning more about, and when can we expect to see it released?
I’m currently working on the final book in the trilogy, and the preorder date is set for summer of 2025!
Thank you for taking the time to answer all the questions. In closing, do you have any parting thoughts or comments you would like to share with our readers?
Thanks so much for having me! Fantasy Book Critic is such an integral part of SPFBO, I really appreciate getting the chance to hang out with you!

 

Mark Lawrence has never been one to pull punches, and The Book That Held Her Heart might just deliver his most merciless finale yet. Everything that made The Library Trilogy special (an ambitious blend of mystery, adventure, and philosophical musing) collides violently, and with lots of powerful twists.
This time, the stakes are cataclysmic. The fate of the infinite library hangs by a thread, and Livira and Evar, once inseparable, are scattered across time. Livira is chasing answers through the labyrinthine past, while Evar is trapped in an impossible situation, kept alive through means best left unspoiled. Meanwhile, the war over the library rages on, with no simple resolutions is sight.
The Book That Held Her Heart feels darker and weightier that its predecessors. Not just in terms of stakes - though those are plenty brutal - but in its themes. The story brings in a new perspective through Anne Hoffman, a Jewish girl in Nazi Germany, tying the library’s war to the real-world horrors of book burning and historical erasure. It’s a bold move, and Lawrence makes it land. I feel the incorporation of real-world history into already mind-bending worldbuilding was a gamble, but it payed off. Ultimately, the story that has always been about books, memory, and the battle between knowledge and ignorance. 
Despite the weighty themes (censorship, history’s cyclical nature, and the cost of knowledge) the novel never drags. Lawrence balances it all with his trademark wit and clever chapter epigraphs. The ending is powerful and I needed a moment to process it.
The Book That Held Her Heart is a stunning, gut-punch of a conclusion. It demands patience, rewards rereads, and cements Lawrence as one of the genre’s most daring storytellers.

 

Official Author Website
Order The Sanguine Sands over HERE 
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Crimson Queen
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s review of The Umbral Storm
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s review  of The Book Of Zog
Read Fantasy Book Critic's interview with Alec Hutson
Read TUS Cover Reveal Q&A with Alec Hutson
Watch ATFB Interview with Alec Hutson
Watch TBOZ & TUS Video interview with Alec Hutson

AUTHOR INFORMATION: Alec Hutson was born in the north-eastern part of the United States and from an early age was inculcated with a love of reading fantasy. He was the Spirit Award winner for Carleton College at the 2002 Ultimate Frisbee College National Championships. He has watched the sun set over the dead city of Bagan and rise over the living ruins of Angkor Wat. He grew up in a geodesic dome and a bookstore, and currently lives in Shanghai, China.
 
OFFICIAL BOOK BLURB: The Heart of the Heart has been found.
In the ruined palace of the Radiant Emperor the Light shard had been hidden for a thousand years, but now a sliver of its power has entered the flesh of Heth Su Canaav. Once Hollow, he has been reborn as one of the Sharded Few. Its discovery will shake the world . . . if anyone lives to tell of its existence.

For hunters stalk the refugees from the Duskhold. Powerful Sharded, unnatural sorcerers, and creatures that they cannot yet comprehend. Deryn and Heth must flee to the ancient city of Karath, where they hope answers await about who was behind the attempt to murder Rhenna Shen, and why one of the mysterious Elowyn directed them to find the House of Last Light.

The north lurches towards war, Shadow and Storm closing around the flickering Flame, while the Blood scheme in the black ziggurats of the Sanguine City, and far away something stirs in the frozen wastes where the disciples of Ice cling to an ancient faith . . .

CLASSIFICATION: The Sharded Few saga  is a unique mix of The Way of Kings and Blood Song as it provides the epic world & magic system of Brandon Sanderson’s magnum opus while also providing the character rich story found in Anthony Ryan’s debut.
 

FORMAT/INFO: The Sanguine Sands is 528 pages long divided over forty-five POV titled chapters with a prologue and an epilogue. Narration is in the third person via Deryn, Heth Su Canaav, Alia, Kaliss & a singular POV chapter (titled the Cleric). This is the second volume of the Sharded Few series.
 
April 7th, 2025 marked the e-book publication of The Sanguine Sands  and it was self-published by the author. Cover art is by YAM (Mansik Yang) and design-typography by Shawn T. King.
 

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: I’ve been besotted with this world and story since Alec Hutson first granted me an ARC of The Umbral Storm. The first book was an incredible start and it was my favourite book of 2022 alongside being FBC’s SPFBO Finalist selection. The author had gone through very trying personal situations and that’s the major reason for the 3 year wait between TUS and its sequel. But here we are and when The Sanguine Sands landed in my inbox, I was overjoyed as I couldn’t wait to see how the author upped the magnificent story that was The Umbral Storm.

The Sanguine Sands opens up with a prologue wherein we get to see a further corner of the world and within it a very creepy monastery with a wild interior design. I believe the timing of the prologue corresponds to the latter half of TUS. The story opens with our POV characters Alia, Deryn, Heth and lady Rhenna as they are the only survivors of the assassination attempt. However Alia and Heth are not longer just “hollow”. They have now newer aspects to themselves and have been given a path towards the free city of Karath. Wherein they must find the House of Last Light and learn more about the mysteries of the world. However they also have to lay low while making the journey as Rhenna wishes to know who truly was behind the assassination attempt. All of this and more machinations abide in this thrilling sequel which ups the ante in every department.

Let me state the obvious, I was a huge fan of the first book and hence one might wonder how objective my review can be. Let me assure you, I was very apprehensive about this sequel as anticipation can often kneecap one’s favourites more than anything else. Alec had also written a different fantasy title in between (The Pale Blade) this series and that meant he was returning almost 3 years to this sequel. I was so wrong about having to worry as I can safely shout that this book is triply magnificent.

Once again the worldbuilding shines as we get more knowledge about the various Sharded holds but also about various geographical aspects of the world and get a nautical journey as well. The author also illuminates other races that are present in the world and here I must highlight the author’s love for turtles within his books (you’ll know when you see it). 

This book outdoes its predecessor in one more aspect, TUS’s start was said to be a bit on the slower side by some but here there’s no slowing down at all, from the moment the foursome start their journey towards Karath to the exciting climax, the plot pace is ever engaging. Another plus point in the characterization and herein the trio of Alia, Deryn & Heth get more to do. Alia particularly also gets more chapters than in the first volume. Plus one of my favourite secondary characters from the first book Kaliss gets a POV turn and her chapters are even more action-packed than the rest of the book. 

The character work has to be lauded as we get to see all three of our POV characters break out of their mould and learn to adapt to new (& frankly scary situations). I enjoyed how the author is allowing these young characters to age into the adults they will becoming. Alec Hutson is a person who knows how to keep the readers enticed with his characterization and this series is another fine example of it. 

This book similar to the first one is absolutely filled to the brim with worldbuilding and within this sequel we get to know more of the world’s history, theological past and magic system workings. I can’t reveal more because they are all huge spoilers but safe to say, most if not all of my curiosities (as spoken with Alec in our interview) were answered. I LOVED this aspect as it made the worlbuilding junkie go gaga. Lastly the ending was just perfect, it ends the story so precisely and with such a tantalizing premise that I felt the climax was better than its predecessor.

For me, there were only two minor complaints about this book. First that it ends on such a tantalizing note and now we have to wait until the third book releases to find out what happens next. Secondly I think the author kept the story with a very tight focus on the main POV characters. I thought that there was a possibility that if we could have seen more of the events in the north and it would added to the epicness of the story. However that would also detract from the plot’s tightness and maybe I would be complaining otherwise.

CONCLUSION: The Sanguine Sands is a sequel that made even a bigger fan of Alec Hutson, epic worldbuilding and fantastic characterization have been Alec’s forte but this series of his is turning out be his best one yet. If you love epic fantasy then you can’t miss out on The Sharded Few saga. 

Livira is brains. Evar is muscle. But it’s Mark Lawrence’s book, so you can’t oversimplify it like that.

Sabbers had ravaged Livira’s desert village, but she survived. By sheer luck, she got a possibility to train at the expansive library in the city of Cragh. Livira’s IQ is off the charts, so she learns quicker than anyone else.
Meanwhile, Evar Eventari and his four siblings live in the library, affected by a mysterious Mechanism, capable of transforming books into tangible experiences. They’ve been trapped there for ages, untouched by time’s passage. Each of them gained valuable skills and knowledge from the books they entered, except for Evar. He only knows that something—or someone—is amiss, and so he embarks on a quest to find them.
The story is unique in its approach to romance and time; it spans years for Livira but only days for Evar. Their storylines revolve around each other but focus on many things. Maybe even too many? Anyway, the central theme of knowledge and its power to shape reality impressed me. I found Livira’s story more interesting than Evar’s but both are strong.
The issues I have with the story tie with its length and detailed world-building that slows the pace down and requires a lot of attention. It’s possible all of this will pay off in the sequels; However, I felt some parts simply dragged. The love story between the two is quite peculiar. They’re separated briefly after their first encounter, but it doesn’t stop them from getting deeply in love. Now, it’s not insta-love the way you suspect, but it felt abrupt.
That said, the story keeps personal stakes high and twists are coming left and right, keeping the suspense high. I’m not in love with this book, but I’m interested to see what happens after THIS ending.

 

Book links: Amazon, Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Robert Jackson Bennett is a two-time award winner of the Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novel, an Edgar Award winner for Best Paperback Original, and is also the 2010 recipient of the Sydney J Bounds Award for Best Newcomer, and a Philip K Dick Award Citation of Excellence. City of Stairs was shortlisted for the Locus Award and the World Fantasy Award. City of Blades was a finalist for the 2015 World Fantasy, Locus, and British Fantasy Awards. His eighth novel, FOUNDRYSIDE, will be available in the US on 8/21 of 2018 and the UK on 8/23.

Publisher: Del Rey (April 1, 2025) Length: 458 Formats: audiobook, ebook, hardcover

Robert Jackson Bennett has done it again. A Drop of Corruption takes everything that made The Tainted Cup great (impossible murders, weird biology, razor-sharp wit) and somehow makes it even better. There’s a new impossible crime, more unsettling biology, and, most importantly, more Ana Dolabra - the world’s strangest mind. 

This time around, Ana and her long-suffering assistant Dinios Kol are sent to the empire’s edges to investigate a treasury officer’s disappearance. And let me tell you - it’s a gruesome murder, because if there’s one thing Bennett knows how to do, it’s making sure every crime scene sticks in your brain. This one involves dismemberment, vanished body parts, and a killer who seems to walk through walls. 

Ana solves the surface-level mystery in about five minutes, but the deeper they dig, the more tangled the case becomes. The stakes turn shockingly high. If they fail, the entire empire could collapse, and leave the world defenseless against the leviathans. No pressure. Someone out there is playing a game Ana isn’t used to losing, and Din finds himself torn between his duty as her “engraver” and his growing realization that being an investigator might not be the life he truly wants.

Now, for me the series works because we follow a brilliant and fascinating character (Ana) through the eyes of a much more bland one (Din). Din is to Ana what Watson was to Sherlock - a trusted assistant with some personality but not enough charisma to carry the series. A Drop of Corruption gives us glimpses into Ana’s past and hints at what she truly is. She’s still an enigma, but things get much clearer and much more exciting. Din, meanwhile, starts questioning his place in all of this. He signed up to be Ana’s eyes and ears to pay off his father’s debts, but as he gets drawn deeper into the empire’s ugly truths, he starts to wonder if he should be fighting to save it or choose a simpler and more profitable path.

The world-building continues to impress and remains one of the most inventive things I’ve ever read. The concept of Leviathans and the horrifying ways in which their blood transforms environment is cool. Then we have the Shroud - a living, organic space with peculiar properties. And the new characters fit right into this strange, unsettling world. Mala, for example, has an enhanced sense of smell (and more), which makes her an excellent investigator but also means she’s experiencing reality in ways that most people can’t understand.

Since Bennett doesn’t do one-note villains, the antagonist is ruthless, brilliant, and broken. Their backstory is a slow-burn tragedy that creeps up on you. If I had to nitpick, I’d say that the book is sometimes too detailed and repetitive in the middle. But honestly, when the writing is this good, why would I want to nitpick?

Ultimately, I’m satisfied, impressed, and desperately hoping we get another one in the series. Because if Bennett keeps building on this foundation, we might just be looking at one of the best fantasy mystery series of the decade.

(THE SANGUINE SANDS COVER ART by Mansik Yang/YAM)

Preorder The Sanguine Sands over HEREAdd The Sanguine Sands on Goodreads
 Today we have the unbridled joy of revealing the cover for THE SANGUINE SANDS, book #2 of the Sharded Few series by Alec Hutson. Featuring  scintillating art by Mansik Yang (Yam) & snazzy design-typography by the under-appreciated & underrated Shawn T. King. 
The book will be releasing on April 7th & you can check out the gorgeous cover and its blurb below:


Official Book Blurb: The Heart of the Heart has been found.
In the ruined palace of the Radiant Emperor the Light shard had been hidden for a thousand years, but now a sliver of its power has entered the flesh of Heth Su Canaav. Once Hollow, he has been reborn as one of the Sharded Few. Its discovery will shake the world . . . if anyone lives to tell of its existence.
For hunters stalk the refugees from the Duskhold. Powerful Sharded, unnatural sorcerers, and creatures that they cannot yet comprehend. Deryn and Heth must flee to the ancient city of Karath, where they hope answers await about who was behind the attempt to murder Rhenna Shen, and why one of the mysterious Elowyn directed them to find the House of Last Light.
The north lurches towards war, Shadow and Storm closing around the flickering Flame, while the Blood scheme in the black ziggurats of the Sanguine City, and far away something stirs in the frozen wastes where the disciples of Ice cling to an ancient faith . . . 

 

Buy LAST CHANCE TO SAVE THE WORLD
Read the review of Book One: Full Speed to a Crash Landing

OFFICIAL AUTHOR BIO: Beth Revis grew up in the Appalachian Mountains with a cemetery in her backyard, which is probably why she prefers her stories to be dark and full of twists. She’s the New York Times bestselling author of the Across the Universe trilogy, which has been translated into more than 20 languages. Beth lives in a house full of boys—her husband, son, and two massive dogs—and she forces them all to watch reruns of Firefly and Doctor Who. Visit her at bethrevis.com.

FORMAT/INFO: Last Chance to Save the World will be published on April 8th, 2025 from DAW Books. It is 133 pages and available in hardcover and ebook formats.

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: It's a race against time as con artist Ada pulls off her most daring escapade yet. The target: the launching facility of a fleet of nanodrones during one of the most publicized (and secured) events in the galaxy. The mission: upload a code that will delete the secret planned obsolescence code in the nanobots planted by the company that built them, ensuring the bots fulfill their mission to clean the environmental damage on Earth. Ada's convinced government agent Rian to help her, but can she count on him not to betray her at the last minute?

Last Chance to Save the World is a fun and frenetic finale, even if it does lose a bit of the chemistry between its leads along the way. While all the books in this novella series revolve around individual capers, they've all been part of one overarching arc that we see play out in this last adventure. Once again, we're treated to the unreliable narrator of Ada, who doesn't always tell the reader everything that's going on. Is everything going according to her plan? Only Ada knows until the final chapter plays out.

I do love seeing a well-executed plan, and there's plenty of that here. Seeds planted in previous books blossom into fruition for the finale and there's always one more ace up Ada's sleeve. It's a slick Hollywood heist film ending where the real bad guys get their just desserts.

But I also love seeing evenly matched opponents in these kinds of stories, and that's where Last Chance to Save the World fell a bit flat. In the first book, Rian was a worthy foil to Ada, with his own counter-moves that she had to outfox. Here, he's little more than helpless eye-candy. Sure, we're teased that he has a plan of his own, but he never surprises Ada or has the upper hand. She's always one step ahead and we know it, which takes away the chemistry between the two characters. The heat in the romance came from the danger of knowing that Rian COULD outsmart Ada if she's not careful, and that's just not showcased here.

CONCLUSION: From start to finish, the Chaotic Orbits novellas are a rollicking fun time that will leave you grinning. Now that the trilogy is complete, readers can watch Ada's plans unfold from start to finish in just a few sittings. I will always be a fan of Ada's chaotic energy, her constant shifting of conversational topics and goals designed to put her opponents on their back feet. If you're looking for a quick and easy entertaining adventure, these are just the reading snack to bite into.

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Joaquín Baldwin writes epic fantasy with a queer touch. As a multidisciplinary artist, he’s been recognized for his work in cinematography, photography, 3D design, and illustration, and his animated shorts have won over 100 awards. He unadvisedly decided that writing novels was the next thing on his list. While at Disney, he worked on films such as Zootopia, Encanto, Frozen and Moana. He spends an inordinate amount of time crafting the complex world of the Noss Saga. Visit him at joaquinbaldwin.com.

Wolf of Withervale links: Amazon, Goodreads
ESMAY

Wolf of Withervale is pitched as “An ambitious, sweeping saga—as epic as it is queer.”, and I honestly think that sums it up more perfectly than I ever could. It’s got ancient relics, mystifying magic, shape-shifting powers, diverse races and rich cultures, wholesome found family vibes, epic quests, all the queer love, and more mystery, intrigue and heart than you ever knew you needed.
As with any good start to an epic fantasy series, Wolf of Withervale is quite the slow-burn set-up book, but not in the boring way. From the moment I met Lago, I found him to be an extremely likeable and compelling protagonist, and I absolutely loved exploring all the mysteries and intricacies of the world together with him. I mean, I always love me a good morally grey anti-hero, but sometimes you just want to follow genuinely good people doing their best to do good things for the world and the people around them, and that is exactly what Baldwin offers.

Don’t get me wrong, Wolf of Withervale definitely has some dark aspects and there is no lack of conflict and stakes, but somehow I found this entire story to just be inexplicably cozy (which the wonderfully narrated audiobook probably also contributed to). For me, the nuanced interpersonal relationships and authentic personal inner journeys just kept me quite engaged, and I loved the found family vibes that started to develop between these loveable misfits. I mean, Alaia truly deserves the award for best friend in the world, and Bear is just the goodest boy ever.
I really enjoyed that they each have such a different background, because that allowed us to naturally get to learn all about this fascinating world as they share their own experiences and knowledge. And what a world it is! To me, the world of Noss is up there with The Wheel of Time or Stormlight Archive in both the breadth and depth of the world building, and I found myself fascinated by all the post-cataclysmic mysteries, the intricacies of the tense political landscape, and the level of rich diversity, be that on a racial, cultural or sexual level.

I mean, there is absolutely no denying that there were quite a few overwhelming info-dumps that went in one ear and out the other for me, but for the most part I think Baldwin actually did a pretty good job of balancing and interweaving the world building with the characters’ personal journeys. Especially the mysterious influence that the ancient wolf-like mask relic had on Lago kept me glued to the page, and I loved how his new-found shape-shifting powers and his transformative journey highlighted the story’s core themes of human connection, nature, empathy, belonging, and queerness.
And speaking of queerness, Wolf of Withervale is just hella gay, and I was mostly all here for it. That said, although I enjoyed the soul-deep connection between Banook and Lago, I am personally not the biggest fan of age-gap romances, and especially the whole ‘cub’ as a term of endearment made me feel deeply uncomfortable. Moreover, while I really liked Baldwin’s lush and descriptive prose in most sections of the story, I personally found the blunt and graphic way that most of the explicit scenes were written to be a bit off-putting.
Still, those quibbles didn’t end up hindering my enjoyment all that much, and I was just happily plodding along on this epic adventure. Sure, the pacing is quite wobbly, and I can’t sit here and pretend that I was really invested in the macro plot with the escalating war, but somehow I was just along for the ride (which the audiobook once again probably also helped with). And between the occasional intriguing non-Lago POV chapters and the ominously enticing (if slightly abrupt) ending, I am quite curious to see what Baldwin has in store in the rest of the Noss saga.
If you are sick and tired of all the bleak worlds filled with morally gray anti-heroes, then Wolf of Withervale will be a wonderful breath of fresh air. It’s somehow both comfortingly familiar and refreshingly diverse, and I can’t recommend it highly enough to anyone who likes their fantasy epic, slow, indulgent, character-driven, and unapologetically queer.
ŁUKASZ
The Wolf of Withervale is a curious beast. On one hand, it’s a dazzling display of creativity, worldbuilding, and queerness. On the other, it can feel like a bit of a slog if you don't have patience for dense storytelling, detailed romances, and some eyebrow-raising narrative choices.  
The story follows Lago Vaari, a young outcast who gets a magical wolf mask that changes the course of his life and his very identity. Others want it too, so Lago has to run from an empire hungry for mask's power. The setup is fantastic,  and aetheric magic system is a standout feature (well thought-out, combines science and magic, nerdy in the best way.) 
But here’s the rub: while the first half moves briskly, the story slams the brakes about midway through. The focus shifts to a romance between Lago (now going by his wolf-form name, Sterjall) and Banook, a bear shapeshifter and literal “bear” in gay culture. Now, I'm sure some readers will be here for this relationship and graphic sex scenes, but to me it dragged the pace down and sidelined the main plot. 
Still, there’s plenty to appreciate here: Baldwin’s passion, detailed world, the stunning illustrations, and the depth of thought behind every detail. The Wolf of Withervale is queer, nerdy, and unapologetically itself. It’s not perfect but it’s undeniably memorable. 
A subjective opinion: with the help of a berserker editor and some merciless tightening, this could be a true standout. As for today, I would say it's 100 -150 pages too long. 
Anyway, give it a try if you’re in the mood for something ambitious and out of the ordinary.  
OFFICIAL SPFBO SCORE

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Joaquín Baldwin writes epic fantasy with a queer touch. As a multidisciplinary artist, he’s been recognized for his work in cinematography, photography, 3D design, and illustration, and his animated shorts have won over 100 awards. He unadvisedly decided that writing novels was the next thing on his list. While at Disney, he worked on films such as Zootopia, Encanto, Frozen and Moana. He spends an inordinate amount of time crafting the complex world of the Noss Saga. Visit him at joaquinbaldwin.com.

Wolf of Withervale links: Amazon, Goodreads


Thank you for agreeing to this interview. Before we start, tell us a little about yourself.
I was born in Paraguay and came to the USA to study art right after finishing high school. I’ve always been obsessed with nature, with light, and with story. The Noss Saga became this single big project where I could dump all my skills and passions, from the storytelling side, to creating maps, sculptures, photographs, illustrations, conlangs, and a whole bunch of other nerdy things. I’ve always spent my free time doing art anyway, but I was bouncing around without a particular focus, and this is bringing it all into something cohesive.
Do you have a day job? If so, what is it?
I’m an animator at Walt Disney Animation Studios (well, I’m a layout artist, sometimes director of cinematography, focusing on the camera work for animated features, which involves animating as well as other things). That’s been the day job for over a decade. I got that job thanks to my animated shorts, which were quite popular for a time and got lots of attention in the industry. As much as I love animation though, I do enough of it daily, so in my free time I want to do anything but that.

Who are some of your favorite writers, and why is their work important to you?
This list always changes depending on mood, but I draw inspiration from fiction and non-fiction.
On the fiction side, the obvious is Tolkien, but also Neil Gaiman, Stephen King, N.K. Jemisin, Jorge Luis Borges, Philip Pullman, Kim Stanley Robinson, Octavia Butler, and Patrick Rothfuss. I enjoy personal stories that dig into deeper meanings but also that transport us into well thought-out worlds, into magical places that are imperfect but beautiful.
On the non-fiction side, my biggest inspiration is Carl Sagan, but also Richand Feynman, Douglas Hofstadter, John Muir, and Robert Macfarlane. Anyone reading the Noss Saga might pick up on these influences—the entirety of it is filled with a sense of wonder toward nature, with a yearning to understand the universe.
What do you like most about the act of writing?
I enjoy the unexpected when I have a perfect plan, and then suddenly a character decides to do something different from what I intended, and they become their own living being that evolves into something unique, uncontrollable. The same goes with story itself, how the plot and even themes end up shifting as you write, and you find more depth and just let it happen. Letting it happen and entering that state of flow is amazing (if I remember to eat, at least, otherwise I realize it’s late at night already and I’m hangry).
Can you lead us through your creative process? What works and doesn’t work for you? How long do you need to finish a book?
I’m a bit obsessive, so I ended up writing 2,000 words average for the first year, till I reached a million words for the six books of the saga. To me (and this is just to me, everyone has their own way), making sure I wrote every day was important, even if it was just a few hundred words. Otherwise I could lapse into an undefined break and lose the flow. But at the same time, I do not like setting limits such as a specific word count limit, otherwise I’d be writing trash just to match an abstract number.
Another thing that was important to me was to write just to myself. I could not sustain writing this much while thinking of what people might like or not like, what would sell, what’s marketable. Fuck that. This is my passion project. I’ll make it the best thing I can, but it has to come from my heart.

What made you decide to self-publish Wolf of Withervale as opposed to traditional publishing?
I actually sent queries out to agents! But this was way before the manuscript was ready, way before I learned how to write a proper query, and before I learned how vicious the publishing industry can be. I was brand new to all this. In hindsight, I am so glad that I didn’t get any responses. If Wolf of Withervale had been published back then, it would not have been polished enough, it would’ve had some plot holes I could no longer fix, and it would’ve likely changed too much in the editing process in order to make it marketable to wider audiences, to the point it would not be the kind of book I wanted it to be. I’m much happier self-publishing. I get so much more control, I get to deal with the fans in a more personal way, and I can plan ahead a lot better, with my own timeline. I’m also publishing these quite fast (about every 8 months), while with trad pub I likely would’ve had to wait a decade to see the entire series out, and they could’ve always canceled it right in the middle and ruin it all. Self-pub forever <3
Contrary to many self-published authors, you went wide instead of being kindle exclusive. Why? Did it pay off?
I know my door-stopper books would do well in KU, but I despise Amazon and everything it stands for, and I have a huge respect for my readers no matter what platform or device they use to read or listen. I am probably losing a big chunk of money by not being in KU right now, but in the long run, it is about training the readers to buy direct, and once that scales up, it will compensate for the loss of income. Right now I’m still building the audience so it hasn’t reached that point, but it’s a long-term plan.
Another reason is that I never planned this project as a commercial one. I know it has commercial potential, but I will not focus my efforts that way or I’ll be trying to make money instead of making art. This way I have more control and I can deliver exactly what I want, and I’m not caged by an evil monopoly.
Your book is available in audiobook format. Can you share your experience producing it and a reflection if it was worth it?
Totally worth it! It’s been the most fun experience. Audiobooks are expensive, and it takes a while to make that investment back, but it’s something I always wanted to do. Not only did I get a killer narrator (Magnus Carlssen, who I love working with and who totally gets the mood and level of detail this world requires), but I also worked with a composer, Iain James Armour, who wrote the melodies that Magnus sings in a few spots of the book, and he also wrote the intro/outro for the audiobook as well, and is even working on a full album trilogy based on the books. This is a big project, and I wanted the audiobook to feel like its own complete piece of art, not just an additional format for consumption.
One thing I did not expect is how time-consuming the audiobook would be for me. I have to listen to so many recordings, provide notes, and use a tracking system we developed with Magnus to track the extensive amount of notes and rerecordings. But every time I get to sit down and listen to a new recording is wonderful.
Why did you enter SPFBO?
I currently have a passionate but small fan base. I need to branch out, and awards that are not exclusive to self-published books are nearly impossible to compete in since most of them are about popularity/visibility, something a publisher can handle with enough of a budget, but a single author could not. SPFBO was an award that came to my attention as soon as I got into this self-pub world, and I saw how some titles that won in previous years ended up reaching a much wider audience right away. To me, it’s about exposure, about finding people beyond my current circles that will enjoy this vast project. It’s also cool to keep track of the finalists and find new books to love.
How would you describe the plot of Wolf of Withervale if you had to do so in just one or two sentences?
When the wolf-like mask fell into the hands of young Lago, he could not guess at its powers. Now that the empire has scented the relic’s trail, Lago’s only hope of escape is to learn to wield the mask, uncover its secrets, and accept the change it brings.That’s the pre-written short blurb though. If I had to pitch it myself in an elevator I’d totally butcher it into something like, “It’s, um, about this kid who gets this cool mask, and like, magic and transformation, and like sexuality and all kinds of cool epic stuff. I made lots of maps! Did you see my maps?!?”
What was your initial inspiration for Wolf of Withervale? How long have you been working on it? Has it evolved from its original idea?
There are many ideas that coalesced into it, but the core that holds it all together came on October 3rd, 2020. I wrote a tweet that morning, which said, “Woke up at 4am with a breakthrough story idea, and makes me excited to start writing. It feels big, world-building big. I've never written anything long form, this could be it. Sending this tweet in the hopes I'll find it again a few years from now, when the story has taken form.”
I cannot tell you what that core idea was because it is massively spoilery, but it is what got me so obsessed. One month later, for NaNoWriMo (RIP, fuck AI “writers”), I began writing daily (I took that whole month to prep, outline, etc). My first draft was shit. My second one was decent. My eight or so was ready.

If you had to describe it in 3 adjectives, which would you choose?
Queer. Epic. Nerdy.
Is it part of the series or a standalone? If series, how many books have you planned for it?
It is a six-book series, all of which are written already, but in different stages of editing. Books 1 and 2 are out already (Wolf of Withervale and Masks of the Miscam). Book 3, titled Relinquished Realms, will be out early 2025 (we are working on the final edit/proofread now). Book 4 just went through all the beta readers (I need to sit with their notes and do an extensive edit) and books 5 and 6 are still with the beta readers and will require lots of work to clean up.
I published the first book only after I had already written all six. This allowed me to do retroactive edits to fit things better and to add lots of callbacks, setups, and payoffs that work through all six books. Each book averages around 190,000 words.
Who are the key players in this story? Could you introduce us to Wolf of Withervale’s protagonists/antagonists?
Lago Vaari is the protagonist, a young man who inherits the magical mask that kickstarts the adventure. He is passionate, studious, but also impulsive and a bit hot-headed.
Alaia is Lago’s best friend. She is an optimistic and opportunistic mine worker who keeps Lago in check, making sure his heart is in the right place.
The Red Stag is the main antagonist. Not really a spoiler, but there is more than one magical mask, and the Red Stag (a half human, half elk) has control of the mask of cervids, and wants control of the other masks.
There is also Ockam, a scout who comes to Lago’s aid when the empire finally catches up to him, and who becomes a kind of father figure.
And there’s a M/M love interest, a character whose name I won’t mention due to spoilers, who is my favorite character in the entire saga :)

Does your book feature a magic/magic system? If yes, can you describe it?
The magic system is tightly grounded in scientific concepts. I needed it to feel believable, particularly since we are already dealing with some impossible things like transformation. The system relies on the aetheric elements:
Imagine that some elements (Or perhaps all? Who knows?) have an “aetheric” variant, a kind that chemically reacts to other elements in the same way as expected, but they also have one particular extraordinary property. So, for iron you would have magnium (or “aetheric iron”), which provides magnetic properties to the metals it alloys with. For carbon you have soot, which is a sort of hallucinogen that allows you a glimpse into the connections between carbon-based lifeforms. Sulphur has a variant called brime, which constantly expels heat. To silver there is galvanum, which has electrical properties. And there are many more, including aether (the aetheric variant of hydrogen), which is [REDACTED, TOP SECRET]. Now imagine what it would be like to combine these precious and rare elements together, and you have an entire world of non-magical magic to explore.

Have you written the book with a particular audience in mind?
Yes. Me! But also any other queer nerds. I love geology, paleontology, chemistry, zoology, and I’m dropping all these passions into this series. It’s already finding a lot of fans among scientists and sci-artists. Furries are also a core audience, with the anthro/transformation themes being so prevalent, and with the themes of gender and sexuality being so intrinsic to the story. But overall, I first had to write it for myself.

What’s new or unique about your book that we don’t see much in speculative fiction these days?
The way sexuality is woven into the plot is rare, and one of the main reasons I wanted to write this story. Yes, there are a ton of books out there now with queer casts, but sexuality as part of the worldbuilding and development of the core plot is not common. The magical masks in the Noss Saga are a medium through which to express ideas of gender, of change, of finding one’s true self or selves. The sexuality of the characters is not merely incidental, it’s extremely consequential with how the plot flows and how the major themes develop.
There is also an exceedingly large number of illustrations and behind-the-scenes worldbuilding, all available for free in the extras pages for each of the books. This is not so uncommon, but I think the Noss Saga goes way beyond what one would expect to find for extras in how extensive and polished they are.(Łukasz, feel free to add any of the images from that extras page to your post. I think readers might enjoy seeing the world map in particular)

Cover art is always an important factor in book sales. Can you tell us about the idea behind the cover of Wolf of Withervale and the artist?
The artist is the wonderful Ilse Gort, who is just fantastic. I had her in mind since the very start, and I’m so happy she was willing to read the books and do such amazing art for the covers. I actually just happen to have written a detailed post showcasing the process of the book’s cover, including Ilse’s many sketches, so you can check those sketches out here.
Although I love doing the interior illustrations for my books, I think leaving the cover to someone like Ilse really paid off. She’s the best, I love how the covers turned out, and how the clean illustrations stand on their own as their unique pieces of art.




What are you currently working on that readers might be interested in learning more about, and when can we expect to see it released?
I’m working on the final edit of Relinquished Realms, Book 3 of the Noss Saga. I’m not naming dates yet, since I want the print, audio, and ebook versions released all at the same time, and planning that is tricky, but I’m aiming for early 2025. I’m also starting work in Zootopia 2 at Disney, which also comes out in 2025 :)

Thank you for taking the time to answer all the questions. In closing, do you have any parting thoughts or comments you would like to share with our readers?
Thank you!
I’d ask your readers to check out the other finalists in SPFBOX! I’m just getting to know some of the authors now, and just placed their books in my to-be-read list. Check them all out, and if you like their books, tell your friends about it—word of mouth is how indie authors find new readers.

 

Tomorrow is the launch of  Graham Austin-King's Fae: The Wild Hunt Kickstarter. This is in celebration of the tenth anniversary of Fae: The Wild Hunt's publication. Here's the blurb for the book:
History becomes legend.Legend fades to myth.But some myths are a warning.
Klöss wants nothing more than to pass the trials and join the ranks of the Bjornmen raiders. But times are changing in the Barren Isles. Coastal plunder is making way for outright conquest, and war looms.
A foundling from the forest, Devin leads a simple life. But fate, it seems, has other plans. Whispered rumours tell of creatures in the moonlight, shadowy figures with eyes of amber flame. As the first battles rage, only one man seems to know the truth of the fae, but can Devin or Klöss convince anyone before it is too late?
The cover artwork is by Tomasz Jedruszek. 



The cover and sprayed edge design is by the amazing  Rachael St Clair of Claymore Covers. This edition will also sprayed edges, foiled hardboards, colour endpapers, refreshed cartography, custom chapter art & of course all copies will be signed by the author
Fae: The Wild Hunt is the first book of The Riven Wyrde Saga, a complete trilogy where the mythologised fae return to a world which has forgotten them. And as the barriers protecting the world of Haven begin to falter, Bjornmen raiders abandon coastal plunder for outright conquest. This Kickstarter, the first of three, aims to change that, with fresh cover art and a stunning special edition hardcover.