“Saying peace never lasts, or that an empire must grow or die, is like saying that only birth and death matter,” she told him. “Most of life is not part of either, but what comes between–the simple hard work of living.” So what’s the book about? Danger lurks on all sides in Osten Ard. King…
Category: Fantasy
The Hand of the Sun King – J.T. Greathouse (Pact and Pattern #1)
“Magic could reshape the world. Its power was undeniable. It needed no argument to bolster it, nor any faith to make it true.” So what’s the book about? All my life, I have been torn between two legacies: that of my father, whose roots trace back to the right hand of the Emperor. That of…
The Dragon’s Path – Daniel Abraham (The Dagger and the Coin #1)
“There’s ways you can trust an enemy you can’t always trust a friend. An enemy’s never going to betray your trust.” So what’s the book about? Captain Marcus Wester has a tough past behind him. He has learned one thing above all else: in the end, only survival counts. For him, it is time to…
The Witchwood Crown – Tad Williams (The Last King of Osten Ard #1)
“God gives us all youth, and the takes it away again. What have you gained to offset that loss? Patience? Perhaps a little wisdom? Then be patient, and perhaps you’ll also be wise.” So what’s the book about? Osten Ard is in turmoil. For 30 years King Simon and Queen Miriamel have ruled their land…
Daughter of the Empire – Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts (Riftwar Cycle: The Empire Trilogy #1)
“There is a hand behind every curtain,’ ” she quoted. “ ‘And a knife in every hand,’ ” finished Mara.” So what’s the book about? In the realm of Tsurani, young Mara is on the verge of a decisive moment in her life. Only a few gong beats separate her from her official admission to…
The Darkness That Comes Before – R. Scott Bakker (Prince of Nothing Book #1)
“Faith is the truth of passion. Since no passion is more true than another, faith is the truth of nothing.” So what’s the book about? Maithanet, the ruler of a thousand temples, calls for a holy war against the infidels – an enterprise that attracts a wide variety of profiteers and interested parties. Somewhat less…
The Hod King – Josiah Bancroft (The Books of Babel #3)
“The rich “learn lessons.” The poor commit crimes. “Mistakes” are generally considered a mark of the middle class.” So what’s the book about? Fearing an uprising, the Sphinx sends Senlin to investigate a plot that has taken hold in the ringdom of Pelphia. Alone in the city, Senlin infiltrates a bloody arena where hods battle…
The Priory of the Orange Tree – Samantha Shannon (Standalone)
“No woman should be made to fear that she was not enough.” So what’s the book about? Young Tané from the eastern kingdom of Seiiki wants nothing more than to become a dragon rider. For in her homeland, dragons are worshipped like gods. When Tané rescues a shipwrecked man and thus breaks the law, she…
The Emperor’s Blades – Brian Staveley (Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne #1)
“Any fool can see what’s there. You need to see what is not there.” So what’s the book about? Great intrigues take place in secret in the kingdom and the reigning emperor is treacherously murdered. All the responsibility now rests on the shoulders of his two sons, Kaden and Valyn, and on the shoulders of…
Senlin Ascends – Josiah Bancroft
Books of Babel 1 “It is easier to accept who you’ve become than to recollect who you were.” So what’s the book about? The Tower of Babel is considered the navel of the world. It is the vertical centre of science, culture and progress. No one knows how many floors it consists of. No one…
The Reading Stray 