Hello Fellow Journeyers,
One month and 3 more books down in 2022. Of Blood and Fire, Dragon Mage, and, my favorite of the lot, The Bard's Blade. And as we get into the second month of the year comes a new list of reading material that I'm excited about.
What I'm currently reading:
What I think so far:
Kingfall is the first of a pentalogy that David Estes is writing as a somewhat sequel of his series, Fatemarked. While Fatemarked received a lot of attention when it came out, I decided to skip it because it sounded more YA than The Kingfall Histories. And I'm glad I did because Kingfall has been an absolute delight. In the first week and a half of reading it, I was over 50% done; and if you're wondering why that's significant, this book is an over 800 page epic, so to get thus far made for some heavy reading. But I am enjoying it thoroughly for it being quite the long read.
The Blood-Tainted Winter is a low-fantasy Viking-inspired tale with a single POV character seeking revenge for his father. Simple and enough for my interest to be piqued. It involves gods and man, revenge and possible redemption, but so far I know little more than that. Of what I've read, it is a good read that I'm eager to get on with as it continues.
What's up next:
Howling Dark is one that I've been working on since before Christmas, but I'm making little progress. It has so far been a struggle. Ruocchio is a good writer, but the long-windedness of his writing honestly seems like more of a chore than a worthwhile endeavor right now. This may be more of my fault since I am needing a break from difficult reads, but I'm still hoping to get through this one as soon as I can.
The Crow King harkens back to books of classic fantasy where things were simpler and more straightforward and (hopefully) less grimy. This is a tale about a boy who goes against the realm in order to save his brother from a sickness and I think it sounds utterly splendid. I'm honestly looking forward to a small-scale story reminiscent of The Bard's Blade and I think this could be it. I've been surprisingly unsatisfied with actual classic fantasy lately (looking at you David Eddings), so I'm hoping that a modern "classic" fantasy can fulfill that want.
Completely separately from my normal reading of strictly fantasy and science fiction books, I also have a slew of books in the realm of self-growth and betterment that I'm reading that is taking up my time. I don't normally discuss the personal edification reads in detail or leave reviews, but I wanted to provide a complete picture of my reading depository.
As such, I'm reading To Be a Man: A Guide to True Masculine Power; while this may sound eye-rolly and cringeworthy, it's actually all about toxic masculinity, the ramifications of shame in a man's life, and how to get intimate with one's emotions that may seem beyond reach. For a stay-at-home father like myself, it discusses topics I'm desperately in need of.
Next, I'm also reading Peace is Every Step. All about mindfulness, this book emphasizes the art of breathing, being aware of the goodness that surrounds us at all times, and being present in each and every moment we are alive. While struggling with anxiety and depression for a good portion of my life, this has helped me in little ways become more still and okay with where I am, what I'm going through and everything in between.
What I'm most looking forward to reading:
Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for future updates and reviews!