Hello Fellow Journeyers,
The first month of quarter two in 2022 has a whole new group of books to read and discuss. April is filled with ice, assassins, stimulating plants, and Viking goodness. Bring it on!
What I'm currently reading:
Ice Forged is the first Gail Z. Martin book I've read and I was attracted to it because of the premise: a near post-apocalyptic story taking place in the fantasy setting where a prisoner must deal with the ramifications of the world falling apart. Whoa. Isn't that different? I just couldn't resist and so far, its been quite addicting. It's not an all out love book, but it's been a worthy read so far.
Assassin's Honor, also by Gail Z. Martin, got my attention because it sounded a lot like Michael J. Sullivan's Riyria Revelations series that follows two "vigilantes" as they must save the kingdom reluctantly. Except on this occasion, the assassins specifically work for the king and must protect the realm at all costs. Again, these premises had me for being unique but also standard fantasy fair. I haven't gotten into this one as far, but it's a LOT like Michael J. Sullivan's writing, except it may be a little better. :O
What's up next:
The Winter Road by Adrian Selby is the first of three books by this author that is having an interesting impact on the fantasy community. His writing is said to be a little bit difficult to engage and takes awhile to get used to because he uses a lot of slang and terms that don't get handed to you. The Winter Road follows a would be main character as she traverses a dangerous territory called The Circle in order to connect the different realms and increase trade. A different concept in a fantasy setting that has my attention and I look forward to seeing how it goes down.
Hall of Bones by Tim Hardie is another Nordic inspired fantasy tale that is told in the first person. And if you're thinking, "why is he reading another Norse story when they've all been so subpar?!" It's because I am determined to find one that will fill my need for Norse mythology and fantasy combined in a satisfying way. I'm committed now and while John Gwynne's Shadow of the Gods was close, it still left some to be desired, so here we are. Hall of Bones, I hope you can do this.
A previously read shoutout:
Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for future updates and reviews!