Hello Fellow Journeyers,
It's October...I'm having a hard time coming to term with the fact that this year is ending soon and winter is around the corner. On a more positive note, I'm getting into reading fully again and am able to get consistent time devoted to reviews and literary reflection. I've missed reading and I'm benefitting from getting back into it.
What's on the radar:
Godless Lands is the fourth self-published story on Kindle Unlimited I've read recently and so far, I'm more impressed with it than the previous three. Crow balances story with strong character work that is greatly appreciated in a tale that could easily fall into the category of strictly plot-driven; especially given that it is just under 250 pages. The premise of being a post-apocalyptic story in a fantasy setting was intriguing, but it truly belongs in the fantasy genre because of the themes of honor, loyalty, and justice. It's not epic (which I appreciate), but it's a good simplistic story that is worth diving into.
The Oathbreakers is the first book of a new series by Mike D. Martin, who I read and finished the prequel novella, The Terror of Dunwall, this last week. Being a close comparison to The Witcher, I was pleased with how the novella ended, even though it wasn't perfect. There are many signs of this first entry being a little rough around the edges, such as not being properly proofread or repetition in word usage, but I'm hoping that the main story is enough to redeem these qualities. I don't normally take issue with the composition of a story, but since it is much more prevalent in self-published works, I've decided to note when it is either prominent or not much of an issue. So far, both novella and main story have suffered a little from these problems.
What looks promising:
Silver Light by Clay Harmon is another book that I'm eager to explore because it simply looks quite different from many other fantasy books out there. It boasts the idea of being about a man who discovers he has power inherited from his father than has left him for unexplained reasons. It looks to evoke strong themes that I've been missing in many fantasy stories lately. We'll see how it stacks up!
What I'm most excited about:
Discipline is Destiny is the second book of Ryan Holiday's The Stoic Virtues Series that began with Courage is Calling. While I did not finish the first book because it felt a little repetitive without adding much insight, I'm excited to see how Discipline is Destiny differs from his other stoic-inspired titles such as Ego is the Enemy, which I believe is his best work, and Stillness is the Key, which was another great self-growth book that was my first foray into Holiday's work. The premise is in the title in that discipline is a virtue that has endless benefit to pursuing. I'm excited for what can be gleaned from it.
Star Wars: Andor started off with a serious bang in the first three episode premier (which I have posted a reaction to) and I have high expectations for the first season of this show! I will probably be watching this series inconsistently in order to watch multiple episodes at a time. So far I'm much more impressed with this one than the other big series out right now...(The Rings of Power 😖) Disney may have something great on their hands and I hope they honor the story above all else. 🤞
Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for future updates and reviews!