Quinn Giguiere

<div>I liked this book. It was fast-paced with great action scenes, vampire court intrigue, and an intriguing world. The writing sucked me in and I finished the book in 2 days. There is a lot to like in this book and I think there will be plenty of people who read and love it. For my personal tastes however, the book didn't quite meet its potential. Many of the strengths of the book were also what kept me from enjoying it as much as I wanted to.<br><br>The fast pacing unfortunately crossed the line into feeling rushed for me, especially the ending. I really enjoyed the fights, especially with the vampires, and I thought they were done very well. It's mostly the vampire court intrigue that I feel was rushed. We spend a significant portion of the book with different vampire royalty playing political games with each other and I would have liked the story to slow down some and take some time to develop in these parts. Instead we keep up the same breakneck speed of the rest of the book, and it just didn't work for me. The political traps, word games, and clever maneuvers didn't have the room to take me by surprise or intrigue me like they were meant to, simply because of how fast the story progressed. For my taste I think the book could have benefited from being a little longer, to give the plot some room to grow while still keeping it relatively short and fast-paced.<br><br>The world building was another area that I loved but in the end detracted from my reading experience. I am a huge world building fan and I can usually tell when the author has a deeply fleshed out world or only what is needed for the novel. And in this one I felt like the author really knew his world and all the details; there is interesting magic, fantastical creatures, and a unique concept of flying nations. It all sounds like something I would normally love, and I did love what I saw. Unfortunately, again due to the fast pace and short length of the novel, there was at once a bit too much of the world shown, and not enough. In this world there are spirits that "snare" humans and grant them a portion of their powers, thereby turning them into vampires, werewolves, and other magic users. I think this is super cool and interesting, and at one point we even meet was is presumed to be one of these spirits briefly. The spirit does something confusing to the characters and then is never relevant again. There are other details given that tease larger parts of the world and magic that left yearning for more, but are never given. This would be fine if it was the first book of a series and there were more books coming to explore these parts but this book is a standalone. So I was left feeling more confused than anything. I believe the author has said that characters in this book may show up in future novels as part of their interconnected universe so I have some hope that I will get the answers I'm looking for.<br><br>The author's take on vampires might be my favorite that I've read in fantasy. I'm often wary of novels with vampires these days but I thoroughly enjoyed the vampires of Moncroix. Their magical origins sound fascinating, their powers/weaknesses are a refreshing combination of vampire tropes and new takes, and the concept that they are farming humans with different diets for unique tasting blood was hilarious. The author's writing is also enjoyable. It was crisp to match the fast pacing of the novel and each character had a distinct feeling. I was drawn into each action scene and could easily picture the fights in my mind. So while this particular novel didn't work as well for me as I had hoped, I will absolutely be checking out other books by this author. And if we ever get more in the world of Moncroix I will be sure to jump right back in. I think this book will appeal to a lot of readers and I recommend giving it a try if it sounds like a book for you.</div>

<div>Heliotrope was the epic fantasy I didn't know I needed. It is a beautifully written, slow-burn story full of heart.<br><br>Epic fantasy is without a doubt my favorite genre, and I have read a lot of it. Heliotrope is not quite like anything I've read before. It at once plays into so many of the tropes of epic fantasy, while also subverting many of them. It is a large book (almost 800 pages!), full of exposition, traveling, and lengthy descriptions. But I've never read an epic fantasy with this level of detail that flowed as well as it did. There are plenty of books that I love that I had to take breaks from or even skip paragraphs because I just couldn't handle the exposition. I didn't skip of word of Heliotrope. I feel like the level of detail we get in this book shouldn't work but it just does. We get scenes of the care and feeding of animals, stone working, and other mundane activities, but it never feels boring. Its slow, but never boring. It is a testament to the abilities of the author that I could be so drawn into a story with this amount of descriptive text. On two occasions I read more than 200 pages in one sitting, without even realizing how much I had read or how long I had spent reading. I always say this is the highest compliment I can give to a book and Heliotrope deserves it. Even if you aren't a fan of slow-burn stories I would recommend giving this one a try because it just might change your mind.<br><br>That isn't to say there is no action. Teleo is described as the best warrior in his kingdom and we get to see him in action plenty of times. There are monarchs dropping left and right in this book. When viewing the big picture, the stakes in this book are very high. The fates of 3 different kingdoms are being fought over in this book, but the conflict feels very personal. Teleo is one of the most relatable fantasy protagonists I have ever read (for me). He's much older than I am but he's just a guy trying to live a normal life. He would like nothing better than to live quietly on his farm with his animals. But he is also fiercely loyal and protective of his family. Even if they aren't his family by blood. Found family is a big theme of this book. Teleo's wife and daughter were killed years prior, and his son taken to a foreign land as a slave. Mostly on accident he takes two young adults into his care as a coup is staged in his home country and they are forced to flee along with Teleo's adult cousin. Teleo and his cousin become a surrogate mother and father, and the relationships developed between Teleo and his adoptive children was beautiful to read about. Teleo struggles with survivor's guilt over his dead family and feelings of inadequacy, while also wanting to protect and love his new family.<br><br>I thought the character development was done superbly well. The younger character grow and develop over the course of the book and are different people by the end. But while Teleo has plenty of development and growth, he doesn't become a whole new person. At the end of the book, after doing some crazy stuff, Teleo doesn't feel like he's the hero or anything, he's too old and stubborn. His relationships have grown but he's still just a chill guy wanting to live, a now magic filled, life. I feel like huge character growth of older characters happens so much in fantasy, but it is much more realistic in Heliotrope.<br><br>The magic in this novel was also fascinating. Pickering plays into the lost magic trope in this world, where magic was outlawed generations ago and magic users banished into the mountains. However, Teleo and his family have the blood of mages in them and they start learning about and experimenting with their powers as we progress in the novel. I usually enjoy this trope, it is a good way to explain magic to the reader without info dumps and we get an added sense of wonder because the characters are just discovering the magic along with the reader. The magic was very unique and I really enjoyed it, I would describe it as a softer magic with hard elements to it and the author did a wonderful job in working it into the story without it feeling like a deus ex machina.<br><br>I loved this book and recommend it to all readers of epic fantasy. And if you have been put off before by authors writing huge books waxing eloquent about the hills, I recommend you give this one a try as well. This is descriptive writing done right and you might be surprised how enjoyable it is and how quickly you get through it.</div>

<div>The Hunter's Lament is a highly character-driven grimdark book with an ending you won't see coming. In this story we follow the old and worn down bounty hunter Bitter Sweet go for one last payout along with his crew. This is a well worn trope, but one I will probably never get tired of, and it was executed superbly by the author. The whole book was really a character study of Bitter Sweet and the members of his crew, which I found very enjoyable. The side characters didn't get a lot of development at first, and I would have liked to see them developed even more, but as the novel progressed we do see more of each of them and what makes them tick, and this character work is the true strength of the book.<br><br>That isn't to say that there isn't any action in The Hunter's Lament, because there is plenty of that. The combat scenes were engaging and exciting, but as any good book does, the fighting really served as another way to develop the characters and help us to see different sides of them. As one would expect from a crew of bounty hunters, they are all hardened and coarse, but as we travel along with them, we see the deeper parts of their personalities buried underneath. Which makes many moments of the book hit even harder emotionally because truly nobody is safe. This is a grimdark novel in that it portrays the brutal reality of the lives the crew lead without any shine or embellishment. They hunt and kill for a living, and I can guarantee that not all of your favorite characters will make it out alive at the end.<br><br>The pacing can be pretty slow at many points of the book, with deep introspection from Bitter Sweet, punctuated by moments of fast, violent action. And I do also have to note that Bitter Sweet's ponderings did get somewhat repetitive for me by the end, since much of them follow the same line of thought. His overall character development more than made up for this issue however. And the ending, I don't even know what to say about it. I certainly did not see it all coming, and I don't think you will either. It was bittersweet (get it?) in the best ways and though certainly not the ending I imagined, I can't think of a better way it could have gone.<br><br>The worldbuilding is interesting because it is well developed, but at the same we learn very little about it. Due to the personal nature of the narrative and the short length of the book, we don't go very deep into explanations about the world at all. There are various kingdoms, and a group of indigenous people that are fascinating. There is also very little magic for the vast majority of this book. It isn't until the very end that magic plays any major role. None of this negatively impacted my experience at all, and it was a good choice for the story the author was writing. It did however, leave me wishing for more books in this world because there is certainly much more to it than what we saw here.<br><br>I've never read Abercrombie but this book reminded me of much of the praise I've heard about Abercrombie's writing. As I understand it, this is a standalone novel, but I would definitely not say no to more books in this world. If you enjoy gritty, but not over the top, grimdark and character-driven low fantasy, I highly recommend this book. It is a quick read that won't leave any reader untouched.</div>

<div>Bob the Wizard is an epic debut novel where the characters shine and the world building is top tier. I didn't know much about this book when I went in, but I am so happy I gave it a try and I can't wait to read more about Bob.<br><br>Bob quickly became one of my favorite fantasy protagonists. His laid-back demeanor and no-nonsense attitude mixed with past traumas and regrets made for a relatable protagonist I could empathize with and felt like a person I could know in real life. Character work is where Prindle shines brightest, and none more so than Bob. The author reveals elements of Bob's back story over the course of the novel in an elegant way so we never get an info dump of history and revelations hit the hardest. Before the book begins, Bob's wife and son were murdered and Bob sets off the avenge their death, eventually bringing him to Hub, the world where the story takes place. Bob initially comes off as a Punisher type character, hell bent on revenge. And while he does struggle with violence, we gradually get a picture of who Bob really is over the course of the novel. Bob, who was a garbage man on earth and a recovering alcoholic, believes he is trash and not worthy of love or praise. But as he interacts with the people of Hub, we begin to see Bob's true nature and as he sees how other people view him, his opinion of himself slowly starts to change as well. But this change isn't quick or complete, Bob still struggles at the end of the novel. Too much personal change is something I struggle with sometimes in books because I know how hard it is for a person to make huge changes in their lives, but the author handles it very well and I never felt like it was unrealistic.<br><br>There are plenty of other characters besides Bob that are truly wonderful. There are a variety of other species that live on Hub including: blue elves, faerae, giants, and half-giants. The elves, known as En’harae, have been mostly enslaved by the humans of Hub. They are reminiscent of many indigenous people of earth whose histories mirror that of the En’harae closely. Shortly after arriving, Bob is also enslaved and sent to the mines to labor with the En’harae. Over time he befriends some of them and they agree to help each other. I loved the culture of the En’harae, and how they interact with nature and the magic of Hub. The faerae Osivia is another favorite character of mine. The other faerae are reclusive but she want to explore and learn more. She sticks with Bob and becomes a voice of encouragement and reason when Bob needs it.<br><br>The magic on Hub is closely tied to nature. There are elemental spirts that a wizard can bond with and manipulate certain elements through that bond. It is a good mixture of hard and soft magic, we don't understand everything about it but we know enough of the magic and its limitations that it doesn't feel cheap when used to solve problems. The magic is also connected to the wider universe of the book, called the Astraverse. This is the universe of connected worlds that Bob has been chasing his family's killer through. Bob doesn't know much about it, but we learn some more through a human wizard on Hub who trains Bob. This is where there are sci-fi elements to this novel that I had no idea were coming before starting this book. People can travel through gates to other worlds in the Astraverse using ancient technology, and some worlds are more advanced than others. There is a lot more to the universe than it first appears but there is much more that is only hinted at, and I really want to see more adventures in this Astraverse.<br><br>The pace of the book was mostly quick but there are also times where the author slows the pace down when the story needed it. There are plenty of action scenes throughout the book that were intense and well written. But the action is not just there for a fast pace or thrills. We see a lot of character development in Bob by how he reacts to the violence. Bob goes to some dark places mentally because of his past and both the violence as well as the slow moments help explore his character.<br><br>I recommend this book highly for all fantasy readers. I had such a fun time reading this book, it has just enough of the typical fantasy vibes to make it feel familiar, while adding in a bunch of fresh takes and sci-fi elements to make it new and exciting. I don't know what the plans are for future books but I desperately want to read more about Bob and the Astraverse.</div>

<div>I went into this book without knowing much about it and I was pleasantly surprised by what I read. I was expecting a more typical dark fantasy novel but instead I got dark fantasy with horror and mystery elements. If those appeal to you than I definitely recommend giving this book a read.<br><br>Grim is a bounty hunter turned accidental monster slayer. He doesn't really know what he's getting himself into when he becomes a member of the Agency. The Agency has taken over much of the work he used to do as a bounty hunter and he can no longer earn enough to live. When he finds evidence of a conspiracy against the head of the Agency, he decides to join it as a way to bring this evidence to the leader and earn favor. However, he is soon thrown into a hidden world and a conspiracy far larger than he imagined. He is assigned to a team of five and sent out on various dangerous missions.<br><br>It was on the first of these missions that the horror elements of this book first come into play. I was not expecting this at all and it took me by surprise but it was very well done. It is mostly psychological horror, since the monsters they are hunting influence the perception of people around them. Grim and his companions don't even know what they are heading into the first time and have to work it out themselves, which the author writes in an unsettling way that kept me glued to the page.<br><br>The pacing of this novel was excellent. It is a fast paced novel and we are thrown into the action from the beginning. Between fights the banter between the characters helps keep things interesting and fun. The novel is also told in first person, which can be hit or miss but I think the author did a great job. First person was absolutely the correct choice for this book, the psychological aspects to the horror and the toll that takes on Grim is explored brilliantly through the first person narration. Our characters are often confused and unsure if what they are seeing is real, and getting that viewpoint from Grim instead of a third person narrator makes the unease all the more potent.<br><br>One criticism I did have was about the side characters. While I did like them quite a bit and the group dynamic, they often feel very one note, more like an archetype than a character. They each have a personality trait that defines them and we get that trait displayed over and over. There are occasional changes but they can feel abrupt and not entirely genuine to me because I didn't feel the change was earned.<br><br>My other minor criticism is concerning the Riot. There was a riot that recently took over the city and killed a tremendous amount of people. It is built up a lot in the beginning of the novel as a driving motivator for Grim, he is searching for the cause of the Riot while everyone else seems complacent about it, which only angers him more. After the beginning of the novel though, mention of the Riot mostly seems to fade away. I kept waiting for the mystery of the story to connect to the Riot and it never did. Since this is the first book of the series I would be fine if I felt like the Riot was a larger mystery that would be addressed over several books but it just seemed to fade away and I never got the sense that it would be addressed later, though it very well might be.<br><br>That being said I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a fun adventure and creepy at times, with just the right amount of horror to make me feel uneasy without going over the top. The world building is also handled very well, hinting at a larger world outside of the main city that is the focus of the novel. The magic is intriguing, there seems to be both a light and dark side to the magic. The religious belief of the empire is that light magic is good and dark evil but one member of the group is a mage who shows that this is not true, they are complements to each other and a mage is more powerful when using both. I am very intrigued by this magic and I look forward to learning more about it as the series progresses.<br><br>I highly recommend this book for fantasy readers looking for a book that doesn't conform to standard genre definitions. If you want something unique and outside the box, definitely give this one a try, I am very glad that I did.</div>