Tag Archives: self published

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Book Review: Splintered Sight, by W.R. Gingell

I contributed to the Kickstarter for W.R. Gingell‘s Splintered Sight and therefore got an early e-copy of it. It is book three of the Shattered World Series. Here you can find reviews of books one and two.

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Viv has been living alongside behindkind and fae in the Historic Renner Tea House in Melbourne for nearly a month now. In that time, she’s been almost killed by friends and enemies alike, discovered that the human world is not the only world on the edges of her reality, and become a glorified babysitter for Luca, an unstable assassin of otherworldly creatures who has nightmares that are a bit too…real. She has uncovered mysteries and murderers—and discovered just a bit too much about herself into the bargain.

Now a small selkie has turned up on her windowsill, while a nightmare has begun stalking the floors of the Tea House, and Viv is certain the two things are connected. The selkie’s human sponsor has disappeared, as has his pelt, and there’s no help to be had from the selkies, who won’t interfere with a traditional sojourn of one of their own on solid land.

Between her boss Jasper’s dislike of doing anything he doesn’t get paid for, and Luca’s disinclination to do anything to help behindkind rather than humans, Viv is finding it hard to get to the bottom of the disappearance. But if she doesn’t, the nightmare that has infiltrated the Tea House might burgeon into daylight reality, and the little selkie won’t get his pelt back. And without his pelt, it’s just a matter of time before Kyma crumbles away into dust…

my review

There are very few authors whose books I enjoy so much that I am willing to read them as they are published, rather than wait for the series to be complete so that I can binge (my preferred reading method). Gingell is one such author. I contribute to the Kickstarters for her books as soon as they are posted, so that I can get them as quickly as possible, and then I devour them. Which is what I did with Splintered Sight.

I love Viv and Luca as a duo. I like all the sundry side characters and get a little thrill when there is a bit of crossover from Gingell’s other related series. I’m invested in the secrets that are slowly being revealed, and I like the bit of mystery each book presents. And I adore Gingell’s sense of humor and writing style. All in all, I was thrilled with this book and am now back on the edge of my seat waiting for the next one.

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Book Review: Ventures in Vermilion, by J.T. Thompson

I joined Your Paper Quest for a while. It’s a self and indie-published monthly book subscription. J.T. Thomson‘s Ventures in Vermilion was included in one of the boxes.

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Wanted: a secretary. Must not be put off by the occasional dead body. Inquire with Mr. Istovir Holviiryn at 221B Baker Street. Salary at standard Guild rates. Lodging included.

Gnome ex-healer Seraphina “Wiz” Wistozus has only a few weeks to prove to the Adventurers Guild that she can still pay back the gold she owes them, despite the disastrous mission—her first and only—that ruined her health and magic. The Guild isn’t forgiving when it comes to matters of nonpayment, and her very freedom is at stake.

The problem is, there aren’t a lot of career opportunities for a mage healer who can no longer heal. So when a friend brings her an advertisement for a secretarial position, she’s determined to try her luck, no matter how strange the ad is. Or the work itself. Or Istovir Holviiryn, a night elf whose incredible detective skills are more than a little disconcerting.

Wiz’s life as a Guild mage healer was over almost before it began. Now she must adjust to her new situation, and fast, because this job isn’t just her best option. It’s her only option.

my review

This was adorable. It is a Watson and Holmes retelling where Watson is a one-armed, female, ex-D&D-style adventuring gnome and Holmes is a dark or night elf. But these two are so much warmer than the original, in my opinion. The friendship that grows between them is platonic, but amazingly supportive. I loved all of the small ways Thompson found to show us meaningful moments. (I think the ever-hidden silver coin, which provided enrichment time in the apartment, was my favorite.) I will 100% be looking for more books by Thompson, and if I’m lucky, this will become a series.

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Book Review: Blood Sings, by Denisa Mih

I was recently lucky enough to win a giveaway on Instagram that included a copy of Denisa Mih‘s Blood Sings.

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An heir…
Destined for a throne soaked in blood, Aurora Tepes must navigate the intrigues of court and the brutality of battle. As heir to the Crown Republic of Transylvania, she is bound by duty to protect her people, wielding her sharp mind and mastery of blood manipulation—
no matter the sacrifice.

A century of war…
Beyond the walls, a conflict meant to be without casualties stains the hills with innocent blood while the powerful turn a blind eye.
But Aurora cannot.
Armed with the magic of her ancestry and revolutionary technology, she joins the Outliers—the oppressed, deemed inferior by the Republic—on the frontline, vowing to bring justice once she claims her crown.

A desire for more…
Dark secrets, deadly creatures, and new alliances test Aurora’s convictions as she confronts the savagery of her nature and an uncertain future that could unravel everything. But when she meets the longest-lived Outlier, a mysterious moon-haired captain whose magic holds world-changing secrets, destiny and duty collide.

my review

This was OK. I enjoyed it well enough. I don’t regret reading it or anything. But I also felt like everything was just skimmed over or surface-level. There were time jumps in places I would expect to see what happened on-page, for example. But mostly it was just kind of the overall tone of the novel. Where I wanted to understand the complex world and multi-species intersections thoroughly, I didn’t. Where I wanted to see a relationship bloom, it just appeared on the page. I liked the characters, but I neither got to know them well nor saw much in line of character growth. And there were a lot of them to keep track of, all of whom eventually got a second set of names, which meant I only had a loose grasp of who was who.

All in all, I’d read book two if it were out. But, honestly, by the time it comes out early next year, I suspect I won’t even remember having read this one.

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