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Since this is an ARC, the review aims to be as Spoiler-free as possible.

The sequel to the fantastic second entry in the Shadow of the Leviathan series could not reach us quickly enough. Yet a few of us can rejoice as Robert Jackson Bennett is back with another Ana and Din mystery! The third entry, A Trade of Blood is a bittersweet tale with plenty of betrayal, shadowy conspiracies, which could upend the very foundations of the Empire!

I am glad that Shadow of the Leviathan is not a trilogy but a continuing series, with Bennett promising the return of Ana and Din in a new mystery. While A Trade of Blood read as a more restrained interlude, a smaller scale offering compared to the previous two… leviathans, it does not dampen my spirits nor my expectations for the next offering. I cannot wait to see where our Fantasy Sherlock and Watson duo head off to next!

Advanced Review Copy provided in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Del Rey Books and NetGalley for the review copy.

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Check out the review for Star Wars Maul: Shadow Lord I wrote for GrimDark Magazine.

I am all about the darker side of Star Wars stories made (animated) flesh!

Whether you are an ardent die-hard nerd of the Star Wars expanded universe, or a casual fan, do yourselves a favor and watch Maul: Shadow Lord and enjoy every tortured scream, lightsaber swing, and blaster hit that your grim and dark heart desires.

Since this is an ARC, the review aims to be as Spoiler-free as possible.

The madman Michael R. Fletcher is back with another look into a brand new world, just as violent and insane as we have come to expect. Dust of the Dead is a standalone set in a new dark fantasy world known as The Listening World and is a tale of tragedy, destruction, and the spoken word made reality, with all the horrors that entails.

This is (very close to) grimdark.

I reckon that this standalone will be one of many anthology entries following different characters, set in The Listening World. I hope the author finds new delusional ways to spin new tales in this world, because we are all listening, lest our own sanity be truly unraveled!

Advanced Review Copy provided in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Michael Fletcher for the review copy.

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Since this is an ARC, the review aims to be as Spoiler-free as possible.

A brand new Sanderson series, based around rock and metal music? And death magics?

The first entry of The Strata Wars series had me at Songs of the Dead.

For a pitch so strong, a premise with all the right notes to weave a great metal victory, Songs of the Dead trips and falls over itself more often than is expected, especially with a titan of the genre being part of the project. A lackluster and predictable plot based on an outdated and trite core philosophy, set in an ironically superficial world, held together by uncharacteristically (for the author) hand-wavey magic system, carried on the weak shoulders of a lackluster cast of characters, I can fully expect Songs of the Dead being a dud for more people than a billboard hit!

Advanced Review Copy provided in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Saga Press and Netgalley.

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Advanced Review Copy provided in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley.

Adrian Tchaikovsky’s creativity soars to new heights (or rather sinks to new depths) as he explores a world below our own — through the eyes of a genetically enhanced… raccoon private investigator? A story that fuses the noir aesthetics of thriller fiction with the genius of Tchaikovsky’s science-fiction and his expertise with the animal world proves yet again, why this author should be a must-read for one and all!

I wish Green City Wars was not a standalone novel. Tchaikovsky has created such a unique world with interesting characters with this work. I would eagerly gnaw at many more juicy stories of Racoon Private Investigator Skotch!

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Advanced Review Copy provided in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Orbit Books and Netgalley.

Since this is an ARC, the review aims to be as Spoiler-free as possible.

The Scion Conspiracy is a dark fantasy blend of high fantasy, palace intrigue, peppered with heists, betrayals… and of course, conspiracy!

While The Scion Conspiracy is a good first dip into this series, the book is held back by heavy-handed exposition, uneven characters, familiar tropes, and a central conspiracy that felt largely lackluster. Still, the scion’s bones are strong, and future entries may yet be sharp!

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Advanced Review Copy provided in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Orbit Books and Netgalley.

Ann Leckie’s sprawling space opera juggernaut Imperial Radch continues with another standalone story, Radiant Star. A winding tale of religious fanaticism, opportunism, and the perils of faith, set against the backdrop of a divided Imperium.

Overall, like Translation State, I mostly enjoyed my time with Radiant Star, and I hope Ann Leckie continues to tell more stories in this universe, making the Imperial Radch series as sprawling as the empire itself.

Read this review and more on my Medium Page: Distorted Visions

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