u/MikeCahoonAuthor

I recently completed a reread Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn for the first time since I was a teenager. This was a foundational part of my fantasy journey, and a huge part of what inspired my writing, so I decided to write an article to share my love for Tad Williams epic masterpiece!

Rereading it, you can really see how much it lives up to its reputation as one of the bridges between modern, dark fantasy and more classic books.

Check it out on my blog at;

https://mikecahoon.com/why-you-should-read-memory-sorrow-and-thorn/

A CALLBACK TO TRUE, HEROIC FANTASY

QUICK THOUGHTS

John Gwynne is one of those authors who has lived perpetually on my TBR for years, always just waiting in the proverbial wings despite many recommendations in his favor. That all changed when I ran my poll for which fantasy series I should tackle next and The Faithful and the Fallen won by a landslide. After reading it, it’s fairly clear to see why. Gwynne takes all the beloved but perhaps a bit tired and predictable story beats and tropes from classic fantasy and breathes new life into them. He instills his story with a certain energy and sense of uncertainty perfect for a modern audience, all while redressing the classic epic fantasy story in a new, viking inspired costume.

While Malice isn’t perfect and definitely suffers from some pacing issues, as well as the standard first installment in a fantasy series issue of throwing an absolute flood of information at the reader, it is a solid book. It kept me entertained throughout, delivered emotional moments with impressive force, established a new and interesting world, and planted the seeds of enough mystery to keep me invested in the story line going forward. I am definitely going to be continuing the series and highly recommend it to any fans of epic fantasy, especially if you love the idea of a Norse inspired setting.

For my FULL REVIEW, please visit;

https://mikecahoon.com/book-review-malice-by-john-gwynne/

So excited to share the cover reveal for The Coldwater Job: A Crucible of Legacy Novella with the world! A very special thank you to Holly of @hollowestudios for doing such an outstanding job on this for me!

This novella is currently up for preorder everywhere, and will be released officially on June 5th. But all my newsletter subscribers will receive a free, early eBook copy on June 1st! If you’d like to sign up for my newsletter or preorder, you can do that here:

Sign up: https://mikecahoon.com/newsletter/

Preorder: https://books2read.com/TheColdwaterJob

Check out the full blurb for The Coldwater Job here*:*

What dark secrets are held in the castle that sits at the edge of the world?

Before becoming embroiled in an infamous conspiracy that changed the course of history and reshaped nations, the Red Wolf and his crew took on an impossible job. In the frozen tundra of the Far North, the reclusive and mysterious mages of the Coldwater Magician’s College practice their strange magics far from the prying eye of civilization.

Hired by a mysterious benefactor known to them only as the Wizard, the crew has been tasked with conning their way into the castle for a job only the infamous band of thieves could handle. But even their limits will be tested as each member of the team is pushed past their breaking points. As they discover just how strange the eldritch institution is, it soon becomes clear it will take everything they have to escape with their prize, their lives, and their sanity intact.

The Coldwater Job is a novella set before the events of The Scion Conspiracy, delving into one of the most remote and dangerous corners of the Crucible of Legacy universe.

SCALES AND MODERN, STREAMLINED STORYTELLING

QUICK THOUGHTS

If you’re a big reader of the genre, you’ll know what I’m talking about when I say that modern fantasy just has a certain feeling. That sense of fantasy with the character focus dialed up to eleven, with action and dialogue that feels snappy and well honed. The sort of feeling you get from reading something like Sanderson’s Mistborn or Weeks’ Lightbringer. So when I say that Corbin Rook’s debut novel, Shadows of the Sundered Lands, evokes the feeling of modern fantasy in the right way, you’ll know exactly what I mean.

Shadows is a character focused, action forward story that is driven by an interesting magic system, a cast that feels engaging and familiar and a plot that creates immediate investment. It is a compelling debut that establishes the world and makes big promises of what’s to come from this author.

For my FULL REVIEW, please visit;

https://mikecahoon.com/book-review-shadows-of-the-sundered-lands-by-corbin-rook/

QUICK THOUGHTS:

Despite hearing the name tossed about among my more literary friends for years, Dark Matter was my first Blake Crouch novel. I went into with somewhat high expectations, having heard the rave reviews and knowing that Crouch is popular enough to have had several adaptations of his work made, including Wayward Pines, Good Behavior and the aforementioned Dark Matter. Knowing that, I think my opinion on this book is a little skewed. I went into it expecting mind-bending Sci-Fi of the highest caliber, something that would really leave me pondering for days on end. What I got was a well written, well plotted science fiction adventure that was very interesting, but did leave me wanting more. Without going into spoilers, I can safely say that the central plot device was a fascinating concept with so many possibilities that I felt was ultimately under explored. While Crouch touches on some really interesting questions and crafts an emotional, fulfilling ending, if you’re the type of reader who loves exploring the weird and wild limits that Sci-Fi can take you to, you might be left a little underwhelmed. Despite this, I do recommend this twisty, action packed and surprisingly touching story to anyone who loves a good science fiction story.

For my FULL REVIEW, with SPOILERS, please visit:

https://mikecahoon.com/book-review-dark-matter-by-blake-crouch/