Fantasy on My Books Blog

Goddard, Victoria - Redoubtable Pali Avramapul, The

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 21:02:16 -0400

Rating: 4/5 may read again

Pali Avramapul, who appears in a number of other Goddard books, is featured in this one. We see her viewpoint as she discovers what has happened to her old adventuring companion Fitzroy Angursell.

I think it’s pretty good, but it might be of interest mostly to those who have taken an interest in Pali from other books.

Daley, Sarah J. - Violently Departed, The

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 10:30:36 -0400

Rating: 4/5 will read again

This mystery/horror story featuring a half-demon ex-nun detective got pretty dark in places, but was well-paced to keep me reading without quite being overwhelmed.

Bujold, Lois McMaster - Darksight Dare

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 18:37:20 -0400

The latest in Bujold’s Penric series. (I almost wrote Penfold there!)

It’s pretty typical for the series. If you’ve enjoyed other stories in the series, I’m guessing you’d enjoy this one as well.

Slatter, A.G. - The Path of Thorns

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 18:36:16 -0400

This dark book in Slatter’s Sourdough Universe is the story of Asher Todd, who returns to her mother’s family home, in disguise, for revenge. Asher is formidable but flawed, and there are a lot of twists and turns to how things work themselves out.

Slatter, A.G. - The Crimson Road

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 18:36:09 -0400

While this book in Slatter’s Sourdough Universe could stand alone, characters from several other books do show up and I think it’d be more enjoyable to have read those books first. Those other books are The Briar Book of the Dead, All the Murmuring Bones, and The Path of Thorns.

In this story, the most badass of Slatter’s female heroines (so far) takes a long journey to the Dark Lands to single-handedly take on the leadership of the Leech Lords, Slatter’s twist on vampires.

A.G. Slatter - All The Murmuring Bones

Sat, 30 May 2026 18:54:17 -0400

Rating: 4/5 Worth re-reading
Pages: 368

Another book in the author’s Sourdough universe, but like all her books and stories, you don’t need to have read any others. It’s just cool sometimes to see things referenced and realize they were in another story.

The last remaining daughter of a once-great family digs into her family’s history, while fleeing a powerful man.

Come to think of it, are there any Slatter stories where there are important male characters who aren’t completely despicable? Hmm…

Slatter, A.G. - Briar Book Of The Dead, The

Fri, 29 May 2026 20:17:43 -0400

Rating: 4/5 Worth an occasional re-read

This book is part of Slatter’s Sourdough world stories. Some characters from past stories show up as ancestors of this book’s main characters.

In the small rural town where the story is set, the Briar family of witches have taken care of - and ruled - the town for multiple generations. The viewpoint character is one of the few Briar women who are not witches. It turns out that some pretty horrific things have happened in the past - and continue to happen - behind the scenes of the apparently quiet little town.

R.F. Kuang - Babel

Thu, 28 May 2026 07:42:39 -0400

Rating: Did not finish

Yet another “school of magic” story. I’m tired of them.

Sophie Austin - The Lamplighter's Bookshop

Thu, 28 May 2026 07:40:13 -0400

Rating: Did not finish

Too slow and boring. Also, most of the people in the story were complete assholes.

Sarah Brooks - The Cautious Traveler's Guide To The Wastelands

Tue, 26 May 2026 19:29:32 -0400

Rating: 4/5 Worth a re-read
Pages: 316

A fantasy that takes place entirely on a train! What could be better?

I definitely enjoyed this. The main character was interesting, there was a mysterious mystery to uncover, and there was danger that the characters had to address together.

There were a few contradictions in the story that I just let slide. For example, the train is passing through the wastelands, where there is nobody on the ground, and it’s likely death to exit the train, yet somehow the train was able to change routes. Who threw the switch to allow that? I think there were ways this could have been handled, but the author would have to had to explain how this train was different from the typical train in being able to do this.

El Mohtar, Amal and Gladstone, Max - This Is How You Lose the Time War

Tue, 26 May 2026 14:04:25 -0400

Rating: 3/5 Worth reading
Pages: 254

I’ve enjoyed Max Gladstone’s books, but the title and cover of this one put me off for a long time.

Now I’ve read it, and I suppose it was worth reading, but only barely. For me, anyway.

I’ll give it that the writing of the letters between the two protagonists is nearly poetry, but this is a time travel story with a plot that makes little to no sense. I don’t think the authors actually intended to write a perfectly logical time travel story, but it still annoys me too much to really enjoy the story.

Jo Spurrier - A Curse Of Ash And Embers

Mon, 25 May 2026 08:36:48 -0400

Rating: 3/5

I really enjoyed this fantasy. It’s not complicated, just a witch and apprentice fighting an old evil dead witch, but it’s a pleasant read with mostly nice characters.

Victoria Goddard - Derring-Do For Beginners

Sun, 24 May 2026 20:36:48 -0400

Rating: 3/5 Worth reading
Pages: 317

Damian and Jullanar meet and get acquainted, then Fitzroy (literally) drops in.

Probably okay as a standalone, but of more interest to those who have read other books that mention The Red Company.

Victoria Goddard - In The Company Of Gentlemen

Sun, 24 May 2026 19:40:36 -0400

Rating: 3/5
Pages: 41

This is another short story from Goddard’s world, probably only of interest to those who have read other books by her about the Red Company.

This gives the detailed account of the time Damian defeated 150 soldiers, one after another, in sword duels in one afternoon.

Pali Avramapul is featured in the wrapper story, though as Domina Black.

Victoria Goddard - The Tower At The Edge Of The World

Sun, 24 May 2026 19:24:46 -0400

Rating: 3/5 Worth reading
Pages: 37

I rate this short story as 3/5, worth reading, but would qualify that by saying that unless you’ve read and enjoyed The Hands of the Emperor and At the Feet of the Sun, which are largely about the same character, you probably won’t find this too interesting.

It’s the very first look at Fitzroy Angursell, before he’s taken that name.

Kate Elliott - The Witch Roads

Sun, 24 May 2026 19:22:36 -0400

Rating: Did not finish

This wasn’t bad, but 50 pages in there had been about 10 pages of plot advancement and 40 pages of exposition and background, and I just got sick of it.