Beguilement (The Sharing Knife, Book 1) by Lois McMaster Bujold

An oldie but a goodie! Bujold always entertains and makes you postulate your own solutions!

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars    1,829 ratings 

3.8 on Goodreads

 

13,212 ratings

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“Bujold builds a better fantasy romance with compelling characters and the fascinating clash between their cultures, she a farmer’s daughter, he an adventurer on the trail of a deadly demon.”—Locus

One of the most respected writers in the field of speculative fiction, Lois McMaster Bujold has won numerous accolades and awards, including the Nebula and Locus Awards as well as the fantasy and science fiction genre’s most prestigious honor, the Hugo Award for Best Novel, four times (most recently for Paladin of Souls). With The Sharing Knife series, Bujold creates a brand new world fraught with peril, and spins an extraordinary romance between a young farm girl and the brave sorcerer-soldier entrusted with the defense of the land against a plague of vicious, malevolent beings. Meet Fawn Bluefield and Dag Redwing Hickory in Beguilement, the first book in Bujold’s unforgettable four-volume fantasy saga, and witness the birth of their dangerous romance—a love threatened by prejudice and perilous magic, and by Dag’s sworn duty as Lakewalker patroller and necromancer.

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ANJI KILLS A KING by Evan Leikam

Anji is on the run.  Serendipity put her in an opportune position to kill a king.   Her goal is to get out of the country.  The Menagerie is on her trail. They are maxial (magically) enhanced bounty hunters with animal face masks.  The plot is centered on chase, capture, and redemption.

 This story has a lot of action and an intimate and brutal meeting of
minds between Anji and Hawk. The setting is medieval in nature with religious conflict.   A secondary and cautionary tale of addiction.

There is a lot of soul-searching by the major characters and an illustrative tale of how effective propaganda can be.

I enjoyed the book and look forward to the sequel. 

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The Cradle of Ice by James Rollins, Book 2

Rollins continues connecting "monsters" with men in a positive way.  Pre-civilization guardians of order are showing signs of malfunction due to the centuries they have waited to be resurrected.  

Love may or may not blossom between characters, and in some cases, animosity has been replaced by grudging acceptance of others. Giant bats, sea monsters, and demented cyborgs torture the few who are striving to save the world. 

Sibling love and hate are demonstrated in spades.  Short-sighted, self-serving goals seem to dominate the villains of the book.  As mentioned in the previous review of book one, Rollins has outdone himself in this epic fantasy.  Book one introduced a myriad of entertaining and exotic characters. A world is threatened by a prophetic doom seen by only a few.  The rest of the world is caught up in political intrigue and treachery.  Rollins paints some seriously despicable villains. 

The breadth of Rollins's world is just shy of breathtaking. There is epic perfidy, familia treachery, and grotesque violence by even more grotesque characters.    

Trying to avoid spoilers always annoys me as it makes it difficult to write clearly. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and avidly look forward to reading the final book in this world-spanning trilogy.

The Cradle of Ice (Moonfall, 2) Hardcover – February 7, 2023

by James Rollins (Author)

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars    2,151 ratings 

4.1 on Goodreads

 

3,891 ratings

Book 2 of 3: Moonfall

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The Starless Crown by James Rollins

Rollins has outdone himself in this epic fantasy.  Book one introduced a myriad of entertaining and exotic characters. A world is threatened by a prophetic doom seen by only a few.  The rest of the world is caught up in political intrigue and treachery.  Rollins paints some seriously despicable villains. 

There are many memorable characters in the positive column despite many of them being superficially bad guys.  I liked the relationships between animal and man with loyalty and love going both directions. 

The breadth of Rollins's world is just shy of breathtaking. There is epic perfidy, familia treachery, and grotesque violence by even more grotesque characters.    

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and avidly look forward to reading the second book in this world-spanning trilogy.

The Starless Crown (Moonfall, 1) Hardcover – January 4, 2022

by James Rollins (Author)

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars    3,972 ratings 

3.8 on Goodreads

 

10,661 ratings

Book 1 of 3: Moonfall

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Galaxy Raiders: Abyss : Galaxy Raiders, Book 1 by Ian Douglas

 Galaxy Raiders: Abyss : Galaxy Raiders, Book 1 by Ian Douglas

 This is the seventh book by this author that I’ve read.  I’m guessing that foreshadows my review as I certainly wouldn’t keep reading a writer I don’t like.

 This story is set in a human time of innovation and longevity extension.  AI and nanotechnology are flourishing.   Mankind has encountered a galactic civilization that infers that it is willing to help mankind move smoothly into the future.

 The results turned out to be different than the alien inferences.  Morrigan is on her fourth life extension and tired.  She decides not to rejuve any more.  Events take place that put her in command of a Earth force designed to impress the Galactics.

 The book has plenty of action, subterfuge and personal interplays.

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I really enjoyed it and can’t wait for the sequel.   This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned