Maestros by Steve Skroce (Writer/Illustrator), Dave Stewart (Colorist), Fonografiks (Letterer)

When the Maestros and his entire extended family are killed in an inter-dimensional fight, the only part of the Wizard King’s bloodline remains with a young man named Will who was banished to Earth with his mother, Margaret.

Now as Will takes the throne, his enemies, and his father’s enemies, are on the move. Will he be able to retain power or, in these uncertain times, his life? We shall see.

The artwork of this series is amazing. From the colors to the style, each page has eye-catching illustrations. Well done, Steve Skroce!

This graphic novel is rated Mature and it is easy to see why. There’s nudity, graphic violence, and some depictions of torture. So, librarians, please categorize it correctly.

Despite its mature, and occasionally disturbing, elements, I enjoyed the story in this comic quite a lot. It is a fantasy-laden coming-of-age tale that asks the question: does absolute power corrupt absolutely?

Highly recommended for mature comic book readers. Thanks for reading!

• The Book of Hedge Druidry: A Complete Guide for the Solitary Seeker by Joanna van der Hoeven
• Maestros by Steve Skroce (Writer/Illustrator), Dave Stewart (Colorist), Fonografiks (Letterer)
• Trance-Portation Learning to Navigate the Inner World by Diana L. Paxson
• Ecstasy Through Tantra by Jonn Mumford
• A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1) by Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1) by Sarah J. Maas

Feyre lives in a world where the fae are beyond a wall that separates them from the mortal world. Years and years ago, according to the myths, a great war was fought and a boundary was drawn between the two races.

When Feyre shoots an enormous wolf that is more than what it appears, she is drawn into the world beyond the wall which operates under magic and an entirely different set of rules than the world she knows.

Will she survive?

Photo by Luna Lovegood on Pexels.com

I chose to read A Court of Thorns and Roses because of the millions of positive ratings it received on Goodreads. It is an engaging read, but I don’t think I enjoyed it as much as some other readers.

“… any bit of information might help, and if I showed interest in them, perhaps they would warm to me.” pg 79, ebook

I enjoyed the heroine’s discovery of the magical world. I really liked the different creatures and situations that she found there. The exploration part of the book was my favorite part.

I did not enjoy the romance portion of the book and felt like it slowed the action down to a crawl in the middle of the story. Also, this should not be rated as a young adult book. Some of the relationship and sexual elements mark it clearly as new adult, in my mind.

I get that this is a “Beauty and the Beast” re-telling, but there are very few similarities between the two stories. If you’re looking for a fairy tale re-telling, you might want to keep looking.

And, occasionally, I found the actions of the heroine to be infuriating. She made decisions based on no reasoning that I could understand- much like a spoiled teenager. I suppose some could argue that that is exactly what Feyre is, but it wasn’t much fun to read.

Recommended for any readers who are looking for a light fantasy mixed with a lot of romance. Thanks for reading!

• The Book of Hedge Druidry: A Complete Guide for the Solitary Seeker by Joanna van der Hoeven
• Maestros by Steve Skroce (Writer/Illustrator), Dave Stewart (Colorist), Fonografiks (Letterer)
• Trance-Portation Learning to Navigate the Inner World by Diana L. Paxson
• Ecstasy Through Tantra by Jonn Mumford
• A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1) by Sarah J. Maas

The Empire of Gold (The Daevabad Trilogy, #3) by S.A. Chakraborty

Author S.A. Chakraborty brings her epic Daevabad Trilogy to an end with The Empire of Gold.

In the last book, we saw the fall of Daevabad and a new powerful leader, Manizheh, taking the throne with Dara, the ancient daeva, at her side.

“Dara was so sick of despairing over his fate, of guilt eating him alive. Now he was just furious. Furious at being used, at letting himself be used again and again.” pg 105, ebook

Photo by Anne McCarthy on Pexels.com

Meanwhile, Nahri and the prince Ali found themselves magically transported to the human realm of Cairo. Nahri knows they have to go back to the magical world to save not just their friends and family, but also the city of Daevabad itself. However, the charms of her old life make her want to stay and live as a healer.

She enjoys the peace while she can.

Ali is racked with guilt about the fall of his city and the loss of magic throughout the djinn’s world. He’s still struggling to learn how to control his strange new water magic. How can he use it to help save his people?

“How much of his life, all their lives and their histories, unraveled the more it was examined?” pg 392, ebook

Photo by Andre Moura on Pexels.com

I thought the conclusion to this series was magical. Chakraborty gives her huge cast of characters not only beautiful but fitting endings. She ties up every thread she’s woven through the story to give the reader a satisfactory experience.

I liked how the endings weren’t necessarily happy or perfect. Throughout her books, Chakraborty has painted a complex world where the characters aren’t all good or bad, but some mix of each. The conclusion stays with this method of storytelling and manages to feel somewhat real, despite all of the fantasy elements it contains.

“There is a time to fight, and you are all fierce warriors, students I am deeply proud of. But there is also a time to put down your weapons and make peace.” pg 701, ebook

Not only are these books morally complex, the cultures she’s created feel deep and true. In this book, readers get to enjoy the culture of Ali’s mother and learn much more about the prince’s special abilities.

I don’t want to say much more about it because discovering this storyline is so much fun. It was my favorite part of the book, which had so many wonderful moments to it.

Very highly recommended for fantasy readers. Thanks for reading!

• The Book of Hedge Druidry: A Complete Guide for the Solitary Seeker by Joanna van der Hoeven
• Maestros by Steve Skroce (Writer/Illustrator), Dave Stewart (Colorist), Fonografiks (Letterer)
• Trance-Portation Learning to Navigate the Inner World by Diana L. Paxson
• Ecstasy Through Tantra by Jonn Mumford
• A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1) by Sarah J. Maas

The Kingdom of Copper (The Daevabad Trilogy, #2) by S.A. Chakraborty

Readers return to the magical world of the city of Daevabad in The Kingdom of Copper, the second book in the Daevabad trilogy.

This story begins a few years after the conclusion of the last book. Nahri has solidified her place in Daevabad with a strategic marriage. Ali has been exiled to a far land because of his actions in the previous book. And Dara, one of my favorite characters, finds himself in service to a djinn whom he believed was long dead.

… goodness has gotten me nowhere in Daevabad. Everyone I try to help ends up worse off.” pg 202, ebook

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

The characters continue to be neither right nor wrong in this entry in the series, but all end up in some gray place in-between. They all take actions that they believe are right and sometimes actions that they believe are necessary. Sometimes the outcome is good, but other times it turns out very, very badly.

I like that about this book. S.A. Chakraborty does a good job of distilling the messiness of life and the clash of four or five different cultures in one city. Even though this is a fantasy tale, I feel like this story could really happen, relationship-wise, out in the real world.

“You were created to burn, to exist between worlds- not to form yourself into armies and pledge your lives to leaders who would toss them away.” pg 396

Photo by Dhivakaran S on Pexels.com

Of all the storylines, I was most interested in Dara’s perspective and seeing where the author was going to take this ancient being who had suffered so much heartache in his past. That being said, I didn’t enjoy his part of the story.

He’s so passionate but he’s always being used and abused by the people around him. I’d like to see him having a bigger say over his life and who is around him. I suppose it remains to be seen in the third book if he is finally able to embrace the freedom that he longs for so badly.

I was fortunate that the entire series is published so I’m able to read the books one after another and am able to keep all of the intricacies of the story straight in my head. I can’t imagine having years between reading books in this series. It would be too hard to remember.

The build up of the story felt a little slow to me, especially in the middle of the book. But, towards the end, when things began happening, they all went at once. It made for a very exciting ending which I felt was well done for the large cast of characters.

Highly recommended for fantasy readers.

Thanks for reading!

• The Book of Hedge Druidry: A Complete Guide for the Solitary Seeker by Joanna van der Hoeven
• Maestros by Steve Skroce (Writer/Illustrator), Dave Stewart (Colorist), Fonografiks (Letterer)
• Trance-Portation Learning to Navigate the Inner World by Diana L. Paxson
• Ecstasy Through Tantra by Jonn Mumford
• A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1) by Sarah J. Maas

The City of Brass (The Daevabad Trilogy, #1) by S.A. Chakraborty

Nahri lives alone in Cairo and makes her daily bread by targeting gullible citizens and stealing. But one night, during a false ritual to free a young woman from an evil spirit, Nahri draws the attention of something magical and powerful, and her life is never the same again.

“I have made them both content, but the djinn is a strong one and has likely been with her since birth.” pg 20, ebook

Photo by Boris Ulzibat on Pexels.com

Prince Alizayd al Qahtani, the second in line to the throne, lives in Daevabad. He works to better the lives of the humans who live there, along with the different tribes of djinn. This is perilous work as his father, the sultan, does not value human lives the same way.

“A city rose from the smoky map in Daevastana, in the center of a dark lake. Its walls gleamed like brass, beautiful against the dark sky.”

Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

The City of Brass is told from Nahri and Ali’s points of view. It is a beautiful, multi-layered story that combines elements of Islam and magic.

At first, I had trouble keeping track of all of the different types of djinn. But, after about a quarter of the story, things clicked into place and I really enjoyed the tale.

“We’re souled beings like humans, but we were created from fire, not earth.” pg 101, ebook

From enslaved djinn to the evil ifrit, this story keeps the reader guessing what is going to happen next. There’s a lot of politics in here as well as a magical history that slowly unfolds as the tale progresses.

The characters are neither entirely good nor bad, but instead are a realistic shade of gray. Everyone, it seems, has committed actions they are not proud of, and cling to beliefs that may not necessarily serve them.

It makes for an engaging story as these warring beliefs bump into each other.

Highly recommended for fantasy readers. Thanks for reading!

• The Book of Hedge Druidry: A Complete Guide for the Solitary Seeker by Joanna van der Hoeven
• Maestros by Steve Skroce (Writer/Illustrator), Dave Stewart (Colorist), Fonografiks (Letterer)
• Trance-Portation Learning to Navigate the Inner World by Diana L. Paxson
• Ecstasy Through Tantra by Jonn Mumford
• A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1) by Sarah J. Maas

Light Bringer (Red Rising Saga, #6) by Pierce Brown

Darrow continues the fight against the Society in Light Bringer, the sixth entry in the Red Rising Saga.

The last book focused on the war in the Core especially around Mercury. This book takes readers out to “the Rim” and examines what is going on in the deeper parts of space.

“Cut off from communication with the outside world, I have no way of knowing the course of the war I began. No way of knowing if Virginia and Victra have managed to weather the united power of the Golds of the Rim and the Core.” pg 3, ebook.

Photo by Felix Mittermeier on Pexels.com

As usual, I loved Pierce Brown’s characters and pacing. His stories always seem to progress at a good clip and, after thousands of pages, I’m still invested in what is going on.

In this book, unlike the last, I feel like there were more light hearted moments. Dark Age, the previous book in the series, certainly lived up to its name.

“I have seen things a Red miner was never meant to see – unspeakable horrors, impossible beauty.” pg 6, ebook

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That being said, as this series continues forward, I think Brown has killed off so many beloved characters that it is going to be hard for me to continue to care what happens. I felt the same way about Game of Thrones after a few books.

He’s introduced a few new characters whom I love, Lyria being the top of that list. But he couldn’t possibly replace some of the names- that I won’t list here because spoilers.

“I just think you’re a good man and you have a huge heart and I don’t think people say that enough.” pg 465, ebook

I’m curious what other readers of the series think. Overall, I think this is a masterful work of fantasy and I can’t wait for the last book which should be epic. Highly recommended for fantasy readers.

Thanks for reading!

• The Book of Hedge Druidry: A Complete Guide for the Solitary Seeker by Joanna van der Hoeven
• Maestros by Steve Skroce (Writer/Illustrator), Dave Stewart (Colorist), Fonografiks (Letterer)
• Trance-Portation Learning to Navigate the Inner World by Diana L. Paxson
• Ecstasy Through Tantra by Jonn Mumford
• A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1) by Sarah J. Maas

The Daughters of Ys by M.T. Anderson, Jo Rioux (illustrator)

The Daughters of Ys opens with a father relating a story to his daughters. The story concerns the magical way he met his wife and their future mother on a dark stormy night in the middle of the sea. From there, the two carve a city from the sea and begin a new life.

But now, their mother is dead and, the king and his daughters (Rozenn and Dahut) have to figure out their lives and how to run their magical kingdom, Ys, without her.

Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on Pexels.com

In this coming-of-age tale, secrets run in every direction. The discovery of what those secrets are make this story fascinating.

Magic and living comes with a cost is one of the many lessons that could be learned from this fairy tale.

I loved the illustrations by Jo Rioux and feel like they really elevated the story. She uses mostly muted colors to weave shadows and magic throughout the tale. The brightest colors are reserved for Dahut, the younger and more magically inclined daughter.

I think this book is appropriate for young adults. There are some mature themes that are dealt with, but they’re not explicit. Highly recommended.

Thanks for reading!

• The Book of Hedge Druidry: A Complete Guide for the Solitary Seeker by Joanna van der Hoeven
• Maestros by Steve Skroce (Writer/Illustrator), Dave Stewart (Colorist), Fonografiks (Letterer)
• Trance-Portation Learning to Navigate the Inner World by Diana L. Paxson
• Ecstasy Through Tantra by Jonn Mumford
• A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1) by Sarah J. Maas

Black Orchid by Neil Gaiman (Author), Dave McKean (Illustrator)

Shadowy art elevates this superhero graphic novel written by the incomparable Neil Gaiman.

Susan Linden is a crime fighter named the Black Orchid. In the first pages of the story, she is killed by gangsters. She spends the rest of the book trying to remember who she is and why she has extraordinary abilities- including reincarnation.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

The graphic novel brings in numerous heroes from the DC universe including Batman, Poison Ivy, and Lex Luthor. It was fun to read those interactions.

The overall feel of the story is very dark which makes the bright, almost electric purple of the Black Orchid panels stick out so much. Black Orchid and the other flower women are nude and it is handled tastefully throughout.

Here’s the Black Orchid and a friend from the graphic novel:

Before this graphic novel, I had never even heard of Black Orchid. This story makes a great introduction, but it doesn’t go fully into her abilities- some are still a mystery.

At first, I thought it didn’t fit the character that Black Orchid could fly because I associate plants with earth and being tied into the ground. However, in the supplemental materials at the back of the book, it explained that plants can change their density. Then, that particular superhero ability made more sense to me.

This isn’t a story for kids. I’d recommend it for readers 18+ because of the violence and some disturbing dialogue.

• The Book of Hedge Druidry: A Complete Guide for the Solitary Seeker by Joanna van der Hoeven
• Maestros by Steve Skroce (Writer/Illustrator), Dave Stewart (Colorist), Fonografiks (Letterer)
• Trance-Portation Learning to Navigate the Inner World by Diana L. Paxson
• Ecstasy Through Tantra by Jonn Mumford
• A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1) by Sarah J. Maas

The Kingdom of Liars (The Legacy of the Mercenary Kings, #1) by Nick Martell

Michael Kingman carries a brand on his neck because of his father. Years ago, David Kingman, Michael’s dad, was accused of murdering the prince. His family was thrown out of court and have lived in disgrace ever since.

However, Michael believes in his father’s innocence and will do almost anything to prove it. When an opportunity comes his way to right the record, Michael takes it, but will he survive?

“It had been a sh*tty life at times, but it had been mine, and it had always been easier with friends and family at my side. Now someone always seemed to be pulling my strings.” pg 259

Photo by Luis Dalvan on Pexels.com

The world of The Kingdom of Liars is rich with magic users of various kinds, the moon falling from the sky, and warring factions within the city. The author, Nick Martell, explains very little of it. I lost my patience with the new elements after awhile.

I don’t mind complex worlds and characters, I just wanted a bit more background. The story races ahead without it.

“I wasn’t a noble, or a thief, or a con man, but I wasn’t some common citizen either. I was Michael… Michael Kingman.” pg 573

I didn’t mind the personality of the main character, Michael, though he often flounders in the past and failed plans at times. I think that someone who grew up the way he did would have a huge chip on his shoulder and that definitely comes through in the story.

Overall, I’d recommend the book for readers who like epic fantasy with a slow burn. Readers do receive the answers to most of their questions, though it takes awhile to get there.

Thanks for reading!

• The Book of Hedge Druidry: A Complete Guide for the Solitary Seeker by Joanna van der Hoeven
• Maestros by Steve Skroce (Writer/Illustrator), Dave Stewart (Colorist), Fonografiks (Letterer)
• Trance-Portation Learning to Navigate the Inner World by Diana L. Paxson
• Ecstasy Through Tantra by Jonn Mumford
• A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1) by Sarah J. Maas