I'm not sure what it was about this book, except that it's well-written and flows smoothly, with all the character development and tropes that I really enjoy. The Will of the Many is an academy story done well, but there is plenty of action and story outside the academy setting if that's not your usual cup of tea. The protagonist is easy to root for, not perfect, but not so flawed he's unlikeable, and the friendships and relationships he builds as the story progresses are my favourite part. Admittedly, the ending sent the series in a direction of a trope I really don't enjoy, so I'm not sure how I'll go with subsequent books, but I will absolutely be picking up book 2 as soon as it comes out.
At the elite Catenan Academy, where students are prepared as the future leaders of the Hierarchy empire, the curriculum reveals a layered set of mysteries which turn murderous in this new fantasy by bestselling author of The Licanius Trilogy, James Islington.
Vis, the adopted son of Magnus Quintus Ulcisor, a prominent senator within the Hierarchy, is trained to enter the famed Catenan Academy to help Ulciscor learn what the hidden agenda is of the remote island academy. Secretly, he also wants Vis to discover what happed to his brother who died at the academy. He's sure the current Principalis of…
I recently read an interview with Samantha Shannon where she talked about re-visiting this series and re-publishing an updated version. It intrigued me enough to pick up the series again, as I had tried it years ago and found it a bit too grim for my liking. This time around I REALLY enjoyed it. I'm not sure if it's because of Shannon's changes, or just because I was in the right book mood for it this time, but I loved it. As I write this, I'm just starting the third book in the series, and still loving the story. Paige Mahoney is a fantastic protagonist. I can't quite put my finger on why I like her so much, apart from saying while Shannon writes to tropes, she doesn't lean into them to a degree that it makes a character annoying. And the side cast is great too. If you like dystopian fantasy and haven't read this series yet, I can highly recommend it).
THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL EDITION, FULLY UPDATED WITH NEW MATERIAL
A lavishly reimagined tenth anniversary edition of the first novel in the sensational Bone Season series, by the Sunday Times and New York Times-bestselling author of The Priory of the Orange Tree.
'A fabulous, epic fantasy thriller ... Lavish, ebullient, escapist' The Times
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Welcome to Scion. No safer place.
The year is 2059. For two centuries, the Republic of Scion has led an oppressive campaign against unnaturalness in Europe.
In London, Paige Mahoney holds a high rank in the criminal underworld. The right hand of the ruthless White Binder,…
This was a delightful read, a bit along the lines of House in the Cerulean Sea or Legends and Lattes but different in its own way. When a fallen angel is tasked to tempt a woman who refuses to be tempted, hijinx ensue! Not only hijinx, there's lots of chocolate and chocolate baked goods, plus a heart warming story about family and redemption and working out what's really important in life. It's also quite a short read, clocking in at only 286 pages, so a perfect book for a rainy afternoon.
A “charming tale of little temptations” (Jacquelyn Benson), this feel-good comedy by fantasy author Olivia Atwater mixes angels, demons, romance, and chocolate into a perfectly petty and wickedly entertaining novel.
A little bit of sin is good for the soul.
Gadriel, the fallen angel of petty temptations, has a bit of a gambling debt. Fortunately, her angelic bookie is happy to let her pay off her debts by doing what she does best: All Gadriel has to do is tempt miserably sinless mortal Holly Harker to do a few nice things for herself.
One kingdom bound by duty. Another ruled by fear. And a woman caught between them.
Talyn Dynan was once the fiercest warrior in the elite Callanan guard—until the mission that shattered her.
Now she's trying to outrun her past as a reluctant member of the Kingshield, tasked with training the royal guards of a foreign kingdom. But Mithranar is no ordinary place. Its people have wings, its court is a viper's nest of politics, and something dangerous stirs in the shadows beneath its glittering halls.
In the middle of it all is the Shadowhawk—a masked rebel who strikes at the powerful and vanishes into myth.
As unrest brews and loyalties blur, Talyn must decide who she’s really fighting for… and whether the broken can still protect what matters most.
