I thought it was a pretty good idea to spotlight a few books for the first quarter of this year. Since I read a total of 15 novels, novellas, and ARC’s, I decided to just keep it to 5. I will say that it has been a really good year so far in reading, and by that, I mean a few of these have a shot at my year-end tops list as well. That will be based on categories this year instead of a top 5 or 10, this is an idea I got from Ash (@sff_reads) of FanFiAddict with her year-end picks of 2022.
Now to the Top 5!
5.) Bloodlines (The Guardian of Empire City #1) by Peter Hartog
“A first person, neo-noir detective story in an urban fantasy setting with futuristic elements, and traces of sci-fi and fantasy with magic, enhanced humans, aliens and vampires. Reminds me of films such as: RIPD, Constantine, Blade Runner 2049, and even a little of Men in Black.”
4.) The Stardust Thief (Sandsea #1) by Chelsea Abdullah
“An incredible debut novel and Abdullah had me hook line and sinker from the very beginning! I have had a really strong drive to read more stories that use inspiration from middle eastern parts of the world, and The Stardust Thief delivers just that.”
3.) The Fires of Vengeance (The Burning #2) by Evan Winter
“I was absolutely floored by this sequel to The Rage of Dragons, it lived up to and exceeded its predecessor in every way. While it wasn’t as fast-paced as its predecessor, it made up for it with a much more intense story filled with hair-raising and emotional parts”
2.) The Hunger of the Gods (Bloodsworn Saga #2) by John Gwynne
“This was absolutely terrific and I would say is very close to The Shadow of the Gods, which was #10 on my tops list of 2021! Gwynne is a master at creating a compelling and realistic story.”
1.) Of War and Ruin (The Bound and the Broken #3) by Ryan Cahill
“Of War and Ruin, has solidified Cahill as one of THE top authors in all of fantasy. His story-telling is like a game of chess, a master of his craft, and we’re all pawns in this game of the bound and the broken.”
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