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	<title>Nose Graze</title>
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		<title>Leather-bound, illustrated edition of Lord of the Fading Lands by C.L. Wilson</title>
		<link>https://www.nosegraze.com/leather-bound-illustrated-edition-lord-fading-lands-c-l-wilson/</link>
					<comments>https://www.nosegraze.com/leather-bound-illustrated-edition-lord-fading-lands-c-l-wilson/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ashley]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 19 Nov 2022 13:29:46 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[C.L. Wilson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tairen Soul]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.nosegraze.com/?p=26706</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[In May I mentioned how I wanted to make my own special edition book. Well, I did it!! To recap: this idea started when I read about someone else making their own special edition book. I became obsessed with the idea and set out to [&#8230;] <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/leather-bound-illustrated-edition-lord-fading-lands-c-l-wilson/">Keep reading &raquo;</a>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="1200" height="746" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/leather-bound-tairen-soul.jpg" class="aligncenter wp-post-image" alt="Photo of a leather-bound edition of Tairen Soul. It&#039;s in a red/maroon colour leather with gold foil and gilded edges." srcset="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/leather-bound-tairen-soul.jpg 1200w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/leather-bound-tairen-soul-700x435.jpg 700w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/leather-bound-tairen-soul-768x477.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" />
<p>In May <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/custom-special-edition-book/">I mentioned how I wanted to make my own special edition book</a>. Well, I did it!!</p>



<p>To recap: this idea started when I read about <a href="https://curiousking.co.uk/first-project-gardens-of-the-moon/">someone else making their own special edition book</a>. I became obsessed with the idea and set out to do something similar for my favourite series, Tairen Soul by C.L. Wilson.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What did I want to do?</h2>



<p>First thing: what exactly did I want to achieve in terms of specs?</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Leather-bound book with gold foiling</li><li>Gilded edges</li><li>UK royal hardcover sizing<ul><li>The book has officially only been released as a small paperback, which meant I would have to reformat and reprint the book, as opposed to just rebinding an existing copy.</li></ul></li><li>Full colour, full page interior illustrations</li><li>Possibly some black and white &#8220;inline&#8221; illustrations (not taking up a whole page)</li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Determining the viability of the project</h2>



<p>After knowing <strong>what</strong> I wanted to accomplish, the next step was figuring out if I could make this project happen. That involved two things:</p>



<ol class="wp-block-list"><li>Seeing if I could teach myself InDesign</li><li>Seeing if I could find &#8220;suppliers&#8221; for each of my requirements:<ol><li>Printer</li><li>Bookbinder</li><li>Illustrator(s)</li><li>A cartographer</li></ol></li></ol>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Learning InDesign</h3>



<p>I could have just hired someone to do this for me, but I wanted to have some sort of creative contribution to the project. The most feasible option felt like handling the InDesign work. So I set out teaching myself how to use it. (I did end up with more creative contributions in the end, but I&#8217;ll touch on that later!)</p>



<p>I decided if I couldn&#8217;t make InDesign work, I wouldn&#8217;t do the project at all. Luckily I got enough of a handle on it that I felt I could move forward!</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Finding suppliers</h3>



<p>I needed to both: 1) find people who could help me implement this project; and 2) determine what the overall cost might look like, to make sure it was something I was willing to pay.</p>



<p>I created a big spreadsheet of printers, bookbinders, and illustrators. I filled this out as I contacted people, noting things like:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Could they do the job?</li><li>What&#8217;s their availability?</li><li>What&#8217;s an estimated price quote for the work?</li></ul>



<p>This was <strong>a lot</strong> of work and there were times I almost gave up.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Finding a printer and binder</h4>



<p>Finding a printer was hard, because most of the options weren&#8217;t suitable for me.</p>



<p>I couldn&#8217;t work with one of those big companies that requires you place huge orders. So many companies would bail as soon as I mentioned I only wanted to print one book (and I don&#8217;t blame them).</p>



<p>I couldn&#8217;t work with on demand printers, because I wanted high quality paper, and I didn&#8217;t want a fully bound book. I wanted sheets that could be given to the bookbinder.</p>



<p>What I really wanted was a small, independent printer, but those are really hard to search for on Google, especially when you don&#8217;t need them to be local to you. Anywhere in the UK would suit me.</p>



<p>In the end, I actually found the perfect bookbinder first, and she referred me to a printer who&#8217;s local to her, and she works with often. It ended up being <strong>perfect</strong> to work with a printer and bookbinder who already know each other and have a relationship. The printer knew exactly how to give the pages to the bookbinder, etc.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Finding illustrators</h4>



<p>I wanted full colour interior illustrations. Finding artists for this was also a long process and an extremely careful balancing act.</p>



<ol class="wp-block-list"><li>I wanted artists whose artwork I really loved.</li><li>But also for a price I could afford. (I wanted more than one illustration, so paying $1k+ per piece wasn&#8217;t possible for me.)</li><li>But also from an artist who&#8217;s actually available and taking commissions. (Waiting was fine, but a lot of artists just close commissions with no waiting list when they&#8217;re busy.)</li></ol>



<p>That&#8217;s insanely difficult!! There are a lot of amazing artists out there, but it&#8217;s hard to find people who can meet all three of those points.</p>



<p>Once again I was using the spreadsheet. I noted down every artist I was interested in, their portfolio, their price points, their availability.</p>



<p>In the end I picked two illustrators who were absolutely perfect for the job:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li><a href="https://www.artstation.com/kueshka">Oksana Kerro</a> (<a href="https://twitter.com/Kueshka">@Kueshka</a>)</li><li><a href="https://www.naarielart.co.uk/">Naariel</a> (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/naarielart/">@naarielart</a>)</li></ul>



<p>I booked both of them about 2-3 months in advance, which mostly set the timeline for my project.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-rain-tairen.jpg" rel="lightbox[26706]"><img decoding="async" width="2441" height="1838" data-id="26712" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-rain-tairen.jpg" alt="Photo of a full colour illustration inside a book. It features a large, black panther-looking creature with dragon wings. It's Rain in Tairen form." class="wp-image-26712" srcset="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-rain-tairen.jpg 2441w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-rain-tairen-700x527.jpg 700w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-rain-tairen-768x578.jpg 768w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-rain-tairen-1536x1157.jpg 1536w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-rain-tairen-2048x1542.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2441px) 100vw, 2441px" /></a><figcaption>Tairen, by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/kueshka">Oksana Kerro</a></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-mage.jpg" rel="lightbox[26706]"><img decoding="async" width="2441" height="1838" data-id="26716" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-mage.jpg" alt="Photo of a full colour illustration inside a book. It depicts High Mage Vadim Maur from Tairen Soul. An evil looking mage with grey/white hair and purple robes. He's sitting at a desk containing various scrolls and candles." class="wp-image-26716" srcset="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-mage.jpg 2441w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-mage-700x527.jpg 700w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-mage-768x578.jpg 768w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-mage-1536x1157.jpg 1536w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-mage-2048x1542.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2441px) 100vw, 2441px" /></a><figcaption>High Mage Vadim Maur, by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/kueshka">Oksana Kerro</a></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-rain.jpg" rel="lightbox[26706]"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2441" height="1838" data-id="26715" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-rain.jpg" alt="Photo of a full colour illustration inside a book, featuring Rain from Tairen Soul. He's a king mid-walk, with a serious expression." class="wp-image-26715" srcset="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-rain.jpg 2441w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-rain-700x527.jpg 700w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-rain-768x578.jpg 768w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-rain-1536x1157.jpg 1536w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-rain-2048x1542.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2441px) 100vw, 2441px" /></a><figcaption>Rainier vel’En Daris Feyreisen, by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/kueshka">Oksana Kerro</a></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-bel-chained.jpg" rel="lightbox[26706]"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2441" height="1838" data-id="26713" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-bel-chained.jpg" alt="Photo of a full colour illustration inside a book. It features a muscular, shirtless man with a chain around his neck and shackles around his wrists." class="wp-image-26713" srcset="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-bel-chained.jpg 2441w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-bel-chained-700x527.jpg 700w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-bel-chained-768x578.jpg 768w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-bel-chained-1536x1157.jpg 1536w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-bel-chained-2048x1542.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2441px) 100vw, 2441px" /></a><figcaption>Bel in Chains, by <a href="https://www.naarielart.co.uk/">Naariel</a></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-annoura.jpg" rel="lightbox[26706]"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2441" height="1838" data-id="26714" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-annoura.jpg" alt="Photo of a full colour illustration inside a book, featuring queen Annoura from Tairen Soul" class="wp-image-26714" srcset="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-annoura.jpg 2441w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-annoura-700x527.jpg 700w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-annoura-768x578.jpg 768w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-annoura-1536x1157.jpg 1536w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-annoura-2048x1542.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2441px) 100vw, 2441px" /></a><figcaption>Queen Annoura, by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/kueshka">Oksana Kerro</a></figcaption></figure>
</figure>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Finding a cartographer</h4>



<p>I wanted a cartographer to redraw the interior map, to use as the endpapers. I think the cartographer was actually the first person I found! I went with <a href="https://n-horizons.weebly.com/">Rafal Zatwarnicki from New Horizons</a>. He did an absolutely amazing job.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="700" height="527" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-endpapers-700x527.jpg" alt="Photo of the endpapers on a book. The endpapers feature a full colour map illustration by New Horizons." class="wp-image-26717" srcset="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-endpapers-700x527.jpg 700w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-endpapers-768x578.jpg 768w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-endpapers-1536x1157.jpg 1536w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-endpapers-2048x1542.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><figcaption>Map by <a href="https://n-horizons.weebly.com/">New Horizons</a></figcaption></figure></div>


<p>The details on it are outstanding. He even drew me a little tairen!</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="700" height="527" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-map-closeup-700x527.jpg" alt="Close up photo of the map, showing the &quot;Fading Lands&quot; region. There's a volcano in a mountainous region, and next to it is a tairen. (Large cat with wings.)" class="wp-image-26723" srcset="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-map-closeup-700x527.jpg 700w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-map-closeup-768x579.jpg 768w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-map-closeup.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></figure></div>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Going ahead</h2>



<p>I did everything in parallel. I wanted to make sure I had all the pieces in play before committing. I didn&#8217;t want to commission a bunch of artwork just to find out later I couldn&#8217;t actually ever find a printer to make this work.</p>



<p>But once I had everyone lined up, it was all systems go!</p>



<p>While waiting in line for the illustrators, I spent most of my time on two things:</p>



<ol class="wp-block-list"><li>Working on the interior formatting</li><li>Working on black and white interior illustrations myself</li></ol>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Interior formatting</h3>



<p>The interior formatting took a lot of time, and there was a lot of trial and error. My process ended up being this:</p>



<ol class="wp-block-list"><li>Set up the InDesign document how I want it, in terms of margins, typography, etc. (I had this as one step, but this alone took a long time and I redid it several times!)</li><li>I already owned the ebook (legitimately) and used <a href="https://calibre-ebook.com/">Calibre</a> to convert it into Word format.</li><li>I split the Word document up by chapters (one Word document per chapter).</li><li>Then import each Word chapter into InDesign (separate document for each chapter).</li><li>Then fix each chapter.</li></ol>



<p>Expanding on point 5&#8230; there was a lot of &#8220;fixing&#8221; involved. The conversion process wasn&#8217;t perfect, and as a result some of the line breaks in the document were messed up. So I basically went through the text line by line, comparing the InDesign document to my physical copy of Lord of the Fading Lands. I made sure the text was formatted the same way, line breaks were in the same place, etc.</p>



<p>Other than fixing glaring errors, there were also some stylistic fixes to be applied, to avoid things like orphaned words. Then of course every time I redid step 1 (change margins, font size, etc.), I also had to redo step 5!! (Lesson: make sure you&#8217;re committed to your margin and typography settings before formatting the whole book.)</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1000" height="1407" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-prologue.jpg" alt="Photo of the page of a book. At the top it says &quot;Prologue&quot; in large heading text, with a short poem underneath it. The first paragraph has a drop cap (letter &quot;T&quot; with intricate flower designs around it)." class="wp-image-26707" srcset="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-prologue.jpg 1000w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-prologue-498x700.jpg 498w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-prologue-768x1081.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure></div>


<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Black and white sketches</h3>



<p>At some point I decided to make my own &#8220;sketchy&#8221; illustrations. Originally I thought about hiring someone to do this, but it was a lot harder for me to find someone who would do quick, fast black and white sketches, than a full colour illustrator. I actually have a background in digital art and drawing anyway, so I thought surely I could pull <em>something</em> together&#8230;</p>



<p>This decision ended up being the best one I made and really transformed this project into a whole other thing.</p>



<p>I used to be &#8220;an artist&#8221;. In middle school I got Photoshop for the first time and I was drawing my Neopets. This was my first foray into digital art. In high school I got my first Wacom tablet and drew fan art for video games (RuneScape, mostly). Back then my dream was to become a concept artist for video games!</p>



<p>At some point, I abandoned art in favour of web development. (I started coding when I made my own portfolio website to showcase my artwork, then never stopped.) I didn&#8217;t draw for 10 years.</p>



<p>But doing these black and white illustrations myself reignited my love of art! Once I finished the black and white sketches, I moved on to making my own full colour illustrations. I ended up including some of them in the final book!</p>



<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-keflee-set.jpg" rel="lightbox[26706]"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="527" height="700" data-id="26708" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-keflee-set-527x700.jpg" alt="Photo of the interior page of a book. In between the paragraphs if a rough sketch of what looks to be a tea or coffee set. There's an intricate pot and delicate cups." class="wp-image-26708" srcset="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-keflee-set-527x700.jpg 527w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-keflee-set-768x1020.jpg 768w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-keflee-set-1157x1536.jpg 1157w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-keflee-set.jpg 1384w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 527px) 100vw, 527px" /></a><figcaption>Keflee set</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-cat-sketch.jpg" rel="lightbox[26706]"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1384" height="1838" data-id="26709" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-cat-sketch.jpg" alt="Photo of the interior page of a book. At the end of the page is a rough  sketch of a cat looking alarmed. There are papers flying all around it, as if the cat had just disrupted them in their fright." class="wp-image-26709" srcset="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-cat-sketch.jpg 1384w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-cat-sketch-527x700.jpg 527w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-cat-sketch-768x1020.jpg 768w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-cat-sketch-1157x1536.jpg 1157w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1384px) 100vw, 1384px" /></a><figcaption>Sketch of Love the cat</figcaption></figure>
</figure>



<p>This project was always a lot of fun, and was absolutely worth the expense paid. But rediscovering this love of digital painting really took it to a whole other level. I don&#8217;t think I would have found this hobby again if not for this project.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-rain-ellie-moonlight.jpg" rel="lightbox[26706]"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2441" height="1838" data-id="26710" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-rain-ellie-moonlight.jpg" alt="Photo of the inside page of a book. On the left-hand side is text from the book in black and white, and on the right-hand side is a full colour illustration. The illustration features a profile shot of a man and woman with their foreheads touching. The man's eyes are closed, and the woman is looking up at him a bit, shyly. In the background behind them is a full moon." class="wp-image-26710" srcset="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-rain-ellie-moonlight.jpg 2441w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-rain-ellie-moonlight-700x527.jpg 700w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-rain-ellie-moonlight-768x578.jpg 768w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-rain-ellie-moonlight-1536x1157.jpg 1536w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-rain-ellie-moonlight-2048x1542.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2441px) 100vw, 2441px" /></a></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-rain-ellie-wager.jpg" rel="lightbox[26706]"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2441" height="1838" data-id="26711" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-rain-ellie-wager.jpg" alt="Photo of the interior of a book. On the left hand side is the text from the book. On the right is a full colour illustration of a man and woman. The woman has her back to the man, but her head tilted back a bit, as if she's teasing him. She's holding a small leather pouch in her hand. The man sort of looks like he's playfully rolling his eyes at her." class="wp-image-26711" srcset="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-rain-ellie-wager.jpg 2441w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-rain-ellie-wager-700x527.jpg 700w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-rain-ellie-wager-768x578.jpg 768w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-rain-ellie-wager-1536x1157.jpg 1536w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-rain-ellie-wager-2048x1542.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2441px) 100vw, 2441px" /></a></figure>
</figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Designing the spine and cover</h3>



<p>Designing the spine and cover of the book was actually an afterthought for me. I had originally hoped to just ask the bookbinder to go with some generic design using the tools she has available. But in August I visited her bindery and we talked a lot about options, colours, designs, etc. After that conversation I decided to properly design something myself.</p>



<p>I struggled with this because that kind of spine design work is <strong>not</strong> my speciality! It&#8217;s very different from the digital artwork I&#8217;m used to. In the end, I used a combination of some design tools I knew the binder already had, and something I mashed together using stock I purchased.</p>



<p>The mockup I gave her looked like this:</p>



<div class="wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex">
<div class="wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow" style="flex-basis:30%">
<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default wp-block-gallery-4 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="700" data-id="26718" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-spine-design-150x700.png" alt="" class="wp-image-26718" srcset="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-spine-design-150x700.png 150w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-spine-design.png 214w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></figure>
</figure>
</div>



<div class="wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow" style="flex-basis:70%">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="467" height="700" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-cover-design-467x700.png" alt="Cover design for the leather-bound edition of Tairen Soul. It features two lions in the centre, with a flower wreath around them." class="wp-image-26719" srcset="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-cover-design-467x700.png 467w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-cover-design.png 667w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 467px) 100vw, 467px" /></figure>
</div>
</div>



<p>I think it would have been cool to have someone do a custom design for me that also involved tairen wings (if you&#8217;re not famliar with the book: a tairen is a large cat &#8212; like a lion &#8212; with dragon-esque wings), but again, by this point I was feeling a little &#8220;finding people fatigue&#8221;.</p>



<p>Overall though I&#8217;m super happy with how it turned out!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A finished product</h2>



<p>I started this project in May and it all came to a close six months later, on November 16th.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/leather-tairen-soul-slipcase.jpg" rel="lightbox[26706]"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="527" height="700" data-id="26721" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/leather-tairen-soul-slipcase-527x700.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-26721" srcset="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/leather-tairen-soul-slipcase-527x700.jpg 527w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/leather-tairen-soul-slipcase-768x1020.jpg 768w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/leather-tairen-soul-slipcase-1157x1536.jpg 1157w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/leather-tairen-soul-slipcase.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 527px) 100vw, 527px" /></a></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/leather-tairen-soul-tailband.jpg" rel="lightbox[26706]"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="811" height="1526" data-id="26722" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/leather-tairen-soul-tailband.jpg" alt="Photo of the gilded edges of a leather-bound book, and a tailband" class="wp-image-26722" srcset="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/leather-tairen-soul-tailband.jpg 811w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/leather-tairen-soul-tailband-372x700.jpg 372w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/leather-tairen-soul-tailband-768x1445.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 811px) 100vw, 811px" /></a></figure>
</figure>



<p>This book is everything I hoped and imagined it would be. It has 8 full colour illustrations, a full colour map, and 13 black and white sketches.</p>



<p>I&#8217;m already deep in planning the rest of the series (four more books!!). I&#8217;ll be doing a lot more of my own artwork for the rest of the series, but am still commissioning a few pieces (some of which are already done!).</p>



<p>Here&#8217;s a first look at some of the pieces by me:</p>



<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-2 wp-block-gallery-6 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/gaelen.jpg" rel="lightbox[26706]"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1000" height="1500" data-id="26726" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/gaelen.jpg" alt="Digital painting of an angry, shirtless man in a cave. There's a scar going down the right side of his face." class="wp-image-26726" srcset="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/gaelen.jpg 1000w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/gaelen-467x700.jpg 467w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/gaelen-768x1152.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></a><figcaption>Gaelen</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-wedding.jpg" rel="lightbox[26706]"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1200" height="1800" data-id="26729" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-wedding.jpg" alt="Digital painting of a man and woman who just got married" class="wp-image-26729" srcset="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-wedding.jpg 1200w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-wedding-467x700.jpg 467w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-wedding-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-wedding-1024x1536.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></a><figcaption>Tairen Wedding</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/fey-bahren.jpg" rel="lightbox[26706]"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="467" height="700" data-id="26732" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/fey-bahren-467x700.jpg" alt="Fey'Bahren -- a large mountain with three winged cats flying." class="wp-image-26732" srcset="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/fey-bahren-467x700.jpg 467w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/fey-bahren-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/fey-bahren.jpg 1000w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 467px) 100vw, 467px" /></a><figcaption>Fey&#8217;Bahren</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-fire-swimming.jpg" rel="lightbox[26706]"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1000" height="1500" data-id="26728" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-fire-swimming.jpg" alt="A man and woman swimming in an icy lake at night, but there's fire spreading through the lake, looking like it originates from the woman's hands" class="wp-image-26728" srcset="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-fire-swimming.jpg 1000w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-fire-swimming-467x700.jpg 467w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-fire-swimming-768x1152.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></a><figcaption>Swimming in Tairen Fire</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ellie-and-dorian.jpg" rel="lightbox[26706]"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1000" height="1500" data-id="26725" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ellie-and-dorian.jpg" alt="Digital painting of a man and woman on castle battlements at night" class="wp-image-26725" srcset="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ellie-and-dorian.jpg 1000w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ellie-and-dorian-467x700.jpg 467w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ellie-and-dorian-768x1152.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></a><figcaption>Ellie and Dorian</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/great-mirror-of-navahele.jpg" rel="lightbox[26706]"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1200" height="1800" data-id="26727" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/great-mirror-of-navahele.jpg" alt="Digital painting of a woman reaching out to touch a pool of water. She looks nervous and hesitant. There's a man standing behind her, looking more confident about the whole thing." class="wp-image-26727" srcset="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/great-mirror-of-navahele.jpg 1200w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/great-mirror-of-navahele-467x700.jpg 467w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/great-mirror-of-navahele-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/great-mirror-of-navahele-1024x1536.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></a><figcaption>Great Mirror of Navahele</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/my-dearest-annoura.jpg" rel="lightbox[26706]"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1200" height="1800" data-id="26730" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/my-dearest-annoura.jpg" alt="Digital painting of a woman outside, in the snow, on a bleak day. She's sitting on a bench, but her head is down and hands are in her hair. She's probably crying. There's a letter on the ground near her." class="wp-image-26730" srcset="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/my-dearest-annoura.jpg 1200w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/my-dearest-annoura-467x700.jpg 467w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/my-dearest-annoura-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/my-dearest-annoura-1024x1536.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></a><figcaption>My Dearest Annoura</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/commander-silverleaf.jpg" rel="lightbox[26706]"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1200" height="1800" data-id="26724" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/commander-silverleaf.jpg" alt="Illustration of an elvish warrior, with a winged horse flying in the background." class="wp-image-26724" srcset="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/commander-silverleaf.jpg 1200w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/commander-silverleaf-467x700.jpg 467w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/commander-silverleaf-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/commander-silverleaf-1024x1536.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></a><figcaption>Commander Silverleaf</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/next-life.jpg" rel="lightbox[26706]"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="700" height="525" data-id="26731" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/next-life-700x525.jpg" alt="Digital painting of a man wearing red armour, holding a woman who's laying on the ground. The man has one hand around the woman's waist, covering up a wound she has. There's blood between his fingers and running down his hand. The wrist has a shackle around it, with a chain draping over the woman's shoulder, leading to his other hand, which is gently holding her head.

The woman's eyes are closed, and hands are limp. She's dead.

The man is looking up to the sky, with tears in his eyes, and running down his cheek.

Dark clouds are forming around the man, almost as if the clouds are claiming him. His hair is waving in the wind, but the ends of it blend into the clouds, and his arm is almost dissolving into the clouds themselves. The darkness is pulling him in.

Leaves and flowers are in the grass around the man and woman. Some are flying in the air, pulled by the wind." class="wp-image-26731" srcset="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/next-life-700x525.jpg 700w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/next-life-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/next-life.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a><figcaption>Come back to me&#8230;</figcaption></figure>
</figure>



<p>And here are some of the commissioned ones:</p>



<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-2 wp-block-gallery-7 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="600" height="849" data-id="26733" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-demon.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-26733" srcset="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-demon.jpg 600w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tairen-soul-demon-495x700.jpg 495w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /><figcaption>Esan vel Morian, by <a href="https://www.kollapsart.com/">Reid Aster</a></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="600" height="900" data-id="26735" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ellie.jpg" alt="Ellie" class="wp-image-26735" srcset="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ellie.jpg 600w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ellie-467x700.jpg 467w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /><figcaption>Ellie by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mistilteinn.art/">Maria Makovetskaya</a></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="454" data-id="26734" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/elfeya.jpg" alt="Elfeya" class="wp-image-26734" srcset="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/elfeya.jpg 800w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/elfeya-700x397.jpg 700w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/elfeya-768x436.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption>Elfeya, by <a href="https://indicreates.com/">Indicreates</a></figcaption></figure>
</figure>

<p><a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/leather-bound-illustrated-edition-lord-fading-lands-c-l-wilson/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
					
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			<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>I want to make my own special edition book</title>
		<link>https://www.nosegraze.com/custom-special-edition-book/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ashley]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 11 May 2022 14:32:16 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[C.L. Wilson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tairen Soul]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.nosegraze.com/?p=26696</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Nov 19th Update: I did it! Read the follow-up post. Last week I read a post where someone documented how they created their own leather-bound edition of Gardens of the Moon. Safe to say I became obsessed. I want to do it too! My favourite [&#8230;] <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/custom-special-edition-book/">Keep reading &raquo;</a>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1000" height="880" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/leather-bound-books.jpg" class="aligncenter wp-post-image" alt="Nine leather-bound books on bookshelves. The books are in different colour leathers -- some brown, some green, some dark blue. They all have gilding of some kind and designs of varying intricacy. Some have the titles visible: there&#039;s the Mistborn trilogy, The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson, Outlander, and Drums of Autumn." srcset="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/leather-bound-books.jpg 1000w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/leather-bound-books-700x616.jpg 700w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/leather-bound-books-768x676.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" />
<p><strong>Nov 19th Update:</strong> I did it! <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/leather-bound-illustrated-edition-lord-fading-lands-c-l-wilson/">Read the follow-up post</a>.</p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<p>Last week I read <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://curiousking.co.uk/first-project-gardens-of-the-moon/" target="_blank">a post where someone documented how they created their own leather-bound edition of Gardens of the Moon</a>. Safe to say I became <em>obsessed</em>. I want to do it too!</p>



<p>My favourite book series is <a href="https://bookhype.com/series/show/91574d45-f661-4618-83ba-08cd886fbc93/tairen-soul">Tairen Soul by C.L. Wilson</a>. I&#8217;ve always been a bit upset that the books were only ever released in mass market paperback (no hardcover!). Maybe this could be a good opportunity to create my own snazzy leather-bound edition?!</p>



<p>I&#8217;ve started digging a little into what this process would entail. The above blog post is extremely useful, but I still had a few questions.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Do I need permission?</h2>



<p>If I want to reprint a copy in a larger hardcover size (not just re-bind an existing edition), do I need permission from the author/publisher? Keeping in mind it&#8217;s just one single copy for private/personal use and will never be distributed. I still don&#8217;t know the answer to this!</p>



<p>The book is published by HarperCollins. They have a very useful <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://permissions.harpercollins.com/" target="_blank">permission request form</a>, but they explicitly say:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow"><p>Our permissions departments do not advise as to what is or not “fair use”. If you determine that the selection you wish to use falls under “fair use” guidelines then you need not place a request here.</p></blockquote>



<p>I&#8217;m not sure if this use case would be fair use. On the one hand, this is completely private, non-commercial, and I&#8217;m not selling or distributing the books in any way. I also own the paperback and ebook (which I know doesn&#8217;t necessarily give me the right, but would make me feel less bad about it). On the other hand, we&#8217;re talking about reprinting (not photo copying) the <em>entire</em> book.</p>



<p>I could fill out the form to be safe, but then assuming they approve the request, I am committing myself to paying $100 minimum.</p>



<p>I&#8217;m still not sure how to proceed with this yet. I emailed the author for her permission and haven&#8217;t heard back yet. (Fingers crossed!)</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">I taught myself InDesign</h2>



<p>One of the first things I did was start an InDesign trial. This is one component I wanted to tinker with myself. I knew I wouldn&#8217;t be able to bind the book myself or draw awesome artwork for it, but surely I could make InDesign work.</p>



<p>I spent several days reading articles and watching YouTube videos on how to generally get this working. I think I have something going that works now. (If this ended up being insanely painful I would have put an end to the idea right then.)</p>



<p>I researched:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Book sizes</li><li>Margins</li><li>Font sizes / families</li><li>Book layouts (where to put page numbers, etc.)</li><li>Chapter headings (fancy or plain? I&#8217;m leaning towards plain)</li></ul>



<p>I&#8217;m sure a professional could do this <em>way</em> better than me, but if I&#8217;m going to do this I want to be able to say I contributed <em>something</em> myself.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Interior artwork &#8211; hard to find!</h2>



<p>I also love the idea of commissioning some artwork to include in the book. Turns out this is&#8230; really hard! (I&#8217;ve never commissioned art before.)</p>



<p>I started talking to some artists to get a sense of pricing and timelines. Pretty much every artist I&#8217;m interested in either hasn&#8217;t replied to me (yet?), doesn&#8217;t take commissions in general, or is so booked out that they aren&#8217;t even putting new people on a waiting list. I have a whole new respect for any author that&#8217;s able to commission a gorgeous, illustrated book cover. (If you know of an illustrator, feel free to let me know!)</p>



<p>I still have a few leads and I&#8217;m hoping one will pan out. Right now my expectation is to have to wait 3-4 months before an artist would even be able to start.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Finding a printer who will give you the time of day</h2>



<p>Another hard one. I only want one single book printed, which is a complete waste of time for most printers. I was rejected by <s>two</s> three right off the bat (count increased while writing this post lol). I do have a couple leads now, but it&#8217;s challenging. It doesn&#8217;t help that I&#8217;m being a little difficult by not wanting a &#8220;standard&#8221; paperback or hardcover. I want no cover (so it can be leather-bound separately), tip-ins, and custom endpapers! This means I have to talk to pre-sales for any site I can find (I can&#8217;t use one of those &#8220;just pick your book format and upload your files&#8221; services, because I have special requirements).</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Rereading the book</h2>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="alignright size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/tairen-soul-notes.jpg" alt="Paperback of Lord of the Fading Lands by C.L. Wilson with a ton of mini post-it notes bookmarking various places of the book. The post-it notes have handwritten labels (not all clearly legible though). Some of the labels are &quot;Sariel&quot;, &quot;Tairen&quot;, &quot;Threat&quot;, &quot;Quote&quot;." class="wp-image-26699" width="250" height="300"/></figure></div>


<p>I also reread Lord of the Fading Lands (my sixth read of it!), taking notes along the way. I bookmarked character descriptions and scenes that I&#8217;m potentially interested in having illustrated.</p>



<p>It&#8217;s been less than a week since this idea first took root in my mind, but it feels like it&#8217;s been a year. I&#8217;ve been through so many ups and downs, from:</p>



<p><em>OH MY GOD I THINK I FOUND THE PERFECT BINDER! THIS PROJECT IS GOING TO HAPPEN!</em></p>



<p>to:</p>



<p><em>I can&#8217;t find an artist anywhere! This project is never going to happen! It&#8217;s DOOMED! I should just stop all my research now!</em></p>



<p>(Dramatic, I know.)</p>



<p>I still have a lot to figure out, and there&#8217;s a chance I&#8217;ll give up along the way. But I <strong>really</strong> hope I manage to make this work!</p>

<p><a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/custom-special-edition-book/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>2022 fantasy releases that I hope to read (part 1)</title>
		<link>https://www.nosegraze.com/2022-fantasy-releases-part-1/</link>
					<comments>https://www.nosegraze.com/2022-fantasy-releases-part-1/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ashley]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 21 Jan 2022 19:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.nosegraze.com/?p=26668</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Below is a list of 20 fantasy books releasing in 2022 that I hope to read (is that ambitious?). This list just covers books publishing through July 2022; I&#8217;ll be back in a few months with the second half of the year. (Most of the [&#8230;] <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/2022-fantasy-releases-part-1/">Keep reading &raquo;</a>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>Below is a list of 20 fantasy books releasing in 2022 that I hope to read (is that ambitious?). This list just covers books publishing through July 2022; I&#8217;ll be back in a few months with the second half of the year. (Most of the ones on my part 2 list don&#8217;t have covers yet, so it will be more fun to do them later!)</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/9377b0bd-8f3c-4f6c-b395-6cf06c2716f5/engines-of-empire">Engines of Empire (The Age of  Uprising #1) by R. S. Ford</a></h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1130" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/engines.jpg" alt="Engines of Empire" class="alignleft"/><strong>Engines of Empire</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/r-s-ford/">R. S. Ford</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/the-age-of-uprising/">The Age of Uprising #1</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/orbit/">Orbit</a> on <span content="2022-01-18">January 18, 2022</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 624<br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/9377b0bd-8f3c-4f6c-b395-6cf06c2716f5/engines-of-empire">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong>From an unmissable voice in epic fantasy comes a sweeping tale of clashing guilds, magic-fueled machines, and revolution.</strong></p>
<p>The nation of Torwyn is run on the power of industry, and industry is run by the Guilds. Chief among them are the Hawkspurs, whose responsibility it is to keep the gears of the empire turning. That's exactly why matriarch Rosomon Hawkspur sends each of her heirs to the far reaches of the nation.</p>
<p>Conall, the eldest son, is sent to the distant frontier to earn his stripes in the military. It is here that he faces a threat he could have never seen coming: the first rumblings of revolution.</p>
<p>Tyreta is a sorceress with the ability to channel the power of pyrestone, the magical resource that fuels the empire's machines. She is sent to the mines to learn more about how pyrsetone is harvested - but instead, she finds the dark horrors of industry that the empire would prefer to keep hidden.</p>
<p>The youngest, Fulren, is a talented artificer and finds himself acting as a guide to a mysterious foreign emissary. Soon after, he is framed for a crime he never committed. A crime that could start a war.</p>
<p>As the Hawkspurs grapple with the many threats that face the nation within and without, they must finally prove themselves worthy-or their empire will fall apart.</p>
</blockquote></div></div>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/939c49ee-3df8-4cb9-878e-182e2aaffb8a/electric-idol">Electric Idol (Dark Olympus #2) by Katee Robert</a></h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1131" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/electric-idol.jpg" alt="Electric Idol" class="alignleft"/><strong>Electric Idol</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/katee-robert/">Katee Robert</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/dark-olympus/">Dark Olympus #2</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/sourcebooks-casablanca/">Sourcebooks Casablanca</a> on <span content="2022-01-18">January 18, 2022</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a>, <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/romance/">Romance</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 384<br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/939c49ee-3df8-4cb9-878e-182e2aaffb8a/electric-idol">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong>He was the most beautiful man in Olympus.<br />
And if I wasn't careful, he was going to be my death.</strong></p>
<p><strong>*A scorchingly hot modern retelling of Psyche and Eros that's as sinful as it is sweet.*</strong></p>
<p>In the ultra-modern city of Olympus, there's always a price to pay. Psyche Dimitriou knew she'd have to face Aphrodite's jealous rage eventually, but she never expected her literal heart to be at stake...or for Aphrodite's gorgeous son to be the one ordered to strike the killing blow.</p>
<p>Eros has no problem shedding blood. Raised to be his mother's knife in the dark, he's been conditioned to accept that he's more monster than man. But when it comes time to take out his latest target...he can't do it. Confused by his reaction to Psyche's unexpected kindness, he does the only thing he can think of to keep her safe: he binds her to him, body and soul.</p>
<p>Psyche didn't expect to find herself married to the glittering city's most dangerous killer, but something about Eros wakens a fire inside her she's never felt before. As lines blur and loyalties shift, Psyche realizes Eros might take her heart after all...and she's not sure she can survive the loss.</p>
</blockquote></div></div>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/93c41e8b-c6a0-4989-9277-55e50f58a541/bound-by-firelight">Bound by Firelight (Wickery #2) by Dana Swift</a></h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1120" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/bound-firelight.jpg" alt="Bound by Firelight" class="alignleft"/><strong>Bound by Firelight</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/dana-swift/">Dana Swift</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/wickery/">Wickery #2</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/delacorte-books-for-young-readers/">Delacorte Books for Young Readers</a> on <span content="2022-01-18">January 18, 2022</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a>, <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/romance/">Romance</a><br /><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/source/purchased/">Purchased</a><br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/93c41e8b-c6a0-4989-9277-55e50f58a541/bound-by-firelight">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong>The heart-pounding sequel to Cast in Firelight, perfect for fans of epic, sweepingly romantic fantasy by Sabaa Tahir, Susan Dennard, and Mary E. Pearson.</strong></p>
<p>After a magical eruption devastates the kingdom of Belwar, royal heir Adraa is falsely accused of masterminding the destruction and forced to stand trial in front of her people, who see her as a monster. Adraa's punishment? Imprisonment in the Dome, an impenetrable, magic-infused fortress filled with Belwar’s nastiest criminals—many of whom Adraa put there herself. And they want her to pay.</p>
<p>Jatin, the royal heir to Naupure, has been Adraa’s betrothed, nemesis, and fellow masked vigilante . . . but now he’s just a boy waiting to ask her the biggest question of their lives. First, though, he’s going to have to do the impossible: break Adraa out of the Dome. And he won’t be able to do it without help from the unlikeliest of sources—a girl from his past with a secret that could put them all at risk.</p>
<p>Time is running out, and the horrors Adraa faces in the Dome are second only to the plot to destabilize and destroy their kingdoms. But Adraa and Jatin have saved the world once already. . . . Now, can they save themselves?</p>
</blockquote></div></div>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/95612f93-d68d-4d15-9985-00ea63b6269a/castles-in-their-bones">Castles in their Bones (Castles in their Bones #1) by Laura Sebastian</a></h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1105" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/castles-bones.jpg" alt="Castles in their Bones" class="alignleft"/><strong>Castles in their Bones</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/laura-sebastian/">Laura Sebastian</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/castles-in-their-bones/">Castles in their Bones #1</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/delacorte-books-for-young-readers/">Delacorte Books for Young Readers</a> on <span content="2022-02-01">February 1, 2022</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/95612f93-d68d-4d15-9985-00ea63b6269a/castles-in-their-bones">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong>Born to rule. Raised to deceive.</strong></p>
<p><strong>The plot: overthrow a kingdom. The goal: world domination. The plan: marriage.</strong></p>
<p>Empress Margaraux has had plans for her daughters since the day they were born. Princesses Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz will be queens. And now, age sixteen, they each must leave their homeland and marry their princes.</p>
<p>Beautiful, smart, and demure, the triplets appear to be the perfect brides - because Margaraux knows there is one common truth: everyone underestimates a girl. Which is a grave mistake. Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz are no innocents. They have been trained since birth in the arts of deception, seduction, and violence with a singular goal - to bring down monarchies - and their marriages are merely the first stage of their mother's grand vision: to one day reign over the entire continent of Vestria.</p>
<p>The princesses have spent their lives preparing, and now they are ready, each with her own secret skill, and each with a single wish, pulled from the stars. Only, the stars have their own plans - and their mother hasn't told them all of hers.</p>
<p>Life abroad is a test. Will their loyalties stay true? Or will they learn that they can't trust anyone - not even each other?</p>
<p><strong>Laura Sebastian stuns in this new trilogy from the New York Times bestselling author of Ash Princess. A spellbinding story of three princesses and the destiny they were born for: seduction, conquest, and the crown.</strong></p>
</blockquote></div></div>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/934969e4-875e-488f-add9-3caf424da62a/rise-of-the-mages">Rise of the Mages (Age of Ire #1) by Scott Drakeford</a></h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1104" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/rise-mages.jpg" alt="Rise of the Mages" class="alignleft"/><strong>Rise of the Mages</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/scott-drakeford/">Scott Drakeford</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/age-of-ire/">Age of Ire #1</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/tor-books/">Tor Books</a> on <span content="2022-02-08">February 8, 2022</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 400<br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/934969e4-875e-488f-add9-3caf424da62a/rise-of-the-mages">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong>Scott Drakeford's epic fantasy debut, Rise of the Mages combines gripping, personal vengeance with compelling characters for an action packed first book in a trilogy.</strong></p>
<p>Emrael Ire wants nothing more than to test to be a weapons master. His final exam will be a bloody insurrection, staged by corrupt nobles and priests, that enslaves his brother.</p>
<p>With the aid of his War Master tutor, herself an undercover mage, Imrael discovers his own latent and powerful talents.</p>
<p>To rescue his brother, Emrael must embrace not only his abilities as a warrior but also his place as last of the ancient Mage Kings―for the Fallen God has returned.</p>
<p>And he is hungry.</p>
</blockquote></div></div>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/91574af6-e744-4e71-b584-422b7b3394a7/age-of-ash">Age of Ash (Kithamar Trilogy #1) by Daniel Abraham</a></h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1108" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/age-ash.jpeg" alt="Age of Ash" class="alignleft"/><strong>Age of Ash</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/daniel-abraham/">Daniel Abraham</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/kithamar-trilogy/">Kithamar Trilogy #1</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/orbit/">Orbit</a> on <span content="2022-02-17">February 17, 2022</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 448<br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/91574af6-e744-4e71-b584-422b7b3394a7/age-of-ash">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong>From <em>New York Times</em> bestselling and critically acclaimed author Daniel Abraham, co-author of the Expanse, comes a monumental epic fantasy trilogy that unfolds within the walls of a single great city, over the course of one tumultuous year, where every story matters, and the fate of the city is woven from them all.</strong></p>
<p>Kithamar is a centre of trade and wealth, an ancient city with a long, bloody history where countless thousands live and their stories unfold. This is Alys's.</p>
<p>When her brother is murdered, a petty thief from the slums of Longhill sets out to discover who killed him and why. But the more she discovers about him, the more she learns about herself, and the truths she finds are more dangerous than knives.</p>
<p>Swept up in an intrigue as deep as the roots of Kithamar, where the secrets of the lowest born can sometimes topple thrones, the story Alys chooses will have the power to change everything.</p>
</blockquote></div></div>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/94169fdd-a6e4-47be-9866-40aac373db0a/scorpica">Scorpica (The Five Queendoms #1) by G. R. Macallister</a></h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1132" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/scorpica.jpg" alt="Scorpica" class="alignleft"/><strong>Scorpica</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/g-r-macallister/">G. R. Macallister</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/the-five-queendoms/">The Five Queendoms #1</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/gallery-saga-press/">Gallery / Saga Press</a> on <span content="2022-02-22">February 22, 2022</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 448<br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/94169fdd-a6e4-47be-9866-40aac373db0a/scorpica">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong>A centuries-long peace is shattered in a matriarchal society when a decade passes without a single girl being born in this sweeping epic fantasy that’s perfect for fans of Robin Hobb and <em>Circe</em>.</strong></p>
<p>Five hundred years of peace between queendoms shatters when girls inexplicably stop being born. As the Drought of Girls stretches across a generation, it sets off a cascade of political and personal consequences across all five queendoms of the known world, throwing long-standing alliances into disarray as each queendom begins to turn on each other—and new threats to each nation rise from within.</p>
<p>Uniting the stories of women from across the queendoms, this propulsive, gripping epic fantasy follows a warrior queen who must rise from childbirth bed to fight for her life and her throne, a healer in hiding desperate to protect the secret of her daughter’s explosive power, a queen whose desperation to retain control leads her to risk using the darkest magic, a near-immortal sorcerer demigod powerful enough to remake the world for her own ends—and the generation of lastborn girls, the ones born just before the Drought, who must bear the hopes and traditions of their nations if the queendoms are to survive.</p>
</blockquote></div></div>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/93090f71-39d1-4462-8a02-efe3180f2592/justice-of-kings">The Justice of Kings (Empire of the Wolf #1) by Richard Swan</a></h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1107" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/justice-kings.jpg" alt="The Justice of Kings" class="alignleft"/><strong>The Justice of Kings</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/richard-swan/">Richard Swan</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/empire-of-the-wolf/">Empire of the Wolf #1</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/orbit/">Orbit</a> on <span content="2022-02-24">February 24, 2022</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 432<br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/93090f71-39d1-4462-8a02-efe3180f2592/justice-of-kings">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong>NO MAN IS ABOVE THE LAW</strong></p>
<p>The Empire of the Wolf simmers with unrest. Rebels, heretics and powerful patricians all challenge the power of the imperial throne.</p>
<p>Only the Order of Justices stands in the way of chaos. Sir Konrad Vonvalt is the most feared Justice of all, upholding the law by way of his sharp mind, arcane powers and skill as a swordsman. At his side stands Helena Sedanka, his clerk and protege, orphaned by the wars that forged the empire.</p>
<p>When the pair investigate the murder of a provincial aristocrat, they unearth a conspiracy that stretches to the very top of imperial society. As the stakes rise and become ever more personal, Vonvalt and Helena must make a choice: will they abandon the laws they've sworn to uphold in order to protect the empire?</p>
<p><strong>Introducing an unforgettable protagonist destined to become a fantasy icon, The Justice of Kings is an unmissable debut where action, intrigue and magic collide.</strong></p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/93496a62-2f10-426c-822b-d0ea1037d526/bone-orchard">The Bone Orchard by Sara A Mueller</a></h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1133" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/bone-orchard.jpg" alt="The Bone Orchard" class="alignleft"/><strong>The Bone Orchard</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/sara-a-mueller/">Sara A Mueller</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/tor-books/">Tor Books</a> on <span content="2022-03-22">March 22, 2022</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 432<br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/93496a62-2f10-426c-822b-d0ea1037d526/bone-orchard">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong>Sara A. Mueller's <em>Bone Orchard</em> is a fascinating whodunit set in a lush, gothic world of secrets and magic--where a dying emperor charges his favorite concubine with solving his own murder, and preventing the culprit, which undoubtedly is one of his three terrible sons, from taking control of an empire.</strong></p>
<p>Charm is a witch, and she is alone. The last of a line of conquered necromantic workers, now confined within the yard of regrown bone trees at Orchard House, and the secrets of their marrow.</p>
<p>Charm is a prisoner, and a survivor. Charm tends the trees and their clattering fruit for the sake of her children, painstakingly grown and regrown with its fruit: Shame, Justice, Desire, Pride, and Pain.</p>
<p>Charm is a whore, and a madam. The wealthy and powerful of Borenguard come to her house to buy time with the girls who aren't real.</p>
<p>Except on Tuesdays, which is when the Emperor himself lays claim to his mistress, Charm herself.</p>
<p>But now--Charm is also the only person who can keep an empire together, as the Emperor summons her to his deathbed, and charges her with choosing which of his awful, faithless sons will carry on the empire---by discovering which one is responsible for his own murder.</p>
<p>If she does this last thing, she will finally have what has been denied her since the fall of Inshil ― her freedom. But she will also be betraying the ghosts past and present that live on within her heart.</p>
<p>Charm must choose. Her dead Emperor’s will or the whispers of her own ghosts. Justice for the empire or her own revenge.</p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/93c83c4b-2ced-4e8c-a485-04ab1e575698/the-bloody-throne">The Bloody Throne (Hostage of Empire #3) by S. C. Emmett</a></h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1134" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/bloody-throne.jpg" alt="The Bloody Throne" class="alignleft"/><strong>The Bloody Throne</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/s-c-emmett/">S. C. Emmett</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/hostage-of-empire/">Hostage of Empire #3</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/orbit/">Orbit</a> on <span content="2022-03-29">March 29, 2022</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 640<br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/93c83c4b-2ced-4e8c-a485-04ab1e575698/the-bloody-throne">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p>The great Zhaon empire is in turmoil. The emperor is dead, and the crown prince has fallen to hidden schemes, leaving his most dangerous prince to assume the throne. The imperial court is seething, and whispers of war grow to shouts. The once vanquished kingdom of Khir marches again to regain their honor, the savage Tabrak raid the borders after ravaging the South, and assassins lurk in the shadows seeking imperial favor.</p>
<p>Komor Yala, her own position uncertain, finds shelter in marriage to the cunning Third Prince. But there is little safety in Zhaon. Death and destruction mount as a blood-drenched summer ends, and to the victor will be left an empire-if it is not turned to smoking ruins first.</p>
<p><em>The wheel of destiny is turning, and all will be caught under its weight...</em></p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/93da45f3-15dc-46c8-8d9f-aa8dd2cb7215/blood-trials">The Blood Trials (The Blood Gift #1) by N.E. Davenport</a></h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1135" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/blood-trials.jpg" alt="The Blood Trials" class="alignleft"/><strong>The Blood Trials</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/n-e-davenport/">N.E. Davenport</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/the-blood-gift/">The Blood Gift #1</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/harper-voyager/">Harper Voyager</a> on <span content="2022-04-27">April 27, 2022</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 416<br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/93da45f3-15dc-46c8-8d9f-aa8dd2cb7215/blood-trials">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong>Blending fantasy and science fiction, N. E. Davenport's fast-paced, action-packed debut kicks off a duology of loyalty and rebellion, in which a young Black woman must survive deadly trials in a racist and misogynistic society to become an elite warrior.</strong></p>
<p>It's all about blood.</p>
<p>The blood spilled between the Republic of Mareen and the armies of the Blood Emperor long ago. The blood gifts of Mareen's deadliest enemies. The blood that runs through the elite War Houses of Mareen, the rulers of the Tribunal dedicated to keeping the republic alive.</p>
<p>The blood of the former Legatus, Verne Amari, murdered.</p>
<p>For his granddaughter, Ikenna, the only thing steady in her life was the man who had saved Mareen. The man who had trained her in secret, not just in martial skills, but in harnessing the blood gift that coursed through her.</p>
<p>Who trained her to keep that a secret.</p>
<p>But now there are too many secrets, and with her grandfather assassinated, Ikenna knows two things: that only someone on the Tribunal could have ordered his death, and that only a Praetorian Guard could have carried out that order.</p>
<p>Bent on revenge as much as discovering the truth, Ikenna pledges herself to the Praetorian Trials-a brutal initiation that only a quarter of the aspirants survive. She subjects herself to the racism directed against her half-Khanaian heritage and the misogyny of a society that cherishes progeny over prodigy, all while hiding a power that-if found out-would subject her to execution...or worse. Ikenna is willing to risk it all because she needs to find out who murdered her grandfather...and then she needs to kill them.</p>
<p>Mareen has been at peace for a long time...</p>
<p>Ikenna joining the Praetorians is about to change all that.</p>
<p>Magic and technology converge in the first part of this stunning debut duology, where loyalty to oneself-and one's blood-is more important than anything.</p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/9373b547-46a6-4c02-8299-2fb0508b57bc/the-bladed-faith">The Bladed Faith (Vagrant Gods #1) by David Dalglish</a></h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1136" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/bladed-faith.jpg" alt="The Bladed Faith" class="alignleft"/><strong>The Bladed Faith</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/david-dalglish/">David Dalglish</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/vagrant-gods/">Vagrant Gods #1</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/orbit/">Orbit</a> on <span content="2022-04-05">April 5, 2022</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 512<br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/9373b547-46a6-4c02-8299-2fb0508b57bc/the-bladed-faith">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong>An usurped prince will take up the mantel of a deadly assassin to reclaim his kingdom, his people, and his slain gods in the explosive start to <em>USA Today</em> Bestseller David Dalglish's new epic fantasy trilogy.</strong></p>
<p>Cyrus was fourteen when his gods were slain, his country invaded, and his parents—the king and queen—beheaded in front of him. After years held prisoner in the invader's court, a mysterious group of revolutionaries breaks him free and gives him the chance for revenge that he’s always dreamed of. In exchange, he will become the figurehead of their rebellion. He will become a hero to unite the people and strike fear in the hearts of the imperials. He will take up the skull mask and swords to become the legendary "Vagrant"—an unparalleled assassin of otherworldly skill.</p>
<p>But all is not as it seems. Creating the illusion of a hero is the work of many, and Cyrus will soon discover the true price of his vengeance. </p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/9438dc57-e7d4-4f9d-b0b5-c3b6a01b3a51/kagen-the-damned">Kagen the Damned (Kagen the Damned #1) by Jonathan Maberry</a></h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1137" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/kagen-damned.jpg" alt="Kagen the Damned" class="alignleft"/><strong>Kagen the Damned</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/jonathan-maberry/">Jonathan Maberry</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/kagen-the-damned/">Kagen the Damned #1</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/st-martins-griffin/">St. Martin's Griffin</a> on <span content="2022-05-10">May 10, 2022</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 560<br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/9438dc57-e7d4-4f9d-b0b5-c3b6a01b3a51/kagen-the-damned">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong><em>The Witcher</em> meets <em>Game of Thrones</em> in <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author Jonathan Maberry's brilliant new fantasy series, <em>Kagen the Damned</em>.</strong></p>
<p>Kagen Vale is the trusted and feared captain of the palace guard, specifically charged with protecting the royal children of Gessleyn, 89th queen of the unbroken line of the Silver Lands. But one night, while Kagen is drugged by a woman in a tavern, the Silver Lands are overrun, and the entire royal family is killed and burned as a sacrifice to the dark gods of the immortal Witch-King. The once-thriving kingdom is in ruins, and the people are enslaved.</p>
<p>Haunted and broken, Kagen becomes a wanderer, working odd jobs and trying to take down as many of his enemies as possible, when he hears a rumor that the royal twins are still alive, and possibly being raised for dark sacrificial purposes. Kagen makes it his mission to hunt for the royal children and fulfill his oath to protect them, and train them to begin a campaign to reclaim the throne. As he hunts for the children, Kagen’s quest takes him to strange lands where he encounters the supernatural in all its many bizarre and terrifying aspects.</p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/949b5fb6-be7e-4730-a56d-9276d82ddb17/collarbound">The Collarbound by Rebecca Zahabi</a></h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1138" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/collarbound.jpg" alt="The Collarbound" class="alignleft"/><strong>The Collarbound</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/rebecca-zahabi/">Rebecca Zahabi</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/gollancz/">Gollancz</a> on <span content="2022-05-12">May 12, 2022</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 352<br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/949b5fb6-be7e-4730-a56d-9276d82ddb17/collarbound">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong>A MAN MARKED BY MAGIC. A WOMAN MARKED BY HER PAST.</strong></p>
<p>On the other side of the Shadowpass, rebellion is brewing and refugees have begun to trickle into the city at the edge of the world. Looming high on the cliff is The Nest, a fortress full of mages who offer protection, but also embody everything the rebellion is fighting against: a strict hierarchy based on magic abilities.</p>
<p>When Isha arrives as a refugee, she attempts to fit in amongst the other mages, but her Kher tattoo brands her as an outcast. She can't remember her past or why she has the tattoo. All she knows is that she survived. She doesn't intend to give up now.</p>
<p>Tatters, who wears the golden collar of a slave, knows that this rebellion is different from past skirmishes. He was once one of the rebels, and technically, they still own him. He plans to stay in the shadows, until Isha appears in his tavern. He's never seen a human with a tattoo, and the markings look eerily familiar . . .</p>
<p>As the rebellion carves a path of destruction towards the city, an unlikely friendship forms between a man trying to escape his past and a woman trying to uncover hers, until their secrets threaten to tear them apart.</p>
<p><strong><em>The Collarbound</em> hooks from the opening page and will appeal to fans of magical, brink-of-war settings, like that of <em>The Poppy War</em> and <em>The City of Brass</em>.</strong></p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/9379b490-335d-4f64-bdf7-206755693442/stardust-thief">The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah</a></h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1139" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/stardust-thief.jpg" alt="The Stardust Thief" class="alignleft"/><strong>The Stardust Thief</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/chelsea-abdullah/">Chelsea Abdullah</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/orbit/">Orbit</a> on <span content="2022-05-19">May 19, 2022</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 480<br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/9379b490-335d-4f64-bdf7-206755693442/stardust-thief">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong>Inspired by stories from <em>One Thousand and One Nights</em>, <em>The Stardust Thief</em> weaves the gripping tale of a legendary smuggler, a cowardly prince and a dangerous quest across the desert to find a magical lamp.</strong></p>
<p>Neither here nor there, but long ago...</p>
<p>Loulie al-Nazari is the Midnight Merchant: a criminal who, with the help of her jinn bodyguard, hunts and sells illegal magic. When she saves the life of a cowardly prince, she draws the attention of his powerful father, the sultan, who blackmails her into finding an ancient lamp.</p>
<p>With no choice but to obey or be executed, Loulie journeys with the sultan's oldest son to find the artefact. Aided by her bodyguard, who has secrets of his own, they must survive ghoul attacks, outwit a vengeful jinn queen and confront a malicious killer from Loulie's past. And, in a world where story is reality and illusion is truth, Loulie will discover that everything - her enemy, her magic, even her own past - is not what it seems, and she must decide who she will become in this new reality.</p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/944ae9cd-933d-4f46-a223-1a79db1eb68e/basilisk-throne">The Basilisk Throne by Greg Keyes</a></h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1140" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/basilisk-throne.jpg" alt="The Basilisk Throne" class="alignleft"/><strong>The Basilisk Throne</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/greg-keyes/">Greg Keyes</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/titan-books/">Titan Books</a> on <span content="2022-06-07">June 7, 2022</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 512<br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/944ae9cd-933d-4f46-a223-1a79db1eb68e/basilisk-throne">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p>Master and Commander meets A Game of Thrones and Pirates of the Carribean. Rapid-paced high fantasy with all-out combat on the high seas, and a canny young woman who faces the hidden threats of an imperial court. Yet the key to defeating a sorcerous enemy may lie with a wild rogue and the slave of a maniac.</p>
<p>For centuries those on the Basilisk Throne have ruled every continent, brutally enslaving the human inhabitants. But now, after endless wars, the three human empires of Ophion, Velesa, and Modjal have pushed the inhuman Drehhu back to their heartland and are united in one final, massive assault to defeat them forever. It's been tried before, but the infernal weapons and dark magic of the Drehhu have always triumphed. Basilisk has never fallen.</p>
<p>Commanding his merchant fleet in support of the human forces, Alastor Nevelon and his son Crespin set sail against the enemy-and this time they have their own secret weapons. The Drehhu, however, do not have a monopoly on deceit. or ambition. Alistor is forced to send his daughter Chrysanthe to the capitol city Ophion Magne as a "token" of his loyalty. He does so freely, for he is certain of treachery within the very empire he serves. After all, whomever controls the Basilisk Throne can control the world. He instructs Chrysanthe to use her considerable intellect to discover whatever plots may be afoot in the heart of Ophion. Chrysanthe agrees, knowing that in doing so she enters a dangerous place where courtly manners hide murderous intentions.</p>
<p>While nations collide and the conflict explodes, the true key to defeating the Drehhu may lie in a remote mountain stronghold, a wild rogue known as Hound, and Ammolite, the young slave of a sorcerer more ancient than any nation and whose true loyalties are entirely unknown.</p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/9438f013-475c-4cef-bda4-550fb4277a9e/in-the-shadow-of-lightning">In the Shadow of Lightning (Glass Immortals #1) by Brian McClellan</a></h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1141" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/shadow-lightning.jpg" alt="In the Shadow of Lightning" class="alignleft"/><strong>In the Shadow of Lightning</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/brian-mcclellan/">Brian McClellan</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/glass-immortals/">Glass Immortals #1</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/tor-books/">Tor Books</a> on <span content="2022-06-21">June 21, 2022</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 576<br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/9438f013-475c-4cef-bda4-550fb4277a9e/in-the-shadow-of-lightning">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong>From Brian McClellan, author of <em>The Powder Mage</em>, comes <em>In the Shadow of Lightning</em>, a brand-new epic fantasy where magic is a finite resource―and it’s running out.</strong></p>
<p>Demir Grappo is an outcast―he fled a life of wealth and power, abandoning his responsibilities as a general, a governor, and a son. Now he will live out his days as a grifter, rootless, and alone. But when his mother is brutally murdered, Demir must return from exile to claim his seat at the head of the family and uncover the truth that got her killed: the very power that keeps civilization turning, godglass, is running out.</p>
<p>Now, Demir must find allies, old friends and rivals alike, confront the powerful guild-families who are only interested in making the most of the scraps left at the table and uncover the invisible hand that threatens the Empire. A war is coming, a war unlike any other. And Demir and his ragtag group of outcasts are the only thing that stands in the way of the end of life as the world knows it.</p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/93c0222c-f2c6-4c64-9766-cee556b834b4/against-all-gods">Against All Gods (The Age of Bronze #1) by Miles Cameron</a></h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1142" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/against.jpg" alt="Against All Gods" class="alignleft"/><strong>Against All Gods</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/miles-cameron/">Miles Cameron</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/the-age-of-bronze/">The Age of Bronze #1</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/gollancz/">Gollancz</a> on <span content="2022-06-23">June 23, 2022</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 400<br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/93c0222c-f2c6-4c64-9766-cee556b834b4/against-all-gods">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p>The tyranny of the gods is absolute, and they are capricious, malevolent and almost all-powerful, playing cruel games with the fates of mortals for their own ends . . .</p>
<p>A vibrant and powerful epic set against an alternate Bronze Age, this tale of gods, men and monsters, conspiracy and war, is a rich, compelling and original read from a master of the historical and fantasy genres. The people caught up in toils of the gods are merely trying to survive. Victims of vicious whims, trapped by their circumstances or pushed beyond what the mortal frame can bear, a handful of god-touched mortals - a scribe, a warlord, a dancer and a child - are about to be brought together in a conspiracy of their own.</p>
<p>A conspiracy to reach the heavens, and take down the corrupt and aging gods . . . who are already facing troubles of their own . . .</p>
<p>An epic which draws on the Greek mythology of gods and heroes, this new trilogy is a must read for fans of Dan Simmons and Madeline Miller alike.</p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/94028164-c91a-4b6a-84ca-954121712c0c/final-strife">The Final Strife: A Novel (The Final Strife #1) by Saara El-Arifi</a></h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1030" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/final-strife.jpg" alt="The Final Strife" class="alignleft"/><strong>The Final Strife</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/saara-el-arifi/">Saara El-Arifi</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/the-final-strife-trilogy/">The Final Strife Trilogy #1</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/harper-voyager/">Harper Voyager</a> on <span content="2022-06-23">June 23, 2022</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 640<br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/94028164-c91a-4b6a-84ca-954121712c0c/final-strife">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong>The Empire rules by blood</strong></p>
<p>Red is the blood of the elite, of magic, of control.</p>
<p>Blue is the blood of the poor, of workers, of the resistance.</p>
<p>Clear is the blood of the servants, of the crushed, of the invisible.</p>
<p>The Aktibar - a set of trials held every ten years to find the next Ember rulers of the Empire - is about to begin.</p>
<p>All can join but not just anyone can win; it requires great skill and ingenuity to become the future wardens of Strength, Knowledge, Truth and Duty.</p>
<p>Sylah was destined to win the trials and be crowned Warden of Strength. Stolen by blue-blooded rebels she was raised with a Duster's heart; forged as a weapon to bring down from within the red-blooded Embers' regime of cruelty. But when her adopted family were brutally murdered those dreams of a better future turned to dust.</p>
<p>However, the flame of hope may yet be rekindled because Sylah wasn't made to sparkle, she was born to burn.</p>
<p><strong>And it's up to her whether she rules the empire or destroys it.</strong></p>
</blockquote></div></div>



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/940e94f2-39cc-4c27-b7c8-702680b8c592/flames-of-mira">Flames of Mira (The Rift Walker #1) by Clay Harmon</a></h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1143" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/flames-mira.jpg" alt="Flames of Mira" class="alignleft"/><strong>Flames of Mira</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/clay-harmon/">Clay Harmon</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/the-rift-walker/">The Rift Walker #1</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/rebellion/">Rebellion</a> on <span content="2022-07-07">July 7, 2022</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 432<br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/940e94f2-39cc-4c27-b7c8-702680b8c592/flames-of-mira">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p>Born through life-threatening trials that bind chemical elements to the human body, Ig was forged in the boiling volcanoes under Mira's frozen lands. One of the most powerful known elementals, he serves as an enforcer for Magnate Sorrelo Adriann, cursed with flesh binding magic that will kill him at the first sign of disobedience.</p>
<p>When Sorrelo is overthrown, Ig quickly learns he can do far worse than what has been asked of him so far. If he can't escape the flesh binding in time, Ig will have to kill friend and foe alike to stop his master reclaiming the throne, or sacrifice himself trying.</p>
</blockquote></div></div>

<p><a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/2022-fantasy-releases-part-1/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
					
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		<title>The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne &#8211; Good, but not great</title>
		<link>https://www.nosegraze.com/shadow-gods-john-gwynne/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ashley]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 19 May 2021 18:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.nosegraze.com/?p=26651</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[I was really excited for The Shadow of the Gods because I wasn&#8217;t impressed with Malice and was really curious to see how John Gwynne has changed as a writer since his debut novel. At the beginning, I was immediately more impressed. The writing was [&#8230;] <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/shadow-gods-john-gwynne/">Keep reading &raquo;</a>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1059" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/shadow.jpeg" alt="The Shadow of the Gods" class="alignleft"/><strong>The Shadow of the Gods</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/john-gwynne/">John Gwynne</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/the-bloodsworn-saga/">The Bloodsworn Saga #1</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/orbit/">Orbit</a> on <span content="2021-05-06">May 6, 2021</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a>, <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/historical/">Historical</a>, <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/mythology/">Mythology</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 496<br /><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/source/purchased/">Purchased</a><br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/91577348-43c4-4dca-8210-09847c83f592/shadow-of-the-gods">Book Details</a><br /><strong>Rating:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/rating/3.5/"><span class="bdb-html-stars-star-wrap">&starf;&starf;&starf;&half;</span></a><br /><blockquote><p><strong>Set in a brand-new, Norse-inspired world, and packed with myth, magic and bloody vengeance, <em>The Shadow of the Gods</em> begins an epic new fantasy saga from bestselling author John Gwynne.</strong></p>
<p>After the gods warred and drove themselves to extinction, the cataclysm of their fall shattered the land of Vigrid.</p>
<p>Now a new world is rising, where power-hungry jarls feud and monsters stalk the woods and mountains. A world where the bones of the dead gods still hold great power for those brave - or desperate - enough to seek them out.</p>
<p>Now, as whispers of war echo across the mountains and fjords, fate follows in the footsteps of three people: a huntress on a dangerous quest, a noblewoman who has rejected privilege in pursuit of battle fame, and a thrall who seeks vengeance among the famed mercenaries known as the Bloodsworn.</p>
<p>All three will shape the fate of the world as it once more falls under the shadow of the gods . . .</p>
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<p>I was really excited for <em>The Shadow of the Gods</em> because <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/malice-faithful-fallen-john-gwynne/">I wasn&#8217;t impressed with <em>Malice</em></a> and was really curious to see how John Gwynne has changed as a writer since his debut novel.</p>



<p>At the beginning, I was immediately more impressed. The writing was better and I was more interested in the characters.</p>



<p>It took hitting the halfway mark to start feeling disappointed. That&#8217;s when I realized that where John Gwynne doesn&#8217;t seem to click with me is the middle of the books. That&#8217;s when things get boring. That&#8217;s when, somehow, characters don&#8217;t live up to their initial hook. They have interesting stories and motivations, but I lose interest in their actions and interactions over time. The book never develops into something that&#8217;s &#8220;unputdownable&#8221; or even hugely memorable.</p>



<p>Like <em>Malice</em>, <em>The Shadow of the Gods</em> felt a bit like a long prologue. Most of this book was spent introducing characters in the world, and journeying to a destination. Things didn&#8217;t really &#8220;start&#8221; until the very end. That&#8217;s pretty much how <em>Malice</em> felt to me as well. I guess John Gwynne really likes his long, &#8220;setting the stage&#8221; first books.</p>



<p>Also, by the end, I was massively sick of the phrase &#8220;thought-cage&#8221;. It&#8217;s used as a replacement for &#8220;mind&#8221; or &#8220;head&#8221;. Like: <em>&#8220;What&#8217;s going on in that thought-cage of yours?&#8221;</em> Drove me nuts.</p>



<p>This wasn&#8217;t a bad book; it was still much better than <em>Malice</em>. But I still don&#8217;t have that same amazement and wonder that so many other people seem to have. It&#8217;s a bummer, because some components are definitely there. The three characters we follow all have intriguing stories. For me, John Gwynne is just missing an X factor that actually makes me fall in love with them and invested in their fates.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/shadow-gods-john-gwynne/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
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		<item>
		<title>Far off 2022 releases to keep an eye on &#8211; adult SFF edition</title>
		<link>https://www.nosegraze.com/2022-adult-sff-releases-to-watch/</link>
					<comments>https://www.nosegraze.com/2022-adult-sff-releases-to-watch/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ashley]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 17 May 2021 18:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.nosegraze.com/?p=26633</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[I already published a list of 2022 young adult fantasy books to watch, now here&#8217;s the adult SFF list! It&#8217;s mostly fantasy, with a sci-fi thrown in here and there. Most of these books don&#8217;t have covers, full release dates, or full synopsis yet. But [&#8230;] <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/2022-adult-sff-releases-to-watch/">Keep reading &raquo;</a>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>I already published a list of <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/2022-ya-fantasy-releases-to-watch/">2022 young adult fantasy books to watch</a>, now here&#8217;s the adult SFF list! It&#8217;s mostly fantasy, with a sci-fi thrown in here and there.</p>



<p>Most of these books don&#8217;t have covers, full release dates, or full synopsis yet. But as of right now, they are scheduled to come out sometime in 2022.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Amber Crown by Jacey Bedford</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1103" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/amber.jpg" alt="The Amber Crown" class="alignleft"/><strong>The Amber Crown</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/jacey-bedford/">Jacey Bedford</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/daw/">DAW</a> on <span content="2022-01-11">January 11, 2022</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 448<br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/933346f9-1c47-410b-98fd-bc6a9d77e2cb/amber-crown">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong>In this new epic fantasy, three societal outcasts must work together to fulfill the orders of a dead king's ghost or risk their nation falling to a tyrant</strong></p>
<p>The king is dead, his queen is missing. On the amber coast, the usurper king is driving Zavonia to the brink of war. A dangerous magical power is rising up in Biela Miasto, and the only people who can set things right are a failed bodyguard, a Landstrider witch, and the assassin who set off the whole sorry chain of events.</p>
<p>Valdas, Captain of the High Guard, has not only failed in his duty to protect the king, but he's been accused of the murder, and he's on the run. He's sworn to seek justice, but his king sets him another task from beyond the grave. Valdas doesn't believe in magic, which is unfortunate as it turns out.</p>
<p>Mirza is the healer-witch of a Landstrider band, valued and feared in equal measure for her witchmark, her scolding tongue, and her ability to walk the spirit world. When she's given a task by Valdas' dead king, she believes that the journey she must take is one she can never return from.</p>
<p>Lind is the clever assassin. Yes, someone paid him to kill the king, but who is to blame, the weapon or the power behind it? Lind must face his traumatic past if he's to have a future.</p>
<p>Can these three discover the real villain, find the queen, and set the rightful king on the throne before the country is overcome?</p>
</blockquote></div></div>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Rise of the Mages (Age of Ire, #1) by Scott Drakeford</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1104" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/rise-mages.jpg" alt="Rise of the Mages" class="alignleft"/><strong>Rise of the Mages</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/scott-drakeford/">Scott Drakeford</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/age-of-ire/">Age of Ire #1</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/tor-books/">Tor Books</a> on <span content="2022-02-08">February 8, 2022</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 400<br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/934969e4-875e-488f-add9-3caf424da62a/rise-of-the-mages">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong>Scott Drakeford's epic fantasy debut, Rise of the Mages combines gripping, personal vengeance with compelling characters for an action packed first book in a trilogy.</strong></p>
<p>Emrael Ire wants nothing more than to test to be a weapons master. His final exam will be a bloody insurrection, staged by corrupt nobles and priests, that enslaves his brother.</p>
<p>With the aid of his War Master tutor, herself an undercover mage, Imrael discovers his own latent and powerful talents.</p>
<p>To rescue his brother, Emrael must embrace not only his abilities as a warrior but also his place as last of the ancient Mage Kings―for the Fallen God has returned.</p>
<p>And he is hungry.</p>
</blockquote></div></div>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1106" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/dead-silence.jpeg" alt="Dead Silence" class="alignleft"/><strong>Dead Silence</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/s-a-barnes/">S.A. Barnes</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/tor-nightfire/">Tor Nightfire</a> on <span content="2022-02-08">February 8, 2022</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/horror/">Horror</a>, <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/science-fiction/">Science Fiction</a><br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/93497910-8521-466b-b8ae-e48ace03e697/dead-silence">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong><em>Titanic</em> meets <em>The Shining</em> in S.A. Barnes’ Dead Silence, a SF horror novel in which a woman and her crew board a decades-lost luxury cruiser and find the wreckage of a nightmare that hasn't yet ended.</strong></p>
<p><strong>A GHOST SHIP.<br />
A SALVAGE CREW.<br />
UNSPEAKABLE HORRORS.</strong></p>
<p>Claire Kovalik is days away from being unemployed—made obsolete—when her beacon repair crew picks up a strange distress signal. With nothing to lose and no desire to return to Earth, Claire and her team decide to investigate.</p>
<p>What they find at the other end of the signal is a shock: the Aurora, a famous luxury space-liner that vanished on its maiden tour of the solar system more than twenty years ago. A salvage claim like this could set Claire and her crew up for life. But a quick trip through the Aurora reveals something isn’t right.</p>
<p>Whispers in the dark. Flickers of movement. Words scrawled in blood. Claire must fight to hold onto her sanity and find out what really happened on the Aurora, before she and her crew meet the same ghastly fate.</p>
</blockquote></div></div>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Justice of Kings (Empire of the Wolf, #1) by Richard Swan</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1107" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/justice-kings.jpg" alt="The Justice of Kings" class="alignleft"/><strong>The Justice of Kings</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/richard-swan/">Richard Swan</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/empire-of-the-wolf/">Empire of the Wolf #1</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/orbit/">Orbit</a> on <span content="2022-02-24">February 24, 2022</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 432<br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/93090f71-39d1-4462-8a02-efe3180f2592/justice-of-kings">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong>NO MAN IS ABOVE THE LAW</strong></p>
<p>The Empire of the Wolf simmers with unrest. Rebels, heretics and powerful patricians all challenge the power of the imperial throne.</p>
<p>Only the Order of Justices stands in the way of chaos. Sir Konrad Vonvalt is the most feared Justice of all, upholding the law by way of his sharp mind, arcane powers and skill as a swordsman. At his side stands Helena Sedanka, his clerk and protege, orphaned by the wars that forged the empire.</p>
<p>When the pair investigate the murder of a provincial aristocrat, they unearth a conspiracy that stretches to the very top of imperial society. As the stakes rise and become ever more personal, Vonvalt and Helena must make a choice: will they abandon the laws they've sworn to uphold in order to protect the empire?</p>
<p><strong>Introducing an unforgettable protagonist destined to become a fantasy icon, The Justice of Kings is an unmissable debut where action, intrigue and magic collide.</strong></p>
</blockquote></div></div>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Age of Ash (Kithamar Trilogy, #1) by Daniel Abraham</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1108" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/age-ash.jpeg" alt="Age of Ash" class="alignleft"/><strong>Age of Ash</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/daniel-abraham/">Daniel Abraham</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/kithamar-trilogy/">Kithamar Trilogy #1</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/orbit/">Orbit</a> on <span content="2022-02-17">February 17, 2022</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 448<br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/91574af6-e744-4e71-b584-422b7b3394a7/age-of-ash">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong>From <em>New York Times</em> bestselling and critically acclaimed author Daniel Abraham, co-author of the Expanse, comes a monumental epic fantasy trilogy that unfolds within the walls of a single great city, over the course of one tumultuous year, where every story matters, and the fate of the city is woven from them all.</strong></p>
<p>Kithamar is a centre of trade and wealth, an ancient city with a long, bloody history where countless thousands live and their stories unfold. This is Alys's.</p>
<p>When her brother is murdered, a petty thief from the slums of Longhill sets out to discover who killed him and why. But the more she discovers about him, the more she learns about herself, and the truths she finds are more dangerous than knives.</p>
<p>Swept up in an intrigue as deep as the roots of Kithamar, where the secrets of the lowest born can sometimes topple thrones, the story Alys chooses will have the power to change everything.</p>
</blockquote></div></div>



<p>As you can see, not much is known about this one yet, but I definitely have my eye on it!</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Furious Heaven (The Sun Chronicles, #2) by Kate Elliott</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1076" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/furious.jpg" alt="Furious Heaven" class="alignleft"/><strong>Furious Heaven</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/kate-elliott/">Kate Elliott</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/the-sun-chronicles/">The Sun Chronicles #2</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/head-of-zeus/">Head of Zeus</a> on <span content="2022-04-05">April 5, 2022</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/science-fiction/">Science Fiction</a>, <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/space/">Space</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 528<br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/91f7ebf4-ffe6-467d-9a0a-c3cf1ec08ee6/furious-heaven">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong>Non-stop action, space battles and intrigue abound in the second in a galactic-scale, gender-swapped space opera trilogy inspired by the life of Alexander The Great.</strong></p>
<p>The Republic of Chaonia fleets under the joint command of Princess Sun and her formidable mother, Queen-Marshal Eirene, have defeated and driven out an invading fleet of the Phene Empire, although not without heavy losses. But the Empire remains strong and undeterred. While Chaonia scrambles to rebuild its military, the Empire's rulers are determined to squash Chaonia once and for all by any means necessary.</p>
<p>On the eve of Eirene's bold attack on the rich and populous Karnos System, an unexpected tragedy strikes the republic. Sun must take charge or lose the throne. Will Sun be content with the pragmatic path laid out by her mother for Chaonia's future? Or will she forge her own legend despite all the forces arrayed against her?</p>
</blockquote></div></div>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Bloodstone by Ari Marmell</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1112" class="bdb-book-info"><strong>Bloodstone</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/ari-marmell/">Ari Marmell</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/skybound-books/">Skybound Books</a> on <span content="2022-07-01">July 1, 2022</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/adventure/">Adventure</a>, <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 320<br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/92ae93b4-71fc-4aa3-a7fc-3194a5d68a35/bloodstone">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong>Based on the intense, high fantasy game in the vein of World of Warcraft, Bloodstone is a sweeping epic adventure of four iconic gladiators who must band together to overthrow an evil sorceress.</strong></p>
<p>The old tales whisper of an object of incredible unnatural power—the Bloodstone: an artifact so powerful it sank an entire continent before being sealed away in a hidden tomb. But things that are hidden often have a way of revealing themselves, and now the power-hungry Vanira has claimed the Bloodstone and with it, the throne of the mighty empire of Stormwrath. But in order to sate her ambition for global domination, Vanira must first master the Bloodstone’s power and create an army of loyal soldiers and monsters alike.</p>
<p>Vrahk, a fierce berserker from the wilds finds himself captured into the Stormwrathi Arena, where Vanira pits him against fighters from the far corners of the world, in an effort to find the mightiest warrior. But even death does not spare these unfortunate souls from suffering: using the Bloodstone, Vanira is able to resurrect the combatants after a match, interning them in an endless cycle of violence and pain.</p>
<p>Among the fighters are Kyreina, a loyalist guard, and a fire mage named Uwazi from the tropical south, each with their own axe to grind with Vanira. When the last surviving heir to the ousted Royal Family smuggles herself into the arena as a disguised fighter, these bold heroes unite with a common goal: destroy the Bloodstone, and kill the sorceress who wields it.</p>
<p>Veteran game and fantasy author Ari Marmell bring to life the characters from this beloved tabletop game with vivid realism and intense combat action, perfect for fans of sword-and-sorcery fantasy and tabletop games alike.</p>
</blockquote></div></div>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Final Strife (The Final Strife, #1) by Saara El-Arifi</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1030" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/final-strife.jpg" alt="The Final Strife" class="alignleft"/><strong>The Final Strife</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/saara-el-arifi/">Saara El-Arifi</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/the-final-strife-trilogy/">The Final Strife Trilogy #1</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/harper-voyager/">Harper Voyager</a> on <span content="2022-06-23">June 23, 2022</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 640<br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/94028164-c91a-4b6a-84ca-954121712c0c/final-strife">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong>The Empire rules by blood</strong></p>
<p>Red is the blood of the elite, of magic, of control.</p>
<p>Blue is the blood of the poor, of workers, of the resistance.</p>
<p>Clear is the blood of the servants, of the crushed, of the invisible.</p>
<p>The Aktibar - a set of trials held every ten years to find the next Ember rulers of the Empire - is about to begin.</p>
<p>All can join but not just anyone can win; it requires great skill and ingenuity to become the future wardens of Strength, Knowledge, Truth and Duty.</p>
<p>Sylah was destined to win the trials and be crowned Warden of Strength. Stolen by blue-blooded rebels she was raised with a Duster's heart; forged as a weapon to bring down from within the red-blooded Embers' regime of cruelty. But when her adopted family were brutally murdered those dreams of a better future turned to dust.</p>
<p>However, the flame of hope may yet be rekindled because Sylah wasn't made to sparkle, she was born to burn.</p>
<p><strong>And it's up to her whether she rules the empire or destroys it.</strong></p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1122" class="bdb-book-info"><strong>Kaikeyi</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/vaishnavi-patel/">Vaishnavi Patel</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/redhook/">Redhook</a><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/historical-fiction/">Historical Fiction</a>, <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/mythology/">Mythology</a>, <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/royalty/">Royalty</a><br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/92c314b3-f88c-4c6b-bd1d-92da41df161d/kaikeyi">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p>In the vein of Madeline Miller's Circe, Kaikeyi reimagines the life of the vilified queen of the Indian epic the Ramayana, from her childhood as an overlooked princess, to her role as a warrior, diplomat, and most-favored queen—and her ultimate downfall.</p>
</blockquote></div></div>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Surviving Sky (The Rages Trilogy, #1) by Kritika H. Rao</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1123" class="bdb-book-info"><strong>The Surviving Sky</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/kritika-h-rao/">Kritika H. Rao</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/the-rages-trilogy/">The Rages Trilogy #1</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/daw/">DAW</a><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a>, <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/romance/">Romance</a><br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/92c48830-8f0a-414b-9b58-468ea00ffcbd/surviving-sky">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p>Read an explosive fantasy action in this Hindu philosophy inspired Adult Fantasy THE SURVIVING SKY, which combines the worldbuilding of THE BROKEN EARTH trilogy by N.K. Jemisin and the relationship dynamics in EMPIRE OF SAND by Tasha Suri.</p>
<p>Ahilya is a second-class citizen in a floating city made of plants, high above a storm-ravaged planet, campaigning for change that will benefit all classes. Complicating her goals is her rocky marriage to Iravan, the most revered leader of their magical society, responsible for psychically manipulating the floating city’s architecture. But the Earthrage storms below are growing longer and deadlier. And as Iravan falls under investigation for being too powerful, truths emerge that challenge everything she believes about their privileged society and the origin of the storms.</p>
<p>Now Ahilya faces a choice: expose her society’s secrets and destroy her marriage and culture? Or keep silent and perpetuate the inequality that has held her back her entire life? As the floating city’s architecture fails and they begin to plummet into the storm, the consequences of Ahilya’s choice will ripple not only across her heart, but her entire civilization.  </p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The City of Dusk (The City of Dusk, #1) by Tara Sim</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1125" class="bdb-book-info"><strong>The City of Dusk</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/tara-sim/">Tara Sim</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/the-city-of-dusk/">The City of Dusk #1</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/orbit/">Orbit</a><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/92cf2cf3-cb4f-48ec-b8fb-d8adf2bcf133/city-of-dusk">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p>The Four Realms—Life, Death, Light, and Darkness—all converge on the city of dusk. For each realm there is a god, and for each god there is an heir.</p>
<p>But the gods have withdrawn their favor from the once vibrant and thriving city. And without it, all the realms are dying.</p>
<p>Unwilling to stand by and watch the destruction, the four heirs—Risha, a necromancer struggling to keep the peace; Angelica, an elementalist with her eyes set on the throne; Taesia, a shadow-wielding rogue with rebellion in her heart; and Nik, a soldier who struggles to see the light— will sacrifice everything to save the city.</p>
<p>But their defiance will cost them dearly.</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>First in a trilogy</p>
<p>Queer goth metal fantasy<br />
4 worlds<br />
7 points of view<br />
5 magic systems</p>
<p>Coming spring 2022.</p>
</blockquote></div></div>

<p><a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/2022-adult-sff-releases-to-watch/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
					
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		<title>Far off 2022 releases to keep an eye on &#8211; YA fantasy edition</title>
		<link>https://www.nosegraze.com/2022-ya-fantasy-releases-to-watch/</link>
					<comments>https://www.nosegraze.com/2022-ya-fantasy-releases-to-watch/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ashley]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 13 May 2021 18:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.nosegraze.com/?p=26631</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Most of these books don&#8217;t have covers or exact release dates yet, other than &#8220;sometime in 2022&#8221;. But this is a list of young adult fantasy books I&#8217;ve found &#8212; mostly via their deal announcements &#8212; and will be tracking through to their release! A [&#8230;] <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/2022-ya-fantasy-releases-to-watch/">Keep reading &raquo;</a>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>Most of these books don&#8217;t have covers or exact release dates yet, other than &#8220;sometime in 2022&#8221;. But this is a list of young adult fantasy books I&#8217;ve found &#8212; mostly via their deal announcements &#8212; and will be tracking through to their release!</p>



<p>A similar list for adult SFF is coming soon.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Ivory Key (The Ivory Key, #1) by Akshaya Raman</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1085" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/ivory.jpeg" alt="The Ivory Key" class="alignleft"/><strong>The Ivory Key</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/akshaya-raman/">Akshaya Raman</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/the-ivory-key/">The Ivory Key #1</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/houghton-mifflin-harcourt/">Houghton Mifflin Harcourt</a> on <span content="2022-01-04">January 4, 2022</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 400<br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/92601023-a8e4-4417-bf47-847ff0522c24/ivory-key">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p>In this epic YA fantasy debut, magic, a prized resource, is the only thing between peace and war. When magic runs out, four estranged royal siblings must find a new source before their country is swallowed by invading forces. The first in an Indian-inspired duology that’s perfect for fans of There Will Come a Darkness, The Gilded Wolves, and We Hunt the Flame.</p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Born from Chaos by Wendii McIver</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1102" class="bdb-book-info"><strong>Born from Chaos</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/wendii-mciver/">Wendii McIver</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/penguin/">Penguin</a> on <span content="2022-01-06">January 6, 2022</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 352<br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/9157599e-bc87-439b-98f2-d19e080659bc/born-from-chaos">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong>This powerful story is both gripping and beautifully crafted, rich with mythology - perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Children of Blood and Bone.</strong></p>
<p>In the old times, all there was were the Necromancers and the Reapers, who have been at war for thousands of years.</p>
<p>One, a race that ripped the earth apart, raising whole undead armies. The other, a band of scythe-wielding warriors, intent on destroying their seemingly 'evil' counterparts.</p>
<p>Nyx, a young girl born a Necromancer but raised a Reaper, must conceal and wrestle with her identity when she's thrown into a world riddled with prophecies and danger.</p>
<p><strong>No one is safe. Even the dead can die again.</strong></p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Red Palace by June Hur</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1015" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/red.jpeg" alt="The Red Palace" class="alignleft"/><strong>The Red Palace</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/june-hur/">June Hur</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/feiwel-friends/">Feiwel & Friends</a> on <span content="2022-01-25">January 25, 2022</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/historical-fiction/">Historical Fiction</a>, <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/mystery/">Mystery</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 352<br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/92c09f1c-80d8-424c-a046-dd531eefd1f9/red-palace">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong>June Hur, critically acclaimed author of <em>The Silence of Bones</em> and <em>The Forest of Stolen Girls</em>, returns with <em>The Red Palace</em>—a third evocative, atmospheric historical mystery perfect for fans of Courtney Summers and Kerri Maniscalco.</strong></p>
<p>To enter the palace means to walk a path stained in blood...</p>
<p><strong>Joseon (Korea), 1758.</strong> There are few options available to illegitimate daughters in the capital city, but through hard work and study, seventeen-year-old Hyeon has earned a position as a palace nurse. All she wants is to keep her head down, do a good job, and perhaps finally win her estranged father's approval.</p>
<p>But Hyeon is suddenly thrust into the dark and dangerous world of court politics when someone murders four women in a single night, and the prime suspect is Hyeon's closest friend and mentor. Determined to prove her beloved teacher's innocence, Hyeon launches her own secret investigation.</p>
<p>In her hunt for the truth, she encounters Eojin, a young police inspector also searching for the killer. When evidence begins to point to the Crown Prince himself as the murderer, Hyeon and Eojin must work together to search the darkest corners of the palace to uncover the deadly secrets behind the bloodshed.</p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Castles in their Bones (Castles in their Bones, #1) by Laura Sebastian</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1105" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/castles-bones.jpg" alt="Castles in their Bones" class="alignleft"/><strong>Castles in their Bones</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/laura-sebastian/">Laura Sebastian</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/castles-in-their-bones/">Castles in their Bones #1</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/delacorte-books-for-young-readers/">Delacorte Books for Young Readers</a> on <span content="2022-02-01">February 1, 2022</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/95612f93-d68d-4d15-9985-00ea63b6269a/castles-in-their-bones">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong>Born to rule. Raised to deceive.</strong></p>
<p><strong>The plot: overthrow a kingdom. The goal: world domination. The plan: marriage.</strong></p>
<p>Empress Margaraux has had plans for her daughters since the day they were born. Princesses Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz will be queens. And now, age sixteen, they each must leave their homeland and marry their princes.</p>
<p>Beautiful, smart, and demure, the triplets appear to be the perfect brides - because Margaraux knows there is one common truth: everyone underestimates a girl. Which is a grave mistake. Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz are no innocents. They have been trained since birth in the arts of deception, seduction, and violence with a singular goal - to bring down monarchies - and their marriages are merely the first stage of their mother's grand vision: to one day reign over the entire continent of Vestria.</p>
<p>The princesses have spent their lives preparing, and now they are ready, each with her own secret skill, and each with a single wish, pulled from the stars. Only, the stars have their own plans - and their mother hasn't told them all of hers.</p>
<p>Life abroad is a test. Will their loyalties stay true? Or will they learn that they can't trust anyone - not even each other?</p>
<p><strong>Laura Sebastian stuns in this new trilogy from the New York Times bestselling author of Ash Princess. A spellbinding story of three princesses and the destiny they were born for: seduction, conquest, and the crown.</strong></p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A Magic Steeped in Poison (Book of Tea, #1) by Judy I. Lin</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1109" class="bdb-book-info"><strong>A Magic Steeped in Poison</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/judy-i-lin/">Judy I. Lin</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/book-of-tea/">Book of Tea #1</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/feiwel-friends/">Feiwel & Friends</a> on <span content="2022-03-22">March 22, 2022</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 352<br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/92faf72a-99cf-42d5-907e-eef7df22f627/magic-steeped-in-poison">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong>Judy I. Lin's sweeping debut A Magic Steeped in Poison, first in a duology, is sure to enchant fans of Adrienne Young and Leigh Bardugo.</strong></p>
<p><em>I used to look at my hands with pride. Now all I can think is, "These are the hands that buried my mother."</em></p>
<p>For Ning, the only thing worse than losing her mother is knowing that it's her own fault. She was the one who unknowingly brewed the poison tea that killed her—the poison tea that now threatens to also take her sister, Shu.</p>
<p>When Ning hears of a competition to find the kingdom's greatest shennong-shi—masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making—she travels to the imperial city to compete. The winner will receive a favor from the princess, which may be Ning's only chance to save her sister's life. But between the backstabbing competitors, bloody court politics, and a mysterious (and handsome) boy with a shocking secret, Ning might actually be the one in more danger.</p>
</blockquote></div></div>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A Tempest of Tea (A Tempest of Tea, #1) by Hafsah Faizal</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1110" class="bdb-book-info"><strong>A Tempest of Tea</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/hafsah-faizal/">Hafsah Faizal</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/a-tempest-of-tea/">A Tempest of Tea #1</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/farrar-straus-and-giroux/">Farrar Straus and Giroux</a><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/urban-fantasy/">Urban Fantasy</a><br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/922ba434-e151-4b98-8727-bd73267973d6/tempest-of-tea">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p>The first part of a planned duology where King Arthur meets Peaky Blinders with vampires. Set in a place called Ettenia, which is an amalgamation of 1920s and Victorian London. The story follows a gang of outcasts in a deadly heist led by Arthie Casimir to save her tearoom, which fronts an illegal blood house.</p>
<p>Coming spring 2022.</p>
</blockquote></div></div>



<p>I think <em>A Tempest of Tea</em> is a YA/adult crossover.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Darkening (The Darkening, #1) by Sunya Mara</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1111" class="bdb-book-info"><strong>The Darkening</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/sunya-mara/">Sunya Mara</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/the-darkening/">The Darkening #1</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/hmh-books-for-young-readers/">HMH Books for Young Readers</a><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/933146b1-6395-4d7d-a6ea-e0e6f9406fe2/darkening">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p>In this YA fantasy duology, the only hope for a city trapped in the eye of a cursed storm lies with the daughter of failed revolutionaries and a prince terrified of his throne.</p>
<p>Coming spring 2022.</p>
</blockquote></div></div>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Monsters Born and Made by Tanvi Berwah</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1113" class="bdb-book-info"><strong>Monsters Born and Made</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/tanvi-berwah/">Tanvi Berwah</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/sourcebooks-fire/">Sourcebooks Fire</a><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/adventure/">Adventure</a>, <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/9334ea62-efae-472c-93f4-d469858122c9/monsters-born-and-made">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p>Monsters Born and Made is a YA novel about a girl from a family of sea-monster trainers who will stop at nothing to be the first of her caste to compete in a monstrous chariot race. Winning means saving her family and losing will cost her everything. Publication is slated for summer 2022.</p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Royal Blood (Royal Blood, #1) by Aimée Carter</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1114" class="bdb-book-info"><strong>Royal Blood</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/aimee-carter/">Aimée Carter</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/royal-blood/">Royal Blood #1</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/delacorte-books-for-young-readers/">Delacorte Books for Young Readers</a><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/contemporary/">Contemporary</a>, <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/royalty/">Royalty</a>, <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/thriller/">Thriller</a><br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/93273a19-4e5a-4ef0-905f-537b2435ef62/royal-blood">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p>A contemporary reimagining of the royal family pitched as The Princess Diaries with murder.</p>
<p>After a 17-year-old American girl is exposed as the King of England's illegitimate daughter, she soon finds herself in an even bigger royal scandal as the primary suspect in a murder investigation.</p>
<p>Coming 2022.</p>
</blockquote></div></div>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Bone Spindle (The Bone Spindle, #1) by Leslie Vedder</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1115" class="bdb-book-info"><strong>The Bone Spindle</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/leslie-vedder/">Leslie Vedder</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/the-bone-spindle/">The Bone Spindle #1</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/putnam-juvenile/">Putnam Juvenile</a><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/adventure/">Adventure</a>, <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a>, <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/lgbt/">LGBTQIA+</a><br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/91672a00-e665-47d1-8aa3-010888c5efc2/bone-spindle">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p>The Bone Spindle is an #OwnVoices LGBTQ YA fantasy pitched as a gender-flipped Sleeping Beauty meets Indiana Jones, in which a cursed treasure hunter and an axe-wielding huntswoman must team up to rescue the prince sleeping in the Forest of Thorns. Publication is scheduled for spring 2022.</p>
</blockquote></div></div>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Praetorian Trials (The Praetorian Trials, #1) by N.E. Davenport</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1116" class="bdb-book-info"><strong>The Praetorian Trials</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/n-e-davenport/">N.E. Davenport</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/the-praetorian-trials/">The Praetorian Trials #1</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/harper-voyager/">Harper Voyager</a><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/91672b2d-a083-49aa-822e-f46420680965/praetorian-trials">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p>A duology about a young Black woman who must survive deadly trials to become an elite warrior while solving her grandfather's murder, fighting a racist and misogynistic society and keeping her magical blood gift a secret.</p>
</blockquote></div></div>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Brave by Elisa A. Bonnin</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1117" class="bdb-book-info"><strong>Brave</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/elisa-a-bonnin/">Elisa A. Bonnin</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/swoon-reads/">Swoon Reads</a><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/91bb7b21-3a9f-4153-976f-8ca43f39470b/brave">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p>Seri's world is defined by very clear rules. The beasts prowl the forest paths and hunt the People. Warriors kill the beasts and gain strength from the armor they make from them. And they explore the unknown world, to find new homes for the People. That was how it had always been, and how it would always be.</p>
<p>Until the day Seri encounters Tsana.</p>
<p>Tsana is a stranger, someone who is – impossibly – not of the People. She comes from the unknown world, from a strange group that speaks a different language, wears metal, and, strangest of all, communicates with beasts. And Tsana's People find Seri's barbaric. Somehow, with the world at the brink of war, Seri will have to find a way to make peace.</p>
<p>This is a world of heroes, and that is what Seri will become.</p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Violet Made of Thorns (Violet Made of Thorns, #1) by Gina Chen</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1118" class="bdb-book-info"><strong>Violet Made of Thorns</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/gina-chen/">Gina Chen</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/violet-made-of-thorns/">Violet Made of Thorns #1</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/delacorte-books-for-young-readers/">Delacorte Books for Young Readers</a><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a>, <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/romance/">Romance</a><br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/92095160-c0fb-40b3-a643-1a9a911477fe/violet-made-of-thorns">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p>Violet Made of Thorns is a darkly romantic, fairy tale-inspired YA fantasy, for fans of The Cruel Prince and Serpent &amp; Dove.</p>
<p>Violet is a prophet and a liar, influencing the court as Seer with her cleverly phrased—and not always true—divinations. Honesty is for suckers like the oh-so-not-charming Prince Cyrus, who plans to strip her of her title once he's crowned.</p>
<p>After the king asks her to falsely prophesy Cyrus's love story for an upcoming ball, Violet awakens a dreaded curse about the prince's future bride. Her wits may protect her in the ruthless court, but they can't protect her against fate—nor the doomed attraction growing between her and the prince . . .</p>
<p><em>“There is always a price for defying destiny.”</em></p>
<p>Coming fall 2022.</p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Silver in the Mist by Emily Victoria</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1119" class="bdb-book-info"><strong>Silver in the Mist</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/emily-victoria/">Emily Victoria</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/inkyard-press/">Inkyard Press</a><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a>, <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/lgbt/">LGBTQIA+</a><br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/9276ace1-7cbb-4975-9ba2-bab6b6e0c3cc/silver-in-the-mist">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p>In this #OwnVoices YA fantasy standalone, a young asexual spy is given a vital mission from her Spymistress: infiltrate an enemy country and capture a magic caster, in hopes of restoring her own country's dying magic. Publication is slated for fall 2022.</p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Bound by Firelight (Wickery, #2) by Dana Swift</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1120" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/bound-firelight.jpg" alt="Bound by Firelight" class="alignleft"/><strong>Bound by Firelight</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/dana-swift/">Dana Swift</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/wickery/">Wickery #2</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/delacorte-books-for-young-readers/">Delacorte Books for Young Readers</a> on <span content="2022-01-18">January 18, 2022</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a>, <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/romance/">Romance</a><br /><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/source/purchased/">Purchased</a><br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/93c41e8b-c6a0-4989-9277-55e50f58a541/bound-by-firelight">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong>The heart-pounding sequel to Cast in Firelight, perfect for fans of epic, sweepingly romantic fantasy by Sabaa Tahir, Susan Dennard, and Mary E. Pearson.</strong></p>
<p>After a magical eruption devastates the kingdom of Belwar, royal heir Adraa is falsely accused of masterminding the destruction and forced to stand trial in front of her people, who see her as a monster. Adraa's punishment? Imprisonment in the Dome, an impenetrable, magic-infused fortress filled with Belwar’s nastiest criminals—many of whom Adraa put there herself. And they want her to pay.</p>
<p>Jatin, the royal heir to Naupure, has been Adraa’s betrothed, nemesis, and fellow masked vigilante . . . but now he’s just a boy waiting to ask her the biggest question of their lives. First, though, he’s going to have to do the impossible: break Adraa out of the Dome. And he won’t be able to do it without help from the unlikeliest of sources—a girl from his past with a secret that could put them all at risk.</p>
<p>Time is running out, and the horrors Adraa faces in the Dome are second only to the plot to destabilize and destroy their kingdoms. But Adraa and Jatin have saved the world once already. . . . Now, can they save themselves?</p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Ones We Burn by Rebecca Mix</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1121" class="bdb-book-info"><strong>The Ones We Burn</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/rebecca-mix/">Rebecca Mix</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/margaret-k-mcelderry-books/">Margaret K. McElderry Books</a><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/92a82fe5-f2b2-4003-86e3-ec945166125f/ones-we-burn">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p>This debut YA fantasy follows a blood-witch whose mission to assassinate the prince she is betrothed to is compromised by the discovery of a deadly plague—and by the beautiful princess intent on stopping it.</p>
<p>Coming fall 2022.</p>
</blockquote></div></div>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Foul Lady Fortune (Foul Lady Fortune, #1) by Chloe Gong</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1124" class="bdb-book-info"><strong>Foul Lady Fortune</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/chloe-gong/">Chloe Gong</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/foul-lady-fortune/">Foul Lady Fortune #1</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/margaret-k-mcelderry-books/">Margaret K. McElderry Books</a><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/historical-fiction/">Historical Fiction</a><br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/92ce6b4f-2aee-4f01-a5e4-1400076717cf/foul-lady-fortune">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p>Foul Lady Fortune, the first of two books, is a speculative historical noir surrounding the events of Imperial Japan's expansion into China in the 1930s. It takes place after the events of These Violent Delights. A familiar character is recruited as a national spy, maintaining her false identity by posing as a young married couple with someone who might be the very enemy.</p>
<p>Publication is set for fall 2022.</p>
</blockquote></div></div>



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Can you think of any that I&#8217;ve missed?</h2>

<p><a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/2022-ya-fantasy-releases-to-watch/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
					
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		<title>Not impressed with Malice by John Gwynne (The Faithful and the Fallen #1)</title>
		<link>https://www.nosegraze.com/malice-faithful-fallen-john-gwynne/</link>
					<comments>https://www.nosegraze.com/malice-faithful-fallen-john-gwynne/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ashley]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 12 May 2021 18:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Epic Fantasy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[John Gwynne]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.nosegraze.com/?p=26642</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[All I&#8217;ve been hearing about lately is The Faithful and the Fallen. Everyone says this series is amazing, one of the best, etc. Well I guess I&#8217;m the odd one out because wow that was boring! Malice is 634 pages, and yet nothing of note [&#8230;] <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/malice-faithful-fallen-john-gwynne/">Keep reading &raquo;</a>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1128" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/malice.jpg" alt="Malice" class="alignleft"/><strong>Malice</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/john-gwynne/">John Gwynne</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/the-faithful-and-the-fallen/">The Faithful and the Fallen #1</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/tor-books/">Tor Books</a> on <span content="2012-12-06">December 6, 2012</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 634<br /><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/source/purchased/">Purchased</a><br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/915766d2-c5d9-4056-8148-0770c3f82ce2/malice">Book Details</a><br /><strong>Rating:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/rating/2/"><span class="bdb-html-stars-star-wrap">&starf;&starf;</span></a><br /><blockquote><p>Young Corban watches enviously as boys become warriors, learning the art of war. He yearns to wield his sword and spear to protect his king's realm. But that day will come all too soon. Only when he loses those he loves will he learn the true price of courage.</p>
<p>The Banished Lands has a violent past where armies of men and giants clashed in battle, the earth running dark with their heartsblood. Although the giant-clans were broken in ages past, their ruined fortresses still scar the land. But now giants stir anew, the very stones weep blood and there are sightings of giant wyrms. Those who can still read the signs see a threat far greater than the ancient wars. Sorrow will darken the world, as angels and demons make it their battlefield. Then there will be a war to end all wars.</p>
<p>High King Aquilus summons his fellow kings to council, seeking an alliance in this time of need. Prophesy indicates darkness and light will demand two champions, the Black Sun and the Bright Star. They would be wise to seek out both, for if the Black Sun gains ascendancy, mankind's hopes and dreams will fall to dust.</p>
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<p>All I&#8217;ve been hearing about lately is <em>The Faithful and the Fallen</em>. Everyone says this series is amazing, one of the best, etc. Well I guess I&#8217;m the odd one out because <em>wow that was boring!</em></p>



<p><em>Malice</em> is 634 pages, and yet nothing of note happened. The book read like &#8220;a day in the life&#8221;. For example, take the main character, Corban.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>He gets bullied.</li><li>He takes a dare.</li><li>He gets bullied again.</li><li>He cleans a lady&#8217;s house.</li><li>He starts his warrior training.</li><li>He hangs out with friends.</li><li>He stands up to bullies.</li><li>He does some blacksmith work for his dad.</li><li>He looks after a new horse.</li><li>He hangs out with his sister.</li><li>He saves another kid from being bullied.</li></ul>



<p>I just described about 300 pages.</p>



<p>And on top of the lack of action, I didn&#8217;t particularly care about any of the characters. That was the #1 downfall. If I cared about the characters then I could have tolerated a non-existent plot. But despite having multiple points of view, every character &#8212; except perhaps Corban towards the end &#8212; was a piece of cardboard. I don&#8217;t have trouble with multiple points of view, but in this case I did just because all the warriors in particular felt like the same person. Their voices were the same, and I was never given a reason to care about them. They were all very black and white&#8230; good or evil.</p>



<p>There was one character who turned out pretty interesting, but we only saw him very briefly. I don&#8217;t even remember his name &#8212; I think it started with a &#8220;C&#8221; &#8212; but I&#8217;m talking about the guy who lives in the forest, <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/malice-faithful-fallen-john-gwynne/" target="_blank">[View post to see spoiler]</a></p>



<p>The whole story felt very juvenile and cookie cutter. It was a bad mixture of young adult and adult. Both of those are fine on their own, but this odd mixture of the two just worked against <em>Malice</em>. It had the &#8220;coming of age&#8221; of a young adult book, mixed with the easy prose and typical YA tropes (chosen one, prophecy, etc.), and very black and white characters. On the other hand, it had the length and multiple points of view of an adult book, but without the extra detail and intricacy. In other words: it was really long, but there was no reason for it to be so long because <em>very little of import actually happened.</em> The main thing that makes young adult books shine is the fast paced nature of them, but <em>Malice</em> was ridiculously slow.</p>



<p>The synopsis promises an epic war, but we barely even got that. We saw little of the giants, unless it was a quick battle killing them. There was one giant character we did interact with, but other than the random reminder that he was a giant (oh yeah, he&#8217;s <em>tall!</em>), he seemed like a perfectly normal man. We just got a few skirmishes, rather than a serious sense of epic scale/scope, and the <em>why</em> behind those skirmishes never even felt important. We barely got to know any of the kingdoms/cultures that were being fought. I understand the war was just beginning, so there was a reason for it not being epic straight away, but we could have at least had more detail and gotten to know these different cultures a bit better.</p>



<p>And as for <em>Malice</em> being cookie cutter &#8212; that normally doesn&#8217;t bother me; I love tropes! When there&#8217;s a trope I love, I don&#8217;t mind seeing it over and over again. But I think the problem with <em>Malice</em> was that it was so obvious. There&#8217;s a prophecy, and it&#8217;s obvious who that&#8217;s about. There&#8217;s a bad guy, and it&#8217;s obvious who that is. There was no epic twist or reveal at the end, it was just everything slowly coming together in the way that you always expected to happen all along, and even that barely felt &#8220;epic&#8221;. In fact, I expected to actually learn a bit more about the angel and demon war, but I left the book with only exactly what&#8217;s mentioned in the synopsis, and no more.</p>



<p>In all fairness, the book did improve by the ~75% mark, but it never became &#8220;amazing&#8221;. It went from barely tolerable to mildly interesting. The best part of the book was <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/malice-faithful-fallen-john-gwynne/" target="_blank">[View post to see spoiler]</a></p>



<p>Under normal circumstances I would have not finished this book <em>very</em> quickly. If I don&#8217;t love a book, I stop reading. But in this case I forced myself to keep going because of a few similarly negative reviews that then mentioned the rest of the series <em>completely</em> changes for the better, and that <em>Malice</em> was the only weak link. So because of my intense desire to love this series that everyone else seems to love, I pushed on. My one hope was that I&#8217;d make it to <em><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/91575363-95db-431b-bd60-ddbc137da1b0/valour">Valour</a></em> and find something to love about it.</p>



<p>I&#8217;m disappointed that I didn&#8217;t adore the last 200 pages like so many people seem to. I&#8217;m disappointed that I&#8217;m not floored and wowed by this book. This is one of those times where I look at the sea of 5 star reviews around me and wonder how we read such different books.</p>



<p>I am going to at least read the first few chapters of <em>Valour</em> to see if it can woo me. But if not, then it looks like I&#8217;m done with <em>The Faithful and the Fallen</em>.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/malice-faithful-fallen-john-gwynne/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
					
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			</item>
		<item>
		<title>The pros and cons of requesting advanced reading copies</title>
		<link>https://www.nosegraze.com/pros-cons-requesting-advanced-reading-copies/</link>
					<comments>https://www.nosegraze.com/pros-cons-requesting-advanced-reading-copies/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ashley]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 May 2021 18:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ARCs]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.nosegraze.com/?p=26634</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[I just checked my email, and if that&#8217;s correct, the last advanced reading copy (ARC) I requested and was approved for was in December 2017 (The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green). It&#8217;s obviously been years since then, but I&#8217;ve been getting the itch to start [&#8230;] <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/pros-cons-requesting-advanced-reading-copies/">Keep reading &raquo;</a>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="533" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/stack-arcs.jpg" class="aligncenter wp-post-image" alt="Stack of advanced reading copies" srcset="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/stack-arcs.jpg 800w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/stack-arcs-700x466.jpg 700w, https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/stack-arcs-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />
<p>I just checked my email, and if that&#8217;s correct, the last advanced reading copy (ARC) I requested and was approved for was in December 2017 (The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green). It&#8217;s obviously been years since then, but I&#8217;ve been getting the itch to start requesting more ARCS &#8212; probably because I can count at least 9 of my highly anticipated books on NetGalley right now!</p>



<p>But ARCs don&#8217;t come without their risks and problems, so I thought I&#8217;d write a pros and cons list to help myself decide.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The pros of requesting ARCs</h2>



<p><strong>You get to read a book&#8230; for free.</strong> Because it&#8217;s possible to get through books so quickly, it can be nice to not have to pay. Then there&#8217;s also no risk of having paid for a book you didn&#8217;t enjoy. It would be nice nice to read a book and figure out if I like it before deciding to buy a physical copy for my collection. Though I suppose a library could do that too!</p>



<p>Plus it&#8217;s just&#8230; incredibly tempting. You see a free book available (legitimately), and it&#8217;s hard to pass that up.</p>



<p><strong>It would be cool to be quoted on the back of a book.</strong> Is that every reviewer&#8217;s dream? Sadly I&#8217;ve never made it there; the closest I&#8217;ve ever gotten was having my review quoted on the Amazon listing of a book. That was probably back in 2013 and I never made it there again!</p>



<p><strong>You get to read a book ahead of its release date.</strong> Honestly I&#8217;m not sure why I included this one, because it&#8217;s actually not that much of an appeal to me, but I know it appeals to others. Even if you can read ARCs early, you&#8217;re still probably always wishing for something that&#8217;s not available yet (like a book you know is coming but doesn&#8217;t have the ARC out yet). Shrug.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The cons of requesting ARCs</h2>



<p><strong>You&#8217;re obligated to read the book.</strong>* I know that sounds obvious&#8230; you request it, you read it, right? But we all know how TBR piles go. I have a ton of ARCs lying around that I haven&#8217;t read yet (and probably never will, if I&#8217;m honest). Sometimes you can request a book fully intending to read it, but by the time you get approved you&#8217;re not really in the mood for it anymore. And maybe you&#8217;d be in the mood again a few weeks or months later, but by that time the book might be released and you&#8217;ll feel bad about missing that pre-publication window.</p>



<p><em>*Disclaimer: I know you&#8217;re not really &#8220;obligated&#8221; in the contract sense, but if you request a book there is a certain expectation that you actually intend to read it. You don&#8217;t have to read EVERYTHING, but you should read most books. And if you&#8217;re like me, you&#8217;ll feel guilty if you don&#8217;t get to it.</em></p>



<p><strong>You&#8217;re obligated to review the book.</strong> (Same disclaimer as above.) I&#8217;ve been doing <em>a lot</em> of reading lately, but not a lot of reviewing. If I like a book, sometimes I don&#8217;t feel like analyzing it; I just want to think &#8220;that was amazing&#8221; and have that be it. Reviewing books can be a lot of work. And on a similar note&#8230;</p>



<p><strong>What if you don&#8217;t like the book?</strong> I&#8217;m a ruthless DNFer, and I fear how that will go down with ARCs. The thing with NetGalley, at least, is that you have a review ratio (how many books that you&#8217;ve been approved for you&#8217;ve reviewed). It&#8217;s important to keep that up. I don&#8217;t mind writing a DNF review if I have strong reasons why I didn&#8217;t finish it, but sometimes all I really have to say is, <em>&#8220;I wasn&#8217;t feeling it.&#8221;</em> It&#8217;s not an objectively bad book, and I don&#8217;t have strong opinions, I just didn&#8217;t vibe with the book for some inexplicable reason. But that&#8217;s not really enough to write a review.</p>



<p>I even saw one reviewer leave a few DNF reviews like this on NetGalley and the publisher actually said something about them writing non-sincere reviews. I think they thought the reviews were just copy pasted to get the ratio up. But sometimes if you DNF, there&#8217;s not a lot that&#8217;s unique to say about it.</p>



<p>In the past, my NetGalley ratio has always been good. Right now it&#8217;s sitting at 94%. But back in my heyday I was reviewing EVERYTHING I read. Whereas these days I&#8217;m not reviewing much at all&#8230; and it&#8217;s kind of nice.</p>



<p><strong>The book isn&#8217;t finished yet.</strong> I personally don&#8217;t mind a few typos here and there, but my biggest frustration is when a book is expecting to have a map, but the map isn&#8217;t available yet. I love maps! I love referencing them as I read. I think they can be hugely helpful in imagining the world and journey the characters take. It&#8217;s always a big disappointment if they&#8217;re not available in the ARC. (Not to mention that if you have an e-ARC that does happen to have a map, they can be basically illegible in ebooks anyway.)</p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



<p>Now that I&#8217;m reading this, it certainly seems like the con list is higher! I wonder if that will be enough for me to resist the temptation?</p>



<p>What about you? Do you request ARCs? Can you think of any pros or cons that I missed off?</p>

<p><a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/pros-cons-requesting-advanced-reading-copies/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
					
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		<title>The Poison Prince (Hostage of Empire, #2) by S. C. Emmett</title>
		<link>https://www.nosegraze.com/poison-prince/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ashley]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 05 May 2021 18:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Asia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Historical Fiction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hostage of Empire]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kingdoms]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Royalty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[S. C. Emmett]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.nosegraze.com/?p=26639</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[The Throne of the Five Winds was one of my top reads so far this year, so naturally I had high hopes for the sequel. Luckily I wasn&#8217;t disappointed! The Poison Prince continued everything I loved from the first book. This series nails court intrigue. [&#8230;] <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/poison-prince/">Keep reading &raquo;</a>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1127" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/poison-prince.jpg" alt="The Poison Prince" class="alignleft"/><strong>The Poison Prince</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/s-c-emmett/">S. C. Emmett</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/hostage-of-empire/">Hostage of Empire #2</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/orbit/">Orbit</a> on <span content="2020-11-26">November 26, 2020</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a>, <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/historical-fiction/">Historical Fiction</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 560<br /><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/source/purchased/">Purchased</a><br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/91576ceb-9508-4cb6-b0b9-fe1886fc7503/poison-prince">Book Details</a><br /><strong>Rating:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/rating/5/"><span class="bdb-html-stars-star-wrap">&starf;&starf;&starf;&starf;&starf;</span></a><br /><blockquote><p><strong>The lady-in-waiting to the princess of a conquered kingdom must navigate a treacherous imperial court, in the second book in a medieval East Asia-inspired epic fantasy trilogy.</strong></p>
<p>The crown princess has been assassinated, reigniting tensions between her native Khir and the great Zhaon empire. Now her lady-in-waiting, Komor Yala, is alone in a foreign court, a pawn for imperial schemes. To survive and avenge her princess, Yala will have to rely on unlikely allies-the sly Third Prince and the war-hardened general who sacked her homeland.</p>
<p>But as the Emperor lies upon his deathbed, the palace is more dangerous than ever before-for there are six princes, and only one throne.</p>
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<p><a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/top-10-reads-2021/#throne-five-winds">The Throne of the Five Winds</a> was one of my top reads so far this year, so naturally I had high hopes for the sequel. Luckily I wasn&#8217;t disappointed!</p>



<p>The Poison Prince continued everything I loved from the first book. This series <em>nails</em> court intrigue. It&#8217;s like Game of Thrones, but without the magic. Or dragons. But if you&#8217;re looking for a fight for the throne, hidden behind assassinations and scheming, Hostage of Empire is perfect.</p>



<p>I love how despite having a little time from everyone&#8217;s point of view, I still don&#8217;t fully grasp every character&#8217;s intentions. They certainly allude to what they want, but it&#8217;s still not certain whose side they&#8217;re on or what lengths they&#8217;re willing to go to (or have already taken). Because of that, I have no idea how this series is going to end, and I <em>love</em> that. There&#8217;s already been one death I didn&#8217;t expect!</p>



<p>The sequel also continued a little love triangle that was hinted at in the first book. I have to say, it&#8217;s masterfully done. This is the only love triangle I can recall actually enjoying. I think it&#8217;s because it&#8217;s not two people tripping over themselves to fawn over the third. Hostage of Empire creates a little distance between all the characters, because of the huge focus on manners and propriety. So although two characters may be crushing on Yala, they keep their feelings closely guarded, and Yala doesn&#8217;t outright say if she reciprocates those feelings or not. That also means that even though Yala has two choices before her, it still wasn&#8217;t immediately clear which one &#8212; if any &#8212; she prefers. (Until the end!)</p>



<p>I&#8217;m pleased to add The Poison Prince to my favourites, right next to The Throne of the Five Winds. I&#8217;m confident the third book will be there as well!</p>

<p><a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/poison-prince/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>Books releasing in May 2021</title>
		<link>https://www.nosegraze.com/books-releasing-may-2021/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ashley]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 01 May 2021 06:20:15 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.nosegraze.com/?p=26621</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[May 2021 is looking to be an awesome month for releases! I&#8217;ve put together a list of 10 books you can look forward to. A few have links to purchase signed copies from Goldsboro Books. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir Realm Breaker (Realm Breaker [&#8230;] <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/books-releasing-may-2021/">Keep reading &raquo;</a>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>May 2021 is looking to be an awesome month for releases! I&#8217;ve put together a list of 10 books you can look forward to. A few have links to purchase signed copies from Goldsboro Books.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1043" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/hail.jpg" alt="Project Hail Mary" class="alignleft"/><strong>Project Hail Mary</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/andy-weir/">Andy Weir</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/del-rey/">Del Rey</a> on <span content="2021-05-04">May 4, 2021</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/science-fiction/">Science Fiction</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 496<br /><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/source/purchased/">Purchased</a><br /><a href="https://www.goldsborobooks.com/product/project-hail-mary" target="_blank">Buy from Goldsboro Books</a> &bull; <a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/9157647b-60c0-4847-a02d-0a92bf2f84db/project-hail-mary">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong>A lone astronaut.<br />
An impossible mission.<br />
An ally he never imagined.</strong></p>
<p>Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission - and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.</p>
<p>Except that right now, he doesn't know that. He can't even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.</p>
<p>All he knows is that he's been asleep for a very, very long time. And he's just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.</p>
<p>His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it's up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery-and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.</p>
<p>And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he's got to do it all alone.</p>
<p>Or does he?</p>
<p><strong>An irresistible interstellar adventure as only Andy Weir could imagine it, Project Hail Mary is a tale of discovery, speculation, and survival to rival The Martian&mdash;while taking us to places it never dreamed of going.</strong></p>
</blockquote></div></div>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Realm Breaker (Realm Breaker #1) by Victoria Aveyard</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1031" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/realm.jpg" alt="Realm Breaker" class="alignleft"/><strong>Realm Breaker</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/victoria-aveyard/">Victoria Aveyard</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/realm-breaker/">Realm Breaker #1</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/orion-books/">Orion Books</a> on <span content="2021-05-04">May 4, 2021</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/adventure/">Adventure</a>, <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 576<br /><a href="https://www.goldsborobooks.com/product/realm-breaker" target="_blank">Buy from Goldsboro Books</a> &bull; <a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/91577684-b22c-45a7-b59f-78cd1df2f2cd/realm-breaker">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong>SAVE THE WORLD OR END IT...</strong></p>
<p>A strange darkness is growing in the Ward. Even Corayne an-Amarat can feel it, tucked away in her small town at the edge of the sea.</p>
<p>Fate knocks on her door, in the form of a mythical immortal and a lethal assassin, who tell Corayne that she is the last of an ancient lineage&mdash;with the power to save the world from destruction.</p>
<p>Because a man who would burn kingdoms to the ground is raising an army unlike any seen before, bent on uprooting the foundations of the world. With poison in his heart and a stolen sword in his hand, he'll break the realm itself to claim it. And only Corayne can stop him.</p>
<p>Alongside an unlikely group of reluctant allies, Corayne finds herself on a desperate journey to complete an impossible task, with untold magic singing in her blood and the fate of the world on her shoulders.</p>
</blockquote></div></div>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Shadow of the Gods (The Bloodsworn Saga, #1) by John Gwynne</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1059" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/shadow.jpeg" alt="The Shadow of the Gods" class="alignleft"/><strong>The Shadow of the Gods</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/john-gwynne/">John Gwynne</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/the-bloodsworn-saga/">The Bloodsworn Saga #1</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/orbit/">Orbit</a> on <span content="2021-05-06">May 6, 2021</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a>, <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/historical/">Historical</a>, <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/mythology/">Mythology</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 496<br /><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/source/purchased/">Purchased</a><br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/91577348-43c4-4dca-8210-09847c83f592/shadow-of-the-gods">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong>Set in a brand-new, Norse-inspired world, and packed with myth, magic and bloody vengeance, <em>The Shadow of the Gods</em> begins an epic new fantasy saga from bestselling author John Gwynne.</strong></p>
<p>After the gods warred and drove themselves to extinction, the cataclysm of their fall shattered the land of Vigrid.</p>
<p>Now a new world is rising, where power-hungry jarls feud and monsters stalk the woods and mountains. A world where the bones of the dead gods still hold great power for those brave - or desperate - enough to seek them out.</p>
<p>Now, as whispers of war echo across the mountains and fjords, fate follows in the footsteps of three people: a huntress on a dangerous quest, a noblewoman who has rejected privilege in pursuit of battle fame, and a thrall who seeks vengeance among the famed mercenaries known as the Bloodsworn.</p>
<p>All three will shape the fate of the world as it once more falls under the shadow of the gods . . .</p>
</blockquote></div></div>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A Master of Djinn (Fatma el-Sha’arawi, #1) by P. Djèlí Clark</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1095" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/master-djinn.jpeg" alt="A Master of Djinn" class="alignleft"/><strong>A Master of Djinn</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/p-djeli-clark/">P. Djèlí Clark</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/fatma-el-shaarawi/">Fatma el-Sha’arawi #1</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/tor-books/">Tor Books</a> on <span content="2021-05-11">May 11, 2021</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/historical-fiction/">Historical Fiction</a>, <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/urban-fantasy/">Urban Fantasy</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 400<br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/91793504-5a58-4b55-b39a-db979476a067/master-of-djinn">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong>Nebula, Locus, and Alex Award-winner P. Djèlí Clark returns to his popular alternate Cairo universe for his fantasy novel debut, A Master of Djinn</strong></p>
<p>Cairo, 1912: Though Fatma el-Sha’arawi is the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, she’s certainly not a rookie, especially after preventing the destruction of the universe last summer.</p>
<p>So when someone murders a secret brotherhood dedicated to one of the most famous men in history, al-Jahiz, Agent Fatma is called onto the case. Al-Jahiz transformed the world fifty years ago when he opened up the veil between the magical and mundane realms, before vanishing into the unknown. This murderer claims to be al-Jahiz, returned to condemn the modern age for its social oppressions. His dangerous magical abilities instigate unrest in the streets of Cairo that threaten to spill over onto the global stage.</p>
<p>Alongside her Ministry colleagues and a mysterious person from her past, Agent Fatma must unravel the mystery behind this imposter to restore peace to the city – or face the possibility he could be exactly who he seems…</p>
</blockquote></div></div>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Son of the Storm (The Nameless Republic, #1) by Suyi Davies Okungbowa</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1096" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/son-storm.jpg" alt="Son of the Storm" class="alignleft"/><strong>Son of the Storm</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/suyi-davies-okungbowa/">Suyi Davies Okungbowa</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/the-nameless-republic/">The Nameless Republic #1</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/orbit/">Orbit</a> on <span content="2021-05-13">May 13, 2021</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 480<br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/91574967-9bea-4ea5-a401-1582e4039426/son-of-the-storm">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong>Award-winning author Suyi Davies Okungbowa begins a thrilling new epic fantasy series of violent conquest, buried histories and forbidden magic.</strong></p>
<p>In the city of Bassa, Danso is a clever scholar on the cusp of achieving greatness-only he doesn't want it. Instead, he prefers to chase forbidden stories about what lies outside the city walls. The Bassai elite claim there is nothing of interest. The city's immigrants are sworn to secrecy.</p>
<p>But when Danso stumbles across a warrior wielding magic that shouldn't exist, he's put on a collision course with Bassa's darkest secrets. Drawn into the city's hidden history, he sets out on a journey beyond its borders. But the chaos left in the wake of his discovery threatens to destroy the empire.</p>
</blockquote></div></div>



<p><em>Son of the Storm</em> is the Goldsboro GSFF pick for June!</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The House of Always (Chorus of Dragons, #4) by Jenn Lyons</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1101" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/house.jpg" alt="The House of Always" class="alignleft"/><strong>The House of Always</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/jenn-lyons/">Jenn Lyons</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/a-chorus-of-dragons/">A Chorus of Dragons #4</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/tor-books/">Tor Books</a> on <span content="2021-05-13">May 13, 2021</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 544<br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/91efd8fa-7f8b-4e99-befc-551126daee8b/house-of-always">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong>What if you were imprisoned for all eternity?</strong></p>
<p>In the aftermath of the Ritual of Night, everything has changed.</p>
<p>The Eight Immortals have catastrophically failed to stop Kihrin's enemies, who are moving forward with their plans to free Vol Karoth, the King of Demons. Kihrin has his own ideas about how to fight back, but even if he's willing to sacrifice everything for victory, the cost may prove too high for his allies.</p>
<p>Now they face a choice: can they save the world while saving Kihrin too? Or will they be forced to watch as he becomes the very evil they had all sworn to destroy?</p>
</blockquote></div></div>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A Touch of Malice (Hades &amp; Persephone, #3) by Scarlett St. Clair</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1097" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/touch.jpeg" alt="A Touch of Malice" class="alignleft"/><strong>A Touch of Malice</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/scarlett-st-clair/">Scarlett St. Clair</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/hades-persephone/">Hades & Persephone #3</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/self-published/">Self Published</a> on <span content="2021-05-25">May 25, 2021</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/mythology/">Mythology</a>, <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/romance/">Romance</a><br /><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/source/purchased/">Purchased</a><br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/925fddae-3dc2-40df-8c0b-14708e0455c9/touch-of-malice">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p>Persephone and Hades are engaged. In retaliation, Demeter summons a snowstorm that cripples New Greece, and refuses to lift the blizzard unless her daughter calls off her engagement.</p>
<p>When the Olympians intervene, Persephone finds her future in the hands of ancient gods, and they are divided. Do they allow Persephone to marry Hades and go to war with Demeter or prohibit their union and take up arms against the God of the Dead?</p>
<p>Nothing is certain but the promise of war.</p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Blacktongue Thief (Blacktongue, #1) by Christopher Buehlman</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1098" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/blacktongue.jpg" alt="The Blacktongue Thief" class="alignleft"/><strong>The Blacktongue Thief</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/christopher-buehlman/">Christopher Buehlman</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/blacktongue/">Blacktongue #1</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/gollancz/">Gollancz</a> on <span content="2021-05-27">May 27, 2021</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/adventure/">Adventure</a>, <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 416<br /><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/source/purchased/">Purchased</a><br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/91576909-4682-4c6a-b158-86c49b97246d/blacktongue-thief">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong>Set in a world of goblin wars, stag-sized battle ravens, and assassins who kill with deadly tattoos, Christopher Buehlman's The Blacktongue Thief begins a 'dazzling' (Robin Hobb) fantasy adventure unlike any other.</strong></p>
<p>Kinch Na Shannack owes the Takers Guild a small fortune for his education as a thief, which includes (but is not limited to) lock-picking, knife-fighting, wall-scaling, fall-breaking, lie-weaving, trap-making, plus a few small magics. His debt has driven him to lie in wait by the old forest road, planning to rob the next traveler that crosses his path.</p>
<p>But today, Kinch Na Shannack has picked the wrong mark.</p>
<p>Galva is a knight, a survivor of the brutal goblin wars, and handmaiden of the goddess of death. She is searching for her queen, missing since a distant northern city fell to giants.</p>
<p>Unsuccessful in his robbery and lucky to escape with his life, Kinch now finds his fate entangled with Galva's. Common enemies and uncommon dangers force thief and knight on an epic journey where goblins hunger for human flesh, krakens hunt in dark waters, and honor is a luxury few can afford.</p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Priest of Gallows (War for the Rose Throne, #3) by Peter McLean</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1099" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/gallows.jpg" alt="Priest of Gallows" class="alignleft"/><strong>Priest of Gallows</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/peter-mclean/">Peter McLean</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/war-for-the-rose-throne/">War for the Rose Throne #3</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/jo-fletcher-books/">Jo Fletcher Books</a> on <span content="2021-05-27">May 27, 2021</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/fantasy/">Fantasy</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 384<br /><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/source/purchased/">Purchased</a><br /><a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/91cda276-d1c8-48a4-83d8-9c6ac180adca/priest-of-gallows">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong>Gangster, soldier, priest. Queen's Man. Governor.</strong></p>
<p>Tomas Piety has everything he ever wanted. In public he's a wealthy, highly respected businessman, happily married to a beautiful woman and governor of his home city of Ellinburg. In private, he's no longer a gang lord, head of the Pious Men, but one of the Queen's Men, invisible and officially non-existent, working in secret to protect his country.</p>
<p>The queen's sudden death sees him summoned him back to the capital - where he discovers his boss, Dieter Vogel, Provost Marshal of the Queen's Men, is busy tightening his stranglehold on the country.</p>
<p>Just as he once fought for his Pious Men, Tomas must now bend all his wit and hard-won wisdom to protect his queen - even when he can't always tell if he's on the right side.</p>
<p>Tomas has started to ask himself, what is the price of power? And more importantly, is it one he is willing to pay?</p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Blackheart Knights (Blackheart Knights, #1) by Laure Eve</h2>



<div class="wp-block-book-database-book"><div id="book-1100" class="bdb-book-info"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/blackheart.jpg" alt="Blackheart Knights" class="alignleft"/><strong>Blackheart Knights</strong> by <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/author/laura-eve/">Laura Eve</a><br /><strong>Series:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/series/blackheart-knights/">Blackheart Knights #1</a><br /><strong>Published by:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/publisher/jo-fletcher-books/">Jo Fletcher Books</a> on <span content="2021-05-27">May 27, 2021</span><br /><strong>Genre:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/genre/urban-fantasy/">Urban Fantasy</a><br /><strong>Pages:</strong> 400<br /><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/reviews/source/purchased/">Purchased</a><br /><a href="https://www.goldsborobooks.com/product/blackheart-knights" target="_blank">Buy from Goldsboro Books</a> &bull; <a href="https://bookhype.com/book/show/92082e57-4886-45c7-ba0e-f8f044620bea/blackheart-knights">Book Details</a><br /><blockquote><p><strong><em>Power always wins.</em></strong></p>
<p>Imagine Camelot but in Gotham: a city where Arthurian knights are the celebrities of the day, riding on motorbikes instead of horses and competing in televised fights for fame and money.</p>
<p>Imagine a city where a young, magic-touched bastard astonishes everyone by becoming king&mdash;albeit with extreme reluctance&mdash;and a girl with a secret past trains to become a knight for the sole purpose of vengeance.</p>
<p>Imagine a city where magic is illegal but everywhere, in its underground bars, its back-alley soothsayers - and in the people who have to hide what they are for fear of being tattooed and persecuted.</p>
<p>Imagine a city where electricity is money, power the only game worth playing, and violence the most fervently worshipped religion.</p>
<p><strong>In this dark, chaotic, alluring place, any dream can come true if you want it hard enough&mdash;and if you are prepared to do some very, very bad things to get it . . .</strong></p>
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