Smorgasbord Fantasia

 This week, on our Waiting on Wednesday meme, we are featuring a sequel to one of the stunning epic fantasy debuts of this year, back in Jan that focused on  Norse-inspired mythology, stunning world building and frenetic action. Hall of Smoke by H M Long was an early favorite novel of mine, this year.  In Jan'2022  Temple of No God (Hall of Smoke # 2) releases. And it promises the same vein of feverish excitement, action and world building, with some of our favorite troubled characters coming back.    After a brutal war between the gods, Hessa – High Priestess of the Eangen – has brokered a fragile peace. Through great sacrifice, she has forged an alliance between warring tribes and introduced her people to the true god.   But a new threat is growing across the southern border. In the remnants of the once-great Arpa Empire, three factions are vying for the imperial throne, and the vast well of raw magical power only accessible to the Arpa Emperor. ...

Anthony Ryan 's books have been a bit of a hit and miss, with me. I wrapped up his first trilogy - after having been really impressed by The Blood Song , the rest of the books in that trilogy was a bitter pill to swallow, a disappointment. And then I kept away from his Draconis Memoria books. His Raven's Blade duology seemed interesting but I haven't gotten around to read them as yet. And this year, Anthony has released a brand new series with this opener - The Pariah , book one in the Covenant of Steel series that traces the dramatic rise and fall of Alwyn Scribe, outlaw, scribe, soldier, legend.  This book is a marked departure, in terms of Ryan's style and writing as well, which was a welcome change for me. Written in a sublime prose, that never grows tiresome, the worldbuilding of The Pariah is subtle, effective and organically grows on you as you read. It's in fact, so well done that I didn't realize that Ryan has built up an entirely new world, which de...

 I have recently concluded that the best kind of audio-books are mysteries or thrillers. And psychological thrillers are definitely up there at the top. And so I stumbled onto Alice Feeney , hailed as the queen of the domestic twisty psychological thrillers ( "His & Hers" ) and her latest, Rock Paper Scissors is again a domestic puzzle-box of a story with unreliable narrators, harrowing shocking twists and fabulous storytelling that goes deep beneath the layers presented.  The story is about Mr and Mrs. Wright - Adam and Amelia, who have won a weekend getaway to the Scottish highlands, a stay at this romantic secluded church, known as the Black Loch Chapel. This is a last-ditch attempt by both of them to save their marriage, which is on the rocks. But once they get to this isolated church, they realize that the secluded chapel may not be the most romantic place on earth. While the views themselves are to kill for, the place is creepy, almost haunted, gothic. With a histo...