Top Reads of 2016! 4.5 Star Books

Throughout the month of February, I will posting various “best of” lists, ranging from  my top 5, 4.5 and 4 star reads of 2016!

Today, I am happy to announce my…

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 4. In the Shadow of the Gods (Bound Gods #1) by Rachel Dunne

About the Book:

A breathtaking talent makes her debut with this first book in a dark epic fantasy trilogy, in which a mismatched band of mortals, led by violent, secretive man, must stand against a pair of resentful gods to save their world.

Eons ago, a pair of gods known as the “Twins” grew powerful in the world of Fiatera, until the Divine Mother and Almighty Father exiled them, binding them deep in the earth. But the price of keeping the fire-lands safe is steep. To prevent these young gods from rising again, all twins in the land must be killed at birth, a safeguard that has worked, until now.

Trapped for centuries, the Twins are gathering their latent powers to break free and destroy the Parents for their tyranny—a fight between two generations of gods for control of the world and the mortals who dwell in it.

When the gods make war, only one side can be victorious. Joros, a mysterious and cunning priest, has devised a dangerous plan to win. Over eight years, he gathers a team of disparate fighters—Scal, a lost and damaged swordsman from the North; Vatri, a scarred priestess who claims to see the future in her fires; Anddyr, a drug-addled mage wandering between sanity and madness; and Rora and Aro, a pair of twins who have secretly survived beyond the reach of the law.

These warriors must learn to stand together against the unfathomable power of vengeful gods, to stop them from tearing down the sun . . . and plunging their world into darkness.

My Rating: 4.5/5

Why You Should Read It: Multiple POVs and compelling characters; intertwining plots, story with a large scope; great prose, and a vast world with wonderful and creative world building. All the ingredient you need to make a epic fantasy trilogy that fans will devour.

Read My Review

Authors to Watch Out For: 2017 Edition

Seeing as how MyLifeMyBooksMyEscape has shifted from book reviews to author interviews, it is very rare that I get write about books and authors that I have read recently (heck, I barely even get to read a book anymore).

Doing interviews with authors about their upcoming books in my way of helping spread the word, but I still feel that a review is more personal and can have a greater impact.

Because of this, I decided to do a “Authors to Watch Out For” list. It is one the same idea and many “Best Debut” lists, except this is going consist of authors that I have read since starting this blog (in 2014), up to now.

The only criteria is that their first novel be released somewhere between 2013 and 2016, or that they have finished their series somewhere in that time frame as well.

Without further ado, here is my list of Authors to Watch Out For!

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Rachel Dunne

 

Rachel’s debut novel, In the Shadow of the Gods, was releasted in June of 2016; it was one of the best novels I read last year and was a novel that I personally thought had all the ingredients you need to make an epic fantasy trilogy that fans will devour.

Fun-fact: In the Shadow of the Gods, was a semi-finalist for the 2014 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, and was then picked by Harper Voyager.

• Book Review: In the Shadow of the Gods (Bound Gods #1) by Rachel Dunne

Author Interview: Marc Turner

Today I am interviewing Marc Turner, author of The Chronicles of the Exile series. The second book, Dragon Hunters, is out now, and features Chameleon priests, dimension-hopping assassins, and sea dragons being hunted for sport.

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DJ: Hey Marc! Thanks for stopping by to do this interview! I want to ask you several specific questions about Dragon Hunters, but first, let’s take care of some of these mandatory questions: For readers who aren’t familiar with you, could you tell us a little about yourself?

Marc Turner: Hi, thanks for inviting me. I’m Marc Turner, and I write epic fantasy books with a dark edge and a liberal sprinkling of humour. I live in Durham in the UK, and when I’m not writing, I’m doing more writing, reading, escaping into the countryside, and trying in vain to keep up with my seven-year-old son.

DJ: What is Dragon Hunters about?

MT: At its core, Dragon Hunters is about a military coup led by Imerle Polivar, the head of a group of powerful water-mages called the Storm Lords. Imerle’s five-year tenure is about to end, but she has no intention of stepping down graciously. As part of her plot to hold on to power, she tries to sabotage the annual Dragon Hunt, and thus unleash chaos on her rivals.

Backlist Burndown: Dragon Hunters (The Chronicles of the Exile #2) by Marc Turner

Backlist Burndown is a monthly meme hosted by Lisa from Tenacious Reader where you put aside at least one book from your blacklist every month to read, and then post a review of it on the last Friday of that month.

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Dragon Hunters (The Chronicles of the Exile #2) by Marc Turer

Publisher: Tor Books

Publication Date: February 9, 2016

Edition: Hardcover, 464 pages

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Rating: 4.5/5

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I have yet to come across a book that has given the same feeling that A Game of Thrones did when I first read it, but Dragon Hunters is closest I have found.