I can’t remember exactly when What Kings Ate floated past me, but given my love of both fantasy and historical foodstuffs I knew it was going to be a hit. What to expect A non-fiction that’s still light-hearted, both informative and entertaining. The author covers many aspects of food throughout history as a way to […]
Historical Fantasy
Book Review: A Natural History of Dragons, by Marie Brennan
Multiple people (whose tastes I trust) have repeatedly recommended me the Memoirs of Lady Trent, and I finally got to reading it. I can see what the fuss was about, as it is certainly a unique work in the realms of fantasy. What to Expect Written in first person as a memoir (an old lady […]
Book Review: Draka Raid, by Nils Nisse Visser
I love historical-fantasy blends (no surprises), and the promise of a realistic depiction of the dark ages caught my attention. What to expect A novella based on Anglo-Saxon England in the 9th century. A village in Sussex is facing a Danish raid, with the chief and warriors away and his daughter ruling in his stead. […]
Book Review: A Gathering of Ravens, by Scott Oden
A Gathering of Ravens is an intelligent, intriguing, and different kind of fantasy tale. I read it just in time for the release of the sequel, which is now high on my TBR list. What to expect Set at the turn of the 11th century, Oden weaves an incredible tale of historical fantasy that brings […]
World-building Historical Fantasy (or, of Unicorns and Icebergs)
The Historical Fantasy Book Club is one of my favourite FB groups (shocking, I know), and back in June they invited me for an “author takeover”. I thought rather than talking about my usual topics (Romans, and their obsession with fantastical beasts and how to cook them), I’d try to create a broader discussion, one […]
All in a Name: Romans, Russians, and Fantasy
A character’s name will be the trait most often referred to in a book, so today I’d like to talk about historical and fantastical names, as well as literary usage. We’d start with a quick review of some interesting naming conventions from history (Romans, duh, but also others), then touch on fantasy and science fiction […]
Book Review: Black City Dragon, by Richard A. Knaak
Black City Dragon is the third installment in the series, one I have been waiting for since I first came across it. Nor was I disappointed. (Well, apart from the special announcement at the bottom of this post 😉 I’ve previously reviewed of Black City Saint (book 1) and Black City Demon (book 2), and […]
Aquae et Ignis – a new, free Felix novella is here!
I’m excited to announce that Aquae et Ignis, the brand new Felix novella is here! It is a stand-alone novella in the Stories of Togas, Daggers, and Magic series, with Felix’s latest bizarre case. Though the events described are set between In Numina and In Victrix, it is a completely independent story. It makes for a […]
Book Series Review: Bridge of Birds, by Barry Hughart
Whenever someone asks me about my all-time favourite books, I invariable whinge about not being able to choose just one. But if I’m pressed further, Barry Hughart’s Bridge of Birds is amongst the first books I’ll mention. The novel tells of the first adventure of Number Ten Ox (the villager who’s telling the story) as he’s […]
Book Review: Black City Demon, by Richard A. Knaak
Seems like I just can’t stay away from these noir-historical-fantasy-detective blends… This is the second book in the Black City series; I’ve reviewed the first one here. What to expect This book, while a separate adventure, continues straight from the previous one and builds up on the events therein. You can expect to learn more […]
