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fantasybookcritic.bsky.social
Fantasy Book Critic
@fantasybookcritic.bsky.social
22K followers 460 following 980 posts
We are a blog of passionate book reviewers who love anything from fantasy to sci-fi and self published works. Active since 2007. Blogger judges in SPFBO from 2015. Find us at https://fantasybookcritic.blogspot.com (BS Posts/replies by Caitlin & Mihir)
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fantasybookcritic.bsky.social
Fantasy Book Critic @fantasybookcritic.bsky.social · Nov 10
Thanks to all the new & old followers, we have reached 1K followers. A warm welcome to everyone, we love to post about books we love, authors we are crazy about, #SPFBO, a little bit about Cricket (the sport), and lots about fantasy, SF, mystery-thrillers, & other genres
a bald man is smiling with the words welcome aboard behind him
ALT: a bald man is smiling with the words welcome aboard behind him
media.tenor.com
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crimereads.bsky.social
Sophie Hannah recommends Morag Joss, Freida McFadden, and more. crimereads.com/novels-unsym...
5 Novels with Perfectly Unsympathetic Protagonists
I’ll admit it: I don’t really believe in the distinction between sympathetic and unsympathetic characters. All fictional people (and perhaps all real people too, or almost all) are both unsympathet…
crimereads.com
January 30, 2026 at 3:56 AM
fantasybookcritic.bsky.social
Huzzah new series starter by Craig Schaefer 🔥🔥🔥
craigschaeferbooks.com Craig Schaefer @craigschaeferbooks.com · 2d
Last year, Aethon Books acquired my new series, Neon Meridian. Today, we have a release date for book one! "Catch and Kill" is coming on 5/19. (Also, Susannah Jones is recording the audiobooks, which will be out on the same day as print.)
Catch and Kill: An Urban Fantasy Series
Amazon.com: Catch and Kill: An Urban Fantasy Series eBook : Schaefer, Craig: Kindle Store
www.amazon.com
January 30, 2026 at 12:23 AM
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angelaboord.bsky.social
Well, um, I have a Bookbub deal going on this week, if you'd like to take a break with a short prequel novel to Fortune's Fool, in which Kyrra teams up with her mercenary friends to cause maximum chaos and take a little revenge in the process...

💙🪐📚 #BookSky

www.bookbub.com/books/smuggl...
A Bookbub graphic: Now Only $0.99, available for a limited time: featuring the painted cover of Smuggler's Fortune by Angela Boord, A Standalone Eterean Empire Story: A giant painted cabinet sits amid the wreckage of a cart backlit by flames with indistinct running figures, one in veil and robes, another with a metal arm
January 29, 2026 at 3:05 PM
fantasybookcritic.bsky.social
Henry Cavill in the upcoming Highlander movie directed by Chad Stahelski.

This looks so damn good, can’t wait for the trailer
henrycavill on Instagram: "Happy First Look for Highlander! This has been quite the journey for me, which I'll tell you all about when the time is right, but …"
Happy First Look for Highlander! This has been quite the journey for me, which I'll tell you all about when the time is right, but it's a special moment to be able to share this. I hope you enjoy. #HighlanderView all 12,559 comments
www.instagram.com
January 28, 2026 at 10:12 PM
fantasybookcritic.bsky.social
Enter for a chance to win some amazing books
fantasyfaction.bsky.social Fantasy-Faction @fantasyfaction.bsky.social · 3d
The long awaited Silencing of the North, sequel to Seven Deaths of an Empire, releases tomorrow!

We're running a give away to celebrate 🥳🎉

Win an ebook of books 1 or 2, or an audiobook of the Corin Hayes series!

Look here, or in comments below 👇
fantasy-faction.com/2026/silenci...

💙📚🪐 #Giveaway
Graphic saying: "Give Away!" in gold on green, showing the three book covers, all by GR Matthews: A Good Day to Die, The Silencing of the North, Corin Hayes Omnibus (audiobook)
January 28, 2026 at 8:04 PM
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torbooks.bsky.social
From the New York Times bestselling author of the #DarkOlympus series, this high-octane, fast-paced epic fantasy of tarot magic and deadly competition launches an explosive new series.

Katee Robert’s #TheTarotTrials is coming October 20, 2026! 💫

Find out more: bit.ly/49LjTVL
The Tarot Trials placeholder image. 'COMING OCTOBER 20, 2026' From the New York Times bestselling author of the Dark Olympus series, this high-octane, fast-paced epic fantasy of tarot magic and deadly competition launches an explosive new series perfect for fans of V.E. Schwab and Carissa Broadbent. The deck has always been stacked against her. Kestrel has trained her whole life to compete in the Tarot Trials. Her mother won once, earning a place among the five ruling Cinque—then paid for it with her life, executed for alleged treason against the Minor Court. But fortune favors the bold. Now it falls to Kestrel to take up her mother’s mantle as Champion of the Moon, enter the Trials, and face her fate. If she can master her new powers of shadow and illusion, navigate the poisonous game of alliances and lies, and corner the fellow Champion who dealt the killing blow to her mother years ago, she may uncover the truth she’s seeking without losing her head… or her heart. But in the Trials, betrayal is a question of when, not if. And winning the game isn’t about what she must do to win, but who she needs to survive.
January 28, 2026 at 7:00 PM
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johnpicacio.bsky.social
Thank you for sharing, @christl.bsky.social. The story isn’t just about Greg, but all of you who have reached out to him and DreamHaven Books. If you’ve been trying to order books from them, or you did order this weekend — watch this and feel good. ✊🏽
January 27, 2026 at 1:42 PM
fantasybookcritic.bsky.social
There’s a 36K (eight chapter) preview of @ilonaandrews.bsky.social’s THIS KINGDOM WILL NOT KILL ME

Grab it now to find out why this title is our favourite one of 2026
Amazon.com: This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me: Free Extended Preview eBook : Andrews, Ilona: Kindle Store
Amazon.com: This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me: Free Extended Preview eBook : Andrews, Ilona: Kindle Store
www.amazon.com
January 27, 2026 at 2:02 PM
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strandjunker.com
“Get it all on record now — get the films — get the witnesses — because somewhere down the road of history some bastard will get up and say that this never happened.”

Dwight D. Eisenhower, after visiting liberated concentration camps in April 1945
January 24, 2026 at 9:24 PM
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beyerstein.bsky.social
Alex Pretti was an RN who was murdered while trying to render aid to someone who had been pepper sprayed and shoved to the ground.
January 24, 2026 at 11:59 PM
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kjephd.bsky.social
"It feels like we're performing CPR on a corpse: the US Constitution."

Great line, & not from one of our so-called leaders but this random guy
cjzero.bsky.social CJ Fogler @cjzero.bsky.social · 7d
The whole interview is worth it
January 24, 2026 at 9:23 PM
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titanbooks.bsky.social
No one knows how the goblin war began. But everyone knows the goblins are to blame...Right?

NINE GOBLINS is a novella of low fantasy and high mischief from the New York Times bestselling author @tkingfisher.com! ✨

Out today! https://tinyurl.com/ybyzuybt
January 20, 2026 at 2:30 PM
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nickborrelli.bsky.social
Are there any psychological horror authors out there anymore? I feel most of the new horror writers are just writing slasher stuff and body horror. Everything I pick up seems to be that style anyway and it's really not for me.
January 16, 2026 at 7:48 PM
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victorlavalle.bsky.social
My novel about systematic evil & the need for regular people to team up & fight it is now available in the UK.

Sadly, some themes never go out of style.

THE DEVIL IN SILVER.

With a gorgeous cover and a wonderful introduction from the great @sgj.bsky.social

www.penguin.co.uk/books/476343...
The cover of THE DEVIL IN SILVER, a novel by Victor LaValle. A white bull's skull is flanked by red flowers in a spooky arrangement. The title is shown in silver letters. The authors name sits at the top of the book in red letters.
January 16, 2026 at 5:17 PM
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fantasyfaction.bsky.social
Today @kitvaria.bsky.social reviews @grmatthews.bsky.social's Corin Hayes series! - JI 🐉

"Blends sci-fi, dystopia, thriller, and that urban fantasy sense of momentum into something that feels both familiar and fresh...an easy recommendation."

fantasy-faction.com/2026/corin-h... #booksky
The book cover sits at the center of the image. The cover shows the illustration of an underwater scene. Light shines down but barely touches the bottom, due to both the water's depth and its haziness. What it does illuminate is a series of cobbled together sci-fi buildings culminating in a spiral tower rising up past the top of the illustration. Wires stream out from it in multiple directions and across the entire illustration. The whole thing is done is subdued blues and blue-greens, with touches of pale yellow near the surface. If you look closely you can see two figures walking through a tunnel of hanging wires at the very bottom of the illustration. The background of the image is a photo taken from underwater facing up towards the sun. Bubbles rise from the behind the camera and break at the surface far above. Light rays shine down into the dark water at the bottom of the photo.
January 16, 2026 at 6:48 PM
fantasybookcritic.bsky.social
A year without Howard Andrew Jones by Scott Oden.

A somber remembrance about one of the best sword & sorcery authors who gave us many tales and one whose generosity was felt by many writers & the book community
A Year Without HAJ
Howard Andrew Jones (1968-2025)
soden.substack.com
January 16, 2026 at 6:45 PM
fantasybookcritic.bsky.social
An interesting & in-depth interview with George R. R. Martin by @jameshibberd.bsky.social over at @thr.com

Lots of dives about faithful adaptations, the unfinished nature of ASOIAF, Dunk & Egg, his relationship with Ryan Condal and more…
Heavy Is the Crown: George R.R. Martin on His Triumphs and Torments
At the height of his reign, the 'Game of Thrones' author gets candid about his efforts to rule his expanding media empire, his buzzy new show 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,' and the long-delayed sag...
www.hollywoodreporter.com
January 15, 2026 at 4:23 PM
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bluebookballoon.bsky.social
Belatedly reviewing The Bone Raiders by Jackson Ford. Out now (out ages ago) from @orbitbooks.bsky.social and REALLY good fantasy. bluebookballoon.blogspot.com/2026/01/revi... #BookSky 💙📚
Review - The Bone Raiders by Jackson Ford
The Bone Raiders Jackson Ford Orbit, 10 August 2025 Available as: PB, 465pp audio, e    Source: Advance copy ISBN(PB): 9780356523804 I'm gra...
bluebookballoon.blogspot.com
January 13, 2026 at 12:19 PM
fantasybookcritic.bsky.social
The Trident and the Pearl has great atmosphere fit for a tale of a mortal caught up in the affairs of gods, but frustrating characters and a lack of romantic tension cause the story to flounder.

Thanks to Orbit Books for the ARC!

Full Review:
Review: The Trident and the Pearl by Sarah Wilson
fantasybookcritic.blogspot.com
January 14, 2026 at 2:30 PM
fantasybookcritic.bsky.social
@subpress.bsky.social’s The Tainted Cup by @robertjbennett.bsky.social is on sale right now. So grab your copy pronto
The Tainted Cup (preorder)
Subterranean Press creates readable art, publishing limited editions and groundbreaking original works of science fiction, fantasy, and horror.
s5gioqbab.cc.rs6.net
January 13, 2026 at 5:05 PM
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fantasycafe.bsky.social
Anticipated 2026 Speculative Fiction Book Releases, such as:

THE POET EMPRESS by Shen Tao (epic fantasy, "if poems could kill")

TO RIDE A RISING STORM by Moniquill Blackgoose (alternative historical setting, dragons)

#Books #BookSky 📚💙 #Fantasy #SpecFic 📚🪐

www.fantasybookcafe.com/2026/01/anti...
Cover of THE POET EMPRESS by Shen Tao, which is mostly red and orange with a curving white ribbon over a pagoda. The top is black with large red flowers to the left and right and the bottom is covered in flames. Additional Cover Text: Love is a weapon. Cover of TO RIDE A RISING STORM by Moniquill Blackgoose, the Second Book of Nampeshiweisit, showing a circle in the center with a top-down view of two dragon silhouettes on opposite sides of the circle. One dragon is dark aquamarine and the other is white, and the circle also includes two light blue flowers with bright yellow leaves. The rest of the cover is midnight blue with the outlines of trees in the darkest shade at the bottom of the image.
January 12, 2026 at 6:58 PM
fantasybookcritic.bsky.social
The Red Winter is a fantastically crafted dark fantasy that reimagines the Beast of Gevaudan myth into a monster-slaying adventure.

Thanks @torbooks.bsky.social

The full review:
Review: The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan
fantasybookcritic.blogspot.com
January 12, 2026 at 2:30 PM
fantasybookcritic.bsky.social
Sister Svangerd & the Not Quite Dead is a book about belief, who controls it, who benefits from it, whether it survives contact with reality & the stories people tell themselves to survive.

Sharp, funny, bleak, & intellectually alive.This is 1 of Parker’s best books in years @orbitbooks.bsky.social
Book review: Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead (The Loyal Opposition #1) by K.J. Parker
Speculative fiction book reviews.
fantasybookcritic.blogspot.com
January 10, 2026 at 6:47 PM
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peterclines.com
HEY SAN DIEGO FOLKS-- one week from tonight I'll be hanging out with @robwhart.bsky.social and Jeff Rake at @mystgalaxybooks.bsky.social and asking them questions about DETOUR, their new sci fi novel which is highly relevant to my interests. You should stop by, say hullo, and pick up a book or three
robwhart.bsky.social Rob Hart @robwhart.bsky.social · 24d
We're one week out from the release of DETOUR! Details, pre-order links, and tour information is here for your reading pleasure.
We're one week from the release of DETOUR
My new co-written sci-fi series!
robwhart.substack.com
January 9, 2026 at 2:36 AM
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peterclines.com
This is a fantastic thread and you should read it even if you're not a store owner, a moderator, a convention head, etc.

If you are one of those folks, you should definitely read this thread.
thewyzard.bsky.social The Wyzard @thewyzard.bsky.social · 25d
Synopsis: You need to kick more people out.

You will actually have a larger base of customers/attendees if you kick more people out. You will make more money. I am dead serious.
January 7, 2026 at 4:20 PM