I couldn't finish Silvers by Brian J. Nordin. It felt like pure wish fulfillment. Every female character fawned over a flawless, overpowered protagonist. With no tension or real struggle, the story fell flat imo.

Now moving on to Starbreaker by Luke Chmilenko!

Mark of the Fool is slowly finding a special place in my heart. Alex Roth's journey into adulthood is teaching me a thing or two about how to deal with emotions and tackling issues in life.

Currently at book four!

Recently started listening to The Inevitable Ruin by @mattdinniman.bsky.social, and although I've always liked the Dungeon Crawler Carl series, this installment hits different.

I'm not even half-way but I've already had multiple swells of emotion and goosebumps. I can barely stop listening.

@johngwynneauthor.bsky.social’s The Shadow of the Gods delivers gritty, Viking-inspired fantasy with a vivid, brutal world steeped in Norse mythology. The story is the perfect scratch for that Viking/Fantasy-itch. I used this book as inspiration for some of my favourite D&D characters :).

⭐⭐⭐⭐

@marklawrenceauthor.bsky.social Prince of Thorns is a grim tale set in an unforgiving world. Its morally ambiguous protagonist, Jorg, is a ruthless antihero surrounded by a band of scoundrels. Their actions shock and compel in equal measure. The story is raw, as grimdark should be.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

@adapalmer.bsky.social's Too Like the Lightning is a masterwork of philosophy inspired sci-fi depicted in a vivid utopia with many hidden cracks. The dialogue has weight, and the characters leap off the page, making this an unforgettable, thought-provoking read. My Roman Empire of books.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

James Islington's The Will of the Many was the first book I read in 2024, and it set the bar immensely high.

- Very satisfying plot progression;
- Incredibly likeable and relatable main character;
- Twists that left my jaw hanging;
- ROMAN EMPIRE;
- Intriguing magic/power system;

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Saul Reichlin's narration truly drags you into the world and makes you feel like you're sitting at the table as William Gold tells his story. @phokion.bsky.social's Ill-Made Knight is a thought-provoking dive into chivalry, cleverly woven into a coming-of-age narrative. Easy all-time fave.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Audiobooks count as reading.
Audiobooks count as reading.
Audiobooks count as reading.
Audiobooks count as reading.
Audiobooks count as reading.
Audiobooks count as reading.
Audiobooks count as reading.

Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio has a very slow start which meant that it took me three tries to actually get through the book. Boy oh boy am I glad that I pushed through.

The series is an emotional rollercoaster where the lows are incredibly low but the highs pay off immensly.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

For me, Before the Coffee Gets Cold is simply a nice palette cleanser. Kawaguchi Toshikazu expertly captures the atmosphere of a "hidden" Japanese cafe, so much so that I felt like I was sitting in the corner, watching everything unfold.

⭐⭐⭐

A Hero Born begins an epic martial arts saga that scratched an unexpected itch. Once past the awkwardly translated names, you'll uncover gripping characters and intense battles. Fans of martial arts novels/manga will love this, as many authors draw inspiration from Jin Yong's legendary work!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Taitor's Blade by @decastell.bsky.social is a book that I will never stop recommending.

The Greatcoats saga pulled me out of a multi-year slump and sent me into a multi-year spiral of "No other genre can match Fantasy" (until Too Like the Lightning by @adapalmer.bsky.social came along).

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐