Heroic Fantasy
Heroic Fantasy is a genre that describes the tales of hero's, often following quite intricate plot on a grand scale and with a large cast of characters. The trope of good versus evil is very often used.
Books Reviewed
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![The Last Adventure of Constance VerityA Lee Martinez]()
Science FictionThat one time you saved the world with stick with you for a lifetime. You may bask in the glory one day and wake up with cold sweats the next, either way, the event will be forged in your memories forever. What about two times? Three or four? Do you think that James Bond can remember one supervillai...
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![Master of EvilAdam Christopher]()
Science FictionOne of the aspects of Star Wars that I love is that it is an IP that keeps evolving, as do I. As a child I saw The New Hope as a simple action adventure between good and evil. The Emperor was omnipotent. As the series progressed, we see that the Empire was far too vast for one man to control, no mat...
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![Sky in the DeepAdrienne Young]()
FantasyHeroic Fantasy doesn't always get the credit it deserves, but when done well can be powerful, energetic and immersive fiction. Sky in the Deep is one of the best examples of recent times and an equal to Gemmell's past stories. The story follows Eelyn, a member of the Aska clan. She's been raised as...
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![The Mask of FearAlexander Freed]()
Science FictionThe reason that I enjoy the Star Wars Universe so much is that it vast and can be explored in new and interesting ways. The Skywalker stories will always be there, but there are shady towns and abandoned Sith temples spotted all over the Universe. You can follow an eccentric archaeologist hunting fo...
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![The Last WishAndrzej Sapkowski]()
FantasyThe Last Wish is the first of two short story collections that precede the main Witcher Saga, written by the polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. The majority of the stories that make up this novel were originally published in the Polish science fiction magazine Fantastyka which have been intertwined wi...
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![Kells LegendAndy Remic]()
FantasyKells Legend is the first volume in the Clockwork Vampires Chronicles and has been written by Andy Remic. Without warning came the vast albino army, the army of iron, invading Falanor from the north. To have any hope of survival a small band set off to warn the King. The band leaves quickly and with...
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![Soul StealersAndy Remic]()
FantasySoul Stealers is the sequel to the Andy Remic Epic novel - Kell's Legend, and the second volume in the Clockwork Vampire Chronicles. The indomniable Kell is still being hunted by the evil clockwork vampires and to make matters worse, he is now being tracked by two beautiful but deadly female vampire...
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![The Nobody PeopleBob Proehl]()
Science FictionModern life has highlighted the plight of The Other. People are marginalised for all sorts of reasons and from what I can tell it is more noticeable than ever. If you are different but can blend in with everybody else, would you keep it a secret or not? The Nobody People are hidden from view for now...
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![The Somebody PeopleBob Proehl]()
Science FictionWho are the goodies and who are the baddies? In most media, the baddies are normally some form of massive entity that is squashing the smaller rebels. These rebels become the de facto good guys as they fight against repression. However, what happens when the power shifts? If the rebels take control,...
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![The Fallen StarClaudia Gray]()
Science FictionThe Fallen Star by Claudia Gray is released on the first anniversary of the creation of The High Republic Universe, a bold move by the Star Wars novels to create their own sandbox in which to play, free from the Skywalkers. There are comics, YA books and more. At the centre are the core novels th...
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![SwashbucklersDan Hanks]()
FantasyNostalgia is a dangerous tool to use in a novel as what people think happened is not always the case. They prefer to see the past through rose tinted glasses. The 1980s can be seen as an era of Nintendo playing and Bermuda shorts, but that was not my 80s. I remember the Spectrum, my milk being stole...
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![American Dreams Issues 1-5Daniel Kalban]()
Science FictionThe Golden Era of comic books began around the Second World War and into the 1950s. It was a time of nationalism as the World prepared for war and then a time of hope and optimism for the US in particular. The US was now the main world power and life was getting a little better for most people. The...
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![The Burning LandDavid Hair]()
FantasyEpic fantasy novels are filled with fellowships from the OG to the 700-page opuses of today. What differs across all these books is how close the fellows are. Multiple character perspectives do not a fellowship make if they never meet each other, you want a close group of people all setting out on t...
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![Galaxy's Edge: Black SpireDelilah S. Dawson]()
Science FictionTo the uninitiated, Star Wars is just a film. To everyone else, that is just nonsense. There are multiple films, games, books, toys, teddies and now a theme park. A small part of the Star War Universe resides in Disneyland. You can visit the outpost of Black Spire and experience what it is like...
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![InannaEmily H. Wilson]()
FantasyA lot of what goes on in Fantasy novels is miraculous, magic spells cause havoc on the battlefield, or dragons swoop through the air. Their very nature is that they are fantastical. Some of the characters are like Gods with their powers, but few claim to actually be deities. When Inanna is born, she...
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![Star Wars Visions RoninEmma Mieko Candon]()
Science FictionAs a fan of the expanded Star Wars Universe of novels, I pinch myself with the amount of quality content there is. These are not just novelisations of the films, or even expansions of the most well-known characters, the novels are cutting deep and exploring corners of the universe that have not even...
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![Angel MageGarth Nix]()
FantasyIt sometimes feels that if you have read one fantasy novel, you have read them all. The same tropes crop up again and again. This may be comforting to fans of the genre, but people that dabble may soon become bored. Those of us in the know realise that there is a wealth of variation if you are willi...
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![The Crown of the BloodGav Thorpe]()
FantasyThe Crown of the Blood is the first volume in the series of the same name, written by Gav Thorpe and published by Angry Robot Books. Ullsaard is a warrior and General of the fierce and deadly Askhor troops. All have fallen beneath his mighty army, helping to create the greatest empire the land has e...
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![Original SinGavin Smith]()
Science FictionThe public love a superhero crossover tale, the billion-dollar hauls of various Avenger movies will tell you this, but they do not always work and at this point they can feel like going over old ground. Original Sin was a comic book arc conceived by Jason Aaron and Mike Deodato that brought vario...
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![The Road to NeverwinterJaleigh Johnson]()
FantasyThe tie in novel can have a bad press, a book churned out to steal some of the glory from a popular TV show or film, but I have a soft spot for them. When done well they can expand the universe; tie in novels for the likes of Star Trek, Doctor Who, Star Wars (twice) and many others have given fans c...
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![Rise of the TaiGethenJames Barclay]()
FantasyJames Barclay is undoubtedly one of the finest heroic fantasy authors writing today, his Raven series are incredible novels with some really exceptional battles and fight scenes. Rise of the TaiGethen is the second novel in his series that feature those immortal forest dwellers, the Elves - and foll...
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![Doctor Strange Dimension WarJames Lovegrove]()
Science FictionThere is a knack to adaptation, we have all seen a film made from a book. Many have read an adaptation of a film, but can you make a prose adaptation of a comic book? We see superheroes in the cinema every month, the action and colour sparks on the big screen, but bringing forth all that imagery in...
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![The Coming of GalactusJames Lovegrove]()
Science FictionThe Marvel Universe is jammed packed with famous storylines, but one of the biggest has always been the time that The Fantastic Four took on Galactus. It resonates because it has lasted since the 1960s and appears to be having a reimagining in the latest film. The Coming of Galactus by James Lovegro...
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![Captain America: The Shield of Sam WilsonJesse J. Holland]()
Science FictionGraphic Novels have an advantage over prose in terms of kinetic visuals. You can show in a panel the action taking place and all the colours, in a book you need to describe this. This advantage can be too tempting for some and the book becomes all action and not enough depth. The best comics are alw...
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![Academ's FuryJim Butcher]()
FantasyThere is a surprising amount of Fantasy that is essentially an epic game of magical rock, paper, scissors. Various mages, witches and Gods all fighting each other with differing powers. They are strong against one power, but weak against another. The balance of the world rests on all these powers ca...
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![The BrandedJo Riccioni]()
FantasyThere are all types of fantasy from the high to the low, but for some fans it can be tricky to enjoy one type or the other. For someone interested in starting to read low fantasy they may be turned off by the violence and darkness that this part of the genre emits. On the other hand, high fantasy ca...
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![Red CountryJoe Abercrombie]()
FantasyI've bought a few Abercrombie novels over the past few years, partly due to the huge amount of positive feedback his work attracts but also as he is a fellow Lancastrian, hailing from the same fine city as I. Due to the sheer volume of review copies I receive I've yet to have time to actually read a...
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![The CleavingJuliet E Mckenna]()
FantasyI really enjoy a retelling of the Arthurian Legend, which is a good thing as I have read a fair few. Each author tackles the story in a unique way looking to put their own spin on a well-known tale. Do you follow the classic beats making the likes of Morgana the villain? Perhaps it is Merlin's fault...
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![Loki: Journey Into MysteryKatherine Locke]()
FantasyAfter more than a decade of box office hits and TV shows even the more casual Marvel fan is starting to realise that there is a vast and rich world of lore that the comics have built up over the decades. The comics of Thor and Loki bring with them their own history, not only that written for the com...
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![The Troll HunterKeith Blackmore]()
FantasyThe Troll Hunter is a heroic fantasy novel by Keith Blackmore. Fresh from the battle infirmaries, a band of rogues, cuts throats and killers return to duty and are ordered north through the war torn country. They know nothing of their mission except that they must protect a mysterious Koch (armoured...
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![White Sands Red SteelKeith Blackmore]()
FantasyHe-Dog and Balless are mad, brutal, unpredictable mercenaries, and those are their good points. The remains of this ragtag group also includes the suicidal, one-eyed ex-champion archer Borus and the disfigured but deadly Chop . When they accept a mission that no-one else would touch, they travel the...
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![131 DaysKeith Blackmore]()
FantasyBlackmore is a vastly under-appreciated author. His Mountain Man novels are a superb example of a post-apocalyptic / zombie series. 131 days does for heroic, gladiatorial fantasy what Mountain Man did for Zombies, a charged, fast-paced story that has confidence, style and plenty of GrimDark. Every y...
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![Fate of the fallenKel Kade]()
FantasyI love Fantasy, I believe it creates a sense of the epic better than any other genre. Not only do big events happen but you often get a manifest destiny. The issue can be that too much might happen. Our heroes come across so many monsters, pitfalls and dead ends that even the most ardent of Fantasy...
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![Aphrodite in PiecesLauren J A Bear]()
General FictionI am a student of History, but even to this day there are massive blind spots in my learning, moments in the past that I know little about, so anything on the subject matter feels fresh to me. I have a passing knowledge of the Antient Greek Gods, but having read Aphrodite in Pieces by Lauren J. A. B...
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![The WolfLeo Carew]()
FantasyThe Wolf is the debut of Leo Carew, a graduate of Cambridge University with a degree in Biological Anthropology, specialising in the Palaeolithic. The authors knowledge and perspective colours the story, providing a rich and detailed backdrop of an alternative world that somewhat resembles the Vikin...
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![Critical Role: Vox Machina - Kith and KinMarieke Nijkamp]()
The Fantasy genre is broader than some people try to make out. I have read Tolkien and there is nothing else quite like that, although many followed the path. Modern Fantasy is often darker and violent, but back in the 80s and 90s there was more of a sense of adventure and magic. The likes of the D...
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![SeabornMichael Livingston]()
FantasyWho doesn’t love a good pirate story? What about a story that has flying ships that drop gunpowder bombs? Or a story that has magic and mysterious civilisations living on remote islands? These all sound great and are wrapped together in a lovely fantasy package in Michael Livingston’s Seaborn , a bo...
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![Marc Spector Was Host to Venom?Mike Chen]()
Science FictionComics have a complex history with some storylines going back decades. Even the relatively new superheroes can have intricate lore. Moon Knight has had plenty of time to muddy the waters with almost 50 years of stories to look back on, but it is not the depth of the stories that make Moon Knight so...
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![Darkness FallsP. J. Flie]()
Science FictionThere are two ways of writing a trilogy of books. One way is to produce three separate novels that can be read independently or viewed as a whole. The other way is to start each book as soon as the last one ends and power through the tale a great speed. This is how P. J. Flie’s Darkness Falls , star...
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![Slaine DragontamerPat Mills]()
FantasyI love 2000AD, it is a fantastic serial comic that is filled with some of my favourite characters. Judge Dredd is omnipresent, but there are other characters that I picture when I think of opening a new issue; ABC Warriors, Rogue Trooper and of course, Slaine. Slaine felt a little different as it wa...
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![The Name of the WindPatrick Rothfuss]()
FantasyThe Name of the Wind is the first volume in the Kingkiller Chronicles and tells the story of the notorious wizard Kvothe. After gaining his reputation at a very young age with included being expelled from university younger than most who are allowed in, talking to gods and writing songs, he dissapea...
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![The Wise Man's FearPatrick Rothfuss]()
FantasyThe Wise Man's Fear follows on from the authors incredible debut "The Name of the Wind" which is currently one of the most memorable, most enjoyable fantasy novels I have ever read - I seriously recommend you read that first. Picking up where the last novel finished we once again follow the journey...
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![Beyond the Burn LinePaul McAuley]()
Science FictionScience fiction is a brilliant tool for pondering what happens after the inevitable fall of humans. There is only so long that the Earth can sustain us, but that does not mean that other civilisations may not develop after. Beyond the Burn Line by Paul McAuley is a Sci Fi mystery told from the persp...
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![The Head of MimirRichard Lee Byers]()
FantasyThe Marvel Universe has plenty of areas to explore, it is not just superheroes . You also have mutants, magic, aliens and so much more. Perhaps one of the hardest e lements to get your head around are the Gods of Asgard. Suddenly, the Norse Gods of Odin and Thor are fighting alongside the likes of...
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![The Serpent Called MercyRoanne Lau]()
FantasyThere are shifts in the Fantasy genre that perhaps only the ardent fan will notice. The epics of Tolkien and the 80s are still being written, but now there are more intimate stories that follow one or two characters as they graft in their small way among the wider Fantasy world. These are often cosy...
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![Connors FollyRobert C Auty]()
FantasyConnors Folly is the second volume in the Trance Warriors fantasy series by Robert C Auty, following on from the Siege of Scarn. The epic siege is finally at an end the new Grynn King is tasked with taking the fight to the enemy, to do so he must first find the white palace and finish his training a...
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![The Siege of ScarnRobert C Auty]()
FantasyThe Siege of Scarn is the first volume in the fantasy series Trance Warriors, written by Robert C Auty. It is a time of Chaos in the middle isle, Connor - an outlaw whose family was killed by the Kings own troops finds himself drawn into a fight between good and evil, a clash of Gods that will decid...
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![Blood of the SerpentS M Stirling]()
FantasyBringing back classic character is a wise decision as you already have a built-in fan base and the potential to make new fans. Who does not want to read more Sherlock Holmes? But it is fraught with dangers. Suddenly you have Winnie the Pooh and The Grinch starring in horror films. In some cases, the...
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![The Last Phi HunterSalinee Goldenberg]()
FantasyI love fantasy, from the low to the high, but I love it even more when it is tackled in an interesting way. The Last Phi Hunter by Salinee Goldenberg has all the elements of High Fantasy, packed with more magic than a Paul Daniels Appreciation Society AGM, but this is not a book of wizards and elves...
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![Way of the WalkerSalinee Goldenberg]()
FantasyNaming your book The Last Phi Hunter comes with some idea that this will be the last of their kind, but Salinee Goldenberg proves this is not the case with a sequel, Way of the Walker . But is this Walker an actual Phi Hunter? If your job is to find and kill the undead (Phi), befriending them and he...
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![What If... Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker Were SiblingsSeanan McGuire]()
Science FictionAs comic book fans, we really are living in the best of days, not because there is so much content to read or watch, but because the artform is established. The concept of comics, superheroes and, in this case, Marvel are well enough known that we can play with the format. Marvel has been doing it f...
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![Shield MaidenSharon Emmerichs]()
FantasyThe tale is often told from the perspective of the victor, distorting the truth to make them look better. In an epic poem like Beowulf, it all points to one man being the hero, but what if there is more to the story. Shield Maiden by Sharon Emmerichs retells the final part of Beowulf’s life from the...
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![Black Panther - Panther's RageSheree Renee Thomas]()
Science FictionWith the new Black Panther film arriving soon in cinemas, Marvel fans are extremely excited to see what is next for the people of Wakanda. The first film was excellent, but even with all its colour and strength it could only scratch the surface of the comic book. There is a rich history to Wakanda a...
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![OrcsStan Nicholls]()
FantasyOrc's is an anthology of Bodyguard of Lightning, Legion of Thunder and Warriors of the Tempest, 3 novels in the fantasy series Orcs, written by Stan Nicholls. In the world of Maras-Dantia the elder races lived along with each other, while not in peace at least in some tolerance of one another. From...
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![Captain America: Dark designsStefan Petrucha]()
Science FictionThere is an inherent problem with superheroes. Sometimes they are just too super. How is any mortal person meant to take down a being that can fly into the sun or bounce bullets off their bracelets? It is up to the comic creators to come up with an enemy that will match the super heroics with super...
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![The CowardStephen Aryan]()
FantasyWhen I think about heroism I often think about the conversation between Cat and Rimmer in Red Dwarf. There‘s an old cat proverb that goes, "It's better to live one hour as a tiger than an entire lifetime as a worm.” There's an old human proverb - "Whoever heard of a worm-skin rug?" I am with Rimm...
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![Thanos: Death SentenceStuart Moore]()
Science FictionTo anyone who has seen the latest Avengers movies you will know that Thanos is not a nice chap. He single handily (infinitely glovely) creates an intergalactic genocide. Despite this, the films try to give him some sympathetic elements; he only wipes out so many to save the whole. The Thanos of Stua...
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![The Sorcerer and the NecromancerSusan Ann Walker]()
FantasyI adore the fantasy genre and as someone who reads it a lot, I have seen the ebbs and flows in the genre over the years. There have always been outliers, but there is a certain style of fantasy that dominated for each of the decades. Until recently, I have read a lot of Low Fantasy, a genre low on m...
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![The Intergalactic Empire of WakandaSuyi Davies Okungbowa]()
Science FictionThe sheer number of comic books out there are a blessing and a curse. There are so many stories to catch up on and different versions of the same characters. It is wonderful for the explorer, but for the casual fan it can be daunting. We all know something about Black Panther , the character, Wakand...
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![Nettle and BoneT Kingfisher]()
FantasyI have read many genre books and I see trends in what is currently popular or going through a period of high quality. The dark gothic fairy tale is having a moment in the sun as I have recently read some excellent stories that hark back to a feel of past fables but are their own modern take. T Kingf...
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![Captain Marvel: Liberation RunTess Sharpe]()
Science FictionIt is not hard to see where Marvel Studios get all their ideas from as they sit upon a rich heritage of characters and storylines that will take decades to exhaust. I am somewhat of an old school Marvel fan and know the classic runs. Therefore, the newer creations flummox me. Captain Marvel is more...
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![Sword of the War GodTim Hodkinson]()
FantasyThere are ways of writing a historic epic. The current trend is more towards long drawn-out sagas over several books, sometimes up to twenty or more. This allows you to really get to know the characters and read about them for decades, keeping you and the author busy for years. They are great but ca...
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![Legends and LattesTravis Baldree]()
FantasyWhat is Comfy Fantasy? It is a new name for the type of fantasy that does not have you on edge all the time. As a genre fantasy can often feel epic, but also stressful. The heroes on the run from a darkness they cannot fathom, or a fellowship were hardly anyone can be trusted. Sometimes you just wan...
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![Boneshops & BonedustTravis Baldree]()
FantasyI have read a lot of Fantasy fiction over the years and have picked up trends as time passes from the classic High Fantasy epics of the 80s to the gritty Low Fantasy of more recent times. A new trend is in town, and I see Travis Baldree at the vanguard of Cosy Fantasy. Legends & Lattes was a sfbook....
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![Domino: StraysTristan Palmgren]()
Science FictionAs a superhero fan, the last couple of decades have been fantastic . The comics have had countless film adaptations and prose novels. This abundance of content has allowed content creators to explore the idea of super power s more. We are no longer in the age of Gods, when Superman fought othe...
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![In the Shadow of SwordsVal Gunn]()
FantasyIn the Shadow of Swords is the first volume in the Tales of Ciris Sarn by Val Gunn. When the legendary killer Ciris Sarn ends a life in an empty city plaza with a single dagger thrust, little does he know that an insidious game has been triggered by the brutal slaying. Turning predator into prey, th...
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