A unique take on fantasy lit that ably tackles science, magic, and mythology.
War is brewing on the planet of Urath in this intricately built universe where the power of dragons rivals that of the gods.
Journal entries by “a visitor from another world and dimension” introduce us to the world of dragon-ruled Urath: The “light” dragons have been at war with the “dark” dragons, called drakes, for centuries. Only when nine magic pearls are brought together will the corruption of the drakes be corrected. Meanwhile, godlike beings compete for the attention of Urath mortals in a world filled with both magic and science. Dragons can shape-shift, for example, and genetic research revealed that elves, dwarves, humans, and gnomon are all descendants from the same species. The Order of the Balance keeps the universe in check with the help of a small group of Urath mortals imbued with special powers. A host of characters, including Ertha, Mistress of the Rock, and Sirenia, Mistress of the Water, attempt to keep peace. But after they induct two new members—half-elf Alira Zell and her half sister, a full-blooded elf named Al Khimia—to the Order of the Balance, they soon find themselves betrayed by one who wishes to steal the pearls and wield the ultimate power. All of this occurs amid a brewing war that may force dragons and drakes to work together in order to defend themselves from the wrath of the gods. While the prose can be stilted and occasional typos occur, the nonstop action and vivid details largely compensate for the distractions. Reminiscent of a particularly engaging Dungeons and Dragons campaign, author/illustrator Dorety combines scraps of Greek mythology (“The Divine…are powerful super humanoids, and they live and come from their own ‘immortal realms’ on the other side of astral space”) with Tolkien-esque worldbuilding. Loaded with colorful illustrations, this wholly realized universe is wildly fun.
A unique take on fantasy lit that ably tackles science, magic, and mythology.Pub Date: Dec. 7, 2022
ISBN: 9781667867724
Page Count: 186
Publisher: BookBaby
Review Posted Online: April 1, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
The series’ snarky noir vibe might be dwindling, but there’s something of substance in its place.
This is wizard Harry Dresden’s yearlong mourning period for Karrin Murphy, the woman he loved.
If you keep upping your protagonist’s powers throughout a series, then you must balance the scales by increasing the number and strength of their enemies—as well as seriously messing with their personal life. Over the course of the Dresden Files, Harry Dresden, Chicago PI and now one of the most powerful wizards in the world, thought his first love was dead (she wasn’t), sacrificed his half-vampire girlfriend on an altar to save their child, lost another girlfriend when they learned she’d been mind-controlled into their relationship, bound himself into servitude as the Fae Queen Mab’s Winter Knight, and, for the length of an entire book, thought he himself was dead (he wasn’t). But nothing has hit quite as hard as the death of Karrin Murphy, the former police lieutenant who was his quasi-partner, friend, and, after a slow burn across many books, lover. Chicago is in a terrible state following a battle with Ethniu the Titan and her Fomor army, and Harry is doing his best to confront the monsters, dark magic, and anti-supernatural prejudice running wild amid the slowly rebuilding city. He’s also trying to save his half brother Thomas from two different death sentences, train a new apprentice, and juggle a relationship with Thomas’ half sister Lara, the dangerously seductive vampire Queen Mab is forcing him to marry. But he’s doing all this while nearly crushed by grief that threatens his judgment and disturbs his control over his magical powers. Butcher really makes you feel the dark, depressive state Harry exists in as well as the effect it’s having on his friends. Despite all that happens in it, this book is a pause as well as a setup for the series’ planned conclusion, an epic conflict with the eldritch creatures known as “the Outsiders.” It’s a tough, redemptive pause that could be a real drag, but thankfully, it’s not, because Butcher shows balance, too: Even as the crises pile up, so do the help and goodwill from unexpected sources.
The series’ snarky noir vibe might be dwindling, but there’s something of substance in its place.Pub Date: Jan. 20, 2026
ISBN: 9780593199336
Page Count: 480
Publisher: Ace/Berkley
Review Posted Online: today
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2026
Although the melodrama sometimes is a bit much, the superb worldbuilding and intricate plotline make this a must-read.
Using mystery and romance elements in a nonlinear narrative, SenLinYu’s debut is a doorstopper of a fantasy that follows a woman with missing memories as she navigates through a war-torn realm in search of herself.
Helena Marino is a talented young healer living in Paladia—the “Shining City”—who has been thrust into a brutal war against an all-powerful necromancer and his army of Undying, loyal henchmen with immortal bodies, and necrothralls, reanimated automatons. When Helena is awakened from stasis, a prisoner of the necromancer’s forces, she has no idea how long she has been incarcerated—or the status of the war. She soon finds herself a personal prisoner of Kaine Ferron, the High Necromancer’s “monster” psychopath who has sadistically killed hundreds for his master. Ordered to recover Helena’s buried memories by any means necessary, the two polar opposites—Helena and Kaine, healer and killer—end up discovering much more as they begin to understand each other through shared trauma. While necromancy is an oft-trod subject in fantasy novels, the author gives it a fresh feel—in large part because of their superb worldbuilding coupled with unforgettable imagery throughout: “[The necromancer] lay reclined upon a throne of bodies. Necrothralls, contorted and twisted together, their limbs transmuted and fused into a chair, moving in synchrony, rising and falling as they breathed in tandem, squeezing and releasing around him…[He] extended his decrepit right hand, overlarge with fingers jointed like spider legs.” Another noteworthy element is the complex dynamic between Helena and Kaine. To say that these two characters shared the gamut of intense emotions would be a vast understatement. Readers will come for the fantasy and stay for the romance.
Although the melodrama sometimes is a bit much, the superb worldbuilding and intricate plotline make this a must-read.Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2025
ISBN: 9780593972700
Page Count: 1040
Publisher: Del Rey
Review Posted Online: July 17, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2025
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