Risingshadow: October 2024 Edition

Review: Tales from the Rain: Early Weird Fiction by Mark Howard Jones (published by Macabre Ink) Before I delve into reviewing the contents of this collection, I will say a few words about the author and his fiction in general. Mark Howard Jones is an author who may have slipped under the radar of many speculative fiction readers, but he has established himself as one of the best and most original writers of weird fiction. He is probably best known to those who love the darker side of ... [read more]

(The Beginning After the End #11)

It is no easy thing, to give a person—any one person—the ability to rewrite the truth of power in this world. How could any one being hold in their hands the key to fate and not succumb to the inevitable corruption of such a thing? Arthur Leywin’s quest for the power he knows only as Fate becomes even more pressing as his most dangerous foes gain a terrible new power of their own. But when the war between the dragons of Epheotus and the basilisks of Alacrya erupts across Dicathen, the ... [read more]

Fantasy

(The Blackened Blade #2)

Death once claimed me, stole the air from my lungs as I burned alive…only I didn’t stay dead. Instead I was returned to my past, and back to a living hell. The Academy. Where those who I believed were friends were actually foes. My enemies thought they could break me, but I proved them wrong. Two months ago I was given a second chance…A second life. With it I now wanted answers…and revenge. But something went wrong. Chaos is happening all around me. Moments in time that never ... [read more]

FantasyRomanceParanormal RomanceReverse Harem

(Arcane Ascension #5)

Corin Cadence has been summoned to meet with the Emerald Council, a political summit including the most powerful of all attuned and their closest political allies. His summons came with a dire warning — that war was coming to the nation of Valia. But while Valia is no stranger to warfare, the circumstances of this invasion are dire. Valia’s visage, Tenjin, remains missing. Many of the nation’s leaders were slain during Mizuchi’s attack, and others killed or injured through Saffron’s ... [read more]

FantasyEpic FantasyHigh FantasySword and Sorcery

(The House in the Cerulean Sea #2)

Featuring gorgeous golden yellow sprayed edges! Somewhere Beyond the Sea is the hugely-anticipated sequel to TJ Klune's The House in the Cerulean Sea, one of the best-loved and best-selling fantasy novels of the past decade. A magical house. A secret past. A summons that could change everything. Arthur Parnassus lives a good life built on the ashes of a bad one. He’s the master of a strange orphanage on a distant and peculiar island, and he hopes to soon be the adoptive father to the six ... [read more]

Fantasy

(Bobiverse #5)

The number one best-selling series that Audible listeners call “wonderfully entertaining”, “packed with humor, geek references and thought-provoking storylines”, and performed by “a true master story teller and actor” returns as the Bobs face their deadliest challenge yet. The Bobiverse is a different place in the aftermath of the Starfleet War, and the days of the Bobs gathering in one big happy moot are far behind. There’s anti-Bob sentiment on multiple planets, the Skippies ... [read more]

Science FictionSpace OperaArtificial Intelligence

(Chrysalis #6)

The Ants go marching and it sure isn't one by one! The Dungeon of Pangera is a dangerous place and for Anthony, there's only way place to go: down! The third stratum beckons, a place of fire, ash and the monsters classed as demons. So, so, many demons. Join our Antrepid Antventurer as he blazes a trail into the third layer of the Dungeon, facing new foes, new challenges and new developments within his own, rapidly expanding family! [read more]

FantasyLitRPGHumor

(Percy Jackson and the Olympians #7)

In his continuing quest to earn college recommendation letters from the gods, Percy has to pet sit the goddess Hecate's polecat and giant mastiff during Halloween week. What could go wrong? Rick Riordan’s newest Percy Jackson adventure is full of hilarious set pieces, a diverse cast of gods and monsters, and many other delightful tricks and treats. Percy Jackson, now a high school senior, needs three recommendation letters from the Greek gods in order to get into New Rome University. He ... [read more]

FantasyYoung AdultMythologyGreek Mythology

Bio-tech has arrived. It could pave the way to a greater future for humanity. It could also tear the human race apart. Before the bio-terror attack, Darkome was a place where DIY genetics enthusiasts could communicate in peace. After the attack, they were pushed deep underground by a brutal government response. The perpetrators are on Darkome, and the biohacker community is simply too dangerous to be allowed to exist. Unfortunately, that community is the very thing David Adler needs. His ... [read more]

Science Fiction

(Rise of Mankind #6)

The Age of Glass dawns, a fragile era balanced on the edge of oblivion. Will it shatter beneath the relentless hammer of fate? From the depths of despair to the pinnacle of power, Matt's ascension to Dungeon Lord has been a crucible of blood and terror. But the higher he climbs, the more precarious his perch becomes. As winter's icy fingers close around his hard-won domain, Matt and his beleaguered allies yearn for respite. Instead, they face a nightmare beyond imagining. The Coronaught ... [read more]

FantasyLitRPGDark Fantasy

(Rise of the Cheat Potion Maker #6)

What to do if you're a part of a super powerful family that's banned from the world... The Saga of Nate continues!A dangerous bloodline and family, a powerful arch nemesis, a growing shop, surprisingly powerful apprentices and disciples with secrets of their own... And the best pets ever! A butt-kicking cat, a wise sunlight wolf, and a majestic griffin. No, that is not a bar joke. Welcome to Rise of the Cheat Potion Maker 6! [read more]

FantasyLitRPG

(King's Dark Tidings #6)

Rezkin’s army has been defeated and he is among the dead. Rising in the shadows, Rezkin is free from the shackles of power. But the darkness is his home, and there he stalks his foes. His friends, alone and scattered, face the war with an empty throne. Rumors of Rezkin’s survival spawn hope and discord on the Souelian. Unable to put Rezkin to rest, Azeria chases answers. In the criminal underworld she hunts the Raven, willing to extract the truth in blood. In Lon Lerésh, Yserria and ... [read more]

FantasyEpic FantasyHigh Fantasy

(Ranger's Apprentice: The Royal Ranger #7)

International bestselling author John Flanagan returns to world of Ranger's Apprentice in the seventh installment of the Royal Ranger series in which Will and Maddie must travel through Toscana and encounter the dangerous Temujai forces. Will and Maddie are in Toscana on a diplomatic mission when word comes of a cavalry force crossing the northern body and marauding through the countryside. At the behest of the emperor, the rangers head north to investigate. They discover that the invaders ... [read more]

FantasyYoung Adult

(Bloodsworn Saga #3)

The Fury of the Gods is the earth-shattering final book in John Gwynne's bestselling Norse-inspired epic fantasy series, packed with myth, magic and bloody vengeance. The final battle for the fate of Vigrid approaches... Varg has overcome the trials of his past and become an accepted member of the Bloodsworn, but now he and his newfound comrades face their biggest challenge yet: slaying a dragon. Elvar is struggling to consolidate her power in Snakavik, where she faces threats from without ... [read more]

FantasyEpic FantasyHigh Fantasy

(Quest Academy #3)

The first semester is ending. It’s time to take on the Tower! The excursion was a mess. Sal’s trust in his team is at rock bottom from the actions of another in the final fight. He now needs to enter the Tower and fight demons with the same person that betrayed him. As if that wasn’t enough, he’s pretty sure the former Super-Rookie and wonder-kid on his team is actually a ticking time-bomb, just waiting to explode. Faced with the accusation that he’s squandering his power, Sal is ... [read more]

FantasyLitRPG

(Caraval #4)

Welcome, welcome back to the mysteriously enchanting world of CARAVAL! Return to the legendary magic and the whimsical wonder with this beautifully illustrated holiday novella. Snowflakes are falling.Invitations are arriving.And holiday magic is swirling in the capital city of the Meridian Empire. It’s Great Holiday Eve Eve. Scarlett Dragna is planning a spectacular Holiday celebration for the city. Donatella is searching for the perfect gift. Julian is looking ridiculously handsome in ... [read more]

FantasyYoung Adult

(The Hollows #18)

Rachel Morgan must go on a deadly journey—into the past—in the next thrilling Hollows novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series. What’s a witch to do when the coven of moral and ethical standards demands she untwist a curse—but an essential spell component no longer exists? There’s only one choice: go back in time. Caught between self-exile and an Alcatraz cell, Rachel must find an Atlantean mirror to reverse the curse and prove to Cincinnati’s brand-new witch coven that, ... [read more]

FantasyUrban FantasyVampiresWitches

(Gliff #1)

THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITORS' CHOICE • From a literary master, a moving and genre-bending story about our era-spanning search for meaning and knowing An uncertain near-future. A story of new boundaries drawn between people daily. A not-very brave new world. Add two children. And a horse. From a Scottish word meaning a transient moment, a shock, a faint glimpse, Gliff explores how and why we endeavour to make a mark on the world. In a time when western industry wants to reduce us ... [read more]

Dystopia

(The Wildersongs Trilogy #1)

From debut author Maiga Doocy comes the charming tale of an impulsive sorcerer and his curmudgeonly rival as they venture deep into a magical forest in search of a counterspell that can break the curse between them—only to discover that magic might not be the only thing pulling them together.  Leovander Loveage is a master of small magics. He can summon butterflies with a song or turn someone’s hair pink by snapping his fingers. Though such minor charms don’t earn him much respect, ... [read more]

FantasyRomance

(The Stone Man #4)

The return of the Stone Men reaches its dramatic conclusion… The internationally bestselling Stone Man series returns! The five battered survivors of the Fifth Arrival have reached the Isle of Skye, only to face an impossible mission: destroy the Barrier that has trapped the country and stop the ever-growing army of Stone Men. The survival of humanity itself hangs in the balance, and though they’ve been given their greatest weapon yet, our heroes must first learn how to wield it... before ... [read more]

Science FictionThrillerHorror

(Unbound #10)

One God Down. An Entire Pantheon To Go. Who's Next? Felix and his allies have saved Pax'Vrell and won the battle against the Pathless...but the war has only just begun. The Divine are stirring, and the Hierophant has her own deadly schemes. The fates of the Unbound rest on the choices Felix makes to protect them all. But as the gods close in, he begins to realize the terrible truth: If he fails, he risks more than their lives. He risks Ruin itself. [read more]

FantasyLitRPG