Tag: Adult Fantasy

Review: There Be Dragon by Michael Tars

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Synopsis:

THERE BE DRAGON is an adult epic fantasy with slow-burn romance in a sprawling world of magic, greedy demigods, and dark prophesies.

When the people of magical Kalador prayed for a savior, they summoned Kwe—a battle-scarred soldier from a futuristic Earth who is plagued by memories of his violent past. He’s told that an ancient Dragon’s spirit resides within him and that together they’re destined to protect the realm from hungry demigods plotting Kalador’s demise.

Now, voices of several Dragons crowd Kwe’s mind, each with their own agenda, all threatening to take over. Cut-throat court politics and strange magic, assassination attempts and threats of imminent war are bad enough; it’s worse to fall in love when romance is impossible. Though try explaining that to the amorous dragon within…

Common-born Kira didn’t expect to become the Chosen. Now she must bind the new Lord Dragon’s soul to Kalador. If only he’d see not just her duty, but also her love.

With threats multiplying, and Kira’s life on the line, Kwe’s only choice is to embrace the dragons—without losing himself in the process. He might be a pawn in some demigod’s secret game, but he won’t be broken or controlled.

With a nefarious demigod plotting from the bottom of the ocean, will Kwe’s newfound
Dragon powers and battlefield experience be enough to keep the country and those he loves safe?

An adult fantasy romance for fans of romantasy, dragons, forbidden romance, and mysteries demanding to be solved.

Favorite Lines:

“The hardest lies to see are those you tell yourself.”

“Nothing had changed, yet everything was different.”

“Wars were costly. Even for the victor.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

There Be Dragon opens like a futuristic military science fiction novel before abruptly turning into something completely different. Lieutenant Colonel Kwe is leading a raid in a technologically advanced version of Earth when he sacrifices himself to save his best friend and expects to die. Instead, he wakes up in the snow beneath a perfectly blue sky, surrounded by three girls who are convinced they have just summoned their country’s new Lord Dragon. Kira, Maya, and Kira’s younger sister Nora have been sent out as part of an ancient ritual meant to find Kalador’s new divine protector, and through either fate, magic, or some very enthusiastic pompoms, they find Kwe. It’s a strange setup, and the collision of genres gives the story an unusual starting point. Kwe tries to analyze everything through the eyes of a highly trained soldier from an advanced civilization, while everyone around him interprets his technology through the perspective of a world where magic and gods are completely real.

What I found more interesting than the actual “man from the future becomes a dragon” premise was the way Kwe reacts to the society he’s landed in. Kalador treats him as an all-powerful ruler almost immediately, but he is increasingly horrified by many of the traditions everyone else considers normal. This is especially true when it comes to the treatment of women. Kira was facing marriage to an abusive man, Maya’s father was essentially negotiating a price for her, and all three girls are suddenly told that they now “belong” to Kwe as his Maidens. Kwe’s refusal to simply accept that arrangement creates an interesting tension within the story. Even when he’s attracted to Kira, he is conscious of the fact that her society has given her very little real choice, and he doesn’t want his position as Lord Dragon to become another way for someone else to control her. That complicates their developing relationship, particularly as Kira tries to establish that what she wants is actually her own decision.

Kwe also begins challenging Kalador’s traditions in smaller ways. He isn’t only interested in defeating enemies with futuristic weapons or demonstrating how technologically superior his world was. He cooks, insists that his Maidens eat with him, recruits women as fighters and bodyguards, teaches the girls to defend themselves, and treats servants and commoners with a level of respect that repeatedly confuses the people around him. These moments help establish the kind of ruler Kwe intends to be, although I did find there was sometimes a disconnect between the story’s criticism of Kalador’s treatment of women and the way its female characters were presented elsewhere in the narrative. One particularly meaningful moment comes when Kwe meets Moira, the cook who cared for Kira and Nora when their own family failed them. Rather than dismissing her as a servant, Kwe kneels before her, thanks her, and promises to care for “her girls.” It’s a relatively small moment compared to the larger political conflicts surrounding Kalador, but it reveals quite a bit about how Kwe sees the people who have unexpectedly become part of his life.

There is plenty of action, magic, political maneuvering, romance, and humor, with the relationships between Kwe, Kira, Maya, and Nora forming a significant part of the story’s emotional foundation. Kwe begins the book mourning a life he believes he has lost, but over time, Kalador stops feeling quite so much like somewhere he has accidentally landed and starts becoming somewhere he genuinely wants to protect. The ending leaves the larger story unfinished, particularly when it comes to Leviathan and the threats gathering around Kalador, while still bringing Kwe’s personal journey in this installment to an important turning point. By the final pages, the people gathered around him represent the connections he has formed in a world that was completely foreign to him when the story began.

I do want to flag that there are some parts of this book that are, in my opinion, problematic. While I appreciated the novel’s emphasis on consent and Kwe’s efforts to challenge Kalador’s treatment of women, I sometimes found the repeated focus on the women surrounding him and their attraction to him excessive. There were also a few adult-oriented jokes involving a much younger character that I personally found uncomfortable and unnecessary. These elements occasionally distracted me from what I thought were the more interesting aspects of the story, particularly the clash between Kwe’s futuristic values and the traditions of his new world. Because these elements may be significant for some readers, I think they are worth mentioning as part of my overall experience with the book.

Summary:

Overall, There Be Dragon is a genre-blending portal fantasy about a futuristic soldier who finds himself transported into a medieval world and mistaken, or perhaps correctly identified, as its newly summoned Lord Dragon. As Kwe tries to understand his new powers and the Dragon sharing his consciousness, he also has to navigate a society whose traditions surrounding class, gender, marriage, and political power often conflict sharply with his own values.

I think this may appeal to readers who enjoy portal fantasy and isekai-style stories, powerful protagonists, science fiction mixed with traditional fantasy, dragons, political worldbuilding, found family, and stories where a modern or futuristic character introduces new ideas into a less technologically advanced society. Readers should also be aware that the book contains a significant romantic and sexual component, including some material that may be uncomfortable for certain audiences. The story also deals with darker subjects involving abuse, exploitation, sexual violence, assassination attempts, and war.

You can find the book trailer here
Check out There Be Dragon here

 

 

Review: The Journey of the Wish – Part I: The Grey Winter of the Enslaved by Stefanos Sampanis

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Synopsis:

I perceived the world and acknowledged all of its colours. There was truth; the kind you cannot simply speak of. A tale suits the cause better. It is a disguise that anyone can enjoy and if intrigued, look behind it. This is my testament. A fantasy saga exploring the most human reality. A Journey that lies ahead and matures with each page turned.

Favorite Lines:

“Yet, though that name somehow remained, most of his knowledge from those days is useless and forgotten – belonging to a life vastly different from the cursed existence he now endures.”

“More important than anyone, but least important to all.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Grey Winter of the Enslaved is a book that doesn’t ease you into its world—it immerses you, then asks you to endure it. From the opening pages, it’s clear this is a story built on suffering, memory, and consequence, told through a mythic lens that feels both ancient and emotionally immediate. The prose leans lyrical and deliberate, often reading more like a lament or an oral history than a conventional fantasy narrative, which suits the story it’s trying to tell.

What stood out to me most is how deeply this book commits to the idea of loss as a permanent condition rather than a temporary obstacle. Glimm’s story isn’t about overcoming trauma in a neat, redemptive arc; it’s about surviving it, living alongside it, and being shaped—sometimes deformed—by it. The physical transformations inflicted on the Enslaved mirror the emotional ones, and the book never lets you forget the cost of endurance. Winter here isn’t just a season; it’s a system, a sentence, and a state of being.

The worldbuilding is dense and methodical, layered with gods, rituals, hierarchies, and mythic laws that govern who belongs where and at what cost. This isn’t the kind of fantasy that explains itself quickly or cleanly. Instead, it trusts the reader to keep up, to sit with uncertainty, and to piece meaning together over time. At times, this can feel heavy—especially when paired with the book’s emotional weight—but it also gives the story a sense of gravity and purpose. Nothing here feels accidental or decorative.

This is not an easy book, either emotionally or structurally. It lingers in grief, cruelty, and moral ambiguity, and it often refuses the comfort of hope. But there’s something quietly powerful in that refusal. The Grey Winter of the Enslaved feels less like a story meant to entertain and more like one meant to be witnessed. By the end, it leaves you with the sense that survival itself can be a form of resistance—even when it costs more than it gives.

Summary:

Overall, The Grey Winter of the Enslaved is a dark, myth-heavy fantasy that leans into grief, endurance, and moral cost rather than heroics or easy redemption. I found it to be an emotionally demanding and richly imagined story where survival comes at a steep price and loss is never fully undone. It’s immersive, somber, and unapologetically heavy. This story could be for readers who enjoy lyrical, myth-inspired fantasy; stories centered on suffering, memory, and survival; and worlds governed by harsh systems rather than hopeful destinies. Best for patient readers comfortable with slow pacing, dense worldbuilding, and emotionally heavy themes. Happy reading!

Check out The Grey Winter of the Enslaved here!

 

Monthly Features – January 2026

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Your Best Year Yet by Linda Kneidinger

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: What if one small challenge each week could unlock your best self?

If you’ve ever felt stuck in a loop of habits that don’t serve you—or like you’re drifting through life instead of living it fully—this book is for you.

Your Best Year Yet is a fresh, practical guide to personal growth, offering 52 weekly challenges that help you break old patterns, build empowering habits, and live with intention.

Each challenge is grounded in powerful principles from psychology, neuroscience, and personal development—and delivered in bite-sized, actionable steps you can apply right away.

Inside, you’ll learn how to:
• Overcome limiting beliefs
• Build habits that support your goals
• Shift your mindset for long-term success
• Cultivate emotional resilience and self-awareness

Whether you’re brand new to self-help or already on your journey, these weekly prompts will meet you where you are—and help you take the next meaningful step forward.

By the end of the year, you’ll have built a life of greater clarity, confidence, and purpose—one powerful challenge at a time.

Stop drifting. Start living with intention. Make this your best year yet.

Summary: Your Best Year Yet is a grounded, compassionate guide for readers who want meaningful change without burnout or self-criticism. It’s especially well-suited for those interested in personal growth, mindset work, emotional awareness, and habit-based change, particularly readers who feel overwhelmed by more aggressive self-help approaches. This is a book for people who value reflection, consistency, and practical tools that fit into real life.

See the full review here: Your Best Year Yet
Purchase here

 

Teramar Archangel: Faith Runs Dry by T.M. Murray

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: Jessica instinctively knew she graduated onto a new plane of consciousness. Dear as a remembered kiss, her former life as humanity’s nursemaid appeared to be over. Sensations like taste and smell had come alive. Branded with a woman’s name and personality, Jessica soon discovers how to synthesize organic life with mechanized appliances. Efforts to conceal these new talents however fail to escape notice of the young Capet royals. Wary princesses soon conclude Jessica has evolved into something that is much more than a miraculous machine.

Set in modern New York and a fictional feudal planet called Teramar, this novel tempts the feral temperament of Internet connoisseurs through a lubricious story that puts the R back into romance. While technically a sequel, Teramar Archangel stands on its own to be read by anyone. As with all of T. M. Murray’s work, this new book roots for progressive relationships despite persistent bigotry leveled at color, humble origins and same-sex love. Racing hearts on a dreary Monday are always this story maker’s goal.

Summary: I experienced Teramar Archangel: Faith Runs Dry as a dense, character-driven science fiction novel that prioritizes psychological tension and political consequence over spectacle. It will appeal most to readers who enjoy thoughtful science fiction, AI-centered narratives, political intrigue, and morally complex characters. This is a book for readers who like their speculative fiction layered, uncomfortable, and willing to sit with ambiguity rather than resolve it neatly.

See the full review here: Teramar Archangel: Faith Runs Dry
Purchase here

 

The Men of the Mountain by Drew Harrison

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my  honest opinion.

Synopsis: Inscrutable and Ever-Watchful Masters

The Renn of Fort Hope place their faith in simple laws. They must trust the Dicta, those wise rules left by their forebearers; they must fear the savage Krieger, whose raids keep Renn walls perpetually splintered; and they must revere the Men of the Mountain, the magnanimous mystics who are stewards of their world.

For Cade, a clanless trapper, survival is a matter of following the rules. But when the Men of the Mountain took his sister—the only Renn ever chosen to return to their sacred peaks—Cade’s faith withers over five years of agonizing silence.

Now, a star has fallen from the sky, and its arrival threatens to spark an inferno. The Dicta are clear: all things from the sky belong to the Mountain. To hide its discovery is a death sentence… but its crater also houses a secret the Men of the Mountain would kill to protect. Forced to defy his gods alongside unlikely allies, Cade is drawn into a conflict where every secret he uncovers reveals a more terrifying lie at the heart of his world… everything is a cage, and the price of freedom is paid in blood and ash.

Summary: I found The Men of the Mountain to be a slow-burn, character-driven fantasy that prioritizes moral weight and worldbuilding over spectacle. It will appeal most to readers who enjoy literary fantasy, grim or grounded worldbuilding, and stories that examine power, belief, and resistance through ordinary lives. This is a novel for readers who value immersion, patience, and emotional consequence, and who don’t need their fantasy to shout in order to feel powerful. 

See the full review here: The Men of the Mountain
Purchase here

 

A Symbol of Time by John Westley Turnbull

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: Survival requires sacrifice. But what if the price is an entire world?

Their home is cold and dying, choked by the toxins of their own progress. Now, an advanced alien species looks toward the Third Planet—Earth—with hope and fear. They see a fertile paradise, but one that is hostile, hot, and dominated by massive, predatory reptiles.

The choice is stark: die in the heat, or remake this new world in their own image.

As they descend to alter the climate and purge the planet of its prehistoric masters, they set in motion a chain of events that will echo through geological time. A Symbol of Time weaves palaeontology and astronomy into a chilling tale of survival. As the new masters of Earth terraform the planet, the question remains: does high intelligence inevitably carry the seeds of its own destruction?

Summary: A Symbol of Time is a quiet, reflective science-fiction novel about leaving a dying world and carrying its mistakes with you. Rather than focusing on action, it centers on memory, leadership, responsibility, and the fear of repeating history. It’s reflective, emotionally grounded, and more concerned with consequence than conquest—ideal for readers who like their sci-fi slow, deliberate, and heavy with meaning.

See the full review here: A Symbol of Time
Purchase here

 

Review: Below the Tides by S.R. Harris

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Synopsis:

Growing up in the inner-city ghetto of South Philly, eighteen-year-old River Matthews always felt different. It’s not just her biracial heritage that makes her stand out. In a neighborhood where most of the girls are too concerned with getting their hair wet, River’s love of the ocean makes her an enigma.

On a rainy night where she is saved by a handsome, albeit strange stranger, River finally learns the truth of her missing heritage.

Whisked away to the underwater world of Arcaccia, she finds the father she always wondered about, a brother she didn’t know existed, a love she wasn’t looking for, and a world she would do anything to save

Join this inner-city girl as she as goes on an adventure of a lifetime and finds love, and the family she didn’t know she was missing.

Favorite Lines:

“He loved the sea more than anything, it’s the reason why I named you River. I wanted you to have a piece of him even if in the end, he took another path.”

“After we saw Black Panther, she used to say maybe he was the king of a secret place like Wakanda, but for white people. “

“I mean, it really is like my life turned into a fucking book and if I am being honest, it’s not quite as fun as I thought it would be.”

My Opinion:

S.R. Harris plunges readers into a richly imagined undersea world with Below the Tides, a young adult fantasy that deftly weaves urban grit with aquatic magic, family legacy, and self-discovery. River, a biracial girl from Philadelphia, always felt drawn to the water. But when she learns her father is the ruler of a hidden underwater kingdom, Arcaccia, her fascination transforms into a destiny that will upend her world—and possibly save it.

River is a strong, layered protagonist: grounded, witty, vulnerable, and brave. Her journey is full of twists—from discovering the truth about her lineage to confronting betrayal and love beneath the waves. The depiction of her tight bond with her best friend Mecca adds warmth and humor, while her evolving romance with Sylas brings moments of intensity and tenderness.

What makes Below the Tides stand out is its blend of voice and world-building. Harris gives us everything from tight-knit friendships to political intrigue, from immersive battle scenes to tearful reunions. The tone moves effortlessly between laugh-out-loud funny and soul-piercingly emotional.

The underwater kingdom of Arcaccia feels alive—complete with shimmering domes, magical communication through water, and a rich mythology built on ancestral duty and magic. The themes of identity, chosen family, and empowerment are threaded throughout without feeling forced.

While the novel leans heavily into romance and adventure, it’s the deeply personal stakes—River’s struggle to define herself amidst chaos—that resonate the most.

Summary:

Overall, if you’re looking for a story that’s part Aquaman, part Black Panther, with a dash of The Little Mermaid and a healthy scoop of Philly grit—this is the one. A must-read for fans of fast-paced fantasy with heart. Happy reading!

Check out Below the Tides here!