Blog Archives
Stormveil (Stormborn Chronicles Book 2)
Stormveil is the second book in the Stormborn Chronicles, and it plunges the reader back into a world of betrayal, prophecy, and storm-fueled destiny. The novel follows Aslyn Kiernan, caught in the iron grip of the Bloodstone family and the watchful eyes of the emperor’s Black Guards, while Aethan Starkling forges ahead on his own perilous path. The story blends courtly intrigue, forbidden love, and violent confrontations with a dark and oppressive empire. It is about loyalty tested, power corrupted, and a storm rising that could break the world or save it. Author Starr Davies sets the stage with gods and monsters, but at its heart, the book is about flawed people trying to survive in a realm where every choice has a cost.
I was swept away by the sheer intensity of the writing. The battles felt sharp and brutal, the court politics carried an edge of dread, and the characters bled with raw emotion. Davies doesn’t shy from ugliness. Betrayal cuts deep, and moments of violence sting. I found myself bristling at Marek’s cruelty, aching for Aslyn’s fragile defiance, and rooting for Aethan even as he stumbled under the weight of destiny. The world is grim, but it pulses with energy. I kept turning the pages because I couldn’t look away.
The writing is vivid, but also relentless, and I caught myself craving a flicker of light that lingered longer than a page or two. That said, the intensity felt true to the world Davies has built. These characters don’t get easy outs, and that rawness makes their small victories feel earned. I also appreciated how the prose sometimes softened into something tender, a fleeting glance, a remembered touch, a line that hinted at hope. Those moments landed harder because of the shadows around them.
Stormveil left me both shaken and satisfied. It is a gripping read. If you enjoy fantasy with teeth, stories where the villains are terrifying, the heroes are flawed, and the stakes keep climbing, this book is for you. I’d recommend it to readers who want their epic fantasy to come with grit and heartbreak, but also with characters who cling to love and courage even when the odds are stacked against them. This storm is worth weathering.
ASIN : B0FD39NYSK
Darkness and Blight
The story follows Lydarc, a shaman whose survival in the hostile wasteland of the bitterwood feels both desperate and defiant. Her battles with carrion ghouls, her visions, and her fraught ties to her tribe form the beating heart of the book. Alongside her are figures like Wayland, Rapha, Leisil, and Sitka, each carrying their own griefs and secrets. The novel shifts between past and present, weaving together brutal survival, strange magic, and an undercurrent of looming doom. It is a tale drenched in blood, pain, and flashes of tenderness, set in a world teetering on collapse.
The writing is harsh and unflinching, sometimes even grotesque, but it never feels hollow. Author Dap Dahlstrom has this way of dropping you right into the mud and gore, then undercutting it with dark humor or an intimate confession. I loved how Lydarc’s voice carried such bitter resilience, even when she teetered on madness. The story doesn’t shy away from the ugliness of survival, and I enjoyed that. Sometimes the violence was relentless. Every chapter bleeds. Still, I couldn’t look away.
The ideas behind the story fascinated me. The notion of peri-souls and spirit animals, the fractured world of “afterarth,” and the endless tug-of-war between survival and humanity gave me plenty to chew on. Sitka’s transformation into the bear was one of my favorite moments, both raw and oddly uplifting. And Leisil’s chapters hit me hardest. Her childhood trauma, her brutal induction into the Resistance, all of it felt painfully real under the fantasy trappings. I found myself angry, sad, and unexpectedly protective of her. The slang language was sometimes heavy, but it added character to the dialogue.
By the end, I came away impressed and strangely energized. This book is for readers who don’t mind being dragged through blood, madness, and despair if it means glimpsing strange beauty on the other side. If you like your fantasy dark, twisted, and uncompromising, you’ll find a lot here. I’d recommend it to fans of grimdark fantasy.
Pages: 372 | ASIN: B0FGK5NFPN
My Own Take On Elden Ring
Mercy: Tears of the Fallen follows a cast of broken warriors, seers, rebels, and rulers as they claw through violence, political upheaval, and their own personal demons. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The primary questions I asked myself when setting out to write this story were:
What if Aragorn lost everything after the War for the One Ring?
And what if Sam had to kill Frodo in order to save Middle Earth?
Taking those into my story as I explored my newly crafted world helped me identify key themes and modes of that very exploration.
I find the world you created in this novel brimming with possibilities. Where did the inspiration for the setting come from, and how did it change as you were writing?
Inspiration for the setting came primarily from Elden Ring. There are so many deeply minted stories hidden in the Lands Between. And I truly wanted to create my own world with Elden Ring being a primary influence. I played a lot of World of Warcraft growing up, and so geographically as far as the continents and factions/races are concerned, one may find several similarities or at least be able to identify the inspiration there.
As far as the darkness of the setting goes though, Elden Ring has to take the biggest nod.
When creating the dynamic characters in this novel, did you have a plan for their development and traits, or did they grow organically as you were writing the story?
I had a plan for where each of the main ones started and where I wanted them to end up at the end of the four-volume epic. Other characters introduced themselves to me and I decided to explore their personalities and thoughts and mannerisms to really bring the life out of the story. Everybody is the hero of their own story—and I felt the need to put that on full display each time I entered a character’s perspective.
Is this the first book in the series? If so, when is the next book coming out, and what can your fans expect in the next story?
The next book (MERCY: ILL IS THE FATE) is slated for release on March 31st, 2026. The cover reveal is September 25th. In this second installment, fans can expect a close-out of a lot of the questions I raised in the first volume.
This being a four-volume series, books one and two serve as a single “arc” just as books three and four will serve as the second “arc” of the story. And I’m very excited to share what’s in store (Already 10,000 words into drafting the third volume). And if anybody is curious as to more of the story, I have the “Blood Rebellion” Short story and the first four chapters of Tears of the Fallen available through my newsletter on my website!
Author Links: GoodReads | X | Instagram | Website
A paragon left for dead, Alevist Lightseeker sought peace—but peace had other plans.
Thirty four years past, the blade he buried must rise again. As he hunts the ones who shattered his world, another exile awakens—Erevayn. A man drunk on grief and bound by blood. A minstrel must bring the two together in a war against a rising ill fate.
Viyala, a lost love, unexpectedly returns and sparks a fire in Erevayn—but will it be enough to quell his thirst for vengeance? And will the world unfolding around her offer the chance for the future she has long desired?
Salasmir, Blade of the Reckoning, must answer the call of duty once again.
Hayde and Neera, twins of the Stained, hunt for sacred artifacts for their false king. Steyvin and Ilatu must travel across the Sundered Sea in order to do the same, but for their once wise father—who holds damning secrets of his own.
The Tears awaken—and call to the broken.
Two men, one path, and no Gods left to help them.
Some martyrs stay dead. Others—become legend.
The Dryad’s Crown
The story follows Piper, a girl who comes into the world under strange and magical circumstances, a child not born but found. She grows up pulled between care and cruelty, eventually falling under the rule of Dahlia Tulan, a guildmaster feared by all of Penderyn. Piper, renamed Silbrey, learns to fight, to kill, and to survive, carrying with her a mysterious staff that ties her to the forest and the gods. The book traces her journey from abandoned child to trained warrior to wife and mother, weaving in themes of love, power, abuse, and the weight of choices. It’s a tale about what it means to belong, and what it costs to escape.
Reading this book stirred up a mix of emotions. At times, the writing hit me hard with its blunt edges. Scenes of brutality were uncomfortable, but that discomfort made the story feel real. I caught myself holding my breath when Dahlia appeared, because the tension the author created around her was suffocating. The pacing sometimes slowed down with long descriptions, yet I didn’t mind, because it grounded me in the world. The tenderness between Silbrey and Callis was a much-needed counterweight to the violence. Their love felt believable, raw, and fragile. It gave me hope that even people shaped by cruelty can carve out something good.
What I found most striking were the ideas buried under the story. The book isn’t just about fantasy battles or guild politics. It’s about how trauma roots itself in people and how hard it is to pull free. Silbrey’s connection to her staff, to the trees, and the earth, reminded me of the ways we cling to something solid when everything else is crumbling. Hopkins doesn’t hand out easy answers. The gods don’t swoop in to save anyone. Instead, the book suggests that survival itself is sacred, and sometimes love, though messy and imperfect, is the closest thing to grace. That felt honest to me.
The Dryad’s Crown reminded me of Robin Hobb’s Farseer Trilogy with its mix of intimate character struggle, harsh mentorship, and the ache of trying to build a life in a world that feels both cruel and magical. I’d recommend The Dryad’s Crown to readers who like their fantasy with grit and heart, who don’t mind being unsettled along the way. If you’re drawn to characters who bleed, who fight, who love fiercely even while carrying deep scars, then this book will stay with you long after you set it down.
Pages: 569 | ASIN : B0C19R4FM5
Acceptance
The Wild Shepherdess follows a girl born under mysterious circumstances during a storm, and marked by the blessing of a dragon, who, despite growing up tormented, discovers moments of wonder while embarking on an unforgettable quest of self-discovery. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
It all started when I was doing an online class about fantasy novel writing when the pandemic struck. So, I was writing out what creatures to involve in the story, the character, and it just evolved.
You took your time in building Clara’s character and the story to great emotional effect. How did you manage the pacing of the story while keeping readers engaged?
I had to think about how much time I needed to put into Clara’s character, where it felt realistic but not over the top or corny. I also had to keep in mind that this was a world of danger, and Clara is not entirely safe from it.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
It mostly focuses on the theme of acceptance. I feel that it’s important to surround yourself with people who truly value you as a person and the gifts you have.
Is this the first book in the series? If so, when is the next book coming out and what can your fans expect in the next story?
Yes. The Wild Shepherdess is the first book in the series, and I’m currently working on the sequel. I can’t give a precise date yet, but I can say there will be more human characters Clara interacts with, and the inclusion of Selkies to boot.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
Mercy: Tears of the Fallen (The First Volume)
Mercy: Tears of the Fallen is a sprawling, bloody, and relentless dive into a world where power, betrayal, and sacrifice tangle together until you can’t tell where hope ends and despair begins. The book drops you headfirst into Maetlynd, a land haunted by the wreckage of old wars and cursed legacies. We follow a cast of broken warriors, seers, rebels, and rulers as they claw through violence, political upheaval, and their own personal demons. It’s about the weight of history and the terrible cost of survival. It’s epic, it’s brutal, and it doesn’t let you catch your breath.
Dillon’s writing is sharp, often lyrical, and he doesn’t shy away from pain. I admired how he painted scenes of intimacy in the same breath as carnage, letting moments of quiet family life burn brighter because of the looming tragedy. Some passages gutted me, especially when characters faced choices that had no good outcome. I’ll admit, there were points where the sheer density of names, Orders, and histories slowed me down, but when the story caught its rhythm, it roared forward with the force of a storm. I found myself lingering on certain sentences, then racing through the next few pages, heart in my throat.
What really struck me were the themes of legacy and loss. Every character seemed to carry ghosts, and the weight of their choices bled into every line of dialogue. At times, it was overwhelming, but in a way that felt intentional, like Dillon wanted me to feel the exhaustion and heartbreak of living in a world that never truly heals. There were nights I had to close the book just to sit with the heaviness, and mornings when I couldn’t wait to dive back in. That kind of emotional push and pull is rare, and it’s what made the story feel alive.
I’d recommend Mercy: Tears of the Fallen to readers who want their fantasy raw, unflinching, and emotionally devastating. If you’re ready to be immersed in a world where every victory feels earned in blood and every loss cuts deep, then you’ll heartily enjoy this book. For fans of grimdark fantasy and epic sagas alike, this is a debut worth paying attention to.
Pages: 629 | ASIN : B0DRWCBRZD
Beast Heart Series: The Wild Shepherdess
Erin Tunney’s Beast Heart Series: The Wild Shepherdess is a dark yet enchanting fantasy that pulled me in from the very first page. The story follows Clara, a girl born under mysterious circumstances during a storm and marked by the blessing of a dragon. Instead of being celebrated, she grows up isolated, treated as cursed by her village and tormented by both common folk and nobles. Her life is shaped by cruelty and loneliness, yet her journey is also marked by strange moments of wonder, be it the comfort of weaving flowers into a crown, or the terrifying beauty of beasts that enter her path. This push and pull between brutality and awe defines the novel, and I found myself deeply drawn into Clara’s fragile, painful, and extraordinary life.
The villagers’ scorn, the vicious taunts of Lady Maroona, and the constant reminder that she doesn’t belong all rang with a rawness that was hard to look away from. At times, I felt genuine anger at the way she was treated, and yet those feelings made the few glimmers of kindness shine even brighter. Her bond with Rue offered fleeting comfort, but even more powerful was her connection to the unicorn Lotus. Their meeting during the sacred ceremony was stunning, described with a ribbon of silver light that felt both magical and dangerous. The scene filled me with hope, only for that hope to be dashed when Clara was cast out in fear and rage. That moment captured the heart of the book for me, the way wonder and cruelty can coexist so tightly.
The writing itself often surprised me. There are stretches of vivid description that made the world feel both grand and terrifying, like the cockatrice battles and the haunting presence of dragons, but also quiet passages that linger on Clara’s inner life. Tunney has a way of drawing out the emotion of a scene without drowning it in detail. I did notice that some of the world-building came across a little heavy at times, especially when the gods and beasts were explained in dialogue, but the emotional depth of Clara’s journey always pulled me back. Her struggle to find strength in the very things that once marked her as cursed felt authentic, even uplifting, without ever straying into sentimentality.
By the time I reached the end, I realized I wasn’t just invested in the story but in Clara herself. She begins as a girl beaten down by cruelty, but she grows into someone who carries her scars with a quiet strength. The final chapters don’t offer easy answers or neat victories, but they left me with a sense of sorrow edged with hope. I closed the book with the feeling that Clara’s story was only beginning, and I wanted to follow her further into the strange, perilous world Tunney has created.
I’d recommend The Wild Shepherdess to anyone who loves fantasy that digs beneath the surface of magic and monsters to explore the loneliness of being an outsider. It’s not a lighthearted tale, but it’s beautiful in its honesty and moving in its quiet moments of wonder. Readers who enjoy character-driven stories that aren’t afraid to show both the cruelty and the grace of the world will find much to admire here.
Pages: 376 | ISBN : 1837943508
The Eye of Ebon
The Eye of Ebon is a dark and sweeping fantasy tale that pulls you into a world of bitter winters, brutal enemies, and an undercurrent of ancient legend. At its heart is the harrowing survival of Samiare, a young girl torn from her family and brutalized by the monstrous Groll, only to be delivered a mysterious, almost divine sword that grants her both vengeance and solace. Parallel to her journey is Ruegette, a seasoned warrior from Tierinor, whose sense of duty and stubborn compassion push her to uncover the deeper plot behind the Groll’s presence in the frozen wastes of Norvaine. As the story winds through raids, rescues, and ruin-haunted mountain passes, the narrative threads begin to knot around an ancient key, the Eye of Ebon, and the shadowy forces moving to claim it.
The writing balances vivid brutality with strange beauty, and I felt the weight of every snow-laden step and every wound described. The prose has a rhythm that shifts between crisp action and almost lyrical inner monologue. There are moments of raw violence that left me tense, and others of quiet humanity that kept me thinking about them throughout the day. I found myself caring for Samiare in a way that made me want to step into the page and shield her from the world. Ruegette’s arc resonated differently, more as an exploration of loyalty and the uncomfortable truth that sometimes doing the right thing means walking straight into danger.
There are sections where the descriptions stretch on and slow the urgency, and times when dialogue feels formal. But then the story delivers these sudden jolts, like discoveries in ruined halls, treacherous turns in battle, confessions under the shadow of firelight, that pull you right back in. The mix of political intrigue, mythic history, and personal survival works because it keeps the stakes layered. It’s never just about the fight in front of you, it’s about the web it’s tangled in.
The Eye of Ebon left me with that rare mix of satisfaction and unease. It closes enough loops to feel whole, yet you can sense the larger saga looming beyond the final page. I’d recommend this to readers who like their fantasy sharp-edged and emotionally charged, and for readers who want not just the clash of swords, but the ache of the people wielding them.
Pages: 247 | ASIN : B0DB1F14HD
LITERARY TITAN 