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Escala’s Wish
Escala’s Wish is a high fantasy novel set in the world of Valla, framed as a story told by Wigfrith Foreverbloom, a gnome bard performing in a Dunwell tavern. He recounts how Escala Winter, a mischievous pixie princess from the Court of Dreams, breaks sacred fey law when she kisses a mortal man to see what love feels like, triggering death, a looming magical punishment called the Wane, and a chain of events that threatens both the fey realm and the mortal world. Around that one impulsive choice the book weaves trials, family secrets, political schemes between fey courts, and a slow, painful reckoning with what it costs to try to fix a mistake.
The frame with Wigfrith on stage works for me: he jokes with the crowd, pauses to explain fey lore or theology, then dives back into Escala’s story, and those breaks give the epic parts some breathing room. The chapters are short and snappy, so even though the book is long, it never felt like a slog. Some of the worldbuilding sections, like the detailed explanation of how different kinds of fey come into being or how the Courts of Dreams, Nightmares, and Twilight work, are still pretty dense, but because they are delivered in Wigfrith’s voice, with little asides and running jokes, it felt more like listening to a talkative friend than reading a rulebook.
What I liked most, though, was how personal the story feels under all the magic. Escala starts out as this curious, slightly spoiled pixie who just wants the kind of love story her parents had, and her playful stunt ends in blood on the grass and the death of her best friend. The book keeps circling that wound: her guilt, her grief, and the way everyone around her responds to it. Her father, Rowan, is torn between his duty to the Court of Dreams and his love for his daughter, and that tension gives the big fantasy stakes some real emotional weight. When the story leans into those family relationships and into Escala’s growth from naive troublemaker to someone who has to make terrible, sacrificial choices, it really lands. At times, the quippy banter and tavern humor brush up hard against serious scenes like parental death or questions of divine justice, and the shift can feel a little quick, but overall, the mix of heartache, sarcasm, and wonder feels honest.
If you like character-driven high fantasy, especially stories that feel inspired by tabletop campaigns, this will probably hit the spot. It has magic systems, fey politics, and a looming cosmic order called the True Cycle, but at its core, it is a coming-of-age fantasy about a pixie trying to live with the consequences of one reckless wish and figure out what love and responsibility really mean. Readers who enjoy long series, tavern tales, and found-family adventuring will have a lot of fun here. If you want a fantasy novel that lets you laugh, wince, and maybe tear up a little while a bard talks to you like you are sharing a table in the back of the inn, Escala’s Wish is worth your time.
Pages: 662 | ASIN : B0G1XRP6DW
Veil of Embers
Veil of Embers is a Celtic-flavored portal fantasy that follows Sorcha, a ranger in the Circle of Light, as creeping corruption seeps into her forest, her city of Lumora, and even the people she loves. Strange reanimated beasts, a spreading sick bloom in the woods, and a willfully blind council set the stage while a second thread follows Kyron of the Tuatha Dé Danann, who faces the cost of dark magic up close, and a third thread tracks Riona as she gets entangled with a forbidden grimoire and the very charming, very suspect Vaelric. As the circle investigates, the rot in their world deepens, the old gods feel nearer, and the story builds toward Sorcha, Kyron, and the shapeshifter Cat stepping through the Veil itself into a new realm, leaving this first installment as a clear launch point for a larger series.
I really liked the way Karla Molina writes moment to moment. The opening trial with Sorcha and the animated wolf grabbed me right away, and the tone never really lets go after that. The prose is descriptive and sensory, with a lot of attention to sounds, smells, and texture, so the forest scenes and Lumora’s streets feel lived in. The library of Verdant Light, with its living tree and the mirror portal tucked into an alcove, is a good example, it feels cozy and ominous at the same time. The banter inside the Circle is warm and funny and gave me that “found family” vibe without feeling like a sitcom room, and the fight and horror scenes with the corrupted wolves, the dead livestock, and the black flower in the woods have real teeth. The pacing stays pretty steady, more slow-burning investigation and creeping dread than constant action, and then ramps up in the last act when the Veil finally opens. I will say it ends on a pretty hard “now we step into the new world” beat, so as a reader, I finished the last page already mentally reaching for book two.
The book worked for me because it is not just monsters in the trees. It keeps exploring the cost of power and the way hurt people go looking for shortcuts. Kyron’s mercy killing of Alenia, whose body has been twisted by dark magic, hits that theme in a brutal way, and it frames his later choices with a lot of quiet grief. Riona’s storyline with the Dark Book feels like watching someone slip into an addiction one page at a time, she is lonely and angry, the book tells her exactly what she wants to hear, and she keeps going back even while she knows better. The text does not glamorize that, it lets you feel the pull and the danger. On top of that, you have Sorcha’s trauma, the loss of her parents, the nightmares, panic, and the way she keeps forcing herself to function while her magic behaves more and more strangely. The preface is clear about the heavy topics, and I appreciated that the story leans into anxiety, despair, and even thoughts of not wanting to go on, but does so with empathy rather than shock value.
The character dynamics were a high point for me. The Circle feels like a real unit, full of teasing, half-serious flirting, and little crushes that may or may not go anywhere. Eirin, Drystan, Mason, Rhosyn, and Emry each get small moments that make them feel like people, not just names standing behind Sorcha in a formation. The romance threads stay fairly low heat and “closed door”, which fits the tone, but there is plenty of tension, especially between Sorcha and Kyron. I liked that their connection grows out of shared responsibility and shared guilt, not just “you are hot and mysterious”. Riona and Vaelric bring a darker, more questionable chemistry that adds another flavor. Worldbuilding-wise, I enjoyed the Irish myth roots, the Tuatha Dé Danann, Samhain, the Pooka, and the Undines in the waterfall, and the glossary up front is a nice touch, so the names and terms do not feel like homework.
By the time Sorcha, Kyron, and Cat step through the cracked earth into a sky full of dragons and a perpetual sunset, I felt both satisfied with the arc of this book and very aware that the larger story is only getting started. I closed it feeling a little wrung out, fond of this messy, brave group, and curious about how far into the dark the story is willing to go in future volumes. I would recommend Veil of Embers to readers who like character-driven epic fantasy with a slightly spooky edge, strong found family energy, Celtic myth influences, and slow-burning romance. It feels especially right for older teens and adults who do not mind heavier themes like grief, anxiety, and dark magic, and who enjoy that feeling of walking from a haunted, familiar forest into a bright and dangerous new world and knowing the real journey is just beginning.
Pages: 371 | ASIN: B0GHQM7JGD
Even Immortality Has it’s Down Side
Of Hunters and Magi follows a battle-worn soldier and a fallen god as they hunt a lost artifact across a wounded world, forcing both to confront who they are when faith, duty, and identity begin to crumble. What first sparked the idea of pairing a disciplined soldier with a god who has lost his divinity?
Defurge’s inclusion was always a given from the very beginning of the story. He is based on a Dungeons and Dragons character I once played, someone whose powers, abilities, and personality weren’t inherently their own but were conferred upon them by a cursed artifact. The original D&D character was not as playful or manipulative as the former god of destruction and madness turned out to be, and that evolution was organic to the story. Many character-building moments needed tension, and he brought it through his manipulation of others for his own amusement.
How did you approach writing gods as flawed, tired beings rather than distant or omnipotent figures?
I’ve always enjoyed the myths of the Greek and Norse deities who were flawed. I also enjoy characters who grapple with immortality, such as the vampire Lestat, Wolverine, and Deadpool. Those characters all have something we think we would want: immortality, but each of their stories discusses the significant downside of the affliction. When I was writing my deities, I brought that mentality into their being. At some point, the interactions would cease to be novel, and everything would become mundane, especially if there was never any danger in their life.
Bronwyn’s inner doubts play a big role in the story. How much of her emotional arc was planned versus discovered while writing?
About fifty percent. I knew before I started that I wanted her character to come from a hard, militaristic life, where she had to struggle for acceptance and to show how she isolated herself as a buffer against it. I wanted her to join a group that accepted her leadership and skills without question, and to show how her character changed when she no longer had to struggle every day for the validation she was seeking. As I wrote and spent time with all the characters, they became more real, and I think that is when Bronwyn’s doubts began to surface. I always wanted her to reevaluate the beliefs she was raised with, but I didn’t expect how that would lead her to question everything around her.
The world feels shaped by long-past choices. How did you decide what history to reveal and what to leave buried?
I’m a big believer in the iceberg theory of world-building, 90% of it is invisible and serves to support the visible 10%. I decided to give the reader as little information as possible to get them from point A to point B to maintain pacing, unless of course, the bit of history was interesting or added flavor to the world. It was a balancing act, and information was added, cut, re-added, re-cut, and moved around a lot throughout the many revisions.
Author Links: GoodReads | Instagram | Website
But first things first, Emestria still needs saving. Bronwyn searches for the Horn of Garanhir, another legendary artifact capable of creating food. With Miro and Clara still angry at Bronwyn for her actions while fighting Defurge, she finds the current incarnation a strange ally. Even with a clear target and set goals, something is still unsettling. Surely, it can’t be the Library of Laevin and the peculiar denizens.
Of Hunters and Magi is the second installment in the Legendary Artifacts series. This epic fantasy picks up two weeks after the first book ended. Captain Bronwyn Amyna, Clara, Miro, and Issaroh are searching for an artifact to help Emestria weather the war with Rouke. But in the back of their minds, they know they will soon have to start searching for the artifact to destroy the Soul Gem that grants Defurge his power.
This is a multi-POV novel. Bronwyn, Clara, and Defurge are the primary points of view. The prologue includes a POV from a character far in the past: Cassandra, the first Void Walker. Mysteries unfold as the adventuring group discovers more about their abilities, the Ywaigwai, and the extent of Defurge’s power. Each character harbors secrets, and no one is candid with each other.
Brandon Sanderson and Patrick Rothfuss fans will enjoy this mythic story crafted in a unique world where gods and goddesses once lived side-by-side with mortals. Christopher J. Harris combines his love for fantasy, video games, comedy, and old-school claymation movies like Jason and the Argonauts in this series.
Escala’s Wish
Escala’s Wish follows Wigfrith Foreverbloom, a gnome bard who lures a crowd into a Dunwell tavern and then spins the story of Escala Winter, a curious pixie from the Court of Dreams who breaks sacred fey law with one impulsive kiss. That small act ripples outward. A mortal dies, a friend dies, Escala faces the terrifying Wane, and the balance between the fey realm and the world of Valla starts to shake. What begins as a mischievous prank grows into a long quest involving dragons, scheming fey courts, found family, and a final choice where Escala decides what love, duty, and sacrifice really look like.
I had a lot of fun with the way this book is told. The whole thing runs through Wigfrith’s performance at The Stag, so the chapters swing between his patter with the audience and the “real” scenes of Escala’s journey. It feels like sitting in the tavern yourself. The voice is warm, cheeky, and sometimes very silly, then it suddenly hits you with an emotional punch. I liked that contrast. The world-building lands in the same way. There is a huge amount of lore about the fey, the True Cycle, and the different courts, and sometimes Wigfrith leans into full lecture mode, like his long explanation of fey origins and baby myths. Now and then, I felt the momentum slow during those digressions, yet the detail also made the setting feel thick and lived in, not just a backdrop for fights and quips.
On the character side, Escala hooked me more and more as the book went on. She starts as reckless and a bit selfish, chasing the idea of romance the way a magpie chases shiny things. By the end, she owns the damage she caused, and her final decision to become “the boulder” and pull herself out of the Cycle was emotional for me. The book keeps circling back to what love actually is. We see it in Rowan’s stiff loyalty to the law, in Teresa’s choice to leave, in Roedyn’s quiet, stubborn devotion, and in Escala’s own growth as she learns that love is not a feeling you chase but a choice you keep making. I found that theme surprisingly moving. The big set pieces around Blackthorn Tower and the Dream Weaver give those ideas a lot of weight, so the climax feels earned, not just flashy magic and explosions.
I came away feeling like I’d spent time in a full D&D table story, only with sharper emotional through-lines and a bard who never lets the room go quiet for long. The tone leans light and chatty, yet the losses are real, and the final chapters carry a nice ache. I would recommend Escala’s Wish to readers who enjoy character-driven fantasy, people who like fey politics but want humor to cut the gloom. If you want heart, banter, big feelings, and a pixie who grows into a queen, it is a very satisfying start to a series.
Pages: 662 | ASIN : B0G1XRP6DW
Even Villains Have a Personality
The Arkencrest Chronicles: Battle for Crossroads follows an eighteen-year-old young man carrying the weight of his parents’ mysterious deaths, who joins a caravan, setting him on a path to discover his destiny. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I grew up in a home without parents and I know many other kids do as well. I was lucky enough to have a grandmother to take me in, so I feel I connect with the main character, Bourdain, on a personal level. He is basically a fantasy version of past me.
I find the world you created in this novel brimming with possibilities, breaking away from some traditional fantasy tropes and giving it a fresh feel. Where did the inspiration for the setting come from, and how did it change as you were writing?
I am a huge ttrpg player and Dungeon and Dragons fan. This original started as a custom setting for my roleplaying group to play our games in. I fell in love with the characters and the world so much that I felt it needed to become more. While writing it, I was running a ttrpg game set in the future and having that live feedback really help me lock in what happened and where I want the story to go, as well as help flesh out the characters.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Hope when there is none.
Everyone can make a difference, even from humble beginnings.
Light vs Dark.
Even villains have a personality.
Where does the story go in the next book, and where do you see it going in the future?
I see this being a full series 3-7 books depending how it flows. I tend to write on the go and don’t plot out all the details, so I guess we all will have to see where the writing takes the story.
Author Links: Amazon | GoodReads
When swordsman Bourdain leaves home, he expects to find his true path, but never the weight of prophecy. Whispers spread of a darkness older than the gods, poised to shatter the foundations of existence. Joined by Devra, the Scoutmaster’s daughter; Braggo, a goblin airship captain; Batso, a wily smuggler; and many others. Together, they must stand against the forces of primal fury that threaten not only the kingdom, but the world at large.
Will light endure?
Or will the Devourer rise to claim the world once more.
Broken Revelations: When Heaven Sundered
When Heaven Sundered tells the story of Heaven before the fall, framed as a recovered record of what really happened when angels, demons, and gods collided. It follows Helel, later known as Lucifer, and his twin Michael as they grow from devoted sons into leaders on opposite sides of a divine civil war. Through shifting viewpoints, the story explores creation, rebellion, exile, and the slow breaking of a family that was never as loving as it claimed to be.
What struck me first was the ambition. The author swings big and does not flinch. The mythology blends biblical names with fresh lore, and it feels confident in doing so. I liked how personal the conflicts felt. These were not distant gods throwing lightning for fun. They were siblings arguing, hurting, loving, and resenting each other. That made the fall feel tragic instead of flashy. I felt sympathy for Lucifer even when I disagreed with him. I also felt frustration with the father figure, who came across as cold and stubborn. That emotional push and pull kept me invested even when the cast grew large.
The writing itself is earnest, and I mean that in a good way. Some scenes move fast and hit hard, especially moments of betrayal and loss. Others linger longer than needed. Still, there is heart on every page. The dialogue often feels raw and blunt, which fits the story. It sometimes reads like people speaking instead of characters performing. I appreciated that. The ideas about freedom, obedience, and love felt sincere. I found myself annoyed, sad, and even a little angry at times. That reaction mattered to me more than polish.
This book reminded me of Paradise Lost, but with less poetic distance and far more emotional immediacy. Where Milton feels grand and formal, Broken Revelations feels raw and personal, like you are standing inside the family fight instead of watching it from afar. It also echoes Good Omens in how it humanizes angels, though it trades humor for anger and heartbreak.
I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy myth retellings, angel lore, and morally gray characters. It is a good fit for anyone who likes big ideas wrapped in family drama. If you want something messy, emotional, and bold, this book is worth your time.
Pages: 174 | ASIN: B0GBTJJHT7
Mari-chan and Roboto Bunny
Mari-chan and Roboto Bunny by Jon Kaczka centers on Mari-chan, a fearless six-year-old whose life shifts dramatically after her adventurous father vanishes during a climb in Antarctica. Guided by her magical companion, Roboto Bunny, Mari-chan discovers a hidden passage inside her closet. It leads to a vibrant Underworld packed with playful obstacles and mysterious doors. Progress comes at a surprising cost. To move forward, Mari-chan must transform into a baby, reinforcing a powerful idea: bravery has nothing to do with size.
The story’s greatest strength lies in its boundless imagination. Every challenge feels intentional. Animal encounters bring warmth and humor. Whimsical trials unfold through clever riddles rather than danger. Kaczka layers the narrative with lighthearted song parodies and charming jokes, easing tension and maintaining a joyful tone. Even stressful moments feel safe. The scenes where constellations spring to life stand out most, adding a surreal, dreamlike quality that lingers.
Chapter-opening illustrations elevate the reading experience. Each image offers a visual pause, inviting readers further into the Underworld. These snapshots support the narrative without overwhelming it. Younger readers gain clarity. The world feels tangible, cozy, and inviting.
Mari-chan and Roboto Bunny deliver a warm, uplifting adventure rooted in perseverance and love. It blends fantasy with emotional sincerity. The message resonates without feeling heavy. This book comes highly recommended for families and young readers drawn to imaginative journeys, gentle humor, and stories that celebrate courage in even the smallest heroes.
Pages: 82 | ASIN : B0FWZ82XWF
The Arkencrest Chronicles: Battle for Crossroads
The Arkencrest Chronicles: Battle for Crossroads is an epic fantasy that lays out a vast world shaped from the bones of a fallen god, threaded with nations, factions, magical histories, and a young man’s coming-of-age journey. The book opens with myth, maps, and lore, then shifts into the story of Bourdain, an eighteen-year-old raised in the scholarly city of Ikvia, who carries the weight of his parents’ mysterious deaths and the quiet push toward a larger fate. His decision to leave home and join a caravan heading into the wider world feels like the real spark of the narrative. The story blends high fantasy worldbuilding with a classic hero-sets-out structure, and it’s clear from the very first chapters that the stakes will eventually reach the scale of kingdoms and maybe even gods.
I kept noticing how much care the author put into the setting. Whole sections read almost like ancient chronicles, especially the creation myths and the detailed accounts of elves, dwarves, orcs, and other races. Sometimes those lore chapters felt dense, but in a way that reminded me of leafing through the appendices of a much-loved fantasy series. I found myself slowing down to appreciate the small touches, like the smell of ink and seawater in Ikvia or the way the elven forest seems to breathe around its people. When the story shifts back to Bourdain, the tone changes just enough to feel more grounded. His scenes have a quiet emotional center, especially his conversations with Kael and his uncle, which helped balance the heavier mythic material.
I also appreciated the author’s willingness to give readers a wide view of the world right away. You can feel that this is a story about more than one kingdom or one hero. The factions, the ancient seals, the threat of the Devourer, the politics of Sovar, there are a lot of threads, and the book asks you to trust that they’ll matter later. Sometimes I caught myself wishing the pace would sit a little longer with Bourdain before expanding outward, but I was also genuinely curious about each new layer. It felt like walking into a bustling market: overwhelming for a moment, then strangely energizing once you settle into the rhythm.
By the time I finished the opening arc, I felt invested. Bourdain is easy to root for. The world feels lived in. And the writing has a steady confidence, switching between poetic and straightforward without calling too much attention to itself. It’s the sort of fantasy that invites you in slowly, giving you the sense that you’re only glimpsing the start of something much larger.
If you love epic fantasy with rich lore, detailed cultures, and a world that feels ancient and complicated beneath the surface, this book will land well for you. Readers who prefer fast, plot-driven fantasy might find the early chapters a bit methodical, but anyone who enjoys settling into a world and watching a young hero take his first real steps into danger will find plenty to appreciate here. I’d recommend it especially to fans of expansive, map-filled adventures who like to feel the weight of history behind every choice.
Pages: 383 | ASIN : B0FYHW5ZLY
