Good Times, Bad Times...

A Literary Odyssey Of Good & Evil…

Contrary to popular belief, right and wrong, moral and immoral, are not always on opposite ends of the spectrum of good and evil. The line between is much finer than that. The people who fight for the cause on either side may not always look or act like you would expect.

Heroes and villains represent an embattled dichotomy, and they require one another to propel a story forward. To ensure that the obstacles are there, that they can be overcome, that there is evil which can be eradicated. Some of our most iconic fictional characters are rivaled by equally magnetic baddies. The threat of that great villain, always hanging in the air above the hero, is what keeps tensions high and ensures an interest in the hero’s longer-term story. If the vexing villain were to be removed from the tale, what fun would that be?

Here I have gathered for you the stories of the saints, and the sinners. The devil himself might not show up, but I make no promises.

A Kiss Before Dying…

the only thing worth fighting for…love

The Fourth Wing – Rebecca Yarros

Bookish and brilliant Violet was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life of knowledge and history. Then the autocratic commander, also known as Mom, orders her to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become elite dragon riders. The war college she is sent to attend is awash in death traps and obstacles that are the embodiment of one’s worst nightmare. And there are only two ways out: graduate or die. If you would have told me I would have adored a fantasy with dragons in it, I would questioned your sanity. But alas, I LOVED this book. I can’t wait for the third in the series, Onyx Storm to be released in January 2025.

Assistant To The Villain – Hannah Nicole Maehrer

ASSISTANT WANTED: Notorious, high-ranking villain seeks loyal, levelheaded assistant for unspecified office duties, supporting staff for random mayhem and terror, and other Dark Things In General. Discretion a must. Excellent benefits. With ailing family to support, it's vital that Evie stay employed. So, when a mishap with the town’s most infamous Villain results in a job offer, naturally, she says yes. No job is perfect, of course, but even less so when you develop a teeny crush on your terrifying, temperamental, and undeniably hot boss. One that she may end up protecting from someone in his inner circle. Nothing about this book isn’t fun!

City Of Stardust – Georgia Summers

For centuries, the Everlys have seen their best and brightest disappear, taken as punishment for a crime no one remembers, for a purpose no one understands. Their tormentor, Penelope, never ages, never grows sick, and never forgives a debt. Violet is given an ultimatum by Penelope, find her mother who escaped to cure the curse, or she will suffer the consequences. Her hunt leads her to a magical underworld full of monsters and gods, and of course, handsome young men. Dark and wondrously enthralling.

Mask Falling – Samantha Shannon

Paige has eluded death, again. Snatched from captivity and sent to a safe house in the Scion empire, she is caught between those that would see its downfall and those that would die to protect it. The mysterious Domino program has plans for Paige, but she prefers to follow her own ambitions, especially those that help her understand her bond with rival Arcturus. Full of paranormal predicaments and compelling characters, this intricately built world is awash in adventures. And slow burning romance!

The Night Of The Witch – Sara Raasch & Beth Revis

Fritzi is a witch. A survivor of a brutal attack on her coven, she’s determined to find the only surviving member of her family and bring the zealot witch hunters to justice for the all the lives they have taken. When she is unexpectedly thrown together with the second in command to their brutal leader, Otto, she finds that she may have an ally. With both keeping their cards close to their vest, this is a layered story with lots of depth. Full of magic and vengeance, and slow burning romance.

Furyborn – Clare Legrand

Told with a flair for action that never sacrifices the emotion, this novel creates a world you can lose yourself in, with a mythology that builds off seven distinct elements of magic and power and spans centuries of history, there is lots to sink your teeth into. When assassins ambush her best friend, Rielle risks everything to save him, exposing herself as one of a pair of prophesied queens, a queen of light and a queen of blood. But which will prevail…a lush and sexy story!

The Hurricane Wars – Thea Guanzon

Love is a battlefield. Talasyn has grown up in a nation under siege by the ruthless Night emperor and has made her own family among those fighting for freedom. But she is hiding a deadly secret, magic courses through her veins with a blazing power believed to have been wiped out years ago. Alaric, the emperors heir has been tasked with eliminating any magical threats, but when his powers of dark clash with her powers of light, a force unlike any before is unleashed. Smoldering romance, intricate world building and epic adventure will leave you wanting more!

Renegades – Marissa Meyer

The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies, humans with extraordinary abilities, who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone...except the villains they once overthrew. Nova has a reason to hate them, which makes her connection Adrian, a Renegade, very complicated. Meyer subverts popular superhero tropes, mining the space between special abilities that are malevolent and virtuous. Brilliantly crafted, with a romance that doesn’t overwhelm the plot.

Fall Of Ruin And Wrath – Jennifer L Armentrout

Long ago, the world was destroyed by gods. Only nine cities were spared. Separated by a vast wilderness teeming with monsters and unimageable dangers, each city is ruled by a guardian, royalty who feed on mortal pleasure. Calista lives hidden as a courtesan of the Baron of Archwood in exchange for his protection of her secret power, an intuition that never fails. When she finds herself the temporary companion of a prince, her hunger has met its match, but her safety may be at risk. Lush and sexy with lots to sink your teeth into.

Divine Rivals – Rebecca Ross

After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring again. But eighteen-year-old Iris just wants to hold her family together. Her mother is suffering from addiction and her brother is missing from the front lines. Her best bet is to win the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette. To combat her worries, Iris writes letters to her brother and slips them beneath her wardrobe door, where they vanish, into the hands of Roman, her cold and handsome rival at the paper. When he anonymously writes Iris back, the two of them forge a connection that will follow Iris all the way to the front lines of battle: for her brother, the fate of mankind, and love.

House Of Flame & Shadow – Sarah J. Maas

Bryce never expected to see a world other than Midgard, but now that she has, all she wants is to get back. Everything she loves is in Midgard: her family, her friends, her mate. Stranded in a strange new world, she's going to need all her wits about her to get home again. Hunt has found himself in some deep holes in his life, but this one might be the deepest of all. After a few brief months with everything he ever wanted, he's in the Asteri's dungeons again, stripped of his freedom and without a clue as to Bryce's fate. He's desperate to help her, but until he can escape his leash, his hands are quite literally tied. Spicy and snarky!

Destroy All The Monsters…

the bigger the battles, the bigger the baddies…

Five Broken Blades – Mai Corland

The five most dangerous liars in the land have been mysteriously summoned to work together for a single objective: to kill the God King Joon. Trust me, he has it coming. Under his merciless immortal hand, the nobles flourish while the poor and innocent are imprisoned, ruined or sold. Each of the five bring their unique deadly skill to the table and none can resist the lure of vengeance. But can these masters of deception forge the alliance necessary to succeed? A captivating cast and an action-packed quest, what more could you want in your fantasy fiction?

Prisoners Throne – Holly Black

Prince Oak is not nice, nor kind. He is a trickster and a deceiver. And he is paying for his betrayal. Imprisoned in the icy north and bound to the will of a monstrous new queen, he must rely on charm and calculation to survive. With a war looming and treachery around every corner, he is forced to decide who he must doom to save the realm. A blood-soaked tale of intrigue, battle and danger.

Heavenbreaker – Sara Wolf

The duke of the powerful House Hauteclare is the first to die. He didn’t see it coming. Didn’t expect to meet his end with the dagger of his bastard daughter in his back. He thought she was dead. Turns out she’s just getting started. She will have her vengeance, even if it means riding Heavenbreaker, one of the enormous machines left over from the war. Every death of an enemy means a win for her. A visceral thrill ride of a tale that will leave you breathless.

Long Live Evil – Sarah Rees Brennan

When Rae discovers she is dying, she seizes the chance to make a magical bargain that lets her enter the world of her favourite fantasy series. She awakens in a castle on the edge of a hellish chasm, in a kingdom on the brink of war. Home to dangerous monsters, scheming courtiers and her favourite fictional character, the Once and Forever Emperor. Expect a rogue’s gallery of villains, including an axe wielding maid, a shining knight with dark moods, a homicidal bodyguard and a playboy spymaster with a filthy reputation. Seriously, what is not to love!

Evocation – S.T. Gibson

As a teen, David was a physic prodigy, operating under the shadow of his occultist father. Years after his escape, he is content with his curated life as an attorney, moonlighting as a powerful medium. But his power came with a price and the Devil has come to collect on an ancient deal. A daring and delicious tale where death looms larger with every twist.

The Dissonance – Shaun Hamill

In high school, Hal, Athena and Erin were students of the eccentric Professor Marsh, trained in a secret system of magic known as the Dissonance, which is built around harnessing negative emotions. Then something happened that shattered their coven, scattering them across the country. Now terrifying portents and signs have summoned them back, where their paths will collide with Owen, a teen with his own controlling master. A beautifully written story of magic and monsters, forgiveness and friendship.

The Familiar – Leigh Bardugo

Luzia uses scraps of secret magic to get through her days as a maid. When her scheming mistress discovers that her cowering servant has real power, she demands that Luzia uses her gifts to improve the family’s position. Luzia soon finds herself plunged into the world of seers and alchemists, holy men, and hucksters, where the lines between magic, science and fraud are blurred. A richly imagined tale!

Touched – Walter Mosley

Martin wakes up one morning after what feels like a centuries long sleep with two new pieces of knowledge: Humanity is a virus destined to destroy all existence. And he is the cure. He begins slipping into an alternate consciousness, with new physical powers to defend those he loves. Good and evil converge in this dystopian fantasy conceived by one of the greats. Unrelenting and brilliant!

Cradle Of Ice – James Rollins

To stop the coming apocalypse, a fellowship was formed. A soldier, a thief, a lost prince, and a young girl bonded by fate and looming disaster. Each step along this path has changed the party, forging deep alliances and greater enmities. All the while, hostile forces have hunted them, unknowing what they might unleash. War has waged around them. For each step has come with a cost, in blood, in loss, in heartbreak. And now they must embark on separate paths to save a world that hangs by a thread.

Sword Catcher – Cassandra Clare

Kel is an orphan, stolen from the life he knew to become the Sword Catcher, the body double of a royal heir, Prince Conor. He and Conor are as close as brothers, but his destiny is to die for Conor. No other future is possible. Lin Caster is a physician from a small community whose members still possess magical abilities. But despite her skills, she cannot heal her best friend without access to forbidden knowledge. When they are thrown together, they find themselves pulled into a criminal underworld where they discover what real evil is. Outcasts thrust into a fantasy adventure; I am so here for it!

Hell Bent – Leigh Bardugo

Find a gateway to the underworld. Steal a soul out of hell. A simple plan, except people who make this journey rarely come back. But Galaxy “Alex” Stern is determined to break Darlington out of purgatory, even if it costs her a future. Because she is forbidden from attempting this rescue, she assembles a team of dubious allies to get the job done. They will have to navigate a maze of arcane texts, bizarre secrets, and monsters to unveil the most closely guarded secrets. And break every rule doing it. And who doesn’t love a rulebreaker!

Renegades…

we can be heroes…

Cascade Failure – L.M. Sagas

Reader, strap in and hold on! Remember the cult favourite television series Firefly? Well, I do, and this book gave me all the same feels! Branded a traitor and with a plan to clear his name, Jal accidently wanders onto a Guild ship. Before he can turn around, he is welcomed aboard by the ship’s captain, an AI with a frighteningly lifelike personality, and shot in the back by his ex-partner. As he wakes up, he finds himself on a very different mission than he intended. Soon he finds himself in way over his head with his lovable crew of misfits. Are books supposed to be this much fun?

The Failures – Benjamin Liar

Welcome to the Wanderlands. A vast machine made for reasons unknown, it was broken long ago. First went the sky, splintering and cracking, and then the whole world began to go dark. Meet the Failures. Following the summons of a strange dream, a scattering of adventurers and degenerates find themselves drawn toward the same place: the vast underground Keep. They will discover there that they have been called for a purpose, and that purpose could be the destruction of everything they love. This book is not exactly sci-fi, or fantasy, or speculative fictions, it’s a triumph of the best of all worlds.

Fairy Tale – Stephen King

This novel is a love letter to the fairytales and storybooks of our childhood, the ones that left the deepest impression and endure the most retelling. The ones that assured us our happily ever after. That is what King has given us in his novel, Fairy Tale. With a twist of course. King takes the curses we imagined from those youthful treasures and gives them substance. Inflicting new horrors on beloved characters and then giving them a savior, Charlie. Charlie made a promise that if his alcohol father, driven to the bottle by the devasting loss of his wife and Charlie’s mom, stopped drinking he would do something for whatever deity made it happen. He swore it, no matter what.

Tainted Cup – Robert Jackson Bennett

In this fantasy with a mystery twist we are introduced to a Holmes and Watson style duo who are impossible to resist. A high-ranking officer lies dead under unusual circumstances and eccentric and brilliant investigator Ana is tasked with solving the crime. At turns scandalized and perplexed, her new assistant Din is the perfect partner. A puzzle box of a story with just enough weird to keep it interesting.

War Of The Givens – Daniel Price

Six extraordinary people find their fates entwined on an earth much different than our own. It’s been two years since the world collapsed. Obliterating everything on Earth, but not everyone. The six survivors were marked with silver bracelets and transported to another world, one where the fabric of time can be manipulated. With power they never wanted and on the run from enemies, they need to save this new Earth from the same fate as the old one. Whip smart dialogue and adrenaline raising action will give you Avengers vibes!

Jumpnauts – Hao Jingfang

When they realize that a highly intelligent alien race has been trying to send messages, three rising scientists form an uneasy alliance. Fueled by their curiosity and the race to avoid the powers that be opting for an aggressive response, they work to secure first contact. Together they must solve puzzles rooted within human history and come to terms with their personal demons. Melds scientific futurism and age-old mythology for a perfect storm.

The Archived – Victoria Schwab

Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books. Books only librarians can read. Mac was first brought to this unusual Archive when she was twelve years old. Now that her mentor is dead, she has grown into what he once was; a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping violent histories from waking up and getting out. Sworn to protect the Archive, she discovers someone is deliberately altering histories and soon the Archive may lay in ruins. A haunting, nuanced, and richly imagined novel not to be missed.

American Rapture – CJ Leede

A virus is spreading across America, transforming the infected and making them feral with lust. Sophie, a good catholic girl must traverse this hellscape in search of her family. With a brave heart, this novel explores the horrors of shame and repression and gives the reader a Zombie apocalypse unlike any seen before. Blood soaked, grim and glorious, think Last Of Us with a few extra twists.

Two Twisted Crowns – Rachel Gillig

Gripped by a tyrant king and in the thrall of dark magic, the kingdom is in peril. Elspeth and Ravyn have gathered most of the twelve Providence Cards, but the most important remains to be found. They must journey through a dangerous forest and be led by the monster that shares Elspeth’s head, The Nightmare. And he’s not eager to cooperate. Enthralling and utterly unique.

The Witch King – Martha Wells

After being murdered, his consciousness dormant and unaware of the passing of time while confined in an elaborate water trap, Kai wakes to find a lesser mage attempting to harness his magic to his own advantage. That was never going to go well. But why was Kai imprisoned in the first place? What has changed in the world since his assassination? And why does the Rising World Coalition appear to be growing in influence? He’s not going to like the answers.

Heir – Sabaa Tahir

An orphan. An outcast. A Prince. And a killer intent on bringing the empire to its knees. Growing up in the Kegari slums, Aiz has seen her share of suffering, fueling her need for vengeance. Banished for unforgivable crimes, Sirsha is a down on her luck tracker who uses magic to track her marks. Quil is the crown prince who has no wish to rule. The author weaves together the lives of these fascinating and richly drawn characters as they face their fates. A book that will transport you to a new world with every word!