Today starts the beginning of the Epic Sale of Beloved SFF -- over 60 books in various subgenres available for 99cents (and some are free)! I love the snippets of quotes recommending these books, and several are familiar to me from contests (including the #IndieInkAwards ). My books are not in this sale.
#IndieInkAwards reviews for this year are coming in! I'll cross-post them here in replies to myself as they come in. Feel free to follow the hashtag to make sure you see them all! (These will be on other social media as well.)
First up, Tiny Elf Arcanist reviews A Necromancer Called Gam Gam and calls it "a moving exploration of grief and found family wrapped in beautiful prose"
KevinsCorner reviews A Circle of Stars, which he calls an "ambitious debut fantasy novel with a separate new world, completely different social structure, and a complex magic system" and "a complex YA fantasy debut that gets its characters and relationships right while needing a bit more refinement on the delivery of the narrative"
AP Goodman reviews A Tale That Twines, which she says "has provided representation to the highest degree.
Representation for who? Everyone."
"This book will pull at your heartstrings and leave you feeling empowered. When was the last time a story embraced you in like a close friend? For me, today."
AP Goodman reviews The Elitist Supremacy, which she says combines "classic space saga with a twist of genius tech lord" and "expertly crafted" worldbuilding.
"If you love morally gray MCs and futuristic tech alongside good vs. evil politics than this one is for you!"
OneReadingNurse reviews Glimmer of the Other which she says kept her entertained with "a missing persons case, murder mystery, time portal conundrums, a giant dog companion, skydiving, big time power struggles, and a whole new world to explore."
The Shaggy Shepherd reviews Initiation, which she calls "a cool intersection between romance and adventure fantasy that really surprised me. So overall, I’m glad I finally gave this a try and am sure I will continue the series eventually."
A.P. Goodman reviews Tell Me How It Ends, saying "What if you were so sheltered you were had never heard birds sing or seen a flower grow?", going on to describe it as "a page turner of a story. I loved being in the thick of it with Sybil/Iris and learning to trust/distrust her motley crew in real time."
@bookstodon
WaywardSky reviews How to Sell Your Blood & Fall in Love, saying "These characters… They’re so good." and "It's been a few months since I read this, and I can still bring to mind these two with striking clarity-and not just their faces, but their hearts, emotions, desires. They've engraved themselves on me a bit."
@bookstodon
The Shaggy Shepherd reviews Inked, saying "Magic ink, magical creatures, and an obvious sense of humor in the description pulled me right in" & "I got really frustrated with the MC here and there, but overall it was a good story that was enjoyable and I’ll be continuing with the series." She also called out Biscuit as a great character.
A.P. Goodman reviews Teacher of the Year, calling it "a gripping MM romance sure to warm anyone's heart." She also says "no matter where we are on our journey, we deserve love. We deserve to accept it and to give it. Having broken pieces does not mean we're not worthy."
The Strawberry Post reviews Season one: Iris and the Crew Tear Through Space!, calling it "a brilliant and clever story set in space with an entire crew of characters who in some way or other have disabilities." She also says "Each chapter in this book is like an individual short story."
The Strawberry Post reviews Wishhobbler, saying "The writing style and the story is a little all over the place at the start, which made so I wasn’t sure if I would like this book or not, but after sticking with it for a bit it really did grow on me ... especially the quirkiness and uniqueness of this tale."
AP Goodman reviews How to Sell Your Blood and Fall In Love, saying "If you're looking for a classic trope melded with diversity and enjoy the True Blood Vampire vibes, this one is for you!"
Mat reviews A Rival Most Vial, calling it "A queer cozy fantasy with some rivals-to-lovers thrown in. It’s an entertaining read for anyone looking for something light and quick." He also said "I love the found family and healing messages found in cozy fantasy"
Cat reviews Failure to Communicate, saying "Overall this is an interesting and exciting story featuring an autistic protagonist at its heart." and "The story does a good job of showing how dangerous negative attitudes to those who are disabled in some way can be and I like how this book touches on this issue and more"
Mat reviews The Dryad’s Crown, calling it "one of my favorite reads of the year" and saying "I can not recommend this novel enough. I got easily immersed in this wonderful world with interesting dragon lore, a vast gods’ pantheon, a fey court, and queernormative societies."
Another review from the Tiny Elf Arcanist! Mat reviews The Reanimator’s Heart, calling it "a fun mystery with diverse characters and lots of pining." and saying: "Necromancing and romancing. Sweet and funny at times and written in simple prose, this one has quite a cozy feeling."
Mat reviews World Running Down, saying it "is about love and identity, but also about perseverance and community, proving that with love and support battles are easier to overcome." and "While being a light read, it also tackles heavier themes like bigotry, classism and consent."
AP Goodman reviews Deny Me, The Nightshade Boy, saying it "took an interesting spin on a heavy topic, and I'm here for it" and calling it "a well put together story that made the reader left wanting more and feeling good by the end of it."
Another review from AP Goodman, this time for Does Love Always Win? She says the "coming of age / coming out was so captivating and intense. I was stricken by all the emotion and couldn't put the book down near the end."
WaywardSky reviews First Creation, calling it "one of those unputdownable stories you hear about with vivid scenes and loaded silences that carry such significant weight for its characters that you find yourself holding your breath anticipating - or dreading - what will happen next"
AP Goodman reviews Chameleon Moon, saying it's "hard to pick if the world building is the strongest point of this book or the character development. Either way, there is no denying that Sylver uses their words to create art" and calling it "an absolute delight despite the dire world-on-fire setting".
Alma Raymer reviews The Name-Bearer, saying "I loved the worldbuilding, magic system, and overall story, all of which were distinctive--perhaps even unique."
She also reviews The Fall Is All There Is, calling it "at times hilariously funny as well as deeply dark"
Alma Raymer reviews The Follower of Flowers, saying "I love the way that Latinidad feels layered into all parts of the world building of this novel--from drinking mate in certain geographies to the words used to describe monsters of the dark wood"
Alma also reviews Refurbished: The Clover Initiative, saying its themes of "political intrigue, who deserves what human rights, sci-fi elements, magical realism, and dreamwalking, this novel is chock full of themes that many kinds of readers would enjoy."