BOOK POST | SOME FAVOURITE INDIE READS

 

As it is Self Published Author Appreciation Week which is the brainchild of Jodie at www.wittyandssarcasticbookclub.home.blog, I thought I would put together some of my favourite self published reads. These aren’t in any particular order and there is no No. 1. spot, it is just a collection of books I have liked over the years.

So here goes……….

THE DARK CROWN by S.C. GOWLAND

I adore the Souls Abyss Trilogy by S.C. GOWLAND. Imagine Star Wars crossed with David Eddings, with battle cats! 

BOOK OVERVIEW

A classic fantasy story perfect for fans of Joe Abercrombie, Star Wars, and Game of Thrones. The Dark Crown is about blood ties, the bonds of friendship, secrets and betrayal, and magic. 

The fate of the world hangs in the balance, both in the land of Thura and Kaoldan’s life. As a member of the magical Order of Walkers, Kaoldan is desperate to keep the peace as the world tries to tear itself apart.

But his life is about to change. There is a whisper in the wind; the return of Reng. The return of dark times. As Kaoldan fights to unravel the mystery and his own dark past, reunited with his daughters after years apart throws him into another unfamiliar role – how to be a father again. This is another battle he cannot lose.

Together they must solve the mysteries of Reng, unmask the true identity of the malevolent presence and unravel the secrets of the Dark Crown. Battles will be fought, lives will be lost, but if Kaoldan can save souls, there is always hope.

THREADS OF ASH by S.H. COOPER

This was released earlier this year and I really enjoyed the mix of fantasy and horror (or is that horror and fantasy). This is one of two books by S. H. Cooper that is on this list as she does a good range of genres.

BOOK OVERVIEW

Reluctant allies. A dying world. A mysterious blight. 

My Soulslike dark fantasy horror novel is now available for purchase on Amazon!

The weeping blight took everything from Yaveta, except her life. After the enigmatic warrior, Wulfren, rescues her from the twisted remains of her people, she longs to start over somewhere else untouched by blight. But the wider world is a dangerous place, and the darkness has spread far beyond her village’s borders. With only Wulfren’s axe separating her from death, Yaveta must put her faith into the northman, secretive as he is strong, and together they will discover just how deeply the sickness runs.

THE TIMELESSNESS SERIES by SUSANA IMAGINÁRIO

With four books and a novella in the series, The Timelessness series by Susana IMAGINÁRIO is one of my favourite all time series. Mixing sci-fi, mythology and a healthy dose of snarkiness, I adored this series.

Timelessness tells the story of Psyche, the Greek goddess of the soul and her journey through the Norse Underworld.
Beware reader,  in this realm nothing is as it seems and although the soul is eternal,  Eternity is not. 

(From Susana Imaginário’s website)

THE WRONG STOP by REX BURKE

What happens when a group of lads get mixed up with an alien on a trans European train journey. Chaos, that’s what! 

This was a laugh out loud read for me and I finished it in just a day!

Book Overview

It’s ‘Starman’ meets ‘Paul’ in an irreverent, fast-paced SciFi caper that will keep you guessing until the end.

Ready for an adventure that’s out of this world?
Hutch has it all planned. College is out – backpacks ready for a summer train trip around the famous sights of Europe.
It means matching party animal, Sully, drink for drink, and dealing with conspiracy nut, Jed, who’s along for the ride. But it’s nothing that Hutch can’t handle – until they meet a mysterious stranger on the way to Berlin.

Faced with an extraordinary truth, they are drawn into a life-changing adventure – one that will have repercussions down the years.

Off the rails and on the run, they’re pursued from city to city by shadowy forces. In the end, there’s only one place left for them to go. And one chance to escape.

But as ancient secrets are uncovered, the next journey might just be a trip too far.

THE UNGODLY DUOLOGY by S. H. COOPER

I have a real soft spot for cosmic horror and this is a great book. As you can guess the book is a duology and has two stories for the price of one. And that cover by Luke Spooner is fantastic.

BOOK OVERVIEW 

The Ungodly Duology features two horror novellas from author S.H. Cooper –

The Festering Ones:

Faith York was a young girl when she saw her father dragged into the ground by a spider-armed woman, never to be seen again. Twenty years later, the events of that day continue to haunt her, and her need for answers has only grown stronger with time. After her estranged mother’s death forces her to return home, old wounds are reopened and Faith finally decides to face her demons. What started as a search for closure soon pits her against a shadowy cult known as The Gathered and the eldritch beings they worship. With reality becoming more blurred by the day and the thousand eyes of an alien deity fixed on her, Faith must decide if the dark secrets of White Crow Mountain are really worth losing herself over.

The Forgotten Ones:

Six months after escaping the horrors of White Crow, Faith York is living a life she never thought possible: she has a best friend, a good job, and a place to call home, complete with fluffy cat. Stability. But “normal” is a tenuous thing, especially when nightmares of spidery arms bursting out of the ground and a terrible secret that could unravel it all aren’t the only things that followed her off the mountain.

Gorrorum is in her head and out for blood, and when a yellow-eyed monster appears on her doorstep, Faith has to figure out how to free herself from the Festering Father before everything she’s built comes crashing down around her.

DEMON’S REIGN by BEN GALLEY & DAVID ESTES

I must admit that I haven’t actually read any of David Estes works before, so this is something of an introduction for me. However, when it comes to Ben Galley’s books, I have read a few and loved them. This book, with its original world building and progressive fantasy base was such a fun read.

BOOK OVERVIEW

Tarkosi Terelta is a nobody. A nobody who will save his world from demons and the hellfire they bring.

The third-born of a shamed family, Tarkosi's lot in life is to spend his days as a worker, feeding temperamental lancewings under a harsh master. His days in the bloodwood city of Shal Gara are full of drudgery, tedium, and pain, his own ambitions cast aside in the name of order.

That is until demons from a broken world invade the forest realm of The Swathe, and an accident born of violence and dark magic intertwines Tarkosi’s fate with the greatest among them.

Forced onto the frontlines of a war forgotten by history, Tarkosi must balance battling the royal demon bound to him with the rapid progression of the magical abilities its presence has bestowed. Risking everything, he will need to tread a thin line between hero and heretic to keep Shal Gara from falling into ruin and chaos.

Avatar: The Last Airbender meets Venom in this epic progression fantasy perfect for fans of Iron Prince, Cradle, and Kingfall.

THE JACK FREY ADVENTURES by MIKE MORRIS

Ever since reading We Are The Dead by Mike Shackle, I became an instant fan. When I found out he also wrote under an alter ego Mike Morris (maybe it’s Mike Shackle who is an alter ego, maybe they merge into one! I dunno!) I got it straight away 

BOOK OVERVIEW

Have you met Jack Frey?

A child thief, Jack Frey is saved from the gallows and is forced to join a mysterious order of warrior priests. Trained with the bullet and the blade, Jack finds himself on the front-line of a centuries-old war to keep the island nation of Abios safe from the flesh-eating demons known as the Nostros.
Across the Angel Sea, Lin is fighting for her life. As a slave of the Nostros, she knows death can strike at any time, either at the hands of her masters or her fellow humans.
Little do they know mankind's fate lies in both their hands.

For when the demons come, you either fight or you die.

THE SWORDSMAN'S DESCENT by G.M.WHITE

This is such a great series. The Swordsman's Descent is the second book in The Royal Champion Series. It follows master duellist, Bellasko, a swordsman of great renown. This is a real rip roarer of a series and is perfect for those who like The Greatcoats series by Sebastian De Castell. 

BOOK OVERVIEW

Lost in a foreign city. Assassins around every corner. No allies in sight.

Survival is key, when enemies are all around.

Belasko, the Royal Champion, war hero, legendary swordsman, has distanced himself from the trappings of court life and toils at his academy. Searching for his successor.

When a general Belasko defeated long ago stages a coup to place himself upon the Baskan throne, Queen Lilliana’s desire to negotiate a permanent peace takes them into a vipers nest of intrigue, suspicion, and betrayal.

When blades are drawn, and all seems lost, can Belasko save the lives of those he loves the most? 

THE CRUEL GODS by TRUDI SKIES

The Cruel Gods by Trudi Skies is simply one of the most imaginative and original fantasy books that I have read. I think that the only thing that I could compare this to is Gareth Hanrahan's Black God's Legacy series in its originality. There is a lot to like in this book and I really must continue with the rest of the series.

BOOK OVERVIEW

WHEN THE SAINTS FAIL, THE SINNERS STEP UP.
Cruel gods rule the steam-powered city of Chime, demanding worship and tribute from their mortal subjects. Kayl lost her faith in them long ago, and now seeks to protect vulnerable and downtrodden mortals from their gods' whims. But when Kayl discovers powers that she didn't know she had—and destroys a mortal's soul by accident—she becomes Chime's most wanted.

Quen's job was to pursue sinners, until the visions started. Haunted by foreboding images of his beloved city's destruction, Quen hunts soul-sucking creatures made of aether who prey on its citizens—and Kayl is his number one target.

To ensure Chime's future, Kayl and Quen must discover the truth of Kayl's divine abilities before the gods take matters into their own hands.

For a city that bows to cruel gods, it'll take godless heathens to save it.

THE LEGACY OF GHOSTS by ALICIA WANSTALL - BURKE

The Coraidic Saga is one of those series that I rarely see mentioned in the book community which is a real shame as this is a little gem of a series. The story follows two points of view, that of Ranoth Olseta and Lidan Tolak. The Legacy of Ghosts is the second in the series and it really springboards the series in a direction that I did not expect. 

BOOK OVERVIEW

Legacy of Ghosts is the second book in the epic Coraidic Sagas trilogy.

Four years have passed since Lidan’s world was ripped apart, and time is running out to change her father’s mind about the succession before the bargain with her mother expires. Torn between what she wants and what she knows is right, she is faced with an impossible choice; will her brother live, or will he die?

Within the walls of the Hidden Keep, Ranoth holds his secrets close as he tries to harness his wild magic. But when life in the Keep descends into chaos, he is cast once more into the outside world, forced upon a southward path toward unknown lands and untold danger.

With Ran set on seeking justice and revenge, and Lidan fighting to find her feet and follow her heart, journeys will converge, and the ghosts of a past thought long dead will rise.

So! There you go! If any interest you please go and check them out!