Kaden Love | FanFiAddict https://fanfiaddict.com A gaggle of nerds talking about Fantasy, Science Fiction, and everything in-between. They also occasionally write reviews about said books. 2x Stabby Award-Nominated and home to the Stabby Award-Winning TBRCon. Sat, 11 Jan 2025 00:35:06 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.1 https://fanfiaddict.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/cropped-FFA-Logo-icon-32x32.png Kaden Love | FanFiAddict https://fanfiaddict.com 32 32 Review: An Exile of Water & Gold by Joshua Walker https://fanfiaddict.com/review-an-exile-of-water-gold-by-joshua-walker/ https://fanfiaddict.com/review-an-exile-of-water-gold-by-joshua-walker/#respond Sat, 11 Jan 2025 00:34:31 +0000 https://fanfiaddict.com/?p=86699
Rating: 9.5/10

Synopsis

Brandon Sanderson’s Rhythm of War meets Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time in this epic fantasy mystery adventure.

EXILED FROM HEAVEN. FORCED INTO HELL.

For centuries, the Aobians of the Great Tree have shared the continent of Q’ara with humanity. A select few known as Sleepers are empowered by Luminosity, the Tree’s greatest blessing.

Drift, a young and cynical Aobian, has been exiled from his homeland – forever. Now, with no understanding of this condemnation, Drift must traverse the land of humans below, and find his purpose in an ever-changing world. Tarri, his betrothed, seeks to do the same, whilst also bringing him home.

Elsewhere on Q’ara, an unknown organisation seeks to weaponise Luminosity for their own nefarious purposes. Drift himself is a part of this puzzle, and it quickly becomes apparent that the struggle for true power in Q’ara is emerging for reasons greater than anyone is prepared to grasp.

Review

Though this review is written in 2025, I dare say that An Exile of Water and Gold is one of, if not the best debut novel of 2024. Joshua Walker has created a world with imagination to envy the fantasy titans of the genre, both modern and classic. While Exile feels like a classic fantasy tale, it avoids cliche tropes by integrating fresh new races, interesting politics and cultures, and a magic system that relies on sleeping and bioluminescence. This story is one of the most unique fantasy stories I have read while managing to bring the comfort of a familiar fantasy style.

The story itself revolves around two mysteries that tie the reader to two different lands, making the characters within them much more admirable. This book has its share of action, especially during the epic conclusion, but finds much more value in a web of conspiracy that revolves around a shocking inciting incident. Fans of Brandon Sanderson will find themselves at home in the words of Joshua Walker who has mastered storytelling in his debut novel.

The story is wrapped up in a satisfying manner with brilliant hints at the deeper secrets of the world that have writers begging for more. Fortunately, the author has a prequel novella (The Rest to the Gods) and an upcoming novella that will be released on February 4 (The Child of the Greenwood) prior to the October 2025 release of book 2, An Empire of Dirt & Lies.

With strong characters and a captivating mystery at its core, An Exile of Water and Gold should be read by every fan of epic fantasy. With such a stunning start to his career, Joshua Walker will soon become a familiar name in fantasy.

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Review: Thrum by Meg Smitherman https://fanfiaddict.com/review-thrum-by-meg-smitherman/ https://fanfiaddict.com/review-thrum-by-meg-smitherman/#respond Tue, 07 Jan 2025 23:14:50 +0000 https://fanfiaddict.com/?p=86436
Rating: 8/10

Synopsis

Ami awakes from years in stasis to find she’s at the edges of deep space, and the only surviving member of her crew. Utterly alone and unable to contact Earth, she sends out a distress beacon, not expecting a response. When she gets one from a being who calls himself Dorian, she’s welcomed onto his ship as he offers his assistance in any way he can. But nothing on Dorian’s ship is as it seems. And as Ami tries to navigate the maze of hallways and first contact with this alien being, a deep hum begins to resonate, haunting her, as if the ship itself is whispering to her.

Review

A haunting portrayal of madness and abandonment. Smitherman puts the reader in the main character’s mind, to experience first-contact in a most unsettling setting. Utilizing the characters’ senses and inner thoughts, the reader will be left uncomfortable and terrorized in the best way possible. 

This was pitched as a “sci-horror-mantasy” and delivered as promised. Readers should know that the romantic aspect is very grim, not delivering it in a cozy way that others might associate with most fictional romance, but it blends well with the horror setting. Though I felt the twist coming, it was well delivered and wrapped up the story in a satisfying manner.

Despite its short length, Smitherman succeeded in crafting a dreadful tale that executed existential dread rich with terrifying imagery and descriptions that would make Lovecraft proud. If you want a dark science fiction novella to keep you awake at night, look no further. 

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Review: Sleeping Worlds Have No Memory by Yaroslav Barsukov https://fanfiaddict.com/review-sleeping-worlds-have-no-memory-by-yaroslav-barsukov/ https://fanfiaddict.com/review-sleeping-worlds-have-no-memory-by-yaroslav-barsukov/#comments Sat, 04 Jan 2025 22:08:18 +0000 https://fanfiaddict.com/?p=86296
Rating: 9/10

Synopsis

A science fantasy noir tale from the Nebula-nominated author of “Tower of Mud and Straw.”

Refusing the queen’s order to gas a crowd of protesters, Minister Shea Ashcroft is banished to the border to oversee the construction of the biggest defensive tower in history. However, the use of advanced technology taken from refugees makes the tower volatile and dangerous, becoming a threat to local interests. Shea has no choice but to fight the local hierarchy to ensure the construction succeeds—and to reclaim his own life.

Surviving an assassination attempt, Shea confronts his inner demons, encounters an ancient legend, and discovers a portal to a dead world—all while struggling to stay true to his own principles and maintain his sanity. Fighting memories and hallucinations, he starts to question everything…

Sleeping Worlds Have No Memory is a thought-provoking meditation on the fragility of the human condition, our beliefs, the manipulation of propaganda for political gains, and our ability to distinguish the real from the unreal and our willingness to accept convenient “truths.”  The novel is a compelling exploration of memory, its fragile nature, and its profound impact on our perception of identity, relationships, and facts themselves.

Review

Barsukov has crafted a magnificent piece of moving literature that exemplifies the best of fiction. Not only is the story engaging, but it causes the reader to reflect on current matters that affect every human, regardless of where they come from. This book is political in the best ways possible, not divisive over controversial matters but by appealing to the Shea Ashcroft inside each one of us. We experience the dilemmas that our protagonist does as he strives to settle peace on the precipice of a rising war. What is the cost of compliance? Who is responsible for remembering the terrors of tyranny? What is the value of a single human’s decisions in a crumbling world? 

While the first part of the book was entertaining, the latter half becomes much more thought provoking as readers learn more about the babel-esque tower. The characters were captivating and each one had something significant to leave with the reader. The world is fascinating, but the details to it are not overbearing. The treasures of this novel lie with the characters and their realizations that we reach with them at the conclusion. While certain parts may lack the clarity some readers desire, it only helps to feed our curiosity.

Akin to mysteries that unfold mind-boggling answers, this novel will appeal to fans of Piranesi and similar pieces of fantasy literature that provide more for the reader than pure entertainment. Though it is quite short, Sleeping Worlds Have No Memory deserves awards, which I am sure it will collect as more see what Barsukov has to offer. 

Shea’s journey is not one to be taken in ignorance. This novel can be confusing, but that only serves to let this novel fulfill its purpose – to spark important questions. Who will remember the injustices of the past while the world sleeps in compliance? 

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