My Favourite Reads of 2018
It's been an amazing year for books and although I have not quite hit my goal of reading 50 it's quality not quantity. Every single on of these books is 5 Stars and an absolute credit to the author that crafted them. Lets smash on in.
ARM OF THE SPHINX and THE HOD KING by Josiah Bancroft - Volumes two and three of this series are utterly wondrous and demand reading. One of the most engaging and unique stories I've ever read.
GREY SISTER by Mark Lawrence - A favourite among favourites. Capturing the rawness of Thorns and the spirit of Queen, this series is just amazing. One of the best of 2018 without a doubt. Possibly the best ensemble of indomitable female characters out there.
BLOODY ROSE by Nicholas Eames - This book had a lot to live up to after KINGS OF THE WYLD graced the top spot of quite a few top ten lists last year. I loved reading it and was very chuffed that it was as good as the original.
YOU DIE WHEN YOU DIE and THE LAND YOU NEVER LEAVE by Angus Watson - The first two books in the West of West series were an unexpected find as I'd not heard much hype for it. It is hilarious and heart breaking at the same time.
THE POPPY WAR by R.F. Kuang - An electrifying and brutal debut that combined some of my favourite parts of YA, a school setting and the developing of powers in a young protege, with more adult concepts and a horrifying level of graphic violence that meant it was definitely not one for younger readers.
THE CHALK MAN by C.J. Tudor - A genuinely unsettling book with a twist that left me shaking me hands and wanting a shower. Children, creepy chalk figures, psychopaths, missing body parts, small town setting. It's a great one to read in front of a fire with your dog next to you.
IRON GOLD by Pierce Brown - The start of a spectacular new series following ten years on from the amazing Red Rising. I wasn't sure if it could keep the energy and stakes as high as they were in the original but Pierce really outdid himself.
ONLY HUMAN by Sylvain Nuevel - The finale of one of my favourite sci fi series. It's giant robots, mysterious government agencies, swag and more. Not what I expected when I started but more than I could have dreamed of once I was done.
A few from the past
CHILDREN OF TIME by Adrian Tchaikovsky - My first taste of this author's work and it completely blew me away. The depth and detail that Adrian goes into is mind altering.
BEYOND REDEMPTION by Michael R. Fletcher - This has been sitting on my shelf for years and I finally gave it a read after going through a bit of a reading slump. This grabbed me hard and it is one of the finest examples of Grimdark you'll find out there.
Thanks to Orbit Books, AceRocBooks, Tor for the amazing arcs this year. I cannot believe I had to leave out some incredible works of art like King of Assassins by R.J. Barker, City of Lies by Sam Hawke and Ravencry by Ed Mcdonald, all of which I also rated as 5 Stars, so don't miss out on these simply because they are not higher up on the list.
