THE SERPENT AND THE WINGS OF NIGHT by Carissa Broadbent

The story unfolds from Oraya’s point of view in a simple writing style that is easy to follow. Although the numerous action scenes and characters are vividly detailed, the soft world-building lacks the rich details that would have brought it fully to life. Besides this, much of the world-building is told and not shown, which left me wanting more from the fascinating concepts involving vicious vampires, deities, magic and a complex political system.

GIDEON THE NINTH by Tamsyn Muir

The descriptive writing style is made even more engaging through a quirky and witty third-person narrative from Gideon’s point of view. Not only was the sarcastic, easygoing humour so entertaining that I was constantly laughing, but it also made Gideon’s character relatable and easy to like. While I also loved the captivating world, I craved a deeper exploration of the Houses and magic system.

CROWBONES by Anne Bishop

CROWBONES

The imaginative world that forms the core pillar of this story, and series, is easily my favourite part of this book. Once again, I was fascinated by the various forms of Terre Indigenes, and I relished the constant tension generated by the threat of their fury. The use of several points of view also worked great as it helped capture the full scope of all that takes place.