some awesome indie fantasy reviews for the end of 2016

i bought a kindle a few years back and haven't really read much in the way of traditional published since. i've popped a few comments sometimes in threads asking for indie reads, but i recently read a big old bag of them which were more impressive than most, and i really really really want to share because these don't get much love and deserve to.

first, the wielders novels by max anthony. they star a character whose name strikes fear in the hearts of his enemies. his name is tan skulks. and he's a wielder. which is kind of like a wow rogue on crack. some of you are rolling your eyes already. i know. i would if i were you, too. but what's great about this series is its tone. it's humorous to the zip.

some comparable reads might be the hawk and fisher series if they were edited by terry pratchett while he was writing out a few episodes for s.c.u.d the assassin. that was an obscure comic. look it up. it's worth it. you might also like this if you were a fan of the vlad taltos series and have perhaps dabbled in some robert rankin.

next up, i was reading an assassin's blade by justin depaoli. i really liked this series. again, there was an overriding humour combining with a roguish assassin, but this one was a little more serious and could possibly more be described as swashbuckling. there's definitely a lot of swash in this one.

a lot.

so much so that errol flynn is turning in his grave and really irritated he can't play the lead in a movie adaptation. you'd like this if you were enjoying joe abercrombie but figured it needed a little bit more robin hood if robin hood was a hitman in a level of earthworm jim. that was a silly game. look it up.

it's worth it.

next: the destroyer series by michael-scott earle. definitely more for those who love barbarians running in and beating the bejeezus out of everything while smirking and being racist towards elves. because who likes elves? well. i do. but that's beside the point. it begins with an ancient being woken from slumber and possessed of an almighty amount of amnesia and a question both he and his companions are doomed to face: is he the saviour or the destroyer?

this series gripped me like one of those ghosts in a horror movie which grab one of those token teens and then drags them into a pool before drowning them. the series was tightly-written, though i will admit to wanting more.

you'd like this if you liked dune, but thought it was too political and could do with being more pulpy.

i also read a touch of iron by timandra whitecastle. this is probably the most world-buildy of the books i've read and definitely the more mature. having said that, it's action-packed, which is what i like. this is one for those of you into a more traditional approach and might be a little afraid of just throwing yourself into the deep end of indie fantasy. it's something easily publishable by harper.

in fact, it's books like this which make me wonder what publishers are doing these days if books like this have to publish themselves.

then i read a series called king's dark tidings by kel kade. this one was similar to the destroyer series mentioned above in many ways. this one has a warrior of awesome uberness who's been sheltered and taught how to deal death. and that's it. on being unleashed into a strange world, he has no real people skills. this is both hilarious and interesting.

this is for you if you like godmode on skyrim, snacking on choc-coated licorice while reading, and always wondered what would happen if people talked all steampunky in a fantasy setting.

finally, i picked up bunduki by jt edson. i mention this here because it's not an indie. it's a pulp novel. kind of tarzanny. i mention it here to warn you. stay away from it at all costs...

have a great christmas everyone, and if you're feeling brave, try some more indie reads. like any genre, they're worth exploring.

lots of love,
lucas

i bought a kindle a few years back and haven't really read much in the way of traditional published since. i've popped a few comments sometimes in threads asking for indie reads, but i recently read a big old bag of them which were more impressive than most, and i really really really want to share because these don't get much love and deserve to.

first, the wielders novels by max anthony. they star a character whose name strikes fear in the hearts of his enemies. his name is tan skulks. and he's a wielder. which is kind of like a wow rogue on crack. some of you are rolling your eyes already. i know. i would if i were you, too. but what's great about this series is its tone. it's humorous to the zip.

some comparable reads might be the hawk and fisher series if they were edited by terry pratchett while he was writing out a few episodes for s.c.u.d the assassin. that was an obscure comic. look it up. it's worth it. you might also like this if you were a fan of the vlad taltos series and have perhaps dabbled in some robert rankin.

next up, i was reading an assassin's blade by justin depaoli. i really liked this series. again, there was an overriding humour combining with a roguish assassin, but this one was a little more serious and could possibly more be described as swashbuckling. there's definitely a lot of swash in this one.

a lot.

so much so that errol flynn is turning in his grave and really irritated he can't play the lead in a movie adaptation. you'd like this if you were enjoying joe abercrombie but figured it needed a little bit more robin hood if robin hood was a hitman in a level of earthworm jim. that was a silly game. look it up.

it's worth it.

next: the destroyer series by michael-scott earle. definitely more for those who love barbarians running in and beating the bejeezus out of everything while smirking and being racist towards elves. because who likes elves? well. i do. but that's beside the point. it begins with an ancient being woken from slumber and possessed of an almighty amount of amnesia and a question both he and his companions are doomed to face: is he the saviour or the destroyer?

this series gripped me like one of those ghosts in a horror movie which grab one of those token teens and then drags them into a pool before drowning them. the series was tightly-written, though i will admit to wanting more.

you'd like this if you liked dune, but thought it was too political and could do with being more pulpy.

i also read a touch of iron by timandra whitecastle. this is probably the most world-buildy of the books i've read and definitely the more mature. having said that, it's action-packed, which is what i like. this is one for those of you into a more traditional approach and might be a little afraid of just throwing yourself into the deep end of indie fantasy. it's something easily publishable by harper.

in fact, it's books like this which make me wonder what publishers are doing these days if books like this have to publish themselves.

then i read a series called king's dark tidings by kel kade. this one was similar to the destroyer series mentioned above in many ways. this one has a warrior of awesome uberness who's been sheltered and taught how to deal death. and that's it. on being unleashed into a strange world, he has no real people skills. this is both hilarious and interesting.

this is for you if you like godmode on skyrim, snacking on choc-coated licorice while reading, and always wondered what would happen if people talked all steampunky in a fantasy setting.

finally, i picked up bunduki by jt edson. i mention this here because it's not an indie. it's a pulp novel. kind of tarzanny. i mention it here to warn you. stay away from it at all costs...

have a great christmas everyone, and if you're feeling brave, try some more indie reads. like any genre, they're worth exploring.

lots of love,

lucas

i bought a kindle a few years back and haven't really read much in the way of traditional published since. i've popped a few comments sometimes in threads asking for indie reads, but i recently read a big old bag of them which were more impressive than most, and i really really really want to share because these don't get much love and deserve to.

first, the wielders novels by max anthony. they star a character whose name strikes fear in the hearts of his enemies. his name is tan skulks. and he's a wielder. which is kind of like a wow rogue on crack. some of you are rolling your eyes already. i know. i would if i were you, too. but what's great about this series is its tone. it's humorous to the zip.

some comparable reads might be the hawk and fisher series if they were edited by terry pratchett while he was writing out a few episodes for s.c.u.d the assassin. that was an obscure comic. look it up. it's worth it. you might also like this if you were a fan of the vlad taltos series and have perhaps dabbled in some robert rankin.

next up, i was reading an assassin's blade by justin depaoli. i really liked this series. again, there was an overriding humour combining with a roguish assassin, but this one was a little more serious and could possibly more be described as swashbuckling. there's definitely a lot of swash in this one.

a lot.

so much so that errol flynn is turning in his grave and really irritated he can't play the lead in a movie adaptation. you'd like this if you were enjoying joe abercrombie but figured it needed a little bit more robin hood if robin hood was a hitman in a level of earthworm jim. that was a silly game. look it up.

it's worth it.

next: the destroyer series by michael-scott earle. definitely more for those who love barbarians running in and beating the bejeezus out of everything while smirking and being racist towards elves. because who likes elves? well. i do. but that's beside the point. it begins with an ancient being woken from slumber and possessed of an almighty amount of amnesia and a question both he and his companions are doomed to face: is he the saviour or the destroyer?

this series gripped me like one of those ghosts in a horror movie which grab one of those token teens and then drags them into a pool before drowning them. the series was tightly-written, though i will admit to wanting more.

you'd like this if you liked dune, but thought it was too political and could do with being more pulpy.

i also read a touch of iron by timandra whitecastle. this is probably the most world-buildy of the books i've read and definitely the more mature. having said that, it's action-packed, which is what i like. this is one for those of you into a more traditional approach and might be a little afraid of just throwing yourself into the deep end of indie fantasy. it's something easily publishable by harper.

in fact, it's books like this which make me wonder what publishers are doing these days if books like this have to publish themselves.

then i read a series called king's dark tidings by kel kade. this one was similar to the destroyer series mentioned above in many ways. this one has a warrior of awesome uberness who's been sheltered and taught how to deal death. and that's it. on being unleashed into a strange world, he has no real people skills. this is both hilarious and interesting.

this is for you if you like godmode on skyrim, snacking on choc-coated licorice while reading, and always wondered what would happen if people talked all steampunky in a fantasy setting.

finally, i picked up bunduki by jt edson. i mention this here because it's not an indie. it's a pulp novel. kind of tarzanny. i mention it here to warn you. stay away from it at all costs...

have a great christmas everyone, and if you're feeling brave, try some more indie reads. like any genre, they're worth exploring.

lots of love,

lucas

i bought a kindle a few years back and haven't really read much in the way of traditional published since. i've popped a few comments sometimes in threads asking for indie reads, but i recently read a big old bag of them which were more impressive than most, and i really really really want to share because these don't get much love and deserve to.

first, the wielders novels by max anthony. they star a character whose name strikes fear in the hearts of his enemies. his name is tan skulks. and he's a wielder. which is kind of like a wow rogue on crack. some of you are rolling your eyes already. i know. i would if i were you, too. but what's great about this series is its tone. it's humorous to the zip.

some comparable reads might be the hawk and fisher series if they were edited by terry pratchett while he was writing out a few episodes for s.c.u.d the assassin. that was an obscure comic. look it up. it's worth it. you might also like this if you were a fan of the vlad taltos series and have perhaps dabbled in some robert rankin.

next up, i was reading an assassin's blade by justin depaoli. i really liked this series. again, there was an overriding humour combining with a roguish assassin, but this one was a little more serious and could possibly more be described as swashbuckling. there's definitely a lot of swash in this one.

a lot.

so much so that errol flynn is turning in his grave and really irritated he can't play the lead in a movie adaptation. you'd like this if you were enjoying joe abercrombie but figured it needed a little bit more robin hood if robin hood was a hitman in a level of earthworm jim. that was a silly game. look it up.

it's worth it.

next: the destroyer series by michael-scott earle. definitely more for those who love barbarians running in and beating the bejeezus out of everything while smirking and being racist towards elves. because who likes elves? well. i do. but that's beside the point. it begins with an ancient being woken from slumber and possessed of an almighty amount of amnesia and a question both he and his companions are doomed to face: is he the saviour or the destroyer?

this series gripped me like one of those ghosts in a horror movie which grab one of those token teens and then drags them into a pool before drowning them. the series was tightly-written, though i will admit to wanting more.

you'd like this if you liked dune, but thought it was too political and could do with being more pulpy.

i also read a touch of iron by timandra whitecastle. this is probably the most world-buildy of the books i've read and definitely the more mature. having said that, it's action-packed, which is what i like. this is one for those of you into a more traditional approach and might be a little afraid of just throwing yourself into the deep end of indie fantasy. it's something easily publishable by harper.

in fact, it's books like this which make me wonder what publishers are doing these days if books like this have to publish themselves.

then i read a series called king's dark tidings by kel kade. this one was similar to the destroyer series mentioned above in many ways. this one has a warrior of awesome uberness who's been sheltered and taught how to deal death. and that's it. on being unleashed into a strange world, he has no real people skills. this is both hilarious and interesting.

this is for you if you like godmode on skyrim, snacking on choc-coated licorice while reading, and always wondered what would happen if people talked all steampunky in a fantasy setting.

finally, i picked up bunduki by jt edson. i mention this here because it's not an indie. it's a pulp novel. kind of tarzanny. i mention it here to warn you. stay away from it at all costs...

have a great christmas everyone, and if you're feeling brave, try some more indie reads. like any genre, they're worth exploring.

lots of love,

lucas