The Northern Witch's Book Blog

The Black Hawks by David Wragg 5 out of 5 Synopsis Dark, thrilling, and hilarious, The Black Hawks is an epic adventure perfect for fans of Joe Abercrombie and Scott Lynch. Life as a knight is not what Vedren Chel imagined. Bound by oath to a dead-end job in the service of a lazy step-uncle, Chel no longer dreams of glory – he dreams of going home. When invaders throw the kingdom into turmoil, Chel finds opportunity in the chaos: if he escorts a stranded prince to safety, Chel will be released from his oath. All he has to do is drag the brat from one side of the country to the other, through war and wilderness, chased all the way by ruthless assassins. With killers on your trail, you need killers watching your back. You need the Black Hawk Company – mercenaries, fighters without equal, a squabbling, scrapping pack of rogues. Prepare to join the Black Hawks.

Shadows of Tomorrow by Jessica Meats 4 out of 5 Synopsis Earth is at war. Portals are opening across the planet and bringing creatures known as Outsiders. Their only desire is to eat, leaving a trail of destruction in their path. All that stand in their way are the Defenders led by Gareth Walker who can open portals of their own to target the Outsiders in minutes. Gareth's one advantage is an ability to see glimpses of his future. For the past decade the Defenders have held back the incursion, but now a new portal opens, bringing something that Gareth did not see coming. As he must find a way to stop this new threat, he starts a quest for answers. He must learn how the war began and find a way to stop them once and for all. All the while, he is aware of a shadow in his future a moment he can't see past. Will stopping the Outsiders cost him everything?

Unsouled by Will Wight 3 out of 5 Synopsis Sacred artists follow a thousand Paths to power, using their souls to control the forces of the natural world. Lindon is Unsouled, forbidden to learn the sacred arts of his clan. When faced with a looming fate he cannot ignore, he must defy his family's rules...and forge his own Path.

Magic & Mayhem Boxset by Erica Ridley 2.5 out of 5 Kissed by Magic 3 out of 5 Synopsis Enjoy an Outlander-meets-Frozen romantic comedy from a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author: Adventurer Lance Desmond needs to produce a fortune before his arch-rival collects the bounty on his head. He risks an ancient curse to retrieve treasure hidden within icebound Castle Cavanaugh, only to become trapped inside. Not with the gold he so desperately needs, but with medieval Princess Marigold who's been cooling her heels since...well, medieval times. The lonely princess refuses to acknowledge the blossoming attraction between them. Not just because she deserves a better future than a penniless rogue. But because at midnight, he'll vanish like all her other would-be heroes. And the evergreen in the parlor will have one more figurine hanging from its boughs... Review Lance is in over his head in debt, and his only hope is to raid a castle for treasure. The o...

Battle Ground by Rachel Churcher 2 out of 5 Synopsis Sixteen-year-old Bex Ellman has been drafted into an army she doesn't support and a cause she doesn't believe in. Her plan is to keep her head down, and keep herself and her friends safe – until she witnesses an atrocity she can't ignore, and a government conspiracy that threatens lives all over the UK. With her loyalties challenged, Bex must decide who to fight for – and who to leave behind. The Battle Ground series is set in a dystopian near-future UK, after Brexit and Scottish independence.