M.C. Burnell (Author of The Spider's Friend)

M.C. Burnell rated a book it was amazing Be Not Afraid by S. Jean (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I received an ARC copy of Be Not Afraid & was glad for it! Trent is a loser trapped in a cycle of burned bridges, drinking, and fights he mostly doesn't remember. He doesn't have a support network, prospects, or any luck aside from a guitar pic he wea ...more
Sep 10, 2025 07:06AM · 1 like · like · see review
M.C. Burnell rated a book it was amazing The Backwards Knight (Eldritch Remnants) by Matthew Siadak (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Been yearning for something as dark as Coldfire ever since and not finding it? Feel like there isn't enough body horror and gross squelchy stuff in your high fantasy? Come, then, and let me tell you about TBK. Friend, these woods are dark and deep. I ...more
Jul 16, 2025 04:56PM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Backwards Knight by Matthew Siadak. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Backwards Knight by Matthew Siadak <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
M.C. Burnell rated a book it was amazing The Dark Side of Super by Matthew Siadak (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Wild. Ride. This is not a story about heroes, it's about ordinary people who have hero-powers. I don't think it's a spoiler to warn you that not all of them rise to the occasion. I called the book a story, but it's a series of shorts showing you a cruc ...more
Jun 13, 2025 08:07AM · 1 like · like · see review
M.C. Burnell rated a book it was amazing Reflections of Fractured Dreams (Fae Team Six) by Peter J. Foote (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This book is heavy on the action and does not let up. Reflections follows elf Sonja Dormoira, commanding officer of Fae Team Six, a special ops team of the US Marines. Her unruly crew has been sent on a dangerous mission with inadequate prep or inform ...more
Dec 30, 2024 10:44AM · 3 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Reflections of Fractured Dreams by Peter J. Foote. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Reflections of Fractured Dreams by Peter J. Foote <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
M.C. Burnell rated a book it was amazing Once Upon a Wave of Witches: A Beatrice & Amelia Adventure (The Adventures of Beatrice & Amelia Book 1) by Helen Whistberry (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Captivating read. Cottage-core cozy fantasy with aging, unwarlike female leads isn't exactly my comfort zone, but to hell with my comfort zone: this book is wonderful. I was drawn in from the first page by the whimsey of a world called Lichen, a smal ...more
Aug 02, 2024 09:49AM · like · see review
M.C. Burnell rated a book it was amazing Talio's Codex by J. Alexander Cohen (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
When I heard 'gay fantasy lawyers,' obviously I leapt at a chance to snatch an ARC. Talio's Codex gave me everything I hoped for, along with a couple things I didn't know to expect. Exiled and disgraced, the protagonist has been sleepwalking through ...more
Jun 26, 2024 07:30AM · 4 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Talio's Codex by J. Alexander Cohen. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Talio's Codex by J. Alexander Cohen <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
M.C. Burnell rated a book it was amazing The Empress of Salt and Fortune (The Singing Hills Cycle, #1) by Nghi Vo (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 09, 2024 09:48AM · like
M.C. Burnell rated a book it was amazing The Odyllic Stone by Alex Scheuermann (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I received a copy of The Odyllic Stone as an ARC. Aster Rutherford is a young man with an overbearing single parent, keen to see what lies beyond the narrow bounds of bucolic Buckwheat village. People in his village are suffering from a mystery illne ...more
Apr 09, 2024 09:43AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Odyllic Stone by Alex Scheuermann. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Odyllic Stone by Alex Scheuermann <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
M.C. Burnell rated a book it was amazing To Say Nothing of the Dog (Oxford Time Travel, #2) by Connie Willis	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This book was a delight. I have to add a caveat: to me. When I described the first chapter to some friends, they all went 'urgggh' or 'that sounds exhausting,' so bear in mind that this isn't the right read for everyone. I personally love to be confu ...more
Dec 01, 2023 12:30PM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

M.C. Burnell rated a book it was amazing

Be Not Afraid
by S. Jean (Goodreads Author)

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

I received an ARC copy of Be Not Afraid & was glad for it!

Trent is a loser trapped in a cycle of burned bridges, drinking, and fights he mostly doesn't remember. He doesn't have a support network, prospects, or any luck aside from a guitar pic he wea ...more

M.C. Burnell rated a book it was amazing

The Backwards Knight (Eldritch Remnants)
by Matthew Siadak (Goodreads Author)

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Been yearning for something as dark as Coldfire ever since and not finding it? Feel like there isn't enough body horror and gross squelchy stuff in your high fantasy? Come, then, and let me tell you about TBK. Friend, these woods are dark and deep. I ...more

M.C. Burnell rated a book it was amazing

The Dark Side of Super
by Matthew Siadak (Goodreads Author)

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Wild. Ride.
This is not a story about heroes, it's about ordinary people who have hero-powers. I don't think it's a spoiler to warn you that not all of them rise to the occasion.
I called the book a story, but it's a series of shorts showing you a cruc ...more

M.C. Burnell rated a book it was amazing

Reflections of Fractured Dreams by Peter J. Foote

Reflections of Fractured Dreams (Fae Team Six)
by Peter J. Foote (Goodreads Author)

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

This book is heavy on the action and does not let up.

Reflections follows elf Sonja Dormoira, commanding officer of Fae Team Six, a special ops team of the US Marines. Her unruly crew has been sent on a dangerous mission with inadequate prep or inform ...more

M.C. Burnell rated a book it was amazing

Once Upon a Wave of Witches by Helen Whistberry

Once Upon a Wave of Witches: A Beatrice & Amelia Adventure (The Adventures of Beatrice & Amelia Book 1)
by Helen Whistberry (Goodreads Author)

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Captivating read. Cottage-core cozy fantasy with aging, unwarlike female leads isn't exactly my comfort zone, but to hell with my comfort zone: this book is wonderful. I was drawn in from the first page by the whimsey of a world called Lichen, a smal Captivating read. Cottage-core cozy fantasy with aging, unwarlike female leads isn't exactly my comfort zone, but to hell with my comfort zone: this book is wonderful. I was drawn in from the first page by the whimsey of a world called Lichen, a small, strange place overshadowed by benevolent fungal titans.
The MCs meet by chance when one of them relocates to a new home as per her annual ritual; it's typical in Lichen that people are transient. They want for little and move homes as the mood takes them. Not so her new neighbor, who has never budged from the house she's arranged to her liking over decades, kept company by a wealth of sentient tattoos that talk to her.
This is about the extent of what you ever learn about the people(s?) of Lichen, but that isn't to say this book is sparse on worldbuilding. It's just not human-centric. We learn more about the history of the immensely-powerful sea-witches, created by the Fungus Gods themselves, and other denizens of the sea like shape-shifters. Every scene is as brightly-colored as an explosion at a dye-factory; there's as much weird tea and home-brewed craftsmanship as you can handle. The witch's spells are dirty, visceral, original, and detailed. You travel quite a lot in this story but are left with the sense that absolutely anything might lie hidden around the next corner.
The MCs are a nice balance. Amelia's agoraphobia and fretful nature could have been cloying, just as her counterpart Beatrice might have been overbearing on her own. Her confidence, wanderlust, and reckless impatience are constantly being tempered by her affection for her friend and her desire not to leave worry-wart Amelia behind. If you just went 'Burnell, wait: friends?!' actually yes. Restless, adventurous Beatrice is married to the sea-witch Coral, who was cursed in her youth to be bound to a lighthouse by the enigmatic, rage-fueled kraken Myriad.
See? Tragic romance, giant mushrooms, and a kraken: it's got everything.
I'm just left with the one complaint: WHERE ARE THE PENGUINS GOING? ...more

M.C. Burnell rated a book it was amazing

Talio's Codex
by J. Alexander Cohen (Goodreads Author)

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

When I heard 'gay fantasy lawyers,' obviously I leapt at a chance to snatch an ARC. Talio's Codex gave me everything I hoped for, along with a couple things I didn't know to expect.

Exiled and disgraced, the protagonist has been sleepwalking through When I heard 'gay fantasy lawyers,' obviously I leapt at a chance to snatch an ARC. Talio's Codex gave me everything I hoped for, along with a couple things I didn't know to expect.

Exiled and disgraced, the protagonist has been sleepwalking through life for the last decade. When he's handed a chance to revive his legal career, he plunges eagerly back into the courtroom battles and cutthroat professional politics. Some of his old colleagues are more hostile than makes sense, given the fact that what got him kicked out wasn't mal in se. He has a narrow window in which to win his license back by proving his worth - while his enemies push back - and that ought to be his only agenda.

'Ought to be,' I say, because Talio is incapable of making smart choices. He can barely manage to want to. Some of his nail-biting risk-taking is prompted by altruism, I'll give him that, but he also has an insatiable thirst for a W and a frankly suicidal sense of curiosity. This man has never met a conspiracy he didn't want to infiltrate or a criminal he didn't want to partner with in pursuit of a dodgy legal gambit. He will make you sick to your stomach with anxiety nonstop right up to the startling twist at the end.

Talio's Codex has one of my favorite tropes, which is a wildly fantastical setting constrained by tiresome bureaucracy. Yes, there are rivers in the sky and people sail on them with magical boats; perfect fodder for a dispute over intellectual property! It also does an excellent job of playing up the duality of the rule of law. The way a judicial system can be the foundation of civilized coexistence or nothing more than a means by which the people who know how to exploit the rules codify the law of the jungle. The only difference is the sincerity of the folks with access, and I can get behind Talio's relentless need to try to make his world the first one, not the second, whatever the risk to himself. Although I will die on the hill that he chose the wrong guy.

If you want to know if you agree, you have to read it. Fun, fast-paced fantasy legal thriller (and where has that phrase been all my life?!) I definitely recommend. ...more

M.C. Burnell rated a book it was amazing

The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo

The Empress of Salt and Fortune (The Singing Hills Cycle, #1)
by Nghi Vo (Goodreads Author)

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

M.C. Burnell rated a book it was amazing

The Odyllic Stone
by Alex Scheuermann (Goodreads Author)

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

I received a copy of The Odyllic Stone as an ARC. Aster Rutherford is a young man with an overbearing single parent, keen to see what lies beyond the narrow bounds of bucolic Buckwheat village. People in his village are suffering from a mystery illne I received a copy of The Odyllic Stone as an ARC. Aster Rutherford is a young man with an overbearing single parent, keen to see what lies beyond the narrow bounds of bucolic Buckwheat village. People in his village are suffering from a mystery illness, and the need to find a competent healer finally gives him a good reason to leave. A solid argument to set against his dad's doomsaying about the danger and treachery of the outside world.*
* His dad was right, he's soon to learn.

There's a tumbling-down-a-hill unstoppable momentum to Aster's adventures, and I kept thinking about Bilbo as I read it. His point about being swept off your feet when you step out your door. The instant Aster leaves home, he's getting in trouble, meeting new friends, and bumbling across escalating mysteries with an innocent vigor that made me think of the Hobbit (minus Bilbo's grumpy old man energy). You are not going to be bored.

I was most taken by the world itself. The map! The author has their own vision of time and place and paints that vividly. The cities in particular were unique. They left pictures in my head clear as paintings.

Other things a reader ought to know? The protag's bestie is a coward, otherwise known as realistically terrified by monsters and threat of death. It's a quality too often lacking in fantasy, and what makes her especially likeable and real is the fact that she SAVES THE DAY several times whilst being terrified. Doesn't magically stop her being scared.

As for the protagonist himself, Aster is a teenager and acts his age: he's frequently impulsive, self-involved, and short-sighted. And the people around him talk sense and keep giving him chances instead of sending him back to the kiddie table. Color me shocked when I hit the end and found my guy facing some very real consequences. No spoilers, but this is serious. It left me keenly interested to find out what comes next because he isn't a sheltered kid anymore, he can't be. That ship sailed. What he grows into next, I have no idea.

The ending was satisfying all-around. I'm a lover of series, and some problems were solved, some trials overcome. But the situation with magic evolved into something really strange and new that I don't yet understand. I'm excited to learn! A handful of baddies were left unpunished, and I'd like to have words with them. Not just a fun read, The Odyllic Stone left me wanting to read more. ...more

M.C. Burnell rated a book it was amazing

To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis

To Say Nothing of the Dog (Oxford Time Travel, #2)
by Connie Willis

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

This book was a delight. I have to add a caveat: to me. When I described the first chapter to some friends, they all went 'urgggh' or 'that sounds exhausting,' so bear in mind that this isn't the right read for everyone. I personally love to be confu ...more

M.C. Burnell’s Followers (7)

M.C.’s Bookshelves

M.C.’s Friends (3)

M.C. Burnell

Goodreads Author

Learn more
Ask the Author

Popular Answered Questions

Combine Editions
M.C. Burnell’s books

M.C. is Currently Reading

rss
M.C.’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — The Backwards Knight by Matthew Siadak

See a Problem?

Preview — Reflections of Fractured Dreams by Peter J. Foote

See a Problem?

Preview — Talio's Codex by J. Alexander Cohen

See a Problem?

Preview — The Odyllic Stone by Alex Scheuermann

See a Problem?

Preview — To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis

M.C.’s Friend Comments

	The Spider's Friend 4.20 avg rating — 10 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Three Faces of Dissatisfaction (The Foreign Sorcerer Book 1) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 10 ratings — published 2010 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Into the Darkbower really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 9 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Tale of a Vacant House (The Foreign Sorcerer Book 3) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The King of Halural (The Foreign Sorcerer Book 4) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Zimanges it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Shuttle that Weaves the Shroud (The Foreign Sorcerer Book 2) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Vengeance Is Our Legacy it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	We Gather 4.50 avg rating — 2 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Nicodemus Path (The Elsewhere Riddle, #1) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

M.C. Burnell’s Followers (7)

M.C.’s Bookshelves

M.C.’s Friends (3)

M.C. Burnell

Goodreads Author

Learn moreAsk the Author

Popular Answered Questions

Combine EditionsM.C. Burnell’s books

M.C. is Currently Reading

rssM.C.’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — The Backwards Knight by Matthew Siadak

See a Problem?

Preview — Reflections of Fractured Dreams by Peter J. Foote

See a Problem?

Preview — Talio's Codex by J. Alexander Cohen

See a Problem?

Preview — The Odyllic Stone by Alex Scheuermann

See a Problem?

Preview — To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis

M.C.’s Friend Comments

Learn more
Ask the Author

Combine Editions
M.C. Burnell’s books

rss
M.C.’s Recent Updates