Rob Leigh (Author of Performances of a Death Metal Bard)

Rob Leigh rated a book it was amazing The Balance of the Stars (Power of the Stars #4) by Bryan Wilson (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
The Power of the Stars takes the stakes to new heights. Few series I've read over the years have been as consistently thrilling, perpetually epic, or as much damn fun as Bryan Wilson's Power of the Stars. And as with each subsequent entry, I think th ...more
Sep 15, 2026 12:43PM · like · see review
Rob Leigh wants to read The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow (Goodreads Author) Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee in Readers' Favorite Fantasy	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
Sep 05, 2026 07:13PM · like
Rob Leigh rated a book it was amazing ShadowBane (A Schism of Souls, #1) by Cal Logan (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
A Blood-Soaked, Character-Fueled, Grimdark Gorefest. Shadowbane by Cal Logan is another fantastic entry into the genre of Grimdark. The atmosphere, the characters, and the themes all ooze the gritty elements that the genre is well-known for. The world ...more
Aug 31, 2026 04:37PM · 2 likes · like · see review
Rob Leigh is on page 355 of 451 of ShadowBane ShadowBane (A Schism of Souls, #1) by Cal Logan (Goodreads Author) progress:	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
Aug 22, 2026 04:33PM · 1 like · like · see status
Rob Leigh rated a book it was amazing Dust of the Dead (Tales from the Listening World) by Michael R. Fletcher (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
Essential dark fantasy. Unflinching in its brutality but unrelenting in its humanity. Dust of the Dead is a wholly unique, gut-wrenching, exhilarating, and at times horrifying book that had me enraptured from the very first page. The world of this st ...more
Aug 18, 2026 01:25PM · 2 likes · like · see review
Rob Leigh is currently reading ShadowBane (A Schism of Souls, #1) by Cal Logan (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
Aug 11, 2026 01:23PM · 1 like · like
Rob Leigh rated a book really liked it Cyberpunk 2077: No_Coincidence by Rafał Kosik	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
A great plunge back into Night City! I absolutely loved the Cyberpunk 2077 world when the game came out back in 2020, and I found a lot of depth in the grim, human, neon-washed story of that game. So naturally, I was very anxious to dive back into tha ...more
Aug 05, 2026 05:49PM · 1 like · like · see review
Rob Leigh is currently reading Cyberpunk 2077: No_Coincidence by Rafał Kosik	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
Jul 28, 2026 09:46PM · 1 like · like
Rob Leigh rated a book it was amazing The Blood Stones (Legends of the Bruhai, #1) by Tori Tecken (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
A masterclass in Political Intrigue and Character. Tori Tecken's THE BLOOD STONES is a sharp story of political intrigue, manipulation, destiny, friendship, betrayal, and familial bonds. In just 455 pages, Tecken weaves multiple storylines and charac ...more
Jul 04, 2026 03:04PM · 1 like · like · see review
Rob Leigh started reading The Blood Stones (Legends of the Bruhai, #1) by Tori Tecken (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
Jun 20, 2026 09:48AM · like

Rob Leigh rated a book it was amazing

The Balance of the Stars by Bryan Wilson

The Balance of the Stars (Power of the Stars #4)
by Bryan Wilson (Goodreads Author)

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The Power of the Stars takes the stakes to new heights.

Few series I've read over the years have been as consistently thrilling, perpetually epic, or as much damn fun as Bryan Wilson's Power of the Stars. And as with each subsequent entry, I think th ...more

Rob Leigh wants to read

The Everlasting
by Alix E. Harrow (Goodreads Author)
Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee in Readers' Favorite Fantasy

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Rob Leigh rated a book it was amazing

ShadowBane (A Schism of Souls, #1)
by Cal Logan (Goodreads Author)

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A Blood-Soaked, Character-Fueled, Grimdark Gorefest.

Shadowbane by Cal Logan is another fantastic entry into the genre of Grimdark. The atmosphere, the characters, and the themes all ooze the gritty elements that the genre is well-known for.

The world A Blood-Soaked, Character-Fueled, Grimdark Gorefest.

Shadowbane by Cal Logan is another fantastic entry into the genre of Grimdark. The atmosphere, the characters, and the themes all ooze the gritty elements that the genre is well-known for.

The world that we find ourselves in is politically complex, yet brutally simple. While the human kingdoms all squabble for power and stab each other in the back, villages are ravaged by demons. A settlement that you visit today may not be there next week, a pile of gore and maggots left in its place by the dwellers of the eight hells. Logan does a really wonderful job of beautifully describing this world, showing the natural beauty of the setting but then ripping the reader back to reality with descriptions of stomach-churning gore.

Traversing through this world are our main characters, Shura and Jin. These twin demon hunters absolutely rock. They are lethal, knowledgeable, and easily the most competent people in any room. It makes their interactions with other members of the cast very fun to watch, especially when you see our two MCs outmaneuver their opponents. However, I also really loved the quieter moments when side characters have wisdom or lessons to impart on Jin and Shura. Quieter characters like Oda, Wallace, and Yusaga all shine in moments both in and out of combat, showing that even though the Twins are the main players, it's up to the whole world to end the Demons' plight.

The dynamic between Jin and Shura is also incredibly well done. You get to see Shura's ambition clash with Jin's rage, but you also get to see the ways that they are startlingly similar. Namely, their stubborn heads get them both into trouble—both with each other and with other characters.

I would also have to describe the plot of this story as a "misery quest" in the best possible way. I love a story where the characters are straight-up miserable, and you really get to see how the toll of their journey weighs on our characters. It chips away at them little by little, with each battle being a closer call than the last. When the reader gets to the final battle, they struggle to conceive of how things might end up ok. And, since this is grimdark, it very well may not.

And the action! The author finds new ways to make each action sequence hit harder, bite deeper, and make the reader more squeamish. It's a truly impressive thing to make each fight (regardless of size) still be engaging and not sacrifice the pacing of the story. Each one is gripping and unique.

Shadowbane is a raw, unfiltered, foul-mouthed, bloody good time of a book. I absolutely can't wait for the next installment. ...more

Rob Leigh is on page 355 of 451 of ShadowBane

ShadowBane (A Schism of Souls, #1)
by Cal Logan (Goodreads Author)

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Rob Leigh rated a book it was amazing

Dust of the Dead (Tales from the Listening World)
by Michael R. Fletcher (Goodreads Author)

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Essential dark fantasy. Unflinching in its brutality but unrelenting in its humanity.

Dust of the Dead is a wholly unique, gut-wrenching, exhilarating, and at times horrifying book that had me enraptured from the very first page. The world of this st ...more

Rob Leigh is currently reading

ShadowBane (A Schism of Souls, #1)
by Cal Logan (Goodreads Author)

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Rob Leigh rated a book really liked it

Cyberpunk 2077: No_Coincidence
by Rafał Kosik

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A great plunge back into Night City!

I absolutely loved the Cyberpunk 2077 world when the game came out back in 2020, and I found a lot of depth in the grim, human, neon-washed story of that game. So naturally, I was very anxious to dive back into tha ...more

Rob Leigh is currently reading

Cyberpunk 2077: No_Coincidence
by Rafał Kosik

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Rob Leigh rated a book it was amazing

The Blood Stones (Legends of the Bruhai, #1)
by Tori Tecken (Goodreads Author)

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A masterclass in Political Intrigue and Character.

Tori Tecken's THE BLOOD STONES is a sharp story of political intrigue, manipulation, destiny, friendship, betrayal, and familial bonds. In just 455 pages, Tecken weaves multiple storylines and charac A masterclass in Political Intrigue and Character.

Tori Tecken's THE BLOOD STONES is a sharp story of political intrigue, manipulation, destiny, friendship, betrayal, and familial bonds. In just 455 pages, Tecken weaves multiple storylines and characters together to create an incredibly compelling first entry to the series.

Political fantasy is not an easy thing to pull off. Weaving twisting webs of plot, multiple characters with shifting allegiances, and a world teetering on the edge of a knife are all needed to execute the genre properly, and it's done very smoothly here.

The world that we find ourselves in for the story is as old as it is fragile. The seemingly mundane order of everyday life is flipped on its head when the crown prince is murdered, and suddenly a quiet war is being waged behind closed doors. Those close to the king all vie for power, and the great families use their children as pawns. Tecken meticulously set up a world that is believable both in its politics but in its people.

Our characters span many different ages, and are scattered all around the map, but I found myself invested in each one of them - not an easy thing to pull off as an author. Everyone was distinct, and the reader learns their strengths and weaknesses throughout the course of the story. I particularly enjoyed Gehrin and Senna. Both are cunning warriors with stout hearts, and their empathy still shows through their trials despite everything the story throws at them.

Our story makes a few different time jumps, and I wish more books would play with this idea. In this book, it's allowed the author to succinctly show character progression in the little moments. No need to wax eloquently in a ham-fisted way about how much a character has changed or make constant note of their progression. Simple, effective moments planted in the proper places show years of growth. Kajen the wildcat is the perfect example of this, and there are several other characters that are treated with the same level of care despite their lack of screen time.

Overall, this book has so much heart and care behind it, and I can't wait to see where the twisting plot will bring us in "The Queen's Wolf". ...more

Rob Leigh started reading

The Blood Stones (Legends of the Bruhai, #1)
by Tori Tecken (Goodreads Author)

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	Performances of a Death Metal Bard: A Brutal Novella 4.23 avg rating — 116 ratings	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
	Pathlighter (Pathlighter Trilogy, #1) 4.16 avg rating — 56 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
	Threadstealer (Pathlighter Trilogy, #2) 4.75 avg rating — 4 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

Rob’s Year In Books

Rob Leigh’s Followers (44)

Rob’s Bookshelves

Rob’s Friends (21)

Rob Leigh

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