Bill Adams (author, editor of The Tenacious Tale of Tanna the Tendersword)

Bill Adams and 2 other people liked Lara R.'s review of Empire of the Vampire (Empire of the Vampire, #1): "“Finally—vampires that don’t sparkle.” This book? Incredible. I’ve always loved frame narratives (give me a story within a story any day), and Kristoff absolutely crushes it here. The whole "reluctant hero spilling his guts from a prison cell" thing? " Read more of this review »
21 hours, 50 min ago · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Bill Adams and 54 other people liked Booksblabbering \|\| Cait❣️'s review of Red City (The New Alchemists, #1): "This is so addictive?!!! Romeo and Juliet, magical alchemy secret society edition. Sam has an unquenchable thirst: this desperation to make something big of her life, to matter to someone. Driven by her mother who wants her daughter to be able to esca" Read more of this review »
Nov 22, 2025 11:02AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Red City by Marie Lu. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Red City by Marie Lu <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Bill Adams and 26 other people liked Fel's review of Empire of the Damned (Empire of the Vampire, #2):
Nov 22, 2025 05:42AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Empire of the Damned by Jay Kristoff. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Empire of the Damned by Jay Kristoff <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Bill Adams and 42 other people liked Booksblabbering \|\| Cait❣️'s review of Kings of the Wyld (The Band, #1): "A retired band of famous mercenaries get back together again to rescue one of the member’s daughter in a city besieged by a horde. This is just rip-roaring fun. Apparently, it’s supposed to be rock band meets fantasy. I think it is a brilliant, humoro" Read more of this review »
Nov 21, 2025 09:56AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Bill Adams rated a book it was amazing The Severing Son (The Sundered Nation #1) by Vaughn Roycroft (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 tailor-made for me, almost comically so. It has: Roman Empire era Germanic (the Goths) inspired clans, deep lore and worlbuilding, coming of age with revenge seeking, a well-executed MFF love triangle that is built upon duty, identity, a ...more
Nov 14, 2025 07:40AM · 11 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Severing Son by Vaughn Roycroft. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Severing Son by Vaughn Roycroft <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Bill Adams made a comment on Lucas Magee’s status in The Light Of Kasaban " I'd like to say it stops buuuuuuuuuuuuut ...more "
Nov 09, 2025 02:04PM
Bill Adams rated a book really liked it Let Sleeping Gods Lie by Ben Schenkman (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
Let Sleeping Gods Lie is a thrilling urban fantasy with a neat magic system and a plump raccoon familiar that just enjoys cold french fries. I must admit, contemporary urban fantasies are not my usual go to reads but this LSGL was a fun one, a fast re ...more
Oct 27, 2025 07:14AM · 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 Let Sleeping Gods Lie by Ben Schenkman. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Let Sleeping Gods Lie by Ben Schenkman <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Bill Adams rated a book really liked it Maiden of Storms (The Conspiracy of Crows, #2) by Matthew Zorich (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
Maiden of Storms is a very ambitious story, that’s for damn sure, maybe too ambitious at times. It’s epic in scope and impressive in scale, a book bursting at the seams with characters and plots upon plots upon plots. Immediately picking up after the ...more
Oct 17, 2025 01:06PM · 7 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Maiden of Storms by Matthew Zorich. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Maiden of Storms by Matthew Zorich <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Bill Adams has read Locks & Keys: A Fantasy Anthology 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
Oct 15, 2025 11:58AM · 2 likes · like
Bill Adams made a comment on Nicole Hidalgo’s review of Lady Drakeslayer (The Divine Godsqueen Coda, #2) " Huzzah! Thank you, Nicole, for reading. I knew you'd love Ashe and Harle-bub ...more "
Oct 13, 2025 10:46AM · see review

Bill Adams and 2 other people liked Lara R.'s review of Empire of the Vampire (Empire of the Vampire, #1):

"“Finally—vampires that don’t sparkle.”

This book? Incredible. I’ve always loved frame narratives (give me a story within a story any day), and Kristoff absolutely crushes it here. The whole "reluctant hero spilling his guts from a prison cell" thing? " Read more of this review »

Bill Adams and 54 other people liked Booksblabbering || Cait❣️'s review of Red City (The New Alchemists, #1):

"This is so addictive?!!!
Romeo and Juliet, magical alchemy secret society edition.

Sam has an unquenchable thirst: this desperation to make something big of her life, to matter to someone. Driven by her mother who wants her daughter to be able to esca" Read more of this review »

Bill Adams and 26 other people liked Fel's review of Empire of the Damned (Empire of the Vampire, #2):

Bill Adams and 42 other people liked Booksblabbering || Cait❣️'s review of Kings of the Wyld (The Band, #1):

"A retired band of famous mercenaries get back together again to rescue one of the member’s daughter in a city besieged by a horde.

This is just rip-roaring fun. Apparently, it’s supposed to be rock band meets fantasy. I think it is a brilliant, humoro" Read more of this review »

Bill Adams rated a book it was amazing

The Severing Son (The Sundered Nation #1)
by Vaughn Roycroft (Goodreads Author)

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This book is tailor-made for me, almost comically so. It has: Roman Empire era Germanic (the Goths) inspired clans, deep lore and worlbuilding, coming of age with revenge seeking, a well-executed MFF love triangle that is built upon duty, identity, a This book is tailor-made for me, almost comically so. It has: Roman Empire era Germanic (the Goths) inspired clans, deep lore and worlbuilding, coming of age with revenge seeking, a well-executed MFF love triangle that is built upon duty, identity, and love, a chosen one prophecy with a reluctant chosen one, an Amazonian all-female warrior clan, political scheming and backstabbing, a low-key magic system, excellent battles and war tactics, and delivers a complete story arc but fully sets up the greater series. Honestly, this is the best indie book I've read all year, bar none, and if it wasn't for the masterpiece Jay Kristoff just released, it would be my book of the year.

The Amalus (lion) and Wulthus (wolf) clans of the Gottari people are fractured after the previous Lion Lord murdered the Wolf Lord over the Wolf Lord's betrothed (but remember, this is a political scheming book) and is banished with said betrothed (both actually loved each other, so no patriarchal society shenanigans here). Set years later, the Outcast's son is ordained the Bringer of the Urrinan via prophecy, essentially he is the harbinger of the end of the Gottari way of life. When the Outcast is hunted down by those dastardly political schemers, the chosen one must rise and reclaim his father's rightful place, plus some honor. But within him he carries an ugliness, one that makes him a killer, one that might break him before he can claim his father's stolen blade.

Put it this way, if you don't like revenge-seeking chosen ones, you probably won't like our main protagonist, Vahldan. He's young, he's brash, he's a hothead, he's reluctant, he's a failure in his father's eyes (maybe?), he loses himself to the "ugliness" (aka a blessing of a god that can threaten everything). But he also possesses everything we love about the farm boy chosen one trope. He's loyal, he's determined to right wrongs, he's fallible, he just wants to carve wooden animals. And he IS an incredible protagonist for everything listed above. I just loved everything about Vahldan's arc in this book.

But he'd be nothing as a character without our other main protagonist, Elan. Hands down, Elan might be one of my fave characters in a long while. Elan comes from the Skolani clan and is a Blade-Wielder (aka the Amazonians, but they are not just here for snu snu iykyk haha). The Skolani are respected warriors and they have a very interesting lore; with their oaths to their clan, their rites of fertility, and their rigorous training in hopes of earning a blade. Despite being a formidable warrior, Elan is incredibly deep, having so many warring emotions after meeting, and ultimately being assigned as Vahldan's guardian. Her arc is laced with ideations of self: self-discovery, self-loathing, self-wondering, self-growth. She is clearly torn by everything pulling her in multiple political angles.

And Elan is also the center of one of the best executed love triangles I've read in ages. Obviously there is the burgeoning romance between Vahldan and Elan, and it forms from respect, but more importantly, it's because Elan is able to ground Vahldan with his ugliness. Personally, it makes me think of the tactics I have to use with my neurodivergent son, or how some people might need go-to actions/words when in the middle of a panic or asthma attack. It was just an incredible touch by Roycroft to build this relationship in this manner. Then on the other side of the triangle is Elan and her love for her near-sister (Skolani term for mate) Princess Icannes. Theirs is a love built on their Skolani upbringing. At times, you want to really dislike Icannes because of the political manipulation happening and her brusque attitude toward men, Vahldan in particular, but in the end, her love is true. Watching Elan go through the wringer with what the Skolani do to women who leave the clan v being the only female in a lion's den of male soldiers, it made the final decision all the more powerful. Bravo, Mr. Roycroft, bravo!

Now, with all this charactering going on, we have an incredible political intrigue plot and unfolding war within these pages. We see four different factions all scheming to keep power, utilizing the big bad (an awesome goliath killer called Death's Grin and these badass horsemen) for their own means. Chess pieces being pushed all across the board, including Vahldan and Elan. It is nuanced, the political theater tense, things you might expect are turned upside down, the gotcha moments by the characters are actually quite clever. The war is deftly woven in and shown in all its horrible glory. Characters are cut down and trampled. It's all very entertaining and engaging.

The prose is adept, the pace cruises. The details were always there, the scenes always painted exactly. My only complaint is that time passes but it's never really clear how long, could've been weeks, maybe months. And I really couldn't put an age on Vahldan. At times he seems 16 but then other times he's 18+, and we are also told a ton of times his beard is thick (I know 16yr olds can have beards but I still struggled to figure it out). And Elan is only 2 years older, but when she makes her realization, it felt very adult, not exactly something you might expect from an 18ry old. Either way, and this is an admission of guilt, this book took me longer to read than a usual 550+ page book because I legitimately read every single word and took my time enjoying this story. As a speed reader who typically skims paragraphs to parse the meat of a book, this is high praise for Roycroft's storytelling. I also want to dive directly into book 2, another thing I don't always do with such a long TBR. Roycroft truly crafted something special with this book.

I'm really at a loss of how to end this review because this book is truly special. I enjoyed every page of The Severing Son and I recommend it with every fiber of my being! ...more

Bill Adams made a comment on Lucas Magee’s status in The Light Of Kasaban

The Light Of Kasaban by Thomas Howard Riley

" I'd like to say it stops buuuuuuuuuuuuut ...more "

Bill Adams rated a book really liked it

Let Sleeping Gods Lie
by Ben Schenkman (Goodreads Author)

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Let Sleeping Gods Lie is a thrilling urban fantasy with a neat magic system and a plump raccoon familiar that just enjoys cold french fries.

I must admit, contemporary urban fantasies are not my usual go to reads but this LSGL was a fun one, a fast re Let Sleeping Gods Lie is a thrilling urban fantasy with a neat magic system and a plump raccoon familiar that just enjoys cold french fries.

I must admit, contemporary urban fantasies are not my usual go to reads but this LSGL was a fun one, a fast read with a very intriguing basis in indigenous history. The story takes place in and around the Yale University campus and Schenkman uses the myths and legends of indigenous tribes, specifically the Quinnipiac. Centered around a sleeping giant god called Hobbomock. If you can glean from the title what the plot might include, then you’ve got the gist of this story. Plus there’s some deaths of homeless people in need of solving.

There are a bunch of characters we meet throughout this story but Corbin Pierce is our POV. He’s a magic user and sort of conservationist/inquisitor/professor/jaded dude who protects the Yale area from bad magic things™️. There’s Taylor the new guy who has magic so Corbin becomes his mentor, essentially the reader’s proxy for lore learning. Katie is another magic user who helps Corbin with a fun spy/theft scene in a museum. There’s the prim Alexander Hughes, a magic user who doesn’t like Corbin much and is part of a group called The Hand (cue mustache twirling). And finally, the best character, Scratch. Our plump raccoon who Corbin feeds french fries.

The magic system in this story is quite fun. Basically there is a sort of spirit realm that only magic users can see, and animals and other creatures inhabit this realm (very much based on indigenous myths). But magic users can also use their spirit or that of living objects to do things. They can’t make fireballs (as Corbin snarkily tells Taylor) but they can infuse their essence to get spirits to do some things, like getting Scratch to help during the aforementioned theft. I also really liked the fact that expending energy has consequences, like after the theft, Corbin is sick with the flu for a few days. It’s a very interesting magic system that isn’t bombastic (aside from the sleeping giant god of course).

The story isn’t terribly long and the pace is quite fast. The prose is solid. I liked Corbin as a POV but since it’s told via 1st POV, I wasn’t as deeply connected to him as I would’ve liked in such a POV style. I did like the multiple plot threads and how they came together in a thriller tropey way. I wouldn’t say the twists weren’t hard to spot, but they still hit exactly liked you’d want.

Let Sleeping Gods Lie was an enjoyable read, I’d highly recommend to those who enjoy urban fantasy or those who’d like more indigenous mythology in their lives! ...more

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Maiden of Storms (The Conspiracy of Crows, #2)
by Matthew Zorich (Goodreads Author)

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Maiden of Storms is a very ambitious story, that’s for damn sure, maybe too ambitious at times. It’s epic in scope and impressive in scale, a book bursting at the seams with characters and plots upon plots upon plots.

Immediately picking up after the Maiden of Storms is a very ambitious story, that’s for damn sure, maybe too ambitious at times. It’s epic in scope and impressive in scale, a book bursting at the seams with characters and plots upon plots upon plots.

Immediately picking up after the riot (an analog for the Boston Massacre) the fallout continues between the Holy Imperium (British Empire) and the natives (Americans). Revolution begins, characters die, articles of proclamation are written, parties are overthrown. Did I mention characters die? Yeah, like a lot of characters.

Speaking frank, there are so many characters in this book that it’s sometimes difficult to remember who they are, especially since this book uses 3rd person omniscient POV. All the head hopping does make it difficult to connect to any character as there really isn’t a ton of space here for introspection. And aside from Alysha (more on her below), the main cast from book one is almost sidelined. I will admit that was my biggest quibble with this book, as I wish we spent more time with Duncan, Angus, Cordial, Grey Jim, etc. Yes, they have their plot points, but they took a backseat and I’m not sure we could connect enough to some of the other characters who took precedence.

That said, Alysha’s arc was phenomenal. She was my favorite plot arc in book 1 and it continues here in Maiden of Storms (the literal goddess who helps her and speaks to her and gives her strength). Not only does she get her butt handed to her constantly throughout her flight, but she still had moments of badassness with a sweet maul/axe that she uses with aplomb. But her friendship with Helena (who also became a personal fave here) is so refreshing and engaging. Totally shipping them. I’m very intrigued in both their story’s conclusion.

There are a ton of battles in this book and the action is intense. Like I said earlier, characters bite the dust in crazy numbers, some we just meet. The action can be hectic at times but I think that works well since battles are hectic. It was also fun to see a character named after me take a crossbow bolt to the chest and fall off a bridge!

As with the first book, I love the American Revolution analog. We basically have the Boston Tea Party (at Bawstone Keep). We get some comparable battles from the Revolution. We have our corrupt Prince Damon, aka King George. We have our underground printing presses passing out pamphlets. We have a number of different militia groups coming together. We have our General Washcreek agreeing to becoming the leader of the rebels. Just a lot of fun historical tidbits.

If you need yourself some American Revolution style stories with elves, dwarves, orcs, goblins, and more, then give this series, The Conspiracy of Crows, a shot! ...more

Bill Adams has read

Locks & Keys: A Fantasy Anthology
by Alex Scheuermann (Goodreads Author)

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Bill Adams made a comment on Nicole Hidalgo’s review of Lady Drakeslayer (The Divine Godsqueen Coda, #2)

" Huzzah! Thank you, Nicole, for reading. I knew you'd love Ashe and Harle-bub ...more "

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	The Tenacious Tale of Tanna the Tendersword by Dewey Conway (Goodreads Author) (author, illustrator), Bill Adams (Goodreads Author) (author, editor) 4.25 avg rating — 107 ratings — 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
	The Godsblood Tragedy (The Divine Godsqueen Coda, #1) 4.40 avg rating — 57 ratings — published 2024 — 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
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	Locks & Keys: A Fantasy Anthology by Alex Scheuermann (Goodreads Author), Bill Adams (Goodreads Author) (Author, Editor), Tom Bookbeard 4.14 avg rating — 37 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
	Lady Drakeslayer (The Divine Godsqueen Coda, #2) 4.85 avg rating — 13 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

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