The Nerd Book Review:The Tractor Seasons

This episode gives a quick rundown on my top 8 books of 2023!

Small Gods is one of the two standalone novels in the Discworld series. I had never read anything by Pratchett and before I dove right in I decided I'd dip my toes in. Small Gods centers around a single PoV character named Brutha who is the one true believer in the Great God Om who remains. As a result of a dearth of true believers, despite being the only god allowed in a rather large empire, Om is now trapped in the body of a lowly turtle and will need a nobody named Brutha to help reclaim his place in the pantheon of gods.

This episode talks about the 4 book Sol's Harvest series by MD Presley. This review is spoiler free and only talks about the plot details of book 1. The series is an analogue to the American Civil War with a religion loosely based on the Abrahamic view of a God and a Devil.

Murder at Spindle Manor by Morgan Stang is a SPFBO 9 finalist that was published in 2022 and clocks in at 249 pages long. The book is a gaslamp murder mystery with a lot more of the fantasy element than I expected.

The Last Ranger by JDL Rosell is the first book in the Ranger of the Titan Wilds series. It is a finalist for SPFBO 9. It is 462 pages long and came out in December of 2022. The book is an epic fantasy adventure story that evokes imagery of the Horizon Zero Dawn video games.

Master of the Void by Wend Raven is a SPFBO 9 Finalist published in 2023. It is 523 pages long and is a sweeping coming-of-age journey that follows a cast of misfit friends through times of heartbreak, fear, joy, laughter, failure, and triumph.

In this episode I talk about the 9 books I finished, plus 1 book I DNF during the month of October.

Daughter of the Beast by EC Greaves is a Slavic Fairytale inspired epic fantasy. Published in 2022 it is a finalist for SPFBO 9. If you've ever looked for a story that at times reads like a dark fairytale this just might be your book. Featuring no humans at all. Author Website https://www.ecgreaves.com/ My other links https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNbX0k_kCZbW7pJx3T-2Oxg https://www.instagram.com/nerdbookreview/

Shadow of a Dead God is the first book in the Mennick Thorn series by Patrick Samphire. The 4th and final book in the series releases on November 3rd. The book is an urban fantasy murder mystery set in a secondary world with roughly Renaissance Era technology with plenty of magic.

Kraken Rider Z is a new book by Dyrk Ashton, the author of the Paternus Trilogy, releasing November 14th 2023. If is a Progression fantasy about sentient dragons and their bonded riders, along with a, you guessed it, kraken! In this review I talk a little bit about Dyrk and his first trilogy before talking about Kraken Rider Z itself.

The Wickwire Watch by Jacquelyne Hagen is a finalist for SPFBO 9. It was published in 2022 and is a gaslamp fantasy with a teenage protaganist who is attacked by a malign spirit called a Spektor. He is saved by a notorious group who most would call terroritst, can he trust them or are the stories about them true?

This episode is from my youtube video of Legacy of the Brightwash by Krystle Matar. It was published in 2021 and is 662 pages long. It would best be described as a dark urban fantasy murder mystery with a touch of romance thrown in for good measure. It is an emotionally gripping story that shouldn't be entered into lightly.

Outlaw Mage by KS Villoso is an Adventure Fantasy released on August 1st 2023. It features a strong female single PoV character with plenty of magic and action.

I started and finished 16 total books this summer and rated 11 of them a 4 or 5. In this episode I give a quick rundown on each of the 11 books.

This episode is Miss Percy's Pocket Guide(To the Feeding and Care of British Dragons) by Quenby Olson. Quite the mouthful for sure! This episode is as always spoiler free.

The Umbral Storm by Alec Hutson was published in 2022 and is 656 pages long. It is the first book in the Sharded Few series and is a Progression Fantasy.

In Solitude's Shadow was published in 2021 by David Greene and is the first book in the Empire of Ruin series. Book Blurb An army is at the gates of Haltveldt, a nation built on war, and nothing is as it seems. Calene Alpenwood, a powerful warrior-mage gifted with the Spark, makes a shocking discovery that sets into motion events that put her at odds with the very masters she serves. Reuniting with her mother Zanna, a woman banished after a terrible crime, they team up with unlikely allies as they attempt to save the fortress of Solitude from destruction. One thing’s for certain; ruin approaches if Solitude falls and life will never be the same when The Banished return.

Reign and Ruin by JD Evans is a Romantic Fantasy novel published in 2020 that won the 2020 SPBO Competition. It is 420 pages long and is available in print and on audiobook. It revolves around 2 characters who wield magic in the Middle Eastern inspired lands of Tamar and Sarkum and their budding relationship and their attempts to unite the two countries that have been divided for hundreds of years in the face of an existential threat to the survival of magic.

The Lost War by Justin Lee Anderson is the first book in the Eidyn Series. It is 529 pages long and won the 2019 SPFBO competition. It was re-released by Orbit books December of 2022. The book is set in the Kingdom of Eidyn which has recently been ravaged by war and is still beset by demons and zombies. A group put together to fulfill a mission for their king finds themselves a part of a conspiracy and must figure that conspiracy out to save the kingdom from ruin.

Small Miracles is the 2022 SPFBO Winner written by Olivia Atwater. It is a humorous urban fantasy novel about a couple of angels and their attempt to make human Holly Harker enjoy herself a little bit more. It is 286 pages long and the audiobook clocks in a little over 8 hours long. This episode is Cameron's first attempt at going solo and recording an actual review episode in his tractor