5 reviews matched your criteria:

Beneath the Vaulted Hills, by Sean Russell

The time of the mages is nearly over; only one mage still lives, the elusive Lord Eldrich. There's one man who has first-hand knowledge of the mages -- Erasmus Flattery, a young empiricist who studied in Lord Eldrich's house as a child. Flattery has been trying to avoid his past, but is nevertheless drawn into a web of intrigue and mystery as he joins a diverse cast of characters in a race to discover the secrets of an ancient temple. Read the full review by Sara Lipowitz.

Black Sun Rising could have been a much more affecting book had it been a couple of hundred pages shorter. But the sheer weight of philosophical speculation was more than enough to get me to take a second look. I don't predict that anybody will actually enjoy this novel, but then, the works of C.S. Friedman are for those who prefer to be disturbed. Read the full review by Becky Parkhurst.

Blackmantle, Patricia Kennealy-Morrison's seventh book, is an autobiographical fantasy whose subject is the great love of her life, Jim Morrison of The Doors. Though Blackmantle has its merits, in trying to be both a fantasy and an autobiography it fails to completely satisfy either form. Read the full review by Sara Lipowitz.

The Blue Sword is a vivid fairy tale that immediately draws the reader in and doesn't let go until the tumultuous happy ending. I have just re-read it, probably for the first time since middle school, and I find myself as enchanted by it now as I was then. I don't know if it's been around long enough to be called a classic yet, but it's definitely a classic in waiting. Read the full review by Sara Lipowitz.

The Book of Paradox has everything: philosophy, mystery, fantasy, romance, horror, occult, interesting and believable characters, beautiful places, and emotionally charged scenes. Read the full review by Suzanne Patten.