Genre: Fantasy

Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction set in a fictional universe, often inspired by real world myth and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and drama. From the twentieth century it has expanded further into various media, including film, television, graphic novels, manga and video games.

Fantasy is distinguished from the genres of science fiction and horror by the absence of scientific or macabre themes respectively, though these genres overlap. In popular culture, the fantasy genre predominantly features settings of a medieval nature. In its broadest sense, however, fantasy consists of works by many writers, artists, filmmakers, and musicians from ancient myths and legends to many recent and popular works.

Wikipedia

The Winter of the Witch

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The Winter of the Witch
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, Book # 3
Del Rey
January 8, 2019
Hardcover
384
English
March 13, 2023 March 27, 2023
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Now Moscow has been struck by disaster. Its people are searching for answers—and for someone to blame. Vasya finds herself alone, beset on all sides. The Grand Prince is in a rage, choosing allies that will lead him on a path to war and ruin. A wicked demon returns, stronger than ever and determined to spread chaos. Caught at the center of the conflict is Vasya, who finds the fate of two worlds resting on her shoulders. Her destiny uncertain, Vasya will uncover surprising truths about herself and her history as she desperately tries to save Russia, Morozko, and the magical world she treasures. But she may not be able to save them all.

About the book

Winter of the Witch, is the the third in the series. The plot follows the adventures of the protagonist Vasja, a witch who tries to save Moscow from the Bear and the plague. The story takes place in a magical world and includes magical creatures and a journey through Midnight.

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The Burning God

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The Burning God
,

, Book # 3
Harper Voyager
Published November 17th 2020
Hardcover
654
English
August 17, 2022 October 24, 2022
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After saving her nation of Nikan from foreign invaders and battling the evil Empress Su Daji in a brutal civil war, Fang Runin was betrayed by allies and left for dead.

Despite her losses, Rin hasn’t given up on those for whom she has sacrificed so much—the people of the southern provinces and especially Tikany, the village that is her home. Returning to her roots, Rin meets difficult challenges—and unexpected opportunities. While her new allies in the Southern Coalition leadership are sly and untrustworthy, Rin quickly realizes that the real power in Nikan lies with the millions of common people who thirst for vengeance and revere her as a goddess of salvation.

Backed by the masses and her Southern Army, Rin will use every weapon to defeat the Dragon Republic, the colonizing Hesperians, and all who threaten the shamanic arts and their practitioners. As her power and influence grows, though, will she be strong enough to resist the Phoenix’s intoxicating voice urging her to burn the world and everything in it?

What I think

I didn’t like the ending. With this ending, the author justifies the conquest of the East by the West and even if progress is right, erasing an entire culture just to make room for the “Creator” is not right and I expected more from a person with Chinese origins (but what do you want me to do, she lives in America and therefore she has been brainwashed with the thought that “Americans are the best in the world and that everyone must be like them” with their 600 year old culture).

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Le sabre des Sanada

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Le sabre des Sanada
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, Book # 2
Gallimard Jeunesse
August 26th 2021
Paperback
420
French
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August 6, 2022 August 16, 2022

Shocked by the disappearance of Hiinahime, Ichirô, a young samurai, has only one idea in mind, to find the assassin and avenge the death of his master. He also wishes to return the mysterious sword to a lord of Osaka and thus grant Hiinahime's last wish. For this, he joins the Sanada clan.
(Google translated from French)

About the book

Ichirou has fled Edo and with Shin stops in his old village. Here, it’s buried Marumasa’s sword, entrusted by Kama to his master (and Ichirou’s father figure) some time before. The two are followed by a ninja Seirei who wants to take them to Kyoto where Akemi can use them for her work. But with the sword comes a message to go to the temple and entrust the sword to a certain monk. So the three go to the temple, but the monk is not there. Here the three stop for the winter until they decide to leave, but suddenly the monk arrives, who is none other than Kama, who entrusts the sword to the monk who hosted the three, he has no time to think about the sword becasue he has to return to Osaka where his boss has just surrendered to shogun Ieyasu.

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Deadhouse Gates

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Deadhouse Gates
,

, Book # 2
Tor Books
September 2000
Hardcover
604
English
April 18, 2022 May 18, 2022
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In the vast dominion of Seven Cities, in the Holy Desert Raraku, the seer Sha’ik and her followers prepare for the long-prophesied uprising known as the Whirlwind. Unprecedented in size and savagery, this maelstrom of fanaticism and bloodlust will embroil the Malazan Empire in one of the bloodiest conflicts it has ever known, shaping destinies and giving birth to legends.

The story begins where the first book “Gardens of the Moon” ends, even if I honestly don’t remember anything about that book. Maybe that’s why I didn’t like it that much. The empire is collapsing, a prophesied rebellion is about to break loose on Seven Cities, and the empire is about to fall. At the head of the Empress’s forces is Coltaine, a Wickan of the Raven Clan. His task is to defend the people of Malazan settled in Seven Cities.

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The Ascent to Godhood

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The Ascent to Godhood
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, Book # 4
Tor.com
July 30th 2019
Paperback
122
English
March 18, 2022 March 18, 2022
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For fifty years, the Protector ruled, reshaping her country in her image and driving her enemies to the corners of the map. For half a century the world turned around her as she built her armies, trained her Tensors, and grasped at the reins of fate itself. Now she is dead. Her followers will quiver, her enemies rejoice.

But in one tavern, deep in rebel territory, her greatest enemy drowns her sorrows. Lady Han raised a movement that sought the Protector's head, yet now she can only mourn her loss. She remembers how it all began, when the Protector was young, not yet crowned, and a desperate dancing girl dared to fall in love with her.

About the book

As with the other books, read the synopsis above. I don’t remember anything I read. Luckily I write my impressions immediately after finishing a book otherwise I would have nothing to say for these books …

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