The Malevolent Seven – Angels, Demons, And What Lies Between

If you have been hanging around The Quill to Live for a while you might know that we love Sebastian de Castell. Author of The Greatcoats and Spellslinger series, de Castell is a permanent fixture in our hidden gem recommendations. He has a swashbuckler charm that pervades all his stories with humor, drama, and emotion…

Mrs Death Misses Death Cover Photo

Mrs Death Misses Death – Grave Thoughts

Mrs Death Misses Death by Salena Godden is both triumphant and devastating. This book will comfort you, hurt you, give you hope, make you angry, and send you spiraling. As the grim reaper, Mrs Death takes but she also gives, and she’s here to stay whether we like it or not.  A young child named…

The Scourge Between Stars – Fills The Void

Science fiction and horror go together like peanut butter and jelly. It’s a delicious concoction that begs to be devoured whenever it makes its way to my plate. And much like the sandwich, there is no perfect ratio of jelly to peanut butter, each sandwich offering its highs and lows, but always delectably finishable. But…

The Isles Of The Gods – Charted Trope Territory

Sailing on a ship sounds awesome until I think about being in the middle of the ocean when a storm hits. It’s fun until it isn’t, and that’s exactly how I would describe my time aboard The Isles of the Gods by Amie Kaufman.  With a final sacrifice, the goddess Barrica ends the war by…

The Will Of The Many – The Strength Of The Few

Just as I was getting tired of magical school stories, I found myself presented with possibly the best one yet. Some years it is difficult to know which books will be in your top picks and other years you get standout paragons of excellence, like James Islington’s The Will of the Many. Islington already rates…

The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook For Surviving Medieval England – Not Quite

April rolls along, and it brings with it nice weather for this winter-addled Chicagoan. And lo, an added bonus! Brandon Sanderson’s second Kickstarter book—The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook For Surviving Medieval England—dropped on April 1. It’s the only non-Cosmere book of the bunch, fitting in well with his other projects like Skyward. Mild setup spoilers follow. …