I picked this up kind of on a whim after seeing it a few times on Twitter and liking the cover and the sound of it. I didn’t really know anything about it and that was great as I just went in hoping for a good time and I was drawn deeper and deeper into the world and the culture clash and blend. This is a great example of the sort of fantasy I’m seeking out more and happy to see, there’s big epic worlds and lots of characters, but there’s also a diverse range and people, cultures, beliefs and wa...

That was very fun! I haven't read a big epic fantasy in ages and the feeling of "oho yet another character and plotline!!" was great. Many thanks to Hiu for reccing it originally way back when. Spammed him with my liveblogging :D

Aright. Okay. I’m gonna be up front from the start and say that I fucking loved this book.What we have here is basically an epic fantasy that involves two cultures coming together in a way that strives to make both better. A Tjakorshi clan has arrived at the Black Keep not to raid, as they may have done in the past, but to settle. Not everyone is thrilled with this idea, of course, but important figures from sides work with each other to find a common ground.The Black Coast is the book that I di...

I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/petrikleoARC provided by the publisher—Orbit—in exchange for an honest review.The Black Coast is a good story about two different cultures trying their best to find peace.I haven’t read any books by Mike Brooks before, and if I may be honest, I’ve never even heard of the name Mike Brooks before I saw the cover reveal of The Black Coast. The cover art of The Black Coast is done by an illustrator whose works I’ve followed for a...

Here are a few things you can expect from this book…Fantastic world building;A solid foundational book to start a series;LGBTQ+ rep;Political intrigue; andEpic battles.On to the full review…The Black Coast first appeared on my radar when I was browsing through NetGalley, and if I am being honest, I probably would have kept on scrolling if I hadn’t loved the cover. It is amazing what a good book cover can do.So, as you do I checked out the Goodreads page. The book sounded a little different but d...

Ahoy there me mateys! I received this fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  So here be me honest musings . . .While this was a decent debut and had lots of things I loved, there were also things that majorly irked me.  I am torn about this novel.  So here be me thoughts:ProsDragons: erm . . . dinosaurs!  There were different kinds and I loved them.Characters: there be some excellent people in this one.  Particular fave was Saana who was fierce, awesome, a woman, and the

4.75 / 5 ✪https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com...The Black Coast is the first in the brand new fantasy epic series, the God-King Chronicles. Instead of a novel of war or chaos, or another GoT-esque fantasy, Black Coast details the coming together of two very different cultures—enemies, even—as they try to live together in peace. It’s more of a… controlled chaos. Saana, Chief of the Tjakorsha, has left home for the last time. Fleeing the Golden, an immortal draugr heralding the prophesied end of...

I enjoyed this one, and I think it's a very interesting take on a classic fantasy. I liked how in this book, we're primarily focusing on how to reconcile different cultures instead of focusing purely on war and battles (though there are definitely enough action scenes and a great final battle sequence). I felt like it was a fresh take on a genre that can sometimes feel a bit samey and boring. I also adored the dragons in this book - if you are a fan of the How to Train Your Dragon movies, I thin...

Why aren't more people talking about this absolute gem of a novel?Black Keep is a remote outpost of the country of Narida, a feudal country ruled by a class of dragon-riding knights. Black Keep is regularly raided by long ships from the Tjakorsha islands. So when the plague-decimated Black Keep is approached by 17 ships at once, several times the normal raiding force, the ruling family of dragon-knights think they're set to die in a futile defense of their home.But the Brown Eagle clan haven't c...

A slow start building into an expansive vision of a new world. However when that world encompasses a people fleeing from a demonic warlord, seeking shelter with those they've raided--well fear, unforgiveness and hate might have to give way what's necessary for the survival of two very different cultures who once were enemies.Interesting concepts but for some reason I just wasn't relating that well. I mean I'd have thought I'd be won by dragons, a demonic warlord, Knights, battles, ferocious clan...

When a story ends with a great battle, I'm sometimes left with an hollow feeling. While it's fulfilling to read a climactic payoff after so long a buildup,, I find myself wishing to know what happens after the battle. How is the new government going to rule? What is the temperment of the people? Can two hated countries put long-ingrained differences aside to work towards peace? The aftermath of these battles are rife with interesting storylines, and I would love to read more about the difficulti...

This is the first instalment in The God-King Chronicles.The people of Black Keep stand in fear and awe at the number of ships approaching their shores. The clanspeople of Tjakorsha have long been their fearsome enemies and have continually raided their borders, but never with a high a number of ships as what they now approach with.When they land, Saana, their female leader reveals they are arriving in peace and with a plea. She wants a new home for her people and is willing to ally with the Blac...

What a rollercoaster. I am EXHAUSTED in the best possible way and full of FEELINGS and a fair few THOUGHTS and many more ALL CAPS. You want to read this book. It has a knife-throwing princess secretly running a patriarchy, and honourable young men caught between duty and pragmatism, and a fierce warrior chief and her dragon taming daughter trying to do a peace, and frigging dinosaurs (don’t @ me, that dragon’s a velociraptor), and a society with 5 genders where mine is none of your fucking busin...

Follow my reviews - https://www.instagram.com/bubblybookr...Compelling, influential, resonating and ground-breaking.If you want a story that sucks you in from the very first, a story that you can’t put down, then pick up “The Black Coast” by Mike Brooks.Firstly, I was struck with the quality of the writing after just the very first chapter. This story and the unusual/different, yet easy-to-understand way it was written, pulled me in and I didn’t want to stop reading.As the story progressed, it r...

all I needed to see was war-dragons

The Black Coast is an intersting fantasy, based on the assimilation of the previously feared Raiders, the Tjakorshi, into the lands of Narida. We follow the point of view of the leader of the Black Eagle Clan, Saarna Sattistutar as she attempts to gain clemency in this strange land in which they have previously been seen as the enemy.The other point of view is from Daimon, the adopted son of Lord Asrel, who seeing a different way to war and killing betrays tradition and family, and accepts the i...

Loved it - a novel that stretches what epic fantasy can mean. Groups deciding peace may be better Ethan war; culture clashes, magic and action plus did I mention dragon-dinosaurs? Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...

eARC received from Little, Brown Book Group UK, thank you. All opinions are my own.Read it if you like: The Ruin of Kings, The Priory of the Orange Tree, Brandon Sanderson. Also - be prepared for gore.A strong new voice in fantasy with a totally immersive world, epic characters and unforgettable narratives. ELLO WHATS THIS:Black Keep has feared the raiders for generations and when they see their ships on the horizon they fear the day has come when they will die. But the Tjakorsha only want to se...

DNF at 64%While I did not finish this book I have a lot of thoughts on it and mostly good ones — the reason for the DNF is a product of my realizing I just don’t care enough and surgery messed up my reading.Black Coast has a handful of really compelling characters though not all of the cast is super developed and a dynamic I loved was snuffed out pretty quick. Overall there is only one character I was really interested in personally and that isn’t enough for me.Dragons are more like feathered di...

This book didn't disappoint (also, the author did an AMA over at r/fantasy and he seems equally great). The premise is remiscient of a lot of traditional epic fantasy about a clash between cultures, and it does have a lot of those trappings (particular the war dinosaurs dragons), but it does a few things differently, which I really appreciated. First is its treatment of said culture clash. The focus of this book is on Daimon, newly crowned leader of his community, and Saana, who has led her own