2024 the best fantasy novels review


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(as of Dec 04, 2024 00:16:09 UTC - Details)

“Fantastic . . . an honest, beautifully detailed book and an entertaining read.”
—DIANA GABALDON, THE WASHINGTON POST

"A fantastical treat." 
—PEOPLE

“Simultaneously sweeping and intricate . . . Tompkins’s amazing debut novel conjures an epic battle for the soul of Ireland. Filled with papal machination and royal intrigue, magic and mayhem, faeries, Vikings, legates, kings and queens, angels and goddesses, this is one wild and breathless ride.” 
—KAREN JOY FOWLER

“Plundering the treasure chest of human myths, from mysterious biblical giants to ferocious Celtic faeries, Tompkins has created a fantasy adventure with the shifting perspectives of dreamscape. A novel rich and strange.”
—GERALDINE BROOKS

What became of magic in the world? Who needed to do away with it, and for what reasons? Drawing on myth, legend, fairy tales, and Biblical mysteries, The Last Days of Magic brilliantly imagines answers to these questions, sweeping us back to a world where humans and magical beings co-exist as they had for centuries.
         
Aisling, a goddess in human form, was born to rule both domains and—with her twin, Anya—unite the Celts with the powerful faeries of the Middle Kingdom. But within medieval Ireland interests are divided, and far from its shores greater forces are mustering. Both England and Rome have a stake in driving magic from the Emerald Isle. Jordan, the Vatican commander tasked with vanquishing the remnants of otherworldly creatures from a disenchanted Europe, has built a career on such plots. But increasingly he finds himself torn between duty and his desire to understand the magic that has been forbidden.
         
As kings prepare, exorcists gather, and divisions widen between the warring clans of Ireland, Aisling and Jordan must come to terms with powers given and withheld, while a world that can still foster magic hangs in the balance. Loyalties are tested, betrayals sown, and the coming war will have repercussions that ripple centuries later, in today’s world—and in particular for a young graduate student named Sara Hill.
         
The Last Days of Magic introduces us to unforgettable characters who grapple with quests for power, human frailty, and the longing for knowledge that has been made taboo. Mark Tompkins has crafted a remarkable tale—a feat of world-building that poses astonishing and resonant answers to epic questions.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Publishing Group; Reprint edition (March 7, 2017)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0143110012
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0143110019
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.1 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.99 x 5.31 x 0.83 inches
Reviewer: Ellski
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Great book!
Review: Fast shipping and such a beautiful book. It's very historical and weaves in just enough magic to make it interesting without getting cheesy. It's especially great if you like good vs evil stories, which I do, so I love it.Edit: Just finished it and I'd like to add that this book nearly got me fired. There are soooo many scenes where I literally couldn't stop reading which NEVER happens to me. It's jaw-dropping, grotesque (seriously the blood eagle?) in all the best ways, and maddeningly addictive. My boss yelled at me at one point to put it down. We're close though so I told her "just one more paragraph."When's the next one come out?

Reviewer: Mackenzie Flohr
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Great debut novel
Review: An interesting blend of history, myth and magic. To be honest the book took me some time to get through due to the first five chapters not following in order. However, once I got past that, I really enjoyed the rest of the book. Richard II was my favorite character of the book. I also found the character of Aisling intriguing and wanted to follow her story the most. I look forward to reading more of this author's work.

Reviewer: Kerry
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: intense, magical
Review: complex combination of history, lore, fantasy. Takes you to another time and world. I have the book and audiobook - I have listened to it numerous times

Reviewer: Amazon Customer
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Middle Earth vs the Outer Layer that Humans Inhabit
Review: I am very conflicted about “The Last Days of Magic”, a novel by Mark Tompkins. On the one hand, I enjoyed reading about the legends and various inhabitants that we, as humans, associate with Middle Earth, like the Sidhe, fairies, merpeople, etc. On the other hand, I cringed when reading about the descriptions of the cruelties different groups of living entities inflict on one another, be it personal harm or battles in war. Though the novel was set mainly in Ireland, during the time of Middle Ages (1300s), with a present-day preface and epilogue, many issues then are still prevalent now: war, religious conflict, ethnic conflict, political backstabbing, etc. Fictional characters are mixed people who once lived, like various British kings from the time, Popes from the time, et al. This was an absorbing read, just too much violence for my tastes.

Reviewer: Joyce Crowley
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: I really enjoyed this book
Review: I really enjoyed this book, . .. at first it is hard to follow, but it all comes together at one point. All the magic and why its leaving us and hope it will come back.

Reviewer: Shelly l
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A nice story about Ireland, myths and legends
Review: I found this book fascinating -- the story involving the intertwining of biblical verse and myths really kept me hooked. The story timeline was harder for me to follow, but that probably has to do more with a reader issue, not a writer issue. Getting into the story took me a while but after the first 35 pages I really wanted to keep reading. Good writing, nice way to understand more about these myths of lore, and even bringing in the Dead Scrolls.

Reviewer: Kathy
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: What a great book!
Review: What a great book! Mark Tompkins’ debut tale is a wonderful story of ancient times when magic was still alive in the land of Eire. This story of conflict between the fairies (Shidhe), humans and the Church is rich with well-researched detail. The artful intertwining of facts with fiction and myth is so skillful, it’s difficult to tell which is which. The engrossing story of Aisling, the magical half-goddess and young manifestation of the Morrigna, pulled me in and kept me up late reading. I hope there’s more to come!

Reviewer: Lost in Amazon
Rating: 2.0 out of 5 stars
Title: I don't like leaving bad reviews but...
Review: I purchased and started this book based on the recommendation printed boldly on the front cover, “Fantastic . . . an honest, beautifully detailed book and an entertaining read.”—DIANA GABALDON, THE WASHINGTON POSTI continued to plow through and read it to the end in frustration and annoyance as the above statement could not be more false. There is absolutely nothing honest about this book, it is 100% complete fiction. Fantastical fiction. If one is really stretching it could by some be considered historical fiction as historical figures are mentioned but as they are portrayed as fantasy characters I would not classify it as such. Like a smoker that once he quits bemoans the evils of tobacco, the author reads like a excommunicated Catholic that cannot resist slandering the Vatican, Pope, Priests and in general all things Catholic. The book is very poorly organized, it jumps back and forth by centuries, months, decades, complete confusion. Threads are started and never finished. I gave it 2 stars because I did read it through until the end, if it were truly unfortunate I would not have and it would have been only one star. I won't recommend it to anyone in its present form, it would need a complete rewrite. I would suggest if the author wants to completely falsify so much with regards to historical individuals, rename the characters in the book so that they do not share the names of actual people that have once lived. Then straighten out the path, better organize the timeline so that the book flows in order. And either get over the Catholicism hatred or again, rename the completely fictionalized religion with a fictional name.

Reviewer: Craig D Taylor
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: A very good read. Do not let any preoccupation with history get in the way of enjoyment.

Reviewer: epic game
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Awesome! Kept me hooked from page 1. Totally believable characters, twisting plot, and convincing dialogue. I thoroughly recommend this book.

Reviewer: Jaxfree
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I was disappointed in this book, maybe just not my style, sorry

Reviewer: tracey
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Awesome! Could not put it down!

Reviewer: Kindle Customer
Rating: 2.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: If you enjoy Xbox war games then you'll probably enjoy this book. I managed to get a third of the way through then gave up. The magical element which I was expecting didn't satisfy me I'm afraid.

Customers say

Customers find the story wonderful, engaging, and brutal. They describe the book as interesting, enjoyable, and addictive. Opinions are mixed on readability, character development, and complexity. Some find it compelling and entertaining, while others say it's hard to follow in the beginning and convoluted.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

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