Author: Dan Hanly
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Howling Dark Review: The Price of Greatness
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Hadrian Marlowe is back, and he’s more problematic than ever. In this Howling Dark review, we jump right into the unreliable narrator tropes, the body horror and incredible sci-fi set pieces to find out why this sequel is a grimdark must-read that will leave you reeling.
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The Strength of the Few Review: A Bold Expansion
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James Islington’s sequel to The Will of the Many is an ambitious, multi-dimensional epic that expands the world of the Hierarchy. While it suffers slightly from middle-book syndrome, the character growth of Vis across three different realities makes The Strength of the Few a must-read for fans of high-stakes fantasy.
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The Will of the Many Review: A New Epic Masterpiece?
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James Islington delivers a masterclass in worldbuilding with The Will of the Many. From the Roman-inspired Hierarchy to the protagonist Vis, this review explores why this high-stakes political thriller and its mind-bending ending are redefining modern epic fantasy.
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Gideon the Ninth Review: Lesbian Space Necromancers in a Gothic Escape Room
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In this Gideon the Ninth review, I’m going to break down why Tamsyn Muir’s debut isn’t just a funny tagline—it’s a masterclass in atmosphere, voice, and character dynamics. Despite some pacing hurdles, this has easily become my favorite read of 2025 so far. If you spend any time in sci-fi or fantasy circles, you have…
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The Hunger of the Gods Review: Is This “Middle Chapter” Syndrome?
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John Gwynne returns to the Bloodsworn Saga, but does the sequel hold up? In our review, we discuss why Orka remains the highlight, while new POVs like Gudvarr and Biorr clutter the narrative. A classic case of “middle book syndrome” that sets the stage well but sacrifices character depth.
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Why I Won’t Use AI for Writing: A Deep Dive into AI Literature
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1. Introduction AI in Literature… Is it worth it? (no). I’ve done a deep dive and investigated the ethics, quality and legalities of AI in literature to be more educated when I tell people precisely why I would never use AI for this purpose. And in my investigation, I used AI systems with a critical…
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Review: Godkiller by Hannah Kaner
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Review Contains Spoilers. Rating: 3/5 In the crowded landscape of modern fantasy debuts, Godkiller by Hannah Kaner stands out with a killer premise: Gods are not distant myths, but tangible manifestations of human belief that walk the earth. While the novel delivers a refreshing take on divine magic and features a gritty, lived-in world, it…
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Escapists Anonymous: The Great Leap
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Earlier this year I had the absolute pleasure of being interviewed on the Escapists Anonymous channel about The Great Leap. Sam and Dan were both excellent hosts, who had read the book from cover to cover before the interview. This is the first interview of this kind I’ve done, given that I was able to…
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Announcement – Children of Inauron: Book 2
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The Great Leap, Book 1 of the Children of Inauron series, was released on May 31st, 2024. I’ll be forever proud of the reception that book had at launch, and it’s gone from strength to strength over the course of the past year as more readers have found the story. However, this weekend, I attended…
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Podcast Appearance: Dan Hanly on TheTinyBookcase (Author Podcast Interview)
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I had the distinct pleasure at being a guest on the writing podcast TheTinyBookcase just before Christmas, and the two episodes are now finally launched for your listening pleasure. What is TheTinyBookcase Podcast? The Tiny Bookcase is just like any bookcase, it’s filled to the brim with lovely stories, or it will be, once we…