Okay I'm hooked I need more of this frightening world with sinister evil beings called Ruins.

The thing with fantasy is that there is usually a well drawn line between Good vs Evil/Heroes vs Monsters which sometimes gets a little tiresome and flat as the Evil is sooooo evil and the good is soooo good. I only find that this works when the good is not wholesome, I want rough around the edges, mystery and tough female and male characters with an interesting back story which this little gem has. Although this is the first book in the series for Rend the Dark I've since found out its the second book in a wider series of smaller series.

If you like your fantasy on the darker side add it to your TBR pile.

I think I might have mentioned before that I'm enjoying this monthly series that consists of four series set in the same universe but which feature different genres and people.

Skinshaper is the second book after Rend the Dark and it continues to be a great story. Ferran and co encounter an abandoned mine and village, completely empty save for one survive hanging in a cage.

This series is by far the darkest of the four, but very nice to read. The one thing I really, really liked is the references that I start to notice between the different series. I'm looking forward a lot to the next story (both in this series and the next Echo of the ascended which will be more of an urban fantasy).

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Rend the Dark starts off with a slightly strange prologue—and then launches into a rich, well-done tale of fantasy and horror. The magic is unique, the evil the characters face is unusual (at least in my reading experience!), and the world-building is tidily woven into the meat of the story. The characters are diverse, cleverly sculpted, and appealing in their flaws. The pace is easily intense enough to keep the reader eagerly turning the pages. Gelineau and King have produced a first-class story that fits in a little bitty space.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley, and I’m glad I got to read it!

This novella is part of The Echo of the Ascended a series with a concept that I'm really liking so far. Basically it is four different series, but they are all set in the same universe, I believe. There is a new novella every month. Rend the dark is the second one, after A Reaper of Stone.

Ferran is an orphan, who can feel/see the Ruins, monsters who once roamed the world, but are now mostly extinct. However, they may be hiding something even more sinister when Ferran and some others stumble upon a village with a very dark secret.

I really quite liked it. It was another very short story, but it didn't feel too rushed to be enjoyable. It feel rather like an episode of a tv series, and the books together will form the overlapping story. Ferran is an orphan, taken in by this mysterious sect/order that has certain powers and can see dark forces, which is not too original, I admit, but it was interesting enough for me to be looking forward to more. I'm really curious to see where this series is going from here.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!