Andrew Shaw

BLACKSTONE HEART BY MICHAEL FLETCHER

I am a great fan of the work of Michael Fletcher who wrote the Obsidian Path series of books. In the first book, Blackstone Heart, we meet Khraen starts out as a relatively good guy, but that doesn't last long. I think he is underrated as an author. While he clearly makes a living writing fantasy his books don't sell as well as the likes of Joe Abercrombie, although they are very enjoyable. a great examples of Grimdark fantasy.

And as I mentioned in the...

The first book in my fantasy trilogy, Renn, is now available to order! At last! It's taken two years to get from first draft to publication. It is set at the end of the Bronze Age during the rise and fall of China’s first emperor. The story is told through the eyes of two lovers at its centre. One is a princess kidnapped and sold to a brothel who must seduce a foreign king to gain her freedom. The other is her warrior husband who becomes willing to tear an empire apart to find her. It's...

THE POET EMPRESS BY SHEN TAO

The Poet Empress is one of the standout debut novels of 2026. A stunning work which is already being touted as a possible winner of next year's Hugo Award.

And while you are here, please consider my own book, Renn, also based on ancient Chinese history and mythology, which is now available to order. It is a dark fantasy set at the end of the Bronze Age during the rise and fall of China’s first emperor. The story is told through the eyes of two lovers at its...