The Beauty of Autumn 🍂🎃 My first post on my new blogging home - Beyond the Barrow. Check it out below:

Hi everyone, exciting news - I've created a new home for more content from me! Beyond the Barrow is a space for folklore, fantasy, myth and magic, even some spooky stories 🍂✨❄️ 🎃 I'd love it if you'd join me and even consider subscribing! beyondthebarrow.substack.com

Things are getting spooky! Check out the blog tour for Coffin Moon by Keith Rosson from @blackcrowbooks.bsky.social (I'm on 18th!)

An excellent review from Womble as usual, which perfectly captures the vibe and nuances of this book!

New Review - A Brilliant mythic tale of magic, family and great storytelling I strongly recommend A Sword of Bronze And Ruin by Anna Smith Spark is out now and go get it! www.runalongtheshelves.net/blog/2025/9/...

I generally don't buy 2nd copies but I had to use my last birthday book vouchers for the updated edition of A Sword of Bronze and Ashes for the matching sprayed edges, premium feel, extra chapter and matching spines. And I'm glad I did 😍 @annasmithspark.bsky.social

Stay tuned next month where I'll be on the blog tour for this, right in the middle of spooky season! Love @normkonyu.bsky.social 's work and I'm really excited to read this. Thanks @comicstitan.bsky.social for including me on the tour ☺️❤️

'Read it slowly and allow it to take hold of you. Remind yourself that books can also be art [...] cherish the beauty of human emotion, language and imagination.' A wonderful review of A SWORD OF GOLD AND RUIN from @blogspells.bsky.social Out now!! spellsandspaceships.home.blog/2025/09/23/a...

New Review! In this much anticipated sequel to a Sword of Bronze and Ashes, @annasmithspark.bsky.social continues to push the boundaries with her unique and refreshing brand of fantasy ❤️ spellsandspaceships.home.blog/2025/09/23/a...

New Review! In this much anticipated sequel to a Sword of Bronze and Ashes, @annasmithspark.bsky.social continues to push the boundaries with her unique and refreshing brand of fantasy ❤️ spellsandspaceships.home.blog/2025/09/23/a...

This BEAUTY arrived this morning from Waterstones 😍 Review coming soon as nearly finished the eARC! SO honoured & thrilled to see my quote on the inside cover & alongside @petemc666.bsky.social @shaunalawless.bsky.social and @grimdarkmagazine.bsky.social !! @annasmithspark.bsky.social

I'm working hard to have a few spooky book reviews for October and viking ones for the following month in Norsevember :)

New Review! The Scour by @richardswanauthor.bsky.social brought to you by @grimdarkmagazine.bsky.social I loved this prequel novella to the Justice of Kings trilogy (yes you can read this one first and I highly recommend it!) Full review here: spellsandspaceships.home.blog/2025/09/04/t...

Exciting News! @brendannoble.bsky.social has a new cover and Kickstarter campaign for an absolutely gorgeous edition of A Dagger in the Winds, book 1 of the Frost marked Chronicles. Check it out! 😍 Launches September 22nd and I think you'll agree this is beautiful!

New Review The Life and Death of Richard III - a re release of Anthony Cheetham's very solid 1972 biography with an updated new chapter from Dan Jones. Thankyou @headofzeus.bsky.social !! spellsandspaceships.home.blog/2025/08/28/t...

Wanted to try something different when I'm done with my current (extensive) reading plans and ARCs... Anyone read this?

Axopoptl lives! I backed @normkonyu.bsky.social 's Kickstarter A Fall From Grace and finally got round to putting this little guy together. I think he's now going to be guarding my son's bookshelf!

Very fortunate to be the recipient of this beauty of a novella from @grimdarkmagazine.bsky.social @thebrokenbinding.bsky.social written by @richardswanauthor.bsky.social Signed and numbered 😍 thanks so much Adrian for sorting this out! Looking forward to bringing you all a review of this :-)

Thankyou to @sheenalouisef.bsky.social for always making me feel popular and liking my posts ❤️

Don't know why, but I really don't seem to care about reading sci-fi anymore. It kills me as I used to love it. I genuinely don't know what happened.

These are so cool! And so many species of dragon to choose from!

Sorry I didn't reply to your call, I was too busy reading @annasmithspark.bsky.social

After almost 6 years of reviewing books, I will never take this absolute privilege for granted! Returned from holiday today to this exquisite copy of #TheLifeAndDeathOfKingRichardIII from @headofzeus.bsky.social Thanks so much! Can't wait to read it and have a review for you all 👌

It's a good one!! 🌳🌲

As if I had to take a selfie to prove to BlueSky I'm an adult just incase I had any DMs... Which of course I didn't. I don't see why you need proof of age just to send a message, absolutely ridiculous.

I ordered some shorts before I went on holiday and it turns out I'm not actually as fat as I thought I was. The downside is I keep coming very close to my shorts falling down! The only solution is to drink more beer and eat more food...

New Review 🐋🦍🦏🐧🦉🧬 If you love the wonders of evolution or want to know more about looking at what genes can tell us, look no further than The Genetic Book of the Dead by Richard Dawkins Thanks so much to @headofzeus.bsky.social for the review copy 😍 spellsandspaceships.home.blog/2025/07/17/t...

New Review 🐋🦍🦏🐧🦉🧬 If you love the wonders of evolution or want to know more about looking at what genes can tell us, look no further than The Genetic Book of the Dead by Richard Dawkins Thanks so much to @headofzeus.bsky.social for the review copy 😍 spellsandspaceships.home.blog/2025/07/17/t...

I wish you all a pleasant resipiscence

I downloaded a book that is not my usual sort of fantasy read at all, but I'm always up for new experiences! (And this one looks pretty cool)

Book two is out in September and I strongly urge you to read book 1 in time! Have a read of my review of A Sword of Bronze and Ashes to see if you might like it! spellsandspaceships.home.blog/2023/07/08/a...

Lady Eranan - Summer Harvest Lord Gallyn - Great Leap Lady Kestre - Song Lord Morren - Golden Lord Palle - Calm And Kanda The six return soon in @annasmithspark.bsky.social 's new book A Sword of Gold and Ruin 🗡️

So, I did something new: I re-read a book I hadn't read for 25 years! It was such a great feeling for one of the books that actually kindled my love of fantasy from an early age to still hold up today and brought loads of warm feelings reading it: spellsandspaceships.home.blog/2025/06/26/b...

The good thing about bluesky is the only private messages I receive are from friends/genuine authors and bloggers. So I know if I see that little symbol, at least it's going to be from a genuine person who intended on messaging me specifically.

Thanks to @blogspells.bsky.social's recommendation, I picked up @j-schiecke.bsky.social's 'Death Cult' and it was awesome. lordsamperlibrary.blogspot.com/2025/06/death-cult-janelle-schiecke-emerald.html

This one was gory AF! Check out what I thought of Janelle Schieke's Death Cult "Death Cult will make you want to cancel your summer road trip and never travel again!" Full review here: spellsandspaceships.home.blog/2025/06/20/d...

This one was gory AF! Check out what I thought of Janelle Schieke's Death Cult "Death Cult will make you want to cancel your summer road trip and never travel again!" Full review here: spellsandspaceships.home.blog/2025/06/20/d...

I'm realising that horror novellas are a great way to break me out of a reading slump and this book delivered! Full review to come soon...

Haven't read anything for a week & that's only because I wanted to read a friend's short eARC. Otherwise it's two weeks. I wish I could separate work/life stress and just enjoy the simple act of reading. Anyone else just really struggle to read when they're not in the headspace?

Review from Alex - @blogspells.bsky.social ⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Felix absolutely nails the setting...this is an author with a lot of respect and reverence for the material who has evidently done tons of research in order to make this book feel real. Enthusiasts for the time period will be especially impressed..."

I know this is a first world problem in some ways but there is a definite grief to be a few days from moving to your dream house and then have the rug pulled from under you by a horrible, immoral buyer and the move fall through. Still devastated a week on. *Sigh*

All I want is the book gods to: • Increase my reading speed • Let my mind focus on books when stressed • Being forward the release of @annasmithspark.bsky.social 's book A Sword of Gold and Ruin • Not make my eyes tired when I read • Let a suitable house come on the market so I can have a bookcase

New Review: Liminal Monster by @luketarzian.bsky.social Check it out below; spellsandspaceships.home.blog/2025/06/05/l...

Today I received some awesome bookmail from @headofzeus.bsky.social It's been a really tough week so this brought a big smile to my face. Can't wait to read it and share my review with you - as a Mercian myself with a huge interest in Dark Ages Britain I'm so excited! #TheMercianChronicles

Today I received some awesome bookmail from @headofzeus.bsky.social It's been a really tough week so this brought a big smile to my face. Can't wait to read it and share my review with you - as a Mercian myself with a huge interest in Dark Ages Britain I'm so excited! #TheMercianChronicles

You have failed me for the last time...

Really shit week. Can't wait for it to be done.

My blog has now been visited 100,000 times. Thanks to everyone who's interacted or encouraged me as a blogger/reviewer ☺️

Name the last book you just had to keep coming back to in every spare minute and didn't want to be away from reading...