John’s Year in Books

What did you read this year?

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2023

41,485

pages read

112

books read

John Mauro

16 likes Like

The Slow Sad Suicide of Rohan Wijeratne by Yudhanjaya Wijeratne

Shortest Book

pages

Longest Book

892

pages

Average book length in 2023

370

pages

Most Shelved

539,440

people also shelved

Least Shelved

people also shelved

John’s average rating for 2023

4.1

Highest Rated on Goodreads

4.77 average

No Heart for a Thief by James Lloyd Dulin

John’s first review of the year

really liked it

My complete review of No Heart for a Thief is published at Grimdark Magazine.

No Heart for a Thief is the introspective dark fantasy debut from indie author James Lloyd Dulin and the first entry in his Malitu series.

The novel opens with a bang as Kaylo, an aging thief and self-described spirit dancer, rescues a fourteen-year-old girl, Tayen, from enemy soldiers who murdered her family. Tayen soon recognizes Kaylo as the famous but reclusive Hero My complete review of No Heart for a Thief is published at Grimdark Magazine.

No Heart for a Thief is the introspective dark fantasy debut from indie author James Lloyd Dulin and the first entry in his Malitu series.

The novel opens with a bang as Kaylo, an aging thief and self-described spirit dancer, rescues a fourteen-year-old girl, Tayen, from enemy soldiers who murdered her family. Tayen soon recognizes Kaylo as the famous but reclusive Hero of Anilace, also known as Ennea’s Thief. But Kaylo feels unworthy of such glorious titles and assumes personal responsibility for the ongoing war between Ennea and the invading Gousht Empire. Kaylo’s solitary existence comes to an end as he reluctantly becomes mentor and guardian for the orphaned Tayen.

The plot of No Heart for a Thief is told on two timelines. Although the novel opens with the present-day story of a middle-aged Kaylo protecting and training Tayen, most of No Heart for a Thief consists of Kaylo narrating his backstory to Tayen. Kaylo’s story is full of tragedy for which he feels personal responsibility. The passing of eighteen years has not healed his emotional wounds or lessened his sense of guilt.

Kaylo tells Tayen of his own training as a boy discovering his powers as a spirit dancer, i.e., an Ennean who has the ability to hear The Song and wield the power of one of the Great Spirits. There are seven Great Spirits of Ennea: The Shadow, The River, The Flame, The Mountain, The Wind, The Seed, and The Thief. Each of the Great Spirits can bestow magical abilities on their spirit dancers. The Thief is the most controversial of the spirits, known for her pursuit of power or equity, depending on one’s perspective. Her gift is to borrow the magical powers of the other spirits.

Despite the epic scale of the war between Ennea and the Gousht Empire, the focus of No Heart for a Thief is very personal. Kaylo’s coming-of-age backstory reveals the connections between his history and the more recent events in Tayen’s life. One of my favorite parts of No Heart for a Thief is seeing the bond develop between these two unlikely companions. I wish that more pages had been devoted to this present-day story.

The intertwining nature of religion and magic is a highlight of No Heart for a Thief. James Lloyd Dulin contrasts the polytheistic religion of Ennea with the monotheistic beliefs of the Gousht Empire, who as colonizers seek to impose their religion on the Ennean people, instructing them in the ways of their One True God. The intersection of the Ennean and Gousht belief systems also forms the basis for a rather surprising plot twist late in the novel. Dulin leverages this twist to give a satisfying conclusion to No Heart for a Thief while also setting up nicely for the next volume of the series. However, I was hoping for more moral complexity among the Gousht Empire, who serve as classic epic fantasy villains.

Overall, No Heart for a Thief is a solid debut from James Lloyd Dulin and recommended for fans of introspective character-driven fantasy with innovative magic systems. ...more

JOHN’S 2023 BOOKS

it was amazing

Grimdark Magazine Issue #33 by Beth Tabler

The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera

The God of Endings by Jacqueline Holland

it was amazing

A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher

The Assassin of Grins and Secrets by K.E. Andrews

A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon

Grimdark Magazine Issue #34 by Beth Tabler

it was amazing

The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence

The Ten Percent Thief by Lavanya Lakshminarayan

it was amazing

The Insatiable Volt Sisters by Rachel Eve Moulton

A Woman of the Sword by Anna Smith Spark

A Green and Ancient Light by Frederic S. Durbin

The Return of the Knights by Gregory Kontaxis

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

it was amazing

it was amazing

Grimdark Magazine Issue #35 by Beth Tabler

Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw

The Refrigerator Monologues by Catherynne M. Valente

it was amazing

The Dead Take the A Train by Cassandra Khaw

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

it was amazing

The Last of the Atalanteans by P.L. Stuart

A Sword of Bronze and Ashes by Anna Smith Spark

it was amazing

The Narrow Road Between Desires by Patrick Rothfuss

Trial of the Alchemist by Trevor Melanson

The Collected RinthCon 2323 by Jim Butcher

it was amazing

The Curse of the Mistwraith by Janny Wurts

Grimdark Magazine Issue #36 by Beth Tabler

Last to Leave the Room by Caitlin Starling

The Words of Kings and Prophets by Shauna Lawless

it was amazing

Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson

In the Shadow of Their Dying by Michael R. Fletcher

John’s last review of the year

it was amazing

Check out my all-new interview with Anna Smith Spark.

My complete review of In the Shadow of Their Dying is published at Before We Go Blog.

“The stench of spilled entrails and the rot of death followed them everywhere, filled their every moment, haunted their dreams.”

Two of the most prominent voices in grimdark fantasy, Michael R. Fletcher and Anna Smith Spark, join forces on In the Shadow of their Dying, the most anticipated new grimdark novella o ...more

2023 READING
CHALLENGE

John Mauro read 112 out of 100 books.

112%

What did you read this year?