Tag: cozy fantasy adventure

Review: Glyphs & Merit: The Glyphwright Chronicles Book 5 by Jeremy Fabiano

Rating: 4⭐️ 

Glyphs & Merit shows definitive maturity and character growth in the the small group and couples that have formed over five novels in The Glyphwright Chronicles. 

Marcus and Felix are now in established relationships, with Felix and Katherine soon to return home from their honeymoon. Rose Fairwind, Marcus’ sister, an artificer works alongside them and others now in their own home and shop. 

This story is about Marcus and Felix working through individual issues, both personal and professional. They obtain a brother and sister as interns which affects their group dynamics and business model. 

And they also have to deal with their future work in the Guild and other partnerships. 

It’s a lot. Plus there is an overall plot that involves an old enemy who is undermining their work in an “invisible” manner. 

Sometimes it seems as though it takes forever for various characters and storylines to get the heft and information they need to feel interesting and relevant. Not just laid down and left behind in the narrative. 

It all eventually comes together. And there’s an engagement as well. 

Does this feel as satisfying or as well put together as the books that came before? No, but Jeremy Fabiano has under a health crisis while he was at a conference, and makes (in his own notes) an apology for the errors found in the book because it was rushed to release. 

Swift hopes to the author and I’m looking forward to reading his next book in the series. 

A great series and I’m in love with the characters, including the new additions. 

Cover design by Jacqueline Sweet Design

 Glyphwright Chronicles (5 book series to date):

  • Ashes & Anchors #0.5 (Erasmus’s backstory)
  • Ink & Intent  #1
  • Wards & Measures #2
  • Trades & Treaties #3 
  • Vision & Venture #4
  • Glyphs & Merit #5 
  • Legacy & Succession #6

Buy link

        Glyphs & Merit: The Glyphwright Chronicles – Book 5

    

Blurb 

Six weeks without Felix was supposed to be the hardest part of the season. Then the mayor walked into the shop with a problem the town had already failed to solve four times.

With Felix away and Erasmus at the capital, Marcus Fairwind is running the shop alone. He expected a quiet stretch of routine commissions and a partner home by month’s end. Instead, Mayor Weatherby arrives with a district that has gone twelve years without hot water and a budget smaller than the boiler it can’t afford.

The town has voted the replacement down four times. Marcus thinks Millbrook has been solving the wrong problem. The right one is a utility that serves every house on the line at once, and nobody in the region has ever built one.

Then a Senior Inspector asks him to take two apprentices on trial, and the Guild sends a board inspector to decide whether a shop this young has any business teaching anyone. Marcus has spent two years learning the craft. Now he has sixty days to prove he can explain it — while a quiet campaign against the mayor gathers somewhere he can’t see.

The Glyphwright Chronicles continues with civic infrastructure, first apprentices, small-town politics, one long-postponed question, and the lesson that the hardest part of mastering a craft is teaching it to someone else.

Pour yourself something warm, settle into your favorite reading spot, and discover that the work nobody sees is the work holding the whole town up.

op this young has any business teaching anyone. 

Marcus has spent two years learning the craft. Now he has sixty days to prove he can explain it — while a quiet campaign against the mayor gathers somewhere he can’t see.

Unbounded Creation

Publication date

August 11, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

511 pages

Book 5 of 5

The Glyphwright Chronicles

Review:  Knead for Speed (Tales from the Dragon Diner #2) by Lindsay Buroker

Rating:4.5 ⭐️

“Did you bring any special weapons with you?” Rylana asked. 

Sylin held up her shovel. 

“Oh, that’ll be vastly effective. Entire ballads have been written about noble warriors who slew dragons with garden tools.”

And yes, we’re back in the town of Tranquility where it’s anything but tranquil. Things are going awry, there’s a curse that’s been loosened upon the town, several mysteries afoot, and the Fae Queen looks to be coming to town, a real threat to Rylana’s friend, the lone warrior elf, Sylin, hiding in town.

Knead For Speed is a highly entertaining, well written fantasy action adventure story. It’s got a dragon family whose interactions with each other is dysfunctional and dramatic, including our main character, Jildarin, who just wants to be an inspired chef and run his restaurant, the Dragon Diner. If only his mother and brother will leave him alone. And his bookkeeper/partner too.

But there’s more things happening here. Gnomes and trolls and fae and exes abound with plots. 

It’s fun, an extremely slow burn relationship, and terrific storytelling. 

My only slight issue was with how the element with Rylana’s ex was handled. For me it didn’t make sense , especially given their history. But that was the only aspect here.

If you enjoy a cozy fantasy, and dragons as well as other mythical creatures, this is the book and series for you. Read them in the order they are written. 

Tales from the Dragon Diner (3 book series to date)

Calculated Whisk #1

Knead for Speed #2 

Morel Dilemma #3 – Aug 31,2026

Buy link 

 Book 2 of 3: Tales from the Dragon Diner 

Blurb 

As the bookkeeper and new co-owner of the Dragon Diner, Rylana Avandar is determined to see the business become successful. Despite an inauspicious beginning, her partner Jildarin—founder, chef, and dragon—has come to trust her, and she doesn’t want to disappoint him.

But when a troll curse and an ancient secret threaten Tranquility, Rylana will have to do a lot more than crunch numbers. If she and Jildarin can’t figure out how to appease the troll gods, the diner and the entire city could be doomed.

Lindsay Buroker

Publication date

June 25, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

310 pages

Book 2 of 3

Tales from the Dragon Diner

Review:  Calculated Whisk (Tales from the Dragon Diner #1) by Lindsay Buroker

Rating:  4 ⭐️

It was the description the got me. 

Rylana is a mercenary who, along with her elf warrior friend, a complicated being herself, returns home after the long war is over. She’s done, retired and looking for a new career as a bookkeeper. 

The only place hiring? The Dragon Diner. Owned and run by, Jildarin, the same dragon she successfully attacked during the war. But he needs her skills to get him out of debt and organized and she needs the money and job. 

And he wants to win the Golden Whisk cooking contest to show that dragons can do more than just be good at terrifying and at war. 

It’s a fun, entertaining read and recipe for a story about enemies to friends. There’s a mystery left unsolved and Rylana is left with a new start, partner and just getting reacquainted with her formidable father.  It’s a story about beginnings and new friends and community.

There’s also a fair amount of talk about sexual activity as some of the recipes have an unintentional impact on certain species with their ingredients. 

The relationship between Rylana and Jildarin, the dragon chef, develops gradually, which is a very natural process between former enemies. I thought that was terrific here. 

The other intriguing character is her elf mercenary who accompanied her home. The reader and Rylana is never quite sure what she’s doing or how she is working there in the town. I’d love to see more of her. 

This is an entertaining story and a definite winner. 

Tales from the Dragon Diner (2 book series)

Calculated Whisk #1

Knead for Speed #2 – June 30,2026

Buy link 

Calculated Whisk (Tales from the Dragon Diner #1) by Lindsay Buroker

Blurb 

The Dragon Diner: Bookkeeper Wanted.

After a lifetime as a mercenary and years of war, Rylana seeks a peaceful new career, and this job looks perfect. What could be calmer and more relaxing than crunching numbers while delightful scents waft from a professional kitchen? 

There’s just one problem. The Dragon Diner is run by a realdragon, one she shot with an arrow during the war. And, oh yes, he remembers her. 

This might not be the relaxing new start to life that Rylana envisioned. 

~

The Tales from the Dragon Diner are perfect for those seeking light-hearted, low-stakes fantasy with quirky heroes. Each story stands alone. Pick up the first today!

Lindsay Buroker

Publication date

May 19, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

298 pages

Book 1 of 2

Tales from the Dragon Diner

Review: Vision & Venture: The Glyphwright Chronicles – Book 4 by Jeremy Fabiano

Rating: 4.5⭐️

Reading Jeremy Fabiano’s The Glyphwright Chronicles is like coming home, to a cosy warm village that feels like a somewhere you feel safe and comfortable, happy and wanted. Where the people are those you’ve gotten to know, the shops are now familiar, and when the carriages spot the turning wheel of the mill and the lights of the town on the return road home, your heart is just as filled with joy as that of the characters. 

The author rarely makes a single error in his series of two journeymen glyphwrights as they’ve become first friends, now partners, who have found themselves together with their fiancé or wives, friends and family members in a community that values them and their contributions. 

Vision & Venture picks up right after the events of the last story. Marcus and Felix are buying the building that will house their families, sister Rose, visitors, their businesses and warehouse as well as sales front. 

It’s a heartfelt narrative that brings both sides together, the science behind all the various aspects of the magic or technology each character has and the real power of community that Fabiano continues to grow here. We meet new people and shops, get ingenious new ideas and devices, and, of course, a dramatic challenge that each person here must face in their own way.   It’s realistic, engaging and the engineering and technology is incredibly interesting. And it’s always fiercely connected with the people who are working on it and with it. 

That’s what’s really exciting. There’s no separation of human elements from the technology or magical aspects of their work. They make mistakes, recognize when they need to go in another direction. 

In other words, this feels so relatable and we can really connect with each of them. 

The only misstep I could see was with Felix’s mother, who has been deeply abusive emotionally to him for years. His father has been reconnecting with him, without saying anything to his mother. But there’s an entire dramatic scene here where his mother changes her “attitude “ about his future wife, job, partner, in an emotional outburst. It’s very nice to see and have that happen. But is it realistic to think that after years of mental cruelty and emotional abuse she’s immediately going to be a different woman? I don’t think so.  That’s a child’s wish for everything to be okay, for things to be normal. A golden fairytale glow. 

But maybe that’s what the author is going for. The golden glow of the hearth, the warmth of the fire and the joy of friendship at the end of the day. A cozy little town at the end of the road. 

We will leave it there. And enjoy Vision & Venture: The Glyphwright Chronicles – Book 4 by Jeremy Fabiano for the heartwarming tale it is. 

Two more books to go. I’m there for all of them. 

 Cover design by Jacqueline Sweet Design

 Glyphwright Chronicles (4 book series):

  • Ashes & Anchors #0.5 (Erasmus’s backstory)
  • Ink & Intent  #1
  • Wards & Measures #2
  • Trades & Treaties #3 
  • Vision & Venture #4
  • Glyphs & Merit #5 – 
  • Legacy & Succession #6

Buy link

 Book 4 of 6: The Glyphwright Chronicles 

Blurb 

Marcus and Felix have a building to fix up, a best friend preparing for his Master certification, and a wedding that’s already taking on a life of its own. For the first time, everything feels like it’s falling into place.

Then the Guild rejects all four of their advancement applications. Instead of explanations, the Guild throws them into a public test against a real food shortage with real consequences.

Millbrook bets their food supply on them anyway.

Now they have to prove their methods work at scale, under full Guild scrutiny. Everything they’ve built depends on what happens next.

A cozy fantasy with LitRPG progression, found family, community trust, and the discovery that sometimes the people who believe in you are the ones you didn’t know were watching.

Pour yourself something warm, settle into your favorite reading spot, and discover that building a future is harder than saving a kingdom.

April 8, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

394 pages

Book 4 of 6

The Glyphwright Chronicles

Review: Guard in the Garden: A Cozy Fantasy (Fables of Finlestia) by Z.S. Diamanti

Rating:4.75⭐️

While a reader could certainly enjoy the richness and warmth of Z.S. Diamanti’s Guard in the Garden as the cozy fantasy it’s described as, it’s also a deceptively well written story about a dwarf warrior, the only survivor of his elite unit who has returned from a long ongoing horrible war. He’s suffered a severe physical injury that’s caused a permanent disability that he’s refusing to acknowledge and is at a loss to heal his both his own wounds and deal with his mental struggles with in his new civilian life, such as it is. 

For the reader, he represents so many veterans who have returned from similar wars and conflicts, with PTSD, disabilities, and with mental struggles to cope with in fitting into a civilian life and new identities. 

The anger, frustration and fear is well documented in Felton Holdum, because he’s unwilling to accept that he won’t be able to get back into his squad and war. That his bonded fantasy winged partner, who perished trying to save him, won’t be revenged. Its pain, and loss and everything Felton had , now gone. And the writer brings us into Felton’s emotional state and we hurt too. 

So while we may seem far away from the war and its consequences, and a small town that’s in a state of recovery, this never quite feels like a cozy place. There’s a sharp edge that waits around here, for every sweet moment,a raw piece of powerful reality to offset the tiny bits of everyday sunshine joy. 

Because Galium’s inhabitants have been through it, and quietly it’s a place where, in time, Felton finds his own way through his own recovery by helping others through theirs. 

It’s a beautiful, remarkable and powerful story. Rich and well crafted. Full of heart and compassion. 

I’m highly recommending this. And will read the rest of the series. 

Love the covers. Gorgeous.

Published by Golden Griffin Press LLC.

Seasonal Illustrations by Aleksa Stajsic. 

Plant Illustrations by Z.S. Diamanti.

Fables of Finlestia (3 books)

Guard in the Garden #1

Wagons & Wyverns #2

Assassin in the Alehouse #3

Buy link

        Guard in the Garden: A Cozy Fantasy (Fables of Finlestia)

    

Blurb 

Embark on a wholesome journey of healing and self-discovery. A cozy fantasy tale of forging new friendships and overcoming fears. A quiet quest of family bonds and budding romance.

From dragon fire to garden flowers …

Felton Holdum spent his entire life training to become one of Galium’s elite dwarven warriors. When a bloody battle leaves him injured, he has no choice but to move into his eccentric twin aunts’ quaint home in the town’s quiet Garome District.

With his life of military service seemingly over, the captain of the city guard gives Felton his only chance at a fresh start in the new life he never wanted.

But when a human woman barges through his front door, the grumpy dwarf starts to wonder if there is more to life than war. The sunshine woman invites him to visit her garden, where Felton gains a new nemesis and a new purpose in life.

Take a walk through the garden and see what magic awaits.

Come enjoy the hospitality of the whimsical Garome District. Meet new friends as you sample new breads at the bakery, play a game of Castle Brick at the tavern, and taste homemade pies during the annual pie baking contest at the Fall Festival.

Review:  Trades & Treaties: The Glyphwright Chronicles Book 3 by Jeremy Fabiano 

Rating: 4.75⭐️

What a fantastic piece of fantasy storytelling! This is one of my favorite series and Fabiano has become a autobuy based on the superiority of his work on this series.

It’s not often I find myself reading novels that I find just so satisfying on multiple levels that I can recommend to many ages of readers, but this author and series is one of them. 

I mean how often do you hear someone say that a writer has made math, precision, economics, and the basics of trade absolutely gripping and part of a fascinating magical system and storyline? Fabiano does this time and again here and throughout the series.  

He’s building systems and exploring new areas just like his characters, Marcus and Felix, have been building up in skills and abilities for their craft and innovation. 

And as with new areas, new challenges and opportunities for growth and innovation. 

Drama too. With Prince Adrian and his two bodyguards, a mysterious Kingdom and its ruler of a nearby country in need, and a political crisis that needs the help of our two Glyphwrights, this is a quietly mesmerizing tale.

I did think the ending resolution was either exactly right or too quick. I’m thinking about it still. 

I do love how each book ends with every one returning home, watching as their beloved small town comes into view, knowing that each one they love will be waiting for them. And a new future will emerge. 

It’s lovely and warmhearted. Exactly what we want for these characters we’ve come to care for. 

None of these stories are standalone books but build upon the one before. 

I highly recommend reading them all. Excellent work and fantastic storytelling. 

A highly recommended read. Just amazing work by the author. 

Cover design by Jacqueline Sweet Design

The Glyphwright Chronicles (4 book series):

  • Ink & Intent  #1
  • Wards & Measures #2
  • Trades & Treaties #3 
  • Vision & Venture #4 – April 8,2026

Buy link:

        Trades & Treaties: The Glyphwright Chronicles – Book 3

    

Blurb 

Marcus thought infrastructure work was complicated. Then someone made it political.

The Northern Kingdoms ask for help with their failing ward networks. Prince Adrian volunteers Fairwind & Penwright for the job: redesign everything to work with local materials instead of expensive imports. Except the imports aren’t expensive by accident. Someone’s price-gouging essential supplies, and they don’t want competition.

Marcus’s merchant instincts see the pattern: economic sabotage wrapped in a supply chain monopoly. When Prince Adrian gets kidnapped, the technical work becomes the easy part.

One job. Two skill sets. And finally, a payout big enough to buy their own shop.

A cozy fantasy with LitRPG progression, economic intrigue, unexpected rescues, and the discovery that sometimes your merchant skills matter just as much as your magic.

Pour yourself something warm, settle into your favorite reading spot, and discover that sometimes fixing the magic is simpler than fixing the people.

February 8, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

454 pages

Book 3 of 6

The Glyphwright Chronicles

Review:  Demon Overlord’s Retirement Plan (Gentle Apocalypse #1 by M. H. Foster 

Rating: 4.75⭐️

This is a great take on the “villain/big baddie turns hero”  trope that is becoming more popular in fantasy and paranormal fiction.

Foster is another new discovery and I really enjoyed the storyline, especially the smartly crafted dialogue and well rounded characters that slowly became important to the “retired” demon overlord in his new role and reader. 

It’s a believable redemption arc, and from the final battle between Devine Hero and Demon Overlord to his journey to the small village of 

The Demon Overlord impetuously kept a bit of Wilhem’ when he took over his body so Galornus decides that best plan for retirement is journeying to the tiny mountain village where Wilhelm wanted to spend his life, being a farmer surrounded by his animals and raising crops. Not that the Demon Lord knows what any of this means.

The story that follows is witty, honest, oddly warmhearted, and believable in its own way. As Galornus learns about the humans around him, he learns to value and care about them and slowly becomes a real heart of the community. Each one of these villagers becomes, not just a neighbor but maybe more. Like family.

Plus there’s hilarious demonic goats and a wonderful demon dog. And children and pickles.

This is one book that continues to surprise and delight you as the story progresses. What a great find!

Highly recommended!

A Gentle Apocalypse (3 book series)

Demon Overlord’s Retirement Plan #1

Love, Politics, and Other Acts of War #2

Band of Others #3 – April 14, 2026

Buy link

 Book 1 of 3: A Gentle Apocalypse 

Blurb 

When destroying the world and killing the hero grows boring, what’s a Demon Overlord to do but quit while he’s ahead?

Galornus Prime was the Scourge of Nations, Ender of Hope, and Master of the Cardinal Sins. After achieving all that, what else was left?

His retirement plan was perfect: Get a goat, farm quietly, and don’t accidentally conquer anything. Evil never sleeps… but it does plant turnips.

When corrupt officials and greedy merchants threaten his infuriatingly loveable neighbors, Galornus faces his greatest challenge yet: saving his village without revealing he’s the very monster parents invoke to make children eat their vegetables.

Demon Overlord’s Retirement Plan is a cozy fantasy with teeth, where the hardest battle isn’t defeating heroes—it’s staying retired and learning how to live after 444 lifetimes of villainy.

Begin the conquest of ordinary life today.

Third Hand Press

Publication date

October 2, 2025

Edition

1st

Language

‎English

Print length

223 pages

Book 1 of 3

A Gentle Apocalypse