A review by metalmakubex
The Black Coast by Mike Brooks

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

When I picked this up on a whim from a library book sale knowing nothing about it or the author, I was expecting a generic war fantasy with dragons. A fun time, but nothing to write home about. Nothing about the back cover summary would have lead me to expect an exploration of two cultures coming together to find a beautiful common ground, as well as truly unique worldbuilding involving queer identities and non-traditional gender roles. Whoever decided to not include any of that in the advertising did this book a HUGE disservice, because that is what the true heart of this book is. There is war, there are gruesome (and well written) battles, there are dragons (though even they are not what you expect), but those are just the sprinkles on top.

It honestly feels serendipitous that I found this. It feels like Mike Brooks wrote this book for me. I'm glad I also got the sequel at that library sale, because I'm undoubtingly continuing the series. Also gonna pick up everything else Brooks writes, too, brb