User Profile

Michael Haider

AeroEagle@wyrms.de

Joined 1 year, 2 months ago

Just another IT guy in the financial services industry, living in Connecticut, USA. I enjoy reading science fiction and fantasy mostly, but will give just about anything a try.

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Michael Haider's books

Seasons of Albadone (2020, Independently Published) 5 stars

Four seasons. Four stories. An aspiring enchantress searches for a way to lift a terrible …

My Review of Seasons of Albadone

5 stars

It's a relatively short book, coming in at just under 200 pages, but packed into it is an elaborate setting, a number of interesting characters, and a lot of intrigue. I had been reading a lot of books in the 500–700-page range, so a quick, but great read like this was a welcome reprieve.

This book was a ton of fun to read. I'm looking forward to checking out the second book in The Eighth Chant series, A Contract in Sol Forne. It's over double the size of Seasons of Albadone, so it will be interesting to see what the authors can do with the expanded page count.

A Perfect Vintage (Paperback, 2023, Orsay Press) 5 stars

OLD MONEY. YOUNGER MEN. ONE INTOXICATING SUMMER.

Lea Mortimer has everything under control. As a …

My Review of A Perfect Vintage

5 stars

This book ruined my sleep schedule.

I picked this up shortly after receiving the email that it was available for me to read and couldn't help but read it whenever I had free time. I was able to cut myself off at midnight the first night, but the second night I was up until 2AM because I just HAD to see how the story wrapped up.

Part of me is disappointed that I didn't read it while next to a body of water with a cold drink nearby, because A Perfect Vintage makes for the perfect summer read. The setting is magical, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if a number of readers book trips to France after finishing this. It's a story packed with romance, betrayal, a dizzying amount of family drama, and so much more. I was surprised at the number of characters in the book, but …

Barrow of Winter (2023, Titan Books Limited) 5 stars

Thrilling epic fantasy adventures set in the world of HALL OF SMOKE and TEMPLE OF …

My Review of Barrow of Winter

5 stars

Having loved the original duology, I started this book excited to continue the series, but quickly found myself missing the familiarity of Hessa and the characters in her orbit. There was nothing wrong with Thray or any of the characters introduced with her, but I started Barrow of Winter coming off of the high of the previous two books in the The Four Pillars series, and there was definitely an adjustment period. Once I remembered that change is good, I quickly found myself immersed in Thray's journey for answers. I loved the many callbacks to the first two books, and how those characters and events were woven into Barrow of Winter.

Thray is a woman being pulled in different directions by the two sides of her that make her who she is. There's the Eangen side that she's lived among all of her life, and then the Winterborn, who show …

The Assassin’s Blade (EBook, 2014, Bloomsbury Childrens) 5 stars

In these five prequel novellas to "Throne of Glass," feared assassin Celaena embarks on daring …

My Review of The Assassin's Blade

5 stars

Having read the first three novels in the Throne of Glass series, it was fun to take a detour to read these five novellas, which give the reader a glimpse into the months leading up to the first novel. The novellas feature swashbuckling pirates, horseback rides through the desert, romance, and lots and lots of blood. The first three novellas are like being on a rollercoaster and sitting through the slow climb up the massive incline before the ride's first drop. Celaena's legend grows, her relationship with Sam takes root, and she leaves the desert with a newfound sense of optimism. The latter three novellas, however, see Celaena teeter over that edge, and eventually plummet to never before seen depths.

The writing itself was great, and exactly what you'd expect if you've read a Sarah J. Maas book previously. She does a great job of setting a scene and describing …