Nils Shukla
@nilsreviewsit.bsky.social
Reviews Adult Fantasy Books. Hobbitcore. LotR memes. Assistant Editor/Social Media Empress @thefantasyhive Bookstagrammer - Instagram: @nils.reviewsit
Have you seen our cosy fantasy giveaway?
The Fantasy Hive@thefantasyhive.bsky.social · 2mo agoWe have partnered with @panmacmillan to bring you a GIVEAWAY for UNCHARMED by @lucyjanewood.bsky.social - 2 copies available! To enter: Follow us & Repost this post & leave a bird ✨ emoji in the comments! Rules: UK & N. Ireland entries only due to shipping restrictions. Ends: 11 June 2026
Would you love to be trapped in a bookshop? Would you love to be able to run one? My current read is Stay for a Spell by Amy Coombe and we follow Tandy, a princess who is cursed to live in a bookshop until she finds her heart’s desire! I’m already loving this! It’s cosy, whimsical and so magical.
To celebrate the publication of THE TRICKY BUSINESS OF FAERIE BARGAINS, Nils chats with Reena McCarty about her debut novel: "I hope people come away with an appreciation for their own ability to imagine" Read more: tinyurl.com/tr3jwx7r @orbitbooks.bsky.social @nilsreviewsit.bsky.social
I’m currently reading Steel Gods by @richardswanauthor.bsky.social which is the sequel to Grave Empire. I always love Swan’s blend of supernatural horror and fantasy and so far there has been a few really unhinged scenes involving the arcane (a possession and a seance!) I’m a happy reader! 🤣
Here’s my March reading Wrap Up. My favourite goes to The Tapestry of Fate by @shannonchakraborty.bsky.social We set sail with Amina into a perilous quest across the Persian Gulf to find a fabled island and retrieve a magical artefact of devastating power. A really thrilling sequel!
Nils & Beth over on The Fantasy Hive review the new one form R. J. Barker, Mortedant’s Peril.
Nils Shukla @nilsreviewsit.bsky.social · 4mo agoToday on The Fantasy Hive myself & Beth are reviewing Mortedant’s Peril by @rjbarker.bsky.social Beth: “an absolute triumph of a page-turning fantasy murder-mystery” Nils: “Barker’s signature inventive style and his heartfelt storytelling really shines” Link: fantasy-hive.co.uk/2026/03/mort...
Today on The Fantasy Hive myself & Beth are reviewing Mortedant’s Peril by @rjbarker.bsky.social Beth: “an absolute triumph of a page-turning fantasy murder-mystery” Nils: “Barker’s signature inventive style and his heartfelt storytelling really shines” Link: fantasy-hive.co.uk/2026/03/mort...
MORTEDANT'S PERIL by RJ Barker (BUDDY READ REVIEW) | Fantasy-Hive
Beth and Nils were super excited to dive into the upcoming new release from RJ Barker, fantasy murder-mystery MORTEDANT'S PERIL
fantasy-hive.co.uk
Here’s my interview with @astamaki.bsky.social on the release of The Book of Fallen Leaves which is out now! Check it out!
The Fantasy Hive@thefantasyhive.bsky.social · 5mo agoTo celebrate the release of his debut novel THE BOOK OF FALLEN LEAVES, out today from Orbit Books, A. S. Tamaki joins Nils in an interview: "The story is all about that which is both light and dark within us" Read more: tinyurl.com/2rbmse6d
“Yes, I am a trickster and a con artist, capable of lies like melted butter and schemes as complicated as an astrolabe’s working. But when it comes to fighting, I’m a brawler first.” My current read is The Tapestry of Fate by @shannonchakraborty.bsky.social & it’s EXCELLENT! I’m loving this sequel!
Today on @thefantasyhive.bsky.social I’m reviewing A Widow’s Charm by Caitlyn Paxson “A Shakespearean comedy of errors that centres on two delightfully disastrous characters and a spicy romance.” Review Link: fantasy-hive.co.uk/2026/03/a-wi...
A WIDOW'S CHARM by Caitlyn Paxson (BOOK REVIEW) | Fantasy-Hive
Nils reviews Caitlyn Paxson's witty romantasy featuring A WIDOW'S CHARM: "a Shakespearean comedy of errors that centres on two delightfully disastrous characters and a spicy romance"
fantasy-hive.co.uk
Happy International Women’s Day! To celebrate I’ve selected seven female authors who I’m looking forward to reading more books from… Tell me about some female authors you’re looking forward to reading? #internationalwomensday
This weekend I’m reading The Hive by @ronaldmalfi.bsky.social out in April by @titanbooks.bsky.social So far residents of Mariner’s Cove begin acting strangely after a storm & Cory, a young child,has extraordinary abilities! This has King Sorrow by Joe Hill vibes & I’m expecting some mind fuckery!
Here’s my interview with @buehlmeister.bsky.social
The Fantasy Hive@thefantasyhive.bsky.social · 5mo agoNils welcomes Christopher Buehlman back to the Hive for an interview on his historical horror BETWEEN TWO FIRES, out today from Gollancz "Many scenes were difficult to write, but some were cathartic..." Read more: tinyurl.com/5n6u6wsx @gollancz.bsky.social @buehlmeister.bsky.social
I’m thoroughly loving my current read which is A Widow’s Charm by Caitlyn Paxson which will be coming out in April from Arcadia Books This is an absolutely hilarious fantasy romcom, full of banter, saucy innuendos and a very cute dog called Rollo! It’s so much fun!
I received so many ARCs of my most anticipated reads! Are any of these one’s you’re looking forward to too? The Last Contract of Isako by @fondalee.bsky.social - out from @orbitbooks.bsky.social in May! The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance by @chiarab.bsky.social - out from Del Rey UK in July!
@nilsreviewsit.bsky.social adds to my TBR again.
Nils Shukla @nilsreviewsit.bsky.social · 5mo agoFebruary Reading Wrap Up! My favourites of the month were The Magician of Tiger Castle by Louis Sachar. I just loved how nostalgic this book made me feel! Mortedant’s Peril by @rjbarker.bsky.social A compelling murder mystery set in a strange & inventive world. I could not put it down! So good!
There’s a wrap up for February today’s as nails talks about the month’s faves over on The Fantasy Hive
Nils Shukla @nilsreviewsit.bsky.social · 5mo agoFebruary Reading Wrap Up! My favourites of the month were The Magician of Tiger Castle by Louis Sachar. I just loved how nostalgic this book made me feel! Mortedant’s Peril by @rjbarker.bsky.social A compelling murder mystery set in a strange & inventive world. I could not put it down! So good!
February Reading Wrap Up! My favourites of the month were The Magician of Tiger Castle by Louis Sachar. I just loved how nostalgic this book made me feel! Mortedant’s Peril by @rjbarker.bsky.social A compelling murder mystery set in a strange & inventive world. I could not put it down! So good!
I loved this book!
The Fantasy Hive@thefantasyhive.bsky.social · 5mo agoNils goes on a classic fantasy adventure with a touch of cosiness and plenty of humour in Louis Sachar's THE MAGICIAN OF TIGER CASTLE: "satisfied my classic fantasy cravings" Read more: tinyurl.com/5acy8ewv @headlinebooks.bsky.social
This weekend I’m reading Mortedant’s Peril by @rjbarker.bsky.social which I’m loving! Mortedant Hasp can see the dead’s final moments but he’s been accused of murder. He has three days to prove his innocence. Aiding him we is Whisper, a non human bodyguard & Mirial, a street urchin. So much fun!
Nils reviews The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains over on The Fantasy Hive today!
Nils Shukla @nilsreviewsit.bsky.social · 6mo agoToday on @thefantasyhive.bsky.social I’m reviewing The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains by @reenamccarty.bsky.social “a gripping, multifaceted tale, full of tricks, traps and shenanigans.” Review Link: fantasy-hive.co.uk/2026/02/the-...
Today on @thefantasyhive.bsky.social I’m reviewing The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains by @reenamccarty.bsky.social “a gripping, multifaceted tale, full of tricks, traps and shenanigans.” Review Link: fantasy-hive.co.uk/2026/02/the-...
THE TRICKY BUSINESS OF FAERIE BARGAINS by Reena McCarty (BOOK REVIEW) | Fantasy-Hive
Nils reviews Reena McCarty's debut novel THE TRICKY BUSINESS OF FAERIE BARGAINS, out 7th April from Orbt Books: "embarks you on a fun journey with a whip-smart protagonist and enters you into a world ...
fantasy-hive.co.uk
Today on @thefantasyhive.bsky.social myself & Beth review The Elsewhere Express by Samantha Sotto Yambao Nils: “a breath of fresh air wrapped in beautiful lyrical prose…” Beth: “magical exploration of grief presented in a gloriously imaginative way” Review Link: fantasy-hive.co.uk/2026/02/the-...
THE ELSEWHERE EXPRESS by Samantha Sotto Yambao (BUDDY READ REVIEW) | Fantasy-Hive
Nils and Beth take a breathtakingly beautiful journey together on THE ELSEWHERE EXPRESS by Samantha Sotto Yambao: "a breath of fresh air wrapped in beautiful lyrical prose and magical metaphors"
fantasy-hive.co.uk
Happy Lunar New Year!
The Fantasy Hive@thefantasyhive.bsky.social · 6mo agoHappy Lunar New Year to all those celebrating today! To celebrate, we're back with our new feature The Fantasy Hive Celebrates... and this time we're recommending our favourite authors from or with heritages of nations who celebrate Lunar New Year! Read more: tinyurl.com/fvdua33y
I received The Lost Spectacular today by Zoe Duhaimw which will be released in September by @solarisbooks.bsky.social Thank you! “ode to the life-changing power of books, as childhood loves-turned-rivals chase each other through the stories that shaped them…” This sounds great & I love the cover!
This weekend I’ve been reading The Magician of Tiger Castle by Louis Sachar. Thank you @headlinepg for kindly gifting me a copy A doomed love, a young scribe about to be executed and a magician vying to prove his worth. I’m loving the Princess Bride vibe and the humour is fab!
Happy Valentine’s Day! The Swan’s Daughter by Roshani Chokshi is an enchanting, whimsical fairytale, with one of the best explorations of ‘true love’ I’ve come across. There’s even a dash of murder thrown in! (Or attempted murder… several times… by several characters 🤣) A fun read I’d recommend!
Check out our recommendations for some romantic reads!
The Fantasy Hive@thefantasyhive.bsky.social · 6mo agoThe shops are full to bursting with hearts and roses for St Valentine's Day this weekend, but here on the Hive we prefer showing we care with books. Get lost in a good love story with us as we share our perfect recommendations for St Valetine's Day: tinyurl.com/27nphfyp
I received a copy of Mortedant’s Peril by @rjbarker.bsky.social which will be released by @torbooksuk.bsky.social in May. Thank you for the copy! This book is described as an ‘epic historical fantasy of murder, mystery and unlikely alliances’ which honestly has me very excited to read it!
