OVERALL RATING: THREE STARS
The Kingdom of Alson is a quaint and peaceful place, it's king is greedy and selfish, but he rules his people well, leaving them to pursue their lives in relative peace. Jarom, who serves as the Farson of Diln, is quite content to be left alone and enjoys the quiet life of his small village. He has no plans of great adventure, just his imagination and his best friend, Allion; he is content and happy. But all of that changes when a dark wizard invades with conquest in his heart. Soric is cruel and vicious. His assassination of King Sorl throws the country into turmoil and Jarom is forced from his home, set on a quest by his father to find aid from the bordering nation of Kuuria. Jarom is reluctant to go, but sets off on an adventure with Allion that is full of peril and danger. What's more, Jarom discovers things about himself that he doesn't like: there are mysteries and secrets surrounding his past, birthrights and heritages that need to be addressed . . .
Yet the invasion of Soric soon proves to the least of Jarom's concerns, for the wizard isn't the only terror that's stirring. For with his arrival wakens an ancient evil, a demon queen who has slumbered for millennia. She perceives the weakness in the world of man, she deems it ripe to fall. An ancient dragon is woken, the last scion of the race who warred with the Finlorrians, the people who once forged the world with the help of the Ceilhigh and Jarom knows that only one thing can save Alson: he has to seek the Crimson Sword, an ancient talisman of infinite power. But at what cost is power obtained? What price must be paid for things that are best left alone? The demon queen was not the only menace to sleep and what Jarom unleashes is worse than anybody could have ever imaged. The illysp do not sleep, they do not feel or show mercy to others. They enslave and they burn. They raze the world around them and deal only in death. Jarom must find a way to stop them. Enemies surround him on every side, he learns of betrayal and pain. He struggles to full fill a destiny he had never asked for . . .
Book 1: The Crimson Sword
Book 2: The Obsidian Key
Book 3: The Divine Talisman
The Good
The Legend of Asahiel is a fast-paced, exciting series and Eldon Thompson has clearly let his imagination run wild writing it. It's full of magic, epic battles, betrayal and death, leaving little to be wanted by the reader. In fact, all three books in the series are among those rare 'page-turners' that will keep you up well into early of the hours of the morning and are very difficult to put down. This is largely due to Thompson's ability to develop the sense of peril in each book and he really gives you a sense of what will be lost, should his heroes fail. Furthermore, the fact that Thompson has created a relatively contained island-continent means that his map is smaller than in many other works of fantasy, which allowed him to cut down on the chapters of arduous travelling from place to place so he could maintain the pace of his story. His prose reads like cheesy, old-school fantasy as well, which I quite enjoyed more than anything, and his characters are lively and almost jump out of the pages. Many readers will also appreciate the fact that Thompson has several very strong, female characters that dominate parts of the story and are hugely influential protagonists, which is something that even a lot of modern fantasy novels lack.
The Bad
As good as it was, The Legend of Asahiel did have a few bugs that really bothered me. The main one, was actually with Jarom's character and he is a thoughtful, docile man who is quick to forgive and very hard to anger. While there is nothing wrong with these personality traits in real-life or in fiction, they become slightly absurd as the series progresses: firstly, despite the fact that Jarom's whole continent is being burnt to ashes around him, with everyone he ever knew facing imminent death, he never becomes angry and instead only understands and sympathises with his enemies. Secondly, it's very odd when such a passive, peaceful man sudden becomes this vicious, hardened warrior whenever he leaps into battle and starts hacking scores of his enemies down, left right and centre. Sadly, I think Jarom's character is quite implausible and it's hard to believe him as a real person. It wouldn't be such a problem if Jarom wasn't the series main character and Thompson should either have made him much harder or changed his story-arch, perhaps making Jarom a general or something instead of a warrior.
The second issue that I had with the series as a whole, was the stereotypical nature of Thompson's villains. Pre-ASoIaF, this wouldn't really have bothered me and I might not have noticed, but GRRM's writing has shown me the importance of developing antagonists that are true to life as well as protagonists. People are rarely evil in real life for the sake of 'being evil' and, although their actions may harm people, they're usually done for selfish reasons like gaining power, killing for revenge, hatreds or feuds or stealing to feed oneself and family. Thus, it becomes slight absurd and quite irritating when Thompson's villains 'snicker' and 'smirk' every time they kill someone or destroy a village. Although, to be fair on Thompson, this was remedied to a degree in The Divine Talisman, it detracted from the story as a whole and weakened his vision somewhat.
Final Thoughts
Overall, though, The Legend of Asahiel is a great series and I had a lot of fun reading it. It's fast-paced, full of excitement, danger and has more magic bursting out of its pages than the Lord of the Rings! Although I wouldn't call this series a definite must read, I certainly recommend that you add it to your reading list and get round to it at some point - it may not be the best series you've ever read, but I guarantee you'll enjoy it!
N.B. It's also worth noting that Thompson has also written a short story featuring Kylac, one of the series main characters, which is published in Unfettered by Shawn Speakman et al.
Showing posts with label Fantasy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fantasy. Show all posts
Sunday, 29 January 2017
Friday, 16 December 2016
Knife of Dreams - Robert Jordan
RATING: FIVE STARS
Rumours still circulate that Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, the Lord of the Morning, has died, killed in his madness in the palace of Cairhien. Yet the man destined to stand against the Dark One in Tai'mon Gardon is no coward and his plans are in motion. Rand is beginning to realise that the Last Battle is coming and he doesn't have the time to unite the banners of the land behind him as one, yet he understands that he doesn't need to. The Seanchan are rolling through those lands he still needs, conquoring and bringing their lonesome lords to heel. If Rand can find the Daughter of the Nine Moons, he can forge an army of the likes the world hasn't seen since the legendary Artur Hawkwing.
Meanwhile, Matt is still on the run, desperate to get his prophised bride to safetly through lands that are crawling with the Seanchan, Egewene al'Vere remains captured by Elaida and the White Tower and Perrin . . . Perrin's plans to finally free Faile and rescue his wife are set. He means to free her from the Aiel or die trying . . .
The Good
The good news is that something actually happens in this book! As many of you know, I've been a little disappointed with the last few books in The Wheel of Time. Despite the fact that they're fairly heavy tomes, they did very little to carry the story forward and largely consisted of people walking around talking. Knife of Dreams finally remedies this and the various story arcs of its PoV characters are finally start to see some action and are developed in a meaningful way. This made the novel far more interesting than the others and I found some of the old WoT excitement that I felt at the start of the series rekindling! It's definitely an exciting book and hopefully, is setting a good premise for the series ending in the exciting, dramatic and epic fashion I once expected from Robert Jordan's writing!
The Bad
There are only a few minor things about this book that I didn't like, but none of them were major problems. The story was still a little slow in places, but that's usually something to be expected from a book of such length. Once again, Rand only has a few, fleeting appearances that left me a little disappointed, although the other characters in the series did get a lot more of a mention which was good.
Final Thoughts
Knife of Dreams is an excellent instalment of The Wheel of Time and does a lot to make up for the slow pace of the previous books by really advancing the plot. It reminded me of how the books used to be and provides promise for Jordan to follow this precedent for the conclusion of his epic saga!
Rumours still circulate that Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, the Lord of the Morning, has died, killed in his madness in the palace of Cairhien. Yet the man destined to stand against the Dark One in Tai'mon Gardon is no coward and his plans are in motion. Rand is beginning to realise that the Last Battle is coming and he doesn't have the time to unite the banners of the land behind him as one, yet he understands that he doesn't need to. The Seanchan are rolling through those lands he still needs, conquoring and bringing their lonesome lords to heel. If Rand can find the Daughter of the Nine Moons, he can forge an army of the likes the world hasn't seen since the legendary Artur Hawkwing.
Meanwhile, Matt is still on the run, desperate to get his prophised bride to safetly through lands that are crawling with the Seanchan, Egewene al'Vere remains captured by Elaida and the White Tower and Perrin . . . Perrin's plans to finally free Faile and rescue his wife are set. He means to free her from the Aiel or die trying . . .
The Good
The good news is that something actually happens in this book! As many of you know, I've been a little disappointed with the last few books in The Wheel of Time. Despite the fact that they're fairly heavy tomes, they did very little to carry the story forward and largely consisted of people walking around talking. Knife of Dreams finally remedies this and the various story arcs of its PoV characters are finally start to see some action and are developed in a meaningful way. This made the novel far more interesting than the others and I found some of the old WoT excitement that I felt at the start of the series rekindling! It's definitely an exciting book and hopefully, is setting a good premise for the series ending in the exciting, dramatic and epic fashion I once expected from Robert Jordan's writing!
The Bad
There are only a few minor things about this book that I didn't like, but none of them were major problems. The story was still a little slow in places, but that's usually something to be expected from a book of such length. Once again, Rand only has a few, fleeting appearances that left me a little disappointed, although the other characters in the series did get a lot more of a mention which was good.
Final Thoughts
Knife of Dreams is an excellent instalment of The Wheel of Time and does a lot to make up for the slow pace of the previous books by really advancing the plot. It reminded me of how the books used to be and provides promise for Jordan to follow this precedent for the conclusion of his epic saga!
Thursday, 24 November 2016
Assassin's Quest - Robin Hobb
RATING: FIVE STARS
The Six Duchies are crumbling beneath Regal as he seeks to ascertain more and more power. He has plundered Buck Keep, opting to move all of its resources and wealth to the Inland Duchies which he naively believes to be safe from the Raiders, far beyond their reach. Yet not all are as lucky and, as the Coastal Duchies begin to fall, one by one, all of the death and Forging begins to take its toll. The Coastal Duchies become ruled by fear in the absence of their so-called 'King' and there are those that begin to resist. None are more fervent in their efforts than Chade Farstrider, the aged assassin who has finally flung away the garb of secrecy to openly defy Regal with the help of the Mountain Kingdom.
Anarchy rules and it is in this chaos that FitzChivalry finds himself, finally a free man who is able to control his own destiny. There is nothing but vengeance in his heart after the torture he endured to entertain Regal, nothing but anger and fear. For Regal broke Fitz, and he is not the proud warrior he once was. Fitz is alone, accompanied only his Nighteyes his faithful wolf, set on the path to kill Regal and bring him into account for what he has done. Yet Fitz soon finds himself conflicted, if he decides to pursue Regal now, now, when the true king Verity is in such grave need, who will aid him? Who will ensure that the Elderlings do indeed return to save the Coastal Duchies as they long ago promised to do?
The Good
Once again, Robin Hobb is superb and demonstrates her mastery of the fantasy genre. She has created interesting and relatable characters to populate her story and, just as no two people are exactly the same in real life, each person is unique, with their own personality, issues, drives and fears. This adds a real sense of depth to the book that many others lack and the story becomes stronger because of it.
The story itself is also fantastic and Hobb rounds the trilogy off nicely, following a plot that is as exciting, unpredictable and full of intrigue as ever! Assassin's Quest is the perfect ending to the series and all of its threads are woven off nicely, being fully explained and leaving nothing hanging.
The Bad
Once again, there is nothing that I didn't like about Hobb's work and Assassin's Quest is as flawless as its predecessors.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, Assassin's Quest is an exciting and dramatic end to the Farseer Trilogy, being a shining example of what fantasy can be at its best. It entertains, tugs at your emotions, has your heart in your mouth when the characters' are in danger and, best of all, is addictive in the wonderful vibrant way Hobb formulates her prose. This is a must read book for any epic fantasy fan and I thoroughly recommend the series to anyone who hasn't yet read it - each book in the series are among the best I've read in a long time!
The Six Duchies are crumbling beneath Regal as he seeks to ascertain more and more power. He has plundered Buck Keep, opting to move all of its resources and wealth to the Inland Duchies which he naively believes to be safe from the Raiders, far beyond their reach. Yet not all are as lucky and, as the Coastal Duchies begin to fall, one by one, all of the death and Forging begins to take its toll. The Coastal Duchies become ruled by fear in the absence of their so-called 'King' and there are those that begin to resist. None are more fervent in their efforts than Chade Farstrider, the aged assassin who has finally flung away the garb of secrecy to openly defy Regal with the help of the Mountain Kingdom.
Anarchy rules and it is in this chaos that FitzChivalry finds himself, finally a free man who is able to control his own destiny. There is nothing but vengeance in his heart after the torture he endured to entertain Regal, nothing but anger and fear. For Regal broke Fitz, and he is not the proud warrior he once was. Fitz is alone, accompanied only his Nighteyes his faithful wolf, set on the path to kill Regal and bring him into account for what he has done. Yet Fitz soon finds himself conflicted, if he decides to pursue Regal now, now, when the true king Verity is in such grave need, who will aid him? Who will ensure that the Elderlings do indeed return to save the Coastal Duchies as they long ago promised to do?
The Good
Once again, Robin Hobb is superb and demonstrates her mastery of the fantasy genre. She has created interesting and relatable characters to populate her story and, just as no two people are exactly the same in real life, each person is unique, with their own personality, issues, drives and fears. This adds a real sense of depth to the book that many others lack and the story becomes stronger because of it.
The story itself is also fantastic and Hobb rounds the trilogy off nicely, following a plot that is as exciting, unpredictable and full of intrigue as ever! Assassin's Quest is the perfect ending to the series and all of its threads are woven off nicely, being fully explained and leaving nothing hanging.
The Bad
Once again, there is nothing that I didn't like about Hobb's work and Assassin's Quest is as flawless as its predecessors.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, Assassin's Quest is an exciting and dramatic end to the Farseer Trilogy, being a shining example of what fantasy can be at its best. It entertains, tugs at your emotions, has your heart in your mouth when the characters' are in danger and, best of all, is addictive in the wonderful vibrant way Hobb formulates her prose. This is a must read book for any epic fantasy fan and I thoroughly recommend the series to anyone who hasn't yet read it - each book in the series are among the best I've read in a long time!
Saturday, 8 October 2016
The Return of the King - J. R. R. Tolkien
RATING: FIVE STARS
Frodo Baggins is the Ring Bearer, the one charged with carrying the One Ring of Sauron the Deceiver to Mount Doom. Only here can it be destroyed to end the life and dominion of the Enemy forever. His quest has been long and arduous, filled with peril and pain. Of the nine companions he set out with, only Samwise Gamgee still stands at his side and they are both weak, close to death as they search a way through the arid plains of Mordor. It is the last leg of their quest, but Sauron's orcs are everywhere as His army masses behind his Black Gates, worse still are the Nazgul, the sleepless Ringwraiths that seek their master's prize as devotedly as He. For Sauron is seeking the Ring and means to have it, to the ruin of all . . .
Yet Frodo and Sam are not the only members of the Fellowship that are in danger. Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimili, Meriadoc and Pippin . . . All ride to war against Sauron, desperate to protect the World of Men which is the focus of the Dark Lord's wrath. Sauron has not forgotten that it was Elendil who cut the ring from His finger three thousand years ago and He knows that the heir of Gondor yet lives: Aragorn, son of Arathorn, high blood of Numinor who is Westernesse. All of Gandalf's plans seek to return Aragorn to the throne of Minus Tirith, for only Aragorn has the strength to lead his people and buy Frodo the time he needs to reach Mount Doom.
The Good
The Return of the King is a superb ending to The Lord of Rings and resolves J. R. R. Tolkien's story perfectly. I'm sure that you're already familiar with its plot and events, so I won't really go into them. Needless to say, the novel (and series) tells one of the greatest stories ever to grace fantasy and birthed the genre as we know it. It's filled with mythology and culture, possessing a backstory that is truly remarkable in scope and fascinating to delve into. Furthermore, the novel is the most action-packed of the series and contains the pinnacle Battle of Pelennor Fields (the Siege of Gondor) and the Battle of Morannon outside the Black Gates of Mordor.
The Bad
Once again criticising Tolkien's work feels wrong, almost like blasphemy, but you should be reminded that this will not be the easiest book to read due to the sheer amount of description in Tolkien's prose. The story does read quite slowly, but I have to say that's it's well worth perseviring with!
Final Thoughts
The Return of the King concludes one of the greatest stories ever told in the epic fashion only Tolkien can manage. It is filled with danger, peril and the unflinching commitment of those who stand against evil. If you're only familiar with Peter Jackson's cinematic adaptations, it's time to add The Lord of the Rings to your reading list and experience the story in the scope and depth that the father of fantasy intended!
Frodo Baggins is the Ring Bearer, the one charged with carrying the One Ring of Sauron the Deceiver to Mount Doom. Only here can it be destroyed to end the life and dominion of the Enemy forever. His quest has been long and arduous, filled with peril and pain. Of the nine companions he set out with, only Samwise Gamgee still stands at his side and they are both weak, close to death as they search a way through the arid plains of Mordor. It is the last leg of their quest, but Sauron's orcs are everywhere as His army masses behind his Black Gates, worse still are the Nazgul, the sleepless Ringwraiths that seek their master's prize as devotedly as He. For Sauron is seeking the Ring and means to have it, to the ruin of all . . .
Yet Frodo and Sam are not the only members of the Fellowship that are in danger. Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimili, Meriadoc and Pippin . . . All ride to war against Sauron, desperate to protect the World of Men which is the focus of the Dark Lord's wrath. Sauron has not forgotten that it was Elendil who cut the ring from His finger three thousand years ago and He knows that the heir of Gondor yet lives: Aragorn, son of Arathorn, high blood of Numinor who is Westernesse. All of Gandalf's plans seek to return Aragorn to the throne of Minus Tirith, for only Aragorn has the strength to lead his people and buy Frodo the time he needs to reach Mount Doom.
The Good
The Return of the King is a superb ending to The Lord of Rings and resolves J. R. R. Tolkien's story perfectly. I'm sure that you're already familiar with its plot and events, so I won't really go into them. Needless to say, the novel (and series) tells one of the greatest stories ever to grace fantasy and birthed the genre as we know it. It's filled with mythology and culture, possessing a backstory that is truly remarkable in scope and fascinating to delve into. Furthermore, the novel is the most action-packed of the series and contains the pinnacle Battle of Pelennor Fields (the Siege of Gondor) and the Battle of Morannon outside the Black Gates of Mordor.
The Bad
Once again criticising Tolkien's work feels wrong, almost like blasphemy, but you should be reminded that this will not be the easiest book to read due to the sheer amount of description in Tolkien's prose. The story does read quite slowly, but I have to say that's it's well worth perseviring with!
Final Thoughts
The Return of the King concludes one of the greatest stories ever told in the epic fashion only Tolkien can manage. It is filled with danger, peril and the unflinching commitment of those who stand against evil. If you're only familiar with Peter Jackson's cinematic adaptations, it's time to add The Lord of the Rings to your reading list and experience the story in the scope and depth that the father of fantasy intended!
Friday, 2 September 2016
Royal Assassin - Robin Hobb
RATING: FIVE STARS
The treachery of Prince Regal in the Mountain Kingdom nearly cost FitzChivalry Farseer his life. Still weak and terrorised by the savage seizures that grip his body, the royal bastard and assassin struggles with the poison that has crippled him. For it is not just his body that his broken, but his mind and Fitz must learn to live with the poor health he is left with if he is ever to return to Buckkeep Castle. That is where his king dwells, it is where the Fool and his old mentor, Chade, await him. He must return, despite his misgivings. He must return and face Regal. He must return and aid his strength to Verity's war against the Red Ships because Outislander raids are now more frequent that ever before. They attack the coasts of the Six Duchies with impunity, pillaging and burning as they go. The lucky ones are killed outright in the raids and the unlucky . . . well, those hapless souls are Forged to become a ruined and terrible form of life, something lower than an animal that is stripped of all morality, emotion and thought.
Terror is rife in the Duchies and the people are quickly losing patience in a crown that seems to be doing little to help them. So Verity finally orders the construction of his warships. He draws Galen's coterie to him, using their Skill to aid his own. But the last thing Regal desires is for the Prince-In-Waiting to attain more power than he already has. Regal is insidious and far from as beaten as he leads his family to believe. It is only Fitz who fears him, only Fitz who suspects and knows that all must be given to stop Regal from tearing the Farseer's domain apart.
The Good
Royal Assassin is another masterpiece of the fantasy genre and Robin Hobb has outdone herself once again. If anything, the novel is even better than Assassin's Apprentice, it's predecessor, and continues the Farseer Trilogy in epic fashion. There is the peril and danger of the Raiders, the intrigue of forces that move unseen in the shadows . . . It truly is a time of war in the Six Duchies and that fact has not been lost in Hobb's writing. She has built and maintained tension well throughout the whole book and all of her characters are are on the verge of breaking. This adds a great sense of credibility to the story since the tension doesn't just appear for an attack and then dissipate like in some books, which I found very immersing.
Hobb's characterisation is as superb as ever and she doesn't hesitate in creating complex characters that are all very different to each other, with their own thoughts, ambitions and beliefs. This is as true to real life as is possible and the fact that her characters react realistically to the fights and challenges they face only makes the book better!
I also particularly enjoyed Fitz's views on the different magics he practices and the sinking realisation that he must finally learn to master the Skill if he is to help King-In-Waiting Verity. As you may remember from Assassin's Apprentice, Fitz has a number of issues regarding his Skill after the tortuous ordeal of Galen's training. I really 'enjoyed' (for lack of a better word) Fitz's frustration and efforts to master his Skill, which added a nice sub-layer to the story.
The Bad
Once again, I find myself having no fault with Hobb's writing and Royal Assassin sits proudly among the best novels of the fantasy genre!
Final Thoughts
Royal Assassin is even better than its predecessor and continues the Farseer Trilogy forward with the same immersive, emotional fashion that I have come to expect from Robin Hobb. It's a gripping, action-packed and sensitive book, which really stirred me as a reader and continues the stories of the Red Ships and Regal's treachery well, while rotating around the complex relationship between Fitz and Molly. In the end, the book is basically a love story and that's part of what makes it so special within the fantasy genre. Hobb has bared men's honour to the barest bones in a way no other author could and there is something deeply profound about how she describes the love and unwavering loyalty in Fitz's Wit bound with hounds. The book is definitely one for your reading list and deserves the highest praise!
The treachery of Prince Regal in the Mountain Kingdom nearly cost FitzChivalry Farseer his life. Still weak and terrorised by the savage seizures that grip his body, the royal bastard and assassin struggles with the poison that has crippled him. For it is not just his body that his broken, but his mind and Fitz must learn to live with the poor health he is left with if he is ever to return to Buckkeep Castle. That is where his king dwells, it is where the Fool and his old mentor, Chade, await him. He must return, despite his misgivings. He must return and face Regal. He must return and aid his strength to Verity's war against the Red Ships because Outislander raids are now more frequent that ever before. They attack the coasts of the Six Duchies with impunity, pillaging and burning as they go. The lucky ones are killed outright in the raids and the unlucky . . . well, those hapless souls are Forged to become a ruined and terrible form of life, something lower than an animal that is stripped of all morality, emotion and thought.
Terror is rife in the Duchies and the people are quickly losing patience in a crown that seems to be doing little to help them. So Verity finally orders the construction of his warships. He draws Galen's coterie to him, using their Skill to aid his own. But the last thing Regal desires is for the Prince-In-Waiting to attain more power than he already has. Regal is insidious and far from as beaten as he leads his family to believe. It is only Fitz who fears him, only Fitz who suspects and knows that all must be given to stop Regal from tearing the Farseer's domain apart.
The Good
Royal Assassin is another masterpiece of the fantasy genre and Robin Hobb has outdone herself once again. If anything, the novel is even better than Assassin's Apprentice, it's predecessor, and continues the Farseer Trilogy in epic fashion. There is the peril and danger of the Raiders, the intrigue of forces that move unseen in the shadows . . . It truly is a time of war in the Six Duchies and that fact has not been lost in Hobb's writing. She has built and maintained tension well throughout the whole book and all of her characters are are on the verge of breaking. This adds a great sense of credibility to the story since the tension doesn't just appear for an attack and then dissipate like in some books, which I found very immersing.
Hobb's characterisation is as superb as ever and she doesn't hesitate in creating complex characters that are all very different to each other, with their own thoughts, ambitions and beliefs. This is as true to real life as is possible and the fact that her characters react realistically to the fights and challenges they face only makes the book better!
I also particularly enjoyed Fitz's views on the different magics he practices and the sinking realisation that he must finally learn to master the Skill if he is to help King-In-Waiting Verity. As you may remember from Assassin's Apprentice, Fitz has a number of issues regarding his Skill after the tortuous ordeal of Galen's training. I really 'enjoyed' (for lack of a better word) Fitz's frustration and efforts to master his Skill, which added a nice sub-layer to the story.
The Bad
Once again, I find myself having no fault with Hobb's writing and Royal Assassin sits proudly among the best novels of the fantasy genre!
Final Thoughts
Royal Assassin is even better than its predecessor and continues the Farseer Trilogy forward with the same immersive, emotional fashion that I have come to expect from Robin Hobb. It's a gripping, action-packed and sensitive book, which really stirred me as a reader and continues the stories of the Red Ships and Regal's treachery well, while rotating around the complex relationship between Fitz and Molly. In the end, the book is basically a love story and that's part of what makes it so special within the fantasy genre. Hobb has bared men's honour to the barest bones in a way no other author could and there is something deeply profound about how she describes the love and unwavering loyalty in Fitz's Wit bound with hounds. The book is definitely one for your reading list and deserves the highest praise!
Monday, 15 August 2016
Sword of Destiny - Andrzej Sapkowski
RATING: TWO STARS
Geralt of Rivia is a witcher, a man mutated by magic and potions who is as feared by the common folk as much as he is the monsters he hunts. For he is a hunter of great renown, a master swordsman who battles evil in all of its forms. Shunned aside from a small circle of friends, he is forced to take coin for his livelihood and spends much of his life alone, wandering far in search of contracts suited to his skills.
The Good
When I first heard that this was the book that inspired the hit Witcher games, I knew it was going to be good. Those games are epic on consoles and the book gives more of the same. It's full of lore about different beasts and monsters, with Geralt using his preternatural abilities and magic potions to give him a much needed edge over creatures that are vastly stronger and superior in guile and speed.
The short stories of this anthology don't disappoint and are both exciting in their combat and meaningful in their explanation of morality. Simply being a monster doesn't make something evil and men can be every bit as dark despite being part of the human race; it is up to Geralt to decide on what premise he will take a contact.
The Bad
I think the main issues with the book come from its translation. Sapkowski wrote the original version in Polish and I have a feeling that it is a lot better than the English version, if you can read the language. Simply put, the English translation isn't that great. It's not grammatically incorrect to be fair, rather everything has been translated literally. The result of is is incredibly cheesy fantasy dialogue and words the Western World doesn't really use in speech, like 'comrade.' There's nothing wrong with this in the original version since they're the culturally appropriate words, but the translator should have made a bit of effort to use some creative license with his work to make the book seem more relatable. This isn't the only problem as well and the translator hasn't considered the fact that English has far more words in its vocabulary than other languages do, particularly adjectives. This gives authors a chance to really describe subtle differences in movements, colours etc and Sword of Destiny was very bland to read, with brief, unpadded text - again, a bit of creative licence from the translator could have easily remedied this!
Final Thoughts
Overall, Sword of Destiny is a good, exciting read that puts a slightly different spin on 'monster hunting' than many other books do. It's main problem comes from the translation in my opinion, which although can't be faulted from a technical point of view, leaves a lot to be wanted from the prose and is responsible for the book's low rating.
Geralt of Rivia is a witcher, a man mutated by magic and potions who is as feared by the common folk as much as he is the monsters he hunts. For he is a hunter of great renown, a master swordsman who battles evil in all of its forms. Shunned aside from a small circle of friends, he is forced to take coin for his livelihood and spends much of his life alone, wandering far in search of contracts suited to his skills.
The Good
When I first heard that this was the book that inspired the hit Witcher games, I knew it was going to be good. Those games are epic on consoles and the book gives more of the same. It's full of lore about different beasts and monsters, with Geralt using his preternatural abilities and magic potions to give him a much needed edge over creatures that are vastly stronger and superior in guile and speed.
The short stories of this anthology don't disappoint and are both exciting in their combat and meaningful in their explanation of morality. Simply being a monster doesn't make something evil and men can be every bit as dark despite being part of the human race; it is up to Geralt to decide on what premise he will take a contact.
The Bad
I think the main issues with the book come from its translation. Sapkowski wrote the original version in Polish and I have a feeling that it is a lot better than the English version, if you can read the language. Simply put, the English translation isn't that great. It's not grammatically incorrect to be fair, rather everything has been translated literally. The result of is is incredibly cheesy fantasy dialogue and words the Western World doesn't really use in speech, like 'comrade.' There's nothing wrong with this in the original version since they're the culturally appropriate words, but the translator should have made a bit of effort to use some creative license with his work to make the book seem more relatable. This isn't the only problem as well and the translator hasn't considered the fact that English has far more words in its vocabulary than other languages do, particularly adjectives. This gives authors a chance to really describe subtle differences in movements, colours etc and Sword of Destiny was very bland to read, with brief, unpadded text - again, a bit of creative licence from the translator could have easily remedied this!
Final Thoughts
Overall, Sword of Destiny is a good, exciting read that puts a slightly different spin on 'monster hunting' than many other books do. It's main problem comes from the translation in my opinion, which although can't be faulted from a technical point of view, leaves a lot to be wanted from the prose and is responsible for the book's low rating.
Friday, 22 July 2016
Crossroads of Twilight - Robert Jordan
RATING: THREE STARS
Elaine Trakand has yet to secure the Lion Throne and her rivals are moving about her, gathering allies and swaying major houses to support their claim. She is desperate to attain the throne that was her mother's, the throne that his hers by right. She is determined to win the Kingdom of Andor for herself and is still angry at Rand al'Thor for offering the throne to her. Elaine means to have it without his help, both from a sting of pride and from a desire not to be known as a queen who's in the pocket of the Lord of the Morning, the Dragon Reborn. The fact that she carries Rand's child is still a closely guarded secret and any that knew would find ways to use it against her. All of them, including her competitors, the agents of the Black Ajar she has sworn to hunt down and the Darkfriends that move in the deepest shades of secrets about her.
Meanwhile, Egwene al'Vere has problems of her own. She is still one of two who have declared for the Amrylin Seat and remains labelled as a rebel to the Aes Sedai. The White Tower is still broken, but Eqwene's war for her seat is coming to a head. With the help of her general, Lord Gareth Bryne, she has amassed a sizeable army. With the use of Travelling, a Skill still forgotten by Elaida's loyalists, Eqwene's army has laid siege to Tar Valon. Yet Egwene is loath to spill Aes Sedai blood and still hasn't moved. Her reluctance is beginning to be seen as weakness and, even within her own camp, there are those who are beginning to see her as a stooge-Amrylin once again . . . Time is short and Egwene knows she will lose all if she doesn't move soon.
The Good and the Bad
Once again Robert Jordan tells a story of epic proportions, one that is filled with magic and darkness. He was woven the threads of his story arcs together masterfully and simultaneously tells the tales of a number of his main protagonists. These stories are interesting, but once again their slow pace fails to carry the story forward much (which is why I have combined my customary 'good' and 'bad' headings into one for better discussion). Despite Crossroads of Twilight being another mammoth tome, very little actually happens in the book aside from talking and I was a bit disappointed when all of the characters and their storylines were in pretty much the same place at the end of the book as they were at the beginning. I can't help but think back to the epic climaxes I fell in love with in the earlier books in the series and I think that Jordan slowing the series pace down is largely responsible for my disappointment. For, despite my criticism, the book wasn't actually boring and I still thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I just think it's time for him to pick up the pace a bit and get the story moving again.
The book barely mentioned Rand, who is arguably the centrepiece of the saga, who got one or two insignificant chapters at most towards the end. Matt and Perrin probably accomplished the most in the novel, yet their positions have still barely changed from when it begun. Likewise, little has happened to carry Elaine's and Egwene's struggle to secure their power and the Forsaken have dropped into the background, doing little at the moment that's worth mentioning . . .
I hope that the pace of the series picks up in the next instalment, which it logically should since the end is drawing ever closer! Because don't get me wrong, I'm still adamant that The Wheel of Time is a masterpiece of fantasy and Jordan has created something that's truly special. His characterisation remains as fantastic as ever, his world is still deeply populated with danger and mythology and he has created an iconic version of magic that works well for his story. It's just a shame that his pacing is letting him down and it's something he can very easily remedy . . .
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, Crossroads of Twilight is a great read and, although I've only given it three stars, it should be born in mind that I'm comparing the novel to the previous books in The Wheel Time saga and it's still much better read than many other works of fantasy, especially with the wealth of world building Jordan has already sunk into the ten books I've read so far. The only thing that has let it down it the fact that pretty much nothing of consequence happens in almost a thousand pages, but his writing, character development and ability to describe impending doom are still as brilliant as ever.
Elaine Trakand has yet to secure the Lion Throne and her rivals are moving about her, gathering allies and swaying major houses to support their claim. She is desperate to attain the throne that was her mother's, the throne that his hers by right. She is determined to win the Kingdom of Andor for herself and is still angry at Rand al'Thor for offering the throne to her. Elaine means to have it without his help, both from a sting of pride and from a desire not to be known as a queen who's in the pocket of the Lord of the Morning, the Dragon Reborn. The fact that she carries Rand's child is still a closely guarded secret and any that knew would find ways to use it against her. All of them, including her competitors, the agents of the Black Ajar she has sworn to hunt down and the Darkfriends that move in the deepest shades of secrets about her.
Meanwhile, Egwene al'Vere has problems of her own. She is still one of two who have declared for the Amrylin Seat and remains labelled as a rebel to the Aes Sedai. The White Tower is still broken, but Eqwene's war for her seat is coming to a head. With the help of her general, Lord Gareth Bryne, she has amassed a sizeable army. With the use of Travelling, a Skill still forgotten by Elaida's loyalists, Eqwene's army has laid siege to Tar Valon. Yet Egwene is loath to spill Aes Sedai blood and still hasn't moved. Her reluctance is beginning to be seen as weakness and, even within her own camp, there are those who are beginning to see her as a stooge-Amrylin once again . . . Time is short and Egwene knows she will lose all if she doesn't move soon.
The Good and the Bad
Once again Robert Jordan tells a story of epic proportions, one that is filled with magic and darkness. He was woven the threads of his story arcs together masterfully and simultaneously tells the tales of a number of his main protagonists. These stories are interesting, but once again their slow pace fails to carry the story forward much (which is why I have combined my customary 'good' and 'bad' headings into one for better discussion). Despite Crossroads of Twilight being another mammoth tome, very little actually happens in the book aside from talking and I was a bit disappointed when all of the characters and their storylines were in pretty much the same place at the end of the book as they were at the beginning. I can't help but think back to the epic climaxes I fell in love with in the earlier books in the series and I think that Jordan slowing the series pace down is largely responsible for my disappointment. For, despite my criticism, the book wasn't actually boring and I still thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I just think it's time for him to pick up the pace a bit and get the story moving again.
The book barely mentioned Rand, who is arguably the centrepiece of the saga, who got one or two insignificant chapters at most towards the end. Matt and Perrin probably accomplished the most in the novel, yet their positions have still barely changed from when it begun. Likewise, little has happened to carry Elaine's and Egwene's struggle to secure their power and the Forsaken have dropped into the background, doing little at the moment that's worth mentioning . . .
I hope that the pace of the series picks up in the next instalment, which it logically should since the end is drawing ever closer! Because don't get me wrong, I'm still adamant that The Wheel of Time is a masterpiece of fantasy and Jordan has created something that's truly special. His characterisation remains as fantastic as ever, his world is still deeply populated with danger and mythology and he has created an iconic version of magic that works well for his story. It's just a shame that his pacing is letting him down and it's something he can very easily remedy . . .
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, Crossroads of Twilight is a great read and, although I've only given it three stars, it should be born in mind that I'm comparing the novel to the previous books in The Wheel Time saga and it's still much better read than many other works of fantasy, especially with the wealth of world building Jordan has already sunk into the ten books I've read so far. The only thing that has let it down it the fact that pretty much nothing of consequence happens in almost a thousand pages, but his writing, character development and ability to describe impending doom are still as brilliant as ever.
Friday, 1 July 2016
Assassin's Apprentice - Robin Hobb
RATING: FIVE STARS
Fitz is a bastard and had no great plans for adventure and service for his life. Yet he is no mere boy born outside of wedlock and is the son of Chivalry Farseer, the King-In-Waiting and heir to the throne of the Six Duchies. He has royal blood in his veins and it shouldn't have come as much as a surprise when he was taken to Buckkeep Castle and left there, for his rich family to raise him. Yet none could have expected the scandal that his existence caused. Chivalry abdicated his claim to the throne, the honour of which went to Prince Verity, his younger brother. None wanted anything to do with Fitz save a cantankerous old man, Burrich, the castle's Master of Stables.
It was Burrich that raised Fitz, teaching him the care of animals and how to remedy them, all the while aware that the boy possessed the Wit - a forbidden magic that allows Fitz to know the minds of animals, to commune with them and live a life outside of the rules of man. Burrich did his best to quash the Wit in Fitz, to keep him busy and his mind occupied. The weapons training from Hod, scribing tuition from Fedwren, chores and duties around the castle . . . All helped Burrich's goals. But Fitz is a King's Man, sworn to Shrewd who seeks to use him for his own ends and it is in secret when Fitz meets Chade. It is out of mind and knowledge of the court that he trains to be an assassin, learns to use poisons and powders to kill a man innocuously. He learns the Skill, a magic highly coveted by the Farseer dynasty, and not a life for himself. He exists only to serve, and he is needed now more than ever for the Red Ships have come. They raid the Duchies coastlines with impunity at will, killing that they want and Forging the rest, which the people quickly learn is a fate worse than death itself . . . And in the shadows behind it all, plots are formed and a game is played. There are those that are not happy with Shrewd's rule and Verity's succession . . .
The Good
I have to admit that I wasn't expecting much when I started reading Assassin's Apprentice. I'd heard it was good, but had read The Rain Wild Chronicles by Robin Hobb and, while I enjoyed it, I wasn't overly impressed by it. I expected more of the same from this book, but I was wrong. The quality of Assassin's Apprentice was evident, right from page one and I had become addicted to Hobb's story, her characters and world within just a few chapters.
I hadn't even finished the novel before I knew it was becoming one of my favourites and it truly is "a diamond in a sea of zircons' as the quote from GRRM on its back cover suggests. I think there are many reasons for this, the first of which is due to the story itself. It's exciting, being full of action and political intrigue which I greatly enjoyed. What's nice and different about this story though, is due to Fitz and his position in the royal court. Obviously, as a bastard, he has no power and although he is aware of the political schemes, manoeuvrings and conspiracies, he has no way of preventing or directly combating them. He merely tries to survive them, all the while doing what's best for King Shrewd, even when he knows he's being used as an expendable piece on the game board. This adds a real sense of helplessness and tension to the book, which is very different to the intrigue of one powerful lord fighting another.
I also really liked Hobb's concept of magic in the book and she has managed to write in a form that's unarguably terrifying in its power and has great potential to be abused. Yet she has kept the abilities and uses it provides subtle and the book isn't filled with people flinging fireballs from their hands or calling lightning down from the sky. It's simply a tool that can only be used in certain circumstances and I thought this added an immersing and captivating layer to the story, especially when I stopped to consider its implications.
Hobb's characterisation is also fantastic and I quickly fell in love with them all, where each character is like a real person who is struggling with their own issues in life: love, loneliness, ambition, anger . . . Her characters run on emotions that we all have and drive everything we do. I also loved her portrayal of animals and how dearly Fitz holds them as friends. They add another layer to a story that is as captivating and exciting as it is heartbreaking at times.
The Bad
The bad . . . The bad . . . I have to say that this is another of those books that I cannot fault and Hobb has done a superb job in writing it. I was quickly addicted to her work and there was nothing about the novel that I did not enjoy.
Final Thoughts
Assassin's Apprentice truly is a masterpiece of the fantasy genre and I can see just why it's so renown and acclaimed. I couldn't put the book down once I began it and I not ashamed to say that the novel brought a few tears to my eyes at times, clear evidence of the power of Hobb's writing. No author aside for Alice Sebold in The Lovely Bones has managed this feat and I strongly urge you to give this masterpiece a go if you haven't already. You won't be disappointed if you do.
Fitz is a bastard and had no great plans for adventure and service for his life. Yet he is no mere boy born outside of wedlock and is the son of Chivalry Farseer, the King-In-Waiting and heir to the throne of the Six Duchies. He has royal blood in his veins and it shouldn't have come as much as a surprise when he was taken to Buckkeep Castle and left there, for his rich family to raise him. Yet none could have expected the scandal that his existence caused. Chivalry abdicated his claim to the throne, the honour of which went to Prince Verity, his younger brother. None wanted anything to do with Fitz save a cantankerous old man, Burrich, the castle's Master of Stables.
It was Burrich that raised Fitz, teaching him the care of animals and how to remedy them, all the while aware that the boy possessed the Wit - a forbidden magic that allows Fitz to know the minds of animals, to commune with them and live a life outside of the rules of man. Burrich did his best to quash the Wit in Fitz, to keep him busy and his mind occupied. The weapons training from Hod, scribing tuition from Fedwren, chores and duties around the castle . . . All helped Burrich's goals. But Fitz is a King's Man, sworn to Shrewd who seeks to use him for his own ends and it is in secret when Fitz meets Chade. It is out of mind and knowledge of the court that he trains to be an assassin, learns to use poisons and powders to kill a man innocuously. He learns the Skill, a magic highly coveted by the Farseer dynasty, and not a life for himself. He exists only to serve, and he is needed now more than ever for the Red Ships have come. They raid the Duchies coastlines with impunity at will, killing that they want and Forging the rest, which the people quickly learn is a fate worse than death itself . . . And in the shadows behind it all, plots are formed and a game is played. There are those that are not happy with Shrewd's rule and Verity's succession . . .
The Good
I have to admit that I wasn't expecting much when I started reading Assassin's Apprentice. I'd heard it was good, but had read The Rain Wild Chronicles by Robin Hobb and, while I enjoyed it, I wasn't overly impressed by it. I expected more of the same from this book, but I was wrong. The quality of Assassin's Apprentice was evident, right from page one and I had become addicted to Hobb's story, her characters and world within just a few chapters.
I hadn't even finished the novel before I knew it was becoming one of my favourites and it truly is "a diamond in a sea of zircons' as the quote from GRRM on its back cover suggests. I think there are many reasons for this, the first of which is due to the story itself. It's exciting, being full of action and political intrigue which I greatly enjoyed. What's nice and different about this story though, is due to Fitz and his position in the royal court. Obviously, as a bastard, he has no power and although he is aware of the political schemes, manoeuvrings and conspiracies, he has no way of preventing or directly combating them. He merely tries to survive them, all the while doing what's best for King Shrewd, even when he knows he's being used as an expendable piece on the game board. This adds a real sense of helplessness and tension to the book, which is very different to the intrigue of one powerful lord fighting another.
I also really liked Hobb's concept of magic in the book and she has managed to write in a form that's unarguably terrifying in its power and has great potential to be abused. Yet she has kept the abilities and uses it provides subtle and the book isn't filled with people flinging fireballs from their hands or calling lightning down from the sky. It's simply a tool that can only be used in certain circumstances and I thought this added an immersing and captivating layer to the story, especially when I stopped to consider its implications.
Hobb's characterisation is also fantastic and I quickly fell in love with them all, where each character is like a real person who is struggling with their own issues in life: love, loneliness, ambition, anger . . . Her characters run on emotions that we all have and drive everything we do. I also loved her portrayal of animals and how dearly Fitz holds them as friends. They add another layer to a story that is as captivating and exciting as it is heartbreaking at times.
The Bad
The bad . . . The bad . . . I have to say that this is another of those books that I cannot fault and Hobb has done a superb job in writing it. I was quickly addicted to her work and there was nothing about the novel that I did not enjoy.
Final Thoughts
Assassin's Apprentice truly is a masterpiece of the fantasy genre and I can see just why it's so renown and acclaimed. I couldn't put the book down once I began it and I not ashamed to say that the novel brought a few tears to my eyes at times, clear evidence of the power of Hobb's writing. No author aside for Alice Sebold in The Lovely Bones has managed this feat and I strongly urge you to give this masterpiece a go if you haven't already. You won't be disappointed if you do.
Saturday, 25 June 2016
Bane of the Liche Lord - D. P. Prior
RATING: THREE STARS
Silas made a terrible mistake and did not heed the advice of
his friends. They tried to tell him that following the dark arts of Otto
Blightey was folly. He failed to listen. The liche lord destroyed Silas so he
could rise again and recognised Nameless as one who stood against him once in the past. Blightey is determined to have his revenge on the dwarf and intends to
do everything he can to destroy their race forever.
Yet Nameless is first and foremost a warrior. He will not
simply stand by and allow the last vestige of his people to disappear, but he
may not like the choices he has to make to save them. They are not
world-changing decisions, rather they concern himself and any absolution that is
his to claim. Can he forgive himself for the sins of his madness? Can he accept
the friendship, love and trust of his kin in order to destroy the dreaded liche
lord once and for all?
The Good
D. P. Prior has written another fast-paced novella that is
packed with action and adventure. He has let his imagination run wild once
again and I found Bane of the Liche
Lord to be a great ending for the series as a whole. Prior ties up all the
loose ends nicely and manages to set up a chance for the subsequent books without
leaving the core story unfinished.
The Bad
There wasn’t anything that bothered me with this book, aside
from the points I have made in the series previous reviews. As ever, Prior over
uses his fictional profanity ‘shog’ and there are minor grammatical errors
throughout that had my internal editor waving a blue pencil about at time!
Final Thoughts
Overall, though, Bane of
the Liche Lord was an exciting read and ended The Chronicles of the Nameless Dwarf well. The book, and series as
a whole, make for quick, easy reading and are perfect for anyone who’s looking
for a bit of light-hearted fantasy that isn’t too heavy in lore and world-building.
Wednesday, 11 May 2016
The Ebon Staff - D. P. Prior
RATING: THREE STARS
Nameless did not expect his reunion with his dwarven kin to go well, and, unsurprisingly, it didn't. After escaping execution at the hands of the sappers with the unlikely help of Nils and Silas, he is forced to flee the dwarven encampment for his life. He has given up on his quest and plans to leave the dangerous dreamland he's led his companions into before more harm can come to them, but Silas has other plans. The sorcerer has become obsessed with Bightey's journal and all of his will is focused on attaining the infamous Ebon Staff. If his companions won't help him unlock the dark powers of the occult willingly, then he will have no choice but to bend their will and force their hands . . .
The Good
The Ebon Staff is as fast-paced as D. P. Prior's other books in the Chronicles of the Nameless Dwarf and it did not disappoint me. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about his characters, which he has continued to develop and deepen, and found it a satisfying penultimate instalment to the series. What's more, the relevance of the Ebon Staff is beginning to become clear and I was pleasantly surprised when I realised that it's probably more important to the overall storyline of the series than Nameless finding his kin, which was established from the go in the first book.
The Bad
Once again, though, I couldn't help but notice a few spelling and grammatical errors in the book. Luckily they weren't too bad and (frustratingly), could have probably been corrected with a little bit more time spent with the editor. Aside from this, there was just my favourite gripe about the series that I should probably mention, which is, of course, the overuse of the word: 'shog.'
Final Thoughts
Overall, however, The Ebon Staff is a great novella of fantasy and action. It's quick to read, easy to relate to the characters and Prior has clearly let his imagination run wild while writing it.
Nameless did not expect his reunion with his dwarven kin to go well, and, unsurprisingly, it didn't. After escaping execution at the hands of the sappers with the unlikely help of Nils and Silas, he is forced to flee the dwarven encampment for his life. He has given up on his quest and plans to leave the dangerous dreamland he's led his companions into before more harm can come to them, but Silas has other plans. The sorcerer has become obsessed with Bightey's journal and all of his will is focused on attaining the infamous Ebon Staff. If his companions won't help him unlock the dark powers of the occult willingly, then he will have no choice but to bend their will and force their hands . . .
The Good
The Ebon Staff is as fast-paced as D. P. Prior's other books in the Chronicles of the Nameless Dwarf and it did not disappoint me. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about his characters, which he has continued to develop and deepen, and found it a satisfying penultimate instalment to the series. What's more, the relevance of the Ebon Staff is beginning to become clear and I was pleasantly surprised when I realised that it's probably more important to the overall storyline of the series than Nameless finding his kin, which was established from the go in the first book.
The Bad
Once again, though, I couldn't help but notice a few spelling and grammatical errors in the book. Luckily they weren't too bad and (frustratingly), could have probably been corrected with a little bit more time spent with the editor. Aside from this, there was just my favourite gripe about the series that I should probably mention, which is, of course, the overuse of the word: 'shog.'
Final Thoughts
Overall, however, The Ebon Staff is a great novella of fantasy and action. It's quick to read, easy to relate to the characters and Prior has clearly let his imagination run wild while writing it.
Sunday, 17 April 2016
The Scout & the Serpent - D. P. Prior
RATING: THREE STARS
The unlikely adventurers' continue their journey through the dreamland created by a demented god and Nameless must use all of the powers contained in the Axe of the Dwarf Lords if he is find the last remnants of his people. But even with all of this power, he is helpless to aid his friends when they are scattered by a pack of werewolves. Trapped on a small island with only Ilesa for company, Nameless must defeat a terrifying serpent if he is to escape and find his people; his companions.
For Nils is alone and surrounded by goblins, alone except for an injured scout who knows exactly where the dwarves are . . .
The Good
I'm pleased to say that D. P. Prior is writing in proper sentences again, which makes the book much more fluid and easy to read. This really adds to the excitement and adventure in the book, and it's every bit as action-packed as its predecessors in the Chronicles of the Nameless Dwarf.
Another aspect of the book I liked was Prior's continued development of the protagonists other than Nameless and it's nice to start to see the dwarf's companions really start to come into their own, with their own personalities, issues and motivations. This helps to add depth to a somewhat superficial story and I hope it continues throughout the series future instalments!
The Bad
There are still editorial mistakes dotted throughout the book that I picked up on and, as I've said in previous reviews, Prior heavily overuses the fictional word 'shog' as a profanity. The editorial mistakes are noticeably less frequent than in the other books, which is good, and although the swear word still becomes a bit annoying at times, I think I'm finally beginning to accept its use and it hasn't irked me as much in The Scout & the Serpent as it has previously.
Final Thoughts
Overall, The Scout & the Serpent is a decent book and I enjoyed it as much as I have the others in the series. Prior has kept true to his earlier works and the story is every bit as gristly, faced-paced and exciting. It's a perfect time killer for that short commute or spare few hours!
The unlikely adventurers' continue their journey through the dreamland created by a demented god and Nameless must use all of the powers contained in the Axe of the Dwarf Lords if he is find the last remnants of his people. But even with all of this power, he is helpless to aid his friends when they are scattered by a pack of werewolves. Trapped on a small island with only Ilesa for company, Nameless must defeat a terrifying serpent if he is to escape and find his people; his companions.
For Nils is alone and surrounded by goblins, alone except for an injured scout who knows exactly where the dwarves are . . .
The Good
I'm pleased to say that D. P. Prior is writing in proper sentences again, which makes the book much more fluid and easy to read. This really adds to the excitement and adventure in the book, and it's every bit as action-packed as its predecessors in the Chronicles of the Nameless Dwarf.
Another aspect of the book I liked was Prior's continued development of the protagonists other than Nameless and it's nice to start to see the dwarf's companions really start to come into their own, with their own personalities, issues and motivations. This helps to add depth to a somewhat superficial story and I hope it continues throughout the series future instalments!
The Bad
There are still editorial mistakes dotted throughout the book that I picked up on and, as I've said in previous reviews, Prior heavily overuses the fictional word 'shog' as a profanity. The editorial mistakes are noticeably less frequent than in the other books, which is good, and although the swear word still becomes a bit annoying at times, I think I'm finally beginning to accept its use and it hasn't irked me as much in The Scout & the Serpent as it has previously.
Final Thoughts
Overall, The Scout & the Serpent is a decent book and I enjoyed it as much as I have the others in the series. Prior has kept true to his earlier works and the story is every bit as gristly, faced-paced and exciting. It's a perfect time killer for that short commute or spare few hours!
Tuesday, 5 April 2016
The Axe of the Dwarf Lords - D. P. Prior
RATING: THREE STARS
With only his trusty companions at his side: Nils, Silas and Ilesa, the Nameless Dwarf continues his search for the last remnants of his people. His quest takes him deep into the dreamland of a demented god, a strange world that is apt to change and filled with terror. From flesh-eating zombies to an unstoppable horror that destroyed the dwarves of old, Nameless finds his skills with an axe are needed as much as ever if he is to succeed and keep his friends alive.
But the axe he has now is an unremarkable and common weapon, unable to defeat everything that stands in his path. If Nameless is ever going to find the vestige of his people, he needs to forgive himself and concede to magic. He needs to take up the Axe of the Dwarf Lords and accept the power of the Immortals that runs through his veins . . .
The Good
Once again D. P. Prior has produced a fast-paced and exciting story. It's fun to read and is fairly immersing, being filled with fights and humour. Prior has added a new element to this story as well, which he achieves by separating many of the main characters. This provides a few more story arcs to The Axe of the Dwarf Lords so he is able to explore and develop his protagonists more fully.
The Bad
One of the issues I had with book was Prior's sudden aversion to using words like 'the' or 'a' at the start of sentences. I didn't pick up on this in A Dwarf With No Name, so I'm not sure whether it was done less often or if it's a new technique Prior is working with. Either way, it means many of his sentences start in odd places and they don't really flow correctly, with the following quote being a good example: "Whole leg was rot all the way to the knee, which was about as far as he could see from his belly." This didn't really spoil my enjoyment of the story, but it broke the natural flow of my reading and required a bit of thought to get through some paragraphs, not to mention the effort of ignoring my internal editor!
Aside from this, the issues I mentioned in my review of A Dwarf With No Name are still present and I couldn't help but notice the odd spelling or grammatical mistake dotted throughout the book, not to mention the continued overuse of the word 'shog!'
Final Thoughts
Despite a few flaws and problems here and there, The Axe of the Dwarf Lords is a good sequel to its predecessor and I enjoyed it. Prior's writing makes for fun, easy-going fantasy and certainly doesn't lack for excitement!
With only his trusty companions at his side: Nils, Silas and Ilesa, the Nameless Dwarf continues his search for the last remnants of his people. His quest takes him deep into the dreamland of a demented god, a strange world that is apt to change and filled with terror. From flesh-eating zombies to an unstoppable horror that destroyed the dwarves of old, Nameless finds his skills with an axe are needed as much as ever if he is to succeed and keep his friends alive.
But the axe he has now is an unremarkable and common weapon, unable to defeat everything that stands in his path. If Nameless is ever going to find the vestige of his people, he needs to forgive himself and concede to magic. He needs to take up the Axe of the Dwarf Lords and accept the power of the Immortals that runs through his veins . . .
The Good
Once again D. P. Prior has produced a fast-paced and exciting story. It's fun to read and is fairly immersing, being filled with fights and humour. Prior has added a new element to this story as well, which he achieves by separating many of the main characters. This provides a few more story arcs to The Axe of the Dwarf Lords so he is able to explore and develop his protagonists more fully.
The Bad
One of the issues I had with book was Prior's sudden aversion to using words like 'the' or 'a' at the start of sentences. I didn't pick up on this in A Dwarf With No Name, so I'm not sure whether it was done less often or if it's a new technique Prior is working with. Either way, it means many of his sentences start in odd places and they don't really flow correctly, with the following quote being a good example: "Whole leg was rot all the way to the knee, which was about as far as he could see from his belly." This didn't really spoil my enjoyment of the story, but it broke the natural flow of my reading and required a bit of thought to get through some paragraphs, not to mention the effort of ignoring my internal editor!
Aside from this, the issues I mentioned in my review of A Dwarf With No Name are still present and I couldn't help but notice the odd spelling or grammatical mistake dotted throughout the book, not to mention the continued overuse of the word 'shog!'
Final Thoughts
Despite a few flaws and problems here and there, The Axe of the Dwarf Lords is a good sequel to its predecessor and I enjoyed it. Prior's writing makes for fun, easy-going fantasy and certainly doesn't lack for excitement!
Wednesday, 16 March 2016
A Dwarf With No Name - D. P. Prior
RATING: THREE STARS
When Nils is sent to meet a renown mage by his father, the head of the nefarious Night Hawks, he does not expect the simple introduction he was paid to facilitate to go wrong. The mage quickly proves unreasonable and decides that there is much more money to be had in robbing Nils and the hapless dwarf. Yet the dwarf is nameless for a reason, and is none other than the dreaded madman that destroyed his kingdom as he attempted to burn the world to ashes around him. The so-called 'Nameless Dwarf' has no fear of the mage and will not let one man cease his search for the vestige of his race. His adventure will continue, with the few new friends he makes that will be essential if he is to succeed in his quest and survive the terrible city of the Ant-Man.
The Good
A Dwarf With No Name is an interesting spin on the dwarvish race, telling the story from the perspective of a warlord that was driven mad with power and is now looking for absolution. It's short length enables D. P. Prior to keep the story moving at a fast pace, meaning that it never lacks for action! It's pretty much just a book of the dwarf fighting and killing people, but Prior doesn't go too over the top and it makes for fairly entertaining, superficial reading.
The Bad
One of the main issues I had with A Dwarf With No Name was its grammar and my internal editor cried out at times and wanted me to get scribbling with a blue pencil. It wasn't really a huge issue, but Prior got tenses and clauses muddled up on more than a few occasions and used writing tricks such as adding an 'sh' into the middle of words to signify that a character was drunk and slurring their speech. If you read a lot of my reviews you probably already know that I'm a big advocate against tricks like this and I think the cheap trick detracts from writing and gives the book a slightly amateurish feel. When have GRRM, Patrick Rothfuss or Robin Hobb ever used such a technique?
Another of the qualms I had with the book was Prior's use of swearing. Just like its use in real life, swearing has to be done properly or it just looks foolish. Throughout the book, Prior uses the word 'shog' in various tenses as a generic insult. I have the feeling this insult has been created to avoid offending the reader or as an attempt at world-building, such as how Battlestar Galactica uses 'frack' instead of, well, you know . . . This works in BSG because 'frack' sounds so similar to the word it's used to replace and is used in the same contexts as Western Cultures use it so we can relate to it. 'Shog' doesn't really sound like existing profanity and just makes me think of 'slog,' which isn't offensive in the slightest and makes the word's use a bit ridiculous really.
Final Thoughts
A Dwarf With No Name is a fair read overall and I enjoyed it. The pacing and excitment of the story made up for any issues there were with the actual prose and the fact that I read it in about an hour probably helped as well. It's a perfect time-killer for that short bus ride and is certainly a good example of easy-to-read fantasy that doesn't take a few weeks to work through.
When Nils is sent to meet a renown mage by his father, the head of the nefarious Night Hawks, he does not expect the simple introduction he was paid to facilitate to go wrong. The mage quickly proves unreasonable and decides that there is much more money to be had in robbing Nils and the hapless dwarf. Yet the dwarf is nameless for a reason, and is none other than the dreaded madman that destroyed his kingdom as he attempted to burn the world to ashes around him. The so-called 'Nameless Dwarf' has no fear of the mage and will not let one man cease his search for the vestige of his race. His adventure will continue, with the few new friends he makes that will be essential if he is to succeed in his quest and survive the terrible city of the Ant-Man.
The Good
A Dwarf With No Name is an interesting spin on the dwarvish race, telling the story from the perspective of a warlord that was driven mad with power and is now looking for absolution. It's short length enables D. P. Prior to keep the story moving at a fast pace, meaning that it never lacks for action! It's pretty much just a book of the dwarf fighting and killing people, but Prior doesn't go too over the top and it makes for fairly entertaining, superficial reading.
The Bad
One of the main issues I had with A Dwarf With No Name was its grammar and my internal editor cried out at times and wanted me to get scribbling with a blue pencil. It wasn't really a huge issue, but Prior got tenses and clauses muddled up on more than a few occasions and used writing tricks such as adding an 'sh' into the middle of words to signify that a character was drunk and slurring their speech. If you read a lot of my reviews you probably already know that I'm a big advocate against tricks like this and I think the cheap trick detracts from writing and gives the book a slightly amateurish feel. When have GRRM, Patrick Rothfuss or Robin Hobb ever used such a technique?
Another of the qualms I had with the book was Prior's use of swearing. Just like its use in real life, swearing has to be done properly or it just looks foolish. Throughout the book, Prior uses the word 'shog' in various tenses as a generic insult. I have the feeling this insult has been created to avoid offending the reader or as an attempt at world-building, such as how Battlestar Galactica uses 'frack' instead of, well, you know . . . This works in BSG because 'frack' sounds so similar to the word it's used to replace and is used in the same contexts as Western Cultures use it so we can relate to it. 'Shog' doesn't really sound like existing profanity and just makes me think of 'slog,' which isn't offensive in the slightest and makes the word's use a bit ridiculous really.
Final Thoughts
A Dwarf With No Name is a fair read overall and I enjoyed it. The pacing and excitment of the story made up for any issues there were with the actual prose and the fact that I read it in about an hour probably helped as well. It's a perfect time-killer for that short bus ride and is certainly a good example of easy-to-read fantasy that doesn't take a few weeks to work through.
Wednesday, 9 March 2016
The Two Towers - J. R. R. Tolkien
RATING; FOUR STARS
The Fellowship of the Ring has broken. Fearing for the safety of his friends and the corrupting nature of the One Ring, Frodo Baggins fled Amon Hen with his faithful gardener, Samwise Gamgee, at his heels. But Frodo had not considered his lack of geography and Gandalf the Grey, as wise as he was, did not divulge his plans for entering Mordor before he fell in Khazad-dûm. The two hobbits quickly become lost in Emyn Muil's tumbling crags and must accept the help of an unlikely and dangerous ally if they ever hope to reach the Black Gates and achieve their goal of destroying the Ring in the fiery chasms of Mount Doom.
Meanwhile Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli are not about to abandon Merry and Pippin to Saruman's torture. They set off in pursuit of the Uruk-hai that captured them, chasing the new breed of orc through the rolling pastures of Rohan. But they quickly discover that all is not well in the Westfold and the mind of the land's once great king has fallen prey to Saruman's treacherous enchantments. Aragorn knows that the fight for Rohan is no less important than that for Gondar and it is in Helm's Deep, the ancient fortress of Helm Hammerhand, where the first blow against the world of men is struck in one of the greatest battles of the Age . . .
The Good
Once again, the depth and scale of Tolkien's beloved story is amazing. Tolkien continues to delve into the history and culture of Middle Earth, while outlying the struggles of the free peoples in two distinct parts, which feature Frodo and Sam in one, and Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli in the other. Both parts are as captivating and full of peril and each other and I was quickly reminded of why The Two Towers was always my favourite instalment of The Lord of the Rings when I was younger!
The Bad
I have very few issues with The Two Towers and it is undeniably a masterful work of fantasy, but, once again, I did find it a bit dry in places and the level of Tolkien's description did slow the story down a bit. As I said in my review of The Fellowship of the Ring, however, this was the style of the era in which Tolkien wrote and is easy to forgive for such a captivating and well-loved story.
My Thoughts
The Two Towers is a deep and exciting sequel to The Fellowship of the Ring and continues The Lord of the Rings saga on in an epic manner. It's the best instalment of the trilogy in my opinion and many of the events it contains, such as that of Helm's Deep, are probably better known than many battles that actually happened in real life! It's certainly worthy of its place on my Shelf of Fame and I strongly suggest you try and give the series a go if you haven't already read it!
The Fellowship of the Ring has broken. Fearing for the safety of his friends and the corrupting nature of the One Ring, Frodo Baggins fled Amon Hen with his faithful gardener, Samwise Gamgee, at his heels. But Frodo had not considered his lack of geography and Gandalf the Grey, as wise as he was, did not divulge his plans for entering Mordor before he fell in Khazad-dûm. The two hobbits quickly become lost in Emyn Muil's tumbling crags and must accept the help of an unlikely and dangerous ally if they ever hope to reach the Black Gates and achieve their goal of destroying the Ring in the fiery chasms of Mount Doom.
Meanwhile Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli are not about to abandon Merry and Pippin to Saruman's torture. They set off in pursuit of the Uruk-hai that captured them, chasing the new breed of orc through the rolling pastures of Rohan. But they quickly discover that all is not well in the Westfold and the mind of the land's once great king has fallen prey to Saruman's treacherous enchantments. Aragorn knows that the fight for Rohan is no less important than that for Gondar and it is in Helm's Deep, the ancient fortress of Helm Hammerhand, where the first blow against the world of men is struck in one of the greatest battles of the Age . . .
The Good
Once again, the depth and scale of Tolkien's beloved story is amazing. Tolkien continues to delve into the history and culture of Middle Earth, while outlying the struggles of the free peoples in two distinct parts, which feature Frodo and Sam in one, and Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli in the other. Both parts are as captivating and full of peril and each other and I was quickly reminded of why The Two Towers was always my favourite instalment of The Lord of the Rings when I was younger!
The Bad
I have very few issues with The Two Towers and it is undeniably a masterful work of fantasy, but, once again, I did find it a bit dry in places and the level of Tolkien's description did slow the story down a bit. As I said in my review of The Fellowship of the Ring, however, this was the style of the era in which Tolkien wrote and is easy to forgive for such a captivating and well-loved story.
My Thoughts
The Two Towers is a deep and exciting sequel to The Fellowship of the Ring and continues The Lord of the Rings saga on in an epic manner. It's the best instalment of the trilogy in my opinion and many of the events it contains, such as that of Helm's Deep, are probably better known than many battles that actually happened in real life! It's certainly worthy of its place on my Shelf of Fame and I strongly suggest you try and give the series a go if you haven't already read it!
Wednesday, 2 March 2016
Winter's Heart - Robert Jordan
RATING: FOUR STARS
Still reeling from the failed assassination attempt on his life, Rand al'Thor is forced to flee his cities. He has broken off all contact with the lords, armies and peoples that serve him, but he is the Dragon Reborn, the Lord of the Morning, and does not run blindly. Rand is determined to destroy those that thought to destroy him in Cairhien and lures them into a city where one cannot channel. Many have forgotten that al'Thor carries the mark of heron on his sword--the sign of a blademaster--but Rand still remembers the weight of steel in his hand. What's more, he still remembers what it's like to use saidin without feeling the Dark One's taint through the eidolon of Lews Therin Telamon. Rand intends to purify the One Power once he has dealt with the would-be assassins, although he knows he will not be able to accomplish such a feat without finally learning to trust the Aes Sedai that follow him . . .
The Good
Robert Jordan continues The Wheel of Time saga with the superb prose and incredible detail I have come to expect from his books. Winter's Heart introduces several new cities to the story and uses their unique characteristics to deepen the mythology of his world. I particularly liked his concept of a city that was warded against the One Power, meaning that magic could not be wielded there in the conventional manner. The growth in the abilities of the main protagonists has been immense over the series thus far and many of them are now far more powerful that the prominent villains. This has taken some of the 'danger' from the books and enemies that were once feared have been struck down with relative ease in the recent instalments. By negating magic for much of Rand's storyline, Jordan has managed to recreate the sense of danger in the story and Rand becomes as vulnerable as he was in the early books!
The pace of this book is also much faster than the last few in the series, which is a refreshing change to the slower (although still addictively immersing) plotlines. I really get the feeling the a lot is going to happen over the next few books from the way Winter's Heart ended and I doubt I'll be disappointed!
The Bad
There was nothing I didn't like about Winter's Heart and Jordan seems to have finally got back on top of the pacing of his stories!
My Thoughts
Overall, Winter's Heart is an excellent book and reinforced, as have the previous eight novels in the series, why The Wheel of Time is such a well-known and acclaimed saga. It contains everything a fantasy addict needs to fall in love with it and is a shining example of the epic fantasy genre as its very best. The book is well worth a read if it's just sat on your bookshelf and if you haven't begun reading The Wheel of Time yet, it's high time you get The Eye of the World and begin one of the most epic adventure's you'll ever read!
Still reeling from the failed assassination attempt on his life, Rand al'Thor is forced to flee his cities. He has broken off all contact with the lords, armies and peoples that serve him, but he is the Dragon Reborn, the Lord of the Morning, and does not run blindly. Rand is determined to destroy those that thought to destroy him in Cairhien and lures them into a city where one cannot channel. Many have forgotten that al'Thor carries the mark of heron on his sword--the sign of a blademaster--but Rand still remembers the weight of steel in his hand. What's more, he still remembers what it's like to use saidin without feeling the Dark One's taint through the eidolon of Lews Therin Telamon. Rand intends to purify the One Power once he has dealt with the would-be assassins, although he knows he will not be able to accomplish such a feat without finally learning to trust the Aes Sedai that follow him . . .
The Good
Robert Jordan continues The Wheel of Time saga with the superb prose and incredible detail I have come to expect from his books. Winter's Heart introduces several new cities to the story and uses their unique characteristics to deepen the mythology of his world. I particularly liked his concept of a city that was warded against the One Power, meaning that magic could not be wielded there in the conventional manner. The growth in the abilities of the main protagonists has been immense over the series thus far and many of them are now far more powerful that the prominent villains. This has taken some of the 'danger' from the books and enemies that were once feared have been struck down with relative ease in the recent instalments. By negating magic for much of Rand's storyline, Jordan has managed to recreate the sense of danger in the story and Rand becomes as vulnerable as he was in the early books!
The pace of this book is also much faster than the last few in the series, which is a refreshing change to the slower (although still addictively immersing) plotlines. I really get the feeling the a lot is going to happen over the next few books from the way Winter's Heart ended and I doubt I'll be disappointed!
The Bad
There was nothing I didn't like about Winter's Heart and Jordan seems to have finally got back on top of the pacing of his stories!
My Thoughts
Overall, Winter's Heart is an excellent book and reinforced, as have the previous eight novels in the series, why The Wheel of Time is such a well-known and acclaimed saga. It contains everything a fantasy addict needs to fall in love with it and is a shining example of the epic fantasy genre as its very best. The book is well worth a read if it's just sat on your bookshelf and if you haven't begun reading The Wheel of Time yet, it's high time you get The Eye of the World and begin one of the most epic adventure's you'll ever read!
Sunday, 3 January 2016
Series Review: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
OVERALL RATING: FIVE STARS
AWARD: SHELF OF FAME
Harry Potter is just an ordinary boy, albeit a rather downtrodden one. After his parents were killed in a car accident while he was just a baby, he was sent to live with the Dursleys.' His uncle likes to think Harry doesn't exist, his aunty ignores him and the only attention his cousin, Dudley, gives him is to criticise or bully. Harry can't foresee his life getting better any time soon and was as surprised as any of his family when a letter arrives, addressed to Harry's cupboard under the stairs. It was a letter that changes everything and Harry learns that he is not an ordinary boy afterall. He is a wizard--just like his parents before him--and has been offered a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry!
Harry's life takes a dramatic change and he finds himself in a world where the magical and fantastic are mundane. He takes classes for transfiguration and potions, defence against the Dark Arts and charms. He learns how to fly on a broomstick and has the freedom of living in a boarding school. But, best of all, he has friends. It is not long before Harry meets Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, two fellow students that would fight at his side. For not all is at it seems at Hogwarts and Harry Potter is the Boy Who Lived. Lord Voldemort is neither gone nor defeated and many of his old supporters escaped the wizard prison of Azkaban after the first war against He Who Must Not Be Named. Voldemort is determined to return to his full power and knows that Harry is the key to his success.
Plots circle Hogwarts like the tightening of a noose and every year sees Harry face perils that even a fully trained wizard or witch should not face. He learns courage and defiance in the face of evil as the gruesome truth of his parents murders come to light. But most of all, he learns that there is power in love and strength in the true, unwavering friendship of loyalty . . .
Book 1: Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone
Book 2: Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets
Book 3: Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban
Book 4: Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire
Book 5: Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix
Book 6: Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince
Book 7: Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows
The Good
The Harry Potter series needs little introduction and the fact that the franchise is one of the most successful children's series in history speaks for the quality of J. K. Rowling's work. Rowling writes each book with a vivid, fast-paced style that makes their reading effortless. She has managed to perfect the balance of events, dialogue and description, allowing her to produce a detailed, vibrant world to back-set her stories. I fell in love with the Harry Potter books ever since I began reading The Philosopher's Stone as a child, but I don't think this has biased my opinion of them in any way. They are unbelievably enjoyable to read and I did not become bored a single time! In fact, I read The Philosopher's Stone, The Chamber of Secrets and The Prisoner of Azkaban within three days when I re-read the series last year!
One of the reasons the books are so good has to be due to Rowling's flair for characterisation. She has an uncanny ability to make her character's come alive and each one is completely unique. Furthermore, each character reads like a real person, where they have their own thoughts, personality, personal issues and motivation for their beliefs and actions. This helps the whole story seem more real somehow and really makes it easy to engage with the characters. I found I was invested in them and genuinely worried about them at that time when the books were still being released and nobody had any idea what would happen!
Rowling's whole concept of a secret magical world living alongside us 'Muggles' is also extremely well thought-out and she has invested a lot of time in developing their own culture, ways of doing things (including keeping the existence of magic and fantastic beasts secret) and how their society works. The locations of her story, such as Hogwarts and Diagon Alley, have all been beautifully described which forms a solid foundation for the story. As well as this, Rowling has also constructed a very plausible ethos of magic that involves spells and potions. Many authors get carried away with magic and the power a person can have in their books, which isn't always a bad thing in all fairness, but Rowling's limitations on magic and the way it's performed makes it much more believable than it usually is. This basically forms the keystone of the story, one which helped me become truly immersed in the story. It's also clever how most of the spells that are used have their roots in Latin, which provides a very old and very real link back to our rather mundane world.
The last thing that makes the Harry Potter books truly great is the story itself. Each of the books has been beautiful written and is exciting and fast-paced. They are very difficult to put down and are an easy way to kill hours of time. The overall story arc is also fantastic and I really liked how it's simply a battle between good and evil. Obviously, Voldemort and his followers are agents of control and order, believing in the purity of the magic in very old families. Harry and those like him, believe in freedom and the right for anyone to live freely and without fear of persecution. This means that the books carry very powerful messages, such as the power of love and the value of loyalty and friendship. This concept is nothing new, but I think it adds weight to the story and Rowling has written the story extremely well to make sure the books contain powerful messages for children.
The Bad
To be honest, this heading is only here because of my format for reviews. There was nothing I didn't like about the Harry Potter books and they truly are masterpieces of the fantasy genre, being enjoyable for children and adults alike. They're exciting, well executed and show us a world that we've all secretly wished we were part of at one time or another.
My Thoughts
Overall then, the Harry Potter series is a stunning example of what fantasy can be when it's done well. J. K. Rowling has created a rich, detailed world that is in dire trouble. Her protagonists are relatable and plausible, helping to produce an exciting story that's difficult to put down. If you haven't read the Harry Potter books and are only familiar with the films, you really need to. These are books that have captured the imaginations of an entire generation and will probably be moulding minds for generations to come. Each one of these seven books is truly worthy of their place on my Shelf of Fame and I expect I'll re-read them again and again throughout my life.
AWARD: SHELF OF FAME
Harry Potter is just an ordinary boy, albeit a rather downtrodden one. After his parents were killed in a car accident while he was just a baby, he was sent to live with the Dursleys.' His uncle likes to think Harry doesn't exist, his aunty ignores him and the only attention his cousin, Dudley, gives him is to criticise or bully. Harry can't foresee his life getting better any time soon and was as surprised as any of his family when a letter arrives, addressed to Harry's cupboard under the stairs. It was a letter that changes everything and Harry learns that he is not an ordinary boy afterall. He is a wizard--just like his parents before him--and has been offered a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry!
Harry's life takes a dramatic change and he finds himself in a world where the magical and fantastic are mundane. He takes classes for transfiguration and potions, defence against the Dark Arts and charms. He learns how to fly on a broomstick and has the freedom of living in a boarding school. But, best of all, he has friends. It is not long before Harry meets Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, two fellow students that would fight at his side. For not all is at it seems at Hogwarts and Harry Potter is the Boy Who Lived. Lord Voldemort is neither gone nor defeated and many of his old supporters escaped the wizard prison of Azkaban after the first war against He Who Must Not Be Named. Voldemort is determined to return to his full power and knows that Harry is the key to his success.
Plots circle Hogwarts like the tightening of a noose and every year sees Harry face perils that even a fully trained wizard or witch should not face. He learns courage and defiance in the face of evil as the gruesome truth of his parents murders come to light. But most of all, he learns that there is power in love and strength in the true, unwavering friendship of loyalty . . .
Book 1: Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone
Book 2: Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets
Book 3: Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban
Book 4: Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire
Book 5: Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix
Book 6: Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince
Book 7: Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows
The Good
The Harry Potter series needs little introduction and the fact that the franchise is one of the most successful children's series in history speaks for the quality of J. K. Rowling's work. Rowling writes each book with a vivid, fast-paced style that makes their reading effortless. She has managed to perfect the balance of events, dialogue and description, allowing her to produce a detailed, vibrant world to back-set her stories. I fell in love with the Harry Potter books ever since I began reading The Philosopher's Stone as a child, but I don't think this has biased my opinion of them in any way. They are unbelievably enjoyable to read and I did not become bored a single time! In fact, I read The Philosopher's Stone, The Chamber of Secrets and The Prisoner of Azkaban within three days when I re-read the series last year!
One of the reasons the books are so good has to be due to Rowling's flair for characterisation. She has an uncanny ability to make her character's come alive and each one is completely unique. Furthermore, each character reads like a real person, where they have their own thoughts, personality, personal issues and motivation for their beliefs and actions. This helps the whole story seem more real somehow and really makes it easy to engage with the characters. I found I was invested in them and genuinely worried about them at that time when the books were still being released and nobody had any idea what would happen!
Rowling's whole concept of a secret magical world living alongside us 'Muggles' is also extremely well thought-out and she has invested a lot of time in developing their own culture, ways of doing things (including keeping the existence of magic and fantastic beasts secret) and how their society works. The locations of her story, such as Hogwarts and Diagon Alley, have all been beautifully described which forms a solid foundation for the story. As well as this, Rowling has also constructed a very plausible ethos of magic that involves spells and potions. Many authors get carried away with magic and the power a person can have in their books, which isn't always a bad thing in all fairness, but Rowling's limitations on magic and the way it's performed makes it much more believable than it usually is. This basically forms the keystone of the story, one which helped me become truly immersed in the story. It's also clever how most of the spells that are used have their roots in Latin, which provides a very old and very real link back to our rather mundane world.
The last thing that makes the Harry Potter books truly great is the story itself. Each of the books has been beautiful written and is exciting and fast-paced. They are very difficult to put down and are an easy way to kill hours of time. The overall story arc is also fantastic and I really liked how it's simply a battle between good and evil. Obviously, Voldemort and his followers are agents of control and order, believing in the purity of the magic in very old families. Harry and those like him, believe in freedom and the right for anyone to live freely and without fear of persecution. This means that the books carry very powerful messages, such as the power of love and the value of loyalty and friendship. This concept is nothing new, but I think it adds weight to the story and Rowling has written the story extremely well to make sure the books contain powerful messages for children.
The Bad
To be honest, this heading is only here because of my format for reviews. There was nothing I didn't like about the Harry Potter books and they truly are masterpieces of the fantasy genre, being enjoyable for children and adults alike. They're exciting, well executed and show us a world that we've all secretly wished we were part of at one time or another.
My Thoughts
Overall then, the Harry Potter series is a stunning example of what fantasy can be when it's done well. J. K. Rowling has created a rich, detailed world that is in dire trouble. Her protagonists are relatable and plausible, helping to produce an exciting story that's difficult to put down. If you haven't read the Harry Potter books and are only familiar with the films, you really need to. These are books that have captured the imaginations of an entire generation and will probably be moulding minds for generations to come. Each one of these seven books is truly worthy of their place on my Shelf of Fame and I expect I'll re-read them again and again throughout my life.
Thursday, 17 December 2015
Let's Drown Out on 'The Eye of Argon'
One of my friends has just introduced me to a fantasy novel called The Eye of Argon by Jim Theis. Surprisingly, this isn't because the book is a fantastic must-read and the recommendation was actually because the novella was so bad! While I genuinely don't like criticising an author's work, The Eye of Argon is widely considered to be the worst novella ever written and (quite simply), is hilarious to read. I'm not exaggerating when I say that every word the author has used is an adjective and he's basically strung a story together using a theasaurus and terrible fantasy names.
I doubt I'll ever read the actual book per se, but Let's Drown Out have a hilarious video on YouTube where they try to read Theis' work without laughing! It's much funnier than it sounds and is definitely worth checking out!
Wednesday, 16 December 2015
The Fellowship of the Ring - J. R. R. Tolkien
RATING: FOUR STARS
When young Frodo Baggins inherits Bag End and a strange ring of invisibility from Bilbo, his eccentric uncle, he pays no mind to it and settles down for the quiet life of a respectable hobbit. Little does he know the significance of the ring and that his possession of it will lead to a dark and arduous adventure. For the ring is none other than the Ring of Power itself and the dark lord Sauron has returned to Middle Earth. His thought is bent on finding the Ring and his only lead as to its whereabouts comes from the creature Gollum. Searching for 'Baggins' in the 'Shire,' Sauron's Ringwraiths speed from Minas Morgal to seize it for their master.
Frodo is forced to flee his home in the Shire and is determined to bring the Ruling Ring before Elrond in Rivendell as Gandalf the Grey instructed. Yet even delivering the Ring to a sanctuary deemed safe is not enough and Frodo is the only one the quarrelling Free Races trust to carry it forth and forever destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom in Mordor. Frodo becomes one of the Nine Walkers to oppose the Nine Riders and, with the help of Aragorn, Gandalf, Boromir, Legolas, Gimili, Merry, Pippin and Sam, means to end Sauron forever.
The Good
So where do I start here?! The Lord of the Rings is still one of the finest works of fantasy ever written and it has a depth to it that has inspired an entire genre. J. R. R. Tolkien is the grandfather of fantasy and The Fellowship of the Ring is a reflection of that. The mythology behind it, the cultures of the races, the history of Middle Earth... The scope of all of these things is staggering and no other author has come close to it as of yet. This book has inspired every generation since it was published, which speaks for the story's enduring quality! It is superbly written and is filled with detail and back-stories that an avid fan can literally lose months of their life reading about.
Furthermore, it's exciting and full of peril. The quest to destroy the Ring truly "stands upon the edge of a knife" and the Fellowship has to give everything of itself for the quest to succeed. I'm sure most people have seen Peter Jackson's stunning film, so I don't really need to go into the plot and characters too much - you all know what it's about!
The Bad
Criticising The Fellowship of the Ring feels like blasphemy, but, to be brutally honest, it was written in a time where authors emphasised description over dialogue and events. The book is quite dry in places and doesn't make for the easiest, page-turning read. In fact, Tolkien spends the first part of the book constructing a very detailed backstory which can get a little stale at times.
My Thoughts
The Fellowship of the Ring is a little dry and over-descriptive at times, but don't let that put you off reading it. It's worth every dry page and the scope of Tolkien's story is simply mind blowing. It really is like you're reading a story from a real world, with a long established history, and the fact that it has birthed the entire genre is evidence enough of its mastery. It's more than worthy of its place on my Shelf of Fame and is a must read for anyone who has only seen the film.
When young Frodo Baggins inherits Bag End and a strange ring of invisibility from Bilbo, his eccentric uncle, he pays no mind to it and settles down for the quiet life of a respectable hobbit. Little does he know the significance of the ring and that his possession of it will lead to a dark and arduous adventure. For the ring is none other than the Ring of Power itself and the dark lord Sauron has returned to Middle Earth. His thought is bent on finding the Ring and his only lead as to its whereabouts comes from the creature Gollum. Searching for 'Baggins' in the 'Shire,' Sauron's Ringwraiths speed from Minas Morgal to seize it for their master.
Frodo is forced to flee his home in the Shire and is determined to bring the Ruling Ring before Elrond in Rivendell as Gandalf the Grey instructed. Yet even delivering the Ring to a sanctuary deemed safe is not enough and Frodo is the only one the quarrelling Free Races trust to carry it forth and forever destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom in Mordor. Frodo becomes one of the Nine Walkers to oppose the Nine Riders and, with the help of Aragorn, Gandalf, Boromir, Legolas, Gimili, Merry, Pippin and Sam, means to end Sauron forever.
The Good
So where do I start here?! The Lord of the Rings is still one of the finest works of fantasy ever written and it has a depth to it that has inspired an entire genre. J. R. R. Tolkien is the grandfather of fantasy and The Fellowship of the Ring is a reflection of that. The mythology behind it, the cultures of the races, the history of Middle Earth... The scope of all of these things is staggering and no other author has come close to it as of yet. This book has inspired every generation since it was published, which speaks for the story's enduring quality! It is superbly written and is filled with detail and back-stories that an avid fan can literally lose months of their life reading about.
Furthermore, it's exciting and full of peril. The quest to destroy the Ring truly "stands upon the edge of a knife" and the Fellowship has to give everything of itself for the quest to succeed. I'm sure most people have seen Peter Jackson's stunning film, so I don't really need to go into the plot and characters too much - you all know what it's about!
The Bad
Criticising The Fellowship of the Ring feels like blasphemy, but, to be brutally honest, it was written in a time where authors emphasised description over dialogue and events. The book is quite dry in places and doesn't make for the easiest, page-turning read. In fact, Tolkien spends the first part of the book constructing a very detailed backstory which can get a little stale at times.
My Thoughts
The Fellowship of the Ring is a little dry and over-descriptive at times, but don't let that put you off reading it. It's worth every dry page and the scope of Tolkien's story is simply mind blowing. It really is like you're reading a story from a real world, with a long established history, and the fact that it has birthed the entire genre is evidence enough of its mastery. It's more than worthy of its place on my Shelf of Fame and is a must read for anyone who has only seen the film.
Tuesday, 1 December 2015
Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows - J. K. Rowling
RATING: FIVE STARS
Dumbledore has fallen and the Order of the Phoenix has all but broken. None other than the treacherous Death Eater, Severus Snape, is now the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry and Harry Potter knows that his life will be forfeit if he should return to study there. Even if that was not the case, he knows that he has something much more important to do than continue with his magical education: Dumbledore entrusted him with what is perhaps the most important task of the age and, along with his friends Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, Harry must find and destroy each of Voldemort's Horcruxes. Harry is the Boy Who Lived and fate has prophesied that he must face Voldemort, for neither can live while the other survives.
Harry's task borders on the impossible and he's forced to become a fugitive on the run from Voldemort's Death Eaters and the Ministry of Magic, which the Dark Lord now controls. His life becomes challenging and full of danger, but Harry knows that he must face the adversity before him with a stout heart if he is to defeat Voldemort and finally put an end to his subjugation and terror campaign.
The Good
The Deathly Hallows is an interesting, exciting book that is certainly unique among the Harry Potter series. This is largely because Harry doesn't actually return to Hogwarts this year and most of the book involves his roaming of the British countryside. That being said, the book isn't boring in the slightest and it's as exciting as any of its predecessors, maybe even more so!
J. K. Rowling has proven her unparalleled ability to bring her characters to life once again and they are as real and engaging as ever. As well as adding to the scope and enjoyment of the story, this makes the inevitable deaths in the war against Voldemort all that more tragic and it's extremely difficult to read about the passing of characters that I kind of regard as actual friends!
I also particularly liked Rowling's epilogue, where she describes Harry and his wife, Ginny Weasley, dropping their children off at Platform Nine and Three Quarters so they can board the Hogwarts Express. This provides a nice little tease for what happens after the story and it's nice to know that even after all of the pain and death in the series as a whole, there is a happy ending at the end of it. I also like the way this scene continues the story forward via the new generation of students at Hogwarts and leaves room for the imagination to delve into what is happening at the school and what it would be like to study there yourself (which I think is one thing we've all secretly done and probably has a role in the series enormous success). It's also nice how Rowling doesn't actually say what Harry did after he defeated Lord Voldemort, leaving this open to the reader's interpretation. I like to think that Harry's seventh year at Hogwarts was so disrupted that he--along with his friends and the other students that were forced to flee the school for their lives--were allowed back to complete their education (where Professor Mcgonagall is the new headmistress), finally having a year of peace where evil doesn't rear its dark head. Once Harry graduated Hogwarts with his N.E.W.T.s, I've always liked the idea that he's so sick of fighting and war he sets aside his ambitions to be an auror in favour of the coveted life of a professional Quidditch player. Once his sporting career invariably wound down, I like to imagine Harry becoming the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, working in Hogwarts alongside his friend Neville Longbottom. Obviously, this is just how I like to imagine 'what comes after' and everyone will have their own ideas!
The Bad
Once again, Rowling's storytelling is excellent and The Deathly Hallows is the perfect ending to an outstanding series of fantasy and adventure that highlights the importance of friendship and love! I have just one fault with the book and that is it being the final instalment of the series! Don't get me wrong and Rowling concludes it perfectly, but I'm always disappointed that my great Harry Potter adventure is over and I have to find something else to read . . .
My Thoughts
Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows is the perfect ending to Rowling's world renown series and I can't stress how good a job she has done with it. It's a real page turner, just like the other Harry Potter books and is a must read for anyone - Harry Potter is a definite must for anyone's education and should be added to your reading list immediately if you are only familiar with the series through the films.
Dumbledore has fallen and the Order of the Phoenix has all but broken. None other than the treacherous Death Eater, Severus Snape, is now the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry and Harry Potter knows that his life will be forfeit if he should return to study there. Even if that was not the case, he knows that he has something much more important to do than continue with his magical education: Dumbledore entrusted him with what is perhaps the most important task of the age and, along with his friends Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, Harry must find and destroy each of Voldemort's Horcruxes. Harry is the Boy Who Lived and fate has prophesied that he must face Voldemort, for neither can live while the other survives.
Harry's task borders on the impossible and he's forced to become a fugitive on the run from Voldemort's Death Eaters and the Ministry of Magic, which the Dark Lord now controls. His life becomes challenging and full of danger, but Harry knows that he must face the adversity before him with a stout heart if he is to defeat Voldemort and finally put an end to his subjugation and terror campaign.
The Good
The Deathly Hallows is an interesting, exciting book that is certainly unique among the Harry Potter series. This is largely because Harry doesn't actually return to Hogwarts this year and most of the book involves his roaming of the British countryside. That being said, the book isn't boring in the slightest and it's as exciting as any of its predecessors, maybe even more so!
J. K. Rowling has proven her unparalleled ability to bring her characters to life once again and they are as real and engaging as ever. As well as adding to the scope and enjoyment of the story, this makes the inevitable deaths in the war against Voldemort all that more tragic and it's extremely difficult to read about the passing of characters that I kind of regard as actual friends!
I also particularly liked Rowling's epilogue, where she describes Harry and his wife, Ginny Weasley, dropping their children off at Platform Nine and Three Quarters so they can board the Hogwarts Express. This provides a nice little tease for what happens after the story and it's nice to know that even after all of the pain and death in the series as a whole, there is a happy ending at the end of it. I also like the way this scene continues the story forward via the new generation of students at Hogwarts and leaves room for the imagination to delve into what is happening at the school and what it would be like to study there yourself (which I think is one thing we've all secretly done and probably has a role in the series enormous success). It's also nice how Rowling doesn't actually say what Harry did after he defeated Lord Voldemort, leaving this open to the reader's interpretation. I like to think that Harry's seventh year at Hogwarts was so disrupted that he--along with his friends and the other students that were forced to flee the school for their lives--were allowed back to complete their education (where Professor Mcgonagall is the new headmistress), finally having a year of peace where evil doesn't rear its dark head. Once Harry graduated Hogwarts with his N.E.W.T.s, I've always liked the idea that he's so sick of fighting and war he sets aside his ambitions to be an auror in favour of the coveted life of a professional Quidditch player. Once his sporting career invariably wound down, I like to imagine Harry becoming the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, working in Hogwarts alongside his friend Neville Longbottom. Obviously, this is just how I like to imagine 'what comes after' and everyone will have their own ideas!
The Bad
Once again, Rowling's storytelling is excellent and The Deathly Hallows is the perfect ending to an outstanding series of fantasy and adventure that highlights the importance of friendship and love! I have just one fault with the book and that is it being the final instalment of the series! Don't get me wrong and Rowling concludes it perfectly, but I'm always disappointed that my great Harry Potter adventure is over and I have to find something else to read . . .
My Thoughts
Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows is the perfect ending to Rowling's world renown series and I can't stress how good a job she has done with it. It's a real page turner, just like the other Harry Potter books and is a must read for anyone - Harry Potter is a definite must for anyone's education and should be added to your reading list immediately if you are only familiar with the series through the films.
Sunday, 15 November 2015
Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince - J. K. Rowling
RATING: FIVE STARS
After Harry Potter's epic mishap at the Ministry of Magic at the end of his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witcraft & Wizardry, the wizarding world is now aware of Lord Voldemort's return. The erstwhile Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, has been dismissed for trying to ignore and cover the problem up instead of dealing with it and Harry is once again considered a hero. Yet it is too little, too late and Voldemort has not been idle in his secrecy. He has seized more power than many dare to realise and is as dangerous as ever.
So it is with a heavy heart that Harry returns to school for his sixth year of study. Aside from his worries concerning the Dark Lord and his advancement to N.E.W.T. studies, he has learnt that Professor Severus Snape has finally managed to procure the position of the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher and will he will be taking over Harry's favourite classes! Yet Professor Dumbledore has finally taken more of interest in Harry's studies and has invited him to special lessons in which he reveals just why Lord Voldemort is such a dangerous adversary. Before he took on the mantle of the Dark Lord and changed his name, Tom Riddle did something unspeakable and split his soul into a number of Horcruxes that effectively make him immortal and immune to physical death. Dumbledore reveals that each of these Horcruxes must be found and destroyed before the Dark Lord can fall in a task that will prove to be less than easy . . .
The Good
Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince continues J. K. Rowling's precedent of darker writing and delves deeper into Voldemort's ever tightening control of the wizarding world. Murder, torture and mysterious disappearances are now common place and have even begun to affect the Muggle world, in what proves to be an interesting development where Rowling reveals, without doubt, that the Muggle Prime Minister of Britain is aware of the existence of magic and its secretive communities! This adds as nice depth to the story and it's really beginning to sink home just how dangerous Voldemort is and how dark the times are becoming.
Rowling also uses this book to reveal more about Snape's mysterious background and why, or why not, he may actually be helping Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix to resist Voldemort's new regime. This is a great insight into one of the more complicated characters in her world and it's fun, especially if you're new to the story, applying this to Snape in an effort to work out whether he is actually good or evil!
The Bad
Yet again, there is nothing to criticise with Rowling's story and she has done as fantastic a job as ever!
My Thoughts
J. K. Rowling writes the penultimate instalment of the great Harry Potter adventure with her typical talent of vivid storytelling, engaging characters that seem like real people and page-turning events. The book, as is the series as a whole, is a true testament to the fantasy genre and can be enjoyed by children and adults alike - there's really no reason not to read it!
After Harry Potter's epic mishap at the Ministry of Magic at the end of his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witcraft & Wizardry, the wizarding world is now aware of Lord Voldemort's return. The erstwhile Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, has been dismissed for trying to ignore and cover the problem up instead of dealing with it and Harry is once again considered a hero. Yet it is too little, too late and Voldemort has not been idle in his secrecy. He has seized more power than many dare to realise and is as dangerous as ever.
So it is with a heavy heart that Harry returns to school for his sixth year of study. Aside from his worries concerning the Dark Lord and his advancement to N.E.W.T. studies, he has learnt that Professor Severus Snape has finally managed to procure the position of the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher and will he will be taking over Harry's favourite classes! Yet Professor Dumbledore has finally taken more of interest in Harry's studies and has invited him to special lessons in which he reveals just why Lord Voldemort is such a dangerous adversary. Before he took on the mantle of the Dark Lord and changed his name, Tom Riddle did something unspeakable and split his soul into a number of Horcruxes that effectively make him immortal and immune to physical death. Dumbledore reveals that each of these Horcruxes must be found and destroyed before the Dark Lord can fall in a task that will prove to be less than easy . . .
The Good
Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince continues J. K. Rowling's precedent of darker writing and delves deeper into Voldemort's ever tightening control of the wizarding world. Murder, torture and mysterious disappearances are now common place and have even begun to affect the Muggle world, in what proves to be an interesting development where Rowling reveals, without doubt, that the Muggle Prime Minister of Britain is aware of the existence of magic and its secretive communities! This adds as nice depth to the story and it's really beginning to sink home just how dangerous Voldemort is and how dark the times are becoming.
Rowling also uses this book to reveal more about Snape's mysterious background and why, or why not, he may actually be helping Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix to resist Voldemort's new regime. This is a great insight into one of the more complicated characters in her world and it's fun, especially if you're new to the story, applying this to Snape in an effort to work out whether he is actually good or evil!
The Bad
Yet again, there is nothing to criticise with Rowling's story and she has done as fantastic a job as ever!
My Thoughts
J. K. Rowling writes the penultimate instalment of the great Harry Potter adventure with her typical talent of vivid storytelling, engaging characters that seem like real people and page-turning events. The book, as is the series as a whole, is a true testament to the fantasy genre and can be enjoyed by children and adults alike - there's really no reason not to read it!
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