Dune Messiah - Frank Herbert

RATING: THREE STARS

It's been twelve years since Paul 'Muad'Dib' Atreides ascended to the Imperial throne. In that time he has conquered the known universe and used his Fremen soldiers to unleash a devastating jihad upon the worlds of man. It's estimated that sixty-one billion people have been slaughtered in his campaign and his name is revered everywhere, forming the keystone of his Imperial theocracy.

But Paul's enemies are still rife and there are those that fear his unimaginable powers of prescience. Plans have been formed in the shadows and they lead to events that even Paul cannot foresee. The Bene Gesserit, Spacing Guild and the Tleilaxu are all against him and will stop at nothing to overthrow the Atreides family and once again control melange production for themselves . . .

The Good
Dune Messiah has an interesting, very complex plot that is predominately centred around political intrigue. It's a fast paced story and I found it was a real page turner, being full of plot twists and shocking events that I couldn't predict at all!

It's also interesting to see how Paul's powers have grown since he drank the pure spice towards the end of Dune. Frank Herbert has left no doubt whatsoever that Paul is the Kwisatz Haderach (superhuman) that the Bene Gesserit have been selectively been breeding humans for for hundreds of generations. His powers of foresight are truly terrifying and I really felt for the characters that were trying to overthrow Paul (even though I was on his side), since they were facing such an insurmountable task!

Herbert's universe has also been well thought out, with him clearly having thought very hard about how one person could govern an entire universe. I found this gave the book a sense a plausibility that I enjoyed, along with his scientific explanations of Paul's prescient powers that kept his abilities in the realm of science fiction (rather than fantasy).

The Bad
The main issue I had with Dune Messiah was with its lack of description. Herbert has a very utilitarian style of writing and his prose has been stripped down to the bare necessities. In fact, he has almost no description whatsoever in the book and has included very little dialogue. This means that his prose contains little more than events! Although this is readable and helps to maintain the pace of the story, it leave his world too bare. Herbert has created a very diverse, detailed world and it would have been nice to have had some it described. There's such a thing as leaving too much to a readers' imagination and I think stories are usually much better when an author acts almost like a 'guide', slowly building a picture of their world over the course of the book.

My Thoughts
Even though I enjoyed reading Dune Messiah, I was slightly disappointed with it as the lack of description left it a bit incomplete for me. I had to rely on my own imagination almost entirely to form a picture of Paul Atreides and the Herbert's world and had no concept of what Herbert himself thought his characters and world looked like! I will be reading Children of Dune, the next book in the Dune Chronicles, but I doubt Herbert's style of writing would have changed much and I fear that it will have exactly the same problems!

The Shadow Rising - Robert Jordan

RATING: FOUR STARS

The Stone of Tear has fallen; Rand al'Thor holds Callandor, the Sword that is Not a Sword, and is finally beginning to accept his destiny as the Dragon Reborn. Rumours of his existence are sweeping across the lands and conflict is rife as his supporters flock beneath his banners. Yet Rand has no time to dwell on such things and is hardening, growing colder as he begins to view events as a whole rather than individually. He is becoming obsessed with the prophecies of the Karaethon Cycle and turns his attention to the arid Three Fold Land of the Aiel. The Aiel know war like no other race alive and Rand will need their spears if he ever hopes to challenge Ba'alzamon and defeat the darkness he brings. But to win the Aiel, Rand must prove beyond all doubt that he is He Who Comes with the Dawn - the warrior their own prophecies say will lead them from the Aiel Wastes forever.

Yet even as Rand heads towards the Three Fold Land with Matt, Egwene, Moraine and Lan, Perrin turns his attention the Two Rivers. His homeland is besieged by Whites Cloaks; plagued Trollocs and Myrddraal. It is no longer the safe haven Perrin left behind with his friends barely a year earlier. He has been named Darkfriend by the Children of the Light and the legion's leader, Dain Bornhald, will happily see the Two Rivers burn if it means he can tie a noose around Perrin's neck . . .

The Good
Once again, I found myself stunned by the scope of Robert Jordan's story. It's imaginative and can only be described as truly epic. I really got the sense that the whole world is danger during the story and so much seems to hinge on Aiel, and whether Rand can secure the support of the prickly warrior race that resists change and despises any outsider to the lands. Now that the Forsaken are loose and are beginning to meet the main characters, the battles are becoming truly devastating.

The appearance of the Forsaken also adds a real sense of danger for the protagonists in the story, which has been diminishing through the series as the main characters own powers have grown. The Forsaken are all Aes Sedai from the Age of Legends, where men and women were so powerful that they could do things with the One Power that current Aes Sedai can't even imagine. The Forsaken are fully trained and have had thousands of years to master their powers, making them more than worthy adversaries for Rand, Egwene, Nynaeve and Elayne.

I especially liked the divergence of story arcs in the story. The Dragon Reborn set Nynaeve, Egwene and Elayne up with their own storyline, which The Shadow Rising continues to build on as they continue with their quest to eradicate the Black Ajah - their own sisters who have turned their back on the Light to serve Ba'alzamon himself! But Jordan begins to go further than this in this book and gives Perrin his own story as well. As well as being interesting, it's nice to finally see his character get some use (as he's been a little pointless in the previous books) and Jordan uses Perrin's storyline to show how the world is beginning to be effected by Ba'alzamon's evil.

Jordan's characterisation is as good as ever and all his characters continue to develop. In fact, none of the Two Rivers protagonists are the same people as they were in the first book and all of their personalities have undergone significant changes. This is something that isn't really seen in many books (which I guess is due to the constraints of smaller series), but Jordan really has the time to grow his characters and can add a very aspect to his story. Let's face it, if fantasy was real, then there's no way a person wouldn't be changed by the hardships they endure and the evils they struggle against! They would surely harden as the world burns around them.

The Bad
My main criticism of The Shadow Rising is actually the overall storyline. It was good - don't get me wrong - but it wasn't strongly defined in the start of the book and nothing much really happened for the first third or so. Considering the book's 1, 001 pages long, this problem is definitely worth mentioning as there is about 300 pages that are quite slow paced! That being said, I wasn't bored at the start of the book and still found it enjoyable to read. It just felt slightly separate from the rest of the book somehow . . .

My Thoughts
The Shadow Rising is a superb instalment to The Wheel of Time and was filled with all of the action, characterisation and imagination that I've enjoyed so much in the series earlier books! The book (and series) is definitely an example of epic fantasy at its best and is something that all fans of the genre should read. I'm really excited about reading The Fires of Heaven, the next book in the series, and am confident that it will be every bit as good!

Upcoming anthology: 'Rogues' by George R. R. Martin et al

Hi all,

Here's a quick message to all of you fantasy fans out there, who might be interested to learn of a new anthology that will be released soon (although there's no publication date as of yet). The anthology is called Rogues and features 21 stories from some of the biggest authors in the fantasy genre, including a new Song of Ice and Fire story by George R. R. Martin and a piece by Patrick Rothfuss himself!

The full list of featured authors (as it stands at the moment) is:

• George R. R. Martin
• Patrick Rothfuss
• Joe Abercrombie
• Daniel Abraham
• David W. Ball
• Paul Cornell
• Bradley Denton
• Phyllis Eisenstein
• Gillian Flynn
• Neil Gaiman
• Matthew Hughes
• Joe R. Lansdale
• Scott Lynch
• Garth Nix
• Cherie Priest
• Steven Saylor
• Michael Swanwick
• Lisa Tuttle
• Carrie Vaughn
• Walter Jon Williams
• Connie Willis

I'm certainly going to keep my eye on this one and will let you know once a release date has been set!

Series Review: The Chathrand Voyage - Robert V. S. Redick

SERIES RATING: FIVE STARS
AWARD: SHELF OF FAME

The Chathrand Voyage is an epic fantasy set in the world of Alifros, which is going through a period of imperial colonisation very similar to the real-life conquests by Europe in the 16th Century. Two great superpowers have risen in the north and the book begins with the initiation of an elaborate plot that will allow Arqual to overthrow the Mzithrin Empire once and for all. It is here that Pazel Pathkendle - one of the series major characters - is introduced, who is working as a tarboy aboard the Chathrand - a giant ship built by magic and engineering techniques that were forgotten when a cataclysm separated the north from the hundreds of years ago.

The Chathrand is the only ship known that may have a chance at crossing the Ruling Sea and into the south and Sandor Ott - the Emperor's spymaster and head of the Secret Fist - means to use Captain Rose's ship to unleash the Shaggat Ness into Mzithrin. Believed to be dead, the Shaggart Ness is considered a god in that strange empire and his return will cause a war that will shake the foundations of its cities. When that happens, Ott will be waiting and means to begin one of the bloodiest campaigns Alifros has ever seen. He will eradicate the Mzithrin, even as they struggle to quell revolution in their own people.

But as the series progresses, the story evolves and it soon becomes clear that much more is at stake that the fall of an empire. Arunis - a sorcerer infamous for his evil and cruelty - is somehow entangled with the plot. But Arunis has no interested in Arqual's dominion over the north and has but one aim - the end of all life on Alifros. Arunis knows his goal is within his grasp, but he needs to find and unlock the secrets of an ancient and powerful artifact called the Nilstone first. Pazel, along with a powerful mage called Ramanchi and the friends he makes aboard the Chathrand, are resolute in their vows to stop Arunis and stubbornly fight him throughout the four books of the series:

Book 1: The Red Wolf Conspiracy
Book 2: The Rats and the Ruling Sea
Book 3: The River of Shadows
Book 4: The Night of the Swarm

I'll admit that I was a little skeptical about reading The Red Wolf Conspiracy when I first picked it up. The title's not that amazing, the cover makes it look a little like a children's book and the newspaper clipping that effectively forms the book's prologue isn't that great either. But I was hastily scanning the shelves in the library for something to read before a long train journey and, not finding anything better, I borrowed it and gave it a go. Words cannot express how glad I am that I did and I began to fall in love with the world Robert V. S. Redick painted after just a few chapters!

In fact, the quadrilogy has become one of my favourite series ever and I have a feeling that the story and it's larger-than-life characters will continue to resonate in my mind for many years to come. Redick has managed to develop his characters like a true master of writing and they almost seem like real people. Each person is distinct from the others and each has their own personality and motivations behind what they do. This makes for excellent reading and really engaged me in the story. I really feared for the characters during battles and on the many, many occasions they were in danger. I think good characterisation is the difference between a great author and a good one, and, with his writing having depths to it that many authors lack, Redick is certainly among the greats!

I honestly think the characters alone would be enough to carry this story, but Redick's world is even better and the series is told against a backdrop of stunning locations that are a true testament to his imagination. From the decks of a giant ship to lush jungles and a forest of giant, carnivorous fungi, the series never gets stale and his characters are never in the same place for long! And Redick does more than just describe these locations, having really thought about the challenges such adverse environments would have for his characters. This means that Pazel Pathkendle, the Lady Thasha Isiq and their little group of ragtag heroes are often out of their depth and they really suffer as they desperately try to defeat Arunis and keep the Nilstone from his clutches . . .

Redick's prose is fantastic as well and he writes with a strange blend of modern and archaic styles that really adds to the story and helps reinforce the idea that Pazel and his companions are living in a world of great, naval-time empires. He also writes with an uncommon enthusiasm that ties all of the other aspects of the series together nicely to create an epic story that's a true gem amidst a genre that (rather sadly), has been swamped by very mediocre works.

I strongly suggest that you give The Chathrand Voyage a go if you enjoy fantasy. It's an example of the genre at its best and keeps getting better with each book! This series marked Redick's debut into the writing world (which I guess is why he's so little known), but I am already a dedicated fan and am really looking forward to reading what he produces over the years to come!

The Well of Wyrding is released today!

Hi all,

It's a big day today as Travis Simmons has finally released the third book in his Revenant Wyrd Saga, The Well of Wyrding! Being good friends with Travis, I was actually lucky enough to beta read the book for him and can promise that it's as exciting and encaptivating as the earlier installments of the series (The Bonds of Blood and The Mirror of the Moon).

"In the fantastical lands of the Great Realms, Angelica, Jovian, and Joya are on the search for their older sister Amber, who has been kidnapped by the villain, Porillon. But Amber has slipped away from all of them, and where she has gone is as big a mystery as why she was taken.

While they are searching for their sister, Porillon strikes a staggering blow to the entire land.

The Well of Wyrding, a mythic well which contains the magic and fate of every creature in the Great Realms, has been poisoned creating havoc as the magic power of wyrd becomes toxic.

While Grace, Rosalee, and Dalah seek a way to purify the Well of Wyrding, wyrd is going haywire, buildings fashioned with wyrd are turning to pinnacles of terror; wyrd is working against its casters; and people are taking up arms against the threat sorcerers and their kind pose.

But the toxic wyrd is causing a new problem to arise. They are called caustics: those wyrders who have been completely taken over by their chaotic wyrd. Husks of what they once were, they are now a vessel for Chaos in the realms."

Hopefully, this blurb (which I've lifted of the book's Facebook page) will be enough to convince you of its merit! If you are already familiar with the series, get yourself onto Amazon ASAP! If you aren't and really fancy getting your teeth into a complex, imaginative fantasy epic, then The Revernant Wyrd Saga is definitely for you!

The Kingkiller Chronicle Book 2.5 is announced!

Okay, so this isn't the big news I was hoping for (i.e. the soon-to-be release date of The Doors of Stone), but Patrick Rothfuss has announced that he'll soon be publishing a companion novella to The Kingkiller Chronicle! The book, which will be released on 28th October 2014, is called The Slow Regard of Silent Things and effectively forms book 2.5 in the series!

From what I've read about the novella, it doesn't actually feature around Kvothe, but Auri - a character that anyone who's read the series will be familiar with. Going from my experience with Rothuss' beautiful prose writing and masterful story-telling, The Slow Regard of Silent Things should prove to be one of the year's best reads and will certainly wet any fan's appetite for the upcoming end to his critically acclaimed series!

Wizard and Glass - Stephen King

RATING: THREE STARS

Although Wizard and Glass is the forth installment of Stephen King's Dark Tower series, it's actually more a back-story to Roland Deschain's life than a continuation of the overall tale. While Roland is sat around a campfire in a strange 'weak spot' between universes, he tells his companions of his first adventure as an anointed gunslinger and of Susan - the first and last love of his long, lonely life.

It's a story of honour and hardship, where Roland and his childhood friends Alain and Cuthbert desperately try to prove that they're true gunslingers in a world that is falling apart and sliding into decadence. But they're still little more than children and soon realise that they're out of their depth as they're caught in the schemes of men who are turning their backs on the Affiliation to side with John Farson - the so called Good Man and leader of the rebels that are bringing what remains of civilisation to its knees . . .

The Good
One of the best things about Wizard and Glass is being able to see Roland as a young teenager. He's not yet the cold and brutal killer he becomes in later life and is still full of youthful wonders and uncertainty. It's also interesting to read about how he's desperate to prove himself in the eyes of his friends and his father, which underlies many of his choices and actions.

I also especially enjoyed reading about Cuthbert and Alain, who've both been mentioned in previous books as Roland's oldest friends. Both boys feature prominently in the book and King has managed to write in a comfortable friendship where each knows and trusts in the abilities of the others. This really adds to their camaraderie and the concept that they've been training as gunslingers together for their whole lives.

Roland's back story is also pretty good overall, being exciting at the end and showing that he's already capable of killing and commiting the terrible acts he will come to do in later life. King also explains how he came to find out about the Dark Tower and why he's been seeking it with the single-mindedness of a madman ever since.

The Bad
Unfortunately, Wizard and Glass is a very slow book and is filled with a lot of waffle that doesn't really need to be in there. There are pages and pages filled with people talking and walking around and nothing much actually happens until the very end of the book. This is a shame really because it drags the story out and means that it's quite boring in places. It's definitely the least interesting of the Dark Tower books, despite the glimpse it gives into Roland's mysterious past.

My Thoughts
Overall though, Wizard and Glass is a good book. I enjoyed reading it (for the most part) and am glad that we've learnt a bit more about Roland's past - as well as finding out why he's seeking the Dark Tower! I'm definitely looking forward to the story progressing again in Wolves of the Calla and am hoping that it'll be back up to scratch and be a bit more exciting!