Stardust - Neil Gaiman

RATING: FIVE STARS

Tristran Thorn is just an average boy from the Victorian-English village of Wall, which has an unparalleled history with Faerie - a world of magic and fantastical beings that most consider unnatural. Wall is aptly name for the great escarpments of stone that enclose it, but its once solid defences now contain a hole. Through this hole is a meadow and, through this meadow, is something else - a world that is filled with magic and things too strange to understand. It is through his hole and into this world, that Tristran must pass through on his search for the fallen star that will win the hand of his one true love . . .

The Good
Stardust is best described as a charming, light-hearted fairy tale that is written for adults, rather than children. Neil Gaiman has really shown why he is so acclaimed as a writer and I felt myself myself drawn into his strange story right from the first few pages. It is heart-warming and bold, being full of emotion and imagination as it tells Tristan's story in a way that makes the book extremely hard to put down!

I really felt for all of Gaiman's characters while I was reading the book and found myself routing for Tristan and the fallen star more and more as they make a whole host friends and allies during their adventure, Even the story's villains were relatable since none of them turned out to be truly evil and sought the fallen star in a world that was as vivid as it was strange.

The Bad
Honestly, I had nothing to fault with Stardust and really enjoyed reading it. That being said, the novella won't be for everyone: it is slightly strange, written in a polite, quirky manner and isn't about the classic struggle between good and evil as most works of fantasy are. Instead, it's a pleasant fairy tale about a young man who sets out on a quest to find a fallen star for the woman he loves. There is very little fighting and epic dialogue, which may not appeal to readers who are looking for an action-packed book filled with swords and evil on a terrifying scale.

My Thoughts
I am huge fan of 'heavy' fantasy like The Wheel of Time and The Lord of the Rings, and really enjoy books with heroes that struggle through adversity to fight for good beyond all call of reason. But there is something about Stardust that I really liked and it was one of the most heart-warming books I have read in a long time. Instead of great battles, the book is a story of love, greed and redemption. Gaiman really has done a fantastic job in writing it and I recommend that you give it a go. I have no doubt that this story will stay with me for a long, long time, even though I've finished it and moved onto books.

Lord of Chaos - Robert Jordan

RATING: FOUR STARS

The White Tower of Tar Valon is broken and the Aes Sedai are divided. Two sets of eyes burning with saidar have turned to Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, who sits upon the Sun and Lion Thrones. Along with those of Tear, he has brought the lords and lady's of these great nations to heel and is determined to use their united force to destroy Sammael in the lair he has made of Illian. Thousands of Rand's Aiel are ready to die for him; a possibility they are going to have to confront as both factions of Aes Sedai try to win his favour and bind him to their Amyrlin . . .

Tension is growing as Rand's amnesty for men who can Channel begins to attract soldiers to his cause and the unseasonably hot weather has created a draught that threatens to starve the world. The weather should be turning into the cool breezes of autumn, but is instead hotter than the hottest summer day. The land drips in sweat and the Dark One's forces are everywhere. Elayne is determined to rectify this and restore nature back to its proper balance, believing that she may have found a powerful relic from the Age of Legends that may allow her to do just this. But finding the relic will be far from easy and she will need the help of her friends as she ventures into the cut-throat city of Ebou Dar.

The Good
Robert Jordan continues The Wheel of Time saga in his usual epic fashion and all of the tension that has been developing in the previous books is beginning to broil. The politics surrounding the Dragon Reborn and the Aes Sedai are beginning to develop, becoming more important and developing into things that I imagine will be important for later books in the series. Although this is not as exciting as some of the previous story-lines, it's still fairly interesting to read about and leads to a shift in Rand al'Thor's character, seeing him become colder like the champion he is destined to be.

The Bad
The main problem with Lord of Chaos is its plot, wasn't actually that good. I mentioned this in the paragraph above, but politics dominated the book to a much greater extent than in other books and the story was a little bland in places, with very little actually happening through most of it. I got the feeling that Jordan was using Lord of Chaos to establish a foundation for events later in the series, since he's invested a great deal of time in hinting at plans and developing events etc. I think this is a shame in a book of this length because he had ample opportunity to do this, while ensuring the book was exciting all of the way through and not just at its end.

My Thoughts
Overall though, Lord of Chaos is a superb example of epic fantasy at its best and I really enjoyed reading it. Once again, I cannot stress the benefits of adding The Wheel of Time to your 'to read' list if you're a fan of the genre and haven't already done so. You won't be disappointed and will quickly fall in love with Jordan's world as I have done. If you only read one book this year, it should be the first book in the series (The Eye of the World)!

The Complete Collection of the Revenant Wyrd Saga Is Released

December has been a big month for Travis Simmons and as well as seeing the release of The Turquoise Tower, the final instalment of his acclaimed Revenant Wyrd Saga, it has also seen the release of the complete collection of the series! The Complete Revenant Wyrd Saga is available from Amazon now (UK and USA) and contains all six books in the series:

Book 1: The Bonds of Blood
Book 2: The Mirror of the Moon
Book 3: The Well of Wyrding
Book 4: A Guardian of Shadows
Book 5: On Wings of Chaos
Book 6: The Turquoise Tower

Regrettably, I've fallen behind with this series, but I plan to remedy this soon and I'm eager to see how it all ends! The Revenant Wyrd Saga is an example of high fantasy at its best and is filled with magic, monsters and peril as it narrates the adventures of its heroes against a stunning backdrop of a broken world. It's definitely a series for your 'to-read' list and the ones I've read would make a perfect evening's reading this Christmas!

Series Review: The Rain Wild Chronicles - Robin Hobb

RATING: THREE STARS

Once, dragons ruled the world. Their majesty was everywhere and humans lived in awe. Many chose to serve the dragons and were rewarded for their loyalty with long life and good health. Elderlings, as they were called, enjoyed the changes dragons wrought upon them and became more like lizards then men. They were powerful in magic and used their gifts to create Kelsingra - a city that was wondrous to behold and existed only to serve dragons and tend for their health.

But those days past. Dragons died away and the grand cities Elderlings built passed in legend, crumbling into ruin and disrepair. It is in the Rain Wilds - dangerous swamps that once boasted forests and vast swathes of fertile land - that these cities were found. The Traders that lived there excavated the ruined cities and, there, found a single dragon that still contained life: Tingalia, a dragon queen. When Tingalia hatched as a serpent, she swam to the ocean where she dwelt for many years until it was time to change into her adult, dragon form. It was then she found others of her race - eggs that she nurtured until they hatched and made their own journey to the ocean.

But the dragons that returned were not what she hoped when they emerged from their cocoons. They were weak, stunted and deformed. Such dragons were not meant to survive, but they were all that was left of the once noble race. Tingalia brokered a deal with the Traders of Trehaug and those who lived there agreed to care for the dragons so Tingalia could leave and seek others of her kind. The arrangement worked at first, but feeding growing dragons is expensive and the creatures are dangerous in the best of moods.

It was decided that the dragons had to leave and the Trader's Council assigned keepers to each one, sending them on a quest upriver to find Kelsingra so all could live in peace. The expedition would be far from easy and the Rain Wilds are an unforgiving place. Its very waters are acidic. Food and supplies are scare. Storms frequently barrage the swamp and the dragon's keepers are little more than children - those unlucky enough to be born so mutated that they are shunned by the Traders and condemned to a life of derogatory exile. Few think the expedition could be successful, but the riches it could bring to Trehaug merited the risk. The expedition set forth and, soon, the keepers and Captain Leftrin (who is employed as a guide and logistics) realise just what dire straights they are in . . . 

Book 1: The Dragon Keeper

Book 2: Dragon Haven

Book 3: City of Dragons

Book 4: Blood of Dragons

The Good

The Rain Wild Chronicles is well written and exciting. Robin Hobb does a superb job of bringing her characters to life and many of them feel like real people, having developed lives, emotions and motivations behind their actions as we do. She has managed to create a rich world for the series that is full of problems and it's extremely interesting to read about.

Robb also tweaked dragon lore slightly and the dragons in the book are slightly unconventional. They have very complex life cycles and actually begin their existence as aquatic serpents that live in the oceans. It's only when they reach adulthood that they spin cocoons from mud and their saliva and become fully-fledged dragons that spit acid and are able to influence humans through their 'glamour'. These changes do make her dragons less formidable than those of other authors, but they are enjoyable to read about and Hobb really links their life-cycle to the story, which is largely responsible for many of the problems the dragons have in the book.

The Bad

Although developed characters are a good thing in any book, Hobb did overdo it a bit and The Rain Wild Chronicles is essentially four books of one of the keepers - Thymara - whining about relationships and losing her virginity. This added a realism to her character at first, since these are issues we all worry about, but became extremely annoying by the end and ruined the book a bit, making it hard for me to like Thymara (who is actually one of the main PoV characters)!

My Thoughts

Overall though, The Rain Wild Chronicles is a pretty decent series and should make your 'to read' list. It's imaginative, well written and full of characters that can really touch your heart. It's a superb example of fantasy at its best and shows that the genre is far from stale!

Read an excerpt from The Skull Throne

We still have a long wait before The Skull Throne, the next instalment of Peter V. Brett's epic Demon Cycle, is released (on the 24th March 2015). The months until then are bound to go slowly and I am extremely eager to continue reading about Arlen's adventures in what is one of the best fantasy series that's being written at the moment.

Brett has recently published his latest intermediary novella in the series called Mudboy (which can be read in Unfettered, by Shaun Speakman), but the months before March are certainly going to go very slowly. Luckily, Brett has taken pity on us and has decided to sate our appetites by releasing the first chapter of the The Skull Throne as an excerpt on his website!

It's not as good as the whole book, but, hey, it'll do for now and I guess we'd all better visit Brett's site in case he decides to take it down!

Christopher Paolini releases a deleted scene from the Inheritance Cycle

Anyone who's a fan of Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle might be interested to learn that he's just released a deleted scene from Inheritance, the final book in the series! The clipping (which can be read here) is called The Swordsman and adds an interesting facet to Eragon's character, despite its short length - it's definitely worth checking out if you grew up on these books like I did!

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea - Jules Verne

RATING: THREE STARS

When a mysterious sea creature appears and begins terrorising shipping routes, the world renown marine biologist Dr. Pierre Aronnax joins an expedition to find and slay the beast. Yet Pierre's ship meets the same fate as so many before it and he finds himself aboard the Nautilus in the custody of the strange and elusive Captain Nemo. Along with his friends - his faithful manservant, Conseil, and Ned Land, the famous Canadian whaler - Pierre embarks on a journey of discovery that shows just how little he actually knows about the ocean and the wonders within it.

The Good
One of the best things about Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea was how Jules Verne managed to instil such an air of mystery over something so simple as a submarine journey. Submarines had yet to take to the seas when the book was written (and might not even have been conceived of!) and the idea of men travelling around under water was a novelty in itself. But Verne improved on this by making the world unaware of Captain Nemo's visionary breakthrough and never let slip what Nemo planned or what would happen next. This makes the book a remarkable story of adventure that few authors have matched since.

The Bad
One of the biggest surprises Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea had for me was in how little actually happens! Considering it's a science fiction classic, I was expecting it to be much more exciting than it was and the book is filled with pages upon pages of Verne describing marine creatures and their taxonomy. This could have been interesting if it was in smaller doses, but was pretty boring and bulked out a book that should really have been written as a novella.

I complain about this, but Verne's description of the ocean world might have been much more impressive when the book was first published. Obviously, many people were not educated as we are now and they didn't have the documentaries, textbooks and photographs that we have today, allowing free access to information about these creatures. Maybe this was the worth of the book, rather than its plot and excitement; maybe Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea allowed people to glimpse a world they would never know or see . . .

My Thoughts
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea was much longer than it needed to be, which did make it a bit boring in places and it certainly wasn't a page turner (and I actually took quite a while to finish it). That being said, it was a story ahead of its time and really captures Verne's remarkable imagination.