tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9931898305327251992024-02-21T00:41:19.643+00:00Fantasy Bookshelf ReviewThe home of fantasy & science fiction novelsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger140125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993189830532725199.post-89350556883265620932017-03-28T21:54:00.001+01:002017-03-28T21:54:13.802+01:00Patrick Rothfuss hints that 'The Doors of Stone' may not be the last we read of his worldAnyone who has read the first two books in <i>The Kingkiller Chronicle </i>by Patrick Rothfuss will know that the series is simply outstanding. It is easily one of the best works of fantasy being published at the moment and, in much the same manner as GRRM is struggling to finish <i>The Winds of Winter, </i>Rothfuss is still far from finishing its third and final instalment - <i>The Doors of Stone. </i>In fact, the novel doesn't even have a release date yet and Rothfuss is reluctant to even give us a general idea of when we can expect the date to be set. It's frustrating waiting, especially since the second book in the trilogy came out way back in 2011! I'm not inclined to rush Rothfuss though and in the end, we'll get the book he wants us read and deserve as fans . . .<br />
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That doesn't mean that Rothfuss is completely quiet on the matter, however, and, although he's just confirmed in an <a href="http://www.idigitaltimes.com/kingkiller-chronicle-book-3-release-date-update-patrick-rothfuss-livestreams-sequel-582344" target="_blank">interview</a> that <i>The Doors of Stone </i>will be the last instalment of the trilogy that resolves the story arc, he has hinted that this will not be the last book he rights in that world! I suppose there's always a silver lining in everything, afterall!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993189830532725199.post-22928641636928189882017-02-15T20:41:00.002+00:002017-02-15T20:41:41.499+00:00Philip Pullman announces a follow up trilogy to 'His Dark Materials!'So Philip Pullman may have faded into the background in recent years, but I'm sure we all remember his name to some degree and his internationally best selling trilogy <i>His Dark Materials </i>took the fantasy work by storm in the 90s, selling over 17.5 million copies that were translated into 40 different languages! These books captured many a teenagers mind and my imagination was most definitely snared; the series was among my favourites while I was growing up and, although I wasn't overly impressed by the cinematic adaptation of <i>The Golden Compass, </i>I must have read the actual books a dozen times.<br />
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Thus, I am excited to learn that after nearly two decades, Pullman has decided to return to the worlds of the series and plans to release a new trilogy as a follow up to <i>His Dark Materials! </i>Pullman has yet to reveal much about the contents of the new books, but has hinted that it will feature many of the original characters and, what is best of all, the first instalment--<i>The Book of Dust</i>--is set for publication on 19th October 2017! I think we've all got a pre-order to add to our Amazon accounts here and have a brilliant excuse for bit of reminiscent re-reading over the next few months!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993189830532725199.post-24016728557877814662017-02-02T20:54:00.001+00:002017-02-02T20:54:57.726+00:00Release date of The Core (Demon Cycle Book 5) is announced!<i>The Demon Cycle </i>by Peter V. Brett is one of the most exciting fantasy series being written at the moment and has had a long run, with <i><a href="http://fantasybookshelfreview.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/the-painted-man-peter-v-brett.html" target="_blank">The Painted (Warded) Man</a> </i>being released back in 2008 in the UK and 2009 in the US. Brett has published the next instalment of the series every year or so since then, along with a number of subsidiary short stories, and it's grown to be a hugely successful series, selling over 2 million copies worldwide! I'm excited to learn that the release date for the fifth and final book in the series has been announced, with <i>The Core </i>being due to be released on the <b>10th August 2017</b> in the UK and <b>15th August </b>in the US!<br />
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Needless to say, I can't wait (even though I have fallen behind with the series and still need to catch up on book 4) and I'm really looking forward to reading it. With the announcement, Brett has also written a pleasantly sentimental article about his experience writing the series and how it all began, which his fans might find interesting and can read on his blog <a href="http://www.petervbrett.com/2017/01/31/the-core-first-draft-complete/" target="_blank">here</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993189830532725199.post-51318293650551119232017-02-01T08:00:00.000+00:002017-02-01T08:00:11.637+00:00GRRM is all set to release a new aSoIaF short story!We've all be waiting for <i>The Winds of Winter </i>to be released for years now and we all know that the sixth instalment of George R. R. Martin's <i>A Song of Ice & Fire </i>doesn't even have a release date (as of publishing this post). It's a long and frustrating wait to be sure, but I'm glad that everyone has started to get off GRRM's back about the delay - art can't be rushed and, in the end, we'll get the book he wants us to read eventually and we'll enjoy it a lot more than a rushed, error-filled 'fan-pleaser.'<br />
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The good news, however, is that GRRM's wetting our <i>aSoIaF </i>appetites in October 2017! He has written an anthology called <i>Book of Swords, </i>which contains 15 short stories, one of which is a never-before released story set in Westeros!<br />
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It's not the news we've all been hoping for, but it'll certainly be an interesting read and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy! The book, which is once again edited by Gardner Dozois, is available for <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Book-Swords-Gardner-Dozois/dp/0399593764/?tag=independen058-21" target="_blank">pre-order on Amazon</a> now!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993189830532725199.post-65325357254849987542017-01-29T16:19:00.002+00:002017-01-29T16:19:36.030+00:00Series Review: The Legend of Asahiel - Eldon ThompsonOVERALL RATING: THREE STARS<br />
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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 . . .<br />
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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 . . .<br />
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Book 1: <a href="http://fantasybookshelfreview.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/the-crimson-sword-eldon-thompson.html" target="_blank">The Crimson Sword</a><br />
Book 2: <a href="http://fantasybookshelfreview.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/the-obsidian-key-eldon-thompson.html" target="_blank">The Obsidian Key</a><br />
Book 3: <a href="http://fantasybookshelfreview.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/the-divine-talisman-eldon-thompson.html" target="_blank">The Divine Talisman</a><br />
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<b>The Good</b><br />
<i>The Legend of Asahiel </i>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.<br />
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<b>The Bad</b><br />
As good as it was, <i>The Legend of Asahiel </i>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.<br />
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The second issue that I had with the series as a whole, was the stereotypical nature of Thompson's villains. Pre-<i>ASoIaF, </i>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 <i>The Divine Talisman</i>, it detracted from the story as a whole and weakened his vision somewhat.<br />
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<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
Overall, though, <i>The Legend of Asahiel </i>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 <i>Lord of the Rings! </i>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!<br />
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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 <i><a href="http://fantasybookshelfreview.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/unfettered-shawn-speakman.html" target="_blank">Unfettered </a></i>by Shawn Speakman et al.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993189830532725199.post-26237539677692650972016-12-16T15:10:00.004+00:002016-12-16T15:10:45.031+00:00Knife of Dreams - Robert JordanRATING: FIVE STARS<br />
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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.<br />
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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 . . .<br />
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<b>The Good</b><br />
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 <i>The Wheel of Time. </i>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. <i>Knife of Dreams </i>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 <i>WoT </i>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!<br />
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<b>The Bad</b><br />
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.<br />
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<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
<i>Knife of Dreams </i>is an excellent instalment of <i>The Wheel of Time </i>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!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993189830532725199.post-30584473835858563212016-11-24T19:45:00.002+00:002016-11-24T19:45:39.413+00:00Assassin's Quest - Robin HobbRATING: FIVE STARS<br />
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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.<br />
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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?<br />
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<b>The Good</b><br />
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.<br />
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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! <i>Assassin's Quest </i>is the perfect ending to the series and all of its threads are woven off nicely, being fully explained and leaving nothing hanging.<br />
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<b>The Bad</b><br />
Once again, there is nothing that I didn't like about Hobb's work and <i>Assassin's Quest</i> is as flawless as its predecessors.<br />
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<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
In conclusion, <i>Assassin's Quest </i>is an exciting and dramatic end to the <i>Farseer Trilogy, </i>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!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993189830532725199.post-45648515466236606742016-10-08T15:05:00.001+01:002016-10-08T15:05:14.303+01:00The Return of the King - J. R. R. TolkienRATING: FIVE STARS<br />
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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 . . .<br />
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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.<br />
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<b>The Good</b><br />
<i>The Return of the King </i>is a superb ending to <i>The Lord of Rings </i>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.<br />
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<b>The Bad</b><br />
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!<br />
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<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
<i>The Return of the King </i>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 <i>The Lord of the Rings </i>to your reading list and experience the story in the scope and depth that the father of fantasy intended!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993189830532725199.post-18776796036586683522016-09-02T16:59:00.002+01:002016-09-02T16:59:22.922+01:00Royal Assassin - Robin HobbRATING: FIVE STARS<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<b>The Good</b><br />
<i>Royal Assassin </i>is another masterpiece of the fantasy genre and Robin Hobb has outdone herself once again. If anything, the novel is even better than <i><a href="http://fantasybookshelfreview.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/assassins-apprentice-robin-hobb.html" target="_blank">Assassin's Apprentice</a>, </i>it's predecessor, and continues the <i>Farseer Trilogy </i>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.<br />
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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!<br />
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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 <i>Assassin's Apprentice, </i>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.<br />
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<b>The Bad</b><br />
Once again, I find myself having no fault with Hobb's writing and <i>Royal Assassin </i>sits proudly among the best novels of the fantasy genre!<br />
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<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
<i>Royal Assassin </i>is even better than its predecessor and continues the <i>Farseer Trilogy </i>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<i> </i>is definitely one for your reading list and deserves the highest praise!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993189830532725199.post-15728097707391878522016-08-17T18:52:00.002+01:002016-08-17T18:52:29.737+01:00J. K. Rowling announces three new Harry Potter books!If you don't know that J. K. Rowling has recently released <i>Harry Potter & the Cursed Child </i>I'm not entirely sure where you've been for these last few months<i>. </i>Yet despite the hype, this has actually proved quite a scandal more than anything because despite there being some Potterheads who are overjoyed at having tickets for the play and getting a chance to sink their teeth into its script, not everyone--myself included--is that pleased. I have no desire to read through a tedious script of nothing but dialogue and I know that others agree, many of whom feel cheated that Rowling didn't release the story as a proper and fully-fledged novel for them.<br />
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Yet we don't have to be that disappointed and Pottermore has officially announced that there will be three new books set in the Potter world! I know this has all been very hush hush and I didn't believe it at first either, but the announcement is right here on the <a href="https://www.pottermore.com/news/pottermore-presents-ebook-series-published-september" target="_blank"><i>Pottermore </i>site</a>!<br />
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It looks like each of the new books will be an anthology that explores the mythology surrounding the <i>Harry Potter </i>books and many of the characters that have featured in the core series. What's more <i>Pottermore </i>claims that the three books will be released on <b>6th September</b>, which is ludicrously soon and will really wet our appetites for the upcoming film, <i>Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them, </i>in November!<br />
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2016 is really shaping up to be a good year for Potterheads everywhere and I'm definitely looking forward to the new releases! Are you?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993189830532725199.post-68934763079006166792016-08-15T16:26:00.005+01:002016-08-15T16:26:50.502+01:00Sword of Destiny - Andrzej SapkowskiRATING: TWO STARS<br />
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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.<br />
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<b>The Good</b><br />
When I first heard that this was the book that inspired the hit <i>Witcher </i>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.<br />
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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.<br />
<br />
<b>The Bad</b><br />
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 <i>Sword of Destiny </i>was very bland to read, with brief, unpadded text - again, a bit of creative licence from the translator could have easily remedied this!<br />
<br />
<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
Overall, <i>Sword of Destiny </i>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.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993189830532725199.post-24582067322757220972016-07-22T13:48:00.001+01:002016-07-22T13:48:29.808+01:00Crossroads of Twilight - Robert JordanRATING: THREE STARS<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
<b>The Good and the Bad</b><br />
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 <i>Crossroads of Twilight </i>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.<br />
<br />
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 . . .<br />
<br />
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 <i>The Wheel of Time </i>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 . . .<br />
<br />
<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
In conclusion, <i>Crossroads of Twilight </i>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 <i>The Wheel Time </i>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.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993189830532725199.post-22820601573250411042016-07-06T20:49:00.001+01:002016-07-06T20:49:50.618+01:00The Phoenix Reckoning - Richard L. SandersRATING: THREE STARS<br />
<br />
The Empire is still divided, gripped in a brutal civil war where the heir of the Akiran throne, Queen Kalila, fights for recognition against the ursurping King, Caewyn of House Martel. There has already been a terrible battle that devastated both sides, weakening strength that the Empire sorely needs. For the Rotham are coming and only Kalila and her fleet stands to meet them in the Corridor. If that territory is taken, the Rotham will have free access into human space and will be able to conquer uncontested.<br />
<br />
But what's more, the Polarian Dread Fleet is moving. It is a host of ships from the darkest legends, ships that leave every planet they encounter scoured, burned and lifeless. If they truly mean to bring their holy war into human space, then even united we cannot hope to repel them. Kalila needs the throne and she needs to unite humanity against this threat, trusting hope to the efforts of Calvin and his crew aboard the <i>Nighthawk. </i>Kalila doesn't know it, but Calvin has taken his ship deep into Polarian Forbidden Space and means to stop the Dread Fleet at its source. He is adamant that the leaders of the Polarian Faith have been replaced by replicants and, if so, it will reveal that the Phoenix Ring is more powerful an enemy than any have dared to dream . . .<br />
<br />
<b>The Good</b><br />
<i>The Phoenix Reckoning </i>is another action-packed, powerful space opera by Richard L. Sanders. He has written an exciting story that carries the overall plot of the series forward well and he continues to build upon and develop his characters. There are as many battles and webs of intrigue as in the previous instalments and, once again, he has produced a book that is well worth reading.<br />
<br />
<b>The Bad</b><br />
Once again, I found myself a little disappointed at the lack of description in Sanders' prose. He has created a dynamic universe, full and space ships, aliens and thrones, but they are largely left to the reader's imagination. While too much description can be a bad thing that detracts from the story, too little is likewise problematic and it's difficult sometimes to form a clear picture of the character's surroundings.<br />
<br />
<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
I was impressed with <i>The Phoenix Reckoning </i>and it was great instalment to <i>The Phoenix Conspiracy </i>series. It's fast paced and immersing, being a good example that indie authors can produce science fiction that's well worth reading. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and I'm glad that Sanders decided to split this book into two so he could complete the series in a way that was not rushed and did justice to his story. I recommended giving this series a go and I'm looking forward to concluding the struggles of Captain Calvin Cross and his friends in <i>The Phoenix Requiem </i>soon.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993189830532725199.post-685610746064901012016-07-01T09:39:00.000+01:002016-07-01T09:39:07.662+01:00Assassin's Apprentice - Robin HobbRATING: FIVE STARS<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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 . . .<br />
<br />
<b>The Good</b><br />
I have to admit that I wasn't expecting much when I started reading <i>Assassin's Apprentice. </i>I'd heard it was good, but had read <i><a href="http://fantasybookshelfreview.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/series-review-rain-wild-chronicles.html" target="_blank">The Rain Wild Chronicles</a></i> 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 <i>Assassin's Apprentice </i>was evident, right from page one and I had become addicted to Hobb's story, her characters and world within just a few chapters.<br />
<br />
I hadn't even finished the novel before I knew it was becoming one of my favourites<i> </i>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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
<b>The Bad</b><br />
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.<br />
<br />
<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
<i>Assassin's Apprentice </i>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 <i><a href="http://fantasybookshelfreview.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/the-lovely-bones-alice-sebold.html" target="_blank">The Lovely Bones</a> </i>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.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993189830532725199.post-81948007930356958422016-06-25T17:13:00.001+01:002016-06-25T17:14:10.519+01:00Bane of the Liche Lord - D. P. PriorRATING: THREE STARS<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Good<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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 <i>Bane of the Liche
Lord </i>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.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Bad<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Final Thoughts</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Overall, though, <i>Bane of
the Liche Lord </i>was an exciting read and ended <i>The Chronicles of the Nameless Dwarf </i>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.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993189830532725199.post-89281563978723130512016-05-11T15:04:00.002+01:002016-05-11T15:04:24.038+01:00The Ebon Staff - D. P. PriorRATING: THREE STARS<br />
<br />
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 . . . <br />
<br />
<b>The Good</b><br />
<i>The Ebon Staff </i>is as fast-paced as D. P. Prior's other books in the <i>Chronicles of the Nameless Dwarf </i>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.<br />
<br />
<b>The Bad</b><br />
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.'<br />
<br />
<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
Overall, however, <i>The Ebon Staff </i>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.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993189830532725199.post-12401602404324425202016-04-17T16:15:00.002+01:002016-04-17T16:15:19.476+01:00The Scout & the Serpent - D. P. PriorRATING: THREE STARS<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
For Nils is alone and surrounded by goblins, alone except for an injured scout who knows exactly where the dwarves are . . .<br />
<br />
<b>The Good</b><br />
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 <i>Chronicles of the Nameless Dwarf.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
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!<br />
<br />
<b>The Bad</b><br />
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 <i>The Scout & the Serpent </i>as it has previously.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
Overall, <i>The Scout & the Serpent </i>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!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993189830532725199.post-78789051980068527172016-04-05T15:35:00.001+01:002016-04-05T15:35:17.356+01:00The Axe of the Dwarf Lords - D. P. PriorRATING: THREE STARS<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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 . . .<br />
<br />
<b>The Good</b><br />
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 <i>The Axe of the Dwarf Lords </i>so he is able to explore and develop his protagonists more fully.<br />
<br />
<b>The Bad</b><br />
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 <i><a href="http://fantasybookshelfreview.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/a-dwarf-with-no-name-d-p-prior.html" target="_blank">A Dwarf With No Name</a>,</i> 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!<br />
<br />
Aside from this, the issues I mentioned in my review of <i>A Dwarf With No Name </i>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!'<br />
<br />
<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
Despite a few flaws and problems here and there, <i>The Axe of the Dwarf Lords </i>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!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993189830532725199.post-31191990220301220212016-03-16T15:20:00.000+00:002016-03-16T15:20:02.141+00:00A Dwarf With No Name - D. P. PriorRATING: THREE STARS<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
<b>The Good</b><br />
<i>A Dwarf With No Name </i>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.<br />
<br />
<b>The Bad</b><br />
One of the main issues I had with <i>A Dwarf With No Name </i>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?<br />
<br />
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 <i>Battlestar Galactica </i>uses 'frack' instead of, well, you know . . . This works in <i>BSG </i>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.<br />
<br />
<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
<i>A Dwarf With No Name </i>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.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993189830532725199.post-45497875446612379272016-03-09T13:47:00.001+00:002016-03-09T13:47:59.499+00:00The Two Towers - J. R. R. TolkienRATING; FOUR STARS<br />
<br />
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.<br />
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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 . . .<br />
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<b>The Good</b><br />
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 <i>The Two Towers </i>was always my favourite instalment of <i>The Lord of the Rings </i>when I was younger!<br />
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<b>The Bad</b><br />
I have very few issues with <i>The Two Towers </i>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 <i><a href="http://fantasybookshelfreview.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/the-fellowship-of-ring-j-r-r-tolkien.html" target="_blank">The Fellowship of the Ring</a></i>, 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.<br />
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<b>My Thoughts</b><br />
<i>The Two Towers </i>is a deep and exciting sequel to <i>The Fellowship of the Ring </i>and continues <i>The Lord of the Rings </i>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 <i><a href="http://fantasybookshelfreview.blogspot.co.uk/p/blog-page.html" target="_blank">Shelf of Fame</a> </i>and I strongly suggest you try and give the series a go if you haven't already read it!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993189830532725199.post-44525063900690687702016-03-02T19:26:00.001+00:002016-03-02T19:26:14.945+00:00Winter's Heart - Robert JordanRATING: FOUR STARS<br />
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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 <i>saidin </i>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 . . .<br />
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<b>The Good</b><br />
Robert Jordan continues <i>The Wheel of Time </i>saga with the superb prose and incredible detail I have come to expect from his books. <i>Winter's Heart </i>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!<br />
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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 <i>Winter's Heart </i>ended and I doubt I'll be disappointed!<br />
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<b>The Bad</b><br />
There was nothing I didn't like about <i>Winter's Heart </i>and Jordan seems to have finally got back on top of the pacing of his stories!<br />
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<b>My Thoughts</b><br />
Overall, <i>Winter's Heart </i>is an excellent book and reinforced, as have the previous eight novels in the series, why <i>The Wheel of Time </i>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 <i>The Wheel of Time </i>yet, it's high time you get <i><a href="http://fantasybookshelfreview.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/the-eye-of-world-robert-jordan.html" target="_blank">The Eye of the World</a> </i>and begin one of the most epic adventure's you'll ever read!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993189830532725199.post-64354701902282256752016-02-10T20:00:00.001+00:002016-02-10T20:00:16.100+00:00New Harry Potter Book Coming Summer '16!It's been nearly a decade since J. K. Rowling published <i><a href="http://fantasybookshelfreview.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/harry-potter-deathly-hallows-j-k-rowling.html" target="_blank">Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows</a>, </i>but the Potter hype has never quite ended. The series has captivated millions of minds worldwide, whether through <a href="http://fantasybookshelfreview.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/series-review-harry-potter-j-k-rowling.html" target="_blank">Rowling's books</a> themselves or the <i>Warner Brothers </i>cinematic adaptations, and everyone has been asking the same question: when will the next chapter in Harry Potter's life be revealed.<br />
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The answer was given in 2015 when Rowling announced that she had developed a screenplay called <i>Harry Potter & the Cursed Child, </i>which describes Harry's life as an official for the Ministry of Magic seventeen years after the events of the last book. Excitement for the play was high and, obviously, it sold out in record time. This left millions of <i>Harry Potter</i> fans tasting bitter disappointment, but Rowling has just announced that she will be releasing the play's script as a book on <b>31st July 2016</b> after countless appeals! Her agents have confirmed that the play will be released in novel and ebook formats that will hopefully lead to more Potter novels!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993189830532725199.post-83790732624546051732016-01-03T16:17:00.004+00:002016-01-03T16:17:42.105+00:00Series Review: Harry Potter - J. K. RowlingOVERALL RATING: FIVE STARS<br />
AWARD: SHELF OF FAME<br />
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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!<br />
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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.<br />
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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 . . .<br />
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Book 1: <a href="http://fantasybookshelfreview.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/harry-potter-philosophers-stone-j-k.html" target="_blank">Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone</a><br />
Book 2: <a href="http://fantasybookshelfreview.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/harry-potter-chamber-of-secrets-j-k.html" target="_blank">Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets</a><br />
Book 3: <a href="http://fantasybookshelfreview.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/harry-potter-prisoner-of-azkaban-j-k.html" target="_blank">Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban</a><br />
Book 4: <a href="http://fantasybookshelfreview.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/harry-potter-goblet-of-fire-j-k-rowling.html" target="_blank">Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire</a><br />
Book 5: <a href="http://fantasybookshelfreview.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/harry-potter-order-of-phoenix-j-k.html" target="_blank">Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix</a><br />
Book 6: <a href="http://fantasybookshelfreview.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/harry-potter-half-blood-prince-j-k.html" target="_blank">Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince</a><br />
Book 7: <a href="http://fantasybookshelfreview.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/harry-potter-deathly-hallows-j-k-rowling.html" target="_blank">Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows</a><br />
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<b>The Good</b><br />
The <i>Harry Potter </i>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 <i>Harry Potter </i>books ever since I began reading <i>The Philosopher's Stone </i>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 <i>The Philosopher's Stone, The Chamber of Secrets and The Prisoner of Azkaban </i>within three days when I re-read the series last year!<br />
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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!<br />
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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.<br />
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The last thing that makes the <i>Harry Potter </i>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.<br />
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<b>The Bad</b><br />
To be honest, this heading is only here because of my format for reviews. There was nothing I didn't like about the <i>Harry Potter </i>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.<br />
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<b>My Thoughts</b><br />
Overall then, the <i>Harry Potter </i>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 <i>Harry Potter </i>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 <i><a href="http://fantasybookshelfreview.blogspot.co.uk/p/blog-page.html" target="_blank">Shelf of Fame</a> </i>and I expect I'll re-read them again and again throughout my life.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993189830532725199.post-46686261604981025812015-12-29T23:07:00.001+00:002015-12-29T23:07:15.045+00:00H10N1 - M. R. CorneliusRATING: THREE STARS<br />
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The world has been thrown into disarray by a coordinated terrorist attack that unleashed the deadly Korean Influenza virus, H10N1, across the globe. Not even the terrorists could have predicted just how destructive the virus would be and humans have been all but eradicated. There are just a few thousand left across the world and civilisation has ended. There are no workers to produce new foods, medicines and electricity. The lucky survivors are fighting for whatever is left, desperate for help from the scant few hospitals that are still able to provide it.<br />
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Dr. Taeya Sanchez is one such medic and works in one of America's last remaining hospitals. The staff there are overworked and the only way they are able to help their patients is through assisted suicide, making the pain of H10N1 disappear forever. When Taeya finally has enough and speaks out against the new regime, she is forced to flee her sanctuary at the hospital. She is plunged into a brave new world that is ruled by the gun, surviving only because of the help of an unlikely alliance with a defecting supply gather, Rick DeAngelo.<br />
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<b>The Good</b><br />
M. R. Cornelius has done a fair job with this story and both of the main protagonists are interesting, telling the story from different mindsets. They quickly form a love-hate relationship which Cornelius develops throughout the book as their friendship turns into something more, despite both of them not really wanting it to and disbelieving that the other likes them in a romantic way.<br />
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The story itself is also exciting, with lots of action and surprise events, but Cornelius has stayed away from the traditional viewpoints of post-apocalyptic worlds. The book isn't all about violence and people fighting for resources, which features in the book only as pivotal events. Instead, the book is more of a journey of self-redemption, love and survival, which is nicely refreshing.<br />
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<b>The Bad</b><br />
Sadly, some of the characters in <i>H10N1</i> are a bit bland and stereotypical. Some of them are villains for no real reason and do things which don't actually benefit anyone, even the antagonist themselves. This does make the book slightly implausible at times and, as a reader, I just had to suspend my disbelief and roll with it.<br />
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Cornelius' prose it also lacking in description and focuses more on events and dialogue. This does help keep the story moving at quite a fast pace, but it's difficult to imagine the world around the characters some of the time and he often uses generic description to set the scene, such as 'cars pulling up in a forest.'<br />
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<b>My Thoughts</b><br />
Overall though, <i>H10N1 </i>was an interesting read and I enjoyed it. It was more of a story about love and redemption than a grisly post-apocalyptic horror of murder and violence and M. R. Cornelius has a few nice ideas about what living in such a world would be like.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993189830532725199.post-13901531487185837892015-12-18T16:04:00.000+00:002015-12-18T16:04:55.206+00:00The Phoenix Darkness - Richard L. SandersRATING: FOUR STARS<br />
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The Empire is still in disarray and wanting for a legitimate monarch. Princess Kalila, scion of House Akira, is desperate to reclaim her father's throne and birthright from the usurper Caewyn Martel. The two have already clashed in a devastating battle that halved their fleets and destroyed the Apollo Shipyards - a resource that will be sorely missed in the impending war. For war is coming and the Rotham are mobilising their fleet outside of the Demilitarised Zone. Their ships are being called for one reason: the invasion and occupation of human space.<br />
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Calvin Cross is the sole provider of this information, having ventured deep into Rotham space with a small handful of his crew. His mission is dangerous and the warships he scans are not without scanners and he had a Rotham spy in his midst, whose loyalties are ambiguous at best . . . Calvin desperately wants the <i>Nighthawk </i>for this mission, but his ship has been entrusted to Summers. Summers, who must find and destroy the last of the isotome weapons before they can be brought to bear against humankind and its space.<br />
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<b>The Good</b><br />
Richard L. Sanders had written yet another story that is full of twists and turns, The book is exciting and difficult to predict with the sheer number of people trying to create the universe they desire through chicanery and deceit. This means that the story is fast-paced and it gets going straight away, maintaining tension and uncertainty throughout.<br />
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<b>The Bad</b><br />
Once again, Sanders' writing is sadly lacking in description and this did detract from my enjoyment of the book slightly. <i>The Phoenix Darkness </i>is full of novel warships and a whole host of different worlds and environments, yet none of them have been described so there's little guidance for their visualisation. It's a shame really because it means his writing is quite 'stripped down' and predominantly focuses on events. The same is true for his characters and alien races; except for a few vague descriptions here and there, Sanders largely glosses over what they look like.<br />
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Another issue with the book is the use of words like <i>should've </i>and <i>hasn't </i>in its prose. Although this isn't a major issue and doesn't really detract from the story, it just doesn't look professional and is a constant (and unnecessary reminder) that the novel is self-published.<br />
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<b>My Thought</b><br />
Overall though, <i>The Phoenix Darkness </i>is pretty good and makes for an exciting and enjoyable read. It's a great instalment to <i>The Phoenix Conspiracy </i>series as a whole and I had a lot of fun with it! It's part of what is one of my favourite science fiction series at the moment and Sanders remains one of my favourite indie authors! I would definitely recommend this book (and series) to anyone who is looking for a sci fi series of action and subterfuge!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0