Gautam Surath
Thoroughly enjoyable read and topics right up my alley and hence the 5 stars rating. Things are explained fairly easily and enough hints to do your own research in case you want more details. Also clear call outs on where we still don't have answers. Specifically I want to know why the moon appears so close.
The first book of this year and we start with a bang. Or should we say we end with a bang? For we have come to the end of the journey for Sal and the Cacophony and its been a really wild ride. From the high of Seven Blades in Black it became apparent that it would take a lot to keep the quality going. While mostly holds true, Three axes to Fall has some real high points which make this a rather fitting end to the trilogy. We get to know Sal much better and the addition of a narrator adds an excellent POV to the telling. Sam Sykes delivers in spades and I can heartily recommend this series for people who love a larger than life protagonist and a whole lot of violence. In the end though SCAR is not a place that is on my list to visit!
It's rare that a Stephen King book would disappoint. And Fairy Tale follows that pattern. King know how to tug at heart strings and makes you go from swing between extremes of emotion. The story is now so common that it can be called a trope but it's still haunting. Balanced by the standard King repulsiveness of description, this one is another recommend read from the king. All aboard to the train to Emphis though that's what not what I really said
A fairly everyday storyline for Batman and these are not so easy to come across nowadays. Extremely plausible setting and few interesting characters. With better visuals (sometimes the art makes it very difficlut to follow what is happening) and tighter writing this could have been one for the collection. As such its a decent attempt overall.
Its books like these that remind you why the great series are that great. To write a good book is tough. To write good books consistently meeting previous benchmarks is way more tougher. So I guess 3 stars in itself are a job well done for Jacka. The consistency is there and so is the world building. Some key moments present themselves too especially with Richard entering the frame. But this books lacks intensity and could have done with more on the edge action. I also think its time Verus take a bad beating but hey that's just me. Let's see what the next instalment holds.
So it seems we are at the end of one journey and the beginning of another. Jacka cycles back to Alex Verus beginnings as we see layers of the past being peeled away. Chosen is fast paced, brings some new magics and pretty hardcore in someways. But its also added a new dimension to some of the characters in both good and bad ways. Looking forward to the next one for sure
Alex continues on his merry way though this time he is not battling a Light or Dark Mage. Well at least not directly. So for a change of scene he takes on a Rakshasha and an undead villain. We are also introduced to new type of Mages and a tournament too! All in all a nice ride and a total page turner. Way to go Jacka. Onto the next trip!
So Jacka seems to have the capability to repeat a successful formula. There are many similarities here to Dresden Files but its nowhere near as complicated. And its this simplicity that works out really well. That and the fact there seems to be some more heart in the second leg of this series. Must say am surprised that Jacka retains so many of his characters into the second book. Of course the high point is the Magical creatures that keep popping up making things for the future a bit more interesting. A very light read but an engrossing one all the same. Alex Verus and his ability continue to intrigue me!
Picked up a King book after a long long time and it's great to see he hasn't lost the knack of stories that hit the raw emotions. The narrative is spun effortlessly and before you know it, you can't wait for it to reach the end. Billy is wonderful but so are the smallest characters he comes across. Highly recommended as King continues to Snipe away.
Phew! That was long but mostly not a slog. Bryce holds the pace and weaves a nice little narrative. The world building is excellent and you cant complain about the way standard school trope has been used. Where Iron prince really shines though is the way the individual characters are handled. There is a good mix of black and white with a dash of too much niceness for my liking. If there was anything missing though, I would say it was the fights. The mechanics just did not lend themselves well to imagination and so you kind of skipped over them after a while. And if I have to nitpick, there was way too much repetition on the who growth power etc that it lost its sheen very quickly. All in all an excellent read and I highly recommend you get submerged in this world for a few days
Stumbled upon this from the fantasy reddit. Well crafted, superb art and fantastic dialogue goes a long way in making this a fun and fast read. Am quite sure this is likely to be a even better read if you are familiar with England's history and all the monsters that are brought to lie here. Beowulf seemed a bit of a stretch though. Highly recommended
Bit of a slow start to this one making it easy to give it up right at the initial stages but Andrew gets back into the thick of things soon enough. I am finally seeing the connection between this and Arcane Ascension but it wont make me go back to that series. This series though is progressing nicely and the battles keep escalating as does the pace. It must be tough to come up with last minute win situations but Andrew handles it with aplomb and keeps you engaged. If you are looking for magical swords, excellent fights and last minute surprises cant recommend this enough.
Very staple Fantasy diet I guess. Could have done with better supporting cast development and a broader picture of what the protagonist is facing. A long plodding tale of a boy growing up which never really reaches its expectations. Luckily it never really got taxing so I ended up finishing the 700 odd pages. No book 2 for me it seems
What a title!. I mean once you have read it it just felt so apt. You have to love the ending and simple way its narrated. No heart racing scenes, no goosebump moments, no major ups and downs but it still keeps you going through just the narrative of space travel. One for every space travel enthusiasts and maybe for some non enthusiasts as well.
Well after setting up high expectations with Martian I guess this was coming. And no its not a bad book at all. In fact some parts are absolutely fun especially Weir's brand of science. In this are he does not disappoint. The scenario's are all plausible without seeming too outlandish. Even the discovery of another species is handled with ease. If there is anything that makes this book not live upto the previous one its the heart. The narrative is really dry and unemotional. No loneliness of space, no fear of death etc. You could swap the protagonist with a robot and nothing would be lost. Worth reading just to expand your horizon though. There are other worlds than these!
