fantasybooknerd
I have really enjoyed this series of books. This is a brilliant close to the story. It chronicles the end of the final empire, but it also gives a good ending to the main character's journey that has been developing in the first two books. Really enjoyed it. Ps. There were no spoilers, so if you are reading this set of books for the first time I will not spoil the end for you.
Monsters from the time of myth emerge to reclaim what is rightfully theirs, but as usual the people of The Dominion do not take heed, until it is too late.
Chris Cloake???s second book in his Dominion series immediately follows on from the events of the first book, as Rupert rides out to reclaim his sister Sorcha from the clutches of the Gaticus.
Not only that, the fires of Rebellion threaten to tear apart the Dominion from the inside.
The Dominion ??? Defiant is written very much in a classical fantasy kind of vein and put me in mind of the prose of Porl Anderson, in that it has a kind of mythic quality to it. Some people will enjoy it, and others won???t. Me? I was fine with it.
There is some good world building in the story, with Chris Cloake building on the groundwork that he had done in the first book.
The second book of the trilogy is always the hardest to talk about as it has the most demands placed upon it, such as, did it continue to the story that had been set out in the first book, does it move the story along to its conclusion, and finally can it stand as a story by itself. Well, the answer to this in the case of The Dominion Defiant, is that it managed to fulfil that criteria.
In addition to that Cloake writes some good action scenes that pulls you along. Throughout the action scenes, he got the pacing and cadence of the story right, and I would happily bumble along with the action that was happening on the page. However, I think that the one thing that I noticed was that the pacing could sometimes slow down, especially when we came to matters of intrigue and politics, and it was at these times that I found that I could become a little overwhelmed with the amount of information described.
This definitely falls into the dark fantasy realm of the genre, and as anyone knows I do like to get my teeth into a good bit of dark fantasy.
With The Dominion ??? Defiant, Chris Cloake had me immersed in his world of intrigue and action, and his tale of grief and loss, war and rebellion, and things returning from the times of old to haunt a kingdom. It entertained me right till the end, and I cannot wait to see how the trilogy concludes
The Girl with the Whispering Shadow is the second instalment of D. E. Night???s ???The Crowns of Crosland???.
Following on from (a couple of days in fact) from the events of the first book, Ivy and Rebecca have finished their first year in the Halls of Ivy and are planning to spend their summer holidays in their respective places. Rebecca is off home, and Ivy is going???.to the place that has no name.
Well, that???s not strictly true because it does have a name, but it is a secret. In fact, it???s so secret that it doesn???t appear on any map and it is shrouded in darkness. However, there???s danger ahead (well there would have to be wouldn???t there, we do need some story after all!) as Ivy is tasked to find more pieces of the Kindred Stone, and to evade the Dark Queen???s plans
The Girl with the Whispering Shadow sees D. E. Knight gaining more of a firmer footing in this the second book, and whilst there is still some information to be passed on, particularly in relation to the town of Belzebuthe, which sometimes slows the pace down a little, this is a lot more of a focused novel that doesn???t have the added weight of introducing the reader to the world that she has created.
You have to mention the characters in a review don???t you, and this was the part that I couldn???t wait to get to. I have to say that D. E. Knight writes some fantastic characters and Ivy is a marvellously strong female character for this particular age group. However, not only that, but she also populates the rest of Crosland with equally strong characters, and whilst I am out of the intended demographic for this book, my reading changes are the same as when I was younger. I want a book with a good plot that keeps me interested, good characters and plenty of magic, and with this series you get this in spades.
So, I have tried to read this book a couple of times and just did not get into it. Don't know what it was, it is nothing to do with the book. I don't know why,but I think tha it was something to do with the timing. First time was when it first came out and at the time I had little kids and it ultimately boiled down to the choice of read or sleep and it was obvious that the choice would be sleep. The second time, I just couldn't get into it.
Any ways, this time I finally took the plunge and this time I really enjoyed it. I think the times that I have read it before. I could not get my head around what it was. I know that this is my problem but once I had made that shift in my head the book clicked. It helped that I follow Mr Lawrence and follow his blog. This gave me some insight and the light went on (nothing creepy, it;s just that when I read his reviews of the books that I liked I could kind of see the influences). Once I got my head around the fact that this is like a ‘dystopian fantasy' rather than the traditional sense of fantasy. It's like taking the idea of Terry brooks one step further and then mixing in mad max in John boorman's excaliber with a bit of American psycho. That was what made it click and then I really got into it and the book got its thorns into me and that was it. excellent book. Now onto the next one.
The artwork in this is gorgeous and there are some good ideas in it. However, the story reminds me of a more dangerous version of the D & D cartoon from the eighties.
I was really interested in reading this and I suppose it is a decent start to the series. I am intrigued to see what comes.
The story is a bit thin though and I wonder where it can actually go.
David (and Leigh) Eddings books hold a great place in my heart. I remember reading these books when they first came out. I also remember waiting with some excitement when the new ones came out. Now it is many years since I read these. I have reread them at some point and recall thoroughly enjoying them. All the books in both series ‘The Belgariad' and ‘The Mallorian' are good.
It's funny. I am not sure if these books are as good now, but these books are an integral part of my childhood and no matter what anyone says about them, they will remain books that I personally cherish.
Most of the fantasy world is abuzz at the moment with The Rage of Dragons, as the second instalment is just around the corner.
Evan Winter???s book is highly acclaimed and has recently gained a place on ???the most influential??? lists. A high accolade indeed! Does it deserve it? Damn right it does! This is a fantastic book that has everything from Dragons, demons to incredible fight scenes and exhilarating action.
The Rage of Dragons begins with a battle against two races of people. One who has just arrived from some unknown lands and the inhabitants of the lands that they have landed on. We are immediately thrown into the action from Page One, where a brutal and bloody battle that is raging. The prologue sets the tone for the book, describing the brutality of the battle, introducing the magic system of the book that is purely centred around bolstering military might, and introduces us to the Omehi people or ???The Chosen??? as they believe themselves to be.
We then move onto the main story of the book and quickly introduced to the book???s main character, Tau.
From the beginning of the book, Winters build his world, describing the political system, the caste system that governs the Omehi people and the militaristic way that the inhabitants live their life. The world that Tau lives in is a harsh world that is governed solely by caste and tradition and everyone knows their place.
At the beginning of the book, Tau is happy with his standing, wanting nothing more than to attend The Testing, a ritual competition to test fighting prowess and skill, and join the Ihashe, a division of the army. However, when he attends his friend Jabari???s testing as his second, events occur that will change Tau and his life forever. At the testing, Tau is assigned to an incompetent noble???s son to spar with, but unfortunately for Tau, the noble is as proud as he incompetent and attacks Tau. Tau responds by disarming the noble and thus brings about the attention of Councillor Odili and Tau???s fate is sealed, setting him on a path of pain, obsession and revenge.
For the rest of the story, Tau vows to become the ultimate killing machine. He vows that he will gain a place in the Ihashe and become the greatest fighter that the Omehi people have ever seen. So, that he can gain his ultimate revenge on those who destroyed his life. And he will do this at whatever cost to himself or those around him.
As we move through the story we learn that the years of tradition have created an unjust and unfair society where the lowest of the governed people are seen as nothing more than bodies for the everlasting, unwinnable war that rages with the Hedeni, whilst the privileged members of society do not recognise the worth of those that they see beneath them and are corrupt and cruel. And this cruelty is displayed time and time again throughout the tale of Tau and his sword brothers.
In the meantime, Tau???s story is developed, and he becomes the very thing that he set out to be. However, his character is flawed by the trauma he has endured. He scorns friendship and comradeship focussing totally on his ultimate goal. However, others are not willing to give up on him and eventually his comrades break through his barriers and he eventually forms long lasting bonds with those around him.
Winters masterfully interlaces a tale of comradeship, winning against the odds and determination in his story of Tau. However, be prepared! This is not a happy tale, and whilst there are light moments of friendship in the book, Winters does not shy away from the brutality of war and the cruelty that is rife amongst the socio-political structure that his characters inhabit. However, it is a dazzling story that will have you gripped, as I was from the very start.
This review is also on fantasybooknerd.com. If you liked this review please visit and have a look at some of the other reviews.
Just to get this out of the way, I was contacted by the author, Christopher Laine, to review this book. He was very nice and gave me a copy of his book and then said write what you want about it, but it would be nice to have a review! So here goes!
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Screens is the fourth book in Christopher Laine's??The Seven Coins Drowning??series, and are intrinsically linked by the theme of the seven deadly sins. There are several stories in the series, but it is not essential to have read the others to enjoy Screens, and I have to say that it did not spoil my enjoyment of the book.
Screens is one of those books where there is so much going on, you don???t know where to start. It took me to places that I didn???t expect, to different realities, dimensions and times. Honestly, I did not know what to expect at all when I started reading this book.??
The book tells the story of James, our 404: narrator not found. He is a nobody. A bicycle courier in San Francisco. A casualty of his own ego. A recovering substance user. He is many things, but mainly, he is the teller of our story.??
In all honesty, as a narrator, I found him to annoying, gruff and he grated on my nerves at times. He has a propensity to call you, the reader,?? Chumley. He is incredibly egotistical, and at times I wanted to punch him! However, what he is not, is uninteresting. Yes, at times he preaches at you, and you throw your hands up in exasperation at him, but ultimately you want to hear his story and how it plays out.??
The story of Screens itself, revolves around Frank Belknapp Long???s ???The Hounds of Tindalos???. For those of you who aren???t aware of F. Belknap Long, he was a contributor to the Cthulhu Mythos and his mate was H. P. Lovecraft. So from that, you know that this book is going to be in the vein of cosmic horror/weird fiction.
When I say that the story revolves around The Hounds of Tindalos (THOT), I mean Christopher Laine basically uses it as a coat stand to hang the coat of his story on. We watch as James the nobody becomes more and more involved with the events of the death surrounding Halpin Chambers (one of the main characters in THOT) and the secrets that he has uncovered.??
I have to say that initially, I found this book a little difficult to get into, not because of the structure of the book, but the fact that as a narrator, James makes it particularly hard. It does take a while for the story to hit its full speed.There is a large investigative aspect to the first part of the book.?? However, when it did hit its critical speed, Christopher Laine opens the throttle and the book just hurtles along at a phenomenal pace.??
Like I said earlier, when it comes to the plot there are a number of things going on. Initially, Christopher Laine cleverly taps into the worldwide paranoia of increased screen time and the effects that it is having on our brains, both biologically and socially and how this impacts on society as a whole, such as increasing the negative ideologies of hatred and making them more commonplace. This is the springboard for the main antagonists of the story to attack the human race.
I found that when I was reading this aspect of the book, it reminded me of the film They Live, in that there is an alien invasion happening under our noses, but yet we, the human race, are not aware of it. And when James dons his proverbial glasses, he cannot unsee the threat that is invisible to everyone else. However, the plot goes into a completely different direction to what you would expect, and it is at this stage the book goes (just to nick a phrase from the book) batshit crazy. However, this is not in a bad way, but in a way that elevates the story that one notch further.
In terms of characters in the book, they are seen through our narrators eyes, and in all honesty, he is quite disingenuous to most of them and you see them through his warped eyes, which makes it difficult to connect with them, except for the one at the end (which I cannot tell you anything about as it would totally ruin the last part of the book. However, on the whole, I felt that the different characters of the book are introduced to move the narrative along rather than as tangible characters that you can latch onto and identify with.??
The main character of the book is James. He is the one constant of the story, and you know how I feel about him.??
Structurally, Screens is an interesting book. It uses a kind of mixed media approach to tell the story and how it plays out. Sometimes there will be police reports of incidents, or there may be something resembling a confidential dossier of events, or a newspaper report of an incident that has an impact on the story as a whole, whilst having a structured narrative in between these differing forms of media. People may find this a little choppy initially, but you get used to it, and as the story progresses, these other pieces become quite important.??
I have to say that by the last third of the book, I was wondering how Christopher Laine would tie up numerous loose ends that he had introduced, but he manages to fit the whole thing together well. Giving the end of the story a satisfying conclusion.
Once I got into Screens, I found it to be a story that grabbed me, dragging me into the horrifying and space warping tale and never letting me go till I had reached the ultimate dimension called the end.????
Well, I got round to reading the second book of the series and again this is utterly fabulous. I have to say when it comes to Brandon Sanderson - Where have I been? How on earth did I miss these books. I know I fell out with fantasy books for quite a while, I kind of got sick of the same thing (bearing in mind I have been reading fantasy since I was about fourteen and I am now well past this age). Anyways, about the book. One of the things that impresses me about these book is the fact that they are character driven rather than all out fantasy action. Obviously, Vin's character is expanded on as is Elands, but I have to say that the growing relationship between Vin and Oresur is by far the most interesting and it also gives an insight into Kandra culture which I found intriguing.
I love Norse Mythology, and I loved this book. I think one of the things that I liked about about it was the comedy, and I think that this is something that you do not normally get when reading mythology. What Neil Gaiman does is flesh out the characters to give the Gods more characterisation rather than them seem to be omnipresent beings. And besides that, what else can you say. It's Neil Gaiman! Nuff said!
We need to talk about Luke!
From the first time that I read Vultures, I was hooked on Luke Tarzian and his approach to storytelling. It is just utterly stunning!
He is some sort of mad genius that creates these mindmashingly, surrealistic landscapes that just grab you by the face and suck you right in. I am totally in awe.
And his latest creation is again that Frankenstein monster of utter brilliance.
The World Breaker Requiem is the second standalone novel of The Adjacent Monsters series, which is a prequel to the Shadow Twins Series.
The story revolves around two characters, Avaria and Erath as they search for the legendary sword The Raven???s Rage, The sword of a world maker that can turn the tides of the temporal sea and thus alter history and events. As the main characters journey to the heart of the dead city Banerowos, each of the protagonists must come face to face with their own motivations and overcome trials (including being dead at one point) in order to reach the fabled sword.
I have to say, that I think the World Breaker Requiem is Luke Tarzian???s best work, and I was completely blown away by the levels of complexity that he has managed to write into this story. The prose has an almost hallucinatory quality to it, and sometimes you may get a little lost in all the unrelentingly mind bending prose and adjustments in timelines, but he writes with a stark rawness of the soul that you cannot help but fall into a trance at the brilliance of it.
Luke Tarzian???s books are utterly unique and I don???t think that I have ever read anything before or since like them. At times they can have the wild abandon of Burroughs and the like, but there is always an underlying feeling of humanity at the heart of it.
His characters are just amazing, at times confusing as they take on different aspects of past lives, multiple lives and interdimensional lives.
But what I also love is the surreal absurdity of the narrative with which Luke Tarzian peppers throughout the book. There are some really fine pieces of black humour throughout the book, which whilst it is classed of Dark Fantasy, there are lots of moments of light heartedness in the story, like the relationship with Avaria and Geph.
And whilst this isn???t run of the mill fantasy, Luke Tarzian does incorporate many recognisable aspects of fantasy fiction and twists them for his own evil misdeeds, for instance using a magically imbibed sword to turn back time, or the main characters going on a quest. In addition there is the main evil big bad Te Mirkvahil.
Throughout the story, Luke Tarzian makes an effective use of recurring distinctive features, such as recurring words and sentences. In all honesty, it took me a little while to catch on to this device, but when I did it added to the impact of the story by increasing the emotive quality of it.
I did read the book twice (and generally do with Luke Tarzian???s books) as there is so much that can be missed in the first experience, you start to pick out bits that you missed on the first time round, and even the second time around to be honest. I think I tend to just digest the story when I first read it and then as it becomes more familiar I can pick things out and determine aspects of the story.
To say that I like these books is an understatement. I cannot hide my utter delight at the way that Luke Tarzian manipulates common tropes. His story is malleable and twists and turns to ways that you don???t expect, moving forwards, backwards and even to the side
I think second books are the most difficult to review (and I would suspect that they are more difficult to write), primarily due to the fact that they have to have so much going on. In one aspect they have to continue the story that is started in book 1, whilst propelling the story to book 3, and then stand on their own two feet as a book in its own right. It is so tough being the middle child!
However, SC Gowland does this admirably and for me fulfils all the criteria above.
The story starts immediately from the end of the last book, and Kaoldan has to deal with the revelations that he learnt in the first book. Not only that, he has to continue to build his relationships with his daughters and has to learn how to be a father again to two children who he basically abandoned whilst he went off to not deal with his own problems.
On top of that, there is a new threat to deal with in the land of Essealer and there is a palpable feeling that things are moving forward to a culmination that no one expects.
I have to say, that the second book in The Souls Abyss is just as good as the first and the story moves along well.
One of the main things that I have enjoyed in SC Gower???s books are the characters. There is not one that I have not resonated with and wanted to spend time with.
It???s interesting in this book that as new characters are introduced, and these characters add more to the book. The one that stands out for me is the character is Onala, who is introduced at the beginning of the book as the daughter of the big bad of the story, Rhazien. She is given the task of guarding Kaoldan???s daughter, Romina, as she is held hostage by the Otan. However, as the story progresses, Onala and Romina???s relationship blossoms and she gets a really good character arc that I thoroughly enjoyed as she moves from being a follower who blindly accepts orders, to one with some free will and thought, and there is an especially good scene in which she is given a gift by a character, which she does not know how to respond to.
With the introduction of the Otan, who are primarily the antithesis of The Walkers. SC Gowland gets chance to open the world up a bit more and expand the story. We spend quite a bit of time with the Otan as Romina is taken hostage and we get to see the culture of the Otan through her eyes.
I have to admit in Coven of Shadows, there is one particular scene that I am not going to forgive SC Gowland for, although I can see the reasons for it. And yes, he did go there! However, it does show very well how a certain character (and I will keep that vague due to spoiler issues!) has changed and what they are prepared to do.
Whilst there is the introduction of new characters, the ones that we know and love are all experiencing changes. Kaoldan ends up in a role that he did not expect, and in addition to this, he is still coming to terms with the prospect of fatherhood being thrust upon him.
Also, Zahala gets thrust into the limelight a little a bit more. And guess what? She isn???t all sweetness and light like she was in the first book. And her personality comes more to the fore with the loss of her sister Romina.
Whenever I read this book, there are two things that always come unbidden to my mind. The first one is Phillip Larkin???s poem, This be the verse. Which goes something like they this.
???They f*ck you up, your mum and dad. They may mot mean to, but they do. They fill you with the faults they had. And add some extra, just for you???
And the other thing is a particular scene in The Haunting of Hill House. I think the actual scene is in episode 6 at the funeral parlour. There is this one scene that has stayed with me in particular. It is when the father looks at his children sat on the sofa, all grown up. And for one second you get the view of them from the father???s perspective in which the adults are replaced by the children as they were when they were little.
The reason that I brought this up is that this seriously applies to Kaoldan???s relationship with his two daughters. He constantly sees them as the two children that he left at the Walker training school and has difficulty accepting tha they have grown into capable young women. And with short sightedness, he is always trying to protect them, and subsequently, rather than making the situation better, he ends up making it worse.
There is quite a lot going on in this book, and I like that SC Gowland takes the time to get all the pieces in place before it reaches the ending. The book is more character driven in this respect, but as I said previously, I looked forward to spending time with these characters and wanted to immerse myself in this world.
But, don???t think that there isn???t plot, it???s just that I haven???t touched on it as I don???t want to give anything away.
If you cannot tell, I like these books immensely. And it is the mark of a good book that when you have finished it, it stays with you, and you find yourself just looking back on a particular scene or part of the book, and I found myself revisiting it several times in my head.
This is one of those books that ‘I have been meaning to read'. This is an ace book and I really enjoyed it. Sanderson's characters are well rounded and you actually believe in them. The laws of the magic system used in the books are really intriguing and gives you a bit of a different perspective.
Obviously, the character of Vin is the most intriguing. Sanderson incorporates all the normal fantasy tropes and then turns them on their head.
It???s very strange coming to the end of a series when you have read all the books consecutively and watched as a character grows on page.
I have literally spent two years ???book time??? with the diminutive Chaos mage Clock as he has fought all manner of demons and been attacked by numerous hellish creatures, including possessed flesh-eating racoons (if this has you blinking our eyes in disbelief that the cute, cuddly rubbish eating delinquents are cute, then think again! Racoons in Coney Island are positively possessed).
There are eleven individual tales in Alpdruck, that all link to give one cohesive story. I like this structure a lot. On the one hand you have read a story that is self-contained and completed, but on the other hand you get the feeling of an overall narrative.
As usual, the book is filled with all manner of strange tales that bend the imagination and introduce a whole host of new enemies for Clock to deal with.
One of my favourites was ???Last Ticket To Party Town??? just for the utterly fantastic image of Clock dressed in platforms and having his customary crossbow strapped to his back. It made me howl with laughter.
Another standout was the final tale in the book ???Zen Bright??? which I have to admit, is the first story that I have seen which includes the pandemic as a backdrop. However, what absolutely cracked me up, was a scene in which Clock and Sal were attending the funeral of Sal???s mother. In a discussion of the reasons for the pandemic, Sal described that it had started due to the Australian???s eating unsavoury items and that this was all documented in the film ???Crocodile Dungaree???, starring Ted Danson.
This absolutely cracked me up for a couple of minutes before I could start reading again.
Alpdruck is full of sublimely ridiculous moments like this but is peppered with gross out horror throughout.
I like Michael Reyes??? books a lot. He has this ???punk??? ethic to writing that I admire, and ever since reading his ???The Cursed Diary of a Brooklyn Dog Walker???, I have loved his uncompromising approach to writing, and he tells stories that he wants to write.
In Apldruck we learn more of Clock???s past and delve deeper into what made him the Chaos Mage he is today. He has always been a character that is removed from the real world as he lives outside this dimension and this suits him fine, although he does have an overarching desire to interact with some people.
In some sense, there is a very ???old fashioned??? style to his writing, particularly with the episodic nature of the stories. I mean you can obviously see the Lovecraftian element to his stories in the way that he will superimpose a whole different world on the normal one which nobody else can see, but it feels so fresh.
However, he will then add some decent amount of grossness to it all, or some utter madness to it.
Another story that stood out for me was the Stigmata of Leo Jackson, which gave me some Prince of Darkness vibes, which is a film that I utterly adore, so when I felt that this was encapsulated in this story I was utterly engrossed.
If you haven???t read Michael Reyes??? books, I highly recommend them. They are full of gross out schlocky horror, absolutely sublime, devilish madness and some cracking comedic moments.
Sarah Chorn is one of those writers that I have had on my radar for quite some time. In fact, she was one of the first books that I bought when I started this site, but unfortunately, I have had some difficulty finding the time to actually read her books.
Big Mistake, or maybe not! Because sometimes, you need to have that right set of circumstances which mean that you enjoy the book to its full potential, and I think that this was the right time for this book.
As an editor, Sarah Chorn has been involved with some of my favorite books, and now, as an author she has written one of my favorite books.
I have literally only just finished reading this book, so as I am writing this review, you are getting my thoughts unadulterated, without the time to think of one liners or superlatives to try and describe the book.
When you see a review, how many times do you see the line ???I wanted to like this book but???.??? Well I am going to use that line. I wanted to like this book but?????? for the life of me I did not expect to like this book as much as I did! It is utterly gorgeous, and I was taken aback by how beautiful the writing is in the book. In fact, just how good everything is in this book. I most certainly did not expect that!
I suspect that if you are reading this, you may have done some investigation of what the book is about. It is a kind of weird west setting, and by that it uses a fantasy version of the wild west to tell its story. However, the wild west that Sarah Chorn writes about is full of colour. She does not give you a name for the people that live in this world. They are humanoid, but their skin, hair and eye tones are made up of the colour of the rainbow. There are green people, orange, violet etc etc..
The book primarily deals with a number of subjects that all have relevance in the real world, life, loss, love, and family, which I am sure you will have seen in previous reviews. But in addition to that, for me, I also recognised division. Not just between class, but between each other, which seemed to be personified by the boundary, an invisible construct that separates the rich inhabitants of the world that Sarah Chorn has built, from the poor. However, it also signifies the division between those that we hold dear and the boundaries that we impose or that are imposed upon us.
One of the things that I found intriguing in the book, is the use of certain fantasy stalwarts, like the magic. Sarah Chorn cleverly does not use a magic system per se. Rather, she uses a magical substance called Shine, which is used for a myriad of purposes and is intrinsic in everything that the world relies upon, from healing to flavouring food. It also has mundane uses like powering lamps, or heating the house. However, it also has a darker side, in that people can become addicted to it, or that it is used for weapons. She also uses other aspects of the fantasy genre, like the unseen dark overlord that rules the land, in the form of Matthew Esco, who whilst being out of sight for most of the book, is a constant presence throughout, and when he does finally enter the story, he is the epitome of the dark overlord.
The structure of the book is interesting too. The story is told by multiple characters in different time periods. For instance, Arlen???s story is told in the relative present, whilst Cassandra???s is told from the past. However, it constantly hurtles towards the present like a train navigating to it's ultimate destination and bringing us into the present, And then there is Ianthe???s story, which is told in the immediate present. All these stories intersect in some way to finally meet.
In addition to this, the characters are so well written, you can virtually hear them breathing.
As I said earlier, Sarah Chorn's prose is something of beauty. She can make even the mundane sound beguiling. She will effortlessly slip from emotive language that pulls at the heart to describing chopping a tree into logs in the blink of an eye, and I almost cried at that! She is able to convey a sense of tension and foreboding whilst richly describing a walk through a moonlit meadow. It's just.... stunning.
I must say, I was swept along by this book. By the shine of Sarah Chorn???s beautiful writing style, the depth of her story, and I think that this is one of those books that will stay lodged in my head for quite some time.
The Two-Faced Queen is Nick Martell's exhilarating sequel to his debut The Kingdom of Liars.
I must say when I read The Kingdom of Liars, I was pretty impressed. Nick Martell did a fantastic job, writing an intriguing and well-paced plot. He introduced characters that are engaging if sometimes a little annoying, and endearing. There was intricate world-building and a complex magic system.
So, when I saw that the story of The Two-Faced Queen continued in the city of Hollow, I was wondering how Nick Martell was going to expand on something that he had done a pretty good job of building in the first place.
Well, he showed me, didn't he? It turns out that Nick Martell had a whole lot more up his sleeve and The Kingdom of Liars was just the tip of the iceberg.
The story takes place shortly after the events of the Kingdom of Liars and we find him indentured to Dark, the Orbis Corporation Assassin. His mother is no longer a Forgotten and the family are now living in Kingman Keep.
Outside the walls, the rebellion is still encamped slowly strangling the city of Hollow. In addition to this, refugees are flooding into Hollow, making a bad situation worse.
As part of his apprenticeship with Dark, they are tasked to find out where the refugees are from and who leads them.
This sets off a series of events. Firstly, a series of horrific murders lead to the return of a serial killer that has lain dormant for a number of years. The city of Hollow is now in the hands of Serena, The two-faced Queen of the title, who just happens to be Michael's childhood best friend and has set out to kill him because she thinks he killed her father. Oh, on top of that he has to pass his apprentice assassins test.
Just another day at the Kingsman residence then!
Structurally, Nick Martell does not shift much from the first book. Michael is the main character. However, in this book, he is not as difficult to spend time with, and Nick Martell does a nice job of retconning book 1, which gives a different perspective of Michael???s behaviour in Kingdom of Liars. Additionally, Michael grows in this book, which I liked a lot. I think the skill that Nick Martell shows in growing his characters organically is clearly evident. Michael seems more like a real person. Yes, he does make mistakes, and at times he does not see the bigger picture, but we see him learning from his mistakes.
Unfortunately, some of the characters that we spent time in book 1 with, such as Kai do not get as much page time as the previous book, but I found that the relationship that grows between Michael and Dark is quite a fascinating one, and made up for the absence of the other characters.
Naomi is a lot more prominent in the Kingdom of Liars, and we see the after-effects of the incident that involved the Crooked Prince. We learn that as well as losing her job, it is also causing her pain to the extent that she has to seek other means in order to control this.
However, a number of the characters get their time in the spotlight. For one the Two-faced queen herself, Serena, who deluded by her grief, relentlessly chases Michael. Symon, the King of Stories, who I have to say I found quite interesting and wished we could have spent some more time with him, although he gets two interludes in the book in order to change the focus from Michael. Most interestingly, however, is Gwen. I have always found Gwen to be a character that I wanted to spend more time with, and in this book, we get to do that.
The plot of the book runs at full pace, yes there are some lulls in it, but generally, Nick Martell creates a sense of urgency as the book comes to its conclusion. One of the things that I really like about Nick Martell???s writing is that he successfully weaves cross-genre plots. In one instance there is the serial killer plot and the race against time to find the killer before they strike again, interweaved with a solid fantasy book of rebellion and unrest.
On top of this, Nick Martell massively increases the world that the characters inhabit. We get more about the magic system and the lore too. And as we spend time with Dark and Michael, we get more information about the Assassins company and get to meet the crew.
In the Two-Faced Queen, Nick Martell successfully weaves a thrilling plot, expansive world-building with fantastic characters in a book that you won???t want to put down.
J. A. Andrew???s ???Threat of Shadows??? harks back to the fantasy stories of old. It is kind of like the old Forgotten Realms type books or Terry Brooks.
The story revolves around a ???Keeper??? (an order of clerics who store memories, histories and stories) called Alaric who has abandoned his role in order to search for a cure for his wife, who was accidently poisoned by a group of villagers in an earlier incident.
He returns to his old life to find knowledge on how to cure her whilst she is kept in stasis to slow the spread of the poison.
On his journey, he meets a dwarf, an elf, a human and a bumbling wizard in his tavern and is drawn into a quest to stop the return of an evil that has lain dormant for seven years.
This was one of those books that I picked up without knowing anything about it and was pleasantly surprised. It???s a light-hearted read, with mostly well-rounded characters, a fast-paced plot, a decent magic system and some decent world building.
Alaric the Keeper is a strong lead character that has done some questionable things to save his wife and is haunted by his past.
Ayda the Elf is a typical elf, although she does hold some secrets of her own and she does grow in throughout the story.
Then there are the other supporting characters, Gustav the Wizard, Douglan the Dwarf and Brandson & Mille.
Whilst the main characters are well rounded, I did wonder about the supporting characters. Douglan is the typical complaining dwarf, and in all honesty, I could not determine what the role of Brandson & Millie was in the story as they are barely utilised in most of the book.
In terms of the plot, it didn???t really hold many surprises and was quite functionable. Although one plot device that I didn???t like was the frequent reference to the main antagonist as an ???idiot???. I didn???t think this worked. As throughout the narrative, the idiot of an antagonist stays one or two steps ahead of the main characters, so he cannot be that much of an idiot.
However, I don???t hold this against the book, and it didn???t spoil my enjoyment. There are some good ideas in the book, like the well stone. A magical stone that stores memories. And the characters deal the problems that they face in an original way. Not necessarily restoring to the usual hack and slash of some fantasy books
Threat of Shadows is part of a trilogy and I will read the next ones out of interest to see how the book develops.
You all know much I loved Inscape right?
Well, if you don???t, let me give you a little recap!
It was one of my favourite books of last year.
What can we say about the second one that is going to match that ??? I dunno!
Inscape came along at the beginning of 2021 and blew my socks right off! And now at the beginning of 2022 we have Outcast, the second one in the series. And guess what, that blew my socks off too.
Now with the second one, we are all re - introduced to the characters of Tanta & Cole, we all know how they rock and roll. Right? Well not quite! You see things are a bit different now.
Tanta is irrevocably changed from the results of the last book (I would like to tell you dear reader about the incident that I was referring to, but for your own good , no can do! Spoilers and all that! And you never know you might want to read it and what would be the point of that if old Billy big britches ???ere had gone and spoilt it for you?) Now, both Tanta and Cole have to live with the results.
Cole has forcibly been made to work for the company that he thought was so bad, he had wiped his own memory to forget about it ??? I mean that is really good for company morale isn???t it? Whilst Tanta has a new boss, who hates her, wants to get rid of her and sends her off into the procedural wilderness. And on top of that, there???s a new threat to Intech, the war is still on with Thoughtfront and now, they have launched an attack right at the heart of Intech.
Tanta is tasked to find out how and why this has occurred (much to the chagrin of her new boss).
Outcast does a fantastic job of continuing the story of Tanta and Cole, and also expands the world too, showing us what it is like outside the city. In addition to that, we get the introduction of some new characters, with the most notable being Fliss, the leader of a scavenging group in the Unaffiliated Zone who gets embroiled in the fight against Intech and used as a pawn in the enemy???s games.
As usual, Louise Carey???s writing is top notch and she immerses the reader in the world of Outcast. This time though, it???s a little bit easier to become immersed in this world as we are used to it and technology that is an integral part of the story.
Tanta and Cole are as brilliant as ever, however, they both have the extra burden of the changes that have happened. It is like looking behind the curtain and finding the bloke that pulls the wire to make the swan fly. Tanta struggles with this and it has in impact in places that she does not expect. And similarly with Cole. As the creator of a certain insidious programs which was designed to bring the Corporation and their Corps Wards together, he now finds that his past has come back to haunt him and will be used in an even more insidious way.
Outcast is a brilliant second outing for the pair and I enjoyed every page of it.
When Kaiju ruled the world!
That???s the premise in John Scalzi???s Kaiju Preservation Society. Jamie Gray has given up their college course to work for a startup company called M??df??d.
At an appraisal with their boss, Jaimie???s life is irrevocably changed when they are ???let go??? from their job. They are offered a job as a delivery person. However things are about to change when the pandemic strikes.
Whilst out delivering, he happens to deliver to an old friend who seems to have done
quite well for themselves. Over a period of time they reacquaint themselves and Jamie is offered a job.
What Jamie does not realise is that the job is on an alternative earth, studying massive Kaiju, who have developed on an alternative evolutionary trajectory.
This is the first book by John Scalzi that I have read and found that it was a good introduction to his writing as it is a light read that is just entertainingly fun. The prose is light and breezy, and by his own admission, this is a bit of a pop novel that is simply there to entertain, which it does with ease.
One of the strengths of the book is the relationship between the new comrades as they become orientated to this new earth. There is plenty of snarky dialogue between the new recruits as they become familiar with both their new roles in the job, and this other earth that is vastly different, where in all honesty it is not the massive Kaiju that is the main danger, but everything else.
As the story progresses we are treated to the scientific reasons why the Kaiju exist and how they differ from our perceived ideas of just being behemoths that terrorise the world they live in and are in fact massive ecosystems that are a part of the ecology of the world. You are never overwhelmed by the ???science??? of the world that Jamie now inhabits and it adds to the fun of the book.
There is a solid cast of characters that are well realised. The characters are all diverse, and John Scalzi doesn???t make any issue of this, for example, we have non binary characters, and this is treated as part of the culture. No judgement, no source of conflict etc, which makes it refreshingly inclusive.
The book is peppered with pop culture references, and there are references to things like Godzilla and other things that make you smile as the references become more apparent.
However, underneath the fluff and bubblegum, there is a satirical swipe at our current world and the corporate dictation that has emerged and shines a light on the fact that this culture regularly puts profit at the forefront of its ethos and the disastrous results this can have.
The book itself is lighthearted and playful, and will be a delight for those of us who have grown up on monster flicks, and wondered about the science behind the creature.
Cry Witch is a short novella that fits in between the first two books in the Jack Frey series, chronicling Jack???s first mission as a Black Dog.
In Cry Witch, Jack and his comrades, Bryan & Erik join Aidan and the wagon driver, Smythe in a mission to transport and protect a shipment of saltpeter. One of the main ingredients in gunpowder.
Their job is to collect the substance from one of the main suppliers of the stuff and then deliver it to a mill for mixing to make gunpowder.
What can go wrong?
In Cry Witch, Jack deals with the feelings that he has for Aidan and Smythe and has to confront his own past. Whilst he has accepted and thrived as a knight of St Stephen, it seems that he has still not confronted his feelings about the method of how he actually got there.
He still has a deep-seated dislike for Aidan, and thoroughly loathes Smythe
However, what he doesn???t count on is that they don???t really recall him with the same clarity that he remembers them and how he sees his harsh treatment at their hands.
In this short novella, Mike Morris expands the world of Jack Frey and writes a tale that is full of action. It is good to see Jack confronting his past as it allows him to grow as a person. It???s also good that Jack has to actually change his views and accept that things are not always as they seem.
Far from being a little add on to the story of the series as a whole, this novella slots in perfectly between the first two books, showing us how Jack grows as a person and there is some rich character development in the story. Not only that, when you actually get to Cry Fear, the ???actual??? second book in the series. The beginning of Cry Fear references this book.
The book is written with customary excellent writing that I have come to expect from Mike Morris, and as usual his action scenes and dialogue are superb. I really enjoyed this one. It???s fun and engaging, and like I said, it provides the main character with some character development between the first and the second book
If you like this review, I may have a couple more on my blog www.fantasybooknerd.com
Immediately starting from where The Rage of Dragons finished, The Fires of Vengeance finds us once again back with Tau Solarin as he and Queen Tsiori desperately plan to stop the invasion promised by the Xideen people. Hadith composes a complex plan to hopefully stop the Warlord fulfilling his promise to launch all-out war against the Omehi people.
Meanwhile, in Palm city. Ambassador Odili has declared the Queen???s sister as the rightful ruler and is gathering his forces to launch a civil war that will tear the Omehi people in two.
However, demons are breaking through the barriers of hell and Tau must protect his Queen and all those he holds dear.
With his new book The Fires of Vengeance, Evan Winters firmly establishes himself as one of the brightest new voices in fantasy as he weaves a captivating tapestry of pulse beating plot and rich characters, all encapsulated in a distinct world that will get it???s hooks into your reading brain.
I really like The Fires of Vengeance! No, actually, I love the Fires of Vengeance and with this second instalment of his The Burning series, Evan Winter puts the gears into drive and puts his foot to the floor, delivering a truly spectacular book.
Everything is far more developed in this book, his characters, his plot and the world that the Omehi people inhabit.
In the Fires of Vengeance, the plot slows down a little bit and I think that the book is altogether better for it. I also did not find it as dark as the first book. Whilst Tau???s thirst for vengeance is still there, Winters gives the reader some breathing space to allow the characters to develop, and I think some of my favourite pieces are in these quiet moments, and this is where Evan Winter???s writing shines through.. For instance, there are some passages in which Tau spends time with Queen Tsiori in her tent listening to the secret history of the Omehi people whilst sat around a fire. I loved these moments and the scene that Winters describes. I could almost smell the smoke and feel the heat from the fire.
The character of Queen Tsiori is expanded considerably, and we start to understand her motivations for the actions that she is taking and how she actually wants to unite the Omehi people. But not only that, how she wants to diminish the cultural dissonance between the ruling class and the lessers of the Omehi.
Despite it been quite brutal in places, Winters also injects humour and tenderness into the story, and there are many times the book passes the six laughs test, as I laughed or caught myself smiling quite a lot through this book
There is the introduction of some new characters in ???The Fires of Vengeance???. I have already told you that Queen Tsiori is expanded on, but there are also others which hold and contribute to the story. The standout of which is Nyah, the Queen???s Vizier. She is at once hard and unforgiving, but she develops throughout the book and you begin to see her softer edges. In fact, for me Nyah gets one of the standout lines of the whole book. This happens when she is with her daughter just before one of the big battle scenes. As the men are discussing tactics, Nyah turns to daughter and states
???This, Chibo, is what men call leadership??? Nyah said walking up with her daughter. ???You can tell they are doing it when you see several of them not doing any work.???
That had me laughing for a good few minutes.
In addition, the two Queens handmaidens are equally as good as they become part of Tau???s team of fighters and they establish themselves as a prominent part of the story.
But don???t worry, the old guard are there too, Hadith and Uduak and although they don???t play as prominent a role as in the first book, it is good to see their inclusion in the story and again there are some moments of tenderness in their story. As injury befalls Hadith, we see just how close the relationship between Hadith and Uduak has developed and how close they are as friends.
Whilst on the whole, the story takes place from Tau???s point of view, there are some instances where this changes and we get to see how others view Tau. One of these is when the point of view changes to Duma. We get to see Tau through the Xideens??? eyes, and on another occasion, the point of view moves to Esi and we see Tau as an enraged demon coming to change her life for ever.
I can???t say how much I enjoyed this book. Unfortunately for me, I finished the book just before going to bed and I was that stoked up I couldn???t sleep for the next hour while I came down a bit!
Hmmm, not too sure about this one. There were some good bits and some lovely artwork. But I am not sure it all worked. I do like the development of Wanda's character, but there seemed to be no point to these individual vignettes. I didn't really get too much out of it to be honest.
It was better than I expected it to be. I know Deadpool did this before (and so does the comic coz it says it in there). It definitely passed the six laughs test and I didn't find the artwork bad at all. If you are looking for a memorable comic, then this ain't it. But, I thought it was funny.