The work week begins. I quickly slip into my business suit and head back into the office to save a few innocent people. But while I try to fool myself into being excited about the grind, deep down, I’m not, so I’m going to escape dreary reality by reading some great books.
This week I’m finishing off a book that I began last week which took me by surprise as to how good it really is.
A Crown for Cold Silver by Alex Marshall
Genre: Fantasy
Series: The Crimson Empire #1
Publisher: Orbit (April 14, 2015)
Length: 656 pages
FIVE VILLAINS. ONE LEGENDARY GENERAL. A FINAL QUEST FOR VENGEANCE.
Twenty years ago, feared general Cobalt Zosia led her five villainous captains and mercenary army into battle, wrestling monsters and toppling an empire. When there were no more titles to win and no more worlds to conquer, she retired and gave up her legend to history.
Now the peace she carved for herself has been shattered by the unprovoked slaughter of her village. Seeking bloody vengeance, Zosia heads for battle once more, but to find justice she must confront grudge-bearing enemies, once-loyal allies, and an unknown army that marches under a familiar banner.
Praise for the book.
“This is my favorite kind of fantasy — alternatively irreverent and brutal, with a cast of wonderfully scarred and nasty people. Any fans of Steven Erikson, Mark Lawrence, or Joe Abercrombie will love A Crown for Cold Silver; I’ve just finished it, and I’m already eager for more.”―Django Wexler
“Alex Marshall builds a sprawling world that grows larger and deeper with every page. Instantly believable. Zosia and her Five Villains are as fun as they are twisted.”―David Dalglish
“An epic fantasy that will surprise you. When was the last time you read one of those? Marshall deftly sets up and subverts expectations at every turn. If you think you know what’s coming, think again.”―Kameron Hurley
“Brimming with imagination and invention… Fabulous!”―John Gwynne
bookwraiths.com 
Have to admit that seeing a 656 pager get praise makes me smile. Keep hearing how people hate anything longer than 300 pages (some even say 200) these days, so it’s nice to see the big books are still out there.
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I have to admit being worried whenever I start a long book like this, because of duds in the past (The middle of the Wheel of Time comes to mind.), but this one has been very exciting so far. I think the 200-300 page rule of thumb applies to younger audiences. At least, my teenage sons have meltdowns if you ask them to read anything longer than the 200-300 pages; their attention spans cannot handle it.
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I know older people who have the same issue. Part of it appears to be a dwindling attention span. Sad thing is that it leads to some stories being written with no subplots, barely any foreshadowing, and a rather bland, simplistic character arc.
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Glad to hear you are liking this one. I have been wanting to read it for a while now! Very high on my TBR stack!
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Damn, it really is a great book. Hope you enjoy it as much as I am currently.
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If memory serves correctly, this book has a pretty awesome first line?
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