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FUN DAY MONDAY, OR THE BOOKS THAT WILL HELP ME SURVIVE THE WEEK AHEAD (AUGUST 4, 2014)

Posted on August 4, 2014 by Bookwraiths

It is that most horrible of times: Monday!

The day I have to put my big boy suit on and jump back on the corporate escalator to nowhere. So in anticipation of this most horrid of days, I found myself browsing the Amazon Kindle store on Sunday, getting my reading material in order. (I’m really not that organized, but I wish I was.) And since I like to try out a few indie fantasy novels every year, I found myself reading about the fantasy stories by author D.P Prior, whose novels sounded interesting and whose reviews peaked my interested, so I downloaded a couple books and will try him out this week.

So without any further explanation, here are the books I will be reading this week.

SWORD OF THE ARCHON by D. P. PRIOR

Goodreads description:

Plague strikes the city of Sarum, and the dead rise from their graves. The liche, Dr. Cadman, has discovered a long-hidden artifact and perverted its power for his own selfish ends. But an ancient evil from beyond the stars is drawn by its use and turns hungry eyes upon the Earth. These are the times of Unweaving, the times Deacon Shader has been prepared for since the day he was born. A man of prayer, deeply troubled by a contradictory faith, he is also the deadliest warrior of his generation. As events spiral out of control, and Creation itself hangs by a thread, the paradox at the heart of Shader’s life may just be the last desperate hope of all the worlds

THE NAMELESS DWARF by D. P. PRIOR

Goodreads description:

The dwarves have gone!

Thousands have been slaughtered in the blood-drenched streets of their ravine city by one of their own wielding a demonic axe.

The survivors have fled beyond the mountains, heading into a realm haunted by the nightmares of a twisted god.

When Nils Fargin, son of an underworld boss, is hired to find them, he travels with his client to seek the advice of a lowlife mage. With what he learns, he should have asked for more money.

The trail leads them to the domain of the terrifying Ant-Man, who is rumored to eat the flesh of anyone refusing to pay his toll.

And as if that wasn’t enough, it turns out Nils’s client is none other than the Nameless Dwarf, better known to his kind as the Ravine Butcher.

So what are you going to be reading? 🙂

LEGENDS OF RED SONJA

Posted on August 2, 2014 by Bookwraiths

My rating is 3 out of 5 stars.

Since reading read Red Sonja Volume I: Queen of Plagues by Gail Simone and Walter Geovanni, I’ve begun to consider myself a Sonja fan. Sure, the chainmail bikini still strikes me as sort of silly, but at least when Simone and Geovanni are handling the character, the great story and artwork overshadows the negatives. So whenever I stumbled upon anything Red Sonja and Simone or Geovanni’s names are attached, I have to give it a try.

Legends of Red Sonja is the latest graphic novels about the red-haired she-devil. It collects Legends of Red Sonja #1-5 and has an overarching story about a group of savage mercenaries who continue to hear campfire tales about Sonja’s exploits as they are hunting her down for execution. The “unique” thing about this collection is that writer Gail Simone hand-picked eleven of the most popular female writers from the world to help her pen these stories. Tamora Pierce, Mercedes Lackey, Marjorie M. Liu, Nancy A. Collins, Kelly Sue DeConnick, and Rhianna Pratchett to name a few.

After finishing Legends, all I can say is that I really, really love the way Gail Simone tells a Red Sonja story. I mean, this lady has always been a favorite comic writer of mine from her Birds of Prey days, and she very deftly handles the serious and silly of Sonja unlike no other. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the “guest” writers whose tales run the gamut from ridiculous to plain stupid. To say that they generally missed the boat with their versions of Sonja is being tactful. Honestly, if not for the overarching story crafted by Simone, this whole graphic novel would be down right amnesia worthy.

As for the illustrations, we have a whole group of people chipping in. Noah Salonga, Cassandra James, Phil Noto, Jim Calafiore, Jack Jadson, and others contributing throughout. But even with so many people adding their own unique brush strokes, the art is stellar more times than naught, capturing the essence of this kind of sword and sorcery tale. Unfortunately, there are other times (And far too many of them) when the illustrations are downright horrible – at least in my opinion.

In summation, Legends of Red Sonja is a decent graphic novel. The artwork runs the gamut from great to below average, but it still does an okay job of illustrating the story. However, while Simone’s portions of the tale are superb as always, the guest writers leave a lot to be desired. While I realize everyone has a different writing style and concept of a character, I expected that the “guest” writers would tailor their stories to be more in line with the vision and tone of Simone’s version of Sonja; something the majority of them did not do. So as you decide whether to read Legends or to pass it over, just understand this is not the Simone/Geovanni version that convinced so many of us to give the red-haired she-devil another try.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank Netgalley for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.

BUY THE GRAPHIC NOVEL ON AMAZON

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY REVIEWS OF OTHER RED SONJA NOVELS
RED SONJA: UNCHAINED
RED SONJA: QUEEN OF PLAGUES

Posted in Graphic Novels, S & S | Tagged Best Graphic Novels, Dynamite Entertainment, Gail Simone, Jack Jadson, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Marjorie M. Liu, Mercedes Lackey, Nancy A. Collins, Red Sonja, Rhianna Pratchett, Tamora Pierce | 1 Comment

TOUGH TRAVELING – PRINCESSES

Posted on July 31, 2014 by Bookwraiths

Every Thursday, Nathan over at Fantasy Review Barn hosts a weekly party where blogs get to follow along with Diana Wynne Jones’ hilarious book The Tough Guide to Fantasyland: The Essential Guide to Fantasy Travel listing their favorite books with a particular fantasy trope. So sit back and enjoy the fun.

31st July, 2014 – PRINCESSES

PRINCESSES come in two main kinds:

1. Wimps.

2 Spirited and wilful. Spirited Princesses often disguise themselves as boys and invariably marry commoners of sterling worth.

What’s not to love about princesses? Though I do prefer the spirited and wilful variety more than the wimpy one. Anyway, here are a few of my picks.

1. ARISTA ESSENDON OF RIYRIAN REVELATION BY MICHAEL J. SULLIVAN

Sure, Arista was not a favorite of mine at the beginning of this series. She was the classic rich, self-absorbed and a bit clueless (not dumb, just innocent) princess, being the daughter of the King of Melengar and the sister of Alric, the heir to the throne. Heck, she was so naive that she is duped into releasing someone from a magical entrapment, but as the stories go by, Arista develops into an all-around great person: powerful, kind, and caring. Without her, the Riyrian Revelations would not have been as nearly as much fun as it was.

Read my review of the first novel: THEFT OF SWORDS.

BUY BOOK ONE OF THE SERIES AT AMAZON

2. AERIN OF THE HERO AND THE CROWN BY ROBIN MCKINLEY

This is one of the first strong princesses I recall reading about back in the day. I’ve never forgotten her, but I don’t think I could describe her better than the Goodreads blurb of the book.

Although only child of Damar’s king, and best friends with heir Tor, Aerin is “the only pale-skinned redhead in a country of cinnamon-skinned brunettes”. When convalescing, she reads about fighting dragons, experiments with kenet herbal dragonfire-proof burn ointment, and learns to ride her father’s old wounded warhorse Talat. After Tor gives her lessons and a sword, her opponents, though small and almost fatal from the first, increase in size and danger. Immortal mage Luthe gives her the Blue Sword Gonturan, relates her true history, and prepares her for a huge battle with evil, but not the discovery of her country’s lost Crown.

BUY BOOK ONE OF THE SERIES AT AMAZON

3. KEELY DAUGHTER OF THE LION BY JENNIFER ROBERSON

Another strong princess from back in the day, and one with a whole book just about her struggles. Once again, I think the Goodreads blurb describes proud and strong Keely better than I ever could.

She is Keely, twin sister to Corin, and daughter to Niall, the ruler of Homana, and she alone has the power to shapechange into any form—a power akin to that of the Firstborn. Like her brothers, Keely has been chosen to play a crucial part in the Firstborn’s prophecy. Yet Keely is no weak pawn to be used in men’s games of power and diplomacy. Trained alongside her brothers in the art of war, gifted with more of the old magic than most of her close kin, she will not easily give way even to Niall’s commands, nor be forced against her will into an arranged marriage.

But others besides Keely’s father have plans for her future. Stahan, the most powerful Ihlini sorcerer, is preparing a trap from which even one as magically-gifted as Keely may find no escape. And in the deepwood, another waits to challenge Keely—an outlaw fully as dangerous to her future freedom as Strahan is to her life…

BUY BOOK ONE OF THE SERIES AT AMAZON

4. MIST OF THE DREAD EMPIRE SERIES BY GLEN COOK

Glen Cook’s Dread Empire series is a world spanning affair, heavy on character interaction as well as gritty politics and warfare. The cast of amazing characters Mr. Cook concocts here is rivalled only by his more well-known series: The Black Company, and among the list of stellar heroes and heroines, villains and villainesses portrayed by Mr. Cook is Princess Mist.

Mist is a kickass wielder of magic from The Dread Empire. She was well on her way to become the overlord of all when she sort of lost interest and found herself in love with the wrong man and banished from her home. Finding a sanctuary with King Bragi of the western kingdoms, she sets about plotting and scheming to find herself then find away to return to her homeland and take over the Dread Empire. She is strong, sensual, and one hell of a princess. The only reason she is so far down my list is that she has to share the pages of the series with so many other characters that she never really is the star of the show. But hey, Mist could be the star of my show anytime.

BUY BOOK ONE OF THE SERIES AT AMAZON

5. CE’NEDRA OF THE BELGARIAD/THE MALLOREAN BY DAVID EDDINGS

Another princess from the far away olden times of fantasy. You know, back in the 1980s and 1990s before grimdark reigned supreme. Anyway, any list of princesses has to have this Imperial Princess of Tolnedra. She was the daughter of Ran Borune XXIII, Emperor of Tolnedra, and the Dryad Ce’Vanne, and she was know to all the other girls in Tolnedra as the Jewel of the House of Borune, because she was beautiful, smart, cunning, and you damn well better call her what she wanted because her daddy was the Emperor!

Wilful and stubborn, Ce’Nedra runs away from the imperial palace at age 15 to avoid being sent to Riva in accordance with the Accords of Vo Mimbre, thereby beginning an international crisis, but our princess doesn’t really care. After traveling for a time with Belgarath and Polgara’s group, she finds herself attracted to a poor, farm boy named Garion — who later turns out to be a lot more than that.

Throughout the Belgariad, Ce’Nedra slowly turns from a spoiled brat into a powerful woman; eventually strapping on her golden armor and leading the armies of the west to battle the god Torak. Quite the princess and worthy of a shout out on this list.

Read my review of the first book: Pawn of Prophecy.

BUY BOOK ONE OF THE SERIES AT AMAZON

5. LAURANA KANAN OF THE DRAGONLANCE CHRONICLES BY WEIS AND HICKMAN

Another princess from my teenage years. God, I’m beginning to see a trend her. Lol! Be that as it may, Laurana is another willful, courageous, charming and incredibly beauty princess. As the youngest child of the elf king Solostaran, the Speaker of the Sun who rules of the elves of Qualinesti, she was given a lot of freedom by her father and naturally fell in love with the wrong person: Tanis Half-Elven. Not only was Tanis a half-breed but he was also her foster brother. (Damn, isn’t there a law against that or something? Just saying.) Naturally, our princess’ family frowned upon their match, and they are pleased when Tanis decided to leave Qualinesti. Unfortuantely, Laurana promises never to give up on him but remained true to her vow to be with him.

Years later, the two erstwhile lovers meet up again during the War of the Lance, and Laurana goes on to become a commander of armies, a hero in her own right, and Tanis’ significant other. She might not be the bad girl, but Laurana always gets what she wants. Take that Kitiara, you skank!

BUY BOOK ONE OF THE SERIES AT AMAZON

HONORABLE MENTIONS

While that completes my list of “Princesses”, I have to mention a couple of very worthy royal ladies that were not on my list only because they did not fit the fantasy definition of “Princess” that I was working with.

1. MARA OF THE ACOMA IN THE EMPIRE TRILOGY BY FEIST AND WURTS

She was called back from her training when a rival clan kills her whole family. Set up to fail and allow her house to fall into ruin, Mara grabs the reins of power, finding a way (no matter how personally brutal to herself) to strengthen her clan and begin the rise from desolation to preeminence in this amazing world. She plots, bends tradition, avoids assassination attempts and trades her heart for power in order to save the Acoma from destruction. Mara might not be a “princess” but she was an amazing woman, mother, and ruler.

BUY BOOK ONE OF THE SERIES AT AMAZON

2. ALIERA E’KIERON OF DRAGAERAN NOVELS BY STEVEN BRUST

One of the stars of the Dragaeran novels penned by Steven Brust. As the Lyorn Records describe her:

Aliera e’Kieron is a Dragon, the daughter of Adron and Verra. She specializes in sorcery and exercises great skill with a blade. She currently wields the Great Weapon Pathfinder. Her other interests include genetics.

Aliera is short for a Dragaeran. Her eyes are normally green but turn grey or blue when experiencing anger or aggression, as is the mark of an e’Kieron. Her hair is blonde, which is also a characteristic of the e’Kieron line, and is very rare for a Dragaeran – especially a Dragon.

Aliera descends from the most prestigous line of Dragons. That is, her lineage can be traced back to Kieron himself. The three known members of this line (Kieron, Adron, Aliera) are seen, generally, to be arrogant, to operate at an individual code, to be highly ambitious and to posses a firey temper – even for a Dragonlord. Aliera naturally responds with immediate aggression to all shapes and varieties of challenges but has a more open strategic mindset than a Dzur. She is loyal to friends, and secretly holds both her father Adron e’Kieron and her cousin (on her father’s side) Morrolan e’Drien as personal heroes.

When we meet her, she is often annoyed by something or someone.

Aliera is one bad “princess” without a doubt as well as the future ruler of her world. Worth a mention, even though she is not exactly a princess in the normal mold.

See some of my reviews of the series.
Jhereg The Phoenix Guards

BUY BOOK ONE OF THE SERIES AT AMAZON

3. PRINCESS LEIA OF STAR WARS

No, Star Wars isn’t fantasy. And no, she shouldn’t be anywhere near this list. But you know what? When anyone says “Princess”, Leia is the one I immediately think of. As a teenager I enjoyed her pictures on my wall, and as an adult, I’ve appreciated reading about her in the Expanded Universe books. Leia is everything that a princess should be in my opinion. Plus she looked really good in that metal bikini. Yeah, I went there. Well, not exactly went there, but you know what I mean. God, some of you guys have dirty minds.

Read my review of one book about Leia: RAZOR’S EDGE.

BUY ONE OF LEIA’S BOOKS AT AMAZON

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY BEST OF FANTASY LISTS.

Posted in Fantasy, Lists | Tagged best princesses in fantasy, Chronicles of the Cheysuli, David Eddings, Diana Wynne Jones, Dragonlance Chronicles, Dread Empire, margaret weis, Michael J. Sullivan, PRINCESSES, raymond e. feist, Riyrian Revelations, Steven Brust, The Belgariad, The Mallorean, Tough Traveling Thursday, tracy hickman, vlad taltos | 25 Comments

REIGN OF ASH by GAIL Z. MARTIN

Posted on July 30, 2014 by Bookwraiths

My rating is 3 out of 5 stars.

Where Ice Forged (Book One of The Ascendant Kingdoms Saga) was an interesting fantasy twist on post-apocalyptic fiction, Reign of Ash is an entertaining but forgettable story that spends far too much time focused on familiar, fantasy tropes and vampires.

What does one do when a whole civilization built upon magic sees magic vanish completely from the world? It is a very novel question that Gail Z. Martin set into motion in book one and which I assumed would be the focus of this second novel in the series. So as Reign of Ash began, I envisioned gritty stories of those left behind’s struggle to survive as well as the spotlight being focused on the main character of the novel, Blaine McFadden, desperately trying to discover a way to return magic to the world. Unfortunately, Reign of Ash was not the novel I expected it to be.

Oh, Gail Z. Martin does focus much of the story on Blaine McFadden, but here he spends as much time trying to deal with his growing attraction for his female friend from Edgeland as he does dealing with the horrors of civilization crumbling. Sure, there are chapters that detail food shortages or pay lip service to the lawless state of the world, but it never seems that the harshness of life ever really touches Blaine or his companions. At every turn they find a former friend to help them or an ancient scholar leaving them clues or – God forbid – another cell of vampires wanting to serve and protect his important ass. So very quickly, it becomes fairly unbelievable that Blaine is living and traveling in a war torn and devastated land.

And as for our hero’s quest to restore magic back to the world, it soon turns into a connect the dots journey. One where all he and his friends have to do is go to Point A and find a marked book that then leads them to Point B where their benefactor has left instructions to Point C where they will find the sacred items needed to lead them to the hidden, magic city. Because there is a hidden, magic city. A place filled with mages, scholars, and an order of knights who are merely waiting for McFadden, or someone else of royal lineage, to connect the dots on their clues and arrive so they can begin the ceremony to reignite the flame of ordered magic in the world. Wham, bam, it’s over, man!

Well, actually it is not over; my review that is. I forgot to mention another problem with this novel: vampires. Let me just go ahead and admit it: I am not a vampire aficionado. Perhaps I have Twilight hangover or whatever, but they have lost their luster for me. Not that I hate them or dislike that other people adore them, because I don’t on either point. It is just that a little vampire goes a long way for me, especially in my fantasy stories, so when it became apparent in Reign of Ash that the vampires were going to play all the main roles in the story from all-knowing benefactors to Blaine’s primary protectors/guides to the villain trying to kill him I went into a diabetic-like coma from TOO MUCH VAMPIRE. My vampire level was way over the too much mark. Hell, it was almost to the death by vampire mark, and I had to quickly inject myself with some zombie gore from The Walking Dead to get my phantasmagoria level back in line. Once again, nothing inherently wrong with all the vampire love in the novel, but it wasn’t for me.

With all that critique aside, I want to be fair and say that – for all its missteps, in my opinion – I still enjoyed the novel. There were many fine moments throughout where the interaction between the characters was well-written, sincere, and heart felt. Especially entertaining were the times when Blaine and his friends journeyed out alone to discover this or that clue and surveyed the wreck of the world or stumbled into adventures that showed me firsthand the state of the world.

So, as you ponder whether to try Reign of Ash, just be aware that this is a novel about vampires, connect the dot quests, a very fortunate hero, and a post-cataclysmic world that seems pretty tame in comparison to other writer’s vision of the end of civilization. It is still an enjoyable read, but it does not stray far from the familiar, fantasy formula that longtime readers of the genre are accustom to.

I received this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank both of them for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.

CHECK OUT MY REVIEWS OF OTHER ASCENDANT KINGDOM NOVELS
ICE FORGED

BUY THE BOOK AT AMAZON

Posted in Fantasy, High, Post-apocalyptic | Tagged best epic fantasy 2014, best epic fantasy books, best epic fantasy series, Blaine McFadden, Gail Z. Martin, Ice Forged, Reign of Ash, The Ascendant Kingdoms Saga | 6 Comments

AGE OF DARKNESS VOLUME I (GRIMM FAIRY TALES)

Posted on July 29, 2014 by Bookwraiths

My rating is 2 out of 5 stars.

Zenescope’s Grimm Universe is about to undergo some dramatic changes. For while the ancient war between the Dark Horde and the Guardians has been raging for ages and Wonderland and Neverland have already fallen to the monstrous Jabberwocky and the soul-devouring Pan, now an even greater threat has arisen, as the Dark Queen returns. Her aim to unleash an Age of Darkness upon all four Grimm Realms: Oz, Neverland, Wonderland, and Myst!

Standing against the Queen’s dark tide will be almost the whole Zenescope pantheon of characters, including the Realm Knights and especially Dr. Sela Mathers. But will even such an epic collection of heroes hope to contain the unbridled power and evil of the Dark Queen?

That is the over arching question that begins to be answered in this graphic novel, which is the first volume in what supposedly is going to be three “Age of Darkness” collections leading up to the Realm Wars series. A war that will change the Grimm Universe forever!

After finishing Age of Darkness Volume I, all I can say is that it was a decent read with some interesting stories. The Dark Queen one-shot at the beginning of the book nicely introduces the vile villainous and then sets the Realm Knights into action. The stories that follow contain some really interesting character-driven stories that bring the superhero/mystical action down to real world level, making it clear that all this immense universe changing stuff does not happen in a vacuum and does effect ordinary people. Unfortunately, like many compilation graphic novels, these stories do not have a common plot line that seamlessly drives a reader from one story to the next. Instead, the story bounces around from one character and situation to another with little connection, leaving a casual reader confused about what the hell is actually going on. A major let down for me: i.e. casual reader.

As for the artwork, it is very good. Stylized, action-oriented with the mandatory scantily-clad and sexy ladies throughout. But, as you read the compilation, you will notice that a different artist and/or art team has created each issue. While viewing different artistic styles and representations of familiar characters doesn’t bother me, I know that it does detract from some readers enjoyment of a story, so be prepared for the art to change as the story progresses.

All in all, Age of Darkness Volume I is best categorized as a setup story for the coming Realm Wars. If you are a dedicated fan of the Grimm Universe or a constant visitor, then this graphic volume is a must reading for the future shake up in the universe and is quite enjoyable. If you are just a person wanting an entertaining story that starts at point A and ends at Point B, I’d suggest that you skip this one and start your tour of the Grimm Universe in another place.

Buy Age of Darkness Volume 1 (Grimm Fairy Tales Presents…) at Amazon.

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY REVIEWS OF OTHER GRIMM FAIRY TALES
REALM KNIGHTS
WONDERLAND VOLUME III
OZ

Posted in Graphic Novels, Grimm Fairy Tales | Tagged Age of Darkness, graphic novels 2014, Grimm Fairy Tales, Patrick Shand, Realm Knights, Realm Wars, Sela Mathers, The Dark Queen, Wonderland, Zenescope | 1 Comment

WHEN KORWA FELL (A SEVEN FORGES SHORT STORY) by JAMES A. MOORE

Posted on July 29, 2014 by Bookwraiths

When Korwa Fell by James A. Moore

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Seven Forges

Publisher: Self Published (March 23, 2014)

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Length: 7 pages

My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

When Korwa Fell is a short story set within the time frame of Seven Forges, Book One of The Seven Forges series.

For those of you who have not read either of the novels in that epic fantasy series, suffice it to say that the overarching plot line involves the discovery and interaction between the people of the known world, represented by the world spanning Empire of Fellein and the mysterious people of the Seven Forges: the Sa’ba Taalor. Two races that are as foreign to one another in knowledge and lore as they are different in looks. And while the Fellein are eager to befriend and awe their new neighbors with knowledge about their lands, they quickly find that the Sa’ba Taalor are not amenable to revealing much – if any – information about themselves.

There are, however, times when two groups of people are thrown together by circumstances and forced to converse with one another. During those times, information will inevitably be shared – willingly or unwillingly. And in “When Korwa Fell”, Mr. Moore relates an example of one such time when the Sa’ba Taalor relent in their silence, sharing their legend regarding the glorious city of Korwa and its fall; a fall that destroyed the world before time began and formed places like the blasted lands.

As I mentioned, this is a short story – very short. It focuses on a very brief interaction between the Fellein and the Sa’ba Taalor. The retelling of an ancient legend by one warrior to another. There is nothing poetic or Homeric about the telling. Rather it is short and to the point, just as expected between two strangers conversing on a subject. The Sa’ba Taalor telling the story does not go into much historical details about the world before Korwa fell, but she does cast some light on the interesting back story of Mr. Moore’s world, even mentioning “The Mounds” that appear in The Blasted Lands novel and promise to play an even bigger role in the story going forward.

So for those already a fan of the Seven Forges series, When Korwa Fell is a good read, even if it will not give you as much lore as you would like.

GUEST POSTS BY JAMES A. MOORE
DIVINE INSPIRATION
ON WRITING SEVEN FORGES
THE ART OF WRITING
WORLDBUILDING

SEVEN FORGES SHORT STORIES
THE WOUNDED
SCARS
WHEN KORWA FELL

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY REVIEWS OF THIS SERIES
SEVEN FORGES (PART 1)
THE BLASTED LANDS (PART 2)

Purchase the novels at Amazon.

Posted in Fantasy, High, Short Stories, Sword and Sorcery | Tagged best epic fantasy series, epic fantasy 2014, epic fantasy series, fantasy short story, Fellein Empire, James A. Moore, Sa'ba Taalor, Seven Forges | 1 Comment

SUPER SHOPPER SATURDAY (JULY 12, 2014)

Posted on July 12, 2014 by Bookwraiths

This is the time of the week that I post all the great books I’ve picked up recently. Unlike some of my more accomplished book bloggers, most of my reads come from a local used bookstore along with more than a few ARCs off Netgalley, for which I am always grateful. 🙂 But enough about me, let’s talk about some great books.

1. RISE OF THE KING:COMPANIONS CODEX, II by R.A. SALVATORE

Got this one from Wizards of the Coast via Netgalley. Looking forward to getting to it soon.

Goodreads description:

In the second book of the Companions Codex, the latest series in the New York Times best-selling saga of dark elf Drizzt Do’Urden, R.A. Salvatore picks up with the fan-favorite storyline of dwarf king Bruenor Battlehammer and his bloody feud with the orc kingdom of Many Arrows.

2. THE DARKNESS THAT COMES BEFORE by R. SCOTT BAKKER

A used bookstore find.

Goodreads description:

Strikingly original in its conception, ambitious in scope, with characters engrossingly and vividly drawn, the first book in R. Scott Bakker’s Prince of Nothing series creates a remarkable world from whole cloth-its language and classes of people, its cities, religions, mysteries, taboos, and rituals-the kind of all-embracing universe Tolkien and Herbert created unforgettably in the epic fantasies The Lord of the Rings and Dune. It’s a world scarred by an apocalyptic past, evoking a time both two thousand years past and two thousand years into the future, as untold thousands gather for a crusade. Among them, two men and two women are ensnared by a mysterious traveler, Anasûrimbor Kellhus-part warrior, part philosopher, part sorcerous, charismatic presence-from lands long thought dead. The Darkness That Comes Before is a history of this great holy war, and like all histories, the survivors write its conclusion.

3. SEVEN PRINCES by JOHN R. FULTZ

Another used bookstore find.

Goodreads description:

It is an Age of Legends.

Under the watchful eye of the Giants, the kingdoms of Men rose to power. Now, the Giant-King has slain the last of the Serpents and ushered in an era of untold peace and prosperity. Where a fire-blackened desert once stood, golden cities flourish in verdant fields.

It is an Age of Heroes.

But the realms of Man face a new threat– an ancient sorcerer slaughters the rightful King of Yaskatha before the unbelieving eyes of his son, young Prince D’zan. With the Giant-King lost to a mysterious doom, it seems that no one has the power to stop the coming storm.

It is an Age of War.

The fugitive Prince seeks allies across the realms of Men and Giants to liberate his father’s stolen kingdom. Six foreign Princes are tied to his fate. Only one thing is certain: War is coming.

SEVEN PRINCES.
Some will seek glory.
Some will seek vengeance.
All will be legends.

4. DAWNTHIEF by JAMES BARCLAY

Yeap, another used book store find.

Goodreads description:

The Raven have fought together for years, six men carving out a living as swords for hire in the war that has torn Balaia apart, loyal only to themselves and their code. But when they agree to escort a Xesteskian mage on a secret mission they are pulled into a world of politics and ancients secrets. For the first time The Raven cannot trust even their own strength and prowess, for the first time their code is in doubt. How is it that they are fighting for one of the most evil colleges of magic known? Searching for the secret location of Dawnthief; a spell that could end the world? Aiming not to destroy it but to cast it …DAWNTHIEF is a fast paced epic about a band of all-too-human heroes.

Not sure when I’ll be able to get to all these novels, but at least, I have them whenever I can find a few spare hours to read.

So what books have you guys picked up this week?

Posted in Fantasy, Super Shopper | Tagged best fantasy books, Companions Codex, Dawnthief, fantasy novels, Goodreads, James Barclay, John R. Fultz, R. A. Salvatore, R. Scott Bakker, Rise of the King, Seven Princes, The Darkness That Comes Before | 5 Comments

TOUGH TRAVELING — NORTHERN BARBARIANS

Posted on July 10, 2014 by Bookwraiths

10th July, 2014 – Northern Barbarians

For those unfamiliar with the fantasy trope “Northern Barbarians”, these characters dwell in the snowy art behind the northern MOUNTAIN range. They are very barbarous and tend to kill strangers on sight… It is not certain what their females do. So without any further explanations, here is my favorite Northern Barbarians in fantasy!

1. Conan of Cimmeria by Robert E. Howard

I mean, when anyone says northern barbarian in a fantasy story can they be talking about anyone except THE northern barbarian? Not in my world, anyway. Conan is the ultimate northern barbarian. The Cimmerians live across the mountains from the civilized world, raid and pillage their neighbors, are ferocious warriors, and have no problem killing strangers on sight. Plus, Conan is the most ferocious of the bunch, destined to wear the jeweled crown of Aquilonia upon a troubled brow. All others barbarians are merely a pale reflection of the original Northern Barbarian!

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2. Bragi Ragnarson of Glen Cook’s Dread Empire series

As a mere youth, Bragi and his brother crossed the southern, snow covered mountains of his homeland to reach the civilized lands of the south. There their fearsome battle skills led them to become mercenaries. Through countless battles and numerous years, Bragi cut a swarth through the civilized kingdoms in war after war until finally he was able to become a king in his own right. He is tall, blonde, muscular, virile, and loud and boastful, but he is also loyal to his friends, surprisingly clever, and attempts to be a decent ruler. Without a doubt, Bragi is a northern barbarian, and his presence helps to bring the Dread Empire series to life.

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3. Wulfgar of R.A. Salvatore’s Legends of Drizzt Do’Urden series

Wulfgar, son of Beornegar, is Mr. Salvatore’s northern barbarian. He is a hero of Icewind Dale and one of the Companions of the Hall along with Drizzt Do’Urden, Catti-brie, Regis the halfling, and Bruenor Battlehammer. Wulfgar is tall, muscular, blonde, and wields a battle hammer into combat along with wearing his horn helmed. I mean, sure, he was raised later in life by a dwarf and somewhat civilized by the experience, but the guy never outgrew his barbarian heritage and later goes back to become chief of his people. I’m not sure his tribe lived over the northern mountains from Icewind Dale, but they did from all the more civilized kingdoms of the Forgotten Realms. Close enough for me to list him here.

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HONORABLE MENTIONS

1. Kull: Exile of Atlantis by Robert E. Howard

Another barbarian from Robert E. Howard. In many ways, Kull was a mirror of Conan, but they were also different, especially in Kull’s tendency to be more introspective about life. Also, where Conan was from the frozen north, Kull was from the barbarian isle of Atlantis and crossed the ocean to the civilized kingdoms of his time. Since that did not fit the “Northern Barbarian” trope, I did not include him in the list, though I can’t think of many characters who fit the “noble savage” better than Kull.

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2. Barak of David Eddings’ The Belgariad

Barak is a huge bear of a man (Those who have read the story will get the joke. Ha ha) and a berserker. He is chief of his clan and captain of his own “viking” long ship. The land he hails from is the Kingdom of Cherek, which is in the north and is both mountainous and snowy, and in many ways, Cherek is a barbarous place. The simple fact of the matter is that Barak is a thinly disguised Viking, and since I wasn’t sure if that was “Northern Barbarian” enough, I decided to include him here on the honorable mentions list.

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3. Viridovix the Celt by Harry Turtledove

The Videssos Cycle is where Mr. Turtledove portrays the fun loving and hard fighting Celt named Viridovix. He is originally from pre-Caesar Gaul, and in many ways he is a classic barbarian. But Gaul (modern France) is not in the snowy north, and Viridovix did not seem barbarian enough – though, like I mentioned, he behaves very much like a semi-civilized Conan or Kull or Wulfgar. So he lands at number 3 on the honorables list.

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When I first read this week’s trope, I got excited. There had to be dozens of northern barbarians in my favorite books, but as I started trying to find them all, I discovered that there wasn’t as many of them as I initially thought, and not all of the “noble savages” I did find really fit the description of northern barbarians. So here I am with just 3 Northern Barbarians and 3 Almost Northern Barbarians. So please, please give me the names of some others, so I can read about them.

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Posted in Fantasy, Lists, Tough Traveling | Tagged Barak, Bragi Ragnarson, Companions of the Hall, conan, David Eddings, Dread Empire, epic fantasy barbarians, Glen Cook, Harry Turtledove, Icewind Dale, Kull, Northern Barbarians, R. A. Salvatore, robert e. howard, The Belgariad, Tough Traveling, Wulfgar | 21 Comments

THE BATTLE OF THE LABYRINTH by RICK RIORDAN

Posted on July 9, 2014 by Bookwraiths

My rating is 3 out of 5 stars.

The Battle of the Labyrinth is the fourth of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, following after The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, and The Titan’s Curse. For those readers who have been off the grid for years, Percy Jackson is the half-mortal son of Poseidon, Greek God of the Sea, who has been training at Camp Half-Blood for years to confront the ominous Kronos and his Titans; a group of divine beings determined to avenge their ancient defeat and destroy the Olympian gods.

Like several books in the series, this one begins with Seaweed Brain (a.k.a. Percy) attending yet another new school; one that he is determined he will not get kicked out of. Unfortunately, for all his good intentions, Percy seems to attract trouble, and so as soon as he enters the doors of the establishment, monsters (This time cute, peppy and man-eating cheerleader variety) attack him.

After a fight, the accidental burning of a school classroom, and the reintroduction of a mortal girl named Rachel Elizabeth Dare, who just happens to have the ability to see through the Mist (You know, the divine cloud that hides gods and monsters from mortal perception), Percy decides to head back to Camp Half-Blood. I mean, it has to be safer than regular school, right?

Once there, Percy finds that it isn’t, because there are issues looming large in the land of demigods, satyrs and nymphs. Grover, the satyr with the most, is an emotional wreck, because his dream of finding the lost god Pan might be taken away from him. Annabeth, daughter of Athena and Percy’s best friends who is a girl, seems to be extremely irritated with him and acting oddly. And then there is Nico di Angelo, the more than a little emo son of Hades, who is out and about in the underworld trying to resurrect his dead sister in exchange for another, living soul – preferably Percy’s. And guess what? Those are the not so bad things going on at camp, because the danger of Kronos is almost overwhelming, as it has become obvious that his followers are planning to attack Camp Half-Blood!

So what do you do if you are a bunch of teenage demigods waiting around for an all-powerful being to attack you camp? What else: you go on an epic quest.

So like old times, Annabeth is assigned a quest (This time a trip through the perilous and ever-changing Labyrinth of Daedalus) with her best buds Percy, Grover and Percy’s Cyclops half-brother, Tyson, tagging along. The fun, fights, growing up and general adventures follow thereafter.

Without a doubt, The Battle of the Labyrinth is Percy Jackson’s most action-packed book yet, filled with monsters, gods, demigods, and battles. It succeeds in being fun as well as poignant with real danger, real horror, and real death entering the lives of our teenage heroes. But more than that, it does a great job of building up excitement for the next book, never letting a reader forget that in The Last Olympian the final battle of the gods will occur and – according to a prophecy – either Percy or Nico di Angelo will make a decision that either destroys or saves Olympus!

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THE LIGHTNING THIEF
THE SEA OF MONSTERS

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Posted in Urban Fantasy, Young Adult | Tagged best young adult books, Camp Half-Blood, Percy Jackson, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Rick Riordan, The Battle of the Labyrinth, The Lightning Thief, young adult book about greek gods, Young-adult fiction | 1 Comment

THE LEOPARD (MARAKAND #1) by K.V. JOHANSEN

Posted on July 8, 2014 by Bookwraiths

My rating is 2 out of 5 stars.

I’m one of those readers who actually likes being thrown straight into the action. Immerse me in a deluge of strange names, exotic places, magical races, or warring kingdoms, I love it. Nothing entertains me more than trying to decipher the strangeness of a new world. So when I stumbled upon The Leopard, this novel seemed to be right up my alley.

You see, K.V. Johansen does indeed drop a reader into a massive world in this novel. There are many different things going on beneath the surface of the story. Gods and demons are stirring in the world. Kingdoms are going to war with one another. And along one lonely highway, a wayward daughter of kings is on a divine mission to find a legendary assassin named The Leopard.

In fact, the story really begins when Deyandara actually finds Ahjvar (aka The Leopard) and his manservant Ghu. Naturally, he has to be persuaded to become involved in the task that Deyandara has come calling for, but it is not as simple as The Leopard is retired or needs a certain amount of gold or anything so trite. Rather he does not wish to return to a land where something horrible happened to him and changed him forever!

The why, how or when of The Leopard’s change are what made his story so compelling. So when Ahjvar and Ghu finally head off toward this city and the goddess that needs The Leopard’s services, it suggested big excitement and revelations ahead.

But things developed a little slow. Not glacier-like but still really slow. That was fine with me, because, you know, it is hard to get an epic fantasy off the runway, so to speak. And frankly, I was willing to wait, because Ahjvar had began to have all the tell-tale signs of being a formidable anti-hero, Ghu the loyal and trusted friend, trying to steer his benefactor away from evil, and Deyandara playing the role of young, naive girl soon to grow up into an assertive and dangerous queen to be reckoned with. At least, that was my initial take on the story, but then a couple things in the novel derailed my enjoyment of it.

One, the writing style. I have no problem with epic fantasy novels that dump loads of lore down on your heads. As I mentioned, I actually love that sort of stuff. What I do have a problem with is when the massive amounts of information have no importance to the actual story. And here, Johansen transformed the simplest of human endeavors into over analyzed page burners that would cause a single paragraph to run pages in length. Way too much info dumping for even me, especially since this was the norm for most of the book.

Two, the pacing of the story was very, very slow then – with almost no transition – it hit overdrive in Part Two before slamming on breaks at the end. Just a roller coaster ride and not in a good way.

Three, Johansen choose to tell this story in two parts with each being distinctively separate from the other – including having different stories and characters. I realize some fantasy novels have done this (Tolkien’s The Two Towers comes to mind), but in those novels, there was a distinct and very apparent connection between the two sections. At least in the Tolkien example, the two parts had the same core characters introduced in The Fellowship of the Ring as well as Tolkien providing a perfectly clear reason for the narrative to diverge into two, distinct paths. Here, Johansen did neither of those things, and one minute a reader is following along behind The Leopard and his group before they disappear and a whole new group of faces come on stage with no real introduction. The transition is so jarring that I felt as if I had started reading a different book by accident.

Four, I really felt as if I should have read Johansen’s novel Blackdog before I read this one. It seemed that, over and over again, the second part of the book was mentioning things that I assume were explored in depth in that novel, but which I had absolutely no idea about. If Blackdog was required reading for this novel that would have been fine by me, but I would have been nice to have been placed on notice of that fact.

With those things being said, it is fairly evident that The Leopard and I did not hit it off, if you will. It is not a bad book by any means, just not for me. Still, even I can admit that it has a good foundations to develop into an entertaining series. Johansen has crafted a huge world with immense lore and history, and The Leopard himself was shaping up to be a really nice anti-hero – before he disappeared from the story. So if the next book in the Marakand series can get back to those subjects, I believe it will, without a doubt, be a fantasy must read.

The publisher provided this book to me for free in return for an honest review. The review above was not paid for or influenced in any way by any person, entity or organization, but is my own personal opinions.