BEST FANTASY BOOK COVERS — PART 1

Posted on April 16, 2014 by Bookwraiths

cover lover collage 1

It’s time for another list! This time, it is a new weekly, semi-monthly, monthly . . . uh, whenever I get around to doing it feature named: Best Fantasy Covers!

When I was researching my “Worst Fantasy Covers” list, I found myself realizing how many good or even great fantasy covers there have been through the years. More than enough for a top twenty-five list, and then it struck me, “Why stop there?” If I was going to post the worst covers, shouldn’t I just post the best as well? Yes, I decided, and so here we are.

Now, as I have already admitted in other posts, I love good fantasy covers. There is no particular theme or images that need to be present. I adore both simple covers and magnificent artwork. Either will do. However, the key is that the image has to grab me, evoke a sense of wonder or intrigue so as to make me want to discover what fantastical world that cover hides behind it. And when I discover one of those types of fantasy covers at my local bookstore or on amazon or wherever, it will, without a doubt, influence my desire to pick up said novel, check out its description and read a few reviews. So, it is just a fact that if a book has a great cover I’m at least one-third of the way toward buying it. Perhaps that is somewhat immature of me, but I’m the one reading the book, so I can choose them however I want to, right?

So, as you read part one of my “Best Fantasy Covers” list, please understand that there is no magic criteria for a novel being placed on it. It is merely my personal reaction to a specific book cover. Maybe, it was something new and different at publication, or I loved the artist, or it just spoke to me on some level, but whatever, the reason, these fantasy book covers made me want to read these novels. That initial pleasure with the cover did not always evolve into love of the novel contained within, so some of the books on this list are NOT my reading favorites, even if I love their covers. So if you disagree with me about a cover, that is perfectly okay. We don’t all appreciate the same artwork anymore than we appreciate the same novels. It is all a personal taste issue, after all.

So with that brief explanation behind us, let us enjoy my first five nominations for Best Fantasy Covers.

1. Yorath the Wolf by Cherry Wilder
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This is a 1985 book with a great cover by Stephen Hickman. Mr. Hickman is probably best known for his illustrations for Larry Niven’s Man-Kzin Wars series and the stunning dragons of Steven Brust’s Dragaera novels. Here he has taken Yorath, prince and heir to the throne of Mel’Nir, and shown him in all his power. The cover really grabbed my attention back in the 1980s, when this was first published, and made me wonder who this guy was. It even is relatively accurate as far as fantasy illustrations go, not taking too much liberty with the actual description of Yorath in the novel itself.

Take a look at more of Stephen Hickman’s art Here
Start the adventure at Amazon.
A Princess of the Chameln

2. Dragon Prince by Melaine Rawn
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A 1988 romantic fantasy. The cover art by Michael Whelan perfectly captures the essence of this novel, which is Prince Rohan and the sunrunner (sorceress) Sioned’s love/lust for one another and a plot that involves dragons producing gold in a huge desert kingdom and a number of royal houses competing for control over this desert resources. (Did I hear someone mention Dune‘s sandworms and spice?) No matter your like or dislike of the story itslef, Mr. Whelan’s cover is striking, which comes as no surprise to most fantasy aficionados, for his amazing paintings have graced the covers of more than 350 books and magazines, including Stephen King’s The Gunslinger and The Dark Tower as well as many of Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern series, Mrs. Rawn’s Dragon Prince and Dragon Star series, and Tad Williams’s Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, Otherland, and Shadowmarch series. And here his cover for Ms. Rawn’s Dragon Prince novel went a long way to convincing me, back in the day, that this was an epic fantasy worth my reading time.

Take a look at more of Michael Whelan’s art Here
Purchase the novel at Amazon.

3. The Crystal Shard by R.A. Salvatore
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The 1988 edition of The Icewind Dale Trilogy Book One, which is now Part IV of The Legends of Drizzt series. To be fair, I have to confess that I was a Dungeon & Dragon fanatic back in the early 80s, and since Mr. Elmore’s beautiful illustrations graced the covers of many of my favorite TSR products, it should come as no surprise that whenever I saw one of his fantasy covers I gravitated toward it. And this one to me is just as good, if not better, than the more famous Dragonlance Chronicles and Dragonlance Legends covers– though The Time of the Twins image of Raistlin and Crysania is really close. In any event, whenever I read about Drizzt, Bruenor, and Wulfgar, this cover is exactly how I picture them.

Take a look at more of Larry Elmore’s art Here
Purchase the novel at Amazon.

4. Instrumentalities of the Night by Glen Cook
tyranny-of-the-night-cover
I am a fan of Glen Cook, especially his fantasy series like The Black Company, The Dread Empire, and his newest Instrumentalities of the Night. However, in the past, I had to overlook some really bad covers in order to get to the great novel beneath. However, all that started to change when Raymond Swanland began producing some outstanding artwork for this and other Cook fantasy novels. To me, this cover has that vaguely mystical appearance with armed men fighting that just gets your attention and makes you wonder what this book is about. For that and other reasons, it is a favorite of mine.

Take a look at more of Raymond Swanland’s art Here
Purchase the cover at Amazon.

5. The Emperor’s Blades by Brian Stavely
Brian Staveley - The Emperor's Blades
A recent cover that really peaked my interest in the novel. But don’t take my word for it, read what the author wrote about Richard Anderson’s cover.

“Brian Staveley on the cover: Getting ready to see your new cover is like sitting at the bar waiting for your blind date to show. Your editor set it all up, assuring you that you’re going to be crazy about the match; you’ve seen a few little thumbnail photos on line; but still… while etiquette suggests you can politely leave a blind date after two beers, your cover is going to be your cover for a very long time.
All the same questions crop up: What if we have nothing in common? What if the cover doesn’t get me? What if it’s cooler than I am? (Well, you want it to be cooler, actually, but no so much cooler that you feel like a loser.) Then there’s the whole question of personal taste. You might be hoping for a brunette with tattoos, but a debutante sits down at the table instead.

I try not to be superficial, but when Richard Anderson’s stunning cover finally sidled up to the bar, my first thought was that she was, well… gorgeous. Didn’t pay much attention, at first, to whether we had anything in common—I just stared and stared, trying to keep my mouth closed.
Only later, when my heart had had a chance to settle and my palms stopped sweating, did I realize just how well she understood me. She got my interest in non-western cultures. She was hip to my need for a good mix of the physical and the spiritual, the martial and the political. And, like me, she realized that there’s no substitute for an enormous, man-killing bird of prey.

It’s a happy, romantic ending all around, except maybe for my wife, who sometimes has to tell me to put away the damn cover already and come to bed.” Tor.com

Take a look at more of Richard Anderson’s art Here
Purchase the novel at Amazon.

Well, that is my first five. Now, it is your turn. Tell me why you agree or disagree and nominate a few covers you love.

CHECK OUT MY BEST AND WORST FANTASY COVERS LISTS
Best Fantasy Covers Part 2
Worst Fantasy Covers Part 1
Worst Fantasy Covers Part 2
Worst Fantasy Covers Part 3

Posted in Cover Lover, Fantasy, Lists | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Blog Tour for Legends of Windemere: Family of the Tri-Rune

Posted on April 14, 2014 by Bookwraiths
Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

Legends of Windemere: Family of the Tri-Rune has Arrived!!!

Buy it Here for $2.99!

Book Blurb:

The magical adventure continues after Luke Callindor and his friends recover from their battles in Haven.

Nyx still has nightmares about casting the genocide spell in Hero’s Gate. Every night her heart is gripped by the sensation of hundreds of goblins dying by her magic. By the request of Lord Highrider and Duke Solomon, she is returning to fix the damage she caused. With Luke Callindor and Sari by her side, Nyx is ready to face the vengeful goblins and opportunistic thieves that plague Hero’s Gate. Yet, there is a darker threat that was born from her violated magic: The Krypters.

It is another action-packed, character driven story that will reveal one of our heroes has been lied to for their entire life.

Wondering what you’re in for? Check out the praise earned by the first three installments of this high fantasy series.

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

Review Excerpts for Legends of Windemere: Beginning of a Hero:

“I greatly enjoyed the vivid characters, the gripping plot, and the refreshingly unique writing style (present tense). ” – kdillmanjones

“One of the things that won me over was the bouts of humor. Especially in the beginning. “This is not possible! I am a Paladin!” I thought I was going to die with delight.” – C.N. Faust

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

Review Excerpts for Legends of Windemere: Prodigy of Rainbow Tower:

“Nyx is such a strong personality. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her and more of the other characters, new and already known, with the rich tapestry of Windemere unfolding in between intense actions scenes and moments of kindness and budding friendships.” – Danielle Taylor

“Almost like the Harry Potter series. The books start out so young and innocent, but by the last book – watch out!” — Momto4Booklover

Cover by Jason Pedersen

Cover by Jason Pedersen

Review Excerpts for Legends of Windemere: Allure of the Gypsies:

“One of the things I love most about this series are all the characters! They are developed so well that I feel like I know them personally. Even the newly introduced characters fit in immediately.” – BarbBookWorm

“Let’s talk about action. The author creates interesting action sequences with believable use of fantasy elements. He is very creative. There are also good sections where the characters stretch out and we get to know them better.” – Donald L. Mitchell “Music Lover”

Charles author photo B&WAuthor Biography:

Charles Yallowitz was born and raised on Long Island, NY, but he has spent most of his life wandering his own imagination in a blissful haze. Occasionally, he would return from this world for the necessities such as food, showers, and Saturday morning cartoons. One day he returned from his imagination and decided he would share his stories with the world. After his wife decided that she was tired of hearing the same stories repeatedly, she convinced him that it would make more sense to follow his dream of being a fantasy author. So, locked within the house under orders to shut up and get to work, Charles brings you Legends of Windemere. He looks forward to sharing all of his stories with you and his wife is happy he finally has someone else to play with.

Contact:

Blog- www.legendsofwindemere.com
Twitter- @cyallowitz
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/CharlesYallowitz

Posted in Author Spotlights, Cover Reveal, Fantasy | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

WORST FANTASY BOOK COVERS — PART 1

Posted on April 3, 2014 by Bookwraiths

cover lover collage 1

Today, I’m kicking off a new feature: Worst Fantasy Covers!

I know you can hardly contain yourself, but before you stop rolling your eyes, let me explain. See, I like compiling lists, so I began searching for 25 of the worst fantasy book covers ever produced. I found a few here, then a few there. Before you know it, I found my list approaching one hundred, but I still kept finding more books whose cover art struck me as absolutely horrified me for one reason or another. Since I had so many to choose from, I decided why try to categorize them or list them from bad to worst. I mean, I can just do an ongoing feature about this phenomenon of fantasy book cover madness!

You can thank me later. 🙂

Before I start let me set a few things straight.

First, I want to admit that covers do impact whether I purchase a book. Call me shallow if you want. However, if I see a novel with absolutely horrible cover art, I might not even take the time to pick it up and read about it. It doesn’t mean I never purchase a novel with an ugly cover, but it definitely doesn’t increase the odds of me picking it.

Second, I want everyone to understand this list is not going to focus on any certain epoch or style of artwork. Honestly, there is bad stuff from 2014 just like there is bad stuff from 1967.

And, third, please accept that this list is my thoughts and that there is absolutely nothing objective about it. I am not pretending there is. It is my own personal dislike of a fantasy novels cover. You are welcome to disagree with me. And please understand that some of the books I’m pointing out are my own favorite fantasy novels, so I am not showing any partiality toward even my favorites if their covers stink.

So with all the explanations out of the way, let us enjoy (or not) my first five nominations for Worst Fantasy Covers.

1. Morigu: The Desecration by Mark Perry (1986)
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Some might say the cover is decent enough. Muscular guy wielding swords and bursting off the cover while his enemy looks on in the background. But take a look at the dude in the background. I swear, it is Don King.
Purchase the cover and all at Amazon.
Morigu: The Desecration

2. M.Y.T.H. Inc. In Action by Robert Lynn Aspirin (1990)
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Okay, I believe this might have been a comedic fantasy novel, but the cover is really bad. So bad, I recall staring at it every time I passed it in my local bookstore wondering if I was having an acid flashback or something.
Purchase the cover and all at Amazon.

3. The Demon Awakes by R. A. Salvatore (1996)
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The people in this cover look strange. Not only that but the whole scene looks really surreal or something. I can’t find the right word to describe it other than — bad.
Purchase the novel with a better cover at Amazon.

4. Lord Toede by Jeff Grubb (1997)
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Do I really need to even say anything?

Purchase the cover and all at Amazon.

5. Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson (2007)
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Before I had ever heard of Mr. Sanderson, I would see this book and wonder how a superhero story was in the fantasy section. Honestly, doesn’t the whole pose and cape thing just scream Wonder Girl or something.
Purchase the cover and all at Amazon.

Now, it is your turn. Nominate a few covers you disliked.

Posted in Cover Lover, Fantasy, Lists | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

THE HIGH DRUID’S BLADE by TERRY BROOKS

Posted on April 2, 2014 by Bookwraiths

18077816The High Druid’s Blade by Terry Brooks

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Shannara

Publisher: Del Rey (March 11, 2014)

Length: 305 pages

Author Information:Website

My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

The High Druid’s Blade is a fast paced and fun novel that both younger readers and longtime fans will appreciate. While it lacks the complexities of some of Brooks more recent Shannara series, it is still filled with delicate morsels of intriguing lore and enough references to past events in the series to satisfy any Shannara lover’s sweet tooth and peek a new reader’s curiosity, making them quickly seek out other tales from this world. All in all, what Mr. Brooks has gifted fantasy readers with is just the right kind of feel good fantasy that is sorely missing from bookshelves right now.

The story itself revolves around Paxon Leah, a young man who is tied down by responsibility to his family and doesn’t even realize how much he longs to leave his home and find his own life path. Unfortunately, it takes the kidnaping of his sister, Chrys, for him to realize running the family air freight business is not enough for him.

After discovering that his sister has been taken by Arcannen, a sorcerer of some renown in the Southlands, Paxon impetuously follows without any plan other that to bust some heads and retrieve her. Obviously, that doesn’t work out so well for him. So after the sorcerer departs Leah by airship for the city of Wayford, our young hot-head grabs the only weapon he can get his hands on– the legendary Sword of Leah – and sets off to reclaim Chrys from the den of the enemy.

Once in Wayford, Paxon immediately finds someone willing to help him. He is thus able to infiltrate the sorcerer’s lair fairly easily before confronting his sister’s abductor. The struggle that ensues is brief, obviously won by our impetuous Leah, and Chrys retrieved. The two returning home wiser and more wary but not damaged in any major way.

But that is not the end of it. For the clash between Paxon and Arcannen has draws the interest of the Fourth Druid Order, who decide that someone of Paxon’s pedigree (He is the descendant of the marriage of the Ohmsfords and the Leahs.) should return with them to Paranor and train to become a Knight-errant of the Druids. An opportunity that Paxon is startled by but which opens up a future he never knew he wanted so badly. And so off the bearer of the Sword of Leah goes to the citadel of the Druids for training and service for three years; his new life one of danger and adventure as he travels the lands with druids, protecting their backs while they investigate incidents involving magical relics or sorcerer’s causing issues in the Four Lands.

But wait, Paxon has forgotten about something. Arcannen, the sorcerer from Wayford. That slippery scoundrel isn’t finished with our young Leah – neither of them. Not by a long shot. And soon, he strikes again. To deadly effect. And the real story begins.

Most people, I know, either adore Terry Brooks’ Shannara series or dislike it. Doesn’t seem to be much middle ground. As a wayward reader (I really enjoyed the original trilogy when I read it back in the 1980s but have not tried anything since.) I found this reintroduction to Mr. Brooks’ world both enjoyable and intriguing. One of the major reasons why is that I clearly saw that this is a living, growing world that has definitely evolved since The Wishsong of Shannara so long ago. Plus, I must admit, that the addition of airships, magical guns, and all the rest really hinted at an almost “steampunk-like” setting, which really peaked my interest.

As for the tale of Paxon Leah itself, I know that many of my fellow reviewers have said The High Druid’s Blade is somewhat trite, in that, it follows the same old fantasy pattern of simple boy discovers he has powers he did not know about, receives training, and goes on to greater things. I can’t disagree that Mr. Brooks does indeed use that familiar plot. However, that fact alone does not in and of itself make this a simple story, not worthy of a read. Actually, this straight-forward coming-of-age tale about Paxon quickly evolves into one brimming with Shannara lore, containing much political intrigue, and filled with a lot of foreshadowing for future events. More than enough to keep a reader’s attention and develop this into more than just an old-fashioned fantasy romp.

With all that being said, I do believe this novel was targeted toward readers who have no attachment to Shannara. It reads that way with all its references to past stories. And if Mr. Brooks wrote this tale to tempt people into trying additional Shannara stories, it worked with me, because once I finished this book I immediately dropped by my local used bookstore looking for some more tales from the Four Lands. And lots of new readers or young fantasy fans will most definitely follow my lead and use The High Druid’s Blade as a jump off point for their investigation of the living, breathing world of Shannara.

Netgalley and 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.

Purchase the novel at Amazon.

Posted in Fantasy, High, Young Adult | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

HONOR AMONG THIEVES by JAMES S.A. COREY

Posted on March 31, 2014 by Bookwraiths

Honor Among Thieves

Honor Among Thieves by James S.A. Corey

Genre: Sci-Fi, Star Wars

Series: Empire and Rebellion #2

Publisher: Lucas Books (March 4, 2014)

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

A long time ago in a galaxy far,
far away . . . .

star wars

EPISODE IV . . . and then some

Troubled times for the Rebellion.
Although Han Solo’s timely intervention
saved Luke Skywalker and allowed him
to destroy the Death Star,
the Imperials have not despaired but
pursue the Rebels even more earnestly.

When a message comes in for the
immediate evac of an important Rebel spy,
everyone turns to Han Solo and Chewbacca
to do the daring deed. Once the price is agreed to,
the Millennium Falcon heads off to the rescue.

Waiting for Solo’s team are more
than a few surprises. For the Rebels
are not the only ones on the trail
of the spy. And as Han begins to run
into old smuggling associates, he
begins to wonder if there is even
Honor Among Thieves anymore.

I have been a Star Wars fan since I was a little kid running around at my elementary playground pretending to be Luke Skywalker or Han Solo. Naturally, I adored the original trilogy growing up, read all the comics and the novelizations back in the 1980s, and even got psyched about the second trilogy – though that cooled a bit after watching all three. Since then, I’ve continued to read the Expanded Universe novels, not devouring every one but picking and choosing those that seemed a good fit for my reading palate. So when I saw that Honor Among Thieves was coming out I got a bit excited. One, it was a book focusing on Han Solo, a favorite of mine, and two, it would be written by Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck whose Expanse series – written under their pen name James S.A. Corey – I had heard great things about. So as I opened up this novel, I expected a thrilled ride of good old fashioned Star Wars fun, and I was not disappointed.

The story starts up after The Battle of Yavin. The Rebel Alliance is diligently searching for a planet to establish their new base on, but they are having trouble with that as well as other things. One of the most pressing issues is an urgent message from one of their high-level spies named Scarlet Hark, who needs an immediate evacuation from an planet deep within Imperial space. It is a dangerous mission. One that requires just the right amount of deviousness and reckless courage, so obviously, the only person right for it is Han Solo. Once the negotiations for his and Chewie’s fee are worked out, off the two go to pick up their cargo.

Naturally, things are not as simple as they seem, for once the two slip into Imperial space they find several bounty hunters waiting to snatch good old Han and escort him to a private meeting with Jabba the Hutt. But that is not all. When Scarlet Hark does indeed show up, she immediately informs her rescuers that she needs more than just a ride back to the Rebel Fleet but requires their help in locating information about an ancient device that the Empire has discovered. A device that is so powerful that whomever gets control over it can not only win the war but immediately become the ultimate power in the universe!

The tour guide through all the fun is obviously Han Solo. If you love him, you will adore this book. If he is not your favorite (Like anyone would not love Han Solo.) then you might not enjoy this novel. But no matter, this is a story from the viewpoint of the Corellian smuggler who existed between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. Sure, he might have decided to stick around with the Rebels after the Death Star went boom, but while he is lingering with his friends Luke and Leia longer than he should, at heart, he is still a self-centered pirate who expects to be well paid for his services. Maybe, he even is starting to feel a change in his outlook on life, but Han isn’t going to admit it to himself and definitely not anyone else. And that is why this story is so entertaining even without suspense (Hey, if you have seen the movies, you know that no body is biting the big one or winning the war before Episode V.) because it actually captures the real change taking place in the Corellian’s heart.

Quite simply, Honor Among Thieves is pure Star Wars thrills, courtesy of Han Solo. The plot is filled with signature Han one liners and his reckless approach to problems. His constant bantering with his female friends is classic Star Wars. His character growth is real and tangle as the story progresses. The novel is and should be a must read of any fan, because it is Star Wars fun – smuggler style!

Lucas Books and Netgalley and 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.

Purchase the novel at Amazon.

CHECK OUT MY REVIEWS OF THE EMPIRE AND REBELLION SERIES
RAZOR’S EDGE (EMPIRE AND REBELLION #1)
HEIR TO THE JEDI (EMPIRE AND REBELLION #3)

Posted in Science Fiction, Space Opera, Star Wars | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

MOST DISAPPOINTING FANTASY SERIES (UPDATED)

Posted on March 28, 2014 by Bookwraiths

76748-Gladiator-thumbs-down-gif-b5MO
On this “Most Disappointing Fantasy Series List,” you will find those novels that, in my opinion, are not enjoyable reads. Now, I love fantasy: heroic fantasy, epic fantasy, and all the other varieties (Grimdark was not a personal favorite, but is slowly becoming one.), so to make this list, the series must REALLY have struck a wrong cord with me. It does not necessarily mean that the series is terrible or that each book in it is unenjoyable, but rather that after reading one, two or all of the books, I feel that there were much better fantasy series out there that I could have spent my finite reading time on.

Does that mean you should never read the books on this list?

Absolutely not. Just because I did not appreciate a certain writer’s style or the story they were telling, does not mean that others might not love them, so please take this list as solely my personal opinion about these fantasy series and try the books out before you cast them on the “Never To Be Read” pile.

So without further apologizes, here is my list of the Most Disappointing Fantasy Series.

30. The Windameire Circle by Niel Hancock.

716232Back in the late 1970s and earlier 1980s, Mr. Hancock penned these thirteen, high fantasy novels. The Atlanton Earth books, as they were termed, contained the standard fantasy tropes of epic quests and anthropomorphic animals similar to those in C.S. Lewis’s Narnia, and like Lewis, Mr. Hancock incorporated spiritual themes into his books, though he used mainly Buddhism and Eastern religions. And because I was new to fantasy and because there were not that many fantasy titles to choose from on my local bookstore’s shelf, I picked several of these novels up. I got through them, but I can’t really say I enjoyed them very much.

Buy The Fires of Windameir at Amazon.

29. Guardians of the Flame by Joel Rosenberg
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This early 1980s D&D-esque series about a group of gamers magically transported to their RPG world, who then assume the identities of their role playing characters was never a huge favorite of mine — even when I was a D&D addict back in the early 1980s.  Sure, it sounded like a decent idea, loaded with potential for soem excitement and laughs, but after reading the first two books and being let down by the writing, I felt so ashamed that I got rid of them and refused to admit I’d ever read them. So big disappointment – especially to my teenage self.

Buy The Guardians of the Flame at Amazon.

28. The Loremasters of Elendium by Mike Jefferies
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This late 1980s fantasy series was full of magic, talking animals, and the sing-song, poetic language that all “high” fantasy novels used during the period. Nothing inherently wrong with any of that, especially considering “when” the series was published, but after two books, the one dimensional characters had become confusing as well as boring; the world building was a convoluted mess; and the resolution of the plot was too quick and easy for my tastes. Even for a fantasy junkie like me, The Loremasters of Elendium just did not make the cut.

Buy Road to Underfall at Amazon.

27. Frank Frazetta’s Death Dealer by James Silke
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To save his land from the unstoppable Kitzaak Horde, Gath of Baal dons a magical helmet belonging to the Master of Darkness, becoming the Death Dealer: an invincible demon in human form with a thirst for blood. Naturally, the price Gath pays for this power is very high — his very soul!

Obviously, this is an old school sword and sorcery tale, which can be damn good IF the writer is top notch. Therein lies the problem with this book: the writing quality. It is on the poor side, turning what could have been a decent sword and sorcery story into a third rate Conan clone.

Buy Prisoner of the Horned Helmet at Amazon.

26. Everien by Valery Leith
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Tarquin the Free lost his courage, then his honor, when he abandoned eight companions to die in a magical, floating city years ago. Outcast from his people, forever barred from returning home, Tarquin is the only one who can now warn them of the arrival of the invincible Sekk, and, if he can find the courage, return to the floating city to discover the secret knowledge to defeat them.

Sounded decent. Unfortunately, it was morbidly confusing with such indistinct characters that I had no idea who was doing what most of the time or whether it was internal monologue or actual conversation. After a book and a half, I gave up trying.

Buy The Company of Glass at Amazon.

25. Magics by Lyndon Hardy

1180618In the first book of this trilogy, a reader gets to follow Aldor as he goes on an “epic quest” to master the five schools of magic. (Unsurprisingly, Aldor undertakes this mission to obtain the hand of the fair lady, Queen Vendora, in marriage.) After having spent the entire first novel setting up the rules of magic, naturally, the second book destroys them and introduces a new main character, Jemidon, who must discover why they are ceasing to exist and fix everything before chaos is unleashed upon the lands. I’m not sure what ultimately happened in the last novel, because I stopped reading. It wasn’t that the books were bad as much as they were the same old themes rehashed over and over with the same characters with different names.

Buy Master of the Five Magics at Amazon.

24. The Darksword by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
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This series by the authors of Dragonlance Chronicles and Dragonlance Legends focused on a world of magic where everyone had magical abilities, except for the hero, Joram, who had no magic at all. Even though it was formulaic I wanted to care about Joram’s quest to discover his place in the world, but it never really worked for me.  Mainly, I found I didn’t care about him or any of the other characters; they were all generic and forgettable.  The experience was terribly disappointed, so much so that I’ve never read a non-Dragonlance novel written by either author since.

Buy Forging the Darksword at Amazon.

23. The Dark Border by Paul Edwin Zimmer
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The dark border was a great fantasy setting where powerful entities of good and evil were locked in an endless battle over the world, one intent to destroy everything, while the other marshaled the resources of the whole world to maintain a worldwide line of magic towers to hold back the evil tide. This conflict an eternal battle until the world itself ceases to be!  Unfortunately, Zimmer’s writing was inconsistent, struggled with pacing and characterization, and caused all four books in the series to be rather disappointing affairs.  Such a waste.

Buy A Gathering of Heroes at Amazon.

22. The Emperor’s Edge by Lindsay Buroker
THE EMPEROR'S EDGE
A steampunk-esque fantasy following the exploits of Amaranthe Lokdon, a young police woman of the Turgonian Empire, stuck in a dead-end position below her qualifications. Naturally, within no time, our heroine accidentally impresses the Emperor, enrages the real power behind the throne, falls in with the most dangerous assassin in the world, and begins her life as the leader of a very unusual band of secret operatives.  And while other readers love the campy silliness, I just could not get on the bandwagon, finding the plot and characters more stupid than hilarious. Different people like different things, I suppose.

Buy The Emperor’s Edge Collection at Amazon.

21. Elemental Wars by Freya Robertson
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Heartwood is the center of the world, but now the Arbor, the holy tree, is dying, causing a grand council to convene to determine a way to cure it.  From this meeting of the wise and powerful, a group of heroes are sent off on seven epic quests.  And while I desperately wanted to like this series due to the traditional concept, the stiff writing style ruined it for me, as I never felt any emotional attachment to any of the characters. When I don’t care about the characters, ultimately, I lose interest in the story.

Buy Heartwood at Amazon.

20. The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini
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The poor farm boy, Eragon, finds a polished blue stone in the forest and takes it home.  Little does he know that the stone is priceless beyond imagination, as, soon, a dragon hatchling emerges and changes Eragon’s life forever!  The story that follows is a little Lord of the Ring, a little Star Wars, and a lot of over-used fantasy tropes. I can totally understand kids or young adults really loving this one, I’m afraid everyone else might as well skip it.

Buy Eragon at Amazon.

19. The Deeds of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon
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A farm girl runs away and joins the military so as not to marry an idiot boy her father has chosen as her future husband.  From there, she steadily becomes a legend.  Ms. Moon definitely crafts an excellent narrative with this series, deftly interweaving fantasy themes, intriguing characters, and a realistic portrayal of military life and combat, but, unfortunately, I didn’t find The Deeds of Paksenarrion very interesting, which was a big disappointment — especially since all of my friends back at the time really loved it.

Buy The Deed of Paksenarrion at Amazon.

18. Darkness by Harry Turtledove
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This is a fantasy retelling of World War II. Dragons replace aircraft, leylines replace trains, magic replaces guns/cannons, and all the people/nations of WWII are renamed but easy to guess. The story is fairly straightforward and entertaining, but it fails to deliver any suspense, as anyone with a basic knowledge of WWII will know which country is going to be invaded and conquered, which people are going to be persecuted and placed into concentration camps, and how the good guys are going to eventually end the war. After a while, this causes the books to become annoyingly boring. At least, it did to me.

Buy Into the Darkness at Amazon.

shadow's son17. Shadow Saga by John Sprunk

This tale about a lone assassin going on a quest to discover his past wasn’t meant to be too serious, and I went into the series understanding such and expecting a light, fun read, which I fully received from the first book.  After that though the story took a nose-dive until I was mystified why it took three books for the author to get to the ultimate conclusion.  To say I was disappointed in the ending would be a huge understatement, because it basically made the entire story irrelevant.

Buy Shadow’s Son at Amazon.

16. Khaavren Romances by Steven Brust
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Mr. Brust is an unabashed fan of Alexander Dumas; the Khaavren Romances his attempt to emulate the master of such swashbuckling classics as The Man in the Iron Mask and The Count of Monte Cristo; and if one read this series understanding that it is meant as a simulacrum of The Three Musketeers, then you might have a chance of enjoying it.  But if you (like me) pick it up expecting a dazzling story with crisp dialogue, amazing magic and the like, then you will probably be almost as disappointed in it as I was after forcing myself to slog through three books.  Honestly, if I want to read Dumas, I’ll just read Dumas.  “Yawn.”

Buy The Phoenix Guards at Amazon.

15. The Childe Morgan by Katherine Kurtz
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I began reading Mrs. Kurtz’s Deryni series back in the early 1980s when I was a kid, so in a manner of speaking, I have grown up with these characters, which made this trilogy about one of my favorite characters from the original Deryni series, the famous Alaric Morgan, seem like a sure thing. It didn’t work out though.  These early chapters in Alaric’s life reading more like a history book than a novel. Sure, it’s great at filling in gaps in the lore of the Deryni world and its people, but other than for background material, this series was a big disappointment to me.

Buy In The King’s Service at Amazon.

14. The Riftwar Legacy by Raymond E. Feist
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This trilogy was Mr. Feist’s novelization of the computer game, Betrayal at Krondor, and, unfortunately,  the books read just like that: Complete Quest A.  Now that you have completed Quest A you need to complete Quest B! There was little characterization, lots of forced camaraderie, major characters disappearing for no reason, and the dialogue was forced and fairly awful.  Overall, this was a trilogy which did not need to be written, nor did it add anything to Feist’s ongoing Riftwar saga.  It was bad.  Wish I could find some silver lining in the experience, but I just can’t.

Buy Krondor the Betrayal at Amazon.

13. Valdemar by Mercedes Lackey
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Mercedes Lackey is a prolific writer, having published more books in her fantasy world than most authors have ever dreamed of writing. Unfortunately, I have been disappointed in the ones I have tried, and I have tried more than a few: Arrows of the Queen, Vows and Honor, The Last Herald-Mage, and Mage Winds among others. So I do feel I’ve made a good faith effort to understand why my fantasy friends have enjoyed her writing over the years, yet the simple fact of the matter is that I do not enjoy Valdemar, which is disappointing.

Buy Arrows of the Queenat Amazon.

12. Vlad Taltos by Steven Brust
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Vlad Taltos is a member of the human minority of the Dragaeran Empire, born into the lowest class of society, but a noble due to a smart purchase by his dad. Vlad’s “house” one huge criminal organization (Think modern day mafia.), where he acts as a minor crime lord, selling his assassin services and overseeing certain interests of his royal house.  The series which follows basically mafia/detective stories glossed over with a thin veneer of fantasy names and places to conceal that you are really reading a modern crime story. If that appeals to you, give this one a try, as for me it made me “yawn.”

Buy The Book of Jhereg at Amazon.

11. Book of Swords by Fred Saberhagen
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Set in a world where an ancient war changed the very laws of nature, gods and giants stalk the earth, playing malicious games with human lives by unleashing twelve swords of power; each blade the physical embodiment of its unique moniker.  And while I was really captivated by the idea of this story, thought it sounded damn cool and wanted to love the series back in the 1980s, I never could get into the novels after book one. I tried and tried to like them. It just never happened. I’m still disappointed it did not work out.

Buy First Book of Swords at Amazon.

10. The Crescent Moon Kingdoms by Saladin Ahmed
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Epic fantasy in an Arabian Nights-like setting with ghuls (zombies), ghul hunters, ghul apocalypses and tea. Lots and lots of tea. Honestly, the main character spent more time worried about getting his greedy hands on his next cup of tea than the ghul apocalypse which was supposedly ominously hovering over his home town.  How this rather dull narrative was ever nominated for so many prestigious awards is beyond me, because after finishing it all I wanted to do was grab a good cup of tea and an exciting book to sit down and read, because this one was a huge bore from beginning to end.

Buy Throne of the Crescent Moon at Amazon.

9. The Mallorean by David Eddings
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This sequel to The Belgariad picked up where that series left off, introducing another ancient prophecy and another grand quest for our heroes.   And to be fair, I loved The Mallorean back in the day, not so much due to it providing me with an amazing story, but because I was able to keep spending time with my childhood friends. Even then, I recall being a little disappointed deep down by the conclusion to this series.  I guess I knew that instead of a new epic adventure of Garion and friends all I’d been reading was a rehashing of The Belgariad, which disappointed me and made me more than a little sad — though I couldn’t admit it back then.

Buy The Malloreon, Vol. 1  at Amazon.

8. Deverry by Katharine Kerr

10307872This classic, epic saga is found among many readers’ most beloved fantasy series, and, honestly, I wish I had a very eloquent reason for why I’ve never warmed to it, but I don’t. You see, I willingly concede Kerr’s work has masterful world-building, complex character development, a unique magic system, and even does a great job of bringing Welsh culture to life. However, I just do not like the books. What’s worse is I’ve tried very hard to like them, reading Daggerspell three times and attempting Darkspell on each occasion only to stop in frustration at my sheer boredom.  For that reason, Deverry is a disappointment to me.

Buy Daggerspell at Amazon.

a crown for cold silver7. The Crimson Empire by Alex Marshall

This was a well-written story which made certain to use every one of the grimdark tropes.  The only problem was the caricature characters, the ridiculous plots, and a tendency to favor shocking moments over well thought out plot lines.  Certainly, the book had potential, but it just did not measure up to superior books in the grimdark genre.  All of which meant that this one was a huge disappointment.

Purchase A Crown for Cold Silver at Amazon.

the mirror empire6. Worldbreaker Saga by Kameron Hurley

Great cover.  Tremendous hype.  An award winning author.  And a story of a recurring cataclysm about to strike an unsuspecting world, turning everyone against one another, as worlds collide.  Unfortunately, this epic had loads and loads of problems from plot to pacing to characters.  If you are interested in all the reasons why this one disappointed me, then I have a lengthy review posted here as well.

Buy  at Amazon. 

half a king5. Shattered Sea by Joe Abercrombie

Perhaps my expectations were set too high when I picked this young adult grimdark up, but in my defense, I’d heard such praise for Abercrombie’s work that I knew this trilogy was going to be great.  But it wasn’t.  Good, perhaps.  Adequate, maybe.  Not great though.  Yarvi’s story and the world feeling familiar, unexciting, and meh, if you will.  What made it worse was that each book grew worse in my eyes, not better.  Overall, the trilogy was a bitter disappointment for me personally.

Buy at Amazon. 

4. The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb
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The Farseer Trilogy follows the life of Fitz, bastard son of the king-in-waiting Chivalry, who is trained to become a royal assassin.  Unfortunately, I never finished the series back in the late 1990s, as I found it to be the most depressing story I had ever read up to that time.  Truly, I had never experienced a story with so many idiotic heroes, so many unredeemed villains, and so many horrible catastrophes occurring to characters. I’m not ruling out giving this series another try one day, but all I know is I am going to need better anti-depression medication to get through it.

Buy Assassin’s Apprentice at Amazon.

3. Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by Tad Williams
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This trilogy is a classic; experts praising its wonderful world building, its magnificent characterization, and its Tolkien-esque touches. I, however, found it to be horribly boring.  This epic journey a bloated, formulaic trip to no where.  The tale lacking suspense, devoid of surprises. Instead, it was the familiar fantasy trope of simple boy leaves the kitchen to journey across the land until everything is resolved by a nice, neat ending. My disappointment so great after finishing this trilogy that I’ve never read Tad Williams again.

Buy The Dragonbone Chair at Amazon.

THE WARDED MAN2. Demon Cycle by Peter Brett

This tale of a world ravaged by demons every night with humankind cowering behind warded walls really sparked my imagination.  Book one truly one of the best fantasy novels I’d read in many years.  But then book two and three came out and rehashed the same old story over and over again.  I’m not sure if book four turned things around, because by that point I was done with the series.  Huge disappointment after the brilliance of The Warded Man.

Buy The Mirror Empire: Worldbreaker Saga 1 at Amazon. 

1. Winterlands by Barbara Hambly
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Dragonsbane was a fantasy standalone which was light, naive, filled with likable characters and headlined by an endearing couple. so this return to this world and these characters seemed like an amazing idea.  However, the Winterlands trilogy was disappointing in every way with Ms. Hambly tormenting the main characters from Dragonsbane, John Aversin and Jenny Waynest, in a ridiculous way, tearing both their relationship and their personalities apart. It was so bad the author reversed directions in the last book, turning it into something of apology to her fans, who had loudly voiced their displeasure with the series. All in all, reading this trilogy was a bitter disappointing in many ways, one I wish I could forget.

Buy Dragonshadow at Amazon.

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY BEST OF FANTASY LISTS.

Posted in Fantasy, Lists | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

SOJOURN by RON MARZ and GREG LAND

Posted on March 25, 2014 by Bookwraiths

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My rating is 3 out of 5 stars.

Back in the day, there was a comic publisher that decided to take on the Big Two (DC and Marvel) by doing something different. Headed by the creative team of Barbara Kesel, Mark Waid and Ron Marz, CrossGen comics began publishing stories based not on superheroes but non-traditional comic fare, such as fantasy (Mystic), science fiction (Crux), Victorian detective (Ruse), and samurai action adventure (The Path). Not only that, but CrossGen became one of the first comic publishers to sell subscription to their comics on the internet, allowing subscribers to view all CrossGen’s titles through their web browser. Unfortunately, after some initial success, CrossGen went bankrupt a few years later, but it is easy to enjoy these old series through some really nice trade paperbacks like Sojourn Vol. 1: From the Ashes, which reprints the Sojourn Prequel and issues #1-6.

This epic fantasy series is set in the Five Lands of the planet Quin, which are inhabited by different races. Like most classical fantasy tales, Sojourn employs the standard plot devices of the genre – things like evil-world-conqueror-with-no-redeeming-qualities, hero-who-has-lost-everything-now-determined-for-revenge, and mysterious-magical-entity-helping-guide-hero-for-unknown-reason. Here the “bad guy” is one Mordath, who was killed in the past by a god-like figure named Ayden, but who has now been resurrected and has unleashed unending war and slaughter on the five lands. Opposing this would-be conqueror is a woman archer named Arwyn (I have no idea where the writer got this fantasy name from, do you?) who has her life ripped apart when her city and her family are destroyed by Mordath’s rampaging armies. Thereafter, our beautiful heroine determines to kill Mordath no matter the cost, and so she sets out with her loyal dog Kreeg to do just that.

Along her way to vengeance, Arwyn finds an unlooked for and unlikely partner in the famed one-eyed archer Gareth, who is basically Han Solo with an eyepatch and bow. Together, the two companions and their faithful dog stumble from one intense action scene to another. They fight. They run. They kill. They are almost killed. And the whole time, they continue to look like super models stepping off the page of a fashion magazine. But the one thing that they do not do is kill Mordath in this collection, and that is because of something I like to call the epic quest.

EPIC QUEST WARNING! EPIC QUEST WARNING! EPIC QUEST WARNING!

Oh yes, as our two would-be saviors of the five lands bumble their way toward vengeance at any cost, they find themselves saved from certain death by a mysterious sorceress named Neven, and it is she, who in her fantastically obtuse way, explains to Arwyn that she must set forth on an epic quest to recover the pieces of a legendary arrow of Ayden. Only when these pieces are reunited can Mordath be killed. And thus, the ongoing plot line of the comic series is established.

As for the art in this collection, I am somewhat torn in my appreciation for it. On one hand, it is filled with great eye-candy artwork by Greg Land that really pops off the page when you are reading and is filled with cheesecake image after cheesecake image. However, that beautiful artwork is also full of Greg Land’s normal problems of drawing everyone as a super model, having a limited number of male and female models for his characters, and struggling to portray character movement on the page. To further illustrate what I mean, let me point out a few specific details of the art in this collection.

1) Gareth and Arwyn are stunningly beautiful; both of them could have walked off a design show catwalk. Even when they are grieving for dead family, chained in a dungeon, or crawling through sewage, both of them do not have a hair out of place on their gorgeous heads. While that is the norm for a lot of comics, it is so bad in this collection that the character’s impeccable looks make the story unbelievable, because their expressions and poses do not mimic the narrative. I mean, how can Arwyn be posing like she is on the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover when she is grieving over a dead child?

2) Many times while reading Sojourn, I had to remind myself that this comic was not The Uncanny X-Men, because Gareth looks amazingly like Scott Summers (Cyclops) from Land’s run there and Arwyn is the twin sister of Emma Frost. Who knew Sojourn was an alternate Marvel world?

3) During fights, Arwyn looks like she is posing for a photo shoot rather than actually drawing her bow or punching an enemy. I’m all for cheesecake pictures in comics, but once again, Land takes this to the extreme in my mind.

After reading Sojourn Vol. 1: From the Ashes, all I can say is that – even with its issues – it was a fun, action adventure comic. Honestly, it is best described as a bubble gum version of the Lord of the Rings movies with action galore, sappy morality, and a few laughs. When you add in a couple of likeable heroes in Arwyn and Gareth, a despicable villain to hate in Mordath plus a loyal dog, you have a paperback version of your latest Hollywood blockbuster action film. Well worth the price of a used copy!

Purchase the graphic novel at Amazon.

Posted in Graphic Novels, S & S | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

MALICE by JOHN GWYNNE

Posted on March 24, 2014 by Bookwraiths

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Malice by John Gwynne

Genre: Fantasy

Series: The Faithful and the Fallen #1

Publisher: Tor (December 2, 2012)

Author Information:Website

Length: 640 pages

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Malice by John Gwynne is the first book in The Faithful and the Fallen series, and it is an epic fantasy that has flown under the radar of a lot of fantasy aficionados. After reading it, I can understand that to some extent, because – in this time when grimdark and its close cousins are all the rage – Malice is more of a classic fantasy story with many of the tropes that go along with that term. However, where some novels might flounder under those classic themes, Malice embraces them, turning them into a very engaging and entertaining story; one that any fantasy lover will find themselves enjoying.

The story begins in the familiar vein of a disgruntled young man turning to evil entities for power. In this case, it is one Evnis, who, as the second son of a noble house, feels himself mocked and overshadowed by his older brother. Thus, he turns to an ancient demon for succor, and so finds himself standing before a magical fire, watching as a man is sacrificed to call forth his chosen benefactor. This ancient enemy of the world promises untold power to Evnis in return for Evnis himself. With some doubts, the youth agrees to the trade.

From here the tale skips forward in time several decades. (A plot devise that I generally hate, but here it fits nicely.) Now, we see Evnis as a man, married with a child and grown in power, as the chief counselor to the King of Ardan. Perhaps he is not the ultimate power in his land, but Evnis is still an important figure at court, and he is happy with his life. His love for his wife having overshadowed his hunger for power and cast back the darkness within himself for a time. However, Evnis’ wife is deathly ill, and with her death, there looms a chasm of darkness, not only for Evnis but for all the lands.

For in The Banished Lands, there is an ancient prophecy of a coming war between the gods. A time when the great demon himself, Asroth, will seek to destroy the world. But before this calamity takes place, there will be by dire signs of its eminence: bleeding stones, war between man and giant, and a day when the noon day sun turns black. At this time, there will arise in the land the champions of the gods: The Bright Star (champion of good) and The Black Sun (champion of evil), and all people will choose sides with one or the other, as the whole world is swept up in war and darkness and death.

From this point, Mr. Gwynne uses multiple characters to develop the story, and even if many are standard fantasy fare, they are well written, fully developed, and uniquely entertaining.

On one side of the land, we have the Kingdom of Ardan, where the young boy, Corban, is growing up in a small fishing village outside the walls of Dun Carreg, fortress-city of King Brenin of Ardan. Young Corban’s life is an idyllic mixture of friendship, family, and faith. He deals with childlike concerns even as he learns the fighting skills to become a man. And beside him much of the time is his sister Cywen, a dagger throwing, tough talking, and ferocious young woman, who is always in the center of the action. Plus let us not forget that the villainous Evnis lurks nearby; the darkness twisting within his soul only waiting for a time to erupt and consume all his enemies.

Seemingly a world away from Ardan is the Kingdoms of Tenebral and Isiltir. Here we are allowed to experience the complex pattern of human nature by Veradis and Kastell. Two young nobles from different kingdoms, who find themselves coming together as friends before being swept apart by their choices and fate itself.

Veradis is a warrior born and bred, sent to the capital city of Tenebral to earn both respect and experience in service to his king. Soon, however, our young swordsman finds himself the fast friend of Prince Nathair of Tenebral; a brilliant youth who is the epitome of all a future king should be: handsome, strong, eloquent, brave, and enlightened. And Veradis finds himself rising to heights of authority and power he had never dreamt of attaining, but he soon finds that the web of friendship, respect, and adoration that ties him to Nathair also has a dark side, for the Prince of Tenebral dreams of more than following in his father’s footsteps as king but of becoming something even more legendary: The Bright One himself.

Kastell, on the other hand, is a man bereft of his home and family, having been raised by his uncle, the King of Isiltir, and embroiled in a life long rivalry with his cousin, Jael. A rivalry that has evolved to the point that it has become a life or death contest; one that cannot be quenched even by order of the king. Thus, Kastell and his ever loyal friend Maquin find themselves attempting to find their own way in the world away from the shadow of the throne of Isiltir. However, no matter how far they run from Kastell’s cousin fate seems to draw them back; the inevitable confrontation of Kastell and Jael surely to result in the death of one or both of them.

When you mix these entertaining characters with great lore, some nice battles, ferocious giants, sinuous wyrms, mighty draigs, and fearsome wolven, you have a really enjoyable classic, fantasy tale. Sure, many might say the story starts off a little sluggish, as Mr. Gwynne gets the set up put in the place and introduces all these characters, but once the tale starts moving forward it is quite the enjoyable ride.

Does Malice reinvent the fantasy genre?

No.

Is it worth a read?

Absolutely. It is a solid start to an intriguing epic fantasy series. I enjoyed it immensely by the end and look forward to reading further about this world. Hopefully, you will give it a try and join me in this journey through the God-War.

Netgalley and 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.

Purchase the novel at Amazon.

Posted in Epic, Fantasy, High | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments

THE FOREVER ENGINE by FRANK CHADWICK

Posted on March 19, 2014 by Bookwraiths

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My rating is 3 out of 5 stars.

The Forever Engine by Frank Chadwick is a genre bender novel that mixes equal parts steampunk, alternate history, science fiction, and fantasy to create something new and interesting. Please understand going into this read that Mr. Chadwick co-created a role playing game called Space: 1889, and this novel is set in the steampunk world of that game. In fact, this book is very much like a Dragonlance or Forgotten Realms novel in that it almost serves as a walk through of the role playing world, giving a reader fantastic details of this alternative reality Victorian England of Space: 1889 and its vast history. Do not think, however, that this book is all source book material, because it definitely has a fast paced and action filled story. In fact, the plot lines move forward so fast that it reads more like a movie screen play than a book, and some reviewers description of The Forever Engine as a “gritty and raw work” is probably very accurate.

The book begins with Jack Fargo, ancient history professor, being called in as a consultant on a secret experiment being conducted in England. Even though Jack is just there to consult on a mysterious Roman coin, he gets caught up in an unfortunate accident that sends him shooting backwards through time to the year 1888. However, not only has Jack slipped backward in time but he has also left our reality for a parallel one.

Once our brave professor regains his bearing, he finds himself in an alternative turn of the century Victorian England, where the South has won the American Civil War, flying steamships dominate the skies, space travel is an accepted part of every day life, and there is even an earth colony on Mars. Not only that, but Jack immediately finds himself immersed in a convoluted political situation, forced to choose sides in this world’s conflicts, and finds himself actively fighting to save this world from its own problems – even as he desperately seeks a way back to his own time.

Overall, this book is just what I assumed it would be: an action adventure tale wrapped in the standard steampunk surroundings of steamships, gadgets, airships, and Victorian England with more than a dash of intrigue added. The characters in The Forever Engine were mostly interesting, even if they were a bit one dimensional at times, and Mr. Chadwick does a good job of adding in famous people from the time period albeit changing them enough to suite their alternative reality world. The action sequences in the book were adequately described, and a measure of suspense was maintained throughout the novel. However, where Mr. Chadwick excels is in the massive amount of history and background material that he provides about this wonderful steampunk world. Here a reader is given vast amounts of information on the world, its history, and its weapons of war until the setting becomes as real to you as our own modern day reality.

With all that being said, I had some issues with The Forever Engine that I’d like to explore briefly. Feel free to stop now and not have to read anything negative about this novel if it is a favorite of yours. If, after carefully consideration on your part, you decide to continue reading, please do not get upset by any criticisms you might see in the next few paragraphs, because – like Stephen King at the end of The Dark Tower Saga – I am warning you that you might not like the ending here.

1) Jack is way over powered and his skill set too conveniently correct for his adventure. I realize that this might seem a strange complaint to make, but let me explain what I mean. You see, it was just chance that brought Jack Fargo to the secret laboratory on that fateful day when he was sent back in time, but in all honest, it must have been fate, because no other time traveler could have been more suited for the trip ahead. Who else except for Jack Fargo would have had the exact sort of skills that he needed to survive in this alternative steampunk world? I can’t think of anyone. And not only does Jack survive but he excels. I mean, once he is in the alternative world, Jack uses his vast knowledge of history, physics, political persons, era specific military equipment, and his linguistic ability to survive and vanquish his enemies. All I can say is Thank God the lab “accident” happened when a man so immensely suited to this time traveling predicament just happened to be there. I mean, think what would have happened if the janitor had been sent back through time.

2) Setting aside the issue of Jack’s skill set for a moment, let us turn to his characterization in this novel. Basically, Jack is your classic Hollywood action adventure hero. This guy pops out of nowhere claiming he is from an alternative world, but instead of being labeled crazy or whatever, he is quickly accepted into the “cool” group. Not only is Jack in the cool group of people, but somehow, he is also the smartest guy in the group, the toughest guy in the group, the guy with the most modern, enlightened sensibilities, and the cool guy who gets the most beautiful, bad ass female as his girlfriend. I mean, Jack has it made. How could he fail?

3) This novel is told from Jack’s first person perspective. I generally do not like first person narratives. It is a personal issue I have. Now, I admit that there have been first person narratives that I have liked (See Mark Lawrence’s Prince of Thorns,) but most of the time, I find these types of novels disappointing. Unfortunately, The Forever Engine was one of the first person narratives I did not enjoy. Just one of those things, I suppose.

4) As I mentioned above, this novel is filled to overflowing with details about this richly imagined steampunk world. As a lover of history and alternative history, I adore this sort of stuff. However, an author has to walk a fine line when spoon feeding a reader vast quantities of lore, because if you provide too much the book readers like a role playing campaign source book, and to me, Mr. Chadwick went past this unseen line, becoming so determined to regurgitate facts that the actual plot and characters became lost in the world building.

Even with its many problems, I decided to give The Forever Engine three stars. It is probably closer to 2 ½ stars, but I am giving Mr. Chadwick credit for the marvelous alternate universe he has dreamed up. This imaginative world is well worth reading about, and hopefully, in the next story, the main character will not be so “over powered” and have to actually struggle with the problems facing him. All in all, the novel is a solid first book in a new series (Does anyone actually believe this is a one shot?) and it definitely has potential going forward.

Netgalley and 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.

Purchase this novel at Amazon.

Posted in Alternative History, Cross-Genre, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Steampunk, Time Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Top Eleven Fantasy Or Science Fiction Characters I’d Love To Have A Beer With

Posted on March 16, 2014 by Bookwraiths

The other day a blog I follow asked the question “What literary character would you like to have a beer with?” Naturally, I thought about it, and I came up with a host of people that I would love to hang out with, drink a beer with, and just sit around swapping stories with – if these guys actually existed of course.

When trying to weed my list down to a manageable ten, I couldn’t get there. I did find a way to get to eleven, but even then, I found that there were some fantasy and science fiction characters that just had to be put together, because I could not imagine handing a beer to one without the other being there waiting for theirs, so you will notice that in my list there are groups of people as well as individuals. Perhaps this is cheating, but it is my list, and I get to set the rules.

Anyway, here are my “TOP ELEVEN FANTASY OR SCIENCE FICTION CHARACTERS I’D LOVE TO HAVE A BEER WITH.”


11. Count Renato Biagio of John Marco’s Tyrants and Kings trilogy.
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Some character believe themselves to be devious. Whether they use this deviousness for good or bad is somewhat irrelevant. Biagio is definitely in the upper echelon of the “Devious Characters” club. He is one of those people who puts things into motion and sits back watching as his multi-layered plans begin to unfold like a piece of paper being turned into an origami masterpiece. Hell, Biagio is so devious even his spies do not know how many other spies are spying on them. The dude has a mind like a spider weaving a lethal web, and I’d love to sit around and listen to him give me the inside scope on one of his Ocean Eleven type plans — if he didn’t kill me first.

Read more about John Marco’s Tyrants and Kings trilogy at SFSignal or at Bookwraith’s 17 Overlooked Fantasy Series List

10. Royce and Hadrian of The Riyrian Chronicles.
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The fantasy buddy duo for the twenty-first century. Royce is the slit your throat in a heartbeat type, while Hadrian is the amiable one, who wants to become your best friend. Together, they are interesting and absolutely hilarious, especially when they start arguing with one another. After a few beers, I’m sure they would be great fun to chat with.

See my reviews of three of the novels in the series.
Theft of Swords The Crown Tower The Rose and the Thorn

9. Belgarath the Wolf and Polgara the Sorceress.
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I fell in love with David Eddings’ characters when I was a teenager, and my adoration lasted into my early twenties. After all these years, I still think of all the guys and girls and gods in The Belgariad and The Mallorean as my old friends, so if I was going to drink a beer and swap lies with someone, I have to include Belgarath, because he is the ultimate storyteller, and Polgara, because not only is she beautiful and bossy and sharp tongued but — I also had a huge crush on her when I was a teenager (There I admitted it.) Getting together would be like going to my twentieth high school reunion again.

See my review of the first book in the series.
Pawn of Prophecy

8. Rand, Perrin, and Mat from The Wheel of Time.
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Even though I have not had the courage to finish this epic fantasy series, I’d love to have these guys tell me all about their fun times growing up in the Two Rivers, their adventures in their previous lives, and explain to me why their story had to be drug out over fourteen books. Hell, I’ll even share notes with Rand about how no one understands women, and one of them can explain to me how I could ever trust an Aes Sedai. Maybe by the time we are finished with our chat, I will actually have found the courage and determination to start a reread of this massive series (even the middle books of their story where very little happens) and finish the Wheel of Time, which at one time was my second favorite fantasy of all times – just behind the Lord of the Rings.

7. Roland Deschain, Jake Chambers, Oy, Eddie Dean and Susannah Dean.
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Stephen King, I have major problems with how you finished The Dark Tower saga. Hell, I now refer to the ending as the “Abyss of Bad Endings.” (Yes, I am in the process of copyrighting that.) But you know what I can’t complain about, Mr. King? I cannot say one bad thing about this group of memorable characters that you introduced me to. I love each and every one of them, and I would be honored to sit around a camp fire with them, drinking a beer and listening to the Gunslinger tell another story about the world before it moved on.

See my reviews of three of the novels in the series.
The Gunslinger Wolves of the Calla The Dark Tower Book VII

6. Caramon, Raistlin, Tanis, Sturm, Tasselhoff, Flint, Goldmoon, Riverwind, Lauranna, and Tika of the Dragonlance Chronicles.
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This is another group of people I grew up with. Perhaps we might not be friends if I met them now (I am much older and grumpier) but just like Belgarath and Polgara, these are people who helped me get through my awkward teenage years. Sitting around a table drinking beer with them would be just like hanging out with my high school buddies talking about old times. The stories would get bigger, and our parts in it more glorious, especially the more beers we drank.

5. Ingold Inglorion of the Darwath trilogy.
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If Gandalf is the epitome of wizardly class and wisdom, then Ingold is the pinnacle of wizardly badassy-ness. He will strike you down with magic. He will cut you up with a sword. If that doesn’t work, he will just cut you to ribbons with his tongue. His friends know he will be the last one to leave the fight, and his enemies recognize him as the person who needs to die first. He is wise, powerful, and one hell of a mentor. On top of all this, Ingold is the only one who might be able to save his entire planet from nearly invisible creatures called the Dark, whose meal of choice is humankind. Talk about a little bit of pressure. But even in horrible circumstances, everyone can always depend on Ingold, because he is the solid rock that will not fail. Sure, Gandalf is great, but has Gandalf ever been on a cover of his trilogy drinking a beer? Nope. But Ingold has, and that is why I’d love to drink a few and get Ingold to show me how to open a portal to another world.

Read more about the Darwath Trilogy. 17 Overlooked Fantasy Series

4. Apollo, Starbuck, and Boomer of the original Battlestar Galactica.
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Yeap, another group of favorites from my childhood. While I loved the updated BSG from the last decade, my heart will always belong to this trio who blasted up cyclons before heading back to the ship for a game of pyramid and a good cigar. They laughed, loved, and basically made this Star Wars copycat one my favorite sci fi series of all times. Sure guys, I’ll have a drink, but no, I’m not dressing up in those ridiculous uniforms and playing triad with you.

3. Croaker and Lady from The Black Company series by Glen Cook.
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Croaker is my kind of guy: loves history, seen it all, cynical about all the crap in life, and doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty. Along with Croaker comes his Lady, who is/was one of the greatest magic users of her world, conquered a continental empire, ruled the Taken (similar to the Ringwraiths), has a heart blacker than most yet has a tiny sliver of goodness hiding underneath all that black leather. Together, these two have always been my favorite fantasy couple, and I’d love to have a drink with them and just listen to them talk. Maybe, Croaker won’t even notice that I have a horrible thing for Lady.

2. Merry, Pippin, Samwise, Frodo, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Gandalf, and even Boromir of the Lord of the Rings.
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What could be better than sitting around in Rivendell with these guys, sharing a few and listening to some elvish poetry. So would I laugh with the hobbits, or would I participate in a drinking game with Legolas and Gimli? I could get Boromir to tell me some war stories from Gondor, or I could try to get Aragorn to come out of his shell and laugh a little bit. Plus, I would have to find time to talk to Gandalf, maybe even beg for a few fireworks from him. But mostly, I would just sit there star struck with this group of people who turned me into a fantasy fan for life.

1. Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, Chewbacca, R2-D2, and C-3PO.
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Cue the Star Wars music please. The ultimate group of buddies. They argue with one another, laugh together, and always have one another’s back. While the movies themselves may be showing their age, these characters will always be iconic to me, and I’d love to sit in a cantina somewhere and make a toast to them with my mug of Alderaan beer. Nuff said!

See my reviews of two of the many great Star Wars novels and graphic novels. Star Wars: Razor’s Edge Star Wars Legacy

That is my list. Who are your favorites?

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY BEST OF FANTASY LISTS.

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