TOP THREE THURSDAY

Posted on August 9, 2018 by Bookwraiths

top3thursday

Welcome to Top Three Thursday! This is a weekly feature I’ve decided to host from this day forward.  A day where I can post a short list on different topics I’ve been thinking about.  The focus this time out is: WHY SHOULD I READ THESE!

Yes, you guessed it: a day where someone (maybe you!) can try to convince me to give certain fantasy books/series a try.  But I have to warn you it’s going to be tough to do.  The reason is I’m already leaning toward not reading them.

Wait though.  Don’t give up yet.  I just wanted to warn you to bring your best, give it your all, because there is still a shot at changing my mind.  Obviously, I found these books appealing enough to consider, so there is a small ember of interest which one of you could fan into a flame of desire!

timeless3. TIMELESS  by R.A. SALVATORE 

It wasn’t too terribly long ago (October 2016) when the conclusion to The Legend of Drizzt hit shelves; Mr. Salvatore tying up most of the long running series plot threads and leaving our hero in a place of peace with a new life before him.  But now we have another Drizzt book. *SIGH* At this point, I can’t really care, because I’ve already said my goodbyes to this character and all my other favorites.  Can anyone convince me why I should feel excited about this release?

Purchase Timeless: A Drizzt Novel at Amazon

lady henterman's wardrobe2. MARADAINE by MARSHALL RYAN MARESCA

Mr. Maresca is a damn prolific writer with around 9 Maradaine novels already (or soon to be) in publication.  Obviously, there are loads of fans for his work, lovers of this world and the fantasy characters he has created.  Problem is that I can’t get very excited about diving into any of these stories.  I’ve read reviews of more than a few of them, tried to talk myself in giving one a go, but the descriptions always put me off.  I’m thinking I’m just not the target audience for this series, which is fine, but I decided I’d let you guys try to persuade me otherwise.

Purchase Lady Henterman’s Wardrobe at Amazon

Foundryside RD4 clean flat1.  FOUNDRYSIDE by ROBERT JACKSON BENNETT 

Initially I was pretty excited for this novel: Mr. Bennett having delivered some solid stories with his The Divine Cities series.  Then I started reading the early reviews for this book,, and while those reviews were very positive they left me feeling a bit underwhelmed.  My main problem was that most reviewers talk about what a wonderful job the author did of scientifically explaining his magic system of scrying (i.e. the process of making an item believe it is something else).  While that sounds cool, the actual plot sounds like every other YA fantasy published this decade, which isn’t cool.  Tell me why I’m wrong.

Purchase Foundryside: A Novel (The Founders Trilogy) at Amazon 

Okay, I’ve laid my proverbial cards out on the table, shown my hand, so now take a turn trying to convince me I’m wrong and should be excited about any or all of these three books/series.  I dare you!

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WAITING ON WEDNESDAY: PORT OF SHADOWS

Posted on August 8, 2018 by Bookwraiths

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Waiting on Wednesday is a meme I’ve participated in for years which lets readers share their excitement for books coming out soon, and this week the story I’m eagerly awaiting is . . .

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port of shadowsPort of Shadows by Glen Cook

Genre: Fantasy – Grimdark

Series: Chronicles of the Black Company #1.5 

Publisher: Tor Books (September 11, 2018)

Length: 400 pages

The soldiers of the Black Company don’t ask questions, they get paid. But being “The Lady’s favored” is attracting the wrong kind of attention and has put a target on their backs, and the Company’s historian, Croaker, has the biggest target of all.

The one person who was taken into The Lady’s Tower and returned unchanged has earned the special interest of the court of sorcerers known as The Ten Who Were Taken. Now, he and the company are being asked to seek the aid of their newest member, Mischievous Rain, to break a rebel army. However, Croaker doesn’t trust any of the Taken, especially not ones that look so much like The Lady and her sister…

Purchase the book at Amazon

Posted in Waiting on Wednesday | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

FRIDAY FACE OFF JULY 27, 2018

Posted on July 27, 2018 by Bookwraiths

friday-face-off

Welcome to the Friday Face-Off, a weekly meme created by Books by Proxy. Join us every Friday as we pit cover against cover, and publisher against publisher, to find the best artwork in the literary universe.  If you want to join us next week, check out next week’s predetermined theme, choose a book, compare two or more different covers available for that book, then name your favorite. A list of future weeks’ themes are available at Lynn’s Book Blog

This week’s theme is:

“I saw huge buildings rise up faint and fair, and pass like dreams.”

– a steampunk cover!”

Anyone want to guess what my selection this week is going to feature?

I’ll give you a hint: You’ll see it pass you by in the sky!

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AND THE WINNER IS . . .

drumroll

 

romulus buckle 1

Yeah, I’m cheating a little this week, comparing two book covers from an ongoing series, but I don’t really care, because I’m in charge of the meme on my page.  Right?  Plus, I can’t think of any steampunks that I’ve read (that is only a handful) which capture the feel of the genre better than these. Zeppelins and crazy contraptions just scream steampunk to me, and Romulus Buckle is all zeppelins all the time.

So, do you agree with my pick?  Disagree?  Love them all?  Hate them all?  Let us know!

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TOP THREE THURSDAY

Posted on July 26, 2018 by Bookwraiths

top3thursday

Welcome to Top Three Thursday! This is a weekly feature I’ve decided to host from this day forward.  A day where I can post a short list on different topics I’ve been thinking about.  The focus this time out is: THREE SERIES I’M NEVER GOING TO TRY!

I’m going to go ahead and admit there are a lot more than three series out there I have no interest in.  Series like Harry Potter come to mind immediately.  But I don’t want to go back in time.  Nope, I want to keep this short list topical, focused on the current day, so my picks are books with some current buzz that I find horribly dull and have no interest in spending money to read.

spinning silver3. Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

The latest novel from Novik has already garnered 3,644 ratings over at Goodreads with a 4.41 star rating.  The top reviewers gush that this book is “enchanting“, “mystical“, and “an instant classic.” So, obviously, I should desperately want to read it, but I don’t.  It doesn’t sound at all like something I’d be entertained by, but then again more and more fantasy novels really aren’t targeted to my demographic, so I’m not surprised.

Purchase Spinning Silver at Amazon.

age of war2. Age of War by Michael J. Sullivan

I was a fan of Michael J. Sullivan’s Riyria novels; the light-hearted “buddy” stories of Hadrian and Royce a nice change of pace from the dark, serious and epic nature of most fantasy series. The Legends of the First Empire hasn’t really been to my taste though.  This is mainly because, in my opinion, Sullivan’s writing style is best suited for fast-paced action and Whedonesque quips, and this series is suppose to be EPIC, and Sullivan doesn’t really do epic well for me personally.

Purchase Age of War: Book Three at Amazon.

empire of ashes1 . The Empire of Ashes by Anthony Ryan

Please forgive me when I say this, but I am so God awful tired of fantasy stories about dragons (called drakes in this series).  I know, I know that is sacrilegious for me to type, yet it is the truth.  I’m also growing bored with cyberpunk worlds, magic systems based on ingesting something (metal in Mistborn, gunpowder in Powder Mage), and world building of Malazan complexity. I’m burned out on all those elements, which is why I can’t bring myself to care about this series.

Purchase The Empire of Ashes (The Draconis Memoria) at Amazon.

Well, those are my three.  Agree?  Disagree?  Want to let us know which 3 books you aren’t excited about, please let us know!

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WAITING ON WEDNESDAY: PRIEST OF BONES

Posted on July 11, 2018 by Bookwraiths

waiting-on-wednesday
Waiting on Wednesday is a meme I’ve participated in for years which lets readers share their excitement for books coming out soon, and this week the story I’m eagerly awaiting is . . .

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priest of bonesPriest of Bones by Peter McLean

Genre: Fantasy – Grimdark

Series: War for the Rose Throne #1

Publisher: Ace Books (October 2, 2018)

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Length: 352 pages

The first in a brand new dark and gritty epic fantasy series, where a crime boss comes home from the war only to find that his businesses have been stolen from him.

It’s a dangerous thing, to choose the lesser of two evils.

The war is over, and army priest Tomas Piety finally heads home with Lieutenant Bloody Anne at his side. When he arrives in the Stink, Tomas finds that his empire of crime has been stolen from him while at war. With his gang of Pious Men, Tomas will do whatever it takes to reclaim his businesses. But when he finds himself dragged into a web of political intrigue once again, and is forced to work in secret for the sinister Queen’s Men, everything gets more complicated.

When loyalties stretch to the breaking point and violence only leads to violence, when people have run out of food, and hope, and places to hide, do not be surprised if they have also run out of mercy. As the Pious Men fight shadowy foreign infiltrators in the backstreet taverns and gambling dens of Tomas’s old life it becomes clear; the war is not over.

It is only just beginning.

Purchase the book at Amazon

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Posted on July 10, 2018 by Bookwraiths

what-you-need-to-know

I seldom plug projects on GoFundMe, Indiegogo, or other funding websites, but the other day I stumbled across a really cool, exciting, and great looking comic project over on Indiegogo.  The cover image and description grabbing my attention, leading me to check out the creator/artist Mitch Breitweiser’s YouTube channel, The Last Comic Artist.  This talented artist and his co-creators’s excitement and plans for the project getting me even more interested, causing me to fund it.  And I thought I’d share it with you guys, so you can take a look and see if it is something you might be interested in funding.

RED ROOSTER: GOLDEN AGE

“LIGHT BRAVES THE DARKNESS, DARKNESS FEARS THE DAWN.”

For centuries, the mantle of The Red Rooster has passed from generation to generation to fight mankind’s most ancient and terrible evils.  Now Frank Cooper must rise to the challenge, as a cabal of his most notorious villains conspire to ruin him and The Red Rooster Legacy forever!

Created & illustrated by Mitch Breitweiser (Captain America, Drax)
Colored by Elizabeth Breitweiser (Batman, Winter Soldier)
Scripted by Mark Pellegrini (BlackHOPS)
60 Pages

 

red rooster

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redroosterorder

For those interested in a deep dive into the world, characters, and plot of the Red Rooster, Mark and Mitch hosted Edwin Boyette for an extended chat to discuss his reactions to the script here.

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WAITING ON WEDNESDAY: KNEE-DEEP IN GRIT

Posted on June 20, 2018 by Bookwraiths

waiting-on-wednesday
Waiting on Wednesday is a meme I’ve participated in for years which lets readers share their excitement for books coming out soon, and this week the story I’m eagerly awaiting is . . .

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knee deep in gritKnee-Deep in Grit by Adrian Collins & Mike Myers

Genre: Fantasy – Grimdark

Series: Anthology

Publisher: Grimdark Magazine (June 30, 2018)

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Length: 380 pages

Get knee-deep in grit with twenty-six grimdark fantasy and sci-fi short stories from the shadowy vaults of Grimdark Magazine. The top names in dark speculative fiction and the genre’s brightest newcomers bring you stories of war, betrayal, violence, and greed, as anti-heroes and adversaries fight to the bittersweet end.

For the first time, two years of fiction from Grimdark Magazine are printed on dead trees and bound together like captive slaves to be read or reread and proudly placed among your favourite tomes on your bookshelf.

Knee-Deep in Grit features short stories by authors including Mark Lawrence, Aliette de Bodard, Adrian Tchaikovsky, R. Scott Bakker, Kelly Sandoval, James A. Moore, and Victor Milan.

Purchase the book at Amazon

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FUNDAY MONDAY, OR THE BOOKS THAT WILL HELP ME SURVIVE THE WEEK AHEAD (JUNE 18, 2018)

Posted on June 18, 2018 by Bookwraiths

funday-monday

Another week begins.  I quickly slip into my business suit and head back into the office to save a few innocent people. While I try to fool myself into being excited about the promise of a new week and the continuation of the regular grind, deep down, I’m not, so I’m going to escape dreary reality by finally reading a book I’ve had on my tbr for too long!
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in the eye of heavenIn the Eye of Heaven by David Keck

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Tales of Durand #1

Publisher: Tor (March 6, 2007)

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Length:  446 pages

From a strong new voice in epic fantasy comes the tale of Durand, a good squire trying to become a good knight in a harsh and unforgiving world.

Set to inherit the lordship of a small village in his father’s duchy because the knight of that village has been bereaved of his own son, Durand must leave when the son unexpectedly turns up alive.

First he falls in with a band of knights working for a vicious son of a duke and ends up participating in the murder of the duke’s adulterous wife. Fleeing, he comes into the service of a disgraced second son of a duke, Lamoric, who is executing a long subterfuge to try to restore his honor in the eyes of his father, family, and king. By entering tournaments anonymously as “The Red Knight,” Durand will demonstrate his heroism and prowess and be drafted into the honors of the king.

But conspiracies are afoot–dark plots that could break the oaths which bind the kingdom and the duchies together and keep the banished monsters at bay. It may fall to Durand to save the world of Man…

Authentic and spellbinding, In the Eye of Heaven weaves together the gritty authenticity of a Glen Cook with the high-medieval flair epitomized by Gene Wolfe’s The Knight, to begin an epic multi-volume tale that will take the fantasy world by storm.

Purchase at Amazon.

Posted in Epic, Fantasy, Funday Monday | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

FRIDAY FACE OFF JUNE 15, 2018

Posted on June 15, 2018 by Bookwraiths

friday-face-off

Welcome to the Friday Face-Off, a weekly meme created by Books by Proxy. Join us every Friday as we pit cover against cover, and publisher against publisher, to find the best artwork in the literary universe.  If you want to join us next week, check out next week’s predetermined them, choose a book, compare two or more different covers available for that book, then name your favorite. A list of future weeks’ themes are available at Lynn’s Book Blog

This week’s theme is:

“Live in the saddle.  Die on the hog – a cover featuring riders!“

 

YES!  A topic which is tailor made for fantasy fans everywhere.  I mean, there are tons of book covers with riders on them, but I already have the perfect cover in mind, so I’m going to coast this week.

Let us take a look at my pick!

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AND THE WINNER IS . . .

drumroll

THE DINOSAUR PRINCESS

Sure, I’m cheating a bit this week, but I’m okay with that, because all these covers are damn amazing.

First off, I have to admit I love all these covers.  They are all eye-catching.  The Dinosaur Princess is just a little more striking to me though.  The dinosaur charging with razor sharp teeth opened to engorge its enemy is so visceral and menacing that I had to pick it.

So, do you agree with my pick?  Disagree?  Love them all?  Hate them all?  Let us know!

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WAITING ON WEDNESDAY: WAR CRY

Posted on June 13, 2018 by Bookwraiths

waiting-on-wednesday
Waiting on Wednesday is a meme I’ve participated in for years which lets readers share their excitement for books coming out soon, and this week the story I’m eagerly awaiting is . . .

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war cryWar Cry by Brian McClellan

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Tor.com (August 28, 2018)

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Length: 112 pages

On the high plains, war is life.

Teado has been a part of the war effort for as long as he can remember. His childhood was spent in the aircraft and ammunition factories until his power manifested. Now he is on the front lines, fighting the great war as one of the monstrous shapeshifting wizards that are all but extinct after decades of battle.

Behind enemy lines, Teado’s special operations platoon plays a deadly game of cat and mouse, sabotaging and demoralizing the enemy. But food is scarce. The enemy has pushed their main forces back further and their requests for resupply have gone unanswered. They will make one last dangerous bid for survival and, maybe, change the course of the war forever.

Purchase the book at Amazon

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