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TOP TEN TUESDAY

Posted on May 29, 2018 by Bookwraiths

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday! This is a weekly feature hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl , where a new top ten list hits the web every week!

The topic this time out is one all readers have considered from time to time: What fictional world would you like to live in?

I have to admit pondering this question a lot when I was young. Probably that is because I was a fairly angst ridden teen who daydreamed about escaping what I then thought was a horrid existence. As I’ve grown older, the idea of jettisoning my current life for the greener grass of fictional landscapes isn’t as tempting as it once was, but it still crosses my mind occasionally.

Understand that each of the ten fictional worlds I’ve picked below isn’t ideal. (Honestly, if any of these places were great places to life without problems then there wouldn’t be any stories about them, right?) My desire take up residence hinging on something special about each one.

Last thing: I’m reserving the right to leave these places if I don’t get the right job, but that is a topic for another time!

BOOKISH WORLDS I’D LIKE TO LIVE IN

10. DRAGONLANCE

Sure, this is a Dungeon and Dragons cookie cutter land with all the normal resident of fantasy environments. We have the dragons, the elves, the dwarfs, the knights, the minotaur, the halflings, and every other AD&D creature regularly appearing in your favorite module, but this place was also magic, rising above its generic fantasy design, and I’d love to visit every familiar corner of it.

Purchase Dragonlance Chronicles at Amazon

9. DERYNI

How can I resist a fictional land where magic works but everything else is a near carbon copy of the European High Middle Ages. There are lords and ladies, knights and artists, living together in a world where my chosen religion is the unchallenged foundation of the culture. Are there problems, evil people, and the normal corruption humanity seems to always introduce into everything? Sure, but it isn’t as bad as many other fantasy world’s I’ve read about.

Purchase Deryni Rising at Amazon

8. PERN

The idea of living on an alien world where thread destroys everything every so often sounds pretty bad, but it does have one major thing going for it: dragons. What I am specifically interested in being the possibility to be a dragonrider of Pern. Sure, it sounds like a challenging task, but I’d sure love to be in a position to give that type of job a try. Sounds much more fun than my real life occupation.

Purchase The Dragonriders of Pern at Amazon

7. CONAN

The World of the Hyborean Age seems like a difficult but exciting place to live. Yeah, it is very reminiscent of all the other medieval type worlds in fantasy, but there is something grand about these lands where Robert E. Howard’s barbarian hero lives. Perhaps I could take up thieving, become a pirate, or just take over as king of mighty Aquilonia.

Purchase The Complete Chronicles of Conan at Amazon

6. STAR WARS

This franchise has fallen steadily in my esteem since its creator George Lucas sold out to Disney, but I still have a constant love deep down inside for the galaxy far, far away from the Original Trilogy. And if I could find the right position, a nice planet to settle down on, and some good friends, then I’d love to enjoy some quality life in this amazing place.

Purchase Star Wars Trilogy at Amazon

5. WHEEL OF TIME

I’m not really sure anymore why I continue to have a deep fondness for Robert Jordan’s fantasy world. I mean, those middle books tried really hard to leech all the fun out of this epic saga, but I suppose the familiar fantasy traits, unique mixture, and a fascinating history really made me fall in love with this place.

Purchase The Eye of the World at Amazon

4. WARHAMMER

This is a brutal world. There are demons, vampires, undead, skaven, orcs, and much worse creatures seeming to lurk around every corner. The terrible stuff happens far too often here. But . . .there are so many wondrous things as well. Magic, airships, and mesmerizing marvels. Would it be difficult to live here? Yeah, it would. But if you could, it might also be quite the experience – both good and bad.

Purchase Malekith at Amazon

3. POWDER MAGE

This flintlock fantasy world has captivated my imagination; the powder mages overtaking the Jedi as my favorite “magic-users”, as difficult as it is for me to acknowledge that. As for the world itself, it is yet another familiar yet unique variation of the familiar, but I still love it.

Purchase Promise of Blood at Amazon

2. THE LAND

I know many, many people hate the title character, Thomas Covenant, of this old school fantasy. Believe me, I understand. But what I have never understand is why more people don’t love The Land where this guy travels. From magical creatures, wondrous forests, and undying warriors, this place is quite a spectacular environment.

Purchase First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant at Amazon

1. LORD OF THE RINGS

From the ancient days of The Silmarillion to the glorious height of Numenor to the War of the Rings, Tolkien’s world is so complex, so believable yet magical that I feel in love with it the first time I ever opened one of his novels, and I’ve wondered what it would be like to walk the halls of Rivendell or climb up the streets of Minas Tirith since I was a preteen.

Purchase The Lord of the Rings at Amazon

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday | Tagged Chronicles of the Deryni, conan, Dragonlance Chronicles, Lord of the Rings, pern, Star Wars, The Land, The Powder Mage Trilogy, The Wheel of Time, thomas covenant, Top Ten Tuesday, Warhammer | 4 Comments

GUEST POST: STEPHEN ZIMMER

Posted on May 23, 2018 by Bookwraiths

Today, I’m excited to welcome Stephen Zimmer to Bookwraiths. He has been nice enough to make a place for us on his Depths of Night Blog Tour, and I for one can’t wait to read what he has written for us!

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ELEMENTS WHICH SET FANTASY APART
AND MAKE IT GREAT

by

STEPHEN ZIMMER

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There are a lot of reasons as to why I find fantasy to be a valuable genre within the world of literature. All too often, I find that it does not get the respect that it deserves in academic settings, though this is changing gradually as more works of fantasy are explored within literature programs and dedicated classes in high schools, colleges, and universities.

I always invite readers of other genres to take a few of these reasons into consideration for taking their first steps into the fantastical worlds that I have enjoyed since my mother first read to me The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy at the age of seven.

Fantasy and related speculative fiction genres have the potential of making things come alive for readers that none of them have ever experienced before with their five senses. In my opinion, this engages the imagination to the fullest extent. The things that are seen as being impossible in our world suddenly become completely possible in the mind of the reader.

Our moral imaginations are also engaged in a strong, vivid way in works of fantasy literature. Sweeping contrasts in settings illustrate greater moral principles. Dystopian, hellish realms serve as warnings of what could happen if an immoral path is embraced. Healthy, vibrant ones serve as representations of what most of us desire in terms of the moral codes reflected within. The stark contrasts between Mordor and the Shire leave a clear and unambiguous impression upon the reader that ultimately acts as a call to seek and follow a higher moral code.

Fantasy literature also has a fundamental appeal to the primordial, creative tendencies that exist within all human beings. The building of entire new worlds, societies, creatures, races, and so much more that is part of the essential fabric of fantasy fiction reflects the inner drive within humans to build and create.

The ability to represent themes that would be harder to address more directly in other genres is also a major strength that fantasy literature enjoys. Issues that become contentious very quickly in open conversation, such as race relations, or matters of religion and science, war and politics, and so much more can be addressed skillfully in fantasy using various races, creatures, magic, and many more tools that the speculative fiction writer can make use of. Points of view can be expressed and explored in such a way that will not turn away readers, as ultimately a work of fiction can be enjoyed purely as entertainment

When it comes to entertainment, fantasy can excel as a means of escape from a gadget-flooded, tech-dependent world. It takes the reader away to a simpler mode of existence that does not have all of the pressures, hassles, rules and regulations, and complexity of modern society. Magic and nature come to the fore within fantasy literature in an elemental way that frees the reader of the worries of the present.

These are just a few solid examples of the reasons why fantasy is a highly-compelling, valuable literary genre. From exacting the highest power of our imagination, to inspiring better moral development, to reaching out to some of our most primal creative urges, to enabling exploration and understanding of sensitive issues, to offering outlets of pure escape, fantasy is a very powerful genre that has a lot to offer the readers of today and tomorrow!

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About the Author

Stephen Zimmer is an award-winning author and filmmaker based out of Lexington Kentucky. His works include the Rayden Valkyrie novels (Sword and Sorcery), the Rising Dawn Saga (Cross Genre), the Fires in Eden Series (Epic Fantasy), the Hellscapes short story collections (Horror), the Chronicles of Ave short story collections (Fantasy), the Harvey and Solomon Tales (Steampunk), and the forthcoming Faraway Saga (YA Dystopian/Cross-Genre).

Stephen’s visual work includes the feature film Shadows Light, shorts films such as The Sirens and Swordbearer, and the forthcoming Rayden Valkyrie: Saga of a Lionheart TV Pilot.

Stephen is a proud Kentucky Colonel who also enjoys the realms of music, martial arts, good bourbons, and spending time with family.

Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

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Tour Schedule and Activities

5/21 Beauty-in-Ruins Guest Post

5/21 Literary Underworld Guest Post

5/22 Sapphyria’s Books Review

5/22 The Horror Club Review

5/23 Oak Hill RPG Club Review

5/23 Breakeven Books Interview

5/23 Bookwraiths Guest Post

5/24 MyLifeMyBooksMyEscape Author Interview

5/24 Ally Books and Reviews Guest Post

5/25 Sheila’s Guests and Reviews Author Interview & Guest Post

5/25 The Book Lover’s Boudoir Review

5/26 I Smell Sheep VLOG

5/27 MightyThorJRS Fantasy Book News and Reviews Guest Post

5/27 Jazzy Book Reviews Top 10 List

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Purchase the book at Amazon

Posted in Author Spotlights, Guest Post | Tagged Chronicles of Ave, Depths of Night, Depths of Night Blog Tour, Faraway Saga, Fires in Eden, Harvey and Solomon Tales, Hellscapes, Ragnar Stormbringer, Rayden Valkyrie, Rising Dawn Saga, Seventh Star Press, Stephen Zimmer, Stephen Zimmer guest post | Leave a comment

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY: EMPIRE OF SILENCE

Posted on May 23, 2018 by Bookwraiths

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 novel I’m eagerly awaiting is . . .

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Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio

Genre: SciFi – Space Opera

Series: Sun Eater #1

Publisher: DAW (July 3, 2018)

Author Information: Twitter

Length: 624 pages

Hadrian Marlowe, a man revered as a hero and despised as a murderer, chronicles his tale in the galaxy-spanning debut of the Sun Eater series, merging the best of space opera and epic fantasy.

It was not his war.

The galaxy remembers him as a hero: the man who burned every last alien Cielcin from the sky. They remember him as a monster: the devil who destroyed a sun, casually annihilating four billion human lives–even the Emperor himself–against Imperial orders.

But Hadrian was not a hero. He was not a monster. He was not even a soldier.

On the wrong planet, at the right time, for the best reasons, Hadrian Marlowe starts down a path that can only end in fire. He flees his father and a future as a torturer only to be left stranded on a strange, backwater world.

Forced to fight as a gladiator and navigate the intrigues of a foreign planetary court, Hadrian must fight a war he did not start, for an Empire he does not love, against an enemy he will never understand.

Purchase the book at Amazon

Posted in Waiting on Wednesday | Tagged Christopher Ruocchio, DAW, Empire of Silence, new releases July 2018, new scifi series 2018, new space opera series 2018, Space Opera, The Sun Eater, Waiting on Wednesday | 6 Comments

RANT: SOLO, A STAR WARS STORY

Posted on May 22, 2018 by Bookwraiths

Not going to waste time pre-apologizing or anything today. I have something on my mind, and I need to type it out, get it out there, and hope everyone understands my sense of frustration. Simple put I’m tired of the agenda driven crap infecting every aspect of my entertainment, especially Star Wars.

What do I mean by that? Exactly what I said: I am tired of every form of entertainment in America seeming to need to push a SJW or Anti-SJW narrative. The culture war clash never stopping, pushed into every form of entertainment from comics (If you’re unfamiliar with the Comicsgate drama just do a search on the topic on YouTube.) to tv (Roseanne anyone?) to movies. The most recent and most virulent example: Solo, A Star Wars Story.

For those who could care less about Star Wars, Solo is generally described as the Star Wars film no one wanted. A pretty apt description since without a young Harrison Ford and Billie Dee Williams one wonders why anyone would want to see the movie at all.

Be that as it may, the film was green lite by Disney LucasFilm, had horrible production issues, fired directors, hired an acting coach for its main actor, and was almost totally reshot (some rumors say up to 80% of the movie) by Ron Howard. And now the trouble plagued movie has turned into yet another casualty of the American Culture Wars as it starts its approach to theaters.

To be fair, the SJW and Anti-SJW clash has been heating up in Star Wars fandom ever since The Last Jedi. That film was the proverbial last straw which seemingly shattered the fans. And while I’m not part of the fandom anymore and haven’t really been since the Prequel days, I can’t avoid the fighting which goes on daily on my favorite social media feeds and YouTube channels.

The latest round of skirmishes have been over comments by screenwriter Jonathan Kasdan (who co-wrote Solo: A Star Wars Story with his father, Lawrence Kasdan). The younger Kasdan revealing his vision that Lando is pansexual. (Pansexual is defined as of, relating to, or characterized by sexual desire or attraction that is not limited to people of a particular gender identity or sexual orientation; also : not solely homosexual or heterosexual.) Why Lando’s sexual preferences mattered in the least for this film I have yet to ascertain.

Needless to say, the Anti-SJWs went damn crazy over what they saw as a retconning of Lando’s character from his famous smooth talking ladies man history. Kathleen Kennedy blamed for what they saw as yet another traditional male role models being destroyed by Disney Star Wars. The argument being that Han, then Luke and now Lando have been systematically kicked off their proverbial pop culture pedestals, reduced to pathetic shadows of their former heroic selves. Disney then attempting to force feed diversity replacements to SW fans.

The response from the SJWs has been equally as vitrolic and hyperbolic. Anyone who isn’t in agreement with the course Disney SW is taking and disagrees with the need for the apparent change in Lando’s sexual orientation is labeled a homophobe and whatever else seems adequately calculated to cast a vile shadow across their character and blot out their criticisms.

Believe me when I say once again I’ve attempted to just avoid all this crap. But I can’t. It is everywhere. Open Facebook, its there. Watch YouTube it is there. Look on Twitter, its EVERYWHERE. There is no escaping the constant back and forth fighting of these polar opposite resist movements. Solo merely the fight of the moment.

And my response to all this is I’M SICK OF IT! Sick of people fighting the battles of their culture war in my entertainment. Especially in Star Wars, a space opera. This has always been a fun film franchise. A space adventure which didn’t bog itself down in current politics. (The Prequels did a little, which was one reason why so many people disliked them.) And personally all I want from future Star Wars movies is a heroic adventure in a GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY FROM AMERICAN DIVERSITY POLITICS!

Oh, no, I said I didn’t want diversity politics in my movies. I must be a bigot, a homophobe, a (insert another contemptible -ism here). No, actually, I’m not, but since I always have to pre-defend myself whenever I criticize forced diversity, I’ll go ahead and do so again: I don’t care if the lead character in a SW film is a man or a woman, a white or a black, a hetero or a homo, a human or an alien, a droid or a fleshie. All I want is a good story with interesting character who I can empathize with and pull for to succeed.

What I am complaining about is what I call forced diversity. You know, where someone believes their story is great just because every box on a diversity checklist is penciled in. Sorry to break it to those people, but it doesn’t mean that. And Solo isn’t going to be a great film just because Lando is pansexual, gender fluid, skoliosexual, or asexual. It doesn’t remove the main problem which this film must overcome: the fact Harrison Ford and Billie Dee Williams are too old to play their famous characters. And Donald Glover having sexual tension with a robot isn’t going to cover up Ford’s absence or the fact he isn’t Billie Dee. Not for me anyway.

I guess all of this shouldn’t be bothering me anymore. It’s the new norm. This non-stop culture war. A struggle which seems to lead to only more fighting and arguing. Star Wars wasn’t going to be the one exception to the new rule, right?

Honestly, I had a bad feeling when George Lucas sold Star Wars to Disney. When the Mouse announced that the Expanded Universe was being jettisoned, the sense of dread grew. Then Lucas had his infamous interview where he compared Disney to “white slavers”, and I sort of knew the jig was up. But it wasn’t until this Solo dust up that I have finally just said enough. I’m tired of the insult spewing by both sides in Star Wars; the constant diversity battles where lines are drawn and sides taken. Hate to say it but Star Wars is a dead brand for me personally. It isn’t fun anymore. Not a joyful escape from depressing reality but a creepy immersion into the depths of it.

Probably no one at Disney really cares what a middle aged, straight, white man thinks though, because I’m the past not the future. (“Let the past die…kill it if you have to”, right Rian Johnson?) What should concern them is the fact my three teenage sons hate Star Wars. So do all their friends. Not one of them planning to go see Solo, because . . . well, it just isn’t cool to like SW anymore. Now that Disney should be worried about.

Posted in Film Reviews | Tagged Han Solo, Lando Calrissian, Lando pansexual, Solo, Solo A Star Wars Story, Solo rant, Star Wars, Star Wars culture wars, Star Wars pansexual | 14 Comments

MOVIE REVIEW: DEADPOOL 2 (SPOILERS)

Posted on May 20, 2018 by Bookwraiths

Deadpool-2

Other than Avengers Infinity War, Deadpool 2 was the most anticipated movie release around the house in 2018. My two oldest son dying to get another dose of the foul-mouthed but funny merc with a mouth. Well, today, they got to experience DP2, and I tagged along with them to see if it lived up to its super successful predecessor.

Out of the gate, DP2 seemed to have the chops to do so. The title character trading one liners with criminals while killing everyone in site. There was a cool slow motion scene with DP wrecking havoc in a warehouse. Lots of the trademark comedic narration by Ryan Reynolds, and the cute relationship between DP and Vanessa began moving into a more serious stage. But then someone hit the brakes on the fun.

SPOILER WARNING

First off, that special someone who was the focus of the first Deadpool movie bites the dust within the first 15 minutes of so of DP2. It was a stupid death. Of no real importance to anything. And without Vanessa’s physical presence (She does show up in visions DP has.) the story lacked any emotional depth. Can’t express enough how much this decision to jettison DP’s love interest bothered me. It just sucked.

What came next was even worse though. Obviously, Deadpool doesn’t deal with his lovers death very well. He becomes angst ridden, serious, and suicidal. All of which leads to Colossus showing up to force him into the X-fold. But this doesn’t go anywhere other than to get a couple laughs and to introduce a young mutant named Russell aka Firefist. Russell becoming the focus of things as Cable shows up from the future with a burning desire to him. DP protecting the kid as he tries to “get his heart in the right place.” This the driving force of the rest of the movie.

I have to stop right here and admit I hated Russell; he is the worst part of DP2. Not only is he an annoying, foul mouthed little punk, but even worse he isn’t funny in the least. And the film doesn’t really develop him. Rather, the movie uses him as a target to poke fun at for the shank up his ass. (Yes, he literally keeps a shank up his ass.) I personally felt his part of the film was a total waste of time, and since he was vital to the story, his suckiness really mucked things up, leading it down the wide road to movie hell.

But, hey, Cable can’t be bad?

Actually he was bad, horribly boring. From the get go there is no mystery to him. You know he isn’t a real bad guy. He never does anything horrible or evil. You don’t exactly know what his plans are, but you don’t really care. All you know is he wants to kill Russell, and I for one wanted him to. Worst, he is ultra serious, never funny, and totally forgettable. The only lines about him I even recall as I type this a few hours later are where DP keeps calling him a racist or the time he calls him Thanos, which was actually funny. But, overall, Cable is pretty forgettable here.

But, X Force shows up? That has to be cool.

There are a few laughs when the team gets put together, but all those are in the previews. In the movie, the team doesn’t stay together long enough for anything much to happen. Basically, everyone except for DP and Domino are gruesomely killed within a few minutes of undertaking their first mission. So X Force is another damn waste.

It was still funny though, right?

Sometimes. But a lot of the jokes were recycled from the first movie. They tweaked them a little, but it was still the same thing. Plus, the sexual innuendo got old. It was funny the first couple times, but eventually I got tired of dick jokes and sex jokes. And the new stuff like the diversity jokes, your a racist jokes, and the gay jokes just weren’t funny at all.

The action was cool, though?

At the beginning of the movie it definitely was. The slow motion fight at the beginning was great. The Domino scene where she is running down the road and escapes death over and over again was killer. Hell, even the big fight on the prison transport bus was damn cool at times. By the time we got to the climactic ending though, the fights had become repetitive and stale with too many cgi effects, big explosions, and stupid crap going on.

Those killer cameos?

I recall a few, but none of them were particularly funny. Plus, they were so quick that you’d miss them if you weren’t paying close attention. So I don’t see how the cameos really did anything for the movie.

What about that twist ending?

Which one? The one the film ended on which was about as predictable and dull as you can imagine, or the post-credit scenes where DP basically rewrites history and makes the whole movie null and void? Personally, I hated both.

What is my final ranking then?

Right now I’d give it a 3 out of 10 stars. It was pretty damn bad. Duller than Black Panther even, which is quite an accomplishment. I mean, literally, I kept waiting for the movie to end by the halfway point because I was so tired of the same old crap over and over again. Now that I think of it I’d say it is almost as bad as Green Lantern. (Hell yeah I said that.)

Did I like anything about DP2 then?

Yeah, I did. I really liked Domino. She had some some great action scenes, showed some flash in her comedy bits, and stole the damn show from DP whenever she shared the screen. Plus, she was damn sexy which did not hurt at all. (Yes, I did just sexualize a female. I’m sure DP has a stupid f-ing joke about my toxic masculity he’d tell right about now. And, no, it wouldn’t be funny in the least.)

domino_deadpool2

Posted in Film Reviews | Tagged Cable, Deadpool, Deadpool 2, Deadpool 2 spoiler review, Deadpool 2 sucks, Domino, X Force | 6 Comments

TOP TEN TUESDAY

Posted on May 15, 2018 by Bookwraiths

TOP TEN TUESDAYS

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday! This is a weekly feature hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl , where a new top ten list hits the web every week!

This week’s topic is a familiar one. Every year or so it seems I’m looking back at my read list deciding my least favorite books or something along those lines. Can’t say I want to do another list focusing on all the books I’ve ever read, because probably the same ten books would still be at the top of the charts, so to make this list a bit more interesting, I’m going to look back at the last few years, make a top ten of the . . .

BOOKS I DISLIKED/HATED BUT AM GLAD I READ

10. Seventh Decimate

As a fan of Stephen R. Donaldson since my early teens back in the 1980s, anytime I’m able to read another fantasy penned by this author is always a good thing — even when I don’t particularly end up liking it. That doesn’t mean I hated this novel, but it was only okay. Still glad I gave it a go though.

Purchase Seventh Decimate at Amazon

9. The Court of Broken Knives

Weird that this book is one this list. Ending last year on the Best of 2017 list only to wind up on this kind of list is strange. Even though, I realized this was merely an okay book for me personally, it is still one I’m very glad I gave a try since it helped me come to terms with my changing reading desires and face them.

Purchase The Court of Broken Knives at Amazon

8. The Dinosaur Princess

Whenever I’m lucky enough to read an epic fantasy with dinosaur riding knights, I feel damn lucky. Sadly, the story in this third volume of The Dinosaur Lords left me a little disappointed, but the images of lines of dinosaur knights charging across a battlefield toward another group of dino knights was well worth the read.

Purchase The Dinosaur Princess at Amazon

7. Red Sister

Even today I feel sad I didn’t enjoy this book. Mark Lawrence was such a perennial favorite of mine for several years that I was desperately disappointed when this fighting nun story didn’t click with me. Glad I gave it a go though, because it might have been another Lawrence triumph.

Purchase Red Sister at Amazon

6. An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors

The great cover drew my attention, while the promise of musketeers, swashbuckling fun, and epic plots sealed the deal. Sadly, this story and I never hit it off. Can’t say I’m sad I didn’t love it, since I went in to my read without huge expectations, but it was disappointing that I failed to connect with yet another new series.

Purchase An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors at Amazon

5. Snakewood

I’m usually a sucker for any fantasy tale which focuses on mercenaries, especially grizzled, old mercs who find themselves pulled back into the fight. Snakewood didn’t capture my attention though. Yet again I’m happy I gave it a go, but this one was a book I could not get interested in at all.

Purchase Snakewood at Amazon

4. The Sorcerer’s Daughter

I’m not a huge Brooks fan, so I didn’t go into this read expecting a lot, but I did hope it would be a fun, light read like the other volumes of The Defenders of Shannara series. It wasn’t. Instead this one was a trainwreck for me personally. One the bright side though, I did finish reading the trilogy!

Purchase The Sorcerer’s Daughter at Amazon

3. Half a War

It is an understatement to admit Joe Abercrombie and I have not hit it off. I’ve tried four of his books and not loved any of them. Have to say this was probably my least favorite of the bunch though. Only positive thing I can say about reading this book is it was the concluding volume of the trilogy, so I get to brag that I finished the series!

Purchase Half a War at Amazon

2. Ready Player One

Everyone seems to adore this book except for me and a small handful of like minded people. Not sure what others see in Ernest Cline’s story that I do not get, but the truth is I just do not see what is so damn awesome about this one. Only positive I have about this reading experience was I can say I read it and it sucked.

Purchase Ready Player One at Amazon

1. Hollow World

The main thing I recall about this book was my sheer boredom when reading it. I guess there was a compelling plot there somewhere, but all I recall is failing to find it buried beneath the preachy narrative with its social commentary. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I don’t read for an author to proselytize to me. If I wanted that I’d pick a religious organization and attend their worship services.

Purchase Hollow World at Amazon

Well, that is my list from the last few years. Sorry if I put one of your favorite novels on here, but, hey, we can’t agree on everything right? Feel free to defend the honor of your novel if it is on here though. We’d all love to hear why I should reconsider my feelings!

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday | Tagged Adrian Selby, An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors, Anna Smith Spark, Curtis Craddock, Ernest Cline, Half a War, Hollow World, Joe Abercrombie, Mark Lawrence, Michael J. Sullivan, Ready Player One, Red Sister, Seventh Decimate, Snakewood, STEPHEN R. DONALDSON, Terry Brooks, The Court of Broken Knives, The Defenders of Shannara, The Dinosaur Princess, The Sorcerer's Daughter, Top Ten Tuesday, Victor Milán | 5 Comments

FUNDAY MONDAY, OR THE BOOKS THAT WILL HELP ME SURVIVE THE WEEK AHEAD (MAY 14, 2018)

Posted on May 14, 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 finishing up a book I began last week and starting a damn good looking book I just received in the last couple weeks!

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Truth or Darkness by Craig Aird

Genre: Fantasy

Series: The Afterworld #1

Publisher: Self-Published (April 27, 2018)

Author Information: Website

Length: 283 pages

It was the only truth the Gods feared…

Beyond the living world, a dark secret is kept from humanity. Demons guard the bridge to heaven, and cast the souls of everyone that dies to fire and ash. A group of immortal mages fight a shadow war to destroy the demons, but at a great cost to themselves and those around them.

Within the valley of an ancient crater, the city of Elrancia is built upon the greed of kings and the blood of its people. It is a cauldron of chaos embroiled in a vicious holy war enacted by vagabond high priest, Vladnar. He searches for the Necromanex, a powerful text written by the mages.

Leoh is a young merchant struggling with his father’s disappearance and his own inner demons. When Vladnar accuses him of hiding the Necromanex, he is chased across Elrancia in search of the reason why. With religious zealots, assassins, and powerful mages after him, Leoh fights not just to save his life in this world, but his soul in the next.

Purchase the book at Amazon

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Lady Henterman’s Wardrobe by
Marshall Ryan Maresca

Genre: High Fantasy mixed with urban fantasy

Series: The Streets of Maradaine #2

Publisher: DAW (March 6, 2018)

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Length: 352 pages

Mixing high fantasy and urban fantasy, the second novel of the Streets of Maradaine series follows the Rynax brothers’ crew of outlaws as they attempt their biggest heist yet and restore justice to the common people.

The neighborhood of North Seleth has suffered–and not just the Holver Alley Fire. Poverty and marginalization are forcing people out of the neighborhood, and violence on the streets is getting worse. Only the Rynax brothers–Asti and Verci–and their Holver Alley Crew are fighting for the common people. They’ve taken care of the people who actually burned down Holver Alley, but they’re still looking for the moneyed interests behind the fire.

The trail of breadcrumbs leads the crew to Lord Henterman, and they plan to infiltrate the noble’s house on the other side of the city. While the crew tries to penetrate the heart of the house, the worst elements of North Seleth seem to be uniting under a mysterious new leader. With the crew’s attention divided, Asti discovers that the secrets behind the fire, including ones from his past, might be found in Lady Henterman’s wardrobe.

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Posted in Funday Monday | Tagged Craig Aird, DAW, Funday Monday, Lady Henterman's Wardrobe, Marshall Ryan Maresca, The Afterworld, The Streets of Maradaine, Truth or Darkness | 3 Comments

IF TOMORROW COMES

Posted on May 12, 2018 by Bookwraiths

If Tomorrow Comes by Nancy Kress

Genre: Science Fiction

Series: Yesterday’s Kin Trilogy #2

Publisher: Tor Books (March 6, 2018)

Author Information: Facebook | Twitter

Length: 336 pages

My Rating: 2.5 stars

If Tomorrow Comes by Nancy Kress is the follow-up to Tomorrow’s Kin and the second installment in the Yesterday’s Kin Trilogy. Since there isn’t any way to review this book without giving away spoilers for the first book, I have to warn you now not to continue reading if you haven’t finished book one.

A decade ago Earth was changed by the arrival of aliens. Not only did these being give warning of a coming “spores” plague, but they also left behind technological advancements to aid Earth in their coming trials and tribulations. While Earth was still ravaged by the foretold plague, the advanced notice was put to good use including the building of the starship Friendship.

Once completed, this interstellar craft is dispatched from Earth, crewed with a plethora of scientists including Dr. Marianne Jenner, a very familiar face from Tomorrow’s Kin. She and her fellows tasked with this journey to the aliens’ home world of Kindred to lend aid in that world’s own plague outbreak.

What the Friendship finds on arrival is beyond their worst fears: a primitive world without amazing technology or advanced medicine. Truly, Kindred is a planet completely unprepared for the coming spore plague. The hope for it and the crew of the Friendship surviving what is coming near zero!

Now, it goes without saying that Tomorrow’s Kin was a first contact story, involving the normal elements of the meeting and greeting of aliens come to Earth. If Tomorrow Comes is really a continuation of that first contact story except this time the author turned the familiar script on its head, showing people from Earth’s traveling to an alien world and having to learn about a strange society with alien customs and having to deal with their own ingrained biases and prejudices. This the true heart of the narrative even more than the rising tension and frantic action as the countdown to the spore plague ticks ever downward.

Probably the best element of the novel is the writing of Nancy Kress. She explains the science of viruses in a careful, easy-to-understand way. She also does an outstanding job describing a truly alien people, their society, their morality, and juxtaposing those things with the familiar Earth beliefs. Her careful crafting of both a frightening viral plague and a living, breathing alien world the true highlight of the book.

The weakness of the narrative is the characters themselves however. No one here really comes to life, captures a reader’s interest or makes them feel real empathy. Certainly, the fear of the Earthers that they will be returning home to family aged beyond their worst fears due to space travel time differences is understandable and interest, but most science fiction readers will have seen the issue handled more thoroughly and more emotionally in other stories. And while Dr. Jenner is a familiar name from book one, here she gets lost among a host of one dimension faces who keep making head scratching decision; decisions so easily identifiably as bad choices that they telegraph exactly where the plot is going and leave no real tension about how the story will end.

Overall, If Tomorrow Comes is an okay second book in a series. It does a great job of continuing the spore plague story, taking readers to a believable alien world, and setting up the next book, but it does struggle to add any interesting characters or keep the plot exciting from first page to last. Certainly a novel fans of the series or the author will want to pick up though.

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

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Posted in 2 Stars, Near-Future, Science Fiction | Tagged If Tomorrow Comes, Nancy Kress, recent scifi releases, Science fiction, space plague, Tomorrow's Kin, Tor, Tor Books, Yesterday's Kin Trilogy | 4 Comments

FRIDAY FACE OFF MAY 11, 2018

Posted on May 11, 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:

“Dinosaurs eat man. Woman inherits the earth’ – a cover featuring a dinosaur/s“

Love dinosaurs. Loads of dino stories our there, so I can’t imagine this will be very difficult. Let’s see what I can dig up!

black line

AND THE WINNER IS . . .

drumroll

Yeah, it is a tie this week. Love the iconic Jurassic Park logo. Adore the classic red cover on the left because it was the book I purchased so many years ago when I first discovered this classic. The ominous gate on the right is damn great to me. But, honestly, it is the dinosaur which makes them all great!

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

Posted in Cover Lover, Friday Face-Off | Tagged best dinosaur book covers, dinosaur book covers, Friday Face-Off, Jurassic Park, Jurassic PArk book covers | 14 Comments

DAYFALL

Posted on May 10, 2018 by Bookwraiths

Dayfall by Michael David Ares

Genre: Science Fiction

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Tor Books (March 13, 2018)

Author Information: Website

Length: 288 pages

My Rating: 2.5 stars

Dayfall takes place in the near future after a nuclear event has plunged much of the northeastern United States into a perpetual nuclear winter. Naturally, eternal night has changed nearly every aspect of life in the huge metropolis of New York City, resulting in a nightlife which never ends and a crime rate that never stops rising.

Enter small town cop Jon Phillips. This idealistic guy has always dreamed of being a big city detective, hunting down criminals, and generally being a hero. Finally, he gets his chance when Mayor Rialle King of New York reaches out to him helping to hunt down about a serial killer who is stalking the shrouded streets of the Big Apple.

Soon, Phillips is paired up with an experienced and (supposedly) uncorrupted veteran cop named Frank Halliday. The two attempting to navigate the political environment (A mayoral election is ongoing, and a millionaire is gunning for King’s job.), rise above the law enforcement corruption, navigate the criminal underbelly, sidestep the fearmongering groups worried about the coming of “Dayfall”, and somehow, someway, catch the worse serial killer ever to haunt the streets of New York before everything comes crashing down.

After writing the above summary I have to admit Dayfall sounds like a damn good novel. A story concept which appears to be tailor made for speculative fiction, because what reader can resist a murder mystery set in a post-apocalyptic real world. At least, I couldn’t resist it. Unfortunately, the finished product left a bit to be desired.

First, this is the author’s debut novel, and it does show. The writing just a bit off at times, a bit clunky, a little too minimalistic. The characters were too one dimensional. The dialogue a bit flat. The plot twists a little too easy to guess. And while Michael David Ares definitely has talent, amazing ideas, and shows flashes of greatness, he isn’t quite there yet.

Second, the world building isn’t to the level necessary for this kind of speculative fiction tale. Yes, the murder mystery, serial killer plot is the focus of the book, but I for one looked forward to seeing the world. The idea of a darkness shrouded New York with soaring crime and perpetual nightlife intrigued me. I imagined a lot of real differences between the city I’ve visited a few times and a post-nuclear event Big Apple. Regrettably, the author doesn’t spend much time developing the environment. Certainly, there are a few moments here and there, which are truly great, but there are not enough of these moments, not enough differences between real life NYC and Dayfall NYC to really capture my imagination.

To sum up, this is an okay novel. It is a quick read, has a good bit of action and intrigue, a lot of mystery, and is very easy to follow and enjoy. If you are a fan of murder mystery told in future settings, Dayfall will probably be right up your alley, as long as you don’t expect too much from it or anticipate anything other than a light, entertaining read.