FLASHBACK FRIDAY — THE LORDS OF DUS by LAWRENCE WATT-EVANS

Posted on April 17, 2015 by Bookwraiths

Flashback Friday is something I’ve been doing here at Bookwraiths for a while now; a time when I can post my thoughts about books and graphic novels that I’ve read in the past and never gotten around to reviewing. With the hectic schedule of day to day life and trying to review new books, I never seem to find the time to give these old favorites the spotlight that they deserve. But with a day all to themselves, there is no reason I can’t revisit them, so let’s take a look at The Lords of Dus!

There are always a few excellent fantasy series that slip through the cracks. Novels that are loved by their fans but ignored by everyone else. Unfortunately, Lawrence Watt-Evans has been the writer of more than a few of those type of books: The Lords of Dus being one of his finest stories and one of the most overlooked.

In this classic fantasy series, the protagonist is a prince of the Overmen of the Northern Waste. (The Overmen being a race of cat-like creatures magically bred by wizards in the past, but who now live on the fringes of civilization.) Naturally, Garth (the name of our hero) is on his way to consult an oracle: the Wise Women of Ordunin. The knowledge Garth seeks: A way “to be remembered until the end of time.” And, as oracles always seem to do, she forthwith dispatches her suppliant into the world, specifically to the city of Skelleth, where he is to complete a quest for the Forgotten King: a mysterious Sorcerer-Lord in exile.

Like sophisticated fantasy readers have, no doubt, already guessed (but something that Garth doesn’t seem to grasp) getting what one asks for sometimes leads to unexpected consequences and unenviable outcomes. And so, the simple quest our hero undertakes for eternal renown immediately turns into a nightmare of treachery, ancient secrets, and forbidden knowledge. Each triumph by Garth having unlooked-for ramifications that lead him down ever darker paths toward even more dangerous circumstances, which he is decidedly not prepared, or equipped, to handle, but which make for quite an adventure.

As fans of Watt-Evans already know, he writes some well-thought out, deftly crafted, and entertaining stories. In Dus, he is on top of his game, handling a sword-and-sorcery tale reminiscent of Moorcock’s Tales of the Eternal Champion, but adding to the action three-dimensional characters who act realistically in their circumstances, making them easy to identify with and have empathy for. Garth, for instance, struggles to be viewed as a “good guy” by humans (He is a chivalrous Overman!) but constantly does things that his human counterparts view as “bad,” because his races idea of “good” and “bad” is different than humans. Added to that, his adventures change Garth’s attitude about most things, causing him to be a different person by series end. These narrative strengths coupled with the nicely fashioned and fully realized world really sets this series apart as one of the authors best works.

Simply put, The Lords of Dus is an excellent fantasy novel that more people should appreciate. I adored it as a teenager and have re-read it on one occasion since becoming an adult. While my mature brain didn’t “love” it as much as my immature one did, it was still a very good series. So pick it up and be the first person in your book club to discover this classic fantasy gem.

Buy the series at Amazon.

Posted in 3 Stars, Fantasy, Flashback Friday, High | Tagged best overlooked fantasy series, fantasy series, Flashback Friday, Lawrence Watt-Evans, overlooked fantasy books, The Book of Silence, The Lords of Dus, The Lure of the Basilisk, The Seven Altars of Dusarra, The Sword of Bheleu, underappreciated fantasy books, underappreciated fantasy series | 3 Comments

TOUGH TRAVELING — AWESOME DISPLAYS OF MAGIC

Posted on April 16, 2015 by Bookwraiths

Every Thursday, Nathan over at Fantasy Review Barn hosts a weekly party where blogs set out with Diana Wynne Jones’ hilarious book The Tough Guide to Fantasyland: The Essential Guide to Fantasy Travel in hand to explore all the tropes from their favorite stories. So sit back and enjoy the fun.

16th April, 2015 – AWESOME DISPLAY OF MAGIC

Sometimes magic can be subtle. Who wants that? Big explosions or acts of creation, death and destruction or acts of awe inspiring wonder. If your world has magic then why not show it off?

Wow, this is an easy one. I shouldn’t have any trouble this week, because I’ve read so many fantasy books that there has to be literally hundreds of really cool displays of magic. Right?

STORM AND STEEL by JON SPRUNK
This is a no-brainer for inclusion on this week’s list. Not only have I just finished reading the ARC, but the last half of the book is filled with some amazing displays of magic.

For those that haven’t read Blood and Iron (The Book of the Black Earth #1), it introduces readers to a western sailor who is shipwrecked on his way to the Great Crusade against his heathen neighbors. Quickly, Horace (for that is this unlucky sailors name) is enslaved by the very people he came to fight and finds an iron collar clamped around his neck. Fate intervenes, however, when Horace’s latent magical power is discovered. This unexpected gift propels this simple man into the court of the heathen queen. Thereafter, Horace attempts to master a new culture, sidestep courtly intrigues, and learn to control his wild magic while not getting killed!

Book two takes off from where Blood and Iron stopped, and one thing Mr. Sprunk does the second time around is provide some serious displays of magic. After a rather uneventful (magically speaking) first half, Storm and Steel ratchets up the sorcery toward the end, showing everyone that Horace is one badass magician. And if his awesome magical displays aren’t enough, the vile villain, who we’ve all been waiting to be fully revealed, does a great job topping it!

Purchase Blood and Iron (The Book of the Black Earth 1) at Amazon.

DARKWAR by GLEN COOK

This under appreciated series by Glen Cook has one of the most awesome displays of magic in any book I’ve ever read. In this world, the Silth witches are the ultimate power. Not only are they the rulers of the entire world, but they also have some pretty impressive sorcery under their control. But the magical display that really impressed me were those that happen in the last third of the book. Now, I’m not saying these battles are all lights, explosions, and massive displays of arcane arts. Rather what was awesome about Darkwar‘s magic battles are where they take place and how they occur. I’d love to tell you more than that, but it would ruin the surprise Glen Cook has in store for you.

If you’d like to know more about this series, you can read my review.

Purchase Darkwar at Amazon.

MISTBORN by BRANDON SANDERSON

Is there a more awesome display of magic than Kelsier’s allomancy powers at work against the Steel Inquisitors?

If so, it is really difficult to remember it, because seeing this master use his metal powered skills against almost impervious agents of the Lord Ruler was awe inspiring.

Now, I’m sure there are other great displays of mistborn strutting their stuff in this series, but I haven’t finished it yet. But I gotta tell you it is going to be hard to top Kelsier in my eyes.

Buy Mistborn: The Final Empire at Amazon.

THE POWER THAT PRESERVES by STEPHEN R. DONALDSON

I know some people really hate Thomas Covenant or view the First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever, as nothing more than a Tolkien clone. That is your right to feel that way. I too thought Covenant was a whiny ass for most of the series, but he eventually developed into a more enlightened, whiny ass by the end. Be that as it may, this book has two of the most awesome displays of magic that I can remember in fantasy. The first is Lord Mhoram fighting outside Revelstone even as despair fills his heart. The other is the inevitable confrontation between Thomas Covenant and Lord Foul. Each magical display amazing in its own way. Well worth putting up with Covenant.

Buy Lord Foul’s Bane (THE CHRONICLES OF THOMAS COVENANT THE UNBELIEVER Book 1) at Amazon and start your trip into whiny leper wonderland.

THE BLACK COMPANY by GLEN COOK

Now, this story doesn’t have the stunning visual display of magic like, say, Mistborn, but what it does have is two memorable magical scenes. The first is the creepy scene where Lady captures one of the rebel generals and performs the ritual of “Taking” upon her. Even without immense details, Cook is able to make that a scene that I still vividly recall. The other is the Battle of Charm where we have the Taken flying around fighting until Lady eventually shows herself. Yet again, Cook is able to charge the scene with power with very crisp, blunt language.

Buy Lord Foul’s Bane (THE CHRONICLES OF THOMAS COVENANT THE UNBELIEVER Book 1) at Amazon.

THE MASTER by LOUISE COOPER

This fantasy series follows Tarod, a mysterious youth, who has immense magical power but finds himself branded a traitor by his fellow acolytes of Order. To prove his innocence of the charges leveled against him, Tarod travels far to the south where the Lords of Order themselves can be summoned and judge him. The magical battle that results is an awesome event, which dazzles both in its mystical elements and its emotional ones as well. One that I find myself wanting to revisit every few years to see if it still lives up to my memories of it. Naturally, it isn’t as awe-inspiring as when I was fourteen, but it is still quite good.

Buy The Initiate: Time Master Trilogy at Amazon.

DERYNI RISING by KATHERINE KURTZ

I have to end this list with one of the first magical battles that made me go “Wow!” when I began my fantasy journey. Here Prince Kelson is forced to learn magic as quickly as he can before meeting a rival claimant to the throne of Gwynedd. This magical duel might seem a bit ho-hum by today’s standards, but, at the time, it was pure magical awesomeness.

Buy Deryni Rising (The Chronicles of the Deryni series Book 1) at Amazon.

Posted in Fantasy, Lists, Tough Traveling | Tagged best magical battles, Brandon Sanderson, Chronicles of the Deryni, Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Darkwar, Deryni Rising, Glen Cook, Jon Sprunk, Katherine Kurtz, Louise Cooper, MISTBORN, most awesome magical displays, Storm and Steel, The Black Company, thomas covenant, Time Master, Tough Traveling | 15 Comments

INDIE WEDNESDAY — THE DELPHI TRILOGY by CHRIS EVERHEART

Posted on April 15, 2015 by Bookwraiths

Along my reading journey, I’ve made a conscious decision to not only read the books on the shelves at my local Barnes and Nobles store, but to also try self-published, or indie, works as often as I can.

Now, I know several of you are snickering in the background or rolling your eyes at my idiot crusade to bring a few good indie works to light. And believe me, I understand why you’d do that. Several years into this, I have to admit that I’ve probably stopped reading more indie faire than I’ve finished. But those that did keep my attention were novels which I feel were — or had the potential to be — above average novels, and I’d like to occasionally share those few with you in the hope that other people might also discover them.

So without any Stephen King disclaimers (Read my review of The Dark Tower Book VII to get the joke), here is The Delphi Trilogy!

This is a young adult page-turner drenched in ancient Greek legends, but not the Percy Jackson variety. Nope, Mr. Everheart has crafted something entirely fresh and original here. A new concoction in the YA genre that is full of both suspense and mysterious conspiracies!

As the story begins, Zachary White is a 16 year old boy searching for something. He doesn’t know what, just that he has to uncover the why.

Why did his perfect childhood come to an end one dark night?

Why did he and his mother flee from the idyllic town of Arcanville, never to return?

Why did he spend the rest of his childhood in French boarding schools under assumed names?

Why did his mother hardly ever visit him before her untimely death?

And why has he always been warned never to return to Arcanville, no matter what?

Soon, Zach’s grief at his mother death gels into a deep resolve. A determination to uncover all the whys, to finally understand the truths hidden by a mother who abandoned him for most of his life.

Not long thereafter, the teenagers in Arcanville notice that a strange kid is working in the local coffee shop. None of them recall ever seeing this guy before. He stays to himself, never talks to very many people, but he always seems to be watching, observing those customers who are sipping their steaming cups of java as they casually talk to one another. His eyes and ears capturing every detail of their small town life, as if his very existence depended on it!

And then it happens — a teenager from a rich, influential family commits suicide. Or does he?

From this moody, suspenseful beginning, Chris Everheart takes his readers on a ride among dark mysteries, global conspiracies, ancient Greek prophecies, and (of course) teen love that will leave them wanting more. At least, it did me, and young adult isn’t usually my favorite genre.

See my reviews of the trilogy.
The League of Delphi Book #1
The Delphi Deception Book #2
The Delphi Revelation Book #3

Buy the novels at Amazon.

Posted in Indie Wednesday, Young Adult | Tagged best self published YA, Chris Everheart, indie wednesday, indie YA books, indie YA series, self-published young adult novels, self-published young adult series, The Delphi Deception, The Delphi Revelation, The Delphi Trilogy, The League of Delphi | Leave a comment

THE DAVID GEMMELL AWARDS FOR FANTASY — VOTE NOW!

Posted on April 14, 2015 by Bookwraiths

More than likely most of you guys are already familiar with the David Gemmell Awards for Fantasy: Legend, Morningstar and Ravenheart respectively. But if not, this is an opportunity for fantasy fans to vote for the year’s best fantasy book (Legend), best debut fantasy novel (Morningstar), and artist responsible for the best fantasy cover (Ravenheart).

In 2014, Brian McLellan bagged the Morningstar for Promise of Blood , while Jason Chan won the Ravenheart for his cover artwork of Emperor of Thorns by Mark Lawrence and Mr. Lawrence won the Legend Award for Emperor of Thorns itself, resulting in the first double winner in awards history.

Now, this is a people’s choice type arrangement, so go VOTE for your favorite! All winners getting some appropriate trophies!

Posted in Fantasy | Tagged awards for best fantasy books, David Gemmell, David Gemmell Awards, fantasy awards, fantasy book awards, fantasy book awards 2015, The David Gemmell Awards for Fantasy, vote for best fantasy | Leave a comment

Take the 3-Question Ad Results Survey

Posted on April 12, 2015 by Bookwraiths

Nicholas C. Rossis

Figuring out where to advertise your book is worse than standing in a betting shop, five minutes before a race. You have money in your pocket, but a limited amount of time in which to select a guaranteed winner, and the odds are not in your favor.

I have already posted my ad results online. But I need more information. So, please send me your precious data. Where did you advertise, how much did it cost you and how many books did you sell as a result?

I will use this data to inform you of the best ways to invest your precious, limited advertising budgets. Also, I promise to share my own sales and ad results with you. With your help, we can reach thousands more – just share, reblog and share some more. Let’s help each other navigate these treacherous waters and make sure we don’t spend another dime in…

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Posted in Writer Resources | Tagged Writer Resources | 2 Comments

GARRISON by EDWARD NIGEL

Posted on April 11, 2015 by Bookwraiths

Garrison by Nigel Edwards

Genre: Military Fantasy

Series: World of Prism

Publisher: Self-published (July 14, 2011)

My Rating: 2 out of 5 stars.

Garrison by Nigel Edwards is a military fantasy novella of a company of fresh recruits traveling across an arid landscape toward their first post: a fort along a wild, untamed border. Among this band is one youth called Ataqa: a farmer’s son, who doesn’t attempt to hide his fear of what lies ahead. Another is the brash and confident Hoop, who yearns for battle and glory. And marching beside them is a rugged, enigmatic veteran known only as Von, who tries to impart some veteran wisdom to their inexperienced minds.

What will these three soldiers face? Do they have what it takes to survive this harsh new reality? What enemies await them? And does Von mean to help them or throw them to the wolves?

Now, this story reads very much like Starship Troopers in sandals, so for those who hate that sort of thing, don’t say I didn’t warn you before you kept reading, but for those who think that sounds cool, please continue.

Here Mr. Edwards does a great job translating the daily routine of soldiers into a fantasy setting – for this is definitely a fantasy land, filled with strange beasts and talk of magic – and weaving an interesting narrative around that framework. Quickly, a reader learns enough about each of the three main characters to have an emotional attachment to them; the ominous enemies are described to instill fear; there are rousing speeches exhorting martial prowess; and then the garrison and these enemies face off in a battle royal that introduces both the recruits and the readers to the harshness and brutality of hand-to-hand combat in fantasy land – including some rather cool moments like when the soldiers dig pit trenches to attack the enemy cavalry as they pass over their heads!

The most interesting person in this tale by far was Von. With his shadowy past and mysterious role within the company, he was immediately intriguing. When these things were added to his constant poise, understanding and toughness throughout the narrative, it seemed inevitable that readers would gravitate toward him. So while Ataqa and Hoop are definitely the stars of the show, Von stole it – at least, in my opinion.

The only negative I had with this novella was that there really wasn’t much of a plot. It stayed true to the very linear story of recruit-experiencing-his-first-battle and never strayed far from it. Even when a side story involving Von’s mysterious past came up, it really seemed to be introduced to allow the veteran to impart more wisdom to his youthful proteges rather than form a new plot thread.

According to Edward Nigel, Garrison is an extension of the novel, Prism, with the physical world of that world as the backdrop to this novella, and while it is narrow in scope, it is still an entertaining story.

Purchase at Amazon.

Posted in 2 Stars, Fantasy, Low, Short Stories | Tagged Garrison, indie fantasy, indie fantasy stories, military fantasy novella, military fantasy short story, Nigel Edwards, self-published fantasy | 1 Comment

FLASHBACK FRIDAY — THE FIONAVAR TAPESTY by GUY GAVRIEL KAY

Posted on April 10, 2015 by Bookwraiths

This is a fantasy trilogy where Guy Gavriel Kay made a knowing and deliberate decision to emulate J.R.R. Tolkien. Perhaps this was to be expected after Kay spent a considerable time helping Christopher Tolkien (J.R.R.’s son) edit The Silmarillion, but he himself has explained (in numerous interviews) that this series was undertaken to prove that “High Fantasy” was complex enough to spawn many original stories, and that inferior Tolkien imitators need not become the norm for the genre. Whether Kay completely succeeded in this endeavor can be debated, but The Fionavar Tapestry is definitely a trilogy well worthy of its Lord of the Rings comparisons.

In The Summer Tree, the story begins with five college students from Toronto being transported to Fionavar (the first world that all others emulate) by Loren Silvercloak. This other worldly mage is a kindly man, who assures the frantic five that he is merely “borrowing” them for a short while so they can be guests of the royal court for a celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the king’s ascension to the throne, but that he has ever intention of immediately returning them to their homes. Soon after their arrival in the Kingdom of Brennin, however, things begin to turn sour when the evil god Rakoth Maugrim, the Unraveller, escapes from his imprisonment under the great mountain of Rangat. Our unwary travelers then find themselves trapped in the struggle to overcome Rakoth, slowly realizing that each of them will have some special role to play in saving Fionavar.

The second book, The Wandering Fire, is a standard middle of a trilogy tale, in that it focuses on aligning all the good and evil characters up for an epic confrontation in the final volume of the series. But Kay also finds time to do something else here: integrate real world myths into the fantasy narrative. These run the gamut from the very prominent Arthurian legend of Arthur, Lancelot, and Guinevere to the less well-known tidbits of Celtic and Northern mythos.

In The Darkest Road, Kay brings the “High Fantasy” tale to a close with the inevitable final battle between the forces of Good and Evil, the end of the quest for the mountain, and the decision of the hero who holds the fate of all in his hands. As familiar and simplistic as that might seem, Kay fills the narrative to the brim with dark broodiness, fertile hope, and an “eucatastrophe” that is deeply moving to read and wraps up all the characters’ storylines.

Now, as I alluded to earlier, The Fionavar Tapestry is very similar to Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. There are dwarves, elves, a nation of horsemen, an ancient god-like villain once cast down but now returned, traitorous mages, the heir to a powerful kingdom in exile who has now returned, and the quest of someone to the evil mountain itself. (I’ve only named the most prominent examples; there are actually many more.) And, at its core, the series is very much a Tolkien-like chronicle of the battle between Good and Evil with little suspense as to which side each character will ultimately align with. So if you are one of those readers who views Tolkien-like fantasy as “brain candy” with no redeeming value, then I doubt you will like this trilogy very much . . . but there is still a chance you might.

The reason why is that, in The Fionavar Tapestry, Kay has delivered a deeply moving, richly imaginary world, crafted with some of the most lyrical prose ever to grace a fantasy page. The work is grand in scope, deep in emotions, brimming with detailed characters, and crystallizes quickly into something hauntingly beautiful.

None of which means you are guaranteed to love it. Everyone’s tastes are quite different. However, I would encourage naysayers to take a leap of faith, pick this series up at the used books store or on Amazon or wherever, and sit down with an open mind about what emotions “High Fantasy” can still invoke. I realize that the Tolkien clones have ruined this sub-genre to a certain extent, but it is still a powerful medium that a master storyteller can mine for powerful themes and emotional reactions – and Guy Gavriel Kay is definitely a master.

Purchase your copy at Amazon.

Posted in 3 Stars, Epic, Fantasy, Flashback Friday, High | Tagged best Silmarillion-like fantasy books, best Tolkien-like fantasy books, closest fantasy series to Lord of the Rings, Guy Gavriel Kay, High Fantasy novels, high fantasy series, The Darkest Day, The Fionavar Tapestry, The Summer Tree, The Wandering Fire | 2 Comments

TOUGH TRAVELING — UNIQUE FLORA

Posted on April 9, 2015 by Bookwraiths

9d April, 2015 – UNIQUE FLORA

Self-explanatory. If you know of a plant that is either not on earth, or doesn’t act the same way in fantasyland as it does on earth, then you can consider it unique.

Wow, this should open up lots of really cool and unique answers, don’t you think? Let’s see if that is true.

VUL NUT VINE — DISCWORLD

“The vul nut vine was particularly exceptional in that it could flourish as many as eight years prior to its seed actually being sown. Vul nut wine was reputed to give certain drinkers an insight into the future which was, from the nut’s point of view, the past. Strange but true.” Terry Pratchett Source

Yeah, this is one really weird plant, but Pratchett came up with it, so what else would you expect.

Buy The Color of Magic (Discworld Book 1) at Amazon.

ALIANTHA — THE FIRST CHRONICLES OF THOMAS COVENANT

>”Aliantha, also called Treasure-Berries, are a type of gnarled waist-high bush with leaves spread and pointed like a holly’s. Small viridian blooms cover the plant with blue-green fruit the size of blueberries.

The berries are highly nutritious and a blessing of the Land, being the last to die and the first to grow anywhere in the land, except the Spoiled Plains. A person could survive on only a few of these berries a day. They have a tangy-peach flavor.

Aliantha can cause a sickness of the mind if taken in quantities too large, such as causing Thomas to rape Lena.

The people of the Land have a saying which goes: Eat and spread the seeds over the Earth so that the aliantha may spread.

When people eat the berries they ensure they spread the seeds so later generations can enjoy the berries.” Source

Buy Lord Foul’s Bane (THE CHRONICLES OF THOMAS COVENANT THE UNBELIEVER Book 1) at amazon.

ENTS — LORD OF THE RINGS

What can one say about Ents?

They are a race of sentient tree-like beings who live for thousands of years, speak to trees as well as other creatures, and can get pretty scary when they get angry.

I’m not sure if they are technically “flora” per se, but they are close enough for me to put them on this list.

Buy The Lord of the Rings: One Volume at Amazon.

MANDRAKE — HARRY POTTER

“A Mandrake, also known as Mandragora, is a plant which has a root that looks like a human (like a baby when the plant is young, but maturing as the plant grows). When mature, its cry can be fatal to any person who hears it.” Source

I’m not much of a Harry Potter aficionado, but I’ve watched the movies with my kids. And I have to admit that these things really freaked me out. Not because they were scary but because a plant that looks like a human baby was a bit disconcerting to me for whatever reason. I don’t know, guess I’m just strange like that.

Buy Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Harry Potter, Book 1) at Amazon.

SARLACC — STAR WARS

The sarlacc was a semi-sentient, plant-like, omnivorous creature found on several planets across the galaxy. Not much was known about this creature, but it was unique in terms of galactic species. It lived to be tens of thousands of years old, and reproduced by spores. One particular specimen of sarlacc was located in the Great Pit of Carkoon on Tatooine. They are most famous for the fact that (according to Jabba the Hut) “In [its] belly, you will find a new definition of pain and suffering as you are slowly digested over a…thousand years.”

Sounds like a plant I definitely want to stay away from.

Buy Star Wars: Trilogy (25th Anniversary Collector’s Edition) at Amazon.

PLANTMEN — THE BARSOOM, OR JOHN CARTER OF MARS SERIES

These really strange creatures are also sentient plant life. Now, John Carter encounters lots of wild creatures during his adventures on Barsoom, but the plantmen were among the scariest: Ravenous, omnivorous, with mouths in their palms; these guys never gave up in a fight until every last one of them was dead.

I mean, some people could label these guys a “race” of beings instead of flora, but I seem to recall that Edgar Rice Burroughs took great pains to make his readers understand that these were indeed plants, not animals. Perhaps, my memory is tricking me here, but I’m going to put them on the list.

Buy The John Carter of Mars Collection (7 Novels + Bonus Audiobook Links) at Amazon.

OLD FATHER TREE — THE BLACK COMPANY

In book three of the series, the remaining members of The Black Company and their “White Rose” have hidden themselves in The Plains of Fear, because it has such weird flora and fauna that no one (not even Lady’s people) want to come anywhere near it. And at the center of the whole chaotic mess is a large tree. A tree that is called Old Father and can shoot lightning as well as other really exotic stuff. Eventually, it is learned that the tree is a god from another dimension who is upon the world to guard against the resurrection of some evil entity, but to me, he is just some really unique flora.

I have to tell you this part of the series had some weird stuff. But it just made everything even better.

Buy Chronicles of the Black Company (Chronicles of the Black Company Series Book 1) at Amazon.

THE TREES OF HYPERION — HYPERION CANTOS

Tesla trees. Treeships. Dyson Trees. The menacing, half-mechanical, half-organic four armed Shrike. Plus all the other very unique flora that I’m completely overlooking. Why should I pick only one?

Buy Hyperion (Hyperion Cantos, Book 1) at Amazon.

THE EARTH — HOTHOUSE: THE LONG AFTERNOON OF EARTH

This sci-fi classic is set in a far future where the earth has locked rotation with a swollen Sun. All the increased light and heat has caused the Earth to be covered by tropical forests that have bred a vegetable kingdom, where the plants are in a constant frenzy of growth and decay. These plants (lots of omnivores among them) have evolved into more sentient beings with primitive nervous systems and eyes. The few remaining humans live on the edge of extinction, clinging to life within the canopy layer of a giant banyan tree that covers a whole continent!

There were so many unique flora in this old gem that I can’t remember them all, but I do remember that “unique” was one way to describe them.

Buy Hothouse at Amazon.

Honestly, this weeks Tough Traveling list was pretty hard for me. Guess I don’t pay enough attention to the flora in my stories. So please enlighten me on what fantastical plants I totally forgot?

CHECK OUT MY BEST OF FANTASY LISTS

Posted in Fantasy, Lists, Tough Traveling | Tagged best fantasy lists, Disc World, fantastical flora, fantasy list, fantasy plant-life, Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings, plants in fanasy, sarlacc, Star Wars, STEPHEN R. DONALDSON, TERRY PRATCHETT, The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, thomas covenant, Tough Traveling, Tough Traveling Thursday, weirdest fantasy plants | 22 Comments

INDIE WEDNESDAY — LEGENDS OF WINDEMERE by CHARLES YALLOWITZ

Posted on April 8, 2015 by Bookwraiths

Along my reading journey, I’ve made a conscious decision to not only read the fantasy novels on the shelves at my local Barnes and Nobles bookstore but to also try self-published, or indie, fantasy as often as I can.

Now, I know several of you are snickering in the background or rolling your eyes at my idiot crusade to bring a few good indie fantasy works to light. And believe me, I understand why you’d do that. Several years into this, I have to admit that I’ve probably stopped reading more indie faire than I’ve finished. But those that did keep my attention were novels which I feel were — or had the potential to be — above average fantasy novels, and I’d like to occasionally share those few with you in the hope that other people might also discover them.

So without any further talking, I’d like to introduce you to the Legends of Windemere series by Charles Yallowitz, which I was happy to discover in 2015. Beginning of a Hero was a good start to the tale, and Mr. Yallowitz has only expanded it since, recently publishing the seventh installment in the ongoing series. So take a look.

LEGENDS OF WINDEMERE: SLEEPER OF THE WILDWOOD FUGUE
LIVE on Amazon Kindle!

Art by Jason Pedersen

The final champion stirs and reaches out to any who can hear her voice. Yet all who heed her call will disappear into the misty fugue

Awakening their new ally is only the beginning as Luke, Nyx, and their friends head south to the desert city of Bor’daruk. Hunting for another temple once used to seal Baron Kernaghan, they are unaware that the game of destiny has changed. Out for blood and pain, Stephen is determined to make Luke wish he’d never set out to become a hero.

By the time the sun sets on Bor’daruk, minds will be shattered and the champions’ lives will be changed forever.

Don’t forget to mark it as ‘To Read’ on Goodreads too!

Charles E. Yallowitz

About the Author:

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.

Blog: Legends of Windemere
Twitter: @cyallowitz
Facebook: Charles Yallowitz
Website: www.charleseyallowitz.com

Read the Previous Volumes of Legends of Windemere!!!

BEGINNING OF A HERO

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Posted in Cover Reveal, Fantasy, High, Indie Wednesday, Young Adult | Tagged Allure of the Gypsies, Charles E Yallowitz, Curse of the Dark Wind, Family of the Tri-Rune, Indie authors, indie fantasy, indie fantasy book, indie fantasy novels, indie fantasy series, Legends of Windemere, Prodigy of Rainbow Tower, self-published fantasy, self-published fantasy books, self-published fantasy series, The Compass Key | 1 Comment

JOE STEELE by HARRY TURTLEDOVE

Posted on April 7, 2015 by Bookwraiths

Joe Steele by Harry Turtledove

Genre: Alternate History

Series: Joe Steele

Publisher: Roc (April 7, 2015)

My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

One of the grand masters of alternate history is back with a tale centering around a pivotal moment in modern United States history: the 1932 presidential election!

In 1932, the Great Depression has engulfed the world and has its deathly grip firmly around the throats of the United States of America. Whether it was his fault or not, President Herbert Hoover is pointed at as the person who let it happen. For was it not under his weak leadership that the 1929 stock market crashed, costing the country hundred of billions of dollars, if not trillions? Wasn’t it Hoover who did nothing worthwhile as bank closing after bank closing robbed the average American of his life savings? And wasn’t it the President who buried his head in the sand since, telling everyone they just have to wait til the worst is over?

Yes, it was: the Great Depression all Hoover and the Republican Party’s fault, and, soon, Americans will boot him and his party out of office for good. At least, the Democrats meeting at the Democratic National Convention believe that is what is about to happen. All they have to do is find the right presidential candidate for a desperate, American electorate to get behind, and the reigns of power will be theirs for the first time in decades. The two contenders for the job: New York governor Franklin D. Roosevelt and California congressman Joe Steele.

But then fate intervenes! A fire claiming the life of one of the candidates. A terrible accident that leaves everyone with only one choice.

But what if the fire wasn’t really an accident? And what if, the future President of the USA was not only behind it, but actively engaged in this sort of violence as part of his governing?

Could America somehow endure that type of strong-arm leadership and remain free, or would the winds of authoritarian rule sweep over the Atlantic Ocean?

And if an American dictator did arise, how would the history of the modern world change?

Those “what-if” questions and more are posed by Harry Turtledove in this novel, and the story that develops does its best to answer each and every one of them. It takes the reader from the sweaty, smoke-filled halls of the Democratic Convention to the oval office. It begins in the world of The Great Depression and ends with the Cold War era of the late fifties. It looks not only at how history would have changed if another man had led the United States during World War II but how the imprisonment of scientists and thinkers might have hampered the evolution of the modern world. In point of fact, Joe Steele takes upon itself the task of rewriting nearly three decades of modern world history in a single volume.

As long-time readers of the author already knows, when tasked with covering such a huge span of history, Mr. Turtledove generally focuses the narrative on small periods of time, using a simple, straight forward style with multiple view points and numerous characters to create not only an alternate world but a compelling, character-driven story. In this way, a reader can admire the changes in this world’s history from our own, but also get to tag along behind the leaders and the average Joes whose society he is merely visiting. It is a writing strategy Mr. Turtledove has used to great success with many of his other alternate history novels, but while he attempts to utilize it again in Joe Steele, it fails for the most part, because the time period he is covering is just too vast.

What I mean by that last statement is that when a pivotal event occurs to Character A in Chapter 1 by Chapter 6 it is so far removed in time from what is now happening to him that it really has no bearing on the ongoing plot any more. Times have changed. The old ways are no more. He isn’t 20 years old anymore but now 27 years old, married with a kid. The jumps in time from one event in his life to the next dilutes the suspense, the drama, and the horror of certain things that happen. Honestly, when something horrendous was done by the powers-that-be I would find myself startled, until after a chapter or two it didn’t seem to matter anymore, because now World War II had started or the atom bomb had been invented or another war had begun. In the face of those types of historical events, how could anyone’s personal story really matter to a reader? Here it didn’t, because time (and the character himself) had already moved on.

Now, do not mistake me: Joe Steele is still an interesting novel – if for no other reason than it posed a really intriguing alternate history question, which Mr. Turtledove did an excellent job answering and illustrating through an alternative timeline of events. My main problem with it is that the characters and their stories took a backseat to this history, which wasn’t such a good thing in my opinion.

Roc Publishing and Netgalley 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.

Buy Joe Steele at Amazon.