INDIE WEDNESDAY

Posted on April 1, 2015 by Bookwraiths

Indie-Wednesday

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 Stephen King disclaimers (Read my review of The Dark Tower Book VII to get the joke), here is my inaugural Indie Wednesday novel.

ASCENDANCY (THE GODSWAR SAGA #1) by JENNIFER VALE

ASCENDANCY Once, upon the world of Obsidian, Immortals from the nether ruled all of humanity as living gods. Eventually, these beings turned one upon the other. After the Godswar was done, the Immortals were gone as was nearly all life on Obsidian. But those few who remained found that the Immortals had left behind one final gift: Aether.

With this invisible mist of energy, magic users arose among the survivors. They healed the land, calmed the seas, carved out continent wide kingdoms, and built civilization to heights never dreamed possible. And to keep another Godswar from occurring, they set up a system of control over Aether users, binding them to Ascendants and forcibly placing Unbound users into asylums for societies protection.

The Ascendancy System has allowed life to flourish upon Obsidian for generations. But now war is brewing. A conflict that might be as destructive as the Godswar itself. For the Crell Imperium and the Solarian Alliance are bracing for a continent wide conflict. One that will engulf the whole world in flames. And the spark that might ignite the cataclysm is an artifact none new existed but which all now wish to possess!

Sounds fairly good, doesn’t it? And surprisingly, it is actually good. Perhaps not Brandon Sanderson good but still an entertaining read. So check out my full review here and see if it is something that might be up your reading alley.

Posted in Fantasy, High, Indie Wednesday | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

THE BLADE ITSELF (THE FIRST LAW #1) by JOE ABERCROMBIE

Posted on March 31, 2015 by Bookwraiths

the blade itself My rating is 3 out of 5 stars.

As I’ve mentioned in other reviews, Joe Abercrombie is a fantasy author who all my real-life friends have raved about for years and insisted that I read. From their proselyting, it seemed that my life would not be complete without sampling Lord Grimdark’s wares. So, in order to save myself from some accursed fate, I read the first two novels in Abercrombie’s Shattered Sea series.

Unfortunately, grimwhine was not for me. If interested in the “why”, you can read my reviews of Half a King and Half the World.

Naturally, my friends were aghast at my heretical dislike of Lord Grimdark. That led them to berate my poor taste in fantasy literature. Arguments ensued thereafter until eventually they understood – even if they did not agree – with my lack of excitement with grimwhine, and so these close buddies of mine insisted that Shattered Sea was really a YA fantasy series and demanded that I try The First Law before I abandoned Lord Grimdark, because it was his masterpiece.

Well, I have recently completed my read of The Blade Itself, book one of The First Law. And, for those who have never tried it, I will attempt to sum it up succinctly for you.

This is a story told from multiple points of view by several main characters with the most important being: Jezal, the rich, noble’s son who is bratty and also a great swordsman; Logen, the northern barbarian who has a dark, mysterious past but wants to escape from it; Ferro, a fugitive slave from the nation of Gurkhul whose desire for revenge is greater than her common sense; and Glokta, a handicapped war hero who is now a torturer working for the Union’s secretive inquisition.

As a reader slowly tags along with these four, they slowly learn tidbits about each person, their pasts, the world they live in, and the coming conflicts that are a brewing. But finally, all these interwoven pieces begin to gather together for the last section of the novel in the capital city of the Union, where not only do these four interact with one another but also set up the story for the second installment of the series.

Now, I did enjoy The Blade Itself; it was an interesting enough book in its own way. However, the plot was a rather slow moving affair. (At one point, I actually found myself wondering if glaciers moved faster than The Blade Itself.) But once Abercrombie got everyone together in the capital, he did ratchet up the action, ending the story with a small bang.

Even with that being said, however, the characters in this novel were a bit of an enigma for me. Going into my read, all I had heard was how amazing they all were, how brilliant the characterization, how . . . you get the picture: Great characters. And I suppose they were very well developed, but unfortunately, I didn’t care one iota for any of them. Jezal made me want to slap him, because he was such an annoying, rich brat. Logen was boring most of the time. Ferro was an amalgamation of every ex-slave character I’ve ever read about. And Glokta (though he is the most interesting) would be a heartless bastard only to then turn around and go all gooey inside because an old friend apologized to him. I grew tired of each very quickly. Thank God the viewpoint changed between them constantly. It grew so bad that (unlike Song of Ice and Fire where I got sick of Martin killing everyone off) I kept hoping Abercrombie would execute someone, so they might be replaced with someone less boring.

I know all that sounds really harsh of me, doesn’t it? But I did like The Blade Itself. Really. I’m just disappointed with it. A disappoint that has grown rather than lessened in the weeks since I read it.

Why, you ask?

Well, for years, I’ve heard all these grandiose accolades about this book. People would tell me it was the quintessential modern grimdark. The tale that revolutionized the fantasy genre for a new century. Hell, one of my friends even anointed Abercrombie the Tolkien for the twenty-first century. (Yeah, he is the president of the Lord Grimdark Fan Club.) But as I read, I just did not see any of that. Still do not in hindsight. It was a fine fantasy novel. Abercrombie spent a lot of time writing a fiction novel which was “incidentally” a fantasy. But revolutionary? Not so much. Glen Cook’s Black Company series was more grimdark than this before there was a term for it. George R.R. Martin’s work in Song of Ice and Fire was far more “grim” in tone than anything I read here. Hell, even Mark Lawrence’s Prince of Thorns was more “dark” and bloody than this tale. So for those reasons, reading this novel was a little bit of a letdown.

With all that being said, I actually am looking forward to reading the next novel in the series. Now, I can experience Before They Were Hanged without any grandiose expectations weighing it down. It will be merely me sitting down to read an interesting fantasy novel about some people mixed up in deadly adventures, not me sitting down to read the “MOST REVOLUTIONARY FANTASY NOVEL SINCE LORD OF THE RINGS” and I believe that will allow me to enjoy it better than I did this one – especially if Abercrombie kills someone. I mean, OMFG, this is grimdark already; a main character has to die now!

Buy The Blade Itself: The First Law: Book One at Amazon.

Posted in 3 Stars, Fantasy, Grimdark, Low | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

TEN BEST BOOKS OF 2014

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Bookwraiths

the-best-of-2014

It is 2015 already? Wow, where did all the time go?

Yeah, yeah, I know, it either went by really slow or really fast, based upon your age. But since I’m “old” (At least my kids think I am, anyway) 2014 sped by to me, and so, in an effort to reflect back on all the great things that happened last year, I decided to compile this list of the best books I read.

Now, obviously I was not able to read every book released, and I do tend to read mainly fantasy. (Yes, I do request other types of ARCs from the publishers besides fantasy Mr. Hater in the back, but they keep telling me “No”, alright?) So, I suppose, if you’d rather call my list “TEN BEST FANTASY BOOKS BOOKWRAITHS READ IN 2014” that is fine by me. So, with that settled, on to the list!

1. VEIL OF THE DESERTERS (BLOODSOUNDER’S ARC #2) by JEFF SALYARDS

veil of the deserters After finishing Veil of the Deserters, I declared loudly to all my friends “Damn that was good!”, going on to describe it as “one of the best fantasy novels I’ve read in a quite a while.” And after months to reflect on it, I stand by those words, anointing it the best fantasy I read in 2014.

Now, Veil is book two of a series, so you really have to begin your journey with Scourge of the Betrayer. There you are introduced to a young scribe named Arki, who is hired to record the exploits of a group of foreign soldiers. Arki hopes that this job will be a break from his dull life, but soon he finds that his employer Captain Braylar Killcoin, is neck-deep in political intrigue, possessed of a cursed flail, and does not intend to shield him at all from the brutality of his violent world.

Now, before you do a google search for reviews of Scourge of the Betrayer, I want to go ahead and tell you that many critics were bothered by its slow pacing, but trust me, Mr. Salyards heard the criticism and delivered a tour de force of grimdark glory in Veil of the Deserters.

Buy Scourge of the Betrayer: Bloodsounder’s Arc Book One at Amazon.

Buy Veil of the Deserters: Bloodsounder’s Arc Book Two at Amazon.

2. TRAITOR’S BLADE (GREATCOATS #1) by SEBASTIEN DE CASTELL

traitors_blade

The Greatcoats are without a doubt one of the best things to happen to fantasy in quite a while. During our current era of ultra-realistic grimdark, these guys have come along to remind us that there is still a place for swashbuckling heroes in fantasy. You know the types I mean, the ones who fight, kill, and grieve but also finds time to laugh, bicker with their friends, and tease one another mercilessly. Three Musketeer-type heroes. Someone you don’t feel emotionally dirty for rooting to victory. Yeah, you could almost say Traitor’s Blade brought the fun back to fantasy (though there is a bit of grimdark here as well).

For all those reasons, Traitor’s Blade is my first runner-up for best fantasy book of 2014!

Buy Traitor’s Blade at Amazon.

3. CITY OF STAIRS by ROBERT JACKSON BENNETT

city of stairs

How does one succinctly describe City of Stairs?

It really is difficult, because Mr. Bennett has created a world that once was filled with magic, where gods walked among mortals, but which now is empty of all semblance of that marvelous epoch. Instead, the Continent is a bleak, hopeless place, conquered by its former slaves, ripe with anger and frustration yet still clinging to the hope that its former age of gods will somehow reappear.

Into this powder keg of barely contained violence comes Shara Thivani, operative for the Saypur Foreign Affairs Ministry. Shara is a young woman banished from home due to a political act of conscious who has spent most of her adult life on the Continent accompanied by her bodyguard Sigurd, a barbarian Dreyling. And while she initially comes to the bleak city of Bulikov to uncover who committed a murder, she soon discovers secrets that could change the world!

Great setting. Magnificent world building. Mesmerizing mystery. A real genre blender. That is why this novel is the second runner-up from 2014.

Buy City of Stairs at Amazon.

4. ECHOES OF EMPIRE TRILOGY by MARK T. BARNES

17046606 One of the best surprises from my 2014 reading!

THE GARDEN OF STONES was a worldbuilder addicts fix, filled with history, lore, magic systems, and all other things WB.

THE OBSIDIAN HEART was non-stop action, as Mr. Barnes slammed the accelerator down and gave a reader edge-of-your-seat action and adventure from the first page to the last.

THE PILLARS OF SAND was a mix of the previous two: world building and action, in equal doses.

By the end of the incredible journey Mr. Barnes took me on, I was dying to continue on to the next story, because it was obvious he had more tales to tell. With that being said, do you think it’s fair for me to have to pick just one of these books for the list? I didn’t either. That is why I lumped them all together at position 4. It’s my list after all. 🙂

Buy The Garden of Stones (Echoes of Empire), The Obsidian Heart (Echoes of Empire), and The Pillars of Sand (Echoes of Empire) at Amazon.

5. THE BLASTED LANDS (SEVEN FORGES) by JAMES A. MOORE

THEBLASTEDLANDS

The second volume in Mr. Moore’s series, The Blasted Lands is a fantasy story that the author described as being a fantasy version of an unstoppable force colliding with an immovable object. And honestly, who am I to argue with him – especially when I believe that is a perfect analogy. For you see in Seven Forges the Fellein Empire, which controls the majority of the world, has finally surmounted the inhospitable blasted lands to discover a perplexing people who live near the volcano riddled center: the Sa’ba Taalor.

Reintroduced to one another after generations innumerable, these two cultures attempt to embrace in friendship, but even while they share kind words and hospitable meals, there is always an undercurrent of conflict brewing between them. A conflict that promises to change the very world!

When you add ancient mysteries, shadowy history, and meddling gods to an already interesting concept of civilizations clashing, you can see why I, for one, can’t wait to read more of this interesting world in the near future.

Buy Seven Forges: Seven Forges, Book I and The Blasted Lands: Seven Forges, Book II at Amazon.

6. CHASERS OF THE WIND (THE CYCLE OF WIND AND SPARKS #1) by ALEXEY PEHOV

CHASERSOFTHEWIND Sure, this is a translated work, having been written in Russian. Yes, it still retain a few language related issues. And, yeah, it does starts off slowly. But once Mr. Pehov gets the foundations laid for this epic fantasy, it really takes off.

To quote my own review (I wrote it, so I’m not going to reinvent the wheel here): “If Robert Jordan, Glen Cook, and George R.R. Martin had ever written a fantasy book together, Chasers of the Wind would be it. The book is fun, engaging and action-packed, mixing assassins, massive world building, vile necromancers, and ancient mysteries to create a damn fine fantasy novel. I can’t recommend it enough for lovers of massive worlds and epic fantasy.”

And that, my readers, is why Chasers of the Wind is number 6 on the list.

Buy Chasers of the Wind (The Cycle of Wind and Sparks) at Amazon.

7. RISE OF THE KING (COMPANIONS CODEX #2) by R.A. SALVATORE

rise of the king Okay, the fact is that you either like Drizzt and the way Mr. Salvatore writes him, or you don’t. While I don’t consider myself a diehard fan of either author or character, I have found the few novels I’ve read about Drizzt pretty fun experiences. The fact that I’ve only read a handful might help matters, but all I know for certain is Drizzt doesn’t annoy me like he does some of you.

In any event, Rise of the King sees Mr. Salvatore continuing the adventures of the reunited Companions of the Hall. While the last book, Night of the Hunter, spent a great deal of time reviving the Companions friendship and highlighting the shadowy machinations of the drow, this story comes out hard, fast, and full of sword-and-sorcery fun as war descends on the Silver Marches and the Companions walk right into it!

Now, Rise of the King doesn’t really vary from the normal fantasy story you expect from Drizzt, but it doesn’t disappoint either. So for an entertaining (and sometimes emotional) fantasy adventure, this novel can’t be beat.

Buy Rise of the King: Companions Codex, II (Dungeons & Dragons: Forgotten Realms) at Amazon.

8. ICE FORGED (THE ASCENDANT KINGDOMS SAGA #1) by GAIL Z. MARTIN

ice_forged This novel is one of those genre blending pieces of literature that pop up every now and then, and it is best characterize as a fantasy/post-apocalyptic/urban fantasy hybrid in my opinion. But where most other genre blenders fail, Ms. Martin actually pulls this one off. The reason is that Ice Forged‘s depiction of the frozen waste of Edgeland (Think Iceland), its prisoners/colonists, and a civilization disrupting cataclysm is very unusual; a major departures from traditional epic fantasy fare that kept me flipping pages.

Unfortunately (at least for me), during the second half of the novel, it slowly evolves into more of a medieval urban fantasy, and my enjoyment with it decreased, but those who love vampires helping and hunting erstwhile heroes might not agree with my sentiments. So while it didn’t punch enough pleasure buttons with me to climb any higher up my list, Ice Forged was still an enjoyable change of pace read.

Buy Ice Forged (The Ascendant Kingdoms Saga) at Amazon.

9. HIGH DRUID’S BLADE (THE DEFENDERS OF SHANNARA #1) by TERRY BROOKS
18077816 Before any Shannara haters even start, this was the first novel in this long running series that I have read since finishing Wishsong of Shannara back in 1985. I’d like to think that an almost thirty year break between readings of this series demonstrates that I had no preconceived need to like this novel before trying it.

In any event – while this tale does follows the familiar fantasy trope of simple boy discovers magic sword and goes from powerless to powerful – I found Mr. Brooks’ story telling enjoyable enough with just the right mixture of Shannara lore, action, political intrigue, and foreshadowing of future events to keep me turning the pages. Heck, I even thought I saw a few steampunk elements added into the Shannara soup. So, while some people might negatively label High Druid’s Blade a Shannara Young Adult book, what I call it is a fun read.

Buy The High Druid’s Blade: The Defenders of Shannara at Amazon.

10. SHADER SERIES by D.P.PRIOR

sword of the archon This is a self-published fantasy that I stumbled upon in 2014. Never having heard of it before, I’m not ashamed to admit that the great cover convinced me to download it and give it a try.

Obviously, since this is a self-published work, the first question anyone ever asks me is whether Sword of the Archon is free from the normal banes of indie works? And I have to admit that it isn’t, but then again, no work is totally perfect. (Do I need to even mention Brandon Sanderson correcting mistakes in one of his novels months after it was published?)

Even with its flaws though Sword of the Archon has such a dynamic blending of scifi, fantasy and horror that I found myself overlooking certain issues. Honestly, the post-apocalyptic world, mysterious ruins of advanced civilizations, and mystical elements immediately brought to mind Stephen King’s seminal work: The Gunslinger and the main character Shader was just as gruff, haunted, and compelling as Roland Deschain; all of which meant that this series had to be on this list.

Buy Against The Unweaving: Shader: The Entire First Trilogy at Amazon.

Thanks for reading my list. What books did I miss in 2014?

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

FUN DAY MONDAY, OR THE BOOKS THAT WILL HELP ME SURVIVE THE WEEK AHEAD (MARCH 30, 2015)

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Bookwraiths

funday-Monday

The work week begins. I quickly slip into my business suit and head back into the office to save a few innocent people from wrongful incarceration. But while I try to fool myself into being excited about the grind, deep down I’m not, so I’m going to escape dreary reality by reading some great books. Without any further ado, here are the novels I will be giving a try this week.

STAR WARS: LORDS OF THE SITH by PAUL S. KEMP

lords of the sith “On Ryloth, a planet crucial to the growing Empire as a source of slave labor and the narcotic known as ‘spice,’ an aggressive resistance movement has arisen, led by Cham Syndulla, an idealistic freedom fighter, and Isval, a vengeful former slave. But Emperor Palpatine means to control the embattled world and its precious resources—by political power or firepower—and he will be neither intimidated nor denied. Accompanied by his merciless disciple, Darth Vader, he sets out on a rare personal mission to ensure his will is done.

For Syndulla and Isval, it’s the opportunity to strike at the very heart of the ruthless dictatorship sweeping the galaxy. And for the Emperor and Darth Vader, Ryloth becomes more than just a matter of putting down an insurrection: When an ambush sends them crashing to the planet’s surface, where inhospitable terrain and an army of resistance fighters await them, they will find their relationship tested as never before. With only their lightsabers, the dark side of the Force, and each other to depend on, the two Sith must decide if the brutal bond they share will make them victorious allies or lethal adversaries.” — Goodreads description.

STORM AND STEEL (THE BOOK OF THE BLACK EARTH #2) by JON SPRUNK

storm and steel “An empire at war. Three fates intertwined.

The Magician. Horace has destroyed the Temple of the Sun, but now he finds his slave chains have been replaced by bonds of honor, duty, and love. Caught between two women and two cultures, he must contend with deadly forces from the unseen world.

The Rebel. Jirom has thrown in his lot with the slave uprising, but his road to freedom becomes ever more dangerous as the rebels expand their campaign against the empire. Even worse, he feels his connection with Emanon slipping away with every blow they strike in the name of freedom.

The Spy. Alyra has severed her ties to the underground network that brought her to Akeshia, but she continues the mission on her own. Yet, with Horace’s connection to the queen and the rebellion’s escalation of violence, she finds herself treading a knife’s edge between love and duty.

Dark conspiracies bubble to the surface as war and zealotry spread across the empire. Old alliances are shattered, new vendettas are born, and all peoples—citizen and slave alike—must endure the ravages of storm and steel.” — Goodreads Description.

Posted in Funday Monday | 5 Comments

Did you know? Amazon has Several Publishing Options. Not just KDP.

Posted on March 29, 2015 by Bookwraiths

chrismcmullen's avatarchrismcmullen

Image from ShutterStock Image from ShutterStock

PUBLISHING WITH AMAZON

There are at least a half dozen different ways to publish a book with Amazon.

Most people think of Kindle Direct Publishing, but that’s just one of many options:

  • Amazon has multiple imprints, such as 47 North. However, like most major traditional publishers, Amazon Publishing does not accept unsolicited manuscript submissions.
  • Another way to publish with Amazon as your “publisher” is through the new Kindle Scout program. This option is based on reader voting, not solely on an editor’s decision.
  • For those who would like to write fan fiction, there is Kindle Worlds.
  • Kindle Singles is a competitive publishing option for certain kinds of shorter Kindle e-books.
  • Anyone can self-publish with Amazon using Kindle Direct Publishing.
  • You can also self-publish a paperback book with Amazon using CreateSpace.
  • The Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX) lets you publish an audiobook that will be available through Amazon.

AMAZON…

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STAR WARS: DARTH VADER AND THE GHOST PRISON

Posted on March 28, 2015 by Bookwraiths

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

star wars

EPISODE III . . . and a little bit more

THE SITH DEPOSED

The Galactic Republic has been
erased from the pages of history by the Sith.
Palpatine and his apprentice Darth Vader
having destroyed the Jedi Order and
founded the Galactic Empire!

But loyal supporters of Chancellor Palpatine
have become disgusted by his imperial hubris.
These member of his inner circle have conceived
A daring plan to overthrowing the newborn Empire
and restore peace and security to the galaxy.

But the Sith are not so easily vanquished
especially when their strength attract young people
desperate for their own power.
And if that is not enough, there is always Lord Vader,
the seemingly indestructible henchman of Palpatine
who no one knows how to kill. . .

The story crafted by the Dark Horse Comics team of Haden Blackman (script), Agustin Alessio (art), and Michael Heisler (lettering) begins there: A young imperial cadet Tohm landing on Coruscant with hundreds of his fellow soldiers for a lavish graduation ceremony. Naturally, the crippled and scarred man is an outcast with only a handful of friends, but his social isolation has resulted in him because somewhat obsessed with becoming the finest Imperial officer possible. And his carefully developed skills are soon put to the test when a group of high level Imperial officers use the ceremony as cover for a elaborate assassination attempt on Palpatine and Vader.darth vader and the ghost prison

Quickly, young Tohm is forced to make a difficult decision: Side with his friends who are part of the overthrow attempt or help save Palpatine and Vader?

After reading this comic collection I really have mixed feelings about it.

First off, I have to tip my hat to Agustin Alession on the art in Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison. It is absolutely gorgeous. Viewing this comic collection was like sitting in a movie theater watching a wonderfully filmed Star Wars movie play before my eyes: Every panoramic scene breathtaking, each action sequence heart-stopping, and each close-up full of emotional power. Alession’s art is, honestly, that good here.

As for the story itself, it is well plotted, well scripted, and well executed. And while it is 100% Star Wars, this is a more realistic Star Wars than most I’ve experienced, grounded in political upheaval and group dynamics. When reading it, I couldn’t help but compare it to the movie Valkyrie starring Tom Cruise from some years ago. In that silver screen retelling of history, a group of high ranking Nazis plan an assassination attempt on Hitler and his closest henchmen while also coordinating a simultaneous takeover of the government. And that basic tale is what Haden Blackman emulates in Ghost Prison with Palpatine and Vader attempting to escape assassination and putdown a very legitimate takeover attempt, which – coupled with Star Wars lore and hidden Jedi secrets – makes for enough pulse-pounding entertainment to satisfy any Star Wars fan.

But . . .

Well, you knew there was a “but”, right?

But, the main character Tohm (No, Palpatine and Vader aren’t the narrators here.) is very irritating. He is naive at best and stupid at worst. While his physical condition and his personal history give him a valid reason for his decision making throughout the story, his inability to sense the danger of his situation and his absolute trust in people who are telling him over and over again that they are not trustworthy is really perplexing. I mean, if he is smart enough to have survived Imperial officer training and help root out a palace revolt, shouldn’t he be intelligent enough to sense his own precarious position? But, maybe, that is merely my personal preferences regarding characters coming out.

All in all, though, this is a fine addition to the Star Wars Expanded Universe. (Yeah, I know the EU isn’t canon anymore, but it is for me until I’m convinced the upcoming replacement is better.) Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison has stellar artwork, a complex and exciting Star Wars tale, and a lot of Vader-being-a-bad-ass action scenes. All of which means, it should have earned a four star rating from me, but . . . it didn’t, because of Tohm detracting from what otherwise was a great Star Wars tale. Try it for yourself though, because the positives in this one still outweigh the negatives.

Buy Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison at Amazon.

Posted in 3 Stars, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Space Opera, Star Wars | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

FLASHBACK FRIDAY — THE RIDDLE-MASTER TRILOGY by PATRICIA A. McKILLIP

Posted on March 27, 2015 by Bookwraiths

flashbackfriday

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

I was a teenager! Not only that, I was a fairly arrogant one, who believed that he knew everything, had seen everything worth seeing, done everything worth doing, and had read every fantasy series that mattered.

When admitting that, I realize how immensely naive and prideful it all sounds – especially that last bit. However, at the time, I felt my observation about fantasy were completely justified. I mean, I had read J.R.R. Tolkien’s books (all of them at the time), swung swords with Howard’s Conan and Kull, devoured Stephen R. Donaldson’s Thomas Covenant stories, inhaled McCaffrey’s Pern, went through the wardrobe with C.S. Lewis, fought for and against chaos with more than a few of Moorcock’s eternal champions, drifted through the shadows of Amber with Zelazny, and . . . I’ll stop already. You get the idea I’m sure.

Anyway, I was pretty well read in the fantasy genre for a teenager of my time . . . I thought. Then I picked up The Riddle-Master Trilogy by Patricia A. McKillip. I can’t remember exactly when, or how it came into my hands. I do know the covers weren’t really my cup of tea at the time nor did the description promise testosterone-driven adventure. But for some reason, I read it anyway.RIDDLE-MASTER OF HED

The story was simple enough. Many generations in the past, the wizards had vanished from the world; all the remaining magical knowledge hidden in riddles. The Prince of Hed, Morgon, had a talent for riddles and had decided to try to win a crown from the dead Lord of Aum.

However, Morgon had awoken something sibilant by his riddling. Ancient evils were stirring. They stalked the land after him. His friends began to disappear; some even replaced with what had to be shape changers. And so, Morgon was forced to flee his simple kingdom, journeying the land to uncover the secrets to reach the High One who ruled from mysterious Erlenstar Mountain.

Naturally, our prince did not go alone. His main companion on this quest was Deth, the High One’s Harper. And as the two stumble blindly from one terrifying encounter to another, Morgon begins to see that only by solving the riddle of the three stars upon his forehead can he uncover his own destiny!

I know, I know it sounds like a standard fantasy stories from the time period. And I suppose it is . . . to a certain extent. But McKillip writes it all with such elegant prose that it still remains fresh in my memory; the wonderful imagery, the powerful themes, and the subtle plot lines still alive within me. Even now, I recall the ending of book one and the beginning of book two as if I had just read them yesterday; the powerful emotions of both scenes etched into my memory more so than many recent novels that I have read.

No, Riddle-Master might not be a novel read often anymore, but it is one that should be. With the series, McKillip brought an elegance and beauty to the fantasy genre that I personally had not experienced to that time. And, while certain parts of the story have left me, the feelings that it invoked never have – nor, I hope, ever will.

Buy Riddle-Master at Amazon.

Posted in 3 Stars, Epic, Fantasy, Flashback Friday, High | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

TOUGH TRAVELLING — BELOVED MOUNTS

Posted on March 26, 2015 by Bookwraiths

tough-traveling

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.

26th March, 2015 – BELOVED MOUNTS

A combination of suggestions from several people, as it seems many want to talk about the various animals that people in fantasyland ride. So be they horse, bear, or other let’s talk about favorite rides.

Now, this is a great topic. We all love those heroic mounts that take our favorite hero into battle. I mean, there has to be a lot of these out there, right? Let’s see which ones we can find.

SHADOWFAX (LORD OF THE RINGS)

shadowfax
If you are going to start listing beloved mounts Shadowfax must be on the top of that list.

The Lord of Horses was said to be the greatest steed of Middle-earth. He was so intelligent that he could comprehend human speech, and the legends suggest that he could outrun the wind! Untamable by the Rohirrim, he was later given to Gandalf the White by Théoden, the 13th king of Rohan, and strode upon the fields of the mighty during the War of the Ring.

Yeap, old Shadowfax. He is a legendary mount. He almost makes me wish I could ride a horse.

Buy The Lord of the Rings: 50th Anniversary, One Vol. Edition at Amazon.

INDRAUGNIR (WARHAMMER: AGE OF LEGENDS)

Indraugnir

Mightiest of the ancient dragons who were awakened by Caledor Dragontamer, Indraugnir was both the mount and companion of the Phoenix King of the Elves in the Warhammer Universe. To say the dragon was both a boon and a curse to Aenarion sounds too prophetic, but in reality, only by the might of Indraugnir was the Phoenix King able to accomplish an impossible deed that cursed both him, his family and the whole world.

While others point out that with his dying breath Indraugnir took Aenarion back to the site of the ill deed to rectify it somewhat and save the world from total destruction, it might be said that such prowess by this mighty dragon was too little, too late.

Buy Age of Legends (Time of Legends) at Amazon.

RUTH (THE DRAGONRIDERS OF PERN)

ruth

The only white dragon ever mentioned in any of the Pern books, Ruth is a unique dragon for many reasons.

First, his hatching was very peculiar, as young Lord Jaxom actually aided his emergence from his shell.

Two, Ruth’s small size causes him to be ridiculed by most other dragons.

And three . . . well, let’s just say Ruth turns out to be a very gifted dragon.

For all those reasons (plus his humorous personality), Ruth has always been my favorite dragon of Pern.

Buy The Dragonriders of Pern: Dragonflight, Dragonquest, and The White Dragon (Pern: The Dragonriders of Pern) at Amazon.

TALAT (THE HERO AND THE CROWN)

Talat

Whenever a warrior is going out to do battle with vicious, fire-breathing dragons, it is always good for him (or her) to have a steadfast steed along to help out. And young Aerin finds that steed in her father’s old warhorse Talat.

As the story progresses, Aerin and the readers begin to understand not only the bond these two companions have for one another but the importance Talat plays in everything Aerin does. For I am not exaggerating when I say that Aerin would not have survived her adventures without good, old Talat along to ride.

Buy The Hero and the Crown at Amazon.

BLACKJACK (PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS)

BLACKJACK

Okay, I have to admit it: I actually like Percy Jackson. At first, his novels were just some interesting stories to read my kids at night and get them to fall asleep, but along the journey from The Lightning Thief to The Last Olympian Seaweed Brain grew on me. So much so that I’ve been trying to convince my sons to read some more of the novels.

One of my favorite characters in the series is old Blackjack. Not because he has a large role or is included in all the action, but because who wouldn’t like to soar the skies on a black Pegasus. It would be a childhood dream come true for me, at least.

Buy Percy Jackson and the Olympians 5 Book Paperback Boxed Set (new covers w/poster) (Percy Jackson & the Olympians) at Amazon.

FARAN (THE ELENIUM and THE TAMULI)

FARAN

Sparhawk is a grizzled, veteran knight who has been at the heights of power only to find himself banished from his own homeland. Many fear him, but all respect him — except for his warhorse Faran.

This horse is a spirited steed, who finds ways to communicate his displeasure to his knightly master. To say the two of them have a less than happy relationship is an understatement, but perhaps this isn’t all Faran’s fault, because the child-goddess Aphrael once tells Sparhawk that Faran only has a bad temper because he is trying to duplicate Sparhawk’s own. But no matter their differences (or similarities), Faran is a steed and companion who Sparhawk can always depend on when things go wrong. And they always seem to!

Buy The Elenium: The Diamond Throne The Ruby Knight The Sapphire Rose at Amazon.

BREE (THE HORSE AND HIS BOY — THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA # 5)

BREE

This is a list of animals, right?

How could I go a whole list and not include at least one anthropomorphic animal from The Chronicles of Narnia?

Well, obviously, I couldn’t. I mean, it is impossible. And Bree is the Narnian beloved steed I have to point to. A horse that rescues a young boy from slavery, helps him escape from his pursuers, and teaches him more than a few lessons along the way. Bree is definitely a steed that any person would love to have, especially a youth in need of love and guidance.

Buy The Horse and His Boy at Amazon.

BAZIL BROKETAIL (BAZIL BROKETAIL SERIES)

A SWORD FOR A DRAGON

To this point in the list, we have dealt with several trusty steeds. Whether they were horses or dragons hardly matters, since, in their relationships, they were all definitely the one carrying the human or elf around. But in Mr. Rowley’s military fantasy adventure Bazil Broketail, the tables are turned.

In this fantasy land, the elite fighters are the dragon legions, who are armored, fight side-by-side with their reptilian brethren, and have orphan boys who act as their squires. And while Bazil’s orphan boy is one of the stars of the show, he spends a great deal of time feeding, grooming, and taking care of the needs of his “battle dragon.”

Needless to say, this series was a great twist on the usual human-dragon relationship. But just so you know, the orphan boys still ride to battle on the backs of their battle dragon (though these dragons are hardly mounts), so technically, I’m including Bazil on the list.

Buy Bazil Broketail at Amazon.

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY BEST OF FANTASY LISTS.

Posted in Fantasy, Lists, Tough Traveling | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

THE DRAWING OF THE THREE (THE DARK TOWER #2) by STEPHEN KING

Posted on March 25, 2015 by Bookwraiths

THE DRAWING OF THE THREE My rating is 2 out of 5 stars.

The Drawing of the Three (The Dark Tower #2) is usually proclaimed by readers as either “The book that truly got me hooked on The Dark Tower series!” or as “The book that made me give up on The Dark Tower series.” Honestly, this novel is such a huge change from book one that it produces that wide a range of reactions.

The story itself picks up almost immediately after the end of The Gunslinger. Roland Deschain, our forlorn hero, has awakened from a magical slumber to find himself years older and the man in black gone! But more, he soon is pressed past the point of exhaustion, assaulted by unexpected enemies and poisoned to boot on the seemingly endless shores of a unfamiliar ocean. The only way for him to survive to open three doorways to another world (our Earth) and find three people who are destined to not only save him from his current plight but become his new ka-tet on the road to the Dark Tower! (Or, Roland might just be delirious; his fevered brain crafting a way for him to hold off death until true salvation can be found.)

Now, obviously, that sounds like the beginnings of an interesting story. And it is. Stephen King does a stellar job of making a journey up and down a beach by a sick man, who is opening doors (which might be figments of his own imagination) interesting beyond any reasonable expectation. The problem is that the focus of this tale is so different from volume one that it is almost like reading another series entirely.

For those not familiar with The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower Book #1), it is an amazing fusion of western, post-apocalyptic, horror, and fantasy themes which drags a reader along behind Roland Deschain as he pursues the shadowy “Man in Black” across a world “that has moved on.” The action all takes place in this mystical land of gunslingers and wizards with only a few brief nods being made to the modern world. Other than those few modern touches, the tone is very definitely NOT modern.

The Drawing of the Three, however, has only a small portion of the novel taking place in this other world environment. Instead, the above mentioned magical doors take Roland into our own world (albeit at different historical times) where he interacts with normal people, who are dealing with very “real” world issues like drug addiction, drug smuggling, the mafia, mental illness, racial discrimination, bad parenting, and other very “modern” problems. (Yes, these type of issues have always been part of human existence. However, the way in which they were dealt with during the past three millennia is absolutely different than how they are dealt with now, and this story definitely deals with them in a very modern, American way.) Sure, Roland brings a unique view to the mentioned ills, but the narrative still reads like a contemporary fiction piece. In other words, Drawing is a one-hundred and eighty degree turn from the fantastical, post-apocalyptic western The Gunslinger.

So is it “bad” that Mr. King changed the tone from book one to book two?

Well, the answer to that is based upon the individual reader’s personal preferences. I mean, The Drawing of the Three is a really good book in my opinion – but I didn’t enjoy it very much at all.

Huh? It’s a good book, but you didn’t like it?

Yeah, that is what I am saying. You see, I fell in love with The Gunslinger because of the amazing world Stephen King produced by his amalgamation of different writing genres. While reading it, I found myself on the edge of my seat every moment, wondering what else was different about this world and how Mr. King was going to surprise me next. And while Drawing reproduced a portion of that excitement in the modern world struggles of Roland and the people he found behind the doors, the majority of their adventures were too “normal” for my reading tastes.

Even with that being said, however, Drawing was not the death knell for my Dark Tower journey like it has been for others. Sure, this book was a chore for me to read. Yes, I found myself plodding through some parts of the narrative, dying for it to end. However, just like Roland on that beach, I discovered that my desire to reach the Dark Tower and learn more about the mysteries of the world was greater than any obstacle – including my dislike of The Drawing of the Three. Whether that is how you will feel as well is a decision that only you can make after giving the novel a try.

Buy The Drawing of the Three: (The Dark Tower #2) at Amazon.

Posted in 2 Stars, Cross-Genre, Fantasy, Post-apocalyptic, Science Fiction | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

REFLECTIONS OF ETERNITY (FANTASY SHORT STORY) by J.M.D. REID

Posted on March 24, 2015 by Bookwraiths

REFLECTIONS OF ETERNIY My rating is 4 out of 5 stars.

Reflections of Eternity is a fantasy short story that I stumbled upon a few weeks ago. Since I’m generally turned off by photographic fantasy covers, it was the story description which persuaded me to download it – specifically the sword-in-the-stone fantasy trope.

I know lots of people are tired of standard fantasy tropes. The farm-boy-finds-magic-sword-saves-world and all the other familiar tropes are not only boring but an insult to the reading I.Q. of most people. However, whenever my mind is tired of complex stories, I like to take a break by returning to the comfortable fantasy tropes of my youth. And nothing gets me closer to that innocent and joyous time than a good sword-in-the-stone story.

In this particular tale, the world is hurtling toward its end. The soothing lullaby of the goddess Heljina having stopped, and the dark god Zarketh rousing toward wakefulness and destruction. All is in chaos. Civilization is crumbling. The naive and stupid people of the world are lining up to draw the magic blade dubbed Bedko from the holy stone. And all Rehman can do is laugh at the absurdity of it all, desperately trying to get so drunk he doesn’t care anymore.

But then something amazing happens: Rehman is forced to draws forth Bedko’s Blade. Immediately, he is anointed the savior of his people. Only problem being that our young, drunk hero doesn’t want anything to do with what his new destiny entails.

For, you see, the legends say that once there were two swords within the holy stone, but the last time Zarketh began to awake (five centuries in the past) a warrior-woman named Zella pulled forth the other blade, marched down into Zarketh’s tomb to fight the god, and triumphed. (Well, everyone assumes she triumphed because the world didn’t end.) Only problem being that no one ever saw Zella again!

Now Rehman finds himself forced toward the caves where Zella supposedly disappeared, and while all he really wants to do is run for his life, he tries to find bravery in knowing that Zella walked this same path years before. But soon, all his courage begins to fade, as he finds that in the dark depths time itself does not matter anymore!

Having read more than a few fantasy stories that used the sword-in-the-stone trope I can tell you honestly most authors really don’t add much to the classic Arthurian legend. Oh, they might package it differently, change the “why” or “how”, but ultimately, it is the same rehashed fantasy trope that we are all accustom to. But J.M.D. Reid has not done that with Reflections on Eternity. Instead, he has crafted an interesting and entertaining story that twists the sword-in-the-stone mythos around until it has become something new. A feat that I personally never saw coming until the last sentence.

J.M.D. Reid is another fantasy author I was not familiar with until reading a fantasy short story. But unlike other shorts, this tale actually sold me on Mr. Reid’s story crafting skill, so I will definitely be checking out his novel The Assassin’s Remorse sometime in the future. And I would encourage you to as well.

Buy Reflections of Eternity: (A Dark Fantasy Short Story) at Amazon.

Posted in 4 Stars, Fantasy, High, Short Stories | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments