SPELL BLIND (JUSTIS FEARSSON #1) by DAVID B. COE

Posted on February 16, 2015 by Bookwraiths

spellblind
Spell Blind by David B. Coe

Genre: Fantasy — Contemporary

Series: Justis Fearsson #1

Publisher: Baen Books (January 6, 2015)

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Length: 320 pages

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Urban fantasy is not a genre I’m well read in. Anyone who casually scans my usual book choices can ascertain as much. But in the last year, I’ve tried to change that by reading the first Harry Dresden novel Storm Front and a few short stories and Hounded set in Hearne’s Iron Druid Universe. So when I decided to pick up Spell Blind, I at least had a couple Urban Fantasy novels to compare it to, and this first installment of the Justis Fearsson series really stacked up well against them.

Spell Blind tells the story of Justis Fearsson, former investigator with the Phoenix, Arizona police force and current private investigator. But, naturally, there is more to Justis that it appears; in reality, he is a weremyste!

In this world, weremystes are a unique form of werewolf. They appear perfectly normal, act perfectly normal, and don’t seem to turn all hairy on certain nights. What makes them extraordinary is their magical ability, which depends on the moon for its power. The only drawback to the magic is that when the moon becomes full weremystes basically go insane. All semblance of reality fleeing them even as they reach their maximum magical apex.

Justis is no exception to this curse. But like his father before him, the magic means too much for him to take the drugs that would let him lead a normal life. The specter of its lose nearly as terrifying to him as the dementia and Alzheimer-like symptoms it finally inflicted upon his father. Plus, Justis really needs the magic to continue to do his job?

But why does a P.I. need magic, you ask?

Well, normally, Justis doesn’t – the insurance claims and adulterous spouse cases not requiring anything other than his law enforcement skills, but occasionally, he finds himself mixed up in crimes that defy explanation, called in as a consultant by his former partner, Kona Shaw, to aid Phoenix P.D. in their ongoing investigations. And since Kona is the only person other than his father who knows his secret – and because he really needs the money – Justis takes on these cases, utilizing his magical powers to aid his previous employer. And as Spellblind begins that is exactly what is transpiring.

You see, before his termination from the force, Justis and Kona were investigators on the worst serial killer case in Phoenix history. An especially nasty murderer who preyed on troubled teens and college students, burned out their eyes while torturing them, and always dumped their bodies in the desert. The gruesome nature of the deaths caused the local media to dub the assailant the Blind Angel Killer. And though Justis never got close to apprehending this psycho, he always suspected the killings had something to do with magic but could never prove it.

Fast forward to now. There has been another Blind Angel murder. This time the daughter of an immensely powerful state politician has been found tortured, blinded, and dead in the desert. The Feds have been called in to find the killer and do it fast. But Phoenix P.D. wants to apprehend him first, so that they will not be labeled incompetent, and soon Justis finds his phone ringing. But even as he agrees to help Kona Shaw out, he wonders if his weremyste powers are strong enough to deal with exactly what he is stepping into?

Overall, Spell Blind was a really solid Urban Fantasy story. It had all the requisite elements: urban setting, supernatural creatures, magic, romantic entanglements, and mysterious plots. And David B. Coe weaves all of them together into a seamlessly entertaining novel that is never dull, constantly develops its characters, deftly reveals its mysteries, and wraps things up with a nice, realistic ending. Without a doubt, it is pure Urban Fantasy fun. Really.

The only criticism I could cast on the book is that it isn’t brimming with originality. I mean, even I (a UF newbie) have read and seen UF characters similar to those presented here, plots close to this one, and magical creatures related to weremystes, so none of the elements themselves surprised me. And so if a perspective reader comes to Spellblind searching for some re-invention of the Urban Fantasy formula, I could see them being sorely disappointed by this novel.

With that negative aside, however, I really enjoyed this first installment of the Justis Fearsson series. As I mentioned earlier, it was pure page turning fun, and I fully intend to pick up the next book to see what adventures have been sprung upon my favorite weremyste P.I..

Baen 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 Spell Blind (The Case Files of Justis Fearsson Book 1) AT AMAZON.

Posted in 4 Stars, Contemporary, Fantasy, Urban, Urban Fantasy | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

HALF THE WORLD (SHATTERED SEA #2) by JOE ABERCROMBIE

Posted on February 14, 2015 by Bookwraiths

HALF THE WORLD My rating is 3 out of 5 stars.

The sands of time have rapidly slipped through the hourglass since Half a King. Now, Father Yarvi is well established as the “deeply cunning” minister of his former uncle, King Uthil of Gettland, and his former mother, Queen Laithlin. But no matter his famed deviousness, Yarvi has not been able to avert the coming confrontation with the High King. Thankfully, however, new heroes have arisen to aid the minster in his task of protecting Gettland.

One of this new generation is a young girl named Thorn, who is determined to become as great a warrior like her father: a man who dueled Grom-gil-Gorm himself. But her sex and her bad attitude has turned more than a few of her fellow warriors against her. And that only gets worse when she inadvertently kills another young man.

Only the intervention of Father Yarvi saves young Thorn. But no act of kindness from the deeply cunning minister is free. And so Thorn finds herself joining Yarvi’s mission to travel around half the world to find allies for the coming war with the High King.

After finishing Half the World, all I can say is that the second helping of grimwhine might have went down a bit better, but it wasn’t any more savory than the first.

The simple truth is that Half the World is just the same old YA story we’ve all read before (in Half a King actually) with different main characters and more travelling.

Half the World still reads more like a historical fiction novel than a fantasy — even with elf ruins thrown in for fun.

Half the World continued to have an inordinate amount of dull, needless pages interspersed with witty or philosophical quotation material.

Half the World once again tried to be clever in its plot and revelations yet failed to surprise at all.

Half the World also lacked any characters of any uniqueness, settling instead for the same retreads seen in most every other YA novel.

Half the World is, at best, an okay grimwhine that obviously wasn’t for me.

Actually, as I write this short review I find that Half the World is already beginning to fade from my mind, which doesn’t surprise me since there was nothing memorable at all about it.

Buy Half the World (Shattered Sea) at Amazon.

SEE MY REVIEW OF SHATTERED SEA BOOK I
HALF A KING

Posted in 3 Stars, Fantasy, Grimdark, Low, Young Adult | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

TOUGH TRAVELLING — TO BLATHE

Posted on February 12, 2015 by Bookwraiths

tough-traveling

Every Thursday, Nathan over at Fantasy Review Barn hosts a weekly party where blogs get to follow along with Diana Wynne Jones’ hilarious book The Tough Guide to Fantasyland: The Essential Guide to Fantasy Travel listing their favorite books with a particular fantasy trope. So sit back and enjoy the fun.

12th February, 2015 – TO BLATHE

Sonny, true love is the greatest thing in the world. Except for a nice MLT, a mutton, lettuce and tomato sandwich, where the mutton is nice and lean and the tomato is ripe. They’re so perky, I love that. But that’s not what he said! He distinctly said “to blave.” (Thanks to Wendy again. Let’s find those examples of True Love!)

First off, I have to admit that I’d never heard of “blathe” until this week. Guess, I’ve been living under a rock or something. So the first thing I did was go run a search on the meaning of this word, finally finding Urban Dictionary, which stated that “blathe” meant “To have really good sex and then eat ice cream and smoke a cigarette afterwards.”

Well, I guess lots of true love starts off that way — though not all — but that definition of blathe didn’t encompass all the different types of love for me. So, with that in mind, I’ve tried to classify my picks by the TYPES of LOVE that I’ve encountered in many of my favorite fantasy series.

Hope you enjoy. And please post some that I’ve overlooked.

I. INFATUATION

BELGARION and CE’NEDRA (THE BELGARIAD by DAVID EDDINGS)
GARION CE'NEDRA These two are the perfect old school example of infatuation at work. Ce’Nedra is the spoiled, rich teenager who runs away from her royal father to prove to everyone that she can do exactly as she pleases only to find herself stuck in the band of adventures led by Belgarath. In this group is another teenager named Garion, who immediately finds his small town, farm boy sensibilities at odds with the cute girl who treats him as if he is beneath her. But even as the two bicker, fight and insult one another, you gradually see through it all to the teenage infatuation that they feel for the other. And while the story eventually leads to a more serious relationship, these two initially began their love as pure teenage infatuation.

TAROD and CYLLAN (TIME MASTER by LOUISE COOPER)
time master Tarod is the dark-haired youth who is brooding, powerful, and confused about life and his place in it. Cyllan is a girl who has her own issues but has been gifted with a core of strength and resolve that leads her to fight for what she loves and believes in. Eventually, these two outcasts from society find one another, fall in love, and desperately hold on to one another no matter all the obstacles that the world — and the otherworld — throws at them. Yeah, this love is all about angst, us against the world, and all those things that make teenage infatuation so damn addictive.

II. EROS

ROLAND and SUSAN (THE DARK TOWER by STEPHEN KING)

ROLAND SUSAN What happens when a young, lonely gunslinger rides into a small town with his friends?

Yeah, you guessed it. He will probably find a nice, young girl to keep him company.

And this is exactly what occurs when Roland Deschain meets Susan Delgado on the road one night in Wizard and Glass. The two youths find themselves overwhelmed by passion for one another, begin to meet clandestinely wherever they can as they care on a torrid affair which might or might not have developed into true love. But like all things in The Dark Tower, we will never know because before Roland and Susan’s love can grow fate intervenes in a most unforgettable way!

MARI and INDRIS (ECHOES OF EMPIRE by MARK T. BARNES)
MARIINDRIS
Mari is a warrior who aspires to the highest pinnacle of honor and servitude to her kingdom, her family, and her order.

Dragon-Eyed Indris is a broken man, who has lost all that mattered to him: his wife, his chosen life, his trust in his order, and his faith in humanity as a whole.

When these two find one another in a night of passion, they also discover that they are soon set to be enemies — Mari’s father the antithesis of all that Indris holds dear. So what are these lovers to do when everything they found might be ripped out from under them, you ask? Why hold on even tighter, because they both are too broken for anyone else to love.

KELLIN and GINEVRA (A TAPESTRY OF LIONS by JENNIFER ROBERSON)
A TAPESTRY OF LIONSFor seven books and a century of Cheysuli time, the Prophecy of the Firstborn ( A generational quest to recreate the magical race which once held sway in the lands ruled by Homana’s Mujar.) is nearing completion. All that is required is for Kellin, the Cheysuli heir, to sire a child with an Ihlini sorceress. Just one problem: Kellin wants nothing to do with the prophecy, nor does he wish to do anything to an Ilhini except to gut them for their murder of his mother and the abandonment of his father.

But prophecies sometimes have a way of working themselves out in the most peculiar ways, and when fate brings Kellin and Ginevra together, it is an attraction that somehow transcends their personal racism.

III. SOUL MATES

CATT-BRIE AND DRIZZT DO’URDEN (THE LEGEND OF DRIZZT)
catti_brie_and_drizzt_by_svanha-d35yl8w These two children from different worlds might not be the first couple anyone would think of when they picture soul mates, but even though R.A. Salvatore leaves most romantic antics of the pair to a reader’s imagination, the deep devotion and smoldering passion of these two is always there to be seen. I mean, Catt-brie put off an eternity in paradise so that she could be reborn and return to Drizzt side, never knowing if he had moved on and found another true love during her time in the grave. And Drizzt for his part, never seems to have recovered from Catt-brie’s untimely death even though others have tried to replace her. Yeah, I’d say these two qualify as soul mates!

ARAGORN AND ARWEN (LORD OF THE RINGS by J.R.R. TOLKIEN)
aragorn_arwen_kiss_by_rsiplon-d49st6t

Arwen Undómiel, often called Arwen Evenstar, was the daughter of Elrond and Celebrían. During her long life, her people considered her to be the fairest of the Children of Ilúvatar, resembling Lúthien of the First Age.

When a foster-son of Elrond, Aragorn, falls in love at first sight with Arwen he is told by Elrond that only the King of both Gondor and Arnor could hope to wed her. And so the young Heir of Isildur set out on many long years of toil and labor to prove himself worth of Arwen’s love.

After the victory over Sauron and his crowning as King of the Reunited Kingdom, Aragorn finally weds Arwen. A triumph of love over all obstacles. The only negative was that Arwen gave up her immortality in order to wed her beloved Aragorn. Something she never renounced even after his death.

These two are the ultimate examples of soul mates and true love in fantasy for me.

Posted in Fantasy, Lists, Tough Traveling | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

JERICHO: SEASON FOUR

Posted on February 10, 2015 by Bookwraiths

JERICHO SEASON FOUR My rating is 5 out of 5 stars.

The Jericho story continues!

For those unlucky enough not to be familiar with it, Jericho is the 2006-2008 television show about the aftermath of a nuclear event in the United States and its effect on a group of people in a small Kansas town.

Season Four begins with Jake Green and Robert Hawkins returning to Jericho, for which both are extremely happy. But things in the outside world are anything but peaceful. The country itself is neatly split into two rival camps by the Mississippi River; the eastern section of the country calling itself the USA, while the western states are now called the Allied States of America. While separate nations, both the USA and ASA have the same problems: food is scarce, relief aid is sporadic, lawlessness is epidemic, a plague has begun to spread, and a war with the other is looming. So while our two heroes have succeeded in their mission from Season Three, they find themselves trapped into a political plot that could reveal the villains behind the September nuclear bombings, topple a government, start a revolution, and get everyone they care about killed!

Like the previous comic collection, Jericho: Season Four is plotted by the creative team behind the television series. This consistence in writing remains the strong point of this collection, as the story continues without any deviation from the previous plot lines with all the familiar characters included in the goings-on in Jericho. And while the tone of the story changes a bit, it is still 100% Jericho with several lingering mysteries beginning to be answered.

There were a couple of problems with this collection, however.

One, the artwork was not a strong point. One issue would be great, and then the next would feature a different artist who might not live up to the high stands this series has exhibited in the past. In fact, there were a few times in the story where the heads of the characters appeared to be “photoshopped” onto a body. Something that did not work at all and really ruined the whole visual presentation. Lucky, though, these problems were sporadic enough not to derail the story.

Two, the story was slow. There are lots of conversations between characters, lots of plotting what to do next, but not much action. Not that dialogue is a bad thing, mind you, but here the talking seemed to be setting up plots for future stories rather than tying into what was currently going on.

With those criticism outlined, however, a Jericho story with problems is better than no Jericho story at all, so I’d encourage any fan of the show to pick this one up. And for those unfamiliar with the show, get on Netflix and try it out!

Buy Jericho: Season 4 at Amazon.

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY OTHER JERICHO RELATED POSTS
JERICHO (TV SERIES)
JERICHO: SEASON THREE (GRAPHIC NOVEL)

Posted in 5 Stars, Graphic Novels, Jericho, Post-apocalyptic | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

JERICHO: SEASON THREE – CIVIL WAR

Posted on February 9, 2015 by Bookwraiths

JERICHO SEASON THREE CIVIL WAR My rating is 5 out of 5 stars.

For those who have never heard of Jericho, it was a television show which aired from 2006-2008 and focused on a group of characters thrown together in a small town in the State of Kansas after a nuclear event in the United States. While the show was definitely post-apocalyptic in focus, dealt with the aftermath of a limited nuclear catastrophe, and spent lots of screen time exploring the issues of terrorism, political cover-ups, conspiracies, mercenary armies, and corrupt corporations, it never lost sight of the fact that it was a story about ordinary people.

When the show ended its run, the story naturally had a less-than-stellar ending – though it was, at least, a conclusion of sorts. But thankfully (for Jericho fans, at least) the shows writers and producers got together with a couple comic companies, obtained the actors’ permissions to use their real likenesses, and created this official continuation of the series.

Jericho: Season Three – Civil War starts off exactly how the tv series ended with Jake Green and Robert Hawkins in the independent Republic of Texas with a nuclear bomb. From there the surprises and excitement keeps building as the brewing war between the successor states of the U.S.A. begins to break out in earnest and the mysterious mastermind of the September nuclear attacks on U.S. cities begins to be revealed.

After finishing this comic collection, the first thing I must say is thank you to everyone involved in getting this project done and gifting it to the show’s fans. It is, without a doubt, a welcome addition to the Jericho mythos and seamlessly carries on the story, weaving a post-apocalyptic plot that has the perfect mixture of nuclear horror, political mystery, human struggles, acts of nobility, and periods of brutality to entertain anyone!

Now, with my fanboy gushing over, I have to remind everyone that nothing is perfect. And this comic collection is not an exception. My main criticisms of it being that the story is just not complex enough.

As fans of the show may recall, on television, there was a large cast of characters; people the production team could highlight and immerse in an ongoing plot before moving on to another character, do the same things with him or her before repeating with yet another person while constantly foreshadowing future events. It was a type of storytelling that allowed a very complex storyline to develop organically, and Jericho the tv series really excelled at it. Unfortunately, though, a six part comic series obviously did not give the writers the luxury to use this method, but required them to focus on a smaller core of people, provide less details in exchange for rapidly fleshing out the overarching story of what happens to the USA, Texas, and the ASA (Allied States of America) as the Second American Civil War breaks out. And while they did an admirable job making it work, it really was a bit of a letdown in its narrower focus.

Criticism aside, though, this is a very good continuation of the Jericho television series. The artwork is top notch, faithfully renders the actors, and does an excellent job visually “selling” the story. And that story is pure Jericho. No, it isn’t quite as complex. No, it doesn’t juggle as many different characters and storylines. But it is still a satisfying continuation of a series that was cancelled way before its time.

And just a finally note for all you Walking Dead fans out there. If you think Lennie James has done a great job with the character of Morgan Jones then come take a look at him as the mysteries Robert Hawkins in Jericho, because he is quite frankly amazing!

Buy Jericho Season 3 TP at Amazon.

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY OTHER JERICHO RELATED POSTS
JERICHO (TV SERIES)

Posted in 5 Stars, Graphic Novels, Jericho, Post-apocalyptic | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

JERICHO

Posted on January 30, 2015 by Bookwraiths

jericho 1
I don’t watch a lot of television. At least, I haven’t for about twelve years – twelve being the age of my oldest child. Before then, I planned my social life around watching my favorite programs, and between mine and my wife’s viewing habits, there were few shows that we didn’t give a try. But like most everyone with kids, our life changed after our first bundle of joy came along.

Where before we’d sit down to watch an ultra-violent flick, now kid-friendly Disney fare began to play.

Those language and sexual innuendo filled rom-coms? Well, they wound up on a high, seldom examined shelf while ________ (Please insert whatever children’s program you are familiar with. In our household it was The Wiggles, Blues Clues, Thomas the Train, Power Rangers, and TMNT.) played on an endless loop on our blu-ray.

The “must-see” television shows on Netflix and Hulu might get added to our “to be watched” list, but we never seemed to find the time to watch . . . because there are lots of SpongeBob SquarePants episodes.

So when Jericho was on network television from 2006-2008, I completely missed it, didn’t even know it existed.

Sadly and thankfully, kids do grow up. Now my two oldest have graduated to PG-13 fare. (Hey, we are strict parents. Well, my wife is anyway.) So about two weeks ago, we discovered Jericho on Netflix and began watching . . . and watching . . . and watching until we had devoured the whole series!

For those who have never heard of Jericho, it is about a small group of characters thrown together in a small town in the State of Kansas after a nuclear event in the United States. The focus is on the individuals, their trauma at having their modern society seemingly destroyed in the blink of an eye, and how they struggle to brave the aftermaths and maintain their lives. (For those of you who have heard of it, think of an updated The Day After.)

Other than that fantastic premise and a great cast of characters, this show mesmerized me because it perfectly captured the eerie feel to mid 2000s America. You know, the decade when 9/11, the Iraq War, The Patriot Act, and Halliburton made almost all Americans begin to wonder if there was anything their government wouldn’t lie to them about. It was a tumultuous time to live through. Nothing like surviving in a war torn country, but definitely something that Americans should not forget. And as I watched acts of terrorism, political cover-ups, conspiracies, mercenary armies, corrupt corporations, and neighbor turning on neighbor in Jericho, I realized this was something that could indeed happen in our reality, and I was both afraid and entertained.

So if you’ve never tried Jericho before, give it a try. It might not be as gory as The Walking Dead, but it is still a really entertaining post-apocalyptic series.

And, if you already knew Jericho was this good, why exactly didn’t you mention it to me?

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY OTHER JERICHO RELATED POSTS
JERICHO: SEASON THREE (GRAPHIC NOVEL)

Posted in Post-apocalyptic, Science Fiction | Tagged , , | 12 Comments

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: THE ADAMA GAMBIT

Posted on January 28, 2015 by Bookwraiths

BSG THE ADAMA GAMBIT My rating is 4 out of 5 stars.

Before I review this graphic novel, I have to make a confession – I love Battlestar Galactica. Whether it is the original show from my childhood in the 1970s, the different comic versions (Yes, even the Image ones), the Richard Hatch novels, or the 2004 reboot, I just love them all. Somehow the story of this fleet of survivors outrunning the Cylons and searching for a lost Earth has never failed to capture my imagination. So when I picked this comic collection up, I had no doubt that I’d love it. I mean, it is BSG, after all!

In The Adama Gambit, our rag-tag fleet is still running, desperately trying to keep ahead of the relentless machines, when they find themselves in an unexplored and unstable region of space where a mysterious object resides. An artifact that soon begins to give members of the fleet dreams of Earth, prompting Commander Adama to halt the fleet until a full examination of the object can determine if it is indeed a beacon or portal of the lost colony.

But things are never easy in BSG. Every decision to stop running increasing the odds that the Cylons will find and destroy the fleet. And soon, Apollo and others begin to question Adama’s refusal to abandon the artifact — an internal dispute that finds the fate of humanity hanging by a thread and Adama himself wondering if it is time for him to allow the next generation to assume command of the fleet.

Pretty standard Battlestar Galactica story I know some of you are thinking to yourself, and I can’t disagree. But what makes this comic collection a worthwhile read is the sections that focus on a single character and their personal issues. We have one comic that shows Athena leading the fleet, proving that she is far more than just a pretty face and a case of nepotism run amok. Another focuses on Adama questioning his worth to humanity going forward. Boxey is highlighted in another, as he tries to live a normal life aboard a battlestar. And finally, there is the Baltar issue, which allows one to see how he could betray humanity to its murderous children. Each of these stories being well worth a read for any BSG fan.

The only thing that I did not completely love in this comic collection was the art. Honestly, it was a bit up and down. Sure, the combat scenes were generally well drawn, full of action, and very detailed, and the closeups of the characters were true to life, but somehow, the panels of people walking, talking, and moving around just seemed stagnant to me. Just my opinion though.

To get to the point, I like Battlestar Galactica: The Adama Gambit. It was about BSG, had some good stories, stayed true to the original BSG characters, and had enough plots and action going on that I never got bored with it. Maybe, it isn’t the second coming of Stan Lee or Jack Kirby, but it is better than a lot of the standard superhero fare I’ve tried lately.

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

Buy Battlestar Galactica Volume 2: The Adama Gambit at Amazon.

Posted in 4 Stars, Battlestar Galactica, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Space Opera | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

BRAVE MEN DIE PART 1 by DAN ADAMS

Posted on January 27, 2015 by Bookwraiths

BRAVE MEN DIE My rating is 3 out of 5 stars.

Brave Men Die Part 1 by Dan Adams is best characterized as a standard but entertaining grimdark. It has lots of combat, buckets of blood and gore with a straight forward story to go with it. While Brave doesn’t revolutionize the fantasy genre, it is definitely a guilty pleasure that will be appreciated by those fantasy fans who like their fantasy equal parts grim and dark.

The story begins with a group of warrior-wizards unleashing hell on the township of Tarkinholm. These three men leave a trail of bodies and destruction as they breach an inner sanctum in the city to retrieve a well guarded prize. One of the victims of this rampage being a Prince of the Empire of Kyzantium, who is killed by the intruders. When the sister of our dearly departed Prince discovers that the murderers of her brother are supposedly from the neighboring land of Murukia, the inevitable spiral toward war begins!

From this blood splattered beginning, Dan Adams fleshes out the story (Part 1 of 3 please remember) by introducing numerous characters from both kingdoms. Some of these people are high born lords, others merely young warriors, but each describes through his own experience the buildup to and the inevitable clash between their two lands. And through the lens of their lives, the author shows how quickly an unease peace can begin to crumble and a war that no one really wants erupt.

Now, as I mentioned earlier, I enjoyed Brave Men Die; it was exactly what I expected it to be: a hard fighting grimdark. And that was enough for me. But I’d feel remise if I didn’t mention that there were not a lot of complex plot lines interwoven into this tale. Sure, our cast of characters have their own issues and problems that are explored in some measure, but none of these things ever really rise beyond the level of merely being mentioned. Rather, Dan Adams spends his time focusing on the fights between warriors, the vistas of war, and the aftermath of people dying before their time.

The other issue I had with the story was that, at times, the language and verbiage of the characters was too modern and contemporary sounding. Not that this was a constant issue, because it was not. Rather, there were instances when a few modern phrases and expressions would spring off the page, disrupting my mind’s attempt to immerse itself in this medieval-like world of steel and magic.

With all that being said, Brave Men Die Part 1 was a book that I enjoyed, do not regret investing my reading time in, and feel okay recommending to other fantasy fans. So take a look at it, you know nothing passes the time like sitting back and enjoying some blood drenched grimdark.

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

Buy Brave Men Die: Part 1 of 3 at Amazon.

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

HEIR TO THE JEDI by KEVIN HEARNE

Posted on January 20, 2015 by Bookwraiths

HEIR TO THE JEDI

Heir to the Jedi by Kevin Hearne

Genre: Sci-Fi, Star Wars

Series: Empire and Rebellion #3

Publisher: Lucas Books (March 3, 2015)

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

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

star wars

EPISODE IV . . . and then some

It is a dark time for the Rebellion.
Although the Death Star has been
destroyed, Imperial troops have
driven the Rebel forces from
their hidden base and pursued
them far across the galaxy.

Evading the dreaded Imperial
Starfleet, the Rebel Alliance
attempts to not only survive
but continue to strike blows against
the hated Empire.

With trained operatives a rare commodity,
the Alliance is forced to send young Luke Skywalker
on a secret mission to rescue an
Imperial turncoat. One who
can provide valuable information vital
to the survival of the Alliance.

I’ve been a Star Wars fan most of my life, and like many people who experienced the original trilogy in the late 1970s and early 1980s, those initial movies and their characters are my favorites. Obviously, this is because so many happy childhood memories revolved around them. Things like waiting in line with throngs of other excited people to see the movies. Happily munching popcorn with my friends as I sat on the edge of my seat, mesmerized by the space battles and lightsaber duels. And reliving and creating my own Star Wars adventures on the playground of my school with mine and my friends favorite action figures. So it should be no surprise that Han, Leia, Chewie, Artoo, C3PO, Lando, and Luke are my favorite Star Wars characters to read about – especially if the story is set during the original trilogy time frame – but I’m always worried that the author isn’t going to get “IT” right. (“IT” being a story that holds true to the SW mythos and the characters movie personas.) And Heir to the Jedi was no exception to this trepidation, on my part. But after reading Kevin Hearne’s addition to the Star Wars Universe, I’m happy to say he definitely got “IT” right with his portrayal of the young Luke Skywalker.

The story here is set between Episode IV: A New Hope and Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, and it sends our Death Star destroying hero off on a mission without his famous cast of friends as backup. Nope, no Han Solo or Chewie to run to the rescue. No, Princess Leia to take charge and direct everyone in what to do. Rather, it is the still wet-behind-the-ears Luke who is in charge of a delicate mission to rescue an important asset from the Imperials.

Of course, Luke doesn’t go off into the great beyond by himself. Remember, he isn’t a Jedi yet. Instead, he blasts off with a few companions. Naturally, trusty Artoo is one of them. But the other is a rich-girl-turned-rebel-sympathizer by the name of Nakari, who is a nice comedic presence and a great companion to our young, serious Jedi in training. And as the rescue story proceeds even the “important asset” herself, Drusil, turns out to be a great addition to the group; her amazing mathematical skills and unfailing logic adding a certain spice to the whole rescue tale.

But no Star Wars tale is complete without lots of adventure and daring-do, and Heir to the Jedi has tons of that. The story filled with space battles, blaster fights, a little lightsaber work, a harrowing Alien-like adventure, and even some bounty hunter mayhem. And Mr. Hearne does a great job with each of them, while also interjecting enough humor, character development, and insightful internal monologue into the traditional elements to keep even the most well-read Star Wars fan interested.

What sets Heir to the Jedi apart from some other Star Wars novels, however, is the deft handling of Luke Skywalker. Here we get an intimate look into the young Jedi’s thoughts and feelings, his dreams and fears, and his victories and failures. One moment, he will be dealing with his repressed grief for aunt and uncle and Ben, then the next he will be making a life-or-death decision that could spell certain doom for him and perhaps the whole Rebel Alliance. And somehow, Mr. Hearne makes this still young and naive Tatooine farm boy seem very real; his alternating personalities of clumsy, tongue-tied idiot with a pretty girl and daring, Force-guided rebel not a paradox but rather two integral parts of the real Luke Skywalker: rebel hero and real person.

So like I said at the beginning of my review, I’m a longtime Star Wars fan. Now, though, I’m also a fan of Kevin Hearne writing Star Wars. So when is the next Hearne Star Wars book coming out anyway?

Lucas Books 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.

PURCHASE THE BOOK AT AMAZON.

CHECK OUT MY REVIEWS OF THE EMPIRE AND REBELLION SERIES
RAZOR’S EDGE (EMPIRE AND REBELLION #1)
HONOR AMONG THIEVES (EMPIRE AND REBELLION #2)

Posted in 4 Stars, Science Fiction, Space Opera, Star Wars | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Fantasy and Literary Heroes in Our Society Guest Post – Charles E. Yallowitz

Posted on January 15, 2015 by Bookwraiths

eranamage's avatarLibrary of Erana

Welcome to the next instalment of the Fantasy in Our Society Series. Today I welcome fantasy author Charles Yallowitz.

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