Monday 30 December 2013

I Am Legend - Richard Matheson

RATING: THREE STARS

didn't really know what to expect from I Am Legend, as I've already seen the film (2007) and had heard that the novel was very different. As it turns out, the book is VERY different and for starters, I was surprised to find that Richard Matheson's monsters were vampires rather than those angry zombie things!

Despite this, the basic premise of the book was what I expected: set in a post-apocalyptic world, Robert Neville is the last living man on Earth. Life is hard for Neville and he has to use all of his wits to survive the vampires that hunt him. Innovation is essential and he constantly works to safeguard his home while grappling with the demons of loneliness and celibacy.

Day to day, he dedicates himself to two things: killing as many vampires as he can find and searching for a cure. Despite knowing very little about medicine and biology, Neville is hopeful and manages to unveil a great many facets about vampire kind . . .

The Good
Matheson does a remarkable job in developing Neville's character and I could really believe that he is a man struggling to come to terms with the lonely existence that has been forced on him. Throughout the book, Matheson really describes Neville's thought processes, fears and ambitions and his character goes through several, believable transitions that were extremely interesting to read about.

Matheson’s ideas about vampires are also extremely well thought out and he has used real science in his explanation of them as a species and how they came to be. He has linked these ideas well with different human cultures to give them a real depth. In addition to this, Matheson hasn't gone overboard with blood and violence like many modern horror movies and books do, instead using his language to tell the story.

The story is also paced well. It's not a long book, with its length being perfect to tell Neville's heart-breaking story without growing stale – because let’s face it, there’s only so much an author can do with one character surviving in a world of vampires before it grows old!

The Bad
The main gripe I had with I Am Legend is that it really wasn't as scary as I thought it was going to be. Despite being a book about vampires trying to murder and suck Neville dry, there were very few scenes of horror in it. Although I think the Hollywood ‘blood and gore’ routine is getting a bit unnecessary now (as most modern horror films are simply slashers with various monsters in them), I did expect a certain level of it to have been included in the book . . . 

My Thoughts
I Am Legend is certainly a remarkable book, in which Matheson has really excelled himself. The book is well thought out, well executed and suddenly throws events at you from nowhere. I would certainly recommended reading it as it’s much better than the film!

Sunday 22 December 2013

The River of Shadows - Robert V. S. Redick

RATING: FIVE STARS

The Chathrand, the greatest ship of the Aquarli Empire, has finally crossed the Ruling Sea – being the first to do so in hundreds of years. Its crew had envisioned welcome; help from a people that is sorely need as their thirst for water begins to tear them apart. But the shores they find are inhospitable, being full of violence as the empire of Bali Adro seeks control of the south. Strangeness is everywhere and revelations are forced on the crew that are as terrifying as they are heart-breaking. 

And, amidst it all, the fight against Arunis—the terrible sorcerer and destroyer of empires—continues. The nilstone still needs protecting, evil still seeks to free the Shaggat Ness from his prison of stone and Arunis’ eyes are fixed on unleashing the Swarm to cover the whole of Alifros in darkness and death.

But Pazel Pathkendle, the Lady Thasha Isiq and the rest of those sworn to resist Arunis are no less resolute in their mission. Even as their group begins to fracture, they must work together as never before as they fight for their freedom against servants of the Bali Adro Empire and find Arunis before he reaches the River of Shadows . . . 

The Good
Once again, I find myself astounded by Robert V. S. Redick's imagination and with the enthusiasm with which he writes. Both of these attributes combine to give a story that is exciting and extremely unique. He has invented a whole host of different creatures and cultures, his own lore of magic, the structure of the universe and even a few landscapes that (as far as I have read), no other authors have penned. The result of this is a fast-paced, gripping story that is extremely enjoyable to read.

Redick’s characterisation also continues to be superb and I am really beginning to know the characters - it's almost as if I have met them in real life! He has set up their past so thoroughly, that I can even understand the different motivations and thought process behind their actions (even though they all seek the same end).

In addition, Redick’s slightly dated style of writing really adds to the feel of the story and is perfect for a novel about great ships sailing through the high seas. His language is reminiscent of Robert Louis Stephenson and he has clearly researched the running of empire-style ships in great detail, confidently describing parts and process that I have no idea about!

The Bad
As with its predecessors, I really have nothing to fault with The River of Shadows! And my only disappointment is that I only have one book left in the series!

My Thoughts
I have to say that The River Of Shadows has been the best instalment of The Chathrand Voyage yet! It is exciting, filled with twists and turns and I had great difficulty in putting it down (much to the annoyance of my managers at work). The book (and series as a whole), is certainly worthy of its place on my Shelf of Fame and is a must read of all fans of fantasy – I can see this novel becoming a lasting classic.

Saturday 14 December 2013

The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks

RATING: FOUR STARS

Written in the first person, The Wasp Factory tells a few weeks of the disturbing life of Frank Cauldhame – a young man who has grown up on an isolated Scottish island with his estranged father. Life there is bizarre for Frank; basically, because his father never registered his birth so he doesn't technically exist! This means that Frank didn’t go to school, can’t get a job and has but a single friend. So what does Frank do? Kill, of course: the decapitated heads of dead animals adorn the island and watch for intruders; gerbils and mice are catapulted to watery graves in tribute to Old Saul; and then, of course, there are people. Frank’s brother is dead; his two cousins are dead . . .

But Frank’s time is too valuable for these pastimes alone and he walks the enlightened path of the Wasp Factory . . . Furthermore, his dog-burning brother has escaped from a lunatic asylum and has begun to make his destructive way home. Frank knows that he will need all of his power, all of his skills, if he is to meet his brother and stop him from going back.

The Good
The vivid darkness of Iain Banks’ imagination in The Wasp Factory is staggering and he has really managed to create a warped, scarily insane character that is both believable and relatable. In fact, his narrations of Frank’s thought processes is astounding and really make it clear why Frank does the things he does, along with what he is hoping to achieve by them. This had the odd effect of making me sympathise with Frank in some places, despite being utterly shocked and disgusted by what he was doing at the same time (which made the book extremely fun to read)!

Banks’ writing is also highly emotive and elicits strong responses (albeit negative ones) in many places in the book. In my experiences, this is quite a rare skill among authors and the last book I read that did this was The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. Just like in The Lovely Bones, the strong emotions stirred by The Wasp Factory helps to distinguish it from other novels and makes it well worth reading as it makes you confront issues that you normally wouldn't consider.

The Bad
The biggest problem with The Wasp Factory has to be its disturbing content! The book certainly isn't for the faint hearted and is filled with twisted moments of cruelty and violence that are as controversial as they are shocking. Scenes of animal cruelty are prominent throughout the book as well, which I actually found more upsetting than the murders.

My Thoughts
The Wasp Factory is the first book that I have read by Iain Banks, but it certainly won’t be the last. The author’s dark mind, skilful prose and blunt dialogue make for easy, gripping reading and I am keen to read his other works. Despite being greatly disturbing at times, I would definitely recommend giving The Wasp Factory a go. It will probably leave you a bit bewildered and slightly perturbed by its end and you won’t be exactly the same person as you were when you began it, but it is certainly a classic of modern day Gothic horror that has been written by a very talented author.

Monday 9 December 2013

The Waste Lands - Stephen King

RATING: FOUR STARS

With the help of Susannah Walker and Eddy Dean, his newly formed posse of gunslingers, Roland Deschain continues his search for the Dark Tower. His quest takes the group deep into unchartered forests and rolling hills, where they are confronted by a terror from the world before it moved on – a guardian of the Old Great Ones. Roland knows that the risk the guardian poses it great, but it protects one of the twelve beams and he knows he may have finally found a path to the Tower itself.

But things are never as easy as they seem and even if they manage to defeat the guardian, they will still have to pass through the war-torn ruins of Lud. The ancient city, once a gem of a bygone and more civilised age, is all but a wasteland itself and serves as the gristly battlefield for the centuries old war between the Greys and Pubes. Terrible drums play a dirge for their countless fallen and Roland suspects that he will need all of his wits to see his companions and himself safely to the other side – wits that he knows he doesn’t have as his mind fragments and he descends into madness as the result of changing his own timeline. He must save the boy to save himself – he must draw Jake into the desolated ruins of his world . . .

The Good
With its stunning backdrop and harrowing storyline, The Waste Lands did not disappoint me as the third instalment to The Dark Tower. Stephen King’s mind has continued to astound me as his story grows ever more complex and his famous ability to write has produced a book that is next to impossible to put down!

The Waste Lands is exciting and fast paced, containing flash fire scenes of violence that come out of nowhere (in much the same manner as HBO’s Boardwalk Empire) and cringing scenes of horror that made me want to put it down as much as it made me want to blitz ahead! And, in addition to this, King has continued his masterful development of his characters so they almost seem like real people that I really engaged with.

The Bad
I really have nothing to fault with The Waste Lands!

My Thoughts
The Waste Lands really begins to develop King’s Dark Tower multiverse and finally begins to explain some of the tragedy that has befallen Roland’s world. As I have discussed above, the book is both exciting and harrowing and is a fantastic instalment of a series that deserves all of the praise it gets. I thoroughly recommend The Dark Tower to fans of both fantasy and horror (as it’s not a fantasy in a traditional sense so you might enjoy even if you typically avoid the genre), which will undoubtedly prove to be an enjoyable and valuable use of your time!

Sunday 1 December 2013

Dragon Haven - Robin Hobb

RATING: FOUR STARS


Kelsingra, the lost city of the Elderlings, seems as distant as ever for Captain Leftrin, his crew and the ragged band of dragon keepers as they break new ground through the Rain Wilds. There is no indication that they are even heading in the right direction as they search for the city; the weather is worsening inclemently; and, worse still, tensions are beginning to mount as their supplies diminish and tools are lost. But hope remains and the keepers’ determination to find the ancient city and a safe haven for their dragons is as strong as ever. 

But even as the Rain Wilds are bringing the humans to the knees, the dragons are becoming stronger. They are being hardened by the adverse conditions, growing more competent and deadly with each passing day. Their deformities are vanishing as they eat more and more, and they are beginning to fill out with muscle. Soon, the dragons know, they won’t need keepers. Soon, they know, they will be able to take what they need as they did in the days of yore . . . 

The Good
Robin Hobb has outdone herself in Dragon Haven, both in imagination and storytelling. The book is even better than its predecessor and really develops the ideas of the series. Despite being set around a small river barge that journeys through inhospitable wilderness, the plot is exciting and the story does not become stale. This is mainly due to Hobb’s skill at balancing the social dynamics of her story with surprise and shocking events that come out of nowhere. In fact, Dragon Haven is a real page turner that is very difficult to put down!

As I have briefly mentioned above, Hobb’s characterisation is particularly good. She has really managed to create a diverse cast that are relatable and really seem like living people. This adds a refreshing sense of realism to the story (that fantasy often lacks), which Hobb uses well for dramatic effect in the calamities that befall them. 

What is particularly impressive is Hobb’s creation of characters from completely different classes and walks of life. Aboard the Tarman, she has characters ranging from rich and spoilt merchant traders that have never done a day’s hard work in their lives, to those that are so low born that they have been ostracised from society due to their genetic deformities. Hobb develops these characters well and is convincing in their thought process, beliefs and motivations while using their ‘point of view’, which has allowed her to tell the same story from multiple angles!

The Bad
As in Dragon Keeper, Hobb writes in very long chapters that have seldom few brakes in them. While this doesn't really diminish the story itself, it does make the novel a bit of a chore to read (which is why I have raised the issue here). It takes a real time commitment to read a chapter (unless you are happy to break yourself in an unnatural part of a story) and means that the book isn't really suitable for 'light' reading. It was a particular problem for me as I mainly read books on the bus to work, which meant that I frequently had to stop reading in random parts that disjointed the story somewhat.

Secondly, these very long chapters do make the story and its chronology slightly hard to follow in places. It’s not actually their length per se, but due to Hobb’s use of multiple points of view in one chapter. I've never really been a fan of this (and think that’s it’s clearer if writers stick to one character’s viewpoint per chapter, such as George R. R. Martin does in A Song of Ice and Fire), which makes the story easier to follow.

My Thoughts
Overall, though, Hobb has excelled and Dragon Haven is a fun, exciting book. She has put her own unique spin on dragonlore that I really liked and has penned quite a unique novel. I definitely recommend reading it (or beginning the Rain Wilds series) to any fan of fantasy, as Hobb is certainly worthy of her reputation as a master.

Sunday 17 November 2013

Frontline - Randolph Lalonde

RATING: THREE STARS

The Holocaust Virus is beginning to spread uncontrollably through the galaxy, infecting every A.I. it comes across. In its lee, lie a series of desolated, lifeless worlds. Human casualties have risen to incomprehensible figures and even the sinister Regent Galactic is beginning to become sickened, trying their very best to divert the blame of the virus away from themselves.

Amidst all of the chaos, confusion and death, Jason, Ayan and Ming buu set off to rendezvous with Jacob Valence and his powerful warship, the Triton. Their journey will be far more dangerous than even they realise, as they will have to pass by Pandem – a tiny island planet that is to serve as the ‘beachhead’ the West Keepers need to launch their assault on the free galaxy.

The Good
Like its predecessors, Frontline is exciting and imaginative. The pace of the story is bang-on and it really builds up to an exciting ending. Randolph Lalonde has gone all out in this story and has held nothing back, slightly dipping into horror for the first time to create a grotesque form of science fiction. Lalonde carries this off well and really forms a harrowing picture of what the Holocaust Virus is doing to the worlds it infects.

The Bad
Once again, as with its predecessors, the main issue I had with Frontline was with its poor editing and the book is riddled with grammatical and colloquial mistakes. This is a shame really as the story itself is good, but Lalonde is clearly either editing his work himself or is paying a non-professional to do it for him. These mistakes really diminish his story and gives Frontline a slightly amateurish feel that I didn't like and was (in my opinion), easy for him to have avoided.

Frontline also continues to have some of the other problems I have mentioned previously: its dialogue is slightly clunky and doesn't really reflect how people speak in real life; Lalonde is still using irritating author’s tricks like using italics and words like ‘haf’ instead of ‘have’ in his dialogue that detract from the story; and, finally, much of his technology is just too good and convenient (even for science fiction)!

My Thoughts
So, would I recommend reading Frontline (or beginning Spinward Fringe) to you? Once again, the answer is yes. Despite its flaws, Frontline is a good story that I really enjoyed reading. It continues to be well-priced, especially because it is slightly longer than the other books, and reading it is an entertaining way to pass a long commute or a bit of free time.

Wednesday 23 October 2013

The Rats and the Ruling Sea - Robert V. S. Redick

RATING: FOUR STARS

The Nilstone still hasn't been destroyed and the evil sorcerer Arunis has his eyes fixed on it as a prize. Before he can claim it as his own, however, and use its mysterious power to unleash the ageless Swarm unto the world, he must work out who the spell keeper is to restore the Shaggat Ness to flesh and blood.

The revered mage Ramachni, Pazel Pathkendle, the young lady Thasha Isiq and the rest of their companions are determined that this will not happen. Even as life becomes more dangerous for them aboard the Chathrand, they are becoming ever more determined to stop Arunis and the sinister spymaster Sandor Ott. Their lives are threatened, mutiny is whispered, but the conspirers know that much more is at stake than their own existence - they cannot lose and allow the Chathrand to navigate the Ruling Sea...

The Good
As in The Red Wolf Conspiracy, I was extremely impressed by the enthusiasm of Robert V. S. Redick’s writing. He has a knack of really being able to immerse me in both his story and the lives of his characters. His vivid descriptions do have a slightly ‘old’ feel to their style, but it really works with the sailing theme of the book. I could really tell that he had as much fun in writing it as I did in reading it!

Redick has also managed to keep the creative flair going from the first book of the series. And, once again, he has managed to keep the story interesting throughout the book, despite much of it being set on the Chathrand. Other than this rather epic ship, The Rats and the Ruling Sea whirls through a whole host of lavish locations; ranging from dark, forgotten dungeons that are filled with death and horror to forbidding rainforests that teem with life. He has continued to invent his own monsters, staying away from those authors’ typically use, which really gives the book a fresh, vibrant feel throughout.

The Bad
Once again, I don't really have anything to fault with Redick's book. He has clearly invested a great deal of time in its writing and planning, and this was really evident to me as I read it. The Rats and the Ruling Sea is exciting, well described and has a balanced pace - if Redick didn't invest a significant amount of thought into this book, he is either an accidental master or has a fantastic editor.

My Thoughts
I have to say that there is definitely something special about The Red Wolf Conspiracy and The Rats and the Ruling Sea. Both books read more like fairy tales for adults than typical fantasy novels and I am extremely excited about reading the third book in The Chathrand Voyage series in the near future. But don’t take my word for it – start the series and see for yourself!

Tuesday 1 October 2013

Fox has 'The Kingkiller Chronicle' all set for a TV series!

Yesterday evening, the most epic thing happened to me since I discovered A Song of Ice and Fire in my second year of uni - I learnt that Fox has optioned Patrick Rothfuss's stunning Kingkiller Chronicle for a TV series!

Teaming up with New Regent Productions, Fox are considering dramatising The Kingkiller Chronicle into a television series. There is very little information about this plan available so far (both companies seem to have surprisingly little news on their sites), but Eric Heisserer's* name has been thrown around as a possible executive producer for the show, which suggests that it might be portrayed in a dark style similar to that of the books.

The Kingkiller Chronicle is definitely one of my favourite series of all time so, despite my excitement, I have mixed feelings about this whole idea. Will Fox deviate too much from the books? Will they cast a rubbish Kvothe? Or, more importantly, will there be a repeat of the whole Firefly incident (which, yes, I doubt I'll ever stop whining about or forgive them for)?

I'm sure that there'll be many critics who ask these questions, but I'm hopeful that they won't make an absolute hash of it. I think that HBO's dramatisation of A Song of Ice and Fire has shown just how good a series can be by staying as true to a book's story as possible, while really growing the loyalty of a dedicated fan base behind it. If we're lucky, Fox will have twigged and we can expect a show that is as epic as the books and, like the books, one that is good enough to rival Game of Thrones itself!


* most known for The Thing (2011) and A Nightmare of Elm's Street (2010)

Monday 30 September 2013

The Daylight War - Peter V. Brett

RATING: FOUR STARS

In The Daylight War, Brett continues the story of humanity's struggle against the vicious demons that rise from the Core in night in epic detail. Even as Ahmann am’Jardir am'Kaji, now hailed as the Second Deliverer, increases his stranglehold on the lives and minds of his territories in the north, Arlen Bales begins to realise that the free-folk of Cutter’s Hollow will never view him as anything except their own Deliverer. 

But while each man struggles to organise their own bloating armies, the demons are not idle. The demon princes have finally begun to see the organisation of humans around the deliverers as a threat. Worse still, they have learnt that the ancient fighting wards of Kaji have been found. The first of their brothers to have risen from the Core have not returned and more demons are dying since the time of the first Daylight War. They know that they must strike now - if they can kill the deliverers, then the unity of humanity will crumble once again…

The Good
For the most part The Daylight War is exciting, being packed with sprays of blood and demon ichor. Brett continues telling the current story in graphic detail, while delving into the originals of Inevera; revealing how she rose from the shackles of a common birth to becoming leader of the Damaji'ting and the First Wife of Ahmann. Her story is every bit as interesting to read about as the current events of those struggling against the demons and really brings her character to life.

Brett also begins to show that the demons are organising themselves to resist the newfound strength of humans. This leads to much more brutal, epic battles than what we have read about in the previous books and begins to show that demons are still dangerous. I think that this was something Brett had begun to lose since the battle wards were discovered, as Arlen and those with the weapons could kill them too easily – an author’s heroes are only as good as their villains, so it’s nice to read about the demons stepping up to become feared again.

The Bad
Sex. The middle section of the book was full of it and it was really, really boring. I’ll admit that I understand why Brett has included it, since he’s mainly using it to develop certain characters, but he’s just overdone it. The sex is not graphically described like in George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire or smut books, but there are enough ‘scenes’ to really distract from the story and Brett really hasn't done them well. Furthermore, Brett gets carried away with his PoV characters love life, which I understand is important to them in the story, but it just sounds cheesy and faked in the book. Many authors manage to pull relationships and love off well in their writing, with Patrick Rothfuss writing about Kvothe’s love for Denna being an obvious example, but, sadly, Brett isn't one of them and he should have just left most of it out. 

Secondly, I thought the pace of the book was grossly out. The first third was okay and read well, but after that Brett kind of lost it a bit. There were pages and pages in which nothing at all really happened expect for his characters’ having sex or whining about their respective relationship issues, before the ending of the book suddenly rushed in from nowhere. Obviously I won’t spoil the book’s ending, but I think Brett should have spent more time developing the events underlying it and really should have made more of an effort to link some of the choices made to the personalities of his main characters.

My Thoughts
Despite my qualms with The Daylight War, I still really enjoyed it. Brett has continued the Demon Cycle with his most epic story yet and has really set the scene for his next book. Once again, I recommend that Brett’s books are a must read for any fan of fantasy.

Monday 16 September 2013

The Drawing of the Three - Stephen King

RATING: FIVE STARS

Whilst I wasn't especially impressed with The Gunslinger (which was good, just not that good), I found The Drawing of the Three to be absolutely enthralling. It was both trippy and exciting, and Stephen King has really managed to make Roland Deschain’s character come to life in its pages as he continues to quest towards the Dark Tower.

The Drawing of the Three picks up right where The Gunslinger leaves off, setting the scene on the desolate beach where Roland falls asleep at the end of its predecessor. This beach actually proves to be one of the major settings for the story and is much more than what it appears at first glance. As Roland journeys down it, close to death, he finds three mysterious doors that lead to another world…

Through each of these doors are challenges and tests. Challenges that Roland has never faced before. Challenges that he can’t fail at if he is to ‘draw the three’ and survive to finally lay eyes on the Dark Tower.

The Good
The Drawing of the Three managed to captivate me right from the beginning and completely sucked me in. in fact, I was unable to put the book down once I began reading it and actually finished it within a week (although it’s taken me far longer than that to actually get round to writing this review)! Its pages are packed with action, but it was more than that which made it so good – it is the weird, almost trippy story that King has thought up. It’s pretty unique and has really begun to show the complexity of King’s ‘macroverse', which will undoubtedly prove important for the books to come.

I really liked the new characters who have made appearances in the book as well. They are realistic, highly flawed and are extremely enjoyable to read about. King has done a fantastic job developing them and I found that I had very little difficultly thinking of them as real people. As always, King has researched the underlying facts of book well, and I was really able to understand the characters backgrounds and views on life.

The Bad
I actually have very little to fault with The Drawing of the Three. If I have to make one comment though, I would say that some of the language becomes a little difficult to understand at times. Basically, King describes many scenes using the voice of a highly stereotyped black woman from a run-down ghetto in America. Now, this might just because I am English and am not that familiar with all of the slang and terminology used, but some of it got quite difficult to follow!

My Thoughts
The Drawing of the Three is undoubtedly one of the best books I have read in a while. Do not ‘forget the face of your father’ – either read this book or begin the series.

Saturday 17 August 2013

The Shadowed Sun - N. K. Jemisin

RATING: THREE STARS

Gujaareh, the city of dreams, is suffering. It has been ten long years since the events of The Killing Moonten years in which the once great city has now been occupied by Kisua – a people that know nothing of peace and worship false gods. The result of this is a decadence of the likes Gujaareh has never known: there are starving homeless on the streets, crime has risen and the great anger of violence is beginning to take root in the hearts of its people. In short, the peace of their daily lives – peace which is valued above all else as the basis of their religion – is beginning to shatter.

Worse still, a strange plague is spreading through the city that kills those infected in the sleep. Its victims die alone and in agony, too distressed to ever find their way into the eternal peace of Hananja’s afterlife. The narcomancers that serve Hananja – devout priests that follow her teachings in their dream magic – are at a loss and grow ever more concerned as the plague resists every attempt they make to cure it.

But Guraajeh faces more problems that it knows: the heir to the city’s throne still lives – a young prince who has grown up among a barbaric race of warriors, where he has done nothing but cultivate his anger and hone his prowess for war…

The Good
Just like its predecessor, The Shadowed Sun is both imaginative and enjoyable to read. N. K. Jemisin has really gone wild while she delved into the dream magic her world uses, showing once again how devastating its power actually is. Jemisin’s rather unique form of magic is definitely interesting to read about and she’s really managed to weave it into the daily lives of her characters, adding to the plausibility of Gujareen culture.

Furthermore, Jemisin’s point of view characters have been developed well in themselves and I found that I was able to warm to them quite quickly. Jemisin has managed to create very distinctive personalities that are very evident while reading and really seem to affect the events of the story in a believable manner.

The Bad 
One of the only things I didn't like about The Shadowed Sun, is that is barely featured any of the characters from the previous book. Although these characters do appear and Jemisin has developed her new characters well (which actually fit in perfectly with story), it would have been nice for the ‘familiar faces’ to have had more of a prominent presence.

Another major issue that I had with The Shadowed Sun was in its lack of action. Although this didn't actually make the book any less interesting to read, it would have been nice to have actually read some of the battles and fights in ‘real time’, rather than reading about them post-hoc once they had finished. Admittedly, some of the action was ‘real time’, but I feel that Jemisin could have made the book much more engaging if they all were – one bit (which I won’t reveal) in-particular!

My Thoughts
Overall though, I enjoyed reading The Killing Moon and think that it’s a satisfying ending to Jemisin’s Dreamblood duology. The book is sensual, filled with stunning imagery throughout and really gives the sense of a suffering people that need to be liberated. In fact, I would go as far as saying that Dreamblood is a rare gem of a duology that you should seriously consider investing your time in – N. K. Jemisin is definitely a very talented writer that we should all look out for over the years to come!

Saturday 10 August 2013

Dune - Frank Herbert

RATING: FOUR STARS

Dune. Here's a book that needs no introduction, and I'm sure that many of you have heard of it to some degree (even if it is just been in passing until now). It is Frank Herbert's timeless science fiction classic about Arrakis - a desert planet with so little water on its surface that is it almost uninhabitable for human life; a desert planet that is inhabited only because of the unique melange spice mined there because of the vitality it brings to human health.

It is a planet where only the strong have been able to survive, and only then by adapting to conserve each and every drop of the living-giving water that is worth far more than gold. The Fremen they are called, tribal warriors that have managed to endure and eke out a living where few other could; who have been down-trodden and suppressed by the long and cruel regime of House Harkonnen. The rule of the Harkonnen's ends, however, when House Atreides is gifted with Arrakis and its melange-mining rights by the great Padishah Emperor himself.

Duke Leto Atreides is reluctant to accept the gift, especially because it involves leaving his water-rich home world behind, but knows that he has very little choice - he can feel the jaws of a Harkonnen trap closing tight and begins to realise that Arrakis provides an answer to the danger, despite also being the cause. This answer is the Fremen, the warrior people who have hatred for Duke Vladimir Harkonnen in their very blood. It is the Fremen that he must win if he is to save his son, Paul, and beloved consort, Jessica.

The Good
I have to say that I was very impressed with Dune and think that Herbert has done a superb job with this book. He has managed to develop an impressive ensemble of characters that I really warmed to; has put a lot of thought into the workings of Arrakis and how humans could survive in such an arid environment; and has developed a believable future society for us (once we have finally ventured into the stars).

I admit that some of the stuff Herbert has imagined has to be taken with a pinch of salt (such as his whole concept of the Bene Gesserit), but, over all, he has developed a believable level of technology that isn't too far fetched like many science fiction authors do. This technology is interesting to read about as Herbert really shows how it fits into society and adds to the story as much of it is necessary for survival on Arrakis.

The story itself is also excellent and exciting, although it is predominantly political intrigue so I can't give much away about the plot without ruining it. Rest assured though, that Dune is a real page-turner that is full and twists and action!

The Bad
I think that one of the biggest problems Dune has is its complexity. It's not the story itself that's complex, but simply the sheer scope of the world that Herbert has created. He literally throws the reader straight into the deep end of his universe and begins talking about all these fictional objects of technology, religious rites and social connotations that he has made up with very little explanation of what they are (almost as if he just expects the reader to know). Admittedly, this is a brave method of writing and clearly shows Herbert's confidence as a writer, but it did make following the book a little difficult at times. Herbert has included a glossary at the back of the book to help us out, but I've ever really been a fan of authors doing this and found the continuing necessity to keep flicking back to it a bit irritating really.

In addition to this, Dune also has a weird chronology and is actually split into three novellas that are set years apart from each other. Although each story follows the same overall story arc, it does mean that there are huge 'gaps' in the characters' lives that would have been enjoyable to read about. Really, I got the feeling that Dune is actually two normal length novels that Herbert has tried to condense into one (in three parts).

My Thoughts
The problems I had with Dune did little to mar my enjoyment of it, however, and I still think that the book is brilliant. It is imaginative, exciting and Herbert has really delved into the science that surviving on such a hostile planet as Arrakis would require. Dune is definitely a book that all science fiction fans should invest in and has set the scene for the rest of the Dune Chronicles to be an interesting read.

Dune.

Tuesday 6 August 2013

Brayan's Gold - Peter V. Brett

RATING: FOUR STARS

In Brayan’s Gold, Peter V. Brett gives us yet another slice of Arlen’s unwritten story as he tells of a daring messaging run he makes while he is still a young guild apprentice. Being deep into the mountains, the run can only be described as arduous at best and wouldn't normally have been given to an untested messenger at all. That is, of course, if the usual messenger hadn't broken his leg. With no-one else to turn to, the messenger’s guild must give the mission to Arlen and the wizened messenger who is asked to take him beyond the safety of the city’s walls.

As always, Arlen is desperate to test himself against the savage Corelings that stalk the wilds and is only too eager to take on the mission – being determined to deliver a cache of thundersticks to the count of Lord Brayan’s coveted gold mine. However, he quickly finds that the run isn't as easy as he first anticipated and finds that not only is the delivery of his wares jeopardised, but his life nearly comes to a violent and untimely end.

My Thoughts
Just like The Great Bazaar, Brayan’s Gold is a short novella that fills the gap between two of the Demon Cycle’s main instalments. The novella is set between The Painted Man and The Desert Spear, and provides a captivating escape into the ruins of Brett’s desolate world. Aside from being well written and imaginative, Brayan’s Gold is fast paced right from the first page and was extremely difficult for me to put down. It really shows the true grit of Arlen’s character, revealing once again the lengths he will go to in order to survive the Corelings and resist bowing down to them out of fear. In fact, I will say that Brayan’s Gold is a gripping read that will leave you more than ready for the third novel in the series, The Daylight War.

Sunday 14 July 2013

J. K. Rowling has written a secret crime novel!

After her phenomenal success with the cult Harry Potter series, J. K. Rowling has hinted several times that she would like to publish any new books she writes under a pseudonym. Rowling had not previously confirmed if she had done this yet, but it has recently come to light that she has written a crime novel under the name of 'Robert Galbraith'.

The novel, which is called The Cuckoo's Calling, is about a war veteran who becomes a private investigator after retiring from armed service. The book has sold around 1, 500 copies* since it was released in April and Rowling has said that "it has been wonderful to publish without hype or expectation". She is slightly disappointed that the secret has emerged so soon, but writers in the Sunday Times became skeptical that a debut writer could produce such "accomplished work". They consequently investigated the matter and were surprised to find that Galbraith and Rowling not only had the same agent and editor as each other, but were both publishing with Sphere, which is part of the Little, Brown Book Group that published The Casual Vacancy late last year.

Rowling has said that "being Robert Galbraith has been such a liberating experience" and clearly plans to continue writing under the pseudonym as there is already a sequel in the pipeline, which is due to be published sometime next year.


* at the time this post was published

Saturday 13 July 2013

The Wise Man's Fear - Patrick Rothfuss

RATING: FIVE STARS

I must confess that this review has been behind the scenes as a half-finished draft for a while now. But, after recently watching an interview with Patrick Rothfuss, I've finally been motivated to sit down and finish it! In fact, I'm finding it slightly odd that I haven't already posted the review as I write this - The Wise Man's Fear has, after all, become one of my favorite books!

Anyway, enough of the stuff you don't really care about and let's begin. After the spectacular grandeur of The Name of the Wind, I picked up The Wise Man's Fear with a mixture of anxious excitement and trepidation. As much as I was looking forward to reading it, I was thinking that it couldn't possibly fill the shoes of its predecessor. How could Patrick Rothfuss possibly have it in him to write another book to that standard?

Luckily, I was wrong. He could and he did. The Wise Man's Fear is every bit as gripping and beautifully written as its younger brother - continuing the story of Kvothe the Arcane in an installment that is all but impossible to put down!

The Wise Man's Fear is very similar to The Name of the Wind and is predominantly told in the first person as Kvothe narrates more of his life story to the renown scribe, Chronicler. This main 'flashback' story is again broken up with intermissions set in the current time, which are just as interesting as they are in the first novel. I think that they are more important in this book though and really begin to set the scene for the third and final installment, painting a picture of a world in dire straights (hinting somehow that it's all Kvothe's fault) and showing how Kvothe has become a broken shell of a man. This contrasts sharply with his character in his early life, adding a bleak sense of tragedy over Kvothe's autobiography as we now that (by the end of the coming book), it doesn't end well.

In fact, the young Kvothe is very happy as he continues telling his tale, resuming with his time at the University. Here, Kvothe describes hows his powers grew to frightening degrees even as he struggled to escape his poverty and his vendetta with Ambrose intensified. As his autobiography progresses, Kvothe decides (rather reluctantly) to take a hiatus from his studies and more of his legend unfolds as he travels the world. Ranging from how he was taught to love by Felurian herself to the time he spent living with the legendary Adem warriors, Kvothe's story is nothing short of epic and, by the end, will leave you desperate for more.

I have to say that The Wise Man's Fear is one of the best novel's I've ever read. It's a must read for any fan of the fantasy genre and, with both of the books released so far being beautifully written and heartfelt, The Kingkiller Chronicle is a one of those rare series that few (if any) people won't enjoy. It is a series that has made it to my 'Shelf of Fame' and, for your own fantasy education, is one that you should invest in - I guarantee you won't be disappointed!

Tuesday 9 July 2013

The Eye of the World - Robert Jordan

RATING: FIVE STARS

Honestly, I've never really been bothered about reading The Wheel of Time. It’s a fantasy classic, yes, which I think you have admit regardless of whether or not you’re a fan the series, but it was just too long for me. I mean fourteen books? Was there really any need?

didn't think so (and still don’t, in fact), but one of my friends has read The Eye of the World recently and really enjoyed it (click here for his review). Naturally, this meant that I decided to give it a go and I’m glad I did. I found The Eye of the World to be a real page-turner and struggled to put it down right from the prologue. It’s imaginative, full of twists and turns and Robert Jordan has a very vivid way of writing that made it possible for me to really visualise the scenes he was narrating throughout the book. 

I will admit that the story is a little cliché though and begins with yet another farm boy who escapes a common life of grafting over crops and sheep because he is the ‘chosen one'. Naturally, his life is turned upside down when his farm is attacked and he finds himself fleeing for his life with an unlikely band of companions.

I think that the story is well written as a whole though and its quality makes up for any of the similarities it has with other fantasy books. I also think that the story has an air of The Lord of Rings about it, which really added to my enjoyment of it. In fact, I think Jordan has done some things even better than Tolkien. A major example of this is in the fact that Moiraine, a magically powerful Aes Sedai, actually uses her powers to fight with and aid the party on a regular basis! I always think this is where LotR falls a little flat, to be honest, because despite all of his powers, Gandalf barely uses magic in the entire trilogy (with his epic fight with the balrog being a notable exception).

This isn't to say The Eye of the World is perfect, however, and I thought that Jordan has an irritating tendency of repeating what’s going a lot in his prose. He also seems to be a little obsessed with mist and I think he goes too far in describing the recurrent nightmares that plague three of his main characters. 

Overall though, The Eye of World is a fantastic read and is a superb example of pure, escapist fantasy at its best. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes epic fantasy and think that you shouldn't let the sheer size of The Wheel of Time daunt you. I’m expecting to be proved right in later books where the series begins to drag a bit, but I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it! For now, I’m a huge fan of the book and am looking forward to delving into The Great Hunt.

Sunday 7 July 2013

Chronological reading list for A Feast for Crows & A Dance with Dragons


WARNING - CONTAINS SPOILERS. THIS POST SHOULD ONLY BE READ BY THOSE WHO ARE UP TO DATE WITH A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE

Just to be absolutely clear, I'm going to warn you all again - this post contains spoilers for ASoIaF so only read it if you're up to date with the series and have read A Dance with Dragons.

Okay, so that's my disclaimers over and done with now and I can get on with the rest of this post! I hope I don't to sound too angry in them, by the way, but I know how annoyed I'd have been if someone foretold ASoIaF for me and I don't want to see anybody leaving comments beneath this post moaning that I've given stuff away! So I'm going to assume that everyone reading to this point has now read A Dance with Dragons...

As you have, will have undoubtedly noticed that its chronology is weird and actually overlaps with A Feast for Crows. As I understand it, this is largely due to problems that George R. R. Martin had while he was writing the series. Following A Storm of Swords, Martin had originally wanted the series to jump ahead by a few years and had actually started writing Feast as if it had. He had only gotten a short way into the book, however, before he realised that this idea wasn't going to work and had to start again (which was a factor in the length of time it took to complete the novel). So Martin re-planned his concept for Feast,  but found that while the time jump didn't work for some characters, it did for others. Furthermore, he found that he had too many characters to write about simultaneously and, hey-presto, we've ended up with two chronologically overlapping books.

Obviously this has led to certain PoV characters being completely absent in one of the two books, which some fans think has 'staled' their storylines somewhat. Many have also suggested that this takes some of the power away from certain revelations because the initial shock has worn off and we've had time to become accustomed to the plot twist. A good example of this is Tyrion Lannister's descent into alcoholism after he murders his father and flees Westeros. By the time we get to read of his fate, we're all long accustomed to his exile!

In response to this, many fans of the series have begun to develop ways of reading Feast and Dance together as one book - we do, afterall, have both of them available now. There have been many problems with this though, which is largely due to the complexity of the story - let's face it, aside from Martin himself, I think we all struggle to comprehend everything that's going on to some degree!

Sean T Collins, however, is one such fan and seems to have had some success with this idea - managing to restructure both of the books into one so that the entire story flows chronologically (at least roughly). And while I'm not really a fan of this idea and will always reread the books exactly as Martin wrote them, I think that the idea sounds fun and has merit. So, if you are interested in this and would like to reread the series in a custom, chronological order, please see below for the chapter list (as it appears on Sean's website). Enjoy!

  1. Prologue (Varamyr): ADWD 1
  2. Prologue (Pate): AFFC 1
  3. The Prophet (Aeron I): AFFC 2
  4. The Captain of Guards (Areo I): AFFC 3
  5. Cersei I: AFFC 4
  6. Tyrion I: ADWD 2
  7. Daenerys I: ADWD 3
  8. Brienne I: AFFC 5
  9. Jon I: ADWD 4
  10. Bran I: ADWD 5
  11. Tyrion II: ADWD 6
  12. The Merchant’s Man (Quentyn I): ADWD 7 ^
  13. Samwell I: AFFC 6
  14. Jon II: ADWD 8
  15. Arya I: AFFC 7
  16. Cersei II: AFFC 8
  17. Jaime I: AFFC 9
  18. Brienne II: AFFC 10
  19. Sansa I: AFFC 11
  20. The Kraken’s Daughter (Asha I): AFFC 12
  21. Tyrion III: ADWD 9
  22. Davos I: ADWD 10
  23. Jon III: ADWD 11
  24. Daenerys II: ADWD 12
  25. Reek I (Theon I): ADWD 13
  26. Cersei III: AFFC 13
  27. The Soiled Knight (Arys): AFFC 14
  28. Bran II: ADWD 14
  29. Tyrion IV: ADWD 15
  30. Davos II: ADWD 16
  31. Brienne III: AFFC 15
  32. Samwell II: AFFC 16
  33. Daenerys III: ADWD 17
  34. Jon IV: ADWD 18
  35. Jaime II: AFFC 17
  36. Tyrion V: ADWD 19
  37. Cersei IV: AFFC 18
  38. Davos III: ADWD 20
  39. The Iron Captain (Victarion I): AFFC 19
  40. The Drowned Man (Aeron II): AFFC 20
  41. Brienne IV: AFFC 21
  42. The Queenmaker (Arianne I): AFFC 22
  43. Arya II: AFFC 23
  44. Alayne I (Sansa II): AFFC 24
  45. Cersei V: AFFC 25
  46. Reek II (Theon II): ADWD 21
  47. Jon V: ADWD 22
  48. Tyrion VI: ADWD 23
  49. Daenerys IV: ADWD 24
  50. The Lost Lord (Jon Connington I): ADWD 25
  51. The Windblown (Quentyn II): ADWD 26
  52. The Wayward Bride (Asha II): ADWD 27
  53. Brienne V: AFFC 26
  54. Samwell III: AFFC 27
  55. Jaime III: AFFC 28
  56. Tyrion VII: ADWD 28
  57. Jon VI: ADWD 29
  58. Davos IV: ADWD 30
  59. Cersei VI: AFFC 29
  60. The Reaver (Victarion II): AFFC 30
  61. Daenerys V: ADWD 31
  62. Melisandre I: ADWD 32
  63. Jaime IV: AFFC 31
  64. Brienne VI: AFFC 32
  65. Reek III (Theon III): ADWD 33
  66. Tyrion VIII: ADWD 34
  67. Cersei VII: AFFC 33
  68. Jaime V: AFFC 34
  69. Cat of the Canals (Arya III): AFFC 35
  70. Samwell IV: AFFC 36
  71. Cersei VIII: AFFC 37
  72. Brienne VII: AFFC 38
  73. Jaime VI: AFFC 39
  74. Cersei IX: AFFC 40
  75. The Princess in the Tower (Arianne II): AFFC 41 ^
  76. Bran III: ADWD 35
  77. Jon VII: ADWD 36
  78. Daenerys VI: ADWD 37
  79. The Prince of Winterfell (Theon IV): ADWD 38
  80. The Watcher (Areo II): ADWD 39
  81. Jon VIII: ADWD 40
  82. Tyrion IX: ADWD 41
  83. The Turncloak (Theon V): ADWD 42
  84. The King’s Prize (Asha III): ADWD 43
  85. Daenerys VII: ADWD 44
  86. Alayne II (Sansa III): AFFC 42
  87. Jon IX: ADWD 45
  88. Brienne VIII: AFFC 43
  89. Cersei X: AFFC 44
  90. Jaime VII: AFFC 45
  91. Samwell V: AFFC 46
  92. The Blind Girl (Arya IV): ADWD 46
  93. A Ghost in Winterfell (Theon VI): ADWD 47
  94. Tyrion X: ADWD 48
  95. Jaime VIII: ADWD 49
  96. Jon X: ADWD 50
  97. Daenerys VIII: ADWD 51
  98. Theon VII: ADWD 52
  99. Daenerys IX: ADWD 53
  100. Jon XI: ADWD 54
  101. Cersei XI: ADWD 55
  102. The Queensguard (Barristan I): ADWD 56
  103. The Iron Suitor (Victarion III): ADWD 57
  104. Tyrion XI: ADWD 58
  105. Jon XII: ADWD 59
  106. The Discarded Knight (Barristan II): ADWD 60
  107. The Spurned Suitor (Quentyn III): ADWD 61
  108. The Griffin Reborn (Jon Connington II): ADWD 62
  109. The Sacrifice (Asha IV): ADWD 63
  110. Victarion IV: ADWD 64
  111. The Ugly Little Girl (Arya V): ADWD 65
  112. Cersei XII: ADWD 66
  113. Tyrion XII: ADWD 67
  114. The Kingbreaker (Barristan III): ADWD 68
  115. The Dragontamer (Quentyn IV): ADWD 69
  116. Jon XIII: ADWD 70
  117. The Queen’s Hand (Barristan IV): ADWD 71
  118. Daenerys X: ADWD 72
  119. Epilogue (Kevan): ADWD 73

Wednesday 3 July 2013

Triton - Randolph Lalonde

RATING: TWO STARS

I must say that I was slightly disappointed with Triton and think that the book has fallen short of the quality of its predecessors. Sadly, I found the dialogue weak, the action bland and there was no real plot to the book. It had purpose, yes, and is unarguably important to the series, but it's far from a page-turner and became quite boring in parts.

As with the rest of Spinward Fringe, Triton begins right where the last book left off and picks up with Jake Valent and his crew as they begin adjusting to their newly secured prize - a hugely powerful warship from the Sol System called the Triton. It quickly becomes evident that the Triton is beyond them, however, in both in technology and size, and Lalonde focuses the story on how his characters come to terms with and adapt to this. 

In all fairness many of Lalonde’s ideas regarding this matter are good, although many were a little to ‘convenient’ for my taste. I could easily have let this go though, if the rest of the book had been up to scratch. His unusually poor characterisation, however, along with a significant lack of excitement, made this very difficult for me to do. In fact, I frequently found that Lalonde didn't develop his ideas as fully as he could have and think that he has sold Triton short of its potential.

This isn't to say that Triton didn't have its merits though, and there were parts that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. Aside from the obvious attractions of space battles and lower-key scuffles, Lalonde has finally begun to bring many strings from the previous books together, which should prove interesting developments for the later books.

So all in all then, Triton was a bit a let-down. I feel that it failed to live up to its potential and should have been much more enjoyable to read than it was. Despite this, I'm still a huge fan of the series and will definitely be reading the next installment - I just hope it’s a bit more of a page-turner! Please, Lalonde! Please!

Thursday 13 June 2013

The Red Wolf Conspiracy - Robert V. S. Redick

RATING: FOUR STARS

The Chathrand is the last of the great ships, built by a race whose secrets have long since been lost. It is huge, dwarfing any other vessel in the sea, and has been sent on a secret mission by the Emperor of Arqual. Few people know what this mission actually is, but it is known that Thasha Isiq – the daughter of a renowned ambassador – is sailing to wed a Mzithrin prince.

To Pazel Pathkendle, a young tarboy who manages to find work aboard the Chathrand, the true purpose of the voyage matters not. He cares nothing for conspiracies and magic - that is until he hears the plots of a minute race of humans called the Ixchel. Pazel quickly finds himself drawn into a plot on a staggering scale and begins to understand that dark forces are at work – forces that would see the two great empires of Alifros destroy each other in a brutal war; forces that must be stopped at any cost.

The Good
Robert V. S. Redick writes The Red Wolf Conspiracy with an enthusiasm that really comes through in his prose. Few authors manage this and it made me really enjoy reading the book, which was over all too soon! In fact, his enthusiasm and good natured writing helped me to immerse in the story and really bond with his characters.

The story of The Red Wolf Conspiracy is also very good, being based around a mystery that Redick is very good at keeping against his chest. This makes it very hard to predict and I never knew what trouble Pazel and the rest of the main characters would be in next!

The Bad
I actually have very little to fault with The Red Wolf Conspiracy – certainly nothing worth mentioning here anyway. The book is enjoyable to read, imaginative and has a very fresh feel to it that helped make it stand out to me.

My Thoughts
Due to this, I would recommend that you give The Red Wolf Conspiracy a go. It’s certainly a series that is well worth investing in if you're looking for an escapist fantasy and I'm very eager to read the remaining three books in the Chathrand Voyage series!

Saturday 8 June 2013

Desolation - Travis Simmons

RATING: FIVE STARS 

Trying to survive in the brave new world following a zombie apocalypse isn’t easy for Asher St. Paul. His family and friends are dead. His lover is dead. He should be dead. And to make matters even worse than the hordes of zombies that threaten him with each passing day, chilling rumours of necromancers are beginning to circulate through the last remaining human refuges. They say that survivors are being rounded up, caged and used to feed zombie populations as the necromancers’ fight to hive out their territories in the old cites. 

As Asher is searching for one such refuge, he observes a lone woman treating a pack of zombies as she would a dog and begins to suspect that there is more truth to these rumours than he would like to believe. His worst fears are realised when he finds the refuge to be taken in by them and Asher must come to grips with a dark secret as he struggles to save his newfound friends from certain death. 

The Good 
Written with the imaginative flair of Travis Simmons, the author of the gripping Revenant Wyrd Saga, Desolation is fast paced and exciting. The tragic events that befall Asher are believable within the confines of the story (accepting of course, the roaming zombies) and Simmons doesn’t go over the top with describing blood and gore. Instead, Simmons invests in describing Asher’s emotional battles as he learns to live the austerity and horror of his new way of life, which I found made his character very believable and easy to engage with. 

Without spoiling the book by going into too much detail, Simmons tells the story with a rather unique spin that I found refreshing as it helps Desolation to stand out from other zombie apocalypse books. Rather than focusing entirely on the zombies as the main villains, which of course they still are, Simmons mainly concerns himself with necromancers and how the zombies are used by them. By bringing in magic and a greater sense of purpose behind the apocalypse, Simmons has created an interesting blend of zombies and fantasy that I found both enjoyable and intriguing. 

The Bad 
I must say that I have little to fault with Desolation as it is well-written and Simmons steers clear of the ‘conventional’ clichés of zombie plotlines well. Saying that, Desolation does fall foul of the traditional problems that zombie stories face – where are Asher and the other characters getting all of their bullets? How is the electricity being generated in the Refuge? How are so many people being fed? I could go on, but I'm sure you know what I mean! 

Obviously, ammunition and electricity are things that probably wouldn't be around long should a zombie apocalypse actually happen, even if raiding parties did scavenge petrol from cars etc. for their generators. For the purposes of the story, however, it makes sense for Asher to have bullets in his guns and to be able to turn lights on in the refuge! And let’s face it, we don’t read zombie stories to be realistic so I found it very easy to forgive Simmons for this unrealism! 

My Thoughts 
After finishing Desolation, I found that I was disappointed that it was over. The book makes for a fantastic read that uses fantasy genre magic in a manner that helps it to stand apart from other zombie stories. As such, I would recommend that you add Desolation to your reading lists – you won’t be disappointed if you do!

Saturday 11 May 2013

The Killing Moon - N. K. Jemisin

RATING: FOUR STARS 

Gujaareh is a city that knows true peace. There is almost no crime, virtually any ailment or injury can be cured via dream magic, and its people flourish under a deep spiritual understanding. It is Gatherers that enforce this peace – agents of the dream goddess who root out and destroy those deemed to be corrupt.

But not all is it seems. Rumours of war are beginning to circulate and evidence of corruption in Gujaareh is mounting. But, worse still, bodies of people who have died in horrific agony are beginning to appear all around the city. Gather Ehiru knows of only one such creature that can kill in such a manner – a Reaper - and understands that it falls to him and his apprentice to slay it and restore balance to Gujaareh. What Ehiru does not know, however, is that the secretes they will uncover while hunting the monster could quickly prove to be the doom of all. 

The Good 
One of the things I particularly liked about The Killing Moon was its Ancient Egyptian setting. By basing the book’s culture on the Egyptians, rather than feudal Europe like most fantasy novels do, N. K. Jemisin has managed to give The Killing Moon a unique feel that made it very interesting to read. This, along with her vivid descriptions and superb character development, really allowed me to immerse myself in her story. 

Another thing that I liked about The Killing Moon was its simple and well explained storyline. In fact, throughout the book the events and factors that influence Ehiru’s (and the other characters) decisions are clearly laid out. This is makes it easy to follow their progress througout the story and helps the book to read lightly as a whole. This is something I found particularly refreshing since I've been focusing on reading big series’ recently that drip feed information over a few books! 

The Bad 
The only issue I had with The Killing Moon was with a series of intermissions that Jemisin spaces throughout the novel, which do little to add to the plotline. An unknown character is speaking in these intermissions, who is apparently telling a story to another unknown person. I found that these breaks became slightly annoying after a while because they had little to do with the events unfolding in book. Saying that some of them were actually quite interesting, but I thought that overall, they detracted from the story and just seemed a little pointless. 

My Thoughts 
I enjoyed The Killing Moon though, and found that it had a fresher feel to it than many of the fantasies I've read lately. The book was a good length, so didn't take too long to read, and I have to say that I’ll be finishing the duology off with its sequel (The Shadowed Sun) fairly soon. I was impressed with it guys – you should definitely give The Killing Moon a go!

Tuesday 7 May 2013

The Mirror of the Moon - Travis Simmons

RATING: FOUR STARS 

Forming the second instalment of The Revenant Wyrd Saga, The Mirror of the Moon continues telling the story of Jovian, Angelica and Joya Neferis as they journey to rescue their sister, Amber, from the evil sorceress that has abducted her. The path they walk is every bit as perilous as that already behind them, and they must find strengths inside them that they never knew they had as they struggle to overcome the dark forces that seek to hinder them. 

Still led by Grace, a mysterious woman who seems to have a path fraught with dark secrets, the party soon begins to realise that the events that unfolding them involve more than just their sister’s life: the Well of Wyrding has been breached, tainting the magical ‘lifeblood’ of the world with evil; an army human-hating dwarves is stirring; the feared necromancer is rising; and the identity of the Mask has yet to be determined.

The Good 
As with its predecessor, The Bonds of Blood, Travis Simmons writes The Mirror of the Moon with a flair of imagination that few can rival. Throughout the book, he weaves a rich tapestry of the world surrounding the Neferis children and their escorts, building the cultures of those they meet to create a very realistic setting. This level of detail greatly added to my enjoyment of the book, placing their adventures into a developed context that I found really helped to reinforce the stakes of their adventure. 

The Bad 
One of the only problems I had while reading The Mirror of the Moon was that its pace often dropped. This is largely due to the vast distances covered on their adventure, which means that Simmons regularly had to move the characters away from a place before I felt it was 'right' for them to leave. As result, there are many passages of journeying that are well written, but are rather lacking in excitement! 

My Thoughts 
Overall though, I really enjoyed reading The Mirror of the Moon and think that Simmons has done another fantastic job. The Revenant Wyrd Saga is definitely a series that fantasy lovers should add to their reading lists!

Wednesday 1 May 2013

The Dragon Keeper - Robin Hobb

RATING: FOUR STARS 

The dragons of old have all but disappeared, and only the mighty Tintaglia remains to save her race. As the last queen, it is her duty to ensure that dragons survive in the world and she knows that she must help the diminishing handful of serpents to reach their cocooning grounds before the last of them perishes into memory. But even with the help of the rain wilders—mutated humans that live in acidic swamplands—she knows that the serpents have little change of emerging as dragons. They are too old, having spent far too long in the oceans where their bodies have grown weak and their minds have become warped. 

And so, when the young dragons emerge from their cocoons with monstrous deformities, they are abandoned by Tintaglia and the rainwilders must devise their own plan to deal with them. They know that they cannot hunt to sate the appetites of a pack of hungry dragons for long, and soon reach the decision to chaperone them to their fabled city of Kelsingra. It is hoped that here, the dragons will be safe and more of the lost secrets of the fabled Elderlings will be found. 

The Good 
One of the main things that impressed me about The Dragon Keeper was how realistic its characters were. And, after reading the book, I would say that Robin Hobb has a remarkable talent for developing characters in a very short space of time. This meant that before long, the people I was reading about began to feel like old friends in my imagination and I was really able to identify with them. Obviously, this greatly added to my enjoyment of the book and Hobb has certainly avoided the trap that many authors fall into where they mar a perfectly good story by creating a cast of bland characters. 

Another thing that I thought was great about the book was Hobb’s novel take on dragons. Rather than conforming to the standardised mythology of fire-breathing lizards, Hobb has altered her dragons to effectively create a new animal. Hobb’s dragons actually spit acid instead of fire, and have a complex life-cycle that involves them being born in the ocean as serpents and then metamorphosing into dragons like caterpillars do into butterflies. In addition to this, Hobb has also given her dragons a complex culture and bold personalities that really helps to bring their species/characters to life. 

The Bad 
Although The Dragon Keeper is light-hearted and very well written, I was surprised by how little actually happened in it in terms of events. At 553 pages, the book is not unusually long for fantasy, but much of the prose is just scene-setting and discussions that develop Trader culture. Don’t get me wrong, this is interesting to a degree and Hobb does an excellent job of using it to create a diverse world, but it slows the pace of the book down and much of the first half of the novel is actually pretty unnecessary. In my opinion, The Dragon Keeper could have lived up to its potential in terms of excitement much more if Hobb had condensed the waffle—leaving a book that is still culturally rich, but is much more exciting too. 

Another problem with The Dragon Keeper, which I guess is linked to its rather unnecessary length, is that it does not make for light reading. In fact, I frequently had to make sure that I had plenty of free time ahead of me before I even dared to open its pages! This is largely due to how Hobb writes—using very long chapters with few line breaks. In fact, the 553 pages of the book are split into just 17 chapters! Though I understand that, in all fairness, this criticism might just be me being overly fussy, I like to stop reading a book in natural breaks rather than putting it down midway through a passage like I often had to do! 

My Thoughts 
Overall though, I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Dragon Keeper and will certainly be continuing to read The Rain Wild Chronicles with Dragon Haven (its next instalment). The book is unarguably very imaginative and has a ‘fresh’ air about it that many works of fantasty lack. Due to this, I would certainly recommend it to any fan of the genre. (Although to be frank, I can see some ‘die hard’ dragon fans having an issue with Hobb’s interpretation of the animals that might put you off the book).

Saturday 27 April 2013

Watch an interview with Patrick Rothfuss

Earlier today, I was lucky enough to have stumbled across an interview with the master word-smith Patrick Rothfuss. The interview - which is available at: http://twit.tv/tri/99 - is fascinating (albeit rather long) and sees Rothfuss get probed about his inspiration for The Kingkiller Chronicle, his motivation for writing it and how he has managed to develop such real and distinctive names (among other things of course).

It's definitely something to check out if you are a fan of the series!

Saturday 20 April 2013

Rise of the Dibor - Christopher Hopper

RATING: FIVE STARS 

Imagine a world that is untouched by evil, where pain, greed and crime don’t even have words to describe them. Imagine a world where everyone is honest and pure; a world where Adam and Eve never sinned, and mankind was never cast into a lonely world to be confronted with our own mortality. This is Dionia, the world where Luik, son of Lair, lives and grew up in. 

But the world is changing, and a once defeated evil is beginning to stir again. Even as rumours of Morgui’s rise begin to circulate, people are already disappearing, and strange weathers of cold, snow and rain are beginning to besiege a people that have known only the warmth of summer. It is in these dark days that Luik is summoned from his carefree life as the son of a great king, to join the elite ranks of the legendary Dibor. His training is brutal, moulding him from a laughing boy to a wise warrior just in time to help resist Morgui’s host of Dairne-Reih as they advance on Dionia’s capital city of Adriel. 

The Good 
The world Christopher Hopper has created for The White Lion Chronicles is rich, being full of history and complex cultures. This adds some much needed credibility to his story, making it believable enough that I could actually imagine it happening in a real place somewhere! In addition to this, the whole concept of the Rise of the Dibor (based on a world without sin) is rather unique, which, along with his vivid prose and superb character development, makes the whole book very enjoyable to read. 

The Bad 
One of the main issues that I had with the Rise of the Dibor however, is in Hopper’s concept of wound healing. Essentially, because the people in his book live in a constant union with God, any wounds or injuries that they sustain heal instantaneously. So far, this is believable within the realms of fantasy and Hopper makes a big point of this early on. Later in the book however, once the fighting has begun, this idea kind of gets thrown out the window and Hopper’s characters quickly begin to acquire injuries. Although Hopper does offer an explanation for this (so he is clearly aware of the issue), I felt that his explanation was rather shaky and did little to set the matter to rest in my mind. Due to this, I feel that he would have been better off just leaving the idea out of the book altogether. 

Another qualm that I had with the book was Hopper’s continuous appraisal of God. Despite not being deeply religious myself, I have no problem with faith and people glorifying God if that’s their belief and way. I just felt that the extent of Hopper’s appraisal in the book was too much. For example, he could mention it five or six times on some pages, which took my attention away from the plot and almost made the book read as religious propaganda rather than a fictitious story.

My Thoughts 
Despite the issues that I have mentioned above, I thought that the Rise of the Dibor was a very well written book that I greatly enjoyed reading. It is very unique, at least in my reading experience, and I definitely recommend that you give it a go and explore Dionia in The White Lion Chronicles - I know I will be, continuing the series with its next instalment, The Lion Vrie, pretty soon!