Disclaimer: Image given permission by & copyrighted © Boris Vallejo and Julie BellSince this blog is new, I figured I should introduce myself and talk about a few things, books of course as well as what I hope to accomplish with Fantasy Book Critic and so forth.
First though, a huge shout-out to Boris Vallejo & Julie Bell who were kind enough to allow me to exhibit their breathtaking artwork. After all, what great science fiction or fantasy novel isn’t complete without spectacular jacket artwork? With that in mind, I hope, from time to time, to incorporate artwork from some of my personal favorite artists including the aforementioned Boris Vallejo & Julie Bell, Luis Royo, etc. So enjoy!
Now, let’s talk books. I’m not sure how I first got hooked onto fantasy, but I do remember that some of my earliest reading included Spiderman, Batman and Incredible Hulk comics. From there, there was a lot of Hardy Boys, Tom Swift and Lloyd Alexander before I graduated to Dean Koontz, Robert R. McCammon and J.R.R. Tolkien. After that, I was introduced to Terry Brooks, Robert Jordan, Terry Goodkind, Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman’s amazing “Death Gate” series, Anne McCaffrey and many other authors, all of whom have further ensnared me in the wondrous worlds that fantasy has to offer. Since then, I’ve established my niche of favorite authors…you know, the writers whose latest novel you rush out to buy on its release date, and devour in the next day or so. Well, if you look at the left sidebar, I’ve listed some of them, most of whom I’m sure you’ve heard of, but if you haven’t I urge you to go check out their website.
Lately, I’ve made it a mission to check out as many new authors as possible, and have had the pleasure of reading my first novel by the likes of such accomplished writers as Guy Gavriel Kay, Dan Simmons, Greg Iles, L. E. Modesitt Jr., Garth Nix, Philip Pullman, Tad Williams, etc., as well as recent debuts by Susanna Clarke, Elizabeth Kostova, Scott Lynch, Daniel Abraham and so forth. And on the bookshelf, I have plenty of other new authors to explore including:
“The Prince Of Nothing Trilogy” by R. Scott Bakker
“Vellum” and “Ink” by Hal Duncan
“Cry Of The Newborn” and “Shout For The Dead” by James Barclay
“Winterbirth” by Brian Ruckley
“The Blade Itself” by Joe Abercrombie
“In The Eye Of Heaven” by David Keck
“The Name Of The Wind” by Patrick Rothfuss (Preordered)
On top of that, I have a list of authors whom I plan on checking out at some point including: Kim Harrison, Jay Lake, Liz Williams, Kay Kenyon, Raymond E. Feist, Ellen Kushner, Elizabeth Bear, Patrick Kearney, Anne Bishop, Barb Hendee, Tamar Yellin, Christopher Barzak, Conrad Williams, David Bilsborough, Trudi Caravan, Mary Gentle and P.C. Hodgell just to name a few ;) If anyone has any further recommendations, then by all means, please let me know…
Now, let’s talk about Fantasy Book Critic and its different features:
Reviews: For now, the majority of the website’s content will consist of book reviews and I just wanted to explain the formatting behind the reviews. With each review I plan on examining the writing style, pacing, characterization, worldbuilding, and plot/concept of the book with as little spoilers as possible, unless I deem it necessary. If relevant, I’ll also compare the novel to previous works by the author or preceding books in a series, though for the most part I will look at the book as a standalone read. I’m still working on the format of my book reviews, so as the website progresses you may see some changes from the reviews currently posted to those that are posted down the road…
Currently Reading: I usually only read one book at a time and whatever book is listed here will more than likely be the next one reviewed. So everyone can expect a review of Neal Asher’s “Brass Man” soon, though I will post a few more reviews before then including “Ysabel” by Guy Gavriel Kay.
On The Horizon: These will normally be the books I plan on reading after the most recently reviewed novel, that way you can kind of know what to expect in the near future.
Interviews/Giveaways: Nothing established yet, but I will be working on both of these angles and will hope to have something for you soon.
That’s it for now. I just want to keep it simple and focus on a select few features, but if anyone ever has any suggestions or whatnot, feel free to let me know. Thanks for your time and much love & respect…
First though, a huge shout-out to Boris Vallejo & Julie Bell who were kind enough to allow me to exhibit their breathtaking artwork. After all, what great science fiction or fantasy novel isn’t complete without spectacular jacket artwork? With that in mind, I hope, from time to time, to incorporate artwork from some of my personal favorite artists including the aforementioned Boris Vallejo & Julie Bell, Luis Royo, etc. So enjoy!
Now, let’s talk books. I’m not sure how I first got hooked onto fantasy, but I do remember that some of my earliest reading included Spiderman, Batman and Incredible Hulk comics. From there, there was a lot of Hardy Boys, Tom Swift and Lloyd Alexander before I graduated to Dean Koontz, Robert R. McCammon and J.R.R. Tolkien. After that, I was introduced to Terry Brooks, Robert Jordan, Terry Goodkind, Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman’s amazing “Death Gate” series, Anne McCaffrey and many other authors, all of whom have further ensnared me in the wondrous worlds that fantasy has to offer. Since then, I’ve established my niche of favorite authors…you know, the writers whose latest novel you rush out to buy on its release date, and devour in the next day or so. Well, if you look at the left sidebar, I’ve listed some of them, most of whom I’m sure you’ve heard of, but if you haven’t I urge you to go check out their website.
Lately, I’ve made it a mission to check out as many new authors as possible, and have had the pleasure of reading my first novel by the likes of such accomplished writers as Guy Gavriel Kay, Dan Simmons, Greg Iles, L. E. Modesitt Jr., Garth Nix, Philip Pullman, Tad Williams, etc., as well as recent debuts by Susanna Clarke, Elizabeth Kostova, Scott Lynch, Daniel Abraham and so forth. And on the bookshelf, I have plenty of other new authors to explore including:
“The Prince Of Nothing Trilogy” by R. Scott Bakker
“Vellum” and “Ink” by Hal Duncan
“Cry Of The Newborn” and “Shout For The Dead” by James Barclay
“Winterbirth” by Brian Ruckley
“The Blade Itself” by Joe Abercrombie
“In The Eye Of Heaven” by David Keck
“The Name Of The Wind” by Patrick Rothfuss (Preordered)
On top of that, I have a list of authors whom I plan on checking out at some point including: Kim Harrison, Jay Lake, Liz Williams, Kay Kenyon, Raymond E. Feist, Ellen Kushner, Elizabeth Bear, Patrick Kearney, Anne Bishop, Barb Hendee, Tamar Yellin, Christopher Barzak, Conrad Williams, David Bilsborough, Trudi Caravan, Mary Gentle and P.C. Hodgell just to name a few ;) If anyone has any further recommendations, then by all means, please let me know…
Now, let’s talk about Fantasy Book Critic and its different features:
Reviews: For now, the majority of the website’s content will consist of book reviews and I just wanted to explain the formatting behind the reviews. With each review I plan on examining the writing style, pacing, characterization, worldbuilding, and plot/concept of the book with as little spoilers as possible, unless I deem it necessary. If relevant, I’ll also compare the novel to previous works by the author or preceding books in a series, though for the most part I will look at the book as a standalone read. I’m still working on the format of my book reviews, so as the website progresses you may see some changes from the reviews currently posted to those that are posted down the road…
Currently Reading: I usually only read one book at a time and whatever book is listed here will more than likely be the next one reviewed. So everyone can expect a review of Neal Asher’s “Brass Man” soon, though I will post a few more reviews before then including “Ysabel” by Guy Gavriel Kay.
On The Horizon: These will normally be the books I plan on reading after the most recently reviewed novel, that way you can kind of know what to expect in the near future.
Interviews/Giveaways: Nothing established yet, but I will be working on both of these angles and will hope to have something for you soon.
That’s it for now. I just want to keep it simple and focus on a select few features, but if anyone ever has any suggestions or whatnot, feel free to let me know. Thanks for your time and much love & respect…
9:42 PM | 
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