Fantasy Book Critic: 2019 Review/2020 Preview

1. CODA: A graphic novel series from BOOM! Studious about a thieving bard who rides a monstrous unicorn through a post-apocalyptic fantasy world in search of the means to cure his wife of a bloodthirsty rage. Written by Simon Spurrier and drawn by Matias Bergara, it’s reflective, humorous, and gorgeous to look at.

2. KINGDOM: BY FAR my favourite new show on Netflix this year, KINGDOM is a beautifully-shot Korean show featuring swordfights, a plethora of incredible hats, and a shit-ton of zombies—but zombie with a VERY COOL TWIST you’ve never seen before. The production value of this show is out of this world. The sets, the costumes, the acting…everything is perfect.

3. PRIEST OF LIES: PRIEST OF BONES was one of the best audiobooks I listened to last year and I bought the sequel as soon as I could. It’s like a fantasy PEAKY BLINDERS: occasionally brutal, often hilarious, and so tightly written. This series by Peter McLean is a must-read, I think.

4. THREE KINGDOMS: TOTAL WAR: GOD I LOVE TOTAL WAR GAMES! Every one of them. They are literally what I was born to do. And while Warhammer probably remains Creative Assembly’s crowning achievement, the latest installment does everything right. It doesn’t hurt that the Romance of the Three Kingdoms is among my favourite historical periods of all time.

5. SEVEN BLADES IN BLACK: Final Fantasy in book form.

What? You want more? Fine. A wise-cracking warrior named Sal the Cacophony is out for revenge against those who wronged her, armed with a gun that shoot magic bullets and a sword named Jeff. Go read it!

6. CHILDREN OF MORTA: I’ve only just started this, but it’s already shaping up to be one of my favourite games of the year. It features a family of warriors charged with keeping tabs on an ancient evil in case it stirs to life. And guess what? IT STIRS TO LIFE. Best of all, this one has couch co-op, so my brother and I can play it together.

Looking Forward to in 2020

If you’re not counting down the days until CYBERPUNK 2077 then you seriously need to get your priorities in order. The futuristic RPG from the studio that made THE WITCHER will almost certainly be among the best video games of all time. The remake of FINAL FANTASY 7 also arrives this spring, and while I’m not chomping at the bit for it I certainly hope that it’s as amazing as everyone hopes it will be.

About the Author

OFFICIAL AUTHOR WEBSITE

NICHOLAS EAMES is the author of THE BAND series, which includes Kings of the Wyld and Bloody Rose. He is hard at work on a third book, and when he isn’t writing he spends his time reading, playing games, drinking coffee, or some combination of the three.