Tuesday, February 19, 2013
“Days of Blood and Starlight” by Laini Taylor (Reviewed by Lydia Roberts)
Read An Excerpt HERE
NOTE: This review contains spoilers related to Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke
and Bone, Book #1 in the trilogy of the
same name.
Series are virtually the norm in the world of YA
Fantasy. Unfortunately, many either lack strong, sensible plots in one or
more of the individual books or fail to provide characters that we care enough
about to follow through turmoil, hardship, or even their day-to-day lives. Fortunately,
Laini Taylor’s Days of Blood and Starlight (Book #2 in the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy) indicates that this is one
series that will continue to deliver arresting, relatable characters;
storylines that twist without becoming convoluted; and a world that believably
melds the real and the fantastical from beginning to end.
The story picks up a month after Karou learned the true story of who she was, or more accurately,
who she’d once been: a chimeara, a “demon,” named Madrigal. As Madrigal, she had come to believe that
the never-ending state of war between her people, the chimeara (beings whose
physical appearance reflect different medleys of animalistic and human
characteristics), and the angels (more apocalyptic harbingers than winged
cherubs) who had previously enslaved them, did not have to continue. Both this
understanding, and a plan to unite the two races, stemmed in large part from an
affair with Akiva, a rogue warrior
angel determined to change his killing ways. Unfortunately, things had
gone horribly wrong, and after it appeared that Madrigal was lost to him forever, Akiva used his knowledge of the chimeara to enable the angels to
eradicate nearly the entire race, destroy their lands, and cut them off from
the human world. In an instant, Karou
was made complete with the return of her memories of her past self, but just as
quickly, she was bereft of her life as she knew it, her only family, and her
love—Akiva—who she’d fallen in love with a second time.
Days of Blood and
Starlight has a very different feel from Daughter of Smoke and Bone right from the start. Some of the
new elements worked well, while others? Not so much. While Daughter was told mostly from Karou’s point of view, this one
switched between the perspectives of multiple characters, including Karou, Akiva, and Karou’s human
best friend, Zuzana. I wanted very
much to hate Akiva for what he’d
done, but I couldn’t help but understand his actions somewhat as Taylor delved deeper into his
background, showing how he, his siblings, Hazael
and Liraz, and others like them were
bred and trained from childhood to be emotionless soldiers and to believe that
the chimeara were soulless demons. The grief and guilt that he struggled
with as a result of his actions were convincing, and before long I began to
root for him as he tried to find Karou and
to atone in some way.
The book took a little too long getting to Karou, herself, though. Interspersed
with Akiva’s early chapters, were
several with Zuzana. It was
interesting to see how the human world was dealing with (and exploiting, of
course) proof of the existence of angels and magical flying girls, and it was
nice to see that Zuze was fiercely
loyal and determined to find and help her friend, but knowing what was actually
happening with Karou sooner would
have been more to my liking.
One of the hardest aspects to adjust to in a series like
this is the shift from the established world in the first installment to what
inevitably is the conflict-ridden world of the next book. While Days did have a shift in tone, the time
for out-and-out war will actually take place in the final book. This one
moved out of modern-day Prague (for the most part) and the human world, and
there were battles, but Taylor
continued to build upon the mythology she started—without making it seem like
details were being added as filler to mark time before the conclusion. We learn
more about Eretz and the Empire of
the Seraphim, and the creatures known as the Fallen (one of which Karou plans to use to find a way from
the human world back to the home she only knows in her—Madrigal’s—memories). Taylor answers a lot of questions raised by Daughter (Are the angels going to kill Akiva? What happened to
Brimstone? What other magic exists? What is the angel world like?),
crafts a tale that stands on its own, and weaves in tantalizing bits of
information that leads to more questions, but in a good way, not a frustrating
one.
There are a few too many new characters who share the
spotlight, and that is something that frustrated me because I wanted the focus
to stay on Karou. However, the
series is about more than just two star-crossed lovers, and I can appreciate
that. I am very much looking forward to the final book, and I hope that Laini Taylor keeps a balanced approach
to presenting fighting and developing characters.
Days of Blood and
Starlight: B+
Daughter of Smoke and
Bone: A+
12:00 AM | 
Posted by
Robert |
Official Author Website
Order the book HERE
Read chapter one HERE
AUTHOR INFORMATION: Roger Hobbs graduated from Reed College in Portland, Oregon in 2011, where he majored in English and also studied film noir, literary theory, and ancient languages. He wrote his debut book GHOSTMAN in between his junior and senior years at Reed. He polished his manuscript in the final year and sent it off on the day of his graduation. His book created a huge buzz and was eventually sold in fifteen countries.
He has previously worked as a rifle range instructor, a note taker, a radio host and a security guard. He often plays Dungeons and Dragons to relax when he’s not busy writing or completing a project. He currently lives in Portland, Oregon with his girlfriend.
OFFICIAL BOOK BLURB: When a casino robbery in Atlantic City goes horribly awry, the man who orchestrated it is obliged to call in a favor from someone who’s occasionally called Jack. While it’s doubtful that anyone knows his actual name or anything at all about his true identity, or even if he’s still alive, he’s in his mid-thirties and lives completely off the grid, a criminal’s criminal who does entirely as he pleases and is almost impossible to get in touch with.
But within hours a private jet is flying this exceptionally experienced fixer and cleaner-upper from Seattle to New Jersey and right into a spectacular mess: one heister dead in the parking lot, another winged but on the run, the shooter a complete mystery, the $1.2 million in freshly printed bills god knows where and the FBI already waiting for Jack at the airport, to be joined shortly by other extremely interested and elusive parties. He has only forty-eight hours until the twice-stolen cash literally explodes, taking with it the wider, byzantine ambitions behind the theft.
To contend with all this will require every gram of his skill, ingenuity and self-protective instincts, especially when offense and defense soon become meaningless terms. And as he maneuvers these exceedingly slippery slopes, he relives the botched bank robbery in Kuala Lumpur five years earlier that has now landed him this unwanted new assignment.
CLASSIFICATION: A thriller debut to rival those by Lee Child, Barry Eisler and Taylor Stevens. Roger Hobbs has created another terrific anti-hero that readers can root for and possibly signals the start of another exciting series.
FORMAT/INFO: Ghostman is 321 pages long, divided over sixty numbered chapters and a prologue. Narration is in the first-person via Jack the Ghostman as the sole narrative voice and third-person omniscient view by Jerome Ribbons in the prologue. The author is currently working on the sequel which will feature characters from this book.
February 12, 2013 marked the US Hardback and e-book publication of Ghostman via Alfred A. Knopf books. The UK Hardback and e-book editions were released on February 14, 2013 by Doubleday books.
Order the book HERE
Read chapter one HERE
AUTHOR INFORMATION: Roger Hobbs graduated from Reed College in Portland, Oregon in 2011, where he majored in English and also studied film noir, literary theory, and ancient languages. He wrote his debut book GHOSTMAN in between his junior and senior years at Reed. He polished his manuscript in the final year and sent it off on the day of his graduation. His book created a huge buzz and was eventually sold in fifteen countries.
He has previously worked as a rifle range instructor, a note taker, a radio host and a security guard. He often plays Dungeons and Dragons to relax when he’s not busy writing or completing a project. He currently lives in Portland, Oregon with his girlfriend.
OFFICIAL BOOK BLURB: When a casino robbery in Atlantic City goes horribly awry, the man who orchestrated it is obliged to call in a favor from someone who’s occasionally called Jack. While it’s doubtful that anyone knows his actual name or anything at all about his true identity, or even if he’s still alive, he’s in his mid-thirties and lives completely off the grid, a criminal’s criminal who does entirely as he pleases and is almost impossible to get in touch with.
But within hours a private jet is flying this exceptionally experienced fixer and cleaner-upper from Seattle to New Jersey and right into a spectacular mess: one heister dead in the parking lot, another winged but on the run, the shooter a complete mystery, the $1.2 million in freshly printed bills god knows where and the FBI already waiting for Jack at the airport, to be joined shortly by other extremely interested and elusive parties. He has only forty-eight hours until the twice-stolen cash literally explodes, taking with it the wider, byzantine ambitions behind the theft.
To contend with all this will require every gram of his skill, ingenuity and self-protective instincts, especially when offense and defense soon become meaningless terms. And as he maneuvers these exceedingly slippery slopes, he relives the botched bank robbery in Kuala Lumpur five years earlier that has now landed him this unwanted new assignment.
CLASSIFICATION: A thriller debut to rival those by Lee Child, Barry Eisler and Taylor Stevens. Roger Hobbs has created another terrific anti-hero that readers can root for and possibly signals the start of another exciting series.
FORMAT/INFO: Ghostman is 321 pages long, divided over sixty numbered chapters and a prologue. Narration is in the first-person via Jack the Ghostman as the sole narrative voice and third-person omniscient view by Jerome Ribbons in the prologue. The author is currently working on the sequel which will feature characters from this book.
February 12, 2013 marked the US Hardback and e-book publication of Ghostman via Alfred A. Knopf books. The UK Hardback and e-book editions were released on February 14, 2013 by Doubleday books.
ANALYSIS: I first found out about this book via twitter when Patsy Irwin had tweeted about it. Intrigued by its blurb, I requested a review copy and soon got one, which I began reading immediately. The book really drew me in and I think I have found another author to follow for the future.
The story begins with a detailed heist in Atlantic City that goes all right until the very end when someone jumps the would-be robbers and leaves a death trail to confound everyone. The story then skips to our protagonist who calls himself Jack and receives an email asking for his help with the events of the heist in Atlantic City. Marcus Hayes is the mastermind behind the heist and is asking for Jack’s help because of his past association with him in another heist that perhaps could have gone down better. Marcus wants Jack to help him locate the stolen money and there’s a time limit (48 hours) because of reasons revealed in the story. Jack agrees because of his past obligation and he feels its necessary. What he doesn’t realize is that the Atlantic City heist is a can of worms that should have never been opened. Interspersed with Jack’s recent investigations are the events of the past namely the heist that went sideways five years ago and the main reason why Jack feels he owes Marcus.
That’s the basic plot of the story and it has dual storylines running throughout, as the reader will be racing to read what happens in both plot threads and how it all ties into the recent events. With such an enticing plot, the author provides us with a story that is a near perfect thriller and basically screams to be translated on the silver screen. Here’s why I thought this was such a great debut. Since this is a first person narrative, the character voice has to be very charismatic and the author absolutely nails this part down. Our main character Jack is a chameleon who “becomes” a different person as per the situational necessity, the reader will be completely enthralled as he explains how he does his jobs and a few events of his past that have shaped him into the person he is currently. The author manages to create enough intrigue about Jack, never quite tipping his hand at the reliability of the main protagonist. We as readers are given hints and told about the past and then are left to draw our own conclusions about Jack, this is what I liked as each reader will form a different perception/opinion about him and each of them might be correct. The author also never clearly reveals the character’s features thereby truly making him a ghost o sorts in the reader’s minds.
Then there’s the time frame of the storyline, all the events happens in less than 48 hours and this is a very characteristic feature of all Jeffrey Deaver’s books. I liked the fact that Roger Hobbs has also set his debut in the same mold and this makes the reader that much more invested in the story, as there’s the constant reminder of the deadline that spurs the characters ever onwards. The author’s tight plotting skills help as there are numerous twists inserted in the story that make it a tad unpredictable and the past plot thread also has some significant revelations that will come into play in the sequel books. Then there’s the side character cast and with this, the author gives our protagonist not one but two deadly antagonists to deal with. Jack is never absolutely certain as to who is the deadlier of the two and that causes him to be even more careful in his investigation. The author also peppers the storyline with enough background info about the nitty-gritty of Jack's profession and thus makes the story that much more believable. In this regards it reminded me a lot of The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton and this was a plus point for me and should of interest to those who liked/loved that book.
Overall this debut has a very strong plot that is also aided by pace through out the book with both timelines given the proper due. The author makes it a very intriguing thriller that’s hard to put down and as far as thrillers go, this is a great example of it. Now on to some points that take some of the sheen of this title. One of the points described by the narrator by the protagonist is how he changes his appearance by simply relaxing his muscles, which I felt was a bit far-fetched but this was a pet peeve of mine. The author also gives some past threads that are left hanging at the end of this story and that might cause some consternation to some readers, but I think the author was laying the groundwork for the future sequels. Lastly one of the antagonists’ real name [Harrihar] is spelt in a different way than it should be [Harihar] and I don’t know if this was a simple mistake that never got corrected or the correction was never implemented. Either ways it’s a simple thing that shouldn't have occurred [Clarification: The author spoke about this point on Twitter and has said the spelling is purposefully done as it is, to pay homage to a real life persona who used it so].
CONCLUSION: Roger Hobbs’ debut Ghostman comes highly recommended going by the author blurbs on it and I would like my voice to be added to them. Full of twists and with an enthralling narrator, the author has written a successful debut, which is also an exceptional thriller, and one that will be remembered fondly by thriller fans. Be sure to check it out, as this is one debut that is sure to gain more of a following as the years go by and will be making my year end lists.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
NEW SERIES ANNOUNCEMENTS: David Dalglish, Jon Sprunk and Bradley Beaulieu (by Mihir Wanchoo)
Official Author Website
Read Fantasy Book Critic's interview with David Dalglish
David Dalglish is an Indie author who has had tremendous success with his books (fourteen titles as of last count). He’s been a prolific writer releasing nearly 4-5 books per year since he published his debut back in 2010. When I first read his Shadowdance trilogy, I realized what a fantastic talent he is and it’s to my great joy that Orbit Books announced yesterday that they have picked his Shadowdance trilogy and the Watcher’s Blade trilogy.
The first book in the Shadowdance trilogy was self-published by the author back in late 2010 and the remaining books were published in 2011. Interested readers can read the FBC reviews below:
1] Dance Of Cloaks
2] Dance Of Blades
3] Dance Of Death
The Watcher’s Blade trilogy has had its first book published last year and the remaining two books will now be most likely be published in 2014 or early 2015:
1] Blood Of The Underworld
2] Blood Of the Father
3] Blood Of The Innocents (tentative title)
Orbit has acquired all six books (four published and two unpublished so far) and will be releasing the first three in October, November & December of 2013 and the latter three in increments of 4-6 months in 2014 (or even 2015). As a reader I’m very excited that readers worldwide will be able to sample David’s dark, character-driven tale of assassins, thieves and treachery in the grim and gritty world of Dezrel.
Read Fantasy Book Critic's interview with David Dalglish
David Dalglish is an Indie author who has had tremendous success with his books (fourteen titles as of last count). He’s been a prolific writer releasing nearly 4-5 books per year since he published his debut back in 2010. When I first read his Shadowdance trilogy, I realized what a fantastic talent he is and it’s to my great joy that Orbit Books announced yesterday that they have picked his Shadowdance trilogy and the Watcher’s Blade trilogy.
The first book in the Shadowdance trilogy was self-published by the author back in late 2010 and the remaining books were published in 2011. Interested readers can read the FBC reviews below:
1] Dance Of Cloaks
2] Dance Of Blades
3] Dance Of Death
The Watcher’s Blade trilogy has had its first book published last year and the remaining two books will now be most likely be published in 2014 or early 2015:
1] Blood Of The Underworld
2] Blood Of the Father
3] Blood Of The Innocents (tentative title)
Orbit has acquired all six books (four published and two unpublished so far) and will be releasing the first three in October, November & December of 2013 and the latter three in increments of 4-6 months in 2014 (or even 2015). As a reader I’m very excited that readers worldwide will be able to sample David’s dark, character-driven tale of assassins, thieves and treachery in the grim and gritty world of Dezrel.
Official Author Website
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Shadow's Son
Jon Sprunk also announced his new series a couple of days ago on his newly updated website. The new series is with his previous publisher PYR books and will be a four book epic fantasy series. It is titled “The Book Of The Black Earth” and the first book Blood And Iron will be released in 2014. Cindy and me are huge fans of Jon and his previous trilogy and so we were very excited to learn more about this upcoming series. Jon was extremely kind to give us a quick blurb of the first book and here’s the exclusive reveal:
The Akeshian Empire has long been ruled by God-Kings and -Queens with the power of life and death over their subjects. When ship carpenter Horace is shipwrecked on its shores, he is taken captive and soon discovers that he possesses latent magical power of his own.
Elevated to the court of the enemy queen, Horace finds himself in the middle of a power struggle between the empire’s traditional wizard-rulers and a rising religious sect that wants to subjugate all magic-wielders and seize control.
I’ll be waiting to read Blood And Iron when it releases next year, as I can’t wait to see Jon’s take on epic fantasy. I’m sure many of you will feel the same as me and so keep an eye out on Jon’s website for further announcements for this exciting series.
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Shadow's Son
Jon Sprunk also announced his new series a couple of days ago on his newly updated website. The new series is with his previous publisher PYR books and will be a four book epic fantasy series. It is titled “The Book Of The Black Earth” and the first book Blood And Iron will be released in 2014. Cindy and me are huge fans of Jon and his previous trilogy and so we were very excited to learn more about this upcoming series. Jon was extremely kind to give us a quick blurb of the first book and here’s the exclusive reveal:
The Akeshian Empire has long been ruled by God-Kings and -Queens with the power of life and death over their subjects. When ship carpenter Horace is shipwrecked on its shores, he is taken captive and soon discovers that he possesses latent magical power of his own.
Elevated to the court of the enemy queen, Horace finds himself in the middle of a power struggle between the empire’s traditional wizard-rulers and a rising religious sect that wants to subjugate all magic-wielders and seize control.
I’ll be waiting to read Blood And Iron when it releases next year, as I can’t wait to see Jon’s take on epic fantasy. I’m sure many of you will feel the same as me and so keep an eye out on Jon’s website for further announcements for this exciting series.
Official Author Website
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Winds Of Khalakovo
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Strata
Read Bradley Beaulieu's Chat with Rob Ziegler
Read joint Fantasy Book Critic interview with four NightShade authors
Lastly Bradley Beaulieu revealed that he’s joining DAW books with his new trilogy titled “The Song of the Shattered Sands” and the first book is tentatively titled “Twelve Kings in Sharakhai”. Here’s what Brad revealed over on his blog:
It’s a story set in a powerful desert city that controls the flow of trade and spice through otherwise impassable terrain. There are echoes of both A Thousand and One Nights and Thieves’ World. It’s a story about Çeda, a woman who fights in the pits to scrape a living from the cruel but beautiful city she calls home. As the story opens, she discovers that the book her mother left her before she died holds the clues to unraveling the power of the Twelve Kings of Sharakhai, men who have ruled the desert with an iron fist for nearly two hundred years.
As Çeda begins to unlock the secrets hidden within the poems in the book—as well as what her mother was trying to do before she died—the Kings learn of her, and they will stop at nothing to keep those secrets buried in the desert where they belong. And so the chase is on. Çeda must unlock the hidden riddles of her mother’s book before the Kings find her. She had better hope she does, for she is the last hope for the people of the desert.
The story is partly based on Brad’s short story “From the Spices of Sanandira” which was published in two parts in issues seventy and seventy-one of Beneath Ceaseless Skies. Lastly be sure to read Brad’s interview on Mad Hatter’s blog to know a bit more about this new series and his thoughts on what to expect next from him.
NOTE: David Dalglish's and Jon Sprunk's pictures courtesy of the authors themselves. Bradley Beaulieu's picture courtesy of Brenda Cooper.
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Winds Of Khalakovo
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Strata
Read Bradley Beaulieu's Chat with Rob Ziegler
Read joint Fantasy Book Critic interview with four NightShade authors
Lastly Bradley Beaulieu revealed that he’s joining DAW books with his new trilogy titled “The Song of the Shattered Sands” and the first book is tentatively titled “Twelve Kings in Sharakhai”. Here’s what Brad revealed over on his blog:
It’s a story set in a powerful desert city that controls the flow of trade and spice through otherwise impassable terrain. There are echoes of both A Thousand and One Nights and Thieves’ World. It’s a story about Çeda, a woman who fights in the pits to scrape a living from the cruel but beautiful city she calls home. As the story opens, she discovers that the book her mother left her before she died holds the clues to unraveling the power of the Twelve Kings of Sharakhai, men who have ruled the desert with an iron fist for nearly two hundred years.
As Çeda begins to unlock the secrets hidden within the poems in the book—as well as what her mother was trying to do before she died—the Kings learn of her, and they will stop at nothing to keep those secrets buried in the desert where they belong. And so the chase is on. Çeda must unlock the hidden riddles of her mother’s book before the Kings find her. She had better hope she does, for she is the last hope for the people of the desert.
The story is partly based on Brad’s short story “From the Spices of Sanandira” which was published in two parts in issues seventy and seventy-one of Beneath Ceaseless Skies. Lastly be sure to read Brad’s interview on Mad Hatter’s blog to know a bit more about this new series and his thoughts on what to expect next from him.
NOTE: David Dalglish's and Jon Sprunk's pictures courtesy of the authors themselves. Bradley Beaulieu's picture courtesy of Brenda Cooper.
Friday, February 15, 2013
GIVEAWAY: Win an ADVANCE READING COPY of Guy Gavriel Kay’s “River of Stars”!!!
Order “River of Stars”
HERE
In his critically acclaimed novel Under Heaven, Guy Gavriel
Kay told a vivid and powerful story inspired by China’s Tang Dynasty. Now,
the internationally bestselling and multiple award-winning author revisits that
land four centuries later with an epic of prideful emperors, battling
courtiers, bandits and soldiers, nomadic invasions, and a woman battling in her
own way, to find a new place for women in the world—a world inspired this time
by the glittering, decadent Song Dynasty:
Ren Daiyan was still just
a boy when he took the lives of seven men while guarding an imperial magistrate
of Kitai. That moment on a lonely road changed his life—in entirely unexpected
ways, sending him into the forests of Kitai among the outlaws. From there he
emerges years later—and his life changes again, dramatically, as he circles
towards the court and emperor, while war approaches Kitai from the north.
Lin Shan is the daughter
of a scholar, his beloved only child. Educated by him in ways young women never
are, gifted as a songwriter and calligrapher, she finds herself living a life
suspended between two worlds. Her intelligence captivates an emperor—and
alienates women at the court. But when her father’s life is endangered by the
savage politics of the day, Shan
must act in ways no woman ever has.
In an empire divided
by bitter factions circling an exquisitely cultured emperor who loves his
gardens and his art far more than the burdens of governing, dramatic events on
the northern steppe alter the balance of power in the world, leading to events
no one could have foretold, under the river of stars…
Guy Gavriel Kay’s
work has been described as “elegant, sweeping and colorful” (San Francisco Chronicle), “resonant and
powerful” (Washington Post Book World),
and “wonderfully imaginative” (Publishers
Weekly). A #1 bestseller in Canada and an international award-winning
author, Kay has often blurred the
lines of genre. Like A.S. Byatt who
conceives of fantasy as an alternative to—rather than an escape from—everyday
life, Kay uses elements of the
fantastic to examine themes of history. River
of Stars is a grand-scale, emotionally compelling work that evokes a
magnificent period through vividly realized characters.
In support of the April 2, 2013 North American publication
of “River of Stars” by Guy Gavriel Kay, Wunderkind PR is giving away ONE ADVANCE READING COPY of “River of Stars”!!! To enter, please send
an email to fbcgiveaway@gmail.com with
your Name, Mailing Address, and the subject: RIVER OF STARS. Giveaway has ended. Thank you for entering and Good
Luck!
GIVEAWAY RULES:
1) Open To North
American Residents Only
2) Only One Entry Per
Household (Multiple Entries Will Be Disqualified)
3) Must Enter Valid Email Address, Mailing Address + Name
4) No Purchase Necessary
5) Giveaway Has Ended
6) Winners Will Be Randomly Selected and Notified By Email
7) Personal Information Will Only Be Used In Mailing Out the
Prizes to the Winners
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Introducing Fantasy Book Critic’s Newest Reviewers: Casey Blair & Lydia Roberts
Fantasy Book Critic
is pleased to introduce the two newest members of our team: Casey Blair & Lydia Roberts! We hope you’ll give them a warm welcome :)
After graduating college, Casey Blair spent a couple of years teaching English in Japan and
has since attended Viable Paradise
and moved to Seattle. In addition to reading and writing, she enjoys adventures
in karaoke, various dance styles, and traveling.
Casey grew up
reading David Eddings and Tamora Pierce and watching Star Trek and anime. She reads a lot of
fantasy and YA, and she's always happy to talk about medieval history,
languages and their evolution, mythology, and how they all interact with
contemporary culture.
Some of her current favorite books include The Way of Kings, The Curse of Chalion, Bitterblue,
Chime, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, and the Black Jewels trilogy. She will also read absolutely anything by Guy Gavriel Kay, Laini Taylor, Sarah Rees
Brennan, and Jim Butcher.
Casey can be
contacted directly at Goodreads
HERE.
Lydia Roberts is
an educator, comic book enthusiast, reading addict, and poet. She grew up in a
steel mill town about 30 minutes north of Pittsburgh (Go Steelers!) in a home
that was always full of people, noise, and laughter. The other constant
was books. Her mother was an avid reader who encouraged a love of books through
weekly outings to the library. The librarians were skeptical about the number
of books Lydia read at such a quick
pace until they found she could—with very little prompting—discuss them in
detail. Offering a review of the books was another way to experience them all
over again. She is happy to join FBC
to continue this trend!
Lydia’s dad
introduced her to the wonder of comic books, and she has been an avid collector
since high school. Superheroes, magic, and overcoming insurmountable odds
are themes that she cannot resist. She also has a soft spot for damaged
heroes. (Wolverine, anyone? Hamlet?)
Listing her favorite books is almost impossible, but some of
the ones that she has returned to again and again over the years are Dreamsnake by Vonda McIntyre, The Blue
Sword by Robin McKinley, The Sandman series by Neil Gaiman, and The Westing Game by Ellen
Raskin. New favorites include The
Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, the Kate
Daniels series by Ilona Andrews,
and the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs.
For the last ten years, Lydia
has made her home in the Pacific Northwest, and when she is not reading,
she teaches middle and high school English, plays board games with her family,
watches lots of movies, and writes.
Official Author Website
Order "The Burn Zone" HERE
Read Friend And Foe, a guest post by James K. Decker
AUTHOR INFORMATION: James K. Decker was born in New Hampshire in the seventies, and has lived in the New England area since that time. He developed a love of reading and writing early on, participating in young author competitions as early as grade school, but the later discovery of works by Frank Herbert and Issac Asimov turned that love in to an obsession.
He wrote continuously through high school, college and beyond, eventually getting published under the name James Knapp, with the publication of the Revivors trilogy (State of Decay, The Silent Army, and Element Zero). State of Decay was a Philip K. Dick award nominee, and won the 2010 Compton Crook Award. The Burn Zone is his debut novel under the name James K. Decker. He currently lives in Massachusetts with his wife Kim.
OFFICIAL BOOK BLURB: Plagued by overpopulation, disease, and starvation, humanity was headed for extinction—until an alien race called the haan arrived. And then the real trouble began.
It’s been a rough day for Sam Shao. As part of a program that requires humans to act as surrogates to haan infants, Sam has been genetically enhanced to bond with them. So when three soldiers invade her apartment and arrest her guardian for smuggling a dangerous weapon into the country, Sam can sense that something isn’t right. One of his abductors is a haan masquerading as a human, and the supposedly fragile haan seems to be anything but.
Racing through the city slums, trying to stay one step ahead of the mysterious haan soldier, Sam tries to find the man who, in her twenty years, has been the only father she’s ever known. Could he truly have done what he is accused of? Or did he witness something both human and haan would kill to keep hidden? The only thing certain is that the weapon is real—and lost now somewhere in a city of millions.
Fighting the clock, Sam finds an ally in Nix, a haan envoy devoted to coexisting with humans, or so it seems. But what she really needs are answers. Fast. Or else everything she knows—and everyone she loves—will burn.
FORMAT/INFO: The Burn Zone is 374 pages long, divided over thirty-one numbered chapters. There is also an acknowledgements page. Narration is in the first-person with Sam Shao as the sole narrative voice.
February 5, 2013 marked the paperback and e-book publication of The Burn Zone via Ace-Roc books. The cover art is provided by Dave Seeley.
ANALYSIS: The Burn Zone is a book that managed to register itself on my radar due to its intriguing blurb details. I earlier didn’t know that this book was by the same person who had previously written the Revivors trilogy. I had read the first book and while I wasn’t able to review it, I was impressed by the author’s imagination and story settings.
The Burn Zone begins on an alternate Earth, which is remarkably similar to ours and is set in the near future wherein an alien race has crashed into a facsimile of the nation of China. These aliens called the Haan have take refuge among the local population and the government has helped them with it. The addendum being that the Haan help them with their nation’s security and weapons technology. The Earth’s population has grown beyond what can be sustained and so now massive amounts of the population face hunger pangs and have to make do with food being used as currency. The Haan add to this issue by demanding massive amounts of food for themselves and they justify their food needs by providing this alternate Chinese nation with futuristic technology that has propelled them ahead of the other worldly nations. This action has a dual effect of making this nation the most strongest in terms of technology and military might and the most detested by the rest of the world as well.
With this background, we are introduced to the main character of Sam Shao who is a surrogate mother to a Haan infant she has named Tanchi. She is leading a content life (of sorts) waiting for her godfather Dragan to return to Hangfei from his current assignment on the border towards the Pan-Slav Emirates. She is shocked when Dragan returns unexpectedly and with dire news. The state police who have quite a few charges of grave magnitude against him follow him and the end result is a scuffle that causes even more hassles for Sam, Dragan and the future of Hangfei. Thus begins the first volume in the Burn Zone series by James Decker.
Here’s what impressed me about this book, at its heart this book is a thriller through and through. It comes in the wrappings of SF and Alternate history however the storyline follows the tenets of a thriller. The author has carefully developed his premise of Aliens who have crash-landed and are in a situation similar to the one showcased in District 9. Albeit their situation and the world settings are very much different than those of the extra-terrestrial creatures in the film. This world is carefully peeled over the course of the story and for some this might be a make-or-break factor in their enjoyment of the storyline. I thought the author has done some excellent world-building in presenting a world that is beset by hunger issues and then nicely showcased the possible scenarios in which the human society might have adapted to such harsh conditions. I enjoyed reading about the various criminal or seedy activities that were shown in this book in relation to the demands of the society and this evolution felt very realistic.
There are some negative factors to this new series as well, beginning with the pace of the storyline, it is very tepid in the first 80—100 pages as the author introduces the world, the main character and her surroundings. While I understand the author was laying the setup for the book and this series, as a reader I had to really plow through these pages to get to the real meat of the story and so I would like to warn new readers of the same. Secondly with this being a first person narrated story, it is very important that the main protagonist be an intriguing one and in this regards, the story suffers as Sam Shao isn’t that attention grabbing. Of course we do learn about her back-story and are towards the later third of the novel, she does come into her own. However as main characters go, she wasn’t the strongest one I have read about. Thirdly and lastly this is a per peeve of mine, but in SF and Alternate-historical stories, I always like to have a map to see how the story in developed in terms of geography and with the story moving around and with all the places and nations mentioned. I thought the presence of a map and glossary would have helped deepen our understanding of the world presented within.
CONCLUSION: James K. Decker is definitely an author with some cool tricks up to his sleeve, he obviously couldn’t show all of them in this book but the potential is seen and I for one will definitely be reading the sequel to see how he further develops the story and the world. Give The Burn Zone a try if you want to see a hybrid SF-Thriller, with a well-developed world and massive conflicts looming. The Burn Zone is a surprisingly interesting read and will definitely find its fans.
Order "The Burn Zone" HERE
Read Friend And Foe, a guest post by James K. Decker
AUTHOR INFORMATION: James K. Decker was born in New Hampshire in the seventies, and has lived in the New England area since that time. He developed a love of reading and writing early on, participating in young author competitions as early as grade school, but the later discovery of works by Frank Herbert and Issac Asimov turned that love in to an obsession.
He wrote continuously through high school, college and beyond, eventually getting published under the name James Knapp, with the publication of the Revivors trilogy (State of Decay, The Silent Army, and Element Zero). State of Decay was a Philip K. Dick award nominee, and won the 2010 Compton Crook Award. The Burn Zone is his debut novel under the name James K. Decker. He currently lives in Massachusetts with his wife Kim.
OFFICIAL BOOK BLURB: Plagued by overpopulation, disease, and starvation, humanity was headed for extinction—until an alien race called the haan arrived. And then the real trouble began.
It’s been a rough day for Sam Shao. As part of a program that requires humans to act as surrogates to haan infants, Sam has been genetically enhanced to bond with them. So when three soldiers invade her apartment and arrest her guardian for smuggling a dangerous weapon into the country, Sam can sense that something isn’t right. One of his abductors is a haan masquerading as a human, and the supposedly fragile haan seems to be anything but.
Racing through the city slums, trying to stay one step ahead of the mysterious haan soldier, Sam tries to find the man who, in her twenty years, has been the only father she’s ever known. Could he truly have done what he is accused of? Or did he witness something both human and haan would kill to keep hidden? The only thing certain is that the weapon is real—and lost now somewhere in a city of millions.
Fighting the clock, Sam finds an ally in Nix, a haan envoy devoted to coexisting with humans, or so it seems. But what she really needs are answers. Fast. Or else everything she knows—and everyone she loves—will burn.
FORMAT/INFO: The Burn Zone is 374 pages long, divided over thirty-one numbered chapters. There is also an acknowledgements page. Narration is in the first-person with Sam Shao as the sole narrative voice.
February 5, 2013 marked the paperback and e-book publication of The Burn Zone via Ace-Roc books. The cover art is provided by Dave Seeley.
ANALYSIS: The Burn Zone is a book that managed to register itself on my radar due to its intriguing blurb details. I earlier didn’t know that this book was by the same person who had previously written the Revivors trilogy. I had read the first book and while I wasn’t able to review it, I was impressed by the author’s imagination and story settings.
The Burn Zone begins on an alternate Earth, which is remarkably similar to ours and is set in the near future wherein an alien race has crashed into a facsimile of the nation of China. These aliens called the Haan have take refuge among the local population and the government has helped them with it. The addendum being that the Haan help them with their nation’s security and weapons technology. The Earth’s population has grown beyond what can be sustained and so now massive amounts of the population face hunger pangs and have to make do with food being used as currency. The Haan add to this issue by demanding massive amounts of food for themselves and they justify their food needs by providing this alternate Chinese nation with futuristic technology that has propelled them ahead of the other worldly nations. This action has a dual effect of making this nation the most strongest in terms of technology and military might and the most detested by the rest of the world as well.
With this background, we are introduced to the main character of Sam Shao who is a surrogate mother to a Haan infant she has named Tanchi. She is leading a content life (of sorts) waiting for her godfather Dragan to return to Hangfei from his current assignment on the border towards the Pan-Slav Emirates. She is shocked when Dragan returns unexpectedly and with dire news. The state police who have quite a few charges of grave magnitude against him follow him and the end result is a scuffle that causes even more hassles for Sam, Dragan and the future of Hangfei. Thus begins the first volume in the Burn Zone series by James Decker.
Here’s what impressed me about this book, at its heart this book is a thriller through and through. It comes in the wrappings of SF and Alternate history however the storyline follows the tenets of a thriller. The author has carefully developed his premise of Aliens who have crash-landed and are in a situation similar to the one showcased in District 9. Albeit their situation and the world settings are very much different than those of the extra-terrestrial creatures in the film. This world is carefully peeled over the course of the story and for some this might be a make-or-break factor in their enjoyment of the storyline. I thought the author has done some excellent world-building in presenting a world that is beset by hunger issues and then nicely showcased the possible scenarios in which the human society might have adapted to such harsh conditions. I enjoyed reading about the various criminal or seedy activities that were shown in this book in relation to the demands of the society and this evolution felt very realistic.
There are some negative factors to this new series as well, beginning with the pace of the storyline, it is very tepid in the first 80—100 pages as the author introduces the world, the main character and her surroundings. While I understand the author was laying the setup for the book and this series, as a reader I had to really plow through these pages to get to the real meat of the story and so I would like to warn new readers of the same. Secondly with this being a first person narrated story, it is very important that the main protagonist be an intriguing one and in this regards, the story suffers as Sam Shao isn’t that attention grabbing. Of course we do learn about her back-story and are towards the later third of the novel, she does come into her own. However as main characters go, she wasn’t the strongest one I have read about. Thirdly and lastly this is a per peeve of mine, but in SF and Alternate-historical stories, I always like to have a map to see how the story in developed in terms of geography and with the story moving around and with all the places and nations mentioned. I thought the presence of a map and glossary would have helped deepen our understanding of the world presented within.
CONCLUSION: James K. Decker is definitely an author with some cool tricks up to his sleeve, he obviously couldn’t show all of them in this book but the potential is seen and I for one will definitely be reading the sequel to see how he further develops the story and the world. Give The Burn Zone a try if you want to see a hybrid SF-Thriller, with a well-developed world and massive conflicts looming. The Burn Zone is a surprisingly interesting read and will definitely find its fans.
THE ELEMENTS OF SORCERY focuses on the tale of how Edar Moncrief, a maker of love potions and wart remover (and competent sorcerer in his own right) gets tangled up with an Arbiter, and how his life gets irrevocably screwed up from that point forward. It's swords-and-sorcery written with an urban fantasy sensibility—like if Jim Butcher (author of The Dresden Files) wrote stories based on Robert E. Howard's Conan and Solomon Kane. There will be five installments when it's finished; each is novelette- to novella-length, ranging between 14,000 and 19,000 words so far, and they've been getting steadily longer.
In September 2011, I had decided to begin work on the second installment of my flagship series The Arbiter Codex. Originally entitled PROPHECY, the novel was going pretty well up until the point when I realized it wasn't. I ended up entirely scrapping that draft (except for some key parts that made it into what became LEGACY), which amounted to throwing away something like 75,000 words. It was one of the most painful things I've ever had to do.
However, something good did come out of it. At the tail end of Chapter 3 of this failed draft, I wrote this exchange:
A figure stepped out of the shadows of the tailor's shop and into the dim candlelight. Dressed immaculately in robes of deep green with violet and gold accents, the figure was tall, broad-shouldered, with olive skin and closely-trimmed midnight hair, sporting a pointed black beard on his chin. Pale yellow eyes stared out from beneath heavy brows, but the dark lips were split in a grin, revealing shining white teeth.
"Edar Moncrief," the Arbiter growled. "Didn't I tell you I'd kill you if I ever saw you again?"
"Indeed you did, Tal," the sorcerer replied. "Indeed you did. I must ask; do you still intend to make good on that threat? Think carefully before you answer, but do not think too long. I have information which may very well save your life before this night is out."
The sorcerer grinned; a wolfish expression.
"I have been waiting for you."
Apparently, I originally modeled the character on Antonio Banderas. (D'oh.)
However, in the very next chapter, on the very next page, Moncrief changed. He was no longer suave and confident like he was in the above passage—he was nervous, skittish, and genuinely afraid for his life. He bargained for his life with the knowledge of a "vision" (which he hadn't actually seen), promising to tell the Arbiter the details for safe passage to a place far away.
I had little use for the confident, dangerous sorcerer… but this manipulative, nervous man—that was something I could work with!
Of course, when I wrote D'Arden's line of dialogue—Didn't I tell you I'd kill you if I ever saw you again?—I had no idea what he meant by that. It came to me in a fit of inspiration, a flash of inspired brilliance (if I do say so myself) which I knew that I would have to follow up on.
Later in the draft (just before I realized that it wasn't going to work and gave up on it) I started writing scenes from Moncrief's first-person perspective. Even though the draft itself had failed, the character had wormed his way into my brain. He was much smarter than he made himself appear, I discovered. He was a master manipulator, even if he was a bit cowardly. This was exactly the kind of character I had always wanted to write about.
So, when I ended up giving up on PROPHECY, I sat down and thought about that line.
Didn't I tell you I'd kill you if I ever saw you again?
At that point, I knew my Arbiter pretty well (having just done revisions on ELEGY and finished writing THE CORPSE KING). The crime would have had to be serious for a threat like that to be made, and for D'Arden to remember it with such vehemence.
With that, I wrote the first words of what became SORCERER'S CODE, and the character shone through exactly as I wanted him to. He was hapless when caught off-guard, with a tendency to say stupid things when nervous, but he was smart, sophisticated and dangerous when he was ready for what was coming.
Once I finished SORCERER'S CODE, I knew that it was only the beginning of Moncrief's story. As I celebrate the upcoming launch of the third entry in his series—knowing that there are two left to tell—I'm excited to watch him change into the character which eventually appeared as a major supporting role in LEGACY, and who will be critical to the turning of events when I complete my flagship series later this year with the publication of DESTINY.
This guy steals the show in every scene he appears in. Some authors would say that it's not their fault—they don't control what their characters do, but frankly, I'm very proud to have created a personality able to upstage my main characters in their own book!
In September 2011, I had decided to begin work on the second installment of my flagship series The Arbiter Codex. Originally entitled PROPHECY, the novel was going pretty well up until the point when I realized it wasn't. I ended up entirely scrapping that draft (except for some key parts that made it into what became LEGACY), which amounted to throwing away something like 75,000 words. It was one of the most painful things I've ever had to do.
However, something good did come out of it. At the tail end of Chapter 3 of this failed draft, I wrote this exchange:
A figure stepped out of the shadows of the tailor's shop and into the dim candlelight. Dressed immaculately in robes of deep green with violet and gold accents, the figure was tall, broad-shouldered, with olive skin and closely-trimmed midnight hair, sporting a pointed black beard on his chin. Pale yellow eyes stared out from beneath heavy brows, but the dark lips were split in a grin, revealing shining white teeth.
"Edar Moncrief," the Arbiter growled. "Didn't I tell you I'd kill you if I ever saw you again?"
"Indeed you did, Tal," the sorcerer replied. "Indeed you did. I must ask; do you still intend to make good on that threat? Think carefully before you answer, but do not think too long. I have information which may very well save your life before this night is out."
The sorcerer grinned; a wolfish expression.
"I have been waiting for you."
Apparently, I originally modeled the character on Antonio Banderas. (D'oh.)
However, in the very next chapter, on the very next page, Moncrief changed. He was no longer suave and confident like he was in the above passage—he was nervous, skittish, and genuinely afraid for his life. He bargained for his life with the knowledge of a "vision" (which he hadn't actually seen), promising to tell the Arbiter the details for safe passage to a place far away.
I had little use for the confident, dangerous sorcerer… but this manipulative, nervous man—that was something I could work with!
Of course, when I wrote D'Arden's line of dialogue—Didn't I tell you I'd kill you if I ever saw you again?—I had no idea what he meant by that. It came to me in a fit of inspiration, a flash of inspired brilliance (if I do say so myself) which I knew that I would have to follow up on.
Later in the draft (just before I realized that it wasn't going to work and gave up on it) I started writing scenes from Moncrief's first-person perspective. Even though the draft itself had failed, the character had wormed his way into my brain. He was much smarter than he made himself appear, I discovered. He was a master manipulator, even if he was a bit cowardly. This was exactly the kind of character I had always wanted to write about.
So, when I ended up giving up on PROPHECY, I sat down and thought about that line.
Didn't I tell you I'd kill you if I ever saw you again?
At that point, I knew my Arbiter pretty well (having just done revisions on ELEGY and finished writing THE CORPSE KING). The crime would have had to be serious for a threat like that to be made, and for D'Arden to remember it with such vehemence.
With that, I wrote the first words of what became SORCERER'S CODE, and the character shone through exactly as I wanted him to. He was hapless when caught off-guard, with a tendency to say stupid things when nervous, but he was smart, sophisticated and dangerous when he was ready for what was coming.
Once I finished SORCERER'S CODE, I knew that it was only the beginning of Moncrief's story. As I celebrate the upcoming launch of the third entry in his series—knowing that there are two left to tell—I'm excited to watch him change into the character which eventually appeared as a major supporting role in LEGACY, and who will be critical to the turning of events when I complete my flagship series later this year with the publication of DESTINY.
This guy steals the show in every scene he appears in. Some authors would say that it's not their fault—they don't control what their characters do, but frankly, I'm very proud to have created a personality able to upstage my main characters in their own book!
AUTHOR INFORMATION: Christopher Kellen was indoctrinated in to the fantasy field by D&D as a child player. He however began writing only as an adult and his actual stint began by participating in NaNoWriMo in 2005. He currently works as an IT professional and is a passionate gamer as well. A proud member of the Genre Underground, his heroes of literature are those who are fearless in telling stories that truly mean something to their readers. He lives in New Hampshire with his wife and monstrous black dog.
Monday, February 11, 2013
The Daylight War by Peter V. Brett (Reviewed by Mihir Wanchoo with thoughts by Liviu S.)
Order The Daylight War HERE
Read the first fifty pages HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s review of The Painted Man/The Warded Man
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s review of The Desert Spear
Read Liviu’s Spotlight on The Daylight War
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Great Bazaar & Other Stories
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Great Bazaar & Other Stories
AUTHOR INFORMATION: Peter V. Brett was born and brought up in New York state. He graduated from the University of Buffalo with a focus on English Literature and Art History. He then spent more than a decade working in the pharmaceutical publication field before becoming a full-time writer. He developed an interest in fantasy from an early age and also enjoys comics and role-playing games. The Painted Man was not the first book he had written, however it helped him land a publishing deal and was his debut. He currently lives in Brooklyn with his wife and daughter.
OFFICIAL BOOK BLURB: On the night of the new moon, the demons rise in force, seeking the deaths of two men, both of whom have the potential to become the fabled Deliverer, the man prophesied to reunite the scattered remnants of humanity in a final push to destroy the demon corelings once and for all.
Arlen Bales was once an ordinary man, but now he has become something more—the Warded Man, tattooed with eldritch wards so powerful they make him a match for any demon. Arlen denies he is the Deliverer at every turn, but the more he tries to be one with the common folk, the more fervently they believe. Many would follow him, but Arlen’s path threatens to lead to a dark place he alone can travel to, and from which there may be no returning.
The only one with hope of keeping Arlen in the world of men, or joining him in his descent into the world of demons, is Renna Tanner, a fierce young woman in danger of losing herself to the power of demon magic.
Ahmann Jardir has forged the warlike desert tribes of Krasia into a demon-killing army and proclaimed himself Shar’Dama Ka, the Deliverer. He carries ancient weapons—a spear and a crown—that give credence to his claim, and already vast swaths of the green lands bow to his control.
But Jardir did not come to power on his own. His rise was engineered by his First Wife, Inevera, a cunning and powerful priestess whose formidable demon bone magic gives her the ability to glimpse the future. Inevera’s motives and past are shrouded in mystery, and even Jardir does not entirely trust her.
Once Arlen and Jardir were as close as brothers. Now they are the bitterest of rivals. As humanity’s enemies rise, the only two men capable of defeating them are divided against each other by the most deadly demons of all—those lurking in the human heart.
CLASSIFICATION: The Demon Cycle series is a dark epic fantasy series that is very reminiscent of the tales espoused by George R. R. Martin, Scott Lynch and Paul Kearney.
FORMAT/INFO: The Daylight War is 379 pages long divided over thirty-two titled and numbered chapters and a prologue. There is also a Krasian dictionary present to help the readers with the terms utilized in the story. Narration is in the third-person via Arlen Bales, Leesha Paper, Inevera, Ahmaan Jardir, Rojer Halfgrip and Abban along with a few minor characters.
February 12, 2013 marks the Hardcover and e-book publication of The Daylight War via Del Rey Books. The US cover art (see below) is by Larry Rostant and the UK cover art is also provided by the same artist. The UK edition is being released on February 11, 2013 by Harper Voyager.
ANALYSIS: Peter V. Brett’s The Daylight War is a book that most fans have been clamoring for since the release of The Desert Spear back in 2010. This book focuses on Inevera’s character as the past books have done for Arlen, Leesha, Rojer and Jardir. This book would also serve to show the conflict brewing between Jardir and Arlen and so easily marked itself as the most anticipated title for 2013 IMO. A warning though, with this book being the third of a series, there might be points discussed below that serve as minor spoilers for the preceding titles. Before I begin my review, readers wanting to read Liviu's thoughts on the book, can click here.
The story begins with Inevera nearly 33 years before the start of current events (as mentioned in the book) and we get to see her as a child and with a family of her own. Her father Kasaad is a veteran warrior with a disability and drinking issues. Her mother Manvah is a basket weaver and supports the family and lastly is her elder brother Soli who has just become a new Sharum warrior. Life however has other plans as Inevera as Hannu Pash beckons and we have read in the earlier book what happens next and in this book, Peter Brett shows her remarkable journey all the way. The focus is also on Arlen and Renna who are a couple now and share more wards than any normal couple would. Renna is aggressively following Arlen in his ways and walk even though he might not want her to continue on the same path. Leesha continues to straddle her various roles and is now trying to figure out the best way to extradite herself from the wiles of Jardir and his Krasian contingents. Rojer finds himself with an altered connubial status of sorts, is learning more about womanly wiles and especially Krasian womanly wiles. He’s striving to become a good partner to Sikwah and Amanwah whilst trying to explore his own skill with warded magic via his music.
Then there’s Abban who is slowly becoming my favorite character with his grey-shaded actions and tenebrous interactions with everyone as he helps Jardir fortify his new found lands. However Jardir and Inevera both struggle to determine his true intentions and are constantly wary of him. Jardir also plays a significant role in the happenings of this book and especially towards the climax. But in this volume his role is smaller among all the main POV characters aforementioned. This is not to say he doesn’t make his presence felt but this story truly belongs to Inevera, as we find out more about her thoughts, her past and her intentions towards the upcoming Sharak Ka.
After finishing this book, all I can is WOW! Peter V. Brett really knows how to change character perceptions and showcase different facets even after two preceding books. Let’s begin with the part that beguiled me so much, namely characterization. The author fleshes out all characters vividly and makes each of them distinct, beginning from the POV characters all the way down to the minor characters, each of them feels distinctly unique and this is the best part of the story. Beginning from Arlen as he aggressively pursues his own route and now is becoming a darker character and a bit unhinged as well. Renna Tanner is brought into the spotlight due to her own actions and Arlen’s gestures however as a character, I couldn’t connect with her as she seemed off with her thoughts and her actions cause further discord between the people around her.
Rojer who had a reduced role in the preceding title gets a bigger draw and we see what he can accomplish. Leesha also learns about the new headaches of leadership and I felt the author manages to portray her situation a bit better in this volume. Inevera, Jardir and Abban further confound the readers with their machinations and so it is this facet that makes this book bloody terrific. Secondly the author further fleshes out the Krasian culture whilst distinctly drawing some characteristic ties to Islam. Previously the Krasian world was explored from a masculine lens and in this book the same is done from a feminine viewpoint. However the Krasian culture is shown to be no less ruthless or bloodthirsty as we learn about the Dama’tings and their objectives. It’s not shocking to find out the Dama’tings and their underlings have their own games to play and they regard the Krasian men with even more of a rigid mindset than they view their fellow females.
The book slightly alters the pattern by having the current events run entirely parallel to Inevera’s background story. So in chapter I we get to see Arlen going about the Thesan world reclaiming his spot not as the Deliverer but as Arlen Bales the Warded Man, this was a good thing as we directly see past and present events occurring in synchronicity. The magic system is further expanded and this time we get a deeper look in to the Demons and what seems to be taking place at the Core. I liked how the author paralleled the Demon’s culture with those of the humans above. People who have been waiting to know more about the prophecies, the Alagai hora and demon culture will definitely love this book as the author finally gives us a wider look in to all the aforementioned things and much more. Then there’s the fantastic cover art with both the US and UK editions, which I must say the author is really lucky to have such gorgeous cover art on both sides of the pond.
The pace and action sequences of this book are exponentially increased as the title suggests and once any reader starts this book, they'll be hard-pressed to stop reading. This is where PVB managed to combine the plus points from the earlier books to make the third the best one so far. Lastly I want to emphasize what a terrific ending this book has, its right up there with that of say Changes by Jim Butcher or A Storm Of Swords by George R.R. Martin. Not a cliffhanger in the literal sense but a thematic one as the action ends on a edge of a cliff and fans will probably hate the author for ending the book the way it is shown. The worrisome part being that now readers will have to wait another 2-3 years (minimally) to find out what happens next. As an author this is what you strive for and perhaps PVB will have fans clamoring for the fourth book (The Skull Throne) in the same vociferous way as those of GRRM and Patrick Rothfuss. For those fans who are jonesing for the next epic fantasy series after the conclusion to Wheel Of Time, they might want to give this one a try as its not bloated (so far) and promises much more in the remaining two volumes.
I couldn't find any drawbacks to this book however this is entirely a subjective opinion. If one didn’t enjoy the author’s earlier books and style of writing then this book won’t change your opinion but you would be missing out on a terrific series. For all the fans, Peter V. Brett hits it out of the park with this third volume and only makes it harder to not bang on his door pleading for the next volume.
CONCLUSION: An out and out thrilling storyline that mixes action, intrigue and amazing characters, Peter V. Brett’s The Daylight War is his best work so far and rather upends the bar steeply for this series. I would simply like to conclude by saying that with this book, Peter confirms his place among epic fantasy’s pantheon of greats amid the likes of George R.R. Martin, Steven Erikson, and Robert Jordan.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Three Mini Reviews: The Woodcutter, Capitol Murder and Listening To Rain (Reviewed by Mihir Wanchoo)
Official Author Website
Order the book HERE
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: The Woodcutter by Kate Danley is a book that slipped me by when it was originally self-published by the author in 2010. I happened across it recently when it was re-released by 47North. I was very much intrigued by the storyline as it reminded me of The Book Of Lost Things by John Connolly which is one of my all time favorites.
The story is set in a realm wherein there are twelve kingdoms and all of them are either ruled by creatures of Faerie and humans. Surrounding all these kingdoms is the woods area, which is overseen by the Woodcutter. The Woodcutter is in a long line of woodcutters who have been adjudged to be the men who oversee the woods. He’s also tasked with keeping the peace between the twelve kingdoms however recently he’s been finding that events are taking a turn beyond gruesome. He finds a dead body of a girl who will be well known to readers of fairy tales. Tasked with finding the murderer and to stop the further division of the twelve kingdoms, the woodcutter will have to dig deep to stop the anarchy that is unfolding.
This book is a clever mix of fairy tales, classical fantasy and mystery. I enjoyed the author’s take on this world wherein fairy tale characters mingle with those from European mythology. The story really begins with a twisted opening and from then on we are constantly shunted from chapter to chapter with a new revelation about the world as well as the characters. I think the pace of the story helps quite a bit as well as the extremely short chapters. The story constantly keeps the readers on their toes with oodles of mystery in regards to what is actually happening as well who or what is the main protagonist’s role in the world.
The characterization is done very cleverly and gives the main character enough of a mysterious edge to be believable. The main plot thread is a very mystery laced one and has a slight noir-ish quality to it. The world building is rather strange and what I mean by strange is that the author combines various different elements into her story to make it a very different world. Lastly with all these dark elements to the story, I must say the story is kept on a YA level consistently and has some rather sweet moments to it as well.
Combining a fascinating story within a hybrid world of mythology, fairy tales and fantasy, Kate Danley showcases her superb skills and its no wonder this book has won so many awards. I enjoyed the quirky storyline and thoroughly enjoyed the story all the way to its poignant end. Very much recommended for those who like Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book and John Connolly’s The Book Of Lost Things. The Woodcutter is an odd book but one that cherishes its oddness and makes you fall in love with it.
Order the book HERE
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: The Woodcutter by Kate Danley is a book that slipped me by when it was originally self-published by the author in 2010. I happened across it recently when it was re-released by 47North. I was very much intrigued by the storyline as it reminded me of The Book Of Lost Things by John Connolly which is one of my all time favorites.
The story is set in a realm wherein there are twelve kingdoms and all of them are either ruled by creatures of Faerie and humans. Surrounding all these kingdoms is the woods area, which is overseen by the Woodcutter. The Woodcutter is in a long line of woodcutters who have been adjudged to be the men who oversee the woods. He’s also tasked with keeping the peace between the twelve kingdoms however recently he’s been finding that events are taking a turn beyond gruesome. He finds a dead body of a girl who will be well known to readers of fairy tales. Tasked with finding the murderer and to stop the further division of the twelve kingdoms, the woodcutter will have to dig deep to stop the anarchy that is unfolding.
This book is a clever mix of fairy tales, classical fantasy and mystery. I enjoyed the author’s take on this world wherein fairy tale characters mingle with those from European mythology. The story really begins with a twisted opening and from then on we are constantly shunted from chapter to chapter with a new revelation about the world as well as the characters. I think the pace of the story helps quite a bit as well as the extremely short chapters. The story constantly keeps the readers on their toes with oodles of mystery in regards to what is actually happening as well who or what is the main protagonist’s role in the world.
The characterization is done very cleverly and gives the main character enough of a mysterious edge to be believable. The main plot thread is a very mystery laced one and has a slight noir-ish quality to it. The world building is rather strange and what I mean by strange is that the author combines various different elements into her story to make it a very different world. Lastly with all these dark elements to the story, I must say the story is kept on a YA level consistently and has some rather sweet moments to it as well.
Combining a fascinating story within a hybrid world of mythology, fairy tales and fantasy, Kate Danley showcases her superb skills and its no wonder this book has won so many awards. I enjoyed the quirky storyline and thoroughly enjoyed the story all the way to its poignant end. Very much recommended for those who like Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book and John Connolly’s The Book Of Lost Things. The Woodcutter is an odd book but one that cherishes its oddness and makes you fall in love with it.
Official Author Website
Order the book HERE
Read Civilian Reader’s review of Executive Privilege
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s review of Supreme Justice
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s interview with Phillip Margolin
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Phillip Margolin is a favorite of mine, I started reading his books nearly a decade ago and since then I have enjoyed his Amanda Jaffe books as well as his standalone titles. He began a trilogy with a set of characters in 2008 with Executive Privilege; he followed it up two years later with Supreme Justice and last year he capped off the trilogy with Capitol Murder.
Like all of his books, Capitol Murder has quite a few plot threads and a large character cast as well. The story begins after a few months after the events of Supreme Justice and Brad and Ginny are well settled of sorts in their routines. Dana Cutler is facing an ironic turn of events due to the newfound celebrity status that she has achieved. One of the main threads of Executive Privilege is carried forward in the form of Clarence little who is now obsessed with Brad as he owes him for his current situation. There’s also Ali who is a new migrant and planning to shake the USA by trying to be a jihadi martyr. Lastly there’s the plot-thread involving Jack Carson, the Oregon senator for whom Brad works for and is now undergoing quite a situation thanks to some shady dealing on his part. There’s a lot more but this is the basic gist of this complicated plot and once again Margolin proves why he’s one of the best thriller writers who’s is equally under-appreciated.
This book is more tuned to the events of the first book than the second one and I appreciated this aspect as we get to see a continuation of events that were such a major plot point in Executive Privilege. In this book the significant others to Dana and Brad get more page time as well and in Ginny’s case she actually plays a crucial role in the events that play out. With a such large character cast, the author’s characterization skills often come in to play and with a writer like Phillip Margolin, its almost second nature to him. The book’s pace and plot twists are top notch and keep the reader thoroughly engrossed. From the start the reader is introduced to a multitude of characters as well as multiple plot threads. Teach of the plot threads start separately and will have the reader vexed in trying to figure out how they all come together.
The plot is characteristically twisted and comes together in the end in a very cohesive fashion and in this category; it overshadows Supreme Justice by being the better thriller and possibly is the best one of this entire trilogy. Not having any drawback to it is another plus point and so this is another winner from the incredible mind of Phillip Margolin. This book comes very recommended for thriller fans and for those wanting to read a good story with terrific mystery threads.
Order the book HERE
Read Civilian Reader’s review of Executive Privilege
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s review of Supreme Justice
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s interview with Phillip Margolin
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Phillip Margolin is a favorite of mine, I started reading his books nearly a decade ago and since then I have enjoyed his Amanda Jaffe books as well as his standalone titles. He began a trilogy with a set of characters in 2008 with Executive Privilege; he followed it up two years later with Supreme Justice and last year he capped off the trilogy with Capitol Murder.
Like all of his books, Capitol Murder has quite a few plot threads and a large character cast as well. The story begins after a few months after the events of Supreme Justice and Brad and Ginny are well settled of sorts in their routines. Dana Cutler is facing an ironic turn of events due to the newfound celebrity status that she has achieved. One of the main threads of Executive Privilege is carried forward in the form of Clarence little who is now obsessed with Brad as he owes him for his current situation. There’s also Ali who is a new migrant and planning to shake the USA by trying to be a jihadi martyr. Lastly there’s the plot-thread involving Jack Carson, the Oregon senator for whom Brad works for and is now undergoing quite a situation thanks to some shady dealing on his part. There’s a lot more but this is the basic gist of this complicated plot and once again Margolin proves why he’s one of the best thriller writers who’s is equally under-appreciated.
This book is more tuned to the events of the first book than the second one and I appreciated this aspect as we get to see a continuation of events that were such a major plot point in Executive Privilege. In this book the significant others to Dana and Brad get more page time as well and in Ginny’s case she actually plays a crucial role in the events that play out. With a such large character cast, the author’s characterization skills often come in to play and with a writer like Phillip Margolin, its almost second nature to him. The book’s pace and plot twists are top notch and keep the reader thoroughly engrossed. From the start the reader is introduced to a multitude of characters as well as multiple plot threads. Teach of the plot threads start separately and will have the reader vexed in trying to figure out how they all come together.
The plot is characteristically twisted and comes together in the end in a very cohesive fashion and in this category; it overshadows Supreme Justice by being the better thriller and possibly is the best one of this entire trilogy. Not having any drawback to it is another plus point and so this is another winner from the incredible mind of Phillip Margolin. This book comes very recommended for thriller fans and for those wanting to read a good story with terrific mystery threads.
Official Author Website
Order the book HERE
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Listening To Rain is the debut book by Albert A. Dalia and its blurb and excerpt chapters intrigued me enough to ask the author for a review copy.
The book begins in the past 607 AD wherein a young boy is taken from his ancestral home after it has been attacked. Twenty years later we are reintroduced to the child who is now grown up and is called Tanzong the Shaolin Blade. His legendary exploits helped the young emperor of the Tang dynasty previously in a time of need. The emperor then assigns his imperial commissioner Li Wei to accompany Tanzong and find out more about disturbances in the southern part of his empire. Such begins the journey that will see both of them travel far and wide in a mystical China and face many great adventures that will be captured by Li Wei in three great scrolls, the first of which is called “Listening To Rain”.
This new series book by Albert A. Dalia hearkens back to the classical mytho-fantasy tales by Barry Hughart. The story settings are similar and while Barry’s stories featured humor, Albert Dalia eschews the humor but does not skip the inventiveness showcased by Barry Hughart. The story begins in a typical fantasy style with a young child who will grow up to be the epic hero and he does however his journey is only just beginning. As the story progresses we find out that there are many more mysteries to be found in this China as imagined by the author. That’s what I liked about the story that it went all out on the magic and fantasy front without being apologetic about it. The characterization isn’t all that great but since this is the first volume, I’m always ready to give the benefit of doubt to the author.
The main character cast introduced isn’t a large one however they are quite easily placed in the good or bad category and that perhaps might be a drawback for several readers. The story has a good pace to it and follows a traditional fantasy route and in that regards it is predictable however the author does his best with some latter part twists to the story that liven up the tale and make the reader intrigued for the second tale. The fantasy settings of this story explore a bit of China’s history and mythology however I’m not an expert in either subjects and so I can’t vouch for the their accuracy. I did enjoy the author’s slant on these subjects as he seems to be genuinely interested in them and so it will be up to readers to decide how they find his efforts.
Listening To Rain is a story that showcases its flair by indulging the author’s interests and studies. It is a book that has flaws as well as fascinating facets to it. I think this was quite a different debut than I have usually read about. Give it a shot of you are interested in reading mytho-historical fantasy with a different slant than those found currently. I think Listening To Rain will find its fans should readers be willing to give it a shot.
Order the book HERE
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Listening To Rain is the debut book by Albert A. Dalia and its blurb and excerpt chapters intrigued me enough to ask the author for a review copy.
The book begins in the past 607 AD wherein a young boy is taken from his ancestral home after it has been attacked. Twenty years later we are reintroduced to the child who is now grown up and is called Tanzong the Shaolin Blade. His legendary exploits helped the young emperor of the Tang dynasty previously in a time of need. The emperor then assigns his imperial commissioner Li Wei to accompany Tanzong and find out more about disturbances in the southern part of his empire. Such begins the journey that will see both of them travel far and wide in a mystical China and face many great adventures that will be captured by Li Wei in three great scrolls, the first of which is called “Listening To Rain”.
This new series book by Albert A. Dalia hearkens back to the classical mytho-fantasy tales by Barry Hughart. The story settings are similar and while Barry’s stories featured humor, Albert Dalia eschews the humor but does not skip the inventiveness showcased by Barry Hughart. The story begins in a typical fantasy style with a young child who will grow up to be the epic hero and he does however his journey is only just beginning. As the story progresses we find out that there are many more mysteries to be found in this China as imagined by the author. That’s what I liked about the story that it went all out on the magic and fantasy front without being apologetic about it. The characterization isn’t all that great but since this is the first volume, I’m always ready to give the benefit of doubt to the author.
The main character cast introduced isn’t a large one however they are quite easily placed in the good or bad category and that perhaps might be a drawback for several readers. The story has a good pace to it and follows a traditional fantasy route and in that regards it is predictable however the author does his best with some latter part twists to the story that liven up the tale and make the reader intrigued for the second tale. The fantasy settings of this story explore a bit of China’s history and mythology however I’m not an expert in either subjects and so I can’t vouch for the their accuracy. I did enjoy the author’s slant on these subjects as he seems to be genuinely interested in them and so it will be up to readers to decide how they find his efforts.
Listening To Rain is a story that showcases its flair by indulging the author’s interests and studies. It is a book that has flaws as well as fascinating facets to it. I think this was quite a different debut than I have usually read about. Give it a shot of you are interested in reading mytho-historical fantasy with a different slant than those found currently. I think Listening To Rain will find its fans should readers be willing to give it a shot.
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