Fantasybookspot - DAW Fantasy

Blood Bank

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:21:26 -0400

Having never read anything by Tanya Huff before (and no, I do not live in a closet thank you very much) I was very interested to try this group of short stories by her. Blood Bank is a book of short stories that are based on the characters from her popular vampire novels. For a reader who had not been previously introduced to these characters, I must admit that they were well-written enough for me not to feel as if I were a latecomer to the party. I didn’t feel left out by inside jokes or left behind by story lines that followed previous plots. Each tale was self-contained, all that was necessary for comprehension was included – there was no need to have met the characters before or for knowing their background. That those stories were also enjoyable is the next thing you need to know. After that, the fact that this book is being published as a tie-in to a television series based on these characters would be your next tidbit of information. If all of that weren’t enough, the author has included, in this volume, the entire script for one of the series’ episodes.

Vicki Nelson is a cop turned private detective because of a degenerative eye condition that will eventually lead her to blindness. Through her investigations, she elicits the help of her former partner who is still a cop, as well as that of a centuries old vampire named Henry Fitzroy. The book gives us several stories from varying perspectives that bring the characters to life and entice the reader into wanting more. Vicki is bold, impetuous and almost childlike in her discovery of life outside the police force. Henry is introspective, lonely, brave and quiet.

After reading these little snippets on the lives of Vicki Nelson, detective and Henry Fitzroy, vampire, I was intrigued enough by them to seek out information on the television series. According to the cover, it is now a series on Lifetime Television. I found the series, called Blood Ties by searching their webpage. They even have all past episodes from the first two seasons available for viewing online. I was a bit shocked that not only had the series been airing for two seasons already and I had not even heard of it before this book, but also because this book is only coming out now, after the airing of the first two seasons. Had it come out before the series was to air, it could have garnered some interest in the series – bringing in former fans and enticing new fans as well. Unfortunately, it comes out now too late to help the series as I have just discovered that the series has been cancelled and they will not be filming a third season. I’m not sure what the true reasons for the cancellation were, but I did actually watch the available episodes to see how the characters had been treated. The actors were definitely attractive, most at least competent in their skills, but the show seemed a bit repetitive with plots and not as creative as they could have been. The photographer, continuity and costumes were all very well done – but could not make up for the lackluster script. Fortunately for us booklovers, Tanya Huff’s original series that these shorts and the TV series are based upon are available at your local bookstore. And they are currently available with shiny new covers using photos taken from the TV show. Now that I have been intrigued by these characters, I will be searching out the book length stories myself.

A Magic of Twilight

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:39:08 -0400

Take the political intrigue of various factions of church, state, subjugated peoples of an empire, and religious heretics in a Renaissance setting and combine with magic and a well-realized fantasy setting and the result is A Magic of Twilight by S.L. Farrell, the first, yet stand-alone, volume of the Nessantico Cycle.

Nessantico, the city and empire has endured a period of relative peace under the leadership of its long-time ruler – Kraljica Marguerite ca’Ludovici. This period of peace has allowed for elements within the ruling nobility, the lands of The Holdings, and factions of the religious order known as the Concènzia Faith to separately plot their own ambitions. The Kraljica and Archigos Dhosti ca’Millac of the Concènzia face a rough road as they are awakened to the growing dangers encircling them.

The main narrative follows the path of a of a minor noble, Ana cu’Seranta as she gains the favor of the Archigos Dhosti within the Concènzia. Ana is gifted in the magical force at the heart of the faith and is soon overwhelmed by the ambitions of the higher nobility, the demands of the faith, and a personal brush with a heretical sect at odds with all she’s ever believed in as she is taken into the Archigos’ council. In these struggles lie the future of The Holdings and Nessantico.

A Magic of Twilight represents another example of a fairly standard epic fantasy framework – an adolescent rises above her roots to attain power and save the day with inborn magical skill. A couple of the variances to the common clichés are the Renaissance setting and use of a female lead character, though the tropes of epic fantasy are embraced rather than subverted. The key is that A Magic of Twilight is skillfully realized and balances well the needs of world-building, characterization and plot. Trope and cliché have their roots in universal truths of the human condition and in competent hands can both entertain and enlighten. While A Magic of Twilight may not rise to a level of enlightenment, it does provide an entertaining and addictive read.

The strength of A Magic of Twilight resides in politics. There are no less than six factions of competing interests at play – complete with assassination, massive armies, and powerful magic. The interplay of these factions and their shifting alliances keeps the reader alert and interested while providing just enough surprises along the way. The portrayal of these Machiavellian politics rivals writers like Robert Jordan at their best, even approaching the skill of George R.R. Martin, if not actually attaining it.

The characterization generally holds up well across the spectrum of point of view and supporting characters. While all the common roles are present, Farrell manages to go beyond caricature characterization to provide an interesting depth. My only real complaint with the characterization is with some of his choices surrounding the main character, Ana. To round her out with a depth of hurt and despair, Farrell chooses to follow the well trodden path of sexual abuse. This approach both benefits and detracts from the character that Ana could be and would drive any follower of feminist theory into a fury.

The primary aspect of A Magic of Twilight detracting form its readability is the choice of naming and the hierarchical titles. The liberal use of apostrophes and made up titles brings the pace to a crawl – especially in the beginning. While this is somewhat effective at creating an otherworld sense of atmosphere, it often proves to be a confusing stumbling block that will likely sour many a reader. The inclusion of an informative Appendix may help and please some, but does little to improve the pace of the narrative.

A Magic of Twilight presents a familiar fantasy epic in a new wrapping that should appeal to fans of the genre while providing an entertaining and addicting read. The story is complete and stands well on its own, though this is the first volume of the larger story of the Nessantico Cycle.

The War of the Flowers

Thu, 08 May 2008 16:24:57 -0400

My first experience with Tad Williams was when I picked up his novel, "City of Golden Shadow." I found the book's opening, in which one of the main characters experiences scenes from World War I, to be marvelously descriptive and quite riveting. Though I found the culmination of that book series to be rather disappointing, I moved on to more of Williams' books. I read his "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" saga, which I found more enjoyable, but was once again disappointed by the ending. I then tackled "Shadowmarch," which was so bogged down I could hardly finish it. After all of these lengthy works, I wanted to try something that would give me more of what I liked about Tad Williams without the sheer weight of pages. That led me to try, "The War of the Flowers."

In this standalone novel, I was soon rewarded with exactly what I had hoped for. Williams' gift for wonderful descriptive scenes was again present as I began reading. The scenes and events involving Theo and his mother stand out as some of the most poignant I've ever read.

The premise of the book is interesting, if not completely new to fantasy readers. Theo, the main character, finds himself transported to the land of Faerie and encounters danger and adventure as he is caught up in the affairs of the ruling houses, named for flowers. I found the title misleading, as actual war in the sense of pitched battles and combat heroics is not a major element of the plot.

The book is not so much about fantastic elements, though these are certainly present, as it is about interaction between its well-developed characters. Many are dark, with sinister aspects hinted at and revealed slowly by the author. Theo begins as a sympathetic loser, but grows as the story progresses. Love interests abound throughout and feature prominently in his fate. There are some aspects of "Romeo and Juliet" here, in fact, though with a less tragic outcome.

There is some social commentary as well, though I perceived it to be understated, perhaps even underdeveloped. The inhabitants of Faerie, in an interesting twist for a fantasy novel, are discovering all the problems of industrialized society, class inequality, exploitation, and greed.

Unfortunately, the excellence of the early parts of the book begins to wane by the middle to late chapters. This is a common problem with many of Williams' books, in my opinion. The mysterious elements in the plot begin to be explained -- but the details seem overly contrived. I was disappointed with some of the plot twists, and others I found predictable. In a few cases, I felt as though I was left hanging with no explanation at all.

These complaints would have been forgivable but for the end of the story. It almost seemed as though the author had lost interest in the book chapters ago, and just needed to get it wrapped up so it would be finished.

In fairness, I enjoyed reading this book, flaws and all. Tad Williams once again succeeds in creating another world for the reader to explore, though at times the writing is frustrating. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a short -- if 700 pages may be called short – introduction to the style of Tad Williams. His best and worst are both present in this novel.

Marseguro

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 14:40:11 -0400

Chris Keating hated his life. He hated living on a planet covered mostly with water. He hated the smell of rotting seaweed. He hated his job and the fact he was an orphan. However, he despised the Selkies more than all of these hates put together. Modified genetically from human DNA, the Selkies were beings who could live underwater and on land. They had gills, modified hearing, vision and speech, all of which enabled them to be at home in the sea while still looking human. Because they were so at home in the water, Selkies ruled Marseguro, the planet Chris had the unfortunate reality of calling home.

Settled when a starship escaped Earth to flee religious and political persecution, Marseguro has remained hidden from Earth for seventy years. Not anymore. Selkies and humans alike will face their greatest fears when Earth seeks that which was lost to them seventy years ago, causing all involved to come to terms with the realities of prejudice and hate.

Portraying people at their worst and their best, this book challenges readers to revisit their first impressions. The unexpected dives in the storyline only add interest and depth to what could have been a shallow and simple sci-fi tale. Characters face issues of nature vs. nurture, the effects of bullying and the deep seated threads of prejudice, yet readers do not need to acknowledge any of this to enjoy Marseguro. Added to the mix is delightful display of tech that more resembles Star Trek (possible) as opposed to Star Wars (never gonna happen).

I liked this book more than I thought I would when I first picked it up. The author was constantly surprising me, which doesn’t happen often, twisting the usual sci-fi conventions into more than just a shoot ‘em up space opera. Edward Willett has created people, personalities with belief systems and misguided judgments who make mistakes in trying to do what they believe is right. Still what I would consider light reading, Marseguro is a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon on another planet. I look forward to the release of the sequel to Marseguro, Terra Insegura, later on next year.

Shadowplay

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 19:40:12 -0400

Tad Williams has a knack for creating an atmosphere. His fantasy worlds are fully populated and full of fanciful imagination and realistic character interactions. When you read one of his fantasies you can imagine a whole wide world full of his imaginary people. Shadowplay is no different. The second of his Shadowmarch series, Shadowplay directly follows the events from the first book.

He starts off with the narrow escape of Princess Briony from her home as it is taken over by a treasonous branch of the royal family. The reader first follows Briony and her companion, Shaso, the former Southmarch master of arms and the man she had formerly believed to be a part of the murder of her brother, Prince Kendrick and who had thus been imprisoned for months. Theirs is an uneasy voyage; the princess has never had to fend for herself, has never been hungry and at first has difficulty with the idea of running and hiding.

The next thread for the reader to take up is the story of Prince Barrick, Briony’s twin, who has been given a secret mission for the Twilight People behind the shadowline following the Southmarch army’s defeat at the hands of those same People. Traveling through their lands, into unknown territory with unknown dangers and difficulties; Barrick is accompanied by Ferras Vansen, the former captain of the royal guard who is not only in love with Briony but has been charged by her with the safety of her brother.

While those are the two main threads of the storyline, Williams weaves into the story a handful of other players. Among these are the imprisoned King Olin, held for ransom by Ludis Drakava, Lord Protector of Hierosol, Qinnitan an acolyte of the Hive in Xis who has escaped and is on the run, Merolanna, the royal twins’ great aunt who is still inside the Southmarch castle, Chert Blue Quartz one of the Funderlings who not only has a very strange adopted child but is helping Chaven, the former royal physician work against the treasonous Tollys, Matthias Tinwright at poet at Southmarch, and Daikonas Vo a Perikalese mercenary sent by the autarch of Xis to return Qinnitan. As you can see from the long laundry list of players above, this is not a simple one act play. The reader is allowed into each of these characters minds and is able to see the world from their point of view as well as the view of the main characters. Some may find this distracting, the moving back and forth among so many characters, but I generally don’t as long as the number of characters that I enjoy reading about outweighs the number of characters whose stories I must wade through. Unfortunately, in my opinion, there are very few characters whose fate I truly wish to follow in this book. Thus I found the story to be very uneven with the characters I was interested in being thrown in like candy amongst a morass of plot and characters that I just did not care about.

While I found the plot itself, at its most basic, to be something I would normally enjoy; Williams’ need to throw in everything but the kitchen sink and to drag out certain storylines till they were dull as ditchwater made me sigh with frustration several times during my reading. With some hefty word count cuts and some judicious flashback and tale-telling use, I feel this could be a stellar book. The characterization is deftly handled, the political plotting and inter-character relations were all finely tuned and the realization of the world itself incredibly imagined. At heart, this is a good story and worth reading, though it certainly would not be harmed by a judicious cut back of about 100 pages.

Goblin War

Mon, 18 Feb 2008 19:08:58 -0500

Goblin War by Jim Hines is the third book in the Jig the Goblin series—and it’s a very good finish to a satisfying series. All the goblin books are bubblegum reads; excellent beach books— lovely, easy-to-read distractions. Jig is still the underdog in Goblin War, and I enjoyed his bumbling through his latest crisis, knowing full-well that he wouldn’t be able to avoid trouble. Poor thing, he was forced in a very ungoblinlike manner to *think* his way out of trouble. Jig is still reminiscent of your younger brother, but in book three, he’s starting to grow up and maybe take a few goblins along for the ride—not all of them actually gaining a new, mature outlook, of course.

Goblin War managed to be more than just a Jig adventure. Clever of Hines to throw in the story of the Forgotten Gods, told mostly through the viewpoint of Jig’s forgotten god, T. Autumnstar. I don’t generally enjoy stories about gods, because they are complex, overdone and lack any sympathetic characters. True to Hine’s usual sense of humor, Autumnstar’s story is ironic, full of ridiculous and often funny scenes and “human” enough that I found myself quite enjoying Autumnstar and his predicaments. Autumnstar is a tad like Jig; an underdog god and one that is a bit down on his luck. His story is quite funny and very necessary in making the book come together. Hines did a great job weaving the two stories, and at times it was a race to see whether Jig would out-survive the god or the other way around.

There were a couple of spots where I did wonder if Hines had gone off on a tangent path never to get his Goblin back on track, but the occasional meandering always made sense in the end—sometimes quite cleverly too. The setting he chose for Goblin War—outside the Goblin mountain--also added greatly to the story. The new terrain, characters and creatures kept the story interesting and helped move it forward. This was a faster-paced book than book two.

My favorite character, Smudge (the fire spider), put in several appearances again. Even when Smudge’s role was expected, it always put a smile on my face when the spider came out of hiding. Hines knows how to tug at heart-strings, even if the pet is a spider.

While Jig’s character has grown in the series, Hines was masterful at always keeping Jig and the others true to Goblin nature. From the food the Goblins ate, their reactions to humans and the human traditions--Hines never forgot to pick a goblin nose in public, grow an extra fungus between their disgusting toes or have his goblins react with the typical juvenile goblin "maturity." It’s always a good read when the characters can grow—but remain what makes them unique. Part of what made the god versus goblin scenes work so well was the very different viewpoint and goals.

And the ending…how does an author manage to make you feel nostalgic before you’ve even finished the last page? With a goblin, I’m not sure you can have a perfectly *happy* ending, but with Hines, you can definitely have a perfect ending.

Like the other books in the series, this is a good read for young adults and adults, and I highly recommend it when you want to sit back and not take life too seriously. Let the goblin find all the trouble and enjoy the ride.

Reserved for the Cat

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 19:09:33 -0500

Mercedes Lackey fans will thoroughly enjoy this fun escapade into turn-of-the-century England. Reserved for the Cat follows along with the Elemental Masters stories, which focus on magicians in the real world pictured in historical settings. We meet Ninette, an orphan in Paris who is gifted with the ability to capture her audience with her ballet dancing. As a young woman without proper lineage, her options for a future were limited to washerwoman (and die young), a prostitute on the street (and die even earlier), or catch the eye of a wealthy older man with her dancing abilities and live in relative ease. With her mother’s firm instruction, Ninette plunges into the life of a dedicated ballerina focusing on catching that wealthy old man.

These plans fall awry and she stumbles into the world of magic as she is rescued by a talking cat. Thomas, the cat, leads her to Elemental Masters involved in the theater with the idea of establishing her as a known ballerina in England. Of course, the plans of mice (er, cats) and men don’t always happen as intended. Ninette discovers the world of magic contains more than good, thoughtful Masters.

This is typical Mercedes Lackey, pushing the envelope of social acceptability regarding female roles in society. She brings a modern day perspective to the historical issues of women’s’ rights. She deals with the everyday struggle women faced simply to survive and the unalterable dependence they had on the male figures in their lives.

Within these social issues, however, lies a truly enjoyable tale. I find Ms. Lackey’s Elemental Masters series a true frolic into fantasy and Reserved for the Cat is no exception. Witty and dry, the magic in her books is always so believable, as are her characters. This is a great book, made to enjoy during these snowy days of December. Curl up under a blanket and enjoy Reserved for the Cat. Then look up the other marvelous tales published by Mercedes Lackey. There are too many to list here. Trust me - you will find your time well spent!

Inda

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 14:01:06 -0500

A little boy with a gift for leadership and a desire for the good of his people runs afoul of those with a hunger for power. His skills in strategy and inspiration unwittingly threaten the position of the crown prince, who is himself incapable of the type of loyal following that Inda inspires. Inda’s downfall from grace marks a turning point in the story, and he must leave the life he knows and create a new existence at sea. Here the story widens its scope and readers begin to see that the fate of this one boy has affected his country on every level.

This is fantasy written in both broad sweeps of the pen and behind-the-scene details, bringing this world into three dimensional relief. Full of swashbuckling flourishes, mysterious spies, political machinations, and believable characters, this is a well-told story that has adroitly worked its way into my list of favorites. Although the main character is Indevan, the boy of the title, the book is truly about politics and powersharing among cultures sustained by war and trade.

Sherwood Smith has excelled at her craft, creating a society where men have granted women power within limits and women have quietly worked behind the scenes to control and ameliorate what men might do. The complex social structure, the assumption that small magics are a part of life, the slang of the characters all combine to convince the reader that the lives defined by this book are reality. What captivates me the most are the hints that Inda’s people may have come from some other world, dropped comments here and there that imply a larger scope to the story than just the pages in this book.

I truly enjoyed reading this book. I like books that look at the bigger picture and authors who take the time to create the small details and flesh out their stories. Sherwood Smith has accomplished this with flair. She includes a short list of definitions in the back of the book to help with terms, but I could also have used a list of characters or a family tree.* I found myself backtracking a bit to remind myself who was who. She also ended the book with a whopping cliffhanger (blast her hide)! This means I need to run out and find The Fox, the next book in the series.

*Readers who would like more information about the Inda universe should check out Sherwood Smith’s website at www.sherwoodsmith.net

High King's Tomb

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 09:39:00 -0500

If you have yet to read the first two books in Kristen Britain’s Green Rider series, Green Rider and First Rider’s Call, then stop reading RIGHT NOW. Go immediately to the reviews written by amberdrake, which can be found on this illustrious website. Then promptly buy both books for yourself. Only after you have read them can you proceed with this review!

High King’s Tomb picks up at the end of book two, First Rider’s Call. The Rider Barracks have been destroyed. Rider Alton D’Yer is still attempting to heal the breach in the wall. King Zachary is still going to marry someone other than Karigan, his professed true love. The Riders are picking themselves up and trying to heal from the devastating battle of the previous summer. Even though the enemy was brought down, another is rising up to challenge the crown of Sacoridia and bring back an entity thought long gone - the Arcosian Empire.

This is a longer book, but Kristen Britain has added depth to the culture of Sacoridia and to her characters. I love how she creates and develops the people in her books. Karigan has matured, changed by her struggles and gathered scars. She has survived, but not unscathed. More than anything, this story illustrates the depth of commitment required to be a Green Rider and the sacrifices that must be made.

Readers will also learn more about the establishment of the kingdom, the mythology and religion, even the roots of the magic. The author introduces us to even more new characters, such as the captivating man that gentles and trains the amazing horses that agree to carry the riders. Because of this, I felt Ms. Britain was opening closets and overturning rocks to expose avenues for other storylines in the future. Instead of a culmination of the story about Karigan, I felt a bit baffled by the myriad details added to the book in general. The storyline gets complicated in the middle. The action is divided into the happenings along the D’Yer Wall, Karigan and her challenge to the Arcosian rebels, and another mysterious character called the Raven Mask.

By the end of the book, I felt I had more unanswered questions than when I started. This isn’t exactly a problem because I’m hoping it indicates another book is in the works! Fans of Ms. Britain’s writing will not be disappointed but, like me, they may walk away hungry and wanting more.

Heroes in Training

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 10:21:49 -0400

As with any anthology it is impossible to cover every story. Overall, I enjoyed Heroes in Training, edited by Jim C. Hines and Martin H. Greenberg. My favorites were, of course, those that were written with entertainment and humor in mind. There were many stories in this book that raced along, leaving me wanting more of the characters and additional stories with those faces. I suspect that because Jim Hines had editing duties, some stories were selected because of their fairy tale basis—each of those in the anthology had a new twist, of course.

I thoroughly enjoyed Esther M. Friesner’s “Roomies” both because of the fairy princess concept and the twist ending. The characters and their actions were predictable, but rather than monotony, it was a comfort read; a soothing cup of soup on a cold afternoon. This story was a delightful little tale of small-town-girls do good with justice served.

Speaking of justice, Peter David’s tale, “Sir Apropos of Nothing and the Adventure of the Receding Heir” was a tale of an unlikely hero, yet somehow I found myself on his side despite his rather cowardly, unhero-like habits. Justice in that story was skillfully delivered with an ironic, unexpected twist. Very good.

The Wizard’s Legacy by Michael A. Burstein was perhaps my favorite story in the bunch; it was a traditional tale of a boy who must accept challenges, must battle the enemy and overcome many obstacles in order to reach his goals. Again, characterization played a strong part here, and Burstein moved the story along so quickly, I was quite disappointed when the adventure came to an end.

Three Names of the Hidden God by Vera Nazarian didn’t capture me right off, but as I read, my interest grew. What appeared to be a tale of the lowly man outsmarting and helping the royals became an intricate story of treason and justice. For those looking for different settings, this one had a bit of a fantasy, historical middle east flavor.

Eugie Foster’s Honor is a Game Mortals Play is a wonderful little adventure with treachery, vengeance and romance rolled into an unusual setting (sort of a cross between the Asian culture and mythology) with lots of action. I’ve read and enjoyed Foster’s stuff before, and this is one of her best; a very good tale—truly a Hero in Training, the character coming into her own.

I was a bit surprised to find such a broad range of stories; in addition to the above there was horror such as James Lowder’s “Beneath the Skin” and political stories such as Robin Wayne Bailey’s “The Children’s Crusade” and Catherine H. Shaffer’s “The Apprentice.” While neither “Crusade” nor “Apprentice” were subtle in their lectures, both were quite clever in weaving fantasy into the mix.

This anthology is a great read for a plane, train, doctor’s office—anywhere with frequent interruptions. The stories vary in length with few very short ones. Almost every story has enough meat to give you the illusion—for just a moment—of being somewhere else. The somewhere else is sometimes a pleasant interlude, sometimes a foreign land, sometimes a scary, unpleasant place, but it is always an adventure.

Jim Hines is the author of Goblin Quest, Goblin Hero and the forthcoming Goblin War (From DAW in 2008). Reviews of Goblin Quest can be found here:

http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/155

A chat interview with Jim can be found here:

http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/2066

Martin H. Greenberg has edited/contributed to several anthologies including: Fantasy Gone Wrong, Places to Be, People to Kill, and Pandoras Closet

The Sleeping God

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 16:49:56 -0400

The Sleeping God by Violette Malan follows two Mercenary Brothers, Dhulyn Wolfshead and Parno Lionsmane, on their mission to safely deliver a noble girl (Mar-eMar) to here family in the capital of Imrion. Dhulyn is an ex-slave freed and tutored by another Mercenary Brother by the name of Dorian the Black Traveler. She is one of the "Marked" who have special abilities and now are being persecuted because of them. Parno was partnered with Dhulyn after their chance meeting during a battle some years ago and holds his own secret from her: secrets are not supposed to exist between partners. Partners in the Brotherhood seem to be an entirely different thing than most people would consider partnership. It goes beyond work, honor, and love; it's truly a symbiotic relationship: "In Battle and In Death".

The story starts with the two Mercenary Brothers on their way to Imrion (Parno's homeland)because he vaguely states he wants to see how things have changed and see family again. Shortly after setting out they come across a village in the middle of carnage and apparently burning the home of a marked family. Dhulyn and Parno step in and handle the situation in the process get hired to escort the noble child Mar-eMar to the capital Gotterang. Upon arrival in Gotterang it becomes clear that everything is not as Parno remembered and Jaldeans (priests) are pressing the persecution of the Marked. Dhulyn and Parno find themselves entwined in a deadly political mess,trying to avoiding assassination, war, and coupes all the while trying to stick to the code of Mercenary Brotherhood.

The Sleeping God is Malan's second novel and it's a solid fantasy trip. The plotting is strong and cohesive as well as original. She has a writing style that took a few chapters to get used to but it's definitely serviceable though it at times lacked clarity. The characters have good, distinct, personalities that are easy to grasp and by only a few chapters Malan has the reader invested in them. The second tier characters are also interesting and supply some branches to the plot that were excellent side adventures. The Sleeping God is neither primarily character nor plot driven, but a good mix of both which are the two strong points of the novel.

My only issues with the book are that Mercenary Brothers (Dhulyn and Parno) are built up to point of being among the greatest warriors known ,but there are only a few fight scenes. Malan makes it clear in the book and builds the prowess of the Dhulyn and Parno but just doesn't deliver or back it up enough. The few battle scenes in the book are glossed over and end quickly which doesn't seem to be consistent with her two battle loving main characters. The pacing was also off amd again I have to point to the main characters not being involved in as much action as you might expect. At times the story moves slow enough where a reader could very well lose interest, but luckily the plot is good enough to give it time to unravel. A patient reader will be rewarded.

In the end I can recommend The Sleeping God to those who enjoy a good political intrigue fantasy. The characters and plot are strong enough to make you stick around even if the action that the reader is expecting never materializes. I would not recommend this to anyone who is looking for an action packed slug fest. Overall, Malan manages to pull off an intriguing story of politics, love, and the fate of the world without being clichéd and should not disappoint readers in those aspects.

Survival

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 13:46:23 -0400

This is an impressive creation by a word master. Ms. Czerneda has envisioned a world where Earth has joined in alliance with a multitude of sentient creatures and she has imbued each species with its own particular identity. Throughout this, she has woven a mystery story that will eventually span three installments - who or what is responsible for the total and complete destruction of life on certain worlds sprinkled throughout known space?

Our hero, Mackenzie Winifred Elizabeth Wright Connor, is a biologist studying the recovery of salmon in the Pacific Northwest. She has pledged devout loyalty to her salmon and pointedly ignores the goings-on of life on other planets, even when that life is being mysteriously wiped out. She is volunteered by the Ministry of Extra-Sol Human Affairs when an alien scientist, notable in his field of archeology, comes to beg her assistance in the search for the killers. Brymn is a Dhrin, a species that has ignored biology to the point of forbidding the study of all biological sciences. He hopes her experience in studying the survival of salmon will translate to knowing how to insure the survival of the Dhrin. One thing leads to another, of course, and she is soon embroiled in galactic politics as well as a fight for the survival of mankind.

Ms. Czerneda breathes life into her characters, giving them substance and dimension. Readers will laugh out loud at the whippy dialogue and perhaps cry during the inevitable partings. The storyline is well-constructed and the descriptions of the aliens makes me wonder if Ms. Czerneda has ever visited with a Dhrin. (Only first-hand knowledge could be so accurate!) The author doesn’t identify the cast of characters completely but hands out information in bits and pieces, especially in the all-important area of “friend or foe”. This creates a tension for the reader which is maintained to the very end. Like any good spy novel, we aren’t sure who to trust.

Honestly, there aren’t any negative comments I could make about this book. The colorful characters are entertaining and believable. The story is tight-knit, leaving no loose ends except those that contribute to the next book in the series. The author has added details regarding the characters that add depth to their personality and to the history of their species. This is not a light-weight carbon copy of space opera, but a full-fledged story in its own right. I enjoyed reading the book and was eager to continue on with the next one, Migration. While the story encompasses many words, it is well-worth investing time to read and digest slowly. Ms. Czerneda, already a successful author, has sealed a place in her readers’ hearts with Survival and the Species Imperative Trilogy.

The Name of the Wind

Sun, 27 May 2007 02:47:25 -0400

First person features are not often seen from debut novelists, but Patrick Rothfuss was able to thwart any such novice regularities with witty banter, a highly developed and diverse arrangement of characters, intimate settings, and an easy-to-read yet sophisticated writing approach. While many of those characteristics are vital for a good story, the most important aspect may be Rothfuss’s strongest: the ability to tell a provocative story.

The Name of the Wind starts off by introducing Chronicler, a story teller whose path takes him on the search for the characters of tales that are wrapped in legends. On this journey, Chronicler searches for one that is known by many names.

“My name is Kvothe, pronounced nearly the same as "quothe." Names are important as they tell you a great deal about a person. I've had more names than anyone has a right to. The Adem call me Maedre. Which, depending on how it's spoken, can mean The Flame, The Thunder, or The Broken Tree.

"The Flame" is obvious if you've ever seen me. I have red hair, bright. If I had been born a couple of hundred years ago I would probably have been burned as a demon. I keep it short but it's unruly. When left to its own devices, it sticks up and makes me look as if I have been set afire.

"The Thunder" I attribute to a strong baritone and a great deal of stage training at an early age.

I've never thought of "The Broken Tree" as very significant. Although in retrospect, I suppose it could be considered at least partially prophetic.

My first mentor called me E'lir because I was clever and I knew it. My first real lover called me Dulator because she liked the sound of it. I have been called Shadicar, Lightfinger, and Six-String. I have been called Kvothe the Bloodless, Kvothe the Arcane, and Kvothe Kingkiller. I have earned those names. Bought and paid for them.

But I was brought up as Kvothe. My father once told me it meant "to know."

I have, of course, been called many other things. Most of them uncouth, although very few were unearned.

I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep.

You may have heard of me.”

The first glimpse we get of Kvothe is as a small town inn keeper. However, this façade becomes evident with his interaction with Chronicler. After Kvothe agrees to tell Chronicler his tale, he starts off depicting his childhood as a piece of the Edema Ruh, a highly skilled troupe of traveling performers. Even though Kvothe was of a young age (a few years past ten), he was more than capable of entertaining the crowds in a few choice acts. After one such performance, Kvothe met Abenthy, an arcanist that would begin to mold Kvothe for The University. However, life as he knew it would end in an event that would drive him for years to come.

After a stay on the streets of Tarbean, Kvothe made his way to The University, a school for the intellectual to expand their knowledge in an assortment of arts. In order to be accepted into The University, potential students have to take an admittance test. The better they do, the less their tuition will be. This is where the legend of Kvothe began.

The quality of conversation in any story can either detour or attract a reader, and Rothfuss was able to make The Name of the Wind stand out like a ruby rose in a field of dandelions. There are no choppy word exchanges; every statement flows and only adds to the appeal of the story. Throughout The Name of the Wind, there were not a host of physical confrontations, but Rothfuss was able to create an even stronger impression through some powerful dialogue.

“I swear by all the salt in me: if you run counter to my desire, the remainder of your brief mortal span will be an orchestra of misery. I swear by stone and oak and elm: I’ll make a game of you. I’ll follow you unseen and smother any spark of joy you find. You’ll never know a woman’s touch, a breath of rest, a moment’s peace of mind…And I swear by the night sky and the ever-moving moon: if you lead my master to despair, I will slit you open and splash around like a child in a muddy puddle. I’ll string a fiddle with your guts and make you play it while I dance.”

Rothfuss introduced readers to an assortment of believable and charming characters without fear of drawing from all corners of the personality plane. One of the first relationships we see is that of Kvothe’s parents. His father is wise and takes pride in his abilities, while his mother is a little more caring and subtle in her approach to the world. Their differences make them individuals, but Rothfuss was able to make their love for one another a personality all its own. He does not even have to mention that they are together; it simply jumps off the page through watching them converse. We later meet a student who cracked under the pressure of schooling and now lives in the tunnels below The University, a flighty woman who does not like being alone, a few teachers who clearly have some empty space in the attic, and a jealous, spiteful, and all together immature antagonist that will go to great lengths to get what he wishes. Well, I suppose we cannot forget Kvothe himself. Rothfuss was able to portray compassion, cockiness, teenage immaturity, adult maturity, cunningness, and wit in a little, red-headed bundle of pure entertainment. All-in-all, Rothfuss does a superb job in keeping his characters grounded in the characteristics that we can relate to, and adding some believable aspects that we would not mind seeing in ourselves.

There are two primary settings: Tarbean and the lands around The University. Tarbean is like many cities of today; it has its good parts, but is always accompanied by the bad. This was made painfully clear to Kvothe on more than one occasion. As the name “The University” implies, it is a school. Rothfuss did not go into expansive detail as to what this place looks like as a whole, but he gave the subtle hints of places Kvothe ventures to to lay the groundwork for the reader to imagine their own university.

Although most of this story is being told by a twenty-something Kvothe, we are seeing through the eyes of a highly advanced child. I thought that because the first-person protagonist was of a younger age that the content would have been childish, but that is not the case here as Rothfuss did an exemplary job of showing respect to his reader by integrating both adult and childlike themes. He clearly knows how to write. It was an extremely fast read and I was not forced to return to previous paragraphs to figure out what had just happened. As a reader, I greatly appreciate Rothfuss’s writing technique.

Some authors are more than capable of describing their worlds, creating new characters, or having incredible dialogue, but for their tale to stand out, they have to master and incorporate all of these things. Rothfuss has done that with The Name of the Wind. Like so many other stories, the main character is a gifted young man who has to overcome adversity. This scenario can seem over played, but when done at such a high level, it can be a gift to the reading public. His approach to this story, parts first-person and parts third-person, adds a lot of intrigue. With Kvothe telling his own story, we are able to see how he becomes the man he is today. Through interactions with Chronicler and other characters, we gain subtle hints of his troubles, but the details are ambiguous. Through those same interactions, we also get to see pieces of what Kvothe was.

“Chronicler’s breath stopped when he saw Kote’s [Kvothe’s] Face. The placid innkeeper’s expression was like a shattered mask. Underneath, Kote’s [Kvothe’s] expression was haunted, eyes half in this world, half elsewhere, remembering. Chronicler found himself thinking of a story…the story told of how Kvothe had gone looking for his heart’s desire. He had to trick a demon to get it. But once it rested in his hand, he was forced to fight an angel to keep it. I believe it, Chronicler found himself thinking. Before it was just a story, but now I can believe it. This is the face of a man who has killed an angel.”

The Name of the Wind has incredible dialogue, entertaining supporting characters, and proficient writing. When those attributes are coupled with a stimulating and relatable character such as Kvothe, you have one of the best pieces I have read in several years.

Patrick Bergeron II

First Rider's Call

Thu, 20 Oct 2005 13:10:51 -0400

About five years ago, a fresh, new fantasy author emerged from nowhere with her debut novel entitled Green Rider. Her name was Kristen Britain and she created a wonderful—and exciting—story about a young schoolgirl named Karigan who was swept up in an array of events that led her to join the messenger service of the king. The story was both light and dark at the same time with an ending that was surely shocking to the reader yet a bit unnerving; it was one big cliffhanger. Green Rider screamed to have a sequel written, and while it took about four years to complete, it has arrived on the back of one of the king’s messengers.

First Rider's Call, originally titled "Mirror of the Moon" for you trivia fans, picks up right where the first book left off. Karigan is feeling the pressure of joining the messenger service and eventually she gives in, riding halfway to the king's castle in only her nightgown. There's a shortage of Green Riders, magic is failing among the people, and the D'Yer Wall is coming closer and closer to cracking open, releasing the evil that lurks behind it. Plus, Karigan has the ghost of the First Rider, Lil, following her around daily and taking her back in time to understand the events of the past.

Britain takes no chances with whether readers remember the back-story of the first book; she starts the story off as it happens and moves from there. Occasionally there are references to characters and events from Green Rider, but none too detailed to truly reveal what happened in that story. This book is all about itself; a brand new adventure in the same land though. Britain writes fast-paced chapters, often jumping from one view to the other. Alton D'Yer's view was one of my favorites and you can't help but feel bad for him when he's being tormented by the evil behind the D'Yer Wall.

This story has a ton of lovable characters and it gets the reader involved on an intimate level. Karigan is still a developing heroine, but Britain really brings her across as so innocent and unaware that you find yourself caring about her all the way through. I wish that Britain brought back some characters from the Green Rider, but surprisingly, she didn't.

One thing that got kind of annoying with First Rider's Call was that Britain inserted what appeared to be journal entries by an important character at the start of certain chapters. The information in them was relevant, and helped flesh out the story, but the font type and size she used really caused my eyes to hurt. I had to squint constantly just to read a few lines.

While there is nothing tragically original in this series—some scenes are taken from Lord of the Rings while the Green Riders and their telepathic horses are reminiscent of Mercedes Lackey's writing—the adventure is still a fun one. This is a fantasy story, and for the time being, the standards are better than sub par. Pick up either of her books and be prepared to be swept away like Karigan was when she climbed onto her first horse.

Meanwhile, I'm going to patiently wait for the third book—untitled as of yet—which might be out by 2007.

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The Compass of the Soul

Mon, 17 Oct 2005 18:04:25 -0400

"The Compass of the Soul" is the second half of Sean Russell's "The River Into Darkness" duology, bringing the story begun in "Beneath The Vaulted Hills" to a conclusion.

Erasmus Flattery and his erstwhile companions have barely escaped with their lives from the trap set by Lord Eldrich that snared them, yet failed to accomplish Eldrich's true purpose: to bring an end to the last remnants of the Tellerites, and cause all knowledge of magic to pass from the world entire. Now, Anna Fielding, the sole living member of the Tellerites flees into the wilderness bearing forbidden knowledge of the magical arts.

Yet Erasmus is not free. Despite his narrow escape, he and his companions must now redeem their lives by pursuing Anna and bringing an end to her life in turn. Failure will bring Eldrich's wrath upon their heads for their unwitting trespass in the sacred places of the mages. Once more, Erasmus must serve Eldrich's purposes even as he struggles with the knowledge that he has been used as a pawn and cannot hope to be free of the mage's influence.

Overall, "The Compass of the Soul" is a worthy conclusion. The characterizations remain strong and in particular, we get more insight into the mysterious Lord Eldrich, portraying him as neither truly evil nor good, and ultimately not as infallible as he would appear. I particularly liked how (as with the previous book) Russell doesn't just spill out answers to the mysteries posed, but instead chooses to gradually provide insights into them for the reader to ponder, for the most part.

However, to be fair, I would say that I felt Russell dragged out the story somewhat in the early stages of "Compass". Also, there seems to have been a couple of parts where there wasn't adequate explanation for how certain players in the story happened to encounter each other. These aren't serious flaws by any means, but perhaps a map of the realm would have helped give a frame of reference and alleviated this.

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Beneath The Vaulted Hills

Sun, 16 Oct 2005 02:51:36 -0400

My introduction to Sean Russell's work was with "Beneath The Vaulted Hills" (the first half of his "The River Into Darkness" duology) several years back, and to be fair, I still have a fondness for it.

The setting is the realm of Farrland (standing in for 18th century England) and populated by a diverse cast of characters, who all come together in a web of intrigue, magic and mystery. The story begins with a young man, Samual Hayes, being pursued by agents of the Farrland government for reasons not fully understood by him, and rapidly expands to include members of the nobility, a famous but eccentric genius and Lord Eldrich, a mysterious mage said to be the last of his kind in the world. The central plot isn't made immediately clear and Russell gradually builds upon this with a number of intriguing mysteries and hints at answers to the questions raised.

Russell adeptly weaves together a number of diverse plotlines following various characters as they work toward their own purposes throughout the first half of the book. The second half sees the descent of Hayes and others into a massive system of caves beneath the hills of the title, in search of answers to questions raised in the first half of the book. As a whole, the book is excellent, but the portions in the caves are particularly well-done, invoking moments of claustrophobic terror at times.

What I really enjoyed about "Beneath The Vaulted Hills" is that Russell doesn't choose to take the standard fantasy approach. World-building takes a back seat to a compelling plot that isn't the typical fantasy good versus evil struggle and is peopled with a cast of well-drawn and very human characters, all depicted in Russell's flowing prose. The multiple plotlines all come together very well in the end, though of course the story doesn't end here (to be continued in the second half of the duology, "The Compass of the Soul".)

Russell may not overly strain the boundaries of fantasy here, but his stylish approach more than makes up for this. My overall score for "Beneath The Vaulted Hills" is a 9.

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The Dragonbone Chair

Mon, 29 Aug 2005 21:15:54 -0400

This classic 1988 fantasy bridges the 80s epic fantasy style of boy heroes and glorious quests, like Raymond E. Feist, and the vast gritty epic fantasy of the 90s, like George R. R. Martin. Although Tad Williams expands the detail of his setting and the scope of his story beyond that of most 80s fantasy, "The Dragonbone Chair" still features many fantasy clichés from that period. These, combined with the erratic pace and uneven prose, make this novel a mixed success.

The first half of "The Dragonbone Chair" moves at a numbingly slow pace. The plot doesn't begin until King John's death, around page 200 of the paperback. Many of the previous sections do build Simon's characterization, but that could have been achieved more succinctly after the plot was moving. Some other scenes, such as those between Towser and the king, are beautifully poignant but completely unnecessary. After the initial climax in Doctor Morgenes's tower room, Williams deluges the reader with pages of Simon's vague wandering through the catacombs. Then after a second climax on the Thisterborg hill, Williams tells Simon's rural wanderings in excruciating detail. The plot picks up at the end of Part Two, between gratuitous chapters of peripheral characters' political maneuverings. Then, after a brand new character blurts out the whole fantasy backstory, the plot races through two parallel storylines in Part Three and ends with a cliffhanger.

The orphaned kitchen boy Simon reads like a sillier and less compelling version of Raymond E. Feist's Pug. He bumbles through strenuous events but never develops as a character. The syntax of Binbek's dialog perfectly captures a person speaking in a non-native language, but his character rarely moves beyond the mysterious fantasy mentor archetype into a true friend. The various liegemen are almost interchangeable, behind their awkward Saxon-esque names. Of the minor characters, only King John is deeply drawn, and he isn't even involved in the story.

Williams's prose reads awkwardly, particularly by modern standards. His omniscient point-of-view bounces between different characters in the same scenes. He loads down most of his nouns with multiple adjectives. He strings long chains of phrases together into ponderous sentences, often including interjected digressions. He routinely opens sentences with participial phrases, making the reader wait to find out what character is doing that action ("Wandering back to the servant's quarters, Simon wondered..."). He uses laughable dialog attributions ("'Not today, Uncle,' Josua smirked."). This amateurish prose seems to crop up in waves, as though from inconsistent copyediting.

The only saving grace in Williams's dense narrative is his beautiful eye for description. The textures of the Hayholt, the toil of rural life, the gloom of the Aldheorte forest, the crumbling splendor of the Sithi city, and the haunting physical decline of King Elias are all described with incredible vividness. However, the sheer number of descriptions bogs down the pace. This novel could have been twice as powerful if it had been trimmed by half.

"The Dragonbone Chair" remains a classic of 80s fantasy. It can't compare to the rich characterization and tight prose in modern fantasy like Martin or Robin Hobb, but it does show the origin of the 90s fantasy trend toward vast fantasy epics told in laboriously long novels.

Related FBS Reviews-

Shadowmarch reviewed by Jay

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Green Rider

Sun, 28 Aug 2005 21:38:51 -0400

First-novel debuts are always a welcoming read amidst a slew of big-name-only books, and Green Rider by Kristen Britain is an exciting high fantasy adventure that has its dabbles of generic story events, but quite an amount of surprises along the way.

The tale kicks off at a fast pace with Karigan, a young schoolgirl, running away from her problems and straight into the Green Cloak forest. In there she crosses path with a wounded rider who passes on his horse, his winged brooch, and his message that must make it to the King of Sacoridia to her. It's up to Karigan, who unknowingly joined the legendary messaging service of the Green Riders, to save the land from a brooding evil and a plot to murder the king.

Britain has a fantastic way of describing characters and all of them—even her minor ones—scream of flavor and depth, especially Karigan. As our main focus, she's a defiant girl who learns courage and righteousness through her actions and the actions of those she encounters.
Unfortunately, Britain follows some of the more generic staples of modern fantasy that plague Green Rider with unoriginality. There is an ancient evil magic trapped behind a wall that is slowly leaking into the land and a plot to murder the king planned by the king's brother. Also, while the notion of Green Riders, their magic abilities, and their telepathic links with horses may seem fresh, some of it seems derived from Mercedes Lackey's writing.

One major downfall is that while the ending didn't seem rushed, it did seem to end quite abruptly. I think there was only a matter of several pages from the resolution to the actual ending. Minor characters were left behind, and even Karigan didn't reach a true point of closure. Granted I read this story after the second one, First Rider's Call, was written so I had no problem continuing on, but for others that was not the case in 2000.

Britain has a wonderful talent for prose and an even stronger one for dialogue. Her characters jump off the pages when they jump and the action is fast-paced. This is an excellent read for someone looking to experience an adventure for the weekend.

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Inheritance

Mon, 08 Aug 2005 13:07:23 -0400

Australian SF writer Simon Brown tries his hand at high fantasy with Inheritance, the first book in his Keys of Power trilogy. Inheritance features all the standard high fantasy tropes: the adolescent prince Lynan, an outsider because his father was a commoner; his spiteful sister Areava, who inherits the throne; the tomboy Jenrosa, a restless wizardry student; the quasi-medieval kingdom of Grenda Lear, complete with taverns, a haunted forest, and a school of wizardry; and a magic artifact, the Keys of Power, that enable the monarch to rule with wisdom and compassion.

The opening of Chapter One, set in a stock fantasy tavern, shows in the first sentence that Inheritance won't be blazing any new ground. And there's nothing wrong with that. Clichés exist because they work, and many exciting, gripping fantasy tales have been written using such familiar elements. The problem with Inheritance isn't so much the clichés as it is Brown's weak execution of the story around them. Lynan's moping around the castle is inconsistent with his earlier sneaking into the tavern to learn about his father. The major event that sets the plot in motion doesn't happen until a quarter of the way into the book. Jenrosa appears out of nowhere, just in time to flee with the heroes. The plot of political scheming vanishes in the last third of the book, replaced by a trite sequence of pursuit-and-escape from nasty mercenaries with lots of scars. The vividness of the setting and the characters finally picks up in the river barge and caravan scenes, particularly once Lynan encounters Gudon the pilot. Then Brown fumbles the momentum with an abrupt ending that resolves none of the hanging plot threads, and feels like gratuitous setup for the next book in the series.

The awkward prose doesn't help either. "The wide double doors to the throne room opened wide," Brown writes in Chapter Six. The character and place names follow no apparent pattern, like they would in a true culture, and they include such clunkers as "Orkid Gravespear." The point-of-view bounces from character to character in the same scene, in some places changing with every paragraph. Once the pursuit plot gets moving in the last quarter of the book, Brown carries the action capably, except when he interrupts Lynan's plotline to show Prince Olio back home setting up orphanages.

Despite this clumsy execution and all the clichéd elements, Inheritance still offers an average fantasy read. But even for the reader who doesn't mind awkward prose, there are so many more vivid and more exciting high fantasy novels out there that Inheritance ends up toward the bottom of the list.

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Black Sun Rising

Fri, 03 Dec 2004 01:52:03 -0500

I really need to get out to the bookstore soon and buy some more books, but I have to say my bookshelf of older books has not let me down yet. Black Sun Rising by C.S. Friedman is an excellent example of the kind of fantasy this world needs. With exceptional character development, an enthralling plot, and unexpected twists, I would say this book deserves an 8.5.

At first I was a little concerned about this novel, and whether I would truly enjoy it. This was mostly due to the mention of Earth in the description on the back cover. Not that there is anything wrong with Science Fiction novels, but have never, nor will I ever, read a Science Fiction novel. When the words Earth and colonists are in the description of a book the first thing that pops into my mind is Science Fiction, and so I timidly cracked open the cover and began to read. To my surprise there was almost no Science Fiction content in the novel besides minor explanations of how Earth was related to the storyline and the characters. These small explanations were fine with me and in no way hindered the fantasy feeling of the novel. In fact I think the “colonists from Earth” basis of the world added excellently to the plot development and the discussion of the fae. The mixture of characters that comprise the group of heroes was a delight, causing conflict inside the group as well as against them. This was definitely a new approach for me, seeing that in most novels the main characters are friends or acquaintances.