Review of Prince of Fools (The Red Queen's War #1) by Mark Lawrence

5/5 Stars

Writing 5/5
Imagination 4/5
Plot 4/5
Setting 4/5
Characters 5/5
Grimdark 3.5/5

My Overall Enjoyment 5/5

Bonus

Humor 5/5

Goodreads book summary

The Red Queen is old but the kings of the Broken Empire dread her like no other. For all her reign, she has fought the long war, contested in secret, against the powers that stand behind nations, for higher stakes than land or gold. Her greatest weapon is The Silent Sister—unseen by most and unspoken of by all. 

The Red Queen’s grandson, Prince Jalan Kendeth—drinker, gambler, seducer of women—is one who can see The Silent Sister. Tenth in line for the throne and content with his role as a minor royal, he pretends that the hideous crone is not there. But war is coming. Witnesses claim an undead army is on the march, and the Red Queen has called on her family to defend the realm. Jal thinks it’s all a rumor—nothing that will affect him—but he is wrong. 

After escaping a death trap set by the Silent Sister, Jal finds his fate magically intertwined with a fierce Norse warrior. As the two undertake a journey across the Empire to undo the spell, encountering grave dangers, willing women, and an upstart prince named Jorg Ancrath along the way, Jalan gradually catches a glimmer of the truth: he and the Norseman are but pieces in a game, part of a series of moves in the long war—and the Red Queen controls the board.

After two months of looking at Prince of Fools (Mark Lawrence’s follow up to Emperor of Thorns and the final book in my favorite series of all time) in my ereader queue, it is finally gone. PoF was my number one anticipated novel of the year so I did not want to read it to soon and I like to savor my favorite authors books. Expectations are high; Mark Lawrence has many fanatical fans, myself included. Before PoF came out, I already thought him to be the best current writer in fantasy, or in any genre, and an amazing and provocative storyteller. Does PoF live up to his reputation and fans expectations? An emphatic and resounding YES! By all accounts PoF is an amazing, wonderful book. And there is a dog in the beginning named Pluto, my dogs name, and a great name for a dog!

First, who does not love vikings? I have been on a major viking reading theme and have probably read 30 or more books about them this year as well as following the excellent show, Vikings. In PoF, Jalen, also known as the Red Prince, ends up with a traveling companion who is a monster of a Viking named Snorri. Snorri is a total badass out for revenge for reasons revealed in the story. Jalan is of royalty and far down in the line of succession, and is very different than any main character I have come across, mainly he is a coward and a liar. The main characters, as well as the other minor characters, are brought brilliantly to life. Jalan could not be more different than Jorg (the "hero" of The Broken Empire series). As in the best books, the characters are believable and you want to see what happens to them. Often, I get halfway through a book and realize I just don’t care what happens to the characters or how the story ends up. This is definitely not a problem here. After each event or conversation, I anxiously want to see what happens next, not only in the story but to the characters. Neither Snorri or Jalan are particularly pleasant persons, yet there is a strong affinity with them. Having been so emotionally invested in the Broken Empire series, when Jalan and Snorri cross paths with some of the Brothers, as well as a certain young prince, I was astounded at what occurred.  I set the book down for several hours after that because it was so epic!

The Broken Empire was dark; very dark (some disagree). This is dark as well, but it is insanely humorous and definitely has a lighter feel. Jalan and Snorri’s witticisms and banter are hysterical. It had me laughing out loud multiple times and smiling untold times. Instead of the brutality featured in the Broken Empire, this book has humor. There is action, killing, and violence, done expertly and cleverly, but the humor is what jumps out for me.

The writing is expert. No other writer is as clever as Mark Lawrence. The dialogue and narration are both concise and succinct. There are aphorisms galore. I bookmarked more pages than I can count to go back and read (my free ereader doesn't allow highlighting so this is one book I need to get up a physical copy). I had the idea to insert them in this review but much of the pleasure of reading Mark Lawrence is coming across them in context so I will leave them for the reader to discover.

The plot is thoughtful and suspenseful and at times full of horror. There is magic of a mysterious type and it is very important to this story but not overpowering. We learn a lot about numerous new cities and towns as well as some lore and history of this post-apocalyptic world as Jalan and Snorri travel.  We also meet very interesting people throughout the journey and it is always fun to see what Mark dreams up next and what obstacles the characters will face.

With this book, Mark Lawrence shows he is one of the premier fantasy writers of this generation and of all time. I love the Broken Empire world and do not believe I would ever tire of it. No matter what Mark writes, I will be the first in line. But I do hope he continues in the Broken Empire with another series after this one. For now, I can not wait for book two. I recommend this without hesitation or qualification to everyone.

Review of Assassin's Apprentice (Farseer #1) by Robin Hobb

Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Writing 5/5
Imagination 4/5
Plot 4/5
Setting 4/5
Characters 5/5

My Overall Enjoyment 4/5

After reading this fine book, I understand why it is considered a classic and has garnered near universal praise and acclaim. Most likely, I have never read such strong character development. I really felt that plot was very secondary to getting to know the main character Fitz. He was highly relateable, complete with the flaws and contradictions that make up every person. I got to know him better after every page of this beautifully written book. This was truly some of the finest writing I have read in epic fantasy. There were many great characters in this book, including the stablemaster, both his teachers, the Fool (probably my favorite character), and the princes Regal and Verity. Each was wholly unique.

The world the author created is deep and complex and at times I felt a little lost but that is probably due to not taking my time. The pace was slower than I prefer (until the last quarter or so) but in a character focused book that is usually the case. The plot was very good and had me guessing what would happen next. The magic system was also very good and was subtle as well which appeals to me. I loved what was called the Wit, a type of magic one can use to communicate with animals. Being a dog and animal lover, I loved the scenes with Fitz and the various dogs he had throughout the story. I also enjoyed the other magic called the Skill, which was a way to communicate across distances. There is a lot to be built on this magic in coming books. There were several unique and extremely clever sub-plots, all of which added mystery to an already great main plot full of political intrigue. The backstory of the world is another highlight, and each chapter begins with a small snippet of something from its history, a device I love in fantasy books. Each snippet is tied into the events in the coming chapter.

Highly recommend for all fantasy fans. This is a huge epic fantasy book, a true classic. Although its mostly pretty dark, I don't think it's really grimdark. Assassin fantasy books are very popular in the last few years, but this is one of the best. My only minor complaint has to do with my personal preference, which is that I enjoy fast moving, action-packed books, more in sword and sorcery style. While this book has some good action scenes, the action is not prominently featured. I look forward to reading the next book in the Farsser trilogy!

Review of The Duchess of the Shallows (The Grey City #1) by Neil McGarry

The Duchess of the Shallows by Neil McGarry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Writing 3.5/5
Imagination 4/5
Plot 4/5
Setting 4/5
Characters 3.5/5

My Overall Enjoyment 3.5/5

From Goodreads-

A game is played in the fog-shrouded city of Rodaas, and every citizen, from the nameless of the Shallows to the noblest of the Garden, is a player or a pawn. And no one is as he appears.
Not Minette, brothel-keeper and obsessive collector of secrets. Not Uncle Cornelius, fearsome chief of the gang of brutes and murderers known as the Red. Not the cults of Death, Wisdom, and Illumination, eternally scheming and plotting along the Godswalk.
And certainly not the orphaned bread girl known as Duchess.
Yet armed with nothing more than her wits, her good friend Lysander and a brass mark of dubious origin Duchess will dare to play that game for the most coveted of prizes: initiation into a secret society of
thieves, spies and rumormongers who stand supreme in a city where corruption and lies are common coin.
The Grey.

This was an enjoyable, quick read. It's a thief story, which has been popular the last few years but this one is done very well and worth the read. I found the protagonist interesting and unique for this type of story. It was a bit hard for me to relate with that particular character but it was still a pleasure to get to know her and her story. In a short amount of time, the authors create a very rich world. Some great background information is mixed in throughout the book which gave added depth to the world.

The strongest point of this book is that it is not overly ambitious. The main story is about a heist and the set up for that. If a reader doesn't want to get involved in another huge epic story, this is a great book to pick up. The writing is very good and the dialogue is strong and believable. There were very few unnecessary details which is always a plus for me. The ending was great and set up for what could be an even better second book.

This world is on the bleaker side which appeals to my taste. Recommended for fans of thief stories or if you enjoy exploring unique fantasy worlds.

Review of Among Thieves (Tales of the Kin #1) by Douglas Hulick

Among Thieves by Douglas Hulick
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Writing 4/5
Imagination 4/5
Plot 4.5/5
Setting 4.5/5
Characters 3.5/5

My Overall Enjoyment 4.5/5

Goodreads description-

Drothe has been a member of the Kin for years, rubbing elbows with thieves and murderers in the employ of a crime lord while smuggling relics on the side. But when an ancient book falls into his hands, Drothe finds himself in possession of a relic capable of bringing down emperors-a relic everyone in the underworld would kill to obtain.

I am so glad I gave this another try. I think it is an excellent book! Perfect for fans of thieves, assassins, and stories about seedy underworlds. This was a quick read. By that, I mean it was very smooth and very readable and not overly descriptive or meandering. Douglas Hulick has created a great world and we just get a taste in this first book. Rich in history and lore, I loved learning about the origins of the empire, the unique magic system, how different areas are controlled as well as all the characters back-stories. I loved the descriptive names of different occupations like Agony Men(torturers), Mouths(magic users), Noses(information gatherers/sorters), Ears(Spys), etc. Some crazy plot twists, this was also a mystery story, with all the different intrigues that includes as well as a hunt for relics, an especially attractive story-line to me. There are a lot of characters, some of them well imagined but a few others seemed a little flat. This book, to me anyway, was more plot driven than character driven, so the few characters lacking development doesn't affect the quality of the book, just something I noticed. The book wraps up nicely but after reading this, you will want to read the next one Sworn in Steel, coming out this summer.

Normally, I don't like to compare books but after reading reviews of this book and the comparisons with Scott Lynch and Joe Abercrombie a mention is inescapable. It is obviously similar to The Lies of Locke Lamora in that the main characters are thieves but to me it stands on its own with its own merits. As for the Joe Abercrombie comparisons, I don't see it. Very different to me.

Great book and highly recommended! One of the best fantasy books I have read that features a criminal underworld with thief/assassin type characters. This is a very fast paced book; one you won't be able to stop reading. Check it out!

Review of Herald of the Storm by Richard Ford

Herald of the Storm by Richard Ford
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Writing 4/5
Imagination 4/5
Plot 4/5
Setting 3.5/5
Characters 4/5
Grimdark 4.5/5

My Overall Enjoyment 4.5/5

Goodreads Description-

Welcome to Steelhaven... Under the reign of King Cael the Uniter, this vast cityport on the southern coast has for years been a symbol of strength, maintaining an uneasy peace throughout the Free States. But now a long shadow hangs over the city, in the form of the dread Elharim warlord, Amon Tugha. When his herald infiltrates the city, looking to exploit its dangerous criminal underworld, and a terrible dark magick that has long been buried once again begins to rise, it could be the beginning of the end.

I wish I stuck with this last year because it's great. After a bit of a slow start, which was why I set it aside last year, the different story-lines really hooked me and I found myself anxiously turning pages awaiting what happens next. I think there are 5 main characters, and with the exception of one of them, which was well done just not for me, I enjoyed them all immensely which is rare for me. Even in ASoIaF, I might like half the viewpoint characters and could just as soon leave the rest. I most enjoyed the apprentice magicker Waylian because through him we learn a lot about the history of the world and how magic has played a part. The scene with the Archmages was one of my favorites and it included my other favorite character, the "herald" who was really mysterious but had too few scenes. I would be interested in learning more about him.

Overall pretty grim world and characters, excellently written actions scenes, some unexpected twists, characters you thought might become good that didn't and ones you thought wouldn't did, and all of the characters threads converged to a believable and satisfying conclusion while setting up for what I hope will be a long series. The worldbuiding was good, just right for a reader who doesn't want to invest a huge chunk of time learning religions, factions, tribes, etc in yet another epic tome, as was the magic system, which I enjoyed exploring. This book has a sword and sorcery feel to me, less emphasis on the world and more on the characters, not at all to say the former was lacking, but it seemed pretty character driven. The writing is great and I flew through this book, it was very fun and easy to read. Great character and place names which always increases my reading enjoyment. This is the third time this year that giving a book a second try has paid off huge. The second book in this series comes out later this year, The Shattered Crown and I can't wait to read more Richard Ford!

Highly recommended! If the first few chapters seem a little slow, don't give up. It is well worth sticking with it for this excellent book. Grimdark readers should enjoy this book. It is a bit less grimdark than some others so those new to the genre should enjoy but it also has the brutalness that typifies the genre. The following video captures the feel for this book very well.

Review of Unwrapped Sky by Rjurik Davidson

Unwrapped Sky by Rjurik Davidson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Writing 5/5
Imagination 5/5
Plot 5/5
Setting 5/5
Characters 5/5

My Overall Enjoyment 5/5

This is an ARC from Netgalley. This book comes out April 15.

Goodreads description-

Caeli-Amur: an ancient city perched on white cliffs overlooking the sea; a city ruled by three Houses, fighting internecine wars; a city which harbours ancient technology and hidden mysteries. But things are changing in Caeli-Amur. Ancient minotaurs arrive for the traditional Festival of the Sun. The slightly built New-Men bring their technology from their homeland. Wastelanders stream into the city hideously changed by the chemical streams to the north. Strikes break out in the factory district. 

In a hideout beneath the city, a small group of seditionists debate ways to overthrow the Houses. How can they rouse the citizens of the city? Should they begin a campaign of terror? Is there a way to uncover the thaumaturgical knowledge that the Houses guard so jealously? As the Houses scramble to maintain their rule, it becomes clear that things will change forever in Caeli-Amur.

Stunningly beautiful and original, a mix of steampunk and ancient mythology with a blend of action and suspense, this is a readers book. The descriptions of the city Caeli-Amur and its technology were astounding; it was so easy to imagine the trains, steamers, machines, moving about this world. The opening scene at the Festival of the Bull, which introduces the Minotaurs and the main character Kata, a philosopher-assassin (a concept I love), is one of the best I have read, so good I had to stop reading it several times to absorb and savor it.

A few other things I loved; the cover was the first thing that lead me to this book as it's gorgeous; the story-line of the goddess Aya, although not big, it was mysterious and added another layer of depth and wonder; the magic system, known as thaumaturgy, was so fun to learn about and fit in perfectly with this world; the character Max's quest to find the Great Library in the Sunken City, Caeli-Enas was my favorite story-line; all the references to books that make the world so real and the lore so deep; the philosophical discussions Kata has with the Minotaur; and lastly, the astounding writing, among the best I have read, Rjurik Davidson gives a masterclass in prose writing with this book. Not since I read Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence have I been this enthralled and enamored with a writers style.

Highest possible recommendation for all fantasy readers. If you love to read refreshing and unique fantasy this is a must read. If you enjoy fantasy filled with mythology and lore this is an excellent book. If you love books with great magic systems, this has one. If you love steampunk elements, this book is full of them. If you love books about books, this has that. If you love quests for knowledge, this has one. If you love beautiful wring, it doesn't get any better. If you love political intrigue, this is full. There is nothing about this book I didn't love. Nothing. I can't wait to buy a hard copy for my library.

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Review of Red Axe, Black Sun by Michael Karner

Red Axe, Black Sun by Michael Karner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Writing 3.5/5
Imagination 3.5/5
Plot 4/5
Setting 4/5
Characters 3.5/5

My Overall Enjoyment 3.5/5

Goodreads description-

Dryston of Decia, a poisoned fighter, his ex-lover and sorceress Kyra Celeste and a girl with a death list tattoo will decide the fate of a whole world. Walking on a thin line between good and bad, survival and heroism, they struggle to solve the puzzle of secrets and conspiracies. In a war marking the end of time unpredictable magic, drugs, dead bodies, monsters and a secret plaster their ways and put feelings, loyalties and morals to the test. Will they find the man who is guilty of Dryston’s slow death? Is there a cure? With the fate of the world uncertain, prophecies told and legends rising, how will Dryston and his comrades decide the world’s fate?

Sword and sorcery, filled with standard fantasy types including mercenaries, dwarves, orcs, elves, necromancers, sorceresses, and assorted other beasts and monsters. There is a sea battle and a siege as well as close fighting and bar fighting. Some political intrigue and treachery, a torture scene, a crypt scene and a sewer scene. I enjoyed this book and although it had a few high fantasy elements it was most reminiscent of old school pure sword and sorcery, one action filled scene after another in a merciless world. The characters were typical gritty anti-hero types and I enjoyed getting to know them but wasn't overly connected to any one in particular. The writing was good, fun and easy to read. Decent lore, but I would have liked a bit more. Satisfactory ending, a major thread left for another book. I'll definitely pick it up when it comes out.

Recommended for sword and sorcery fans. This is a very good book and although its not my favorite book, it was a pleasure to read. It's a quick read and can be found on Amazon for cheap and is well worth it. I have read many books that were expensive but didn't provide as good a reading experience as this.

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Review of The Steel Remains-Richard Morgan

The Steel Remains by Richard K. Morgan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Writing 5/5
Imagination 5/5
Plot 4.5/5
Setting 4.5/5
Characters 4/5

My Overall Enjoyment 5/5

From Goodreads-

A dark lord will rise. Such is the prophecy that dogs Ringil Eskiath—Gil, for short—a washed-up mercenary and onetime war hero whose cynicism is surpassed only by the speed of his sword. Gil is estranged from his aristocratic family, but when his mother enlists his help in freeing a cousin sold into slavery, Gil sets out to track her down. But it soon becomes apparent that more is at stake than the fate of one young woman. Grim sorceries are awakening in the land. Some speak in whispers of the return of the Aldrain, a race of widely feared, cruel yet beautiful demons. Now Gil and two old comrades are all that stand in the way of a prophecy whose fulfillment will drown an entire world in blood. But with heroes like these, the cure is likely to be worse than the disease.

Add Richard K. Morgan to Joe Abercrombie, Mark Lawrence, and David Gemmell as a writer to be known for his prose as well as writing dark and gritty fantasy set in a large, vivid world. The writing was truly outstanding! This is one of the smoothest, page turning books I have read in a long time. There was only one quick part about 1/3rd in that I felt was a little slow/too descriptive but once I was past that it was back to non stop happenings, events moving the plot along, not needlessly defining and describing. The book had some memorable philosophical passages which strongly reminded me of Mark Lawrence and David Gemmell, two excellent writers. Two memorable passages here-

"But I’ve also learnt that the tongues of men are not much leashed by concern for accuracy or truth. It seems lies come very easily to your race. They lie to those they lead, to their mates and fellows no matter how close drawn, even to themselves if it will make the world around them more bearable. It is hard to know what to believe in this place."

"Humans, short-lived and locked out of the grey places for life, do not do well with uncertainty. If they cannot have what might, what could, what should, and perhaps most awful of all what should have been, then they will dream it up instead, imagine it into being in whatever twisted or beautiful form suits, and then drive their fellows to their knees in chains by the thousand and million to pretend in chorus that it is so"

This is no coming-of-age story. After a brief opening scene, involving "corpsmites", a scene which will be with me for a long time, we are introduced to the plot and thrown right in with the mercenary and former soldier Ringil on his mission to rescue his cousin who was sold into slavery. Relentlessly violent, although I really did not feel it was over the top, humorous, a dark and twisted world full of interesting characters and monsters, great lore/mythology, very cool magic which was extremely imaginative and also disturbing, I couldn't have asked for more in a fantasy book. To top it all off, there were strong elements of science fiction but I still consider this as fantasy, not science fiction. The mix was amazing and I would love to tell about these elements but it would probably be a major spoiler.

This whole book was refreshing for me and was another reminder of 1) why I am a compulsive reader, often putting down books which don't interest me and 2) why I usually give a book at least 2 chances before giving up. I tried this book a few months back and didn't really get into it. I thought it held promise so I tried again and it really blew me away.

If you are looking for something new and refreshing; rich, imaginative, and immersive; often dark and violent yet at the same time with a sense of hope and redemption, pick up this book. However, if you are overly sensitive, you may have a hard time with some of the materiel but give it a try anyway. Highest recommendation!

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A Review of Moon's Artifice-Tom Lloyd

Moon's Artifice by Tom Lloyd
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Writing 4/5
Imagination 4/5
Plot 3.5/5
Setting 4/5
Characters 4/5

My Overall Enjoyment 3.5/5

From Goodreads-

Tom Lloyd kicks off a spectacular new fantasy series, perfect for fans of George R. R. Martin, Joe Abercrombie and, of course, Tom Lloyd!
In a quiet corner of the Imperial City, Investigator Narin discovers the result of his first potentially lethal mistake. Minutes later he makes a second.
After an unremarkable career Narin finally has the chance of promotion to the hallowed ranks of the Lawbringers - guardians of the Emperor's laws and bastions for justice in a world of brutal expediency. Joining that honoured body would be the culmination of a lifelong dream, but it couldn't possibly have come at a worse time. A chance encounter drags Narin into a plot of gods and monsters, spies and assassins, accompanied by a grief-stricken young woman, an old man haunted by the ghosts of his past and an assassin with no past.
On the cusp of an industrial age that threatens the warrior caste's rule, the Empire of a Hundred Houses awaits civil war between noble factions. Centuries of conquest has made the empire a brittle and bloated monster; constrained by tradition and crying out for change. To save his own life and those of untold thousands Narin must understand the key to it all - Moon's Artifice, the poison that could destroy an empire.

This book started extremely well and I was flying through the pages. Very good writing, good starting pace, and excellent character and world development. It setting actually reminded me of Low Town, which I loved. It's essentially a relatively dark, fantasy detective story. Right from the start, it is obvious the author had a grand vision for this world. Very interesting caste system, and I like the concept of the Lawbringers. I also enjoyed the lore of the Gods, which was a bit different for me. My favorite character was Enchei, a total bad ass warrior from another generation and who is best friends with another main character Narin, who I did not enjoy very much, I thought he was a wimp. I didn't care for another character , Kesh, the female lead either. She is done well but her character is just something I have read too many times in the past. However, I have read many reviews praising her character, which was indeed well done.

The plot is strong, a crime/detective story to find out who is behind the Moon's Artifice poisonings, what is Moons's Artifice, and who is Irato, the man that was introduced to us before being pushed off a roof by a God. We learn who the "bad guys" are and get to know from them the reasons behind their actions. Also, there are guns, which is a unique element to this more traditional fantasy world.

Halfway through, this book started loosing me. I skimmed a bit from that point until the last 100 pages which was a great conclusion and answered a lot of questions. There is nothing I can point to in this book saying it's not a great book. It really is well done and I think most fantasy readers will enjoy it. I thought the line between good and evil was very clearly defined and I never doubted who was "good" and who was "bad". To me, that kind of pushes it out of Joe Abercrombie or George R.R. Martin territory and into the standard, or traditional, epic fantasy category rather than the grimdark fantasy which is very popular, as those two, and many other, authors prove.

Recommended for fantasy fans of all stripes and colors, especially flintlock and detective/crime fantasy. While I didn't love this book, I enjoyed it and felt it was very good, even excellent at times, but I'm not a huge fan or detective type stories and the middle was a little slow.

A Review of Tome of the Undergates (Aeon's Gate #1)-Sam Sykes

Tome of the Undergates by Sam Sykes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Writing 4.5/5
Imagination 4.5/5
Plot 4.5/5
Setting 4/5
Characters 3/5

My Overall Enjoyment 4.5/5

From Goodreads about the book:

Lenk can barely keep control of his mismatched adventurer band at the best of times (Gariath the dragon man sees humans as little more than prey, Kataria the Shict despises most humans, and the humans in the band are little better). When they're not insulting each other's religions they're arguing about pay and conditions. So when the ship they are travelling on is attacked by pirates things don't go very well.

They go a whole lot worse when an invincible demon joins the fray. The demon steals the Tome of the Undergates - a manuscript that contains all you need to open the undergates. And whichever god you believe in you don't want the undergates open. On the other side are countless more invincible demons, the manifestation of all the evil of the gods, and they want out.

Full of razor-sharp wit, characters who leap off the page (and into trouble) and plunging the reader into a vivid world of adventure this is a fantasy that kicks off a series that could dominate the second decade of the century.

A few initial thoughts about this book... Whoa! Why did I wait so long to read this?? Why does this book only have 603 ratings on Goodreads? Why does it only have a 3.32 Goodreads score? I have never read a book that is so downright brutal and twisted yet so funny. I think I laughed out loud more often reading this book than any other book in recent memory. I planned to use numerous quotes from the book to show the hilarity but on second thought I think out of context it won't work as well. Sam Sykes can really write. The descriptions, as well as the dialogue, worked extremely well for me. The creatures and monsters and everything else imagined in this world were wonderfully described, both terrifying and hilarious. This book is worth every minute invested just for the ridiculous, completely over the top dialogue between the characters. And if you enjoy brutal battles, horrible deaths, and grotesque creatures, there is an abundance of that as well. This book was just full of insane situations, things I could never imagine happening, and it was delightful time and time again to read what atrocities the author concocted next.

There were several main characters, of which Lenk (the leader)was the most fascinating and developed. However, and probably because of the pace, I didn't connect much with any character and thought that character development was the weakest part of this book. That being said, it's not really a major problem, because this book still worked great. Echoing a few other reviewers, I thought the initial battle was a bit long and I think this book could have been trimmed down by maybe 100 pages. That's really my only complaint and it is pretty minor; also, it is the only thing that holds this back from 5 stars.

Highly recommended for fantasy and grimdark fantasy readers, readers who enjoy humor, clever dialogue and excellent writing, and any reader looking for something new and different.

Review of The Emperor's Blades (#1 Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne)-Brian Staveley

The Emperor's Blades by Brian Staveley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Writing 4/5
Imagination 4.5/5
Plot 4/5
Setting 5/5
Characters 3.5/5

My Overall Enjoyment 4.5/5

The Emperor's Blades largely lives up to the massive hype surrounding it as well as my own as I was have been anticipating it for months. It must be very difficult to be a debut author with that much to live up to because it was on so many ”best upcoming fantasy” lists even though the author is mostly unknown. After finishing this book I do see why many were excited about it. Also, Macmillian put on a masterclass in book advertising that all authors and publishers should look at to be more successful in getting their own books in the public eye.

When taken as a whole or broken down into smaller elements of a story, this book is extremely good. This is a very epic story, with world building similar in scale to A Game of Thrones, Gardens of the Moon, and The Way of Kings. There are 3 points of view, all by children of the emperor, 2 sons off training and the sister as a minister in the capital city. Secondary characters are very minimal which I like. I enjoyed the plot-lines almost equally and no one character really stuck out at me in a way some have in other books. The 2 brothers take up most of the scenes with the sister having a smaller, yet important part. The author used the 480 pages very well; it didn't seem too long and a lot happened. It was a pretty quick read with the beginning 1/3rd a little slow but that is the case in nearly all epic fantasy I have experienced. The plot starts to advance much quicker and stay pretty steady for the rest of the book.

The religious system is excellent. There are numerous different “cults” and bits and pieces of world history sprinkled throughout referring to ancient races, gods and goddesses, and kings of old. This makes a very rich, believable world that I enjoyed learning about. Learning about a world's history (lore/myth/back-story or whatever you want to call it) is one of my favorite parts in epic fantasy and there is no shortage here yet there are no parts that were just huge “info dumps” or “council of Elrond” scenes which bother some readers (I love those kinds of scenes). Magic is not introduced introduced until well into the story and then very gradually and it just kind of creeps up but by the end I thought it really worked well for the story. There are also a couple different beasts/monsters in this book, all of which were well executed and add depth and flavor.

The whole ending sequence was great and has me looking forward to the next installment in this series. Rating this was hard and I dislike the 5 point rating scale. For me, it falls a little short of a 5 because while I really liked this book I didn't love it as I have a few other books. However, I enjoyed it better than a lot of 4 star books too so I give it a 4.5/5 for personal enjoyment. Having read hundreds of fantasy books this is in the top tier of epic fantasy.

As for grimdark elements, it definitely has some of the violence and types of characters that stand out in grimdark but this is more of a standard epic fantasy book. At times dark and gritty but it didn't exude grittiness like most of the other books that fall into the grimdark genre. Being a grimdark lover, I can recommend this for those readers as well as those looking for a new epic fantasy series.

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A review of Django Wexler's Fantasy Book The Thousand Names

The Thousand Names by Django Wexler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Writing 4.5/5
Imagination 5/5
Plot 4.5/5
Setting 4/5
Characters 5/5

Overall Enjoyment 5/5

I actually finished this book the day before I started my new blog and then that took over my life for a week! I usually write reviews immediately after finishing a book so this will be short because of the wait. I loved this book! It falls under the new sub-genre "Flintlock Fantasy" which combines gunpowder and guns with magical elements and also falls under the category military fantasy. Everything was extremely well thought out with regards to plot and it was obvious the author did extensive research on warfare. I really enjoyed the character and world building and the magic system was phenomenal. I came to care about some of the characters and if an author can accomplish this, he has been successful as a writer. The prose was excellent. The pace was steady and solid, perfect to keep the reader wanting to find out what happens next. There was one sequence in the middle I felt the plot should have advanced quicker but that is my only minor complaint. There are no other criticisms of this book. While the obvious comparison will be to Brian McClellan's excellent book Promise of Blood, this book was just as good. Having read both, I can say that while they fall under the same sub-genre, they are very different reading experiences, both delightful. I can not wait for book 2 of The Shadow Campaigns The Shadow Throne.
Comes with my highest recommendation!

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2 Huge Overlooks in 2014 Fantasy Releases

For some reason, I have not seen any recent press on one of my favorite author's new series called Sanctuary of the White Friars. The first book in the series is called The Whispering Swarm, and from what I read, I am already overly excited for a book coming out in November! This is Michael Moorcock's first new trilogy in 10 years. From Goodreads:

Back in the Thirteenth Century, King Henry III granted a plot of land in the heart of London to an order of Friars known as the Carmelites. In return, they entered into a compact with God to guard a holy object. This sanctuary became a refuge for many of ill-repute, as the Friars cast no judgment and took in all who were in search of solace.

Known as Alsatia, it did not suffer like the rest of the world. No Plague affected it. No Great Fire burned it. No Blitz destroyed it. Within its walls lies a secret to existence – one that has been kept since the dawn of time – a bevy of creation, where reality and romance, life and death, imaginary and real share the same world.

One young man’s entrance into this realm sends a shockwave of chaos through time. What lies at the center of this sacred realm is threatened for the first time in human existence.

Moorcock, writer of the Elric of Melniboné and Corum series, is a legend among the ranks of Robert E. Howard, Jack Vance, and Roger Zelazny. He writes beautifully and tells wonderful stories, filled with lore and magic and tends to be very dark. He is one of my most read authors having read 20 of his books and even though his books fall on the shorter side in Sword and Sorcery style, they do not lack depth or world and character building. He makes every word count and everyone should try his work. I hope that with the advent of this information age this work will become heavily promoted for all audiences because I believe all fantasy readers will enjoy his style.

Another book to look forward to is by another legend, Glen Cook called Working God's Mischief, book number 4 in his Instrumentalities of the Night series. I have had this in my next to start pile for some time as I have read several Glen Cook books, all of which were excellent, especially his most known work, The Black Company. I have a feeling that the Instrumentalities series is very underrated based on his work I have already read. Hopefully, my anticipation for this release will inspire me to start this series sooner rather than later. Better yet; I win an ARC on Goodreads! The cover is also outstanding.

2014 Anticipated Books and My Reading Plan

2013 was a great year for catching up on my reading. And 2014 looks great! It should come as no surprise that by far my most anticipated book is by Mark Lawrence, called Prince of Fools , the first book in a new trilogy called The Red Queen's War. Another book I can't wait for is Joe Abercrombie's first book in a new series called Half a King. He recently released cover art (which is beautiful) and the first chapter and it can be found here Half a King Excerpt. I'm a bit worried as well about this as it is considered a "classic coming-of-age-tale" and also falls into the YA fantasy genre, neither to points which intest me much these days. However, I have loved all of the book I have read by him and he is such an excellent writer and storyteller that I don't think these books will disappoint.  I ended last year reading an ARC copy by one of my favorite authors, Andy Remic, whose new book is called The Iron Wolves; I LOVED it! It was one of the highlights of my reading year. Book 2 of The Rage of Kings comes out in July and is called The White Towers. Book 4 of the Gentleman Bastard series by Scott Lynch, called The Thorn of Emberlain, is scheduled for release later in the year. His last book, The Republic of Thieves, was in my top 5 for 2013. Another of the best books I read last year is Brandon Sanderson's book The Way of Kings, an author I have struggled reading, and whose 2nd book in The Stormlight Archive series, Words of Radiance, is due this year and I am super excited about that book.

Review of The Iron Wolves Book 1 of The Rage of Kings by Andy Remic

The Iron Wolves: Book 1 of The Rage of Kings by Andy Remic
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5 for overall enjoyment

Writing 4/5
Imagination 5/5
Plot 4/5
Setting 4.5/5
Characters 5/5

As with this authors other series The Clockwork Vampire Chronicles Kell's Legend, I loved this book. Very violent and dark, fast paced, with a hugely imaginative world and creatures. There were also major plot twists and turns which were enjoyable as so many fantasy books don't use this element. Great cast of characters who were all very interesting and unique and several were able to make me care about their stories and what happens to them. Tons of ultra powerful magic and sorcerers and a great backstory is weaved in throughout the book which will appeal to readers who enjoy these elements as do I. The writing was excellent and right to the point, in classic sword and sorcery style. At times I got a bit lost in this book and also one part of the ending was a minor disappointment but I can't reveal anything specific for the sake of avoiding major spoilers. This book is highly recommend for sword and sorcery fans (in a way it reminded me of Robert E Howard's The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian and Karl Wagner's Darkness Weaves works) as well as Grimdark fans. I eagerly await the next book in this series The White Towers: Book 2 of The Rage of Kings and hope that Andy Remic will write more in this world as he has set up a very fascinating world I want to read more about!

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My Review of Emperor of Thorns (Broken Empire Book 3)-Mark Lawrence

Emperor of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is mostly praise; small part review. After 1 month of false starts, using all my willpower to hold off because this is the last book in my all time favorite series The Broken Empire, I finally finished it. Not since I was a teenager (20 years ago) and read The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings for the first time have I loved a book/series so much! Apart from that, the The Dark Tower Series and The First Law Trilogy were my favorites and I rank The Broken Empire Series above both. This book was a 5/5 in every area of measurement including writing, character and world building(Imagination), plot, and pacing. Emperor of Thorns is so beautifully written and imagined that it is inconceivable to me that any fantasy reader could not find something about it to enjoy. This book is so well written and has so many lines and paragraphs of astounding beauty, clarity, and grace that I had to put it down many times just to absorb what was written and enjoy the moment. Some of these passages can compete with the best I have read in the field of classic literature as can the book on a whole.

I planned a reread since the day I finished Prince of Thorns and even more after King of Thorns, but upon completing Emperor of Thorns I would actually reread this series rather than read anything else; and I have a lot to read! The only thing stopping my reread is what stopped me from immediately reading Emperor of Thorns the day it was released; the knowledge that once I read it, I won't have it to look forward to again in the same way. So I am putting it off for now and plan to read it probably in the spring right before Mark Lawrence new book Prince of Fools comes out. If you plan to read The Broken Empire trilogy, prepare for an adventure. An experience.

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The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch ---Review

The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Overall a strong 4.5/5

The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch-ARC from Netgalley

Writing 5/5
Imagination 5/5
Plot 4/5
Setting 4.5/5
Characters 4/5

I really liked this book. It has much of what I loved in The Lies of Locke Lamora and was much better to me than Red Seas Under Red Skieswhich I did not finish. The Lies of Locke Lamora is one of my favorite fantasy novels and while I did not like this as much as that one, I was very satisfied with it. All Gentleman Bastard series fans will love this book. We get a closer look at Locke's past and follow along on his and Jean's newest adventure.

The writing again is superb! At times gritty and dark and at times light and humorous, I could read Scott Lynch prose all day. For the most part the plot was easy to follow even with a relatively large cast of characters and more are continuously added throughout. The dialogue is excellent as is the narration. The world and its characters are all so vibrant it's easy to imagine being there. Scott Lynch has created a very believable world highly imagined and it is very unique and thrilling to learn more about. The plot advanced very well and at times was ingenuously written. I remember several times being consciously aware of how well a plot point was handled/resolved with such creativity and imagination. The magic system is one of my favorites in all of fantasy and I would love to see it expanded on. I love the Bondsmagi and would love to learn more of the history. Furthermore, we learned some more about the Eldren race and I anticipate learning more in the future. Lore is one of my favorite parts of fantasy stories and there is some here and a lot to work with if the author chooses in the future.

Toward the end of the book we learn some things about Locke's past and that is a high point of this book for me. I always thought there was more to the character and while it is starting to come out, we are still not sure by the time the book ends. I am totally hooked and the next book in the series The Thorn of Emberlainis one of my most anticipated future fantasy books.

For me there are only 2 things that make this less than a 5 star book and they are tied closely together. This is the length and sub plot. This book is not necessarily too long for the story(s) it gives but I favor work that is under 500 pages, preferably 300 or under. At 800 pages this was a bit overwhelming for me. Although I have read many 1000+ page books, most of my all time favorites are on the short side. I have a very high rate of "did not finish" books and also books I start but put aside to read later cause they just did not hook me. Thankfully, this was not the case with this book. I admit to skimming a few parts of the interlude sub plot story which was not a bad story but I just wasn't wowed as with the main story.

Highly recommended!

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The Companions (The Sundering #1) by R.A Salvatore---A review

The Companions by R.A. Salvatore
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Received as an ARC through Netgalley from the publisher Wizards of the Coast.

The Companions by R.A Salvatore, the first book of the new series The Sundering, is excellent in almost all areas of measuring a book including action, writing, plot, and character building. The writing was top of the line! Having read several R.A. Salvatore books in the past, this shows extreme maturity as a writer, not saying at all his other works were not good (they were very good) but I was extremely impressed with his writing here. This book took about 75-100 pages to really pull me in but once it did I couldn't put it down. I read it almost straight through in a few hours finishing the last 40 pages the next morning. The different plots were woven together expertly. The Drizzt monologues were beautifully written and my favorite parts to read. The pacing was great throughout the book and the action and dialog scenes mixed and flowed perfectly. The characters were all highly developed, even though we know a lot about them from the previous books. The ending was shocking in a way but it makes me crave more books about the Companions of the Hall. Also, the cover is amazing!

The Companions is a must read for all fans of The Forgotten Realms http://www.wizards.com/dnd/Catalog.as..., especially of R.A Salvatore's Drizzt series Homeland. I believe all followers of Drizzt would love this book! For those not familiar with Drizzt, this is a great jumping off place to spark interest in other Realms books. All fantasy readers should try this book. I can't wait to read the next book in The Sundering series called Godborn by Paul S. Kemp Godborn

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The Crown Tower (The Riyria Chronicles Book 1) by Michael Sullivan--Review

The Crown Tower by Michael J. Sullivan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5/5

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit Books for the ARC of The Crown Tower by Michael Sullivan. The last 6 months or so I am getting caught up on all the fantasy books I haven't read which is difficult with the thousands of great ones to choose from. I am relatively new to giving reviews as I usually just rate what I read. However, it has been a privilege to receive a copy to review and I rely moderately on reviews for choosing my next book. This review for The Crown Tower is the first review I am giving for a book from Netgalley. My review style may not be for everyone as many reviews I read are not for me but I usually find a review(er)that works for me. I hope that someone may get something from my reviews to help them in selecting a book to read or not.

Overall, this book was good, but not great. I finished it, which to me makes it at least a 3/5 but there was a lot to enjoy apart from just making it through which I don't for many books no matter how well written, imaginative, or renowned they may be. I am familiar with this authors work having read the first 4 books in his Riyria Revelations before holding off to read other things before finishing. The first one was a 5/5, second 4/5, third 3/5 and forth 3/5 but was closer to a 2.5/5 mostly because I don't like sea adventure type books. I am hesitant to recommend this to readers unfamiliar with the Riyria Revelation series because it seemed slow, and without my knowledge of the background I most likely would have stopped. If you don't mind a slower moving plot with less action and more dialogue this would be fine to start with. I enjoyed many of the Easter eggs here relating to what I know from the previous books. The book moves by dialogue rather than narration which makes for a quick read but somewhat unsatisfying to me. Sullivan writes well, no need to consult a thesaurus or backtrack to understand what you just read. The place and character names are not distracting which is a major plus and there is not an overabundance of either. The plot was easy to follow and the characters each had a relatively unique voice which is appealing to a reader who likes character development, especially a reader familiar with Royce and Hadrian. I am all about lore and magic in my fantasy books but these were very minimal in this book. However, there was a "loremaster" character and it looks as if these elements will start to become more prominent in the next book. Bottom line: Highly recommended! For YA readers and adults. If the reader starts this and does not like it, try The Crown Conspiracy, Book 1 of the Riyria Revelations, which was excellent and may give the reader incentive to go back to this. I will definitely read the next book!

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