The BiblioSanctum

Book Review: The Stormcaller by Tom Lloyd

Posted on January 26, 2014 Leave a Comment

The Stormcaller by Tom Lloyd

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Series: Book 1 of Twilight Reign

Publication Date: October 21, 2008 (Pyr)

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have to say I did things a little bit backwards when it came to this series. It all started with The God Tattoo, Tom Lloyd’s anthology of stories from the Twilight Reign that I read last year. Needless to say, I enjoyed it very much. Furthermore, it made me want to explore everything else this world had to offer, so when Pyr gave me the opportunity to read and review The Stormcaller, the first book of the series that began it all, I very enthusiastically accepted.

That collection of tales had given me a taste of the Twilight Reign universe, and piqued my interest with its promise of a dark and epic fantasy. Here was the world I had been introduced to, one of white-eyes, ancient deities and terrible magic. Now I was finally able to see the wider context, getting the full depth of the story filled with gods and demons, clandestine politics and violent clashes between warring peoples. I feel like what I’d gotten from the anthology was just a nibble. And here, this was the whole cake.

Born into a life of poverty, our main protagonist Isak is a white-eye, a genetic rarity known to make those with the condition bigger, stronger, and more aggressive. Feared and mistrusted by those around him, Isak had resigned to the fact that he would never be accepted, until fate intervenes and raises him to a position of power as the heir to the Lord of the Fahlan. In some ways, I feel the book comprises of several distinct parts, and this section of the story would be the first of them, focusing on Isak’s transition from a simple peasant to someone with status.

Now, while it’s true that a lot of fantasy stories begin this way, I thought Isak’s background was a big part of what set his tale apart. For one thing, I find the lore and history behind white-eyes fascinating. Purported to be stronger, faster and more charming than normal men because they are god-touched and divinely chosen to be leaders, white-eyes are still no less shunned and despised by many. Because of this, Isak has to prove himself twice over to satisfy his detractors.

Regrettably, I also think this part of the book was the most difficult to get through. As Isak learns the ropes, this section of the story is mostly filled with descriptions of the things he learns and the people he meets, and it’s the most slow-moving part of the story. Add to that, the writing style took some time for me to get used to. I thought the prose came across rather stark and ponderous, and while I wouldn’t say I disliked the writing, it still felt like it was missing something — lightness or emotion, perhaps, though to be fair, the story is meant to be quite dark and heavy. To get through this first part of the book, I did feel I had to work at it.

The action didn’t come until later, but I have to say the plot picks up considerably once we follow Isak and his people into war against the elves. This section of the story is driven by several pitched battles, and here the author also starts fleshing out his world in earnest, giving it history and depth. As the layers were filled in one by one (culture, religions, politics, etc) I finally began to feel the full weight of the Twilight Reign universe.

I ended up loving the second half of this novel. It encompassed the final section of the story, in which Isak travels to Narkang with his retinue, and they meet the celebrated King Emin. I won’t deny this probably had to do with having read The God Tattoo first; Emin was a character that featured prominently in a couple of the stories in the anthology, and so in a way, I felt like I already knew him and had a good grasp of the setting of Narkang. And lastly, this part of the book also featured the climax of the final battle, which was a great way to bring everything to a close.

All told, it took me a while to read The Stormcaller, partly because it’s such a long book but also because I had to settle in to the writing style. Still, I enjoyed this one. I may have come to this series in a roundabout way, but further exploring a world that fascinated and intrigued me was so worth it.

A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Pyr Books!

Mogsy’s Book Haul

Posted on January 25, 2014 Leave a Comment

Dreamwalker – kicking off this list of new arrivals in the last fortnight is this gem by C.S. Friedman from DAW Books. Her adult fantasy books have always intrigued me, but Dreamwalker is actually quite a departure, featuring a story set in a modern setting that is geared more towards a young adult audience. Nevertheless, it’s a good one! Be sure to keep an eye out for my review sometime next week.

Only the Good Die Young – the start of a new haunting series by Chris Marie Green. I’m really looking forward to checking out this author, not to mention I love ghosts in my urban fantasy!

V-S Day – this one looks simply fascinating. A little different from my usual reads, perhaps, but I’m always trying to challenge myself to read outside my comfort zone, and who can say no to a World War II alternate history novel?

Seoul Survivors – Jo Fletcher Books never fails to deliver when I’m looking for “something different” or “out there” in my speculative fiction. Naomi Foyle definitely has a new fan in me after this one. If you haven’t seen my review for Seoul Survivors yet, you can check it out here.

Stone Cold – the follow-up to Devon Monk’s Hell Bent, her new Broken Magic spin-off series from her Allie Beckstrom novels. I read and enjoyed Hell Bent last year and thought it was chock-full of potential, so I’m pretty excited for this one.

Scourge of the Betrayer – now on to the digital pile, which is never without its fair share of audiobooks. The Audible Matchmaker tool strikes again, and I’m finding more books that I have bought Kindle ebooks for that have a good price for the audio version. Scourge of the Betrayer has been on my to-read list for a while, and I hear the sequel is coming out in the summer, so boom, sold!

Shadow Ops: Control Point – the third book of this series is about to come out and it’s been getting some pretty rave reviews, so it got me thinking, maybe I shouldn’t wait to read this one anymore. I snagged the audiobook and let me tell you, that was a credit damn well spent. The review will be up soon, as soon as I recover from the awesomeness.

Nameless – an ebook for review from Ragnarok Publications, and having had such a great time with Mercedes M. Yardley’s novella last month, I didn’t need much convincing to read this one. Yardley’s stories and characters are always so grimly addicting!

Honor Among Thieves – I’m requesting books from NetGalley in moderation these days, but you couldn’t have kept me away from this one. Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck writing as James S. A. Corey + Han Solo = win. That is all.

YA Weekend: Silence by Michelle Sagara

Posted on January 25, 2014 1 Comment

Silence by Michelle Sagara (DAW)

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal

Series: Book 1 of Queen of the Dead

Publication Date: May 1, 2012

Author Information: Website

Mogsy’s Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

This is going to be a tough review for me to write, mainly because Silence is one of those books I just couldn’t get into, but when the time comes to describe the reasons why, I am at a loss. I mean, it’s not like there were a bunch of faults I could point to, or even any single factor in the book which I vehemently disliked. At the same time, nothing about it stood out for me either. As a whole, it just left me feeling cold.

The story? I thought it was okay. The book follows Emma, a grief-stricken teen who has taken to visiting the graveyard at nights ever since her boyfriend died in a car accident. One evening during one of these routine walks, she runs into Eric, the new boy at school. There is a mysterious old woman with him, and when Emma experiences the old crone’s touch, it awakens a power in her. After the events of that night, Emma realizes that she can see, touch, and speak with the dead.

It turns out that Emma is a Necromancer. And that means Eric now must kill her. As to why he has to do that, it wasn’t really explained beyond the fact he belongs to a group of Necromancer hunters, so clearly Emma has to die. Like I said, it’s not a terribly deep story; there are lots of moments like this where I just had to tell myself to roll with it. In any case, Eric is obviously very conflicted about having to kill Emma, and as such is hoping that current circumstances will take care of that business for him. For you see, Emma has discovered the trapped ghost of a four-year-old boy and is determined to help save him, but in doing so she will be putting her own life on the line.

Anyway, the characters in this novel? Also just okay. Emma is a person who is completely ruled by her emotions, leaping into situations without ever thinking things through. I came to understand her friends’ exasperation with her. And with the exception of Michael, who is a good portrayal of a teen with a neurodevelopmental disability, everyone else feels like a variation of the usual archetypes you’ll find in a young adult novel. You have the best friend with a heart of gold, the queen bee whose parents are loaded and throws all the wildest parties, or the smart-alecky guy with the smug and edgy attitude (Chase royally grated on my nerves. He’s like that kid you knew in high school, the one who would swear because he thinks it makes him look cool, and whom everyone just wanted to throttle).

The writing? It was okay as well. The storytelling? Maybe a little on the slow side, but otherwise okay too. Like I said, there wasn’t anything I really disliked about Silence. I grant you I might not be giving this book the fairest shake here, but I think I’ve reached the point where “just okay” doesn’t quite cut it with me anymore, especially when it comes to a young adult novel. Sometimes, it’s the bunch of little minor things that can compound and sour me on the overall experience. Similarly, I think this book is one of those cases where too many “so-so’s” managed to build up and wear me down.

You’ll definitely see me picking up Ms. Sagara’s books again in the future, but they probably won’t be from this series. Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t for me. I won’t deny I’ve become a lot pickier with my YA lately, and overall Silence simply lacked the “oomph” I was looking for.

Book Review: Nameless: The Darkness Comes by Mercedes M. Yardley

Posted on January 24, 2014 Leave a Comment

Nameless: The Darkness Comes by Mercedes M. Yardley (Ragnarok Publications)

Genre: Horror, Paranormal

Series: Book 1 of The Bone Angel Trilogy

Publication Date: January 21, 2014

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Luna Masterson is an odd girl who sees demons. Reed Taylor is an odd guy who hangs around with an angel. And when girl meets guy, things get pretty crazy. This is probably THE thing I love best when it comes Mercedes M. Yardley’s stories, the fact that when she gets two people together, you know you’re not going to get just any old boring relationship!

I must say I learned that lesson well with Apocalyptic Montessa and Nuclear Lulu, Yardley’s not-quite-horror-not-quite-romance love story novella that I read last year. What amazed me most about that book was her treatment of her two outcast characters, the way she gave them each a purpose and emotional depth even though as serial killers they are far from deserving of any admiration or sympathy. The characters in Nameless are perhaps not quite so extreme, but I likewise experienced some of those same vibes from Luna and Reed Taylor — two very unique individuals who find in each other a kindred spirit…so to speak. I had a feeling I was going to be in for something special, and I was right.

So how does a girl deal with being able to see things that nobody else can? Luna’s never had many friends, and the only people close to her are her brother Seth and 1-year-old niece Lydia. Perhaps this is why she comes across to me as socially awkward, sometimes doing and saying strange things or acting like she can’t make up her mind. At the same time, I had to admire the brave and positive face she puts on. The way she takes the “Luna the Lunatic” comments in stride or shrugs off the weird looks she gets when she’s talking with the demons only she can see, all that just makes me want to cheer her on. So as to whether or not you’ll form a connection to her character, I think it can go either way.

But if there was one thing that really touched me, it was Luna’s devotion and love for her niece. When Lydia is kidnapped by the worst sort of demon, Luna’s anger and desperation felt so raw and close to the surface that it was practically palpable. As the mother of a Sweet Baby Girl myself, at times it was almost gut-wrenchingly difficult to read about Luna’s distressing search for Lydia, simply because every one of her fears was like a piercing knife to my heart. In my opinion, this part of the book was done very well. Not only did it make Luna feel more real for me, it also made me care about this story and want to see it through.

The overarching plot is quite good too, even if at times it felt a bit rushed. If books had remote controls, imagine that someone has pressed the fast forward button through some of the scenes in this novel. Perhaps the book could have been a little longer, giving me more information and letting some of the major happenings sink in. The way Luna’s narration sometimes zipped from one event to the next didn’t give me enough time to digest some of the things that went on, especially when it came to her meeting and subsequent relationship with Reed Taylor. Regardless, their love story was an interesting one to say the least! I think the impact of the story would have been even stronger if there had been more time to let those feelings deepen.

But in the end I was very happy with the way things turned out. Well, okay, maybe a little gutted by the ending, but still happy! Yardley’s brand of storytelling and writing style is tremendously addictive and her characters are a treat, I’d looked forward to reading more of her work ever since I got my first taste. Nameless left me very impressed, especially as a full-length novel debut for the author and the first installment of a planned trilogy. I can’t wait to see what’s coming next.

A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Ragnarok Publications!

Book Review: Empress of the Sun by Ian McDonald

Posted on January 23, 2014 Leave a Comment

Empress of the Sun by Ian McDonald

Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction Fantasy

Series: Book 3 of Everness

Publication Date: January 2014 (Jo Fletcher)

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Mogsy’s Rating: 5 of 5 stars

It’s no exaggeration when I say these books in the Everness series just seem to get better and better. The adventure that started with Planesrunner only intensified with Be My Enemy, and now the third installment has taken things even further. Seriously — I really wish there were more young adult novels like this out there.

Empress of the Sun continues the story of Everett Singh and the crew of the Earth 3 airship Everness. Spoilers for books one and two will likely be unavoidable in this review when discussing the third book, though if you haven’t read the previous novels you can still probably pick up on the story and follow along, if you don’t mind missing out on some of the nuances. Nothing will beat starting this great series from the beginning though, and obviously I highly recommend it!

Because Everness is about alternate dimensions and the Multiverse, you just never know where the story might take you next! That’s what I love most about these books. And true to form, Ian McDonald starts this one off by dropping us into most bizarre and incredible parallel universe yet. In order to track down and rescue his father, Everett and his friends have taken to world-hopping. Armed with a jump gun and the Infundibulum, they now have the ability to go anywhere on any one of the 10 to the power of 80 worlds in the Panoply. Something goes seriously wrong with their last jump though, and the airship ends up on a strange version of earth which does not appear to follow the rules of astrophysics.

It turns out that the alternate earth they are on is actually an Alderson Disk. Not being very well-versed in my science fiction megastructures, this was the first time I’ve ever heard of such a thing. This is some cool stuff! And not only that, the world they are on is one where dinosaurs never went extinct. Instead, they have evolved over the eons to become the dominant species on this “discworld” (Pratchett fans, eat your heart out!) called the Jiju, whose civilization is 65 million years ahead of ours.

Not only is their technology frighteningly advanced, as the main bad guys in this book, the Jiju make the other villains that we’ve seen so far in this series look like peanuts. What is Charlotte Villiers or even the Nahn compared to these lizard people who have the ability to make the sun dance to their tune? The author sure pulled out all the stops with this one. Blown, my mind is.

I also can’t decide what I love more about this book: the world building or the character development. The former has clearly impressed me, but as ever, the people in the stories are the most important to me when I read. With every book in this series, I feel closer and more amiable towards Everett and the crew. The relationship between him and Sen is moving forward nicely, and we’re getting to the point where their feelings for each other are starting to come to the surface. This book also explores the friction between Everett and Sharkey. The two have not gotten along since the weighmaster suggested selling Everett out to the enemy in order to save the ship, but there is clearly a lot more to this precarious friendship than meets the eye.

The members of the crew aren’t the only ones getting further developed in this novel. In Be My Enemy, readers were introduced to an alternate Everett, a version of him from another earth who was kidnapped and forced to take the place of real Everett, in order to spy and report to the nefarious factions in the Plenitude of Known Worlds. This doppelganger played a somewhat antagonistic role in the last book, but this one humanizes him and lets us see that deep down he is just like any other boy, with feelings and fears like everyone else. We also get a part of the story told in Charlotte Villiers’ perspective, and even though she is the main villain, we are shown that there is a reason for all the things she does. To sum it up, this book just does a fantastic job all around at fleshing out everyone. As someone who places such high importance on characters, I couldn’t be happier.

Action, adventure, and rollicking good fun! Empress of the Sun has all of that. And of all the books so far, I also have to say this one was the most humorous. There are some sections of dialogue that just made me laugh out loud, especially when it came to the conversation between Everett and Kax the Jiju about human reproduction. Oh my, I still can’t stop chuckling when I think of that scene.

I’m so glad to see that there will be more of these books. The crew of the Everness still has much to do, and there are still so many worlds out there to explore. I can’t wait to see where they will go next.

A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Jo Fletcher Books!

US Cover

Werewolves on SPACE: Part II

Posted on January 23, 2014 1 Comment

Back in May, I posted about my tentative excitement for SPACE channel‘s upcoming supernatural drama, Bitten. Now that two episodes have aired, it’s time to review!

Before Bitten aired, SyFy and SPACE began their promotions and I have to admit, they didn’t make it look or sound very appealing. The only female werewolf, surrounded by a bunch of hot male werewolves, torn between her two loves. Someone on G+ raged about this entire concept, assuming that this would just be another vagina show with Elena woefully swooning over all the men trying to bed her.

As this is based on one of my favourite books, I felt the immediate need to jump to its defence and point out important things like the fact that wolves are monogamous, dammit! They don’t share! But I refrained. In fact, I didn’t even blog about it at the time. Instead, I’ve just let the show speak for itself. The haters might still be hatin’, but so far, I’m quite pleased. And no, I’m mostly not saying that because of all the Clay and Logan body works that have been going on over the last two episodes. Mostly.

There are actually some legitimate reasons for my approval thus far. First of all, Elena. She remains the strong female character that Kelley Armstrong created. Her past is slowly being teased out, but it’s clear that there has been quite a lot of trauma that she’s managed to deal with on her own. While she loves her Stonehaven family and the new family she’s working her way into, Elena is still a fiercely independent woman and the men in her life have to work hard to get her to bend if they need her. What she does, is on her own terms.

With Elena being the only female werewolf and knowing what I did about the first book, I was pleased to see a reasonable emphasis and subsequent passing of the Bechdel Test in episode one, with Elena finding a firm friend in her fiancé’s sister. Okay yes, they talked about the fiancé a bit, but there was other stuff too. Sort of.

Speaking of the fiancé, Philip, there’s been a bit of a change to his appearance and demeanour, if I recall correctly. He was a bit more mousey before and there was a sense that he absolutely could not hold a candle to Clay. There was also more of a sense that he was a cover for Elena. Now, her relationship feels more genuine and implies much more of an inner struggle for Elena.

As far as holding to the source material goes, they are mostly doing well and I am holding on to my original desire to give the show the benefit of the doubt. Jeremy’s appearance is still questionable. I am not happy that they chose to pass over his Asian heritage. I don’t bind myself to appearance any more than Armstrong herself has, assuming an actor understands the character and can truly bring him to life. I am trying to give the benefit of the doubt, but thus far, I’m largely unimpressed with Greg Bryk, though I admit that it could very well be my bias speaking. Bryk has Jeremy’s subdued manner and the Pack responds to him accordingly as their Alpha, but… he’s still not quite Jeremy. And he needs to get rid of those godawful vests.

The character I do absolutely love is Stonehaven. In early production videos, I was very pleased to see so much love and attention going into the Pack’s home and am pleased now to see it expressed not only in its appearance, but in how the Pack interacts with the building. I also adore the Pack life, which we got loads of in the most recent episode. As much as Elena has struggled with the concept of family and is trying to avoid Stonehaven for reasons, the family vibe is wonderfully portrayed, which is an extension of the entire Pack mentality. Naked Logan and Clay aside, what really sold me on the show was Elena waking up to Nick hanging out in her bed like it ain’t no thang, and then breakfast. Breakfast was just perfect.

Because. Bacon.

I would like to see more of the wolves in action, though. Prior to reading Bitten, werewolves were the big, violent, lone monsters. Armstrong changed that view for me by putting so much into the them being an actual pack of wolves. When they Change, they hold on to their human awareness, but they are also very much wolves and act accordingly.

So this leaves only the problem of Clay and Elena’s relationship. I hope they don’t drag things out too long here. Clay’s stalkeriness can only be tolerated for so long, even by fans who know why Elena wants him out of her life.

Yes, I know I’m being very cryptic, because I don’t want to spoil. I imagine that, even as a fan of the book, I’m still going to be surprised (and kinda am hoping things will diverge a bit … for reasons… ). I’m hooked so far and hope those who didn’t read the book or who weren’t too impressed by the superficial advertising will at least give it a try. I’m very curious to see where things will go with future seasons. As Bitten is the first in a series that Armstrong later dubbed “Women of the Otherworld,” I would love to see the other ladies make an appearance, particularly the witches, Paige and Savannah, whom Elena meets in the second book, Stolen…

New Author Spotlight: Daniel Hope

Posted on January 22, 2014 Leave a Comment

Co-founder and now Managing Editor of the online Science Fiction and Fantasy magazine, Fiction Vortex, Daniel recently self-published his first novel, a science fiction gem called The Inevitable (see my review here).

1. What are your favourite books and how have they influenced your writing?
This probably comes as no surprise, but I’m a real sucker for science fiction. I love old Asimov stories, even when they don’t held up too well over the years. A constant influence is Douglas Adam’s Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy because I find myself gravitating back to it every year or two. Great concepts really draw me in, too. So stuff by Vernor Vinge, Neal Stephenson, James S. A. Corey, and plenty of others get my attention regularly.

2. What authors have inspired you?
As I mentioned above, Douglas Adams has made a huge impression on me, just because of how effortless his writing feels. Terry Pratchett was another early influence. (I have a thing for British humor apparently). William Gibson also had a huge influence on me because he can make a strange world feel so real.

3. Describe your writing process. How do you handle writer’s block and other challenges?
If I had to choose a single word to describe my writing process, it would probably be “disjointed.” I’m easily stumped by a story, and I feel like the only way to work through it is to break my routine. So I have a half dozen notebooks, half a billion different word processor files, and sheets and sheets of scribbles scattered about. I write on the train, in a cafe, on my bed, just about anywhere but at my desk to get the juices flowing. This makes for a huge problem when it’s time to pull everything together, but it seems to work.

4. What are your future writing plans?
I’ve got another science fiction novel in the works, although it’s a completely different setting and tone than my first novel. I don’t know what will happen after that, but I can guarantee it will involve words.

Waiting on Wednesday 01/22/14

Posted on January 22, 2014 Leave a Comment

“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that lets us feature upcoming releases that we can’t wait to get our hands on!

Mogsy’s Pick

Honor’s Knight by Rachel Bach: February 25, 2014 (Orbit)

You saw earlier this week how much I enjoyed Fortune’s Pawn. Now bring on the next one!

“The rollicking sequel to Fortune’s Pawn — an action packed science fiction novel.

Devi Morris has a lot of problems. And not the fun, easy-to-shoot kind either.

After a mysterious attack left her short several memories and one partner, she’s determined to keep her head down, do her job, and get on with her life. But even though Devi’s not actually looking for it — trouble keeps finding her. She sees things no one else can, the black stain on her hands is growing, and she is entangled with the cook she’s supposed to hate.

But when a deadly crisis exposes far more of the truth than she bargained for, Devi discovers there’s worse fates than being shot, and sometimes the only people you can trust are the ones who want you dead.”

Book Review: Red Delicious by Kathleen Tierney/Caitlín R. Kiernan

Posted on January 21, 2014 Leave a Comment

Red Delicious by Kathleen Tierney/Caitlín R. Kiernan (Roc)

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Series: Book 2 of Siobhan Quinn

Publication Date: February 4, 2014

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Mogsy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Even before the first page, I was cracking up at the epigraphs. Okay, maybe it’s just the geek in me, but I don’t think it’s possible to go wrong with a book that quotes “old Asura proverbs” from Guild Wars 2. Regardless, I knew I was going to be in for a ride with this one, and I would have expected nothing less from the follow-up to the utterly brilliant book that was Blood Oranges. Yep, it feels great to be back in the world of ~~Siobhan~~ Quinn!

Much like the first book, Red Delicious delivers a healthy dose of dark humor and satire. Our favorite half-werewolf, half-vampire heroine is back working a case for her boss Mean Mr. B, following the trail of a missing teenage girl who also happens to be the youngest daughter of a local bigwig necromancer. But, as Quinn so often likes to remind us, she is not a detective. Oh, and don’t call her Siobhan. Not unless you want to keep all your teeth.

What follows next is an outrageously entertaining sequence of events as Quinn gets caught up in a tangle involving demons, alternate universes, and an ancient magical artifact of immense power which I can’t even physically describe here without having to raise the content rating of this review. Trapped in the middle of everything, it’ll take Quinn everything she has just to get out of this one alive.

This story is guaranteed to serve up lots of laughs and no small amount of raised eyebrows. This is not your typical urban fantasy, folks. The author’s note pretty much says it all; if you’re looking for romance, likeable heroes, seductively attractive werewolves and vampires, or books in general that don’t come with a warning label, then this series is probably not for you. But if you’re down with checking out a side of this genre which has never been seen before, Kathleen Tierney (nom de plume of renowned speculative fiction author Caitlín R. Kiernan) will seriously rock your world.

I still remember my first encounter with Quinn, which was such a refreshing experience. She’s a pure riot! I think the first time I heard her describe herself as a “werepire” I almost fell out of my chair. A self-admitted coward, shamelessly compulsive liar and a terribly unreliable narrator to boot, she’s nonetheless an anti-heroine you can’t help but love. She will make her own rules when telling her story, and won’t give a crap if you don’t like it. Always fond of breaking the fourth wall, throughout the book Quinn will even tell you that herself — though I assure you she is much less polite about it! This is a protagonist who will blast away all your expectations with the shocking things she says and does.

It’s this tongue-in-cheek, almost parodic take on urban fantasy that makes me love these books so much. This series breaks the mold in more ways than one, and is perfect for those needing a quick breather from the more traditional UF tropes. The fast-paced, volatile and unpredictable nature of the story means there is never a dull moment. Red Delicious is a worthy sequel, just as amazing as Blood Oranges!

A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Roc Books!

Book Review: Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan

Posted on January 21, 2014 1 Comment

Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Riyria Revelations vol.1

Publisher: Orbit

Publication Date: November 2011

Author Info: www.riyria.com

Wendy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Riyria means “two” in elvish and the two in question are Hadrian Blackwater, the master swordsman, and his shadow partner, Royce Melborn, the brooding master thief. The reputation of Riyria precedes them such that even the local guildsmen know not to cross paths with them, and their skills are so great, that their resume boasts many references from lords and ladies who have used their subterfuge and even assassination services. But when Hadrian falls for a big score that goes against all their rules, unsurprisingly, they end up on the wrong end of a sword. Blamed for the murder of the king, they are set for execution, until the princess gives them a way out: kidnap the prince and take him to a mysterious prison to find a mysterious prisoner.

Theft of Swords collects the first two books in Riyria Revelations series, The Crown Conspiracy and Avempartha. These stories contain a lot of possibility, but as you can tell by my three star rating, they fell short for me. The plot and characters are set up to be amazing, but some how, they failed to truly cross the line into the realm of being memorable. They are missing the “something more” that should make them truly spectacular.

Every time I felt like we were getting somewhere with character building or plot transition, things sped up to the end and/or glossed over what should have been the meat of the development. For example, Hadrian and Royce kidnap the prince, who is a petulant creature that ends up figuring himself out in order to prove himself worthy of taking his father’s place. But there was not really a strong interaction to show us the transition. Instead, we got a long inner monologue where he realized that he had to grow up. And that’s a major problem in Theft of Swords – a reliance on too much exposition. There are a lot of moments spent divulging a lot of information that, while relevant to the overall world, do not hold any immediate importance to the events, or even slow down the momentum of the story. For example, when Royce is teetering on the edge of a step about to collapse within a tower set to fall apart and kill him and the princess he’s trying to rescue, the tension of the moment is completely lost because the dwarf goes into complete schematic detail on how he manufactured the elaborate trap. And as much as I want to know about Royce’s shadowy past, I didn’t need him to meet up with a group of bad guildsmen who’s only purpose seemed to be to detail Royce’s shadowy past. Oh and to deliver a message about a girl who needed Riyria’s help.

Hadrian and Royce disappointed me the most. They should have been a dynamic duo, but instead, I found myself wondering what the elvish word for “one” was. The characters aren’t interchangeable, but I felt that their personalities weren’t clearly defined well enough beyond “charming warrior” and “shadowy thief” to actually require both of them, save in moments when they were needed to be in two different places at once, being warriory and thiefy, respectively. Fortunately, by the end of the second book, things got a little bit better and the female characters, Princess Arista and the commoner, Thrace, likewise became a bit more interesting.

Still, I did really like the way Sullivan included fantasy standards of elves, dwarves, magic and mythical beasts, but did not place them at the forefront of the story. Here, elves are a downtrodden race and there are some enticing hints of future conflicts and interactions that I hope will be fully realized.

Esrahaddon, the maimed and imprisoned wizard, is also an intriguing character. Though he too often gets to reveal the answer to all the riddles, rather than letting our heroes do so, I look forward to learning more about him. He is a man with plans within plans that promise a lot more intrigue ahead.