Signor Finzione

Hi Travis, welcome! Do you read fantasy at all, or is it just sci-fi you like?

Ahh, great review - Glokta is one of my favourite fictional creations ever, and I love Ninefingers too. The First Law trilogy is awesome, and Best Served Cold is even better (or so I think). I didn't enjoy Red Country or The Heroes quite as much, although still thought they were brilliant. I'm glad you enjoyed Red Country - it's nominated for the David Gemmell Legend award, you should go and vote for it! (I've gone for King of Thorns by Mark Lawrence, though). @Athena: Wow, that sounds truly confusing ad heartbreaking. I suppose love triangles are such popular subject matter in books because love messes so many people up in real life. Nice to know you went with your instincts and got your happily-ever-after!

Review: Shadows in the Sand by Michael Diack Athmane is a hunter; Faria, a craftsman. Bayoud is a soldier, and Mary a medic. Together they represent each of the four quarters of Nimar. When an ancient evil rears its ugly head the four friends are called upon to use their unique skills to defend the citizens of the isolated desert city. Potential salvation appears in the form of unexpected allies and the promise of a new home, but will it be too late for Nimar? And can the army of fearsome Sanghouls be stopped before they destroy Empyria itself? Shadows in the Sand is the first tale in Michael Diack’s Empyria sequence. It’s full of good old classic fantasy tropes including (but not limited to) elves, dragons, mages, monsters and magic potions. There are plenty of action scenes which I thought could have been fleshed out a little more than they were, but overall I found it a fairly entertaining read. It sort of reminded me of Peter V Brett’s world in The Painted Man, what with the sand demons and all; and I do like a book with good monsters. That said, there were a few things that niggled at me, namely some awkward grammar that occasionally tarnished my overall reading experience. I also felt that much of the dialogue was somewhat stilted and wooden, which meant that the characters didn’t come alive as well as they could have done. I would like to have seen some flashbacks incorporated into the story: we are often told that the four main characters grew up together yet never really see them interact in a way that would suggest this. This leads me on to one more issue: I felt that the author spent too much time telling us things rather than showing us. As a result some of the dialogue seems slightly contrived; there are lots of descriptions that focus on using measurements rather than imagination to create a visual, and there are several paragraphs containing what might be referred to as ‘infodumps’. The prologue is an example of this, taking several pages to explain the history of Empyria to the reader in a very ‘history book’ fashion. This was probably the intended effect, but I felt that everything within the prologue could have been (and often was, in fact) worked into the narrative instead. On the other hand, the story has a very fast pace that mostly makes up for the occasional stilted conversation between characters. The book is certainly not without its merits. Despite my seemingly long list of complaints I did enjoy reading the book and will no doubt check out the second and final instalment to the series when it’s released in December. I found the storyline interesting and the concept of the world and its history was nice, especially as the book gives you the sense that this history is about to repeat itself. I liked that the story was set in a desert and that it constantly reminds you of the hardships and dangers of everyday life in such a place. I also liked how the journeys/quests are set up for the sequel, with some of the characters going their separate ways. It’s good to know such classic plotlines never go out of fashion, though it’ll be interesting to see whether the author decides to challenge our expectations in Empyria #2. I’ll be interested to see how the story develops . . . I would also very much like to see the inclusion of more casual friendly banter between the main characters, more focus on the emotional impact of events on these characters, and also a bit more building of suspense during the moments leading up to the action. Also, more Jax. I like Jax. One final comment: I loved the abundance of monsters. It really gives the book a good vintage fantasy feel when every few pages you’re running into fearsome sand-golems, giant scorpions, flesh-eating mermen and even the occasional colossal man-eating poison-spitting cobra. Pretty cool, eh? My rating: 3/5

So you're a Greek goddess either way? That's pretty cool. What a good idea! It's not arrogant at all (also, if I'd read as many books as you I think I'd be shouting it from the rooftops ).

I'm guessing it's been this way ever since the whole Twilight-mania thing. Something is successful and so the publishers try to replicate the success by 'borrowing' the ideas. Nobody I know of has ever been involved in a love triangle in real life. I hope you enjoy the Abercrombie - he's one of my favourite authors and the First Law trilogy is brilliant. You've already read The Blade Itself?

I used to read Stephen King and James Herbert a lot, but these days I don't really read the scary stuff. I think I was 12 when I read Pet Sematary - it scared the crap out of me. Scaredy-cats unite!

I've read loads of Feist from across the series (not necessarily in the right order). I'm looking forward to eventually having the whole Riftwar Cycle so I can read them all from the beginning. Oh, and just call me Laura, it's easier.

Yeah, I can see how the dragons would be annoying after a while . . . @Devi: I love digging my PS2 out and playing a bit of Dark Alliance. Those rats in the cellar really have it coming to 'em. (Is there an old-style fantasy game that doesn't involve rats/beetles in cellars??) The frost giants freak me out a bit, though. They're too big! @Athena: I just realised it looked like I was trying to make you buy that book! I'm sorry, I misread 'add it to your wishlist' as 'add it to your Kindle'. Got Kindles on the brain at the moment, haha. And I'm glad I'm not the only one who gets scared by games.

3 words on the subject of R E Feist: The Empire Trilogy. <3

1. Thanks! 2. I read both Lynch books years ago and am hoping to re-read them before next month's release of Republic of Thieves. (I agree, everyone should read Lies). Next recommendation?

Yeah, the film really did tone it down . . . particularly the bit with the 'dogs' and the 'bloodbath at the cornucopia'. How can you have a bloodbath with no blood?

I agree totally about Dragon Age, although I do still enjoy playing both. I used to share a flat with my husband and his brother: his brother bought Fallout 3 the day it was released and it's the only thing we saw on the TV screen for about 3 solid weeks . It looked great but the mutant things were a bit scary for wussy old me, plus I tend to get lost in games with such big wide worlds to explore. I hope you enjoy the Witcher 2 - I've played it through twice now, and it's been different each time (there are two different choices you can make/sides to support, and the rest of the game plays out completely differently depending on which one you pick). Witcher 3 is also coming out next year (I think) and it looks absolutely amazing - although by the looks of it I'll spend more time getting lost than I will actually completing quests.

If you click the link to my blog (in my signature) it'll take you to the review on there; there are links at the bottom to buy it for Kindle on both Amazon and the author's website. I'm not a huge fan of short stories but I really liked this one. The Church is part of the overall plot, but it's more to do with the political influence of the religious leaders and how this affects one of the characters' attempts to run the country (if I remember correctly). It's very interesting: I've seen it referred to as "flintlock fantasy" as there are guns as well as magic, and the powder mages themselves are brilliant. It's a really good book and I'll definitely be investing in the second one when it comes out. I was talking about the original Baldur's Gate for the PC, whereas I'm guessing you're referring to Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance for PS2? I've played them both, by the way, and enjoyed them lots! Me and my sister used to play co-op for days on end during the school holidays. (I miss the older games where you could play co-op with the person you're sitting next to!) Dragon Age 1 is definitely better than 2, although I've played both more times than I can count! Dragon Age 3 comes out next year and it looks amazing. The only reason I wanted to play Skyrim in the first place was because the dragons looked awesome. I'm glad I didn't bother with it now.

I agree with much of what you said, especially the spoiler bit. I loved the concept (even though it rips off The Condemned, which also rips off Battle Royale), but was disappointed with the delivery. The love triangle really started to grate on me, and she drew it out to the point where I ended up not caring who she chose. I thought The Hunger Games was good as a standalone novel (except for the flat ending), and the last quarter or so of Catching Fire was entertaining, but I didn't like Mockingjay at all. Do you think she made a mistake picking this story for a YA novel? I felt that she could have made it a lot more engaging with a bit more adult detail - graphic violence, sexual tension rather than teenage crush etc. (Or am a just a sick, sick person? )

Here's a token book review in case anyone accuses us of going off-topic (but do keep talking about the games - nobody else I know cares about them ). It's for a short story I was sent recently to review. Review: Hope's End by Brian McClellan A cruel ultimatum. An impending battle. A situation without hope. Or is it? Captain Verundish is trapped in a terrible position. Unable to see a way out, she is willing to face the ultimate sacrifice to protect those she holds dear. The first wave of the assault on Darjah provides the perfect opportunity . . . but the intervention of General Tamas drastically changes the well-laid plans of the Captain. ‘Hope’s End’ is an engaging short story from the creator of the Powder Mage trilogy. The events take place several years prior to the events of the main trilogy, meaning no previous knowledge of the series is necessary. However, those who have read Promise of Blood will be especially delighted: ‘Hope’s End’ adds a new dimension to the world of the powder mages, as well as giving us an intriguing glimpse of Tamas in his younger days. This is the story of Tamas, however, but that of Captain Verundish. The restrictions of the short story format can make it difficult to create characters we care about, but I was rooting for Verundish after reading the first couple of paragraphs, which are poignant yet pleasantly morbid. I was filled with sympathy at her situation, as well as admiration for her resolve: her entire situation really increased the resonance of the title ‘Hope’s End’. As a huge fan of Promise of Blood I was looking forward to some characteristically enthralling action, and there’s about as much of it here as you can expect from a story this length. The atmosphere shifts from tense to explosive in a matter of moments, and there are some really nice moments of Privileged magic and powder mage awesomeness. I would like to have seen more of Tamas in action, but I suppose this wasn’t really his story. The balance of various elements – personal crises, army politics, and chaotic warfare – as well as their satisfying resolution makes this a perfectly self-contained story for those new to the author. For others more familiar with his work, it’s a wonderful companion tale to the series and a great way to break down the time spent waiting for the release of The Crimson Campaign. Only five months to go . . . My rating: 4.5/5

Yeah, I don't really agree with the whole 'online only' thing, and I never play online with other people (it's MY game, all mine preciousssss ) I've only ever played VI, VII, VIII and IX. VI is brilliant and VII is one of my favourite games of all time (they were going to remake it a few years ago the way they're doing Fable I now, but it fell through). I did try to get into FFX, and played the demo for FFXII (I think) but for some reason the newer ones don't really appeal to me. The trailer for the new one looks pretty cool though . . . I think I might have been getting Mass Effect mixed up with Dead Space . I'm not a huge fan of shooters or anything first-person really. I did play Devil May Cry 3, although I pretty much used my ice-flail thingy all the way through instead of the gun. You can still download demos, but mainly for rubbish games . . . I remember the days of Playstation 1, where you'd randomly get a demo disc through the post and play it for hours. I'm enjoying it too! Reminds me of the old days. Maybe this thread should be 'geeks only'? Although it seems to be mainly you, me and Steve, so I guess it already is. Ooo, WANT WANT WANT!! With the graphics card thing I just meant 'bigger' games like DA and Elder Scrolls and stuff. I can't even play NWN2 on it. The problem with my BG was that it was the US edition, or something. I tried Oblivion and Skyrim (and had Morrowind for PC too), but gave up on them all really early on as I found it really difficult to negotiate the view/movement. Did you play Dragon Age 1 or 2? They're both good but in different ways. And I've only played the Witcher 2 since the first one isn't available on Xbox. Icewind Dale was the first RPG I ever played (even before BG), and FFVII was the second - maybe why I like them so much. I'm great at starting games, and then doing absolutely nothing else until I've finished them. (Unless it's Elder Scrolls)

I usually pick females too. I love DA2 where you can make your character look exactly how you want! I only got all the achievements because I had too much time on my hands - I usually just try and sit back and enjoy the game rather than worrying about getting 100%. (Although I do like hunting down silver keys in the Fable games.) It's funny - my favourite character to play in DA is a rogue archer. Mages are fun too though! I've always fancied the Dragon Age books simply because I love the games - I'll have to give them a go! I've never played Mass Effect - it looks a bit scary for me. I've read 'The Last Wish' by Andrej Sapkowski, but in that case the game (the Witcher) was based on the book and not the other way round. It wasn't that good either - there were some really good moments but it didn't really flow as a cohesive story (maybe because it was translated?). I've read 'The Shattering', which I think is a WoW book, which was okay. I've just looked up 'Mogworld' and it looks quite good - although the first thing it made me think of was Final Fantasy. (Have you played FF?) By the way: stop me if I'm geeking out too much, okay?

I have a recommendation: 'Blood Promise' by Brian McClellan. It's fantasy, but - bear with me! - there's a crime/mystery-ish storyline in it, some intriguing politics and lots of fun action. It's the first in the 'Powder Mage' trilogy, and it's being referred to as 'flintlock fantasy': not so much 'sword and sorcery' but 'guns and sorcery'. I loved it!

Dragon Age is my favourite game ever! I have all the expansions and have got all the achievements. The Witcher is quite difficult at the start - I had to play it on 'Easy' . It's good, but I do prefer the games where you create your own character. I hope that they do think of a medication. Games like this are a good way of escaping reality and helping you forget what's going on around you, or so I find. Definitely invest in an Xbox, my friend. It's not off topic at all! I brought it up, and anyway you can talk about what you like to me. Plus, Fable, Dragon Age and the Witcher are all books too, so yeah. (Have you read any of them? I noticed the DA ones on your reading log). I didn't even know they'd re-released it! I haven't played it for years. I got the edition that included BGII, only to be told that BGII and the expansions couldn't be played on my PC. I didn't get very far into BG I, either: Minsk (?) tried to kill me for taking too long with his quest and I got annoyed. I loved his hamster, though - "go for the eyes, Boo!" Have you played Neverwinter Nights or Icewind Dale? They're my favourites for the PC (I can only play the newer games on Xbox since I don't have a decent enough graphics card for the PC versions).

Welcome to the forum, fellow Northerner! You really must investigate further! I'm still wading my way through the shallow end of my fantasy phase and probably will be for some time.

Warning: if you do then you probably won't hear from him for a week or two (I've been enjoying the peace and quiet!) Ha, you know what I meant! I meant that I like games like Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, Neverwinter Nights, Dragon Age, Fable, the Witcher . . . well, you get the picture. Anyway, I'll speak to you in a week or so when you emerge from your man-cave . . .

Yes I did Bah, I don't see what all the fuss is about with GTA. Personally I like my Xbox games like I like my books - fantasy worlds only, please! Yay! Maybe I'll add it to my "TBR before Christmas", then. (The emote made me laugh by the way!)

I'm just kidding, I know you're reading a hefty tome at the moment. And anyone who tries to dictate how I rate my books can kiss my . . . erm . . . well, they can just go away. I know what you mean - when you've lived somewhere your whole life it's hard to think about such a huge upheaval like moving countries. (Probably why I'm still living less than a mile away from my parents!). Also, it makes me cross when people don't show respect for books, especially when they belong to someone else. Thanks, I'll let you know how it goes! It's great to be in a place where other people read fantasy. (My husband just gets this glazed look on his face whenever I try and tell him about what I'm reading . . . although at the moment that may be down to the fact that he's permanently glued to GTA V )

It's a shame Dutch Ebay is so expensive (and Dutch!). You should move to the UK: we could pool our resources and set up our own library! Except that it would probably be more of a museum, since we wouldn't want our books being man-handled by strangers. In the words of God from Monty Python and the Holy Grail: "Get on with it!!!" Honestly, it's brilliant, but my only worry is: what score will I give Emperor if I like it even more? 6/5? (Although I can't read it yet - another author has sent me a book to review so I'll be doing that first. I'm loving these free stories! ).

Review: King of Thorns by Mark Lawrence (Broken Empire #2) “I made mock of the dying at Mabberton and now their ghosts watched me burn. Take the pain, I said, and I will be a good man. Or if not that, a better man. We all become weasels with enough hurt on us. But I think a small part of it was more than that. A small part was that terrible two-edged sword called experience, cutting away at the cruel child I was, carving out whatever man might be yet to come. I promised a better one. Though I have been known to lie.” King of Thorns is the second instalment in Mark Lawrence’s post-apocalyptic dark fantasy trilogy The Broken Empire. It’s commonly held that the middle part in any trilogy is usually the weakest, functioning mostly as mere filler between books one and three, a tiresome interlude between the start and the big finish. Not so with King of Thorns: it’s fast-paced, tense, action-packed, and has several thrilling plotlines that make for a more exhilarating read than the trilogy’s first instalment. No wonder it’s been nominated for the 2013 David Gemmell Legend Award. King of Thorns once again follows the story of Jorg Ancrath, taking place four years after the main events of Prince. Jorg is now King of Renar, but must defend his position against popular leader Prince Orrin of Arrow. However, due to earlier events Jorg has had certain memories removed from his mind. These memories are revealed gradually - to both Jorg and the reader - through a series of flashbacks in a style similar to that of the novel’s predecessor, but much more cleverly and intricately crafted. The ‘present day’ plot of the novel is centred on Jorg’s plan for defeating the Prince of Arrow, a plan which is progressively revealed throughout the story and leads us with ever-increasing momentum towards the adrenaline-filled finish. I’ll be honest: the first time I read this book I had two major issues with it, the first being the flashbacks. There are four (I think) different time frames/points of view, and I initially felt these to be chaotic, distracting and occasionally repetitive. I felt that they detracted from my enjoyment of the main story by disrupting my sense of time and place. I got that they were being strategically placed to build towards the big reveal, but felt that there was too much back and forth within the narrative. Having read this book a second time, I find it difficult to reconcile my initial response with what I’ve just read. For a start, I realise that the sense of dislocation is deliberately evoked in order to create an empathic link with Jorg: we feel but a tiny fraction of what it must be like to be suddenly hit by a memory you have no recollection of having lived through. Secondly, the ordering of the flashbacks is anything but chaotic. The narrative is artfully constructed so as to reveal crucial plot points at strategic moments, as well as to both shock and tease the reader; and what I had at first thought to be random revealed itself instead to be a complex web of memories cunningly fashioned by the author in a way to make one gape with admiration. My other initial problem with the book was that I didn’t enjoy the ‘Katherine’ chapters. I found the saga of her diary entries to be an unnecessarily dull counterpoint to Jorg’s narrative, and found myself wishing her journal pages had never been found. Of course, reading the novel again made me realise why her chapters are a vital part of the on-going Sageous plotline, and her sad words resonated far more poignantly because I was aware of how it was going to end. It's also nice to have a female voice present in the story, and I’m much more willing now to accept Katherine as a necessary part of Jorg’s tale. Prince Orrin is everything we’ve come to expect from a traditional epic hero: he is handsome and moral, gracious and brave, and above all he wishes to secure peace and prosperity for the empire . . . and we spend the entire novel rooting against him (well, I did). I really like the fact that the author has managed to deconstruct traditional fantasy archetypes to such an extent that ‘good’ and ‘evil’ become merely a matter of perspective. Orrin is the golden fairy-tale prince, and yet somehow our Little Jorgy – severely flawed and of dubious morality – manages to emerge as the closest thing to a hero the author will allow. I’ll admit: there were parts of this book that I found difficult to read, and which I know have caused outrage amongst readers elsewhere on the web. A scene which I’ll refer to only as the Justice of King Olidan actually hurt me to read, even more so the second time because I knew it was coming and was powerless to stop it; and yet, I found myself elated that Jorg was able to re-live the memory and re-evaluate the lessons he thought he’s learned from the experience. The fact that the reader is made to experience such anguish is a testament to the author’s ability to create characters and situations he can feel strongly about, and to write in a way that makes others feel this way too. On a similar note, King of Thorns feels a lot more personal than Prince, perhaps because scenes such as the one I just mentioned allow the reader to connect more with the protagonist: Jorg has stabilised a little and matured emotionally, and we live through this transformation as much as he does. There is also a lot more focus on his internal struggle with the way he has lived so far – here’s a powerful example: “I told Coddin that stubbornness led me to climb, and perhaps it did, but there’s more to it. Mountains have no memory, no judgments to offer. There’s a purity in the struggle to reach a peak. You leave your world behind and take only what you need. For a creature like me there is nothing closer to redemption.” I don’t want to mislead anyone into thinking that this is some kind of sappy coming-of-age drama, by the way. I mentioned in my review of Prince of Thorns how the first book came under fire by those who were outraged by the immoral actions of the central character within the first few pages; if those same people have decided to read King of Thorns I’m guessing they’re currently rolling in their graves after choking on their own moral indignation. There’s some dark stuff here, darker than the first book, with enough creepy situations and haunting images to give you nightmares for a month. There’s battle-action – lots of battle-action! – and the flashbacks are written in the present tense, which really draws you into the moment and uses the “elephant of surprise” to keep you on the edge of your seat, right up to the eventual reveal of the final heart-breaking secret. I’m hopeful that the final instalment in the trilogy, Emperor of Thorns, will prove to be as good as this one. What with the subtle transformation of Jorg’s character, the driving themes of memory and destiny, and the intriguing foreshadowing of the Dead King, I can’t wait to read it. According to Jorg, “A time of terror comes. A dark time. The graves continue to open and the Dead King prepares to sail. But the world holds worse things than dead men. A dark time comes. My time. If it offends you. Stop me.” How can anyone read that without a shiver of anticipation? My rating: 5/5