Karsa Orlong Posted December 9, 2013 Author Share Posted December 9, 2013 Noooo, it just says about it being special on the Amazon summary. (Spoilers? Me?? ) See!! You could've just stopped at "Noooo"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 See!! You could've just stopped at "Noooo"! Sorry, I assumed you'd read the summary before buying the book! *zips mouth shut* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted December 9, 2013 Author Share Posted December 9, 2013 Sorry, I assumed you'd read the summary before buying the book! *zips mouth shut* I win! I tend not to read the blurb on Amazon these days until after I've read the book, cos some of them are far too spoilery for my liking. Generally, if i see a rec for a book, or see that the average review score is good, I go and read the start of it and see if I like it. Most of the time it works, sometimes it doesn't (i.e. Mayhem, up-thread), but I like to stay as spoiler-free as possible Anyway, the magic sword thing is no biggie, cos I kind of guessed it would be, otherwise why call the book that? And if it's not a magic sword, I'm going to take Poul Anderson to court, cos it bloody well should be Oh wait, he's dead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 (edited) I tend not to read the blurb on Amazon these days until after I've read the book, cos some of them are far too spoilery for my liking. Generally, if i see a rec for a book, or see that the average review score is good, I go and read the start of it and see if I like it. Most of the time it works, sometimes it doesn't (i.e. Mayhem, up-thread), but I like to stay as spoiler-free as possible Mmmmffffgglllmmmmffff. *unzips mouth* I can see why you wouldn't want to read the blurb - I guess they can be pretty spoilery, though usually I find this only applies to sequels. For myself I like to read the blurb AND an extract (preferably from a random page in the middle of the book) so that I know what I'm getting myself into. For example, I loved the sound of the blurb for Ursula leGuin's Earthsea Quartet, but didn't like the extract I read at all. Whereas with The Black Prism, I didn't like the Amazon extract, but what I'd read on the blurb and about the series itself made me want to give it a go. So I like a bit of both. Edited December 9, 2013 by Signor Finzione Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 When I see or hear about a book I might like (or read about it on this thread as is usually the case) I check it out on amazon, read the blurb and a few reviews and if it appeals it will go on the wishlist, but by the time I have acquired it and it gets to the top of my TBR pile, (usual waiting time is 2-3 years ) I have forgotten what it's about but I don't usually read the blurb again, I just dive right in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 I always read the Amazon blurb when I buy it (unless it's part of a series), but by the time I get around to reading the book, I always read the blurb at the back of the book (and will have forgotten the Amazon stuff). Those are usually not spoilery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 Blurb and excerpt for me, and a quick skim of the first couple of reviews. Then I tend to put it in my ` thinking about purchasing` list, which means I think about my TBR, act all pious by not immediately buying it, then buy it later if the book has stuck in my mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 Yup, me too. Always read the Amazon blurb, or Good Reads.....not always exactly the same. Also do the first page and the "page 69 test". If all of that looks good, we buy. ` ` ` ` ` An aside....LP, love your sig line..."Save the Earth - it`s the only Planet with chocolate". YES! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 An aside....LP, love your sig line..."Save the Earth - it`s the only Planet with chocolate". YES! It was on an email I got. I feel it encapsulates everything I stand for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted December 9, 2013 Author Share Posted December 9, 2013 I've lost count of the number of Amazon blurbs I've had to edit to include in my reviews because they were so spoilery Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 Funnily enough, spoilers don't bother me, 99% of the time. By the time I get to read the book, I've forgotten anyhow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted December 10, 2013 Author Share Posted December 10, 2013 (edited) Book #73: The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson Thoughts: I just read the Amazon blurb, and it tells you virtually half the story, so I'm not going to post it here A brief explanation of what the story is about: Set in a semi-mythical England at the time of Alfred the Great (when he has just made peace with the Danes led by Guthrum - this fits in nicely with Bernard Cornwell's books ), where man and the 'White Christ' are gradually sweeping the land of faerie-kind from existence, the story begins when Orm, a Dane and veteran of many viking raids, takes an English wife and claims some land by burning a family out of their home. There is one survivor of that family, who just happens to be a witch. She naturally holds a bit of a grudge against Orm and, when his wife gives birth to a baby boy, she tells Imric, an elf lord of faerie-kind. As the boy has yet to be christened faerie-kind can claim his soul, so Imric - by rather foul means - replaces the baby with a changeling, and takes Orm's son as his own. That's the set up. What follows is a tale of a war between the elves and their mortal enemies the trolls, and of the enmity between the elf-fostered Skafloc and the changeling Valgard, and of meddling Norse gods, and of a love story. I think I mentioned, when I posted about The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, that it started in the manner of a saga. In that regard, I think this was the perfect way to follow it, because Anderson tells his tale from start to finish in the style of a Norse saga. It seemed to me to come across in a similar manner to a prose version of an epic poem (there is a lot of poetry in it as well, but more on that in a minute) and has the feel of someone telling the tale around a camp fire to a spellbound audience. It has the same sort of sweep and scale to it and, at the same time, views events from a distance. I thought this might be a problem, in that it might be problematic to engage with the characters, but he does a fine job with characterisation, the dialogue is really well done, and there is plenty of moral ambiguity. It was first published in 1954, the same year that Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring came out, which makes it all the more remarkable, because I would definitely say now that this book is the grandfather of grimdark. It is grim. It is violent (shockingly so, for 1954, I should think), it is full of nasty, scheming characters, and there is incest - although to say more about this would be far too spoilery. And there's poetry. A lot of poetry. Which is also very grim, as far as I'm concerned Fortunately, in a 240 page book, it's all very brief. I've no doubt it's there to enhance the saga-like feel of the novel, but it didn't do much for me. It far from ruins it, though, and the atmosphere that runs throughout is fantastic. Anderson crammed so much into a comparatively short novel - enough to probably keep modern authors in business for a whole series of books - that there is never a dull moment. The characters - particularly Skafloc, Freda, Leea and Valgard - are fantastic. The mix of real history, faerie-kind, and Norse mythology, is exciting and fascinating. And there's a sword, which may or may not be magical I can see myself reading this one again in the future. It's very nearly perfect. Nearly, but . . . 9/10 (I'm deducting 1 point for all the poetry! ) ETA: forgot to mention, thank heavens for the Kindle dictionary, cos I lost count of the number of times I had to highlight a word, and found that it was 'archaic'. It was a huge help and made the reading experience that much more enjoyable and smooth Edited December 10, 2013 by Karsa Orlong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted December 10, 2013 Author Share Posted December 10, 2013 An interesting review of The Broken Sword from The Guardian, written by Michael Moorcock, no less. There are some spoilers, so I'll copy it here without the offending paragraphs. The Broken Swordby Poul Anderson274pp, Gollancz Fantasy Masterworks, £6.99 Two similar books were published in 1954. The first, in the US, was Poul Anderson's The Broken Sword . The second, in the UK, was JRR Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring . Both these romances drew on familiar Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon sources, but Anderson's was somewhat closer to its origins, a fast-paced doom-drenched tragedy in which human heroism, love and ambition, manipulated by amoral gods, elves and trolls, led inevitably to tragic consequences. When I read it as a boy, Anderson's book impressed me so powerfully that I couldn't then enjoy Tolkien's. Both stories involved magical artefacts of great power whose possession inclined the users to drastic evil. Both described Faery as a world of ancient, pre-human races no longer as powerful as they once were. Both had characters who quoted or invented bits of bardic poetry at the drop of a rusted helm. None the less, I couldn't take Tolkien seriously. Aside from his nursery-room tone, I was unhappy with his infidelities of time, place and character, unconvinced by his female characters and quasi-juvenile protagonists. Anderson set his tale firmly in the early part of the second millennium, in England's Danelaw, when "the White Christ" was threatening the power of all the old gods. He described how, without witch-sight, one might mistake elvish castles and towns for high, bleak mountains and boulder-strewn fells. He made it easy to believe that Yorkshire limestone could be the sparkling escarpments of Alfheim. His women were as sharply drawn and thoroughly motivated as his men. What's more, Anderson's Eddic verse was better. Admittedly, he didn't fill his book with maps, chronologies and glossaries. He had no wise, all-knowing patriarchs. His only longbeard was sinister old Odin, using all his skills to survive. Anderson's human characters belonged to the 11th century and were often brutal, fearful and superstitious. Their lives were short. Their understanding of the future was a little bleak, with the prospect of Ragnarok just around the corner. To be on the safe side, even Christian priests accommodated the Aesir. The Broken Sword opens with a bloody reaving. A land-hungry Dane cruelly destroys a Saxon family. Soon afterwards, riding out under a still, full moon, Earl Imric, ruler of all Britain's elves, encounters a Saxon witch, the sole survivor of the massacre. The witch craves vengeance against the Danes and tells Imric about the conqueror's new-born, unbaptised baby. Knowing the value of humans, who can handle iron, Imric quickly returns home to create [ ... ] a changeling he can substitute for the baby he calls Scafloc. Imric thus sets off a chain of terrible events foreshadowed by the gift brought to Scafloc's naming ceremony by the Aesir's messenger, Skirnir. The gift is an ancient iron sword broken into two pieces. Ultimately, the sword must be rejoined. This portends no good for men or elves. Meanwhile, the unwitting Danes name their troll-child Valgard. The boys grow up. Merry, graceful and brave, Scafloc is a credit to his adopted people. Equally strong, Valgard is a brooding brute. Scafloc becomes Alfeim's darling. Valgard be-comes a cruel berserker. Seduced by the witch and given greater power by Odin, Valgard soon adds fratricide and patricide to his crimes. With Jacobean relish, Anderson thickens his plot with betrayal, rapine and incest. Our human capacity for love and hate is used to further the ambitions of Aesir and Faery alike. An elvish expedition to Trollheim alerts them to the threat of a troll army massing to destroy Alfheim for ever. Valgard discovers the truth of his own origins and joins the trolls. Fatally, Scafloc falls in love with a woman he rescues from Valgard. Inevitably, as the elves are vanquished, he embarks on a journey to reforge the broken sword. Ultimately all will be defeated by their own passions. Any victories will be bitter. Tolkien's saga reflected the sentiments of sacrifice typical of post-first world war fiction. Anderson's seems to echo the existential mood of the west after the second world war. The Broken Sword has an atmosphere in common with the best 40s noir movies, themselves a reaction to the overblown romantic rhetoric of Nazism. With Mervyn Peake, Henry Treece and even TH White, Anderson influenced a school of epic fantasy fundamentally at odds with inkling reassurances. In 1971, Anderson revised his book and weakened it. Victor Gollancz, which has done such an excellent job with its series of fantasy masterworks, has had the sense to publish the 1954 original. To read it is to understand much of the origins of an alternate fantasy tradition exemplified by such writers as M John Harrison, Philip Pullman and China Miéville, who reject the comforts of the Lamb and Flag and determinedly stick closer to deeper mythic resonances. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Great review! I can tell you're completely infatuated with this era at the moment. I'm interested to know whether you think this book is weaker than the Cornwell for blending the historical with the supernatural? Book #73: The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson I just read the Amazon blurb, and it tells you virtually half the story, so I'm not going to post it here See! Not my fault. And there's a sword, which may or may not be magical I knew it! Also have to say: that cover is gorgeous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted December 10, 2013 Author Share Posted December 10, 2013 Great review! I can tell you're completely infatuated with this era at the moment. I'm interested to know whether you think this book is weaker than the Cornwell for blending the historical with the supernatural? Thanks! No, I don't think it's weaker at all, cos it comes at it from a completely different angle. Cornwell's books are about Alfred and the Danes, this one just uses it as a backdrop See! Not my fault. It's your fault for posting it on here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Great review, I saw this comparison on an amazon review that appears to sum up Moorcock's views nicely "If Tolkien is the Beatles then Anderson is the Rolling Stones!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted December 10, 2013 Author Share Posted December 10, 2013 Great review, I saw this comparison on an amazon review that appears to sum up Moorcock's views nicely "If Tolkien is the Beatles then Anderson is the Rolling Stones!" Yeah, that's about right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted December 16, 2013 Author Share Posted December 16, 2013 Book #74: Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson From Amazon: The young orphan David Balfour is sent to live with his Uncle Ebenezer. When he discovers that he may be the rightful heir to his uncle’s estate, he finds himself kidnapped and cast away on a desert isle. A historical adventure novel originally intended for a young-adult audience, "Kidnapped” deals with true historical events relating to the Jacobite Rising, and has won the admiration of an adult audience. Thoughts: This was a freebie I downloaded when I first got my Kindle, along with Treasure Island. That was three years ago – I read Treasure Island straight away but only just got around to this. I don’t know why I put it off for so long. Kidnapped is, on the face of it, the story of David Balfour and his inheritance. In reality, it is more than that, because it paints a vivid picture of Scotland in the wake of the second Jacobite Rebellion in 1745 (the story begins in 1751, when the clans are not only fighting each other but those loyal to the crown, as well). When his father dies, David is given a letter and sent off to the home of his uncle, Ebenezer, who he has never met. There must be something in the name, because Ebenezer is less than charitable, and soon tries to kill David, and then proceeds to have him kidnapped (the title is a bit of a spoiler! ) by a ship’s captain he has dealings with. That’s the set-up for what turns out to be an adventure story that takes place on sea and on land, across the Scottish Highlands. Some of the events and people were real (including the best character, Alan Breck) and, as a work of historical fiction, I found this hugely enjoyable. David can be a bit whiney at times but, happily, the hand-wringing is kept to a minimum, and the friendship that builds between him and Breck is really well done, with plenty of tense and exciting moments to balance the quieter, more introspective scenes. I suppose the make or break deal with this story is whether or not you can deal with the way Stevenson handled the dialects. Personally, bar a handful of occasions, I found it a really smooth and easy read. The Kindle dictionary helped in places, too. I thought the story fizzled out a little at the end, and didn't really have the big finish I felt it deserved after the brilliant first two thirds, but it wasn't a dealbreaker for me. I must get The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde at some point 8/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted December 16, 2013 Share Posted December 16, 2013 (edited) Great review . I hadn't heard of Kidnapped before I read your review, I suppose it's one of his lesser well known works? I have Treasure Island on my TBR. It's good to hear it's free for Kindle, that way I can always have a try if I feel like it. I'm not too keen on having dialects in a book, so I don't know how well I'd get along with it. Thanks for mentioning it. Since the book is free though, it won't cost any money to give it a go. I'm glad you enjoyed it . Did you like Treasure Island? The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is also on my TBR, I hope you enjoy it if / when you read it . Edited December 16, 2013 by Athena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted December 16, 2013 Share Posted December 16, 2013 Glad you enjoyed it, I've read The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde which was good but not Kidnapped yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted December 16, 2013 Share Posted December 16, 2013 I've never heard of this book either, but have read and enjoyed both Jekyll and Hyde and Treasure Island. Glad you enjoyed this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted December 16, 2013 Author Share Posted December 16, 2013 (edited) Book #75: The Legend of Deathwalker by David Gemmell From Amazon: For centuries the tribes of the Nadir have suffered under the despotic tyranny of their Gothir overlords. Disunited and distrustful of one another the tribes await the coming of a Messianic warlord, who will unite them against the oppressors. Into this swirling, chaotic landscape come three men who will change the fate of the continent: Talisman, the mysterious, enigmatic Nadir warrior, haunted by his past and filled with dreams of finding the Uniter; Sieben the Poet, searching for the mysteries of life and love; and Druss the Axeman, determined to find two mystic gems to heal a mortally wounded friend. Together they will journey across a war-torn land, and descend beyond the gates of Hell, where a long-dead king holds the key to a secret that will change the world. The Legend of Deathwalker, this battle-charged tale of Druss among the Nadir, completes the circle begun with Legend. Thoughts: Dreadful cover art aside, this, the second prequel to Gemmell's Legend, effectively fills in the blanks between that brilliant debut novel and The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend, which I read a few months back. The Legend of Deathwalker is framed by the older Druss telling the tale as he waits for the Nadir horde to attack the fortress Dros Delnoch, so it ties in very tightly with Legend. It is the tale of the part Druss played in the rising of the Nadir Uniter, Ulric, and of a battle for a shrine that has become the focus of both the Nadir tribes - none of whom are prepared to relinquish control to the others - and the Gothir army, who set about wiping out the Nadir on the orders of their mad emperor. I found this was a surprisingly subdued novel, given Gemmell's usual pacing and action-packed plots. It takes a long time to get going as it sets up the background and (re)introduces its characters. It's not until Talisman comes into the story that things really start to click, and he, Sieben and Druss are the glue which holds the whole thing together. As usual, Gemmell populated the story with wonderful characters from the main three to a reasonably large supporting cast, all of whom are fleshed out with his by-now-expected skill, and is laced with his dry humour and occasionally thought-provoking dialogue. It's an introspective novel for large parts, dealing with the conflict from each side and encompassing faith and musings on the futility of war. Much like Abercrombie's Red Country - although not in such a deliberate and overt manner - I thought this had a kind of Western vibe to it. The siege of the (fortunately) fortified shrine seems almost like the Alamo, and the setting on the drought-stricken plains only added to this element, I think. Gemmell took the time to finish this book in a way that ties in beautifully to Legend. It perhaps seems to lack the urgency of his other books (although that may not be a bad thing) and is perhaps a little predictable, which is something I've never thought about his other books. I don't think this is his best work, by far. But then, even in a lesser novel, he was still streets ahead of most other fantasy writers, in my opinion. 7/10 Edited December 16, 2013 by Karsa Orlong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted December 16, 2013 Share Posted December 16, 2013 Glad to see you've had a productive few days, Steve. I really will have to check out this Gemmell fellow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted December 16, 2013 Author Share Posted December 16, 2013 Glad to see you've had a productive few days, Steve. Yeah, I might actually get my TBR pile down to 50 (finally!) by Christmas In other news, you probably already know this, but Scott Lynch has announced that the fourth book in the 'Gentleman Ba-stard' sequence, The Thorn of Emberlain, is due to be published in Q3 2014 http://fantasy-faction.com/2013/scott-lynchs-fourth-gentleman-'person of dubious parentage'-book-coming-in-2014 He's making up for lost time, by the looks of it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted December 16, 2013 Share Posted December 16, 2013 In other news, you probably already know this, but Scott Lynch has announced that the fourth book in the 'Gentleman Ba-stard' sequence, The Thorn of Emberlain, is due to be published in Q3 2014 http://fantasy-faction.com/2013/scott-lynchs-fourth-gentleman-'person of dubious parentage'-book-coming-in-2014 He's making up for lost time, by the looks of it I'll believe it when I see it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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