Signor Finzione Posted May 24, 2014 Author Share Posted May 24, 2014 Review: 'Valour' by John Gwynne The Banished Lands are torn by war as the army of High King Nathair sweeps the realm challenging all who oppose his holy crusade. Allied with the manipulative Queen Rhin of Cambren, there are few who can stand against him. But Rhin is playing her own games and has her eyes on a far greater prize . . . Left for dead - her kin have fled and her country is overrun with enemies - Cywen fights to survive. But any chance of escape is futile once Nathair and his disquieting advisor Calidus realize who she is. They have no intention of letting such a prize slip from their grasp. For she may be their one chance at killing the biggest threat to their power. Meanwhile, the young warrior Corban flees from his conquered homeland with his exiled companions, heading for the only place that may offer them sanctuary. But to get there they must travel through Cambren, avoiding warbands, giants and the vicious wolven of the mountains. And all the while Corban struggles to become the man that everyone believes him to be - the Bright Star and saviour of the Banished Lands. Embroiled in struggles for power and survival, the mortal world is unaware of the greatest threat of all. In the Otherworld, dark forces scheme to bring a host of the Fallen into the world of flesh to end the war with the Faithful, once and for all. Book two of The Faithful and the Fallen picks up almost exactly where book one left off, which was a little bit disorienting for me as it’s been a few months since I read Malice. However, everything started to come back to me after a few pages, and I was surprised at how much I remembered. Valour begins in the aftermath of huge events, and this instantly gives the book a slightly different atmosphere. As with Malice, I really enjoyed the parts of the story that were set in the Celtic-influenced areas. The settings are beautiful and vivid, and the forests and mountains and castles distinctly brought to my mind the time I’ve spent in Wales and Scotland. However, a large part of the story also takes place in a Spartacus-like setting, which provides a nice sense of variation between chapters. One of my main criticisms of the first book was the use of named POV chapters as popularised by GRRM. While the author does still use this format, he keeps it interesting by introducing several new and varied POV characters, and also by varying the length of the chapters, some of which are only a few pages long. The new POV character additions also help to address the imbalance of male and female characters, which is always a good thing. It was nice to see the characters from Malice grow and develop, particularly the younger ones, who were essentially children in the previous book; and the growing focus on characters who were barely even mentioned in the first book of The Faithful and the Fallen really begins to hint at the grand scale the series is intending to achieve. 4/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted May 24, 2014 Author Share Posted May 24, 2014 Review: 'Promise of Blood' by Brian McClellan Field Marshal Tamas' coup against his king sent corrupt aristocrats to the guillotine and brought bread to the starving. But it also provoked war with the Nine Nations, internal attacks by royalist fanatics, and the greedy to scramble for money and power by Tamas's supposed allies: the Church, workers unions, and mercenary forces.Stretched to his limit, Tamas is relying heavily on his few remaining powder mages, including the embittered Taniel, a brilliant marksman who also happens to be his estranged son, and Adamat, a retired police inspector whose loyalty is being tested by blackmail.Now, as attacks batter them from within and without, the credulous are whispering about omens of death and destruction. Just old peasant legends about the gods waking to walk the earth. No modern educated man believes that sort of thing. But they should... With the second book in the Powder Mage trilogy, The Crimson Campaign, recently being released I felt it was time for a re-read of the first book. Promise of Blood captured my attention the first time I read it largely due to how different it is: this was the first time I’d read any so-called ‘flintlock fantasy’ and I thought it was great. I’m glad to say it stood up very well to a re-read, and if anything I enjoyed it even more the second time round. As I said, it’s different to a lot of fantasy on the shelves these days, particularly with regards to the setting. Instead of medieval Europe or thinly-disguised Asia, we have something more reminiscent of the turbulent social and political situation of France in the late 18th century. Rather than swords and sorcery, McClellan gives us intrigue and gunpowder; instead of kings and holy warriors, he gives us military leaders and corrupt priests; and, in refreshing turnaround of fantasy stereotypes both old and new, the characters he has created are human, likeable and believable. There are no all-powerful perfect heroes here, but neither are there any unsympathetic, grimdark anti-heroes; the author maintains a fine balance between his characters’ strengths and flaws, and for me it’s this that makes the novel so much fun to read. Another of the novel’s strengths is how the magic system is so integral to the story. Generally speaking there are three main classes of magic in McClellan’s world, the most powerful being the Privileged sorcerers, who are able to access and wield destructive elemental forces, and whose Cabals have reinforced the monarchy for hundreds of years. Then there are the Knacked, regular people possessing relatively minor abilities such as never needing to sleep, or being able to discern truth from lies. Finally, and most interestingly, there are the fighting men known as Powder Mages, who have the ability to telekinetically control bullets, mentally ignite gunpowder from long distances, and actually imbibe gunpowder to augment their own strength. I have no doubt that the story would have been interesting even without the presence of any sort of magic system; but the magic, and the conflict created by it, is as much a part of McClellan’s world as the political and social turmoil, and adds an extra dimension to the upheaval caused by Tamas’ rise to power. The main plot is woven through three major storylines: each focuses on a different character, and each is more or less equally captivating. Field Marshal Tamas is fighting to retain control of his country in the aftermath of his bloody coup against the monarchy; retired police inspector-turned-private investigator Adamat is charged by Tamas with uncovering the traitor in his ranks whilst also delving into long-forgotten lore in pursuit of a dark mystery that threatens the world; and Taniel Two-shot is sent on an unpleasant mission by his father which brings him into conflict with forces far greater than he can manage alone. The story more or less revolves around these three characters, but there is still plenty of room for other, more minor, characters, all of whom are delightful: my particular favourites are Tamas’ irreverent bodyguard Olem, the mysteriously powerful chef Mihali, and Taniel’s enigmatic mute sidekick Ka-poel. The only storyline I didn’t really engage with was that of Nila, the laundress, but I suspect she will become more important in future events. Promise of Blood has made the shortlist for this year’s David Gemmell Morningstar Award for best debut novel, and with good reason. It already has my vote! 5/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 (edited) Two great reviews ! Both books sound interesting.. The magic system in Promise of Blood seems quite unique, I might have to add it to the wishlist.. Can it be read on its own, does it end a bit, or does it obviously set up for a second part (not that it really matters but I like to know before I start to read it..). Edited May 24, 2014 by Athena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 Great reviews, I read the sample of Promise of Blood and thought it was OK but it didn't grab me enough to buy it then and there but it's still on my wishlist Still looking forward to reading The Faithful and the Fallen. Hope you enjoy The Crimson Campaign! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted May 25, 2014 Share Posted May 25, 2014 Great reviews as always, Laura Still can't get away from that picture of George Lucas on the cover, though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted May 26, 2014 Author Share Posted May 26, 2014 Two great reviews ! Both books sound interesting.. The magic system in Promise of Blood seems quite unique, I might have to add it to the wishlist.. Can it be read on its own, does it end a bit, or does it obviously set up for a second part (not that it really matters but I like to know before I start to read it..). Actually, that's something I forgot to mention: it does end very suddenly, and with an obvious set-up for the sequel. I think that's why I enjoyed it more this time - because I knew I had the second one ready to read! But yes, it would probably annoy you as you're not a huge fan of cliffhanger endings. Great reviews, I read the sample of Promise of Blood and thought it was OK but it didn't grab me enough to buy it then and there but it's still on my wishlist Still looking forward to reading The Faithful and the Fallen. Hope you enjoy The Crimson Campaign! Cheers Tim! Yeah, I've read a lot of average/lukewarm reviews of PoB and it seems a lot of people weren't quite as enamoured of it as I was. Great reviews as always, Laura Still can't get away from that picture of George Lucas on the cover, though Oh shush! Show some respect for the Field Marshal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted May 26, 2014 Share Posted May 26, 2014 Actually, that's something I forgot to mention: it does end very suddenly, and with an obvious set-up for the sequel. I think that's why I enjoyed it more this time - because I knew I had the second one ready to read! But yes, it would probably annoy you as you're not a huge fan of cliffhanger endings. x Thanks ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted May 26, 2014 Share Posted May 26, 2014 Oh shush! Show some respect for the Field Marshal. Is that George's new rank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted June 11, 2014 Author Share Posted June 11, 2014 Review: 'The Crimson Campaign' by Brian McClellan Tamas's invasion of Kez ends in disaster when a Kez counter-offensive leaves him cut off behind enemy lines with only a fraction of his army, no supplies, and no hope of reinforcements. Drastically outnumbered and pursued by the enemy's best, he must lead his men on a reckless march through northern Kez to safety, and back over the mountains so that he can defend his country from an angry god. With Tamas and his powder cabal presumed dead, Taniel Two-Shot finds himself alongside the god-chef Mihali as the last line of defence against Kresimir's advancing army. Tamas's generals bicker among themselves, the brigades lose ground every day beneath the Kez onslaught, and Kresimir wants the head of the man who shot him in the eye. In Adro, Inspector Adamat only wants to rescue his wife. To do so he must track down and confront the evil Lord Vetas. He has questions for Vetas concerning his enigmatic master, but the answers might come too quickly . . . I’ve been looking forward to reading The Crimson Campaign for a long time, and more so since my recent re-read of Promise of Blood. The first book in the series ended on something of a cliffhanger, promising huge events to come; and I’m pleased to say that the sequel did, for the most part, deliver them. The second book in the Powder Mage trilogy hits the ground running and is packed with battles, magic and guns. It has a faster pace than the first book, as well as a darker tone. The storylines are harder and grittier, particularly Taniel’s story, which has a much darker arc than the first book. The whole book focuses on an ongoing battle against major odds: all our favourites are outnumbered and outclassed, and not all of them manage to prevail. In this respect The Crimson Campaign can occasionally feel a wee bit grimdark; yet it always retains the unique ideas and positive tone of the first book. It’s often said that the middle book in a trilogy is often the weakest, functioning mainly as a bridge between the main events of the beginning and end. While The Crimson Campaign very much has the feel of this sometimes, overall it serves as far more than just the means to an end: it keeps up the pace and builds plenty of momentum for the much-anticipated grand finale (more like The Two Towers than Catching Fire, if you will). There is much more going on here than in the first book: more at stake, more political manoeuvring and more involvement from the other countries which, up until now, we have only heard about. It’s great to see so many new players in the Powder Mage universe, as well as some new settings. That said, it’s also nice to see our favourite characters from Promise of Blood return, along with cameo appearances from characters featuring in some of McClellan’s short stories. I particularly liked the ways in which many of these characters – most of whom have all led separate storylines up until now – begin to come together in interesting ways, while others become further and further apart; and how seemingly minor characters from the first book have now grown in significance, while others have dwindled. I have to say, though: I’m still not a fan of Nila’s storyline, which continues to feel a little laboured and out of place. Neither am I a fan of the book’s ending, which was even more abrupt than that of the first; and while I enjoyed Taniel’s storyline, I felt it went off in a different direction than it seemed to have been headed, and was a little disappointed. I loved the fast pace of The Crimson Campaign, but didn’t quite enjoy the story as a whole as much as I did when I first discovered the world in Promise of Blood. That said, I’ll still likely pre-order the third in the series (The Autumn Republic) as soon as it becomes available, and can’t wait to see how the Powder Mage saga ends. 4/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Great review! I'm glad you enjoyed it . I haven't seen you in a while Laura, everything okay? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted June 12, 2014 Author Share Posted June 12, 2014 Great review! I'm glad you enjoyed it . I haven't seen you in a while Laura, everything okay? Thanks Gaia. Yes thank you, everything is fine. I've just not had a lot of spare time as I've been putting in lots of extra hours at work. It's been making me too tired to want to turn on the computer by the time I get home, so I've been watching TV or playing games instead as it takes less energy/mental effort. I've missed you all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Yes thank you, everything is fine. I've just not had a lot of spare time as I've been putting in lots of extra hours at work. It's been making me too tired to want to turn on the computer by the time I get home, so I've been watching TV or playing games instead as it takes less energy/mental effort. I've missed you all! I'm glad everything is fine . Good luck with your work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Review: 'The Crimson Campaign' by Brian McClellan George has lost some weight Good to see you're still enjoying that trilogy. Still doesn't really appeal to me, for some reason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Glad to see it maintains the same standard, I would like to give it a go at some point but it's not high on my wishlist at the moment. I do love the cover though, it looks very Sharpe-esque. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted June 18, 2014 Author Share Posted June 18, 2014 Review: 'The Painted Man' by Peter V. Brett Eleven-year-old Arlen lives with his parents on their small farmstead. As dusk falls upon Arlen's world, a strange mist rises from the ground, and hungry demons materialize from the vapours to feed on the living. As the sun sets, people have no choice but to take shelter behind magical wards and pray that their protection holds until the creatures dissolve with the first signs of dawn. When Arlen's life is shattered by the demon plague, he is forced to see that it is fear, rather than the demons, which truly cripples humanity. Believing that there is more to his world than to live in constant fear, he must risk leaving the safety of his wards to discover a different path. In the small town of Cutter's Hollow, Leesha's perfect future is destroyed by betrayal and a simple lie. Publicly shamed, she is reduced to gathering herbs and tending an old woman more fearsome than the corelings. Yet in her disgrace, she becomes the guardian of dangerous ancient knowledge. Orphaned and crippled in a demon attack, young Rojer takes solace in mastering the musical arts of a Jongleur, only to learn that his unique talent gives him unexpected power over the night. Together, these three young people will offer humanity a last, fleeting chance of survival. This was another re-read for me. I bought and read this book on holiday about four years ago. I’ve since bought both the published sequels in the Demon Cycle, The Desert Spear and The Daylight War, but somehow never got around to reading them. Well, I’ve finally decided to delve back in, starting with a re-read of The Painted Man to refresh my memory. I have to say, returning to the world of wards and Corelings was a lot of fun. The premise of the Demon Cycle – that demons rise from the earth’s core every night to prey on humanity, who just barely manage to keep them at bay with magical wards – is both frightening and fascinating. The series can be read as a dystopia as much as a fantasy: the rural inhabitants of Brett’s world were once allegedly much more advanced, with science and machinery and huge civilisations which expanded rapidly in the absence of demons. The humans became so pre-occupied with destroying each other that they fell easily when the demons returned, and most of their knowledge was lost. Once-great civilisations have been reduced to isolated towns and cities, which offer protection from demons but are essentially warded prisons. There were a lot of things from this book that I’d forgotten, but one thing I remember vividly is how much the earlier chapters hooked my interest and began building tension right from the outset. It was great to experience this again, and to feel the palpable fear of the characters: their initial reaction to the bloody aftermath of a demon attack, their dread of the approaching darkness, and their absolute terror the first time we see the wards fail at night. For the most part, I liked and connected with the three main characters, each of whom is given their own individual coming-of-age story. Rojer Halfgrip is an orphaned cripple, who now has to strike out on his own and make his reputation as a skilled Jongleur. Leesha trained for years as a herbalist after her own reputation suffered, and now returns to her village wiser, stronger, and ready to make a difference. And Arlen, forced as a child to watch his mother die after his father’s cowardice during a demon attack, is now well-trained, well-travelled and well-equipped to take the fight to the demons for the first time in thousands of years. Each character has their own strengths, and each are equally enjoyable to read about, although it’s a bit of a shame that Rojer’s tale never really seems to develop into anything more than a sideline. Perhaps he’ll have a bigger role in the next book, The Desert Spear: I’m looking forward to finding out! 5/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 It is a great book and one of the best debut novels I have read so far. Are you diving straight into the second one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted June 18, 2014 Author Share Posted June 18, 2014 It is a great book and one of the best debut novels I have read so far. Are you diving straight into the second one? It was actually a lot better than I even remembered it being! Thoroughly enjoyed it. I did start reading the second one, but got a bit bored because it was focusing on Jardir rather than Arlen/Leesha. I'll carry on with it when I've finished Swords of Good Men, which I couldn't resist buying in York after visiting the Viking Centre. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 It was actually a lot better than I even remembered it being! Thoroughly enjoyed it. I did start reading the second one, but got a bit bored because it was focusing on Jardir rather than Arlen/Leesha. Yeah that put me off a bit, unfortunately it does it for quite a while... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 I'll carry on with it when I've finished Swords of Good Men, which I couldn't resist buying in York after visiting the Viking Centre. I may have to get this, thanks for the heads up Have you watched the Vikings tv series yet? It's brilliant My copies of the Brett books are on their way to the charity shop this morning. Only read the first one, can't be arsed with the rest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted June 19, 2014 Author Share Posted June 19, 2014 Yeah that put me off a bit, unfortunately it does it for quite a while... Oh, wonderful! I may have to get this, thanks for the heads up Have you watched the Vikings tv series yet? It's brilliant I haven't seen it yet! But I've heard great things about it. My copies of the Brett books are on their way to the charity shop this morning. Only read the first one, can't be arsed with the rest Oh dear. My review of the first one obviously really conveyed how much I enjoyed it the second time round. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 Great review Laura! I really like The Painted Man too . Rojer has a bigger role to play in the third book, I don't quite remember exactly what happens with him in the second book , it's been too long since I read it. I loved all three books so I hope you like them too . I can imagine some people don't like hearing the back story of other important characters, personally I liked all of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted June 19, 2014 Author Share Posted June 19, 2014 Great review Laura! I really like The Painted Man too . Rojer has a bigger role to play in the third book, I don't quite remember exactly what happens with him in the second book , it's been too long since I read it. I loved all three books so I hope you like them too . I can imagine some people don't like hearing the back story of other important characters, personally I liked all of it. That's good to know, thanks. I don't usually mind back story, I think it's just that I dived right in to the second one wanting to find out what was happening to our favourite characters, only to have it all about a character we've never really met before. I'm just being grumpy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 Oh dear. My review of the first one obviously really conveyed how much I enjoyed it the second time round. I think the audiobook version I tried to listen to when I was wanting to read the second book has put me off it forever Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 That's good to know, thanks. I don't usually mind back story, I think it's just that I dived right in to the second one wanting to find out what was happening to our favourite characters, only to have it all about a character we've never really met before. I'm just being grumpy. I remember feeling that way, I was eager to get back to Arlen and co but got stuck with random people I didn't care about. I had to check I was reading the right book and that my kindle hadn't thrown me into the middle of something else Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 I think the audiobook version I tried to listen to when I was wanting to read the second book has put me off it forever and audiobooks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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