Athena Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 They're not actually random people . They become very important to the whole story, interwined with Arlen and co. But I can imagine people don't like it . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted June 19, 2014 Author 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 That's because you hate audiobooks, almost as much as you hate Dance with Dragons. 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 Exactly! I don't mind new characters, but it would have been nice to re-introduce the ones we're familiar with before throwing new characters in our faces. They're not actually random people . They become very important to the whole story, interwined with Arlen and co. But I can imagine people don't like it . Oh, I know. I don't mind Jardir and Abban that much really - it's interesting to find out that they were once friends - but I'm looking forward to seeing what Arlen's up to as well. I did like the introduction of some new types of demons in the prologue. Very creepy! Though nothing beats poor old One Arm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 I did like the introduction of some new types of demons in the prologue. Very creepy! Though nothing beats poor old One Arm. I quite liked that too! I love all the bits about the demons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 That's because you hate audiobooks, almost as much as you hate Dance with Dragons. There's nothing I hate that much Exactly! I don't mind new characters, but it would have been nice to re-introduce the ones we're familiar with before throwing new characters in our faces. *cough* Malazan *cough* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted June 19, 2014 Author Share Posted June 19, 2014 *cough* Malazan *cough* Malazan exists outside the rules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted June 25, 2014 Author Share Posted June 25, 2014 (edited) Note: I bought this book from Waterstones in York last Tuesday for the full retail price . . . then yesterday I saw it in The Works for £1.99. Review: 'Swords of Good Men' by Snorri Kristjansson For Ulfar Thormodsson, the Viking town of Stenvik is the last stop on a two-year-long journey, before he goes home. But for other, larger powers, Stenvik is about to become the meeting ground in a great war: one that will see a clash of the old gods versus the new White Christ. One that will see blood wash the land. As Ulfar becomes ever-more involved in the politics of the town, and prepares to meet these armies in a battle for Stenvik's freedom, he is about to learn that not all his enemies stand outside the walls. I’ve had my eye on this book for a while, and finally decided to buy it whilst I was in York (or ‘Jorvik’!) for the weekend. After visiting the castles and dungeons and museums (and, of course, the Viking Centre) I was very much in the mood for reading something along these lines. Swords of Good Men, book one of Snorri Kristjansson’s Valhalla saga, is a fairly fun bit of reading, once you become accustomed to the unusual format. The plot is quite nicely self-contained and focused: it takes place over the course of a few days, and depicts an attack on the Scandinavian village of Stenvik. We witness the battles, and the events leading up to them, from the point of view of various characters on different sides of the attack. The style and manner of the story are generally effective, but they also have quite a few drawbacks. Each chapter is split into short POV segments, and continually flits about between various characters. You can read a couple of pages focusing on one character, then three paragraphs on another, followed by another page from the point of view of a completely different one. This works great for the most part as it makes for a really fast-paced read, and gives a good sense of chaos during the battle segments. A very large portion of the book is focused on fighting, and the style paints a holistic view of the conflict and helps us understand all aspects of the battle, giving it an almost cinematic feel. However, this structure also makes the non-action segments feel a little disjointed, and doesn’t really allow much opportunity to explore any of the characters in much detail. As a result, it’s difficult to really get on-side with any of the characters, since we don’t know them well enough to empathise. The author’s prose is solid but not spectacular – which, to be fair, contributes well to the gritty atmosphere of the entire novel – and unfortunately many of the characters lack depth as a result of minimal page time and regularly shifting POVs. Criticism aside, Swords of Good Men is a decent, bloody, action-filled fictional Viking story. It has plenty of interesting story elements: Old Gods and superstition, the White Christ and black magic, berserkers and assassins, raiders and outlaws, healers and poisoners, blood and longships . . . you get the picture. And while I won’t be rushing out to buy the second in the Valhalla saga, Blood Will Follow, I’ll probably check it out at some point in the future, if only to see what happens in the aftermath of the somewhat shocking ending. 3/5 Edited June 25, 2014 by Signor Finzione Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 Great review! It's a shame you didn't enjoy the book as much as you'd hoped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 I read similar criticisms of it on Amazon after you mentioned it last week, Laura - sounds like they were spot on. Shame! Try this instead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 I'll second any Bernard Cornwell recommendation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted July 1, 2014 Author Share Posted July 1, 2014 I read similar criticisms of it on Amazon after you mentioned it last week, Laura - sounds like they were spot on. Shame! Try this instead You're determined to get me to read Cornwell, aren't you? I'll second any Bernard Cornwell recommendation I'm hesitant to buy any more of his until I've read The Winter King, which I got last Christmas. I'm planning on reading it this winter . . . and he'd better be as good as both of you say he is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted July 1, 2014 Author Share Posted July 1, 2014 Review: 'The Desert Spear' by Peter V. Brett The sun is setting on humanity. The night now belongs to voracious demons that arise as the sun sets, preying upon a dwindling population forced to cower behind ancient and half-forgotten symbols of power. These wards alone can keep the demons at bay, but legends tell of a Deliverer: a general-some would say prophet-who once bound all mankind into a single force that defeated the demons. Those times, if they ever existed, are long past. The demons are back, and the return of the Deliverer is just another myth . . . or is it? I was a little bit apprehensive going into The Desert Spear. I thoroughly enjoyed The Painted Man (book 1 of Brett’s Demon Cycle series), but I’ve heard quite a lot of negative things about the sequels from various people, and at first I really wasn’t sure what to make of it. I initially felt that the complete focus on Jardir’s backstory at the beginning of the book (I think he gets almost 1/3 of the book entirely to himself) stole some of the momentum from the exciting ending built up by the first book, perhaps because I read this so soon after finishing it. I was disappointed not to be reading about Arlen and Leesha, and didn’t like the amount of focus on a character I didn’t really care about and who, until this point, had featured only in a relatively minor fashion. However, once I’d got over myself and stopped sulking, I really started to enjoy learning about Jardir and the Krasians. Some of the Krasian words were a little confusing at first, particularly similar-sounding titles likedama’ting and damaji’ting, but the fact that this part of the story is all one long segment really kept me immersed in the new world, and it all started to make sense very quickly. These origin chapters really help us understand why Jardir does the things he does, and even to sympathise with him (if only a tiny bit), particularly when he is faced with the obstacles of tradition, or being manipulated by the holy women. The author creates a very deep, harsh culture that is both believable and immersive, and does a nice job of portraying lots of different elements of this culture, including marriage, hierarchy and conflict, in an interesting way. After such a strong focus on Krasia and its alien culture, it was nice to see a return to some of the places I liked best from the first book, such as Miln, Cutter’s Hollow and Tibbet’s Brook. Similarly, returning to the characters of Leesha, Arlen and Rojer was like meeting old friends, and the characters we know and love have developed a little in the time that has passed between the two books. Leesha in particular is much more powerful here, both in regards to her skills and her maturity. Unlike its predecessors, The Desert Spear does not just centre around three central protagonists. As I’ve already mentioned, there is quite a hefty focus on Ahmann Jardir, as well several additional POV characters: these are introduced well, all of them are relevant and fun to read about, and they also bring even more variety to the existing POVs by giving us a wider view of both conflicts. In addition to the others mentioned, we now see parts of the story through the eyes of the Krasian merchant Abban, Arlen’s childhood sweetheart Renna, and even a mind demon prince from the Core. The POVs are also alternated in a way that keeps our interest, builds tension and compliments the pacing: the character focus tends to change in segments rather than whole chapters (with the exception of Jardir at the beginning), and the occasional rapidly alternating POVs work well to build momentum and work towards interesting convergences. There are plenty of other things to like about The Desert Spear, but one of my favourites was the introduction of some new species of demon. In addition to flame, rock, wood and sand demons, we now have the terrifying mind demons, who can read thoughts and control people like puppets, and the even more frightening mimic demons, who can assume the physical shape of anything – including humans. I was also gratified to see that some of the things that niggled at me about the first book were actually addressed here, such as what would happen if the demons – who can’t bodily cross the protective wards – realised they were able to throw rocks or other objects at the people hiding behind the wards, and why they don’t do it all the time. So: having previously heard quite a few negative comments, I was prepared to be disappointed with The Desert Spear . . . but actually, I ended up enjoying it even more than the first book. Bring on The Daylight War! 5/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Great review, glad you enjoyed it, wish I had gone in prepared for disappointment . I did enjoy The Desert Spear but not as much as The Painted Man and I think it was mainly down to all the Krasian sections, I still think the story in general would have worked better if an air of mystery and foreignness had been kept around Krasia. That way we could just see it from Arlen's POV and judge them harshly Are you diving straight into The Daylight War? You might enjoy it more than I did if you like all the Krasia stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Great review! I'm so glad you enjoyed The Desert Spear. I also loved the new types of demons that were introduced. I hope you enjoy The Daylight War too, I thought it was very interesting to hear about the females in the Krasian society and of course all the demon bits and Arlen & co.. so I hope you like it as much as you did this one and the previous one . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 You're determined to get me to read Cornwell, aren't you? Yes I'm hesitant to buy any more of his until I've read The Winter King, which I got last Christmas. I'm planning on reading it this winter . . . and he'd better be as good as both of you say he is! Just because it's called The Winter King doesn't mean you have to read it in the winter Glad to hear you enjoyed The Desert Spear. My copy went to the charity shop last week, though, so I don't think I'll be reading it any time soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted July 2, 2014 Author Share Posted July 2, 2014 I did enjoy The Desert Spear but not as much as The Painted Man and I think it was mainly down to all the Krasian sections, I still think the story in general would have worked better if an air of mystery and foreignness had been kept around Krasia. That way we could just see it from Arlen's POV and judge them harshly Are you diving straight into The Daylight War? You might enjoy it more than I did if you like all the Krasia stuff. Thanks! Yeah, I've already started on The Daylight War (though might have to put it on hold for a while, since Mark Lawrence's Prince of Fools has FINALLY arrived ). So far most of TDW has been about Renna, which is good since I like her character. I know what you mean about Krasia, it might have been good to keep them as the enemy, and maybe learn more about Jardir at a later date, after they're all forced to co-operate against the big demon attack (which I'm guessing is what's going to happen in this one). Great review! I'm so glad you enjoyed The Desert Spear. I also loved the new types of demons that were introduced. I hope you enjoy The Daylight War too, I thought it was very interesting to hear about the females in the Krasian society and of course all the demon bits and Arlen & co.. so I hope you like it as much as you did this one and the previous one . Thanks! I also found it really interesting reading about the women. I like that the prologue for TDW is from Inevera's POV . . . I hope more of the chapters are about her. Just because it's called The Winter King doesn't mean you have to read it in the winter I just don't think I'd enjoy it as much in the summer. Glad to hear you enjoyed The Desert Spear. My copy went to the charity shop last week, though, so I don't think I'll be reading it any time soon You could always buy it again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 I just don't think I'd enjoy it as much in the summer. Weird You could always buy it again! Nah, there's too much else I want to read, really. I always feel that, if I haven't read a book within a couple of years of buying it, then I probably never will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Nah, there's too much else I want to read, really. I always feel that, if I haven't read a book within a couple of years of buying it, then I probably never will haha, I should do that but I'm far too stubborn! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 haha, I should do that but I'm far too stubborn! I used to be, too, but my shelves couldn't handle it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted July 3, 2014 Author Share Posted July 3, 2014 I used to be, too, but my shelves couldn't handle it Buy more shelves! That's what I do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted July 3, 2014 Author Share Posted July 3, 2014 Review: 'Prince of Fools' by Mark Lawrence The Red Queen is old but the kings of the Broken Empire dread her like no other. For all her reign, she has fought the long war, contested in secret, against the powers that stand behind nations, for higher stakes than land or gold. Her greatest weapon is The Silent Sister—unseen by most and unspoken of by all.The Red Queen’s grandson, Prince Jalan Kendeth—drinker, gambler, seducer of women—is one who can see The Silent Sister. Tenth in line for the throne and content with his role as a minor royal, he pretends that the hideous crone is not there. But war is coming. Witnesses claim an undead army is on the march, and the Red Queen has called on her family to defend the realm. Jal thinks it’s all a rumor—nothing that will affect him—but he is wrong.After escaping a death trap set by the Silent Sister, Jal finds his fate magically intertwined with a fierce Norse warrior. As the two undertake a journey across the Empire to undo the spell, encountering grave dangers, willing women, and an upstart prince named Jorg Ancrath along the way, Jalan gradually catches a glimmer of the truth: he and the Norseman are but pieces in a game, part of a series of moves in the long war—and the Red Queen controls the board. I’ve been very excited about this book for a long time. I pre-ordered it several months ago, and would have been able to review it earlier had I not insisted on treating myself to a signed first edition (why, Goldsboro, why??). Anyway. Mark Lawrence’s Broken Empire trilogy was one of my best discoveries of 2013, largely due to its dark tone and brilliantly captivating first person narrative, and I expected big things of Prince of Fools. It delivered all of them, bigger and better than even I’d been looking forward to. Prince of Fools is the first book of Lawrence’s new series ,The Red Queen’s War, and it follows the converging paths of two very different characters: Snorri ver Snagason, a Norse raider from Viking lands; and Jalan Kendeth, a bone idle prince from Red March. Lawrence’s prose is poetic and flowing, easy to read and with the usual characteristic undercurrent of dry, occasionally dark humour. The tone is light even when the plot is gritty, which makes it very engaging and difficult to put down. The protagonist is witty, amusing and occasionally outrageous, and his insights and narrative voice are always entertaining (although sometimes he appears to get so caught up in his own witticisms that he forgets to tell the story). The fact that he has Snorri to bounce off (sometimes literally) helps to highlight his personality even further, and the juxtaposition of the two opposing characters works really well. Those who found Lawrence’s Broken Empire trilogy too dark and its main character unsympathetic may have more luck here. Jalan Kendeth is certainly no Jorg Ancrath, despite the similar-sounding names. True, they’re both royal princes, they both leave their homelands to go on adventures, and neither of them care very much about anyone except themselves, at least at first. However, while Jorg is a somewhat sociopathic, homicidal teen with aspirations to rule an empire, Jalan is a self-professed coward, a twenty-something womaniser and gambler who just wants to spend his time enjoying the finer things in life. His internal monologue, in which he continually whinges and whines and ruminates on the wisdom of running away in every possible situation, is refreshingly different to Jorg’s no-nonsense goal-centred character, although I personally find both very entertaining in their own way. One of my favourite aspects of the Broken Empire series were the references to the ‘Builders’ world, and the irony created by characters’ ignorant observations and assumptions about the things left behind from this world. I was pleased to see this continue in Prince of Fools with many more humorous comments, such as the legend of the train (which Jal thinks must have been a “fearsome beast” to have been able to plough through the side of a mountain), Skilfar’s “plasteek guardians”, and – my personal favourite – a Viking longship named Ikea. Unlike the Broken Empire, there are no confusing time hops in Prince of Fools. Aside from the occasional memory, and Jalan’s gradual telling of Snorri’s tale, the entire story is focused solely on events occurring over several weeks, and from the perspective of one single character. This makes it easier to see how the main character develops during the course of the story, and demonstrates the author’s ability to subtly build character without resorting to flashbacks and time-jumps. I will say that I was a little disappointed with how the development seems to reverse again by the end of the novel, but hopefully more will be revealed in the second book. If you didn’t enjoy the Broken Empire trilogy, I’d definitely recommend giving this a go instead. If you did enjoy the Broken Empire trilogy, then why haven’t you read this yet?? 5/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 I'm glad you enjoyed this book! Great review . I have the Broken Empire trilogy on my TBR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 If you didn’t enjoy the Broken Empire trilogy, I’d definitely recommend giving this a go instead. If you did enjoy the Broken Empire trilogy, then why haven’t you read this yet?? I'm planning on reading it in the winter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 I agree that books which feature winter, coldness, wintery things or Christmas are better read in the winter than in the summer (and likewise books that feature summer or a heat wave are better read in summer). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 I will be giving PoF a go, hopefully enjoy it more than I did The Broken Empire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted July 12, 2014 Author Share Posted July 12, 2014 I'm planning on reading it in the winter Oh, shush! I agree that books which feature winter, coldness, wintery things or Christmas are better read in the winter than in the summer (and likewise books that feature summer or a heat wave are better read in summer). Me too! Glad it's not just me. I will be giving PoF a go, hopefully enjoy it more than I did The Broken Empire. Oh I hope so. It's much easier to read, since the main character doesn't take anything seriously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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