Chrissy Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Happy Reading this year. I always love reading your reviews. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted January 2, 2014 Author Share Posted January 2, 2014 Happy Reading this year. I always love reading your reviews. Aw, cheers Chrissy, same to you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Anyone know how to get around not being able to post an image? I tried posting it with a picture of the book cover but it came up saying "that image extension is not allowed on this community". It's a pretty cover, too. When you're posting, click on 'More reply options' then you should get the 'Attach files' buttons beneath the posting box, click 'choose file', select your image and click 'attach this file'. Then place the cursor in the post where you want the image to appear and click 'Add to post' I knew you'd like the Abraham in the end Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted January 2, 2014 Author Share Posted January 2, 2014 When you're posting, click on 'More reply options' then you should get the 'Attach files' buttons beneath the posting box, click 'choose file', select your image and click 'attach this file'. Then place the cursor in the post where you want the image to appear and click 'Add to post' I knew you'd like the Abraham in the end Thanks a lot! I edited it and it worked. Never had that problem before. Yeah, the Abraham really picked up the pace after a while, so much so that I might have to acquire book #2 tomorrow . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devi Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 (edited) Added to wish list. I also forgot to mention I love reading your reviews and between yourself, steve and tim, i have a fantasy/syfy list a mile or three long! Edited January 3, 2014 by Devi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted January 3, 2014 Author Share Posted January 3, 2014 Added to wish list. I also forgot to mention I love reading your reviews and between yourself, steve and tim, i have a fantasy/syfy list a mile or three long! Aw, cheers Devi, I love reading yours too! Yeah, I think Steve and Tim are responsible for a hefty amount of both my wishlist and TBR as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 Thanks a lot! I edited it and it worked. I thought you said it was pretty? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 I have a different book by Daniel Abraham on my TBR list, Long Price Quartet 1-2: Shadow and Betrayal. I'm glad you enjoyed The Dragon's Path, it sounds like I'd enjoy it too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 Hey Laura, bit behind on the reading blogs for this year already! Glad you enjoyed Good Omens, I have it on my TBR pile, I like Gaiman but haven't read any Pratchett yet. Have you read any other Gaiman books? I'm really looking forward to starting The Dragon's Path Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted January 3, 2014 Author Share Posted January 3, 2014 I thought you said it was pretty? It is! It looks prettier when it's bigger, but for some reason it's really tiny. I have a different book by Daniel Abraham on my TBR list, Long Price Quartet 1-2: Shadow and Betrayal. I'm glad you enjoyed The Dragon's Path, it sounds like I'd enjoy it too. Yes, it starts out slow but really improves towards the end, and I've heard really good things about the most recent one (book #3). I'll probably look into getting hold of the Long Price series if I enjoy the rest of this one. Glad you enjoyed Good Omens, I have it on my TBR pile, I like Gaiman but haven't read any Pratchett yet. Have you read any other Gaiman books? I'm really looking forward to starting The Dragon's Path I've never read any Gaiman before, no, although American Gods has been on my wishlist for a very long time, and I really like the sound of The Ocean at the End of the Lane. Are there any you'd recommend to start with? Someone on another blog said recently that Abraham's Long Price books had a really great slow-burn plot, and that Dagger & Coin seems to be doing the same thing. If so I'm looking forward to the rest of the series, and I'm glad The Dragon's Path got better as it went along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted January 3, 2014 Author Share Posted January 3, 2014 Whoops! I went to Manchester and bought some books today. Here they are: From The Works (3 paperbacks for £5): The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak (read it before but never owned it) The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor by Robert Kirkman Earth Unaware by Orson Scott Card Control Point by Myke Cole Fortress Frontier by Myke Cole Warlord by Angus Donald From Waterstones: Miserere (An Autumn Tale) by Teresa Frohock The Prince of Lies by Anne Lyle The King's Blood by Daniel Abraham Legend by David Gemmell Midnight Falcon by David Gemmell I was also eyeing up Mage's Blood by David Hair, A Dance of Cloaks by David Dalglish, and The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson, but managed to resist (until next time). Here are the ones I bought! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 It is! It looks prettier when it's bigger, but for some reason it's really tiny. Yes, it starts out slow but really improves towards the end, and I've heard really good things about the most recent one (book #3). I'll probably look into getting hold of the Long Price series if I enjoy the rest of this one. I've never read any Gaiman before, no, although American Gods has been on my wishlist for a very long time, and I really like the sound of The Ocean at the End of the Lane. Are there any you'd recommend to start with? Someone on another blog said recently that Abraham's Long Price books had a really great slow-burn plot, and that Dagger & Coin seems to be doing the same thing. If so I'm looking forward to the rest of the series, and I'm glad The Dragon's Path got better as it went along. Long price is on my wishlist but I won't buy any until I enjoy Dagger and Coin. American Gods is on my TBR list and I have heard great things about it, Ocean is a nice story but not his best. I'd recommend Neverwhere and Stardust Great buys, I have Legend, The Book Thief and Walking Dead all on my TBR pile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 It is! It looks prettier when it's bigger, but for some reason it's really tiny. Try clicking on it I've never seen that cover art for Midnight Falcon in the shops before, lucky you American Gods is on my TBR list and I have heard great things about it, Ocean is a nice story but not his best. I'd recommend Neverwhere and Stardust Yeah, Neverwhere and Stardust are decent. I thought American Gods was rubbish, though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted January 3, 2014 Author Share Posted January 3, 2014 American Gods is on my TBR list and I have heard great things about it, Ocean is a nice story but not his best. I'd recommend Neverwhere and Stardust Great buys, I have Legend, The Book Thief and Walking Dead all on my TBR pile. Ah, thanks, good to know. I've heard good things about Neverwhere, and I loved the film Stardust (even though it was cheesy!), so may try one of those if I come across them. I've never seen that cover art for Midnight Falcon in the shops before, lucky you Lucky me . . . I prefer the Legend cover, though, it matches my Waylander. Aren't HBO making a TV show of American Gods, or did I dream that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted January 3, 2014 Author Share Posted January 3, 2014 (edited) Targets for 2014: 1. Get the TBR down to 100 2. Try at least 20 new authors 3. Read my pre-orders within a month of receiving them Updated TBR: 154 (up from 142 on 01/01/14). Oops. ETA: Maybe the target should say 'Get the TBR up to 200' instead? Edited January 3, 2014 by Signor Finzione Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 Lucky me . . . I prefer the Legend cover, though, it matches my Waylander. You must be going for the record number of books with an axe on the cover Aren't HBO making a TV show of American Gods, or did I dream that? HBO dropped it a while ago, but it might still get made elsewhere Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted January 4, 2014 Author Share Posted January 4, 2014 Updated TBR: 154 (up from 142 on 01/01/14). Oops. ETA: Maybe the target should say 'Get the TBR up to 200' instead? Just remembered there are three books I downloaded for free on my Kindle app a while ago but forgot to add to my TBR: The Heresy Within by Rob J Hayes Heroes Die (Acts of Caine #1) by Matthew Stover The Perfect Shadow (A Night Angel Novella) by Brent Weeks Updated TBR: 157. Oops again. You must be going for the record number of books with an axe on the cover But Waylander's is a crossbow, not an axe! You know what, though, the artwork on most books I've read recently has just been a picture of a weapon? Waylander was a crossbow, Malice was a sword, Dragon's Path was a sword, Herald of the Storm is a sword . . . not only are the latter three copying the same structural style with the named chapters, they're also copying the same cover art! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 But Waylander's is a crossbow, not an axe! Yeah, but your photo's got two books with an axe on the cover You know what, though, the artwork on most books I've read recently has just been a picture of a weapon? Waylander was a crossbow, Malice was a sword, Dragon's Path was a sword, Herald of the Storm is a sword . . . not only are the latter three copying the same structural style with the named chapters, they're also copying the same cover art! My copy of Dawnthief has a sword and a dagger on the cover Weapon envy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 he Heresy Within by Rob J Hayes Heroes Die (Acts of Caine #1) by Matthew Stover I've downloaded this two as well at some point, will get around to them eventually Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted January 4, 2014 Author Share Posted January 4, 2014 Yeah, but your photo's got two books with an axe on the cover My copy of Dawnthief has a sword and a dagger on the cover Weapon envy Oh yeah, I forgot about the Abraham one! A sword AND a dagger?? Pfft. Wait here . . . *goes out to find a book with a sword and a dagger and an axe on the cover* he Heresy Within by Rob J Hayes Heroes Die (Acts of Caine #1) by Matthew Stover I've downloaded this two as well at some point, will get around to them eventually It's so much easier to be naughty with buying Kindle books, isn't it? I did start reading the Acts of Caine at one point but didn't like it much, so put it on hold. Looking forward to the Hayes one, though, it actually looks really good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted January 5, 2014 Author Share Posted January 5, 2014 (edited) Review: 'Herald of the Storm' by Richard Ford Stand together . . . or die alone. The vast cityport of Steelhaven was once a symbol of strength, maintaining an uneasy peace throughout the Free States. But with the King away, leading his armies, the city is rotting from the inside and the streets are slick with blood. And now a dark cloud hangs over the capital in the form of the dread warlord Amon Tugha. When his herald infiltrates the city, exploiting a dangerous criminal underworld, and a dark magick begins to rise, the fate of the Free States will fall into the hands of the most unlikely saviours. Comparisons to other authors can sometimes hurt a book rather than help it. One of the main parallels that have been drawn here is between Ford’s work and that of George R R Martin (indeed, it seems rare nowadays for a fantasy novel to escape the inevitable comparisons with ol’ GRRM), but aside from the structure of the novel (alternating chapters from differing points of view) and maybe a bit of the grittiness I wouldn’t personally make this comparison, partly because ASoIaF is something of a sweeping epic, while Herald of the Storm is concerned (for the moment) entirely with the events within a single city.That the entire story is contained within the city of Steelhaven is actually, for me, the book’s strongest point. The plot is fairly tight and pacy, and the ways in which several of the individual storylines were eventually interwoven was nicely done. There are two or three main plotlines occurring at the same time – an illegal slave-trading operation, a royal assassination attempt, and an act of dark magic – and it’s interesting to see how different characters are involved in each plot, and how each mini-plot becomes relevant to the bigger picture. In fact, the whole book does a nice job of laying the groundwork for the next one in the series. I enjoyed the diversity of the characters: there’s Kaira Stormfall, morally upright Shieldmaiden of the goddess Vorena; Janessa Mastragall, innocent and headstrong heir to the throne; River, an assassin with a conflicted soul; Merrick Ryder, a former duellist and dandy who has fallen on hard times; Rag, a street urchin and pickpocket; Nobul Jacks, soldier-turned blacksmith-turned city guard; and Waylian Grimm, apprentice in the tower of magick (no, I’m not sure why it has to be spelt with a ‘k’ either). Although there are a fair amount of characters, the variety between them helps to keep it interesting and make it work. Despite not being a huge fan of the structural style (namely the use of alternating PoV chapters) I did enjoy the way the author used this to keep certain things, such as the identity of certain characters, hidden until key moments. He uses the alternating chapters to gradually reveal the connections between different characters, and to show the impact of other characters’ decisions on others’ lives. I did feel that certain characters’ storylines felt a little out of place – Rag’s story came to feel a bit irrelevant, and Waylian (and magick in general) also seemed a bit like it had been shoe-horned in there. However, the final chapters for these characters do seem to suggest that both will play a larger role in future novels. A quick point about the language: I don’t usually have a problem with the use of profanity in fiction, provided that the use of language fits with the character of the person who’s saying it. However, the author has created several less-than-golden characters here, many of whom swear frequently; and although it fits the tone of the novel, which is dark and gritty, it does sometimes reach a point where the constant repetition of ‘f**k’ and ‘s**t’ becomes a bit tiresome. I mentioned the popular use of GRRM as a benchmark for modern fantasy novels, this one included, but the fact is I bought this book on the strength of numerous comparisons with Joe Abercrombie (another of my favourite fantasy authors). While I can certainly see the similarities – character-driven storytelling, grimy characters, dirty deeds – I think this is another case of hurting a book by comparing it to another of a very high standard. Ford’s characters didn’t quite spring to life for me in the same way as those in, say, the First Law trilogy, and I didn’t feel as sympathetic towards any of them as I did towards those in Abercrombie’s books. If I hadn’t heard any of the glowing comparisons (one blog even raved that Herald of the Storm was actually much better than First Law) then I probably wouldn’t even have noticed, but as it is I couldn’t help being just a tiny bit disappointed. However, I enjoyed the story, the characters grew on me, and I look forward to reading the next in the Steelhaven series when it’s released later this year. My rating: 4/5 Edited January 5, 2014 by Signor Finzione Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted January 5, 2014 Author Share Posted January 5, 2014 I'm not sure why the bold writing has gone enormous up there ^^. Never mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 Good to see the ol' 'room for improvement' score getting so much use Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted January 6, 2014 Author Share Posted January 6, 2014 Good to see the ol' 'room for improvement' score getting so much use I know, it's such a cop-out score and I use it for nearly everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Congrats on your new books ! They look pretty good! x ETA: Maybe the target should say 'Get the TBR up to 200' instead?x . x The Perfect Shadow (A Night Angel Novella) by Brent Weeksx I'll have to look this one up ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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