The Forever Knight by John Marco
The Forever Knight is a follow-up novel that takes place after John Marco’s BOOKS OF THE BRONZE KNIGHT, but Marco does such a good job of filling in the gaps for new readers that it’s meant to be able to be read separately. If you’re interested in a kind of brutal, really tragic fantasy, then this is worth a read.
Lukien is the Forever Knight. He has betrayed his best friend and the love of his life is dead,
June 14th, 2013. John Hulet´s rating: 3 | John Marco | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Antiagon Fire by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
Antiagon Fire is the fourth book in L.E. Modesitt Jr’s IMAGER PORTFOLIO series about Quaeryt the scholar (it’s the seventh book in the entire series). The twists and turns of Quaeryt’s life have been momentous as befits a fantasy epic, but have often dealt with very mundane aspects of life. In this installment, Modesitt really reaches deep into the realm of political motivations and asks us to consider whether and when might really does make right.
After the traumatic conclusion to the war with Bovaria and the near death of Quaeryt,
May 28th, 2013. John Hulet´s rating: 4 | L.E. Modesitt_Jr | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan
Flintlock fantasy is an interesting blend of settings. The use of firearms as a sort of technological off-set to sorcery makes all kinds of sense to me and the idea of there being an equalizer between sorcerer and normal people is intriguing. Promise of Blood is a truly energetic first installment in the POWDER MAGE series by Brian McClellan and it starts off with a bang, no pun intended.
Tamas, a powder mage, is the Field Marshall to Manhouch,
April 24th, 2013. John Hulet´s rating: 4 | Brian McClellan | SFF Reviews | 3 comments |
Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs
Slipping back into the world of Mercy Thompson comes so easily for me. I don’t struggle with a huge readjustment because everything feels so familiar and Patricia Briggs has such an easy style to enjoy. Tragically, this at times means that I am not as engrossed in the story as I expect to be, because it feels much like more of the same thing over again.
Frost Burned is the seventh novel in the MERCY THOMPSON series.
April 3rd, 2013. John Hulet and Kat Hooper´s rating: 3 | Patricia Briggs | Audio | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
King of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
When I find myself laughing on a regular basis while reading a book that is usually a really good sign that I am enjoying it! King of Thorns, the follow up to Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence, had me laughing — a lot! King of Thorns is not a fun and games fantasy romp by any means, but the humor just made a good book even better.
Honorious Jorg Ancraft is tired of being manipulated and told what he can and can’t do.
March 12th, 2013. John Hulet´s rating: 4 | Mark Lawrence | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
Suppose that the world had gone through an apocalypse based on a conflict between two groups of super-technologically-advanced people with fundamentally different beliefs on how technology should be applied. One group wanted the logic of technology to replace human thought, and the other wanted technology to merely enhance human perception. Could this difference provide the footing for outright war?
Ecktor is a Demi, a human who has been enhanced with physical and mental abilities hard-coded into his DNA. His wife has died; her memories are everywhere and permeate the very home he lives in.
March 5th, 2013. John Hulet´s rating: 5 | L.E. Modesitt_Jr | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
[In our Edge of the Universe column, we review mainstream authors that incorporate elements of speculative fiction into their “literary” work. However you want to label them, we hope you’ll enjoy discussing these books with us.]
Depending on the period being portrayed, historical fiction novels are often too graphic and too depressing for me to enjoy. The Viking era is a popular one for authors, and, until Blood Eye, I have always been unable to get into books set in that period.
January 25th, 2013. John Hulet´s rating: 3.5 | Giles Kristian | Edge | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
Imager’s Battalion by L.E. Modesitt, Jr.
THE IMAGER PORTFOLIO has covered two eras and two separate characters and tied them together with a theme of great power and great responsibility. L.E. Modesitt Jr. has taken the time to show the evolution of magic (imaging) in a low-tech world and has given us some pretty amazing world-building. The challenge for readers, however, is that it has been at times dreadfully boring, endlessly repetitive and so heavy-handed in its statements about the social conditions and the inherent prejudices that exist in that world that even the most stalwart fan gets… tired.
January 22nd, 2013. John Hulet´s rating: 2 | L.E. Modesitt_Jr | SFF Reviews | 4 comments |
Ice Forged by Gail Z. Martin
There are some crimes that are so heinous that a person’s reaction to them is almost chemical, not logical. When Blaine McFadden is confronted by the sight of his beloved younger sister after she has been sexually assaulted, he loses control and in short order kills the man responsible. In that act, no matter how justified, Blaine seals his fate and is exiled to a distant, frozen penal colony to pay for having taken another man’s life.
Ice Forged is Gail Z.
January 7th, 2013. John Hulet´s rating: 3.5 | Gail Z. Martin | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
The Ramal Extraction by Steve Perry
Steve Perry’s new series CUTTER’S WARS is about a high tech mercenary team in a relatively near future, the 24th Century. In The Ramal Extraction, Perry begins the series by sending the team on a special operation to save a princess from abduction and save a world from war. They’ll have to use all of their combined wits and varied skills to succeed.
The mercenary team Captained by Colonel “Rags” Cutter, a retired Officer of the Galactic Union Army,
December 21st, 2012. John Hulet´s rating: 2.5 | Steve Perry | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Do it! One of the best things I've read in recent years.
This reminds me. I want to read Addie LaRue.
We’re in total agreement David!
I felt just the same. The prose and character work was excellent. The larger story was unsatisfying, especially compared to…
Hmmm. I think I'll pass.