Tim Scheidler | Fantasy Literature: Fantasy and Science Fiction Book and Audiobook Reviews

Elvenbane: Norton vs. Lackey, Round 1

Elvenbane by Andre Norton & Mercedes Lackey

In the world of Elvenbane, elves have subjugated humanity because… well, they’re elves, frankly: magical and long-lived and perfectly capable of taking what they want. Apparently having served as the unselfish goodie-goodies one too many times, elves have instead been refreshingly cast as the fantasy version of the Roman Empire in this text, conquering and enslaving other races out of a sense of entitlement and a desire to expand their power. Humans are used for menial labor and sexual gratification,

June 27th, 2011. Tim Scheidler´s rating: 2 | Andre Norton, Mercedes Lackey | SFF Reviews | 6 comments |

The Isle of Glass: A derivative novel done well

The Isle of Glass by Judith Tarr

I’ve gone back and forth on this text quite a bit, unsure how generous I’m willing to be. The facts are these: Judith Tarr’s prose is better than expected, the story flows well, and the pacing is great, but on the other hand, this is not a book that beyond its style really seems to have a lot to do. The Isle of Glass is the kind of novel that readers will finish with a nod and a shrug rather than a smile or tears.

June 21st, 2011. Tim Scheidler´s rating: 3.5 | Judith Tarr | SFF Reviews | 4 comments |

Hounded: Wonderful hero, perfect sidekick

Hounded by Kevin Hearne

The young-Irish-lad façade does not stand me in good stead when I’m trying to appear scholarly at my place of business — I run an occult bookshop with an apothecary’s counter squeezed in the corner — but it has one outstanding advantage. When I go to the grocery store, for example, and people see my curly red hair, fair skin, and long goatee, they suspect that I play soccer and drink lots of Guinness. If I’m going sleeveless and they see the tattoos all up and down my right arm,

The Dragon’s Path: Looking forward to more

The Dragon’s Path by Daniel Abraham

As I’ve said previously in my reviews, I’d place Daniel Abraham’s THE LONG PRICE QUARTET among the top four or five fantasy series of the past decade. So when his new series, entitled THE DAGGER AND THE COIN, was announced, I was more than eager to see what he would do for a follow-up. I was not disappointed. The first book in the series, The Dragon’s Path, is one of my favorite reads so far this year and I’ll be surprised if it doesn’t make it onto my year’s best list at the end.

April 4th, 2011. Bill Capossere, Tim Scheidler, Terry Weyna, Robert Thompson and Jason Golomb´s rating: 4 | Daniel Abraham | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |

Artemis Fowl: A flashy, funny little explosion of a book

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Artemis Fowl is a fast-paced blend of 21st century technology and ancient fairy magic, written by Irishman Eoin Colfer for young enthusiasts of science-fiction and fantasy. The plot is straightforward: Artemis, a 12-year-old genius and the son of the missing overlord of a criminal dynasty, concocts a scheme to acquire the little golden book of fairy lore and, using its secrets, hold a fairy hostage for an enormous ransom. The only thing is, Colfer’s fairies aren’t delicate little Tinkerbell-types;

The River Kings’ Road: Familiar, but fun

The River Kings’ Road by Liane Merciel

CLASSIFICATION: The River Kings’ Road is a traditional, medieval European-influenced epic fantasy in the vein of Greg Keyes’ THE KINGDOMS OF THORN AND BONE, David Farland, and early J.V. Jones.

FORMAT/INFO: The River Kings’ Road is 384 pages long divided over twenty numbered chapters and an Epilogue. Narration is in the third person via Brys Tarnell,

February 27th, 2010. Robert Thompson and Tim Scheidler´s rating: 4 | Liane Merciel | SFF Reviews | no comments |

The Vampire Lestat: The seminal work of vampire fiction since Stoker

The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice

Anne Rice’s second vampire novel is both a prequel and a sequel to her original story Interview with the Vampire. A sequel because it is framed by a sequence of events in contemporary times, and a prequel because it recounts the history of the vampire Lestat, the sire of the protagonist Louis in Interview. After waking from centuries-sleep in 1980’s New Orleans, Lestat discovers the Interview manuscript and goes about setting the story straight,

April 5th, 2008. Rebecca Fisher and Tim Scheidler´s rating: 5 | Anne Rice | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |

Author: Tim Scheidler

Elvenbane: Norton vs. Lackey, Round 1

The Isle of Glass: A derivative novel done well

Hounded: Wonderful hero, perfect sidekick

The Dragon’s Path: Looking forward to more

Artemis Fowl: A flashy, funny little explosion of a book

The River Kings’ Road: Familiar, but fun

The Vampire Lestat: The seminal work of vampire fiction since Stoker

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