The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
If, like me, you were so impressed with The Name of the Wind that you neglected all but the most pressing business until you turned the final page, you may have decided to give it a quick re-read in anticipation of the sequel. If you did, you probably spotted this quote in Chapter 43:
There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.
After a long but worthwhile wait,
March 1st, 2011. Stefan Raets, Robert Thompson, Justin Blazier, Kat Hooper, Greg Hersom, Ryan Skardal and Tadiana Jones | Patrick Rothfuss | Audio | SFF Reviews | 23 comments |
Cyndere’s Midnight by Jeffrey Overstreet
Jeffrey Overstreet‘s previous novel, Auralia’s Colors, took us to a sublimely well-imagined land and introduced a cast of imaginative characters. In Cyndere’s Midnight, the story begins where Auralia’s Colors left off. Overstreet adds a few more characters and moves the plot several huge steps forward.
Cal-Raven continues to grow in his magic as a stoneshaper and as a leader of fallen House Abascar. The remnants of his people are living with him in abject poverty as they attempt to survive the continued predations of the Beastmen of House Cent Regnus.
July 8th, 2010. John Hulet´s rating: 3.5 | Jeffrey Overstreet | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Knights of the Sea by Paul Marlowe
I was first drawn to Knights of the Sea by the hilarious cover art. Now, having read the book, I can say two things: First, the art is accurate! Every element of the cover design — wolf, capsized boat, ghostly damsel, and lemon — is present in the plot. Second, the book is just as funny as the cover, and in a very good way.
In the previous The Wellborn Conspiracy book, Sporeville, Elliott Graven made a powerful enemy in the dastardly Professor Strange.
June 4th, 2010. Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 4 | Paul Marlowe | Young Adult | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Petrodor picks up shortly after the ending of Sasha, the first novel in Joel Shepherd‘s A Trial of Blood and Steel series. Sashandra Lenayin (Sasha for short) now resides in the Torrovan port city Petrodor, a true hotbed of intrigue with several political factions squaring off against each other. With a brewing Verenthane crusade to retake the Bakosh provinces that are occupied by the serrin, war is in the air, and the tensions between the various camps are threatening to come to a boil: the powerful and rich merchant families,
March 18th, 2010. Stefan Raets´s rating: 4 | Joel Shepherd | SFF Reviews | no comments |
When last we left the intrepid — and tiny — heroes of Blackbringer, Magpie, Talon, and company were leaving on a task set to Magpie by the Magruwen (the Djinn King). Their mission: To find the last five of the Djinn who created the world.
In Silksinger we meet Whisper Silksinger, the last remaining member of a clan of faeries who weave flying carpets (because they’re all “scamperers,” meaning their wings are too small to carry them).
March 3rd, 2010. Beth Johnson Sonderby (guest)´s rating: 5 | Laini Taylor | Children | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
Burn Me Deadly by Alex Bledsoe
Note: This rating reflects my happiness with the audio version of Burn Me Deadly. Four stars for the print version. Listen to a sample of this audiobook here.
Ah, the combination of Alex Bledsoe (the author), Eddie LaCrosse (the hero) and Stefan Rudnicki (the reader) — it doesn’t get much better than that!
Burn Me Deadly is the sequel to The Sword-Edged Blonde,
February 24th, 2010. Kat Hooper and Rob Rhodes´s rating: 4, 4.5 | Alex Bledsoe | Audio | SFF Reviews | no comments |
The Soldier King by Violette Malan
The second book in the A Novel of Dhulyn and Parno series, The Soldier King is a fun sword and sorcery romp featuring engaging characters and an entertaining, multi-faceted world. Picking up about a year after The Sleeping God leaves off, Violette Malan starts the story on a battlefield at the end of a war. The Mercenary Brothers Dhulyn and Parno accept the surrender of the prince of the opposing side’s army. Their own commanders want to hold him hostage as a bargaining chip in opposition to the Common Rule of the Mercenary Guild,
November 13th, 2009. Ruth Arnell´s rating: 3.5 | Violette Malan | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
Lady of Light and Shadows by C.L. Wilson
Lady of Light and Shadows is the second volume in C.L. Wilson’s romantic fantasy epic, Tairen Soul. Like the previous novel, Lord of the Fading Lands, Lady of Light and Shadows is a fun guilty pleasure. Ellysetta and Rain may be a little over the top in terms of their powers, treading close to Mary Sue territory, but I’m enjoying the heck out of their story anyway.
October 16th, 2009. Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 4 | C.L. Wilson | SFF Reviews | no comments |
The Other Lands by David Anthony Durham
PLOT SUMMARY: Several years have passed since the demise of Hanish Mein. Corinn Akaran rules with an iron grip on the Known World’s many races. She hones her skills in sorcery by studying The Book of Elenet and dotes on her young son, Aaden — Hanish’s child — raising him to be her successor. Mena Akaran, still the warrior princess she became fighting the eagle god Maeben, has been battling the monsters released by the Santoth’s corrupted magic. In her hunt she discovers a creature wholly unexpected,
September 11th, 2009. Robert Thompson´s rating: 4 | David Anthony Durham | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Urban fantasy is all the rage these days. While I’m concerned about the eventual over-saturation of the market, it’s definitely a good time to be a fan of the sub-genre, especially when writers like T.A. Pratt are given the chance to shine. Tim Pratt, the winner of the 2007 Hugo Award for the short story “Impossible Dreams,” also left a positive impression on me with his novel Blood Engines and its rewarding blend of wacky characters, comedy, supernatural action, and imagination.
September 2nd, 2009. Robert Thompson´s rating: 4 | Tim (T.A.) Pratt | SFF Reviews | no comments |
What a fascinating exploration of Edwige Fenech's contributions to the giallo genre! I love how the post highlights her unique…
Pretty challenging book. Cut by half, speed up the cadence. Trying to figure out the plot, the main point of…
Thanks for the kind words, Marion! Coming as they are from a professional writer, they are much appreciated!
Wonderful review, Sandy.
The "body count" bothered me a bit less because being dead seemed more like an inconvenience than anything else... unlike…