Next SFF Author: Ben Aaronovitch

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Fablehaven: A great central concept

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

Kendra and Seth have to spend 17 days with their grandparents who they barely know while their parents go on a trip. Dropped off at the huge isolated estate deep in the forest, the kids have no idea what to expect. Little did they think they would discover that their grandparents are the caretakers of a nature preserve for magical creatures of all sizes, shapes and inclinations. But now it seems that Grandma has mysteriously gone missing, and that is just the beginning of the problems the children will have to face.

Blood of Ambrose: Seamlessly blends epic fantasy and sword & sorcery

Blood of Ambrose by James Enge

“The King was screaming in the throne room when the Protector’s Men arrived” — and with good reason. The King, Lathmar, is about twelve years old when his “Protector,” Urdhven, decides to seize the throne. Urdhven captures Lathmar and his many-times-great-grandmother, Ambrosia Viviana (a daughter of Merlin — apparently the Merlin of Arthurian legend — who’s therefore exceptionally long-lived), but not before they send word to Ambrosia’s brother, the infamous Morlock Ambrosius. Together, Lathmar, Ambrosia, Morlock, and Morlock’s dwarven apprentice plot and battle to preserve Lathmar’s rule,

April 8th, 2009. Rob Rhodes and Greg Hersom´s rating: 3, 5 | James Enge | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |

Nights of Villjamur: I liked what Newton was going for

Nights of Villjamur by Mark Charan Newton

Nights of Villjamur by Mark Newton is the first in a series entitled Legends of the Red Sun. The setting is the Boreal Archipelago, though the vast majority of the action takes place in the capital of the Jamur Empire — the eponymous city of Villjamur. The empire is built on its military and the remnants of ancient technology scavenged, studied, and used or modified (not always as the original technology was intended) by a group of Cultists (who are subdivided into sects).

April 8th, 2009. Bill Capossere´s rating: 3 | Mark Charan Newton | SFF Reviews | no comments |

Dreams of the Compass Rose: Unique format

Dreams of the Compass Rose by Vera Nazarian

Vera Nazarianemploys a fairly traditional and even romantic method of narration, but what makes Dreams of the Compass Rose unique is its format. It’s reminiscent of mosaic novels or even the high fantasy equivalent of Jack Vance‘s Tales of the Dying Earth as each chapter stands well on its own and explores a facet of the various characters. I like the Tales of the Dying Earth comparison, as a minor character in the previous story might take center stage in the next.

Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher: Great for younger readers

Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Coville

For kids who are too young for the complex Harry Potter series, and yet interested in fantasy stories, then Bruce Coville’s Magic Shop books might be the thing to hook them up with. Each book is based on a basic premise: a young child with the usual kid problems (home trouble, bullies, crushes, angry teachers, etc) stumble across Mr Elives’ Magic Shop, and leave with an unusual purchase that creates more trouble for them, but ultimately teaches them important lessons.

Strange Tales of Secret Lives: Flash fiction from VanderMeer

Strange Tales of Secret Lives by Jeff VanderMeer

I had absolutely no idea what to expect from Strange Tales of Secret Lives and this book certainly did surprise. Jeff VanderMeer explains the origins of Secret Lives in the introduction: this is a collection of various short stories of (hopefully) fictional what-ifs of real people: a researcher is really a king, a pharmacist plans to live the double-life of a detective, etc.

I’m not a fan of flash fiction and most of the stories here definitely fall under that category yet VanderMeer manages to write it with such imagination and gusto that it becomes palatable,

Furies of Calderon: Typical epic fantasy

Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher

I read Furies of Calderon while waiting for Jim Butcher’s next DRESDEN FILES novel. Butcher’s little blurb at the end of his books had convinced me to give it a whirl.

Let it be known, this is not to the caliber of THE DRESDEN FILES. It is a good book nonetheless. The story follows several characters in the world of Alera who find themselves intertwined together in a land on the brink of war. Furies of Calderon is a book of themes.

February 13th, 2009. Justin Blazier and Kat Hooper´s rating: 3 | Jim Butcher | SFF Reviews | no comments |

The Stone Prince: Cheesy entertainment

The Stone Prince by Gena Showalter

A pre-warning: The Stone Prince contains cheesy content. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Jorlan En Sarr is from another planet. He’s also a prince on his home planet and a warrior who was sent to Earth in the form of a statue by his evil brother who just happens to be a sorcerer. On Earth, Jorlan is awoken from his stone state by Katie, a practical tomboy who renovates houses for a living. After Katie miraculously awakes Jorlan the next 2/3 of the book are scenes of heated sexual tension along with a little silliness (I laughed particularly hard when Jorlan tried to use a spatula as a weapon).

February 9th, 2009. Guest´s rating: 3 | Gena Showalter | SFF Reviews | no comments |

The Fires of Heaven: Amazingly little happens

The Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan

For being such a long book (nearly 1000 pages in my trade paperback copy), amazingly little happens in The Fires of Heaven, and this is why so many readers have abandoned this otherwise interesting story. Approximately the first third of the novel contains so much recap and repetition that, if I’d had “my hair in a proper braid,” I would have been yanking it as often as Nynaeve does.

The formula for the first 100 pages or so goes something like this: One or two lines of dialogue,

Empire of Ivory: Mixed results

Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novik

When last we left our characters, they were trapped with the Prussian Army running for their lives in the face of Napoleon’s Army. Returning home they are confronted by a disaster of cataclysmic proportions as an illness is rapidly decimating the dragon populace of England. Harrowing stuff…

Empire of Ivory takes quite a while to get going and is more compelling in its depiction of events than characters. The main character remains almost cardboard for most of the book, which leaves me uninterested in him.

December 20th, 2008. John Hulet´s rating: 3 | Naomi Novik | SFF Reviews | no comments |

Next SFF Author: Ben Aaronovitch

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