Fantasy

Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey

Posted by tjhapney on December 28, 2013
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KushielDescription/Blurb Excerpt:

A nation born of angels, vast and intricate and surrounded by danger… a woman born to servitude, unknowingly given access to the secrets of the realm…

Born with a scarlet mote in her left eye, Phédre nó Delaunay is sold into indentured servitude as a child. When her bond is purchased by an enigmatic nobleman, she is trained in history, theology, politics, foreign languages, the arts of pleasure. And above all, the ability to observe, remember, and analyze. Exquisite courtesan, talented spy… and unlikely heroine. But when Phédre stumbles upon a plot that threatens her homeland, Terre d’Ange, she has no choice.

Review 4 of 5 Stars
It took me a while to get around to reading Kushiel’s Dart as it comes in at over 900 pages and I needed some time away from my hectic real life to sit down and enjoy it.  Phédre nó Delaunay is a courtesan in service to the god Kushiel in a culture where courtesans are a normal part of courtly life .
Her guardian, Delauney, buys her marque (indentured servitude) from the Night Court and takes her into his house to be raised as a member of his family.  He teaches her languages, critical thinking and a host of other skills to enable her to be a spy as well as a courtesan so that she might gain important tidbits of information that affect the realm from the lips of her benefactors.  This is a fantasy story in that it is set in a fantasy realm with seers and gods that are at least somewhat active in the affairs of their subjects, but it is filled with court intrigues, a kingdom under attack, treachery, and a courtly love story that reaches across the sea to a far off kingdom rather than great feats of magic though there are some mystical happenings along the way.
Phédre is an anquisette, a courtesan that enjoys pain, and has her own encounters and loves and dependencies along the way as well as her struggle to become more than she believes she is in order to save Terre d’Ange.  In my mind I see Mata Hari in the fantasy world, but much darker. With her fiercely loyal Cassiline companion (warrior priest) she is captured and enslaved by a fierce barbarian tribe.  Using the lessons learned from Delauney she sets out to escape and save her nation.
To tell any more than this might ruin the story for any that would care to read it.  It is a very involved story, with multiple sub-plots and an erotic overtone.  Though Phédre’s nature is an important part of the story I was well pleased to find such detail inner workings and intrigue after the story got started.  When the book began I was thinking it was going to be basically an erotica type story, but it was really so much more.  The author’s careful plotting, character development and care with intrigue made this a truly enjoyable story.  Phédre is an unlikely heroine, but one I was truly pulling for by the end.

The Demon Rolmar by A.V. Griffin

Posted by tjhapney on July 27, 2013
Posted in: Fantasy, Science Fiction. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment

ArolmarDescription:  Rolmar is a heartless, misanthropic demon who serves as one of the three overlords of Pentar, a planet in the Amenis dimension. When Rolmar’s brethren bestow upon him the illustrious task of destroying Earth, his growing curiosity of humans adds a momentary pause to his original plan. Still intent on annihilating Earth, Rolmar extends his stay in order to discover what makes humanity unique.

However, when Adam, a quirky college student, crosses paths with the all-powerful demon, one fateful night will change his life forever. Haunted by nightmares of his mind-blowing encounter, Adam can’t return to his normal life. His only path to solace is attempting to convince the demon that Earth is worth saving. With the fate of the world on their shoulders, will Adam and his friends be able to convince Rolmar that they and all of mankind should be spared?

Review 4 of 5 Stars

I received a request from the author to read this story and I have to say that The Demon Rolmar by A.V. Griffin was such a fun read.  It was not at all what I expected from the description when I sat down to read it.

Now you may be thinking that me saying that means the description doesn’t really give a good idea of the story and yet it does.  It does not, however, prepare you for a story that doesn’t take itself too seriously and is great fun to read.  It was clever, fun, well executed and I really enjoyed watching the demon’s character progress through the story.  The writing was tight and I didn’t notice any of the copy editing errors you see in a lot of independent work.

I liked the care taken to show us the demon’s home world Pentar as well as some of the nifty tricks employed by the Pentarians and took it into the realm of science fiction rather than just a fantasy story.  I don’t want to give away too much, because some of what was so enjoyable are the unexpected mischievous things and I really don’t want to spoil those.  I will say it made me chuckle on more than one occasion.

This isn’t a very long story (I read it in an evening), but the characters were vivid, it was a good story overall and I really liked it.  I think the end wrapped up a little too neatly, but I wasn’t necessarily disappointed in the ending either.  So there you have it.  If you enjoy a little science fiction with your fantasy and want a chance to chuckle a few times along the way this might be just the story for you.

Book Review: The Starfall Knight by Ken Lim

Posted by tjhapney on July 4, 2013
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KnightDescription:  Surrounded by cut-throats and slavers, Alessa knows there is more to existence than mere survival on the aerocks – landmasses that traverse the endless sky, powered by a volatile mineral. When the opportunity for a new life presents itself, there is nothing that will stop Alessa from having her way.

Devan seeks the respect of his peers, protectors of their homeland which is an aerock so large that it can haul along smaller lands. When Alessa’s aerock makes landfall, they bring more than commodities and supplies for trade. They bring memories of past mistakes.

They bring war.

Review 4 of 5 Stars

I received a request to review this book.  Lucky for me The Starfall Knight was a fun fantasy read, but if you’re looking for elves and the like you’ll need to look elsewhere.  It’s not that kind of fantasy story.  Whether it be fortunate or unfortunate I immediately had a concept of what chained together aerocks would look like because I’m an online gamer and have climbed the chains between floating rocks that were connected together on more than one occasion.  So I moved on with the concept of floating landmasses as if it was as natural as breathing.  I have lived on islands before though and have to say I would prefer bigger landmasses especially if they were floating.  I’m sure my fear of heights (or more specifically falling) would have made elements of this world very uncomfortable for me if I’d had to live in it, but our characters were up to the challenges presented to them.

Devan and Alessa are the mains here and seemingly as opposite as can be.  Devan is a Centaran ranger who scouts around the connected aerocks, blames himself for a long ago tragedy and is out to prove his naysayers wrong.  Alessa is pretty much a pirate wench who, though tough, seems to be a step above her companions.  There were some good supporting characters as well and as a whole I have to say the characters were pretty well done evoking empathy and dislike.  The world building and descriptions were good as well.  There’s plenty of adventure and action to be had throughout this tale and I enjoyed the trip.  It wasn’t perfect, but I liked it.

I enjoyed the cultural differences of the various aerocks and the intrigue as well as an entertaining fantasy element.  There’s plenty of bloodthirsty bandits and brave defenders, along with some secrets to be revealed and the like.  The writing was good and I had no problem moving along through it at a good pace.  There were a few strange things, but I don’t want to give away the story and part of explaining it would have to include doing so.  The only other thing is I really would have liked to have found out more about the actual study of the Starfall Knight and its accompanying items, but I always want to know more about the mystery.  Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable read and I’d be willing to read something else by this author.

Voidhawk by Jason Halstead

Posted by tjhapney on June 9, 2013
Posted in: Fantasy, Science Fiction. Tagged: , , . Leave a comment

voidhawkDescription:  Too young and naïve to care about the tensions between nations, Dexter Silverhawk considered himself the luckiest man alive when he found a derelict voidship hidden amongst a forbidden field of asteroids. Lady luck proves a fickle maiden when he goes from luckiest man alive to dishonorably discharged.

Escaping prison is only the first step in making his own luck. Finding a crew of castoffs and bringing them together to face the dangers and opportunities of the void between worlds tests Dexter beyond anything he’s ever imagined.

Review 3 of 5 Stars

If you were watching a kind of cheesy, low to mid-budget mix of Lord of the Rings, Firefly and Pirates of the Caribbean on a Sunday afternoon this might be what fell out of the blender.  It could also use some substantial copy editing for grammar, etc.  The explanation for wooden spaceships that were like pirate ships never did settle with me as well as some other less than plausible things that went on throughout the book.  However, it was basically a fun read and it was free. I picked it up because of some Firefly references in the comments of others because I loved Firefly and was curious.  Firefly it was not, but it was swashbuckling in space alongside wizards, elves and the like.  The lead character Dexter probably makes as many bad decisions as he can along the way and he’s kind of bashful at times for a pirate/trader who makes his female friends in the gutter.  Although considering where he finds them they are a pretty good bunch, just a little bit bad.  We aren’t talking world-class literature here, but for what it was it had its moments and I chuckled on several occasions.  Fortunately for Dexter and despite his decisions getting him into trouble more often than not his crew members, picked up in various lowly places along the way, seem to demonstrate new and interesting skills just in the nick of time.  This isn’t the best book I have ever read, but it also wasn’t the worst by far.  I doubt that I’ll be delving into more of Dexter’s adventures, but it wasn’t so bad I couldn’t finish it and it had some fun moments.  Some of the dialogue is witty.  Fantasy/Science Fiction literally with more emphasis on the fantasy than the science for sure in a strange sitcom kind of way.

Not Magic Enough and Setting Boundaries Boxed Set (The Coming Storm) by Valerie Douglas

Posted by tjhapney on June 6, 2013
Posted in: Fantasy, Romance. Tagged: , , . Leave a comment

notDescription:

Not Magic Enough.
For Delae – a lonely landholder on the edge of the Kingdoms – a frantic knock at the door on a stormy winter’s night brings a cry for help.
After centuries of war, Elves have little contact with the race of Men, but Dorovan can’t bring himself to ride past those so obviously in need. One small act – with enormous consequences. Not Magic Enough is a tale of love and honor, duty and determination.

Setting Boundaries
After centuries of war an uneasy peace has finally been negotiated between Elves, Dwarves and Men, thanks to Elon of Aerilann, Elven councilor to the High King of Men. One final task yet remains, one final bone of contention – to set the boundaries between their lands. It’s a task that will be easier said than done. Although most of the lesser Kings signed the Alliance, not all wish to see it succeed and some are willing to oppose it.
Violently.
For journeyman wizard Jareth it’s the opportunity of a lifetime.
What he doesn’t know is that the journey will test him to his limits and forge a friendship that would last for centuries.

Review 3 of 5 Stars

Not Magic Enough and Setting Boundaries are novellas from Valerie Douglas’ Coming Storm series.  Despite trying to be Tolkien-like they don’t really have much in common except that there are elves and humans in both stories. So I’m going to give some overall comments and then take them one at a time. Ms. Douglas definitely has the talent to turn a phrase. The rhythm is good and they mostly flowed pretty well aside from some repetitiveness; however,  a little more proofreading couldn’t hurt. That being said, I was able overlook the mistakes more in the first of the two than the second, but that was because of the quality of the stories being told. Now on to the stories themselves.

Not Magic Enough is a truly beautiful love story and of the two I definitely enjoyed it the most. I’m a sucker for a good elf and lesser races love story where the people are participating in a forbidden relationship. It just adds to the intrigue. It’s a fabulous daydream/fantasy and this story was one that could have easily taken place somewhere in an out-of-the-way holding. There is an overall sadness to the story being told and in a lot of ways it’s a story about settling for less than what you can’t have, but it’s also a beautiful story of a truly loving friendship between two people who know they are not for one another in the long run. If I were reviewing these separately this story probably would have received a 4 just for the story itself.

But since they were bound together we move on to Setting Boundaries. Once again some of the writing was truly lovely and some needed to be proofread again (and that’s exactly what I was thinking as I read this). However, this story didn’t have the depth that I’m looking for in something of its ilk. The elves and a human wizard set off to set boundary stones to mark the lands for the older and younger races and this is a story about their journey. Mostly the journey is pretty uneventful and I was a bit let down after the first one. There are a couple of points where there’s some action, but I got the feeling that this would have been a good intermediary chapter between much more exciting chapters to break the tension if there was an actual book involved. It was a story of friendship and fighting against prejudice, but in my opinion not all that gripping or memorable and thus the set of two novellas was brought down to 3 because I would have given this one a 2 if I had read it on its own.

In the end I thought Not Magic Enough was a good standalone love story. Setting Boundaries I could take or leave. Another problem here is that these are novellas and though these two are bundled together for a pretty low price, the two I saw from later in the series are just barely under $5. I don’t know about you, but I’m not interested in buying a ton of novellas at $5 each, which really just seem like overly long chapters to try to build a book myself. If the two stories are related aside from being on the same world then there isn’t much to relate one to the other that I could tell aside from the elder races and the younger races being at odds. So there you have it. It was a mixed bag for me. Though the romance of the first story was done very well, I wasn’t that impressed with the second one and won’t be trying to build this book one chapter at a time on my own by purchasing the later novellas. If she truly finds the thread to join it all together it might be a good book somewhere down the line, but I think I’ll just wait until then.

 

 

John Carter: Barsoom Series (7 Novels) by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Posted by tjhapney on May 31, 2013
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Carter

Description:  When John Carter goes to sleep in a mysterious cave in the Arizona dessert, he wakes up on the planet Mars. There he meets the fifteen foot tall, four armed, green men of mars, with horse-like dragons, and watch dogs like oversized frogs with ten legs. His adventures continue as he battles great white apes, fights plant men, defies the Goddess of Death, and braves the frozen wastes of Polar Mars. In other adventures, the Prince of Helium encounters a race of telepathic warriors, the Princess of Helium confronts the headless men of Mars, Captain Ulysses Paxton learns the secret of human immortality, and Tan Hadron’s idealized notion of love is tested as he fights off gigantic spiders and cannibals.

Review 5 of 5 Stars

Growing up, when I thought of Edgar Rice Burroughs I always thought of Tarzan books. Since these novels first appeared around 100 years ago I just hadn’t ever read them, but after seeing the John Carter movie and knowing that the books are generally better than the movies that are made from them I thought it would be fun to see what the original story was. As I expected there were quite a few differences between the film version and the novels which were definitely the better story.  I had to give this group of novels five stars as I didn’t pause at all in the reading of all seven of them and greatly enjoyed the adventure as a whole for the 99 cents I spent to buy it (what a bargain).  From reading these I’m also led to believe that Mr. Burroughs didn’t know what a defeatist attitude was as even in the most dire of circumstances his characters always seem to push aside the hardships and impossibility of their situations with an upbeat attitude and light heart because as the mantra for Mr. Burroughs’ books goes, “I still live.”

The first books are about John Carter’s experiences.  Later books move on to cover his children and finally others from Mars and another human transplant to the red planet. It was a really fun read and it was interesting to see things that were only science fiction then, but that we use every day now such as ‘wireless telephony’. I know I generally try to read and share more recent material by independent authors, but it was a great story and I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure as a whole.

It’s a series about striving forward, honor, loyalty and the will to go on which I think is timeless. I admit that I enjoyed some of the novels a little more than others, but as I read it on my e-reader it was really just like one really long, sweeping adventure. So if you have some spare time and want to step back 100 years to some really great early science fiction, I think I can confidently say that any true science fiction buff would enjoy the trip. It’s not like there aren’t plenty of good reviews about these books over the last century to make you feel confident as you step out on Mr. Burroughs’ path to Mars, but if you haven’t read them or thought about it you might want to reconsider.

Lodestone Book One: The Sea of Storms by Mark Whiteway

Posted by tjhapney on May 31, 2013
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lodestone

Original review posted Thursday, May 9, 2013

Description: On the planet Kelanni, life is cheap.

With the aid of the fearsome “Keltar” enforcers,
in their flying cloaks, a ruthless invader is forcing the native people to mine
the colloquially named “lodestone” – a substance from another universe with
infinitely destructive power.

The only ones who can stop him are a tiny girl with fiery disposition, a
former Keltar, a failed revolutionary, a musician and the mysterious creature,
Boxx, who seems to speak only in riddles.

Review 4 of 5 Stars

Having just come off reading a favorite series I was a little hesitant to start this book. I had just had a fabulous reading experience and didn’t want that to affect my review of the next book I read by an as yet unknown to me author, but I’d been curious about this one and it had been hanging around on my Kindle for a while so off I went to a new world.

I must say that I was more than pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed it.  It was little dark in places, but I still consider it a fun read.  There was action and there were tender moments, but mostly there was a good ensemble cast of characters that carried it off. There were some rough patches so it gets a 4, but that just means that I really liked it instead of loving it because there were moments where things seemed a little too familiar, but heroes do need adventure and obstacles to overcome and there are only so many. I’ll happily read the next book in the series and who knows by the second or third book I may love it. The characters were interesting as was the overall story and all in all it was a good adventure.

The Kelanni are not human which is very obvious from the start of the book, but before long you’re involved in the book, its characters and the flow of the story, easily forgetting this mundane detail until one of them swishes their tail or something. The Keltar are a menacing lot, but every adventure needs a bad guy to overcome. And then there’s Boxx. I’m curious about Boxx who is a strange little character indeed, but it’s obvious that finding out more about this character will come later in the series. I liked the varied uses for the lodestones throughout the story and how the story hinged around them in  its own way, without that detail being the only focus. On the whole it’s a tale of friendship, hardship, adventure and the personal journeys we make where we may come out the other end as better people.  The world building for the Kelanni civilization was pretty well done and I readily admit that I enjoyed my journey with these characters as they set out to save the people of their world. I’m hoping the next book in the series is as good if not better.

Forged in Flame (In Her Name: The First Empress, Book 2) by Michael R. Hicks

Posted by tjhapney on May 31, 2013
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forged

Original review posted Friday, May 3, 2013

Description: This is the second book of the First Empress saga, following From Chaos Born.

Keel-Tath, the child who would unite her people as foretold by an ancient prophecy, has grown to be a young warrior in the confines of the Desh-Ka temple, where she has been sheltered by her old friend and mentor Ayan-Dar from the clutches of Syr-Nagath, the Dark Queen. But when Keel-Tath is forced to choose between sanctuary and her honor, she goes into exile, leaving behind a broken-hearted Ayan-Dar.

Captured and bound in chains by those who serve the Dark Queen, she is rescued from an unspeakable fate by a warrior from the shadows. Thus begins Keel-Tath’s perilous journey to the ends of her war-ravaged world, through deadly wastelands and even deadlier seas, unaware that some of those she holds most dear stand ready to betray her…

Review 5 of 5 Stars

This was a fantastic book. I don’t know that I can give this book a better recommendation than that after I read it and was not ready for the story to be over, I reread the entire series and then read this book again before even writing the review for it.  It made for a long time between reviews for the blog, but I really enjoyed the time of self-indulgence that I took to bury myself in Mr. Hicks’ universe. Long before the Redemption and The Last War trilogies, this story takes us back to the rise of the First Empress before humans are a consideration in the universe or story.  Keel-Tath’s struggles in her bid to fulfill the prophecy that may save her people from destruction are fascinating, riveting and very well written.  The characters are flesh and blood and I love the story on many levels. I’m sure this series will remain with those others that I read again from time to time like visiting old friends. Michael R. Hicks has done an amazing job of world building in this series from the very start and I can’t wait to read the next book. If you enjoy good fantasy/military science fiction this will be right up your alley.

Water (The Akasha Series) by Terra Harmony

Posted by tjhapney on May 31, 2013
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waterOriginal review posted Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Description:  Elemental powers in the palm of her hand…and it won’t be enough to save her. When Kaitlyn Alder is involuntarily introduced to a life of magic, she becomes part of an organization hell-bent on saving the Earth. Her newfound life holds promises of purpose, romance, and friendship, but the organization divides and a rogue member holds Kaitlyn hostage. Now one of the most terrifying men the human race has to offer stands between her and Earth’s survival.

Review 2 of 5 Stars

I’m an avid reader and it took me forever to get through this book.  I originally picked it up because of the mention of controlling elemental powers and saving the planet. It sounded like a good idea, but I was turned off by the non-consensual sex in relation to the characters and how it was presented. I’m giving it two stars because it was pretty much technically correct from a writing standpoint, but I really lost interest in what had originally gained my interest about this book because of the way it was presented. It really seemed as if there were two very divergent story lines going and the two never did mesh together for me. There may be others who would enjoy this book, but let’s just say it wasn’t for me.

From Chaos Born (In Her Name: The First Empress, Book 1) by Michael R. Hicks

Posted by tjhapney on May 31, 2013
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chaosOriginal review posted Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Description: 

CHAOS

For long ages, the Kreelan race has been ruled by war. Only the priests and priestesses of the ancient martial orders prevented total annihilation as countless times civilizations arose, only to collapse again into savagery.

RISE OF THE DARK QUEEN

Near the end of the Fourth Age, a powerful warrior from a brooding fortress deep in the Great Wastelands began her bloody rise to power. Syr-Nagath, known as the Dark Queen, began a brutal war of conquest across the face of the Homeworld, secretly planning to destroy the martial orders and resurrect the dark ways of her race’s apocalyptic past.

A CHILD FORETOLD

What the Dark Queen did not anticipate was the birth of Keel-Tath, a child unlike any other. A child foretold in an ancient prophecy, who was destined to wield the powers of the ancient orders and unite her race.

A child the Dark Queen must kill, no matter the cost…

Review 5 of 5 Stars

From Chaos Born is the first book in the third trilogy that Michael R. Hicks has done in the In Her Name series and is a prequel that takes us back to the time of the first empress of the Kreelan civilization to observe the beginning of the changes to the Kreelan culture and honor system that will eventually lead them to human space far in the future.  I really enjoyed it and it was interesting to see the societal struggles that this race faced as it was developing and reaching for the stars in an endless cycle of destruction. Syr-Nagath, the Dark Queen, is truly a brutal character with no redeeming qualities as far as I could tell.  Of course, though, in its slanted way this story is about good trying to triumph over evil as has been the rest of the series.  This is a story of hope for an embattled people who have carried on for generations watching their civilization rise and fall. In Keel-Tath there is hope and prophecies of greatness as well as warnings of dire events to come.  Since this is a beginning to a story that we’ve already witnessed in the current books of this series I was really glad to see that it didn’t founder and the storytelling was as strong and imaginative as in the previous books. Can’t wait to read the next one when it comes out.