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As military fantasys go, I found a lot to like in this one. There’s a lot of battles which get progressively bigger until the finale. There are organising troops, gun use, and marching - some of my favorite parts were the parade row marching and just any of the scenes where they had to keep or use a tempo. I especially loved the use of sound combined with the visuals to bring the scenes alive.
This opens with a bang, befitting the title but it’s weird bang - kind of like small town fireworks with the reload time between the bursts of color, as this stops mid-action to give us a bit of catch-up. Once we are caught up though, it’s go-time, and the rest of the book is an easy, quick, and fun read.
I honestly don't know what is it about this series that I absolutely adore. I mean, this is as grimdark as it can get - well, okay, maybe not as much, but you know - and most of the characters aren't exactly nice, or loveable. And still. Here I am, trying to gather my thoughts and coming up with something to criticise. I'm afraid this will be one of those unbalanced reviews where all I do is gushing. I guess I need to have those every once in a while. I'll keep this review spoiler free, unless you've not read Priest of Bones yet. You might get spoiled then.
As I'm reading Priest of Lies by Peter McLean currently, and one of my favorite characters happen to be Billy the Boy, a 14 year old lad, I started to think about books where children were not only side characters but had an important role. As I'm mostly reading adult fiction I went and looked at those books to pick 10 - which, let me tell you is a challenge.
The Ghost Hunter's Daughter is a solid and entertaining read. Being the debut of Caroline Flarity, I think it has good potential. All in all, it mostly delivered what I expected: a fast paced, sometimes spooky read with a bit of teen drama. If you like ghost hunter stories, evil spirits wreaking havoc in a little town playing mindgames on people, with teen angst and love drama on the side, then I'm sure you will enjoy The Ghost Hunter's Daughter.
Thorn of the Night Blossoms is a good entry point into JC Kang's world. Whether you only just get to know the Dragon Songs Saga series or you already read one the books and you are interested to learn more about Jie's past, you won't be disappointed.
So, I am just going to leave it there and say: If you’re like me and been hearing lots of good things about this author but haven’t had the opportunity, or weren’t sure where to start with his work…well, then this is a great place to jump on the Mark Lawrence bandwagon.
This issue has less short stories, but it contains more other content. Such as an article in memory of Gene Wolfe, an interview with Gareth L. Powell, a game review of Sekiro, bookreview of Uncanny Collateral, a movie review of Illang, an article about the legacy of Sheri S. Tepper and an analysis about the Gormenghast series.
You absolutely have to read this book if you like Moore's books, love humor, want an alternative history about who Jesus was, enjoy reading about adventure, drama and prefer a character driven story. In short: READ THIS BOOK!
This is a very dark book/series all around - you know how Hell gets depicted as this scary screwed-up place full of intense horror images, and nasty stuff happening to good people… well, that’s the main world in this book.
Priest of Bones deserves all the hype it got. If you ever wondered what would happen if you mixed a priest and the Godfather, then you can finally get your answer. Priest of Bones is an unputdownable character driven fantasy about organised crime, magic, political intrigue and a world left by the gods. I already can't wait for the sequel, Priest of Lies to learn what happens to these lovely rogues called Pious Men next.
A fellow blogger was reading this book and seemed to like it. It was right up my alley with it being historical fiction, set in Granada, 1492, so I went and requested a copy on Netgalley. I don't know if I had too high hopes for this one or expected something different, but reading The Bird King I found myself having pretty mixed feelings.
I did enjoy the journey and I quite liked a lot of the ideas in this story. And the fights. I really enjoyed the fights, and after my recent binge of fight movies, I felt I knew some of the moves they were pulling off, which is always cool. I will be curious to see where things go in later books, if there are any.
We Lie With Death is cleverly written, intricate and addictive, merging genres like it's the most natural thing in the world, while handling topics with a sensitivity that shows Madson's genius. If you didn't read We Ride the Storm yet, start it now, because you don't want to miss We Lie With Death!
All things said, there is a lot to like about The Woven Ring. It's an imaginative flintlock fantasy with the potential of growing into a fantastic series. Maybe it's a bit rough around the edges, but no one can say The Woven Ring doesn't set a pretty solid foundation for the future for when Sol finally comes to harvest.
Your Favorite Band Cannot Save You is a quick paced read, perfect for a road trip or just a quiet afternoon with a book. If you look for something different, it has a strange mix of music, humor, horror, sci-fi, maybe a tinge of Cthulhu mythos. If you liked We Sould Our Souls, you might like Your Favorite Band Cannot Save You as well.
Without Misaki this would have been a great book with some very cool fight scenes (I’m still in awe over the Matsuda brother’s Ice Dragon) and a good solid base for a later series. With her though - it became an outstanding piece of storytelling that needs to be experienced, and one that is going to stick with me for a long time.
Overall, Out of Nowhere is an enjoyable urban fantasy, which brings nothing new to the genre, but has some interesting ideas and a potential to build on as the series continues.
Three Crows Magazine had only started its journey, this only being the second issue, but I can already say it has a place in the market. It not only features critically acclaimed authors like Anna Smith Spark, but also gives a chance to upcoming, talented authors such as Gerard Mullen, Luke Frostick and T.A. Sola. All of their stories represent a different culture, giving us a glimpse into our beautiful, colorful world through the eyes of SFF.
This book made it to the semi-finals in this year's SPFBO and with good reason. It had to be one of the more interesting takes on the undead that I have read in a while.
