You may (or may not) remember I wrote a review for Darkstorm, the precursor to Darkmage, a while back. As far as I know (yell at me if I’m wrong), Darkmage was actually written (or at least published) before Darkstorm, so this is essentially book one, and Darkstorm is book 0.5. I liked Darkstorm, but most of the first 70% […]
I read Blackwing, Ed McDonald’s debut novel, earlier this year and I absolutely loved it. It was about as close to perfect (for me, anyway) as a novel could get – great characters, awesome setting and a slap in the jaw ending that Nostradamus wouldn’t see coming. When the first novel is this good, there is always an air of […]
I’ve been meaning to read some of this author’s stuff for a while now, but the weight of my TBR always pushed it back. Needless to say, when Netgalley gave me the chance to check out his latest, while also applying a deadline, I was more than chuffed. And it’s a good book, to boot. The story is told from […]
Another gift from Netgalley (as most of my next four or five reviews will be), and like The Burning Stone, this one has a caveat – this time it’s a sequel. However, unlike Jack Whyte’s latest, I never felt I missed anything by not having read the previous novel. This, as you may or may not know, is one of […]
We’ve reached book eight in this massive romp through Norse mythology (and beyond), and Odin’s efforts to defy Ragnarok look to be in vain. He endeavours to cast off the yoke of urd and defy the strands woven by the Norns. But is that as simple as it sounds? Not that it sounds simple. With the future looking bleak, Odin […]
Funny story (well, not really) – I was visiting a spec-fiction themed bookstore in downtown Vancouver called White Dwarf (naturally)and saw this on the shelf. I had heard good things about it, so I picked it up. Looking at the back cover, the esteemed Robin Hobb is quoted as saying “If the first line doesn’t make you buy this book, […]
I’m on a mythology/historical fiction run at the moment, and seriously, who doesn’t love Robin Hood? Remember all those movies over the years giving different portrayals of the lovable rogue? This one is different. Quite different. This one goes mostly for historical accuracy, hence it’s dark. But don’t let that put you off. We start with a young Robin (17 […]
At this stage in his prolific writing career, Clayton Smith has mastered the persona of the cynical everyman thrown into impossible situations. Na Akua continues in that vain. The story introduces us to Grayson Park, a Missouri high school teacher, who is visiting beautiful Maui on his honeymoon. This is no ordinary honeymoon though, as Grayson was left standing at […]
