As a semi-obssessed fan of the TV series, I knew I had to get into the Witcher book series as well. I haven't played the games at all but I feel they'As a semi-obssessed fan of the TV series, I knew I had to get into the Witcher book series as well. I haven't played the games at all but I feel they're also on the list now...
The Witcher series was originally written in Polish in the early 1990s, and translated to English and published around the same time as the first video game adaptation was released in 2007.
This first volume in the extended series is a collection of stories marked as #0.5, and comprise most of the individual stories shown in the first season of the Witcher TV show. There's a central thread running through, that then flashes back to each story- an interesting way to structure it, and more easily comprehended than the time-jumping of the adaptation.
This collection doesn't include any mention of Ciri, or Yennefer's backstory, although the tale of how Geralt meets Yennefer via the djinn is included. The bard (Jaskier is my favourite character of the TV show) is actually named Dandilion, and is a little different to his on-screen persona. After a little research, it seems "Jaskier" was the original Polish name for this character, and it was changed on translation to English. Gotta say, I prefer the Polish version!
The Last Wish was an enjoyable introduction to the world of the White Wolf, and fans of the TV show will find plenty of extra colour here. Onwards with the series!...more
Well, that was a fabulous ending. I still feel that this series could have been so much more epic. It almost feels like it has been simplified for a yWell, that was a fabulous ending. I still feel that this series could have been so much more epic. It almost feels like it has been simplified for a young audience. Full review soon....more
Okay, I love this series. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed Avery, but as soon as I got a few chapters in to Thorne, I remembered the breathless feelOkay, I love this series. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed Avery, but as soon as I got a few chapters in to Thorne, I remembered the breathless feeling and beautiful romance. As a middle book in this series, it certainly did not disappoint.
Finally, a book worthy to continue Fitz’s story! I enjoyed reading Fool’s Assassin last year, but felt there was something missing from the tale – probably too much story building and sadness and not enough action. Fool’s Quest was still a little slow at times. Even though it picked up immediately after the cliffhanger, Fitz himself didn’t find out what has happened for quite a few chapters, but once the folk at Buckkeep do find out, it’s all systems go, Fitz blames himself (as usual) for the horrible things that have happened at Withywoods and immediately swears vengeance.
There is a lot of nostalgic referencing of earlier events and lost characters in this part of the story and there were things that pass between Fitz, the Fool, Chade and Kettricken that felt like they were a long time coming. It has been too long since I read the previous trilogies and many of these events are vague in my mind, but they are evoked in a way that made me remember them as I read. It’s truly a book for old fans of the Elderlings series.
The emotional turmoil in this book is incredible, and I was reminded just how much of a master of human portrayal Robin Hobb is. Every character feels so alive and we feel every emotion right along with them. There’s plenty of joy along with some terrible sadness, rage and terror, and of course it all ends on another double-cliffhanger. I’d recommend reading the whole thing in as few sittings as you can manage – it took me lots of little sessions over a week to get through it and it drove me crazy having to stop all the time!
A warning: You might like to skip this series if you are upset by sexual violence and torture. I mean, you should know what you’re getting into with Robin Hobb really, but there are particular scenes in this book that are pretty horrible.
I only dropped half a star because of a couple of things that annoyed me: (view spoiler)[It was pretty obvious what had happened to the little kitchen girl, so why force her to remember and be traumatised by the whole experience? I thought that was unnecessarily cruel. On an unrelated note, Fitz knew that Bee had been having pre-cognizant dreams, and had written them in her journal. He carries it with him all over the place, but he doesn’t actually read through it to work out if any of the dreams might be able to tell him where Bee is. Just a thought. (hide spoiler)]
And now I feel like I must go back and finish reading the Rain Wild Chronicles! It’ll help to pass the time until the final book comes out, anyway…...more
Soulwoven is a proper old-school high-fantasy, complete with dragons, swords and sorcery.
Brothers Cole and Litnig each have strange dreams that lead tSoulwoven is a proper old-school high-fantasy, complete with dragons, swords and sorcery.
Brothers Cole and Litnig each have strange dreams that lead them to an awful discovery. The heart dragon statue at the temple has been broken, the soulweavers guarding it butchered. If the other heart dragons are broken, the great dragon Sherduan will be released from banishment and wreak destruction upon the world once more. The brothers set out on a journey with various other companions to protect the other heart dragons from the cult that seeks to bring the dragon back into the world.
Soulwoven was written and originally produced on Wattpad (an online storytelling platform), but a Kickstarter campaign helped Jeff Seymour to get the book edited and produced as a self-published work. Self-pubs can sometimes be a bit hit-and-miss, but I am pleased to say that this is one of the best self-published books I think I’ve ever read.
Sure, there is a fairly simple storyline with a group of various young people heading off on a quest to save the world. Sure, there are humans, elf-like Sh’ma and dwarf-like Aleani, but they each feel different enough from their Tolkien counterparts to not be too obvious.
The world that has been created for this story is beautifully described all the way along, and they do cover quite a lot of ground as the story goes on. The traveling parts can get a bit slow, as traveling parts do, but the action scenes – wow, they are amazing! I really loved the sections where the soulweavers are battling each other – I was on the edge of my seat! The magic in this world is also really interesting – it consists of the ability to manipulate the River of Souls, a concept that is described beautifully. I’d like to hear more about the Wilderlengs and their “second river”, as that was never really explained.
This story is told from multiple points of view, and sometimes the same events are shown from different people’s points of view. This actually isn’t as confusing as it sounds. The main thing that I found that happened was that after the major action scene, they all sat around while everyone had a think about what had just happened. It’s probably quite accurate as to what would actually happen after a big battle or the end of a chase, but it really drops the pace and tension. It does mean that the reader ends up with a great idea of what each character is thinking and how their relationships are developing through each event, but doesn’t always keep the pace rolling as the story continues.
I really enjoyed this debut from Jeff Seymour. The second book in the series has just been released – Soulwoven: Exile. I’ll be looking forward to seeing what each of the characters will do next!
4.5 Stars – A very well-written high fantasy, it just gets bogged down slightly with telling events from multiple points of view. Brilliant action scenes and world-building though!
A wild and relentless story about Maddy and her cousins on a perilous quest to rescue Stephen from the Winter Queen’s court. It’s been a while since IA wild and relentless story about Maddy and her cousins on a perilous quest to rescue Stephen from the Winter Queen’s court. It’s been a while since I picked up a middle-grade book so I was looking for an exciting one, and The Feral Child certainly didn’t disappoint – this dark faery tale had me hooked!
Thirteen-year-old Maddie tragically lost her parents in a car accident and has been sent to Blarney in Ireland to live with her grandparents. She hates it there, isn’t getting on with the local kids including her mean cousins, and is generally displeased with life. One evening, she meets a strange and otherworldly boy while walking in the castle grounds. Later, Maddie’s three-year-old neighbour, Stephen, is stolen by faeries and taken to their realm, and it’s up to Maddie and her two cousins Roisin and Danny to save him.
To be honest, Maddie was a bit of a brat. She was rude to her just about everyone and especially her grandparents, and while I can appreciate that troubled thirteen-year-olds might actually behave in this way, it was hard to read. Thankfully once the adventure in Tír na nÓg began she began to appreciate her cousins a bit more. Her cousin Roisin was lovely, and Danny didn’t really seem to be the bully he was supposed to be at the start.
Where this story really shines is in the fast pacing and brilliant descriptions of locations and action. I actually felt this might make a great (although scary) film – it almost reads like a screenplay.
The Feral Child would suit the more mature of the middle-grade range – there are some downright creepy sections in this book and I wouldn’t like to walk anywhere at night after reading it! The fae in general are quite nasty, stealing children away and torturing them (thankfully not discussed graphically).
Any child, or adult for that matter, who enjoys a creepy faery tale should really enjoy it. This is actually the first book in a trilogy, so I’ll be looking out for the next one.
It's taken me ages to get through this one, not because it wasn't enjoyable but entirely because its really hard to read a paperback with a one-month-It's taken me ages to get through this one, not because it wasn't enjoyable but entirely because its really hard to read a paperback with a one-month-old baby xD I really enjoyed this story but it ended on a less-than-dramatic cliffhanger.
Full review: Anya is a member of the Faerie royal family of Chrior, a kingdom cut off from the human world. After being named as the heir to the kingdom, Anya decides to leave behind her safe haven and travel into the human lands to find her cousins, both of whom have gone missing. Her journey seems doomed from the start when she encounters a terrible threat as soon as she leaves Chrior – Fae Hunters.
Often dark, this story is essentially about a long journey in which Anya is not only searching for her cousins, but for her own identity and place in the world. Anya and her companions essentially travel from one captivity to the next, thinking they are being secretive but really being rather obvious. There are a lot of details in descriptions and the journeying itself which does slow the pace a lot. I’m fairly sure it could have been told in a lot less than the 500 pages it ended up with!
Despite its length, this is a very well-written story with great action sequences and some very interesting characters – for example, the dark, tortured Illumina and the sassy Shea. There were quite a few characters that had excellent grey alignments – you’re never quite sure who’s side they’re on. I enjoyed reading about all them even if Anya did spend a lot of the book feeling terribly sorry for herself (and who wouldn’t, in her situation?).
Overall, this story reminded me of Kristin Cashore’s Graceling – kick-arse ladies, arduous journeys and interesting magic systems. There are plenty of questions still to be answered at the end of this first book. What was Shea’s father making that caused him to be outlawed? What happened to Zabriel during his exile? And Illumina… well, spoilers. I’ll be looking forward to the next book!
The second book in the Children of the Black Sun series delivers even more excitement, suffering and sparkly magic than the first book did, in rather The second book in the Children of the Black Sun series delivers even more excitement, suffering and sparkly magic than the first book did, in rather unpredictable ways. I had a lot of trouble putting it down – certainly no second-book curse to be found here!
It was a full year ago that I read Winter Be My Shield, so the details of the story were a little hazy. Unfortunately there is no recap at the start of Black Sun Light My Way so I struggled for the first few chapters to remember what had just happened. I’ll try to summarise.
Isidro and Mira have been captured and are now slaves belonging to an Akharian mage scholar, Delphine. She knows Isidro is a “sensitive”, so is using him to help her to find the lost cache of lore left by the great mage Vasant. Sierra has agreed to help her former tormentor, Rasten – to train with him to use her corrupted powers properly and help him bring down their master, the great mage and general psychopath, Kell. She is about to allow herself to be captured by the Akharians to join Isidro and assist him to find the lost mage lore, to expand her powers and hopefully be able to use that over Rasten when next they meet.
This story is certainly not for the faint-hearted. There’s a LOT of torture and rape is frequently mentioned even if it’s not described in explicit terms. I can’t quite remember if the first book was quite as dark as this instalment, but wow, I certainly needed to read something a bit lighter once I got to the end of it all!
Despite the darkness, this is an absolutely enthralling world. The magic system is amazing, with corrupted sympaths drawing power drawn from pain or pleasure – usually through torture and humiliation of others. The system has painstakingly detailed rules and rapidly expanding lore – I hope we get to learn more about the Akharian mages, as well as the lost Ricalani magic.
The characters are what makes this story really come to life. Poor Sierra! With her power draining everyone around her, she is forced to leave her friends. I found it a little off-putting that she would immediately run into the arms of another, but even more strange to me was the path that Isidro took as soon as Sierra left – without spoiling anything, I suppose depression can make people do unexpected things, and Isidro does spend a fair amount of time down in the dumps. Rasten’s growth as a character is brilliant – I was really cheering for him there by the end! Delphine being part of this story lent an interesting cultural contrast between the Akharian and Ricalani cultures, with the Ricalani’s communal living and multiple wives baffling her.
There were so many unexpected turns in this story, I have no idea where it can all go next, but I can’t wait to read more in this cold and cruel world, although I am slightly worried about what more Jo Spurrier can put her characters (and readers) through! Highly recommended to high fantasy fans, but just be forewarned about the grisly nature of the story.
It has been almost a whole year since the last time I visited the world of Alitheia with Darcy and her friends, but I was very pleased to rejoin them It has been almost a whole year since the last time I visited the world of Alitheia with Darcy and her friends, but I was very pleased to rejoin them in this, the penultimate book in the Gateway Chronicles series.
A while before Darcy and her friends are due to travel to summer camp and then back to the parallel world of Alitheia, Darcy is missing Tellius dreadfully. A magic mirror from Alitheia allows her to catch glimpses of her love from time to time, but when one day she looks in the mirror and sees Tellius captured and later tortured, she is desperate to get back to Alitheia as soon as possible. But there are more secrets, lies and adventures waiting for them in that other world than there ever have been before.
Some stories are told with events taking place over a few days. Not so in the Gateway Chronicles, where each instalment covers a whole year in Alitheia, as well as whatever portions of real-world events happen on either side of that. For this reason, great sections of the story (and in this book in particular) involve down-time – the six companions from our world spend a lot of time training or sitting around studying in the library, and the actual action parts are kind of spaced out. It was rather frustrating, for the characters as well as the reader – they know that Tellius is being tortured, why can’t they do something about it sooner?!
If there’s one thing that disappointed me slightly about this book in the series is that the characters are still repeating the same mistakes as they have previously. Secrets are being kept from Darcy and she doesn’t like it, so she takes things into her own hands and wanders off into trouble again. I don’t blame her, really, but I’d be more inclined (in my imagination, at least) to demand answers from someone before I went running off into danger. In any case, she manages to uncover some secrets on her own and eventually the reason for the lack of information is revealed.
Despite Darcy’s (and my) impatience, the interactions between characters in these books are really very well written and make the story really enjoyable. Darcy is essentially now an early-twenty-year-old living in a seventeen year old’s body, and her maturity shines through. It was really nice to see her come into her own as a mage, even if Rubidius wouldn’t help with training. The other characters have matured nicely as well, except for Percy, perhaps. I did want to slap him occasionally! Tellius, as usual, is adorable and wasn’t in this one enough.
The Scroll‘s cliffhanger ending really sets things up for the finale – I’m really looking forward to seeing what KB Hoyle could possibly have left to throw at her long-suffering characters!
Once again, I’d recommend the Gateway Chronicles series to those who enjoy fantasy aimed at a young-YA crowd.
A hundred years ago, the magic-users of Perous relinquished their magic to one man to save the land from an endless winter. The Capposeign Fire mages A hundred years ago, the magic-users of Perous relinquished their magic to one man to save the land from an endless winter. The Capposeign Fire mages were not happy with giving up their power, however, and took it back forcibly, taking over the city and keeping the other magics of Earth, Air and Water locked away in a box.
Now, a mudlark boy finds a mysterious box in the mudflats along the end of the river. He doesn’t think much more of it as he is literally grabbed from the scavenger’s life. He is given the name Lark and is taken into a company of artists and free-thinkers who are preparing to instigate a rebellion against the Capposeign rulers and take back control of Perous city. Lark and his strange wooden box will eventually play a key part in the rebellion and the return of the other magic to the people.
Alongside Lark’s journey from young boy to young man, there are a host of other characters throughout this story – the young girl Fleur learning the courtesan’s trade on a pleasure barge, the earth witch and mother figure Magda, the charismatic ladies (and man’s) man Azule… At times the sheer number of named characters was overwhelming and I occasionally had trouble remembering who each person was, but by the end of the story each of the main characters were as familiar as friends – fabulous character writing in Chris’ debut work!
Mudlark incorporates a guy-girl-guy love triangle of an unusual type for most high fantasy, where the mutual love interest is one of the guys in the triangle, and the two guys fall in love. It’s quite romantic and a very natural progression – this isn’t an LGBT-targeted book in particular, it just happens that some of the relationships are of that nature. Just like real life, in fact!
I was a little confused with the nature of the magic in this world – all magic except Fire magic was supposedly taken away during the Relinquishment, but the adherents to each deity still have some ability to call up mists, become invisible, and other various skills. Is that not magic? That wasn’t explained so well, but apart from that, the magic system seems quite complex. Each spell costs energy and gifts are bestowed by the four deities. Even though this is a stand-alone story, I’d be interested to know whether there was more planned for this world, just to see the magic in action at full power.
The pacing in Mudlark is just right with action interspersed very well with the planning and travelling scenes, and the travelling parts cut down so there wasn’t days and days of horse riding or walking described. I found it very difficult to put this one down – very highly recommended to those who enjoy a story of revolution and the desperation of a repressed people. Despite having such a heavy subject matter and dark themes such as torture, prostitution and abuse, the overall story remains optimistic and left a smile on my face.
Review originally posted at The Oaken Bookcase as part of the Discover Fantasy Feature in July 2013....more
Notes on a re-read: August 2015: Yep, heart broken, all over again. So, so awesome. Bring me more! *grabs Heir of Fire*
Original review June 2013: I lovNotes on a re-read: August 2015: Yep, heart broken, all over again. So, so awesome. Bring me more! *grabs Heir of Fire*
Original review June 2013: I loved Throne of Glass when I read it last year, so I was desperate to get my hands on Crown of Midnight. I am so, so glad that it not only didn’t disappoint as the second book in the series, but in fact was even more awesome than the first!
Calaena Sardothien has won the contest and been named the King’s Champion. Her job is to carry out the King’s Justice, to kill those who displease him, but Calaena secretly refuses to kill at the King’s order. She must find out about a secret plot against the crown before time runs out. Meanwhile, strange things are happening at the glass castle of Rifthold – dark hooded strangers stalk the library and bronze doorknockers take on a life of their own. What new terror is lurking in the dark places of the castle?
This second book shows great polish with its perfectly constructed pacing – quiet yet steady in the creepy parts, building up to some fantastic action scenes later in the book. There are the sort of swoony passages that make you want to re-read sections over and over. I loved Chaol in the first book and wow, do I love him even more in this one. Dorian also has interesting developments throughout this story and I’ll look forward to seeing how his story plays out from here, however for his father the King, I am beginning to have Joffrey-esque levels of dislike.
In some ways, there are two distinct sections to this book. The first half is almost like a continuation of Throne of Glass – plenty of gorgeous romantic scenes and mysterious intrigue, then BAM – right in the middle, murder, betrayal and chaos reign for pretty much the rest of the story. Without spoiling anything, I was really surprised and a little upset by the unexpected turns but I couldn’t put the book down until I’d got right to the end. Fantastic writing and such heartbreaking scenes, even if I did want to slap Calaena at times for keeping everything to herself and not sharing any of her burdens. And oh, my god, the twists right at the end – I had my suspicions but wow, what a set up for the next book!
There are currently six books planned in this series (according to Goodreads), not to mention the several novellas that have been released featuring Celaena’s adventures (which, I have just discovered, are now available in Australia – *yoink!*). It’s going to be a long, impatient wait for the book three.
I’d recommend these books to those (not just young adults) who love a slightly eccentric, kick-arse heroine, swoon-worthy romance and some fast-paced and occasionally rather creepy action. If you haven’t read Throne of Glass yet, I’d encourage you to give it a go!
There’s no way to describe all the different story threads in this book without writing an enormous essay, so I won’t bother with trying to describe iThere’s no way to describe all the different story threads in this book without writing an enormous essay, so I won’t bother with trying to describe it!
There are no great battles and few major plot twists in this book. There’s a good reason for that – the events of books four and five were originally in one larger book, but when GRRM realised it was going to be so huge, he decided to split in in two. Book four concerns events occurring in the Seven Kingdoms, mainly Kings Landing, The Vale of Arryn, Dorne and the Riverlands, with a bit of Braavos and the Iron Islands thrown in. Everything across the sea and north of the wall is apparently covered in book five! Since my main impetus for reading this book was to keep ahead of the TV series, I have a feeling I’m going to have to read book five sooner rather than later, to keep up with the story across the whole of Westeros.
Because of this split in the story, many of the major characters we know and love from previous books are barely mentioned or are completely missing from this one. It makes for a rather sparse feeling to the story, but does allow for deeper development in the characters who are actually in this one.
As you can imagine for a book of a thousand pages with character development for over ten points of view, the pace can be pedestrian at times. Each chapter contains a rather large chunk of story movement though, and usually ends on a tense moment so that you’re compelled to continue reading. Since most of the action is centered on Kings Landing, this book has a lot of Cersei in it. Her politicking really made the story drag for me at times. I’m sure the story developments in this book have an important part to play in the larger story though, and the events at the very end of this one have me itching to start the next book very soon.
As infamous as GRRM is for his evil characters and ability to kill off even the most loved ones, one of the things that truly make this series great is that the main characters are, for the most part, rather vulnerable and relatable people (as much as fantasy characters can be, anyway). Even Queen Cersei, evil hard-hearted bitch that she is, still loves her children and will protect them with everything she has. I love that I once hated Jaime and now he is one of my favourite characters, and I just can’t get enough of Brienne or Arya. The people in these stories is what is keeping me coming back to this series, even when very little happens action-wise, and will keep me reading until the bitter end.
Loading...
