fantasybooknerd

This week, I is mostly reading comics (Graphic Novels if you want to be la - di - dah about it, but I'm not, so I won't). This is a good one, it's got all my faves of the DC world in it -Deadman, John Constantine Zatana, Shade. How could I resist, and it is written by Pete Milligan.
This is a great comic that sets up JLA dark. The artwork is great and the story of the. Enchantress plaguing the world when she has lost all touch with reality is really good.
If you like comics that are about off the wall, good be this one a go.

Gosh, it' s a slog isn't it. Crisis is a landmark of event comics but I have got to say that this is definitely a bit of a chore.
I have been off comics for quite a while and thought I would read some old stuff as well as new stuff, so have been revisiting things that I remember in the past.
I have got to say that I can't recall the crisis stuff that much and looking back over it, it still seems a bit vague.
And I think I might like to leave it that way to be honest. I think that sometimes when you go back and look at things it is best sometimes to leave them in a rose tinted past that was better than what you actually remembered.
The idea for the story is good, the artwork is excellent, but the rest of it.
I think the main character, Captain Exposition takes centre stage in this comic. There is so much dialogue, thought bubbles and God knows what else, I sometimes lose track.
I mean I cannot remember some of the dialogue in comics being so bad. This at times makes me think it should have been written in the fifties, not the eighties.
I mean I remember reading comics at this time and they were ace. Stuff like cerebus the aardvark, Alan moore, Frank Millar.
This does not come into the same league.
In short, get the Wikipedia revision notes. It will be easier.

This is an excellent Batman story.

The story centres around what would happen if The Joker managed to get cured and how it would affect those around him.

It's very clever places and explores the deadly relationship between Batman and The Joker and gives it a new perspective. In addition to this there are some very prescient social comments.

All in all, I really enjoyed this one and is probably one of the best Batman stories in recent years.

This is a strange little book. The story revolves around a young girl, Alice Rowland who lives in Edwardian London with her mother and monstrous father, the vet of the story.
I had never heard of Barbara Comyns previously and heard somebody discussing this book on a BBC radio programme.
If you like Shirley Jackson, then you will get on with this book. It reminds me of The Sundial in a way.
This was written in the fifties and some of the language does show. However, if you want a short dose of strangeness read this.

I wanted to like this, I really did. However, I didn't.
Sorry Tom.
I mean, what is there not to like - the devil, The Fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith. Well, it turns out there's everything not to like and that is a real shame.
I love Doctor Who and Fourth was and still ismy favorite, but this turgid adventure really didn't float my boat at all. Thank goodness it was never made into a film.
The characters were two dimensional, poor old Harry couldn't even get that far, he was written like a brainless imitation of Just William and all Sarah Jane Smith did was look cross and say “OOOh, Doctor” in a petulant voice.
It started off promising enough, but the second half generally runs out of steam and if I hear the phrase ‘Dear old Thing' again then I might physically be sick. And then it turns into, well I don't know what, it was like some mad crazy Carry on Film.
And how Harry survives the monsters by continuous sernedipity is plain preposterous. In the end I was hoping that the sword of never would come and remove my ears. It was only the fact that I had paid good money that I listened to it.
However, one plus point in this is that we heard Liz Sladen's voice coming through the book, especially at the end.

I wanted to like this book, I really did, but for some reason I was not invested in it. I don't know what it was. I think I was not in the right reading space at the right time.

There are some good ideas in this book and on the whole it is well written. However, one small criticism (and please do not judge, but this is just my opinion and certainly does not match others who have read this book) but at times I did find the language impeded my enjoyment. Whenever I have to find a dictionary to find out the meaning of words it stops my reading flow. Maybe I will give it a go again in the future. It has happened before where things haven't clicked and I try again later with different results.

I realise that writing a book is such a tremendous achievement - and getting the bugger published is something else and I am a reader.

Good luck with the book

I loved The Gutter Prayer, the first book of The Black Iron Legacy and when I found out that there was going to be another, I was sooo excited, I bought it immediately when it came out. I put it on my shelf of must reads and finally got around to it. I don't think that I am going to go into the plot that much as there are countless reviews that are going to do that, but I will put some points to the story in, so that there is a point of reference.I have got to say that I found this book a bit hard going initially. I think the constant changes to the perspectives of the different characters made it a bit difficult to get into at first and I found it a bit slow. And then, without me noticing it, the book suddenly ramps up when certain events happen and all of a sudden I was flying through the bookWhen I think of this book I have got mixed feelings about this book. Initially, I was thinking that I simply wasn't enjoying it, but then a weird thing happened and I realised that I was. Is it as good as The Gutter Prayer? Do you know I think it is. I mean, there are loads of things that I like in this book. I really liked the character of Eladora and how she grew with the book. I've got to say, that at the beginning of the book I found her pretty annoying, but I think that she was supposed to be that way. And that is another thing! It is the normal practice for our main character to grow over the series of books, but Garth Hanrahan thinks sod that, I ‘m just going to introduce three new characters and bugger the other lot. They can make an appearance but hey there you go. I do like how he plays with fantasy tropes. I mean there's dragons, the return of the king, gods, mad gods and a magic sword, but not as you have seen them before. And I have got to mention the main character in the story, Guerdon. I think that the world that Hanrahan has built is done extremely well is to set the story in this world. It is something that is quite unique. It kind of mixes Victorian London, with steampunk, something completely weird and some HP Lovecraft. When I read the Gutter Prayer, I said that in some ways this reminds me of William Gibson, and that still holds for me. I mean, I know that he wrote sci fi, but he created fantastical worlds that were different and yet so familiar. For me this happens a lot in these books.Right, I am going to have a major gripe about something else though that is not directed at the author, but at the proof reading level. The ebook that I had was pretty shocking in its lack of proofreading and there were spelling mistakes all over the shop. At one point, I got really confused due to the fact that there were constant changes in the word aethergraph and aetherglyph. This seemed to interchangeable at some poimts.So, did I enjoy the book. Yes, I did [b:The Shadow Saint 40541565 The Shadow Saint (The Black Iron Legacy, #2) Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554889265l/40541565.SY75.jpg 62946618]

This is two books in one. The Dark Vault collects The Archived & The Unbound in one volume.
Well, when I started this I did not realise that this was a book for young adults. Did it put me off. No! I don't know what the demographic is for this for this book, but the story appeals to a fifty year old man because of the fact that VE Schwab's writing is for all ages and the story that she tells is one that transcends age because it is so bloody good.

I mean, I couldn't tell that the story is meant for young adults and really enjoyed the story. The characters are well rounded and each one is relatable to whatever age.

One of the reasons that I like her so much, is that she has a really good aesthetic of show don't tell and this helps the story move at a rapid pace dragging the reader along with it.

The characters of the book are well rounded, even though they are dealing with issues of everyday life and the fantastical politics of the Archive.

I've got to say that I wasn't all that bothered about the main antagonist of the second book, compared to the antagonistic politics of the Archive as the main driver of the story.

I think any review has got to mention Wesley. Who wouldn't want Wesley as a boyfriend, he has the looks of a Korean popstar, the body of Bruce Lee, can charm the pants off a statue and is absolutely fantabulous at make up. Is there nothing that this boy cannot do?

It's funny isn't it with books, you don't want to finish the book and leave this world, but you can't wait to get to the end to see what happens.

I have got to say that it is a totally different way of looking at what happens after death, and is something that I have not seen before.

I don't know about anyone else, but when I was reading this, I had the song Dead Souls by Joy Division going through my head. Funny isn't it what you think of.

I have got to say that the second book of The Greatcoats had me going wow and whoa at various points throughout Falcio's second adventure. De Castell has ramped up the action to eleventy stupid and it is more like a summer blockbuster.
This is a bigger book in every way, it's got more pages, more Falcio, more plots and is more expansive in everyway.
The second book starts shortly after the first book, with Falcio dealing with the effects of the Neatha poisoning that he suffered at the end of Traitors Blade. Whilst Falcio is experiencing the after effects of the Neatha poisoning, we learn more about the Greatcoats and Falcio's relationship with the King through a series of hallucinations that he experiences. As a reader, you are not entirely sure whether these are true recollections or whether they are how Falcio saw his relationship with the king as throughout the book there are different viewpoints of the kings actions and some of them are opposing to Falcio's view of his beloved king. What is certainly evident is the king was not a perfect godlike figure and that there were some aspects of his plans that were definitely shady.
I think one of the best bits of this book is the relationship between the three main characters, Kest certainly gets fleshed out a lot more in this book and Brasti provides the comic relief, except when he doesn' t.
However, this is a darker book than the first and at times is quite grueling. Not only from Falcio's own battle with his mortality and Kest coming to grips with what it actually means to be the Saint of Swords, but Brasti's own struggles with the cause that they have undertaken and the effect that it has on the lower classes of the world.
There are some parts of it that made me wince as they were extremely grueling, and when you get to it you will see what I mean.
It's very rare that a second book is better than the first, but this was. Now onto the third installment.

This is the the story of Noor Inyahat Khan, a wireless transmitter for the Special Operations Executive in WW2 and was executed in September 1944 at Dachau. The story is quite remarkable and well worth a read.
At times the book can get a bit much due to the fact that the author had so much information. At times, I got lost with all the names that were kind of thrown at you. However, that does not detract from the main story. I have got to say at times, this book broke my resolve and I nearly ended up on floods of years. At other times, whilst the horror of the treatment of these women was muted, it was ever present. Just think, in the book it tells you that the life expectancy of a Wireless transmitter in Paris was six weeks, Noor managed to evade capture for three months.

Immediately starting from where The Rage of Dragons finished, The Fires of Vengeance finds us once again back with Tau Solarin as he and Queen Tsiori desperately plan to stop the invasion promised by the Xideen people. Hadith composes a complex plan to hopefully stop the Warlord fulfilling his promise to launch all-out war against the Omehi people.
Meanwhile, in Palm city. Ambassador Odili has declared the Queen???s sister as the rightful ruler and is gathering his forces to launch a civil war that will tear the Omehi people in two.
However, demons are breaking through the barriers of hell and Tau must protect his Queen and all those he holds dear.
With his new book The Fires of Vengeance, Evan Winters firmly establishes himself as one of the brightest new voices in fantasy as he weaves a captivating tapestry of pulse beating plot and rich characters, all encapsulated in a distinct world that will get it???s hooks into your reading brain.
I really like The Fires of Vengeance! No, actually, I love the Fires of Vengeance and with this second instalment of his The Burning series, Evan Winter puts the gears into drive and puts his foot to the floor, delivering a truly spectacular book.
Everything is far more developed in this book, his characters, his plot and the world that the Omehi people inhabit.
In the Fires of Vengeance, the plot slows down a little bit and I think that the book is altogether better for it. I also did not find it as dark as the first book. Whilst Tau???s thirst for vengeance is still there, Winters gives the reader some breathing space to allow the characters to develop, and I think some of my favourite pieces are in these quiet moments, and this is where Evan Winter???s writing shines through.. For instance, there are some passages in which Tau spends time with Queen Tsiori in her tent listening to the secret history of the Omehi people whilst sat around a fire. I loved these moments and the scene that Winters describes. I could almost smell the smoke and feel the heat from the fire.
The character of Queen Tsiori is expanded considerably, and we start to understand her motivations for the actions that she is taking and how she actually wants to unite the Omehi people. But not only that, how she wants to diminish the cultural dissonance between the ruling class and the lessers of the Omehi.
Despite it been quite brutal in places, Winters also injects humour and tenderness into the story, and there are many times the book passes the six laughs test, as I laughed or caught myself smiling quite a lot through this book
There is the introduction of some new characters in ???The Fires of Vengeance???. I have already told you that Queen Tsiori is expanded on, but there are also others which hold and contribute to the story. The standout of which is Nyah, the Queen???s Vizier. She is at once hard and unforgiving, but she develops throughout the book and you begin to see her softer edges. In fact, for me Nyah gets one of the standout lines of the whole book. This happens when she is with her daughter just before one of the big battle scenes. As the men are discussing tactics, Nyah turns to daughter and states
???This, Chibo, is what men call leadership??? Nyah said walking up with her daughter. ???You can tell they are doing it when you see several of them not doing any work.???
That had me laughing for a good few minutes.
In addition, the two Queens handmaidens are equally as good as they become part of Tau???s team of fighters and they establish themselves as a prominent part of the story.
But don???t worry, the old guard are there too, Hadith and Uduak and although they don???t play as prominent a role as in the first book, it is good to see their inclusion in the story and again there are some moments of tenderness in their story. As injury befalls Hadith, we see just how close the relationship between Hadith and Uduak has developed and how close they are as friends.
Whilst on the whole, the story takes place from Tau???s point of view, there are some instances where this changes and we get to see how others view Tau. One of these is when the point of view changes to Duma. We get to see Tau through the Xideens??? eyes, and on another occasion, the point of view moves to Esi and we see Tau as an enraged demon coming to change her life for ever.
I can???t say how much I enjoyed this book. Unfortunately for me, I finished the book just before going to bed and I was that stoked up I couldn???t sleep for the next hour while I came down a bit!

Hollow Empire is the second book in Sam Hawke???s series of books ???The Poison Wars??? and takes place two years after the events of the first book.

When City of Lies ended I found myself with more questions than the book answered, with Jovan & Kalina as perplexed as I was as to the reasons why the events of the first book took place. I knew there was more to the story and Sam Hawke skillfully left me hanging with a cliffhanger, and in this, the second book, Hawke answers this question and the reasons why. And it may not be what you thought.

I have to admit. When I first started City of Lies, I wasn???t sure I was going to like it. For one, it took me a little while to get used to the two person narrative and the mystery element of the plot (me and mysteries don???t tend to get along). However, as I read more I did get used to it and City of Lies was a bit of a sleeper hit with me, so when I got a chance to read an advanced reader copy of Hollow Empire, I jumped at the chance. And I have to say, wow! I wasn???t expecting that .

As I said earlier, the book starts two years after City of Lies, and opens up with an opening line that is similar to the first book. Jovan has taken on an heir called Dija, the youngest daughter of his second cousin. And surprisingly, he has dosed her with some noxious substance as part of her training. As anybody who is familiar with the first book, Jovan is a proofer. A kind of poison taster for the Chancellor, Jovan???s best friend Tain, and this is the family business.

Now this is going to be a bit difficult, because if I reveal something here, it kind of spoils the first book, and whilst I suspect that there might be some people who have read this and know the end of City of Lies, there might be those people that are just coming to Hollow Empire without knowing there was a first book. So if you are in the former camp it doesn???t matter, but if you are in the second camp, turn back now - HERE BE DRAGONS.

So, all the gang is back together, Jovan, Tain, Kalina and Hadrea (although she doesn???t make an appearance until later in the book) and again the city of Silasta is in danger. However, this time instead of an all out revolution, this time the city is being subverted by a myriad of covert and seemingly unconnected occurrences.

Jovan is convinced that there is a plot afoot, but he has difficulty in proving it until things come to a head and inexplicable events take place that indicate Jovan???s suspicions have more value than any of them suspected.

Now, the strength of Hollow Empire is in its plotting, pacing and characters, and with these, Hawke really develops in both. I found this second book to be taken up a notch in all things really, The plot development is excellent. When I got to the final act and certain events revealed certain truths to the characters, I was like - I knew it. Yep, you didn???t fool me with that one Sam Hawke. And that is one of the strengths of the Hawkes writing. Yep, she gives you that one where you can feel all superior because you guessed that aspect of the plot, and then she totally blind sides you with something else and you are thinking Whoa! Did not expect that!
In terms of character development, nearly all the characters develop in some way. Jovan develops a relationship with his heir, the newly introduced DIja, and Dija is a fantastic new character. Kalina develops in her own way and also develops a relationship outside the family. However, Tain and Hadrea are a bit on the sideline in this one for some of the book, but when they do come into it, Hawke gives them the appropriate attention for them to develop and in a pretty satisfying way, I must say.

As I said, the other things that have been taken up a notch, is the plot and the pace. Hawke has really upped the game in Hollow Empire and there is all sorts happening. Shadowy plots, assassinations, magic and witchcraft and ultimately war. In this second book, you can really see the development. The plot is as twisty and turny as anything that you would find in any non fantasy thriller book and the pace, once it gets going, is so high octane that it kept me firmly gripped to the edge of my seat.

One of the things that I almost forgot to mention is the world building. In Hollow Empire, the story is not so compact as the last book, which was mainly situated in one location. In this book, we get to see a more fully realised world that is populated with a multitude of cultures, languages, religions and races. That is not to say that it wasn???t there in the last book, it???s just that the plot of the story mainly revolved around the city more in the first book and in this book we step outside the city and see what the estates look like. .

The other thing that I like about Hawke???s books, is that whilst they are fantasy books, there are some very real world topics in there again, which I think is a particular strength of her writing, it impressed me in her last book and impressed me again. You can very much equate some of the topics that she covers to what is happening in the world now.

In the Hollow Empire, I have simply fallen hook line and sinker for this story. The plot is intricately woven and everything is so tight. The character development of the book is just glorious and the pace had my pulse racing and my head pounding with all the blind alleys that Sam Hawke leads us up. And just let me mention the end! That was one pretty magnificent ending that had me thinking yep, I enjoyed that.

Sam Hawke???s debut, City of Lies was originally released in 2018. It tells the story of it???s three main characters, Jovan, Kalina and the soon to be Chancellor, Tain. The main backdrop of the story takes place in the city of Silasta. A city that lives in hubris and ignorance, and as the book unfolds you get a clear picture of how this affects the population.

As an opening line, Hawke starts with one of the most memorable first lines that I have read, ???I was seven years old the first time my uncle poisoned me???, and from that we are introduced to the world of Jovan. One, in a long line of proofers, who maintains the safety of the leader of Silasta, the Chancellor, by having an ability to recognise the multitude of poisons that may kill a person.
What we learn from there is that this is the family business and Jovan is trained extensively by his Uncle Etan to recognise the different poisons, form an immunity and develop his ability to fashion antidotes for these deadly substances.

The drama begins innocuously enough with a series of seemingly unrelated events. However, as the plot unfolds, Jovan, Kalina and Tain are thrust into a world of intrigue, murder and secrets as both Jovan and Kalina???s Uncle Etan and Tain???s Uncle, the Chancellor, are poisoned.

Tain is thrust into the role of Chancellor, and whilst the city turns out to mourn the loss of the leading ruler of Silasta, an unknown army of invaders besieges the city. Without an army to protect them, the inhabitants of the city must band together to defend their city against an enemy that will not listen to reason or to their pleas of negotiation.

In City of Lies, Hawke presents us with an interesting take on the city under siege tale, instead of focussing on huge epic battles (there are some in there for all you battle mad readers!), she instead focuses on the small scale wars. The hunt to find the poisoner and the perpetrators of the plot against the city, who are sure to strike again. She also focuses on the reason for the siege and how and why this happened. What Jovan, Kalina and Tain learn, is that the demands of the city and its treatment of its people are the direct cause of this situation.

The story is a first person narrative, told from the POV of Joran and Kalina and we watch the events unfold through these two characters eyes and whilst they describe the events tat take place, we also watch as they develop in their roles and as characters.

Interestingly, whilst Hawke bases her story in fantasy, she brings real world problems into the story. Both of her characters are affected by illness in some way. Jovan describes symptoms of OCD and anxiety, whilst Kalina is affected by an unknown condition that causes her fatigue. Hawke raises some pertinent issues in these two characters. With Jovan, his OCD is part of him and even though he has a mental health problem, he is able to function in society and perform a valuable role in addition to dealing with his difficulties, not despite his mental health issues. However, she presents us with a differing view of Kalina in that her problems are more physical, and Hawke explores how other people view disability and how they see that a person with disability should fit into that role.

Additionally, she brings in wider issues, such as climate change, the effect of disregarding tradition and also the treatment of other cultures.

Hawke???s whodunnit approach is a good read and as the plot reveals its layers, the story twists and turns leading you in one direction and then the other. She weaves character development and world building in an accomplished manner, carefully constructing the world around her characters. At no point does she give any inkling of how the story ends, but when it reaches its conclusion, you are left satisfied with how it turns out.

As a child, I grew up on a diet of Doctor Who, fantasy and horror films. I know! I was a bit of a strange kid! Amongst many of the of the Hammer films I watched, I would devour anything, and this 1971 film from Tigon Pictures was one of those that stuck with me and still remains one of my favorites of British horror films from the 1970's.

If you have ever seen The League of Gentlemen, it is hard not to notice that blended with the dark comedy, there is a distinct element of horror, and both Mark Gatiss and Reece Shearssmith cite this film as one of their favorite films. So it is not surprising that this audiodrama is one that is presented with a love of the source material, and it shines through.

The best thing that this can be compared to in recent times is The VVitch. For those that like that film, you will surely get along with this, as it has that same unsettingly hypnotic tone.

As you can imagine, with a solid British cast, the drama is excellent. It immediately puts you in the action and you can get a good sense of the brooding evil that is encroaching on the characters. Mark Gatiss is excellent as Squire Middleton, who refuses to belive that anything supernatural is taking place until he realises through a series of events, that dark forces may be at work. Reece Shearsmith plays quite a subdued part as the unassuming Reverend Fallowfield. Additionally, Rebecca Ryan (Shameless, Casualty) is excellent as the manipulative Angel Blake. Add to that a supporting cast like Alice Lowe (Sightseers, Prevenge), Ralph Ineson (The Witch) and Thomas Turgoose (This is England), you have the makings of a solid and utterly unsettling piece of horror.

One of the things that immerses you in the drama is the sound production by Edwin Sykes, who creates oodles of atmosphere manageing to convey the creeping and oppressive atmosphere of the story.

The pacing is second to none. At the begining, it's steady as seemingly unassuming events occur in the village. However, it intensifies steadily as the story unfolds until it reaches its climatic end.

I have got to say, that I enjoyed this audio drama immensley, and I think it is defintely one of my favorites of Audible's original dramas. It's also good to see that they used some of the original cast from the film. The book is quite short, under two and a half hours, so that means that you can easily listen to it in a short space of time

J. A. Andrew???s ???Threat of Shadows??? harks back to the fantasy stories of old. It is kind of like the old Forgotten Realms type books or Terry Brooks.
The story revolves around a ???Keeper??? (an order of clerics who store memories, histories and stories) called Alaric who has abandoned his role in order to search for a cure for his wife, who was accidently poisoned by a group of villagers in an earlier incident.
He returns to his old life to find knowledge on how to cure her whilst she is kept in stasis to slow the spread of the poison.
On his journey, he meets a dwarf, an elf, a human and a bumbling wizard in his tavern and is drawn into a quest to stop the return of an evil that has lain dormant for seven years.
This was one of those books that I picked up without knowing anything about it and was pleasantly surprised. It???s a light-hearted read, with mostly well-rounded characters, a fast-paced plot, a decent magic system and some decent world building.
Alaric the Keeper is a strong lead character that has done some questionable things to save his wife and is haunted by his past.
Ayda the Elf is a typical elf, although she does hold some secrets of her own and she does grow in throughout the story.
Then there are the other supporting characters, Gustav the Wizard, Douglan the Dwarf and Brandson & Mille.
Whilst the main characters are well rounded, I did wonder about the supporting characters. Douglan is the typical complaining dwarf, and in all honesty, I could not determine what the role of Brandson & Millie was in the story as they are barely utilised in most of the book.
In terms of the plot, it didn???t really hold many surprises and was quite functionable. Although one plot device that I didn???t like was the frequent reference to the main antagonist as an ???idiot???. I didn???t think this worked. As throughout the narrative, the idiot of an antagonist stays one or two steps ahead of the main characters, so he cannot be that much of an idiot.
However, I don???t hold this against the book, and it didn???t spoil my enjoyment. There are some good ideas in the book, like the well stone. A magical stone that stores memories. And the characters deal the problems that they face in an original way. Not necessarily restoring to the usual hack and slash of some fantasy books
Threat of Shadows is part of a trilogy and I will read the next ones out of interest to see how the book develops.