The Stone of Arveqtuit

Title: The Stone of Arveqtuit
Author: Thomas Albert

Ratings

Score: 7/10
Chart Entry Point: 12

Review


The Stone of Arveqtuit (pronounced Ar-vek-too-it) does not feel like your standard fantasy book. Indeed, when I first began reading the book I compared it in my mind as being somewhere between Indiana Jones and the Da Vinci Code. Although I could use those comparisons for almost the whole story, when I finished reading the book I couldn't compare it to anything I've read before...

Tyrant's Blood (Valisar Trilogy Book Two)

Title: Tyrant's Blood
Author: Fiona McIntosh
Series: Valisar Trilogy
Preceded by: Royal Exile
Succeeded by: King's Wrath

Ratings:

Rating: 8/10
How likely I am to read the next book: Very Likely

Review

Regular readers of this blog will realise that some stuff I normally put around this review is missing (such as a picture of the cover). This will be corrected later today. They may also notice that there was no posts last week.The reason for both is that I have been summoned to sit on a jury - while in the house moving process and don't have the time to read as much. But I expect to review regularly from now on, but it'll generally be on the bus - so less info for a week or two. Anyway - the book:

I was worried when I started reading this to be honest. It had been over a year since I read the fieat in the trilogy, and there was a curious message at the beginning almost apologising for the story, and that it was written without prior planning. But McIntosh is one of my favourite authors so I read one.

And if I'm honest, that directionless style is quite clear in the plot - but surpised me by being interesting. At the end of book one, the position was clear. King Leo wanted his throne back from the invader. But by the end of this one I'm losing track of who the bad guys are, and I have no idea what's going to happen in book three. However, there are a couple of downfalls of the aimlessness I think. One character from the previous book doesn't appear until near the end of the book, and happens to chance upon an event, taking something which makes half the planning in the book seem a bit pointless. But for the most part I enjoyed the story.

Allies (Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi - Book Five)

Title: Allies
Author: Christie Golden
Superseries: Star Wars
Series: Fate of the Jedi
Preceded By: Backlash (by Aaron Allston)
Succeeded By: Vortex (by Troy Denning)

Ratings

Score: 7/10
Chart Movement: Remains at 17
How likely I am to read the next in the Series: Probable

Review

The first thing I can say about this fifth book is that it's a reassuring size. The last one by Golden was a bit thinner than the rest of the series, but this one isn't. As for the story, it's much better than the first three in the series.

As I often do, I'll start by discussing the characters, and in particular with my favourite character - Vestara. Vestara is a Sith apprentice, a bad guy by definition, but I  find that I can't help but like her, can't help but want her plans to succeed. As in the previous book, we don't see an awful lot of scenes from her point of view, but if anything this makes her character more interesting, and the rare chapter that is from her perspective an exciting glimpse into her life.

Trapped on Draconica

Title: Trapped on Draconica
Author: Dan Wright
Illustrator: Alexis M. Centeno

Ratings

Score: 7/10
Chart Entry Point: 24
Similar To: Prophecy of Zephyrus

Review

If you're looking for an easy to read story - you've found it. It's light-hearted, not too complex, yet still manages to stir emotion in the reader. There's not a lot I can say about it, because I enjoyed it - there's not a lot to complain about.

The characters reflect the spirit of the story, and while they aren't incredibly complex, they are quite enjoyable to read about. Except that I don't understand why Kalak wasn't just left behind as soon as the other characters met him. He stands for pretty much everything the other main characters are against. But he does become a more likeable character in time.

The Rebel Prince (Moorehawke Trilogy - Book 3)

Title: The Rebel Prince
Author: Celiene Kiernan

Series: Moorehawke Trilogy (Book Three)
Preceeded By: The Crowded Shadows

Ratings

Score: 7/10

Review

I enjoyed reading this final entry in the Moorehawke trilogy much more than I did the first two. The pace was a lot faster, the objectives of the characters more clear, and we finally get to find out a lot of the answers that the first two books made us ask.

However there are a couple of things I didn't really like. For example there are a considerable amount of storylines that are concluded "Off-Page". They results of these storylines are all pretty much mentioned in the epilogue, but not with the prominence that they needed concluding. One of them was quite major to this book, and the other is one that has been increasingly important throughout the trilogy, until in this book it becomes Christopher's 0nly real story...

The Metalmark Contract (Metalmark Book One)

Title: The Metalmark Contract
Author: David Batchelor
Series: Metalmark

Succeeded By: ???


Ratings

Score: 7/10
How likely I am to read the next in the Series: I'd like to.

Review

Now although it might not seem it to anyone who reads this blog, but I generally don't read books set in our world. I don't tend to enjoy them as much as those set in different ones. But occasionally there is one such book that I really enjoy. This is one of them. But before you read any further, I have a warning. This seems to be the first in a duology/trilogy/series/something. I didn't realise this, and it doesn't seem to say anywhere online or on the book except for the words "End of Book One" after the end of the narrative. Because I didn't realise this, I was a little disappointed when the story didn't reach it's full conclusion.

The Gift (Chiveis Trilogy Book 2)

Title: The Gift
Author: Bryan M. Litfin

Series: The Chiveis Trilogy
Preceeded By: The Sword
Succeeded By: ???

Ratings

Score: 7/10
How likely I am to read the next in the Series: I look forwards to it.

Review

Normally I start with a review with a short introduction to what I thought about the book. This time I'm going to do it differently, and start with a review of the introduction of the book itself. Firstly there's the prologue. Now it's the second in a trilogy - and normally I don't like prologues in the second of a trilogy. But this was short, and in essence was the same as the prologue of the first novel - extended a bit to briefly (barely) cover what happened to the main characters in book one. I felt it didn't really didn't need to be there, but it doesn't harm the story. But what I really want to talk about of the introduction is the first chapter. The start of the novel finds the main characters (Ana and Teo) with a small group of scouts. The author uses this as a way to help remind the reader of what happened in the first book (The Sword). It's not a unique way to recap the readers, but the way Litfin utilises this tool is possibly the thing I admire most about the beginning of the book. It's easy to read - not just a long monologue about the previous book - it even misses out the majority of the story. But it shows the character of the characters, and from the first chapter we are once more identifying with and sympathetic to the characters, Ana in particular.

Invincible (Star Wars: Legacy of the Force - Book Nine)

Title: Invincible
Author: Troy Denning
Superseries: Star Wars
Series: Legacy of the Force
Preceeded By: Revelation by Karen Traviss


Ratings

Score: 7/10
Overall Series Rating: 9/10

Review

This book had a lot to live up to. The series as a whole has been incredible thus far, and the previous book particularly so. If this book was to even match my expectations it had a lot to do. Quite frankly: it didn't.

This was the book that everything had been centering on. The loose storylines, the tension, the emotion... All of them really suggested that this was going to be something big. But it actually seemed like the author wasn't really that into it anymore. I felt that scenes were cut short, characters were fairly two dimensional - except Jaina and Ben - and that the conclusion happened too fast.

The Rogue (Traitor Spy Trilogy - Book Two)

Title: The Rogue
Author: Trudi Canavan
Series: Traitor Spy Trilogy
Preceeded By: The Ambassador's Mission
Succeeded By: The Traitor Queen (Due 2012)

NOTE: NOT SURE WHY, BUT THE AUTOMATIC SCHEDULING DIDN'T WORK - APOLOGIES FOR THE LATE POST.

Ratings

Score: 7/10
How likely I am to read the next in the Series: I'd like to...

Review

Trudi Canavan is an exceptional author. I expect that even if the publisher did no marketing for the book at all, it would still become a bestseller.

But like all authors, only one of her books can be the very best, and unfortunately this isn't it. It must be difficult for an author to hear that her latest book wasn't as good as the last, but when previous books include "High Lord", "The Magician's Apprentice" and "Last of the Wilds" it really is an extremely high standard to set.

Night of the Living Trekkies

Title: Night of the Living Trekkies
Authors: Kevin David Anderson, Sam Stall

Ratings
Score: 7/10


Review

Night of the Living Trekkies is a title that pretty much sums up the story. Unlike with some vaguer titles in Sci-Fi/Fantasy, with this one you really do get what it says on the metaphorical tin.

The Last Stormlord (Watergivers Book One)

Title: The Last Stormlord
Author: Glenda Larke
Series: Watergivers (aka "Stormlord Trilogy")

Succeeded By: Stormlord Rising

Ratings

Score: 7/10
How likely I am to read the next in the Series: Probable

Review

This book sounds and looks exciting. It's cover emblazoned with lightning and the silhouette of what appears to be a magic-wielder standing at the forefront. Could this be the titular character that the cover proudly proclaims to be "The Last Stormlord"?

The Spook's Sacrifice (Wardstone Chronicles Book Six)

Title: The Spook's Sacrifice
Author: Joseph Delaney
Series: Wardstone Chronicles (Book 6)
Preceeded By: The Spook's Mistake
Succeeded By: The Spook's Nightmare

Ratings

Score: 7/10
How likely I am to read the next in the Series: Definite

Review

If you haven't read any of the Wardstone Chronicles books before, go and do so now. Or after you've finished reading the review, anyway. They are one of the best children's series I know, alongside the Edge Chronicles (although somewhat different), to the point where I know many adults who read them.

This book has a different cover to the originals, which is something I'm quite disappointed about, given that I rather liked the original style. But while I like matching books, It's not vitally important, and the new covers do give more of an impression of what the story is about.

Which in this case is a blend of supernatural and fantasy genres that works really well (OK, you could say that supernatural is a sub-genre of fantasy anyway).The general premise is of a character who protects "The County" from "the Dark", and takes an apprentice, Tom Wardstone. In this sixth book, the heroes must defeat a goddess, who threatens to destroy the world.

It is a very different tone from the first books in the series, heavier and darker, as many series tend to become, but the quality of the stories hasn't changed. The characters are still brilliantly presented, particularly the Spook himself, and the story flows particularly well from the previous book, despite being an almost entirely new setting and enemy.

There is only one problem that I had with the story, and that is that the tower-climbing section of the book seemed to me to read like a computer game would progress. It's not a major problem, since it's not a huge part of the book, but the fact that I noticed it meant that the narrative wasn't keeping me as tightly focused during that section.

While some parts might be understood a bit better if you've read the previous books, there really is no limitations if you haven't (although you should!). I couldn't really remember the Spook's Mistake very well, but nevertheless found myself enyojing this book immensely, and you should allow yourself to do the same. Adult or otherwise, buy this book.

More Information

Main Protagonist(s): 2 Male, 1 Female
Main Antagonist(s):  1 Female Goddess/Demon
Main Relationships: Very minor hints of Heterosexual
Genre: Fantasy / Supernatual
Amazon Synopsis:

As the Spook’s apprentice Tom’s first duty is to protect the County from the dark. But now Mam needs his help in her homeland of Greece. One of the most dangerous of the old gods, the Ordeen, is about to return there, bringing slaughter and devastation. Meanwhile, the Devil himself is still loose and if he and the Ordeen join forces, a new age of darkness will descend. Mam has summoned a powerful group to her side but among them are Tom’s old enemy, the Pendle witches, including the assassin Grimalkin, and the cunning clan leader Mab Moldheel. Can Tom go against all the Spook has taught him and ally himself to the witches? What is the secret that Mam is keeping from him? And what sacrifices must be made in the battle against the dark?

ISBN: 978-0370329321
Website: Spooks Books
Amazon Link: Spook's Sacrifice
Pages: 384
First Published: 4 Jun 2009
Publisher: Bodley Head (Random House Imprint)

Troubadour

Title: Troubadour
Author: Mary Hoffman

Ratings

Score: 7/10

Review

Troubadour is an interesting book, that readers of most genres should enjoy. It is written fairly simply, in the sense that it is an easy book to read. The vocabulary isn't particularly difficult, and any period terms are generally explained in the prose (with a handy glossary at the back in case you forget).

In fact there was only one problem that I had with the historical aspects if the book, and that was the definition of France. In my mind, France is as it is defined now. But according to the map in the book, the south of France was a region known as Occitania. Now this in itself isn't a problem, but it would have been nice to have known this at the BEGINNING of the book. Consequently, "the French were attacking" confused me, given that I was under the impression it was a civil war.

But other than this slight confusion, I found myself enjoying learning history while reading a novel. Of course it's not  perfectly accurate, it's fiction, but it was an interesting experience, that I'd be happy to repeat. In fact, I really loved the first two parts (of three).

The third part however, feels rushed, sometimes unrealistic and somehow wrong. Obviously the war had to be won by the historical victor, but the fictional main character's end-story seems to disregard many of the threads that began the book, particularly what I would consider the main one, the love interest.

But before this final part, the feelings and emotions of the two main characters, Elinor and Bertran, are acutely described, and they seem to be very real people.

So while this book isn't in my normal reading genre, it has left an impression in my mind that perhaps I should read more historical fiction. The plot weakened towards the end, which was disappointing, but the first two parts, in my mind, more than made up for that. If you can't stand a book with a weak ending, this probably isn't for you, but if you read to appreciate a good writer, then buy/borrow/steal* this book as soon as possible.

*Do NOT steal the book, that was a joke.

More Information

Main Protagonist(s): Female
Main Antagonist(s): Lots of Men
Main Relationships: Heterosexual
Genre: Historical Fiction
Brief Synopsis:

A story of persecution and poetry, love and war set in 13th century Southern France. As crusaders sweep through the country, destroying all those who do not follow their religion, Bertrand risks his life to warn others of the invasion. As a troubadour, Bertrand can travel without suspicion from castle to castle, passing word about the coming danger. In the meantime Elinor, a young noblewoman, in love with Bertrand, leaves her comfortable home and family and becomes a troubadour herself. Danger encircles them both, as the rising tide of bloodshed threatens the fabric of the society in which they live.
 (Amazon)


ISBN: 978-0-7475-9252-5
Website: Author's Site
Amazon Link: Troubadour
Pages: 278
First Published: August 2010
Publisher: Bloomsbury

The Iron Hunt (Hunter Kiss, Book One)

Title: The Iron Hunt
Author: Marjorie M. Liu
Series: Hunter Kiss

Succeeded By: Darkness Calls

Ratings
Score: 7/10
How likely I am to read the next in the Series: Definite

Review 

This book surpassed my expectations. I expected it to be another of the now commonplace vampire novels , with a main female character with some special ability. Now, although we do have that type of protagonist, I was happy to see that the books style was somewhat unique to me. It is important to know that the first chapter is not representative of the whole. It is a somewhat poetic prologue, which sets the rhythm of the plethora of unanswered questions going, while the rest of the novel is closer to standard prose.

The main strength of the novel is it's fast pace, as many questions are answered as not, and there are plenty of plotlines that seem to range from minor to major, although due to some of the twists these minor themes can become major at any time. In addition to this speed, which makes the reader hunger for more, is the characters. While in many other novels, the characters are deliberately left less developed to preserve mystery, here the author manages to make hers more rounded, while revealing almost nothing, this is particularly true of "the boys", which is rather impressive since only one can actually speak. Somehow what we know we don't know about them helps to shape their characters, and I would recommend Reading it for those characters alone.

However, no book is perfect, and this is no exception. The biggest problem I had was that her name, Maxine Kiss, is supposed to be secret. Yet there is no sense of secrecy applied to, even though it seems to be important. There a couple of other small moments like that, where the way Maxine acts or feels seems to defy the narrative, but they are less noticeable. Perhaps this is evidence of characters not behaving the way the author wants them to...

The other possible downside is that the novel didn't have a sense of ending, by which I mean that it feels like the first part of a larger book. The other parts of the trilogy, or at least the next one, would help give a much more solid major story arc to the first book, as we still don't really know the major goal of the protagonist, except try and stay alive as her world gets worse and worse, which is pretty standard anyway. But this can also be seen from a more positive point of view, by considering that it leaves a perfect place, even demand for the next novel, and instead of the traditional single strong sense of "what happens next", it provides a collection of weaker ones.

Is it worth reading? Definitely. It's an interesting concept to read, and the "boys" are excellent characters. Is it worth buying? Well. I can't answer that until I read the next book. It was a good read, but since it's plot depends so much on book two, I personally wouldn't want to buy it until I knew it was going to lead to a great story. If you can get it at a discount, go for it, or if you just want to read about demons that turn into tatoos (which you should, it's brilliant), then buy the book. I sincerely look forwards to Reading the sequel.

More Information
Main Protagonist(s): 1 Female + 5 (male)demons
Main Antagonist(s): 1 Female Demon + ???
Main Relationships: Heterosexual
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Amazon Synopsis:

Nomad born and bred, demon hunter Maxine Kiss has always relied upon herself to fight the darkness that surrounds her, and the predators - human, zombie and otherwise - who threaten the earth. But one man has managed to get through the isolation she uses to protect herself: Grant, the last of his kind. With music he is able to control any living creature ...including demons. And now his life is in danger. Haunted by the past, and determined to change the future, Maxine soon understands that to save Grant, she has only one choice - to lose control, and release her own powers of darkness. 

ISBN: 978-1841498010
Website: http://marjoriemliu.com/index.php?/novels/details/the_iron_hunt/

(Note: This is a really nice website)

Amazon Link: US Site UK Site
Pages: 384
Publisher: Orbit

The Wizard's Son

Title: The Wizard's Son
Author: Kathryn L. Ramage

Ratings

Score: 7/10
How long I would stay up reading: Midnight
How likely I am to read the next in the Series: Very Probable, if there was one.

Review

The first thing that captured my attention with this particular book was the smell. It was interesting, different from the standard smell of a book. I attribute this to the differences between large presses and the small press that produced the book. However, it intrigued me, and as soon as I had finished the book I was reading upon it's arrival, I began reading in earnest.

The story is fairly unique in the genre of Fantasy, neither being an Epic adventure such as the Lord of the Rings nor exactly a story of learning such as Harry Potter, despite having elements of apprenticship and learning within it. It is a coming-of-age tale, with a well written non-linear structure that allows Orlan, the wizard's son, to move from childhood to adulthood without the narrative being required to jump between interesting points. The setting of the story, primarily the wizard's home and a nearby city, are described sufficiently well, but certain characters have the potential to be much more developed, particularly ones that are introduced near the end. This is especially true of one of the main character's love interests, whose loss results in a major decision for Orlan. The reader is not as in love with this character as we should be, and so it is harder for us to understandt that decision.

The story, despite being well written, doesn't seem to have any one particular story-arc, except the emotions and feelings of the main character. This is what sets it apart from other fantasy works, and although the idea could seem unappealing to some readers, it is a book that is well worth reading. Although it doesn't have a great physical struggle between good and evil, it discusses the issue in great depth, through the different types of magic and the tumultuous opinions of Orlan, in a way that few authors can do. In addition to this it looks at the themes of self-restraint and human nature, both difficult topics that are incredibly well approached.

While not the most addictive book that I've read, it was a highly interesting and enjoyable read, and I look forwards to reading more of the author's work.

More Information

Main Protagonist(s): One Male
Main Antagonist(s): None
Main Relationships: Heterosexual, (But not a major theme)
Genre: Fantasy (alternate earth)
Brief Synopsis:
When Orlan's mother dies in the first three pages of the book, Lord Redmantyl (Title, not name) reveals himself to be his father, and places a spell to make him forget the pain of his mother's death. Orlan is tested for magical ability, and when he is old enough, begins to train as an a apprentice. For an apprentice to become a full wizard they must spend five years of abstinence from red meat, alcohol and sex. A year prior to his period of sober celibacy Orlan is sent to the local town, where he meets a group of boys that show him the attraction to drink and eventually women, weakening his self-control. In addition he finds the spell that his father placed on him to make him forget, and attempts to remove it. His final day in the town estranges him from his father, causing him to run away and begin a new life. But eventually, he must accept his place as his father's son.

ISBN(13): 978-0578032931
Publisher: The Wapshott Press
Website: Publisher's Book Page
Amazon Link: UK Site US Site
Pages: 286
First Published: 2009

The Eye of The World (Wheel of Time - Book One )

Title: The Eye of the World
Author: Robert Jordan
Series: The Wheel of Time

Ratings

Score: 7/10
How long I would stay up reading: ~ 3 am
How likely I am to read the next in the Series: Definite

Review

The best place to start with reviews is normally the beginning. In this case however, that might not be true. The book is slow to pick up, and a couple of times I found myself drifting off in the initial chapter, or more accurately, the prologue. Then I was confused by the fact that the maps came after the prologue. Of course, I have a version that is now 14 years old, so these might have been re-arranged in the latest editions. If not, you are now prepared to deal with this potential break-down inducing irregularity.

After this we move to the main character's perspective, the first chapters of which involve him walking from farm to village and back again, introducing the other main characters quite well, if mundanely. After this it picks up, and there is never a dull moment. The main characters transition smoothly from children and guides to more equal companions (although not quite) in an almost traditional rite-of-passage style, the plot of which is highly original. The characters are exceedingly well written and developed, even when leaving an air of mystery around Lan and Moraine, the guides of the group. The descriptions of settings and lore of the world is not quite to the same standard of the characters, but is orated beautifully, and surpasses many other fantasy authors in simple quality.

There a few sub-plots in this first book, and fewer loose ends. This at first seems desireable, but not having read the second book yet it seems unlikely that the series will be initially as closely linked as it could be. However, I could be wrong, as there could be sub-plots that I failed to pick up on, that wil ldevelop later on, or perhaps the sheer style quality of the writing will thread through the series to connect them.

To critique the author, who unfortunately lost his life to cancer in 2007, he often uses similar phrases or decriptions regularly, particularly in the thoughts of the main character. This could be seen as life-like, but it can be irksome at times. In addition there are a few elements that seemed to coincide very closely to other epic fantasies such as The Lord of the Rings (in particular) and The Belgariad. These are not often though, and become less frequent as the story unfolds. The only other criticism I can make is the names used in the book. Names such as Artur Paendrag are quite clearly taken from legend (King Arthur Pendragon in this particular case), but awkwardly corrupted, while many others are not memorable. Moraine, for example, I had to look up to write this review, despite having read the whole thing in the last 48 hours.

So yes, there are some flaws in this, the first book of the series, but they are far overshadowed by the flowing narrative, the rich detail and characters that almost become friends. The biggest fault is the slow beginning, but bearing in mind that the slow moving chapters take up sixty pages out of eight hundred (out of a 12 book series), this is a rather quick start to the overall story. I loved this book, and although I would dearly love to ignore the book I'd promised to review and move straight on to the second, I am a man of honour, and book 2 (The Great Hunt) will have to wait.


More Information

Main Protagonist(s): Group of 5 males and 3 females
Main Antagonist(s): Male entity
Main Relationships: Heterosexual Undertones
Genre: Fantasy
Succeeded by: The Great Hunt
Brief Synopsis:

When Rand's Village is attacked by trollocs, supposedly after him and two other boys (Mat and Perrin) he is forced to leave alongside Moraine, the Aes Sedai who told him this, and her Warder Lan. They are joined by a Gleeman, Thom, who wants to get away from the village, and a village girl, Egwene, who wants to see the world. Later the village's Wisdom, Nynaeve, catches up to them as they enter their first city. As Moraine tries to take them to the city of the Aes Sedai, Tar Valon, they are seperated, each discovering information that, when reunited, makes them realise that the whole world is in great danger. In their effort to save it they must endure The Ways of the Ogier, The perilous Bleak, and eventually the mystical Eye of the World.

ISBN: 1-85723-076-0
Website: Publisher's Author Page
Amazon Link: UK Site, US Site
Pages: ~ 800
First Published: 1990
Publisher: Orbit Books

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So, there it. The first review. Hope it was helpful, and hope you come back to see more reviews soon. Keep Reading.

Adam Bourke