The Knight of Swords, by Michael Moorcock | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

The Knight of Swords, by Michael Moorcock is a book that I actually have read before. Sometime during my early years of high school, I got my hands on it. In fact it was one of the first strings of books I read for pleasure and not because I had too for some school assignment.

I grew up with profound dyslexia. I had to attend special 'Learning Center' classes and was always years behind in writing and reading. What helped me overcome this limitation... well, Dungeons and Dragons. I loved the game and wanted to be as good a player as I could. So I figured one way to improve would be the read all the books Gary Gygax said helped influence his creation of the game. I started with Lord of the Rings (not an easy choice for a guy that can barely read). Then I moved on to Jack Vance. But then Elric filled my head with blood, chaos, and doom. I couldn't get enough, so I quickly moved on to another Eternal Champion series, Corum the Prince in the Scarlet Robe.

So when I received Titan's reprinting of these novels, part of me thought, I have read these before, I should focus more of this backlog of things I have not read. But then I thought, screw that, these books are beyond fantastic and it will give me an excuse to be able to enjoy them again. Boy, I like it when I make smart choices!

Read more at The Knight of Swords, by Michael Moorcock | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

Darwin's Watch, by Terry Pratchett | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

This is not a novel. It is an overview of certain aspects of actual (more or less: read the book) science, directed against anti-evolutionists, but also against certain misapplications of mathematics and science.

The title is from a book, Natural Theology (1802), by William Paley. He describes a man walking across a heath (uncultivated area). He sees a rock, and may imagine that it has always been there. But if he sees a watch, he knows that watches have not always existed, therefore there must have been a watch Maker. This leads to what has since been tagged "intelligent design."

The authors [and I] do not agree with this. They note two very different uses of the word "theory." One is a misleading equivalence with "hypothesis," which is a question or statement proposed for testing, to see if it can be falsified, that is, proven to be false. The other is an idea about which considerable evidence has accumulated, which has not been falsified. It may not have been nailed down in all particulars, but a heavy preponderance of evidence says that it is true. 

Read more at Darwin's Watch, by Terry Pratchett | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

Storm and Steel, by Jon Sprunk | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

Storm and Steel, by Jon Sprunk, is part two of The Book of the Black Earth. Despite not having read part one, and despite having a somewhat slow start, once I got a few chapters into it, things picked up and the story gained enough inertia to start pulling me along.

There are two main stories here: that of the ex-slave Horace Delrosa, and the second of Jirom, a homosexual ex-gladiator and mercenary. Horace, the former slave, turns out to possess a very powerful and innate ability to work the magical energy of Sprunk's world, called zoanii. When Horace's ability reveals itself to the Queen and her advisers (in part one), he suddenly finds himself a member of Queen Byleth's court, and a powerful and unwelcome one at that. Also present in the court is Alrya, a Horace's love interest, with whom he struggles to establish the boundaries of their relationship based on his new status.

Read more at Storm and Steel, by Jon Sprunk | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

Dragon Princess, by S. Andrew Swann | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

This is the first book by S. Andrew Swann that I've read, continuing my attempt to read new-to-me authors this year. And it was a blast! Definitely a fun romp through fantasy tropes with a twist.

Premise: Frank Blackthorne is a not-so-great thief on the run after accidentally disrupting a virgin sacrifice to a Dark Lord. After rescuing the virgin, he finds himself in need of an escape from an entire kingdom. When a wizard approaches him with an offer to help save a princess from a dragon in exchange for the princess' hand in marriage, he's rightfully suspicious, but also out of options.

Of course, the rescue goes horribly wrong and suddenly he finds himself trapped in the princess' body and deposited in the middle of nowhere. Now he has to find his way back, find the wizard, and hopefully get his own body back!

Again, this is intended to be a fun, glorious romp through all of the fantasy tropes you've grown to love and it's exactly that. The twist, of course, is the body swapping, which S. Andrew Swann handles wonderfully.
Read more at Dragon Princess, by S. Andrew Swann | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

The Gospel of Loki, by Joanne M. Harris | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

Just a little back story on this one. Yep, I was feeling a little down because of a few things that were happening in my life. I had been away from where I was living for a bit. I came home and had a moment to myself and was able to check my mail. I had a few books lined up to read for reviews. As I opened the packages I had received over the last week, the Gospel of Loki greeted my eyes. I know this may seem a little much, but I took this as a sign or perhaps a direction.

Let me back up a little, and at the risk of creating a bias in regards to my review, I would to state that Loki and I go way back. I have embraced Chaos with if not a religious fervor, at least as a guiding point from everything from friendship to personal goals. Along with Chaos, I officially adopted Loki as a Patron in roughly 1992. I have promoted him, written spells for him, based characters off him, included my long running character, Elcore, who is Loki's son.

Read more at The Gospel of Loki, by Joanne M. Harris | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

Fishbowl, by Matthew Glass | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

This is a book rather difficult to pigeonhole. It is described by Amazon as contemporary, while one reviewer classified it as a lo-octane thriller, which would appeal to geeks. I think that pretty much nails it, except I think it has a wider appeal than the geeks among us. If you've ever seriously wondered where the internet is going to end up, then this book provides some interesting food for thought.

Gifted Ivy League student Andrei Koss hits upon an idea that promises to revolutionize social networking and move it on by a generation. Enlisting the help of his roommates, Ben Marks and Kevin Embley, he turns their dormitory into an operations base, where flashes of creative brilliance and all-night-coding sessions lead to the creation of Fishbowl. Within eight years they will turn a whim into a multi-billion-dollar empire; their creation will reach into every corner of the planet. But its immense power has many uses and everyone wants a piece of it...

Read more at Fishbowl, by Matthew Glass | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

Elantris, by Brandon Sanderson | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

In my continued quest to read books from authors I've never read before, I decided I should start on some of Brandon Sanderson's works. This is the first of his books and the first that I've read. And I can see why he's become popular.

Premise: The city of Elantris was the city of the gods--when random people were transformed into shining white near-immortals with the power to wield the magic called Dor, they were sent to the city to live out the life of gods. But something has gone wrong. Now, instead of becoming gods, those chosen are sent to the decaying city of Elantris and shunned and ridiculed, believed to be cursed.

Raoden, prince of Arelon, is struck from the curse and thrown into Elantris, where he discovers that the Elantrians are indeed cursed, their bodies dead, their pains never-ending. Sarene, princess of Teod, arrives in Kae outside the city of Elantris to marry Raoden, only to discover he has supposedly died. But she suspects something else has happened and she intends to find out what. Hrathen, high priest of Fjordell, arrives in Kae with one purpose: convert the entire country to his own religion . . . or see them destroyed. All three of them collide both inside and outside the walls of Elantris, each seeking to find what they have lost.

Read more at Elantris, by Brandon Sanderson | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

Queen of Nowhere, by Jaine Fenn | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

This is the fifth book in this excellent series -- read my review of Principles of Angels here. So would it continue to be as gripping as the previous offerings?

The Sidhe look like us. They live amongst us. They have fearsome mental abilities and considerable physical resources at their disposal. And their biggest advantage? No one believes they exist. Almost no one. Bez is fighting a secret war against them. Always one step ahead, never lingering in one place, she's determined to bring them down. But she can't expose the Hidden Empire alone and when her only ally fails her she must accept help from an unexpected quarter. Just one misstep, one incorrect assumption, and her Sidhe trap -- her life's work -- could end in disaster. Worse, if Bez fails then humanity will be lost to the manipulative and deadly Sidhe...

As is apparent from the back cover blurb, this book veers away from the regular protagonists we have been following to date. Instead, solitary data-hacker genius Bez takes centre stage. I really enjoyed her spiky, paranoid personality as she tries to stay one step ahead from the authorities while fighting the Hidden Empire. Fenn pitches us right into the middle of the action from the beginning of the book, with the tension pinging off the page. Bez is not remotely cozy or particularly approachable and to make me care so much for her so quickly is a harder trick to pull off than Fenn makes it look.

Read more at Queen of Nowhere, by Jaine Fenn | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

White Mountain, by Sophie E. Tallis | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

I loaded this book onto my Kindle after meeting Sophie at Bristolcon last year. But what with one thing and another, I hadn't managed to get around to reading it...

Amongst our modern world lies another, an archaic and hidden world of tradition, sorcery and magic. As dark demons awaken from our past, the last remaining wizards are being hunted and murdered by a changeling of terrifying strength. Attacked and drained of most of his powers, a dying sorcerer must race against time to save himself, and the fate of all, from an enemy intent on cleansing the planet of humanity... Darkness spreads as friendships, betrayals and horrifying truths await...


If you are looking for some modern twist on the classic epic Fantasy setup, this isn't it. Tallis gives us a straight Fantasy tale, complete with an evil mastermind who has been plotting the overthrow of the world for ages -- and now his plans have finally come to fruition. We have a stark demonstration of the power of said evil mastermind very early into the story. It was at this stage, I bonded with Marval and his grumpy dragon Gralen.

Read more at White Mountain, by Sophie E. Tallis | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

Covenant's End, by Ari Marmell | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

Covenant's End is the fourth and final book in the Widdershins Adventures by Ari Marmell.  These are young adult books, although I didn't know this when I bought the first book.  I can see why they're classified as YA, although I don't think that's a label they should necessarily be stuck with.  I enjoyed them all (even if I felt that one of them wasn't quite in line with the other three).

The premise of this final book is that Widdershins is returning to Davillon, after fleeing (and yes, she finally admits that she fled) and spending some time away from "home."  She thinks it's going to be grand coming home, meeting up with old friends, and picking up her life where she left off.  But while she's been gone, some of her old enemies have banded together and made a few unnatural allies, and they've been waiting for her return.  Even before she reaches the city, Widdernshins realizes that she isn't going to receive the homecoming she thought . . . and that her friends are in as much danger as she is.

This was a great final chapter in Widdershins' adventures.  She needed to return home again, not just because of the threads hinting of it in earlier books, but because she needed to face herself and what had happened to her in the city.  As Ari Marmell states himself, she needed to grow up.  She thought she'd left the city after a previous adventure because it would be safer for her friends, but she really simply fled.  Because of fear, because of the deaths of some of her friends, brought about by her own actions, and because she wasn't ready to face those emotions and that responsibility.  But after her time away (which is the book that I don't feel fits the general thread of the series; sort of an odd man out), she's had enough time to realize that she's been lying to herself about why she left and she's now ready to face the truth.

 Covenant's End, by Ari Marmell | Science Fiction | SFReader.com Book Review

Witch Week, by Diana Wynne Jones | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

After reading Mars Evacuees, Frankie asked for 'another of your awesome books, Granny,' so I had to oblige with something special after a request like that. And came up with this...

Here is a world where witchcraft is utterly forbidden, yet where magic still seems to break out like measles -- all over the place! When a note, written in ordinary blue ballpoint, appears between two of the homework books Mr Crossley is marking, he is very upset.

It says: SOMEONE IN THIS CLASS IS A WITCH

Anyone could have written it, but the most awful thing is, the note might be true for Larwood House is a school for witch orphans. And the last thing Mr Crossley needs is a visit from the Divisional Inquisitor...

Read more at Witch Week, by Diana Wynne Jones | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

Window Wall , Book 4 of the Glass Thorns series, by Melanie Rawn | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

One of the best series I've read over the last couple of years is this one -- see my review of the first book Glass Thorns. Will this next slice about the magical theater company sustain the very high standard Rawn has set so far?

For nearly two years, Cade has been rejecting his Elsewhens, the Fae gift that grants him prescient glimpses of possible futures, by simply refusing to experience them. But the strain is driving a wedge between him and his theater troupe, Touchstone, and making him erratic on stage and off. It takes his best friend Mieka to force Cade into accepting the visions again, but when he does, he witnesses a terrible attack, though he cannot see who is responsible. Cade knows the future he sees can be changed, and when he finally discovers the truth behind the attack, he takes the knowledge to the only man in the Kingdom who can prevent it: his deadly enemy.

Once more, Rawn provides an engrossing, grown-up adventure. I love the fact that Cade and Mieka are now no longer the young, driven newbies desperate to prove themselves. Although being established stars provides its own challenges... Rawn gets right inside the skins of her two spiky, complicated characters and if you are looking for a simple escapist tale where everything is cut and dried, then this isn't it.

Read more at  Window Wall , Book 4 of the Glass Thorns series, by Melanie Rawn | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

Raising Steam, by Terry Pratchett | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

Dick Simnel is inspired, by his father being turned into a cloud of furnace parts, flying metal, and pink steam, to invent the locomotive. He names her Iron Girder. This being Discworld, she's a bit more than her earthly counterparts. She is self aware and will defend her existence, as a would be saboteur learns.

Remember the pink steam? Simnel manages not only  to avoid that, but to sell Sir Harry King on steam locomotives. King sells Lord Vetinari, who runs Ankh-Morpork, the big city on Discworld, and Vetinari appoints Moist von Lipwig (of Going Postal and other books) to ramrod the project. Vetinari want to go to Bonk Schmaltzberg to confer with the king of the trolls, without spending weeks on the trip.

Certain hardcases among the dwarfs don't like this, or anything not of dwarf tradition as they see it. So construction is underway on the big line, with a shorter one to Quirm (which resembles France as seen from England), to bring in fish. Yes, Ankh-Morpork is on a river, but  you really don't want to eat anything out of there.

Then there are the clacks towers (semaphore signaling system), and a lady named Adora Belle.

Read more at Raising Steam, by Terry Pratchett | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

The Sword and Its Servant, by Victor Salinas | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

The Sword and Its Servant, by Victor Salinas, is another young adult book. How did I get sucked into reading another one, well... by the ages 15 and up warning label? Here I am thinking I might be reading a book a little on the spicy side, but nope, preteens in trouble. But I will say that Salinas takes the idea of trouble up a notch and the book becomes more of a pre-teen meets Hellraiser.

Most of the book, actually almost all of the book, focuses on some kids making a jail break. It also covers the POV of three of the arch-villains that rule over the Hunds, which is the evil race that has a great hate for humans. Lucky for the kids there is a hole in the cell that they are able to chip through. Once outside the cell, Salinas isn't scared of killing the kids off and the group quickly dies off and gets separated from each other.

The main human, a girl named Einsa, discovers a living sword. Here is where it gets more interesting. The cowering, inertia filled Einsa is now being guided by this living steel and it wants her to kill. I think Salinas does a good job displaying the reluctance a normal pre-teen girl would have against killing. However, would a girl being kept prisoner her while life who is seeing her friends die have this reluctance? This is not some cell phone using girl of today. Also, although I appreciated his care in displaying this character trait, I almost felt like pulling my hair and just yelling, "Swing the sword, you twit!"

The Sword and Its Servant, by Victor Salinas | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

The Thorn of Dentonhill, by Marshall Ryan Maresca | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

This is the debut novel from Marshall Ryan Maresca.  I try to read new authors--and in particular, debut novels--as much as possible and am trying to do so even more this year as a New Year's resolution.  This novel was a fun take on fantasy, mixing in some elements comic book flavor in terms of the storyline.

The premise:  Veranix is a student at the local university studying magic--the use of numina.  But secretly he's using his powers to hunt down and hound those in the surrounding area called Dentonhill who are dealing a drug called effitte.  The ringleader of the drug dealers in a man who killed Veranix's father and forced his mother to take so much of the drug that her mind is lost, her body lying with dozens of others who were overcome by the drug.  Veranix initially only intends to hurt the drug trade, but when he accidentally intercepts a deal involving a magic cloak and rope, everything changes . . .

As you can imagine, with a magic cloak and rope, the story takes on some comic book attributes--Batman, anyone?  Veranix sneaks out at night and fights against the drug dealers, trying to destroy as much effitte as he can.  Of course, initially his activities are minor nuisances, but with the cloak and rope to aid him, his attacks become much more troublesome to the ringleader and things escalate.  Not to mention that the items he's accidentally come by were intended for a group of mages that desperately want them back and will do anything to get them.  So the plot itself is very comic book-esque in nature . . . and the book itself takes on that tone.  If you start reading with that in mind--that this is simply going to be a fun ride--then you'll enjoy the book.

Read more at The Thorn of Dentonhill, by Marshall Ryan Maresca | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

Away with the Fairies, by Vivienne Tuffnell | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

I downloaded this book, because I knew from Viv's blog that she is a fine writer, with high standards, so I knew I wasn't in for a misspelled, poorly formatted offering -- and I was intrigued by the opening passage I read as a sample.

Irrepressible artist Isobel has survived most things and managed to bounce back from everything so far. A sequence of domestic disasters finally signals to Isobel that perhaps things aren't quite as rosy as she'd like. With her half of the inheritance, Isobel buys an isolated holiday cottage where she hopes to be able to catch up with some painting, as well as have the occasional holiday. The cottage is idyllic, beautiful and inspiring, but odd things keep happening. Doors won't stay shut, objects go missing and reappear in the wrong places and footsteps are heard when there's no one there. One of Isobel's new neighbors suggests that it is the fairies who are responsible, but Isobel is more than a tad skeptical: there's not a hint of glitter or tinselly wings or magic wands.

As she works at a frenetic pace, the odd happenings begin to increase until even Isobel's rational, skeptical mind has to sit up and take notice. And that's when she gets really scared. Up until now, her motto has been that there's nothing in life that can't be made better by a cup of tea and some Hob Nobs. This time it's beginning to look like it'll take more than even chocolate biscuits to make things better.

Read more at Away with the Fairies, by Vivienne Tuffnell | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

Those Above, by Daniel Polansky | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

I have only recently finished reading the final book charting the career of the awesome Warden in She Who Waits -- see my review here -- so was delighted to discover this latest slice of Polansky magic. Would I find this new epic fantasy as riveting?

Tall, strong, perfect -- for three thousand years Those Above have ruled over their human subjects. From the glittering aplaces of their eternal city they enforce their will with fire and sword. Twenty-five years ago mankind mustered an army and rose up against them, only to be slaughtered in a terrible battle. Hope died that day, but hatred survived. Whispers of another revolt are beginning to stir in the hearts of the oppressed: a personal servant who owes her whole existence to the perfect being she serves: a woman widowed in the war, who has dedicated her life to revenge: a general, the only man to ever defeat one of Those Above in single combat, summoned forth to raise a new legion: and a boy-killer who rises from the gutter to lead an uprising in the capital.

As you may have gathered from the blurb, this is a four-handed narrative in third person -- a contrast to the first person immediacy we got with the Warden's narrative of his struggles to prevail in Low Town.

Read more at Those Above, by Daniel Polansky | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

The Copper Promise, by Jen Williams | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

This is a really good swords and sorcery fantasy, with all the necessary ingredients to make it a fast-paced, thoroughly entertaining read...

thecopperpromiseThere are some far-fetched rumours about the caverns beneath the Citadel: some say the mages left their most dangerous secrets hidden there; others, that great riches are hidden there; even that gods have been imprisoned in its darkest depths. For Lord Frith, the caverns hold the key to his vengeance. Against all the odds, he has survived torture and lived to see his home and his family taken from him... and now someone is going to pay. For Wydrin of Crosshaven and her faithful companion, Sir Sebastian Caverson, a quest to the Citadel looks like just another job. There's the promise of gold and adventure. Who knows, they might even have a decent tale or two once they're done. But sometimes there is truth in rumour. Sometimes it pays to listen. Soon this reckless trio will become the last line of defence against a hungry, restless terror that wants to tear the world apart. And they're not even getting paid.

Read more at The Copper Promise, by Jen Williams | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review