Difference between revisions of "Newest Fantasy Reviews"
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| + | |author= Jon Skovron | ||
| + | |title= Hope and Red | ||
| + | |rating= 4.5 | ||
| + | |genre= Fantasy | ||
| + | |summary= Bleak Hope is a young girl orphaned at the tender age of eight when the emperor's biomancers – mystics of biology with the power to make living things grow, decay or change into something else entirely – massacre her whole village. The lone survivor, Hope sneaks on board a travelling merchant ship and by chance becomes a servant at the old Vinchen monastery, home to the empire's best warriors. There she is secretly trained by the greatest Vinchen warrior in history, and is driven by her dream of vengeance against those responsible for her parent's death. | ||
| + | |amazonuk=<amazonuk>0316268119</amazonuk> | ||
| + | }} | ||
{{newreview | {{newreview | ||
|author= Tom Lloyd | |author= Tom Lloyd | ||
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|summary=Ceramic artist Tilda moves to the house she and her husband envisaged their lives together in the wilds of Wales. Unfortunately, due to his tragic death a year ago, Tilda must move in alone and build a different life. In the same location a thousand years earlier Seren serves Prince Hywell as his village's seer and shaman. Life isn't easy for her either. She has enemies, some a lot closer than the traditional threat from the Anglo Saxons. Although centuries apart these two women's lives will come together with connotations for all who love them and a deadly force that could go beyond that. | |summary=Ceramic artist Tilda moves to the house she and her husband envisaged their lives together in the wilds of Wales. Unfortunately, due to his tragic death a year ago, Tilda must move in alone and build a different life. In the same location a thousand years earlier Seren serves Prince Hywell as his village's seer and shaman. Life isn't easy for her either. She has enemies, some a lot closer than the traditional threat from the Anglo Saxons. Although centuries apart these two women's lives will come together with connotations for all who love them and a deadly force that could go beyond that. | ||
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1472150651</amazonuk> | |amazonuk=<amazonuk>1472150651</amazonuk> | ||
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Revision as of 12:10, 27 July 2016
Hope and Red by Jon Skovron
Bleak Hope is a young girl orphaned at the tender age of eight when the emperor's biomancers – mystics of biology with the power to make living things grow, decay or change into something else entirely – massacre her whole village. The lone survivor, Hope sneaks on board a travelling merchant ship and by chance becomes a servant at the old Vinchen monastery, home to the empire's best warriors. There she is secretly trained by the greatest Vinchen warrior in history, and is driven by her dream of vengeance against those responsible for her parent's death. Full review...
Stranger of Tempest by Tom Lloyd
Lynx is a mercenary with a sense of honour; a dying breed in the Riven Kingdom. Failed by the nation he served and weary of the skirmishes that plague the continent's principalities, he walks the land in search of purpose. Bodyguard work keeps his belly full and his mage-gun loaded, and whilst it'll never bring a man fame or wealth, he's not forced to rely on others or kill without cause. When a kidnapped girl forces Lynx to join a mercenary company, the job seems simple enough, and the mercanaries less stupid and vicious than most he's met over the years. So long as there are no surprises or hidden agendas along the way, it should work out fine... Full review...
The Waking Fire: Book One of Draconis Memoria by Anthony Ryan
Mercenary Clayden Torcreek is blood-blessed, i.e. one of the few able to translate a few drops of drake's blood into an extraordinary attribute. It gets even better than that: Clayden is unregistered, making him unexpected and eminently hireable when the department of Exceptional Initiatives need someone to track the fabled white drake. His recruiter and contact is covert agent Lizanne Lethbridge who is currently gathering intelligence while posing as a maid to the spoilt young Tekela. It's worth it though – Tekela's father has something of interest. The problem is that Lizanne isn't the only one interested and so staying alive becomes increasingly difficult. Out at sea naval officer Hilemore is about to put his training to good use. Meanwhile in the inhospitable interior, Clayden's expedition only has to worry about savages and drakes of the gigantic, man-eating, fire breathing variety. That's alright then! Full review...
After Alice by Gregory Maguire
When Alice fell down the rabbit hole, she found Wonderland as rife with inconsistent rule and abrasive egos as the world she left behind. But how did Victorian Oxford react to Alice's departure? When Alice's friend Ada, mentioned briefly in Alice in Wonderland sets out to visit Alice, she arrives a minute too late. Tumbling down the rabbit hole herself, she embarks on an odyssey to find Alice and bring her safely home from this surreal world below the world. Full review...
The King's Justice by Stephen Donaldson
Through the forests and the driving rain rides Black, a man never more aptly named. He's approaching Settle's Crossways, although that is of no concern to him, for he is merely following the scent of evil. All purpose and little pause or scruple, he is on the trail of a killer, and Settle's Crossways, as luck would have it, is in need of the King's Justice. Black seems able to control people's thoughts and deeds (and go without paying his way) just by rubbing an arm under his permanently-worn black cape, but when he sounds out the parity in the town between the churches of light and dark, he knows what exists there may take him to a darker place than even the last wars regarding the balance between those elemental forces – and to a place where he really cannot take the control he's used to… Full review...
The Augur's Gambit by Stephen Donaldson
In a King Learesque procedure, the Queen Inimica Phlegathon DeVry IV has met with each of her five barons in turn, and seduced them all into accepting her proposal of marriage. What does she mean by this bizarre procedure, which only seems to set them all against the other, especially when the fourth to meet with her blabs to the fifth before his turn? And why does the final baron's efforts for his Queen before then rest on sending ships to the East, the likes of which have never ever returned? And what is in store for the island Queendom, when the royal family's own magical oracle can only see the end of their civilisation? Full review...
New Pompeii by Daniel Godfrey
Classicist Nick Houghton is employed by Novus Particles to assist them with a reconstruction of Pompeii – a reconstruction that includes the original, living first century inhabitants. NovusPart have discovered a way to pull historical artefacts (and indeed people) through time; an amazing innovation. The conspiracy theorists mumble about there being sinister reasons and the disappearance of key personnel helps to feed these rumours, but Nick needs a job and this is too good an opportunity to turn down. Anyway, that's what he tells himself to combat the repercussions of saying no. Full review...
Chaos Queen - Duskfall (The Chaos Queen Quintet) by Christopher B Husberg
Winter and Knot's wedding is a brave move and not just because Winter is a Tiellan. Knot was brought back to life after nearly drowning the year before, a fate that removed his memory. All he knows is that there are people chasing him and when Knot's angry… you just don't want Knot to get angry. Meanwhile Cinzia is a devout priestess with a problem: her beloved sister is leading a religious revolt. Neither woman will come out of this the same. Cinzia will need to think about her life afresh while Winter… Let's just say big changes lie ahead. Full review...
The Secrets of Time and Fate by Rebecca Alexander
Having killed Countess Elizabeth Bathory, the revenant from the 16th century, 21st century Jackdaw Hammond did something she's regretting. By depriving it of its host, the spirit Saraquel has moved from the Countess to Jack. Can she get some help to banish it before someone else does it a little more terminally both for Jack and Saraquel? Meanwhile back in the 16th century of Edward Kelley and Sir John Dee, Elizabeth Bathory still lives and Saraquel proves he can wreak havoc across time. Full review...
The Fallen (The Darkest Hand) by Tarn Richardson
1915 and the war continues, not just as the conflict that will come to be known as World War I but a more supernatural fight between good and evil. The dark forces continue to move across a darkened Europe, evidenced by the increase in demon possession and hideously misshapen babies. When the Vatican fountain produces blood rather than water, the world knows that the events spoken of in Revelation may be underway. Inquisitor Poldek Tacit still has the will to fight but he's just one man. Will one man be enough? Full review...
The Fallen (The Darkest Hand) by Tarn Richardson
1915 and the war continues, not just as the conflict that will come to be known as World War I but a more supernatural fight between good and evil. The dark forces continue to move across a darkened Europe, evidenced by the increase in demon possession and hideously misshapen babies. When the Vatican fountain produces blood rather than water, the world knows that the events spoken of in Revelation may be underway. Inquisitor Poldek Tacit still has the will to fight but he's just one man. Will one man be enough? Full review...
Who Killed Sherlock Holmes? by Paul Cornell
The Great Detecitve's ghost has walked London's streets for an age, given shape by people's memories. Now someone's put a ceremonial dagger throug his chest. But what's the motive? And who - or what - could kill a ghost? When policing London's supernatural underworld, eliminating the impossible is not an option. DI James Quill and his detectives have learnt this the hard way. Gifted with the Sight, they'll pursue a criminial genius - who'll lure them into a Sherlockian maze of clues and evidence. The team also have thier own demons to fight. They've been to Hell and back (literally) but now the unit is falling apart... Full review...
Children of Earth and Sky by Guy Gavriel Kay
Two spies employed by the Republic of Seresta are sent to the court of Jad's Holy Emperor Rudolfo, 'The Destroyer'. The first, Leonora, knows what she's doing right down to hiding behind the cover of a sham marriage assigned for that purpose. The second, Pero, is a young artist kidnapped for the task. He has no previous experience but he's expendable so that's not completely necessary. Events transpire to ensure that both spies will need to rely on mariner and merchant Marin and Serjani fighter Danica more than they think. Yet even they can't stop the conflict that's on the horizon. Rudolfo has his eye on extending his empire globally and Jad help anything that gets in the way. Full review...
The Arrival of Missives by Aliya Whiteley
In the aftermath of the Great War, Shirley Fearn dreams of challenging the conventions of rural England, where life is as unchanging as the seasons. The scarred veteran Mr Tiller, left disfigured by an impossible accident on the battlefields of France, brings with him a message: part prophecy, part warning. As Shirley's village prepares for the annual May Day celebrations, where a new queen will be crowned and the future reborn, she must choose between change and renewal – will the missives Mr Tiller brings prevent her mastering her identity? Full review...
Leviathan's Blood (Children) by Ben Peek
BEWARE, spoilers for Book 1 ahead: The immortal Zaifyr is now in prison on Wila where he's facing trial for the murder of Keepers Fo and Bau. Ayae, the former apprentice is no longer the small child who walked unscathed from a burnt out shop. All she wants to do now is save lives but she's frustrated at every turn. Captain Aned Heast is on a mission he won't let drop; he wants a name for his band of mercenaries but not just any name. Meanwhile be afraid; somewhere out there is the Child. The Child is coming. Full review...
The Sunlight Pilgrims by Jenni Fagan
Dylan walks away from this family's small London indie cinema in 2020 to live on a Scottish caravan site. His new neighbours Constance and her transgender 12 year old Stella have troubles of their own, but the odd British winter isn't helping. As the country faces true Arctic temperatures life goes on… or at least it tries to. Full review...
Fault/lines (Hadron Damnation Book 0) by Mark Lingane
What starts off as a day that should be remembered for a medical appointment soon becomes anything but for DCI Tracey Hanson. When planes start falling from the sky she and DI Reggie Chambers are thrown together in the thick of it. In the midst of the carnage, a teenager is orphaned. Definitely a tragic event but is there more to it than that? Full review...
Sharp Ends by Joe Abercrombie
I often feel that short stories are an indulgence on the part of the author, they get to write down a lot of their ideas that don't really fit into a larger story. The stop/start nature of them never sits well with me, just as I am starting to get to know a character they are gone. One way of solving this would be to use characters that a fan will already know; perhaps explore the past, or the future. That sounds great for a fan, but how do you do this whilst also catering for a new reader? Full review...
All Their Minds In Tandem by David Sanger
October 1879: A stranger walks into New Georgetown, West Virginia to keep an appointment. He calls himself 'The Maker' and has a gift that gives him access to people's minds. Gradually he'll become deeply acquainted with the townsfolk but it mustn't sway him from what he's here to accomplish. One man, one mission and no guarantee how it will end. Full review...
Smart by Joel Mentmore
Jon and Skull – Matthew to his mum – are men with a passion for technology and built a business around that. They also embrace anything innovative, as John has embraced Lucy; a smartphone app that monitors and assists with his health and life choices. Skull is more into the idea of expanding Tesla car technology and so lets Jon get on with it. Therefore when Jon goes missing, Skull is not only surprised but doesn't realise what Jon was caught up in. Shame he didn't pay more attention as that would not only help Skull find Jon, it may keep both of them alive. Full review...
The Silver Tide (Copper Cat) by Jen Williams
The Black Feather Three - Copper Cat Wydrin of Crosshaven, Lord Aaron Frith and Sir Sebastian - the sought after sell-swords are always looking for their next adventure and, more importantly, their next pay day. Sebastian is still feeling lost after having to leave his love behind but he'll come around. He has to; they've just been given a job by renowned pirate captain Devinia the Red. They've been commissioned to help her and the crew of the aptly named Poison Chalice to go into a land famed for its monsters and ghosts. A place deep in magic where people vanish. A place where none of the three really want to go but they have no choice: Devinia the Red is Wydrin's mum. Full review...
Ace of Spiders by Stefan Mohamed
Stanly is frustrated. Having set himself up as London's protector, he's finding that the everyday practicalities of superheroism are challenging at best, and downright tedious at worst. So it's almost a relief when an attempt is made on his life and Stanly finds himself rushing headlong into a twisted adventure, with enemies new and old coming out of the woodwork. However, even with his friends and his ever-increasing power behind him, he may have bitten off more than he can chew this time. The monsters are coming… and nothing will ever be the same! Full review...
Snakewood by Adrian Selby
Kailen's Twenty are an elite; the type of mercenaries that live on in legend. It therefore stands to reason that the authorities want them dead but they aren't the only ones. As the guerrilla war between rebels and governing classes rages on, a lone assassin, as elite as the Twenty, unknown even to those on the same side is on their trail. Who is he and why the vendetta? The answer will be revealed one day to those still alive to hear it. Full review...
The Tiger and the Wolf (Echoes of the Fall) by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Maniye is a girl torn between her mother's tribe, the tiger people and her father's wolves. She has always known her father and wolf chieftain killed her mother as soon as Maniye was born but she has only just discovered his purpose for Maniye's life. There is only one alternative for her: to run away, taking Hesprec the snake and proposed wolf blood sacrifice. Although what she hasn't reckoned on is just how much she has to learn, her father's determination and the dogged perseverance of Broken Axe, lone wolf and hired killer. She also seems to be running towards a world on the verge of a horrific war as Maniye places herself between a rock and a very hard place indeed. Full review...
Jonathan Dark or The Evidence Of Ghosts by A K Benedict
Maria King sits by the Thames mudlarking - sifting through the washed up treasures - on a regular basis. Only today she finds a ring in a box with 'Marry me Maria' on the lid in braille. Blind from birth and now blind by choice, the words can be for no one else but Ms King. However a greater surprise awaits inside the box: the ring is still on a finger belonging to the last girl who received such a proposal. DI Jonathan Dark is assigned to the case, not realising what he's taken on or the sort of help he'll need to call on. The dead are all around him, his plan is not to let Maria join them. Full review...
Those Above by Daniel Polansky
For three thousand years Those Above have ruled over their human subjects. From the glittering palaces 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. Whilst hope died that day, hatred survived. Whispers of another revolt begin to stir throughout the oppressed: a widowed woman, dedicated to revenge: a general, the only to defeat one of Those Above; and a boy killer, who rises from the gutter to lead an uprising. Full review...
The Girl on the Liar's Throne by Den Patrick
Lucien doesn’t want to declare war on Landfall and its Silent Queen, Anea, whom he grew up with as an Orfano. She runs a dictatorship of militant suppression and suffering which is rather unlike her. Unbeknown to Lucien, the throne of Landfall is occupied by Eris, an imposter and puppet used by those with far fewer scruples. Anea herself is imprisoned in the palace oubliette surrounded by Myrmidon, a half-human army created by Erebus. There's little chance of her escaping or getting very far if she did. However, for Anea 'little chance' is a challenge, not a preventative. Full review...
Lilith: Eden's Planetary Princess (The Michael Archives Book 1) by C E Robinson
35,000 years ago a war in heaven bleeds onto the planet Eden. King Joshua's angels are being harvested, their essence drained off and their remaining bodies no good for anything apart from a euthanasia; a fate from which they can't be reincarnated. From this good essence is created evil Nephilim, creatures at the bidding of Satan's Overlords. Out of this battle between good and evil a planetary princess arises and this first book in the Michael Archives records her journey: the journey of Lilith from ordinary to extraordinary. Full review...
All The Birds In The Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
All of us have awakenings as teenagers, but Patricia's is more extreme than most – discovering that she is a witch who can speak to animals. Classmate Laurence's awakening is less disturbing but no less impressive – a scientific genius, he creates a two-second time machine. Growing up together, the mutual weirdness between the two bonds them, but life gets in the way, and they end up on very different paths. Meeting as adults in San Francisco, Laurence is an engineering genius trying to save the world, whereas Patricia is a qualified witch, working hard to prove herself and cure those on the planet. As the two are drawn back together, and the fate of the whole world threatened, Patricia and Laurence are forced to consider the fact that maybe they know each other better than anyone… Full review...
Truthwitch (The Witchlands Series) by Susan Dennard
Highway robbery is one of their talents so Safiya and Iseult don't envisage any problems. That is until they realise one of the soldiers defending the booty is a bloodwitch. It's an even bigger problem because truthwitches like Safiya are in demand…dangerously so! Meanwhile as the kingdom of Nubrevna reaches the end of a 20 year truce, Prince Merik desperately tries for a permanent peace. But there are those who would rather fight, including his own sister. Full review...
Foul Tides Turning by Stephen Hunt
The people of Weyland always believed the slavers' raids, which destroyed families and homes like a natural disaster, were a misfortune that couldn't be averted. But it wasn't true. Their King, King Marcus, had struck a deal – sacrificing his people in exchange for technology and political power. But now, everyone knows. Jacob and Carter Carnehan escaped the slavers, returning home with the truth, the true King, and a Princess as their hostage. Their purpose was to avoid war – but instead the truth prompts a civil war, and an invasion force gathers to reclaim the princess. Once again, Jacob and Carter will be separated – and this time they'll be fighting for something bigger than both of them… Full review...
The Silver Witch (Shadow Chronicles) by Paula Brackston
Ceramic artist Tilda moves to the house she and her husband envisaged their lives together in the wilds of Wales. Unfortunately, due to his tragic death a year ago, Tilda must move in alone and build a different life. In the same location a thousand years earlier Seren serves Prince Hywell as his village's seer and shaman. Life isn't easy for her either. She has enemies, some a lot closer than the traditional threat from the Anglo Saxons. Although centuries apart these two women's lives will come together with connotations for all who love them and a deadly force that could go beyond that. Full review...
