The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack (Burton and Swinburne) by Mark Hodder

January 26, 2012 2012 Book Reviews No comments

What I Liked

I will readily admit that I have a liking for Steampunk, but also that I tend to be very picky when it comes to just what I like in the genre.  More often than not I’m disappointed in what the genre has to offer.  I don’t know if that’s because so much of it seems to be so formulaic, or if the genre is still so relatively underpopulated as to have offered outstanding representatives of its form.  That doesn’t stop me from jumping into the world of cogs and gears when I can, and at times I count myself as fortunate to find a real gem.  The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack by Mark Hodder, as it turns out, is a true diamond worthy of any adventure lover’s time, and it sets a very high bar against which all future authors of Steampunk will be gauged.  Read more...

Prince of Thorns (The Broken Empire) by Mark Lawrence

January 25, 2012 2012 Book Reviews No comments

What I Liked

Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence is one of those down and dirty fantasy novels that reminds me of Glen Cook’s Black Company and Brent Weeks Night Angel series.  There are also moments where I’m reminded of Moorcock’s Elric of Melnibone lexicon, Terry Brooks’s Shannara, and Peter V. Brett’s Warded Man.  As I’m a big fan of of all five authors, it should come as no surprise that I thoroughly enjoyed Prince of Thorns.  These comparisons are not to say that I found Lawrence’s work derivative in any way.  Rather, his writing reminds me of some of the best parts of the aforementioned authors, yet in a new and gritty manner.  Read more...

The Viscount and The Witch by Michael J. Sullivan

January 24, 2012 2012 Book Reviews No comments

What I Liked

I have been eagerly awaiting the final book in Michael J. Sullivan’s Riyria series.  Percepliquis underwent a few delays due to a new publishing deal (congratulations to the author!) that will bring Royce Melbourn and Hadrian Blackwater to even more fantasy enthusiasts around the globe.  This is excellent news as Michael J. Sullivan is an outstanding new force in the world of fantasy, and I wish him nothing but good luck and good fortune with the new releases of his Riyria series.  For those of us who jumped on board earlier on, however, it’s been difficult waiting for the conclusion to Riyria.  To sate his fans needs for more of Royce, Hadrian, Alric, Arista and their friends, Sullivan released this short story for free to his fans.  I jumped in thinking that even a taste of Riyria was better than waiting patiently for Percepliquis.  Unfortunately, it was like trying to eat just one chocolate chip cookie…You promise yourself that a little taste will be enough, but then you wish you could eat the whole bag.  Read more...

For a Few Demons More by Kim Harrison

January 24, 2012 2012 Book Reviews No comments

What I Liked

Prior to finishing A Fistful of Charms, I found myself planning on moving over to a different series simply because I wanted to digest Kim Harrison’s entertaining Hollows series slowly.  I thoroughly enjoy her characters and the magical contemporary world she’s invented.  It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of the contemporary urban/paranormal fantasy genre, nor that I come down firmly on the “more action, less romance” side of the genre’s debate.  Harrison deftly walks the razor’s edge between these two in her books, and I gravitate towards the amazing Rachel Morgan like a moth to a flame.  I didn’t want to gobble up this series and planned to move on. Obviously, that didn’t happen as I’m now reviewing the next book in the series immediately following my review of book four. A Fistful of Charms ended in such a way as to suggest that much of the novel’s plot resolution was still forthcoming, so I felt inclined to jump right into For A Few Demons More asap.  I’m happy to report that I’m very happy I did as the major plot introduced in book four moves powerfully along in book five.  Read more...

A Fistful of Charms by Kim Harrison

January 24, 2012 2012 Book Reviews No comments

What I Liked

I’ve become a fan of the Rachel Morgan series, though I’ve been spacing out the books rather than devouring them all at once.  I did that with the Dresden Files and, in the end, those books all began to bleed together.  That’s not a criticism of the series, but rather a positive commentary on the ability to thread powerful narratives between multiple books.  Kim Harrison has this same ability with her Hollows series, and  I find that digesting the narrative in smaller chunks is extending my enjoyment of her characters.  To draw you a simple picture, instead of wolfing down my dinner, I’m savoring each course.  This is a good thing as her characters are worth lingering over.  Read more...

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