last reads

The stellar debut of Nicholas Eames, Kings of the Wyld,  has been very popular since its publication earlier this year. Tyson and I loved it ( here's Tyson's review , and here's mine ). Orbit recently revealed the cover of the much anticipated follow up, Bloody Rose . It is another great cover by the amazing  Richard Anderson :  Live fast, die young.   Tam Hashford has always dreamed of living through glory days of her own. With a renowned mercenary for a mother and an illustrious bard for a father, battles and adventure seem the only way to really live.   So when she learns that the most revered mercenary crew in Grandual is in need of a bard, she grabs her lute and goes on tour. Led by the infamous Bloody Rose, Tam and her new band embark on a mission that will earn them everlasting fame — or certain death.   It’s time to take a walk on the wyld side.   Bloody Rose will be released on July 10, 2018 . 

Title: Kings of the Wyld Author: Nicholas Eames Publishing Information: Paperback, 544 pages Publisher: Orbit (Feb 21, 2017) ISBN-10:  0316362476 ISBN-13: 978-0316362474 Copy: Out of Pocket Reviewer: Yagiz " G LORY NEVER GETS OLD. Clay Cooper and his band were once the best of the best, the most feared and renowned crew of mercenaries this side of the Heartwyld.  Their glory days long past, the mercs have grown apart and grown old, fat, drunk, or a combination of the three. Then an ex-bandmate turns up at Clay's door with a plea for help--the kind of mission that only the very brave or the very stupid would sign up for.  It's time to get the band back together. " I regularly give out about hype. Being bombarded by too much information wreaks havoc with our expectations, and this, at least for me, ends up with a certain number of disappointments every year. Earlier this year, I kept hearing about Kings of the Wyld from fellow bloggers. Naturally, I was curious....

Over the weekend, a friend of mine and I started to talk about the books we were reading. When I said I was reading  Paul Kearney 's The Wolf In The Attic ,  unfortunately I wasn't too surprised to hear that he didn't know one of my favorite authors. Knowing that my friend likes epic fantasy, I recommended him some of Paul Kearney 's books. Then I realized I haven't blogged about Kearney 's work for a while. Here I am doing this. I'm currently a quarter through  The Wolf In The Attic . It is the story of a young refugee girl in Oxford in the 1920s. So far I really like the book. But if you're into epic fantasy I would highly recommend the following books: Hawkwood and the Kings by Paul Kearney (The Monarchies of God, Vol 1) The world is in turmoil. In the east the savage Mer­duks, followers of the Prophet Ahrimuz, have cap­tured the holy city of Aekir. The western kingdoms are too distracted by internecine bickering to intervene and the Chruch seems more...

Stone of Farewell by Tad Williams Publishing information: Paperback; 588 pages Publisher: Daw; April 2005 ISBN: 0756402976 Series: Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn #2 Copy: Received by publisher Reviewer: Tyson Amazon Synopsis: "The second book in the trilogy that launched one of the most important fantasy writers of our time. It is a time of darkness, dread, and ultimate testing for the realm of Osten Ard, for the wild magic and terrifying minions of the undead Sithi ruler, Ineluki the Storm King, are spreading their seemingly undefeatable evil across the kingdom. With the very land blighted by the power of Ineluki’s wrath, the tattered remnants of a once-proud human army flee in search of a last sanctuary and rallying point—the Stone of Farewell, a place shrouded in mystery and ancient sorrow. An even as Prince Josua seeks to rally his scattered forces, Simon and the surviving members of the League of the Scroll are desperately struggling to discover the truth behind an almost-forgotte...

Title:  American Gods Author:  Neil Gaiman Publishing Information: Paperback, 576 pages Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (March 28, 2017) ISBN-10: 0062572237 ISBN-13: 978-0062572233 Copy: Sent by Publisher Reviewer: Yagiz " R eleased from prison, Shadow finds his world turned upside down. His wife has been killed; a mysterious stranger offers him a job. But Mr. Wednesday, who knows more about Shadow than is possible, warns that a storm is coming -- a battle for the very soul of America . . . and they are in its direct path." M any consider Neil Gaiman 's American Gods  one of his best works. Consequently it had been on my radar for a long while. But you know how it goes: there are too many good books to read, and never enough time. When I received a copy of the 10th anniversary edition from the publisher, I took it as a sign, and I started to read it the same evening. And I was hooked from the first chapter. The main protagonist, Shadow, is a big fella trying to ...

I recently finished reading Neil Gaiman 's American Gods  ( my review is scheduled for Thursday ), and I immediately started Kings of the Wyld  by Nicholas Eames . I'm nearing its end, and it's been so much fun that I'm going to be sad to turn the last page, I think. Expect a review soon. Here's how the top of my TBR pile looks like (I don't necessarily chose my books by their covers, but if I did I would only read books whose covers are designed by the amazing Richard Anderson ): Title: Kings of the Wyld Author: Nicholas Eames Publishing Information: Paperback, 544 pages Publisher: Orbit (February 21, 2017) ISBN: 978-0316362474 Series: The Band Glory never gets old. Clay Cooper and his band were once the best of the best, the most feared and renowned crew of mercenaries this side of the Heartwyld. Their glory days long past, the mercs have grown apart and grown old, fat, drunk, or a combination of the three. Then an ex-bandmate turns up at Clay's door...

The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams Publishing information: Paperback; 783pgs Publisher: Daw; 30 Nov 1989 ISBN: 9780886773847 Series: Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn #1 Copy: Out of pocket Reviewer: Tyson Amazon Synopsis: "A war fueled by the dark powers of sorcery is about to engulf the peaceful land of Osten Ard - for Prester John, the High King, slayer of the dread dragon Shurakai, lies dying. And with his death, an ancient evil will at last be unleashed, as the Storm King, undead ruler of the elvish-like Sithi, seeks to regain his lost realms through a pact with one of human royal blood. Then, driven by spell-inspired jealousy and hate, prince will fight prince, while around them the very land begins to die. Only a small, scattered group, the League of the Scroll, recognizes the true danger awaiting Osten Ard. And to Simon - a castle scullion unknowingly apprenticed to a member of this League - will get the task of spearheading the quest for the solution to a riddle that offers the...

Title: Children of Earth and Sky Author : Guy Gavriel Kay Publisher: NAL, 10 May 2016 ISBN:  978-0451472960 E-Copy: Sent by the Publisher Reviewer: Yagiz "F rom the small coastal town of Senjan, notorious for its pirates, a young woman sets out to find vengeance for her lost family. That same spring, from the wealthy city-state of Seressa, famous for its canals and lagoon, come two very different people: a young artist traveling to the dangerous east to paint the grand khalif at his request—and possibly to do more—and a fiercely intelligent, angry woman, posing as a doctor’s wife, but sent by Seressa as a spy. The trading ship that carries them is commanded by the accomplished younger son of a merchant family, ambivalent about the life he’s been born to live. And farther east a boy trains to become a soldier in the elite infantry of the khalif—to win glory in the war everyone knows is coming." As these lives entwine, their fates—and those of many others—will hang in the b...

Amazing cover by Richard Anderson I hope you are all having a great week, and you love what you're currently reading. If you're like me, one of the books that you're looking forward to reading this spring is Brian Staveley's The Last Mortal Bond , the third and the concluding installment of Staveley's Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne . I've already pre-ordered my copy - a signed and personalized copy. You see... I'm a sucker for signed books of the authors I like. A few days ago Brian announced that two of his local bookshops will have signed (and personalized if pre-ordered) copies of The Last Mortal Bond,  and I wanted to spread the word, in case some of you would not like to miss such an opportunity. Here's what Brian said about it: 2015 was an exciting year. The books are being translated into nine languages at this point.  The Emperor's Blades  won some awards and was shortlisted for others. The Providence of Fire  seems to be following in its foo...

The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu Publishing information: Hardback; 623pages Publisher: Simon and Schuster; 1 April 15 ISBN: 9781481424271 Series: The Dandelion Dynasty #1 Copy: Out of pocket Reviewer: Tyson Amazon Synopsis: "Two men rebel together against tyranny—and then become rivals—in this first sweeping book of an epic fantasy series from Ken Liu, recipient of Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards. Wily, charming Kuni Garu, a bandit, and stern, fearless Mata Zyndu, the son of a deposed duke, seem like polar opposites. Yet, in the uprising against the emperor, the two quickly become the best of friends after a series of adventures fighting against vast conscripted armies, silk-draped airships, and shapeshifting gods. Once the emperor has been overthrown, however, they each find themselves the leader of separate factions—two sides with very different ideas about how the world should be run and the meaning of justice. Fans of intrigue, intimate plots, and action will find a new se...

We are pleased to announce that we have 10  (Yes! 10! :) ) eCopies of Jamison Stone 's Rune of the Apprentice up for grabs. About the Book: In a world where magic, technology, and nature have merged, the few who can control Runes hold dominance over all of creation. All naturally believe that Aleksi, a sixteen-year-old orphan, was blessed to be born with a Rune embedded in his palm, but that’s only because they don’t know the truth—Aleksi’s Rune is so powerful, it’s killing him. Asura, a brutal emperor who uses Runes to conquer entire continents, will stop at nothing to kill Aleksi and claim the boy’s power for his own. With his Rune burning its way through his body and assassins trying to cut out his heart, Aleksi is forced to seek out an infamous man wanted for crimes against humanity: Aleksi’s missing mentor, Rudra. With visions of his parents’ murder haunting his days and the prophetic whispers of a young captive priestess illuminating his nights, Aleksi will only be able to u...

If you are a Kindle owner, here is a list of some interesting deals that you can check (they all go for $1.99 ): Constitution  (Book 1 of The Legacy Fleet Trilogy) by Nick Webb The year is 2650 75 years ago, an alien fleet attacked Earth. Without warning. Without mercy. We were not prepared. Hundreds of millions perished. Dozens of cities burned. We nearly lost everything. Then, the aliens abruptly left. We rebuilt. We armed ourselves. We swore: never again. But the aliens never came back. Until now. With overwhelming force the aliens have returned, striking deep into our territory, sending Earth into a panic. Our new technology is useless. Our new ships burn like straw. All our careful preparations are wasted. Now, only one man, one crew, and the oldest starship in the fleet stand between the Earth and certain destruction: ISS CONSTITUTION Killing Pretty  (A Sandman Slim Novel) by Richard Kadrey Sandman Slim investigates Death’s death in this hip, propulsive urban fantasy th...

If I had to keep this blog entry as short as a tweet I could simply write " Richard Anderson is an amazing artist. He's been producing some of the best book covers I've seen in recent years." His covers make me want to read a book without even checking the blurb. And the cover of Daniel Polansky 's highly-anticipated novella The Builders is no exception. Just look at how beautiful it is: You would certainly recognize some of Anderson's earlier works: