Category: Fantasy

I've read The Blade Itself before - well I've listened to the audiobook and can't say that at the time I enjoyed it that much. I thought the characters were good but the plot never seemed to get going and it didn't feel like Abercrombie had a lot of plans for the plot itself. The second time around, I appreciated the characters even more and understand what Abercrombie is trying to do with the story. Please note that this article contains affiliate links. This means that if you choose to purchase any products via the links below, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. These affiliate links do not affect my final opinion of the product. The Blade Itself is the first book in The First…

The front cover of The Atlas Six By Olivie Blake suggests it’s going to have a lot going on. There’s going to be a bit of science, a bit of magic and it’s all going to be dark, brooding and cool. Well, this is all true but somehow Blake, unfortunately, doesn’t seem to make it at all appealing to read about. Please note that this article contains affiliate links. This means that if you choose to purchase any products via the links below, I small receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. These affiliate links do not affect my final opinions of the products. The Atlas Six tells the tale of a secret society of magicians. Each year, six of the most powerful magicians are chosen to…

Daniel T. Jackson turned out to have written one of my favourite books of last year. Illborn was a breath of fresh air in the fantasy space - not all about one special individual written in some ye olde language that has become almost what feels like a necessity for epic fantasies. Instead, it was a well but simple-written book with a very gripping storyline that, despite the large page count, I didn't feel was a long book. Aiduel's Sin is the sequel to Illborn, building on everything Please note that this article contains affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase any products via the links below, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. These affiliate links do not affect my final opinion…

A couple of months ago, I put out a tweet asking people where I should start with Ben Galley as I'd seen some good things about him. A few people came back, including Galley himself - his suggestion was to start with the Chasing Graves as it was the series he was most proud of. He then decided to DM me and said he'd be happy to send me a copy if I wanted to get started and you can't say no to that! So it was only fair that I slotted his book to the top of my TBR when it arrived. Please note that this article contains affiliate links. This means that if you purchase any products via the links below, I may receive a small commission at…

When I received the sequel to The Ember Blade, The Shadow Casket, from Gollancz, I quickly went out and ordered the first book in the series The Ember Blade. I did some quick research on it and quickly saw it had received a lot of praise from people who'd read it with some even claiming it to be "the best fantasy" they'd ever read and "Lord of the Rings for the modern age" so I went it to it with high expectations. Please note that this article contains affiliate links. This means that if you choose to purchase any products via the links provided below, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. These affiliate links do not affect my final opinion of these products. The…

George R.R. Martin's second book in the Song of Ice and Fire series, A Clash of Kings, is a very successful follow-up to the huge hit with me that was A Game of Thrones. It continues the politics, and the stories, it introduces new characters and sets us up for future books to come. But is it completely flawless? Please note that this article contains affiliate links, this means that if you choose to purchase products via any of the links below then I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. These affiliate links do not affect my final opinion of the products. A Clash of Kings picks up quite soon after A Game of Thrones so if you've not yet read my review of that,…

The third and final book in the His Dark Material trilogy by Philip Pullman is the climactic The Amber Spyglass. It aims to round up everything from the previous two books - settle scores, unify worlds, fix problems and prevent evil. The question is - does it do enough to feel like the end to one of the most popular trilogies in fiction? The Amber Spyglass brings us once again back to the lives of Lyra and Will. Will has the Subtle Knife that can cut through into worlds and Lyra is said to be the chosen one who will change the fate of the worlds. How will this all end up then? The Amber Spyglass plot - 3/5 I'll be honest, the first half of The Amber Spyglass felt…

Fire and Blood is a Game of Thrones prequel. Though it isn't a book about a set of characters with lots of speech and a simple overarching plot, instead it tells the story of the hundred years leading up to Game of Thrones. It covers many kings, queens, families, wars, betrayals and stories. Please note that this article contains affiliate links. This means that if you choose to purchase any products via the links below, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. These affiliate links do not affect my final opinion of any of the products. Fire and Blood starts off just prior to Aegon's Conquest which upon his coronation resets the year date to 0 AC. Essentially Aegon reunited the seven kingdoms, starting the…