The end of A Sliver of Redemption was such an intense climax to an epic battle between the armies of the God's Ashuur and the evil Karak, that I assumThe end of A Sliver of Redemption was such an intense climax to an epic battle between the armies of the God's Ashuur and the evil Karak, that I assumed the series had reached its natural conclusion. Thankfully not as the sixth book, The Prison of Angels maintains the high standards of the series so far and with the promise of at least two further books to come, its all good news.
The story starts five years after the death of the war god Thulos, King Antonil masses an army of thirty thousand men and with steel determination sets out to win back his home city Veldaren. Nicknamed the missing king after a failed first attempt Antonil must win the respect of his people as their mounting disapproval threatens disruption and rebellion.
The angels now watch over Mordeina, times should be peaceful but the people complain about the angels justice. Close to rioting, incited by the Queens brother who wants a different type of justice, death for all who bring death and no freedom for any murderer. A meeting between the angels and the representatives of the people takes place. They want the blood of the forgiven and Qurrah was the first to be judged by the angels, given life, forgiven for his sins. The angels capitulate to man's law and start to revisit all crimes that deserved the ultimate retribution of death
In the kings absence Harruq is appointed regent, a role he as a warrior is entirely unprepared for and despises but must do his utmost to show a strong leadership. Aurelia is attacked by three highly trained magical assassins, who will make the first attempt on the throne.
Jessilynn is a Paladin in training, under the tutelage of the Elf scoutmaster Diereden, on patrol they come across a mass uprising of the creatures of the Vile Wedge. Led by the giant wolf-men Moonslayer and Manfeaster, Jessilynn is captured, a sacrificial lamb or can she turn the tide.
This is a highly recommended series, you just can't put these books down. Not overly long or fleshed out, David Dalglish is an accomplished story teller, with a talent for describing action scenes, clinical, dark with occasional dry humour and memorable characters. Again major characters die, is no one safe, with betrayal aplenty and unexpected twists and turns - this book and the series are exceptional. If you start this series, expect to be drawn in and Mr Dalglish is now one of my top 5 authors.
To end with a quote that made me laugh:
'Qurrah shook his head, wishing he could have met Kevin many years ago, when ripping the tongue out of a living man might not have put such a weight on his conscience' ...more
Thought it was time to try out some classic Sci-Fi series, I was deliberating over which series to try, Enders saga especially with the uA 3.5 rating.
Thought it was time to try out some classic Sci-Fi series, I was deliberating over which series to try, Enders saga especially with the up coming film release, the Dune trilogy, The Foundation Trilogy or the Culture series by Iain M Banks. Eventually decided on the Culture Series after seeing some excellent reviews, not so much on Consider Phlebas but more so for The Player of Games and Use of Weapons. I’ve read several reviews of people starting with books later in the series and being disappointed by Consider Phlebas, but what better place to start than the beginning.
Bora Horza Gobuchal is the chief POV character and the plot very much revolves around him amidst the war between the Idirans, a military race fighting for their faith and the Culture, a mix of human and artificial intelligence life forms fighting for its moral right to exist.
Horza is a Changer, a shapeshifting sub-species of human with the ability to transform his body to perfectly mimic others and with a few other tricks up his sleeve such as poisonous venom in saliva, nails and teeth. Horza works as a spy and assassin for the Idirans, with a deep, unwarranted hatred for the Culture based on his dislike for their love of technology, which he deems unnatural.
The main focus of the story revolves around a Mind, a highly developed but untrained artificial intelligence, a consciousness that controls a ship. Escaping an interstellar battle by taking refuge on Schar's world, a forbidden Planet of the Dead, an almost deserted world controlled by the Dra'azon and off-limits to both sides of the war.
Both the Culture and the Idirans seek the Mind for its power, Horza is commanded by his Idiran leader, Xoralundra, to recover the Mind for the Idirans but first Horza must get through several ordeals to even get to the planet.
Consider Phlebas is an action adventure, come space opera and fairly enjoyable, well written and paced well, although there were parts that didn't hold my attention and were quickly skipped through. However the finale set on Schar's world under the surface where there is an underground train system is very entertaining and the author certainly has no reservations about killing off major characters.
I liked that you are not over burdened with to much detail about the warring factions and technological descriptions, just the right amount of universe building and occasional mentions of other events and history. The appendices give a little more history of the Culture and the Idirans, this was a decent idea and a lot better than placing these facts in the story. All the characters are interesting but the protagonist Horza is excellent, sometimes a killer with a cold personality and other times you can't help but root for him and the disturbing challenges he faces.
Overall a good introduction into the Culture series and I will definitely continue with this especially as the following two books are rated very highly by many. ...more
Wroge has not seen war for twelve years, not since the Arneuton invasion. The Arneut rule, the Keltir serve, and the Vikir and Narz remain in exile. TWroge has not seen war for twelve years, not since the Arneuton invasion. The Arneut rule, the Keltir serve, and the Vikir and Narz remain in exile. The blood of four races belongs to the earth of one land. But what if blood was to run again? Draven Reinhardt is a man with a nightmare of a past, dreaming of a better future. He paid his dues in blood and coin, settling for a quieter life, a better life. Gone are the knocks at the door from his past. But what happens when the future comes knocking? Like any boy, Kale wants to follow in his father’s footsteps – if only he knew what they were. It’s hard enough to find his own feet in the walk of life, without knowing where he came from. The walk of life is a lonely one for an outsider, Astartes will vouch for that. Raised a tax collector’s son, and born of foreign blood, he searches for a friend who will overlook the divide. Divided, four races stand. United, someone will fall. Will the past shape the future, or can blood be washed clean? ‘It Began With Ashes’ is the story of how life’s greatest struggle is to accept who you are – a tale of broken promises, bitter grudges, and brotherhoods bound in blood.
The follow on from the short story From Man to Man follows Draven, his family and a host of other characters as the small village of Hearth is attacked by the banished warrior race of the Vikir.
Draven is an interesting character with a violent past, now settled into village life working at the blacksmiths, the book sets out initially with a dark tone as a twelve year old boy has his throat slit during a lads scuffle, with Dravens son Kale involved. Before any repercussions can be discussed the incident is somewhat overshadowed by the violent introduction of the Vikir as the village is decimated and the survivors escape into the forest.
After a difficult couple of days ride through the forest Draven and his fellow escapees join up with another group from the village, the travelling nomads the Sicrun, Astartes the tax collector and his son where the final battle takes place. The story also follows Draven's wife Morganna's desperate plight as she and a group of the village wife's escape, Morganna has a bit of warriors blood in her as she takes on the Vikir giving chase but in the end to no avail as they are captured.
The story is told from alot of characters viewpoints, possibly too many for a such a short story. As the chief protagonist the story doesn't centre on Draven so much as everyone around him and I would have liked to have seen maybe a tandem storyline about Draven and Morganna's past. Also the Vikir warriors story may have benefited from a POV character to emphasize their quest for revenge against the banishment. There is a good dose of action as all the characters fight for their lives and also alot of the story is given to the youngsters in the book and the tax collector, maybe these have prominent roles to play as the story develops but their character development seemed superficial to the crux of the story. The story is fluent, well written and there is a lot of promise for the second outing of the Wroge Elements even though it ended to soon and I will certainly read the next instalment. ...more
Mockingbird is the second book in the Miriam Black series, picking up a year after the events of blackbirds.
Miriam and Louis have settled in New JersMockingbird is the second book in the Miriam Black series, picking up a year after the events of blackbirds.
Miriam and Louis have settled in New Jersey into a semi 'normal' life, Louis is driving the long hauls gone for weeks at a time and Miriam works at a seaside resort supermarket. A boring, mundane job that finds Miriam wearing gloves to harness her ability/curse, when finally she gets sacked and is just about to hightail it out of there, she 'sees' the death of her boss and a number of customers at the hands of a psycho with a gun. Fate and destiny averted, the old Miriam is back, itching to get back on the road with no ties.
Louise arranges a 'reading' with an old teacher friend of his, Katey, who thinks she is dying from a terminal illness. Whilst at the school for troubled teens, Miriam touches a young girl, Lauren and see's her murder at the hands of a brutal serial killer, troubled by this she later touches a second girl who's outcome is the mirror of Lauren. Miriam investigates further and becomes intent on saving the girls and finding the killer.
An excellent second novel in the series and the 'reveal' is very well done, with the scale of the murders bordering on the insane. We get to see more of Miriams past and the supernatural side of the visions/dreams she has is expanded further, making the book even darker if that was possible. A slight change in tact with Mockingbird compared with the first book, we don't get POV chapters from the bad guy's as its all saved for the moment when everything is revealed to the reader and for me this didn't make the book as fast paced or compelling as Blackbirds, that said the last quarter of the book is fantastic. There is alot more focus on Miriam however, which could never be a bad thing as she is one of the most engaging and strong characters I have read about. The black humour and excellent characterisation coupled with a fantastic lead character make this a highly recommended series and I look forward to the next Miriam Black novel.
Blackbirds is a dark, brutal, intensely written joyride of a book. Enjoyed it so much after the first 10 chapters I bought the second book of the seriBlackbirds is a dark, brutal, intensely written joyride of a book. Enjoyed it so much after the first 10 chapters I bought the second book of the series. Miriam Black is a young woman with an extraordinary curse, by touching someone skin to skin she can immediately see their final moments before death takes them, in such explicit detail that every moment is memorable.
Miriam lives from day to day at the arse end of society, drifting from town to town, reduced to finding scores from the unfortunates whose time is almost up. She runs into a trucker named Louis and with some horror see's that she is there at his macabre killing. Thrown into turmoil, does she attempt to save him and divert fates hand or does she let it ride out knowing that if she gets involved she could well be the cause of his death, as has happened before every time she's tried to intervene.
Miriam is a compelling and likeable antihero, tough as nails, she drinks and smokes like there's no tomorrow, she's cold and has a sharp tongue with a wit to match. A truly riveting character with so many flaws, its hard not to be totally drawn in by her.
In fact all the characters are relevant, memorable and multi-dimensional, the lines between good and evil are definitly blurred to some extent. Everybody has a reason for doing what they do, everybody has a past and its an interesting, emotional journey discovering all their story's.
The story is laid out in short impact chapters, I'm a big fan of this as my personnel ocd is to always stop reading at a chapters end, not that I check my back doors locked 20 times before I go to bed its just the way I like to read There are chapters containing Miriam's grim and vivid dreams, her past, the violence that surrounds her and the supporting cast, including some particularly nasty individuals as they chase Miriam and the people she runs with all in pursuit of a caseload of drugs. The change's between past, present and dreams give an amazing insight into Miriam and the different characters without breaking up the pace and flow of the story - a credit to the author.
I must admit I've never read anything like this, Wendig's writing style is sharp, distinctive and every word packs a sledgehammer of a punch, nothing's padded out and I have to thank the author for not toning anything down to fit a YA profile.
I don't read many Urban Fantasy novels but coupled with the horror elements make this a fantastic read. Highly recommended and straight onto the next in the series. ...more
In the future, technology is the new currency. Assassin's are used by companies to stop or steal the latest cybernetic designs. Natasha is one of the In the future, technology is the new currency. Assassin's are used by companies to stop or steal the latest cybernetic designs. Natasha is one of the best in the business. However, a nemesis from her past has found her, and now she must hunt him down or be killed. This is a 90 page description of an assassin's revenge quest, its action all the way with no focus what so ever on any other discipline of basic story telling. There's no attention to developing characters and I didn't really care if our protagonist Natasha lived or died. The 'surprise bad guy' at the end, wasn't really a surprise as there was only one other character introduced early in the story who wasn't there at the final blood bath. Nearly gave up and would have done if the story was any longer, not an advert for great ebooks, - nuff said! ...more
Jujiro, the leader of the Iga clan and the best shinobi is now an old man. He recruits Tada a young orphan with great promise to pull off an impossiblJujiro, the leader of the Iga clan and the best shinobi is now an old man. He recruits Tada a young orphan with great promise to pull off an impossible heist and rescue the clan from destruction. Tada must steal a sword, the tiger of the mountain, a magical sword made by the master Inazuma.. Tada passes a series of tests and on learning he is to be chosen for the life changing mission, Jijuro imparts some final words of advice. "You are patient, quick witted, creative, and insightful. The question that remains is whether you know when to double-cross and, more importantly, when not to". A excellent and very clever short story, and I shall be reading Daughter of the sword very soon. ...more
Greener grass is a thought provoking sci-fi short story, our protagonist builds a time machine in the hope of curing his cancer and with no final wordGreener grass is a thought provoking sci-fi short story, our protagonist builds a time machine in the hope of curing his cancer and with no final words for his wife catapults 2000 years into the future. Things don't quite work out as he envisioned and the future is radically different. The gradual reveal of our new society is well written and our selfish main character's thoughts provide a disturbing ending. Also included is the prologue to The Crown Tower (Riyria Chronicles), really looking forward to the release in August. ...more
From Man to Man is a short story introducing the character Draven, a man trying to leave his violent past behind him and settle into a normal village From Man to Man is a short story introducing the character Draven, a man trying to leave his violent past behind him and settle into a normal village life with his wife and child. He does not have much success with the various jobs undertaken until offered a protection detail looking after the local tax collector with the village huntsman Shrike. The coin offered is to much for him to turn down and he grudgingly accepts the commission. With the tax collectors work done, they escort him from the village only to be confronted by bandits, Draven puts his axe to good use and the bandits are driven off. The style of writing is very good and I will certainly look out for It Began With Ashes, of which the prologue is also included. As always when reading a good quality short story, you immediately wish for more - lets hope we don't have to wait to long....more
Andy Moralee is a C.R.O.W, a combat replacement of war or a new recruit in the Union Dropship Infantry. The Union is the collaboration between the EurAndy Moralee is a C.R.O.W, a combat replacement of war or a new recruit in the Union Dropship Infantry. The Union is the collaboration between the Europeans and the Russians, New Earth is the first planet to be colonised in the Alpha Centauri system 300 years ago, heralded as the dawn of European influence in space.
New Earth is currently inhabited by the Chinese as the Union was cast out during the infamous betrayal when the Chinese turned their backs on the Allies and forced the Union off the planet. Technically the Union and the Chinese have been at war since the betrayal, but barely a shot has been fired in anger as both sides prepare, building their strength for the next move. And if the Union defeat the Chinese she would become a true colonial power in the eyes of the world.
Moralee is stationed on the Challenger undergoing intensive training, beatings at the hands of bullies and finding it very difficult to make any friends as C.R.O.W.s are held in such low regard by everyone. As a drop ship trooper Moralee has to face extremely low survival rates as we are told once, twice or maybe even half a dozen times that '1 in 3 drop ships were destroyed by enemy fire'.
Well written, realistic and gritty, this is a harrowing tale as many of Moralee's troop succumb to enemy fire. Conditions are shocking as battles take place in the trenches around the massive greenhouses, in a city and the excellently described altercations underground in the warrens. I've read books with better tech and weapons but its worth reading for Moralee's personnel battles and his rise to a battle hardened veteran, 2nd in command of his unit. Overall worth the £2 on kindle ...more
From the three major fantasy debuts I have read this year Anthony Ryan's Blood Song was my favourite closely followed by David HairA 4.5 stars rating.
From the three major fantasy debuts I have read this year Anthony Ryan's Blood Song was my favourite closely followed by David Hair's Mage's Blood and the Red Knight is also an excellent read but just a shade below the high standards set by the two earlier releases.
The Red Knight is more of an alternative historical fantasy with a strong religious background, the fantasy elements come from an intriguing magical system based on the power of the wild and the ability to access rooms in the mind to harness power and cast. The creatures of the wild are well described and include daemons, wyverns, boglins, qwethnethogs, golden bears and trolls, some are formidable warriors others pure cannon fodder.
The book is set out in short chapters with multiple POV's, this works well and is similar in essence to the Song of Ice and Fire series but containing lots of sections within the chapters. Although you do eventually feel there are too many seemingly central characters that simply don't contribute significantly enough to warrant POV chapters. In that respect I felt the book was slightly too long and could have been streamlined with no loss to story arc's.
The Red Knight is the captain of a band of mercenary's who take on a commission to hunt creatures of the wild responsible for murdering a group of nun's at a steading outside Lissen Carak. It soon becomes apparent that the creatures of the wild are massing and under the leadership of a formidable sorcerer the Fortress town of Lissen Carack is soon under siege. There are a multitude of impressive characters, most notably the flawed title hero, The Red Knight whose identity is revealed later in the book, for me there was some history of the captain held back, I wanted to know more about how a 20 year old knight gained command of such a group of strong characters, I guess this will be forthcoming in the following books in the series. Other characters that deserve a mention are the powerhouse Bad Tom, Sauce and the two sorcerers Thorn and Harmodius. Some of the mercenaries possess inventive nicknames such as Oak Pew and Long Paw but the best has to be the archer Wilful Murder.
The action scenes of which there are many are very well written, intense and realistic, the butchering of the boglins becomes a familiar backdrop but the fights with the more powerful creatures of the wild more than makes up for this. Standing out was the technical descriptions of such things as the armour, the medieval weapons used, the mercenaries tactics during the siege interlaced with the sorcery show a skilled storyteller and a mass of potential for this series.
The final 100 pages set the scene for the next book The Fell Sword of which I am now looking forward to immensely, overall an excellent debut and highly recommended. ...more
Mage's blood starts off a little slowly, however once you get a feel for the cultures, the politics, the magic and the lay of the land it jumps in excMage's blood starts off a little slowly, however once you get a feel for the cultures, the politics, the magic and the lay of the land it jumps in excitement into an excellent story Magi are born of Mage’s Blood and the purer the blood the stronger the mage, Elena is a powerful mage and a skilled fighter in the pay of her former lover, Gurvon Gyle, tasked to protect the Javon monarch and his family. She grows close to those she is protecting and starts to believe that she has found a home. When the order comes for the assassination of the monarchy she rebels and thwarts Gyle's plans and effectively brings a death sentence on her head. Alaron is a quarter blood. He has enough power to wield the Gnosis but he can never be as strong as the pure bloods that bully him through college. Thankfully it is nearly exam time and he will soon be free from college and a true mage in his own right, provided he gets through this first of many trials. Every twelve years the Leviathan Bridge opens joining two lands and two cultures. Antonin Meiros and his allies created the bridge in the time of the first crusade and his actions doomed a nation. Now, seventeen years since the revolt, the third crusade is within sight. The months count down at an ever increasing pace, the Moontide approaches and the world’s fate rests on three unlikely heroes. The story is told from the viewpoint of three main protagonists and several other key characters, all are excellent but it is the detail and depth of the story that captures the imagination. Building up to a tense finale, the author has left the story at a perfect point where you feel the strong desire to see how the story threads progress and how the main characters overcome their current predicaments. This novel has a wonderful Epic scale and I for one look forward to the next instalment. ...more
The blurb attracted me to this debut novel as I stumbled across it on Amazon.
An intoxicating blend of noir crime, science fiction and fantasy The LastThe blurb attracted me to this debut novel as I stumbled across it on Amazon.
An intoxicating blend of noir crime, science fiction and fantasy The Last City is Blade Runner meets Perdido Street Station.
Scorpia - the last city of Aquais - where the Ar Antarians rule, the machine-breeds serve and in-between a multitude of races and species eke out an existence somewhere between the ever-blazing city lights and the endless darkness of the underside.
As a spate of murders and abductions grip the city, new recruit Silho Brabel is sent to the Oscuri Trackers, an elite military squad commanded by the notorious Copernicus Kane. But Silho has a terrible secret and must fight to hide her strange abilities and monstrous heritage.
As the team delve deeper into Scorpia's underworld, they discover a nightmare truth. Hunted by demons, the Trackers must band together with a condemned fugitive, a rogue wraith and a gangster king and stake their lives against an all-powerful enemy to try to save their world and one another.
Sounds good, definitely not this is truly fantastic the author effortlessly blends an incredible sci-fi setting with intriguing fantasy elements. The world building is wonderfully unique, set in a layered city surrounded by desert with the rich and powerful living at the top and the lower echelons down at the bottom. The humans have mixed animal blood lines which reminds me of the shadows of the apt series but its done better and the powers some of these humans have brings much interest. In fact all the different species in the book are cleverly done with Androbots, spectral beings and the evil skreafs adding a darker tone to the book. The story starts as a murder investigation but develops in to a threat to the city and everyone in it, ending with a stunning climax. The characters are all excellent, the Oscuri Trackers are the investigative branch of the police/regiment and its members by majority are strong action types from the Commander Copernicus Kane to the new recruit Silho Brabel. They all have secrets and dark pasts that come to light throughout the book but the standout character is the weakest of the bunch the tech wizard Eli Anklebitter an imp who has a tendency to blurt out the wrong things under pressure. This book only came out at the beginning of August, so I guess is largely undiscovered yet I hope not for long as this is a fantastic read and highly recommended, a credit to the author who has a unique and wonderful imagination. I look forward to the next book set in the last city. ...more
Downloaded this book free, mainly due to the cover and the promise of violence aplenty. What you get is a relatively fast paced read, decent charactersDownloaded this book free, mainly due to the cover and the promise of violence aplenty. What you get is a relatively fast paced read, decent characters and the story is ok to. We follow Caina from an early age as her family life is destroyed by an evil necromancer with plans of immortality, Caina is rescued by the ghosts, the emperors spies and assassins. Taken in she is trained in everything from combat to disguise for many years until finally initiated as a fully fledged ghost. Ending in a final battle with the necromancer who tortured her as a child, you can guess where this is going but its still interesting actually getting there. The world building is sparse as the story centres on the characters and its a simple read, not to many different plot lines and the grammar/action scenes etc seem aimed at the YA market with no swearing or graphic violence. With being such a quick read I would definitely consider the rest of the series as Caina could develop into an exceptional character. ...more
I guess this is the benchmark for epic fantasy, running at 14 books plus a prequel with the final book to be published in January 2013. The series is I guess this is the benchmark for epic fantasy, running at 14 books plus a prequel with the final book to be published in January 2013. The series is certainly epic, extremely long with a number of heroes and heroic deeds. The tale starts in a backwater district called the Two Rivers, Moiraine an Aes Sedai wielder of the one power and her warder Lan arrive in Emond's Field searching for a young man under the scutiny of the Dark One. Moiraine is unable to determine which of three youths Rand, Mat and Perrin the Dark One seeks so she takes them all with her on a dangerous journey to the Aes Sedai city of Tar Valon. Joined by their friend Egwene, Thom Merrilin the gleeman and later the wisdom Nynaeve al'Meara the story follows their flight to the Eye Of The World pursued all the way by the Dark One's forces. A enjoyable start to the series, listened to this on audiobook and the narrator does a fantastic job mixing excellent world building with characters of depth and sincerity. ...more
The final book of the the subterrene war trilogy and another gritty read. The war in Kazakhstan is over, Stan Resnick a veteren soldier is employed byThe final book of the the subterrene war trilogy and another gritty read. The war in Kazakhstan is over, Stan Resnick a veteren soldier is employed by special operations to hunt and kill escaped germline soldiers and harbours an intense hatred for the non human's. Margaret is one of the germlines to escape from the war to Thailand, where the spoiling process is reversed and in return she and the other germlines swear allegiance to the king of Thailand. Margaret is revered by all the germlines as there leader both spiritually and their commander in battle. Stan's mission is to hunt this Germline, he needs to obtain her cooperation in his hunt for Dr. Chen a renegade genetic scientist. The Thai germlines are engaged in jungle warfare with the Chinese to stop an invasion also dealing with the genetic abominations that the Chinese have produced and Stan has to get in the thick of all the action. The final jungle setting brings back memories of Hollywood Vietnam movies, coupled with the authors vivid world building and technical advancements makes for another fantastic read. Stan is another intense character who is so psychologically damaged that he is not safe back in civilian population and realises that he can never return to a 'normal' life, yet one of his primary goals is to secure the future of his wife's son from an affair to give him a life where the choices are his own. His hatred and prejudices at the battlefront are questioned and his own allegiances turn during his confrontation with Magaret and the other germline's - a roller coaster ride of violence and emotions see Stan finally embark on a path more befitting. A fitting end to the trilogy and I look forward to more from the author, maybe even a welcome return to the subterrene world. ...more
The Shadows of the Apt series for me is wonderfully unique, truly epic and the remarkable concept of the insect-kinden is a credit to the imagination The Shadows of the Apt series for me is wonderfully unique, truly epic and the remarkable concept of the insect-kinden is a credit to the imagination of the author. This novel is the start of the final segment of the story and we are introduced to the history of the seal of the worm, the title of the final novel.
For five years there has peace between the Wasp Empire and its neighbours. The Wasp Empress Seda has used these first years of her reign to consolidate and strengthen her position by first taking care of business at home, while the artificers have been busy developing new weapons that can cause untold damage on a new scale. Now all is ready and Seda ignites the campaign to enslave the Lowlands with the Air War.
My only disappointment was the fact that Che, Tynisa and Thalric are not in the book. However for me Seda and what goes on around her steals the book, I wanted to read more of her and the underhand plotting of the Rekef agents to take control of the empire. Seda strives to resurrect the lost magic of the world and the potential here is massive. There is also the Assassin Bug kinden on a mission who starts to question his loyalties after finding a position close to the Empress and the Mantis guard led by the resurrected Tisamon. Despite a slow start the battle of Collegium starts around half way through the book and this is where the story really takes off, characters from previous books resurface along with a host of new characters that maintain the interest. One of the spider clans align with the Wasp invaders and the allies must fight on two fronts in the air over Collegium and against a land invasion. Overall a good continuation of the story and everything is set up nicely for the last two novels. ...more
The weight of blood (4.5*) The two main characters, the half-orc/half-elf brothers Harruq and Qurrah Tun are living on the streets of Veldaran. StrugglThe weight of blood (4.5*) The two main characters, the half-orc/half-elf brothers Harruq and Qurrah Tun are living on the streets of Veldaran. Struggling to survive, things deteriorate when the king expels the elves from the city and the brothers have to move on. As a warrior Harruq is the protector of his younger brother who is both weak and powerful with dark magic & necromancy. Harruq is compelled to do his brothers bidding and he commits senseless atrocities to aid his brothers education. In defining there destiny Qurrah's thirst for power has him recruited by an evil entity, a powerful necromancer who controls an undead army and they set about the destruction of the elves. Harruq is roped into the destruction from the love he has for his brother while at the same time falling in love with an elven mage who saved his life and eventually turning him from the evil intentions of his brother. World building is sparse with most of the attention going to the exploration of characters and relationships, yet the description of the action and powerful magic is fast paced & a credit to the author.
The Cost of Betrayal (5*) The storyline improves with the introduction of the Watcher and the Eschaton mercenaries. As Qurrah descends deeper into darkness, Harruq's life changes dramatically and he finds a short lived happiness and camaraderie with his new family. There is plenty of humour in the interactions with Harruq and the mercenaries, even a marriage and the birth of his daughter as he strives to put behind his dark past. Qurrah also finds a companion and lover Tessanna, together they are a powerful combination as Qurrah vows to fix his lovers broken mind eventually spelling disaster for Harruq and his family and friends. The story is full of really good characters Haern the watcher is one of my favourite characters introduced in the shadowdance trilogy and he finally meets his father in a fight to the death. Also the introduction of the compelling Tessanna with split personalities and the power of a goddess. The characters are wonderfully explored and the graphic action centres around the dark and disturbing magical powers of the mages & necomancers with not as much swordplay as the shadowdance books.
The Death of Promises (5*) The first part of the book follows Qurrah and Tessanna as they travel to the sanctuary, guarded by the god ashhurs paladins and priests in search of Darakken’s spellbook to heal Tessanna's broken mind. There are prominent new characters in the paladin Jerico with a magical shield, Mira the second daughter of balance and the mirror image of Tessanna and the paladins of karak led by Kreiger. Qurrah and Tessanna are joined by the returning Velixar and together the recruit an army of thousands of Orcs, wolf and hyena men with the intention of taking Veldaren from the humans grasp and freeing their god karack. The battle of Veldaren is momentous and covers the second half of the book, the story up to this point is fluid, well written and fast paced. The second half of the book raises the bar further and against the orc horde the city is lost in an epic battle of swordplay & magical prowess. The battle sees the return of the leading chacters from the Eschaton mercenaries Tarlak, Haern, Harruq, Aurelia, Delysia & the paladins Jerico & Lathaar as our heroes are forced to flee the city. Like George RR Martin, Daglish is not afraid to kill of major characters and there is also the return of the intriguing deathmask and the ash guild from the shadowdance trilogy as they play a major part in the retreat. This is a top read, the characters, storyline and the action are all immense and a credit to the author.
The Shadows of Grace (5*) I found the first half of the book a little flat compared to the heights the previous book reached, the survivors of Neldar seek refuge and safety from the armies of Karak. It follows their path across the land, looking for allies and a safe place to defend from their attackers. More interesting is the inner turmoil's taking place in the camp of Velixar and Quarrah. The relationship between Tessanna and the captured paladin of Ashhur, Jerico swings from torture scenes to fleeting moments of imagined love, being intensely emotional this holds the story together along with Quarrahs increasing jealousy. Harruq and the Eschaton, along with King Antonil, lead the survivors from Velderan into the city of Mordeina ultimately ending in a siege by the massive army of undead and war demons brought through the portal held open by Qurrah and Velixar. The war of Mordeina is a feast of action, schemes & plots as both the gods Karak and Ashhur play there hands. Mordeina Karak's try to turn the Queen against the Ashhur's and all the while Deathmask & the Ash Guild are trying to establish there former enterprises in a crimeless city. Another Karack prophet is conceived and Melorack takes Mordeina causing the death of an invincible hero which I found hard to digest and Daglish shows us again that no one is safe. The ongoing character development of Qurrah and Tessanna is an exceptional and significant story arc in the book and conclude in a monumental ending as the portal opened by Quarrah and Velixar to the land of the gods is closed by Tessanna but not before the god of war Thulos comes through into the world. More intense story telling from the author with highly credible battles and character development.
A Sliver of Redemption (5*) A dazzling start to the book as Qurrah and Tessanna are split apart for the first time, Quarrah is offered forgiveness and redemption by his brother Harraq. Quarrah has to work through a mountain of guilt as he is re-united with the Eschaton and their allies but not everyone is as forgiving as his brother. Tessanna also goes through a difficult time suffering with the loss of her powers and the endless torment of the Karack prophet Velixar. The allies are forced to split their forces as the battles rage on two fronts, the war god Thulos is hard at work recruiting reinforcements to his army, as the portal to his own world is closed, while in Mordeina Deathmask and the ash guild fire the underground resistance while being stalked by an undead hero. Qurrah stays behind with the army from Omn, to protect the Bloodbrick Bridge. This is one of many battles that take place, but is particularly memorable because this is where Qurrah earns his redemption as he gives all he has to defend the allies. In defeat Qurrah is slain by Velixar only to be bought back to serve his former master. The siege of Mordeina is an epic conclusion to the book, the allies fight with an army in the city and Thulos with Velixar approaching behind. There are uprisings stoked by Deathmask in the city and a mythical creature created by Melorack to attack the allies. There is heroism aplenty and seething vengeance to be had. The writing here is amazing and everything just flows. The whole series has comes down to this very moment, to the time when the evil forces of Karak, now joined by Thulos and the war demons, face off once and for all against the armies of Ashuur. The conclusion is a brilliant ending in the angels city with the Tun brothers at the forefront, even Tessanna's power is rekindled and the elves also return to aid in the battle. I cannot praise this series highly enough - there is amazing storytelling, epic battles, humour, families torn apart by good and evil, wonderful characters and all with dark undertones that make you continually ask why? ...more
The Dragon's Path follows four main protagonists: Geder, a noble in military service, Cithrin, the determined ward of a bank threatened by invasion, MThe Dragon's Path follows four main protagonists: Geder, a noble in military service, Cithrin, the determined ward of a bank threatened by invasion, Marcos the military hero who's chequered past leads him to take Cithrin under his wing and Dawson, a noble conspiring to protect his King against traitors and rebellion.
All four of them are all flawed in some way creating interesting situations as their story's develop. Cithrin is an orphan with a flair for business, coming into adulthood, she begins to see sex as a way to gain information and turns to alcohol when things start to go wrong for her. Her part is not the most compelling but the characters around her keep the story from becoming flat.
Marcus is more straightforward, the ex-hero who lost loved ones and becomes closed when coming into contact with others, aside from Yardem, his trustworthy Tralgu... His best moments are with Master Kit, a troupe leader with a lot of charisma and a hidden identity.
My two favorite characters were Geder and Dawson. Dawson is a stubborn nobleman believing in the higher calling of aristocracy, his plans to save his friend the King and the monarchy seemed doomed to failure, but the political intrigue was a stand out feature of the book for me. His family entourage is composed of a great supporting cast including his wife, bodyguard and sons. Geder is a young outcast dreamer, sent to war but he'd much prefer to read a book. A low born noble Geder is the butt of the company jokes until his fortunes take a better turn. His storyline is both fun, horrific and distressing to follow. He ends up being the saviour of the kingdom but equally he could lead to its doom.
This is the first novel by Daniel Abraham that I have read although I have had the Long Price quartet on my to read shelf for quite some time now. This story centres on excellent characterisation, not a great deal of action and I will defiantly read the second book in the series to see where Geder's storyline goes. ...more
I don't usually go for books in the YA category but was intrigued early on when the film rights were optioned before the first book was released. The I don't usually go for books in the YA category but was intrigued early on when the film rights were optioned before the first book was released. The Rise of Nine continues the story of the Lorien children as there legacy's develop and a major development is the joining of the US government and the alien Mogadorians working together to capture what's left of the nine (now 10 as a second ship was despatched to Earth). The action ramps up considerably from the previous books and is pretty much relentless to the end. We meet another member of the nine living in India who has abilities such as teleporting and leaving just one member of the nine not yet revealed. The book is extremely easy to read with short chapters and not much in the way of indepth description or even big words, the plot's not to complicated and can be a touch repetitive as the Lorien heroes constantly get trapped and escape, picking up various injury's along the way that are healed extremely quickly. We have the introduction of the Mogadorian leader who is ultimately more powerful than the Lorians and able to take there abilities from them but there is no back story to the evil aliens apart from the fact that they just want to conquer everything. That said if the film series continues this would make an excellent addition with a good deal of action, multiple locations across the globe, a hint of romance, an emotional unexpected rescue, endless crashing helicopters and many dead Mogadorian's all from the power of the Lorian's. In conclusion any negativity is aimed more at the genre, the book itself is high calibre action all the way and while not being excessively violent its definitely a rapid page turner with no respite, having read the first three books of the series there is enough interest there for me to continue and this would make an excellent film. ...more
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