James Barclay

Deornoth · Joined: 08 Oct 2007 Posts: 446

I've just finished reading Kristin Cashore's 'Graceling', the tale of a King's niece who is an unstoppable killing machine but doesn't want to be but can't escape her duty but then falls in love even though she has sworn never to marry and he's really good looking and so on...
'Graceling' has one of the single most annoying main characters that I've ever come across and it also doesn't help that the book is peppered with stupid sounding people and place names. Surprisingly though it actually ends up being an entertaining read although probably not one where I'd be queuing for the sequel...
My full review is over Here.
I'm now finishing off Paul Kane's 'Arrowhead' and I've also got Kage Baker's 'The House of the Stag' on the go...
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Graeme's Fantasy Book Review

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Deornoth · Joined: 08 Oct 2007 Posts: 446

I've just finished reading Paul Kane's 'Arrowhead', a re-telling of the Robin Hood story only this time in a post apocalyptic world devastated by plague. It's a fun read but the dark atmosphere hangs a little heavy sometimes and there were a couple of areas that I felt could have been expanded upon to greater affect. My full review is over Here.
I'm now about halfway through Kage Baker's 'The House of the Stag' and I'm really enjoying it. It's great Very Happy

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Graeme's Fantasy Book Review

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Deornoth · Joined: 08 Oct 2007 Posts: 446

I've just finished reading Kage Baker's 'The House of the Stag', the tale of a half-demon foundlings rise to Dark Lord, by way of careers in acting and landscape gardening...
Some of the humour is a little forced and the main character annoyingly invulnerable but, on the whole, I very much enjoyed this book and will be looking for 'The Anvil of the World' if this is any example of Baker's fantasy work. I loved this one to pieces and a full review is over Here.
I'm finishing Lilith Saintcrow's 'Hunter's Prayer' and don't really know what I'll be reading next...
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Graeme's Fantasy Book Review

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Selik · Joined: 20 Jan 2005 Posts: 1524 Location: South Shields

Ooooh, Kage Baker's book sounds pretty cool, actually.
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"I sit on my arse, not my head." - Baron Gresse.

Kerela · Joined: 10 Sep 2005 Posts: 372 Location: Germany

Joe Hill: Heart-Shaped Box
It's an interesting idea, and till now I really enjoyed it.
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The question that sometimes drives me hazy: Am I, or the others crazy?
Albert Einstein

Deornoth · Joined: 08 Oct 2007 Posts: 446

Lizzy · Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 3:21 pm Post subject:

Be interested to hear what you think about The Everlasting. I enjoyed it well enough and want to read more of his stuff as a result. But it didn't knock my socks off completely
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Listen to Lizzy, she's always right! as said by Jovial

Deornoth · Joined: 08 Oct 2007 Posts: 446

It's looking interesting enough so far, I'm only about fifty pages in, but it's slow going.... Sad

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Graeme's Fantasy Book Review

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Deornoth · Joined: 08 Oct 2007 Posts: 446

Double post... Embarassed

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Graeme's Fantasy Book Review

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Deornoth · Joined: 08 Oct 2007 Posts: 446

I've just finished reading 'Order 66' (Karen Traviss), part of the ongoing series of clone commando exploits in the final days of the Old Republic where Chancellor Palpatine is about to issue Order 66 (erm, hence the name...)
It's a bit dry in places, and you really need to have read the last book (at least) to stand any chance of knowing what's happening, but Traviss does give us a story full of action and intrigue which makes for one hell of a read. I couldn't believe how the finale went, talk about reeling you in and then smacking you round the face with something totally unexpected!
I'm really looking forward to continuing this series and my full review is over Here.
I'm now about halfway through Tim Lebbon's 'The Everlasting'...
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Graeme's Fantasy Book Review

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Deornoth · Joined: 08 Oct 2007 Posts: 446

I've just finished reading Tim Lebbon's 'The Everlasting', the tale of a quest for immortality from beyond the grave...
As a horror story it falls flat in that there's nothing really horrifying about it but it does work well as a ghost story. 'The Everlasting' does have a habit of dragging but makes up for it with some interesting characters and a world, outside ours, that I'd like to see expanded upon. My full review is over Here.
I've now got a little bit of a book 'pile up' going on with finishing Michael Moorcock's 'To Rescue Tanelorn' as well as reading Sean McMullen's 'The Time Engine' and Glen Cook's 'A Cruel Wind'...
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Mark D · Joined: 23 Nov 2006 Posts: 171 Location: Yeovil, Somerset

I've started re-reading...

....

....

you've guessed it! It's good to read about The Raven after so long of not doing so. hopefully i'll get through them before Ravensoul is released!
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Deornoth · Joined: 08 Oct 2007 Posts: 446

I've just finished reading 'To Rescue Tanelorn', a collection of some of Michael Moorcock's 'Elric' stories. All the stories have appeared in other collections already so this is really only a book for people who are encountering Elric for the first time. The stories themselves are (for the most part) cool though and I'm a big fan of the cover! My full review is over Here.
I'm now reading Sean McMullen's 'The Time Engine' and I've also got Glen Cook's 'A Cruel Wind' on the go at home...
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Graeme's Fantasy Book Review

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Kerela · Joined: 10 Sep 2005 Posts: 372 Location: Germany

Yesterday I found Dschinnland by Kai Meyer in a bookstore, although it should be released only on September 16th and I couldn't resist (actually I couldn't resist buying the book and the audiobook, as it's read by Andreas Fr?hlich, and I just love his voice).
I'm half-through and I already love it Laughing

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The question that sometimes drives me hazy: Am I, or the others crazy?
Albert Einstein

Deornoth · Joined: 08 Oct 2007 Posts: 446

I've just finished up with Sean McMullen's 'The Time Engine', the fantasy version of 'The Time Machine' where a member of the City Guard becomes a reluctant time traveller...
Despite a blurb that (deliberately?) sets out to ruin things for you 'The Time Engine' is a fun read with plenty going on in a 'comedy of errors' kind of way, it only occasionally falls into the trap of being too detailed for it's own good. My full review is over Here.
I've never read any of the Anderson/Herbert 'Dune' books so thought I'd give 'Paul of Dune' a go next. I'm also into 'A Cruel Wind'.
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Graeme's Fantasy Book Review

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