Wednesday, 31 March 2021
March 31, 2021
FantasyBookNerd
Book Review
2 comments
Monday, 29 March 2021
March 29, 2021
FantasyBookNerd
Book Review
No comments
We Are Legion (We are Bob) | Denis E. Taylor.
Author | Denis.E. Taylor
Series | Bobiverse #1
Publisher | Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency; 2nd edition
Date Pub | 14th April 2017
Audiobook | Audible
Narrator | Ray Porter
Length | 9:56hr
About the book
Review
Tuesday, 23 March 2021
March 23, 2021
FantasyBookNerd
Book Review
No comments
The Two - Faced Queen | Nick Martell
Author | Nick Martell
Title | The Two - Faced Queen
Series | Legacy of The Mercenary Kings #2
Publisher | Gollancz
Pub Date | 25.03.21
Pages | 592
About the Book
The Hollows is gripped in unrest and on the brink of civil war as an
insurgency of anarchists rise, and brother and sister vie for the throne
in the second novel in the critically hailed Legacy of the Mercenary
King series which Brandon Sanderson called “excellent.”
Michael
Kingman thought he was going to die by the executioner’s axe, forever
labeled as a traitor. Still alive, and under the protection of the Orbis
Mercenary company, Michael and his family and friends are deeply
involved in the seemingly rival conspiracies that are tearing The
Hollows apart. With the death of the King, both the Corrupt Prince and
his sister Serena are vying for the throne, while the Rebel Emperor is
spreading lies amongst the people, and all of them want Michael dead.
This is a story of betrayal, murder, and rebellion, and in this direct
sequel to the debut novel The Kingdom of Liars, also some hope for justice.
For readers who love the intrigue and widening scope of epic fantasy like Sanderson’s Mistborn and Week’s The Black Prism, you will find your next must-read fantasy series.
Review
The Two - Faced Queen is Nick Martell's exhilarating sequel to his debut The Kingdom of Liars.
I must say when I read The Kingdom of Liars, I was pretty impressed. Nick Martell did a fantastic job, writing an intriguing and well paced plot. He introduced characters that are engaging, if sometimes a little annoying, and endearing. There was intricate world building and a complex magic system.
So, when I saw that the story of The Two - Faced Queen continued in the city of Hollow, I was wondering how Nick Martell was going to expand on something that he had done a pretty good job of building in the first place.
Well, he showed me,didn't he? It turns out that Nick Martell had a whole lot more up his sleeve and The Kingdom of Liars was just the tip of the iceberg.
The story takes place shortly after the events of the Kingdom of Liars and we find him indentured to Dark, the Orbis Corporation Assassin. His mother is no longer a Forgotten and the family are now living in Kingman Keep.
Outside the walls, the rebellion is still encamped slowly strangling the city of Hollow. In addition to this, refugees are flooding into Hollow, making a bad situation worse.
As part of his apprenticeship with Dark, they are tasked to find out where the refugees are from and who leads them.
This sets off a series of events. Firstly, a series of horrific murders lead to the return of a serial killer that has lain dormant for a number of years. The city of Hollow is now in the hands of Serena, The two - faced Queen of the title, who just happens to be Michael's childhood best friend and has set out to kill him because she thinks he killed her father. Oh, on top of that he has to pass his apprentice assassins test.
Just another day at the Kingsman residence then!
Structurally, Nick Martell does not shift much from the first book. Michael is the main character. However, in this book he is not as difficult to spend time with, and Nick Martell does a nice job of retconning book 1, which gives a different perspective of Michael’s behaviour in Kingdom of Liars. Additionally, Michael grows in this book, which I liked a lot. I think the skill that Nick Martell shows in growing his characters organically is clearly evident. Michael seems more like a real person. Yes, he does make mistakes, and at times he does not see the bigger picture, but we see him learning by his mistakes.
Unfortunately, some of the characters that we spent time in book 1 with, such as Kai do not get as much page time as the previous book, but I found that the relationship that grows between Michael and Dark is quite a fascinating one, and made up for the absence of the other characters.
Naomi, is a lot more prominent in the Kingdom of Liars, and we see the after effects of the incident that involved the Crooked Prince. We learn that as well as losing her job, it is also causing her pain to the extent that she has to seek other means in order to control this.
However, a number of the characters get their time in the spotlight. For one the Two - faced queen herself, Serena, who deluded by her grief, relentlessly chases Michael. Symon, the King of Stories, who I have to say I found quite interesting and wished we could have spent some more time with him, although he gets two interludes in the book in order to change the focus from Michael. Most interestingly, however, is Gwen. I have always found Gwen to be a character that I wanted to spend more time with, and in this book we get to do that.
The plot of the book runs at full pace, yes there are some lulls in it, but generally Nick Martell creates a sense of urgency as the book comes to its conclusion. One of the things that I really like about Nick Martell’s writing is that he successfully weaves cross genre plots. In one instance there is the serial killer plot and the race against time to find the killer before they strike again, interweaved with a solid fantasy book of rebellion and unrest.
On top of this, Nick Martell massively increases the world that the characters inhabit. We get more about the magic system and the lore too. And as we spend time with Dark and Michael, we get more information about the Assassins company and get to meet the crew.
In the Two - Faced Queen, Nick Martell successfully weaves a thrilling plot, expansive world building with fantastic characters in a book that you won’t want to put down.
Thursday, 18 March 2021
March 18, 2021
FantasyBookNerd
Book Review
No comments
The Fall of Koli | M. R. Carey
Some Information about the book:
Title | The Fall of Koli
Author | M. R. Carey
Series| The Rampart Trilogy #3
Publisher | Hachette UK
Pub. Date | 25th March 2021
Pages | 560
About the book
The third and final novel in the Rampart trilogy - a breathtakingly original series set in a strange and deadly world of our own making, from the author of the million-copy-bestselling The Girl With All the Gifts
Review
And here we are, the final book in Mike Carey's The Rampart
Trilogy, ‘The Fall of Koli’
The Ramparts Trilogy has been an enthralling, exciting and
distinctive series from start to finish and when I received an advanced reading
copy (tips his hat to Netgalley and Orbit, well, Little Brown Hat group here in
the UK) I was ultra-excited.
The Book of Koli was the first book that I ever reviewed and
also the first post on the site. Obviously, I was giddy with excitement when I
first reviewed that Book of Koli, and I feel like I have been on a journey with
this series. Well effectively, I have! From the Yorkshire wilds to the
destroyed south coast of Ingland and back again.
With the Fall of Koli, Mike Carey masterfully brings the
Ramparts Trilogy to its inevitable conclusion. Filling the book with the
shocking truth of the cataclysm, epic battles and new beginnings.
I have to say that I adore this book. Just being back with Koli and everyone else gives me a warm feeling. As soon as I started reading I was smiling at the brilliance of this book.
From the moment that
it starts, there is a feeling of inevitability. We know that something is going
to happen, we know that it is going to end, we know that questions will be
answered. We’re just not sure how.
The story starts immediately where the last book ended, with
our little dopey boy and the rest of the crew finally finding out what the
‘Sword of Albion’ is. This is the signal that Koli and the gang have been
following since the first book. However, when they do get to the end of their
quest, nothing is what it seems. Is it ever? After their boat nearly sinks,
they are lifted to safety to the ship that they were heading towards.
The ship is populated by a crew of three. Paul, his wife
Lorraine and their child Stanley. It’s not long before we learn that there are
some strange happenings on this ship. Paul is a brutal man that barely hides
his fervour for corporal punishment, Lorraine seems to be a doting mother, but
there seems to be an underlying tinge of vileness to her and Stanley fluctuates
from being a sociopathic little boy to someone who is almost begging for
friendship. Something is not quite right here, and Carey builds on that feeling
of disquiet until it reaches its crescendo midway through the book.
On top of that, it is obvious that the gang are not guests
but in fact are prisoners that are only allowed to stay on board until they
have completed the tasks that their ‘hosts’ have set for them. There is an
insidious feeling permeating the whole of the first part of the narrative and
whilst Carey does inform of the things that are wrong by drip feeding little
bits of information it seems to add to the atmosphere. I must say that when
Koli and the gang are on the ship, it plays out like a gothic horror novel with
that feeling of wrongness enveloping the scenes that are set there.
However, whilst events are playing out with Koli, Cup,
Monono Aware and Ursala, there are similarly climactic events occurring in
Mythen Rood with Spinner and the Peacemaker, the faceless entity that resides
in Half Ax and is demanding the return of what he sees is his property. All of
the technology that is in the possession of the people of Mythen Rood
There are two stories at play in the Fall of Koli, and with
that there are two main protagonists, Koli and Spinner. Throughout the book,
Carey effectively weaves these two stories together, leaving each separate
story at the end of a cliff-hanger, switching to the other viewpoint and then
returning back to conclude it. I tell you this is so amazingly done, and it
leaves you wanting to read each story as quick as you can so that you can
return to the one you just left.
I love the style of this book, this cutting to each story to
increase the sense of urgency, and when the
stories do converge, Carey masterfully increases the momentum of the book by
maintaining those separate viewpoints and decreasing the length of time that we
spend with each protagonist. Utter genius!
It has to be said that the writing in Carey’s book is just
amazing. He carefully subverts language which results in it taking on a whole
new meaning, for instance, when Spinner is telling the Story of Snow Wight, or
paying a courtesy to others. This really blew my mind with the utter
brilliantness of it. In addition to that I love that there are instances of broad Yorkshire vernacular. It was like seeing mi own thorts on't page.
It is similar with the characters in the book. You
immediately rekindle your relationship with the characters. Koli is wide eyed and
hopeful, Cup is hard and unforgiving but loyal, and Ursula is as distant as she
was throughout the first two books. However, it is always with Monono that I
feel that he excels. You would think that with all that is happening in the
book there would not be time for character growth, but somehow Carey manages
it, particularly with Monono.
Whilst the book centres primarily on Koli and Spinner, Carey
intersperses the viewpoint of Monono and we get some chapters that are told
solely from her perspective. This gives a valuable insight into her and how she
functions, and how she grows. You would not think that there would be any room
for her to expand, but Carey manages to give us a whole new perspective on her.
I have to say that The Fall of Koli is a phenomenal ending
to a series that I have loved. Carey masterfully closes the series in such a
satisfying way it left me bawling my eyes out.
Monday, 15 March 2021
March 15, 2021
FantasyBookNerd
Book Review
2 comments
Thursday, 11 March 2021
March 11, 2021
FantasyBookNerd
Book Review
1 comment
Book Tour | Legacy of the Brightwash by Krystle Matar
March 11th 2021
Hello Fantasy Book Nerds
It's my turn on the Blog Tour for Legacy of the Brightwash by Krystle Matar. The tour has been organised by the fabulous Storytellers on Tour. So far there have been some fantastic bloggers involved in this tour and I hope you can check out their reviews too.
Now before we get to the review, I just want to mention that the cover art for the book is done by Brad Bergman who has done a fantastic job of capturing the tone of the book, both the industrial aspects of a victorian era and the fantastcal elements of magic. Added to that, the typography fits the whole aesthetic, adding that finishing component.
So if you are not familiar with the book, here is a bit about it.
Book Blurb
Follow the law and you’ll stay safe. But what if the law is wrong?
Tashué’s faith in the law is beginning to crack.
Three years ago, he stood by when the Authority condemned Jason to the brutality of the Rift for non-compliance. When Tashué’s son refused to register as tainted, the laws had to be upheld. He’d never doubted his job as a Regulation Officer before, but three years of watching your son wither away can break down even the strongest convictions.
Then a dead girl washed up on the bank of the Brightwash, tattooed and mutilated. Where had she come from? Who would tattoo a child? Was it the same person who killed her?
Why was he the only one who cared?
Review
Krystle Matar's debut has been garnering much attention in the book community of late, with everyone raving about how good this book is. So, when you come to a book that has had so much positive attention, there is a little trepidation, hoping that as a reviewer, you are going to find the same positive aspects of the book
However, after finishing the book, I can see why there have been so many positive reviews of 'The Legacy of the Brightwash'. It is an exceptional debut that brings something that I have not seen previously to the fantasy genre, and I have to say that Krystle Matar has done something that I didn’t quite expect. She surprised me! Now, let me tell you, I have been reading fantasy since I was a teen, so without giving my age away, that is a pretty long time, and one of the downfalls of reading fantasy for an extensive amount of time is that you tend to see the echoes of other authors or the influence of such and such. However, I didn't get this with Legacy of the Brightwash.
Legacy of the Brightwash is a mixture of crime novel and fantasy set in the Victorian City of Yaelsmuir, that seemed to me to be a mixture of Victorian London, but also brought to my mind a Canadian frontiership.
I like this world that Kyrstle Matar has built in the book. I like it a lot! It’s harsh and unforgiving, but additionally Krystle Matar has built it with such precision that she knows every blade of grass in the world. On the one hand she will show the disparity between the opulent ruling classes and then switch to the hand to mouth environment of the poor of the city. It is such a well constructed environment. So well constructed that you can smell the spices of the sausages in the market that Tashue and Stella eat when they visit the market place in the book, to the sweat and blood of the fighting pits.
And that brings me to the characters. As you can guess, the two main characters are Tahsue and Stella. However, there is a full supporting cast in the book and at times we follow their point of view, like Ishmael or Tashue’s son, Jason, but the main points of view revolve around Tashue and Stella. I have to say that Krystle Matar does not waste a single character in the book. Each individual is fully fleshed out and seems like a real person. In all honesty, all the characters were so well crafted that they simply walked off the page and took up residence in my imagination.
The plot of the book is excellent. Like I said,it’s a mixture of crime drama and fantasy, and to be honest this works immensely well. The story starts with the washed up body of a dismembered child on the banks of the Brightwash of the story. It seems that dead bodies washing up on the banks of the river are not particularly uncommon and the girl is treated the same as the regular flotsam and jetson that is generally washed up. Initially, there is a crowd watching the proceedings, but you get the feeling that no - one actually cares, even the local constabulary, that is until Captain Tashue Blackwood of the National Tainted Registration Authority takes charge of the investigation, even though it is not his job, against the advice of his lieutenant, Kazrani.
This leads him to investigate the death of this young girl, and he becomes involved in an investigation that could lead him to the higher echelons of the Dominion, the cruel and oppressive government of Yaelsmuir.
On top of that, Tashue is railroaded into the political machinations of local politician in his run for mayor which leads him to become involved with femme fatal Illea Winter, who along with Tahue’s former military commander, Nathaniel Wolfe believes that Tashue’s exemplary mitlatry background would help bolster the career of Illea’s husband.
You get the feeling that when we start the book, that whilst Tashue is an individual that can take care of himself, he is a bit of a bystander in his own life. He seems to go where the situation leads him, but he has no real convictions. He seems a bit lost, and it is not until he becomes involved with Stella that he actually starts to come to life.
Phew, that’s enough for one book isn’t it. But not for Krystle Matar, because she introduces one of the most interesting aspects of the book that really intrigued me.
Obviously, this is fantasy, and any good fantasy needs some magic. And Krystle Matar does something quite interesting with the magic. Whilst at this precise time, the magic system is not particularly intricate. However, the Dominion uses the magic of the tainted (the magic users of the book) as the literal battery of the Dominion Empire, powering engines and vehicles etc. People who use magic are seen as subhuman and if they do not register as magic users are thrown into jail, much like Tashue’s son Jason. In addition to this, they are forced into breeding programs or if they are free, they are monitored to make sure they are following the rules that are assigned by the Dominion. Throughout the story, people with magic are treated awfully, and the vile attitudes of the Dominion are so pervasive they seep into the foundations of the city. I mean, there are obvious real world connotations in this aspect of the story. However, Krystle Matar handles this with care and sensitivity, without failing to highlight the brutality and the hypocrisy of these attitudes.
Now my final point to make, is the romance. Yes, there is romance in the book, and it can get quite steamy at times. Let me tell, generally, when it comes to romance, I will generally run the other way. However, I didn’t mind this aspect of the story and it adds to the depth of the characters.
I think you can guess I like this book, I like this book a helluva lot and it is definitely up there as one of my favorite books of the year. I simply cannot believe that this book is a debut, as Krystle Matar’s writing is so accomplished it is ridiculous. There is such a depth to her prose! Goodness knows what she is going to do next but I will be jostling my way through the multitude of admirers to get to the front and get my copy.
Author Info
Krystle Matar has been writing for a long time, but things got serious when Tashué Blackwood walked into her life, an amber-eyed whirlwind.
When she isn’t arguing with him or any of his friends, she parents and farms. She has a lot of children and even more animals and one very excellent husband.
She is currently working on lots of stories set in the Dominion. She expects to exist in this universe for a while.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KrystleMatar
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krystlematar/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20047399.Krystle_Matar
So, as always, thank you for visiting the site and if you want to look at the others and what is coming next on the tour, here's the schedule
Monday, 8 March 2021
March 08, 2021
FantasyBookNerd
Book Review
1 comment
Title: The Unbroken
Author: C. L. Clark
Series: Magic of the Lost #1
Publisher: Orbit
Pub. Date: 25th March 2021
Print Length: 528 pages
Tuesday, 2 March 2021
March 02, 2021
FantasyBookNerd
Book Review
No comments
Book Tour | The End of Dreams by Marcus Lee
March 2nd 2021
It's my turn on the Blog Tour for The End of Dreams by Marcus Lee . The tour has been organised by the fabulous Storytellers on Tour. So far there have been some fantastic bloggers involved in this tour and I hope you can check out their reviews too. Today, Beneath a Thousnd Skies and Out of This World SFF Reviews are also reviewing The End of Dreams as well, so if you want to have a look at these other fantastic reviews follow the link.
One of the other things I need to mention is that if you want to read the first book in the series, Kings & Daemons. It is currently on sale at the whopping price of 99p
Now before we get to the review, I just want to mention that the cover art for the book is done by Jaqueline Abromeit, who has done all three of the covers for The Gifted & The Cursed. I think that this one is my favorite of the three (although they are all brilliant) and this captures the tone of the book
So if you are not familiar with the book, here is a bit about it.
Book Blurb
Writing hasn't always been a serious hobby for me ... but it has always been there, lurking in the shadows, serving me well when called upon.
As I look back over the years, I realise I was guilty of writing many short stories, as well as poetry, and I'd like to think, that even if they were never intended to be published, they were nonetheless warmly received by the intended recipients.
Then in 2019, I was inspired to write not just a short story, or poetry, but a book. Then, suddenly, one book turned into a trilogy and a labour of love, and it was a love I wanted to share with the world.
So, here we are. The pandemic that put my career in sport on hold also gave me the opportunity to lavish time on my alternative hobby, or if demand dictates my new career.
However, only you, the reader, will decide whether this trilogy, which is still a work in progress, will be the first of many. I genuinely hope so.
Who knows, now these creatives juices are flowing, I might just keep on writing anyway.
Epic fantasy has been my favourite genre since I first read The Odyssey and The Illiad as a seven-year-old. Now it's my turn to see if I can bring another world to life in the imagination of others.
Website: https://www.marcusleebooks.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarcusLeebooks
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Marcusleebooks
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1361488.Marcus_Lee
Newsletter: https://www.marcusleebooks.com/contact
So, as always, thank you for visiting the site and if you want to look at the others and what is coming next on the tour, here's the schedule