Ventifact Colossus is delightful read and a great fun adventure. Extremely well written, with a wonderfully quirky cast of characters who are gathered together by a powerful wizard and sent off on grand adventures to save the kingdom, and perhaps the world. Each character experiences growth as they learn to work together as a team, help each other develop their strengths, and learn to overcome their weaknesses.
The RPG influence on the narrative is clear and unapologetic, making for a comfortable story with just the right amount of what we've come to expect balanced with an equal dose of exciting surprises.
Highly recommended for lovers of traditional epic fantasy with an updated feel, and those who might like a break from grim violence, nihilistic narratives and cursing. This is good clean fun suitable for teens but with plenty of action and intrigue to keep grown-ups (like me) excited to see what happens next.
My Review of The Hod King by Josiah Bancroft
I was incredibly lucky enough to receive an ARC - thank you Orbit and Josiah Bancroft!
Once again, Josiah Bancroft amazes. With each of the first two novels in The Books of Babel series, I've thought I had gathered at least some idea of the kind of project Bancroft was trying to accomplish and a decent inkling of how it might proceed. And with each book I've been proven wrong--in the best possible way. The writing is superb, the style and narrative are truly daring, and the world is one of the most imaginative I've ever read. With The Hod King, Bancroft demonstrates even more that he can not only deftly scribe the most intimate and poetic subtleties of life, but also craft a pulse-pounding action scene to rival the best. Thank you, Mr. Bancroft, for another brilliant adventure!
My Review of The Lore of Prometheus by Graham Austin-King
I was privileged enough to get an ARC of this, and loved it. It's like Myke Cole’s Shadow Ops meets Matt Helm meets Remo Williams in the coolest possible way. This is brutal, thrilling, action-packed military fantasy at its absolute best. Austin-King’s attention to detail and fast paced snarky style make this book a must read. Not kidding. If you're into military fantasy, or even if you're not, you have to give this a try.
My review of Someone Like Me by M. R. Carey
Gotta watch that Mike Carey. He's a cagey fella. Grabs your attention with some shocking, life threatening domestic ultra-violence, then lulls you into a false sense of security with passages of everyday activities only to blow your mind with one completely insane multiversal time-loop morphing body-snatching doppel-ghost head slam after another until you feel you might be crazy or caught up in the shuddering shadow realm of schizophrenic madness yourself. Yes that. And I loved it.
Nuff said, I think. Oh, except the chapter headings are really cool too. Images instead of titles, each representing one of the character POVS. I liked 'em.
Now nuff said. Thank you, Mr. Carey, for another fascinating thrill ride!
My short but sweet review of Never Die by Rob J. Hayes
I was fortunate enough to get an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Never Die is The Seven Samurai meets Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in an action-packed story, inspired by both Chinese Wuxia and Japanese Manga. Drawing from Japanese folklore and a variety of East Asian martial arts traditions, this is an exciting tale of honor and redemption you don't want to miss. One of my favorite reads of the year.
My review of Bloody Rose by Nicholas Eames
This was one of my most anticipated books of the year, and I just got around to being able to read it. I was not disappointed. In fact, I enjoyed it even more than I expected to.
Eames proved himself an author to watch with Kings of the Wyld. Sharp, hilarious, and wonderfully written, he took the idea of music bands and applied it to adventuring monster killer/mercenaries to create a fresh and exciting twist on fantasy fiction.
With Bloody Rose, he's taken that approach above and beyond, proving without a doubt he can write any damn kind of fantasy he pleases, and at the highest level, deftly wielding his pen to create a truly epic story with spectacular action but also extreme depth and pathos--all without sacrificing the humor that got him to where he is.
As a kind of side note, because it pleases me to no end, I was particularly delighted by the way Eames would occasionally switch from past to present tense for intense action sequences, and the way he handled the ending from a narrative point of view. I'm standing and clapping, Mr. Eames. Standing and clapping. Can't wait to see what's next.