Fantasy Book News & Reviews

Books I Want: August thru December 2009

2009-07-16T12:58:00.003-05:00

I thought I would throw together a quick post to list some of the books I am looking forward to, that are coming out between now and the end of 2009. Dates are from Amazon. This isn't a list of everything coming out the rest of the year, just those books I know I will buy upon release.

-Beyond the Wall of Time by Russell Kirkpatrick - Nov 24, 2009 (I liked book 1 in this new series. Originally this book was due out in the spring I believe, but was pushed back to end of year. Thought his writing was definitely improved from his first series)

-The Gods Return by David Drake - Dec 29, 2009 (I know this series has mixed reviews, but being a fan of traditional epic fantasy, i have to try it sometime. I did read the first book, and thought it was good, but not great).

-The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson - Nov 3, 2009 (hardcover purchase, since i have managed to collect the rest in hc)

-First Lord's Fury by Jim Butcher - Nov 24, 2009 (last Alera book, unless something has changed and the series has been extended?)

-The Silver Mage by Katharine Kerr - Nov 3, 2009 (the last Deverry book)

-Full Circle by Pamela Freeman - Nov 12, 2009 (another series conclusion)

-All 3 Chronicles of the Raven books by James Barclay (Oct-Dev, 1 per month).

-A Young Man Without Magic by Lawrence Watt-Evans (not sure what this one is about, but the title and the cover look interesting)

-The rest of the Janny Wurts books, being released again in paperback, one per month.

-The Silver Skull by Mark Charbourn - Nov 24, 2009

-Initiate's Trial by Janny Wurts (first book in a new series, though it continues the previous series. not sure i trust the late Nov date, though)

-Imager's Challenge by L.E. Modesitt, Jr. - Oct 13, 2009 (really looking forward to this one)

-Canticle by Ken Scholes (really, really want this one asap)

-The Commanding Stone by David Forbes - Sept 29, 2009 (i was pretty harsh on the first book when i first started the blog, so will pick this up to see if the story has improved)

-The Rats and the Ruling Sea by Robert V.S. Redick (amazon has a Oct date for the UK release. Is this true? I was thinking it had been pushed to 2010, but might be confused. Anyway, if its Oct, will probably get it from Book Depository)

-Servant of a Dark God by John Brown - Oct 13, 2009 (i have an arc of this one to read, and it sounds pretty interesting, despite the title)

-The Phoenix Transformed by Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory - Sept 15, 2009 (Not sure this series is as good as the first trilogy, but I still enjoyed the first 2 books).

-The Return of the Black Company by Glen Cook - Sept 15, 2009 (the next Black Company omnibus)

-Bauchelain and Korbal Broach: Three Short Novels of the Malazan Empire by Steven Erikson - Sept 15, 2009 (how many books are coming out Sept 15? I'll need a loan to buy all of the books on my list that day)

-The Other Lands by David Anthony Durham - Sept 15, 2009 (Seriously? Sept 15? Good grief. Is this the only day books are released in Sept, or what?)

-Flight of the Renshai by Mickey Zucker Reichert - Sept 1, 2009 (no idea of this is standalone or part of a new series)

-The Grave Thief by Tom Lloyd - Sept 22, 2009 (already have an arc of this one to read, but cant wait to buy a "real" copy for my collection).

-Dragons of the Hourglass Mage by Weiss & Hickman - Aug 4, 2009 (hoping its better than the first 2 in this new series)

-Dust of Dreams by Steven Erikson (has no US release date on Amazon)

-Traitor's Gate by Kate Elliott - Aug 18, 2009 (have the arc, but still need to read the first 2 books, and soon)

-Treason's Shore by Sherwood Smith - Aug 4, 2009 (last Inda book)

-The Divine Talisman by Eldon Thompson - July 28, 2009 (I still wonder if I was too harsh on the first book, due to my high expectations. I don't think I have book 2 a chance, because I was mad at book 1. Now that its been awhile, I am looking forward to starting book 2 again to see what I think).

-The Prodigal Mage by Karen Miller - Aug 10, 2009 (not sure if there will be an arc for this one, but will definitely buy this the day of release)

-Lord of Silence by Mark Chadbourn - Aug 1, 2009

-Nyphron Rising by Michael J. Sullivan (no release date on Amazon yet. Plan to buy all 3 so i can finally start this series)

Today in Fantasy: July 16, 2009

2009-07-16T09:54:00.003-05:00

FBNR News:

I'm 200 pages into Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie. Its good reading so far, though like others have said, the plot is just average. What makes this stand out are the characters and the writing. It's fun just to see how Joe will describe the next scene. I think the humor is spot-on as well. Though the phelgm references could stand to be reduced...

Reviews:

-Fyrefly's Book Blog: Assassin’s Apprentice by S. R. Vaught and J. B. Redmond (YA Fantasy, book 1 in a series)

-Mad Hatter's Bookshelf: The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

-The Wertzone: Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett, The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett

-Stella Matutina: Kushiel's Scion by Jacqueline Carey

-Graeme's Fantasy Book Review: Twelve by Jasper Kent

-Dark Wolf's Fantasy Reviews: The Alchemy of Stone by Ekaterina Sedia

-A Dribble of Ink: Zoe's Tale by John Scalzi

-Fantasy Book Critic: The Age of Ra by James Lovegrove

Authors/News:

-Joshua Palmatier announces that all 3 of his Throne books are now available on the Kindle.

-Browsing the new releases list at Fictionwise, I noticed that Wizards of the Coast released ebook version of most (all?) of Salvatore's Dark Elf Series, and the first 2 in the Lost Chronicles series by Weiss & Hickman. So Drizzt fans now how ebook options. Oh, and at Fictionwise, Joe Abercrombie's Best Served Cold ebook will be 24.95, while the Kindle edition will be 9.99. Yet another example of why the ebook market is so screwed up.

Me and Books (A History)

2009-07-15T11:08:00.003-05:00

I know I am always interested in what formats people buy books (paperback, hardcover, digitial, etc) and why. I also find it interesting to learn what folks do with books after they are done reading them. This post will mostly apply to those of you who buy books, instead of getting them from a library. Nothing wrong with the library, of course..just saying this post is about buying and collecting books. Here is my journey of my book buying life...

While I was always a reader, I found the fantasy genre in 8th grade (which would have been 1982 or 1983 I believe). If I remember correctly, The Iron Tower Trilogy by Dennis McKiernan was my first purchase. Followed by Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings. Next I checked out Sword of Shannara from my local library. At this point I was hooked on fantasy books. But, being in 8th grade and living with a single parent, there was very little money for books. So, I bought books when I could, and tried to stick with used books. Once I got to high school and got a job, I spent most of my money on books or cassettes. This meant driving to a mall and shopping at B. Dalton or Waldenbooks. I pretty much kept every book I bought, but only bought books when I was about to finish the current book I was reading. There was no to-read pile at this point. Same for my college years.

Fast forward to having a job and making real money after college. While I still kept all my books, I did not buy stuff in advance. Mostly, I still bought when I needed a new book. About 9 years ago, something switched and I decided to start buying books I knew I would eventually read, even if it would be awhile. I would say I had a to-read pile of around 20-50 books for quite awhile. Then, for some reason, I decided to become a collector. This meant buying books I had lost over the years, or pretty much buying ANY fantasy book I thought I might eventually read. I picked these up at regular book stores, used book stores, and outlet mall book stores (half-price books). This is how my to-read pile got out of control, and is probably somewhere around 250 books or more. Which brings me to present day.

I am really running out of room to store all these books. I have them piled on the floor in front of the bookshelves, on top of the bookshelves, stacked 2-3 rows deep on each shelf, etc. And I have come to the realization I can no longer continue to collect books that I will no longer read. Is it just me, or is it really hard to get rid of a book? I really struggle with it. I think that at some point, maybe even 20 years from now, I might be in the mood for the book and will want to read it. So I end up hanging on to books that there is a 99% chance I won't read ever again. Plus books I have bought I started, didnt like, and put back in the to-read pile for later. But something has to give. I simply can't continue to buy books, unless I get rid of some old ones to free up space. I need to make the difficult to decision to start pruning my book piles, to get rid of those books I know I will never read. I can't continue to hold onto books just so I can say I have a large collection.

Now, part of my problem is for books I like, I buy the hardcover AND paperback. I want the hardcover for durability (and the acid free paper), and the paperback for portability. The hardbacks I buy thinking long-term...these are books I want to last 25 years from now, for reading when I am retired. That probably sounds silly, but thats me. Besides pruning my books, I need to stop buying 2 physical copies of every book I really like. If I am running out of space, I really don't need to store 2 copies of most of my books.

This brings me to ebooks. I bought a Sony Reader last year, and liked it. But, I didnt like the fact that I still needed a book light to read in bed, or other low light situations. A couple of months later (last summer), I bought an ipod Touch. Once the app store opened, several ereaders were available. Sure, the screen is much smaller, but now I have a backlit display for night reading. The Sony Reader gathered dust, and last month I bought a new iPhone 3GS.

Here is what I have realized about me and ebooks over the past year. Despite many attempts, I don't like reading an ENTIRE book digitally. I just don't get "into" the book as much if I am swiping the screen instead of turning the pages. Being a technology geek, that surprises me. But like many have said, there is something about holding a physical book that improves my reading experience. However, it is nice to have a digital edition to read while standing in line at the store, waiting at the dr office, etc. So, what I envision my future book buying to include is: I will continue to buy hardcovers when available. Instead of later buying the mmpb, though, I will most likely buy a digital version instead. This still means 2 purchases, but only 1 copy that needs to be stored on a bookshelf. The other copy is a digital copy that will go where I go (via my iPhone). Now if a company would be brave enough to try some sort of book bundling...like buy the hardcover for 25 bucks, or the hardcover and digital edition for 30, or something similar...

So, that is pretty much my personal history with book buying and collecting. I'm sure it was a bit long and boring, but i thought maybe one person out there might find this kinda thing as interesting as I do :)

On a side note, because of my inability to read entire ebooks, my promise to read more small press books hit a snag. I had hoped to read those books digitally, but its not working. I'll have to email those of you who sent me ebooks to ask for a physical copy instead, if one exists. I would still like to read more small press, but I can't do it after all, if your only copy is a digital version.

Today In Fantasy: July 14, 2009

2009-07-14T13:28:00.002-05:00

FBNR News:

There was no Today post yesterday, due to an error on my part Sunday evening. I was browsing my Google Reader acct on my iPhone, and accident hit the "mark all as read" link instead of the Refresh button. Poof, all my saved articles for my Monday post were gone. Sure, I could go through each of my 75 feeds to figure out which ones I missed, but thats too much work. So I had to wait for enough new links to accumulate for a new post.

On the reading front, I started Inda over the weekend and had a good impression after 50 pages. However, before I return to Inda, I need to read Best Served Cold. 40 pages in, and already hooked. Doesn't seem to take long, with Abercrombie's writing.

Reviews:

-King of the Nerds: The Lees of Laughter's End by Steven Erikson

-Graeme's Fantasy Book Review: The Light of Heaven by David A. McIntee (I haven't heard of Twilight of Kerberos series before. Anyone have any info on it? Is it UK only? Shared World?)

-Adventures in Reading: Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan (I read the first 4 1/2 books about 2 years ago. Not sure what to do next. Pick up where i left off later this fall, or wait for Brandon Sanderson to finish them all and read the entire series at once. As much as I am looking forward to A Memory of Light, do I want to read it when it comes out, if the story ends in the middle? Maybe..guess it will depend on a release date for the next one, if we have an update by that time)

-Unbound!: The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong, Midnight Alley by Rachel Cane

-Highlander's Book Reviews: The Exodus Gate by Stephen Zimmer

-The Wertzone: The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett (i've tried to give this book a go a couple of times, with no luck. Seems like something I should like, though, so will try again at some point down the road).

Authors/News:

-James, of Speculative Horizons, posted the cover art for James Barclay's new series due in early 2010. Sounds (and looks) pretty good to me.

-Joe Abercrombie with a pretty hilarious post in regards to he and Brent Weeks spending time on Borders new blog.

New Releases: Week of July 14, 2009 (Books & Music)

2009-07-14T08:26:00.004-05:00

Here is the list of new releases, according to Amazon. Links in the book titles take you to the amazon page for more details (i don't get enough traffic to monetize this site, so i'm not actually trying to make bucks off ya. But I'm too lazy to copy and paste the descriptions for every book. I used to include the Amazon code that allowed the details to pop up in a new window if you hovered over the link, but they don't seem to give me that option anymore. Thus you have the links..)

Books:

-The Republic of Thieves (Gollancz) by Scott Lynch (I know this isnt actually coming out today. But Amazon thinks it is, and I couldn't help posting it, just for fun)
-The Dragon Never Sleeps by Glen Cook
-The Hundred-Towered City by Garry Kilworth
-Seeker's Curse (Rogue Angel) by Alex Archer
-

Music:

Amazon.com Widgets

This next one is from a relative unknown, and came out a couple of months ago. He was the lead singer for a great rock band from North Carolina called Athenaeum. His first solo album is excellent, and will make my music top 10 of 2009. If you like straight ahead rock, like Tonic, Daughtry, even Sister Hazel, give this a listen. His voice is a little different, but I loved it right away. Great stuff. You can view his website, here.

Amazon.com Widgets

This next band is a Christian band called Mikeschair. I normally try to keep my beliefs off the blog, but had to include this band. The lead singer (Mike, on the far left in the album cover) usually fills in at our church when our regular music leader is out. Its kinda neat to see someone from our church in a band on a major record label.

Amazon.com Widgets

Finally, I'll link to a personal favorite of mine. Michael McDermott is, to me, Chicago's version of Bruce Springsteen. Great voice, lyrics, and music. You can buy his brand new album at his website, here. I'm off to buy it now myself. If you like it, check out some of his other work on Amazon or iTunes. You can sample some stuff on his myspace page.

Recommendation: The Sword-Edged Blonde by Alex Bledsoe

2009-07-13T10:59:00.002-05:00

So, here is my first "Recommendation" post If you have been following along, I mentioned I would try something different in regards to reviewing. As this evolved in my head, it made sense to call these Recommendations, since what I am really doing is recommending books you should read. So, you will only see these posts for books I liked enough to suggest you check them out. Without further ado, reasons you should give The Sword-Edged Blonde a shot.

Reasons to read this book:

-You are looking for a book that is a mix of fantasy & mystery. While the setting is secondary world fantasy, the story itself feels like a modern day mystery. What this means is that you have a fairly typical fantasy world populated with characters named Eddie, Gretchen, Angelina, Liz, Janet, Cathy, Phil, Terry, etc. You might think (as I normally do), that such a combination is no good. But in this case, it works. Mostly because of the writing. The book is filled with modern day sayings and slang (I meant to bookmark a few to include in this post, but forgot). It is this combo of old world fantasy and modern day language that set this book apart for me. Done badly the book would be rather horrible. Done well, as this one is, makes for something more unique and interesting.

-The main character is excellently realized. Eddie is a pretty interesting guy to hang out with, which is a good thing considering this is a 1st person story told from Eddie's viewpoint. He turns out to be a rather complex guy. On one hand he is witty and likeable. On the other, he has done something rather regretable in his past. I won't say what this is, but it adds extra depth. And instead of turning me away, it made me "bond" with him even more. While the writing is good throughout, Eddie is the biggest reason so spend your bucks on this book.

-You want to try urban fantasy, but aren't interested in the stuff that is out there now. While this book isnt technically urban fantasy, it does have that "feel" to me. I had been looking for an urban fantasy to try out, but none of them interested me. I'm just not interested in fantasy books with a modern day setting. While I like Jim Butcher, this book appealed to me more, because of the secondary world setting.

-The mystery parts of the story are done well. This isn't some cheap fantasy, mystery hybrid, where both are only half-done. I would like to see the world fleshed out a bit more in later stories, but the author definitely knows how to write a good whodunit.

-It had just the right amound of humor. Most of the humor was due to Eddie's way with words, but some of it came in the form of snappy dialogue, as well.

-This book will most definitely make my 2009 Top 10 List. And the second book is due this fall. I am even thinking of trying to track down a hardcover from Night Shade books (I read the Tor mass market paperback I purchased last weekend).

-Overall, it was a nice, unique change of pace. And at only 300 pages, it reads very quickly. If you are looking for book to take with you on vacation, and don't want to haul around a 600 page doorstopper, this one is for you. Especially if you like an interesting main character and a good mystery, told in a "hard-boiled" style.

My Top 5 Reads of 2009 So Far

2009-07-10T14:13:00.003-05:00

I thought I would join my fellow bloggers and post the top 5 books I have read in 2009. Note that this arent limited to 2009 releases, but are just the 5 favorite books I have read in 2009 thus far. Links in the book title take you to the review.

First here are the names of the books I have read so far this year:

Nights of Villjamur by Mark Charan Newton
The Alchemyst by Michael Scott
In the Eye of Heaven David Keck
The Immortal Prince by Jennifer Fallon
Fall of Thanes by Brian Ruckley
Night of Knives by Ian Cameron Esslemont
The Red Wolf Conspiracy by Robert V.S Redick
Foundling by D.M. Cornish
A Shadow in Summer by Daniel Abraham
The Twilight Herald by Tom Lloyd
The Hammer of God by Karen Miller
The Stormcaller by Tom Lloyd
A Magic of Twilight by S.L. Farrell
Imager by L.E. Modesitt, Jr.
Lamentation by Ken Scholes
Midwinter by Matthew Sturges
The Riven Kingdom by Karen Miller
Empress by Karen Miller
The Path of Revenge by Russell Kirkpatrick
The Lord-Protector's Daughter by L.E. Modesitt, Jr.
The Icebound Land by John Flanagan

And now my top 5 from the above list:

1) Lamentation by Ken Scholes
2) In the Eye of Heaven by David Keck
3) The Twilight Herald by Tom LLoyd
4) Imager by L.E. Modesitt, Jr.
5) Foundling by D.M. Cornish

The nice thing about my top 5 list, is that all 5 have sequels that I plan to read before the end of 2009. So it will be interesting to see if any of those sequels make my end of year list. Even though I only read a little over 20 books, picking my top 5 was harder than I thought. And i have several highly anticipated books coming up in the next few months (The Grave Thief, the next Imager book, Best Served Cold, The Magician, Acacia & The Other Lands, Canticle, etc). I have a feeling the end of year top 10 is gonna be ridiculously hard to determine.

Today in Fantasy: July 9, 2009

2009-07-09T13:42:00.002-05:00

FBNR News:

Thanks to everyone for the comments about the blog changes I mentioned yesterday. After doing another day of thinking, and reading the comments, my reviews will probably turn into recommendations instead. How this will work: in my daily posts (like this one), I will continue to mention what book I am reading, where I am in the book, and some brief thoughts on it..positive, negative or both. If I disliked a book, you will read why in this section, over the course of 1 or more daily posts (depending on how far i make it in the book). If I happen to like a book, when I am done, instead of writing a review, I will instead write a Recommendation post, giving some thoughts on why I liked the book and why you should add it to your list. In reality, this is like a combo review/recommendation/spotlight kinda thing, to highlight books I enjoyed. So, at least for now, thats how my "reviews" will work. Might sound confusing, but maybe after you see the first Recommendation, it will make more sense.

I'm about halfway through The Sword-Edged Blonde by Alex Bledsoe. So far, its pretty darn great. I stayed up an extra hour last night reading, as I couldn't make myself close the book to go to bed. I'm a bit sleepy now because of it, but it was worth it. This book does have English names, with the main character being Eddie LaCrosse. Despite this being a secondary world fantasy, the English names actually don't bother me this time. The biggest reason for this is that the characters use modern slang, so it feels like a current day mystery set in a secondary fantasy world. The world itself is totally fantasy: horses, swords, magic, etc, yet it feels like an urban fantasy (set in a secondary world). It totally works for me, as I have been looking for something with the feel of urban fantasy, but without the modern day setting. Here's hoping the second half of the book is as good as the first half.

Oh, and that new Stellastarr* album, Civilized, is really growing on me. I've listened to it 5 times since I bought it Tuesday, and its one of those albums that sounds better each time. I believe Amazon might still have it priced at 3.99 in the MP3 store. See my Tuesday music post if you want to hear samples.

Tomorrow, I will try to post my top 5 reads of 2009 so far (books I have read this year, not just those published in 2009).

Reviews:

-A Fantasy Reader: Lamentation by Ken Scholes, The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams (this series is one of my top 5 all time), The Adamantine Palace by Stephen Deas (I really, really need to read this soon, and thanks to Liviu, I can), The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (there are now 18 or 19 reviews of this book in my Index. I need to figure out which book has the most. I am betting The Blade Itself is the winner).

-BSCReview: City of Jade by Dennis L. McKiernan (i'm of fan of this author, but all the negative reviews are scaring me off a bit. Definitely a book that will have to wait for pb before I consider buying)

-Fantasy Dreamer's Ramblings: Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs

-Mad Hatter's Bookshelf: Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie (need to find time to read this one, also. Too many books, not enough time. Why can't i get paid to just sit around and read?)

Authors/News:

-L.E. Modesitt, Jr with a blog post about reviewing. His last paragraph happens to jive with my thoughts lately, which is one reason for my blog changes.

Today in Fantasy: July 8, 2009

2009-07-08T12:29:00.002-05:00

FBNR Stuff:

After doing some (more) thinking the last couple of weeks, I think I will try a couple changes to the blog. I'm trying to avoid burning out on it, as it seems several bloggers recently have slowed down the pace of their blogging (myself included). My slowdown was mostly work related, but I did need the break. I enjoy these daily posts, and having the time to comments on the reviews & news I link to. Also, I really don't like writing negative reviews, so I'll be trying out an idea related to both of those things.

First, I will try to post a Today in Fantasy piece every weekday (weekends will be optional). Doing them daily (right now, its more like 3 times per week) will mean less links daily for me to read, which will allow me time to read them and comment on them (if i feel like I have something to add). So, look for daily posts containing fewer links, but more commentary.

Second, I am changing (again) how I review. I will no longer dedicate a unique blog post for reviewing a book I didn't like. Time is too short for me to spend an hour writing up a review for a book I didn't enjoy. However, I will still comment on my daily reading in the daily post, so you will know if I dislike the book I am reading, and why. I just will no longer (for now) make a dedicated review post to cover the book.

Third, as a side-effect of the second change noted above, my reviews will be more like "spotlights" on books I just read, really liked, and want to share with others. In other words, if I give a book its own review post, that means I really liked it and want everyone to know about it (and why). This is partially inspired by Liviu at Fantasy Book Critic. He reads at an amazing pace, but for the most part, decides to devote his in-depth reviews to books he feels are worth recommending (Liviu can correct me if I am mis-stating his reviewing habits :) ).

So, to wrap up: mostly daily Today in Fantasy posts, with additional commentary. Will also briefly discuss the book I am reading, whether its good or bad. When I finish a book and didnt like it, I will keep the negative commentary in my Today posts. If i really liked the book, it will get a dedicated review post.

I will continue to occasionally mention music I want to recommend, thought pieces, questions (like today's character question), interviews, etc. Hopefully these content changes are enough to keep this place interesting enough for you to keep stopping by :)

Reviews:

-Monsters & Critics: Blood of Ambrose by James Enge (I have to say that I'm not sure how this honestly qualifies as a review. The first paragraph seems to be a plot summary, and the second paragraph is a 3 sentence opinion. that's it. I know the "what is a review" thing has gone around the blogosphere several times, and I'm not trying to start it up again. But how useful can this review really be to folks deciding whether to buy this book?)

-Mad Hatter's Bookshelf: A Spell for the Revolution by C.C. Finlay (I think the big turnoff for me on this one, is that I'm not really interested in reading stories that take place at the time of the revolution. This is partially due to the fact I don't like guns in my fantasy stories (unless its the rare urban fantasy book I might read)

-Fantasy Book Critic: Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding (trying to decide whether to order this from book depository. I think i would like the writing, if the story is "fantasy enough" for me. The steam punk elements worry me a bit, but otherwise it sounds pretty good)

-Unbound!: Nights of Villjamur by Mark Charan Newton (yep, I'm still in the minority with my feelings on this one. Though to reiterate, I did think the good outweighed the less than good for me, and I'll definitely pick up book 2).

-Blood of the Muse: The Red Wolf Conspiracy by Robert V.S. Redick (probably one of the best reviews I have read for this book. I agree with most of it, with the exception that I thought the book fell apart a bit in the last third. Overall, I might have enjoyed it a bit more than Nights, though. Gasp! ;) )

-The Wertzone: Fire by Kristin Cashore

Author/News:

-None today.

Question: Character Names in Fantasy

2009-07-08T08:08:00.002-05:00

While reading a book last night, I thought of a question I thought I would ask here on the blog.

Q: Do you like "real world" character names in secondary world fantasy stories?

My answer is no, I do not like it. I'm not saying that using "real" names isn't valid or shouldn't be done. I am simply saying I don't like it. It feels weird to me, to read a book set on some imagined world, say Altoria (made-up), and see characters named Rick, Bobby, Paul, Stacy, Tina, etc. Is that weird to anyone else? If the world, religion, history, etc is "made-up", I want the characters names to fit into that made-up world. So, don't give me Elves, Dwarves, Orcs in stories with humans named Stan, David, or Lucy (unless they originally came from earth and walked through a door to this made up world). It just doesn't feel right to me. I mean, would Lord of the Rings been the same if Frodo was Frank, or Bilbo was Bob?

What about you? Yes or No on "real" names in secondary world fantasy?

Today in Fantasy: July 7, 2009

2009-07-07T13:42:00.002-05:00

FBNR News:

Finish Nights of Villjamur last night, since I have 2 posts already today, look for the review tomorrow. In short, I liked it, but not as much as I had hoped. Still a good debut, though, and will buy book 2, even if I have to import it again (i know there is a US deal, but not sure if book 2 will have a worldwide simultaneous release).

Next up, most likely one of these: The Dwarves by Marcus Heintz, The Sword-Edged Blonde by Alex Bledsoe, Inda by Sherwood Smith (4th and final book due in early August), or something else if it takes my fancy. I'm sure, like normal lately, i will start all of he above and see which one "works" for me at this particular moment. I need to resume the small press book I started a couple of weeks ago, too.

Reviews:

-The Wertzone: Iron Angel by Alan Campbell, God of Clocks by Alan Campbell (seems like most reviewers were disappointed by this one, I think).

-Speculative Horizons: Jasmyn by Alex Bell

-Fantasy Book Critic: Lord of Silence by Mark Chadbourn

-Mad Hatter's Bookshelf: The Magicians by Lev Grossman (expecting a copy of this sometime next week. looking forward to it.)

-BSCReview: Winter Duty by E.E. Knight

-A Dribble of Ink: Blood of Ambrose by James Enge (I agree with Aidan on this one, though I only made it 30 pages into the book after 2 attempts to start it. I didn't have a major issue with it, just couldnt seem to get into the story for some reason).

-Bookgeeks: The Forgotten Legion by Ben Kane (this one sounds interesting, but not sure I will pay the hardcover price to try it out, since it isnt in my "target" genre)

-Seven Foot Shelves: Conqueror's Moon by Julian May (I mostly agree with Lisa on this one, also. I have all 3 books in the series, but can't seem to muster up the courage to start book 2.)

-NextRead: Thicker Than Water by Mike Carey (i think this is one of the few urban fantasy series I actually want to attempt to read sometime).

Authors/News:

-Lou posted a revised cover for The Grave Thief by Tom Lloyd. I like the subtle changes. And this book is one of my most anticipated of the 2nd half of 2009. Can't wait. I sent an email hoping for an early copy, but no response, so it looks like I have to wait another 2 months to see what happens next. Drat. This is a definite "buy as soon as I see it in the store" book, and one where I will probably start checking Borders and Barnes & Noble a couple weeks early, hoping for an early release.

-Robots and Vamps has posted their excellent weekly new release round-up.

New Music Tuesday: July 7, 2009

2009-07-07T08:33:00.002-05:00

Below are some Amazon widgets of new albums coming out today that I recommend (so, not a list of all new albums. Just some I have been looking forward to.) I am using Amazon Widgets instead of iTunes links, because the Amazon widgets let you preview each song. Though, I imagine you will need to view the blog in a browser (instead of viewing the post in a reader like Google Reader). Note that the Stellastarr* MP3 album is onsale for 3.99. Of the 3, We Were Promised Jetpacks looks to emerge as my favorite. Maybe even one of my top 10 albums of 2009 so far.

Amazon.com Widgets

Today in Fantasy: July 6, 2009

2009-07-06T12:47:00.002-05:00

FBNR News:

-Feels good to be able to read again. I almost finished Nights of Villjamur over the weekend..just 40 pages left to go. Feeling somewhat mixed. Overall pretty positive, but not quite living up to my expectations after reading some of the reviews. Again, pretty good, maybe even in my top 10 of 2009. But not my top 5. Still, not bad for a debut. Should have that review posted tomorrow. Despite a softball game taking up most of my after-work time tonight, I will find a way to read those last 40 pages before bedtime.

Reviews:

-Adventures in Reading: Inside Straight (Wild Cards) edited by George R.R. Martin

-The Wertzone: Scar Night by Alan Campbell

-Dark Wolf's Fantasy Reviews: Avempartha by Michael J. Sullivan (with all the good press this series is getting, I'm kinda surprised it hasn't been picked up by a bigger publisher. Maybe now that 2 of the 6 are out, its too late?)

-Blood of the Muse: Eve of Darkness by S.J. Day (I had fun reading his criticisms of this book, and his dig at much of the recent urban fantasy books).

-Fantasy Book Critic: Interregnum by SJA Turney (haven't heard of this author before, but it sounds pretty interesting)

-Graeme's Fantasy Book Review: Bauchelain and Korbal Broach by Steven Erikson (I own the first 2 limited editions, but plan to pick up this Tor release when it hits shelves, as I have yet to read any of them)

Authors/News:

-Some excellent news from David Anthony Durham. He has an agreement with his publisher to go ahead with book 2 in the Acacia series. I am still trying to hold out for The Other Lands to hit stores, so i can read both his books in one go. Really getting itchy to read it though, so I might have to start it soon.

-Pyr posted the cover of Dawnthief by James Barclay. This is also a reminder that the US publication is finally drawing near.

-David B. Coe is running a contest to win a signed hardcover of The Sorcerers' Plague

-Joe Abercrombie announced that Subterranean Press will be doing a limited edition signed hardcover for The Blade Itself. Also, his 4 books are available as ebooks at Waterstones. But for some reason, the ebooks are priced higher than the print editions. Totally ridiculous. I don't think digital versions should be free, but pricing the ebook higher than the print book is just plain silly, and a bit insulting to those of us interested in the ebook version.

-Joshua Palmatier just got word of the release date for his next book. May 2010. Looks to take place in the same world as the Throne books, but a bit later in time, I think (unless its a prequel series. I can't remember now).

Music:

-If you are a fan of the southern rock band Sister Hazel, you can get a solo album from the lead singer, Ken Block, from the Amazon MP3 store free here. It just came out in December 2008, so its fairly new, and sounds pretty good so far.

-New album from Stellastarr* due out tomorrow. Can't wait. Link for it in my next Today in Fantasy post.

Happy 4th to Everyone

2009-07-04T11:08:00.002-05:00

Just a quick post to wish everyone here in the US a happy July 4th weekend. And if you don't live in the US, I hope you have a nice non-holiday weekend :)

I bought a (meat) smoker yesterday and will be trying it for the first time later today. Wish me luck. Hopefully the chicken will turn out well for our holiday dinner. I never could get the hang of cooking well with a grill, so thought I would give the smoker a shot.

Had planned on a Today in Fantasy post this morning, but just got a call from my mom, and she is only 15 minutes away, so no time to post anything longer. Will try to do it tonight, though, depending on our evening schedule. Or I might choose to read more of Nights of Villjamur. We'll see.

Today In Fantasy: July 2, 2009

2009-07-02T10:29:00.002-05:00

FBNR News:

Yesterday I forgot to mention a 4th book i was reading: Nights of Villjamur by Mark Charan Newton. It appears that this is the book I am now officially reading, as I crossed the 100 page mark last night. So far the story is pretty good. I like winter settings so I'm interested to see how the coming ice age is handled. I will say that I've was a little surprised by the graphic content, as I don't remember this being mentioned before in other reviews. It should be noted that I have a pretty low bar for graphic content, so I would imagine what I consider graphic is probably nothing for most of you. For example, twice a character is stated to be "wiping off" after sex. While the wording isnt graphic, for me the image the phrase conjures is graphic. And there is the gay sex, as i dont really want to read about a guy taking another guy "in the mouth" (I dont want to read about it if its guy/girl, either). I'm interested enough in the story, luckily to continue, otherwise I might have had to put it down. Again, I expect this doesn't bother most of you, but I'm one of those readers who like scenes similar to the above to take place behind closed doors. And I mention this in case you are thinking of passing this book off to your 10 year old. I personally wouldn't do it, as I would say this is meant for mid teens and up. Also, at times I feel like I should be reading with a dictionary or thesaurus beside me. Some of the more esoteric words work, but other times I feel like "bigger" words are used when a more normal, everyday word would work just as well. Other than the above 2 issues, I think the story, characters, and writing and pretty darn good, and I am enjoying the book. I needed a good book to hook me after my recent reading break, and Nights of Villjamur is doing the job of getting me excited about reading again.

I took the "Which Fantasy Author Are You Like" quiz that made the rounds 2 weeks ago, and my author was Robert Jordan. That should be no surprise to regular readers, as i've been pretty vocal about my love for traditional epic fantasy. This is another indication of why the graphic content mentioned above was almost too much for me.

Oh, and with the new review links added today, my Fantasy Review Index (check the right side of the blog, if you are reading this in a news reader) hit 1200 different links today.

Reviews:

-King of the Nerds: Dawnthief by James Barclay (Looking forward to finally reading this when the Pyr editions hit the shelves here in the US this fall. I have heard that the series gets better after book 1, though it sounds like Mike might not give the series a second shot).

-davebrendon's fantasy & sci-fi weblog: Avempartha by Michael J. Sullivan (one of these days I will quit saying i need to read this, and actually go online and buy the first 2 books).

-Highlander's Book Reviews: The Edge of the World by Kevin J. Anderson

-Speculative Horizons: Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding (i wasnt sure i was interested in this one, but after reading James's review, I might need to check Book Depository for ordering info)

-Bookgeeks: The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan, Fall of Thanes by Brian Ruckley

-Blood of the Muse: Lamentation by Ken Scholes

-Fantasy Book Critic: Monument by Ian Graham

-Pat's Fantasy Hotlist: Fall of Thanes by Brian Ruckley

Today in Fantasy: July 1, 2009

2009-07-01T13:07:00.002-05:00

FBNR News:

Work is finally back to "normal". Finally. This means a return to regular blogging and reading. Hoorah! Right now I am bouncing around between The Dwarves by Marcus Heintz, Spirit Gate by Kate Elliott, and A Mage of None Magic by A. Christopher Drown (this one is one of the small press submissions i received. So far, pretty good, too).

I recently finished reading The Alchemyst by Michael Scott, but it won't get an official review this time. I read the first 2/3 6 weeks ago, and read the rest last week. With such a large gap between reads, I don't think its fair to review it. However, I will say I enjoyed the book, and thought it could appeal to the YA crowd and adults as well (especially if you are looking for a light, but nicely entertaining read). I plan to locate a hardcover copy of book 2, The Magician sometime soon.

Reviews:

-Robots & Vamps: A Madness of Angels by Kate Griffin

-Grasping for the Wind: City of the Dead by Rosemary Jones (always nice to see some Forgotten Realms or Dragonlance coverage)

-Mad Hatter's Bookshelf: The Affinity Bridge by George Mann (sounds interesting, but not sure it would interest me)

-Fantasy Book Critic: Dragonseed by James Maxey

-SFF World: A Madness of Angels by Kate Griffin (i've come close to buying this a couple of times, even though I dont read much/any urban fantasy), Two Pearls of Wisdom by Allison Goodman, Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding

-Neth Space: Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie (looking forward to this one more after Neth's review. Maybe I should move it up the stack and read it before The Dwarves?)

Authors/News:

-Barnes and Noble announced that on their eReader ebook site, they will be competing with amazon's kindle book price point. Most new books will now be just 9.95 on eReader.com. Awesome stuff. Check the article here for more details. Even the Lord of the Rings combined trilogy (all 3 books in 1) ebook is down to 9.95.

-Karen Miller posted the cover for The Prodigal Mage. Pretty nice, I like it. Really looking forward to this one.

-Not book related, but my favorite new band of 2008, The Gaslight Anthem, was joined by my favorite music artists of all time, Bruce Springsteen. The Gaslight Anthem reminds me of a mix of 1970s Springsteen rock and Green Day. Sounds weird, but if you listen to them, you'll get it. Awesome new band. Anyway, here is a video of Bruce joining them onstage to sing The '59 Sound. Check it (and become a new fan!) here.

-Edit the above, I had a tie for favorite new band of 2008: The Gaslight Anthem is tied with The Airborne Toxic Event. Meant to devote a real post to these 2 bands, but never got around to it.

What Happened To Dragonlance?

2009-06-29T13:30:00.003-05:00

In my effort to produce more original content and thoughts (instead of overwhelming the blog with link-ups), I had another question I wanted to ask you folks about.

Question: What happened to the Dragonlance series?

By the above question, I mean, what happened to the series in terms of sales and shelf space? Most of my local bookstores devote very little room to the Dragonlance books, though Forgotten Realms novels still seems to get a good deal of room on the shelves. It was a fairly popular series in the 1980s and into the 1990s, but really seems to have fallen on hard times in the 2000s. I am not basing this assumption on sales figures, but on the dwindling shelf space. But I am assuming that the lack of shelf space is due to a corresponding lack of sales.

All of the ideas below are just MY guesses at what the might have caused the (perceived) fall of Dragonlance. Any one agree with these, or have some others I might have missed? Or do you totally disagree that Dragonlance has fallen on hard times?

1) The books are mostly stuck in a 1980s style of fantasy the most readers today aren't interested in. (though personally, this style still works for me, if well-written)

2) Once the series got popular, too many books came out in a short period of time. Readers felt the series was more about making money off many books instead of publishing quality novels.

3) Tied to #2 above, due to the rapid increase in the number of novels, many of the books were badly written, or written by first time authors who quickly disappeared.

4) Its been 25+ years, and like all things, it can be hard to maintain a high quality over that period of time.

5) The novels never really had a "breakout" series outside of the core Weiss & Hickman novels. That's not to say that there werent other good books, but no other authors could repeat the popularity of the original authors.

6) Most readers are sceptical of most shared-world novels.

7) It is hard to pick out the good novels/authors from the bad.

8) New readers might be intimidated by the number of novels, and not know where to begin. Or they might feel like they would have to read too many books to get familiar with the story, and are hesitant to invest the time.

9) The Fifth Age was a bad decision and turned many loyal readers away.

10) Too many of the stories were about the same set of characters (i.e. all the novels talking about a certain event in the life of Tanis, Raistlin, Flint, Tas, etc. See the preludes series and similiar books).

Those are just some of the reasons I have been able to come up with. I happen to like many of the Dragonlance series, though there are also many that are pretty crappy. I keep hoping we will see some sort of uprising or rebirth of the Dragonlance world, as I really like the idea of shared world novels. There is lots of potential for a depth of history and setting that you can't get in a trilogy. But, this potential is easily abused if "bad" authors publish too many noveles in the world. And a lack of oversight to keep the history and world-building consistent can easily doom a shared world setting. But, I think with strong oversight (editing?) and quality authors writing in the world, shard world novels can be really, really tempting. Although you have to remember this opinion is coming from someone who reads primarily secondary world epic fantasy :)

Friday Poll: Is Fantasy More "Re-Readable" Than Other Genres?

2009-06-26T10:10:00.002-05:00

First, I won't actually put up a poll, but you can vote yes/no in the comments.

My answer to the question is "YES". I do find fantasy books more re-readable than other genres, but I don't know why. One of the reasons I thought I would post this question was to find out if others had the same opinion, and if you do agree, maybe you have a better reason than I can come up with. I won't post a big thought piece on this. I hope some of you will comment with some thoughts, and the 'real' post will actually be the dialogue in the comments. So vote in the comments and get some discussion going :)

I think the big reason I find fantasy more re-readable is the setting. I can read a fantasy book multiple times and learn new things about the world, the history, etc. In mystery or espionage, because they take place in the real world (usually), I don't really pick up new things on a re-read. In all genres, the mystery of the ending of the story is gone. So if you are going to re-read a book, it must be to spend time with the characters or the world. I guess you can re-read other genres to spend time with the characters again, but not so much with the world.

The thing I can't explain is: why does knowing the end of a fantasy story not ruin the re-read, but knowing the ending of the mystery or spy book does ruin a re-read for me. The only real reason I can come up with is that when immersing yourself in a secondary (non-real) world, you can always learn new things, and it makes you want to read a good fantasy book again, and again. Maybe its also the fun of getting lost in a epic story?

Sorry I rambled a bit here, but as I said, I have a hard time explaining why i love to re-read fantasy stories, but not other genres. I'm hoping some of you (if you agree with me) will be better at explaining the reasons. And of course, if you disagree, tell me what I am missing by not reading my other books multiple times.

Today in Fantasy: Jun 24, 2009

2009-06-24T08:23:00.003-05:00

FBNR Stuff:

Yesterday i noticed that book 3 in The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, titled The Goddess, was in bookstores. That prompted me to resume book 1, The Alchemyst. I read the first 200 pages 6 weeks ago before i got too busy to read much. I probably should have started over, but couldnt make myself do it. I have forgotten some things about the plot, so I won't be able to do a full review when I finish. I will most likely just write up some thoughts on the final 150 pages and post them in the this section of a Today in Fantasy post later this week.

I am also really enjoying my new iphone. No problems at all with the ATT service here in Nashville. Almost everywhere I go I have 5 full bars. Its pretty awesome to listen to interent radio while driving around. I can even listen to audio of any baseball game, including live broadcasts of 2 games per day. Just awesome. Also using it to read ebooks.

Still making my way through my Reader feeds, with 400 still to go. Will take awhile to catch up on all those older review links i missed the last 2-3 weeks.

Reviews:

-Fantasy Dreamer's Ramblings: Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs

-Grasping for the Wind: Fall of Thanes by Brian Ruckley (nice review by John. I still believe that this series is probably better if the books are read consecutively, instead of a year apart, as I did)

-Neth Space: Green by Jay Lake

-Old Bat's Belfry: The Third Sign by Gregory A. Wilson (I thought this book came out a couple of months ago. I hope to cover this one in July.)

-Bookgeeks: Inkdeath by Cornelia Funke (i've always wondered if this series was worth giving a shot. After doing some research, I just can't decide)

-Unbound: The Thornthwaite Inheritance by Gareth P. Jones

-Flight into Fantasy: Pure Blood by Caitlin Kittredge

-BSCReview: The City and The City by China Mieville (I know this puts me in the minority, but i've never really been tempted to read this author's books. I don't really think they would appeal to me)

-Mad Hatter's Bookshelf: Hunter's Moon by David Devereoux

-Fantasy Book Critic: Naamah's Kiss by Jacqueline Carey

-Graeme's Fantasy Book Review: Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding

-Fyrefly's Book Blog: Black Powder War by Naomi Novik

Authors/News:

-Paul S. Kemp has joined Twitter. Find him here.

New Releases: Week of June 22, 2009

2009-06-23T08:58:00.002-05:00

According to Amazon, below is the list of new fantasy related books due out this week. The title will take you to the amazon page for more details. Just a small list this week, though as always, next week (being the end of the month) looks to have more releases.

Naamah's Kiss by Jacqueline Carey
Breakaway (Cassandra Kresnov)by Joel Shepard
Mark of the Demon by Diana Rowland
Darkest Hour (Age of Misrule Book Two) by Mark Chadburn (though I thought I saw this in stores 2 weeks ago)
After the Downfall by Harry Turtledove
Traitor to the Crown: The Demon Redcoat by C.C. Finlay

Is Whoring Out Your Blog So Bad?

2009-06-22T15:45:00.003-05:00

I've been thinking more about Larry's post, and decided I needed a longer post to give more thoughts. I won't recap his post (and the long list of comments) here, so check it out then come back here :)

Below is a list of some points raised in Larry's post, or in the comments. I will follow with my thoughts.

-Bloggers host giveaways to boost their traffic.
To this, my answer simply is: So what? Maybe there are bloggers out there who will blog even if they have no visitors. I'm not one of them, and have said so many times. I'm not trying to be the biggest or the best blog out there. But, I do like to know other folks stop by here, as i like to promote books and hear people's opinions on books. It would be rather boring if I was carrying on such a conversation with only myself. The day I feel like I'm talking to no one will be the day this blog goes away. Blogs are a lot of work if you do them "right". What's wrong with wanting others to get some enjoyment out of the work you put into your blog? None that I can see, but maybe I'm in the minority. The lack of book giveaways on this blog isn't due to some "I'm above running giveaways" idea. I honestly don't get asked to host a giveaway very often. Pretty much any time I have been asked, I have participated. I've even paid for a giveaway myself to promote a book I liked. The only thing I am leary about with giveaways, is that I don't want to run a contest or giveaway that is also being run on 5 other blogs.

-Sites whose content is mostly giveaway or promotion are "lighter-natured"
This I can agree with. Sites that host primarily contest and giveaways will get removed from my Reader. I haven't noticed this being a problem on most sites, but I have come close to removing Pat's site from my Reader. His blog is the one that comes to mind the most when reading Larry's post. But to prevent me from getting off topic with Pat's site, I'll just move on.

-You run giveaways to build "ties" with the publisher, presumably for free books
Again, I say to this: So what? AS LONG AS THE PROMOTIONS DO NOT INTERFERE WITH YOU GIVING AN HONEST REVIEW. Again, blogging can take a lot of time, and I don't see anything wrong with wanting/hoping for review copies of books. You certainly aren't (most likely) making any money off the blog, and you aren't making money off the arcs. You might be saving some cash by not having to buy as many books, but thats about it. In fact, as I have said before, if I like a book, I will go out and buy a 'real' copy of the book to support the publisher and author. Its kinda nice getting access to books you really want to read, a couple months before they hit stores. And I'm big enough (and honest enough) to admit that it does make me feel "cool" when I see that arc sitting on my doorstep.

Honestly, I think the using the term "whoring yourself out" is way too strong and judgmental. A blog is personal. Folks that enjoy the blogger's thoughts and opinions will read the blog. Those who do not, will not. Sure, you can say that the answer "its your blog, do what you want" is an easy way out of answering Larry's post. But I think its an easy way out because it is absolutely true. Unless you talk to EVERY blogger and understand their motivation behind their blog, I don't see how its fair to judge how they run their blog. And I don't see anything wrong with hoping that the results of your blogging lead to review copies, author interviews, or other "inside" stuf, as long as you don't let those privileges taint your honest opinions and thoughts on the blog.

Today in Fantasy: June 22, 2009

2009-06-22T09:09:00.003-05:00

FBNR News:

Things at work havent slowed down yet as much as I had hoped by now, so my reading and blogging continues to be pretty sporadic. However, i have a hard deadline of getting everything done this week, so one way or another, I have to get my work done by week's end. Thus, reading and blogging should resume normal operation as the week progresses, or by next week at the absolute latest. Thanks for hanging in with me while I've been gone.

I tried my first small press/self-published book last week: Union of Renegades by Tracy Falbe. I read about 10% and had to put it down. The writing wasn't horrible, but it wasn't really working for me either. I got a sense that it had potential, if a good editor made some changes. But the bigger problem to me was the believability of some of the characters. The main female character went off on her own, while caring for a young girl and an infant. The problem I had was that how does a woman ride a horse for 2 days straight while trying to take care of a infant. At least the little girl I can rationalize. But I have an 18 month old daughter, and she still takes a lot of attention. No way does the character travel on one horse with the 3 of them, without making any concessions for the baby. Maybe its just me, but that bugged me. Also the other main character, Dreibrand, also seemed to act inconsistently. And I know its useless to make this claim without giving more examples, but I just cant recall them in enough detail a week later. In summary, though, the book didnt feel "professional" to me and it was distracting. I do think the author has potential, but overall it just wasn't working for me. With a good editor, the story could turn into something interesting.

Thanks also to all who left comments on my post about reviewing small press and self-published books. I actually thought I would receive more submission, as I have only totaled 5 so far I believe.

Reviews:

-Unbound!: Second Skin by Caitlin Kittredge, Curse of the Necrarch by Steven Savile

-Flight Into Fantasy: Pure Blood by Caitlin Kittredge

-My Favourite Books: The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

-Bookgeeks: Johannes Cabal: The Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard

-BSCReview: Corambis by Sarah Monette, Doc Wilde and the Frogs of Doom by Tim Byrd, Eternal Vigilance by Gabrielle Faust

Authors/News:

-Larry, at OF Blog of the Fallen, has an interesting post about whether some blogs are "whoring themselves out" with lots of giveaways and less than critical reviews. I have noticed quite a few giveaways, especially if you check out weekly Mulluane's giveaway roundup. I personally don't do many giveaways, because I don't have the chance to. I would be interested in more of them, but only for under publicised books. I felt a bit dirty after the World of Warcraft book giveaway, since it seemed like 10 other blogs were also giving away the book. I'm sure if we had all known that was going to happen, many of us would have declined the giveaway (I know I would have).

-S.L. Farrell (pen name) is done with the first submission draft of A Magic of Dawn.

Today in Fantasy: June 16, 2009

2009-06-16T20:10:00.002-05:00

FNBR News:

Work is finally letting up enough that I have time to spend on the blog again. Its been weird not having the time to even read the last 10 days. I think I've read a total of 40-50 pages in those 10 days. Not cool. In case you missed it, I started a personal challenge to read more self-published/small press books (details). My plan will be to alternate between large press and small press books. I received 4 small press books so far, and will read them in the order I received them. First up is a book I downloaded on my own: Union of Renegades by Tracy Falbe (website & First Chapter). According to Stanza, I'm about 7% through the book. It actually isnt bad so far. I wouldnt say it has managed to hook me, but it also hasnt given me reason to put it down yet. I think things are just about to pick up, so the next couple of reading sessions are very important. My biggest complaint so far is the name of the people..the Atrophane. Just doesn't sound fantasy to me. And most of the characters names sound like fantasy, except for a squire named Jesse, which seems out of place. I'll post more details about the actual story in my next post. The story itself, and the main character, do have potential. We'll see.

I have 580 articles in my Google reader, so it will take awhile to catch up. Just a few tonight, as I am short on time. Hope to make a longer Today in Fantasy post tomorrow.

Reviews:

-SciFiGuy: Namaah's Kiss by Jacqueline Carey

-Flight Into Fantasy: The Moon by Night by Madeleine L'Engle

-Fantasy Dreamer's Ramblings: Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs

-Bookgeeks: Fever Crumb by Philip Reeve

-BSCReview: Norse Code by Greg van Eekhout

Authors/News:

-Pyr is publishing the Shadows of the Apt series early in 2010.

Attn: Small Publishers and Self-Published Authors

2009-06-13T21:01:00.003-05:00

Before I get to the topic of this post, I just want to say the blog is still here. I've been busy working on the end of project for work, and haven't had the time to read anything, much less post. I'm pretty lucky as a software developer, as this is really my first overtime in 18 months. So I can't complain, but I've been working some evenings and weekends, and just don't have the brain power to do anything other than stare at whatever sport happens to be on television. Things should begin to slow down over the next few days, it still might be another 7-10 days before things get back to normal here on the blog.

And now on to the topic of this post. I recently posted about ideas to give this blog some new life. One of them was to read less publicized books. Instead of just reading some older books, I thought I would conduct an experiment and see how it goes. Most bloggers (myself included) tend to ignore requests for reviews that come from small press or self published authors. There is a stigma that these books aren't edited as well, arent written as well, and in some cases probably read like fan fiction. I'm am going to take on the challenge of putting these ideas to the test. So, if you are self published or a small press and would like me to review your book, here are the rules. Please read ALL of them:

1) Your book must be fantasy, preferably epic, secondary world fantasy. I WILL NOT read or even consider horror, sf, paranormal romance, etc. Its highly likely I won't consider urban fantasy, but I will not completely rule it out. Though vampires almost always cause me to lose interest right away.

2) I would actually prefer your book be provided via email as an ebook, and in a format I can read on my iphone (in stanza or kindle). I will attempt to read your book if its a pdf, but if the formatting is terrible when converted to an iphone format, I may not stay interested very long. You can email me for my mailing address for a hard copy, but ebook format is preferred.

3) You have to be willing for a totally honest review. I will NOT be more gentle to your book than I would be to a book from a big publisher. So, if the editing is bad, or the writing is horrible, I will state this in the review. You have to be willing to let me review your book as if its from a major publisher. In other words, I won't give you any slack because you don't have access to an editor (for example).

4) If I am honest, your book will probably have to grab me earlier than a "normal" book. I mean, if i start your book and the writing is so painful i can't make it through 2 chapters, I will stop reading and state that in a blurb on the blog. I expect I could have lots of books to read, so I don't have time to waste if a book is obviously poorly written.

5) I of course can't promise it, but i will make an attempt to read every submission, as long as it meets rule #1 above (i.e. you send me a book in my genre of interest). As stated above, if the book is badly written, I will not read much of it, but I will do a blurb on the blog stating that it was so bad i had to quit reading after X chapters. But if its good, I will give you some nice publicity, and hopefully some readers. Depending on how many submissions i get, it might take me awhile to get to yours. If you have previously requested a review from me in the past, please resend, as I probably don't have your email anymore.

I hope to find a few hidden treasures in this process, that there are some good, high quality reads from small press or self published authors. But as stated above, I will not cut you ANY slack in my review, just because you are working with less resources. It just wouldn't be fair. Because in the end, readers are just looking for a good book, simple as that. It doesn't matter what process it took to create the book (large budget, big publisher, or something written and edited by one person over the course of 5 years). Simply put, I'm looking for a nice, entertaining read, so the only thing that matters is the end product. And that is what I will judge.

All you small press and self published authors, now is your chance to get noticed. Send me your books. If they are good, I will say so. If they are terrible, I will be honest of my blog readers and say that, too.

Oh, and you can find my email address at the top right of the blog.

Today in Fantasy: June 5, 2009

2009-06-05T09:58:00.002-05:00

FBNR News:

Still trying to determine what to read next. Since I have all 3 books of The Crossroads by Kate Elliott, I am thinking of giving Spirit Gate a go. I might have something in the works for a Kate Elliott month on the blog here in August, but need to follow up with Tor to see if that might still be a go. More details later if/when it looks more firm.

Also: While going through Google Reader to create this post, I saw that James at Speculative Horizons posted that Nights of Villjamur came out today. I thought Book Depository usually had a little delay before having new books available. But i just checked and they had the book ready to ship, and they even display US currency now (probably use your IP address to determine the default currency to show). Anyway, for 22 bucks, you can have a copy sent to the US. Not bad. My order has been placed. Book details here.

Finally, still getting caught up with the review links. I wont get caught up in this post, but will make a weekend post that should get me up to date with all the reviews posted in the last week.

Reviews:

-SFF World: Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie (I have a bad feeling that this one might be too graphic for me. His trilogy was about at my limit of what I can take in regards to graphic violence. I'll definitely give this book a go, but I'll be prepared that it might be too much for me), Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson

-Bookgeeks: Turn Coat by Jim Butcher (if this review is showing the UK cover, I think I like the US cover quite a bit better)

-Fantasy Book Critic: Alara Unbroken by Doug Beyer (i've come close to buying a book in this world to check it out, but so far never make it to the checkout line with the book in hand), The Immortal Prince by Jennifer Fallon (a much more detailed review than mine. And Liviu's comments on the SFF World forum were what prompted me to request the first 2 books from Tor. I still need to find a way to justify the money to spent 60 bucks importing 2 mmpb books so i can own the last 2).

-Adventures in Reading: Lamentation by Ken Scholes (I gotta disagree with Joe here. He considers it a negative that there are only 2 notable female characters in the book. I say "so what"? Why does there need to be a balance? Why can't some stories be told with a mostly male or female cast? I would think the last thing we need is some sort of quota for male vs female in a story. I'm not totally sure if its the number of female characters, or how they are portrayed that is his real beef. But I'll also argue that not all female characters need to be strong, and not all stories require a strong female lead, and vice-versa. If some secondary worlds have men dominant over women, or women dominant over men, so what? Its the author's fictional world, not the real world. Heck, the lack of equality can be a good plot point for a story.).

-Grasping for the Wind: Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow

-Dark Wolf's Fantasy Review: The Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas

-The Deckled Edge: Santa Olivia by Jacqueline Carey

-Robots & Vamps: No Prisoners (Star Wars: The Clone Wars) by Karen Traviss

-My Favourite Books: Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells

-Davebrendons Fantasy & Sci-FI Weblog: Nights of Villjamur by Mark Charan Newton (this review sets a record for the number of smiley emoticons used in one review)

-SciFiGuy: The Enchantment Emporium by Tanya Huff

-SF Signal: Green by Jay Lake

-Fyrefly's Book Blog: Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik (this is a series I want to check out, but at this point, i'm not quite interested enough to read it until the series is finished)

Authors/News:

-S.L. Farrell (to use his pen name) is up to 150k words in the draft of A Magic of Dawn.

-Jim C. Hines is giving away another free, autographed copy of The Stepsister Scheme.