A Fantasy Reader

March is just over the week-end so I though it was the right time to post my spotlight for next month. Here are the release of note I wanted to mention. Most of them will probably find their way into my library soon (and from what I gathered so far with my last post, my book backlog is not monstrously abusive). Two of them are debut and the others are from big names. I also added to the list the books I forgot to talk about since the start of the year.

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Hyped? Yes this title is... but here again, a debut with good reviews so far from the early readers. I think this is my most expected read of the first few months of 2010. A unique magic system in a kind of old school fantasy from what I read. Here's the synopsis :

Nicodemus Weal is a cacographer, unable to reproduce even simple magical texts without 'misspelling' -- a mistake which can have deadly consequences. He was supposed to be the Halcyon, a magic-user of unsurpassed power, destined to save the world; instead he is restricted to menial tasks, and mocked for his failure to live up to the prophecy. But not everyone interprets prophecy in the same way. There are some factions who believe a cacographer such as Nicodemus could hold great power -- power that might be used as easily for evil as for good. And when two of the wizards closest to Nicodemus are found dead, it becomes clear that some of those factions will stop at nothing to find the apprentice and bend him to their will!

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Next on the list is Tad Williams with his follow-up to Shadowplay (2007). This is the first part of the last book of the series that started with Shadowmarch in 2004 (the book that started as an internet project). I have only read his first novel, The Dragonbone Chair, but I intend to pick up more of his work in the future. Here's what this one is about :

As shadows threaten to consume the kingdom of Southmarch, Barrick Eddon, heir to March throne, battles his way across the sinister Shadowlands. He must journey through this dangerous, inhuman realm to fulfil a pact ? as this may be all that can prevent the atrocities of a full-scale war with the Twilight people of Qul-na-Qar. Princess Briony, Barrick's twin sister, finds herself in no less danger at the court of Tessis in Syan. When those close to her fall dead from poisoning, she is to learn the true extent of the betrayal surrounding her. Her only option is to flee, as all those in Tessis turn against her ? all, that is, except for one important ally. Meanwhile, the assault upon Southmarch has truly begun. Yasammez, the formidable head of the Qar army, has ordered the attack, believing that the pact between humans and Qar has been broken. Unless Ferras Vansen, Captain of the Southmarch Royal Guard, can convince her otherwise, the humans are sure to meet the dark end that has been promised to them ...

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The Crown Conspiracy is the first published work of author Michael J. Sullivan. This is the starting volume of The Riyria Revelations series which will span 6 novels. The book was released in October 2008 and the follow-ups were or will be available at approximately 6 month interval. Currently released are Avempartha (April 2009) and Nyphron Rising (September 2009), with The Emerald Storm coming up in April 2010.

Royce and Hadrian are two professional thieves working on their own, aside from the organized guilds. One is taciturn and self-possessed while the other one is talkative, brawny and adventurous. After being asked to perform a theft at the king's palace, they find themselves imprisoned on false pretense. They will be freed by an unlikely ally to protect the heir to the kingdom. Roaming the countryside in search of a millennia old wizard they will meet with Myron, the only monk who survived the slaughter of his abbey. With his help, they will try to restore the crown to the prince.

There was not a tremendous hype around Sullivan novel, but step by step, the book made his way around the blogosphere and was eventually very well received and much talked about. Although I enjoyed the novel, I'm not as ecstatic about it as most of the other reviewers. I think the whole series will probably appeal more to me than this instance alone. The fact that it was a short read probably has something to do with it. It's not a default but it can shorten considerably the time to get immersed in Sullivan world and appreciate the characters.

The Crown Conspiracy can be classified as traditional fantasy. One of the best comparisons for me with this novel is Greg Keyes's A Kingdom of Thorn and Bone series. The use of Myron the scholar/monk reminded me quite of lot of Stephen Daridge (and there's this power-hungry behind the scene church...). For "use" I mean as way of helping the characters decipher ancient texts, be a "portable" source of knowledge and produce a good quantity of history for the world. I felt at times that it was overly exploited but in the end it served the worldbuilding well (even though it's still a little thin) and probably helped with the pace since info dumping was not necessary aside from Myron's discussions.

There was a scene that I felt was a bit too much taken from LOTR. Maybe it was intentional but I'm not sure. Everybody remember when Gandalf and his fellowship find themselves in front of the Hollin gate of Kazad-dum. Aside from the monster in the lake, the scene in The Crown Conspiracy is feeling strikingly similar. They even try to open the door with darwen words...

I enjoyed most of the protagonists. Even though the main characters of Royce and Hadrian remain mysterious at the end, I connected with them. The duo is entertaining with just the right touch of humour. The "villains" of the novel felt slightly too limited but not too dumb to undermine the story.

Magic is often used in fantasy as a safe conduit, but not in this case. The all knowledgeable monk take this responsibility. For me, that was a plus. Speaking of magic, it is present but mostly as a prospect for the future books of the series.

The writing is effective with only so many descriptions. The third person perspective felt right and the short chapters helped to create for me a fast page turner. One of the best moments of The Crown Conspiracy for me was the final convergence. This was ably done by the author. The chapters were even shorter and the pace increased to create a great finale, I was hooked.

I would recommend this book mostly if you intend to read the full series, although I hope to confirm this soon since I have only read the first book so far. This is good old fantasy well executed and just addictive enough to make me want more.

Technically, I loved the AMI cover by Michael J. Sullivan himself, an uncommon art style in fantasy which is much appreciated. The paperback edition of the novel is 296 pages. The map of Elan is beautifully detailed and is also available on the web (link at the index).

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The Way of Shadows is the first book of the Night Angel trilogy (followed by Shadow's Edge and Beyond the Shadows) by first time novelist Brent Weeks. The whole trilogy was released at the same time in 2008 and eventually in omnibus version. His next novel, Black Prism should be released in 2010 and is set in a completely different environment.

Kylar Stern is a wetboy, a merciless killer with deadly skills. He rose from the station of a simple guild rat to an assassin apprentice with the help of the ultimate wetboy in town, Durzo Blint. Kylar will have to prove his worth to his master, with death as a price for failure. During his training, he will struggle with friendship, love and morality. He will eventually find himself at the center of prophecy and fight off the invasion of his hometown.

The Way of Shadows was tagged by some as a YA novel... not sure why, probably because it focuses on a boy from age 10 to 20 but then that's not what categorize a YA novel. Anyway, it's not, at least in my opinion that's grown up fantasy. That being said, this novel doesn't start as fully 'epic' but the term can eventually be applied to the book and from what I gather, the rest of the trilogy gets even wider in scope.

This story is the genesis of a professional killer, his transformation from a difficult boyhood to his full fledged training. I always liked to learn in details how someone came up to be as he is. In this instance, it is admirably achieved. Decidedly, this assassin has imperfections and they are entirely believable human flaws. That's one of the aspects of this book that I liked the most. Although this is a fantasy world, the protagonists felt real in their mistake and success. Kylar, his master Durzo, his love interest Elene and even the prophet Dorian make vital decisions during the book and we get to see the consequences over the years. There is only one point which comes to contradict all that "authenticity", people are perhaps too hard to kill. A considerable amount of characters come back from the dead and you're never sure if someone is unquestionably dead.

The narrative is essentially presented with the PoV of Kylar. At key events throughout the tale, a couple of different PoV are used. For me, the character choices in those instances felt really appropriate. The names of the protagonists are afflicted with a lot of K and G. and as Brent said himself in an interview, this could have been worked on a bit. This make the names and locations seems slightly too classic in term of fantasy literature. This is not the only typical element used by the author (a mythic magical sword for example), but still, I felt he used them deftly and in his own way.

I think there's a small lack of humour in the novel. The duo of Dorian and Feir could be called funny but aside from this, the tone is serious. The state of things being as they are in a young assassin life in a harsh city, it's to be expected to have a grim ambiance, but still...

Worldbuilding is more concentrated around the city of Cenaria and its inhabitants, but Midcyru looks like vast world with a profound history. We get to scratch a little more than the surface and there was enough for me to feel immersed in Week's world. The city in which the majority of the story evolves is skillfully depicted. Religion, politics and conspiracy play a significant role in the development of the story. I was drawn in easily.

The magic system integrated in this tale is intriguing and detailed in a rather simple and precise way. Without spoiling, let's say that you need three aptitudes to be able to use magic and each of these are regulated by the power the user can possess. Mages eventually run out of 'magical fuel', which is something I appreciated about this system, making them not too almighty. Magical artifacts also play a very important role in the book.

Why should you read this book? If you like stories with action and some kick ass magically enhanced assassins coated with a layer of intrigue and humanity, this is for you. This is an easy read and I don't mean this as a default. This tale is entertaining and compelling. The writing may not be in the most extravagant form but it drives the plot nicely enough.

Technically, the Orbit cover by Peter Cotton is quite representative... although... a hooded figure for an assassin book? While not very original, at least it looks kind of nice. The mass market paperback edition of the novel is 645 pages. The map is a nice addition although I could not find it on the web.

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Joe Abercrombie revealed the last cover art by artist Chris McGrath and Designer Laura Brett for his First Law trilogy. The cover shows Jezal dan Luthar (he looks a bit like a young Sean Bean don't you think?). Looks great, I love it!

By the way, it's the UK mass-market paperback version of the Last Argument of Kings. Joe posted the pic here on his blog. You take a peek at the first two covers here :

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During this year first month, I posted three reviews for fantasy novels I read that were released prior to 2010. Today, I finished reading The Crown Conspiracy by Michael J. Sullivan and yesterday my listening to the audiobook of Midwinter by Matthew Sturges was concluded. Having said that, it means that I now have three reviews to write (with the addition of The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks). I hope to have all of them posted in the two following weeks.

Following this, for my listening pleasure while I walk to work, I'll try A Darkness Forged in Fire by Chris Evans and I will start reading The Stormcaller by Tom Lloyd. This brings me to my next subject, the books of February.

Last month, no books caught my attention and in February, there were three. One of them can only be on my 'To read' list since it's the fourth book of the Shadow of the Apt series by Adrian Tchaikovsky, Salute the Dark, and I still haven't read the first three. Soon I hope. Here's the blurb :

In conclusion, an aside about a novel that made much noise last week, at least from Niallalot (N.R. Alexander) at The Speculative Scotsman. There was tremendous hype for The Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman, and then Niallalot posted a negative review of the book (here). No problem there aside from a few comments about readers that mentioned they were not going to bother with the book after reading his review (myself included). The reviewer was not really surprised by the power of a negative review but by looking at the reaction about the comments from author Sam Sykes and other readers, he thought that he ought to clarify the situation. I think this is completely understandable, although maybe stretched a bit too far.


I do not know anybody who would read a criticism of a book and be influenced by it without taking account of the opinion of the critic in comparison with his. At least, as Sam Sykes states, (and if I understood correctly) it would be a shame. Sometimes, a negative review can even have the contrary effect, i.e. give the desire to certain readers to buy the book because by judging the criteria which made the critic dislike the book, they would find out that it is in disagreement with what they seek in a book. For my part, after reading the review of Niallalot, I knew that this book would probably not be to my taste. I believe that I share several interests with the critic about what I'm looking for in a fantasy novel. Moreover, this is invaluable to have reviewers who are able to explain in details what they don't like about a book and who stand by their belief.

Being able to avoid a poor book according to what I perceived in a review and be able to read one of the numerous and excellent novels which are available is a necessity. So again, thanks Mr. Alexander.

You can read the follow-up and Niallalot take about the situation on The Speculative Scotsman here.

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The fourth cover art for the ebook release of The Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan was just unveiled by Tor.com. It depicts Moraine and I have to admit that I love it! Great artwork. The artist behind this work is Dan Dos Santos.

Find out more about the creation of this cover art (there's even several sketches) at Tor.com.

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Some new cover art were released to the world since the start of the year, so here's a little round-up to catch-up.

Stephen Deas posted yesterday on his website the cover art (by Paul Young) for his upcoming new series, The Thief-Taker's Apprentice. The infamous hooded figure is back, but this time he's not alone, he's with another hooded figure. Well it seems everyone is into those nowadays. Stephen is joking about that on this post about the cover. Click the pic for a very high quality image.

To continue with Mr. Deas, here is the cover for the US release of The Adamantine Palace (my review here). The book is now available. Even though I liked the UK cover a lot, I find this one to be quite gorgeous too.

Next on the spotlight is Celia Friedman cover art for the upcoming mass market paperback release of Wings of Wrath (august in the UK). It's in the vein of the first book of the Magister series, Feast of Souls. Orbit posted about the cover art here. Not bad.

The following cover was graciously offered to us by Mihai at Dark Wolf's Fantasy reviews (here). It's the international french cover art for King's Dragon by Kate Elliot (Le Dragon du Roi), illustrated by Didier Graffet. It's the kind of good old fantasy art with a knight in an almost impossible to wear kick ass looking armor. It's cool (even thought it's not really "artistic" and original) and reminds me of the cover for Zrozeni Zimy (Winterbirth - Brian Ruckley), one of the covers I liked the most last year (my Bests of 2009).

Finally for now, another cover (the bottom left one in the following pic) for The Red Wolf Conspiracy by Robert V.S. Redick was unveiled and posted in the blogosphere by Mad Hatter (here). This time it's a mass market paperback edition and here are the different covers so far (I prefer the top left) :

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It seems that a majority of fantasy readers are putting some books aside. The question could be pushed even further by asking why do you put them down. The answer would probably be an overwhelming majority of "because the book is bad or simply not to my taste" but I could be mistaken. In my case, even though it didn't happen often, in every case of abandon it was because the book was not to my linking and rarely because its awful. I even finished the whole Sword of Truth series even though I found the books were very bad since half of the series. I had to know how this ended even if it a was only a big disappointment (although this could be explained by a lack of reading material at the time). I never put aside a novel for any other reason such as "it may not be the best time to read this". I think that if I ever do that, I probably won't ever return to it.

So the results of that last poll were 58% for those who don't finish all the books they read and 41% for those you finish them all. I was surprised to find out that there was this much people finishing them all. Maybe they usually pick up the right books for them. I admit that over the years and with the help of a plethora of great blogs full of useful information, my choices have become more successful.

On to the next topic. I recently posted about some extracts or excerpts from authors on their website (or even from fellow bloggers). I haven't read many extracts before going into a novel but it could be useful. I remember that with at least two Malazan novels, I read the prologue on the web prior to the release of the book and my anticipation grew but I already had pre-ordered the book. I think that if we could compare movies to books, a trailer could probably be kind of a synopsis for a novel and if I continue with that line of thought, a book extract would be like a 5 minute opening.

Thus, I think that excerpts are really useful and I intend to read more of them in the future. It can be a great tool beside the bloggers review. A nicely chosen extract can create a good hype. Enough of my opinion :

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