Looks interesting

Derivative. Reminds me rather unfortunately of Christopher Golden's the Veil trilogy, and Terry Brooks' Landover series, neither of which I enjoyed. Bear with my summation, so that I may explain the multitude of ways in which this book alternately irritated and bored me.30-something Theo is lead singer in a garage band, contemplating changing his life as his girlfriend has a baby on the way. Except, of course, he's not going to change it tonight, despite generally disliking his bandmates; he's going to go home late without returning her calls and sneak in. Asshat. He discovers sneaking doesn't matter, as she's been bleeding out in the bathroom after a miscarriage. Although he tries to support her, she breaks up with him and her mom whisks her away. Its the first bud of sympathy I develop for him. He takes refuge with his mom, who is dying of cancer, and she states "I never loved you like I should." The seedling of sympathy inches a little taller, and even sprouts a leaf. She dies, he goes through her things and discovers a mysterious safety deposit book holding a book written by his great uncle. 'Hey,' he thinks, 'I'll read it.' To his surprise, it's all about his uncle's adventures in Fairyland. Perhaps it's a fiction book.' Well, maybe it's worth something,' he thinks and keeps reading.Meanwhile, he decides to sell mom's house, live off the proceeds and go find himself in a cabin in the woods. 'Good idea,' I think. 'Time to focus on some personal growth.' Then one night he gets really drunk at a bar, drives home (ass) and wakes up to discover Tinkerbell Applecore the sprite hanging out in his room. They start talking but are rudely interrupted by Big Body-snatching Evil knocking on the door (very polite Big Evil). Evil, of course, realizes the bathroom window is open, so heads there next. Dumbass opens the door to the bathroom to verify Big Evil has indeed entered the house, thus forcing Applecore to fight on his behalf because he's too stupid stunned to react. She opens a door to Fairyland, he goes through it and pulls her with, spoiling her intentions about where they would land in Fairyland.Part two: Fairyland. Every trope you've ever read. First we had the trash-talking-adorable-Tinkerbell stereotype (which might have been funny the first time someone thought of it twenty years ago), followed by the I'm-not-the-one-to-answer-questions trope, which leads to the take-action-before-you-understand-consequences device. Action starts off with the faceless-band-of-thugs-chasing-me contrivance, which continues the no-time-for-questions ruse. Then there's the mysterious/sexy-stranger-saves-me-on-the-train device (the only acceptable example of this is in North by Northwest), a beautiful goth-looking chick that you just know is destined for him after a misunderstanding, just to round out the tropey-tropes.Character-wise, Theo remains an ass. Despite being told early on that his saying, "Jesus Christ" all the time is physically offensive to the fae (causes them pain), and despite not having a shred of evidence as to his Christianess, every other exclamation is some version of "Jesus," or even "goddamn." Applecore tells him about ten times, but he still doesn't listen. As I said, an ass. Meanwhile, all this time he's carrying around his uncle's little guide to fairyland travelogue, but he doesn't bother to open it because he's too frustrated and tired of not understanding anything (!?!). He gets the hots for the fairy on the train and gets pissy with Applecore for ruining his chances, despite earlier suspicion and dislike of nearly every creature in Fairyland--especially the ugly ones. He's so sure a ogre is hitting on him that he thinks he's being kind when he says that he doesn't like her type when she was just trying to be nice. Any sympathy generated in his rough beginning is soundly stomped into dust by this time. Applecore says it best when she says, "hey, if I wasn't working for the good guys, I would consider joining the bad side after meeting you."Plot and characterization aside, how was it? Well, it rather picked up around page 300 or so when it stopped focusing so much on the whiny lead and started focusing on the plot, when a small alliance of fairy houses makes a bid to take control of the fae world and ours. Then it goes into some oddness about the goblin revolution, and suddenly the tone is quite serious. I might have kind of liked that part if I didn't have to read about Theo, who suddenly looks inside and discovers a heart that grows three sizes at the end. Overall: Quite possibly beyond redemption, except for one or two phrases and the singularly interesting idea of a 'goblin's tale'--it will always have a hole in it. Much like this one.Cross posted at: http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2013/0...

Long ago, one of the gods fashioned an artifact called the silver tiassa. To Devera the Wanderer, it's a pretty toy to play with. To Vlad Taltos, it's a handy prop for a con he's running. To the Empire, it's a tool to be used against their greatest enemies--the Jenoine. To the Jhereg, it's a trap to kill Vlad.The silver tiassa, however, had its own agenda.Steven Brust's Tiassa tells a story that threads its way through more than ten years of the remarkable life of Vlad Taltos--and, to the delight of longtime fans, brings him together with Khaavren, from The Phoenix Guards and its sequels. Khaavren may be Vlad's best friend--or his most terrible enemy.

"The Desecrator" is an original short story from the Draegaran Empire, by bestselling author Stephen Brust. This is a tale of the Hawklord Daymar, and of a particular Morganti blade. Vlad Taltos fans will enjoy new insight into Stephen Brust's fantasy series.

Kelly McCullough, author of Drawn Blades, presents another Fallen Blade adventure with Aral Kingslayer...Aral Kingslayer has nothing to lose—and only justice to gain. Torn apart by the death of his goddess, he must avenge her in order to save himself from being lost forever.... It’s been nine long years since the death of his patron, Namara, and exalted assassin Aral Kingslayer desperately misses the thrill and glory of being a higher power of justice. Now he is haunted by the ghosts of the past—and by the ghost of the lost goddess herself. When Namara calls upon Aral in a dream to seek justice for her death and the ruination of her temple, Aral must obtain the help of his fellow former Blades and his Shade familiar, Triss, to pursue the vengeance he knows Namara deserves. Even if it means attacking Heaven’s Son—and going against one of their own—in a bloody battle of epic proportions...  

This isn't a review, just a note as to why I didn't go forward with reading this. The anthology was a flea market purchase several years ago; I'd never read any of Moorcock's Elric series (or any of his other work), and I thought this might be a good introduction to the character and world(s). Unfortunately, it soon became clear that this is really a collection aimed at seasoned fans of the series; without that background, one quickly becomes lost in the quicksand bogs of presupposed information, without a compass. If I'd read it, it would have to be after reading more of the original corpus; and it was also apparent, from Moorcock's own lead story, that the corpus itself was not apt to be something I really wanted to invest the necessary time in, with all the other books out there that I'm actually anxious to read! So, I decided it was prudent to cut my losses. :-)

Verra, Vlad's patron goddess, hires him to assassinate a king whose country lies outside the Dragaeran Empire, resulting in increased tension between the two places. Meanwhile, the peasant Teckla and the human Easterners persevere in their fight for civil rights. As Vlad's wife Cawti is a firm partisan of the movement, and Vlad is not, their marriage continues to suffer, causing Vlad to make some decisions that will change his life forever.

A thousand years before the birth of Vlad Taltos, the Dragaeran Empire is a hotbed of intrigue, sorcery, intrigue, swashbuckling adventure, and intrigue. For those who would be heroes, it is a delightful time to be alive--and an easy place to die.Khaavren of the House of Tiassa is a son of landless nobility, possessor of a good sword and "tolerably well acquainted with its use." Along with three loyal friends, he enthusiastically seeks out danger and excitement. But in a realm renowned for repartee and betrayals, where power is as mutable as magic, a young man like Khaavren, newly come from the countryside, had best be wary. His life depends on it. And so does the future of Dragaera.When swordplay beckons, it's all for one--and one for...The Phoenix Guards.

In the first book of the Kencyrath, Jame, a young woman missing her memories, struggles out of the haunted wastes into Tai-tastigon, the old, corrupt, rich and god-infested city between the mountains and the lost lands of the Kencyrath. Jame's struggle to regain her strength, her memories, and the resources to travel to join her people, the Kencyrath, drag her into several relationships, earning affection, respect, bitter hatred and, as always, haunting memories of friends and enemies dead in her wake.

In my review I assume people are familiar with Zelazny's original. If not, your loss - doubled. This is one of the most imaginative fantasy series and I will not hide spoilers from it.Thus from the original series we know that Dworkin created Pattern from which countless shadow worlds appear. Both Dworkin and his son Oberon were alive in the beginning of it, thus it is obvious they would survive at least this long. The previous two books explained why Dworkin had to create the Pattern and why Oberon was attuned to it to a high degree. The previous book ended with recreation of the Pattern. Here Oberon had to get used to the new shadow worlds. No only he did, but he also found a great shadow close to the Pattern with excellent terrain. He and his siblings hired architects, stonemasons, etc. from the nearby shadow and thus the kingdom of Amber was born. Oberon was a natural choice for the king. This book is mostly about Oberon's efforts to build his kingdom. He also has to sort out his uneasy relations with his siblings, dodge assassination attempts, find Chaos spies, and finally try to protect the Pattern (and thus all shadows) from machinations of Chaos. In other words, he did not have time to get bored. In my opinion this book is slightly weaker than the previous two. Oberon was mostly busy with administrative tasks and they are not exactly fun to read about. Luckily these tasks were always interrupted with sabotage, assassinations, and his siblings - some tried to help, some needed to be helped, and some just being against anything he was doing. Even though the book was weaker it provided a nice closure to the trilogy with Amber finally being built. While Dworkin did not have much screen time, some of his children were present and at least some of them were interesting by themselves. As far as characters go I would not call them excellent, but they were quite serviceable for the purposes of the story. So speaking about the whole trilogy, in my opinion it is worth reading for any Amber fan. Just do not expect the same quality as Zelazny's writing. I consider this as a story taking place in the world(s) Zelazny created. From this point of view the trilogy works just fine: it is entertaining fantasy, something I do not see often lately.

Okay, so maybe I've been living in the woods too long, where you can't even get a decent cup of klava first thing in the morning. So who should turn up but Lady Teldra, the courtly servant of my old friend the Dragonlord Morrolan?Teldra wants my help, because Morrolan and Aliera have disappeared, and according to Sethra Lavode, it looks like they may be in the hands of the Jenoine. Do I want to mess with them? The guys who made this place? And I thought I had problems before...Oh well, what's a little cosmic battle with beings who control time and space? It's better than hunkering down in the woods without even so much as a drinkable cup of klava.

Steven Brust's Cowboy Feng's Space Bar and Grille is a time-traveling, science fiction thriller and a rollicking, fun read. Cowboy Feng's Space Bar and Grille serves the best matzoh ball soup in the Galaxy, and hires some of the best musicians you'll ever hear. It's a great place to visit, but it tends to move around--just one step ahead of whatever mysterious conspiracy is reducing whole worlds to radioactive ash. And Cowboy Feng's may be humanity's last hope for survival.

We've got a whole new Vlad in a whole new land and a whole new MC.Yup, we've gone from big boss to a side role as a mentor for a backwater healer's apprentice, and I can't say I dislike it. We've got all the traditional coming of age elements, a murder mystery, undead lords, and mean small-town peeps.More importantly, we have the mental space and development necessary to turn a young man into a fully-functioning and thoughtful killer who will be henceforth plagued with not just nightmares, but full-blooming madness. Great job, Vlad. Smooth move./em facepalmWhat it doesn't have in huge action and movement, it makes up for in fully developed new characters.Two thumbs up! Very entertaining!

In a world where other races live centuries, human Easterner Vlad narrates. Loiosh, fatally venomous jhereg dragonet, distracts and attacks from assassin's shoulder. 4 Taltos - Thief Kiera teaches, gives him vial of goddess blood. Philanderer wastes assassin wages on girls. Morrolan and vampire Sethra trick him to fetch their ancestor Aliera from gods in the Halls of the Dead. Goddess Verra helps.5 Phoenix - By order of patron Demon goddess Verra, Vlad assassinates King of Greenaere island, where sorcery does not work, provokes war. Drummer Aibynn may be a spy, but Morrolan and Aliera rescue all. Wife Cawti supports rebels and rejects lovelorn Vlad. Kragar keeps business going. Dragonet Loiosh has mate Rocza.

From the bestselling author of Winterbirth comes a magnificent new epic fantasy about The Free - the most feared and revered band of mercenaries the kingdom has ever known . . .They are the most feared mercenary company the kingdom has ever known. Led by Yulan, their charismatic captain, the Free have spent years selling their martial and magical skills to the highest bidder - winning countless victories that shook the foundations of the world. Now they finally plan to lay down their swords.Yet when Yulan is offered a final contract, he cannot refuse - for the mission offers him the chance to erase the memories of the Free's darkest hour, which have haunted him for years.As The Free embark on their last mission, a potent mix of loyalty and vengeance is building to a storm. Freedom, it seems, carries a deadly price.

House Jhereg, Dragaera's organized crime syndicate, is still hunting Vlad Taltos. There's a big price on his head on Draegara City. Then he hears disturbing news. Aliera--longtime friend, sometime ally--has been arrested by the Empire on a charge of practicing elder sorcery, a capital crime.It doesn't make sense. Everybody knows Aliera's been dabbling in elder sorcery for ages. Why is the Empire down on her now? Why aren't her powerful friends--Morrolan, Sethra, the Empress Zerika--coming to her rescue? And most to the point, why has she utterly refused to do anything about her own defense?It would be idiotic of Vlad to jump into this situation. He's a former Jhereg who betrayed the House. He's an Easterner--small, weak, short-lived. He's being searched for by the most remorseless killers in the world. Naturally, that's exactly why he's going to get completely involved...

With his bestselling novel The Phoenix Guards, Steven Brust took readers to a time a thousand years before the events of his popular Vlad Taltos novels. Its sequel, Five Hundred Years After, was hailed by Science Fiction Chronicle as the best fantasy novel of the year.Now, in the Viscount of Adrilankha series, Brust has returned to the Khaavren epic, first with The Paths of the Dead, and now with its direct continuation, The Lord of Castle Black...a novel that gives Vlad Taltos and Khaavren fans alike a new look at one of Brust's most popular characters, the Dragonlord Morrolan.Along the way, we'll also encounter swordplay, intrigues, quests, battles, romance, snappy dialogue, and the missing heir to the Imperial Throne. It's an old-fashioned adventure, moving at a twenty-first-century pace.

She's the oldest person in the Dragaeran Empire, a military genius and master of sorcery whose own story stretches back to before the dawn of history. She's Sethra Lavode, the undead Enchantress of Dzur Mountain. Now, after a long absence, she's returned to take an active role in the Empire's affairs—and the affairs of Khaavren, Pel, Tazendra, Aerich, and all their friends and relations. Since the day Adron's Disaster reduced Dragaera City to a barren sea of amorphia, the Empire has been in ruins. The Emperor is gone, along with the Orb that was both his badge of office and the source of the magical power that in former times was practically a public utility. Trade has collapsed. Brigands rule the roads. Plagues sweep through the population. And an ambitious Dragonlord has moved to rebuild the Empire—in his own name, of course. Unknown to him, Sethra Lavode has already helped the Phoenix Zerika, true heir to the throne, retrieve the Orb from the Paths of the Dead. Sethra means to see Zerika on the throne. But making it so will entail a climactic battle of sorcery and arms.  Sethra Lavode, Book Three of The Viscount of Adrilankha, is an epic fantasy—told with all the swashbuckling flair for which Steven Brust is known.

I've recently decided to re-read this excellent epic fantasy cycle, and review as I go.What to ExpectThe story continues from where Dark of the Moon left off. Hodgell is continuing to explore the Kencyrath culture and world, this time focusing on the Women's World within it and the Riverland valley that they occupy.This time, the story again focuses on Jame, while Tori (her twin, who took half the previous book) is relegated to brief interludes in the narrative. As often happens in epic fantasy, there is a slow beginning and accumulating clues, as the plot progresses towards realisation and mythic confrontations. As with the previous books, there are open questions leading to the sequels - the cycle is far from over.What I likedHodgell's story-telling and world-building are top-notch, her story pacing is excellent, and she balances light and dark themes perfectly. We learn more about Jame's past, about the complex politics of her people, and about the supernatural powers that inhabit her world. I absolutely love the mythic feel of the supernatural world and competing powers, between the old-world native powers and the Kencyrath own.What to be aware ofThe story builds up on the previous volume. While referenced events are explained in short, it always helps to read in order. Do start with God Stalk.The opening reflects Jame being trapped in the Women's World of her people. A lot of the story is told from other points of view, and reflects the frustration of Jame being muzzled. Some of this frustration naturally leaks to the reader, but it does get better after the first part, once Jame gets proactive again.Torisen needs a swift kick up his back side (perhaps the reason he was relegated to the interludes), and one hopes the event in this volume provide it.SummaryA highly recommended series. This is epic fantasy done right, with perfect balance of light and dark, and excellent, slowly-building pacing. If you love fantasy, I strongly suggest you add it to your TBR pile.--Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.