Tag: book review

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Book Review – Emperor of Thorns by Mark Lawrence.

Cover of Emperor of Thorns by Mark Lawrence. The image depicts a man holding a crown above his head, he stands looking over a pile of bodies. The swords that killed them standing upright, like crosses over graves.

Emperor of Thorns by Mark Lawrence is the third book in The Broken Empire Series. Once again King Jorg has to defend his kingdom, but this time it’s against the Dead King and his undead army, and it’s not just Jorg’s kingdom at stake, but the whole empire.    

The Cover: This is another a good cover for me. The image depicts a man, holding a crown above his head, a red cloak draping from his shoulder. We see him from behind, as he faces away, looking over a pile of dead bodies, still impaled by the swords that snuffed out their lives. The swords jut up, the hilts at the top, like crosses on graves. It matches well with the other covers in the series. The title in a large silver font and the author’s name in a white font, contrast well against the dark black/grey cover art and also align with the series. It screams dark fantasy/Grimdark and represents the story well.

The Good Stuff: Another solid fantasy novel by Mark Lawrence with a number of characters we have met before. When I started this series I didn’t like the main character much at all, but I have grown to like King Jorg of Ancrath and understand his character much better than before. He is still a murderous bastard, but that’s part of his charm. This final book in the series completes the story arc and has a twist at the end that I didn’t see coming. I am accustomed to this world now and the blend of modern tech and fantasy was expected, therefore it didn’t bother me this time around. A very enjoyable read if you like dark fantasy and grimdark novels as much I do.   

The Bad Stuff: The 1st person POV did pull me out of the story a few times, I just don’t like 1st person. I found the ending a little confusing and think I will have to read it over to grasp what actually happened, but that could just be me. I may look at other reviews to see if anyone else has thought so. Other than that, I can’t think of much else to say in this segment – and that’s a good thing. 

Overall, I enjoyed this book and the series. It is a sound grimdark story with a strong fantasy feel. The story has continued on and developed well. Book 3 in the series is getting a dead walking, blood spraying, emperor making, 4 out of 5 golden bookmarks from me.

Allan Walsh writes Fantasy and Horror. If you’re looking for something new to read in these genres, why not check out his books here. You can also find his titles available in libraries.

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Book Review: King of Thorns by Mark Lawrence.

King of Thorns by Mark Lawrence is the second book in The Broken Empire Series. In this book, King Jorg has to defend his new kingdom against the huge army of an adversary who wants to unite the nations.  The odds are stacked against him, old enemies continue their attempts to bring him down, and the struggle between of a fire mage and a dead king are threatening to tear him apart.   

The Cover: This is a good cover in my opinion. There is a cloaked man sitting on a stone throne draped with a red cloth, wresting one hand on a skull, and holding a large blue disc in the other. Similar to book 1, he is surrounded by dead bodies, or rather, sitting atop a mound of dead bodies, with more swords jutting up all around. It ties in well with the series covers and the title stands out in the large silver font against the dark black/grey cover art. Likewise, the author’s name contrasts well in a white font at the top of the cover. It is a solid fantasy image and encompasses the story within.

The Good Stuff: This is a solid fantasy novel by Mark Lawrence. His is an author with strong writing skills, and I was pleased to see his characters grow in this book. My issues with the first book disappeared with book 2. The first person POV didn’t bother me at all. I’m not sure if it is because I was expecting it and had already accepted that it would be first person, or if the first person POV writing has improved to the extent that I hardly noticed it. I also found Jorg to be much more likable in this book.  

The Bad Stuff: This is a personal preference only. I love my fantasy to be set in a medieval type setting with all kind of creatures like elves, ogres, dragons, vampires, zombies, etc… But the magic of this type of fantasy world is disrupted when modern technology is introduced. I have seen a few authors do this, (including my favourite author). A modern world destroyed and returned to more primitive times. It is a good idea and lots of people love it, but I prefer not to see modern items like guns and watches in my fantasy. 

Overall, I enjoyed this book more than book 1 and will finish the series. There are strong fantasy elements and a good story that continues on from the 1st book. Like any good fantasy, there are power struggles, politics, and betrayals, as well as magic, monsters, strong friendships and comradery. Book 2 gets a dream tainted, sword clashing, dead raising, 4 out of 5 golden bookmarks from me.

Allan Walsh writes Fantasy and Horror. If you’re looking for something new to read in these genres, why not check out his books here. You can also find his titles available in libraries.

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Book Review: Red Sister by Mark Lawrence

Red Sister by Mark Lawrence is the First book in The Ancestor Series.

The Cover: The version I have is mostly bluish-white representing the ice and snow. Long sword-like icicles are jutting down across the entire cover; a fanged cage ensnaring a lone female figure, who is facing away in the top right corner, sword lowered in her right hand, against the blackness beyond. The title is in a slim, red font with that stands proud against the white and the author’s name in black text at the bottom. It suits the genre and the story well. I also feel like the icicle cage has a strong association with the character, whether it was intended or not.

The Good Stuff: I have said it before and I will say it again, Mark Lawrence knows how to write a solid fantasy novel. His writing style is good, his characters are well formed, the magic system intriguing, and he provides plenty of action, blood and gore. This book is everything a good Grimdark novel should be.

The Bad Stuff: I honestly have nothing to comment on here. I read through this book at such a fast pace because I wanted to keep on reading. There was nothing that pulled me out of the story.

Overall, I loved this book, it is my type of fantasy novel and I would highly recommend it. Mark Lawrence now sits in the number 2 slot for my top authors. This one is getting a poison lacing, blade scraping 5 out of 5 golden bookmarks from me.

Allan Walsh writes Fantasy and Horror. If you’re looking for something new to read in these genres, why not check out his books here. You can also find his titles available in libraries.

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Book Review: The Emperor’s Blades by Brian Staveley.

The Emperor’s Blades by Brian Staveley is a grimdark fantasy novel with monks, soldiers, assassins, friendships, and betrayals, set in a cruel and brutal world where you don’t know who you can trust. 

The Cover: The cover version on my copy of this book is a shade of blue and depicts a man’s hand clasped around the blade of a sword. The hilt is fashioned with gold with two serpentine creatures that form the guard. It clearly presents as a book in the fantasy genre. The title font is a clear, simple, gold text that is in good contrast with the background. The author’s name is of similarly good contrast, in a clean white font. I like this cover. It is the sort of design that captures my attention when looking for a fantasy novel to read.

The Good Stuff: This author is new to me, a recommendation from a grimdark readers group I am a member of, and I am very grateful this author was made known to me. From page one, this book carried me through the story seamlessly, turning pages until I had to put the book down, not because I wanted to, but because if I didn’t I wasn’t going to be up in time for work the next day. I loved this story, the characters, the world, and the writing style.

The Bad Stuff: Okay, I do have a bit of a couple of niggles with this story. Nothing that would deter me from reading more of this author, but firstly, I hate the term ‘Kent-kissing’. Why? Just why? Why use this lame term as a cuss. It was very frustrating as it is used way too often in my opinion. Secondly, I’m a little disappointed I didn’t see more fighting and protagonist use of learned skills. One of the main protagonists has been training for 8 years to be an elite fighter. Yet, every time he gets in a scrap or a sticky situation, I’m let down by his lack of skill. I admit he is up against other elite fighters most of the time, but there just wasn’t enough demonstration of skills in these encounters that justify the 8 years’ worth of training for me.

Overall, the cover is strong for the genre. Despite the afore-mentioned niggles, I really loved this book. The story is interesting and kept me tuning the pages. I also found he characters interesting. I have a soft spot for assassin/elite fighters in my fantasy reads. The world is cruel and unforgiving, like any good grimdark world should be, and the author is not afraid to kill off a character or two. I’m compelled to give this one a mind-sensing, muscle-straining, pain-enduring, 5 out of 5 golden bookmarks.

Allan Walsh writes Fantasy and Horror. If you’re looking for something new to read in these genres, why not check out his books here.

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Book Review: The Waking Fire by Anthony Ryan

The Waking Fire by Anthony Ryan is a Grimdark/fantasy novel with adventure, war, spies, pirates, and assassins, set in a world shaped by dragons. 

The Cover: The cover on the version I have is a good fit with the fantasy genre. It depicts a black dragon, broken chains flailing about its body as it rises up before a cloaked man. The font is simple, with both the white title and the red author’s name, clearly visible against the black background occupying the lower half of the cover.

The Good Stuff: I like this author and he didn’t let me down with this book. It reminded me of ‘Blackwing’ by Ed McDonald, but with dragons. The story line is solid, the characters are interesting, the world is well established, and all is suitably dark/gritty. Just the way I like it. I also liked the writing technique employed for the chapter structure, assigning individual chapters to each of the main characters. The author left some good cliff-hangers at the end of the chapters, which kept me wanting to read on to find out what was going to happen next along each of the character paths.

The Bad Stuff: While I enjoyed this story, I didn’t enjoy it as much as his other work ‘Blood Song’. The magic system in ‘The Waking Fire’ revolves around dragon blood, with a number of different coloured dragons within the world. There were a lot of references to the colour types, which I found quite repetitive and a distraction at times. Overall, the cover is nice and is the sort of cover that would draw my attention when seeking out a fantasy novel. The story is good and there are plenty of interesting characters, in a world that mixes magic and technology successfully. I’m giving this one a wrench-turning, blood-mingling, fire-breathing, 3.5 out of 5 golden bookmarks.

Allan Walsh writes Fantasy and Horror. If you’re looking for something new to read in these genres, why not check out his books here.

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Book Review: Imperfect Magic by C.N.Rowan

Imperfect Magic by C.N. Rowan is an Urban Fantasy tale set in France, about ‘almost’ immortal wizards who have been trying to keep evil from taking over the world for centuries. They’ve been pretty successful, but when a powerful adversary turns up looking for vengeance, things start to go awry.  

The Cover: I really don’t like this cover. However, it is a matter of personal taste. The cover suits the genre and aligns with so many other, similar YA Urban Fantasy covers, that I also don’t like. The white font is clear on the dark green background, and also fits the genre.

The Good Stuff: I actually really enjoyed this story. The characters are true to themselves, the plot is good, there’s some nice touches with the world-building having many real locations, and I really didn’t know who the antagonist was until it was revealed. There is a lot of humour in this story, and it is done so well. It starts from page one and is relentless, carrying through to the end of the book. While set in France, there are a few English sayings and things that are typical from my childhood in the UK, which I could really relate that made it hit some good chords with me.

The Bad Stuff: Another book written in first person POV! Why torment me with this style? I really don’t like first person POV. However, this one is done really well. I admit at the start of the book it pulled my out of the story a couple of times, but after that, I really didn’t notice it. That is a sign of good writing. I have already touched on the cover, so I won’t harp on that. There are a few English sayings and things that are typically from the UK, and some readers in places like the US, might not click with these. There are one or two clunky sentences and a typo here and there, but I find this in a lot of books and it is nothing too unusual. It certainly wasn’t enough to spoil the content of the book.

Overall, I would not have picked this book up if I had seen it on a bookshelf. The cover doesn’t call to me, saying ‘Read me, read me”. The book was gifted to me by my Aunty, and I am so pleased that she gave it to me. I really enjoyed this book, it has a great story, great characters, and it’s packed full of humour. I’m giving this one a body-swapping, ass-kicking, slime-covered, 4 out of 5 golden bookmarks (and that’s not an easy feat for a story in first person POV).

Allan Walsh writes Fantasy and Horror. If you’re looking for something new to read in these genres, why not check out his books here.

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Book Review: Blackwing by Ed McDonald

Blackwing by Ed McDonald is a story set in a wasteland, where war has been waged for lifetimes between magical beings who live longer than can be imagined. Humans are their pawns, used and discarded in a long-game plan, known only to them.  

The Cover: I love this cover and it’ simplicity. The version I have has the image of a black raven on a greyish-white background. The title is in big, bold letters, contracted against the background, and uses an easy to read font. It stands out for all to see. The authors name and an accompanying quote from a review also seem to be black, but are in fact a purple foil that glistens when the light strikes at the right angle. Flecks of the same purple foil are scattered across the image of the raven. The cover fits the Grimdark/Fantasy genre well, and overall I think it is one of my favourite covers ever.

The Good Stuff: Wow! What a story. I loved it. The overall plot has a solid grounding in the genre, which is a good thing, especially when you don’t foresee the details of how that plot would unfold, and there were certainly twists I had not expected. The world is cruel, unforgiving, and gritty, with characters to match and an unfortunate love story thrown in for good measure. This is everything a Grimdark novel should be.

The Bad Stuff: Arghhh… Why did it have to written in first person POV! I hate first person POV. But once I got over the shock of it, I got sucked into the story big time. If you are like me and don’t like first person POV, don’t let that stop you from reading this. It is worth pushing through. Yeah, every now and then it will jump out at you, and you’ll shake your head and cuss, but then you’ll dive right back in and keep reading. What can I say…? It was part of a Grimdark experience for me, but I got over it.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I love the cover. I’m giving this one a mind-worming, Phos crackling 5 out of 5 golden bookmarks (and that’s with my hatred of first person POV).

Allan Walsh writes Fantasy and Horror. If you’re looking for something new to read in these genres, why not check out his books here.

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Book Review: The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch tells the tale of an orphan who falls into a life of thieving. Locke’s mischief pushes him into a small gang of ‘Gentlemen Bastards’ run by a false priest, who trains him in a variety of aspects, honing his skills. When the priest passes away, Locke becomes the brains of the operation, and his scheming leads them all into a dangerous game of life and death.

The Cover: The cover is fairly simple, depicting the silhouette of a man perched on a boat mooring pole, in the canals of a great, Venetian-style city, looming in the background. The title font is a golden/copper foil, sitting on the lower half of the cover, and is set on a plain green background. The title stands out well when the light hits the foil, but is quite dark when not reflecting the light. The image and text combined lean towards a fantasy novel and overall I like the cover. I feel it fits well with the story.

The Good Stuff: I enjoyed this story. The plot has been well thought out with and the plot devices have been prepositioned so things fall into place as the story unfolds. The world building conjures a cruel and dirty city with clearly defined class distinctions. The characters are likeable and for the most, have their own goals and personalities.

The Bad Stuff: It took a long time to tweak my interest in this story. I have had it on my ‘to read’ list for a long time and I was really looking forward to reading it, but I didn’t really commit to this book until around page 190. It was a slow burn for me as the author laid down the foundations of the story. The main character is not introduced until page 9, and I don’t feel his goals were made clear at the start, only developing over time as the tale progressed. I found a lot of the description was dumped onto the pages in bulk, rather than being fed into the story as it unravelled. I also feel that the fight scenes had unnecessary prose that slowed them down, with details that could have been provided at a more suitable time.

Overall, after a slow start, I enjoyed this book. I’m not a great fan of the authors writing style, but the plot, the characters, and the world building were good. Once I committed to the story it held my interest and for that, I’m giving this one a cash grabbing, sword slashing, 3 out of 5 golden bookmarks.

Allan Walsh writes Fantasy and Horror. If you’re looking for something new to read in these genres, why not check out his books here.

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Book Review: Unsouled (Cradle: Volume 1) by Will Wight

Unsouled (Cradle: Volume 1) by Will Wight follows the story of Lindon, an ‘Unsouled’; a boy unable to follow a magical path in a world that revolves around the paths of the sacred arts. He is determined to follow a path… any path, and decides to forge his own.

The Cover: The cover is simple, depicting a wooden token/badge on a plain background. It has a strong white font that contrasts well against the red background. I would not associate the image with a fantasy novel. I would question if this was a thriller as it is not clear to me, but it does represent the Asian culture the world is built around. It is a good fit with the story, but I don’t feel it is a strong representation of the genre.

The Good Stuff: I really enjoyed the story line in this book. I am a big martial arts fan and this reminded me so much of the movies I used to watch in my younger days. The world building works well for me and I can imagine the clan villages, their politics, their clothing, etc… clearly in my mind. The main character has a strong focus on his goal and I find the magical elements is intriguing.

The Bad Stuff: I hate to say this as I am no expert on writing, but a review is an opinion piece, so I will share my opinion. I thought the writing style was weak. There are sentences starting with ‘As’, ‘And’, and ‘But’. There is a lot of telling and unnecessary wordage. There is also description in the fight scenes that slow down the pacing. In my opinion this all detracts from the story.

Overall, this is a good story and I feel it is worth reading. I enjoyed it and will look at reading more of the series. I’m giving this one a fist smashing, sword slicing, 3 out of 5 golden bookmarks.

Allan Walsh writes Fantasy and Horror. If you’re looking for something new to read in these genres, why not check out his books here.

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Book Review: Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman is the comical tale of an angel and a demon who have been living on Earth for quite a while, awaiting the apocalypse. But when the time is nigh, a slight mishap at the birth of the anti-christ sows the seed of change, and the end of the world doesn’t quite go as things were written.

The Cover: The cover on the version I own is a great cover, based on the TV adaptation of the novel. It shows the demon (David Tennant) and the Angel (Michael Sheen) sitting on the world with the biblical apple and serpent sitting in a tree between them. It is a great fit for the title with a good choice of colours and fonts.

The Good Stuff: I enjoyed this more than I expected, it is well written and very amusing. The characters are well created and all have their own goals. It may even take your mind back to reminisce on your childhood days. Having seen the TV adaptation myself, I can say they did a very good job bringing the book to life on the screen.

The Bad Stuff: This isn’t a bad thing for me, but it did feel a little childish, which is fine and suits the story and the characters. I just thought I would mention it as if you are after a serious read, this is not the book for you. But really, the authors’ names should be enough to hint at that. Overall, this is a fun read that will bring a smile to your face and a few giggles along the way. It has interesting characters and will keep you amused to the very end. I’m giving this one a rib tickling 4 out of 5 golden bookmarks.

Allan Walsh writes Fantasy and Horror. If you’re looking for something new to read in these genres, why not check out his books here.