Tag: Grimdark

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The Witcher. What Do You Think?

Hello Readers,

I must admit that I am a big fan of Grimdark/Dark Fiction and I am also bit of a movie lover. So it is no surprise that I have long awaited the release of the Witcher series on Netflix. The computer game was highly regarded and raved about by many back in the day. I have yet to read the book, but it has high reviews and a relatively small amount of disappointed readers. As for the series… That has been compared to Game Of Thrones. I’m not sure I would put them on the same level, but one thing is for sure, there seems to be a lot of mixed feelings about the TV adaptation.

In my opinion it is slow to get started, but the more I watch it the better it gets. I really didn’t start to enjoy it much until episode 3, and after finishing the 1st season, I certainly would not liken it to G.O.T. It is nowhere near on the same level for me. If I had to make a comparison, I would compare it to the TV series Hercules or Xena. To be honest, I find Geralt’s character quite boring, but I think this is because the series portrays him to be void of emotions (and I am not sure if this is how the book portrays him). I find some issues around this as he clearly displays feelings for other characters, such as Yennefer. What Geralt lacks is made up for in the character of the bard, Jaskier. He can be annoying, but he’s funny and brings that little extra something to the show. I also like Yennefer’s character, she is likeable, but she has her own personal issues and a darkside to her that makes her very interesting to me.

Watching this series has prompted me to add the book to my ‘To Read’ list, and if you are after a copy of your own, you can purchase it from the following links:

Amazon.com.au
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon
Kobo

Anyway, overall I enjoy the show and will continue to watch through the next season when it comes out. If you have watched the show yourself, I’d love to know what you think of it. Just post your comments below.

Happy Reading!

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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Trio Mockup

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Book Review – Wrath of Empire by Brian McClellan.

Wrath of Empire (Gods of Blood and Powder, #2)Wrath of Empire by Brian McClellan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wrath of Empire by Brian McClellan thrusts us into a world in turmoil to follow the paths of 3 main characters. Lady Flint, Michel Bravis, and Ben Styke. War rages, vengeance is sought by many, espionage is all around, and there is a race to find an ancient source of power that could make or break civilisations.

The Cover: I really like this cover. It’s simple, yet effective. It aligns well with the story and it fits the genre.

The Good Stuff: Wow! I loved this book. The author knows how to leave each chapter on a cliff hanger. He switches character point of view (POV) at the end of each chapter as we follow the stories of several main characters, but he clearly grounds the reader in the POV character at the start of the new chapter. The characters are strong individuals and I love the gritty feel and conflict in each of them. The story develops well and all comes together nicely at the end.

The Bad Stuff: The only niggle I have is that the author does a little info dump at the introduction of each new character. It would have been brilliant if he had weaved the description in seamlessly, but these seams show, making them a little rough round the edges. Having said this, they are relatively short and once the characters’ descriptions have been introduced it is easy to get lost in the story again.

Overall, while Brian McClellan hasn’t knocked my favourite author from his number 1 spot, this is a great fantasy story and I really enjoyed it. The characters are all unique and interesting in their own way. The little niggles did little to dampen my enjoyment and I will be happy to read more from this author. This one is getting a solid powder-enhanced 5 out of 5 golden bookmarks from me.

Want to see if you agree with my review? Grab your own copy from these links:

Amazon.com
Amazon.com.au
Kobo

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 – She Who Waits by Daniel Polansky

She Who Waits (Low Town, #3)She Who Waits by Daniel Polansky

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

She Who Waits by Daniel Polansky follows Warden on a murder investigation in the ghetto known as Low Town. An investigation that turns out to be far more involved that it first appears.

The Cover: The cover is professional and works for the genre. I picked it as a fantasy/dark fantasy title.

The Good Stuff: The writing is competent and there are a few great lines in this title, along with a few twists and turns in the plot. I did enjoy the characters although there were some issues noted in the bad stuff below. I really enjoyed the grittiness of the world setting and the mix of social groups

The Bad Stuff: For me the biggest issue is a personal preference. I really do not enjoy 1st person POV, it puts me on the back foot straight away. Coupled with the story initially coming across as a kind of historical crime novel set in the late 17th or early 18th century, it took a while to get into. At the end of the book I was still a little confused on the time period, but then it is fantasy and I’m happy to accept that it may just be set in its own time period. While I enjoyed the characters, they were introduced with an info dump of description. I also didn’t believe the main character was consistent with his background. I haven’t read the previous books in this series, and it may be explained in those, but Warden grew up on the streets, a pick pocket and spotter, running scams, taking drugs, beating people up. Yet his vocabulary is far superior to what I would expect of someone with his background. I would never expect a character like this to use words such as gregarious, ruminations, or hedonistic, and these are just a few examples.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and the characters, but I came away a little unsatisfied. Probably a combination of my personal preference and a few little niggles with the author’s style. This is a 3.5 star book for me, but as I can only deal in whole numbers, I’m giving it a back-stabbing, dirt stained 4 out of 5 golden bookmarks.

Want to know if you agree with my review? Grab your own copy from these links:

Amazon.com
Amazon.com.au
Kobo

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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Do You Like Book Quotes? Here’s one from ‘Blood and Fear’.

Hello Readers,

Here’s another quote is from the fantasy ‘Blood and Fear’. You can grab yourself a free copy of this short story here or from most reputable e-book retailers.

FB Quote 3 B&F

What are your favourite book quotes? Let me know in the comments.

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.

If you liked this post why not share it on social media?

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Do You Like Book Quotes? Here’s one from ‘Blood and Fear’.

Hello Readers,

Today’s quote is from the fantasy ‘Blood and Fear’. If you haven’t read ‘Blood and Fear’, you can grab yourself a free copy of this short story here or from most reputable e-book retailers.

FB Quote 2 B&F

What are your favourite book quotes? Let me know in the comments.

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.

If you liked this post why not share it on social media?

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Do You Like Book Quotes? Here’s one from ‘Blood and Fear’.

Hello Readers,

Today I have a quote from the fantasy tale ‘Blood and Fear’. This short story is available for free here or from most reputable e-book retailers.

FB Quote 1 B&F

What are your favourite book quotes? Let me know in the comments.

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.

If you liked this post why not share it on social media?

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Do You Like Book Quotes? Here’s one from ‘Blood Rage’.

Hello Readers,

Today brings another quote from the fantasy novel ‘Blood Rage’, I hope you like it.

FB Quote 2 BR

What are your favourite book quotes? Let me know in the comments.

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.

If you liked this post why not share it on social media?

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Do you like book quotes? Here’s one of mine.

Hello Readers,

Today I’m sharing a quote from ‘Blood Rage’, I hope you like it.

FB Quote 1 BR

What are your favourite book quotes? Let me know in the comments.

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.

If you liked this post why not share it on social media?

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Book Review – Half a King by Joe Abercrombie.

Half a King (Shattered Sea, #1)Half a King by Joe Abercrombie

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Half a King is the story of a boy with his life planned out, suddenly forced to become a king, only to thrown from grace to the depths of depravity where he strives to take back his life and his rightful place among his people. More so, it is a story of greed and betrayal, friendship and loyalty, but most of all… Vengeance.

The Cover: I like the cover for this book. It is clearly a fantasy novel with both picture and font lending themselves to the genre.

The Good Stuff: I have been trying to read a wider variety of authors over the last year, but I was only a few pages into this story when I thought to myself – ‘Damn, I’ve missed the quality of Joe’s writing’. This is another great book by what I must say is without doubt my favourite author. This title has the same amazing character development, great description, and everything else I love about Joe’s work. Maybe not as gory or bloodthirsty as his First Law Trilogy, and certainly less coarse, making it more suitable for a broader audience. I am a big fan and with quality writing such as this, who wouldn’t be?

The Bad Stuff: (Insert the sound of Crickets chirping here).

Overall, this is a great fantasy novel with all the elements I love – good world building, great characters, and a solid story line with twists and turns you will… and won’t, see coming. I’m giving this one a whip lashing 5 out of 5 golden bookmarks.

Want to know if you agree with my review? Grab your own copy from these links:

amazon.com
amazon.com.au
Kobo

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 – Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie.

Last Argument of Kings (The First Law, #3)Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Last Argument of Kings is the third book in the First Law Trilogy and continues the story of some familiar characters, while introducing some new ones too.

The Cover: As far as Joe’s covers go, this is one of the better ones. I do feel it is a little plain and could have been so much better, but at least it conveys the tone of the story and I get a feel for the genre.

The Good Stuff: In true Abercrombie style, the tale is tough and gritty. It gives glimpses into the true nature of human beings through a variety of interesting characters. In this book we get to see a lot more of Logen Nine fingers and his darker side – ‘The Bloody Nine’. I loved every minute of this book. Once again Abercrombie has come to the party. No, actually he has brought the party to your house, along with an entourage of characters that are beautiful and yet so individually ugly, you’ll love and hate them all at the same time. And they’re going to turn your place upside down before they leave. If you haven’t read any of Joe Abercrombie’s work yet, I have one question for you – what are you waiting for?

The Bad Stuff: Come on, it’s Joe! Okay, if I have to say something it is that the ending does not bring the story to an close. It leaves it open and keeps you yearning for more. Damn it.

This one is definitely worth 5 out of 5 golden bookmarks.

Want to know if you agree with my review? Grab your own copy from these links:

amazon.com
amazon.com.au
Kobo

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.

If you enjoyed this review please share it on social media.