The Blood King

Apr 292011
 

Time is fast running out for Prince Martris Drayke, with the Hawthorn Moon scant months away and still so much to learn about his power.  If he and his friends are to save Margolan and the Winter Kingdoms, and prevent his brother Jared and the Evil Sorcerer Arantola from raising of the Obsidian King they have to push themselves to their absolute limits.  Maybe even at the cost of their own lives.

The Blood King is the second book in the Chronicles of the Necromancer and is a worthy successor to The Summoner.  This book felt as if it was set at a slightly slower pace which I found interesting since there was actually a lot more urgency to the story.  Perhaps with the group of characters splitting off to do their own tasks for the coming battle, this was inevitable but the transitions moving from one group to another were very smooth and didn’t detract at all from the story.

The plot was as interesting as the first novel, in particular the lengths Tris and the others have to go to and through, to set things in motion in the time they have left.  Their fear, vulnerability, love and compassion are really well written and at no time did I feel they were over powered and guaranteed success without effort.  I still love Tris and Kiara but Carina and Vahanian have become a close second.  The darker parts of the book were quite harrowing, in particular when spirits come to Tris looking for peace and you find the true extent of Jared’s insanity and depravity.

The only negative thing I have to say is Martin has a tendency to over use a few key phrases but they do play their own small part in the story, so it is a minor complaint.

I was a bit surprised by the conclusion to this book but am looking forwards to finding out what happens in the third book in this series.

Quality fantasy once again from Gail Z. Martin.

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

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You Belong to Me

Apr 252011
 

When a mutilated body is left close to her home, Forensic Pathologist Dr. Lucy Trask is shocked, but the eventuality is just another day at the office.  As she performs the autopsy puzzling things are revealed.  The figure ‘I’ has been burned into the victim’s back, the heart, eyes and tongue all carefully removed,  actions that appear to have obvious meaning for the killer.  Neither Lucy, nor Detective JD Fitzpatrick, have any clue what the message is supposed to tell them.  When the body is finally identified, Lucy realises she had a connection to him, and finding him was no accident.  Another body is left for her, with the same mutilations, and that additional connection leads Lucy to something from her past.  Tragic events, hidden truths and cover-ups from her childhood resurface, and a simple bracelet is her only clue to to the killer’s mysterious intent.

I had a list of things to do today, nothing that important, just usual day to day things.  I started reading You Belong to Me with a morning coffee and everything else went out the window, I could not put it down!  Right from the first page I was intrigued, and got completely caught up in the story.  I even had to stop myself from flipping to the back page to see how it turned out, it was that intense, and I’m glad I didn’t in the end.

The main characters were superbly brought to life and I cared so much about JD and Lucy, at times I didn’t want to turn a page for fear of what was going to happen to them.  The moments between the two were so sweet and powerful, it left me a little breathless.  The supporting characters were just as well written, and I had a lot of affection for some of them, but as it should be, they didn’t hold quite as much of my heart as JD and Lucy.

The story itself was amazing.  The plot was both intricate and simple, almost as if two layers are going on at the same time, and I honestly don’t know how Karen Rose kept it all straight.  It was never confusing, however, and I think that is where this book went from a great read, to an outstanding one.

It was truly chilling at times, especially when the antagonist was centre stage or when his handywork had been left to be discovered.  Getting ‘into’ the killer’s head can’t have been easy, nor describing his deeds, yet Rose managed it in a believable and convincing manner.

The pace of the story was excellent, utterly gripping and tuned just right to keep me turning the pages as fast as I could read.

You Belong to Me has now become one of my favourite books from Karen Rose and is quite possibly the best one she has written… so far!

Rating: ★★★★½ 

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The Summoner

Apr 232011
 

As second son to the King of Margolan, Prince Martris Drayke never expected, nor wanted to be, in line for the Throne.  After witnessing his cruel and vicious older brother take over the Kingdom in a night of bloody violence, he is forced to flee or be killed along with everyone that had been loyal to his father.   With few options, Tris and his closest friends set out on a journey to find allies, avenge their dead and come to terms that their world has now changed forever.  Their best chance is Tris himself, able to see and speak to ghosts, he is the untrained heir of his Grandmother, a Summoner of great power who could work with the living and the dead.  He must find a way to unlock his potential and become the one thing King Jared and Arontala, his twisted sorceror, fear most.  The Summoner.

I’d been looking for a good, epic fantasy to sink my teeth into again lately, and happened to notice The Sworn by Gail Z. Martin in a prominent place in the bookstore.  I liked the premise, but realised it was the start of a second series.  Since I like to start from the beginning, I went looking and found book one of the Chronicles of the Necromancer – The Summoner.

I had no expectations, I’d never read Gail Z. Martin’s work before, but I have to say I found it compelling right from the very first page.  The characters are really well rounded and expertly written, and I grew to like and then love them very quickly.  Of course when the author is not afraid to write about the darker side of life, this can create a slight pang to the heart!

The story was excellent and I must admit, I do love quests and being on the journey with the characters, joining them to do whatever they must, to see their world safe.  There is of course a danger of many tropes and cliches with this type of fantasy and some of them are unavoidable.  Where Martin excels, is when she takes some of them and uses them to further the story, turning them into a positive thing instead of letting it become ‘yet another epic quest fantasy’.  Instead she created an engaging and intriguing tale that kept me gripped right to the last page.

The pace of the story is good, the writing very smooth, easy to read and I couldn’t put it down.  By the end I was so absorbed and wanting more, I immediately ordered the rest of the series.

An astonishingly good read that does much to revitalise the genre.

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

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Dragon Age: The Calling

Apr 112011
 

The Grey Wardens are an Order of peerless warriors from all nations and walks of life, who sacrifice themselves to protect the continent of Thedas from the all consuming Darkspawn Blights.  200 years ago, the order was expelled from Ferelden after a rebellion and now are seeking to return.  This is their chance to restore their lost honour and to once again do their duty and prevent Ferelden from becoming a tainted wasteland.

King Maric knows more than most, how vital the the Grey Wardens are, and when they appeal to him for entry to Ferelden and explain their mission, he unexpectedly agrees to accompany them.  Something once told to him by the Witch of the Korcari Wilds means he must go, but in truth since the death of his wife two years earlier, he hasn’t really been alive.  Neither his love for his young son, Prince Cailan, nor the bond that remains between himself and Teyrn Loghain can hold him back. The Grey Wardens live on borrowed time, because of the taint they take into their bodies.  When their Calling comes, they go to the dwarven Deep Roads, seeking death amongst the darkspawn.    Even the most senior Grey Warden can’t avoid it and there is a strong suspicion that the former Commander might have been captured or turned traitor when his time came.  He was one of the few privy to knowledge that could have devastating consequences and the Wardens must find him before the threat of a new Blight could rise.

Just a small recap about what I said about tie-ins from the review of Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne.

I think this is the first time I’ve ever read original stories based on a game.  Let me touch on the game as it has had such a big impact on me and my imagination.  The game is Bioware’s Dragon Age and is a single player RPG (on PC/PS3/Xbox).  It comes from the same people that made Baldur’s Gate, Knights of the Old Republic among others and something Bioware is very, very good at, is creating a game that immerses you not only in the story but the characters as well.  Dragon Age is quite simply one of the best games I have ever played (and still playing repeatedly because of the many different outcomes you can get through different choices!).

The Stolen Throne is an original story written by one the lead story writer of the game, set earlier than Dragon Age: Origins but featuring people you know about through the historical snippets you learn in game.  A very nice touch.

As I mentioned when I reviewed Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne, I feel I can’t really view the book impartially and separate it from what I would say was a good fantasy novel, because of its connection to a game I happen to love.  However, since I was extremely engaged and entertained by it, I felt it deserved a review just as the first one did.

The Calling is technically a sequel to The Stolen Throne, as it takes place a number of years after the liberation of Ferelden and Maric is still King.  That it focuses on the Grey Wardens is the exciting part as in Dragon Age: Origins, you play a Grey Warden and are faced with direct consequences from this book as well as meet some of the same characters.

I actually felt this book was the more emotional of the two, knowing the hard choices that Grey Wardens must make to keep people safe yet never be thanked for it.  It did have all of the heart, action, sacrifice and heroism that both the first book and the game do and it was extremely gripping on top of that.

My complaint from the first book about overuse of certain phrases was much less prevalent in this one, although it did still crop up occasionally.

The characters again were wonderful, it was good to be back with Maric once more, although bittersweet as he had lost his zest for life.  You felt for him as he went through the motions but it was great seeing him come back to life again.  You meet Duncan as a young man of about 18, which intrigued me no end.  If you’ve played the game, you will know who Duncan is and why it made me very excited.  If you haven’t, then he is still a wonderful and integral character you will come to love.  This book made me laugh quite a lot from the comments and banter between the characters and also want to cry as certain events came to pass.  I felt it was well written and had enough twists and turns to keep you gripped yet simple enough to follow even without prior knowledge from the game itself.

I do have to touch on the ending.  Okaaaay, didn’t see that coming!  Although there are no names attached, you know who it has to be and well… woah!

Just like Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne, if you are a fan of the game, you really have to read this.  If you aren’t, read it and hopefully it will get you into the game.  It really is that good!

Rating: ★★★½☆ 

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Diana Wynne Jones (1934 – 2011)

Apr 042011
 

Author Diana Wynne Jones died on March 26th 2011 (after battling with cancer for over a year).  Diana’s work spanned five decades, and although primarily known for her young adult work, many of her stories were loved by young and old adults alike.

You can read more here (Telegraph), here (Diana’s official site), here (SF Site), and here (Guardian).

© 2011 Grete Evans A blog of myths, romance, fantasy and thrills. Suffusion theme by Sayontan Sinha