Tag Archives: fantasy

royal assassin

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Royal Assassin (The Farseer Trilogy #2) by Robin Hobb

From Goodreads:

Fitz has survived his first hazardous mission as king’s assassin, but is left little more than a cripple. Battered and bitter, he vows to abandon his oath to King Shrewd, remaining in the distant mountains. But love and events of terrible urgency draw him back to the court at Buckkeep, and into the deadly intrigues of the royal family.

Renewing their vicious attacks on the coast, the Red-Ship Raiders leave burned-out villages and demented victims in their wake. The kingdom is also under assault from within, as treachery threatens the throne of the ailing king. In this time of great danger, the fate of the kingdom may rest in Fitz’s hands—and his role in its salvation may require the ultimate sacrifice.

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

A lot of books suffer when they are the second installment in a trilogy. This book is an obvious setup for the third and final edition but it doesn’t fall into the common trap and is a very good read in its own right.

The crucial element of Fitz’s nature and magic, his Wit abilities, finally come to the fore and in a fantastically well described relationship with Nighteyes, a relationship that eventually both damns and saves him.

Two other important influences on Fitz are his relationships with Burrich and Chade. The former suffered tremendously in Book 1 but they manage to restore that and eventually it develops into a true friendship rather than just one of master and apprentice.

A similar development takes place with Fitz and Chade but on a different level as Chade is absent for a lot of the story forcing Fitz to make decisions on his own when he really needed advice from his old mentor. When he does return it is to find a much changed and more mature Fitz, one he is forced to accept as a colleague as much as an apprentice.

The two problems I have with this book are Fitz’s relationship with Molly. It’s a constant through most of the story but adds nothing. Having read the trilogy before I know where it’s heading and why the author treated their relationship this way but frankly it’s an annoyance in an otherwise great storyline.

The second issue is Royal and his usurpation of Buckkeep and eventually the throne. I find it very difficult to believe that Shrewd and Verity would have allowed it to happen so easily despite their individual distractions. I also find it difficult to believe that Chade was so powerless and that the Coastal Duchies permitted him to treat them in such a way. However, the political machinations were a real pleasure to read, how he manipulated the court and all around him for his own ends and how he managed to gain the power he craved. Seeing him brought low (hopefully!) in the final installment will almost be as enjoyable for me as it will be for Fitz!

assassin’s apprentice

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Assassin’s Apprentice (The Farseer Trilogy #1) by Robin Hobb

From Goodreads:

In a faraway land where members of the royal family are named for the virtues they embody, one young boy will become a walking enigma.

Born on the wrong side of the sheets, Fitz, son of Chivalry Farseer, is a royal bastard, cast out into the world, friendless and lonely. Only his magical link with animals – the old art known as the Wit – gives him solace and companionship. But the Wit, if used too often, is a perilous magic, and one abhorred by the nobility.

So when Fitz is finally adopted into the royal household, he must give up his old ways and embrace a new life of weaponry, scribing, courtly manners; and how to kill a man secretly, as he trains to become a royal assassin.

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

This is probably the 3rd time I’ve read this book in the last 10-15 years. It was the first ever book by Robin Hobb that I read and that hooked me on her as an author. She writes in a fabulously fluid and descriptive way that makes her characters jump into life and carries you along with the story. It’s a style of writing that makes you want to just keep going and is responsible for a couple of later than planned nights while reading this book!

The story itself is nothing new in that it’s a young boy, abandoned and alone taken into the royal family, trained to help them and growing into a pivotal role. It’s very character rich with many people to keep track of but Hobb’s style makes it so much easier as you get to know the characters without being bogged down with unnecessary details.

Apart from Hobb’s style of writing there are some stand out elements to her story. She isn’t afraid to hurt her characters and definitely doesn’t portray them in perfect light. The relationship between Fitz and Burrich is so well told as is Fitz and Chade. Fitz goes through an awful lot for what is essentially a young boy.

The Farseer Trilogy is followed by The Liveship Traders which is an even better story but the Farseer story is essential to setting your base for this fantastic world Hobb creates.

the painted man

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The Painted Man (Demon Cycle #1) by Peter V Brett

From Goodreads:

As darkness falls after sunset, the corelings rise—demons who possess supernatural powers and burn with a consuming hatred of humanity. For hundreds of years the demons have terrorized the night, slowly culling the human herd that shelters behind magical wards—symbols of power whose origins are lost in myth and whose protection is terrifyingly fragile. It was not always this way. Once, men and women battled the corelings on equal terms, but those days are gone. Night by night the demons grow stronger, while human numbers dwindle under their relentless assault. Now, with hope for the future fading, three young survivors of vicious demon attacks will dare the impossible, stepping beyond the crumbling safety of the wards to risk everything in a desperate quest to regain the secrets of the past. Together, they will stand against the night.

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This is my second time to read this book. The first was a couple of years ago but for some reason I didn’t go on to read the rest of the series. I don’t understand why as this is an excellent book and the best fantasy story I’ve read for quite a while.

There is a solid core of well defined main characters aided by interesting minor characters. Together they are used in a really good way to create the back story of the main characters and bring them together.

It’s a far from predictable story without being too shocking, just the right blend to keep the story believable but still interesting.

Looking forward now to reading the rest of the series.

a discovery of witches

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All Souls Trilogy #1 by Deborah Harkness

From Goodreads:

Deep in the stacks of Oxford’s Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

My Rating: 🌟🌟

Came across this author while browsing around Easons looking for inspiration for some new Science Fiction or Fantasy authors to read. The story looked sufficiently interesting to add to my list but I really wish I hadn’t bothered!

It’s a sloppy romantic novel with poor plot design and character creation, trying to be a fantasy novel with a gothic twist. I can only imagine that the author is a Twilight fan or is trying to cash in on the vampire genre.

There are a few good scenes scattered through the book that did give me hope that it would improve but barely enough to keep me there to the end and definitely not enough to make me want to read another one.

Disappointing as I think the author had a good and reasonably original idea, just very poorly executed.

the immortal throne

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The Immortal Throne (City #2) by Stella Gemmell

From Goodreads:

No one is safe, and no one is to be trusted as the bloody war that began in Stella Gemmell’s The City continues…

The dreaded emperor is dead. The successor to the throne is his nemesis, Archange. Many hope her reign will usher in a new era of freedom and stability. Soon however, word arises of a massive army gathering in the shadows of the north. They are eager to lay waste to the City and annihilate anyone—man, woman, or child—within it.

Yet just as the swords clang in fields wet with the blood of warriors, family feuds, ancient rivalries, and political battles rage on within the cold stone walls of the City. A hero must rise up and restore the peace before anything left to fight for is consumed by the madness.

My Rating: 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

This is a true epic fantasy story. I read the first book (The City) a while ago and had forgotten a lot of the detail of the story so it took me a while to get into it. Like other reviewers the first section was a bit confusing as it goes back in the timeline of the first book and tells the ending from a different perspective. Many of the smaller characters from the first book reappear in this one in a starring role with major characters from the first taking a bit of a step back.

Once the timeline catches up the story really hits its stride. This is only Stella Gemmel’s second solo novel but it’s obvious that she worked closely with her husband David on his books. Her character creation and scene depiction is brilliant and combined with great storytelling makes this a very enjoyable read. I really did enjoy it and while I liked how it ended I was disappointed that it did!

I think my favourite aspect of the story is how she created many small connections between characters and then brought them together, sometimes more than once, to build towards something bigger and of more significance. There’s also no single standalone central character. There are a minimum of 4 or 5 that the story builds around and all of them are equally important. She also doesn’t mind killing off the odd character either!

I really hope that Stella Gemmel writes more books and if she does I hope they are as good as this one.

wizardborn

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The Runelords Series #3 by David Farland

From Goodreads:

Wizardborn continues the story of the struggle of Gaborn, now the Earth King, who has lost his powers but continues to lead his people. He must contend with the threat of the huge, inhuman Reavers, whose myriads Gaborn and his forces must now pursue across the nation. It has become Gaborn’s fate to follow, even into the depths.

Raj Ahten, the great warlord endowed with the strength and qualities of thousands of men, once the primary threat to Gaborn, now struggles to retain his own empire. His war of conquest thwarted, his very life is now threatened by the Reaver thousands.

And a young girl, Averan, who has eaten a Reaver and absorbed some of its memories, becomes a keystone in the search for the dark Reaver lair.

My Rating: 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

I started reading this series looking for a traditional fantasy story that I hadn’t discovered before. Book 1 was OK but a bit difficult to read. Book 2 was much better and this book has continued in the same vein.

Some of the concepts behind the story are very unusual especially the type of magic that is the central theme and the main protagonists called “reavers” that remind me so much of “walkers” from “The Walking Dead“. I was pleased to see characters like Spring and Myrrima continued in this book, even though they aren’t developed much further. The main theme of this book is to develop the character of Averan who looks set to become a central character. There are some interesting teasers about the role she will play later in the story that may be less ordinary than expected. I guess eating reaver brains isn’t enough!

As a 3rd book in a series it’s inevitable that much of the story is consumed with setting up the rest of the series but despite that this is a good read, although it did take the story a while to get going and even then did bog down in battles a bit.

Another book with strong female characters and considering the genre and age of the book that makes it quite unusual.

stormwarden

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Stormwarden (The Cycle of Fire #1) by Janny Wurts.

From Goodreads

The first novel in the The Circle of Fire trilogy. As a new plot threatens mankind’s survival, three children stand at the crux. All possess extraordinary talents, but each of them is flawed. In need of all their help is the Stormwarden, last Vaere-trained sorcerer, condemned now and trapped in a desperate quandry.

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟

This is the second book that I’ve read by Janny Wurts that she has written on her own. I’ve been determined to like her as an author as she co-authored one of my favourite all time series of books with Raymond E. Feist – The Empire Trilogy.

The previous book was To Ride Hell’s Chasm and although this is a very different story, the two of them are based around sorcery and a conflict between demons and humanity.

I’m not sure if it was me that found this book hard to get into or if it’s the style of her writing but I found it hard work. The characters of Taen, Emien and Jaric have all the potential of many classic fantasy characters as do supporting characters Tathagres and Telemark but bringing the elements together felt formulaic and forced. The whole mind training of Taen and the concept of the Vaere felt wrong. This blending of fantasy and science fiction has worked really well for other authors (Anne McCaffrey in particular) but not for me this time.

I think I’ll read at least one more book in the series as it has potential and it may just have been the wrong time for me to read this book.