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Spelled (The Storymakers, #1)
8.3
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Somewhere over the rainbow, all spell is about to break loose… Fairy Tale Survival Rule No. 32:...
young adult fantasy magic fiction fairytales fairy tales
Become (Awakened Fate #5)
Book
After barely surviving another attack on her life, Chloe has only one option left. Magic given to...
mermaid fantasy paranormal romance young adult ya
Mighty Jack and the Goblin King
10.0
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Like a bolt from the blue, Jack’s little sister Maddy is gone—carried into another realm by an...
middle grade fairytale retelling
Buying Trouble (Dorina Basarab #0.9 On the Prowl Anthology)
9.0
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"Buying Trouble" In Midnight's Daughter, New York Times bestselling author Karen Chance took us...
urban fantasy
Awix (3310 KP) rated Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) in Movies
Sep 3, 2021
Approximately sixty-seventh Marvel Studios project to date starts off as a pretty good king fu movie, as parking attendant Simu Liu is forced to come clean to his best friend that he is in fact the renegade son of an immortal warlord, before turning into a not quite so good fantasy movie (immortal warlord wants to invade a magic kingdom, which may inadvertently cause the end of the universe).
Good martial arts choreography, but the non-stop CGI of the climax isn't nearly as interesting or fun to watch, and the movie seems to lose its edge and sense of humour as it goes on. Feels very much like an attempt to do something akin to Black Panther, but with Chinese culture; may well do very good business in Asian markets. The usual links and references to other Marvel movies are a mixed bag; some of them feel very contrived and gratuitous. Still, they're integral to the Marvel project and I doubt this movie will disappoint the faithful.
Good martial arts choreography, but the non-stop CGI of the climax isn't nearly as interesting or fun to watch, and the movie seems to lose its edge and sense of humour as it goes on. Feels very much like an attempt to do something akin to Black Panther, but with Chinese culture; may well do very good business in Asian markets. The usual links and references to other Marvel movies are a mixed bag; some of them feel very contrived and gratuitous. Still, they're integral to the Marvel project and I doubt this movie will disappoint the faithful.
Etude (The Dark Nocturne #2)
8.0
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For November Huntington, the past haunts worse than any ghost. After spending a summer without...
urban fantasy teen series
Flight of the Necromancer
Book
In a world where magic is all but forgotten, one novice necromancer will discover the true cost of...
Action and Adventure Sword and Sorcery Epic Fantasy Novella
Uptown Oracle (24 KP) rated Moroda in Books
Jun 30, 2017
A Great Debut Fantasy Novel!
As we traipse the countries and cities of Linaria following a band of unlikely comrades, we're introduced to magic, dragons, and a foe leading a trail of destruction in his wake. Moroda and her allies must find a way to save Linaria before the war destroys them and everything around them.
One of my favourite parts of the book is that there's multiple wonderful characters. We have our main character, Moroda and her sister Eryn, two former Goldstones trying to survive after their fathers death. There's Morgen an Imperial Guard from Corhaven, who's unsure as to whether life in the Guard is for him. Amarah, a brusk sky pirate who cares more for money and treasure. Palom and Anahrik, two Ittallan traders who want to get back to their homeland before war hits. Sapora, a Varkain who also wants to return to his homeland, away from the prejudice against his kind. And Kohl, an exiled Arillian who can control wind and lightening. Groups are often used within the fantasy genre but Moroda doesn't confuse you with multitudes of characters.
The world of Linaria has different prejudices and stereotypes against races and the inclusion of these races allows to get a much better, unbiased opinion. Each of our characters has their own thoughts, motivations, backgrounds and histories. Despite preconceived views of each other, the characters are all individual. There's also strong character growth, especially for Moroda throughout the book. There was definitely the risk of falling into common female fantasy tropes with Moroda, but McNeil manages to miss each of these skillfully.
The only criticism is the antagonist, Aciel. Being told by other characters what Aciel was doing and how, is very different to be able to see it. There was a lost connection that I personally like having with the villains. We meet him and he does speak a little bit, but there's definitely that lack of attachment. This criticism is also very personal, as I know a lot of people wouldn't mind this at all.
As with any fantasy novel, you need a wonderful fantasy land. There's exploration of multiple cities, and also some comparisons by the characters themselves. Each place has it's own background and vivid descriptions. I'm really looking forward to more exploration of Sereth, the Varkain capital. There's also undertones of myth, lore and legend within Linaria. Which although not explored completely within this book will be fantastic to build upon in later books.
Moroda is romance free which I loved. I've read so many books recently where the romantic subplot overshadows the real plot, and this was so refreshing. The focus was on the friendships being made over the journey, and the sisterly bond between Moroda and Eryn.
Overall I loved Moroda. Perfect to go into reading more over summer as I've finally finished exams!
One of my favourite parts of the book is that there's multiple wonderful characters. We have our main character, Moroda and her sister Eryn, two former Goldstones trying to survive after their fathers death. There's Morgen an Imperial Guard from Corhaven, who's unsure as to whether life in the Guard is for him. Amarah, a brusk sky pirate who cares more for money and treasure. Palom and Anahrik, two Ittallan traders who want to get back to their homeland before war hits. Sapora, a Varkain who also wants to return to his homeland, away from the prejudice against his kind. And Kohl, an exiled Arillian who can control wind and lightening. Groups are often used within the fantasy genre but Moroda doesn't confuse you with multitudes of characters.
The world of Linaria has different prejudices and stereotypes against races and the inclusion of these races allows to get a much better, unbiased opinion. Each of our characters has their own thoughts, motivations, backgrounds and histories. Despite preconceived views of each other, the characters are all individual. There's also strong character growth, especially for Moroda throughout the book. There was definitely the risk of falling into common female fantasy tropes with Moroda, but McNeil manages to miss each of these skillfully.
The only criticism is the antagonist, Aciel. Being told by other characters what Aciel was doing and how, is very different to be able to see it. There was a lost connection that I personally like having with the villains. We meet him and he does speak a little bit, but there's definitely that lack of attachment. This criticism is also very personal, as I know a lot of people wouldn't mind this at all.
As with any fantasy novel, you need a wonderful fantasy land. There's exploration of multiple cities, and also some comparisons by the characters themselves. Each place has it's own background and vivid descriptions. I'm really looking forward to more exploration of Sereth, the Varkain capital. There's also undertones of myth, lore and legend within Linaria. Which although not explored completely within this book will be fantastic to build upon in later books.
Moroda is romance free which I loved. I've read so many books recently where the romantic subplot overshadows the real plot, and this was so refreshing. The focus was on the friendships being made over the journey, and the sisterly bond between Moroda and Eryn.
Overall I loved Moroda. Perfect to go into reading more over summer as I've finally finished exams!
Good dark fantasy in an interesting setting
Faithless takes place in a world where blacksmithing is a big deal. Those who master the arts of smithing are priests in the religion of the Forgefather. The lowest class of people are those spending their lives down mines, struggling to find anything more valuable than coal in order to meet their tally and avoid a whipping. This is the essence of the world we are in, with an established class system and clear economy, based on metal ores.
There is a hint of magic here, with chanting at the forge, but until the final few chapters it is unclear whether this is magic or simply a way to mark time and ensure the metal is at the right temperature and worked at the right pace. Not overly labouring the magic here was an excellent choice by the author, as it keeps the attention on the mundane aspects of life, which is excellently told.
The story follows two main characters, firstly Wynn, a young lad sold (or mis-sold in his mind) by his father, a struggling farmer, into the mines for a life of back-breaking work down cramped, dangerous caves, endlessly trying to find enough ore to avoid a beating. His only chance of escaping the mines is to pass the tests and have a chance of ascending to the temple and possibly priesthood. Some way through the book we then meet Kharios, a young adult who appears to have somewhat failed in his first attempts at entering the priesthood (smithing) and is trying to get back to the forge.
The characters' stories are very similar, with hard, thankless, dangerous labour and periods of learning. For some time I struggled to tell the difference between them, thinking they seemed like very similar characters, but I have since re-thought that for reasons.
I found the pacing a little off. There were times I felt like I was reading a biography of a miner, rather than a fantasy novel, as long chapters are essentially that. And then these develop into long chapters learning smithing, was again a bit of a slog. And then all of a sudden we have periods of conflict down the mines, accidents, cave-ins, and the eventual calamity that leads to the second half of the book. The changes in pace were sudden and exciting, but the change was a little extreme at times.
I loved the way the two stories seemed at times independent yet similar, but eventually start to overlap. Though again, we have a change in pace where exciting, cataclysmic events are put aside for another chapter of walloping hot iron.
These pacing issues aside, this was an interesting and well written book with an unusual setting and a good message on belief systems.
There is a hint of magic here, with chanting at the forge, but until the final few chapters it is unclear whether this is magic or simply a way to mark time and ensure the metal is at the right temperature and worked at the right pace. Not overly labouring the magic here was an excellent choice by the author, as it keeps the attention on the mundane aspects of life, which is excellently told.
The story follows two main characters, firstly Wynn, a young lad sold (or mis-sold in his mind) by his father, a struggling farmer, into the mines for a life of back-breaking work down cramped, dangerous caves, endlessly trying to find enough ore to avoid a beating. His only chance of escaping the mines is to pass the tests and have a chance of ascending to the temple and possibly priesthood. Some way through the book we then meet Kharios, a young adult who appears to have somewhat failed in his first attempts at entering the priesthood (smithing) and is trying to get back to the forge.
The characters' stories are very similar, with hard, thankless, dangerous labour and periods of learning. For some time I struggled to tell the difference between them, thinking they seemed like very similar characters, but I have since re-thought that for reasons.
I found the pacing a little off. There were times I felt like I was reading a biography of a miner, rather than a fantasy novel, as long chapters are essentially that. And then these develop into long chapters learning smithing, was again a bit of a slog. And then all of a sudden we have periods of conflict down the mines, accidents, cave-ins, and the eventual calamity that leads to the second half of the book. The changes in pace were sudden and exciting, but the change was a little extreme at times.
I loved the way the two stories seemed at times independent yet similar, but eventually start to overlap. Though again, we have a change in pace where exciting, cataclysmic events are put aside for another chapter of walloping hot iron.
These pacing issues aside, this was an interesting and well written book with an unusual setting and a good message on belief systems.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated The Written (Emaneska #1) in Books
Nov 29, 2019
Ben Galley is a fantasy author and staunch defender of independent publishing. The Written is his first book, and the first in The Emaneska trilogy.
I have to say I was expecting some fairly standard sword and sorcery tale here, a bit of magic, a few fabulous beasts slain, the usual wise grey beards and prophecies. As a first book that would have definitely been the safe option, and would still have been a good read.
Needless to say this isn't what you get. You get a slew of mythical creatures - dragons (I suspect only the Pern novels exceed the sheer number in this book), werewolves and more besides. You get heroes and villains. You get magic. You get sword fights. But all of these are put together in a way that's different from the norm. Rather than trying to subvert all the fantasy tropes it is as if Galley dropped them and they smashed and in putting them back together they aren't quite the same as they were before.
The basic story concerns the theft of a spell book which, in the wrong hands, can be used to summon a mighty and powerful evil. Farden, one of the Written (a sort of magic user that has spells tattooed onto his back) has to try to prevent this happening. I won't give any more details as there are many twists and turns as the story unfolds.
Farden is a powerful mage and a tough fighter and although he is heoric he also has personal demons that could cause his mission to fail. He is a loner with little patience for others. He doubts his own abilities and judgement. As the reader you feel you want to give him a good shaking sometimes to get him to act. This makes him a very complex character, realistic and interesting to follow. The other main characters are also fully realised with their own mannerisms and momentum.
Galley takes his time describing the world and there is a feeling of real depth and history, perhaps not on the same scale as Tolkien but the comparison is apt. Clearly Galley has spent considerable time putting this world together and is rightly proud of the results.
He takes his time with descriptions, each of the many locations vividly worded and memorable. The action scenes (of which there are a fair number) crack along at a breathless pace although possibly a little overwritten at times (allowable when there is so much to try to convey to the reader I think).
As the first of a trilogy of books this obviously leaves the story open for the sequel at the end, but it is a satisfying conclusion and there is no doubt that the first part of Farden's journey is complete but that there is much more - and probably harder - to come.
Really the only criticism I have is that occasionally - at the start and then a small part about half way through - the writing perhaps isn't up to the standard of the rest, which I think is because this is a first novel. And the standard of the rest of the writing to so high this really is a niggle.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes their fantasy fast and interesting. It's a long book and a good book. And even better, it's free to download so what is stopping you?
I have to say I was expecting some fairly standard sword and sorcery tale here, a bit of magic, a few fabulous beasts slain, the usual wise grey beards and prophecies. As a first book that would have definitely been the safe option, and would still have been a good read.
Needless to say this isn't what you get. You get a slew of mythical creatures - dragons (I suspect only the Pern novels exceed the sheer number in this book), werewolves and more besides. You get heroes and villains. You get magic. You get sword fights. But all of these are put together in a way that's different from the norm. Rather than trying to subvert all the fantasy tropes it is as if Galley dropped them and they smashed and in putting them back together they aren't quite the same as they were before.
The basic story concerns the theft of a spell book which, in the wrong hands, can be used to summon a mighty and powerful evil. Farden, one of the Written (a sort of magic user that has spells tattooed onto his back) has to try to prevent this happening. I won't give any more details as there are many twists and turns as the story unfolds.
Farden is a powerful mage and a tough fighter and although he is heoric he also has personal demons that could cause his mission to fail. He is a loner with little patience for others. He doubts his own abilities and judgement. As the reader you feel you want to give him a good shaking sometimes to get him to act. This makes him a very complex character, realistic and interesting to follow. The other main characters are also fully realised with their own mannerisms and momentum.
Galley takes his time describing the world and there is a feeling of real depth and history, perhaps not on the same scale as Tolkien but the comparison is apt. Clearly Galley has spent considerable time putting this world together and is rightly proud of the results.
He takes his time with descriptions, each of the many locations vividly worded and memorable. The action scenes (of which there are a fair number) crack along at a breathless pace although possibly a little overwritten at times (allowable when there is so much to try to convey to the reader I think).
As the first of a trilogy of books this obviously leaves the story open for the sequel at the end, but it is a satisfying conclusion and there is no doubt that the first part of Farden's journey is complete but that there is much more - and probably harder - to come.
Really the only criticism I have is that occasionally - at the start and then a small part about half way through - the writing perhaps isn't up to the standard of the rest, which I think is because this is a first novel. And the standard of the rest of the writing to so high this really is a niggle.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes their fantasy fast and interesting. It's a long book and a good book. And even better, it's free to download so what is stopping you?