This is one monster of a book. It could happily double as a doorstop.

But, my, is it worth it.

The main plot arc and the location remains largely the same – namely the war against the Parshendi on the Shattered Plains but we do get a better idea of what’s going on with the Voidbringers, the gods, and the subplots of the periphery characters. But the biggest draw of the story isn’t the plot – it’s the character development. The two main protagonists, Shallan and Kaladin, go on one a hell of a journey in this book.

I especially liked Shallan. We know there are some dark secrets in her past. We know she’s damaged. We’re just not sure why. Through clever flashbacks we gradually learn exactly what this is and it’s a bit of a shocker. Kaladin too goes through some pretty dark times but comes out the other side. Just in time too as there’s a cataclysmic conclusion where they are both needed.

Yes, I enjoyed this. I’m looking forward to the next book. Will it be another doorstop I wonder?

5 stars

I’m really pleased that Flames of Winter, book 2 of The Wrath of the Northmen, has been released! It’s such a relief to finally have it published! It’s been four years since book 1 (although in my defence I did write another trilogy in that time). Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!

Here’s the start:

“Corban Sandril, also known as Roishan Darry, onetime elite soldier in the Ral Toran military, spy, assassin, and acolyte of the Council of Masters, woke to screaming pain.

It was dark. He could see nothing. He ought to be concerned about that but he wasn’t. The pain left no room for anything else. Agony consumed him. Fire burned in the stump of his wrist, sizzling up his arm, paralyzing his shoulder and coursing through his body.

Prostrate on a cold stone floor, he curled around the stump. It was still bleeding, pouring out his life onto the dusty paving stones beneath him.

Bramwell Thornley.

A name floated through the miasma of agony. A name and a face. A face he’d never forget. The face of the man who’d maimed him. Man? Hardly. He was little more than a boy.”

https://www.amazon.com/Flames-Winter-Wrath-Northmen-Book-ebook/dp/B01HAIVVTS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467534383&sr=8-1&keywords=flames+of+winter#nav-subnav

Flames of Winter, book 2 of The Wrath of the  Northmen, is now available for pre-order. The book will go on sale on July 1st.

A land ravaged by ice. A deadly enemy awoken. A young man who faces a terrible choice.

Bramwell Thornley, an engineer from the city of Ral Tora, believed that science could solve everything. That is, until the deadly Everwinter plunged the world into chaos. He thought the solution might lie in the city of Chellin but all he found there were lies and treachery.

Now he and his companions must travel to the northern city of Variss. Maybe there they will find a way to halt the Everwinter. Maybe there Bram will discover the truth of who he really is.

Bram must make a decision. Will he embrace his destiny? Will he become the very thing he fears?

His choice will decide everything. The fate of his friends. His homeland.

And the world itself.

Pre-order Flames of Winter here

A group of top fantasy and science-fiction writers have got together and will be offering their books at the reduced price of $0.99/£0.99 on 7th and 8th of May!

There are loads of titles to choose from so there is bound to be something that takes your fancy.

Head on over to the website below to bag yourself some fabulous bargains!

http://pattyjansen.com/promo/

Enjoy!

I wanted to be able to write a fabulous review of Clariel, I really did. But I can’t. Don’t get me wrong, I liked Clariel but I didn’t love it.

I’m a huge fan of Garth Nix’s Old Kingdom books and was looking forward to another encounter with the Charter Mages, the Clayr, necromancers and hosts of the Dead. I didn’t really get that.

Clariel as a main character is likeable enough. She’s strong-willed and I identified with her feeling trapped in a life she didn’t want. However, I sometimes found her too self-absorbed. She wasn’t interested in anything going on around her. Her thoughts were always occupied with escaping back to her forest home. As such, the threats to the city lacked immediacy as they were always described against the back-drop of Clariel’s plan to escape rather than being part of the main plot. Consequently, when the bad-guys made a move it came as a bit of a surprise and didn’t really seem to fit with what had gone before.

However, once the enemy was revealed and Clariel was whisked to the Abhorsen’s house, this finally began to feel like an Old Kingdom book. Now we get the Charter, the bells used to bind the dead, the danger of Free Magic creatures, and all the other wonderful features that inhabit the Old Kingdom.

And Mogget! Mogget was back! (If you don’t know, he’ a free magic creature who’s been given the form of a cat and serves the Abhorsen. He steals the show whenever he’s around).

The story ended well, with exciting twists involving Free Magic creatures, the Abhorsen and the culmination of Clariel’s revenge. It was also quite poignant at the end.

So overall I enjoyed it and if you like Garth Nix’s books you’ll probably enjoy it too.

3 stars

 

 

Fast paced, gripping, full of non-stop action with kick-ass good guys and scary aliens. What more could you want in a science fiction book? I loved it. I found myself hurrying to finish up whatever I was doing so I could get back to it. Fans of Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Babylon 5 etc. will enjoy this story – I know I did.

The action starts on the very first page and doesn’t let up right until the end. The characters are human and believable and the sub-plots of intrigue, politics and a little bit of romance add depth to the main sinister-aliens-wiping-out-mankind-plot. Great read and I’ll definitely be getting the second book.

5 stars

.

I have to warn you before I start this review – I’m very biased towards anything Malazan. I’ve devoured every book by Steven Erikson and Ian C. Esslemont. Man, these guys can write. And I mean write. The depth of the universe they’ve created is nothing short of stunning. Assail is no exception.

For diehard fans of the Malazan books even the name of this one will send a shiver down your spine. Assail. A name whispered with fear throughout the Malazan series. A place which takes its name from the deadly elder race, the Forkrul Assail. Their appearances throughout the series have been fleeting but when they have turned up they’ve been terrifying. Add to this the culmination of the millennia-long war between the Jaghut and the un-dead T’lan Imass and the promise of finally discovering the secret of the immortal Crimson Guard and you know you’re in for one hell of a story.

As usual for one of the Malazan books, it’s often hard to figure out what the hell is going on. It’s not an easy read. Lose concentration and you’ll miss some vital plot point. There’ll also be passages of dialogue that will leave you scratching your head and wondering what the hell the characters are talking about. There will be references to other books that will have you wracking your brain to remember the plot. There will be a supporting cast so big you’ll find yourself forgetting who they are half the time.

But for all this, it’s still a gripping read that is sometimes shockingly brutal, heartwarmingly human, and awe-inspiringly epic. I loved it.

Told you I was biased.