Tag Archives: fantasy

The Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie

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The Last Argument of Kings is the third book of the First Law series by Joe Abercrombie.   The title is from a quote by Louis XIV.    “The Final Argument of Kings” is the act of declaring war (Ultimo Ratio Regum).

This series is very enjoyable, hitting all the right buttons – adventure, humour, irony, character development, plot twists, mysteries, warfare, politics, and much more.     It is a complete story, finishing what it starts, infilling background information, and allowing simmering tensions to boil over.   The characters are memorable and unforgettable.    Few writers can master this level of storytelling and I was gobsmacked several times as I read through the series.     It is grimdark fantasy, not everyone’s cup of tea, but it hits new heights for any fantasy book, across all sub-genres.

Highly recommended, but fasten your seatbelt first.    4.9 out of 5.0 stars

 

 

The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie

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The Blade Itself is the first book in the First Law series, a grimdark (speculative fiction that is dark and possibly violent) fantasy novel.   It is similar to Game of Thrones in some ways, but it is lighter reading with interesting characters, some gallows-style humor, lots of battles, and with clever dialogue.     We never really get a sense of the … Continue reading →

The Scar by China Mieville

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The Scar is a science fiction – fantasy novel set on Bas -Lag, a world of many alien creatures.     The first book in the series, Perdido Street Station takes place in the principal city New Crobuzon.    It is a mesmerizing story, strange and unsettling, but is also the winner of several awards.    The Scar starts in the city, but the … Continue reading →

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

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The Hobbit is a fantasy novel written in 1937.    It was originally written for a juvenile audience, but it has become one of the best selling books of all time, selling over 100 million copies, and read by all ages of readers. The story is told by Bilbo Baggins, an account of an adventure he took from Hobbiton in the … Continue reading →

Fairy Tale by Stephen King

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Fairy Tale was published in 2022 and, as with all of his books, landed on the best sellers list.   It is indeed a fairy tale with direct and indirect references to well-known stories from the Brothers Grimm and other authors, but also to classics in the horror genre.    The 600 page book has three distinct parts.    The first section follows … Continue reading →

A Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark

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A Master of Djinn is the first book in the Dead Djinn series by Phenderson Djéli Clark.     It was the winner of a number of Fantasy Awards and is the part of the Dead Djinn Series.    Set in 1912, it is a world filled with magic, djinns, and various magical beings.    The protagonist is Fatma el-Sha’arawi, an agent of the … Continue reading →

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V. Schwab

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Some of the words used to describe this novel include “spellbinding, captivating, suspenseful, and romantic, ” and it is all of those, but it is also a tour de force, offering ample rewards, but also a level of discomfort for the reader, a dark reflection of our own choices in life.    It is story about a curse, but Addie’s life … Continue reading →

Stardust by Neil Gaimin

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Neil Gaimin describes this novel as an adult fairy tale. It is set in the English town of Wall on the border of the world of Faerie. Every 9 years the rift between our world and Faerie is bridged and a Great Fair is held in the meadow beyond the wall. A liaison between villager Dunstan Thorn and a fairy … Continue reading →

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

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Shadow and Bone is a fantasy series about the Grisha, humans who practice the “small science”, specialized magic.    Most of the Grisha are one of three orders – Materialki, Corperalki, or Atherealki, but there are sub-order of each type too, all defined within a guild-like hierarchy.   The Grisha are an elite group enlisted as soldiers in the nation of … Continue reading →

The House on the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

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The House on the Cerulean Sea is a fantasy about an orphanage of very unusual magical children.   Each of the children are interesting and unique characters and this could have been the central part of the story, but it is a tale of redemption, compassion, and humanity as seen through the lead character, Linus Baker.   As a worn-out case worker … Continue reading →

The Circle of Magic by Tamora Pierce

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The Circle of Magic is a four book fantasy series (1997 – 1999) about 4 somewhat troubled young people from different areas and different lives who are brought to a place where they can learn to control their natural magical and unique gifts.    The books are sometimes thought of as for Young Adults, but they are a very good read … Continue reading →

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

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A Darker Shade of Magic is an adventure-fantasy novel with parallel worlds, wizards, royal courts, secrets, duels, intrigue, and a quest for Kell (An Antari wizard from Red London) and Lila (a thief from Grey London).    There are no great underlying themes, nor any attempt to develop a parable, nor are there any obvious parallels to today’s world.   It is … Continue reading →

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

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Neverwhere is a fantasy about an everyday man who helps a girl in distress, then finds himself pulled into the alternate London, a world of creatures, angels, assassins, merchants, nights, and bizarre characters.   London Below is the setting for the story, an alternate world of a feudal class structure, commerce, and tribalism.    Richard Mayhew has to make sense of why … Continue reading →

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

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I read a review of The Ten Thousand Days of January and decided to listen to it as an audiobook.    It is a fantasy about a young girl who learns to open hidden doors to other worlds.    It is the story of January Scaller, the ward of Cornelius Locke, whose father was an explorer and collector, but has been missing … Continue reading →