Orbit releases first two chapters of The Broken Eye by Brent Weeks

I've never been one to read these early release chapters because they tend to make me unnecessarily worked up (as I'm sure they're intended to do) and then I just get depressed about having to wait for the rest. But for those of you who need your fix of Weeks, Orbit has released the first two chapters of book three of the Lightbringer series, The Broken Eye.

If you haven't read The Black Prism or The Blinding Knife, doooo nooooooottt click this link, there be spoilers ahoy! Instead, reprimand yourself for not reading them immediately upon their release and rectify immediately.

REVIEW: Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

The premise of Steelheart really doesn't sit with what I usually like in a book and I discovered this when I tried explaining it to a non-fantasy/sci-fi reader.

"It's set on Earth, where this weird star has appeared in the sky and given some people super powers, like the ability to turn everything into steel or make it night all the time. But everyone who gets these powers are really awful people, or the powers turn them awful (we don't know yet) and so the world is being run by tyrannical super villians. The story is about a group of normal people who are trying to take down the villains, including the most powerful, Steelheart."

Not only does it sound like the corniest sci-fi trope that you could think of, it also sound suspiciously like Sanderson's previous novel, The Final Empire. Nevertheless, Sanderson's previous record of sensational writing and post-apocalyptic power struggles with the divine yet evil always has back for more.

I enjoyed Steelheart, but I would have to say it is my least favourite Sanderson novel so far. Previously this was Alloy of Law, which was only saved because it belonged to the Mistborn universe; I think I just have a beef with anything that moves into more sci-fi and modern day territory. Give me a traditional swords and sorcery fantasy any day.

The world-building and plot of Steelheart felt a lot shallower compared to previous works, due mostly of course to the relatively shorter length of the book and the fact that it was set on Earth. For the very first time in a Sanderson novel I felt myself becoming dissatisfied, or even bored halfway through. Things do get a little predictable in there.

Without giving anything away, it is the final chapters that really make up for the rest of the book, where Sanderson appears in all his shining glory to not only prove he had us fooled the whole time (as always) but to finally give us the meatiness we were craving.

Because of those final chapters alone I am now eagerly anticipating (Let's not kid ourselves, I was always going to throw any other book across the room as soon as a Sanderson appeared) to release of the sequel, Firefight, apparently in Fall 2014. But first, I want me some Words of Radiance!

Brent Weeks shares new draft blurb for The Broken Eye

The Broken Eye is Weeks' third installment in his Lightbringer series and one of my most anticipated releases of 2014. In an email to fans, Week's shared a new draft blurb for the 900-page book, which is set to be released next August!

As the old gods awaken and satrapies splinter, the Chromeria races to find its lost Prism, the only man who may be able to stop catastrophe.  But Gavin Guile is enslaved on a pirate galley.  Worse, he no longer has the one thing that defined him — the ability to draft.

Without the protection of his father, Kip Guile will have to face a master of shadows alone as his grandfather moves to choose a new Prism and put himself in power. With Teia and Karris, Kip will have to use all his wits to survive a secret war between noble houses, religious factions, rebels, and an ascendant order of hidden assassins, The Broken Eye.

Read my review for The Black Prism here and The Blinding Knife here.

REVIEW: Knife Sworn by Mazarkis Williams

Knife Sworn is the second installment in the Tower and Knife Trilogy after The Emperor's Knife (see my review - with spoilers - here).

What was frustrating earlier on quickly became a highlight for me in this novel - it was confusing as all hell. There's a lot to say about reading a story through the experience and perception of protagonists that are probably a little unhinged. As readers we take their word as gospel truth, especially after being privy to their internal dialogue. But when that view is limited, so too is ours, sometimes without us realising it.

Emperor Sarmin, affected by his closeted upbringing and now left with the aftershocks of being one of the Many as well as trying to rule Cerana, is not having a great time. There are gaps in his logic and memory, and we are swept into it without so much as a paddle, let alone a life raft. Grada is also one very strange individual, who the pressure has obviously gotten to.

The first third of the book leaves you struggling to keep up, giving you only snatches of information and certainly no solid ground to get your bearings. Characters such as as Nessaket and Rushes give us enough reprieve to get a semblance of a story together, but Sarmin remains thoroughly batty until the end. The magic and religion layered into the story are never explicitly explained or handed over to reason, although I found it easy in the end to roll along with the complex mystery of it all.

I did find that in comparison with book one, Knife Sworn feels like it was written by a different author, such is the change in tone and direction. Not even the characters feel the same. Even though the blurb claims that the book is the story of Sarmin and Mesema and focuses on Sarmin's decision to name a new Knife Sworn, this is hardly the case.

Mesema has been relegated to the role of bedside table, which is a real shame as she was a great presence in The Emperor's Knife. Sarmin and Mesema's relationship which seems to strong at the end of book one now seems almost non-existent. And on the matter of the Knife Sworn ... well it couldn't have had a less signficant role if it tried, not to mention that it was extremely late to the party.

Knife Sworn for me just felt like a watered-down version of The Emperor's Knife. Sarmin is once again faced with a new magical plague, tenuously linked to the Patterning. There's a half-hearted attempt at some political undertakings, but they really just die in the rear. What it ultimately feels like is that The Emperor's Knife was a story in itself, and that Knife Sworn is just left to find a sequel amongst the pieces, after most of the good characters have been killed off. The ending did have potential, but was extremely rushed and fell flat.

Honestly I don't really know how I feel about it all. It was truly a complex, mature and enjoyable read, and I was particularly drawn to the world that Williams created ... but some things were just a little inconsistent and rough for me; it lacked a clear purpose or drive. Nevertheless, still an interesting read if you like high fantasy with a strong signatory world and magic system.

Book three, The Tower Broken, comes out this November - still on my to be read list!

REVIEW: The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch

Firstly, to anyone out there who has been waiting to read The Republic of Thieves since finishing Red Seas Under Red Skies in 2007 ... my sincerest apologies to you. I on the other hand, read them both in the last two weeks. I mention this only partly as a glib taunt, but also because the lack of wait and anticipation colours my view in much the same way it did for my reviews of A Song of Ice and Fire, compared to those who waiting years between installments.

This is a series that has definitely been slow to grow on me. I found The Lies of Locke Lamora somewhat unremarkable and it took more than half of Red Seas to really start getting into a position of favour. I hit the ground running with Thieves, which picks up seamlessly from the events of book two, which was great for me, in much the same way as an accelerating getaway car avoids the long arm of the law.

But to the actual review! Thieves follows an almost identical formula from it's two predecessors, alternating between past and present. In this case, the past returns us to a time when the Gentlemen Bastards are still under the tutelage of Father Chains except that this time, lo and behold, we finally learn all about the mysterious Sabetha. It is not surprising in fact, that this whole book, in both timelines, revolves around Sabetha, or rather, her relationship with Locke.

All things considered, the choice to put off this part of the story until now worked quite well. The mystery of Sabetha was only referenced lightly in previous books; enough to create some suspense, but not nearly enough to frustrate or impede the story at hand. What I really loved was being able to go back and once again experience the characters (such as Calo and Galdo) that have since departed the story - there's nothing better than the joy of experiencing something that you thought lost. My only issue with Lynch's formula for each novel is that I feel that these 'past' events should have affected or at least have been referenced in 'present' events of previous books. While there are no major oversights, it still does feel a little bit like Lynch is creating or adding history retroactively.

The present day arc is equally as entertaining and flows smoothly alongside its past counterpart. Lynch cleverly mirrors both storylines; both telling of the kindling and rekindling of Locke and Sabetha's relationship respectively.

Locke Lamora continues to shine as the golden boy of this series and more and more brings to mind a younger and perhaps more adventurous Tyrion Lannister. Locke's unfailing wit reaches new heights in this installment and as things go from bad to worse, so too does his regard for his own well-being. This translates directly for us as the reader, to some downright laugh out loud moments. Even in his exposition, Lynch doesn't hold back on the colourful language.

Sabetha still remains a bit of a mystery to me and I can't help but feel only some of it can be put down to 'it's because she's a woman OoOoOoO.' Her and Locke obviously have a complicated relationship, but when you get down to the nitty gritty, I still can't figure out why. She seems to be incapable of handling even the slightest argument, instead choosing to flee the continent at any given moment. It all seems a bit too convenient for me.

The standalone highlight of this book is Lynch's masterful use of prose and vocabulary, making for a thoroughly crafted and intelligent read. I can't really elaborate more or give it higher praise than that, other than by saying he has the writer's equivalent of the comic timing of the world's best comedian. When the character's pause, you pause, when the action is happening, your adrenaline starts going and you read god damn faster!

The world of Locke Lamora continues to expand within the new settings of Karthain and Espara. While Lynch has never been one to spend copious amount of time describing the environment in detail, a colourful and unique world is built nonetheless. I think that by the end of the series the protagonists will have taken us through every city, one by one, book by book.

The tone of Thieves really surprised me and I actually found it very light on, especially compared to book two. Red Seas had us in dire straits (see what I did there) and managed to get some real emotional hooks in. This book not only felt briefer, but a lot safer. Although it could be seen as a nice respite it certainly makes Thieves stand out as a transitional book in a larger series, rather than a milestone in it's own right - a shame considering the six-year wait fans have endured.

I don't know how or why, but I was under the impression that Thieves was the last of a trilogy. Imagine my surprise when I encountered a shock ending, riddled with foreshadowing and catastrophic potential and then ask my good friend Google who tells me there are in fact seven books. Ladies and gentlemen, we are in for the long haul. And in that case, Lynch definitely needs to shake up the formula before things get downright repetitive and boring.

Which brings me to my biggest criticism of not only this book, but the series in general and certainly it's biggest downfall. Lynch ticks all the right boxes as I have mentioned above but somehow I'm still not hooked; there is no fire. I am definitely not aching to read the next book. Don't get me wrong, I will be sure to read it to get my next dose of scathing Lamora humour, but not because I care about the fate of the characters or story. I can't put my finger on why exactly this is the case, but it's a pretty major drawback. It's certainly a combination of feelings I have not experienced before.

I think if you have enjoyed the series so far then it is worth continuing with it; The Republic of Thieves maintains the elements that you have grown to love and gives you another shot of Lamora goodness (or wickedness). I'll be looking out for book four, The Thorn of Emberlain!

This is a review of an advanced reading copy supplied by the publisher. The Republic of Thieves is expected to be published on October 8th, 2013.

REVIEW: Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch

I wasn't a huge fan of The Lies of Locke Lamora and I remember writing in my review that I would probably only read Red Seas Under Red Skies when I had nothing better to do. I was given an ARC for The Republic of Thieves, book three in this series, and thought I better do the right thing and you know, read the series in order.

I'm happy to say that I am now sold on the Locke Lamora franchise.

It was a slow start however. I found that almost the first half of Red Seas featured the some of the same elements of Lies that turned me off - chiefly, that it just didn't make me care about anything or anyone. I was never able to empathise with or experience the humanity of Locke or Jean. Sure they're hilariously witty and fabulous characters in their own regard, but I could have walked away from the book at any moment and not felt a pang of regret or curiosity. The Spire heist also felt very familiar to the Salvara gig in Lies.

The 'flashback' storytelling makes a return in this installment, but it by and large more successful than in book one, where it was just darn frustrating. Luckily (for me) this was abandoned by half way through, leaving us with a clear, linear chronology, as I think the whole series should have been.

There's a point in the story when events take a swift turn left off the road and go careening into the sea, which let's face it was to be expected. There's an ocean on the cover after all. To begin with I'm not sure how I felt about this ... it seemed like Lynch was doing a cut and run on the story so far, getting bored with current events and taking a sudden interest in all things nautical. I found myself thinking, "Ugh, how long is this going to take?".

However, that's where things finally got interesting. Firstly, we got some great fresh characters that weren't absurdly rich or powerful pompous asses with targets on their foreheads. And females at that too! Locke and Jean's relationship really starts to develop and that in turn increases the depth of their characters ten-fold. There's even a love interest, which was a highlight for me in this book.

The last fifth of this book was sheer brilliance. Lynch masterfully combines an incredible and mind-boggling triumph with more than a few tragic moments for our protagonists that had me considering whether I was going to put the book down and have a 'moment'.

Lynch's wit shown vicariously through Locke is prodigious and definitely on par with authors like Terry Pratchett. I mentioned this in my review for Lies but I'll say it again, Locke really is a protagonist for the ages. He's like those naughty kids in class who you know you shouldn't laugh at, but you can't help yourself because they're so inappropriately hilarious. 

Red Seas Under Red Skies was a big step up for me from The Lies of Locke Lamora, with definite growth evident in all areas of the story. It did take quite a while to warm up, but I guess I can say in the end it was worth it. This isn't a fantastically groundbreaking novel or series, especially if you're looking for something really fantastical to bite your teeth into, but it does offer excellent prose and intelligent humour abound. I'll be moving straight onto Republic of Thieves, which I must admit seems a luxury as some fans have been waiting six years since Red Seas was released ... sucks to be them!

REVIEW: Emperor of Thorns by Mark Lawrence

This was one of my most anticipated books of 2013 after reading Prince of Thorns and King of Thorns last year and wow did it live up to expectations! It takes a certain kind of book to keep me reading until 1:00am and this is one of them.

Bravery is a quality that I regard highly when it comes to novels, and The Broken Empire trilogy is oozing with it, both in terms of Lawrence's writing and the infamous protagonist, Jorg Ancrath. I was so pleased to see that even though some goodness and maturity had crept into Jorg as he grew older, he retained his ruthless and somewhat sociopathic tendencies that so endeared me to him. There is something so satisfying about being constantly caught off guard by a protagonist, particularly one written in first person. There are some truly delicious scenes (almost always involving a smattering of gruesome murder) that got my adrenaline going every time.

The structure of Emperor of Thorns is similar to it's predecessors, alternating between present and past events in a way that expertly reveals facts just in time to be of use, while eliminating premature spoilers. Some events in EoT take place before those in KoT and are used to flesh out and explain the shock ending to book two. Genius!

The world building in this installment introduces much more information about this post-apocalyptic Earth, creating stronger links to the now ancient past before 'The Day of A Thousand Suns'. This ticked so many boxes for me and my obsession with anything eschatological. Lawrence becomes more generous with detail and the story begins to rely more heavily on technology as well as real-world references, particularly geographical ones. There is even a comical inclusion involving a janitor. 

I did feel like to elements of the story that were introduced in this book and then became crucial to the conclusion arrived a little late to be fully credible, such as Kai Summerson and the 'sworn'. The conclusion was undeniably fantastic with some great choices and balance by Lawrence, although I couldn't help but feel it was a little too fantastical a climax for a story that was so grounded and gritty. I also questioned the level of skill and intelligence some characters, Jorg included, acquired at such a ridiculously young age.

The Broken Empire trilogy has undoubtedly become of my favourite series to date, up there with the works of Brandon Sanderson and George R. R. Martin. I was constantly impressed with the wickedly fast pace, the humour and wit, the fascinating story in an epic post-apocalyptic world and most of all, arguably the most engaging protagonist I have ever encountered. Here's to you Mark Lawrence!

REVIEW: The Crimson Crown by Cinda Williams Chima

The Crimson Crown is an absolutely brilliant conclusion to the Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima. I've thoroughly enjoyed this series and my only continual criticism is that it isn't long enough.

Elements that irked me from book three, The Gray Wolf Throne, were swiftly remedied in this installment. It felt as if Chima had held off all the good bits for the final book, leaving the penultimate novel a little safe and uneventful. The character of Crow for instance, finally became an integral part of things and his mysterious past revealed, although admittedly with little fanfare.

Like its predecessors, The Crimson Crown is fast-moving, easy to read, easy to love and well thought out. The plot is relatively simple, but absolutely water-tight, allowing the reader to fully immerse themselves without the slightest interruption to the suspension of disbelief. This is a great book to sit down with for a day-long reading session (I did 8 hours today).

Chima does tend to skimp a bit on any kind of conflict, even though there is quite a lot of potential for it (there being a war going on and all). There is some half-hearted murdering and an attempt at some hostage situations, but it gets nowhere gritty enough and is glossed over a little. Of course this may just be the author aiming at a more YA audience.

All of the characters are instantly loveable, if more than a little archetypal. Raisa and Han make the perfect protagonists, backed up with some great secondary characters like Cat and Fire Dancer.

But the best thing about this series as I have mentioned is how easy it is to read and enjoy. After being immersed in Bradley P. Beaulieu's Lays of Anuskaya, which requires constant attention, it was really nice to not have to do any extra thinking. Not that that's always desirable, just an observation of this series in general. Give it a go for engaging, entertaining and fast read!

REVIEW: The Flames of Shadam Khoreh by Bradley P. Beaulieu

Concisely: this story is brilliant and you should definitely read the entire trilogy.

The Flames of Shadam Khoreh is an intensely satisfying and captivating read and a great ending to this series. Beaulieu has crafted an incredibly mature and complex story that seemingly never takes the easy way out. It was refreshing to experience characters that have changes of heart, who get things wrong and even at times, lead the reader completely astray with their conjecture. 

For me this book was a much truer reflection of humanity, which is more of a tangled web rather than a single thread. At times the story felt messy and unclear but I appreciated this for the complexity and touch of realism it gave.

While The Winds of Khalakovo dealt primarily with the politicking and conflict between and within the Grand Duchy and the Maharrat, The Straits of Galahesh and then more so The Flames of Shadam Khoreh not only bring more factions to the party, but begin to deal with the fate of the world on a grand, cosmic level - very similarly to Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy. While I felt this was a great and natural progression for the story, I did miss the days of Winds, which I think is by far the best installment in this series. I would have been quite satisfied the remain in the realm of the courts of Anuskaya and seeing how that panned out, but instead the story takes vast leaps and bounds into infinitely bigger territory.

This is where it falls down a little for me. The protagonists in this series are great; Nikandr, Atiana, Nasim, Styophan, all consistent and well formed. However it is the secondary characters and antagonists that remain thoroughly confusing to me. Sukharam, Kaleh, Sariya, Bahett, Ushai ... all are so ill-defined that it actually seems that their presence is required only as plot devices when the need arises. Their motivations and allegiances change more often than the Prime Minister of Australia does and with very little justification. One moment Kaleh is a ruthless killer supporting Muqallad and Sariya and then she isn't and then she is and then she's is an innocent girl who's siding with the good guys ... Admittedly in some of these examples the characters are playing a ruse, but still. I mean, what the hell Ushai? WHAT IS YOUR DEAL!?

I swear some characters are brought along for the ride just to be petulant and/or obtuse.

This brings about problems in the story that I mentioned in my review of Straits, where it seems like Beaulieu has only a tentative grip on the hugely multifaceted magic system and tends to cut corners to position things where he needs them.

Taking all that into consideration, Flames is still brilliant and a credit to the fantasy genre. There are many strengths in this book I haven't even touched on (mostly because I brought them up in reviews of the two prequels) such as the exquisite use of language and names, impressive world-building and incredibly rich cultures that have been ingrained in the characters and story.

I will definitely be reading more of Beaulieu and you should too!

REVIEW: The Straits of Galahesh by Bradley P. Beaulieu

It really took me a long time to get through this, not because of the book itself but because of my lack of reading time due to my various choreographic projects. But I finally found some free time this weekend and polished it off.

After reading and loving The Winds of Khalakovo I had high expectations for The Straits of Galahesh, some of which were met and some not. The brilliant things about this book were so easy to overlook because they resumed seamlessly from where they left off in Winds and because of the confident manner in which Beaulieu employed them.

The use of Russian culture and language was once again an absolute highlight, allowing this series to completely standout from a genre that is all about inventing a plethora or original place and character names. Unlike Winds, I found I was completely across the entire cast of characters and even most of the duchies/islands/cities/mountains/palotzas, which I have to admit made the second installment in the trilogy a lot easier to maneuver through.

The world of Straits is not described with great depth, yet it is still incredibly rich and well built and like most elements of the series, fresh. Built into the geography itself is (one of) the magic systems that I also found intriguing - matriarchs of each royal family who can enter the aether, which along with the spires, assist with the flight of the airships.

The story crafted by Beaulieu in Straits is complex, original, captivating and successful on many levels, however for me there were some things that really let it down. I have to preface this by saying that I, or my reading and understanding, may possibly be to blame and I stand ready to be corrected!

It seemed to be that Beaulieu had some pretty big plot holes in this one - well, not so much holes as parts that were totally contradictory or made little logical sense. Of course we take into consideration that magic is, well, magic and in essence is mysterious and unexplainable. But that's no get out of jail free. Worst of all were some examples where Beaulieu *seemed* to demonstrate that he didn't have a real grasp over elements of his own story.

The role of the akhoz was always dubious. They were created to stabilise the rift over Ghayavand, but the theory behind this is never explained at all and they then became a multipurpose tool and carted out for this and that ceremony. Then there is a conveniently easy ritual between Khamal and an akhoz which has such a huge effect with very little reasoning behind it. Yet (without giving too much away) when Sariya and Muqallad perform the same ritual with Nasim (a choice in itself that has no logic) it has an outcome that does not align with Khamal's at all. 

There are even just silly little things, like when one protagonist has to kill someone to achieve his goal, even though it is plain to every character in the scene that if he waited approximately 3.4 seconds longer, it wouldn't actually be necessary. It's OK though, because apparently everyone who is killed can be magically unkilled and keep living a little longer. Even more ridiculous is the fact that this protagonist develops the ability to stop time and somehow doesn't kill the bad guy who is an arms length away. But the bad guys can control anyone's mind at will ... they just choose not to sometimes ...

It's stuff like that that belongs in bad, overpriced Hollywood fantasy epics. It makes my blood boil.

Other than that I was still very confused about a few things, chiefly Sariya's true intentions and Muqallad's goals, but I think some of that came down to both my understanding of the text and Beaulieu's intentional vagueness (ie, saving it for later). There were a lot of twists and double-crossing which was great and made for a keep-you-guessing plot, but I don't feel like it was concluded very well.

While these provided some epic eye-roll moments for me, I still really enjoyed the essential story and craftsmanship of Straits and I was never even close to a moment where I was prepared to give up or anything of the like. 

I'm now a total BPB fan and will be moving straight onto The Flames of Shadam Khoreh to finish of the series. I would totally recommend that all fantasy fans give this series a go, just be prepared for some irksome moments if you're an anally retentive want-to-know-it-all like me!