I first saw Sixteen Ways to Defend A Walled City when it came out, and it caught my attention: a potentially humorous, military fantasy exploit by an author known for his historical and humorous works (KJ Parker is a pseudonym for Tom Holt). I’m glad I read it. What to expect The story starts by […]
Book Review
Book Review: What Kings Ate and Wizards Drank, by Krista D. Ball
I can’t remember exactly when What Kings Ate floated past me, but given my love of both fantasy and historical foodstuffs I knew it was going to be a hit. What to expect A non-fiction that’s still light-hearted, both informative and entertaining. The author covers many aspects of food throughout history as a way to […]
Book Review: Penric’s Demon, by Lois McMaster Bujold
I’ve heard a lot of good things about Bujold’s writing, but somehow had never read them. I was in the mood for a short, light fantasy so jumped on Penric’s Demon. A few weeks later I read Penric and the Shaman, so this review will encompass both. What to Expect A quick, charming adventure of […]
Book Review: Thraxas, by Martin Scott
I can’t recall who recommended Thraxas to me, but the interest overlap was obvious: private detective in a fantasy world with a nod to Roman culture. I put it high on my TBR. What to Expect As it says on the cover, a hard-boiled-style story of a down-on-his-luck, drunken private investigator with magical education and […]
Book Review: A Natural History of Dragons, by Marie Brennan
Multiple people (whose tastes I trust) have repeatedly recommended me the Memoirs of Lady Trent, and I finally got to reading it. I can see what the fuss was about, as it is certainly a unique work in the realms of fantasy. What to Expect Written in first person as a memoir (an old lady […]
Book Review: Draka Raid, by Nils Nisse Visser
I love historical-fantasy blends (no surprises), and the promise of a realistic depiction of the dark ages caught my attention. What to expect A novella based on Anglo-Saxon England in the 9th century. A village in Sussex is facing a Danish raid, with the chief and warriors away and his daughter ruling in his stead. […]
Book Review: The Last Gladiator, by Daniel Ottalini
Daniel Ottalini’s Steam Empire Chronicles have an obvious appeal to me – writing fellow alternate history based on Rome – so I was quite glad to jump on the prequel novella. What to expect A story set in Ottalini’s Steampunk version of the Roman Empire, but a few years before the events of the main […]
Book Review: False Value (Rivers of London #8), by Ben Aaronovitch
I’ve been following Peter Grant’s adventures, so was happy to delve in to this new instalment. What to expect This novel is the first after the closure of the previous arc in Lies Sleeping. None of the old enemies appear (though don’t worry, the good side-characters are still there), and instead more of the world […]
Book Review: Bloody Rose, by Nicholas Eames
I read Kings of the Wyld last year and loved it, so I thought it’s time I’d take a stab at the sequel. What to expect The events in this novel take place six years after Kings of the Wyld, but more importantly with (almost) completely different characters. While Clay, Gabe, and Moog make guest […]
Book Review: 1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed, by Eric H. Cline
I watched Cline’s lecture on the topic (see below) and found it fascinating, so wanted to follow up with reading more details. This book should be required reading to anyone interested in the bronze age and antiquity. What to Expect Cline starts with an over-view of the collapse of the Late Bronze Age, and then […]
