Jan 25 2024

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Book Review: Amber and Ashes [Dragonlance] by Margaret Weis

Title: Amber and Ashes

Author: Margaret Weis

Series: Dark Desciples #1

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 3/5 stars

The Overview: Margaret Weis takes up where the War of Souls series left off with the central character Mina. While following her story, this new trilogy also explores the chaos that is post-war Krynn. This is Weis’s first solo trilogy in the Dragonlance world. –Goodreads

The Review:

Seeing as I haven’t picked up a Dragonlance book in over 15 years, this felt like a random read. But I was looking at my collection of the main series by both Weis & Hickman, remembering how much fun I had with it and how awesome I thought the ending of War of Souls (the final trilogy) when inspiration struck to see how the remnant pieces fell in the aftermath.

That’s a lot of history to carry into a spinoff trilogy, and I went in with a weird hodgepodge of high hopes because of how much I loved the main series, and low expectations given my poor experience with Weis’ Mistress of Dragons.

Amber and Ashes was just okay.

A mediocre story spritzed with the a couple of really good scenes – ones that were enough to keep me reading when I’d been considering a DNF. Let’s face it, Mina wasn’t a character I particularly liked to begin with, yet the way she was written here made me like her even less. She came across hollow and one-dimensional with a proclivity for meekness and subservience. More of a figurehead than an actual person. The monk, by contrast, was a bit better. More well-rounded and thoughtful. But it was the dog who ultimately stole the show. No jest.

Overall, I don’t mind that I read it, but I’m in no hurry to pick up the next book. The plot and character lineup were simple enough that I’m sure I can dive in again months, even years later without missing a beat. Those few good scenes were enough to raise my overall rating to 3 stars.

Recommendations: Read this only if you’ve already tackled the main Weis/Hickman series ending with the War of Souls trilogy. If, like me, you thought the conclusion to that saga was superb, this might feel like a letdown of an extended epilogue. If you’re a Dragonlance superfan who plans to read ALL THE THINGS, then not only do I admire your dedication, I’d also say this is likely one of the better ones.

Thank you to my Patrons: Dave, Katrin, Frank, Jen, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Betsy, Eliss, and Mike! <3

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by Niki Hawkes

Jan 13 2024

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Book Review: A Time of Dread by John Gwynne

Title: A Time of Dread

Author: John Gwynne

Series: Of Blood and Bone #1

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

The Overview: A race of warrior angels, the Ben-Elim, once vanquished a mighty demon horde. Now they rule the Banished lands, but their peace is brutally enforced. In the south, hotheaded Riv is desperate to join the Ben-Elim’s peacekeeping force, until she unearths a deadly secret. In the west, the giantess Sig investigates demon sightings and discovers signs of an uprising and black magic. And in the snowbound north, Drem, a trapper, finds mutilated corpses in the forests. The work of a predator, or something far darker? It’s a time of shifting loyalties and world-changing dangers. Difficult choices need to be made. Because in the shadows, demons are gathering, waiting for their time to rise… –Goodreads

The Review:

A Time of Dread helped take the edge off my Faithful and the Fallen hangover… but it wasn’t the same.

I mostly like the premise that’s providing the backbone of this trilogy. It was a creative way to put a twist on things that happened in F&TF without repeating elements. And I especially like the duality of the “villain” in that I can’t tell for certain who’s evil and who’s not. It’s giving me a stronger drive for answers than the original four books, which is always fun.

I’d also say this trilogy is starting out a lot more accessible, with considerably fewer POVs featuring younger characters. If not for the typical Gwynne brutality I’d have thought this one was written for a younger audience.

The characters are great – all fiery and driven and not afraid to do hard things. A with any spinoff or next-gen continuation, it’s probably impossible to have an identical experience of latching onto characters (usually I fall in love with the first cast and never look forward) but their charm makes these new characters hit some of the same notes. At least they’re as good as they can be without actually BEING Corban and Cywen.

The book was probably good enough to warrant a 4/5 stars, but something about it or my mindset while reading it kept me feeling detatched. Because of my experience with F&TF and the Bloodsworn Saga, I know what a 4 & 5 star Gwynne feels like, and I definitely didn’t connect with this one as much as those. 3 stars it is.

Recommendations: for the love of all the book gods, don’t pick this up until you’ve read F&TF! This is a next-gen continuation set about 100 years later and it contains ALL THE SPOILERS. Also… read F&TF if you haven’t already. It’s a brilliant classic-feeling fantasy written with a modern voice and pacing. Superb! The jury is still out on this one.

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by Niki Hawkes

Nov 14 2023

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Book Review: Of Blood and Fire by Ryan Cahill

Title: Of Blood and Fire

Author: Ryan Cahill

Series: The Bound and the Broken #1

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 2/5 stars

The Overview: Epheria is a land divided by war and mistrust. The High Lords of the south squabble and fight, only kept in check by the Dragonguard, traitors of a time long past, who serve the empire of the North. In the remote villages of southern Epheria, still reeling from the tragic loss of his brother, Calen Bryer prepares for The Proving—a test of courage and skill that not all survive. But when three strangers arrive in the village of Milltown, with a secret they are willing to die for, Calen’s world is ripped from under him and he is thrust headfirst into a war that has been raging for centuries. There is no prophecy. His coming was not foretold.
He bleeds like any man, and bleed he will. -Goodreads

The Review:

If classic fantasy is your main jam, you’re primed to like this a little more than I did.

My experience with this was rough. I started the book with a lot of enthusiasm, finding it easy to get into the flow of the story. It was fairly typical classic fantasy with overly drawn-out beginning chapters reminiscent of WoT. I kept waiting for it to sweep me away on that rolling hype train… but it never quite got there. Add to that several blatant deus ex machinas early on (which effectively removed all the high stakes from the story), and I found my enthusiasm waning. It eventually became a struggle to finish.

Great care was taken early on to highlight people and things that had no bearing on the rest of the book. Meanwhile, the important stuff (a mf DRAGON) was often brushed over so quickly that I kept having to backtrack to make sure I hadn’t missed anything. Several scenes were vague and felt more like afterthoughts than fleshed-out scenes. I had more of a moment with the description of a townswoman early on than I did with the (mf) DRAGON. I look to the storyteller to show me what to focus on, but here it seemed as though many things were included for the sake of being there rather than because they added value.

While the pacing of the story had a nice flow, I finished the book feeling like I didn’t get enough substance out of book to justify the page count. There weren’t a lot of plot points and the ones that were there didn’t stick with me much.

Overall I wish I’d liked it more.

Recommendations: Pick this up for a classic fantasy kick and the promise that the series gets better with each book. I’m not sure I’m going to make it that far, but those who have seem to love it. Incidentally, once I finished writing my review I scanned through a handful of people I follow on GR and all the ones I saw loved the book more than me. All of them. Alrighty – take my review with a grain of salt. :)

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by Niki Hawkes

Nov 3 2023

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Book Review: Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

Title: Tress of the Emerald Sea

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Series: Secret Projects #1

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 4.5/5 stars!

The Overview: The only life Tress has known on her island home in an emerald-green ocean has been a simple one, with the simple pleasures of collecting cups brought by sailors from faraway lands and listening to stories told by her friend Charlie. But when his father takes him on a voyage to find a bride and disaster strikes, Tress must stow away on a ship and seek the Sorceress of the deadly Midnight Sea. Amid the spore oceans where pirates abound, can Tress leave her simple life behind and make her own place sailing a sea where a single drop of water can mean instant death? -Goodreads

The Review:

I’ll admit I had to force myself to pick this one up. Don’t get me wrong, I love Sanderson and didn’t hesitate for a moment when backing the kickstarter, but something about this book made me hesitant to give it a try. I figured it was going to be an easy, lighthearted read (perhaps a bit dumb) that I’d give 3 stars to and move on.

I was NOT expecting a slam-dunk!

I immediately loved the magic system – seas of colored spores that explode (and other various reactions) when they come in contact with water. What a fun idea! And it was explored thoroughly throughout the book, giving me all of that nerdy Sanderson detail. But I was not really sure about the story until I hit the end. You see, whether the journey was worth the effort for me amounted to where he took it (destination before journey, in this case). And my fiends, he took it amazing. I love where it ended up – the complete unconventionality of several plot points all landing perfectly. I already want to reread it. And on top of all of that, it made me laugh.

Overall, I’m glad my initial impressions didn’t keep me from reading this. After being disappointed with the second Skyward book (my most recent read from him), I’m happy to feel excited about my next Sanderson again.

Recommendations: choose this for a light-hearted fantasy with lots of fun surprises!

Since we read this for Patreon Book Club, I thought it would be fun to include snippet reviews from some of my Patrons:

“Cosy Fantasy, but make it Sanderson-Style” -Sonja

“Tress sets out on a grand yet pressing adventure that not only changes her life but the lives of those she meets in this fun, clever and delightful book.” -Eliss

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by Niki Hawkes

Oct 30 2023

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Book Review: Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree

Title: Bookshops and Bonedust

Author: Travis Baldree

Series: Legends and Lattes #0.5

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 2.5/5 stars

The Overview: When an injury throws a young, battle-hungry orc off her chosen path, she may find that what we need isn’t always what we seek. In Bookshops & Bonedust, a prequel to Legends & Lattes, New York Times bestselling author Travis Baldree takes us on a journey of high fantasy, first loves, and second-hand books. Viv’s career with the notorious mercenary company Rackam’s Ravens isn’t going as planned. Wounded during the hunt for a powerful necromancer, she’s packed off against her will to recuperate in the sleepy beach town of Murk—so far from the action that she worries she’ll never be able to return to it. What’s a thwarted soldier of fortune to do? Spending her hours at a beleaguered bookshop in the company of its foul-mouthed proprietor is the last thing Viv would have predicted, but it may be both exactly what she needs and the seed of changes she couldn’t possibly imagine. Still, adventure isn’t all that far away. A suspicious traveler in gray, a gnome with a chip on her shoulder, a summer fling, and an improbable number of skeletons prove Murk to be more eventful than Viv could have ever expected. -Goodreads

The Review:

I’m glad for more time with this author’s works, even if I enjoyed Legends & Lattes a bit more.

My biggest draw to Bookshops & Bonedust was the opportunity to settle in with the delightfully mundane aspects of running a business that was so prominent in the first book. And the business was a bookshop!! What could be more ideal?

As it turns out, more bookshop stuff, less necromancy.

We didn’t get that same level of commitment to focus on the business as we did with L&L. It tried to bring in too many other elements and sort of forgot what made this type of story special in the first place. I can read about necromancers and magic swords anywhere. What I can’t get is book organizing, quirky customer service, and sales reports (I need it). I wanted to see them get their hands dirty turning the store around, of which it provided only glimpses.

I did like the chronology of the tale – set in the pre-L&L days where it provided insight as to how a battling orc would even consider becoming a coffee shop owner. Overall it was a great enrichment to the saga as a whole, even if it didn’t land quite the same way. The parts I liked, I REALLY liked. I just wish there had been more of them.

Recommendations: Pick this up as a fun snack between other books, but don’t expect it to move you like the first one.

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by Niki Hawkes

Oct 5 2023

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Book Review: House of Chains by Steven Eri\kson

Title: House of Chains

Author: Steven Erikson

Series: Malazan #4

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: In Northern Genabackis, tribal mountain warriors raid southern flatlands. Years later, Tavore, Adjunct to the Empress, enters the last Malazan stronghold. New to command, she must hone 12,000 recruits to resist the Whirlwind of her sister Sha in the Holy Desert. The power struggle of the seer’s warlords threatens the soul of the rebellion. -Goodreads

The Review:

Well, it only took me a year, but I finally finished House of Chains.

Granted, all Malazan books I’ve read so far have been dense, but the back half of this particular one gave me some extra sass. I’d heard it was the first half that most people struggle through, as the story and tone were vastly different than anything we’d seen up to that point. I, for one, found it a delightful Malazan vacation to only have a handful of characters to keep track of for a while. It was when we started getting back into the relative continuation of the series with an overwhelming mix of new and old characters that I starting losing momentum.

By all accounts, everything was still interesting, but compared to the slam-dunk brilliance that was Memories of Ice, the back half of House of Chains felt a bit lackluster. It was rather talkie/talkie and seemed to be more set-up than plot-advancing. And the few things that did happen to resolve conflicts from Deadhouse Gates hit me as anticlimactic.

The structure of this series so far is fascinating. Gardens of the Moon and Memories of Ice were linked, whereas House of Chains was more a direct sequel to Deadhouse Gates. But they’re all interconnected and overlapped, so you really do need to read them all (not that you’d likely skip if you’re committed to Malazan). I think it part of the brilliance of the series and it’s one of the reasons I’m interested to keep reading.

…I just wish fewer names started with a “K” sound.

Overall I’m still willing to put myself through more literary torture and will be continuing the Ultimate Reading Order with “The Healthy Dead” next.

Recommendations: I can’t in good conscience hand this to anyone without a laundry list of disclaimers, but it’s good. Read it if you’re a masochist. :P

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