Nov 10 2012

Book Review: Dragonlance – Dragons of Dwarven Depths by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman

Title: Dragonlance: Dragons of Dwarven Depths

Authors: Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

Series: The Lost Chronicles #1

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: Tanis and Flint seek out a haven in the dwarven kingdom of Thorbardin while Raistlin is strangely drawn to the haunted fortress known as Skullcap. Sturm seeks the legendary Hammer of Kharas, and Tika embarks on a perilous journey to rescue those she loves from certain death.

But it is the Dwarf, Flint Fireforge, who faces the most crucial test. The heroes race against time to save the lives of those dependent on them and Flint is forced to make a difficult choice, one on which the future of mankind may rest.

The Review:

Even though the Lost Chronicles are the latest in publication, they actually fall in the middle of the Dragonlance saga chronologically. It is an expansion of some events that happened that didn’t quite make it into the original series. Happy to have anything new from these authors, I was thrilled when it was released, and found it to be an incredibly nostalgic read.

I don’t think the original manuscript was a full trilogy, and so the authors had to add quite a bit of additional scenes to create a more sustainable storyline. This might be the main reason why certain elements were a bit repetitive. The perspective jumps around between about a dozen characters, and unfortunately that means we get the thoughts on certain events and behaviors several times over as we go through each character’s mental assessments. There was also quite a bit of series recap, but that didn’t bother me much – it’s been ages since I read the original story.

The characters are what make this saga so enjoyable, and I must say my favorite in this book was Tasslehoff – he is so delightfully irritating and cheerful that I have to give kudos to the authors for creating such a memorable character (one of many).

Overall, it was a fun addition totally entertaining the whole way through. I highly recommend it for fans of the series.

by Niki Hawkes

Other books you might like:

Nov 9 2012

Coming Soon: Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

Title: Through the Ever Night

Series: Under the Never Sky #2

Author: Veronica Rossi

Release Date: January 8, 2013

It would seem that post-apocolyptic novels are hot right now (go figure), and this series ranks right up there with some of the best-selling titles. The synopses actually speak to some original ideas that help these books stand out from their competition. I very much look forward to reading them!

Nov 8 2012

Bonded by Michelle Davidson Argyle

Title: Bonded

Author: Michelle Davidson Argyle

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Rating: 2/5 stars

The Review:

Ever wondered what happens after the fairy tales end? In “Bonded” Davidson takes you on a journey that’s not quite as happily ever after as you might expect. With these three novellas, she tells her interesting take on the next chapter of some familiar characters. Each of the three novellas used a unique voice to explore the darker side of fairy tales, and gave off sort of a Brothers Grimm feel.

The stories were actually quite thought-provoking. Sure, there are elements of Grimm, but I also thought there was a good tribute to Aesop’s fables. There were definitely a lot of morals woven into the stories such as: “be careful what you wish for” and “the grass is always greener”.

The writing was unique and overall well done, progressing the story smoothly and keeping my attention throughout. The only criticism I had was that the dialogue seemed a bit forced on occasion, but it still managed to flow within the overall “voice” of the story.

If you’re looking for a fairy tale to break the mold, this may be the next book for you!

by Niki Hawkes

Other books you might like:

  • “Bitterblue” by Kristin Cashore
  • “Once Upon a Winter’s Night” by Dennis McKiernan
  • “The Ill-Made Mute” by Cecelia Dart-Thornton
  • “Grimm’s Fairy Tales” by the Brothers Grimm
Nov 7 2012

Coming Soon: A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan

Title: A Memory of Light

Series: Wheel of Time #14

Author: Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson

Release Date: January 8, 2013

I think this one deserves a repost, although I’ve yet to talk to an avid fan who hasn’t been counting down for months. In any case:

The final volume of the Wheel of Time series is almost upon us! If you haven’t read Robert Jordan yet, now’s your chance! You only have to wait two months for the conclusion, not 20 years like the poor folk who’ve been following the series from the beginning.

Nov 6 2012

Your Pick for Nik! – November’s Selection!

Thank you for your votes!

It was a really close one this month, but the winner is…“Partials” by Dan Wells! 

I will be posting a thorough review on Saturday December 1st. For those of you reading along with me, I look forward to hearing your thoughts on it!

I don’t know how long it will last, but right now bn.com is selling the ebook for only $2.99.

Happy reading! :)

For more information on this feature, click here.

Nov 5 2012

Your Pick for Nik! – November Edition!

  

Come join the fun in my feature Your Pick for Nik!

Out of 10 nominees, “Partials” and “The Drowning City” are currently in the lead. You still have until 10:00 pm (MST) tomorrow night (11/6) to cast your vote!

If you’re new to this feature, here’s how it works:

Once a month, I turn over control of my reading list to you!

I start by nominating titles from my TBR list and YOU get to choose which one gets featured. It can be one you’ve already read and want to discuss, one you want to read but wish to see my feedback on first, or – and this is my favorite part – you can read it along with me!

At the end of the month I will post a thorough review of the chosen title – and hopefully find out what you thought of it as well!

To see the nominated titles and cast your vote, click on the link above – and may the best book win!