Tag Archives: fantasy books

Sep 9 2013
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Top Ten Tuesday – Top Ten Books I Would Love to See as a Movie (9/8/2013)

hhh 2 Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, this is a weekly feature where other book bloggers and I get to geek out about our favorite books. This week’s topic was a lot of fun to compile:

Top Ten Books I Would Love to See as a Movie!

#1 The Name of the Wind: If the Game of Thrones can do it, why not the Kingkiller Chronicles? I know that technically this is a TV series, but I view those as extended movies these days (especially the fantasy ones). Aside from being one of my all-time favorite books, I think this one would transfer really well on screen. I discovered a few weeks ago that Fox picked up the rights to make a series out of this, so I may not have to wait that long to see this one for real! I only hope that Fox won’t turn this into another “Firefly” incident…

#2 The Night Circus: Would this make a cool movie? The visual elements promised to be stunning and I always love watching a good love story. I don’t even like circuses, people, and yet this is one of my favorite books (and would probably be one of my favorite movies).

#3 Warbreaker: Color, color, and more color! This is a visual masterpiece waiting to happen. Combine that with awesome characters who chase their ambitions and take action, and you have one awesome potential film!

#4 The Selection: I love competitions, dystopian’s, and love stories – what a better movie choice than one that has all three!

#5 Survival: Between the neat alien life forms and the gorgeous visuals of the Washington coast landscape, I would love to see this one brought to life. This is my first sci-fi pick for the big screen, even above Enders’s Game!

#6 Last Stormlord: This is one of those epic fantasies that would make a fabulous television series. It has strong visuals, a dune-like setting, and a full cast of relatable characters.

#7 Hex Hall: With all the teen book TV/movie adaptations, I think this one would fit right in. They could really do some cool stuff with this setting and the cast of otherworldly creatures.

#8 Joust: this is one of my favorite Dragon books, and a movie made out of it could be everything Eragon was not. In the same realm as How to Train Your Dragon, I think this one would have high appeal for people of all ages.

#9 Graceling: I have a feeling this is going to make quite a few lists today. It’s just a great story and, unlike most of my other choices, wouldn’t be that expensive to make.

#10 Fablehaven: filled with loads of wonder, humor, and excitement, this could be either the film of the season or a slamming TV series. As my favorite kids series since Harry Potter, I would love to see this one brought to life!

After compiling this list, I discovered that I mostly chose books that would have strong visual elements on the big screen. It’s really not surprising when you consider my favorite movies of all time are The Lord of the Rings and Avatar – both have gorgeous visuals and strong fantasy elements!

What books would you like to see on the big screen?

Sep 9 2013
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Your Pick for Nik! – Book Club Selection: Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

It’s one week into September, so I thought it would be a great time to remind everybody about this month’s awesome book club selection. I am really looking forward to reading this series, and am tickled that it got enough votes to win. Here’s a quick look at each book in the trilogy:

psBook 1: Poison Study

The Overview: About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She’ll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace—and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly’s Dust—and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.

As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can’t control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren’t so clear…

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Book 2: Magic Study

The Overview: With her greatest enemy dead, and on her way to be reunited with the family she’d been stolen from long ago, Yelena should be pleased. But though she has gained her freedom, she can’t help feeling isolated in Sitia. Her Ixian background has changed her in many ways—and her newfound friends and relatives don’t think it’s for the better….

Despite the turmoil, she’s eager to start her magic training—especially as she’s been given one year to harness her power or be put to death. But her plans take a radical turn when she becomes involved with a plot to reclaim Ixia’s throne for a lost prince—and gets entangled in powerful rivalries with her fellow magicians.

If that wasn’t bad enough, it appears her brother would love to see her dead. Luckily, Yelena has some old friends to help her with all her new enemies….

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Book 3: Fire Study

The Overview: When word that Yelena is a Soulfinder—able to capture and release souls—spreads like wildfire, people grow uneasy. Already Yelena’s unusual abilities and past have set her apart. As the Council debates Yelena’s fate, she receives a disturbing message: a plot is rising against her homeland, led by a murderous sorcerer she has defeated before….

Honor sets Yelena on a path that will test the limits of her skills, and the hope of reuniting with her beloved spurs her onward. Her journey is fraught with allies, enemies, lovers and would-be assassins, each of questionable loyalty. Yelena will have but one chance to prove herself—and save the land she holds dear.

Need more convincing? Check out this awesome review by the blogger who convinced me to make this series of priority: Nemo @ The Moonlight Library

Sep 7 2013
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Book Review: Wrath of a Mad God by Raymond E. Feist

1196299Title: Wrath of a Mad God

Author: Raymond E. Feist

Series: The Darkwar Saga #3

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 Stars

The Overview: The Darkwar rages upon Midkemia and Kelewan, bringing bleak days of destruction and despair. To save the future of both worlds, the powerful sorcerer Pug and select members of the secretive Conclave of Shadows must journey deep into the dangerous realm of the bloodthirsty Dasati, there to carry out an audacious mission that has little, if any, chance of succeeding. In Midkemia, young warriors Tad and Zane, and their fellow soldiers, protect the Kingdom from raiders. And Pug’s beloved wife, Miranda, finds herself a prisoner of the Dasati and, even more ominously, of Pug’s nemesis, the evil sorcerer Leso Varen. Salvation may come from a friend thought long dead, an unlikely ally whose remarkable powers will be sorely needed in the momentous battle to come . . . a final, fevered onslaught against the most malevolent agents of evil ever known.

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The Review:

Feist’s books have a special place in my heart as they were the novels that introduced me to the world of fantasy. I love his plots, his settings, and his characters. They are all memorable and dynamic and the main reason why I pick up each new book. These later works by Feist contain a great balance of new and old, which I love because it keeps the story both fresh and nostalgic at the same time.

As sad as I am to say it, I think Wrath of a Mad God was my least favorite novel so far in the 20+ list of books from him that I’ve read. I loved the premise for this story, but I had a little trouble with the concepts. They seemed a bit self-indulgent, requiring a great deal of explaining. When you need it fifty or more pages to explain to your audience what’s going on (especially so far in a series where the framework of the world and its realities are already pretty well-established) your concepts might be a bit too convoluted.

Another thing I noticed with this book (which I can’t decided if it’s a good or bad thing) is the fact that the series as a whole has slowly transformed from fantasy to science fiction. There is no space travel, but people from different worlds still find ways to interact through magical rifts and wrinkles in dimensions. While this shift in genre is interesting, part of me misses the epic fantasy feel of his earlier works.

Overall, I am slightly dissatisfied, but only when comparing it to the standard of other Feist novels. Nostalgia aside, I should also mention (without spoilers) that the ending of this book blew my mind and I genuinely can’t wait to see what happens next!

Recommended Reading: I usually hand the first book (Magician: Apprentice) to anybody wanting to try fantasy. It’s an excellent representation of the genre, and one I think fans of Terry Brooks and David Eddings would enjoy. Also, for any Feist fans who haven’t yet made it this point – keep reading, it’s worth it!

by Niki Hawkes

 Other books you might like:

Sep 6 2013
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Outs This Month – Noteworthy Releases September 2013!

This gallery contains 15 photos.

Ideally, this should have been posted on Monday, but I had too many things to cram into the week to make it happen. I never thought I’d get to the point where I had more ideas for posts then space … Continue reading →

Sep 2 2013
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Your Pick for Nik – August’s Review: The Sharing Knife: Beguilement by Lois McMaster Bujold

9780061796753_p0_v1_s260x420Title: The Sharing Knife: Beguilement

Author: Lois McMaster Bujold

Series: The Sharing Knife #1

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: Troubled young Fawn Bluefield seeks a life beyond her family’s farm. Enroute to the city, she encounters a patrol of Lakewalkers. The necromancers armed with human bone knives fight “malices”, immortal entities that draw out life, enslaving humans and animals. Dag saves Fawn from a malice – at a devastating cost. Their fates are now bound in a remarkable journey.

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The Review:

Story: I have read dozens of romance novels with a fantasy twist, but I have never before read a robust, rounded fantasy with a full romance focus. It was the very first true hybrid of the genres in my eyes and I have to say, if all romances were presented in this format I doubt I’d read much else. Usually, the biggest draws for a fantasy novel are world-building and events (fight scenes, magic/spell casting, etc. – basically: external conflicts). Romances, on the other hand, often focus exclusively on character and inner conflicts. To find a romance with such an authentic, rich fantasy world kind of blew my mind. I daresay this series is a sub-genre all its own and the unique mix of the two worlds was my favorite element of this story.

Pacing: As a strong character-driven story, most of the conflict was centered around the two main characters’ relationship and, as a result, was very slow-developing. While fantastic for a love story (because as far as I can tell, no one likes an insta-love) readers expecting a lot of action would probably have gotten bored. Personally, I enjoyed the relationship focused so much that I was totally engaged throughout the entire novel. In fact, some of my favorite parts took place when the pacing was at it slowest. Every scene in Beguilement was absorbing, and I lost myself to the internal conflicts of these characters more than once.

World-Building: I am always impressed when an author can come up with a compelling magic system. The magic in the story wasn’t earth-shattering, but it had some really cool history behind it, and I liked what it added to the story. The magic wasn’t the only thing with great history – the different cultures highlighted in the book were fascinating, and you can tell the author spent a lot of time on their development. Also, the villains in this book stems from and enhanced the history of this land (and, in my opinion, are what sold the book to me as a true fantasy). It really set up a strong foundation for what promises to be an excellent series!

Writing: This author screams of awareness. Although the story came across effortless, while analyzing it I could see several conscious decisions made by the author to shape this book into something amazing. Everything from side characters to settings were carefully orchestrated to build up the conflicts and draw you in further. I wish I could break it down more clearly, because it really was all the little things added up that made this a good novel. I applaud this author for not only understanding enough about story and genres to produce this amazing hybrid, but also for her talent as a writer to make everything in this world come alive!

Overall, I am thrilled this book was chosen for the YPFN book club, and I genuinely look forward to seeing where the story goes next!

Recommended Reading: As this one is heavily romance based, I would probably be more inclined to hand it to someone who likes love stories. It is an excellent crossover book for people who love romance and want to try fantasy, and vice versa.

by Niki Hawkes

Other books you might like:

Discussion time! (May contain spoilers):

Who was your favorite character?

I think Dag (although I really enjoyed Fawn’s aunt). I see him as an honorable character, and loved how he coped with villains, troop mates, and Fawn’s family.

What was your favorite part of the story?

The fact that it was a true mix between fantasy and romance… And done so in a way that brought out the best of both worlds.

We learned part way through the book just how much older Dag was than Fawn… did the significant age difference bother you?

For a while, I felt like it should. I think what saved it for me as that we got a chance to see just how genuinely Dag cared for her and there were no creepy alternative motives surrounding his relationship with this much younger girl. The characters evolved into so much more than age that I ended up coming out with a positive opinion of it. I don’t know that that positive opinion of the gap would transfer over to real life, however.

Did the lack of action after the first quarter of the book bother you?

No, Because I could see that wasn’t the point of the story. If you are going to focus so much on internal conflicts that the external take a backseat, it better be brilliant. And you know what? It was.

The questions are meant to generate conversation, so feel free to answer any or all in the comments area. If you also wrote a review for Beguilement, let me know and I will add a personalized link in this review. 

Aug 31 2013
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Stacking the Shelves – August Edition!

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Let’s face it, I’m no longer at the point my life where I can just blow all my money on books (these days, I have to settle for half). Therefore, I only compile a Stacking the Shelves (hosted by Tynga’s Reviews) once a month rather than weekly. In July’s STS, I featured my adult library, this week figured I’d share my YA shelves:

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I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve thinned out this collection to make room for new titles, but I think I finally reach the point where I can’t bear to get rid of anything else. The problem is, I’m completely out of room! I might have to try and convince my husband to sell the bed so we can fit more bookshelves. After all, our couch is pretty comfortable…

So now that you’ve seen the shelves I’m stacking, here’s a look at my new acquisitions this month:

Purchased:

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 As you can see, I was on a bit of a science fiction kick this month. I originally purchased Leviathan Wakes as an e-book but liked it so much I decided to invest in the hardcopies. The Jack Campbell books were actually for my husband’s birthday, but I’m sure I will be reading them one day.

ARCs:

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 (Thank you Scholastic Books!)

(Thank you Net Galley!)

 What books stacked your shelves this month? 

by Niki Hawkes