Here are the top three nominees in the feature Your Pick for Nik!
You still have until 10:00 pm (MST) tomorrow night (10/18) to cast your vote! I’ll announce the winning title shortly after – may the best book win!
Click HERE for more details!
Tag Archives: fantasy books
Your Pick for Nik!
Don’t forget to vote for your favorite book in the new feature: Your Pick for Nik!
You have until 10:00 pm (MST) on October 18th to make your selection. I will be revealing the winning book shortly after!
Here’s a copy of the initial post if you missed it:
For the first time, I’m turning over control of my reading list to you in this new feature: Your Pick for Nik!
Each month, I will be nominating 5 to 10 titles from my TBR list and YOU will 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 first, or – and this is my favorite part – you can read it along with me!
Depicted below are my 10 nominees* for October. Simply vote for your favorite, and let the best book win! On Thursday the 18th, I will announce the winner. Come 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!
*Click on the link above to view the nominated titles.
Your Pick for Nik!
For the first time, I’m turning over control of my reading list to you in this new feature: Your Pick for Nik!
Each month, I will be nominating 5 to 10 titles from my TBR list and YOU will 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 first, or – and this is my favorite part – you can read it along with me!
Depicted below are my 10 nominees* for October. Simply vote for your favorite, and let the best book win! On Thursday the 18th, I will announce the winner. Come 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 cast your vote, just leave a comment indicating the title of your chosen book – Good luck!
*Each cover is a link to BN.com where you can read a quick synopsis before making your selection.
Book Review: First Truth by Dawn Cook
Title: First Truth
Author: Dawn Cook
Series: Truth #1
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4/5 stars
The Overview: Alissa doesn’t believe in magic. Her father’s stories about the Hold, a legendary fortress where human Keepers learn magic from the enigmatic Maters, are just that―stories. But her mother insists that Alissa has inherited her father’s magical ability, and so she must go to the Hold―the only place her talents can be trained.
On her way, she crosses paths with Strell, a wandering musician from the plains. And though Alissa is not sure she can trust a plainsman, Strell has something she needs―one of her father’s old maps. Travelling together, they can reach the Hold before the snow sets in. But they don’t know that the Hold is nearly empty. Something is very wrong and someone believes that Alissa and Strell knows about a book called First Truth.
The Review:
As a whole, this series is one of my absolute favorites, despite the fact that nothing particularly “epic” happens throughout. Although the pacing of the story can sometimes be rather slow, I was so smitten with the characters that it didn’t bother me. While most fantasy novels tend to be more event or world-building driven, this book was all about highlighting the characters. For any of you who have read Kim Harrison’s (Dawn Cook’s alias) Rachel Morgan series, you know that she is exceptionally talented at creating characters we care about. On top of that, she really knows how to tell a compelling love story, which was actually my favorite element to this series. There’s just something magical about it that keeps me coming back to reread it over and over again. What’s more, the plot gets increasingly more interesting as the series progresses, creating a great momentum for the end of the story – so much so that I was up all night the first time I read it.
Overall, its incredibly charming. If you’re in the mood for a character-based, magic-filled, sweet love story, this is the book for you!
Recommendations: The cover I’ve featured is from the original publication. The covers they’re marketing the series with now are incredibly cheesy and do nothing to represent the story… don’t let them deter you from giving it a try!
Other books you might like:
- “The Aware” by Glenda Larke
- “The Heart of Myrial” by Maggie Furey
- “The Magician’s Guild” by Trudi Canavan
- “Dragon Bones” by Patricia Briggs
- “Sorcery Rising” by Jude Fisher
Book Review: Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings
Title: Pawn of Prophecy
Author: David Eddings
Series: The Belgariad #1
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.5/5 stars!
The Overview: Long ago, the Storyteller claimed, in this first book of THE BELGARIAD, the evil god Torak drove men and Gods to war. But Belgarath the Sorcerer led men to reclaim the Orb that protected men of the West. So long as it lay at Riva, the prophecy went, men would be safe.
But Garion did not believe in such stories. Brought up on a quiet farm by his Aunt Pol, how could he know that the Apostate planned to wake dread Torak, or that he would be led on a quest of unparalleled magic and danger by those he loved–but did not know…?
The Review:
Another “must-read” series for fantasy buffs, the “Belgariad” is every bit as good as you’ve heard, containing all the elements that make up a top fantasy novel. A simple good vs. evil storyline, diverse and interesting characters, and a young boy swept away in an epic adventure!
All the basic elements are there for greatness, but Eddings takes it one step further by adding one more: culture. During their travels, the characters journey to different areas of the kingdom, and we are introduced to a whole slew of new cultures, mannerisms, and languages. There’s even a complex sign language that was actually one of my favorite elements of the book.
I’m going to say it again: for me, characterization is the most important element. It seems to be the key ingredient in all of the most popular fantasy, and Eddings’ are no exception. A colorful cast of characters come together throughout the series, and I enjoyed reading about all of them – each one has an interesting back-story that makes you want to know more.
Drawbacks: the author sticks to a strict third-person limited narrative, which means that the only way we, as an audience, learn anything is if the main protagonish learns it. I cant help but wonder how much more vibrant and complex the plot could have been had we been allowed into the perspectives of some of the other characters. The flip-side is that the main protagonist is allways in the middle of the action, so that does add an element of excitement to the book.
Overall, it was a great read with a perfectly “epic” feel to it. I will definitely be picking it up again one day when I’m thirsting for a good adventure!
Recommendations: The “Belgariad” is a set of five novels that start us off in this particular world, and I recommend you begin with “Pawn of Prophecy”. The next five books make up the “Malloreon” and you’ll need to start with “Guardians of the West”. There are also a few spinoff novels if you want to know more about certain characters.
Other books you might like:
- “Eye of the World” by Robert Jordan
- “Dragons of Autumn Twilight” by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
- “The Name of the Wind” by Patrick Rothfuss
- “Magician: Apprentice” by Raymond E. Feist
- “Homeland” by R.A. Salvatore
“Homeland” (Legend of Drizzt #1) by R.A. Salvatore (5/5 stars)
Title: Homeland
Author: R. A. Salvatore
Series: The Dark Elf Trilogy #1
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 5/5 stars!
The Review:
“Homeland’ is not just the first of an amazing trilogy, but is also the beginning of the brilliant “Legend of Drizzt” saga. A well-rounded prequel, it takes you deep into the kingdom of Menzoberranzan where dark elves rule with unabashed cruelty. Among them dwells Drizzt, an anomaly with honor and compassion who yearns for a different life. A tad slow to start, the story soon launches to become one of the most epic fantasy adventures in the genre.
There are a lot of positives to this series: Highly, and I mean HIGHLY memorable characters – I swear they’re practically a religion at this point, some of the most stylized and intricate sword-fighting scenes you’ll ever read, epic world-building, and a unique, mold-shattering storyline – I’ve never read such a fantastic tribute to the dark elf culture.
As good as the characterization is, I find it somewhat lacking in one regard: While there are a plethora of beautiful women, there is a distinct lack of relatable feminine characters, as most of them express male personalities and tendencies. While that works for some women (I realize we’re all wonderfully different creatures), it should not be the standard for all. I believe women warriors can be both feminine and dangerous, just examine Kahlan in the Sword of Truth series, and you’ll know what I mean. In any case, I don’t think that distinction bothered many people, and despite my opinion on it, I still loved ALL the characters and Salvatore remains solidly in my top 10.
Overall, if you want a long-term sustaining series that will take you on epic adventures, involve you in fantastic fight-scenes, and make you fall in love with some of the most brilliant fantasy characters in the genre’s history, then these are the books for you! Still going strong, there are over 25 titles that continue the story, and each one is honestly as good as the last.
Recommendations: Although the “Icewind Dale” trilogy was written first, I strongly recommend you start with “Homeland” in the “Dark Elf” trilogy, as it is first chronologically. Not only will that give the story more of a solid flow, but is also a much stronger representation of Salvatore’s works as the series continues, so if you like it, you’ll probably like the entire saga.
Other books you might like:
- “Dragons of Autumn Twilight” by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
- “The Cleric Quintet” by R.A. Salvatore (a spinoff worth reading after book 10 or so)
- “Magician: Apprentice” by Raymond E. Feist
- “Wayfarer Redemption” by Sara Douglass
- “Wizard’s First Rule” by Terry Goodkind
The Obsessive Bookseller 