Tag Archives: fantasy books

Oct 30 2012

Book Review: Daughter of the Empire by Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts

Title: Daughter of the Empire

Author: Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts

Series: Kelewan Empire #1

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 5/5 stars! :-)

The Overview: Magic and murder engulf the realm of Kelewan.  Fierce warlords ignite a bitter blood feud to enslave the empire of Tsuranuanni.  While in the opulent Imperial courts, assassins and spy-master plot cunning and devious intrigues against the rightful heir.  Now Mara, a young, untested Ruling lady, is called upon to lead her people in a heroic struggle for survival.  But first she must rally an army of rebel warriors, form a pact with the alien cho-ja, and marry the son of a hated enemy.  Only then can Mara face her most dangerous foe of all–in his own impregnable stronghold.  An epic tale of adventure and intrigue.  Daughter of the Empire is fantasy of the highest order by two of the most talented writers in the field today.

The Review:

This is a strong contender as my favorite book of all-time. It has all the elements that make a book great: strong characters, excellent world-building, masterful writing, and a page-turning story. If any of you aren’t familiar with Feist’s Riftwar saga, the arc of the series involves one world (Midkemia) being invaded by another world (Kelewan) from across a magical rift. The invading soldiers are known as the Tsurani, and Feist talks a lot about them in his second book, Magician: Master. What the Kelewan Empire trilogy does is take you deep into the Tsurani’s world, following the life of a young woman within it. I LOVED this trilogy. It was such a gripping story that I literally could not put it down!

The main character is both dynamic and endearing, and I found her completely fascinating as she develops throughout each book. The world-building was outright fantastic, and arguably the best element of this series. It’s been ten years since I read them, and I can still remember Kelewan in vivid detail. New flora and fauna, new architecture, new politial/religious systems – Feist and Wurts obviously  spent a lot of time developing, and really made the world come to life! Because of this trilogy, they are without a doubt my favorite writing duo.

Overall, it was an amazing trilogy that I will forever hold on a pedestal. It definitely tops my Best Fantasy Book Bulletin!

Recommendations: If you’re new to Feist’s works, I recommend you read Magician: Apprentice and Magician: Master first before switching over to this trilogy, then continue on with “Silverthorn.” Even though these were my all-time favs, the Riftwar saga also makes the top ten list and are definitely worth reading!!

by Niki Hawkes

Other books you might like:

  • “The Wayfarer Redemption” by Sara Douglass
  • “Medalon” by Jennifer Fallon
  • “The Aware” by Glenda Larke
  • “Thief’s Gamble” by Juliet E. Mckenna
  • “Heart of Myrial” by Maggie Furey
Oct 27 2012

Coming Soon: Defiant Peaks by Juliet E. McKenna

Title: Defiant Peaks

Author: Juliet E. McKenna

Series: Hadrumal Crisis #3

Release Date: November 27, 2012 Now Available!

I’m excited McKenna has a new book out, as she is responsible for producing one of my favorite series of all-time: The Tales of Einarinn. In fact, I liked it so much, it’s going to be featured in the upcoming bulletin, Top 10 Favorite Fantasy Books. Her characters are strong, her writing is transporting, and her world-building is phenomenal. If you’ve been searching for a guaranteed good read, look no further!

By Niki Hawkes

Oct 24 2012
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Book Review: The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

Title: The Wise Man’s Fear

Author: Patrick Rothfuss

Series: The Kingkiller Chronicles #2

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 5/5 stars!

The Overview: Day Two of the Kingkiller Chronicle, an escalating rivalry with a powerful member of the nobility forces Kvothe to leave the University and seek his fortune abroad. Adrift, penniless, and alone, he travels to Vintas, where he quickly becomes entangled in the politics of courtly society. While attempting to curry favor with a powerful noble, Kvothe uncovers an assassination attempt, comes into conflict with a rival arcanist, and leads a group of mercenaries into the wild, in an attempt to solve the mystery of who (or what) is waylaying travelers on the King’s Road.

All the while, Kvothe searches for answers, attempting to uncover the truth about the mysterious Amyr, the Chandrian, and the death of his parents. Along the way, Kvothe is put on trial by the legendary Adem mercenaries, is forced to reclaim the honor of the Edema Ruh, and travels into the FAe realm. There he meets Felurian, the faerie woman no man can resist, and who no man has ever survived…until Kvothe.

The Review:

I wont officially declare this until I read the last book, but “The Kingkiller Chronicles” is a strong contender for my top 10 favorite series list. These books exceed all my expectations for a good fantasy: characters that are so well-rounded they come alive, a world that is so vivid that I felt like I’ve been there, a writing style that is so evoking I find myself laughing and crying on emotional highs and lows with the main character. I loved these books and I can see myself rereading them for years to come. Heck, I almost reread them as soon as I was finished.

My favorite thing about this author (and there are many things I loved) is his knack for producing the unexpected. Things happen that have you reeling in your armchair hours after you read them, and I have yet to pick up another book that does that as well.

The only contrast I can provide is between books 1 and 2. This second installment is every bit as entertaining as the first, but it includes a lot more sexuality. While the first book might be appropriate for some younger readers, the second book would have parents out for my blood if I recommended it. That said, I think it follows the natural progression of the character as he strives to become a man, and thought (from a developmental standpoint) that it was incredibly well-done.

Overall, these are well worth your time to read. Twenty years from now, we’ll be looking back and admiring Rothfuss for his profound effect on the fantasy world. Yeah, he’s that good. I’m so glad that everything I loved in book 1 remains true in book 2.

by Niki Hawkes

Other books you might like:

Oct 23 2012
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Coming Soon: Spirit’s End by Rachel Aaron

Title: Spirit’s End

Author: Rachel Aaron

Series: Legend of Eli Monpress #5

Release Date: November 30, 2012

One of my favorite reads of 2011, the “Legend of Eli Monpress” trilogy was extremely entertaining. I am completely invested in all of the characters, and can’t wait to get my hands on “Spirit’s End” to find out what happens to them next! If you sick of the same old stuff, this is the series for you!!

By Niki Hawkes

Oct 22 2012

Niki’s Best Book Bulletin: Dragons!

Here’s a list of my top 6 favorite dragon books of all-time! What dragon books are at the top of your list?

#1 Dragon Weather

Author: Lawrence Watt-Evans

Series: Obsidian Chronicles

Adrian was only 11 when a dragon destroyed his village, killing everyone but him. Left alone and defenseless, he is soon captured and sold into slavery, sent to work the mines of the Lord Dragon. As Adrian grows through the story, he seeks vengeance on those who wronged him. I have to say I loved every moment of this trilogy – so much so that I bought them in hardcover. Watt-Evans is an excellent writer. He has a way of drawing you in, making every moment is engaging and entertaining. Not only is it an amazing dragon book, it just plain good fantasy!

#2 Joust

Author: Mercedes Lackey

Series: Dragon Jousters

Vetch is a young slave who yearns to become a jouster – a warrior who rides a dragon into battle. Sold into a house of riders, he soon finds himself caring for the great beasts. It isn’t long before he gets the idea to raise one in secret… Not only is this my favorite Mercedes Lackey series, but it’s quite arguably one of my favorite series of all-time. I love books that teach you things and after reading “Joust” I felt like I knew a lot more about how to care for and train dragons (useless knowledge, I realize, but filled with awesomeness nonetheless). Yet another series I had to have in hardcover, it was the ultimate fun-read!

#3 Dragon Champion

Author: E.E. Knight

Series: Age of Fire

This one I’ve already highlighted in a review. Told from the point of hatching, Auron is an anomaly, lacking the rock-hard scales of his species. Forced to make his way alone in the world long before he’s ready, he starts out on an unforgettable journey. The coolest thing about this book is that it’s told from the dragon’s perspective, and I’ve yet to read one done better. The author does an excellent job at keeping the integrity of the beast, rather than “humanizing” them as you see in other works. I loved it for its originality, and knew it had to be near the top of my list.

#4 The Last Dragonlord

Author: Joanne Bertin

Series: Dragonlord

Linden Rathan is a weredragon and the last of his kind. In an endless search for a mate, Rathan has to deal with constant threats from those who would see him destroyed. I’ve mentioned in an earlier post that this book was initially released back in 2000. Because the final book in the trilogy was twelve years in the making (and only announced recently), I never went back and reread these. Honestly, I only remember three things about these books: Rathan was a dragon-shifter, there was an excellent love-story, and I finished them eager for the next book because I loved them so much. Now that the final book is almost here, I’m definitely going to go back and enjoy these for a second time. In cast you were wondering, these were also deemed hardcover-worthy!

#5 Dragonflight

Author: Anne McCaffrey

Series: Dragonriders of Pern

A ragged kitchenmaid, Lessa struggles to take back her birthright. Her whole world changes after she meets a queen dragon, and bonds with her. Now, woman and dragon must fight to save their world from death that falls from the sky. This is a classic, and likely the series that sparked the passion for dragons in a lot of readers. There’s no way I can have a complete dragon list without including the Pern series. The initial trilogy should be on every fantasy-lover’s “must read” list!

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#6 Dragon’s Blood

Author: Jane Yolen

Series: Pit Dragon Chronicles

As a bond boy in a dragon nursery, the only way Jakkin can earn enough money to buy his freedom is to train a champion fighting dragon. As all the hatchlings are fiercely guarded and accounted for, Jakkin somehow manages to steal one, raising him in secret. What I loved about this series is that it both dazzled me with originality while still reminding me of other series that I loved. Set on another planet, it had elements of Lackey’s Joust, McCaffrey’s Pern, and even a touch of Harry Potter. Yup – I got them in hardcover. :)

There are many others that deserve mention, but none of them rocked my world quite like the six listed above. That said, there are still quite a few dragon books I’ve yet to read, and perhaps one day soon I can add a few more excellent titles to the the list.

What dragon books are YOUR favorites?

By Niki Hawkes

Oct 22 2012

Coming Soon: Crown of Vengeance by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory

Title: Crown of Vengeance

Series: The Dragon Prophecy

Authors: Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory

Genre: Fantasy

Release Date: November 13, 2012 Now Available! 

As the start of a new series by Lackey and Mallory, “Crown of Vengeance” looks promising. Loosely, it’s the story of a warrior queen elf who becomes the first being to bond with a dragon. Apparently, it’s a spinoff story of something eluded to in the pair’s “Valedemar” series, but is still sustainable as a stand-alone. Because Lackey wrote one of my favorite dragon series of all-time (Dragon Jousters), I’ll definitely be putting this one in my TBR list!

by Niki Hawkes