A richly detailed Old World adventure
930691
I tend to love books that involve literary mysteries, and I was intrigued by the premise of Royce Prouty's debut novel, "Stoker's Manuscript."  My one-sentence description would be: A rare book dealer in Chicago falls into a tangled web of violence and Old World secrets, and learns some startling family history of his own, when he is asked to obtain Bram Stoker's original notes and manuscript of 'Dracula' for an ancient family with a direct connection to the novel.  It's pretty obvious from the outset that this novel is going to be full of vampires, and I was pleased to see that Prouty respected Stoker's original vision.  These are not "Twilight" vampires but the truly terrifying, methodic, and blood-soaked creatures of Old World nightmares.  "Stoker's Manuscript" is full of rich detail and atmosphere, creating an entire world of its own in Romania that is both new and interesting and yet ancient and familiar.  There's a little bit of something for everyone: mysteries and cryptic secrets hidden in old text, more than a bit of gory violence, a few genuine surprises, and even the hint of a possible sequel.

"Stoker's Manuscript" is not perfect.  As with most first-time novelists, Prouty's text can be a bit clunky and verbose at times.  There were moments when I got really bogged down in his very detailed descriptions and dialogue.  It was a bit jarring to occasionally go from moments where every aspect of an environment is explored in minute detail to a sentence that acknowledges, quite simply, that two weeks have passed.  There's also a lengthy side trip that, while enjoyable as a treasure hunt through a museum's cluttered archives, seems unnecessary - so much so that the characters in the book later spend some time awkwardly defending this side trip as "necessary."  I'm still not sure why as their reasoning is not convincing.  All in all, I think this 330+ page novel might have benefited from a trimming of about 50-60 pages, maintaining a more rapid pace and summarizing some of the sequences.  Yet it's hard for me to criticize when I am also so eager to applaud his vivid detail.  Fans of vampire literature, particularly the Bram Stoker original, will find something to enjoy here.
3208131
In a sort amount of time we get to learn quite a bit about the young mage and the veteran fighter who are traveling together.  There are also references to much deeper backstories to be revealed for both of these characters.  The descriptive writing style used for the book paints a vivid picture of the world these characters are inhabiting, with hints to a much larger world still to be explored.
4505693
This is a highly detailed fantasy adventure with a clear enemy and a very strong female protagonist.  The world-building is also very layered and complex, and I was impressed by the new language the author developed for the world.  It added a lot of realism to the story, and I was even picking up on what often repeated words meant before it was revealed.  There's actually a lot to the world that is created in this story and at times I felt it wasn't set up or explained very well.  It felt like the story was rushed at times to advance the action in the plot, when a little more detail might have helped me take in the story better. At times I did even wonder if this was the first book in the series (it is) because of the times I felt a little lost.

With the lack of details, I felt the characters suffered a little as well.  It was easy to get to know the main roles most of the characters would play in the story, but I never really connected to any of them, except for Erynn.  And the romance that is developed between Erynn and Jaer is also pretty abrupt.  I wasn't even aware they knew each other before they seemed to be falling in love.  The romance aspect bothered me because it seemed rather drawn out and yet I wasn't sure why they were so attracted to each other aside from physical attraction.  I don't feel like the romance is a main feature of the story though, as the development of Erynn's powers and the fight to save her world features the most.

Although the rushing over of details made it difficult to become invested in the story, there were great moments where Erynn was able to showcase her abilities and I enjoyed reading about how she overcame her enemies.  And as I mentioned before the world-building is complex and I admired the way the author brought it to life.  I think this story would improve if it was developed more and really embraced the intricacies of the world.

(a copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review)
4309048
I have not read a fantasy novel for so many years, I cant even remember what the last one was. I found a delightful reintroduction to the genre in Cary Lenehans first novel.
A clear love of historical accuracy and role play gaming shine throughout the whole book. The detailed texture throughout is just magnificent. This is a very curious and fascinating world which blends medieval culture with fantasy in a quite unique way. Equally enjoyable was the depth of the characters involved.
A great read. Cant wait for the next one.
3738791
Rollicking two-fisted fantasy with solid world-building and plenty of adventure.
738073
Nora Kelly, the daughter of a famous and long-lost archeologist, finds a letter from her father and sets on a adventure expedition to find the fabled Lost City of Gold in the Utah region. She brings with her a group of experts and unraveles mystery after mystery, danger, death, ancient curses, betrayal and evil awaiting her. Reading like a great Indiana Jones adventure, this novels delivers with action. The mystery surrounding the ancient city is slowly revealed with each chapter. Anoher winner from a great team of writers.
2114174
This is a marvelous continuation of Martin's Throne Game series. The complex and engaging story line features interwoven tales of intrigue, lust for power, political dynamics and ambition.  The characters are rich and wonderfully constructed.  I am reminded of Tolkein but perhaps that is unfair to both Martin and Tolkein.  I'm thoroughly enjoying the literary journey.
1615237
Matthew Jobin's adventure fantasy novel, The Nethergrim, is full of magic and mystery, and is a story you'll not want to miss. This Old World tale is set in a place with shabby huts and hovels amidst mystical moors; a place where strange, evil creatures could be lurking around every corner. The author skillfully weaves a tale of friendship and heroism in this upper middle grade book with well developed characters and a plot full of twists and turns. I would highly recommend The Nethergrim to readers from the ages of eight to eighty!
3213208
The first time I read The Talisman, I had some trouble getting into it.  Being primarily a fan of Stephen King, I noticed a different voice telling about half of the story.  Plus, the exposition goes on a bit long, with many tedious details describing the setting.  But once the narrative gets rolling, which happens when Jack finally embarks on his travels, it turns into a thrilling experience.  The Talisman is a journey epic for the ages, the tale of young Jack Sawyer, an 12-year-old boy who must travel across the country on a quest to retrieve a magical object that will cure his mother's cancer.  However, he soon discovers that his mission is far more important than that.  He learns that our world has many parallels, and in those worlds many of us have Twinners who are nearly identical to us.  In a vivid creation of fantasy by King and Straub, Jack discovers how to "flip," or journey from our world to a land called the Territories, which combines a landscape similar to that of Tolkien's Middle Earth with an early, undeveloped America.  If he fails his quest, all of the worlds will fall to evil.

In the tradition of The Odyssey, Jack encounters numerous obstacles on his journey, hindered not only by the book's villain, Morgan Sloat, but by a variety of situations and adversaries.  He becomes trapped in dangerous spots in our world, such as The Oatley Tap owned by Smokey Updike and the dreadful Sunlight Home of Morgan's right-hand man, Sunlight Gardener.  He faces less ordinary dangers in the Territories, like living trees that like to eat people, as well as Morgan's Twinner, who tears through the sky itself and blasts lightning bolts at him.  Jack grows as a character through these hardships, becoming much greater than the timid boy afraid to leave his mother at the beginning.  As is so often the case in life, the cost of this growth is great personal sacrifice.

The plot is well planned, with the mystery surrounding the death of Jack's father underscoring the premise of Jack saving his mother and the Queen of the Territories.  It isn't made clear exactly what the Talisman is, but given the connections this book has to Stephen King's Dark Tower series, it may be a magic ball from the Wizard's Rainbow, a group of powerful, colored orbs that can be used for seeing, traveling, creating, or destroying.  Whatever it actually is, Jack's journey across worlds to find it is a compelling work driven by two of every boy's childhood fantasies; defeating the forces of evil and...what else?...saving your mother's life.  If you have some patience with this book, you'll discover that it's a real treasure chest of creativity and imagination from two brilliant minds.  For me, it's become one of those books I have to re-read about once a year, and it just seems to get better with age.
1123504
This is one of the most well-built fantasy worlds I have ever had the pleasure of reading about. Although it is built around many familiar Tolkeinesque tropes, it has an uncommon depth of characters and settings that really set it apart. The book feels like it takes place in a living, breathing world with its own history and politics.

The plot is the perfect mixture of epic adventure and down-to-earth realism. It blends that amazing sense of the world hanging in the balance of the characters actions with a sense that these same characters are not merely unreal archetypes, but real people with real lives, that lends a sense of authenticity to the story and allows the reader to feel emotionally invested.

And, beyond all of that, it was an entertaining read, which, in my opinion, is the most important thing in a fantasy book. I was engrossed from beginning to end, and I plan to read the rest of the series.
2863886
A raging battle across many continents involving many armies with different leaders is simply captivating.  The author does a masterful job of moving the threads of this story along in such a way that the feeling one gets is that the story is coming to a focal point that this reader is near breathlessly awaiting.  I read through this latest installment quickly, because I just couldn't put it down.  The magic used by the characters in this story is both awesome and transcendent, but the author manages to provide boundaries that don't seem inconsistent so as to keep the story from falling apart.  The characters written into the story are wonderfully developed.  Many of those with special properties seem unusual if not unique, unlike those in other books that have elves, dwarves, gnomes, etc.  Many thanks to the author for hours and hours of excellent entertainment.
1713073
It is the 8th century and Europe has plunged into the brutality of the Dark Ages.  Maeniel and Regeane, the shapeshifting lovers first introduced in THE SILVER WOLF and NIGHT OF THE WOLF, have returned for another adventure.  This time around the story begins with a bang when an escaped Saxon slave rescues Regeane during a blizzard and seeks shelter from a monastery.  What they find is an abbot possessed by a demon spirit called the Bear and zombies all over the place.  With Maeniel's timely rescue, they manage to destroy the monastery, but the Bear's spirit follows them determined to find a better "host."

Maeniel and Regeane soon find themselves embroiled in political intrigue when they make a pilgrimage to Charlemagne.  Maeniel is given the mission to spy on Desiderus of Lombardy in preparation for invasion.  Meanwhile, Regeane's greedy cousin Hugo meets up with the Bear spirit and sells his soul.  Together, the man and demon ingratiate themselves into Desiderus's inner circle by telling the Lombard king of Maeniel's special powers.  When Maeniel's life is put in jeopardy, it's Regeane and the rest of the pack to the rescue.

With a rich cast of characters, both historical and literary, Ms. Borchardt has written a decadent feast of a tale.  Blending sometimes humorous dialogue with excellent historical details, Alice Borchardt proves that she is not only a master at research but also one who can appeal to many genres.  My only problem with THE WOLF KING was the seeming abruptness of the story's end.  However, I'll take that a sign that this series will forge ahead.  Long live the pack!

TheSchemer
2142551
Just by reading the description, I knew it will be something, but what an epic journey this story is, to put it simple, this is something you cant miss. Stories like this, packed with a lot of action, are often considered to be simple, the good side vs the bad side, black and white, you know what Im talking about. But don't worry, because none of that is here, so get ready to an epic journey you will never forget.
The dense backstory of this new world is something I find unique, at the very start, I sense this vast new world and its history, and the way the author provides all kind of details about this new setting is awesome. From battle to battle, we find an unlikely hero and protagonist, who at first is not our usual type of hero that save the day and the same can I say about the villain, everything is so unexpected here, and I love every page of this book, I really cant wait for the next book to come out. A fantasy book, about war, magic, epic creatures that none could expect to be this great, is now one of my favorites books ever.
4891635
It is a beautiful book - even before you get into the story itself. The author has told a rich and detailed story of magic and adventure that kept me reading to the end. I loved the detail and his wonderful imagination that has created new worlds and ideas. His is more than just a little magic and a drop or so fantasy, but the complex imaginings of how this new world view would all hang together...so adventure and a good think! Bravo!
3547503
Set in 1336, The Storytellers Granddaughter tells the tale of seventeen-year old Sophia, whose beloved herbalist grandmother had just died. Sophia is to be sent back to her fathers tribe, which is fraught with uncertainty and danger. To avoid this, Sophia sets off on her own long journey along the Spice Road all the way from Anatolia to England, in search of her grandfather, Will the Storyteller.
Sophia must disguise herself as a boy to survive her action-packed, suspenseful journey with the handsome trader she believes might help her find her grandfather. The author cleverly draws the reader into this beautiful, fascinating and dangerous medieval world through a narrative pace that never lets up as Sophia faces one crisis after another: the elements, starvation, and evil, mercenary slavers. The girl finds she must use all of her skill and cunning as a horsewoman and a healer, to avoid capture and certain death. But the stories of the people with whom she travels: the heroes, the villains, the slavers and the singers, urge Sophia onward, eventually bringing her closer to a new home.
For readers looking for a gripping medieval adventure that stunningly portrays 14th century Anatolia, I would recommend The Storytellers Granddaughter.
1020512
With the fourth book in his Rover series, Mel has done what few authors have done, hooked me on a fantasy world.  Yet again, Mel weaves a compelling tale of fantasy and adventure full of wonderful characters. The story has two parts, Jugh in the present and Second Level Librarian, Wick in the past.

Juhg is now the Grandmagister of the Vault of All Known Knowledge.  He is trying to reintroduce books and reading to the world.  His passion to bring this knowledge is supported by his best friend, Raisho, and his most powerful ally, the wizard Craugh.  The story opens with Juhg meeting a diverse group of humans, elves and dwarves on the mainland. He is asking for help to establish the schools and libraries on the mainland.  He is met with both resistance by some and open interest by others.

Juhg is attacked by bogbeasts, a new type of enemy, and launched into another quest.  Craugh has recruited him to finish a quest started years before by Jugh's mentor, Wick.  The evil of Lord Kharrion has not passed.  Kharrion's diabolical ambitions infected the world and still fester to this day.  Someone betrayed the Unity at the last battle, and that betrayal has stained relations between the races ever since.  For a thousand years, the Dwarven leader Oskarr has been blamed for the betrayal and his descendents have lived with that burden.  Wick left three books hidden throughout the lands for Juhg to find and finally put the past to rest.

Wick's story is told in flashbacks and starts with Wick being shanghaied, again, by Craugh and the dwarven pirate crew of the One Eyed Peggy.  Craugh needs Wick to help him find and defeat Kharrion's last weapon.  To do so he must recover three magical weapons lost for a thousand years and finally solve the mystery of who betrayed the Unity.

Boneslicer is a magical battle axe imbued with the power of the Earth.  Mastersmith Oskarr created it and the other weapons.  He eventually discovered it was cursed at the last battle and was coveted by Kharrion.  He hid it to keep Kharrion from using it as part of his great weapon.

Seaspray was a great magical weapon Oskarr created with Boneslicer.  Wielded by the great human hero, Captain Duluan, it is imbued with the power of the Seas.  It was lost at the last battle to the goblinkin, but later stolen back and hidden by one of Duluan's heirs.

Deathwhisper was the third weapon Oskarr crafted and is the great magical bow of Sokadir, Prince of the Elves. He is the last surviving hero and still has his bow.  Deathwhisper has the power of the storms.  Each hit is like lighting bolt.  Sokadir has left the world of elves in grief over the loss of his sons at the last battle.  He is haunted by the betrayal.

Wick must recover the magical weapons and reunite them to defeat Kharrion's Wrath. With the help of Craugh, Brandt and his band of thieves, the crew of the One Eyed Peggy and some not-so-helpful talking animals Wick finds the missing weapons and defeats Kharrion's Wrath.  But he cannot put the mystery of the betrayal to rest. That task is left to Jugh, his apprentice and successor as Grandmagister.

Wick left Jugh three journals, hidden for safekeeping.  These journals hold the evidence of who actually betrayed the Unity a thousand years ago and how that person could destroy the future Wick, Jugh and the rest have fought so hard to bring about.  Juhg and Craugh must defeat the last remnant of Lord Kharrion's evil if the races are ever to rebuild the Unity and defeat the evil goblinkin.
3835030
Croggon creates a rich magical world gone awry in The Naming. Wonderful adventures maintain momentum throughout the story. Croggon pays attention to the details. It's easy to ride with her main character, Maerad, as she travels through lush or desolate landscapes and into ornate magic schools or simple villages. If you like world building to it's fullest, this is a wonderful adventure.

In some places the detail became too much for me, but that didn't distract from my enjoyment of the story. It's just my personal preference.