Veil of the Deserters - Jeff Salyards

Veil of the Deserters
Book 2 of the "Bloodsounder's Arc"

Read about the first book HERE

ISBN - 9781597804905
FIRST PUBLISHED - 2014
PAGES - 464
GENRE - Fantasy
PUBLISHER - Night Shade Publishers

AUTHOR - Jeff Salyards

SYNOPSIS - History, Family and Memory… these are the seeds of destruction.

Bloodsounder's Arc continues as Captain Braylar Killcoin and his retinue continue to sow chaos amongst the political elite of Alespell. Braylar is still poisoned by the memories of those slain by his unholy flail Bloodsounder, and attempts to counter this sickness have proven ineffectual.

The Syldoonian Emperor Cynead has solidified his power base in unprecedented ways, and demands loyalty from all operatives. Braylar and company are recalled to the capital to swear fealty. Braylar must decide if he can trust his sister, Soffjian, with the secret that is killing him. She has powerful memory magics that might be able to save him from Bloodsounder’s effects, but she has political allegiances that are not his own. Arki and others in the company try to get Soffjian and Braylar to trust one another, but politics in the capital prove to be far more complicated and dangerous than even Killcoin could predict.

Deposed emperor Thumarr plots to remove the repressive Cynead, and Braylar and his sister Soffjian lie at the heart of his plans. The distance between "favored shadow agent of the emperor" and "exiled traitor" is an unsurprisingly short road. But it is a road filled with blind twists and unexpected turns. Before the journey is over, Arki will chronicle the true intentions of Emperor Cynead and Soffjian. And old enemies in Alespell may prove to be surprising allies in a conflict no one could have foreseen.

QUOTES - 

“Rumor's the slut you bend over a chair and never see again. Truth's the lady you wed.”

“There always seems to be an 'until'. That is one of life's harsh lessons.”

“It is a ripper. I would be disappointed if it simply nuzzled them and showed its belly for a good rub.”

FL Speak - Book 1 of Bloodsounder's Arc was a gem. It led nowhere, didn't bank on promises to fail and had a cast of ruthless killers you wouldn't want to be stuck with. Without a sound plot, it stood tall as first of the trilogy or even as a standalone.

Book 2, however, doesn't. Whatever sense of lull you were accustomed to (although less truly), this book picks up the pace in action and story line at a break neck speed. To rehash, we have a young scribe, unsullied in warmongering who has been hired to chronicle the deeds of a certain Slydoon company. If book 1 was his trial of fire, book 2 leads him straight to the depths of fiery hell.

The Slydoon have returned to their homes. Homes that are familiar and filled with political betrayals and memory magic. Wars, lots of it, on almost every page to satisfy your thirsting pangs of action and swear words. Veil of the Deserters will take you on a ride to the unknown, literally unknown places that you have not encountered in book 1. Political intrigue, treachery and good ol' betrayal at its finest. I must say the good Captain Killcoin and his Syldoon has grown on me. Arki, not so much, despite his lack for not trying.

An empire awaits. The Syldoon wait. And the schemes and plots twist and turn.

RATING - 5/5

Hymn - Ken Scholes

Hymn
Book 5 of 'Psalms of Isaak' 

Read about the first 4 books here

ISBN - 9780765321312
FIRST PUBLISHED - 2017
PAGES - 352
GENRE - Fantasy
PUBLISHERS - Tor

AUTHOR - Ken Scholes

SYNOPSIS - Ken Scholes completes his five-book epic that began with his acclaimed first novel Lamentation. The battle for control of The Named Lands has captivated readers for ten years as both characters and readers have learned the true nature of world called Lasthome.

Now the struggle between the Andro-Francine Order of the Named Lands and the Y Zirite Empire has reached a terrible turning point. Believing that his son is dead, Rudolfo has pretended to join with the triumphant Y zirite forces but his plan is to destroy them all with a poison that is targeted only to the enemy.

In Y Zir, Rudolfo's wife Jin Li Tam is fighting a war with her own father which will bring that Empire to ruin.

And on the Moon, Neb, revealed as one of the Younger Gods, takes the power of the Last Home Temple for his own.

FL Speak - What a ride it has been.

Hymm marks the end of an era. The conclusion we had been waiting for comes crashing down on the Named Lands blurring the lines between mortals and gods, legends and facts. Suffice to say, this is one of those series that completely swept me away by the sheer audacity of the author's imagination. The only other authors I can think of are Brandon Sanderson (to an extent) and the much under-hyped Adrian Tchaikovsky.

Years of gap between publications aside, Ken Scholes takes the book to a rising crescendo before letting it fall in a final blaze of glory. The stories of Isaak, Neb, Petronus, Rudolfo, Vlad and Jin will forever be etched in my heart if not in the hearts of men of the Named Lands. The Psalms of Isaak is a creative mastermind, craftily combining science fiction into a tale that defines the fantasy genre. Like a master chess player going for the kill, Ken Scholes brings all the players into the game in this final novel and begins a bloodbath that even the Gods can't avoid.

The bad guys turn humane and the good guys turn into monsters and in between are the kin-dragons, flying free again. Oh, what a ride this has been.

A fitting end to a grand tale.

RATING - 5/5 stars

Requiem - Ken Scholes

Requiem
Book 4 of "Psalms of Isaak"

Read about the first 3 book here

ISBN - 9780765321305
FIRST PUBLISHED - 2013
PAGES - 398
GENRE - Fantasy
PUBLISHER - Tor

AUTHOR - Ken Scholes

SYNOPSIS - Ken Scholes's debut novel, Lamentation, was an event in fantasy. Heralded as a "mesmerizing debut novel" by Publishers Weekly, and a "vividly imagined SF-fantasy hybrid set in a distant, postapocalyptic future" by Booklist, the series gained many fans. It was followed by Canticle and Antiphon. Now comes the fourth book in The Psalms of Isaak, Requiem.

Who is the Crimson Empress, and what does her conquest of the Named Lands really mean? Who holds the keys to the Moon Wizard's Tower?

The plots within plots are expanding as the characters seek their way out of the maze of intrigue. The world is expanding as they discover lands beyond their previous carefully controlled knowledge. Hidden truths reveal even deeper truths, and nothing is as it seemed to be.

FL Speak - Probably one of the best books in the series. Everything is moving at a rapid pace towards a conclusion. It's not there yet but the plots within plots are revealed anew and the key players emerge from their shadowy places.

What began with the fall of Windwir was not the beginning. The plan was set long ago. Long before these charismatic men and women were born. But even the best-laid plans are as good as the intentions of those who follow it. Requiem is truly the story of Neb, of Rudolfo, of Vlad, of Jim and of Isaak. Ken Scholes wonderfully bridges a far-reaching quest of destiny and connects it with political intrigue and war campaigns. Filled with revenge, blood-letting, dream sequences and a lot of running and flying, this wonderful tale of fables and legends carefully fills the gaps between myths and facts.

By the end of book 4, we know there's more to the Named Lands than the people living in it. We also know the people on the moon and that the desolation of Windwir was just one of the many that ended civilisations and history. This is a grand war for the survival of humankind. Because if the Crimson Princess were to rise, the land of living will return to the Dark Ages. 

RATING - 5/5

Antiphon - Ken Scholes

Antiphon
Book 3 of "Psalms of Isaak'

Read about the previous books HERE

ISBN - 9780765321299
FIRST PUBLISHED - 2010
GENRE - Fantasy
PAGES - 384
PUBLISHER - Tor

AUTHOR - Ken Scholes

SYNOPSIS - Nothing is as it seems to be.

The ancient past is not dead. The hand of the Wizard Kings still reaches out to challenge the Androfrancine Order, to control the magick and technology that they sought to understand and claim for their own.

Nebios, the boy who watched the destruction of the city of Windwir, now runs the vast deserts of the world, far from his beloved Marsh Queen. He is being hunted by strange women warriors, while his dreams are invaded by warnings from his dead father.

Jin Li Tam, queen of the Ninefold Forest, guards her son as best she can against both murderous threats, and the usurper queen and her evangelists. They bring a message: Jakob is the child of promise of their Gospel, and the Crimson Empress is on her way.

And in hidden places, the remnants of the Androfrancine order formulate their response to the song pouring out of a silver crescent that was found in the wastes.

QUOTES - 

“Part of me wants justice for this. Part of me wants to never cause harm to another.” 

“Watch for the ones who leave your mouth hanging open. Study them, find out what they love and what they fear. Dig the treasure out of their soul and hold it to the light. Then Be like them.” 

“Her laughter was an upbeat song set to a minor key.” 

FL Speak - It took me a while to get into this.

I read the second book 5 years ago. Book 3 was a blur. It was hard to connect and make sense of especially when reviews of this epic series are so less. Why internet, why? After a lot of searching and I really mean a lot, I went back to this and for the third time, Ken Scholes blew me away.

Book 1 and Book 2 were fun. This was a revelation of sorts. The bigger picture is still unknown but what was once myths and legends slowly turned into practicality and logic. The use of magiks and technology is a deadly combo especially when you have a nomadic army, invisible scouts, metal men, blood sacrifices and treasure troves of legends in the deserts.

The desolation of Windwir began the series. By book 3, we are getting to know why exactly someone annihilated an entire city and a race of people. Meanwhile, the canticle is still singing. or ringing is it? Music people can hear. The music they hear in dreams. Music metal servitors hear. I must be mad but I stopped wondering what that it could be. I just know it sings and it requires an answer. 

Halfway down book 3, I've fairly grasped the on-goings of the book. The Named Lands are in danger. Grave, grave danger. Neb, the boy who witnessed the fall of Windwir finds himself in the Churning Wastes, a vast desert hunted by strange women under abnormal magiks. Isaak is in the Named Lands, dreaming about a song. It's a compelling book, making you fall in love with the characters over and over again. We see a hint of a bigger plot with more and more impossibilities coming to a fruition. The Watcher and the Crimson Princess? Who are they and what do they have to with a race of people that came out of nowhere. 

The Named Lands face a threat never envisioned before. And within the Named Lands, there is treachery in plenty. Rudolfo and Jin Li Tam face the threat for their baby while the world slowly moves towards its impending destruction.

RATING - 5/5 stars

Rise Again - Ben Tripp

Rise Again
Book 1 of "Rise Again'

ISBN - 9781439165164
FIRST PUBLISHED - 2010
PAGES - 371
GENRE - Dystopian Thriller
PUBLISHERS - Gallery Books

AUTHOR - Ben Tripp

SYNOPSIS - A MYSTERIOUS CONTAGION. MASS HYSTERIA. SUDDEN DEATH. 

And a warning that would come all too late . . . 

Forest Peak, California. Fourth of July. Sheriff Danielle Adelman, a troubled war veteran, thinks she has all the problems she can handle in this all-American town after her kid sister runs away from home. But when a disease-stricken horde of panicked refugees fleeing the fall of Los Angeles swarms her small mountain community, Danny realizes her problems have only just begun - starting with what might very well be the end of the world. 

Danny thought she had seen humanity at its worst in war-torn Iraq, but nothing could prepare her for the remorseless struggle to survive in a dying world being overrun by the reanimated dead and men turned monster. Obsessed with finding her missing sister against all odds, Danny's epic and dangerous journey across the California desert will challenge her spirit . . . and bring her to the precipice of sanity itself. . . . 

Filled with adventurous human drama - and shocking inhuman horror - Rise Again marks a vivid and powerful fiction debut.

FL Speak - If there is a specific dystopian fiction I love, it is zombie apocalypse. 

Who doesn't love Resident Evil or World War Z? The immensely famous "The walking dead" or my favourite "warm bodies"? There's nothing better end of the world stories than humankind rising up from the dead to terrorise those who survived. If you've played the game "last of us", I bet you've wished to be a part of such an world one time or the another. 

I wanted to read The Accidental Highwayman by Ben Tripp and ended up with this one. Boy, I was glad I got this. After a slow, sluggish start the pace skyrockets to an astounding speed. It's like being trapped in an underground Umbrella facility which is full of zombies and you've got a pistol and ten folks to save. 

ALICE MODE : GOD

What started as a personal crusade turned into a sense of duty and obligation. Danielle as the heroine of this book is a character worth loving in this mash of gore and brain parts. Of course she is flawed. No one would send a Lancelot to a zombie story. It's her flaws that is endearing to readers and makes her unpredictable. 

The book ends with a vicious twist. Both personally to Danny as well as to the story for the next book. I've this feeling it wouldn't bode well. Not at all. You see, they're evolving. That's not good. Oh crap.

RATING - 4/5 stars

Scourge of the Betrayer - Jeff Salyards

Scourge of the Betrayer
Book 1 of "Bloodsounder's Arc"

ISBN : 9781597804066
FIRST PUBLISHED : 2012
GENRE : Fantasy
PAGES : 320
PUBLISHER : Night Shade Books

AUTHOR - Jeff Salyards

SYNOPSIS - Many tales are told of the Syldoon Empire and its fearsome soldiers, who are known throughout the world for their treachery and atrocities. Some say that the Syldoon eat virgins and babies–or perhaps their own mothers. Arkamondos, a bookish young scribe, suspects that the Syldoon’s dire reputation may have grown in the retelling, but he’s about to find out for himself.

Hired to chronicle the exploits of a band of rugged Syldoon warriors, Arki finds himself both frightened and fascinated by the men’s enigmatic leader, Captain Braylar Killcoin. A secretive, mercurial figure haunted by the memories of those he’s killed with his deadly flail, Braylar has already disposed of at least one impertinent scribe ... and Arki might be next.

Archiving the mundane doings of millers and merchants was tedious, but at least it was safe. As Arki heads off on a mysterious mission into parts unknown, in the company of the coarse, bloody-minded Syldoon, he is promised a chance to finally record an historic adventure well worth the telling, but first he must survive the experience!

A gripping military fantasy in the tradition of Glen Cook, Scourge of the Betrayer explores the brutal politics of Empire–and the searing impact of violence and dark magic on a man’s soul.

QUOTES - 

“You haven’t lived until you’ve grieved. Death, life, together, the same. And if you’ve only experienced life you’re only half-alive.”

“And if that only inflames your curiosity, I say to you, a writer without curiosity is a bird without feathers.”

“Your mugs are weaker than your ale, innkeeper. I regret I have to pay for either.” 

“She regarded me as a seasoned drover might regard a cow.” 

“I'll tell you this much. Men think memories are like murals or statues or truth or whatever happened, never changes none. But that ain't so. They can capture the untruth of something, just as easy. They can change, especially as time leads to time.

FL Speak - Where do I start about this book? The lack of a plot or the immensely lovable uncouth humour? The fantastic characters or the whirwind action sequences?

Scourge of the Betrayer takes you on a ride alongside ill-disciplined mercenaries where swords and flails speak mightier than the words of the scribe through whose POV we muddle across. An opportunist meets an unpredictable man and is left to make choices he never imagined were choices. Stuck between a rock and hard place, our scribe Arki attempts to pierce the mystery of the Slydoon in hopes of seeing himself in a glorified pedestal.

I love such books. I am a sucker for teams and cadres. Be it the Bridgeburners, the Mad Lancers or the Band of the Red Hand. If there are people worth following into battle, I invest more than a little emotion into them. The Slydoon is one such group. Jeff Salyards takes us on a nightmarish journey of gut wrenching fight brutality and a plot loosely tied around the outcome of such fights.

There is a larger story. There has to be. But for once, I'm glad to read a book without thinking too far ahead.

RATING - 4 Stars

Legend - David Gemmell

Legend
Book 1 of "The Drenai Saga"

ISBN - 9780345379061
FIRST PUBLISHED - 1984
PAGES - 345
GENRE - Fantasy
PUBLISHER - Ballantine

AUTHOR - David Gemmell

SYNOPSIS - Druss, Captain of the Axe, whose fame was legendary, had chosen to wait for death in a mountain hideaway. But mighty Dros Delnoch, the last stronghold of the Drenai Empire, was under threat from Nadir hordes who had destroyed everything else in their path. All hope rests on the skills of one man.

QUOTES - 

“Trust your instincts, and make judgements on what your heart tells you. The heart will not betray you.”  

 “Nothing of real worth can ever be bought. Love, friendship, honour, valour, respect. All these things have to be earned.”   

“We make choices everyday, some of them good, some of them bad. And - if we are strong enough - we live with the consequences.”  

“I may be stupid, as you say, to believe in honour and friendship and loyalty without price. But these are virtues to be cherished, for without them we are no more than beasts roaming the land.”  

“May all your dreams but one come true, for what is life without a dream?” 

FL Speak - Mixed feelings.

This book is hailed as a classic when it comes to Fantasy. More so because it is written by Gemmel and the winner of the David Gemmel award every year gets the replica of the axe Druss uses in this. Yes, an actual replica. No medals or trophies, the axe is the ultimate symbol of being a master in fantasy. Sanderson won it, Rothfuss won it so you can imagine how famous the history is.

Let's get back to the story. Legend is what you get when you take away the fries, the coke, the stupid lettuce from the hamburger. You're left with the ham. A pretty great ham. Legend is supposed to be about one man, Druss. But once you get into it, you realise the sum of the parts is always greater than the whole.

Legend is the story of Druss and death. It is the story of the fort of Dros Delnoch who stands alone against a mighty force. It is the story of plain stupidity, glimmers of hopes and tall tales of the past. There is no fluff, no detailed magical systems. The writing is flawed, conversations that don't make sense. This is the simple tale of a man who refuses to die.

When Gemmel wrote this, as you all know by now, he was diagnosed with cancer. This is his brave tale of refusing to give up against an enemy that can't be defeated. Gemmel had a story to tell and he did. The book sorely lacks worldbuilding and makes up for it by the sheer strength of the direction to the plot.

Need to read more. 

RATING - 4/5 stars

Touch - Claire North

TOUCH

ISBN - 9780316335928
FIRST PUBLISHED - 2015
PAGES - 426
GENRE - Fiction
PUBLISHERS - Orbit

AUTHOR - Claire North

SYNOPSIS - Kepler had never meant to die this way — viciously beaten to death by a stinking vagrant in a dark back alley. But when reaching out to the murderer for salvation in those last dying moments, a sudden switch takes place.

Now Kepler is looking out through the eyes of the killer himself, staring down at a broken and ruined body lying in the dirt of the alley.

Instead of dying, Kepler has gained the ability to roam from one body to another, to jump into another person’s skin and see through their eyes, live their life — be it for a few minutes, a few months or a lifetime.

Kepler means these host bodies no harm — and even comes to cherish them intimately like lovers. But when one host, Josephine Cebula, is brutally assassinated, Kepler embarks on a mission to seek the truth — and avenge Josephine’s death.

QUOTES - 

“There is no loneliness more lonely than to be alone in a crowd. No awkwardness more unsettling than the inside joke you do not comprehend.” 

“Nothing is ever quite enough. No matter who you are, there’s always something more to be had, which could be yours if only you were someone else.” 

“True fear is the fear of doubt; it is the mind that will not sleep, the open space at your back where the murderer stands with the axe. It is the gasp of a shadow passed whose cause you cannot see, the laughter of a stranger whose laugh, you know, laughs at you.” 

FL Speak - *deep breathe*

Claire North. You amazing, wonderful writer! 

Have you read "The Fifteen Lives of Harry August"? Go read that now. And then, return to this. Claire is to thriller what Sanderson is to fantasy. A racy plot and a whole different system. 

Who would NOT want to be Kepler? The protagonist. Who would not want to jump from body to body, living your life to your fullest in a different skin, every year or week or hour or for a few mins. You can be Tom Cruise today and Maria Sharapova tomorrow, a whore in a red light area or the POTUS. This is what we have been missing in books for so long. Creativity. Claire North makes it ridiculously simple. 

Be an immortal within boundaries. Hah! Even Gods have issues. A bit of Jumper and a bit of the Host, mash it together with more brains and a chase and we have Touch. This book made me jump up and down, giddy with relief, taut with fear. What do you to when you can be someone else with just a bare touch? And specially what do you do when someone knows what you're capable of and is hunting you? 

Run? 
Touch? 
Jump? 
Or bring the fight to them? When you've managed to live for centuries and faced off one foe or the another, nothing seems too dangerous. And when you don't see it coming, what would you do? 

Go pick this one up. It's one of those books that never lets you keep down.

RATING - 5/5

Kings of the Wyld - Nicholas Eames

KINGS OF THE WYLD
Book 1 of "The Band"

ISBN - 9780316362474
FIRST PUBLISHED - 2017
PAGES - 502
GENRE - Fantasy
PUBLISHER - Orbit

AUTHOR - Nicholas Eames

SYNOPSIS - Glory never gets old

Clay Cooper and his band were once the best of the best -- the meanest, dirtiest, most feared crew of mercenaries this side of the Heartwyld. 

Their glory days long past, the mercs have grown apart and grown old, fat, drunk - or a combination of the three. Then an ex-bandmate turns up at Clay's door with a plea for help. His daughter Rose is trapped in a city besieged by an enemy one hundred thousand strong and hungry for blood. Rescuing Rose is the kind of mission that only the very brave or the very stupid would sign up for.

It's time to get the band back together for one last tour across the Wyld.

QUOTES - 

“As individuals they were each of them fallible, discordant as notes without harmony. But as a band they were something more, something perfect in its own intangible way” 

“You should write a book," Matrick suggested.
Kit snorted. "Who wants to read the self-pitying lamentations of an old revenant?"
"There's your title right there," said Ganelon.”

“Well, you see how big he was. Apparently he broke through a latrine seat and drowned in the sewage below.” A shitty way to go.”

“Clay smiled like a man who’d won first place in a “Whose Life Sucks the Most” 

FL Speak - There are books that you collect, read and keep it in your shelves among other hundreds. And then there are books that you make sure people notice it. This is one such book.

Kings of the Wyld is a tale of heroes, friends, old legends and war. It is also a story of the one thing that is almost always common to epic fantasy - hope against all odds. And it still doesn't make it any less interesting.

The mercenary band 'Saga' reminded me a lot about Steven Erikson's Bridgeburners. Mercenaries, cutthroats and war. I finished it in one reading, foregoing food and fiancee. Although I'll be paying the price soon enough, it was definitely worth it.

The war scenes were particularly intense with a lot of wtf moments. The fact that I was laughing aloud in between some sombre sequences does go to show how the author has brilliantly added humour without going overboard. Even though this is book 1, this can very well be a standalone novel. And that makes me worry. Because the heart refuses to accept that this might very well be the end of something that I cherished.

RATING - 5/5

His Majesty's Dragon - Naomi Novik

HIS MAJESTY'S DRAGONS
Book 1 of "Temeraire"

ISBN - 9780345481283
FIRST PUBLISHED - 2006
PAGES - 353 (Paperback)
GENRE - Fantasy
PUBLISHERS - Del Rey

AUTHOR - Naomi Novik

SYNOPSIS - Aerial combat brings a thrilling new dimension to the Napoleonic Wars as valiant warriors ride mighty fighting dragons, bred for size or speed. When HMS Reliant captures a French frigate and seizes the precious cargo, an unhatched dragon egg, fate sweeps Captain Will Laurence from his seafaring life into an uncertain future – and an unexpected kinship with a most extraordinary creature. Thrust into the rarified world of the Aerial Corps as master of the dragon Temeraire, he will face a crash course in the daring tactics of airborne battle. For as France’s own dragon-borne forces rally to breach British soil in Bonaparte’s boldest gambit, Laurence and Temeraire must soar into their own baptism of fire

QUOTES - 

• And we must still try or we would be leaving our friends to fight without us. I think this is what you have meant by duty, all along; I do understand, at least this much of it.

• I am beginning to feel the need of a glass of wine to fortify myself against this conversation.

• I should rather have you than a heap of gold, even if it were very comfortable to sleep on.

• It seems to me that if you wish to apply laws to us, it were only reasonable to consult us on them, and from what you have read to me about Parliament, I do not think any dragons are invited to go there.

FL Speak -  Temeraire. 

Goodness, it's a tough word to pronounce, isn't it lads? 
(please try to read this in British accent as I'm pretending right now) 

Aah, where do I begin? It's love at first page. Dragons. There you go, mate. That's the magic word. Who doesn't love them? Eragon has one, Harry Potter rode one. The point being, we love them. Now this isn't Middle Earth or Narnia. It's London. And it's building up for a war against the French who are led none other than that arrogant bastard, Napoleon Bonaparte. 

Yes, my dear, it's alternate history. Wars are fought with battleships in the seas, military in the streets and... Yes, the aerial corps comprising of those awesome swashbuckling men and women riding atop those beautiful and deadly dragons. 

That's the setting. Our reluctant older hero finds an egg and before long the young hatchling has decided to bond with him. And as a proud citizen of England, he has no other choice but to report to duty. In this case, vigorous training for the duo. Book 1 was all about duty, those English manners of the 80's, friendship and learning. And in between there were betrayals and wars which is almost normal. Right? 

I can tell you that this is going to be a wonderful series if the later books are penned the same way. I simply love the crisp, simple writing. There's never been a need for additional flair to make a story more compelling. Naomi's greatest strength lies in the fact that her words make it believable. Of course it's complete sane to duel with swords atop a dragon hundreds of feet in the air. It's also sane to believe that Napoleon was a gigantic prick (who also has more dragons btw). Bad guys somehow always have the upper hand. 

DRAGONS.

Oh Naomi, you stole my nights.

RATING - 5/5

The Darkest Road - Guy Gavriel Kay

THE DARKEST ROAD
Book 3 of "The Fionavar Tapestry"

ISBN - 9780451451804
FIRST PUBLISHED - 1992
PAGES - 448 (Paperback)
GENRE - Fantasy
PUBLISHERS - Roc

AUTHOR - Guy Gavriel Kay

SYNOPSIS - And so the time of prophecy has come at last, the final days for those who dwell in Fionavar, first of all worlds. Even as the Unraveller's armies march to battle, even as his rain of death unleashes plague upon the lands, the ancient of powers to aid in their struggle.

QUOTES - 

• All the roads are dark. Only at the end is there a hope of light.

• Do you know the wish of your heart?

FL Speak - This is going to be a really, really short review. First things first, fuck you author. On to some more interesting stuff, the Darkest Road is actually a dark road for absolution, sacrifice and anything that is in the light. 

Goodness knows I wept like a 2yo throughout this book, I had goosebumps, laughed and was drunk on euphoria, tch tch'd on a few choices and I've lived my life in Fionavar with these characters. If you're expecting a great final battle between the forces of evil and light (like the 200-page epic finale of Wheel of Time), forget it. But the skirmishes till then. Oh, it saps your strength and gives your tear ducts some good massage. 

This is a grand, grand tale of how you do the best of what you're dealt with, how you always have a choice to follow your own heart, how you sacrifice yourself for others even though the heart of your life is awaiting your victory, how you stop being a tool to be used and how you never give up on the power of light. Love stories, friendships, ego clashes and understandings all come to head in this final book when the forces of light unite for one final time to rally against the dark. 

And the dark, and the dark has a weapon no one planned for. 

Scintillating stuff.

RATING - 4/5

The Wandering Fire - Guy Gavriel Kay

THE WANDERING FIRE
Book 2 of "The Fionavar Tapestry"

ISBN - 9780451458261
FIRST PUBLISHED - 201
PAGES - 375 (Paperback)
GENRE - Fantasy
PUBLISHERS - Roc

AUTHOR - Guy Gavriel Kay

SYNOPSIS - The Wandering Fire is the second novel of Guy Gavriel Kay’s critically acclaimed fantasy trilogy, The Fionavar Tapestry. A mage’s power has brought five university students from our world into a realm where an ancient evil has freed itself from captivity to wreak revenge on its enemies.

The ice of eternal winter has reached out to enshroud Fionavar, the first of all worlds. For the Unraveller has broken free after millennia enchained and now his terrible vengeance has begun to take its toll on mortals and immortals, mages and warriors, dwarves and the lios alfar, the Children of Light.

Only five men and women of our own world, brought by magic across the Tapestry of worlds to the very heart of the Weaver’s pattern, can hope to wake the allies they so desperately need. Yet none can foretell whether even these beings out of legend have the power to shatter the Unraveller’s icy grip of death upon the land


QUOTES - 

• I am afraid to try for more light lest it mean more dark.

• Unless the perfidious wolves have the temerity to disobey the High King's plans, we should meet Shalhassan's forces by the Latham in mid-wood with the wolves between us. If they aren't,' Diarmuid concluded, 'we blame anyone and everything except the plan.

FL Speak - 

Previously on the Fionavar Tapestry:
We have had our five main characters moulded in the world of Fionavar to be heroes, catalysts and guides. For better amd some specially for worse, they have returned home and now the plot thickens anew. 

This is that part of the tale where the pleasantries are dispatched off for there lies war ahead. Game faces on, folks. The ride just went up a notch. What we missed in the first book was a direction. There were so many situations occurring at any given time that it was not easy to grasp which ones to focus on. As it should be. Here, in this book, those are dealt with. 

There's more action, more wars, more sleeping with goddesses, sacrifices and a love triangle that's longer than Merlin's beard. There's also plots brewing, fires kindling, love blossoming, hopes blooming in the dark and terrible winter. 

Book 2 ended on a deeply satisfying note. If not for the deaths, it would have been quite a high. But there's nothing like death to wake you up to reality, is there?

RATING - 4/5

The Summer Tree - Guy Gavriel Kay

THE SUMMER TREE
Book 1 of "The Fionavar Tapestry"

ISBN - 9780451458223
FIRST PUBLISHED - 2001
PAGES - 303
GENRE - Fantasy
PUBLISHERS - Roc

AUTHOR - Guy Gavriel Kay

SYNOPSIS - The first volume in Guy Gavriel Kay’s stunning fantasy masterwork.

Five men and women find themselves flung into the magical land of Fionavar, First of all Worlds. They have been called there by the mage Loren Silvercloak, and quickly find themselves drawn into the complex tapestry of events. For Kim, Paul, Kevin, Jennifer and Dave all have their own part to play in the coming battle against the forces of evil led by the fallen god Rakoth Maugrim and his dark hordes.

Guy Gavriel Kay’s classic epic fantasy plays out on a truly grand scale, and has already been delighting fans of imaginative fiction for twenty years.

QUOTES - 

• There are kinds of action, for good or ill, that lie so far outside the boundaries of normal behavior that they force us, in acknowledging that they have occurred, to restructure our own understanding of reality. We have to make room for them.

• We salvage what we can, what truly matters to us, even at the gates of despair.

• Alluding and attacking, summoning a courage, embodying a gallantry of defiance that hurt to see, it was so noble and so doomed.

• One didn't stop to talk with creatures from one's nightmares.

FL Speak - There are books which draw you in with their huge cast of interesting characters and there are some whose magical systems leaves you speechless. There are books of war and death, of friendship and weasley brothers, of coming of age and well, of aged wizards (I'm looking at you Raymond Feist) 

And then there are books which are poetry in motion. Beautifully structured, gracefully written which deserves the recognition of being an art in the world of fantasy. This is one such tale. 

The first thing that comes to mind when you read this book is Dragons and Dungeons. The second thing would probably be Narnia or Harry Potter. But unlike the latter two, this isn't a world which exists within one nor you're as young as you'd like to be when you discover FIONAVAR. 

Summoned to a world between worlds and the balance of the entire cosmos lies in the hands and fates of five young people. Five people, completely different from each other, each with their personal issues. And in the world of Fionavar, bonds are broken before they can be made. This is a spectacular tale of black vs white vs grey. 

I love the way Guy Gavriel writes. He doesn't waste time in doling out words just for the sake of making it beautiful. Forget words, he skips out sentences and actions. Too often, I've found myself anticipating if something is going to happen only to turn the page and find oh well, it did. 

Book 1 ended with a dire warning. The gongs have sounded, the Gods have spoken and the darkness has spread forth. Will these 5 be the catalyst and where their paths lie is yet to be determined.

RATING - 4/5

Furies of Calderon - Jim Butcher

Furies of Calderon
Book 1 of "Codex Alera"

ISBN - 9780441012688
FIRST PUBLISHED - 2005
PAGES - 503 (Paperback)
GENRE - Fantasy
PUBLISHERS - Ace Paperback

AUTHOR - Jim Butcher

SYNOPSIS - For a thousand years, the people of Alera have united against the aggressive and threatening races that inhabit the world, using their unique bond with the furies - elementals of earth, air, fire, water, and metal. But now, Gaius Sextus, First Lord of Alera, grows old and lacks an heir. Ambitious High Lords plot and maneuver to place their Houses in positions of power, and a war of succession looms on the horizon." "Far from city politics in the Calderon Valley, the boy Tavi struggles with his lack of furycrafting. At fifteen, he has no wind fury to help him fly, no fire fury to light his lamps. Yet as the Alerans' most savage enemy - the Marat - return to the Valley, he will discover that his destiny is much greater than he could ever imagine." Caught in a storm of deadly wind furies, Tavi saves the life of a runaway slave named Amara. But she is actually a spy for Gaius Sextus, sent to the Valley to gather intelligence on traitors to the Crown, who may be in league with the barbaric Marat horde. And when the Valley erupts in chaos - when rebels war with loyalists and furies clash with furies - Amara will find Tavi's courage and resourcefulness to be a power greater than any fury - one that could turn the tides of war.

QUOTES - 

• In for a sheep, in for a gargant.

• Because a sound tree doesn’t have bad roots, Amara. No enterprise of greatness begins with treachery, with lying to the people who trust and love you.

• The course of history is determined not by battles, by sieges, or usurpation, but by the individuals. The strongest army is, at its most basic level, a collection of individuals. Their decisions, their passions, their foolishness, and their dreams shape the years to come. If there is any lesson to be learned from history, it is that all too often the fate of armies, of cities, of entire realms rests upon the actions of one person's decision, good or bad, right or wrong, big or small, can unwittingly change the world. But history can be quite the slattern. One never knows who that person is, where he might be, or what decision he might male. It is almost enough to make me believe in destiny.

FL Speak - 

I've mixed views on this one. It ain't that I didn't like it, far from it. It's just that I am finding it a little difficult to jump from a Harry Dresden setting into a TolkiEn era.

So what do we have here?
Vast empire, political sabotage, special units, love and loyalty and a magic system that makes the use of Pokemons, or something like that. First things first, politics rule but is overshadowed by sheer action. Hello Tavi, one of the main characters who's furyless. That means, he can't do any special moves with Pokemons.

Almost everyone in the Empire has one or more furies. Furies are elemental. Earth, wind, wood, fire and whatnots. Each fury elemental is different and has different abilites. Fury crafting of earth summons an earth animal/giant/pokemon. Firecrafting plays with emotions, watercrafting lets you control the water and use it mainly for healing purposes. Blah Blah Blah.

And then there's Tavi, without a spark of fury in his blood. And Amarra, who's a Cursor and a windcrafter. Cursors are the elite special forces of the realm. More like Aurors, only way cooler. You need to read this one. ASAP.

Back to the book then. Furies of Calderon is an apt title for the war in Calderon Valley. Months of planning and scheming, a fearful enemy force and the might of the will clash at this iconic valley. The war scenes are gory, as they ought to be. Jim Butcher doesn't shy away from deaths and barbaric rituals. Furies of Calderon transported me to a world where I wanted to root for the underdog despite knowing that it might not be the best. For my heart and the Realm.

For any fantasy series, foreshadowing is a vital element. Some half-truths, some whispers in the dark and a lot of missing information made sure I picked up the second book. There is love in the air and fear in the wind.

I'm loving it. 

RATING - 4/5